PART V:
One Last Effort

"The hairs on your arm will stand up
At the terror in each sip and in each sup
Will you partake of that last offered cup?
Or disappear into the potter's ground
When the man comes around?"
-Johnny Cash in "When the Man Comes Around"

Layne felt the strong warmth of a strong summer day on his back.. He heard the peaceful sounds of beach waves on the sand. He felt...at peace, and in the same way, he felt alive. He opened his eyes. Was this perhaps a dream? He had a mission to complete...where was Grovyle? He had had the strangest dream where he had lost his memory...and he had turned into what some called a-

He looked down. He was still the same. He looked, not far away was Pyro sleeping in the sand, and Grovyle not too far away from him either. Layne sighed and popped his neck, at least he was still alive. He guessed everything that had happened, had indeed really happened. He then looked at the environment. They were back in the past, and if he was correct...this was Treasure Town's beach...

Pyro groaned. "Ugh...What happened?"

Layne chuckled and walked over and helped is partner up. "Welcome home."

"Layne...where...are we back?"

Layne nodded. "Wonder how long it's been."

"I don't know...but I'm glad...we made it back to our world!" Pyro said a bit in joy.

Layne put a paw to his mouth and beckoned to Grovyle, who was still sleeping, but smiled and said, "I'm glad you didn't lose hope as easily as I did."

"Layne...do you remember who you are?"

Layne gave the question some thought and said, "I think there still some missing parts...but I do remember a very good amount of my past. I guess that little kick we just had in the future, was enough to finally job my memory back in place somewhat."

Grovyle coughed and sat up. He looked over and the three of them met eyes.

"Pyro, Layne?"

"We made it back!" Pyro said,

"We...we did it?" Grovyle asked. "I...I can't believe it."

"We did." Pyro said. "I know because this is the place where I met Layne! This very beach."

"Layne washed up here?" Grovyle asked. "When we were separated, I ended up getting washed near the Eastern Forests. I have been in search of Layne. I had almost feared that he had drowned after we got separated in the storm."

"Believe me..." Layne said, "I probably would have had some strange stuff not happened that night. Now that I think about it...I must have changed right then and there into a Buizel."

"But how?" Grovyle asked looking at Layne. Layne looked deep in thought. "I have a few theories, but I truthfully don't know. I will say, I guess I've gotten used to this body for the moment."

"There's still a lot I'm not quite understanding." Pyro said. "Like the concept of time traveling. "Can you explain some of these things?" Pyro asked.

Grovyle nodded, and said, "I would gladly do so...but here is not the place to talk. We must find a shelter close by."

"Why not Wigglytuff's Guild?" Pyro asked. "It's not that far away from here, and it's where Layne and I trained and roomed before this all happened."

"Hold on." Grovyle said. "I don't think that's the best idea."

"Why not?" Pyro asked.

Layne nodded, and said, "I'm going to have to agree with Grovyle there, Pyro. Grovyle could possibly be noticed as the wanted outlaw we all looked at him to be. Plus, I don't know how in the hell we're going to explain exactly what we just went through to the Guild...I am not looking forward to seeing Chatot again..."

Pyro nodded, "Right..."

Pyro looked in thought, and Layne was about to say, "What about the cave over there?" The cave where Layne and Pyro had fought and easily beat Koffing and Zubat when they first met.

"Wait! I have the perfect place!" Pyro said

"You do?" Grovyle and Layne asked in unison.

"Yes...however, it will involve sneaking through Treasure Town..."

"Stealth is not a problem with me." Grovyle said. "We can easily slip through Treasure Town."

"Good." Layne said. "I suggest we stat getting stealthy right about now, because we have company."

Grovyle and Pyro turned to look at what Layne was mentioning. Two Guild members were about to hit the beach. "Quick!" Grovyle said. "Behind those beach boulders over there!"

They quickly hid as the two members hit the beach. They said nothing, but listened. Layne shut his eyes when he heard the voices.

"A whole month gone, Bidoof. Still not even a sign or word that Layne and Pyro are okay!" Autumn said. "I'm getting worried..."

