Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own my OCs.


One month had passed since the start of my relatively stable training regimen. There was no set schedule, but early morning sessions were out of the question. I loved sleeping late in my new bathrobe too much and none of my Pokémon were early risers.

Every Pokémon had their day of the week with me and each session lasted three to four hours depending on what I wanted to work on. They were always tired by the end. I did my best to balance my compassionate side and competitive side to ensure my Pokémon still liked me. The seventh day of the week designated for rest was a godsend on their bodies and my mind. Getting qualified so early felt like a detriment at times.

I always started them with a warm-up and stretches before getting into the more technical stuff. Movements for attacking, evading, and defense was the foundation on which I wanted to build. One wrong step could lead to a quick defeat. Even when it wasn't their day to train, I caught them working on basic footwork or body control. It was far from perfect although it got them into better habits.

Meteor Falls provided a nice change of scenery along with different wild Pokémon to battle against. Salamence didn't mind me riding on his back which cut down on Altaria's weekly workload. Occasionally there would be a trainer passing through the main pathway of the falls. There was a one in three chance of that person being a competent trainer; the other two types being weaker trainers looking for a Bagon to catch or explorers not looking to battle at all.

Part of me yearned for traveling the region just to find other trainers to battle, but that wasn't viable. I couldn't risk running into Ardos or his crew. Not to mention the possibility of getting sidetracked or caught up in a nasty weather band could make the following day of training miserable for me. Bouts of cabin fever sporadically crept into my head. The worst part was I couldn't tell if my Pokémon felt the same way. Latios was never around which I anticipated seeing as he preferred roaming around Hoenn.

Linoone didn't seem to mind as he was by far the most focused out of anyone. It was a little unnerving seeing him so obedient the moment we stepped foot on the makeshift field out back. His move set was still Shadow Claw, Slash, Covet, and Sand Attack. There was a chance to learn Rest and Belly Drum but we both knew that didn't suit his battle style.

Sealeo was a surprising close second in terms of intensity. When Delcatty sat on the sideline for the first time, Sealeo overexerted himself. That changed when I told him if he couldn't control himself, she would have to stay inside. He did a better job managing his stamina shortly after. I thought he would continue to be a goof away from the house with Swagger, but he changed his delivery for the attack. The belly slapping was replaced with what seemed to be aggressive heckling.

He adamantly denied the opportunity to learn Hail when it arose. Surf was still his best move even if it damaged whatever Pokémon I also had out. Altaria was the best partner since she resisted it whereas Ninetales and Aggron would not be so fortunate. Frost Breath still got through any special defensive buffs and Brine still finished off weakened foes.

Ninetales had a breakthrough in terms of confidence. She could take being ordered around for entire sessions without whining or cowering in fear if she messed up. It wasn't like she was holding back tears either; she was rarely by herself when it wasn't her turn to train. My issue was figuring out whether to let her keep Extrasensory or force her to learn Energy Ball instead. I'd hate to be in a position where she'd be facing a rock or water type and not be able to deliver a massive hit. Hex, Will-O-Wisp, and Flamethrower were still good otherwise.

Unfortunately, Aggron was the hardest to keep motivated. Most of it was my fault seeing as I used him exclusively for important battles. He would still do as I asked, but I could feel how bored he was battling wild Pokémon. They didn't provide much of a challenge seeing as Iron Tail or Iron Head always produced a knockout. Double-Edge wasn't used too much while Rock Slide felt like it became more inaccurate due to his lack of focus. I had him work on fundamentals in training like following through with the attack so missing would be less likely to happen.

Magneton wasn't as bad as Aggron, but there were times where the floating ball of metal would abruptly stop in the middle of drills. It would shut down for a few seconds then happily get back to work. The reason being it was getting stronger yet not being able to evolve. I became torn on whether a trip to New Mauville would be worth the risk. Could I get away with battling wild Tentacool near the island so we could make a quick getaway if needed? I didn't know. We made the decision to keep Metal Sound, Flash Cannon, Tri Attack, and Thunder.

