"Sean," Striker said, rousing the resting riolu.
Sean yawned and cracked his eyes open, squinting against the sun and coming up to rub his face with his paws. Some water splashed onto his hanging tail and he twitched before leaning over to scoop some up and throw it into his face.
The salt burned and Sean briefly regretted everything.
As Sean carried on, Striker carefully made his way over to Rai. It was about two steps, but his surface was rocking, and he didn't want to fall off.
"Shinx?" Striker asked, giving Rai a poke. Rai frowned and mumbled something, trying to turn over. Thankfully the craterous texture of the shell prevented him from rolling into the water and Sean's groaning helped bring him to consciousness as well.
"W-where?" Rai asked, yawning.
"We are nearing the Hidden Land," Lapras said, having instructed Striker to rouse them. Rai blinked and sat up, remembering where he was.
"Right," he said, quietly. The rest of the memories from the previous day began to hit him and he found he didn't want to look at Striker. Looking at Sean was also unwelcome, so he stared past Lapras' neck instead.
"Is that… what is that?" Rai asked, peering forward to a break in the sky and sea before them. It was minute and difficult to see at first, simply a twist in space, but once one spotted it they could not unsee it.
"Why are the waves twisting?" Striker asked, alarmed at the prospect of something he was not prepared for.
"Do not be concerned," Lapras soothed. "That is the edge of the gap in time. That is the portal through which we will reach the Hidden Land."
"Is this what Spinda meant?" Sean muttered, his eyes mostly free of salt. As Lapras began to speed up, none of the others responded to that.
His fins touching clearer water, all three of his riders jolted with the sudden increase in speed.
"W-Woah," Rai squeaked, clutching on as Lapras began to go faster and faster until his fins began to leave the water.
"Okay," Lapras said, voice steady as the rocking began to get harsher. "Here we go." All three grabbed onto whatever they could to steady themselves.
"I'd advise closing your eyes for a moment," Lapras suggested. Everything began to go white and he closed his eyes before his head touched the ripple in time and space.
"It is safe now," Lapras said and all three opened their eyes carefully.
"Lapras?" Striker gasped. "Is that-"
Sean finished. "The Hidden Land?"
"Yes. This is the Hidden Land. Dialga's domain." He nodded towards where a tower stood before everyone realised there was no ground or sea below them.
Rai jolted as he saw into the abyss. "We're flying?" Rai squeaked, clutching on even harder.
"Is that it…?" Striker muttered.
"No, not flying. I am crossing the sea of time," Lapras answered as they began to approach the landmass. From their vantage point, a great deal of the Hidden Land could be seen.
Mountainous spires jutted from the ground, dotting the landscape with pyramids of danger and adventure. Between the peaks, thick, green, woodlands sprung, carpeting the land in the natural splendour of untamed wilds.
"We're going in," Lapras said. "Hold onto something." He nosed his head down and sped up even further, approaching a part poking out of the landscape, a natural shoreline for the sea of time.
Lapras came to a gentle stop, resting seemingly in mid-air. He swayed a slight amount, moved by an invisible current. Carefully, the three climbed off and onto the floating, but perfectly solid, land.
"Thank you," Sean said, quietly bowing to Lapras.
The transporter smiled at him and bowed back. "There is no need to thank me. I've done what I can."
"What can you tell us of this place?" Striker asked as Rai took a deep breath, smelling the area.
"Very little, I am afraid." Lapras' demeanour changed to a quiet apology. "I have not been any farther than this port. All I can say is that Dialga awaits at the top of Temporal Tower." He nodded again to the floating citadel, still visible even from this point. "And that the Hidden Land exists one perfect second out of sync with the rest of time."
"What does that mean?" Striker pressed. Lapras smiled at him.
"Nothing that can help or hinder your work here," he replied. "It is simply the means of guarding this place. Besides the one specific entrance, it is impossible to find the Hidden Land for it exists one second beyond you and always does."
Striker nodded. "We did truly need the key, then."
Lapras nodded once more, looking to Rai as well as the shinx turned back. "That is one last thing, actually," he added. "The… 'key' unlocks more than just the entranceway. I do not know exactly where or how, but my family has passed down for generations that such an item unlocks the path to Temporal Tower as well in a place I only know as the Old Ruins. Guard it well."
Rai looked to the Relic Fragment, heavy against his neck with the weight of what it took to get it. He nodded. "I'm not losing it," he said, deciding to omit saying again.
Lapras nodded one last time. "Do not dawdle," he instructed, raising himself up. "I will wait for you here, but time is truly of the essence. You must repair Temporal Tower by any means, Dialga may not welcome you in their state, however. I can give you only one piece of advice."
He offered a strict but encouraging look. "Do not fight, you can't defeat Dialga, at least not in time. Distract it and set the Time Gears within their place. That is all I can hope you must do."
"Thank you," all three said and Lapras smiled.
"I wish you a safe journey."
Rai, Sean, and Striker stepped forward, the steady presence of Lapras watching them leave before they were consumed by the dungeon that existed before them.
"There is no doubt in my mind now," Striker said as they entered the dungeon. He looked to Sean, who nodded back.
"There wasn't much, to begin with. Dialga's citadel is the same, so we have been in the future of the Hidden Land before."
"Only that it was connected to the rest of the world," Striker said. "Dialga must have lost control of the defence mechanism."
"Does this matter?" Rai asked, eyes set firmly ahead.
"Yes," Striker answered. "The two of us know the landscape well. While some areas are undoubtedly unfamiliar, many of the dungeons are the same. The one we are within right now was known as the Forest of Woe and is an excellent path to where I believe we need to go."
Sean smiled slightly at the name while Rai gave them a disturbed look. "Fun name for a dungeon," he pointed out.
Striker scoffed, or was it a chuckle? "Aren't they all?"
Rai frowned and turned away, putting his eyes back on the dungeon as something shook.
Or, really, everything shook.
One of them shouted out in alarm as the world shifted, Sean toppled over, and Rai's claws came out to grip the ground. A wall of trees simply crumbled into nothingness as the tremor began to cease.
"What… was that?" Rai gasped. Nothing had attacked them, nothing besides the dungeon itself.
"I do not know," Striker answered, helping Sean up with a grunt. He hadn't fallen over himself, but something had struck his leg and the limb rang with pain.
"Whatever it was," Sean said, breathing fast. "It can't have been good. We better hurry up."
Looking left and right, the trio of time savers began to speed up. Striker concealed any pain in his leg with a smile and they pushed on as pokémon began to appear.
It was most unsettling. From cracks in what passed for walls in this dungeon that led into a null space, creatures materialised.
Some were reaching out, trying to claw their way out. Some succeeded but moved immediately to attack. There was no sense in their minds and no mercy reflected in their eyes.
Striker always struck first, Sean copying a Bullet Seed or Energy Ball to back up his moves. Rai's attacks inflicted the most effect, stunning the enemies with shocks of electricity.
Some stopped completely after Rai blasted them, only staring forward in utter silence until they were either knocked out or the trio had pushed further, leaving upright headstones of pokémon watching them go.
"Do it again!" Striker ordered as attackers formed through the cracks in the walls, or spilled from entrances into the room they were in. Rai nodded and discharged all the electricity he could, blanketing the creatures in a shock wave of energy.
He panted for breath as they ran past, each former attacker simply staring at them as they left.
"What are they doing?" Rai asked, keeping stride with the two bipedal pokémon.
"I don't know," Striker answered, risking a glance back while Sean watched their path. "And I'd rather NOT learn what."
