"Kiddo? You there?" his mother's voice came over the speaker, but there was an incredible amount of static.

"Mom? I made it to Mara, no troubles!" he said slightly louder than normal so that she could hear.

"Why're you so static-y?" she asked.

"Well, there's a storm going on over here, so it may be messing with the signal a bit. One heck of a storm, at that..."

"Okay, well, I'll let you go then, I was just checking in on you!" she said, her voice fading out. "I lo-"

"Mom?" Jethro called, and looked at the screen. "Call dropped," he read aloud. "Go figure." He closed the phone and walked back into the living room. "That was my mom, she was just checking in on me," he told the other two. "Storm seemed to be causing some interference with the call, so I lost the signal. I'm guessing that's normal as well?" he asked with eyebrows raised and a slight smile. Zach and Fri weren't really paying attention to him though. Jethro thought he heard one of them mutter, "Yeah, cool."

Before he had time to be indignant, there was an unnatural sound of thunder, and Fri hit the Start button to pause the game. Her brow knit, and she frowned going to the window. The sound came again and there was an enormous flash. She covered her eyes, peering through the blinds. Jethro came up beside her and immediately assumed a shocked face.

One very angry looking Legendary, Raikou, stood in the center of Sparkplug. It roared and lightning poured from its back, blowing up several power transformers. Fri let out a huff and was out the door before Jethro realized what had happened. She was rapidly approaching Raikou, with no apparent intention of backing off or stopping.

"Oh, that's swell," he said as he hurriedly put his boots back on and ran after her. "I wonder if I can talk to Raikou and calm it down before she gets herself fried out there. Fri, wait up!" he called after her. "I know this Raikou, I can talk with-"

Fri had held up a hand to silence him. She had crouched down directly in front of the massive Pokemon to be closer to its level. They were staring each other directly in the face. Awkward seconds began to tick by and Jethro wasn't entirely sure what to do. In a flash, Raikou lurched forward, intending to take Fri's throat in its massive jaws.

Fri moved with such speed Jethro wasn't sure he had really seen it. She caught the Pokemon by one of its huge saber fangs a fraction of an inch before they reached her throat. Raikou flailed and tried to pounce on her, but she pushed her arm up, forcing it to turn its head, and eventually roll over on its back.

She pinned it with one knee on its chest and one hand on each fang. It flailed for a good while, trying to discharge electricity but failing because its tail was crushed into the ground under its weight, acting as a grounding for its electricity. It snorted, and huffed, quite indignant. When it had finally calmed down, Fri let it up and sat back on her heels as they got into another staring match. This time it ended with Raikou laying down all on its own and looking up at her.

Jethro frowned as Zach came up next to him. There seemed to be a conversation going on between the two, but there were no words.

"Well that's a new one on me," he said. He turned to the Gym Leader. "Does this happen on a regular basis?" Zach held his hand out, palm down, and rotated it back and forth: so-so. "So it has at least happened before?" This time Zach gave a nod. Jethro raised both his eyes and turned to look at Fri again. "Astonishing. So she communicates with Pokémon as well," he said. Zach tilted his head with a puzzled expression. "I can understand what Pokémon are saying. Basically, I'm a translator," Jethro explained.

The wind had died down and the area was filled with an eerie quiet. Raikou was the eye of the storm as it were and with it in the middle of town, there was an awkward respite from the hurricane force winds. Jethro looked to the sky without moving his head an inch, and then down to Raikou and Fri, his eyebrows almost to his hair.

"That's also a new one," he said as he nodded slowly. "My mind is officially blown."

Zach turned his attention to the man beside him. "Raikou is a storm maker, it's not too far fetched ta me." Jethro glanced at him.

"Fair enough," he said. Fri was petting Raikou's head gently. It growled lightly and leaned toward her. "Um, Fri…?" Jethro spoke up and Fri turned to him. Her eyes were especially bright. Jethro raised an eyebrow but shook his head, dismissing it. "So...what's up with Raikou…?" he asked.

Fri looked back at the Pokémon before answering. "It's tired, so it's a little cranky and was throwing a hissy fit. Apparently," she continued. "Someone has been harassing it, and following it from region to region. People in black clothing, I think?" Jethro's face immediately became serious, and he walked over to Raikou and knelt down.

"These people in black… did their clothes have a big red 'S' on them?" he asked. Raikou looked Jethro right in the eyes.

"Yes," it said. "A large, crimson 'S' on each one of their shirts. I don't know why they kept chasing me from Region to Region, though. I thought I heard something about using me as a power source or something, which I'm getting tired of being sought for, to be honest."

"I can't blame you," Jethro said, his fists clenched. He looked over to Fri. "Raikou here's been pursued by a group of people that call themselves the Sinister Division. They've been a thorn in my side for years, and if they want Raikou, it's not good in any way for either it or anyone else."