Discharge was a tempting move to learn. However, I couldn't figure out what move to get rid of. Metal Sound made up for the difference, Tri Attack was good for its chance to inflict a status effect, Flash Cannon was a decent move with a chance to lower special defense, and Thunder was the most powerful move I had with a chance to paralyze. Magneton having a jolly nature further complicated things. The tipping point was reading up on how Discharge would hurt and possibly paralyze my other teammates in a double battle. I couldn't take that type of risk against top trainers.

Altaria was a problem to train from a workload standpoint. Her training sessions lasted no less than four and a half hours whereas everyone else capped at four hours. I had her practice flying with me on her back first like what we did with Winona then go into battle training. I needed to decide what one I wanted to put more effort into on her day. Couple that with casually flying me around when Salamence was unavailable and she was the most thankful for the rest day.

Fly, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, and Cotton Guard were still her moves of choice. Parish Song as her next move to learn was met with disgust. I don't think she had it in her to use her voice to inflict harm to anyone. A major dilemma I grappled with was the idea of reworking her move set. I could have her relearn Dragon Dance and get a Dragon Claw TM then get rid of two moves or just have her learn only one. On the flip side, it felt unnatural having three moves be taught via TM and HM.

Volunteering at the Pokémon Center was the only thing in my schedule that was not consistent. Sometimes I would have enough energy after training to take a four-hour shift. Other times I would go on the rest day for two hours. I gradually learned more about treating common Pokémon injuries like burns or bruises plus dealing with specific ailments like water types not being able to use water attacks. Jack and Rebecca were satisfied with my work ethic even if Nurse Joy did a lot of the heavy lifting.

A few trainers stopped by the house for shelter or were brought in for treatment on injuries sustained while hiking around the area. My basic medical knowledge grew with each patient; travelling around the region seemed less daunting.

For better or worse, the concept of Shadow Pokémon stayed in the back of my mind during my volunteer shifts. There were rumors going around that route 110 contained a Gulpin that would attack anything that crossed its path. A Duskull near the peak of Mount Pyre was also mentioned. However, nobody I met had seen them. The only consolation was each modified Pokémon was a first stage one. Nurse Joy broke my train of thought when she came in with an open envelope.

"Huh? Devon Corporation?" I asked while a camper walked in.

"It's about the… 'incident' with that Machop," she whispered before taking my place at the front desk. I snuck off to a back room to read the letter. A second piece of paper fell on the floor.

The letter appeared to be written by Mr. Stone himself and had a notice it was not meant to be shared with the public. The on-call doctor, Nurse Joy, Jack, Rebecca, and the league chairman himself were only meant to see it.

Devon Corporation was notified by the Pokémon League about a fatal situation involving product A-01 also known as a standard Poké Ball. The product in question was returned to our headquarters to be tested alongside unused yet functional models. Our records indicated that the product was certified for sale. Our quality assurance team has determined that the ball in question had not been tampered with. We are currently reviewing the engineering process for every Poké Ball model. Any further inquiries should be directed to my secretary.

There was no way Devon would have a press conference about what transpired that day. I was concerned the league didn't offer their assessment on the matter. The second paper was printed out by Nurse Joy and contained a league statement to all trainers to be cautious of wild Pokémon as the tournament was closing in. Nobody had answers except me. There was a good chance going to the proper authorities would allow them to place the blame on me.

"You feel alright, Ryan?" she asked after noticing how crumpled the papers were.

"Just upset about all this," I sighed.

"Would you like to call it a day? It's quarter after four and there's only an hour left in your shift."

"Sure. See you next week." I opted to walk around the quiet town to clear my head.

Fallarbor never disappointed in the relaxation department. Professor Cozmo's lab and the Contest Hall were the only two places of high activity on any given day. Everyone in town was friendly towards me despite me making minimal to no effort on interacting with other people, especially the mart employees who had my healing items bundled for me before I walked in the door. Mountains as far as the eye could see provided a nice backdrop weather permitting. The outskirts weren't too different aside from the row of houses belonging to wealthy retirees or those with old money on the northwest end.

