Iyori twiddled her fingers together as she waited anxiously on Lunick's sofa, her baby Miltank eating at her feet. She watched as he brought her a glass of lemonade before sitting on the couch across from her. Minun hopped up beside him in case he needed additional support.

"So, Iyori," he began. "What do you think?"

Iyori continued to fiddle with her fingers, finding it difficult to look in him in the eyes.

"W-Well…I-I am not sure."

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes…Though I am not sure if it is because I feel safe in this house or because I knew you were here, Lunick-sama."

Lunick clasped his hands together. "So then we'll see tonight how you feel. If you feel comfortable staying here without me being present, you can have it."

Iyori shook her head slowly. "I am not sure, Lunick-sama. Is this really okay? Is this place not your childhood home?"

"It is," Lunick answered. "But I don't necessarily have an attachment to it. I'll still manage the mortgage, so you don't have to worry about bills or anything. This is the best solution I can think of to assure you that you are safe and still remain close by should you need me for anything."

"But where will you live?"

"With Solana. We already talked about it at length all night and this morning. She's on board with this."

"But, but! I-I cannot, Lunick-sama."

Lunick exhaled softly. "Iyori, you need to start trying to become independent again and return to a life of normalcy. You've refused help from relief services, from housing assistance, from the local shelters in the region. I'm not even sure if you are getting counseling as we have been encouraging you to do for half a year now. You have limited the ways we can help you by insisting that I am the only person in the world who can give you what you need, which is not true. I cannot keep accompanying you everywhere or inspecting every nook and cranny for every strange noise you hear throughout the day. Yes, you have made great gains since becoming an analyst, but you are very clearly still struggling with PTSD, which is why I again urge you to seek counseling or therapy of some kind. You've been through a lot, but you are also choosing to be stuck in a way, because you turn down every option you are given."

Iyori's eyes dropped to Lunick's hardwood floor.

"I…do not mean to be so difficult."

"I know you don't, Iyori. I'm not saying you are doing this intentionally. But you need to start taking steps to regain control of your life. Right now, you've expressed that you no longer want to stay at the base because it is too overstimulating, and you want to be able to reach me when you are having a hard time. The best way I can think of to get you what you want to be able manage while also still doing what I need to do, is to let you stay here in my house. I won't be that far away. It's about a forty-minute walk to Solana's house. You can even take the bus or ride a bike if you don't want to. It'll get you there in less than half the time. But I'll be close enough to where I can reach you in a relatively quick amount of time or you can reach me."

Iyori looked back up at Lunick. "If…If you believe this is what's best, Lunick-sama, then I will do as you have requested."

"Iyori, what's important is that you are comfortable and that you feel safe. Is that how you feel staying here?"

"I…" She ran her hands across the sofa, "I…think…I feel more comfortable than when I was at the base."

"Okay. That's a start. Let's see how you do tonight by yourself. We can talk more about it then, okay?"

Iyori nodded meekly.

Signing softly, Lunick stood to his feet as Minun hopped onto his left shoulder.

"I'm going to the base now. Have the forensic team reported any new developments in their findings? It's been a few weeks now since our last update."

"Nothing yet, Lunick-sama. I am to examine the specimen again this afternoon. The Beartic and Macargo are still the only identifiable Pokémon in the sample. We are still trying to decipher the remaining five."

"Okay. Please inform me if any new discoveries are made."

"You have my word."

Nodding, Lunick grabbed his pack from the sofa he was sitting on and snapped it around his waist. He then loaded his styer into its holder.

"Lunick-sama…are…are you sure this is a good idea?…My staying here?"

"We can talk about it some more when I return, Iyori. But, yes. I'll do whatever is necessary for you to feel safe and regain some of your peace."

Iyori's heart fluttered ever so slightly. "May…May I walk with you to the Ringtown Ranger base?"

"Do you need an escort to the lab?"

"Y-Yes…For now it seems…"

"Okay. If we leave now, I can get you to the lab and return back to the base before the time for my briefing."

"You are not going with, Solana-san?"

"She said she had an errand to run and would meet me there. She's been on edge a bit lately so I'm giving her her space."

Iyori nodded slowly.

"Let's go. The Professor is supposed to be stopping by to pick up the supersuits to make some modifications. You can walk back with him when we leave."

"O-Okay." Iyori stuttered.

As Lunick walked over to the front door and placed his hand on the doorknob, he turned back around to face her.

"And Iyori, after I'm moved in with Solana, please do not just show up to the house. You must call first to see if it's okay and if I'm even available."

"I thought you said it was open to me?"

Lunick shook his head. "No. I said I'd be close by if you need me. That does not mean you can just show up to Solana's house without notice. It's still her house. Okay?"

Iyori nodded meekly.

"Okay. Let's hurry."


Solana shuffled through the hypermarket, quickly trying to pick up her items before reporting to the base. She hastily made her way to the over-the-counter drug section, her eyes scanning the many different brand names of FDA-approved weight loss pills.

"Garcinia Cambogia Extract, Green Tea Extract, Hydroxycut, Raspberry Ketones, Orlistat…" Solana muttered as she skimmed through them. "None of these will give me the result I need. They're all supplements."

"Of course not," a voiced replied beside Solana. She jumped slightly as she glanced over her shoulder. A slender young woman stood beside her, a shopping basket hanging from her left arm, with various prescription medications in it. "The most effective in the bunch is probably orlistat. It reduces intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase or breaking down fat in the gut. But even so, it's less than adequate. The feds would never allow the real effective stuff on the market. That way companies can make so much more money pushing their propaganda on us."

Solana put the orlistat botte she held in her hand back on the shelf. "You know of or have something more effective than these medications?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course I do, honey. The Kaniba Diet Pill is a Godsent. Combine it with ephedra and you'll be shedding pounds every week faster than a Jolteon on Speed."

Solana's eyes widened slightly. "Where can I buy this diet pill?"

The young woman raised her eyebrow. "A few close friends and I make it ourselves since it was pulled from the market years ago."

Solana hesitated. "So…it's illegal…A recreational drug."

"We don't use it for any psychoactive effects if that's what you're asking." She crossed her arms. "You're Solana, right? That bigwig ranger who saved Fiore from some nasty catastrophe a few years ago. Why are you asking about this? Better yet, why are looking at weight loss pills at all? They can't possibly be for you."

