Chapter One: Sparks

"I taught you how to use this Snag Machine. It's the only, and I repeat, THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE. The next time I catch you pushing random buttons for your own damn amusement, the consequences won't be so pretty. You answer me, Gonzap, and you obey me without any question, any at all! Is that clear, pretty boy? Is that clear?"

He gasped, closing his eyes, willing himself not to cry. The unsaid rule permeated itself everywhere in this building.

No crying.

He sniffed and nodded weakly.

"I want your word, you lazy ass," Gonzap snarled. "I want your word. Prove to me that you aren't a mute idiot. Prove to me that you're worth what you said you were worth when you offered your services. I don't care how old you are, you could be eighty for all I care, I'd treat you the same way. Answer me!"

"Yes, master," he whimpered. For Rayquaza's sake, he was only seven. He didn't deserve this…he didn't think he did…

Gonzap threw him onto the floor. He shrieked with pain as he landed hard on his right arm. Thank goodness that wasn't his snagging arm. He pushed himself up and looked up at Gonzap, who now towered over him like a hulking, hungry monster. He shivered. He was so afraid.

"Mark my words, you fail me one more time, I'll stomp the living daylights out of you and scrape your remains off the ground and fry them on a stove and serve you up for dinner," Gonzap warned dangerously. "You may be a very talented Snagger, and you are, I will commend you for that, but there's no disobeying the great Gonzap, head of Team Snagem. You listen to me, and no one else! Your own filthy weak heart has no say in what I tell you to do. I tell you to snag, you snag. I tell you to surrender, you surrender. I tell you to kick, you kick. I tell you to go, you go. I tell you to kill…you kill. Pretty boy, you got that?"

"Yes master," he replied quietly, lowering his head. "Yes, master."

"Good." A cruel smile curled Gonzap's lip. "Now that you've had that pounded good into you, it's about time I take you to get yourself the Snagger's mark. It'll mark you as one of Snagem's Snaggers…and it'll make sure that if you escape, I'll know who you are."

Wes awoke and cried out with pain. He felt his face, expecting to feel blood as it trickled down his cheeks.

There was nothing.

His closest pals, Espeon and Umbreon, leapt onto the bed next to him, nuzzling him gently.

"Espiuuuuu," Espeon purred ("It was just a dream, little one.").

"Umbri umbri briuuuu," added Umbreon gently ("Relax, no one will hurt you here.").

He petted them gently on the heads. "Thank you, Sunny and Stellaluna…" He sighed, trying to slow his panting, quick breaths.

He pressed a switch that turned on the dim lightbulb that hung bare on the ceiling. "1:38 AM," he whispered to himself. "It sure is early to be up, huh. Goddammit all, this place," he swore harshly.

"Espi," chided Espeon lightly ("Gonzap treats you like a son nowadays.").

"I know, but it's just to keep me riding along, isn't it? Why am I even here? Now that I'm thinking…why? Why am I here? There is nothing…nothing at all. Nothing except the shattered memories of Pokémon and their owners. The lives I ruined forever. The Pokémon I ruined forever. Their hearts have been locked away and now what? Sunny, you too. And you, Stellaluna. You two were so instrumental that Gonzap promised that he'd never take you two away from me. Always helping me with the snagging job, that's what you two always did. For what? Isn't it wrong, Sunny? Isn't it wrong, Stellaluna? I can't help but think…oh…what have I done?" Wes lay back down, willing himself once more to not cry. To not break that unspoken rule. Living in Orre was tough. The conditions in this bone dry desert were too forbidding for any Pokémon to live here. It was harsh living even for people.

"Why am I here?" he croaked again, feeling an oncoming wave of tears.

"Espi espi piuuu," Espeon said ("So that your mom and dad can live and have food to eat.").

"Umbri!" cried Umbreon ("But is it right to steal just to save someone else?").

"Are my memories even correct?" Wes asked. "It's all a blur to me. I can hardly even remember what my parents look like, and I should. I saw them for the first six years of my life, hell, I'm supposed to remember these things. What's wrong with me? I can't even remember where I found you two. All I know is that you were both lonely Eevee and I rescued you…but how? Where?" He put his head in his hands. "And now I'm here and I have no idea what happened to me. This is a shitty hellhole, this all is."

"Piuuu," murmured Espeon ("This is what Team Snagem does to you.").

