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Smoke billowed from the ruined building, rising above the canyon like a beacon. Rocks clattered down the walls of the gorge, some hitting the roof below with an unforgiving clang. Veils of sand drifted through the air and made the scene appear fuzzy, almost dreamlike. Even so, there was no mistaking it: Team Snagem’s hideout, once carefully hidden, had now been revealed to the world. The explosion still rang in Wes' ears, a painful reminder of what he had done.

The picture changed abruptly, switching to a woman holding a microphone. Wes jumped back in his seat just a little, then quickly took another sip of coffee, trying to remain inconspicuous. He needn't have worried; everyone in the diner had their eyes glued to the TV screen.

“The recent explosion in Eclo Canyon has revealed a previously unknown building. Upon investigation, it has quickly become clear that it was Team Snagem’s hideout.” The reporter’s voice sounded tinny over the speakers, and Wes strained to hear it. Beside him, Haru and Vari pricked up their ears. “No Snagem members have been found, nor any snag machines, but the search is still ongoing.”

For once, the familiar presence of the snag machine felt like it was weighing down Wes' arm. He ran his fingers along the cold metal. If all had gone according to plan, this was one of the last snag machines in Orre.

At least for now. They could always make more, but he’d find a way to take those out too.

Wes drained the last of his coffee and set the mug back on the counter, producing a much louder clattering noise than he intended. This time, it was his Pokemon who jumped. “Relax,” he whispered to them. They had been more on edge than him this whole time. Haru’s bifurcated tail was still twitching from side to side, and Vari’s eyes hadn't stopped flickering around the room.

It was time to move on, anyway. There would be no escape for Wes, no hiding with his two distinctive Pokemon and the metal twined around his arm. He was going to have to fight his way out of this.

He just didn’t want to do it here, not in some old rusty train that had been converted to a crowded diner. The Outskirt Stand was nothing but a stopping place, and he'd rather go establish himself in a bigger city. Somewhere that he could put this machine to use. Build up a proper team and go down fighting. Even his two trusted companions wouldn't be enough to save him from all of Team Snagem.

They both leapt from their seats at the same time as Wes, always in perfect sync, and followed him towards the exit. His hand was halfway to the door when he heard “Oi, you!”

Wes spun around, accompanied by growls from both Haru and Vari. It can't be, I didn't notice anyone from Snagem here... But it was just a regular trainer. Bright-eyed and pink-haired, two Pokeballs at his waist.

“I'm Willie,” the trainer said, not that Wes had asked. “I took one look at you and your Pokemon and could just tell you're good. Battle me?”

The Eeveelutions stopped snarling, relieved in more ways than one. Things never went smoothly when trainers noticed Haru’s silence and Vari’s missing leg and wrote them off as useless.

“Yeah, all right,” Wes agreed, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance. Maybe a battle would help calm them all down.

Not that it ended up being much of a battle. Willie’s team consisted of nothing but two Zigzagoon, eager and energetic but not very well disciplined. Vari and Haru didn't even break a sweat as they knocked them down.

“You're real tough, all right,” Willie declared as he recalled his Pokemon. “But I just need more practice, too.” Wes wasn't going to argue with either of those statements. “You should head to Phenac City,” Willie continued. “A lot of trainers there would be closer to your level.”

Wes just shrugged, watching the other trainer creak his way back up the rusty train steps. Phenac was an option he had already been seriously considering. He was much more familiar with Pyrite Town, which was exactly where Team Snagem would expect him to go, so he would absolutely not be going there in the near future.

“What do you guys think?” he asked, addressing the two Pokemon. Haru considered it for a moment, then gave a slight nod. Vari just shrugged noncommittally.

“Phenac it is, then,” Wes decided. He headed over to the hovercycle, blue coat flapping in the wind and Eeveelutions following loyally behind him. The two wasted no time in hopping into the sidecar and snuggling up together. They deserved to rest after a stressful day of helping him carry out the plan.

They deserve better than anything I'll ever be able to give them here in this wasteland, Wes thought ruefully as he pulled the goggles down over his eyes to block out the desert sand. He revved the engine, and then the three of them were gone.

***

Phenac was unmistakable. A bright jewel shining through the grit of the desert, it promised safety and prosperity to the weary traveler. Glistening fountains bubbled with sparkling blue water, and palm trees spread their comforting leaves over the streets. It was a perfect oasis.

Too perfect.

Wes had always avoided the place. It was fake, full of endlessly circling fountain water that you couldn't drink and trees confined on all sides by cobblestones. Everyone here was always smiling and safe, never venturing out into the real world. It was far from what he was used to, and that's exactly why he was here. It wasn't Team Snagem territory.

As Wes pulled his bike into the parking lot, his eyes were drawn to a rusty old hovertruck. Two men were unloading a large package that seemed to be wriggling, which was surprisingly suspicious activity for Phenac. Haru and Vari, growling, clearly agreed.

“Can’t you hold on any tighter?” the first man grumbled. “Seems I'm doing all the work here.”

“It's not easy with all this squirming!” his partner complained.

Wes slid off the bike. Pokemon thieves, all the way out here? With no snag machine, they weren't going to get very far.

A sudden spitting noise from the bag, and then a third voice rang out. “Help! Kidnappers! Let me out!” The men started frantically arguing again.

“You didn't tie the gag properly!”

“Well, you told me to hurry up!”

“I'm not letting you blame me for this one if things go wrong!”

Wes strode over, accompanied by two furious Eeveelutions. “Sounds to me like you're both at fault here.”

The two men spun around. They weren't very inconspicuous for kidnappers. One of them had hair dyed neon yellow with orange tips, making it seem like his head was on fire. The other was wearing a bright safety vest and a strange-looking blue hat.

“What? Whatever you thought you heard, you're wrong!”

“We’re not kidnappers! We're just thieves!”

The voice from the bag chimed in. “Nope, they're definitely kidnappers.”

Flame-hair glared at Wes. “Whatever! You're not making it out of here to tell anyone about this, anyway.” He reached for a Pokeball, but Haru glowed white, and the man's hand froze in midair. “Hey, that's not fair!”

“Neither is kidnapping,” Wes said matter-of-factly. “Now, I suggest you get out of here if you don't want a demonstration of just how unfair my Espeon can be. And my Umbreon hasn't even gotten started yet.”

The two men looked at Haru’s flashing eyes, then over at Vari, who was snarling and glowing with dark energy. “This isn't over!” yelled Blue Hat as he and Flame-hair wisely fled. “We’ll find you, and we’ll make you pay!”

Vari’s teeth had already sliced through the rope at the top of the bag by the time Wes got closer. Haru effortlessly grabbed the entire bag with his telekinesis and flung it away, revealing a girl lying on the cobblestones with her hands tied together.

“Thank you,” the girl said, sounding immensely relieved as Vari went to work on the rope around her wrists. Wes noticed that the girl looked, well, girly. She was wearing a skirt, pink boots, and a pink-trimmed denim jacket. Her fiery red hair was tied back in two Ponyta-tails that were starting to come undone. But most importantly, she didn't appear visibly hurt, just shaken.

“Thank you all,” the girl clarified as the rope fell away from her hands. She reached out to pet a startled Vari on the head. For once, the Umbreon didn't flinch away from a stranger's touch, and leaned in to comfort her. Her face lit up as Haru walked over to her other side, and she reached out to him as well.

“It was nothing,” Wes said absentmindedly, looking at his Pokemon. They weren't entirely comfortable with the situation, but they clearly wanted to help in any way they could. “You know, these two usually won't go near strangers.” he added.

“They just figure that kidnapping victims are inherently trustworthy,” the girl suggested. “Or they're great judges of character. Probably both.”

“Are you all right?” Wes asked as the girl slowly got to her feet. To his surprise, she was a little taller than him.

“Yeah. As all right as I can be, under the circumstances. They only tied me up. They didn't hit me or... or anything.” she trailed off, voice wavering. “Anyway, I'm Rui. I must say, it's really nice to meet you.” She laughed nervously.

“Wes. The Umbreon is Vari, the Espeon is Haru.” The two Pokemon nodded their heads politely.

“This might be a weird question,” Rui began. “But did you see any unusual Pokemon with them?”

Wes shook his head. “Didn't see any Pokemon at all.”

Rui nodded, as if she wasn't expecting him to say yes in the first place. “I'm not sure why I bother asking. I can't imagine anyone else can see it…”

“See what?” Wes asked. This whole situation was starting to seem strange.

“It's a long story.” Rui looked down, kicking at a crack between cobblestones with a boot. “Basically, I saw something I shouldn't have, and that's why they kidnapped me.” She looked up, saw that Wes wasn't satisfied with that explanation, and continued. “I don't want to explain everything twice, but you can hear all about it if you come with me to talk to the mayor.”

“The mayor?” Wes echoed.

“Well, I need to tell somebody important, and he seems to be a good choice.”

Wes raised an eyebrow. “Are you calling me unimportant?” He was making an effort to lighten the situation, but belatedly realized that Rui might get the wrong idea and think he was angry.

She just smiled, though. “Actually, you're very important, but in a different way,” Rui took a step closer to him. “I'm out here on my own now, and I have no Pokemon to protect me. Will you come with me, even just for a little while?”

No. Because it's not safe with me. I'm being hunted by much more than just two useless kidnappers.

“Yes,” he said instead. Right now, Rui’s lack of Pokemon made her the one in more immediate danger. Maybe he could catch a few later on and leave them with her, but she would probably object to his methods.

“Oh, thank you,” Rui said, clearly relieved. “Let's go to the mayor, then!” She looked at him expectantly.

“What? I'm not from around here, you expect me to know where he is?”

***

Rui wasted no time in asking the nearest stranger for directions, and was immediately pointed towards a modest-looking building just down the street. It looked like every other house in Phenac, and nothing like the opulent mansion Wes had been expecting. Rui also wasted no time in heading over there, her strides firm and confident despite the situation. Wes struggled to keep up with her.

He didn't think the mayor would even be home, let alone bother to answer the door. But just a moment after Rui knocked loudly, the door swung open and Wes found himself face to face with the mayor of Phenac City.

Mayor Es Cade was short and fat, with two tufts of gray hair on either side of an otherwise bald head. He greeted Wes, Rui and even the two Pokemon with a warm smile. “Well, hello! What brings you to my home?” He motioned them inside before even giving them a chance to answer. “Come in, come in!”

“Well, sir,” Rui said as soon as the mayor was seated behind his desk. “I saw an unusual Pokemon. It was...troubling.”

Es Cade raised his eyebrows. “Unusual? We get all sorts of Pokemon here in Orre. It was probably just one of those fancy Alola formed thingies, or whatever they're called. Something you've never seen before.”

Rui shook her head. “No, not like that. It was a Makuhita, and I've seen those before. The problem was…” she hesitated. “Its aura. It was glowing in furious and angry ways that I didn't even know were possible, and it tried to attack a human.”

The mayor’s eyebrows somehow managed to climb even higher. “A Pokemon that was ‘glowing in furious and angry ways’? Sounds pretty noticeable. Why hasn't anyone reported this yet?”

“Well, the thing is,” Rui continued hesitantly. “I don't think anyone else can see that. It's an aura thing. I've always been able to see colourful auras around people that change with their mood. Not the same thing as psychic auras, which everyone can see.”

Haru’s own blank white psychic aura flickered to life in surprise, and he exchanged a look with Vari. Wes frowned. He didn't like the idea of someone reading his mind, even if it was something as simple as just emotions.

The mayor's eyebrows seemed to be trying to re-establish a colony of hair on top of his head. “Auras, you say? Auras that nobody else can see? I'm sorry, but that sounds hard to believe, little girl.”

Rui stamped her foot, and Wes didn't need any fancy mood-sensing powers to tell that she was angry. “Little? I am twenty-one years old and I intend to be taken seriously! I was kidnapped and tied up all because I saw this Pokemon! Two men clearly thought it was important enough that I not tell anyone about it! Isn't it your job to fix the problems like this that are going on in your city?”

Wes was taken aback not by her anger, but by her age. She's a year older than me? I wouldn't have guessed. I suppose it's the hairstyle that make her look younger.

Es Cade cowered a little, but quickly reclaimed his professional look. “Well, I wasn't aware that the situation was so serious. I'll certainly order an investigation.”

Rui breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate it.” And with that, she turned around and marched out the door, leaving Wes and his Pokemon to follow.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rui only made it a few steps down the street before she started giggling nervously. Had she really just yelled at the mayor? For someone who knew a lot about emotions, she had never been the best at controlling her own.

To be fair, the mayor had been condescending, and she had also just escaped from kidnappers. Rui figured she was entitled to at least a little yelling.

Wes and his Pokemon quickly caught up to her, surprise showing both in their auras and on their faces.

“So… auras, huh?” Wes asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.”

Wes shrugged. “I've heard crazier. So... when you're angry, you literally see red?”

Rui laughed. “Not quite. I can't actually see my own aura, only other people's. And the colors don't line up with the stereotypes. For me, red is sad, blue is happy, yellow is angry, and so on. That's just the way my brain has worked for as long as I can remember.”

“And the Pokemon you saw?”

“Like I told the mayor, it was an aura I had never seen before.” Rui said, shuddering at the memory. “Just a dark, swirling vortex of anger and misery. The Pokemon was violent, and it enjoyed being violent. It even went after trainers.”

“You want to help it, don't you.” Wes said this as if it was a fact, not a question.

“I don't know how I can help, but I want to try,” Rui admitted. “I'm probably the only person around who can see this. Maybe there are more Pokemon out there being inexplicably violent, and no one really understands why. I just don't know how we can even safely find any, let alone get them away from their trainers and do something to help.”

Wes’ aura flickered with something like guilt, as if he had an idea that he didn't want to voice. Rui was about to call him out for it, but had to suddenly swerve to avoid falling into a fountain. She'd been so focused on the situation that she hadn't even been watching where she was going.

“Looks like we're right outside the Colosseum,” Wes remarked, blatantly changing the subject while Rui paused to get her balance back.

“So?”

“So, that's exactly where the trainers hang out. Might find some answers there.”

“Oh, right,” Rui said, cursing herself for sounding like an idiot.

They had only made it up a few steps when the shout echoed across the plaza. “YOU!” Rui saw three auras flare in panic before they all whirled around to face a haze of angry yellow. One of the men stepped forward, eyes blazing. “You filthy double-crossing traitor,” he spat at Wes. “Destroying the hideout and taking a snag machine? You'll pay for this.”

Rui couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her. A snag machine? She'd heard the horror stories about devices that could sever the connection of a Pokeball and steal a Pokemon away from its rightful trainer, but she had never come face-to-face with one. Wes didn't strike her as someone who would go around snagging Pokemon, but there was that cruel-looking metal device twined around his arm…

Wes laughed. “Traitor? As if I was ever really one of you. Destroying the place is one of the only good things I've ever done, other than snagging these two.” He looked down at Haru and Vari, who flanked him protectively.

“We always thought you were crazy for keeping those rejects. Even Cipher didn't want them!” The man shook his head. “And they won't save you now.” Quick as a flash, he pulled out two Pokeballs and threw them. Rui instinctively scrambled backwards, praying that no hateful auras would appear.

The two Pokemon appeared normal enough: a Corphish and a Koffing, glowing with typical anger rather than anything uncontrollable. Rui sighed in relief, even as the Umbreon and Espeon launched themselves at their attackers.

The so-called rejects were unstoppable. One powerful blast of psychic energy left the Koffing motionless on the ground, and the Corphish’s claws closed on only air as a sharp set of teeth sunk in over and over.

Wes smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Haven't you learned not to underestimate them, Wakin? You’ll only get them angry that way. People like you are the reason why I had to do it.”

“This isn't over!” a furious Wakin yelled, frantically recalling his Pokemon and motioning the other goons to follow him. “We’ll get you back for this!”