It was Solana's turn to fold her arms. "That's not any of your business why I'm looking at them. I'm more interested in why you are making cocktail diet pills."

"I don't sell it. And it's not illegal. We make it with our own legitimate prescription medications. We just so happened to discover this pleasant side effect and keep using it as such to maintain our figures."

Solana narrowed her eyes slightly. "So it's on the up-and-up? No drug trafficking?"

The young woman made a rude sound. "What, are you interrogating me? I was just sharing a little bit of information with you on what I've learned trying find the best weight loss solution. If you're looking for what's pushed on us by the market, right there, the orlistat is your best bet for success. Bye, ranger." She turned around and started walking away.

"Wait," Solana said quickly. "If you have a more effective alternative…please…I'd like to consider it."

She stopped, only turning slightly.

"Any chance I'd be able to buy some of it from you?" Solana asked.

"I told you, I don't sell it myself. I'm not a drug dealer. The prescriptions I use for it are my own and legit."

"Please, miss. I'm desperate."

She eyed Solana for a few more tense seconds before sighing and unfolding her arms. "Name's Brandy. And…look, the pill is very potent. Is the person you're looking to give this to morbidly obese? Do they have any serious health problems? I'm not trying to go to jail here."

"I promise, I'm not busting you. I just need an effective weight loss solution, and if you've got something that will do the job, that's all I'm asking."

Sighing again, Brandy reached into her purse and pulled out a small unlabeled prescription bottle and handed it to Solana. "I just finished that two nights ago. Take one pill in the morning and one in the evening with your meals. You'll start to notice a difference in a week."

"It has to be taken with food?" Solana asked as she looked over the bottle.

"Absolutely. There are prescription medications combined in these pills. You can bore a hole in your stomach from acid build up if you don't have something in it to absorb it."

"Got it. Thank you so much, Brandy."

She nodded then turned around and started walking away again.

"You don't want any payment for it?"

"You silence is all I need, ranger," she replied as she waved as she continued on her way.

Solana looked back down at the caramel-colored bottle she held in her right hand. "Please let this be enough." She said quietly to herself before putting the bottle in her pack and making her way to the store's entrance. Plusle trailed worriedly behind her.


Mew floated up to a tall slumping wide-trunked palm tree that was growing slantways off a cliff, plucking a plump Magost berry from one of its branches. Mew marveled at the luscious rose pink berry sprinkled with slivers of yellow and took a large bite. She purred at its dreamy sweetness and well-balanced flavor, the juice drooling from the corners from her mouth as it burst inside.

"Just as divine I remember," Mew hummed. She heartily consumed the remainder of the light fruit, licking her chops soon afterwards.

She sensed the aura of familiar pokémon nearby the grove of tropical berries.

"Could it be?" she wondered as she floated higher above the steep face of rock.

Beyond the hillside was a cavern partially obscured by overgrowth. As Mew flew inside the limestone cavern, she took note of the varied speleothems and cave formations inside. Pointed pendants and columns hung from the cavern ceiling from which they grew and blunt mounds of stalagmites from the accumulation of material deposited from ceiling droppings. Well-formed flowstone draperies formed where water flowed down the walls and along the cavern floor. A stone dam of rimstone extended from the flowstone over the edge of a pool of water and flower-like clusters of aragonite crystals lined the walls along it.

As Mew ventured deeper, she came upon a waterfall flowing into the cave's lake. In the center of the lake was a patch of land where a single pokémon was seated.

Mew's eyes lit up. "It is you!"

In the center of the basin of water was a bipedal humanoid pokémon with feline features. It was predominately a pale purplish gray with a long, thick purple tail that thinned as it got to the end, the tip bulging into a small bulb. On the top of its head were two blunt horns and a tube extended from the back of its skull to the top of its spine, bypassing its neck. It had a defined chest and shoulders that resembled a breastplate. It had three digits on each hand and foot, all having spherical tips.

It sat cross-legged in deep meditation, unbothered by Mew's sudden intrusion.

Mew gleefully twirled in circled as she floated closer to the much larger pokémon.

"Oh, I knew you would return to our beloved homeland! It has been oh too long since we've last seen each other, dear brother."

"Blissfully nescient and virgin as always," he responded in a deep masculine voice without looking or moving from his meditative pose.

"And I see you are still as aloof," she said as floated but a foot away from him. "Have you been keeping well?"

He finally opened his eyes. "I've taken a break from my isolation on Mount Quena. I've found many abused whom I've taken under my protection. I've made a promise to guide, teach, and protect all pokémon damaged and oppressed by the humans."

Mew floated beside him. "A noble effort. But you cannot possibly think there are so many villainous humans that this would be your purpose in life?"

He turned his head sharply towards her. "Do not pretend to be ignorant of what we have both gone through at their hands."

"Of course not, brother. But there are far more humans out there who care for our kind than who seek to destroy it. So much so, that there are many pokémon who choose to stay by their side."

He turned forward and bowed his head, closing his eyes once more. "Misguided. All of them. They are being lulled into an illusion. As soon as you let your guard down, they will molest and betray you." He said, making a fist. "We have been hunted as savages. And always will be."

Mew looked at him sorrowfully. "Mewtwo –"

"Don't you ever call me that!" he hissed, scaring the tiny pink feline-like pokémon. He turned back away from her. "That is a name with which those degenerates labelled me."

Mew settled and floated back a littler closer to him, though not as close as before. "Brother, I thought you had adopted that agnomen yourself. Forgive me for not fully understanding."

"That is a name outsiders call me. You are my blood. You shall not address me in the same manner as my abusers."

"I understand…But brother, you must not continue to harbor this resentment towards mankind. It will blacken your soul. Harden your heart. You know there is pureness among their kind. What of that Trainer you've encountered time and time again?"

Mewtwo uncrossed his legs and stood upright on his bulbed feet.

"He is…an unusual one…The one named Ash…He perplexes me…"

"Because his spirit is pure."

"No human is pure." He countered. "They are plagued with sin, vainglory, and superiority. They see us as tools, pawns to use in their nefarious ways and wars against one another."

