Aaron returned to normal over the next few days like Hayley had hoped. In fact Aaron was actually a bit happier as he was very excited about getting to challenge his first gym. This prompted Aaron to train hard with his team making sure that they were ready for their first gym battle. Abigail, Hayley, and Drew had also been training, and at times they would all train together in tag battles or one on one; Aaron always felt that someone was watching their battles, but he ignored the feeling. Aaron was also doing very well in his classes; he aced his history test, got a B on his math quiz, and successfully harvested his first set of berries and started growing revival herbs; all of his teachers were praising him, and a few of them seemed to be paying more attention to Aaron than usual.

The day had finally come for the students who signed up to challenge the gym to go. Aaron had his messenger bag with all three of his Pokémon peeking their heads out of the bag. His suitcase was already stowed on the bus and was going to be delivered straight to the room at the hotel that they would be staying at. The buses that would be taking the students to the hotel were owned by the school and designed for people to travel in luxury. Aaron took a seat next to Drew as his Pokémon climbed out of his bag and sat on his lap. "You guys ready for this." Aaron asked petting each one earning a smile from them as they nuzzled Aaron's hand and let out a cry of affection. "How about you, Rattata?" Aaron asked letting him climb up his arm and on to his shoulder. "Rat-ta." He cried showing a look of determination. Aaron scratched him behind the ears as the bus started moving and they were off to their destination of Oregano Town where the fighting gym as well as a few other attractions were located.

The bus ride was about thirty minutes, and during that time Aaron and Drew talked about strategies that they could use for the gym tomorrow. The bus finally made it to the town and started driving through. Aaron looked out the window of the bus and saw several people wearing black jackets, black pants, and dark sunglasses that concealed their eyes; the jackets had an unusual emblem on them that looked like a purple sphere with what appeared to be the symbol for mega evolution in black on it.

Once the bus stopped in front of the hotel, Professor Silverstone stood up to make an announcement. "Students, I know that most of you were hoping to sightsee before the gym battle tomorrow, but I'm going to have to ask you to go straight to your hotel rooms." This was met by several boos and groans from the students. "I'm sorry, but some pressing matters have come up. If you just stay in your hotel rooms then it should be nothing to worry about." All of the students nodded their heads and got off the bus where a teacher was handing out room keys to each of the students. The room organization was much like that of the dorms, and Aaron and Drew's room was connected to Hayley and Abigail's by a conjoining bathroom that they could lock from the outside for privacy. Dinner was held in the restaurant downstairs; sadly the students were still not allowed to explore the town because the disturbance had not been resolved yet.

Aaron and the other students finished eating and returned to their rooms where they were supposed to stay. Aaron took a shower and got ready for bed early knowing that there was nothing else to do and that he had a big day tomorrow. Drew, Hayley and Abigail followed suit also knowing that they had a big day tomorrow. Aaron finished getting ready for bed and jumped in to the bed with his Pokémon who cuddled closely to him as he got comfortable in his bed.

"Goodnight." Drew said smiling at Aaron with his Pokémon.

"Goodnight." Aaron said smiling as he got ready to turn out the light only for Hayley and Abigail to walk in to the room wearing their pajamas.

"Just wanted to say goodnight to you guys." Hayley and Abigail said smiling at them. Hayley was wearing her pink pajama pants with the pajama shirt with the hood and pink puffballs on the ends of the strings. Abigail was wearing a similar outfit except hers was purple. Both of the girls went back to their room after saying goodnight to Aaron and Drew who turned out the lights and quickly fell asleep.

One of the boys who Aaron threw in to the fountain was a few doors down the hall and still awake. He threw his pokeball revealing a Haunter. "Haunter go to room 223 and give that Aaron kid a nightmare." He said sternly as his Pokémon phased through the wall. Aaron was fast asleep when the Haunter loomed over him and performed the nightmare attack before returning to his trainer.

Aaron was battling against a trainer with his Rattata by his side. Then all of a sudden its eyes glowed red as it glared at Aaron and attacked him. Aaron screamed as he fought with the Pokémon. Little did he know that his actions were also occurring in the real world as Drew woke up to see Aaron thrashing and kicking and screaming in his sleep with his Pokémon trying to calm him down with no luck.

"Abigail, Hayley, wake up! Something's wrong with Aaron!" Drew shouted banging on the door connecting their rooms. Abigail and Hayley ran over to Aaron's bed where he was still in the state that he had been in.

Abigail looked at Aaron. "Is there something that we can do to wake him?" Abigail asked.

"Shaking him won't work, I've already tried that." Drew told her.

"Bring me his bag. I think that I know something that might work." Hayley said as Drew handed her Aaron's bag and began going through it. She pulled out a reusable water bottle with some sort of purplish liquid in it. She put the bottle to Aaron's lips and squeezed the bottle causing Aaron to swallow some of the liquid causing him to immediately wake up.

Aaron saw his Rattata and hugged him reassured that he was okay. "Thanks for getting me out of that nightmare." Aaron said looking at his three friends.

"What was in that bottle?" Drew asked curiously.

"Chesto berry juice. I use it to stay awake for long periods of time like when I need to study or just when I'm feeling sluggish. That stuff is not something that you drink because you like the taste, but I do have to admit that it grows on you." Aaron said putting the bottle away.

