Author's Note: It looks like a bit of a jump here, but the search for the Hidden Land would've happened at the same time as Leaf's Time Gear gathering in the last chapter, so I just went on to Brine Cave. (Don't worry; the cave itself will get a side story eventually, at least.) Anyway, the Hidden Land's a pretty neat place, and of course we the readers know that there's some delicious dramatic irony in here with Bruce, too.

(And as a bonus note, I've now gotten further than I did when I first wrote this story. What a good way to make the first update of the new year.)

Chapter Twenty: Arrival

"And stay gone!" Iris shouted at the retreating figures. Then, she added a grumbled, "Jerks…"

Claire's breath was still heavy as she watched the Kabutops and pair of Omastar flee. They'd made it through the fight somehow, but…it had been difficult. Even with all five of them, they'd only just made it, and all of Team Shadow's members were soaking wet and covered in cuts and bruises.

They'd talked to the town's elder, Torkoal, and found out the truth behind Felix's Relic Fragment. Then, the guild had made their way towards Brine Cave. All of Team Shadow's members had gone on the trip, even Bruce, but they'd had to split into two groups to stay in line with the guild's rules. Bruce had gone with Rin and Iris, and Chatot had tailed along with Claire and Felix. They'd met up in the far chamber, but…

"Is…is he okay?" Felix whispered as his eyes fell on Chatot.

The five of them cautiously approached the bird. He'd leapt in front of them when the fossil Pokémon had appeared, and he'd easily been swatted aside by Kabutops. Chatot had fallen unconscious before the fight, and he was far too still even now.

Suddenly, Chatot stirred weakly, and Claire jumped. Chatot wheezed, water spewing out of his beak, as he rolled over. One of his wings shifted, and Claire cringed; it was then that they all got a good look at his injuries. His body was covered in deep slashes, and blood stained most of his feathers. Some of it had dripped onto the floor and splattered across his other wing, which was awkwardly crumpled beneath him.

"…Chatot?" she said softly, reaching into her bag for an Oran Berry.

"You're…all fine," he coughed. "Well? Why aren't you…going on ahead?"

Bruce stared at him, aghast. "We can't just leave you here! Not like this—"

"Chatot!"

He was cut off by a shout in the distance that sounded like Wigglytuff's voice. As the group turned around, they saw the Guildmaster dashing towards them with Leaf in tow. Well, that was convenient—they'd needed to find the Grovyle anyway—but they could ask questions later.

Wigglytuff leaned down, resting one paw under Chatot's head. All Chatot could do was let out another weak cough, and Wigglytuff's eyes were watering when he went on.

"How could you do that again, Chatot?" he wailed. "You took a hit from those bandits, didn't you?"

"A-again? Oh, right," Chatot wheezed. "I…suppose that's what happened last time…isn't it?"

There were footsteps in the distance, and suddenly the rest of the guild piled into the chamber. They let out various cries of alarm; Claire wasn't sure how many of them were because of Chatot and how many were at the sight of Leaf. Still, if all of them were here now, maybe they'd be able to safely carry Chatot out of there.

Leaf crouched down, examining Chatot's wounds. Then, he reached out for the berry Claire had grabbed, and he carefully handed it to the bird. Somehow, Chatot managed to choke it down, and the edges of his cuts shrank ever so slightly.

"I think he'll make it," Leaf murmured. "You'll have to get him out of here now, though. Go!"

"Y-yes," Wigglytuff sniffled. "Of course. You all…go on ahead."

Leaf nodded as Wigglytuff gently lifted Chatot off the ground. His protests at being carried almost would've been funny if not for the current situation… As they left, Claire could hear Sydney muttering something about offering to switch with Wigglytuff every now and then. It might take some effort to secure Chatot on his back, but he was one of the only recruits large enough to easily carry him. She wasn't sure what Wigglytuff's reply was, but Claire watched the group for a few more seconds nonetheless.

Finally, she looked back at Leaf, and a small smile crossed her face. He looked at her as well, returning the smile as he rested a claw on her shoulder.

"Well, it looks like we had good timing," he commented. "Your guildmaster caught up with me right when I was on my way back to Treasure Town."

Claire nodded. "I was wondering why you two were together! So do you have all the Time Gears now?"

"Of course I do." Leaf idly tapped his battered bag before glancing around. "So…what is it we're supposed to be looking for here?"

"Well…" Rin tilted her head to the side. "I think it's something that matches Felix's Relic Fragment… I guess it's a bit further ahead?"

"Relic Fragment?" Leaf repeated.

Felix nodded. "Mm, I'll show you in a minute. Let's go."

The six of them plodded up to a further part of the cave, glancing around as they went. Finally, they arrived in a small chamber that opened out into the sea. The opposite wall had a large swirling pattern carved into it, and it looked nearly identical to the design on Felix's personal treasure. It was a little larger and more elaborate, but there were many of the same shapes nonetheless.