"That is not true, brother," Mew insisted. "I have seen it. You and me both. There is goodness in them. Some even lay their lives on the line to protect our kind. While we were separated, I was claimed by an epidemic dark poison which claimed the souls of many pokémon. It was thanks to a few brave humans that I was purified and saved from perishing."

Mewtwo's large purple eyes hardened. "This darkness…wasn't it only spreading and infecting pokémonkind because of the interference of humans? Weren't they the source of its origin? Wasn't it the manufactured disease of the humans?"

"Um…well –"

"Precisely!" he bellowed as he floated into the air above her. "Humans are not to be trusted! They will never cease trying to control us!"

"Perhaps you are right, brother. There will always be those seeking to harness our power. But there are also those who strive to preserve and protect it. Who endeavor to protect us from those ill-willed ones."

Mewtwo closed his eyes yet again. "You are far too wide-eyed and innocuous, Mew. You are easy prey…You are an immortal life force…you will always be hunted."

"Maybe. But we are guardians, brother. We serve to protect all those in danger."

"Pokémon. We serve pokémon in danger."

Mew paused. "Don't you remember her, brother? The one you bonded with all those moons ago? In the stasis tanks?"

Mewtwo's hardened expression softened ever so slightly. "Amber…She never gained a physical form…Her life force was not strong enough to survive the cloning process…My genetic makeup and sheer force of power is the only reason I alone survived…To see her smile again…If there was such a thing as purity in humans…She was the sole embodiment of it…"

Mew smiled gently. "Then surely you must know –"

"She was the sole exception." He replied harshly. "She's been gone for eons now. There is no other pure and genuine as her."

Mew frowned once more. "I had believed you were developing a softness for humans…I suppose my postulation was premature and inaccurate."

Mewtwo's large purple eyes bore into her. "You weren't the one being weaponized and experimented on every day for Arceus knows how long. Furthermore, you still seem to not fully comprehend the value of your being. You are the seed of hereditary material and potential as Arceus' final creation after the Creation Trio and lake guardians, through which all modern day pokémon have evolved, including the other legendries. You are the only pokémon in existence who contains some of the genetic code of Lord Arceus. If mankind once again got a hold of you, the beasts they can and will create for their own selfish, heinous gains would be unfathomable."

Mew's gaze also hardened. "I am fully aware of how rich and desirable my biological makeup is, brother. But I am not deterred or frightened because I live in a community of pokémon who love and watch over me as much as I adore and protect them. Do not also be so brazen to dismiss my elusiveness and transformative abilities. As a mythical and a legendary, I am sworn to protect, which means I cannot allow myself to fall victim to malevolent individuals. You needn't worry about my wellbeing."

"I am the only one of us who does it seem," he said sternly, floating back down to his patch of land in the middle of the lake, once again resuming his meditative pose. "Be wise and careful is all I am saying, Mew. You tend to let your playful and curious nature guide your actions."

Mew shook her head sadly and about-faced. "Perhaps you need to gain some of my playfulness. You are alive, brother. And life is wonderful. Is that not what your cherished friend once told you?"

Mewtwo reopened his eyes. "So long as humans exist, our kind will forever be at risk. Many a pokémon will cry in their last days because of them."

"The tears of pokémon are filled with life. You know that better than all of us."

"I urge you…Should you encounter one of them, fight to survive."

"I fight only to defend and protect. Should you find a gentle soul in a human, I implore you to please stand aside. As much as you detest them, you must also admit that they have rescued you and I both from destruction."

Mewtwo bowed his head once more. "Serving humans will never be my destiny. If you choose to continue to be naïve about the dangers, so be it."

Mew watched him for a moment longer before floating to the entrance of the cavern. "It was delightful to see you again, my brother."

Recognizing that he was not going to respond, Mew fly out of the cavern.

Mewtwo sat there, eyes closed and lost in thought. She was far too trusting and infantile. It was only a matter of time before humans captured either of them once more to do their dirty bidding.

He was not going to allow any being to control and abuse him once more. Never again.


Solana and Lunick carefully trekked through the Sekrain mountain range. Unlike the Krokka Tunnel and Panula Cave, the Sekra mountain range was heavily populated with pokémon in their various habitat. They didn't seem anxious or frightened, which was reassuring to them.

"So far so good," Lunick commented as they continued. "Nothing abnormal in the clearing, forest, or weald."

"The pokémon was spotted near the Fiore Grand Falls. And there's still the line of mountains we need to check," Solana said as she studied the various readings on her styler.

As they continued west, they came upon the area's largest river. Solana kneeled to the river's edge, scanning the calmy flowing waters.

"pH level is normal at 7.4. The surrounding soil and bedrock are undisturbed."

"Look at this, Solana," Lunick said pointing to a moderately sized inert, black triangular rock that was wedged further down in the river. It gave off a faint seafoam green aura.

"Lunick, wait," Solana warned.

As Lunick neared it, the glow from the three-sided rock grew more intense.

"It looks like a delta symbol," Lunick observed as he knelt beside it. "Could it maybe –"

Before Lunick could touch it, the intensely glowing polygonal mineral matter suddenly rose from the river. The triangular rock then sharply zipped through the air in a very specific linear path – it went southwest, then northeast, then southeast, then northwest, east, southwest, then west, then back east, southwest, and then finally north – glowing more intensely with every sharp movement forming several geometric lines as it moved around Lunick.

Solana stood up and watched as the distinctively cut rock hovering above Lunick glowed brighter before emitting a brilliant and blinding white light. They both and their pokémon shielded their eyes from the flash. When it finally died down, they all looked up to see a humanoid pokémon with bluish-green and red tentacles coiled in a double helix. A third of two of its tentacles on its left side were ripped off.

"Deoxys." Lunick uttered as the virus pokémon soared skyward before releasing a devasting Hyper Beam from the crystalline organ in its chest at him.

Lunick agilely vaulted to side, efficiently dodging the attack. He skidded away on hands and feet on all fours before standing up and running towards the Deoxys.

"It never regenerated after our fight," he observed as he fired a captured disc from his styler and started circling it around the pokémon with his stylus.

