"You can stop looking at us like that now!" Mars warned, as Hotaru giggled having to lean against a ruined wall to stop herself from collapsing.

"I would stop now." Warned Shiro. "She gets quite scary when she's angry."

"Yeah, but your bias, Now that you two are together." Hotaru remarked.

Together Shiro thought, what would that entail? But more importantly what would it mean for them? Would it compromise their mission? Hang on, what was the mission? He had trusted Mars so much that he had failed to ask what the plan was, let alone ask about what Cyrus would do with the Griseous Orb that Shiro stole for him.

"Hey, Mars you never said what Cyrus would do with the Griseous Orb. So what's he going to do with it?" Shiro asked.

Mars turned to him, looking deadly serious.

"Sit down." She said.

Shiro perched on a wall and, with help, so did Hotaru. Mars began pacing in front of them.

"The Griseous Orb is the manifestation of a great power. There are three orbs, the Adamant Orb, Lustrous Orb and the Griseous Orb. They belong to three Pokemon; Dialga, controller of time, Palkia, master of space and a third. The third is rarely spoken of and when it is, it is spoken of with dread, awe and sometimes reverence."

Mars strode back and forth, gesticulating with her hands.

"Its name is Giratina. It is capable of laying waste to this world in a few days and Cyrus plans to summon it with the Griseous Orb."

"Why?" Hotaru interrupted.

"I used to work for a crime syndicate named Team Galactic, and he led us. He wanted to destroy this universe and rebuild his own. Bu after his plans failed, the team scattered. Apart from me and Charon, We jumped into the distortion world, Giratina's home, into which he had fled. He was mad, well he was already but now he was more, If that was possible. I ran, I was scared but Charon he stayed. Cyrus however saw my running as betrayal and vowed to destroy us all using the very creature that destroyed him."

"Giratina" Shiro said.

"Yes."

"But I still don't get why he's after Shiro as well?"

Mars looked hesitant, but Shiro nodded at her giving her the confirmation she needed.

"Shiro stole the Griseous Orb for him."

"What!" Hotaru shouted, before fainting and falling off the stone wall with a loud thump.

"She did it again..." Shiro said.

"Apparently so..." Mars continued.

"Vibra, Go!" Shiro said, throwing Vibra's pokeball into the air.

"Now, I want you to take Hotaru back to the Inn. You understand?"

Vibra buzzed in recognition, before grasping the fallen Hotaru and flying into the distance.

"I guess we should press on. No point wasting time." Mars said.

"Ok. But one question, What's our plan?" Shiro questioned.

"We have to try and find the Adamant Orb or the Lustrous Orb. If we can summon Dialga or Palkia we'll have a chance of winning. But Giratina Isn't the only thing to worry about."

"It's not?"

"One; Cyrus is an exceptionally strong trainer. Two; Charon is a genius, he specializes in Mecha, so we'll probably have to take down a few. Three: Cyrus is mad, mad means unpredictable."

"Sounds like we've really got our hands full, but you know where my hands would rather be..." Shiro said, moving closer to Mars.

"Later."

"Is that a promise?"

"It's a maybe. And we have to deal with Absol."

"Talking of Absol..." Shiro trailed off pointing behind Mars and beginning to run, grabbing her hand as he did.

"It's running into that cave! Do we follow?"

"We Do!" Responded Shiro as they ran in to the inky black hand-in-hand.

CRASH! Shiro felt a sharp pain in his arm as he smashed into the ground; he looked up weakly to see Absol peering into the pit. Was Mars ok? He looked to the left to see Mars splayed across the floor.

"Mars, Mars?" Shiro said softly.

No answer. Shiro groaned as he hoisted her onto his back and looked around. They were in some sort of cave system, but somewhere it must link up to the surface again. Tentatively, he began walking into the dark, with Mars on his back. Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp, It was getting to the point where he thought he was going to collapse as well. Wait, what was that he thought, Absol!

But if Absol was down here it meant he could get up again! So Shiro, and not so much Mars, began following Absol, not knowing where it might lead them.

"Uggnnhh..." Mars groaned.

"You awake?" Shiro said, looking over his shoulder into her tired eyes.

"Sort of..." She said weakly "What happened?"

"We fell into some sort of pit and I saw Absol, so I'm following him. After all he must be going somewhere..." Shiro answered.

"Curious.." She responded thoughtfully.

The sound of screeching Zubats could be heard echoing around the cave, along with the sound of dripping and then suddenly...

"Light!" Mars exclaimed as she pointed towards an opening at the end of the tunnel, the light so blinding it was impossible to see beyond. The two rushed into it, Mars clutching onto Shiro like her life depended on it.

The duo squinted as the bright light rendered them blind for a short time, and as their vision slowly returned they could see a dark, ominous silhouette standing on a large rock.

"Cyrus!" shouted Mars, almost accusingly.

The tall blue-haired man responded with a menacing laugh as he jumped down from the rock much like a Ninja.

"Looks like I finally caught up to you bitches... But If the great war machine of Team Galactic is too reawaken, revenge must be enacted on those who betrayed me!" He spat, reaching for the pokeball at his belt.

"This is Crobat, Interestingly in his time in the wild he developed a taste for human blood, lets see if you can sate his thirst!" Cyrus shouted, releasing the four winged monstrosity into the air, its purple maw stretching as it screeched loudly.

"And I trust you've already met Absol.." He said, gesturing towards Absol as it bounded across to him.

"So you think you have a chance? Certainly brave... But you will die like the dogs you are!" he roared madly "Crobat use Crunch, Absol give them the Psycho Cut!"

Crobat bared his fanged jaws and dove towards the two, while Absol rushed at them his scythe-like horn glowing amethyst.

"Quick, Magnet Rise now!" A mysterious voice echoed around the cave as Mars and Shiro were lifted suddenly, their bodies shimmering, the two suspended next to each other as if they were giant marionette dolls.

"Hotaru!" Shiro shouted as Hotaru hovered into view with Vibra carrying her through the murk.

"Quick guys! Attack" Shiro exclaimed releasing Aria and Cass who were quickly joined by Hotaru's Magnemite and Mar's Marowak.

"You think theres hope? You will all die here. Today!" he snarled "Crobat execute Sludge Bomb, Absol use Thunderbolt!"

"Marowak use your club as a lightning rod!"

"Aria, use psychic, Stop that Sludge Bomb! Cass give it a Hydro Pump!"

"Magnemite electrify that Hydro Pump, Vibra use Dragon Pulse!"

Cyrus growled in frustration as both of his attacks were deflected and A raging torrent of electrified water and energy shot towards him.

"Absol!"

Cyrus shouted and the disaster pokemon leapt between his master and Cass' attack.

"Light Screen!"

The Hydro Pump hit Absol's psychic shield with tremendous force almost knocking Absol over.

"Crobat use smokescreen!" Cyrus commanded.

Hotaru and Mars coughed as the black smog enveloped the cave making the already poor light an impossibility to see through. As the smoke cleared Cyrus was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn! He got away! We could have nailed him! If-" Hotaru exclaimed.

"Shut up! Where's Shiro?" Said Mars, with worry in her eyes.

Aria scuttled around in panic as Cass flew around the cave looking for her master to no avail...