Thief's Failure

So close!

I say to the shivering figure in front of me, “Azelf. I have no quarrel with you, but I need the Time Gear.”

Azelf shakes his head and says in a shaky voice, “N-no…please…don’t take the Time Gear…”

I sigh. Fake Tears, Legendary style.

“Then if you won’t move,” I say, “I’ll move you.”

“No, you won’t, Grovyle!” a female voice says.

Her. The Squirtle who tried to take my locket before.

I turn, and lo and behold, there they were!

The Squirtle looks like she recovered from our…kiss.

The Treecko just looks angry.

I smirk, hiding my slight fear.

That Treecko couldn’t be…could it? Could I have made it brave, when once upon a time it was scared to death? Did I mess up time more than I intended to by mistake?

“You again,” I say, “well, it’s already too late for Azelf, but let’s see if you can fare against me.”

The Squirtle scowls. She obviously didn’t think that my invitation was fair or called for.

I prepare my Leaf Blade as I say, “Come on! Are you committed to preventing the theft of the Time Gears? Put that commitment to the test by fighting me!”

The Squirtle looks at the Treecko and mouths something.

Lip-reading was always my strong suit.

“Don’t trust him.”

I say, “Two against one, explorers! You think that I’m tough after you beat up Mesprit? Or are you two merely imposters?”

The Treecko cringes. I hit a weak point with my own words.

The Squirtle, on the other hand, says, “Shut up! Come strike us, if you’re so determined to fight!”

Stupid, stupid little girl.

I say, “I warned you.”

Then I strike.

The Squirtle gets my Leaf Blade first, because I’m that angry.

She tries to resist, but her Water-type weaknesses can’t be blocked.

Finally, I leave her on the floor.

Before heading to the Treecko, I check the Squirtle to make sure I didn’t kill her.

She’s still alive.

Good. Now for the Treecko.

I’m about to use Dig when Azelf says, “It’s no use, Grovyle.”

“Why?” I ask, allowing myself time to watch the Treecko.

He doesn’t bother attacking me. Instead, he goes over to his partner as though seeing if she is okay.

“Because I learned from Mesprit and Uxie about your thieving,” Azelf says, “and I made a plan.”

All of a sudden, crystals appear, covering the lake and blocking the Time Gear.

“You…you fool!” I say, “Now I can’t get it!”

Azelf smiles slightly and says, “Exactly. Now you will have to run forever, because you won’t get the last Time Gear. Either that, or return the Time Gears to their proper places.”

I scowl. This is getting annoying. If Roza were here, she’d have beaten Azelf and both these punks and grabbed the Time Gear, crystals or not…

A Water Gun hits my back.

“I don’t have time for this,” I murmur, “Leave me alone.”

I attack the Squirtle again, allowing no escape.

The Squirtle falls to the ground, although her eyes are still open.

I turn to the Treecko.

The Squirtle says something I can’t hear. Her voice is weak.

The Treecko is in my way to the entrance.

It’s as though he can’t speak.

“So you want to die?” I say, calmly. Why do I feel regret? I shouldn’t feel like this, I’m going to die anyway…

The Treecko’s stance becomes firmer.

“So be it,” I say, “Your partner will die anyway. You will join her early!”

I rush to attack.

FLASH!

“Grovyle!” a voice says.

Shoot. It’s Dusknoir. I need to do something…

Dusknoir stands between me and the Treecko.

I smirk and say, “Dusknoir, you know your efforts are futile. The Time Gears will end up in my hands in the end.”

“Grovyle, I won’t let you get away with this,” Dusknoir says.

I pull out a Luminous Orb from my bag and say, “I am.”

I use the Orb then Dig while the light is up.

While I head to my shelter, I seethe in my thoughts.

That Treecko is definitely familiar. Why’d it act like that? I don’t remember any Treeckos in exploration teams. And that Squirtle isn’t a local either.

I arrive at my makeshift shelter.

It’s not much; just a pile of grass in a cave near the beach I washed upon.

Still, this is where I call home for the time being.

Roza, I’ve gotten so far. Four Time Gears, and the fifth is where Azelf had told us.

Unfortunately, he set a trap. Dusknoir’s there too, so maybe that Treecko is…no…can’t be…

Roza, you’re probably lost somewhere, but hopefully Celebi finds you before Primal Dialga does.