Sean's tassels quivered and he braked to a stop, throwing an arm out that clubbed Striker in the belly. "Watch out!" he yelled, Rai not being blocked in kind.
From the barest crack in the wall, unnoticeable if one wasn't looking for it, a manectric came tumbling through, snarling and spitting.
Rai was pinned as it landed right on him and he let loose the storm in reflex, only for it to be absorbed completely by the manectric.
It tried to bite his throat out, but Striker grabbed its head in time and wrenched it away as Sean slammed his palm into its side and something exploded with force.
The manectric was thrown into the wall and it cracked its head and went down. All three of them watched it warily, but it didn't get up.
"Here," Sean said, extending a paw for Rai. Rai just stood up on his own power.
"Thank you," he said, bowing his head.
Striker began to move forward. "Let's continue," he said, before nodding to Sean. "Good work, Sean. Keep an eye out for any more."
Sean nodded as Rai's face screwed up slightly. "I felt it coming," he said, flicking one of his tassels. Striker nodded happily and they continued on.
"I wish Sea-Scout was here," Rai said, quietly. He quickly pinched his mouth closed, he hadn't meant for it to slip out.
The other two gave him sad looks of different varieties. Sean a guilty one that lasted only a moment before he looked away, and Striker an emphatic one that met Rai's eyes.
"Yeah."
"We have to keep going. For him."
"Damn," Scout cursed. "You win again. How are you doing this?"
"Heh," Sableye chuckled, scratching out the board. "Guess I'm just a master at this."
They had played Tic-Tac-Toe with some difficulty for a while so far. Scout had won the first game and then about one out of every seven games since then. He was visibly flustered but clearly doing his best to keep his cool.
"Okay. I'm going first. Circle in the middle."
They played again, with the sableye managing yet another upsetting victory.
"I blame this entirely on having a concussion," Scout defended as Sableye laughed at him. "Fine. Can we try a different game? I saw you playing, uh, 'Grass-Fire-Water' earlier? How do you play that?"
It was tricky having nubby paws and not the spindly finger-claws of the sableye and he was forced to go Grass more often than not. Which Sableye took delighted advantage of.
He gave up and switched back to some variations on Tic-Tac-Toe that he could think of. 4 in a row on a bigger board, even moving onto 5 in a row that took time to scratch out to have a field big enough.
Through the dim lighting and his restraints, Scout couldn't see the board quite well and could only direct Sableye as best as he could, from the constant giggles he wondered if Sableye was cheating but didn't say anything.
He instead blamed the lighting, and the concussion, which continued to make Sableye giggle. Adding in some passive-aggressive remarks and humorous anecdotes continued to raise his warden's mood.
"Yeah, Sean with his big long fingers was always the best at playing the Turn Your Head and Cough game, but no one really liked playing that."
Thankfully, Sableye didn't always understand the drivel he was putting out.
His reproachful tone when recounting stories that didn't happen were enough to make the thing giggle.
"Five in a row!" Sableye crowed, raising its arms victoriously. Scout peered at him suspiciously but quickly sighed and bent his head.
"Gah, dammit. I'd ask who taught you, but it was me."
"I don't need no teaching," Sableye proclaimed, pointing a claw at itself. "I've always been the smartest of the pack."
"Really now?"
"That's right."
"What's two plus two?"
"Four."
"Dammit."
Scout got a sneaky gleam in his eye. "What's one plus one?"
"Trick question."
He was genuinely surprised at Sableye catching that one. Scout sighed theatrically and tried to storm off, but the chain caught and he landed on his belly.
Sableye giggled but was a little more worried this time. More of a nervous titter. "Don't hurt yourself. Master Dusknoir wouldn't be happy about that."
"Sometimes I forget," Scout sighed and pulled himself up. His right arm was still stinging between moments of numbness.
"Well, what do you want to do now?" Sableye asked, bored again. "Wanna try and break my streak?" it asked eagerly. Board, or dirt, games were much more enjoyable than sitting around in monotony.
"Maybe later," Scout replied. "I'm really hungry."
"Yeah, me too."
Scout nodded. He was aware, most of Sableye's own stories had related to food in some way.
"Well, what's there to eat?" he asked, meeting its diamond-covered eyes.
"The Master feeds us at allotted times," Sableye replied, sounding a little unsure of himself. "I don't know where it comes from. I've tried to learn, but he threatened to break my fingers and skip me out for lunch one day."
The second comment disturbed Sableye more than the finger-breaking threat that turned Scout's stomach a little. He knew Dusknoir had a goodness deep inside but that seemed genuinely cruel.
"I have food," Scout replied, easily. He glanced around, his bag wasn't there. "It's in my bag… ah dammit, did that fall through the portal?" He already knew he didn't have it, he was really hoping it had since he had the fragment in there.
"Sure did," Sableye replied. Scout avoided looking too relieved.
"I'm really hungry," Scout said, meeting Sableye's eyes again. Part of him thanked his lucky stars he was adorable enough to get his companions to reteach him moves, and even more lucky that his body remembered even if his mind didn't.
At least, he assumed it was working. He had gotten Night Slash down fairly well and even Shadow Ball had been easy even though he had to watch his blood dissolve dozens of times over a couple of hours.
Celebi had said he got something out of his attempt with her.
"Dusknoir probably wouldn't want me starving," he added again to try and push. He was getting a little nervous now. Were the diamonds interfering or had Celebi just been bored of sitting around?
"Yeah! Yeah. Yeah…" Sableye glanced at the door. "Yeah. I'll be back."
Scout breathed a sigh of relief as it disappeared. As much as he would like to try, the chains were unbearably thick, and he'd nearly shattered his claws breaking the thinner ones. He would not be able to break these ones.
Even if he had, going out alone would be a dire mistake. Once was too many.
So, for now, he had to keep at it.
Sableye appeared again quickly, panting and unsettled.
"I should NOT have gone," it said, and Scout cursed inwardly. Sableye did, however, have a bag. "Master said not to let you out of my sight."
"I'm still here," he said, lazily, as if it was no big deal. "And hey! Since you brought me some food, how about we share!"
"Share?" Sableye asked, looking down at the bag in confusion as if he was wondering why it was there. "Share what?"
"Whatever you've brought," Scout said and almost immediately Sableye was drooling. "You, uh… like apples?"
"Yes."
"Well." Scout suppressed a smile and gestured. "Pull one out."
Sableye didn't need telling twice. Already, he was moving on from his earlier panic. Food was on the mind now."
It took the brief moments of a skilled forager to retrieve the apple. Sableye broke it in half and offered out the bigger half.
"I'm not THAT hungry," Scout protested. "And you're bigger than me."
"Why are you being so nice?" Sableye asked, getting suspicious. It did pull the larger half back and offer the smaller one through. Scout couldn't quite reach it, so it took some careful steps closer.
His paws were still bound, so Sableye had to awkwardly hang it in the air until he was able to bite into it and pull back. The apple was munched, juice spilling down as he awkwardly tried not to drop it into the dirt. Took some time.
"Why shouldn't I be nice?" Scout asked once he dropped the apple, feeling like not addressing the question would only ruin what was being fostered already.
"You're a captive," Sableye pointed out, "I know Master Dusknoir likes you and wants you safe, for some reason, but you're still trapped here, taken from everyone you were with before. You definitely didn't want to be here. Or play games with me."
"You didn't put me in here," he said, looking sadly down at most of the apple. He was, in fact, quite hungry so he shelved his thoughts and bent down to eat it off the floor. Once another few bites were down, and Sableye also ate his half, he continued.
