The Hidden Hands belong to me

The Kyrus Region, Jerome, Damien, Alexis and Daniel belong to XfangheartX

Pokemon belongs to Nintendo


Last time on the Hidden Hands, the newly initiated Team Monkeybone are assigned their first job for the Order: to rob the bandit Nero the Pangoro to use part of his loot in rebuilding the Order's secret identity guild, the Silent Mouth. During the job the brothers begin to associate with the other teams in their squad, Caesar in particular becomes quite fascinated with Evangelyne the Kirlia who has a secret about why she joined the Order. The two make a pact that she'll reveal her secret to Caesar when he agrees to tell her the secret behind the mysterious scar on his arm. The heist goes without a hitch, the team even manage to free and befriend Nero's slave, Ore the Druddigon who promises to meet them again someday. But most importantly, Johan and Magnus have made contact with an old familiar face: their 'brother' Jerome of the Rising Sun.

Episode 3: A Family Reunion

After the successful robbery of Nero's hideout and biding farewell to Ore, the one star First Squad made the lengthy trip back home to the Forbidden Forest, the journey itself being harder than before since they had to heave several bags of treasure back with them.

"You know...it would've helped..." Fletcher panted as he tried to keep himself aloft while carrying a bag of loot in each claw. "...if Ore had given us a hand..."

"Well feel free to fly off and find him. You only have the whole sky to search." Atlas muttered who was having minimal trouble carrying his load which consisted of four bags. Being a Heracross does have its perks.

"And hey at least carrying the bags will do us some good." Twig grinned trying to lighten the exhausted mood. "And when we get back why don't we head to the town spring to unwind? I don't know about you guys, but I could go for a long hot bath after digging around in the dirt all day."

"Can't argue with that. The spring does sound good." Rhett agreed.

"Yeah I bet you just wanna spy on the women's bath through the fence." Wendy snickered irking the Weavile.

"Well you can put those false accusations to rest since I'd rather go blind than spy on a bath with you in it thunder thighs!"

"Sometimes I wonder if you are blind, fan head!" Wendy rebutted.

"Droopy drawers!"

"Scar face!"

"Cocks comb!"

"Ok save the bickering you two." Lisa piped up. "We're all tired and we wanna head home. Lucky for us I can see Mt Regi up ahead." she then pointed for the group to see their large home base was indeed in sight as they hurried to the mountain with the loot in hand. After making their way inside, the group headed to one of the many buildings which appeared to be similar to a post office of sorts which contained rows upon rows of pigeon holes which were filled with snoozing Zubats, Golbats and Crobats. At the front desk was a Slurpuff who smiled when she saw the group enter with the treasure.

"Welcome back you lot. I can see the mission went well." she greeted them before noticing Team Monkeybone. "Oh you boys must be the newbies I've heard about. I'm Mary, the head of the return branch."

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." Hugo smiled. "So is this where you guys deliver stolen goods back to the owners?"

"That's right." Mary answered. "Here I'll show you." she said before opening one of the treasure bags and pulling out a ruby necklace before she smelled it. "This was stolen from a Meganium in Cynderstohn Village. She runs the local flower shop there." the meringue Pokemon noted down the description before she trotted over to one of the holes and woke up a Zubat before handing it a pouch with the necklace in it and the note attached as the Zubat took flight and soared out of the mountain thought a hole int he ceiling with the pouch in its claws.

"And there you have it." Mary concluded giggling at the astounded faces the boys were making. "Impressed much?"

"Wow! You got all that from just the smell?! That's one sharp sneezer you have there." Twig gaped.

"One can never doubt the schnoz of a Slurpuff." Mary stated brightly. "Now if you'll please excuse me I have a lot of treasure to get through. Don't worry I'll send a cut to be put towards the new hall. It was nice meeting you boys." she waved as the squad left the building.

"And she runs that joint all by herself?" Caesar asked.

"Well no, she is the Boss of it though so of course she has assistants. She just really loves her job." Stitch explained. "She also helps out in the kitchens sometimes since she has a great talent for baking."

"Uh-oh. Sound like Amy has competition." Hugo said. "Well let's pack up our gear and then head out. Not to brag but our village spring really is the best."

"I can agree on that. I've been before." Lisa said.

"You know that does beg the question." Twig spoke. "Where exactly do you guys live? Do you have homes outside of the Mountain or do some of you live here?"

"Well you're right in both cases." Peri answered. "Fletcher and I for instance share an apartment in the city centre not far from the palace. Wendy lives in the inner circle near the old guild hall and Rhett lives on the outer circle not far from your village. Speaking of which, Lisa and Evangelyne share a house there in Hanabira and Atlas lives in Silken Woods."

"Silken Woods?" Hugo asked.

"There's an area of the Forbidden Forest that's run by a hive of bug types." Atlas said. "Their leaders are good friends of the Masters and guard the base from any trespassers. I grew up there and decided to join the Order after I met Wendy and Darwin."

"On that note, I have a quarters of my own here." The Elgyem stated. "As do Stitch, Yapper and Mandy who live with the other ghost types that protect the secret tunnels."

"Wow. Looks like you all have a place of your own." Twig smiled before he was suddenly tackled by a white and blue blur.

"Hi, Twiggy!" The Aipom choked from the tight hug to see it was Marceline grinning at him. "I heard someone struck it rich today."

"Are you always gonna greet me this way?!" Twig snapped.

"Only if you want me to, sweetie pie~." the Meowstic replied making him swallow nervously before she laughed. "You are just too easy." She said letting go of him and giving him a friendly push before turning to Hugo and Caesar "And I can't forget about you two!" She smiled pulling them into a hug as well. "I knew you could it, I knew it!"

"We appreciate the support." Hugo muttered before Marceline put them down.

"So where are you lot off to?" She asked.

"The Hanabira hot spring. Twig suggested we go treat ourselves for a job well done." Fletcher answered.

"Well he couldn't be more right." Marceline smiled. "Just let me grab my stuff and my friends and we'll meet you there. This one's on me." She winked before speeding off.

"Can she afford that for a crowd this big?" Hugo questioned.

"Well she is a two star, so she gets the higher paid jobs." Stitch explained.

"Or the more dangerous ones to be precise." Mandy refined. "I heard she once snapped the neck of a Onix on an assassination job for a hundred thousand poke." Team Monkeybone gulped at the mental picture of a demonic version of the Meowstic wrestling one of the rock snake Pokemon into submission.

"But she's so...huggy." Twig muttered in disbelief.

"Everyone's got secrets here remember?" Yapper chuckled. "Anyway come on let's go."

"The sock's right. Let's go before it closes." said Rhett as the squad headed off.

XXX

"That's the last of there treasure sorted, masters. And here's the cut for the new hall."

"Thank you, Mary. You head on home now, you've worked enough for one day, I insist." Magnus said as the Slurpuff bowed and took her leave before the Magmortar turned to Johan. "Looks like those kids pulled it off."

"Was there ever any doubt? Marceline was right to recommend them. With the proper training they could turn out to be exemplary members of this Order." Johan smiled. "And Fletcher managed to deliver the message successful."

