Someone was patting his cheeks. "Lucifer. Lucifer! Wake up!"

He groaned low, blinking owlishly at the tiny Pichu. Mew was pulling the equipment of the Pokemon Center off him. "Come on, get up! It's morning! The sun is already up!"

Lucifer grunted, rolled over, and tried to ignore her.

"Hey!" He gave another low grunt when he felt her jump on him. "Get up! We have to train!"

"We just did . . ." he finally mumbled, so exhausted he felt like he was going to fall right back to sleep. "All day . . . yesterday . . ."

"So?" She jumped again and again on him, and Lucifer felt himself getting irritated—and against his will, waking up.

"Get off of me."

"No! We've gotta go train again! You want to get stronger, right? Then there will be no slacking off! Get up!" Mew tugged on his ear before she got off. He thought for a split instant that she was going to leave him be, but as always, Lucifer found himself thinking wrong with Mew—he felt big hands on him, and he found himself flipped from the bed, landing roughly on the hard tile. Lucifer scowled, sitting up finally.

"What the hell was that for?" he growled at her, heavy bags under his eyes. She was a huge Hariyama, but she changed her form again back to a Pichu, wiggling beneath the bed to cross the room quicker.

"Well, you had to get up," she said easily, shrugging a shoulder. "And don't give me any lip, you were healed and you feel perfectly fine! Besides, what would you be doing if I was being attacked right now?"

Lucifer set his jaw, fists clenching. "I'd be protecting you, of course, that's why I'm with you."

She shook her head, the door to the room coming open with her Psychic. "Not from what I've seen if you can't even get up when I ask you to. Now come on! We've got some more training to do." She disappeared out the door.

"There is NO DANGER!" he yelled back at her, furious that nothing was ever happening, but she obviously ignored him.

Lucifer scowled deep, but got up and followed her, leaving the Pokemon Center. But, just like the other day, Mew started to run and he had to run to keep up. It was easier this time since she was so little and had so little strides, but he asked, "What are we doing today?"

"Same as yesterday!" she proclaimed, and Lucifer groaned. "To the top of Mt. Chimney!"

And so, for the next two weeks, Lucifer found himself under Mew's thumb of intense training at the top of Mt. Chimney. The heat was intense in the middle of summer, weathering him as well as the fire attacks Mew pelted him with. She also taught him "Lesson Number Seven": to speak with telepathy. She said it was to help him communicate with humans as a Lucario as well.

Mew's first priority in teaching him was the ways of fighting—she said that he would learn every fighting type style, first starting with Infernape. It was difficult—a Lucario's tail wasn't meant to move in ways an Infernape's could, and Lucifer soon found that he wasn't as flexible as he thought when it came to fighting Mew as an Infernape.

And Mew had been right about learning over four moves—Lucifer soon figured out how to use Quick Guard, fed up with getting hit one too many times by her in training. He also learned Feint through his frustration with training—Mew would like to use a Protect many times over, and he wanted to find a way past it.

Soon, Lucifer found himself in much better shape than he was in years—he was in the best shape he had ever been in, and within the first week, he was making it up and down Mt. Chimney on his own. It slowly became easier to endure the fire type attacks that Mew attacked with, and he could fight back against her. He found himself as flexible as an Infernape, fighting quick and fluently, the long hours of training paying off.

Finally, nearing the end of the third week, Mew glanced up at Lucifer who ran next to her as they headed back to the Pokemon Center. He felt her eyes on him, but he was tired, and decided to wait until they were at the Pokemon Center before he would ask anything.

It had been some time since Lucifer had needed the healing remedies of Nurse Joy—Mew found that he became weathered quicker when he let his body heal naturally.

"Pichu?"

It was still weird calling her Pichu after the pokemon she had taken to being at most all times, but she perched in front of him as he leaned against the Pokecenter wall. "Yes, Lucifer?"

He leaned back, looking up at the sky. "What did you want to say on the way over?"

This time, it was Mew that looked up and away from him. She pondered the question silently, and Lucifer waited for her to say something. He wondered, what could make her hesitant?

"You've mastered Infernape's style of fighting," she stated, turning back to him. "We will have to move on from that." She paused again. "You learned that incredibly fast—the fastest I've ever seen it done."

Lucifer just shook his head, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I have a good teacher."

"But I've taught others. Other Infernape—and none of them mastered their own style as fast as you did." He cracked open his eyes to look at her, and found her staring intimately at him in confusion. "It is most interesting . . ." Then, she shook her head, changing her mind about something. "Use your aura again. Tell me what you see now."

