So I managed to pump this one out rather quickly, though I didn't get to writing it for some time, namely due to classes, work, and Team Fortress 2. I'm currently trying to get onto a competitive team, so wish me luck. The point isn't going to capture itself!
Maybe you should finally evolve Mars into a dugtrio.

Okay, I've gotten this comment several times already, and I really don't want to be pushed into another evolution. I still feel like Bastion's was forced, and I don't want to-

I am wondering when Mars is going to evolve.

… Huh, I didn't know people were so into Mars. Well… you'll just have to wait and see?
I sometimes wonder if Cody's Pokemon are smarter than he is. They always seem to have a eureka moment when he's out of ideas.
This is actually a concern of mine. The thing is, in this pokeverse, most pokemon are smart animals that love battling. They're smart, but they don't have anywhere near the same intelligence as humans, though their "battle intelligence" can increase over time. This does not apply to all pokemon though. Many psychic pokemon (such as Isaac), ghost pokemon, certain dragon pokemon, and many legendary pokemon have human level intelligence, give or take. These pokemon are better at creating complex strategy, even without a trainer's help. As for Antonia, she's smart, but she's still a bird. But that moment is never stated for sure whether or not she used Spikes out of knowledge of the Probopass's magnetism or if she was just using the attack out of some sort of generalized defensive instinct.

Special thanks to editor Magikarp Master for editing.

Chapter 30: The Shaking Ground

"Drill Peck!" Cody shouted out to Antonia as she circled around her foe again.

It was late-March, and the three teens had finally escaped from Loamford City to the mountain range north of the old mining town. Despite it only having been several weeks since his last gym battle, much had changed for the young group of trainers. The weather was warming up, Jared had really grown to like his Gastly, Heather received an Eevee as a birthday gift from her parents (now that they had warmed up to her being on the road as a trainer). As for Cody… well, for him, aside from his new sense of humility, nothing much had changed, but as for his beautiful Skarmory, things were very, very different. The armor coated bird had become his newest rising star, being able to fight off much older and wiser pokemon with her cunning intelligence and sheer strength.

"Sand Tomb!" the opposing trainer commanded, and his tenacious Sandslash whipped up a miniature tornado of dirt, rocks, and dust that lay scattered on the clearing on the mountain path. The whipping wind caught Antonia, but judging by the expression on her face, she looked more pissed off than hurt. Once she managed to pull out of the winds, she flew around in a wide circle and blew the tornado away with a Whirlwind of her own.

"Slash!" Cody shouted, impressed with his pokemon's ingenuity. But the smile fell from his face when Antonia's wing was caught within the Sandslash's Crush Claw. The two were caught in a stalemate until the desert rodent hit her with his other claw. The Skarmory let out a shriek, but instead of fleeing, she ran her iron-clad body into the Sandslash's face, took flight once more, thrashing through his defenses with her wings, claws and beak. Antonia's battle style was really different into comparison to the rest of Cody's team. All of his other pokemon, even Bastion and Colossal, both of whom were good at tanking damage, had a very vasive battle style in which they would do their best to dodge attacks. Antonia, on the other hand, was often willing to fly straight into the firing zone, driving her body as if it wasn't her own, so long as she could land a successful attack. Luckily, she had body armor that reduced damage, but she still loved to play a risky game.

"Now! Finish it!" Cody ordered, knowing already that the battle was his. Antonia left her target prone and slammed a Steel Wing into his chest. The Sandslash had put up a good bout, but in the end, he was done for.

"Skreee!" she screeched in victory, holding her head high, even when her trainer came up to her to stroke her neck and give her a handful of kibble, which she greedily pecked out of his hand, careful not to break his skin.

"You are amazing," Cody whispered to her, giving his baby a quick kiss on the neck before going over to the other trainer to shake hands and exchange winnings. Soon, it was just Cody, Heather, Jared, and their out of ball pokemon left on the mountain clearing.
"Well Storm, I got to admit, I was wrong to doubt you two," Jared commented as he walked over to Cody and his steel pokemon. "Your bird, she might be crazy, but she's tough. I guess there's hope for you after all." The last part of Jared's monologue was draped in sarcasm, but he had a genuine grin on his face. Nevertheless, Cody was kind of annoyed.

Some things never change. "Didn't we already prove you wrong when we beat Hornsby?" he questioned. "Taking on a Probopass that could have KO'd her with one Zap Cannon… That's pretty hopeful, I would say," he said, understating his beliefs.

