A/N:

Alright, so I've decided to write this story for several reasons. For one, it's a great side-project other than staying totally focused on The Reaper. Don't worry about it not being updated on a semi-regular basis; I will always finish my projects. Also, I've noticed that there really aren't many Mystery Dungeon fics out there, and that's kind of a shame, considering how great of a game Explorers of Sky was. So I figured what the hell, why not do something a bit more uncommon. Lastly, this story is kind of my way of practicing writing a true third person POV story in preparation for The Ravager.

Also, since I have started doing one-shots: if you favorite or follow this story and leave a review, you will be entered into the drawing for a free one-shot. You get to pick the pokémon species and influence the plot. Most likely will be around 20,000 words. DM me if you have any questions about this.

So for the old disclaimer: I don't own nor am I associated with Pokémon, Game Freak, or Chunsoft. All I own are my own characters and the plot.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Character thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

. . . . . - Time skip

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene

Chapter 1

— — — — —

General

— — — — —

The weary trio had succeeded once again in the task at hand. But then again, when had been the last time they had failed? Despite the dangers of the Northern Desert, Team Retribution had found and apprehended the outlaw - a rhydon that went by the name of Juggernaut. Unfortunately for him, a certain lucario knew the move water pulse. It had only taken a single shot and the outlaw was out like a light. Soon afterwards, the magnemite police force had arrived on the scene and took the criminal into custody. It was only one of the hundreds of missions that the team had completed over the three years it had been together. Their success here today would likely blend in with the others before long - just another simple task out of the many that they had completed.

The worst part about it all was never the fighting, nor the tireless searching through caves and dungeons. No, the true irritation was found in the journeys to and from the location of interest. More often than not, the voyages took several days and left them exhausted. But if there was one benefit to it all - aside from taking down infamous criminals - it was the beautiful scenery that filled the region. They got around quite a bit, and alongside the memories of perilous battles were those of lush forests, vast mountain ranges, and hidden villages. On this particular night, the twilight sky was vibrant and full of life, the full moon and multitude of shining stars bathing the outskirts of Treasure Town in a cool blue. Of the three members of the team, the umbreon must have been the most mesmerized by the view in the sky as the rings on her body radiated through the darkness.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Tristan asked with a grin.

"It sure is," Selina responded, her voice both sweet and gentle. "What do you think, Liam?" The lucario nodded, lightly tossing an iron thorn in his hand. Liam had become deadly with the weapons over his years of combat. He could hit his mark without fail up to fifteen yards - a skill that he was admittedly proud of.

They finally reached the three-way fork in the road. Here, they would split. Liam and Selina would head to their home in Sharpedo Bluff, whereas Tristan would head east to his house near the guild. "What do you two say we take tomorrow off?" Liam asked.

"Won't hear any opposition from me," Tristan stated.

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Selina said, quickly followed by a yawn.

"Oh? Looks like someone's tired," Liam laughed.

"Mhm. We've been walking for hours. I'm worn out."

"Well in that case, you start heading home. I'll go give the guild their part of the pay," Liam said, giving Selina a pat on the shoulders. "Seeya soon, Tristan." With that, he walked off, making his way to the Wigglytuff Guild.

"Seeya." The luxray stood still for a moment, noticing all of the sand still stuck in his fur. That was going to be fun to get out. Perhaps a visit to the Hot Spring would do him well.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay," the umbreon said. "Goodnight Tristan." She turned around, heading back to her home at the very edge of town.

"Goodnight…" For a moment, he stayed there and watched her go. The umbreon's yellow rings flew more prominently than any star in the night sky. Such an exquisite creature, she was. "Hey… wait up…" The luxray walked up to her side. "Do you… have any plans tomorrow?" She thought it over for a moment, then shrugged.

"Not really, no. Day off, remember? I'll probably take it easy in town with Liam tomorrow." Tristan nodded in response. "Why, what do you have planned?"

"Nothing… nothing. I'll probably stick near the cafe." He steadily looked down at the ground, seemingly contemplating something. "Listen… you are free to join me… that is, if you want."

