CHAPTER 1

The crime report said that Jake Conway aged 11, was an up-and-coming star in the Unova Pokemon League. Already having acquired seven badges people were talking about him being a serious contender to be the next champion.

However, the report wasn't looking good to anyone. Jake's body had been found under the Turbine Bridge. Results were inconclusive.

"Any idea how this could have happened?" Officer Jenny asked Isaac Garland, one of Jake's main rivals.

"No. Jake had everything to live for. He was an up and coming star in the League, he only had one more badge to go."

"Was there anything else that could have driven him to jump?"

"JUMP! No, never. He never would of jumped."

"Well, we've got nothing to say otherwise. It's probably best not to ask questions."

"What'll happen to his Pokemon?"

"Well, depending on what they are, they'll probably be sent to Fuschia in Kanto."

"Why there?"

"They'll probably become exhibits in the PokeZoo there."

BANG! BANG! BANG! All of the Pokeballs break open and the Pokemon make a run for the woods.

"Catch them!"

"They can't just go into the wild?" Isaac asked as several other police officers chase down and catch the Pokemon.

"No, they might eventually but, they need to relearn how to fend for themselves again. They'd never make it in their current state. Jake's been taking care of them for far too long."

"I see. Do you need me for anything? I've really got to get going unless I want to wait until next year to challenge for the championship."

"Your friend dies and you show absolutely no emotion? What's wrong with you?"

"Trust me, I am torn up inside, but Jake wouldn't want me to put my dreams on hold on his account. He'd want me to press on."

"All right but, I'm watching you."

"Why? You don't honestly think I've had anything to do with this? I came across him as I was crossing the bridge. I was always a step or two behind him."

Isaac rushes off.

"Ma'am! We've got the Pokemon!" An officer said.

"There are only five here. He had six with him."

"Maybe the sixth didn't run?"

"Hm. Look down, you see those Pokeballs? How many are open?"

"Six."

"How many?"

"Six are open."

"Then that means...?"

"That six Pokemon escaped."

"And how many did you catch?"

"Five."

"Five. So you missed one?"

"Yes. Sorry ma'am."

"You're not yet. There's no one but us here, remove your disguises!"

All of the officers take off their disguises to reveal Team Plasma uniforms underneath.

"Let's hope Ghetsis won't be upset we let one go. I hope it can find its way on its own."

"At least it's away from its trainer."

"Why did you make that excuse about the zoo up? Why not just tell him?"

"Because we're the only people who are trying to sever ties between the Pokemon world and the Human world."

"So, what's the problem with telling the kid."

"The law is not on out side. We will teach these five Pokemon to take care of themselves then they will be released."

"But Ghetsis wouldn't know..."

"Are you suggesting that we go against Ghetsis' orders? You remember how cross he was when you hit that Munna?"

"That was unintentional!"

"Yeah, exactly! Imagine how mad he'd be if you intentionally went against his orders!"

"Good point."

Nearby, the one escaped Pokemon, Emolga, watches the scene.

"What do they want with me? I'm not going to be in a zoo! Sitting in a small enclosed area, ugly humans looking at me day after day. What's in it for me? Nothing! How can they talk about my trainer that way? The way they talk, you'd think he'd tortured me. He'd never do anything like that! Jake was a nice guy! Screw them, I'm going into the woods."

Emolga turns and runs into the forest. He ran for several hours before deciding that he was far enough in the forest.

"I think...this is...far enough...I'm just...gonna...find a tree...and rest..."

Emolga climbs up into a tree and rests. Several hours later it is awoken by shouts.

"Mommy, Mommy what is it?"

Emolga opens it eyes to see that a mother and her young child are walking though the woods. "I don't know sweetheart. It looks strange doesn't it?"

"Screw you, too, lady."

Emolga glared at her.

"Lets get out of here, I don't think it's a friendly animal. Besides, we're here to find berries so that our little Meowth can get better."

"Yeah, poor kitty, he's so sick isn't he mommy?"

"Yes he is."

