"Welcome! The director of the Nacrene Museum and the Nacrene Gym's Leader is me! Lenora!"

One look at her was nothing Hilda had expected, when she first heard that this Hawes man was her husband, she almost expected Lenora to be some nerdy scientist looking woman who would view her as an object waiting to be studied. Lenora was nothing like this.

She greeted Hilda sunnily and energetic, "Welcome! The director of the Nacrene Museum and the Nacrene Gym's Leader is me! Lenora!"

"Hi, I'm Hilda, I met your husband Lenora, I would like to challenge you to a battle!"

Lenora chuckled, "Let me guess, did he show you around our little museum?"

"He sure did!" Hilda answered, "I think I could've found my way around on my own though."

"Well then, Hilda, I'm going to research how you battle with the Pokémon you've so lovingly raised! We'll each use two Pokémon. Good for you?"

"That's fine with me ma'am."

"All right then! Let's get this started!"

Before they could begin the battle, Hawes flung the door open and came rushing, "Deeear! Dear! Come quickly! Team Plasma is threatening to steal some bones!"

Both she and Lenora were astounded, "What!?" the two blurted out simultaneously.

"Oh no they are NOT!" Lenora galloped out of the room faster than a stampeding Rapidash. Hilda followed quickly behind. As she rushed through the library a question came to Hilda's mind, what in the world would Team Plasma be stealing bones for?

Low and behold, the main room was completely taken over by these look-alike thieves. Everywhere they looked there was a Team Plasma grunt.

"Look who's here everyone!" The grunt standing directly under the skeleton announces, "It's the gym leader!" All of the Plasma grunts gave Lenora their mocking attention, clearly pleased that they had an outnumbered power over the gym leader.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Lenora fiercely questioned.

"We, Team Plasma, claim this museum's dragon skull in the name of Pokémon liberation!"

Hilda rolled her eyes, "Here we go again with the Pokémon liberation garbage."

"Silence! To show you we're serious, we'll steal it right before your eyes!" He held up a spherical object, "Behold our smoke screen!"

"Plasmaaa!" The various grunts repeated around the room, "Plasmaaa!"

Hilda began to argue, "First of all what would stealing bones have anything to do with-?"

The lead grunt plowed the round item into the ground, with others around him doing the same, suffocating smoke bellowed the room rapidly.

Hilda coughed, "What the hell!?" she managed to choke out. The smoke was so thick; she could barely see her own hand in front of her face. The smolder was irritating her eyes so bad they watered.

Several seconds passed, just in time before Hilda felt she was about to pass out, the smoke began to slowly clear. Museum employees managed to get doors and windows open, allowing the smoke to vent.

The head of the dragon was gone leaving behind a thin layer of smoke in the museum, and Lenora was furious.

"They're not getting away with this!" She stampeded out of the building prepared to beat these robbers senseless.

"This is not good…" Hawes dreaded, "We've got to go after them!"

Hilda ran out the museum hoping to catch up with Lenora. She didn't go very far. She was standing outside looking in all different directions.

"Lenora! Which way did they go?"

"I wish I could tell you! But they vanished! What is going on?"

To make things more hectic a crowd had appeared, most likely due to curiosity as to why smoke was emitting out of the museum all of a sudden.

A tall, skinny man with a headful of wavy hair pushed his way through the crowd, "Lenora! Is everything okay?"

She replied cheeringly, "Hello there Burgh! I didn't expect to see you here. Is it artist's block again?"

"Not exactly, but that's not important right now. What happened here? What's with all the smoke?"

"I'll tell you exactly what's going on! A group of no-good robbers just helped themselves to an exhibit!"

The artist was astounded, "What!? You're kidding!"

"I kid you not! This young lady's a witness! But we don't know which way they went!

Hilda was still baffled herself, "It's crazy, it's like they disappeared!"

"Hilda!" She faced the crowd hearing a familiar voice call her name, spotting Bianca nudging her way through the crowd, "There you are I've been looking for you! What's everyone doing here? What happened in there?"

"Bianca! You have to hear this!"

"Hold on a sec! Come on Cheren!"

