Chapter 20:

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Silver kicked over a warped piece of metal siding.

The sun beat down on his bowed head, casting deep shadows over his eyes.

"We've managed to find roughly twenty or so…corpses," a Grunt said behind him. "They were all…too incinerated to confirm their identities, however."

"Couldn't you just figure out who's missing?" Silver turned back to the Grunt, eyebrows raised.

"Uh…right." The Grunt nodded. "I…I could do that. Yeah."

The Grunt didn't move, staring at Silver.

"Go!" Silver eventually yelled, pointing at a nearby warehouse.

"Right." The Grunt nodded before running off.

"Incompetent…" Silver growled, his thoughts trailing off.

He looked back over to the ruins of the destroyed warehouse. Several Grunts were digging through the rubble, piling the metal into groups of what could be salvaged and what would be discarded. One Grunt reached under an immovable slab of metal, and pulled out what appeared to be a long piece of discolored charcoal. The Grunt dropped it with a high-pitched shriek when he realized it was a scorched arm, and he fell backwards from fright.

"We got another body over here!" a nearby Grunt yelled.

Silver approached the scene.

"Sir!" The fallen Grunt saluted awkwardly.

"Get up!" Silver barked.

"Sir!" the Grunt repeated, bolting to his feet.

"What?" Silver felt what remained of his patience slip away.

"Elite 009 has ordered… er, requested that you speak to her in the base beneath Warehouse Four."

Silver ignored him for a moment, his eye catching a small metallic glint. He knelt down to find a charred belt with a single Pokéball on it. The 'ball was almost completely black from the explosion, and there was a large crack in it that revealed the technology within.

Whatever was in this, Silver thought solemnly, I pray to God didn't feel pain as its life energy was eradicated from existence.

We will count the numbers of the humans that died last night. But what of the Pokémon, the beasts that so loyally followed their vile masters?

Who will remember them?

"Elite Silver?"

Silver put the half-destroyed Pokéball in his jacket pocket.

"Get back to work." Silver stood back up, and turned to a nearby warehouse. When he reached it, he looked at the number pad by the large door.

Of course, he sighed. No one bothered to tell me the combination to this entrance.

He looked up at the overhang of the roof.

This is the main entrance for the Grunts. It would have to be simple.

He looked back at the pad, blinking.

Please, God, let me be wrong.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Bing!

The door began to slowly open, groaning as the metal plates rose.

Really? Really? Silver grimaced. I would feel so much cleverer if I didn't solely do that because everyone else in the Team is apparently stupid. God, how have we managed to survive as an Organization for so long?

Because the higher-ups actually have brains, a velvet voice whispered in his mind.

Silver shook his head, entering the warehouse.

"Silver!" Mondo ran up to him from the elevator. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'll rest when that monstrosity is rotting in Hell," Silver scowled. "And when its master is there with it."

"Silver," Mondo shook his head. "You can't live out of revenge."

"Why?"

"It will destroy you."

"I think it already has."

Mondo looked at Silver, but didn't respond.

"Domino wanted to see me?" Silver eventually said in as level a voice as he could muster.

"Uh, yeah," Mondo nodded. "She's down with Professor Sebastian." Mondo limped over to the elevator. "I'll…yeah," he trailed off.

I didn't notice the limp last night, Silver mused. What the hell happened to him?

Silver followed Mondo into the elevator. Silver caught their reflections in the metallic walls as Mondo pressed the button for their destination.

Mondo had a square piece of white gauze taped to his forehead, just above his right eye, the shadow of blood still visible in it. The skin around the gauze was still stained a slight reddish hue from the wound. His hair was cleaner than the previous night, but still mildly disheveled. He had a white bandage of some sort covering the left side of his lower lip, and a cotton ball was still stuck up one nostril.

"You look like hell," Silver said flatly.

"Have you seen yourself?" Mondo chuckled. "You're lucky to be alive."

Silver looked at his own reflection.

His shoulder had the clear padding of bandages underneath the patched jacket. His shirt had small puncture holes on his right side revealing the crude bandages that still had spots of blood from the Returned's barbed-tail attack. On his left side, the jacket had been sewn back together, but the shirt underneath was still mildly shredded, showing the massive amount of gauze and bandages that were almost entirely stained with the dark red of the high quantity of blood he had lost there the previous night. His face was bruised, and he had a nasty gash on his chin that had been crudely cleaned and left untreated and without any bandages.

