PKM Rangers: Rise of the Dark Gems

by Shot Knight

When a terrorist organization called the Dark Gems will stop at nothing to kidnap May Birch and her daughter Sarah, the only person that can save them is May's ex-husband, Agent 1076. But how can a man who lost everything become a hero strong enough to save them? His transformation into the Golden Ranger marks the beginning of an epic journey to reunite his family. AdvanceShipping.

36. Morph 36

Morph Thirty-Six: Brand New Day

"Your name escapes me, young lady," said the man, offering Ame a seat across from his desk. She took it, still cradling the Dark Ruby in her hands.

"I am called Ame, Alexander Charon," she replied. "As I said, my employers wish to discuss some business with you. Business that concerns your PKM Rangers."

Charon laughed. "I'm afraid you're misinformed, Ms. Ame. You see, PKM no longer has rangers. Too volatile, I think was the word. Much better just to have loyal soldiers, though I will admit my own business has been lacking somewhat without the brand name the rangers gave me."

"Our business has similarly lacked progress due to your rangers," said Ame. "This business, which must be completed as soon as possible, requires the absolute destruction of the PKM Rangers. I believe we could be of mutual benefit to one another."

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "And what mutual benefit might that be?"

"Perhaps an anecdote would best explain our situation, Alexander Charon," said Ame.

Charon raised his hand. "By all means, Ms. Ame."

"Thank you. Alexander Charon, have you ever wondered why this country of Orre has no naturally occurring Pokemon? Why there are no native Pokemon, despite our distance from other countries such as Hoenn or Kanto? Surely there should be some native species, but there are not. Have you ever wondered why that was?"

"I assumed it was because Orre is a barren wasteland," said Charon. "Humans colonized it centuries ago, but there wasn't anything living here before we arrived."

Ame shook her head. "That is the popular theory, but no. Pokemon existed, perhaps more powerful than any others due to the harsh terrain they lived in. Yet there are none alive today. Humans must import Pokemon, and even the wild Pokemon are non-native Pokemon that have only just begun to thrive in the environment. Tell me, Alexander Charon, do you find it odd that Orre's entire population of native Pokemon would suddenly, inexplicably vanish without a trace?"

"In truth, no," said Charon. "I don't care much for them myself. Always crawling around where humans should be. It's one of the reasons so few PKM Agents have Pokemon."

Ame tilted her head. "Well, the reality is that the Pokemon disappeared for a specific reason. Do you recall the myth of the Pyrite Trickster?"

Charon chuckled. "Ah, yes. I'm familiar. Something about a man who appeared and promised the people a great power, but one that cost them all their Pokemon. What of it?"

"That man was Nicholas Brine," said Ame. "You may recall him as an ancestor of one of the three founding families of PKM, as well as an ancestor to one of the rangers. Nicholas was a native of Orre at the time of its settlement, when there was much strife within the region. Forces from the north threatened to seize Orre unless something was done. Nicholas found a way through old tomes that spoke of the Dark Gems. He decided to forge three gems of monumental power, strong enough to turn the tide of war. But, in doing this, Orre paid a price."

"The price being?" asked Charon.

"The price was the life of each and every Pokemon within the boundaries of the Orre region. Millions of lives, scores of species lost in an instant. And through that sacrifice, three Dark Gems were born, the likes of which have never been seen on this planet. Two of them contained the minds and souls of the Pokemon that were sacrificed, but this gem I offer you contains the bodily power of those Pokemon. It is the least powerful of the three, but it is substantially stronger than mine."

"How interesting," said Charon, as he eyed the gem. "But whatever happened to this Nicholas fellow?"

"He was ostracized. His family exiled him for his actions and he died alone, researching how to harness the power of the Dark Gems. He died holding his three Dark Gems, as he could never activate them himself. He died holding the bodies, minds, and souls of every Pokemon in Orre. Now I offer you the opportunity to extract revenge with me against your PKM Rangers."

Charon considered it, then shook his head. "I am afraid, Ms. Ame, that such actions would not result in revenge against the rangers. The simple truth is that they continue to outsmart you and to defeat you. Did you ever consider why that is?"

"They are underestimated by our operatives."

"No. You have no power over them. Threaten them, fine. Hurt them, good, but where is the fun in it? Where is the joy you should feel every time they feel pain and suffering? They need to be tortured, Ms. Ame, not defeated." He reached into his desk and pulled out the charred remains of some small machine. "This will bring them torture. We will combine your technology with mine, Ms. Ame, then I will regain my morphers and give them to people more deserving of their powers."

"Can a Dark Gem be combined with a PKM morpher?" asked Ame.

"Oh, dear lady," said Charon, as he widened his grin. "All things are possible if you're willing to jam things in hard enough. Besides, it is absolutely necessary that we bring this morpher back up to code. The rangers won't know what hit them when they get a look of me in this little suit."

"What is it?"

Charon caressed the surface. "A prototype, from before we used ranger spirits. More specifically, this is the Master Ranger morpher, owned and operated by the late Bakaguru Niwa, also known as the mentor of our little batch of renegades."

"Bakaguru Niwa," said Ame. "I am afraid I am unfamiliar with most of his records."

Charon waved his hand. "It doesn't matter. He's an insect in the grand scheme of things. His story was that he died uselessly before his friends could come and save him." Charon held out his hand, and Ame deposited the Dark Ruby into his palm. Charon gripped the Master Morpher in his other hand. "And now I'm going to destroy what remains of his legacy so his name never haunts my door again!"

The room suddenly filled with laughter, and Charon and Ame immediately began work on their little project.

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It took some time before 0 was ready for an international flight.

Regardless of the fact that the transformation shouldn't have taken more than a button press to activate after the first success, the simple fact of the matter was that it was weeks before he could bring his entire body over voluntarily. Sometimes a piece would get left behind, such as his head, so he would end up with a regular body and a helmet firmly clamped on.

Today marked the second week of consecutive successes. As long as he was calm and had little to distract him from maintaining the shape of his body, he was fully able to reconstruct his physical shape from the infrared particles inside his suit.

