Fate has never been kind to Wes. He had lost everything from his childhood when he only 7 years old. But standing their with Reina and having his arms around her made almost everything that he's been through feel like nothing but a bad dream. Being reunited with her made him happier than he had ever been in a long time.

After what felt like an eternity of tearfully and happy silence, Wes, Rui, and Reina went to a nearby bar to sit and talk. There was so much that both Wes and Reina wanted to say to each other. The group sat at a table with Reina on one side and Wes on the other with Rui sitting beside him with a smile on her face as the two talked and occasionally laughed happily. Reina's eyes eventually fell down on Espeon and Umbreon. Who were both sniffing Reina. She then saw Plusle who was running back and forth across Rui's shoulder trying to play with her.

"Wes your Pokemon are both so adorable." She said happily. "Your Plusle is as well Rui. I haven't seen many of them but It's so incredibly cute."

Rui smiled with a small blush as she rubbed Plusle's head with two fingers while he rubbed his cheek against hers.

Do you have any Pokemon, Reina?" Rui asked curiously?

The girl nodded her head. She then reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a Pokeball.

"Come out Alakazam!" She shouted before throwing it out beside her. Appearing in a flash of light was a large yellow pokemon holding two spoons. This was definitely the final evolution of Abra. Reina smile at him and stroked his head much to Alakazams enjoyment.

"Alakazam is my most powerful Pokemon and one of my oldest friends after what happened in the past."

She quickly returned him to his pokeball as the word past lingered in her mind for much longer than she wanted. It wasn't until she looked up at Wes who stared at her with a smile, did many of her memories of ten years ago disappear.

"Wes you don't know how happy I am to see you again." Reina said with the brightest of smiles. "I thought that you were dead for all these years and I would never see you again."

Wes' smile faltered for a second at the thought but it quickly came back.

"I feel the same way. I had thought the same thing but here we are together again." He replied. "What about your Mom though? last time I saw you guys you were separated. Did you ever find her?"

The air went deathly still and Reina's bright and happy smile disappeared as if it was dust in the wind. She looked away from Wes and down at the ground. Her face became sad and she looked completely heartbroken.

Wes noticed the change in her demeanor and his smile vanished as well. He had a bad feeling he said something wrong.

"Reina? Is everything alright?" Wes asked with genuine concern in his voice.

The girl looked at him once with tears stinging her eyes.

"Wes..." She began. "My mom's dead."

Wes' face went into a look of shock and Rui gasped.

"It was after we were taken from the village. The trucks we were taken went to an old destroyed. We were taken out of the trucks and we learned that the masked men who captured us were slave traffickers because we saw people being taken against their will with really scary men or being thrown into cages."

Reina's eyes began to fill with tears as the memories she had just gotten rid came back once again.

"When my mom came out of her truck, she saw me. She tried to run to me and I tried to run to her. But I was grabbed by one of the masked men and so was she. They then began beating her and told her. 'if you make another move we'll do more than just hurt you.' The masked men then said that all the children were to be taken while the adults stayed behind."

Reina started to sob.

"When they took me I heard my mom scream as well as other adults then I heard someone say 'Self Destruct' After that everything went quiet."

Wes was shocked and Rui was horrified. Reina's mom was murdered just like their parents. Reina put her head down on the table and began to quietly cry now until Wes came over and rubbed her back affectionately.

"Reina I'm so sorry." He said with guilt in his voice. "I-I didn't know that your mom had died I swear I didn't mean to make you relive those memories."

Reina brought her tear stained face off of the table and looked at Wes.

"No it's alright, you didn't know. How could you? The last time I saw you was when you were with your Paren-" Reina gasped. "Wes! You're parents! Rodd and Celia! Are they alright!?"

Reina immediately regretted asking that question as she saw a look of pain form on Wes' face.

"My mom and dead are dead as well Reina. The men who attacked our village forced me to watch them be killed. Then they chased me out of the Village so I would die in the desert."

Reina expected that to be the answer because of how Wes looked and sounded but it didn't make it any less painful for her to hear. She remembered Wes' love for his mother and though he and his father had somewhat of a rocky relationship she knew that his father loved him more than life itself. But now just like her, he was all alone.

"Wes...I'm sorry." She said as more tears began to spill from her. "Our parents are dead and we're all alone."

"Actually we're not the only one who has lost family." Wes said as he looked at Rui who looked completely heartbroken and upset. No doubt hearing all this was bringing back nasty memories for her.

