PMD: Warped Skies

by Team Ion

Playing the part of the hero sounded fun at first, until he took a meaty punch to the face. Stranded in a world reminiscent of a game he once knew, a human-turned-Meowth struggles to retain his humanity while filling the shoes of the game's protagonists. However, this is not a game. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers, SI-OC/Isekai. Cover by Bograbbit!

29. Your Name in the Dark

First off. Sorry for the wait. ESPECIALLY after that cliff-hanger I just inflicted upon you all! Hahaha. I am a little sorry for that, honestly, some finals stuff for university all hit at once so I've had barely any time to even map out this chapter! It's been building for a while though.

Second off. Thank you to everyone for coming this far! 21,000 views… I cannot believe it. We are almost to the end (of arc 1 at least. Haha. We're not even close to the end of this story) and so much has happened! What's been your favourite moment thus far? I would dearly love to know.

Thank you all. Now. Enough of me waffling on, let's get to it! Extra-large chapter!

---

Sand, sand, sand. Waves crashed against the shore. The krabby mumbled haiku's to each other. A pair of weedle hummed as they scuttled along. The sun was hanging low against the sky, it was already close to setting. A soft breeze blew through the leaves, singing a simple song of life.

"Pleh," Mane coughed, spitting out sand. He felt something poking him and his tail flicked at it, sending the krabby scuttling away, spitting in panic.

A trail in the sand was baked by the sun, a pair of young pokémon seem to have entered the Beach Cave. Based on the panicked strides cut across the beachy canvas, they left by running.

"Bother," Chatot huffed, the sun poking at his eyelids like little javelins. He wanted to roll over and bury his head in the sand, but he was no fool.

Several tracks in the sand were more recent, leading into the shoreline then trailing out of it. The waves had already consumed the feeble tracks already left. They led in many ways, but all led back to one spot.

Sean sat, staring down with balked eyes. He had woken up more than ten minutes ago. The others were still out. Time travel, it seemed, got easier the more one did it.

He had found Mane, half buried in sand and snoring a sandy snore.

He had found Chatot, on his back with legs poking up, occasionally twitching.

He had not found Scout, curled up in a ball. Or half buried in sand. Or on his back with legs twitching. There was no sign of him, and nothing had happened on the return trip. He remembered clutching at the feathering wing of Chatot, the fluffy fur of Mane. There had been no claws digging into his arm. Not like the first time.

"Hold onto me!" Sean recalled, Striker yelling that at him. He didn't see it as odd at the time, to be understanding his pokémon partner. There was too much chaos happening to notice. "Come on, just hold on!"

Something had happened the first time. Something breached the portal. Dialga, it had to have been. Sean didn't really remember, Striker hadn't seen it. Scout had, however. Yet he too had lost his memory.

There was no roaring. Just a voice, smooth and deep and malevolent, telling him to die.

"SEAN!" Scout had screamed, spotting whatever was attacking them before he did. Something sent an attack at them, somehow, through the crossing of time.

Despite there being no physical body – or was it that there was nothing but physical reality between times? – Sean had turned to see a roiling mass of physical hatred. Physical pain. Physical cruelty. Whatever it was, it was sent for the strongest of their group.

There was no question about his action. If Striker was killed, it was over. They were all sacrificial in the end, but Sean always knew he would give his life for them if he had to.

For Striker, strong and noble, yet so innocently optimistic. It didn't matter that he couldn't know Striker's words, he knew what he meant.

For Scout, loving and lively, and the promise of why they were doing this. It was for those like Scout, that the world had to be saved.

For Saniya, crazy and erratic, yet the most honest of them all. She fostered hope in them, gave them the promise that things could be fixed.

For Guardian, stalwart and dependable, yes, even Guardian. Guardian protected them with his body, but Sean would cover him with his own if he ever needed it.

The shot was aimed for Striker, and Sean moved to intercept it all that time ago. But Scout, stupid, naïve, determined Scout. He also leaped and shoved them both out of the way before it was too late. Sean had screamed as whatever was sent for Striker ripped through his body, but the pain was brief when Scout pushed him out of the way.

His head still rung when thinking of how hard their heads clunked together.

The remaining energy blasted Scout away and he was torn from them as time and space warped Sean into a pokémon and left Scout alone.

Part of Sean wondered why Scout didn't become a human, as he had become a pokémon. But perhaps thinking he was human was enough of a change?

It didn't matter. It didn't matter anymore. Sean would never see him again. Lost to the darkness of the future until Sean either saved the world and committed the greatest mass murder history never experienced or died in the process.

"Where?"

A voice croaked and it broke Sean from his reverie of depression. He looked up to see Chatot pulling himself up. He shook some sand off, blinking painfully. The future was always in endless dusk but here the sun still shone, and it stung Chatot's eyes.

He had never enjoyed pain as much as he did then.

"We…?" Chatot said, weakly. "We made it? We made it. We made it," he repeated, confirming it to himself audibly. A breeze blew, ruffling his feathers. Chatot choked on his words before laughing out. "WE MADE IT!"

His excited screeching properly roused Mane who rolled out of the sand tomb he was burrowing into and glanced around. "We… the beach."

Mane's expression flipped to a beaming expression of pure joy. The sand in his eyes soaked up any tears that most certainly didn't come out. "We're home."

"Mane, err, Litleo!" Chatot said, delightedly. He flapped over to Mane and grabbed him in a surprise hug. "We made it!"

"Not all of us," Sean said. He didn't really wish to rob them of their joy and relief, but this would sting regardless.

Chatot slowly put Mane down as the litleo frowned and looked back and forth. "Scout?"

Hearing that. It was too much.

Sean covered his face and began to shake. "He's not here."

"Scout?" Mane repeated, voice rising. "Scout?"

Chatot's expression of relief turned to horror. "N-no. His voice. I… I heard… I heard… him cry out. Something happened."

"Scout?"

"Dusknoir must have, somehow," Sean didn't end that sentence. He didn't know how. Scout was a Normal-type, he had no idea how Dusknoir could have managed to grab him. Not with Saniya holding him off.

"Scout?"

"This cannot be," Chatot whispered, falling back down onto the sand, blinking dumbly. "No. We… we were there. We were free. We all jumped in."

"Scout?"

"I don't know how," Sean replied, voice cracking. "But I've looked, there is no sign of him. Nothing happened through time, but I remember holding into you and Litleo. But not Scout. He got pulled back, somehow."

"Scout!?"

"But…" Chatot said.

"SCOUT?"

"There is no but," Sean snapped, "he's still in the future."

"SCCOOUUUT!?"

"But… but…"

"SCOOOUUUUT!?"

"Enough!" Sean yelled, snapping at Mane. "He's not here. Stop screaming."

"SCOOOUUUT!?" Mane screamed, voice cracking and breaking. He coughed and tried again, but only managed a croak. "Scou…"

Sean forced himself up, unable to look back at the lowering sun. It didn't matter how beautiful it was at the moment. He'd look at it tomorrow. "We have to get going," he said softly.

"To the guild," Chatot agreed, quietly getting up himself.

Mane did not follow. He began marching along the path to Beach Cave, sniffing and yelling out with his breaking voice.

"He's not here," Sean snapped again, before squeezing his eyes shut. "Just… he'll be safe."

"Safe?" Mane snarled, turning back to him. Actual fire burned along his eyes and he began walking back towards him. "SAFE? Safe in the fucking nightmare land? Safe with Dusknoir? Safe with FUCKING DUSKNOIR?"

"Yes!" Sean yelled back. "Dusknoir will protect him."

"You say that," Mane sneered. "But all we have is your word. How do you know?"

"Don't you trust me by this fucking point?"

"I DON'T TRUST ANYONE THIS MUCH!" Mane yelled, voice breaking again. He coughed violently, gasping for breath.

"Stop this," Chatot said softly, turning back from where he was leading. "Just come back to the guild. We need to work out what to do, and I want to see Wigglytuff again."

"So you can fuck your fucking mate?" Mane hissed, embers continued to pop off him.

"I am going to find Striker first," Sean growled. "Wherever you judgemental pokémon have stuffed him. And if he's hurt…."

"Enough." Chatot's voice was ice and sharper than the frozen waves in the future.

"Why should I listen to you?" both Sean and Mane demanded.

"Because we are in the past now," Chatot declared, staring Sean down. "We are not in the future, you have no jurisdiction here nor any wisdom to guide us." He turned to Mane. "Regardless of how you feel about it, you ARE one of the apprentices of the Wigglytuff Guild and I am your superior. You will listen to me or else."

"Or you'll give me a time out with no food?" Mane sneered. "Like I haven't lived off scraps for half my life." He turned tail and began to leave, kicking up sand as he continued shouting for Scout.

Sean, however, had begun to calm down. "Litleo?" he called, Mane not even pausing. "Did what the three of us go through mean nothing? Like it or not, we have a bond now. Please, just… come back to the guild."

Mane paused, he glanced back. "No one wants a bond with me." Was all he said.

"Litleo," Chatot sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry for snapping. We are all highly emotional after our ordeal and… the absence of Scout. If we want any hope of getting him back, we are going to need to work together."

Mane stared him down for a long time before he inclined his head and quietly began to walk after them. Chatot hopped in the lead and Sean and Mane didn't speak a word that was roiling through their heads.

With their muscles still creaking from the multi-day ordeal, it took longer than it should have to move from the beach to the guild. A ten minute walk turned into a thirty minute one, Spinda's Café was oddly closed, and all three were out of breath by the time they reached the grate.

Chatot nearly teared up upon first spotting the looming Wigglytuff head. He always thought it was a ghastly thing, hanging over the heads of the entire town, staring forward with empty eyes. Soothe had laughed herself silly upon first seeing it, and Wigglytuff decided that if it could cause laughter, then it was perfect.

Right now, the fact that the fabric ruffled in the breeze. The fact that there was no bones lurking within the uppermost roost. The fact that this was the living guild, and not the tomb that he had experienced only a short time ago. Those facts made him tear up.

Chatot stepped on the grate. It might be a bit late for Diglett, but the sensitive Ground-type could usually hear if someone did come to the guild, the echoes being detected through the earth. And he would dutifully come with Loudred to determine who had arrived.

He didn't have to wait long. Diglett was a good kid.

"Pokémon Detec…?" Diglett began, immediately trailing off.

"What?" came Loudred's rattling voice. Chatot couldn't be happier. He could listen to Loudred complain about dating problems for the next year he was so happy. "Diglett?"

The tiny shift of soil caught all of their attention. Chatot due to knowing Diglett's behaviour, and paranoia from the future ordeal. Mane because he had to be sharp when everyone disliked him, and paranoia from the ordeal. Sean because he had to know pokémon's behaviour, and he was paranoid in general.

"Chat…" Diglett trailed off, meeting Chatot's eyes. Feathers were ruffled, missing, there was sand all over him, minor burns from both fire and electricity and a certain heaviness to his stance expressing exhaustion. "CHATOT!"

Diglett's sharp voice carried right through to Loudred who was silent for a shockingly long moment, he tended to hum when not talking. "WHAAAAT? CHATOT?"

