"Does the Passage of Time make noise?" I asked.

     "Yes," Celebi said. "It will have to be quick."

"Alright. Let's do this. Grovyle and I will make a distraction elsewhere to drag them away. Then we'll come back."

"No," Grovyle hissed sternly. "We are in no shape to do so. Celebi can activate the Passage and we can get through before they realize anything is here. Come on, Pearl. Otherwise we'll be headed for Dialga."

     "We have to do it now," Celebi said, starting to concentrate. A blue glow came from the clifface. "Arceus protect you both."

     "Wait, aren't you coming with us?" I asked, startled. "But we're a team, and Team PokéFriends can't separate."

"I must," she said, sadly. "In order for me to keep the Passage open, I must remain here. I may see you two again. If not, we've been successful and time will unravel us." Tears started to form in her eyes.

I hugged her, and Grovyle was right behind me. But he was the first to let go. "I'll miss you," I whispered. "For you, if not the world, we'll revive this world and bring life back."

"Pearl," Grovyle said, suddenly urgent. "We have to go." He pulled me out of the hug, and brought me over to the clifface and the glow, that was slowly getting louder and bigger. An arched pathway started to form. "Are you ready, Pearl?" He asked this without looking at me, and I could see he was trying to hold back tears. I myself had no such strength, and they fell freely down my face.

I steeled myself, and my voice was neutral when I said, "As ready as I'll ever be, Grovyle."

The portal finished, and Grovyle turned, saluting to his friend. We counted as one, "One, two, three, jump," before jumping into the unknown. Well, hey, at least I've done it one time before, right? How different could this be?

This time was different. I was conscious the entire time. I called out to Grovyle, "Grovyle, don't let go!" Our grip was slipping, since we didn't go for each other's wrists. We went, hand-in-hand. "Grovyle!" I screeched, and we couldn't hold on to each other. In the blue vortex void, we started drifting farther and farther away from each other. "I don't want to say good bye!" I cried out.

     "Then don't!" Grovyle called, keeping calm. I had a feeling it was for me, but I didn't know. "I will find you! Find the gears on your end, and I'll do the same! Once you find them, meet at Treeshroud. It will be our final destination unless we are near it, after Fogbound Lake, the labyrinth, Northern Desert, and Crystal Crossing! Remember!"

     "I will!" I called back, more under control. He disintegrated, and before I did too, I saw my necklace. My Poké with a four leaf clover cut out of it. I grabbed it, for luck, and I felt myself disintegrating, and strangely, my bones breaking and an inner sense of warmth. I fell on something soft and passed out, my body unwilling to take in all of this while awake.

✿ ❦ ✦
This is some of the ending to the previous book. Just a recap, if you will.
March 3, 2017