"WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!"

Bird Pokémon were scared off from loud explosions going off in chains across the forest. They shrieked as Aura Spheres flew wildly and took out the tops of trees. It wasn't uncommon to see wild Pokémon attacking for territory, but this was far different from those instances.

Storming through the forest was a cloak wearing Charmeleon with steam pouring from his hands. He threw his head up and cried out a bloodcurdling roar that shook the Pokémon inhabiting the forest down to the core with bone chilling fear. They fled the scene as blue flames fired haphazardly across the wooded area, thankfully extinguishing before a forest fire could take place.

Ryder set his rampage on a single tree, violently tearing through the bark with his claws. His eyes stung from the flow tears leaving them, from regret for harming Scarlet and the unending madness that was driving him insane. Nothing made sense to him anymore. His mind felt like it was in a constant state of torment, wanting him to suffer through the worst of the worst.

Ryder dug a few inches into the tree with his claws before the rush of anger finally died down, only now replacing it in full force with the wave of tears he tried to hold off. He dropped to his knees and covered his face, crying into his scratched up hands.

"Why…What did I do…t-to deserve this…? Why…?" He collapsed onto his side and pulled his hood over his face, hiding away his shame.

The part of the forest he lay in was nearly vacant. Perhaps completely vacant of all the forest inhabitants, but there were a couple of faces watching the Charmeleon from the shadows.

Warp tapped his fingers together as he observed Ryder from atop a high tree branch, with Tarot sitting a level below him. "I'm starting to see what you saw in his mind, Tarot. He truly is losing himself to that madman's aura."

Tarot held her chin. "It's quite fascinating, if you ask me. The boss helped create one of the most unstoppable forces this world has never seen. To imagine what would've happened if the Darkmon survived." She narrowed her eyes. "It's Dark that poses the most concern. Out of all the Darkmon, he was the most…what's the word I'm looking forward?"

"Volatile," Warp filled in. "An unstable, unpredictable force of evil. Being born with the mind and skills of Ryder, he took on a corrupted version of him and molded it into that philosophy of his. But is that really Dark we're seeing?"

"No…it's only a part of him. As far as I know, all he can't do is directly control Ryder. So far, he can either affect his perception and senses…and provide certain conditions to unleash that…imperfect Awakened Evil."

Warp nodded. "Noted. Well, that just makes him stronger than we originally concluded. With enough time, his unwilling assistance will help us achieve Wrath's goals."

Tarot tilted her head. "Assuming he doesn't blow himself up in frustration…"

There was a great tension in the air after the brief conflict earlier. While everyone mostly returned to their activities, there wasn't the same vigor as earlier. Some were worried about Ryder after fleeing into the woods, though they knew he would return…at least, hopefully.

Buneary was with Scarlet, keeping her close as the little Pichu sniffled and tried to eat. She had a small adhesive bandage on her forehead. She had since calmed down and only lightly sniffled through her troubles. She ate her food quietly while Buneary did her best to keep her comfortable.

Pikachu watched from a distance near their trainers, alongside Oshawott, Jade, and Emolga. Pikachu gritted his teeth. "I should go look for him."

Jade shook her head. "Ryder's emotionally unstable right now. We'd probably make it worse if we went looking for him."

Oshawott growled and stamped his foot down. "This is all that stupid freak's fault! If he wasn't an apparition or whatever inside Ryder, I'd be pounding him into pancakes!"

Emolga held her chin and smirked. "I would love to see that after what went down in that last fight of theirs."

Oshawott glared at her. "Oh shut up…you know what I mean. I'm not crazy enough to fight Dark, but…grr, why is he torturing Ryder like this?! Is he that demented that he needs to make someone snap?!"

Jade sighed. "It's not even truly Dark. It's a part of his aura, taking on a form within Ryder's mind. A small piece of Dark's evil." Jade shook her head. "As far as I know, Ryder has never been physically harmed by this figment of Dark. Emotionally, however…"

Emolga held her hips. "You're saying your boyfriend might be crazy…"

"Ryder spent five years dealing with the Darkmon." Jade grimaced, imagining what that must have been like for him. From the very beginning of the forest's creation, Ryder and Dark exchanged a small part of their auras and ended up gaining unwanted traits from two polarizing life forces. Dark seemed to act like his usual self, but Ryder?