"You're nice to me, it'd be rude to be, well, rude back."
Sableye gave him a funny look at being called nice. He recalled schooling the meowth completely in games of wit and skill. Although, he considered, he wasn't torturing or taunting him.
Well, a little bit of taunting, but perfectly friendly stuff.
Beating him so badly could maybe be constituted as torture, certainly sounded like it without context.
Yet, they shared some laughs, that was what counted, Sableye decided.
"Have you ever had a gummi," Scout said, totally smoothly.
Sableye shivered. "Yes," he literally moaned. "It was the best thing ever. Can't believe the past gets stuff like that."
"Yeah," Scout agreed easily. "They sold them at Treasure Town, we'd treat ourselves occasionally."
"You could BUY them?"
"Treasure Town," he answered, before shrugging. "Can get anything there."
"Oh." Sableye looked crestfallen. Scout began to feel a little bad, his captor almost looked ready to begin weeping the kinds of tears recounted in ballads.
Maybe this would be told in odes to glory if he played this right.
"I know a way to the past," he said as plainly as he could. No simpering tone or smooth silky tenor. Plain speech, bold and brash.
Sableye was immediately back on guard. "Oh, no-no-no," it said, stepping back. "I'm not falling for any tricks."
"Not a trick," Scout replied. "I've been to the past and I know… what… yeah three different ways back here. Although one is the stupidest thing ever and the other might be a bit tricky. The third way, however, that'd be easy."
"I don't wanna hear this!" Sableye snapped, stepping further back. "You're gonna spin something! I knew you were too nice!"
"Did I play my hand too soon?" Scout feared, but it was too late to back down now. "I'm not asking you anything," he said, which was true for the moment. Part of him wondered when he'd gotten so comfortable with technical truths. "Just pointing out something."
"You're not gonna trick me!"
"Like how there are no gummi's in this time."
"Yo-" Sableye froze. "Th-that don't mean nothing to me," he said, weakly, as his stomach rumbled. "That also means nothing."
"I know the way," Scout continued, speaking brightly. "I even know how you could escape. Dusknoir wouldn't really notice you gone, would he?"
Sableye continued to hesitate, but he did answer a direct question. "Probably not… the others though… big meanies, but…"
It continued to look unsure, but that was leagues better than adverse. "Well think of it this way," Scout said. "Dusknoir told you to keep an eye on me, right? If I'm leading the way, you won't be letting me out of your sight. It's not like I can do much with my arms tied behind my back like this."
"You're just telling me what I want to hear!" Sableye retorted.
"So, you do want more gummi's?"
Sableye cursed to himself. "Damn right I do! All that fresh food and tasty stuff, I wish I'd never-" It stopped short, swallowing saliva. Scout decided that backing off was better for now, and let it come to its own decisions.
They waited in silence. Silence long enough for sounds to begin rattling around in their heads, veins whispering and each blink beginning to hiss out words.
Scout considered asking for another game of five in a row when Sableye broke the silence.
"How?" it asked, very quietly but perfectly audible in the silence of the future. "How would you… go back?"
Scout smiled, this one he couldn't help. "There are three main ways," he answered. "One is silly, Dialga." Sableye shivered. "Second is difficult, Celebi." Sableye shook his head. "The third, however, that one is easy."
"What?" he questioned again.
"The Dimensional Hole that Dusknoir is using, of course!" he said happily. "I guess it's kinda Dialga, but we don't need to go anywhere near Dialga. Just need to get to the opening and jump back to the past.
"How do you know where that is?" Sableye demanded. This was the kink in Scout's plan. He had only the vaguest of ideas, knowing that the dimensional holes pathway was through time and space. Going from Treasure Town and they landed in the Hidden Land.
He did, however, remember where Dusknoir's Dimensional Hole exited Dusknoir, the sableye, and Grovyle.
He had an idea of it, at least.
"Dusknoir was muttering his plans when he thought I was unconscious," Scout replied. "He says a lot under his breath, I noticed."
"Where is it?" Sableye asked. Scout gave him a smile.
"Ever heard of Barren Valley?" he asked. Sableye's gem-encrusted eyes lit up.
"Yes."
"The portal is around there."
Sableye nodded, looked at him, and hesitated again. "I…" Scout waited. "I don't know. If we get caught, Master Dusknoir will probably not be happy."
"If it comes down to it," Scout said. "I'll back you up. Say I tricked you while you blend in with the others. He can't tell the difference between you all, I noticed?"
"Yeah, that's right. I… I dunno. This is crazy."
Scout met his eyes again. It was risky to try Hypnosis again. "You've been to the past before," he said softly. "Don't you remember how wonderful it was? Dusknoir would not even notice you're gone, and even if he did and decided to chase you he'd never find you in the past. It's safe, much safer than here. I… I just want to be with my friends."
"You want to change the past," Sableye grumbled.
"And how much help was I?" Scout replied, only mostly self-loathing. He sighed. "I knew stuff and I didn't tell anyone. Keeping secrets is what led to all this. Yes, I want to go back to the past, but so do you, right?"
It was silent. His claws itched.
Only those who with hearts most shrivelled by the darkness had refused in the game. The sableye changed too, didn't they?
"R-right."
Scout breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. "Okay! I can get us both to the past, but we have to work together. Neither of us can do this alone, we need to work as a team."
"Well… what do I have to do?" Sableye asked.
"Just take off the cuff," Scout replied, kicking out the leg in question. "You can keep me bound if you want, it will mean you'll be doing most of the fighting though, we'll mostly be running away from enemies."
"I'm great at running away!"
"Me too!"
Sableye nodded and stepped closer, awkwardly. "Uh… okay, step back." Scout complied and Sableye nervously came into the cell. He could see, now that they were closer, small dark points within the gems of its eyes, flitting about nervously.
There was no key, but Sableye was able to carve through the old metal with only a little bit of cursing. He would have damaged Scout's own leg, but the Ghost-type moves used just passed harmlessly through.
Once it was down, Sableye stepped back, nervous again. Scout just smiled thankfully at it and it gave him a shaky nod.
"Could I carry the bag?" Scout asked, stepping out of the cage. "Just to be a little useful on the move."
Sableye helped get it onto his shoulder and Scout nodded to him. "Alrighty then. First, we'll need a map. Also, I'm not sure about calling you Sableye." He didn't want to ask for an actual name, so he suggested one himself. "Mind if I call you Danny?"
The sableye blinked. "I've never had a name," he replied, a shadow of a pout crossing its face. "Except for the others calling me hungry and glutton and fatty. You can call me anything other than that."
"Danny then." Scout nodded and Danny gave a hesitant nod back.
"What does it mean?"
"It's a human name," Scout answered as they began to move. Quietly, even though this entire building was currently uninhabited. Shadows still moved and their eyes fixated on every dangerous surface. "It means whatever you want it to mean."
"Even awesome?"
"Even 'the Great and Powerful."
Danny grinned a sharp-toothed smile.
"I like that."
"I don't like this! I don't like this!"
"This… isn't really working," Scout wheezed as they ran for the umpteenth time.
As it turns out, when being led by a cowardly sableye who fought only in overwhelming numbers it was not wise to believe things would be smooth sailing.
To further compound the issue, his arms and tail were still tied down, preventing Scout from helping in battle at all. He really didn't want to try a Hypnosis on these wretches creatures.
