Author's Note

Hello Universe! Palkia is here with Chapter 9! Yee! But first…

Infinite's Ruby: Aww thanks dude! I gotta add some comical stuff in there, along with some serious stuff. There will be more along the way!

Derpykip: I absolutely love Gen 4, and I really like Weavile. Earlier I had mentioned that I created Mist Forest, and I needed something that would be able to be the boss of the area. Pretty much the forest is your farming area of GTI (Gates to Infinity) Come to find out, after I had written the Weavile boss battle (if you wish to call it that) the info on Bulbapedia mentioned that Weavile makes packs of four or five members of either Sneasel or Weavile, and use teamwork to take down prey. And, both Sneasel and Weavile do live in the forest and communicate with carving patterns on trees! I didn't even research this and I still got it right! XD I'm glad you like the story!

Not gonna say much because I don't want to spoil. So here we go!

Also I do not own Pokémon and I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog

Chapter 9

An Exploration Team is Born

A few days had past since the chilling encounter with Suicune. Even though it had gone by, the event still shook Shadow to the bone. Just why did Suicune show up? And why did he tell him this?

"The Darkness is near…" He vaguely remembered Suicune saying. That stood out to him the most. Well, other than the fact that Suicune was indeed a legendary pokemon. Why would a legendary pokemon want to speak with him? And, more specifically, why just him?

After that night, he had gone to Tyrantrum for some answers. Shadow didn't mention Suicune, however. The Riolu was true to keep his promise. After all, this was a legendary pokemon he was keeping the secret for.

Of course, the village elder had asked him why exactly, and he just lied, saying that he was interested in learning more about them. So, to the Riolu's surprise, Tyrantrum opened an old trap door to a hidden basement within the house. In there was a collection of books, some ranging from recent to thousands of years old, along with a couple of cobwebs and dust.

Tyrantrum has picked out a few history books that he thought Shadow could read for now. But what the Riolu noticed is that he saw the village elder hesitate when grabbing one book. It was covered in red leather. However, he decided to not grab it.

"These might help you," he said to Shadow. "The rest in here either do not consist of the topic you're looking for, are unreadable because of time, or in a language that even I cannot understand." In his hands, or rather claws, were three books that he had just recently taken off of the shelves. The books didn't look out of the ordinary. They were covered in brown leather, and well, that was pretty much the only thing he could notice that was different. To his surprise, when Tyrantrum handed him the books, the Riolu didn't seem fazed by the amount of weight he was carrying.

Shadow had thanked Tyrantrum for this. He was hoping the books would help him understand more about Suicune, and also this "darkness" he had mentioned. With that, he went upstairs to his room. He placed the books on his bed, wiping off some of the dust. Then, he opened the first book…

A flash of lightning and a loud rumble of thunder was heard just outside his window. The Riolu jumped at the noise. "Ahh!" he cried in fright. He ended up falling off the bed, with the book falling on his head. And it hurt, a lot. Shadow was spread eagle on the smooth wooden floor with a book half draped over his head.

"Owwww," he moaned. The Riolu opened his ruby eyes, only to see the book obscuring his view. He reached over and grabbed it, taking it off of his head. Pushing himself off of the ground, Shadow stood up and placed the book on the bed with the two other ones. He jumped back onto the bed and looked out the window…

Only to hear the sound of rain.

"Aww no," he said. Tonight was the full moon. And now it was raining outside. "So much for going to the lake today," he stated sadly. He would have to wait a whole month to find out what happens there. The Riolu couldn't do much today, because of the rain, however, he noticed the books that he recently acquired. I might as well read those, he thought. Taking one book in his paw, Shadow opened it up. Come to find out, he couldn't understand a single word.

You have gotta be kidding me, he thought, trying to keep his anger contained. It feels like everything is going bad for me today. The Riolu decided that it would be best to return them to Tyrantrum, and explain that he can't understand the language. And so, he did.

Tyrantrum wasn't surprised. He knew Shadow came from another world, so it wouldn't have been that shocking if he had found out that the Riolu couldn't understand the language. Though, there was one solution to the problem. The village elder offered to translate it for him, but Shadow didn't take the offer. He wanted to work on something else instead.

The Riolu went back to his room with a hint of sadness in the air. A lot of things seemed to be going wrong for him in the past few days. The books, the rain, and even the encounter with Fennekin. He hadn't seen her since that night. The Riolu wondered how she was doing. Though, he had the feeling that she wouldn't want to see him soon. Not after that statement.

"How would you understand if you don't remember anything!" The words rang through his head over and over, like a never ending nightmare. Sometimes, he wished he could go back in time and change what he had said and done. She would probably be mad at him for a while.

Minutes turned into hours as he was in his room all day. Shadow did have stuff to do, like finishing up one of the drawings he was working on with Leafeon. He finished it by the time night fell. Surprisingly, he actually did two that day. The first one was a fall scene with red, orange, and yellow leaves. Shadow had never seen fall foliage that beautiful before. The second one was the rain that went on outside his window all day. He sighed. At least something kept him busy that day. The Riolu was tired. After having dinner with Tyrantrum, Shadow said goodnight and went to bed.

His sleep wasn't that peaceful. It was plagued by dreams. Dreams that he couldn't understand. He opened his eyes and all he could see was darkness. A sea of blackness was all around him. The Riolu struggled, having trouble breathing and moving.

What's happening? He wondered. I can't breathe! Panic began to sweep over his entire being. Fear crept into his mind. He couldn't move and couldn't breathe. Where was he? The fear and panic overwhelmed him. Shadow was going to die.

Please, please! He tried to call out. Help me! Help me! Please! He could not speak words. All he could do was call out mental cries of desperation. But it was to no avail. Nobody was going to help him. Not when he was trapped here.

"We...to do something!" A female voice cried out through the darkness. Shadow looked around frantically. Who was this voice? And where did it come from. Was it going to help him? "He must... not going to make it!" She cried out. There were distortions in the female voice's words. But one thing was clear to Shadow. I am dying… he thought.

"It's no use," a strong male voice said. "There is... we can do...am not… going to...it to him." The Riolu was surprised. Someone wanted him to die? But why? What did he do?

"But he's dying!" She cried out in despair. "He… taken his first breath … yet!" The male voice yelled. "He's not… one... alive! He was… even born yet!" Shadow's eyes widened in shock. What is this? He thought. Is this a dream? Or is this… a memory?

The pressure was beginning to strangle him, trying to kill him. He began to mentally cry in pain. Make it stop! Make it stop! He cried in pain. Please! Help me! I'm begging you!

