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Dimensions of Darkness Book 2: The Explorers of the Core
- Thread starter GalladeRocks
- Start date
Illusione-Tempus
Well-Known Member
Oh dear, what's going to happen to Grovyle, 88 and 89? I hate that miserable dark future, or maybe the present probably 
GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
The Dark Future? Is that what you guys think this is? Fools! This is a land that makes the Dark Future look like a happy flower meadow full of rainbows and butterflies and magical flying unicorns. No, this isn't the Dark Future. This is Thunderdome the Beyond.
Now, just what will happen to Piplup and Chimchar? Will they be heroes once again? Will their story end here?
And what about 88 and 89? What role will they have in the plotline? Will they ever quit being chowderheads?
And exactly what is Darkrai's mysterious plan?
How could I write a story without having to rely on Grovyle's epicness Dusknoir's wise-cracks to make up for the meager plotline?
Just what role will the new characters, including Dragonite, Garchomp, Zoroark, Absol, Prinplup, and Lugia, play in the story?
Why am I asking you all of these questions?
Ok, now that my rant is done, I'll announce that I'll try to have the epilogue up tonight, as well as a preview of the next book.
And, on a final note, I will not include the bonus chapter that I spoke of before. Instead, every fifth chapter in the next book will be a bonus chapter. And just what will they revolve around? My temporarily abandoned project involving the Dimensions of Darkness cast, The Pokemon Show! Yes, rather than having to worry about handling two fics at once, I'll simply put them together in one fic! Ingenius, right?
Now, just what will happen to Piplup and Chimchar? Will they be heroes once again? Will their story end here?
And what about 88 and 89? What role will they have in the plotline? Will they ever quit being chowderheads?
And exactly what is Darkrai's mysterious plan?
How could I write a story without having to rely on Grovyle's epicness Dusknoir's wise-cracks to make up for the meager plotline?
Just what role will the new characters, including Dragonite, Garchomp, Zoroark, Absol, Prinplup, and Lugia, play in the story?
Why am I asking you all of these questions?
Ok, now that my rant is done, I'll announce that I'll try to have the epilogue up tonight, as well as a preview of the next book.
And, on a final note, I will not include the bonus chapter that I spoke of before. Instead, every fifth chapter in the next book will be a bonus chapter. And just what will they revolve around? My temporarily abandoned project involving the Dimensions of Darkness cast, The Pokemon Show! Yes, rather than having to worry about handling two fics at once, I'll simply put them together in one fic! Ingenius, right?
okay, the character list is long,
. and we all know Grovyle and Dusknoir are going to turn up again, and since you said we won't see Sceptile for a long time, i'm guessing he'll turn up as well.
but what about the Pikachu? and the Beyond was OBVIOUS.
Sweetness. xD
Can't wait for the next book~! xD
First things first though: them pesky spelling errors. -w-
Excruciating has the "c" instead of that first "t"."
Rock fall is two words.
Two little misspells, the "o" in "ingenious" and then there was one "e" to short in "believe," which was probably just overlooked.
"Be wanting" could be simply "want."
And that's it~!
Now for my favorite parts~!
Lolz. xD 2 • 2 = L xD
Dusknoir's hilarious as ever. xD
Those were two of my more favorite parts, but I loved the whole chapter, and all the others I haven't commented on~!
On to the next book~!
Zoroark, Deoxys, and Psuedo-Legends, oh my~! xD
And then the Pokemon Show bonus chapters added in too; I can't wait! x3
Can't wait for the next book~! xD
First things first though: them pesky spelling errors. -w-
Excruciating has the "c" instead of that first "t"."
Rock fall is two words.
Two little misspells, the "o" in "ingenious" and then there was one "e" to short in "believe," which was probably just overlooked.
"Be wanting" could be simply "want."
And that's it~!
Now for my favorite parts~!
Lolz. xD 2 • 2 = L xD
Dusknoir's hilarious as ever. xD
Those were two of my more favorite parts, but I loved the whole chapter, and all the others I haven't commented on~!
On to the next book~!