As the shrivelled cherry on this sundae of disappointment Scout wasn't entirely confident he was even leading them on the correct path.
He had an idea, but it was flimsy at best. He had a plan, but his arms were tied, and every opponent was a monstrous being that needed to be avoided.
"How… far… have we… gone?" Scout gasped as they once again evaded something better left alone.
Danny gave him a worried look. Meowth was really not looking great and he hadn't fought at all. "Hey, uh… are you okay?"
"Fine," Scout replied, failing to catch his breath. "I'm fine." He nodded, managing to speak two words without gasping.
Danny looked unconvinced. "Are you su-"
Something screeched from behind him and Danny screamed, vaulting over Scout as something with pincers and far too many legs swiped out from above them.
Scout jerked from the screech and Danny's sudden movement but spotted the ariados as it descended upon them, poison drooling from its mandibles.
It lashed out with a leg and Scout saw his chance. He leapt up and twisted around, exposing the bindings to its attack. He yelped out as the strike cut into his back, and also found agony ringing through his right arm as the rope tying his arms together was shredded.
On the ball of his paw, Scout spun around lashing out with a Night Slash and cut into the ariados' face. It reeled back, screeching, and he took this opportunity to run after Danny.
He bolted over a web spat at him and continued running, feeling wetness drip down his back from where he had been slashed.
"Danny?" he called, hoping the sableye would hear him and hear him quickly. "DANNY?"
He ran from room to room of the dungeon calling out, this attracted undesirable attention as well and what little energy Scout had been able to conserve was being wasted as he ran, leapt, and threw his own blood around to survive.
"DANNY!?" Scout screamed. He turned a corner and-
"Oh, THANK THE LEGENDS!" Danny yelped, scuttering up to him, claws chewed down. "I thought you were behind me! Where did you go? I've been seeing WORDS in my eyes!"
He clung onto Scout. Danny blinked, then realised Scout had gotten out of his bindings. His tail was still strapped to his leg, however. "How did you get out of those!" he gasped, pointing an accusing finger at him.
Scout offered a 'Are you kidding me?' Look until Danny cringed.
"Okay, okay, no funny business."
"We need to stick together," Scout said placatingly.
Danny nodded. "Right, right, right."
It was easier sailing from there, with plenty of running until they exited the horrible non-dungeon, just a regular cursed labyrinth. With Danny's help, they had decided to head to a town close to the Dusknoir Keep to get a better idea of where Barren Vally was.
Emerging from it, they had a straight path to the 'town'.
Scout was nervous, his experience already didn't offer much comfort to places being where they were supposed to be, despite Danny explaining the towns along the Rubblebelt were in a stable area and could be counted on being where they were supposed to be.
It didn't give Scout a whole lot of confidence, however.
They had no other choice.
Barrow Town was a piece of shit by any standard Scout could think up.
"It's pretty normal as far as that goes," Danny offered when Scout voiced that little criticism more politely.
The place was in a few words, a junk town. Built of broken things, the sharp edges sanded down or left as a warning.
The place smelled off, like old garbage drifting along the wind and not a single pokemon offered them a friendly look.
To Scout who had only remembered the kindness of Treasure Town, a memory that swiftly became bitter as he remembered the way the town just let Dusknoir spin his tail to vilify him, the place was something of a shock.
"I almost prefer it," Scout grumbled, as at least no one came near them. They were strangers and strangers could bring any sort of trouble with them.
Eyes hungrily fell on the bag and Scout tucked it tightly under his arm.
There were no shops designed like pokemon, but there were shopkeepers.
"Listen, bud, we need a map," Danny said, leaning on a counter at an unimpressed sewaddle. "Or a guide or whatever. Barren Valley, you know the place?"
"What do you got to trade for that information?" Sewaddle asked.
Scout opened his mouth to offer any number of things but Danny caught him before he could. "For a map or guide, not just if you know there is one?" Danny said clearly.
Sewaddle sneered a little at him and rolled his eyes. "What do you have?"
Danny nodded to Scout who unveiled a few things they'd taken with them. Some food, a good sharp spike, and a precious orb.
Sewaddle's eyes immediately lit up on the orb. "That'll do nicely."
"Now." Danny snatched it before a web could tug it away. "The map first."
They stared at each other, but unblinking diamond won out and Sewaddle ducked below for a few moments, coming up with an ancient piece of leather that looked ready to crumble to dust.
He slid it over, the orb was pushed in return, and Danny unravelled it to make sure the map was legit. As he had no idea where Barren Valley was, he was really banking on the hope that the speed of which Sewaddle procured it would mean it was real.
Although, at the same time, the age implied it could be from before time collapsed.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Danny said smoothly, Scout watching the whole exchange with a measure of respect for the sableye. Sewaddle quietly stashed the spike that he'd snatched while neither was looking.
"You did that well," Scout said, impressed at Danny and clearly showing it.
It stoked his ego as well and Danny grinned. "Well, we should get going soon. We're not far from the boss's joint and someone here might recognise either one of us. Me would be worse."
Sewaddle, who had recognised Danny immediately and sent out a silent warning, made sure to retreat from the town square as pokemon began to move around them.
Scout and Danny, both sharp and a little paranoid, couldn't help but notice that there were more pokemon than before and that places that didn't have anyone in the way were rapidly beginning to close.
"Danny?" Scout said calmly.
"Yeah?"
"We might need to run."
"Yeah."
They shared a brief look and that was the signal. They bolted, moving with the speed and agility of nimble felons undertaking a grand heist.
Scout made sure to zip through Sewaddle's shop and snatch the spike he thought he could steal while neither of them were looking.
"Hey!"
"That's one of the crony sableye!"
"I knew that meowth was a traitor!"
Danny launched into Scout as attacks began to be flung, zipping them through a shadow. A movement so rapid it felt like they had fallen through a curtain before they tumbled through the other side of a building.
"Come on," Danny hissed, tugging him up and keeping them going. They ran until the townsfolk were beginning to lag behind.
Still though.
"Danny," Scout gasped, his strength flagging. He had ups and downs, surges of energy that soon faded leaving him even more drained than before. He wasn't sure where the boosts were coming from, but it was wearing his body down and he could no longer breathe comfortably, panting all the time.
"We gotta keep going," Danny said, almost dragging him along by his uninjured arm.
"I. Need. Stop," Scout pleaded, tripping and staggering.
Danny didn't stop them moving, both of their ribs were showing as they both fought for breath. Scout wasn't the only person who went hungry in the Dark Future.
There were no clouds overhead, yet thunder still rumbled.
"There they are!" A villager had spotted them, and both of them groaned and tried to push on.
"You're not getting awAH!"
It was not thunder rumbling, but lightning striking.
A burst of white light nearly blinded Scout as a lightning bolt struck down, causing floating rocks to fall and smash into the ground, forming a barrier and forcing the pursuers to stop, at least for the time being.
Danny looked around, stunned that could even have happened. Scout had huddled into a ball when the lightning struck, trying to block out the pain.
Danny alone was stunned at what he saw.
A luxray stood tall and proud, golden eyes glaring down at them as something smaller, purpler, slipped off its back.
"About time we found you," the speaker, not the luxray, said.
Groaning as his vision swam, Scout gasped in pain as something picked him up and he tried to struggle but was shushed. "Don't thrash, you'll hurt yourself."
He groaned, still trying to pull away from the voice, trying to open his eyes and keep them open.
"Who are you?" came Danny's snappy voice and it sounded threatening. Scout whimpered.
