Eevee didn't like it here. Everything was the same dour grey, motionless, seemingly completely devoid of life. Eevee found it hard to stay motivated and retain any good cheer. How could he, in such a cold, inhospitable place?
And yet, no one else seemed unduly effected. Ren remained as calm and tranquil as ever. Celebi was bright and cheerful, despite her injuries and resulting fatigue. Jak being Jak, the Charmander just glared at her surroundings from the corner, short tempered and suspicious of everything. That being how Jak usually was, Eevee couldn't say for sure how she was coping with all of this. Sol had adjusted quickly, acting exactly as she had in the past, smile on her face as she poked fun at those around her.
Eevee had trouble understanding how Sol managed to remain so unaffected. At that moment, she was trying to get Jak to tell what happened with the Sableye, and how she had ended up with Grovyle.
"Come one, there's got to be more to it than that!" Sol exclaimed. "I traveled with Grovyle myself. He's way to suspicious and uptight to just lead you back to his hideout. Hell, you're too suspicious and uptight to just follow him somewhere."
"This one knows when she is being tricked, and when someone is telling the truth."
"Whatever you say," Sol said.
Eevee shook his head. How could Sol, after everything that had happened, be so cheerful?
And it wasn't just their surroundings that made Eevee so uneasy. How could it be possible for the great Dusknoir to be bad? When had Grovyle, the
Pokémon they had worked so hard to capture, become their ally? Eevee was having trouble believing it all, even after hearing Sol's story. There had to be another explanation. Eevee had looked up to Dusknoir, trusted him. Dusknoir had been his hero and inspiration. Now he was a bad Pokémon?
It was too much for Eevee to handle, everything he thought he knew proved false. But the one thing that Eevee knew for sure was that he trusted Sol, and she seemed convinced they could believe what Grovyle was telling him, that the he had gone to the past to collect the Time Gears and place them in Temporal Tower. That the planet's paralysis had been underway before the thefts had taken place. That Dusknoir was an agent sent by Primal Dialga to stop the changing of time. That Dusknoir was the enemy.
Eevee had no other choice but to trust Sol's judgment. Jak accepted it all quickly, but she had never liked Dusknoir to begin with. As for Ren, it was impossible for Eevee to tell what he was thinking.
Grovyle wasn't making it any easier for Eevee to trust him, though. He was furious at Sol for leading the Sableye to Celebi and was very short tempered to everyone except Celebi. When Eevee had asked for an explanation for the planet's paralysis, the answers had came full of contempt and derision, as if Eevee was stupid to had not figured it all out by himself. Sol had leapt to her friend's defense, and it had soon dissolved into an all out shouting match between her and Grovyle.
"You're one to talk about being idiotic and short sighted!" Sol yelled at one point. "Running straight into the middle of Dusknoir's camp! If it wasn't for me, you would've been caught! What is this, anyway, to have you risking your life?"
Sol reached down to pick up the object Grovyle kept close to his side at all times, long and narrow and wrapped in a sheet of leaves held together with vines. A panicked light entered Grovyle's eyes and he dove forwards to pull the unknown item away from Sol's reach.
"This isn't yours!" he snapped. "Don't touch it! Ever!"
"What the Hell is your problem?" Sol demanded. "You act like you're so much better than the rest of us, then like a spoiled kid stuck in the 'mine' phase!"
"And what about you, seer? You left your 'friends' to rot in the dungeons while you lived in the lap of luxury! It was only when you believed them dead that you were spurred to act. You are selfish and cowardly, a disgrace of a Pokémon and unworthy of the gift you possess."
Whack. The force of Sol's punch sent Grovyle stumbling back. He recovered then leapt at Sol with a snarl. They fell to the ground in a mess of flying fists and kicking feet.
Eevee screamed at the to stop, but they continued to fight on the ground, each struggling to gain the upper hand. It honestly looked they were trying to kill each other.
Jak and Ren jumped into the fray. Jak pushed Grovyle away and blasted streams of fire at the floor by his feet to force him farther back and stop him from jumping back in. Ren simply sat on Sol's back. She struggled to get up, but was unable to get enough leverage to lift the heavy Cubone.
"This ends now!" Jak snarled. "Infighting weakens the pack, and we cannot afford weakness!"
"The divided are easily conquered," Ren agreed.
Grovyle glared at Sol. Sol glared at Grovyle. The grass Pokémon the stormed off to be by himself at the far edge of the cave near the entrance to the Sealed Ruins. Sol was let up and she grumbled her way over to the cave's exit.