Those people weren't as bad as the doctor had described when I first met him. It was obvious when they came into town with designer clothing as a dead giveaway, but they were relatively polite and acted like normal people. The one thing that did set them off quicker than the average person was a delayed package.

"Late? How? Express shipping my ass," an older man complained while I was looking in the mart. His butler kept a stone face.

"Sorry sir. There was a massive storm off the coast of Petalburg. It should be in tomorrow," the employee calmly replied.

It was like they failed to understand living in the most rugged part of Hoenn meant personal packages were harder to deliver. At least the league made sure the mart was constantly stocked with necessities.

"Then they should've navigated around it," the man huffed. I was caught rolling my eyes. "You got something to say?"

"Go get it yourself next time or lower your expectations," I said with no emotion. He laughed to cover up his irritation.

"My boy, what I ordered cannot simply be picked up in person." He turned around for a second. "Besides, what I do with my money is up to me."

"What the fuck are you buying where that isn't an option? At least you can send your buddy here to do it."

He immediately scowled. The butler slowly reached behind his coat as if battling in the mart was the best response.

"Might want to reconsider that," I said with a hand up. "Let's step outside to satisfy your ego so we don't trash the only mart around for miles."

"Don't you go running on me," he said.

"I should be saying that to you. Shut up and follow me."

The best place for our scuffle was on the northeast side of town by the face of Mount Chimney. A few people stopped to watch out of curiosity. Some of them whispered how it was a bad idea to provoke the duo.

"Mister Robinson is currently not in the best condition to battle. I will take his place," the butler said curtly.

"Oh no you don't. If the old man is talking shit, he's going to be the one backing it up. You'd get jumped in certain parts of Mauville for trying this stunt."

"I beg your pardon!?"

"Pardon denied. Either the old man battles or I walk away. Time is money."

With the crowd murmuring, the butler gave way to the head of the house. He looked a little tired, but I've seen people battle under worse conditions.

"Young man… do you know who I am?"

"Someone who has no idea what they're in for and is taking way too fucking long to get going. Shit, I'll send out my Pokémon first. Let's go Magneton!"

The hostility in the air was lost on the floating steel type. For all I knew, it was happy to be going against another trainer.

"Zangoose, go!" It came out snarling. There was a light blue object partially hidden its fur around the neck. "Brick Break!"

"Use Thunder!"

The normal type proved to be faster than I expected. It dodged the quick bolts of electricity to deliver a strong hit to Magneton's center. Unfortunately, the fighting type move wasn't as strong as Mr. Robinson had hoped.

"Tri Attack!" Having the more accurate move allowed for a one hit knockout. "Choice Scarf is good only if you have the power to go with it. You should forfeit if the rest of your team is just as strong."

"Looks like I underestimated you. How about something stronger? Go Banette!"

The ghost type looked creepier than usual. It had a malicious look in its eyes. Then again, Banette thrived on body language to fluster humans whether it be an eerie smile like the last time I went against one or a look of a killer. No item to worry about made it less threatening. The crowd took a few steps back.

"Going to mess with my schedule, eh? This is too good to pass on though. I'm going with Linoone!" There were a few nervous laughs scattered about.

"Rush it!" my opponent ordered.

"Sand Attack!"

Dirt chunks combined with loose ashes made for excellent cover. Banette went so far off target that it rammed into a nearby rock formation.

"Feint Attack!" The quick turnaround was easier to adjust to thanks to our training.

"Strike back with Shadow Claw!"

Mister Robinson's eyes went wide as my trump card had been played. Linoone's timing allowed him to deliver the hit when Banette had both legs in the air. Him wincing after told me it wasn't as clean as I had thought.

"Another Sha… rush! Get it!"

"Making things easy for me," I mumbled. "Wait for the right time to strike back!"

There was no reason to go in when the opposition was being the aggressor. Reason being Linoone was the weakest member of my team in terms of raw offense and defense; he took the news pretty hard. His speed, size, and tenacity allowed him a big advantage in close combat. If all else failed, he was the best at getting inside of opponents' heads to soften them up for later.

