Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2: Tale of the Time Warriors

[Destiny Hope]

Okay, so I decided to try my hand a PMD2 fic. I may not be as good an author as some people on here, but I think I can do OK. Anyway, some dialouge is from the game and some is mine. Also, the chapter titles and storyline (obviously) are from the game as well. As always, comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Enjoy!

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2:
Tale of the Time Warriors​

Chapter I:


A Storm at Sea​

The setting sun cast a reddish glow on the small beach. Palm trees laden with coconuts lined the shore. Krabby sat blowing bubbles on top of the reddish cliffs that rose high into the air on all sides. The bubbles drifted through the air with a kind of lazy elegance, catching the sun's rays. Mika opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first. "Urrgh…where…where am I?" she muttered thickly. She tried to sit up, but her body felt heavy, and she slid back against the small rock behind her. "I can't…drifting off…" And her eyes closed again. The darkness behind her closed lids became complete.

Alice looked up at the huge tent that stood in front of her. It was shaped like the head of a Wigglytuff. Torches situated on top of totem poles blazed on either side of it. The smoke rose high into the reddish-tinged sky, curling around itself until it vanished on a breeze. She took a deep breath. This place had always seemed kind of creepy. She paced back and forth in front of the tent a few times and said resolutely, "No. I refuse to be paralyzed by this any longer."

"That's right. You have to steel your courage today," said her best friend Bailey, a Chikorita. "This is it. You can do it."

Alice drew another calming breath and stepped onto a small round grate in front of the tent.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" called a voice.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" asked a second, much louder voice.

"The footprint is Chimchar's! The footprint is Chimchar's!" replied the first voice confidently.

Alice jumped about a foot in the air and hopped backward off the grate as though it had burned her. "Waah! That was too shocking!" she cried. "I…I can't. I can't work up the courage to go in after all." Alice looked down at the orange-sized rock hanging on a string around her neck. One side was flat, and that side was inscribed with an intricate pattern. "I thought holding onto my personal treasure would inspire me…but I just can't do it. I'm such a coward. This is so discouraging." Bailey sighed deeply. She had thought that maybe, finally, today Alice would be brave enough to go in, but no…

"You're not a coward. You're just nervous," said Bailey, not unkindly. "Come on. Let's get out of here. This is not where you need to be."

As the two Pokemon walked off down the steps hewn into the cliff face, two more Pokemon slid out of the shadows.

"Did you get a load of that, Zubat?" asked the first.

"You bet I did, Koffing!" replied the second.

"That little wimp that was pacing around with her friend had something good, right?" said Koffing.

"Yeah…it looked like something that might be valuable," Zubat said, a nasty grin spreading over his face.

"Do we go after it?" asked Koffing.

"We do," replied Zubat maliciously.

Down on the beach, Alice and Bailey walked out into the red glow of the sunset. The Krabby were sitting on top of the cliffs, bubbles streaming slowly from their mouths. "Oh, wow! What a beautiful sight!" Alice cried, gazing at them. The bubbles were drifting lazily about on breezes, catching the sun's light off the waves and sparkling.

"When the weather's good, the Krabby come out at sunset to blow bubbles…it's always beautiful," Bailey murmured. "All those bubbles, sparkling in the sunlight…" Both Pokemon gazed at the bubbles for a few moments.

"This is where I always come when I'm feeling down on myself," said Alice softly. "But being here heals my spirits, like always. A second later, Alice let out a gasp of surprise. "Hey…what's that? Waah! Someone has collapsed on the sand!" Bailey and Alice ran over to the spot where a small, blue penguin-like Pokemon lay propped against a rock, eyes closed.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Bailey in alarm. Bailey's cry appeared to have awoken the Pokemon, whose eyes flew open.

"Whoa…where am I?" the Pokemon asked, standing up.

"You're on the beach," said Alice kindly. "But it's a relief that you're awake. You weren't moving at all. I was really worried for you! Well, do you remember anything about how you ended up zonked out here?"

"I was zonked out?" the Pokemon asked. "Well, no, I can't remember anything at all…and even if I could, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you much. See, I'm a human."

"You say you're a human?" asked Bailey suspiciously. "But you look like a totally normal Piplup to me."

"Hey…you're right!" the Piplup cried. "I've turned into a Piplup!"

"You're a little odd," said Bailey. "Are you playing some kind of trick on us?"

"No!" the Piplup shouted. "You're right, I can be rebellious and a little odd, but I'm not tricking you two."

"You're telling us the truth?" said Bailey. "All right, then. What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry, my name's Mika," said the Piplup politely.

"Mika is your name?" said Alice. "Cool. Please excuse my friend here. See, more and more bad Pokemon have been popping up lately. It's hard to know who to trust anymore. Things have grown pretty dangerous. Anyway, I'm Alice and my friend here is Bailey." Mika smiled, and Alice and Bailey smiled back. What happened next happened so fast that no one really saw how. One minute, Alice was smiling at Mika, and the next, she pitched forward and landed facedown on the sand. The orange-sized rock around her neck was gone. Zubat was holding it securely in one of his wings, and both he and Koffing were smirking unpleasantly.

"Well, I do beg your pardon," said Koffing.

"Why'd you do that?" Mika demanded, stepping in front of Alice and Bailey. She was feeling drawn to these Pokemon already. "Why'd you take her—"

Zubat cut her off. "Can't figure it out? We wanted so mess with that wimp behind you. So, not gonna face up to us?"

"Wh-what?" asked Alice nervously.

Zubat swung the rock by its string. "That's yours, isn't it?" he smirked.

"No! That's…" Alice cried, apparently recognizing the rock.

"Sorry, kiddies, we'll take that," said Zubat, hanging it around his own neck. This set off a chain reaction. Alice shrieked and fell over again, Bailey let out a growling noise, and Mika shouted, "Hey!"

"Not gonna make a move to get that back?" laughed Koffing. "I knew the Chimchar was wimpy, but I didn't realize you all were like that, too."

"Ha! See you around, chickens!" Zubat called. The two thieves hurried off into the small cave mouth on the beach's left side.

"Ohhh…what should I do now?" Alice sighed, sinking down to sit on the sand. "That's my personal treasure. It means everything to me. If I lose that now…"

"What are you talking about? Now is a time to be brave, not to sit here and let those thugs take your treasure," said Mika. "We don't have time to feel scared. Come on, I'll help you get it back if you want."

"Really?! You will? Thanks so much!" Alice cried, flinging her arms around Mika's neck. "Let's go quickly, then!"

The three ran into the small cave mouth. This led to the BeachCave, a dim, damp cave in a cliff face. Seaweed grew out of the walls, and water dripped from the roof. It was full of water-type Pokemon like Corsola and Shellos, which Mika gladly defeated with her pound. The Shellder and Kabuto took the whole team's effort to defeat, as their scratch, if used too many times, could be fatal. There was a particularly tense moment in which one Kabuto, who seemed to think he was guardian of the entrance to the next area, almost defeated Bailey. If Alice hadn't thrown an OranBerry at her at the last the second, she would have lost. Finally, after fighting through five areas of the cave, the three Pokemon reached BeachCave's pit, a sandy room with water lapping at the edges. Reddish cliffs like the ones on the beach above rose into the air. These were cracked and had seaweed growing out of them all over.

Koffing and Zubat were hovering above the water on the far side of the room. Alice's treasure was still around Zubat's neck.

"Uh…hey!" Alice shouted.

"Well, if it isn't our old friends, the big chickens!" Koffing mocked.

"Give me back what you stole from me! That's my personal treasure! It means everything!" Alice called.

"Oh, so this thing really is valuable," Zubat snickered. "It might get a good price if we could sell it. But if you want it back that badly…come on!" And everyone in the room shouted, "BATTLEON!" instinctively. There were two flashes of light in very quick succession, and then a third, brighter one that was separate from the others.

The battle began with Bailey chucking a good-size Geo Pebble at Zubat, who howled in pain and led Koffing up to Mika, Alice and Bailey. Mika immediately took this opportunity to get in a strong pound on Zubat. Meanwhile, Bailey was Tackling Koffing with all her power, but he seemed to be stronger than Zubat. Once, he used Poison Gas on Alice, poisoning her. Mika was filled with such anger that her Pound on Zubat turned into a critical hit and took him down. Alice was crouched on the sand, clutching her chest, clearly in pain.

"Okay, Bailey. Do we do this or not?" Mika asked. Bailey nodded with a grim look at Alice. "One…two…three!" Mika called. Mika shouted, "Pound!" and Bailey cried, "Tackle!" The attacks hit Koffing simultaneously, and before he could do any more than shout his surprise, he was down as well.

"Well, let me just say this," said Alice, breaking the silence. "Poison hurts."

Mika smiled. "You okay?"

"I am now," Alice said. "We won, didn't we?" Just then, there was a groaning noise from behind them. Koffing and Zubat were back up, hovering a few feet off the ground.

"D-darn it," Zubat spluttered. "How'd we get roughed up by a few kids like them?"

"Let me say this," said Koffing furiously. "Your victory was a fluke. You wouldn't have won if…oh, never mind. Let's get out of here." And Zubat and Koffing shot off towards the exit as fast as they could, leaving Alice's orange-sized rock behind them.

"Yeah, you better run!" Bailey shouted after them. "Don't you ever think about coming back here and messing with us again!"

As soon as the three Pokemon were sure Koffing and Zubat were out of earshot, they burst out laughing.

"Did you see Koffing's face when you two knocked him out?" Alice gasped, banging the ground with her fist. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell in open in an accurate imitation of Koffing.

"And Zubat, too!" Mika cried, tears of laughter running down her cheeks. "He sounded like a wolf when Bailey threw that Geo Pebble at him!" Bailey would have contributed too, but she was immobilized by laughter.

"Seriously, though," said Alice, regaining control of herself. "I would never have had the courage to take them on if it hadn't been for you, Mika," she said. "What am I, chopped Poke-block?" Bailey asked indignantly, and the three burst out laughing again. They passed several happy minutes abusing Koffing and Zubat before Alice picked up her rock-thing and headed for the exit. Bailey looked at Mika and pulled the same face that Alice had earlier. Both Pokemon smiled at each other.

Outside on the beach, the sun was really starting to set. The colors in the sky had become more vibrant and rich. Yellows had deepened to oranges, reds to magentas, and blues to purples. The sun hung low in the sky, a blazing orange ball of fire that cast a warm glow on the water. Mika had never seen anything like that before. The three gazed at it for a few moments before Alice spoke.

"Mika, I sincerely thank you for helping me get my treasure back," she said. "It really does mean a lot to me. See, I've always liked legends and lore. I get so excited when I hear tales from the past. Hidden troves of gold and silver…new lands just waiting to be found…"

"And uncharted territories veiled in darkness?" Mika chipped in, unable to stop herself.

"Yes," said Alice. "And discoveries! Wouldn't it be amazing to make historic discoveries? At least, that's how I feel."

"So one day, we happened across Alice's treasure. She calls it her Relic Fragment. Even she admits that it looks like junk, but take a closer look, Mika." Alice took it off and handed it to Mika. There was indeed an intricate, odd pattern on the flat the side of the rock. It looked almost…sacred, like it was the key to something hidden.

"Wow…that's really cool," Mika said. "You don't see a pattern like that every day. I can see why you treasure this so much."

"Well, anyway, the way I see it, the best way to have adventures is to apprentice at a guild and form an exploration team. Earlier, I tried apprenticing at Wigglytuff's Guild, but…I chickened out," Alice sighed. "But I think I can do it now, because you're with me, Mika. So, what do you say? Will you form an exploration team with Bailey and me?" Alice then gazed at Mika unblinkingly, hope blazing in her eyes.

"Uh…yeah, of course I will," Mika agreed, with only a moment's hesitation.

"YES!" Alice shouted, so loudly that a few Pelipper perched on the cliffs took flight. "I think we're going to be a great combination! Let's make this work!"

And with that, the three ran off in the direction of Wigglytuff's Guild. This turned out to be their very first step into the many fantastic realms of adventure that awaited their arrival.

 

[Ryuzaki_Lawliet]

This has.. some potential. Just keep at it, 'kay?

 

[Luna Altaire]

That's awesome so far Destiny! Keep at it! ;)

 

[Destiny Hope]

Thanks, guys! Chapter 2 should be up in not too long.

 

[Destiny Hope]

Not much going on in this chapter, but please stay with me. The excitment level should pick up in the next couple chapters.

Chapter II:
The New Guild Recruits​

Mika followed Alice and Bailey up a long flight of stone steps hewn into the face of a cliff. At the top was a plateau of sorts with a huge tent at the far end of it shaped like a Wigglytuff's head. "O-kay…" Mika said slowly. "What's this all about?"

"This is the entrance to Wigglytuff's Guild, as you can probably tell from the shape of the tent," said Alice. "But don't you just get a creepy feeling from this place…like you're being watched by someone you can't see?"

Mika nodded and looked around restlessly. "it is a little odd…"

Alice shivered slightly. "Okay, let's try this again," she said determinedly. She drew a deep breath and stepped onto the grate in front of the tent entrance.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" called a voice.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" asked a second.

"The footprint is Chimchar's! The footprint is Chimchar's!" said the first.

Alice jumped, but stayed on the grate all the same. "No. I've heard this before. I'm not going to back down now that I've gotten this close."

"You may…ENTER!" declared the second voice. "Wait…there are others with you! Get those strangers to stand on the grate!"

Bailey moved forward. The process was almost identical for her, except for the fact that the first voice called out, "The footprint is Chikorita's!"

After the second voice had given Bailey permission to enter, it said, "There's still someone else with you! Get that Pokemon to stand up THERE!"

Mika blinked. She had been so fascinated by what was happening to Alice and Bailey that she hadn't known her turn was coming. She gave the grate a suspicious glance. "That thing looks like it'll tickle my feet or something if I stand on it…"

"Nah, it shouldn't," said Bailey. "It didn't for me."

"Hey, stranger, get on the GRATE!" the voice demanded.

Mika stepped gingerly onto the grate, ready to back off if anything happened.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is, um… The footprint is…"

"Sentry? Sentry?! What's wrong, sentry Diglett?"

Mika tensed. For Bailey and Alice, the decision on their footprints had been immediate. Why was sentry Diglett having so much trouble deciding on hers?

Far below the plateau where Mika and her friends stood, in an underground tunnel, an argument was taking place between Diglett and his comrade, Loudred. "I can't identify what I don't know!" Diglett insisted. "I don't usually see a footprint like this!"

"Diglett, it's your job to identify guild visitors. If you can't do that, I'll have to tell the Guildmaster," Loudred called from a tunnel above Diglett.

"No! Don't do that!" Diglett begged. "Um, the footprint is…maybe Piplup's! Maybe Piplup's!"

"Maybe?!" Loudred shouted angrily. "Diglett, you can do better than that!"

"I told you, I don't…oh, I don't know what I don't know!"


"Are they…fighting?" Bailey asked. "'Cause it sure sounds like it."

Mika said nothing. What if she wasn't allowed into the guild like her friends? Where would she go? She had no idea where things were in this world! She held her breath for what seemed like ages until Loudred's voice called, "You may…ENTER!"

Mika let out a long, low whistle as a wrought-iron gate covering the tent entrance slid upward with a loud creaking sound. "I thought they were going to keep me out here forever! But it looks like we're finally allowed in."

Once inside the tent, the three came upon a ladder that led down through a hole in the ground. Upon descending it, they found themselves on an underground landing full of busy Pokemon. Most were clustered around two bulletin boards placed on the left and right walls of the room, but others were chatting merrily to other Pokemon. But they had only a moment to look around before a Chatot came hopping up to them, looking flustered and agitated.

"What do you mean by coming here at this time of night?!" he scolded. "We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys. Now, kindly leave the premises!"

"Oh, we're not salespeople," said Bailey coolly. "We want to form an exploration team, if that's all right with you, of course."

Chatot's eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "Oh, well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" he said, trying to smile. "But are you sure about your decision? We don't often see kids want to apprentice here. And then there's the exploration team training! Lately, there has been a steady stream of Pokemon who have found it too rigorous and have run away from the guild."

"Excuse me, but is the training really that tough?" asked Alice.

Chatot, sensing that he was about to lose three possible recruits, said quickly, "Oh, no, no, no! If you think you can do it, then I'm sure you can."

"How hard can it be?" Mika said, shrugging. "Let's go for it."

"Come with me, then!" Chatot instructed. "The first step will be to get your team registered." And he led them down a ladder, across another landing, and up to a pair of double doors painted pink and emblazoned with a symbol that looked like the eyes and tuft of hair of a Wigglytuff.

