This chapter is going to feature some scenes with elevated violence, nothing too bad but it's probably worth noting nevertheless.

-:-

CHAPTER 10: The Beasts Within

-:-

"What's that up ahead?" Séduire shouted, noticing that the tunnel just a short distance away from the team was filled with a glowing red light. "Is that it?"

"That's…" The one of Mercury's followers who was monitoring the energy field in the ruins forcefully tapped his finger against his computer screen, frustrated by the momentary lag in its system. When the scan finally did complete, though, his eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "That's it! The Meteonite is right ahead of us! Let's go get it!"

"You heard him, all of you!" barked Mercury to her other followers. "Get moving!"

No more words were spoken between the members of Polaris as they rallied forth to their goal. With Meowth bringing up the rear, the team charged into the final chamber of the altered Ruins of Alph.

In that chamber, right before their eyes, awaited their prize – a large, rugged stone, partially buried in the earth and cloaked in red light. It was the only source of illumination in the room, but gave off enough light to show how small the room was.

"We found it… the Meteonite!" another of Mercury's followers cheered. "Father is going to be pleased with our work for Polaris!"

The follower carrying the tracking equipment curled his facial features and waved his hand in front of his nose. "It'll be nice to get out of this musty air."

After nodding toward the Meteonite, Mercury took out a transmitter and turned it on.

"Mercury…?" Séduire questioned, unsure of what was to come next.

"I'm calling Getriebe and Jeunes at the Purine Base so they'll be ready to receive us," Mercury replied, anticipating Séduire's question. "You just have Meowth get the Unown to send us there."

-:-

A large, sleek jet, surprisingly nimble and silent for its size, sailed through the cold night sky over the border between Johto and Kanto.

Inside the craft, Finansielle had an office that was furnished well enough to pass as one inside a building. The Chromosome was sitting at her desk at the far end of the cabin, facing a plush, cream-colored sofa, a glass table and a large video monitor. Behind her on the wall was a floor-to-ceiling, backlit Polaris logo.

Finansielle was reviewing papers when one of her aides entered the office carrying a brown file folder. He took only a few steps inside before halting and waiting to be acknowledged.

"What is it?" she asked after briefly pretending to not see him.

"We have the report on Zinzolin's actions in Violet City fully compiled, Lady Finansielle," the man stiffly replied, handing over the folder as carefully as he could. "There is also a call for you."

"Patch it in," Finansielle commanded, showing little interest in him while thumbing through the contents of the file.

After bowing to his superior, the man pressed a small button on the lapel of his black suit jacket. The screen in Finansielle's office immediately activated to display Mercury and Séduire.

Finansielle smiled wryly. "You two, eh? I didn't expect a call from two people I imagined would be underground for a while."

"Well we got done sooner rather than later," Mercury replied, taking on a smile herself. "The Meteonite's safe with us here in Goldenrod City."

"You will have to wait for some time before we're ready to extract it, though. Actually…" Looking back in the file, Finansielle came up with an idea. "Mercury, you head to the Guanosine Base and help them out with the research they're conducting there. As for you, Séduire… how would you like a little playtime with that boy of yours you're so fascinated with?"

Behind her mask, Séduire's eyes lit up. "You want me to go get Matt? Finally?"

"No, no, I don't want him brought in just yet. His little traveling show is going to be headed through Azalea Town soon, which means they're heading in the direction of Goldenrod City and the Purine Base. I want you to ambush them in Ilex Forest and give them some trouble. See if you can't keep them out of Goldenrod City until the extraction of the Meteonite can be carried out. I don't want any interference like what he did in Violet City."

"I'll do what I can, Finansielle."

At that, Mercury and Séduire ended the call, causing the video link between the Purine Base and Finansielle's jet to be severed. Her aide also quickly excused himself, leaving Finansielle alone in her office once more.

"And so the game begins, just as I predicted. Matt Chiaki, let's see if you can live up to your grandfather's name."

-:-

Nekou and Olivia stayed on the hill until nearly no sunlight remained, then returned to the campsite near where Matt had parked the HR-E for the night. He was still nowhere to be seen, so they assumed that he was still inside the mobile home and decided to make a campfire for themselves. Both of them contributed using their Pokémon; Olivia had her Lillipup gather sticks, which Nekou's Zorua then ignited with Incinerate.

Once the fire was finished, the two sat near it. Olivia just stared into the flame, while Nekou started looking through the book she'd taken from the library of Earl's Pokémon Academy.

When Olivia finally turned away from the fire, she noticed the book and immediately questioned, "What are you reading?"

"This is an old book Matt's grandfather wrote with his assistant. It's got stories on their explorations and research into the ancient Tenganist people."

"And where did you get that?"

While Nekou was describing the book to Olivia, Matt had stepped out of the nearby brush. He looked somewhat haggard, with unkempt hair and a bag under his visible eye. His step was unsteady as he stumbled over to where they were sitting and lowered himself to join them.

"I think I asked you a question," he pressed.

"I borrowed it from the library," Nekou answered, grinning.

"Yeah, knowing you, you stole it like Dr. Fantomos's vodka, but I can't do anything about that now. Did you at least find anything interesting in it?"

"Yeah, one thing, actually. He and Jacob Alexison, his assistant at the time, keep bringing up someone named Saeko Oryo in this book."

"I don't know that name. I never met that person, nor did my grandfather ever tell me about her." Looking past Nekou, Matt saw Olivia trying and failing to avoid glaring angrily at him, and his heart sank even further. "Olivia…"

Without a word, Nekou moved back, allowing Matt and Olivia to have a clear line of sight to each other.

"I don't have anything to say," Olivia lied, keeping her voice to a raspy whisper.

"Olivia, please, listen to me." Matt scrunched up his face, but water still formed at the corner of his eye anyway. "I didn't want to hurt you, really. Please let me help you."

"And what makes you think you can help me after all of that?" No longer able to restrain her emotions, Olivia simply screamed as loud as she could with what energy she had, startling a sleeping flock of Pidove out of a nearby tree. "No, I don't need your help, not after what you claimed was help before!"

"But…"

Olivia completely disregarded Matt's attempt to speak and continued ranting. "You lied to me for five years about him! It's your fault I thought I could get him to come back! No, just… no. I don't need you. I'll find my own reasons for going on. I don't need you at all."

With the entirety of her pent-up anger spent, Olivia turned her back on Matt and Nekou and buried her head in her arms.

"O-Oli…" Matt fell onto his back, his body suddenly overcome by an overwhelming exhaustion.

"Just tell me one thing," Nekou said, leaning over him. "Why did you do it?"

"It was what Rich wanted."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit, Matt. You and I both know he wouldn't have wanted it to go on for as long as it did. Why did you let it continue for five years?"

