A/N: Hey guys! See, I told you updates would be faster now.

I wanted to get this done today since it's my 17th birthday. Hurr, I'm so old now…

Oh dude, I'm 17 now! What the hell?

So this chapter is kinda like a…you know, those gifts people give to others on their birthday as a way to show people they appreciate them? Yeah. Those. XD

Anyways, enjoy this chapter! It's a bit longer this time.

Chapter 10: Mistakes

September 26, 2010

The police car zoomed down the dirt road, carrying two new prisoners back to Striaton City. Sandra and Seth stayed silent, making no attempt to resist against the handcuffs that were bound around their wrists. Every so often, they gazed out of the tinted windows of the car, watching the blur of the passing countryside.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt and the driver swore. "What the hell?" The policeman stuck his head out of the window to get a better look at the man that was blocking his path. The man in question had a black mask over his mouth and was dressed in a black, sleeveless full-bodysuit, tied off with a white sash at the waist, much like the garbs of a ninja. A black headband was visible underneath his shock of pure white hair. Green eyes peered out from the hair.

The policeman rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Kids and their crazy-ass fashion these days…" Raising his voice, he called out to the mysterious stranger, "Oi kid! You shouldn't stand in the middle of the road like that. Please step asi-"

He was suddenly cut off by a second stranger, nearly identical in appearance to the other. Having been knocked unconsciousness by the newcomer, the policeman slumped down into the seat of his car. The side door of the patrol car flung open, letting in the bright sunlight into the prisoner's hold. A third identical man stood outside, his blue eyes glaring frostily at the captured Team Plasma grunts.

"Sandra, Seth. Master Ghetsis is not pleased with your actions these past few days. You are bringing disgrace to Team Plasma," he reproved, his voice slightly muffled by his mask.

Sandra was already stepping out of the car, muttering, "Yeah yeah, whatever." She stared at the three men. "Thanks for the save. I wasn't actually expecting the Shadow Triad to save us after our slip up."

One of Triad quipped, "Don't expect it again. Now come, we are returning to Master Ghetsis. He would like to speak to you both." He turned the full intensity of his red eyes onto them.

Seth flinched. He knew that they were in for quite the punishment after the stunts they pulled. He glanced at Sandra, whose lips were curled in annoyance. "Well, at least remove these handcuffs before we go," she demanded.

The Triad ignored her, one of the men grabbing her arm and disappearing in an instant. Seth sighed. He was not looking forward to Ghetsis's tirade. He felt a tight grip on his arm and in an instant, the countryside blurred out of his view.

The remaining Triad member glanced around the area to search for spies before disappearing himself, leaving the unconscious policemen in his car at the side of the road.

"You guys are back!" Touko's enthusiastically cried out as her friends stepped back into the destroyed schoolhouse.

Cheren breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his friend awake and jubilant. His guilt would have started to seep away if not for the fact that he felt remnants of Touya's icy glare on his back.

Belle ran over to Touko, throwing her arms around her friend. "Oh thank goodness you're awake Touko!" she cried, "I was so worried! Oh!" She released Touko to dig through her purse, retrieving a single Pokeball and handing it to the surprised girl. "I got Sir Wotterlot back! The Team Plasma meanies stole him, but we chased them down and got our Pokemon back! They got arrested Touko!" Belle whispered the word "arrested" as if it was some huge naughty secret.

With wide eyes, Touko babbled, "Wait what? What exactly happened while I was out?" She searched Cheren and Touya's eyes for an answer.

Cheren sighed, recounting the events of the past hours to Touko. The female twin listened intently, disappointed that she had missed out on so much action. She turned her attention to Touya, grinning, "A Roggenrola. And a Blitzle huh?"

The two twins shared a knowing glance and Touko could have sworn that she saw a genuine smile tweak at the corners of Touya's mouth. She was about to tease him more when Mary burst out, "Wait, you caught Oz?"

Sounds of shock and protest rang through the room and Maria tried to calm the children. Touya's eyebrows furrowed slightly and a flash of guilt flitted through his eyes. Knowing that Touya would not speak out in defense of himself, Cheren obliged for him.

"Now kids, I know you're upset, but Touya was doing that for the good of Oz. You see, Oz was terribly hurt by those meanies just now," he explained, sugar-coating his voice. "Touya saved him and Oz agreed to let Touya capture him. I'm sure Touya will take good care of your friend. We will visit you all a lot, ok?" he smiled at the children's sad faces.

Slowly, Mary responded, "I…I guess…if Oz is safe…" She trailed off, looking down at the ground.

