-Pokemon Center, Amber's POV, 5:24 PM-

Terry and the older man are nowhere to be seen as Junior, Katie, and I, along with the little girl, who had asked us to escort her to her father, enter the lobby. Of course, they were severely burned and it was a miracle they were standing at all, so it's only natural. Katie leads us to the front desk, getting the attention of Nurse Joy.

"Can you see our pokemon, please? And if it's possible, I would like to assist in the recovery of Terry and the owner of Valley Windworks," Katie says. Joy agrees, taking all of our pokemon except for Katie's Alakazam, Charlie. As we're about to be led back, the doors to the Center burst open and Nando comes running through, out of breath. He stops beside us, hands on his legs, and catches his breath. When he finally composes himself, he looks grimly at us. He smells like smoke and I notice two of his pokeballs are absent from his belt.

"I heard what happened, and I am sorry I couldn't assist. My friends are helping with the blaze. Are they ok?" He asks quietly.

Nurse Joy nods. "They're stable, but unconscious. If you'll all just follow… me…" she trails off as the TV channel abruptly changes, blaring to life.

"Hello, Channel Six, or Channel 14, if you're joining us from Sinnoh. This is Alyssa, live from Unova." She has to yell to be heard over the sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air, her hair being blown in all directions due to the door being wide open behind her. She's strapped tightly into a harness. "I'm currently flying over Nuvema Town, where firefighters from all over the region are either flying or teleporting in to combat what has to be the biggest blaze in the Town's history."

The cameraman turns with difficulty to point his camera out of the chopper, where most of the small city is in flames. People run for Route 1 as dozens of firefighters, along with water, ground, and rock-type pokemon, protect them and battle the blaze by any means necessary. The chopper suddenly makes an abrupt jump skyward to make way for a battalion of Swanna. The swan-like pokemon make a sharp dive, angling over the blaze, hydro pumps furiously trying to douse the flames.

"Officials are concerned not only by the size of the blaze, but also by the suspicious activities that have caused it. Security cameras posted around the city captured footage of a man in a black trench coat, no face showing, dropping a black suitcase underneath the stairs of the home of the Collins, now famous for their son Terry's heroic actions in both Unova and Sinnoh. Both Collins are assumed dead, killed in the initial blast, which officials are certain was created by both frag- and firebomb-style explosives."

I stare open-mouthed at the TV in shock.

"My Arceus…" Nando trails off. Katie sits down shakily in a nearby chair, seemingly weak in the knees.

The entire Center lobby is silent at the horrible situation, so much so that the light footsteps coming from the doorway are easy to hear. I turn my head to see Angel staring wide-eyed at the TV, whose bold caption states Firebombing in Nuvema Leaves Dozens Dead, More Wounded, with smaller lettering under it: Collins family among those assumed killed by malicious blaze. I spot tears reaching the corner of her orange eyes as she sways slightly.

Nando jumps off his chair and grabs her before she can hit the floor, lowering her carefully into a chair. Moments later she's sobbing her heart out on his shoulder. He shoots me an uncomfortable look, but I hardly notice. I feel lightheaded, so I quickly find a chair and sit down. It's several seconds before I realize I'm next to Katie and the little girl.

"It was a trick."

I look at Katie. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Valley Windworks. It was a trick, a diversion," Katie says somberly. "If Ghetsis really is Terry's father, he'd know all about psychic abilities, having trained the kid. So he'd know that if a psychic is panicked on enough adrenaline, their powers skyrocket to an unimaginable point. For Terry, that probably would've meant he would've been able to teleport all the way to Nuvema Town to save his parents. So he had Cyrus distract him with a small attack here. He must've known Terry was coming somehow."

Katie stands, wiping tears out of her eyes. "C'mon," she says, managing a smile at the daughter of the owner of Valley Windworks. "Let's go see your father."

Nando's somehow managed to calm Angel down to the point that she isn't making a scene, though I doubt anyone thought she was in the wrong, so I get up and follow Katie and Nurse Joy down the hallway. We walk in complete silence, trying to get our heads around that violent announcement.

After a couple minutes, Nurse Joy stops by a door, where she slides a keycard through an electronic lock. The door dings softly, before opening on silent hinges. She pulls the door open and stands back to let us in. The little girl runs in first, with Katie and I shortly behind. Terry and the old man are on top of hospital beds, several tubes implanted in each, with breathing masks over their faces. The man is asleep, but to everyone's surprise, Terry is awake.

Awake and in tears, staring at a TV mounted on the wall between the two beds.