"Oh dear, this isn't good," Celebi said. "It's Treeshroud all over again..."
"What do you mean?" Eevee asked.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "We need to leave soon and get to the Passage of Time deeper in the forest."
"But you're still healing! Your wounds were really bad..."
"That doesn't matter. The longer we stay, the greater our chance of discovery. They know where we need to go, but if we get there fast enough they may not have had enough time to set up a trap or ambush."
"I guess that makes sense," Eevee began. He had trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that Dusknoir was hunting them down. "So when should we go?"
"Right now would be best, if those two stay away from each others throats long enough and actually work together. Really, I have no idea how they managed to get through the ruins..."
They packed up quickly and stacked the supplies at the side of the cave. They needed to move quickly without unnecessary items weighing them down, so they decided to only bring the barest minimum of dried food and Oran berries.
Grovyle carefully adjusted the leaf and vine wall concealing the cave entrance, doing his best to make it look natural. Eevee didn't see the point in the tiny shifts and changes he made. It was all grey upon grey, the leaves indiscernible from the ivy covered rock around it.
"The Passage of Time, it will take us back to the past? How long will it take to reach it?"
"A few hours," Celebi said, walking along on the ground. Flying aggravated her still fresh wounds, spots of blood dotting the bandages over reopened injuries when she tried. So, for the moment, she was grounded. "For short jumps I can do it myself, for the longer jumps that span generations, I need to open a portal."
"A portal, eh..." Sol mused with a far away look in her eyes. "I imagine something light blue with swirls of white, kind of like a piece of the sky with wispy clouds..."
Celebi gave Sol an odd look. "No... It will look the same as the one that brought you here."
"Oh... That's disappointing. Will it at least be swirly?"
Eevee rolled his eyes but with a smile on his face. He found Sol's randomness to be comforting, a constant amid the fear and confusion. It was hard to stay scared around her. She was just too ridiculous.
"As long as it gets us where we need to go, who cares what it looks like?" Grovyle growled and pushed past them to the head of the group, leading them through the trees.
"Wow. He's almost as big of a dick as Chatot."
"Don't judge him too harshly," Celebi said. "It's a lot of pressure he is under, and he lost a dear friend recently."
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure. I can only hope he realizes that not everything is as it seems before it is too late."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sol asked. "If someone was 'lost', as you put it, no change of perspective is going to change that. Besides, that doesn't mean it's ok for him to act like such an utter douche."
Celebi sighed. "Grovyle never makes a good first impression. It made it difficult to get support from the various communities, already scared of punishment from Dialga. Just... give him a chance. This world doesn't encourage people to be friendly to those they just met."
"It sounds like the wilds in the past," Jak said.
"Maybe, but I was referring to the civilized towns. In the wilds, it's even worse. Dusk Forest is relatively safe, but that's because of the Passage of Time. I'm not quite sure how, but it drives wild Pokémon away. They can't stand to be around it. I think this was meant as a safety measure by whoever built it, to reduce the risk of it getting damaged."
"Whoever built it? You don't know?"
"No. I used to think it may have been Dialga, long before the collapse of Temporal Tower, but know I'm not sure. I mean, while Dialga is the time Pokémon, it's one thing to command a power and quite another to infuse an object with power. I'm not sure that Dialga would be capable of that."
"Just another mystery on an already long list of questions," Sol muttered.
"If it gets us back, it will not matter to Jak who built it."
"Yeah, but I'd like to know who's handiwork I'm entrusting my life to. I don't relish the thought of coming out of the time tunnel and finding myself stuck in prehistoric times."
"Don't fret about something like that!" Celebi exclaimed. "The Passage of Time is perfectly safe! When I activate it, I'll set it to let you out at the time period."
"Can you send us back to before we got pulled to the future by Dusknoir? Stop this whole mess from happening?" Sol asked.
"No. There can't be two versions of the same person living at the same time, at least for regular Pokémon. It might be different for legendries, but I'm not sure. I've never tried it."
"Oh. So if I wanted to stop something from happening, I wouldn't be able to do it," Eevee said, disappointed and sad as he thought back to an event long passed. If he had been able to change that one horrible moment, then his whole life would have been changed dramatically.