"Rui., you don't mean..." Reina began fearing her answer.

Rui nodded sadly.

"I also lost my parents when I was your age. A biker gang attacked my home and murdered her them." After a moment a small and soft smile formed on her face. "But I'm alright now, thanks to my family and Wes I've been able to move on from what happened."

Reina smiled but it quickly disappeared and was replace with curiosity when Rui mentioned Wes' name. She was about to open her mouth to speak but then kept it shut as conflict entered her mind. Part of her wanted to ask this question but part of her didn't. She no doubt knew what the answer was but at the same time it reminded her of what questions she knew were going to rise and what was going to happen. Everything was going to lead back to a conflict between her and Wes because of who she was now allied with. She had just reunited with her long lost childhood friend who was like a little brother to her. She had a small happy part of past come back to her after all this time. She didn't want to lose him. Thinking about for another minute she decided to go ahead and ask her question. There really was no point in delaying the inevitable.

"Wes you said that after your parents had died, you were chased into the desert so you could die there."

Wes nodded his head.

"But here you are sitting right in front of me. How did you survive with no food or water and nowhere to go back to?"

Wes tensed up. like Reina he didn't want to think about the conflict he knew was going to happen. He was reunited with the only friend that he ever had before Espeon and Umbreon. The girl who made him happy and cared for him. She no doubt knew who was allied with since she was with Cipher. Just thinking about her being with one of his most hated enemies made him feel sick. Yet there was a question that was burning in his mind when this realization came in when they first hugged each other after ten years. Why was she with them?

"Wes?"

The sandy haired boy was jolted from his thoughts when Reina called his name. Remembering she asked him a question he looked her in the eyes to deliver his answer.

"I'm sure you know that I'm a former member of Team Snagem." He began earning a nod in response from her. "They were the ones who saved me. They found me minutes after I was chased from the village. They took me in and gave me Umbreon when he was still an Eevee. I've been with them for ten years until I defected a few months ago."

Reina was silent as Wes looked her in the eyes. He told himself to keep calm because he wanted to ask Reina the question he didn't want to ask even though he needed answers.

"Reina...You're Venus' enforcer aren't you?"

Reina felt her body go numb even though she knew this was going to happen. In the end she nodded in response.

"Then that means your with Cipher."

Another nod.

"Reina...you know Cipher is our enemy. They want us dead and will go to any lengths to make that happen. So my question to you is why? Why are you with them?"

Reina couldn't speak for the longest time.

Wes voice sounded so calm and collected but at the same time he sound heartbroken and hurt. She knew he was upset about this and in all honesty she couldn't blame him. If anything being that they were so close that they considered each other family he had every right to know why she was with them. Letting out a sigh she told him why she was allied with his enemy.

"Wes...Cipher rescued me from those masked men that attacked our village. They took me in when I had nowhere to go. I am forever in debt to them as such I've sworn loyalty to them."

"But Reina, surely you know of what horrible thing that Cipher is doing? They're turning Pokemon into heartless fighting machines."

Reina began feeling overcome with guilt as she looked down at the table.

"Cipher has done far worse than that Wes." She said and she began to tremble a little bit. "I've seen them do terrible things you couldn't even imagine. Things that you nor the world know about or will ever find out about. Making Shadow Pokemon is nothing compared to other things I've seen them do."

"Why are you with them then?" Wes asked. "Seeing you now, I don't think you've changed at all since I saw you ten years ago. I know you can't possibly want to do these horrid things."

The guilt began to bite Reina even harder as continued to stare at the ground not daring to look Wes in the eyes.

"Your right I don't." She said.

"Then why don't you leave?"

"I can't."

"Why not Reina? "

"Because there is a price to pay for disloyalty." She said finally looking at him. "I've seen people who turn on Cipher pay that price. I'm sure you can probably guess what the price is."

Wes fell silent and nodded his head. It was the same price he would pay if Gonzap or Cipher is able to get there hands on him.

"Besides.." Reina began. "I can't betray them If I wanted to no matter what the price. I can't betray Lady Venus."

Wes stared at Reina and noticed small tears in forming in her eyes.

"Reina what's the matter?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Lady Venus is the only reason I stay with Cipher. I can't even think about betraying her not after everything she's done for me."