"I made a shitty decision, didn't I? I could have found a job trying to pump water into Phenac City's fountains. Or even working at a Poke Mart or a Poke Center. And what am I doing here? Being a Snagger, stealing away other trainers' most beloved Pokémon. Their partners. Their best friends. I don't know what I'd do if you two were taken away from me, yet here I am taking away Pokémon from others. Aren't I just a wonderful person now." Wes punched the wall.

Umbreon crawled up underneath his arm and nuzzled his cheek. Wes could tell by the look in his eyes just what he was thinking. Such was the tightness of the bond that Wes shared with his dear Espeon and Umbreon—just one look in the eye, just hearing the voice, and each could easily tell what the other was thinking. Wes cherished it, but the guilt refused to leave him. Ten years' worth of snagging. That was a lot of guilt to deal with. With some effort, he tucked it back away deep inside him, somewhere that he could never ever try to reach unless forced to, and he began to think again.

"I can't just leave, you know," said Wes at last, and Espeon looked up with amazement. "I have to leave…an impression." At this Umbreon snickered, and Wes allowed himself a very rare smile. "I have access to the weaponry room. They have bombs there. Small bombs that can devastate entire buildings. Set off by the press of a button. It's nighttime, Sunny. Why don't we go and check it out? Stellaluna, you come along too. It's not too late to leave, and never too early to start planning."

They rushed off down the stairs and took an elevator down into the basement. A humongous Snag Machine stood upon the wire skeleton of a human. A smaller, more portable version was strapped to that skeleton's shoulder and wrapped down in the form of small red wire to the second part of the contraption that was like a piece of armor. It wrapped around the wrist and also seemed to shield the top part of the hand, but really, that was where the Poke ball would come out of, ready to snag. It was blue, Wes's favorite color.

Wes searched around elsewhere as well and found to his delight the drawer of remote-controlled bombs. He took two one, one small and one big. The small one could easily destroy the Snag Machine, and the big one would lay waste to the entire hideout.

"To hell with all those little peons," he muttered. "They won't die." He lay the small bomb right next to the Snag Machine and then briefed Umbreon on what he had in mind. He was master at coming up with clever plans on the spot. After all, they were required when going on snagging expeditions.

"Stellaluna, I can't take this Snag Machine with me just yet because it'll take too long to put on. Plus, when it comes off the big Snag Machine beeps to alert everyone else in this stupid hideout, meaning I'd get caught before I could move. So when this bomb hits zero, rip it off fast as you can, okay? I can't risk it getting broken in any way. If I'm going to leave Team Snagem, I'm taking this thing with me so they can't ever snag any Pokémon ever again." Umbreon nodded and then Wes added, "I'll already be on the run, dropping the larger bomb in the main entrance for maximum destruction. Catch up to me and meet me by my one-wheeled motorbike. That's the biggest, fastest one I have and it'll get me places quick. Go it? Remember, timing is everything, but I know you can do it Stellaluna. You've pulled off far more difficult tricks before."

Wes turned to Espeon, who was also eagerly awaiting instructions. "Espeon, stay by my side. Distract any of the peons and Gonzap who look like they're about to grab me with a quick little Confusion. You can do that, I know you can."

"Piu," mewled Espeon shortly ("Of course.").

"Okay, get ready to roll." Wes tossed the smaller bomb right onto the head of the larger Snag Machine and whispered under his breath. "Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five… four…three…two…Stellaluna, now!"

BOOM!

Just like that Wes ran for his life as he heard screams and yells above him.

"What just happened?"

"Oh my God, the basement exploded!"

The wall was completely shattered. Wes stepped easily out of it as he ran and then made a beeline for the door. He saw several peons approach him, but they quickly fell unconscious with a little mental poke from Espeon. He smiled. "Good going Espeon, keep it up!"

He found his motorbike sitting outside the hideout, untouched and still in fine working condition. He was glad that Gonzap hadn't had the mind to break it in half, which didn't seem impossible for someone like Gonzap.

Umbreon bounded up to him, barking loudly and dropping the Snag Machine into the side car.

"Great, sweetie," cooed Wes. He saw Gonzap step outside the hideout, his face a mask of hatred and anger. Umbreon and Espeon settled into the hovering side car and as Wes started up the motorbike, several peons attempted to catch him. Too late. Wes laughed aloud with exhilaration as he began to speed away. Before he forgot, he whipped out a remote and pressed the big, red button.