-Pokemon Center Lobby, Amber's POV, 11:45 PM-

I stare tiredly at the white ceiling of the hospital room, my mind mercifully blank. It was Nicky's idea to meditate, saying it would be beneficial to my powers and my mood, which had done nothing but darken since I left Terry's room. I know he's healed now, Katie having borrowed some of his energy to speed up the process, but that doesn't stop me from wondering about just what the hell he's really going through.

That, and what the hell I've gotten myself into...

A slight blue glow suddenly lights up the ceiling from where I lay, arms crossed over my stomach. I concentrate harder, bringing my Aura to the surface, as I had read in a book a couple of days ago.

'Meditation is one of the most important exercises of an Aura Guardian,' the book had said. 'Allowing their energy to flow, Aura Guardians could increase their power, and their senses, through self-reflection, relaxation, and concentration. It is said that those with the power to harness Aura can do this with relative ease.'

The book had been frustratingly annoying at first, calling it a 'relative ease,' but not shedding light upon how to do it. In time though, I had figured it out, at least part of the way. I could bring my raw Aura to the surface, hence the blue light emanating from every bit skin not covered by my pajamas. I still had yet to do it as the pictures had shown, bringing a variety of colors to show off my core being, but I was getting there.

Across from me, laying on the floor at his request, Nicky sighs deeply. He has accomplished quite a bit more than I have, a point proven a couple of minutes later when his bluish lighting flares briefly bright green and purple. He's warmed up to me quite a bit, I'm happy to say, but I still have yet to replace Alex, I believe. I doubt I ever will, but I will do my best. Athena wanted to join us as well, but as the Riolu was completely exhausted, I forced her to sleep, with promises to allow it next session.

After a few more minutes, during which Nicky's Aura continues to flash briefly, a knock sounds on the door. I must be doing something right, or maybe wrong, with my Aura, because it sounds like a cannon and I shout out, jumping and flinching so badly that I fall out of the bed and end up landing on Nicky, who grunts with pain.

The door flies open to reveal Junior, who races into the room, before freezing at the sight of us. I realize what it looks like and hurriedly get up. "Lord Arceus above, Junior, knock a bit quieter next time!" I scold quietly at him. Nicky shakes his head, laughing silently, and Junior snickers.

"Your parents catch you like that, they'll have your head," he jokes. After a moment, though the grin slides off his face. "Terry's missing."

"What?!" I say incredulously, turning to look at him. "What do you mean, missing?"

Junior grimaces. "I mean Nurse Joy went to check on him about an hour ago and he wasn't there. You two were in here practicing your Aura, so I didn't want to bother you, but I can't find him. I've looked everywhere, and I know him better than the back of my hand. He's fucking gone." Junior turns to Nicky. "Can you zero in on his energy, or Angel's? I think she went with him, wherever the hell that is."

Nicky shrugs, turning to me. "It's worth a shot. C'mere."

I raise a brow, but step closer nonetheless. Nicky places one hand on my forehead and the other (both of us nervously avoiding each other's eyes,) over my heart. Nicky closes his eyes, and his Aura comes to the surface. It spreads to his fingertips, glowing blue, and I feel my own respond in return, called forth. Suddenly I understand. Nicky guides my Aura, using our combined energy and spreading it out. It extends outward in an invisible ring. When it reaches Junior, I can vaguely sense his thoughts, his familiar energy. We continue our search, with each passing foot bringing more people into our sphere of influence.

None of them seem familiar as we slowly but surely continue our extension, but as we reach the walls and ceiling of the Center I get a sudden feeling, like an old friend's name right on the tip of my tongue. It only lasts for a moment, though, before I cry out as a surge of malevolence and sadness invades my mind. Suddenly I get a major ache in my temples, as if someone had struck me with a hammer. Nicky and I break apart, falling in opposite directions. Junior reacts quickly, grabbing me just before my head can crack itself open on the corner of a chair. He sets me into it, before turning to Nicky, who's shaking his head, which had hit the wall. He signals that he's ok, though.

"What the hell was that?" Junior asks nervously. Nicky grimaces, getting to his feet, holding his head. He stays silent as he moves over to the little water dispenser in the corner, taking a couple of the small paper cups awkwardly in his bladed hands and filling them. He gives one to me and drains the other, sighing with relief. I do the same.

"Terry's… upset," Nicky says, wincing slightly. "He shut us out of his energy. I doubt he meant it to hurt us though."

"I thought Terry didn't know how to use Aura," I respond.