"I know. I just hope Jerome will be willing to meet again." Magnus said trustingly.

"Master Johan! Master Magnus!" the pair looked to see a Zubat flutter in carrying an envelope in her claws. "A letter."

"Thank you my dear." Johan thanked the Zubat who left the brothers alone with the message as they opened and read it.

'To Johan and Magnus

How long has it been since we last crossed paths? I've never forgotten the day you two set out on your own path and I always hoped you'd find your way. Never would I have expected that path to lead to an Order believed to be a mere fantasy. My knowledge of it is about as empty as my heart felt that day long ago. But seeing how you've chosen to contact me after so long not only to tip me off on a criminal we've been hunting for several years, but you also wish to meet again.

I've decided to accept your invitation in the hopes that when we reunite we may be on better terms than before. And to answer your question, Damien is doing just fine. He's become a commanding officer of the Rising Sun and I couldn't be prouder of him. But I also now have a daughter; little Alexsis she's grown to be so much like her parents and with huge dreams to be a knight. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to meet you though Damien might not be as eager, but we'll see. Let me know when and where you would wish the reunion to be and I'll make it my mission to be there.

I hope to hear from you soon, brothers.

Yours sincerely

Jerome Cliffton'

Johan and Magnus stared at the letter before smiling at each other.

"Looks like we're in an agreement." the latter said. "But if he intends to bring his children, we wouldn't want them to know of our secret. At least not the little one."

"Then why don't we invite them to the new guild hall? it should take about a month to invest and refurbish the building so I suggest they come then." Johan replied.

"It's decided then." the two nodded in agreement before they got to work on a reply to the letter right away. It seemed the next month would turn out to be quite the eventful one.

XXX

In Hanabira Village the one star squad had made their way to the local hot spring to unwind from their mission. Some of the group were quite ecstatic as they'd never been before.

"Wait a second. How are you supposed to use the spring Caesar?" Peri asked. "Wouldn't you die if your flame went out?"

"No that's a Charmander." Caesar corrected him. "My flame's powered by gas in my belly and it goes out when I sleep, it's not a life force."

"Ah right. The more you know." Peri shrugged.

"Hey you guys~!" the group turned to see Marceline approaching them, but she wasn't alone. Accompanying her was a tall white Trevenant which had a Spewpa and Zigzagoon nestled in its orange leaves. along with them were a Mawile and a Dusknoir.

"Your team I presume?" Twig asked.

"That's right. Boys this is Rick and sitting on his head are Sparkles and Ralph, his familiar." she pointed to the Spewpa and Zigzagoon. "And these are Mavis and Eli." she gestured to the Mawile who was filing her ponytail fangs and the Dusknoir.

"Nice to meet you." Hugo said shaking the three's hands. "Which one of you does Sparkles belong to?"

"That would be me." Mavis answered. "I raised her since she was a larvae and look forward to the day she blossoms into a sparkling fairy as pretty as me."

"You mean a Vivillon?" Twig asked causing the Mawile to frown at him.

"Yes. To blatantly put it." she muttered.

"We've heard promising words of you from our leader." Eli spoke, Team Monkeybone finding his one eye a bit intimidating with how it stared at them.

"Yeah I bet you have." Caesar replied.

"We look forward to seeing what becomes of you in the future." Rick said.

"They're, um, quite the group." Hugo grinned awkwardly at Marceline who chuckled.

"Yeah I know they seem a little spooky at first but that's just their curiosity talking. They'll ease up once we're inside." Marceline said. "Oh, we also invited a friend of yours on our way here."

"Who?" Hugo asked as the brothers looked and gaped to see none other than Amy approaching them, holding Peep in her arms.

"AMY?!" the three said in surprise.

"Hi, boys!" the Buneary greeted them with a smile. "I haven't seen you for a couple of days. I heard you were out on your first job."

"Yeah, we just got back from it. How did you know we were here?" Twig asked.

"Oh your friends invited me." Amy nodded to Marceline and her team who held a finger to their lips when she wasn't looking. "I was quite surprised when they turned up at my door, but after they told me they were guild mates of yours I just had to come and hear all about it. I invited Lotus but he insisted on staying to guard my berries. That boy, always taking his job so seriously. He should really loosen up once in a while."

"I think I know someone he can relate to." Caesar threw a smirk to Evangelyne who turned her nose up at his not-so-sneaky comment. "Well we're happy to have your company, Amy and we were hoping for you to meet the others sooner rather than later."

"Uh can we save the chatting for when we're inside please?" Fletcher interjected.

"Fair point come on." Marceline said.

XXX

After paying and heading to their separate springs, divided by a tall bamboo fence, the brothers found themselves amongst their male comrades in awkward silence as they only seemed interested in soaking.

"So, you guys are Two Stars." Twig said to Eli and Rick who glanced at him. "What's that like."

"Dangerous comes to mind." the Trevenant answered. "It's a good thing I can regenerate cause I don't know how many times I've lost an arm." the Aipom cringed and clutched his arm protectively.

"But then, they're also the more meaningful of jobs. I once helped topple a brainwashing cult in the Emerald Dukedom in under a week. I mean it was replaced by another a few months after, but I still got paid."

"Um, good job?" Twig replied.

"And what about you?" Hugo asked Eli. "How long have you been here?"

"About six years. I joined the Order as a Duskull and evolved not long after I joined Marceline and Mavis. I became a Dusknoir after Rick joined our team when the payment included a reaper cloth."

"Interesting story." Hugo muttered before he whispered to Fletcher. "Do these guys get out often?"

"They don't come to places like springs that much." the Gliscor responded "They're just familiarizing with it again. try making conversation with them somewhere less relaxing."

"Well, if you say so." Caesar shrugged. Meanwhile on the other side of the fence, the ladies were enjoying their own spring gossiping amongst themselves.

"So? How was their first job?" Amy asked Marceline while Peep was floating on the water like a duck.

"Oh it was nothing too big. They were tasked with taking down some bandit in the Bamboo Moutains. But if you want details you should ask Evangelyne, she was with them through it all." the Meowstic pointed to the Kirlia who was meditating. Amy gently swam over to her before tentatively tapping her on the shoulder.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked making Eva sigh as she opened one eye. "I was wondering how the boys did on their first job?"

"The whole group knows. I'm sure Lisa or Wendy can tell you."

"Aww come on, Eva, don't be such a party pooper." Lisa responded. "Amy just wants to know how the job went for them so tell her." the Kirlia admitted defeat as she turned to face Amy.

"They surprised me." she said which startled the other girls. "And I don't use that word lightly when it involves me."

"She's right, this is serious." Wendy verified.

"Those boys have a real future in our group. They made good use of their skills to overcome the traps."

"Traps?" Amy questioned with a hint of worry but Eva continued.

"They even managed to tame a Druddigon that had been enslaved by the villain."

"A DRAGON?!" Amy yelped in shock. "I know guilds can get involved in dangerous matters but this for a first job?! Don't you think that's a bit much for them?"

