"Tertle!"

"We're going back for her," grunted Tertle. Jacob pressed his head into Tertle's stomach, but the fossil wouldn't be slowed. "We aren't leaving her."

"Damn it, Tertle!" Yelled Jacob, gritting his teeth. Pushing desperately, Jacob's paws slipped on the sand, and he faceplanted. "We don't even know what's going on!"

Tertle paused and sighing deeply, he sat back on his haunches. His gaze lilting, Tertle suddenly seemed old. His skin was wrinkled and the lines on his face were heavier somehow. "I know what's happening. Lavendar told me."

"We can't trust her!"

"Can you trust me?"

His ears fallings, Jacob sat heavily. "I trust you. We all trust you." He gestured at Pixie, Ace, and Glair. "But that Vulpix, there's something she's not telling us."

"You're right. You are right." Tertle rubbed the back of his neck and met Jacob's gaze. "She told me what's really going on. Who she is, and all about Cresselia."

"Then tell us." Jacob's eyes were pleading, his tone desperate. He wanted so badly to believe Tertle, but he needed something, a reason to go on.

Tertle shook his head, a sad smile upon his face. "You need to hear it from her, but believe me, if you are not there for her, you will never forgive yourself."

His gaze tilting downwards, Jacob searched the sand for answers, but found nothing. The sand of a desert, trillions of grains, moving, shifting, carried on the winds. The sand was always where it was supposed to be, and it was never alone. (It's not supposed to be in my shoes!) You never see a single grain of sand. Rather, many tiny grains forming one big desert. What that means, Jacob didn't know, but it sounded alright.

Nuzzling Jacob's cheek, Pixie nipped at his ear. "Hey, she's just one Pokémon."

"That sounds like... a lot." Jacob thought back to all the adventures with his friends. The fight against Zeraora. Reuniting with Pixie in the human world. Finally returning home, to Sharpedo Bluff. He'd left so many people behind, time and again. To be on your own is a lot. It's too much to ask of anyone, really.

Jacob shook his head before taking a deep breath. "We're going back for her."

"Obviously," answered Ace, already walking back into the temple.

Pixie groaned, following after the Emolga. "I really wish that portal went both ways."

"Now we get to jump down the pit again!" Glair cheered, skipping along.

Patting Jacob's back, Tertle nodded his approval. A smile rested on the old Pokémon's face and the pair shared a brief look. Tertle entered the temple without another word, but Jacob knew what he was saying. Though, it bothered Jacob somewhat; Tertle really did look tired.

Thus, the heroes once again trekked through Sundown Temple, apparently forgetting about Meloetta, and deserting her unconscious form in the middle of the desert... Bruh.

Quicky passing through the temple, Jacob and crew swiftly arrived at the second lowest floor. Gazing down the slope, into the impending darkness, Tertle grunted and rolled his shoulders. "See you at the bottom."

Without warning, Tertle dove headfirst down the hill. Tucking into his shell, he raced into the gloom. The bottom fast approaching, Tertle saw Cresselia, drifting nearer to Lavender. The Vulpix seemed so small. Tertle raised his fins before slapping them downwards, launching off the slope and into the air. He crashed headfirst into Cresselia and began raining blows upon the legendary. Her eyes wide, Lavendar tried to call Tertle's name, but it caught in her throat.

Screaming with rage, Cresselia sent a wave of psychic energy blasting outwards, knocking Tertle onto his back, on the far side of the room. Pressing her assault, Cresselia zoomed nearer, eyes glowing fiercely.

Jacob and Glair leapt into the fray, striking Cresselia with an iron tail and poison tail. Ace's charge beam forced Cresselia backwards and she prowled menacingly, looking for a chance to break through.

Pixie sped to Lavendar's side, frantically checking her over. "Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Her ears falling, Lavendar's jaw quivered, and a tear slipped down her cheek. "You came back for me?"

Smiling, Pixie nodded. "Of course we did."

It was so matter of fact, so simple. For Pixie, for her mother, leaving Lavendar behind was simply not an option. Please, don't hold it against Jacob. It's not that he wanted to leave Lavendar behind. Our hero? Has he not tried to save so many people? Sure, he's saved some, but he's failed too. One more person to love is one more to lose. Isn't, isn't that scary? Still, despite that, he was here because Tertle was right; if Jacob wasn't there for Lavendar, he would never forgive himself.