"Dad!" shouted Sarah when she saw him reemerge from the Gold Ranger shell, and proceeded to show her glee by tackling him. He grabbed her and positioned her sturdily in his arms.

"Hey," he said. "Not missing anything, am I?"

"The trials continue to be successful," said 415. "You now appear to have a maximum time of two hours before you will be forcibly reverted back to the infrared body."

"I have the timer on me," said May. "It'll go off when we have ten minutes on the clock, so he can find somewhere discreet to change back, recharge, and come back out for another two hours."

"Very good. Remember, the slightest undue stress will also cause him to forcibly revert back, so ensure he remains calm throughout the flight."

"You sure we can't just teleport him?" asked Serena. "This whole thing would be a cinch if we could just warp them all to Pallet Town."

415 shook her head. "Impossible. The limited range scarcely allows us to reach Goldenrod. Were we to try a trip to Kanto, chances would be good they would die."

"Why's that?" asked 0.

"The teleporter transfers the atoms that constitute the body from one location to another. Actual teleporters that are used for transferring Pokemon and equipment are actually part of a relay system that make shorter jumps over a longer distance to ensure safety. Because we want no one gaining unauthorized access to our teleporter, it operates at a different frequency and cannot connect to that system. Such is the price for security. Were we to attempt a jump to Kanto, the atoms that form up your bodies would break down and scatter due to the increased distance."

"Gotcha. We go with the plane," said 0.

"You guys had better get a move on," said Serena. "You lollygag here any longer and you'll miss your flight."

"Now, you're sure you can handle city defenses on your own?" asked 0.

"Yes, Dad," said Serena. "I'm absolutely sure. Jenny's been made aware our heavy hitter's going to be out of town, but I'm pretty sure I can keep the city under control for a few days. Plus, I've got Max and 415 here as backup, not to mention our new Pokemon support system." Serena grinned at Darmanitan and Elgyem, both of whom were busy recalibrating the computer system. "And Brock will have plenty of company."

"At some point we're going to have a conversation about me getting some fresh air!" shouted Brock from his bed. "I haven't seen the outside of this hospital bed in weeks." Chansey glared at him, and he shrank back into the bed sheets.

"Your prosthetics are being completed on schedule," said 415. "We should be ready to begin amputation and application within a fortnight."

"Oh yeah…amputation. Great." Brock relaxed himself on the bed and tried to think about something else.

"Take care of yourself," said 0. "We'll be back in a flash."

"Have a safe trip," he said.

0 stepped onto the teleporter with May and Sarah. Each one was holding a piece of luggage, enough for a week-long trip. 0 turned to Elgyem. "Ready to test out the civilian teleport system?" he asked.

"Gyem em," it said eagerly.

0 bent down to adjust Sarah's coat. "You have your receiver, little girl?"

She nodded and produced a small transmitter the size and shape of a Poke Ball. "Yes, Dad," she said, in a tone that made it seem as though 0 had already asked her the question ten times already.

"Me too," said May with a smile and produced a transmitter of her own.

0 grinned. "Well let's get to it. Elgyem, transport us somewhere discreet."

Elgyem nodded and fired up the machine. There was a bit of discomfort, almost queasiness, then suddenly 0 found himself staring at a concrete wall.

They were just outside the airport, out of the line of sight of the security cameras and the security agents on duty. 0 looked around, both his wife and daughter had made the trip safely.

"Everyone alright?" he asked.

May nodded. "A little nauseous, but I think that's morning sickness."

"I'm fine too!" said Sarah.

"Excellent." 0 had been worried about May, but nothing had happened. She looked safe and healthy, and the little bulge on her stomach looked safe too. "We could have just taken a cab. You are three months pregnant."

"Nonsense," she said and touched her belly. "We're perfectly fine. Come on, we have to go check in." May reached out and took Sarah by the hand. "Come on, little girl. Dad can grab the bags." She stuck her tongue at him and led Sarah inside the airport.

"Hey, wait up!" he shouted as he slung her carryon over his shoulder and gripped the other two bags. "Geez, excuse me for being concerned."

Pi was laughing in his head. "Way to go, Superdad."

"I see nothing wrong with wanting my wife and unborn child safe," said 0.

"True, but you could tune it down a little. Remember, too much stress, no more human body."

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind." He caught up with May and Sarah just as they had gotten in line at the ticket counter.

"Everything alright?" asked May with a sweet smile.

"Very much so," he said, then turned to Sarah. "So, you remember how to behave on an airplane?"

Sarah nodded. "No messing around with my seat, no bothering other people, no screaming."

0 nodded. "That's my brave little girl. I'm sure they'll have a movie or something for you to watch." Sarah seemed to be quite content to hear that, and began busying herself by looking around. "What're you doing?"

"Looking for suspicious people," she said seriously. After a few moments she turned around satisfied. "No Dark Gems, but I'll keep my eyes open, Dad."

He smiled. "Sounds good, kiddo."

"Do you ever wonder if we shouldn't have taught Sarah all these anti-terrorism techniques?" asked May as an afterthought.

"To be fair, I'm sure they'll come in handy when she starts dating."

"Oh, that's coming up soon," said May. "She'll probably be dating in ten years." She lowered herself to adjust Sarah's jacket. "Are there any cute boys that have caught your eye, little girl?"

"And what are their addresses?" asked 0 as he cracked his knuckles.

Sarah made a disgusted face. "Ew, Mom. Boys are gross. They keep picking their noses around me. And they smell bad."

"That's my girl," said 0.

"Sweetie, you know she's going to start dating someday."

"Absolutely," said 0. "When she's thirty."

They approached the ticket counter and the subject suddenly became moot. May produced their tickets and the inspector checked their two suitcases. 0 kept the backpack as they stepped towards the scanners.

"Uh," said 0. "I think we forgot something."

May turned to him. "What?"

"How do I get my morpher passed security?" he asked. "It doesn't exactly come off."

"That is a good question," said May. "Just tell them it's broken and you can't get it off. It looks enough like a watch that they won't be bothered with it."

0 nodded. "Good idea."

May's plan worked. When it came time for 0 to get through the scanner, it beeped once and they asked him to remove the morpher. 0 used May's explanation, so they just patted him down and sent him on his way.

