Thanks for the reviews guys. However, given the "concerns" about the plot that I have received, I feel like I ought to explain something.
The reason Cody did not take Casper's pokemon has to do with the laws and the culture of Skitrex. I've said it before, and there's plenty of implications that say that Skitrex has a lot of trainer crime. Whether it be mugging, murder, or just plain theft, there are plenty of people that use pokemon to commit crime. On top of that, it's stated in chapter three that typical trainers have low grade point averages and are in the business in order to make money, which isn't a healthy stereotype in the slightest. Had Cody had taken Casper's pokemon, he would have been named a suspect in a possible theft, and then he would get tangled up in the legal system. Because he wanted to keep on moving and get Casper caught, he figured it would be better to report Casper to the police and let them sort it out.

Does that help? If so, I'm sorry I didn't explain it well enough earlier. If no... just assume that Cody is an idiot.

Cody: Bastion (Wartortle), Mars (Diglett), Colossal (Pupitar), Antonia (Skarmory), Elesa (Zebstrika), Cortez (Litwick)

Heather: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Oddish), Flash (Trapinch)

Jared: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Gastly, Bagon, Jolteon

Chapter 25: Out of the Shadows

"Where are you?" Cody asked the empty darkness. Silence. How he hated silence in this dark realm of his dreams. He didn't like the presence of the dark being to begin with, but not hearing the voice made him incredibly antsy. Why was it even there if not to scare him?

"Well this is stupid…"

"Oh is it now?" the voice finally chimed in, wretchedness in its words.

"You! Show yourself!" Cody demanded, but his word meant nothing to the voice that just laughed back at him. Then there was a jutting pain in his chest.

"God damn it!" He sat up in the pokemon center bed he was sleeping in, clutching his pectoral where the pain had hit him. It had been like this for weeks now. The voice had not actually been talking to him, but just kept its appearances brief and painful. His motives… what could they possibly be? The voice had told him back in December that it was trying to become accustomed to his body, or whatever that meant, but what did that even mean and how was it accomplished? This nightmare monster was just so vague and confusing that it filled him with even more frustration.

"Cody…" The young trainer turned his head to see Heather looking at him from her twin mattress a few feet away. Even though the room the group was staying in was dim, he could tell that his friend looked even more tired than he was, but her concern was apparent, as were all of her expressions.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep," he mumbled as he leaned back on his bed, hands behind his head as he tried to calm himself from the vision that he just had. But the view of the empty ceiling was blocked by Heather looking down at him. When she sat down on his bed, he let out a groan and sat up next to her. "I said I'm fine," he repeated. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"I didn't ask if you were fine," she pointed out, though her words were gentle and smooth.
"Well… I figured-"

"You figured that I figured because you figured?" she asked. Although it was a serious question, Cody chuckled at the repeating of words she had made. "Seriously Cody," she continued in a whisper as she touched his shoulder, "I've noticed that you've been jolting awake a lot lately. Like, I've seen you do it from time to time, but this is the third time this week. Is there something that's-"

"No." He slowly pulled her hand from his shoulder and was about to fall back into the bed, but Heather stopped him.

"You're an awful liar, you know," she whispered, frowning. "Please tell me what's wrong… it's not that Casper, is it? You don't think he'd come after you in a public place, do you? I think we're safe in here."

That was actually a legitimate sounding answer. On the night that Cody had to fight off Casper, the man in black, he returned to the town and went straight to the local police station to explain the situation and get the wound on his chest checked out. Immediately, rangers were dispatched to the location where Cody was attacked, but according to the chief, when they reached the location of the brawl, the man and his pokemon had disappeared. With no luck in finding the man, they sent out a notice to nearby towns with a sketch of the man's face (that Cody gave details for) and they interrogated a few of the members at the Haven House where Casper was supposedly working, though none of what they found out was useful. Even though the authorities were now looking for him, but it made Cody uneasy that the mad man was still out there, especially knowing that he would go to any lengths to accomplish a goal. The scar on his chest was a blunt reminder of this.