"Ah, here!" Claire said as her eyes fell on it. "Felix, do you think you should take it out here?"

The Chimchar nodded, reaching into his treasure bag. He carefully pulled out his Relic Fragment and gently set it on the ground near the pattern. For a few seconds, there was silence, and Claire wondered if anything would happen. Then, a faint light rose out of the pattern on Felix's stone, and a bright teal beam shot out of the center of the carving on the wall.

Everyone ducked instinctively. Then, the beam of light faded, and Claire looked up hesitantly. Iris had already jumped back to her feet, and Leaf and Bruce were following her example. As Claire dusted herself off, Rin and Felix glanced around curiously.

"What…do you think that was?" Rin wondered.

Iris squinted at something in the distance, waving towards it as she said, "I don't know, but you think it has anything to do with that?"

There was a silhouette visible out on the ocean, and, within a few minutes, a Lapras had arrived on the shoreline. He glanced between the group, then smiled and nodded.

"You must be the ones Wigglytuff mentioned, yes? I'm Lapras, and I can take you to the Hidden Land if you're ready."

Claire nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Lapras! Was that a signal of some kind, then?"

"Yes, it only activates with that stone there," he explained, nodding towards Felix's Relic Fragment. "Dialga supposedly made it years ago as proof that its holder is worthy of entering the Hidden Land."

Felix blushed slightly, an awestruck look on his face as he collected the stone. After he tucked it back into his bag, he piped up with a question of his own.

"Really? And, um, will you be able to carry us all?"

"I should, but…" Lapras paused. "I'm not sure if it's wise to approach Dialga with such a large group. It may be a good idea for one or two of you to stay behind."

Oh; that hadn't been something Claire had thought about. Frowning, she glanced around at her team. She didn't want to send anyone home if she didn't have to, but…Lapras had a point. Too many visitors might make Dialga wary, after all.

Eventually, Bruce said, "Well, I don't mind staying here if you think it'd help."

"Bruce?" Claire blinked. "We already left you once before… Are you sure about this?"

The Glameow grinned. "It's all right, really! At least this time I know where you're going, and that you'll be coming back. So…I'd like to go, but I can get back to the guild by myself."

"If you're sure, then…"

Claire looked back at Lapras, who in turn nodded at her.

"I think that will be fine," he said. "Now, if the rest of you can get up on my back…"

The five of them climbed up onto Lapras's shell, and Claire paused to look down at Bruce. He just nodded as he looked over the rest of them. At least he didn't seem upset, but Claire couldn't help feeling guilty anyway.

"Come back soon!" he called. "I know you guys can do it!"

"We will!" Felix replied. "Wait for us, okay?"

Bruce nodded again before dashing out of the chamber. Then, Claire took a deep breath and looked at everyone else. Felix and Rin nodded, Iris looked excited, and Leaf rested an encouraging claw on her shoulder.

"Okay," she said. "I think we're ready, Lapras."

"All right, then; we're off."

Lapras slowly turned around before drifting out of the cavern. His fins splashed lightly through the water as they went, and the sound was oddly relaxing. The moon had started to rise by now, and Claire found the whole scene pretty. She knew they were about to do something important, but…she didn't want to get too nervous, either. And this was helping her relax.

"So, Lapras," Claire said after a moment, "you know the Guildmaster?"

He nodded. "Wigglytuff and I met several years back. He'd been exploring Brine Cave with Chatot, and the two of them apparently ran into some trouble with a couple of thugs."

"Oh," Rin commented in realization. "That's what Wigglytuff meant when he said Chatot 'did it again,' didn't he?"

"Yes," Lapras confirmed. "He'd taken a blow meant for Wigglytuff. Fortunately, Wigglytuff was able to fend them off by himself, but…he was worried about whether or not Chatot was going to make it. I'd intended to stay hidden, but when I saw how badly his friend was hurt, I decided to lend Wigglytuff a hand."

Leaf nodded. "I see… You wouldn't want anyone to figure out what you were guarding if you could help it, right?"

"Indeed. I had Wigglytuff promise not to tell anyone what he'd seen here, but…well, even I'd noticed that time had started deteriorating." Lapras sighed. "Even if Wigglytuff hadn't come to tell me what was going on, I probably would've figured it out."

There was silence for a few seconds. Claire couldn't help wondering what Lapras would've done had they not shown up. Could he have fixed things on his own? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that they wouldn't have been able to get to the Hidden Land without him. If Wigglytuff hadn't put in a good word for them, would he have listened to them?