"Alright," she chimed. "I'm sure Liam would enjoy that very much." After all, he was always one for grabbing a drink.

"Okay…" She gave him a friendly smile, then continued on her way, leaving the larger luxray to himself.

— — — — —

Liam

— — — — —

From the very first day, it had always been annoying to hand over ninety percent of their earnings to the guild. After all, the guild had not taken down those dangerous outlaws; the guild had not earned that money. But then again, it was with the guild's training and resources that Team Retribution had even managed to take off in the first place. That, and the fact that the guild practically ran Treasure Town… well, as long as the money went to helping the town out - which it always did - Liam and Selina didn't have too much of an issue with it. And it wasn't like they were poor by any means…

No, three years into this business and they were very well off. A single look at the vast amount of gear they all wore was enough to tell anybody that. Aside from the iron thorns that adorned Liam's sash was the coveted Space Globe - the mystical orb that greatly strengthened its wielder's power. He had gone on a solo journey to test his skills against Destiny Tower - a shrine to the creator himself - while the other members of Team Retribution stayed behind and pursued outlaws as usual. The endeavor had taken him over a week, but he had eventually triumphed over the grueling trial.

The lucario approached the front entrance of the ornate guild, only to find it barred shut. Of course. They had locked up for the night. He could wait until morning before he carried out the finalizations of the job. Unless..

Liam walked around back, carefully looking down the cliffside. Bingo. That one window was always open - it was a real pain in the ass to open once it had been shut, so the guild typically just left it ajar. He took two iron thorns out of his sash, then carefully plotted out his path. He really should wait until morning - if something went wrong, he would fall all the way down to the rapid waters below. That would surely hurt. The smarter decision would be to simply be patient. Hell no, he thought, where would be the fun in that? He anchored one into the ground and held the other in his mouth. Then, holding onto the first tightly, he stepped off of the ledge. So far so good. He held on with one hand, grabbing the iron thorn in his mouth and sinking it in to the dirt in a lower position than the previous. He quickly retrieved the first and followed suit. Using the spikes like climbing tools, Liam worked his way downward within the moment and slipped through the window into the second floor. Piece of cake.

He looked around - the guild was dark and empty. Of course, being close to midnight, everyone was likely asleep. Huh… maybe I really should've waited until morning. As he contemplated leaving, he heard a familiar footstep climbing down the ladder. A wolfish grin appeared on Liam's face as he casually walked up to it. A drowsy bird descended right in front of the blue canine, completely oblivious to his presence. "Hey!" Liam blurted out. The second-in-command of the guild flapped away in pure terror, putting as much distance in a single bound between him and the unknown intruder as possible. The rapid breathing of the flying-type almost made Liam feel bad for scaring him. Almost.

"L-Liam you fool - you about gave me a heart attack!" He tried to compose himself as though he had not just been terrified.

"Ah, lighten up," he said cooly. "You're fine." The resulting irritation that came from Chatot was all too worth it. Alright, better give him the good news now to lighten him up. "Anyways, we finished the job - Juggernaut's safely behind bars. Here's the Guild's share." He tossed the bag of money onto the ground - Ᵽ5,400 in total.

"And this couldn't wait till morning because?"

"Eh, no reason in particular. Just thought you might like to receive it tonight." Of course, this wasn't true by a long shot - but Liam would never pass up an opportunity to get under Chatot's skin.

"I swear," Chatot mumbled, "you're a pain in my ass sometimes." Liam couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, you know you'd miss me if I was gone."

"Maybe," he said through a gritted beak. "Thank you for contributing to the Guild, but please for the love of Arceus use some judgement from now on in what time you decide to deliver it."

"Alright, fine," Liam said, satisfied with his work. "Well, I guess I'll be heading off now. Should I use the front entrance, or should I leave the way I came?" Chatot shook his head.

"Go out the front. Much more… well, civilized. Just remember to pull the gate shut."

"Will do." As he climbed the ladder, he could've sworn he heard Chatot mumbling something about fixing that window.

. . . . .