Giving a distorted static-like cry, the atypically featured Deoxys outlined itself in a blue aura and released a powerful blast of invisible energy, breaking the capture line loop and unleashing a powerful gust of wind, pushing Lunick back a few feet.

"Remember that we couldn't capture it last time, Lunick," Solana warned. "We aren't going to get our feelings of good will and friendship over to it."

"There has to be a way. Even if we can't capture it, we still need to subdue it to treat its wounds and prevent it from hurting any of the pokémon here." He looked down to his Partner Pokémon, "Minun, use Thunder wave on it now."

"Mai Mai!"

Yellow and blue sparks surrounded Minun before he fired thin bolts of electricity at the Deoxys. The mutation pokémon curled up into a ball and started to transform. Its legs became bulky and wide and were somewhat flat at the end, a bluish-green spot formed on each of its knees. Its tentacles became flat and broad while its head fuse with its body and all protrusions sunk in and its tail disappeared. The inner black portions of its body became covered in its reddish orange skin and a single blue striped form on it shoulders.

It crossed its two broad arms in front of it, effectively creating a shock-absorption shield, nullifying the attack.

"Damn it," Lunick cursed.

After dispelling the attack, the Deoxys shifted forms again, this time changing into its Attack Forme. A large spike protruded from each knee. Its tentacles became whip-like and pointed at the ends. The protrusion in its head returned, this time triangular with an additional one extending from the top of its head. Most of its reddish-orange skin receded, revealing its striated black chest and abdomen and its tail reappeared now longer and more pointed.

It then released a black energy beam outlined in dark red from the crystal on its chest. Lunick scooped up Minun and somersaulted away.

"We don't want to make it any angrier, Lunick." Solana cautioned.

"Are we sure it's even angry?" He replied, standing once more as Minun jumped down beside him.

The Deoxys then created a glowing multi-colored ball of energy between its intact and severed tentacles and fired it towards them.

"Thunder, Plusle!" Solana commanded.

The electric cheerleading mouse pokémon leaped into the air and released a massive beam of electricity at the Deoxys. It surrounded itself in an orb-like purple barrier, blocking the attack. It then transformed into its Speed Forme, its body turning sleek within the striation, and its pair of tentacles consolidated into one of each side. The protrusions on its head pointed upward and spike on its head grew even longer.

It then shot upward into the sky at fast speeds.

"Oh no you don't," Lunick said as he released yet another capture disc towards it. Instead of circling it around the Deoxys' body to emit friendship energy, he guided the disc around its right leg, creating a strong cord that tightly wrapped around its leg. Lunick was immediately lifted off the ground and into the air with it.

"Mai Mai!"

"Lunick, what are you doing?!" Solana cried out as she, Plusle and Minun tried to chase after them.

Gritting his teeth, Lunick started climbing up the capture line rope towards the Deoxys. It tried to fling him off but Lunick held on tightly. It fired another Psycho Boost at him, but he used the momentum of its speed to mauver himself around and swing on the energy cord, evading it completely. Lunick continued to climb until he reached its leg. He tried to mentally analyze the injury to its tentacles, but they were moving too much for him to get a good look.

Two bolts of electricity shot passed them on either side, causing the Deoxys to jerk abruptly to dodge them. Lunick looked to see Solana riding an Arcanine using Extreme Speed to try to match the Deoxys. Plusle and Minun were perched on either of her shoulders.

"Lunick, you need to get down now. This isn't the way to help it."

Lunick scanned the area, desperately trying to come up with a plan. His eyes found a swarm of bug pokémon including Beautifly, Dustox, Venomoth, Masquerain, Butterfree, and Mothim. He then looked up to the sky at the clouds billowing above him.

"That's it," he muttered. Still holding on to the energy cord, he aimed his styler at the swarm of bug pokémon and shot out another capture disc. He quickly used his free hand to draw the energy loops around several of the pokémon, successfully capturing them. "Solana, help me out and capture as many of the swarm as you can. I got an idea."

Solana did as she was instructed, capturing the pokémon that he could not. They had effectively captured 26 flying bug pokémon.

The Deoxys gave another distorted cry and spun around in circles, causing Lunick to tighten his grip on energy cord even more.

"What's wrong, Deoxys? Tell me what you need. Please. I'm trying to help you."

It moved jaggedly in the air as it neared the forest that preceded the clearing of the mountain ranger.

"Don't let it get to the forest, Solana. It'll cause a large amount of destruction if it enters."

"I'm not attacking it with you on it. You need to get down now."

"I will, but I need it's path diverted. Have Plusle and Minun redirect it."

Sighing, Solana commanded the two pokémon to fire their respective Thunderbolts ahead of the Deoxys' flight. They did as they were told, and the Deoxys jerked backwards once more to avoid being struck. It then started flying northward.

"Now, Solana. Have them both use their Volt Storm combo to fire a large electric current at the clouds above us."

"But Lunick –"

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

Nodding, Solana looked at the two small pokémon. "You heard him right, guys?"

Both of them nodded.

"Okay. Arcanine, you're doing great. Help us out a little longer and give these guys a boost with your Flamethrower.

Howling, the powerful fire canine released a jet of fire up into the air above of him as he ran. Plusle and Minun then took off with their Quick Attack, running at very fast speeds. A spark of electricity formed underneath their paws and their speed greatly increased as they activated their Helping Hand. Long electrical sparks flew off their cheeks. A gigantic pulsing ball of light blue electricity surrounded the two pokémon and a trail of yellow electricity followed behind them. As they neared the end of the stream, they shot off into the air and circled around each other. White, yellow, and blue shockwaves layered the outside of the blue electrical orb. The sparks surrounding the orb intensified. Together, the two pokémon unleashed their pent-up energy and created an electrical explosion. Their eyes glowed light blue as the orb lit up and created a blast of electricity. The blast was concentrated into one large intense electrical beam that pierced the clouds above them, perforating it and creating a gargantuan hole. Within moments, the clouds darkened and sparks of electricity surged through them as it joined back together, and almost immediately, a massive beam of electricity shot straight down.

"Lunick!" Solana cried out.

Seeing the attack coming, Lunick let go of the corded energy and let himself fall below. He then released another capture disc at a Pidgeot flying nearby, and once it was under his control, it swooped down and caught him before he hit the ground.

