"C'mon Umbra! We're going!" Linus cried, laughing as he ran on ahead of his Pokemon. "The others are already ahead of us!" His Umbreon caught up and ran alongside him, as the two sprinted after their friends. The warm sun beat down on them as they ran through the fields along Route 7. As he caught up with Holly and AZ, Linus sat down heavily on the grass, Umbra at his side.

"What took you so long?" Holly asked teasingly, grinning at him as she sat down beside him. "Don't tell me you two got tired out after a little run?"

Smirking, Linus shook his head. "You just got a head start on us, that's all…" As the three Trainers lay back, looking up at the sky, Linus smiled to himself. "It's days like this that make every moment an adventure… right Umbra?"

Umbra sat down beside him, agreeing with a bark of approval, nudging playfully at its Trainer's face. Linus lay back, closing his eyes as he began to drift off to sleep in the warm summer sun…

Sitting up with a jolt, a loud bang rousing him, he found himself no longer amongst his friends in the sunny summer weather. He was sitting in the chair in his room, the Luxury Ball lying on the floor where it had fallen while he slept. It was raining heavily, and with a second crash of thunder, Linus realised he had been dreaming. Those blissful days of adventure and wonder were no more, merely a dream…

Reaching down to pick up the fallen Pokeball, he ran his hands along the smooth finish, as if caressing a beloved pet. "Umbra…"

In the hotel restaurant, AZ was sitting at a table in silence, Holly beside him. The restaurant was quiet with very few guests in the room, the only sounds coming from a wall mounted TV, showing a light-hearted soap in the background, and the lashing rain outside. AZ was still very much shaken up by the tragedy his friend Linus had suffered, and his mind was full of growing concerns about the young Trainer. One thought in particular haunted him, leaving him with a lingering sense of dread… "What will become of him now…?" He knew all too well how someone stricken with grief could change, and he hoped his fears wouldn't come to pass. "No one should make the mistakes I made…."

Suddenly, the TV changed to a picture of a news room, as the news anchor appeared on screen. "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a breaking news bulletin," she said, diverting AZ's attention temporarily to the TV. "We have just received reports about a series of Pokemon disappearances that have been occurring in the last few days, with Pokemon from several Trainers reported. With the unusual nature of the disappearances of both Pokemon and Pokeball, it is thought that these events may be in fact kidnappings, with unsuspecting Trainers having their Pokemon stolen by an as yet unknown criminal organisation.

"Of course, we do not have full details on these rumours, and International Police have taken up the case, thinking it may be in connection to the destruction and subsequent theft of Anistar City's Sundial. The current area of investigations is taking place between Anistar City and Couriway Town. Trainers in these towns and along Route 18 are advised to take extra care when travelling, and to be on the lookout for suspicious persons. Stay tuned for more details at 7."

As the TV image flickered back to the events of the soap, Holly turned to AZ, a look of concern on her face. "Do you think they could be linked…?" she asked. "The ones who…." hesitating, unable to say the words the two of them were both thinking. AZ sighed, nodding.

"It is certainly likely that the two events are linked… Pokemon cannot disappear from the Trainers when inside their Pokeball…" Getting up from the table, he began to walk back to the hotel bedrooms, Holly following alongside.

"But what should we do?" Holly asked. "Linus and I have seen these criminals first hand. Maybe we should go and report it to International Po…?"

"I do not think that is wise at this stage," AZ interrupted. "Linus is still in mourning over his loss. It would be unwise to bring these matters to light until he has recovered, however long that may take. If we are fortunate, the Police will not require our aid, and Linus will not have to know. Even if we do begin our travels again, I suggest we avoid Route 18 altogether…" Upon arriving at his room, AZ gave Holly a farewell nod, as the two retired to their respective rooms.

Unknown to the two, Linus had been sitting with his back to the door of his room, able to hear enough of their conversation to understand. With Umbra's Pokeball back on his belt, he smiled to himself, looking across the room at something only he could see. "You hear that, Umbra?" he said quietly. "Don't worry, we'll pay them a visit very soon…" He reached out with his hand, stroking the air in front of him, smiling… "Very soon…"

Author's note:

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going on holiday for a week, so unfortunately the story will be put on hold for a week. Rest assured that when I come back, I'll be refreshed and ready to write lots more! Thanks again!