“Not likely. Get out of our sight.”

And so they did.

Rui turned to Wes, full of questions, but he was already checking on his Pokemon. They didn’t seem to have suffered a single scratch, but he still fussed over them, praising them for a job well done.

It was hard for her to think of this affectionate, caring man as the same cold-eyed person who had just confronted Wakin. The same person who had apparently once belonged to Team Snagem. But his aura indicated that he wasn't a bad person, and auras were never wrong.

Once Haru and Vari had settled down and gone to sit on the edge of the fountain together, Rui dragged Wes into the shaded area beside the stairs for some privacy. “So, you saved me from my kidnappers, and you saved me from these guys, but you still have a lot of explaining to do. You’d better have an excellent reason for traveling around with one of those horrible snag machines! I won't let you use it.”

“I took it so no one else could use it,” Wes said simply.

Rui sighed. “You're a man of few words, aren't you, Wes?”

He just shrugged in response, making her laugh despite the situation.

Think, Rui. What would get him talking? What does he care about more than anything?

“You and your Pokemon seem quite close,” she said casually. “Did you really snag them?”

Wes’ aura swirled into a complicated set of colors as he looked at the pair on the edge of the fountain. “Snagging was my job,” he finally told her. “I was good at it, but I hated it. Always tried to pick Pokemon from trainers who didn't treat them the best.”

“And what happens to the Pokemon you snag?” Rui prompted, although she was afraid to know the answer.

Another shrug. “Get sent to Cipher, mostly. They study them or something. We get to keep a few temporarily for our work, but we can only permanently keep the ones that no one else wants.”

“Those two are a force to be reckoned with. It's hard to believe that they could ever be unwanted,” Rui whispered. She knew that most of Orre was a harsh place where only the strong survived, but Wes’ Pokemon were perfectly strong regardless of any disabilities.

“Tell that to their original trainers,” Wes muttered bitterly. Rui waited for him to continue, and he did. “Vari was still an Eevee when I met him.” He said this with a sort of wonder, as if he was still in disbelief that anyone could evolve out of love for him. “I was a rookie snagger back then, out on a mission with one of my superiors. He was all excited at the opportunity to snag an Eevee…”

“So excited that he was careless,” Rui supplied for him.

Wes nodded. “The leg wound was bad. So bad that I could see the trainer’s expression change from “please don't snag my Eevee” to “you’ve ruined my Eevee”. The other snagger, disgusted with himself, didn't even bother finishing the job. He told me to leave, but I couldn't. I snagged Vari, brought him to the Pokemon Center, stayed around while he was recovering from having the leg amputated. His trainer never showed up to get him.”

Rui was shaking a little. All her life, she'd been safely hidden away from the horrors of this part of the region, and now she was being confronted with so many in one day. “No wonder you left,” she managed to say.

“It was hard to leave,” Wes admitted. “I was one of the few who tried to do some good with my snagging whenever I could. And I had to wait until I could do as much damage to the organization as possible.”

“What about Haru?” Rui asked. She wasn't sure that she wanted to hear the answer.

“I was scouting out potential snags at the Pyrite Colosseum. Right towards the end of the tournament, there was a dramatic moment -- an Eevee evolving into Espeon for the sake of his trainer, refusing to give up the fight. The trainer was delighted, up until he found that Haru only had telekinesis.”

“He had no use for a psychic without telepathy or empathy?” Rui demanded, disgusted. “I know that's really rare in true psychic types, but doesn't it at least make their telekinesis stronger?”

“Oh, he didn't care. He cursed the breeder for cheating him out of a “proper’ Eevee. I saw him in the lobby, thinking he could kick some telepathy into Haru. That was one snag I never felt bad about making.”

Rui looked over at the beautiful Espeon, horrified that anyone could do such a thing to him.

“It doesn't change the fact that I've made some bad decisions, Rui,” Wes said, growing more somber. “I understand if you don't want me around. On top of that, a lot of people want me dead. You should go far away from here.”

“No!” she blurted immediately, surprising even herself. “I want to help that Pokemon I saw. I want to help you. Your aura tells me you're not a bad person.” She gave him a playful nudge. “Besides, you're my gallant prince who rescued me! I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am.”

Wes looked surprised, but smiled slightly. “Well, you're hardly a typical damsel in distress.”

Rui’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?” she demanded, trying not to sound too panicked.

“Nothing? Only that you’re brave and tough and don't just sit around waiting to be rescued. The way you went after the mayor was impressive.” His aura showed genuine confusion at her outburst, and she relaxed a little.

It was Rui’s turn to blatantly change the subject. “Anyway, I was thinking…” Before she could even finish her sentence, a shriek cut through the air. She looked up just in time to see a blast of energy knock Haru right into the fountain. Vari jumped down, snarling and ready to meet the attackers. He was immediately surrounded by four Pokemon: Duskull, Spinarak, Whismur, Lotad. Rui’s head spun as she tried to make sense of the blur of Pokemon and auras.

Haru leapt out of the fountain, looking thankfully unharmed and wasting no time in joining the fight. Rui finally caught sight of the Pokemon’s trainers, and instinctively took a step back.

“You're not getting away this time!”  the man with the blue hat sneered.

“Miror B wasn't happy that we let you go,” his companion with the flame-like hair added. “So this time, we came prepared.”

“Folly, you idiot! Don't be telling them who sent us!”

“Shut up, Trudly! It's not going to matter once they’re his prisoners!”

Rui couldn't believe she had managed to be kidnapped by two people this stupid. While they were arguing, Haru and Vari had made quick work of their Pokemon despite being outnumbered. Wes hadn't even needed to give any orders.

“You think you're so cool, with your fancy Eeveelutions and your stupid coat!” Folly yelled at Wes. “Well, we're going to kidnap you too!”

“And your spiky hair, and your goggles, and that shiny metal decoration on your arm!” Trudly added, further derailing the conversation. “Well, let's see how you deal with this!” He threw another Pokeball.

Rui flinched back from the creature that appeared. The overwhelming aura was all she could see at first, a raging storm of fury that filled her field of vision. It took a moment before she was able to look past it at the Pokemon underneath, a Makuhita glowing with anger.

“Wes!” she called out, finally finding her voice. “That's it! That's the Pokemon I saw before!”

He nodded grimly. There was no need for him to order Vari and Haru to be careful, as they were already eyeing the Makuhita with caution. Haru blasted it with a super-effective psychic attack, but the Makuhita shrugged it off with terrifying ease and swung at a surprised Vari, who barely dodged in time.

“Stop it, Makuhita!” Rui begged. “I don't know what they did to you, but you can fight it! Don't listen to them!”

The Makuhita paused, as if it wanted to obey her.

Then it roared and charged right at her, nothing but rage in its eyes. Only a desperate blast of energy from Haru sent it careening off course at the last second.

Rui clenched her fists. This might be a terrible idea, it might not work, but she couldn't see any other way out. “Use the snag machine!” she cried.

Wes paused, staring at her in surprise.

“You do have Pokeballs, right?”

“Just a few…well, I guess it's worth a try.” He frantically dug around in his coat pockets, finally producing a red-and-white sphere.

“What are you doing?” Trudly demanded as the machine on Wes’ arm began to glow.

The Makuhita, taken by surprise, was hit right in the head with the Pokeball and disappeared. “Hey, that's not fair!” Folly yelped.

Wes scooped up the Pokeball. “I thought we already had a talk about fairness. Miror B might be angry with you, but I can guarantee that I'm even angrier. You’d better run now if you know what's good for you.”

The two kidnappers looked at each other, at Wes’ cold expression, at the two snarling Eeveelutions.

And then they turned and ran for the second time that day.

“We did it! I can't believe we actually did it!” Rui sat down on the steps, overwhelmed.

“But what do we do with this guy?” Wes stared at the Pokeball in his hand.

Rui shook her head. “I don't know. But at least we got him away from them.” She pushed herself back to her feet, although her legs were shaking. “I can see the horrifying truth of his aura. Whatever they did, it can be undone. There has to be a way for us to help!”

She looked at Wes, saw the dark flickers of doubt around him.

Despite her determined words, she knew those same flickers would appear in her own aura if she could see it.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Aura.Haru stared down at the familiar blank white glow around his paws, imagining it blue, gold, purple. Anything but empty. He wanted so badly to ask Rui what color his aura was right now, even though he knew it wasn’t the same thing, knew it would come across as silly and desperate. And of course, that was the whole problem. He couldn't ask her. Not being able to properly speak with humans had meant nothing when he was an Eevee, but psychic-types were supposed to be the bridge between humans and Pokemon. What good was he if he couldn't do that one simple thing?Haru shook his head. It was a waste of time, getting caught up in those thoughts again. There were more pressing things to worry about. Then again, it was probably the more pressing things that were adding to his stress, causing those old anxieties to reform. He hadn't been himself all day. The explosion had put him on edge, making him jump at the tiniest noise and snarl at any slightly suspicious person. Vari seemed to be in the same situation, although it wasn't unusual for him to get snarly. In fact, the Umbreon was now demonstrating this to their new teammate.The Makuhita stood sullenly off to the side while Wes and Rui tried to figure out what to do next. Haru didn't need fancy aura powers or even regular psychic perception to sense that something was horribly off about him. Vari hadn't taken his threatening gaze off the newcomer for even a second. The Makuhita didn't seem remotely intimidated by this, much to the Umbreon’s dismay. “I don't think we should be so hostile,” Haru whispered, resting his tail gently on Vari’s good side. “If we’re welcoming towards him, maybe he won't be so suspicious.” “I'm not letting my guard down. If he makes one move towards you, he's done for,” Vari grumbled back. “While it's sweet that you want to protect me, you seem to have forgotten the basic facts of type advantages.”“I can still rip his throat out, disadvantage or no.” Vari growled.Haru shuddered. “Let's hope it doesn't come to that, okay? I'm going to go talk to him. After all, he hasn't tried to attack us since he got snagged.” Head held high, the Espeon strode over, Vari following reluctantly behind.“Hello, and welcome to the team!” Haru said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. “I’m Haru, and this is Vari. What's your name?”The Makuhita blinked slowly. “Does it matter?”Haru’s smile faltered a little. “Well, it matters if you don't want us to just call you “Makuhita” all the time.”“They said I had no name anymore. Who I used to be is gone. I'm a Shadow Pokemon now.” His tone was flat.Shadow Pokemon. Is that what he is? How many more like him are there?“Well, whoever “they” are, they're not here to order you around,” Haru said firmly. “You have a new trainer now, and you can be whoever you want.”The Makuhita’s expression shifted into something almost vulnerable. “I want... I want to be anything but this.”Vari’s anger seemed to have faded. “So do it. Prove to us that you're your own person.”“I’m… My name is Ty.” There was a faint spark of something in his eyes.Haru smiled again. “Welcome to the team, Ty.”

***

They would still be heading to Pyrite, of course. Despite finding Ty here in Phenac, the city seemed pretty peaceful. If more of these Shadow Pokemon were around, they'd likely be in the region’s seediest area. After all, the kidnappers had mentioned Miror B, who was notorious in Pyrite.Haru noticed Rui worrying about it, though. If there were other Pokemon around who needed help, she didn't want to just leave them. They had all tried to press Ty for some information, but he would only say that there were a lot of others like him, and he didn't know where they were. According to Rui, that made the Makuhita’s aura flare up more, and he did seem pretty distressed about it, so he was returned to his Pokeball. Rui didn't say anything, but Haru could tell that she was wondering what could possibly be done to heal a Pokemon in that condition.He wanted to reassure her that anyone can change. He knew it firsthand, after all, except that his former trainer had hardly made a positive change.But if you can change for the worse, you can change for the better, too. Rui was certainly interesting. She was the one who could read everyone's emotions, and yet her own emotions were quite noticeable. It made her seem... well, not trustworthy, exactly, but genuine. Trust was a rare thing in Haru’s world, reserved only for Vari and Wes. Trust had to be earned every day, because sometimes, you stopped being worthy of it. That was not a mistake he would ever make again.And yet, there was something about this girl that made him want to trust her. Right from the start, she had looked at them with respect, not pity. She was no stranger to being different, either. So Haru let her stroke his ears, offering what comfort he could. But he wouldn't let her into his heart, not quite.He knew it would make Wes happy if he did, though. His trainer smiled slightly at the sight.Vari watched and predictably grumbled something about not letting your guard down. But Rui reached out a hand to him too, and he didn't flinch away from her touch.“Pyrite won't be so bad, not if I've got you two to protect me!” Rui remarked, putting on a brave face once they set off.“And what about me?” Wes asked, feigning hurt.She smiled genuinely this time. “Don't worry, I know they'll protect you, too!” And that's how they arrived back on the outskirts of Phenac, laughing and smiling in the face of danger.Danger stared back, undaunted.There was a man blocking the road, a living stop sign in his neon red uniform. His face was hidden behind a matching helmet that glinted dazzlingly bright in the sun. Haru tensed instinctively, and felt Vari do the same next to him.“Going somewhere?” the man asked casually, one hand on a Pokeball.“Yes,” Wes replied calmly. “And it's none of your business.”The man threw his Pokeballs in response. Haru assessed the situation quickly -- a Grimer, a Spoink -- and aimed his attack, knowing that Vari was doing the same. Both their opponents collapsed in unison.The man didn't seem too upset about this. “You're not going to defeat this one so easily,” he promised, throwing just one more ball. Even though there was strength in numbers, Haru still felt a prickle of unease when the solitary Pokemon appeared, and Rui’s startled cry confirmed it.A Shadow Quilava. Young, angry, and not wasting any time in launching fireballs at them.Haru got his shield up in time, absorbing the fire harmlessly. But the Quilava kept charging forward, forcing him to jump back, to launch a blast of psychic energy that thankfully hit right on target.It only slowed the Quilava down for a second.Vari took advantage of this pause to jump right at the Quilava, who immediately lashed out, quick as a flash. The Umbreon ended up flat on the ground, unable to get his balance back in time.“Listen,” Haru said desperately, dodging another barrage of flames. “We can help you! You don't have to fight like this. Come with us and we'll figure out how to undo what's making you this way.”The Quilava stared back incredulously. “I'm supposed to be this way. They created me so I could fight like this. I don't need help.” More fireballs. Created? Haru paused, unsettled. “What's your name?”“You mean my identification number?” The Quilava’s eyes narrowed. “That's none of your business.”There was something different about this one, as if he'd never even had a life before becoming a Shadow Pokemon.Vari was back on his feet, snarling. “Look, kid, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Regardless, we're taking you away from this jerk who thinks he's your trainer.”“It's okay,” Haru added from behind the safety of his shield. “I know you think your trainer knows best, but you can always leave. You deserve a better life.”“There's nothing wrong with me!” The Quilava wreathed himself in flames. “You're just jealous because you weren't good enough for the program! And no one's going to stand in my way, especially not an inc-”Wes’ Pokeball hit the Quilava squarely on the head, and he disappeared mid-sentence.Haru flinched at even the beginning of the word. Incomplete. A psychic missing one of the key aspects of being psychic. Wes and Rui were oblivious to the details of this exchange, of course. They were talking, but for once, Haru didn't pay much attention to the conversation. Vari was staring at the newly occupied Pokeball as if he could melt it with a sufficiently red-hot angry gaze.“Leave it,” Haru murmured. “It's not his fault. Whatever they did to him, it's made him so full of darkness and hatred…”“Full of darkness and hatred? Sounds more like you're describing me,” the Umbreon replied with the hint of a smirk, calming down a little.Haru smiled slightly at the joke, but they both knew it wasn't the same thing. Something horrible was being done to these Pokemon, and they just might be powerless to stop it.Haru didn't know what awaited them in Pyrite, but he was certain it was nothing good.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

