Everything was moving too fast.

Before anyone could blink, the huge volcano Pokémon released his attack.

But before he could exhale, Feraligatr plunged on the fire starter's neck.

Resulting with the flames shot down right next to Silver's face; its spark crackling his neck and left cheek.

Silver screamed in pain; finally a sound emitting from him. His Pokémon crowded to his aid. Feraligatr and Typhlosion roared and battled savagely. Scratches, deep bites, flames, and a wave of water were everywhere.

Feraligatr threw Typhlosion to a tree. The fire starter crashed on it, and it ended with the tree being broken into a million wooden pieces. Typhlosion quickly stood on all fours and rocketed towards his best friend. He jumped up in the air and rolled into a ball; attacking with his Flame Wheel of a cannon ball.

Feraligatr gripped the round starter with his huge claws. But as a result, his body lost its balance and the water starter got slammed down on his back.

Typhlosion stretched his body back to his original shape and landed a heavy punch on Feraligatr's jaw. 'Stay out of my way or I will kill you!' The volcano Pokémon shrieked madly, his eyes blinded with malice and vengeance.

Even though Feraligatr knew his best friend didn't actually mean it, but the empty, rage-inducing threat broke his heart a little. His own best friend – the Pokémon who he spent growing up together with ever since they were in eggs – was planning to destroy him if he got in the way. Taking one sharp breath, the water starter opened his bruised jaw and released Hydro Cannon. Luckily, it repelled Typhlosion off him and up in the air.

Feraligatr jumped back to his feet and roared, 'You calm down bro!'

A loud crash was heard as Typhlosion crashed to the ground. He shook his head in dizziness. His skin rippled on the side of his right eye. The raging beast stood on all fours, stared upfront and snarled viciously. 'Do notcall me bro! I am not friends with a murderer's Pokémon!'

Okay, rage-inducing or not, that seriously broke Feraligatr's heart.

A low, painful groan vibrated in Typhlosion's ears, making them twitch upright. The fire starter turned his attention towards the sound. The others were helping Silver; enraging him even more.

Without haste, Typhlosion dashed towards Silver.

Realizing his trainer was in more danger, Feraligatr came back to reality and chased after his best friend. 'Oh no you don't!'

White and N stared in complete aghast. Her body froze to the bone to see so much destruction and violence. Her blood boiled up to her brain. N himself was getting nauseous and bewildered by the moment.

Finally, in unison, both of them yelled, "Reshiram! Zekrom! DO SOMETHING!"

'That is enough! Both of you!' Reshiram roared triumphantly into the cloudy skies. Zekrom roared as well, releasing bright blue bolts. Using his Psychic, Reshiram lifted the two huge males up in the air, stopping them. Banette quickly barged in and used her Hypnosis on the Johto starters.

Their eyes blinked once, twice, and then finally seized to a shut.

Both of them finally dozed into a deep sleep.

At the same time, rain began to pour down. 'Oops,' Zekrom muttered guiltily. 'It seems one of my thunder cracked open a cloud that was filled with water. Sorry brother.' The deep black Pokémon scratched the back of his neck and flashed a silly grin.

Reshiram sighed ruefully. He despised getting wet. 'It is okay, brother.'

Everything finally calmed down.

Everything – but not everyone.

White fell to her knees. Sounds of splashing puddles were heard from her. Her eyes remained open to see the destruction before her. Even in the rain, the faint scent of blood still lingered in the humid air. Her lips were parted and shaking as tears was the only thing that streamed down her cheeks. White covered her face with her trembling hands.

As time ticked on, all she could think of was, Kotone…

"Eww, seriously, have you guys ever heard of cleaning?" Kotone nagged as she walked around the rundown laboratory. She swiped a dusty table with her gloved finger. The woman made a disgusted expression and shook her head. "If Giovanni saw this, he would kill all of you."

The three executives, however, could barely decipher her words at all. They were all blank and blur at the situation happening in front of them: Kotone was a member of Team Rocket.

Ariana looked at Archer. The man leaned against a wall, arms crossed. "Mind telling me why our arch enemy has become one of us?"

