PMD: Warped Skies Chapter 24: We're Going Round the Twist, a pokémon fanfic

I'm sure you are ALL just dying to know what happened at that huge climactic cliff-hanger? You know. The one where Rai misses the portal.

The future can wait, for now we're heading back to Treasure Town! Quite a lot of scene breaks in this chapter, at least more than usual.

So what do people think I should do for the next milestone celebration! Which won't be 15,000 views, since I actually passed that to my utter shock, but probably 20,000 views. Maybe. We'll see, I just want to hear what you people want to see.

"What are we going to do?" Wigglytuff whispered, staring ahead in devastated shock.

The town was still in anarchy, just quiet anarchy now. Corphish had split off from the guild to begin assisting putting out the fires trying to consume the buildings, he worked alongside Marill and the two also shielded Azurill from the heat.

Slowly, Wigglytuff found himself walking forward. He was stunned, but not heartless, and his most emphatic apprentice was busy sobbing into the dirt.

Wigglytuff gently lifted Rai into his arms and gave him a gentle hug. The shinx barely reacted to the movement, he hung limply in Wigglytuff's arms, but slowly began to regain control over himself.

Team Magnezone hovered about in a panic. The fire was scaring several of the weaker members, but the robotic pokémon were disciplined and slowly, but surely, order was regained. The magnemite and magneton herded the pokémon out of the smokier areas of Treasure Town and also found and brought Water-type's forward to help control the blaze.

Magnezone itself directed the operations from above, screeching out ear-piercing, but effective, orders to the populace and the pokémon under their own command.

Wigglytuff found himself drifting towards where Loudred and Sunflora held Grovyle the Thief down. Once the guilds friend, or perhaps never at all.

Wigglytuff wasn't so sure. Not after what just happened.

Loudred and Sunflora straightened up when they spotted their Guildmaster approach through the thin smoke and pulled Grovyle up as they did so.

"Got the thief," Loudred growled, squeezing Grovyle's arm. The Grass-type didn't react. His head remained bowed, staring sightlessly at the ground.

"Guildmaster?" Sunflora asked. "What do we do?"

"Chatot was best at this," Wigglytuff said softly, his words causing Grovyle to twitch. "But I'll try. We've got to figure out how to get them back from the future, we've got to return the Time Gears. But first we've got to just make sure everyone is okay."

They nodded, not releasing Grovyle.

"They are gone," Grovyle said, immediately catching everyone's attention.

"Not a word out of YOU!" Loudred spat, Sunflora simply glanced between Grovyle and Wigglytuff with a worried expression.

Wigglytuff was not quite as convinced. "We will get them back," he said softly, Grovyle slowly began raising his head. "It would help if you could explain how you came to this time in the first place."

Grovyle's expression began flipping between a sneer and a baffled stare of confusion, as if he couldn't quite figure out what to feel. "There's no time," he growled, turning his head from Wigglytuff's gentle expression and the shaking shinx in his arms. "They'll be killed before you could possibly find the Celebi of this time.

Wigglytuff flinched, but it was nothing to Rai's reaction.

"Don't you DARE SAY THAT!" he roared, leaping out of Wigglytuff's arms and tackling Grovyle out of his captors hold. Rai pinned Grovyle face-to-face, sparking with electricity.

Despite being released, despite having the ability to throw the furious shinx off him and lose his enemies in the dying chaos of Treasure Town, Grovyle just laid there. "There is no reason for me not to say the truth," he replied, voice even but lifeless. "You have lost Scout and that litleo, I've lost Sean, even Wigglytuff has lost Chatot. You'll never see them again, Dusknoir will execute them before you could possibly reach them."

He didn't stop, even as Rai's tears began to hit his cheeks and fall into his mouth. The salt only made his words the more bitter.

"Shut up," Rai demanded.

"Fine," Grovyle replied and closed his eyes.

Somehow, this response only angered Rai more. "Are you just going to GIVE UP?" he yelled and Grovyle cracked his eyes open.

"Yes."

Rai's claws came out, something he never did, and he pressed his sharper paws into Grovyle's chest, trying to illicit some response. There was none.

Before Rai could begin doing something irrational, rash, and very unlike him, Magnezone buzzed by with several magnemite.

"ZZZT! The town is under control. ZZZT!" Magnezone buzzed as the magnemite flew in to separate Rai and Grovyle. "ZZZT! Shinx and Grovyle will be arrested and returned to Team Magnezone's base to await a decision on what to do. ZZZT!"

"Oh my what?" Sunflora gasped before stomping furiously to Magnezone. "You will NOT be arresting Shinx! He's done nothing wrong!"

"YEAH!" Loudred roared.

"Officer Magnezone," Wigglytuff begun pleasantly, eyes meeting Magnezone's one. "Shinx has had a terrible few days. This can be overlooked this one time, please."

Magnezone hesitated. Everything Wigglytuff said was pleasant yet they found themselves profoundly terrified.

Despite that.

"ZZZT! I am afraid I cannot allow that. ZZZT!" Magnezone shook in place rapidly in an attempt of a head shake, or perhaps because Wigglytuff began to frown. "ZZZT! He broke the law, he escaped prior custody, he will need to spend at least one day in custody until bailment. Please understand. ZZZT!"

Rai turned back from where he was being floated in place with a tired look. "It's fine," he said softly and Wigglytuff's frown increased a wrinkle. "I don't want to be any trouble. I just want to sleep. I can do that in a cell."

Wigglytuff appeared ready to argue, but he met Rai's eyes for a moment before nodding. "Alright," he said with a sigh, "we'll get you out tomorrow. This will be okay Shinx, we will make it okay together."

Rai didn't respond and the magnemite carried him and Striker away. They would not be placed in the same wings of the jail, that'd be needlessly unfair to Shinx. Even they agreed on that.

Perhaps as a show of compassion, or even as a form of punishment, Rai found himself placed in Scout's cell. It was a comfort, because he could smell him. But also a torment because he couldn't escape his thoughts, escape the knowledge that Scout had been left terrified and alone in this room while Rai did nothing but chase a ghost and yell at magnemite.

He couldn't sleep, so he took up Scout's favourite thing to do and begun to pace, trying to work the nervous energy out of his muscles.

It helped in one way, he began to exhaust himself physically. He could not stop thinking, however, and in frustration he unsheathed his claws and copied Scout's coping method and began to scratch at the stones surrounding them.