"I can… him!" The female voice said. "He's…! Please! Give… It's the only way... live!" A glint of hope filled Shadow's heart. They could possibly hear him! Please! If you can hear me, then please help me!

He heard a sigh. "This is… responsibility… you realize this, yes?" The male voice said. "I don't care!" The female voice shouted. "He has...live! He…can save us!"

Save...us…? His thoughts lingered. He was slowly losing his consciousness, or whatever the state he was in now. His began to lower his eyes. No! I must stay awake! I can't fall asleep! Not now!

"YOu MuSt DIeeEEe…" The sound of thousand of voices came flying at him, making him feel disoriented. Shadow's head pounded, forcing him to his knees with his paws clenching his head. Something strangled him, and was forcing him to not breathe. Please… his mental cry was becoming distant and weak. Save...me… He was drifting on the edge of death.

"Do it!" The female voice shouted. "He's fading!" Suddenly, he could feel a great amount of pressure forced into his chest. But, it wasn't killing him. The strangling began to lessen more and more. Then, he couldn't feel any pain. Shadow could breathe again. He gasped for air.

What's happening to me? He wondered. A bright light began to appear in his chest, illuminating some of the darkness. At first, it was small, then it began to grow and grow, consuming his entire body. He no longer heard the voices. All he could feel was the warm, welcoming embrace the light was giving him.

His eyes shot open. His body shot up out of the bed. Shadow was panting and sweating, the fear and shock could be seen in those widened, ruby eyes. The Riolu looked around frantically, making sure that the entire area was real. He let out a sigh of relief. It was only a dream.

Or was it? He thought. The chilling realization came back to him. I almost died… Shadow couldn't breathe or move at all during that time. The thousands of voices that came at him, pressuring him to die. But then… there were two voices.

Who were they? Shadow thought. I can't remember them. Unfortunately their conversation was cutting in and out. They sound familiar, and yet… they don't. So many questions ran through his head. Those two were talking during that time. And didn't the male voice mention that he wasn't even alive? Could that mean that I wasn't even born yet? He wondered. But, that's not possible. How could I not be born if I wasn't born yet?

He looked outside. The rain still poured down on the window. It was dark out, but the moon didn't show because of the rain. The Riolu could hear the pitter patter of the rain hitting the roof. He grew sad. It's alright, he thought. I'll just have to wait a month, that's all…

Shadow readjusted the covers on the bed. He let himself flop back onto the bed, with his head hitting the pillow. Looking up at the ceiling, he found that he couldn't sleep. Shadow sighed. His eyes were filled with sadness. I want to go home…

The morning was calm, though it was rather wet. The night's rainfall left some areas of the village flooded and filled with mud. There was no sign of another storm coming. That was a relief for the Emerald Village, for the most recent one left behind a lot of damage.

Trees were down. Red and orange colored leaves had come off of the trees and were now scattered on the ground. They mixed with the mud, making the ground extra slippery. The broken Emerald Shrine was covered with wet leaves, so many of them that all you could see was a pile of leaves.

The Pokémon of the Emerald Village were tasked of cleaning the leaves away. Even Weavile and his gang came to help. They did not want anyone to get hurt when they walked through the village. The pokemon also had to wash away any mud so that someone doesn't get stuck either. The children were tasked to clear the leaves away from the shrine. Some were fine with it, others, well, not so much.

Shadow helped out of course, despite the fact that he didn't get much sleep that night. To be honest, he wasn't truly asleep for the rest of the night after that experience. Though, he didn't tell anyone about what had happened. The only thing was that his drowsiness was beginning to show to the other pokemon.

Skitty was the first to notice. Being an apprentice to the village healer meant that she was taught how to spot certain signs of sickness. She noticed that his eyes were drooping, he wasn't focused, and he seemed to be dragging himself along. He must've not gotten a lot of sleep last night.

"Hey Shadow," She said. The Riolu turned to her. "Are you alright? You don't look so good." "I'm… not?" He said, then it was proceeded with a yawn and him rubbing his eyes. "Sorry, I just didn't get that much sleep last night."

"If you want, we got some of those Pokebeans," one of the Sneasel said, who had just overheard their conversation. "They give you lots of of energy!" Shadow considered this. The Pokebeans were really good, and they did give energy.

"You don't mind if I have one?" he said. "It's no issue!" Sneasel said. "Weavile found a bunch of them, and we've got too many. So you can have some if you like." He nodded. Sneasel led him to Weavile.

"Those Pokebeans should be able to help him," Skitty said. "We were given some and they pack a lot of energy, and they taste good too. Only thing is that they're a bit too crunchy for my liking."

"Ahh, who cares about Glowstick?" Monferno scoffed. "All this means is that he gets time off from doing this. Why do we have to do this work anyway? It's stupid! It's not our fault that the storm caused the leaves to fall."

"Actually it kind of is," Eevee commented. Monferno and Electrike glared at Eevee. Despite the fear developing inside her, she continued. "The Emerald Shrine wouldn't have been knocked over and broken if you hadn't chased Fennekin into it. Hence we wouldn't have to clear it away if it was still standing."

"It's not our fault somebody decided run into it!" Electrike yelled. Fennekin looked away in shame. Her ears lowered, and her eyes were downcast. They're right, Fennekin thought. It is my fault…

"Hey cut it out you two!" a voice shouted. Shadow came back to them. "We're supposed to be clearing the shrine. Not blaming someone who broke it, even if it was an accident or on purpose. It doesn't matter who did it. It already happened. Why stay focused on the past when the present's right in front of you? You read history, wonder about tomorrow's mystery, but you should play around with the present."

"Oh great," Monferno scoffed. "I already got Tyrantrum scolding me. I don't need a young kid telling what to do!" The tension between the two fighting type pokemon was beginning to grow more and more. Shadow stared at Monferno, the other pokemon doing the same. Both eyes were filled with a fiery blaze.

"So what?" Shadow growled. "You shouldn't be hanging onto something that already happen. It won't help you in the long run. So why do you do it now? Is this really going to benefit you?"

"Heh," Monferno scoffed. "If that's true, then why do you defend her? She's worthless! She can barely do anything right! And when Fennekin does, it ends up making the situation worse."

"Grrr, she's not worthless!" he yelled. This caught everyone by surprise. Especially Fennekin. Why would he defend me? She wondered. What have I ever done right in my life? He doesn't understand half of the things I've gone through and done.

Even Electrike was stunned for a moment. But he shook it off. "If she's not worthless, then what has she done for you?" Electrike inquired. "Has she done anything good for you? Or did she just run off for no reason?"