"There's something funny about watching male security guards pat you down," said May.

"Didn't think you'd be into that," said 0.

She shrugged. "Just nice to see my man being worked over in a way that doesn't end up with him as a pulp."

"What're you guys talking about?" chirped Sarah.

"Nothing!" they both shouted.

They reached the gate terminal just as boarding commenced. "Well, this is all moving very smoothly," said 0.

"Now you've jinxed it," said May. "We're never leaving the airport."

May was quite incorrect. The family jumped right to the front, considering they had first class tickets, and were seated in next to no time. 0 positioned the backpack in the storage unit above their seats while May began the entertaining process of getting Sarah's seatbelt on her.

"Baby girl, you need to sit still," said May.

"But look! Look!" she said, pointing to her window. "I get a view! I'll be able to see the clouds!"

"True, but you need the seatbelt on," said May. "If you're not wearing the seatbelt, they won't take off and you won't be able to see the clouds." This instantly changed Sarah's mind about the seatbelt. She sat still at once and allowed her mother to fasten her in. May secured her own seatbelt just as 0 sat down.

A stewardess was heading in his direction and he signaled her down. "Could I please get a hamburger and a cola?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'll be sure to get that to you once we take off, sir," she replied. "Would you like anything on it?"

"Cheese, beef, and ketchup please."

"Can do." She headed off and 0 turned to May, who had an odd look on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"You're going to eat airplane food?" she asked.

Sarah made a face. "Yuck! That's why we bought the jerky, Dad."

He chuckled. "To be fair, I haven't had a meal in five years. I'm sure it'll taste just fine."

A voice began speaking on the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. If you would please secure your luggage, fasten your seatbelts, and recall any Pokemon you might be carrying with you, we will begin takeoff procedures."

0 waited while the airplane attendant demonstrated the proper methods of securing seatbelts, attaching air masks to children, and other things he was sure he would have no need for. In the event of an emergency, he fully to rip out an emergency door and fly his family to safety in Chariard Form. But he paid attention, insofar as he didn't fall asleep in boredom, and eventually the plane shifted itself towards the runway and took off.

Maybe thirty minutes into the flight, the stewardess returned with the gourmet burger and a crisp, chilled cola. She set it before 0 with a smile.

"Will that be all, sir?" she asked.

He nodded. "Thank you. I'll let you know if I want more later." She bowed her head and departed.

0 grabbed the two sides of the burger and lifted it to his face. It smelt delicious. He could smell the juicy, warm beef, cooked medium well if he wasn't mistaken, and the sweet scent of ketchup that had been drizzled onto the bottom bun. Soft, melted cheese adorned the top of the burger, and he very delicately took a bite into the sandwich.

"How's your first meal?" asked May.

He turned towards her with a smile. "This may be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I may have to have five of these."

"I've never heard someone so enthusiastic about airplane food," said May.

"To be fair, we are in first class," 0 pointed out. "I'm pretty sure I won't be as excited when they show up with the soggy sandwiches." He then returned his attention to the cheeseburger with the gusto and fortitude of a Snorlax approaching starvation.

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"Your diagnosis is complete."

Max demorphed. The process had become a much more fluid, graceful art, primarily because of how his mind remained during his transformation. Previously, his transformations included the light cloud that would merge his consciousness with that of the Dark Emerald, but now the only difference he noticed was an increase in sheer power.

"I'm still not used to being alone in my head," said Max.

"The diagnostic explains that. Here." 415 brought up a brain scan the equipment had taken of Max while morphed. "See these centers here?"

"Yeah," said Max.

"Those represent active consciousness or, rather, your functioning consciousness during the transformation. Unlike a normal human, your unconscious mind does not appear to exist. There are no unconscious decisions being made by you. All activity in the brain is focused towards your conscious self."

"Alright. But don't I need some unconscious reactions?"

"I was getting to that. There is unconscious activity stimulating pieces of your brain, but it is not originating from you. Instead, an outside source has supplemented your unconscious material, allowing your entire mental capacity to focus on conscious decisions. I believe this is where the consciousness of the Dark Emerald is being stored. It still exists, but your unconscious mind is not interacting with your conscious mind and thus you do not recognize the Dark Emerald is still in there."

"Huh." Max looked at the brain scan and smiled. "Well, good. I'm glad it's still in there, even if I can't hear it."

"In reality, it should have been foreseen. Previously, your mind was supplemented to the subconscious while the Dark Emerald utilize your conscious mind. It is logical that the inverse might occur upon evolution. Perhaps the relationship will change again upon your final evolution."

"I hope not," said Max. "Every other Dark Gem we've come across in Shattered Form has been a total nut job. That's why I was so worried when I first thought I might be evolving. Now that everything's normal, I just want to stay that way for as long as humanly possible."

"Well, remember my offer still stands to kill you once you become a liability," she said.

"Duly noted," said Max. "I'll try not to become a liability."

"It would be unadvisable."

Someone coughed, and both Max and 415 straightened up as Serena wandered in Ranger Downs. "Heyo, everyone. How'd the tests turn out?"

"Tests indicate the Dark Emerald is operating within parameters," said 415. "I will continue his weekly monitoring until we are certain he is completely stable."

"Love it," said Serena. "Max, why don't you head out on patrol tonight? I'm beat, and we can't very well keep you stuck inside here forever."

"We should continue testing to ensure—"

"I'm making an executive decision," said Serena. "Besides, when 0's not around I'm in charge, right? Well, I say he goes out and gets his feet wet again. It's better for him to adjust to the changes in some actual patrol duty instead of sitting around in a lab."

Max nodded. "I can do that. I'll go ahead and head out with one of the motorcycles."

Serena waved her hand. "We can probably fit you on the teleporter. Why don't we give that a shot?"

Again, 415 interrupted. "We do not know the effect the teleporter may have on his physiology. I request time to continue my research before we place the Dark Gem under duress."

"Overruled," said Serena. "Elgyem, beam our Dark Emerald Ranger into Goldenrod."

Elgyem nodded and began charging up the system.

