Dusknoir walked along the streets of Treasure Town, stopping often to talk with one local or another. All would agree that he was friendly, respectful, humble, and met all the expectations of the perfect hero.

Any who saw Dusknoir never would have guessed at the many questions speeding through his mind and the stress and indecision that came with it.

The true nature of the Dimensional Scream was something none knew about. Yes, it gave the seer the ability to witness events from the past or future. But where did this ability come from? Were they connected to the Time Gears themselves?

And then there was Sol, both the Riolu and the human. What were the odds that Grovyle and his partner would jump to a time where another seer was present? And that seer would happen to share a name with the human? And that human had yet to be sighted?

But wasn't it possible that all of those with the Dimensional Scream ability were all linked through time? If so, then it wouldn't be inconceivable for seers to possess similar traits or even names to be shared amongst them, especially if time moved in a sort of long, looping circle as Dialga once explained to him instead of the straight line everyone else believed in. The main events of history, natural disasters, wars, revolutions, all eventually repeating themselves, so why not the important figures as well?

This was far too complicated, too many unknowns. Dusknoir didn't know how to proceed. If Sol got the wrong vision at the wrong time, it could prove disasterous. But, if she could be turned into a loyal follower, she could prove useful beyond imagining. Was that not worth the risk? For now, he would watch, see what he could uncover. The best way to go about that was to talk to those who knew Sol.

The merchants, the Kecleon brothers, they must deal with exploration teams often. It seemed likely they could give Dusknoir some insight on the Riolu. Visiting them would be better than wandering around with no other leads.

So Dusknoir headed in the direction of the market, only to see the two shopkeepers already in deep discusion with Marill and Azurill. The Kecleons seemed outraged about something while the young brothers looked sad but hopeful.

"Good day to you all," Dusknoir said as he approached. "Is something the matter?"

"Hello, Dusknoir, sir!" the green Kecleon, Grecks, said. "We're talking about Marill's lost item, the one we discussed earlier."

"Of course. I believe you're refering to the Water Float? I seem to recall you had heard that it was on the beach."

Ugh. Dusknoir really hoped this didn't last long. He had better things to talk about than missing objects with little children.

"Exactly! But now there is more to the story..."

Well, this was quickly becoming much more interesting. A ransom note that asked for no ransom, and from what Dusknoir could piece together it was intended to be brought to the attention of Team Wanderers. 'Go cry to your big-shot friends'? Not very subtle. Eevee and Sol must have saw it was clearly a trap, but they ran off after it anyway. Were they brave, reckless or just plain stupid?

"I see," Dusknoir said. "That is terrile indeed. It's hard to imagine why anyone would do something so wretched. It must take some pathetic thugs to stoop so low."

"I just couldn't agree more!" Boln cried, rage filling his eyes. "To be so mean spirted to children! And to children so young as these brothers! It's utterly unforgivable!"

Dusknoir scanned through the note a second time, and that was when he was truly struck by the name of the place Team Wanderers was sent to. Amp Plains.

"Is this true?" Dusknoir demanded. "They went to Amp Plains?!"

"Yes. What's the problem?"

"But in Amp Plains, at this time of year... It's the season for..."

Without further explaination, Dusknoir turned and ran, ignoring the Kecleons' questioning calls.

Dusknoir had read up on everything he could about the past before he went. Anything to gain an advantage. He had concentrated on the different regions and areas in the goal of getting a rough idea of where the Time Gears could be hidden. Not all of us could have a seer in their pocket to tell them where to look. Amp Plains had been among the places he had researched, and he knew about Manectric and his clan. They would tear Team Wanderers to pieces.

And then it dawned on him. Would that be a good thing? It was a great risk having a seer around. If Sol saw something, then managed to turn others against him...

Dusknoir didn't need to decide right then. By the time he made it to the top of Amp Plains, it could be all over with the decision made for him. Halfway up the plains, he began to hear howling, a long, chilling sound that no doubt signalled Manectric's attack on the hapless exploration team.

With renewed urgency Dusknoir quickened his stride. Fortunately, there weren't many wild Pokémon to slow his passing. Or, perhaps not so fortunately because that probably meant they were all currently busy assualting Team Wanderers.

Finally, Dusknoir reached the top of Amp Plains. He heard only silence and could only assume the worst. But then, as he emerged over a small rise, he saw something so completely unexpected he could only stare.

An alpha duel, between Manectric and Sol. They stood sizing each other up, Manectric tense and watching Sol warily, the Riolu bleeding from a dozen wounds that didn't seem to slow her down at all. The Electrike sat back on their haunches and watched in silence while Eevee was looking much more nervous and worried, quite the opposite of his Charmander companion who stood without expression.

Dusknoir was familiar with the traditions and unspoken rules of wild Pokémon. For this to have happened, Sol must have impressed Manectric enough and earned enough respect from the clan leader to be seen as an alpha in his eyes. This was surprising given what Dusknoir could glean of the Riolu's personality. Sarcastic and immature were hardly the qualities of an alpha, but looking at Sol now, heavily wounded but pushing through it, brave, strong, tough... Yes, Dusknoir could see where Manectric was coming from.