"I thought…" Matt shut his eyes and sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he could not avoid Nekou's questioning. "Innocence is something that should be protected," he explained, making sure to speak loudly enough for Olivia to hear even if his voice was weak. "Nobody should be robbed of their innocence and thrust into the harshness of reality at a young age. I didn't want her to have to grow up too fast like I did. I took it upon myself to preserve her youth for as long as possible, even though I knew it would inevitably end like this…"

"You want to know what I think about that?"

Cringing in anticipation of some harsh words, Matt replied, "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"I think you did what you really believed was right, but you just fucked up. Stop beating yourself up. Everyone fucks up at one time or another."

"What I did was worse than just a mere fuckup, if you ask me."

Nekou leaned even closer to Matt's face, locking her eyes steadily with his. "So why don't you tell me why you think that?"

"I…" Matt suddenly realized that Nekou was right. He had no real reasoning for thinking the way he did. "I guess I see what you mean… but still, I was just thinking about how it was for me. By the time I was her age I had to put myself aside to take care of Amanda. I didn't want Olivia to have to have that same feeling of being alone and needing to grow up quickly. There's still so much she should experience before then."

"You did what you had to do," Nekou said, never breaking her gaze from Matt's tired eye. "But you can't stop living just because you missed out on things in the past. Live in the present the way you want without concern for the past or future, like I do. And Olivia's not alone, because she has all of us. So you fucked up by letting the past consume you, but it's something you can get past."

"I guess you're right… I'll have to figure out some way to do better for her."

Just then, the tension at the campsite was interrupted by two sounds – approaching footsteps in the nearby brush, accompanied by gentle harp music.

"Well I'll be damned," Matt uttered as he propped himself up. "I recognize that…"

Olivia recognized it as well, and turned around in a hurry. "Nando?"

A figure wrapped in a long green cape emerged from the foliage, with what was visible of his face within his flowing black hair spread into a gentle smile. The source of the music was the golden, Mew-shaped harp in his arms, which he continued to strum as he walked to the fire, sat down and removed his wide-brimmed green hat, which he set down on the ground.

"It is a pleasure to meet you once again, Olivia," he said, his soft voice flavored by a noticeable accent. "Matt, you as well. It has been far too long."

"So who's this Casanova here?"

Though Nekou had directed her sarcastic question to Matt, the man answered it himself. "I am Nando, the Pokémon minstrel," he replied in a sing-song manner. "I met Olivia for the first time five years ago when she was with her parents in a far-off land."

"So what are you doing here in Johto now?"

"As always, Matt, I am collecting both the Gym Badges and Contest Ribbons of this country."

"How many Badges do you have now?" Olivia asked, returning to the circle with the others.

"Here, Miss Olivia, allow me to show you."

After stashing his harp in the tan-colored messenger bag slung around his shoulder, Nando produced a silvery-blue, oval-shaped case. When he opened it, a collection of eight symbols was arranged inside. They were a round disc with a ladybug pattern, a yellow diamond, a purple cloud shape with silver eyes, an orange fist, a gray octagon, a blue water drop, a flower in rainbow colors, and a yellow circle with a smaller circle inside.

"Eight Badges, the number required to enter the Pokémon League," Nando said. "Hive, Plain, Fog, Storm, Boulder, Cascade, Rainbow and Marsh."

"Wait…" Olivia got to within an inch of Nando's Badges, examining each one carefully. "Aren't half of these from Kanto?"

"Ah yes, you see, the Pokémon League of the Tohjo Continent is shared between Kanto and Johto. You need eight Badges, but they do not need to be all from one region or the other."

"Olivia, you could get a Kanto Badge to fill that missing slot," Nekou suggested while lounging on the ground. "There are a couple good Gyms in Viridian City and Pewter City."

"I'll… think about that."

As he noticed Olivia's downcast attitude, Nando's smile faded into a blank look of uncertainty. "Miss Olivia, what is wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, I respect that." Nando put away his Badges, took his harp back out and turned to Matt. "Matt, are you not pursuing the Gyms of this country as well?"

By this time, Matt had finally properly sat up again. "I'm not interested in any of that. I'm following the Frontier Society path, only because I'm seeking something I think only trainers like the Frontier Brains can lead me to. Speaking of which, I saw your battle at the Battle Arcade."

"That was quite the competition," Nando gently chuckled, his smile returning. "Did you partake in it as well?"

"Yeah, and I learned things from watching you that helped me win myself. Now we're heading through Azalea Town to get to the Gym for Olivia, then on to Goldenrod City for their Gym and the Battle Factory."

"I see. As I already have the eight Badges I require, I am traveling through the Frontier Society to prepare for the Pokémon League. I am going directly to Goldenrod City, then I will be heading to the Battle Café in the National Park, followed by the Battle Hall in Ecruteak City. I would recommend that you go to the latter as well."

"Why is that?"

Nando shut his eyes and ran his fingers across the strings of his harp. "Ecruteak City is a beautiful place steeped in mythology. You will love it. Of course…" After opening his eyes, he continued, "…if you are looking for battles the Battle Hall has quite the reputation. It is famous for the intense tournaments held there, in which sixteen trainers face off in what is said to be the harshest challenge of the entire Frontier Society."

"I'll have to look forward to it," Matt said, bitterly staring into the fire.

Turning his attention back to Olivia, Nando asked, "Miss Olivia, would you like to train with me for a short while? I have a new Pokémon I would like to practice with, and every bit of training will pay off for you at the next Gym."

Olivia did not immediately reply, and as she was facing away from Matt and Nekou, both became nervous that something Nando had said had upset her. Their fears were unfounded, however, as she looked fairly cheerful when she turned around.

"Sounds like a good idea, actually. Can you show me who I'm up against?"

"Of course. Pansage, make your entrance!"

Nando pulled a Poké Ball from his bag and threw it, releasing a small, green simian Pokémon. A growth on his head took the shape of a small tree.

Realizing this was a Pokémon she did not know, Olivia took out her Pokédex and scanned him.

"Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokémon. Type is Grass. It's good at finding Berries and gathers them from all over. It's kind enough to share them with friends."

"That Pokémon suits you," Olivia commented, smiling for the first time in what seemed like forever to Matt.

"Thank you. Now, who shall my Pansage be facing?"

"Let me think… oh, I know. Lillipup, let's play!"

Olivia brought out her Lillipup to face Nando's Pansage, and he shook out his fur after materializing, having not expected to be battling so late – not long before midnight, in fact. On the sidelines, Nekou quietly took note of Olivia's choice and lowered her eyebrows.

"And do allow me to say, that Lillipup is quite a fine choice for you, Miss Olivia."

"Thanks, but I think it's better if I show you… Lillipup, Tackle!"

Thinking that she could get a drop on Pansage by abruptly giving an order, Olivia sent Lillipup running forth at the Grass-type as fast as his small legs could carry him.

Nando wasn't fooled by her tactic, though. "Vine Whip!" he softly but sharply commanded.