"Uh, you sure about this?" asked Max. "I have no problems waiting for that research data to come in before using this."

"We were able to teleport two civilians with no Ailed Morphers today," said Serena. "I think the system can handle a little Dark Gem. Just take a receiver for good luck." She tossed him the Poke Ball-shaped apparatus and gave Elgyem the signal. Max vanished instantly.

"Gyem, elgyem," it announced, confirming the success.

"You should have waited for my confirmation," said 415. "It could have endangered our Dark Gem specimen."

"Yeah, about that," said Serena, as she approached 415. "Is there any particular reason your attitude towards Max has changed in the last couple of weeks?"

"My attitude towards him has remained the same since the moment I met him," replied 415.

"So you've always been in love with him? All that verbal abuse was a fancy cover for your affections?"

415 did not verbally respond, nor did her mask reveal any sort of blush that might give away her true feelings, but even Serena noticed when 415's throat tightened for just a millisecond before it faded away. Had she not been looking for it, Serena would have never have spotted it.

"What are you staring at?" asked 415.

"You twitched your neck. You're afraid," said Serena.

"Absurd. I have long since trained out emotional responses, particularly emotional responses that have no purpose," said 415.

"Then why are you being so friendly with Max? You were practically concerned with his well-being right there. Why do you think I was so adamant about it?"

"I…" 415 took a breath. "I am obligated. He rescued me and evolved to save my life. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be ignored, but the Dark Gem and I talked prior to his evolution."

"Ooh? About what?" Serena pulled up a chair and invited 415 to join her.

415 sat down. "The Dark Gem expressed his fear of evolution. He had noticed how the Dark Sapphire Ranger changed upon evolution and naturally concluded that evolution destabilizes the mind linked to the Dark Gem further. Though we have had few problems after acquiring the Dark Emerald Ranger from the Dark Gems, it is also unknown whether the Dark Emerald will affect him as other Dark Gems have affected users. He did not wish to change. He was adamant about this belief. He should not have evolved during the battle with the Dark Diamond Ranger. He should have remained in Chained Form."

"Instead he evolved," said Serena. "So you're wondering why he evolved when you don't think he wanted to?"

415 nodded. "There is no explanation. Why would a person deliberately act against their own self-interest? The Dark Gem risked his life and sanity on the hunch that he would obtain enough power to hold the Dark Diamond Ranger at bay. Ranger Gold and yourself were on standby. Why did he then evolve?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Geez, you're even more clueless than the men around here. Have you considered the possibility that he might be in love with you, and love makes people do stupid things?" Under her breath, she muttered, "Like fall in love with you."

415 nodded. "I considered that possibility. I informed him in no uncertain terms that I am simply not built with such capacities."

"You sound like a robot," said Serena. "Look, you loved the old Golden Ranger, right?"

"Not in such a fashion, but yes."

"Why was that?"

"The Golden Ranger rescued me as a child."

"Go on."

"I was a child in a military zone," she replied. "I was recovered by the Golden Ranger sometime between my second and third birthday. I was his daughter. There are no records of my family prior to my recovery by PKM, only that the Golden Ranger rescued me from the likelihood of becoming a child soldier, or worse, as I grew up."

"Okay, so he rescued you. You ever think that might be what's going on here?"

"What?"

Serena sighed. "Do I have to spell out every single bit of romantic advice in this family? Look, you loved the Golden Ranger because he rescued you as a child, right?"

"Correct."

"Well, isn't it possible that because it's been over two years since he died you're just transferring those feelings towards someone else? Someone you don't view as a father? Someone who, by sheer coincidence, also just happened to rescue you and cause this shift in personality I've been noticing over the past few weeks? Do I really need to keep connecting the dots, or do you get it yet?"

415 considered the evidence. "What you say is not without merit," she agreed. "True, he did save me and, true, so did the Golden Ranger. It is natural the emotions would correlate. Yet, if this emotional attachment is taking place, there has been no rapid increase in emotion. Upon reflection, my attitude towards the Dark Gem remains unchanged."

"There could be an answer for that," said Serena. "You might just have always been in love with him and subconsciously hidden it."

"Impossible."

"Is it? You've spent all the time Max has been with us belittling him because he's a Dark Gem Ranger instead of one of us. You try to kill him over and over again, you insulted him, you did everything to make him feel unwelcome. Couldn't that have just been a mask? Goodness knows May and I thought so."

"You did?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah. Classic move, really, pushing away a guy you really like. Can't tell you how many times I've done it. Just makes the guy want you more. We figured that's what you were doing, because we seriously wondered why you would torment the guy like that."

"Because he is a Dark Gem, and thus an inferior range—"

"That needs to stop," said Serena. "You're really not fooling anyone, so there's no point in putting him down anymore. You like him. He probably likes you. Get over yourself and do him."

415 hesitated. "'Do' him?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to have to draw you a diagram or something, am I? I just finished explaining your attraction to him, I really don't want to explain what to do with those feelings."

415 shook her head. "There will be no need. However, I disagree with your final diagnosis."

"That's not my problem. You want to ignore your feelings, fine. But, and I can say this from experience, you want him bad, girl. You want him real bad. I'd even say he's probably the first person you've ever wanted and that's why all of this is confusing to you."

415 had nothing to say to that. She sat in her chair for a while and considered everything. Serena watched as the blank slate that was her mask began to shift. Her brows arched as she thought, her eyes stared directly into a small space on the floor, and her hands slowly began clenching into tightened fists. When she looked up, Serena saw an expression she had never seen all across 415's face.

She was confused.

"I…I do not understand," she said. "Everything you said makes perfect logical sense. But I do not understand how to utilize these emotions that are surfacing. What are they? How do I handle them? I…was not trained for this."

"Nobody really is. Don't worry too much about it. You'll get the hang of using them. Or you'll kill Max. But I'm betting you'll get the hang of it. Max is hard to kill."

"He is," said 415 warmly. "I have tried on numerous occasions."

"There you go, speaking fondly of him. Next thing you know you'll be ready to have his little Dark Gem babies. Or at least actually say his name."

"Perhaps May Birch would be more suitable to assist me in this self-analysis," said 415. "After all, she is the only one of us with a husband."