Clouds of dust roared to life and swirled around the hideout, followed by the loudest explosion Wes had ever heard. He winced as he drove away.

"Fuck you Gonzap," he muttered.

It was 2:30 AM. He had been driving straight south for an hour. He was growing tired and his headlight batteries, already low on power, were now on the verge of dying, causing the light to flicker every now and then. Wes decided that this wasn't very safe so he parked the motorbike underneath a rocky formation that formed a sort of natural shelter. It also would help shield him from the view of others. Espeon and Umbreon curled up next to him to keep him warm. Rayquaza knew how cold Orre could get at night in stark contrast to the steaming temperatures of the day. For once Wes was thankful for his attire: a long-sleeved blue trench coat with some built-in chest/shoulder armor and tight but very warm black pants. Or leggings. Whatever they were. He didn't know, but they were comfortable. He took off his black platform shoes, which were almost like boots except they ended right above his ankle, and let his bare feet bury themselves in the sand.

3:00 AM. Wes couldn't sleep. He screwed up his mind, stretched his brain as far as it could go, trying to remember.

Remember his past.

Come on, Wes. Your parents were poor and in an attempt to support them, you left house when you were only six.

Six?

That doesn't make much sense.

But you know you've been with Team Snagem at least since you were seven, if not younger. So what then?

But how you have crossed Hoenn to Orre when you were only six? You're too little for that…but then..sometimes circumstances cause even the little ones to grow up far too fast. So who knows?

Wes clutched his head in his hands. He was suffering from a rather painful headache now. These headaches ailed him every now and then and at seemingly random occurrences, but this time he was pretty sure he had given it to himself by thinking so hard.

The pain was overwhelmingly agonizing. When had it ever hurt this bad? He heard himself moan quietly and then heard a purr as Espeon looked up in concern. She nudged her brother, Umbreon, awake, and they both cuddled against him, mewling with worry.

Wes's vision melted into red. All he could see was red. Red, flowing like the ocean, spattering a wall, then tumbling back like a tsunami and spilling over the land. The crimson stains were everywhere. He wanted to balk, to cover his eyes, but he was forced to look.

And he tumbled into the world of dreaming.

"There's a small village near Crescent Ridge, the mountainous area that separates the great lake from Orre, which marks the boundary that leads into Hoenn. There's a particular family there that has resided there ever since Orre was settled, and they…are special."

There was mocking in his voice.

He looked at two of his most trusted commanders. "Damien and Timitria. You two have been entrusted with a very crucial mission. Go to Crescent Ridge and to go the village there. It's right in the middle of Crescent Ridge's tallest mountain and it's aptly called Middle Crescent Village. Find their house, it's easily the biggest one there from the research of my trusted scout…" The strange figure cloaked in darkness petted the head of his Salamence, who purred with delight. "…Bring their little child back here. I have replacement parents already ready to take on a new responsibility…to raise that child away from any awareness of power or shift. Remember, Middle Crescent Village. For a long time now, it has been predicted by Fateen and many other mystics and seers that the shifter would be the doom of us all. I can't let that happen."

"Master, we will succeed," said Timitria coldly, bowing. She eyed Damien and then said in a sharp voice, "Let's go. The helicopter is waiting. We will land at the base of Crescent Ridge and climb up from there using our Shadow Pokémon and the captive experiment of our Code: XD001 Project. It will be all but too easy to take the child."

The man turned to a small boy that was sitting on the Salamence. "Little boy, I want you to befriend the child. Teach the child about how great Team Snagem is, teach the child about Shadow Pokémon and how they are but another form of art, of beauty. Then the child will be taken far, far away to Hoenn so that any awareness of Orre and of lineage shall vanish."

"Master."

The man picked up his cellphone and answered in a gruff, annoyed voice, "Yes?"

"The child has grandparents in Agate Village."

"And?"

Timitria sounded even more annoyed now. "What will we do if the grandparents wish to see their grandchild? We can't have them knowing what we've done. We must work undercover."

"Well if you know where they live, make sure you can introduce the little child to his…or her…grandparents."

"Wouldn't that destroy the point of our brainwashing?"

"Timitria, Agate Village is so far away and is always in its own little world. How will they know of the doings of Team Snagem, hm?"