A long, rope-like vine emerged from Pansage's wrist, and he snapped it in Lillipup's direction, lashing the small Normal-type Pokémon back. Lillipup whimpered, but picked himself off the ground and remained in the battle.

"If at first you don't succeed, right? Lillipup, try Tackle again!"

"I commend you for your courage, but if you do the same thing, so shall I. Pansage, repeat the motion!"

This time, though, as Pansage's Vine Whip careened through the air toward Lillipup, Olivia had another plan in mind. "Stop there and Bite it!"

Skidding to a stop, Lillipup opened his mouth and bit down on Pansage's vine with his sharp fangs. The shock reverberated back through the vine to Pansage, whose body shuddered.

"Well, well, it seems I may have underestimated you a bit, Miss Olivia." Turning his eyes upward to look directly at Olivia, Nando powerfully said, "I would say that means this is where we really get started!"

-:-

Deep underground in another portion of the Ruins of Alph, Dante worked his way down a dark hallway with only a small flashlight to guide him. His road forward was narrow, and his cane clattered loudly against the damp stone floor with each step he took.

That narrow road soon led him to a spacious, circular chamber. Realizing after a quick glance around that his meager flashlight would get him nowhere in searching the area, he instead turned his attention to the walls near the chamber's entrance.

"Let's see… there should be a sign right about here…"

Dante ran his fingers over the runes carved into the wall while he stared at them, carefully deciphering their meaning. The same indications of Volcarona as the clues on the upper floor existed there, but this wall was covered in characters establishing a completely different context.

After several minutes of study, Dante pulled away from the wall. "That was an easy puzzle. Volcarona, you're going to be quite an interesting Pokémon to study."

After freeing up his hand by temporarily holding his flashlight in his mouth, Dante reached into his coat and produced a stark white Premier Ball. His Alakazam emerged from the sphere once it was thrown.

"Alakazam, use Psyshock," Dante directed, taking the flashlight back into his hand. "Straight ahead."

With a nod, Alakazam complied. He crossed the spoons he held, and a silver bolt of energy arced from where they met. That energy flowed straight into the darkness and struck something, which responded with a shrill cry.

In an instant, the entire chamber was flooded with light as the Volcarona unfurled her vivid orange wings. Smaller embers flickered from the white fur covering her body, and she cried out angrily a second time.

"Volcarona, I'm honored to be in your presence!" Dante announced, putting the flashlight away. "However, it will not be Alakazam I will be facing you with. Haxorus!"

Dante's Haxorus joined her trainer, Alakazam and Volcarona once he released her from her Poké Ball. She had to squint in the bright light radiating from Volcarona's body at first, but quickly adjusted.

"So, shall we now get started? I would like to study what you're capable of!"

-:-

The next morning, a small amount of sunlight peeked through the perpetual cloud cover over Route 33, a short road connecting Azalea Town to the Union Cave. The rainstorms that regularly drenched the route had let up for the time being, so a few trainers were out with their Pokémon. It was a fairly dreary, humid morning.

Off the main path, where the terrain started to morph into the mountainous landscape to the north, the detective named Looker emerged from behind a rock. Standing near the edge of a short cliff, he removed a smartphone-like device from his heavy brown trench coat and looked at it. On its screen were several colorful charts, all displaying fluctuating readings.

"Just like the energy of that night on Route 29, it is," he growled to himself. "Nearby has happened something with that energy…"

Looker scowled, put the phone back in his coat, and jogged off in the direction of an entrance to the cave.

-:-

Meanwhile, on the Route 32 side of Union Cave, Matt, Olivia and Nekou – having split from Nando the night before – had arrived at a Pokémon Center outpost. At the main desk, they had just finished loading their Poké Balls into trays for the nurse to heal their Pokémon.

"That'll be five hundred dollars each for the two of you without a Pokédex."

"Five hundred?" Matt gasped. "You're not even charging the same as the Pokémon Center in Cherrygrove?"

"We don't get as much traffic out here, so we have to meet expectations somehow."

"What does that…"

"Matt, fork it over," Nekou interrupted. "I ain't got all day. A thousand."

"Should've figured you'd make me pay for you. I guess that's the benefit of doing all my lectures, though, being able to pay for things."

Matt briefly exchanged his card with the nurse to pay the charge, and after she returned it to him, she set about moving the three trays of Poké Balls to the healing machines.

"Nekou, do you think I'll do okay against the Gym Leader in Azalea Town?" Olivia questioned, her voice quiet and wavering. "I'm afraid I might mess up again…"

In an attempt to give Olivia some physical reassurance, Nekou put both of her hands on Olivia's shoulders. "Failure isn't something to fear, but you shouldn't expect to fail either. Go in with confidence and I doubt you can be stopped. Remember what we talked about? Fight for your own reasons. Do that, and I have complete faith in you. Have you found a reason you want to keep going?"

"I… I think so." As she spoke, Olivia looked down at the floor, unable to even come close to making eye contact with Nekou. "I think I want to get better to put Avril and Renzo in their places. I can't let Avril get far ahead of me, considering she likely got the Zephyr Badge… and Renzo just has it coming after our last battle."

"That's the spirit," Nekou said with a broad smile. "Now just let that drive you."

Matt had been standing by and listening quietly to the exchange. He was so caught up in paying attention that he didn't notice the nurse return with the trays until she announced as much, making him jump in surprise.

As Matt, Nekou and Olivia lined up at the desk to collect their Pokémon, however, the nurse's Chansey came running from the storerooms in the back of the Pokémon Center.

"Chansey, what's wrong?" the nurse asked in response to her Pokémon's excited chatter. "Something's happened?"

"Chansey! Chansey!" the Pokémon kept crying, gesturing wildly in the direction from which she had come.

"I think she wants us to follow her. Come on!"

The nurse climbed over the side of her desk and ran after her Pokémon, with the others following after a brief moment. They were led back to a storage room, and as soon as the nurse looked inside, she screamed.

"What happened?" Nekou immediately questioned the nurse.

"Look inside!" she hissed.

Matt and Olivia both found their muscles tensed as they edged around the door with Nekou to have a look inside the room. What they found left them staring, wide-eyed.

The room was in shambles, looking as if it had been ransacked by a thief. Shredded boxes were thrown everywhere, shelves were knocked over, and food – both processed Pokémon food and raw berries – was scattered all over the floor. Perhaps the most unexpected piece of destruction in the room, however, was the large hole punched right through the floor. Dumbstruck, Matt, Nekou, Olivia and the nurse all slowly stepped inside.

"Can't say this is what I expected," Nekou remarked.

"What do you think happened?" Olivia wondered aloud as she examined some of the damaged shelves. While running her hand over the metal, she suddenly found something. "Nekou, come over here! I found some sign of… something!" As soon as Nekou approached her, Olivia grabbed her friend's arm and placed her hand on the same spot that Olivia herself had been checking moments earlier. "See? Feel that right there."

