The next morning we went to see Torkal in the Hot Spring from Crystal Cave. It seemed like a lifetime ago Pip and I were exploring the wonders of Crystal cave. I floated in the water and stared at the sky.

"Do you remember, Pip?"

Pip nodded. "How can I not?" He swam over to Torkal and I followed him.

"Hidden Lands?" Torkal mulled it over. "Well I know that…erm…to get to the Hidden Land…Uh… you need a certain quality. But um…Hmm…I can't seem to remember it."

Pip sighed. "Too bad."

"But I'll tell you as soon as I remember it."

We headed back to the Guild and reported to Chatot who sighed. "There's nothing that can be done now, guys. Let's just rest for today.

We went back to our rooms. It seemed strange to be back still. I looked out the window, half expecting to see Grovyle down below. Every time I stepped outside I expected to see our future instead of our present.

"How do you think Grovyle is doing?" I asked Pip.

He shrugged. "Who knows." We laid down. "Tomorrow lets check Sharpedo Bluff."

I agreed. Before sunrise Pip and I investigated the bluff. In Grovyle's bed we found a note in Pokémon footprint ruins.

The note read:

I hope you two are doing well on your search. I met Uxie again today and he informed me that your Guild informed them on what has been happening. Thank you. However, I will not be returning until we have every information we need in case Dusknoir comes back. He will likely follow us and find us just as easily if we keep to the same places we've been keeping to. So farewell until then.

-Grovyle

I looked at Pip and sighed. Around his neck was only the locket. I didn't notice it before until now. He no longer needed the fragment to feel safe. Was it because of me?

Pip and I returned to the Guild. Torkal had been waiting patiently for us. "There you are!" He huffed. "I remembered! You need proof. But the proof is…odd."

"How odd?" Chatot asked.

"It's just…peculiar. Nothing you could come across if you were looking for it."

I looked at Pip. "Go get your relic." I whispered. Pip was thinking the same thing as me. He bolted toward our room and when he came back produced his fragment.

"Where did you find this?" Torkal was amazed.

"I just came across it one day." Pip explained.

"Guildmaster." Chatot and Wigglytuff took a closer look.

"I know what you're thinking. We've seen this before." We stared at the Guildmaster and he continued. "We found it guarded by some ruthless Pokémon in Brine Cave. I should accompany Team Pokémon there."

Chatot looked at his friend. "But Guildmaster! I could do it!"

"No. I cannot put you in that position again. Not after you got hurt last time. I should go."

Chatot flapped his wings. "I must insist I take them, Guildmaster. If you get hurt I don't know what we would do."

Wigglytuff mulled this over then sighed. "Fine but promise you'll be careful."

Chatot nodded then looked at us. "Let's head off to Brine Cave!"

"In the meantime there's something I need to do." Wigglytuff disappeared.

We headed off to Brine Cave, listening to Chatot's talking the whole way. Around Pip's neck was only his locket.

"Don't you want your relic fragment around your neck too?" I had asked him before we left.

"No. I have something even more precious to me and it should stand alone."

I smiled and looked at my locket. I needed just one picture of Pip. Just one before this was all over but I had a feeling I wouldn't get it.

We stopped for a minute to catch our breaths. From behind, we didn't see it coming, Skuntank made me fly into the wall of the cave. I didn't realize the relic fragment had dropped from my bag until it was too late.

"Team Skull? What are you guys doing here?" Chatot was honestly confused.

"They're bad Pokémon." I explained to Chatot through the stench.

"And now that we have the fragment we can go to the Hidden Lands!" Pip came to tend to my head injury while Team Skull vanished into the deepest part of the cave.

"Those scoundrels! They can't fool me!" Chatot ran for them.

"Wait! Chatot!" I ran after him and behind me was Pip. I stopped and looked at him. "I'm so sorry, Pip. I lost your precious treasure."

Pip took my hand, a determined look in his eye. "You're my precious treasure. As long as you are okay I don't care about that stupid relic."

I couldn't help but smile. "Let's go show Team Skull who is boss!"

We ran to catch up. Soon after we found Team Skull. "Skuntank!" Pip ran to his aid while I aided the lackeys.

"What are you doing?" Zubat objected.

"Take the stupid berry!" I shoved the Oren Berry into his mouth. Koffing was more than glad to take the berry from Pip.

"Why? Why are you doing this after we've been so mean?"

Pip gave a berry to the skunk Pokémon. "Because we…we can't stand idly by and watch a Pokémon be hurt!"

I smiled and walked to Pip. I watched Skuntank throw the relic fragment. "Oops." He faked. "Oh I can't move! Now Pip will steal it back!"

"You're over dramatic." I laughed.

"Just take back the stupid fragment but when you get back things are going back to the way they were." He wouldn't look at us.

I laughed again and kissed Skuntank's head. "Thanks." I whispered and shoved the fragment into my bag. Skuntank tried in vain to hide a blush.

"So what happened?" Pip asked.

"There were some vicious Pokémon that came out of nowhere. Chatot said some horrible things…thinking about it still makes me see red. I was so mad! But we still got beat and Chatot ran off ahead."

I looked at Pip. "We have to find them." Pip said what I was about to say. He was growing up so fast and so much in this short amount of time.

I smiled. "Let's go, partner."

