Kage was disappointed when they reached the guild, which appeared to be nothing but a pink tent on a mound of dirt. The entrance to the structure was barred with metal spears, preventing entry. There was also a gaping hole in the ground covered by a grate made from wooden sticks. What kind of place is this? Chimchar, however, seemed to have the opposite opinion of the establishment. There was a positive skip in his step as he lead his ghostly companion to the grate.
"This is the entrance of the guild!" The younger Pokemon pointed to the gate with enthusiasm. "Anyone who wants to form an exploration team has to be trained properly, and Wigglytuff's Guild is world famous for being the best! They can teach us anything here! But..." Chimchar trailed off for a moment, fearfully glancing at the wooden grate on the ground, "I've come here a few times, but I always lose my nerve when I step on that thing..."
Before an extended monologue had the opportunity to form, Kage approached the grate and looked down into the darkness below. With perfect night vision, the ghost could see a small Pokemon, a Diglett, at the bottom staring back at him in confusion.
Kage wasted no time, wanting nothing more than a place to rest. "Hey, you! Let us in!"
"U-um, that's not how it works," the timid Ground Type called back, "Those who wish to enter the guild need to be properly identified by footprint first... I-if you wouldn't mind stepping onto the grate...?"
The shiny Haunter remained in a silent frozen state for a minute that felt like eternity. Then, with all the calm and grace of a Grass Type, Kage leaned over, gripped the grate with both hands, and heaved the laced wood right out of the dirt. Chimchar gaped as his chosen companion casually tossed the grate to the side, apparently not bothered by the act of vandalism.
"What are you doing?!" Chimchar immediately stepped up to put distance between Kage and the guild. "Why would you do that?!"
The Haunter's hands bobbed up and down, a gesture similar to that of a shrug. "You said you were afraid of the grate. Now there isn't one."
"HEY!" A new voice, one with hardly tolerable volume, began yelling from somewhere in the uncovered hole, "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! You just WRECKED property of the GUILD!"
Chimchar shivered uncontrollably as the unseen Pokemon raged and scolded from somewhere below them. He watched his companion float in silence, listening but clearly not caring. The ghost gradually descended closer to the ground, eyes blinking slowly. Chimchar remembered that he was unsure of his companion's health and berated himself for not asking earlier. Kage was ready to drop and the only thing on the Fire Type's mind was achieving his own goals.
Thinking fast, Chimchar interrupted the voice in the darkness, "W-wait just a minute! We're really sorry about the grate! I-I've been really impatient about coming here, and my friend just wanted to help. We don't want any trouble!"
"WELL," the voice sneered back, "What EXACTLY do you want?"
The chimp took a deep breath and Kage waved for him to continue before he lost his nerve, "We want to join the guild as apprentices!"
The voices below went silent, either surprised or moving on to another room. Chimchar's heart fell, afraid that they would be ignored. His life's dream was within grasp but still just out of reach. He turned to his new partner, who had turned his focus to the grass, twirling the blades between his claws. The ghost seemed to glare at them with an intense focus. It reminded Chimchar of the times when he got lost while running errands. Many beautiful summers were wasted staring at crossroad signs, following circular paths, and drying tears on confusing maps. His memories, good and bad, were always bright and clear. A constant reminder of his need to get stronger and braver. What does it feel like to not remember anything? The boy averted his gave to the ground, hoping that his friend was forming decent new memories. Unfortunately, the sun was almost completely set, and the ghost was clearly running on very little HP. They needed shelter desperately.
The gate keeping them out began to rise, shaking the ground and causing the two to straighten themselves. Alright! They're giving us a chance! Chimchar donned a sunny grin and hurried to grab his sleepy companion, who looked mildly disappointed to be separated from the grass. Chimchar held his hand tight and guided him inside. Surprisingly, no one was inside, only a large wooden board with the guild rules posted on it. There was another hole in the ground with the top of a ladder sticking out. A tremor zapped down his spine, but Kage gave him a light nudge forward (only Chimchar needed the ladder, after all). After a few deep breaths, the younger Pokemon lead the way down into the unknown. He almost jumped when soft dirt met his feet, but fear quickly left him as Chimchar took in the room. It was a small room, but it was certainly a busy one. Several groups of Pokemon went about their business, talking to each other, planning explorations and rescues, and ignoring them completely. Kage's presence inspired a few gasps and stares, but those who were startled by the shiny ghost pretended nothing happened at all.
"You there! Don't move another step!"