Zoroark, Deoxys, and Psuedo-Legends, oh my~! xD
And then the Pokemon Show bonus chapters added in too; I can't wait! x3
Illusione-Tempus
Well-Known Member
Oh dear, no bonus chapters at the end of the book? At least I get to post before it's moved
Oh, and... didn't really bothered to read The Pokemon Show. I'm really lazy to read it... but, since I don't have anything left to do later... *bookmarks Pokemon Show to read later*
Oh, and... didn't really bothered to read The Pokemon Show. I'm really lazy to read it... but, since I don't have anything left to do later... *bookmarks Pokemon Show to read later*
GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
Rotom310-Thanks for pointing out all of those mistakes. I'll get them fixed as soon as I've finished this post.
scizorstrike-I was trying to keep my character list here short, and I decided to leave Pikachu out of the list. But yes, he will still be in the next fic.
Also, I lied about one thing. Sceptile will make one slight appearance before reappearing late in the next fic.
Epilogue
Hundreds of bubbles floated through the air, glistening in all of the colors of the rainbow as the sunlight hit them. The ocean waves lapped lazily against the golden sand, leaving foaming trails in their wake.
Grovyle took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of the cool wind across his face. After the few weeks he had spent in the Core, he was still getting used to the surface world. He hadn't realized until his return just how much he had missed the warming sun and gentle breeze.
"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?"
Grovyle didn't have to turn around to see who had spoken. "That it is, Celebi." He paused, then turned around. "Care to join me?"
"Of course," Celebi nodded, smiling. She floated forward and sat down on the beach next to Grovyle. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They simply absorbed the scene before them, not wanting to spoil the sunset.
"I'm glad to have you back," Grovyle whispered eventually.
Celebi blushed and looked away. "Urm...thanks."
"You're one of the few people that I can really talk to," Grovyle continued. "You're one of the only two that gets me."
"Piplup," Celebi said.
Grovyle nodded. He pointed to a rock further down the beach to their left. "Right there is where he showed up at," he explained. "When Piplup and I first travelled here from the future, he was spat out right there."
"That's what Chimchar says," Celebi nodded.
"And later, when Piplup had disappeared from time after beating Primal Dialga," Grovyle added. "Dialga brought Piplup back and dropped him in the exact same place. Piplup has made his entrance to this world twice in that one spot on the sand."
"That's why you're here," Celebi said. "This is the closest you can be to Piplup."
Grovyle nodded. "And Chimchar, too. This is the exact same spot that Chimchar found Piplup both times."
"They're good guys," Celebi said. "And good friends. It's clear that you suffer from their absence."
"And so does Wigglytuff, and the apprentices, and Skuntank, and Azurill and Marill, and Manaphy, and even Dusknoir," Grovyle listed. "The entire world suffers from their absence." He paused. "Too bad the same can't be said for the Shieldon and Cranidos that got sucked up with them."
Celebi glared at Grovyle. "Now don't say that! All life is valiable and has its own effect on the world. Just because those two may not be as well known or loved as Piplup and Chimchar, they still matter."
Grovyle nodded. "Of course, Celebi. When you're right, you're right. And after all, those two did try to save Piplup and Chimchar in the end."
"From the stories everybody told, it sounds like they put themselves in harms way quite a bit," Celebi said. "Dusknoir mentioned that they even traveled into the ruins with Piplup and Chimchar even when it a battle with Darkrai seemed imminent. That takes courage."
"Or in their case, stupidity," Grovyle muttered. He immediately fell silent as he felt Celebi's gaze burning into his soul.
Celebi apparently felt the need to change the subject before she was forced to reprimand Grovyle again. "I wish I could have been there to do something."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Grovyle sighed. "Nobody was able to do a thing down there. Dusknoir, Lucario, Mew, the Guild. They were all helpless. I was helpless."
Celebi searched her mind for encouraging words, but found nothing.
"Don't bother trying to comfort me," Grovyle said. "It's alright, I understand." He turned to face Celebi. "I should have pounced on Darkrai when I had the chance. We all seemed to underestimate him down there. Dusknoir was almost killed because of that. By the time that we were finally taking him seriously, it was already too late. Piplup and Chimchar were already right where he wanted them."
"There was nothing you could have done," Celebi assured.
"Exactly," Grovyle nodded. "I was convinced last time to be lenient with Darkrai. I let him escape with his life."
Celebi frowned. "Grovyle, what are you-"
"Next time," Grovyle interrupted. "I won't make that mistake."
*****
The fires were already lit in the Wigglytuff Guild. Despite the early hour, the apprentices had already hit the hay, having been given an extended break time while plans for the future were made. But there were still three Pokemon still fully awake, as they had been for almost three days.
"So you have no idea where this Darkrai opened a portal to."
"Nope."
"You have no idea where he would want to open a portal to."
"Nope."
"You have no idea how he even opened a portal in the first place."