"And speaking of which," Monferno began. "What exactly have you done? Nothing! You just randomly showed up in the village for no reason! And pokemon just accepted you in open arms!" At that point, all three pokemon were at the verge of launching at each other. But then…

"Help… please…"

Shadow's eyes widened. The anger in him vanished. He heard a voice in his head calling for help. Where did that voice come from? The Riolu thought. He looked around, wondering where the voice was coming from. Not to mention, he began to ignore Monferno.

"Hey! Hey!" Monferno yelled. "Are you even listening to me?" Shadow paid no attention. He was trying to find where the owner of the voice was. Use the aura Shadow, he thought. Without closing his eyes, he focused and paid no attention to anyone around him.

Darkness surrounded the area. Different colors of aura appeared near him. He looked around. Come on, he thought. Call out again so I can find you! Then, he saw a glint of aura off in the southern direction. There it is! He inwardly exclaimed. He turned his back to Monferno and everyone else.

"Hey Glowstick!" Monferno shouted. This time, he had caught Shadow's attention. The Riolu had forgotten about Monferno. "Don't you…" Monferno began to say, but he was cut off by a brush of wind. Shadow ran off.

"Heh, looks like Glowstick is a coward after all," Electrike scoffed. "No, I don't think that was it," Skitty said. " I think he sensed something nearby. Something must be wrong. Which way did he go?" They looked around, hoping to find the direction the Riolu went in. However, he was nowhere in sight.

Shadow ran to the edge of the village and looked around. Where did that voice come from? It sounded like a child. "Hello?!" he called out. "Is anyone there?" There was no answer. Maybe it's outside the village… he thought. The Riolu moved his head back and forth once more, and then ran out of the village, not even heeding the calls of the other pokemon looking for him.

"Help...Please…" the voice called out again in his head. It was even louder than before. Shadow knew that he must be close. Then, he saw it. There, laying on the ground, covered in mud and sticks, was what appeared to be a grayish-dog like pokemon. The Riolu gasped, and ran over and kneeled next to the pokemon.

"Hello?" he said. Shadow put his paw on the pokemon's body. He was breathing. "Can you hear me?" the Riolu asked. He began to gently shake the poor pokemon. "Say something!" Shadow exclaimed. To his surprise, the pokemon's eyes slowly opened. He sighed in relief. The gray pokemon groaned.

"Uggghhh," he moaned, opening his eyes wider. He shifted his head, seeing the shadow of a pokemon over him. "What...happened?" The pokemon tried to stand up, shaking off the leaves, but soon fell over, only to be caught. He looked back up at the figure in front of him. Now that his eyes were fully open, he could make out images. Pointed ears. Two dreadlocks. A mask-like face. And...light?

"Don't push yourself," the Riolu urged him. "I found you lying here on the ground, hurt, and covered in mud." Now he knew what pokemon species this was. It was a Riolu. But it wasn't any normal one. It was a shiny Riolu. Though, where did that light come from?

"Here," Shadow said. "You look pretty banged up. I'll take you to the village. I know someone who can help you." He picked up the pokemon and began to walk back towards the Emerald Village.

"Who are you?" the pokemon he was carrying said. "My name is Shadow," he answered. Ironic, the pokemon thought. "What is your name?" "My name is Poochyena," he answered Shadow. The Riolu started to carry him back to the village.

"How did you end up this way?" Shadow asked. Poochyena lowered his head. "Well, you see… My brother and I, who is also named Poochyena, were walking near Rocky Bluff. Then, because of all the rain we had last night, there was a landslide! We were both caught in it. I managed to escape, but I couldn't find my brother! So I ran and tried to find someone to help me. Though, I guess I collapsed from all that running."

Shadow understood now. Poochyena's brother got caught in a landslide. All because of the rain they had last night. He had to get him back to the village. Not just to fix his injuries, but to also maybe assemble a search party to find his brother. Though, he had no idea where Rocky Bluff was. The Riolu also hoped that Tyrantrum would let him go. After all, he is the fastest out of all the pokemon in the village.

"We'll help you find your brother," the Riolu assured him. Shadow's eyes widened at the statement. Why did I say that? He thought. Why did I decide to help someone I don't even know again? First Sylveon, now Poochyena. It feels strange. I can't understand why…

"You will?" Poochyena said as he lifted his head to him. Shadow couldn't go back on his word now. He was a person, erm well, pokemon that intended to finish something he started. Shadow would help Poochyena. "Yes," he answered. Poochyena's eyes widened with happiness.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" he exclaimed in delight. "We'll find my brother soon!" What have I gotten myself into? He thought. I don't know if Poochyena's brother is alive. Heck, I don't even know if the village would want to help, considering they are all cleaning. He paused his thoughts for a moment.

A voice spoke in the back of his head. "Give them a chance...to be happy…" Shadow's eyes widened. He had heard that voice before. It was during that time when he had heard Eevee's voice. The voice sounded familiar. But he couldn't quite place where he had heard it. For one thing, this voice wanted the Riolu to help. Though, what could he do?

What do I do? Shadow thought. Do I trust this voice? It doesn't seem like it's bad. After all, it did lead me to Sylveon when she was looking for Eevee. Maybe, it can help me. He looked back at Poochyena, who fell asleep, resting his head on Shadow's shoulder. The Riolu sighed. I guess helping him out wouldn't be such a bad idea. After all, isn't helping others a good thing? He had decided to trust the voice for now. The Riolu didn't exactly put full faith in it, but he wanted to test its trust. Shadow picked up speed and raced towards the village, with Poochyena resting on his shoulders.

"Shadow?!" Eevee called out. "Where are you?!" The children of the village had stopped working and were looking for the Riolu, who had just ran off without saying a word. Monferno was especially ticked off, not just because of the fact that the Riolu ran off and left them to do the work, but also because he completely ignored him as well. I'm gonna punch Glowstick when he gets back, Monferno thought. Nobody ignores me!

A rush of wind blew past Monferno, knocking him off his feet. Electrike began to laugh, only to be met with a stern look from Monferno. The pokemon immediately went silent. The others noticed the brush of wind as well. They looked in the direction it was blowing to, and noticed the golden Riolu. And on his shoulders, was an injured Poochyena.

"Altaria!" he yelled. Said pokemon rushed to his side. Shadow looked up as her, not bothered by the weight of Poochyena on his shoulders. "What is the matter, Shadow?" she asked. His head gestured to his side. "Oh my," she said. "What happened to him? Quickly, we must get him into the medical room."