Fri sat quietly and listened to what Jethro had to say, nodding when he finished. It didn't seem to surprise her at all that he could speak with Pokémon. "I agree. But until someone can find them there's nothing to be done. We can at least protect Raikou though, if we find it a quiet place where no one can bother it for a while."

"You know this Region better than I do," Jethro said. "I know a few spots in Hoenn pretty well, but that'd take too much time, and they could intercept us if we tried that." He saw that Raikou was looking between him and Fri with an anxious expression, and gently put a hand on its head. "Don't worry, Raikou," he said. "We'll find someplace for you to hide, I promise. Those goons will never lay a hand on you."

"We could take it to the Lake of Sorrows. Raikou shouldn't be affected by it, and those people will never be able to handle it long enough to search for any Pokémon , let alone Raikou," Fri suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Jethro said, nodding in agreement. He paused for a second, wondering why Fri didn't question his ability to speak with the Pokemon. He shrugged it off. Maybe I'll have time to ask later. Raikou is more important right now, he thought. "So, where's this Lake of Sorrows at?" he asked.

"It's actually right on our way," Fri said, a thoughtful look on her face. "We could just leave tomorrow morning and we'd be there by the afternoon probably."

"Sounds good," Jethro agreed. "Where can we keep Raikou hidden until then? I don't want to risk them finding it here." He looked off into the distance for a moment and flexed his eyebrows. "Or myself, for that matter."

Frita shook her head. "I doubt we'll need to. There's no way they'll make it through that jungle by morning without a guide, and even if they have one, the jungle is different at night, it's much much more dangerous than it could possibly be in the daytime...," she paused. "Not to mention Raikou is surrounding Sparkplug in a vicious storm."

Jethro looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Decent cover, I suppose. Honestly, I'm thinking it may draw their attention, but the fact that storms around here are a natural occurrence and rather frequent is hopefully enough that they'll overlook it. And even if they don't, unless they have a Lugia in captivity or a really strong Castform, it might prove too strong for them to proceed." Frita looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What? I consider the weird things, that way I expect the unexpected."

She tilted her head in an 'well ok then' sort of way and turned to Raikou. She tipped her head at Zach's house and Raikou got up, padding toward it. Zack seemed to be a little jittery, and was having a hard time standing still. As the Pokémon made it's way into his house, he let out a squeal like a little girl and hopped a few times. Fri snorted in amusement and shook her head.

"Um...does he normally do that when he's excited?" Jethro asked quizzically.

"Oh you have no idea," Fri replied. "You should have seen the time I caught him a Chinchou." She followed Zach and Raikou inside, and Jethro followed her.

"Seriously? he was that excited about a Chinchou?" Valin asked. The image had appeared in his mind, and he was quite perplexed at the thought.

"Apparently," Jethro admitted. "But to be honest, how could someone not be that excited about a Raikou trotting right into their house?"

"Yes, but… a Chinchou?"

"I know, I know," Jethro said, raising his hands. "We're all unique in one weird way or another."

Raikou made itself comfortable on Zach's couch, and he had brought it his best Pokemon food. Suffice to say, Raikou was unimpressed, not that it didn't like being waited on hand and paw. The rest of the night was spent in a buzz of conversation and the making of plans for the next day.

Jethro was suddenly jolted awake. He looked around sleepily in confusion. "Huh?" he slurred, taking in his surroundings. Fri was shaking him.

"Get up, it's time to go," she said. Jethro groaned, suddenly realized where he was and what he was supposed to do, and leapt up from the bed, swaying a little and steadying himself on the wall.

"Got up a little too fast, I guess," he said. Groggily, he went through his morning routine, brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower. Zach's house had a nice guest room, big and comfy, with its own bathroom.

Jethro stumbled into the kitchen, hurriedly downing a breakfast sandwich as he noticed Fri packing up what little she had brought with her. "We're heading," he paused, taking a bite, "to the Lake of Sorrows, right?"

Fri nodded. "Raikou will be safe there, and we're going there anyway regardless."

Jethro swallowed the last of the breakfast sandwich and put his own backpack on. He went over and shook Zach's hand. "Thank you for letting us stay," he said. "I look forward to challenging your Gym someday!" he added with a smile.

Fri was apparently talking with Raikou again as they left Zach's house. After a moment, she turned to him. "Raikou says it will carry us to the Lake of Sorrows," she said.

Jethro looked at the Pokemon, eyebrows raised. "Are you certain about this?"

"It's my way of thanking you for offering me shelter," the Pokémon said. "Besides, it's about time I had a turn giving people a ride, after Suicune and Entei."

Jethro shrugged. "Well, if that's the way you feel about it, I won't disappoint," he said, climbing on after Fri. They both waved to Zach as the Legendary Pokemon leapt forward, bounding off toward the Lake of Sorrows. Despite its size, Raikou was relatively light, allowing it to jump on the thinner branches of the canopy.