The mother and her child walk away.

"What's a Meowth?" Emolga climbs from the tree and heads off. "I'm beginning to think those funny looking people were right, I don't know where I am, where I can find food or where I'm going to live. I really don't know how to take care of myself! I'm going to die in here! Wait a minute, what's that smell? FOOD!"

Emolga follows the smell and finds a trainer cooking for his Pokemon.

"There you are Vulpix, eat up." The trainer said.

"Vulpix?"

Emolga walks forward to see what a Vulpix is. The trainer looks up as he does. Emolga ducks back into the shrubbery.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you."

Emolga pokes its head back out.

"That's it. You look exhausted." The trainer turns and sets another bowl of food down. "Come have some food."

"He seems nice."

Emolga walks forward.

"I've never seen a Pokemon like you before...I wonder if Ash...ah, never mind. Let me take a look at you."

"I'm fine."

"Here we go..."

Emolga bites Brock and runs away.

"I said no!"

Emolga returns to the woods.

"Ah, well. I guess it's fine. How're you doing Vulpix? You doing all right?"

Emolga ran through the woods again. Eventually it ran around a corner and collides with a giant Pokemon.

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, little one. What are you running from?"

"Some human that thinks it knows better about what I need that I do."

"Ah, yes they tend to do that, don't they? You're an Emolga? You're quite a long way from home aren't you?"

"How do you know what I am, I don't even know who you are!"

"I'm a Dragonite."

"Where am I?"

"You're in Kanto. What are you doing all the way here? And for the better part, how did you get here?"

"My trainer...died...and there were...people talking...about a...Pokezoo or something...I didn't want to go so I fled into the woods."

"Yes, but how did you get here in Kanto? You are native to Unova aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Unova is across the ocean from here! I know you can fly but not like me. You cannot travel across the ocean."

"I really don't see how it's improtant."

"Fine, have it your way. You don't need to tell me that, you're right. Do you know what you're going to do for food? Shelter?"

"No. That human fed me before he tried to force me to let him take a look at me."

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"You can stay with me and my friends."

Dragonite leads Emolga through the woods to a clearing.

"Specifically speaking you are in Viridian Forest."

"Why is it called that?"

"I don't know, we don't bother naming different places so, I guess we just use the ones the humans give them."

"Hm. Where are your friends."

"Out getting food, gathering other supplies."

"How do they do that?"

"Well, to be honest, that's really one of the dishonest things we do. We act like we're injured or starving and take advantage of the humans who set up camp here in the forest."

"Aren't there...wild...wild Pokemon in here?"

"Afraid? Don't be. We watch each other's backs."

"Is there anything I should worry about?"

"Not really."

"What's that mean?"

"You don't need to worry about them."

"Them? Who's them?"

"I'll tell you later. Here come the others."

A Poliwhirl comes through the brush carrying some food.

"Everything go good, Poliwhirl?"

"Yes, Dragonite. Very good. We've got three goodhearted humans camping in the next clearing over."

"They didn't try to catch you?"

"No, no. They seem to be the type that try to catch...less-experienced Pokemon than me."

"The Darks didn't give you any trouble?"

"No."

"Darks?" Emolga chimed in.

"Who's this?"

"It's an Emolga. His trainer died recently."

"You know how?"

"Poliwhirl! He'll talk about it when he's ready."

"It's fine, Dragonite. No I don't know what happened to my trainer. All I know is from inside my Pokeball I heard shouting and then my trainer was screaming and then...nothing...there was a loud crash then...absolute silence...the next thing I know, there are strange people nearby and then..."

"Then what?" Poliwhirl asked.

"I heard the same voice again..."

"Your trainer's murderer returned to the scene?"

"I don't know if they returned or if they were there the whole time."

"They? More than one?"

"What? Oh, no, no. There was only one, I just don't know if it was male or female."

"You can usually tell by their voice."

"Well, I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't think it was important."

"Well, my trainer died in a tragic accident. She was traveling on the S.S. Anne and fell overboard in the middle of the night."