He continued to carry the injured Poochyena towards the medical section of Tyrantrum's home. The other pokemon continued to stare at the pokemon he was carrying. But no one said a word, as Shadow carried him into the house. He passed his room, and went down the hall. To his surprise, for a second he could've sworn he saw the hallway turn from its wooden floors and walls to that of metallic sidings and floors.

I saw this earlier… Shadow thought. It felt familiar. And yet, if felt like a nightmare. Why am I seeing this? And of all places...why in here? Arrgghh! I hate this! For now I'll have to ignore it. I've got other things to do…

Once he entered the room, the Riolu stopped. Altaria was right behind him. "Put him gently down on the bed," she said to him. Shadow nodded in response. Coming over to the bed, he carefully took the sleeping Poochyena off of his shoulder, and put him lying on the bed. He stood back, and let out a sigh.

"He needs rest," Altaria explained. "Skitty and I will check on him in a bit. Why don't you go and tell Tyrantrum what happened. We'll get him all fixed up. Don't worry." "Thanks Altaria," he said, and closed the door behind him. The Riolu rushed out of the house to find Tyrantrum. Once he found him, he explained how he found Poochyena.

"I see," the village elder answered him. "We cannot let Poochyena's brother be stranded in the mudslide. However, Rocky Bluff is quite far from here, so it would take a while for a search party to get there. And with all the mud that rain has caused, there's no telling how much time would be wasted while trekking through it."

"What if I go?" Shadow asked. "I'm faster than anyone else in the village. I could probably reach it in a few minutes." It was true. With the Riolu's incredible speed, he would be able to reach Rocky Bluff. However, Tyrantrum knew that it was unwise to send Shadow out of all the pokemon in the village. He had no experience, barely any knowledge of the area, and a bad idea to send just one pokemon into a mystery dungeon. Not to mention nobody would be able to catch up with him.

"I'm sorry Shadow," Tyrantrum admitted. "But I cannot allow you to go alone. No one in the village can keep up with you, and going alone into a mystery dungeon is not wise. We'll have to wait until the mud dries up in order to go rescue Poochyena."

To this, Shadow did not give into defeat. He couldn't give up on Poochyena now. He promised the voice in his head that he would help. "But Tyrantrum!" he exclaimed. "Poochyena might not have time! We can't just wait!"

Tyrantrum slammed his foot on the ground. "I said no Shadow!" he roared. The Riolu didn't flinch. He wasn't afraid of Tyrantrum, but he knew as of now, he wouldn't be able to change his mind. "I will not endanger the lives of the pokemon in the village for one pokemon. And I will not allow you to go. Understand?" Shadow nodded his head. "Now why don't you go and help the others?" the village elder said more gently. The Riolu wandered off towards the center of the village.

It's not fair, he thought. I promised Poochyena that I would rescue his brother. Now, I can't. Shadow hid behind one of the houses. He gazed towards the pile of leaves that was the Emerald Shrine. The other pokemon were nowhere near done. He sighed as his ears lowered in defeat. We're not even gonna be done by the time the sun sets.

Shadow turned his head in the southern direction. Rocky Bluff right? I ran in the southern direction and found Poochyena. So it must've been close by. Looking back and forth between the working pokemon and the village southern entrance, he made a decision.

Tyrantrum can say whatever he wants. He has no control over me. I am who I say I am. Poochyena's brother can't wait. He needs help. If nobody will go where no one can go, then I will…

He ran to the southern entrance of the village. Nobody noticed him at the moment. Good, he thought. No one will notice me leaving. However, just as he was about to leave, a voice called to him. "Shadow! Wait up!" It was Fennekin.

She came running to his side. How did she notice me? He thought. "Where are you going?" Fennekin asked. He sighed. The Riolu knew Fennekin wouldn't tell anyone what he would do, however this was very risky. Perhaps, now would be a good time to test her trust.

"I'm going to Rocky Bluff," he stated. "I promised Poochyena that I would find his brother. But Tyrantrum said that it was dangerous, and he would not risk the lives of the Pokémon of the village to go out there, and he forbid me from going out there alone. So, I'm still going to go out there. I made a promise, and I'm not going back on it."

Fennekin understood. Though she didn't like the fact that he was going on his own, and against Tyrantrum's wishes. Shadow may not be a pokemon born in the Emerald Village, but he was still entitled for punishment because he is living there. And she, out of all the Pokémon in the village, knew how hard Tyrantrum could be.

But the fact of leaving the village just for a little while sounded...interesting. It was almost like an exploration team's mission. Unfortunately, at times like these, the village didn't have an exploration team. Well, more like they used to have a team. But, no one would speak of that.

"Please Fennekin," he pleaded. "Don't tell anyone that I'm doing this now. I want to help Poochyena, but I can't if Tyrantrum holds me back…" "I won't tell," she stated. Shadow inwardly sighed in relief.

"Because I'm coming with you."

"What!?" He said. This he did not expect from the fox pokemon at all. From what he had seen and noticed from her, she didn't seem like the type of pokemon to do this. And this is after the conversation they had a few nights ago. Did Fennekin just forgive him that easily? Now, instead of saying, "No! I will not allow you to come with me," like he felt he should have at that moment, he said, "Why do you want to come with me?" She lowered her head at his question, ears drooping slowly. Fennekin sighed.

"I've… I've always wanted to go on an adventure, you see," she admitted slowly. "I've never really been outside the village before. Only once, but…" Fennekin trailed off. Shadow waited patiently for her answer. Then, she looked up with courage and determination in her eyes. For Shadow, he could feel her aura flare up. This was not in a bad way at all, oh no. In fact, it was in a rather good way.

"I want to explore the world," Fennekin stated with courage. "That is my dream. My goal. I want to see what's out there, beyond the village. Beyond all that I've known for the years of my life." She walked past the golden Riolu, who stood there, eyes widened with shock, at her shocking revelation and bravery. The wind slowly began to blow. Her fur shook softly in the breeze. "And…" she trailed off. "I made a promise long ago, that I would find someone. But, my memory is hazy of that promise, but somehow, I will fulfill it!"

"...Promise me…" a voice spoke in the back of his mind. It was the same voice he had been hearing for a while. Promise you what? He thought with uncertainty. What was this voice asking of him? Well, then he thought of that other thing the voice. Something about happiness. Give them happiness… he thought.