The bluenette took one long breath. Proton and Petrel also gave a confusing stare, both curious at the unbelievable manner. Archer looked at the device in his hand. Honestly, he himself was slightly shocked. Yet, he kept a poker face as he explained. "You see, Mewtwo is the most powerful psychic Pokémon there is. He has one power no other Pokémon has: controlling minds. And when Kotone touched Mewtwo, it triggered with her mind. The shocks that were given to Mewtwo immediately transferred to Kotone once in contact. And apparently, since those two were close before, it affected her mind and memory completely. And quickly than I expected too." He tapped his chin, head wandered in a thought. "I guess she'll have to do…" His lips muttered in a low tone.

Yet enough to be heard by Ariana. "'She'll have to do'?" Ariana took a few steps closer. What does he mean by 'she'll have to do'? Her attention was fully on him.

Archer let out a sigh and stared at the young brunette. Kotone was walking around, mouth still blabbering about stuff he didn't care. He pursed his lips.

"Archer," she said. Her voice toned down into a scowl. Ariana poked his shoulder. "What do you mean by that?" The executive didn't reply, and that irritated her even more.

Archer looked to his side and tilted downwards to face her. Their faces were close. Their eyes met. He could see the tension in her. She could see the truth hidden in him. Another sigh escaped his mouth. "To be honest," he said, "I wanted Silver to be the target."

Her eyes widened in shock. Petrel and Proton stood behind her, also having the same shocked reaction as her.

"What?" She asked dumbly. "You– That's your initial plan? To let Mewtwo brainwash Silver in joining us?" Her heart raced inside her chest. She couldn't believe her ears. It was shocking enough to discover about Mewtwo's powers, but imagining Silver being a part of Team Rocket?

To be honest, she liked that idea.

But Archer's next explanation shattered her spirits. "He is Giovanni's son. So I figured if Silver was a Rocket, it will give us an advantage. His intellect and ability that are exactly like Giovanni's will give us a heads up." He shrugged his shoulders. An eyebrow arched on his face. Ariana's mouth was slightly agape.

"Oh…" She muttered, voice hiding her disappointment. Guess he didn't really miss him at all.

The man pushed his body forward. He positioned himself so that he fully faced the petite executive. "But I figured since Kotone is the strongest trainer around, she will provide us enough profit. When we have full control over the most powerful trainer, then there will be no one stopping us." Archer laughed diabolically. Ariana looked away and huffed bitterly.

Petrel rolled his eyes. Proton looked at Kotone. The new Rocket member was now flipping through some old books on a crooked shelf. Kotone made a curious face and threw the notebook away. For some unknown reason, it sparked something in the youngest executive's eyes. He knew the brunette has charms and attractions of her own. Ever since they first met, she caught his attention – even though at that time, they were enemies.

"Mewtwo controls Kotone. And since I have full control over Mewtwo, that means I control the girl too." A sly smile carved the bluenette's face. He looked at the device. "Nothing will stop us now." Archer looked at Proton, who seemed distracted. "Proton!"

The man snapped his head to face their current leader. His body jumped to hear Archer's voice. "Y-yes?"

Thankfully, the bluenette didn't realize that Proton was silently gawking at Kotone. "You guard the perimeter. We don't know whether those brats would come back for a second round." He looked at Kotone, his smile back on his face. "But I doubt they will come back though."

All eyes were on Kotone. She was now skipping inside the room. Even with her mind being completely scrambled, she still maintained her adorable, perky self.

And the more Proton looked at her, the more his heartbeat paced.

The night covered the sky. Stars twinkled above them. The moon shined majestically. It stopped raining, much to their relief. But that was never enough to remove the misery raiding in them.

White sat on a log – which was from the broken tree – in front of a campfire. Her eyes were dull and heavy. Her body felt stiff and tired. Energy was drained from her. Her spirit was slowly flowing out of her. Suddenly, she felt something covering her body. A warm red blanket was placed on White's back. She looked up, only to see N giving an assuring smile to her.

Sadly, she had lost all her will to smile. White sighed in sorrow and looked down.

The tall man took a seat next to her. It wobbled the log, but the two didn't fall. "How are you feeling?" N asked, voice worried for her. White shook her head slowly.