He scratched and scratched until he found himself losing track of time, his mind began to finally relax, and he followed the many patterns Scout had created, following them along and picturing images and stories to them all.

He followed them to the bars, to the straw, to the corners. And Rai began to grow tired.

He found himself plodding along and yawned. The day was still young, but he was tired of it long ago. He pulled himself to the bed but couldn't get comfortable. One way, another, even with the comforting smell of Scout that reminded him of nights in the guild, his mind stubbornly refused to sleep.

All he could think about was Scout's expression when Chatot stood up to Dusknoir for him, or before that when he was being dragged out, or even after that. The desperate, near-hope, that almost saved him. But the Great Dusknoir was too strong.

Rai still had no answers for the enigma that was Dusknoir. Despite yelling at him to cover for Sean's traitorous break-out, Dusknoir had given no answers. He had simply floated there, acted like he was ignoring them both.

Both.

Even Mane was gone now.

Rai snorted into the straw. He remembered Mane coming to him and Sean, Scout he reminded himself, to try and scare Scout off for some inane reason. In a twisted way, they really did leave him. Just as Mane claimed everyone would.

He had apologised for that, and Rai would much prefer having him with him now than lost to times yet-to-be, but it was funny in that bitter way.

Rai turned again and began batting at the wall, brushing the straw away as he did so. There was no escape from his thoughts, but at least he could stew in his misery without anyone trying to buoy his spirits. That'd be frustrating at this point.

As he went he found that Scout had clawed even behind these, but the straw had hidden it. He continued batting at it in a mixture of sadness and apathy, before a shape began to form.

Rai frowned and began brushing the straw away faster.

He uncovered what appeared to be a scribble of sorts. It would have been unremarkable, except all of Scout's other scratches had been chaotic. This one seemed deliberate, and it had been covered up. Coincidence? Rai wasn't so sure on that one.

He rolled onto his belly and stood up to get closer and take a clearer look at it. It wasn't dark in the cell, but the light didn't shine on this wall.

It was a triangle with a part seemingly bitten out of it and placed on the top, in the bitten-out portion there were spikes.

It almost looked like…

Rai's eyes went wide as his heart did a flip.

Sharpedo Bluff. Scout had scratched a, very poor but still recognisable, drawing of Rai's home. "Why would he…?" he whispered before glancing behind him. He was completely alone here. Rai covered the scratch up and laid back down on the bed.

His mind was sill cluttered, but he now had something that wasn't terrible to fixate on. Sharpedo Bluff. Rai had to go to Sharpedo Bluff.

"Are we there yet?" Electrike whined.

"Statement: No."

"Why?"

"You asked that," Beheeyem growled, headache pounding, "I think… thirty-two seconds ago. The answer yet remains that we are over an hour away from even hoping to land in Treasure Town."

Electrike huffed, rather dissatisfied with that answer. "Well why can't we go quicker?" he grumbled, giving a reproachful look to the two Psychic-types. "If YOU two weren't so slow."

"Inquisitive: If we weren't so slow… what would we be?"

"Faster!"

"Statement: That is obvious."

"Well why did you have to ask then?"

Beldum's eye swivelled away from Electrike and he grinned in victory.

"Play nice children," Beheeyem sighed, trying to rub the headache away.

"Statement: Volt is the oldest of the three of us." Beldum's eye continued rotating as Beheeyem spluttered furiously at them. "Addendum: You are the youngest of the three of us."

"And you both nominated me as your leader," Beheeyem pointed out. "AND the two of you are both far too immature to even hope to function on your own without a guardian. Ergo, you are children."

Beldum was silent for a moment, weighing Beheeyem's words. Beheeyem took that as a respite, he knew it wouldn't last long.

"Inquisitive: If we are children, are you our parent?"

"Daddy?" Electrike added and Beheeyem was sure he was on the cusp of an aneurysm.

"Shut up, Cobalt," he demanded, ignoring Electrike.

"Inquisitive: Are you using my name as a form of discipline?" Beldum asked, curiously. "Example: A parent declaring their child's name in a fit of frustration to stun the child into listening to them. Inquisitive: Is this your view? Do you see me as your child?"

"Daddy?"

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Beheeyem shouted, finding the erratic display of waving his arms to be stress relieving. "I'm sorry our search in Solemn Cave was pointless but that is NO excuse to be treating me like this!"

There was silence for a moment, before Electrike decided to add his two cents. "Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Beheeyem managed the tiniest smile towards Electrike, Beldum decided to continue being a little shit though.

"Statement: My inquiry was frank and honest. Inquisitive: Do you see me as your child?"

Beheeyem turned a truly flat glare onto Beldum, who was unaffected as always. "Enough talking you fistless sack of sassy sauce!"

Electrike snorted as Beldum's eye bore into Beheeyem with immense judgement. "Defiant Statement: There is no such sauce product."

Beheeyem felt a little more of his sanity be surrendered to the void and wondered if he could deafen himself to acquire some sliver of peace.

All the while they continued making their way to Treasure Town. Partially destroyed, still a little on fire, chaos reigning in the ashes of what remained.

Standard fair of Treasure Town, really.

Rai followed his nose.

He wasn't sure why, but by pressing his nose down closer to the ground he looked extra busy and no one intervened to try and console or judge him.

Treasure Town was recovering from the previous day. Marowak's Dojo had been badly damaged, part of the roof had caved in and a wall was busted. Marowak was heartbroken, but for once the community was actually helping him repair it.

Electivire's little tent had fallen into the river, but he'd fished it out. A few fish pokémon had nibbled on it, most rude.

The bank had avoided damage, something everyone was relieved. Duskull was just as protective over the building as he was over the money, no one wanted to see what he'd do if the building was damaged or destroyed.

Didn't need another Dark Pulse from the first stage Duskull rather than the final stage Dusknoir. Treasure Town didn't deserve the carnage that would follow.

More signposts were being set up to remind everyone that battling in town was an extreme offense. No one was actually being arrested over it, largely because it'd involve imprisoning most of the town including several of Team Magnezone.

Everyone was just expected to help repair the damage.

Rai found it heartening to see the community come together in that way. In the literal ashes of Dusknoir's actions, the loss of multiple pokémon to the future, and the towns own manic upheaval, the pokémon were working together better than before.