"Nope."
"I must say, Guildmaster," Chatot sighed. "You're not making this easy for us."
Armaldo, Wigglytuff, and the recently freed Chatot all sat in a circle on the floor in Wigglytuff's room. The torches around them were burning intensely, but none of them seemed to feel the heat. There were more important things to worry about.
"So let's get all of this straight once again," Armaldo sighed. "Darkrai sucked Piplup, Chimchar, the Shieldon, the Cranidos, and himself into this mysterious portal. The portal was black, signifying that it came out somewhere dark. Aside from that, we have absolutely no leads."
Wigglytuff nodded cheerfully. "Yup!"
"How is it possible that in three days, that's all the information we've compiled?" Chatot squawked in exasperation.
"The lack of sleep probably has something to do with it," Armaldo said. "We should probably get rested up before we try thinking about this more."
"That's a good idea!" Chatot yawned. "I realize that I was frozen in time for two weeks, but I'm still exhausted."
Wigglytuff's lower lip stuck out. "Aw, come on! You guys are giving up just like that? If Skuntank were here, he'd still be working!" His frown deepened for a moment at the thought of Skuntank. The leader of Team Skull had vanished after hearing about the disappearance of Piplup and Chimchar. Not even his partners Zubat and Koffing knew where he had gone.
"We're not giving up!" Armaldo pointed out. "We just want to take a break for some sleep. Isn't that alright?"
"Zzz," Wigglytuff said.
Armaldo frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Zzz," Wigglytuff repeated.
Chatot hid his face in his wing. "He's asleep!" he groaned.
"With his eyes open?" Armaldo said, raising an eyebrow. "Yeesh, Junior, you've got issues."
Suddenly, Chatot became aware of two figures standing in the doorway. He leapt to his feet and flapped his wings in a frenzy. "Intruders!" he squawked, preparing to attack. Armaldo rose to his feet at the same time.
"Whoa, hold up!" one of the figures urged. "We're just here to talk!"
"Hi friends!" Wigglytuff said. Armaldo and Chatot jumped in surprise at the voice.
Armaldo leaned over to Chatot. "Wasn't he just asleep?"
"It must have been a power nap," Chatot shrugged.
"Hi Wigglytuff," the second figure greeted. The two moved forward into the room to stand before the other three Pokemon.
Chatot poked Wigglytuff inquiringly. "Guildmaster? Who are these Pokemon?"
"Oh, that's right!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. "You guys haven't met yet! Chatot, Master, these are Lucario and Mew. I told you about them, right?"
"Yes, you did," Armaldo nodded. "The two Pokemon who helped Piplup and the others in the Core."
"Nice to meet you two," Lucario bowed.
Mew grinned. "Chatot, I heard quite a bit about you from Piplup and Chimchar. It's nice to meet you." Then she turned to Armaldo. "But they never mentioned you. What's your name?"
"I'm Armaldo," Armaldo introduced. "I'm an old friend of Wigglytuff's. I've heard a lot about you and your friend."
"Word travels fast," Lucario grinned. "Our reputation preceeds us yet again."
"When has it ever preceeded us before?" Mew inquired.
Lucario shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt like something good to say."
"So what brings you two top-soil?" Wigglytuff questioned, reclining against the wall. "Is something wrong in the Core?"
"Not at all," Mew assured. "Progress on rebuilding the city is great. Abomasnow and Machamp are helping Bastiodon and Rampardos get the townspeople back to their daily lives. After Regigigas recovered, he was convinced to help with the reconstruction efforts by Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. And the strangest thing happened to Rayquaza."
Wigglytuff frowned. "And that is?"
"Well, according to the records," Mew replied. "Rayquaza has been surrounded in a dark Aura ever since his battle with Giratina many centuries ago. That's when he was forced to be sealed away. But now, the dark Aura's gone. He's returned to his duty of guarding the Core as if nothing ever happened."
"Interesting!" Wigglytuff commented. "So defeating him snapped him out of the state he'd been stuck in for all those years."
"Apparently so," Lucario nodded. "But that's not why we've come."
"Of course," Wigglytuff said. "You're here about Piplup and Chimchar."
Mew nodded. "Yes. If we can get a possible trace of the portal, or another portal to the same place, we might be able to help."
"I could probably pick up on Piplup and Chimchar's Auras if we can find out just where it is that Darkrai took them," Lucario said. "But it'll be tough."
"Then we've got no time to waste!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. "There'll be no sleep tonight!"