Bidoof spoke up and said, "I think the Guildmaster's stressing mighty heavily over this also. He just hasn't seemed like himself for the past month. I wonder what's going on in his head..."

Autumn gave a sorrowful laugh. "If Layne were here, he'd be asking that same thing."

"I'm sure they're all right..." Bidoof said, though he too had some worry in his voice. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. The guild just seems too empty without them."

Autumn sighed and said, "...come back soon guys...we all miss you..."

The voices faded away, and they all let out a sigh of relief. They had not been seen. Layne looked a bit hurt. "...Autumn...Bidoof."

Pyro nodded and said, "I was tempted to jump out."

"Thank you for holding out on that..." Grovyle said. "We would have had a lot to explain. We are not ready for that yet. Now where are we going?"

Pyro said, "We're going to my old home...on Sharpedo Bluff."

Pyro's old home was underground in a cliff that was nearby the cliff Layne usually sat on to watch the ocean, which made Layne feel a bit at home, but none the less, Layne knew that Pyro was missing the guild, and Layne couldn't lie to himself. He would miss the guild himself as well. But soon...they'd return for a story he knew would flip everyone's lid. All he needed was time to get the facts in order, and patience.

Layne upon entering Pyro's home simply said what all humans said to friends upon entering their house for the first time. "Nice place." Layne could remember some of his human past, but still some things were a blur. He could only guess his amnesia was caused during the storm. He remembered, he was dead tired during that storm. The lightning had lit up the cliff's face, and the piling of rocks.

Layne suddenly rubbed the back of his head, because remembering that brought the pain from that back almost instantly. Layne was not going to lie to himself. It felt good to remember things again. Sure he wished he remembered certain small things, but those would come in time. All that mattered right now, was that he was reunited with Grovyle, in a way that made them friends, and Pyro was here with them, finally putting full trust in him. Layne couldn't think of anything better to ask for for the moment, other than perhaps some dinner.

Later on that day, since Pyro's house was basically a huge opening in the cliff, Layne climbed down the cliff's face, and dove into the ocean to get them all some dinner. He was also teaching himself slowly but surely how to propel himself through the water using his tail. This made him faster, and he caught a few fish without ease.

Later that night, around a fire, they roasted the fish, which was a human tradition Layne was grateful to remember. The way the guild served their fish, they cooked it, but it was still a little weird. Back in the day, Layne loved to prepare meat with his father...before he became a rather abusive man. And whenever Layne had managed to make what little money he could, the beach bonfires in Seattle provided heat required for the cheap domestic fish he could afford. It was fast and easy to cook. And healthy, too.

Layne smiled at those memories. Sure they were days he wouldn't mind forgetting, since those were the days that he considered some of his worst days, but they certainly had taught him how to survive. Now here he was...on another world, in a body of some weird animal, talking to two friends, while eating fish. Not a bad turn of events for him.

Grovyle had been talking about his partnership with Layne in the future when Layne had been introduced to him. Up to the point where they had just witnessed Dusknoir's story of deception and trickery.

"I thought you had mentioned Layne's name once or twice," Grovyle said to Pyro, "Before we even reunited with Celebi, however, I never expected Layne to be the very same Layne, that had come and helped us as well as he did in the future."

Layne gave a small smile as he impaled another fish onto a stick, to hold over the fire.

"Can you tell more about that?" Pyro asked, very much interested.

"Indeed, I can." Grovyle said. "Layne joined Celebi and I as we investigated the planet's paralysis. Celebi and I had been investigating the paralysis for years, and all we had to show for it were a few facts about what had happened, and how it could have been stopped."

"A pokémon, and a human, paired together?" Pyro asked.

"Yeah." Grovyle said. "I will say, Layne's few descriptions of humanity he knew made me skeptical more than once. But, I could only guess what his world was like."

Pyro looked over, "What was your home like, Layne?"

Layne simply shrugged. "I can remember it, but...let's not go there."

"When we discovered," Grovyle continued, "That Layne had the ability that he possesses now, Celebi and I were...well...ecstatic. Layne had appeared virtually out of no where. I remember first meeting him, like it was yesterday."

"Don't remind me..." Layne said, remembering his near death experience by the Sabeleye.

