Behind the Curtain

Kendra gritted her teeth as she restrained herself from emitting that feral growl that was bubbling up from her chest. Her poor Eirene was taking a beating from Lenora's Herdier. The ruthless gym leader was taking no prisoners today.

Eirene struggled to get back on her little clawed feet before the voracious dog returned with another attack. The peaceful bird was struggling, exhaustion clearly setting in. The battle thus far had been one of wills. Kendra had sought Pidove to use her speed and advantage of flight over the terrier's short stubby legs. The problem was that Herdier had a low center of gravity and was highly maneuverable, easily managing to twist himself out of impossible situations. The result was an increasingly tired opponent, and it wasn't the dog. She was taking mental notes.

Kendra wracked her brain on how she could possible rectify this. Her panicked eyes caught Lenora's, who remained confident and sassy as ever, and completely unfazed. It was a tactic, Kendra knew, just another bit of icing on the cake to throw the trainer off and get inside their head.

Well there was too much crap already crammed in there so there wasn't enough room for Lenora's mind games. With fierce new determination, the young Hero took a calming breath and tried to look at the situation in a different light. She thought back on Epona and how she threw herself headlong into battle. Even if Eirene wasn't as headstrong and following all of Kendra's commands, the problem was still the same. They couldn't hit their target and her Pokémon was exhausting herself in the process.

They had to change strategies.

"Eirene, stay put. Let that dog come to you." She decided, worrying her lip between her teeth.

The Pidove sighed in agreement, instead relishing in the quick respite.

Herdier perked his ears when the bird Pokémon suddenly stopped her assault. A fluffy ear swiveled back towards his trainer, letting her know that he was listening for her next command as well.

"What's this? Have you finally developed a better battle strategy?" Lenora crowed, plunking her hands firmly on her hips. So far she was disappointed in the battle. She had expected so much more from the trainer across the field, but that was the risk of high expectations she supposed.

"Well I don't want to prove the saying right." Kendra called back, not allowing herself to be distracted as she formulated a plan. She still believed that air power was the key to defeat the terrier. But it was obvious she wasn't using it effectively. Only the insane kept hammering away, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. And Kendra wasn't insane, yet anyway.

"All right. Herdier use Take Down!" Lenora exclaimed with a sweep of her arm. It would be better for all involved if things weren't drawn out unnecessarily.

As the Pokémon was barreling down on Eirene, the bird relaxed. She completely trusted her trainer and knew that the wayward brunette had something up her sleeve. The little bird only waited for the signal.

It came just as she knew it would.

"Now Eirene! Take off!"

The Pidove spread her ashen wings and heaved herself in a burst of power off the ground, tucking her tiny feet up under her body just before Herdier passed harmlessly beneath her.

"Now spin! Quick Attack!"

In a graceful twist, Eirene carried out her master's commands flawlessly. Her body pivoted in midair, turning her 180 degrees so she was now facing Herdier's back. Seizing the golden opportunity, she allowed the increasing power surround her as a flash of light propelled her forward at top speeds, crashing into the terrier's body in instant impact.

The dog yelped before running out of Pidove's range across the field.

Eirene settled back down on the ground, her breast puffing and heaving from the exertion. But the excited cheers and brilliant praise from her trainer perked the flyer up immensely.

Herdier, on the other hand, was furious. Lenora commanded him to attack once more, this time with a fierce Bite attack and he would oblige. Bearing his fangs, the terrier growled deep in his throat as he rampaged toward the bird.

Again, Eirene executed her earlier maneuver. She waited for her trainer's signal before leaping into the air, spinning around, and delivering a scathing Air Cutter attack. The Pidove had met the terrier's maw before and wasn't about to let the Pokémon get his teeth into her again. Her right leg wouldn't support her own weight if it happened.

"Roost!" Kendra demanded. The last attack bought the pair precious time and they weren't about to waste it.

"Oh no you don't." Lenora muttered. "Herdier, Tackle her!"

But the dog was too late. Eirene recouped some of her strength and launched herself back into the air out of the Pokémon's reach.

Relieved, Kendra ran a hand through her hair. One fire was put out. Now to address the other. How was she going to win this round? She had to twist her old strategy around just as Pidove had done.

"Okay Eirene, let's Gust!"

The gray bird hesitated for just a moment. This seemed awfully familiar to their beginning strategy at the start of the battle. It had failed. But the hesitation was only fleeting. Pumping her wings, the Pidove created a thrashing tornado that tore through the field, stirring up dust and sand.

"That's great! Keep going!" Kendra encouraged, shielding her eyes from the grit. She could already taste that nauseating crunch of sand between her teeth.

Lenora had to shield her face from the damaging wind, not all too thrilled at the fact that the tornado was back. It wouldn't matter anyways, the fierce wind hadn't landed an accurate attack yet so she wasn't too worried. It was only when the trap was ready to be sprung that the gym leader realized her mistaken assumptions. The Gust was merely a cover, a distraction. The initial attack was never supposed to hit and the veil of sand whipped up by the wind was added camouflage. Pidove and Herdier were nowhere in sight within the mess.

All the gym leader could hear was the concussive blasts of wind as an Air Cutter connected with its target. She bit her lip; the battle was quickly losing momentum in her direction and spinning out of control.

Kendra wasn't about to let her Pokémon let up her attacks. The terrier dog was lost in the haze of the battlefield and soon succumbed to Eirene's relentless barrage. Round one was officially over but the trainer could hardly show her relief. If Lenora's first Pokémon was this difficult she didn't want to think about her next opponent.

Eirene swept the battlefield clean with a powerful wing beat, silencing the Gust that had been raging on before. All the little bird wanted to do was crawl back inside her Pokéball and sleep. Since it was her first gym battle the dove expected it to be difficult but didn't realize just how taxing it really was. She cooed forlornly at her trainer rushed to her side where she collapsed. Scooped up into Kendra's strong embrace, the Pokémon let all tension go from her body, comforted by the reassurances that were being whispered in her ear.

"You were amazing, Eirene. You deserve a good rest." Retrieving the Pidove's Pokéball, Kendra returned her friend to the safety and quiet that was her own space.

"I have to say you turned things completely around on me. Brava." Lenora smiled, returning her Herdier back to its own ball as well.

"Thank you." But the compliment suddenly didn't sit as well as it should. N's previous comments suddenly echoed dully in her head. It was Pidove who did most of the work. It was Kendra who had fouled up the beginning of the battle. Eirene had done nothing wrong. She had trusted her trainer implicitly and without reservation. "But it wasn't just me. Eirene and I are a team. I couldn't have done it without her." Expressing that made her feel better about the entire situation.

The fact that N and his beliefs suddenly popped into her head at this moment was incredibly irritating, but he did have a valid point in one regard. There were times when people didn't treat Pokémon with equality or with the respect they deserved. It was Eirene's win just as much as Kendra's, if not more so. She may not agree with what N believed, but his thoughts about Pokémon still affected her. If anything, it made Kendra more determined to take care of her Pokémon.

Lenora's brow rose at the trainer's correction, but that catty smile never left. "Of course, you make a perfect point." Perhaps she had judged the young woman too soon. She was certainly full of surprises.

"Are you ready for round two? I promise I won't be so lenient this time." Without waiting for an answer Lenora tossed out her second Pokéball, revealing the next opponent. "Go, Watchog!"

The prairie dog tore out of her ball in a burst of light, flipping through the air before landing perfectly on all four paws. Her long, lithe body serpentined out onto the field. Her rusty red coat shone with health and vitality. But it was her luminous golden eyes that called for attention as she spied the challenger from across the battlefield. Rising to her full height, the prairie dog sat back on her haunches, crossing her front paws over her chest with her critical gaze locked onto Kendra.

Kendra knew that the large prairie dog would be a tenacious fighter. Their kind tended to run around in packs, with a lead pair running the troop. If she had ever seen a leader among Pokémon, it was in this Watchog who was staring her down with its back ramrod straight.

But she also had a leader in her party, too.

"Okay, this is your gym battle debut!" Kendra withdrew his Pokéball and threw it with all her might out onto the field. "Come on out, Enki!"

The sea otter trilled with excitement as he snapped out of his Pokéball. Landing on his feet with little effort, Enki immediately bared his tiny fangs as his hackles rose, creating a ridge of tufted fur from his shoulders down his back. Adrenaline was already pumping in his veins, making a roaring sound whoosh past his ears in his anticipation.

Finally, he had the chance to prove his worth as a fighter for his trainer. It was imperative that he showed Kendra his strength and power to protect her. She may be a Hero but it was his job to protect her from the machinations of fate, to insulate her from N, and to keep her safe while she fulfilled her destiny. To him this battle was bigger than just a simple fight with a gym leader.