"His attitude changed when Bailey said we wanted to be an exploration team, didn't it?" Alice pointed out.

They had to suppress their giggles as Chatot turned to them and said firmly, "On no account are you to be discourteous to our Guildmaster. If you were to get Guildmaster Wigglytuff angry—" Chatot broke off, looking terrified. He gave himself a little shake and knocked three times on the doors. "Guildmaster! It's Chatot. I'm coming in!" he stated before pushing the doors open.

Inside was a large chamber decorated with flowerpots and chests of different colored berries. An orange banner hung on the back wall, showing the same symbol as on the doors. And standing on a large square rug in the middle of the room was Wigglytuff. He had his back to them, and seemed to be muttering to himself.

"Guildmaster? Guildmaster?" asked Chatot nervously. "Hello?"

"Hiya!" cried Wigglytuff cheerfully, turning to face them. Spotting Mika, Alice, and Bailey, he asked, "So what brings you three to our guild?"

"They wish to apprentice here," said Chatot. "Go ahead, introduce yourselves."

Mika stepped forward. "Guildmaster, I'm Mika, and this is Alice and Bailey."

"Friendly friends!" Wigglytuff shouted. "So you want to be apprentices? Sure thing! What would you like your exploration team's name to be?"

"Ooh, I hadn't thought of that," Bailey said. "Why don't we ask Mika?"

Mika had been ready for this. "We combine three of nature's elements: water, fire, and earth. So why don't we name ourselves Team Elemental?"

"Sounds good to me," Alice agreed. "it's perfect for us!"

"All set, then! I'll register your team as Elemental!" Wigglytuff declared. "Let's be friends…YOOM-TAH!" There was a flash of light. "You're an official exploration team in-training now. And as a commemoration, I present you with this."

Wigglytuff set down a gold box. The three peeked inside. There were three badges with what appeared to be wings on the sides, a rolled-up scroll, a brown leather bag, and a few different colored ribbons.

"I know what this is!" said Alice. "An Exploration Team Starter Kit!"

"That's right!" said Wigglytuff. "The badges show that you're an exploration team. The scroll is your Wonder Map, which is a wonder of a convenience. It'll help you out when you go and explore someplace far away. This bag is your Treasure Bag, and it's used for carrying items you find. And these ribbons are very special items that can do things like boost your attack and defense power. Keep those in a safe place."

"I guess there's no backing down now," said Mika, smiling. "It's official."

"But you're only rookies," Wigglytuff warned. "Do your best…to train!"

"Thank you for your time, Guildmaster," said Chatot politely. "You three, come with me. I'll show you to your room."

Chatot led the Mika, Alice, and Bailey out of the Guildmaster's chamber, across the landing, down a corridor, and into a small circular room. On one wall was a window through which the last rays of the setting sun were still streaming. In the middle of the room were three round mattresses made of straw. Mika sat down on the one closest to the window and was surprised to find that it was very comfortable.

Bailey, unable to contain her excitement, cried, "Yay! We get beds!"

"Wow," said Mika quietly.

"Bailey, be quiet!" Chatot snapped.

"Chatot, sir, don't mind her," said Alice. "She's always doing stuff like that."

"Well, as Bailey already pointed out, these are your beds. You will sleep here while you train at the guild. It's evening now, so get to bed soon. Tomorrow, rise early and start living up to our code!" Chatot instructed. "Good night to you." And with that, Chatot was gone, leaving the three to talk.

"I don't know about you, but my heart's been racing over every little thing today," Bailey admitted.

"We noticed," said Alice. "Still, I'm glad I worked up the courage to come in."

"Chatot's right, though," Mika sighed, glancing out of the window. No more sunlight was coming in, and the room was growing darker by the minute. "We should get a good night's sleep if we're going to start training tomorrow."

There was a long silence.

"Party pooper," Alice giggled. "I'm itching to see more of this place."

"All the more reason to get to sleep," said Bailey seriously.

"Well, goodnight," said Mika.

"Goodnight," echoed Bailey.

"Goodnight…I guess…" said Alice reluctantly.

The three settled down onto their straw mattresses. Bailey and Alice were asleep almost instantly, but Mika stayed awake a little longer. She was thinking about everything that had happened to her tonight. She had befriended Alice and Bailey, helped save Alice's Relic Fragment, and apprenticed at the guild. Would all this eventually help her realize why she had been turned into a Pokemon? She didn't know, but she had the distinct feeling that it would all become clear…in time.

If only she knew the true meaning behind those simple words: in time.

"HEY! Why are you still ASLEEP?!" a voice bellowed. Mika jerked abruptly awake, her ears ringing. She opened her eyes to see a Loudred standing at the entrance their room, looking annoyed.

"Ow…my head…" Alice moaned.

"Jeez, you almost blasted my eardrums!" Bailey complained.

"Hurry up!" Loudred demanded. "Guildmaster Wigglytuff has got a BIG temper, and I'm not about to get in trouble with him because you ROOKIES got up LATE. Believe me, you do NOT want to see the Guildmaster angry." Loudred shivered suddenly and walked hurriedly out of the room.

"Wait a second…" Mika said slowly as the ringing in her ears receded. "Loudred said we got up late…OH, NO! We totally overslept! Come on!"

The three raced out of their room as fast as possible. When they reached the landing, they found many Pokemon, including Loudred, clustered around Chatot. Some were tapping their feet impatiently and muttering to themselves, but when Mika, Alice, and Bailey walked in, they stopped.

"Hey, there," said a cheerful-looking Sunflora. "You must be the new recruits Chatot told us about. Try not to make a habit of being late, okay?"

Loudred took a different approach. You rookies are gonna get it!" he shouted.

"Hush!" Chatot commanded. "Your voice is ridiculously loud! Anyway, the whole guild now being in attendance, the morning briefing shall commence."

At the moment, the pair of pink double doors flew open and Wigglytuff stepped out. "Everyone, time for the guild oath. A-one, a-two, a-one-two-three!"

This appeared to be a signal to everyone else. Together, they recited, "One: don't shirk work! Two: run away and pay! Three: smiles go for miles!"

"Okay, Pokemon! Before we head out, our Guildmaster has some words of wisdom he'd like to share with you," Chatot announced, turning to Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff let out a series of odd snoring and grunting noises.

"Has he gone back to sleep?" a Bidoof on Mika's left murmured.

"Eek! His eyes are wide open, but he's snoring up a storm," whispered Sunflora.

"Uh…well, everyone, time to get work!" Chatot said.

"HOORAY!" the guild members chorused. With that, Sunflora, Bidoof, and a Corphish scattered for the ladder that led upstairs. A Diglett and a Dugtrio disappeared underground, and Loudred moved off to a hole in the floor. He was joined a second later by Diglett, who tunneled down the hole and disappeared once again.

"I wonder where we're supposed to go?" Bailey said.

Fortunately, at that moment, Chatot spotted them and said, "You shouldn't just be wandering around there! Come with me."

He led them up the ladder to the upstairs landing and stopped in front of a bulletin board hung on the left wall. The board was crowded with letters from various Pokemon, and from what Mika could see, they all seemed to be asking for help.

"This is the job bulletin board," Chatot explained. "Pokemon needing assistance or rescue post their messages here. One of the duties of an exploration team is to help fellow Pokemon in need, so they take care of the jobs here. Now, as you may know, more and more bad Pokemon have been popping up. This is a result of an error in the flow of time. Because of this error, there has also been a mass outbreak of mystery dungeons."

"I know what those are!" Alice and Bailey piped up together.

"The layout of mystery dungeon changes every time you go into them," Alice began. "That's what makes them such fantastic places to go exploring. The place where we got my Relic Fragment back yesterday was a mystery dungeon."

"Wild Pokemon live in mystery dungeons," Bailey continued. "If you're defeated by one of them, you'll lose all your money and you could lose half your items or more. Finally, you get kicked right out. They're very strange that way."

"You seem to be very well informed," said Chatot happily. "That makes things much easier for me. Now, let me see if I can find a job for you to do."

He scanned the board and pulled down a letter. The three put their heads together to read it:

Hello! My name is Spoink!
A while ago, an outlaw ran off with my prized pearl. That pearl is life itself…to me.
But I've heard that my pearl has been sighted! Rumor goes that it's somewhere on a rocky bluff that is reported to be very unsafe. I couldn't possibly go somewhere so dangerous! Oh, friendly readers, could you please bring my pearl back for me?
I beg your help, exploration team members!
~From Spoink


"That's it?" Bailey cried. "We're only going to fetch an item that someone dropped? I'd rather be looking for treasure or exploring unknown lands!"

"Hush!" Chatot snapped. "I'm afraid I'm not giving you a choice in the matter. Now, let me just remind you what will happen if you are defeated in a dungeon. You will lose all your money, at least half your items, and you'll be sent back here. Be careful! Off you go!"

The bluff from Spoink's letter turned out to be Drenched Bluff. It was a large, damp cliff that sloped steeply downward. The cliff was crowded with Anorith, Lileep, and Cradily that were easy prey for Mika's Bubble. The Shellos were absolutely pathetic, except for their annoying Storm Drain ability that rendered water attacks useless for as long as they were in the area. The Chingling also posed a real problem. Their Wrap could hold you for as long as five turns and give you 6 damage every turn. Alice got caught in a one of these traps, and she would have been defeated if Bailey and Mika hadn't stepped in and taken the nasty Chingling down. Finally, after battling through seven areas of Pokemon, they reached the bottom of the bluff.

The rocks were slippery with seawater and plants grew out of them. On the far side was a rock fountain of sorts. Water trickled out of it and splashed into the cracks in the rocks. And sitting at the base of the fountain was a sparkling pink pearl.

"That must be it!" said Mika, slipping it carefully into the Treasure Bag. "Let's take this back to the guild."

Spoink was waiting for them when they returned to the guild. "You found my pearl!" she exclaimed, taking it from Mika and placing it on her head. "I can't thank you enough. I just couldn't calm down without it, and I was boinging and sproinging everywhere. That's why I'm covered into bruises. Thanks to you, though, that long nightmare is over. Please accept this as a token of my thanks."

She handed Mika a drawstring bag that clanked cheerfully. It sounded as though it was loaded with money.

"There must be at 2,000 Poke in there," Bailey said, taking it from Mika and shaking it. "All this money is really for us, Spoink?"

"Yes, of course! That's nothing compared to my pearl's value! Thank you again!" She hopped off up the ladder and out of sight.

"Very well done," Chatot said. "Good job, team. Now, hand that money over."

"WHAT?!" the three Pokemon cried.

"Well, a large portion of the money earned on jobs goes to the Guildmaster," Chatot explained. "But don't worry. You still get a share."

He turned the bag upside down and handed over a few gold coins.

"We keep only…200 Poke?" Alice asked. "That's ridiculous!"

"It's part of the guild's training program. You'll just have to learn to live with it. Now, why don't you go downstairs for dinner?" Chatot suggested.

Mika, Alice, and Bailey traipsed downstairs, feeling depressed. Their spirits were somewhat lifted by the delicious dinner that a Chimecho had prepared. Wigglytuff entertained them all by bouncing an apple on his head and seeing how long he could keep it there. Finally, when everyone was full and slightly drowsy, they started to head off for bead. Mika, Alice, and Bailey followed suit.

Once they reached the darkness of their room, Bailey spoke. "That's so unfair! Why does Chatot have to take most of our reward money?"

"Well, yeah, that was letdown," said Mika thoughtfully. "But you've gotta admit, today was pretty fun. Being thanked by Spoink was the best part for me, though. She was clearly grateful, and I was glad we could help her out."

"You're right," Alice agreed. "The money isn't as good as the feeling you get when you help someone like Spoink."

"We're probably going to have another full day tomorrow. We should get some sleep," said Bailey. "Goodnight, you two."

Mika didn't have time to think tonight. She fell asleep almost instantly and sank into peaceful dreams sunsets and Krabby blowing bubbles.

 

[Destiny Hope]

Sorry for the fairly large delay, but I've been pretty busy with homework and weird things have been happening at my house... Anyway, here's the third chapter. Please do comment!​

Chapter III:
The Scream​

The next morning, the team was again awakened by Loudred. The guild oath was conducted, and everyone was dismissed. However, they had only been at the guild a few days, and they were still unsure of where to go, a fact that Chatot had been very quick to notice.

"Are you still wandering around lost?" Chatot asked exasperatedly. "Well, follow me."

He led the team upstairs again, but this time, he stopped at the bulletin board on the right wall instead of the left. "As you may have noticed, yesterday you did a job from the board on the other side. Today you will do one from this side," Chatot explained.

"Wow, who are all these Pokemon?" Mika asked, gazing up at the pictures on the board. "Are they famous exploration team members?"

"No, I'm afraid you're way off," said Chatot. "They are outlaws."

"OUTLAWS?!" Bailey cried. "You mean they're…"

"Yes, they're criminals who are wanted by the law. That means there are bounties on their heads. They're all wicked and villainous Pokemon," said Chatot. "And there has been a growing number of them lately. It's been getting harder and harder to keep up with the number of bad Pokemon out there."

Alice suddenly began to tremble violently. Her face had turned pale, and the hand she had on her Relic Fragment was shaking.

"What's wrong?" Chatot asked, sounding slightly alarmed. "Why are you shivering? Are…are you all right?"

"I…I'm scared of bad Pokemon!" Alice stammered.

"Ah, yes, well, when I said they were all villainous Pokemon, I was just joking!" Chatot said quickly. "Some outlaws are truly wicked through and through, but others are just petty thieves. There's a wide range of outlaws, so I'm sure we can avoid giving you someone too nasty to track down and bring in."

"Wait, you want us to catch and arrest an outlaw?!" Alice cried incredulously.
"And don't complain about it, either," said Chatot briskly. "You'll need to be prepared if you're going to confront an outlaw, so I'll have someone give you a tour of the facilities. Hey, Bidoof! Bidoof, where are you?"

"Right here, Chatot, sir!" called a breathless voice. A Bidoof came trotting down a ladder, panting. "You…called?" he gasped.

"Yes, Bidoof," said Chatot. "Give our three new recruits a tour."

Bidoof took one look at Mika, Alice, and Bailey, and tears welled up in his eyes. "A few days ago, I was the rookie around here," he said. "I'm so happy to have members junior to me!"

"Um, well, we're glad we joined, too," said Bailey awkwardly.

"Why don't we start with the floor downstairs?" he suggested, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. Once there, Bidoof said, "This is the guild's lower underground floor. That's Croagunk on the left…" He gestured to a stone structure in the shape of a Croagunk's head. "But to be honest with you, I don't have the faintest idea what that Pokemon's doing. He's always fiddling around with that big cauldron in the back… Now, just past there is the mess hall, and on the right are the apprentice's rooms."

Upstairs, Bidoof continued. "This is the upper underground floor. It's mainly where the apprentices work. The job bulletin board and the outlaw notice board are on the walls, but you probably know that already. Anyway, do you want to see the places outside the guild?"

After heading up one more ladder, out of the tent, and down the rock staircase, the four Pokemon reached a set of three dirt paths. One headed east, one south, and one west. "The west path leads into TreasureTown," Bidoof began.

"I can tell you about TreasureTown!" Alice piped up. "Duskull Bank is that building there…well, that's obvious, 'cause it's shaped like a Duskull… You can save your money there. That tent with the Electivire head is the Electivire Link Shop, but it doesn't look like Electivire is here today. The fancy tent with the Kecleon head is the Kecleon market, where you can buy and sell items. The shop that looks like a Kangaskhan is Kangaskhan Storage. If you store important items there, they'll never go missing."

Mika gazed around, impressed. Something shiny on the ground caught here eye. It seemed to be a circular mosaic composed of bits of yellow and white glass. "And this thing I'm standing on is…?" she asked.

"That's the center of town," Bidoof explained. "We hold all our important meetings here. The mosaic is just there as a bit of a decorative touch."

"Well, why don't we go to the Kecleon Market?" Bailey suggested. "If we're going to go fight an outlaw, we're going to need to stock up on the healing items."

"That's all right, yup-yup!" Bidoof agreed. "I'll wait for y'all on the guild's upper underground level, okay?"

Bidoof walked off and the trio made their way to the Kecleon-shaped tent. Upon taking a closer look, Mika saw that shelves had been mounted on the back wall of the tent. On the shelves were berries, apples seeds, and strange orbs and shimmering multicolored discs. A counter sat in the tent entrance, and two Kecleons, (one green and one purple) stood behind it."

"Hello, youngsters," said the green Kecleon cheerfully. "Welcome to the Kecleon Market. My name is Emerald and my brother here is named Sky. What can we do for you today?"