"No way," said Serena. "Us single girls have to stick together."

"I am unfamiliar with that vernacular," said 415.

"Well, it's good to know you're not changing that much," said Serena. "Now let's talk strategy before Max gets back!"

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Obtaining a cab at the airport proved to be much more difficult than originally believed.

After the brief layover in the Kanto International Airport, 0, May, and Sarah boarded a small, rickety plane that 0 scarcely fit in for a short two hour flight that was a far cry from the first class service they'd enjoyed on the flight from Johto. When they got out at the Pallet Town Regional Airport, all of the cabs seemed to have mysteriously vanished. 0 spent ten minutes waiting outside in the rain before May found out the reason for the delay.

"There's a strike," she said and held up a newspaper she had purchased at the concession stand. "All the public transport is out. The only people working are the airlines."

"Great," said 0. "Guess we'll rent a car, then. I think I have a driver's license I haven't used." He consulted his pockets and came up with one of his fake identities. "I think this ought to handle it."

May looked at the same. "Sherman Marsh? Where do you pick these names?"

"I just picked random names out of a hat," he explained. "Much harder to trace names picked based on chance. You stick out like a sore thumb if you deliberately pick inconspicuous names."

"Like Walter Jones?"

"Sort of, yeah. Jones or Smith always makes you seem suspicious." He turned to Sarah. "Come on, kiddo! Dad's driving!"

Sarah had been in the magazine kiosk looking around for some kid's magazine. She immediately dropped what she was doing and ran back to her parents. "What's Dad's name this time?" she asked.

"Sherman Marsh," said May.

Sarah made a face. "That's a dumb name, Dad."

"That's the idea. Cool names can get you in trouble."

Compared to the time 0 spent waiting for a cab, it took considerably less time to rent a car. He let Sarah pick the car, as they all seemed to look the same to him, and she settled on a giant caravan with a DVD player for the backseats. 0 just smiled and signed the paperwork, and soon he and his family rolled off the rental lot in the giant vehicle.

"This thing is huge," he muttered. "The turning radius is all wrong." He instantly wished he could have fit his entire family onto the 0 Cycle.

"It's awesome!" exclaimed Sarah. "I can watch all my shows!" She immediately dug through her backpack and retrieved some DVDs. "Play this please." She handed the first DVD to May, who showed 0 the title: My Little Ponyta.

"Guess she's mostly normal," said 0. "Though I don't know why Brock likes it."

"Oh hush," said May. "I think it's adorable that she and Brock watch it together every week." She popped the DVD in and it started playing behind them. 0 focused his attention on the road as they approached the Pallet Town city limits.

"They've really modernized this place since I was a kid," said 0. "I remember that road over there used to be dirt. There used to be a fishing hole over there."

"There hasn't been that much changed," said May. "Pallet's one of the few towns to keep their local landmarks."

"I suppose so, but it's just weird seeing all these changes." They were getting close to the laboratory. "We're almost there."

"Are we going to get to see all of Dad's Pokemon?" asked Sarah.

0 nodded. "Most of them. A couple of them are still training around the world, like Z was. I can still call them, I used Z all the times for PKM missions, but most of them will be at this lab. When I got back from Unova I had all my Pokemon at Juniper's lab brought back here with me."

"How long has it been since you've seen them?"

"A long time. I still pay a fee for Oak to board them, but I haven't visited Pallet for years. I'm too easily recognized in my hometown." He parked the car in the small lot in front of the building. "They should be in. I contacted them via e-mail to let them know someone would be stopping by to check the place out for Pokemon storage."

He stepped out of the car. "Coming?" he asked with a smile and shut the door.

He would be lying if he said he was not nervous as he approached the door to the Pokemon Laboratory. He remembered how, two decades ago, he had walked through those doors with Samuel Oak and received the greatest friend he had ever known. He remembered being shocked, repeatedly, over the early course of their meeting. He remembered the parade of people that had gathered to wish him luck on his journey. He remembered wearing rubber gloves on his way out of town.

He opened the door again, and found one of his oldest friends waiting on the other side.

He didn't recognize 0, not at first. He approached 0 casually, loosely wearing his white lab coat as he always did, and shook his hand. It wasn't until 0 said, "Gary," that it dawned upon Gary Oak who exactly was standing before him.

"You…" he whispered. "I haven't—we haven't. When did you come back to life?"

0 smiled. "It's good to see you too," he said. "You're right, I haven't been around much lately. I trust my Pokemon are alright?"

Gary nodded. "Yeah, yeah." He looked around 0. "May? May, is that you?"

May nodded and approached Gary to give him a light hug. "In the flesh."

Gary then looked down at little Sarah. "And this must be little Sandra—no, Sarah, right? Geez, I haven't seen her in person since she was a baby. She's so big."

"Of course I'm big," said Sarah. "I'm seven."

Gary chuckled. "How about that? Come see me in three years, I'll give you a Pokemon to make up for the weakling my grandfather gave your dad. Speaking of, where is Pikachu?"

0 paused. "They wouldn't let it on the plane. Some sort of new rule about putting Pokemon into Poke Balls before takeoff, even Pokemon that won't be a bother. It just didn't want to go back in, so it's grounded back home."

"Of course, I remember that. I'm thinking about writing a paper about Pokemon claustrophobia discussing possible treatments so adverse Pokemon can at least temporarily handle the Poke Ball without triggering some sort of panic attack."

"Gary," said 0. "I don't mean to interrupt your train of thought, but we're not really here for a social call."

Gary nodded. "What can I do for you? Got a new Pokemon to drop off?"

0 shook his head. "I'm actually here to pick up some Pokemon. I have two slots free."

"Sure. Want to take a walk, see everyone?"

"Sounds good. I don't think Sarah has seen too many of my Pokemon."

"Woo! Let's go!" shouted Sarah, who immediately tore out of the lab and in the direction of the Pokemon fields. May followed her daughter outside, leaving Gary and 0 standing in the laboratory's atrium.

"Where's Tracey?" asked 0.

"At a conference in Sinnoh," explained Gary. "Had we known you were coming, he might have stayed just to see you."