Armaldo and Chatot both groaned under their breath.
Lucario and Mew sat down to join the circle on the floor. Wigglytuff leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "Now let's get down to business."
*****
A lone figure loped down the road, with the sun setting behind him. He was apparently oblivious to the multiple pairs of eyes staring at him from the forest underbrush. Either that, or he was utterly fearless. The wild Pokemon decided not to find out for themselves just how powerful this intruder was; The stench around him was powerful enough.
Skuntank sighed, asking himself for the fifth time in five minutes just why he'd left Treasure Town. But every time he gave himself the same answer.
The bag of supplies he carried was beginning to grow heavy, and he realized that night would be falling in a matter of minutes. Noticing a small clearing up ahead, he decided that now would be as good a time as any to set up camp for the night.
Skuntank had just finished his meager dinner of berries when a twig snapped in the forest behind him. He whirled away from his campfire to face the sound. He thought he could barely make out a shadow moving behind a tree. "Come out, stranger," he ordered. "Don't make me come in after you."
Obediently, a tall bipedal figure stepped out of the trees. "I'm very sorry, sir. I didn't intend to frighten you."
"Yeah yeah," Skuntank muttered. He took a step back towards his campfire, but still kept his eye on the newcomer. "Now leave."
"You seem to be alone, friend," the newcomer commented.
"You're observant," Skuntank scoffed. "Yes, I'm alone, and I'd prefer it stay that way. Scat."
The stranger took another step forward. "These are dangerous parts, friend. You won't last one night here alone."
"Thanks for the tip," Skuntank grunted. He turned back to face the stranger, who was watching him anxiously. "You're not going to leave me in peace, are you?"
"I can't leave a lone traveler to fend for himself," the newcomer admitted. "So the answer is no."
Skuntank sighed. "Well, if you're going to stay, you might as well make yourself comfortable."
Smiling, the stranger sat down next to the campfire. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Your welcome," Skuntank said gruffly.
The two sat in silence for a while, but the stranger eventually spoke up again. "Pardon me for sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong, but just what are you doing out here on your own?"
Skuntank frowned, contemplating whether or not to answer. "I guess you'd call it a journey of self-discovery," he replied shortly. "The only people who ever brought out the good in me disappeared. I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life now."
"Sad story, friend," the stranger sighed. "I'm out here for about the same reason. Self-discovery, and all that. Except I've never really known what to do with my life."
"Welcome to the club," Skuntank chuckled softly. He extended a paw towards his new companion. "My name's Skuntank."
"Nice to meet you, Skuntank," the stranger greeted. He held out his own clawed hand and shook Skuntank's paw vigorously. "You can call me Sceptile."
*****
Dusknoir wasn't surprised to find Grovyle and Celebi alone on the beach. He considered sneaking up and scaring them, but guessed that the timing probably wasn't appropriate. They didn't look like they were in a laughing mood. Instead, he floated up behind them and cleared his throat to announce his presence.
They both turned around. "Oh, hello Dusknoir," Celebi greeted. "Out to enjoy the sunset?"
"Yes, I suppose," Dusknoir nodded. "I've never really been one of those people to enjoy the beauty in life and nature and all that jazz, but I'll admit, it's worth seeing."
"But that's not why you came out here," Grovyle stated. "What do you want?"
Dusknoir twiddled his thumbs for a moment, unsure of exactly what to say. "Take your time," Celebi said.
"Well," Dusknoir finally spoke. "I may have found a way to find Piplup and Chimchar."
Grovyle and Celebi both leapt to their feet. "Talk."
"It's still in the planning phase," Dusknoir explained. "But I really think it could work after strategizing some."
"I don't care how long it takes," Grovyle said. "I'm ready at any time."
"It could take awhile to get ready," Dusknoir repeated. "Days, maybe even weeks. But the wait won't even be the worst part." He paused and looked to make sure that he had both Grovyle and Celebi's full attention. "It may require a trip to a realm beyond your comprehension."
Grovyle scoffed. "We've seen things that should be beyond comprehension, and yet we've adjusted to them as everyday life. How bad could this be?"
Dusknoir shrugged. "We very well may have to travel to the realm of the dead."
"The realm of the dead?" Celebi gulped. "Scary stuff."
"I don't care," Grovyle spat, unphased. "I'll go there."
Dusknoir nodded. "I knew you would be happy to." He turned to Celebi. "And will you go too?"
"Of course," Celebi nodded.