"Flukes happen every day, Cody," Jared chimed in, now obviously poking the Ursaring. "If you went back and fought Hornsby again, smart money says you'd lose. No offense."

"No offense?" Cody asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Tell that to Antonia. If she could tell that you were talking down to her right now, she'd tear you in half. Better show some respect."

"Please, you may not like the truth, but there's no way you'd allow her to-"

"Gentlemen, must we always argue?" Heather finally interrupted, stepping between the two while her new Eevee bounced about, chewing on the edge of her trainer's shoe. "Can't we agree on anything?"

"You haven't been here long, have you?" Cody teased, smiling while giving her a look. "As long as we're in the same vicinity, we're bound to fight. It's the only way for Jared to deal with all of his pent up sexual tension."

"Wait, what?" Jared asked, suddenly paying attention again.

"What?" Cody repeated, pretending he said nothing.

"Okay, okay, enough, you two," Heather broke up the two, giggling some. "Obviously, you both have issues to work out, but what else is new." She picked up the bubbly Eevee before linking arms with her boyfriend. "But can we deal with all of that later? It's getting dark, and I really want a shower tonight. My hair is getting… well… Can we please try to make it to the next town?"

"Sure, let's get walking," Cody shrugged. The group took about five steps toward the path before Cody stopped dead in his tracks.

"Problem?" Heather asked, noticing her friend's tired face.
"Yes," he answered blankly. "I'm so tired of walking. Walking sucks. I've already worn through a pair of shoes out here. Two, if you include the pair that Antonia ripped up back when we used to fight. It's just getting so tiring."

"You're kidding, right?" Jared cut in, turning to face Cody with a look of disdain. "You knew that you'd be walking when you first came out here, and now you want to quit over it?"

"I didn't say I wanted to quit," Cody shot back, annoyed that Jared would suggest such a thing. "I'm just saying, can't we at least ride bikes or something? That would be so much easier than-"

"You're a moron," Jared interrupted again, shaking his head in disgust. "You want to ride bikes in these jagged mountain passes and have to carry them wherever we can't ride? We're already carrying half our weight with supplies, sleeping bags, mini-tents… Next thing I know, you're going to ask me if we can drive from town to town."

"That would be nice…" Cody mumbled, though he knew that cars would also be inefficient for training. On top of cost (of both gasoline and the car itself), overall, trainers that chose to drive over walk were statistically weaker, having missed out on battles with wild pokemon and trainers.

"Still, if you don't want to walk, why don't you just ride your Zebstrika?" Jared asked, his tone riddled in sarcasm. "Oh wait, I forgot, you're too afraid to-"

"I am not afraid to ride Elesa," Cody shot back, pissed off that he had to remind him again why he wouldn't do it. "I'm just afraid she's going to electrocute me on accident if I do like she did the last time. I'll figure something out, but…" Cody began again, glancing over at his Skarmory, "what if we flew from place to place?"

"I've tried that before. Easier said than done," Jared told him, shaking his head again. "My Fearow's strong, but she gets tired having to carry me and all my stuff." He looked over at Cody's face and followed his gaze to Antonia. "And something is seriously wrong with you if you'd consider riding her over your Zebstrika. Then again, maybe you're just as crazy as she is."

"Oh come on, flying sounds like it would be so amazing," Cody replied, taking off his backpack and setting it on the ground before stroking Antonia's neck and back. "Besides, Antonia and I, we've bonded beyond the typical trainer-pokemon relationship. Hell, we're practically siblings now. She'd never put me in danger if we flew togeth-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing!" Heather asked briskly as she clamped her hand on Cody's shoulder, her eyes burning with fear. "You're not planning on riding her right now, are you? Up here in the mountains? What if she's not strong enough? What if-"

"I'm not that crazy," Cody laughed, pulling her hand away from his shoulder. "I just want to sit on her back, let her get used to my weight and everything. Might as well start now." After giving Antonia a firm pat on her back, he hopped up onto her, nestling his legs underneath her wings while clutching onto her neck. At first, he expected his Skarmory to overreact and start trying to buck him off, given how temperamental she could get. He was surprised with how she did respond though. She just turned her head left to look at him with her left eye. He could see in her eye that she was annoyed with him being there, but letting out a small caw, as if to say "Whatever. If you must…" she turned her head forward again. Altogether, everything seemed to have gone better than expected. Sitting on an iron bird was slightly uncomfortable, but the young trainer figured he'd work out the details later.