"Sorry about that," said 0. "There were a couple of reasons for that. I can't get into too much detail."

"Haven't seen you on the news, either. I think you were last reported in Orre living as a recluse."

"I'm in a different field now," said 0. "Private security."

"Huh. Glad to see you got your family back. The paparazzi were reporting on that for months. I think I even got interviewed for it. It was weird. I was doing some doctoral work and a giant camera crew broke into my lab. Had to redo the whole experiment."

"You know," said 0, "you still talk too much."

"And you're still a blockhead, but we live with what we've got. Come on, let's see your Pokemon."

The two men strolled down to the fields. Instantly, 0 felt like he was ten years old again, visiting his old friends before the start of a brand new adventure. He remembered the time he came home and his Taurus herd broke loose of their fence, and the time he and his friends had spent rebuilding that fence. He remembered checking in on them every week when he was away. He remembered so much, in fact, that he almost didn't notice when one of his very first Pokemon strode out in front of him.

The Bulbasaur was enormous, almost as big as a Venusaur. It lumbered over in 0's direction with a look of confusion on its face, as though it could place 0 but couldn't quite remember where from. 0 smiled, and purposely spoke in his natural voice as he had with Gary.

"You look a lot bigger than you did when we first met in that forest, Bulbs," said 0.

Its eyes widened. "B-Bulba?" it asked.

0 nodded. "Saur," he replied.

0 wasn't able to say much more. Bulbs jumped up and tackled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Bulbs buried its head into its trainer's chest, sobbing hysterically, almost like Tork would. 0 laughed and patted Bulbs on the head.

"This one missed you a lot," said Gary. "It was really peeved when you had me ship over Tork."

"That right?" asked 0. He turned to the Pokemon and grinned. "Saur, bulbasaur." Bulbs immediately recomposed itself, just in time for Sarah to pounce on it with a Heracross.

"Cross!" it said with glee as it began to sap nectar. It turned to 0 and made a happy noise.

"What's it saying, Dad?" asked Sarah.

"It's thanking me for distracting Bulbs. Ever since Bulbs got this big, Cross has had a hard time sapping nectar from it. Cross, hera."

Bulbs groaned, grabbed Cross with two vines, and tossed it into an adjacent tree. It readjusted itself and looked embarrassed.

"Well, which ones were you looking to take with you?" asked Gary.

"Well, actually I'm looking for Serp and Noct," said 0. "Do you know where they might be?"

Bulbs nodded and started heading off on a path east. "Bulba bulbasaur," it said. The others accepted its invitation to follow it along the path towards a forest section. Sarah merrily strolled around and played with Cross, while 0 and Gary caught up.

"So how's it been the last couple of years?" asked 0.

Gary shrugged. "It's been alright. Ever since Gramps passed, though, I've been giving more and more thought about whether I'm doing right by him. I'm getting better at running everything, and Tracey's been a big help with the transition, but it's still hard to get up sometimes and work in the same labs I used to work in with him."

"I think I went on a week-long bender when I heard about it," said 0. "It was after May and I separated, and I didn't get the chance to come back for the funeral. Pi and I just sat around and drank our way through a liquor store." He gripped Gary on the shoulder and smile. "Cheer up, though. Professor Oak would be proud if he could see us today."

"Who's Professor Oak?" asked Sarah.

"He…" 0 chuckled. "He was the professor in Pallet before Gary here. Great guy, he gave Pokemon out to most of the new trainers in Kanto. You got to pick a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle."

"But I thought you started out with Pi, Dad."

0 nodded. "I did. I woke up late and Pi was the last Pokemon there. I seem to recall Gary got the Squirtle just before I got there."

"I remember that," said Gary. "You were still wearing your pajamas."

"And you had a sports car and a trail of cheerleaders. How did you get a license at ten?"

Gary grinned and shrugged. "Having a famous grandfather has its perks. We were both dumb when we were kids."

"Dad was dumb?" asked Sarah.

"The dumbest," Gary immediately quipped. "But he's not so bad now."

"Gee, thanks," said 0. "Are we there yet?"

"It's your Pokemon, why don't you ask it?" Gary looked around for a moment. "We are near Gramps, though."

0 paused. "Mind if we visit?" he asked.

Gary shrugged. "Sure. It's quiet enough. Why not let Bulbs know that's where we'll meet it with Serp and Noct."

"Good idea," said 0. "Bulba bulba bulb?"

It nodded and took off running. Gary showed them the way to a small grove in the middle of the forest, a small, quaint meadow shaded by the trees. Sitting in the middle was a small stone grave with a beautiful garden cultivated around it.

"The Grass Pokemon did a good job," said 0.

Gary nodded. "I was surveying in the forest a few years back and it was just here. It's actually gotten bigger over the years."

The piece of black marble was simple and unadorned. There was no bust of Oak's head looking out at them, no intricate shape or pattern carved on the surface. Instead, a small inscription was on the top, so small that they had to walk down a small path between the garden to read it.

SAMUEL OAK

PROFESSOR, MENTOR, FRIEND

"I'VE SENT MANY ON THEIR FIRST STEPS INTO THE WORLD

I'M SURE THEY'LL KEEP ON WALKING JUST FINE."

"Modest," said 0. Suddenly, his heart felt quite heavy. "Even dead, he still knows how to give a pep talk."

Gary nodded. "He said that at a conference just before he died. I told him not to go, because at that point he was getting around in the wheelchair, but he insisted on one last lecture to the community. He talked about how what we do only matters if it can keep going after us. Nobody liked the lecture, nobody wanted to think about the fact that he was almost gone. He ended with those words. He looked at me and said, 'There's my grandson, Gary. He's following in my footsteps on his own. He gives out Kanto's starters to new trainers, just as I did when I gave him his first Pokemon'." Gary paused, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. "He didn't want anyone to be sad when he left, because the future would be fine without him."

Sarah looked at the grave, and then at her father. "He was a good guy, huh Dad?"

0 nodded. "Sure was. One of the best I ever knew."

"Saur." 0 turned around upon hearing Bulbs' voice. It stood just a little ways away from them, flanked by a long green snake and a small golden owl.

