Author's Note:
(Place apology for late upload here)
This chapter features multiple character perspectives we haven't seen yet, hopefully things don't get too confusing. Anyway, we're finally going to the future, which means the next few chapters will deviate from the original game more than usual. It's also almost time for that character backstory I've been promising for 2.5 years.
"Come on, let me wake him up," I argued. Brandon had given his usual wake-up call, but Crest was apparently too tired to respond. If we didn't rouse him soon, we'd have to deal with Loudred.
"For the last time, he's a Water type. You can't shock him awake," Brandon said.
"It's just a little static. You know, the kind that makes your fur stand on end," I continued before realizing something. "Actually, wait. Do you even have fur?"
Brandon checked over himself before responding. "I don't think so. If there's any there, it's super light; my skin is more plant-like than anything."
"I could check," I said, gathering energy in my tail. "Just a small charge here…"
"Don't touch me," Brandon shot the idea down. "I'm just going to try Telepathy. He should be able to hear that, even while asleep."
While Brandon focused intently I quietly snuck around behind him, my tail still glowing with electricity. If I could just get a little bit closer…
'Stop that,' I heard a voice enter my head, causing me to jump back in surprise and lose my charge.
"I thought you were using Telepathy on Crest?" I asked.
"I was going to, but you keep drawing my attention. I can't focus on him if you keep distracting me," Brandon explained.
"Then don't get distracted-"
"UP AND AT 'EM, IT'S MORNING!" a voice screeched from behind me. As I jumped away in panic and Brandon recoiled from the sound, Loudred laughed. "Ha! It's been a WHILE since I last got you guys with that. Try to be up EARLIER next time." As he left Crest finally got out of bed.
"Argh, why didn't you wake me?" he groaned.
"Blame Jolt," Brandon said plainly.
"What? Why me? You're the one whose mind powers were too slow!" I defended.
"You're really doing this already?" Crest asked. "Let's just get to assembly. The last thing we need is to get Chatot angry."
We made our way to the meeting room, and despite being slightly late were still there before Chatot. With nothing better to do we began to talk amongst ourselves.
"What do you think is taking them so long?" I asked.
"Chatot and the Guildmaster must be waiting for something," Crest reasoned. "Do you think Grovyle's been captured yet?"
"I hope so," Brandon reasoned, "It's been a whole day. I doubt our cover story of sealing away the time gear will hold up much longer." He was quiet for a moment before adding, "Chimecho says that's what they're waiting on."
"So, we're expecting some sort of news?" I asked.
"Diglett is near his sentry post," Crest noted.
"If we don't hear something soon, we'll have to start the meeting under the assumption that the trap failed," Brandon said.
"Are you saying we should come up with a new plan?" Crest asked.
"Why don't we just send the entire guild to guard the time gear?" I reasoned.
"I think Wigglytuff wanted to avoid causing a mass panic," Crest answered. "Something about keeping the guild running normally so the civilians think things are under control."
"Uh, news flash? Most of the world is frozen," I responded sarcastically. "Seriously, what's even left? Here and, like, half of the Sea of Wonders? I think now is the right time to freak out."
I could tell Brandon intended to argue against that, but he was cut off as the Guildmaster finally emerged from his room. Although Chatot was still nowhere to be seen, the guild members silenced themselves and waited for Wigglytuff to speak.
"Diglett, have the scouts reported back yet?" he said.
"I think they just got back," Diglett answered.
A moment later, Gligar popped out of the ground next to him. "We found them!" she called out.
"You know we have an entrance right? You don't have to dig through the sentry tunnel…" Diglett told her nervously.
Meanwhile, Dugtrio popped up in his usual spot. "We saw Dusknoir and the three legends. Chatot flew ahead to greet them and ordered us to return here. He should be landing soon."
"Do you know if the trap worked?" Wigglytuff asked.
"I believe that's what Chatot intended to confirm. We will have to wait here for his report," Dugtrio said.
A murmur grew among the guild members, but I noticed Brandon, Chimecho, and the Guildmaster remained quiet. "Oh, come on. You learn Telepathy and just leave us in the dark? What are you three discussing?" I asked.