The speed of the reaction was astounding.

Loudred's voice echoed across the entire cliffside, more than likely reaching the town as well. But more than that. Much more. Was Wigglytuff bursting from the guild.

There was one moment Diglett was staring up at him, wonder and tears in his eyes. Then all Chatot knew was Wigglytuff's fluffy warmth around him.

Sean and Mane jerked back from Wigglytuff's sudden appearance. The gate didn't even have a chance to clang to the ground before the rest of the guild followed.

Everyone surged out in confusion and excitement. Sunflora and Rai at the forefront. Loudred, Bidoof, Dugtrio, and Corphish not far behind. Chimecho and Croagunk were last, but only by a few seconds.

They moved around Wigglytuff, who was an anchor in place that could not be moved. He had Chatot again and he was not letting go.

Striker was the last to actually leave, poking his head out carefully. His eyes immediately fell on Sean who lit up like a volbeat doing a mating dance. He dashed out of the guild almost as fast as Wigglytuff and tackle-hugged Sean.

"Trill," Wigglytuff sobbed, arms shaking around Chatot. "My invaluable partner. Trill. Trill. Trill." Chatot smiled and leaned further into his embrace. The fake Wigglytuff got it wrong. But Trill could always count on him.

"Rhythm," he said, voice cracking. He didn't say anything more, just buried his head against the warmth.

Rai slowly walked forward. Past where Striker was whispering 'I'm not losing you again' and Sean replying, 'Right back at you.'

Because he wasn't here for Sean. The human-turned-riolu wasn't really someone he knew. He was happy they were safe, and Chatot was safe. He, and the rest of the guild, would pretend they hadn't heard Wigglytuff and Chatot call each other by their names. It'd be rude to make a big deal about it.

He walked to Mane wearing the most fragile, bitter, smile he'd ever seen. "Sorry," Mane said, blinking away some emotion that wouldn't be so merciful as to let him not feel it, "for being the wrong one."

Rai came to a stop in front of Mane who closed his eyes. The litleo stood in tense silence as the rest of the guild began to break away from staring at Chatot to notice Mane. And also who wasn't there.

Mane took a shaky breath and forced his eyes back open. Rai wasn't saying or doing anything, it was worse than if he was attacking him and throwing him off the cliff right now.

"Sorry," he said again, shrugging with his eyes flicking from person to person. He couldn't look at any one individual for long. "I know I'm like the third or fourth guy you'd rather have here but I'm what you got." He tried to grin, play it off, act all smooth and make a flirtatious remark to get someone to be mad at him for doing it rather than mad at him for being the wrong one.

Rai still wasn't speaking.

"I k-know you gotta be upset," Mane said, stumbling over his words. "But you know how life is. Can't always have the good things, sometimes you're stuck with the trash and there's little you can-"

Mane was cut off when Rai finally reacted and lunged for him. He closed his eyes, feeling relieved that Rai was going to hurt him for not being Scout.

Instead he hugged him.

"Don't," Rai said, voice raw with emotion. "Don't say that you're worth less than him. Or anyone. Don't. Don't. Don't."

Mane frowned, it was easy, before it deepened and deepened. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't understand what was going on. "What are you doing?" he muttered. "Hit me. Shock me. Scratch me. Yell at me for not being Scout."

"DON'T!" Rai yelled, causing Mane to flinch before he tried to lean into it. Rai caught himself, he wasn't shouting at Mane. "Don't," he repeated, softer. "Please don't. Don't. Don't." Rai squinted, before squeezing his own eyes shut. He pulled away from Mane, who suddenly yearned for the contact.

He wouldn't ask for it. Instead he turned around. He'd run. He didn't know why Rai was being so nice, but it was scaring him. "What happened?" Rai asked, pausing Mane in his tracks. Why was he running?

The litleo turned back, but he didn't even know where to begin. What even was the beginning? Dusknoir grabbing them? Waking up? Sean freeing them? Scout freeing himself?

He was tongue-tied. Sean, in his endless dependability, broke away from Grovyle and stepped forward.

"Right as we were escaping," he explained into the silence. Even Wigglytuff had looked up from sobbing over Chatot, although he didn't even consider letting Chatot go. "Right as we leaping in, Dusknoir somehow got a hold of Scout. It was too late for us to do anything, we were already disappearing. There was no chance to do anything, and the three of us fell into the past without him."

Rai stood in silence.

"I'm sorry I'm not the one you wanted," Mane said, looking up at the whole guild. He was confused at the expressions he saw. There wasn't anger at his presence, or even resentment. There was sadness and disappointment, he couldn't see if it was because of him.

He wondered, distantly, if they weren't getting it. If it hadn't sunken in yet. So, he repeated it. "It should have been me," he said. Because it should have. Not that Dusknoir wanted him, but Scout was surely worth more to these pokémon than him.

He laughed weakly.

"Stop." Rai stopped stewing in silence and Mane stuttered to silence. "Stop saying your life is worth less than his."

Mane stared in confusion. "But?"

Rai took a deep breath, opening his mouth. All that came out was a hiccup as tears flooded his eyes. Rai immediately turned tail and ran off, sprinting down the steps and out of sight.

"Shinx!" Bidoof called, taking a step forward.

"Shinx? Oh my gosh!" Sunflora glanced between Bidoof and Mane.

"Oh dear, Shinx."

"Shinx come BACK!"

"Hey Shinx? Shinx? Hey? Hey?"

"Maybe he needs some time."

"I'll go," Mane said, ignoring the last. He turned around. Not looking at the guild helped. Not looking at how they weren't angry it was him, give it time he was sure. Without waiting for a response, Mane ran after Rai.

As he left, Chatot and Sean offered to explain everything that had happened. Sean stuck close to Striker, not sure entirely how safe things were, but no one seemed alarmed to see either him or Striker so perhaps he had convinced them of Dusknoir's deceit.

Mane's muscles did not appreciate it and once he was out of sight he had to slow to a trot. He couldn't see Rai, but he knew where he'd be going.

The beach.

Annoying that he'd just come from there, but Mane would survive. He always did.

While Scout…

Mane refused to think of it, and shook his head, moving after Rai.

He took his time. Partly for his own sake, but also to give Rai some time on his own. He knew he'd hate it if someone interrupted him when he wanted to vent some emotions to an empty audience. A few bolts of electricity flying up from the distance reassured him of the wisdom of his choice. Rai could vent in peace.

By the time Mane chose to step out and walk back onto the beach, the sun had already kissed the horizon and bathed the sky with a pinkish hue.

Rai sat along the coast of the beach. Sitting much closer to Beach Cave then Mane would have liked, since he had to cross a lot more sand and that was an unfortunately notable task with his current physical state.

He plodded along, keeping his eyes on Rai. The shinx was just sitting, staring out at the ocean. He took his time but made it to him. Not wanting to go any further, Mane sat down next to Rai. He didn't slump into the sand, that'd be undignified, and Mane always maintained his dignity.

They sat.

Just silence.

Only the rise and recede of the waves and the whisper of wind in their ears.

Mane would be okay if silence was it. He could just fall straight asleep.

"This is where he and I became a team," Rai said, quietly and plainly.

"Here, huh?" Mane replied, looking forward to the horizon with Rai. It was beautiful, the sunset.

"Right here, actually." Rai smiled slightly, he glanced to the left. "I was crying on the sand, right there. I'd lost my treasure and had reached that point where I just was going to give up. He didn't let me, though. For someone he didn't know, only just met. Sure, I caught him before he fell off the bluff, but I was the one who spooked him into nearly falling off in the first place."

Mane looked over to the sand Rai gestured to. There was nothing special about it. The silver bow around his neck felt heavier and he looked down, remembering it was the only thing Scout had when he woke up.

"You know, he was so confused, at first," Rai said, looking back to the horizon. "I startled him really bad when he first woke up, considering he nearly fell off the cliff. And he couldn't stop staring at me every few seconds."

"Probably stunned by your good looks," Mane joked. He immediately felt bad about doing it. He gave Rai a careful look, hoping he wouldn't see offence at him not taking things seriously. To his relief, Rai smiled a little.

"Haah. I helped him around town and showed him to the guild, I figured that'd be the end of it. It's when Koffing and Zubat took my Relic Fragment and he… he actually helped me. Without any real question, he." He coughed a laugh. "He told me his name right away. So weird. I get why now, but at the time I didn't have any time to even think."

Mane nodded. "It's brave of you both to go straight after them. I never…" he trailed off, nearly biting his tongue at what he nearly said. Quickly changing it, Mane said. "Would have been able to do that myself."

Rai gave him a side-look, and he knew he was caught. The shinx didn't say anything and faced the horizon again.

"Even after we lost," he said, losing himself to the memories again, "even when I took it as meaning I really couldn't become an explorer." Mane cringed slightly. "He told me differently. A near-complete stranger. Someone who didn't know me and feel bad for me, well he might have a little but… but he convinced me. I don't even know how. I guess it's just not as scary when together, he said we should become a team. Together."

Rai sighed sadly, sniffling slightly. "The last time we talked, really properly talked, it was just such an ugly argument. I can't believe myself, I just… I just got so angry."

"I yelled at him too," Mane offered, Rai barked a laugh, "in the future. I think he deserved a yelling."

Rai faced him, turning fully from the horizon. "I shouldn't have told Dusknoir his name. He even asked me, directly, not to tell anyone. Not even Dusknoir. He specified that."

"And he didn't tell you why?" Mane asked. Rai shook his head. "He's got a bad habit of keeping secrets, I've noticed."

Rai smiled a bitter smile. "Didn't mean I should have told Dusknoir that one," Rai whispered and closed his eyes. "Now he's gone. Somehow again. I'll never see him again, will I?"

"You will," Mane said, angrily. He didn't snap it at Rai, just at the world in general. "If we got back, then there is still hope!"

"But…" Rai asked. "Grovyle said that… th-that Dusknoir was going to… kill you."

Mane pursed his lips and turned away, it was true. Sean's insistence came back to him. Dusknoir's behaviour came back to him. "He won't hurt Scout," Mane said, turning back to meet Rai's eyes. "It took a frustrating amount of time to learn why, but… but the guy's Scout's dad."

Eyes widening, Rai sat up straight. "What?"

Mane nodded. "Yep. Dusknoir even used to be on the good guys side but turned against them. I… don't know why exactly, but Scout didn't. But even though, Dusknoir won't hurt him. When Chats and Sean and I woke up, he wasn't there with us. He was somewhere safe."

He grinned confidently, it was better to see the barest twinkle of hope in Rai's eyes than the sullen defeat. "We'll save him. Celebi, the cool chick that got us back here, said there's a Celebi of this time. If she could send us back, maybe that one can send us forward? We can go get him ourselves once time is fixed! And I've been in the future, so I can show you around like an expert."

"You'd really go back?" Rai asked, smiling weakly. "Grovyle made it sound so…"

Mane shrugged, although the thought of going back was more terrifying than any thought he'd had in his life. "I would."

