Inspired by both the book and the series, we're going to take a trip down memory lane. The next five chapters or so should explain about three back plots. Enjoy reading!

"Thanks for your help again, Latias," I said to her. "Her boyfriend, wow…some people are just driven by jealousy."

We locked up, and she and I walked home. There was always tomorrow. I could tell that after hearing the critic's review, customers were going to be rushing in like crazy tomorrow morning.

'It was no big deal, Calvin,' She said. 'So, is it true?'

"What?"

'Cornelia considers you an uncle?' I nodded.

"It's so sweet," I said. "That means that Lugia would be considered…my brother. I mean, we've had each other's backs since…well, since that battle with Mateo. Hey, I was an only child, so I think it's great to have a brother."

'Yeah…'

"Oh. Oh, Latias, I'm sorry," We stopped. "I forgot. Any luck, by the way?"

'No, no new flashbacks since the sea,' She replied. 'Calvin, do you think I'll ever get my memory back?'

"Yes, you will. We're not going to give up trying."

She nodded. 'How are Molly and Matthew doing? Did they kiss yet?'

"Unfortunately not," We continued walking. Actually, that was a good thing that they didn't kiss. "It's the most horrible coincidence, but his last name is Morgan, and ever since she found that out she hasn't spoken to him."

'Oh no. Matthew Morgan?' I sighed. 'Son of the evil doctor? Well that's just bad luck.'

"You don't know the half of it."

We continued our conversation all the way back to the house, where I offered her a stay, but she turned it down, mentioning something about later, but I didn't hear it. She disappeared, and I unlocked the door and walked inside. The light in the kitchen was on. "Molly?" It was her. She was sitting on the floor, eating out of a jug of ice cream. "Molly, what are you doing?"

"Eating ice cream," She gulped. "It was the only way I could stay cool."

I sat down next to her. "Oh yeah? What will you use for tomorrow?"

She looked at me. "I'll take my chances."

I chuckled. "You could always come to the restaurant. I mean, I may have skimped on A/C here, but I'm not a caveman."

"I…I think I'll pass."

"On A/C?" She nodded slowly. "Or Matthew?"

She stopped eating. "Dad, I need your advice again. What do I do?"

"Well, now that I've witnessed your decision, I can give you some advice," I replied. "You can start by not holding this over him."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"I have good reason to."

"Dad, what if he turns out like him?" She asked. "What if, when we get older, he becomes obsessed with science, and the madness starts all over again?"

"Then I'll kick his ass," She laughed. "Look, Molly, the future is uncertain. You don't know what he'll do, and I can guarantee that once he finds out what his father is doing, he'll never walk that path. I haven't told you this yet, but…Morgan didn't want me to let Matthew and Caitlyn know that he was alive."

"Why?" He asked. "They deserve to know. I don't think he has a choice."

"Yeah, well, Morgan doesn't know your father," Molly smiled. "But still, Morgan proved to Matthew what science can do to a person by faking his death, so I'm pretty sure that Matthew has chosen a different career by now."

"Thanks, dad," She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Oh, I'm not done yet," She groaned. "Molly, please. He's nothing like his father. You and I both know by being around the two. Talk to Matthew for me? I've noticed that you've been avoiding him for months, and he's really concerned about you."

"I'll try," She said. "Do you think he'll be mad at me?"

"No, he just wants to hear your voice," I stroked her hair.

The phone rang. I reached up onto the counter and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Calvin."

"Oh, hey, mom," Molly looked up. "How's everything?"

"Great! Your father's home!"

"Really?" Looks like he found my note and took the advice. "That's…good."

"He wants to speak to you, so do you mind coming over?"

"Kind of."

"Calvin, you've been avoiding him for years," She said. "You were always mad that he was never here, and how he is. Come speak to him."

"But mom, I—"

"I'm fine, dad," Molly said.

I groaned. "Fine. I'll be there tomorrow."

I said goodbye and hung up, then turned back to Molly. "You're fine, huh? You're still going to speak to Matthew."

"I will."

"Gallade," He approached me. "I'm going to see my dad. Care to join?" He nodded, and then shot me a confused look. "I know you know we fell out, but he's home for once, and he says he wants to speak to me."