"Well they didn't seem to think so." Wendy grinned with her hands behind her head as she laid back in the water. "I had my doubts about them but for rookies they could really become something else, that I can vouch for." Amy looked at the Scrafty as she began to fiddle with her paws and glanced at her reflection.

"What's wrong, Amy? aren't you proud of them?" Marceline asked.

"of course I am. All the boys wanted was to join a guild since they moved here and I'm really glad for them. I guess now that I know it's a dangerous job I'm a little scared of what they might end up against."

"Hey it's alright to be scared." Mavis spoke up. "You've known them longer than any of us have. I bet you're like family to those squirts and I bet they appreciate you worrying about them cause it shows you care."

"She's right!" Hugo's voice sounded from the other side having overheard them. "We're happy you care about well being and we always will, but you don't need to worry. cause we now have a whole group of friends to watch our backs."

"I'm not your friend, mouse!" Rhett's voice snapped.

"yeah you keep telling yourself that, fan head." Twig chuckled.

"Say that again, I'll bite your face off!"

"Well he seems charming." Amy commented earning a laugh from the girls.

"I like you, Amy. I hope we see you around more often." Lisa smiled.

"I'd like that very much." the Buneary replied.

"A-hem." the girls looked and squeaked in shocked to see Peri's top half hanging over the fence. "Yo, you ladies wouldn't happen to have any spare lava rocks would you? I got hungry and ate all of ours." SMACK! The Sableye was hit in the face with one of the requested rocks sending him back over the fence before a distant splash was heard followed by a "Thank you."

""You're welcome, pervert!" Mandy replied.

"I just hope the new guild hall has a little more privacy than this spring does." Eva muttered.

XXX

One Month Later...

Cynderstohn; home of the Rising Sun, and it was a morning there unlike any other, though it would soon turn out to be anything but. Walking down the corridors of the castle was Commanding Officer Damien Cliffton, son of Grand Master Jerome and trotting alongside the shiny Arcanine was a spunky little Growlithe and a Shiny Vulpix. These were Alexis Cliffton, Damien's little sister and Daniel Rhodes, Alexis' best friend. The two Clifftons had been summoned by their Father along with Daniel, through none of them had the faintest idea why. Upon entering his study they found the older Arcanine waiting for them holding a letter.

"We're here, Dad." Damien spoke as his Father looked up from the letter at him.

"What's this all about, Dad?" Alexis asked. "Have you got a special mission for us? Ooh! Are you promoting me and Daniel to the next rank?!"

"Please don't." Daniel muttered.

"No, no and for now at least." Jerome answered. "I've called you three here because we have been invited to Kanto. Well me, you and your brother. I decided to invite Daniel."

"A trip to Kanto?! Awesome!" Alexis cheered.

"I-I'm flattered Mr Cliffton." Daniel smiled.

"For what reason exactly?" Damien asked, curious. "Is it because of Mizunosuke's coronation?"

"No, no it's not from him." Jerome shook his head. "It's from your Uncles Johan and Magnus." Damien's eyes widened while Alexis dropped her jaw which soon turned up into a smile.

"I have Uncles?! That's so cool! Why didn't you ever tell me?!" the pup jumped around in excitement.

"There's nothing cool about it!" Damien snapped stopping Alexis in her tracks and startling Daniel. "What the hell do those bastards think they're doing writing to us like that?!"

"You know them?!" Alexis asked.

"Damien was only three when he last saw them." Jerome explained. "You were still an egg.

"Oh you're lucky, Alexis." Damien sneered. "You'd be better off not knowing them at all."

"Damien." Jerome frowned at him.

"Don't gimme that look, Old Man! I can't imagine why you'd agree to see them after they deserted us! Next to Victor they're a stain on the Rising Sun's pride! They'd be better off dead!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jerome roared. "How dare you speak that way about them, boy! You may see them that way since you were a mere pup all those years ago but your Uncles chose to walk a different path than us. They've moved to Kanto and started an Order of their very own. Leaving Pyrus was a difficult decision for them but it was one they had to make. Maybe if you listen to the full story from them you might just change your view."

"Forget it. I'm not going. You can let your nostalgia drag you there but don't drag me there with you. And I won't let you involve Alexis with those traitors either!"

"Hey you're not the boss of me!" Alexis piped up. Jerome let out an exasperated sigh as he approached his son.

"I understand why you feel this way, Son. I did as well for a time, like I was the victim, and to some extent I was. But they were just as much as I. Honestly I'm surprised you still remember them after seventeen years but they certainly remember us, including the times they looked after you while your Mother and I were on the job." Damien turned his head with a scowl. "If you want to be angry at them, fine but the least you can do is tell them yourself instead of walking away from it. Then maybe you'll be able to come to a full understanding. You're a grown mon, Damien. Show them their expectations about you were right." the shiny Arcanine thought long and hard before he sighed.

"Fine. You win." Jerome smiled giving him a thankful pat on the shoulder before turning to Alexis.

"I assume you'll be easier to convince than your brother?"

"Oh you better believe it!" the Growlithe grinned. "I wanna meet my Uncles!"

"Hahaha and you will."

"Um, I'm not sure if I should come." Daniel said doubtfully. "This seems to be more of a family affair."

"Hey, you're practically family to us already." Alexis replied. "Besides we've never seen another Order besides ours before."

"Well I guess you have a point."

"Come on, you know you want to." Alexis teased the Vulpix.

"Alright I'll go."

"YEAH!" Alexis cheered. "FIELD TRIP!"

"Just don't expect me to take it all as easily as you." Damien said to Jerome as he and the kids took their leave with Jerome following.

"So they're still alive, huh? That's good news." Jerome looked to see a Houndoom leaning against the wall. "I gotta say, Jerome. I'm surprised they decided to catch up now after so long."

"Indeed, Victor. It has been a long time." Jerome agreed.

"I mean after all...it was you who drove them away." the Arcanine stopped walking.

"It was their choice to leave the Order."

"A choice your soft morals forced them to make. Don't think you're the only one who remembers that day."

"I'd love to continue this conversation, but my Family and I have a trip to take. Good day." Jerome said as he carried on leaving Victor behind grinning at his back.

"You know I'm right on this one, Jerome."

XXX

"Welcome, to the new Silent Mouth guild hall!" It was the gran opening of the building the Grand Masters had bought and refurbished for their 'secret identity' and all members of the Silent Mouth (including the One Star First Squad) were present and cheering as Johan and Magnus opened the main door to them and they began to flood in to see their new hangout.

"Well it's certainly more spacious than from before." Wendy smiled at the wide open main room of the hall which had many tables for sitting at, a large bar was located on the left side and a stage on the other while a large door was visible at the back of the room and staircases leading to upper and lower levels on either side of it.

"Man look at the size of this new job board." Peri pointed upon seeing the aforementioned board. "The old one was so small we had to layer flyers over each other."

"Bar looks pretty great too." Rhett grinned. "I could sure go for a drink."

"GAHAHA! Oh you kids haven't seen the half of it." Johan laughed. "After all we have you lot to thank for it. Our little secret, eh."