Cheren stepped out of the mass of people, "Hello Hilda, nice to see you." He put his attention on the smoke billowing gym, "Is there some kind of problem?"

Lenora approached the teenagers, "Who are they?"

"Lenora, these are my friends. Bianca and Cheren, they're trainers too."

"Oh really? Well in that case their timing couldn't have been better. We could use some extra hands! Let's split up and search! Cheren and Bianca, I want you two to stay here at the museum. Burgh and Hilda, you two search Pinwheel Forest! Burgh you can show Hilda the way! I'm counting on you everyone!" With that she sprinted off into the city.

Hilda looked back at Burgh, who was nodding, "Okay then, your name is Hilda right?"

She nodded.

"Are you ready to go round up some robbers?"

"Let me tell my friends what's going on first." Hilda mentioned.

"All right then, I'll be waiting at Pinwheel Forest's entrance. Be quick now!" He left.

Cheren asked, "What happened Hilda?"

"Team Plasma is causing trouble again!" She broke the news.

"Oh no, not them again!" Bianca remarked.

"I'm afraid so Bianca." Hilda confirmed, "They stole a museum exhibit, and we lost them. We need you two to be on the lookout in case they decide to come back."

Bianca was raring to go, "Okay! We'll do it!"

"Thanks guys! We're counting on you now!" Hilda took off to catch up with Burgh.

"Be careful Hilda!" Cheren called out.

Looking off into the distance from the top of a small hill, Hilda gazed upon a sea of fresh green trees. She recklessly dashed down the hill running for the forest hoping to catch up with Burgh. She figured the thieves would most likely head into the forest, because it's easy to hide in a forest.

"I hope we can catch them before they go too far…" She prayed.

She arrived where Burgh was waiting for her at the entrance, "They were here, they left some tracks behind." He directed at the dirt.

This is exactly what Hilda was afraid of, "Great, how are we going to catch these guys in a forest?"

"Hopefully, they didn't get too far. We could have some trouble if they scuttle into the forest."

Even though it was the broad daylight the forest was dimmed with rays of sun peering between the leaves. What Hilda first noticed is that there were two paths, a gravel road that leads straight out, and a path that proceeds into the woods.

"So what's the plan?" She asked.

"I will take the straight road after them. If they're not there at least I'll be blocking the exit. Hilda, I would like you to check into the wooded path, they must be hiding in there somewhere."

"All right then, Sounds exciting." Hilda nodded. She did have a reputation at home for always being ready for adventure. Now it's being brought into the limelight.

"It's a single path Hilda, I'm sure you won't get lost. We have to do this for Lenora!" He hurried off to watch the exit.

Without knowing what was waiting for her she ran into the brush. Even with an exploratory bone in her body, the forest was not a desirable place to be searching for snatchers. Who knows how far they could've gotten?

A voice boomed from the thicket, "Well, well, well… look who's here!"

A Team Plasma man appeared from the trees and bushes, "What is with a brat like you always showing up at the worst time!"

Hilda realized that this was the same Plasma that stole that little girl's Pokémon before, "Oh great it's you… Where's the skull?"

"I don't have anything! You're going to have to find my subordinates!" He smiled a snarky smile, "But good luck finding them in this forest."

Hilda was done with wasting her time with this moron. She ran down the path.

"Give it up already!" He shouted after her, "You're nothing but a kid on an ego trip!"

She pretended she didn't hear him and continued hurrying, snapping sticks, rustling plants, and rounding bends.

Eventually she came across another Team Plasma member. Who turned around and blocked Hilda's path upon seeing her, "My, my, aren't you looking for something?"

"I'm looking for the exhibit that you guys stole!" Hilda angrily demanded, "Where is it?"

"Sorry dear! I'm empty-handed! Do I look like the kind of girl to carry a heavy load?"

Attitude was never anything Hilda took calmly.

"Well how am I supposed to know that?" Hilda snapped, "You guys are so identical I can never tell who's who."

The angry woman bit back, "You know what? I think you're only sabotaging us because you're flat out jealous of our cool outfits!"

Hilda rolled her eyes and walked past her, "Yeah about that, I was about to ask you if the clown you stole it from was still hunting you down. Have you people ever heard of something called individuality?"

