Author's Note: What's up guys? I'm still in the process of studying for finals, but I'll get a little bit done whenever I can! I'm also working on Poké Ronpa since a lot of you are still waiting for that. All I gotta do is have my drive come back to me, and PR will be finished before I get started on the planned Super Poké Ronpa 2. But, here's the next chapter for Ideals of Darkness 2! There're quite a few surprises and improvisations, so beware! Happy Reading!

Because of my lingering fatigue from last night's trip to Nimbasa Park, I awoke the following morning at a later time of 11:00 am. Rubbing the slight crust from my eyes, I got dressed in a non-tattered version of my usual summer outfit, put my locket over my neck, and placed my hat on my head. After a quick teeth brush in the bathroom, I put my toiletries away in my bag and slung the strap over my shoulder before leaving the room and locking it.

I went down to the front Pokémon Center desk to return my rented key. I walked myself over to the magazine stand to look for the coveted monthly issue of "Gym Leader BL". I felt giddy when the October issue was present, and the cover told me this month's issue was a love triangle.

"Aww, sweet!" I squealed to myself as I began reading. "Things are already getting good."

Just as I was reading more of my guilty pleasure, I felt a poke on my back. Although the contact was gentle, it felt like a burst of lightning pierced through my nerves as I turned to face a middle-aged man.

"May I ask what you're reading, Miss?" he asked.

"Uhh, umm…" I squeaked, secretly putting the magazine back and grabbing the folded booklet next to it. "The newspaper! Yep, I sure love the… Nimbasa Daily! Yes I do!"

"Oh, okay. Just let me know when you're done reading. I'd like to check our fair city's paper out myself."

"Roger!"

To throw the man off further, I took the newspaper over to a table and pretended to read. But, when I looked at the front page, an article caught my eye. Next to the article titled "Park Employee Fired For Mishap At Park" describing the 32-year old owner of the "Sparky the Emolga" costume being booted from his job was a headline that read "Young Trainer Alive After Lostlorn Burial", and the details got more intense.

"'Yesterday afternoon, a 17-year old male Trainer by the name of Nathaniel James Robinson was found poorly buried at Route 16's Lostlorn Forest'," I read to myself. "'He sustained several injuries, including a blow to the head and many body cuts, and is lucky to be alive. Nate was transferred to the Nimbasa City Medical Center, where he received immediate treatment and is currently resting up.'"

Not only was the article gruesome, but the picture beside it added insult to injury. The "Nathaniel Robinson" in question was the same boy whom Haley told me ditched me instead of going to the Battle Subway. Hundreds of hunches buzzed through my mind, and there was only one way to prove them. Abandoning the newspaper on the table, I ran out of the Pokémon Center and searched through the many bustling buildings until I found the sign pointing to the Nimbasa City Medical Center.

"Excuse me," I said to the woman at the front desk inside the hospital. "I'm looking for a boy named 'Nathaniel Robinson'. He was in the news?"

"Ah, Mr. Robinson's on the… third floor," the woman answered. "The room number is 308, okay?"

I nodded in confirmation and went into the elevator. I pressed the button for the third floor and ascended. With a DING from the machine's door, I left through the open doorway and searched the even number side of the hospital hall for the room number. When I found it, I pushed the knob down and carefully entered. And there he was; lying barely conscious in the bed was Nate, bandages wrapped where his visor should be and all over his dirt-stained arms and torso.

"...Nate?" I whispered, sitting near his bed. "Nate, it's me."

"Mrmm… ahh…" Nate uttered, opening his hazel eyes and turning to me. "...Hynden? Is that you?"

"The one and only. What happened to you?"

"Augh, I can't really remember too much. I just know one minute, I'm training with Dewott and Pansear for our planned Multi-Train visit, and the next, I nearly got killed by some weird kid."

"Do you remember what the kid looked like?"