Something-something getting stronger if you don't die, Rai mused.

He didn't have much inclination to dwell on the town. He wasn't being approached to do his part, he hadn't done any of the damage after all. Even so, he would have been happy to lend a paw if just to distract himself from the low, aching, pain in his chest.

Rai wondered if Wigglytuff was feeling something similar. He and Chatot were very close, very close. There were rumours. Although there were rumours about everything ranging from Mane having a crush on him, to Sunflora and Chimecho being together, all the way to the entire guild acting as Dusknoir's consorts during his time here.

Rai paid them no mind and continued on. He did manage a smile to Kangaskhan, her building hadn't suffered any damage, so she was out and about, carrying heavy timber and assisting to repair places.

All the while he felt the eyes. He felt the whispers as he passed by. He felt the mixture of pity and worry the town beamed at him.

In the tightness of Electivire's smile, Rai knew he was so sorry that he'd been led astray by the wicked Meowth.

In the knowing look Purple Kecleon gave him, he knew that he was confident that he had been right about the cloying influence of Mane.

In the eyes of Treasure Town, Rai knew they were pitying him for being used to further the goals of wicked pokémon. He hated it.

Rai stepped out of Treasure Town and felt the sea breeze blow into his fur. He smiled more genuinely, letting the wind blow the negativity away, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. This was home, this was the place he had lived for the last five years. Ever since Ara had convinced several residents to dig out the cliff for the two orphans to live in.

The guild was lovely, the guild was home too. But only with Sean. "Scout." Rai reminded himself, shaking his head. That was still too weird to think of and he wasn't entirely convinced without asking the meowth himself.

A dull throb echoed in Rai's chest as he thought of him again and his smile slipped off his face, the wind stole it away with the comfort of home.

He set his jaw and quickened his step. There was no time to be standing around thinking about things, now was the time for action.

As Rai approached the jutting stone that appeared like a sharpedo's fin, he noticed he was not alone.

"Dugtrio?" Rai called in surprise, the Ground-type turned in equal surprise.

"Young Shinx?" Dugtrio replied, three mouths speaking in perfect chorus. It was always a little trippy to talk to Dugtrio, with three heads, three sets of eyes, and three mouths. He was never sure which one to focus on, although the middle head seemed appropriate enough. "What is it that draws you to us? Is it the sea?"

Rai smiled slightly, even after the events of yesterday, Dugtrio was still his weird old self. "No," he answered, shaking his head. "I'm actually going into my house to look around." He smiled wider, growing excited.

Wigglytuff had bailed him out this morning as promised, but Rai didn't stick around to go back to the guild. He headed straight here and hadn't thought to tell Wigglytuff exactly what he was going to do, although the Fairy-type seemed to have an inkling that Rai had regained his pep.

"To look around?" Dugtrio repeated. "What is it that Young Shinx wishes to search for?"

"Well," Rai said as he trotted to the covered entrance. He removed the living blanket of grass to open the pathway into his house. "I found something in Sean's cell last night. It's led me to here." He paused at the entranceway with a paw raised, hesitating.

Now that he had said it, Rai felt a wave of doubt crash over him. Not unlike the waves hitting the cliff far below. Dugtrio stared at him in concern, the shinx had just stopped moving completely.

"Young Shinx?" he asked gently. Rai blinked and swallowed, lowering his paw back down.

"I…" he said, unable to continue. What if he was reading into it too much? What if the image was purely a coincidence? What if it wasn't, but there was still nothing here? Even if there was, how did he know it would mean anything?

Dugtrio seemed to pick up on his inner turmoil and he burrowed up closer to Rai. "Whatever you think may be down there, you have to find out for sure," he said wisely, Rai swallowing again and turning to look at him. "If you don't go, you'll never know. If you never know, you will always wonder."

Rai swallowed once more before managing a smile. "That's wise. Have experience there?"

Dugtrio bobbed in place, suddenly flustered. "We will move at our own pace," he defended, Rai blinking at the sudden change in personality. Dugtrio stopped bobbing in place and glanced out at the cliff, or most likely beyond it. To the distant sea, the blue waves rising and falling, crashing and bubbling, endless motion.

Rai sensed that he'd lost Dugtrio's attention to the sea and turned back to the tunnel to his own home. It had never felt so foreboding to step into it. "I'm going to do it," he said, mostly to himself as Dugtrio was no longer aware of his existence.

A glance to Dugtrio confirmed that the Ground-type was enraptured by the sea again and Rai chuckled slightly before stepping forward.

Everything may have felt like it had changed, but Dugtrio was still the same as he always was. Rai never suspected that'd be comforting, but this was not the first time he had caught Dugtrio above his home, staring out into the ocean.

Sharpedo Bluff was quiet. The sounds of the sea was still there, but the mouth of the cove always somehow drowned most of it out. It was there to lull him to sleep, otherwise quiet.

Rai glanced around. Scraps of straw of beds long since lost to the winds. He could still see the scratch marks Ara had made on the floor in a stubborn fit, decreeing one side to be hers and the other side to be his.

She had the bigger side of course.

In the corner was where he had slept the first two weeks, Ara huddled up with him and almost pressing him further into the wall. She always protected him, even then when they were both terrified of some monster coming into their new home to finish them off, she protected his sleeping body with her own.

In the mouth of the cove was the one broken 'tooth' of the sharpedo, broken when Ara finally perfected Iron Tail and smashed it to pieces.

It was their home. And then his, just his, when she left.

Rai shook his head, it would do no good to be buried in old memories. He walked forward to the water hole and took a drink before looking around.

There were really not many places that anything could really be hiding something. No marks on the floor to imply something buried, or on the walls. Rai looked up at the roof just in case his partner decided to be even more paranoid than he usually was.

In the end, the message wasn't well hidden. But Rai decided that was probably for the best, if it was too well hidden he may have given up to his own fears and decided that he really was overthinking things.

Pulling the piece of thick parchment out wasn't fun with paws and teeth, he ended up managing to hook it with a claw.

His heart pounded as he unfolded and smoothed out the message Scout had left him. Then, he frowned.

"What… is this?" he muttered, peering closer and farther. The characters were not footprint runes. No, instead they held a vague similarity to unown script, but Rai had no idea how Scout could possibly know that.

