Chapter 47- A Timeless Friend

A/N: Okay, holy shit! This story has the same amount of added posts as my Pokémon Insurgence Fanfiction. Which was the first story I've ever posted, and technically the longest running one. Until now that is… I mean, Percival's barely half way through the gyms (Not to mention that the final Gym isn't available yet since the game isn't complete). Which… the next two… aren't going to be easy to write about *Cough the next two is Psychic then Dark, Cough*… But who cares! Pokémon Reborn has become my longest story! Congratulations to all the readers who've stuck with me so far! Hope to see you at the end!

Continuing on give credit to Amethyst, the creator of this awesome Fangame. If you wish to check it out and play the game, then download it at Reborn Evolved. (Search for it on your respective web browser, as I can't put a link to the website here!)

Time: 16:03

Location: Grand Gates

It had been a half hour since Radomus, Cain, Percival, and Adrienn had managed to climb out of the underground labyrinth. The underground labyrinth that housed a mysterious tower, a tower that was somehow connected to Arceus. It was noted as Arceus' as a Ditton used by El, a religious fanatic, had managed to transform into one. Percival struggled against it, ultimately winning the fight.

El had been captured by the group, judged to be sent to the Police. Gardevoir, the Pokémon of Radomus and friend of Luna had been returned. While Percival felt a pit in his stomach while looking upon one of their group members. This one was Adrienn a person of non-binary gender (Xe/Xem/Xyr) seemingly in Xyr mid-twenties. Why did Percival feel this pit of unease? Well it had to do with a Pokémon of his: Artemis, a shiny Gardevoir that was given to him by his late mother. Though Percival knew from the Original Trainer function that Adrienn was the first owner of Artemis. Percival question how that would be. Given that the differences in their ages was slim. How did Adrienn know Percival's mother?

"Ah, it's so good to be above ground again! I feel like I was down there for ages!" Adrienn stretched out xyr arms, turning to the now open gates, "Percival, if you we could start to discuss how Artemis is in your possession. Seriously I gave Erza Artemis only a few months ago… I swear…" Adrienn trailed off as he walked outside.

While Cain was confused to hear about Adrienn saying something about Percival's Gardevoir. Radomus seemed most intrigued. "Say, does anybody notice anything strange?" Motioning to the now open gates.

"The Grand Gate!" Cain shouted disregarding all thinking about what Adrienn had said. "It opened!"

"Whaaaat?" A slightly over dramatic shout came from Gardevoir. "But it's been sealed for years! Why would it suddenly open now?"

"Imma go check it out." Cain said rushing out of the door.

"…" Percival was confused by the whole endeavor… but mainly "(Why did Adrienn say a few months?... I've had Artemis for almost 16 years now. This doesn't make sense.)"

"Indeed, this is most curious." Radomus gave Percival a small smile, seeming to read the boy's thoughts. With that Percival and Radomus followed Cain, Gardevoir outside. seeing a wide-eyed and confused Adrienn.

"What…" Adrienn said disbelief as xe saw the blackened city. Reborn City, filled with smog, broken buildings, cracked pavements, and let's not forget about the giant hole in the staircase before them. "What is this?"

"Uh, it's the Grand Stairway." Cain shrugged as he answered, then motioning to the hole. "It kinda got roughed up by Team Meteor."

"No, I mean, where—" Adrienn could hide the exasperation as xe paced around the top of the staircase. "I don't—Um…"

"Are you quite, all right?" Radomus asked, upon seeing Adrienn's worry.

"I'm confused." Adrienn shook xyr head. Not believing what they were seeing. "Where are we?"

"Reborn City. This is the North Obsidia Ward." Cain answered flatly, curious as to why Adrienn would think they were somewhere else. "haven't you been here before?"

"This isn't the city. This isn't… Reborn" Adrienn tried to deny, moving to the left side of the staircase, edge of the waterfall. "I thought that was—" Adrien cut xemself off as xe moved to the other side of the staircase. "where's the center? Where are the cabins and the port and the—" Adrienn cut xemselves off once more as xe stared out into Azurine Lake. "The lake… It's Brown?"

"…" Percival found Adrienn's behavior to be odd. When Percival arrived in Reborn this was the same exact state the city was in as it is now.

"You must be new here." Cain claimed, seeing how Exasperated Adrienn acted.