Travis puffed out his chest, "We still have my Patrat! Someday, he will be as big as Oz is!"

"Big bwother Touya ish sho nice!" Jen chirped, with a nod of agreement Liam.

"Mark is glad Oz has someone nice taking care of him now!"

A look of authentic surprise lighted up Touya's face and he found himself unable to form coherent sentences. Touko giggled, "Don't mind him. He's saying thanks. Really."

The teens stayed the night at the daycare center next to the schoolhouse; Touko was still winded from her accident. She insisted that she was fine and did not need to seek medical treatment, and after compromising with her friends, she agreed to stop for the night instead of camping outdoors.

In the morning, the four friends reluctantly accepted the provisions offered to them by Maria.

"Wait! I have one last thing to give you guys!" Smiling, Maria led them into one of the inner rooms of the daycare center. The elderly couple that owned the center greeted the teens again. The room was spacious with only rows of shelves filled with colorful eggs inside cylindrical glass containers.

In awe, Belle asked, "Wow, what are these?"

"They're Pokemon eggs, sweetie." The elderly woman smiled, walking over to one of the eggs. "We breed and raise Pokemon here at the daycare center. But we can only handle so many eggs. We receive a lot from travelers and the like."

The old man went over to his wife. "We are hoping that you can each take an egg with you. I'm sure, as Trainers, that you will love and raise the Pokemon that hatch from these eggs."

The girls gasped. Cheren looked like he was ready to turn down the offer, but Belle and Touko squealed out simultaneously, "Really!?"

So that was how the teens continued onto Nacrene with four new Pokemon eggs. The daycare owners wanted the teens to be surprised by which Pokemon they got, so the teens picked solely on instinct. Touko chose an egg with a zig-zag gray-blue and white pattern with little splashes of red scattered. Belle's egg had an alternating light and dark green pattern. Cheren took longer than the girls and picked one very similar to Belle's, only the greens were more olive in tone. Touya actually spent the longest picking his egg and finally decided on one with jagged diagonal stripes of umber and blue.

Belle had volunteered to hold the egg of whichever person was carrying the tent. She proved to be surprisingly more stable on her feet when she had the eggs in hand. Her caring nature shined through by the way she mothered the eggs.

"Belle, I think you'd make a really good Pokemon breeder!" Touko chirped while she was carrying the tent. She had given her egg to her friend to hold and noted how gentle she was with it.

The blonde beamed, pondering the comment. "Really? A breeder?" Actually, to her, the prospect was not a bad one.

Along the way to Nacrene, Cheren caught yet another Pokemon, a small, gray, bird-like Flying-type known as a Pidove, much to Touko's jealousy. The little bird had been singing happily in a tree above the teen's camp when they stopped for lunch and Cheren did not waste the opportunity. He came up with names for his Purrloin and Pidove after much nagging from Touko. Purrloin turned out to be female as well and he chose the name Marie. Pidove was male and after deliberating many names, he decided on Henry.

September 30, 2010

After four more days, they arrived at the old city, exhausted but relieved. The teens found that they were able to travel for longer periods of time now as compared to a week ago, but we were quite glad to have reached a town. The entrance of the city was in a district of run-down warehouses and Cheren could have sworn that he smelled something strange wafting from one of the buildings. This only made him quicken his pace, much to Touko's dissatisfaction, as she was carrying their tent.

Nacrene was much more old-fashioned than Striaton or Accumula, as almost every building was made out of dark wood and bricks. In fact, some of the buildings appeared to be reused warehouses. Many unusual statues littered the streets, which tourists took photos of. It seemed like every other building was an art gallery of some kind. Every few blocks, the teens saw street musicians performing all different genres of music. As one song faded out, another would replace it as they walked. Cheren readjusted his glasses. Nacrene's famed nickname, "The City of Art," was no misnomer: the city simply exuded an artistic aura.

Since the Pokemon Center's static design was so different from the other buildings, the four teens had no problem locating it. Touko practically dropped the tent as soon as she stepped into the door, groaning in relief. Belle gently placed down the eggs and took off her heavy backpack, which she had filled with all of her cooking tools. Cheren made his first priority to get a hotel room for the night. Touya offered to bring everyone's Poke balls and eggs to the nurse. Although his poker face was calm as ever, it was clear he was anxious to have Oz checked. The old woman at the daycare could do little to help Oz, so Touya wanted to seek more professional care.

As the boys walked off, Touko plopped down onto one of the waiting chairs at the Center. Belle sat down next to her, stretching her aching back. "Man, traveling is a lot of work!" Touko groaned, slumping down into her seat.