"You ready, boy?" Kendra asked.

Enki growled in affirmation. She didn't know just how ready he was for this battle and the future that hung in the balance.

The hostages had to be quieted, which took some time, but they finally stopped their wailing and lamentations. They had to be tied to each other and gagged with coarse rope and linen. The grunts were on edge from the assassin's outburst. Many of the more veteran grunts kept their mouths shut and their heads down around the silver haired shadow, but the newer converts were turning green around the edges. True they knew Novus' was an assassin, but it was another thing to see rather than just know.

The assassin in question was busy sitting at a desk sifting through papers and drawer space of the former Mr. Davis' office area. He was looking for anything that could be useful to his lord. So far he collected a weekly planner that was full of cramped little writing of where Lenora was to be throughout the next year and what events she planned to attend. But as far as everything else that was scattered about in this area, it was clear that it wasn't a utilized office space. In fact, it looked as if someone had literally just crash the place and dumped their entire life of paper work without rhyme or reason.

It supported the argument that Lenora had just settled in and there were still some nomadic tendencies at work here.

Leaving the cubicle, Novus returned to the back of the lobby where the rest of that party was taking place. The captured museum crowd visibly flinched when he appeared but he gave it little notice or thought. Shoving the itinerary into a satchel, the assassin frowned when he found that some of the disguised grunts were placing an opaque tarp over the body of Davis.

"No." He told them.

"I thought it would be best if—" Began a grunt who for the life of Novus he couldn't recall the name of the man who was speaking.

"No. I want them to see. In case they get any ideas or idiotic impulses of bravery." The Triad smiled darkly at the cowering hostages. "So they can see the consequences of such stupidity."

It gave the desired effect when he ripped the tarp away from the dead man's form. A pool of blood had spread like ink across the cold tiled floor, finding its way into the little highways of crisscrossing grout lines, creating a web of accusing red. A swath of smeared crimson revealed a frantic pattern when the receptionist had screamed in horror as blood smattered upon her face and chest. In her blind scramble to get away, the poor woman slipped in the stuff.

She had cried the most since the elder man's passing, but Novus suspected that it was more from the shock and the blood more than anything. It was later revealed that Mr. Davis was the closest employee to Lenora and that his death was a bit premature. Novus could admit when he jumped the gun but he wouldn't show it to these people here.

Novus snapped at a grunt to fetch him the receptionist once more. The man was quick to carry out the command as he grabbed the woman by the collar and hoisted her up on unsteady feet. The Triad examined the young woman. Her once neat, perfect bun was a matted mess that was streaked with dried, clumped blood. Her blue blazer and crisp, starched shirt was dappled generously with more grisly stains. But though she looked like she starred in some horror movie, the girl's face remained blank and empty.

She was completely shell-shocked.

"Wake up," Novus gave her a little slap across the face to jar her from her reverie.

It did the trick as the woman gasped, clutching her cheek as she paled visibly at the sight of her former colleague and mentor dead before her. A little cry of distress escaped her throat.

"Does Lenora have a private office?" He asked.

But the girl kept staring at the pooling blood as it congealed into sludge.

Resisting the urge to further lay his hands on the girl, Novus quickly read her name tag that was pinning on the left side of her breast. He rolled his eyes when he read the perky name; he never liked names ending in 'I'.

Grabbing her chin, the assassin turned her gaze to lock eyes with his own to get her attention. "Mindi," The name was a soft caress on her skin, "Does Lenora have a private office?"

Like a Stantler in the headlights, the young woman nodded, a bit miffed by the fact that this killer knew her name. She had forgotten she wore a label on her suit.

"Where?"

Since Novus refused to let go of her head, all Mindi could do was point in a vague direction back where he had come. "Only Davis was allowed to come and go. Only he knows the code to get in." That look of defiance was back in her eye. She found it incredibly satisfying that the only man that could get what this murderer wanted was now dead by his own brashness.

A cold smile plastered on his lips. "I would keep that bravado in check, bitch. It's what got your colleague killed in the first place." He sneered when he saw her pale face turn ashen with dark realization. "I've looked at that door. It also requires a key, but it wasn't in his office." He enjoyed the panicked darting of her eyes to the corpse, revealing her knowledge of knowing where and what he was talking about.

"Get them." He commanded, shoving her to the ground.

Petrified, Mindi got on her hands and knees and carefully maneuvered her way over to the body. Hot tears erupted from her face as she used the tips of her fingers to search Davis' pockets. Her fear of touching a dead body was evident, but her guilt in knowing that her actions got this innocent man killed was nearly crushing her. She began to hyperventilate as she felt her entire life spiral downward as she remembered all her time with this man. He had been training her to become a second assistant for Lenora. It had been a left field promotion to her, but one that she had been told she had deserved. To increase her responsibilities, Davis had asked her to help set up the reception station and schedule for incoming challengers. She had finally been working her way up the ladder and she couldn't have been happier to welcome each trainer into the building.

Now she was trying to retrieve the heavy ring of keys from her mentor's person, a man who had given her nothing but encouragement and the chance to prove herself to be useful to Lenora—a man who was dead because of her.

Her sobbing quickly devolved into mindless blubbering with intermittent, uncontrollable hiccups; but she managed to get the keys.

The silver haired Triad's eyes flashed as he wrenched the woman to her feet and drug her out of sight of the other hostages, who keened with alarm. "Get moving; you know why we're here." Novus barked over his shoulder.

The grunts that weren't on guard duty scrambled into action as some broke off into small teams, retrieving various tools to dismantle the looming dragon skeleton that stood in the center of the lobby. Others combed the crowd for Pokéballs; those who carried the valuable spheres were quickly relieved of them.

"You're hurting me!" Mindi gasped as she tried to keep up with her captor's long strides, but he ignored her. Hallways flashed by with branching corridors and office spaces each representing another face that the girl knew that flashed in her mind. She wondered if anyone else would meet the point of the man's blade today. She didn't think she could suffer anymore tragedy. What faces would be gone forever tomorrow?

"Please, slow down! You're hurting me." Mindi tried again. She felt as if her arm was about to be pulled from its socket. Her shoulder was already pulsing with pain from the strain.

"Shut up." Novus snapped, irritated. There was very little time to waste when it came to this entire ordeal. Lenora was sufficiently distracted with a challenge, but that wouldn't last. No alarms had been tripped. Any of the armed guards who did work for the museum were quickly rounded up, disarmed, bound, and thrown into a utility closet where they would remain so they wouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble. An excellently trained grunt had been placed on surveillance to watch the goings on inside the building as well as outside. He had an entire duffle bag filled with equipment, courtesy of Orin's donation. Everything was going according to plan; few knew the true purpose of this assignment. Novus was the man behind the curtain.

Mindi was bewildered by the fact that this man knew exactly where he was going. He bypassed Lenora's public office space that was locked but relatively empty of anything of importance. It was a meeting room and nothing more. Novus steered them both to the plain looking door that lead to Lenora's inner sanctum. It was armed with a control panel and a heavy duty lock. All in all, it was a formidable piece of technology.

"Open it." He ordered, releasing her.

The thought of running crossed the receptionist's mind but the idea was dismal. The hallway was a cramped space to begin with and offered no sanctuary of escape. Not to mention the fact that the man before her looked more lethal than any blade he possessed. He was strapped with muscle that his black undershirt stretched to cover. It was as if he was one of those big cats; at rest he looked lazy but as soon as his predator instincts kicked in he was a force to be feared.

"I can't. I don't know the code." She wailed, glad that Davis hadn't incorporated her in all aspects of Lenora's care.

"I know the code." Novus ground out, spiking alarm in the woman next to him. "Use the key."

Mindi began to fidget with the key ring, slowly flipping through each one as she searched for the correct key that would open the door. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the glint of steel and she immediately balk, forcing herself against the wall as her heart hammered in her chest. It was a blade she had never seen before in her life. The length of the actual blade was only a couple of inches but it curved menacingly away from the blade's handle. The handle of the blade had two finger holes at either end that the assassin slipped his fingers through, securing his grasp that prevented his hand from slipping.

Novus quirked an eyebrow at her behavior then realized she was frightened by his knife. "Unless you want to join Mr. Davis, I would get going on finding that key."

The receptionist nodded, her tears welling up again as she frantically tore at the keys, making them into a jumbled mess in her frenetic search for the correct one. She cursed her blurred vision as she blinked rapidly to push the tears away. This was not the time to fall to pieces, but she couldn't help but think that either way, this man intended to do away with her just as he had with Davis. She was the only witness to his actions, he was her only liability. She was the only one who could tell authorities what he was doing. Therefore, she was expendable.

The knowledge surprisingly didn't affect her like she thought it would.

It just wasn't sinking in yet that all of this was happening.