Pyro laughed, but didn't go there. "By ability, you mean the Dimensional Scream, right?"

"Correct." Grovyle said, "Upon his mention of the Dimensional Scream, we had to test to see if it was truth. Layne had his first vision in Treeshroud Forest, and we then knew that our mission had taken a very big step towards completion."

"What makes you say that?" Pyro asked.

"You don't know? Well, let me explain. The Dimensional Scream has a drawback. The Dimensional Scream will not work if the item contacted with has no connection to the Time Gears. It was the Dimensional Scream through Layne that provided us with the locations of the TIme Gears in the past."

"Hold on!" Pyro said. "The Dimensional Scream is triggered only by items connected with Time Gears?"

"Yes." Grovyle said. "The opposite also holds true. "The Dimensional Scream cannot be activated in areas that are not connected with the Time Gears.

"That's not how I remember it at all!" Pyro said. "At one point, he simply touched an apple, and heard a young pokémon named Azurill scream. He also went in contact with a river, and saw a hidden cave behind the waterfall in a vision. None of the areas or things had any connection with the Time Gears."

"Are you sure?" Grovyle asked, turning to Layne.

Layne looked in thought but said, "Pyro's right. It has gone off at random times, like he said, in areas with no connection to the Time Gears."

"Huh." Grovyle said. "That never happened in the future. You tried to activate the Dimensional Scream in many places, that were not tied to the Time Gears, with no success. I don't understand why it would work differently here. Perhaps things are just different here...or the nature of the Dimensional Scream is altered in the past, before Temporal Tower's collapse..."

Layne nodded in understanding. It explained why he and Pyro had not seen anything when they tried to activate it in the future.

"Also the Dimensional Scream, I never mentioned this before, requires the presence of a trusted partner close by. I don't know why, but without the bond of trust, the Scream cannot be triggered."

"A...trusted partner..." Pyro said.

Layne gave a skeptical look to Grovyle. "You sure about that? The first time I had that vision, we were on some rather shaky ground."

"I will not deny, I was very skeptical to you possessing the gift, Layne. Celebi however, held no doubt, and put her full trust in you. And since you were new to our world, it can be assumed that you put your trust in us as well, which was probably what triggered the first vision."

"I guess that makes sense..." Layne said, shrugging.

"After that experience, I too began to put my full trust in you and your gifts. It was then from there that our friendship also steeled, Layne."

"Well..." Pyro said, "The Dimensional Scream was triggered not so long after Layne and I met."

Grovyle simply looked at Pyro. "What's your point? I would think that's proof about how both you and Layne have evolved as friends through your exploration team." Grovyle said.

Layne chuckled when he saw Pyro's reaction to that. But he couldn't help but perhaps blush and scratch the back of his head at the mention of that. He would not deny that he and Pyro had indeed become good friends through their time as an exploration team, despite how childish the whole thing could be sometimes...

"And because Layne had developed amnesia," Grovyle continued, "It does not surprise me if he would look to find a partner to turn to for guiding and friendship. Perhaps Layne grew to trust you quickly because of that."

Layne said nothing there.

Grovyle continued. "Enough about the ability. Layne and I were investigating the planet's paralysis. And location by location, we used the Scream to identify the five locations of the TIme Gears here, while we were in the future."

Layne remembered the voices in his visions he had here during the expedition, and in Crystal Cave. One voice was his...the other...had to be Grovyle. It all made sense now.

"After we found the locations, Celebi took us to the Passage of Time, and we went in. However, our hardships were just beginning. Before we even had a chance to enter, a pokémon, which I still have no clue as to who it was, attacked us."

"A pokémon attacked you?" Pyro asked.

Layne barely remembered this...just barely.

"Not just any pokémon. There was something to that pokémon that today sends chills down my spine. I am grateful we didn't run into it in the future just now. There was something...dark...about that pokémon. Layne..."

Layne looked over.

"I don't know if you remember this, but you were a little reckless and you blocked a major attack it had used on me."

Layne looked in thought and smiled, saying, "I...think I remember that..."

"Whether you do or don't, let me say, I owe you for that."

Layne chuckled and said, "Please, if I remember right, you've saved my hide plenty of times."