Rai nodded. "Then we'll get him back," he said, almost asking it. Mane nodded anyway. "Okay…" Rai swallowed and smiled. "Thank you."

Mane grinned. "You can thank me once we have the unlucky kitty back."

Rai nodded. He glanced out at the water again, watching the ripples in the waves, the shadows of the flying pokémon, the distant pokémon travelling across the horizon.

"What happened?" Rai asked after a time. Mane nearly fell asleep waiting. "In the future?"

Mane opened his mouth to respond but paused. He wasn't entirely sure where to begin. Waking up? First escaping? Scout arriving? He decided on Scout, it was what Rai needed to hear.

"Well after Sean broke us out of the stockade," Mane said, the name Sean once again slipping out without any thought, "Chats and I were all set to go back and get Scout back ourselves. It didn't take much convincing to get him to come along."

"You trusted him?" Rai asked as Mane paused.

The litleo shrugged. "Dusknoir WAS trying to kill us at the time, he wasn't going to leave us alone anyway. Being alone in the future is really weird. But, anyway, just as we were setting off, Scout turned up! He'd broken out and made his way to us all by himself!"

Rai settled comfortable as Mane spun the tale of the dark future. The way they'd worked together to fight through nightmarish dungeons, and how Scout had fought the Ghost-type pokémon off himself.

How despite having a dislocated arm, cracked ribs, and his whole world being shifted multiple times, Scout pushed forward without hesitation and kept them going.

How they encountered a frozen Treasure Town, getting split up, and fighting their way out of it. Mane chose not to focus much detail there, both because of his own criticism of Scout and the luxray that he feared could have been Rai himself needing not to be mentioned.

He spoke of Celebi, and how they all fought off the sableye together before finally going for the portal. And, unfortunately, how Dusknoir managed to pull Scout back right as they were leaving. He grew a little choked up upon recounting that, the emotions of not even an hour ago still weighing heavily on him.

"Even if Dusknoir wasn't Scout's father," Mane said as he finished telling the tale. "I know Scout would be fine. He's a lot smarter than he seems, and a lot tougher than he looks. He'll probably do something stupid and get back himself before we even get there!"

Rai snorted and giggled through it all. It wasn't hard, Mane found, to put a bit of a humorous spin on things. Humour found in tragedy and all.

"Thanks, Mane," Rai said earnestly, and Mane shrugged brushing it off. "No. I'm serious," he said, very seriously. "What you said earlier… apologising for not being Scout. Please, I… I really don't want you to think you're worth less than anybody."

Mane shrugged again, but his smile became a lot more fragile and uncomfortable. "I know I'm the greatest guy around, but… well, when you go years with everyone telling you otherwise…" he shrugged again.

"Who?" Rai asked, narrowing his eyes. "Who said something like that? I'll tell them off."

Mane snorted and Rai pouted. "I'm serious!"

"Hi Serious," Mane laughed, Rai's eyes going wide with horror. "I'm Mane."

"You didn't just…?"

Mane grinned at him. Rai snorted and shook his head. He stepped forward and butted his head against Mane's, surprising him. "I don't believe what the others think, Mane," Rai said softly, too close for Mane to brush away. "I'm happy you're here."

Mane swallowed and stepped back, turning around quickly so Rai wouldn't think he was tearing up or any such malarkey. "W-we should get back," Mane said, voice perfectly even and not shaking. "It's getting dark and I'm completely beat."

He didn't move until Rai did, just in case the shinx did want to stay here longer. "Sure," Rai said. "I'll walk with you."

Mane nodded and they went. It took longer, again, for Mane to make it back. He wasn't sure what he was running on. The fuel had burned away, and he was out of fumes too. Just stubborn willpower now. Chimecho would probably yell at him, evil nurse she was.

They found themselves in the guilds mess hall. Dinner had already been served, but Chimecho and Wigglytuff quickly pulled together food for the future trio. They descended upon the offerings like beasts possessed.

Chimecho made sure there was plenty of oran in their meals, while Wigglytuff prioritised food everyone liked. He even gave Chatot a Perfect Apple, although Chatot insisted it to be cut into quarters, one for Mane, Sean, and himself, and a quarter piece for Wigglytuff as well.

The Fairy-type put up token resistance at being offered some but ate the apple without any trouble.

The rest of the guild was very quiet. The telling of the story and the sinking in that Scout was still gone was beginning to hit them.

Exhaustion caught up with Mane and he fell asleep at the table.

"I'll carry him back," Rai offered. Chimecho had done check-ups on the three as they ate, and found they were mostly just exhausted. No serious wounds that needed treatment with anything more than oran berries.

Once they were done, Wigglytuff carried Chatot to his room. He would not be guarding the guild tonight, he would be sleeping. Wigglytuff hummed Chatot's own night-time song to him as he walked and Chatot fell asleep in his arms. Peacefully, since this was his Rhythm, not the beast that dared to call itself Wigglytuff.

Sean made it to the room Striker had been staying in, close to Team Ion's room, without much trouble.

"Scout will be okay," Striker said as they settled down to sleep. Sean and Chatot had explained the whole story to the guild, leaving out most of the Treasure Town experience, however.

"I know he will be," Sean said, feeling the unfamiliar straw. "But Dialga was there."

"And he wasn't a double agent?" Striker asked, not flinching when Sean glared at him.

"You thought he was?" Sean demanded.

Striker returned an uncomfortable look. "He… he had his claws to your neck, Sean. What was I supposed to take from that?"

"He wasn't a double agent," Sean snapped, before all the energy seemed to rush out of him. "Sorry, Striker. I don't want to argue. I'm just glad I'm back but leaving him there…" he briefly smiled as a thought occurred to him. "Heh, we didn't actually talk about the whole claw/neck thing. Bit too busy to think about it."

"He'll be okay until…" Striker trailed off. He was the least squeamish of the team in discussing their ultimate fates, but he sensed Sean wouldn't appreciate it. "He'll be okay."

Sean sighed and curled up, shifting several times. There was no comfortable spot, so he quietly scooched over to Striker and curled up by him.

Striker rolled over to hug him, and he nestled into the safety of the grovyle. Even with companions, Sean had felt a little alone in the future. He wasn't alone now.

"Good night, Sean."

"Night, Striker."

---

The next day begun not with a bang.

As much as Sean, Mane, and Chatot would like to just sleep until the world was fixed, Scout was back, and everything they suffered was just a bad dream, time wasn't so kind.

Quite literally. Every one of them had a nightmare about Primal Dialga, although they were too exhausted for the nightmare to wake them up.

Sean's paws cracked slightly with each step, Mane gave one huge stretch that cracked his back before slumping back in the straw and falling asleep again. Rai let him snooze for another five minutes before necessity outweighed compassion.

Chatot was sat on Wigglytuff's shoulder, talons clasped tightly enough to draw blood, but Wigglytuff took it with a smile. Chatot was still asleep, even as Wigglytuff walked around.

Without question, Chimecho took a better look at the three as they lined up for morning address. She floated around Chatot first, taking a listen in, ghosting over his body with a gentle Psychic pulse.

"I dislike the number of feathers he's lost and damaged," she sighed, straightening a few of the offending feathers. "But he's just tired. Give him these sitrus when he wakes up." She handed three berries to Wigglytuff who nodded, jostling Chatot.

"You've got some fur that may have trouble regrowing," Chimecho said, floating around Mane second. "The wounds across your chest and ankles will likely scar, the scratches on your face are debatable, but other than that it's rest you need." She set two berries down and Mane consumed them.

Mane yawned in her face and she moved onto Sean.

"Again, you need rest, take these." There wasn't much time spent on Sean, she wasn't quite as comfortable around either Sean or Grovyle, and the two stood together. She looked enough to find the same, however. Just exhaustion.

"My legs are okay," Sean said, as Grovyle gave Chimecho an annoyed glare. "Fighting-type, I think…?"

"Correct," Chimecho said, floating away after leaving the sitrus berries.

"All three of you need rest," Chimecho advised, managing to wake Chatot who yawned loudly. "But I fear rest may not be given due to the current situation."

"What do you mean?" Mane demanded as Chatot blinked himself aware, he noticed everyone was looking at him and squawked, falling off Wigglytuff shoulder.

"I'll quickly explain," Grovyle said, as Chimecho floated over to Wigglytuff to provide an oran wrap to his shoulder.

"So…?" Mane said, once Grovyle was finished rambling on. "We need to find the smelly guys?"

"That's a way of describing them," Grovyle said, "yes."

Like the universe was finally smiling upon them, Bidoof came running in all out of breath.

"Everyone listen!" Bidoof yelled, most uncharacteristic for the mellow Normal-type. "I was just heading to the market to get the stuff and I saw Team Skull!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Bidoof added. "Yup-yup." And the guild fell into chaos.

"WHAAAT do you MEAN?"

"Oh my gosh. Oh. My. Gosh."

"Quickly now, we cannot let them leave."

"Everybody, single file. Single file!"

"Weeeeee."

Rai was jostled when Croagunk, in a fit on excitement, leaped forward and Mane exploded somewhere in the background.

Pokémon moved, Chatot barked orders, and Grovyle reiterated that they couldn't let Team Skull get away.

Mane exploded again and Rai found himself near the front with a smoking Mane giving him a dizzy smile. The two of them began to run, with one of them considerably faster than the other, as the guild surged out of the building's mouth like some sort of chaotic clown conga line.

Striker and Sean, despite being the most vocal, were the last to leave and hung back in a thoughtful silence as the rest of the guild stormed Treasure Town.

Striker nodded to Sean and they kept a close eye on their surroundings, as well as remaining somewhat out of sight. It wouldn't do well to spook Team Skull if they spotted Striker too early. No, the spooking would be saved if Team Skull decided to be difficult.

The town had already begun the days repair work, pokémon were going left and right with building materials, but a good portion of them were standing around, listening intently.

"So then this vicious monster nearly popped Koffing. Zubat saved his life with his own body and I could only drag them away and run with a broken leg, look at it! We've been heading this way as fast as we can but-" Skuntank spotted the guild and dashed forward, jostling the two pokémon on his back.

"Wigglytuff!" Skuntank cried, falling down into a kneeling position before the surprised pokémon. "You have to help us! You said we were friends, did you not?"

Wigglytuff blinked once before falling straight into helping mode. "Oh my, Skuntank you don't need to do that. Hop up, tell me what's going on and I'll do what I can to help you."

"My teammates need help first," Skuntank said, looking back to Koffing and Zubat on his back.

"Of course. Chimecho?" Wigglytuff asked, the healer was already flying forward. She gently levitated Koffing and Zubat off Skuntank's back and set them down on the sturdy ground.

"Bidoof," she said, clearly, "run along to the market and get me those items we discussed earlier, okay?"

"Yup-up!" Bidoof dashed off as Chimecho began to look over them. Skuntank hovered anxiously.

"How are they?" he rumbled.

"Not too bad," Chimecho said as Bidoof came bounding back. "If they were seriously harmed I'd get them up to the guild. It seems you've all taken a beating, but once, ah thank you Bidoof, we get these berries into them, recovery should progress nicely."