Nate thought for a minute and shook his head no. "All I know about him is… he told me to stay away from someone, and that someone was 'only his' and they wouldn't ever need me around. Then, he attacked me and hit me in the head with a shovel. And, my memory stops right there."

Nate's slightly vague description was enough to make my mind point towards a very likely candidate. Not only did I angrily realize I'd been cruelly deceived into thinking Nate abandoned me, but I also felt extremely cautious for Nate's safety. I told my friend to get well soon, and that I'd secretly visit him sometime if he was still in the hospital. Suddenly, I heard sirens wailing from outside. I looked out the window and saw they were rushing towards the Battle Subway, making a red flag pop right up in my head.

"I gotta go, Nate!" I yelped, scrambling to the door, "See you soon!"

"Bye, Hynden," he breathed, waving as I left.

I ran past a few patients down the hall. I had no time to wait in the elevator, so I took the stairs instead. I made it to the lobby faster, and hurried out the door. Making a few turns, I arrived in front of the Battle Subway, where seven injured people (both draped in sheets head to toe and exposed) were being carried into ambulances while firemen rushed inside to take care of something.

"What happened?!" I gasped, trying to run in myself.

"Stop! It's not safe in there!" an official cried, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me back. "There was an accident at the Double Line!"

"The Double Line?! Is everyone alright?!"

"Well, not quite. It was a pretty big accident, so everyone on the train at the time is being taken care of. Now, run along, Miss. We'll take care of this."

I didn't listen and kept trying to get into the Battle Subway, only to be stopped by the officials in every attempt. I eventually called it quits and walked away from the Battle Subway with great worry. As I headed towards the gate to Route 5, I turned my Xtransceiver on and sent a message to Emmet asking if he was alright. I stood tapping my foot anxiously for a few minutes until I got a relieving response. It said "Yeah, but…", so I asked him what he meant and got another message back.

"'Too serious. Accident at Battle Subway. Almost got blown up.'?" I wondered, reading the message aloud. "What the hell happened?"

I passed through the Route 5 entrance gate when the wall TV flashed on. The news anchor started talking about the recent incident, so it caught my attention with a few other people.

"Earlier this morning, an explosion went off in the seventh car of the Battle Subway's Double Line," the anchorperson announced, a firm grip on their papers as it showed the burned ruins of the Double Line train. "The only clue remaining at the crime were small pieces of the presumed bomb chip and a burnt match. The four survivors, Subway Boss Emmet included, were injured, but sadly, the other four Trainers aboard were killed in the blast. More info to follow later."

My eyes were as wide as my gaping mouth at the news report. The very ruins of the Double Line were just as horrifying. I was glad my friend and others survived, but my shock never left me even as I exited the gate to Route 5. Once I crossed the threshold, I snapped from my emotional stupor when I heard a familiar voice call me.

"Hynden! Wait up!" they exclaimed.

"Bianca?" I wondered, turning to face her. "Oh, hey! What's up, Bee?"

"Nothing much. I've been looking all over for-" Bianca stopped speaking as she darted her head around the area in fear.

"What's the matter? Who are you looking for?"

"Well, you, but I'm just making sure it's safe. I don't wanna make a certain someone mad by hogging you."

"Bee, Haley's not here. The coast is clear. What do you need me for?"

"This!" Bianca declared, handing me a Hidden Machine. "I thought you could use this since you've probably been running all over Unova. Plus, the Bolt Badge should activate its true power!"

"Fly? Bianca, thanks! I'm sure Rubella'd love to learn this!"

"And another thing. There's something I want you to see. Follow me!"

Bianca walked over to the side of the route. I started to run after her, but she shushed me and told me to keep quiet. When we reached a grove of trees, she carefully pulled back some branches and crawled through a hole with me following behind. We traversed a narrow path of leaves until we reached a secret grotto, where a sleeping Minccino wearing a flower forehead-band lie on a bed of grass.

"You wanted to show me a Minccino?" I whispered.