Solana sighed in relief. "Cutting it close there, don't you think? What would you have done if that Pidgeot wasn't there?"

"You're not the only one who can come up with last minute ideas," he replied smartly over the radio on their styler.

No sooner had Lunick landed on the Pidgeot did the massive bolt of lightning hit the Deoxys. It cried out in agonizing pain as the electricity surged through its body, burning its badly severed tentacles, and charring the ends slightly.

"Alright. Now I need all of you wonderful bug pokémon to put on your best musical performance with Bug Buzz. Let Deoxys hear your song." Lunick shouted from above.

The wings of the swarm of bug pokémon all started to glow red, their varied antennas pointing in the air. As their antennas vibrated, red and golden soundwaves released from their wings, creating a loud vibrating humming sound. The soundwaves struck the Deoxys, and its cry became even shriller and more distorted.

The force and power of the bolt of electricity combined with the oscillation of the resonate acoustic waves emanating from the bug pokémon caused a great explosion, filling the area with dust clouds and gusts. Solana was blown off the Arcanine she was riding while Lunick struggled to stay situated on the struggling Pidgeot.

As the dust settled, Deoxys could be seen plummeting down from above, now reverted to its Normal Forme.

"I got this!" Solana cried as she sprinted towards the Deoxys. She readied her styler to fire a capture disc when she was suddenly was overtaken by an overwhelming disorienting sensation. The area around her started to spin and her vision started to blur. Solana staggered slightly before collapsing on the ground.

"Solana!" Lunick cried out as he ran towards her. He was then alerted to the falling Deoxys again. He positioned himself directly underneath it, reading his tranquilizer to fully immobilize it. But before he could fire it off, the Deoxys regained consciousness. It quickly shapeshifted into its Attack Forme, firing its Psycho Boost at the ground below it.

His eyes widening, Lunick quickly ran out of the way, but the blast from the attack propelled him forward in the direction he was running, causing him to fall and roll on the ground ahead of him. The force of the blast boosted the Deoxys further upwards, and it used the new momentum to help it fly away from the scene as it transformed into its Speed Forme once more.

Pushing himself off the ground, Lunick watched as the injured Deoxys flew away out of his sight.

"Pla Plah!"

He turned to look behind him and saw Plusle anxiously rubbing Solana's leg. Grunting, Lunick stood up and walked over to Solana, crouching down beside her once he was near her and pulled her onto his lap.

"Solana?" he called gently.

Solana weakly opened her eyes. "Lunick?" she croaked. She slowly sat up, holding her head in her hands.

"Solana, what happened? I thought you said you had it?"

"I…don't know…I just became really faint all of a sudden and collapsed."

"Look at me," he said calmly. Solana lifted her head from her hands, squinting at Lunick. He carefully studied her face. "Can you see?"

"It's a little blurry. My head's hurting too."

"Do you typically get migraines?"

"No, but there's a first for everything," she said once again holding her head. "I just need to take something. I'll be alright."

Lunick looked back up towards the sky where he had last saw Deoxys.

"It got away again…It's even more injured than it was before."

"It's unstable, Lunick. Don't beat yourself up about it. We just need to figure out another approach. Let's get back to the base and report our findings."

"I guess," he sighed.

He stood to his feet, gently taking Solana up with him. He waited until she steadied herself on her feet before letting her go. He started walking ahead of her when he heard her cry out and he spun back around. She was kneeling on one knee, grasping her ankle.

"Something else wrong?"

"Just muscle tension. I just need a minute to work it out."

Lunick observed her panting, beads of sweating starting to trickle down her forehead, and her strained contorted expression. He started to walk back towards her.

"Solana…Are you sure you're alright? You're looking incredibly fatigued."

"I'm fine. I just need a minute to catch myself." She countered, standing to her feet moments later. "Let's go."

She started walking ahead of him, albeit at a much slower pace.

Lunick frowned as he, Minun, and Plusle followed behind her.


Deoxys hovered on a small island just west on the Sekra Mountain Range, before suddenly dropping down on the ground, its energy totally depleted. Electrical sparks still circulated throughout its body from its paralysis. It didn't even have the strength to try to use Recover. The grains of sand stung its open wounds like fire, its severed tentacles twitching and coiling from the acute pain.

Before it had the chance to reposition itself more comfortably, it was shrouded in a netted meshed fabric that released waves of intense energy into its pores. The Deoxys convulsed and writhed in pain before it tired out and collapsed on the ground.

A shadowy-clad figure stepped up to the fainted pokémon.

"Well, well. You weren't my intended or next target. But I'm sure Milady will find a suitable use for you in her cause."


Solana, Leilani, Lunick, and Freddie entered Wintown Ranger base, chatting lightly as the sun started to set.

Mrs. Otaka's niece was seated behind the front desk.

"Good Evening, Freddie. How do you do?"

"Good Evening, Cindy. Was Niema good today?"

"Oh, she was wonderful. You know she is such a delight to have. The pokémon adore her too."

"That's good. Hopefully she got enough play to tire her out so she can go right to bed when we get back home."

The young woman scrunched up her face in confusion.

"I'm sorry, is that why you're here?"

"Of course. I pick her up every day around this time."

Her expression quickly started to morph into one of concern, which unnerved Freddie.

"I'm sorry, Freddie. She's not here."

Freddie immediately was swallowed by fear. "What do you mean she's not here? I dropped her off this morning. I told Mrs. Otaka I would be picking her up. What do you mean she's not here?! Where is my daughter?!" he hastily gushed out.

"I-I'm sorry," Cindy stammered "Someone already came by to pick her up."

"What?!" Freddie exclaimed. He slammed his hands on the front desk. "I am her father! I haven't authorized anyone to be able to pick up Niema other than me save for a few colleagues at work and none of them came to get her. Who the hell did you release my daughter to?!"

"What is going on out here?" Sylvia Otaka asked as she and her wife entered the lobby.

"Niema's gone! Someone took Niema who wasn't approved!" Freddie hurriedly said.

"What?!" the older woman cried. "Heavens, Cindy, how could you be so careless to let her wander off with a total stranger? Did you not check the list of permissions?"

"I did but they seemed to know each other. Niema went willingly. She didn't seem scared or anything."