"See? Nothing to worry about!" Cody exclaimed in an overly cheery tone, giving Jared a smug look. "Just give me a few weeks, and we'll be soaring the skies like-"

"Skreeeeeee!" the silver bird screeched, holding her head up vertically before breaking into a sprint while spreading her wings, trainer still in tow.

"No! Stop! Dammit Antonia, stop!" Cody ordered in a panic as he leaned forward and hugged her upper torso. But his pokemon would not listen as she finally reached the edge of the cliff and dove towards the enormous forest below.

In those few, seemingly endless seconds, the young trainer felt all of his senses go completely numb. He couldn't hear his own voice, nor the blowing wind, nor the screams of his traveling companions. But as his Skarmory began her dive, the world flew by his vision in a rushing, incomprehensible blur. In true and unadulterated fear, he hugged his pokemon even tighter, praying that she could support his weight. But his fears were thankfully unfounded, as right before she could burst through the tops of the pines below them, Antonia's dive curved into "U" and she curved towards the heavens. Cody continued to tighten his grip even further, so much so, that he could have sworn he was damaging his Skarmory's armor, but in the pull of gravity, his natural reaction was to cling. Feeling her trainer's constriction, Antonia made a much shorter dive before leveling her flight, flapping her wings a few times to maintain her momentum and altitude. It was then in those few moments of stasis that Cody finally relinquished some of his grip, raised his head, and looked on at the forest below, the mountains beyond, and the sky above. It was like looking at the landscape for the first time again, now that he was a part of the sky, soaring over the land, cutting through the cold wind, and dominating the sky.

"THIS IS SO FUCKING COOL!" Cody screamed out, terror, adrenaline, and joy rushing through every nerve of his body while the wind whipped at his hair. He was about to throw his hands up in the air to add even more excitement to this rollercoaster ride, but before he could let go, Antonia barrel rolled to the right, and Cody let out another shout of horror. By now, Antonia was beginning to realize the amount of discomfort her trainer was experiencing. Giving a dissatisfied caw, the young Skarmory reluctantly flew back to her starting point, slowing down some as she soared towards the cliff. Finally, she landed gently with her slowed momentum, but her trainer was not so lucky. As he let go of his pokemon, he lacked the power to hold himself up, and fell on his side into the dirt. His vision was still so blurry, and when he rolled onto his back, he could barely make out the faces of Heather and Jared. Both of them sounded scared out of their minds, but they seemed to be the only ones who cared, as Antonia had walked off to peck at a nearby Drilbur hole and Eevee was too busy chasing her tail.
"Cody! Cody, what the hell? Are you alright?" Heather blurted out inches away from his ear.

"I'm alive!" Cody shouted weakly, lifting his left fist into the air. "That was the greatest thing I've ever- Ow, ow, ow!" His hand lowered to his crotch.

"You… you're such an id-"

"Idiot?" Cody smiled through his pained cringe. "I heard some of your screams, Jared. Admit it, you were afraid I'd die. You do care, don't-"

"One of these days…" the older teen mumbled, and he stood up to walk away from the scene, leaving Heather the only one still with the boy who was still collapsed in the dirt.

"You… you really don't look so good," Heather said, noticing Cody's expression, twisted in agony and joy.

"You ever sit on an uneven, metal pokemon's back as she flies up and down against the forces of gravity?" he groaned, still holding onto his pants. "Crap, I'm gonna need to start wearing that cup again."

"Thanks for sharing that tidbit," Heather half-laughed. "Here, let me help you back up." She grabbed his other hand and pulled her friend to his feet. "You need help walking?"

"I'll live," Cody assured her, stumbling with his first few steps. "I'm aching all over, and I may never be able to have children, but after that… I don't plan on missing any living."

Another nameless town. She stopped trying to remember all the names of all the little towns they passed through. Because that was just what they did with all the little towns that didn't have gyms or stadiums. Just passing through. In one day, out the next, unless their pokemon needed some extended rest and relaxation. This little town was just like the rest. The population barely reached one hundred, and the pokemon center was so primitive that the computers ran on dial-up connections. This place is so dinky… not even a town hall or anything. How do these places even exist?

"Lost in thought again?" Jared question, nudging her shoulder some.
Heather remembered that the two of them were talking about battling again, and of course, she lost track of what they were talking about. It wasn't that she didn't care about the subject, but given how much pokemon training had taken over her life, sometimes she just needed to escape from it, if even just for a moment. She looked down at Sasha, her new Eevee, and rubbed her tummy with her index finger. Sometimes, she just liked to see her pokemon as pets, and just forget that they had a huge journey for just a bit.