So, so much had almost gone wrong, after all. The lake guardians hadn't listened to Leaf at first; she hadn't either. Claire had almost gotten him (and herself, and her teammates) killed by listening to Dusknoir. But Lapras seemed reasonable enough, and—

Leaf glanced at her, noticing the worry plastered on her face. Before he could say anything, though, Iris yawned loudly. Felix was rubbing his eyes, too. They were all worn out—both from that last fight and all the traveling they'd had to do.

"I can't believe that's the second time Chatot's done that," Iris muttered; it was obvious what she'd been thinking about while Claire was wrapped up in her own thoughts. "All I ever did was goof off and yell at him, but…he still thought we were all important enough to protect."

They were silent for a few seconds; no one was really sure how to reply to that. It had surprised Claire, too, admittedly. She bit her lip, though she failed to swallow a yawn of her own. Finally, Lapras spoke up for her.

"…You should get some rest," he said gently. "I'll wake you when we're almost there."

"All right," Claire replied. "Thanks, Lapras."

With that, she closed her eyes, leaned against Leaf, and started to doze off. Claire was vaguely aware of the Grass-type resting his head on top of hers, and the last thing she heard was Iris's light snoring before she fell asleep.

Claire yawned and rubbed a paw at her eyes. She blinked several times, trying to get her vision to focus. It seemed to be early morning; it was considerably lighter now, but there were a few last streaks of pinkish-orange light on the horizon.

Lapras was still dutifully ferrying them across the ocean, and they were still secure on his back. Iris was sprawled out horizontally across his shell, taking up a good portion of it. Rin was positioned near her, and Felix was lying with his head on Rin's leg. Claire and Leaf were near Lapras's neck, still leaning against each other. Leaf seemed to be awake as well; he shifted slightly when he felt Claire move, and he glanced down at her.

"Claire? Are you awake?"

"Mostly," she mumbled. "Should we wake the others?"

"Now would be a good time," Lapras agreed, and Claire jumped at his voice. "We're nearly there."

They nodded and stretched before carefully climbing over to the rest of the team. Iris grumbled and took a few seconds to fully rouse herself. Meanwhile, Felix and Rin were a bit quicker to rise.

"Are we almost there?" Felix asked through a yawn.

"Yes," Lapras called. "See that light up there?"

Claire padded towards the front of Lapras's shell, and she glanced around his neck. The others did the same as best they could, though she could hear Rin trying to talk Iris out of climbing up Lapras's neck to see over his head. Giggling, Claire turned back around and squinted. Soon, she could make out a twisted column of glittering teal light rising up out of the waves ahead of them.

"Yeah—what is that?"

"That," Lapras explained, "is the entrance to the Hidden Land. Now hang on tight, everyone!"

"Wha—but how—?"

Before Iris could finish her still-half-groggy question, Lapras swam into the light. The air around them seemed to lurch, and Iris shouted and grabbed onto one of the spikes on Lapras's shell. Claire's stomach churned as the ocean beneath them got further away. Felix was gripping onto her arm so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his eyes had widened in fear.

"Lapras, what is this?" Leaf asked, having to shout over the wind whipping around them.

"Why, the sea of time, of course," Lapras replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We're still swimming, you know—just in a different dimension than usual. Look there!"

And, in the distance, there was an island floating amid the clouds—or maybe it was simply resting in a sea of its own. It just wasn't in the sense Claire had expected, really. Finally, off to one side was a large tower surrounded by more clouds, these ones swirling around in a spiral close to the peak.

"That's the Hidden Land and Temporal Tower. We'll be there soon!"

And, with a sudden burst of speed, Lapras approached the island's edge. He gently turned to the side, allowing them more space to get off. Leaf leaped down and caught his balance easily, as if the trip had been the most natural thing in the world. Claire was a bit envious; she and Rin were more wobbly and required his help to climb down.

While Iris was eager enough to make the jump, she lurched and rolled over awkwardly once she was on the ground, and she groaned as she stood up. Finally, Felix came down slowly, inch by inch, and he staggered as he reached for Claire's hand. He stood there quivering for a few seconds before he attempted to walk at all.

Lapras watched them as he said, "It may take some time to adjust, but set out as soon as you're able. Find the Old Ruins—there you'll be able to catch the Rainbow Stoneship."

"Rainbow Stoneship?" Claire repeated.

"Yes; it's what you need to get up to Temporal Tower," Lapras explained. He glanced up at the tower in the distance before adding, "…Be careful. I don't know what to expect up there. I'm not sure if Dialga will be…all right when you find him. But you must try."

Leaf took a deep breath. "We know. Is everyone ready?"

Everyone seemed to have regained their footing by now, and Claire nodded. She wasn't entirely sure what Lapras meant, but…well, Dialga had to have noticed that time was starting to become unstable, right? Hopefully he wasn't as bad as he was in the future, but there was always the off chance…

No. Claire would worry about that when they got there. Instead, she simply looked back over at Leaf. The Grovyle nodded at Lapras, and then he turned towards a pathway leading up a hill nearby. He looked at Claire—determined, resigned, relieved, and something she couldn't quite place—and then he gestured to the rest of her team.