"Where is my daughter?!" Freddie exclaimed. "She's a child! She doesn't know what's going on! You're the freaking adult! Who did you release her to?!"

"Cindy, check the logbook now!" Sylvia Otaka ordered.

The younger girl hastily scanned through the logbook.

"I swear, if something's happened to my daughter because of your negligence…" Freddie muttered. Lunick placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We're gonna find her, Freddie," he reassured calmly.

"Here it is," she said, finally finding the page. "It was a woman named Anya Lopez."

"WHAT?!" Freddie exclaimed. "You stupid woman! How could you release my daughter to her?!"

"S-She claimed to be the girl's mother. Had documents and a copy of her birth certificate and everything."

"When did she get her?!" asked Sylvia's wife Diane.

"Um, um…L-Looks like around 5:50 pm."

"I'll call the police," said Mrs. Otaka as she picked up the landline phone at the reception desk.

Freddie quickly about-faced and bolted out of the front door, followed quickly by Lunick and the girls.

"I'll go with, Freddie," Lunick said as he ran towards his car. "You two meet us there."

"Of course. Let's go, Sole," agreed Leilani as she and Solana with their pokémon ran over to her car.


Freddie was seething, high on adrenaline as he raced through the streets of Fall City. His blood was boiling so hot and furiously, it felt as though it would burn right through his skin and burst out any moment.

As soon as Lunick's car came to a stop, he dashed out of the car. His heart pounded fiercely as he sprinted through the red-light district. He hurriedly ran past every sex shop, strip cub, adult theater, and every prostitute and working girl he saw loitering around the avenues.

"Freddie, slow down!" Solana called as she and Leilani ran out from her car as well.

"We need to spread out and canvass the area." Followed Leilani.

"I'm not wasting any drop of time interrogating hookers. I know her drop-spots."

"Freddie, we need to think this out logically, man," Lunick added.

Freddie stopped running abruptly and spun on his heels, causing all three of them to halt.

"I don't have fucking time to think! My baby is out here right now in hoeville because of her! Do you not grasp how dire this is?!"

"Of course I do! But you're not thinking rationally. You are acting on instinct and that can be dangerous, man."

"This is my goddamn daughter! I'm not doing a mission, I'm saving my daughter and then I'm gonna beat that bitch's ass!"

"Freddie!"

Freddie took off again. "This is her stomping ground. I've been here too many times trying to rescue her that I know it almost as well as Wintown. On Friday nights she sleazes around Meowstic Boulevard."

Just as Freddie turned the corner, he skidded to a halt as he saw a young woman with high twintail curls wearing a very form-fitting cream halter top and white micro skirt. She was standing next to the streetlamp, holding her phone with one hand, and resting her hand on a small child sitting in front of her.

Without thinking, Freddie called out as he started to run again, immediately recognizing her.

"Niema!"

The little girl's head snapped up while the young woman looked up from her phone. The small child quickly got to her feet and ran towards Freddie.

"Daddy!" she cried as she ran towards him. Freddie knelt and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her as she hugged him tightly and buried her face deep in his chest, her tears drenching his shirt.

"It's okay, baby, Daddy's here now. I got you, baby girl," Freddie soothed as he held her close. His friends quickly ran by his side.

"You the kid's father?" the young woman asked as she strolled up to the group.

"I am," he said firmly.

"Found her wandering around Gorebyss and Peach Street. Poor thing was trembling more than a Caterpie caught in an avian swarm. She said to call the Wintown Ranger Base for help. Told her that's pretty dang far and I'd call the Fall City rangers but she was adamant not to. So was looking up what else I could do. Good thing you showed up when you did. Don't know what I'd do with this little one hanging on to me all night."

Freddie gently passed Niema to Leilani and reached in his back pocket. He took out his wallet and pulled out $300 and handed it to the young woman.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter," he said firmly.

"Three hundred? For reals? I don't even gotta work the extra hour tonight." She cooed as she marveled at the stacks of cash.

"Do you know a worker by the name of Anya Lopez?" he asked sternly.

"Psssh. Yeah. Miss trifling's two blocks down on the right. Black Hyandi."

"Thank you." Freddie handed her another $200.

"Oh, aren't I a lucky Primarina. Thank you, daddy," she said slyly.

"We'll take her back home, Freddie," Leilani said as she held the shaking child in her arms.

"Okay. Thank you," he passed Solana his house keys.

"Lunick?"

"I'll call you," he replied.

As Leilani and Solana turned around and started for Leilani's car, Lunick saw that Freddie had already started sprinting once again in the direction the sex worker just told him. He quickly ran to his black Audi A7 and hurried behind him.

As Freddie closed the corner, he saw the black Hyandi parked on the far end of the street near an alleyway. His eyes lit aflame as he sprinted towards it. He pounded aggressively on it.

"Get out the car! Get out of the damn car, Anya!" Freddie yelled as he banged on the passenger door of the black Hyandi. He continued circling around the car, banging on it.

"Get out the damn car!"

"Hey, buddy, wait in line. We ain't done yet!" The driver complained as he rolled down his window.

Freddie quickly flashed his ranger badge.

"How 'bout you take your burly ass home to the misses before you're slapped with solicitation, lewd conduct and indecent exposure. You wanna spend 12 months behind bars for this whore?"

The man's eyes stretched wide as he quickly pulled his pants up and unlocked the doors to his car.

Freddie returned to the other side and pulled opened the passenger side door and Anya flopped outside on the pavement, clearly stoned.

"Ow," she moaned as Freddie slammed the passenger door. The driver wasted no time speeding away from the area.

Lunick quickly ran in front of Freddie and pushed him back slightly, his friend's growing rage concerning him.

"You…" he growled.

"Aww, man. You jus' cost me $150 bucks," Anya whined as she staggered to her feet.

Freddie's eyes flared. "You trifling ass bitch!" he shouted as he started towards her before being pulled back by Lunick. "You really kidnapped, Niema?!"

Anya lazily rubbed the left side of her head that had apparently hit the pavement when she fell out.

"You can't kidnap your own child."

Freddie charged again but Lunick held him firmly.

"Cool it, man." He urged.

But Freddie pressed on. "How'd you know she was there? Were you stalking us?"