"You can tell so easily?" Skuntank asked, almost accusingly. Chimecho gave him a sharp look before it melted into understanding.

"Your friends will be fine, Skuntank. I assure you they are in safe hands here."

Skuntank seemed to sag in relief. "Thank the legends," he moaned. "The trouble we've gone through to get back. We've been getting hunted, you hear?" Skuntank got comfortable as he began to recount the story, the assembled pokémon began to break up now that the drama seemed over.

"It started over a week ago and we've been running ever since. Some… I don't know the bitches problem. This luxio, you hear? She's been attacking us for days, we're not the kind to fight civilised pokémon, so we didn't know what to do. Koffing, the good guy, he tried to protect me a few times and she nearly punctured him!"

Wigglytuff kneeled down and laid his hand on Skuntank's back, the larger pokémon had one leg hanging up pitifully. "You've been incredibly brave to get back here," he said, gently. "Treasure Town is safe. If this luxio tries to hurt you here, we will protect you." He glanced back to Chatot. "Would you contact Officer Magnezone?" he asked.

"Already sent Dugtrio to them, sir," Chatot answered, receiving a grateful smile from Wigglytuff.

"Good. Thank you, Chatot. Now." He turned back to Skuntank, still smiling. "Now may we have a discussion, Skuntank?"

Skuntank blinked. He glanced around, they were in the middle of town. "Uh… sure. What about?"

"Something has occurred, see, and we've actually been looking for you and your team for some time. It's incredibly important, perhaps even with the world at stake."

Skuntank blinked again, and curled in slightly, paw going to the ratty old Treasure Bag he had. "Chaw-haw-haw, I'm not sure if I can help with something as big as that, Wigglytuff."

"There's nothing you need to do except answer a question," Wigglytuff said pleasantly. Koffing and Zubat cracked their eyes open. "A few months ago I believe you came into possession with a small artifact. I won't ask how, but it is greatly important and once belonged to Shinx here. What did you do with it?"

Rai came forward, a mixture of pity and distrust on his face. "My Relic Fragment those two mugged me of," he said, Mane too came forward.

"If it'll help," he said with a smile, "I'll draw it." He quickly sketched it out, getting an approving nod from Rai.

Skuntank looked over the symbol of the Hidden Land in silence for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, never saw that in my life."

"Don't play dumb," Rai snapped and took a step forward.

Skuntank recoiled. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled back. "I've had a bad enough time with a luxio, I don't need a shinx on my tail too." He gestured back to the now awake Koffing and Zubat. "My team and I came here because this is a safe place, we don't need this kind of antagonism."

"You and your thugs knocked Meowth and I out and took it," Rai stated, words carrying loudly across the town. "Litleo got a hold of it eventually, so we have to know who has it and find it."

"Shinx," Wigglytuff said, laying a calming hand on Rai's back. He stepped forward once Rai was breathing steadily again. "Please Skuntank. I know it was a long time ago, but anything at all? The item is a form of admission to a place known as the Hidden Land. We need to get there as time itself is unravelling, surely you have seen the signs? Dungeons appearing more often, pokémon becoming Shadow's, chaos and danger around every corner."

"Just give me my Relic Fragment back!" Rai growled, glaring hotly at Skuntank. "Turn around, drop it, leave it somewhere. I don't care, just give it back, we need it."

"I don't have it," Skuntank replied, voice barely held back from a growl. "I don't know why YOU have such a problem with me and my team. All we've tried to do is be friends with you, but you just judge us for what we are."

"Don't you dare try and make me look like the bad guy here," Rai scoffed, he would have continued but Mane held his paw up and stepped forward.

He cracked his back again and sighed contently before his eyes hardened. "Looks like you need a different set of lingo," he said. Skuntank's face settled on a mix of an ugly glare and an attempt at looking confused. "We all know you and your buddies mugged Meowth and Shinx but we're willing to play nice. If you've come here because you're in danger than that means you can't leave without going back to the jaws of that 'luxio' you've been running from."

"Are you threatening me?" Skuntank growled, all niceties slipping away.

"Sure am!" Mane beamed, stunning Skuntank with the bravado of admitting it so openly. "Glad you're getting it."

"Wigglytuff." Skuntank looked up to the Fairy-type, who had also opened his mouth to speak.

"We are not threatening them, Litleo," he said softly, sounding exactly like a disappointed, but not angry, father.

Mane was affected, but only for a moment. "Sorry Guildmaster," he said, genuinely, "but I've seen what will happen to the world if we can't save it. I'm not playing nice here." He turned back to Skuntank.

"You may not have heard, but I was in the future just yesterday. Chatot and Riolu too as well as Meowth. Meowth isn't here. I saw Treasure Town in that dark future." The guild, besides Rai, gasped, they hadn't mentioned this. "And it was quite literally a nightmare of a nightmare. If we don't get the Relic Fragment and get it soon, the world will end, you will die or get frozen in time. That's just a fact. And the survivors will remember 'Team Skull' as the reason. But if you give us the damn rock, you can get remembered as heroes."

Skuntank was unswayed. He'd lived a life of double dealings and he knew very well that they could just be trying to lure him into admitting things. But, the whole guild was staring him down and he wasn't liking those odds.

"I haven't seen any damn rocks," he growled, Mane's lip curled. "But maybe my buddies have?" He turned to the surprised duo, this wasn't part of the scheme. "Well? See any rocks will fancy sketches on them?"

Skuntank was giving them the look that said lie, deceive, fib and cover their asses.

"N-not at all, heh-heh-heh."

"Woah-ho-ho, we haven't seen no special rocks around."

"See?" Skuntank demanded, turning back. "Now I can't speak for them. Maybe their lying. But I have no idea of what you're going on about."

Rai and Mane shared a glance and Wigglytuff and Chatot seemed ready to intervene with a bargain. They were interrupted, however.

"Disgusting," Grovyle snapped, melting out of the brush to glare the rapidly horrified trio. "Lying is one thing, but shifting the blame onto your partners? Such unfaithfulness is reprehensible. You wouldn't survive a day in the dark future."

"YOU!" Skuntank shrieked, stepping back. He glanced from side to side, eying faces rapidly. He settled on Wigglytuff. "Wigglytuff, I-I-I. This pokémon, he attacked my team and forced us to leave. He forced me to write a note, I have no sister, he beat us down and forced us to abandon you on the expedition. I am so sorry, but he is a violent criminal!"

The few townfolk that were still eavesdropping all shared concerned looks, eying Grovyle with some renewed suspicion.

Wigglytuff sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know. Grovyle admitted it and shared his apologies."

"Apologies?" Skuntank spat. "You think words is enough to fix the trauma he put us through?"

"Anyone can be forgiven if they work to achieve it," Wigglytuff said firmly. "Anyone."

Skuntank glared at him, then morphed into a worried expression. He glanced around again, his allies could be counted on one paw here. Even Wigglytuff wasn't buying it, and he was an idiot.

It was time to skedaddle, it seemed. "Koffing?" he hissed. "We're gonna have to blow this joint."

"Woah-ho?" Koffing coughed. "I barely have anything."

"If I may interject before any rash decisions are made?" Chatot asked, hopping past Wigglytuff and standing by Rai and Mane.

Skuntank gave him a disdainful expression. "What?" he growled.

"When you first arrived," Chatot said, unminding the disrespect. "It cannot be denied that I believed in you. It is long since professed by the Wigglytuff Guild that there should be no biases among pokémon. Anyone is a friend until proven otherwise. There should never be a time when pokémon are treated differently for what they are. But, unfortunately, we don't live in such an idealistic world."

Wigglytuff appeared a little saddened by Chatot's words, but he didn't say anything as Chatot continued. "Skuntank, please. Do the right thing, answer what happened to the item taken from Team Ion and we will ensure you are protected. There will be no judgement, no action taken against you. The world is at stake. We must know."

Skuntank stared the tiny bird down. Chatot was clearly roughed up, unlike the prim and proper idiot he talked his way around before. Chatot stood differently, tired but somehow stronger. There was an edge to his stare that brokered nothing but truth. Skuntank hesitated.

"Battle me," Rai said, stepping forward.

About the entirety of Treasure Town blinked.

"What?" Skuntank rumbled.

"Battle me," Rai repeated, staring him down.

"Why should I?" Skuntank demanded. "Chaw-haw-haw, you wouldn't stand a chance against me, Shinx. That'd be too cruel."

"Not just you," Rai said. "All three of you. If I win, you have to talk."

"And if I win?" Skuntank demanded as Koffing and Zubat shared worried looks. They weren't exactly in the best shape, although they did have experience with the shinx line now.

Rai didn't answer. He just stared him down until Skuntank's lip curled. "I don't like the way you Treasure Towners have been treated my poor team and I. Fine, I can blow off some steam for a couple minutes."

Mane stepped forward. "I'm a member of Team Ion," he said, holding his head up high, "and no one on this team fights alone."

"You're still injured," Rai protested. "Also, when did you start talking so cheesy?"

Mane wilted. "Thanks for ruining the moment. You're welcome, by the way."

Skuntank glared at them both. "Koffing," he barked. "Zubat. Up."

The two rose, reluctantly, but ably. "Where Boss?"

"At the beach," Rai said. Mane gave him a look. It was both sandy and watery down there. Skuntank laughed.

"Chaw-haw-haw. So eager?"

"I'd suggest Beach Cave if I was nostalgic," Rai replied. "But I just want this done."

"Fine. Lead the way, it's been a while since we've been in the area."

As they walked, Chatot flapped up to the two. "Is this wise?" he whispered.

"I don't know why he won't answer," Rai replied, not quiet, "but I think a battle will decide it."

"Don't you have any faith in me, Chats?" Mane asked, cracking his spine again. "And I thought we battled so well together."

Chatot sighed. "Be careful. I still remember when Meowth and you returned smelling like sulphur."

"You didn't believe us then," Rai said, unable to hold his tongue.

"I'm sorry," Chatot replied and Rai felt bad. "I will make it up to you. Three-on-three?"

Rai shook his head. "Sorry, Chatot. You know he won't agree to that. Just Mane and I."

Chatot sighed, but nodded, hopping back to Wigglytuff's side.

It didn't take long until they were back at the beach. Mane took a deep breath of the salty air and knew he couldn't quite bring himself to get sick of it. Rai simply stood in silence, waiting patiently for Team Skull to get ready.

Skuntank stood with Koffing and Zubat flanking him. Behind him yawned the chasm that led into Beach Cave. Such an unassuming dungeon, but it was dangerous. They all were.

"Chaw-haw-haw, last chance to back out now Shinx and Litleo!" Skuntank laughed, his cronies snickering with him. It couldn't be ignored that Team Skull weren't in perfect condition. Koffing was puffing to keep himself floating, Zubat was fluttering unsteadily, and Skuntank was covered with burns and bruises.

They were still dangerous, however.

"This guy fights dirty," Rai said, not speaking to Skuntank but to Mane. "Cheap attacks, brutal. If he hits you, he'll keep hitting you until you're down. And don't breathe in through your nose, his breath is enough to knock you out."