"Not if you were alive at the time. And even if you could, it would not be wise to try and change the past. There is no telling what could happen, what domino effect you would cause. This is a unique case here, since I would think it impossible for us to cause something worse to happen than the world's ruin. We can only be doing good by stopping the planet's paralysis."
"Let's get a move then," Sol said. "The faster we get this done, the better I'll feel."
They traveled deeper into Dusk Forest, Grovyle at the front while Celebi began to lag behind at the back. While she tried to convince them otherwise, Eevee knew that her injuries were causing her quite a bit of pain. Celebi was in no shape to be traveling, but they had no other choice. Ren kept a close eye on her, staying nearby in case she needed help.
The ground sloped gradually upwards, becoming rockier as the trees thinned out. After several hours of walking, they eventually found themselves on a plateau above the tree line. Eevee saw glowing lines in the air near the sheer rock wall that formed the edge of the plateau, like strings of blue fire tracing the outline of an arch, a bright light amid the darkness.
"Oh! There it is!" Celebi exclaimed, a smile breaking across her fatigued face.
"Is that... the Passage of Time?" Eevee asked in wonder.
"Yes. I went through it to get to the past," Grovyle answered. "Celebi, only you can open the Passage. Do your thing."
"Right away," Celebi said, stepping forwards.
"Stop right there! That will do!" Eevee's blood turned cold as the deep voice rumbled out from the shadows. Dusknoir stepped out from his hiding place as numerous Sableye jumped down to surround them. "Hello to you all. It's been a while."
"D-Dusknoir!"
"Your scurrying carried you far... But sad to say that's all over now. I must thank you," Dusknoir said, turning to Sol. "Without your visions, Celebi may have stayed out of my reach. But you led us here, and then it was easy to guess where Grovyle would run to from the forest."
"Go to Hell!" Sol snarled.
"Such hostility! But don't you see? You are still useful to me. Surrender, and you will be spared. Lord Dialga may even permit your three little friends to live as well."
"I repeat. Go to Hell. I'm not afraid of you!"
"Don't you remember the vision you had, back at that madman's guild? I knew then for sure that you would work for me. It was the only reason Lord Dialga didn't order you executed."
"What... What is he talking about?" Eevee asked, not understanding what Dusknoir what was talking about. Sol had never told him about such a vision. A pained look crossed the Riolu's face.
"The future isn't set in stone. Like Hell I'd ever work for you again. I'd sooner die."
"You will serve me, even if I have to break you completely," Dusknoir said in a cold, angered voice. There was such a dark look in his eye, one that clearly spoke of how dead set he was in this plan. Eevee dreaded to think what he would do to Sol if he caught her again.
"Enough!" Grovyle growled. "Dusknoir! You and me! Now!"
"Grovyle," Dusknoir said in an amused tone. "Are you really such a fool to think I'd come alone?"
"Wh-what?!"
"Now, Master Dialga!"
From the gloom above the high wall at the back of the plateau, two red eyes began to glow in stark contrast to the shadows around them. The darkness began to fade, revealing a massive, four legged Pokémon that radiated immense power. It threw its head back and unleashed an earth shattering roar that made Eevee flinch back in fright.
"Waaah! What is it?! What is that?!"
"That's... Primal... Dialga..." Grovyle said with despair.
"What's wrong, Grovyle? Where's your bravado now?" Dusknoir taunted.
"My dear Grovyle..."
"This... this is it for us..."
"What?! Aren't we going to fight?!" Eevee was shocked at Grovyle's words. They hadn't come this far just to give up now! They had to at least try! If forming an exploration team with Sol had taught him one thing, it was that.
"The only way to guarantee a loss is to give up," Ren agreed.
"Jak doesn't give up."
"It's hopeless. Dusknoir on his own is one thing... But we don't stand a chance against Dialga. This is where it ends. But hope is still alive."
"I think your definition of hope is a lot different from mine," Sol said, crouching low as she surveyed the Sableye, ready to fight.
"I wasn't alone when I went back in time to prevent the plantet's paralysis. I had a partner."
What?! Grovyle had a partner? Eevee was shocked. If he did have a partner, then why had Grovyle always been alone? Why had no one spotted a second thief?
"When we went through the Passage of Time, we had trouble. We became separated. I let myself believe she had died, but I can't accept that any longer. It's an insult to her for me to believe something as small as a little turbulence would put an end to her. As she so eloquently put it, she'd 'drop kick death in the face if he tried to take her before the mission was completed'."