He wasn't the same Ryder she knew five years ago.

Jade clenched her eyes shut and fists tightly, restraining herself from tearing up. She took some deep breaths and sighed. In a quivering tone, she said, "Ryder needs this time off. For his sake. He needs to remember he isn't the creature Dark claims he is."

"But…Dark is Ryder, right?" Jade blinked, then looked over at Pikachu. His ears were drooped and arms were crossed over his chest. He looked at the ground with a solemn face. "Ryder explained it multiple times to me when we were in the forest." He faced the Flaaffy. "The Darkmon are corrupted Pokémon, right? If they needed our DNA to become whole, that means our counterparts are us. A corrupted version of us."

Jade's eyes narrowed. She bit her lip worriedly. "That's the idea…"

"Ryder is the only case like this, switching a piece of his aura with a Darkmon's. His counterpart, no less." Pikachu closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed…but I'd imagine that's taking a heavy toll on him. Dark is simply an evil version of Ryder. He has his smarts, his talent for battle, his persuasive attitude…just amped up and corrupted with a fresh coat of purple.

"If Dark's aura is having such an influence on his mind that it's causing him to see things that aren't there, why wouldn't he fear the possibility of turning evil?"

Jade grinded her teeth together angrily, but not directly at the Pikachu. His words stung, but only because that's exactly what she was worrying about. Ryder can be too stubborn for his own good, but now he's dealing with a situation that could fully well cost him the very principles he lived off.

She huffed her frustrations, then seated herself in the grass. She sighed in dejection. "I just wish I could help him…" Oshawott patted her back out of sympathy.

Since they've been talking so close to the trainers, they've also been thinking about the recent…situation. While they didn't have the full details, the humans were well aware Ryder ran off not too long ago and that Scarlet got hurt in the mess.

Ash frowned at the saddened Pokémon, then looked over at Buneary and Scarlet as they ate in peace. "The mood certainly got darker…"

Iris nodded. "Yeah…everyone isn't in high spirits anymore."

Cilan crossed his arms and closed his eyes, nodding to himself. "A dish cooked up without proper care, now of foul aroma, taste, and presentation." He opened his eyes and reflected the same mood as his friends. "Perhaps some cheering up is in order."

Iris grinned and stood up. "Yeah! Maybe some training will do it! Right, Ash?" She blinked at the raven-haired trainer, whose mind seemed to be off in another world. Iris glared and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello! Ash! You there?"

Ash shook himself awake and looked up. "Oh, uh…yeah, it could work." He stood up. "Still, we should probably make sure Ryder's okay. From the looks of things, I don't think he took hitting Scarlet all too well."

Iris frowned. "He has been awfully huffy on occasion."

Cilan nodded. "There are many ways to examine a dish by its taste. The sweet and bitter components often clash with each other if one overtakes the other."

Ash slipped his hands into his pockets and looked off towards the forest. "Maybe someone should go check on him and see if he's actually doing alright."

Cilan grinned and held his chin in typical Cilan fashion. "Well, as a Pokémon Connoisseur, I shall take to helping our new companion out of his unfortunate slump!" He spun around in a grandiose manner and exclaimed, "It's therapizing time!"

Ash and Iris blinked at him with wide eyes, then the dragon trainer groaned as she pushed the green haired man into a chair. "Yeeeah, maybe not this time…I don't think Ryder wants to hear anymore of your food metaphors."

"What's wrong with my metaphors?!" he shrieked.

Ash raised his hand, garnering their attention. "I'll go. I've dealt with these kinds of troubles before. Not…this one in particular, but I think I can talk to him."

Iris blinked, then held her chin. "Huh…guess you would be the best for this case."

Cilan nodded with firm eyes. "Agreed! Your bond with Pokémon would give you an edge in analyzing Ryder's conundrums."

Ash laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Analyzing isn't really my thing. I'm just going to do what I usually do."

Iris narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Ash…" she started in a warning tone. "You're not going to do anything reckless, are you?"

"Nah! I'll be fine!" He raced off into the forest. "I'll be back soon! I've still got training to get done!"