"Yeah… you could say that," she responded blankly, still rubbing her squirming Eevee's chest. "I'm just tired… not tired enough to go to bed, but still…" She looked across the way at the other sofa wear Cody was sitting, scanning some maps that he picked up at the ranger station a mile away from town. "What do you think he's doing? He already planned out the path for the next two weeks."

"Maybe he's working on the third?" Jared guessed, shrugging. "Who knows? And frankly, who cares? He's a few cards short of a deck, if you didn't real-"

"That was uncalled for," Heather interrupted, snapping back into reality to defend her friend. Even though it was obvious that the two boys didn't like each other, sometimes their bashing of each other was undeserved and unprovoked. "What has he done lately to deserve that? Sure, he's… eccentric at times, but he's a good guy. He cares about his training, his pokemon, us-"

"Us? More like you," Jared corrected with disdain, suddenly growing serious too. "And I'll be honest, Heather, it makes me just a little uncomfortable. Yes, I know you two are friends, but I know that you two must have had a thing for each other at some point. I'm not stupid. I see it in the way he looks at you sometimes. And whenever you touch him. It's clearly more than just-"

"What are you implying?" Heather hushed him in a harsh whisper. "First of all, he does care about you. He gave you that Gastly, which you seem to absolutely love, now that-"

"That was a peace offering," Jared corrected again.
"Whatever. But Jared, there is nothing between us. Why would I be with you if there was?"

"I don't know, Heather. You tell me," he told her coldly, his eyes not breaking for a millisecond from hers.

Heather sighed, finally breaking eye contact, looking down at her lap where Sasha had fallen asleep. "There's nothing to tell. Why do our conversations always go back to him anyway? Can we please talk about something else? Hell, I'll even talk about sports with you at this point, because he's not causing any prob-"

"Not causing any problems?" Jared whispered in return, astounded at her words. "We were attacked by some lunatic in the woods because of him. Both you and him were being stalked for months because of him. We almost got killed by ghosts in some haunted house because of him. We-"

"Jared-"

"Plus…" Jared paused and looked up to make sure that Cody was still busy with his maps. "Have you seen him when he sleeps? How he'll start thrashing, and then he jolts awake, and then he just runs off to God knows where? I mean, at first, he was just annoying, but now he's becoming creepy. I mean, I'm no psychologist, but that just doesn't seem healthy at all."

"Jared," Heather began again, this time not getting cut off, "did you ever consider that maybe there's more to him than what you see? Maybe he has reasons for how he acts?"

"I've considered it…" Jared answered solemnly. "And that's what scares me. There is something wrong with him, Heather… and if he ever puts us in danger again, I'm not just going to stop traveling with him. I'll be calling somebody. The police, a hospital, an asylum… I don't know, but I'm just so uncomfortable being around him. If it weren't for you, I'd be done by now, but-"

"I get it," Heather interrupted him, "but he's not dangerous. We both know he's a good guy. But if you don't believe me, just please, you have to trust me on this."

"Yeah, about that…" Jared mumbled as he stood up, "I don't even know how far that will take me. I'm going to bed." Without even a kiss goodnight, he disappeared into the pokemon center's dormitory.
Alone again, she wasn't sure what to think. Jared, while he could occasionally get a bit too angry and irrational at times, still did have understandable reasons for disliking Cody. That being said, he didn't know the whole truth. Then again, she didn't know the whole truth either. Hell, Cody was such a mess sometimes that he probably didn't know the truth either.

No secrets… like hell there are no secrets. Ugh, when did guys become complicated? I thought I used to know how to deal with stuff like this… I haven't asked Cody about the dream stuff lately, we've been so busy… Might as well take the chance. Scooping Sasha into her arms, she stood up and slowly approached Cody, who seemed to be lost in thought as he kept looking between maps, occasionally writing on some of them with a pencil.

"Hey, feeling better after today?" referring to the unscheduled flight he took while she sat down on the opposite couch.
Cody looked up from the maps, and smiled softly. "Ice does wonders," he answered simply. "What are you still doing up? Jared's gonna wake us up early in the AM tomorrow, as usual."

"Not sleepy yet," Heather replied, leaning forward to look at all the maps. "What are all these for anyway? Actually, a better question, what are these?"

