She hid in the bushes, wary of the people skulking around the graves. They were silent as the night, attaching small devices to several graves. Finally, one spoke, who was messing with a machine of sorts.

"Begin the testing," a female voice said. "We only take the ones with the highest readings. You also have permission from our leader to capture any strong Pokemon that could be useful for our cause. You all know your assignments. Get to work."

Several people shuffled away from the main group and into the night, walking amongst the gravestones. She felt uneasy, then heard a cry. Her head jerked to the left, eyes narrowing. She ran through the bushes and out onto the grass. Several of the people were herding up several Eevees, who were frightened and obviously didn't want to be captured.

"Damn humans!" she thought, launching herself into the air, sending a wave of energy slamming into the humans. They were slammed forwards and fell onto the ground.

She landed back on the ground, and urged the Eevees to get out of the area. They fled and she turned her eyes back to the machine and the person operating it. Her body glowing, she charged.

...

Alex let the badge glint in the sunlight, smiling. "Finally got my second badge. It's been a while since the first."

I nodded in agreement. "I wonder if all the gyms will be this spaced out."

"Does it really matter?" Robert asked as we crossed the bridge out of Cyllage City. "If this journey took a whole year to complete, I wouldn't complain."

I laughed. "You're right there, friend."

I took a more solemn voice. "But, it's better that it doesn't. Not with Team Flare and the Cult running around."

Alex grimaced. "I hate to say it, but you're right. They need to be stopped."

As we stepped onto the grass, I looked down the route. In the distance, I could see stones jutting out of the ground, all five different sizes.

"Route 10," I said. "That's right. This is where some of the stones were stolen."

"Should we look around?" asked Alex.

"It'll take us about a day or less to get from here to Geosenge Town," Robert said, looking at a map. "That's in one go."

"We'll set up camp when it get's dark," I said. "It might be wise to look around. We need to look for any signs of Team Flare or the Chaos Cult."

"No splitting up then?" Robert asked, looking up from the map.

"Definitely no splitting up," I confirmed, grabbing my three pokeballs. "Come on out, Arcanine, Frogadier, Riolu."

They appeared in front of me, Frogadier, and Riolu looking better after a night with Nurse Joy.

Alex let out Ninetales and Absol. Absol, once healed, seemed to want to stay with Alex, even though she pretended like she hated us all.

Robert let out Chespin, which had me ask, "What about Snorlax?"

He shook his head. "Snorlax is good when we're battling or just going for a nice stroll, but since we're going to be looking around, a huge giant isn't going to help."

I nodded, but before I could say anything else, someone shouted, "TRAINERS!"

We all turned to see a woman with long blonde hair in shorts and a red jacket run over, a symbol on her red and black hat that I didn't recognize. A female Pyroar was at her side, who wore a black vest with the same symbol imprinted upon it. Alex's Absol seemed to regard the woman curiously, then narrowed her eyes at the Pyroar.

She slowed to a stop in front of us, pushing her large turtleneck down a little. "As the Pokemon Ranger overseeing this route, I have to warn any passing trainers. There's been a certain Pokemon around here causing trouble for any trainer trying to go through this route. I'd advise to keep an eye out and go straight to Geosenge Town."

"What kind of Pokemon?" Robert asked, but the ranger had already hurried away along with her Pyroar, busy checking her glowing watch.

"Huh," Alex twisted her mouth. "Looks like we'll have to be careful then."

"Yeah," I said, thinking. "Why did she only say that?"

Alex and Robert looked at me, so I explained. "We already heard that stones have gone missing here as well as suspicious activity. Why not warn us about that as well."

"Good question," Robert nodded. "Plus, she left without answering my question."

Alex frowned. "You're suggesting she's suspicious?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I am. Let's just look around and see what happens."

...

"Riolu," the Fighting type announced, pointing to a hole in the ground.

"Good find," I praised him and he looked proud. The stones all around us weren't placed in any distinguishable order, so trying to locate places where they used to be was hard, especially since they were everywhere around us. This hole was about three feet deep and wide enough to to fit the bottom of one of the stones.

Frogadier peered into the hole beside me, but both of us found nothing of interest.

"Dang," I said, standing back up. "I was hoping there would at least be tracks or a clue of some sorts lying around."

"We'll just have to keep looking," Alex said confidently. "We'll find something, I'm sure of it."

I nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's keep looking."

Absol crouched beside Alex, growling as she stared into a clump of tall grass.

"What is it?" Alex narrowed her eyes at the grass, which only seemed to move in response to the wind.

Suddenly, something leaped out from the grass. It was a blur of movement as it went straight for Alex. Frogadier intercepted in the nick of time, sending the wild Pokemon skidding to the side.

Now that it had stopped moving, giving us a look of hatred, I could see what kind of Pokemon it was.

"Mawile, the Deceiver Pokemon. It uses its docile-looking face to lull foes into complacency, then bites with its huge, relentless jaws."

"A Mawile," Robert said. "Must've been the Pokemon the ranger was talking about before."

"She seems pretty pissed," I said. "Arcanine, front and center."

He padded forwards, growling at the Steel and Fairy type Pokemon. Mawile seemed unperturbed and took a step forward, the jaw hanging behind her head opening and closing slowly.

"Easy now," Robert took a slow step forwards, holding out his hands. "We're not going to hurt-"

Before he could finish, Mawile leaped. Arcanine appeared in front of Robert, body slamming Mawile away. She used her jaw to slow herself and leap back onto her feet. It then turned into iron as she lunged forwards, swinging her huge jaw. Arcanine let himself get hit, biting down on the jaw with fiery fangs. He swung her to the side and she winced in pain when she landed.

"Easy there buddy," I said. "We don't want to injure her too badly. Could you try telling her to stay away?"

Arcanine huffed and growled, a clear sign he thought that would be impossible.

"Look," I looked straight into Mawile's eyes. "We're not here to harm you nor any Pokemon for that matter. We're just looking around."

Her eyes burned with hatred as she bent low, ready to spring, but then closed her large jaws. She turned her head to the right, as if seeing past the many rocks jutting out of the ground. She darted away, weaving in-between the stones.

I had a feeling, a gut instinct telling me to follow.

I stood and took off, yelling back, "Come on!"

I tried to keep Mawile in sight, but I easily lost her. Frogadier leaped ahead of me, so I followed him. He bounced off stones, but kept within sight. I could hear everyone else behind me running and Alex caught up to me.

"Where are we going?" She asked as Robert came up on my other side, Chespin on his shoulder.

"I don't know," I said grimly. "But Mawile clearly wanted to rip us apart. If something was able to attract her attention away from us, I'm willing to bet it's something worse."

Frogadier came to a stop behind a stone, so we all slowed. I returned Arcanine as Alex returned Ninetales. My sixth sense was tingling, so I peered out from behind the rock next to Frogadier. Just fifty feet away, there were people. Three were dressed in brightly colored jumpsuits while one wore a black jumpsuit, his short black hair the only thing I could see.

"Radiance," I breathed. "What are they doing here?"

"Look," Alex pointed at the ground. I looked and realized there were a bunch of holes where stones should be.

I lifted my gaze back up and watched as one of the grunts placed a small circular device on one of the stones. The person in black pulled out a black laptop and began typing furiously. After a few seconds, he nodded and said something. The grunts nodded and one let out a Rhydon. Once directed, it began to heave the stone out of the ground.

"What are they doing?" Robert wondered.

"I don't know," I said, now looking at Mawile, who had perched herself on top of a stone. Her large jaws burst into flames as she leaped down, clamping down on Rhydon, flames spreading across his body. He let go of the stone, stumbling backwards, scattering the grunts and the person in black.

The guy, who I assumed was an admin or something, let out a Cofagrigus, who pinned Mawile down with ghostly hands. Rhydon got back up and punched her in the face.

"Let's go," I surged upwards along with Frogadier and Riolu. "Quick Attack!"

Both of my Pokemon burst forwards, Riolu slamming a foot into the side of Rhydon's head while Frogadier slammed a Water Pulse into the Ghost type. Mawile, once freed, launched herself backwards onto another stone.

The man turned as Frogadier and Riolu returned to my side. He had sharp features, his eyes a cold brown.

"So," he spoke in a cold, menacing tone. "I assume you're Zeno. I was told there was a possibility you would get in my way. I honestly didn't believe the chances of that."

"Never ignore the data," the ranger from earlier stepped out from behind a stone, her Pyroar at her side. "I told you he was here."