Liam casually strolled through Treasure Town, being mindful to remain quite while its inhabitants were in slumber. The town had come quite a long way ever since Team Retribution had been founded - if it could truly be called a town anymore. Truth be told, it really should be renamed Treasure City - the population had grown immensely. The Guild was mostly responsible for that, both in terms of its economic contributions to the town as well as its status as one of the most effective organizations for creating top-notch exploration teams. As a result, pokémon from all over had begun to move there, and expansion had occurred. Liam and Selina had picked up on this, and decided to purchase the entirety of Sharpedo Bluff with a fraction of their earnings in order to keep the bluff from becoming too crowded. Speaking of Sharpedo Bluff…

The location was coming into view. Knowing exactly where to look, he approached the trapdoor that led to their quarters. Going inside, he wasn't at all surprised to see a lack of a fire. After all, they'd both had enough heat these past few days. Selina had already set all of her stuff onto the shelf beside her bed. The day they had both evolved, they realized that the nest-like beds that had formerly been adequate for their smaller bodies would no longer be useful. Now they each had cots, complete with blankets and a pillow. Much more comfortable than a heap of straw.

Currently, Selina was dragging the covers of her bed back with her teeth. "I'm worn out," she said, hopping onto the bed carelessly. "Ahh… That feels great…" Liam removed his sash and set it into the chest nearest to his bed, along with only a few of the various treasures they had discovered throughout their expeditions. Most of their earnings had either been deposited into the bank or had gone into renovating their base - a now very well furnished residence. A residence that the two of them shared, as shown by the decently sized portrait of the two of them in their un-evolved forms.

That had been one of the most confusing aspects of their partnership to Liam. He and Selina had shared a room with one another from the very beginning. It hadn't struck him as odd then - there had been, after all, limited space in the Guild. And once they had made their escape back to the present, they really had nowhere to go but Selina's former home. But now there was a choice - there was no pressing circumstance that would require them to share the same living space. He could easily purchase another residence, much like the other members of Team Retribution. Selina had made no such proposition, though, even despite the fact that they were both mature, young adults. Of course, he wasn't complaining - he had always enjoyed his partner's company. It had just struck him as odd that they shared a home, considering that they weren't… well, together in that sense.

He began preparing his own bed, alerted by the sound of another yawn emanating from the umbreon. It actually sounded kind of adorable. Before he could call it a night, though, his partner spoke. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked. Liam thought it over. Everything seemed in order.

"No, not that I know of…"

"You forgot to tuck me in," she said playfully. Now if that wasn't an odd request. She had never asked him to do something like that before. She must be joking. It was, after all, in the gentle umbreon's nature to be playful with him. Ah, what could be the harm in following it up? He hopped off of his bed and walked over to hers, where he was greeted with a slightly mischievous grin. "Well?" He rolled his eyes, then gave in to her impish demeanor. She arched her back up, giving him the access to tuck the blanket under her, completely wrapping her in the covers.

"Alright, kakuna - time for bed."

"Goodnight," she giggled, before settling in to the pillow.

"'Night Selina." Within minutes, he succumbed to exhaustion as well.

— — — — —

Selina

— — — — —

Her eyes slowly opened in response to the sunlight peaking into the base. Ugh, we really should get curtains, she thought as she wriggled her way out of the blanket. As usual, two plates of berries were set on the table near the entrance, both untouched. Always so thoughtful, she smiled. He went out every morning and got breakfast for the two of them, and wouldn't even touch his own food until they could both sit down to eat. Right now, he was probably meditating near the edge of the cliff overhead. After washing up in the stream that ran through their house, she walked upstairs and confirmed her suspicion. "There you are," she softly said. He was carefully balancing himself on a single foot on top of the flagpole.

"Here I am." Liam jumped down. "I'm guessing you slept well," he joked.

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Well, aside from the fact that we were both exhausted, I'd say the snoring." She looked at him in disbelief.

"No, I don't do that…"

"Oh yes you do. It's okay though - it was soft. Rather cute, to be honest." She blushed in embarrassment, causing him to laugh. "Don't worry, Selina. I won't tell anyone. It'll be one of our little secrets." Oh it better be…

"So… uh… wanna come in and eat now?"

. . . . .