Not knowing what exactly they would need and not having a huge amount of Poke, Bailey had to ask the Kecleon brothers what they recommended. Emerald and Sky were very patient and helped the team find everything they needed for a battle.

"Okay, thanks a lot!" Alice called as the three left the tent.

"Misters Kecleon!" called two high-pitched voices. An Azurill and a Marill came streaking up the path, wide smiles on their faces.

"Ah, Marill and Azurill, my two favorite children. What will it be?" asked Sky.

"An Apple, please," Marill requested politely.

Emerald walked to the shelves in the back and gave Marill two shiny red Apples.

"Thank you," said Marill, passing Emerald a few gold coins.

Once they were gone, Mika asked, "Who are those two? They sure are cute."

"Those two children are brothers," Emerald explained. "Lately, their poor mother has fallen ill, and they have had to do her shopping. It's remarkable how they've risen to the challenge, seeing that they are still young."

"That's so sweet of them," Alice sighed.
Just then, there was another cry of, "Misters Kecleon!" Marill and Azurill were back.

"There was an extra Apple," said Azurill. "We didn't pay for two of them."

"Consider it a gift from me and my brother," said Sky.

The two ran off once again.

"Well, thanks again!" Mika said. "Bye!"

It wasn't long before they caught up with Marill and Azurill. There was a protruding rock in the dirt path that Azurill failed to notice. Azurill tripped and fell spectacularly, skidding along on his front for six feet, one of his Apples bouncing along behind him. Mika ran forward and scooped up the Apple before it could get too far.

"Here, I think this is yours," she said, handing the Apple to Azurill.

"Th-thank you," Azurill replied shyly.

It happened in one infinitesimal second. Mika's and Azurill's eyes met, and a wave of dizziness washed over Mika, causing her to shudder and break out in a sweat.

"W-what is this?" she murmured thickly.

A second wave of dizziness came. This one was stronger, and Mika felt her knees buckle.

"Dizzy? Or am I…?"

She closed her eyes against the feeling, and suddenly, she heard a high-pitched, terrified voice that seemed to resonate within her own head:

"H…h…h…HELP!"

And then it was gone just as quickly as it had come.

"Whoa…what was that?" Mika asked aloud.

"Pardon?" Azurill inquired. "Are you okay?"

"Did you scream?" Mika asked. "Because I just heard a cry for help that sounded an awful lot like you."

"No," said Azurill, sounding confused. "You must have imagined it."

Azurill and Marill ran off together.

"You heard a cry for help?" asked Alice. "And it sounded like Azurill?"

"Yeah," said Mika. "It was weird, though. I got really dizzy for a few seconds, and then I heard it, clear as anything."

"Azurill's probably right," said Bailey. "It must have been a bad daydream."

Mika didn't protest. They had reached the crossroads at which they had entered TreasureTown, and what she saw drove everything else from her mind. Azurill and Marill were standing there, talking to a Drowzee.

"I would have to have a cold heart to ignore kids in need," Drowzee was saying. "I'll gladly help you search for your lost item."

Mika was just about to walk up the steps to the guild when Drowzee turned and bumped her. "Whoops, excuse me," he said.

And it happened again. Mika's and Drowzee's eyes met for a millionth of a second, and the dizziness started all over.

"Again?" Mika muttered. "Okay…"

She closed her eyes, and this time, a vision came to her. Azurill and Drowzee were standing on the peak of a mountain, and Azurill was shaking.

"If you keep being difficult, it'll mean big trouble for you!" Drowzee growled.

"H…h…h…HELP!" Azurill shrieked.

When Mika opened her eyes again, Azurill, Marill, and Drowzee were gone. "It just happened again!" Mika cried. "Listen to this."

And Mika told her friends what she had just seen.

"You saw Drowzee threatening Azurill?" Alice asked. "But he seemed nice… Sure, it's worrying, but I just can't think of Drowzee as a bad Pokemon."

Mika's head was swimming as they reentered the guild. Why was she getting these visions? And if Azurill really was being threatened, why weren't they out there right now, helping?

Bidoof was standing by the outlaw notice board. "Okay, let's pick us a lawbreaker for you to find. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe…"

Alice began to tremble again.

"Aw, don't be scared," said Bidoof kindly.

"No, it's not that," Alice said through gritted teeth. "Look at the picture in the top left corner."

"It's DROWZEE!" Bailey cried. "He's a wanted outlaw!"

"Azurill will be in trouble. Let's go!" Mika directed. The three raced up the ladder and straight out of the guild. When they got to the crossroads, they took the east path headed off as fast as they could.

***​

"This is it," said Mika as the trio reached the foot of a tall, gray, foreboding mountain whose peak jutted upward into the clouds.

"This is MountBristle," said Alice. "It's called that because the peak is really sharp-looking. I'm sure it'll be tough in there, but we have to save Azurill."

The three hurried in without another thought. As Alice had predicted, MountBristle was full of tough Pokemon intent on causing the team as much damage as they possibly could. The Doduo and the Starly had a powerful Quick Attack in their lineup, and they could K'O you in two hits if they wanted to. Mika's long-distance Bubble was enough to keep them at bay for a while. The Spinarak's Constrict could also do a lot of damage if it lasted for five turns. Luckily, Alice's Ember was strong enough to take them out quickly. Compared to the other Pokemon in MountBristle, the Machop and the Geodude were easy, though the Geodude did have a strong Tackle. Finally, after battling through nine areas of tough Pokemon, the trio reached the peak.

"You see that hole in the rock up there?" Drowzee was saying to Azurill. "I'm to big to fit in there, but they say there's treasure inside. All you have to do is go in, get the treasure, and bring it to me. I won't give you any trouble if you do."

"Azurill doesn't have to do anything!" Mika declared.

Drowzee whipped around. "How did you find me here?"

"We're an exploration team, and it's our duty to take you down!" Mika continued.

"Ha, I've been hunted by exploration teams of all ranks, and I've never been caught yet!" Drowzee mocked with a mirthless laugh. "So, if you think you can confront this outlaw and bring him to justice, then go right ahead. Let's see what you can do!"

"BATTLEON!" the four Pokemon shouted. The flashes of light came, and the battle began.

Mika started things off with a long-distance Bubble that Drowzee expertly dodged. He took the opportunity to pound Mika with a powerful Confusion that left her feeling weak and dazed. Alice, sensing danger, crept silently behind Drowzee and hit him with a strong Ember. Bailey followed Alice's lead and contributed a Razor Leaf of her own. By this time, Mika had recovered from Drowzee's Confusion, and she hit him with strongest Bubble she could muster. This seemed to do more damage than usual.

"Mika, that was your Torrent ability!" Bailey realized. "When your HP is low, the power of your water attacks gets a boost."

Bailey paid a heavy price for her explanation. Drowzee hit her with a Disable/Confusion combo that ended up being super-effective. He turned to Alice with surprising agility and shot a Confusion attack at her in turn. Now, all of the Pokemon were low on HP.

"If I have Torrent, you must have Blaze," Mika said. "So let's combine our power. And you'd better not dodge this, you fiend!"

Alice shouted, "Ember, full power!" and Mika called, "Bubble, full power!" The attacks hit Drowzee simultaneously. He gave a cry of pain and fell to the ground.

Azurill and Marill, who had been hiding behind a boulder, cautiously walked out. "You battle really well," said Marill. "You saved my brother. Thank you so much!"

"That was really scary!" Azurill wailed. "But thanks to you, I'm all right."

"It was nothing," said Bailey. "We were just doing our job."

In minutes, a Magnezone and two Magnemite were at the peak of the mountain. They bound Drowzee tightly before turning to Mika and her friends.

"YOU HAVE HELPED US ARREST A WANTED OUTLAW. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WE WILL SEND YOUR REWARD TO THE GUILD," said Magnezone. "YOU CAN COME WITH US, DROWZEE."

"Aww…" Drowzee moaned as he was lead off.

"You two run along home now," Mika told Azurill and Marill.

"Thanks again," Marill said. "Come on. You, too, Azurill."

"Thanks," said Azurill. "We'll never forget this."

"We should go home, too," said Alice. "I'm getting tired."

***​

Back at the guild, Chatot was waiting for the three. "Good job today, team," he said. "Now, as to your reward, the bounty on Drowzee's head was 4,000 Poke, but since most of that money goes to the guild, you keep 400 Poke."

"Oh, I hate that rule," Bailey muttered mutinously.

Just then, Alice's stomach growled loudly.

"Nice," said Mika sarcastically.

"Ha! I was so focused on rescuing Azurill, I didn't think about how hungry I was," Alice laughed.

Mika's and Bailey's stomachs growled then.

"Wow, I guess I'm pretty hungry, too," said Mika. "Let's go have dinner."

After another delicious dinner prepared by Chimecho, the three friends were feeling sleepy and headed off to bed. Once they had all settled down comfortably, Alice spoke through the darkness.

"Chatot said the growing number of bad Pokemon is caused by time going out of whack. But what would cause that to happen?"

"I can only think of one thing," Bailey said thoughtfully. "Somebody's messing with the Time Gears."

"Time Gears?" asked Mika.

"Yeah, they're these strange, mystical objects that regulate the flow of time. They're hidden, too. There's supposed to be one in a forest, one in a cave, and I've heard there's one in a volcano. If one is taken out of its hiding place, my guess is that time will go out of control in that region," Alice explained. "But even the most hardened criminal Pokemon know not to play around with the Time Gears, so I don't know how Bailey could be right. But then again, who really knows?"

"Do you think those visions I had are connected to the Time Gears?" Mika asked. This question had been burning inside her ever since her first vision.

"Could be," said Alice darkly. "But I don't think your visions are anything bad. I mean, they helped us rescue Azurill and arrest Drowzee. They could be really helpful to us in the future."

"Yeah, I guess so," Mika agreed. "But we'll need to find out more about them."

"Well, that's enough thinking for tonight," said Bailey. "I'm going to sleep."

"It's only enough thinking for you because your brain is so small," Alice quipped.

"Oh, shut up," Bailey scoffed, laughing in spite of herself.

"Good night, you two," said Mika, closing her eyes. She was so exhausted from the battle with Drowzee that sleep was instantaneous.


Far away in a dense, dark forest, a lone Pokemon ran along a path. He was used to running by now. He hardly broke a sweat when he ran nowadays. But tonight, his heart was racing much faster than usual. At the end of this path was something he wanted badly, something he needed. He kept running, and his pulse increased with every step. Finally, he reached a clearing in the trees. A pattern was emblazoned upon the very sky, and it flashed green and blue before his eyes. In the center of this pattern was a tiny sky-blue gear.

"I finally found it," he whispered. "A Time Gear! But this is only the first of many…"

 

[Destiny Hope]

Once again, not much going on in this chapter, but please do comment anyway. Sorry if I left out any words; I was typing kind of fast. But anyway, here goes Chapter IV. Yeah...I know it's been a really long time since my last one...sorry about that.

Chapter IV:
The Gatekeepers​

The next morning, as soon as the first feeble rays of sunlight began to stream into the Guild, Loudred acted as the team's alarm clock. The morning address was conducted, and Chatot dismissed everyone to work. It was only then that something different happened for Team Elemental.

"Hey, you three!" Loudred called.

The three walked over to where Loudred stood with Diglett. They were right next to a dark hole in the ground with what looked like a thick leafy vine coming out of it. "Good morning," said Mika cheerfully. "What's up, Loudred?"

"You guys are doing sentry duty today," Loudred said.

"Sentry duty? What's that, and why are we doing it?" Bailey asked.

"Well, I usually do it, usually do it, but I got an offer to work a different post today, and I accepted," said Diglett. "It would mean a lot if you could cover my shift this morning. "Loudred will show you how it's done." With that, Diglett burrowed underground and disappeared completely from sight.

"Like Diglett said, he's working another post today, so three are going to have to BUCK UP and do a GOOD job!" Loudred thundered, yelling so loudly that Alice was knocked off her feet. She fell backwards into Mika, who toppled into Bailey, who fell to the grassy floor. All three of them burst out laughing, even Bailey, who was on the bottom of the pile. "Sorry," said Loudred gruffly, taking Alice by the hand and pulling her back to her feet.

"Well, at least I didn't get flattened," Bailey said, giggling as she stood up.

"Ahem…now, sentry duty isn't that hard to understand. We can't have suspicious characters coming into the Guild, so we identify them by their footprints," Loudred began, clearing his throat. "You're all gonna shimmy down that vine and walk down a tunnel to the sentry post. It's right underneath the grate outside the front of the guild. Identify the Pokemon by their footprint and shout it out to me. I'll decide whether I'm gonna let 'em in or not, GOT IT?"

"Doesn't sound too bad," Alice confirmed. "Let's do it!" Being the acrobatic Chimchar she was, she slid easily down the vine. Mika didn't have as easy a time, but she still managed to get down. Bailey, however, being a Chikorita, fell down the hole and landed heavily on the earthen floor of a pitch-black tunnel.

"Okay, I cannot see a thing," Bailey complained. A second later, there was a loud THUMP as Bailey smacked right into one of the tunnel walls.

"Okay, I guess we'll have to feel our way," said Alice. "Oh, what am I saying? I'm a Chimchar! Here, let me go in front of you, Mika."

Mika moved aside, and now, the bright glow of the flame on Alice's tail illuminated the passageway ahead. Eventually it widened, and the team found themselves, as Loudred had said, right underneath the grate in front of the Guild. Cris-crossing beams shone through the mesh on top of the grate and pierced the tunnel's darkness, revealing specks of dust drifting through the air.

"Have you three reached the sentry post yet?!" came Loudred's voice, sounding distant and somewhat impatient.

"Yeah, we have!" Mika called back.

"Just in time, too. We have our first visitor!" Loudred warned.

The three looked up at the grate. The silhouette of a footprint had indeed appeared there. It was birdlike and had three toes with a claw on each one.

"Is it a Doduo or a Combusken?" Bailey asked.

"It's a Doduo, trust me," said Alice. "I know fire-types pretty well, and that's not a Combuken's footprint."

"The footprint is Doduo's! The footprint is Doduo's!" Mika declared with full confidence in Alice's ability.

"Absolutely right!" came Loudred's voice.

The next footprint was an easy one. It was rounded at the bottom and three toes at the top. It also had a circular pad on the underside. "That is definitely a Munchlax," said Mika. "What do you guys think?"

"No, I think it's an Articuno," said Bailey sarcastically.

"The footprint is Munchlax's! The footprint is Munchlax's!" Mika called.

"Well, duh," replied Loudred.
The third footprint was also easily identified as a Meowth's. The catlike footprint couldn't possibly be anything else, as a Glameow's wasn't shaped like that. The fourth one was very difficult to identify. "Shiftry or Sceptile?" asked Alice nervously.

"I say Shiftry," said Bailey. "But I could be wrong."

"I trust you, so I'm going with it," said Mika. "The footprint is Shiftry's! The footprint is Shiftry's!"

"Once again, you're correct," said Loudred happily.

The fifth footprint was another easy one; there was no mistaking the small, rounded footprint of a Skitty. The sixth wasn't too difficult, but the footprint of the visiting Torterra did look somewhat similar to the Munchlax's.

"No more visitors! No more visitors!" came Chatot's crisp, clear voice. "Bring it in, Team Elemental!"

With the pathway illuminated once again by Alice's tail flame, the team raced back down the tunnel and scrambled up the vine to meet Chatot and Loudred.

"I've reviewed your sentry duty performance," said Chatot. "Your results were, surprisingly, completely perfect!"

"Yes!" Alice cried, high-fiving Mika and Bailey. "We did it!"

"Good job, you three!" Loudred declared, grinning broadly.

"For a perfect score, the reward will be especially generous," said Chatot, also smiling. "Let me see…you'll receive a Max Elixir, a Ginseng, and a Reviver Seed plus about…400 Poke. I'll send those things to the bank and to storage."

"So that money's ours this time?" Bailey asked eagerly.

"Yes, it is," Chatot confirmed. "You've worked an honest day."

"SWEET!" Bailey yelled.

"Now, now," Chatot chided gently. "Let's not get out of control, Miss Bailey. You'll be doing sentry duty again soon, but at the rate you're progressing, you'll be up to Sentry Diglett's caliber soon. Now, it's getting late. It's almost time for dinner, you three. See you in the mess hall!"

He flew off, leaving the team to celebrate their success.

"You guys were great back there," Mika praised. "I couldn't have done it without you! But now I'm really hungry…let's go get dinner, shall we?"