"No, not the Minccino! The Hidden Grotto it's in!" Bianca corrected quietly. "Sometimes, you might find Pokémon or rare item inside of these things, so I thought it'd help a little!"

"It does, thanks. Is that it, Bee?"

"Yep! Let's go before-"

The sleeping Minccino stirred in its sleep and let out a yawn. Rubbing its eyes and putting on a pair of small, rose-colored hippie shades, it looked around and gave a mellow smile before looking at me and Bianca.

"Yo, what's goin' on here?" it asked in a breathy voice that was somewhat mature. "Where'd you two righteous babes come from?"

"Oh, I think it's trying to talk to us!" Bianca beamed, kneeling down in front of the Minccino and pulling it into a tight hug. "What's your name little Minccino? Do you wanna come home with me?"

"Whoa whoa!" I heard the Minccino object calmly, pushing Bianca away from him. "Babe, you are, like, totally harshin' my mellow here. Gimme a li'l BR, okay?"

"Bianca, cool it with the hug," I told her as she put the Minccino back on its bed. "What's your name, little guy?"

"Ah, the title given to me by my two life-creators was Rudy, but that didn't flow with my mojo. So, I've got the righteous title of 'Ambrosia' now," Rudy told me. "It's a name that truly speaks of our immortality in our many lives, babe. Our physical forms won't last, but the true being within will live on forever, man."

"Groovy," I chuckled. "My name's Hynden, and this is my friend, Bianca."

"Ahh, totally radical names for such radical babes like you two," Rudy complimented. "One's total light, and the other just doesn't care about the man's norm! Just like yours truly!"

"Ooh, he's so cute! Even when you're pretending to talk to him!" Bianca squealed. "I wanna catch him so bad! I'm sure he'd be great to have around the lab!"

"Do you wanna come with us Rud- I mean, Ambrosia?" I asked, holding up a Poké Ball.

"Whoa whoa! I ain't goin' in that sphere cage ya got!" Rudy objected. "Besides, if I were to go with one of you rad babes, I'd wanna stay where I'm still a free little Pidove. As in, here, brah."

"Bianca, he said no," I told her, getting a disappointed sigh from my blonde friend.

"Hey, tell the li'l sun mama I said you two are free to come here anytime ya like," Rudy assured. "It's just the way I swing. My old compadre used to keep me in that port-o-prison you got there, but he saw the wrong of his ways and let me outta my cage. He kept visiting me until he gave up his physical form. Man, I'll never forget the true freedom he's taught me…"

"Uhh, he said we can come visit, and that he wants to be free," I summarized for Bianca. "But to make it official, I'll just register you on my team roster."

I tapped a Poké Ball to Rudy's head. After three furious shakes, it clicked shut to confirm the catch. But, I pressed the button in the center, and out the newly-caught Rudy was on his bed again.

"Now you're an official member of Team Hynden," I told him.

"Ah, totally righteous, babe! Come back soon if ya wanna chill with the A-man over here, 'k?"

I nodded once and told Bianca to follow me out of the Hidden Grotto after Rudy started kicking back in his leaf bed. We were both covered in leaves and branches when we were back on Route 5, so we picked them out one by one. Bianca blinked as though she'd just remembered something crucial and faced me while we walked towards the end of the Route.

"Hynden!" she exclaimed, "Was that you I saw on Miss Elesa's fashion show yesterday?"

"Yeah, I did fight her yesterday," I answered. "How come I didn't see you in the crowd?"

"That's because I wasn't! Hello, it was televised, silly! You were literally everywhere, including the recent 'Haute Couture: Unova' issue!"

"Gee, was my showcase really that big? That dress was kinda pretty, now that you mention it."

"Of course it was! Not only did you beat Miss Elesa, but you used to be her boss! Don't you think she'd do something to make you 'dazzle'?"