This was not how he had been expecting his day to go.It had been a simple mission. Stop the boy with the Eeveelutions and the perceptive girl. Theoretically, too easy, even for his first time outside of the laboratory.So why had it gone so wrong?He had done everything Rosso had asked. Rosso wasn't his trainer, not really, just one of the many trainers who used the Shadow Pokemon. The kind of person who was so eager that he picked a code name and an outfit to match the Pokemon’s type. It was stupid, but the Quilava didn't really care who was giving the orders, not as long as he could have a good fight. He didn’t always bother listening to the orders, anyway.He had been perfect, fighting two on one but still managing to get the upper hand. And then they had cheated, snatching him away from Rosso, away from everything he had ever known. Not that he particularly cared about Rosso, but how was he supposed to be a perfect fighter when his new trainer wanted to “cure” him?He had sat and glowered at them all as they introduced themselves. Wes. Rui. Haru. Vari. He couldn't care less.They had tried to give him a name too. He had never had one before, and he certainly had no need of one now. You didn't need a name to be one of the most powerful fighters in the region. “Aidan”, they called him. As if they could make him into someone he wasn't. He wasn't their friend, wasn't a pampered pet to be fussed over like those pathetic Eeveelutions. He was a fighter, a warrior, a perfect specimen.He was death incarnate.“I think it's a good name for you!” the girl said, smiling. “It means fiery!” He snarled at her, flared his flames to show just how fiery he was, but she just kept smiling and said “Yes, exactly!” as if she was indulging a stupid child.But there were worse things to be named, he had to admit. 
***
The humans stood off to the side, watching the four Pokemon cautiously. At least they had some common sense. Being cautious of him was a good idea.He supposed they were his trainers now, though. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they just let him fight and gave up on this “cure” nonsense. It's not as if he had any attachment to the previous trainers, anyway.It was learning to work with these Pokemon that would be the difficult part.The Makuhita was a Shadow like him, but that was where the similarities ended. This guy was one of the many who had been turned into a Shadow later on in life. Not hatched and raised as a Shadow, which had made the Quilava superior, had given him finely honed fighting skills and no pre-existing sentimentality to get in the way. He could already see pathetic traces of resistance in the Makuhita, on some level struggling against what they had done to him.Why would you ever want to struggle against being a perfect fighting machine?The other two were normal, at least in the non-Shadow sense. The kind of Pokemon who would be brought into the lab as target practice, because they weren't fit to be Shadows. The incomplete Espeon and the three-legged Umbreon. What a pair. And yet, there was... something about them. The way they looked at him as if he was a threat, but they still wanted to help him. Not that he needed to be helped, and of course he could destroy them in a second if he wanted to, but he wouldn't. They were on his side now, even tentatively, and he had to respect that.And there was something else... something he couldn't quite understand. The way they looked at each other as if nothing in the world was more important. As if they’d die to save each other in a heartbeat. It went against everything he had ever been taught -- you keep yourself alive, you don't waste your time on other Pokemon -- and it made him feel a twinge of something unfamiliar. He hated the feeling, and decided to express this by silently glaring at them. 
***
The humans decided that the team bonding could wait (As far as he was concerned, it would have to wait a very long time. Probably forever), and that heading off to Pyrite had to take priority. He was more than happy about this. A town where people battled on the streets sounded like a much better place than this horrible water-filled hellhole.It wasn't that Phenac’s fountains made him nervous, it was just a tactical disadvantage for him as a fire-type.The Quilava reflected that the day could have gone worse. Sure, he had been captured by the enemy, but they weren't the enemy anymore. The enemy was whoever he was told to fight. As long as he got to keep battling, he didn't much care. And at least they were leaving Phenac.As he disappeared into an unfamiliar Pokeball for the second time that day, the last thing he heard was “See you soon, Aidan!”That's not me, he thought. But then the sleeplike state was overtaking him, and he was no longer sure of who he was at all.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The trip to Pyrite wasn’t a particularly pleasant one. Wes and Rui were both caught up in their own thoughts, and they couldn’t really have talked over the roar of the hovercycle’s engine anyway. Rui had her hands over her ears most of the time, making Wes wish that he still had a pair of earmuffs to give her. But he had gotten used to the noise long ago, and the only passengers he ever had were his Pokemon, so he had seen no point in hanging on to them. It was also strange to have her there instead of Haru and Vari. There wasn't room enough for all of them, and of course Rui couldn't be shoved in a Pokeball, so the sidecar was now reserved for her. Even though her expression suggested that she'd rather walk, endless expanse of desert be damned. Darkness had fallen on Orre long before the hazy lights of Pyrite even came into view, but Wes managed to steer them safely to the town anyway. It seemed that no matter where he went, he'd never escape the place.  He did his best to stash the bike behind a sand dune, knowing that the distinctive design would give away his presence in a heartbeat. “I never thought I'd be looking forward this much to seeing a Pokemon Center,” Rui muttered. Did she know anything about this region? “Well, you'll have to keep looking forward to it, because Pyrite doesn't have one.” “Are you saying we have to sleep on the streets?” She looked horrified. “Ever heard of hotels?” Rui brightened “Oh, that's even better!” “Yeah, not this one.” She hesitated when he started crossing the dunes towards Pyrite, but eventually did follow him, probably because it was better than the alternative of dying of thirst in the desert. But only slightly. Wes could speak from experience. It had been a long day, and it took the last of his strength to finally stumble into the hotel. Rui dragged herself through the door a moment later, and leaned on the front desk for support. Even run-down old hotels like this one cost plenty of money, and were a luxury Wes had rarely been able to afford. So it was a good thing he had stolen as much cash as he could carry from the hideout before he blew it up. The guy behind the front desk looked at them. “One room?” “Two!” Rui said quickly, before Wes could say yes -- not that he would have, of course. Although it would save money. The guy shrugged and handed them two keys. “Whatever.”  Their rooms were right next to each other. Rui hesitated in front of hers, one hand on the doorknob, which looked like it might fall off at any moment. “It's safe,” Wes reassured her. “No one knows we're here.” Not yet, anyway. “Knock on the wall if anything does happen, though.” “Oh, that's reassuring.” There weren't many genuinely reassuring things to say about Pyrite, unfortunately. “I could leave Haru or Vari with you?” he offered. Rui shook her head, putting on a brave face. “It's fine. I'll be fine. They wouldn't want to be separated, anyway.” Well, the last part was certainly true. “Good night, then,” he said, opening his door. “Good night,” she echoed softly. “And... thank you.” Wes nodded, closed the door, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep instantly. 
***
 Wes awoke to a pounding at the door. He was out of bed and halfway to throwing Pokeballs in the direction of the noise before he registered where he was. It was probably Rui. But he still didn't relax until he looked through the peephole to confirm it. She was standing outside his door, looking over her shoulder nervously as if someone might jump out and attack her at any minute. It was a sensible assumption, considering their current situation. He creaked the door open, finally realizing that he was still tired. “What time is it?” “Um, seven in the morning? I think? Sorry, but I couldn't sleep, and I thought maybe we should get out and look for more of those Pokemon...” she trailed off, staring down at the floor. Wes sighed. “It's okay. Probably best for us to keep moving anyway.”  Astonishingly, there was a breakfast buffet set up in the dining room already. No one else was around, and of course the food wouldn't be good, but hey, it was food. There was even Pokemon food available, so Wes sent out Haru and Vari, who wasted no time in heading right for it. His hand hovered over the other two Pokeballs, but he figured it was best to leave the unpredictable newcomers alone for now. At least they wouldn't need food as long as they stayed in there. He didn't want to be responsible for the destruction of a hotel dining room, even if it looked in desperate need of renovations anyway. Rui frowned as he piled his plate with bacon and sausages. “How can you eat that stuff? Don't you know it used to be living, breathing Pokemon?” Wes felt a pang of envy for this girl, someone who had clearly never gone hungry in her life. “You take what you can get, around here,” he said simply. She stopped complaining, but only grabbed a couple of muffins and an apple for herself. They sat down across from each other at one of the many unoccupied tables, lapsing into another awkward silence as they both shoveled in the food.  A thought came into Wes’ mind, something he hadn't considered amidst all the chaos of yesterday. “Don't you have somewhere to be? People who are worrying about you?” Rui stared at an empty muffin wrapper, folding it as small as she could. “Yes. Those jerks stole my phone, but I was able to call from the front desk and let my grandparents know I'm safe.” Wes frowned. Phoning from anywhere was not a great idea -- calls could be traced, of course. He had deliberately left his own phone behind at the hideout, and didn't consider it much of a loss. Who would he have called, anyway? But he couldn't argue that it was important for Rui to let her family know she was safe. “Grandparents, huh? Are they in Agate?” Agate Village was well-known for essentially being a retirement community. It was also one of the only nice places to live in all of Orre, and Wes had always figured he'd never live long enough to make it there. “Yes.” Rui’s talkativeness seemed to have vanished. “And what about you?” “I live there, too.” She didn't take her eyes off the muffin wrapper. Well, that explained her sheltered life. “You're allowed to live there? I thought it was for old people.” “It's not like there’s a rule against young people living there!” She sounded exasperated. “Why shouldn't I live there if I want to? It's apparently the only safe place in this entire Mew-forsaken region!” “I’m not saying you shouldn’t live there, I’m just surprised that you do. How--” Rui glared at him. “What is this, an interrogation?” She shoved her chair back and stomped out of the room. Wes looked over at the Eeveelutions in surprise. Haru blinked at him disapprovingly, and Vari’s expression said what did you do, you idiot?  Okay, maybe he had overdone it with the questioning, but he needed to know details if they were going to be on the run together. And it's not as if he could have known she’d react that way. She was out in the lobby, pacing around while the same guy at the front desk stared at her curiously. “I'm sorry!” she said as soon as Wes appeared. “I didn't mean to yell like that, it's just that I'm tired, and being kidnapped was stressful, and --” He cut her off. “No, it's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. We shouldn't start the day off with arguing, especially not when we've got important stuff to do.”  Rui looked unsettled at the reminder of the danger they'd be getting into, but she nodded resolutely. “Right. Let's go.” “You two staying another night?” the guy at the desk demanded, no doubt hoping to witness more of this drama. Wes didn't want to stay in one spot too long, but there weren't many other places to sleep off of the streets around here. Unless you wanted to get yourself arrested and spend the night in a nice safe jail cell, of course. “Maybe,” he said, and walked out the door, Rui and Eeveelutions following.  
***
 Rui’s confidence seemed to disappear as they walked into the heart of Pyrite. She stuck close to Wes, flinching at every person who passed by. It probably didn't help her mood that he had recalled Vari and Haru, but walking around displaying your Pokemon in Pyrite was just asking for trouble. “It's not that bad,” he promised. “I know a lot of these people. They won't bother you if you're with me.” “If they're not bad people, then why are we looking for those Pokemon here?” Wes had been wondering that himself. He had some friends here, friends who he had always tried to protect from Snagem, and he didn’t think they were the sort of people who would jump at the chance to use exceptionally violent Pokemon. Friendship only went so far in Pyrite, though. “I'm sure Duel Square will have some answers,” was all he said as they approached it. Rui eyed the place critically. “Square? Looks more like a circle to me.” “‘Square’ does sound cooler, though. Don’t think anyone cares if it’s accurate.” They both grew quiet as they entered the circular Square. Many of the usual people were hanging around, but the tone was subdued, and not one battle was going on. Wes headed over to the first familiar face he could find. “What's going on here, Nover?” The other man looked surprised to see him. “You're alive? Thought you were a goner after you went and put such a big target on your back. But you're still here, and you’ve even found yourself a girlfriend?” “Can't I walk around with a guy without everyone thinking I'm his girlfriend?” Rui muttered. Wes sighed. “Everyone knows about the hideout, huh?” “Snagem’s made it quite clear that they're after you.” Nover looked at him intensely. “But you were never here. Not according to me, at least.” “Thanks,” was all he could think to say. Snagem must be out there offering a good reward to anyone with information on him, and he was surprised that even Nover wouldn't want to sell him out. “Don't misunderstand, Wes. I'm not putting myself in danger for you. But I'm also no fan of Snagem, and I don't want their money. If I can help finish what you started, I will.” Nover scrutinized the snag machine, frowning. “But not if you think it's okay to keep snagging without being ordered to do it.” “We're not stealing!” Rui butted in quickly. “We're just rescuing the... the violent Pokemon, and trying to save them!” “You know about them too?” Nover frowned. “This is more serious than I thought. They've been giving them out as Colosseum prizes, but I didn't think it was a wider issue.” His hand absentmindedly drifted down to rest on a Pokeball at his waist, one that Wes knew hadn't been there last time they battled. “At the Colosseum? What the hell is Duking thinking?” “You've missed a lot, Wes. Duking’s not really running the Colosseum anymore, not since Miror B started holding his Pokemon hostage.” Nover shook his head. “And these new Pokemon... they were advertised as being powerful. They weren't kidding about that, but it's impossible to control them. Mine nearly shredded Leba’s entire team. You better have a damn good plan if you want to save these things.” Say what you will about Duel Square, but at least killing was generally frowned upon.  “We do have a plan!” Rui declared, casually elbowing Wes in the ribs before he could say we do? “It'll work, I know it.” Nover didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded. “Well, a questionable plan is a lot more than what I have.” He held out the Pokeball. “Take it. See what you can do to help.” Wes instinctively grabbed it with the snag machine arm. The ball glowed, then clicked. Whatever was inside had been registered to his team. “Well, that was easier than I thought!” Rui remarked. “Talk to the others,” Nover suggested. “They might not all be so willing to give up their new Pokemon, but it's worth a try.” And try they did. Diogo was Wes’ next target -- the street performer was moping in a corner, far from her usual lively self. Her hands fluttered frantically in a pale imitation of her dance as she explained the situation. “They gave me this cute Flaaffy, and I thought she would be a perfect addition to my routine, but she's so angry, and keeps attacking my poor Shroomish…” she sniffled. And just like that, Wes found himself with a complete row of Pokeballs. “You'll have to hang on to anything we get after this, at least until I can track down a PC,” Wes told a startled Rui. “We're not gonna get anywhere if I get arrested for carrying too many Pokemon.” “But I'm not a trainer --” “If you want to help them, don't complain. Hopefully you won't have to use any of them yet.” He didn't dare ask her about the plan, not now. Secrets traveled quickly in Pyrite Town. Rui did find herself burdened with Pokeballs, as a surprising amount of trainers were willing to give them up. It was relatively smooth sailing, up until they ran into Vant. He’d never been the easiest guy to get along with, so Wes wasn’t surprised to meet some resistance from him. “You're not taking mine so easily!” Vant sneered. “Do you know what this is? It's a Misdreavus. Ever seen a ghost before, Wes? I don't think you could steal it from me if you tried.” He threw the Pokeball, and it appeared. Forget mysterious angry auras, this thing already had its own creepy veil of darkness around it. It leered at him, and Wes took an instinctive step back. Rui, astonishingly, didn't even seem fazed. “You're not afraid of ghosts, are you, Wes?” She sounded disappointed, as if he wasn’t supposed to run from things that refused to stay dead. “I'm not afraid! It's just that I'm not used to them! Ghost types aren't common in Orre!” He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring, unterrified smile. “They're not common in Kanto, either, but that doesn't mean they're scary!” She stepped towards the ghost, arms outstretched. “I know you're angry!” she called out, addressing the Pokemon. “But don't take it out on us! We're not the ones who did that to you. We're trying to stop the ones who did that to you! Come join us, and you can get revenge on them.” Wes and Vant both blinked at her incredulously. The ghost turned towards Rui, a swirling vortex of dark energy. Wes couldn't even imagine how it must look with the aura added to that, but Rui stood her ground. “Do the thing!” she hissed impatiently. The ghost remained unmoving as Wes finally came to his senses and threw a snag ball. He took another step back as it disappeared, not wanting to face its wrath if it broke out. But the ball clicked, and Rui scooped it up. Vant scowled. “Whatever! That thing's more trouble than it's worth, anyway. I hope it eats both your souls!” “Ghosts don't actually do that!” Rui called as Vant stomped away. He flipped her off. Wes turned to her. “So... Kanto, huh?” Rui sighed in defeat. “Yes. I lived there until I was ten. Lavender Town, specifically. I’m from a long line of Channelers. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.” She smiled weakly. “So, why did you end up in Orre, of all places?” She turned away. “It’s a long story, and we have more important things to worry about now. Let's check out all our new teammates, okay?” “We'll have to go somewhere isolated,” Wes pointed out. “Can't have a bunch of them rampaging all over town.” “Back to the desert, then,” Rui said resignedly. They turned back the way they came, weighed down by their thoughts and a whole lot of Pokeballs.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nikki stared at the five other Pokemon, and they stared back at her. She was surprised at the lack of hostility -- hostility was something she had come to expect from her fellow Shadows, and she had certainly provided her fair share of it in the past.  It was a rather questionable choice for a team. Two pathetic non-Shadows, who were trying to pretend that they weren't intimidated by everyone else. A whiny little Quagsire, who wasn't cut out to be a Shadow in the first place. The Quilava, one of those born-Shadows who believed he was a lot cooler then he really was. And that ghost, thinking he was so intimidating just because he was already dead. Nikki would gladly kick his ectoplasmic ass right back to the afterlife in a heartbeat. The two humans and the Eeveelutions had talked to her alone, first. Said they were assessing everyone, trying to determine who was the best fit for the team. She wasn't sure what they wanted her to do. Show off how powerful her electricity could be? Or prove to them that she wasn't dangerous, that she could still act like a normal Pokemon? One of those things was a lot easier than the other. Nikki had stopped being a normal Pokemon long ago. There was no normal anymore, not since those horrible people had shaved off her beautiful Mareep wool in a Flaaffy pattern, trying to force evolution on her. And it had worked, somehow. There was no going back from that, no recovering from losing what had once been her greatest pride. It felt like they had shaved her right down to her soul, stripping it naked for all to see and scarring it forever. She had given up after that, let them do whatever they wanted, let them make her into this. There was no going forward, either. No matter what they had thrown at her, no matter how strong she got, she was stuck as a Flaaffy. Nikki felt the itch of evolution prickling under her skin, and she couldn’t make it go away. She had heard the scientists complaining about it, grumbling that they hadn't found a way to make Pokemon evolve once they’d been properly made into Shadows. It was some small comfort, knowing that they couldn’t take the rest of her wool away. She didn't tell any of this to the group, of course. She sat and watched silently as the Espeon encouraged them all to talk about themselves, watched silently as the Quagsire burst into tears and wailed that she wanted to go home. It was good for Nikki that the ground-type was nothing but a weak crybaby. “We’ll get you home, sweetheart,” the Espeon promised. Nikki knew they were empty words. There was no going home, not anymore. “No, you won't!” the Quagsire shrieked, suddenly enraged. “You can't! I can't go back! What did they do to me?” She stomped her foot, and the ground rumbled. Nikki cursed herself for ever thinking of a fellow Shadow as weak. She should know better by now, know that the darkness can always take over, bringing unstoppable power with it. The Quilava snorted. “What did they do to you? They made you strong. They made you unstoppable. You should be grateful.”  “But... but I…” the Quagsire sniffed, her anger falling away as quickly as it had risen. “You always have a choice,” the Umbreon said, dark eyes flashing. “They don't get to decide who you are. You can fight it.” No, you couldn't. Fighting it only brought you false hope. Just when you thought you were free, the darkness always swallowed you up again. Despite that, Nikki still knew who she was. They could take her fleece, take her freedom and her happiness and her control, but she would still be Nikki. Even if Nikki was nothing but a fighting machine, nothing but a shadow, she would not let them break her completely. They would never see her sobbing like that pathetic baby of a Quagsire. “You don't fight it,” a wispy voice spoke up. The ghost was watching them all with an amused expression. “You embrace it. Control the darkness. Don't let it control you.” He smirked. A little too menacingly, in Nikki's opinion.  “There's no controlling it.” Five heads swivelled in her direction, and she blinked. Had she said that out loud? “It's a part of you, and you have to learn how to live with it. Give in when you need it to protect you. But you can't control it, and you know that as well as I do.” The ghost smirked. “Maybe you can't.” Nikki snarled and leapt towards him, feeling the darkness wrap around her. “You think I'm weak? I'll show you--” She was cut off mid-sentence as she slammed into what had been thin air just a second ago. “That's enough,” the Espeon said sternly, letting the barrier vanish. “You're part of the team now, and we all have to get along. Save your energy for the tournament.” Nikki's rage evaporated like water in the desert heat. “Tournament?” “Tournament?” the Quilava echoed, eyes gleaming. “They’ll tell you all about it,” the Espeon said with a flick of his tail. Both of the humans, taking notice of the gesture, came over to join the circle of Pokemon. “We need strong Pokemon for this,” the boy said bluntly. “We've chosen you four, and we expect you to behave as well as battle. That means no fighting to the death, not in the tournament and definitely not among yourselves.”  The girl smiled at all of them. “You don't have to prove that you're strong. We know that already! Show us that we can trust you and rely on you.” Nikki almost laughed. Trust? She didn't even trust herself, much less anyone here. She could tell from the others’ expressions that they felt the same way. But it was a tournament. A chance to fight for fun, a space where you didn't have to be assessed over and over until you could barely stand, opponents lying bleeding on the ground around you as the darkness begged for more.  Nikki might not care about this team, but she wanted this chance. The lab was behind her now, and it was time to show what she could do.  She was ready.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The tournament was far more stressful than Rui had imagined. She wasn't allowed to stay with Wes, where she could easily tell him if any new Shadow Pokemon showed up. And even if they weren’t separated, what was there to be done about the Shadows? Wes could hardly snag them in front of a gigantic crowd without attracting unwanted attention, and it was already risky enough for him to enter in the first place.“It won't take them long to find me,” he had pointed out. “If we're going after Miror B, Snagem will hear about it. This is the quickest way to get more information about the Shadows, and I can't just sit by while my town gets taken over, either.”Rui didn't really like the plan -- would anyone be so stupid as to give Wes a Shadow Pokemon if he won the tournament? -- but she had to admit that it was the best place to start, albeit a dangerous one.The worst part of all was the feeling of helplessness. She was stuck in the crowd, surrounded by countless blurs of colors and far away from where Wes stood on the battlefield. The extra Shadows were with her, but especially since she didn’t know how to properly battle, they weren't much of a comfort.At least Wes’ battles had been going well so far. This current one was a favorable matchup for Vari and Haru -- a Natu and a Meditite. But Wes was stubbornly refusing to use the Shadows except as a last resort, which meant that the Eeveelutions were getting a little worn out. She knew they wouldn't be able to handle the later rounds without a proper rest, and the Shadows would have to come out sooner or later.Rui hated to admit it, but as much as she wanted to help them all, she was scared. She couldn't read the Shadows, not with their constant auras of swirling darkness. Throwing herself in front of the Misdreavus the other day and smiling was one of the hardest things she had ever done. Rui was no stranger to angry ghosts, but an angry Shadow ghost? Wes had looked at her with amazement for the rest of the day, but she still refused to talk about it.She was just glad that the situation hadn’t escalated. If she’d had to let that ghost into her mind, try to communicate with it, win a battle of wills when she had no formal training with regular ghosts and still found it hard to believe she was even capable of channelling…Well, it hadn’t come to that. Hopefully it never would.It had been a struggle to convince Wes to let a ghost on the team, but Rui had insisted. There was almost no one in Orre willing to train one, so this gave them a huge advantage. She just hoped things wouldn't go wrong -- with her limited experience, the unpredictability of ghosts, and the unpredictability of Shadows, it was a recipe for disaster. But this could also be their greatest advantage, if handled properly.And so the team had been formed -- Haru and Vari, of course, along with Dante the Misdreavus, Aidan the Quilava, Nikki the Flaaffy, and Abby the Quagsire. Rui had been relieved to find that, unlike Aidan, the other Shadows did have names. She had watched in amazement as, one by one, they talked to Haru, and the Espeon painstakingly traced their names out in the sand. It was some small condolence for him to at least have that way of communicating when necessary.Most Pokemon could learn to read and write, of course, but few trainers ever bothered to teach them. Rui supposed that, like many skills, it was drilled into most Eevee at a young age.She saw more of those skills in action now as Haru finally took out the Meditite with a well-timed blast of energy. Not long after, Vari knocked the Natu out of the sky, and the match was over. Rui knew what this meant -- more waiting while the other participants had their turns on the battlefield. She resigned herself to the tedium.And then the hand rested on her shoulder, nearly making her scream.“Don't worry, I'm on your side,” the voice that accompanied the hand whispered. “Duking wants to talk to you. Follow me.”Rui turned around and was faced with a man whose aura glowed with sincerity, as well as a swirling mix of concern and anxiety. Probably not the type who would kidnap her, but at least she had a whole team of Pokemon with her if he tried anything funny.All the more reason to hope he didn't, because she didn't trust this whole team of Pokemon.Relieved, the man led her through the crowd, down some stairs, and into a very small room where a very large man was waiting. He was tall and muscular, and looked equally nervous about this situation.“My name is Duking,” the man said, rather unnecessarily. “I hear you're going after Miror B.”“Well, we're trying, sort of,” Rui admitted. “It's more about rescuing the Shadow Pokemon, but it would be nice if we could bring him down, too. I know you want your town back.”His aura turned pleading. “I do, but there's something I want more than anything else. Miror B is holding my Pokemon hostage, and I'm powerless to get her back.”Rui wondered how powerful Miror B had to be to take a Pokemon from such a strong and influential man. For that matter, someone like Duking must have quite a powerful Pokemon.“Yes, my poor sweet Plusle, Lila,” Duking continued, and Rui nearly fell over in shock. This huge, burly guy’s prized Pokemon was a tiny Plusle?“We'll do our best,” she managed to say. Wes had speculated that they might be able to access Miror B’s hideout from wherever they were giving out tournament prizes. If they made it in there, they might as well try and get Lila out.Duking nodded gravely. “That's all I wanted to talk to you about. Just... bring her home safely, please.” A thick haze of sadness and concern swirled around him, making Rui herself long to go save Lila and curse the fact that she wasn't sure if she could .“We will!” she promised, feeling the empty words echo around the room.