"How do you think I feel?" She replied coldly. Her voice was harsh and squeaky. She rubbed her cold arms together. "I just lost my cousin. Team Rocket has stolen Mewtwo and is planning to use it for bad. Kotone's boyfriend has completely lost his mind. And to make matters worse, he almost got fried by a mad Typhlosion." She covered her face with her hands. "And right now, I'm having a massive headache…"

N posed a frown. He looked far to his right. Silver was sitting by the lake. He had been very quiet ever since the Typhlosion incident. And the fire starter himself? He was sitting on top of the biggest tree there was, trying his best to distance away from the man. Kotone's other Pokémon all sat near the volcano Pokémon, just in case he went berserk again. Silver's team of six crowded the redhead, both protecting and worrying for their statuesque trainer.

The green-haired man bit the insides of his cheeks. "I'm really sorry all of this is happening…" He muttered quietly, sharing the pain his girlfriend was feeling. "But Kotone isn't gone. She's still alive."

White didn't know whether it's the cranky talking or that she was just really tired, but her next words were, "In this case, she should be better off dead."

Emerald eyes widened in total aghast. "White!"

His voice jumped her. The brunette almost tripped off the log, but Samurott quickly gripped her. The formidable Pokémon eyed N in a way of him saying, 'Don't shriek you dumbass.'

N blinked in stupor. He shook his head and took a few deep breaths. White rubbed her throbbing temple. She felt cold, even with the blanket. Her arms prickled terribly as the wind got chillier. Sensing his trainer's discomfort, Samurott called out for Volcarona. In a few seconds, the sun Pokémon fluttered towards them and stopped behind White. Her four scaly legs clutched the woman's bare arms and her six majestic wings slowly wrapped around White; acting as her personal jacket.

The brunette huffed in ease as she felt warmth from Volcarona. Her hands cupped each another as it hid comfortably inside the sun Pokémon's wings. She looked at N, who gave her an uneasy expression. "I'm sorry…" She apologized grimly. "It's just…all of this is hitting me all at once. As much as I love Kotone, but I don't want to see her suffer like this." She shut her eyes. If it weren't for the fact that her tears had all dried up, she would have cried some more. "I don't want anyone to suffer like this…"

N slowly gripped her shoulder, giving her a soft squeeze. "Trust me. We'll find a way to solve this."

The woman chuckled bitterly, as if mocking the greenette's positive attitude. "And how do you suggest that?"

He stayed silent for a good minute. White was right: They were all dumbfounded about the situation. Still, he masked his emotions pretty well. "We will find a way. For now, you get some sleep. Your Pokémon and I myself are worried about you."

Volcarona and Samurott purred as an agreement to what to human said. White puckered her lips inside and let out an irritated puff. "How do you expect me to sleep with all this bullshit happening?"

N sighed. "You have to sleep, my dear White. Your mind is in a daze. Your body is tensing up. Your eyes are red and puffy. And to be honest, it's not very endearing to look at." He tried to hold back a smirk at his last sentence. Luckily, that earned him a cold stare from White – which was a good thing.

White rolled her eyes and puffed out some cold air. She glanced at the redhead near the lake. Her frown came back to her face. Her eyes glistened in a tearful glow. N followed her gaze and also looked at Silver. He stared at the woman next to him. Worry was written all over her face. It made N sad. He hated seeing the woman he loved being miserable. "His Pokémon are as awake as him. They could barely get some shut eye even if they wanted to. They'll protect Silver just in case he did anything…rash."

Even in the safe warmth of her Volcarona, White trembled in fear at the thought something bad would happen to Silver again. "Very well…" Finally, she gave in. She stood up properly, feeling wobbly from fatigue. Volcarona opened her wings and flapped them up in the air. She flew towards Reshiram and placed her trainer on top of the vast white Pokémon.

N watched as White snuggled peacefully. His eyes narrowed slowly, feeling tired himself. 'You better get some rest too.' Samurott's voice slapped him back to reality. N stared at Samurott. "I will. You don't need to remind me."

The water starter yawned heavily and scratched the back of his ear. 'Well, sometimes a little reminder doesn't hurt.' A small smile curved upon his lips to see Lillil coming towards them. She stopped beside the green-haired human. 'How are Typhlosion and the others?' Samurott asked, voice immediately changed into a much softer tone. N couldn't help but chuckle at the formidable Pokémon's instant alteration in behaviour.

