Chapter 1

Echoes of the Past and Whispers of the Future

Dark clouds covered the moon, impeding light from reaching the forest below. The wild Hoothoot and Noctowl were strangely silent that night as were the various bug types that called the forest home. The only sound that permeated the night air was the soft whispers of the wind as it rustled through the treetops. While this could be considered a calm and peaceful night, it was strangely eerie. A foreboding tension seemed to grip the entire forest and its inhabitants.

The silence was abruptly broken by harsh and fast panting followed by the sounds of snapping twigs. A light blue blur dashed through the silent forest as if Giratina himself were on their tail. The Pokémon paused in its movement and looked behind it with wide, fearful, yellow eyes before resuming its dash through the forest. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, sending a pale ray of moonlight that illuminated a large thorn bush with a halo of light. Seeing the bush, the Pokémon dove for it, taking temporary refuge within the brambles.

The Pokémon was a young male Froakie. He tried to curl to make himself less noticeable, ignoring the thorns that dug into his skin. He was covered in bleeding cuts and scratches, many of which were not caused by the thorn bush. The frothy bubble collar that covered the water type's neck seemed to be significantly smaller than the normal amount that a Froakie would have, like a chunk of the bubbles had been torn off. He was still panting heavily and dark circles colored the underside of his eyes, showing his fatigue.

The sound of branches cracking under a significant amount of wait caused the Froakie to freeze. The Froakie listened with bated breath for anymore sounds. At first nothing, then loud steady thumps began to cut through the silence. Heart hammering in his chest, the Froakie covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle his ragged breathing.

Watching through a small gap in the bush, the Froakie waited with bated breath. The footsteps grew louder and louder until they were right beside the bush. The Froakie bit his tongue to keep from shouting when a large purple foot entered his vision. Loud sniffing sounds cut through the air, causing the Froakie's heart to hammer loudly in his chest. The Froakie held his breath, as he stared through the small gap, praying to Arceus that the figure would pass him by.

Just when the burn of lack of oxegen in his lungs was becoming too much, the figure grunted and began to shamble away. When the Froakie couldn't hear the footsteps anymore he let out a gasp. He took a shuddering gulp of air, filling his lungs with precious air.

However, no sooner had he taken in a single gulp of air a loud roar tore through the forest. Before the Froakie could react a large clawed hand tore through the bush and slammed into the Froakie. With a startled and pained cry, the Froakie was flung through the air and smashed into a tree. With a groan, the water type slumped onto the ground, stars dancing in his vision.

"Well, well, well. Thought you could escape, did you?" The stars began to fade from the Froakie's vision, allowing him to see his assailant.

The Pokémon before him was a very large Nidoking. He was covered in a multitude of scars, each of varying sizes, and his most noticeable feature was that his horn was broken. His left eye was sealed shut with a large scar. He was grinning evilly at the small Pokémon.

"No..." the Froakie whispered fearfully. The Nidoking smirked predatorily at the young Pokémon.

"That's right, you can't escape from me."

"J-Just l-leave me alone," the scared water type whimpered.

"Sorry, but no can do." The Nidoking took menacing step forward. "You've angered the emperor, and for that you must pay!" With that, the poison-ground type reared its head back, forming an orb of purplish energy in his maw. With a roar, he released a large purple beam of energy at the small Froakie.

With a yelp, the Froakie dove to the side, causing the hyper beam to tear through the tree and several others behind it. Sending a terrified look at what was left of the tree, the Froakie ran, or jumped, deeper in the forest to attempt to escape the Nidoking.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" the Nidoking yelled, a sinister smile spreading over his face as he made to follow.

"Leave me alone!" the Froakie yelled, throwing a sphere of water over his shoulder at the drill Pokémon.

The Nidoking scoffed at the attack and smashed through the sphere with an almost lazy swing of his arm. Opening his mouth, the Nidoking shot a flurry of poison needles at the fleeing Froakie's back.

