That first night, my parents and I didn't talk much. We hadn't managed to get out of the forest yet and I was told that the less noise we made, the less chance we would be found by anybody. Despite that I had many questions I wanted to ask, and tried to talk to my parents mentally... but I quickly realized that they were in no mood to talk mentally. I thought it was because of everything that had happened, and that turned out to be correct. However, that was only part of the reason for their mood. The next day my parents started to teach me again... but this time it would not be about the natural world or about battling. They started to teach me as to exactly what Team Rocket was, and I suppose my childhood ended that day. Childhood is a time of innocence, and I lost my innocence that day.

I'll never forget the look in my father's eyes as he began to speak... it was one of intense sadness and pain, and he always had enjoyed teaching me about the world and everything about it. I realized with a sinking heart that what I was about to be taught was not something that my father wanted to teach me, but rather something he HAD to teach me. "Little one, it's time for you to learn about Team Rocket... what they are, what their goals are, and what power they have at their command. I had hoped that you would never have to know this, but somehow I always knew that this day would come. Listen intently and close not your mind and heart no matter how much you wish to forget what I am about to teach you, or you may very well come to know far more about Team Rocket firsthand than I ever have."

"Team Rocket is a massive and very mysterious criminal organization... how massive nobody knows for sure, but they seem to have a presence everywhere except the Hoenn region. The leader of Team Rocket is also a mystery... almost nothing is known about the leader of Team Rocket, and what little information there is about their leader is probably unknown to anyone except the highest members of law enforcement and the Pokemon Leagues. The only thing that isn't a mystery is the criminal activities of the Team Rocket organization, among which are stealing Pokemon from trainers and poaching rare and protected Pokemon. That means that Team Rocket captures Pokemon which are known to live in very few places in the world and in places where it is punishable by law to try and catch Pokemon. This has a devastating impact, as this results in a decrease in the wild populations of Pokemon species which are already very low. In a worst-case scenario, the species would die out in the wild because the population would no longer be capable of sustaining itself."

"Why would they do it then? Why would they break the law and allow such a horrible thing to happen?" "There are several reasons... some of which are simple, and some of which are more complex. A simple reason is money; there are people in the world who will pay huge amounts of money for a rare Pokemon or a Pokemon which has already been trained. It saves them the trouble of catching and training the Pokemon themselves, and for that matter the trouble of finding the Pokemon themselves. What's worse is that some people collect Pokemon as if they were bottlecaps or books, and for that reason are willing to do the same. As against that, not all Pokemon collectors will buy Pokemon from Team Rocket... but those that do merely encourage their criminal activities."

That seemed simple enough... too simple. "There has be to more than that driving Team Rocket to their actions. Can't they understand what they're doing is wrong... that it hurts both humans and Pokemon?" "No, many among Team Rocket can't understand that, don't wish to understand that, or understand that but don't care at all. I taught you a lot about the world, and you learned a lot from the books you read... but some people aren't so lucky. For one reason or another they never were taught what you were. Perhaps they had to work when they were young so they and their parents could afford to buy food and clothing, or maybe their parents were cruel and uncaring... ot merely unable to act as parents should. Some people are sick and twisted and find enjoyment in causing others pain, in controlling the lives and fates of other living creatures. Some know what they're doing is wrong, but they don't care because they've been taught that Pokemon are inferior to humans... yes, that's what some people believe, and unfortunately what Team Rocket appears to teach their members. What saddens me are those who know that what they're doing is wrong, and would stop if they felt they had a choice in the matter." "What do you mean by that? How could they feel that they don't have a choice in the matter?"

My father looked at me sadly and said: "I'm going to tell you a story. This story isn't based on any true incident as far as I know, but the logic behind this story is very real. Imagine that you're walking through a small town in the middle of the night, and see something that stops you in your tracks. It's a little house with a young child crying looking through a closed window, crying. The child is looking at two people, one of which has to be the child's mother and the other a man wearing a Team Rocket uniform. In a cage resting on the ground is a young Growlithe, which is the reason why the child is crying. Suddenly, the Rocket hands over some money and picks up the cage, then vanishes into the night. From what you've seen, it appears that the child's mother has sold her child's Growlithe just to make a little money, and worse she sold the Growlithe to a member of Team Rocket! However, things are not always as simple as they appear.

You head towards the woman, and confront her about her actions. Enraged, you demand she explain how she could do that to her child and to that Growlithe... and your rage quickly turns to surprise and then pity as the woman explains. A few months ago, her husband died in an accident, and the family had always depended on him and the work he did to earn the money the family needed to food, clothing and other necessities. There had been some money saved up for an emergency, but it ran out a week ago and she still hasn't been able to find a job. There's barely any food left in the house, and what food is left is barely enough for the woman and her child. The fact is that she couldn't afford to keep the Growlithe anymore, and she needed money to buy more food. Selling the Growlithe to Team Rocket was the only way she could think of to get the money she needed." My father paused for a moment and then said: "That's what I mean by them feeling like they don't have a choice in the matter. Humans and Pokemon can and will do things that they feel or have been taught are wrong in a dire situation where they have no better options. It takes great willpower to overcome the instinct for self-preservation." I understood what my father meant by that... or at least I thought I did at the time. My father spent the rest of the day going over parts of previous lessons that he felt I needed to go over again. Things continued like this for several weeks more... and then one night I asked my parents a question... and I'll never forget the answer my parents gave... for it would end up being the only glimpse I would ever have of the lives of my parents before I was born, and the initial reason that my parents had for bringing me into the world would be revealed.