Banette jumped forward earlier than suspected but Linoone was on top of it. He took a massive hit to the head but dug into the ghost type with his claw. They skidded on the ground then Linoone staggered to his feet; thankfully Banette stayed out cold.

"That all you got?"

He fumbled another ball when butler whispered into his ear. Then a phone was shown; they both looked shocked at whatever was on the screen. I overheard about some kind of investment. The old man begrudgingly conceded after recalling his second partner. A wad of 15,000P was thrown near my feet.

"I believe that should suffice. Now if you'll excuse us," the butler said while bowing.

"You guys still have Pokémon left," I replied walking forward. "I promise to end every round in one or two hits."

"No rules were established. We have conceded and are trying to leave. It would be in your best interest to stop before more drastic measures are taken. You obviously have a few badges, so why risk ruining your life over this? Again, excuse us."

Damn, he got me there. I could think of better reasons to get suspended from the tournament or even being arrested. Having a crowd of witnesses wouldn't swing things in my favor either. It got quiet as the pair took their leave. I called out Altaria to fly me home before people started asking questions.

Oddly enough, the front door was locked. The curtains were drawn shut. No lights were on either. Maybe there was an emergency somewhere and they didn't have time to tell me. At least I thought that until pounding footsteps came from the living room.

"Who are y- Ryan! I'm so sorry! Please lock the door and come quickly," Jack urged.

The living room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Papers scattered about, food half-eaten on plates, wrappers clustered on the closest couch cushion, the laptop teetering on the edge of the coffee table, and the charger sprawled across the floor. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the television: an aerial view of Mauville city with "Breaking News" splashed across the bottom of the screen.

Police cars lined the street around Pokémon Services. The camera zoomed in to a better view. Officers were either walking into the building or coming out with boxes of papers. Low level employees waited outside perplexed about what was going on. Ardos was nowhere to be seen along with his three most trusted associates. My hope was they were in the back of a cruiser.

"Is… is it over?" I asked just under the volume of the news anchor going over the details.

"This part? A reporter said they were close to finishing. Now they're just repeating the same points. A press conference is scheduled to take place sometime later tonight with what they know," Rebecca answered.

"We've been in contact with a lot of people since the news broke trying to piece together a timeline from opening day to now," Jack said followed by a yawn.

I started cleaning up. "If they're rehashing information, maybe you should take a break until the press conference."

"Can't. You never know if there will be new developments," Jack shot back. He was a little stressed.

"Did you get a letter from Devon Corporation?"

Rebecca sifted through papers. "Yes. It was personally delivered by an employee this morning. I don't think it will be brought up right away."

"Any official hinting at the Shadow Pokémon project would be a blessing. It would allow Maddie, Cecil, and myself to come forward with more confidence. Hopefully we don't get so smug like this Mister Robinson guy I ran into today. Complete asshole." Both of them looked at me.

"How so?" Jack asked, probably hiding something. I explained what happened but got stopped before the battle.

"Ryan, you should've just walked away at that point. There's no need to draw attention to yourself like that," Jack said. "There's more isn't there?"

I nodded. "How could we not battle after talking so much shit?"

"And what Pokémon did the lead butler use?"

"The hell are you talking about? I made the old man do it."

Rebecca stood up. "You what!?" she yelled in disbelief.

"Come on, you know me. Getting into people's heads to mess with their pride before a battle is fun if they give me an opportunity. I told him I'd walk away if he didn't want to back his words up. That was Mauville 101 type stuff. Talk shit, get hit." Rebecca became more focused. Absol trotted in from the kitchen.

"How'd it go?"

"It was really close, down to the wire, neck and nec- nah, I'm just fucking with you. I kicked his ass; Magneton over Zangoose and Linoone over Banette. Speaking of which, I need to use the healing machine at some point. He would've kept going if it weren't for his butler showing him his phone."

Rebecca slowly embraced me and even leaned on me. "Thank you for doing that. I wish I could have seen it."

I finally put the pieces together. "Sorry I couldn't have done more."