The Lilligant curved a small smile. 'The Sweet Scent calmed them down. So there won't be any rough housing tonight.'

That gave a sense of ease in their minds. 'Good. Coz I can't stand seeing more violence.'

'You think I like it?' Lillil asked sarcastically. She ignored Samurott's sour grumble and looked at White. 'She's asleep?'

N nodded and scratched his neck. "Yes. And both of you should too."

'Aren't you going to sleep too?' Lillil asked curiously. Samurott also fixed his gaze on N. The two Pokémon waited for the former king's answer. N flashed an assuring smile and waved his hands slowly. "I'll sleep. I just…I need to handle some things first." He flashed a quick peek at the redheaded man. Samurott caught his glimpse, and quickly understood his motive.

Sadly, Lillil was a bit slower tonight. 'What kind of-'

'Okay naptime!' Before she could finish, Samurott butted in and threw the stunned Lilligant up in the air. A short yelp escaped her tiny mouth. Lillil landed on the water starter's back with a thud. She gasped in panic, her leafy hand holding her chest. A sharp, deadly glare was given as Samurott let out an amusing chuckle.

'What was that for?!' She shouted madly.

Samurott flinched at her loud, high-pitched voice. 'Would you stop screaming? You're gonna wake everybody up.'

'You started it!' She replied, voice still in a shriek. Samurott groaned out loud and just walked away, letting the female nag and ramble like she usually does.

N watched as they move farther from his range of vision. He couldn't help but smile at their lovely friendship. He then focused his attention on Silver. Taking one deep breath, he paced his feet towards him.

Typhlosion stared emptily into the night sky. He was sitting at the peak of the biggest tree. His chin was placed on his front paws. His frown stayed on his face ever since he woke up. Thanks to Lillil's Sweet Scent, it calmed him down. But that never removed the sorrow and despair that was glued to every ounce of his veins. He shut his eyes, only to regret it sooner. All he could see was Kotone. He could vividly remember their time together. Typhlosion was the closest to the brunette compared to the other five. And he was the most devastated the minute he lost Kotone.

His claw scratched the thick bark. His throat was sore from all the roars and cries. He had lost all his will to do anything.

Suddenly, sounds of rustling occupied his earshot. Typhlosion didn't move a muscle. The scent was enough to tell him who it was.

Ampharos finally reached the top. She let out a tiring gasp. 'Dammit Typhlosion. Next time if you wanted to sulk, find a place that doesn't involve climbing.'

The volcano Pokémon didn't reply a peep. The light Pokémon carefully walked through the thick leaves and finally landed a spot next to the huge fire starter. She looked at him, who was still lost in his thoughts. Silence filled the atmosphere for a few minutes. The more she looked at him, the more worried she got. 'How are you feeling?' She finally asked.

He didn't answer her. The wind blew softly around them. Their fur swayed slowly. Typhlosion's ears twitched to feel the twist and turn of the air.

Ampharos pursed her lips. 'It's okay if you don't wanna talk. I just wanna see if you're okay.'

Finally, after two breaths, Typhlosion spoke. 'How's your injury?'

The female Pokémon was slightly shocked at his response. 'Ah…It's fine. Thanks to Lillil's healing powers, my wounds have closed up. Even the others are getting their strengths back.'

'That's good.' He replied coldly. Obviously, he didn't have the mood to talk. Even so, Ampharos wasn't intending to leave his side. She looked at him carefully. The scar on the side of his right eye was barely visible, but enough to show under the moonlight. Her heart broke to see such misery in his gaze. Typhlosion was never that. He was always a hothead, impatient, hasty, and slightly – or always – temperamental. But she knew deep inside all of those, he was sweet, loving, caring, and definitely a loyal Pokémon. The fire starter would do anything to defend the ones he loved. And even with his rash attitude, that was his way of caring.

Thinking about it, it lifted her spirits a little bit. 'Hey Ty, do you remember our first time we met?'

His body posture never changed, but Ampharos was happy enough when she heard him mumble, 'What about it?'

'Well…' She scooted a bit closer to him. 'I remember it clearly. I was taking a peaceful nap behind the bushes. When suddenly, this nasty looking Cyndaquil came barging right through the bushes and screamed "Kotone! Kotone! I found a Pokemon! I found a Pokemon!" I swear, you were shrieking like a Loudred and I almost jumped up in the air.'

