Shadow jolted awake, and immediately experienced a momentary thrill of panic. His eyes snapped around his surroundings, trying to locate some unknown threat. He saw nothing but unfamiliarity at every glance, and this escalated the terror gripping his heart. Unknown objects littered the area, and there was nothing but hard earth beneath his body, where grass or makeshift bedding would usually be placed.

"Shadow?" Leaf's concerned voice jerked the Espeon's attention towards the Leafeon, and all at once, the panic drained from his body. He remembered where he was now, inside the den of the Kadabra that had agreed to mentor him. He had come here with Leaf, Frost, and Raze the other night, but had not really allowed the fact to sink in before going to sleep.

"Sorry," Shadow muttered, staring at his paws, too ashamed to look around and find out if Raze or Frost had seen his unwarranted panic. He had known his reprieve from the nightmares had only been temporary, but they hit him harder this time. Maybe his brain had been exhausted from the psychic training to properly filter out negative thoughts and memories, or maybe they had just struck harder to make up for the night he had gone undisturbed.

"I was just about to prod you, and whoosh, that bubble thing shoved me good," Leaf said, in a tone suggesting that Shadow had done something incredibly impressive. Shadow didn't answer, silently hoping that he and Leaf were alone at the moment, but still too embarrassed to look up and find out.

Leaf circled around his brother, seemingly unconcerned by the lack of reaction from the ebony Espeon. "So that yellow Daba thing said she had to work on something and she'd be back later," the Leafeon reported brightly.

Shadow furrowed his brow, about to correct Leaf on his pronunciation of A/C's species, but changed his mind last second. It didn't really matter whether Leaf knew what species she was. "What about Raze and Frost?" he asked.

"I dunno."

"They're not in here?" Shadow asked hopefully, looking up and glancing around the den. Sure enough, he and the Leafeon were alone in the den. He glanced towards the den entrance and saw that it was daylight, but the sky was cloudy enough to hide the sun from sight, making it difficult to judge how late in the day it was. He felt exhausted, as if he hadn't slept at all. Hopefully this was just the result of his mental training coming back to bite him, and not because his nightmares had come back.

"Nope," Leaf replied, his leaf-like tail flicking cheerfully. "I was sunbathing just outside when they left, said they'd be back later. Then the clouds took my sun away."

"There's a fun sentence to walk in on," Frost's voice noted as the Glaceon came into the den.

"I have a question," Shadow said, raising an eyebrow at Frost. "How do you even know the way here? We Teleported in before."

The Glaceon raised an eyebrow in return. "Yeah...and I walked out of the den on foot. I used a little trick where you observe your surroundings as you walk, so you remember where things are based on little landmarks. So, when I was coming BACK..."

"I get it, I get it," Shadow grumbled. "Sorry, I just woke up."

"Sleep okay?" the Glaceon wondered, his tone less biting than his previous sentence. Shadow didn't answer, and just let his weary expression tell the Glaceon the story. "Ahh...shame."

"Is Raze with you?" Shadow wondered, realizing the Buizel hadn't followed Frost into the den. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Leaf was sniffing at some of the books scattered around the den.

"Raze gets sidetracked for hours at a time," Frost replied with a shrug. "I can think of maybe four places he might of gone after we split up, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had A/C just Teleport him back to his lake, either."

"And this doesn't bother you?" Shadow asked, genuinely taken aback by Frost's indifferent manner, as the Ice-Type selected one of the books on the den floor and flicked through a few of its layers. He couldn't imagine being okay with a friend or a traveling companion going somewhere without at least notifying him where they were going and whether to wait for them to get back.

"Not particularly," Frost said idly. "Raze is a friend and a sparring partner. He's well aware that we will eventually part ways for days or weeks, so unless we agreed to meet up somewhere or sometime, we don't need the other's approval to go somewhere."

"Seems like a crummy friendship," Shadow muttered. Frost chuckled and he winced. He hadn't realized that Frost could hear him that clearly.

"That's how independance is, Shadow," the Glaceon drawled. "Raze is not dependant on me, nor I dependant on him. We're our own Pokemon. It's only 'crummy' if we make a committment to be somewhere or do something and the other doesn't show up. Raze did what he had offered to do - he introduced you to A/C. What he does now is his choice. And I'm still here, so it's not like you're being left high and dry."