"I've looked better," Silver admitted. "I've looked worse, too."

"Good point."

"I'm alive," Silver pointed out.

"I'm starting to think you can't die."

"I hope not," Silver said darkly.

Mondo blinked at him, but said nothing as the elevator reached its destination with a soft bing!

"Where are they?" Silver asked, stepping out into the hallway.

"They were right here," Mondo followed after him.

The hallway could have been taken directly from an office complex; there was nothing about the cream-colored walls or wooden doors to suggest that it was underground at all, let alone the underground base of a criminal organization. An occasional potted plant rested near the wall.

Probably fake, Silver grimaced. No way anyone would give enough of a damn to actually take care of a plant.

No one even cares about the fallen Pokémon, he reminded himself.

Well, he grabbed at his necklace through his shirt. No one but me.

"The patrol will be stationed–" A feminine voice spoke as a door halfway down the hall opened.

Domino, Silver's scowl deepened as the Elite emerged with the Scientist.

"Silver!" She noticed them. "We were hoping that you were awake."

"Oh, yeah," Silver said dryly. "You know, I have near-death experiences all the time. Just patch me up, toss me a coffee and I'm good to go."

"And suddenly, I'm working with the Elite young Giovanni again," Sebastian said calmly.

"Excuse me?" Silver's voice darkened.

"Your father was just as sarcastic at your age as–"

"I'm nothing like my father," Silver insisted. "At any age. At any time."

Mondo sighed.

If only you knew how wrong you are, Mondo shook his head. And yet, how completely right you are, too.

Silver exhaled.

"You wanted to talk to me?" He managed in as level a tone as he could muster with Domino.

"Yes," she nodded. "Our report to Giovanni on…on last night wasn't…wasn't very well-received."

"He's furious," Sebastian said flatly.

"I can't believe the words coming out of my mouth," Silver started, "but, he's right."

They blinked at him.

"You all stood by and did nothing as a building exploded and your loyal teammates within died a horrific death," Silver found his voice to be oddly calm. "You simply watched as a teenager took on an extremely powerful, unnatural behemoth. It took my almost being killed before even you snapped out of your senses." Silver looked at Mondo. "And, where the hell were you?"

"That beast wasn't alone, Silver," Mondo said. "It had back-up. It nearly intercepted you, as you ran back to base, to be honest."

"You fought one of those things off yourself?" Domino sounded impressed. "It took us two Elites and a squad of Grunts!"

"No," Mondo shook his head. "My team helped out a lot," Mondo looked sideways at Silver, "I have to give them credit." He chuckled. "Though, I do have some experience with blades, particularly daggers."

"Are you sure you're an Agent?" Sebastian asked. "You certainly don't act like one, especially with your superiors."

"The report?" Silver interrupted. He really wasn't in the mood to hear about how Agents were supposed to act, or about the hierarchy of Team Rocket in general.

"Oh, yeah," Domino nodded. "He said that he still expects a proper report on our mission by the end of the week. He's also ordered me to widen our patrols and increase their frequency. I'm about to lead one, myself."

"I'll–" Silver started.

"He also said that you're to remain on base and oversee the recovery operation."

"What."

"He wants proof that the remains of the…incident are completely taken care of by the end of the week, when we give him our report."

"What?" Silver repeated. "You're joking. He wants me to stay here? He wants me to play babysitter? That's busy work! I'm an Elite, I should be out there, doing something that actually makes a damned difference!" Silver raged.

"Silver," Mondo said quietly.

"Be reasonable," Domino said calmly. "You barely survived last night. You need to recover."

"Recover?" Silver yelled. "To hell with that! It didn't matter any other time I nearly died! I…" Silver's voice trailed off, hands balling into fists.

Please, don't lash out. Mondo held his breath. We don't need infighting.

"You!" Silver pointed past them, to a small group of Grunts that had walked out of a nearby room.

"S-sir?" One of the Grunts asked nervously.

"Come with me," Silver said angrily. "And, you too," he added to Sebastian.

"Me?"

"Yes," Silver growled. "I know just how you can make yourself useful. Or, do you have something better than to follow orders from your Elite, Professor?" He emphasized the difference in rank.

"Yes, sir," the scientist spoke the second word with a heavy dose of resentment, but obeyed.

"Silver," Mondo said softly.

"Shut up!" Silver snapped at him.

Mondo looked taken aback, but said nothing.

Silver turned to the Grunts, one hand clutching at his head.