"Hey this is all the thanks we need, Pops." Fletcher tipped the newsboy cap he was wearing.

"Well go enjoy yourselves everybody. Eat, drink, dance do the hokey-pokey! This is our housewarming party!" Magnus cheered along with the crowd. But just outside Jerome, Damien, Alexis and Daniel were approaching the Silent Mouth hall from down the road. It wasn't exactly hard to find due to the celebratory clamoring that was coming from the building.

"Sounds like a party." Alexis said excitedly. "Looks like we came on a good day."

"Yes their letter said we'd be coming on the opening of their new guild hall." Jerome mentioned. "Well? Are you ready?"

"Born ready!" Alexis grinned.

"I guess so." Daniel murmured. Damien said nothing as Jerome went to the main door and pushed it open as the group looked to see many various Pokemon making merry together.

"Welcome to the Silent Mouth. Have you come to pitch a jo-" a female Dewott gasped in shock along with everyone else when they saw who had entered.

"No, way." Stitch gaped.

"Is...Is that?" Hugo pointed a trembling paw in disbelief.

"Grand Master Jerome Cliffton?!" Marceline questioned. The Arcanine scanned over the guild hall until he spotted who he was looking for as he saw Johan and Magnus standing at the back of the hall and he too dropped his jaw when he saw them.

"Dad! Where are they?! Where are my Uncles?!" Alexis asked her Father who only raised a paw in reply to the Electivire and Magmortar who were beginning to slowly approach them.

"Jerome?" Magnus spoke in little more than a whisper.

"Magnus..." Jerome murmured back.

"Is it really..?" Johan questioned as his face began to break into a smile before he stepped forward and pulled Jerome into a bear hug lifting him off the ground. "JEROME!"

"Guh-Johan!" Jerome gasped a little winded from the hug but smiled all the same.

"GAHAHAHAHA! I can't believe it's really you!" Johan laughed putting him down as Magnus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"And still going strong as Grand Master. I feared you'd have thrown your back out by now, RAHOHOHO!" he said giving Jerome a hug as well.

"Ah shut up I'm not that old yet. And I certainly didn't expect this from you two. Grand Masters of your own guild." Jerome said before he smiled and embraced the two of them in a group hug. "Oh Joe, Mag, it's so good to see you brothers."

"Likewise. It's been so long." Johan smiled through his tears before he and Magnus noticed Damien who was glaring at them. "Damien? is that you?"

"My god, look at you!" Magnus beamed.

"All grown up and a commanding officer." Johan grinned. They tried to hug the shiny Arcanine but he stepped back.

"Who the hell are you two supposed to be?" he asked which shocked them at first before they sighed in understanding.

"Damien show some respect!" Jerome scolded him.

"No, Jerry. He's right to be mad at us after all this time." Johan said as he placed his hand gently on Damien's shoulder who turned his gaze away with a sneer. "I understand how you must feel, lad. Me and Magnus. But know, we never stopped thinking of you and your parents as our family. Not once in all those years we've been gone. Please, if you'll just give us a chance to explain ourselves now that you're at a more mature age I'm sure you'll understand."

"Ahem! I'm here too you know!" Alexis barked earning their attention.

"And are you Alexis?" the Electivire grinned as he knelt down to her height. "Last I saw you you were just a tiny little egg in your Mother's paws."

"You're just as beautiful as she was." Magnus complimented the Growlithe who blushed before she bounded over and hugged Johan's leg. He laughed at her adorable gesture before picking her up and playfully tossing her in the air sending the pup into peals of giggles herself.

"It's so great to finally meet my little niece!" he smiled.

"Likewise, Uncle Joe." Alexis grinned back.

"Oh, and waht's your name, kiddo?" Magnus asked Daniel having spotted him.

"I'm Daniel, Sir. I'm a friend of Alexis'." the Vulpix explained.

"My best friend." Alexis corrected him. "We invited him to come along."

"Well the more the merrier, I always say." Johan replied.

"I just can't believe I have two Uncles! I wanna know everything about you." Alexis tittered eagerly.

"All in good time, Firefly." Magnus said petting her affectionately. "Your Father told us your nickname in case you're wondering." he added.

"Dad!" Alexis barked embarrassingly as Jerome chuckled.

"Now I'm sure you have a lot to ask us. But for now your Uncle Joe and Mag have a bit of catching up to do with your Dad and Big Brother. So tell you what. Why don't you and Daniel have a look around our new guild hall? It's the grand opening after all. We'll catch up with you afterward."

"Sure! I wanted to explore anyway! Come on, Danny!" Alexis said as she and the Vulpix ran off to explore the building.

"Jer, Damien. If you'll follow me." Magnus said as he began to lead them to the upper level of the hall. Johan remained behind before he beckoned the First Squad over.

"Listen up, you lot. from what Jerome has told me, Alexis is quite the snooper and Magnus and I don't want her to know our secret unless Jerry says so."

"So, what are saying?" Twig asked.

"Could some of you keep an eye on them. Keep them busy until we're done talking with Jerome and Damien. Show them around, chat up with them, etcetera."

"Not it." Rhett threw up his hands and walked away.

"I have training to do." Evangelyne denied taking her leave as well.

"Eva." Lisa tried to call her.

"basically you want us to make friends and have a good day." Hugo simplified.

"Yes. That's exactly it." Johan smiled. "Go make friends with Alexis and Daniel."

"Sure thing." Caesar gave him a thumbs up before Johan went to join the others. Upon reaching the upper level he found Rhett standing outside the door to the meeting room.

"Rhett?"

"I'd like to attend this little get together." the Weavile said. "I'd like to know more of the history you and Gramps have with them."

"You don't need to worry about Damien." Johan said seeing right through the assassin's head. "He may seem resentful, but it's not like he's gonna attack us."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Rhett replied. "I think it would help your defence if you had someone to vouch for you. I was nothing before you and Gramps welcomed me so I feel I have to support the choices you made in the past." Johan looked at him before he nodded.

"I appreciate your support." he said before entering the room with Rhett following to find Magnus, Jerome and Damien waiting.

"This is going to be a long day." Rhett thought.

XXX

"Now where did those pups run off to?" Twig wondered as he along with Caesar, Hugo and the other teams (minus Rhett and Evangelyne) were exploring the guild hall in search of Alexis and Daniel.

"Man we sure picked a bad day for this since we don't know the layout of this place anymore than they do." Atlas muttered.

"They can't have gone far." Fletcher said. "There are only so many rooms they could go to."

"Let's just hope they didn't go to the armory." Mandy spoke up. "I've heard the equipment isn't fully secured." the group paled slightly at the mention until a voice sounded from one of the rooms.

"Alexis don't touch that! It looks fragile!"

"Oh don't be such a worrywart, Danny, I got thi-" Clink! Crack! "Oops." PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! The squad covered their eyes as a cloud of smoke billowed out of the room closely followed by the sound of coughing.

"Looks like we found 'em." Peri said as the group entered the room which was full of shelves stocked with many items and lying in a heap on the floor were Alexis and Daniel coughing and spluttering with what looked like a crystal ball full of smoke lying next to them.