"Oh, it is, but I find it so exciting! So freeing!" Belle grinned, bouncing in her seat. She had never been so independent in her life. Although they had met some unsavory characters, there were also many affable and wonderful people along the way as well. Belle was thoroughly enjoying herself right now.

"Freeing? What's freeing about carrying that?" Touko kicked the tent at her foot, "That thing is fricking heavy!"

"Well, sorry it's heavy, but you'll have it carry it to our room now." Cheren's amused voice floated above her. He had his free hands inside of his pockets and his smirk only grew larger as he walked back over to Touko.

Rolling her eyes, the girl picked up the tent, only to shove it at his face. "No, you're going to help us carry some of this stuff." Without another word, she picked up her share of luggage before heading towards the elevator. Cheren chuckled to himself, helping Belle lift the remainder of the bags.

With their Pokemon all healed, the eggs under the protective care of Nurse Kaitlyn, and their belongings stashed safely back in their hotel room, the four friends headed back out into the quaint city.

"So what now?" Touko asked, playing with her Oshawott's Poke ball in her hands. "Are we gonna challenge the gym first, or what?"

"I'm up for it. I wanted to get it out of the way before anything else happens," Cheren agreed, starting off down the street.

"Cheren, don't jinx us!" Belle groaned, following behind him. "I really do not want to run into any more jerks!"

"Yeah, way to go, Cheren," Touko smirked, pulling her brother along.

Sighing, Cheren remained silent, offering no retort to the two girls' whining. Instead, he focused his attention on the buildings, looking for any signs that indicated that one of them was a Gym. However, every one of the buildings looked practically identical, much to the frustration of the raven-haired teen. However, he passed a lavish white museum that spanned the entire area of a city block. Remembering stories about how Gyms are usually prominent places in each city, Cheren started to turn towards the museum.

"Holy Bouffalant, what is this place?" Touko exclaimed, running forward. She was completely entranced by the magnificent structure, having never seen any building quite like it. Some of the lesser important artifact displays were in the massive courtyard and Touko found herself drawn towards the museum. Taking Belle's hand in hers, she proceeded to drag her friend to the museum. "Come on Belle, let's go take a look!"

In her excitement, she did not see where she was going and nearly collided into a passerby. She blurted, "Oh, I'm so sor-" The words died on her tongue as she stumbled back in shock at the man in front of her. Loose strange of the person's long green hair flew in the wind as he turned his head to look at Touko.

September 26, 2010 - Four Days Ago

Sandra and Seth returned to the confines of the Team Plasma castle to face Ghetsis. Now that they were actually back in the castle, the fear of the severity of their situation hit them and the two grunts were afraid for the first time in a long time.

The Shadow Triad led them through the munificent halls of the castle, escorting them curtly to Ghetsis's room. They gestured the two grunts into the dark room before disappearing in a flash. Sandra and Seth's eyes darted to the center of the room, where a dim spotlight illuminated a velvet chair that Ghetsis was currently occupying.

"You two have caused quite a commotion in the southeast," he stated, a light quality to his voice. "Tell me, did I not say to keep your missions discreet?"

The two bowed their heads apologetically, muttering, "We're sorry, Master Ghetsis. We have committed grave mistakes, please forgive us."

"The police were involved this time, were they not?" he asked, a dangerous tone creeping into his voice.

Silence.

"So tell me, what reason should I have to forgive you for nearly ruining m…our magnificent plans?"

The grunts continued to hold their silence, feeling cold sweat run down their neck. Their hearts skipped a beat when they heard a crack of a Poke ball opening. Suddenly, their bodies were lifted into the air and both Sandra and Seth yelled in shock. Ghetsis's Cofagrigus waved its ghostly hands about as it casted the Psychic that suspended the shocked grunts in the air. Ghetsis's face was contorted into a mask of disgust and anger as he shouted, "What reason should I have to keep such useless trash amongst my prestigious group? I most certainly expected much, much more out of you two, Sandra, Seth." The venom in his voice stabbed into the pair.

Now, Sandra and Seth knew they were not useless. They were, in fact, one of the several members of Team Plasma most trusted by Ghetsis and were far more efficient in their work then a majority of their comrades. Sandra's spite had gotten the best of her and she knew she had to rectify her actions before Seth, who willingly followed her plans, had to suffer for them too.

"Master Ghetsis, sir, I take full responsibility for the incidents." She gasped. "But we were stopped by a group of four teenagers who had the strangest chances of running into us while we were working. They proved to be most meddlesome," she desperately tried to explain.