"Believe me, nobody has done something like that in years." Absol rubbed up against my leg in approval. "Our chance to do the same thing has long since passed. I don't think I could do it now either. Those years were… not the best." She slowly let go. Jack rubbed his eyes to stay awake.

"The machine is in the study. Latios is sleeping in the master bedroom so keep that in mind. Would you like some coffee?"

"Pass. I think I need a nap. Call when the presser starts if I'm not up."

I took care of my fighters first then crashed faster than usual on a guest bed, Delcatty was the one to wake me up around quarter after eight; she wanted to see Sealeo. I reluctantly woke up to let everybody out. They paraded out to do their own thing except Linoone.

"What's the matter?"

He stared intently at me. I assumed it was because our battle interfered with his training day which was tomorrow. Not that it should have mattered because he was well-conditioned. Fainting one time wasn't a big deal either.

After apparently not reading him right, he put up his front paws then left. I stayed put assuming he was going to get something. He scampered down the hallway to come back with Latios after an oddly long time. The psychic dragon looked apprehensive.

"Did something feel different about the two Pokémon you battled today?" Latios asked.

"Not that I remember."

Linoone stepped forward. "Ryan, something was not right with that Banette. That rush attack didn't have a distinct type, yet it hurt like a motherfucker. I mean, shit, we've trained all this time and you've even seen other Pokémon like that one. How did you not notice?"

"Hold on… you're telling me that was a Shadow Pokémon? I thought it was acting normal considering the circumstances."

"Well it wasn't. That thing wanted to straight-up kill me. Also, why would you put me up against a ghost type when everybody else was healthy?"

"Practice in case we find ourselves in deep trouble." I didn't want to tell him that it was to show off. "If it bothers you that much, training will be shorter tomorrow."

He left without acknowledging my plan. Latios sat on the bed then gestured me to sit beside him. There was a short-lived attempt to get inside my head. Using telepathy proved to be easier.

"Don't worry too much. You did good by offering to tone it down. Stress is part of the training process although I do think it has affected Linoone the most."

"We've been partners in crime for just under a decade. I sold him on the glory of winning the league title from the beginning. Putting in the work was never the problem. Being in this position complicates things a bit." I held his ball. "His desire to get stronger doesn't make up for his lack of strength. It's not like I'm going to leave him behind because of that."

"Then why did you battle so aggressively knowing that? Your focus was on hit-and-run battling for the past month then you have him go all-out." I lowered my head. "Proving a point at the expense of his mental state is a poor tradeoff."

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. "Press conference is starting!" Jack yelled.

"Come on, I've been waiting for this."

Both caretakers sat on the couch leaning forward. Latios sat on the floor between them with an occasional twitch from nervousness. I broke out in a cold sweat. Aggron stood behind us with equal interest.

Police officers had a podium set up outside the department on the west side of town. The person doing the talking was the public information officer, or PIO, while members stood behind them wearing sunglasses. I zoned out during introductions because it started by the books. A statement had been prepared after.

"At 4:03 this afternoon, the Mauville Police Department in conjunction with the Pokémon League's Hoenn Branch conducted a raid on Pokémon Services. Multiple complaints of medical malpractice had prompted action. Due to the nature of these cases and patient privacy laws, the incidents that prompted this investigation cannot be discussed at this time," the PIO started.

Jack looked mad. "Really? Not even a blanket reason?" he mumbled.

"Our team is currently examining the following items: paper files, electronic files, laptops, desktop computers, timesheets, and financial records. Eight people have been called in for questioning. Four have been released. Four are currently being held in temporary custody. In the coming days, we will provide an update when we have more information."

"Who the fuck did they take in?" I mouthed.

"Pokémon Services will be open tomorrow under the direction of certified league employees. All appointments will be kept. Thank you all and have a good evening."

Some officers in the background raised an eyebrow. I found it odd that a major event had a short presser. There had to be more information that the PIO or someone else was sitting on. I still felt disgusted.