Brandon's concentration shifted for a moment before he answered telepathically, 'The trap worked. At least, that's what it looks like. It's hard to imagine they'd leave the lake alone if Grovyle was still at large. Don't say anything until it's confirmed, though.'
I was about to question why we had to be so secretive when Chatot flew in from above us. "Guildmaster, Dusknoir has requested that the guild meet him in Treasure Town. He wants to ensure word of Grovyle's capture spreads quickly, especially throughout the local area."
As Chatot finished speaking the guild erupted into cheers. Even Wigglytuff joined in the celebration, much to Chatot's disappointment. We all calmed down when the Guildmaster prepared to speak. "Where exactly does Dusknoir intend to meet?"
"He didn't specify, though apparently it will be quite obvious," Chatot explained. "Officer Magnezone should be waiting for us."
"In that case, let's go everyone! YOOM-TAH!"
"Well, you've certainly taken to Telepathy, haven't you?" I said as we made our way down the guild's path. Any sense of formality Chatot wished was present had disappeared upon his announcement of Grovyle's capture, so we were free to break rank on the walk to town. Sunflora and I decided to tag along with Team Strength, alongside Bidoof and Gligar.
"It's more useful than I expected it to be," Brandon reasoned.
"Is it though? I'm already starting to feel left out," Jolt pouted.
"That doesn't make it useless," Crest said, "He can communicate discretely and fill us in later. It's not like they want to exclude you, specifically."
"And besides, it's super cool, by golly!" Bidoof added.
"Oh my gosh, that's so true! And you're not even a Psychic type," Sunflora agreed. "Does that mean you can read minds, too?"
"I… think so?" Brandon answered, looking to me for confirmation. "That is half of Telepathy, right?"
"Yes, it is," I confirmed.
"Can you read my mind, then?" Gligar cut in.
"I think I'd rather not," Brandon answered. 'Jolt had a point though. How often do you and the Guildmaster have those secret meetings?' he asked mentally to prevent half the guild from overhearing.
'They aren't really meetings,' I explained. 'We just communicate often. It's how he and Chatot keep an illusion of complete control over the guild.'
"Hey, you can't gossip without me!" Sunflora complained, having apparently noticed our silence.
"Why not? It's my job to keep secrets," I deflected, safe in the knowledge she wouldn't push it any further. Sunflora knew by now that there were some things we Psychics would never share.
I didn't account for Gligar though. "Come on, tell us! I promise I won't tell anyone."
"You're the last pokemon I'd trust with a secret," Jolt taunted.
"Are you sure about that? After all, Sunflora went to Capim Town for the sole purpose of spreading a rumor," Crest reminded him.
"Good point," Jolt said. "In that case, congratulations on second place, Gligar."
"Ah-ha! I can't be topped!" Sunflora exclaimed proudly.
"I don't think that was meant to be a competition," Brandon said before noticing something. "…Unless your gossip can explain that."
I doubted it would. Right in the center of town was some sort of dark portal, though the distortion around it was a sure sign this was not the work of a Psychic. The portal appeared to be somewhat unstable, or perhaps whatever had created it was simply unskilled. Regardless, it was clear that nobody should go near the thing.
"So, this must be where we're meeting Dusknoir," I thought aloud. "I guess this is what Chatot meant by 'obvious.'"
"Magnezone is guarding that portal thing," Sunflora noted, "so this must be it."
"Yeah, but what is it?" Bidoof asked.
"Eerie and unsettling," Jolt answered sarcastically.
"I think we're about to get an answer," Brandon said, looking back at the path we came from. Following his gaze, we saw Dusknoir leading both the three legends and a hoard of Sableye. The Sableye were grouped closely together, and as they approached I realized they had Grovyle restrained between them. Grovyle's arms and mouth were both tied with rope, which seemed to be more for keeping him quiet than preventing attacks.
"I thought you said Dusknoir didn't have a team?" I asked Sunflora.
"That's what I'd heard," she answered. "I guess it was just a rumor."
Dusknoir led his group in front of the portal before addressing Magnezone. "Is everyone accounted for?"