"Probably. I don't know, yesterday was a big day for me. I mean, with the whole Team Plasma raid on the Battle Subway, then the stressful amusement park date I went on-"

"You were on a date with someone?! Ooh, do tell, Hynnie! Who was the lucky guy?"

"Erm, I wouldn't exactly call it a date!" I insisted, scratching my head as my face got warmer. "But, one of the Subway Bosses took me to Nimbasa Park last night. And before you make any guesses, Ingo the Sourpuss wants nothing to do with me."

"Wait, your date was one of the Subway Bosses?!" Bianca gasped in awe. "Wow, Hynden, you've gotta be the luckiest girl alive! Though, I'm also a bit unsure about them. Aside from word that Subway Boss Emmet's a bit of a flirt, I've also heard pretty scary things about the twins' lives before they became Subway Bosses."

"What kind of things?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. They're pretty ridiculous since Ingo and Emmet seem so nice."

All of a sudden, Bianca and I heard a commotion coming from the crowd of people blocking the Driftveil Drawbridge. Pushing through the groups, we saw an Ace Trainer with short blue hair being shoved to the ground in front of his blonde, curly ponytail-haired girlfriend by someone I'd encountered in the past.

The bully was a middle-aged biker with a scruffy beard and a bald head, wearing a black jacket with ripped sleeves and dirty pale blue jeans over brown ankle boots. No matter how many times the Ace Trainer tried getting up, the biker bully just shoved him back down.

"Chad, stop this!" the woman pleaded to the biker, "Pierce and I are happy, so just leave us alone already!"

"Stay outta this, Darlene!" Chad roared in his deep gruff voice, grasping Pierce's face harshly. "I'm just tryin' ta teach this little bitch here not to steal a man's girl!"

"He didn't! Chad, I dumped you for a reason! And this only adds more to it! Leave him alone and get a life already!"

"Shut it! I'm gonna beat the snot outta this runt! Now, hold still, Pierce!" Chad taunted, saying Pierce's name mockingly as he raised his fist to the blue-haired guy.

"Someone help, please!" Pierce whimpered, covering his face. "Darlene…!"

With a snarl, I instinctively tossed Eris' Poké Ball at Chad, hitting him directly in the cheek as he dropped Pierce, who scrambled from the ground and went over to Darlene. As my Liepard came to light and snarled at Chad, the mean biker in question found me as the thrower as a dark smile spread across his face.

"Well well well," he laughed, "if it ain't Trainin' Wheels herself! Where's ol' Tabby at, hmm? The li'l sissy ride too much for ya?"

"Shove it, Chad," I snarled, standing beside Eris in front of Pierce and Darlene. "For your information, Moe's fixing Tabitha at his shop. Shouldn't be long now before I've got my ride back. Now, if I were you, I'd leave this couple alone. Unless you want things to get ugly around here."

"Oh-ho, wow! I'm just so fucking scared of a some milk-jugged bitch who took ridin' lessons from my dumb baby bro! Ya really got me there, Hynden!"

"Hey, at least Charles is man enough to not bully his ex-girlfriend's new man because he can't accept being a piece of garbage."

"Oi, Darlene's mine, got it?!" Chad roared, ganging up on me with a monstrous glare. "She left me for some chicken nugget of an Ace Trainer! What's he got that I don't?!"

"Aww, is the wittle baby gonna cwy because a girl doesn't wuv him anymore?" I taunted, pretending to wipe my eyes. "Grow a pair, will ya? No wonder that girl dumped you."

"Why don't you butt out? Darlene had it all when she was with me, and she gave that all up for nothin'!"

"What did I ever have with you?!" Darlene objected, getting close to Chad. "All you did was bitch when I wasn't spending time with you 24/7, and you were too physical when I acted like, you know, a human being instead of your pretty little ragdoll? Oh, let's also not forget how many times you threatened me, humiliated me in public, and ditched me when I actually needed you most! Leaving you was the best thing I ever did; Pierce is fifty times better than you ever were!"