Electivire was sleeping out on the terrace, Mismagius accompanied Molly and Millie to an art studio across town, and Typhlosion went to the park with Staraptor to use the heat wave to his advantage in a sparring match. Also, I needed them to stay at home in case something happened to Latias again, and I needed Gallade with me if I was ambushed. It sounds like I'm paranoid, but I couldn't take any chances.

We took the next ferry bound for Vermilion City. It took about three hours to reach my hometown and when we arrived, I was welcomed with a wave of nostalgia. I hadn't been here since 2002, when I was searching the world for Molly and Danielle, and I stopped by the house expecting to see both of my parents, but unfortunately only mom was there. Since then, nothing had changed. This town was as retro as it could get.

"Is that who I think it is?"

I turned around. "No way. Nate?"

Nate, or Nathan Carmichael, was a childhood friend of mine. His hair had grown exceptionally since the last time I saw him, so did his beard. He was wearing a light, brown-gray jacket, camouflage shorts and hiking boots. One time he and I went out onto the route and dug a whole cave out of the earth and used it as our secret base. It also proved worthy as a heat shelter on days like this. He and I were rivals for a time while I was a trainer—another reason for my decision. Nate always had big plans for the future, which evolved from his passion for digging things up. He probably would've done great as an architect, but he chose something closer to home—Archaeology. He had a Manectric by his side, which was supposed to match my Electivire, but that would never happen.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Last time I heard from you, you were in Snowpoint City."

"Yeah. Snow is not a great environment to find fossils," His Manectric barked, agreeing with him.

"Is that the same little Electrike, that—"

"Yeah!" He laughed. "Is that the same Ralts?"

The two looked at each other, and so did we.

"How long has it been?" We asked, in unison.

"Well, I've got to go see my dad; he's in town," I said.

"Your dad?" I nodded. "I thought you hated him."

"I don't hate him," I replied. "I could never hate my dad. But let's be honest. Could you picture me in a lab coat?"

He chuckled. "It's not much of a surprise, but…I'm an Archaeologist. Check this out: a couple of months ago, we uncovered a fossil of a Kabutops in some volcanic rock on Mount Chimney. First off, we were trying to figure out how it was so far displaced from Kanto, which we started to theorize over. They say that it can be restored to its original form, but I'm a little foggy on the fossil restoration process. Anyway the find was pretty amazing, and I was thinking of starting my own archaeology firm."

"Not up to the standards, where you are?"

"No, my job is great," He replied. "I work for this very nice Egyptian woman, Sue C. Ra. She's the Director of Archaeology at the Oreburgh City Research Center. Do you know her?"

"No, never heard of—wait, spell that for me?"

"S-U-E…C…R-A."

What in the hell? That was "Arceus" spelled back…oh, you've got to be kidding me! What did the "C" stand for? "Creator"? I shook my head and returned to Nate.

"Go ahead, man," I said. "If that's your passion, then do it. I mean, you know I'm a restaurant owner. We just got an award last year for impeccable service for over a decade. And, I'm not trying to rub it in or anything, but a critic rated us one of the best restaurants in Alto Mare."

"Damn, that's great," He said. "You really think I can do this?"

"Yeah, go for it."

My mother's house wasn't located in direct vicinity of the city; instead, it was more by the city limits. When my dad moved from scientist to professor, so did they. He built a new house outside the chaos of the inner city and in the plain forest-like tranquility of Vermilion Heights. We arrived at the gated compound, and walked up to the glimmering two-story mansion.

"Seriously, Calvin," Nate looked around. "How long has it been? Your parents are rich!"

"I'm still happy with my career choice, thank you," I said. "But damn…I have to visit more often."

I rang the doorbell. No one answered. We both heard a call from the other side of the house, and we walked along a cobblestone pathway to the garden out back. It was huge. Tulips, Roses, Begonias, Daffodils, Hydrangeas, and many more kinds of flowers were spread out in flower beds that circled a center fountain. By now, my mind had started to betray me.

"Hello, Calvin!" Mom called from a flower bed in front of us. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Nathan Carmichael, remember?"