Ampharos was getting happier to hear a single, faint chuckle from her friend. 'So?' He asked blankly, eyes on the ground below.

'So, you almost scared me to death, stupid!' The light Pokémon playfully slapped Typhlosion's back. 'And then when I woke up, I saw you jumping like an idiot and I saw Kotone standing and smiling behind you.' She looked at the starry sky above them. 'I remember her face when she saw me. She was happy and excited; almost thrilled to see me. I didn't know what or why back then, but it gave me a sense of belonging when I saw our trainer's face.'

A soft smile tapped the edge of his upper lip. He remained quiet as Ampharos continued. 'I never had a human friend before. I saw my friends being captured and trained by other trainers. But that never piqued my interest to be one of them. I love being free. I love being able to live without anyone to boss me around. But when I saw Kotone all happy and cheering when she first saw me, it made me feel needed. It made me feel like there's something missing in me all along. And Kotone was there to fill it in.' Her eyes glistened with tears. Yet Ampharos kept her voice steady. 'You two made me realize how much fun it was to be in a team. How much I was missing all the action.'

Typhlosion just kept quiet. He listened. All her words were flowing in his ears. The memory of their first encounter danced in his mind. He could still remember Kotone's face when she caught Mareep. And that was also the first time he felt slightly jealous.

Thinking back, it was kind of funny why he even felt that way.

'And remember when we won our first gym leader battle?' Ampharos kept talking. 'Oh man. Kotone was practically screaming and jumping in joy back then! Even though she knew we were on a very high, very dangerous place.' Slowly, a smile curved at the edge of both their lips. The light Pokémon's voice was beginning to sound cheerful too. 'She kept hugging me and kissing me even though she knew she might get electrocuted. And to make it more awesome, you finally evolved into a Quilava right after flaming that Pidgeot. That was like the happiest day of our lives!'

The female flapped her arms excitingly as she spoke. Typhlosion finally laughed along. His voice was still croaked, but hearing his laughter was enough to light the spark in her. Ampharos chortled happily and playfully nudge her companion. 'That was my favourite memory of them all.' She spoke quietly with a dash of giggles. The light Pokémon looked at him. With a soft, secure smile, she said, 'And I promise you, we will get our Kotone back. And we're gonna make more happy memories together soon.'

His laughter went to an abrupt halt. He looked at Ampharos, who was biting her lip on what she just said. His smile withered down, but not into a frown. Typhlosion sighed ruefully and looked forward.

Slowly and carefully, Ampharos muttered, 'It's never Silver's fault. You know that. He is suffering as much as we are. And neither is Mewtwo's. They are all tortured and we need to work together to save them all.'

She heard him emit a bitter chuckle. The front of his paws were stretched, making him arch back. Typhlosion looked to his side. The female was patiently waiting for his response. Her eyes were shiny with faint tears. Her lips were pursing inside. The two stayed in that position, sitting very closely with the sounds of their breaths as music.

The more he looked at her, the more it made him realize things. Other than Kotone, Ampharos was the only one that endured and dealt with his hasty ways. Even though sometimes his comrades would just ignore him when he went mad, Ampharos will be the one to calm him down. The light Pokémon didn't care about his loud potty mouth. The light Pokémon didn't care whether he was acting rude to her at times. In fact, the light Pokémon didn't even care if he bullied her out of boredom.

Her patience and gentle nature caught his heart ever since.

He breathed slowly. Red blazing eyes stared at her pure black orbs. Finally, Typhlosion gave in and groaned. 'Fine.'

Even with one single word, that was enough for her. 'Yayy!' The light Pokémon waved her arms in joy.

And as she did that, he couldn't help but smile.

But her cheering stopped as Typhlosion nonchalantly flicked her forehead.

'Oww!' The light Pokémon yelped numbly. She glared at her friend, who was now laughing full-heartedly. Well, at least he was back to normal. 'What was that for?'

He snorted. 'You're being loud. People are trying to sleep.' Typhlosion curled into a ball and exhaled a few smoke off his nostrils. She heard him grumble, and he couldn't stop snickering about it.