"Yeah, that's it…" Cody mumbled, hoping that Heather would buy it. By some unknown source of luck, she did.

"You don't need to worry. You have me and you have Jared-"

"Yeah, for what that's worth," Cody mumbled, unconvinced.

"Fine, you have me then," Heather groaned, rolling her eyes. "Just don't be afraid to talk to me about this sort of thing. Remember: no secrets in our group."

"Yes, yes, thank you," Cody sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I need to try and get back to sleep if that's alright with you."

"Yeah, sure. Good night, Cody." She gave him a light hug before returning to her bed.

He rested his head against the pillow and shook his head in frustration. No secrets… he was probably the biggest perpetrator of that rule in the group, and he intended to keep it that way.

Two blue pokemon worked side by side in the battle plot near a children's playground. These pokemon, of course, belonged to Cody Storm, as he did battle with a female trainer who was about his age and experience level.

The first pokemon was his Wartortle. Ever since that fateful day when Bastion finally evolved, his performance in battle had skyrocketed. The turtle with the long, fluffy ears was bigger, faster, stronger, and more durable than his pre-evolution, but he was still small and light enough to perform in the agile way he once did as a Squirtle. Thankfully, his friendly and curious personality seemed to be untouched by his evolution, although he was more aggressive in battle.

The second pokemon was Colossal the Pupitar. Once his pupation was complete, the hard shelled monster went from being one of Cody's decent team members to being a top performer in his tier. The Pupitar, bluish-gray in color and covered in spikes, had grown used to his new form rather quickly and became quite the offensive wall both absorbing hits and dealing them. Even though it would take two years or so for him to reach his final form, the current state of things made him a desirable team member. On top of that, Colossal was no longer fearful and cowardly as he was as a Larvitar, but focused and stoic, whether he was in battle or out.

"Hooooome," the pupated lizard hummed as he used his core muscles to bounce out of the way of an oncoming Energy Ball that the enemy Nuzleaf had shot at him. Then, releasing the pressurized gas that he had built up in a release pocket near the bottom of his shell, the Pupitar shot itself like a bullet at the humanoid grass pokemon, slamming it into the earth with an echoing thud. Meanwhile, Bastion was busy dancing around a much larger Hariyama, blasting the sluggish hulk with multiple Water Pulses. The bigger pokemon couldn't keep up, and slowly but surely, the reverberations from the Water Pulses were beginning to have an effect on his cognition as he continued to try and swat down the turtle, but to no avail.

"Keep it up, Bastion!" Cody shouted out to his pokemon. "And Colossal, stay on your feet-err… shell! That thing's got a nasty bite." He beamed with pride as his pokemon continued their battle. As of late, his older pokemon didn't even require as many verbal commands to perform from, showing that they were indeed getting smarter and more battle-savvy. Over the last few weeks, every one of his monsters (save Elesa, who was still recovering from a broken leg, thanks to Casper's Granbull) was showing great progress, including Antonia, who would soon be cleared to fight competitively once her armor growth was complete. In turn, Cody was very proud of his monsters, though perhaps a tad too overconfident. As a result, he had been making larger bets against trainers for more prize money, and he had been taking on trainers who had been on the road significantly longer than he had. With the exception of Jared (whom while Cody did better against, he still couldn't beat) the young trainer was winning too many battles for his own good and as a result, his head was beginning to swell.

"Body Slam to the Hariyama!" Cody ordered. The pupa blasted its body into the sumo pokemon's stomach and knocked it onto its back. Like clockwork, Bastion jumped into the air, pulled into his shell, and Aqua Jetted himself into the Hariyama's face. The big opponent blacked out, as did the Nuzleaf beneath him.

"Yes! Good work boys!" Cody congratulated with fresh excitement. Even though he had been winning a lot lately, he still got the same, sweet rush of happiness when he won. He entered the plot a gave the Pupitar a strong pat on the back of his shell so that the thick-skinned pokemon would feel his appreciation.