We ran to the deepest part of Brine Cave. Water was all around us, leaking from the ceiling I suspect. Chatot kept his eyes open, overly alert.

"Chatot! Thank goodness you're safe!" I yelled.

"Keep vigilant! They're here somewhere." Chatot warned.

Pip and I looked around then at each other. "We don't see anything, Chatot." I watched him. He went over something in his head then looked up.

"Look out! Above you!" Chatot rushed forward before Pip and I could react. Kabutops and two Omastars hurt Chatot badly.

"Hey, hey, boss!" One of the Omastars looked up at Kabutops. "He seems familiar. Wasn't he with that pink furball. Wuggle-something?"

Kabutops took a closer look at Chatot. "You're right. And he's been defeated in the same way. I don't know if he's smart or stupid."

Pip and I were too shocked to check on Chatot's wounds.

"I won't…let you…hurt our prized recruits." Chatot took a step forward as if to attack but went down like a rock, passed out.

Kabutops laughed then looked at me. "Your turn." He attacked with his sharp, bladed hands. I snapped out of my trance just in time to see the attack and get out of the way. Pip and I stood back to back, surrounded by the trio.

"I have Kabutops if you have the Omastars." I whispered to Pip.

Pip nodded. Somehow a scene like this seemed familiar too. I saw it in the back of my mind.

"I've got the big guy if you have the lackeys." Grovyle's voice played in my mind.

I shook off the thought before the scene could end. I attacked Kabutops with a vine whip attack. He tried blocking the attack but the vines changed to be behind him and slapped the back of his head.

I reached inside my bag and threw some blast seeds. It sent off an explosion. I waited for the smoke to clear before attacking again but Kabutops was nowhere to be found and neither were the Omastars.

"Pip! Ashton!" Grovyle ran over to us. Wigglytuff was close behind him.

"Oh no! Chatot!" He ran over to his friend.

Grovyle checked on Chatot once he was certain we had little wounds. He checked his pulse. "He will live if you can get him to the Guild right away." He told Wigglytuff then turned to us. "I hear you two have discovered a way to the Hidden Land."

"How did you know?"

Grovyle nodded at Wigglytuff. "Wigglytuff told me everything. Perfect timing too. I was planning on going back to Sharpedo Bluff."

"So does that mean…?" Pip couldn't finish his question.

Grovyle showed us all five Time Gears. They were so much smaller than I imagined and they were so beautiful.

"Will Chatot really be okay?" Pip looked back at Chatot who was being carried away by Wigglytuff.

"He will be fine, Pip. We have work to do still."

Slowly we made our way to the back of the cave. There was a small opening that opened itself up to the east. The horizon was lit up with pinks and oranges from the setting sun.

"It's so beautiful." Pip whispered.

Something in the back of my mind told me to turn around so I did. On the cave's wall was an intricate pattern that looked like a complex version of Pip's relic fragment. I took out the fragment and held it up to the pattern. It did look like his fragment.

"What is it, Ash?" Pip tilted his head and then took a closer look.

The relic fragment started to glow blue. Then the pattern on the wall glowed. From the middle of the circle on the wall a beam of blue light shot out.

"What was that?" I asked Grovyle who had no answer for me. In the distance I saw something.

"Is that a Pokémon?" Pip went closer to the sea. The Pokémon slowly appeared into view.

"You are Pip, Ash, and Grovyle?" He asked.

"How did you know our names?" Pip asked.

"Wigglytuff told me everything. I am Lapras. Climb on my back and I shall take you to the Hidden Land."

"Can you really carry all of us?" Pip asked while Grovyle and I climbed on his back.

"Don't underestimate me. I can carry you three on my back and much more." Pip got on as Lapras spoke.

"So Lapras, how do you know the Guildmaster?" I asked him. I was leaning against Grovyle who was behind me. Pip was to my left.

"Wigglytuff and Chatot, long ago, came to investigate the cave out of curiosity. Chatot was attacked in the same way, he shielded Wigglytuff from the Kabutops gang's attack. When they were defeated by Wigglytuff he was out of sorts that his best friend was attacked."

As Lapras spoke I looked up at Grovyle. He watched the sunset behind us. Something about the sunset empowered him. It drove him to complete his mission.

"I came and helped the two." I think Pip was the only one really listening to the story. When the sun was fully set Grovyle turned his attention to the moon's light. "And I made Wigglytuff promise me to never investigate or reveal the truth about the cave. In exchange I would answer all of his questions. You see, I am a guide to the Hidden Land. Dialga was fearful that leaving Temporal Tower in sight would attract unwanted visitors seeking to destroy the tower so he hid the tower and parts of the earths land in a gap of space. The only way to get to the tower is with that relic fragment."

"So why did I find the relic fragment? Couldn't anyone find it?"

Lapras shook his head. "The fragment chooses its owner by the purity of his or her heart. It chose you, Pip, because it found your heart to be pure."

"Wow. That's amazing!"

"You should rest." Grovyle whispered to me. "We have a long day ahead."

I nodded and closed my eyes. "I should, shouldn't I? But you should too." I opened them again.

"I'll be fine. Rest, the both of you."

"I can't!" Pip exclaimed. "I'm too pumped!"

Lapras laughed at the conversation. "Rest up, all of you!" He commanded.