Lucifer complied, reaching out to it. This time, however, he had to blink twice. It was . . . different. He could see Mew's clearer now—it still contained that beauty he had been accustomed to sneaking peeks of, but now he was reading her emotions better and . . . he could see a bit farther now. Instead of only a few feet, he was seeing several yards almost.

"See?" Mew said. "You've been using your aura to keep sneaking looks at mine—and because you're giving your aura more use than you had before, you are seeing farther. Practice."

He glanced back to Mew's bright aura. "And how did you know I've been using my aura to do that?"

He saw a ripple play across Mew's silhouetted form, her aura responding as he detected humor in her. "Please, Lucifer," she said. "I can feel everything you do with your aura."

Lucifer shook his head, reading more into her aura. A slight smile played at his lips. "Well, wouldn't you know? You're proud of me."

"I—I'm what?" she squeaked, suddenly coming to attention.

"I said—"

"I know what you said!" she burst, and he saw embarrassment as well. "Stop that! I—I didn't know you could read me so well . . ."

Lucifer obliged, dropping his touch with the aura. He looked down at the little Pichu next to him. "You're becoming easier for me to read as the days go by." He threw her a lopsided grin. "Soon, you won't be able to keep anything from me!"

He thought he saw her blush as she protested sarcastically, "Yes, right, definitely. Stop wasting time and get to sleep—the sun is setting, and you are tired. So, stop pestering me and go to sleep already."

She turned away and flounced off, but Lucifer chuckled, leaning back and closing his eyes. "You're cute when you're embarrassed."

"Would you—just—just stop that!"

He laughed. "You know I'm just doing it to get on your nerves."

"Well then—then, just don't! Just stop it! It's driving me crazy!"

Lucifer opened his eyes to grin at her again. "That's the whole point, Mew."

"But—you—I—I just—would you—" She stopped mid-sentence; groaning and flopping on the hard ground, she let her forehead hit the ground, ears drooping. "All right, all right," she mumbled. "I give. You win. Don't even know why I try . . ."

Lucifer just chuckled again, leaning back to relax and go to sleep. As a last parting gift to her, he added, "Just consider it payback for those first hard days of training."

"Lucifer . . ."

The voice was soft in his ear, soft but . . . seductive. He was awake almost immediately.

"Lucifer . . . It is time to wake up." He felt warm breath on his ear, and soft lips brush his jaw. "Wake up."

Lucifer opened his eyes to stare straight into the eyes of a gorgeous Lucario that had herself positioned above him, hands on either side of him, clearly predatorily above him. He jumped, knocking his head against the wall he had fallen asleep against. Only a second later of a heart pounding hard at the close proximity did he recognize her.

"Mew!" he burst and she giggled, transforming back into a Pichu instantly and racing away. "What the hell!"

She laughed, giggling mischievously. "That's for messing with me last night!" she told him, and he groaned, standing up. "Now, let's go!"

Following her unconditionally, Lucifer and she had a light breakfast made of the Rawst berries nearby as they left Lavaridge town. Heading down some steep ledges, Lucifer asked, "So, where are we going today?"

"To Route 111!" Mew proclaimed. "To the desert! Since you've excelled so much in handling the heat, we're going to see what we can do to your steel side with ground attacks." She glanced up. "Which reminds me, we had better get moving—I want to get as much training in as possible!"

She shape shifted into a Manectric, and Lucifer had to run to keep up with her speed. The terrain was easier to follow, even if she strayed off the beaten path—it was easy to keep up after making his way up and down the Jagged Pass for so long. However, he was shocked silly when Mew suddenly halted, sending a Thunder his way.

Too late to react, Lucifer yelled, pitching to his knees at the sheer power behind the blow. Still shaking from the jolt of electricity, Lucifer sent a black glare to Mew.

"And what the hell did you do that for?" he spat, standing shakily.

"Lesson Number Eight: Reflexes! What good is that Quick Guard of yours if you can't even get it up in time to protect yourself? Now, keep up!"

Lucifer clenched his jaw tight in irritation, hating the fact that she was right and the fact that he wasn't good enough yet. Tearing after her, they made it to the desert in record time—his speed had increased with better endurance.

The sandstorm raged. It wasn't awful for him—if anything he'd have to be careful to keep the sand out of his eyes, but he felt fine standing there—it was because of his steel type side. But, he knew that by the end of the day it was because of his steel type side that he would be in pain again.