Ghetsis was about to deal a painful blow to the defenseless grunts when something clicked in his brain. "Teenagers…you say?" He narrowed his eyes. "Did one of them have messy brown hair, that curls up and outwards in the most ridiculous fashion?"

Eyes widening, Sandra blurted, "Y…Yes Master! He had an Oshawott and wore a blue jacket and red cap. He's the one who caught Musharna as well! One of the other tee-"

"I don't give a fuck about the other brats, only him!" Ghetsis growled. He gestured to his Cofagrigus, which released its Psychic. Sandra and Seth landed painfully on the ground, but suddenly snapped their attention back on Ghetsis.

"I'm…going to give you two one last chance," the green-haired man glared, "Your king, Lord N, has gone to Nacrene to investigate an artifact at the museum. It may hold vital importance to our project. You are to go there and assist him in any way you can. You know what needs to be done if the artifact is in fact legitimate. Afterwards, you are to stay close with him on his travels. If you see that boy with the Oshawott again, bring him to me."

"Br…bring him?" Seth narrowed his eyes, "You mean…"

"I mean by any means necessary, you dolt," Ghetsis snarled. "And while you're at it, I withdraw the orders to stay discreet. Stir up chaos if you please. Since you already made a name for yourselves, might as well keep everyone's attention directed at you. In fact, tell everyone you encounter-" He grinned. "-That you are not taking orders from me."

Sandra's lips pulled into a sneering smile as she understood Ghetsis's intentions. She suddenly bent down to one knee, in a knight's bow, with Seth quickly following in suit. "Thank you, Master Ghetsis, for giving us another chance. We will not fail you this time," Sandra promised suavely, excitement dancing in her heart. She will not let those teenagers win this time.

"See that you don't. Now leave."

N's eyes widened in response before softening into a calm gaze and he opened his mouth to speak.

However, Touko beat him to it.

"You! You're…you're that guy, the sadistic pervert, N!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him, glaring fiercely.

Alarmed by her sharp reaction, N held his hands up in defense, although showed no offense to her derogatory description. "And you're Touko, if I remember correctly. I'm starting to think that fate has made us meet up once again."

Cheren snorted at his words. What a lousy pickup line, he thought. Little did Cheren know, that was not N's intention at all. Unfortunately, Touko had the same train thought as Cheren.

She made a face of disgust and crossed her arms tightly against her chest. "What do you want?" she demanded, twisting her mouth angrily.

"I believe I have just simply run into you again, be it fate or not," N replied coolly, slightly annoyed with the girl's bitter tone. Why was she so upset with him anyways?

"Fine, so you won't mind if I leave, right? See ya," she retorted, starting to stomp away from him. She still had not forgiven him for the battle back in Accumula and had not counted on meeting him again. She felt a soft hand grasp her arm and she whirled around in alarm, knowing that it was N who had grabbed her.

Before she could protest, he said, "I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokémon inside Poké Balls. The ideals of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect... Do you feel the same?" He looked at her, his crystal-blue eyes intense.

Mouth ajar, Touko searched her mind for an answer to the question, having been caught off guard by what he had said. In fact, she could hardly comprehend what he was trying to ask. What did he mean by the "truths of Pokemon?" Slowly, she shook her head, suddenly captivated by the sparkling blue eyes that matched hers in vibrancy. The two stared into the depths of the other's eyes, trying to find answers to unspoken questions.

Finally, N released his grip and took a step back. "That's a shame. I actually expected you to agree." He fixed those dazzling blue eyes on Touko's own aquamarine ones, declaring, "My friends and I will show you what we mean. Then maybe, you will understand my desire."

Suddenly, a Pidove burst out from a nearby tree and landed promptly in front of N, ruffling its feathers.

Dumbfounded, Touko stared at the Pokemon before Cheren broke her out of stupor.

"Touko, he just challenged you to another battle." He hissed, thoroughly irritated. If not for the etiquettes of battling, he would have stepped in to stop N. Angrily, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Touko's hand shot to her only Poke ball and she bit her lip. She only had one Pokemon…how many could N have?

Wordlessly, she released Sir Wotterlot, who did not seem too excited when he recognized N. At least, he thought, eyeing the Pidove, it's not a Purrloin this time.

"Alright, Sir Wotterlot! We're going to beat him today, right?" Touko cheered and her Oshawott snapped to attention, ready for battle.

The Pidove took off into the air, flying high above Sir Wotterlot. Close attacks did not seem like a viable option. "Start with Water Gun!"