"Really? How did she fall?"

"Had too much to drink with dinner and went for a walk. Stumbling around the deck she tripped over her own two feet and fell overboard. She washed up on a beach in Johto. I came here afterward because they talked about putting me in the PokeZoo in Fuschia! My brother went there, he told me that he wanted to be anywhere else but the humans had left him no way out!"

"They talked about taking me there! But, apparently they weren't serious..."

"Lucky you. We're a close group."

"How many of you are there. Well, if you choose to join there'll be five."

"How do you ignore the memory of your trainer?"

"I don't ignore it! I just don't mope about it. I miss her every day...I wish she hadn't fallen overboard..."

"Talking about our trainers? Does that mean there's someone new?"

"Yes, Pikachu. An Emolga. I was hoping you would get here quickly, I think the two of you will get along well."

"You just met me! What makes you think we'll get along well?"

"HI! Ignore Dragonite, he always assumes that Pokemon of the same type will get along."

"How did you trainer die? You seem peppy and happy with life."

"Well, to be honest, my trainer didn't die tragically. I knew it was going to happen when he caught me. He was an old man, so shortly after he caught me, he died of old age."

"Then why are you here?"

"I didn't want to go back into another trainer's arms. That's what they were going to do. They said I was going to be simply given to someone new. I wasn't ready for that."

"New recruit huh? Just another mouth to feed..."

"Lighten up, Rhyhorn!"

"Lighten up? You're telling me to LIGHTEN UP!"

"Calm down, Rhyhorn, no need to lose your temper."

"LOSE MY TEMPER! I WAS JUST A FEW SECONDS TOO SLOW!"

"W-What happened? I-If you don't mind me asking?" Emolga asked quietly.

"MY TRAINER WAS HIT BY A CAR! He took me to the Day Care because he wanted me to be a Rhydon but had no patience. Well, as he was leaving a car came racing around a corner, I saw it and raced towards him. However, the fence held me up just long enough and the car ran him down! DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN AFTER I WITNESSED THAT!"

Pikachu leans in closer to Emolga.

"It takes all our energy to keep him from joining the Darks."

"Who are the Darks?"

"Oh, Dragonite. Why do you always have to be so mysterious?"

"He is not ready."

"He is. Emolga, the Darks are a rival gang of Pokemon. They're in a similar situation to us..."

"They are not! Pikachu don't lighten things up!"

"They're similar because they lost their trainers to, Cubone!"

"Yeah, difference is they murdered theirs!"

"Always looking at the negative side of things."

"I'm a freaking CUBONE! I wear my mother's skull for a helmet and now I've lost my trainer...How can you even think for a second I don't have issues?"

"Wait, did you say they murdered their trainers?" Emolga asked incredulously.

"Yeah! They're ruthless criminals." Cubone said.

"I thought you said I didn't need to worry about them! You lied."

"No, I said we all look out for each other. There are just as many of them as there are in our group."

"One more on our side now that Emolga's here." Pikachu chimed in.

"No, you're always overlooking things Pikachu, you always jump to conclusions and try to make things positive that aren't. They've always had one more than us, now we're even."

"Did I hear that we're even with the Darks now?"

"Yes, Bulbasaur. It's a foreigner."

"Technically, everyone who joins our group is foreign, they're foreign to us..."

"Shut up, Cubone!"

"Just sayin'."

"How did Cubone's trainer die, anyway?"

"He was murdered by Team Rocket. And if you have questions about me, YOU ASK ME! Don't talk behind my back like I'm not even here!"

"Sorry."

"Team Rocket killed him because they wanted to get to the top of Pokemon Tower and he got in the way."

"My trainer died valliantly..."

"No she didn't Bulbasaur, she never earned a single badge."

"Cubone, you let us tell our stories and we'll let you tell yours. Shut up while I tell mine...Yes, my trainer died before earning a single badge but, she died in battle. I was her first and only Pokemon. She took me to Pewter City to challenge the Gym Leader Flint. During the battle, Flint's Onix got a little overzealous and pinned her against the wall, cutting her in half."