"And you said they would be preoccupied by the Mawile," he said, glaring at her. "Admit it, Team Radiance's top strategist was wrong."

She pressed a button on her watch and her body shimmered before settling on a woman with blue hair and black jumpsuit. "I'll admit, I had trusted that Mawile wouldn't come after us after she saw trainers."

"Of course," I said as Alex and Robert joined me. "It would be you, Kamake. I thought Team Radiance wasn't doing anything bad."

"We're not," Kamake waved her hand as her Pyroar morphed into Zoroark. "You had asked what Eve's endgame was, correct? She told you it wasn't region threatening. This isn't. We just need a couple stones."

"A couple," Alex nodded, looking around at all the holes. "Yeah, just a couple huh."

The man raised his hand and Cofagrigus inched forwards, but Kamake stepped beside him. "Don't do it, Enzo. You have the boss' orders. If we come into contact with Zeno, we are to leave."

She addressed me next. "We should have the minimal amount of stones now. We'll be taking our leave."

"Wait," I said as she turned away, struggling with myself at the moment. All my instincts were telling me to stop them, but why? "What purpose does Eve have with wanting these stones?"

Kamake glanced back at me as the grunts began packing up their equipment and hurrying off. "As of now, that is not your concern. Eve has told me to reassure you that her goal will not harm Kalos."

"So all we've got is your word," I said, eyes narrowed.

She nodded and began to walk off after Enzo. "She also said to be mindful of your true enemies, the ones lurking in the darkness. They're the main threat to Kalos."

With that, she was gone.

"Okay," Robert said. "We figured out who was stealing the stones. What are we going to do now?"

"Ignore them for now," I replied.

"Seriously?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "We know they can't be up to no good."

"We can't be sure of that," I admitted regrettably. "But we should learn more about the stones in this area. I said we would ignore them, but that doesn't mean we can't try to find out what they're trying to do. Whatever it is, it has to do with these stones, and only certain ones by the looks of it."

"Geosenge probably has something about them," Robert mused. "Apparently quiet stones speak volumes there."

"Then that's where we'll go," I said, then remembered something. I turned to look at Mawile, who was still atop the stone. She looked weak and bruised, like she was ready to fall over.

I came up to the stone. "You alright, Mawile?"

She glared at me and made to jump, but appeared to experience a sudden pain because she fell forwards.

"Hey now," I said, catching her in my arms, one hand holding her jaws. "You okay there?"

I looked back at Robert. "Potions, now."

But he was already ahead of me, tossing me a Hyper Potion. I sprayed Mawile's injuries as her eyelids fluttered. After a minute, her eyes shot open.

I smiled. "Hey there. You feel better?"

She leaped out of my arms, eyes narrowed. Then she felt her body, noticing she was healed. She looked at me curiously, but then darted away, disappearing amongst the stones once more.

"She seemed very appreciative," Alex remarked.

"It's fine," I said. "I'm just glad she's doing better."

I stood. "Let's get going. I know we'll have to stop for the night at some point, but I would prefer to be as close as possible to Geosenge. The sooner we have more information the better."

...

Mawile watched the trio of humans and their captured Pokemon leave. She always hated humans, how they romped around like they owned the place. They were always arrogant or up to something, like the people earlier. Many times she was almost captured in those red balls. Even when humans seemed nice, Mawile always knew what their true motive was. As a natural deceiver herself, she could tell when humans just wanted to enslave her.

Yet, she didn't feel that in that particular human. She could feel an inner darkness within him, yet he had genuinely cared, catching her when she fell and healing her. He didn't even want a thank you from her. Never before had she met a human quite like him. And his Pokemon, his Pokemon fought for him without hesitation. Many a times had she seen the way trainers treated their Pokemon, yet these Pokemon absolutely loved being with him, as well as with the other two humans.

"Just what kind of human are you?" Mawile wondered. She had to follow him. She had to know more about him and what made him so different from other humans.

I hope you enjoyed the POV from Mawile. This will probably be the only time I'll do this, but if you all enjoyed it, maybe I could potentially do more, maybe with some other Pokemon next time. I'm not planning on doing that, but I could always do it for the story. Anyway, the people behind the disappearances of the stones have been revealed to be Team Radiance. I'm interested to see what kind of guesses you readers have for what you think they'll use the stones for. Until next chapter. Toodles