"Sure!" Alice and Bailey agreed, running after Mika toward the mess hall.

After yet another of Chimecho's delicious dinners, the team headed to bed.

"You guys are really good footprint identifiers," said Mika. "Bailey, I had no idea that one footprint was a Shiftry's."

"Well, I guess I've just got a natural flair for it," Bailey said sassily.

"That may be, but you would never have known that was a Doduo's footprint," said Alice.

"Oh, yes, I would have," Bailey protested.

"Good night, you two," Mika said, smiling. "Fight later, sleep now."

"Good idea," Alice agreed.

"Whatever," said Bailey, a bit reluctantly.

No one said anything more. A Nincada was chirping gently on the windowsill, and the three friends were asleep within minutes.

 

[Destiny Hope]

Here's Chapter V for you guys. There's a lot going on in this one, and for those of you who don't know the game, a little more of the plot is revealed.​

Chapter V:
The First Official Exploration​

A few days later, before the morning address was even begun, Chatot cleared his throat the way he always did when he was about to say something profound. Instantly, the mood in the room changed from one of cheerful relaxation to one of tense alertness. Chatot was looking uncharacteristically grim.

"I have an announcement to make," he began. "Far to the northeast, then farther into its outermost reaches lies a place called Treeshroud Forest. In Treeshroud Forest, time has apparently come to a standstill."

There was instant uproar. Everyone turned to talk to their neighbors to see if they had been just as shocked by Chatot's news.

"Time has…stopped?!" Diglett gasped.

"Hey, hey, hey! How is that possible?!" Corphish piped up.

"But who – wait, no! It's unthinkable! Sunflora cried. She sounded as though she had just realized something horrible.

"Yes, the unthinkable has happened," Chatot confirmed. "The Time Gear at Treeshroud Forest has been stolen!" And before talking could break out again, Chatot continued. "At Treeshroud Forest, no winds blow…the clouds are motionless…dewdrops don't fall from leaves. They just hang there, suspended. Time itself has truly stopped there. Now, Officer Magnezone has already started an investigation into this, and he urges anyone with information to come forward. But in the meantime, let's work even harder than usual!"

"HOORAY!" everyone shouted.

"Wow, I wonder who'd dare take a Time Gear," Alice murmured.

"Yeah, it's pretty worrying," Bailey agreed.

"I know…but like Chatot said, it should make us work harder than ever," said Mika. "So come on, let's get going, girls!"

"Not so fast, you three!" Chatot called. "Come here, please."

Fearing they had done something wrong, they approached Chatot slowly and shyly. Bailey was the only one who didn't look timid.

"'Sup, Chatot, sir?" she asked casually.

"Well, I don't appreciate your slang, Miss Bailey, but all the same, don't look so worried. You're not in trouble. In fact, it's quite the opposite. You three have been doing exceptionally good work lately. Your capture of Drowzee was quite impressive. That's why I'm going to give you a challenge worthy of a true exploration team. Can I see you Wonder Map, please?"

Mika, who always carried the team's Treasure Bag, pulled out the tightly-furled yellowish scroll and spread it out on the ground.

"Uh, Mika, dear, could you turn it the other way around?" Chatot asked.

Mika blinked confusedly, then looked down at the map. The way Chatot was looking at it, the map was upside down. "Oh, yeah, sure," she said, turning the map around so Chatot could read it more easily. "Sorry, Chatot…sir."

"That's much better," said Chatot. "So, the Guild is here…" He pointed to a spot on the southwestern side of the map. It was marked with a drawing of a Wigglytuff head. "And here is the spot we would like you to investigate." He pointed to a spot a little to the northwest of the Guild. There was a drawing of a waterfall there. "As you can see, there's a waterfall flowing there. We've had reports that the waterfall contains some sort of a secret. We'd like you three to try and uncover that secret. So – wait, Alice, what's wrong?"

The girls turned to look at Alice. She was trembling.

"Why are you shivering?" Chatot asked.

Alice had tears in her eyes now.

"Are…are you okay?" Chatot cried, sounding alarmed.

"Yeah, I'm okay," said Alice, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's just the anticipation that's making me nervous." She touched her Relic Fragment gently, eyes closed. "But I'm really excited, too. This should be fun!"

"Glad to hear it," said Chatot. "Now, get to it, girls!"

The three scrambled up the wood-rung ladder to the Guild's upper underground floor, but before they could go any farther, they heard a gentle girl's voice call, "Hey, Mika! Alice, Bailey! Could you come here for a sec?"

It was Chimecho. She was hovering behind a counter on the right side of the room. "I just started on Assembly here today," she said.

"An Assembly? What's that?" Mika asked curiously.

"Well, you can add members here. Have you ever considered that?"

"Yeah, it'd be cool to have members to help us on explorations."

"Then I'll ring the Friendship Bell for you, Team Elemental!" A high-pitched ringing sounded from Chimecho's tail. It was a warm, friendly sound. "Okay, now Team Elemental has the power to recruit new members. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Chimecho…but how do we recruit members, exactly?"

"When you're fighting Pokemon in a dungeon, they may come to admire you and ask to join your team. Come to me whenever you want to assemble a team that includes your members. May your exploration go well!"

"See ya later, Chimecho! Thanks again!" Bailey called.

As soon as the three had climbed up one more long ladder and walked out the Guild's front entrance, they were hit squarely in the faces with a blast of bright morning sunlight. A light breeze rustled the leaves on the trees and sent a burst of excitement through Mika's body. It was a perfect day for exploring. They followed the eastern path out of TreasureTown and in no time at all, found themselves on a high plateau facing a huge waterfall. There were cliffs on each side of it on which a few bushes were growing. The waterfall itself thundered down into a large pool below, sending water spraying everywhere and causing the very ground to tremble. The force of it was truly incredible.

"Wow…that water's really coming down hard, isn't it?" Bailey commented. "I wonder where we should start looking." And before Mika or Alice could do anything to stop her, Bailey had reached out to touch the water. She was knocked off her feet so fast, no one saw what happened. "Ow! That was rude!"

"Bailey, you're talking to a waterfall. It doesn't care if it's rude," said Mika.

"Oh, whatever. Why don't you guys try to touch it?"

Alice walked forward and met the same fate as Bailey. Mika walked up to the waterfall next and was surprised to find that she could barely stay standing near the deluge. She reached out one of her fins cautiously…

"What the…how'd I get on the ground? Wait, did the force of the water do that? How is – oh, no…" She'd suddenly been overcome by a wave of dizziness. Her face was beaded with cold sweat as she fell to her knees on the dusty ground. "Not this again…the dizziness…it's too…"

"Mika! Are you okay?" Alice asked.

But Mika had already closed her eyes. She had a sudden vision of a lone Pokemon standing atop the very plateau on which she now knelt. The Pokemon walked backward a few paces, took a running start, and leapt straight off the plateau and into the waterfall. Mika fleetingly saw a darkened cave behind the waterfall before her eyes flew open again. She was breathing rapidly and she was shivering uncontrollably. "Oh, my Arceus…what's going on?"

"Mika, are you feeling all right?" Bailey asked.

"You shouldn't take the Creator's name in vain," Alice chided.

"Sorry. But guys, listen to this," Mika began. And she told her friends what she'd seen in her vision. They listened intently, hanging onto every word.

"So you had another vision? And this time, you saw a Pokemon leap into the waterfall?!" Alice cried. "Does that mean we're supposed to…?"

Bailey understood. "It sure sounds like it to me. But what if there was actually a solid cliff wall behind that waterfall? Ouch!"

"What, you don't trust me?" Mika asked accusingly.

"Well, I…"

"I'm going for it," said Alice. "I have to trust in Mika and her visions. If I get scared and fail to leap through at full speed, I'll be crushed no matter what I do. I have to put complete trust in Mika."

"I hope you're right," said Bailey softly to Mika.

The three Pokemon walked backward to the middle of the plateau.

"Gotta be brave…use all your courage!" Alice cried. "Three, two, one, NOW!"

The three sped forward and, without thinking about what would happen if Mika's vision were wrong, without a moment's hesitation, leapt through the waterfall. Mika felt the pressure of the rushing water for only a moment before she was through it. She tumbled head over heels into a dark cave, and she heard soft thuds as her friends landed next to her. She stood up and looked around. She was standing in a cave lined with deep pools of water. Even more water dripped from stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave.

"Wow…you were right, Mika," Bailey breathed.

"Well, let's go explore then!" Mika declared.

WaterfallCave was a dim, twisting cave filled with pools of water that anyone could fall into. The Pokemon weren't too bad, though the Wooper did pack a powerful Mud Shot. Bailey almost got knocked out by a Grimer's Pound, though she did respond with an incredible Razor Leaf that scored a critical hit. Mika had a similar experience with a Surskit's Quick Attack, but a few hard hits from her Bubble took it down. Alice had the most terrifying experience of her life when she was dragged underwater by a Poliwag. By the time Mika dived in and pulled Alice out, she was barely conscious and the flame on her tail was frighteningly dim. She probably wouldn't have made it if Bailey hadn't acted unusually fast and whipped a Reviver Seed out of the Treasure Bag.

"Reviving power of Aromatherapy, restore Alice's strength!" Bailed declared, raising the bright green seed. There was a flash of green light and Alice was back on her feet, looking determined and refreshed.

"Thanks, you two. I needed that," she said. "Now, Poliwag, I think we have a battle to finish…" And she hit Poliwag with such a powerful Ember that it was immediately knocked out. "Take that, you little fiend!"

The grand finale of the dungeon came when Mika was unexpectedly thrust into a mini boss battle with another Surskit. Both appeared evenly matched, but in the end, it was Mika's super-charged Pound that defeated it.

"Hey, you're pretty strong," said the Surskit. "Can I join your team?"

"Of course," said Mika. "Welcome to Team Elemental – whoa."

The passageway they were walking on had suddenly opened onto a large open chamber. There were pools of water everywhere, just like in the main part of the dungeon, but there were also gems of every size and color. There were magenta ones, aqua ones, and green ones. There were also purple ones and orange ones. At the far end of the room was a huge crimson one.

"If we could bring that big one back, even Chatot would be impressed. Maybe I can pull it out," said Bailey. She walked up to the gem and began pulling on it. After a few seconds, she stopped, panting. "It won't…budge."

Alice moved forward, but made as little progress as Bailey. "Oh, wow. It really is stuck pretty tight. Can you give it a try, Mika?"

Mika put her fins on the gem and gave it a few good yanks, but it didn't move an inch. "Yeah, you're right. It won't -- " She broke off, eyes closed. She had just gotten very dizzy, and this time, she was ready for the vision when it came. A lone Pokemon walked up to the gem and gave it a small push. The next second, an enormous wave of water rushed into the chamber, sweeping the Pokemon away.

"Maybe it's one of those sword-in-the-stone things where you just have to give it a little push," Alice was saying. And she pushed the giant gem.

"Ack! That's--!" Mika cried, but too late. A deep rumbling sound resonated through the chamber, and a second later, a wave of water rushed into the room.

"RUN!!" Bailey screamed at the top of her voice.

It was too late, though. The water caught up the four Pokemon and swept them away. Mika struggled to stay above the surface, but the water was moving too fast. Eventually, she was sucked underneath. Then, quite suddenly, she was hurtling upward through what seemed to be an earthen tunnel. Then, she was blinking in the bright sunlight as she was lifted into the sky on top of a geyser. She landed with a huge splash in a pool of pleasantly warm water.

"What in the…" Bailey murmured.

Mika stood up. There were Pokemon look at her; a Mankey, a Primeape, a Teddiursa, and a Torkoal, which was sitting on the rocks at the far end of the pool.

"Whoa!" Surksit cried, staring around at the Pokemon and scrambling onto the rocks in surprise.

"Are you guys okay?" Teddiursa asked. "You plopped down out of nowhere! You startled everyone!"

"Yeah, we're fine, but what happened?" asked Alice.

"Could you kindly bring me your Wonder Map, if you have one?" asked Torkoal in a reedy voice that suggested he was very old.

"Sure," Mika replied, spreading the map out on the rocks in front of Torkoal. It was slightly damp, but other than that, no harm seemed to have been done to it.

"You're here at the Hot Spring," said Torkoal, pointing to a drawing of a pool of water some distance from the drawing of the waterfall.

"We got carried by the water all that way?!" Mika cried, amazed.

"My goodness! It was the water that carried you all the way here?" Torkoal exclaimed. "Well, let the waters of the Hot Spring wash away your fatigue before making your way home."

"Okay, we'll do that," said Bailey. "Thanks, Torkoal."

***​

Back at the Guild, the Pokemon, aided by Surskit, had just finished telling Chatot the tale of what had happened at the waterfall.

"So, behind the waterfall, there is a hidden cave. In the heart of that cave is an enormous gem. When you pushed the gem, it triggered a trap of some kind, and you were flushed away to the distant Hot Spring? Is that the gist of your report?" Chatot asked.

"Uh, yeah… I'm sorry we couldn't bring the gem back," said Surskit.

"No, no, no, emphatically, no! This is an amazing discovery! The Guildmaster must be told!" Chatot squawked happily.

"Excuse me just a minute, but I think Wigglytuff's already been to the waterfall," Mika piped up. She had been thinking about the silhouette she'd seen in her visions, and there was no mistaking it as Wigglytuff's.

"Why would you want to spoil your own discovery?" Chatot asked. "Nevertheless, I shall inform the Guildmaster of your suspicions."

Alice, Bailey, and Surskit glared angrily at Mika.

"What? It's the truth," Mika shot back.

Chatot returned a few minutes later. "Well, it's just as Mika suspected. The Guildmaster has, indeed, been to the waterfall already. Why he didn't tell you, I don't know. He can be rather, uh, erratic at times. Still, I expect your best effort tomorrow. Run along, now. It's almost time for dinner."

After dinner, Surksit was dismissed and the three friends held court in their room.

"Today was really exciting, wasn't it?" said Alice. "Sure, there was that huge letdown…but, oh well. It was incredibly fun, even if I did almost get killed by a Poliwag. And there's something else, too, Mika: I was thinking about your visions and they always happen right after you touch something."

Mika thought for a moment. "It's—it's true!" she cried. "I got visions in TreasureTown after I touched Azurill's apple and after I bumped into Drowzee. I got them after touching the waterfall and the giant gem…that sure is weird."

"And the vision of Azurill being threatened by Drowzee was in the future, but if Wigglytuff's already been to the waterfall, this time…you saw the past!" Bailey put in. "So when you touch something, you see its past or future."

"That's amazing, Mika! We could use your ability in lots of ways!" Alice said.

"I can't have visions when I want, though. That's kind of frustrating," said Mika.

"You three, can I see you in the Guildmaster's chamber, please?"

The three jumped. Chatot was standing in the entrance to their room.

"Uh, yeah, sure," said Mika hesitantly.

They had never been in the Guildmaster's chamber at night before. While during the day, the two torches on either side of the room held nothing but smoldering ashes, now they were burning brightly and crackling merrily.

"Hiya!" Wigglytuff cried, turning around and making them all jump again. "We just wanted to let you three know, the Guild is planning to mount a full expedition soon!"

"A what?" asked Alice.

"The Guild will go explore someplace far away," Chatot explained. "It's much harder than exploring our nearby area."

"Usually, we would never, ever consider rookies to be expedition members, but you three have been doing exceptionally good work lately," Wigglytuff continued. "So we decided to include you in the list of candidates for the expedition."

"Oh, that's so cool!" Bailey exclaimed.

"Yeah, I can't wait until we actually leave!" Alice added excitedly.

"You haven't been chosen yet," said Chatot sternly. "If you fail to do good work before the expedition, it's very unlikely you'll be chosen. So do your very best work from now on and don't get behind in your training."

"Will do, Chatot, sir," Mika said politely.

It was with excitement in their hearts that the three friends fell asleep that night. When they did, they all dreamed of finding glorious treasures on an expedition and bring it back to the Guild to the jealousy of everyone else.

 

[Destiny Hope]

Here's Chapter VI for you guys. Enjoy and review, please!

Chapter VI:
Team Skull​

After Chatot's last announcement about Treeshroud Forest's Time Gear being stolen, the entire Guild grew tense and nervous when Chatot began the next morning with another announcement.

"There is a lake far to the east…"

"Oh, no, not another Time Gear," Dugtrio whispered.

"There are many aspects of that lake that still remain mysterious. The Guild hopes to unravel those mysteries. That's why we will be mounting a full expedition soon!" Chatot declared dramatically.

"Wow, really?" Diglett gasped.

"Oh, my gosh, it's been so long since the Guild went on an expedition!" Sunflora cried. "I can hardly wait!"