***

Back in the stadium, the battles were becoming more intense as they crept towards the final round. With more and more competitors being eliminated, Rui at least had less time to wait between each of Wes’ matches.His next opponent led with a Ninetales and a Cacturne. Even from up in the stands, Rui could see the resignation in Wes’ aura, the knowledge that it would be smartest to use the type advantages he had access to. As much as he’d rather not have to use the Shadows, it was more important to not wear out his Eeveelutions.And so Aidan appeared on the field, blazing much brighter than the opponent’s Vulpix. Abby followed, looking hesitant, especially with a grass type out there. The Quilava wasted no time -- as soon as the match began, he was already a fiery blur, slamming right into the Cacturne with enough force to knock it out immediately. He turned sharply, shooting a smug glance back at Wes and Abby as if to say what grass type ?Rui sighed. There was no denying that Aidan had power, but he had run out there and attacked without an order from Wes. It technically wasn't against the rules, but it wasn't exactly a promising sign, either. Especially now that he looked poised to attack again, to dash right at the Ninetales without any care that his fire would do nothing.“Surf!” Wes yelled quickly. Aidan instinctively jumped out of the way as Abby summoned a giant wave, washing away the Ninetales with no apparent effort. With the battle over, both Shadow Pokemon were recalled before anything could get out of hand.Rui allowed herself to relax a little as two different trainers took the field. That hadn't been so bad! The Shadows were powerful, and if they could defeat their opponents before losing control, everything should be fine.She was barely paying attention to the other battles, lost in her thoughts. Possibly, she had even managed to fall asleep. A crackling voice jolted her back into alertness as it rang through the stadium, announcing the final round.Wes was there, of course, standing tall and strong, glowing with resolution.And some flickers of tiredness.But Rui trusted him to win. Even though his opponent was wreathed in arrogant confidence, even though Haru and Vari were tired, even though the Shadows were unpredictable... she had yet to see a trainer who looked capable of defeating Wes.The Pokemon were a Seaking and a Magneton. Aidan stared them down, not remotely intimidated by the presence of a water type. This time, he was joined by Nikki. The Flaaffy was possibly even more eager to fight, bouncing on the balls of her feet and crackling with sparks.A shout from the other trainer, and a bolt of lightning arced across the battlefield, summoned by the Magneton. In one swift motion, Nikki slid into the path of the electricity, let it swirl around her, and flung it at the Seaking along with some power of her own. The water-type had been about to attack Aidan, but the force of the electricity left it collapsed on the ground before it could do anything.Aidan, in turn, launched a spectacular burst of flames at the Magneton. It was quick to follow its teammate in hitting the ground. The Shadows were again recalled immediately, and the tournament was over.It was easy -- too easy. Where were the other trainers with Shadow Pokemon? But Rui didn't have time to dwell on it. Wes was already being led out of the arena to get his prize, and she had to hurry up and follow.The guards let her catch up to Wes, their auras flashing with unpleasantness. Every step sent a jolt of unease through her, matching the orange swirls around Wes. They were walking into a trap, and they both knew it.Out the back door, across the bridge, into an old building half-carved into the cliffside. Up to a reception desk, where a woman was waiting with a big smile. “Congratulations!” she chirped, her happy blue words at odds with her dark aura.And then the door slammed shut.Wes didn't hesitate. Nikki and Abby were out in a flash, still relatively fresh after their quick battles. The Flaaffy’s electricity instantly dropped most of the opponents who had been charging around the corridor, while Abby, unscathed by the shockwave, slammed her tail on the ground and knocked the rest off balance.“Quick, while they're distracted,” Wes ordered, taking off down the hall. Rui gave one last longing look at the door before following him. The Shadows were behaving, for now, charging down the corridor without protest.Up the stairs, and into a fresh wave of Pokemon. One of them stood out to her immediately, swirling with darkness. “ The Yanma’s a shadow! ” she yelled as Nikki started crackling with sparks again.“Stop, Nikki!” Wes commanded. The Flaaffy looked at him, eyes narrowed, aura flaring, and did no such thing. He recalled her just in time, her lightning fizzling away into nothing as she vanished. “Take out the rest, Abby.”For a moment, the Quagsire cowered, faced with so many opponents. Then she growled, summoning a huge wave to wash away all of them.Except the Yanma, glowing angrily, speeding right towards her. To Abby's credit, she didn't unleash her terrifying power on it, but merely ducked and let it fly over her head with an angry buzz. Rui’s eyes shifted towards Wes as he struggled with choosing someone who could easily fight a bug-type without hurting it too much.“You have to give him a chance!” she begged as his hand drifted past Dante's Pokeball. “I can talk him down if things get out of hand. You know Haru and Vari shouldn't fight a bug, especially when they're not at full strength, and Aidan would probably just burn it to a crisp.”“This had better not go wrong,” Wes muttered as he tossed the Pokeball. The Misdreavus appeared, wreathed in his own personal combination of shadow and... Shadow.“Incapacitate the Yanma so we can catch it, but don't hurt it!” Rui said quickly. The ghost’s eyes burned into her, but she stared right back to show that she was in control. With a little hiss, he reached out tendrils of dark energy, easily ensnaring the bug. Without hesitation, Wes hit it with a snag ball. Once it had been definitively captured, he recalled both Dante and Abby.“That wasn't so bad, was it?” she demanded.“Let's keep moving,” was his only reply as they headed for the next set of stairs. “Be prepared for anything.”Despite the warning, Rui wasn't expecting to push open the door at the top of the stairs and find herself on the roof of the building. There was no time to admire the view, not when there were two women standing firmly in front of them with belts full of pokeballs.Another door slammed shut behind them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Her cell was dark. Dark and cold, but not damp -- they had certainly seen to that. Rae felt the absence of moisture pressing on her like a weight, her skin cracking and flaking off, her throat stinging as if it was full of thorns every time she took a breath.