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" Chad roared, socking Darlene across the face, leaving the entire crowd in shock and horror.

Although Darlene picked herself back up while holding her injured cheek, a livid Pierce finally stepped forward and grabbed Chad by the collar. Chad had a firm grip on Pierce's wrists, but the Ace Trainer wouldn't let go.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on Darlene!" Pierce snapped, "She's my girlfriend, and I'm never gonna let you come anywhere near her!"

"Oh, tough little man, are ya?" Chad taunted, shoving Pierce away from him and getting off his bike while cracking his knuckles. "Why don't we settle this like men? Winner backs off the girl."

"Enough with the fist fights, already!" I complained, standing between them again. "We'll settle this the old fashioned way. You still do Triple Battles, Chad?"

"As if I'd ever stop!" Chad boasted, calling out his Sigilyph, Archen, and Tirtouga.

"You ready Pierce?" I asked him, sending out Michi to stand beside Eris. "Let's take this asshole down!"

"Right! Uhh, Ducklett, come out!"

I was pretty surprised that an Ace Trainer like Pierce had a little Ducklett, and Chad reacted by chortling like the jerk he was. He commanded his Tirtouga to use Ancient Power on Ducklett, only for the fast little critter to fly out of the way before the stone even had a chance.

"Ducklett, use Bubblebeam on Archen!" Pierce commanded.

"Michi, you attack Sigilyph with the same move!" I told her,

The dual Bubblebeam moves struck their Flying-type opponents like several large pellets to the chest. While Ducklett's was super-effective on Archen and defeated it on the first try, Sigilyph only took moderate damage from Michi. Even so, the crowd applauded mine and Pierce's efforts, Bianca's cheering noticeably loud amongst the people.

"Go, Hynden!" she shouted, "Teach this jerk a lesson!"

"Sigilyph, Psybeam!" Chad commanded. "Tirtouga, use Ancient Power on Ducklett!"

As Sigilyph fired a multi-colored beam of psychic energy at Michi and inflicted a critical amount of damage, Tirtouga's Ancient Power attack succeeded in hitting Ducklett and KO'ing it instantly. In retaliation, Pierce sent out his Flaaffy to battle Tirtouga.

"Tirtouga, Aqua Jet!" Chad commanded.

"Michi, stop Tirtouga with Aqua Tail!" I told her. "Eris, you take Sigilyph down with Pursuit!"

Tirtouga doused itself in a torpedo of water and started flying towards Flaaffy with great focus. But as expected, Michi knocked Tirtouga aside with her glowing tail of water. The Aqua Jet kept going at an unstable rate with its caster inside. When Eris attacked Sigilyph with a super-effective Pursuit, the latter Pokémon was defeated when Tirtouga rammed into it before picking up its watery crash course.

"Flaaffy, use Thunder Shock on Tirtouga!" Pierce instructed.

From the Flaaffy's body came a bolt of electricity, which was carefully piloted straight into Tirtouga's Aqua Jet. Due to the conductivity of the water, the move worked fast and down Tirtouga went with a thud. Chad stared at all three of his defeated Pokémon in shock as Pierce and I gave each other high-fives of victory before Darlene went over and kissed her boyfriend proudly on the cheek.

"What now, chump?" I taunted, recalling my team. "A deal's a deal, so beat it."

"Grr… that loss doesn't mean shit!" Chad barked, now furious. "I ain't leaving without Darlene, so that's that!" He went over, shoved Pierce out of the way and grabbed Darlene violently by the arm, ignoring her protests and squirms. "You're comin' back with me, bitch!"

"No! Let me go right now, you abusive dick!" Darlene demanded, still resisting.

Just as I was about to march forward and give Chad a piece of my fist, Pierce beat me to the punch by ripping Darlene away from the biker and knocking him flat on his back. He kept a firm foot on his stomach so Chad would try and get up, and shot him a nasty glare.