"Hoooome," Colossal hummed in response, leaning against his trainer in joy. Bastion joined the two in their celebration until the losing trainer gave Cody his winnings and departed.

"Do we kick ass, or do we kick ass?" Cody asked smugly as Heather and Jared joined him.

"Well… you won, I guess, but seriously, calm down. That girl didn't even look like she knew what she was doing," Jared brought up in his matter of fact voice.

"Okay, maybe," Cody agreed, shrugging. "But still, that Hariyama was tough. Hell, I don't even know if I'll need the whole team for the Terra Badge. Bastion and Colossal are tough enough as is."

"Cody, I wouldn't count out the next gym just yet," Jared said, his voice tired with the back and forth already. "Martin Hornsby is no slouch. When I faced him in a second tier battle, I lost pretty badly. The man is a veteran. He almost beat Champion Richard Kaiser last year with his best pokemon in their best out of five series for the title. He knows his stuff."

"Oh relax, I'll be fine. I beat Eagle and Ian, didn't I? This guy-"

"Okay Cody, truth time: How many trainers in their forties have you battled?"

The conversation temporarily ended while Cody thought. In truth, most trainers in his tier level were young like him, while typically, older trainers were at a higher level if they started early. "Umm… I don't know. About ten or so?"

"And how many of them had been training pokemon since they were kids?" Jared asked.

"How should I know? I just wanted a battle, not a life story!" Cody shot back, getting annoyed at these questions.

"Look, all I'm saying is that older trainers have a degree of wisdom to add to their general skills. It will catch you off guard if you're not ready."

"Fine, fine, you win, I'll calm down," Cody groaned.

"Thank Arceus, I thought I'd have to separate you two again," Heather said, her voice slightly irritated at the constant arguing. "You guys wanna get lunch?"

"Yeah, I would, but I need to check on Elesa, see if the cast is finally off. You guys go on without me," Cody responded. The three went their separate ways, and unfortunately for Cody, the conversation had been a waste on Jared's part, as the words went in one ear and out the other.

"She's doing well!" the cheery nurse told Cody while he was reviewing Elesa's medical sheet. "The fracture has healed up nicely, and we'll take the cast off today. She'll be battle ready by the morning.

"Neeeaaaiiigh!" the Zebstrika whinnied in response as if she had understood the good news. Cody reached out and touched her nose, and the horse nuzzled her trainer in return.

"Thanks ma'am. I really appreciate it," Cody replied as he handed the medical clipboard back to the nurse. He gave Elesa one last pat on the head before allowing the nurse to take her to the backrooms again.

"Well that's a relief," Cody said to himself. He had been very worried when he heard the news that the Granbull had broken Elesa's leg, but lucky for him, the genetics of pokemon, combined with modern medicine made the healing process quick and easy. Sometimes, it seemed as if his monsters were immortal.

Feeling a bit hungry, the young trainer went over to the pokemon center's food court and looked at the selection. It didn't take long before he made the decision to buy two slices of pizza and a bottle of orange juice for lunch. All the while he was waiting for his meal, Jared's words reemerged in his brain, but Cody pushed them back. Why was Jared trying to help him? He had made it clear that the two of them weren't friends. Or maybe he was trying to discourage him?

"Ugh, I don't get him anymore," Cody muttered to himself. "Besides, I'm fine. We've been doing really well lately." After picking up his food, he sat down at a lone table, began to eat his food, and watched another table of trainers chattering amongst themselves as they ate to his right. These trainers were all girls, roughly his age, and mildly attractive. Hmm… Maybe I should join THAT group. Taking a sip of his drink, he turned forward again, only to become paralyzed in shock at what he saw.

It was that old fortune teller, Madame Stella. Upon seeing the old woman, draped shawls, he was about to shout, but he ended up choking on his juice instead.

"It's customary to finish your food before speaking," the gray-haired woman rasped while staring at him with her one good eye. When Cody finally managed to get the liquid out of his windpipe, he finally began talking.