"Very well, master. I will do as such." The man turned to the little boy. "Remember, little Wes, destroy that child's identity. Destroy any sense of individuality and humanity still residing in that child's heart. Teach him (or her) that he (or she) is nothing but a thing. A thing. And make sure it sticks."

Espeon was nudging Wes over and over again. "Espi?" she asked worriedly ("Are you okay?").

"I'm fine, little Sunny," Wes whispered back. Umbreon nodded in acknowledgement but seemed to be wondering what had happened.

"I met a girl once. She was little, very little. Been stolen from her parents so that she'd be raised amidst Snagem. But the flaw in the plan was her grandparents, who had maintained strong contact with her real parents. I remember…belittling her." The memories came back. They didn't help him unravel anything before Team Snagem, but now he knew something more. "I slapped her around, made her do all the little cleaning tasks for me. Then a week later she was whisked off to Hoenn by her 'parents'. She always had a smile on her face though. Looked so happy to be my little slave. But behind her eyes…her eyes were always very sad. As if she missed her past life, a life that would never return to her." Wes sighed. "If only I could meet her again, I'd give anything to apologize."

"Umbri," murmured Umbreon ("Who knows, fate is a curious thing…").

"Indeed," agreed Wes. "She was such a fragile little thing…but so happy. Happy all the time, and still so sad. Always grieving about something. Were her parents killed?"

"Espiuuu," said Espeon ("Enough thinking, Wisteria, sleep").

"Don't call me that, Sunny," chided Wes. "That name…that isn't my real name. That can't be. I was named Wes."

Espeon mewled under her breath in contradiction and Umbreon nodded, as if agreeing with Espeon.

"Espi espi esp," explained Espeon quietly ("Once, your name was Wisteria, for the gentle flower that grows upon the vine.").

"How do you know?" Wes asked incredulously.

"Umbriuuuu," replied Umbreon ("We remember.").

"Oh, Sunny, Stellaluna, please tell me!" Wes begged in a pleading voice. "I need to know, I need to know…"

"Espi espeon." ("No, it isn't in our position to tell.")

Umbreon purred in agreement ("You must learn of your own past.").

Wes sighed. "Very well, you two. But…that girl…she…has appeared in my dreams so often now. Perhaps I might see her again. But what will she look like? Will she still have those beautiful eyes? Those beautiful, sad, grieving eyes? Will she still have her red hair? Her innocence? Her naivety? Now that I think about it, I can remember so much, yet I remember so little. The details seem faded now…am I even correct?"

Espeon and Umbreon didn't reply, but instead curled up next to him and fell promptly asleep.

Wes lay down, using his Snag Machine as a substitute pillow, and found that he really was tired.

It was 3:30 AM already.

"Honey, we have to go on a business trip to Orre."

Rui sighed, playing those words over and over again in her head. They were CONSTANTLY on business trips. Italics didn't even convey the point here. Bold, underlined italics would. It was to the point where they were out of the house more often than in the house.

And now here she was in Pyrite Town, expected to get to her grandparents' house in Agate Village somehow without actually getting killed. She figured it'd been a bad idea anyways to get dropped off here, but heck, that farmer had fresh produce aimed for Pyrite Town. What else should she have done? Insisted that he take her to Agate? No way, that was never going to happen.

"Hey babe, wanna go out with me tonight?"

Rui whirled around and spotted a bodybuilder, approaching her with a very voracious stare in his eyes. She shuddered. She wasn't exactly dressed in a suggestive way, with a jean jacket over a purple shirt that covered her midriff, thank you very much, along with a skirt that went halfway down her thighs—okay maybe it was a bit short but what could she do?—and knee high boots. She also had a necklace with a crescent moon as a pendant. It was a present from Grandpa Eagun.

"Come with me to my house. There's a nice soft bed, baby, and I can rock your world just fine…"

"No thanks," replied Rui quickly.

"Oh, I don't take no as an answer. You're coming with me!"

Rui took off down the alleyway. Where was the hotel? She had been heading towards it and as luck would have it, she was hopelessly lost…

Oh, there it was.

She pulled open the door and rushed in, panting. "May I have a room for the night?" she asked as fast as she could. "Preferably without any people in it?" she added. "I'm on a trip on my own."

The receptionist nodded. "Room 101 is open. Here's the key. That will be 100 Poke for the night."