"Word to the wise: don't play juggling act with smoke balls." Yapper lectured the pair as he levitated the ball back onto its shelf.

"We're sorry. I told her not to touch it." Daniel apologised.

"Hey you tattletale!" Alexis snapped.

"I'm not gonna keep taking falls for your messes!"

"Hey, hey it's fine, it's just some smoke no harm done." Twig said offering his tail to them. "Here stand up." the pups smiled at the gesture before allowing him to pull them to their feet.

"Thanks I'm-"

"We know who you are. You're Jerome's girl." Darwin cut the Growlithe off. "And you're her friend, Daniel."

"Know-it-all psychic." Alexis pouted.

"No, we just overheard your introduction when you got here, Little Miss Smart Alec." Wendy smirked. Twig snickered at the Scrafty's remark before he held out a paw to Alexis and Daniel.

"Hi there. I'm Twig Bristol." he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you." Alexis smiled shaking paws with him before Daniel did also.

"And these are my brothers; Ceasar Romart and Hugo." Twig pointed to the Chimchar and Pikachu who waved to them.

"Your Brothers?" Daniel asked.

"In spirit." Caesar verified. "We met each other not long after the war ended. Twig was the one who brought us together during that dark time." he smiled at the Aipom.

"The three of us have been living in Kanto for eight years now. We only joined the guild about a month ago." Twig said.

"You don't say. We actually joined the Rising Sun not long ago ourselves." Alexis mentioned.

"You guys are knights?!" Hugo asked. "That's so awesome! I've always admired the Rising Sun ever since I was a Pichu. You're both so lucky!"

"Well I wasn't exactly itching to join, unlike Alexis." Daniel muttered.

"Hey you're just as much a knight as I am, Danny, even if you don't believe it." the Growlithe replied.

"Agh she probably just got a free pass for being Jerome's daughter." Yapper snorted which earned him a glare.

"For your information Danny I defeated a Charizard with our own bare paws and saved my Big Brother's friend to earn our way in."

"It was you who defeated the Charizard, not me." Daniel corrected.

"You still helped."

"You beat up a Charizard?!" Fletcher gawked.

"Yup. Although he looked kinda strange. His skin was pitch black and his fire was blue, it was weird." Alexis remembered though some of the marauders' eyes widened after hearing the description.

"Well you're certainly full of surprises, kid." Wendy grinned. "Look, instead of wandering around aimlessly, how about we show the place? We've actually got a pool installed outback."

"A pool?! Really?! Then what are you all waiting for let's go!" Alexis barked scampering off before Peri called over his shoulder.

"You're going the wrong way!"

"Whoopsie."

"I can already tell that girl's gonna be a handful." Stitch sighed.

XXX

Meanwhile, Jerome and Damien were sitting opposite from Johan and Magnus while Rhett was propped up against the corner of the meeting room.

"So then, where to begin?" Johan started.

"Well for starters, I think you need to tell Damien your true occupation." Jerome answered as his Son seemed puzzled.

"What do you mean, true occupation?" Johan and Magnus glanced at each other and sighed before the latter spoke.

"As your Father probably told you, Johan and I left the Rising Sun to start our own Order. But this isn't it."

"I don't understand. You don't own the Silent Mouth guild?"

"No, we do." Johan confirmed. "But this place is our secret identity. Our true Order's name...is the Order of the Hidden Hands." to their surprise Damien laughed mockingly which popped a vein on Rhett's temple.

"That's your excuse for desertion?! A myth used to scare spoiled brats?!"

"It's true, Damien. The Hidden Hands do exist." Jerome said.

"You're buying into this, Dad?!"

"Does the name Ramon Archibald ring any bells?" Johan asked.

"He was a vicious dictator from the Dragoon County five years ago." Damien said. "He was preparing to go to conquer Pyrus but a sickness befell him and claimed his life before he could."

"Or maybe a Toxicroak invaded his bedroom and injected his venom into him while he slept and died before the sun rose on the day he was to lead his army. And maybe a little Spinda 'convinced' his guards into believing he died of a sickness." Magnus suggested.

"No, you're lying." Damien denied.

"We infiltrated his ranks and learned of what Ramon was planning." Johan said. "He was going to burn every village on the way to Cynderstohn taking no prisoners. He believed in the sick notion that only dragon types should rule Kyrus. And we knew Jerry wouldn't lead an attack on Dragoon as it would only cause further conflict. So we assassinated Ramon and saved your country before it could be destroyed."

"So it was you. I did find it a little odd Ramon perished when there was never any hint of him having poor health." Jerome said.

"Or how about that once famous band of Pokemon traffickers from the Naru Desert? The Snatchers." Johan brought up. "So many innocent Pokemon in cages to be sold off for Arceus knows what. Did you hear the stories some of them told of black and purple figures coming in the night and freeing and returning every one of them to their home while all the traffickers were killed?"

"Oh I remember that one." Rhett spoke up. "I was there. One of those filthy traffickers had a knife to this poor little Espurr girl's neck and threatened to murder her if we didn't surrender." the Weavile then grinned. "I shot him right here with an ice shard." he pointed to the jewel on his forehead. "Pierced his skull like a grepa berry and that little Espurr was safely returned to her family by morning. And that's not even half the deeds I've done in secrecy for this world." by now Jerome and Damien were both shocked to say the least, even though the former was already aware of his brothers' position he had no way of knowing they responsible for such meaningful yet fierce acts.

"So this is it?" Damien asked shaking with growing rage. "You abandoned the ways of the Rising Sun so you could start this?! An underground organisation of thieves and murderers?!"

"Murderers kill the innocent!" Johan debated. "We have a code here in the Hidden Hands in that we only, and I'm stressing only, kill those who have been proven guilty of truly irredeemable crimes! How else do you think Mizunosuke got his 'promotion'?"

"You killed Mortimer?!" Jerome questioned.

"No. Three kids broke into his treasure room to rob him of all the money he'd leeched off the citizens and the fatass accidentally threw himself out the window when he attacked them. Gramps and Pops invited them into the Order when they found out since one of the villagers summoned us to kill Mortimer anyway." Rhett explained. "We were just a little too slow."

"So you kill royalty as well?!" Damien roared. "Do you have any idea how catastrophic that can be for a country?!"

"Catastrophic?!" Rhett stormed up tot Arcanine to butt heads with him. "Do you have any idea what the fucking Joltik bitten mutt was doing to us or were you too busy playing knights and princesses in your pillow fort?! That psychopath almost beat two little children to death for crossing his path the day before he got put down! And now with old man Mizu running the show our country is better than it ever has been in the last five bloody years! Honestly I don't blame Twig and his brothers making a move before we did! Your oh so perfect Rising Sun couldn't do jack shit to help us since Mortimer had diplomatic immunity! We are the Hidden Hands! A necessary evil that carries out the deeds other Orders can't cause you don't have the balls to kill for the benefit of Kyrus!"

"SILENCE RHETT!" Johan thundered. "Ranting isn't going to convince anyone. Sit down." The Weavile sneered at the Shiny Arcanine before slinking back to his spot.