The Froakie cried out in pain as the needles sunk into his back before dissipating, leaving the poison energy to sink into the water types body. The bubble frog Pokémon staggered before he collapsed on the ground, only getting a few yards away. The Nidoking scoffed at the Froakie's pathetic display.

"I can't say I expected any better, but part of me hoped that this mission would be entertaining." The drill Pokémon stalked towards the Froakie. He grinned when he saw the Froakie attempting to get to his feet. "Oh? Got some fight left in you, do ya'?"

Grunting in pain, the Froakie struggled to get up off the ground only to cry out and fall to the ground once more. He attempted to drag himself across the forest floor in order to escape, but he was too weak to do even that.

"I guess not," the Nidoking sighed. He kicked the Froakie onto his back, savoring the water types cry of pain. He reached down and gripped the Froakie's throat and lifted him into the air. The Froakie kicked feebly at his captor, but the poison-ground type just scoffed and tightened his hold. The Froakie made a loud gurgling sound as his throat was constricted before he went limp.

"Your story ends here, runt," the Nidoking said. He raised his other arm and curled his fingers into a tight fist. An ominous purple glow took to his fist as poison energy was pumped into his fist. The Froakie's struggles renewed, but he couldn't break the Nidoking's hold.

"This is it," he grinned evilly. "Any last words?"

"Grk," the Froakie choked, struggling to pry the Nidoking's fingers from his throat.

"No?" the Nidoking asked mockingly. "Then DIE!" The Nidoking reared his fist back, his eyes burning with malicious intent. The Froakie closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come. The Nidoking grinned at this, but before he could end the Froakie, a shout rang out.

"Aoi, use aura sphere!" The Nidoking only had time to look towards the direction of the voice before he was hit with a blue sphere of energy. He let the Froakie go as he was sent flying across the forest by the surprise attack.

The Froakie fell bonelessly to the ground, releasing a cry of pain when he landed. He tried to open his eyes to look at his saviors, but his vision was blurry. He jolted when he felt a hand touch his side, but he could only see a brownish blob.

"Don't worry, little one," the blob soothed. "We're here to help. Aoi." A fuzzy looking blob of blue appeared next to the brown one. "Use heal pulse."

"Got it," the blue one said. Its form shuffled a bit before a wave of multicolored light at the prone water type.

The light washed over the Froakie and he immediately felt better. The cuts that littered its body began to stop bleeding and close. His bruises began to fade. Even his fatigue began to fade leaving the Froakie feeling well rested. The Froakie couldn't help but close his eyes let out a sigh of relief to which the tan blob chuckled.

"Feelin' better I take it?" The Froakie opened his eyes again, focusing in on his saviors. One of them was a Lucario, who was giving him an almost blank look, though the Froakie could detect a glimmer of concern within its red orbs. The other figure threw the Froakie for a loop.

It didn't look like any Pokémon he had ever seen. It had brown skin though the Froakie could only see its face and arms from the elbow down as the creature seemed to be covered in some kind of fabric. It had long legs that too were covered in a thick durable looking fabric and a pair of arms that had sporadically growing fur poking out of its skin. It had short yet tightly curled dark brown hair on the top of its head. The creature had a masculine look to its face, leading the Froakie to believe the creature was indeed male. Looking at the creature's face face he a thin line of fur rest under his nose and just above his mouth. The creature looked at the Froakie with hazel eyes that were full of concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"RAAH!" the Nidoking's shout brought the conversation to a screeching halt. Turning back to the forest, the trio saw the Nidoking stomping towards them, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Hmph. I was wondering when you'd show up," the unknown creature said, unconcerned that the behemoth of a Pokémon was glaring down at them.

"You bastards!" the Nidoking growled. "I won't let a human from interfering with me work!"

Human, the Froakie thought. Is that what he is? The young water type didn't get a chance to contemplate this more as the Nidoking took this time to charge them.

"Aoi!" the human said.

"Understood!" the Lucario said, stepping forward.

The Lucario stepped forward in a calm manner and face the charging Nidoking. The Froakie's eyes widened in horror as the aura Pokémon stood before the raging Nidoking. He made to shout at the Lucario to be careful, but it wasn't needed. A second before the poison-ground type was upon the Lucario its red eyes flashed blue and the Nidoking found himself floating weightlessly in the air.