"Oh my! That's horrible!"

"After that, I fled the Gym and came here, the first shelter I could find."

"You didn't tell me about your trainer, Dragonite." Emolga said.

"I don't like to talk about it..." Dragonite said.

"He only likes to talk about mysterious stuff." Pikachu said. "His trainer died the same way mine did, old age."

"Well, that gets introductions out of the way, not to business..." Dragonite began.

"It's lucky I brought enough food for two..." Poliwhirl said

"What's that got to do with anything?" Emolga asked.

"These losers only get supplies for themselves!" A voice said.

Emolga turned around quickly.

"Who's that?"

"The Darks..."

Seven Pokemon come out of the brush.

"We heard you introducing yourselves and figured we'd introduce ourselves to our newest enemy. I'm Magmar, my trainer died when I lit her house on fire. She didn't make it out in time."

Magmar is clearly not upset about this and actually smiles as it gives this bit of information.

"I'm Jynx, and my trainer got what he deserved, constantly beating be over and over when I lost a battle. I feared for my life so I murdered him!"

"But, that's not a very dark thing to do, you were defending yourself." Emolga said.

"DON'T YOU GET ALL PSYCHIC WITH ME! I'M A PSYCHIC-TYPE, YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME TO SWITCH SIDES!"

"Settle down Jynx, we all know where your loyalties lie. I'm Machoke and my trainer made the comment that I was getting too strong so I strangled him to death right there in his own dojo."

"I'm a Grimer and I stealthily killed my trainer. She made the mistake of putting me in charge of her food, the senile old bat. I let a bit of my body fall into her morning coffee and she died from it!"

"I'm Alakazam and I used my psychic abilities to make my trainer's brain explode, made it look like he shot himself..."

"I'm Gengar and I killed my trainer by scaring him so bad he had a heart attack."

"But surely that wasn't..." Emolga began

"Oh, yes it was my intention! He took me from my home in the Pokemon Tower! He even TRADED ME! I was not going to let him get away with THAT!"

"And last but certainly not least, I'm Raticate, I simply made my trainer sick by slipping poisonous herbs into her food from this very forest. Yes, my trainer and I lived in Viridian."

"And now, Darks, we shall kill our enemies!" Magmar cried.

The Darks rush forward and begin to battle the Lights.

Poliwhirl hits Magmar with a Water Gun as Pikachu tries to tackle Gengar, Raticate bites Pikachu when it comes out the other side of Gengar. Cubone cracks Raticate with a Bone Club and Emolga helps Pikachu hit Gengar with Thunder.

"Darks, retreat!" Magmar ordered.

The Darks all run off.

"What is wrong with those guys?" Emolga asked.

"You must understand that the world is divided into good and evil. We are the good kind of loss, accidents and other natural causes. However, they represent the evil kind of loss, murderers, the lot of them. When trainers die, their Pokemon who make the choice to flee into the forest must join together to survive. I have lived here the longest. I've been here for about fifty human years. Several years after I was here, Poliwhirl joined me. Then about thirty years ago came Cubone. Ten years ago came Pikachu and just a few weeks ago Rhyhorn showed up. However, the Darks have grown more rapidly than us. Magmar began their group, that's why he's the de facto leader. He's been here about thirty years. But within ten years of his arrival, Jynx, Machoke, Grimer and Gengar had joined him. Raticate showed up about a year ago. We've learned to accept our loss and we moved on, well most of us..."

"PISS OFF!" Cubone yelled.

"Anyway, Magmar's groups, I expect they simply couldn't stand the fact of not being in control of when they would have to fend for themselves again and eventually decided to take control themselves. We've been fighting ever since Magmar entered these woods. I just hope that the fighting can end at some point..."

"You've been fighting them for thirty years?"

"Yes."

"I just wish I knew how my trainer died. I don't even know if he was murdered or if he just slipped..."