"But that means you'll be picking members out of ALL of us again, right?" Loudred boomed, louder than anyone else.

"Correct," said Chatot. "Do your very best work over the next few days so that you may be picked for the expedition party. Now, get to it!"

"HOORAY!" the Guild members chorused.

"You three can look up jobs on the Job Bulletin Board and the Outlaw Notice Board," Chatot told Mika and her friends. "No shirking your work, okay?"

The three climbed up to the upper underground floor and had just reached the Job Bulletin Board when they noticed two all-too-familiar Pokemon hovering in front of it. They didn't see Mika and her teammates until Alice made a small noise of anger and they turned around to face them.

"What are YOU doing here?!" Koffing, Zubat, and Alice yelled.

"We're an exploration team," Koffing said in mock offended tones. "Team Skull. What's so funny about an exploration team checking out jobs?"

"I'll have you know we're an exploration team, too," Alice declared.
"Yeah, we're here to train," Bailey supplied.

Koffing and Zubat looked shocked. Then, they both grabbed Alice, dragged her off to the side, and spoke.

"Listen, kid," said Zubat. "You should just forget about being on an exploration team. You're too wimpy. You're timid and you scare easily."

"And it's not just guts you need on an exploration team," Koffing continued. "You need talent. You guys are really short on it!"

Alice broke away from them and walked back over to her friends. "It's true I'm timid, but that's why I'm in training. I'm working to overcome my own shortcomings. And you talk a lot about talent, but what kind of skills do you have? Are you forgetting we knocked your team into orbit the last time we met? With skills that weak, I doubt you could handle the Guild's big expedition that's coming up. That's what we're training for right now!"

Bailey's mouth fell open. "Nice one, Alice!"

"Well, you only won because we didn't have the Chief with us. And did you say this Guild's going on an expedition soon?" Koffing asked.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Alice declared boldly.

"Chief?" Mika asked. "What do you mean?"

"Our exploration team has three members, you see. There's me, Koffing, and the Chief," Zubat said. "And I can smell him coming now!"

"Smell him?" Bailey asked.

A second later, a Skuntank had backed down the ladder. Bailey was standing directly in his path. "Outta my way!" Skuntank growled. He shot a purple cloud of gas at Bailey, who was immediately knocked out. The gas traveled over all the other Guild members, who let out cries of disgust.

"That is some kind of foul stench, yup-yup!" Bidoof cried.

"Hey, hey, hey! My eyes are burning!" Corphish yelled.

"Eek! It reeks like rotten cheese!" Sunflora shrieked.

"That was a good one, Chief!" Zubat praised.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Skuntank muttered. "So did you two sniff out any good jobs that'll bring in the cash?"

"The Job Bulletin Board only posted cheap jobs," said Koffing. "But there's something else, Chief, and it's got the potential to go big…" He leaned in closer to Skuntank along with Zubat and whispered something.

"An expedition? From this Guild?" Skuntank said. "You're right. That could be interesting… Come on, boys. We've got some plotting to do."

The three Pokemon left, laughing to themselves.

"There's definitely something fishy going on with them," Mika said quietly. "What do you think, Bailey – oh, here, let me help you up." Bailey was back on her feet in seconds, looking somewhat disgusted but otherwise unharmed.

"Yeah, there is…" Bailey agreed thoughtfully.

"They're right," said Alice softly. "I am a wimp."

"No, you're not…" said Mika loyally.

"Yes, I am," Alice persisted. "I couldn't work up the courage to help Bailey even when she got knocked out, but I think the Guild training is doing me some good. So let's get down to today's work, girls!"

So with Alice surprisingly and newly motivated, they headed out and completed a few jobs at WaterfallCave, earned quite a few Gummies and various seeds, and scored another perfect on sentry duty. Yes, life at the Guild was very good for Team Elemental until the morning briefing about four days after they had met Koffing and Zubat by the Job Bulletin Board.

"Before we get down to today's work, I have another announcement to make…yes, Loudred, I know there have been a lot of announcements lately," Chatot said before Loudred had even opened his mouth. "As I was saying, we have three new allies joining our Guild this morning."

"I wonder what kinds of Pokemon they'll be?" Bidoof whispered.

Just then, a rotten-smelling cloud of the same purple gas from a few days before leaked into the room as Skuntank, Koffing, and Zubat came down the ladder. The Guild members didn't hide their disgust, particularly Loudred. In fact, Chatot and Wigglytuff were the only ones who didn't look affected.

"These three won't be joining us as apprentices," Chatot continued, as though nothing had happened. "They will be going on our upcoming expedition with us. They will also be staying with us over the next few days so that we may coordinate teamwork in a more efficient manner. So, why don't you three introduce yourselves to the rest of our apprentices?"

"The name's Skuntank. Remember it," Skuntank growled.

"I'm Koffing."

"And I'm Zubat. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I bet you are, Zubat…" Alice muttered mutinously.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Guild members were muttering among themselves as well. They weren't troubling to keep their voices down, either.

"How can the Guildmaster stand this?!" Sunflora shrieked.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to get to work when it smells this bad?" said Diglett.

"Okay, everyone, let's get out there and get to work!" Chatot directed.

"Hooray," said everyone with none of their usual enthusiasm.

"Come, now," Chatot scolded. "Where's your usual spirit?"

"This STINKS! LITERALLY!" Loudred thundered. "How do you expect us to be cheerful when -- " Loudred let his sentence fall, looking terrified. Wigglytuff had his hands clapped over his ears and his eyes were screwed shut.

"Yoooom…YOOOOM…"

The ground began to tremble violently. Bits of dirt and grass fell from the ceiling, and cracks had just started to appear in the ground when Chatot screamed.

"The Guildmaster…his rage is building! Everyone, quick, be cheerful, even if it hurts! Let's get down to today's work!"

"HOORAY!" everyone called, their false happiness masking their fear.

The shaking stopped, and Wigglytuff took his hands off his ears. Chatot let out an audible sigh as everyone scrambled upstairs. His voice shook slightly as he told Mika and her teammates, "You'll do sentry duty today."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

That night, after all the Guild members were in bed, Team Skull crept back into the now-deserted mess hall. Koffing looked enviously at the barrels of food.

"I'm still hungry, Chief," Koffing complained. "My belly'll never get filled on that grub of Chimecho's! Can we sneak something out of these barrels?"

"Yeah, can we, Chief?" Zubat asked.

"The Guild members are all in bed, right?" Skuntank stated. "Help yourselves, boys!"

The next morning, after Chatot had dismissed everyone to work, he called Mika, Alice, and Bailey over to him. "You three, your task today is to replenish the larder."

"Larder? You mean go get some food?" Alice asked.

"Correct," said Chatot. "The Guild's food stock was inspected this morning, and for some reason, it has sharply dropped. The stock of Perfect Apples has also been completely cleaned out. It was the only item to have that happen to it."

"What are Perfect Apples?" Bailey asked curiously.

"They are very large and very delicious apples that also happen to be the Guildmaster's favorite food," Chatot explained. "If there were no more Perfect Apples, the Guildmaster would……erk!"

"Hmm? What was that?" Mika asked, sure she had just seen Chatot flinch. "Go on. What would happen to Wigglytuff?"

"The Guildmaster would………yes, that's what would happen," Chatot said with finality. "That's why I'm begging you to go to Deep Apple Woods and bring some Perfect Apples for the Guildmaster."

"I didn't catch that…it'll bug me not knowing what Chatot said," Bailey muttered as the three headed off in the direction of Apple Woods.

Little did they know, three other Pokemon were watching them as they left the Guild.

"Looks like they're going out foraging for food," Zubat commented.

"Yeah, and all because we feasted last night," Skuntank said, grinning evilly.

"A thankless thanks to us," Koffing concluded. "Let's mess with 'em."

By this time, Mika and her teammates had reached the path that led into Apple Woods. There were many bushes on each side of it that were bending over with the weight of the Apples on them. Mika had never seen so many Apples in her life, but there was still the creeping feeling that she was being watched by unseen eyes…

"According to Chatot, the Perfect Apples are in the deepest part of the woods," Alice reminded them. "Let's go get some."

This, it turned out, was easier said than done. Though Mika bravely battled against the grass-type Pokemon that loaded the dungeon, she had to step back and let Alice take control with her Ember when she almost got knocked out by an Oddish's Acid. Bailey couldn't do much against the grass-types, either, though she did deal a Combee massive amounts of damage when it snuck up behind her and tried to knock her out with Gust. No, it was Alice who took charge in this dungeon, battling just about everything that came her way (including several powerful Exeggutor that dared try a Seed Bomb on her) with the destructive and amazing power of her Ember. With her leading the team and the others backing her up, they conquered the dungeon, though it was long, fairly easily. In what seemed much less time than it should have taken to hack through twelve areas of Pokemon, they reached Deep Apple Woods. It was darker here than in the dungeon. The sun's rays could barely penetrate all the thick leaves of the bushes and trees overhead. The few weak rays of light that came through created dancing spots of light on the forest floor. It was beautiful, but the feeling of being watched had just intensified for Mika.

"Check out that tree!" Bailey cried, pointing at the thick, gnarled trunk of the massive tree at the end of the clearing. From almost every branch of the tree hung…

"Perfect Apples! Look at all of 'em!" Alice said, astounded. "But how do we get them down? That tree's taller than about ten of all of us combined!"

"Easily done!" called a voice from above. The three friends looked up in surprise as Skuntank and his crew dropped down from the tree.

"YOU!" Alice howled. "What are YOU doing here?! This is our mission!"

"Well, we've just been having us a feast of those Perfect Apples on the tree," said Koffing, letting a long, loud belch.

"There's still some left, though," Zubat pointed out in a sing-song voice.

"You guys ate them?!" Alice shrieked. "Oh, why do you always have to mess with us?! Never mind…girls, let's knock these guys out and take the Perfect Apples back to the Guild!"

As she said this, Bailey and Mika backed up slightly behind Alice, Bailey on her left and Mika on her right. This was the general attack position for a three-on-three battle.

"Knock us out? That's very rude of you," Skuntank scolded. "And we were just about to offer our help for your mission."
"What?" Bailey gasped.

"You were wondering how to get the Perfect Apples down, right? Nothing could be easier!" Skuntank continued, walking over to the left side of the trunk. He backed up a few steps and rammed his head right into it. There was a rustling sound from overhead. Skuntank backed up and rammed the trunk again, harder this time. For a second, he just looked a bit foolish. A moment later, though, several huge, red, shiny Perfect Apples had fallen from the tree's gnarled boughs.

"You see? Easy as that. Now, go on, pick up those Perfect Apples and scuttle back to your Guild," Skuntank said.

Alice just stood there. She could almost feel her body blazing with rage. "You're going to pull something, aren't you?"

"Alice, just go with it," Mika whispered urgently.

"No, I won't…IT'S A TRICK!" she shouted, her voice echoing impressively around the clearing.

"Color me surprised! They didn't fall for it at all!" Zubat cried.

"Aww, you're no fun," Koffing sighed. "You're too smart."

"But what are we going to do?" Bailey asked.

"The only thing we can!" Alice cried. "We're going to knock these guys out in battle! Get ready, you two!"

"And the first time I met you, you were shaking like a leaf, too!" Skuntank recalled, impressed against his will. "Aw, well. In recognition of your courage, we'll be honored to take you on fair and square. Koffing and I will use our…NOXIOUS GAS COMBO!"

That was the last thing Mika, Bailey, and Alice heard before they were engulfed in a cloud of all-too familiar purple gas. Only this time, the stench was worse than ever, and they were knocked out cold.

Mika came around first, and she was joined by her friends in seconds. She stood up gingerly, noticing that the air was still heavy with the stench of Koffing and Skuntank's attack. The second thing she noticed was that Zubat was lying against the roots of the tree, eyes closed. A second later, though, his eyes had flown open in alarm.

"Aww, man! They left without me!" he cried, flying off at top speed.

"Wow…Zubat got knocked out, too…" Bailey muttered. "I wonder how low his defense level is…"

Alice laughed out loud until she remembered that they, too, had been defeated by Skuntank's gang. "But we got owned, too..." she scanned the clearing. "And the Perfect Apples are gone!"

"Oh…we failed…" Mika sighed. "Oh, well. Let's get back to the Guild.

"You WHAT?!" Chatot shrieked when the three had finished telling him the bad news. "You failed?! Oh, what am I going to do! This is horrible! It's going to be the apocalypse any second now!"

"Okay, that's a little much," Bailey said. "Besides, we didn't fail on purpose. It was Skuntank and his--"

"Hush!" Chatot snapped. "You've saddled me with this terrible task. Tonight, you'll go without dinner, and you'll come with me when I report what happened to the Guildmaster. And that's a direct order! You don't think I'd actually face his wrath alone, do you?"

That night at dinner, the three were forced to watch while everyone else dug into their food. Bailey called Chatot and Skuntank a lot of names under her breath that made Alice say, "Bailey! Stop it!", and Mika just stood there and watched, trying not to feel the rage that was building inside her. As soon as dinner was over, Chatot escorted the three to the Guildmaster's chamber, looking angry and nervous.

"Hiya!" Wigglytuff cried, whipping around to face them in his usual manner. "You brought me some Perfect Apples, didn't you?"

"Uh, about that, Guildmaster…" Chatot began. "There's a slight… Well, it seems these three failed in their mission to bring back any Perfect Apples."

"It's okay!" Wigglytuff said perfectly cheerfully. "Don't feel blue, don't feel blue. Everyone fails sometimes! So where are the other Perfect Apples?"

"Guildmaster, I think you misunderstood me," said Chatot grimly. "The amount of Perfect Apples harvested was, uh…zero. So I'm afraid you'll have to go without them for a while!" He let out a stream of high-pitched laughter that sounded quite hysterical.

"Oh," Wigglytuff said simply.

"So with that being said…" Chatot began. But he never finished. He was looking at Wigglytuff with absolute terror in his face, just like Loudred had a day or so ago.

Wigglytuff sniffled a few times, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Is he going to cry?" Alice asked.

The ground began to shake, more violently than it had before. A high-pitched whistling filled the room and little jets of fire shot out of the ground.

"Maybe Chatot wasn't kidding when he said the apocalypse was coming!" Mika shouted.

"Cover your ears!" Chatot warned. "And don't ask questions!"

In a few seconds, Mika and her team found out why.

"Bweeeeeeaaaahhhhh!" Wigglytuff screamed.

"Aiieee!" Chatot screeched.

And then, over all the noise, another voice called, "Guildmaster! I've brought you a Perfect Apple!"

Wigglytuff stopped screaming as none other than Skuntank, Koffing, and Zubat walked into the room. Skuntank set a Perfect Apple down in front of Wigglytuff. The shaking and the fire also stopped.

"Thank you, friendly friends!" Wigglytuff said.

"Yes, truly, thank you! Because of you, we've all been spared a catastrophe!" Chatot managed to say.

"Chatot, sir, it was the least we could do," said Skuntank. "After all, your Guild has been most generous and hospitable to us."
"I can see you're the most noble of Pokemon. It will be inspirational to embark on an expedition with you and your team," Chatot praised as Skuntank and his team left. "You three may also get to bed."

"Man, I'm so hungry," Bailey sighed when they reached their room. "Chatot's a real *****, you know?"

"Bailey, don't swear!" Alice scolded. "I know you're hungry. So are we. But thinking about it won't help. Let's get to sleep."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

In another part of the Guild, Skuntank and his team were laughing to themselves.

"But Chief, seriously, why did you step in and help them? It would have been hilarious to see what would've happened!" Zubat grinned.

"Yeah, why'd you help 'em?" Koffing asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Skuntank asked in reply. "I want to get on Wigglytuff's good side. This being a famous Guild and all, I was playing it safe at first, but Wigglytuff's been nothing but a big baby. And now that we've been guaranteed a spot in the expedition party, here's what we do: as soon as they find treasure, we knock out the Guild's crew and take the treasure for ourselves. How's that for a plan?"

The next morning, Chatot cornered Mika and her friends as soon as they had walked out of their rooms. "About the expedition…your failure yesterday weighs heavily," he began. "I know it's hard to tell what our Guildmaster is thinking from his demeanor, but he must be seething with rage inside. When the time comes to choose members, don't get your hopes up, all right? But I still expect your best today!"

"I'm so hungry…and then to be told something like that…" Alice sighed as soon as he was gone. "There's no way I can get motivated now!"

And then, as if in answer to her worries, a voice whispered, "Hey, Team Elemental!"

Mika turned to see Bidoof, Chimecho, and Sunflora watching them.