When they had finished their breakfast, the two of them headed into the lively town. Liam had gone off to make a stop by the bank - if Selina was browsing around, odds were that they'd need some money. She, at the moment, was looking over the Kecleon brothers' latest assortment of goods. Maybe, with any luck, they might have received a shipment of black gummis. Despite being members of the same species, neither of the two brothers had taken a name, as everyone in town knew who they were and they were the only kecleons around. However, many more inhabitants Treasure Town had named themselves - when there were only a couple hundred or so inhabitants, it wasn't much of an issue. But when the city grew well into the thousands, and there could be dozens of members of each species, general names weren't going to cut it any more.

"How did I know you would be here?" he asked from behind her. Selina tensed up in fright - and yet she should have expected such a move on his part. Liam could never seem to resist startling an unsuspecting friend.

"Don't… do that," she panted.

"You know," he said, "you really should be expecting this by now…" The frightened umbreon rolled her eyes.

"And yet I lower my guard every time," she murmured. And he wasn't the only one that found it hysterical, either - the Kecleon brothers looked as though they were trying to stifle laughter. "Guys… you two are supposed to be backing me…"

"I'm sorry," the purple kecleon said, "but you should've seen your face just then." Her ears lowered in embarrassment as the other kecleon began to rummage through one of dozens of bags on the shelves.

"To answer your question… yes, we just received a shipment of black gummis - twenty in total."

"Oh? That's great," she chimed. "How much?"

"Fifty for one, but I'll sell you the whole bag for eight-hundred."

"Deal," Liam said without hesitation. How nice of him, she thought, seemingly forgetting the fact that he had startled her just moments before. "Say, do you have any orange gummis?"

"Eh… no," the green kecleon said. "Sorry, but those won't be in for awhile. I do have a couple of silver ones, though, if you would like."

"Okay." As the two went on with the transaction, Selina saw another approach the booth out of the corner of her eye. Another familiar face - a dark type just like herself. Ugh, her again…

"Greetings Miss Weavile," the purple kecleon brother said.

"Haven't come to rob the place, have you? Wouldn't want to have to blast you with another aura sphere." Liam teased.

"Very funny," she said in an unamused tone. "Only a moron would try to rob kecleons." It hadn't been too terribly long ago that Team Retribution had undertaken an outlaw job - only to find that their targets were Weavile and her team. Liam, Selina, and Tristan tracked the thieves down to Mt. Travail, where a brutal fight ensued - one that resulted in another one of Team Retribution's countless arrests. Since their offenses were not nearly as major as many of the other outlaws, though, Magnezone had decided upon an early release in exchange for the team's compliance in staying within Treasure Town for the remainder of the year - alongside their promise to abstain from future misconduct.

She quickly scanned over the merchandise before finding exactly what she was looking for. "How much for the evasion orb?" she asked.

"Let's see… how does seven-forty sound?" the purple kecleon responded.

"Would you do seven?" He seemed to ponder it for a moment before eventually nodding.

"Yes, seven would be alright." Weavile began to count out several differently sized coins, placing them on the counter as she went. A light clink sounded as a Ᵽ50 coin dropped to the ground. Liam knelt down and picked it up, then handed it back to her.

— — — — —

Liam

— — — — —

"Thanks," she said, taking it from him before placing it onto the counter with the rest. A single claw briefly made contact with his paw - an unintentional action on the part of the weavile - but the effects were powerful nonetheless. Liam's head begin to spin in a way that he had not felt in quite a long time; his vision clouded as he nearly lost his balance. Ah… sh-shit! That all too familiar darkness overtook him. Then the scene - a nightmare.

Weavile was chained to a stone wall, imprisoned within a dark room. From what he could see, she had been beaten badly, and the life seemed to be absent within her eyes. The nearby sound of footsteps approaching. A door opened and she tried in vain to break free of the chains. "Now, now, you little bitch," a cruel voice said, "this'll be fast. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

"Orders are orders," another said. "This is gonna happen whether you like it or not. Let's just make it quick, alright?"

"Please," she wailed, "do-don't… do this…" Her words were barely coherent, coming out in strained cries.