"I'm not!" Adrienn shouted. "I've lived in Reborn City my whole life! but this isn't the Reborn City that I know! This place is disgusting… nothing like the quiet city me and Erza grew up in."

"I think someone's gone a little looney-tone~" Gardevoir whispered to Cain and Percival as she swirled a finger on the side of her head.

"…" Percival wasn't accepting of that answer… As Adrienn had been saying… Xe knew Erza, Percival's mother. Xe knew Artemis, xe was not lying. But Percival could not explain what was going on.

"On the contrary, I have a somewhat different theory." Radomus spoke, turning towards Adrienn. "Adrienn, the last time you saw this city, the lake was more properly colored. Is that right?"

"Yes." Adrienn nodded, seemingly to understand that Radomus believed xem. "It was a perfect, brilliant blue. That's why we named it Azurine."

"Tell me what else do you remember?" Radomus asked, taking out a small notepad writing out the details of Adrienn's situation.

"Let's see…" Adrienn thought back. "It used to be very lush. There were trees all over the place." Which caused Cain and Percival to look at each other quizzically. The lushest they've seen the city was when the city was under attack by PULSE Tangrowth. Adrienn then move attention to the waterfall. "This waterfall, the Celestine Cascade, poured into a river that ran through the city." Tracing an invisible line of where this river should flow, tracing it to the Coral Ward. "at the corner of the lake, there's a beautiful little port, and my Gym—" Adrienn's face paled, between xyr word and the current state of the city… "Oh goodness… What if something's happened to my Gym? I've got to go there!" Adrien said running off.

As xe ran off, Radomus closed the notepad, "I believe it would be best to leave xem alone right now."

"Xe said that xyr gym was at a port…" Cain said trailing, into another discussion. "Wait, Xe's a Gym Leader?!"

"That is rather unexpected…" Percival said. He came here to face the Gym Leaders. Percival wondered how he never heard of Adrienn. But also, not discarding the surprised Cain, who was once a back-up Gym Leader.

"Ah, ah, ah~" Gardevoir laughed, "You finally figured it out! Of course, ~I~ knew all along. We did have a reserve, but it seems xe'll be taking xyr position back now!"

"Xe must mean the Coral Ward Gym!" Cain shouted, remembering how he fought Lucille in the Coral Ward a few weeks ago.

"Indeed," Radomus nodded, setting off towards Coral. "Let's go."

The group chased after Adrienn. Through the destroyed city of reborn. Finally ending up on the misty side of town. Finding Adrienn standing in front of a collapsed building.

Adrienn was wide eyed and pale, noticing everyone approaching. "I… This is a joke, right?" Before Adrienn shook xyr head, trying desperately to deny reality. "No… No… too elaborate to be a joke. I must be dreaming."

Radomus walked up to Adrienn, placing a hand on xyr shoulder and giving xem a sympathetic look. "Were this but a dream, it would be all the easier. Alas, it is not."

Adrienn had a glum expression, holding xyr stomach. "I feel sick…"

Radomus tried to shake Adrienn out of xyr stupor. "Steel your nerves for a moment and answer me this: By your reaction, I can assume you were not expecting to find this building in such a condition. Is that correct?"

"When I left this morning, it was perfectly fine." Adrienn answered looking numb to xyr surroundings. "None of this—This whole city—is wrong."

"As I thought…" Radomus sighed, scratching his chin. "Then allow me to tell you what I know about this Gym. When the city was repopulated, Ame, leading the restoration project, designed several buildings to remain untouched. In general, these were historical artifacts that had been left from long ago, or other places of significance. This Gym was one such building. After the City was restored from the blackouts and the earthquakes, it was left alone. Perhaps she believed that its original owner would soon come to attend to it. That would be you, correct?"

"Blackouts? Earthquakes?" Adrienn questioned. Xe never heard anything like that occurring.

"This is all unheard of to you, yes?" Radomus asked.

"I'm really confused…" Adrienn said scratching xyr head. Though Adrienn wasn't the only one confused by this. Cain and Percival looked on hoping that Radomus would give the definitive answer soon.

"Understandably." Radomus nodded along, feeling that the nonsense of this event was practically beyond him. But only with one answer to this problem. "Then allow me to clarify another thing: A moment ago, you said "This morning" that this Gym was in normal condition to you. Earlier back, you said you arrived at the ruin around "An hour" before us. Is that right?"