"All I see is some gas bags to blow up," Mane replied, falling into a prowling stance. The guild stood behind them. It didn't escape Skuntank's notice that the exit was blocked off and the cliffs difficult to climb. He had an out, however. Beach Cave's exit. His position was entirely to plan.

"Don't harm anyone too bad," Chimecho called, voice flooding with warning. "Or else."

"She's definitely evil." Mane grinned. Rai couldn't help but smile too, Sean's, or rather Scout's, old theory bringing some sparkle back to his eyes.

"Get ready."

"Heh-heh, you're through."

"Let's have fun."

"Chaw-haw-haw."

There was no formal beginning to the battle. No flag dropped, bang delivered, or call made. The field simply changed from a tense showdown to a brawl in the blink of an eye or pop of a bubble.

No one was sure if it was Skuntank or Rai who attacked first and, ultimately, it didn't matter.

Skuntank pounded forward, kicking up plumes of sand as he beared down on Rai who fearlessly charged the behemoth head on.

Rai leaped over Skuntank, rather than going underneath like the Dark-type had planned for. Skuntank's mouth met the sand as Rai sailed over him.

Mane stood back and peppered Skuntank in the face with an Ember before Zubat was all up in his face and he was distracted.

Skuntank spat the sand out and got up, spinning to face Rai as the shinx waited for him to recover enough to face him honourably. Koffing hovered behind him, priming a Sludge attack.

As Koffing belched, Skuntank leaped forward again, seed in his paw. Rai avoided his clumsy blow and Skuntank's paw was hit by the Sludge attack.

"Ha!" Rai laughed, but Skuntank chuckled in kind.

He lopped the sludge-covered seed at Rai and socked him right in the face. He reeled back, blinded by the ooze before the seed within exploded violently.

Rai was blown off his feet, but thankfully landed in the water, washing some of the sludge out of his eyes. Unfortunately, however, Skuntank wasn't as kind as Rai and didn't wait for him to pick himself up before assaulting him further.

Spotting the literally dirty play, Mane blasted Zubat away with a burst of sound and tore off after Skuntank. "Hey fatty?" he yelled, losing the edge of surprise but successfully pulling Skuntank away from Rai.

Mane sent a Fire Blast right into Skuntank's face and gave him a taste of an explosion to the face before tackling him and knocking him further away from Rai.

Skuntank roared and rolled, immediately pinning Mane against the sand with his weight. He pushed the litleo's head into the sand so he couldn't try and Ember him and raised his other paw, glowing darkly with Power, to beat him down.

"Boss!" Koffing yelled in alarm and Skuntank didn't have any time to react before Rai slammed into him, forcing him off Mane. He grunted, Rai hit his rib directly, and staggered.

Instead of pressing the advantage, Rai jumped back to defend Mane as Koffing and Zubat swarmed him to buy Skuntank some time to breath and plot a new scheme to gain the advantage.

"Get OFF!" Rai yelled, zapping Zubat who had been nipping at his skin and draining bits and pieces of energy.

Koffing descended upon him as Mane finally pulled his head out of the sand and belched a poisonous Smog right into Rai's mouth. The shinx retched, coughing and wheezing from the sudden removal of the rather important oxygen.

So Mane exploded him.

"Oooh," Koffing groaned, having tanked a direct Fire Blast. He sagged a little in air and eeped when Mane followed it up with an Ember. Zubat swooped in to distract him and give Koffing some time to readjust.

"Okay, Koffing," Skuntank grunted, nodding. Koffing didn't have enough for a noxious combo, second plan then. "Smog em both."

"Right Boss," Koffing agreed and zoomed in. Zubat had done an excellent job of keeping them together, and annoyed, with his piercing Supersonic and Leach Life moves.

Zubat blew some sand up in their eyes and Koffing belched all over them, covering them in purplish gas. Both pokémon immediate tried to pull backwards and out of it, but Skuntank had already crept around and struck from behind.

A double Sucker-Punch to the backs of their heads sent them sprawling and both were left stunned against the ground.

"This… isn't working," Mane gasped, forcing himself up.

"No kidding," Rai gagged, still coughing and spitting.

"Chaw-haw-haw, how are you going to save the world if you can't beat little old us?" Skuntank taunted, his fellows laughing and jeering as well. Rai curled his lip, but Mane set his jaw and shook it off.

"Well it looks like it's a bit disadvantaged here," he said, almost smiling. "We've got two skilled and powerful pokémon. And then there's you."

That touched a nerve.

"Grr," Skuntank growled before nodding to Koffing and Zubat. "Again."

Mane didn't give them time, he sprinted ahead and slid to a stop, kicking up a wave of sand right into Skuntank's eyes.

"Gah!" Skuntank yelled, staggering back as his own vision was blinded. Rai came up after Mane and zapped Zubat, judging him to be the worse enemy in the long run. With Skuntank staggering to the water to clean his eyes, Mane turned back to double up and blast Zubat with Fire Blast.

The fragile little bat fell immediately and didn't get back up, moaning for a moment before falling unconscious.

"Zubat!" Koffing cried and tried to charge Rai. Mane snuck up on him from behind and pounced, slamming the orb-pokémon into the ground. "Um… parley?"

"No."

Mane did as he promised and exploded Koffing. The detonation knocked him flying, but he took it as the wings of victory.

Koffing fell unconscious steps from Zubat as Skuntank finally pulled himself back together. "What? Those two…"

"Not too fun when your own tactics are used against you, huh?" Mane taunted. Rai stared Skuntank down but gave a smile to Mane.

"Good work."

"I know."

Skuntank eyed the two for a moment. Both weren't exactly in the best state, Rai was a little purple from the Poison attacks, Mane was still tired from everything leading up to this. "I can take you without them!"

He burst forward, throwing another Blast Seed down to blow up a plume of sand. Mane tackled Rai out of the way as another seed came through, popping in a mist that failed to touch either one of them.

Skuntank changed directions, charging them down as Mane pushed Rai from him and they both rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding having Skuntank land on them.

"NOW!" Mane yelled, putting Power into his words and using Hyper Voice. The volume, and physical blow, stunned Skuntank long enough for Rai to zap him with everything he had.

Skuntank roared out. Shinx had grown a lot more powerful since the last time he fought him, but it wasn't as bad as the luxio he'd been dealing with.

He powered through it and breathed flames all over Rai. With the little shinx reeling back, he pounced. Only for his own thick tail to be caught by Mane who clamped on with an Ember in his mouth.

The improvised Fire Fang hurt, and he yowled out, throwing Mane off along with a chunk of his fur. Mane landed on a rock and shrieked and Skuntank gave him a taste of fire as well.

Mane yelled out again, this time Hyper Voice. The fire being blasted at Mane suddenly went in every direction, including Skuntank's own eyes. Mane ran to Rai's side and got him up and they faced Skuntank together.

With his eyebrows burning only adding to the intimidation factor, Skuntank leered down at them. "One more attack?" Mane asked.

"Together."

Skuntank roared out and pulled everything he had into one attack. Throwing a deluge of poison in a Gunk Shot of epic proportions. Mane and Rai met it with lightning and flame.

The electricity in Rai's Thunder ionized the material in the gunk shot, mixed with the additional heat and pressure of Mane's Fire Blast, causing plasma to burn and met the sand it dripped into.

Mane's explosive power ran out and he switched to Ember, adding everything he could into Rai's electricity. Slowly, but surely, they overpowered Skuntank.

The guild cheered as the burning sludge was blasted back and Skuntank could only widen his eyes before the impact knocked him clean off his feet and into the sandy cliff, bringing an avalanche of sand down on his head.

The battlefield fell into silence.

Rai gasped for breath, feeling dizzy. He had a purple blush and was beginning to sway. Skuntank popped his head out of the sand and forced his way out, dragging himself and panting for breath.

"N-nice," he said, raising a paw weakly. "Looks like you g-got me. Grah." He staggered and nearly fell, Rai took a single step forwards.

Mane didn't bother with yelling. He could only jump forward as Skuntank lashed out faster than Rai's eyes could see. Mane took the blow against his ribs and was knocked down and out, nearly landing in the water meters back.

Rai's eyes narrowed, Skuntank's eyes widened, and Raigeki proved his namesake and roared. The world went white for a moment before Skuntank's vision went black.

Before Skuntank had even collapsed, twitching, Rai had already ran back for Mane.

"Mane? Mane? Mane?" he called, shaking the shoulder of the litleo. Mane coughed weakly and tried to stand. "No, don't stand."

Mane groaned but complied. "I'm fine," he managed, deciding to try again and managing to stand. "Nothing compared to what I went through in the future."

"Just because what you're suffering now isn't the worst you've suffered," Rai said, softly, "doesn't mean it's not worthy of care and concern."

"Thanks," Mane whispered, so softly Rai wasn't even sure he said anything.

He was distracted from further questioning, however, when cheering reached them. Mane's own ears quirked, and they turned back to see the guild, and a few townsfolk, cheering them on.

"Exceptional battle I must say!"

"Yippee! Well done!"

"We must confess that was impressive."

"The way you took them down together, guess I taught you pretty well hey-hey?"

"Free drinks… for every…one!"

Skuntank groaned and forced himself up. He wasn't out for long and immediately Rai was on his guard. He stepped between Skuntank and Mane, but the Poison-type just ignored him and began walking to Koffing and Zubat.

After rousing them, he turned back with a sneer. "Good work," he said, voice dripping with fake praise. "Always needing to rely on others to do the work for you, eh Rai?"

Rai didn't react to the usage of his name, even though a few of the town did. Gasps rang out and Mane's own lip curled.

"Do the work for me?" Rai asked, shaking his head. "Nope. But relying on others? Yes. I do. I can trust my friends to watch my back. How is that a weakness?"

Skuntank didn't reply.

"Isn't that the same way with you and those two?" Rai asked, pointing to Koffing and Zubat. "You seemed to trust them to back you up. Or do you think they'd turn on you if you let them?"

Skuntank stared at him in silence, visibly hesitating. He snorted and shook his head, stomping over to where he'd stashed his bag and began rifling through it.

"We've made loads of dough off this hunk of rock," Skuntank said, pulling the Relic Fragment out and tossing it. To everyone's surprise. "I've painted that damn picture so many times I could do it in my sleep. Take it if it's so important to you. And the world, I guess. Whatever. Since you beat us, you better save the world. If you could beat us, you probably could do it."

Rai stared down at the stone. Mane looked over his shoulder. He traced the lines, perfectly shaped. The band was different, but it wasn't a part of it.

"It's the real one," he said, clearly. Simply seeing it, he wouldn't have been sure. But Rai remembered the weight, he remembered the feel of the rough edges. And, more than that, he remembered the feeling it gave off.

He wasn't sure how to put it into words, and so never would. Not even to his sister, when she asked. It felt important, it felt like it was important. He wondered if Skuntank had felt that.

"Thank you," he called, as Skuntank dragged Koffing and Zubat off. The crowd parted to let them move, there was no reason to hold them. Skuntank glanced back to Rai.

"Chaw-haw-haw."