"That was not a request!" He yelled at them. "NOW!"

With nervous yelps, the Grunts quickly followed him into the elevator and back up to the surface.

Mondo watched with a sad expression, as he found himself suddenly abandoned, left alone with Domino.

"Silver…" Mondo sighed. "His headaches are getting worse."

"You would know," Domino said flatly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't have to be so possessive. Silver's not exactly a cuddly Buneary."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mondo narrowed his eyes.

"Everyone knows you're in love with him."

"What," Mondo's voice flat-lined. "Silver? What?" He blinked at her. "That's not it. At all."

"Right," Domino wasn't convinced. "There's nothing wrong with–"

"No, you don't understand," Mondo shook his head, chuckling. "I… have a girlfriend."

"What?" Domino blinked at him. "A Grunt? Or another Agent?"

"She's…not a Rocket."

"What."

"You're not the only one who operates outside of the Team from time to time," Mondo looked away. He started to walk towards the elevator.

Maybe if I can get him to send out his Totodile… that usually calms him down.

"How old are you?" Domino cut through his thoughts.

"How old are you?" Mondo stopped and half-turned to face her.

"I asked you," Domino said firmly. "Answer the question."

"Is that an order, Elite 009?"

She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.

Mondo sighed.

"I honestly don't know. You lose track of the years after a while."

"When was the last time you saw your…girlfriend?"

"I'm not entirely sure of that either."

"How do you know…?"

"Birds of a feather," Mondo said simply.

"What are you?"

"A fool and an idiot who never grew up," Mondo half-smiled. "And now," he sobered, "the innocent must pay for my mistakes."

"What do you mean?"

Mondo didn't speak, looking at the floor.

"Why are you so… interested in Silver then?"

"He's my responsibility."

"Because you saved his life before?" Domino asked.

"No."

"Then, you don't really care about him."

"I never said that," Mondo looked up at her. "He's the closest thing to family I have left in this… in the Team."

A silence followed for several minutes, as Domino tried to make sense of what she'd learned.

"I suppose you didn't really grow up in the Team, then," she said. "That was… some sort of clever trick."

"You did," Mondo responded gently.

"Yeah," Domino nodded.

"Weren't you an orphan that Giovanni's mother took in just before her death?" Mondo asked.

"Yes… and no," Domino reluctantly admitted.

"Oh?"

"I was orphaned," She started to clarify. "But…it wasn't an accident that caused it, contrary to the… more public Team records."

"I see. You've taken a page out of Silver's book."

"Not exactly," Domino said. "He left the terminal without erasing his tracks once. It was still…hacked into Giovanni's private files. So many secrets, so many conspiracies revealed in those files. I thought… I thought I could learn something I could use, that I could manipulate my situation with. I wanted something that would allow me a loophole, to become Giovanni's heir instead of Silver."

"Why not?" Mondo nodded. "He clearly doesn't want it. Never has. Never will."

"What I found…honestly didn't bother me at first."

Mondo looked at her.

"Giovanni's mother… was a vile, destructive, manipulative bitch."

"Some might say the same about you," Mondo reminded her.

"I never killed anyone," Domino defended herself. "I never kidnapped nearly a dozen young, healthy men and mature teens from their distant homeland… so that my top Elites and I could… procreate." Domino sounded uncomfortable. "I—I do have standards."

"Of course."

"But this…. An—and me." Her solid tone began to break down.

"Yes?"

"She killed my parents and took me from them," she said softly. "I wasn't even a year old. She singled them out, choosing the healthiest, yet least publically known couple she could. She wanted a child that would grow to be strong and nimble. She wanted a new mind to mold, to become exactly like she was. She wanted a new heir. She… died before I could ever be named as such."

"And Giovanni took over, bringing Silver along with him," Mondo added.

"Yes. But… even after I learned this… I never once resented Silver for his presence, for taking that from me."

"He had no choice, either."

"I tried everything to become a better choice, to find any loophole, but…."

"But?" Mondo raised an eyebrow.

"I could never bring myself to kill Silver. It was an easy, obvious solution. But somehow, I couldn't."

"He had something in common with you," Mondo suggested. "You both grew up in the Team. From infancy. Few ever have. Even before your cold demeanor began to thaw, you still had some humanity in you."

"But… I never understood their devotion to each other," Domino continued. "It seemed silly to me. I thought they were bringing each other down. Then…."

"That night," Mondo nodded.