"Oh, I feel it, that's for sure. Only a Pokémon could have slashed into the metal like this. Good job finding it, Olivia."

"The Pokémon from Union Cave must have decided to break in here and steal our stored food," deduced the nurse. "But why? They've never shown any hostility to us here before."

"That tunnel ought to go back to where they came from, right?" Matt asked, pointing at the hole cut into the floor. "We'll go down there and investigate it. If it leads through Union Cave, we need to pass through there anyway."

"If you would, that would be awfully helpful of you. Just call me when you find out what happened, would you?"

-:-

In a far-off, isolated cave, Pierce stood quietly by, watching as the Tenganists prepared their equipment and Pokémon, for a purpose he was only beginning to understand. Each of their small band seemed to have their own task to carry out under the prophet's direction, he observed, and the Pokémon they possessed covered an exotic range from multiple regions.

Pressing a button on the side of the device strapped to his wrist, Pierce activated a video transmission to Zager's laboratory. "Dr. Zager," he said as the scientist's rumpled visage took form on the screen.

"Ah, Pierce, I was wondering when I would hear from you." Zager's already raspy voice was made even more raw-sounding by the static in the transmitter's connection. "What's the current situation?"

"All the supplies have been delivered and the intelligence Giovanni wanted me to pass on has been given. I have to say, things have really escalated..."

"Tell me about it. The fact they requested bombs when we told them Polaris is planning to do something in Goldenrod City using the Magnet Train surprised me." Zager briefly turned away from the screen, but quickly returned. "Oh, I was meaning to ask you to investigate something for me."

"What?"

"I recently received some unusual intelligence regarding the Tenganists from one of our operatives, and it's quite suspicious. What caught my eye is that the name Saeko Oryo is all over it. This might be someone who is very important, so I want you to learn what you can about her and relay it to me right away. I want to get firsthand accounts of who this is from the Tenganists themselves."

"Understandable. I'll do what I can and get back to you. Pierce out." With his conversation terminated, Pierce turned his attention to the Tenganist prophet, who was in the center of the cave giving orders to her followers while holding her child in her arms. He approached her with slow, deliberate steps and stood rigidly before her, but did not speak. Instead, he merely watched her with his words stuck in his throat.

Eventually she turned around and initiated the exchange herself. "Oh, it's you. What is it?"

"One of my superiors wants me to talk to you about something. Or should I say, someone. I've been informed of someone named Saeko Oryo, and I'd like to know if she is linked to…"

Pierce got caught up in his own words and didn't realize how the prophet had frozen up. He only took notice when, well before he even finished his question, she smacked him across the face with enough force to nearly knock him over.

"Don't you ever say that name here again," she growled, while Pierce could only stare at her in shock and hold his face. "We will take everything you've given us and dissolve this alliance immediately if you make that mistake a second time. Am I making myself clear?"

"What's going on?" Emerging from one of the cave's side passages, Renzo had already obscured his face once again using his scarf and hat. "I demand to know where I am!"

"I take it you managed to heal him, Alesia," the prophet said to the auburn-haired, apron-wearing young woman who had emerged next to Renzo.

"With my power it was easy," Alesia responded. "I fixed him up good and quick."

"Who are you people? Just where am I?"

"We are the Tenganists," explained the prophet, "a race targeted for extinction by Ghet… Polaris. Many of our dwindling numbers have banded together to fight for survival by any means necessary."

"You were badly battered and unconscious in the thin air up in the mountains when you were found," Alesia continued. "Our leader brought you here and I healed you using my power of Transcendence."

"Transcendence?" Renzo wondered.

"It is a special power from within that many of us possess, manifesting differently in each individual. Alesia's is the power to heal injury and disease, so make sure you thank her for that. Now... you asked where you are. You are currently just north of Blackthorn City, just outside the city's borders."

"I made it to Blackthorn! Finally!"

"Are you sure revealing the location of this base is a good idea?" Pierce abruptly questioned.

The prophet sharply turned to face Pierce. "This base is soon to be abandoned. Once our equipment is prepared, we will leave."

While Pierce and the prophet continued their discussion, Renzo looked to Alesia in confusion. "Just who is she?"

"The symbol of hope rising from the ashes for us all," Alesia replied, turning somber and reflective. "They say she was there when it all began. When Ghetsis annihilated the very first community in his campaign against our people, she was the only one to survive. As our people were systematically killed, she emerged as a symbol of hope to both protect us and empower us to fight back."

"Do you know who she is under the cloak?" Renzo was genuinely interested in Alesia's story, and was concentrating intensely on it.

"Only a few of us know who she really is, those who have been alongside her the longest. We just know her as the prophet of our people. If it wasn't for her, we as a people would not exist anymore. We would have fallen into complete despair long ago."

Renzo glanced back up at the prophet, who was still speaking to Pierce. He could not put words to what he was feeling.

-:-

Matt, Nekou and Olivia were underground, having followed the tunnel from the ransacked room of the Pokémon Center into the main passages of Union Cave. It was a dank, dark place, and their exploration was guided only by the lantern Matt held, its light reflecting off the water dripping down the stone walls.

"It feels like we've been down here forever," Olivia complained. "I don't like it here."

"You gotta deal with caves if you're going to be a traveling trainer… because for some fucking reason the government insists on building roads right through them."

Nekou's cynicism made Matt smile, but he remained silent and focused on the path ahead.

In short order, he spotted something lying on the ground, and held the lantern toward it.

"What's that?" Olivia ran ahead, picked up the object she'd spotted, and quizzically examined it. It was a hard, bulbous and yellow piece of fruit. "A Sitrus Berry?"

"Doubtlessly something taken from the Pokémon Center."

While Olivia and Nekou talked, Matt continued shining the light around, looking to see if the thieves were anywhere nearby. At first there appeared to be no other living things around, but an insistent uneasy feeling compelled him to keep searching.

When a threat finally appeared, though, it wasn't he who saw it coming. Nekou was the one to react, pulling both Matt and Olivia out of the way of a flurry of rocks flung in their direction.

"What was that?!" Matt gasped, falling to his hands and knees.

"Watch your fucking head, that's what." Nekou picked up the lantern and held it in the direction of where the rocks had come from, revealing four Geodude with dull, blank looks in their eyes.

"Think those Geodude are the Pokémon we're looking for?" asked Olivia. "Wait, no, they can't be. The damage in the Pokémon Center looked like claw marks."

"Good deduction, Olivia. Something's clearly wrong with these Geodude, though…"

Looking over at the four Pokémon, Matt opened the eyepiece covering his artificial left eye. "There's some kind of strange energy residue here that looks like it's affecting them. Wait… this is just like what happened on Route 29 with the Pawniard!"