Without warning, Manectric lunged forwards and the fight began. While Sol fought as best she could, she was no match for the veteran clan leader. Still, she refused to give up or let any hint of fear or nervousness show on her features.

Hmm... To be able to harness such spirit, such dedication... But that was a double edged sword, cutting both ways. What if she ended up turning against him?

In a shower of flames and splinters, Sol's staff was destroyed in a fierce electrical attack. The moment that happened, that was when grim defeat finally showed itself on Sol's feature, but still not a trace of fear. That suicidal bravery persisted even as Manectric readied a massice Energy Ball.

Dusknoir was reminded of the human Sol. Most of their encounters had been nothing more than fleeting glimpses during pursuit, but during their true face to face meetings, he never once saw her afraid. Really, the only two emotions Dusknoir had ever seen on that pesky human's face was anger or amusement. Even when they had managed to capture her with the intent of using her as bait, that damned smirk had never left her features, as if everything were some giant joke that only she was in on. And then she had escaped, even having the nerve to leave him a mocking note about the proper ways to treat a guest. That one human had been able to cause so much trouble.

Dusknoir was conflicted, his thoughts jumping back and forth like bolts of lightning. What if the Riolu Sol caused just as much trouble? But what an asset she could make! Sol already respected him, at least to some degree, and if he saved her now that could turn to admiration and later, if he worked at it, blind devotion. But if she learned the truth too soon or in the wrong way from the wrong source...

The ghost Pokémon was still undecided when the Energy Ball shot forwards. In a blast of light it impacted Sol, sending her flying backwards to land in a limp heap.

"Sol!" Eevee screamed and the Charmander held him back from running to his fallen partner's side. She knew just how much danger they were in and some things had to be taken care of first.

The Electrike gathered around the victorious Manectric, growling fiercely with bared teeth as sparks danced across their bodies. It was only a matter of seconds before they fell upon the team and finished the job.

"Stop!" Dusknoir commanded in a booming voice, drawing the attention of all as he ran forwards and positioned himself between Team Wanderers and the horde of angry wild Pokémon. "Stop this instant! These trespassers mean you no harm and there is no need for you to do this!"

Manectric snarled. "Who are you to command us so?"

"I am the explorer Dusknoir! Manectric! You have every right to be angry! Especially in light of what your pack has suffered on these grounds... Your hostility toward any who trespass here is understandable. This place is your haven, a place where you find solace! I understand that completely! On behalf of these unwitting trespassers, I offer the sincerest apology! They entered here unbidden but did so without malice, meaning no harm. We will leave here in peace as soon as our errand is complete."

Manectric didn't leave his aggresive stance. Mere words of peace don't often sway Pokémon of the wild.

"These explorers are now under my protection," Dusknoir continued, staring Manectric directly in the eye. "If you wish to attack them, you will first have to go through me, and trust me when I say I am no inexperienced apprentice like these three. I suggest you leave us be."

A bit of hesitation could be seen in Manectric. Even out here, in the wild, Dusknoir's name would be known. But not for fantastic discoveries or rescues. Explorers were hailed as heroes among the Pokémon of civilized towns, but to the wild Pokémon, they were things to be feared. Like in any battle, one side sees an avenging angel while the other a rampaging demon. Out here, Dusknoir would be known for how many Pokémon he had defeated as he traveled through Mystery Dungeons, and that was quite a high number.

"Very well," Manectris eventually said. "I will allow you some time. I expect you all to be gone by the time we return."

Manectric turned without another word and disappeard down the side of the plain, the Electrike following close behind.

The Charmander released Eevee and he ran over to Sol.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Eevee cried, his voice cracking as tears spilled down his face.

Sol was not in good shape. Bleeding bite wounds and scratch marks decorated her body along with serious electrical burns. Her eyes were closed and only the subtle rise and fall of her chest gave indication that she was still alive.

"Sol! Wake up!"

Eevee shook her shoulder before he began rooting around in his satchel. He pulled out a seed with a dark blue core, a reviver seed, and broke it over Sol's face. The effect was immediate as she suddenly awoke, gasping for breath and eyes shooting open before closing just as fast. After a moment when her breathing returned to normal, she opened them again half way.

"... entirely too often.." she murmered.

Eevee half laughed half sobbed in a combination of smiles and tears. "Just about once every day."

"Those injuries look bad," Dusknoir said. "We need to get you back to the guild. Oran berries can help numb the pain. Can you walk?"

"This never would have happened if you had listened to Jak!" the Charmander growled. "This was obviously a trap!"

"Jak... too tired... to be... snide... come back... later..."

"Enough! You, Jak, please retrieve the Water Float while I see to our friend."