Iris and Cilan looked at each other, concerned, but hopeful the reckless trainer can actually help the complex mess that is Ryder.

Over with Buneary, she stayed quiet as the little Pichu eased her sorrows. She was glad Scarlet was finally eating and stopped crying, but the sadness in her eyes told the mother she wasn't completely over the ordeal. And she couldn't blame her for that. It was a shock to all of them that Ryder struck her without hesitance, even though they understood the circumstances behind it.

But Scarlet didn't. She legitimately believed Ryder attacked her for no reason. There was real fear in her eyes when she looked at the Charmeleon. Buneary had to wonder if what she saw was Ryder…or a reflection of the vile monster deep inside him.

Buneary kept her silence until she felt she was ready to speak to the toddler. She rubbed Scarlet's head and started gently with, "Sweetie…are you feeling better?"

"…mhmm…" she got out through closed lips, only to part as she ate another pellet.

"Does your head still hurt?"

"…it…stings…but no…"

Buneary nodded. "Okay…" She frowned a bit, worried about provoking her in midst of her sensitive state. "…Scarlet, Ryder…" She flinched as she felt her small body tense up at mention of the Charmeleon. She had to force herself to press on. "…Ryder…is very sorry about what he did…he really is…"

"…" Sniffles came again, but not a full wave of tears, thankfully. The Pichu turned herself around and stared at her mother with watery eyes. "Why…Why did U-Uncle W-W-Wydew hit me? I…did I do a bad? D-Does he not like me anymowe?"

Buneary shook her head and stroked the Pichu's floppy ear. "No, sweetie, no. Ryder doesn't hate you. He thinks you're a sweet, little angel. We all do." The rabbit grimaced, remembering what got the Charmeleon into this mess. "…Ryder has been under a lot of stress lately."

"Stwess?"

"It means…he's very tired and…sad." Buneary sighed. "What he did was wrong. He shouldn't have attacked you. However…we don't fault him for it. There's a saying among the humans and Pokémon: that hurt me more than it hurt you."

"W…W-What does that mean?"

"It means, even though you were the one who got hurt, Ryder suffered more from it." The rabbit closed her eyes. "Scarlet…Ryder is very, very different from most Pokémon. Pokémon like me, who traveled the road with other humans, compete in contests or battle in Pokémon Gyms. You know how we're traveling to the Pokémon League, right?"

Scarlet nodded stiffly. "U-Uncle Ash…keeps talking about it…"

Buneary smiled. "Exactly. That's what most trainers strive for." She then frowned. "Ryder's…different. He did used to do those things, but…then he went to this important place with…secret agents and stuff. He…trained harder than any Pokémon I've ever met. More than your own father, in fact."

"A-And?"

Buneary closed her eyes. "You remember that scary forest we were in? You were born in there."

Scarlet looked down and swayed around. "I…I don't know…"

"Well, regardless, Ryder was there for years trying to fight off these evil monsters that tried to hurt Daddy, me, and all of your friends. They weren't very nice…well, with some exceptions." She sighed and held the Pichu's cheeks. "It's too complicated to explain, but…those monsters are the reason Ryder isn't feeling well."

"I-Is he sick?"

A part of her wanted to say no, but another said otherwise. Ryder definitely wasn't sound of mind. "…something like that, I suppose." Buneary went on, "Ryder has been going through a lot recently. He won't be feeling well for a while. Maybe forever."

Scarlet looked down, then sniffled again. "So…Uncle Wydew…hit me…because he is angwy?"

Buneary cringed at the way that sounded. "N-No! No, no…well, yes, but…" Buneary sighed and rubbed her temples. "Scarlet, if he knew you were standing right in front of him when he lashed out, he'd sooner attack himself than lay a claw on you." She frowned. "We knew he wasn't feeling well, but he still insisted on speaking with you…"

"Why?" Scarlet rubbed her eyes and added, "You, Daddy, and Uncle Oshawott kept asking me questions…so did Uncle Wydew…"

Buneary blinked, then looked directly at her daughter. "…Scarlet? You didn't like getting hit did you?"

She shook her head. "No…" Her eyes watered again.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You were worried about him and wanted to make sure he was okay." She rubbed the Pichu's head. "You've got a kind heart. However…think about what you were doing when you were playing with Axew and Scraggy. You kept zapping them even though they weren't having fun."