Rui forked over the money. Her parents had given her 10,000 Poke, so she still had tons left to spare. She sighed and walked down the hall, pulling open the hotel room door and flopping on the soft bed.

Only to hear screams outside.

She peeked out the window, her unrelenting curiosity pushing her into an upright position to get a better look. Slowly she opened the window and pushed it up so that she could hear what was going on.

The Duel Square was brightly lit and a small little boy was battling a very vicious-looking…Makuhita?

She gasped, her eyes wide with terror. What was wrong with the Makuhita? It was surrounded by a black, evil aura. She reached out to its heart…

The Makuhita's heart was closed. All emotion was gone. This Makuhita only wanted to win, to attack and win, regardless of who the victim was.

The little boy's own Mareep was wrestling inside a very evil-looking Poke ball. How could the trainer just steal away a Pokémon and feel no guilt for it? As the Mareep lost her own fight and the boy was beginning to lose his, Rui finally lost it. She tore out of the room and ran down to Duel Square, screaming, "Stop! Makuhita, stop!"

Everyone turned around.

"Hey hot chick," said the owner of that strange Makuhita. "Shut up or I'll rape you."

"Stop it!" she begged. "The little boy's had enough! Why are you using that Makuhita to attack him? Can't you see that he's already lost? And why are you stealing away his precious little Pokémon? That's wrong!" She eyed him ferociously, rage bubbling in her veins. "Besides…what's with the Makuhita anyways? It's got a very strange aura about it…and it has no emotion whatsoever…you've done something to him, haven't you?"

Just like that, the trainer's eyes flared. "What…what did you say? Strange aura? Hot chick, you know too much. How did you damn figure it out?"

"What do you mean?" Suddenly Rui felt like she should be scared.

"Go on, Makuhita. Finish him," sneered the trainer. Then he rounded on Rui. "Hot chick, you better keep your mouth shut. I don't know how you knew about the art of Shadow Pokémon, and I don't know how you see them, but one peep out of you and—,"

"NO!" screamed Rui as the boy toppled over the cliff. "No, no, that's…how dare you!"

The trainer approached her dangerously. "Hot chick. Listen to me. Shut up." He got out some handcuffs and Rui realized that she had said too much.

"I'm gonna get you back to the boss and shut you up for good!" he shouted, chasing after her.

It was no good. The trainer tackled Rui to the ground. She shrieked with pain but was cut off as her head was slammed into the concrete of Pyrite Town and blackness consumed her.

"Espiiiiii!"

Wes groaned, stretching out his stiff legs and forcing himself to stand up. Despite having gotten maybe seven or eight hours' worth of rest the past night, he was still perpetually exhausted. He yawned, flinging his arms back.

"Ugh…well, good morning to you two," he muttered.

Espeon rubbed against his leg and Umbreon barked.

"I guess we'd better get going, eh?" Wes flung open the small "trunk" in the back of his motorbike (it was more like a small compartment, really) and took out a rolled up piece of laminated paper. It was a map of Orre. He pointed to the large red diamond. "Here's the Team Snagem hideout that I just blew up," he said to Espeon and Umbreon, who stared intently at the map. "I think I'm here right now, underneath a random cave." He pointed to an area known as the Rocky Desert due to the fact that it was mainly bedrock and not sand that constituted the ground. "Hmm…what's this place? I remember Gonzap sometimes uses this place to stock up on supplies like potions and things because here no one really knows who he is…well, no one will know who I am either. Let's go there, Outskirt Stands!"

It was 10:50 AM and the heat was already starting to overwhelm Wes. He dearly wanted to take off his jacket, but then all he had underneath was some light bulletproof armor. It was rather revealing without his jacket.

"Oh whatever," he hissed to himself. "It's scorching hot." He took some spray sunscreen from the back of the motorbike and coated himself in a nice, thick layer of it to protect himself from sunburns. Then he climbed into the motorbike and let his jacket rest behind him in the seat. "Come on, Sunny and Stellaluna. We're going to the Outskirt Stands. There I can ponder what I'll do next, and stock up on some supplies. Who knows when we'll need them?"

Espeon and Umbreon leapt into the hovering sidecar. Wes put the key in the ignition and the motorbike roared to life. He smiled and turned into the direction of Outskirt Stands.

Above him, a strange eagle-like creature circled lazily through the sky. Espeon looked up and trilled a meow of surprise. "Espi esp!" ("That doesn't look like a bird…")

"Oh, don't mind it," called Wes over the roar of the motor.