Ampharos cast a few death glares. Even so, she couldn't resist the urge to laugh and smile at her friend's change in behaviour. The important thing now is he's back to normal again. She yawned sleepily and curled next to Typhlosion. His body heat was warm enough to make her feel snugly. 'Goodnight stupid.'

'Shut up moron.' He mumbled groggily. She giggled bashfully and fell into a deep sleep.

Before his eyes were shut, Typhlosion's mind only stayed on one thing: Don't worry Kotone, Mewtwo. We're coming to save you.

Silver sat quietly. His legs were hugged in his arms and brought to his chest. His eyes remained on the clear water surface. The man hadn't moved since the horrifying incident. His heartbeat was the only thing he heard.

His Pokémon all stood behind him, completely worried for their trainer. He was stiff as a rock. Suddenly, sounds of feet tapping took their attention. Six heads turned around, only to see N walking towards them.

Feraligatr walked a few steps forward and stopped him. 'What do you want?' He crouched forward, mouth giving a low growl to the human.

N stopped his pace. He raised in hands in a form of defeat. "I just wish to see if Silver is alright."

'I don't think that's a good idea.' The big jaw Pokémon quickly replied. The greenette blinked in stupor then shook his head. "I won't hurt him."

'It's not him I'm worrying about.' Feraligatr growled under his throat. It took N a few minutes though to finally realize what the starter meant. "I do appreciate the concern, but I will be fine. I just need to talk to him for a while."

Feraligatr paused for a moment, contemplating on the idea. He looked at his friends. All of them were giving hesitant gazes.

"If you want, you can stand a few feet away from us. So if I'm in trouble – in which I won't be – you will be there." N negotiated with the Pokémon. He flashed a smile, his eyes never leaving them.

Finally, the huge water starter nodded in agreement. 'Fine. But you have 15 minutes.' Barking a command, they moved away from their trainer. Sneasel gave a brief glance over Silver, then he looked at N. 'Please be careful.'

The tall man nodded. "I will."

Finally, the two men were left alone. Silver still kept his body posture frozen. Taking one deep breath, N walked towards him. "Hey," he said, but received no response. Keeping his heart steady, the young king sat next to Silver.

He froze to see him. Even with the red bangs covering, he could see dark holes under his eyes. His lips were pale. His cheeks were colourless as well. His nose, however, was red as an apple. N didn't know how many times or how long Silver had cried, but judging by how he looked, it must have been horrible.

He coughed awkwardly. "Um…" Great. How am I going to start this? He was horrible at human communication. Even though White once said it's almost the same as conversing with a Pokémon, N found that hard to believe. He twiddled his fingers, eyes on the lake. The two sat quietly in an awkward silence.

"What do you want…?"

The greenette froze to hear a voice. He looked beside him. Silver was still sitting, still facing the lake. "I…" N stuttered quietly, unknowing on what to say. He sat properly and adjusted his cap. "I wanted to see if you are okay."

Three breaths later, "Why do you care?" Silver asked indifferently. His voice was faint and muffled. It was like a dead whisper.

N bit the insides of his cheeks. Silver had a point: Why did he care? He thought for awhile, then finally answered, "It's because you are my friend." It was true though. N did see him as a friend.

But he flinched to hear a chuckle – or more like a wheeze – breathed through the redhead's mouth. But N took that as a good sign. At least he was responding, right? The greenette plucked up some courage and continued. "It's true. I have considered you my friend." Even though you are harsh and scary.

But N wasn't going to say that out loud.

Silver kept his mouth tightly shut. His eyes were never averted from the clear lake. He saw a few Magikarps and Goldeens splashed by.

N could feel his muscle tense in uneasiness. "Look, I am terribly sorry that all of this is happening. And about Typhlosion, I don't know if you understood him back then, but even if you don't, he didn't mean all those things. He was angry. Very angry. But none of this is your fault."

Silver's fists slowly clenched in and out as N explained. He shut his eyes. His neck and cheek still stung from the burn. His chest was still aching sorely from the rough push. "Idiot…" His mouth moved to the word, but it wasn't verbal to N's ears.

"Excuse me?" The tall man leaned closer.

"I said idiot!" The redhead screamed a bit louder, throwing N off guard. Sensing the intense rage, the Pokémon began to move closer, but was quickly halted by N's signal. He adjusted his seating position and looked at the grim man.