Grovyle spun on Celebi. "No, you won't," he snapped. "Do you want something to happen to you again, just like at the Crystal Lake?" He looked at his feet. "Do you have any idea what I'd do if I lost you again on top of Piplup and Chimchar?"
"That's why I'm going," Celebi stated. "To make sure that we don't have to be without Piplup and Chimchar. I can handle myself."
Grovyle started to argue, but Dusknoir put a hand on his shoulder. "You do realize that you have no hope to win this dispute, right?"
"Yes," Grovyle sighed. "I do." He looked back up at Dusknoir. "Now, what's our plan?"
"Like I said, it's not even much of a plan yet," Dusknoir admitted. "More a plan for a plan."
"Well, if this plan for a plan is ever going to become a real plan, then we'd better get to work on it!" Celebi exclaimed. "Come on, let's go find Wigglytuff and the others. They'll be able to help out."
Grovyle and Dusknoir nodded and began to follow her. However, Grovyle stopped and turned back to watch as the sun slowly slid down past the horizon. "Don't worry, guys," he thought to himself. "I'm going to get you. Even if I have to travel past the boundaries of death itself, I will find you." Catching himself, he turned to look back at Celebi and Dusknoir. With one last look across the serene ocean, he hurried off after his companions.
"No, scratch that," he whispered aloud. "We will find you."
TO BE CONTINUED (AGAIN)
There! Now it's officially done! I hope you guys all enjoyed it! Keep your eyes open for the next fic!
Gallade is out. PEACE!
scizorstrike-I was trying to keep my character list here short, and I decided to leave Pikachu out of the list. But yes, he will still be in the next fic.
Also, I lied about one thing. Sceptile will make one slight appearance before reappearing late in the next fic.
Epilogue
Hundreds of bubbles floated through the air, glistening in all of the colors of the rainbow as the sunlight hit them. The ocean waves lapped lazily against the golden sand, leaving foaming trails in their wake.
Grovyle took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of the cool wind across his face. After the few weeks he had spent in the Core, he was still getting used to the surface world. He hadn't realized until his return just how much he had missed the warming sun and gentle breeze.
"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?"
Grovyle didn't have to turn around to see who had spoken. "That it is, Celebi." He paused, then turned around. "Care to join me?"
"Of course," Celebi nodded, smiling. She floated forward and sat down on the beach next to Grovyle. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They simply absorbed the scene before them, not wanting to spoil the sunset.
"I'm glad to have you back," Grovyle whispered eventually.
Celebi blushed and looked away. "Urm...thanks."
"You're one of the few people that I can really talk to," Grovyle continued. "You're one of the only two that gets me."
"Piplup," Celebi said.
Grovyle nodded. He pointed to a rock further down the beach to their left. "Right there is where he showed up at," he explained. "When Piplup and I first travelled here from the future, he was spat out right there."
"That's what Chimchar says," Celebi nodded.
"And later, when Piplup had disappeared from time after beating Primal Dialga," Grovyle added. "Dialga brought Piplup back and dropped him in the exact same place. Piplup has made his entrance to this world twice in that one spot on the sand."
"That's why you're here," Celebi said. "This is the closest you can be to Piplup."
Grovyle nodded. "And Chimchar, too. This is the exact same spot that Chimchar found Piplup both times."
"They're good guys," Celebi said. "And good friends. It's clear that you suffer from their absence."
"And so does Wigglytuff, and the apprentices, and Skuntank, and Azurill and Marill, and Manaphy, and even Dusknoir," Grovyle listed. "The entire world suffers from their absence." He paused. "Too bad the same can't be said for the Shieldon and Cranidos that got sucked up with them."
Celebi glared at Grovyle. "Now don't say that! All life is valiable and has its own effect on the world. Just because those two may not be as well known or loved as Piplup and Chimchar, they still matter."
Grovyle nodded. "Of course, Celebi. When you're right, you're right. And after all, those two did try to save Piplup and Chimchar in the end."
"From the stories everybody told, it sounds like they put themselves in harms way quite a bit," Celebi said. "Dusknoir mentioned that they even traveled into the ruins with Piplup and Chimchar even when it a battle with Darkrai seemed imminent. That takes courage."
"Or in their case, stupidity," Grovyle muttered. He immediately fell silent as he felt Celebi's gaze burning into his soul.