"There's a lot I don't actually know about him," he thought to himself and frowned. He couldn't read unown script, not many could.

He refolded the letter and picked it up in his mouth. It hopefully wouldn't smudge before he could get it to the guild.

He may not be able to read it. But he had an inkling of someone who could.

"Rai, I hope I never have to give you this." Wigglytuff read, frowning hard. Rai had given him the note and quickly explained what he had found, Wigglytuff brought him into his bedroom to read it in privacy.

Rai had never been in Wigglytuff's bedroom, part of him wasn't sure if Wigglytuff even had one but looking around he was impressed at how bare it was. Just a bed and a window with an actual curtain. Not the opulence he had thought before, yet strangely he wasn't overly surprised now that he knew the Guildmaster a little better.

"But if uu are r-reading this," Wigglytuff read on with some difficultly, stumbling over the occasional word, "know that I'm sorry for… just ever-ev-everything. Trust Grovyle and find the Relic Flagment. You have to find it."

Wigglytuff had paused on the mention of Grovyle and Rai frowned too. They exchanged a glance and Wigglytuff read on, squinting as he deciphered the particularly sloppy unown script as best he could. "If you are reading this, I'm going to ass-ume everything has gone to hell in a hensbasket and something I was comfletely unfrefoared… un…unprepared for has happened."

Rai listened on, terrified and eager. He didn't know what Sean, Scout dammit, was going to reveal, but he knew this had to be important. The fact Scout felt the need to hide whatever he was hiding from him hurt, and Rai had an idea now on what he was hiding, but he held onto the hope that he had a reason to do it.

Mane had almost yelled at him until he agreed to looking at it from that angle.

"If Grovyle is free, trust him. I know he's probaby viewed as the caase, cause, of this, but he… isn't." Wigglytuff paused, as Rai frowned, neither said anything. "He's trying to SAVE the world and I came back from a frozen future to help him. Only, I lost my memory. It's… comqlicated, I remember stuff but at the sane time I don't feel like it's an actual nenory. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you this in person. I just…"

Rai leaned in. Hearing the truth from Scout was painful, but he had accepted it as the truth anyway. At least, most of the truth.

Wigglytuff looked uncomfortable, an exceedingly rare expression on him. He knew this was really just meant for Rai, but Rai couldn't read it. So it was up to him. "I don't know why I'm like this. Instincts left over from the future maybe? I do trust you, but Dusknoir. Dusknoir. He's the euemy, enemy, he's an agent sent back to stop Grovyle and I as he doesn't want the frozen future chang'd. It's probably because of him that whatever has happened to me, happened."

Rai gave the letter a sardonic look, Scout was eloquent as always.

And yet, it was Dusknoir's actions.

"So you, or anyone who might be reading this if this is not Rai, need to get the Relic Fragment. Here's an ideu of what it looks like." Wigglytuff turned the parchment around and Rai nearly laughed at the terrible, but still vaguely accurate, drawing.

Smiling slightly, Wigglytuff continued. "That is a key of sorts to the Hidden Land and it HAS to be found. Find Team Skull, talk to the townsfulk, you have to find out who has it. You also need the Time Gears."

Both of them stared at the letter in silence then. With a strong voice still, Wigglytuff continued. "Yes, really. Taking them will only stop time in their places for a short tine, once they are placed in Temporal Tomer, tower, time will be completely fixed. Placing them back where they were token won't help, time was already falling apart. You have to get by Dialgaga though, I can't even imagine that though."

Wigglytuff turned the page, they were nearly done. "Rai, even if I newer have to show you this, please know that I was going to tell you every-thang eventually. Dusknoir was simply too dinegierous, but maybe I made it worse by hiding all this. Heh, yeah probably."

They both smiled at that. "I've feen trying so hard to keep things 'one way' tat I've comfletely screwed it all up I bet. Just… please beleeve me when I say this. All of this. If everyone is taken, and someone else has found this, take the Time Gears back and try them out! They won't work, time is already collopsing. They hafe to go to Temporal Tower. Please."

Wigglytuff finished and took a deep breath.

Rai sat in silence, trying to digest that entire spiel.

"What do we do?" he asked quietly. Scout had mentioned Grovyle several times as someone to trust, but he was the Time Gear Thief.

Yet if Scout's words were true, he was doing so to save the world rather than doom it. Dusknoir had said the opposite, but Dusknoir had attacked the town and taken Scout, Mane, and even Chatot too.

But Scout was a member of a team stealing the Time Gears, he had lied. But had he? And for how long? Did he ever really have amnesia?

Rai simply didn't know. And Scout wasn't here to ask these questions to.

Someone else, however…

"I think we need to speak to Grovyle," Wigglytuff said softly. "I asked Magnezone after seeing you out to see him myself, but they refused me. But if this letter is true, if… if this is actually true."

Rai swallowed. He didn't want to believe Dusknoir was the bad guy, but they were out of options regardless. They had to speak to Grovyle, even if just to ask how he had come to the past.

"I don't know if the two of us should go," Wigglytuff said unsurely, lowering the letter so he didn't start to crumple it. "Or, at least, both questioning him. You travelled with him for a time, and you both have a connection to Meowth. If either of us can convince him to speak, I believe it's you."

"Me?" Rai asked, taking a half step back. "But…"

Wigglytuff smiled warmly and placed the letter in a small carry bag and placed it around Rai's neck. "I still have to manage the town and work out what to do with the Time Gears and direct the guild now that Chatot's gone. Plus, I think it could be a good idea to ask Grovyle to read that out."

Rai glanced down at the object around his neck with a frown.

"Because," Wigglytuff explained, "if he reads it out accurately, as I have, you'll know he's not trying to deceive you." Wigglytuff smiled and glanced to the side, out the window. "He was a friendly friend, and maybe he still is. There aren't many ways we can be sure, but I trust Meowth and I think you do too. If Grovyle reads that out honestly, maybe we'll be able to trust him as well."

Rai felt the pouch of the bag press against the healed wound Grovyle had inflicted on him. He wasn't sure, even if he could trust Grovyle, if he could ever like him again. But Rai nodded. "I'll find out the truth," he said and Wigglytuff beamed.

"I'll come with you to make mean ol' Magnezone let you talk to him," Wigglytuff chirped and Rai nodded, the two leaving for Team Magnezone's base with no hesitation.