Running through the ally's of whatever city she was brought to with tears of fear in her eyes. The eight year old Reina found herself trapped in a dead end with large footsteps and angry shouting coming closer and closer to her location. When one of the masked men were about to grab her to put her in her own cage just as they did with the other kids, she bit his hand and managed to escape their grasp. Now they were chasing her down looking to either bring her back or kill her. She became even more scared because she was almost certain it would be the latter choice if she was caught.

"There she is!" A voice shouted behind. "Boys I found her!"

Turning around Reina saw three men running towards she yelped in fear when one of them grab her shoulder.

"Did you think we wouldn't find you you little brat!?" The man who grabbed her snapped. "Now you're gonna find out what we do to little brats like you who run away."

"Hold on all of you!" A new voice shouted from behind.

The three men turned around to a young woman with long brown and brown eyes wearing a long blue dress the frilled at her ankles.

"Get lost sweet cheeks." The man snapped. "We'll hunt you down later and we''ll have some fun. Right now we gotta deal with this kid."

"Actually, I would like you to let her go. If you don't the consequences will be severe." The woman said.

The masked man let Reina go and grabbed a pokeball from his pocket.

"You've got some nerve talking to me like that woman. You should have just minded your own business."

The woman took out a Pokeball of her own.

"Go Machamp!" The masked man shouted as the four armed fighting Pokemon appeared.

"Gardevoir, come out please." The woman said politely as the psychic Pokemon appeared in front of her.

"Oh so it's a battle we got eh?" The man asked. "Alright then ladies first."

The woman smiled softly and closed her eyes before looking.

"Gardevoir, use psychic please...on all of them, but don't hit the girl." She said.

Gardevoir's eyes glowed a menacing blue as the air around began to ripple. The ground could be heard rumbling under her and then everything went silent. However it was short lived as Gardevoir blasted three huge balls of psychic energy. The first struck Machamp between the eyes. The Pokemon was sent flying into his master who hit the ground hard with Machamp landing on top of him. The other two balls hit the masked men who had hold of Reina the blast sent them both flying and crashing into the wall behind them.

The first masked man who had started the fight was able to shove the unconscious Machamp off of him and he got to one as the men behind him did the same. They wanted to now hurt this woman. When they looked at her they saw nothing but a calm and sweet smile. However not the same thing could be said about her eyes. Although they looked calm the men could feel an immense amount of power and threat behind those beautiful brow eyes. They were eyes that said "Get back up I dare you. I'll just keep knocking you down again and again until you don't get back up at all." Seeing those eyes made all of the will to fight in all the masked men vanish and they all ran away as fast as they could from this woman.

With the men gone she returned Gardevoir to her Pokeball and looked at Reina who was scared stiff and had tears of fear flowing down her cheeks. With a blink of her eyes all of the womans intimidation was replaced with a kind and caring look.

"It's alright little one, those men are gone now and they wont come back I promise you." She said gently trying not to frighten the poor girl in front of her.

Reina wanted to back away but she couldn't not after this woman saved her life.

"Tell me child where are your parents?" The woman asked.

The woman smile was replaced into a look of concern when tears formed in Reina started to sob and whimper. There was a tense moment of silence until Reina ran to the woman and buried her face into her dress as she started crying as loud and hard as she could.

"Oh my.." Was all the woman as she looked down at the girl.

If she was acting like this because of a question then she really didn't want to know what happened to this child's parents anymore. For the longest time she stared at Reina as her tears stained her dress and she continued to wail. Eventually the woman picked her up and held her close.

"There there my dear it's going to be alright." She cooed as Reina latched around her neck and continued to cry.

"Venus!" A new voice shouted making the woman turn around.

Coming her and Reina's way was a man with long silver hair and menacing red eyes and wearing a long black trench coat.

"Oh Master Nascour, I was just on my way to find you so we could return to headquarters." Venus said.

Nascour was not really listening to Venus as he was more focused on the girl she was holding in her arms.

"Who is she?" He more demanded rather than asked.

Venus looked at Reina who still crying but rather quietly.

"This little one was being attacked by several naughty masked men. I couldn't just let them hurt a child."

"Well she's saved now. So put her down and let's get going." Nascour ordered before turning around and walking.

"Wait!" Venus called making Nascour freeze in his tracks and look at her once more. "It seems something bad has happened to parents and I don't think she has anywhere to go. I say we should take her with us to become part of Cipher."

"No." Nascour replied quickly. "We're scientists not babysitters."