Shadow didn't answer. That was something he'd probably need to think about more. As far as he was concerned, leaving without at least saying good-bye or similar was just rude, and if something happened to them and they needed help, there'd be no sign that something was wrong. He made a mental note to himself to always tell Leaf when to expect him back if he had ever had to leave the Leafeon alone. Not that he was likely to leave the Leafeon alone any time soon.

"I'm bored!"

No bets on who decided to announce that to the air.

Shadow looked over at the Leafeon with a weary look in his eyes. Part of him had hoped that with all that had been going on lately, Leaf would have figured out some way to keep himself occupied, but then again, A/C's den had very little to offer a young Pokemon. Even though Leaf had evolved, he was still only a few months old.

"What would you like to do?" the Espeon asked his brother.

"Go outside!" Leaf answered promptly. This answer confused Shadow. The den wasn't closed off, as Frost had just come in from outside.

"What's stopping you?" Shadow asked, furrowing his brow. "You said you were sunbathing earlier."

"Ah, that was my doing," the Glaceon answered. "When Raze and I left earlier this morning, I told him to stay with you and not to stray from the den entrance without someone else present."

"Oh. I appreciate that," Shadow said, flashing the Glaceon a brief smile and then refocusing on Leaf. "Come on, then, let's go outside for a little while."

"Yay!" Leaf squealed, practically bouncing on the pads of his feet before darting over to the den entrance and waiting excitedly for Shadow to follow. In spite of himself, Shadow couldn't hide his grin at his younger brother's antics.

Frost spared the two only a brief glance before returning his attention to the books, and Shadow took this as a sign that he had no objection to them leaving the den without him. The sky was still fairly cloudy as he and Leaf stepped outside, Shadow blinking in a few times in the morning light. There was a cool breeze, and it smelled vaguely like it was going to rain, but considering the weather the past few days, this was hardly unusual anymore.

The den was nestled on a grassy ledge overlooking a section of the road leading into the nearby human town. The entrance to the den seemed like it would be extremely easy for the eye to pass over from the road, but still close enough to the town to be a reasonably convenient distance. If the Kadabra really did work in the town often, this was a wonderful location, but far too close to the town for Shadow's own tastes.

Leaf ran ahead of Shadow as they descended the small incline leading away from the den, but would always double back before getting too far away, so that they'd be walking side-by-side, only for the Leafeon to run ahead again a few moments later.

"Is there anything you wanted to do specifically?" Shadow asked. Now that he was out in the open again, he started to feel a little apprehensive. Open areas, particularly ones frequented by humans or dangerous Pokemon, always seemed to have this effect on him nowadays.

Leaf considered, then shook his head. "Nope! I just want to be with you."

Shadow blinked. He didn't figure Leaf to be the type to say something like that just to mess with him, but even for Leaf's young age, this seemed oddly weird for him to say. It wasn't even particularly sentimental compared to some of their other heart to heart talks, like the one that had prompted Shadow to evolve.

"You've been with me, though," Shadow pointed out, hoping the Leafeon wouldn't misinterpret this confusion as a flippant remark.

"I know. But I never get to just be around you now," Leaf said, a slight whine trickling into his tone. "There's always someone else, too."

"I thought you liked Frost," Shadow said slowly. Seriously, they only had a third person in their midst for less than two days. That seemed far too early for Leaf to be wishing they weren't around.

"I do!" Leaf insisted. "But I really like spending time with just you, too. I don't want us to stop doing that. I'm becoming tougher, just like I promised, so I can help you take care of me, right?"

Shadow cracked a smile. "Not yet, Leaf. Someday, maybe soon. But we both have to keep at it to get there. That's why we're here, you know."

Leaf smiled and nodded happily, and then cuddled against his brother's chest, nudging him in this manner until Shadow began to stroke a paw along Leaf's head and back. He wasn't sure how long they just sat there, enjoying the closeness and warmth of one another and listening to the subtle purring that accompanied their breathing.

Shadow abruptly flinched, a sensation running through his body. He hadn't noticed the feeling at first, assuming it had been a vibration from his brother's cuddling. It was a mild alarm bell in the back of his mind, vaguely familiar, but easily ignored at first. Now whatever was causing the feeling had come close enough to them for Shadow to acknowledge the feeling.