Scarlet's eyes watered further. "I…I did do a bad?" Her voice sounded like it could break in two.

Buneary felt a lump forming in the back of her throat. She swallowed hard and focused. "Y-Yes…you did…do a bad. Axew and Scraggy weren't happy that you kept zapping them like that. It was wrong."

Scarlet sniffled. "But…don't you and Daddy fight all the time?"

'Wow! That sounds so wrong out of context!' Buneary pushed that thought away and laughed quietly. "Scarlet…we, as Pokémon, are born to grow through experience. Experience we gather through battle. It's part of our growth. When we battle, we're mentally prepared to fight at our best. When we need to survive, we put more effort into our attacks to deal more critical blows. However, when you're not prepared for a fight, those kinds of things can still hurt."

Scarlet rubbed her eyes again. "Uncle…Wydew said the same thing…"

Buneary nodded. "I'm sure he did. When you were zapping Axew and Scraggy, they weren't prepared to fight back. You were hurting them even though they did nothing wrong."

"…oh…" Scarlet looked down and held her feet as she wiggled them. "I'm…I'm sowwy…"

Buneary wrapped her arms around the Pichu and pulled her close. "It's okay. Now you know not to do it anymore." She kissed her head. "One day, you'll understand what battling is." She waved her hand around, emphasizing her tone, "Or, you know, perform in contests…not telling you what you should do, but…"

Scarlet hugged her mother back and nestled into her fluff. "…Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"…Uncle Wydew look weally sad…and angwy…why awe the monstews being mean to him? He did no bad…wight?"

Buneary narrowed her eyes. The Darkmon (the majority, at least) were unforgivable monsters. She knew Ryder did the right thing in destroying them for the better. And yet…a part of her wondered if that even mattered. Pikachu told her most of what happened when he fought that same demon that has been torturing Ryder for years. He sounded horrible just to listen to.

Dark's complex morality system was nothing she would side with, but good and evil seemed to be brought up a lot. Even after his victory, Ryder never seemed to take much pride in what he did. He was glad they were gone, but…he never seemed all too happy about it.

"…Scarlet…Ryder's going through a lot right now. Best to leave those questions for his ears only." She turned the Pichu around. "Now…finish eating. You should go play with Axew and Scraggy later."

"…awen't they mad at me?"

Buneary giggled and shook her head. "As long as you don't zap them again, they won't be. If you do…" She grabbed the Pichu by the sides and tickled her relentlessly. "The tickle monster will punish you!"

"EEE!" Scarlet squealed before bursting out into giggles. Buneary let her go, but kept her in her lap. "Heehee…okay, Mommy." Scarlet grabbed a pellet and ate with some semblance of her enthusiasm.

Buneary smiled in delight, happy some of her daughter's spark was reignited. She then frowned and gazed upon the woods. Now if only Ryder could do the same thing.

Completely motionless, sitting with his back against a scarred tree, Ryder quietly cried into his folded arms. Everything felt cold. The air, his blood, even his aura…he felt isolated in a never-ending misery, like Gabite circling and biting at his skin. It just wouldn't stop hurting.

He gripped the hand he used to strike Scarlet and dug his claws into it, not enough to draw blood, thankfully. If there was a time he wanted to redo everything, he would've stopped himself from attacking. In fact, if he had a redo, he would stop himself from losing the seed to the forest in that fall. All of this because he had to save a life.

He gritted his teeth and pushed the back of his head against the tree. "I just want to take it all back…"

A faint rustling came from nearby. Ryder chose to ignore it, wanting nothing more than to lie here and go to sleep or something. And yet, the faintness wasn't so faint anymore. Louder, the sound grew. Like a bush was being shook right against his ear.

He pressed his hands against the sides of his head and closed his eyes. I'm not hearing this…

A cold chill wrapped around his body. A cold mist brushed up to his ears, whispering sinister thoughts to him. Cruel deeds, malicious intentions, harsh behavior; all manner of evil that he despised. He bared his teeth and desperately tried to push the voices out of his mind. They were persistent.