Sir Wotterlot shot a powerful stream of water out of his mouth, aiming for the Pidove. The Flying-type dodged the Water Gun with fluidity and grace, its wings already glowing with a charged attack. Without N's command, it unleashed a Gust, creating slicing air currents. Sir Wotterlot stood his ground, taking the sharp attacks. However, it appeared to have little effect on the Oshawott, which pleased Touko.

"Hold fire Sir Wotterlot! Tail Whip!" Touko watched the Pidove's movements with keen eyes as her Oshawott tried to lower its opponent's defenses. The rhythmic beating of Pidove's wings wavered for a moment before they became steady once again.

N called, "Pidove, Quick Attack." He watched as the Pokemon suddenly dive-bombed towards the Oshawott at a furious speed.

An idea came to Touko's mind and she wasted no time in testing it out. "Sir Wotterlot, spin and use Water Gun again!"

The Oshawott threw her an exasperated glance, desiring to know where the girl got her crazy ideas from. How did she propose that he spin in the first place?

Nonetheless, he gave it a shot, tittering uncertainly on his feet as he unleashed another Water Gun, quickly picking up speed. His spin caused the water attack to spread out in a sharp circle, catching the surprised Pidove as it came within range. The attack proved too powerful and it downed the small flying-type in one hit. The Pidove fell down, unconscious, in the grass, soaked through with the Water Gun.

Sir Wotterlot stopped spinning as its Water Gun fizzled out, finding himself dizzy from his exploits. He heard his Trainer cheering and knew that whatever he did had worked. Another one of her crazy schemes had worked out. Secretly, the Oshawott loved it when they did.

N bent down to pick up the Pidove, inspecting the poor creature. A hurt expression flicked across his face before he stood back up, cradling the Pokemon in his arms. He looked up at Touko's triumphant smile, surprised at how much she had changed since the last battle.

She completely enjoyed that. But...she does seem relieved that her Pokemon isn't hurt. N shook his thoughts out of his head and waved his hand. Another Pokemon sauntered out from between the trees. It shouldered a wooden beam, flipping it up into the air once, seemingly to show off. The bright pink spots on its back contrasted heavily with the dull gray of its body.

N saw Touko's shoulders droop. Was she upset that she had another Pokemon to battle or was she upset that her Oshawott had to suffer longer? Sometimes, N questioned why he let his friends fight, but the voices he hears from them called for battle, so who was he to deny them?

Nodding, N stepped back as the new Pokemon took a menacing step towards Touko and her Oshawott, a sly grin on its face. Sir Wotterlot puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating. However, the Oshawott faltered under the sharp Leer his opponent directed at him.

Touko pursed her lips, eyeing the wooden beam suspiciously. She did not want Sir Wotterlot getting too close to it, so she ordered, "Water Gun!"

Cheren frowned. Touko had very few options to work with, since the only viable attacks her only Pokemon knew were Water Gun and Tackle. He knew N was not an easy opponent to take down and it was her whimsical ideas that had won her the first round.

Obliging, Sir Wotterlot shot his attack at the new Pokemon as N called, "Timburr, Bide!"

Grunting, Timburr's body glowed red and it raised its beam of wood to block the Water Gun.

I figured that beam would be used like that, Touko thought, her brain scrambling to figure out a way around Timburr's defenses. However, she also did not know what Bide was.

Uncertain, Touko directed, "Sir Wotterlot, get close and Tackle!"

"Wait no-" Cheren began to shout.

The Oshawott dashed forward, effectively evading the wooden beam and tackling the Timburr. It stumbled back, the red glow becoming brighter. A stone dropped in Touko's stomach and she shouted, "Sir Wotterlot, pull bac-"

N simply crossed his arms, letting the Timburr continue as it pleased.

The Timburr had raised its weapon and in one swift swing, it smashed the wooden beam into Sir Wotterlot. A sickening crack came from the moment of impact and Touko watched as her Oshawott sailed through the air, landing in a crumpled ball on the grass.

"Sir Wotterlot!" she cried out, making her way to her Oshawott. Belle let out a sharp gasp, taking a tentative step towards Touko and her Pokemon.

Touko kneeled down next to her Oshawott, her eyes scanning over her Pokemon, evaluating the damage. He had his scalchop in his hand, broken from the impact. Touko's eyes widened. He had absorbed most of the attack with his scalchop. "Sir Wott-?"