Grovyle chuckled, and said, "I see that hasn't left your memory." Grovyle continued. "Anyway, we evaded that pokémon with Celebi's help, and we took the Passage here. However, as I mentioned before, we landed out clear in the ocean in the middle of a storm."

"I remember that night." Pyro said. "The rain was blowing into this room all night. I barely got any sleep at all..."

"Layne and I got separated. And as I said in the future, I had almost given up hope that he had survived. It had to have been during this time that Layne was transformed, and got amnesia."

"Yeah..." Layne said, rubbing the back of his head. "Those rocks really did their job."

"Rocks?" Grovyle asked.

"After we got separated, Grovyle, I will not say I was beginning to wonder how I was even still alive. All energy that I had previously had, was completely drained, and I couldn't keep myself afloat anymore. I don''t know why I was kept afloat as I was, but a wave carried me and threw me against a bunch of rocks at a cliffside, and well, I hit the back of my head rather hard. I had a splitting headache the rest of that day as I remember."

Grovyle smiled. "I made a promise to find Layne after I finally managed to get ashore. I'm glad I finally kept that promise. Layne, I don't know how much you remember this, but you helped Celebi and I out tremendously in the future, and you became a friend we could never ask for again. I'm glad that though there was a slight cost, that you made it out of that storm, safe. Yeah...your appearance has changed, but you're still...you."

Layne smiled and offered a little salute. "The one and only."

Grovyle returned the smile and said, "And you remain my friend. It's great to finally see you again."

"The same with you, Grovyle." Layne said.

There was a silent moment in the group before Grovyle spoke again.

"Now," he said, "We have to decide on our plan of action. Like I said before, I will collect the Time Gears again. What will you do?"

Layne looked to Pyro to answer first.

"Pyro said, "I'm not going to lie. I'm worried about how time stops in the region where the Time Gear is removed. But are you sure it's only temporary?"

"As soon as the TIme Gears are in lace at Temporal Tower," Grovyle said, "Time will be restored to it's normal state, everywhere."

Pyro looked to Layne and Layne imply said. "I remember the mission, Grovyle. I cannot sit out now. Pyro?"

Pyro nodded and said, "It's settled. We'll go too and help you collect the Time Gears. I can only pray that the Time Gear doesn't badly affect the pokémon in the area. But we must prevent the planet's paralysis!"

"Right." Grovyle said. "Then it's decided. We will go together. I think we should all get some rest. It's been a long day for us all, with all the running we did, and hiding we're currently doing. Tomorrow, we'll head to Treeshroud Forest in the morning."

Layne swallowed his last piece of fish, before nodding, and said, "Sounds like a plan..."

Pyro couldn't sleep. The wind blew ash from last night's camp fire in his face, and his mind was racing with so many facts. Pyro sat up. Dawn was approaching, but the sun was not in the sky. Le looked to Layne and Grovyle. Both were sleeping peacefully. He smiled. He was glad Layne was finally getting somewhere as far as figuring out who he was.

Pyro stretched, and carefully avoiding, Layne, stepped outside onto the cliff. He could barely make out the ocean. He heard it from their room and of course he heard it up on the cliff. The sounds made him relax. Pyro took a deep breath, and took it all in. Perhaps this was why Layne always came out here to reflect on his day.

"Pyro?" Grovyle said from behind. Pyro turned to see Grovyle standing behind him.

"You okay?"

Pyro nodded, "Yeah."

"Just can't sleep?"

Pyro turned back to the ocean. "I've had a lot on my mind."

"Dusknoir?"

Pyro shrugged, "A little, but not really. Sure finding out he really was deceiving us was a real blow to me, but hearing your story earlier tonight, it hit home. It really did. And it further proves what Dusknoir said in the future, to be true. I'm still a little shocked that Layne came from the future, but I understand. I was just...mulling over things like that. Normally right now, Layne and I would still be sleeping in the Guild. Waiting for the loudest wake up call I can imagine."

Grovyle chuckled at that. That's when he felt warmth on his back, which meant...

"Hey!" Pyro said. Sunlight..."

Grovyle turned to witness the sun start to rise.