She was determined to keep breathing, anyway.

Rae had lost track of how long it had been since she was taken from her home and her clan and her mate. Long enough that she couldn't quite picture his face. Long enough that she wondered if he had given up on her and found another. They had just begun talking of starting a family together, but they hadn't had the opportunity, and now they likely never would. She mourned all the children that would never be.

Rae would

be

, though. No matter what they threw at her. She would continue to be, and be

herself

, no matter what they denied her, no matter how they hurt her. She had seen Pokemon give into the darkness, but she would not. The darkness offered nothing but a different brand of suffering. Let them kill her instead, send her to a darkness of her own choosing. She would live or die as herself.

She was not counting on there being anyone else.

They opened her cell one day, and she braced herself as she turned towards the door, preparing for more of their “persuasive tactics”. She did not brace herself for the appearance of a child, and so she stumbled back with shock.

He

was

a child, small even for a Remoraid, eyes too wide in his face, shaking with fear. She instinctively moved to protect him from whatever horrors they had planned, but the door simply closed, leaving the two of them alone.

“A-are you a Shadow?” he stuttered, cowering away from her.

“No,” she said. “And I won't let them make me one, and I won't let them make you one either.”

Sometimes the promises you break are the ones you most want to keep.

But neither of them knew she would never be able to keep this promise, so he drifted closer, and she wrapped a wing around him until his trembling stopped. And so began her undoing.

They talked. It felt like a gift, after so long alone in the dark, simply to talk again, talk to anyone at all, let alone someone who felt familiar. They had never known each other, but as Johtans, as a Mantine and Remoraid, they felt an instinctive connection -- not that it mattered, really, they would have been grateful for any company at all. This Remoraid was not just anyone, though. He was small and nervous, but brave despite it all, smart and funny once the layers of fear started to peel away, and he felt so much like home.

“I’m Scrap,” he said when she asked his name. “That’s what they always called me.” He almost smiled when he said it, knowing it had been an affectionate nickname once, before he was dragged to this cruel place and it became a taunt. And so Rae says it with affection every time, hoping she can remind him of home, too.

Home for each of them was different; the waters of Johto, but half a region apart. Rae grew up among the roughness of the Whirl Islands, learned to ride the ocean currents without fear while staying clear of the most dangerous ones, and avoiding the depths of the caverns where Lord Lugia dreamed, watching over them all even in restless slumber. Scrap never got to finish his growing up, but he began it among the gentle springs under the protection of the mountains, frolicking in the clear water and watching the trainers pass by.

Above all, though, home was their families, long gone and torn away from them, separated by forces stronger than the tides. They may never find their ways back, but they had each other, now, and though they knew it was too good to be true, they let themselves believe they could have this, because they needed something to believe.

The humans came back after an eternity to take him. She blocked the doorway with her fury, protecting his small smooth body, refusing to let them make it cracked and scarred like hers.

They were not going to make him a Shadow, they said.

They were going to kill him.

Unless she cooperated, of course.

He told her not to, begged and pleaded that she should save herself, and she looked at his small scared brave eyes and knew she would do anything to protect this child who was not hers and yet was.

And so they broke her, and she broke her promise.

It was not a quick process.

When it was all over, and Rae was no longer really Rae but a worthless shadow puppet who  either did what she was told or tried to tear everyone apart (and this was considered a success, this was what they

wanted

), she came back to the cell and found a Scrap who was no longer really Scrap.

They hadn't killed him.

But they hadn't saved him, and

she

hadn't saved him. She could not protect him from the darkness that was in both of them now, and she could not stop them both from being taken and given to a pair of trainers, two new fighting machines.

Oh, but the humans were clever. Make sure the Remoraid and the Mantine stay together. Rely on the traditional connection between their species, as well as her maternal instincts. Make sure the smaller one was protected, and make sure that this affection could be used against her, to keep her in line.

Scrap was the one thing that kept her from fully succumbing to the darkness, and she cursed them all for it.

So many Shadows described their hearts as being closed off, but Rae felt as though hers had been torn open. She had not lost her ability to feel; rather, her emotions had become her undoing. She fought not because they told her to, not because she wanted to, but because she must be a protector. How strange, that there were so many different ways to break a Pokemon.

***

She had to come to welcome the blissfully numb state of being in a Pokeball. It was nothing but a vague emptiness, a more-than-half-asleep stasis where she didn't have to remember anything, didn't have to fight.

And of course, it never lasted.

She was dragged back into the world, bombarded by sunlight, surrounded by air currents. Fighting outside, then. Rae blinked to clear her head, took in the fact that she was fighting on a

rooftop

. That was fine for her, but for others... A quick glance behind her revealed Reath as well as Ferma. Not that she was surprised -- her trainer rarely went anywhere without her partner. And that meant...

He was here, too. Small and fragile, far from your typical Shadow. Reath had been furious to receive him -- she had complained about ending up with such a

useless, pathetic, worthless waste of a Pokemon

, especially after Ferma had been given a Mantine.

Scrap was far away from her, here on this rooftop. Her path to him was blocked by Reath’s Spinarak and Ferma’s Furret, but she smiled over at him in reassurance, and he smiled back, cautiously.

And then, she noticed who they were fighting.

The ones that Reath and Ferma had been ordered to stop. The boy with the terrible machine wrapped around his arm, and the two Eeveelutions that stood in front of him protectively. The girl who could see into your soul, hesitantly commanding two of the boy’s Shadows.

A four-on-four rooftop battle was not the safest thing.

The girl yelled a command, and the ghost went after Spinarak, who cowered in fear before being blasted back with a wave of darkness. Rae nearly cowered herself at the sight of a Flaaffy, but the electric attack sailed harmlessly past her and Scrap.

And suddenly, she was face-to-face with an Espeon.

“I won't hurt you,” he said, standing motionless in front of her. She summoned a wall of water to wash him away, but he put up a shield without so much as blinking, and the wave splashed harmlessly to the ground. “I know you don't really want to fight us,” he continued, unfazed. “We can help you.

Both

of you. Come with us, and you'll be safe.”

Oh, she wanted to believe him. But who wouldn't say such things, to get her guard down? She glanced desperately at Scrap, who seemed to be having a similar one-sided conversation with the Umbreon.

“Come, we'll all talk together,” the psychic type suggested. He led her to the other side of the roof, weaving through the battlefield. The electricity crackled again, this time taking out Ferma’s Yanma while she screamed

do something, you useless Mantine!

The words were just a distant echo to Rae. She couldn't care less about Ferma. Maybe there really was a place for her and Scrap on a different team, a

safer

team.

“Can we leave?” Scrap begged her as soon as she reached him. His small body trembled with hope and fear and desperation. How could she not take him away from all this? “You know Reath never wanted me, but

they

do.” His eyes were shining, a rare moment of light among the darkness.

“Yes,” she whispered, as if saying it louder might stop it from happening. She turned to the Eeveelutions, who were watching hopefully. “And if you ever do anything to hurt him, I will make you regret it for the rest of your short and painful lives.” She let the darkness rise up inside of her, and stared them both down with all the protective fury in her heart.

They just smiled and signaled to their trainer, who readied the snag machine. Rae breathed deeply, trying to disperse the darkness.

Freedom

. Something that had seemed like an impossible dream, just minutes ago.

Another distant echo from Ferma.

You're not taking our Pokemon!

And then her Aipom slammed into Rae, knocking her out of the path of the Pokeball. As she spun through the air, she noted the absence of the other Shadows -- making sure things didn't get out of hand, now that there were less Pokemon who needed to be fought.

The Espeon didn't hesitate. He launched a psychic attack at the Aipom, knocking it out cold with terrifying efficiency. Reath’s Luvdisc was hovering in front of the anxious Scrap, blocking a clean throw from the snag machine. The Umbreon was quick to unleash a pulse of dark energy. It sped towards the Luvdisc, who remained stubbornly in the way.

Until, at the last possible moment, it darted out of reach.

There was nothing anyone else could do. The blast of energy hit Scrap head-on, knocking him backwards off the rooftop with a terrified wail. Rae launched herself after him, the darkness lending her speed, but she knew it was too late.

He was already hopelessly still on the ground, free of darkness, free of life.

The rage crashed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her in grief, sweeping her away into the darkness. She rose back up to the rooftop, slamming into the Luvdisc and sending it flying off the other side, a look of pure surprise on its face. And then she turned to Reath and Ferma.

They had so many frantic echoes to throw at her, things like

how dare you

and

you'll pay for this

and then

don't hurt me

, but she cared not for their little noises. Shadow Pokemon were supposed to be the heartless ones, but she was not the one with so little disregard for an innocent life.

And they were far from innocent, now. Her already damaged heart had been ripped out entirely, and she was through obeying the orders of killers. She would become a killer herself, but wasn't that what they had wanted from her in the first place? She would kill them, and she would kill anyone else who got in her way. The darkness was everywhere now, and she sailed into its embrace, drinking it in in a futile attempt to fill the hole in her chest.

The unfamiliar Pokeball cut a path of blinding light through the darkness as it slammed into her. For once, the numbness was the last thing she wanted. She screamed wordlessly, struggled and raged and fought it with everything she had, but it was not enough.

After all, she no longer had anything. Nothing but darkness, and then even that was taken from her as she was dragged down into an unforgiving sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The water wouldn’t shut up.

Fighting through the twists and turns of Pyrite Cave had been its own form of torture, but just sitting in this wide-open area of Miror B’s lair with pipes gushing all around somehow managed to be worse. The torrent pounded in Vari’s head, a soundtrack to accompany the equally persistent scene his brain wouldn’t stop replaying.

His pulse of energy surges forward. The Luvdisc moves at the last second. The attack strikes the Remoraid instead. The small body tumbles off the roof. The Mantine screams.

Repeat, over and over. No rewind. No undoing what he’d done.

Vari had killed before. Not often, not willingly, but in Orre, sometimes you had to if it meant saving your own life, your partner's, your trainer’s. This time, though, it hadn’t meant that. This time, it was someone he had been trying to

save

, someone who had wanted nothing more than to be saved. Directly killing the Remoraid was about as far from saving him as it got, and it hurt in a way Vari hadn’t anticipated.

His legs hurt, too, from scrambling around the scratchy arena floor and the sharp rocks of the cave.

All

his legs, especially the one that

wasn’t there anymore

. The whole situation almost made him wish he was a Shadow Pokemon himself so he would have an excuse to scream and break something, but no, he had to be a perfect paragon of behaviour so

none

of them would do that. He gritted his teeth.

A particularly loud splash of water made Vari’s hackles rise -- but it was just that Quagsire, paddling around and looking almost happy.

No, not

that Quagsire

. Abby. Her name was Abby. The Shadows had names too, had feelings, even after what had been done to them.

He didn't know the Remoraid's name.

With a supreme effort of will, Vari managed not to yell at Abby. She was at least minding her own business, unlike the cluster of newly acquired Shadows that had been Snagged here in Miror B’s inconvenient, annoying hideout. No, these jerks were over there failing at

team bonding

while Wes and Rui hovered over them like anxious parents. Vari thought this was a pretty bad place for bonding, but it was a good excuse for a break, at least. And Miror B didn’t seem too interested in hunting them down at the moment, which was actually a bit concerning now that he thought about it.

Better to think about it, though. Think about anything else, Vari. Think about what you’d do to the man who was causing so much suffering. Think about the annoyance of the water and your legs and the group of Shadows. Don't think about how the Mantine will never forgive you. Don't think about the Remoraid’s eyes, wide with panic, staring at you as you stood frozen with shock, watching--

No. Think about the Meditite hovering in the center of the Shadows over there. Think about throttling him, specifically. Obnoxious jerk, glowing red, flinging his telepathy into everyone’s brains to show off what a

perfect

psychic he was (Well, everyone’s brain except Vari’s. It didn’t exactly work on him), and looking over smugly at Haru, as if to say

you’re getting replaced, pal.

Next time that look flashed over, Vari couldn’t stop a growl from escaping. Haru, ever patient, gently rested his tail on Vari’s.

“Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

“But he--”

“He’s a

Shadow

, Var. We’re not. We need to stay calm for everyone’s sake.”

Vari

wasn’t

calm. Never had been. And that hadn’t been a big deal back when it was just him and Haru and Wes -- and it had been just the three of them for so long, so long that he could almost forget the life he had had before -- but now there were

so many Pokemon

, and he was expected to be responsible for them. It just went so far beyond anything he’d ever experienced, and… well, he hadn't exactly done a good job with the responsibility so far.

Rather than say all that, he mumbled something like “hrmph”, but Haru seemed to understand anyway, leaning in a little closer in reassurance.

And then the Swablu started shrieking.

“I will

not!

Did you not hear our new trainers? Hear the orders that we are to stay right here? Have you no respect?”

She was countered by the Quilava -- no, Aidan, his name was Aidan -- who laughed. “Don't you know what's been done to you? Trainers can't make you do anything anymore. We’re in charge of ourselves now, and they have to deal with it. Don't blindly follow orders like those two pampered pets over there.”

He punctuated this with a jerk of his head toward the Eeveelutions, who exchanged a glance. Trouble.

The Swablu -- what was her name? Vari couldn't remember, they had caught so many Shadows today -- puffed herself up indignantly from her perch. “You compare me to a

pet

? Do you know who you are speaking to? I am Azure of the Skystrikers, the mightiest Dragon clan in all of Hoenn, and if it pleases me to lend my strength to these humans, then I shall do so!”

This was met with more laughter, and Azure puffed up even more until she looked like a furious cloud.

“Dragon?” snorted Nikki the Flaaffy. “You're nothing more than a cute little songbird with an overinflated ego. If you're a dragon, then I'm Raikou.” She crackled with sparks, smirking.

Aidan said nothing, he was laughing too hard.

“And I suppose this Quilava over here is Entei?” Azure said, voice dripping with sarcastic anger. “How dare you mock me!”

Aidan’s laughter quickly became a snarl, but before he could respond, a softer voice drifted in from the water.

“Can I be Suicune?”

Everyone turned, hostility abandoned in favour of surprise, to where Abby was blinking at them innocently. Vari wasn't sure if she was joking or not, and ultimately settled on “sort of”.
“This isn't a game,” Azure huffed as she shook out her feathers, but her anger seemed to dissipate somewhat. “Once this vile curse is removed from me, I will reach my full potential, and none of you would dare laugh at me then!” 
“And how do you think that's going to happen?” the Misdreavus -- Dante -- asked from where he had been lurking in a corner, his usual smug ghostly smile adorning his face. “You seriously believe there's a way out of this? Don't waste your time trying to get rid of something that makes you stronger.”

Aidan nodded along, his flames flaring.

“The girl has a plan, didn't you hear?” Azure chirped. “I’m certain this will be reversed in no time, and then you will remember how it feels to be free.” She narrowed her eyes at Aidan and Dante. “Are you perhaps afraid of losing this darkness, because it is a crutch for you? Some of us do not need scientific experimentation to be strong fighters.”

Vari winced, expecting that this was where things would finally get out of hand, but Dante just laughed, a wild ghostly cackle that sent shivers up the Umbreon’s spine.

“Oh, I‘ve never needed crutches. You wouldn’t want to meet me in a fight, little bird. I have power beyond anything you could even imagine.” His eyes glowed with an unsettling dark energy, making even Azure shift uneasily.