Serp just cooed, twisting its head around to make sure it was seeing properly. There was no need for Noct to do so, it merely tilted its head to one side and widened its eyes with glee. After it was certain, Serp decided to greet its trainer with an overjoyed cry that was entirely out of character for it. It slid forward and curled up around 0, lightly squeezing him in a greeting.

"Dad, careful!" shouted Sarah.

0 chuckled. "No need to worry, Sarah, that's just Serp's way of saying hello." He turned to Serp and cooed something. Serp immediately released 0 and slid up next to Sarah, who flinched briefly but then calmed down enough to touch Serp's coat.

"It's so smooth!" she said with glee.

Noct, seeing that Serp had released 0, flapped its wings and fluttered over to land on 0's shoulder. It gently gripped 0's collar with its talons and chirped a hearty greeting. 0 helped Noct preen its feathers.

"Bulbasaur," said Bulbs with a low head.

Noct flew to the ground as 0 bent down to pat Bulbs on the head again. "Bulba, bulbasaur saur bulba. Bulba bulba, bulbasaur. Saur?"

His words did seem to cheer Bulbs up, though it was still sad to know it wasn't going with its trainer. It took the pat on its head with grace and resumed wearing its usual grin.

Gary took two Poke Balls out of his coat pocket. "Here you go. These were just registered to you, they'll work with all your Pokemon."

0 took them and recalled both Serp and Noct. "And that makes six. Thank you, Gary. For everything."

Gary nodded. "Just don't be a stranger. Come around more often. Go see your mother. She still stops by once in a while to see your Pokemon."

"We'll see," said 0. "I still have a lot to—wait. Sarah, where's your mother?"

"Huh?" asked Sarah. "Oh. Oh, she tried to catch up with me but I gave her the slip with Cross. Not sure where she is."

"Oh. Well, we should probably find her before we head out. Gary, you think you can keep a secret? Kind of on a schedule here, and we took a big detour."

"What kind of secret?"

"Well," 0 hesitated, unsure of what might happen if he told Gary what was going on. "Well, I live near Goldenrod. You watch the news recently about Goldenrod?"

"Something about superheroes. Didn't really pay attention to it, I was knee deep in Pidgey migration patterns. Why?"

0 raised his arm and checked his morpher. He had maybe a minute left, maybe less. "Might as well use this and test out the new gear that'll come with it." He pressed the button and instantly reverted back to his Ranger Gold form.

"Whoa!" Gary backed up as the glowing died down. "Whoa, that's new. That's really, really new. What is that?"

"Ranger technology," 0 explained. "We sort of inherited it. Hang on." He reached for one of the now-five Poke Balls that were clipped to his belt, one that was solid gold. He inserted it into the Ailed Morpher.

"Auxiliary Pokemon System activated- Towl Form registered," said the voice. "Tracker Lenses- installed."

His mind changed again, this time he felt himself reminiscent of Lu. He felt cheeky and mischievous, but there was a sharpness to it, a blade of cunning that was amplifying his intelligence. The armor did not appear along his body. Instead, his helmet warped in shape, changing from a circular oval and adding bits and pieces of what appeared to be armor based on a Noctowl's face. Metallic brows adorned the sides of his head. The top of his helmet was higher and rounder. Golden veins connecting the additional armor to his body ran down his neck.

And he could see! The visor had been amplified to such an extent that he could see each individual blade of grass and every leaf on every tree. He could see for miles in any direction, there appeared to be mirrors in the visor that allowed him to look behind himself without having to turn. He had no blind spot.

"Still can't see her," said 0. "Switch to something else to track her."

His visual spectrum instantly changed. He could see in heat vision again, something he thought had been removed from the system during the upgrade to the Ailed Morpher. He could see through the trees and through the streams and eventually his ability to perfectly capture the detail of his surroundings led him to her. He pointed to a position south of their location.

"She's looking for us there. Let's go," he said, as he led the way through the forest with a dumbfounded Gary and a playful Sarah in tow.

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When Max returned home, it was to what appeared to be an empty house. The kitchen was empty, and no dinner was on the table, so Max set about the task of making himself a sandwich. He piled on the meats and cheeses in an effort to satisfy the hunger he'd cultivated during his time out on patrol. He set the massive sandwich on a plate then made his way through the home looking for everyone.

"Was there some sort of emergency?" he wondered. "No, I'd have been called. I've got the com-link now and they can actually talk to me."

Where were they, then? They weren't in any of their bedrooms or anywhere else on the second floor, and the ground floor was just as empty as ever when he returned. He shrugged, about halfway through his sandwich, and decided perhaps the best approach would be to try Ranger Downs. He headed through the secret entrance and down the staircase.

Brock was still there, Max could hear that the television was on again. Brock was relaxing in his bed with Chansey and Swampert, so thoroughly engrossed with his program that he hardly noticed Max descending into Ranger Downs.

"Hey, Brock," said Max, before taking yet another bite out of his sandwich. Brock had Chansey pause the program and smiled.

"How was patrol?" he asked.

Max shrugged. "Fine. Dark Emerald's still quiet, so no Dark Gems in town."

"That's good."

"What're you up to?"

Brock stared at the television. "Trying desperately to distract myself from my surgeries. 415 said they'd be happening soon because Elgyem is apparently really good at designing prosthetics."

"You nervous?"

"A little. I've had my limbs for a while. Even if they are like this, it's a little hard to say goodbye to them. I've had them all my life."

"To be fair, you are getting nicer limbs to make up for that," said Max. "You'll never have to work out your biceps again."

Brock laughed. "Good idea. Think about the positives. Like permanent biceps."

Max finished his sandwich. "Well, I think I'll head to bed. Long day and all that. You know where the girls are?"

Brock shook his head. "I think they went out. Serena said they were going to go do some shopping."

"Alright. Get some rest, watch less TV."

As Max left, he heard Brock shout, "I'll shut off the TV when I can reach it!" As he ascended the stairs, he heard Brock chuckle to himself before the television turned back on.