"Hey, guys!" she cried.

"Shhh! By golly, not so loud!" Bidoof whispered. "Now come with us!" Bidoof led the team to their own bedroom. "We've got something for y'all."

He set down three Apples in front of them.

"Sweet!" Mika shouted. "Let's eat!"

As soon as she was done, Bailey said, "Whoa, I'm revitalized!"

"We all set aside a little of our dinners last night for you," said Chimecho. "We figured you'd need your strength if you're going to keep working hard to get picked for the expedition."

"Thanks, guys…but about the expedition," Mika began. "Chatot just came and told us. Since we failed yesterday, we're probably not going to get picked."

"Don't say that!" Bidoof scolded. "Everyone's got a fair chance! The members haven't been chosen yet, have they?"

"But if we get picked, someone else might not get to go," Alice reminded them. "Would you be okay with that?"

"Nah, I wouldn't like that at all," said Sunflora. "But you know what? That's tough. You guys don't have to worry about us. Get out there and work your hardest today so that you can get picked!"

"Okay…we will!" Mika declared.

"That's the spirit!" Bidoof cheered.

The three teammates completed their biggest string of jobs yet that day, and they were rewarded generously for it. That night, they went to bed feeling extremely proud of themselves.

"So according to what Chatot said at dinner, the members are being picked tomorrow morning," Mika said. "Good luck to you both."

"You, too, Mika…you, too," Alice said politely.

"Yeah, definitely," said Bailey.

"Good night, then. Sleep well," Mika said softly. "I hope you guys get picked tomorrow."

"So do I…" Alice murmured. "I want to go so badly…"

"Arceus be with you, then," Bailey said very quietly. "In fact, Arceus be with us all tomorrow."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

Far away in a distant land, a Pokemon raced into a cave on as quietly as he could. Water dripped from the stalactites on the ceiling into the pools all around him, but he didn't even flinch. He was intent on the bluish-green flow right ahead of him. Once again, his heart was beating more rapidly than he'd ever felt it before, but it wasn't from fatigue or fear. Something he wanted with all his heart, something he needed, was just ahead. As he reached the source of the light, he saw that it came from a tiny sky-blue gear. He had known it would be here.

"This is it…the second Time Gear," he said to himself. "But there are still three others left to find…"

 

[Destiny Hope]

Here's Chapter VII for you along with the Guild's expedition. Enjoy and review, please!

Chapter VII:
The Guild's Big Expedition​

The next morning, Mika awoke feeling nervous and tense as the prospect of what was about to happen filled every particle of her body. When Loudred came and woke her sleeping friends, the nervous feeling peaked and she felt slightly sick. All the same, she headed out and joined the rest of the Guild members, who were looking just as nervous as she felt. Bidoof's cheeks even had a pale green tinge to them.

"Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer," Chatot announced. "The Guildmaster has made his final decisions. Guildmaster, the memo, please." He hopped over to Wigglytuff, who was looking hyper, and took a scroll bound with a gold ring from him. "This memo bears the names of the expedition party members. Please step forward when your name is called. All right, then…" He slipped the gold ring off the scroll. "Our first member is…Loudred!"

"Y-yes! I did it!" Loudred stammered, stumbling forward to stand next to Chatot. "I knew I was going to get picked!"

"Is he saying he wasn't even nervous?" Sunflora whispered.

"Our next member…Corphish!"

"Hey, hey, hey! I got it!" Corphish cried, taking his place next to Loudred.

"Next we have…well, isn't this a surprise! Bidoof, you're up."

"M-me?" Bidoof stuttered as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Really and truly?!" Tears welled up in his eyes and a broad grin spread over his face. "And you know, I want to step forward, but I'm feeling a mite overwhelmed and I can't move."

"Ah, well. We'll overlook it and move on. Next up…Sunflora and Chimecho!"

"We both get to go? That's great!" Chimecho shouted.

"And there we have the expedition party members," Chatot said with awful finality in his voice. "Congratulations to all of you!"

"Oh…we didn't get chosen..." said Alice and there was something odd about the way she sounded, as if she were trying hard not to cry.

"That's that, I guess," Mika murmured, tears running down her cheeks.

"Maybe by some miracle Chatot read the memo wrong and there are more members," Bailey said as though she didn't believe the words herself.

"Oh, wait a minute, there's something written in the margins of the memo," Chatot said. Then he turned around and muttered to himself, "The Guildmaster's writing is such a messy scrawl…this is so hard to decipher. But if I actually said that to him…. Best to keep a stiff upper beak and swallow those words." Then he turned back to everyone else and said, "The remaining members are Diglett, Dugtrio, and Croagunk. Oh, and Mika, Alice, and Bailey, too," he finished.

"W-what?" Mika shrieked. "We made it, too?"

"Oh, thank Arceus for that," Alice declared.

"Wait, what? Whaaaaaat?!" Chatot squawked. "Guildmaster, this list seems to include every member of the Guild! The whole selection process was meaningless! And if everyone were to go, we'd be leaving the Guild completely empty!"

"Don't worry. We'll lock up properly," Wigglytuff said casually.

"Guildmaster, I, too, have some misgivings," said Skuntank in a much smoother tone than he had used back in Apple Woods. "Why does everyone have to go?"

"Now, when a friend asks something like that, I have to wonder why," said Wigglytuff. "We're all going so everyone can be together. We'll be noisy and excited and having fun! I started thinking about it last night, and it made me so hyper I couldn't sleep! It's going to be great. Don't you think so?"

Skuntank looked as though he had just been slapped in the face.

"Let me remind you that this will be a Guild-exclusive expedition," said Chatot, who had regained his dignity. "You may not bring other members of your teams, and you may not add members at the Chimecho Assembly. For now, head into TreasureTown and stock up on everything you'll need for the expedition."

"HOORAY!" the apprentices cheered.

Skuntank and his crew left, but the rest of the apprentices stayed behind and formed a large circle together, watched eagerly by Wigglytuff.

"I'm so happy, I could scream!" Sunflora cried.

"Our Guildmaster has done it again. We're all going on the expedition!" said Chimecho. "Did you see the look on Chatot's face when he found out?"

"I know when I'm being made fun of, Chimecho!" Chatot called, cuffing Chimecho on the head with his wing as he flew by with a basket of Apples in his claws.

"I know you're all excited, but the expedition won't be, under any circumstances, easy," said Dugtrio. "I propose that all of us apprentices band together and work as one. That way, we can help those of us who need extra, uh….assistance."

"Yeah, I know I'm a beginner at this, Dugtrio," said Bidoof, grinning. "But I'll surely try my best to keep up with the rest of y'all."

"That's the spirit!" Bailey giggled.

"Yeah, THAT'S the spirit!" Loudred boomed, louder than any of them.

Everyone scattered up the ladders and raced into TreasureTown, startling many of the Pokemon that were hanging around in the square. The first thing Mika and her friends did was run to Kangaskhan Storage and stock their Bag with as many Gummies, Apples, Heal Seeds, and Reviver Seeds as they could carry. They also took out a Vile Seed, a useful item that, when thrown at a foe, would lower the foe's Defense to the bottom level of 1. Then they reported back to the Guild, where Chatot had a few questions to make sure they were ready.

"Are all your team members on standby with Chimecho?"

"Yep," said Bailey.

"The expedition will be a long journey. Are you all stocked up on items?"

"Definitely," said Mika.

"Have you taken care of any remaining jobs from the Bulletin Boards?"

"You bet!" Alice finished happily. "We did all our jobs long ago."

"Good. You seem to be in full readiness," said Chatot. Then he leaned in closer and said quietly, "Sorry if what I said the other day discouraged you. You never can tell what our Guildmaster is thinking. And failing once isn't so bad. Just don't let it happen again, all right?"

"You never should have said Wigglytuff wouldn't pick us," said Mika, the anger she had felt a few nights ago flaring up inside her again like a spark that had just been ignited into a raging fire. "You were really unfair to all of us!"

"Miss Mika, I don't like your tone, but you're right. I never should have said that."

"Well, it doesn't matter now," said Alice, poking Mika on one of her shoulders where she knew a pressure point was located. Mika closed her eyes in an expression of contentment, no trace of anger left in her face.

"Thanks…" said Mika vaguely.

"When all of the apprentices have assembled, I will commence the briefing. Until then, you three can just wait here," Chatot instructed.

About ten minutes later, all the apprentices were back, and they were standing in a large half-circle around Chatot and Wigglytuff.

"The purpose of the expedition is exploration of FogboundLake," Chatot began. "It is a lake that is said to be located far to the east. However, it has eluded detection due to the dense fog that perpetually enshrouds it. It lives today on rumor alone."

"Sounds pretty challenging," said Diglett.

"It will be," Chatot confirmed. "Now, could everyone please take out the Wonder Maps?" Chatot unrolled a yellowish scroll of his own as everyone else did the same. He pointed to a drawing of a Wigglytuff head. "This is the Guild, and here is said to be the location of FogboundLake." He pointed to an area marked with a drawing of a forest covered by a fog bank. "As you can see, the lake is at a considerable distance form the Guild. Therefore, we shall encamp at the foot of the highlands, but we have to get there first. If we were to travel as one group, our mobility would be severely restricted. We shall break off into several groups. Our first group will be Sunflora, Chimecho, Loudred, and Corphish.

"This'll be fun," said Chimecho. "We'll be a good group."

"You guys had better not hold me BACK!" Loudred boomed.

"Hold you back?" Sunflora muttered.

"Our next group…Diglett, Dugtrio, and Croagunk," Chatot announced.

"We're a solid group," Dugtrio confirmed.

"Alice, Mika, Bailey, and Bidoof can go together…"

"Cool," said Bailey. "Works for me."

"I hope I can keep up, yup-yup," said Bidoof.

"Our guests, Team Skull, should travel as their own group…"

"Understood," said Skuntank.

"The Guildmaster and I will travel as a pair," Chatot finished.

"Aww, I have to go with Chatot? That's sooooo boring!" Wigglytuff whined, sounding very much like an overemotional kindergartener.

"Please don't be difficult," Chatot half-begged. "This is an essential part of our strategy. The expedition may not work out if we don't do this…"

Wigglytuff gave in. "Meanie."
"Now, as I was saying, FogboundLake has eluded discovery by even the best exploration teams, but our Guild hopes to do better. And…it is said that a treasure of exquisite beauty is hidden there. Let that be your incentive!"

"We're going on a treasure hunt! Whoo-hoo!" Alice burst out.

"Okay, then," said Chatot. "We'll be departing as soon as Loudred locks the front gate. Let's work hard and find FogboundLake!"

And so began the Guild's long-anticipated expedition. Mika and her group settled on a route along the seacoast to reach base camp. Soon enough, they arrived at a high cliff-top cave overlooking the ocean…

* * * * * * * * * * * * *​

"Wow, the sea is right up this way!" Alice cried, looking down over the edge of the cliff. This turned out to be a mistake. The cliff dropped straight off into the water, which foamed white as it slapped against the rocks far below. Farther out, the water sparkled innocently in the midday sunlight. "Whoa, doggie, that's a long drop. I'd hate to fall off of this cliff…"

"I reckon this is looking more and more like a true expedition. The path ahead will surely get tricky, just what real explorers like to see," said Bidoof. Then he noticed the tall gray-stone statue to the left of the cave mouth. "And this must be one of those Kangaskhan Rocks I've heard about. They're a real help to travelers. You can pull items from storage before you go into a dungeon using them. And there I go again, running my mouth when I've never even seen one of these things before!"

"It's okay. We're all beginners at this," said Bailey.

"Let me check the Wonder Map and see where we are," Alice suggested, walking over to Mika and pulling the scroll out of the Treasure Bag. A blue dot had appeared o the map by a drawing of a jagged coastline to the south of the Guild. "Okay, we're here…base camp is still pretty far away…so how about we try to reach this spot for a start?" She pointed to a drawing of a tall, spike-like mountain halfway between the coastline and the fog-covered forest.

"Sounds good to me," said Bidoof cheerfully.

Alice is acting like a leader, Mika thought. It must be the excitement from the expedition that's bringing it out…but Alice, who was so timid before, is trying so much harder. Well, that's good for her.

"Okay, let's roll out, guys," said Alice.

The entrance led to a dim coastline cave called CraggyCoast. It provided plenty of challenges for them, too. Besides the problem of there being pools of water everywhere just like in Waterfall Cave, it was very hard to see. Bidoof walked into a few walls, and Bailey tripped over some rocks, but no one got seriously hurt.

Then there were the Pokemon themselves. Alice was seriously damaged by a Gastrodon's Mud Bomb, which scored a critical hit. She had to step back and let Bailey take it down with an ultra-effective Razor Leaf. Alice did fight her best, though, and she dealt a Wingull serious damage with an Ember that got super-charged by her Blaze ability. Mika and Bidoof were great team players as well. Bidoof's Headbutt dealt major damage to a Krabby that dared try a ViceGrip on him. Mika bravely fought a tough Dratini even after it almost knocked her out with Twister. But it was Bailey who was the main striker for the dungeon. She battled everything that came her way with her grass moves, even when she was down to one HP against a Seel. Her Overgrow ability boosted the already impressive power of her Razor Leaf, and she knocked the Seel out cold.

"Don't expect a few hits from Powder Snow to stop me!" she said proudly.

By evening, they had reached a rocky mountain path leading up to what they found out to be the mountain they had seen on the Wonder Map. Other mountains rose around it, but none as high as the one they were about to take on. The sun was beginning to set around them, and it had turned a vivid crimson color.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Alice murmured. "It reminds me of those sunsets we used to watch on the beach."

"This is no time to be getting homesick," said Mika. "If we try to cross this mountain now, it'll be nighttime before we reach base camp. How about we rest here tonight, eat dinner, and take it on in the morning?"

"Okay. I am pretty hungry," Bailey admitted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

The next morning, after a night under the stars, the four friends woke up refreshed and ready to take on the mountain, which they found out was called Mt.Horn. The path they were on sloped steeply upward, so steeply at times that it was hard to keep their balance. Still, they managed to battle everything that opposed them. Mika took care of the Aerodactyl and Bonsly with her water moves, Alice took down the Venomoth, Natu, Shroomish, and Ariados, and Bailey and Bidoof helped out in any way they could. Bidoof, it turned out, came in very handy when Mika and Alice were both paralyzed by a Shroomish's Stun Spore and Bailey was busy fighting a Bonsly.

Finally, they reached the top of the mountain and looked down on the valley below, which was covered by a thick blanket of fog.

"Check that out…" Mika sighed.

"I reckon we're almost there," said Bidoof.

"Yeah, that must be base camp," said Alice.

"Well, let's get down there, then!" Bailey cried, running down the path, losing control of herself, and tripping over her own feet. "Mika, Alice, Bidoof…anyone, HELP ME!" she cried as she wobbled dangerously close to the edge of the path and the edge of the mountain.

Mika knew there was no way to reach her in time. She closed her eyes, stretched her fins out in front of her, and cried in a voice that echoed weirdly, "Bailey, get away from there!"

Bailey's body glowed an eerie shade of blue, and she moved away from the edge as if pulled by an invisible force. "Mika…did you just do that?!" she cried. "That was incredible!"

"Yeah, I don't even know what that was," Mika murmured, amazed. "But I'm just glad I was able to use whatever it was to save you. Now, come on, let's get to base camp."

They continued down the path toward the foggy valley. Bailey, however, wasn't so eager to run this time.

 

[Destiny Hope]

To make up for the last huge break in between Chapters VI and VII, here's Chapter VIII for you. Enjoy and please tell me what you think!

Chapter VIII:
Groudon's Heart​

Mika, Alice, Bailey, and Bidoof walked into base camp and looked around. The area looked to be a foggy clearing in a forest. There were trees on both sides of it, but at the far end of the clearing, the trees parted to reveal what looked like the entrance to a dense forest. There were several teepee-like tents shaped like Wigglytuff's head spread all around the clearing. The Guild members were walking around aimlessly, chatting merrily to each other in loud, energetic voices.

"I think we've made it," said Bidoof, sounding suddenly nervous.

But while Mika had been taking in the scene, she had gotten a strange feeling, a feeling of creeping familiarity…like she had been here long ago but couldn't quite remember.

"You four are late!" Chatot's crisp impatient voice brought Mike abruptly out of her thoughts. "Everyone else arrived long ago. Explain yourselves!"

"Well, you know, we got sidetracked at Mt. Horn, which I almost fell off of," said Bailey, unfazed. "Sorry if we kept you guys waiting."