But didn't speak. He also levelled a glare at Grovyle but passed without incident.

As Rai and his litleo partner ran up to the guild in excitement, a luxio stepped back into the trees. She had been watching from above the sandy cliff as Rai battled Skuntank and beat him.

She glanced at Team Skull departing and considered going after them still. But Rai's squeaks of excitement melted her heart and she shook her head. If he would forgive them enough to say thank you, she would let them go.

Arashi the luxio, elder of the Amp Plains survivors, stepped back. She took one last glance at her little brother and nodded to herself. He would be okay for now, but she wasn't ready to speak to him yet. She left Treasure Town behind as a trio drew closer on one of the lapras from the travel liner.

---

"Are we there yet?" Wartortle moaned, laying on his stomach on the mottled shell of the lapras. Chikorita and Charizard, along with their ride, all sighed in unison.

"No," Chikorita replied from the lapras she was clinging too. She felt like she'd suffered the five stages of grief on this journey, all due to Wartortle's never-ending moaning.

"It can't be very far now," Charizard rumbled. He was currently flying above them, as to not slow Lapras down any further. Both lapras were close, as to not lose sight of each other. Unfortunately, it meant everyone was liable to Wartortle's complaining.

Wartortle still couldn't swim. Didn't mean they weren't tempted to see if he could.

Team Go-Getter's was on their way to Treasure Town. But bad weather and multiple random sea-dungeons had slowed them down a fair bit. Even despite the supernatural travel speed the Lapras Travel Liner boasted.

They still had a bit to go, however.

---

After Skuntank's defeat, the pokémon returned to the guild to discuss.

"Such good luck!" Wigglytuff beamed as he settled everyone in the below deck of the guild. "That simplifies things."

Grovyle nodded. "Only one Time Gear left to obtain," he managed, visibly struggling with each word. "We… ah… we… need to."

"What's going on?" Sunflora asked, concerned. "Grovyle? Are you alright."

Grovyle tried to raise a hand to gesture that he was fine, but his arm wouldn't move. Wigglytuff sat down with him as Sean frowned in concern. "With the Relic Fragment back Grovyle and I need to go to Crystal Cave immediately. Not only to get the gear, but to request Azelf undo this curse."

"A curse?"

Chatot nodded, he remembered the legend. "If you harm Azelf," he said, frowning thoughtfully. "You may lose your will to move in a few days. As goes the legend, at least."

"Oh my gosh!"

"I-is Grovyle going to be okay?"

"WHAT? But we NEED him."

"Everyone," Wigglytuff called. "Don't worry. Grovyle and I will set off to Crystal Cave immediately. I don't know how long it might take to convince Azelf, or to get the gear. So the two of us will head out right now."

"The TWO of you?" Sean asked. Grovyle managed to grab his paw and give it a squeeze.

Wigglytuff nodded. Grovyle couldn't talk, so he would. "The rest of the guild needs to begin making their way to the dungeon known as Brine Cave." Chatot twitched at that, Scout's words hitting him all over again.

He looked out, wondering what Scout was thinking all these times.

"Guildmaster," Chatot said, softly. "Will I be leading the guild to Brine Cave, then?"

Wigglytuff smiled softly. "Yes, Chatot. Other than me and… well, you know the cave better than anyone else. It's where Grovyle said the path to the Hidden Land is. You have to be careful though!"

He raised his voice slightly to speak to the whole guild. "At the end of Brine Cave there may be a dangerous trio who attack from above. Kabutops and the Omastar Brothers. Whoever reaches the end of the dungeon first needs to be wary of them. Hopefully they aren't there, but I cannot be sure."

Wigglytuff stepped back and picked Grovyle up and slung him over his back. The Grass-type wasn't entirely enthused at that, but he had no energy to protest. He managed a weak smile for Sean.

"I'm sorry you all only got one day of rest," he said to Mane, Chatot, and Sean, "but as we know, time is running out."

"We wouldn't be waiting around anyway," Mane said, Sean and Chatot nodded firmly.

Wigglytuff smiled and began walking. "Would someone fetch Alakazam? He should be in town."

Bidoof raced off and the guild followed their Guildmaster up to the top. Grovyle found the energy to stand, with Sean's assistance, and the guild paused at the entrance of the guild to look out at the crashing waves.

"I said you were all heroes," Wigglytuff said softly, "that you would be the pokémon who save the world. I still believe that. But be careful."

"I will not allow a hair to be harmed, Wigglytuff," Chatot said, hopping up to Wigglytuff's side. Wigglytuff smiled and grabbed him in a hug.

"Trill, you are my invaluable partner," Wigglytuff said, hugging Chatot tightly, but not too tightly. "Be safe."

Chatot hugged Wigglytuff back, deciding it was okay to do so in front of the guild this one time. "And you are mine."

Sunflora, Chimecho, and Loudred may have aww'd from behind them. But Chatot decided to ignore it. Wigglytuff hugged him until Alakazam and Bidoof appeared out of thin air, then he set him back down.

Grovyle came to stand by Wigglytuff, bracing himself and Alakazam nodded, closing his eyes to focus.

"We will retrieve supplies from Treasure Town first," Chatot barked, going into leadership mode. "Then we will begin the trek to Brine Cave! Understood?"

"Yes sir!" the guild repeated.

Wigglytuff waved them off as Striker said. "Sean? I'll be right behind you."

Sean nodded back and fell into step with Mane and Rai as they ran to Treasure Town.

"Get sitrus and oran immediately for Team Ion," Chatot barked as he directed pokémon into groups to get specific items.

"Sunflora, take those two and find every orb you can. If there are any left – my word this place is ramshackle." Chatot took a moment to take in the damage dealt to Treasure Town from a few days ago. Sunflora ran off with Corphish and Diglett as he was staring.

Chatot fluttered in place, hopped back and forth, and snuck glances up at the guild whenever he felt he could. Wigglytuff and Grovyle eventually disappeared and he found no need to look any further. He still did, however.

Sean fell into step with a revitalised Team Ion as they finished preparing for the dungeon and set off. He smiled as he remembered running this path to meet with Striker, then lost that smile as he recalled why he had been running.

"In advantage of maximising time and resources," Chatot explained as they walked along, "Litleo, Riolu, Shinx, and I will enter the dungeon first. Followed by Sunflora, Dugtrio, Corphish, and Bidoof. Chimecho, Croagunk, and Diglett will wait for the Guildmaster outside the dungeon and Chimecho will accompany him and Grovyle. Croagunk and Diglett shall enter last."

The sun began to rise higher into the sky as the path changed from well-worn, to rocky, to grass, and then back to well-worn. A stiff breeze was blowing, ruffling fur and feathers. A random thunderstorm lasted for only six minutes before the day became sunny again.

"Oof." Bidoof flinched as a lightning strike landed steps from him. From the cloudless sky. "This is worrisome, yup-yup."

"I heard things have been going like this for days," Loudred muttered, perfectly clear to everyone. "Exploration Teams entering the town the last few days have been talking about weird weather. I thought they just didn't have anything else to say and were making up stories."

"You should know better," Sunflora admonished, getting an offended gasp from Loudred.

"Well excuuuuse me, Sunflora."

"Yes, you are excused."

Chimecho rolled her eyes at their antics and went to float around Croagunk instead. He welcomed her presence with a nod.

"Last time I came here," Sean mentioned to Rai and Mane, "was right after Dusknoir got Scout arrested. I came to talk to Striker." Rai didn't respond, but Mane nodded to him. Sean frowned, eying Rai for a moment.

His eyes lit up as a thought occurred to him. "I also punched him in the face!" he declared with pure enthusiasm.

Rai sensed he was being addressed. "Is that so?" he asked, politely.

Sean sagged a little when the shinx turned back to eying the road.

Mane bumped Rai, then Sean. "Don't be rude," he said, Rai blinked in surprise.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I'm just a little distracted. Why did you hit him? Isn't he your friend?"

"Yeah well…" Sean trailed off. He had hoped what he was going to say would make Shinx lighten up, now he felt it might be viewed as a reach. "I hit him because he slashed you, actually."

The wind continued to blow as Rai gave Sean a curious frown. "Why would you care?"

Mane wowed silently as Sean flushed under the fur. Yet another advantage of now being a pokémon, he couldn't be spotted blushing as easily.

"He's really not that bad of a guy," Sean said, "future reflexes and stuff. I like you, so I was mad at him for going so far."

Rai continued frowning, but at least he was talking now. "You like me?" he asked. "I thought… well, okay. Thanks."

Mane sent a half-amused half-apologetic glance to Sean before bumping Rai again. "Play harder to get why don't you."

Rai sighed. "Look," he said, looking back up to Sean, "I get why you did what you did and all. I forgave Grovyle, so I forgive you for lying to me. I still don't like it though. I've had enough of being lied to."

Sean nodded. "That's fair," he said. "Sorry for breaking your trust." He extended a paw. "Fresh start?"

Rai eyed his paw for a moment, a moment long enough for Sean's friendly smile to become a fixed grimace. But Rai extended his tail awkwardly and patted it. "Uh, yeah." He managed to wrap his tail around and give a wobbly shake. He smiled, a realer one. "Fresh start."

Sean breathed a relieved breath and retracted his paw from the mortifying hand shake. He reminded himself that quadruped's probably didn't do that and vowed to bury his head in the sand. Snickering from the guild behind him didn't help.

"Down here!" Chatot called as they grew closer to the dungeon. Sean quietly pointed out to Mane and Rai the path he had taken to speak with Striker, before heading down rather than up. They skirted along the eroding cliffs and to the classic chasm of a dungeon opening.

Salty, humid, air exhaled from the chasm opening like the dungeon itself was breathing.

"Very well," Chatot said, hopping to a point before the dungeon and pausing. He stared into the inky depths of the dungeon, Wigglytuff's words, Scout's words, and his own broken memories washing over him with each breath exhaled from the dungeon.

"Chats?" Mane asked, as Chatot completely stopped moving. "Helllooo?"

"Ahem." Chatot cleared his throat and turned around. He extended a wing, the one with more feathers. "This is the entrance to Brine Cave," he explained, "a highly dangerous dungeon with a potentially dangerous foe at the end."

The guild, plus Sean, listened as Chatot went over everything again. He folded his wing back in as he was finished and raised his beak. "Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Very good." Chatot's eye quirked in his own form of a smile before hesitating. "Uh… ahem. The Guildmaster would normally address you all with some rousing speech, but he is not here as of yet…"

He paused, seeming to wait for something.

"Give it a go," Mane said, grinning. "If we laugh, you'll know our spirits are raised!"

Chatot gave him a flat look before he smiled again. "I have seen each step of your paths. From where the Guildmaster must take a distant approach out of necessity, he relies on me to ensure you are all working, training, and most importantly, happy."

A few pokémon smiled at that. Very Wigglytuff. "None of you were good explorers when you started," Chatot continued, very honestly. He got a few chuckles. "And now? Well… it's an improvement, I suppose."

The whole assembly laughed at that.