"I was giving a report to Giovanni…when you burst into his office, dragging Silver with you. I thought he was dead at first, and you were certainly hysterical enough for it to be possible. I never thought I could be… upset at seeing someone possibly dead until that moment.

"But… that was nothing," Domino shook her head, "nothing compared to what I felt upon seeing Silver's grief. He was barely alive. He could barely even stand, but he was yelling and cursing at his father, blaming him for this… loss. And yet, for all his rage, it was clear that, at that moment, he didn't want revenge. He didn't want to fight or argue or—or anything. It was just all he had left. What he wanted was…"

"Was her." Mondo nodded. "If she'd survived, it wouldn't have been different from any other time a thug or biker or arrogant Grunt used him as a punching bag."

"I didn't understand," Domino looked at the floor. "I couldn't figure out why he wanted someone who was dead to come back. I didn't understand why he missed her… that he even could. I tried to figure out what was different between us, what had caused this difference in viewpoints. And I realized… we both grew up in the Team, but I grew up alone."

"I thought Dagger helped care for the both of you," Mondo tilted his head in mild confusion.

"Yes, but… Silver was Giovanni's son. Is his son. Of course he'd be more… partial to him. And Dagger…. I was already a toddler when Silver was brought in. Dagger didn't wholly understand that humans age and grow in a completely different way from most Pokémon. He thought I was a lost cause, that Giovanni's mother had already… influenced my mind."

"And, because he gave up, he ended up being right," Mondo mused.

"I went on to become one of the youngest Grunts, and I adapted to survive as such. As I grew older, the danger I was in increased. As a young woman, there were certain… threats I had to be more prepared against than if I were male."

Mondo nodded.

"So," Domino continued. "I became a cold, calculating, self-serving weapon. Silver, on the other hand, was raised as the Baron's son, and was allowed his young bodyguard. She had always been fiercely protective of him, but as the years went on, they became more attached to each other. He was all she had, and he thought the same of her."

"He was wrong, of course." Mondo nodded, "but sometimes it's hard to see in the dark."

"It wasn't until a few days after she—she died, that I figured it out. He'd had a friend, someone to rely on; I'd only ever relied on myself. He trusted her; I trusted no one. They made each other stronger, allowed each other to survive in a world that would have killed them on their own. I—I realized what that meant."

"It took Silver's grief, his heartache, to teach you what love is," Mondo said softly.

"I was… probably about fifteen when she died. When this happened. I wasn't much younger than Silver is now, in any case. And I had suddenly realized that I had been unloved all my life, that no one had ever really given a shit about me.

"And, somehow, I cared. For the first time, I wanted to feel a connection to someone."

"And Silver had just gained something further in common with you," Mondo concluded.

"And, because of how long it took me to… become human… Silver will never accept that."

"He might." Mondo shook his head.

"How do you know I'm not lying." Domino narrowed her eyes again. "You've accepted everything I've said without question. How do you know I'm not manipulating you, trying to get more of your secrets out?"

"Because," Mondo smiled sadly. "I saw your face that night. I saw the confusion in your eyes. I saw the revelations you made over the weeks that followed." Mondo turned back to the elevator, and pressed the call button. "Because," he continued in a low voice, just barely audible to Domino. "Despite his rebuffs and anger, despite his refusal to accept your similarities, you've still become an important figure in his life. Despite how much easier it would be to just kill him and be rid of your confusing, new emotions, you still care about him. You still try to reach out and connect. You don't give up, because he's more than just someone whose situation you can understand now. Even in this dark hell, you've found light." The elevator opened.

"Even though he may never fully accept your friendship, deep down, you've still grown to love him."

Before she could respond, Mondo entered the elevator, and pressed the button for the surface. As it began to rise, he stumbled over to the wall opposite the door, and leaned his head and forearm against it.

This is all my fault.

…

Ash looked around in nervous suspicion, clenching his mug close to him.

"Ash, stop fidgeting," Aura groaned.

"I don't like this place," he muttered so only they could hear.

They were seated at a rusted, metal table with a series of mismatched cloths to cover it for the plates of food that were placed haphazardly on it in front of them. The building consisted of mostly just the main room, a rusty dining area furnished out of the inside of what appeared to be a rusted-out, old train engine.

Everything in this town is rusted and old, Ash frowned. No one judges your actions here, because everyone is just scraping by. No wonder half the city seems to be some sort of criminal or another.