Nicky shrugs. "The difference between Aura and Psychic abilities is mainly the way they're used. He probably created a mental barrier, and it was enough to block us. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's on the roof of the Center."

Junior's eyebrows raise. "The roof? He's changed more than I thought. I never knew him to stargaze when he's upset, he's usually as far from people as possible. I was searching the edge of the woods, that's where he used to go."

It's my turn to shrug. "Should we check on him?" Junior nods, so the three of us head out of the hotel room. I sigh, but Nicky places a hand on my arm. He grips tightly, not enough to hurt, but enough. I relax, smiling gratefully at him. Junior leads us through a small maze of hallways, coming to a set of stairs.

"You two go on ahead, I'll let Nurse Joy know where we're going." Junior says. I nod, looking at the stairs. We climb them, eventually coming to a door at the very top labeled: Authorized Personnel Only. I push the bar and peer out.

From the red tiled roof of the center, the rest of Floaroma is spread out below us, but with the light breeze flowing in from the south-west, almost none of the flowery scent gets to us. It's actually quite peaceful.

I look around and see Terry laying on the far side of the roof, a couple of blankets under him. Angel lays at his side, and from the looks of it it seems she's fallen asleep. I take a deep breath, then glance at Nicky. He gets the idea, and although he's not too happy about it, he allows himself to return to his pokeball. The red flash illuminates Terry's shadow, a flash I know Terry saw, but he doesn't react.

I shake my head a couple times, then walk forward, ending up on Terry's right. I sit down beside him, noting his skin color, which, other than being several shades more raw pink than usual, seems back to normal. He glances up at me, sighs, then returns Angel's sleeping form to her pokeball. He sits up, staring out over Floaroma Town.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you back there, I didn't mean to." he mumbles.

I shrug. "It happens. You should've told someone where you were going, though. Junior was worried."

Terry winces. "I… yeah."

A grim silence settles while I try to figure out what to say. "I just…" I begin. "...I'm sorry, Terry."

He nods, giving me a weak smile. "Thanks, Amber. It means a lot. It's just… Hell, I don't know." His voice hardens, making me nervous, but I don't try to stop him. "For my entire life I thought my dad was a person to look up to. To admire. Now… For all I know, he raped my mother and blackmailed her into secrecy."

Woah. That was a statement. He continues. "Everyone I know and love is being threatened… By my own father. And now the world knows that, too."

I glance at him. "What are you talking about?"

He flinches, looking as though he's about to vomit. "You haven't seen it?" He doesn't wait for an answer, but instead brings his arm out in front of his face. He taps on his Poketch, and after a moment pulls it off his wrist and gives it to me. I see he's pulled up a YouTube video and paused it at 0:00. He waves me on, so I press play.

The screen is small, but there's no doubt about it: It's the video those girls were recording. I watch as the girls dive for cover behind a nearby tree as the Dark Pulses scatter our group. Then Terry teleports in and takes Mars hostage. In the silence, every word is distinguishable.

Even afterward, when Terry's carrying voice clearly announces "Ghetsis… Ghetsis is my father." Rather than continuing with the rest of his speech, though, the video abruptly cuts off and a news anchorman appears. "Hello, Channel Six, or Channel 14 if you're joining us from Sinnoh. A surprising turn of events leads to a suspicion from many throughout the regions. Larry is at the Floaroma Police Station for details."

"Well, Jim, it seems Terry Collins, famous for his thwarting of Team Plasma's plans in Unova and Sinnoh, has an interesting family tree. Paul Collins, who was killed earlier today in the bombing in Nuvema, is in fact not the boy's biological father. In an announcement taking place after fighting off Mars of Team Galactic in Sinnoh's Floaroma Town, Terry fully admits to having none other than Ghetsis as his father. I'm joined by the Officer Jenny of Floaroma Town for more info. How're you doing, Jenny?"

Jenny looks like she'd like nothing more than to melt out of the camera's spotlight, but she fixes a hard glare at Larry. "I could be better."

"Tell me, did the officials at either the Sinnoh Police, Unovian Police, or any of the League members know of Terry's true parents?"

Jenny shakes her head. "No, but-"

"Does this new development, which brings up the suspicion of many throughout the world, mean anything significant in the investigation and outright war against Team Galactic?"

Jenny grimaces. "Yes, but-"

"And do you think Terry himself could in fact be a terrorist, a double agent?"