"But I feel she has potential If she received training from she could be a great asset to our plans."

"She's a child Venus with our Shadow Pokemon plans in it's beginning stages we have no time to train her."

"I'll train her myself." Venus said quickly. "Master Evice has recently named one of Ciphers admins. As such I have been given full rights to train anybody that I deem worthy. As I told you before I feel this girl has potential. She may be young now but with training from me, I can turn her into one of our best soldiers."

Nascour was silent as he stared at Venus who kept a determined look on her face. He then looked at Reina before slowly walking up to her. Reina grew even more scared than she already and clung tighter to Venus' neck. Nascour simply stared at her with a menacing scowl before turning around.

"Very well. I leave her to you then to be trained." He said before turning his to look at the woman behind him with a cold venomous glare."However I warn you Venus...do not get attached to this girl."

He then walked away leaving Venus alone with the scared Reina in her arms.

Reina soon looked at up at the woman holding her with tear stained eyes. Venus smiled softly and brushed some of the tears away with her finger.

"Don't worry my little blossom. I promise I will make you bloom into the most beautiful flower."

Reina finished her story as the tears flowed down her cheeks like gentle rivers.

"Do you understand now why I can't leave Wes?" She asked the boy in front of her.

"I can't betray Lady Venus. She took me in when I had nothing. she gave Alakazam when he was just a little Abra. He was my very first Pokemon. She trained how to battle and care for him as well the other Pokemon that I have. She took care of me for ten long years. She always made me laughed and held me when I cried. With her I didn't feel alone anymore. Wes, I can't betray Venus, because after losing my real mom, she became like a mother to me."

Wes simply looked at her with a stunned expression that soon turned sad and pained as Rui just stared at her with a blank yet sympathetic look. Wes eventually looked down at the table and started to shake. Reina and Rui both looked at him with worried faces. Rui could tell that he wasn't trembling out of sadness but out of anger.

"Reina I...I gotta get some air!"

With that said he quickly bolted out of the bar.

"Wes wait!" Rui shouted before getting up to follow him.

"Hold on Rui." Reina called out making the girl stop in her tracks.

Rui turned back around as Reina walked up to her and put her hands on her shoulders.

"I know you like Wes." She said.

"Eh!? Y-You do!?" Rui nearly shouted as her face turned as red as a tomato.

"Of course I do." Reina said sweetly. "I can tell by the way you look at him. I can tell you want him to be happy. So I want you to do something for me."

Rui continued to blush madly as Reina simply smiled.

"I want you to take care of Wes for me." she said. "He may act like he can take care of himself but knowing him as well as I do. I can tell he's afraid of being alone. But with you nearby him I can tell he doesn't feel so alone anymore. So I want you to take care of him for me."

Rui didn't know what to say to this so she just nodded.

"Now go talk to him." As she smiled sadly.

Rui nodded her head as Reina let go of her shoulders. She then ran out of the bar and found Wes who was staring down at the ground. She slowly walked to him before and pounded his fist against the side of a building.

"Damn it! It's not her fault!" He snapped as he kept his back turned from the girl behind him. "I don't know what to do Rui. She doesn't want to be with Cipher. Yet she can't leave because she'll be killed. And after what she told me I can't tell her to turn on Venus. I don't want to break her heart anymore than it already has been. I hate that she's with Cipher yet I can't do anything to help her."

Rui felt sorry for both of them. She felt bad for Reina because she was trapped with Cipher, and she felt bad for Wes because he finds his childhood after he thought her to be did only to find out that she's an ally to the enemy. She walked up to the boy in front of her and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know this is hard Wes but I'm going to promise you now, we're going to think of something. I know we'll find a way to help her."

Wes turned to look at Rui giving a smile of hope and he couldn't but give a small smile.

"Let's go back in and talk to her okay?" Rui said gently.

Wes nodded her head and the two went back into the bar only to find the table that were at completely empty. Wes and Rui stared at the table with shocked expressions.

"She's gone..." Was all Rui could.

Wes said nothing. Instead he walked over to the table and sat back down in his chair. He and Reina reunite after long years and she just up and leaves without even a goodbye. Even though Wes couldn't blame her considering the situation but it still hurt him none the less. He simply stared at the table sadly. Rui walked up to him with the same sad expression. She then sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Wes didn't move he continued to stare at the table with a pained expression on his face.

"Don't Worry Wes." Rui said softly. "Everything will be alright in the end you'll see."