"Sorry, Pops. I just couldn't stand seeing him demean what we stand for." he apologised before looking to Jerome. "And I'm sorry for insulting the Rising Sun. You've done a lot of good for this nation and I do admire your Order...It's just it was so difficult during those five years of Mortimer's reign."

"No, you shouldn't apologise." Jerome said. "I can only imagine how hard it was. There were so many times I wanted to storm straight into that palace and arrest him but that loophole he was using prevented it. I couldn't risk civil war."

"Which is exactly why we exist, Jerry." Magnus pointed out. "We waited hoping Mortimer would see the error of his ways but after what he did in the market over such a insignificant matter we knew he had to go before he killed someone for no reason. Especially since no one had the authority to imprison him."

"You do have a point." Jerome murmured though he didn't seem fully convinced yet. "Tell us more." Johan and Magnus smiled a little before continuing the discussion, a little more confident of wining their brother and nephew over.

XXX

Concurrently, the group had made their way outside of the hall where true to Wendy's word a large community pool had been installed with more than enough room for them all. The first squad, along with Daniel, were enjoying the pool while Alexis was exploring the surrounding garden.

"This is a really nice guild you have here, guys." Daniel hummed in content from the cool water.

"Thanks. Good thing you decided to come on such a hot day." Fletcher grinned.

"So what sort of jobs do you guys take?"

"Well all sorts really." Atlas spoke. "Though we major in retrieval and rescue missions."

"Though sometimes we'll take more mysterious jobs. One time we went to exorcise a haunted house on the edge of town near the Forbidden Forest. A bunch of wild Gastly's were causing all sorts of trouble." Stitch reminisced.

"Wow. Sounds like you get into all sorts of danger." Daniel said in a mixture of fearful awe.

"ATTENTION FELLOW ROOKIES!" everyone looked up when they heard a voice to see Alexis standing atop a towering diving board.

"ALEXIS?!" Daniel squawked.

"Get ready for the biggest cannonball you've ever seen! I'm gonna blow you all outta the water!"

"Twenty Poke says she belly flops." Peri wagered.

"Is now really the time for your bets?!" Lisa questioned the Sableye who shrugged.

"Come on show us what ya got, puppy dog!" Yapper egged the Growlithe.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Alexis called getting ready to jump.

"NO WAIT!" Daniel tried to stop her but too late.

"CANNONBAAAAAAAAAALL!" Alexis laughed as she came plummeting down towards the pool. SPLASH! She hit the water like a boulder, sending a mushroom cloud of water over the group who laughed at her stunt.

"WHOO! Now that's a cannonball!" Wendy cheered.

"ALEXIS!" Daniel shouted as he began to paddle madly tot he spot where she'd landed.

"Whoa take it easy, kid, it's only water." Atlas tried to calm him.

"No you don't understand! She can't swim!"

"SHE WHAT?!" everyone's eyes popped as they saw the bubbles were starting to slow before they made a mad dash to the deep end, pushing and shoving each other as they all tried to reach the now drowning Alexis.

"Quit shoving, I'm tryin' to save her!" Hugo yelled as he was jammed between Stitch and Wendy.

"That's what I'm doing! Stop getting in my way!" the Banette snapped back until in the midst of their squabbling a large branch plunged into the pool and lifted Alexis out of the water coughing and spitting.

"You saved me. Thank yo-AAAAGH!" Alexis screamed when she looked to see Rick had been the one who'd saved her, his wooden face frightening her. The Trevenant didn't seem offended though as he put her down.

"If I hadn't seen you jump from up there, I would've assumed you slipped and fell in rather than perform an act as stupid as high diving without knowing how to swim." he said. "You're welcome by the way."

"Hey I'm not stupid!" Alexis barked after shaking herself dry.

"Yes you are!" Daniel sided with Rick. "What were you thinking?! You know you can't swim!"

"Hey I haven't been to a pool in months and I wanted to have some fun!"

"Is drowning to death your idea of fun?" Mandy asked, her voice layered with morbid sarcasm.

"Maybe the pool isn't the best place to hang out." Caesar said.

"Yeah. And I think there's a few too many of us present. I mean we were all in such a rush to help her none of could get close and if it hadn't been for Rick she might've drowned." Peri said. The group thought for a moment before Hugo snapped his fingers.

"I know just where we can take them. You guys enjoy yourselves. Leave Alexis and Daniel to us." he said.

"How where are we going?" Alexis asked and Team Monkeybone dried themselves off and lead them away.

"yeah where are we taking them?" Twig inquired as well.

"Someplace much more relaxing than a pool." Hugo replied to the both of them.

XXX

After a short walk from the guild, Team Monkeybone lead Team Inferno to where their house was.

"You guys live here? It's a nice house." Alexis said.

"Thanks, but we're here to visit our neighbour, I know you'll both love her." Hugo said before chapping the door of Amy's cottage until the Buneary answered it a few moments later.

"Hi, boys. Come for a visit?"

"Yep, and we brought a couple of friends with us." Twig said presenting Alexis and Daniel.

"Hello there." Amy smiled at them sweetly. "My name's Amy Cotton, how do you do?"

"Pleased to meet you too, Ms Cotton. I'm Daniel Rhodes."

"Oh there's no need for formalities, we're practically the same age." Amy chortled. "And who's your cute friend?"

"I'm Alexis Cliffton, nice to meet you as well." the Growlithe smiled.

"Cliffton?! As in, Jerome Cliffton?!"

"Yep that's me."

"My goodness, I never would've expected to meet the daughter of the Rising Sun's Grand Master." Amy said in astonishment.

"Oh really it's no big deal, it's not like I'm royalty or anything." Alexis chuckled.

"Please do come in, I just made a pot of tea." Amy said as the group followed her in.

"She made a pot? But how could she have known we were coming?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe she was gonna drink the whole pot herself?" Alexis guessed.

"Don't be silly. Peep must have saw us coming and let her know." Twig assumed.

"Peep?"

"Her pet Chatot." Hugo clarified before Caesar pulled him close.

"But Amy doesn't know he can talk yet." he whispered.

"But then how could she have guessed we were coming to visit?" Hugo queried as they walked out into the garden before they saw Amy going to sit down at the table, only she had company.

"Eva?!" said Caesar as the group saw none other than Evangelyne sitting with Amy who looked just as surprised.

"B-Boys! I thought you were giving Jerome's Daughter and her friend a tour of the guild."

"We were, but after a little 'incident' at the pool, we thought it would be better to bring them here." Hugo explained. "But why are you here?" the Kirlia's eyes shifted a little before she answered.

"Well I finished my training and decided to come here so I could get to know Amy better."

"Training? You told me you wanted me to tell you all I know about the boys." Amy said.

"Wait, so you fibbed about training so you could secretly gossip with Amy about us?" Twig questioned, before he along with Hugo and Caesar started laughing.

"Eva if you want to learn more about us, you just have to ask." Caesar chuckled as the Kirlia blushed. "You don't need to be secretive about cutting loose."