Shut up…just shut up…

His laughter was still fresh in his mind. That annoying laughter of superiority laced with the vilest of venom. He could feel his red eyes piercing through his soul. His felt his presence clawing away inside his mind, trying to escape.

You fear me…fear losing control. Keep telling yourself you're not evil, Ryder. It only makes your fall so much sweeter.

Ryder growled furiously. His aura blazed to life around him, rustling the grass with the pressure. He dug his claws into the tree and dragged them through the bark. Stop it…stop it!

Footsteps drew closer. A presence closed in on him. His mind was too much of a storm to detect who it was. He just wanted to be alone. He wanted them all to go away. He didn't want to hurt anyone else.

I'm not a monster…I'm not a monster…I'm not evil…

"Ryder?"

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" Without thinking, he swung his arm and fired an Aura Sphere behind him. He half-inspected it to be another phantom, but the surprised gasp alerted him that it was not.

The explosion detonated and the figure was thrown back. He caught himself on his legs and stood his ground, having raised his arms to block the attack. Ryder immediately stood up and held his head in shock when the smoke cleared.

It was Ash.

The trainer had light burns on his arms, with mild scuff marks on his cheeks. His hat was blown off in the explosion, resting by his feet. His expression was scrunched up, almost like he was in pain.

Ryder backed into the tree and covered his face. His heart was pounding heart inside his ribcage as he dropped to his knees. "No…no, no! I didn't mean to-!"

His mind was swirling with thoughts. He expected Ash to yell at him or call him out for his poor, uncontrolled behavior. He wanted to lock himself away and never hurt anyone again.

Instead, Ash just…laughed?

Before the waterworks broke out, Ryder raised his head and looked to the trainer in bafflement as he laughed wholeheartedly. A genuine laugh like he was in good spirits.

Did I give him a concussion or something?!

Ash eased up and patted his arms down. "Phew! Man, you pack quite the punch, Ryder! It's too bad you can't help my Pokémon train for the league. We'd have a pretty good shot with someone like you coaching us!"

Once Ryder finally calmed his racing heart, it only now occurred to him who he was looking at. Ash Ketchum, the kid from Pallet Town who has thrown himself into more danger than any trainer alive. He could give Ryan a run for his money with the crazy stunts they pulled off.

Ryder wiped his eyes, then stared up at the raven-haired trainer hesitantly. "Wait…y-you're not mad at me?"

"Ha, as if!" Ash jabbed his thumb at himself. "You know how many times I've been hit with Pikachu's Thunderbolt? I can take anything!" He held his hips and laughed. "But man, that Aura Sphere of yours is awesome! So cool to see someone other than a Lucario or Riolu use it!"

Ryder leaned back onto his rear and allowed himself to breathe a heavy, yet relieved sigh. I should've figured. Ash Ketchum, of all people…

"You think you can teach Pikachu to use it?" Ash asked.

Ryder smiled weakly. "Eh…maybe take it one step at a time, alright?" He sighed and hugged his legs close to his chest, staring at the ground despondently.

Ash stared at the Charmeleon for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside him. He folded his arms behind his head and stared up into the trees. "Just so you know…Scarlet's doing fine."

"That's good…"

"She still seems a bit shook about what happened. Don't really blame her, you know?"

"She probably hates me…"

Ash patted him in the back. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure she'll be back to her happy-go-lucky self after a good meal. Always cheers me up!"

Ryder laughed quietly, his face still twisted in regret. "Wishful thinking…" He narrowed his eyes. He scratched at his knee numbly. "…I'm putting everyone in danger."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." Ryder sighed. "Ash, understand that I'm a walking time bomb of rage and evil inside. Dark's egregious misdeeds will be the end of me." He held his face. "I feel like I'm slowly turning into him. His thoughts are driving me up the wall. To see I could physically harm someone, a child no less, I fear I might be losing a part of my sanity." He gritted his teeth. Tears dripped down his face. "And I don't know what to do."

Ash stared at him for a moment, then looked forward. Not much he could say on the matter. Aside maybe that one time at the Battle Pyramid and being possessed by that Pokélantis king, Ash doesn't have much experience being corrupted by an inner darkness. Even then, that example was completely external from him.

Ryder's stuck with his for the rest of his life.

Doing the best he could do, Ash said, "Tell me more about Dark."