Rai had a Grass-type to grill.

Grovyle was in a bad state, Rai decided.

The leaves on the arms of the powerful Grass-type were wilting. The one on his head was torn and the two that acted as a tail were curled, likely from Team Flame's fire attacks.

He had scatterings of nicks and scratches all over his body, but it wasn't his physical state that was really bad.

Grovyle simply stared back at him, yellow eyes dull and lifeless. Wigglytuff had convinced Magnezone to let him speak to Grovyle, with a magnemite and magneton in the room to watch him, but Grovyle wasn't responding.

"Grovyle?" Rai tried again, frustration building. Grovyle just continued to stare forwards, Rai wasn't even sure if Grovyle was looking at him. If it wasn't the fact that Grovyle's chest moved and he blinked on occasion, Rai would have grown quite concerned.

Rai took a deep breath and thought back to the night Riolu had broken them out, the night everything went to shit. Dusknoir and Riolu had called him a name.

"Striker," Rai tried, and this time the Grass-type reacted. His lip curled a little and his eyes flicked to him, but he still didn't say anything. "I know you can hear me," Rai said, scowling, "dammit. Just respond!"

Grovyle blinked slowly before a deep sigh rumbled out. He sat up slightly and rubbed his face. "What do you want?" he hissed, voice rough and weak.

Rai breathed out a hard breath. It was one thing, he realised, to think about all this, another to try and catch his attention. But it was an entirely new ballgame to be actually talking with Grovyle.

Not after his betrayal.

Not after everything that he'd done. Rai was keenly aware of the scar under his own fur as he took a few steps forward.

He set the letter from Scout down but didn't pass it over. It was the only object he was allowed to bring in, after Wigglytuff gently convinced Magnezone to allow it.

"I want to ask you a few questions," Rai answered, Grovyle stared back impassively. "And for you to read this letter out loud."

"The only way to move through time," Grovyle replied, voice low and almost bored sounding. "Is to find Celebi, the one before my Celebi." Rai blinked, he wasn't actually here to ask that. "But I don't think you'll be able to enter the future, even if you could there isn't enough time. But you'll try anyway, despite the imminent destruction of the world."

Rai blinked again. To hear Grovyle say that so casually was almost frightening.

"Actually," he said, "I wanted to ask you about that." He nodded to the letter and began to push it forward. "I want you to read that, out loud, exactly what it says."

Grovyle glanced down at the letter but didn't reach forward. Rai frowned and pushed it closer and closer until it was touching the bars.

"Read it," he said again, this time with an edge to it. Grovyle stared him down until Rai looked away, the emptiness in Grovyle's eyes was frightening. Where was the fight?

"What point is there?" Grovyle asked, turning away from him bitterly. "I don't care what tests you have of me. I've told you the truth, you've lost. I've lost. The world has lost. The only one to win is Dusknoir, and there is nothing that we can do."

"Don't you dare," Rai growled. "Don't you say things like that! Claiming Dusknoir would hurt anyone!"

"Has he never hurt anything?" Grovyle asked snidely. "Any feral? Any friend? You saw the state Scout was in."

Rai flinched and Grovyle had only a fleeting moment of satisfaction before it was buried in misery again.

"You don't know that!" Rai shouted and Grovyle shook his head.

"Sean… Scout," he said, voice flooded with misery. "I've lost them both. Sean, that litleo, and Chatot are already dead. Only Scout would have survived, but he'll be trapped in Dusknoir's clutches forever. I've lost everyone I ever cared for and I couldn't even die with them. I have to remain here in this failing time, waiting until the entire world falls apart, able to do nothing."

Grovyle's voice rose to a shout as he hurled himself at the bars, startling everyone back as he bellowed. "BUT LAY IN A PRISON CELL BEING STARED AT AND ASKED POINTLESS QUESTIONS."

"Stop saying they're dead and I'm NOT here to ask POINTLESS QUESTIONS," Rai yelled back and Grovyle snarled.

"Then what are you here for?"

"Read the damn letter!"

"What is it?"

"READ IT!"

"TELL ME WHAT IT IS?"

"IT'S FROM SEAN!"

Grovyle blinked and Rai took a needy breath. They seemed to have passed the emotional yelling stage. "It's from Sean, err, Scout. It says something, it says something I need you to say EXACTLY as it's written."

Grovyle's eyes flicked back and forth, from Rai's expression to the letter. Eventually, finally, he leaned down, reached out, and picked it up.

"Rai, I hope I never have to give you this." Grovyle read, confused. "But if you are reading this, know that I'm sorry for just… everything. Trust Grovyle and find the Relic Fragment. You have to find it."

Grovyle read on, eyes wide and Rai sitting in silence. He couldn't be entirely sure Grovyle was reading it precisely as Wigglytuff had, he didn't stumble on as many words after all, but soon Grovyle was done.

He had read it out, with no detail missed.

Rai's mouth twisted as he tried to figure out how he felt about this. He trusted Scout, and so did Wigglytuff. It was possible, surely, that Grovyle had manipulated him into writing this.

But there were no other answers being provided for the questions they were asking. Grovyle slid the letter back through the bars and Rai quietly collected it.

"What now?" Grovyle asked and Rai looked up to his eyes. They were still dull, but there was something there.

"We test the Time Gears, I think," Rai said, looking to the quiet guards. "And if they really won't work… we'll have to hear your side of things with an open mind."

Grovyle nodded, jaw setting. Everything banked on the Time Gears not restarting the areas they had been taken from. Grovyle was mostly confident they wouldn't, but if they did…

Rai left and Grovyle was left alone in the reinforced cage. Once again he had no agency, no ability, he was stuck at the whims of others with absolutely nothing to his name anymore.

His eyes went out the window and Striker stared up at the shifting clouds and blue sky. He'd lost Sean and Scout, but in the end that was what was going to happen. Win or lose they disappeared.

Grovyle squeezed a fist and bent his head. He didn't know if he could do this alone, he was never the leader, he had always relied on at least Sean.

But for their sake, he couldn't give up.

Striker waited in silence, doing the one thing he truly hated to do. He hoped.

Rai arrived in the centre of Treasure Town to find Wigglytuff was addressing the populace. He listened in as he made his way through the crowd, this was something he could interrupt.