In truth, it would be a good idea for Fennekin to come with him, since he didn't know the lay of the land that well, and it would be good to go into a mystery dungeon in a group instead of alone. However, she couldn't keep up with him, not to mention that she doesn't like to fight. If she was put in a situation, Fennekin would fight, Shadow knew this after seeing her attack Tyrantrum. But the speed part was something that needed to be solved. Unless…

She still stood there, waiting anxiously for his answer. Please Shadow, she silently begged. Please let me go with you… Then, after what felt like years, to her, the Riolu sighed and turned his head.

"It'll be dangerous," he answered. "Are you sure you are up to this? We would be going into a mystery dungeon, one filled with pokemon that we would have to fight. I have seen you fight, but…" he trailed off, turning away from her. "I have noticed that you do not like to fight because of, well, some experience."

Fennekin looked down in shame. True, she did sometimes, in certain situations, freeze up in panic, but she could get past that. Fennekin would have to someday. Plus, on the brightside, she would have Shadow with her, so they could cover each other when need be.

"I...I still want to go," she said weakly. "No matter what…Tyrantrum says." Shadow immediately regretted what he had said earlier. Dangit, I just crushed her spirit. What kind of pokemon am I? He thought sadly. Then, a new voice rang out in his mind.

"Shadow, even if the world is against you, know that I'll always remain right by your side. Remember that…" This was new. Wait. This was the voice that said this to him. He had a feeling when he said something like this to Tyrantrum that someone had said it to him. What was this voice trying to tell him? Then, he realized.

Encourage, he thought. Encourage her. Encourage them. Give them hope. Give them a chance to be happy… Now he understood. The Riolu's job was to encourage those who were down, help those in need, but most of all, be a friend. A...a friend? He questioned. Have I ever...had a friend?

His memory loss didn't help, but from what he did remember up until now, he had never considered anyone from the village a "true" friend. Did he have a friend before he had lost his memory? That he did not know. But what he did know was somebody needed him right now. And that somebody was Fennekin.

I'm not the best at being a motivator, he thought. But at least I can try. With his courage raised up, he began to speak. "Fennekin, don't forget that I'll be right by your side with you. We're doing this together. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise…" She looked up at him with surprise and shock, and widened eyes. "You...you promise?" Fennekin asked.

He put his paw out towards her, forming a fist. "I keep my promises. You can count on me." His lips tugged into a smile, something he felt he hadn't done in ages. Though, the Riolu liked this feeling. The feeling of happiness. Shadow wanted more of it.

Fennekin lifted her ears. "Than...Thank you!" she said in happiness. She also put her paw in a fist. Then, her paw met his paw in a fist bump. "Does...does this make us a team?" she asked.

"Aw yeah baby! This makes us a team!" A voice replayed in his head. Was I...a part of a team? He then thought back to Fennekin's words. Then he realized. Eevee said that she always wanted to become part of an exploration team...That voice let me be a part of that team, so I might as well return the favor.

"Yes, yes we are," Shadow answered. Fennekin's eyes beamed in excitement. Then, their paws separated. He turned south. "Now, let's go rescue Poochyena." "But, how will I keep up with you?" Fennekin asked. Shadow thought for a moment. Well, she is about one foot shorter than me, so...I could carry her.

"I..could carry you, if that's alright," he offered. She didn't care at the moment. Fennekin was going on an adventure. Something like this didn't bother her. "Yeah that's fine with me," She answered. "Then let's go," he said. And the two were off.

"Take a left! No, another right! Shadow! Slow down, I'm getting a headache!" He almost growled, but the annoyance was still there. To be fair, Fennekin had never ran at high speeds before, never mind carried at high speeds. But at least he thought that she should be at least grateful for him being able to transport her all this way.

The Riolu had to admit, Fennekin was surprisingly very light. Now he didn't know if that was true or not, but it sure felt way, even with the fact that he was carrying he in his arms (which he tried to avoid at all costs bringing up the fact that it was extremely weird, mind you) But at least he would've thought by now that he would've had some sort of exhaustion from carrying someone. Perhaps the Riolu did have super strength.

Next thing you know, I'll be able to fly and teleport and distort space and time, he couldn't help admitting to himself. Though, for one thing, it kinda scared him that he had this kind of strength. It almost felt like he was engineered for this. No, that's not possible, Shadow thought. I must have some sort of biological family out there somewhere.

"Shadow stop!" Fennekin yelled. Shadow was suddenly dragged out of thoughts. However he couldn't stop. When he tried, his feet dug into the ground, setting dirt flying everywhere. Fennekin was tossed from his arms and onto the ground. She, however, wasn't hurt in the slightest way.

The same could not be said for the Riolu. He unfortunately was unable to stop, and thus was sent crashing into a tree. Shadow felt the force of the tree alright. He moaned in pain as his body slid down the tree. Then, he was laying on the ground. Fennekin got up from where she was and looked around for the Riolu. She gasped when she saw his state.

"Oh my Arceus!" Fennekin exclaimed. She made her way over to him. "Shadow, are you alright?!" The Riolu groaned in response. "I'm so sorry," Fennekin admitted. "I should've said something earlier! Are you injured? Do you want me to do anything for you?" Shadow moaned as he began to try to sit up. "Help me up, would ya?" he asked. Fennekin did so, as she pushed on his back and got him into a sitting position.

To his surprise, the pain suddenly went away. He thought that he would at least have a concussion, or something else serious, but he felt as if he was just fine. This happened when I fell from the sky, Shadow thought. At first I felt pain, and then...it went away. My burns went away as well. Why is this happening to me?

"Shadow?" Fennekin asked. He turned to her. "Are you alright?" To her surprise, she saw the Riolu jump up to his feet as if nothing happened to him. Fennekin looked at him with shock in her eyes. "How…?" she trailed off. Seeing at what she meant, Shadow answered. "I don't know…Why did you tell me to stop?"

Her shock went away when he asked her that. "We're here," she answered. He looked beyond the trees, and his eyes saw it. A big cliff, surrounded by a few trees and a small river. That must be it, he thought. The Riolu began to walk towards it, with Fennekin shortly behind him. His ears moved from side to side, listening to the sounds of the area.

"There might be some other pokemon," he said to her. "And they may want to fight. So just stay silent for now." She nodded her head. The sounds of the wind rustling echoed through the area. Nothing made a sound other than that. The trees began to clear away as they made their way out of the forest and into the clearing next to the bluff. So far so good.

Then, his ears perked up at a noise. It sounded like...yelling? He looked around. "Poochyena?" he yelled out. No response. Fennekin, noticing his questioning look as he yelled, spoke. "Did you hear him?" she asked. Shadow turned his head to her. "I don't know," he answered. "It could have been him, and yet...it may not have been him. Poochyena said his brother was caught in a mudslide, though I do not see one."