Celebi apparently felt the need to change the subject before she was forced to reprimand Grovyle again. "I wish I could have been there to do something."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Grovyle sighed. "Nobody was able to do a thing down there. Dusknoir, Lucario, Mew, the Guild. They were all helpless. I was helpless."
Celebi searched her mind for encouraging words, but found nothing.
"Don't bother trying to comfort me," Grovyle said. "It's alright, I understand." He turned to face Celebi. "I should have pounced on Darkrai when I had the chance. We all seemed to underestimate him down there. Dusknoir was almost killed because of that. By the time that we were finally taking him seriously, it was already too late. Piplup and Chimchar were already right where he wanted them."
"There was nothing you could have done," Celebi assured.
"Exactly," Grovyle nodded. "I was convinced last time to be lenient with Darkrai. I let him escape with his life."
Celebi frowned. "Grovyle, what are you-"
"Next time," Grovyle interrupted. "I won't make that mistake."
*****
The fires were already lit in the Wigglytuff Guild. Despite the early hour, the apprentices had already hit the hay, having been given an extended break time while plans for the future were made. But there were still three Pokemon still fully awake, as they had been for almost three days.
"So you have no idea where this Darkrai opened a portal to."
"Nope."
"You have no idea where he would want to open a portal to."
"Nope."
"You have no idea how he even opened a portal in the first place."
"Nope."
"I must say, Guildmaster," Chatot sighed. "You're not making this easy for us."
Armaldo, Wigglytuff, and the recently freed Chatot all sat in a circle on the floor in Wigglytuff's room. The torches around them were burning intensely, but none of them seemed to feel the heat. There were more important things to worry about.
"So let's get all of this straight once again," Armaldo sighed. "Darkrai sucked Piplup, Chimchar, the Shieldon, the Cranidos, and himself into this mysterious portal. The portal was black, signifying that it came out somewhere dark. Aside from that, we have absolutely no leads."
Wigglytuff nodded cheerfully. "Yup!"
"How is it possible that in three days, that's all the information we've compiled?" Chatot squawked in exasperation.
"The lack of sleep probably has something to do with it," Armaldo said. "We should probably get rested up before we try thinking about this more."
"That's a good idea!" Chatot yawned. "I realize that I was frozen in time for two weeks, but I'm still exhausted."
Wigglytuff's lower lip stuck out. "Aw, come on! You guys are giving up just like that? If Skuntank were here, he'd still be working!" His frown deepened for a moment at the thought of Skuntank. The leader of Team Skull had vanished after hearing about the disappearance of Piplup and Chimchar. Not even his partners Zubat and Koffing knew where he had gone.
"We're not giving up!" Armaldo pointed out. "We just want to take a break for some sleep. Isn't that alright?"
"Zzz," Wigglytuff said.
Armaldo frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Zzz," Wigglytuff repeated.
Chatot hid his face in his wing. "He's asleep!" he groaned.
"With his eyes open?" Armaldo said, raising an eyebrow. "Yeesh, Junior, you've got issues."
Suddenly, Chatot became aware of two figures standing in the doorway. He leapt to his feet and flapped his wings in a frenzy. "Intruders!" he squawked, preparing to attack. Armaldo rose to his feet at the same time.
"Whoa, hold up!" one of the figures urged. "We're just here to talk!"
"Hi friends!" Wigglytuff said. Armaldo and Chatot jumped in surprise at the voice.
Armaldo leaned over to Chatot. "Wasn't he just asleep?"
"It must have been a power nap," Chatot shrugged.
"Hi Wigglytuff," the second figure greeted. The two moved forward into the room to stand before the other three Pokemon.
Chatot poked Wigglytuff inquiringly. "Guildmaster? Who are these Pokemon?"
"Oh, that's right!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. "You guys haven't met yet! Chatot, Master, these are Lucario and Mew. I told you about them, right?"
"Yes, you did," Armaldo nodded. "The two Pokemon who helped Piplup and the others in the Core."
"Nice to meet you two," Lucario bowed.
Mew grinned. "Chatot, I heard quite a bit about you from Piplup and Chimchar. It's nice to meet you." Then she turned to Armaldo. "But they never mentioned you. What's your name?"
"I'm Armaldo," Armaldo introduced. "I'm an old friend of Wigglytuff's. I've heard a lot about you and your friend."
"Word travels fast," Lucario grinned. "Our reputation preceeds us yet again."
"When has it ever preceeded us before?" Mew inquired.
Lucario shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt like something good to say."
"So what brings you two top-soil?" Wigglytuff questioned, reclining against the wall. "Is something wrong in the Core?"