Wigglytuff spotted him as he emerged and beckoned. On his right side floated Magnezone who stared at Rai with an eye that reminded him of Dusknoir. Rai didn't like that the comparison now made him uneasy. On Wigglytuff's right stood Alakazam, stroking his moustache distractedly.

"Grovyle read the letter out exactly," he whispered to Wigglytuff who nodded with a worried expression. He had truly hoped this entire issue would be over, but it seemed to be just beginning.

Rai crept past Wigglytuff and behind him, so that he didn't have everyone staring at him in that mixture of pity and worry they had been doing earlier. He could still spot the whispers though.

Wigglytuff wrapped out his word. "And could I request a member of the town to volunteer to accompany Officer Magnezone and myself to Boulder Quarry?"

The town broke into excited murmurs as Wigglytuff turned to Rai with a beaming smile. "I remembered," he whispered happily, "exactly what Chatot tried to teach me when talking to everyone! Yay-hooray!"

Rai gave a smile back, even now Wigglytuff's optimism was heartening and he felt a few of his worries slide away.

Eventually, Wynaut stepped forward. "I will come!" they said, smiling bashfully. "If that's okay with everyone else?"

No one objected to Wynaut's inclusion and they stepped up besides Rai.

"How are you doing?" Wynaut whispered as Magnezone finished up the explanation.

"I'm fine," Rai replied with a bland smile. Wynaut smiled apologetically, but anything they were to say was drowned out by Magnezone.

"ZZZT! It is decided then! Wigglytuff, Wynaut, and Officer Magnezone will take the Time Gears to Boulder Quarry and test them all until they work. ZZZT!"

The crowd cheered and Wynaut gave a sudden bow, nearly smacking their head on the grass. Wigglytuff giggled and shouldered the bag containing the Time Gears.

"Are you ready?" Wigglytuff asked Alakazam, and he got a slight nod. Alakazam was focused and ready. Rai stepped back to allow the three to touch Alakazam and soon they disappeared.

He blinked the afterimage away before noticing he was now the only one standing in front of the town. Rai realised his plan of hiding was filled with many exploitable holes and his ears fell back. He didn't like that much attention even if it was good, but now the pity was coming again.

He quickly turned and trotted away, aiming for the guild where he could hide. Even as he walked, not ran, Rai could still hear a few pokémon whisper well-meaning, but hurtful, things.

Scout wasn't the bad guy. And if this last-ditch effort didn't work, then Grovyle might not be one either.

That revelation was still being restrained, but Rai could feel the paradigm shifting panic coming quickly. He had to hide in his room quicker or something embarrassing might happen. His walk, not a run, turned into a run and Rai fled Treasure Town, never feeling so unwelcome.

"Wigglytuff?" Wynaut asked softly. There was no response. "Wigglytuff?"

Wigglytuff stood frozen, staring at his paws in horror. They had arrived at the end of Limestone Cavern, both Magnezone and Wynaut were impressed Wigglytuff was the first to discover the secret of this place.

They had moved past where Ditto was once frozen, Team Gazer and Corphish had brought him with them to the guild a while ago, and to the inner sanctum.

Even with no Time Gear in place, the area was still lit up in a clear marker of where to put it. Although the stiffness of the place and absolute silence unnerved Magnezone and Wynaut, Wigglytuff had seemed unaffected until it was time to try the Time Gears.

He had reached in to pick a gear up and then recoiled with a gasp of horror. Now he was just staring at his paws and neither Magnezone nor Wynaut knew what to do.

So they kept trying to rouse him.

"ZZZT! Guildmaster Wigglytuff? What is wrong? Are you injured? ZZZT!"

"Wigglytuff?" Wynaut reached out to touch his arm and Wigglytuff jerked from the touch, but finally returned to them. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes," Wigglytuff said, forcing cheer through his voice clear enough even Magnezone could hear it. "The gear just… reminded me of something."

"What?" Wynaut asked, but Wigglytuff didn't answer.

He took a breath and reached back in, one eye closing as his paw rubbed against a gear. He wanted to recoil again, but took a deep breath and curled around it, pulling the Time Gear out.

With an uncomfortable grimace, Wigglytuff clasped it in both paws and walked up to the slot the Time Gear needed to be placed in. He reached up and pressed it in, pulling back as soon as he could.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

"Not this one then," Wigglytuff said lightly, grimacing again when he had to remove the Time Gear. To help him, Wynaut reached in to grab a gear of their own but upon touching it, recoiled with a shriek.

Their cry of alarm caused Wigglytuff to drop his Time Gear and it bounced once before settling.

"ZZZT! What is it? You are alarming me. ZZZT!"

"I-it felt like," Wynaut stuttered, pointing an arm at the bag as Wigglytuff brought the first gear back. "Like… the-uh…" they trailed off, glancing to the side as their face went a little purple.

Wigglytuff set the Time Gear to the side and managed a genuinely sympathetic smile. "Let me do this," he said, and Wynaut didn't object.

Each time he touched a Time Gear, the same feeling would crash into him, as heavy and painful as the first time. Somehow, someway, the Time Gear felt like feathers, a gentle weight, and blood. It was the worst thing Wigglytuff had ever felt, knowing his friend and partner was going to die in his arms.

Somehow, the Time Gear felt like that. It felt like Chatot dying in his arms in Brine Cave, emotions and all. If it wasn't for finding help at the end of the dungeon, Wigglytuff knew he would have lost Chatot.

He blinked tears away when the others couldn't see his face, Chatot would tell him that the Guildmaster had to remain strong and composed. Or maybe he'd distract everyone with some awkward anecdote or seemingly irritated complaint to draw attention away from him so he could compose himself.

It was always the way it'd been. Wigglytuff felt things intensely. Intense joy, intense excitement, intense anger, intense sadness. And touching the Time Gears was bringing the final, and worst, one right back to his mind.

He didn't know where Chatot was.

He didn't know WHEN Chatot was.

He just had to hang onto hope that everything would be okay.

"Wigglytuff?" Wynaut said gently, and Wigglytuff realised he was trembling in place with the gear in hand. He quickly pressed it into the hole, but nothing happened. It was the fourth gear, the last one. One of these had to have been taken from this place, and none of them were working.

With a shaky breath, Wigglytuff pried the gear out and returned all four of them to the bag. His arms shook as he brushed the tears away and tried to put on a smile.