"Bleh! I hope our boss wipes you out!" She dissed Hilda as she went around the curve.

"I hope you find better taste in clothes!" Hilda yelled back. She rolled her eyes, "Sheesh… what a pain…"

Hilda was never the girlish type who worried about clothes and stuff like that, but she could not fathom why they would wear stupid looking uniforms like that!

She moved deeper into the woods, the sky becoming less visible as she went on, "I hope I can find this skull before it gets too dark…"

The shores of Undella Town were a lot brighter than he remembered them. Nonetheless, Iris dropped her load onto the white sand before running into the Pokémon Center.

Meaning Hilbert was left to set up the spot, "The least she could've done was help before going to change into her bathing suit."

He sighed and got their beach stuff unpacked. Coincidentally, almost too much so, Iris had come back out wearing her swimsuit.

"You know…" Hilbert stated, "You could've at least helped a little."

Iris giggled, "I know you can handle yourself!" She decided to change the subject, "So Hilbert, how is your sister doing?"

Hilbert had completely spaced out his younger sister's planned adventure until then, "Oh that's right. Hilda started her own Pokémon journey didn't she?"

"So? How is she doing? How many Pokémon has she caught? Is she going to collect gym badges?"

This was embarrassing for Hilbert to admit, but he had no idea what Hilda was planning on doing. He hadn't spoken to her for some time, but he did hear via an e-mail from their mother that she had embarked on a Pokémon voyage.

Iris had read his mind, "You don't know?"

"I… hadn't talked to her in a long time Iris." Hilbert awkwardly confessed.

"You need to find her somehow! Or communicate! I want to know what she plans to do!"

"Well if she's traveling around." Hilbert quoted, "I'm sure we'll run into her eventually."

Hilda followed the path to a wood log leading on top of a ledge, she crawled into the log hoping it wouldn't tumble to her weight. She scooted down another log leading down into an open field.

She noticed a small ledge leading back to the pavement that she saw on the straightforward route. But no other path.

"Is this the end of the line?" Hilda asked aloud to herself.

"I'm afraid so girl." Came an unexpected answer.

Hilda was face to face with another Team Plasma, "You! What do you think you're doing!?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that question, how can a kid like you beat some of us!?"

"Beat some of you? All I did was ask them if they had anything, they didn't so I just moved on!"

The Plasma man shrugged, "I guess they thought you weren't really going to chase after me. Heh, that can't be helped, but… I'll take you on right now!"

"That's fine with me!" Hilda declared, "Tepig let's go!" sending in her Tepig.

"Tepig!"

"This shouldn't be a problem." He taunted, "Sandile go!"

The sand croc snapped its jaw, raring to go!

"Tepig! Use tackle!"

Tepig charged.

"Sandile! Use bite!"

Sandile lept forward, catching Tepig in its jaws.

"Tepig!" The pig cried out.

"Tepig shake it off with Flame Charge!"

Tepig's body engulfed in flames, burning the mouth of the Sandile. It threw Tepig out of pain.

"Sandile! Use sand tomb!"

Sandile summoned a mound of sand all around Tepig, trapping the fire pig in a sandy typhoon.

"Tepig no!"

With Tepig trapped Hilda was unable to return him, to make matters worse a ground type is strong against fire type.

Hilda's mind ran for options, but she didn't have much. Except one thing came to mind…

"Tepig flame charge!" It was a risk, but one worth taking.

Tepig tried hard to engulf itself in flames, but the sand was keeping it down.

The Team Plasma man laughed, "Forget it girl, your Tepig is doomed. As well as the rest of your Pokémon. Once I defeat you and your pathetic team they'll all become property of Team-!"

He didn't get a chance to finish, he stopped upon feeling the heat of Tepig's full blown flame charge dissipating the sand box. And that Tepig was no longer Tepig! He had evolved into Pignite!

"What the heck!? How is that possible!?"

Hilda herself was amazed, she checked out her Pokedex,

Pignite, The Fire Pig Pokemon. Whatever it eats becomes fuel for the flame in its stomach. When it is angered, the intensity of the flame increases.

She applauded her newly evolved Pokemon, "Because I believed in him! Now Pignite! Flame charge full power!"