"Your sentence is to be carried out in a few moments," the first voice said. "I will say, though, it really is a pity. I will miss our little sessions." She broke down into tears, continuing to beg her captors. "Shut the hell up." He stepped closer - enough so that Liam could recognize the species. A towering blaziken stood over her and was growing more irritated with her pleading. "I said shut up!" He struck her with wicked fire punch in the cheek, busting her lip and singing her fur. After another brutal strike to the diaphragm, he unlocked the chains and began to drag the sobbing weavile away.

"It's nothing personal, miss," the second voice - a nidoking - said. "But you might as well not make this any harder on yourself."

"I didn't… do anything t-to—."

"Ah, don't waste my time with that nonsense, darkie. It's in your nature. A fitting end to such a vile creature." He dragged her into the shadows, where the two guards led a broken Weavile towards an unknown destination.

"Liam!" Selina yelled. He snapped out of the horrid vision, greeted by his partner's confused and concerned face. Somehow he had fallen onto the ground, though he had no memory how. The strange looks he received from those present were enough to make him feel uncomfortable. But with a vision like that, he couldn't care less at the moment. "What happened?" she asked. "You just kinda blacked out…" He was speechless - how long had it been? Liam knew exactly what had just happened.

"I just… saw something…" he stammered.

"What? Do you mean?" All of a sudden, Selina caught on to what he meant. "The Dimensional Scream…" All he could do was nod. It had been nearly a year since one of his peculiar episodes had taken place, but the vision had been just as clear as ever.

"Am I… missing something here?" asked Weavile.

"Liam possesses an ability known as the Dimensional Scream - he can sometimes see an event in the past or the future." She obviously wasn't buying it.

"Riiiight… I'ma head out now…" She turned around and left them to themselves. Liam regained his footing and dusted himself off. That vision had been the most haunting one that he had ever experienced - a morbid prediction. What scared him the most was that the Dimensional Scream had never been wrong before. What… was that? Liam found himself wondering. After all this time of remaining dormant, his odd ability would return with such disturbing imagery.

The place in the vision was unlike any he had ever seen before - a large jail system, to say the least. It definitely wasn't the police, either - not with guards like that. Wherever it was, Liam desperately hoped that Weavile never went there and that she managed to keep her act together. But that may be too much to ask for from the former thief.

"Earth to Liam," Selina said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"You keep phasing out. Is something wrong?" asked one of the Kecleons.

"What did you see?" followed Selina.

"I… I don't know…"

— — — — —

Selina

— — — — —

Something had gotten Liam down recently - likely something to do with whatever vision he had back at the market. But Selina simply couldn't figure out what it was. He had fallen silent and no longer found excitement in their time in town. She hated seeing him in such a mood, especially considering how happy and carefree he usually was. Soon after the vision, Liam had retreated from public space, telling her to go ahead and enjoy the rest of her day off. Oh Liam, she thought, how can you be so oblivious? Her time off was only fun if it was spent with him, as it had been these past years. That was really why she decided to form an exploration team with him in the first place, and all that "alone time" in his brief absence had nearly torn her apart.

The umbreon left the outskirts of Treasure Town and approached their home, only to see him sitting across from one of three legendary members of Team Retribution - Eleanor. Selina silently approached the two as they conversed.

"I just… I haven't seen anything like that…" he said. "I can't explain it… the Dimensional Scream hasn't ever revealed something so… dark before."

"Such an ability… is difficult to fully comprehend," the cresselia replied. "The visions that you have seen - have they always been correct?"

"Every single time."

"Then there may be cause for concern," she grimly stated. "But ultimately, neither of us have control over her behavior. What she does is on her, and if she angers the wrong people… well, there isn't anything we can do about that either. We just need to hope that she makes good decisions with her life, and perhaps your vision will not come true." Eleanor paused, then placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "As for what you should do, I would ask that you inform her of this. You have a wonderful ability - one that could perhaps steer her in the right path. Away from what you saw. Certainly a heads up would be greatly appreciated."

"I'm not sure," Liam replied. "Doubt that she'd believe me. She didn't sound too convinced earlier." Selina finally decided to speak up.