"Swarm maps," Cody answered briefly. "Certain pokemon are a little less endemic to specific locations than others. Diglett colonies are a prime example of this, as they're constantly moving in search of more roots. These maps predict where the Diglett population will move next, but since they're not guaranteed, I'm not going to plan the route we travel around them. Rather, I'm picking out spots that are already near the route we're taking."

"That's… cool?" Heather commented, somewhat confused as to why Cody wanted to find Diglett colonies. "But you already have a Diglett. Why are you looking for more Diglett?"

"Hey, Mars has gotta evolve sometime, right?" he chuckled, looking back down at the maps that he had been pouring into. "It won't be easy though. Diglett are colony-based species of pokemon, but he's so damn stubborn, so finding two others who will put up with him... It'll be like-"

"Wait, why do you need two more Diglett?" Heather asked, cocking her head. But her best friend gave her a curious look.

"Heather, it's not like he's just going to grow two more heads. He's not a Doduo," finally relaxed and fell back into the couch. "This stuff is making my head hurt though. Five minute break."

"Well, whatever, as long as you are getting a break," Heather added, smiling some that her friend was now taking a moment to chill. "You work too much. Even when you aren't training, you're doing something."

"What can I say, anything to separate me from the amateurs," Cody chuckled.

"But don't you ever do anything else anymore?" Heather questioned, cocking her head some. "I haven't seen you watch TV or go to a movie in so long. Don't you ever need a break from this?"

"I take mine here and there," he responded. "I wish I had more time to watch TV though." He looked over and tapped the sleeping Eevee on the stomach, awaking her, and sending her into another squirm session. "What are you evolving her into?"

"I don't know yet," Heather said, but then brought back the original subject. "You really need to take a break before-"

"Before I go crazy and endanger your and Jared's lives again?" he cut in with a sudden, sour tone.

Heather froze up at this line, unsure of what to say next, but she started talking regardless. "Cody, nobody said you-"

"Heather, Jared just said all those things a few minutes ago. While I'm happy you tried to defend me, it doesn't exactly mellow out my mood."

Her cheeks went several shades of red. "How did you-"

"You two were literally sitting ten feet away from me, this pokemon center is as quiet as a crypt, and the acoustics are rather favorable for me. Here's an idea: if you two are going to talk about me, but you don't want me to hear, go to a different room. Seriously..."

She didn't think it was possible, but her cheeks went even redder. "Cody, I'm sorr-"

"Don't be. It's not your fault. It's mine," he said, softening his tone some. "It's my fault for not saying anything to him about the dreams, but now I know not to. If I do, he'll be calling the men in white. Looks like this is officially our secret now."

"Cody, you don't know that," Heather begged, now standing up and sitting down on his sofa to be closer to him. "He won't-"

"You have more faith than I do," he replied weakly, smiling. "I like that about you, and that's a reason why I trust you with a lot, but I don't trust Jared at all in that department. I'm sorry. I know he's your boyfriend, and I know that I completely fucked up the friendship that him and I had going for a little bit, but I'm not telling him. And if you tell him, I'm leaving. I'm not going to let him become a bigger risk to my goals. Understand?"

She didn't know what to say. All she could do was look into Cody's eyes, trying to see past the cold façade he had thrown up. It was so scary to see him when he was serious like this instead of being the lighthearted jokester she was so accustomed to.

"Cody… have you dreamt of him recently?" she asked, softly so she wouldn't set him off.
He didn't answer at first, but when he finally did, his voice was shaking. "A few times… never for that long though… I've been keeping a dream journal like Stahl told me too, but I don't know… But I will say this: he is real. I know it in my heart, and nothing you or any shrink says is going to change that."
Another moment in which she was unsure how to respond. By now, her Eevee was wide awake again, bouncing around on the floor, unaware of the tension. But when she finally found the words to say, she couldn't begin to say them as she looked at her friend. When she first met him, he was just another carefree guy going out into the world to have some fun. Over time, he built on his fun to create goals, dreams, and a possible destiny. But all the while, there was so much tearing him down, between his feuding parents, these dreams, the mysterious stranger that had been stalking them, Jared's beliefs that he was a train wreck waiting to happen… sooner or later, would his foundations crumble? Instead of saying anything, she just hugged him, tighter than anyone she had hugged before. So tight in fact, she thought she might be hurting him, but he just hugged her back, almost as tight.

"You don't need to keep anything from me," she whispered into his ear while leaning her head against his.