Aidan ignored this comment altogether, caught up in his own anger at Azure. “Freedom? Seems to me that you’re tainted by your old life. I was

made

to be a Shadow! If you had always been this way, you’d understand.”

“I would rather die than never taste even a moment of freedom,” Azure declared, puffing herself up again. “My time spent in Hoenn, where I will one day return, is what made me who I truly am. This dark power… it is not mine. I do not want it, not at so high a price.” Her eyes clouded for a moment, but she blinked it away. “And I do not need it to beat you.”

Aidan smirked. “You can't beat me even

with

it.”

“We shall see about that!” Azure spread her wings wide in preparation to leap.

“No, we shall not.” Haru said firmly, having decided it was time to step in. “We're in the middle of an enemy base, and we can't waste time and energy having skirmishes with each other.”

“You're not in charge just because you were on the team before us,” Aidan said dismissively as he dropped into a crouch, eyes focused on Azure.

“I assure you, I will waste very little time and energy in defeating him!” With that, Azure leapt up and launched herself at the Quilava.

“STOP!” The shout ran out through the cavern, echoing off the walls. Azure halted in mid-air as abruptly and completely as if she'd run into one of Haru’s invisible barriers, wide-eyed and frozen, looking panicked in a way Vari didn't understand. Aidan kept going, but not expecting his opponent to pause right above his head, his leap left him sailing through empty air. He landed with a growl of frustration and spun around to attack her again, but she was already flapping back towards her perch.

“Break time's over if you can't get along.” Wes stared them all down, frowning. “Save your anger for Miror B. We've stayed in one spot too long, anyway. Time to head out.”

“This isn't over,” Aidan hissed at Azure before he disappeared into his pokeball. She just sniffed contemptuously and turned away before she vanished too.

Once all the Shadows had been recalled, Wes crouched down by the two Eeveelutions. “You ready? We’ll have to be prepared for anything.”

Vari wasn't sure if he felt ready. He was no stranger to dangerous fights, to continuing even when he was ready to fall down from exhaustion, but trying to take down Pyrite’s crime lord went a little beyond that. Still, there was no denying he and Haru were best suited for this, Wes’ most reliable fighters. And he needed something to take his mind off... well, he was trying not to think about it. So he nodded, and Haru did the same. Wes stroked their fur, trying to hide his own trembling hands.

“Into your pokeballs, then,” their trainer said after a moment. “Rest while you can. I'll let the Shadows handle the fights till we get there.”

“See you on the other side,” Haru said softly. Before Vari could respond, the red light wrapped around them both, and the last thing he saw was his own concern mirrored in the Espeon’s eyes.
 
***
 
The water was still there when Vari reappeared, making his head pound instantly. Water to the left, water to the right... and right in front of him, a door. He pricked his ears as he caught a hint of a different sound.

“Is that... music?”

Haru nodded, looking troubled. “Seems like it.”

“Great. The guy we’re here to take down is having an evil dance party. This day can only get better.”

Even Wes and Rui seemed able to hear it, based on the way they were staring at the door.

“Let's get this over with,” Wes muttered. He strode up to the door, looking prepared to kick it down, but it swung open as soon as he got near.

The four of them crept into the room, masked by the sound of disco music, and soon found themselves face to face with… well, this could be none other than Miror B himself. He was dancing wildly, surrounded by four Ludicolo all in perfect synchronization. He wore a sparkly gold suit and a matching pair of glasses, which paled in comparison to his hairdo. Dyed neatly red on one side and white on the other, he appeared to have an enormous, puffy, sideways pokeball growing out of the top of his head.

He did one final twirl and turned to face them, frozen in a dramatic pose. “Stop the music!” he declared.`

The music stopped.

Vari frowned. Was there someone lurking in the shadows?

“You kept me waiting

forever

, darlings,” Miror B pouted. “I was starting to think you'd never show up!”

Wes narrowed his eyes. “You're about to wish we never showed up.”

Miror B cackled. “Such spunk! But you're gonna be the ones who regret it.” He waved a dazzling gold arm towards a blank TV screen behind him, and it flickered to life, displaying Wes’ startled face. “You see that? It's bein’ live streamed all over Pyrite. Time for everyone to find out just what happens to naughty children who cross Miror B!”

Rui didn't waste a moment, throwing herself into the frame. “Don't listen to anything he says! This man is a monster who's stealing your Pokemon -- he even stole the mayor’s Plusle! It's because of him that this town is overrun with Shadow Pokemon. We’re in Pyrite Cave, so come help us take him down!”

He just laughed again. “It’s sad, the lies people can tell. Do you see any stolen Pokemon here? Any Shadows? You have any evidence to back up these claims?”

“I'm sure a good search of this place would reveal a lot.” Rui glowered. “If you've got nothing to hide, why not let us look around?”

“Now, now.” Miror B shook his head. “You barge into my home with a snag machine, break up my dance party, start throwin’ accusations around, and you still think

I'm

the bad guy? Chill out for a minute. I'm willing to play nice. Here's my terms -- you beat me fair and square in a battle, and I'll let you search the place. Heck, I’ll even up and leave Pyrite if you win. Can't hardly go back on my word with everyone watching, can I?”

Vari frowned. Why would Miror B propose that if he wasn't completely confident there was no way he could lose? Judging by Wes’ scowl, he wasn’t any less suspicious.

“And if you win?” Rui demanded, staring Miror B down.

His smile turned predatory. “If I win,

you

leave Pyrite and never return. You'll also give me the snag machine. Gotta keep it out of the wrong hands, you dig?”

Vari growled. There was no way Wes would --

“I accept,” Wes said quietly.

Miror B snapped his fingers. “Groovy. Now, the rules…”

Vari felt his heart sink in unison with the others.

“No Shadows,” Miror B smirked. “After all, I ain’t got any, so it'd hardly be fair. Two Pokemon each at a time. Whoever's out of eligible Pokemon first loses.”

Vari closed his eyes. He had known this was going to be hard, but just him and Haru, already tired, against at least four Ludicolo? Could it be done?

He looked at Haru, already knowing what the answer would be.

It had to. It had to be done.

Would Vari die for a chance to save all the shadows in the world, if it came to that? He looked at Haru’s determined eyes, at Wes’ anguished ones.

Vari knew who he’d die for.

He and Haru nodded at the same time.

“Let's do this,” Wes said, heading to the battlefield.

Miror B threw his arms wide. “Time for the grand finale!”  He danced his way to the battlefield to a tune only he could hear.

“Let the music play!”

And so it began.

It was all surreal, more of a fever dream than a battle. Music blared from speakers around the room as Miror B and two Ludicolo danced in perfect unison. Rainclouds gathered by the ceiling, dropping a heavy gray curtain on the dance floor.

Godsdammned water again. Vari’s paws slid on the slick floor with every step. No wonder there was so much water in this stupid cave; Miror B’s deranged dancing squad probably flooded the whole area.

Well, Vari didn’t need to be graceful; he’d never been about that anyway. Forceful, and tough. Those he could manage. Take some hits and draw the attention away from Haru, who could do the real damage.

The Espeon was faring a bit better on the terrain, used to hanging back and depending on ranged attacks. He kept his head held high even in the torrential rain, barely betraying a hint of tiredness as he blasted the Ludicolo over and over with psychic energy. Vari tried to slide in every time they were momentarily dazed, snapping at them with his teeth, leaving bright streaks of red against their green and throwing off their rhythm.

It never lasted long. These things were unbelievably persistent, always springing back into their endless dance, shooting off torrents of water and razor-sharp leaves that he couldn’t always dodge. One of them got Vari with a leech seed, and he tried to tear the barbs out with frantic teeth, yelled for Haru to telekinetically pull out as many as he could. They couldn’t afford something like this, they had to go as long as possible, had to be able to endure anything thrown their way, because they were

not

dying in this cave if Vari could help it.

Every time they finally wore down a Ludicolo, it was replaced with another one, a fresh face to smirk at them. Miror B kept making his silly little exclamations on the sidelines, grinning and dancing and just seeming generally unconcerned. On the other side, Wes’ hands were clenched tightly into fists as he called out orders, and Rui was pacing and muttering to herself. Vari tried to stop looking at them. It only made things harder.

He reminded himself they didn’t have to

win

, exactly, just hold out long enough for help to arrive. Rui had told everyone their location;

someone

had to show up. Duking, maybe, or the police, not that Vari trusted them, but this was not a situation where they could afford to be picky. Miror B probably wouldn’t kill them on a live broadcast, but there was nothing to stop him from cutting the feed first and claiming technical difficulties.

Or maybe it was all a lie, and there was no broadcast. Nobody to enforce the rules. Nobody to see their call for help. Nobody to save them, if they couldn’t save themselves.

And Vari’s track record for saving Pokemon wasn’t exactly the best today.

Maybe they would die in this cave after all. It was lucky they’d even lived this long, really. They’d have died without Wes, one way or another. This way they'd at least made a difference, hadn't they? Done some damage to Snagem? Put up a good fight?

Well, at least he and Haru would go together. They met each other’s eyes across the battlefield, breathing hard. A gash sliced across Haru’s forehead, blood combining with the endless rain to flood his eyes. Vari’s back leg throbbed from a few leech seeds they hadn’t been able to get out, threatening to buckle under him. Neither of them could go much longer, and still, the Ludicolo danced.

Vari and Haru nodded at each other, and gathered what little energy they could for another attack. Vari lunged forward, teeth bared, but his leg gave way upon landing, his face scraping the concrete, the --

The door burst open, and help arrived.

It was a blur of humans, pokemon, shouting, running feet. Above the chaos, Vari heard Miror B declare “That’s our cue, darlings!” as he recalled the Ludicolo and made a dash for it. Guy could move surprisingly fast in heels.

Vari growled. They probably wouldn’t catch him, but if he at least stopped wreaking havoc in Pyrite… well, it was a start. They'd worry about the rest later, because they were going to have a later after all, at least for a little while longer.

Rest. They

could

rest now, couldn't they? The loudness of the world had dimmed. No more music, no more rain. Vari limped over towards Haru, and the Espeon met him halfway, not looking too steady on his feet either. They leaned against each other and just breathed for a moment, until Haru had to shake his head to prevent the gash from oozing even more blood into his eyes.

Vari leaned over to lick the wound, the best first aid he could manage. "We'd better get that looked at as soon as we can," he mumbled through a mouthful of blood. "You might need stitches."

"It’s not as bad as it looks, honestly. Just a little cut." Haru nuzzled the Umbreon with the least bloody part of his face. "Don't fret, moonbeam. I'm all right. This could have gone a lot worse."

Vari had a horrible feeling that next time, it just might. This likely wasn't the last they would see of Miror B, and there had to be plenty of more dangerous, less wacky people involved in this Shadow scheme. Not for the first time, he wondered just exactly what they'd gotten themselves into.

But then Wes was there to fuss over them in relief and tell them they were the best most badass Eeveelutions in the whole world, and Rui was talking to Duking, telling him his Plusle had to be around here safe somewhere, and Vari decided to stop worrying about the future for a moment and just be glad that they still

had

a future, even if it was probably going to be a pain in the ass sort of future. What else was new, really?

With most of the noise gone, Haru’s ears pricked up. "Do you hear that?"

Vari shook some water out of his own ears and strained to listen. He

did

hear something. Distant shouting? Yes, shouting, accompanied by the faint crackling of sparks. He nodded. "Think we found her."

They alerted the humans to where the voice was coming from, down a hall to the right. Duking took off faster than the Eeveelutions could keep up with under the circumstances, so they trailed behind Wes and Rui, who trailed behind the mayor.

"Lila must be so worried," Duking was saying, wringing his hands. "She's so little, never been in a real fight… I just hope they didn't hurt her."

The Plusle's voice became clearer as they approached a heavy door at the end of the hall.

"Bastards! You can't keep me in here forever! Let me out so I can fight you, cowards! I'll rip your-"

Haru and Vari exchanged an amused glance. She seemed to be doing just fine for herself.

Duking, of course, didn't know this, and ripped the door off its hinges before he could be warned that he might end up on the receiving end of a Thunderbolt. Only his cry of "Lila!" stopped her in her tracks, the electricity slowly fading from her cheeks.

"I was gonna get out myself," she protested. "You didn't have to come all the way here for me."

But she certainly didn't protest when Duking scooped her into his arms; instead, she snuggled right in and murmured "Thank you for doing it, though."

Rui breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, we got what we came here for, at least. Everything but Miror B behind bars."

Wes shrugged. "I'll take it."

Lila's head popped up. "Wait, who the hell are you?"

"Friends," Haru said, at the same time that Vari said "Very tired and beyond ready to get out of here."

"You fought Miror B? And won?"

Vari nodded.

Lila's eyes shone. "

Cool

."

"We'll have to search the rest of the hideout, of course," Duking was saying to Wes and Rui, oblivious to what the Pokemon were talking about. "You can leave that to us. You two have done more than enough here already."

"Not gonna argue with you there," Wes said. "We've got a lot of Shadows to figure out a cure for. I know Rui has a plan, so we'll get on that as soon as possible. If you find any more Shadows here, you can send them over." He looked over at Rui. "What

is

the plan?"

"Sleep," she said immediately. "That's the most important part right now. I'll tell you everything else tomorrow."

Vari yawned so hard he nearly fell over. "I like this plan. The first part of it, at least."

"Agreed," Haru said, somehow managing to yawn even harder.

Wes frowned, pulling out their Pokeballs. "You two are beyond overdue for a good healing, let alone sleep. You've more than earned it."

Haru rubbed against his trainer’s legs in thanks, and Vari just nodded, not feeling up to anything more. He was almost asleep already when the red light of the Pokeball overtook him again, bringing complete blissful quiet at last.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Geographically, Agate Village really wasn’t all that far from Pyrite Town, but as far as Wes was concerned it might as well be on the other side of the world in an alternate dimension. They’d been there for three days now and he still hadn’t stopped feeling as if he was living in a mirage and the whole place would disappear if he so much as blinked.

It was proving to be stubbornly real, though. Real water, real grass, real trees, real people living their real lives in peace. The hidden jewel of Orre, more beautiful than anything even Phenac had to offer, shining in rich deep greens and soft blues.

They’d have been there sooner; Wes had wanted to get out of Pyrite about as fast as Miror B did, but he’d ultimately caved to the practical offer of staying overnight at Duking’s to rest and regroup. Wes couldn’t deny that Haru and Vari had been in need of healing, and, okay, maybe he hadn’t particularly felt up to crossing the desert yet either.

It had been an odd scene, Wes and Rui eating breakfast at the mayor’s kitchen table while his very excitable Plusle chattered away in the corner to the eeveelutions. Lila seemed no worse for her ordeal, at least, and Haru and Vari had healed up faster than Wes had expected after the fight.

Duking had sent them on their way with some supplies, profound thanks, and a promise to make sure Miror B’s minions were well and truly out of Pyrite. Wes didn’t doubt his sincerity, but he did doubt it would be an easy job to pull off. It was something better suited to Wes himself, if only he didn’t have a bigger task to tackle.

Curing the Shadows.

When they’d arrived in Agate, Wes had started to wonder whether Rui even had a plan at all. Maybe this was just about her getting to go home to her grandparents, and, really, he couldn’t blame her after all she’d been through. Eagun and Beluh had been overjoyed to see their granddaughter, welcoming her back with open arms. They’d been a little less enthused about Wes, which, fair, but Rui made it very clear that he’d saved her from her kidnappers and they’d better be nice to him.

Wes never thought he could be intimidated by two people so stooped and wizened with age, but Rui’s grandparents had a towering presence to them despite their stature, and wise eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul. He’d asked Rui privately if they could see auras like her, and she’d laughed and said no, they were just Like That.