"W-we need to g-get back," he said weakly, standing up. "New information has come to light, based on what Dusknoir did and what this experience has shown us, Grovyle may not be trying to doom the world." He smiled weakly as Wynaut exchanged a scared look with Magnezone.

"ZZZT! If Grovyle is not the enemy… then? ZZZT!"

"H-have we been deceived by Dusknoir?" Wynaut asked.

"We might have," Wigglytuff admitted softly. "We have to get back as soon as possible, we need to speak with Grovyle, with the whole town. Everyone needs to hear this."

"I can help get everyone back into the town square," Wynaut said, focusing on what could be done.

"ZZZT! We cannot simply let Grovyle free," Magnezone objected. "At the very least, he must be guarded. ZZZT!"

"Of course." Wigglytuff nodded, face drying. The gears were unpleasant, he decided. But a fantastic defence mechanism, if touching them brought to mind and feel the worst experiences of ones life. Who could stand to touch them? Wigglytuff couldn't help but wonder what Grovyle felt when he touched it, he wouldn't ask though.

There were better questions that had to be asked. Chatot would agree, Wigglytuff was sure. He wanted to do what Chatot would have advised.

Alakazam didn't say much before bringing them back and Wynaut immediately ran off to bring the town in yet again to hear what needed to be said. Construction was still going on, but this was important.

Magnezone floated off to Team Magnezone's base to retrieve Grovyle, while Wigglytuff took a moment to breathe.

He wanted to bounce through the trees.

He wanted to chatter away with his apprentices, now that Chatot couldn't tell him off for that.

He wanted to hear Chatot tell him off. He just wanted to see Chatot.

But he had work to do. He had to keep being strong, he had to push the silly down and away as this was not the time or place.

The oak trees agreed.

But he still took a moment to breathe. Just a moment. Before heading to the guild to get everyone. He put on a smile, his voice remained light, if still concerned, as he directed anyone still in the guild to come to town.

He rocked back and forth on his feet if carefree and content. He didn't want to cause any undue panic, but perhaps looking so happy would drive the wrong point home?

Wigglytuff wasn't sure, Chatot could tell him. But Chatot wasn't here. So he continued bouncing in place.

He continued bouncing in place.

"I came from a dark future," Grovyle said, the crowd listening in silence. "The wind doesn't move, rocks hang in the air frozen. Nothing moves, everything is dead or dying. The few that remain alive have mostly lost their minds, I would have lost myself as well if it wasn't for my partners. My partners." His words choked to a stop and Grovyle needed to take a moment to compose himself.

Wigglytuff blinked. He seemed to have zoned out completely, missing Grovyle's arrival as well as the beginning of the dialogue. He hoped no one had noticed.

"Why should we believe you?" someone shouted as Grovyle pulled himself back together.

"You heard Wigglytuff!" Grovyle snapped. "The Time Gears don't work, time was already failing before Sean and I took the first one." Grovyle turned to Wigglytuff for confirmation, the Fairy-type was thrown for a moment.

"Uh, y-yes!" he proclaimed, Grovyle frowned at him. Wigglytuff turned to the crowd to tell the bad news. "Wynaut, Magnezone, and I tried all the Time Gears at Boulder Quarry and none of them worked. Right?" he asked, to Wynaut who was actually already standing by him.

They gave him a puzzled look. "…Yes." They nodded, Wigglytuff wondered why everyone was acting so strange. He checked to make sure he didn't have any food on his face. "We've gone over that already," Wynaut said and Wigglytuff paused.

"…Oh, yes. Of course, just…" he gestured randomly at Grovyle, "making sure we're all on the same track."

Grovyle continued staring at Wigglytuff as an awkward silence fell over the town.

"What if Grovyle did something to the Time Gears?" someone yelled, if just to break the silence.

Grovyle turned on the crowd with a scowl. "How could I damage artefacts of such power?" he demanded angrily.

"How would we know?"

"Why can't you consider that Dusknoir deceived you all for weeks?"

"It's his word against yours."

"And Dusknoir isn't here anymore!" Grovyle exploded, the magnemite restraining him buzzed in worry. "He attacked you all to force his way into the future with prisoners! Not even considering to abide by your own laws, wants, or customs. He directly lied to Shinx to get information, I know that must have spread around by now, and has admitted to deceiving you all before! Why should you believe HIM?"

Grovyle fell silent as the town all began breaking into murmurs. Dusknoir's actions HAD led to the chaos that Treasure Town fell into. He HAD admitted to deceiving them of his true purpose, and the rumour that he had manipulated Young Shinx to get information had spread, although few knew how to take that.

Shinx nodded to Grovyle's words and the murmurs grew louder. The entity that was Treasure Town began to panic and was bordering on another break down.

The individuals may be rational, but Treasure Town as a whole was highly prone to crowd mentalities panic response.

"Yoom-Tah!" Wigglytuff shouted, without any real TAH to it. The town quietened, they all remembered the quake Wigglytuff had caused a short time ago.

"We must look at the facts everyone!" Wigglytuff said brightly, shining with positivity. "We know Dusknoir has deceived us once. We know that the Time Gears do not work. We know that Dusknoir has taken some of our valued community members, and he has NOT returned to bring them back."

"But the Time Gears are not to be disturbed," someone protested. "And now that they have, everything is going wrong. How do we know time was going wrong before HE took the first gear?"

Wigglytuff considered the question for a moment. He raised a paw. "I wish Chatot was here," he said plainly, yet it packed more emotion than anything he had said up to this point. The whole town fell silent. "He would know. But if I'm remembering right, he said that the first reports of issues with time was possibly dated before the first Time Gear was taken. I think it's true, I think Grovyle is telling the truth."

Grovyle cast a look of terrified awe at Wigglytuff as the town began to nod. If the Guildmaster believed this, then that combined with what Dusknoir did. It could be true.

"The only thing I want to know right now," Wigglytuff added, turning to Grovyle, "is why you didn't bring this up on the expedition? We could have avoided all this."

Grovyle stared back with a changing expression. First it was defiance, then suspicion, then a dawning regret. He swallowed and ducked his head as the magnemite began to release him. "I… you must understand, the world I come from. The time I come from. It is a place where you can't trust strangers, even your allies." He scowled briefly. "Even they can turn on you. If I had told you what I was really doing, it could have risked everything."