"As if. I'm a former ranger, Freddie-Bear. I know how to trail."

"Do you know what could have happened to her out here?! You selfish ass BITCH!" He yelled.

"Oh God, stop yelling, dammit! You sound worse than a tone-deaf, Loudred."

Freddie let out an incensed scream as he tried to strongarm his way past Lunick.

"Calm your ass down, Freddie!" Lunick shouted back.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

"What're you gonna do?"

"Yeah, what are you gonna do, Freddie-boy," a voice called from afar. Freddie looked up and Lunick and Anya both turned to see a man in a baby blue suit and olive hair slicked down underneath a hemp fedora. "Gonna show us a bit of that abuse of authority you folks in law enforcement have become so infamous for?"

"You of all people should know police and rangers are not the same thing," Lunick answered. "Don't let him provoke you," he whispered to Freddie.

"Dirty is dirty. And there's filth in every line of work. Right Freddie?" he taunted. "Still as hot-headed as I remember. No wonder them cops down at the precinct didn't take your claim seriously."

"So it was you!" Freddie exclaimed as he pressed forward, but still restrained by Lunick.

"Did I admit to anything? Or are you trying to coerce me into a false confession?"

"You could have shot her!"

"N–a, please. I don't miss. I nail everything I set my eyes on. Besides, you really think you're worth my precious time?" He walked a few steps ahead and grabbed Anya by her arm, roughly pulling her into him. "Naw, but I'd say you sure as hell wasting my time now. You just cost me business."

"Blame your nasty ass tramp there for kidnapping my daughter."

"Oh she will get hers. Believe that." He said glairing at her directly and squeezing her arm tightly before turning back to Freddie. "But you are just as culpable for my losing cashflow tonight, ranger. That's gonna cost you something fierce too."

"You're a bitch, man!" Freddie screamed, veins visibly surfacing on his neck and temples. "You don't got balls nor meaning in anything you do. You're a bully and you're a bitch."

"And you're an impetuous, hot-tempered punk-ass ranger. Keep going on the path you are, I'd love to watch you burn and destroy everything you've so worked for."

"Fuck you!"

"Freddie, enough!" Lunick shouted back.

Chuckling, Vard took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it, smoking long and hard.

Freddie shrugged out of Lunick's grasp. "You're just as trifling and disgusting as she is. How could you let her bring a child here?"

He blew the smoke out slowly. "You know, I know some fellas that would pay greatly just for a sweet tase of that fresh meat. I don't turn out kids, but if a pedo comes 'round asking for business, I ain't necessarily gonna turn away the dollar just because they're deviants. Give her a few more years, she'll be hollerin' for a new daddy then."

His eyes set aflame, Freddie instantly and unhesitatingly drew his gun from its holder and pointed it at Vard. But as quickly as he pulled it out it was snatched out of his hands by Lunick.

"Lunick, what the hell?!"

"What the hell?! Have you lost your damn mind, Freddie?! Pointing a loaded gun at civilian?" he shouted back.

"He –"

"I'm not hearing it! Go sit in the car!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Get your ass back in the car now, Freddie."

"Saved by the pretty boy," snarked Vard as he took a long drag on his cigar. "You know that girl of yours may be worth something. She don't have much to work with up top, but that round thing at the end more than makes up for her lack of a rack. Tell me, ranger, is the booty as soft and downy as it looks?"

"Keep her out your mouth around me and go home to your wife." Lunick retorted with a fixed glare.

"Oh, best believe mama and I will have a grand ole time tonight. But I'm running a business right now and you're trespassing on my turf. So you best be on your way."

Lunick stared at him hard for a few more fleeting moments before about-facing and returning to his car. Vard watched him turn around and drive off before turning his attention back to Anya, who was laying at his feet by his shoes.

He reached down and grabbed her by the jaw, squeezing her tightly as he brought her up to his waist.

"Another charge added to your ever-growing list on your outstanding balance. And you're well overdue for this month. Time to pay your overdraft fee, bitch."


The tension in Lunick's car was suffocating as he drove away to Freddie's house. Minun and Weavile looked on nervously from the back seat.

"You didn't have to snatch my gun away like that," Freddie muttered, irritably.

"You were gonna shoot him." Lunick countered.

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

"No I –"

"Yes you were, Freddie! Yes you were!" Lunick shouted back.

Freddie paused, then turned away from him and folded his arms.

"I wanted to…Maybe I was…But he was talking about Niema –"

"Is that the excuse you were going to give the Union when they interrogate you?" he asked sharply without taking his eyes off the road. "No amount of provocation would justify that."

Freddie sighed heavily. "You're right…you're right…as always…"

"I understand that you're terrified, Freddie. –"

"No, you don't understand. None of you understand what I am going through with Anya. None of you know what it's like being a single parent."

"Just because I don't have a child, doesn't mean I'm unable to understand your struggles and hardships. And I don't have a vindictive ex tormenting me, yes. But you were way out of line, Freddie."

"Are you telling me that if Solana was kidnapped, that you'd be so level-headed and calm?"

Lunick's eyes hardened and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Of course not, Freddie. I'd be raging as hard if not more than you did. But if her life wasn't immediately threatened, I wouldn't pull my gun out."

"Oh, bullshit!"

"Bullshit?" Lunick cried. He pulled off the road to the shoulder and screeched to halt before putting his car in park and turning to face Freddie. "I don't care how pissed off you are, you're not about to invalidate me and call me damn liar. No, I would not draw my gun. Doesn't mean I won't beat the crap out of whoever kidnapped her. You have every right to be furious. You have every right to want justice for your daughter. You do not have a right to execute someone. Niema was already out of harm's way when you confronted Vard. There was no justifiable reason for you to draw your weapon. Nobody was in danger."

"I wasn't going to kill him!"

"How do you fucking know that Freddie?!" Lunick screamed, his own anger rising more and more. "Your goddamn anger was clouding your judgement. If you had to draw any weapon at all, it would have been the damn tranquilizer. But you chose to draw your gun. We've never had to shoot a perp. We may have the weapons training, but we've never had to use it in the field, and you so easily aimed it right at Vard. What would have happened if I wasn't there to stop you? You get arrested, the Union would be investigated and put through the wringer and Niema loses both her parents and ends up in the system. You don't fucking think, Freddie!"