He stopped walking for a moment and paused. The Riolu closed his eyes. Fennekin gave him a questioning look. Then, she gasped as she saw the two, black appendages on his head raise up slightly, as a red, fiery energy surrounded his body. He must be searching for Poochyena's aura, she thought.

He is special, her thoughts continued. And yet, I feel useless being here. What am I supposed to do? When we came out here, Shadow immediately took charge of the situation. All I did was make him accidentally run into a tree. I shouldn't have come with him in the first place. I should've just stayed home…

The red aura disappeared from the Riolu's body. The black appendages lowered to their original positions. Red, ruby eyes suddenly opened abruptly. Shadow gasped. "He's this way!" he spoke. The Riolu began to run off, though not as fast as he could go. Fennekin was startled by the event. "Shadow! Wait for me!" she yelled running after him.

After he ran through the clearing, he came to the edge of Rocky Bluff. What he saw was astonishing. Trees appeared to have been dug up. Rocks and mud were scattered everywhere. It was definitely destruction at its finest. If Poochyena's brother was anywhere, it would be here. Though, the only problem was that they may have to go through the mud to find him.

"Poochyena?!" Shadow called out. He was answered with the sound of mumbling. The Riolu's bod moved quickly, trying to find the poor pokemon, while also shouting his name, "Poochyena?! Poochyena!?" he called out. The mumbling got louder and louder. By that time, Fennekin caught up with him.

"Poochyena?!" she shouted. "We're here to help you! Shout if you can hear us!" below her, the mud slightly vibrated. Without a second thought, the fox pokemon began to dig. Shadow, hearing the sound of mud being torn up, rushed over to her. He sensed the vibrations that came from underneath the mud as well.

"Keep digging," he stated. "Judging by the vibrations, he's down below us." She kept going and going, and the little hole became bigger and bigger. The mud piled up behind them as it was being removed from the ground. At last, the ground caved way as a small, gray furred body was seen below them.

"Poochyena?" Shadow called to him. "Is that you? We came here to rescue you!" The pokemon was covered in mud, and his fur was damp. When he had heard his name, he looked back up at him. "Yes!" he exclaimed. His tail wagged in excitement, and his eyes widened in happiness. "That's me! Did you come to rescue me? Are you an official exploration team?"

"Uh well…" Shadow trailed off. They weren't exactly a… "Of course we are!" Fennekin exclaimed. He looked at her with confused eyes. "But we're not a…" he began, but she cut him off. "It doesn't matter if we're official or not. We're still a team!" she whispered to him. He didn't exactly like the fact that she was lying to Poochyena. Though, perhaps it was only to keep the poor pokemon's spirit up.

"Awesome!" Poochyena shouted. "Could you uh, get me out of here please? I'm kinda stuck in this mud." He gestured his head down to his paws, which were buried deep in the mud. "We'll be down there in a second," Shadow told him. "Just as we…"

Then, the sound of rumbling was heard above them. Both Shadow and Fennekin looked up, only to receive horrified looks. Large boulders and rocks were falling straight towards them. They must've been loosened by the most recent landslide. However, the thing that worried them the most was when those boulders hit the ground, not only cover the hole where Poochyena was, but possibly may even severely hurt him.

Shadow had to think fast. How could they stop those boulders from hurting Poochyena? There was no way he could do this by himself, rescuing Poochyena and blocking the boulders at the same time. He looked around the bluff to see if there was anything that could be used to block the rockslide. At once he saw it. There were a few ledges coming out of the bluff. The Riolu remembered something. Something that Tyrantrum had taught him about typings.

"The Fighting type moves that you use, such as Aura Sphere and Force Palm, are strong against Normal, Steel, and Rock type pokemon. Bone Rush, which is a Ground type move, is strong against Steel, Electric, and Rock Type pokemon as well." That's it! He thought in triumph. His gaze went to Fennekin, who had a serious look on her face.

"Fennekin," he said. "I want you to go and grab one of those vines from those trees over there. We'll have Poochyena grab hold of it and pull him out." She still had a questioning look on her face. "And what about the boulders? How are we going to stop those?"

He turned and looked up. Then, he turned back to her. A blaze was beginning to burn in his eyes. A smirk grew on his face. "I'll take care of those," he answered. "I want you to rescue Poochyena. Don't worry about me. I'm going to cover for you. I'm counting on you Fennekin."

His fur began to glow in a bright, shimmering light. He brought his paws together, and then brought them apart, revealing a blue bone sword. The Riolu grabbed it, and then snapped in half against his knee, making the bone into two bones. With great strength, he sprang upwards towards the nearest ledge, not even fearing the impending rockslide that was nearing him. Shadow jumped from ledge to ledge, gradually getting higher and higher up Rocky Bluff.

Fennekin was watching in shock and awe. In awe at the sight that she was seeing before her, and shock at what he had just told her. He needs me… Fennekin thought. I am needed. It doesn't matter if everyone thinks I'm useless. Shadow needs me. We're a team! He's counting on me!

Shaking the shock off, she began to run as fast as she could towards the nearest batch of trees. She had never felt so happy and full of excitement in her life. Shadow needs me. He's counting on me! I need to believe in myself. I can do it! She reached the trees in a quick manner. Fennekin looked around at the vines that hung in front of her. I'm going to need a very long one, she thought. Then, Fennekin saw one that looked just long enough. There! She exclaimed in thought. She began using Scratch to cut away at the vine.

Meanwhile, Shadow was over halfway up the bluff. The rocks and boulders began to close in on him. He reached another ledge and jumped towards one of the larger ones. With great might and strength, the Riolu used the two bone swords in his paws to slice through the boulder with ease. The small pieces of what used to be the boulder fell away from where Poochyena was.

I got one down, he thought as he neared the next ledge. But I've still got more to go through… Shadow again jumped off the ledge and sliced through another boulder. He began to repeat this over and over again. I won't allow any of these to get past me. The Riolu glanced down for a brief second, noticing that Fennekin was gone. Please hurry Fennekin, he thought. I might not know the limit of my true strength.

Over by the trees, Fennekin continued to scratch away at the vine, hoping to Arceus that it would finally come off. Come on, come on! She silently prayed. I need this! Poochyena is in danger! Please Arceus, let me have this vine! Then, as if to answer, the vine finally gave way. It dropped to the ground in front of her. Yes! Fennekin thought in happiness. She then grabbed it with her mouth and began to drag it over to where Poochyena was stuck in the hole. Fennekin went as fast as she could.