Jenny looks like she'd rather die than say what she's about to say, but she fixes the camera with a sorry look and says, "It's crossed our minds, but we-"

"Thanks, Jenny." Larry cuts her off for a final time, waving at the camera. "Back to you, Jim."

"Thanks, Larry. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems that trust is running thin. Already, several people have spread theories as far as the eye can see, but one thing seems certain: Terry isn't who he says he is. Good luck and stay safe, Unova. Good Night."

I stare at the device in utter disgust, before handing it back to Terry. He refuses it though. "I'll pay you twenty if you throw the damn thing as far away from me as you can."

I chuck it off the roof and watch, satisfied, as it smashes against the pavement three stories below and practically explodes. Terry reaches out a hand, and the shards levitate themselves over to a trashcan, where they disappear from view. He pulls out a bill and gives it to me. I didn't think he'd actually go through with it.

Terry sighs, laying back against the center roof. "Thanks, Amber. You have no idea…" he trails off.

"No problem," I respond. "What do you think, then?"

Terry snorts. "I think Team Galactic has infiltrated the media, for one. I don't have anything against Officer Jenny, I think she was basically forced to do that interview. I'd bet money she was blackmailed. As for the government's, well… to be honest, I doubt I'll have a huge problem with them. They know that the part of the video they showed was out of context."

"No kidding," a voice says from behind us. A moment later Junior sits down on Terry's other side. "Talk about some major bullshit. I would report that Jim guy, but I dunno…"

"Why him?" I ask.

"Because Terry isn't the only one that's had trouble with Team Galactic."

Junior pauses and takes a deep breath. "You guys can't say a word about what I'm about to tell you." Terry sits up and nods, and I agree as well. Junior grimaces, then slowly reaches into his pocket. He pulls out an ordinary Great Ball, glances at us, then clicks the button.

I gasp as a small pokemon bursts forth and lands in his arms, fast asleep. I recognize it from a picture I had seen in the Pokemon Center lobby.

Azelf.

Terry's eyes widen. "What the hell, Junior?"

Junior nods. "Keep quiet. He's tired. Team Galactic tried to invade Lake Valor, and the Admin looks almost exactly like that Jim fellow. Somehow they got him to appear. I managed to sneak in, and after having Horus communicate my plan, I captured it and flew my ass out of there on Noivern. They gave chase, but we managed to lose them in Pastoria City. Team Galactic couldn't chase us in without getting swamped by the police. What's more, while I was there, I met two trainers named Dawn and Barry."

"We meet them in Sandgem Town," I remember.

Junior nods. "It turns out they had made similar rescue attempts. Dawn's captured Mesprit and Barry has Uxie. When we brought them together, they asked us to protect them, and not to tell anyone that we have them in our custody."

Terry whistles low. "That's… Jeez." he pauses for a moment, then sighs. "No more secrets," he says suddenly, with an air of finality.

"You two are gonna think I'm crazy," he starts, but I cut him off.

"Get on with it. Nothing could surprise me at this point."

"Alright… I've met Mew in my dreams," Terry says. Junior raises a brow at him as he returns the sleeping Azelf to his pokeball. "Here me out. Mew visited me first after Angel was kidnapped, while I was unconscious from the attack on Castelia Stadium. She told me… well…"

Terry goes on to explain the whole meeting almost word for word; how Team Galactic, Team Plasma, Team Flare and even the Society of the Shattered Moon are all connected, all fighting to dethrone Arceus. How Terry is apparently part of the group that's supposed to stop him, the rest of which will reveal itself soon, and how Mew's second visit revealed that another person should've revealed themselves by now.

"I was waiting for the next person in to show up in Jubilife," Terry finishes.

I let all this information sink in, taking a deep breath as I do so. "No more secrets…" I mutter. "ISAWYOUINADREAM!" I blurt out.

Terry raises a brow at me, and I calm myself. "I saw you in a dream," I say matter-of-factly. "It was exactly like your second visit with Mew, but I think I was watching it in the future."

Terry's eyes widen. "And you just happened to keep this quiet?" He shakes his head. "No wonder I never found the girl I was looking for in Jubilife: I already had her under my protection."

He turns to me. "I think you're a part of this," he finishes ominously.

Author's Note

Well, it seems things are really heating up! Keep in mind, this is the essential turning point of the story. It's all uphill from here. And I know I'm just kinda springing this on everyone, but I promise it has a ton to do with plot. I'm also going to release a One-Shot of Junior's travels in Sinnoh in the weeks leading up to his reunion with Terry.

Good Luck, happy reading/writing! -Orthros