"A friend," the voice said, Scout was jolted as he was moved and he hissed on reflex. Something tapped his head and he whimpered again before a feeling like someone had blown the mist out of his brain ran through him.
His vision cleared and he found himself eye-to-eye with warm brown eyes set on a white-furred face. Purple fur crowned it, leading out to a pair of curly horns.
He barely recognised the pokemon, it was a little beyond his knowledge but Rai had pointed out pokemon he didn't know before.
"Uh…?"
"You awake?" the indeedee asked him. He nodded. "Good." She, it was a she the voice was unmistakable, set him down and straightened up.
Danny joined him to stare in confusion at their sudden saviour, neither knowing what to say.
"You can start with 'You're welcome'," she said with almost a scoff.
"Who?" Scout managed.
"Why?" Danny continued.
Indeedee gave a sigh of someone with not a lot of time and a lot of things to do. "Celebi sent us," Danny tensed as Scout relaxed. "I was the only one close enough when she sent out a call for help while this one was prowling around slightly more mad than he already is. I'm surprised to see you two, but I can roll with this."
"Wait," Scout asked. "Celebi sent you?"
"Yes," she said, annoyed.
"How?"
"Psychic-types," she replied, turning around. "Look, we can talk on the way. I know what's going on, I hear you're suffering a bit of brain damage so I'll be brief."
She had come down to the alcove they had reached to pull them up, the luxray wasn't moving, just staring.
"The Planetary Investigation Team is more than just the four of you. Celebi has been gathering allies for years now, we help keep an eye on Dialga and Dusknoir while you guys hunted down the way to change the past."
"W-Why didn't she say anything?" Scout demanded. "And who is this?" he added, not quite looking at the luxray.
It growled a little at him.
Indeedee silenced him with a look. "You already know this, Meowth. You just clearly don't remember it. Celebi threw this one at me, said she fished him out of Treasure Town and that 'He's not one of those no-good spooks now play nice and do it' and other things I didn't listen to."
Danny was frowning deeply. "So, that's how they were always ready for us," he grumbled.
Scout tried to shake this confusion off. "Well, okay fine! We can use the help. We need to get to Barren Valley!" Indeedee paused at that. "There's a portal back in time there, I need to get there."
Indeedee raised an eyebrow at him, measuring him up for a moment.
"Hm. So, you convinced the sableye to help you?" He nodded. "That's impressive, I'll give you that. Alright, you two clearly cannot survive on your own. I'll give you a hand to get there. We, I suppose." She looked to Luxray.
Scout was grateful but Danny was less trusting.
"What's in it for you?" he asked suspiciously.
"A better world," she replied easily.
The ease of the retort threw him for a moment but he added. "W-Well, why should we believe you? Anyone could say Celebi sent you! And what's with Mr Quiet over here, why ain't he speaking?"
He gestured erratically at Luxray who growled again.
Scout looked again and glanced away. "Treasure Town?" he whispered.
Indeedee, clearly frustrated took a breath to calm the air. "Alright," she said, sounding a little more gentle. "I understand that this is not a situation anyone wants to be in. But aren't you due for some good luck? I am here to help you, considering the state you two are in if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't bother playing around, now would I?"
"I'd beat your ass," Danny grumbled, nibbling on one of his claws anxiously.
She smiled. "I'm sure you would."
Scout gathered his nerve and met Luxray's eyes.
It stared back. "You took it," he said, darkly.
Scout swallowed and nodded.
"Where?"
"In the past now," he admitted. Luxray growled something, Indeedee pressed a hand on its back and surprisingly Luxray soothed.
"Then the past," he said decisively.
"Looks like he's willing to help," Indeedee said. "Come along. We can't be wasting time."
Danny slowly wilted. "Fine, but I'm not happy about it."
"It's fine," Scout assured him. "She's here to help."
"No one is nice for no reason," Danny grumbled.
"I told you my reason," Indeedee retorted.
"Why would you care?" Danny pressed. "About the past? I know what I'm doing this for and him, but you?"
She levelled him with an old, old look. "Because I still remember what that life is like," she said simply. He fell silent, as did Scout. "Come along, I haven't come this far for nothing."
They quickly scuttled after her, suddenly a lot safer as neither of them was much of a fighter but by the display, this one was more than capable.
With Indeedee and Luxray in front of them, the push to Barren Vally suddenly became significantly easier.
She took the map in hand and began to lead them, mapping out a deadly path through several choice dungeons.
"These should cut down our time by days no less," she said as Danny complained about the unholy danger they were walking into.
"And cut our life expectancy to minutes!" Danny retorted.
"You just sit on Luxray's back if you're concerned," Indeedee said pleasantly.
"No."
Scout found himself closer to Danny than anyone else. Indeedee spared little attention towards them unless Danny was complaining, besides making sure they were still there. And Luxray….
He couldn't even begin.
How was he here? What luck was this?
He had to know.
"Uh… hey, uh. Luxray?"
Luxray looked at him. "Why'd you leave the town?"
"Look," Luxray responded. It, or he, was a mon of few words.
"F-For me?"
"Treasure."
Hearing that word, even in a voice so different, stung Scout's heart. It really… really could be, couldn't it?
Indeedee glanced back. "You know this guy?" she asked bluntly.
Scout jumped. "How did you do that?"
"Do you know what I am?" she asked.
"Uh…?"
"Indeedee subsist on emotions," she explained, looking back and mind blasting a shambling terror. "Primarily gratitude." She was even thinner than they were, and Luxray was mangey, so that immediately said a lot. "But I can sense the rest of it too, that's how we found you. Followed the panic. At the moment you feel a nervous nostalgic trepidation and it's really pressing against my senses."
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry."
Danny was already looking dizzy at the explanation being rambled at them.
"I'm still alive, it's whatever. But back to mine."
Scout looked to Luxray who held no glimmer of recognition. "R-Rai?" he uttered, soft as a dying whisper.
Luxray didn't respond.
"I can't do this," Scout said, the tension in his voice suddenly snapping. Danny froze as he heard it, a sound he'd heard before. A sudden crippling of an ability to cope before someone panicked and ran off into the wilderness and died to their own insanity.
Clearly, Indeedee heard it as well as when Scout tried to bolt her arm snapped out and he was caught in a translucent psychic grip. "Stop that," she snapped as Scout began to hyperventilate.
Danny began to chew his claws down again as Luxray was left fending off monsters around them.
Scout yelped as the grip intensified, causing joints to pop and making him struggle harder. "We're not dealing with breakdowns," she grunted, restraining him firmly. They pressed on, breaking into a sprint to get to the end of the dungeon.
And once they were there, she ordered Luxray and Danny to stay together as she dragged Scout off.
He finally broke free and ran into a frozen tree, smacking weakly against it and hyperventilating so hard his vision went spotty and he dropped to the ground.
"Are you okay?" she asked tiredly.
It was the wrong thing to ask. "Am I OKAY?" Scout screamed. "NO! GO AWAY!"
"I can't," she replied, unmoved by the vortex of emotion pouring out of him. "You'll go crazy… although I am questioning if I'm too late. Is this really the time to break down into a crisis?"
Scout was back to hyperventilating on the ground.
They waited over painful seconds until she sighed and her hand came down onto his head. Just as before, the fog was blown out of his brain and his thoughts were snapped into sudden clarity.
It did not feel good to swing back so hard though and Scout gave a pained sound, sinking into a boneless heap on the ground.
He sniffled.
She rubbed her face. "Great," she sighed a ragged, tired, sigh before hoisting her head up. "Okay, we gotta talk this through," she said, trying to sound gentle.