"Is something the matter?" Selina asked. "It's not like you to be so down." After a moment of hesitation, Liam began to describe the vision that he had seen - from the weavile's beaten physique to the language of her captors. Arceus… that sounds terrible, Selina thought. True, they had butted heads with Weavile and Team AWD before in the past, but she wouldn't wish anything like that on the former thief.

"I agree with Eleanor," she said after he concluded his recollection. "You should warn her that she needs to stay out of trouble," Selina said. Liam simply rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure - that'd be like asking a squirtle to stay out of water…"

"Well it would be a whole lot better than doing nothing," she countered. "I'm sure I would straighten up if I knew that was what my future held…" Liam found himself at a loss for words, unable to counter her point. The lucario relented with a nod.

"Alright - I'll tell her next time I see her," Liam said.

"I think that would be the best course of action," Eleanor replied with a smile. "Well, I'd best be heading off - Flora and I will be leaving soon for our rescue mission."

"Thanks again for the advice," Liam said.

"Of course - anytime." Eleanor gave him a quick hug, which he returned, before flying off towards the town. Selina made her way to his side, giving him a questioning expression.

"So… what do you want to do now?"

"I'm not sure…" Most of the time, they were engaged in their missions - free time was almost a foreign concept to the two of them. "You got any ideas?" She gave him an eager nod.

"I was thinking that maybe you and I could swing by the Hot Springs."That's always a great stress reliever, and I'm sure it would do wonders for him right about now, she thought.

"That sounds like a good idea…"

"Of course it does - I thought of it!" He couldn't help but smile at her peppy tone. There we are - that's the Liam I know! The lucario quickly retreated into their base, then came out with a bag.

"Figured that I might as well bring dinner, seeing as to how we'll probably get back pretty late." She nodded, but couldn't help but gaze at the all too familiar sash on him.

"Liam… we're only going to the Hot Springs. You're decked out like you're going to war…"

"It never hurts to be prepared." She rolled her eyes, then turned around.

"Alright, whatever you say. Come on, my paranoid lucario." The two casually strolled through the town as they made their way to their relaxing destination. As they passed through the crossroads, Selina couldn't help but feel as though she were forgetting something. No… we didn't have anything scheduled for today…

. . . . .

"Ahhhh…" she sighed as she stepped into the warm water. "That feels amazing…" Liam removed his sash, setting it by the bag near the edge of the pool before wading into the spring. "And we've got the whole place to ourselves!"

"Perfect." He slowly took a seat at the edge of the pool, basking in the natural warmth. The umbreon approached his side, then took a seat right beside him.

"Now," she giggled, "about those snacks…"

As the two of them ate, Selina periodically glanced at him. Her plan was working - he was regaining his typical demeanor over the course of their meal. The very demeanor that she had always enjoyed - his happy, thoughtful, and kind disposition. It had been her very comfort throughout the dangers they had faced all of these years. Had it not been for Liam, she didn't know how she would have been able to overcome her timidity.

Unfortunately, though, she had experienced a time in which all that remained of her most treasured partner was but the memories of their time together. Even thinking of those months when he was out of the picture, apparently wiped out of reality, made her tear up. That… that was without a doubt the worst period of her life.

Now, though, he was back where he belonged - in the team that he had created with her. In this world. But then again, this wasn't really his world, was it? Liam came from the future of darkness, a world of terror and despair. Her friend had essentially lost everything upon coming to this time period - his friends, his purpose, even his memory. Memories of a past life that he would never retrieve, other than what Grovyle had told him while he was with them.

This was one of the things about him that confused Selina the most. Surely he had to be upset with the fact that he had forgotten his former life as a human. He never spoke of any of it, though, and she withheld her questions in fear that it may be too sensitive a topic for him to be comfortable discussing. Maybe he would like to talk about it now… She shook her head. No… if he wanted to talk about it, he would've said something by now…

"Hey, what's wrong?" he said. "You're uncomfortable about something." Dang it, forgot… Liam had adjusted very well to his new body; and upon evolution, had gained the characteristic abilities of any lucario - including the ability to sense the feelings of others.