"You scared the shit out of me," he wheezed. But once regaining his composure, his face grew more serious. Being stalked had a way of doing that to a person. "And I thought I told you to stay away from me. I'm calling the police." Calmly, he reached for his cell phone, but he noticed that it wasn't in his right pocket where he normally kept it, nor was it in his left pocket. "Where is my-"

"Looking for this?" The old crone held up his mobile device in her wrinkled hand. Cody just stared blankly, mouth agape. How did she manage to take it from him without him noticing?

"How- how did you-"

"You'll get it back after we've had our little chat," she answered putting the cell phone back from where she pulled it from.

"First you follow me against my will, then you steal my things. I don't even know why I'm putting up with this. I'm-"

"Going to make another scene?" Stella interrupted him sternly. "Why should anyone believe you? I'm a defenseless old woman! What could I possibly do to you?"

"You-" Cody stopped himself before he could continue arguing. This old woman seemed to be as slippery as smoke, always appearing where he was whenever he had a nightmare with the "Dark One" as she called the voice in his head. Whatever he did, he was sure at this point that she would just keep coming back. Relaxing his arched back and shoulders, he sat back down in the chair and sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll play your game, Stella. What could you possibly tell me right now that I need to hear?"

"I have nothing to say to you at the moment," she answered, much to his discontent. "However, I noticed your presence growing strong within my soul, so I came to see you. It's very odd for that presence to grow strong during the daytime."

"Yeah…" Cody replied softly. It was weird. The few times that Madame Stella had visited him, it had been during the night after he had a nightmare. But he had not even had an extensive experience recently. Only brief and meaningless visitations. "That thing… it hasn't been coming for long visits lately, and I didn't have one today-"

"Of course you didn't visit you today," Stella spat, "the Dark One can only visit the dreams of those he has marked when the sun is not up where you are. Obviously."

"When the sun is- wait, what?" Cody sputtered in disbelief as he took in the withered woman's words. "I only get those nightmares at night! Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I could have-"

"I told you when I first met you!" she replied angrily. "You never listen! I told you to sleep lightly and with the sun out!"

"Yes, but- but you were scaring the hell out of me! How was I supposed to know?" Regardless of what he had heard or not heard, this revelation suddenly made sense. Since the group had been traveling more during the night to avoid that other person that was stalking Cody, they had been sleeping more during the day. "Well, whatever the case, why did you sense me now if nothing happened?"

"It is a mystery, isn't it?" she replied cryptically, cocking her head and frowning even deeper than she normally did. "He may be coming tonight. Be wary of his presence."

"Or, I can stay awake until morning and avoid him completely." Cody suggested slyly, but Stella just glared at him. "Thanks for the advice, I guess."

"You're a foolish child," she scoffed. "He may have something of value to say to you, and you wish not to hear him? Face the darkness without fear!"

"Why?" Cody shot back. "He has nothing more to say to me! He already wants to rule the world or some Tauros shit. That pretty much sums up what he wants from me!"

"You don't want to learn more?" she asked, dumbfounded. "I thought young people cared about learning."

"Well sure, maybe if I liked being visited by strange beings in their sleep…" Cody muttered under his breath. "I don't understand why he even bothers with the shorter, pointless visits…"

"Because whenever he visits your mind, he becomes more in tune with your physical body," the woman answered him sharply.

"Yes, he told me that already, but… wait, why can't you tell me his plans?"

"Because his exact plans are a mystery to me at the moment," Stella breathed. "All I can tell you is that it will be worth your while to meet with him tonight. Who knows. Maybe if you thank him for saving you from that man who has been following you, he'll share something extra with you."

Cody opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, feeling that reoccurring mixture of frustration and confusion. But finally, he said, "I'm not even going to ask how you know about that… really though… can you answer me this? Who is this 'Dark One?'" But Madame Stella just shook her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Most people have not. And while you've experienced him, first hand, I'd expect you to be the same." Something was off about the hag's face as she had said this. For the first time in Cody's experience, her face reflected sadness. A sadness that had been carried for many a decade and was finally emerging.