It had to be some sort of horrible work stress related nightmare.

Since she had taken the promotion, Mindi was having more and more dreams where she was constantly messing things up at work. So far, if this was a dream, it took the cake.

Finally the correct key leapt in her hand and she jammed it into the lock, but just as she feared the bolt didn't budge. She looked up helplessly at the man beside her, hoping beyond hope he understood that she just didn't possess the knowledge that he wanted.

Novus examined the control panel. It had a tiny green digitized screen with that old Courier font that arced across in ashy gray lettering, stating to the user: PLEASE INPUT PIN

A number pad sat just beneath the screen, but there was no wear and tear in the number to reveal popularly used number combinations. Either the device was new or the code changed often. Or, Novus mused, Lenora was just never around to use it. Either way, the entire device was fitted above the lock level that was attached to the door. All of this was cursory, however, since the Triad merely peered at the wall that it was fixed to.

Touching it lightly, he ignored the jumpy woman beside him as he imbedded the knife into the painted sheetrock, slicing downward in a powerful stroke. The muscles in his forearm and neck bulged when he hit the hidden wooden stud underneath. Withdrawing the knife he hacked again, drawing a wavering rectangle in the wall.

With ease the assassin ripped into the surface, tearing away chunks of dry wall with his bare fingers that were quickly coated in the chalky white powder that wafted up into the air from his destruction.

Mindi's eyes widened when she realized what he was suddenly doing. The wires leading into the complicated locking device were exposed, like veins just beneath the skin. She had to close her eyes when she watched him sever their connection as the image of Davis' death superimposed itself over her vision.

The sound of the door automatically unlocking reached her incredulous ears and before she knew it she was yanked inside the office she had only been in once in her entire, albeit shortening, career.

Enki was breathing hard in the heat of battle. Lenora's Watchog was a master of flexibility and her limber form was hitting the Oshawott hard with unrelenting attacks.

You aren't cut out for this kind of battle, Watchog boasted. She was in completely control of the momentum of the battle and she wasn't shy about letting her opponent know it.

Enki bristled at the accusation but didn't rise to the bait. It would be disaster if he did. He didn't want to run around blind like Epona was prone to do.

"Watchog, Confuse Ray!" Lenora shouted.

Enki balked, not ready to face another hazy daze spell that Watchog was sure to hit him with.

"Point your Water Gun to the ground, quick!" Kendra cried. It was a last ditch effort of hers to avoid the incoming blast.

Enki was fast to response, the force of the Water Gun propelling him into the air, effectively dodging the ray; which passed harmlessly beneath him. The only problem now was he was suspended in midair with the ground fast approaching.

You tryin' to fly, little mouse? Watchog taunted again, nonplussed by the fact that Oshawott had creatively dodged her efforts.

The sea otter's nose wrinkled in response. Without any prompting from his trainer he allowed his power to focus within his body so that by the time he landed he was completely finished executing a Focus Energy. His fur glowed golden in the light of the arena.

Both trainers shouted the same command to their Pokémon who met each other in a mighty crash. Their simultaneous Tackles threw each fighter back from the force, kicking up sand in the process.

Enki's impressive Tackle resulted with a critical hit on Watchog's health, but the power behind the prairie dog was strong. The sea otter stumbled as he tried to gain his feet.

Ha, that hardly even hurt! Watchog laughed from across the field, igniting Enki's fury. He was done being tormented in such a way. An entirely different light engulfed the Pokémon that dazzled all who watched him.

Kendra's jaw dropped as she watched her cute little Enki evolve before her eyes into a Dewott. An overwhelming sense of pride bloomed in her breast as Dewott jumped back into battle with fresh vigor and determination. If he was this amped up about their battle then she would match his energy. She smiled fiercely when Enki tossed his head back towards his trainer and growled. They were in this match together.

"Okay, Enki, let's do this!" Kendra fisted her hands and took a fresh sweep of the arena. It was her turn to shake things up. It was useless to try to hit Watchog directly; she was just too quick and nimble for Enki to handle at the moment. It was time to even the odds.

"Enki, drench the arena!"

The cerulean otter tamped his feet and understood what his trainer was getting at. Puffing out his chest, he opened his mouth and began to swamp the battlefield with water, creating an awful muddy mess.

"Watchog, stop that Dewott!" Lenora was again amazed at how quickly Kendra could turn the tables and her use of the environment. She watched as her once perfect battlefield turned into sludgy mud. Her Watchog was hard pressed to move in it at all. She might as well had been running in wet cement; every step she took made her sink several inches into the softened earth, making her work that much harder to wrench herself free to take another.

Kendra remembered Enki's favorite bath time game. Slip and slide. While he was all lathered up he would flop on his stomach or back and slide around the titled bathroom floor. Sometimes Kendra wasn't in the mood for such a game since it often resulted in her falling on her ass, but she couldn't think of a more perfect time to play.

"Time to slip and slide." She laughed a bit when Enki flopped where he stood, not at all worried at the slowly approaching prairie dog. Rolling in the muck, he soon turned a rich, slick brown. His fur was insulated so the mud sat on the surface and didn't leech its way to his undercoat and bog him down like what was happening to Watchog.

Before the dog could land an attack, Enki flipped on his back and hit Watchog with a powerful Water Gun that shot him across the field from the pressure with ease.

Let's go, Slowpoke! Enki crowed, for the first time letting his opponent have a taste of her own medicine.

Watchog hissed, opening her mouth wide to reveal all her teeth as she bared her frustrations. The more wet she got the muddier she became and the heavier she felt. She had no idea how she was going to move about in this quagmire.

There was an initial game of cat and mouse as Enki would slide in for an attack, hit his target, and then shoot away. Using his tail as a rudder and break, he peeled away from colliding into walls. For the first time in the entire battle a smile was plastered on his face. Who knew battling could be such… well fun? With his hinds legs he pushed himself on his back and slid out of reach of another Confuse Ray. Watchog was suddenly slower than a Snorlax and Enki was enjoying every minute of it.

But Kendra was not appreciating his show boating. It was time to end this.

Novus had placed Mindi in a chair across the room while he could keep a watch on her as he ransacked Lenora's private office. Luckily, her computer was just on sleep mode. She obviously thought that no one sinister would infiltrate her private study. With a quick jiggle of the mouse it came to life. He remarked on how similar this room was to Ghetsis' private study. Every surface served some sort of purpose and was completely covered in documents, maps, flyers, and anything else the multitalented gym leader thought was important.

Sitting down heavily into Lenora's plush desk chair, he reached into his satchel and retrieved a specialized jump drive, another one of his brother's toys.

"An idiot can use this, Novus, don't act like you can't." Orin had snorted at his brother when he handed over the device.

"You know me and technology, I'd rather—"

"Smash it with a club like a Conkeldurr. I know." Orin finished for his brother, his jade eyes flashing in annoyance. His elder brother lacked a certain finesse when it came to anything that required delicacy. Novus didn't understand Orin's art. To Orin, anyone can swing a blade, but not everyone can hack into a fortress like mainframe with matching defenses and come out without detection. "Listen, all you have to do is plug this into the USB port. This will deliver the virus automatically, all you have to do is watch the load bar, once it is full then you can remove it."

"You've explained this a hundred times." Novus growled.

"Only because you think a CD tray and USB port is the same thing." Orin snorted, trying his best not to smack his head against the wall.

"That was only once, and you know it." Novus roared, embarrassed once more. His brother was never going to let that incident go. Ever. Besides, that had happened years ago. He knew better now. "You should be the one leading this entire charade anyways, not me."

"True, but Ghetsis favors you more. You won't leave behind a mess." Orin said quietly as he turned back to his monitor screens.

Novus still thought that Orin would have been the better choice. He wouldn't have offed the only person who could open the door without leaving such incriminating evidence behind. Then again, he probably wouldn't have needed Mr. Davis at all. Unlocking doors was relatively easy for his brother.

Placing the USB in its proper place on the computer's tower, Novus watched as a window popped onto screen and began running through a series of files within its own memory before it actively went to work. He was about to turn away when a second pop up window appeared with a command.

You are about to initiate Program Conkeldurr, to continue this action please smash the keyboard…

Novus laughed aloud, making the woman in the room with him jump. Only his brother could come up with newer and better ways to humiliate him in such a creative manner. Nope, he was never gonna let his inexperience with computers go. Ever.

"Smart-ass." He snarled as he indeed smashed his fist on the keyboard, jumpstarting Orin's program into overdrive. The load bar appeared and he left his brother's creation to its own devices. Now it was time to do some good old fashioned snooping.

Mindi's heart by this time had calmed down as he watched her captor tear through her employer's belongings. Nothing was sacred to this man, she knew. Though she expected to toss everything on the floor, the man actually went out of his way to put things back where he found them. It was hard to not care. It had been Davis' job to care. Now it was hers.