What Matt failed to realize, however, was that Olivia still had deep fear of what had happened that day. His bringing it back up triggered those fears, and the color drained away from her face.

"I'll stop them," she said, her voice shaking as much as the arm she held one of her Poké Balls in. "It won't happen again…"

Her Oshawott appeared from the Poké Ball and stood between her and the Geodude. Matt wasn't thrilled by what he was seeing, though, and started to reach out to her.

"Matt, stop right there," Nekou scolded him, making him freeze up. "Don't make the same mistake you made before. She can't be sheltered forever."

"Y-you're right…"

The Geodude weren't interested in anything the three had to say. To them, Matt, Nekou and Olivia were intruders, and with the energy of the Meteonite exaggerating their thoughts, they attacked again. This time, their four Rock Throw attacks were all directed at Oshawott.

"Get out of the way and use Water Gun!"

One advantage Oshawott decisively held over all of the Geodude was in terms of speed; though the four Rock-and-Ground-type Pokémon attacked as a group, Oshawott was able to effectively sidestep around each stone thrown his way before retaliating with a gush of water washing over all four.

"Yeah, you go for it!" Nekou called out in encouragement, even as two of the Geodude managed to rise for more fighting. "Oshawott, you too! Both of you have this!"

Nekou's words prompted a smile from Olivia – her first in some time – as her spirit was uplifted. Off to the side, Matt watched with amazed respect for them both.

The two Geodude who avoided fainting pulled themselves up with their strong arms and turned angrily to Olivia and Oshawott. One of them threw himself at the Water-type, attempting to hit him with a Mega Punch attack. Oshawott managed to dodge it only to step right into the path of the other Geodude's Rock Throw.

Olivia's eyes widened and her breathing grew short as she watched Oshawott fall onto his back. He wasn't downed just yet, but the violent impact of the stone Geodude threw at him left his entire torso bruised.

"Oshawott…" she blankly whispered, her arm trembling by her side.

Hearing his trainer say his name drove Oshawott's determination to earn her respect, and he pulled himself back up from the ground. Olivia drew a quiet gasp as she watched Oshawott growl at the two remaining Geodude, as if he was daring them to attack.

If it was a dare, it worked. The Geodude that had lunged at Oshawott did so again, his arm pulled back in preparation for another Mega Punch attempt. Oshawott handily sidestepped out of the way, but this time, he fully expected the other Geodude's Rock Throw and immediately ducked to avoid it.

Olivia felt an unexpected surge of confidence rising in herself when she saw Oshawott's determination. It was enough to drive her to take charge and call out, "Hit them both with a spinning Water Gun!"

Buoyed by the respect he perceived Olivia to be giving him, Oshawott resolved to decisively finish the fight and threw himself into a spiral motion. Neither Geodude anticipated such a move, so both fell to the torrent of water that spun through the corridor.

"Impressive," Nekou commented once the battle had concluded, pushing up her glasses as she spoke. "Even with such a distinct type advantage, taking four Geodude with just one Pokémon of your own is pretty good."

"Thanks!" Olivia replied, smiling broadly.

"So what do you think? Will you try to give Oshawott more of a chance now?"

Seeing the look of confusion Nekou's question had left Olivia with, Matt stepped up to them and intervened, even though all he could manage was ineffectually asking, "What?"

"I've been paying attention to Olivia's battles since we left Violet City," Nekou explained. "I noticed that she's given every Pokémon she has but Oshawott a chance before now." Olivia fidgeted, frowned and turned away as Nekou turned to her. "I'm not mad at you, Olivia, I just want to know what you're thinking."

"I… I just…" Caught at a loss for words, Olivia turned her back on Nekou, only to realize that doing so made her face Oshawott, which prompted her to turn partially away from them both. "I'm still torn on it. I still haven't gotten comfortable with all of this."

"That's perfectly fine. Just don't give up on Oshawott yet, okay? It hasn't been that long."

"I guess you're right…" Olivia listlessly uttered. "So much has been going on… it's not like how I thought this journey would be."

"Let's keep going," Matt suggested. "If we focus on finding whoever stole the food from the Pokémon Center, maybe that'll help."

"So you've got a good idea for once," Nekou deadpanned.

-:-

With Ghetsis standing rigidly outside their cage, Anthea and Concordia sang in haunting voices that echoed in the room. Their book of Tenganist myth had been discarded to the sheets making up the floor of their prison, left open on the page of music that dictated the melody the two were reciting.

"To think that it was this song all along," Ghetsis sneered as they finished. "Team Rocket's actions revealed the truth to us and we were too shortsighted to see it… Come!"

By banging his cane on the floor, Ghetsis summoned Pestilence and Chaos to the room. They weren't alone when they teleported in, though; with them was a third man, whose torn lab coat, tousled brown hair and broken glasses spoke to how poor a state he was in.

"Confirm that that's the song," Polaris's spokesman ordered the shambling wreck of a man.

"What are you going to do with it?" the man demanded, spitting a small amount of blood as he spoke. "You drape yourselves in being noble warriors for the people, but this is just…"

Stepping in front of the man, Ghetsis placed the end of his cane under his prisoner's chin and used it to lift his head slightly. "I know everything about you and how to get what I want from you, so for the sake of your wife and son, Professor Elm, confirm that these two pieces of human trash are telling me the truth. Is this the song that unlocks the hidden power within the Bell Tower or not?"

His spirit sufficiently broken by Ghetsis's menacing threats, Professor Elm submitted to him and weakly nodded. "It is, but you can't use it without…"

"…the Clear Bell?" Ghetsis guessed, completing Elm's sentence and terrifying the professor further. "You don't need to worry about that. We've already taken care of it."

Just then, Darkness teleported into the room to join the other Shadow Triad members. He kneeled before Ghetsis, then said, "Lord Ghetsis, sir, we must begin preparations for your speech tomorrow."

"Very well. Elm, you and the two witches behind me will soon be vital parts of the beginning of my new and perfect era of humanity, so all of you just stand by and wait for that wonderful day to arrive."

-:-

In a chamber beneath Giovanni's Viridian City mansion, Jessie, James and Ariana stood in a line next to their car. They became even more stiffly official once he actually arrived, with Stacia following loyally behind him.

"Hail Giovanni!" all three of them recited as their boss stood before them.

"I trust everything is being handled according to the plans laid out in Operation Atlas?" Giovanni questioned.

"Giovanni, sir, everything is exactly as you ordered it," Jessie answered.

"We have further information available for you once you get in the car, sir!" James added, eager to get in actions to earn Giovanni's praise for himself.

"Very well, let us have a look."

Ariana got back in the front of the car, while Jessie and James held the door so Giovanni could enter the back before they did. Once all four had entered the vehicle, James handed Giovanni the R-Pad.

Team Rocket's script 'R' logo briefly appeared on the screen, then a video feed of Dr. Zager materialized.