Mew transformed again, this time as a Flygon. "Here's a useful tip," she said brightly. "You can use more than one move at a time. See? Watch me." And then, suddenly he saw her slicing with a Dragon Claw, dancing with a Dragon Dance, wings slashing through the air with a Steel Wing, tail swinging with an Iron Tail, and from her mouth came a Dragonbreath that shimmered the air. After a few seconds of the amazing charade, she let it drop. Mew looked at Lucifer. "See? It's quite tricky keeping them all going, especially in battle—I don't suggest more than two at once in battle, three if you are exceptionally talented."

Lucifer nodded his consent, sponging in her teachings.

"Now, as for getting you used to being jarred and shook and jerked and wrenched every which way, here's how we'll start." She shape shifted into a Marowak, waving the bone at him—Lucifer tensed, readying himself for whatever she had in store.

She attacked, but not quite exactly how he expected—from below his feet, the sands shifted, rising up and around him all the way up to his neck, hardening instantly. Lucifer struggled inside the Sand Tomb, but he was caught.

Mew lifted her bone and waved it—Lucifer tensed. A Bone Club—

"You might want to get out of there, and quickly," Mew said, walking forward. "I'll keep hitting you until you get out!"

Lucifer struggled silently, teeth gritting, but felt her Bone Club smash down hard on him. He clenched his jaw tighter, refusing to scream out, but knowing that later on he would be.

Focusing on the task at hand, Lucifer struggled against his bonds for some time, getting hit with two more Bone Clubs that sends sparks dancing through his eyes, and just when the Sand Tomb started to fade and he thought he would have a chance to escape, Mew used it again, reinforcing her hold.

Hit hard again, Lucifer panted, a little drool starting to inch out of his mouth as he sucked in deep breaths to clear his head. How was he supposed to escape the things damnable hold on him? Trying to summon up a Mega Punch from where his hands were trapped, he found he couldn't move them an inch. He couldn't even throw up a Quick Guard to protect himself a little from those Bone Clubs!

As he was knocked so hard he cried out, Mew backed away, giving him some time to reassemble himself. The Sand Tomb kept its tight and relentless hold on him.

"Here's a hint," Mew said. "The easiest way to get out of there is to use your aura."

Lucifer scowled, seething silently on the inside. She knew he couldn't use his aura! He couldn't possibly attack with the aura itself! What was she thinking? Infuriated, Lucifer was forced to endure yet another Bone Club hitting him as he fought to find a way out. He couldn't do anything with the aura but look at it! The closest thing to the aura he had was Force Palm—

And then the sheer simplicity of the exercise struck him. Force Palm—an aura based move, the aura itself focused through the palm of the hand, and the only bit he could actually use with the aura. The power welled in him, and Lucifer attacked even with his hands pinned, the Sand Tomb breaking apart. He ducked away from Mew's Bone Club, thankful to finally be able to move and get out of the way.

Panting, rubbing a particularly sore spot on his head, Lucifer watched Mew as she hefted the bone onto her shoulder. He couldn't tell her expression under the skull, but she said brightly, "Good! You finally figured it out! Took you quite a while."

Lucifer spat out a glob of blood from his mouth—must have bit his tongue. "Yeah," he said cynically. "I guess when it comes to the aura, I have to have the lesson beat into my head."

"Oh, don't be such as basket case," Mew said flippantly, and she changed yet again. This time, she was a Dugtrio. "Now, watch out, here I come!"

Once again Lucifer was subject to Mew's strenuous teachings—the two weeks in the desert passed slowly. She soon started teaching him the ways of the Medicham, but he was surprised when she didn't teach him their ways of fighting—she had him try to meditate in the middle of the desert sandstorm.

That in itself was a challenge for Lucifer—he had never been a pokemon to sit around and do nothing. He was restless, and he would jump to attention at the smallest of sounds, and couldn't focus with the raging sandstorm. The two weeks stretched to three before he meditated to Mew's heart's content. It was then that she began to teach them how they fought—how they ate only a berry a day to temper their spirits. Lucifer picked up on their style of fighting quicker than the fluid and fluent twists and bends of the Infernape—it was closer to his own style of fighting, better suited for him. And, finally, they left the desert behind.

Following alongside Mew, still as a tiny little Pichu, Lucifer asked, "Now what?"

"Hm . . ." She trotted seemingly untroubled for several seconds, and then burst, "We're going to go to Lilycove City! There's a lady there that I heard teaches belly dancing—I haven't learned how to do that yet."

Lucifer blinked. "Belly . . . dancing?"