"You won't get away with this. Everyone has seen your faces."

Novus did not pause in his search of the office. Anything he thought was useful was shoved into his satchel, even things that weren't to throw suspicion and confusion on the trail. He hardly gave Mindi a glance.

"Mindi," he began, "Have you ever heard of selective attention?"

"It's Melinda." She all but snarled. Mindi is what her friends called her. It was not what this savage could call her. When silence was her only reply she finally answered his question. "No."

"It's a very elegant art that every human being on this planet has perfected magnificently; including you. When there are so many different stimuli affecting a person at once, the brain has a way of filtering out what it thinks is important and instead focuses on one object at a single time." His hands were busy flipping through several documents. "Like skimming down a line of text, only certain things will leap out at you." His icy eyes connected with Melinda's.

"I hardly think anyone could forget your face." She bit out, incredulous at what she was hearing. It had to be some sort of pseudoscience because she simply couldn't believe it.

"Just image it. The fear. The chaos. At one moment your life is in danger, the next you're taken hostage by unknown homicidal men who have corralled you up with other people sharing your similar situation. The fear and paranoia begin to feed off each other. Adrenalin is hammering through your veins as question after question begins to swarm in your brain."

Novus smiled.

"Will I get out of this alive? Will I ever see my family again? Will I live to see tomorrow? Think of the regrets. Think of the missed opportunities all because of how uncertain your future has become. That simple flow of predictable life has been shattered and the primitive mind kicks in."

The assassin made his way towards the shaking woman as he painted his picture.

"The mind will block out anything that isn't important, and the prospect of death has the tendency to sharply focus the mind and priorities. And what is more important to a person than their own life?"

Mindi held his gaze in challenge. "I will never forget your face."

The silver haired man nodded. "Of course." That mouth, he thought to himself. Turning back to his work he paced towards the computer. There were only precious minutes left before everything was finished. The virus would be uploaded into Lenora's private system and all her encrypted data would be stolen. A ghost drive was set in place, ready to spring its trap days after its initial implantation. Novus had to hand it to his brother, he had talent.

"Sir, we've got everything secured. We only await your arrival then we can depart." Came a static voice over a hand radio.

The assassin quickly retrieved the device and pressed the TALK button. "How are we looking for time?"

"Lenora's battle is winding down with the challenger being the victor. There isn't much wiggle room once it's officially over." The voice continued. "There is a bit of a crowd outside the museum starting to mull about. And the natives are getting restless. We need to get out of here before there's a confrontation. We don't have the force."

Novus looked back at the computer screen. They still had at least seven minutes before they could officially pack up and get the hell out of dodge.

"Alright. Start packing it in. I'll meet you out in the lobby."

"Yes, sir."

Mindi came on high alert. This nightmare was almost over. The tension in her body was immense. All she needed to do was get around the desk towards the bookshelf. Near it was an alarm that routed straight to the police. The only reason why she knew it was there was when she officially started to get her training as Lenora's aid Davis had showed her around the spacious setting and pointed out all the need to knows. The alarm button had been one of them, hard wired to a different system within the museum. All she had to do was find a way to get around the man in front of her and press it.

"I'm out of time." Novus began packing up his things very methodically, his metallic eyes like razors as he gazed menacingly at his prey.

"I'm sorry to hear that." The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

The assassin chuckled. "That mouth will be the death of you."

His words sent a chill down her spine. The kind of chill that crawled deep beneath your skin and crushed your very essence. Her doe like eyes widened as his knife appeared again just as menacing as it was before, twirling deftly on his finger.

"I won't say anything. I won't remember anything. I won't tell them anything." She began to babble as a certain part of her just knew that her life was nearing its close.

"I don't believe you, Melinda." His voice was dark.

"You don't have to do this. What harm could I do?" Her mind balked at the syrupy sweet voice he suddenly possessed, it sounded so wrong. Like that first whiff of cough medicine, the cherry just doesn't stand a chance against that awful aroma of artificial medication.

"I feel better knowing that there won't be any." He spoke gently to his prey as she began to panic. Like the Rattata caught in the jaws of an Ekans, the little receptionist was struggling against the inevitable. In the blink of an eye he raised his dagger and struck the girl, who managed to throw her hands up at the last minute, protecting the delicate column of her throat. She fell backwards in her seat, crying out in pain as red flowed freely from the defensive wounds. Before she knew it, her murderer had a hand in her hair, pulling her head back at a painful angle.

Melinda screamed as her hands flew to her throat just as she knife slid across her neck. Her scream gurgled into a gasp for air and she fell forward, limp. Her heart was beating so loud she wondered if her assailant could hear it. The world around her suddenly became painfully sharp as she struggled for breath, her body jerking at each attempt. It was as if someone had placed an anvil on her chest. No matter how hard she tried her lungs just wouldn't inflate properly.

Novus growled. "What a mess, you got blood everywhere." He sneered as he stepped over her form towards the computer once more, wiping his wet hands on his clothes. The virus was finished with whatever it was doing and the jump drive was almost ready to eject. He spared the young woman a fleeting glance before he began wiping the office down of any prints, counting the seconds it would take for her to breathe her last.

Lenora recalled her defeated Watchog, her lips pursed in displeasure at having her defeat so thorough. It had been some time since she had had a battle quite like that. She looked at what was left of her arena. It was a complete muddy mess. She would have to renovate it as soon as possible if she were to do any more battles in her lair. She could always use the grassy field behind the museum in the meantime.

"I've never seen such a creative use of terrain, challenger." She had to admit it, this girl had talent.

Kendra could only smile, knowing full well that the gym leader in front of her was surveying the damage. The compliment issued was a bit tongue and cheek. It also didn't help matters that Enki was still having a grand time slipping and sliding around the field. Not that he could do any more damage but his little stunts were not entirely amusing to the dark haired beauty.

Together they carefully maneuvered to a raised platform to the left of the ring, trying to steer clear of as much of the mud as possible. As Kendra recalled her friend she rued the fact that she would have to work all that mud from his coat later this evening.

The end of the battle was swift. There was nothing Lenora could do in defense of Enki's attacks since her Pokémon was quite literally a stick in the mud.

"How did you come up with such a strategy?" Lenora asked, unable to resist.

"Oh." Kendra stumbled over the question. "Well I've faced similar problems in battle before; it's just me trying to figure out how each of my Pokémon can use their abilities to overcome them." When Lenora continued to stare at her, the brunette continued. "But really it's nothing new, just a game Enki likes to play at bath time."

The gym leader let out a great bursting laugh at hearing that. She had been giving the girl far too much credit in thinking she was a born tactician. A bath time game of all things was a ludicrous solution to use during a gym battle after all.

"Well, in either case, you show great potential as a trainer. What did you say your name was again?"

"It's Kendra. Kendra White." The young Hero took Lenora's offered hand.

"Well Ms. White, I would like to congratulate you on winning—" Her sentence nearly died on her lips when her hand connected with Kendra's as a jolt of energy seemed to pass between them. At first she thought it was static discharge but the girl in front of her acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "On winning the Basic Badge." Lenora finished, her voice losing some of its vigor.

"What's wrong?" Asked Kendra.

"You didn't feel that?" Lenora asked, puzzled.

Kendra stared blankly back at the older woman. "Feel what?"

Lenora took a step back from the girl to really look at her and she felt as if she were seeing the trainer clearly for the first time. "Where did you say you were from?" Why was it that she felt as if she were back under the dark waters of Undella Bay?

Not knowing what else to do, Kendra danced from side to side as she squirmed under Lenora's suddenly studious and intense gaze. "I'm from Nuvema. It's really small." She added, as if that explained everything. That seemed to be the second time something like this had happened today; first with that stalker and now with Lenora. Kendra didn't think she understood it exactly.

Lenora's gaze narrowed. There were many such small towns that were so tiny they barely registered on many maps. But being from a small town didn't mean it explained why the young girl was so… unusual. A memory surfaced in the back of Lenora's mind and flitted tantalizingly out of reach and she knew it was going to drive her insane until he solved whatever this enigma in front of her was. There she was, with her crew diving into the submerged ruins of Undella Bay. Why did this memory spring forward with such persistence? Lenora itched to go back to her research notes to follow this train of thought, but she was getting ahead of herself.

"I'd like to present you the Basic Badge as your prize, so everyone knows you've challenged me and succeeded. It will allow you more control over your Pokémon as well." Out of a case she kept close to her person she pulled out an authentic Basic Badge and handed it over to Kendra. Again their skin connected and Lenora received that same jolt of energy. It was similar to her experience with Undella!

"What are you—" She began but was cut off by a sudden alarm blare.

"What's that?"