"Espi?" replied Espeon suspiciously ("But its wings are almost like half-moons.").

"It's okay, don't mind it," Wes repeated.

Espeon didn't reply and Wes assumed the matter was settled.

It took almost an hour to reach Outskirt Stands. Wes was tired from all that driving and was breaking a sweat. He sighed, wishing there was someplace that he could shower. He took a small towel and wiped off his sweat and some sunscreen and then put his coat back on and hooked on the Snag Machine so that it wouldn't get stolen from his vehicle, which he parked next to the entrance.

"Come on, you two. Let's get ourselves some refreshments," said Wes.

Espeon and Umbreon leapt out of the sidecar only too obligingly while Umbreon let out a humongous yawn.

"Tired too, eh boy?" Wes chuckled.

Umbreon trotted along and made no reply.

"Espi," said Espeon mischievously ("He didn't sleep at all!").

"Umbri!" Umbreon cried ("Wes, make her shut up…").

"Oh stop it you two," said Wes playfully. "You two act just like siblings. Then and again, you are. Sometimes I wonder just how you two manage to tolerate each other under the same roof."

"Piuuu," said Espeon ("It's just for you, Wes.").

"Good mornin' boy," said the owner of the café that was inside the abandoned

train engine. Fans from the ceiling kept the inside rather cool, despite the scorching heat outside. "I'm Mr. Kiffster, owner of the Train Café, but everybody 'round here calls me Big Kiff. Wot's yer name? How old are ye, fifteen? Ye don't look too old ter me, ye look like just a lil' younglin'."

"My name is Wes, Mr. Kiffster sir," said Wes, summoning his manners. Espeon and Umbreon leapt up into the table and sat down near Wes and they both purred. "These are my two Pokémon partners. Espeon's name is Sunny and Umbreon's name is Stellaluna. They're sister and brother. Sir, you wouldn't happen to have any Poke snacks and water for them, would you? They're hungry and thirsty."

"Oh, no need for them manners," said Mr. Kiffster, waving his large hand. "I got lots of food fer yer darlin's. I'll get 'em two bowls of the super-nutritious stuff to keep 'em going for a good few days plus a nice big ol' bowl of water. Wot's fer you, young son?"

"I'll just have a glass of water with…" Wes looked at the menu. "With a salad, please." He took out his wallet and placed 50 Poke on the table. That was the combined cost of the Pokémon food, water, and salad. He tossed in an extra 10 Poke for tip.

"Thank ye kindly," said Mr. Kiffster, taking the bills. "Here's two bowls of water fer yer Pokémon and…" He took out a big bag of Pokémon food and poured it into two more plates and then slid them towards Espeon and Umbreon, "…food fer 'em too. As fer you, Wes, wot kind o' dressing do ye want?"

"Ranch please, sir," replied Wes politely.

"No need for 'em manners," grunted Mr. Kiffster again, going into the refrigerator and putting out a salad. "I apologize that it ain't the freshest stuff around, but it's hard ter slap a kitchen on ter this café. So I have ter go out every now 'n then ter make sure that I keep our stocks supplied. Don't worry though, it ain't poison."

"It's okay, I just needed a little something to fill my stomach. I've been on the road for quite some time," said Wes with a flattering smile.

"Got yerself a kindly smile there," commented Mr. Kiffster, turning around to give another customer a beer.

Despite the slightly stale taste that was in the salad, Wes eagerly devoured it and then drained his glass of water. Life returned to him. He heard the contented mewls and barks of Espeon and Umbreon as they chomped down their foods.

After they had finished, Wes smiled and dipped his head towards Mr. Kiffster as he took away their plates and put them in the sink. "Thank you for the food. I feel a lot better now, and so do Sunny and Stellaluna."

"I'm glad ter serve ye," said Mr. Kiffster warmly.

Just then there was a loud "BREAKING NEWS!" from the TV. Mr. Kiffster and Wes abruptly turned around to face that large screen of the TV that was mounted onto the wall in the middle of the café. Several other customers sipping their drinks and eating their meals were looking too.