"Hail Giovanni!" Zager declared the instant he could see his boss's face.

"Give me updates, Zager," Giovanni demanded. "Exactly where do we stand at this moment?"

"The Polaris cell in Goldenrod City has been infiltrated, according to our latest reports, but our mole hasn't been successful yet in finding out who is in charge there. It's been difficult to find out actual names with the higher-ups of Polaris using code names to hide their identities."

"What about the Atlas Program? Has it been effective?"

"Remarkably so, Giovanni. By using our satellite, the field agent who helped create the program uploaded it into the International Police's servers completely without notice. There's now an undetectable piece of mutating code buried deep in their systems, erasing any and all evidence Team Rocket ever were recognized as criminals. They're no longer an issue for us… now it's truly us against Polaris."

"Excellent work. I'll make sure to let Rosalie and her team know how well they did when I see them in Goldenrod City."

"Best of luck, Giovanni, sir."

When Zager disappeared from the R-Pad's screen, Giovanni passed the computer back to James. Before Ariana could do more than start the car, though, Stacia appeared at one of the windows, prompting Giovanni to roll it down.

"Please be careful out there, Mr. Giovanni," she said, bowing to him and refusing to make eye contact at first. As soon as she realized that Jessie and James were watching, though, she turned formal again and pushed her glasses up. "I-I'll look forward to hearing of your great success in defeating Polaris."

Stacia sharply turned away, preventing those in the car from seeing any of the emotion she might have been showing, and left the chamber.

"You all done back there?" Ariana asked, craning her head to look back from the driver's seat.

"It's finished, Ariana," Giovanni replied while rolling the window back up. "We must get going."

"Alright, alright." Narrowing her eyes and smirking, Ariana said, "You still make Zager say 'Hail Giovanni?'"

With that, Ariana hit the gas and drove off into the network of underground tunnels she'd used to arrive beneath Viridian City.

-:-

Matt, Nekou and Olivia spent quite some time searching Union Cave for evidence of the culprit behind the Pokémon Center burglary, but aside from several Sandshrew exhibiting the same strange behavior as the Geodude that Olivia defeated with her Roselia, there was little evidence aside from more dropped Sitrus Berries.

All of that would soon change, as after finding several dropped Berries in close proximity to each other, they happened upon a bizarre scene – five black-and-blue-bodied mole Pokémon with large noses and claws, clearly affected by the same phenomenon as the Geodude and Sandshrew, were attacking a group of Zubat and Rattata. A large pile of Sitrus Berries was lying on the ground nearby next to an underground river.

"What the hell is going on here?" Matt exclaimed the moment they came across the fight. "Look at those Sitrus Berries over there… I bet these Pokémon are the ones who stole them!"

"No shit," Nekou sarcastically muttered. "Seriously, though, the claws of those Drilbur match the claw marks on the shelves in the Pokémon Center."

"Drilbur?"

Intrigued, Olivia took out her Pokédex and pointed it at the group of Pokémon.

"Drilbur, the Mole Pokémon. Type is Ground. By spinning its body, it can dig straight through the ground at a speed of 30 mph."

Unfortunately for the three, while Olivia was listening to the Pokédex's description, the five Drilbur had finished off their foes and turned their attention to the group themselves. One of the Drilbur, standing in front of the others, raised up his claw and shouted at them.

"I think that's the leader," Matt deduced. "I'll take care of that one. You two handle the others!"

"Alright. Come on, Olivia, fight with me. It'll be fun."

"Huh? Oh… alright, then. Roselia, Oshawott, let's play!"

"Marie, Dalian, you join those two!"

To oppose their share of the Drilbur horde, Olivia sent Oshawott back out along with her Roselia to join forces with Nekou's Sneasel and Gothorita. The four Drilbur they had to face stared at the team with the same strange, empty looks the Geodude had.

"Olivia, I'll take the lead," Nekou quietly suggested. "You slip in and take them out when a window opens."

"Alright, I got it!" Olivia cheerfully replied.

Nekou smiled at Olivia, then quickly turned back to the Drilbur. "Marie, use Ice Beam!" she commanded before the Ground-type Pokémon could attack.

The two Drilbur closest to the direct path of the freezing beam Marie shot from her mouth jumped back to avoid being struck by it, bringing them very close to their two companions.

"Just what I wanted," Nekou whispered to herself with a smirk. "Dalian, mow them down! Energy Ball!"

With her targets clustered together, Dalian had a much easier time aiming at them. She brought her arms together and formed a green sphere of energy, which she then threw at them. Two of the Drilbur tried to stop the oncoming Energy Ball by kicking up dirt with their claws, but their Mud-Slap shields failed to do anything. Dalian's attack struck the four Ground-types with explosive force, scattering them in the dirt.

"Do your thing, Olivia, it's all yours!"

Nekou stepped back and recalled Marie and Dalian, allowing Olivia the opening she had been promised.

Without hesitation, she eagerly seized it, calling out, "Roselia, you use Energy Ball, too! Oshawott, follow it up with Water Gun!"

The Drilbur were only beginning to regroup when another Energy Ball descended upon them, this one courtesy of Olivia's Roselia. Only one of the four took a direct hit, but he was thrown into another of his companions and knocked her down as well. The whole group was then drenched when Oshawott let an even more powerful Water Gun loose on them.

Three of the Drilbur fainted and collapsed, but the final one turned violently on Olivia. He stood on his toes, extended his arms to his sides, and flung himself at Oshawott while spinning in a vicious spiral.

In a bid to stop the Drilbur's Rapid Spin, Oshawott reached for where his shell would have been, forgetting that it still hadn't grown back. He froze once he realized it wasn't there, leaving himself completely open to being run down.

"Oh… there's no point in forcing this." Taking Oshawott's Poké Ball in her hand, Olivia quietly directed, "Roselia, cover for Oshawott and finish up. Oshawott, retu…"

Hearing his trainer want to call him back caused something in Oshawott's mind to snap. He pulled his battered, bruised body off the ground, and though he was trembling all over, he leveraged all the injuries he'd suffered against both the Geodude and the Drilbur as a way to call upon his full power. A bright blue aura surrounded him, and he cried out to the ceiling of the cavern.

"…Oshawott?" Olivia said, taken aback by this sudden turn.

"That's Oshawott's ability, Torrent!" Nekou exclaimed. "Water-type moves are stronger now that Oshawott's near fainting, so go for it!"

"Is that so? Well then… Oshawott, show that Drilbur what you're made of! Water Gun!"

Oshawott locked his fiery gaze on the last standing Drilbur. His eyes were so intense that if the Drilbur's mind wasn't warped by the Meteonite's energy, the Ground-type would have been intimidated into fleeing. As he was unable to think clearly, though, he lunged at Oshawott while using Rapid Spin again – only to be swiftly and decisively cut down by the gigantic flood of water Oshawott unleashed.