"GAH!" the Nidoking roared in outrage, thrashing wildly in the air.

"Disappointing," the Lucario said with an uncaring voice.

"What'd you say to me?" the Nidoking growled only to find himself soaring through the air and into a tree.

With a loud smack, the Nidoking slid off the tree and fell to one knee. He pushed himself to his feet and glared at the stoic fighting-steel type, who had his foot still outstretched from kicking the much larger Pokémon, practically foaming at the mouth with rage. With a roar, he foolishly ran at the Lucario.

"Some Pokémon never learn," the aura Pokémon sighed. He brought his paws together and slowly pulled them apart, a turquoise bone forming in between his paws as he did so. Swinging the bone rapidly before slamming the bone into the Nidoking's jaw, stopping the Pokémon cold.

Spinning the bone, the Lucario spun around and slammed the bone into the Nidoking with enough force to lift the Pokémon off the ground. Before the Nidoking could attempt a counter attack, he was hit several more times all over his body. By the end of the brutal assault, the Nidoking was on his knees, groaning in pain.

"Damn you," he grunted, glaring weakly at the still stoic Lucario.

Holy Arceus, the Froakie thought, completely in awe over what he just saw. He beat that Nidoking in a matter of seconds! Just how strong is he?

"Aoi, finish it. We need to get this Froakie back to the village to treat his wounds!" the human said, lifting the Froakie into his arms.

"Right," the Lucario called back. The Nidoking growled angrily.

"I won't be undermined by-" Whatever the Nidoking was about to say was cut off when the Lucario swung his leg high into the air, flames erupting from his leg, and slammed it down into the drill Pokémon's skull in a vicious ax kick. The Nidoking was slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the ground under him and lost consciousness.

"Good job, Aoi," the human commended, a soft smile playing over his face.

"Hmph, wasn't even hard," the Lucario named Aoi scoffed.

"Let's get out of here and get this little guy some real help." The Froakie looked up at the human holding him and was met with a kind smile. "What's your name, little guy?"

The Froakie moistened his lips. "My name is..."

"STRIDE!"

Said Greninja's eyes snapped open at Bolt's voice. Looking down at the glaring Manectric, Stride gave a sheepish chuckle.

"Sorry, what were you saying, Bolt?" The Manectric rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Seriously, Stride? Can't you pay attention for once?" Seth scoffed.

"Sorry," the Greninja said, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "My mind's been else where."

"Thinking of your hatchlings," Seth growled. Bolt groaned at this.

"Oh come on, Seth," the Manectric said. "Please don't start this again. It's getting old real fast."

"You're the leader of this team, not theirs," Seth said, ignoring Bolt in favor of glaring at the aloof looking Greninja. "You shouldn't invest so much time on them!"

"And leave a young team to fend for themselves without proper training?" Stride asked. "I think not!"

"Then you should have let the training facilities have them!" Seth persisted. "It's their job to train young recruits! You could have easily handed them over to them!"

"I have my reasons for training them," Stride said, looking up at the ceiling with pensive look.

"Whatever reasons those are they do not take precedence over your own team, or have you forgotten that?" Seth snapped. The ninja Pokémon's eyes snapped towards the Absol who flinched at the look he was given.

"Are you saying that I do not care for the team?" Stride tone was even, but their was a dark undertone that caused both Bolt and Seth to shiver involuntarily.

"That's not what I meant," Seth said. "All I'm saying is that while you are gallivanting with your hatchlings, the rest of us have been at Razed Ridge attempting to keep it from falling into the hands of the emperor!"

"I know what is at stake, Seth," Stride said evenly.

"I don't think you do," Seth challenged. "Razed Ridge is in a critical location. It is literally the dividing line between our two sides. With all of the paths that branch out from Razed Ridge, if the emperor gets his hands on it..."

"Then there's nowhere in Lyore that his forces can't reach," Stride finished. "I know all this, Seth."