"Something's wrong." Lenora was suddenly serious, looking up at the angry red light above her. "That connects directly to my office." She took off up the stairs two at a time, panic weaving its way through her. No one was supposed to be in her office today, not even her personal assistant, Davis.

Kendra scrambled after the gym leader, not knowing what else to do. If something was wrong then she wanted to know about it. She followed the woman who navigated the labyrinth of hallways with ease, going deeper and deeper until finally Lenora burst forth into her personal office.

"Kendra, stay there. Don't look." She demanded, her strength wavering in her voice when she took in the disarray and carnage in front of her.

Kendra stood rooted to the spot as she saw Lenora kneeling beside a bloodied body. Blood darkened her calloused hands as she felt for some sort of pulse as she whispered softly to the seemingly dead woman.

"Oh, Melinda… Who did this to you?" There were no tears that she could muster, only shock and disbelief at what she was witnessing. But then hope speared her breast with such painful feeling that she gasped. "I've got a pulse! It's weak but there." She turned back to the trainer behind her. "Get on the phone and call the ambulance!"

Kendra just stared down at the body, unable to move.

"Kendra!" Lenora shouted, finally catching the teen's attention. "Get your ass out of your head and call!" She shouted.

The brunette kicked herself into high gear and found herself dialing automatically and talking to the operator at the other end of the phone, describing all that she could of the situation. Lenora was busy shredding her apron into manageable strips as she tried to staunch the flow of blood from the woman's neck. Using a blanket from a cabinet that she used when she slept in her office, she threw the cover over the Melinda's body to steady her temperature.

Kendra hung up the phone. "They're on their way."

"Good, stay here with her. I'm going to see who in the hell is in my museum."

"I want to come with you. What if there is more than one?" Kendra protested. She didn't want to be left alone with a dying person.

Lenora wanted to tell this trainer different, that she was an idiot for causing so much trouble when all she really needed to be doing was following orders. But then that memory flickered in the back of her mind again, eating away at her around the edges. There was something completely different about this girl. She looked down at Melinda who struggled to breathe. The gym leader bit her lip. From the trail of blood she could see that her assistant-in-training had drug her body towards the alarm and practically climbed the bookshelf to reach it. As her life was literally draining from her body she had used all of her strength to warn somebody.

She knelt down next to Melinda's ear and whispered, "I know you've got fight in you, don't give in. Help is on the way, don't give up." Saying a silent prayer to the gods above, Lenora rose to her full height and waved for Kendra to follow her.

"We know they're armed and dangerous. I don't want you to do anything stupid. Don't be a hero. Just—" The gym leader had to let out a calming breath. "Just be careful."

Together they swiftly traversed the narrow corridor. Lenora swept her gaze across empty offices and noticed that they were neat and undisturbed. Whatever the interlopers were after the focus was entirely upon her. There was no mistaking it.

There was noise coming from the lobby and the pair hastened to its source. To Lenora's horror she found her staff and patrons rounded up like chattel, cowering in terror, bound a gagged, with the thieves suddenly making their retreat. One hostage wrenched his body onto his knees and began shouting around his gag, alerting both Lenora and the retreating henchmen.

"Lenora!" Kendra shouted, rooted to her spot as she pointed toward the side entrance of the lobby. The thieves were piling out, avoiding the front of the building. The brunette immediately recognized the white uniforms that were peeking out from underneath some of the men's clothes. It was Team Plasma. And there mixed with them was that silver haired man from before. "It's him!" She gasped, shocked.

Lenora swung her gaze toward the fleeing group.

"It's the guy who attacked me from before!"

For a moment the two made eye contact and the world stilled. The silver shadow tilted his chin up and scraped a thumb over the column of his neck as he leered at Kendra, sending her an unmistakable message of fear before disappearing behind the closed door to freedom.

Lenora quickly looked at Kendra to see her reaction to such a threat. Though she looked pale and frightened her stance was strong and grounded. But it was a cursory glance. She visibly balked when she saw a rivulet of red that was slowly making its way across the marble floor. The dismantled skeleton that took hours to erect was in ruins. The hostages were trying in vain to cry out. The sight of her museum was almost too much to bear. How did everything go to hell in a hand basket so quickly?

When Kendra made to go after them the gym leader had to physically restrain her.

"We have to go after them!" Kendra protested.

"Kendra, look around you, those men are dangerous. They've possibly killed multiple people. I can't allow you to just leave here alone."

"Alone? Aren't we going to go after them?" Kendra asked, confused.

"I can't; there are people here that need me and I won't have you running off on some grand crusade on your own. I have enough blood on my hands." Lenora told the trainer seriously. "I don't care if you did defeat me in a gym battle. The safety of the people who surround me is the most important."

As the older woman convinced Kendra that it was best to help the people here they both began to sever the ropes and untie the hostage, making sure that everyone was alright. Lenora began to sob when she followed the trail of blood and found that Davis had been unceremoniously drug away to a corner of the lobby. Suddenly the police and ambulance had swarmed the museum and the entire building was in a flurry of activity in a matter of moments.

"Lenora! Lenora! Lenora!" Came a frantic voice that cracked, trying to make his voice reach across the den of the lobby.

"Hawes!" Lenora turned on her heel and found the arms of her husband wrapped tightly around her.

"I had met up with Burgh just like we planned when I got a call from the police! What happened?" Hawes asked, trying to comfort his trembling wife. Their friend and colleague, Burgh, waited patiently beside the couple, his green eyes scanning the area discretely. When they heard the news they descended upon the museum as quickly as possible, ignoring the harang of the officers who were trying to round up witnesses for incident reports.

Lenora informed her husband what had transpired.

"And they got away?" Burgh asked, incredulous.

"The police are combing the city." Lenora nodded, but suddenly became silent when a gang of paramedics rushed past the crowd, screaming for people to get the hell out of the way. Melinda was being rushed to the back of an ambulance with I.V. fluids and a transfusion hooked up to her body while a medic was steady pumping air into her lungs with a balloon. Next came the more somber parade of people towing Davis's body out in a black bag. Lenora couldn't bear to look and buried her head in her husband's shoulder.

"Do you really think they'll stay in the city?" Burgh asked, once the frenzy of the paramedics had died down.

Before Lenora could answer Kendra stepped in. "They won't return to the city." She personally couldn't believe the group of people had made it out of the city unnoticed at all.

The trio turned towards the young trainer.

"What makes you say that?" Asked Hawes.

"The last time I ran into these guys they ran off to unpopulated areas then disappeared."

"You've dealt with these people before?" Asked Lenora, shocked. "Who are they?"

"They call themselves Team Plasma. And I've never seen so many before. They want to free Pokémon." She was pretty sure that it was Team Plasma; the white uniforms had been unmistakable. But the man's next question made her waver in her convictions.

"You saw for sure?" Hawes scoffed when he saw the youth shake her head. "They're nothing more than common thieves out to steal historical artifacts. This was obviously a random act of violence."

Kendra kept her mouth shut. She didn't like Hawes' dismissal of her assertions but tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was the Assistant Director of the museum and took care of running things when Lenora was busy on her expeditions. His work had been violated as well as the safety of his wife. It would only make sense for him to be so defensive.

Burgh watched the young woman with careful eyes. He had seen this girl somewhere before. "Newest badge winner?"

Lenora blinked. "Yes, she'll be after you next." She answered hollowly.

"You think you know where they went?" He asked carefully, eyes flickering back to the police who were furiously questioning people; he didn't want the trail to become cold waiting for one of the star witnesses make it through her interrogation. They were the same questions over and over again: Did you see who did it? Did they do anything? Did they say what they wanted? Who killed the first Assistant? Did they hurt you? How many Pokémon did they take from you? Did they say where they were going?

"I think I know which way they will take." Kendra hedged, unsure. She didn't know what to make of this guy who seemed to step out of the latest cosmopolitan fashion show. His sleek attire was entirely modern and reeked of city-slicker. She couldn't help but feel inadequate in her honky denim and tank. Bianca would be all over this guy's fashion sense.

"Burgh, no. We need to stay here." Lenora growled. She wanted to go after the thieves as much as anyone but she had a responsibility to stay with the museum. There were people she needed to talk to; the police, the family of the hostages, including Davis and Mindi, make a statement for the mayor and eventually address the city.

"You think they will do anything? The local police don't want to get tangled up with murderers! When was the last time someone so much as stole let alone murdered in Nacrene City?" Burgh asked; his voice hot. "Where do you think they'll go?" He turned to Kendra again.

"The forest."

"Then let's go." He swiftly turned away and began walking out of the building with Kendra following. No one tried to stop the leader who explained he wasn't part of the investigation, just a bystander who was supposed to meet with Lenora for a dinner which had to be rescheduled.