"Not at all," Mew assured. "Progress on rebuilding the city is great. Abomasnow and Machamp are helping Bastiodon and Rampardos get the townspeople back to their daily lives. After Regigigas recovered, he was convinced to help with the reconstruction efforts by Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. And the strangest thing happened to Rayquaza."
Wigglytuff frowned. "And that is?"
"Well, according to the records," Mew replied. "Rayquaza has been surrounded in a dark Aura ever since his battle with Giratina many centuries ago. That's when he was forced to be sealed away. But now, the dark Aura's gone. He's returned to his duty of guarding the Core as if nothing ever happened."
"Interesting!" Wigglytuff commented. "So defeating him snapped him out of the state he'd been stuck in for all those years."
"Apparently so," Lucario nodded. "But that's not why we've come."
"Of course," Wigglytuff said. "You're here about Piplup and Chimchar."
Mew nodded. "Yes. If we can get a possible trace of the portal, or another portal to the same place, we might be able to help."
"I could probably pick up on Piplup and Chimchar's Auras if we can find out just where it is that Darkrai took them," Lucario said. "But it'll be tough."
"Then we've got no time to waste!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. "There'll be no sleep tonight!"
Armaldo and Chatot both groaned under their breath.
Lucario and Mew sat down to join the circle on the floor. Wigglytuff leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "Now let's get down to business."
*****
A lone figure loped down the road, with the sun setting behind him. He was apparently oblivious to the multiple pairs of eyes staring at him from the forest underbrush. Either that, or he was utterly fearless. The wild Pokemon decided not to find out for themselves just how powerful this intruder was; The stench around him was powerful enough.
Skuntank sighed, asking himself for the fifth time in five minutes just why he'd left Treasure Town. But every time he gave himself the same answer.
The bag of supplies he carried was beginning to grow heavy, and he realized that night would be falling in a matter of minutes. Noticing a small clearing up ahead, he decided that now would be as good a time as any to set up camp for the night.
Skuntank had just finished his meager dinner of berries when a twig snapped in the forest behind him. He whirled away from his campfire to face the sound. He thought he could barely make out a shadow moving behind a tree. "Come out, stranger," he ordered. "Don't make me come in after you."
Obediently, a tall bipedal figure stepped out of the trees. "I'm very sorry, sir. I didn't intend to frighten you."
"Yeah yeah," Skuntank muttered. He took a step back towards his campfire, but still kept his eye on the newcomer. "Now leave."
"You seem to be alone, friend," the newcomer commented.
"You're observant," Skuntank scoffed. "Yes, I'm alone, and I'd prefer it stay that way. Scat."
The stranger took another step forward. "These are dangerous parts, friend. You won't last one night here alone."
"Thanks for the tip," Skuntank grunted. He turned back to face the stranger, who was watching him anxiously. "You're not going to leave me in peace, are you?"
"I can't leave a lone traveler to fend for himself," the newcomer admitted. "So the answer is no."
Skuntank sighed. "Well, if you're going to stay, you might as well make yourself comfortable."
Smiling, the stranger sat down next to the campfire. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Your welcome," Skuntank said gruffly.
The two sat in silence for a while, but the stranger eventually spoke up again. "Pardon me for sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong, but just what are you doing out here on your own?"
Skuntank frowned, contemplating whether or not to answer. "I guess you'd call it a journey of self-discovery," he replied shortly. "The only people who ever brought out the good in me disappeared. I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life now."
"Sad story, friend," the stranger sighed. "I'm out here for about the same reason. Self-discovery, and all that. Except I've never really known what to do with my life."
"Welcome to the club," Skuntank chuckled softly. He extended a paw towards his new companion. "My name's Skuntank."
"Nice to meet you, Skuntank," the stranger greeted. He held out his own clawed hand and shook Skuntank's paw vigorously. "You can call me Sceptile."
*****
Dusknoir wasn't surprised to find Grovyle and Celebi alone on the beach. He considered sneaking up and scaring them, but guessed that the timing probably wasn't appropriate. They didn't look like they were in a laughing mood. Instead, he floated up behind them and cleared his throat to announce his presence.
They both turned around. "Oh, hello Dusknoir," Celebi greeted. "Out to enjoy the sunset?"
"Yes, I suppose," Dusknoir nodded. "I've never really been one of those people to enjoy the beauty in life and nature and all that jazz, but I'll admit, it's worth seeing."
