"Kuku-"
Just as Ampharos and the others retrieved the Time Gears and prepared to return to the den, Grovyle, who had remained unconscious all this time, finally opened his eyes.
Grovyle struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his blurry vision gradually coming into focus.
The first things he saw were the rough rocks of the cave ceiling and Pink Celebi and Green Celebi watching him anxiously beside him.
"La-wa!"
Pink Celebi immediately flung herself to his side, unable to stop her tears from spilling again. This time, however, they were tears of joy.
"Thank goodness! You finally woke up-how do you feel? Does anything still hurt?"
"Kuku?"
Grovyle's eyes instantly widened. He thought he was hallucinating.
"Have I-already gone to heaven?
"There are actually two Celebi-I'm so happy."
"Pfft." Tears still clung to Pink Celebi's face, but his words made her laugh through them, and she gave him a gentle pat with her little hand.
"What are you talking about? Of course you're still alive!"
Green Celebi couldn't help laughing either and explained, "It's real.
"Though compared to your side, ours really could count as heaven."
Grovyle blinked, still struggling to take in the reality before him.
"For now, just rest quietly. Don't think too much."
Pink Celebi stroked Grovyle's forehead tenderly. Of the four Pokémon who had traveled here, Grovyle had suffered the worst landing.
She could fly herself, so she had flown off as soon as she emerged from the Spacetime Passage.
Ampharos had landed in a strawberry patch, while Riolu had ended up hanging from a tree-
Only Grovyle... had plunged headfirst into the sea and lost consciousness. He might truly have narrowly escaped death before the Lopunny rescued him.
At that thought, Pink Celebi's heart filled with even more lingering fear and guilt.
If the Lopunny