"...what's the point?" Scout asked. "What's the point? I can't do anything that'll matter."
She frowned at him, disturbed by the defeat in his voice. "I can recount a few reasons why that is patently untrue," she said.
"It's true," Scout continued, becoming eerily calm. "I'm not supposed to be here. There. Or anywhere. I'm just some sort of outlier. They'll save the world, I'll disappear and that'll be that. Dialga won't revive me, and neither will Arceus. I only made things worse for everyone. I-"
"Enough," she snapped. "I am not enduring a pity party for the sake of you getting your feelings out. You're in a crisis, fuck we all are. That team of yours dared to change the world and actually follow through, that's why I am helping you. Not to sit through you whimpering about… ergh." She tensed her jaw and took a breath.
"Okay, that's not helpful," she said. "I'm getting frustrated. I'm sorry." She sat down, crossing her legs to join him on the ground, in the shadow of a frozen tree.
She stared at it for a while, drawing his eyes to it as well. Perfectly frozen in the middle of a light breeze, frozen forever with everything being brushed back.
"...in a place like this, you give up," she began softly. "The world is ruined. Destroyed even. The only things that are left are the ruins of what was before and, worse yet, reminders of everything we don't have. These frozen trees, lakes, towns. It shows the people living here what the world should be like but isn't."
She shook her head. "It's hard to go on like that. People endure, we survive as best we can but… it's not a place many grow old in. If the dark and the cold doesn't get to you, the loneliness does. It turns you mad and so many people walk out into the wilderness, knowing or at least hoping that the madness will take the pain away."
"It doesn't. They're still pokemon. I can still sense what they are feeling. It isn't peace, it's the opposite. I tell people that, and it's like the last bit of 'hope' they had is gone. It'll only be pain until they die. That's what living here is like."
Scout was quiet for a while, almost to the point the silent madness began creeping in.
"You said you remember what that life was like?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm old. Dunno how old, just Old. I remember the world as it used to be, the people as it used to be. I guess that is what keeps me going." She chuckled a little. "Kept me going. Thought I was out of hope until Celebi came sniffing around, speaking of a plan to turn the clock back."
She shook her head. "Not everyone gets it at first. That changing time means everything here being gone. Some people, like the dream ruler, crave the company this world forces. The people who do understand what will happen welcome it. Knowing that their sacrifice might help bring the light they can see frozen back? It's worth it."
Scout had sat up but was still looking down.
"You've seen the past, kid. Don't you reckon it's worth fighting for?"
"But… what can I even do?"
She stood up, offering a hand for him to take. "Doesn't matter what you can do. What can I do? I can get you there. What can the villagers do? They can get you there. What can Sean and Grovyle do? Maybe they can fix it, but they can't do it alone. It doesn't matter what you can do, as long as you do something."
He stared at her for a moment longer and then took her hand.
"...thank you, Indeedee."
She smiled. "This awful time has made me a bitch but I'm a little nicer in the past. Hey, if you ever need help, go to a place called Blackstone Village. I was the mayor of that little place, call me Core and I'll listen to anything you have to say, okay?"
His eyes widened at Core and she gave him a slight smirk. He nodded. "I'm Scout."
Her smirk grew. "Careful with giving your name out too easily, who knows what people will think." He flushed for reasons she couldn't know but she could feel the embarrassment radiating off him and laughed anyway.
"RaaaAHHH!" Rai roared, laying the last two sableye to the realm of sleep with a Thunderbolt.
Dusknoir had jumped them at the Rainbow Stoneship but Rai, Sean, nor Striker were going without a fight.
A sneaky sableye may have snagged the Relic Fragment off Rai and tossed it into the portal, but they were still fighting with everything they had.
The battle had gone better than expected. The sableye weren't in the greatest of shape and were easily dispatched with a good hit or two.
Dusknoir was the real problem. Sean and Striker fought him together and they counted on Rai to keep the sableye at bay.
He took one down with one shot, it giving just a soft meep before it collapsed. The others turned on him, but that was the plan.
Rai picked them off one by one as Striker grappled with Dusknoir. Arms seeping with solidified energy clashed with Dusknoir's shadow-burning fists with Sean taking potshots by copying Rai's own electrical attacks.
With the sableye done, Rai turned back to see what he could do to help. At first, however, he stared at the three.
He had looked up to Dusknoir so much. He had looked up to Grovyle as well. Grovyle had earned forgiveness, but Dusknoir had taken Scout from him twice.
With eyes narrowing, Rai built up electricity, charging as much as he could.
Sean spotted his action and nodded as Striker leapt back. They fired twin Energy Balls at Dusknoir, colliding with the sensitive eyes on his stomach and causing him to flinch.
With his angle clear, Rai discharged everything he could into Dusknoir, shocking him with everything he was worth.
Dusknoir shook from the electricity coursing through him but didn't make any sound. He endured, he pushed himself clear, and the battle continued.
With Rai in the mix, things were harder and easier. Rai was rash and unpredictable. Dusknoir was able to grab the shinx more than once, but with a shock or a sudden Bite, he was forced to release him before he could toss him into the future.
Striker was predictable, but easily the most powerful. And Dusknoir knew his opponent could predict his own actions as well. They were a dance of power and pressure, determination vs perseverance. Striker's body constantly glowed with the power of Overgrow, it had the entire push through the Hidden Land and he had to be overtaxing his body.
Striker knew that he would not survive the day one way or the other and gave it all that he had.
As Dusknoir slammed his hands in a clap, with Striker's head in the middle, Striker uppercut him with arms shining with Power and cutting grey holes in his body.
Sean was the least of his problems on his own, but with his bothersome capacity to duplicate everyone's moves, he was an outstanding nuisance. From doubling up with an attack or matching Guardian's own moves with weak, but strong enough, copies, he found himself slowly, but surely, being pushed back.
Striker was breathing hard and Guardian met his eyes with his own for a moment. Striker was grinning, his chest heaving. This was almost like old times when they would push themselves to be as strong as they could, all to make sure they would both be strong enough to save the world.
Save the world.
Dusknoir flinched, and Scout's words hit him all over again. His eye flicked up, to where the sun danced in the sky rather than being locked in place forever.
He hesitated.
And took a triple attack for his troubles.
"GWOAH!" Dusknoir roared as everything went black and then white. "Oooh…" he groaned, staggering forward as his wispy end almost fluttered away completely. He began to sag in the air.
Scout flashed through his mind again.
Dusknoir collapsed to the ground.
"We… we did it?" Rai gasped, sitting down in relief.
"I," Dusknoir seethed, pressing a hand flat on the ground to push himself back up. "NO! I REFUSE TO LOSE!"
Rai yelped and got back up as the sableye all gathered around Dusknoir, glaring angrily at them. A pulse of power burst from Dusknoir, blowing his three enemies back.
"Gaah, dammit," Striker groaned, trying to pull himself up.
"Guardian," Sean growled.
"No," Rai sighed, blinking the disorientation out of his eyes.
"You think you could win, devils who would end the world?" Dusknoir snapped, rising up. "I am the saviour, you are the destroyers!"
"Erk." Rai got back to his feet and not listening. "We WON'T give up."
"That's right," Striker said, pulling Sean up as well. "You are delusional, Guardian."
"Scout wouldn't want this, Guardian," Sean said softly.
They both said his name.
"Your determination is admirable," Dusknoir admitted as the mouth on his stomach began to move. "But your will can never match mine." His stomach mouth opened up, revealing a gaping void.