"Yeah!" And then, she shot a sudden Electro Ball at him without even turning around—Lucifer grunted low when it hit his gut, scowling at her—if he would ever learn! "I've learned how to do ballet, I can hip-hop, I can street dance—those people on the streets really get down! I haven't learned how to tap yet, that's something else on the list, but I was engaged first for belly dancing when I saw Shakira do it—wow! That child is very impressive, and it's been only recently now that I get the joke about her hips not lying." Mew laughed, but didn't explain the joke, leaving Lucifer in the dark. "So! We'll head to Lilycove. But!" and she suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Lucifer. "I'm going to teach you Extreme Speed so we can get there in half the time. See—I'm a real time saver!"

He grunted. "Fine, whatever."

Mew took a second glance at him, brows puckering. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied shortly, continuing to walk.

Mew jumped up on his shoulder, causing a quirk of irritation in him. "It is not 'nothing' and I know it, and you know it too! So fess up. What is bothering you?"

He gritted his teeth. "Everything! I might appreciate the training, but what you do by turning into a human is ridiculous, not to mention stupid! And I don't know what in hell's name you mean that there is danger, there is NO DANGER! We've been traveling for almost two months now, and NOTHING has happened!"

When she just stared at him for a moment, he knocked her off of him. "And stay off of my shoulder!"

He didn't know how fast she could react until that day when a Thunder sent him to his knees, gasping for breath. He turned back quickly with a Bone Rush, intending on striking her hard, but a Psychic blasted him to the ground, sending his own Bone Rush smashing into him as well. A hard and scaly body wrapped around him, and he clenched his jaw tight when he felt Mew's new body squeeze tight, threatening to crush him.

The Arbok's fangs were poised, and Mew snarled, "All right, let's just get one thing straight right now—you DO NOT push me around like that, I've had enough of your attitude! I've helped you train, helped you overcome your weaknesses, I've helped you finally catch a little hold on your precious aura that you covet. And how do I get repaid? By your sorry attitude and griping!" Lucifer flinched when she struck close to his face, fangs snapping mere inches away. Against his will, a shaft of fear hit him—she was still stronger. She could take him out if it so pleased her. The Wrap tightened on him. "And just so you know," she hissed, "I honestly don't think there is much danger either, and if there was, I could certainly handle it on my own! However . . . I have a friend who disagrees. To appease him, I WILL have someone protecting me, and if you don't want the job then say so right now!"

Lucifer's jaw clenched tight. He wanted to say he didn't want it—he didn't! But even if he didn't want the job itself, she was right—he coveted being powerful, he coveted the ability to use his aura—and she was the best person to teach him.

When he said nothing, Mew let him go—he gasped for breath immediately, rubbing his sore throat.

Mew was drawn and calculated when he looked up. Finally, she shape shifted into an Arcanine, saying, "Let's go. I am teaching you how to use Extreme Speed."

Lucifer could say nothing to her—she was the leader of this ridiculous journey. In short, he found himself knowing seven moves in all with the addition of Extreme Speed—Bone Rush, Mega Punch, Force Palm, Close Combat, Quick Guard, and Feint. With Extreme Speed, he was able to keep up with Mew easily as they tore across the continent. Passing through first Mauville City, then Fortree City, they made it to Lilycove in record time, only a few days because their Extreme Speeds were so fast.

Against his will, Mew turned them both into humans again. Splashing his face with water from a creek, Lucifer scowled—and that awful blue hair that Mew protested she could do nothing about.

"Hmm . . ." He ignored her as she switched his outfit several times, finally settling with a pair of kaki shorts, converse shoes, and a polo. He frowned at his reflection, finding that he didn't like what he wore.

"So," he started, and then blinked twice when he got a good look at Mew. She wore a pair of sandals, a pretty pink skirt with intricate designs on it, and a matching pink top that exposed her midriff. He swallowed, and started again. "So, what am I going to do while you take these . . . belly dancing classes?"

Mew leaned over to look at her reflection in the water, fiddling here and there with her outfit. "Well . . ." After a moment or two more, she knelt next to Lucifer, saying, "Well, you can practice using your aura!"

Lucifer resisted a groan—if anything, that was the last thing he wanted to do. "And how am I supposed to do that?" he asked roughly, crossing his arms.