Ryder looked up at him with tears staining his cheeks. "W…What?"

"Yeah, you know, tell me everything about Dark. I only met the guy once, right before you…exploded him. What was it like dealing with him?"

Ryder wasn't sure where the raven-haired trainer was going with this, but it's not like he had any better options. Besides, now thinking it over, there was a lot about Dark that can be said. He was the Charmeleon's shadow come to life. They were practically twins.

"…Dark is the version of me that was born evil. The corrupted version of me that I swore never to become." Ryder hugged himself. "Five years spent trying to keep his evil suppressed to that forest…it takes its toll on the mind. Dark isn't like most creatures. He's…something else. Something more than the Darkmon as a whole. Dangerous, powerful, malevolent…and idealistic.

"The more I look into it, and the further I hear others' interpretations of the Darkmon, I start to see what Team Rocket really created." Ryder narrowed his eyes. "No one is truly born evil…hardly ever a case. It's a choice we make as we experience life. Good…is keeping that order of balance so that we don't feel subjected to the torment.

"Team Rocket didn't just create evil Pokémon…they asked themselves a question: what would happen if Pokémon were born evil? And…the Darkmon were the answer." He gritted his teeth. "The Darkmon are hardly clones…they're our counterparts. What we would've become if we were born to be vile, malevolent, and overly selfish.

"So…looking at Dark…and having to suppress his forces for so long…" Ash could see the tension in Ryder's muscles. "I stopped seeing Dark as my enemy…and saw him as my reflection." He pressed his claws into his skin. "I was beginning to believe Dark and I…aren't so different after all."

Ash blinked at him with his expression barely changing. "…Is that so?"

Ryder nodded. "…I'm afraid…of accepting I have a dark side." He held up his claws and stared at them. "Everyone has one…that part of them they refuse to unleash because they fear the consequences. A selfish and greedy nature, a bitter persona, or…an inner darkness that persuades you to step out of the boundaries of your own moral code.

"Dark's trying to see how long I can last against his constant torment before I give in to my own anger. I'll keep rejecting it until he sees I cannot be broken." He sighed and drooped his face into his folded arms. "…Never going to happen, though. He'll keep…trying and trying…until I give up…"

Ash propped his knee up and rested his arms atop of it. "I see…" He looked up at the leaves as he contemplated the Charmeleon's issues. "I can understand where you're coming from. With your profession, I imagine there are lines you refuse to cross. Can't say I have the guts to do the unthinkable like…take a life."

Ryder grimaced at the thought. Dark, despite never taking a life himself, wouldn't hesitate to show his merciless nature. "Yeah…"

"Though…" Though? What does he mean, though? "…if we're being completely honest, you did have to cross a line to take out Dark and the whole forest."

Ryder gritted his teeth. 'This again.' "I mean…yeah, but…"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "You knew what Dark would do if he won, right? We all got off lucky when the sun came up." He held Ryder's shoulder. "If you didn't step up and let go of your morals, maybe Dark would've gotten away and won."

The Charmeleon gulped uncomfortably. "You…think so…?"

The trainer shook his head. "Well, not exactly. I did say 'maybe.' I don't know what could've happened." He smiled. "But…I do know you helped us win by letting go and cutting loose. You forgot your morals, yes, but…you kept enough consciousness to remember why."

A long pause of silence came between them, as the Charmeleon looked at the ground in deep thought. He remembered how bitter and cold he was when beating Dark. In that first moment, he felt like he surpassed the Darkmon, only to discover it was pointless. If Dark were at full strength, there was no telling if Final Focus would be able to keep up.

Despite his better nature, he ignored all that over the idea of complete extermination of the Darkmon. A case like the late Koda then told him the Darkmon weren't above good morals. Ryder could still see the traces of evil in Koda's personality, though, despite all his fun-loving nature. He just…chose to focus those cruel thoughts in his mind to be a better Darkmon.

Was Dark above such a thought?

Ryder narrowed his eyes for a moment, then pulled from his thoughts as Ash stood up. "Leaving?"

"Nope!" He patted his pants of grass, then walked forward and faced the Charmeleon. "Alright, I'm ready!"

"Ready? For what?"

Ash parted his legs and raised his fists. "Fight me!"