"I lack the authority to require civilians to be present for your announcement," Magnezone explained. "Those who intend to hear it are among the crowd. As for the guild members, I believe they are in full attendance."
"I had hoped we'd draw a bigger crowd," Dusknoir lamented, "but I suppose this will do. Pokemon of Treasure Town, may I have your attention?" He waited for a moment before continuing, "As I'm sure you are aware, a thief has spent the last several days stealing the time gears from all across the continent. Over that time, four of the five gears were stolen, with only one being successfully defended by your local guild."
A nervous murmur began to rise from the back of the crowd, so Dusknoir quickly continued his speech. "That thief, Grovyle, has now been captured, thanks to the joint effort of myself, the guild, and the time gears' guardians. The surviving time gear is safe, and the others will soon be returned to their rightful places. Time will soon return to normal all over the world."
"As for the thief, I ask that you all leave him to me as we say our goodbyes. As some of you know, Grovyle and I are from a distant future. This portal behind me leads to our home timeline, where Grovyle will carry out his sentence. Please stand back as my Sableye allies lead Grovyle through it."
Upon hearing this, Grovyle violently struggled against his restraints. It didn't do him any good though, as four of the Sableye dragged him through the portal, leaving only two at Dusknoir's side. Dusknoir himself was visibly relieved once Grovyle had disappeared.
"I'm sure you realize I must take my leave soon," he continued. "And, unfortunately, I don't expect we'll meet again. Before I go, however, I'd like to thank Wigglytuff's Guild for their cooperation in catching Grovyle. History will remember you fondly, I'm sure."
Dusknoir briefly hesitated as our guild returned his thanks. "On a related note, there is one other pokemon I'd like to call attention to. Would Team Strength please step forward?"
"Us?" Crest asked nervously.
"Why are you surprised? We've obviously earned it," Jolt said, stepping out of the crowd without hesitation.
"Jolt might not be humble, but he's not wrong either," Brandon said, encouraging Crest to follow.
Dusknoir continued his speech when the trio reached his side. "I can confidently say that we wouldn't be where we are now without this team. These three are the ones who stopped Grovyle before the last time gear could be stolen, and their leader is the 'budding' psychic who kept us one step ahead of the thief." While the crowd around me cheered I could almost see Brandon groaning internally from the pun.
With the crowd distracted Dusknoir turned his attention to Brandon. "Although, I believe I owe you an apology. We never found the time to explore your lost memories, did we?"
"I'm not too worried about that," Brandon said. "Besides, even if you can't help me recover my memories, I might still learn something about my past through Dimensional Screams. It's already happened a few times, I'm sure I'll figure something out eventually."
"That's… interesting," Dusknoir said. "I didn't realize such a thing was possible."
"You didn't? But why wouldn't it be?" Brandon asked.
"Think nothing of it. Merely an oversight," Dusknoir explained. "In any case, it's time to wrap up our goodbyes-"
"Hold on," Chatot interrupted, "what about the other thief? Has he already been returned to your time?"
"Ah, yes, the other thief," Dusknoir said. "In truth, I've been unsure what to do with him. After all, he never actually stole anything, did he? Moreover, he was openly cooperative during our hunt for Grovyle."
"But he's still a time gear thief, isn't he? Surely you haven't just let him go?" Chatot reasoned.
"Who was the other thief, anyway? You never told us," Jolt asked.
Dusknoir went quiet as we awaited his answer. As the pause grew longer, he grew more and more restless. "I'm sorry…" he eventually said, "but I'm afraid the answer is too obvious."
With one sudden motion, Dusknoir threw a Shadow Punch at Brandon. Caught off-guard, he stumbled slightly before getting grabbed by the remaining Sableye.
"Hey, let me go! Ahh!" Brandon protested, his assailants dragging him through the portal before any of us could react. His teammates were quick to respond though.
"What are you doing? Let him go!" Crest shouted, throwing himself at Dusknoir with a Peck.
"You traitor! Thunder Fang!" Jolt also pounced.