He understood their need to be protective of their home and their family, of course. Hell, Wes felt the same way about

Pyrite

, and Agate was far more worth protecting. Even if Rui’s plan didn’t work, this place already seemed to be having an effect on the Shadows. They still had to be carefully supervised, of course, but most of them had settled right into such a big open space where they could run around without being bothered by anyone (except sometimes each other; there had been a fair few fights already that had needed breaking up). There were trees for the flyers to perch in, hills for the terrestrial ones to run up and down, and endless running streams for the water-types who’d always been deprived of hydration in the desert.

The Mantine had submerged herself in the water at the nearest opportunity and refused to come out. It was doing wonders for her worn-down body, but her mind wouldn’t heal so easily. They hadn’t managed to get the full story out of her, she wouldn’t speak to anyone, but it was clear that the Remoraid’s death had affected her deeply, and whether that wound would ever heal remained to be seen.

Vari could sometimes be found hovering awkwardly on the shore, waiting for an opportunity to say something, anything, as if an apology would help, as if he could have done anything to prevent the death. It wasn’t his fault the Remoraid’s trainer had cared so little for her own Pokemon. Wes sat by the water’s edge in solidarity and stroked his Umbreon’s ears, because it was more productive than screaming and punching a tree (which he hadn’t done at any point since getting here, of course. Definitely not). Orre being overrun with asshole trainers was a worse epidemic than the Shadows, and one that seemed even more impossible to fix.

Wes knew he wasn’t the best trainer in the world, but godsdammit, he

tried

, and the fact that Haru and Vari stuck around had to at least mean something. The Shadows didn’t exactly have the same choice, though, and just because he’d Snagged these lost and angry Pokemon away from their former trainers didn’t mean he was the ideal replacement.

It was Haru who worked the hardest to help the newcomers all settle in, anyway, always there with his kind smiles and firm psychic nudges to stop fights from getting out of hand. Wes kept suggesting the Espeon step back and relax more, but extreme selflessness was one of the many things that had been drilled into him from birth, and wouldn’t be so easily unlearned. Eevee breeders who did shit like that were their own sort of hopeless epidemic. Maybe Haru could learn just a little wildness from the Shadows in exchange for all he was teaching them, but Wes wasn’t counting on it.

For all the Shadows loved to run wild in Agate, none of them would ever set foot in the heart of the forest, and on the fourth day, Rui finally revealed why.

“I've talked about it with my grandpa,” Rui called over her shoulder, pushing some branches aside as she led Wes down a time-worn path. “He says if anything might help them, it would be this. And he says I can show you, because you seem like ‘a relatively well-adjusted young man'”

Wes raised his eyebrows. “High praise.”

Rui stopped right before the trees thinned out, biting her lip. “Just… don't get your hopes up too much, okay? We can't expect the gods to solve all our problems.”

Gods? Next to him, Haru and Vari exchanged a glance before they all stepped forward.

“Welcome to Relic Forest,” Rui said softly.

With no trees here to break its fall, sunlight tumbled vigorously down into the clearing, spilling over the stone that towered up from the forest floor. The relic somehow gave off the feeling of being both impossibly old and full of fresh vibrant energy, and Wes felt a shiver run up his spine despite the warm sunlight. Yes, this could only be the work of gods.

Rui walked around the stone with careful steps, keeping a respectful distance. “This place is sacred to Celebi, guardian of the forest. As the Elder of Agate, my grandfather is responsible for keeping this place safe, and that responsibility falls on me, too. You see why I couldn’t just blurt out everything in the middle of Pyrite? The fewer people who know about this, the better.”

“So… you think Celebi will help the Shadows?” Wes eyed the relic with suspicion. He had the feeling that if Celebi didn’t want him here, he’d know it, but he still felt unsettled.

“It’s the best option I can think of. The best option my grandpa can think of, too, and he knows what he’s talking about.”

“Do any of us really know what we’re talking about when it comes to Shadows?”

Rui sighed. “Guess not. But hey, maybe we can fix that! The Relic is supposed to have the power to purify and heal, which is exactly what they need.”

“They won’t even go near it, though,” Wes pointed out. “What are we going to do, try and drag them here? That’ll go well.”

“I think that’s all the more reason why it can help them! Whatever shadowy thing has burrowed its way inside them knows it can’t survive this place, and it’s making them stay away. But you’re right, we can’t just drag them here. We’ll give them time, wear down their defenses a bit. Some of them are already starting to warm up to us.”

Wes looked at Haru and Vari, who were both keeping a wary distance from the stone. Clearly they didn’t want to get too close to this thing either. Then again, neither did Wes. It was probably less a “heart full of darkness” thing and more a “prefers to remain unsmited by the gods” kind of thing, but considering it was the three of them, who knew?

“So that’s it, then? We just wait until they’re ready to embrace the light, or whatever?”

Rui stared him down. “Do you have a better idea?”

“...No,” he admitted. “Relics or not, we could use the time here to train, especially with so many Pokemon. They won’t all be part of my active team, but we still need to help every one of them in whatever way we can.”

“I hope some of them will stay here once they’re better, if they don’t have a home to go back to,” Rui said. “I know not all of them are fighters by nature, and a lot of people here would be happy to have a companion Pokemon. We just have to deal with the whole murderous rage thing first.”

“Easier said than done.”

“But we’re still going to do it.”

He sighed. “Guess we are.”

She nudged him. “Hey, lighten up! Don’t you go getting all dark and gloomy like the Pokemon! You’ve got me to help, remember?”

Wes looked at her, so vibrant in the sunlight, everything about her as bright and alive as Agate itself. There was no doubt that she belonged here as much as he didn’t, and not for the first time, he wondered how he got himself into this mess.

And, not for the first time, he thought she might just help get them all out of it.

“Yeah.” He cracked a smile. “I do.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

