I looked around at the gathered Sableye. My brown eyes certainly burned with an inhuman fury, since a few of them couldn't meet my gaze. On my right, I felt a rumble, and heard a very, very faint growl emanate from Treecko. Once again I was tempted to use some form of attack to break out, but then Celebi and Treecko might not trust me, and Dusknoir would hunt me down to make sure I can't interfere with Primal Dialga's rule or to force me into fighting for him. So many disadvantages, so few advantages. I couldn't, wouldn't sit still like this. I had a job to do. I had a mission.

"What I have," I murmured, startling myself for a moment. I hadn't realized I had spoken aloud. What I have is a reason to fight, to live.

"What was that, Ruby?" Celebi's quiet voice came to my left ear. She used my fake name without almost saying Pearl. Why do I have two fake names, here? Why did I chose to be called Pearl instead of Crystal, and Ruby instead of Pearl? "Ruby?"

"Nothing," I replied. "Just... my thoughts escaped my mind."

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

We sat there, under the gleamy stare of the Sableye, for what felt like hours. I hadn't checked my watch since before Treecko and I started training. That was probably four, the better part of five days ago, now. So much had happened, and I felt a wave of déjà vu. This was the same type of thing that happened a few months ago.

With nothing to do—not even a comfortable sleep was an option, the way we three were bound, our wrists tied together—I went through a million scenarios of escape. I had no doubt Treecko was doing the same, or looking for an opportunity to do so. As I went through the senarios, my mind gave them to me in full detail. I felt my heart thumping rapidly after I 'came out' of the senario, and I felt energetic, as if I was ready to fight, to flee. Dusknoir was nowhere in sight, and neither was the Spiritomb. All that stood between us and freedom was the sea of purple.

    I was just about to take a rest when an idea struck me. "Treecko, Celebi," I hissed, barely moving my mouth. The gem-eyed Pokémon were watching me curiously, as if they were daring me to try escaping. "I have an idea, but I need to know you guys will be okay with it. I have something in my hand that can make a fire, one that can sever the ropes. You catching my drift?"

    "Yes," I heard the hisses from them both. "Just be careful with it," Treecko continued.

    "I will. Just be prepared if I screw up." I had no intention of screwing up. I then realized the moveset would be Flamethrower, Ember, Fire Spin, Fire Fang... Not one I could summon in my hand. I started thinking of a new plan, and I got it. I can maybe partially shift into a Charmander, temporarily. I would be able to have the tail of a Charmander, and the flame that came with it. But would my pain be something I can hide? Nevermind, I have no choice. I have to hide it.

     I started concentrating. I thought growing a tail instead of changing my whole skeleton would be easier. Wrong on that account. I had to concentrate on that and keep the other part of me human.

     Once I had burned part of the rope away, I grabbed it in my hands. "Now to make our exit. Ready? I have an idea, wait till they're distraced," I whispered.

     I decided to practice in transformation and illusion in the month previous Bill's dimension experiment, after Bill had helped me teleport the chip out of me. That included using Double Team in human form while my illusion was a Pokémon of my choice, normally I used a Charmander or Purrloin. This time it would be a Purrloin. Trying not to visibly change anything, I made a Purrloin jump onto, or land on, I should say, a Sableye. It was almost a perfect illusion; it felt real. When more Purrloin landed on more Sableye, Treecko and Celebi made their move, as did I. We kicked, slammed, and used moves to make our way out as the Purrloin made their chaos.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

     Once we were back in Treecko's old territory in Dry Bluff, we took a break. We ran the whole way, and, frankly, I didn't ever believe I was built for such running before. Now, though, I realized I needed to work on that. Eventually running was going to be a big part in restoring time.

"Alright," Celebi said. "We shouldn't go back to the Dusk Forest clearing."

"What?!" I exclaimed. My bag is there! "But the Passage is there!" I said instead.

Celebi turned to face me. "It's also where they will think to look first."

I nodded reluctantly and pulled out the maps I stole. "Well, I guess we can always go somewhere for a small amount of time. It took us about three days to get from Dusk Forest to the stockade, right? We should probably wait a week's time somewhere else."

"Alright," Treecko started. "How about Black Swamp? If we start now, we'll be there in about three day's time. We're close enough to Dusk Forest, we can pass through it on the way, and the swamp is so foggy you can't see very far in front of you."

I nodded. "Then we should go. If I know Purrloin right, they won't stay around there for long." So the stockade is northwest from here, that means we have to head back toward Dusk Forest and then a bit south and beyond to get to Black Swamp. "I get it. We should follow the coast a bit, then keep heading toward Dusk Forest."

     Celebi nodded too. "Quickly, before the Purrloin stop their attack that was conveniently planned and timed." She gave me a look, and belatedly I remembered she was a psychic-type as well as a grass-type.