"I had hoped to leave you out of this. Night Shade!" Dusknoir countered, releasing a wave of Ghost-type energy into the crowd and preventing anyone else from joining in the attack. By the time I recovered from the blast, Dusknoir was lunging through the portal. Looking around, I saw that the attack knocked Jolt to the ground near the rest of the guild, but Crest was nowhere to be seen. Realizing he must have fallen into the time hole, I attempted to follow-
'DON'T!' Wigglytuff's voice exploded into my mind. Quickly recovering from the shock of just how loud that Telepathy was, I suddenly stopped as I realized what was happening. I caught Sunflora and Bidoof with Telekinesis before their own reckless charge went too far, but the strain of maintaining so many Psychic abilities was too much to handle. My concentration shattered, and I fell to the ground as my Levitation failed.
"Chimecho! Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Sunflora ran to my aid.
"Let me go, let me go! They need me!" I heard Jolt cry out, his tail pinned to the ground by Gligar's.
As my friends helped me up and the portal in front of us closed, I fruitlessly tried to process what had happened. As panicked questions flew about the group, there was only one thing I knew for sure.
"We almost lost half the guild…"
I woke up in a small, grey cave, caged in by a series of metal bars at its entrance. My body was sore, covered in a light, stinging pain that I quickly identified to be scratches.
Unsure of what had happened, I wandered to the front of my cell, attempting to find anything of note, but especially hoping for the sunlight I needed for Synthesis. To my dismay, there was no such light to be found. 'I guess I'll just have to heal naturally, or maybe attempt Synthesis without any sunlight. Surely that's better than nothing, right?'
"Brandon? Are you awake?" I heard Crest's voice and spotted him in a cell across from mine.
"Crest? Yeah, I'm awake," I confirmed. "But where are we? And why are we locked up?"
"I think we're in the future," Crest answered. "I fell into that portal thing after the Sableye grabbed you. As for why we're locked in these cells, I don't know. Dusknoir said my being here is extremely dangerous and insisted I wait inside the jail until he comes back."
"And you just agreed to that?" I asked skeptically.
"Don't act like I had a choice. Besides, Dusknoir seemed genuinely concerned. I think he really wants to help me, but I'm still worried. I may be here by accident, but he clearly intended to capture you. I'm not about to leave you alone in this place."
"It sounds like you're putting yourself in a lot of danger," I reasoned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just… I'm confused, is all. I haven't had time to think about this yet," I explained.
"I've had some time, but," Crest stopped for a moment as he thought of something. "Could we use Telepathy?" he asked quietly.
I attempted to follow his suggestion only to realize something. "No, I don't have the psychic charm."
"Our bag is near my cell; do you think you can reach it with your vines?"
"I don't think I can reach that far. Why are our items so close, anyway?" I asked.
"The jail isn't very secure. I suspect it wasn't designed to hold Grass types," Crest reasoned.
"Noted. What did you want Telepathy for?"
"Dusknoir's been treating you pretty harshly, though I suspect he's forcing it. You've probably been accused of something serious," Crest explained. "We should consider break- wait, someone's coming."
That "someone" turned out to be Dusknoir and his hoard of Sableye. Dusknoir's cold expression contrasted the manic excitement of the hoard in a way I found not just unsettling, but downright dreadful. It wouldn't take long to learn that feeling was completely justified.
"What's going on?" I asked as Dusknoir reached my cell.
"You are to come with me, Chikorita. Do not attempt to resist," he answered sternly.
"Can I at least ask where we're going?" I reasoned.
Dusknoir paused for a moment, his serious look never wavering, before he answered. "Your execution." The Sableye cackled in response.
"What?" I let out shakily in surprise.
"You can't do that!" Crest shouted.
"Remain quiet, Crest," Dusknoir ordered. "I intend to return you to your time safely. Best not to jeopardize that idea; my master is incredibly strict in matters of time travel."
"But it's not fair! He didn't even do anything!" Crest argued.
"Remain quiet," Dusknoir repeated.
"But-"
"Crest!" I stopped him, hurriedly looking for something to say. "Just… keep yourself safe, okay?" As much as I hated it, we were in no position to argue, and I had no reason to drag Crest down with me.