"From the sound of your story it was murder." Cubone said. Everyone turns to look at him "What? It's true. He said he heard shouting and then his trainer fell! It sounds as it two humans had an agreement and his trainer got the worst of it."

"Well, I promise we'll help you find out for sure." Dragonite said. "We always try to help each other get closure."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Cubone said and rolled on its side away from the other and fell asleep a little too quickly.

"I think we all should go to sleep. We can get to know each other better in the morning." Dragonite said.

"What if the Darks come back?" Emolga asked.

"We take shifts keeping watch." Dragonite said.

"When am I on duty?" Emolga asked.

"You don't worry about that tonight. We'll re-do the shifts tomorrow. You just get a good night's sleep."

"Where do I sleep?" Emolga asked.

"You can sleep next to me. I've got empty space next to me." Pikachu suggested.

"That sounds great. Thank, Pikachu." Emolga said.

"See? I knew you'd get along well." Dragonite said.

Dragonite lights a fire for warmth as Emolga lies down to rest. He must have slept for hours because when he awoke, the fire was out and Poliwhirl was taking its shift. Emolga noticed that Poliwhirl looked very upset.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I woke you, Emolga."

"Thinking about your trainer?"

"Yeah. I should have saved her..."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a water-type and I let my trainer drown!"

"What stopped you?"

"I tried to break out of my Pokeball but it was under the water before I realized what had happened."

"What about the others?"

"The only Pokemon that were above the water were two fire-types that I f they broke out would have been committing suicide, and two flying-types that the water would have kept them from doing anything anyway..."

"So there was nothing you could have done...Your trainer was simply a victim of circumstance, it's not your fault."

"I know. I just feel like it is sometimes."

"Well, if you look at it that way, it means I'm responsible for my trainer's death also because I could have broken out of my Pokeball and slowed my trainer's fall...so, thanks."

"I'm sorry. You're right, Emolga. Thank you. Get some rest."

Emolga goes back to sleep. Again, he sleeps for several hours and when he wakes up it is dawn. Whoosh!

"What was that noise?"

"What noise, Emolga?"

"It was sort of a whooshing sound..."

Whoosh!

"There it is again!"

Rhyhorn is on shift.

"Watcha' doooooin'?"

"HOLY!...DON'T DO THAT MEW!"

"Why?"

"YOU SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME!"

"Why?"

"Because I didn't see you there."

"Why?"

"Because you snuck up on me."

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

"Why?"

"I swear, one of these days I am going to freakin' kill you!"

"Why?"

"Because you are extremely annoying!"

"Why?"

"Because you ask why to everything we say."

"Why?"

"Mew, leave them alone." Mewtwo has walked into the clearing.

"Why?"

"Don't you start your crap with me."

"Why?"

"Because you know I'll kill you."

"Hey, Mew, why don't you go find the Darks' camp?" Emolga suggested.

"Why?"

"Because they were here earlier."

"Why?"

"They were looking for you."

"Why?"

"Said they had something they wanted to tell you."

"Mew, go find out what they want." Mewtwo said.

"Why?"

"Mew, can you be serious for two seconds!"

Mew floats upside down in midair for exactly two seconds.

"Why?"

"MEW! I'VE WARNED YOU AGAINST JOKING WITH ME!"

Mew laughs.

"Go find the Darks' camp!"

"Why?"

"Just do it, Mew. Stop antagonizing these nice Pokemon."

"Mmmmmmm, 'kay!"

Mew flies off.

"That was quick thinking, little one." Dragonite said.

"I'm sorry he annoyed you so." Mewtwo said.

"We've gotten used to it. He comes by just about every other day." Poliwhirl said.

"If he ever does annoy you enough can I do the honors?" Rhyhorn asked.

"No, I just tell him that so he'll listen to me." Mewtwo said with a laugh.

"Damn, I was hoping you'd finally give me clearance."

"I wonder if he'll find the Darks' camp?" Pikachu asked.

"He will, he already knows where they are. He'll harass them just like he did you."

"I just wish I could see their faces." Emolga said with a smirk.

"So do I." Pikachu said.