When he returned to his room, Max changed from his casual clothes and into his sleeping gear, a plain green undershirt and dark sweatpants. He yawned and positioned his glasses by his bedside table. "You know, seeing as I'm a superhero and all, maybe it's time I made the switch to contacts. Be a pain if I broke my glasses before a fight." He briefly wondered if the Dark Emerald would simply heal his vision if that happened, then decided maybe he shouldn't rely on the Dark Emerald for everything. He shut off the light and got under his covers.

Max was unable to sleep, though. He immediately realized he wasn't alone in his own bed. It took every bit of his self-control to contain the Dark Emerald's shadow chains and remain untransformed. He slowly tilted his head to his left, unsure how he could have missed the fact that there was a woman in his bed. Not just any woman, either. 415 was lying there, deliberately staring at him.

"Hello," said Max cautiously. "Can I help you with anything?"

415 continued to stare at him, leading Max to suspect the very worst possibility: she was there to smash his Dark Gem and kill him for real. Why she had chosen this particular battleground was a little unclear. Maybe she had wanted a sneak attack, but then why would she have just sat there waiting for him to notice her? None of this was making sense.

"Dark Gem," she said at last. Max noticed something different in her tone. Usually, whenever 415 spoke, it was a mechanical speak that seemed to have been composed hours in advance. This time was different. She seemed hesitant, there was a crack in her voice. It almost sounded like a completely different person. "Dark Gem, we need to talk."

Max nodded, but made no other sudden movements. "Okay. What'd you want to talk about that could have happened when both of us were not in the same bed?"

"We need to talk about us," she said, but offered no further explanation.

"Mind clarifying that for me?" he asked. "As I recall, there is no 'us'. You were very clear about that, even if I wasn't hitting on you."

"It would appear that I have erred," she answered. "Serena Brine and I had a conversation. The topic was you."

"A conversation about what?"

"A topic of which I still understand very little. Serena Brine accused me of being infatuated with you. She presented numerous arguments I had not considered. At the end, I was forced to conclude she was correct. There has been a gradual shift in my attitude towards you."

"Well, yeah." Come to think of it, Max had noticed her seeming to get friendlier over the past couple of weeks, ever since he had evolved. "I just figured you were just studying me to make sure I wouldn't go berserk."

"My investigation has concluded. It is my opinion that there will be no issue on that front. I had intended to report several days ago but…I confess something stopped me from doing so."

"What? You've had me running tests today. What were those for?"

"Busy work. Stop interrupting me." She moved very, very quickly, as if she was entirely unsure of how to go about her movements and just wanted them over with, until she was several inches away from Max's face.

"I—" Max took a deep breath. "I'm really not sure what's going on here."

"I admit confusion as well. I am unaware of how this is…done. The technicalities are known to me, but theories are not much use in the practical world."

"Wait, hang on. Whoa!" 415 had moved the covers, and in that instant he had realized she wasn't wearing anything either. 415 usually wore full-body clothing. Turtlenecks, pants, long sleeve shirts, anything to disguise her body. He had never seen anything other than her hands before. "Wait. Wait. Nope, hang on. Hang on."

"Does this not please you?" she asked. There was an unusual tone in her voice he had never heard before. "Is this body not attractive?"

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation," Max muttered. "No, that's not it, 415. I'm just not that sort of guy. I like to do the whole romance thing."

"Illogical. My evidence suggests that men do not require such arbitrary prerequisites. They are much more willing to engage in carnal activities without them."

"Well, in the case on one night stands, yes," said Max. "But not with someone that I see every day. That's just not going to happen. If you want to date, we can date, but I'm not just going to give it up because you're in my bed and you're—"

415 once again got really close to his face, close enough that she could have bitten off his nose if she were so inclined. "Dark Gem" she said. "This is an ultimatum. I am taking what I want from you in an effort to determine the extent of my emotional response towards you. You may either comply willingly, or I can force your hand. There will be no difference from me."

Max gulped. "I take it that means there's no negotiating about this?"

"There will be none. I will assess the accuracy of Serena Brine's hypothesis with or without your consent."

"Well, I guess that settles the issue."

Max leaned over and, in the same manner that one might take with tasting a jalapeño, gently kissed 415 on the lips.

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After they had found May, 0 piled them back into the van for the trip to the hotel. But, after thanking Gary and driving off, he began to reconsider that plan and his mind led him to drive in the opposite direction of the city, towards one of the smaller suburban districts of Pallet Town.

"Uh, honey, where are we going?" asked May. She looked out the window. "I'm not sure the hotel is on this side of the town."

"It isn't," said 0. "We'll head there later. I want to make a quick stop first."

May wasn't sure where they were going until they made the next turn. Her eyes widened and she looked towards Sarah, who was in the back still enamored with the television. "Are you sure about this?" asked May. "I don't even think Sarah remembers who she is."

"It's not about Sarah," said 0. "It's about me. We managed to get your parents into the wind and keep them out of trouble. We never got to do the same for mine. I haven't heard anything around these parts, but I'm willing to bet that if we keep picking off their numbers the Dark Gems are going to get desperate. They might come after her. She deserves to be warned so she can get out before anything comes after her."

He pulled up to the driveway, the same driveway he hadn't seen for years. He had run up it so often, first when it was his home and then after returning from some foreign land, but she would always be at the other end by the door, waiting for him with a fresh meal and open ears to hear all about his adventures. He unblocked his seatbelt and stepped from the car.

"Keep her here," said 0. "I'll let you know when you can come in."

He approached the door and rapped thrice. It all seemed entirely too familiar, only now he was able to actually reach the top of the door. It creaked open, just like it used to when he was a child, and soon 0 found himself face to face with a small, petite woman with brown hair.

"Why hello there," she said with a smile. "I was beginning to worry you'd forgotten how to call me."

0 chuckled. "Sorry we were so late, Mom. Do you have enough dinner for three?"

His mother looked passed him, to the car where she saw Sarah and May waiting, and her smile widened. "Looks like I missed out on some stuff. Don't worry. I'm sure my Mimey can whip up a few extra places at the dinner table. Come on in."

Nodding vigorously, 0 grabbed his family from the car, and came home.