To everyone's surprise, Sir Wotterlot slowly started to get back up. Panting heavily, the Oshawott turned unfocused eyes onto his scalchop. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock at seeing his beloved shell shattered into pieces and all his fatigue drained from his body. He pivoted his body back to the smirking Timburr, an angry growl rising in the Oshawott's throat.

In a flash, a column of water shot up around Sir Wotterlot, surrounding him. Touko leapt back in surprise as the water column swirled around his form, hiding the Oshawott from view. Glows emitted from within the water as it spun faster and fanned out. Suddenly, the water dissipated, evaporating into evanescence.

In the Oshawott's place now stood another Pokemon. He still had an Oshawott's navy blue ears, tail, and flippers, but his entire body was a rich cyan blue, with a skirt-like cobalt blue adornment around his waist. On both thighs were brand new ivory scalchops, each bigger and more lustrous than before. A curious tuff of fur raised up behind his head. White V-shaped whiskers frisked the Pokemon's fierce face, and he gritted his sharp fangs at the Timburr.

A loud beeping emitted from Touko's bag and she fumbled numbly inside, retrieving her Pokedex. She opened it and was greeted with a flurry of information. "D…Dewott?" She stared dumbfounded at her Pokemon before a smile of realization washed over her features. "Dewott? Meaning you aren't an Oshawott anymore? Oh my Arceus!" She gasped, "Sir Wotterlot, you evolved!"

The shock in the air was nothing compared to a minute ago. A stunned silence fell over every individual present and even passersby were watching with bated breath. Touko's eyes flitted between her Pokedex and her Dewott, her mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp without water.

"He has new attacks…" she mumbled to herself, scanning the screen with her eyes. "I had no idea this device told you attacks-hey!" She suddenly shouted, noticing her Dewott grabbing the scalchops on his thighs. The shells flashed a bright blue light before two shining, lucid blades shot out of them. Sir Wotterlot turned around, focusing the intensity of his gaze on Touko, waiting for her command.

Trying to pull herself together, Touko closed her lips in a tight line before shouting, "You got it! Razor Shell!" She pointed her hand with flourish at the Timburr, a sudden wave of confidence lifting her up. Stunning blue eyes met each other and right there, the two trainers knew the battle was over.

N shouted, "Low Kick when he is close!"

Sir Wotterlot shot forward, gripping his blades expertly in his hands, aiming two slashes at the Timburr. One was intercepted by the wooden beam. The Timburr used the opportunity to aim a Low Kick at the Dewott's feet, but Sir Wotterlot used his tail to propel himself into the air. With a swift blow, his other scalchop came down across the Timburr's head, drawing blood from his slash.

The Timburr cried out, dropping his beam in favor of clutching his wound instead. It shot a dirty look at the Dewott, who calmly leapt back, his blades still protracted. With shaking hands, it grabbed the wooden weapon, savagely charging at the Dewott. Sir Wotterlot held his blades up, blocking the beam with his scalchops. With a mighty heave, he pushed the Timburr back, ears perking to another order from Touko. Before he had a chance to attack though, N called out, "Enough!"

Surprised, Touko looked up at N, who had already made his way over to the bleeding Timburr. He withdrew a Potion from his pocket, spraying its contents on the Timburr's head. With a handkerchief, he wiped off the blood from the Timburr's slowly calming face. Touko and her friends watched quietly as N tended to his Pokemon.

The green-haired Trainer pulled his Timburr into a hug, smiling, "Thank you. That's quite enough, my friend. Please, rest now."

Sir Wotterlot was waiting for Touko as she walked over to him, a bright smile on her face. Confusion flickered through her eyes as she looked between her Dewott and N. Turning her gaze back on her Pokemon, she squeaked, "I can't believe you evolved…and so soon. You're amazing, Sir Wotterlot."

The Dewott grinned, timdly giving the girl a hug. She was surprised but returned the hug nonetheless, laughing, "Thanks buddy…"

N was watching Touko, not quite comprehending the exchange between the Trainer and her Pokemon. His calculating mind was baffled for once. Slowly, he stood back up, the Timburr flanking at his heels. "I cannot see the future yet…the world…there is still so much I cannot understand." He paused when his eyes met Touko's again.

"Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power... Power enough to make anyone agree with me." Now other onlookers were surprised by his words, but he kept his eyes trained on Touko.

His eyes flickered to the museum for a moment before he continued, "Now I know what power I need." He smiled ever so slightly, "The legendary Pokemon of the heroes of the Unova region. I want to meet them. I know they will see the world as I do! The true ideals that it should be run by! It's my turn to become that hero. And when that happens…" His eyes hardened, sending shivers down Touko's back. "Then maybe…we will understand each other…and even…"

He trailed off, slight hurt and confusion in his eyes. He suddenly turned around and started to leave. Caught off guard, Touko blurted out, "Wait N! Hey!"