Jak looked at Dusknoir resentfully but went for the item while Dusknoir spread Oran berries on Sol's wounds and trickled some of the juice down her throat.

"Is she going to be all right?" Eevee asked, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and worry.

Now there was a question. Right now, if they got her back to the guild and some medical attention she'd probably be back to normal in no time. But what about in the days to come? Dusknoir had saved her but a firm decision had yet to be made. Keep it safe and get rid of her? Take a risk and try to use her?

"She'll be fine," he said, keeping the 'for now' part to himself.

With Sol's wounds tended to as best as was possible with what little they had, Dusknoir carefully lifted her into his arms and proceeded to carry her back down Amp Plains. She had fallen unconscious once again, her head lolling back.

Sol sure didn't seem like a threat at that moment. The more he thought about, the more Dusknoir came to the conclusion that perhaps her was overestimating the amount of harm the Riolu could do. If she were to have a vision revealing the truth of the situation, who would believe her? She would sound like a madwoman, ranting about having seen the future and how the great and revered Dusknoir with all his accomplishments and fame was not to be trusted. Say she instead tried confronting Dusknoir herself. If it came to a battle, a fighting type against a ghost type, Dusknoir would most assuredly win.

An uproar started the moment the group entered the guild. Everyone was rushing around, Sol was whisked off by the guild's designated medic, Chimecho, Chatot pulled Eeve and Jak to the side demanding a full report at what had happened, and Dusknoir was left with just about every other remaining member of the guild clamoring around him asking for what had happened. Feeling far too much like an old man telling the village children a story about the good old days, Dusknoir told them all about what had transpired at Amp Plains, tweaking the story so that he had arrived just after Sol had been so badly injured. Wigglytuff shouting 'and they all lived happily ever after' at the end and asking for another about knights saving princesses did nothing to alleviate the old story teller vibe.

It was late by the time everyone was calmed down and Chatot managed to get them all in their rooms for lights out. Jak had disappeared at some point to places unknown (not that anyone seemed to care) and Chatot and Wigglytuff went into the Guildmaster's quarters to go over the reports, leaving Dusknoir alone in the main room with a very worried Eevee. Chimecho would be staying in Sol's room that night night to keep an eye on her and Eevee was to share a room with Loudred and Bidoof for the time being, but sleep was not something that was on the Pokémon's mind at the moment.

"Why did they attack us so viciously?" Eevee asked, breaking the silence that had descended on the room. "Wild Pokémon attack is all the time, but not like that."

"That was a nomadic tribe that always stays on the move," Dusknoir explained. "They roam in constant search of places that are hospitable to them. Amp Plains is often lashed by thunder storms this time of year. They find it to their liking, so they always return every storm season. But, tragically, they were once attacked by enemies there without warning... I understand they suffered terrible injuries, worse than what Sol suffers now. Ever since, Manectric's pack has been very sensitive about trespassers. So they strike first for fear of being stricken. At some point, that became the law among the group."

"Oh... You sure do know a lot..."

The statement started as no more than a simple musing, like remarking on some unusual but useless fact. 'Hey, the combined mass of all the ants in the world is greater than the combined mass of all the humans in the world.' (That's true, by the way.) Interesting but hardly relevant. But then, something seemed to dawn on Eevee and the irrelevant fact suddenly became relevant. 'Hey, we should really invest in some more Raid before the ants rise up and eat us all.' (Oh, the horror!... Ok, the randomness is now out of my system;)

"Dusknoir... If I tell you something, would you promise not to tell anybody?"

"Of course. You can trust me." Where was Eevee going with this?

"Well... Sol won't like me telling you, but maybe you might know something. She told me about how you knew about her visions and the Dimensional Scream... Ok, when I first met Sol I found her passed out on the beach. I went over to see if she was hurt or needed help but..."

"Yes?"

"Well, when she woke up, she said she had completely lost her memory except for her name, Sol. But, she says that before she woke up on the beach as a Riolu, she was human."

"Pardon?! Did you say human?"

"Yes, though she has no memory of what happened to her or how she became a Riolu. Have you ever heard of something like this ever happening before?"

Dusknoir was silent for a long time. Someone who was once human with the Dimensional Scream ability? There was only one explaination. Human Sol and Riolu Sol were the same person.

"... No," Dusknoir finally said. "I've never heard of such a thing happening before."

What to do with this new information? If Sol really was the same person, getting rid of her just became much more important. Keeping some other seer around was a risk, but the one who had fought so hard against him?

But... it wasn't as if she remembered anything. If she did, there would have been no calm talk in the inn or friendly chats at the market. And she had proven time and time again just how capable and skilled she was. The level of threat she posed just went up, but so did her level of usefulness.

Dusknoir had seen first hand just how dedicated Sol could be to the cause she served. If she could be convinced to follow his cause, Grovyle wouldn't stand a chance.

What to do, what to do... Kill Sol or turn her? Really what it all came down to was what would be more useful to Dusknoir, a corpse or a seer?