Me: I think I'm a victim of timing.

Tepig: Twitch's popularity does seem to have dwindled.

Shuckle: I guess people didn't like the team optimization.

Me: I'm fine with it on the Fire Red run.

Tepig: Why just that one?

Me: Because when we play HeartGold/SoulSilver we'll have to face an even more powerful version.

Shuckle: They'll never get past the flying gorilla.

Tepig: Plus they're starting to turn against team optimization.

Me: All I want from the Platinum run is a Pachirisu named Batman. (Note. I'm going to guess that they knew who DUX and Digrat were.)

Tepig: Chapter three will now commence.

It was only a few minutes until more Pokémon came into the clearing. They were: two more Venonat, an Exeggcute, a Paras, two more Nidoran, a Gloom, a Geodude, and a Raticate.

They had all gathered around the first Venonat and the fallen Nidoran. They were all in various stages of sadness. Most of the newcomers looked like they had lost a friend. The Raticate was crying nearly as hard as the Venonat named A. The Farfetch'd, who Flareon now saw was DUX, held the same look of pity as Abby and Jay did; and probably him as well.

There was something else in DUX's eyes though. It seemed to Flareon like shock.

He needed to know why, but who should he ask? DUX looked traumatized, the Raticate, who he could now identify as Digrat, was still crying; asking A would have been cruel. He didn't notice much difference between the conditions of the others though so he decided to talk to one of them. The first one he came to was the Paras.

"Excuse me." Flareon said nudging one of its legs. "Could you tell me what happened?"

"Ah sir, it is a complicated story. I know not the whole thing sir-!" He turned silent for a moment when he saw Flareon but soon resumed. "Oh no. Oh dear, oh no, no, no, no. This not good. This is bad."

"What isn't good?" Flareon asked in confusion. The other Pokémon had turned toward him and stiffened the moment they saw him.

"We're in the same boat now guys; he needs to know." It was DUX who spoke up.

"We were released like you." Digrat said. For most of us it was the same thing that happened to Abby."

"Most?" Flareon asked.

"H resisted so Red made the bird attack him." A growl formed in Flareon's throat when he heard about the Pidgeot but Digrat continued. "It was horrible; just a flash of yellow and-"

"Yellow; don't you mean tan?" Flareon asked in confusion.

"No. It was yellow and black and-." At this point Raticate had to stop for breath.

DUX took the opportunity to say. "Different bird." He said it in a strange way but Flareon brushed it off as trauma.

"It used its beak to tear a hole in him and- and then . . ." She was unable to continue since she started crying.

There was still one thing Flareon didn't understand though. Where had the poison come from?

Until this point A hadn't turned away from H but now she picked up for Digrat. "Then he used his Venomoth to poison him . . . Then Red just released him." She finished looking down at the ground while the Gloom went to her side.

"Yes sir yes, after that none wanted to argue. We just hoped . . . we could find H . . . in time." The Paras finished. A long silence followed his words.

"I'll show them where their sleeping." Abby said quietly.

Flareon doubted any of them would be able to sleep tonight but he kept silent. They needed something to distract them.

The new Pokémon followed Abby except for A and DUX. He hadn't really expected A to move but he was surprised when DUX stayed with him.

"You're the leader here?" DUX asked.

"We don't really have a leader." Flareon responded. Conversations with DUX were always interesting. He never skirted around a subject.

"You're going to have to change that soon. It's fine for low numbers but a high population needs a leader." DUX pressed on.

"Not me." Flareon responded. "I'm no leader."

"It's usually the ones who don't want to be leaders that would do the best job; and besides, you showed yourself capable just a few minutes ago." DUX continued calmly.

They were silent for a moment before Flareon brought up a new topic. "Why did everyone freeze up when they saw me?"

DUX took a moment before replying. "Red's still been talking about you. He's definitely angry even now. Plus they're pretty sure you're still angry with him. They don't want either of you to meet up."

"I wasn't that stupid." Flareon said.

"But now?" DUX asked picking up on the wasn't part.

"If I ever meet him he's dead. Same for the bird. And Helix will be broken." Flareon said angrily.

"You can't. Both of the birds will be too much for you. There isn't a fossil to break anymore either." DUX said.

"What do you mean no fossil?" Flareon asked curiously.

"Red found a facility where you could . . . revive fossils." DUX explained hesitantly.

"You're telling me-." Flareon began but was cut off.

"He has risen."

Flareon was stunned. 'Lord Helix 'had been bad enough as a fossil.

He still wanted information though. "What type?"

DUX responded quickly this time. "Water Rock. You don't stand a chance. No one does anymore."

"Speak for yourself." A said angrily. "If I see any of them they're getting poisoned."

DUX looked like he wanted to argue with her; but what good would it do right now?

A night like this couldn't be answered at once but there was one more thing Flareon wanted to know. "Is the Paras a bit . . . odd?"

"We call him Triple A; it's morbidly ironic now though." DUX didn't go into detail about why and Flareon let him continue. "His way of talking is a bit eccentric, and he always says whatever he's thinking in a conversation, but otherwise he's perfectly normal."

"Is there anyone we should keep an eye on?" Flareon asked.

"The weirdest thing for them is that Exeggcute always says six words per sentence." DUX said a smile nearly crossing his face.

"What's different about you in this group?" Flareon asked suddenly. "Everyone else is depressed, but you just seem traumatized. Even if you're trying to hide it."

It was a while before DUX responded. "I thought he liked me. I know he wasn't normal and he wasn't good, but I thought he at least valued what I had. I just can't understand why he did any of this so suddenly."

"Nothing surprises me about Red; not anymore." Flareon said. "What Pokémon are on his team now?"

"Not happening." DUX responded quickly. "I know you won't challenge him without a strategy and I'm not giving it to you."

" . . . You weren't in the PC with them were you?" Flareon asked.

"I know what you're getting at and no, I don't have a personal connection with anyone except Digrat. I'm trying to use my brain here." DUX replied sharply.

"Alright." Flareon said. He could tell the conversation was over. He didn't have any important questions left anyways.

They both headed to the sleeping are leaving A where she had been standing. They were going to get about as much sleep as she was anyways.

When they got to the clearing they found that only one Pokémon was sleeping. It was Digrat.

She was curled up around Jay making it so that the Rattata couldn't get away. Jay was still awake and fully aware of his awkward situation. He was also completely embarrassed by it.

Flareon couldn't help but smile; even if the smile only lasted for a second.

It's good to know, he thought, that even in the worst of times you can find something to be glad for.

Shuckle: We seem to be establishing personalities now.

Me: Yep.

Tepig: Plenty of deep stuff too.

Me: Yep.

Shuckle: I agree with the best leader stuff.

Me: Yep.

Tepig: Is that all you're going to say for this chapter's ending?

Me: Yep.

Shuckle: I wonder who the leader's going to be in the end.

Tepig: Both DUX and Flareon seem to be good options.

Me: Yep.

Shuckle: Is anyone going to die in this story?

Me: Yep.

Shuckle: Aww, spoiler alert.

Tepig: Are you only saying that because someone already died?

Me: Yep.

Tepig: I think we've pushed this joke far enough.

Me: Yep.

Shuckle: Please review; he knows he probably butchered the timeline.

Me: Yep.

Tepig: Bye!