Kendra had to lope beside the long-legged man next to her, trying to place him in her mind when it suddenly clicked. "You're the gym leader of Castelia."

Burgh smiled, pushing his unruly hair from his face. "Guilty, but right now we need to stay focused. What can you tell me about these people?"

Kendra quickly told him all she knew, leaving out a few minor details. She wasn't about to tell him her deepest, darkest, most secret thoughts about these people. He would think she was incredibly egotistical or just plain crazy.

"Why did you believe me back there?" Kendra finally asked.

"I recognized you from the paper. Your story made it all the way to Castelia when you helped Volta's granddaughter. There was a blip about the perpetrators. I knew you were telling the truth." He also had a hunch that he wasn't ready to share quite yet.

A chill ran down Kendra's spine when he mentioned the paper. It was how that weirdo had recognized her too. She wondered who else had taken notice of her and hoped it was no one sinister.

They began to make their way to the entrance of Pinwheel Forest and it was eerily silent. Trainers usually swarmed the place since it was a rich training ground, not to mention an excellent camping and fishing site. But there were no people and oddly enough no natural Pokémon sounds.

"The Pokémon are unusually quiet. Even the insects. We have to be careful, even though the forest is still there might be danger if the Pokémon are agitated." Burgh wished there were witnesses that they could talk to, maybe to reassure him that the brutes really had come this way. He believed Kendra, he just wished there was something more tangible to go on. No one in Nacrene knew exactly where the thieves went; which was strange. He turned to Kendra.

"There are two ways through Pinwheel forest: the main road and the detour. I will take the main road; I want you to take the detour." When Kendra made to protest at their splitting up he quieted her. "I don't think they would make the detour, it would be a good way to hide but if they wanted to make a speedy get away they won't be there. I don't want you to be in unnecessary danger. I'll take the main road and track them there."

Kendra huffed but agreed. At least she was helping instead of doing nothing back at the museum. She began to make her way into the forest, her nerves on edge.

"Kendra," Called Burgh.

"Yeah?"

"Keep your Pokémon close." He smiled easily, releasing his bug companion Leavanny. With that he began his trek into Pinwheel.

Kendra released Berrin. She wished she could use Eirene but her poor Pidove was exhausted from the gym battle and was in no condition to go on a man hunt. Epona was still recuperating from their battle with N. Enki was a crusty, muddy mess, leaving her Herdier the best choice and the dog was happy to be out of his Pokéball. He barked and licked his trainer's calves with excitement, but when he spied her serious expression he quickly mirrored her mood and together they began their trek into the forest.

The heavily wooded forest was filled with towering oaks and elms. Their branches reached up like hungry fingers toward the sky in their competition for sunlight, creating a dazzling pattern of speckled light and shadow upon the forest floor. Giant boulders nestled intimately between sylvan roots blanketed with moss. Since little sunlight filtered its way down to the forest floor there was no chance for underbrush to develop, leaving a swath of thick emerald grass that rose up to her knees once Kendra mad it off the beaten path. Berrin dove head first into the growth, quickly disappearing in the tall grass.

For nearly an hour Kendra and Berrin fought their way through the tall grass. The stemy stocks had wiggled their way in between the tongue of her shoes and her ankle. Various hitch-hiking seeds and burrs clung to her socks and scratched at her skin. Sweat beaded down her back so much that she could feel it slip its way down her denim shorts. A ring of sweat began to gather at the scoop neck of her tank. And her wispy pony tail, damp with sweat, stuck to her back which uncomfortably tickled her every now and then.

And she was miserable as she stomped through the forest. Summer was definitely on the way. It didn't help that there was no wind.

Berrin wasn't faring much better. His coat was quickly matted with grass and burrs but he soldiered on. He knew he was supposed to be looking for those people that they had encountered at Wellspring Cave. He meandered through the forest, often doubling back to catch the faint trail again. He had been worried that his trainer would be upset about their progress but Kendra had been nothing but encouraging, if a bit short from the increasing heat. It seemed like the trees formed a barrier, insulating the heat and allowing no breeze to filter through the forest.

Suddenly, Berrin perked up and let out a howl, shattering the silence of Pinwheel. He began bolting forward as he caught a strong scent trail.

Kendra snapped to follow, following Berrin's sporadic jumping through the foliage. In her spontaneous sprint her hat flew off her head.

"Berrin, wait!" Kendra gasped then saw what they had been after. A hint of white, a fleeing figure in the distance. A grunt!

They were on the right trail. But she was losing ground between herself, the grunt, and her Pokémon. Berrin took off and completely forgot about the trainer at his back, instead rushing ahead to the thrill of the chase and the success at having found his quarry.

"Berrin!" Kendra shouted, trying to rein in the dog, but to no avail. She suddenly found herself alone in the quiet wood with only the faint sounds of barking to guide her.

And then silence.

Kendra hunched over her knees to steady her breath, eyes wide when it settled on her that she was alone.

She looked about her at the trees and the uncharacteristic stillness that surrounded her. The sun had disappeared behind a swath of clouds, dimming the forest and muting the rich green tones that had surrounded her, casting a more baleful aura.

Turning in a 360 degree circle Kendra had lost sight of exactly where she had come and had no choice but to keep moving. Every step she took put her more and more on edge. Every twig snapped or cluster of dead leaves disturbed rang as loud of thunder to her ears, making her jump. She stopped in her tracks when her path was blocked by a fallen tree that had been a giant in its day. It was covered in moss and scaled with vibrant shelf mushrooms, providing no foot hold for her to climb over. Walking around the trunk she found that it had been hollowed and was wide enough for her to crawl through.

"You've got to be kidding…" She muttered to herself, noticing how dark and dank the crawl space seemed. But then she perked up when she saw that the cobwebs that had stretched like satin nets across the entrance had been torn to disrepair, meaning that perhaps Berrin and that grunt had passed through.

Getting on her hands and knees she began to crawl her way through the tunnel, trying not to cringe when she felt the dead leaves and other debris under her were damp and stinking from decomposition. It wasn't until she was safely on the other side that she realized she had been holding her breath. Slapping her hands together before clearing the muck from her knees, the young Hero continued.

The deeper she went into the forest the more frantic her racing thoughts became. She wanted more than anything to release one of her remaining Pokémon but she didn't want to give in to her selfish needs. N's face flashed through her mind. Her Pokémon were too injured to be lost with her. That didn't change the fact she didn't want to be alone.

"Berrin!" She shouted, keeping pace by moving what she hoped was forward and eventually out of the forest.

"Berrin!"

Nothing answered her. No Herdier. No grunt.

Silence.

"Berrin!" Kendra called again, trying to keep the panic from her voice. Why would he take off like that? Didn't he know that she needed him?

Behind her a fierce wind had swept forcefully through the forest, sending a torrent of leaves cascading down in a flurry, causing a limb to snap and fall almost on top of her.

Kendra screeched in fright and took off running. It was as though the forest was angry for breaking the silence. Legs burning, lungs screaming for air, and exhaustion taking root, she finally stopped running long enough to collapse. Holding back a sob, Kendra had to face the fact that she was alone and lost with her thoughts running away with her.

She didn't know whether to cry or to scream so she just concentrated on her breathing.

What are you doing, Kendra?! She thought to herself. She was such an idiot. Here she was lost. Looking for what? More trouble? That's all this was. What possessed her to sign herself up with searching for those grunts? What did she think she could do anyways? So what? After reading a few plaques from several different artifacts that somewhat confirmed what was happening to her and suddenly she was playing super hero? She was one trainer and a neophyte as that. The police should be handling this. Lenora and Burgh should be handling this. They were more experienced. They had more at stake. This was their cause.

Did she honestly think that these people knew what was happening to her? That they could be linked to her dreams or to the past? There was no way to know, not until she could confront one directly. That guy had to know something, the one with the silver hair.

"I am such an idiot!" She scolded herself. The reason she came on this wild goose chase was to find out more about herself, not to save anyone, not to retrieve the lost museum artifacts, not to save the stolen Pokémon, not to be a hero. It was all for herself. This entire thing was selfish on her part.

How awful she was.

A few tears began to make it past that tough exterior and she quickly wiped away any trace of evidence. Putting a stop on her whirling emotions, the young woman took deep breaths to steady herself. Even if she came out here on selfish reasons, if she ever did run into those grunts she would do anything in her power to help.

Another whisper of wind passed through the trees, like a sigh of the forest. It sent a chill down Kendra' spine, making her come out of her inner thoughts and take stock around her once more. It had been silly of her to get so freaked out by the wind. There was always an explanation for everything. Especially for those footsteps she was hearing in the distance.

"Berrin?" She called. Nothing answered.

Her voice was suddenly quiet. "Berrin?"