After only a short time, the lake came into view. It was large, and shaped like a teardrop. Is that why they call it the Lake of Sorrows then? Jethro thought. He assumed that was so.

A little more time passed, and Raikou dove to the ground, landing near the shore. Fri climbed off its back and pointed to a small cave in a tiny cliff at the edge of the lake. "There should be moss nearby you can use as bedding," she said, and patted Raikou's shoulders. Jethro jumped off next, and the minute his feet hit the ground he fell to his knees.

A wave of unknown grief hit him like Kanto's Monorail train, and he sucked in a heavy breath. Old and very painful memories dredged themselves up for no apparent reason, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Professor Birch's Lab the day the Sinister Division attacked…

The day Burner took an attack for him and almost didn't recover…

The fight he had with Eloquence…

Having to say goodbye to Felicia before going to another Region…

Jethro shook his tears out of his eyes and looked up at Fri. "Wasn't quite ready for that little feels trip," he chuckled shakily. Fri turned to him, her green eyes glazed with sadness. Her voice came in nothing more than a whisper.

"I lost a Pokémon , one I really loved, to old age. We buried him at Mt. Pyre. His name was Nummy. I always remember him when I come here."

She blinked and turned toward the lake. There was what appeared to be a stone statue in the middle, though it was hard to tell from the mist that swirled on the water's surface.

Jethro wiped away at his tears and stood up, squinting. "What's that?" he asked.

Fri turned to him, barely looking in his direction. "It's a Togekiss, forever frozen in stone."

Squinting a little harder, Jethro could just barely see the outlines of the Pokemon figure. Sure enough, it was pure stone. "What made it turn to stone?" he asked, an eyebrow raising.

Fri shook her head. "No one knows," she told him. "Some think another Pokemon somehow did it. The story surrounding it is very old and the exact cause was lost in time."

"There was a beautiful Togekiss, and a Dragonite who loved her very much. But it was said another Pokémon , another denizen of the sky, was jealous of their love and happiness. In a fit of rage, it turned the Togekiss to stone, and she fell in the center of the lake. The Dragonite was cursed to turn into a monster, forever trapped in the lake. Always in view of his beloved, but never able to get close to her, he destroyed anything and anyone who came close to the lake."

"That's how the legend goes," she finished.

"Oh, well isn't that encouraging?" Elly asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, no kidding," Jethro chuckled. "The one place we could shelter Raikou, and it had to be at a lake with a homicidal Pokemon lurking under the surface." Slowly, he raised a hand, suddenly jolting it up just over the edge of the couch, causing Elly to jump. They laughed, and she gave his shoulder a playful whack.

Jethro let out a nervous chuckle. "My, what a…safe place this is," he said, gulping.

Fri turned to him, glancing over her shoulder. "Raikou will be fine." She continued along the side of the lake with Jethro in tow until they were about halfway around the lake.

He was so distracted with watching the lake, that he didn't see a dip in the ground until he fell in it. He tumbled down to the shore, his boot hitting the water with a gentle splash, which turned out to echo across the lake surface in the eerie silence. Jethro froze in place.

"Yeah, uhh… I wasn't worried about Raikou back there," he said lowly. "Should I, uh… should I run, should I stay still, is there a song for protection I can sing, what do I do?" he rambled to Fri. She turned to him, but before she could speak, there was a low rumble from across the lake. Something moved in the water, a large fin breaking it's surface silently.

She rushed forward and grabbed him, hauling him upward as a set of menacing jaws snapped shut on the place where he had been crouched.

"I'll take that as a run!" he shouted, scrambling up and bolting in the direction they had been heading, his hand instinctively resting on the handle of his sword. A loud and very terrifying roar accompanied them as they fled. Whatever it was that was following them was something he had never seen before. It was large and green, covered in slimy scales, with a giant maw filled with sharp teeth. Its nose was a pair of slits and its eyes were large and yellow. Its limbs were webbed and had fins and a large fin ran down its back. Its feet were wide, with large sharp claws on them.

"Okay, now that's just wrong on a number of levels!" Jethro hollered as he picked up the pace.

It was surprisingly fast, and caught up to the two in no time, diving straight at them, jaws parted in attack. Jethro drew his sword, but was too slow to bring it up in time. Just when it looked like the beast would be having a Champion for dinner, Fri's hands latched onto its massive jaws. She hefted it up, its mouth still open, and flung it back into the lake. It landed just shy of the stone Togekiss and let out an angry roar, diving below the surface. The lake was quiet again after that.

Jethro looked at the lake, the goofiest look of confusion on his face. He looked from Fri to the lake and back, finally able to get segments of words out of his mouth. After a few moments, the pair slowly turned toward each other.

"Y- how in the- wha-?" He raised his hands and sheathed his sword. "You know what, never mind," he said, giving up. "Starting to find the amount of surprises in this Region unsurprising."