"But I-"

Silver cut him off with a maniacal laugh. "You don't know anything about me." He finally shot a gaze at N. The greenette shivered in fear at his ruthless glare. "You think you know me, do you? You think just because you're shacking her cousin means you know shit about me, huh?"

N didn't know what 'shacking' means, but he defined it as 'being friends' in his head. "I- Look, it's true. I don't really know who you are or what your past is. But maybe – just maybe – I could help you. I know what it feels like to be lost and lose what you have."

Silver replied with a mocking laugh. "Oh really?" His voice began to sound even and loud, yet still crackling after all the crying and screaming. "You do know how it feels like huh? Well, tell me, have you ever think that the whole world is rainbows and shit when you were young? Tell me, have you ever think that nothing will go wrong in life? Tell me, have you ever stopped to think that maybe – just maybe – things will finally go as planned?" His voice got louder and louder on each question. N just stayed quiet, letting the redhead vent out his anger.

The next questions were louder. "Tell me, have you ever lost your mother in a mentally traumatizing accident? Tell me, did your father ignored your existence and cared more about his stupid organization than his own son?! Tell me, did your past ever haunt you that it will never let you rest in peace?! Tell me! Were you ever emotionally disturbed that you have to shield your weakness by acting all high and mighty?! Tell me!"

His voice echoed under the night sky. It even shook the Pidgeys and Hoothoots out of their nests. N remained calm as Silver yelled. The redhead's breathing got rapid. His heartbeat increased every second. He clenched the bits of grass, holding back the need to punch himself.

"No. You don't know me!" He hissed insanely, almost like a Pokémon. "All my life, I've been hiding the real me. I hate myself. I hate for who I am. Nobody knows me. Not you. Not my Pokémon. Not even-" Silver stopped abruptly. His silver eyes widened. His mouth was agape. "Not even Kotone…" The last word turned into a whisper. His hands fell to his sides. The man looked down, his hair sliding to his face.

Kotone, the only woman who loved him dearly and honestly. Kotone, the only woman who put up with him and all his mean antics. Kotone, the only woman who knew a glimpse of his past and still accepted him as he is.

Kotone, the woman who was now a part of Team Rocket.

Crack! He swore he could hear what's left of his heart breaking.

He shut his eyes. All he could see was her smile, her laugh; things that killed him inside. "I never asked for anything special…" Silver sobbed woefully. His roughly bit his lower lip, holding back the urge to wail like a madman. "But in the end, I've lost everything…" The man hugged his knees and slammed his forehead on them. "All the people I loved. All the people that are important to me…They've all disappeared from my life…" His body trembled viciously. He felt like his throat was clogged, like he couldn't breathe.

His heart was more than broken. It was completely destroyed; utterly demolished into a million unfixable dusts. Even with the warmth and comfort from his Pokémon, nothing could make him feel whole again; like the man he once was.

Because as much as it killed him, his mind will always be set on one thing: He had lost his only ray of hope in life.

N watched as Silver mourned in despair. To hear what he just said. To see what he was witnessing. It shattered him as well. He was baffled to hear the words from his mouth. It made him realize how much they are alike in a way. N looked at the lake. Sounds of sobs occupied each other's earshot. Feeling miserable from past faults. To feel like those memories would only haunt you until you're dead. He sighed bitterly. He definitely knew how that feels like.

Taking one deep breath, his hand slowly moved to touch Silver's shoulder. He gave a soft squeeze, but the redhead didn't respond. "You probably don't believe me, but I do know what it feels like to not to be loved. I once saw the world as a happy place. But at the same time, I saw humans as a despicable threat to the Pokémon race. I wanted them gone. I wanted Pokémon and humans to be separated like black and white."

"But all this time, as I moved on, I realized how wrong I was. I wasn't born with love and care. I was raised with deceit and betrayal as my guidance. I was given false hopes and lies as I grew up. All the things I knew turned out to be wrong in so many ways." N plucked up all the courage and will to say it without stuttering. Oh how he kept it for so long. How he wanted all those memories to just disappear and start anew. But as much as he wished for that, N knew that would never happen.