Pignite sprinted to Sandile and smashed into the sand croc head on, sending it flying back far and losing all HP.

"No way!" Team Plasma was shocked.

Pignite ran into Hilda's arms, "Great work!" Hilda congratulated him.

"Plasmaaaa! If this keeps up we won't save the Pokémon!"

"What is your problem?" Hilda frustratingly interrogated, "People and Pokemon are happy together! The only saving they need is from you guys!"

He paused, glaring at Hilda before saying, "Fine! Take the stupid skull!" He hauled the large bone at her, "So the dream our king had… the dream we had… won't come true…"

"You guys have a king!?" Hilda was stunned, "Who is he?"

Before the Plasma subordinate could answer, a robed man with a tall hat appeared and questioned the Team Plasma member, "How are you holding up, fellow subject of our king?"

"Gorm of the Seven Sages!" He greeted before groaning, "Sir, I'm mortified, and unhappy to report, that the skull we went through so much to obtain was stolen from us so easily."

Gorm shook his head, "It's not important. We can afford to abandon the Dragon Skull. According to the results of our research, this is not the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated."

"So that's what they wanted the skull for…" Hilda thought.

Gorm then turned his attention to Hilda, "However… we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it. We will fix it so you never interfere with us again."

Burgh suddenly showed up, "Oh sweet! The bug Pokémon were getting worked up! So I came here. What do I spy with my little eye? This important-looking guy!"

Hilda hoped he was referring to the man in the robes, and not the loser he's in charge of.

"Are you here to help your friends? Whom I defeated?" Burgh proudly declared.

"Hilda! Burgh!" Lenora caught up with the group, "The others didn't have anything… Who is this guy supposed to be? Are you the big boss?" she asked Gorm.

"I am one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma." Gorm formally introduced, "Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokémon with words alone! The remainder of the Seven Sages have ordered their compatriots to take Pokémon with full force! But the odds are a little against us now. To you, the Bug Pokémon user Burgh and the Normal Pokémon user Lenora, I say... Know your enemies, know yourself, and know you need not fear the result of a hundred battles... This time, we shall retreat quietly. To secure the liberation of Pokémon we will steal from Trainers! Even though you are Gym Leaders, we will not tolerate any further obstruction from you. In any case, we will settle this someday."

Hilda, Burgh, and Lenora had a feeling of unease.

"I hope you are looking forward to that time as much as I..." They left leaving the three with those words.

"They sure are a speedy bunch…" Lenora broke the silence, "So Burgh what are you going to do? Are you chasing after them?"

Burgh thought for a moment, "Hmm… Well we got the stolen skull back. If we corner them, there's no telling what they might do. So I think I'll head back."

He turned to Hilda, "I'll be looking forward to your Challenge at the Castelia City gym!" Before leaving.

Lenora smiled, "My theory about you was correct. You're more than just talented... You're motivated! I salute you!"

"Thanks! Now how about we get back to our battle at the gym?"

To her surprise, Lenora replied, "That won't be needed Hilda."

"What do you mean?"

"You're fighting style is so enchanting. It is charming. Even though you didn't defeat me in battle, You have undoubtedly proven yourself a Pokémon Trainer worthy of receiving this Basic Badge!" She handed Hilda the badge.

She was surprised; it was out of tradition for a trainer to receive a badge without defeating the leader first. But looking at Lenora's face she could tell the older woman was serious.

"After all." Lenora continued, "Not anyone would go up against a criminal gang. Let alone beat them."

With further consideration to herself, Hilda accepted the Basic Badge, "Thank you, My next step would be to challenge Burgh!"

"Go for it!" Lenora encouraged, "Before you leave I have some advice that might be helpful for your adventure."

Hilda listened.

"Some problems you can't solve even if you think about them your whole life. Some problems have different answers depending on the person."

"So what can I do?" Hilda asked.

"Follow your heart, and hope things turn out for the better. Take care of yourself! Good luck on your journey!"

"I will! You have my thanks Lenora!"

After waving bye to Lenora, Our young heroine set out for Castelia City. Where her next gym challenge awaits! Hopefully without interruption.