"Go set your gear down quickly," said Chatot. "I'm about to commence the briefing." He let out a loud, piercing squawk which made everyone cover their ears. "Hey, everyone, assemble in the center of the clearing for a briefing!"

"He's louder than you, Loudred," Diglett quipped.

"As I was saying back at the Guild, FogboundLake remains a mystery to travelers to this day. While exploration teams of all stripes have mounted many a challenge, the fog has hidden the lake exceptionally well."

"Hey, hey, hey! Is it really there or not?" Corphish asked.

"Silly Corphish. You'll wreck the dream if you say something like that!" Sunflora chided. "This is too much fun to be getting all practical."

"Um, may I?" asked Chimecho shyly.

"Yes, Chimecho?" said Chatot.

"While we were traveling, I heard a myth about Fogbound Lake," Chimecho began. "According to the legend, the lake is home to a Pokemon named Uxie. Uxie is said to gaze into the eyes of others and wipe their memories clean, therefore stopping them from revealing the lake's existence. So if the legend is true, that's why no one's ever found Fogbound Lake before."

"Golly, that sure is a hair-raising tale," Bidoof whispered.

"I don't want my memory wiped clean!" cried Loudred.

"You're so forgetful, there isn't much left for Uxie to do," Sunflora laughed.

"HEY!" Loudred cried angrily.

"HUSH!" said Chatot, louder than all. "You can expect a mysterious place like this to have a myth or legend attached to it. It may be true, it may not, and that's what we aim to find out. Now, Fogbound Lake is said to lie beyond this forest. But, as you can see, we are in a foggy area. Once you enter the forest, visibility will be severely limited. Therefore, your search is two-fold: find Fogbound Lake and find a way to lift the fog. If you accomplish either thing, report back here to the Guildmaster or me. Okay, everybody, let's get this done!"

"HOORAY!" everyone chorused.

"Well, I think we have everything we need in the Bag already, so…"

Mika barely heard the end of Alice's sentence. She was too busy thinking about what Chimecho had said earlier. I wonder if Uxie wiped my memory clean…and if Fogbound Lake can be found, maybe I'll find out how I got here and why. Maybe I'll even learn what that weird power I used at Mt. Horn was. But what is this feeling I keep getting? I definitely know this place, but…

"Hey, Mika, are you coming?" Alice called.

Mika looked up. Alice was already halfway down the path into the forest. Bailey was standing next to her, looking impatient. "Oh, yeah, I'm coming."

"It's not like you to zone out like that. Are you okay?" Alice asked.

"I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind," said Mika.

"What Chimecho said before got to me, too. I wonder if Uxie really did take your memory. Well, I guess we're going to find out soon enough."

"Yeah," said Mika. "I guess so."

"Hey, check this out!" Bailey called from down the path.

Mika and Alice jogged up to her and saw that she was standing by a small, deep crimson stone. As Mika looked more closely, she could almost see fire blazing within its depths. "What do you think it is?" Mika asked.

"It's some kind of stone," said Bailey. "It's really pretty. It's kind of like a gem, actually." She picked the stone up. "Wow, it's warm!" she exclaimed. "It's almost like there's heat coming from inside it…it's not like lava, though. I'll keep it. It might be rare or valuable…or it might be a key to something."

"Well, that's cool and all, Bailey, but it's probably just a Fire Stone," said Alice somewhat coldly. "Let's get into that forest, shall we?"

Chatot had been right about visibility being restricted. The forest was almost impossible to navigate through with all the fog there. More than once, Mika walked straight into an enemy and was thrust into battle before she was ready. She was quick to respond, though. She often dealt the wild Pokemon one-hit knockouts before they could do anything but hit her with a quick Tackle. She sent a Pachirisu scurrying away in fear when she hit it with a long-distance Bubble. Bailey, unbeknownst to her, was attacked from behind by a Breloom. She thought she was being attacked from the front due to the fog and blindly shot a Razor Leaf down the corridor, hitting a Dunsparce that was approaching. The Dunsparce ran away, but the Breloom took the opportunity to paralyze Bailey with Stun Spore. Alice, who was behind Mika, did a handspring off her shoulders, landed on the Breloom's head, and knocked it out with Ember. And as the dungeon went on, they learned to use the fog to their advantage to sneak up on tougher enemies like Noctowl and gain an element of surprise. Finally, after eleven areas of fighting in the fog, they emerged into another clearing.

"Wow, check out all the waterfalls!" Alice exclaimed, looking around at the water thundering down into pools from somewhere above them. "But this fog's so thick, I can't tell which way to go…" And she promptly fell into the nearest pool. Luckily, it wasn't that deep, and Alice sustained no more damage than coughing up a lot of water before Mika pulled her out.

"So is this the deepest part of the forest?" asked Bailey.

"Hey, hey, hey!" a familiar voice called from up ahead.

"Hi, Corphish!" Mika called back. "'Sup?"

"I was just wondering if you guys found any clues yet," said Corphish.

"Nope," Mika replied. "How 'bout you?"

"Not exactly…but I did find something interesting up this way. Come on."

Corphish led the group up to a towering life-sized stone statue of a Pokemon. One end of the plinth it was mounted on was sunk deep into the mossy ground so that the statue leaned to the left. On the right side of the plinth was an inscription carved in strange runes.

"What Pokemon is this?" Bailey asked.

"Well, I'm not sure…but I can tell that inscription is written in footprint runes," said Alice. "I can probably translate it; maybe it'll give us a clue." She lowered her voice to a mysterious and dramatic whisper as she read the runes: "Reignite the life that burned within Groudon…the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat…and the path to treasure shall be revealed…Wow, isn't that cool?"

"So this must be Groudon," said Mika. "But what does it mean, 'reignite the life'? Maybe if I touch the statue, I'll get one of those weird visions…" She placed on of her fins on the runes and closed her eyes, ready.

"Sensing anything?" asked Bailey.

"Here it comes…" Mika murmured, keeping her fin firmly on the statue to keep from falling over. "Any second now…" And then, she no longer felt the dampness of the fog or the grooves of the runes beneath her fin.

"It's here! It's here! The Groudon statue!"

"Whoa, that was different than what I've gotten before…" Mika murmured. But before she could think any further, she was far away from her friends once more.

"Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart…that lifts the fog!"

"Excellent work. Good job, partner!"

Mika snapped back to reality. "That was just a voice…I didn't even really get a sense of what that voice sounded like. But what's the Drought Stone? Oh, wait, Bailey, come here!"

Bailey seemed to know exactly what Mika was talking about. "You want me to put my stone into the statue's chest? Okay…" She fitted the stone into a small hollow in the statue's chest. The next second, the statue's stone eyes had turned a fiery red, and the whole thing glowed bright white. The ground began to tremble, as it had done in the Guild.

"Everyone, we've gotta get out of here!" Mika commanded. The four of them ran as fast as they could away from the statue, but it didn't help. The bright light spread until they had to close their eyes against it.

"Can I look now?" Alice asked after a few seconds.

Mika cautiously opened her eyes. The light was gone. "Yeah, go ahead." It was only then that she realized the fog was gone as well.

"Well done!" called an unwelcome voice. Skuntank and his crew were standing in front of the Groudon statue.

"Not you brutes again!" Alice sighed. "You know, we were here first, so you really need to get out of our way."

"Are you forgetting we put you down in one shot last time we met?" said Skuntank. "We'll do the same thing now. You're never getting to Fogbound Lake!"

"True, we lost last time, but it won't happen a—what the…?" Alice began. An Apple had just come rolling across the path.

"Perfect Apple! Wait for me!" another familiar voice called. Wigglytuff came running towards them and made a dive for the Perfect Apple, which he caught. "I got you! If you ever went away, I'd…Oh, hello, my friends!"

"Guildmaster, what are you doing?" Skuntank asked.

"I was taking a walk in the woods when my Perfect Apple went rolling and rolling away from me. I had to catch it. So, have you found any clues?"

Skuntank had been about to say he had found the Groudon statue, but Mika was too quick. "We found this statue, and we lifted the fog."

"Well, then, you guys have to go on," said Wigglytuff. "Skuntank, you and your friends can stay here. Team Elemental, go find Fogbound Lake!"

Mika and her friends ran on until they reached a solid cliff wall in between two waterfalls. "Girls…look straight up," she said. Her friends did so, and what they saw was truly incredible. Above them, connected to the cliff wall, was a high plateau from which, they could now see, the waterfalls were pouring.

"No wonder no one's ever found Fogbound Lake before," Bailey whispered. "They never would have seen this through the fog."

"So Fogbound Lake must be up there," said Alice. "That's incredible!"

"Well, come on, then! Let's get to the top!" Mika declared.

Back at the Groudon statue, another scene was taking place. Corphish had run off to base camp to tell Chatot and the others about the statue, and Wigglytuff was left with Skuntank, Koffing, and Zubat. Wigglytuff, however, was too busy with his Perfect Apple to notice the whispered discussion that was going on. For now, he was blissfully unaware that he was being plotted against.

"Chief, Wigglytuff is, like…creepy," Koffing complained.

"Yeah, can we go now?" asked Zubat.

"Not yet, boys," said Skuntank. "I've got a plan. Wigglytuff won't let us go to Fogbound Lake, so here's what we do: We knock out Wigglytuff, go after Team Elemental, and take the treasure of Fogbound Lake for ourselves."

"I like it," said Koffing, grinning nastily.

"But first…the great, famous explorer Wigglytuff is finished!" Skuntank cried.

 

[Luna Altaire]

AWESOME so far! Keep it up!

 

[Destiny Hope]

I know it's been a while, but I'm going to try to keep up with this fic as best I can. And so, here it is, Chapter IX, for your enjoyment.

Chapter IX:​

The Secret of Fogbound Lake​

​

"Hey, look! There's a huge fissure open in the rock there!" Bailey called. The path the team had been on had suddenly changed. Instead of the solid ground they had been on before, it was now springy and mossy. Pools of water that bubbled and steamed filled in the gaps in the moss on each side of the path. Ahead of them in the cliff wall was fissure that ran a quarter of the way up it. Little jets of steam issued from the rocks around the fissure, somewhat like small geysers.

"That's steam, isn't it?" Alice said. "I bet it'll be scorching in that cave."

"Yeah, but we've gotta get to the top and meet Uxie if we can, especially after what Chimecho told us about Uxie being able to erase memories," said Bailey.

"Maybe Uxie will even know what the power I used to save Bailey was," said Mika. "I'm sure it wasn't anything bad, but I'd like to know…"

"Ooh, I'm going to burst with anticipation!" Alice cried. "We're going into someplace that no one's ever seen before! That just makes my heart flutter…"

"Alice, relax," Mika said, firmly, but not unkindly. "Now, let's roll."

As the three friends made their way into Steam Cave, another battle was going on at the Groudon statue. Skuntank and Wigglytuff were each staring intently at each other, each testing the other's will.

"Chief, you've been staring him down for how long now?" Koffing asked. "Can't we just get going and catch Team Elemental?"

"Uh, no, not yet," said Skuntank, sounding less sure of himself than he had before. "Wait a little bit longer."

"Dear friends! What's the matter?" Wigglytuff asked cheerfully. "You've been making such scary faces at me! Wait, do you want me to make faces at you, too?" And he launched into the oddest and most disturbing sequence of faces any of them had ever seen. He pulled his ears into odd shapes, crossed his eyes, stuck his tongue out, and generally scared Skuntank and his friends out of their wits.

"What in the name of Arceus…?" Skuntank murmured.

"Chief, can we go now?" Koffing wined. "This is really disturbing."

"Yeah, this whole weird scene is freaking me out," Zubat agreed.

"All right, already!" Skuntank burst out. "Zubat, you'd better back up. Okay, here we go… Hey, Wigglytuff!"

"Hmm?" Wigglytuff let go of his ears and uncrossed his eyes, blinking a few times. "What is what is what is what is…what is it, my friends?"

"Wigglytuff, I'm really sorry about this, but you're going down. Skuntank cried. "Take this—a noxious gas combo straight from me and Koffing!"

Wigglytuff had no time to react. All he could do was close his eyes and cover his face against the foul-smelling purple cloud…

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Steam Cave was another dim, water-filled cave full of tough Pokemon. Most were fire types like Slugma and Numel, so Mika could put them down in one shot. Alice handled the Kricketune easily, even if she did get slightly damaged by a Fury Cutter that did more damage than usual due to a critical hit. Bailey, though she tried her best, wasn't much help in this dungeon. She was burned so badly by a Magmar that she had to be helped by a Reviver Seed's healing power of Aromatherapy. Then, she struck back with a Razor Leaf that, while not super effective, still took it down.

It wasn't just the Pokemon that were a problem, either. The passageways were long, narrow, and twisting, and more than once, the teammates got separated. On the final floor, the three friends were all in different areas. Then, Mika came streaking down a path chasing a Magmar, firing Bubble after Bubble at it, determined to knock it out. Unfortunately, the Magmar was in such distress that it ran smack into Bailey, burning her again. This caused Mika to unleash a barrage of Bubble attacks in fury, knocking the Magmar out once and for all.

Bailey was crouched on the ground, screaming in pain as the Magmar's fire singed the leaf on her head. "Mika, do something!" she managed to say.

Mika was out of ideas for once, though. "Dear Arceus, please don't take her," she gasped, frantically searching the Treasure Bag for a Rawst Berry. None could be found, though. "Bailey, just hang in there!"

Bailey was on her knees, her deep crimson eyes almost closed.

Tears of despair and frustration ran down Mika's cheeks. "Bailey, I'm sorry…there's nothing I can do… Don't die, please…"

"Bailey's not going anywhere, at least not while I'm around!" a proud female voice called from down the corridor.

Mika blinked away her tears to see Alice, glowing a bright sky-blue, standing across the room. Her eyes were alight with the kind of fire that Skuntank's team usually sparked in them. "Alice, what…? Why are you glowing?"

"Time heals most wounds," Alice said mysteriously. "So let's speed things up."

Mika had just enough time to see the strange pattern on Alice's Relic Fragment begin to glow before all was enveloped in a flash of blue light.


"Well, the Guildmaster was here…" Corphish said, looking around the Groudon statue and then apologetically back at his fellow apprentices. "I don't see him anymore… Maybe he went chasing after his Perfect Apple again."

"Team Elemental must have gone on ahead," said Chatot. "Come on, let's see if we can find them. They may lead us to Fogbound Lake."

All the apprentices but Diglett and Dugtrio ran on ahead. Diglett paused, looking around and listening hard. "Hey, dad, did you hear something over there?" Like moaning and groaning? Do you think somebody's over there?"

"No, son. You must have imagined it," Dugtrio replied, burrowing into the ground and tunneling rapidly to catch up with the others."

Diglett took one last look to the left and followed suit.

But Diglett hadn't imagined anything, as it turned out. Concealed by one of the many waterfalls that were thundering down from above, Team Skull was lying in the grass, trying to recover.

"I'm d-deflated…" Koffing complained. "How d-did W-Wigglytuff shrug of our n-noxious has combo like it was n-nothing?"

"Yeah, and how'd he strike back at us like that? He must be a lot tougher than we gave him credit for," Zubat muttered.

"Will you two shut up?!" Skuntank barked, still managing to sound commanding while wincing in pain. "Don't you realize Team Elemental's gonna get to the treasure of Fogbound Lake first and steal our glory?"

"B-but what can we d-do about it?" Koffing asked.

"Nothing. And that's exactly what makes me so mad," Skuntank growled.


"Relay point dead ahead!" Alice announced proudly as the bright blue light faded. "Bailey, how's that burn of yours feeling?"

"It's completely healed, thanks to you," Bailey said, shaking the leaf on her head, which was bright green instead of charred and black. "It's a good thing you knew that when you reach a relay point, all status conditions are healed. But what was that thing you did? Did you teleport, or…?"

"I don't exactly know," said Alice. "But I think it's connected to what Mika did at Mount Horn. If we meet Uxie may be able to find out what it is."

That reminds me, Mika thought. I haven't said anything about this weird feeling of familiarity I keep getting. Maybe I should tell them…

"So, where are we?" Bailey asked. They were standing in a small chamber lined with pools of water. There was an opening in the rock wall behind them and an opening in the far wall ahead of them. In the middle of the room was another towering stone Kangaskhan statue, staring down at them.

"This is Steam Cave's relay point, of course," Alice explained. "The rest of the dungeon is through that door across the way."

"The rest of the dungeon?!" Bailey cried. "There's more?!"

"Don't worry; we'll protect you from any Magmar," Mika promised, grinning. "Now, let's get to Fogbound—what was that?" A distant sound, like the rumbling of thunder, but more…alive-sounding had just filled the chamber. "Was that roaring? Or was it just my imagination?" Then the sound came again, clearer this time. "You guys did hear that, didn't you?"