"The Guildmaster loves you all," Chatot said once the giggles had calmed. "And I trust you. All of you." He nodded to Sean, and Mane, and Bidoof, and Chimecho. Everyone. "I am proud to call you apprentices of the Wigglytuff Guild. Now, be safe in there and we'll all meet up at the end."

"HOORAY!"

Chatot waited for Rai, Mane, and Sean to join him and they entered Brine Cave.

Mane and Chatot couldn't help but mentally compare the trial they were facing currently with the dungeons from the future.

The future had scarier dungeons, to be sure. But all the water and ice pokémon around were giving them an impressively bad time.

"Birds are singing," Sean laughed as Chatot yelled at a barboach until it ran away in tears.

"What are you so happy about?" Mane growled, shaking off water left by a gastrodon.

"It's nice to be useful again," Sean answered, pummelling a dewgong with Force Palm to knock it flying and unconscious.

"About time you were useful for something other than directions," Mane snarked. Rai gave him a mortified look at the rudeness. "All those gastly were not fun. Watching them lick you was just teasing me at that point."

Sean shuddered in discomfort.

"Hush children," Chatot said and the two closed their mouths. Before all three, Chatot included, laughed.

"Never thought I'd laugh about all the horror," Mane giggled.

"You have to laugh at it," Sean replied, wiping his eye. "Or you'll fall into a foetal position and never get up."

"Morbid."

"Yes-yes," Chatot huffed, but his eye was twinkling.

Rai felt a little left out.

Mane and Sean kept up the chatter as they went. The reflex of always needing to talk in the future holding firm, Rai was drawn into their conversations as they went until all three were sharing stories about Scout.

"He would never bathe!" Rai said, Mane shaking his head in amusement. "Was he always like that?"

"Nah." Sean shrugged. "He'd lick himself wherever and whenever. But humans don't."

"I can tell," Mane said with a smirk, flicking at some stray fur on Sean's shoulder.

"Yes, well." Sean rubbed the fur down. "Did he ever stare into space at all? Just randomly dazing out?"

"Oh yeah." Rai nodded, happy to share that experience. "Happened in dungeons a few times. Nearly got his head charm thingy taken by a murkrow when he got too distracted with a piece of dirt."

As they talked, Chatot thought in silence.

---

"And so that's the situation," Wigglytuff explained to a very angry Azelf. "Grovyle is very sorry for what he did, but Uxie and Mesprit will be unfrozen once time is restored."

The gems of Crystal Lake twinkled in the soft light of the lake, Time Gear still buried but light shining despite the rocky covering.

Azelf had attacked Grovyle upon spotting him, and then Wigglytuff for bringing him here. Wigglytuff was more than tough enough to block Azelf's strikes, however, and didn't strike back.

He simply let the legendary pokémon wear itself out.

"Why… should I… believe you?" Azelf demanded, panting for breath. They regretted ever thinking the lake was lonely, too many visitors were bothering them nowadays.

"Why were the Time Gears brought here?" Wigglytuff asked. He genuinely wanted to know the answer and hoped that getting Azelf to talk might calm them down.

Grovyle remained standing in silence. He gathered that trying to speak to Azelf would be counterintuitive. He could still see the scorch marks on the ground and he still felt the hit Team Flame had given him.

"To stabilise time," Azelf answered. "Therefor taking them has led to time's recent issues!"

"But something was going on even before the first gear was taken," Wigglytuff explained, patiently. "I'm also wondering, if the gears were placed here, then what was here before that?"

At that, Azelf hesitated. "I… I'm not sure. It was thousands of years ago and my memory…" they frowned. They may not have been Uxie, but as a direct child of Arceus their memory was usually so very clear, even over the millennia.

"We tried replacing the Time Gears," Wigglytuff said as Azelf remained silent, "and none of them worked. Time was breaking down even before the first gear was taken, and surely there was a time they existed before they were here? Information suggests they need to be returned to their place of origin, the Hidden Land."

From that last part, Azelf's eyes lit up. "The Hidden Land!" they said, excitedly. "I do…" a frown retook their face and they close their eyes. "I… I had it, then it just slipped away. Something… the gears… D… no, Temporal, uh..."

"Tower?" Grovyle offered, Azelf immediately glared at him, before it fell into a more thoughtful look.

"Yes. I'm not sure what is going on with my memory, something feels like it is blocking it." They floated in place, visibly hesitating. "What… what did you say before? Please explain it again?"

Wigglytuff nodded and began to repeat everything he had said. They were getting through to Azelf, he could feel it. Grovyle was looking worse than before, he knew he needed to convince Azelf. Getting the gear, he could do that if truly needed, but his friendly friend was in trouble and only Azelf could help.

So, Wigglytuff did something he knew well and talked.

---

As the four travelling Brine Cave were attacked, they'd all break out of their respective thoughts to fight off the attackers. A Steel Wing there, Thunderbolt there, Hyper Voice to a Force Palm took down one particularly persistent dragonair.

There wasn't much time for quiet introspection as ferals came from forwards, back, side to side, and even from below. But between moments of fighting, Chatot considered a few things.

He didn't quite remember the first venture through Brine Cave. Had Scout, and then Wigglytuff, not reminded him of Kabutops then he would have forgotten completely.

The quiet discomfort at Scout being completely right about that made him consider what else Scout had revealed to him. He glanced to Sean and Rai, both were chatting amicably now.

Even with his fractured memories, Chatot was sure there wasn't this much violence in the dungeon the first time. Times change, perhaps literally.

"So Celebi mentioned that she thought Scout and her friend," Sean said, snapping Chatot from his reverie, "this audino called Soothe, were a little like in personality. She said they'd either get along perfectly or wouldn't be able to stand each other."

Ah, Soothe. That brought back memories of waking up outside this dungeon with Wigglytuff panicking and crying while the oddly-coloured audino pressed her paws to his chest, having been sliced open by Kabutops.

She had yelled at them both a lot for reasons Chatot couldn't recall and with words he wasn't clear on. Wigglytuff had drowned it out with his dramatics upon seeing him wake up. He sometimes wondered how someone so pure could have survived as long as he had without him, but Wigglytuff was much stronger and smarter than he looked.

No one knew that better than Chatot. Only Soothe and Lopunny came close to understanding Wigglytuff like he did.

And only he was gifted with Wigglytuff's actual name.

But still. Chatot remembered Soothe, so angry, so very frustrated with them both. Yet still having saved his life with nothing demanded in return.

Now that he knew where she was from, it made him wonder all the more. Sean was a decent sort, Grovyle wasn't too bad, and Scout was a delight. Not everyone was so warped from the future.

Even now, years from it, he still wondered what Wigglytuff had said or done to convince her to save him, and more than that, join them.

Chatot was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he failed to notice the dungeon begin to change.

He failed to notice where they were.

In their own distraction and eagerness, Rai and Mane forgot about the warning and Sean hadn't quite clued in on the exact threat of the area.

Chatot's eyes flicked up and he screeched a warning. Rai skidded to a stop, but Mane was already steps ahead.

From above, three murderers descended.

"MANE!" Chatot screamed, leaping forward.

"MANE!" Sean yelled out as Mane tried to stop and reel back. Chatot's wings glinted as the three landed and lashed out.

"MANE!" Rai screamed as Mane fell, lash of blood sending a red stripe against the rocks.

He landed, head knocking against the stone, as the laceration from his neck began to bleed out.

"No," Chatot grunted, trembling with effort, his wings raised. Kabutops' scythes and the right omastar's tendrils were pressed up against his wings. He had blocked two of them, but the second omastar had struck Mane in the neck.

Chatot heaved and he blew all three of them back. Rather than pressing the attack he barked out. "SEAN! Tend to Mane." He remembered Sean resetting Scout's arm, he had some medical skill, and with paws he could do something.

Sean, having already been charging forward to fight, switched tracks and ran to Mane.

"Rai. To me. We'll fight them together."

"So the swift snack seeks to struggle?" Kabutops hissed, voice sliding around them, burrowing into their ears and hanging over their necks. "Swell."

Rai trembled with electricity as he reached Chatot's side, his eyes were narrowed and set with his teeth bared. Chatot blew a wind and forced the Rock-types further back to give Sean more space before he and Rai charged.

Sean knelt by Mane's side, stripping him of the silver bow he wore quickly. He set his back down and pulled it open, pulling out a finely sown sheet.

"You'll be fine," Sean repeated as Mane weakly gasped, legs kicking out continuously. He pressed the sheet to Mane's neck and unwound the silver bow, tying it around as best he could to stem some of the bleeding.

"It didn't hit the artery," Sean said, half to Mane half to himself. "It's just a bit of blood. You're okay Mane, hear me? You're okay and you will be okay."

He flinched as ozone rose and electricity crackled, raising his fur. Chatot barked something and Rai snapped a response and forced the omastar trying to go for Mane back.

"You… had… it?" Mane whispered. He knew the feeling of his sheet. "You took it?"

"Sorry," Sean replied, pressing against the cut. "You can tell me off about it later. Okay?"

"Bitch."

Sean hiccupped a laugh and doubled down on pressing as firmly as he could on Mane's neck without cutting off his breathing. Mane's breathing was quick and rapid, his blood began to soak through the sheet and Sean pulled more of it up.

His aura tassels began to rise without him noticing, touching the silver bow as the bow began to glow slightly.

"BACK!" Chatot screeched, striking an X into one of the omastar's face and knocking it clattering against the rock. He swooped in after it, cracking its shell and knocking it into a wall where it stopped moving.

Kabutops moved.

"RAI!"

Rai's electricity began to overwhelm the cowardly omastar and it screeched pitifully before trying to flee, as slow and wobbly as it could. Rai blasted it until it stopped moving, almost frothing at the mouth in rage.

His anger towards the omastar that had struck Mane left him blind to everything else and Chatot's warning barely registered. Chatot swooped after Kabutops as it slashed at Rai. Rai's electrical discharge knocked it back before much of a cut was dealt, but it was enough to slice a line right through Rai's side and red began to mix with the blue and black of his fur.

Chatot smacked Kabutops in the back of the head but kept flying for Rai as the shinx cried out in pain. He grabbed Rai in his talons and tossed him back towards Mane and Sean.

"You will not harm anyone here!" Chatot declared, turning to face Kabutops himself. He raised his wings as metal shone again. Kabutops sneered and raised his own scythes.

"Weary words of a weakling," Kabutops hissed, began to circle Chatot. Its eyes flicked to the injured duo, Chatot walked with it, not giving it a chance to go for them. "Steely sight of someone who's seen sir I sometime before?"

It continued staring closely as Chatot's wings trembled. It laughed.

"Aha! Weary words of a weakling who shielded a Wigglytuff! I remember you." Its voice lost all amusement and turned to pure malice. "I remember you."

Chatot raised his beak. "And no one will remember you." He struck out, one wing slamming into Kabutops raised guard while the other swiped out at Kabutops' legs.

The deadly pokémon leaped over the swipe and headbutted Chatot, dazing him with its far harder cranium. It tried to stab forward and impale Chatot, but the bird wasn't such a junior to be phased yet and knocked himself back with a burst of wind.