The raid was a massive black eye to Ardos' operation. Barring a massive organizational overhaul and insanely good PR maneuvering, the business was going to tank… hard. Unfortunately, there was no confirmation on if he was in custody. I could easily see him fleeing Hoenn assuming he walks away without being charged in anything. Great for the public, awful for finding Latias. I waited until the channel was changed to throw the remote against the wall.

"Useless fucking police department! Every last one of them is a goddamn bum!" I screamed, startling everybody in the room. "You're telling me they've been looking at all that shit for hours and what? Just to come out with that? Do I really need to deal with this myself? Fine! I already know what to do!"

My PokéNav was blowing up with notifications from Cecil and Maddie; at least they weren't on the wrong side of things. As for me blowing up, it attracted every Pokémon in the house. I stopped moving for a second to gauge how worried they were. Every breath I took was deep and intense which to them, made me seem crazier than I already was. Salamence was the first one to put on a stern face so I took notice.

"You, outside, five minutes. Every one of my Pokémon are going to have a shot at you," I growled. "Time to see if our training was worth it or if it was a waste of our time."

An invisible force pinned me to the ground with most of the pressure on my chest. Latios' grip was less powerful than the last time he did it although I still could hardly move. He hovered over and got eye to eye with me.

"Absolutely not! If you want to get mad, fine. Get mad. Do not use battling to make yourself feel better unless you yourself are their opponent."

"Give me a break! It's a test all the same."

He lifted me up with his psychic power. "No, it is not. If you are still intent on doing so, then I will be your opponent. When I let you go, come at me with everything you have."

"Both of you, stop! There's no need for this," Rebecca pleaded. I may as well have been foaming at the mouth.

"Nobody asked for your opinion! Just shut up! I accept!"

"Very well. I will not use my psychic abilities or fly out of your range."

Latios released me and I came out swinging like a madman. For having such a large target, I couldn't land a single hit. Nimble bastard. He eventually headbutted me on my tailbone to which I only got angrier. I got up with a rage-induced scream. Those who weren't looking away in horror were looking on unsure of what to do.

Round two felt better as I felt my knuckles graze his soft feathers; still couldn't land a clean hit. This came as a surprise to him and he wrangled me to the ground in a more open area. He lightly held down my neck with one arm while I flailed away. It had a thin hard shell feel on the top layer but was squishy on the underside.

A primal urge to claw at the durable arm came out despite it being less effective than punching. That act made Latios casually slide me across the floor like I was an ice cube… all 190 pounds of me. I threw up an arm to lessen my impact with the wall. Jack stepped forward ready to talk but I wanted round three. I was immediately grabbed by my shirt and pinned against the wall. Kicking didn't yield any results. I even tried biting his arm out of sheer desperation.

That was when I got a hard reality check. He took me to the ground then pinned me down by my face. The three claws on rested on my nose and just under each eye with the rest of his arm covering my mouth. It didn't feel like any pressure was being applied yet I couldn't wiggle out of it. He leaned in slowly.

"Keep going until you can get my arm off," Latios demanded.

I didn't have much of a choice. No matter what I did, it wouldn't budge. Even attempting to lick it for the shock factor didn't faze him. Rebecca left the room weeping. Aggron, Ninetales, Magneton, Sealeo, and the resident Pokémon found it too uncomfortable to stay. Jack wanted to follow them but felt obligated to stay in case things got worse.

Our standoff ended a few minutes later when I ran out of steam. Altaria started to cry fearing the worst; hearing her made me tear up too. Linoone walked over with her once the Eon Pokémon released me. Quiet humming got all of us to calm down even if it was interrupted by a sob.

"Better you take it out on me than them. Find a more reliable and safer alternative outlet in the future," Latios calmly said. "I will take some responsibility for this. You talk to those two while I deal with everyone else. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Y-yeah," I panted.

He left and I struggled to sit up. Altaria went behind me for support and to rub her head against my back. I rubbed my eyes still trying to process what just happened. Latios manhandled me like a stuffed toy. No amount of medical attention would've saved me if he put in even 10% effort.

"Are you alright Ryan? Do you need any ice? Bandages?" Jack asked as if nothing had happened.