Cody groaned, and leaned his face into his hand, still as lost as ever. "Perfect…" he muttered. I wouldn't believe you? Considering all this mental crap, I doubt that… "Can you tell me anyway?" he asked as he looked up, but the mysterious crone had disappeared, as if she had simply teleported away.

Cody sighed once more. Every time the old woman or the voice in the darkness answered his questions, they just left him with more questions. But as he stood up to through his trash away, it hit him: Madame Stella never gave him back his cell phone.

"That bitch," he hissed under his breath, but as he clenched his fist, he felt something in his pocket. He pulled it out and realized that it was his phone. It had returned. How the hell did she do that?

"I was hoping you'd return sooner. I've been itching to discuss your mission with you," Father Ezekiel said to the dark haired man that was kneeling before him.

"My apologies, Father," Casper whispered humbly. "But I had to lay low. The police know my face now, and I've been discrete as of late because of that. I didn't want them to make the connection between us."

"Yes," Ezekiel said, stroking his short beard with his index finger. "You are forgiven for your failings, my child. I guess this Cody Storm has been underestimated."

"It was an outlier," the snatcher grunted. "I know I can capture him."

"I'm sure you can," the older man replied in confidence. "But we will be changing our strategy. Instead of playing cat and mouse with this trainer, we will let him walk directly to us. It's only a matter of time, and that's a luxury we have a lot of at the moment. For now, retire to the I.I. headquarters and remain there until the heat on your head dies down."

"Yes Father," Casper answered respectfully. He stood up and left the room, almost as quietly as he entered.

"Cody Storm…" Ezekiel said to himself as he sat down at his desk again. "You have revealed one of my best snatchers. Quite a thorn in my side, you are." He reached over to his loyal Houndoom's head, and slowly stroked it, while grinning to himself. "No matter. The risk is worth the reward."

Falling asleep was difficult, given that he knew what was waiting for him, but eventually, Cody met up with the sandman, and after a brief, dreamless sleep, he was once again in the dark, empty void that he had grown accustomed to. However, this time, he was unafraid. He remembered Stella telling him not to be afraid, and somehow, her words were actually empowering him. Whatever the thing was, he was ready to face it.

"Hmmmmm," the voice hummed in a deep, yet toneless voice. "It's been awhile since somebody has been so eager to see me. If I had the metaphorical 'heart' that you humans speak of, I'm sure it would feel so warm and fuzzy right about now."

"Yeah, yeah…" Cody mumbled as he sat down and stared into the grey eyes before him. "It has been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Yes, too long for my tastes," the voice agreed. "Of course, it's partly your fault. You've been traveling by night and sleeping by day… not a combination that I like, but I'm so glad that we're talking, I won't punish you for it."

"Gee, thanks," Cody said sarcastically, though still trying to stay on the Dark One's good side. "But there were opportunities in which you could visit me… why didn't you?"

"Because I have many things to do. Being a being of the spirit realm is no picnic. Do not think you are so important that I have to spend every waking, or in your case, sleeping minute with you. But I'm flattered that you missed me, Cody." The last part was announced in obvious sarcasm.

"Whatever you want to think," Cody muttered, feeling his muscles relax. So far, this had been their most comfortable conversation yet. "By the way… I guess I should thank you… you know, for waking me that one time. If you didn't, that Casper guy in the Cipher outfit would have captured me for sure. Who knows what would have happened if he did, you know?"

"Don't think I did it because I like you," the Dark One replied in place of a simple "you're welcome." "If this were a chess game, I'd do what I could to protect the queen, now wouldn't I?"

"Don't you mean the king?" Cody asked innocently, but he was answered with a powerful backhand across the face, cracking his nose. "So much for a peaceful evening," he thought to himself after yelping in pain.

"How dare you," the voice said in a calm, but angered voice. "You are not the king, for while you are a powerful piece in my plan, you are disposable! Don't you ever forget that! And besides…" There was a pause as the grey eyes of the void seemed to slant even more. "I am the King. Understand?"