"Excuse me?!" Maybe he did give Ash a concussion.

"I always thought the best way to let some steam loose is to do some exercise! Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Are you crazy?! I'm not attacking you!" Ryder shot to his feet. "Besides, why YOU?!"

"Well, no offense, but I think you should cool it with opening fire on trees." Ryder eased up a bit. "You know other Pokémon live here, right?"

Ryder looked around, then flinched at the scorch marks spread across the nearby trees, as well as the large chucks of wood that was scattered around. He completely forgot he did all of this in his rage.

"Oh…"

Ash pounded his chest. "Come on, I'm wide open! Take your best shot!"

"You really want me to punch you?"

"I've taken worse! Besides, it'll be good for you."

Ryder narrowed his eyes, then looked at his fist. The dark aura born from his imagination shimmered over his fist. He could see his skin turning the color of Dark's. He flinched at the sight and covered the fist, then glared back at Ash and his optimistic smile.

Funny…this reminded him of training with Ryan…

Ryder closed his eyes, then stood up. "Fine…" He pushed his foot back. "I'll try and take it easy on you…"

Ash laughed. "Give me everything you've got!"

Ryder bent his knees and glared. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Since he was still partially recovering, he wasn't moving or hitting as hard as he normally did. Either way, he sprung at the raven-haired trainer and threw a strong punch against his guard. Ash gritted his teeth, a bit thrown back by Ryder's strength. He has seen up close what the Charmeleon was capable of.

And it excited him.

Ash stumbled back, but kept his footing as he laughed. "Nice one! Come on, keep them coming!"

Ryder's glare softened before lunging at the trainer again, this time throwing two punches and a kick against him. Ash adjusted to Ryder's strength and braced himself with more preparation. They still threw him back, but he managed to land on his feet fine. Ryder leaped off the side of a tree and dive-kicked Ash, who threw his arms up to block.

The Charmeleon jumped back and bounced off another tree, this time flying into Ash with his Aerial Ace. The force dragged Ash's feet through the dirt while Ryder rapidly struck him. Ash kept grinning all the way through.

Ryder narrowed his eyes as purple sparks flew over his body. His eyes went in and out of a red glow. 'Use that power, Ryder. Unleash that anger and evil. Realize your destiny. We are one in the same.'

Ryder growled. 'I'm…nothing like you!' He spun and slammed his leg into Ash's block, throwing the trainer back.

Ash rolled across the ground, but landed on his knees. "Phew…" He stood up and raised his guard again. "Now we're talking!"

Ryder sprinted with his fists balled. "Grr!" He struck at the trainer's guard furiously, as the dark whispers continued to tempt his better nature. The more they tempted, the angrier he got resisting them. 'Concentrate! Concentrate! Don't let him get to you!'

Ash noticed that Ryder's hand was lighting up with aura. 'Oh boy…' He quickly sidestepped the punch, feeling the strong breeze it carried along. Ash smirked. "That's the spirit, Ryder! Let all that anger out!"

Ryder sprung backwards and landed a strong kick to the trainer's chest. He was thrown back, but caught himself on his hands and feet, back facing the ground. He plopped onto his rear and sighed with a light smile, then jumped to his feet. Ryder rushed down Ash with a sharp elbow strike, which he had time to block.

"How you feeling?" Ash asked.

Ryder jumped back and glared lightly. His head was pounding with more of those dark whispers, but they seemed to be lessening with each punch. It seemed the trainer was onto something. It was helping him relieve a lot of the tension building up. It felt much more tolerable to deal with.

"…Better, actually." Ryder lunged and struck Ash's guard again, this time with a flurry of punches.

Ash kept on the defense as the volley of strikes pushed him back. He could feel his arms slowly starting to ache, but it was far from the worst he suffered. He could see the Charmeleon gradually burning through steam, which was all he wanted from this exercise.

With one final attack, Ryder gave a fist with all he could and knocked Ash off his feet. The trainer slammed his back into a tree and slumped onto his rear, groaning. "Ooh…man…you certainly pack a punch…"

Ryder panted lightly, then massaged his fists. "Yeah…" His face softened. "I didn't hurt you too badly, right?"

Ash stood up and waved it off. "Nah." His arms were a bit scuffed, but they were treatable. "I'd say you're looking much better than earlier."