"Yeah…" Adrienn still fearful nodded.

"*Gasp*" Percival quickly breathed in, finally picking up the pieces that Radomus was laying out… A shiver ran through Percival. It was over sixteen years for Artemis to finally see Adrienn again. But for Adrienn…

"I see." Radomus brushed off Percival's revelation. "Based on your description of this city and your testimony of what's happened, I believe there is only one conclusion that can be reached: You've been frozen in time."

"I'm sorry… what?" Adrienn was perplexed by Radomus' unexpected words. Frozen in time? how could such a thing be possible? Though weirder things have happened in the past.

"When you fell down into the ruin, as you said, how did you get there?" Radomus changed the subject slightly. Trying to understand how Adrienn got there. In those ruins.

"I was checking something out in the mechanical hall behind the Grand Gates." Adrienn answered, still wondering how xe ended up in this situation. "Someone reported they had seen some kind of light shining through the floor, so I dismantled part of it and crawled down there. But when I lost my footing, I fell underground. Following a natural tunnel, I eventually came to that place."

"When you say you were in the Grand Gates; does that mean you accessed them as normal from the Grand Stairway?" Radomus inquired.

"Yes." Adrienn answered, as to someone who has been missing from some time. Xe didn't know the current events… "Why?"

"Then that confirms it." Radomus stated, before explaining. "The Gates have been inoperable for almost two decades now."

"What…" Adrienn looked stunned at that revelation… frozen in time for two decades. "I don't remember anything like that!"

"Of course not." Radomus answered calmly. "You were inside the ruin that entire time. In fact, perhaps you were the cause of their malfunction."

"How does that make sense?!" Cain added, confused by the whole debacle.

"I base that only on logical deduction:" Radomus continued, "The gates did not function while xe was inside. As soon as xe left, they began working again. Although the method behind how that works is unclear, it is the only explanation we have."

"It seemed like the light shining in the hall was coming from something underground…" Adrienn muttered, utter disbelief on xyr face. "I had thought, when I found it, it was the ruin. Perhaps the ruin and the Gates became connected somehow, but that still doesn't explain how that could possibly stop time!"

"If… If you think back to how El described the site being something akin to Arceus' birth. The creator of the universe…" Percival started. "The creator of Palkia and Dialga the two Pokémon who govern space and time. Who knows what energy afflicts the place?"

"Then… Then shouldn't you all have been stuck with me too?" Adrienn question, desperately hoping this was just a dream, a lie, but alas…

"A valid concern; however, we had something you did not." Radomus said, indicating to Percival.

"The keys!" Cain shouted, "The Ruby Run and Amethyst Pendant!"

"Perhaps their presence, and the energy they bear connected to the ruin, was enough to unlock you from the spell of frozen time." Radomus finished the explanation.

"So… I was underground for almost twenty years until you all found me, and I had no idea…" Adrienn sighed deeply horrified of what had transpired to xem. "To me it just seemed like an hour… that's—" Adrienn stopped, looking straight at Percival. "Oh god… Erza!"

"…" Percival bit his lip, seeing as Adrienn realized this.

"It's been twenty years since she heard from me!" Adrienn shouted. "She must be worried… But she left only two months a-… Where on earth would she be?" Looking once more at Percival, remembering how he had Artemis. "Percival, Erza gifted Artemis to you, right? Could you please tell me how I could contact her? It's been so long… I—"

"…" The face Percival had was one of sadness.

"Um… Percy? Who the heck is Erza?" Cain looked at Percival confused. Remembering the discussion Percival had with Charlotte. "Didn't you say that you were given Artemis by your—"

Percival cut Cain off. "By my Mother…"

"M-mother?" Adrienn looked at Percival in astonishment. "E-Erza has a child?... Wait?! Your Erza's son… How… How could I not have noticed; you look almost exactly like her! Those blue eyes, the white hair, even that gentle smile… I'm just rambling now… How is she?"

"…" Percival gulped at that question. The excitement that Adrienn shown had only made what Percival had to say even harder. How could he tell xem? How could Percival tell Adrienn that their best friend was dead?