"Lemme make it clear," Pierce spat. "I love Darlene, and she loves me. She's my girlfriend and wants nothing to do with you anymore. So if you so much as look at her, I'll beat your ass into the ground, got it?"

Chad squirmed, growled, and glared at Pierce. But no matter how fussy he got, Pierce wouldn't yield for a second. Sighing in defeat, he uttered a "yeah" before Pierce removed his foot with a confident smirk. When Chad got up, he shot a nasty look at me until he noticed Bianca beside me. With an evil grin, he grabbed Bianca by the arm and started dragging her towards one of the water-filled deep sides of the Driftveil Drawbridge.

"Let go of me, you bully!" Bianca cried, squirming.

"No way! If I can't deal with one blonde bitch, then another's gonna suffer instead!" Chad cackled as he got closer to the water.

"Put her down, jackass!" I roared, stomping over to them.

"And whaddya gonna do about it?" Chad taunted while tossing Bianca back and forth, threatening to toss her overboard. "You're just some puny little bitch! I doubt your Pokémon can help ya in time!"

"Hynden, help!" Bianca pleaded as she tried to keep herself from falling over at Chad's forceful tugs.

The more Bianca resisted, the more Chad kept being forceful in trying to shove her into the water. I was positively furious at this idiot hurting my friend in front of me. At the moment, something familiar came over me again. My mind didn't try to fight back, but my vision went burning red with anger as my arm started glowing black again. With the same arm, I grabbed Chad by the neck, forcing him to let go of Bianca so suddenly as he looked at me with horror.

"Bianca, get out of here," I growled, my voice sounding slightly distorted.

"Hynden, what's wrong?" she asked, very worried as she approached me. "Are you alright-"

"I SAID GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" I roared, causing Bianca to flee back towards Nimbasa City in a heartbeat.

"H-Hey, man," Chad gulped as my grip on his neck got tighter, "just put me down. I'll get outta here if ya want! Just put me down!"

"If that's what you want," I laughed darkly.

A spontaneous burst of electricity shot out of my gripping hand and through Chad's body, his screams loud and painful as the jolts attacked every nerve in him. When it died down, Chad's breathing grew shallow as he gave the sky a silent limp stare, it being the last thing he saw before I suddenly released him and let him fall into the deep waters below the bridge.

With a SPLASH from his landing, my sight returned to normal as the black aura left my arm. I regained my senses and looked all around me, everyone's shock and the memory making me realize what I just did. I looked down at where Chad fell, but I couldn't see anything in the water.

"Dear Arceus…!" I gasped, horrified. "I just, I can't believe I…!"

"Hynden, what did you just do?!" Darlene asked, approaching me. "What happened with your arm?"

Darlene tried getting closer to me, but I suddenly shoved her away, still horrified and shocked at my action. Although no one was exactly giving me contemptuous looks, I still felt like a cornered animal at their eerie stares. Panicking, I ran through everyone and started rushing through the Driftveil Drawbridge. Tears started to leak from my eyes from shame and fear at my past action as I ignored any and all Trainers on the bridge.

"Damn it all!" I cried internally, not looking back at Route 5 as I kept dashing across the bridge, "Why's it happening again?! I had it under control!"

Pokémon obtained: Rudy/Ambrosia the Minccino (nicknamed the former in-game), Male, Rash nature, Mischievous.

Badges earned: 4/8

Boxed/Unboxed: Rudy the Minccino (technically, in-game boxed)

Author's Note: I should note that as a fun-fact, Rudy came from strict and uptight parents, but his first Trainer taught him how to hang loose and "become more with nature". So after that, he took his hippie lifestyle. Anyways, as for Nate, I was originally gonna have him killed off, but I felt like I wasn't quite "done" with him yet for some reason. As for Chad, I didn't wanna make Charles the bully because he's really nice in the anime and reminds me of Marco from Mirai Nikki (not to mention the same voice as Souda in Japanese...). Stay tuned for Chapter 21!