"Completely," Cody replied, his tone dark, though he knew the voice would not be threatened. "I just wish… I knew what was going on. This is all so confusing to me. Every time you or Stella appear, you always leave me with more questions, and-"

"I told you not to speak with her!" the voice shouted in a fiery rage, as a circle of flames surrounded Cody. "I know you've been asking her questions! She is a useless woman to both of us, and if I could, I would have ended her pathetic life years ago!"

"If she's so useless, why are you so afraid of her?" Cody questioned, only to get slugged in the stomach by a large, black fist from the voice's infinite appendages.

"Does a Gyarados fear a Seedot?" it asked with arrogance. "What concerns me are the ideas that she puts in your head! That you should not fear me! That you should oppose me! The sooner you accept me, the better. For if you don't, you will suffer for as long as you shall live. Perhaps even longer…"

"Perhaps even- Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" the teen asked, feeling his teeth chatter slightly. After the flames had died down, he felt a bone-chilling old in the vastness. "Are you… are you some sort of god?"

"Hmph, I almost was," the voice scoffed, annoyed at the question, though apparently not annoyed enough to hit his victim. "But if I told you, would you even believe me?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore," Cody whispered, as he looked down at the ground (though it only looked like more empty, infinite, black space.) But then, his head shot up from the feeling of déjà vu. "You know, Stella said the same thing to me about you. That I wouldn't believe her if she told me what you were."

"Yes, and you wouldn't have," the Dark One said gravely. "But of course she wouldn't tell you. Do you know how ostracized she became from what were her friends and family? No. Of course you don't. It's scarred her beyond any heartbreak you have ever experienced." A hand emerged from the void and tilted Cody's face towards the colorless eyes. "But I can oblige you today. Do you really want to know who I am, Cody Michael Storm?"

"Yes." The answer was sure and swift. At the response, the grip on the boy's chin tightened.

"Are you quite sure? Perhaps there truly are things better left unsaid."

"I can handle it," Cody replied, a straight sternness in his voice. "If you plan on forcing me to do your bidding, I would like to know who I'm working for." But simultaneously, he was praying that he the truth would not be as dangerous as Stella had made it out to be. If it made Stella the way she was... would it drive him to insanity as well?

"Very well," the Dark One announced. "But be warned: once I tell you, you shall never forget this night, no matter how hard you try. For many who have learned my name have tried in vain to begin with." Silence ensued for a few seconds that felt like minutes. But after the dramatic pause, the voice spoke again in a deep, regal tone. "My name is Akomni Somnota."

Cody stared into the space before him, and blinked. The name meant nothing to him. "Who?"

"It is my name from the ancient times," the voice explained calmly. "It is from the ancient language of Pocraise. A language that most humans and pokemon have forgotten. It literally translates as 'Darker Dream.' But that is okay that you do not know that, as many do not. But as it is with those who have lost their true names to the claws of time, I have many names now. I have been called the Dark One, the Dream Reaper, the Eternal Void, the Black Fog… hundreds of names throughout all languages. Humans and pokemon alike fear my presence, and how fitting these fears truly are. I can lead any soul to eternal torment, in this realm and the next. Once I have found you, there is no escape. Should you resist, you will be driven to madness. And you shall be no different if you choose to act belligerently!"

"Wow…" Cody stuttered nervously. The description, while confusing, could only terrify him. Every last word had brought an individual chill to his spine, and his eyes had widened to a great extreme. But he still was ignorant. Who was this beast of the darkness that was so interested in him? What was it about him that could destroy people if he had no direct influence on the physical world?

Looking into the eyes of the being before him, he began to say, "I… how… I'm sorry, but I… I still don't understand. That description is so vague. I still don't know who or what you are exactly."

"Then allow me to answer you in three words that you will understand," the voice said in a gleeful evilness as two hands touched his cheeks and pulled him forward to a faceless mouth that smiled with its night-black jaws. "I am… Darkrai!"