Every boulder Shadow sliced through missed Poochyena's hole. He would continue to go at it until every boulder missed that hole. Keep going Shadow, he reassured himself. You have to keep going! For Poochyena's sake! For Fennekin's sake! For everyone's sake! The feeling of nostalgia crept over him as soon as he thought that. He shook his head to it. I must not look at my past. What matters most is what is here and now!

The Riolu then tried to slice through another boulder, only to find that he couldn't. To his surprise, the boulder shot mud back at him. "Wha..Ahhh!" he yelled. Shadow evaded the shot of mud by landing on another ledge. He soon found out that it wasn't a boulder. In fact, it had eyes and two, rocky arms. It was a pokemon!

"Geodude!" it said. "Geodude! Geodude!" Its name must be Geodude, he thought. A few explosions were heard above him, as even more Geodude appeared in front of him. And unfortunately, they didn't exactly look all very happy. You have got to be kidding me, he inwardly complain. Nevertheless, clenching his bones of aura, he rapidly began to hit the Geodude out of the way, while also slicing through any boulder that was normal.

She could hear the sound of explosions above her. Through, Fennekin ignored them, and continued to run back to the bluff where Poochyena was. Her legs ached and she was becoming tired. I can't stop now, she thought. Not when I'm so close! After a minute or so, she finally reached the hole when…

"Geodude!" She frantically moved out of the way when a falling Geodude nearly landed on top of her. "Geodude…." it sighed. It had fainted. Fennekin looked up. She saw Shadow Bone Rushing some boulders, along with many, falling, fainted Geodude. Fennekin dashed away with the vine in her mouth, constantly dodging the falling pokemon. At last, she had finally made it to the hole.

With one of the ends of the vine in her mouth, she threw the rest down in the the hole. "Grab onto this!" she yelled down to him, while having the vine in her mouth. The vine dangled in front of Poochyena. Leaning forward, he was able to grab ahold of it with his teeth. "Got it!" a muffled voice shouted. "I'm going to pull you up!" Fennekin shouted to him. "Just hold on!"

Where are all these pokemon coming from? Shadow questioned mentally. One after another, he hit the Geodude with Bone Rush. Each fainted and fell away from where Fennekin and Poochyena were at the moment. Then, he noticed that the amount of boulders, as well as Geodudes, began to dissipate. Perhaps that was the end of the rockslide. He hit one last Geodude before reaching a ledge. No more boulders were in sight. Shadow sighed in relief. Maybe that was the end.

Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case. Out of nowhere, a giant explosion was heard at the top of the bluff. Dust swirled around as what looked to be a giant boulder began to fall. If it were to land on the ground, it would completely smash into the mud hole where Fennekin and Poochyena are now.

I've got to stop that thing before it hits the ground! Shadow inwardly yelled. He began to jump from ledge to ledge, hoping to get higher and higher so he could stop that bouder sooner. Thinking ahead, Shadow threw his bone swords at the falling boulder, silently praying that it would be enough force to slice it in half. Through, that wasn't the case.

Once the bones hit the boulder, it began to shake. Then, to his surprise, the boulder began to open up, as two, long arms and two legs came out of it, as well as a very, angry face. It stared at the Riolu with anger, having just woke up from a nap. Shadow's eyes widened. Oh no, he thought.

"GOOOOLLLLEEEEMMMM!" It roared. The pokemon began to produce rocks out of thin air, and started to throw them at the Riolu. Shadow dodged them left and right, occasionally hitting the rocks with Force Palm. Then, he leapt at the Golem, charging up his fist with a Force Palm.

Fennekin heard the roar of the Golem above her. She could see Shadow trying to fight it in midair. Through, one thing was for sure, Shadow could not move that Golem out of the way in time. She had to move faster. Or else, she might be able to see Arceus sooner than expected.

She gathered her strength and begun to pull again at the vine. Poochyena's paws were stuck in the mud, making it even more difficult to pull the poor pokemon out of there before the Golem landed on top of them. Please! Please! She silently prayed. Arceus, give me the strength to pull Poochyena out! Fennekin increased her strength, as well as her speed, hoping that it would be enough to pull him out of there.

Down below, Poochyena could feel the mud around his paws begin to loosen and break away. "It's working!" he shouted with the vine in his mouth. She heard him alright. Fennekin continued to pull and pull, edging farther and farther from the hole with the vine in her mouth. And then, finally….the mud gave way.

Poochyena's paws were free.

Above them, and now halfway down the bluff, Shadow was still fighting the Golem. Though, he was able to see Poochyena being freed from the muddy prison that encompassed the pokemon's paws. All right! He thought. But it wasn't over yet. Fennekin still had to get him out of the hole. All while avoiding the impending falling Golem that would land on them.

She could feel the force that was holding the vine back vanish. Poochyena was free! She continued to pull away from the hole. Slowly, Poochyena was being lifted out of the hole. Fennekin looked behind her, and saw Poochyena's paw reaching for the edge of the hole. Then she saw his other paw. Then his face. At last, his entire body was out of the hole. Fennekin let go of the vine. "Run!" she yelled, as the fox pokemon began to run away from the hole. Poochyena followed suite as he ran away too.

He finally saw the two of them run out of there. Now's my chance! He thought. The Riolu jumped above the Golem. But then, the Golem began to make another rock. Shadow focused his paw behind him, as he began to gather aura in between them. His ruby red eyes, which were filled with a blazing fire, stared into the Golem's black ones. Then, the Golem unleashed it's Rock Throw!

"Auraaaaa….Spheeerrrreeeee!" Shadow shouted with all his might. He threw the sphere right into the Rock Blast, which broke through the rocks and slammed right into the Golem! But not only did the sphere hit the Golem, it exploded in its face and sent it falling to the ground even harder and faster than before! Golem slammed into the mud where Poochyena and Fennekin were only a few moments ago with devastating force! It was knocked out instantly.

Shadow found a ledge that was near him and landed on it. He jumped down from the remaining ledges towards the ground. At last, he was on solid ground once more. The Riolu looked around for Fennekin and Poochyena and saw them in the clearing. He immediately raced over to them, ignoring the pile of fainted Geodude he ran past at the moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked them. Both pokemon nodded their heads. "I am fine, thanks to both of you," Poochyena said. "Thank you for rescuing me. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now."