"I don't like this food," Jerzy clawed at his own plate, staring at the pile of blackened hash browns and ham.

"Shut up and eat it," Aura growled at him.

"You see that guy over by the door?" Ash grumbled over his mug of soda. "Near the bar?"

At least the actual plates and mugs are ceramic. Ceramics can't rust.

Or, can they?

"What about him?" Misty's voice next to him cut through his thoughts.

There was a young man standing next to the rustic bar, leaning back against the wall. He was tall and had a mildly wide set of shoulders. He wore a long, blue jacket, which just parted enough at the bottom to reveal his dark pants. His short, spiky hair was a grey, dusty blonde that made the desert sands outside look fertile, and he appeared to have a white stripe tattoo across his face, just over his nose.

Or maybe it's a scar.

"Is it just me, or is he staring right at us?" Ash asked quietly.

"What?" Aura blinked on the other side of the table. She started to turn.

"No, don't look at him," Ash startled her out of it. "Don't encourage him."

"Ash, we're the only ones here," Misty reasoned with him. "He's probably just not used to outsiders. This region as a whole doesn't get a lot of them."

"Not anymore," Aura nodded. "Not since Cipher terrorized the area."

"I heard about that," Ash nodded. "Weren't they finally disbanded?"

"Twice," Misty chuckled.

"Humans," Aura scoffed.

"At least they were willing to heal Pidgeot without any questions," Misty reminded Ash, ignoring the Lucario's mumbled curses.

"That's probably because of the increasing number of strange attacks reported in this region, particularly in the outskirts," Nyx offered.

"The Returned?" Ash asked in a low voice.

"I don't know," Nyx admitted.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Misty said. "But then, Cipher did some terrible things to Pokémon. It could just be the fallout from that."

"Either way, it was enough to get this guy to move his station and restaurant from the desert to Pyrite," Aura grumbled. "Then, I remember this place being much more preferable to what lies beneath it."

"What's under Pyrite?" Ash looked at her.

"The Under," Aura muttered. "Pyrite's polar opposite."

"How do you mean?" Nyx asked.

"Pyrite's rough in appearance," Aura sighed. "Everything's rusted or old, or just appears to be falling apart or made of scraps."

"Except for the News building," Ash added.

Aura glared at him briefly, before continuing.

"But, despite the rough appearance, despite the fact that it's populated with outcasts and thugs and former criminals, Pyrite is actually relatively safe. People are happy here, despite the rough appearance. Or maybe because of it. I don't know; humans never made much sense to me.

"Anyway, the local thugs known as Cipher were driven out of here relatively easily, but they retreated into the Under. The Under is an underground, night-life styled city directly beneath us. It used to be a mining town, but it has since become a place for scum to retreat to. As well as those with nowhere else to go."

"I thought Pyrite was…" Ash started.

"Biker gangs aren't inherently evil, Ash," Aura retorted. "And neither are ruffians or thugs or outcasts.

"But, in the Under, crime can escape much easier. In its darkness, even a Pokémon can pass themselves off as a normal human. You know that no one is as they seem, but you cannot even begin to guess the sins that lie just beneath the skins of those around you."

"Who would go to the Under?" Ash asked. "Even criminals sound like they'd be in danger."

"Like she said," Misty repeated, "people who have no place else to go."

"I once considered going there," Aura admitted softly. "It wasn't my top choice, but it was one of the best options I had for sheer safety of my immediate… escape."

"Why didn't you?" Misty asked.

"I—I…" Aura stammered. "It wasn't the best choice for… all involved. I would've made it here easily enough, but… I wasn't alone. There was too much risk involved with… that."

Ash looked at the Lucario, who was studying the pattern of the tablecloth, with narrowed eyes.

"Aura…"

"Finish buying our supplies," Aura stood up suddenly, nearly knocking Nyx over. "Meet me at the lamppost at the edge of town in one hour. I…."

She walked away, leaving the small diner without even finishing her sentence.

"She's been to Orre before?" Ash blinked.

"Possibly," Misty shrugged, twirling her fork. "Or she read a lot about it, or knew someone who did."

"Either one suggests she knew someone powerful or wealthy," Nyx said.

"Or educated," Pikachu added in a groggy tone from Ash's other side.

"Or a Trainer." Ash nodded.

"I guess we should go buy supplies," Misty admitted. "I mean we're going out into the desert. We need to be prepared. Ash, you should…."