"I suppose…" Ryder flinched as purple sparks flew up his body. "B-But…it only relieved my stress for now…I'm still not feeling one hundred percent." He glared. "I can feel him clawing around inside."

"Maybe you should see a doctor about it," Ash suggested.

"I doubt Nurse Joy is trained in this sort of stuff." He sighed, then smiled at the trainer. "Thanks for…at least helping out."

Ash smiled back, then got serious. "The others are worried about you. You should come back with me."

Ryder rubbed his arm. "Not sure I'm ready to see Scarlet after hitting her like that."

"Hey, she likes you. She wouldn't hold a grudge against you."

"You don't know that…"

Ash bent down and held his shoulder. "Hey…I get it. You've been dealing with a lot of badness for a long time. I get that you're not…totally in the right headspace. You should at least acknowledge you have friends to help you. I'd imagine Jade's waiting for you to come back."

Ryder gritted his teeth. "…I don't like worrying her…" He closed his eyes. "I…she's right. I shouldn't be dealing with this on my own…" He looked down at his feet with glossy eyes. "…I need serious help…maintaining this…evil inside…"

"Then maybe you should stop running from it and start confronting it head on." Ash grinned. "You don't want to run away from a battle, right?"

Ryder blinked, then held his head with an annoyed smile coming to him. "You…are too stubborn for your own good…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "…I'm done running…"

Moments after, Ash and Ryder returned to camp. Iris and Cilan immediately ran to them to see if they were alright. Ash held his hands up and smiled. "It's all good, guys. I got Ryder to let off a little steam, that's all."

Iris grabbed his arm and raised it high, making him wince. "Then what's with all these bruises on your arm?!"

"Hehe…right, about that…well, I sort of had a spar with him…"

Iris groaned and facepalmed. "You're…ugh, you know what? I don't have the energy to say it…" She dragged him to their table. "Come on, we're getting you patched up!"

"I-Iris, I'm fine!" Ash whined.

Cilan laughed to himself, then looked down at the reserved Charmeleon, who seemed to find interest with the ground. The connoisseur crouched down and gave a friendly pat to his shoulder, which got him the Charmeleon's undivided attention, for as miserable as he looked. "You gave the others quite the scare, you know."

"…I'm sorry."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." Cilan stood up and joined over with Ash and Iris.

Ryder looked forward and saw his closest friends in a group, looking his way. They smiled, happy to see he was back. Though, at the front, Jade had her arms crossed and was giving him that stern look that told him he was going to get really, really hurt or lectured to the heavens. He sighed and advanced towards his impending fate.

Once stopping before them, he looked to them with glossy eyes. "…Guys, I-"

"Uh-buh-buh!" Jade interrupted. Her glare deepened. "Do you know how worried sick I was?" Ryder looked away guiltily. Jade sighed, then pulled him into a hug. "…If it were anyone else, it would've looked bad. You…You aren't well."

"…I know…"

She pulled away and nodded firmly. "Good. Glad we got that established."

Ryder glanced at Pikachu and Buneary, noticing that Scarlet wasn't with them. "…Where is she?"

Pikachu rubbed his head. "She's napping." He closed his eyes. "…She's still pretty shaken about what happened. I'm…sure she's not mad at you, but…she might be a little-"

"-scared?"

Buneary flinched, but ultimately nodded. "Y-Yeah…"

Ryder closed his eyes, then took a deep breath. "…I need serious help controlling my rage. Dark's influence is going to kill me or everyone around me if I don't get a handle on it. I…just can't understand him."

Jade held his shoulders. "It's alright…we'll figure something out. Just…please, no more hiding this from us. We want to help you."

Ryder's lip quivered, unable to hold back the tears. He sniffled, then wrapped Jade into a tight hug, pressing his face into her soft wool. "I'm s-sorry…" his voice cracked. "I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry…"

Jade patted his back. "It's okay, Ryder…trust in us. You will never become like Dark. You have our word." The others nodded, giving him their reassurance through warm, inviting smiles. They were going to help him through this, no matter what.

Ryder pulled away and wiped his tears. He smiled gratefully at each of them as the tears fell. "Thank you…all of you…"