"B-but… I… you… y-you too…" his meager response trailed off.
I would have affirmed his answer, but it was too dangerous to not comply with Dusknoir's orders. 'Dusknoir used me as a hostage to catch Crest just so he could use Crest as a hostage against me. That's hardly fair, though I have to admit it's clever,' I thought. "Alright, let's just… get this over with."
"My thoughts exactly," Dusknoir said as he opened my cell.
'This is ridiculous. It's one thing to sentence me to death, but to tie me up to a pillar, leave me in the dark, and take this long to gather the executioners? What are you playing at, Dusknoir? Why the wait? At this rate the suspense will kill me before your goons ever get the chance.'
My inner ranting was interrupted by the sound of cackling Sableye entering the room. 'Well, if I'm lucky, then they've already forgotten about me. Maybe they'll leave and give Celebi a chance to play the hero,' I thought in mock hopefulness. The Sableye came nearer, and I heard a shuffling noise to my left. 'Another prisoner? Sucks to be you, I guess, but if the lights stay out then maybe I will survive this…'
As if on cue, the room lit up, revealing both my captors and their new prisoner, tied to a post parallel to me. "Wait, what is the meaning of this? Why is the Chikorita here?"
"I believe you know exactly why he's here, Grovyle," Dusknoir answered.
'This is absurd. What could he have possibly done?' Looking over the newcomer, I could tell he was lost in thought. He barely even acknowledged my presence, but it was clear he was urgently attempting to plot an escape.
"May I at least know what I'm accused of?" he asked.
"You mean they intend to put you to death and didn't even tell you why? That's unreasonably cruel, Dusknoir," I chastised.
"He never asked," Dusknoir said. "You are charged with the attempted theft of time gears-"
"HE'S AN ANCIENT YOU IDIOT!" I screeched. "The other thief drowned long before he could threaten the gears! Let him go!"
As I finished my outburst I noticed the Chikorita's expression had shifted. Where I had previously seen a desperate pokemon in search of a plan, there was now… well, a still desperate pokemon, clinging to an idea.
"Enough of this," Dusknoir dismissed my complaints. "Sableye, ready your claws. As for you two, make peace with your lives. If you have any last words, now is the time to speak them."
"I do have… one thing I'd like to say," the Chikorita spoke up.
"And that would be?" Dusknoir asked.
"This: Magical Leaf!" he announced. Using the unrestrained leaf on his head, Chikorita's attack fired at our captors before sharply swerving-
"Ack!" I cried out in surprise when the leaves struck me. I fell to the ground, silently cursing- wait, fell to the ground? He cut my ropes!
It didn't take Dusknoir long to catch on to what happened. "Kill the Chikorita, quickly! I'll deal with Grovyle." He launched a Shadow Ball at me, but I dashed behind Chikorita's pillar, taking the opportunity to cut him free with a Leaf Blade.
I followed up with another Leaf Blade aimed at the Sableye, causing them to scatter while I regrouped with my new ally. "Are you okay?"
"I've.. been better," Chikorita answered, his balance wavering slightly. There was blood running down his face from a gash near the top of his head, clearly the result of falling below what would have been a fatal blow. Despite all of that, he maintained a battle stance. "Stay near me," he commanded, though it clearly wasn't just a plea for help; I could tell by his tone that he had a plan.
With no time to think, I followed his order, batting away the Sableye with Leaf Blade and keeping Dusknoir at a distance with Energy Ball. Just when the Sableye were breaking past my defense, we were enveloped in a thick, purple cloud of spores. 'A Poison Powder smokescreen? Wait, that's perfect!'
This time it was my turn to give orders. "Stay quiet," I whispered, quickly grabbing Chikorita and using Dig to hide underground. 'Okay, we're hidden. All we can do now is hope they think we escaped and leave-'
BOOM!
'Keep myself safe? Are you insane? I didn't start an exploration team just to let you die protecting me! If anything, it should be the other way around,' I thought, searching for a way out of my cell. 'Well, preferably no one would be dying, but especially not protecting me. Or is that just father's lessons talking again?'