"Yeah…I don't know what it could be, though," Alice said.

"Well, I'm hoping it's not a Magmar on the rampage," Bailey said seriously, setting them all laughing again, even Bailey herself.

Upper Steam Cave was a bit more challenging than the first part had been. The passageways were just as mazelike as before, and they all sloped steeply upwards, adding to the already scorching heat in the dungeon. It became immediately clear to the three that the Pokemon here were higher level as well. The Magmar were tougher than ever; it took Mika two Bubbles to take them down. Granbull, Illumise, and Volbeat with insane amounts of HP were added to the mix as well. The Granbull packed a powerful Lick, and their ability to raise their speed when they took damage could be downright dangerous. The Illumise and Volbeat, as the team found out the hard way, could cut their HP down to half with one shot from Quick Attack. They were driven back to the relay point at least four times before they finally made it through.

Corphish was leading the Guild members in the direction that Mika and her friends had gone when all of them paused, listening hard. They were at the entrance to Steam Cave, and the sound was faint, but it was still easily recognizable as roaring. "Hey, hey, hey! Did you hear that?"

"That's a mighty strange sound; yup-yup!" Bidoof agreed.

"Well, we can't let that bother us," said Chatot firmly. "We have to find Team Elemental. Now, come on. Let's move out."

As the Pokemon dashed into Steam Cave, Corphish asked, "Hey, Chatot? Can you tell us about Groudon? You know, from the statue."

"Well, of course I can!" Chatot squawked irritably. "I'm only the Guild's head of intelligence! Groudon is the mythical Pokemon said to have raised the land from the sea and built up the continents."

"Sounds like one colossal Pokemon; hey, hey, hey! So what would happen if you were to face Groudon in battle?"

"Battle?! Out of the question!" Chatot screeched, deftly warding off a Magmar's Ember with his Mirror Move. "It would be like throwing your life away! He is that strong, like all legendary Pokemon."

As Chatot was explaining this, Mika and her friends had reached a high plateau. Solid cliff walls rose on all sides so that sound bounced off of them. Ahead of them was a tunnel that led to some unseen place.

"There's something wrong here," Mika said cautiously. "I feel like I'm being crushed by a terrible sense of danger…"

"I feel it, too," Alice whispered.

Just then, the very ground trembled beneath their feet.

"Whoa…what was that?" Bailey asked.

The tremor came again, and then again. It persisted, becoming stronger and more rhythmic all the time. Then, as the strongest tremor of all came, an armored, crimson-colored Pokemon stepped out of the tunnel.

"Oh, shoot…" Bailey said slowly. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Stay calm. Hey, we don't mean any harm. We just want to go ahead to Fogbound Lake," Mika told the Pokemon. "Let us pass, please."

"FOGBOUND LAKE?! I AM THE GUARDIAN OF FOGBOUND LAKE! I AM GROUDON!"

"Ya had to tell him that, didn't ya, Mika?!" Bailey yelled.

"Oops," said Mika simply.

"THERE WILL BE NO MERCY FOR YOU WHO SEEK TO STEAL THE TREASURE OF FOGBOUND LAKE! PREPARE FOR THE END!"

"Okay, well, if it's a fight you want…" Mika began.

"BATTLE ON!" everyone shouted.

Groudon started out with a powerful Mud Shot on Alice that made it quite clear what they were dealing with. Mika and Bailey bravely defended Alice with their water and grass attacks, but they barely did any damage and were driven back by Groudon's strong Slash.

"His defense is too high!" Alice shouted, getting back to her feet. "And he's got the Drought Ability, Mika! It'll cut the power of your water attacks in half!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Mika cried, dodging another Slash.

"Wait a second…high defense?" Bailey began, sending a powerful Razor Leaf in Groudon's direction. "Mika! The Vile Seed!" She said the last two words through her teeth so Groudon wouldn't understand.

Mika heard perfectly, though. She reached into the Treasure Bag and took out a purplish-black seed with long feeler-like things on it. "Alice, here!"

Alice caught the Vile Seed easily and, with the acrobatic skill of the Chimchar she was, back-flipped onto Groudon's head. Holding tight to the helmet-like covering on Groudon's head, she slammed the seed down with the other. The feelers happily attached themselves to his head, where they began to pulsate sinisterly. Groudon gave a bellow of pain and rage and shook his head forcefully. Alice flew off, hit one of the high cliff walls, and slid down it, where she lay still.

White-hot fury such as she had never felt before, not even in the face of Chatot's unfairness or Skuntank's taunts, welled up inside Mika. She barely noticed that Groudon's body was glowing the same color as the Vile Seed. "Don't…touch…my…friends," she said in her deadliest voice. "Bailey, do you want to join me?"

"With pleasure," Bailey grinned, firing off another Razor Leaf that looked like it must have been devastating to Groudon.

Mika helped out with a stream of Bubble attacks that did far more damage than before thanks to the Vile Seed, which had lowered Groudon's defense down to Level 1. They both succeeded in giving Groudon major damage, but they also got him very angry. He responded with a powerful Mud Shot that brought both of them down to their last HP. This battle could go either way, and they knew it.

"Leave this to me, Mika!" Bailey cried. And, without a moment's hesitation, she let her guard down and closed her eyes. Groudon had his claws raised above her, ready to perform one final, deadly Slash, but Bailey didn't seem to notice. She was merely glowing a familiar, serene blue. Groudon paused, sensing something wasn't quite right. His moment's falter was all Bailey needed. "FINAL TIME BLAZE!" she declared. A wave of bright blue flame shot from Bailey's body and hit Groudon squarely in the chest before he could make a move.

"Bailey, you go, girl!" Mika cried as Groudon toppled over onto his front, out cold. "But I've never heard of Final Time Blaze."

"It's connected to what you and Alice did; I know it," said Bailey, her crimson eyes reflecting the blue sparks that were still dancing in the air. "As long as it can K'O our enemies, though, I don't care what it is."

"I wouldn't say that, Miss Bailey," said a voice which resonated off the cliff walls. "You do care. This power scares you, though you may not want to admit it."

"No, it doesn't," said Bailey, her defiant voice shaking slightly.
"Yes it, does," the voice protested. "It is an unknown power, and you fear the unknown. Underneath all your whit and sassiness, you fear things of which you know nothing, and this power is certainly new to you."

"Who are you, anyway? And what's going to happen to Alice?" Bailey asked.

"Miss Bailey, relax," said the voice. "Your friend is unharmed. As she so wisely put it, time heals most wounds."

As if on cue, Alice, who was still lying at the base of the cliff wall, blinked her eyes open and stood up slowly. "Whoa…what just…?"

"You see?" the voice said kindly. "Give her an Oran Berry and she'll be fine. Now, as to who I am… Why should I tell you that?"

"We're not trespassers!" Mika shouted. "We didn't come to steal the treasure of Fogbound Lake! I mean, it would be nice to leave with something after all this, but we'll be happy to say we made it this far! Please… Whoever you are, you've just gotta believe us! If the power Bailey used isn't proof we're not trespassers, I don't know what is!"

"…well…Okay, I believe you." Golden beams of light shot out of Groudon's limp form and, in a flash, he was gone. In his place was a tiny, sprite-like Pokemon with a yellow head. "I am Uxie, legendary Being of Knowledge."

"Okay…" said Alice, biting into an Oran Berry.

"I get that reaction a lot," said Uxie. "But, all the same…Welcome, my young friends, to Fogbound Lake. Now, please follow me."

"If he's the Being of Knowledge, do you think he knows what power we all used? And do you think he holds the key to my memory loss?" Mika asked as the three friends walked along behind Uxie.

"Mika, my friend…" Alice began. "I think we're about to find out."

Uxie led the group through the tunnel that Groudon had come out of earlier, and instantly, the pathway widened onto what was unmistakably the rest of the plateau. What they had battled on before must have only been a very tiny part of the plateau, and this was the bulk of it. Uxie stopped right at the point where the land ended and dark water that sparkled in the moonlight began.

"Wow, it's become dark outside!" Bailey said, pointing out the obvious. "We must have been battling so hard, we didn't notice how late it was getting."

"It may be a little difficult to see at night, but…" Uxie began. "Behold! Fogbound Lake!"

Mika and her friends stared out across the dark water, taking a good, long look. Cliffs dotted with sparse plant growth lined every side of the huge lake except the one they were on, and the lake was so vast that the cliffs on the opposite bank were hard to make out. Illumise and Volbeat, glowing blue and red, drifted lazily from one end of the lake to the other, buzzing softly. And at the very center of the lake was a bluish-green glow that seemed to be shining up from somewhere deep below the lake's still surface. "Uxie, what's that blue-green radiance at the lake's center?" Mika asked curiously.

"That, my friends…well, it'll be easier if I show you," said Uxie. He blinked once, his eyes flashed gold, and then a vivid picture filled the minds of the three Pokemon. It was almost as though they had been transported beneath the dark water without ever leaving the land. Only the water wasn't dark anymore. It was illuminated with the same blue-green glow they had seen from the bank. At the very heart of the glow was a sky-blue gear about the size of a large tennis ball. It looked somewhat like a five-pointed snowflake, and each point had a carving of what appeared to be an arrow on it. "That…is a Time Gear," Uxie said mysteriously.

"Wow…" Alice sighed. "I've always love ancient relics, and stuff like this gets me really excited, but this Time Gear feels especially mystical."

"It should, for it contains the powerful and sometimes cruel and dangerous force of time itself," Uxie said, blinking slowly again to dissolve the image.

"Uxie…was that Sight Sharing?" Mika asked.

"No, that power belongs to Latias and Latias only. I merely showed you a vision of what is hidden here," said Uxie.

"Speaking of power, we all used a strange force during this expedition, and I think it might have been the same force, but…I don't know if you know what it was, Uxie…" Alice said, suddenly nervous. "C-could you maybe…?"

"There's no need to be so nervous, my young friend," Uxie said. "I don't bite. And yes, you three all have the same power inside you. Just like the Time Gear, each one of you holds part of the mystical force that is time itself."

"How is that…?" Bailey began, her voice cracking in fear.

"Long, long ago, before Wigglytuff's Guild ever existed, our world, along with several other worlds as well, was in danger of crumbling into darkness. From each world, six warriors were chosen by Arceus to protect them. They all fought bravely to defend their worlds, often risking their lives in battle and in other places. After one of the greatest trans-dimensional battles in history, the warriors succeeded in driving back the forces of darkness. Many sacrificed themselves to save the worlds they loved, but their descendants still live on today.

"Now, you three, just like the warriors of long ago, have been chosen by Arceus to defend our world from the darkness threatening to swallow it. The power you all showed during the expedition clearly marks you as Time Warriors."

"Time Warriors?" Bailey gasped. "How can we be? I mean, we're just…"

"I do not question the wisdom of the Master Creator," said Uxie. "And especially not in this case, because I have seen a vision of the future and have been given a very special prophecy with it—regarding you three."

"Uxie, does this Time Warrior stuff have anything to do with a human coming to Fogbound Lake, having their memory wiped clean, and then transforming into Pokemon?" Mika asked quietly. "Because I think that might have been…me."

Uxie looked hard at her for a moment. There was something special hidden behind this young Piplup's dark eyes, but… "No, my dear. No human has ever come here. I'm afraid the cause of your mysterious transformation lies elsewhere…in time and darkness. However, both the vision and the prophecy that I received foretold a very special destiny for you and your friends as Time Warriors, but particularly you, Mika."

"What destiny?" Mika asked.

"That will become very clear as your tale unfolds."

"I'm still not believing this, Uxie," Bailey said somewhat rudely. "That power I used must just have been…I don't know, but I'm sure it wasn't real."

"Bailey, the attack Final Time Blaze is extremely real. You've never heard of it before because it's Time Warrior exclusive."

"…oh." said Bailey simply, her green cheeks becoming tinged with pink.

"Yes, the attack Final Time Blaze is extremely real, as is the grand adventure you three will share. And just like Final Time Blaze causes opponents pain, so will your fate. And when you finally do feel the true sting of unalterable destiny, only then will your tale be complete. So says the prophecy I was given by the Master Creator Arceus…" said Uxie, his voice trailing off. "…oh, I do not mean to scare you. I am just telling you the truth, frightening as it may be."

"How can destiny hurt?" Mika asked, her eyes narrowed in confusion and slight fear.

"Oh, destiny may not hurt physically, but the emotional pain of it and the knowledge that nothing can be done to change it can hurt worse than any physical pain this world knows…in the heart, that is."

But just then, as the three friends were trying to wrap their minds around all Uxie had given them to think about, a familiar voice was heard from the tunnel leading to Fogbound Lake: "Oh, my goodness, a Time Gear, a Time Gear! But that's too bad, we can't take a Time Gear!" A second later, none other than Wigglytuff, a Perfect Apple clutched in his hands, had run out onto the plateau.

Uxie must have sensed danger, because his eyes flashed blue and the very same Groudon that Mika and her friends had fought appeared next to him, claws raised.

"Arceus help us, it's back!" Alice shrieked.

"Groudon, don't make me use that Final Time Blaze on you again; you know I can do it!" Bailey declared while crouching behind Alice for protection.

Noticing she was the only one not cowering in fear, Mika spoke up, her voice surprisingly calm despite the shock of seeing Groudon again. "Uxie, don't be afraid, this is our Guildmaster Wigglytuff. He won't hurt you."

As if to prove this point (or merely because it was his custom) Wigglytuff danced over to Uxie, singing, "Glad to greet you, friend, friend!" Then he hopped in front of Groudon. "Friend! Friend! Amazing, friend!"

"Pleased to meet you, too…" said Uxie, hiding his surprise at the antics of Wigglytuff. "Alice, Bailey, you can stop shaking, this Groudon is just an illusion I use to drive off intruders." As Uxie said this, Mika noticed that even though she had told Uxie Wigglytuff was harmless, the Groudon illusion remained there. She could only guess that when you were the guardian of a location of a Time Gear, you could never be too careful.

"The others are behind me, friends!" said Wigglytuff happily.

And right on cue, the rest of the guild members walked onto the plateau.

"They're our friends, too, Uxie," said Mika quickly.

But still, the Groudon illusion did not vanish. The guild members who were closest too it all jumped backward in fright.

"G-G-G…" Loudred stuttered, apparently at a loss for words for once.

"Spit it out! It's Groudon!!" Chatot squawked.

"Eeek!" Sunflora screamed. "It's gonna eat me!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I think you've been watching too much Giratina and the Sky Warrior. That's Shaymin's trademark line!" Corphish quipped.

"Calm yourselves. If you are friends of Mika, Alice, and Bailey, Groudon will not hurt you," said Uxie, unfazed by the chaos of the guild members.

"So we found it at last…Fogbound Lake," said Chimecho softly, turning her gaze away from Groudon to look out across the dark water.

"I reckon we're the first ones, yup-yup," Bidoof agreed.

"And there's a Time Gear here, too. No wonder one is hidden here, this place is nearly impossible to get to," said Chatot, regaining his brisk manner.

"And you must make sure it stays that way," said Uxie sternly. "You must make sure never to tell anyone what you have seen here, neither how to get to Fogbound Lake nor what lies beneath its surface. In order to protect the Time Gear, you must keep what you have seen your most closely guarded secret."

"I swear it in the name of Wigglytuff's Guild!" said Wigglytuff at once.

And as if these words had been some kind of magical spell, there was a huge explosion of water in the lake behind Wigglytuff—a geyser was erupting.

"It's spouting! Pretty, pretty!" Wigglytuff burst out.

And it was. A soft, pink and orange glow was cast on the geyser by the Illumise and Volbeat, and the base of it was shining eerily blue with the light of the Time Gear below. Together, the colors created a gorgeous combination that not even Mika, in her wild imagination, could have hoped to come up with.

"Are you taking this in, Mika?" said Alice. "This is utterly magical!"


Mika, who had been staring fixedly at the magnificent sight in front of her with her heart racing, blinked and nodded. "Yeah, it's…it's wonderful."

"Yes, the lake geyser erupts sometimes," said Uxie, the glowing fountain-like pillar of water reflected in his eyes. "The Time Gear illuminates it from below and the fluttering Illumise and Volbeat cast their glows on it as well. Together in harmony, they are the very vision of beauty!"

"This must be the treasure…" said Chimecho vaguely. "The treasure of Fogbound Lake is its…is this beautiful view."

All the guild members could only nod slowly and unblinkingly, as they were transfixed by a sight more glorious than anything they could have imagined.

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