But the Trainer kept walking away, the Timburr tottling at his feet.

Sandra and Seth had watched the battle from behind the trees, waiting for N to return. "Lord N…" Sandra greeted when he came back to the trees. "We most sincerely offer our condolences on your loss."

N held his hand up, "There is nothing to be upset about. She won fair and square, and I learned something. Just…not quite sure what." He gently bit his lip, falling into deep thought. Seth was about to make another remark when his Lord spoke up again.

"I have determined something to be of interest in the museum. I'd like to study it more carefully," he muttered, walking away. Confused, Sandra asked, "Lord N, what is this item?"

N turned back around, face hard. "A magnificent Dragon Pokemon."

After the battle, Touko spent about five minutes celebrating with Belle over her Pokemon's evolution. Cheren adjusted his glasses in irritation as he listened to their squealing. However, they stopped long enough to notice…

"Hey, where did Touya go?" Belle chirped, glancing around for her friend.

"While you two were splitting my eardrums, he went ahead into the museum without you," Cheren stated dryly.

"Waaaahh, some twin! Leaving me like that!" Touko whined, running towards the museum. Belle ran after her, nearly tripping over a crack in the ground. Cheren cringed and rolled his eyes before following the two girls.

Inside, Touya was gazing in slight awe at a gigantic skeleton of some Dragon-type Pokemon. The museum curator, amused by his expression, went over to speak with the boy.

"Magnificent specimen, isn't she?" he stated with a tone of respect. Touya turned his head to appraise the owner of the voice. A rather short and skinny bespectacled man stood beside him, dressed in a black suit. Signs of balding made the man appear to be old, although his face was rather young. "You know, you had the same exact expression as another young man that came earlier."

Touya nodded politely, "I've never seen a Pokemon so huge." He was not quite sure what to say to the man. He appeared to be very erudite, so he figured the man was going to tell him all about the skeleton either way.

And indeed he did. "Why, this is a Dragonite, my boy!" The man clapped his hand on Touya's shoulder, much to his discomfort. "They're quite rare in the Unova region. Actually, they're rare in just about anywhere in this world, although a large number of them are found in Kanto…"

Touya slowly tuned out the chattering man, glancing around discreetly at the other displays. His mind had begun to drift when he heard his name being called. He turned around to the sight of his sister barreling into him. He stumbled back, nearly bumping into the skeletal display.

"A…Ah! Miss, please do be careful in this museum!" the curator exclaimed, clutching his remaining hair.

Touko looked at the man before at her twin, who was wincing at her tight embrace. She glanced up, seeing the large Dragonite skeleton for the first time. "Holy mother of Bouffalant," came her awed response.

"Yes, young lady. You would do best to be careful in here, else you'll give my poor husband here a heart attack!" A strong, sassy voice called out.

The curator turned around, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "Lenora…I didn't know you were in the museum today."

A tall, dark-skinned woman approached the three, her teal-blue afro-style hair bobbing slightly and red flats clacking on the ground as she strutted. A red and beige striped headband kept her voluminous hair in check. Her aura commended authority and attention, and her voice made it clear that no one could easily win an argument against her. She had an apron tied over her simple white dress-shirt and loose, teal pants.

"Well Hawes, no challengers came by today, so staying cooped up in that basement seemed so silly! Besides, Mama's gotta watch over her museum!" She leaned in to kiss the shorter man, sending a blush across his face.

The twins watched on uncomfortably before Touko realized something. "Hey, did you say challengers? Wait a minute." She pointed her finger at Lenora, surprised, "You're…?"

"Lenora, Gym leader of Nacrene City gym." Cheren explained and walked up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Belle followed closely behind, crashing into him as her eyes caught onto the massive skeleton. She steadied herself on Cheren, letting out a string of apologies to the flustered boy.

After composing himself, Cheren cleared his throat. "I'm glad my intuition was correct. This is the Nacrene City Gym, or at least, the Gym is located here somewhere?"

"Sharp young man, I see," Lenora grinned, placing her hands on her hips. Her teal eyes sparkled as she said, "Does that mean I have a challenger today?"