"It's really something isn't it." Pyro said.

"Indeed it is." Grovyle said. "I don't know if it was because were were trapped in the future as long as we were, but I never thought a sunrise could ever feel so renewing. The sun as we know it, rises, and sets. We take it for granted, and while that may be natural for us, what we take for granted as we know it, could be life's most essential things...and sometimes, they're just precious."

Grovyle nodded in agreement. "Before I came here, all I'd ever known was the future's world of darkness. When I finally came out of the sea, and composed myself, I saw the sunrise for the first time in my life. Before that, No one even could tell me what a sunrise looked like, because no one had lived long enough to see a sunrise. When I first saw it, I couldn't even stand. The light gave such beauty to the land, in such a way I had never seen it. The green in the plants, the wind in the land...the movement in the ocean. It strengthened my resolve, and from there, I vowed that I would alter history so that it never had to know a world of perpetual darkness, ever. However...I do realize that wasn't exactly the tune I was singing not so long ago." Grovyle turned to Pyro. "I wanted to ask you, Pyro. When we were confronted by Dialga, I had let go of hope and was willing to surrender. It even sounded like Layne was in that situation near the end too. But you, even when all seemed lost, refused to give up. I must know, what compelled you not to give up?"

Pyro turned back to the ocean. "Oh...that." He took a moment to contemplate the question before answering. "To be honest, I wonder that myself. I really don't know. I'm not that confident, and before I met Layne, I was very timid, so maybe...maybe it was because Layne was there with us."

"Layne?" Grovyle asked.

Pyro nodded, and said, "Take a look at this." Pyro removed his relic Fragment from behind his scarf and gave it to Grovyle. Grovyle scanned the rock over, and found the strange pattern that Layne had also found. "Interesting. But what is it?"

"I'm not too sure myself." Pyro said. "Layne said he'd never seen a pattern like that before."

"I can't say I have, either." Grovyle said, giving the stone back to Pyro.

Pyro put it back under his scarf and said, "I didn't think you would have seen it either. It's just my personal treasure. It's my dream of one day solving the mystery behind this relic fragment. I thought that holding it one day would influence me enough to go and sign up as a guild apprentice. Well, it didn't. I ran, and it was shortly afterwards that day, that I met Layne on the beach. Layne...he has helped me through so many guild missions, I've lost count. He's always lent a word of support when needed, and he's become a very good friend. He's given me courage I've not felt before, and with him, I feel like I can overtake any challenge, no matter how dire the situation is. I guess..." Pyro said choosing his words, "It's how I came to feel over time."

Grovyle nodded. "I can understand that. Layne has always had that quality about him, as long as I've known him like that too. We've eluded Dusknoir several times, located the Time Gears, got our Union's support, and even had a slim escape of Dialga ourselves at one point with the help of another pokémon. I can see why you would see the same thing in Layne. I'm glad you care for Layne the same way I care for him as a friend."

Pyro nodded, and said, "He often comes out here." Pyro said turning back to the ocean. "He'll come out to this cliff any night he can, and just sits here."

"Despite the ocean being frozen in the future, Layne did the same thing then, too." Grovyle said. "He told me the ocean was a beautiful sight. The day I came here, I saw the beauty in which he saw the ocean. I still don't understand the peace that he finds in the sight, but I can certainly see sometimes why he would look on the ocean as he does."

"I'm not too sure why he does it either, but it certainly calms him." Pyro said. "And there are times that he's lost his temper, that he has literally scared the guild. Yet upon this sight, he'd just lose everything...he'd just be himself again."

Grovyle looked at the ocean with Pyro and said, "Layne is...very lucky. He is blessed to have one like yourself to turn to..."

"Thanks, Grovyle." Pyro said.

It was then that they heard Layne cough and pop his neck. "Oh man...guys?"

"We're up here." Grovyle said. We're coming down."

"Right...I'll go get us some breakfast." Layne said and he began to climb down the cliff to where some apple trees were growing.

Grovyle looked to Pyro. "Sometimes...he can be a little reckless, I will say."

Pyro laughed a bit at that, and said, "You don't know the half of it."

"We'd best get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

Pyro nodded, and said, "Right..."