This water didn't feel like home. Home was saltier, rougher, wild waves and whirlpools. Home had toughened her up, but not in the ways she'd needed. Now, she floated in the gentle embrace of Agate's waters, her body recovering bit by bit, and felt… what? Nothing? Wrong? Shattered? She didn't even know. It was all a swirl of darkness, her own personal whirlpool among the still waters. The deeper she sank into it, the less she had to think.She heard them whispering from the shoreline, sometimes. Promises of healing. Empty promises. Some wounds went too deep.At least they left her alone. She wasn't part of their team, not really. She had no fight left in her. She could swim home, maybe, but they'd trapped her with a Pokeball, and even if they released her, the darkness would still cling with its stubborn tendrils.Even if they cured it, she would not return home the same Mantine she was when she left. Her mate probably thought her dead. He'd probably moved on, started his own family, and how could she blame him for it? Better to imagine him happy than to imagine him waiting forever for someone who could never return.She did not allow herself to imagine Scrap's family, forever waiting.She did not allow herself to imagine Scrap, at all.She did not allow herself anything but darkness, and so Rae closed her eyes and let herself drift, with the waves and to sleep.Aidan would burn this whole place down if he could.…Well, of course he could. He was more than powerful enough to do it. They just kept stopping him before he could show the true extent of what his flames could do, interrupting him by shoving him back in the Pokeball or frantically tackling him or just giving him a nice long lecture about why this place was an important habitat to many species and needed to be protected. What a waste of energy. They all had to learn that in this world, there would be nobody to protect you but yourself, and if you weren't strong enough, you died. That was one of the first things he'd been taught.He had been raised on tile floors and desert sands, not this itchy grass and treacherous water -- not that he was afraid of the water, of course, but it was infuriatingly unconducive to flame. Not to mention that the annoying little Quagsire kept splashing around in there when she was supposed to be training. He couldn't understand why someone like her got picked for the active team; sure, she showed moments of strength, but she was practically a baby, and certainly not a warrior.Nikki, though? Nikki, he respected. The Flaaffy was fast and strong and could actually give him something resembling a challenge in a fight. She was one of the only ones who would fight with him outside of Wes' training sessions. The ghost was strong, but he liked to go off and do his own weird ghosty things. The Espeon kept saying there was more to life than fighting and getting stronger, probably to excuse why he was so pathetic. The Umbreon would probably fight anyone if it weren't for him being too wrapped around his mate and his trainer to ever act for himself.And the Swablu, well, Aidan would have torn the infuriating thing to pieces by now if she wasn't so literally high and mighty up there where he couldn't reach. She'd stare snootily down at him from the sky, or from her perch in a tree, and he'd snarl and spit flames at her until someone showed up to give him another lecture about fire hazards, to which he liked to point out that there was water EVERYWHERE and if they didn't want fire they shouldn't have brought him here.They all kept talking about cures, as if he was diseased and weak instead of a perfect fighting specimen. They couldn't possibly take the darkness from him; he had been born with it, had never known life without it. They might as well take his flames, his eyes, his heart. If they thought they could change him in any way, they were going to end up both sorely disappointed and severely singed.He was perfect. He had always been perfect, and no flammable old forest god would ever dare tell him otherwise.After so long in the desert, Haru hadn't expected Agate to feel almost… familiar. His memories of Kanto as a region tended to be eclipsed by his memories of that room full of cages, and the lectures on how to be a perfect Eevee. But they had trained in the yard sometimes, a world painted in similar blues and greens to this place, where he could sit and soak up the sun in between fights, an Espeon at heart even then.It had all vanished in an instant when he'd been snatched away, dragged far from everything he'd ever known and sold to the highest bidder in this strange new region. It only confirmed what he'd always been told: everyone wanted an Eevee. Rare, cute, powerful, versatile… some trainers would do anything to get their hands on one, so you had to make sure you were worth it.Listen to your trainer. Obey your trainer. Always be on your best behaviour. You want to do your species proud, don't you? Fight as hard as you can, and look good while you're doing it. Be ready to master any new technique. After all, you're lucky! There are so many things you can become! Just don't get attached to the idea of any particular form, because you don't get to decide. Of course you don't. That's up to your trainer. You belong to them. Trust that they know what's best for you. And if they choose not to give you a stone evolution, you have the opportunity to show them how much you love them!Love, as it turned out, did not always go two ways.Perhaps that was how the darkness got in, Haru thought as he watched a couple of the Shadows skirmish with each other. They had all deserved trainers who loved them, and instead they got cold-hearted so-called scientists experimenting on them before shipping them off to trainers who only wanted weapons, not proper Pokemon. How could you love something when you only saw it as a tool?And how long would it take for love to heal Pokemon who had been treated that way?Whatever power the relic held, Haru was under no illusion that healing would be as simple as flipping a switch, goodbye darkness, everything is fine now! Even without unnatural auras in play, love and trust took time. Time they probably didn't have, with Snagem and Cipher still out there and now well aware of what they were doing. Agate couldn't be their safe haven forever.For now. That would have to do. Haru had noticed a change in many of the Shadows, at least, the darkness starting to dissipate a little. Abby was doing particularly well; the little Quagsire, like Rui, was too good to be caught up in all this, and was thriving in Agate.Some of the Shadows had no interest in battling and just wanted out. Ty the Makuhita was longing to return to his construction job, and Noodle the Furret had been talking about settling down in Agate as a companion Pokemon. It was different for everyone, Haru supposed. There were paths beyond fighting for a trainer; he just couldn't imagine ever walking those paths himself.Some things couldn't be unlearned. Haru just hoped the darkness wasn't one of them.The darkness was the second-best thing to ever happen to Dante.Second, of course, only to achieving this new form. Oh, they thought they'd gotten rid of him, but he'd always been fiercely stubborn, enough for his soul to cling to life in this spectral body, far better than his original shape. And then he'd been chosen. Chosen to be made even stronger. Now, wherever he went, humans and Pokemon alike trembled before him, as well they should.This new girl-human liked to pretend she wasn't afraid of him at all, but he thrived on fear now; he couldn't be fooled. She was less afraid than the boy-human, yes, but she was inexperienced and doubtful, no match for any ghost.It was laughable that they sought to remove this gift. He was strong now, truly powerful, and while he cared not for these humans, he was here to fight, and so he fought for them when they had need of it. Why would they throw that away? Not that he needed the darkness, of course, but he was even better with it. He'd become more of the Pokemon he'd always wanted to be.Strong. Powerful. Anyone who ever dared look down on him again would swiftly pay the price.Most of these Pokemon didn't dare. That was fine with him; better they left him alone. Better they fear him. He didn't want to hear their chatter about how they could be healed. Didn't they know they'd been healed already, been given the gift of true power? Well, if they wanted to throw it all away, that was their loss.The Quilava was perhaps the only one who understood, but he was also young and foolish, far too hotheaded for his own good. Besides, neither of them were here to make friends; they certainly weren't going to sit around gossiping about the other Pokemon, or whatever it was that friends did. They were simply allies, perhaps the truest allies here. The only two who embraced the darkness rather than trying to chase it away.Dante remembered the light. He remembered it from his first life, his alive-but-not-in-a-way-that-mattered life; remembered how the very thing that gave him life couldn't save him. And he remembered after everything went dark, when the other light appeared, the one that he knew meant the end, and he struggled and fought and clawed his way away from it with new shadowy appendages until he emerged back in the world as something new.He'd been saved by the darkness, and he was never, ever going to let it go.The itch was only getting worse. Nikki set off a shower of sparks in annoyance, and it barely helped. Godsdamned scientists had made her evolve when she didn't want to, while seemingly making it impossible for her to evolve again whether she wanted to or not. And now she did want to, desperately, because at this point she didn't care what she looked like or how strong she was, not as much as she cared about getting rid of this fucking itch.Yeah, turns out there were downsides to making a pokemon into a perfect killing machine. Namely that you make them so locked into what they are, they can't even evolve. Nikki would bet that they were still trying to iron out that particular kink, and she didn't want to think about how many Pokemon were suffering for it.She didn't want to think about anything, really. She mostly just wanted to hit stuff over and over because it distracted from the itch, at least briefly. She'd even taken to sleeping in her Pokeball, something she'd never preferred to do, because it at least let her get some proper rest.This couldn't be normal, right? Some Pokemon were able to evolve but chose not to, and there was no way they would do that if it constantly felt like their own skin was trying to strangle them. Nikki had tried asking the other Pokemon, but most of them just said they'd never delayed their evolution and so they wouldn't know. She'd asked the old man's old Pikachu, who had said it was different for stone evolution and he'd never felt compelled to evolve.She had even asked the Eeveelutions, figuring their whole multiple-options thing might be relevant, but Vari had looked about ready to bite her face off just for bringing up the subject, and Haru had just mumbled something about how, well, it was complicated, and sometimes you evolve when you actually shouldn't, and then he'd trailed off sadly and Nikki decided to get out of there before Vari actually did bite her face off.Then she'd asked Aidan how he could possibly have been born a Shadow when Shadows can't evolve and he would have had to start as a Cyndaquil, to which he rolled his eyes and said "you wouldn't understand" before spitting a fireball at her and starting a huge sparring match that, okay, maaayyyybe took out a couple of trees before Abby could put out the fire and Haru could give them the usual lecture about Not Causing Deforestation And Blah Blah Blah.Aidan was more fun than he had any right to be, really. She wouldn't dare call him fun to his face, but he was a good battle partner, the one who always got the most into it and made her forget, even briefly, about the itch. Stupid itch, making her want to fight all the time and then daring to get itchier because more fighting meant getting stronger, but she couldn't get stronger here in Stupid Shadow Limbo. It was a vicious cycle."You have to know something," she insisted, cancelling out another fireball in midair with a precision lightning strike instead of letting it sail over her shoulder and set another tree on fire. (See? She was making an effort to not destroy this whole community. Stop nagging, weirdo Espeon.)"I know a lot of things," Aidan said smugly, so of course she had to tackle him and pin him down to wipe that smug smirk off his face.She gave him a little jolt of static. "About how you evolved.""It's… not… instant." He fought through the paralysis. "Takes… time."(Yeak, okay, maybe don't paralyze the guy you're interrogating, Nikki. Not the best move.)"I know that," she growled, letting up on the electricity but not the pressure. "But you always say 'born a Shadow'...""Born to be a Shadow, then." He snapped his teeth at her, and she shocked him again, unable to help herself. "Trained… from birth… evolved early… before the process was complete…"Nikki sagged a little. So that was all. No useful answers. No advancements in Shadow Pokemon being able to evolve. Aidan took advantage of her reaction to flip her over and pin her down, and she crackled with furious sparks again. Godsdammit, she should know better than to let her guard down even in a friendly sparring match.Well, semi-friendly, at least. Or not actively a fight to the death, most accurately. Aidan didn't do "friendly." Well aware of this fact, the Eeveelutions were coming over, looking pretty tired of this. Which, fair."I think you two have perhaps had enough sparring for today," Haru said in a tone of voice that clearly conveyed if you two damage anything else we might actually get kicked out of here and you'll never get this Shadow problem dealt with."If that's what you want to call it," Vari added, looking pointedly at the position Nikki and Aidan were in.Nikki snorted. "It's not like that."Aidan tilted his head. "Like what?"Yeah, that's exactly why it wasn't like that. She took advantage of the Quilava's genuine confusion to fling him off. The problem with being raised to be a Shadow from birth is that it left no opportunity to learn that there were other things to enjoy in life besides fighting. Other itches to scratch. She felt the evolution-itch return, prickling under her skin again, and sighed.Maybe Aidan would never be ready to face the relic, but Nikki couldn't wait.They let Abby go wherever she wanted, almost. Because when they looked at her they saw past the Shadow to a Pokemon who was young, and sweet, and desperate for time in the water. They didn't see a monster. Not like she did, sometimes, when she looked at her reflection. Often enough that she'd stopped looking.The darkness liked to take over when she was angry and make her do things. Things she didn't want to do, except she did want to do them, in the moment. Maybe they were things she really did want to do, deep down. Maybe that's why they had chosen her. Not because she was the biggest and strongest of her siblings, but because they had seen the monster lurking in her, and they knew they could bring it out.But when she was in the water, she felt more like herself. Like Abby. Like someone who just wanted to swim and play instead of hurt somebody. And the more time she spent in the water, the less likely she was to hurt somebody.The Mantine spent all her time in the water. Abby had been told not to bother her, because she was grieving. And so she didn't. Because that was what a monster would do, right? Abby didn't want to hurt the Mantine more than she'd already been hurt. But sometimes she watched that solitary figure, floating alone, eyes closed, as if blocking out the light might block out all the suffering. Abby didn't think it was working. She wanted to go over, talk to her, do anything that might help, but she hadn't been built for helping, only hurting.So she did what these new humans asked her, when she could. She went to the training sessions, obeyed all their commands. Well, obeyed most of their commands. When she was in control. She tried. And they saw that she was trying, and so they let her roam the waters of Agate. Let her go anywhere, almost. Anywhere but near the Mantine.And anywhere but home.Maybe it was better she was here. Her family was safer without her. She didn't want to hurt them, didn't want to see the joy on their faces at her return turn to fear. Every time she thought about it, it made her want to hurt someone, so she tried not to think about it.Agate was nice. Really, it was. Beautiful, even. She loved it. Her family would love it, too -- no, come on, don't think about them, Abby, you just went over this, what's wrong with you?And that was the problem: She didn't know what was wrong with her. Nobody really did. Not even the people who'd made her this way. Apparently the rock in the forest was going to cure her, but what if it couldn't? How did you cure a monster?She growled a little in frustration, the sound muffled by the water, a few bubbles leaking towards the surface. She'd have to go up there herself soon; though she could hold her breath a good long while, she couldn't actually breathe underwater, unlike the Mantine. Apparently they could make Pokemon into monsters, but they couldn't give them gills. Quagsire were better suited to swampy areas than to large bodies of water, and Agate was far too clean to have much going on in terms of mud. Instead there was greenery even underneath the water, verdant seaweed sprouting from soft sand. It wasn't unpleasant, just… different.And tasty. Abby had developed a habit of nibbling away at the seaweed; it was pleasantly salty, and a good distraction. Monsters didn't eat seaweed, right? It was such a nonviolent thing to do. Maybe if she did it long enough, she'd go back to normal. More normal than she used to be, even. Normal, with no monster lurking underneath at all. And if she was normal, she could go home.…Nope, she still wasn't supposed to think about home. She growled again and struck out for the surface, but was sharply yanked back. While her thoughts had been tangling, so too had the seaweed, wrapping around her and leaving her caught like a fish in a net, or a Shadow in a snag ball. It was just a plant, and she was -- she was -- well, stronger than a plant, she should be able to get out without even getting angry, but the more she fought, the more tangled she became. Abby lashed out with all her rage, and yet it held firm. She was beyond anger and into panic now, slapping her tail against the sand. They'd taught her so many ways to kill, but never how to escape from a plant, of all things.Maybe it's for the best, she thought as the last of the air left her lungs. Now I can't hurt anyone anymore. Abby closed her eyes. Now I can…She felt a different tug, stronger, sharper, and suddenly she was being pushed towards the surface, free of the snare. She opened her eyes and lungs to the air and found herself floating on the back of the wide-eyed Mantine."Not again," the Mantine was muttering frantically. "Never again. I won't let you die."Abby coughed and sputtered and managed to get out a "thank you, I'm not dead.""Good," the Mantine whispered, depositing Abby carefully on the shore. "Good." She looked like she wanted to bolt back into the water, but stayed, sizing Abby up and shaking her head. "You're so young. I'm sorry they did this to you."Abby didn't know what to say to that to make things better. She just kind of nodded. She'd been told to leave the Mantine alone, should she just… leave? But it wasn't Abby who'd initiated this."And you're fighting as part of the team, aren't you?" The Mantine said that as if it was a bad thing.Abby shrugged. "I… I'm good at fighting. I want to help.""Help," the Mantine echoed, her eyes clouding over. "What help is there for us now?""I… I don't know, ma'am," Abby admitted. "But I want to try and find it.""Ma'am?" Was that the hint of a smile on her face, the clouds receding? "That's so formal. Just call me Rae.""Rae," Abby repeated. "That's a nice name. I"m Abby." She hesitated, unsure if it was the right thing to ask about, but it slipped out anyway. "And what was his name?"Ar first, Rae seemed to shrink back into herself, lost in the darkness, but then Abby heard her whisper."Scrap. His name was Scrap."Azure of the Skystrikers, the mightiest dragon clan in all of Hoenn, surveyed the village from her perch atop the highest tree. It was important to get away from the chaos sometimes, away from these uncouth Pokemon who didn't know their places. Up here, she was untouchable. Up here, she was…Well. Not free. Not yet. That was the problem, wasn't it?She huffed, fluffing up her feathers. No matter. Soon enough, she would be free of this curse. Removing the darkness would remove all of her problems, and then she could go home. No fear, no repercussions, only freedom. And in the meantime, she would be the perfect Shadow, serving her trainers any way they needed her. This was not giving in; it was lying in wait. It was the only way out. And she would get out; she swore it upon the scales of Great Rayquaza. She would see her home again.Beneath her, the branches rustled wildly, her tree the only one shaking amidst a sea of calmness."I know you're there," Azure said, adopting a suitably bored, unconcerned tone. The ghost materialized in front of her, leering in a way that seemed to strike terror into the hearts of those who were unaccustomed to such things. "You are not nearly as scary as you think. To be clear, you are not even the slightest bit scary at all."He swirled around her, seeming equally unfazed. "And you are not fooling anyone. You think yourself scary, do you? The terror of the skies? A proper dragon? No one could fall for such a front. You're nothing but a silly little songbird, all fluff and no substance.""Come a little closer and see just how fluffy I am." She clicked her beak sharply.The ghost vanished from sight again, though his words continued to surround her. "Fighting with your teammates, unprompted? No, you wouldn't. You're the perfect obedient Shadow, aren't you? You do whatever you're told. Exactly what they wanted from this experiment, wouldn't you think? Not like me. Not like those of us who aren't afraid to use our power on our own terms."Almighty Rayquaza, she was going to tear him apart. The very second this curse was lifted from her, she would spread wider wings and show him just what a true dragon she could be. He was going to be the most dead any pokemon has ever been, double-dead at the very least, maybe even triple, whatever it took to kill a ghost. She was going to--"Look at you," he said smugly, reappearing right in front of Azure to show he was doing just that, eyes boring into her. "You won't even lift a claw against me, not when these humans have told you to behave. How perfectly you've been broken. I wonder, what will it take to finally make you snap?""I hope you relish the experience of finding out," she growled. "Because it will be the last experience you ever have.""More empty words and posturing," he said dismissively. "You think you can kill me? You? It didn't stick the first time, and you certainly aren't any more of a threat.""So someone did kill you." Azure seized upon the opportunity. She could fight with words just as well as beak and talons. "How embarrassing that must have been for such a big strong Pokemon as you. Couldn't have been very pleasant. Why are you so eager to repeat the experience?"He flickered in and out of sight for a brief second, and Azure smirked in satisfaction. Not so unflappable after all, this spirit."Watch your mouth, songbird," he hissed. "And watch your back. Do not go sticking your beak where it does not belong. You will not like what you find."Azure flicked her wings dismissively. "Oh nooooo, I might unearth your tragic backstory that explains why you hide behind this big scary mask. I tremble at the thought."His eyes stared unblinkingly back at her. "You are one to speak of masks, songbird."She refused to give him the satisfaction of blinking. "And you are one to speak of being broken by the humans. I do not accept the darkness they have given me, and I will not let it stain me forever. You are the sort of result they wanted from this project, not me. You have let yourself be moulded by their desires, and you do not wish to relinquish this curse. You think yourself freer than me? You have played right into their hands. How eagerly you leaped at their offer of power, instead of fighting them. I fought, and I am proud of it, and I go on fighting in my own way every day. I do not believe you can say the same.""Bah! You waste my time with your senseless chatter," he said, and vanished with an air of finality.Azure waited a moment until she was certain he'd really gone, and slowly relaxed her deathgrip on the branch, taking a little comfort in how his voice had shook with that final statement, and how she had not let him see her shake, too.They did not break me. She repeated it to herself until her trembling eased. Skystrikers do not break.She was only doing what she had to. She had to survive. She had to get home again. And if it meant carving herself a mask, cutting deep into herself, she would continue doing it. She would show no weakness. Skystrikers do not show weakness.She'd already proved herself better at living than the ghost, and she would prove herself better at everything else, too.All that time waiting at the edge of the water, and Vari still hadn't figured out the right thing to say. There wasn't a right thing to say, not really. There weren't any words in the world that made up for letting someone die.The Mantine -- Rae -- had started spending a little time above water. Just a moment here and there, as if to check and see whether the world was still turning, always surprised by the answer. She would talk to Abby, sometimes; having the young Quagsire around seemed to be good for her. She hadn't seemed interested in talking to anyone else. Certainly not to Vari.Okay, so maybe he'd been hanging back since she'd started making her presence visible. It was one thing to stand there and talk at the waves when he knew she wasn't listening, and another to actually… talk to her."She doesn't hate you," Haru tried to reassure him. "You didn't kill him, Var. She knows that."Vari looked away. "I didn't save him, either.""We all wish we could save everyone. But we saved her. We saved so many others. That's… that still means something.""Not to her."Haru sighed. "No. Not to her. But she needs to know she's worth saving, too.""I'm not the right 'mon to teach her that.""You are." Haru gently brushed his tail against Vari's flank. "You taught it to me. I have to try not to forget it, but you never forget, because it's just who you are. You fight. You fight and you remind everyone else to keep fighting too, because we're all worth something.""She… what if she won't listen to me?""Then you give her time, and you try again later."And so Vari found himself back at the water's edge, waiting. Alone with his thoughts, as Rae was alone with hers. She didn't need to come up for air. She could stay down there forever, if she wanted to. Abby wasn't around to spur her on; probably off training somewhere.They were starting to make something that resembled a proper team out of these Shadows. Not that Vari trusted most of them, of course, and they weren't becoming anything that could be described as normal, but many were at least changing, softening a little, starting to show sparks of something other than darkness in their eyes. Maybe even Rae; maybe that was why she'd started breaking through the surface and she --Oh.She was doing it now.Those dark eyes blinked at Vari, focusing a little. She didn't glare, or attack, or yell, or turn away. Only floated there, and looked at him."Hey," he managed. Great start, Vari. So eloquent. That'll fix everything."You're here a lot, aren't you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, a skim of seafoam on the shore."Uh. Yeah."She said nothing, only watched. He took a deep breath, as if to plunge right into the waves."Listen, I -- I'm really sorry about -- I tried, I'm so sorry -- I didn't mean -- he -- I really wanted to -- I'm sorry, I --"She tilted her head sideways. "Is… is this why you've been spending all this time here? Trying to apologize? Don't.""I, uh --""It's not your fault. You were trying to save him. It's Reath's." Her gaze clouded back over. "She let him die. He was nothing to her. She was happy to have him out of the way so she could maybe get a better Shadow, a stronger one, who wasn't -- wasn't --" Her voice was rising now, crashing angrily against the shore. "If I see her again, and that treacherous Luvdisc, I'll -- I'll --"Vari tensed. The last thing he wanted to do was fight her, if it came to that, but if she didn't calm down…"We'll have your back," he quickly promised. "We're a team now. We… we protect each other. I'm sorry I couldn't do that before, but I promise you won't have to fight alone."Rae stared at him again. "A team," she echoed."Well, okay, not a very teamworky team," he admitted. "We still kind of suck at that part. But we're working on it. Me and Haru will fight for you, at least. And Abby, but I think you already know that. Everyone else is more of a work in progress, but that's what we're in Agate for. Working on… stuff. Healing the darkness in everyone's hearts with the power of love and friendship and rainbows and whatever other fun things that big rock in the forest has to offer. And you don't have to be part of the active team to do that, but I think it'll help more than spending all your time floating here."She was silent for a moment, suspended among the waves, before finally whispering "There are so many times when I just… want to stop fighting. I don't know if I can do this. I don't think I can help you.""I know how that feels," Vari said. "Seriously, I do. I felt it back when I was a young Eevee lying in a Pokemon Center, suddenly minus one leg. What was I going to do? My life just felt… over. My trainer didn't want me anymore. I hadn't even cared about my trainer, and I didn't have anyone who cared about me, either. What was there to even fight for? What was the point?"Her eyes briefly drifted to where that leg should be, as if noticing its absence for the first time."But then," Vari continued, "there was Wes. And he showed me there was something worth fighting for. And it's not always easy to learn, but if even a bad-tempered distrustful scarred grump like me can do it, so can you. Because, yeah, I'm not gonna lie to you, life in Orre is hard, and I'm sure it's a lot harder as a Shadow, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep fighting. We deserve a better life than what's been handed to us, and we're never going to get it if we don't fight for it."Still, she said nothing."If not for you," Vari said softly, "then for… for Scrap. I didn't know him, but I know you cared about each other, and that means he wouldn't want you to give up. He'd want you to have a good life. We… we couldn't save him, but we can save other Pokemon. Even you. You deserve it, too, even if you can't believe that right now. That's what teams are for, I think. Helping each other believe."He cringed a little. That was too over the top, probably. Too cheesy. He should really leave the big speeches to Haru, he should --"Okay," Rae said softly.Vari blinked. "What?""Okay." She raised herself further out of the water. "I… I can't promise anything. But I'll try. For Scrap. And… and for Abby. For anyone who needs me. I'll try. I… if it's the only thing I can still do for him, I'll do it."She fell silent again, not adding for myself. But it was a start.And she'd have a whole team behind her to help her get further.