But, Ash wasn't listening anymore. All he could focus on was the stranger on the other end of the refurbished engine. All he could see was his burning, amber eyes, as he seemed to bare right through Ash and into his mind.

…

"You're an idiot," Aura growled at Ash.

"How was I to know that you guys didn't buy the water?" Ash responded.

"I told you to buy it, Ash!" Misty exasperated. "You never pay attention!"

"I pay attention!"

"Clearly not! You were too fixated on that guy at the diner! Just once, could we travel somewhere without something going wrong?"

Sand swirled in a light wind around them. Pikachu stood up on Ash's head, looking around in a circle, finding nothing but more sand in all directions, except for a distant mountain to the North.

"Um," Nyx started.

"We're going to die out here," Aura grumbled.

"Why didn't you buy any extra water?" Ash asked her. "You left before we decided to buy supplies."

"I left you guys to handle that, remember?" Aura placed one hand on her forehead. "I had something else to take care of."

"Where did you go?" Nyx asked.

"A dead end."

"What do you-?"

"Doesn't…matter…" Aura shook her head.

Water…

The Lucario coughed.

"Aura?" Misty grabbed the Lucario by the shoulders. "Aura!"

The Lucario didn't respond, closing her eyes and going limp.

"You have Water Pokémon!" Ash made a realization.

"I'm not subjecting my team to this heat!" Misty yelled at him. "They'll dry out faster than they can take care of us! Besides, we need someplace shaded, sheltered from the sun."

"What?" Ash gaped at her. "Why didn't you tell-?"

"I did!"

"Guys?" Nyx stumbled behind them. "…Guys?"

"I swear to God, Ash, if you weren't such an…an idiot!" Misty staggered through her rage.

"G…guys…" Nyx collapsed into the sand.

"Nyx!" Pikachu noticed, before falling backwards off of Ash's head.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled out, catching the electric rodent in his arms.

"Ash…" Misty dropped Aura, faltering to her knees.

"Misty!" Ash knelt, reaching to her with one arm while holding onto Pikachu with the other. His chest tightened as she collapsed against him, unconscious.

A strange sound roared in the distance.

Ash turned to face the direction the sound came from.

A small speck grew larger, approaching them.

Ash felt the ground pull at him, clenching his eyes shut to keep out the sand as he fell to the ground.

The roaring, rumbling sound engulfed Ash's senses. He opened his eyes enough to see the blurred shape of…something walking in front of him.

"I think they're still alive!" A masculine voice yelled over the powerful, rumbling sound.

Ash let the darkness consume his world.

…

"Wake up, Chosen One," Aura's voice pulled at Ash's consciousness.

Ash felt the splash of water on his face, jerking him back to the world of the living.

"Where am I?" Ash blinked, the water blurring his vision.

"An underground oasis, out in the desert to the north of Pyrite," a strange voice answered. "Orre Region."

The voice…from before?

"Who… are you?" Ash blinked the water out of his eyes.

The speaker was a tall, youthful man with chin-length, purple hair and narrow, amethyst eyes. He wore a knee-length, white jacket over a black shirt, mauve pants, and black, clunky shoes. A belt was loosely wrapped around his waist, six Pokéballs clinging to it. He stood over Ash, relief clear in his eyes.

"My name is Justy," he identified himself, smiling. "I'm the Leader of the Prestige Precept Center, the unofficial Gym of Phenac City."

"Azumarill!" His Pokémon said cheerfully.

"You're lucky we found you."

Ash observed his surroundings. He and the others were in some sort of brown, stone cave, a small stream of water gurgling into a shallow pool in the far end. In the opposite end, sunlight poured in from the mouth of the cave. He saw Aura standing next to Justy, and he started to turn to look for the others.

"How stupid are you?" Another voice barked, as a new figure pulled him up by his shoulders, dragging him forcefully to his feet. "You went out into the Orre desert without water? Do you have a death wish?" Amber eyes locked with Ash's dark blue.

The stranger from the diner.

Did he follow us?

"Wes," Justy sighed. "Put the boy down and let him breathe. He hasn't even told us his name."

"Aura?" Ash asked nervously. "H…help?"

The stranger–Wes?–put Ash down, but continued to glare at him.

"I—I'm Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. K—Kanto."

"I told you that." Misty's voice sounded from behind Wes.

"I apologize," Justy took her hand as Wes backed away. "We have had too many mysterious incidents lately to trust anyone at their word. Even those as beautiful as yourself."

"I… uh…" Misty pulled away, blushing.