Something moved in the distance. On her knees, Kendra leaned forward to see who or what it was that was moving about in Pinwheel, a shaking hand over her belt where her Pokéballs were strapped. But what she encountered had her scrambling back.

A green antelope jumped gracefully into the little clearing, eyes wide and nose flared. Pale ghostly white blended effortlessly into all hues of viridian with splashes of rose, making the Pokémon seem as if it were a part of the forest. Amber eyes connected with sapphire as the creature lowered its head, brandishing the broad sweep of its blunted horns. Iron hooves pawed the earth as the creature pushed breath past its nose, making a menacing snorting sound.

Kendra remained still. Though she had never seen anything like it before she recognized the creature for what it was. It was Virizion, part of a legendary trio that protected different bastions of Pokémon and above all this legendary abhorred people. It had its own section in Kendra's book that she carried around with her, and every now and then you would hear of an attack on humans in the news. Virizion was a protector of the forest and the ever present enforcer of fair treatment to the forest. It was why it hadn't been cut down or cut back; Virizion wouldn't allow it.

The antelope pranced a bit, reared, pawed the earth and sky in its expression of frustration and contained fury. In a show of force the creature used the leading edge of its horns to slice a low hanging limb from a tree, proving that they were like sharpened blades and that it was the master of the trees.

Kendra watched, transfixed, as each step the Pokémon took new growth of vegetation sprouted from beneath its hooves. Blades of grass shot up like towers, delicate ferns uncurled, clover burst forth and flowers quickly blossomed and bloomed. But just as quickly as the vibrant life and color would turn a sickly yellow before shrinking into inert browns and grays, becoming dead and lifeless.

Virizion faced the trainer and stared the human down. Too many humans had come into her forest and violated her safe haven. They had no respect for the trees or the Pokémon who resided here. They had rampaged through. Nothing was sacred. Virizion had done all that she could to alert the native Pokémon of the forest to go into hiding until she called that it was safe. Furious to find another human trekking through her domain, the Virizion had called a gale force wind to terrorize the girl. But now that she got a closer look she understood that this human was innately different. The scent of dragon reeked from her which could only mean that she had been personally chosen. Before her was a Hero and these types of humans were not to be touched lest she incur the wrath of her dragon.

But that didn't mean she had to be entirely happy about it.

Human… She called to it. Follow me…

Kendra watched as the creature nodded its head before walking back into the forest. When it got a few feet away it stopped and looked back at her, waiting. When she made no sign of following, the antelope vaulted back into the clearing and circled around the trainer. Warily, Kendra go to her feet. As soon as she did the Virizion began to step nervously away before blending back into the forest. Again she stopped and waited to see if the trainer was following.

"Okay…" Kendra whispered to herself, scared beyond belief. She knew that this creature was known for its violence and she was completely baffled that it wasn't attacking her. It obviously wanted her to follow it. Although she was hesitant, she began to slowly follow the legendary protector.

This is too surreal… Kendra thought to herself. How many people actually saw a legendary, let alone one that was known to openly attack people? Fear and uncertainty made her footing waver as she followed Virizion who always remained just out of reach but well within sight. They traveled like this for a while. The forest surrounding them took on a more comforting tone now that Virizion was near. The grass, limbs, and trees seemed to part before them as they traveled and the time seemed to pass quickly even though Virizion was weaving just as much as Berrin had before.

Virizion's pace suddenly slowed as the creature became more cautious. Her already soft footsteps turned silent as she passed as a ghost through some low hanging limbs then stopped. She gracefully turned her head and nodded to the trainer to come near. Carefully, Kendra stepped as quietly as possible to sit at a distance next to Virizion, but she couldn't hold back her gasp.

Before them was a clearing where four grunts were rifling through a bag that was filled with stolen Pokéballs. Activating each ball, they placed the larger sphere into what looked like a jerry-rigged gun that was riddled with exposed wires and copper plating. The device had two arms with curved pads to cradle the Pokéball securely in its clutches. A grunt secured a latch by pushing a lever forward, surrounding the ball with pale blue glass. A switch turned the device on while a trigger activated it. A charge sounded as if it were building before a glare of light erupted from the machine.

Kendra shielded her eyes from the initial flash, blinking rapidly to clear the sun spots that superimposed over her vision. If she hadn't have watched it with her very own eyes she would never have believed it. The Pokéball was broken and the Pokémon inside was released, wild, as if it had never been caught.

"How many do you have left?" Asked a grunt.

"Not many, we're almost done here." Said the one holding the gun.

"I didn't think this thing would really work."

"It's just the prototype. Pretty soon they'll be handed out to the Team in mass, and then we can take the Liberation Movement to the next level. Wait until the Sages hear about the success of this field trial."

Another Pokéball was loaded, a charge was built, and then another Pokémon was forcibly released into the wild.

Kendra felt like her heart had plunged to the pit of her stomach. How in the hell were they doing this? Pokéballs were programmed in such a way so that only the trainer was allowed to make the decision to release a Pokémon. If Team Plasma had the power to take your Pokémon away… Kendra didn't want to finish the thought.

She looked forlornly up at Virizion next to her. The sage creature stared menacingly at the group, not altogether pleased with that they were witnessing. The legendary stood for the abused, beaten, and abandoned, but completely understood a Pokémon's choice of bonding with a trainer. This forced separation was almost unbearable to endure. The Pokémon that emerged from their Pokéballs were dazed and confused, others seemed absolutely lost and were forcibly chased away by the grunts who declared them "free".

But what Virizion saw was abandonment.

It made Kendra sick to see what was happening and all the more worried for Berrin. He was still out there in the forest somewhere… He was her only usable Pokémon at the moment; she was helpless to do anything to stop these thugs. As long as that silver haired man wasn't among them, she was chomping at the bit to stop them but helpless to do anything.

Something cold and wet pressed against her calf.

"Berrin!" Kendra whispered, rubbing the dog behind the ears. The dog licked her forearm in greeting but remained silent, aware that he was in some trouble. When he figured out that his trainer had lost him he back tracked, having lost the grunt in question. He had been found by the guardian of the forest who told him to wait here for her return.

The last Pokéball had been forcibly broken and the creature run off before the four grunts began to pack up.

"We're late; we need to regroup with the rest of the gang."

"Novus gonna be there?"

"No," Said a relieved grunt, "I've had enough of him for a lifetime. But the others will need help with the skull."

The four grunts began to retreat further into the forest.

Kendra stepped out into the clearing that was now desolate and littered with shelled and broken Pokéballs. Bending over, she picked up each one and put it in her bag as evidence of what she saw. Virizion remained watchful in the shadows, still as a statue but tempered. Carefully the legendary stepped into the clearing, giving the trainer a wide girth, and began to follow the grunts out of the forest, pausing to see if Kendra was following.

In little time the trees began to thin and the forest seemed to ebb in its presence and power. The Virizion drew up short of the edge of the forest. Through the foliage Kendra could see the makings of a path; the quick main road of Pinwheel was within reach.

Ecstatic, Kendra was about to break recklessly through the brush when she curbed the urge and turned toward the legendary guardian. The mossy antelope tilted its head to the side in mild curiosity before, on a slightly bended knee, the protector dipped its head in a bow. Kendra immediately mimicked the action, bowing deeply in respect to the legendary.

"Thank you for helping me." She breathed, but when all she heard was silence she looked up and found the forest empty. All that was left behind was a single vibrant pink bloom of a Gracidea flower.

Burgh gritted his teeth as he stared down two grunts. They were trying to escape using the main road but the gym leader had headed them off. The cumbersome size and weight of the dragon skull had impeded their progress but it was now two against one. Leavanny had blocked the path with an unrelenting String Shot, creating a sticky web across the road that stretched between the trees. In doing so the pair was now wedged between it and the offensive grunts.

"You think you're going to stop us?" Barked a grunt. He set down his skeletal prize and retrieved a Pokéball from his belt. The bait was working beautifully.

"I know I am. You're not going to get away with this." Burgh declared. Leavanny growled as she buzzed her protective leaf shields together, creating a low whirring sound.

At hearing that the grunt let out a bellowing laugh. The other soon joined.

"Just what is so funny?"

"To think that you even know what we're trying to do—it's just so amusing. You really have no idea what's really going on do you?" The grunt called forth his Timburr.

"You're trying to steal a valuable artifact." Burgh stated, tensing. This wasn't exactly what he expected when he was preparing for a showdown with the thieves.

The grunt guffawed. "This useless thing?" To add emphasis he gave it a swift kick with his steel toed boot. "It's completely worthless."

His eyes bugged when he saw a crack had webbed its way over the dome of the skull. Lenora would be livid. A vein in Burgh's temple began to pulse as his mind raced. "Then why go through the trouble to steal it?" He asked, trying to filter more information out of the man.