Chimchar whirled around and immediately had to look down at the short blue bird hopping towards them. It was a Chatot, and an angry one at that. The bird's tone was equal parts authoritative and cautious. The chimp gulped and took a step back as the distance between them got smaller.
The bird stopped in from of him, puffing himself up proudly, "You must be the troublemakers Loudred was fussing about! You must have a mighty gall to wreck guild property! The Guildmaster will be furious! Don't think for even a minute that you will get away with this without a proper scolding! I hope you're comfortable where you are, because I've only just begun!" The Chatot was snapping his beak and beating his wings as he talked, as if the scolding was not intimidating enough alone. "You're parents will be contacted immediately. Someone will have to pay for the repairs, and it certainly won't be me! This is a famous guild, you know. Our operations will be impaired until the grate is replaced! Do you even understand what you've done?! Of course not! Kids these days are-... huh?"
Chatot seemed to notice Kage for the first time. The exhausted ghost was almost on the ground now, eyes almost closed. His unknown dilemma, a dungeon crawl, and a battle have all taken a heavy toll. The bird did not miss a beat and rolled right into another lecture, "Your companion is clearly injured! You should have taken him home! Was messing around on our property more important? He's nearly fainted from exhaustion!"
"I-I..." Chimchar fought back tears as he thought of something to say. Everything was happening quickly, so words just started falling out of his mouth, "It's been-been a long day, and we just really wanted to come here, b-but-"
A light blue hand gently pushed Chimchar back a few paces, and Kage was hovering in front of him. "Don't yell at him anymore... I did it."
The ghost began staring Chatot down with that look, the look that Chimchar knew held some higher meaning and greater power than just a glare. This look pierced the soul. The bird was rendered silent other than a surprised squawk. That calculated stare could make anyone freeze. Kage was judging him, just as he had judged Chimchar before going into Beach Cave. The chimp would have payed any amount to know how he learned such a trick and to see what his companion was thinking. Then again, the ghost had a bit of a superior air about him, so his thoughts were likely not the kindest.
Chatot shook off this effect rather quickly and worked up a glare of his own. "No matter who did it, both of you will be responsible for fixing it! You two may rest here for the night, and you will rise early to fix the grate tommorrow! Understood?!" He smoothed his ruffed feathers and began hopping towards a dim hallway to their left. "Hurry along! This way!"
The small bird ushered the two intruders into the spare room used by apprentices. After a half-second stare, Kage curled his lip in distaste. Chimchar got the impression that he wasn't used to sleeping on the ground, but at least two straw beds were provided. Chatot warned them not to oversleep and scurried off to whatever previously occupied him. The Haunter wavered over to the bed at the back of the room and all but collapsed on it. There was no missing the grumble of irritation when the sudden movement stirred dust into the air. Chimchar flopped into his own bed but did not fall asleep as quickly as his companion did. Too many thoughts were jumbling around in his head. He got into the guild, true, but not in the way he had wanted. Kage's brash attitude got them both in trouble but also kept them from getting turned away. He was not sure which was worse. At least tommorrow held promise. After the grate was fixed, surely then everyone will be calm enough to listen to his original purpose. To be a world famous explorer... Solving ancient mysteries... Digging up mountains of treasure... Understanding my Relic Fragment... I want to learn so much and do so much! I-
Chimchar turned over and glanced at his sleeping companion. Kage's etheral body appeared deflated and pale. In that moment, tears stung the Fire Type's eyes. He almost died today and kept going to get me what I wanted. The day's events replayed in his head, each rerun feeling more selfish than the last. Here he was, wanting to be a hero, yet relied on a heavily injured stranger to help him. Chimchar should have sought help for Kage instead, taken him to a healer or to his old place to rest. They might not have run into those thugs that way. Am I selfish? But he did agree to this... He didn't have to help me or follow me. I'm not selfish for accepting help, right? But... He doesn't have anywhere else to go... Chimchar decided to shove the depressing line of thought away. After all the work was done tommorrow, he would talk to Kage properly about what his plans for the future were. Everything was going to be fine.
"I don't know anything about it."
"The map is fake, and I got it from you. What else am I supposed to think?"