"Not a word of this to the others, I don't want them thinking I'm lazy." Eva said.

"Enjoying afternoon tea with friends isn't lazy." Hugo snickered. "Speaking of which let's get to it, I want to know all about the rising Sun." he said to Alexis and Daniel who smiled before going to join Amy.

"Lotus, Peep, tea's ready~!" she called as the Cacnea came waddling out of the berry orchard with the Chatot perched on top of his flower. "Alexis, Daniel, this is Lotus Verdant my 'scarecrow' and Peep."

"Good afternoon." Lotus waved to the two who greeted him back. But not too far from the garden, a pair of shining eyes were watching from one of the bushes as it eyed the pokepuffs that had been set up to go with the tea.

"So what's it like being knights?" Hugo asked.

"It's so awesome!" Alexis grinned. "We get to dress up in cool armor, ride Rapidash and Ponyta, save towns and villages and go on all sorts of adventures! Or, at least that's what we plan to do since we just started out." Alexis grinned sheepishly as she helped herself to one of the pokepuffs. "Oh wow! These are so yummy~!" she beamed licking the frosting from her paws.

"Thank you, I made them myself." Amy smiled.

"That's our Amy. Always the talented baker. Just wait till the Blossom festival comes along. She's sure to win first prize in the baking contest." Hugo said with unwavering confidence.

"Oh stoppit." Amy blushed.

"The Blossom Festival?" Daniel queried.

"Well Hanabira village is well known for berry farming." Caesar highlighted. "Each spring all the different trees bust into bloom in the most amazing array of colours and the village holds a great festival fro the occasion. There's games, stories, the baking contest of course among others and at the end there's a huge dance. The five of us go every year."

"It's my favourite event of the year." Lotus said. "It shows how all my hard work protecting Amy's orchard pays off when she uses the berries to make all sorts of goodies."

"But it'll be even better this coming spring since we'll have all our guild mates to spend it with this year." Twig grinned.

"That sounds so fun!" Alexis sparkled with glee. "I'm gonna ask Dad if we can go when it comes around."

"I'm sure he'll say yes. Mr Cliffton never has passed up an opportunity to celebrate." Daniel added. But at that moment the group heard a rustling noise and looked to see something come crawling out of the bush. Meow~ It was a Meowth, a female one and she appeared to be wild as she was moving on all fours. But what seemed strangest of all was the colour of her fur; it was silvery gray while her paws and the tip of her tail were white.

"What kind of Meowth is that? It's grey." Daniel queried.

"Maybe she's old." Alexis assumed earning a collection of sighs from the others.

"Hi there, kitty." Twig said, stretching out his tail to pet her earning a purr from the Meowth. "A new resident of yours, Amy?"

"No. First I've seen of this little one." the Buneary replied. The wild Meowth glanced among the group before it spotted the last pokepuff which Alexis was about to eat. The cat crouched to the ground and with a flying leap jumped over the table, snatching the treat right out of Alexis' paws.

"HEY!" the Meowth stopped to look back with the puff in its mouth before it jumped over the fence and ran off. "That's mine give it back you little thief!" Alexis barked as she began to chase after the scratch cat Pokemon.

"Alexis wait!" Daniel called as he ran after his friend with Team Monkeybone close behind him as Amy, Lotus and Eva looked on in surprise.

"Should we go after them?" Amy asked the Kirlia who sipped her tea casually.

"I think they're quite capable of reigning in that pup. There's no cause for alarm."

"Yeah I suppose you're right." Lotus agreed.

"Anyway where were we?" Eva asked continuing the conversation.

XXX

The four boys chased after Alexis who continued to pursue the Meowth who'd stolen her pokepuff until the wild Pokemon had run into the Forbidden Forest at the edge of the village, though this didn't phase the Growlithe in the slightest as she kept going and eventually the boys had lost sight of her and were now searching the forest for any sight of the rambunctious pup.

"We need to find her before she gets into trouble and fast!" Daniel said nervously.

"Hey there's nothing to worry about we'll find her." Twig reassured.

"Oh yeah, sure." Hugo grinned forcefully before he began to mutter quickly. "I mean we're only looking out for the daughter of the Grand Master of the Rising Sun who's also friends with our Grand Masters whom haven't been in contact with him for seventeen odd years and are only now finally being given the chance of reconnecting with him though it could all possibly be ruined if his daughter ended up in some terrible situation that could possibly cost her her life and the fact that it happened on our watch would not only get us banished from the Order and locked up but we'd also ruin any future chances of Jerome, Johan and Magnus bonding ever again."

"Ok now you're just being paranoid!" Caesar snapped. "And you're scaring Danny." the Vulpix was indeed sweating bullets at the thought of his best friend in peril. "It's alright, Daniel we'll find her. This forest isn't as dangerous as it used to be."

AAAAAAIIIIEEE! "I spoke too soon."

"ALEXIS!" Daniel shouted as the group followed her voice before they found her standing in a clearing...or rather, a bog.

"Guys!" she called. "I was chasing that Meowth and got stuck in the mud! I think I'm sinking!"

"Alexis don't move!" Hugo shouted. "You'll only sink faster, just stay still, we'll get you out! Guys find something to pull her out with!" the boys hurried around the clearing in search of a branch long enough to reach the sinking Alexis.

"Here!" Daniel held up a large branch as the group hurried to the edge of the bog and began to hold the stick out towards Alexis who reached for it but just as her teeth were about to grab the end. GRRRRRRRR! Everyone froze when a fierce growl reached their ears and they looked to see a wild Ninetales prowling out of the forest towards them and it looked hungry.

"Are you kidding me?" Twig muttered before the beast lunged at them forcing them to drop the branch and scatter. "Dammit! We can't save Alexis and fight off that fox at the same time!"

"Twig you and Caesar try and keep Alexis afloat, I'll keep this monster distracted! Daniel you have to go and get help!"

"Me?!"

"You're the fastes, Danny!" Alexis shouted who was now up to her waist in the mud. "Go get Dad and Damien and Uncle Joe and Mag!"

"R-Right! Don't you dare drown!" the Vulpix shouted as he dashed off back towards the village as Hugo faced the Ninetales while Twig and Caesar held out the branch to Alexis who held onto it.

"Please hurry, Danny." she thought.

XXX

Back in the meeting room, Johan and Magnus continued to explain their Order to Jerome and Damien. While the former seemed to be taking in what the Grand Masters were saying, the latter still had his doubts.

"Well, I may be able to accept that there are very wicked Pokemon in this world beyond redemption." Damien said. "But for an entire Order to be built to kill every target. It just seems so savage."

"Killing isn't what we're all about Damien." Johan said. "We know how to be merciful. After all, it's thanks to us that you caught Nero."

"What are you talking about?"

"This was the letter your Uncles sent me last month." Jerome said as he held up the message about Nero from before with the crest of the Order on the back. "Were you not even a little confused to how I suddenly knew of Nero's exact location?"