"What is it, Shadow?" Leaf asked, looking up at the Espeon. His leafy ears twitched and his soft brown eyes gazed around uncertainly, trying to see whatever Shadow had noticed in the area, but even Shadow's gaze found nothing but empty air. "Shadow?"

"I'm not sure," Shadow said, irritation and nervousness seeping into his tone. He looked around, but the danger forewarned by the tingling in his spine was not consistent. It was getting closer, he was sure of that, but the speed in which it approached was not constant.

"Should we go back, then?" Leaf asked, and Shadow was briefly surprised by the straightforward thinking of the Leafeon.

"Yes," he said, and Leaf immediately began to walk back towards A/C's den at a brisk pace. His eyes flitted around the area even as he moved. Shadow followed, keeping a fraction of his attention on the twinges in the back of his mind. Even in a potentially dangerous situation, he wanted to get a firmer grasp on his psychic warnings. The little sensations that offered flickers of insight were nice in their own way, but he felt like the information could still be clearer.

"Come on, Shadow!" Leaf complained, and Shadow shook his head quickly, picking up his pace. Leaf was practically at the top of the incline leading to A/C's den. At least the Leafeon was taking the retreat absolutely seriously this time. Seeing that Shadow was approaching, Leaf hurried inside the den. At the same time, the prickle in the back of the Espeon's mind intensified, and Shadow turned his head in time to see a golden bolt of electricity flying towards him. Acting entirely on reflex, Shadow leapt sideways, and the grass where he had stood a moment earlier became charred by the electricity.

Shadow raised his head and saw a quadruped Pokemon approaching him. It was about the same size as he was, with much of its body covered in blue-grey or black fur, and bright electric-yellow eyes. The hindquarters of its body was covered only in the black fur, and its thin black tail ended with a large yellow star. Its forelegs were decorated with a pair of yellow rings. Aside from the thicker mane of black fur around its face, it looked extremely similar to that one human trainer's Shinx.

"Sparky, what's gotten into you?" a vaguely familiar human voice called, and Shadow's blood ran cold. Moments later, the Pokemon's master appeared in sight. Sure enough, although Shadow had only looked at the trainer briefly the first time, there was no doubting that it was the same one. The same vaguely untidy brown hair, the same youthful features, and even the same clothing.

The human stopped in his tracks, first spotting the electric Pokemon, and then noticing Shadow. His jaw dropped, but was soon replaced with boyish enthusiasm.

"It's that shiny again! Sparky use-"

"Got him!" the Luxio replied, and lunged at Shadow. The Espeon was knocked over easily, so taken aback by the sight of the familiar human that he had neglected to ready himself for an attack. The Luxio's larger mass furthered the Espeon's disadvantage, as it used its forepaws to pin Shadow against the grass.

Moments later, Shadow felt his muscles locking up as an unpleasant tingling sensation raced through his body, and he cursed his luck bitterly.

"Haha," the Luxio taunted in his ear, the Espeon able to feel the electric type's warm breath on his neck, which only frustrated him further. "Pinned and T-Waved, Marcus has got you this time."

"Nice one, Sparky!" the trainer praised. "I need you to move so I can throw the ball, though."

Shadow was already struggling against his paralyzed limbs when he felt the Luxio's weight shift off him, but it was a useless effort. Even if he could move, the electric feline was right next to him, ready to pin him down immediately again.

Open the doorway.

Shadow blinked. That's right, he had a clue on how to use his psychic abilities, but in this situation, it wasn't going to be enough...but it was the only chance he had. He shut his eyes tightly, blocking out the view of the grass beneath him, focusing with all his might on opening the metaphorical doorway indicated by the gem in his forehead.

He heard the human's voice saying something, but he ignored the words, desperately willing his energy to flow through the mental doorway, to protect him from the trainer's grasp. He could feel the energy building within him, and willed it to expand from his body. The pressure in his head built up like the squeezing of a vice, and then released.

The Luxio growled beside him, but Shadow had no idea what had happened. He hadn't felt the impact of a Pokeball against his body, but he also couldn't see whether anything had happened at all. The growl was the only clue, and it was a brief indication of displeasure and wasn't followed by any strange noises or cries like last time, when Leaf had attacked the trainer's Pokemon.

"Uh, let's try that again, I guess. Go, Poke-ack!"