Ash scowled.

"Why would the dolt's name convince you of our innocence?" Aura added.

"How do you know we're not lying now?" Nyx asked. The Shiny Umbreon had sand scattered through his pelt.

Justy and Wes exchanged a glance.

"Are you?" Wes turned to glare at Aura.

"No," Ash shook his head. "I'm registered in the Pokémon League Conference. My photo's on my record. You can look it up."

"I'm a registered Gym Leader," Misty nodded. "I've been in charge of the Cerulean Gym for a little over three years, now."

"Ah, a fellow Gym Leader," Justy smiled at her, causing Misty to look away pointedly.

Ash subconsciously crossed his arms.

Aura smirked.

"We've been pursuing a strange, cloaked figure." Wes ignored them. "It's been seen in the Under, and people there have reported hearing a strange voice in their heads."

"Whoever or whatever they are," Justy nodded, "they have highly developed Psychic powers, that's for sure."

Ash and Misty exchanged glances, but said nothing.

"We're working to keep the remains of Cipher from unifying again," Justy continued. "We're just keeping an eye out for anyone that might be an ally."

"Or a threat," Wes added.

"I think that it's safe to say that we're not eager to bring Cipher back," Aura muttered.

"What are you doing here?"

"An old friend of ours sent for us," Aura lied quickly. "He told us to meet him in a… classified location north of here. We promised to not divulge its location."

"We can respect your need for secrecy," Justy smiled.

"But, if you betray our trust." Wes glared at her, "we will hunt you down and—!"

"I have never betrayed those that trusted me!" Aura snarled at him. "I have been beaten, tortured, neglected, and betrayed myself, but I would never turn on those I've sworn to protect!"

"Am I missing something?" Ash muttered to Misty, walking between her and Justy.

"I'm not the one that turned traitor," Aura growled.

"My reputation precedes me," Wes chuckled darkly. "I did what they considered to be wrong to do what I knew was right."

"How many murderers have spoken those words?" Aura narrowed her eyes.

"Alright," Justy walked between them. "I can see we're not going to be able to stick together."

"What." Aura blinked at him.

"We have left you with more than enough water for several days," Justy pointed to a pile of canteens in one corner of the cave.

"Try not to squander it," Wes scowled.

They headed towards the cave exit.

"It would be best if you waited until nightfall to travel again," Justy half-turned back. "It'll be cold at night, but it's better than the sun and thirst killing you. Tell your friend that Justy of Phenac wishes him well." He gave Aura and Ash each a curt nod. He turned to Misty. "Take care of yourself, miss." He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "I hope to meet you again one day."

"Uh…" Misty stammered as they left.

Ash's glare intensified, following Justy's back until it left his sight.

"I like him," Aura chuckled, smirking at Ash.

"That was lucky," Ash muttered. "Good thing they were stalking us."

"You're sill in trouble, mister," Misty started.

Aura's face lit up at the sound of a motorcycle engine roaring to life.

"Wait!" She ran out into the blinding, desert sun.

Wes was starting up a large, desert bike. Justy was leaning against the empty sidecar.

"Justy!" Aura yelled to him.

"Yes?" He asked, grinning knowingly.

"I… they…" Aura sighed. "They don't know."

"Clearly."

"He… doesn't know."

"Obviously."

"He's… he's not dead."

"I know," Justy nodded.

"You know?"

"And, neither are you."

"I…" Aura's voice faltered.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Justy chuckled. "This situation you've gotten yourself into?"

"I… He…" Aura tried to think. "God loves to mock me."

"You've always kept your word, Aura," Justy placed a single hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine."

"Glad you're not dead, after all," Aura admitted as Justy leapt gracefully into the sidecar.

"Back at ya," Justy smiled just before Wes revved the engine and they took off into the desert, sending sand flying in their wake.

"He's alive," Aura breathed. "That means… others… might…"

No. Aura shook her head. Don't get your hopes up. It wasn't his voice.

But, if he still lives…

Aura gingerly rubbed her chest, just beneath the spike.

He's the only one left… who can help me.

…

A/N: Did I just start MistyXJusty? Shit, I did, didn't I? And, mysterious mysteries abound! Anyway…see you next week! (Our heroes will finally get some answers. Promise.) Also, TWENTY CHAPTERS! Whoo!

(Colosseum fans: No, I do not know where Rui is. Maybe in Agate or something. Don't ask me. I have no answers there.)