"All right. Let's go, then."

And with that, they were off, and Lapras called one last encouragement as they made their way into the Hidden Land.

Claire certainly hadn't expected the trip to be easy, but she was starting to get worn out.

The highlands stretching across the southern part of the island had been swarmed with Pokémon, and her group had attracted a good deal of attention. While it hurt to think, she could see Lapras's point about traveling in small numbers, and they weren't even at Temporal Tower yet. The plus side was that, much like their trip in the future, they were at least able to deal with the fights quickly enough.

"There," Iris wheezed as she knocked out a Dragonite with a well-timed Faint Attack. "That's enough!"

Rin was leaning on her bone for support, breathing heavily as she paused for a break. Meanwhile, Felix was covered in heavy bruises, and he was digging through his bag for an Oran Berry. The Chimchar looked considerably better after swallowing it, and Claire nodded weakly as she ate a berry of her own.

"Is…is everyone okay?" she asked.

They'd just gotten through an especially crowded area, and they were pretty far into the dungeon. Everyone would've been worn out even if it weren't for the number of Pokémon they'd just dealt with. Still, they had to be getting close to the ruins now, right? That thought had been what had carried Claire through that battle.

Leaf was resting nearby, and he glanced between Claire's teammates. Admittedly, they didn't look great, but they were probably as good as they could have been, all things considered. He nodded as he stood up and headed over to her.

"I think so," he replied. "We probably ought to get moving soon, though."

She nodded in return and started walking again. The other three reluctantly followed after her, and Leaf brought up the rear. As they filed into a particularly narrow path, Claire kept her eyes out for any more enemies. They couldn't let their guard down now—

She yowled and jumped backwards when a Manectric suddenly rounded the corner, nearly crashing into Felix. He caught her, and she ducked as Felix spat a Flamethrower over her head. Growling, Manectric started crackling with electricity, and Claire recovered quickly enough to strike him with a Night Slash. He crumpled before getting to launch his attack, and Claire sighed as she stepped around him.

"Is everything all right?" Leaf called.

"Yeah! Just a Manectric, but we got him," Felix answered.

Fortunately, the trail ahead of them soon led to a large stone building. Claire leaned against the heavy old doors when they arrived, and they opened with a loud scraping noise. There didn't seem to be any more Pokémon in the area, which was good. Claire glanced around; the walls up ahead were decorated with various murals, though the carvings and paintings had faded slightly with age.

"I guess we're in the Old Ruins now?" Rin mused, taking a few steps forward as she looked around. "It's…very interesting in here."

Claire nodded as she followed the Cubone down the hallway. One of the murals caught her attention—it depicted Groudon fighting against a large blue Pokémon, and she couldn't help remembering their trip to Fogbound Lake when she saw it. The last one showed Dialga, albeit colored blue and silver instead of the purple and gold she'd seen in the future. Was that how he was supposed to look?

"Yes," Leaf agreed, and it was now that Claire noticed he'd gotten ahead of her at some point. "I'd assume you're right. Which means the Stoneship Lapras mentioned should be nearby."

A few minutes later, they exited through the other side of the building. There was a large pedestal ahead of them, and Claire couldn't help feeling nervous as they filed up the stairs. Something about the place felt…strange. It was too quiet. Of course, it could've just been the sheer size of the place and the knowledge where they were going next. Claire wanted to believe that her nerves were just making her imagination act up.

Soon enough, they'd arrived at the top. There was a large circular stone in the middle with an indentation carved out of its center, and it was decorated with a complex swirling pattern. It was just like the wall at Brine Cave, Claire realized. Were they supposed to use the Relic Fragment here somehow?

She looked around, noticing that Leaf had settled near a small tablet on the far side of the altar. Rin and Iris had followed him over there, while Felix's attention had been drawn by the hole nearby. Claire padded over to Leaf, peering around his shoulder at the tablet.

"Does that say what to do here?"

He nodded. "Yes—I believe Felix needs to put his stone there in the middle. That should activate the ship, and…"

"Oh, that makes sense," Felix interrupted. "I mean, that's what I figured, but…it's good to know for sure."

He reached into his treasure bag, fishing around for his Relic Fragment. Before he pulled it out, though, he paused and looked around. Claire felt her ears twitch; she, too, had noticed that something was wrong. She…heard something, scratching and cackling and—

Then, there was an all-too-familiar voice saying, "That's enough. Apologies, but I can't let you do that."

They were surrounded by Sableye, and Dusknoir was visible behind his minions a few seconds later.

It was a trap, Claire realized belatedly, and they'd wandered right into it.