"O-oh, wow…" Olivia was barely able to speak with how stunned she was by Oshawott's display of power. "That was pretty awesome, Oshawott."

Though he was exhausted from fighting so much, Oshawott grinned broadly and cheered for himself, having gained praise from Olivia.

"Just awesome?" Nekou chimed in. "No, that was pretty badass. You keep kicking ass like that and Avril won't know what hit her."

"Oh, you better believe it. Next time I see her I'm bringing it right to her."

Meanwhile, while Nekou and Olivia had been busy dealing with the Drilbur horde, Matt was engaged in a standoff with the fifth Drilbur. In keeping with his promise to Nikolai to use her more often, Matt had gone with Charlotte for the battle. There hadn't been much in the way of actual fighting, however, just Matt's Eelektrik and the wild Drilbur constantly jousting for position.

"Electric-type moves aren't going to work, so that makes Charge Beam and Thunder Wave useless… I guess in that case I'll just have to try Headbutt!"

Charlotte lunged headfirst through the air toward the Drilbur, who retaliated by curling up his body into the shape of a drill and spiraling right into her. Both got thrown back when they impacted each other, but Charlotte took a much more severe blow, being tossed several feet across the cave.

Taken aback by this turn, Matt stared wide-eyed while Charlotte lifted herself from the ground. "That was Drill Run, I could tell… but that's a Ground-type move, and Eelektrik has Levitate…"

"That Drilbur's ability must be Mold Breaker!" Nekou interjected, while watching the battle with Olivia. "Some Pokémon have rare, unusual abilities. That must be one of them."

"I see… thanks for the advice. Knowing that, Charlotte, go ahead and use Headbutt again!"

The scenario repeated itself; within moments, Charlotte and Drilbur were heading straight for another clash of Headbutt and Drill Run. This time, however, Matt had a plan.

"Acid Spray, quickly!"

As part of using Drill Run, Drilbur had to cover his face, and thus couldn't see when Charlotte twisted out of the way. He halted his attack and unfolded as soon as he realized he hadn't hit his target, then turned around to face Charlotte – only to get a face full of the orange acid she choked up. Now blinded by the substance having splashed in his eyes, Drilbur was left completely helpless.

"And now, Charlotte, use Headbutt one more time!"

Charlotte lifted herself through the air and dive-bombed the Drilbur, slamming him into the ground. With the Pokémon effectively stopped, Matt reached into his bag, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it.

Olivia, Oshawott, Roselia, Nekou and Charlotte all watched closely with Matt as his Poké Ball wobbled in the pit left by the Drilbur. Before long, it stopped, indicating a successful capture.

"Well, we can consider this case closed," Matt said. He picked up the Poké Ball that now contained his new Drilbur and put it in his bag. "There must be another of those Meteonite pieces somewhere nearby. Those Drilbur were acting just like the Pawniard and Bisharp did under its influence."

"That's probably a safe bet," Nekou agreed. "It wouldn't surprise me if Polaris has something to do with this…"

"What?"

"Yeah, Nekou, what are you talking about?" the equally-confused Olivia asked.

Before Nekou could answer, the whole cave started to shake, instantly cutting off the conversation.

"The fuck is that?"

"An earthquake?" Matt stammered. "But why here?"

"You guys, I think we better get out of here…"

"That's a good idea, Olivia," Matt said, sending Charlotte back to her Poké Ball. "Come on!"

They turned and started to leave, but before they could make it far, the nearby wall exploded in a cloud of dust and rock, creating a cloud that filled the area and a blast that threw all three of them down.

"What… what was that?! Olivia!" The dust cloud obscured all sight, so Matt was left to frantically feel around blindly for his charge's hand. He came across an arm fairly quickly and grabbed it.

"It's me, ass!" Nekou shrilled, pulling her arm out of Matt's grip. "Don't worry about me, find Olivia…"

A great roar shook the passage, both blasting away the dust and causing Olivia to scream. She was collapsed with her back against one of the cave's walls, with an Onix towering over her. Just like the Geodude and Drilbur, the Onix's eyes were empty and soulless.

"Oh, fuck, not again."

"I'll make a diversion of myself," Matt volunteered, just about instantly. "As soon as I draw its attention, get Olivia out of there." Without giving Nekou a chance to say anything about the plan, Matt pulled a Poké Ball from his bag and threw it, releasing a Hitmonchan that immediately braced for battle. "Rocky, use Drain Punch!"

The boxing glove around Rocky's right fist took became enveloped in spiraling green energy, and using his thin but surprisingly powerful legs, he dashed toward the Onix, jumped onto her near her tail, then used the rocks comprising her body to ascend and strike her in the head. His body was briefly covered with the same green glow as he leapt back afterward.

Matt's plan worked. The Onix angrily turned her gaze to him and growled in a voice deep enough to nearly cause another earthquake.

Though his body was getting tense against his will, Matt continued with his intentions. "Was that painful for you?" he taunted while gesturing for Nekou to go to Olivia. "You're a big Pokémon! Was one little punch all it took?"

In the midst of the rumbling coming from the Onix, Nekou snuck around the edge of the passage and reached Olivia. "It's alright, Olivia, we're going to fuck that Onix up. Don't be afraid of it."

Despite her attempts to be quiet, however, the Onix somehow heard Nekou's threat and shifted her glance back in Olivia's direction. Once the Rock-and-Ground-type Pokémon saw Nekou and Olivia together, she roared in rage, whipped back around and raised her tail.

"It's my fault, get away!"

Time seemed to slow down for both Matt and Olivia the moment Nekou pushed the latter away from her. Both of them could only watch in gut-wrenching horror as the Onix smashed her tail into Nekou right before their eyes, seemingly crushing her into the wall.

"Nekou!" Olivia tearfully cried out. "No, not now… I needed you…"

"Not again… not again…" Matt kept repeating to himself, images of Eleanor's death playing in his head like a wretched recording. He began convulsing and could barely stand, let alone coherently speak. "Not again… no, no, no, no…" Suddenly, he sharply lashed his head upward and trained a nearly insane glare on the Onix. "If that's how it's going to be… Rocky, show no mercy! Drain Punch! Do it repeatedly!"

Seeing his Hitmonchan relentlessly striking the Onix gave Matt no catharsis; all he could think of was how he had once again been unable to stop an entirely preventable death. This time was more severe to him, though, a fact he realized when he looked down to see Olivia's face covered in tears. He felt as if he had let two people die.

Neither Matt nor Olivia could have ever expected what happened next.

Nekou broke from the wall she had been crushed into, having somehow survived the blow, and fell forward onto her hands and knees before standing up hunched. Her arms hung loosely at her sides, and when she turned upward to face the Onix directly, her eyes were glowing yellow once again.

"N-Nekou?" Olivia stuttered, blinking away her tears.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Matt nervously said.