Grovyle was clinging to a hope he didn't fully believe was there. Eevee could see it in his face and here it in his voice. He said that he couldn't believe his partner was dead, but that was a lie. He was just trying to be brave in the face of his own demise.
"... Ha! Ha-ha-ha! Hoo-hoo-ha!"
"What's so funny?" Grovyle snarled.
"Ha! This partner of yours, I can say with complete surety that she is alive. Tell me, what is your partner's name? Nice and loud, so we can all hear."
Suspicion flashed across Grovyle's face. "Sol."
"What the Hell?! Holy shit!"
"He talked! Ren talked normally! You all heard it!" Sol yelled, jabbing a finger at the Cubone.
"Uh... to expect the unexpected is to-"
"Don't you dare try to cover it up!"
"What?! But this is Sol right here!" Eevee exclaimed.
"You're... Sol?" Grovyle said to the Riolu in disbelief. "No... it can't be. It isn't. The Sol I know isn't a Pokémon. She's a human."
"Hoo-hoo-ha!" Dusknoir laughed. "Precisely! My good fellow! That is unmistakably your friend Sol! That Pokémon you see was once a human! A human purged of all memories and turned into a Riolu, knowing only her name and possessing the Dimensional Scream! There is no doubt about it! I was sent to the past to get rid of you, Grovyle, and you, Sol, because you were trying to change the past. I never dreamed I would just stumble on to one of you, or that it would be so easy to enlist their help to stop the other. It was just too perfect!"
And with that declaration, all of Eevee's doubts about Dusknoir's true nature were destroyed. He really had been lying to them. Dusknoir was the bad Pokémon here, not Grovyle.
"Hold on," Sol said. "Are you telling me, after all that had happened, you never once bothered to learn my name?"
"Sol... It really is you!" Grovyle said, mouth hanging open. "But that means... Hope really is lost. There is no one left to finish our mission."
"Kill them all, but leave the seer alive. The Dimensional Scream is never wrong, and she will serve me."
The Sableye advanced, sharp claws flexing and glinting in the scant light. Eevee began to panic, but no one was coming up with any ideas. Grovyle was too busy throwing his own pity party, and Sol was being, well, Sol.
"Hey, Sol! Grovyle! You can't give up!"
"Gah... You say no to give up? But what can we possible do in this bleak situation?"
"We have to think!"
"We're pretty much screwed here, so I'm just going to spend my last moments of freedom being pissed at Grovyle."
"I know!" Eevee cried, thinking quickly. "Celebi! Can your time travel ability transport us just the short distance into the Passage of Time?"
"It won't be easy with Dialga here! He's the Temporal Pokémon... He controls time itself!"
"Please, you have to try!"
The Sableye closed in, and Celebi looked around frantically. "Time to travel!"
There was a bright burst of light, and suddenly Eevee wasn't on the plateau anymore. He wasn't anywhere. It was one of the most frightening experiences he had ever had, and even though it was really on a few seconds, it felt like an eternity. An eternity of nonexitance, of floating in the ether without form or substance.
And then it was over, and Eevee was ripped back into reality, an equally unpleasant experience. But they had made it past the circle of Sableye, only steps away from the Passage of Time, now a patch of black and blue cut in the air as the portal opened.
"There they are!" Dusknoir cried.
"Dive in now!" Celebi cried, her pink complexion now almost white. The strain of teleporting such a large group had reopened her wounds, her bandages stained a bright crimson with her blood. "You can make it!"
"What about you!" Sol cried. "You'll never get away in that condition! You need help!"
"It no longer matters what happens to me! I can't go with you, but you have to go now! Stop the planet's paralysis! Change history!"
A shadow passed over Sol's face. "This is all my fault... I'm sorry."
"Hurry! You need to leave!"
The group jumped into the portal, and they disappeared in a flash of light. They had escaped from the future of darkness, and were now on their way back to a world of light and hope.
So the secret is out! How will everyone react? Not well, I do believe!
Reviews! So many reviews! Thank you everyone! And in response to some reviews:
OreoNinja: So I my chapter literally knocked your socks off? Ha!
Mister L: Yes, there will be more cookie.
BHawksFan01: Yes, I do agree Ren is a rather two dimensional at the moment, but hopefully I'll be able to change that soon.
darkrai6543: Welcome newcomer! And Sol's attitude is awesome!
Unnamed generic guest: Thank you :)
Cloud-Dancer103: Thanks for the idea about Ren suddenly speaking normally, even if it was only for a moment.