Grovyle dropped his gaze from Wigglytuff's sympathy as the magnemite fully released him. He didn't run, sprint, hop, or bounce to freedom. He seemed to sag in place without them to hold him up. "But perhaps I should have. You probably would have listened."

Wigglytuff gave him a rueful smile but didn't say anything. The answer was plain as day.

"This should be all for today," Wigglytuff said loudly, turning back to the anxious crowd. "Return to your duties! The Wigglytuff Guild will solve this problem!"

Grovyle stepped forward, somewhat unsure of his position. Wigglytuff beamed at him and gestured for him to stand with him.

Wigglytuff almost hugged him but restrained himself as Grovyle wasn't looking so good. The rest of the guild looked conflicted to have Grovyle standing with them again, but a few were smiling. Rai wasn't.

"It is good to have you back, friendly-friend," Wigglytuff said and Grovyle nodded.

"Thank you," he said, glancing to the dispersing crowd. The majority were still keeping an eye on him. "I don't know how that went well, but it did. Thank you, Wigglytuff."

Wigglytuff couldn't hold back the desire for touch completely and he took Grovyle's hands in his soft, fluffy, paws. Grovyle's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry we didn't give you a chance to explain anything, but we've made it here. Now we need to work out what to do next. And we can do that at the guild."

Wigglytuff quickly led the apprentices back to the guild. No one was talking, besides Wigglytuff. And he was simply filling the silence.

Grovyle continued wearing an exceedingly uncomfortable expression as he was led into the guild. Kindness and trust like this were not known of in the future and believing in someone offering it was what got you killed.

got you killed.

you killed.

You.

"Our first method of action," Grovyle explained to the guild. "Is the key to the hidden land. Sean and Scout both failed to find it, and all we really know is that Shinx either had, has, or will have it at some point."

"It's called the Relic Fragment," Rai replied plainly. "And it's my treasure. It was stolen by Team Skull and sold. Apparently Litleo had it at some point, but it was stolen from him."

Grovyle nodded. "Yes, Sean was able to fill me in on that. He tried to find it during… my failed attempt to retrieve Azelf's Time Gear, which is our next priority. But he also was unable to make any hide or hair of it. Dusknoir doesn't seem to have it, at least we hope."

"Litleo's gone…" Rai turned away. "And no one else can help."

"What about Team Skull?" Sunflora piped up. Most of the guild was happy to listen, but she would be part of the action. "If we can find them, we can ask who they sold it to. Then find them and follow the trail."

"It ends with Litleo though," Rai protested, but Sunflora held a leaf up.

"Maybe. But if the item has passed through several of the townsfolk, then it's possibly someone has seen or heard something else about it. I'll find my girls and spread some roots, see if I can dig up any information. But finding Team Skull is a good idea. What did Skuntank say? Something about a sick sister?"

Grovyle coughed awkwardly and took the spotlight again. "It is actually my fault that they left?"

"Aww," Wigglytuff moaned. "You?"

"Indeed." Grovyle nodded guiltily. "I wanted to come along on the expedition, so I forced them to leave and write that note to get my passage. I had spotted who I thought could be Scout back at Boulder Quarry and upon learning that he was a member of the guild, I wished to take a closer look at him. The fact you were heading to Fogbound Lake was worrisome, but I managed."

"So Skuntank and the rest of that Team Skull could be anywhere," Sunflora sighed. "Well… I'll still do what I can. I do think finding them is a good idea, even if it's just to ask for their help. Getting as many exploration teams searching for, uh…" she glanced to Rai.

"The Relic Fragment," he offered, and she smiled.

"Right. Getting as many pokémon searching for the Relic Fragment as possible can only help."

Grovyle nodded and Sunflora smiled. As a fellow Grass-type, she didn't feel the need to be so hard on him.

"Finding the Relic Fragment and the final Time Gear," Grovyle said firmly. "These are our goals."

"And getting to the future," Rai said and Grovyle paused. "To rescue everyone."

"Yes-yes!" Wigglytuff nodded, looking happily to Grovyle. "Could you explain how to do that again?"

"There isn't any point," Grovyle said harshly and Rai growled. "Look." Grovyle began to pace and Rai was reminded of Scout. "I don't think you are all understanding what Dusknoir would do. He. Would. Kill. Them. As soon as he could. Even if you could find Celebi in time and somehow also pinpoint the right time and place to get there, there would be no one to save. Only Scout, but we cannot split our resources with so much on the line."

"Stop SAYING they're dead!" Rai shouted. "Why are you so sure? Have you have such little faith in YOUR partner?"

"I know Dusknoir," Grovyle snarled.

"Well I know Mane, Chatot, and Sean. Scout, dammit!" Rai sparked for a moment and Corphish edged away. "We can't accept that they are just gone. They could have escaped. You don't know that they didn't?"

For once, Grovyle actually considered Rai's words. He was not unaware that Sean had experienced a Dimensional Scream while being held by Dusknoir and had swallowed a Luminous Orb. He didn't want to hope that they were alive, and it didn't matter anyway.

They couldn't split time trying to find the Celebi of this time, however. But Grovyle could see that Rai wasn't going to quit. Wigglytuff was looking on the verge of tears as well.

"Perhaps it's not… entirely impossible," he admitted, reluctantly. "Sean seemed to have something in mind. I wouldn't pin your entire self on it, and we MUST fix the tower before even attempting to find Celebi."

Grovyle wondered what would happen if the future was erased while pokémon from the past were in it. Perhaps the guild could track down Celebi later and retrieve them. Maybe.

Rai was satisfied at winning and nodded. "Exactly. We'll save them all. Or maybe they'll get back on their own! If you got here before, then they could do it again right?"

Grovyle's eyes widened slightly. Rai was making a lot of good points he hadn't considered. He didn't want to hope, but the last time he had actually ended well for once.

He smiled slightly and Rai returned it. "It is possible, yes."

The guild reenergised thundered off in a cavalcade of action. Everything MAY have gone to shit, but they could only go up from here.

Right?

Right?

We're back in business. Woo!

I didn't mean to write this chapter so fast. Supposed to be working on schoolwork, but I reward myself with some creative writing. Then I finished the chapter, hahaha. Oh well, hope you all enjoyed this! A little more light-hearted then what's going on in the future.

The past still knows hope after all…