The yelp from Marcus got Shadow's attention, and with great effort, the Espeon managed to lift his face upwards to see the human. There was a Pokeball on the ground a few feet from Shadow's face, and a second, still minimalized, ball at Marcus' feet. From the looks of it, he had literally just dropped it, and the human was clutching his hand with a pained expression. Even from that distance and odd viewing angle, Shadow could see something small and silvery embedded in the trainer's hand.

Marcus winced and carefully plucked out the object and inspected it in the light. His hand wasn't bleeding, so whatever had struck him must not have been sharp enough to really break the skin.

"Ahem. Step aside, Luxio," Frost's voice stated unexpectedly. Shadow nearly twisted his neck in his attempt to turn to face the Glaceon, but the paralysis clinging to his limbs kept him from straining himself to that extent.

"What the- who are you?" Sparky growled, sparks flying from his fur.

"I wasn't requesting for you to move," Frost said dismissively, and Shadow saw the Luxio stumble sideways, as if he had been shoved. A moment later, the Glaceon practically pushed a small red berry into Shadow's mouth. The spicy flavor of the fruit exploded on his tongue, and tears filled the Espeon's eyes, but the numbing sensation holding onto his limbs released their grip.

"A Glaceon, too?" Marcus wondered, as Frost all but lifted Shadow up, the Espeon forced to lean against the Ice-Type for support until he was on his feet again.

"Shadow, back off," Frost said curtly.

"Hm? But-"

"I'll deal with this. Just get out of the line of fire, or you'll just get in my way," the Glaceon insisted, flashing a confident smirk. Shadow bit his lip, but obediently retreated several paces, until he was no longer directly beside either Pokemon. He would have gone towards the den, but didn't want to draw Marcus' attention to it, and part of him wanted to see how well Frost could actually fight for all his confidence.

The Luxio was snarling now, its eyes narrowed with anger, and sparks flying more ferociously from its fur. Frost observed it without even the slightest hint of fear or concern, despite the electric type's proximity.

"Sparky, stop acting on your own," Marcus complained. "Use Crunch!"

Shadow shivered as the air temperature around them plummeted, and a freezing wind whipped past him, surrounding Sparky and Frost in its arctic gale. The Luxio bristled at the cold, and Frost seized that moment to close the distance between the two and sink his teeth into the electric-Type's mane. The Luxio snarled and shook his head forcefully, attempting to dislodge the Glaceon, only to discover Frost had released his bite already and had darted around behind the Luxio.

"Sparky, behind you!" Marcus shouted, but Frost never gave the Luxio the chance to react to the warning. Snowflakes billowed out from the Glaceon's mouth, and another frigid gale tore through the air, scattering the snow over the Luxio, each flake glittering blue. The Luxio inhaled sharply, his yellow eyes widening in agony as the frigid wind struck him. It was as though the thick fur on his body had done nothing to protect him from the icy wind.

Without giving him a chance to recover, Frost darted around Sparky, and immediately slammed his head into the Luxio's face. There was a loud cracking sound, and the electric-type collapsed into the grass, blood spilling from his nose and his breathing becoming shallower. Marcus stared in disbelief at his fallen Pokemon, and Frost looked at the trainer with a challenging smirk.

"Sparky, return," Marcus said in a dejected tone, pointing a Pokeball at the fallen Luxio. A beam of red light shot out from the ball and engulfed the fallen quadruped, transforming it into the same red light and drawing it back into the ball.

"Is that all?" Frost wondered, sounding mildly disappointed. Marcus seemed to be considering his remaining Pokeball, but finally shook his head and began briskly walking back towards the town. Frost watched him leave, then turned back to Shadow and the two of them headed up the slope towards A/C's den. "Not even a fair fight, he's still a rookie."

"How can you tell?" Shadow asked.

"His Pokemon relies too much on his commands to be effective, and is mindlessly aggressive otherwise. I got the jump on him far too easily," Frost replied simply, leading the Espeon into the den. "You're welcome, by the way."

Shadow's irritated retort was interrupted by a flash of light, signaling A/C's return. Leaf squeaked in surprise at the Kadabra's sudden appearance, and she swept the room with her eyes before noticing Frost and Shadow in the entranceway, and focusing on the small scrapes and grass stains on Shadow's fur.

"Hello. Did I miss anything?" she wondered.