"I have no mother," he said slowly, but clearly. "I have no father – or at least, one who can actually act like a father. Like yours, he only cared for his organization; never me. He lied to me. He played me like a puppet. I was like a fool to believe his words. And I never knew or saw my mother's face. I was raised with two strangers. They were the closest things I have for a 'mother'." His own voice began to shake with tears. N gulped it down and exhaled slowly.

Emerald eyes opened, sharply looking at the man next to him. "I pretended to be strong and knowledgeable. But all of them were masks to hide my insecurity and despair. That is until I met White. The first human I trust and befriended. She showed me many things. She opened my eyes to what I was missing; what I was wrong about. I was stubborn at first and neglected her. But at the same time, I myself was slowly looking back to what I was doing."

"And I almost lost her." N stopped for awhile. His teeth were gritted inside his mouth. For a brief second, he could still hear the laugh of the deranged lunatic he once called 'father'. He could feel his skin prickle on his arms. "I also left her out of guilt. I thought I'd lost her forever. I thought I could move on without my new friend. But as time flies, I realized I was wrong." The man gulped another cry and looked at Silver. He was still hiding his face, but was carefully listening to N.

"I was afraid that she was mad or had forgotten me when I came back. But to my joy, she welcomed me with open arms. And I learned one thing that day. When you want something or someone so bad, no matter what you do or where you are, in the end, if it's meant to be, fate will bring you two back together." The man took another deep breath and sat up straight. He flashed an assuring, confident smile. "That is why I believe that we can save Kotone and Mewtwo. You will get Kotone back. No matter how terrible the situation is now, there will be a way to stop them."

Silver fidgeted in his place, which was a good sign for N. "Everybody deserves a second chance." The greenette said in a positive tone.

And the second Silver heard him said that, it sounded a lot like Kotone's voice.

No matter how hard he tried, she will never leave his mind.

His fists clenched tightly. His feet tapped roughly on the ground. His teeth were clenching as hard as they could. Tears trickled down, giving his eyes a good sore.

N looked at him in confusion. Silver was shaking, and it worried him. He scooted an inch closer. "Sil-"

Before he could finish, Silver pounced on him.

The Pokémon quickly moved to the greenette's aid.

But they also stopped the second they realized what was happening.

Silver didn't pounce on N in a form of an attack, but in a form of a hug.

He was hugging the stunned man.

N froze completely. His arms were up in the air. Silver was wrapping his arms around his waist. His face was hidden on his shirt. The greenette could feel his shirt getting wet, possibly from Silver's tears.

"I hate this…" He heard Silver mumble. "Why…"

N was speechless. His attention was more on the sudden hug attack. Slowly, he patted Silver's back. He pursed his lips inside. N was definitely not used to being hugged by random humans. But he didn't push him away either. His hands moved to his red hair, patting it softly like how a mother would pat her child. Curving a small smile, he said, "Everybody does deserve a second chance. Just don't stop hoping, okay."

Silver didn't nod, neither did he shake. He just hugged him and mourned on his now soaked shirt.

The Pokémon watched in bewilderment. Sneasel let out a quiet sigh. He looked up into the dark starry sky. At least Silver isn't on a rampage again, he thought.

But one thing was for sure: All of them weren't about to give up without a fight.

Archer examined the sleeping Mewtwo in the tube. His finger lightly tapped his chin, eyes focusing on the genetic Pokémon. All kinds of things occupied his mind. Many challenges had he endured to get this far. And now, after all their hardwork and downfall, Archer had finally gotten what he wanted.

Yes. Victory was so close, he could taste it.

Suddenly, a tap on the shoulder snatched his attention. Archer turned around, only to see a smiling petite brunette in front of him. "Yes Kotone?"

Kotone gave a single clap. "Guess what we're going to do tomorrow?"

Her cheerful personality seemed odd in his eyes. Kotone was brainwashed, yes. She had forgotten everything about her family, her Pokémon and even Silver, yes. But her perkiness and positive attitude was still present in her. It amused Archer though. Now, she's the happiest Rocket than Petrel.

"Do tell, child." He said calmly, hands clasped behind his back.

The woman flashed an adorable smile. As her hazel eyes blinked innocently, Kotone said in a singsong tune, "We're going to take a trip down memory lane."