Ryan and Treecko watched the flower patch from the cover of the woodland undergrowth, waiting to see who would appear. The sun was rising and, whilst both Treecko and Ryan couldn't believe how little sleep they had had over the previous night, they were wide awake. The threat of a Pokémon that could communicate to them through their dreams was not one they'd take lightly.

Looking down at the flowers that made up the flower patch, just barely hugging the edge of the woods, Treecko was suddenly struck by a thought.

He looked back at the way they had come and his heart sank. Dotted along the path they had walked were flowers. Ryan left a trail of breadcrumbs wherever he walked and that hadn't been a problem until they were being hunted by the Guild.

It didn't matter how much they ran and hid if Ryan simply led the Guild to them each time.

He was surprised that nobody had shown up from the Guild, if that was the case. If they were so easy to track, they should have been ambushed as soon as they had gone to sleep earlier. Instead, Ryan had been contacted by-

"Hello."

Espeon leaned forward, looking out of the undergrowth towards the flower patch too. Ryan and Treecko jumped up and away, immediately putting distance between them and her.

"Is that really any way to treat a friend?" Espeon said, walking forwards after them.

"A friend wouldn't incite a mob to chase us down," Ryan replied angrily.

"Only I chased you down," Espeon corrected him, "to give you the opportunity to explain your side of things before the less… delicate Pokémon arrive."

"Machamp?" Treecko asked.

"He's quite angry at the both of you, yes."

"I have nothing to hide," Ryan said, "all I've done is help the Pokémon that needed help. Nothing more and nothing less."

"If that's the case, then why run?"

"Treecko knew what you were planning," Ryan said, "when you interrogate someone you believe to be guilty, without any other suspects, and it turns out they're innocent… things can get out of hand."

"Like blowing up your room?"

"Like you crossing a line. Any of you, to get to the lie you believe to be the truth."

"You're saying I'm a liar?" Espeon asked, her tail flicking from side to side.

"What reason do you have to hunt me down? I helped Pangoro based on a hunch. I got attacked because of it. Is that all it takes for those you're meant to trust to turn against you?" Ryan asked. Treecko was silently watching the conversation, his eyes bouncing between the two other Pokémon, unable to lift his voice to join the argument.

"I haven't been lying about not being able to read you," Espeon said, "it's a first for me. Why do you think I can't read you?"

"Losing your touch?"

"Funny. I know you have something to hide, it's why I sent you the message in the dream. I hadn't seen you around here before, but I've seen Treecko countless times. Then you show up. Why here? Why this flower patch?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryan said, "it's just a flower patch."

"Then why did you come here straight away? You know I've been following you and every lie you tell only brings me further to enacting justice for the Pokémon you have harmed," Espeon said, approaching once more.

"The only Pokémon I've harmed are those that attacked me first," Ryan said, "Treecko, you can back me up, right?"

Treecko stayed quiet, shaking slightly.

"You see," Espeon whispered, "even your partner doesn't trust you. You're better off gone from here, but until you give up the Pokémon you have captured and tell us how you did it, I'm just going to have to settle for roughing you up a little first."

Espeon pounced, lunging towards Ryan, who backed up, unprepared for her speed. Treecko dived from where he watched, taking the hit from Espeon square in the chest. He was flung back from the connection, Espeon's quick attack a critical hit.

Ryan stumbled back, trying to orientate himself into a position to fight back, whilst Espeon readied up to attack again, much faster than he was. A high up member of the Guild, he was completely outmatched. He wasn't facing sluggish Pokémon drones from the tears or fearful Pokémon from disaster areas. This one was well trained and focused. She went to swipe again and Treecko called out, distracting them both as Ryan readied his magic leaves.

She untensed from the pounce and Ryan dropped the leaves, both turning to Treecko.

"Treecko…" Espeon said, "step away from the edge, okay?"

"Look at you both," Treecko shouted, "the world is breaking and you two are fighting. Over what? What is this going to fix?"

"Treecko," Ryan said, "you're too close to-"

"Just listen to me!" Treecko continued, before softening his tone to a near whisper. "Why is it so hard for you all to just listen to me?"

"I do listen to you Treecko," Ryan said.

"Then why do you lie to me too?"

"What do you mean?" Espeon asked.

"You didn't trust me enough to tell me what you were going to do with Pangoro. When I met you for the first time, you were coming from this direction and I know most of the Pokémon in these woods. I have never seen a Shaymin anywhere near here. You don't transform back to a Land Shaymin at night. You talk about someone called Sam in your sleep, your partner?"

"I-" Ryan didn't have an answer. That name flooded him with fear.

"Why don't you trust me? After everything we've been through?" Treecko asked, "I thought we were-"

The cliff edge that Treecko was standing on suddenly collapsed in on itself. The ground so severely dried out from the consistent attacks had left the cliff brittle and weak. Both Ryan and Espeon watched as Treecko, along with a good portion of the earth around him, plummeted out of view. His screams immediately beginning to fade as he fell.

Ryan, not even stopping to think, charged towards the edge of the cliff and dove off. He was wracked with fear. His vertigo hammering at his mind and making his vision blurry, but he shook his head and allowed himself to speed through the air towards Treecko.

He fell fast enough to gain on Treecko's flailing form, surrounded by loose chunks of rock that had fallen with him. Below them, the sharp rocks and chopping seawater waited menacingly.

"Hold on!" Ryan screamed above the sound of rushing air, rapidly approaching Treecko. He allowed his torso to slam into Treecko's body, letting the green Pokémon hug him tightly. Then, hoping against hope itself, Ryan began to fly.

As it turns out, heights are much less terrifying when you know you can stop falling at a moment's notice. Treecko did not feel this contentment, but Ryan joyfully soared through the air, taking in the view the proper way.

"What's that?" Treecko asked, unwilling to point out what he was talking about.

Ryan scanned the area below them. The sunrise was lighting everything up in a beautiful orange hue, reflecting off of the sea. The sea that was rapidly detracting.

The beach to the beach town of Pokémon was growing exponentially as the water drained away.

Ryan spun in the air and took the tightly clutching Treecko back up to Espeon.

Once they had landed safely, Ryan walked up to Espeon.

"If you can track us, no point in us running," Ryan said, "but if we return, we do it as a rescue team, not prisoners. I don't care what you think about me, I'm here to help Pokémon. And that," Ryan pointed at the retreating waterline. "That is going to need all the help it can get, and fast."

"I agree," Espeon said, "for now."

"You can't be serious," Machamp said, leading the crowd of angry Guild members as Espeon, Ryan and Treecko stood before them. "He leaves our sight and the next thing we know; the entire sea is being drained!"

"I can vouch for him, to an extent," Espeon said, "I was with them when it began."

"Thank you," Ryan said, but Espeon continued speaking.

"I was with them as Treecko himself voiced his own concerns about this stranger to our town. Ryan is secretive, manipulative and conniving. He didn't even tell Treecko about his meeting with our still comatose leader, Pangoro." Espeon smirked as she felt the anger rise even more within the Guild.

"That's not what I said," Treecko said, too quietly for anyone but Ryan to hear.

"We can explain," Ryan tried to shout over the raised voices, "but-"

A rift cracked open behind him. This one did not shine brightly like the rest, but shadowy tendrils appeared all the same.

Ryan's hopes of quelling the crowd were cut short as the tendrils whipped around him and dragged him through the rift before he had a chance to dodge out of the way. The rift began to close, as quickly as it had opened.

Treecko, his turn to dive without thinking, jumped into the rift before it snapped shut. The Guild was silent, stunned by what had just happened.

Ryan and Treecko were gone.