Nodding, the raven-haired boy opened his mouth to voice his challenge, but a ringing gunshot cut him off. Screams erupted and panic spread across the room. However, at the entrance, a group of people had blocked the doorway. Every single one of them was dressed in pale-blue, medieval-style uniforms, with the Team Plasma insignia on their chests, and each one of them held a gun in their hand. One of them had a megaphone in her free hand, which she had no problem screaming into.

"Shut the hell up, idiots," she droned, clearly unaffected by the panic around her. "Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your head. We're only here to pick up something."

Almost everyone in the room got to their knees willingly, the exceptions being Lenora, Hawes, and the four friends.

"No way…" Touko gasped.

"That voice…" Cheren hissed.

The teens all turned their eyes towards the speaker, eyes widening along with the woman's wicked smile.

"Hey there, it's already been a few days. Miss me yet?" Sandra cooed, cocking her gun in the teens' direction. She and Seth began to make their way over to them and the teens tensed.

"Down on your hands and knees." Seth growled, pointing his gun straight at Cheren, staying a safe distance away from the martial artist. He did not have fond memories of being caught by Cheren.

Swearing, Cheren reluctantly went down, watching as his friends followed suit. Lenora resisted, smirking, "What do we have here? Children shouldn't play with guns. Come on, hand them over to Mama." She gestured with her hand threateningly.

Sandra ignored her and instead, shot a warning bullet a few feet to Lenora's side. She flinched, her glare intensifying. Hawes yelped out in fear, cowering behind his wife. Some screams flared up in the room at the sound of the gunshot. "Now get down, or next time, I'll actually aim, you bitch. And just to make it clear, I probably wouldn't be shooting you." To make her point, Sandra pointed her gun at Hawes.

Pursing her lips, Lenora got down on her knees. She glared up at the two grunts, stating, "I had no idea Team Plasma had fallen into crime and burglary. I thought you worked for the good of the people and their Pokemon!"

"Oh honey, don't lump us in with the people who follow the crap our leader spouts," Sandra laughed, walking towards the skeleton statue. To get her mind off of the lie she just made, she inspected the Dragonite display while Seth kept his eyes on the teens.

"Hmm…" she muttered, releasing one of her newly equipped Pokemon. A furry, powder blue flying creature emerged from its capsule, its leathery black wings flapping quickly. A black heart-shaped design was imprinted on its pink nose.

"Woobat," Sandra commanded, "Fly up and retrieve the skull." She pointed at the horned head of the Dragonite. With a piercing squeak, the Woobat ascended, glowing pink as it did. The same pink outline surrounded the skull, lifting it up into the air. The Woobat carefully used its Psychic to maneuver the skull into Sandra's waiting hands.

Hawes let out a pained squeak at watching the skull land in Sandra's hands. She ignored him, gazing around the room at all of the hostages. Her eyes fell upon the four teens, who all had their heads down, as did every other living being in the room. Growling, she yelled out, "Everyone, look up at me. Now."

Every head in the room shot up, gazing fearfully at the Team Plasma woman. Sandra retrieved a set of shades from her pocket, placing them over her eyes. Through them, she saw angry expressions on Belle, Touko, and Cheren's faces. Her gaze fell on Touya, who appeared stoic as ever. The other Team Plasma members had adorned sunglasses of their own and Sandra smirked.

She clutched the skull to herself and watched as Seth stepped over to Touya. The confusion on the teen's faces turned into shocked anger as Seth delivered a blunt blow to the back of Touya's head. A sharp cry escaped his lips before he fell to the ground, unconscious. At the same moment, a blinding light flooded the room, obscuring the occupants' visions. The people were too shocked to hear the sound of running feet as Team Plasma made their exit.

When the light cleared, Touko's eyes flew open and she groped for the spot where her brother was a moment ago. Finding nothing, she tried to focus her spotted vision, her heart speeding up in panic.

"To…Touya!" she babbled, turning around in a desperate circle, searching for her brother. "Touya!" She stood up, stumbling from dizziness. She whipped around, damaged eyes trying to find her twin. "Touya! TOUYA!" she cried out, feeling her heart lurch.

"Touya…where is Touya…?" Her voice fell as her body sagged back to the floor in defeat.

A/N: CLIFFHANGER. Sorry!

Originally, this chapter was supposed to end in a cliffhanger anyways, but I totally switched around the events for it. So I think there's going to be more chapters than I had originally planned.

I wasn't sure how to do the evolution bit. I didn't want to just use a white light to portray the evolution process…so I decided to be a little more creative. Now I'm a bit excited on thinking of how to show the other Pokemon's evolutions.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are most appreciated! (It would make an awesome birthday gift!)

Cheers from an old geezer,

~Alexie