"Nothing's wrong, exactly."

"Well you're hesitant about something, that's for sure." Well, he knew that something was up. Might as well go ahead and ask. Sitting here and thinking it over all day won't do me any good.

"Well… I've kinda always wondered something about you, Liam. Just haven't really known how to ask it…"

"Go ahead. You know you can always talk to me about anything." Eventually settling on her decision, she gave voice to her innermost thoughts.

"Liam… I can't help but wonder… When you really think about it, it's almost like you aren't from this world. You came from another time altogether, and yet… you still don't remember any of it, do you?" Liam looked down and remained silent for a moment, and instantly she felt bad about bringing it up. But eventually he responded.

"Sometimes… I get bits and pieces - short, scattered about dreams. Fleeing through the woods with them, sleeping in a cave… but it seems so unfamiliar. Like it's a memory that isn't even mine. But yet it was - my life before all this. I feel like I barely know them - Grovyle, Celebi - and yet they were my best friends. Not a day goes by where I don't wish that I could see them again, and maybe learn more about who we all were. But I'll never get that chance…" Knowing that her partner was constantly dealing with such a turmoil hurt her inside.

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" Selina embraced him with her forepaws, giving Liam a feral hug in an effort to comfort him. He stiffened up for a moment before returning suit.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Nothing can be done, so I really shouldn't dwell on it. I just hope that somehow, those two are okay…" he sighed. One question had been on her mind upon hearing his dilemma - something that she felt the compelling urge to ask.

"Liam… would you go back if you could?" He gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean? You know that isn't possible. We have no way of making a dimensional hole. And besides, I wouldn't be able to get back. Grovyle said it himself - that dimensional hole was a one-way trip."

"I know… but if it was possible, would you go?" Liam stayed silent for a moment, evidently thinking his answer over carefully. One thing was for certain - he hadn't been expecting that question.

"Well… going and finding out more about my past would be nice… But I don't think I could do it…" Her ears perked up upon hearing this.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Because… I couldn't lose what I know now - you and all the others - to chase what I have forgotten. I'd love to find out what happened throughout all that time, but I would never forfeit being here with you to do so." The fact that he valued their time together more than even discovering his own past brought joy to her heart, and made Selina appreciate him all the more for it.

"You would rather live in uncertainty than leave me?" Liam nodded.

"Of course, Selina. If you were out of the picture… I don't know if that's a life that I would want to live."

"You… really know how to flatter a girl, don't you?" He blushed from her slight implications.

"Th-that's not what I was going for…" he stuttered.

"Oh hush," she said, finding enjoyment in the fact that he was flustered. She looked at his bashful expression, then gave his cheek a quick nuzzle. "You will always be my closest friend, Liam. I am glad that you washed up on the beach that day." Wait a second, what did I just say? "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"That's fine," he chuckled. "I get it. I'm glad that we met too." The former human looked at the sun setting in the distance, realizing how late it had become. It wouldn't be long before it was pitch black outside. "I think it's about time that we headed home," he said.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We'll probably be working tomorrow…"

"Maybe. We'll see what jobs are up." Liam stepped out of the water into the cooler air, shivering from the change in temperature. He put on his sash before offering her his hand.

. . . . .

The two of them made their way back home, where they wasted no time in heading to bed. Selina, though, couldn't seem to sleep. Instead, her mind was filled with thoughts of their conversation. The fact that he would choose her over finding out more about himself touched her in a way that she could not describe. Thank you, Dialga, she thought, for bringing my friend back. Thanks to the lord of time himself, she never had to worry about losing the most important thing to her ever again. Selina looked over to his bed, seeing him soundly asleep and curled up into a ball, having accidentally kicked the covers off. Aww, who looks cute now? She rolled her eyes before silently pacing up to his side, pulling the blanket over his form. Goodnight, partner. She hopped back into her own bed and tried once more to nod off.

At that very hour, a certain luxray left Spinda's Café, having grown tired of waiting for company that wasn't going to show up.

A/N:

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a review. I always enjoy listening to everyone's feedback! See you all next chapter.