"Then why do you insist on...on fathering this team of hatchlings?!"

"My reasons are my own and are none of your concern."

"It is my concern if its impeding your ability to lead this team." The tension became staggering. A cold chill seemed to blow through the room as the two glared icily at the other."

"Are you saying that I'm unfit to lead this team?" Stride asked dangerously.

"No, I'm saying that you should be more concerned over your own team then a group of hatchlings," Seth said, refusing to back down. In a flash, Seth was pinned against the wall by a livid Greninja.

"Don't you dare doubt my commitment to this team," Stride growled. "I made this team from the ground up. I put my blood sweat and tears into this team and I have made it revered among not only the other divisions but the emperor's division."

Seth choked as Stride's webbed hand tightened ever so slightly around the dark type's throat. The Absol's ruby red eyes were wide with fear having only seen Stride this angry when the emperor was involved. Never before in Seth's life had his leader ever expressed such anger towards him. Seth was beginning to regret opening his mouth.

"Stride, enough!" Bolt said, appearing at his side.

Stride glanced down at at the electric type, his eyes burning with anger. Bolt gulped thickly, but held firm. After a few tense second, Stride grunted and dropped the Absol in a heap onto the floor.

"Watch you tongue, Seth, or next time I won't be so forgiving," Stride growled before storming out of the room and into the hall. Bolt glanced at Seth before trotting after the water-dark type, leaving the Absol gulping down air.

"Stride!" Bolt called out, running to catch up to the Greninja's long strides. The ninja Pokémon stopped in the hallway and waited for the Manectric to catch up.

"What do you want, Bolt?" Stride asked tiredly.

"What was that back there?" Bolt questioned. "I know Seth can be annoying, but that was a little over the top."

"I am just tired of him undermining my decisions," Stride said, resuming his walk.

"I understand that, but you didn't have to attack him," Bolt said, running to catch up. "Lately you've changed, Stride. You put on a mask for Team Dawn Breaker, but the rest of us see it. You've become distant, irritable, even forgetful."

Stride made no comment. When Bolt looked up at Stride to gauge his reaction he was met with a stoic visage. Stride kept his eyes forward and refused to meet the discharge Pokémon's gaze.

"Stride...have you been sleeping alright?" Bolt asked. Stride was silent for a while before he sighed in defeat.

"No, I haven't," he said.

"Stride..."

"I know Bolt," Stride interrupted. "but I can't afford to sleep as much as I want."

"Stride, that's not good for you," Bolt scolded. "You need rest in order to function to your best ability!"

"I don't have time, Bolt," Stride sighed. "I have too much on my plate."

"Stride, you need a break." Bolt was practically pleading with Stride at this point. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. You'll burn out at this rate."

"I can't do that," Stride said through gritted teeth. "I have to run Team Surge, converse with all the other teams that are stationed at Razed Ridge, confer with the tribunal, not to mention check up on Team Dawn Breaker..."

"Stride! You can't do this! You are running yourself ragged with all this!"

"What choice do I have?!" Stride shouted. "If I don't do these things, then who will."

"Stride, when you first formed the team you said that, while you were the leader, we all had equal standing in the team," Bolt said softly, causing the Greninja to pause. "We're here to help each other. You can designate those things to us and we can do them while you rest."

"I can't ask you all to do that," Stride said.

"Stride, that's the point of having a team," Bolt said. "We're here to help you. Seth, while and asshole, can easily see to the meetings with the tribunal and the other teams, and any one of us can check up on Team Dawn Breaker."

"No, Team Dawn Breaker is my responsibility," Stride said adamantly. Bolt gave him a confused look.

"But why?" Bolt questioned. "I understand that you want to check up on them, but why do you insist on shadowing them on missions? You said it yourself, they're ready to do missions by themselves, which they have done, by the way."

"You don't understand," Stride said.

"Then help me to understand. We're a team, there shouldn't be any secrets between us." Stride remained silent. "Is it...does this have something to do with the silver soul?" Bolt guessed to which Stride, again, did not answer. "It does doesn't it?"