Cresselia snarled fiercely, a nasty glint in her eye. "You couldn't just let things be. Why do you keep getting in my way?!"

"Because I was bored on a Tuesday." Ace flexed his small arms, smirking.

Cresselia roared and sent a barrage of psycho cuts flying outwards. Tertle dove forwards, arms outstretched. He grunted as the attacks rained upon him, but he didn't fall.

Ace darted forwards, nimbly slipping past Cresselia's onslaught. Using acrobatics, distracted Cresselia with hit and run tactics. Following suit, Glair leapt in, her claws glowing green. Glair's fury cut deflected the psychic blades and she skated across the sand. Diving in, she slashed at Cresselia before skipping backwards, ducking one blade before flipping over another.

Grunting in pain, Cresselia began spinning rapidly. A bright blue glow emanated from her mouth, and she released an aurora beam. Like the world's deadliest disco ball, she spun around the room, firing her attack all over. The temple groaned as the lazer beam carved out the foundations. Sand trickled from above and chunks of stone began to fall.

His fangs bared, Jacob charged, leaping high into the air. He shot over Cresselia's head and twisted to face her. Glair and Ace were at his side in an instant. With a shared look, Ace and Glair flapped their capes mightily. Jacob shot downwards, slamming into Cresselia's head with double edge.

Cresselia staggered and her aurora beam ceased. Lavendar leapt out from behind Tertle and unleashed a searing flamethrower. Cresselia roared in pain. From amidst the flames, a pink light glowed. Pixie was sent skidding backwards as Cresselia unleashed a wave of psychic energy.

Her snarl morphing into a sadistic grin, Cresselia's form quivered, and the room was suddenly filled with copies.

"It's shadow clone jutsu!" Yelled Jacob, searching for the real Cresselia.

Amidst the heroes' confusion, the copies glowed with a soft yellow light. Cresselia sighed with relief as her lunar blessing covered her bruised body, restoring it. "I could do this all day."

Jacob barely withheld his groan. Already, he and the others were tiring. Under Cresselia's onslaught, they couldn't keep this up for long.

Jacob flinched when he felt a leathery fin ruffle the fur atop his head. Tertle strolled past, nodding at the portal with his head. Jacob ran for the portal, stopping just short and gesturing to the others.

Smirking, Tertle rolled his shoulders and released a deep sigh. A smile upon his face, he glanced at his friends, ready by the portal, then looked back at Cresselia. "Bet."

Raising his slappers high overhead, he brought them down hard and the room shook. Sundown Temple groaned. Stones shifted loose and sand began cascading down from the floors above. Tertle his fins again and once more slammed them down.

Lavendar's jaw dropped. Whenever her father had told the story, he'd always choked up at this part. "No!" Screamed Lavendar. "Not again! You can't do this again!"

Smiling over his shoulder, Tertle simply laughed. "Old habits die hard." (and so do you, lol – I'm not sorry)

Lavendar leapt for Tertle, but Jacob caught her by the scruff of her neck and with a twist of his head, tossed her through the portal.

Glair dropped to her knees, arms hanging limply at her sides. "Don't ask me to leave you."

Tertle smiled at them all in turn. "Glair, I'm so proud of you. All of you, thank you. The time I have spent with you has been the best of my long life."

Glair covered her head with her pincers but allowed Ace to carry her through the portal. Pixie and Jacob shared a look before smiling at Tertle one last time. In that moment, they couldn't bring themselves to say goodbye. So, Pixie simply said, "see you later."

Jacob and Pixie leapt through the portal, leaving Tertle alone in the temple with Cresselia. The legendary screamed as the building collapsed around her. Cresselia raced for the portal, but Tertle dove into her, and wrestled to keep her still. Boulders rained heavily from above, striking the two Pokémon and the floor split open beneath them. Still grappling, the two fell into the darkness.

Once more, once more Tertle had been lost. So far, Lavendar had achieved nothing, had changed nothing. If things continued like this, the only difference is that she would have a little more time with her parents, and us, a little more time with our heroes.