"You're welcome!" Fennekin said in happiness. She felt so excited that she was able to rescue someone. And for the first time as well! It felt so good, that she wanted to rescue even more pokemon and help them out. Shadow felt the same way. Helping out pokemon was something he now liked to do. This just proved it.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go home. Your brother is waiting for you…"

Journal Entry #2 October 3th

Today, my friend Fennekin and I were able to rescue a Poochyena that was stuck in the mud from an impending rockslide, as well as from a few pokemon that were in the rockslide, such as Geodude and a Golem. I have to be honest, it was a lot of fun. Though I have to admit that I was a bit scared at one point when Poochyena and Fennekin almost didn't make it out of way in time when I was fighting that Golem, but in the end, they did, and I was able to Aura Sphere that Golem in the air straight into the mud! How cool is that?!

Earlier in the day I had promised Poochyena that I would rescue his brother. And indeed we did. However, some of us weren't exactly happy with the two of us going off of our own when the village was still cleaning up after the most recent rainstorm. Tyrantrum especially, as well as Fennekin's parents, wondering where we had gone for the entire day. Oh they were mad. So, as punishment, they gave Fennekin a few extra chores to do, and I'm not allowed to leave the village to go exploring for a few days. Or rather, I can't exactly leave my room for a few days or speak to anyone.

I don't understand why we were given that harsh of a punishment. Yeah, I know they were worried when we went out, but we were able to rescue someone! Isn't that a good thing? I remember Eevee saying something about there being an exploration team from the village called "Team Emerald," but since then, there hasn't been any other teams. Maybe pokemon here don't want another exploration team after the other one went missing. One this is for sure though, and that is the fact that many pokemon of the village don't want anything to do with the outside world.

Needless to say, the Poochyena brothers were very happy to see each other again. They were both very grateful for what we did for them. In return for our kindness, they gave us some Poke, which is apparently the currency around here, and this Sparking Stone, which so happened to be the color red. Fennekin said that I could keep it, since she knew that her parents wouldn't want her to keep it.

The brothers were exploring Rocky Bluff after they had heard that something valuable was there. But unfortunately for them, all they found was this. To me, I think that it is special and valuable, because I will always remember what happened to with Fennekin and I.

If it's one thing that I learned from Fennekin today, it's that I can't do everything by myself. I wouldn't have been able to rescue Poochyena without her. If I was alone, then I probably would've gotten stuck in the mud or either failed to save him. I realized that sometimes, we all need help. And not just in a bad way, but in a good way. It makes things go faster. And better yet, more successful and fun.

I don't know why, but I feel as if I am changing. Not in the physical way, well that already happened. I don't feel as serious or "stiff" compared to when I came here. Now I feel more relaxed, and well, happy. I've had moments where I've felt like that my personality was the opposite, but now, I don't know what to think. Was I cold, harsh, and serious in the past? Is so, then why am I becoming more, hmm what's the word, happy, I guess? At peace? Happy to be around others? Did I ever feel that way in the past?

Speaking of which, I had a strange dream last night. It felt as if I was dying, but then someone saved me. I don't know who they are, and yet I feel like I should know them. Though it was a memory, I'm not entirely sure if I should trust them. Then again, one of them convinced the other to save my life. And where did those thousands of voices come from?

Well, for one thing, I guess I can't dwell on the past now. Not when I have no recollection of it. All I can think about is the few days after my punishment is over. And even though I am going against Tyrantrum's judgement...I want to start an exploration team. A voice in my head told me once that I should, "Give them a chance to be happy," and if I want to do that, then this is how. I was able to make the Poochyena brothers happy by reuniting them. I was able to make the Eeveelution siblings happy by getting the berries to heal their brother. At least I know that one pokemon in the village would want to join, being Fennekin. Through… what should I call it?

He paused for a moment. Shadow began to think. In his right paw was the Sparkling Stone. The Riolu held it up to get a better look at it. The moonlight shined on it, and there was a flash. Shadow closed his eyes. And then, something flashed through his mind. Darkness was all around him. Where am I? He thought. Am I...in the same place where my dream was?

"He...name…" a female voice called out. It was the same one he had heard earlier. Hello? Shadow called out. Is anyone there? Please, can you answer me? "He...not getting...name…" The male voice has here as well. Like last time, both of them were cut off at certain points. "How about…." It seemed like the female voice was muffled for a bit, while a distinctive "No," came a lot from the male voice. At last, the female voice was no longer muffled.

"Prism…" the female voice trailed off. Once again, Shadow expected a "No," from the male voice. However, he would be mistaken. "Yes…" the male voice trailed off. Then, a bright light began to engulf the Riolu. Shadow woke up in his bed. His journal was on his lap, with the pen in his left paw the Sparkling Stone in his right paw. A spark went through his mind. He began to write.

I have decided… The Team will be called "Team Prism."

He closed his journal, put the Sparkling Stone away, and fell asleep.

Author's Note

And...that's the end of Chapter 9! Yee! Let's get into some stuff!

No I am not giving you the hint of who the voices are. I'm not giving spoilers XD So now Shadow's journey to the Lake of the Moone has been delayed, and oh! What do ya know! It's gonna be on Halloween! A full moon usually happens every 29 days or so, and one that is happening or the second time that month is called a Blue Moon. How convenient! And now Shadow considers Fennekin as his friend. I would say this is because of what happened between the two of them when they were rescuing Poochyena.

Yes, Rocky Bluff is made up. Again had to come up with something unique cause it's a whole other continent. But what isn't fake is the Sparkling Stone! Indeed, Z-Moves will be in this! (as much as I hate them, considering it's basically a Final Smash and pretty much is Mega Evolution but with a buffed move and no cool form and no buffed stats and is not unique at all) But what ring will it turn into ooooooo Also the Golem is Kantonian, I can't stand its Alolan design lol

Hah! You thought I was going to give the name of the exploration team, "Team Emerald?" Surprise, surprise! It's not! Ok, yeah I didn't feel like naming it Team Emerald cause the few Sonic-Pokemon crossovers that are mystery dungeon based are usually Team Emerald, so I wanted it to be original.

Oh yeah, some of you will probably ask, "Well, if Shadow is a pokemon now, and if he understands the language, then why can't he read it?" He can speak it, but he's never actually seen it before, hence why he can't read it. *hears Pit falling through the sky* "I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO REEEEAAADDDD!" XD If anyone gets that reference good for you. Speaking of references, there's some Sonic references in there. See if you can find them!

Lastly, thank to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, followed, or have just kept up with this story! I apologize for the delay. Christmas was a mess and so was New Year's. But hey, I'm getting back to it! But thank you guys! And review if you can! It means a lot to me and lets me know you enjoy the story!

Until next time, See Ya Universe!

-Palkia