His eyes widened as he stared at the ceiling of the pokemon center's dormitory. That dream… every dream with this being felt real, but this one felt beyond real. It was almost as if he had a religious experience and he had seen the face of God. But it wasn't a god. It was something else. Darkrai… what is Darkrai? He had heard the name before, but he couldn't remember where. It sounded like something from mythology. Once the adrenaline eased its flow, he shifted his body off the bed, pulled his pants from the day before, slipped into his shoes, and left the dormitory.

The entrance room of the pokemon center was still open, but nobody was there except the nurses and doctors who were on call at the late hour. Ignoring them, Cody walked over to the computers that were set up for trainer use, and pulled up Wikipedia on the web browser. Now… how do I spell Darkrai? Surprising himself, he got it right on the first try.

The page that was pulled up showed an artist's interpretation of the being, portraying it as a black, floating form, shaped like an hourglass with jagged edges, a red necklace-like structure around its shoulders, and what looked to be long white hair. Suddenly, it was all coming back to him. He had seen a similar picture in a mythology text, but he thought nothing of it at the time. Under the picture was a list of names, including the ones that the Dark One gave to himself. Darkrai is a mythological entity that has appeared in various religions and mythology, including ancient Arcean texts. It is said to be the herald of nightmares.

Already figured that, Cody thought to himself grimly. He scrolled down to the mythology section of the article, and continued to read. While the mythology of Darkrai varies from text to text and culture to culture, it is always regarded as a mysterious and cold being that brings about torment through the dreams of the living, playing a counterpart to Cresselia, the herald of dreams. While descriptions of Darkrai's appearance vary, Arcean scrolls describe the being as being ghost like appearance, with a malicious disposition to match, though it is also described as a necessary evil, since without his existence, there is no balance. It is unknown if this being was considered by ancient people to be a god, a pokemon, a spirit, or something else entirely. Darkrai…

Cody had began to shudder violently at the words. They should not have been so terrifying, but from what he had experienced, what was a myth to some was completely real to him, and he would be rather alone in this belief. Ignoring the rest of the mythos section, he scrolled through the page until he found a section titled "Real Life Encounters." Despite the many people throughout time claiming that they have encountered Darkrai, no physical evidence of any type has ever been found to suggest that such a being truly exists. There have been numerous people who have claimed to have seen Darkrai in their dreams, but this does not provide evidence for the existence of the being either. There have also been varying accounts of individuals losing their grip on reality in their claims that Darkrai is haunting them, but this is typically believed to be the work of other mental diseases, such as schizophrenia. A curious thing however is that there are some who have claimed to see Darkrai in their dreams without prior knowledge of the being. While some Jungian psychologists believe this could be the work of the collective unconscious, it is widely accepted that the individuals had seen an image of Darkrai previously and had-

"Cody, what are you doing up?" A hand touched his shoulder, and he lurched violently.

"Holy!" The teen felt his stomach back flip as he turned around to see Heather in her white nightgown, looking almost as surprised as he did, though for not as much reason. "Don't do that! I almost shit myself!"

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized tensely, "I just noticed that you were gone, so I came to see if…" Her voice trailed off as her focus trailed off as her focus shifted to the computer. Curiously, she asked, "what are you looking up at three in the morning?"

"Nothing, just-" It was too late. She pushed him and the wheeled chair he sat in to the side and began to scroll through the page, confused at what was there.

"What's a Darkrai?" she asked, obviously not affected in the same way he had been.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing, so I decided to look it up, and-"

"Cut the crap, Cody," she ordered, sternly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I just felt… I just felt like reviewing my mythology, that's all." He smiled, but his falseness was sensed immediately.

"Cody, you have many talents, but lying isn't one of them," the brunette said, looking him dead in the eyes with all seriousness. "No more lies. No more secrets. What is this about? And don't say 'nothing,' because I can tell that's not the case."

He was really between a rock and a hard place at that moment. Heather had been so supporting throughout their travels, but would she believe him? He wouldn't believe it if he didn't know any better, so why would she? But if he lied, she would see through him like a spotless window. The way he saw it, he only had one option.