"You can attack as well as defend with the aura itself," Mew said. "Look." Lucifer watched as a bright glow came from her hands—her aura. "I'm propelling it out of my body, using my hands as a more direct approach so it doesn't go everywhere." She waved her hands around, letting him see her aura easily—anyone could see her aura like this when she forced it out of her body. "Lucifer," she said, "using your aura like this isn't just like a normal pokemon attack—using your aura to attack someone is dangerous, because it inflicts different kinds of damage."

Lucifer frowned. "So . . . If you hit me while your hands were charged with the aura instead of something like Force Palm, you're telling me I would get very hurt?"

"Most likely," she said, letting go of the power. "It can rip through body parts if it is too strong, but you CAN use it to fight like that. Most people just don't though."

Lucifer nodded, looking down on his hands. "I see."

"And also, this:" and she threw up a shield made out of her aura, bright blue and impenetrable. "A shield as the most simple of things—nothing can penetrate it unless it breaks because you can't hold it up any longer. No pokemon attack can get through—well, maybe Feint—no bullets make it through, not even explosions—just so long as you keep holding it strong." Then, she scooted closer, taking his hands.

"Close your eyes," she told Lucifer, and he obliged. "What do you see with your aura?"

It was just like in the hot spring tub. He swallowed, saying, "Everything."

"Most everything," Mew replied candidly. "But your aura comes from deep within you," and Lucifer jumped slightly when he felt something tug deep in his chest, "somewhere about here. That's the approximate spot for pokemon in general. You've got to summon it from there, let it flow strong. Work with it—your aura is a blessing, especially when you learn to use it well."

Lucifer looked down at Mew's beautiful aura again. It seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. "And how will knowing this help with my vision and battling?"

He felt her hit his head, and he gritted his teeth in annoyance. "It helps with everything! If you know where your aura is, it is much easier to channel. You can let it flow through your entire body, focus it through your hands and feet as you attack, focus it in your eyes to see farther and clearer, and throw it out of you to create shields—if you get especially good at it, you can read people's minds."

Lucifer shot her a glance. "So that was how you knew what bathing suit I wanted you in—you read my mind."

Mew shrugged, untroubled. "Well, of course I did! You weren't saying anything, and I wanted to know what your thoughts were."

He set his jaw, letting go of his aura and looking at her. "Stay out of my head from now on."

"Sure thing," she said flippantly, standing up.

"Mew, wait—you said I could attack with my aura?"

Mew rolled her eyes. "That's what I just said, was it not?" She grabbed his hand again, putting her palm on the back of his hand, and made his palm face outward. Lucifer felt a surge of power channel through him and it erupted out of his palm, sending a blast of blue energy flying out, bigger than a bowling ball and more powerful, and hitting the ground so hard it left a crater.

Lucifer gasped, and Mew released her touch on him. "See?" she asked again. "That's just the least of things you can do. So! While I learn to belly dance, you can practice with your aura." She sent him a sly glance. "And also practice your meditating . . ."

He started at his palm for a long moment, and then he finally looked up at her. "Sure thing," he said.

She wasn't supposed to be contacting him yet, but . . . This was a special case. One she was sure her boss would be fine with knowing.

"Calling headquarters," she said into the walkie-talkie. "Rocket Headquarters, answer me."

She pulled at the awful Team Aqua uniform she wore. "Rocket Grunt 343," a voice spoke irritated to her. "Why are you reporting back so soon? This had better be worth the time."

"It most certainly is," she replied snootily, watching the blond woman and blue-headed male head towards Lilycove City. "Get Giovanni on the line—I must speak with him."

A cynical laugh made her roll her eyes. "And why do you need to speak with Boss? Speak your piece before I hang up."

"I've located the legendary Mew."

Her lips pulled into a wry smile when it fell silent at the other end of the line. "And what makes you think you've found THE legendary Mew?"

"I'm sending you the data I retrieved from scanning her. You tell me if these numbers are correct."

The undercover Rocket Grunt waited smugly as the man over the comm checked out the details of her scan. "These can't be right . . ."

"They are," the grunt said as she looked down on the data herself. "I would tell you more of the situation, but this is top secret as you know—now put Giovanni on the line if you value your job."

The executive grumbled, but did as bidden. The Rocket Grunt let the two people go—she knew where they would be headed.

"Yes," she heard a short and hard voice say. "What is it? You say you've found Mew?"

"Yes, sir!" she said immediately. "Have you seen the data I sent in?"

"Yes," he said shortly again. "It is off the charts . . . But how can you be so sure?"