Snarling, Nekou lunged directly at the Onix, exhibiting nearly inhuman reflexes while doing so. She punched the Pokémon with a closed fist and actually hit with enough force to make her roar in pain. A sharp cracking at the moment of impact revealed the broken hand that came as Nekou's price for such strength, but barely seemed to affect her.

"We have to help her, Olivia, so use Roselia. Rocky, Ice Punch!"

Quickly recalling Oshawott, Olivia took Matt's advice and shouted, "Energy Ball!"

Rocky was in position to simply turn around and strike Onix's back with her fist enveloped in freezing cold air. Roselia, meanwhile, struck the Rock-and-Ground-type's head with her Energy Ball, causing the Onix to convulse violently.

Suddenly, Nekou – having already regained use of her right hand – screamed out and shoved against the Onix's body with incredible force, causing the Pokémon to fall backwards and ultimately land with her huge head in the river. Between all of the damage from the Pokémon, the blows inflicted by Nekou and the water in the river, Onix could take no more and fainted.

"She already healed that hand?!" Matt gasped. "We beat Onix, but that doesn't make any sense…"

It wasn't over, however. The bizarre, animalistic rage consuming Nekou didn't abate simply because Onix was defeated, and she lashed around, fixing her insane gaze on Matt. Unhindered by her hair, which had become long enough to nearly touch the ground, she rushed him, baring her teeth. He had barely enough time to reflexively hold up one arm to defend himself, and it being made of metal was the only reason she didn't end up biting through it.

"The fuck has gotten into you, Nekou?! Snap out of it!" he pleaded.

She responded by grabbing his shoulders and flinging him into the unconscious Onix, which shook him up more than it actually injured him. He stumbled up only to find her rushing him again, which he avoided by jumping out of her path in a panic.

Her relentless assault didn't let up, and in mere seconds she was on top of him again, attempting to slash at him with her hands. He barely managed to weave away, and he was forced to kick her away with his artificial left leg to open up some space between them.

"Stop it! Please, no more! I don't want this anymore!"

Nekou was just in the course of recovering so she could attack Matt again when Olivia interrupted with her fearful screams. Olivia's voice somehow got through to her, and even though she remained hunched and snarling, she stopped her vicious attacks and seemed to be thinking.

"Be using Brick Break, Toxicroak!"

Out of nowhere, a Toxicroak appeared and slammed his fist down on Nekou's head, instantly knocking her out. She fell sideways into the flowing water of the underground river.

-:-

"There's a phone call from the holy land," Alesia said to the prophet, the two of them standing amongst a number of other Tenganists still preparing their Pokémon.

"From the holy land? That can't be good. Give me the phone, please." After taking the phone from her subordinate, the prophet said into it, "What happened?"

"An uninvited guest turned up here," a male voice responded. "She just appeared in the temple, and seemed very confused. She thought she was in the Ruins of Alph."

"I don't have time to figure out what's going on. We're busy preparing for our operation. If you don't think she's a threat, tell her not to tell anyone what she saw and have the old man send her back to the Ruins of Alph with his Abra."

-:-

Nekou abruptly awoke several hours later, only to find herself staring at the ceiling of a darkened hospital room in a Pokémon Center. She was disoriented by her surroundings, and was left breathing heavily.

"I see you're finally awake," Matt said.

Startled, she sat up in her bed, discovering that he was the only one with her in the room, sitting next to the bed with his elbows rested on his knees. He wasn't wearing his coat or carrying his bag.

"G-get the fuck out of my room. Stop watching me sleep."

"You weren't sleeping. Please don't push me away right now."

"What happened…?" The magnitude of the situation began to slowly dawn on her, and her voice became shallow and quiet. "Oh no, it… it happened, didn't it?"

"If by 'it' you mean you surviving what should have been a fatal injury and then turning into an animalistic killing machine… yeah, that happened. That detective, Looker, he turned up and knocked you out with his Toxicroak." Matt sighed and closed his eyes. His head felt heavy. "You fell into a river in Union Cave and got washed out into Route 33. Olivia and I found you washed up in the rain and I kept you warm in my coat as we brought you here… to Azalea Town's Pokémon Center. But none of that's important. We're all worried about you."

Nekou didn't say anything right away, instead choosing to bite her lip and search for something to say. She wouldn't make eye contact with Matt either, which was what him realize just how wrong things were.

"Will these help you feel better?"

Reaching into his bag, Matt produced Nekou's music player and a can of beer, both of which he handed over to her right away. She immediately opened the beer can to sip at it, but still didn't look at Matt.

Suddenly getting a flash of intuition, Matt asked, "Are you worried about how Olivia took it?" Nekou nodded in response, prompting Matt to say, "Olivia was freaked out by what happened, I'll be honest. But she's worried too… I almost think she's more worried about you than how she felt about it herself. She's only not here because she was so tired she needed to sleep."

"You mean I didn't attack her?"

"No. In fact, when Olivia called out to you, it actually got through to you somehow."

This finally got her to look back at him, her eyes reflecting true fear – something incredibly rare for her. "I…I'm sick, I know… But I don't know why that happens… and I'm embarrassed you all saw it… it's my curse, nobody else should have to witness it…"

"I could sit here and question how someone turns into a beast like that," he said, shaking his head, "but I'm not going to. If there's anything I can tell it's that objectifying you like some sort of test subject is wrong. But let me ask you, why do you not want anyone to see it? You said you considered it embarrassing, right?"

When Nekou nodded, Matt stood and began working to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Nekou shouted, pulling back on the bed. "You come at me and I'll fuck you up!"

"I'm not doing anything of the sort," Matt responded. "You said you were embarrassed because I saw what happened in the cave. I'm going to make up for that by showing you a shame I carry."

"What are you talking about? Why?"

"Because I'm not going to judge you for what you suffer from, and I trust you to know something about me. It's only fair that way."

"Wait, you're not afraid of me knowing whatever secret you're about to tell me?" Nekou questioned. She was incredulous that Matt was actually putting so much trust in her. "I wouldn't do the same."

"I know you wouldn't… but I also think there's more to you than that. The feeling I get is that you would keep your secrets to protect yourself."

With that, Matt undid the final button and pulled the left side of his shirt open, revealing that the left side of his torso was covered in burn scars.

Much to his surprise, though, Nekou didn't seem fazed in the least by what she saw. "What did that to you?"

"The same thing that made me lose my left eye burned up a whole lot more," he explained in a sad voice. "When I was given this body to rehabilitate myself from those injuries, I got my face repaired… but I didn't want to do the same for these. They remind me of my failures and of what I must be driven to find."

Nekou did not respond. She only looked away and tried to ponder all the things running through her head at once. Primary among them was her utter shock at her fear of being judged over her strange abilities not being validated. Acceptance was a rare thing for her when it came to that, and she had to fight with herself over whether or not to tell Matt any more.

END of CHAPTER 10