"Fine… But you will never believe me…" Slowly, he began to recount the tale of the old gypsy and the voice that haunted his dreams. While Heather listened patiently, she never showed an inch of disbelief though she did seem to have a difficult time comprehending all that was being said. At the end of his long and mysterious yarn, there was a strange stillness between the two.

But finally, Heather asked, "And this… this has been happening since we met up in the mountains north of Kindle City?"

"Yes…"

"Cody…" she began in a fearful voice, "I believe that you believe in what you saw, but… this can't be real. It's just… it's just too weird. Maybe you should see somebody about this. A psychologist or a-"

"So you don't believe me," Cody stated bitterly, but Heather shook her head and continued.

"No… it's just that you've been under a lot of stress with your family issues, and your training, and… you never sleep as much ever since you caught Antonia, and you have that guy following you… Maybe you're just stressing to the point that you're imagining things?"

"No, that can't be!" Cody shot back. "That crazy lady Madame Stella! I saw her! She's real and she knows about this! And I met her before I was having these problems! Maybe-"

"But Cody, I've never seen her! Neither had Jared! What if… what if you're just imagining her too?" Though she tried to ask the question delicately, it frustrated Cody even more.

"No! When we were in Kito Grove, she was there, and the people in the pokemon center were looking at us when I started yelling, and-"

"Or they were looking because you were shouting at nothing?" she questioned.

Damn… I never thought of that. Maybe she's right. Could she be right? Could I just be losing it? Could I be like the schizophrenic people mentioned in the article? But then another memory came to mind. "No, other people saw her! I remember when I met her in Kindle and she scared me away. Some guy came up and asked if I was alright, and he said that Stella was crazy. He saw her too!"

"Or maybe you made him up too?" Heather asked. But Cody had had enough.

"Look, just say I'm crazy already! I know you're thinking it!" he shouted, catching glances from the center's staff.

"No, no! Please Cody!" Heather hushed, her eyes showing her helplessness. "I'm just so worried for you. I don't want you to lose yourself to this dream you're having. Please… I'm begging you… next chance you get, talk to a professional about this. Please?"

"And what? Take even more medication for my messed up mind? I don't think so," Cody grunted, crossing his arms. "I'd rather-"

"Cody…" Heather clutched both of his hands, squeezing them with what seemed to be Machamp-like strength. "Please… for me."

He looked into her chocolate brown eyes and the guilt welled up in him. He couldn't say no to the girl who had defended him so many times before. The least he could do was humor her. "Fine. I'll do it. But on one condition: you don't tell anybody about this, Jared included."

"Cody, no secr-"

"Heather, please don't feed me that garbage," Cody interrupted bitterly. "I don't want him knowing. It'll be our secret." The look he gave Heather was one of purest and utmost desperation. After about thirty seconds, she slowly nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Your welcome…" she whispered, following her words with a tight hug. It was so strange hugging Heather when she was wearing so little. But at the same time, it made him feel a warm and guilty pleasure. "I really shouldn't… but I guess since you didn't even want to tell me…"

"Yeah, yeah," he whispered into her ear. "Let's get back to sleep. We got ground to cover in the morning."

"Alright… if you have any more dreams, tell me. You have me here with you. You'll always have me."

"Yes ma'am," he joked softly. She giggled before loosening her grip and the two walked back to the dormitory.

No secrets… he was breaking the rule, not only to Jared, but Heather too. There was one thing he had forgotten to tell her: his pokemon had seen Stella too. When they did, they had shivered. He knew he didn't imagine that. For him, it was evidence enough that he still had a bit of sanity left. Madame Stella was real. Therefore, the voice… Darkrai… he was also real. He knew the truth, but even so, the Dark One was right: some things were really better off unsaid.

Honestly, who figured it was Darkrai? I felt I was being pretty obvious about it, but whatever. It's not too cryptic, but the plot thickens, and reviews are appreciated. Until next time, happy training!