Though the silence from Percival ate at Adrienn. Looking at the averted gaze of Percival, Adrienn knew the answer. "N-No… th-that can't… No…"

"I'm sorry Adrienn…" Percival said. Cain, Radomus, and Gardevoir had taken a small step back, giving the two time to start.

Tears formed in Adrienn's eyes, "No… I'm sorry, it was a difficult time for you. I'm sure. Um… When did she go?"

"Around fifteen years ago… A few days after I was born to be exact." Percival sighed, having no real knowledge of his mother. He spent his days not knowing her… Percival looked down, holding the only remnant of his mother. "I may not have known her, but she gave me Artemis… Not much else did I know about my mother… My f… I wasn't really told about her growing up."

"Percival…" Adrienn looked astonished. Xe clearly saw the admiration and trust Percival had in Artemis. Xe also saw how Artemis had a more protective aura for Percival. Adrienn clearly understood why Erza gave Artemis to Percival. Adrienn understood that xyr best friend was no longer of this planet. Placing a hand on Percival's shoulder. "I'm sorry… your life must have been rough. As Erza's friend, I find fault that I wasn't there for you."

"*sigh*…" Percival could see the kindness in Adrienn's eyes, the sadness those eyes had… "You didn't know. You were trapped for almost two decades, after all…" Percival's thought process traversed to a certain pair of twins, one with a more complex situation then his own. "Don't worry about me. I've survived so far and with my team, I'll survive far worse."

"…" Adrienn lost xyr breath watching Percival say those words. Thinking back to what Erza had said to xem, when Adrienn gave her a small Ralts, named Artemis. Never in Adrienn's dreams did xe think this is what life would throw at xem. But seeing Percival, how much of xyr friend was reflected in them. Adrienn smiled, giving Percival a hug. "I know, you're the child of Erza Wisteria after all."

"Th-thanks…" Percival said thrown off by the sudden affection from Adrienn. Backing off, Percival cleared his throat, gesturing towards the collapsed building that was once Adrienn's gym. "Um… What's your plan now?"

"Well…" Adrienn placed a hand under xry chin, then looked not just at the building before him, but at something bigger. "I can't just leave this place like this."

"…You're gonna fix your Gym?" Percival felt there was more to Adrienn's words, but didn't quite catch them.

"No." Adrienn placed a smile on his face, clearly liking the plan xe though out. "Not the Gym. I mean the whole city."

"The whole city?" Percival was surprised at Adrienn's remark. Reborn was surely going through its own pace of rebuilding… but with Meteor and its constant attacks, Percival couldn't be too sure. "You mean from the Grand Gates all the way here?"

"Yeah." Adrienn had a determined smile.

"Wait, the whole city!?" Adrienn and Percival looked to the side to see a surprised Cain, followed by Gardevoir and Radomus. Though the walked slightly off, they clearly were eavesdropping on the conversation.

"You intend to fix the whole city?" Radomus asked, clarifying.

"Yeah, that's what I'm going to do." Adrienn repeated. "This is the city that I and Erza grew up in. It'd be a shame for it to be like this. Erza surely wouldn't have just stood around doing nothing."

"…" Percival couldn't help but find a smile. Sure, his way of helping of Reborn was different than Adrienn's idea. But what Adrienn said, made Percival feel that he was making his mother proud.

"By the way. Is there someone in charge that I can speak to?" Adrienn asked, xe'd been missing for nearly two decades. Times change rather fast.

"Welllllll," Cain shrugged as he thought. "Ame is usually around the Grand Hall at the city center."

"Got it." Adrienn nodded in thanks. Turning to the group, Adrienn bowed xyr head. "Thanks… For getting me out of there, too, if that is indeed what happened."

"It was nice to meet you, Adrienn…" Percival was putting out his hand, trying to give Adrienn a hand shake.

"Flores. Adrienn Flores." Adrienn smiled, taking Percival's hand. "Our meeting could have gone better, but it was interesting meeting you, Percival…?"

As Percival was asked for what his last name was… Percival questioned it. He was disowned by his father and step-mother, he certainly could have continued with Whitehall… but Percival didn't like that. instead Percival smiled, learning his mother's maiden name. "Wisteria, Percival Wisteria."

Adrienn smiled upon hearing that, though with a tad of confusion…Xe was sure if xe asked around, xe would learn more about Percival. But for now, Adrienn was fine leaving it as is. "A great name."