"Only physically." I reached back to pet Altaria. "I'm sorry. I don't know what made me think that was a good idea. And Rebecca… oh no. Did Mr. Robinson say what I said to her? I need to talk to her now."

Jack walked over and placed his hand on my head. "All that matters is you are concerned. Latios and I will take care of the rest. Consider relaxing for the rest of the evening."

"You hate me for this, don't you?"

The caretaker bowed. "Master, it has been a pleasure to serve you from the beginning. You have been very kind to us. You have allowed us to speak our minds unconditionally. This is no different. I do not hate you."

"What about Rebecca?"

"Please trust my judgment when I say she will not hate you." He helped me up. "Today was a humbling experience for all of us. We will grow from it."

I faced my two partners who stayed. "I… guess so. What do you guys think? Can you forgive me for scaring you like that? And let's tone it down this week." They somberly agreed.

Relaxing waited until after checking my PokéNav. I spent the next few hours texting with Maddie and Cecil blowing off steam. Playing the waiting game was all we could do. A medical board would determine the status of the business after getting a hold of certain records. Shutting it down entirely opened the door for arrests which was an interesting backup plan.

As for their personal lives, they went back to working at the Pokémon Center. Menial tasks took up most of their day with simple medical exams thrown in. Nothing too complicated although they were asked to research recovery methods for more severe cases. Old coworkers had moved out of their lives for better or worse. Most importantly, they were safe.

I did not get a chance to talk to the rest of the Pokémon or Rebecca by bedtime. They were all sleeping behind closed spare bedroom doors or inside their balls. However, Latios poked his head into my room while I was brushing my teeth. He waited patiently for me to finish then pulled the covers back once I put on my new bathrobe.

"Oh! I can sleep somewhere else if you want." The psychic dragon shook his head and invited me in.

"If you do not mind…"

"Sure," I replied trying to hide my confusion. He stopped me from turning the light off by embracing me the way Latias did when she saved me. So warm. So soft. So tender.

"Ryan… I am scared. Very scared. You have every reason to be afraid of those who are after you."

I hugged him back. "What's wrong? Did you see something?"

"Those things you call 'Shadow Pokémon' have no regard for any living creature. I have encountered several during my recent trips around Hoenn trying to find Latias. All they do is destroy whatever gets in their way before trying to carve out territory."

"Do you remember any?" There was a quick squeeze from the fast flier.

"Golduck by Lilycove, Swellow randomly flying around, Sableye by Dewford Cave, Heracross in the Safari Zone, and a Skarmory just outside of town. Thankfully, they were hidden away from any potential trainers. Every time I approached them out of curiosity, I was attacked. Every hit felt like I was getting hit with an ice, dark, or bug type attack. They were also stronger than expected."

Now the problem was getting worse. Those were all decent Pokémon with moves that apparently dealt super effective damage. That didn't make any sense because Linoone didn't share any weaknesses with Latios. Was it a fluke or was it a trait?

"Ardos would be an idiot not to use one. I'm honestly not sure if his Pokémon would be stronger than the competition I'll be up against. Salamence is the best measuring stick I have to work with." I started to doze off so Latios turned the light off. "You think my Pokémon will still trust me after this?"

"Yes."

"Why? Because you convinced them to?"

"Because when they were at their low points, you did not turn your back on them. Everyone made the decision to trust you on their own volition. Did you frighten them and make them uncomfortable? Yes. Do they think any less of you for what happened? No. You understand they are not perfect and they know you are not perfect. They are still proud to be by your side."

I buried my head in Latios' chest ready to fall asleep for good. He provided a peace of mind that I could not obtain anywhere else. I chose to believe Latias coached him to provide it when necessary. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long. I started thinking about the press conference again and one thing stood out that I missed at the time. An asset to Pokémon Service that was overlooked.

New Mauville.


I'm inching closer to the end of physical therapy. Between that and the rest of my schedule, I basically have lost two days of writing per week for the past four months. It annoys me very much. Best I can do is keep moving on. Have a good day and I will see you next chapter :)

-W4f