"Oh, Nathan!" She stopped what she was doing and came to hug him. "How are you? I haven't seen you since you were a little boy!"

"Great. I'm an archaeologist now."

"Well, you followed your dream," She said. "Calvin, you're probably wondering where your father is, well…he left for Saffron a few hours ago."

"What? Why?"

"He had a seminar to attend, but he'll be back before the day is done," She said. "He really didn't want to cancel on you, because he had something important to talk to you about."

"Typical," I mumbled. "Anyway, Mom. Whose house is this?"

"Ours, you idiot!" She said. "This is what happens when you don't come to visit."

"You get rich?" She nodded.

"Your father was promoted to the Mossdeep Space Center almost ten years ago," She said. "Ever since, it's been hectic for us. Besides, Calvin. You own a successful restaurant in a beautiful city. You obviously don't need our help. I heard what that critic said."

"Well," I chuckled. "Okay, yeah. You know what? I'm going to meet dad in Saffron right now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's only a two hour walk," I said. "And I'm sure he can talk to me about whatever it is there."

"Don't mind me," Nate called, now lying in a hammock under the gazebo on the patio. His Manectric was resting on the ground beside him. "Just yell when you get back."

"Thanks for the help," He gave me a thumbs up. "I'll be back, mom. Come on, Gallade."

We left the estate and walked up the street to the city limits, and then walked for an hour up the route. By then, Saffron's golden skyline was visible in the distance. What was so important about dad's seminar that he couldn't tell me about it, and then leave if he had something to tell me? This made no sense.

"I'll ask him when we get there, eh, Gallade?" I turned to him. He wasn't there. I looked around until I spotted him a short walk back down the route. Then he unexpectedly darted into the trees. "Gallade!"

I ran after him. He was moving fast, and it was hard keeping up with all these trees in my way. Soon I was too far away from the route to find my way back, but I wasn't leaving until I found out what was wrong with him. It was as if something compelled him to change direction.

When I finally caught up with him, he had already stopped. "Gallade, what are you doing? We don't have time for—"

He hushed me, and then turned back to the area in front of him. A Celebi flew out to us. I didn't see that coming and jumped back in fright.

'I apologize for the scare,' She said, panting. 'Calvin, right?'

"Yes," I said. "Is everything okay? You're all the way out in Kanto."

'I'm being chased,' She said. 'I know you're Arceus' third in command, so…can you please help me?'

"Of course," She nestled herself in my arms. "Who's chasing you?"

'Hunters,' She said. 'They're trying to capture me.'

Pokémon hunting was supposed to have been outlawed in 1982, and yet here we were in 2010, and they still did it. We're talking about the same type of people who killed Serena's parents and almost captured Millie while she was running an errand. They never said who brought it up in the first place, because the 80's was such a crazy decade. I wouldn't be surprised if someone smudged the information.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

Just to test that pledge, a fireball exploded in our vicinity. I covered my eyes and ran through the trees.

"Great!" I yelled. "I just wanted to speak to my father, and now I'm being hunted!"

'Calvin, duck!'

I did as I was told, and ducked. When I looked up, a tree had been sliced clean through its trunk, and fell towards us. I backed up and tripped over a tree root, and rolled downhill towards a river. I shielded Celebi with my body until I came to a stop.

"Celebi…" She wasn't in my arms. "Celebi?"

She was lying unconscious by the water in front of me. I sprang to my feet, just to get caught in another trap. A Scyther blade appeared around my neck, and I stood still. He could easily behead me.

"Thanks for cooperating," A voice echoed. Make that two, as two men in identical suits, accompanied by three more men and a Magmortar, slid down the hill and joined us by the riverside. They picked Celebi up.

"I thought you guys were legit," I said. "You have organizations for this?"

"Keep quiet, or he'll kill you," The Scyther's blade drew closer. I sighed.

'What is this, my sixth death threat?' Death threats were my new look, but not many seemed to faze me anymore. "I'm getting too old for this crap. Gallade," I slipped out of the Scyther's arm and Gallade hit him with a powerful jump kick. The Magmortar was getting ready to attack next. I picked some dirt up and threw it into his eyes and he fumbled the attack, shooting it directly into the ground where it exploded, whipping up some cover smoke. I dove for Celebi and caught her, and rolled and continued up the riverside.