     "The first place to head to," Treecko said, "is Forgotten Coast. Though, many Pokémon may be there. I know a path that few Pokémon are willing to travel." He grimanced. "We have to stay close to the rocks on the outskirts. Geodude like hanging around there, though."

     "More battle training." I shrugged. "Let's go. It should be a clear path from then on to... Foggy Forest. That's the old name for it on the Wonder Map. We should call these places by their past name, just in case any unfriendly ears are around."

     "Agreed," Treecko said. He glanced at Celebi and then back at me. "Are we ready yet?"

     "Let's go. Lead the way, Treecko."

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

     Our first unfriendly encounter, a Geodude, was about half way past Forgotten Coast, or, as we were calling it, Craggy Coast. On the other side of the rock pile that was there were few enemies, and even fewer were willing to battle or do more than glance at us from the shadows. I felt fine strength- and health-wise, and my sense told me Celebi and Treecko were as close to alright as I was, but I guess we looked battle-worn. Gee, why would we? We didn't just escape the Stockade, did we?

Since I learned that most Pokémon in this dimension and time frame were hostile, I stopped my journey-daydream hobby to stay vigilant. I guess that when I go back—if I still exist—I'll be better at seeing traps and the like. I heard plenty go off when unsuspecting Pokémon triggered them, so now I specifically look at what I'll be stepping on.

We got to Dusk Forest, or Foggy Forest, late into the night, according to my watch. I was able to go where I hid my bag, slung it over my right shoulder, and ate another apple. Only now did I realize how hungry I was. I hadn't accepted much food from the Sableye, but also recognized I would have been severely weakened had I refused every meal. The apple was hardly a core when I was done, and I threw it over into the forest.

We slept for a few hours each, taking hourly shifts. When my watch read to be 4:28am, I shook Celebi. I was about to shake awake Treecko when Celebi said, "Wait a minute, Pearl. I think you didn't mention something to us."

Immediately I knew what she was talking about. I sighed. "My ability?"

She nodded. "Yes. Why did you keep that from us? You could have used it to fight. You could have given them all something to actually fear."

"You're right, I could have. I didn't know what would come of it, if you two would still trust me, nor if I would become the number one target for Duskoir to eliminate." Treecko stirred and I lowered my voice. "I would stick out far more than normal if I openly used it. I've been using it when I fought Dusknoir and the Sableye, but not during the training sessions."

Celebi nodded in understanding. "I see." She glanced at Treecko. "We should wake him up, now."

I nodded, shaking Treecko awake. He groaned, pushing himself up. After we covered evidence of our stay, we headed southeast toward Black Swamp.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

Not too far off, after a while, I could see fog. Black Swamp, or Steam Cave, was close, and my sides were burning, we had covered so much distance without a good break. Every three hours of walking or running, as it had varied, we took at most a ten minute break. Even though swamp water wouldn't taste good, after we boiled it, I couldn't wait to drink it. I had brought an old-fashioned canteen for this journey with a mixture of pecha and oran berry juice. It would be a good source of nutrients, as well as cure poison and heal. Since nothing has called for me, or Celebi or Trecko, to drink any of it, it was still in my bag. I was tempted to drink it.

     We entered the frozen fog and I kicked something. It felt warm, and when I reached for it, it was warm. It was a red rock, no bigger than my hand. "Strange," I murmured, holding the stone. I wanted to keep it, I needed to keep it.

    "What'd you find, Pearl?" Treecko asked, trying to peer at the stone.

    "A warm stone. It was just laying on the ground." I spotted something in the distance, cold and gray. Something made of stone.

    The others saw it too, and followed as my pace quickened. When I could see all of the statue, as it turned out to be one of Groudon, I noticed that there was Unknown script writing. I read it aloud. "'Reignite the life that burned within Groudon, then the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat, the path to treasure shall be revealed.' Reignite? Should we set the statue aflame, or—"

    "The Drought Stone!" Treecko exclaimed, understanding lighting his eyes. "There's a hole in Groudon's chest—where his heart should be!" When I looked, I noticed the hole was the size of the stone. "That's it!" Treecko said, pointing. "It's here, it's here!"

    "I see," I said, quietly.

    Treecko repeated my the words louder. "Place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart! That lifts the fog!" I placed it in, and Groudon's eyes lit up a ruby red, and a flash came. When the light faded, the fog had been lifted. "Very well done! Good job, partner!"

    I laughed, Treecko and Celebi joining in. It was nice to feel happy after what happened. "So I'm your partner now, am I?"

    Treecko snorted, though he still laughed.

    With the fog gone, we could see a fissure in the side of what appeared to be Black Swamp, or Steam Cave. We entered, and Celebi spotted a good place that was both protected and had a good supply of paralyzed water. Once we three settled down, Treecko and I had a short battle before I started drawing in the dirt. Sitting in the cave gave me déjà vu from my recent adventure again, and I mulled over what I would do once we started stealing from the stockade's library.