Freddie slammed his hand on the passenger door, angering Lunick further.

"Hey! Don't you take your frustration out on my car!"

"I get it, okay, Lunick?! I goddamn get it! I put us in a compromising position and could have caused some major damage. You're right, there is no excuse for doing what I did back there, no matter how incensed I was. But you have no idea the amount of stress I have been through with Anya, how traumatized Niema is…She has nightmares almost every night since Anya popped back up. And she could have been shot or impaled by glass the night he shot at me. And none of the police is taking me seriously. They won't do anything more than a protective order. And the one place I thought Niema would be safe while I'm at work facilitated her kidnapping because of negligence…I am losing my goddamn mind over all of this…I'm doing all I can to keep my baby safe and nothing is working…"

Lunick relaxed slightly. He reached down and put his car back in drive before slowly pulling back onto the road and continuing to Wintown. "You need to tell her, Freddie. That Anya is not a safe person. She needs to know she's not trustworthy."

Freddie looked down to the floor of the car. "I've always told her that her mother was sick…and that when she got better, she could see her again…I told her she was working on herself…Niema has such a positive perception of her mother…I don't want to tarnish that. Regardless of how I feel about Anya…She is still her mother…"

"If you keep hiding it from her, Freddie, it's only going to get more dangerous. She doesn't have to know the specifics, obviously, she's much too young. But she has to know she isn't safe."

"I just was trying to protect her innocence, man…But she's already been exposed to so much…"

"Freddie –"

"I'll tell her…I'll tell her tonight. No matter what, I just need baby girl to be safe."

"We've got your back, Freddie…We all do…"

Freddie covered his face with his right hand as he leaned on the passenger side door. "…Thanks, man…"


Lunick tiredly entered Solana's house with Minun. He inched out of his sneakers with his heels and took off his Ringtown uniform jacket, hanging it on a coat hanger in the coat closet near the doorway, leaving on a long-sleeved black fitted tee shirt, his work pants and a pair of black socks. Minun ran ahead of him as he entered the living room. He saw Solana sitting on her sofa, her legs crossed wearing a long kaki tunic and white yoga pants holding a small green book in her left hand. She was doing some kind of weird flexing with her fingers on her right hand that he'd never seen her do before. Minun ran up to Plusle who was seated at her feet.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he replied gently. He unclasped his work belt and rested it on the small table in the foreroom. He rested his styler beside it.

"How's Freddie?"

"Temperamental, emotional and foolish," he said as he walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Solana. He started massaging his temples. "But he's thankful and relieved Niema is home safe."

She put down her book and brought Lunick's head to rest on her chest. She gingerly replaced his hands with hers, kneading the flattened region on either side of his forehead for him. "I can't begin to imagine what he must be going through."

Lunick sighed heavily as he snuggled into her chest. "I told him to ask Elita if he could take off the next few days on FMLA. He said he'd think about it."

"The whole situation is just terrible. Poor baby's gonna have nightmares for weeks. And this has just got to be hell on Freddie's nerves."

"She already has them according to him. And Freddie's one bad move away from losing everything."

Solana lowered her hands to Lunick's shoulders and began massaging the back of his neck and shoulders. Lunick closed his eyes and slid down, resting his head in her lap, trying to relax.

"I know they aren't on the best of terms, but maybe he can reach back out to Darrell about helping out with Niema? I mean, they are family."

"You know blood doesn't always mean better. He and his bro have been estranged for some time now. The Otakas just have to be more careful. They're the only option he has right now until she gets a little older."

"They aren't the only option. They're the only option Freddie's comfortable with."

"Comfortable is safe. And that may just be what he needs right now to have any peace."

"Well, he and Niema are safe. That's all that matters for now." She moved her hands to his chest, lightly feeling his abdominal and chest muscles through his fitted tee shirt. She then leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Hey…I've got something for you."

Lunick opened his eyes and watched her reach over to grab something beside her. She dangled it over him playfully. Two keys attached to a GS ball keychain hung between her fingers.

Lunick smiled softly. Solana rested the keys on his stomach.

"For my new roommate. It's official. No more leaving the door unlocked for you to come in. This is your home now too."

"Thank you," he said slowly.

Solana frowned slightly. "You don't sound too happy."

"I'm just tired, Babe. Super long day. And not ready to get up early tomorrow morning for another one." He could see the doubtfulness in her eyes and reached his hands up and caressed her face from underneath. "I'm happy, Solana. We're sharing a home together now. Nothing could be more perfect."

He brought her down to him and kissed her gently upside down.

"I love you." He said softly.

"I love you too," she replied holding his hands and bringing them to her lap. "So, shall we christen you now moving in?"

"Whatever for? I've slept here before?" he asked drowsily as he closed his eyes once more.

"Yeah, but that was as a necessary sleepover. You're now officially a part of this household. Outside of that one night, you've never slept with me in my bed. We can change that now."

"It's fine, Babe. I'm fine sleeping on the couch."

"Maybe, but you don't have to restrict yourself to that anymore. It'll only be a matter of time before this couple's ring turns into an engagement one right?" She said quietly, eyeing the particular piece of jewelry Lunick had given her when they first started dating years ago. "Speaking of proposals, Lunick didn't you say you had to tell me something about what it was Mr. Lamont made you an offer about? You wanted my input, right? Said it may affect our relationship?"

The only response Solana received was the moderate snoring emitted from Lunick's slightly open mouth. She hadn't even noticed he had fallen asleep in her lap.

She smiled softly, playing with the hairs that hung over his forehead. "Okay, Baby. Some other time."


A/N: The Kaniba region is a region I created based off of Brazil. It is not canon in the current Pokémon lore and is my own creation.

Things are gonna continue to get intense from this chapter onward for a handful of chapters as I delve into each character's flaws and persona lives and struggles. I know some characters arcs are a bit rushed and not well fleshed out such as Leilani's and Aria's, but I will try my best to slow down and really develop them as I've imagined for quite some years now. So if you are still interested in seeing what's in store for our rangers, I greatly appreciate your support.

Please read and review!

Always Do Everything With Love,

XyKPfan