Stride sighed. "I...I'm not sure."

"Stride, you said that Phoebe didn't sense the silver soul in either of them, so why are you focusing so much on them?"

"Those two...they're special, I know it." Stride said.

"Well sure they are," Bolt said. "I mean Furno posses the Ikari Flame and Zero can supposedly use aura sphere so of course they're special..."

"That's not what I meant," Stride interjected.

"Then what do you mean?" When Stride didn't answer right away, Bolt frowned. "Stride...please tell me."

"...I...I feel as if they are some how connected to the silver soul," Stride finally said.

"How do you figure?"

"I'm not sure really." Stride confessed. "It's...something Angela mentioned in passing."

"You mean what she said when we first found those two in Shrouded Forest? That something of great importance would be found there?"

"Exactly and if what she said was correct, then one of them, or maybe both of them, will have a great impact on things to come."

"Is that why you are so invested in those two?"

"Partially..."

"Partially?"

Stride turned away from his teammate and looked off into the distance. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, as if his mind were else where. "There is something about Zero that..." he trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Bolt asked curiously. "What about Zero?"

"I...I owe him."

"How do you owe him? I've never met him before then, have you?" Bolt's eyes widened. "You know him from the past, don't you?! You knew him before he lost his memory and you feel obligated to help him!"

"No, that's not it," the Greninja said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Then what is it?" Bolt all bu demanded, tired of Stride's cryptic responses.

"I don't owe him specifically, but I do owe him in away." A shadow seemingly flashed over the Greninja's face and he whispered, "I owe him for what I did to his people."

Bolt cocked his head to the side. "His people?" he questioned. "Don't you mean his species?"

"..."

"Okay, well what did you do?" Bolt asked when Stride did not respond. "Did you have to eliminate a bunch of Riolu on a mission?"

"..."

"No, that can't have been it," Bolt continued. "Riolu are extremely hard to come by these days. I would have know if there was a cell of Riolu working for the emperor."

"..."

"Oh, is it because of you spat with Orion?"

"..."

"That would make sense. You probably feel as if you are keeping Zero from finding out about what is basically his heritage."

"..." Stride still did not answer though he looked to becoming increasingly annoyed.

"I mean I would be upset if someone kept me from other Manectric," Bolt continued, not noticing his leaders increasing frustration. "I mean I could see how you want to make it up to him by investing so much time in his trai-"

"Bolt!" Said Manectric visibly started at Stride's shout. The ninja Pokémon sighed tiredly before facing his teammate. "Look, I understand that you want to help, but things are a lot more complicated then you realize."

"But they don't have to be. Stride, please, let us help you," Bolt pleaded. "We are all just as capable as you, so let us help." When Stride looked like he still wanted to argue, Bolt added, "You don't have to tell us your reasons, but trust us enough to follow your instructions."

"It's not that I don't trust you..."

"Then what is it?!" Bolt shouted. "We're a team. We're supposed to rely one one another." Bolt took on a softer tone. "So rely on us. Please."

Stride still looked conflicted. He had his reasons for doing what he was doing, yet he still reluctant to share his thoughts with his team. He looked down at the Manectric who was looking back with pleading eyes. Stride sighed loudly before smiling softly at the electric type.

"Alright," Stride relented. "I'll take a back seat just this one time."

Bolt broke out in a grin that was practically glowing with his relief. "You won't regret it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Stride said as he mad his way back to their rooms. "Make sure Seth doesn't run the team into the ground." He paused. "And make sure he isn't the one checking in on Team Dawn Breaker."

"Got it, boss!" Bolt called.

Stride chuckled and continued on his way. Part of him was still reluctant to entrust such matters to someone else, but he knew he had to. If he couldn't trust his team with such matters than he couldn't trust anyone.

He frowned when he though back to his little trip to the past that he was having a few minutes earlier. He remembered those events as well as the events that would follow clearly. The image of all the destruction he caused engraved forever in his mind. He would never forget and he would never forgive himself.

"But what I am doing is a good start," Stride said to himself. "I promise you, Zero, I will make it right!"