The Rocket Grunt drew back into the trees, hiding herself from sight. "I saw a Pichu transform into a human. What pokemon could possibly have the power to do that at will? A Ditto's eyes will always give it away because of the black beady eyes. A Zorua has to have a model to transform into." Giovanni didn't interrupt, so she kept on. "She is traveling with a Lucario—he used her name, calling her Mew even in her different form. I have no doubts."

There was a long silence. "Rocket Grunt 343 . . ." Giovanni said. "Why is she traveling with this . . . Lucario?"

"She seems to be training him," she responded immediately. "He cannot use his aura—I saw her demonstrate for him, as well as overhear her coaching him."

It was a bit longer before Giovanni responded. "Why did she transform into a human?"

"To take a belly dancing class," the grunt said instantly, trying not to sound as crazy as the words made her seem.

Giovanni paused. "Belly dancing?"

"Yes, sir! I saw the outfit and everything, heard her say it herself." When another long silence stretched, the grunt felt compelled to add more. "Sir, we have enough undercover agents in these parts to capture Mew—"

"No," he said shortly. "Do not acknowledge her presence until I send you reinforcements. She is too powerful for so few, and the undercover agents will not be found out by either Team Aqua OR Team Magma. I will send reinforcements immediately. Send me your coordinates.

"And make sure she stays in the area. I want her!"

Lucifer sighed to himself as full contact with his aura slipped away again. Would it ever end? He could mediate in the middle of Mew's classes with no problem now—he was now adept at meditation because he had spent so much time on it. But as for the aura . . .

It had been nearly a month now. A month, and he could finally see about the length of a football field. A month, and he could get little spurts of aura from his hands, nothing so big as to act enough of a shield to protect himself, barely enough to be considered an attack. It was a constant struggle he fought, and he finally gave it up, resting for once as he watched Mew in her class.

There were a total of five women and the teacher in the small class. All of them were Lebanese save for Mew, but they accepted her—and they liked her. He supposed that Mew's bubbly personality could entice anyone, and it certainly did on the women there. Mew was also learning their language of Arabic as much as she could on the way. Two of them were sisters.

Lucifer watched her as she danced with them. A song played, and he recognized it as La Tortura by Shakira, only because he had been sitting in the room as he worked with his aura. She was good now. She easily kept up with the other women though she had only been in the class for a month—and maybe it was because she pestered the teacher for many more lessons that were just one on one, but she had improved . . . and it caught his attention.

Lucifer watched them practice again, focused on Mew instead of the others. Her hips swayed well now compared to when she had first started, no longer jerky and out of place but curving as they were supposed to, enticing him. His eyes strayed over the exposed skin of her stomach, watching the way she did a belly roll, a heat spreading in his gut.

He shut his eyes quickly, taking a deep breath, knowing where such emotions led. He wasn't going there. He might find her attractive, but he was NOT going to do anything or fall farther for her ways any longer . . . But he found his eyes opening to see the delicious curve of her hips, and he couldn't help but be amazed at what she could do, eyes glued to the erotic dance.

Finally, furious at himself for being so weak, Lucifer got up and strode out of the class. When he left the building, taking a deep breath of fresh air, he felt a little better—he swallowed, and sat down on the ground. He would focus some more on his aura—he needed to be able to use it properly, and he was going to figure it out if it were the last thing he did!

"Lucifer?"

He nearly groaned at her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he sighed. "I just decided I would try to channel my aura in the silence."

"Oh! Okay, sorry, I'm leaving!" and he heard her go back indoors.

Lucifer sighed, and he walked off—she'd be back soon. Going off into the nearby forest, he found an old stump to sit on, relaxing, letting his shoulders slump some. Peace and quiet—probably the first he had had since he began this ridiculous journey with her had began. Lucifer sighed and reached out for his aura.

He frowned when he tried to touch it—somewhere around him, he was feeling that something was . . . off. Something was amiss, and he couldn't tell what it was. He strove to feel his aura—if he could, he would know instantly what was wrong because the aura was the living force of all pokemon—but it slipped and slinked from his touch again and again to no avail.

Three helicopters approached Lilycove city, each filled with Team Rocket members. 009 stared out of the cockpit, a smug smirk making it to her face as she saw the little building.

"Agent 009 reporting," she said into the comm. "Giovanni, our rendezvous point is coming into sight. The readings of our scan is high—Mew is in there."

"What about the Lucario?" he barked back.

"Our readings hold only that of Mew—there is no other pokemon in the building. The only ones there are some people it seems."

"Good," Giovanni said shortly. "The Lucario would only be a pain in our side. Get Mew, subdue her with force if need be, and bring her back to me alive."