The reporter appeared and began to speak. "Breaking news, all good citizens of the peaceful Orre! (Here Wes coughed slightly to himself.) There has been a major explosion to the northeast of this region, near the Peake Mountain. A building that has finally been identified as the hideout and headquarters of the notorious Team Snagem has been blown up! The causes are still being investigated, but so far the Orre police have found that it was most likely intentional. Investigations will continue until all details have been discovered and confirmed. In the meantime, please keep watch for Team Snagem members and their boss, Gonzap, because nobody was present at the site of the explosion. It is likely then that they have all scattered. Thank you."

The TV resumed displaying diagrams of an oncoming warm front.

"Well ain't that interesting. Team Snagem's down 'n out fer good! Finally! All them tales of trainers bein' terrorized and havin' their precious Pokémon stolen. Now that ain't right."

"Agreed," said Wes solemnly, feeling guiltier than ever. He uncomfortably hid his left arm behind him to conceal most of the Snag Machine. "Well, I have to get going. I just figured I'd make a pit stop here. I'll be sure to return if there's any supplies I need…actually, speaking of supplies, what do you stock?"

"Oh, healing supplies. I have all sorts of potions, antidotes, burn heals, ice heals, paralyze heals, awakenings, full heals fer her every need…wot is it that ye need anyways?" asked Mr. Kiffster, bringing out a few boxes full of Pokémon supplies.

"Hmm, I have some potions already. May I have 5 super potions? I have some of each status item already…oh, and may I please have 5 more full heals?"

Mr. Kiffster gave them to him and he put them in his bag. It was a messenger back that was black and slung casually over his right shoulder. That'll be 3,500 Poke for the super potions and 3,000 Poke fer the full heals. Altogether that's 6,500 Poke. Ye got the money?"

"Yes, sir," said Wes, opening his wallet. He had 300,000 Poke to spend. It was the money that Gonzap had given him. Every time he brought back a snagged Pokémon for use in the Cipher Lab out in the middle of the desert, he was paid a grand sum for it as positive reinforcement. 300,000 Poke was a lot, he figured. It would be more than enough to find Gonzap again and bring him down.

Mr. Kiffster got out the super potions and the full heals and Wes stuffed them into his bag. "Thank you sir. Have a good day!"

"Thank ye kindly fer the business, boy. Do come back again if ye need anythin' else!" said Mr. Kiffster jovially.

As Wes left, however, another young boy came up to him. He had spiky pink hair, dark blue jeans, and a brown jacket with a lot of pockets on the front. He looked somewhat tough and Wes wondered what his motives were. "Hello there," he said dryly. "Who are you?"

The boy smiled. "I'm Willie! I saw you from the other side of the café and well, you look tough! I like tough. You wouldn't happen to be a Pokémon trainer, would you?" he asked eagerly.

So he wants a Pokémon battle. Well, that'll get my pals back into shape, Wes though, amused. "Yes, I do happen to train Pokémon."

"Then…I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" said Willie triumphantly. "I'm tough too, you know. Let's get outside and have ourselves a match! I'm going to train using you before I enter the Phenac Colosseum near here."

"Challenge accepted," replied Wes. "Come, Sunny and Stellaluna." They both leapt down from the counter, eager for a battle.

"Espi!" cried Espeon ("And there won't be any snagging this time!").

They stood a couple of yards away from each other to allow maximum battling room for their Pokémon. There wasn't any proper arena, so they would have to make do with the sand and the rocks.

"Go!" called Willie, throwing his two Poke balls into the air. "Zigzagoon and Zigzagoon!"

Out came the striped brown-and-white raccoons with black masks around their eyes. Wes found them to be almost adorable and knew instantly that Espeon and Umbreon could triumph without a problem. He had trained them well, at least, in his opinion he had.

"Sunny and Stellaluna, you know what to do," he said encouragingly as Espeon and Umbreon stepped up and took their places. He pointed at Willie and then gave his commands. "Sunny, confuse the right Zigzagoon with a good, snappy Confusion! Stellaluna, bite the other Zigzagoon and then retreat back before hitting him with a Secret Power to throw him off guard! Do it quick!"

"Zigzagoon, dodge Umbreon!" called Willie, and just in the nick of time. Zigzagoon leapt out of the way, dodging Umbreon's pounce. But Umbreon was wilier than that and easily bowled him over as he zigzagged to the side in his characteristic zigzag movements and hit him with a Secret Power. A jolt of electricity came from the attack as well (it was "Secret" Power after all) and left Zigzagoon mewling with pain as he became paralyzed. He curled up into a ball, fur standing on end.