His human friend did not respond. Grovyle sighed and put the parchment away, knowing that he would not get anything else from Kage. The map had supposedly led to Time Gear locations but actually pointed to nothing. Once again, the human was withholding information crucial to their cause. When they met as children, Grovyle could sense that Kage was hiding something but had no idea just how bad it was. As they both grew into young adults, it became clearer that Kage was the key to curing the planet's paralysis, but the human had no intention of doing so. He knew where the Time Gears were and how to get them, but he never once revealed anything to anyone other than Grovyle. Even then, Kage was vague on details. Over the years he revealed three locations but refused to offer the last two. The Grass type often tried to figure out why his friend did not want a better world. His only clue was an off-hand comment about not wanting to upset his father or use his visions too frequently.
Kage's father was an even more elusive subject. The human made no mention of his family life or where he disappeared to when he was not with Grovyle. He did, however, explain his visions. Dimensional Screams, he called them. He was able to see through time and space... at a price. The older he got, the more painful and disorienting the visions became. As a child, the headaches were mild, but at 16 years old, he neared seizure-like episodes of pain and sudden blindness. It was vital to have a trustworthy partner nearby, as he could not protect himself or hearing his surroundings while seeing. Grovyle had witnessed the Screams a few times and quickly decided that that a glimpse of knowledge was not worth that much torment. The day the Pokemon explained that he would not put Kage through that anymore, the human quietly and discreetly showed him the first Time Gear location on a map. It was a sign of trust and growing doubt regarding the world he called home.
"We found a way to go back in time," Grovyle commented, hoping to get some kind of reaction.
Kage did indeed react. He looked sick. "Really?"
"Everyone who has joined our cause is getting ready. We're so close now. All we need now is to figure out where the last two Time Gears are, and we'll be ready to change the world," the Grass type sighed, trying to imagine what warm sunlight feels like.
The human wrapped himself up in his black cape. "Cool."
"Kage, you can tell me anything," Grovyle reassured, "You don't have to lie. You know we won't judge you. We're best friends, and I'm concerned about you." When Kage did not respond, he continued, "Why don't you want to change the world? It would be a much better world with light, weather, and progress. Everyone deserves a place like that to call home."
He shrugged his shoulders and remained wrapped up tight. "Sounds nice."
"I can tell when you're just humoring me," the Grass type snorted, "You really don't want this, do you?"
Kage was silent for a moment before looking him dead in the eyes, "You know what happens afterwards. Think about what you're asking me to do." He stood up suddenly, brown eyes flaring in a panic, "You can't get the answers without me. I'll be the cause of all of this. You're asking me to commit genocide."
"You know that's not what I-"
The human did not let him finish, "If we rewrite history, this place and everyone in it disappears. Everything we know dies, and all the blood will be on my hands." He ended his rant by looking at his companion with tired eyes. "You deserve beauty and sunsets, dear friend, but I don't have the strength or audacity to destroy the world for you... I'm sorry."
The visit was cut short via Escape Orb. The human vanished in a flash of light, unable to watch his friend's hurt expression any longer. The magic of the orb brought him to his home, though it would have been more accurate to call it a castle or mansion. Dull grey walls of stone occasionally decorated with flags and curtains dyed in a bloody red color. If the paralyzed planet felt lifeless, then the home of the Nightmare King was a black hole, its mere presence draining vitality from anyone foolish enough to get close to it. This negative aura hid it, turning away any curious eyes long before they were close enough to see the highest walls.
The few Pokemon permitted to dwell there stopped whatever they were doing to bow in respect as Kage passed by, a few even muttering a timid "Greetings, Prince." The human never enforced such behavior, but Darkrai was fond of such blatant obedience and fear. The Nightmare Pokemon relished acting as a king, and that automatically put Kage in the role of the charming prince that did as he was told. It was a game to his father, one that no one dared to question or break the rules. Kage was used to the game, having been raised within it. He had long since grown numb to the titles given to himself and others: royalty, servants, and peasants. The life he lived contained a generous amount if luxury as a result. Kage was well aware of his own spoiled and arrogant nature, though all his will power was used to reign it in for his best friend's sake. Arceus, the day that Darkrai found out about Grovyle would easily top his list of terrible days. The day that his insane father was forced to confront his own illusion. The day that Darkrai would realize that his was playing a game and someone else was planning on burning all the pieces. If this timeline was not destroyed and replaced, the Nightmare King would gladly punish the world and everyone in it for disobedience.
Kage fled to his room without speaking to anyone and threw himself onto a bed of neatly stitched pillows. Sleep did not come, but unpleasant thoughts sure did. Which was worse: allowing his world to be erased from existence, or watching that world be torn apart in a fit of rage? Should he listen to his best friend or the Pokemon that raised him and gave him everything? He did not want to choose. Does that make him selfish?