"I'm going to go get some water to get rid of this aftertaste." Aaron said opening the door to the room and entering the hallway. Aaron walked to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of water. As he turned the corner he heard voices and instinctively ducked behind the corner.

Aaron heard Professor Silverstone's voice and looked to see her walking with Professor Carter. "Atticus, we need to do something. They could endanger the students with their plans." The professor said worriedly.

"Don't worry Maria. The students will be fine. Brian is already taking care of Team Pulse and some of the other teachers are already helping him." Professor Carter said as two teachers ran up to him. "Tsunami, what happened?" Professor Carter asked Aaron's math teacher, Professor Shell.

"Skylar and I fought off the grunts, but a few of the admins got in to the ruins." Professor Shell told him as she and Professor Spark, Aaron's science teacher walked off after they were dismissed by Professor Silverstone. Aaron ran back to his room and started getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie; he recalled his Pokemon and put his pokeballs in his pocket as he pulled up the hood.

Abigail, Hayley, and Drew saw him doing all of this. "Where are you going?" Drew asked.

"I heard the professors talking about some guys called Team Pulse apparently they're causing trouble in the town. I'm going to go check it out. I think that the gym leader's involved." Aaron told them.

"We're coming with you." They all said as they ran to get dressed. Aaron sighed knowing that they would be coming with him and there was nothing that he could do about it. They all snuck out of the hotel and looked around.

"They said something about some ruins being in trouble. Do you guys know where they are?" Aaron asked.

"According to the town history, they're underground." Abigail said. Aaron looked around and saw an open manhole that looked like it had been opened recently. They all went down and followed Aaron who brought a flashlight. Aaron was following the path that looked like it had been used recently. They kept following it until they stopped in front of a wall covered with graffiti.

"Dead-end." Drew sighed.

"I don't think so. This wall doesn't match the others. Start looking for a switch or something." Aaron said as he started feeling around the wall. The others did the same until Drew hit something causing the wall to slide open. They all ran inside and found themselves in a tunnel. They kept walking until they heard voices at the end of the tunnel causing them to duck and hide as they listened.

"Brian, gym leader of Oregano Town, is all tied up and can not move, and yet he thinks that he has leverage in this." A sadistic voice said followed by a loud thud and some groaning.

"I won't tell you anything." A voice said while simultaneously panting.

"Then we'll destroy this place." The sadistic voice said.

With that, Aaron ran out of the tunnel and confronted the sadistic voice which belonged to a woman with short purple hair, a pair of black glasses, a leather vest with an image of a purple sphere with the mega evolution symbol on it, and a black skirt. "You're not going to do that on my watch." Aaron said coldly as he pulled out a pokeball and called out his Rattata. Drew and the others ran out from their hiding place and stood by Aaron ready to fight by his side.

"Kid, go home before you get hurt." She said glaring at Aaron.

Aaron hated when people disrespected him because he was young. "You're going to leave this place and free the gym leader or I'm going to make you." Aaron said clenching his fist.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She said throwing her pokeball to reveal an Ariados. "Ariados, pin missile!" She shouted as the Pokémon shot a barrage of needles at Aaron's Rattata.

"Rattata, dodge it and follow up with a super fang!" Aaron called out as his Pokémon bit down on the large spider. "Rattata, take this yache berry and show that thing your natural gift."

"Ariados, when it gets close, use toxic." She called out. Aaron's Rattata gave the Ariados a direct hit while also getting badly poisoned by the toxic attack. Aaron's Rattata barely stood as it winced in pain trying to fight off the poison.

"Breloom, protect Rattata with a fire punch." Drew said throwing his pokeball as his Pokémon attacked the Ariados.

Drew's attack gave Aaron enough time to run over to his Rattata and give it a pecha berry. Drew's fire punch seemed to have severely injured the Ariados. "Rattata, let's finish this with a hyper fang attack!" Aaron shouted only to be cut off by a white light surrounding his Rattata and the light changing shape. When the light cleared, Aaron's Rattata was now a Raticate. "Raticate, let's finish this with hyper fang!" Aaron shouted as his newly evolved Pokémon attacked the Ariados causing it to faint.

"You won't see the last of me, kid. Plus while you were busy battling me, our leader was able to get what we came for." The Team Pulse member said smiling evilly before throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing.

Abigail and Hayley untied Brian who thanked them as he stood up. "What did they come for?" Hayley asked.

Brian sighed. "They came for the scroll detailing the history of evolution in this town from the beginning of time. Sadly, they got it. You kids are from that school. Aren't you?" He asked. They all nodded their heads. "Well thank you for saving me. I look forward to our battle tomorrow. Let me show you to the surface as my thanks." Aaron and Drew recalled their Pokémon as they followed Brian back to the surface. They then returned to their hotel rooms to rest before the big gym battle tomorrow.

Little did the friends know that they were being watched the whole time by four cloaked figures who had been watching from the shadows. "Do you think that they are worthy?" A man asked.

"Maybe not all of them, but we will have to see. Their gym battle tomorrow should prove which of them are worthy." A female voice said before walking off; the other three cloaked figures followed her as they disappeared in to the shadows.