The other Zigzagoon was also hunched over, eyes squeezed shut as Espeon fixed her gaze upon him. It was clear that he was losing the mental assault. Wes smiled.

"Zigzagoon!" yelled Willie sharply, and the Zigzagoon snapped out of his trance. "Go on, tackle the Espeon as hard as you can!"

Zigzagoon zigzagged forward, growling threateningly.

"Don't worry, Sunny," said Wes. He raised his voice. "Sunny, meet him in the middle and hit him with Return! Send him flying back to his place!" He looked at Umbreon, who was pummeling a paralyzed Zigzagoon. "Come on Stellaluna, you're smarter than that! Finish him off with a quick, good Bite! Use those jaws!"

Umbreon barked and bit down on Zigzagoon, shaking his head from side to side before flinging the Zigzagoon back to Willie's side of the battlefield. The poor little Zigzagoon whimpered with pain and exhaustion and tried to stand, but failed and fell over.

"You didn't cause him to bleed, did you?" asked Wes quietly as Umbreon bounded back to him.

Umbreon shook his head and stood to attention, waiting for another command. Wes sighed with relief.

Espeon and Zigzagoon crashed in midair and Espeon easily batted Zigzagoon aside with her paws, drawing upon some of Wes's own energy to fuel the Return attack. The strength of her bond with him meant for a very strong assault, and Zigzagoon was unable to handle it. He fell onto the sand and didn't get up.

Willie summoned them back to their Poke balls. "Good job, Zigzagoon and Zigzagoon. You two fought your hardest!" He looked up at Wes, respect gleaming in his eyes. "Wow, you really showed me up, didn't you? What's your name?" He walked up to him, hand held out.

"I'm Wes," said Wes, shaking Willie's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you," said Willie. He looked forlornly at his Poke balls. "Well, I guess I'm not as strong as I thought, eh? Here, take this." Willie gave Wes a golden slip that was shaped like a ticket. A gold Poke ball was printed on the front, but other than that, there was no other text. "That's a Colosseum Pass," said Willie upon seeing Wes's confused expression. "It'll allow you to enter all the Colosseums that Orre has to offer. I know there's one in Phenac City, one in Pyrite Town, and one that's under construction, but I'll bet anything that there's more to be discovered. Good luck finding them all and becoming champion in them all too! I know you can do it. I have to train harder, personally, but you've already got what it takes!"

"Thanks," said Wes, tucking it into his bag.

"Where are you headed next?" asked Willie.

"I…I don't know," said Wes honestly, running a hand through his hair in contemplation. "I actually don't know."

Espeon and Umbreon snickered behind him.

"Oh shut up you two," muttered Wes.

Willie chuckled. "Some good friends you've got there, and I'm being honest, Wes. Keep them and give them lots of love and they'll grown even stronger and fight even harder for you. Mark my words, it'll happen if you love them. Anyways, why don't you go to Phenac City and check out Phenac Colosseum? No doubt you'll find a great challenge there."

"Phenac City…" The name sounded familiar to Wes and he knew it was marked on his map. But just to be sure, he asked, "Where is it?"

"Go east from here. You can't possible miss it either. It's filled with fountains and artificial rivers…everything! Sometimes I have to wonder where they get all that water from, because Orre has everything but water. And wild Pokémon. It's a pretty city too. Very peaceful there. The colosseum is pretty laid back too. Nice motorbike, by the way," said Willie. "I'm going to head on inside and finish up my food. See you around!"

Wes mounted his motorbike and took out the key from his pocket. Espeon and Umbreon leapt into the sidecar as usual, but before Wes could start up the engine, another truck came roaring down the path.

Don't see too many trucks over here, Wes mused to himself. But then he recognized the driver. It was Folly! He was one of the grunts that worked under the administrator boss Miror B., a strange disco dance-loving guy with two-foot tall hair. Trudley was sitting next to him, a happy smile on his face. His eyes followed the truck (which wasn't going very fast in comparison to the potential of his motorbike) and saw that on the back was a squirming sack.

Shaped very much like a person.

Phenac City could wait. He was following that truck. He waited for a few seconds and then began following them from a safe distance away. That way the two of them couldn't see him through the rearview mirror, and Wes wouldn't lose sight of them either.

"Espi!" said Espeon ("This is such a cool ride! The wind in my fur!").