Sam really tried to keep up with Shinx, she really did. But the heavy sensation pressing on her body ever since they had inserted the time gears in their proper place was only getting worse with each passing seconds.

Eventually it got so bad that even Shinx noticed and turned around to cast her a worried glance. ''Sam are you alright? You look really out of breath.''

She was about to reply to him when a small fleck of yellow light materialized in front of her only to be followed be more and more afterward. Instinctively she knew what these small orbs of lights meant and she glanced back at Shinx with remorse.

''I'm sorry Shinx. It...look like my time is up.''

Shinx looked understandably alarmed at her words. ''Y-your time is up? What does that mean?!''

''Dusknoir told me, that by changing the future, the Pokémon from the future would disappear. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would risk letting the apocalypse happen just to spare me. But now it look like the change to time is happening. And with it I will disappear forever.''

Sam could arleady see tears building up in the corners of Shinx eyes and she winced before looking down at the floor. ''S-Sam, no! I-I can't do this without you Sam! I would have never done anything that mattered if you weren't right by my side!''

''I'm sorry Shinx. But you're a lot stronger than you think. You have to leave and be brave for both of us. You have to tell everyone what happened here so that something like this never happen again. Please promise me!'' Sam yelled with convinction.

''You mean so much to me Sam. I don't think I will ever recover without you. I'll find a way to bring you back I promise!'' Shinx sobbed loudly.

Sam looked back at him with a bittersweet smile. ''It's okay Shinx you don't have to waste your life doing that. I accepted the consequences when I stopped Dialga. I swear that even if I disappear I will never forget you. You were the best friend a foolish lost human like me could ever ask for.''

''No! You were so much more than a friend to me Sam! I was always too afraid to admit it. But I couldn't live with myself if I let you go without telling you! I-I I love you Sam! I love you so much it hurt sometime and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you!'' Without warning Shinx ran up to the human-turned Vulpix and slammed his lips on top of her's.

The Vulpix's eyes widen in surprise at the sensation of Shinx's lips on her. She had never tought a Pokémon would ever fall in love with her. And the whole concept felt very forbidden. But here in her final moments it somehow felt right as if it was always meant to be. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of her best friend taste and warmth emcompassing her. But all too soon she felt her body disappear and with it her mind slowly fade into nothingness...

One moment she was disappearing on a barely held together tower of time with the feeling of Shinx's lips on her and the next she stood on a familiar beach with Shinx staring at her incomplete disbelief. To her it had only been mere seconds since that kiss happened but to Shinx it had been months of agonizing loneliness since she disappeared.

''S-Sam!'' He cried out his voice heavy with grief, joy and everything inbetween. He ran to her as fast as his legs could carry him but just as he was about to reach her he tripped on his own paws and faceplanted on the sand.

Normally she would probably laugh at such as sight but the sound of his sniffles only made her frown in sympathy as she held up one of her paw for him to lift himself up with. Shinx looked up at her his eyes still red from the crying and before he could say anything else Sam bent down and kissed him right on the lips just like he had done back on Temporal Tower.

She heard a gasp in the distance from her action. But did not give it a second tought as she felt Shinx sobbed against her as he returned the kiss in pure relief. Feeling a little bit daring she used her tongue to explore her partner's mouth but almost immediatly retracted it when she was assaulted by static shocks. In retrospect she should have seen that coming.

Despite wanting to continue the kiss Shinx had to retreat as he giggled at Sam's antiques. ''You were always too adventurous for your own good.'' Shinx said with a blush on his face.

Vulpix's face was not faring much better as her orange fur turned a darker shade. The two of them silently continued to stare at each other in the eyes and their lips slowly inched toward each other again. But that was when they heard an awkward cough behind them.

''Umm, golly should I come back later and give you some alone time?'' Bidoof asked with an awkward tone in his voice. But the blush and stupid grin on his face betrayed how glad he was to see them so happy to be together again.

The Vulpix and Shinx could only laughed in mortification at the fact that Bidoof had been witness to all of that. ''N-no I think we're fine for now.'' Sam said.

After that the trio made their way back toward the Wigglytuff Guild so they could tell everyone the good news of Sam's return. As they walked Shinx approached the Vulpix and gave her a somewhat shy and guilty look.

''A-are you sure it's okay? Us being together I mean? Humans aren't supposed to be mates with Pokémon right?'' Shinx asked worriedly and Sam could only looked back at him with a confident smile.

''I'm the only human in the whole world as far as I know. Who's gonna judge me? Beside even if anyone had a problem with it I would simply tell them to go screw themselves because Shinx is a better partner than any old humans could hope to be.''

Shinx only response to that was to wail and glomped the former human to the ground. Much to the bafflement of Bidoof who stopped to look at them at the sound. Shinx was still such a crybaby at times. But honestly Sam would not change a single thing about her partner, she loved him just as he was.

Later that night the whole guild threw a huge party celebrating the return of their missing guildmate. It went on well past their usual bedtime but for once Chatot did not try to enforce the rules.

And if Sam and Shinx stayed close to each other all night and sneaked loving glances at each other, none of the other Pokémon commented on it.

AN: I wanted to start writing something more light and fluffy than my current post apocalypse story right now and tought this was the perfect idea. There is not nearly enough romance stories about PMD in my opinion and the hero/partner pairing is the one true ship of Mystery Dungeon and you can't change my mind.