"His stomach!" Rai squeaked, getting bad memories of the time he was in there.
"He's going to use Shadow Ball," Sean cursed, in their state Dusknoir's full power would be a mortal blow.
Energy began to form, and the world began to shake. Whether it was from another tremor or because Dusknoir's power was so mighty, no one was sure.
"The stomach mouth," Striker hissed.
"The eyes were always sensitive," Sean added.
"We have to force everything we have down there," Rai finished.
The other two glanced at him and nodded.
Black tendrils of energy coalesced into vantablack as Dusknoir's Shadow Ball grew larger and larger.
"NOW!" Dusknoir roared and the sableye moved, surprising the three.
They had all tried to strike the Shadow Ball, which had yet to be fired. Shadows from each of the sableye stretched forward rapidly as their moves were lost into the growing strength of the Shadow Ball, striking through them and snaring their legs.
"It's OVER!" Dusknoir bellowed before roaring out and blasting the behemoth of a Shadow Ball at them.
It was almost inconceivable at how large it was, Rai was sure Dusknoir had said something about there being a certain size range for the move and this was CERTAINLY not keeping to those rules.
That was it. "NOW!" Rai screamed, just leaping ahead. With no other options, Sean and Grovyle did too, striking out with limps and heads to strike the oversized Shadow Ball.
Due to its size, it did not explode on impact. Instead, it bounced back at Dusknoir.
"WHEH!" a sableye leapt forward and managed to pull Dusknoir out of the way, sending the Shadow Ball into the portal and away from now.
With their legs released, but Dusknoir unharmed, the battle raged on.
"Hey, Scout?" Danny asked as the final leg of their journey was drawing to a close. Luxray was following a smell on the air and Indeedee was coaching him through the intricacies of it.
"Yeah?"
"What do you think the world would be like if it wasn't like this?"
They were walking together, close by of course.
Scout looked at Danny, surprised at the deep question. "...I don't really know. Better than this."
"Yeah." Danny glanced away.
Scout grimaced. "Are you getting cold feet?"
Danny looked back. "Yeah. Is a gummi really worth destroying the world?"
"We're not destroying it," Scout replied softly. "We're changing it."
"Why change the world if you're not around to enjoy it?"
Scout could have spoken of Dialga and Arceus saving everyone, but that was something not even he truly knew would be the case. Instead, he thought about what Striker and Indeedee had said, or were going to say.
"I guess, even if I'm not around anymore I know that what I did mattered in the end. That I made things better, that I helped at least one person. If that's all I can do then it is worth it."
"What about yourself?"
"If I can go to sleep knowing I can be proud of myself. And never wake up. At least I can sleep knowing that."
Danny fell into a thoughtful silence and they walked, listening to Indeedee's quiet narration of the grey rocks around them until she spoke up sharply.
"We're here."
And so they were.
A break in reality, a hole that led to a different time. Rippling like someone had grabbed the seams of the air and pulled it apart to reveal the dark rainbow between the air.
"That's it!" Scout hissed, overjoyed that it had worked. "Oh my god, I can't believe it!"
"You really didn't have any faith in me, did you?" Indeedee said good-naturedly.
Scout chuckled, feeling light and happy again.
Then he was pulled down suddenly, a psychic push as Indeedee hissed, "Get down, someone's coming through."
Back to anxiety.
Sableye began to fall through the portal, in a poor state and running off. Nothing else came and soon Scout popped his head back up. "It's there, we got to go now!"
"You do," Indeedee agreed. He looked to her. "I can't go, you know that, right?"
He blinked at her. "What? Why?"
She smiled at him, a pitying expression really. "I exist in the past already." She looked to Luxray, whose eyes had locked onto something in front of the portal.
He suddenly leapt out, bolting downhill. "TREASURE!" he roared, pouncing on the Relic Fragment.
Scout ran down after him. "Wait! Wait! Wait! We need that!"
Luxray spun on him, snarling dangerously and Scout skidded to a stop. Danny and Indeedee joined him quickly as Luxray crackled with lightning.
"We need that to get to the tower," Scout said weakly. Indeedee nodded and raised her hands, Luxray yelped as a psychic impulse rocked him and Scout cried, "NO! DON'T HURT HIM!"
Indeedee sighed coarsely as Danny jumped into a shadow. "I know it's hard but-"
"No." Scout began to approach Luxray. "Just let me… RAI!" The luxray twitched, and soon the psychic grip was just holding it. "Rai, Rai, Rai. Don't you remember? The treasure. The Relic Fragment. It meant something, remember? You knew it was something special, that it meant something. This is what it means. Please, please, I know you. I know you. You might not know me but I know you."
He came in close, closer, risking getting bitten by bone-snapping jaws. He pressed a paw to its snarling muzzle, risking an electrocution too.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry I took it before. It was dumb, I was dumb. I always am, haha. You might not know it, but I am. We made a team, we joined the guild. We beat Mane and then befriended him. We sat under the stars together, we saw Fogbound Lake and battled Mesprit. You were going to save the world! You still can. I know you can. I can't do much, but maybe I can get the last piece there."
His paws fell around the Relic Fragment, held precariously within Luxray's jaws.
"I shouldn't have just been silent. I should have talked to you. And not just here and now. But always. Please, please, I'm sorry. I can do better. I will do better. I'll say the things I should have already. I just need a chance."
Its eyes were stormy. He couldn't parse any meaning from them.
"Rai?"
His eyes closed, screwing tightly shut. The jaw tensed.
Then it opened.
Just enough for the fragment to be pulled out of his mouth.
Scout remained in front of him. He should run. He knew he should run.
Instead, he hugged the luxray. It was so much bigger than him, mangey fur rubbing coarsely against him. It was big and scary and could kill him in a single movement.
For a moment he thought he felt it lean into him, just a little bit.
"Go," Indeedee called, her voice soft but strong. "Now. Fix the world. You can do it."
Scout let go of the luxray, its eyes were still closed. Danny appeared out of its shadow and nodded. Together, they ran for the portal and leapt through as the Dark Future was swallowed into a starburst of light-light-LIGHT.
Danny had felt brief indecision upon seeing the others, burned and injured, but he was doing this for himself. They didn't need him, they didn't like him. He wanted to live in the sunlight, where things weren't so dangerous, where apples and gummi's existed for all. He wanted to know he did one good thing.
Time tore at Scout reminiscent of the last time he had suffered this, he thought he tasted Danny screaming as they leapt through time, but all his senses were muddled in this area regardless.
Sean's theory of time travel proved true. The more one did it, the easier it became. Scout remained conscious as he was spat out, although highly disorientated.
What he did see and know, however, was Dusknoir trying to hurt someone. His claws turned to black sabres and he lanced forward and impaled Dusknoir with a Night Slash.
Dusknoir roared as something stabbed him from behind. He was a Ghost pokémon and held a hollow body, so the attack merely hurt rather than disabled.
It also held him in place.
"S-Scout?" he asked, seeing who had stabbed him from behind. His belly was open, he was distracted, and so a final combined double Energy Ball and Thunderbolt blasted him from within.
Dusknoir staggered back, Scout's claws losing their Dark energy and returning to normal. Smoke billowed from his belly while grey ooze seeped from multiple points of his body.
"No." Dusknoir weakly shook his head. "I only want to protect you." And collapsed.
As he fell, Sean and Striker saw who was standing behind him.
Sean gasped and Striker's weary eyes widened.