"It's all for the bigger picture." He simply stated.

The grunt next to him tossed out his own Pokémon. The Watchog hissed as it bore it fangs.

Leavanny crisscrossed her bladed arms in anticipation. Beside her Dwebble was summoned from his Pokéball to join as her team mate for the double battle.

The battle that ensued was one sided. It was clear that Burgh possessed superior battle technique, yet the grunts weren't trying to beat him in battle. Time and time again the Timburr would tear down a limb from the surrounding trees and fling the heavy branches at the String Shot barrier that Leavanny had erected. The limbs stuck to the sticky silk like Velcro causing the mesh to sag dangerously from the weight. Timburr tossed another thick limb at the barricade while Watchog was busy distracting Burgh's team.

The strain was too much for the silk and the structure's integrity began to erode as strand by strand the web stretched beyond its limits and began to tear.

"Just give it up." The grunt sneered as his Timburr landed a Rock Throw on the insect Pokémon. "You're out numbered."

"What are you talking about?" Burgh growled. But his question was answered when four more grunts came crawling out of the woods. A pressure built up in the metropolitan as he felt his heart lurch in his chest. He had sent Kendra into a den of wolves if four grunts made their way out of the woods and the girl was nowhere in sight. And he wasn't exactly packing his full Pokémon team to begin with. All he had were the two that were out; the rest had stayed back at his greenhouse back in the gym. How was he supposed to know the future would be so unpredictable?

"Shit…" He cursed vehemently as the incoming grunts began to release some of their Pokémon, turning it into six on two battle and the odds were not in his favor. He had been looking for trouble and he found it.

"Burgh!" A feminine shout reached his ears as a snarling Herdier erupted from the shadows of the forest, sinking his teeth into the leg of a Patrat.

Relief flooded through Burgh's body as a disgruntled looking Kendra stumbled out after her dog. Leaves, sticker burrs, dirt and grass clung to her; her lungs were burning and gasping for air as she sprinted toward the sound of Burgh's voice. Without her hat the sweat that rolled down her brow began to sting her eyes but that didn't stop them from brightening when she finally made her way out of the forest.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" She asked ruefully as she joined his side.

Burgh smiled deprecatingly. "I'm glad you're here." The odds were still unfavorable but Berrin helped even the odds as he quickly dispatched the Patrat.

Hackles raised, the dog quickly worked symbiotically with the gym leader's Pokémon but the fight was tough and as soon as one of the grunt's Pokémon were defeated another eventually took its place.

"Do you have anyone else in your team?" Burgh asked as he struggled to direct both his Dwebble and Leavanny who began to show signs of exhaustion.

"No time for the PokéCenter," Kendra gasped as she tried to concentrate on the battle at hand. It wasn't easy to multitask. The entire battle was becoming stand-offish as each side tried to predict the other's next attacks.

The adversaries stared each other down as there was a momentary lapse in action. In that moment the forest began to come alive as a violent wind tore through the trees carrying an ominous cry of fury.

"What is that?" Burgh yelled over the howling wind as grit and foliage race about him.

Kendra didn't answer. She wasn't about to let more grime fly into her mouth but she knew the culprit behind the gust: Virizion must be nearby and pissed.

A high whistle resounded on the wind, catching the grunts' attention.

"Just what in the hell are you doing? You had your orders!" Called an authoritative voice. The grunts swiveled their heads to face the source: a distinguished graying man with a trimmed mustache wrapped in a rich and luxurious ocean blue robe that shimmered with embroidered gold. He was tall and proud and carried himself with all the gentility of a noble aristocrat.

"My lord Sage." The grunts gave a little half bow out of respect to the elder. They recalled their Pokémon and gathered before the man.

"You aren't leaving with that skull!" Burgh roared over the gusting wind.

The man merely peered at the pair and scoffed. "Burgh, of the Castelia City gym." He nodded as the wind began to die down. "Even though you are a gym leader, we will not tolerate any further obstruction from you or that obstinate wench Lenora. You're foolish to think you can stop this," He spread his arms wide, revealing an intricate Team Plasma crest. "The skull, like its owner, is useless."

"Then why steal it?" Burgh insisted, baffled. Why rob the museum? Why end people's lives? Why steal something that they think is worthless? The questions bombarded the leader. The stranger's answers only posed more questions.

The man pulled out a Pokéball. "Three words, Mr. Burgh: Know thy enemy." The ball snapped open in a burst of light as a Cofagrigus emerged with a ghoulish laugh. "Shadow Ball."

With swift vengeance, the ghost Pokémon let loose a powerful blast of malignant energy, shredding and ripping apart Leavanny's barricade as if it were wet paper. A second wave sounded off as another peal of dark energy nearly eviscerated the bug Pokémon.

"Leavanny!" Burgh rushed to his Pokémon's side, gathering up the delicate insect in his arms.

"You're supposed to be icons for Pokémon freedom yet you all have them. You're nothing but lying hypocrites!" Kendra spat as she stood in front of the gym leader with Berrin standing guard bravely by her side.

And for the first time the elder gentleman seemed to finally take notice of Burgh's companion. "We must do what we must to ensure our dream becomes reality. The liberation of Pokémon is our ultimate goal and nothing will stand in the way of that. Make no mistake about that." He answered her.

The response made Kendra recall N who had said nearly the exact same thing.

Everything is connected… The little Cheren in the back of her mind began chanting.

"Cofagrigus, Night Shade!" He commanded.

The world around Kendra turned black with inky nightmares. For the briefest of moments she stared into that abyss that separated reality from the absurdity of dreaming nightmares and saw two red eyes staring back from the face of a giant. She let out a little cry of alarm before the world righted itself and the light of day came streaming down. She blinked around her, confused.

"The Night Shade wore off and they disappeared." Burgh said quietly. He had recalled his Pokemon into their Pokeballs. There was a real need to get to the PokéCenter as soon as possible. In frustration he kicked a clod of dirt, marring his leather shoes.

Berrin licked Kendra's leg in sympathy.

"Dammit!" Burgh cursed, his limbs trembling. "I was so close."

"What do you mean? We got Lenora's fossil back, that's what's important."

"I don't think that was their main objective at all." Burgh mused, an angry frown etched upon his mouth.

Kendra had to agree.

"None of this was coincidence. They wanted us to catch them, to take back the skull, only it didn't work out exactly as planned… The bigger picture of what? What did he mean? Know your enemies…" Who the hell was he?

Kendra had to stop the chill that ran down her spine as she listened to Burgh talk it out and try to work out the problem in his mind. She was really getting tired of hearing people say that. Coincidence. They didn't have any more clues than what they had. It seemed like they were trying to solve something big but they were looking at it too closely. If only they could get an aerial view of the situation, then they could make better judgments. But there was nothing Burgh, Lenora, or even Kendra herself could do at this moment.

Another piece to the puzzle was added today. Who was that older man?

"You've seen them before, haven't you?" Kendra suddenly asked.

Burgh stopped in his tracks. His silence was damning.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't completely sure if these people here were connected to what's happening back in Castelia. I'm still not sure."

She didn't know if she completely bought it. "What's happening in Castelia?"

"There has been a crime wave. People's Pokémon have been stolen all throughout the city yet no one knows who exactly is behind it. It's all tied to the Pokémon Liberation Movement but the organization has yet to claim responsibility for the theft." He as gym leader had a responsibility to his city; the residents depended on him to set an example and to protect them. And he was doing terribly. He had inherited a heavy burden when he was given the mantle of Castelia City gym leader.

Kendra had no doubt that Team Plasma was behind it all, but she didn't have the proof, just the conviction in her heart.

"Whatever happened here was no ordinary theft. We better go back to Nacrene and return this. I have a feeling that we're going to be in some trouble with the police." Said Burgh as he hefted the dragon skull in his arms. "I'm glad you made it out of the forest. You were okay, right?" He asked as they began to walk back towards the museum.

Kendra threw a look behind her and saw the barest silhouette of Virizion disappearing into the forest. She smiled. "I had something looking out for me." She told Burgh. "And I saw something terrible."

Okay… Phew. This chapter is long because a lot had to happen and I didn't want to break up the flow of the chapter so sorry for the length but at the same time enjoy the update!

Swift Swanna- You knocked me over with your review! I'm so glad that you appreciate all the detail I try to add to the atmosphere of this story. I want to make a world that you can sink your teeth into, and I'm glad you love what you're reading. It keeps me going. Your responses inspire me to try harder and make it better. I hoped you liked the action in this update, can't wait to hear your thoughts. Thank you for your review! It's always a joy!

Anon- I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I look forward to hear more of your thoughts!

More updates to come.

Please remember to read & review! I really appreciate the thoughts and feedback.

BVR