"That's right." Magnus said to a shocked Damien. "We tipped off your Old Man on Nero's location. See we sent one of our squads to steal back all the treasure he'd looted from the citizens so it could be returned to them. He would be forced to return to Hillingham village for more money so we told Jerry to send a troop to intercept him. Nero may have been a thug and a crook, but he wasn't without hope of change."

"Well it's funny you should say that." Damien began. "Because Nero's dead."

"He's what?!" Johan and Magnus said in shock.

"He was found dead in his cell the morning after he was imprisoned." Jerome said. "The guards saw no one but they remember being put to sleep while on watch."

"Now that is peculiar." Magnus murmured.

"Well it certainty wasn't us." Rhett denied. "If we wanted him dead we would've killed him after we raided his hideout rather than hand him over to you. We like our work to be quick and clean so there'd be no point in traveling all the way to your castle to finish off a target we'd tipped you off to."

"Then who killed him?" Damien asked.

"That's something we'd all like to know." Johan answered. "Could there be another guild of assassins we don't know of?" But at that moment a distant scream began to reach them.

"HEEEELLLLP!" the door burst open to reveal a panting and panicked Daniel.

"Danny!" Damien said in surprise.

"ALEXIS! MEOWTH! POKEPUFF! FOREST! BOG! SINKING FAST! NINETALES! TWIG! HELP!" the Vulpix babbled jumbled gibberish like an idiot before Rhett grabbed him by the shoulders.

"SHUT UP! Just take a breath, twerp and explain what's happening!" he snapped as Daniel frozen before doing as he said.

"Alexis is in trouble! She chased a Meowth that stole her pokepuff and fell in a bog in the Forbidden Forest. We tried to save her but a wild Ninetales showed up and attacked us. Twig's trying to keep her afloat and Hugo and Caesar are fending off the Ninetales but they need help!" The Grand Masters and Commanding Officer's faces turned to shock when they heard this before Johan and Magnus leapt to their feet and bolted out of the meeting room.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Damien said as he along with Jerome and Daniel hurried after them.

XXX

"RRRRGGHH I CAN"T PULL YOU OUT!" Twig strained as he gripped the branch from his end to try and keep Alexis from sinking any deeper into the bog who was hanging on for dear life. At the same time, Hugo and Caesar were fighting the Ninetales which was proving to be tougher than they anticipated. The fox Pokemon snarled as it blasted the pair with fire while they attempted to drive it off with their own attacks.

"Shoot! It's bad enough my fire attacks aren't effective against it." Caesar cursed. "Better fall back on my fighting moves." he said before his fists began to glow and he charged at the Ninetales striking it multiple times with quick hard punches. The fox growled angrily but just as Caesar was about to land another hit it flashed its red eyes at stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Caesar? What's wrong, why'd you stop?" Hugo asked before the monkey clutched his head and began groaning in pain as he faced Hugo who was shocked to see one of his eyes was red and glowing.

"Hugo. I forgot, Ninetales can control minds! It's trying to make me attack you!" He shouted as he tried to fight off the fox's mental grip on him.

"GUYS HELP!" Twig called to them as Alexis had now sunk to her neck as the Aipom tried desperately to keep her above the mud. Hugo looked back and forth between the bog and the Ninetales who was advancing to kill Caesar who was still struggling to fend off the mind control.

"What do I do?! It's gonna get Caesar and Alexis is almost sunk! DAMMIT!" KABOOM! Out of nowhere, an enormous fireball struck the Ninetales in its side sending it skidding across the clearing and the red light faded from Caesar's eye who gasped as he regained full control of his body. The group looked to see none other than Magnus aiming one of his cannons at the beats and with him were Johan, Jerome, Damien and Daniel.

"DAD!" Alexis cried but before her Father or Brother could rush to save her, Johan ran tot he edge of the bog and wrapped one of his cable like tails around the pup lifting her safely out of the mud. The Ninetales shakily got to its feet but after taking one look at the group, it knew it stood no chance against them and sped off into the forest.

"Yeah you better get out of here you overgrown scarf!" Caesar shook his fist at the fox. "Dammit! I can't believe I nearly lost control to that thing! And a wild one at that!"

"Don't blame yourself, Caesar." Magnus consoled him. "The Pokemon of this Forest are stronger than the other wild ones."

"Are you alright, Spitfire?" Damien said looking over his sister who was rolling in the grass to get some of the mud off her.

"I'm fine. Just really dirty." she grinned.

"Alexis! Why would you go running off into the forest like that?! And for such a childish reason?!" Jerome demanded.

"Hey I was hungry! And it's not like I was looking for trouble. I thought the Forbidden Forest wasn't that dangerous anymore."

"Usually it isn't." Johan said. "Because we make so many trips through here to get from place to place they usually steer clear of the path, but the forest is still their home so you need to be careful regardless of what you hear."

"Yeah, you're right." Alexis said before she jumped into Johan's arms and hugged him. "Thank you, Uncle Joey. You saved me." The Electivire chuckled as he returned her hug.

"Hey no one's gonna mess with my family in front of me." He said. Damien stared at the two of them smiling at one another as his mind began to trail back to when he was in his Sister's position. Perhaps his Uncles hadn't forgotten their gentle ways.

"...Uncles." Johan and Magnus turned their heads. "Why did you leave us?"

"You know why, silly." Alexis said. "They went to start their own Order like Dad."

"No you don't understand. I'm asking what pushed them to leave the Rising Sun."

"You were in the Rising Sun?!" Alexis gaped. "But then why would you leave?!" The Grand Masters looked at Jerome who thought for a moment before he nodded.

"Alexis. Have you ever heard of the Hidden Hands?" Magnus asked.

"Yeah! They're a legend! I've been told they're vigilantes who hunt really evil Pokemon. Even worse than the ones we face! I've also heard they're master thieves who only steal from criminals and return the treasure to its rightful owners."

"Well you've certainly heard the better side of our story." Johan grinned.

"Your story? What do you mean?"

"Magnus and I...created the Hidden Hands. We're the Grand Masters of a legendary Order."

"Hahaha! You're funny Uncle Joey! You already have a guild!" Alexis laughed.

"The Silent Mouth is our secret identity." Magnus explained. "Our true identity is the Hidden Hands. We are an Order of thieves and assassins who seek the legends and hunt the evils of this world in secrecy." Alexis and Daniel stared at the Electivire and Magmortar before looking at Team Monkeybone who grinned sheepishly.

"Were the latest members." Twig said. "And all our friends you met at the pool are in it too." The two pups stared at everyone before they both went flying back in comical shock and fell flat on their backs

"AM I DREAMING?!" Alexis gawked.

"Your Uncles are leaders of an Order thought to be a story?!" Daniel gaped.

"But how? When? Where? And most of all WHY?!" Alexis spluttered.

"That's what I'd like to know." Damien said.

"I'm curious too. How did you come to all of this?" Caesar asked.

"And why would you leave an Order as great as the Rising Sun?" Hugo inquired.

"Yes. I think it's time you heard our story." Johan said. "But first, I think it would be better if we told it someplace more comfortable than a bog."

"Agreed." Magnus nodded. "We'll take you to our true guild hall: Mount Regi."

To be continued...