They had no time to say anything, as Rai had already moved.
"SEAN!" he screamed and tackle-hugged Scout. Throwing the meowth on his back, while Rai sobbed into his chest.
"Is he ever going to get our names right?" Sean asked, pouting. His smile couldn't be hidden, however.
"Let him have this one," Striker suggested, also smiling as Rai tearfully licked Scout's face, trying to clean his filthy fur.
Too many tears continued to fall, however, so he had to keep cleaning them away.
Scout lay in something of a daze. Time travel wasn't easy, he wasn't sure how he had even managed to remain standing at first, and all his energy abandoned him afterwards. Then he was on the ground with a familiar weight on his stomach.
The zaps from the tongue slowly began to restart his mind and Scout's heart lurched. He opened his eyes to find Rai crying over him.
Immediately, his arms snapped up, wrapping around Rai in a desperate hug, nearly crushing the shinx against himself.
"Rai?" he asked, voice tinny and fragile.
"You're here," Rai said between fits of sobs. "How? How? I don't care. You're here."
Scout began to laugh, and he hugged Rai further, burrowing his face into his friend's fur and laughing and sobbing.
A way away, Danny lay slumped over and unconscious. No one noticed him there just like they didn't notice Dusknoir begin to get back up.
Sean was whooping and cheering. Striker was easily the most composed, shaking his head at the theatrics but still grinning without restraint. He hadn't seen such happiness before, that more than anything reaffirmed his decision to leap between Rai and Dusknoir.
"Y-you?" Dusknoir stuttered. He had risen again, lashed out, his son was here somehow, and this couldn't be. This couldn't be. The Relic Fragment rolled between Rai and Scout and he knew Scout had picked it up on the way back.
Striker had seen it coming, eyes so sharp, and took the attack for them.
Rai gasped as Striker crumpled.
"What did I say?" he whispered as Scout blinked in confusion. Rai tried to pull enough fury up to strike back, but his elation about Scout's return confused him and he was unable to make a spark.
"STRIKER!" Sean cried out, running to his partner's side.
"No!" Striker's arm lashed out and clubbed Sean, knocking him flying back. "No…" he growled, eyes narrowed on Dusknoir.
The look in his eye would nearly make Striker weep. For this brief moment, Dusknoir looked unsure, he looked regretful, he looked upset. He looked like Guardian, for just this one moment.
"Uwrow…" Striker growled, voice breaking deep. "WrooooOOOH!"
Striker leapt forward, grabbing the arms of his lost friend and shoving him back.
"Grovyle!" Rai yelled out, going to stand.
"Grovyle!" Scout yelled out, vision returning to clear.
"STRIKER!" Sean screamed.
"Guardian," Striker growled, forcing him back as the larger pokémon struggled. "I'm… I'm taking you with me! We are BOTH going back to the future!"
"Wha?" Guardian spluttered.
"No!" Sean yelled, running forward. "Striker, I'll go!"
"NO!" Striker yelled, turning back briefly. His tail lit up and then slashed through his bag, toppling it to let the Time Gears spill out.
"Sean!" Striker yelled urgently as Guardian's back neared the portal. "Although the parting hurts, I leave the rest in your hands. Scout, Shinx, help him get to the tower. Save the world."
"STRIKER!" Dusknoir roared. "STOP THIS!"
Striker grinned and slammed his head into Dusknoir. Sean took a breath and nodded. They didn't have time to really say goodbye, a moment to understand each other was all they'd get.
"Sorry for the hold-up, Guardian," Striker said, forcing him back the last few inches.
"SCOOUUUUUT!" Guardian cried as he and Striker were drawn in by the portal. It rippled once then blinked, disappearing completely.
"Grovyle," Rai whimpered. Scout leaned onto him, both of them stunned at how fast that had all gone wrong. He gave a thankful smile to Scout. "I got you back." He licked Scout's cheek and the meowth blushed a little.
"Rai, I… I… I'm so sorry for everything," Scout said, chest tightening until he felt like he couldn't breathe. He palmed the Relic Fragment forward. "I picked this up on our way back."
Sean spotted it and sighed in relief. "You grabbed it," he said, quietly. "Thank goodness." He took a breath and pulled his head up. "Okay. We need to put that in the Rainbow Stoneship before anything else goes wrong."
He held a straight back, looking very firm and not at all like he was about to cry.
Rai nodded as he took the Relic Fragment in his mouth, he began to run forwards but noticed Scout wasn't following.
"I'm just going to help him pick up the pieces," he called, quietly. Rai understood what he meant and began trotting up the staircase, glancing back often to make sure Scout was still there.
"Are you okay?" Scout asked as he and Sean began picking up the Time Gears.
"Striker knows what he's doing," Sean replied, not looking at him. "It's great to see you again, though. I'm glad you're okay."
Somehow, that hurt. He knew Sean wasn't saying, meaning, or even implying anything by it. But the riolu's gaze still fell on where the portal was, where Grovyle had sacrificed himself.
"It'll be," Scout began, almost saying it'd be okay. He paused, however, he had no proof of such a claim and no time to be saying more. "I'm with you," he said, changing it.
Sean gave him a smile as Scout's eyes noticed an outlier.
"Danny!" he cried and ran forward. The sableye was completely unconscious but breathing. "Good, he's alright."
"Isn't that…?" Sean asked, unsure.
Scout shook his head. "This one's okay. He helped me get back, even if I had to bribe him to do it." He stepped back, but a thought occurred to him as he saw Temporal Tower looming in the sky. "Actually… do you have any gummi's?"
Sean was able to procure a purple gummi and Scout also left an apple by Danny's side. He hoped the sableye would wake up in time.
"It's what I promised him," he said quietly. Rai called something inaudible from above, but Scout looked up to wave, beaming in happiness.
"Go ahead," Sean said with a cheeky smile. "I'll give you two some privacy," he added with a wink.
Scout flushed again but had no retort. He scampered up the stairs, giving the one who really wanted to be alone some privacy.
Sean's smile faded as he looked back, back to where Striker had disappeared. He bowed his head, Striker would be mad at him for lagging behind to suffer emotions but he had to take a moment and let it out. Striker was gone, the last he'd ever see of him.
The final sacrifice of his partner now lost to the sea of time. Sean wiped his eyes.
Sean wondered what Striker's final moments would be. If they'd even notice, or if the time change would happen instantly. He hoped for the latter, quick like nothing happened at all.
But no matter what, he would fight to see it happen. Fight to save the world and die trying. He dried his face and followed after Scout, still having trouble making it to the top. Regardless of what he felt now, he would remain ready to fight.
Scout knew what was coming better than Sean did. How long it'd take for time to remove them, he hoped Dusknoir would still have a change of heart but was ready for 'Striker' to appear even if he didn't. He hoped disappearing wouldn't be painful. But he would still be ready to fight.
Rai didn't know what was coming, he was only aware of what had happened. With the loss of Striker, he empathised more with Sean than he ever had before. With the retrieval of Scout, he had yet to ask how he had managed that, had left him feeling happier than he could ever remember.
Maybe it was hysterical happiness, Chatot was dead, Striker was gone, and they still had to save the world. But for now, he would smile as Scout came lagging up puffing for breath. He'd smile with eyes bright. He'd smile and be ready to fight.
They were ready for the final fight to the finish.
Originally I followed Grovyle's goodbye a little more to the game, but it has been pointed out that a lengthy goodbye is a little unlikely and in some ways, a brief farewell means more. At least he got to say goodbye at all.