I continued to look for any way out when I noticed the lock hanging from the door. 'Wait, father's lessons… is that rust?' Upon closer inspection, the hanging lock that trapped me in here, which should be relatively smooth, was extremely rough to the touch, with some pieces crumbling away as I examined it. My parents had always told me that when I evolved, I would have to use Steel type moves often to prevent my claws and horns from rusting due to my Water typing. That problem is fairly unique to Empoleon; I doubt any of the pokemon running the prison even know rust exists.
I positioned the lock to hang against the inside of my cell before charging at it with Peck. A clanging sound echoed throughout my imprisonment, and I was briefly disoriented by the force of my attack against the solid metal bars. 'Ah, gross! Note to self: keep rust out of your beak.' When I recovered from my attack, I found a small piece of the lock had fallen to the ground. Encouraged by this, I continued Pecking at the lock, causing it to crumble away after just a few strikes. With the lock gone, I freed myself and reclaimed the treasure bag.
'Okay, I'm out, but now what? Dusknoir took Brandon down this hall, but after that I don't know.' Just as I feared, the hallway branched off in several places, with no indication of which way Dusknoir went. Deciding I didn't have time to search around, I stayed on my current path, following it as long as I could. Eventually I reached a stairway, and at the top was a more open room. Actually, open was an understatement. I found myself in some sort of viewing area overlooking a lower central floor. That central floor seemingly lacked a ceiling, though given the dark grey above us I was hesitant to say we were outside.
Following the room's path-like structure, I came upon a large crack in the wall. 'If that grey emptiness above me is the sky, then this wall should be the edge of the building. I should be able to break outside using my last blast seed.'
I was interrupted from my escape planning when the central room lit up behind me. Turning my attention to the change, I saw Dusknoir beneath me, floating behind the Sableye he apparently worked with. A short distance in front of them, Brandon was awkwardly tied to some sort of pillar, with Grovyle tied to a similar one next to him.
'I went the wrong way!' There was nothing I could do to stop Dusknoir from here; even if I revealed myself I was too far away to prevent anything. At most my Bubble Beam could land a surprise attack if a battle broke out, but I had no way of freeing Brandon or Grovyle in time to defend themselves. I watched helplessly, desperate for a chance to do anything, both ready for and dreading when that moment would arrive.
Listening closely, I could tell the three of them were talking but couldn't make out the details. Well, I did hear Grovyle shout something about "ancients," but without context I couldn't make any sense of it. Finally, I saw the Sableye take an aggressive stance, indicating that the execution was about to start. I anxiously prepared a Bubble Beam…
"Keep yourself safe."
The words echoed in my mind, and the energy I had gathered faded. 'I can't stop it. If Dusknoir finds out I'm here, I'd just be dooming myself…'
As a now familiar hopelessness set in, I watched quietly until, to everyone's surprise, Brandon made the first attack. Using his still unrestrained leaf, he fired a Magical Leaf toward Dusknoir only for the attack to turn around and strike Grovyle, cutting his ropes. Dusknoir ducked behind Brandon's pillar, and the Sableye collapsed upon them.
'No!' I panicked, realizing that Brandon had no time to defend against the onslaught. A moment later, the Sableye dispersed, revealing two Grass types in their wake. 'He's still alive. Injured, but alive. Though, the way things are going that won't last long. Surely one of you has a way out of this, right?'
Just when the Sableye had formed another attack, the battle was obscured by an unusually thick Poison Powder cloud. They were hidden now, but would need a distraction to actually escape. 'Wait, the wall! Now's my chance!'
I placed the blast seed in the crack I found earlier and prepared my escape. Not wanting to take any chances, I triggered the seed with Peck and countered the resulting explosion with Bide. The resulting cacophony shook the prison as the wall collapsed around me, revealing a hole to the outside.
"That's impossible, they couldn't have gotten that far already!" I heard Dusknoir's disbelief below.
That was a good sign; now he would chase my exit, giving Brandon time to escape. I jumped out through the hole, knowing I wouldn't be able to regroup with him. If Dusknoir so much as saw me, we were all dead.