"But that's not why you came out here," Grovyle stated. "What do you want?"
Dusknoir twiddled his thumbs for a moment, unsure of exactly what to say. "Take your time," Celebi said.
"Well," Dusknoir finally spoke. "I may have found a way to find Piplup and Chimchar."
Grovyle and Celebi both leapt to their feet. "Talk."
"It's still in the planning phase," Dusknoir explained. "But I really think it could work after strategizing some."
"I don't care how long it takes," Grovyle said. "I'm ready at any time."
"It could take awhile to get ready," Dusknoir repeated. "Days, maybe even weeks. But the wait won't even be the worst part." He paused and looked to make sure that he had both Grovyle and Celebi's full attention. "It may require a trip to a realm beyond your comprehension."
Grovyle scoffed. "We've seen things that should be beyond comprehension, and yet we've adjusted to them as everyday life. How bad could this be?"
Dusknoir shrugged. "We very well may have to travel to the realm of the dead."
"The realm of the dead?" Celebi gulped. "Scary stuff."
"I don't care," Grovyle spat, unphased. "I'll go there."
Dusknoir nodded. "I knew you would be happy to." He turned to Celebi. "And will you go too?"
"Of course," Celebi nodded.
Grovyle spun on Celebi. "No, you won't," he snapped. "Do you want something to happen to you again, just like at the Crystal Lake?" He looked at his feet. "Do you have any idea what I'd do if I lost you again on top of Piplup and Chimchar?"
"That's why I'm going," Celebi stated. "To make sure that we don't have to be without Piplup and Chimchar. I can handle myself."
Grovyle started to argue, but Dusknoir put a hand on his shoulder. "You do realize that you have no hope to win this dispute, right?"
"Yes," Grovyle sighed. "I do." He looked back up at Dusknoir. "Now, what's our plan?"
"Like I said, it's not even much of a plan yet," Dusknoir admitted. "More a plan for a plan."
"Well, if this plan for a plan is ever going to become a real plan, then we'd better get to work on it!" Celebi exclaimed. "Come on, let's go find Wigglytuff and the others. They'll be able to help out."
Grovyle and Dusknoir nodded and began to follow her. However, Grovyle stopped and turned back to watch as the sun slowly slid down past the horizon. "Don't worry, guys," he thought to himself. "I'm going to get you. Even if I have to travel past the boundaries of death itself, I will find you." Catching himself, he turned to look back at Celebi and Dusknoir. With one last look across the serene ocean, he hurried off after his companions.
"No, scratch that," he whispered aloud. "We will find you."
TO BE CONTINUED (AGAIN)
There! Now it's officially done! I hope you guys all enjoyed it! Keep your eyes open for the next fic!
Gallade is out. PEACE!
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I'm getting a post in before the move!!
Well, GalladeRocks, congratulations on completing one hell of a story. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue. So Skuntank met Sceptile. I'm interested in how that will go over. All and all, a great ending to a great story. I can't wait for the next one!
Till the next time,
Charoshi
Well, GalladeRocks, congratulations on completing one hell of a story. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue. So Skuntank met Sceptile. I'm interested in how that will go over. All and all, a great ending to a great story. I can't wait for the next one!
Till the next time,
Charoshi
~Silver Aura~
Back...ish
Awesomely awesome! I can't wait to see book three! Lol yeah Grovyle you can't argue with Celebi. ^ ^
Pure epicness. right to the end. you know, i never noticed while reading the chapters that the two numbered people were sucked into the portal as well. i guess that shows my level of attention. and PLEASE don't make us wait too long for the next book! these are too good to wait that long for!
Illusione-Tempus
Well-Known Member
Yay an Epilogue!
Too bad I can just read until Wigglytuff's part first.
Can't wait for book three
Too bad I can just read until Wigglytuff's part first.
Can't wait for book three
Purplepassion
----
Sorry I'm late! *bricked*
Anyway, wow! It took a while, but it's finished! Nice job on ending it well. Can't wait for book three - now I have another thing to be excited about!
Anyway, wow! It took a while, but it's finished! Nice job on ending it well. Can't wait for book three - now I have another thing to be excited about!
GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
I thank you all for reading and commenting on my work here in this fic. As one final note, I will say that Book 3 will start in part tonight or tomorrow. The prologue will be posted then. Chapter 1 will probably be posted some time this weekend.
Again, thank you all, and I'll see you in the lands Beyond...
Again, thank you all, and I'll see you in the lands Beyond...