With some distance between them, Kabutops spat a sharp jet of water at Chatot. It sheered through the top of Chatot's wing, but he didn't so much as flinch. Blue light flashed and Chatot was spitting water straight back at Kabutops.

It flooded itself in its own personal river and launched at Chatot, Aqua Jet flooding the floor as it went. Chatot met Kabutops in the air, Steel Wing against rock-hard scythes.

Kabutops tried to sever Chatot's wing, but the Steel Wing was too hard and only cut into it. Chatot grabbed Kabutops' torso with his talons and pushed and pulled, flipping them around before tossing Kabutops straight at the ground.

The extra speed from the Aqua Jet was to Kabutops' detriment and it smashed into the hard ground. Chatot came down, wings cycling between several elements and moves before Chatot decided on copying the Aqua Jet.

Kabutops rolled out of the way and lashed out, Chatot jumped and parried.

Both of them, panting for breath, began a whirlwind of stabs and slashes. Metal wings meeting rock scythes and clinking out piercing cries as they met each other in scythe-to-wing combat.

Kabutops went for a stab, Chatot ducked and it smashed straight through the wall instead. Kabutops grunted but was unable to pull itself free. Chatot carved an X into Kabutops and nearly tore his arm out from the blow, knocking him flying as spittle flew into the air.

Kabutops landed with a crash and gasped. "W-wait," he said, forcing a scythe into the ground to help pull himself up. "We can talk."

Chatot pointed a wing at Kabutops. "I don't want to see you ever again," he hissed. "Now leave."

"I see," Kabutops said as he glanced to Omastar. Having pulled himself from the wall, he began to aim for Chatot. "Our duo deigns to your demand."

"D-"

"CHATOT!" Rai screamed, charging forward lighting with electricity. Face freezing in apoplectic fury, Rai blasted the omastar with enough electricity to send it through the dungeon wall, shattering the wall in a torrent of rock and electricity.

Kabutops took his shot. Chatot's eyes widened as Kabutops leaped for Rai beside him, scythe raised to cut straight through the exhausted shinx.

The satisfied gleam in Kabutops' eye froze as he was forced to a complete stop.

"No," Chatot breathed. Wing outstretched, hardened with metal, and pierced entirely through Kabutops' abdomen. "You won't hurt anyone ever again."

Kabutops' eyes widened briefly before Chatot yanked his wing back, tearing it from Kabutops. The murderous felon took a single step back before the gaping wound smashed straight through him seemed to click. His eyes went blank and he toppled.

Chatot took several hard breaths before he groaned and dropped to the ground.

Rai's breath came in quick, short, bursts. Not dissimilar from Mane's own. He took a step back, eyes locked on Kabutops' body. His own wound was still trickling blood, but he couldn't even feel it now. The scythe had been inches from his throat.

Sean was completely silent from where he was still kneeling by Mane. The battle had started and ended in just a few minutes, enough time for him to do everything he could.

"Shinx," Sean called. Rai glanced back at the only source of sound besides the dripping and the ringing in Rai's own ears. "Mane has to get back to the guild." He paused, he didn't want to say it, but Mane was almost unconscious now. "If we don't get him in care soon, he will die."

Rai glanced back to Chatot then to Sean. He took a single step forwards.

"RIOLU!" came a high-pitched shriek. "LITLEO!" Sunflora, Dugtrio, Corphish, and Bidoof came sprinting up to them. Not a few seconds later, Wigglytuff, Grovyle, and Chimecho were racing after them as well.

Wigglytuff moved ahead of Chimecho, then Sunflora, and right to Chatot.

Rai sat down and laid on his side, relieved to just sit down to breathe again.

Striker and Chimecho were by Sean's side as Sunflora, Dugtrio, Corphish and Bidoof watched in worry.

"He had his neck slashed by a jet of water," Sean explained as Chimecho began to glow around the bloody sheet and untouched bow. "I don't think it hit the artery, but he's lost a lot of blood. I've stemmed it as best I could, and he ate one oran berry. He needs more help, or he…"

Chimecho nodded, she finished feeling around with Psychic. "He needs to get back to the guild quickly," she said, "or Litleo will most likely die."

"No…" Mane moaned. "I… I've gotta… help… save…" he sighed weakly, each word getting harder.

"Don't speak," Chimecho said softly as Rai found himself on his feet and then by Mane's side. He pressed a gentle paw on top of Mane's.

"You have to be alright, okay?" he asked, Mane cracking his eye open to meet his.

"…okay."

Chimecho felt something and jerked, looking to Wigglytuff. She quickly floated over to where Wigglytuff sat, holding Chatot.

"Guildmaster?" she asked, trying to feel for Chatot. "What…? Oh."

Wigglytuff raised his head, tears matted his face. "He's already gone," Wigglytuff whispered, rocking Chatot's still body back and forth.

All at once, the air was knocked out of the guild's lungs.

Chimecho floated in place, not moving as even the constant breath of the dungeon itself seemed to hitch.

Sunflora slowly covered her mouth.

Bidoof glanced between Wigglytuff and Chimecho, not understanding. "Wha-what? G-Guildmaster? Ch-Chatot?"

The quiet steps of the final arrivals seemed to boom around yet were unheard. Croagunk and Diglett arrived.

The words of the others were drowned out as a painful droning filled Rai's ears. He blinked. He blinked again. He blinked more. Yet, no matter how much he blinked, Chatot didn't sit up. He didn't squawk in offence or tell them off for speaking such a horrible lie.

The Guildmaster was a prankster, he never took anything seriously, this wasn't something to joke about. This… couldn't be true.

Rai stood and began to walk towards Wigglytuff. He was holding Chatot to his chest, matted with red blood. From where Chatot had fell, a puddle of blood and a line from where Wigglytuff had picked him up.

On Kabutops' scythe, red blood from where he had impaled Chatot and been impaled in kind.

From where he stabbed Chatot.

From where Chatot took the hit for him and delivered a killing blow in kind.

Where Chatot had died. For him.

"No," Rai whispered as his stomach clenched. There was nothing there, but his stomach felt heavy, like he'd swallowed sand and metal. He wanted to vomit, his right forward paw accidentally stepped in the line of red.

Wigglytuff seemed to crumble in on himself as Rai stood in front of him. His tears were streaking down his face, running down his fur, to where Chatot was pressed against his chest. He began to shake violently, arms tightening around Chatot.

"Trill," Wigglytuff whimpered. "I can't do this without you. Trill. Trill. Trill." His voice broke on each word.

"Please no," Rai whispered. His ears were static. The dungeon was laughing. Kabutops was dead. Chatot was dead.

Rai's back legs gave out and he buried his face into his paws. "I'M SORRY!" he screamed, this was his fault.

"It's not your fault," Wigglytuff whispered.

It was. It was. It was. Rai knew it. He knew it was his fault. He shouldn't have been such a big target. He should have attacked Kabutops. He should have done something different.

Rai continued to shake and cry even as Sunflora knelt down with him and hugged him.

Rai felt the Relic Fragment around his neck and wanted to throw it into the ocean.

"You have to go on," Wigglytuff whimpered. Rai looked up. Wigglytuff was still falling apart, unable to even look away from Chatot's still form. "You can't let his sacrifice be for nothing."

Grovyle and Riolu came to his side and Rai slowly got up. He looked back to the guild and they began to walk, Chimecho carrying Mane even as she bowed her head.

Everyone was crying. Bidoof couldn't stand and Sunflora was leading a sobbing Loudred along. Croagunk had covered his face but couldn't cover his tears. Diglett was between Dugtrio's three heads and they were silent with sniffles.

Corphish simply stared blankly ahead.

Tears pricked at Mane's eyes, but he was barely conscious.

Grovyle's eyes were downcast and solemn, but he said nothing. A hand rested on Sean's shoulders, as the riolu bit his lip, shaking as he suppressed his emotions as best he could.

They walked into the final room. It opened up into the ocean, a cove letting in a gentle light. A large replication of the symbol on the relic fragment was engraved on the wall.

Wigglytuff couldn't help but look up, wishing to see Soothe and have her miraculous powers revive Chatot. But even the first time, Chatot had still been alive when he found her here.

Rai lifted the Relic Fragment to an enormous copy of its symbol and the entire room buzzed with some arcane energy. A jet of life burst from the middle of the symbol and across the water, past the horizon.

Moments later, a lapras appeared.

Lapras docked and looked around at the large group. "This is more than I had thought I'd see," he said, looking over everyone. His eyes fell on Wigglytuff. "Oh dear. Is there anything that can be done?"

Wigglytuff shook his head.

Lapras bowed his head. "I am greatly sorry for your loss." His eyes continued roaming, settling on Mane. "And that one?"

"He needs help soon," Chimecho said, voice quiet and hollow. "We've done what we can, but he needs to get back to the guild."

"I see," Lapras said. "I cannot do much, but I can at least preserve them in their states until you return." He breathed out a pair of rings of water before pushing them over. One rotated around Chatot, the other Mane. "Those Aqua Rings will keep them as they are for the time being."

"Thank you."

Lapras turned to the three who stood before him. A grovyle, riolu, and shinx. "I only have so much room, and you three… you three are the ones."

Grovyle nodded and Lapras turned around. "I am the guide to the Hidden Land. I have been expecting someone for some time, so time is of the essence. I… am sorry about what happened here, but you will need to grieve on the trip."

Grovyle leaped on, Sean moved on slower. Rai hesitated. He looked back to the guild, he still felt the weight in his stomach. He still felt that this was his fault. He could still see Chatot leaping in front of him and taking the hit.

"Save the world," Bidoof encouraged, sniffling and hiccupping.

"We'll see you when you get back."

"Be safe."

"Hey, you can do it."

"Do it for Chatot."

Mane cracked an eye open. "Do… everything I would have done," he croaked. "And more. Give them hell, Raigeki."

Rai met Wigglytuff's eyes and the Fairy-type nodded weakly. "He believed in you. We all do." His eyes fell down to Chatot. It almost looked like he was sleeping.

Rai took a breath and climbed onto Lapras' shell, settling next to Grovyle. Lapras cast one last look over to Chatot before setting off at impressive speeds.

"I'm… sorry for the loss of Chatot," Grovyle said, softly. "He was a noble pokémon."

Sean raised his head. "He was a stuffy, cranky, insufferable critic," Sean snapped, voice cracking as tears finally broke to begin streaking down his face. "He was a hero."

That brought the smallest of smiles out in Rai before he turned to look back at the cove of Brine Cave. The guild was departing, having to leave for Mane's sake. Everyone looked back as they disappeared.

Rai didn't speak. Sean didn't speak.

Grovyle watched over them as they drifted into sleep, making sure they didn't slip into the water. Brine Cave was behind them, it had to be behind them.

The Hidden Land was now. The Hidden Land was the future. The Hidden Land was coming.

Despite it, Grovyle looked back to Brine Cave one last time. "A hero indeed," he sighed before nestling down to wait. He had the final gear, he had his will back once Azelf found themselves agreeable to Wigglytuff's overwhelming personality.

But still. He looked back this once.

---

...