"Celebi, wake up!" She opened her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I was faking," She sprang to life. "Let's get away quick, before they realize we've escaped—"

"Too late!" The hunters' Scyther landed in front of us, and was in the process of beheading me again when Gallade pushed me out of the way, and took the hit. He countered with his razor sharp arms and picked the Scyther up and threw him against a tree. Celebi's eyes started to glow.

'I can't take this!'

"Hand her over," The hunter called. "Or we will kill you."

"Oh come on," I groaned. "Is that the best you got?"

"Have it your way. Magmortar!"

"Gallade!"

The two launched their attacks. Celebi broke free of my grip and stood between us as the attacks collided, with the residual force whipping me off the ground and into a tree. I fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

"Celebi…" I muttered. "Celebi!"

I opened my eyes. I was lying in the same spot, except now the sun had drifted into the late afternoon. I looked up. Gallade was lying across from me, but there was no sign of Celebi.

"Gallade, wake up," I walked over to him and shook him awake. "No, no, no…damn it, they took her."

Not only was I now sidetracked, but I had to broaden my search to not only looking for Morgan but also freeing a fellow legendary from the clutches of some pokémon hunters. Arceus wouldn't be too pleased to hear this. I looked up and down the river. There were no signs of a battle. This was the exact same place, so how could there not be any? Gallade groaned, but I figured it was because of the incident earlier. I needed to contact Latias and the others to tell them what had happened so that we could assess the problem better. The best thing to do right now was to return to mom and Nate, and tell them that I couldn't stay. Dad should've been home by now. Whatever he had to say, he had better make it quick.

"Gallade, we've got to go," I called, heading toward the trees. "We have to find Celebi."

He wasn't following. This was a first for him.

"Gallade, what are you waiting for…" I looked back to him. There was blood in his hand. He looked at it, and then to me. There was a large, deep cut on his side. His eyes rolled back and he started to collapse. "Gallade!" I caught him halfway. "Hold on, just hold on!"

I took off my shirt and wrapped it around his midsection, and then helped him up. We started to walk slowly, back through the forest in at least a straight line. Hopefully doing so would help us get back to the route. We then walked for hours through the endless forest until nightfall, almost losing all sight, and hope that we would ever find the route. Gallade's condition was deteriorating, and I had to get him help fast before he lost consciousness.

"Thanks for the save," I never did thank him for stepping in the way of that Scyther's blade. "Now I'm returning the favor. But I can't do that unless we find the route."

"Is someone out there?"

That voice echoed from nearby. We didn't find the route, but maybe we could get some help from some travelers. I turned in the direction of the voice, with light from a campfire entering my darkened field of vision. The campers were no more than seventeen or eighteen, and they jumped back in shock when they saw our conditions.

"Well, this is something you don't see every day," I joked. "My friend needs some help."

These travelers didn't look anything like the kids I usually saw. For some strange reason their physical attire looked very retro, but I didn't have time to fascinate myself over this. These travelers, fortunately had supplies and they helped me lower Gallade onto an extra sleeping bag where we took care of him.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Natalie," She said. "Um, what happened to him?"

I sighed. "We were in a battle with some pokémon hunters and a Scyther injured him."

"Well, that's not new," She said. "That's like the hundredth attack this year."

She rejoined her friends, leaving me confused. I followed after I finished taking care of Gallade and sat by the fire.

"What do you mean 'the hundredth attack this year'?"

"Pokémon hunting is an everyday thing," She said. "There's nothing much we can do about it. I had to beg my mom to let me become a trainer."

"Pokémon hunting is outlawed," I said. "There can't be that many attacks this year, or Kanto would've been in a state of emergency."

"They didn't outlaw it yet, but I heard that they might be in the process of doing it."

'You've got to be kidding me,' No signs of a battle where we woke up, a disappearance of both Celebi and the hunters, the fact that these kids didn't have a clue what I was talking about, and their physical attire. "Wait…I know this might be a stupid question, but…what year is this?"

The three looked at each other, whispered amongst themselves and then returned to me.

"1982."