"For now, I do," he whispered in return. "You know too much already, but I can't…" There was a small pause. "Let's just run away, you and I. Just the two of us, like it was for those first weeks we were together. There won't have to be secrets anymore. I promise."
Her first thought were ones of shock, but as she pulled back and looked at Cody, face to face, she could see that tiny pinch of eagerness in him. The piece of him that was praying for her to agree, though he knew she wouldn't. But the crazy thing was that part of her wanted to take him up on that offer. To be crazy and romantic again like when she first met him… But this time, sanity had its hand at the reigns.

"You know I… we can't do that," she told him, trying not to let the sorrow poke through the sad smile she showed him.
"I figured you'd say that," he whispered in return. Just then, the main lights of the lobby went dim, the room only being lit by the lights behind the counter now. He began to stack his maps in a pile and took them in his hand. "I need some air. Maybe a coffee if this dinky little town has a place for it. If you're asleep when I get back, have a good night."

"You too," she replied, though Cody was already at the door when she said it. Great… this isn't awkward at all. Of course, though she would never say it, she knew that Jared was right about one thing. Even though the Cody Storm she knew before was changing; becoming more serious, determined, and grim, there was still something there between them. Of course, she wasn't just about to leave Jared. He was a good and stable guy who she really cared about too. If only there was a place to run away from all of this… though honestly, I know I wouldn't, even if I could. Because she knew that Cody needed her. Even if at the end of the day, he was keeping all sorts of secrets, he needed somebody that he could say something to, even if he chose not to.

"Why the hell did I go and say that?" Cody asked himself as he leaned against the front of the pokemon center. "I knew she would say no, but… she's going to think I'm an idiot now." Feeling ten types of embarrassment at once, he looked up from the ground and scanned the surrounding buildings for something. No coffee shops, but there was a trucker diner cattycorner to where he stood. The lights were still on, and there were obviously a few drifters inside getting food. Good enough. Maybe they make pancakes. But before he could set out, he felt a familiar presence… or he could smell it. That smell of pipe smoke was in the air. He never really picked up on it before, but now that he smelled it before seeing who it accompanied, it was so distinct.

"Hello Stella," he greeted calmly, not even bothering to look to see that he was right. He knew he was.

"He is coming tonight," she rasped, walking to his front side to face him.

"Straight to the point. I prefer that to you berating me," Cody commented, casually accepting that this wrinkled, decrepit, scary stalker had found him yet again. It had become so common place now that he was barely stirred. "Too bad. I'm really not tired. I was going to go get breakfast for dinner, but now-"

"As long as you are ready," she interrupted. "I can see it in your eyes. Behind your jokes and your smiles, I can see your pain. Your confusion. Your fear. You're right not to trust your companions, for they do not understand, but you must be ready to face him alone, for I will not be able to help you."
Not like you have so far, save you giving me all these vague warnings. "I've lasted this long. I still can sleep soundly most nights. At least when I wake up, the pain is gone… mostly. I mean, if he keeps up what he does already, I could live with that. It's more annoying than anything…" That was only partly true though. He was still scared of Darkrai. He knew that this… this thing was obviously dangerous, even if it couldn't directly control him. Considering how messed up Stella was, the Dark One must have abilities that he could hardly imagine.

"But nevertheless, you do fear him. And that fear will only continue to grow as he becomes more relentless. When he reveals the extent of his intentions, your fear will double. So much so, that you will begin to consider what he offers to you. And that fear will never dissipate. To this day, I still fear what he can do. Just remember, Cody Storm…" She paused, lifting her withered hand and placing it on his shoulder, causing him to shiver from just the touch. "Just remember not to lose yourself. Good luck to you in your next meeting with him." Slowly, she retracted her hand and began to walk away into the darkness.

"But wait, can't you just tell me now?" Cody called out after her, but she wouldn't answer him. Maybe she was too afraid to say anything more. Maybe Darkrai was torturing her dreams too. How long has this been happening to her? How much has she endured from him? It was so weird to be feeling pity for this old woman, the woman that he despised and wished would leave him alone.

"It's time to face him," he whispered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he re-entered the pokemon center, walked to the dormitory, and lay on his bed, not even bothering to strip out of his day clothes. In the back of his mind and the bottom of his heart, something was telling him that this was a night that the Dark One would make even more memorable than the previous times he had been visited. As his eyes began to close, the last thoughts he had were that he would not let himself be intimidated by this otherworldly being. But thinking back to the old woman that Darkrai had mentally scarred, he knew that that was much easier said than done.