AJ was finding the tension in the room more than a bit awkward. Cheren was pacing back and forth in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. He seemed to be having an increasingly angry argument with someone on his Xtransceiver, and AJ did not want to get in his way. Melody was sitting across the table from AJ, staring down and swinging her feet. Though she'd changed out of the smock she was wearing earlier, she still seemed downcast. Not that AJ could blame her. She had been through a rough day.

Melody was now wearing the new outfit AJ helped her buy: a yellow t-shirt with a Pikachu's grinning face on it, a light blue short skirt, and green sandals. She was still wearing the big bow he saw her wear earlier, now adjusted on the right side of her head where it now held her long bangs out of her face. AJ wanted to brighten her mood, but AJ had no idea what he could say to her as the depressed girl stared at the tabletop. He was never that comfortable around girls his age, and her awkward sadness only made him feel clumsy. Eeveen, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to the tension. He was crouched on the floor by AJ's table. He had his Pokémon out and he was stroking the two "Eeveelutions".

"I'm sorry girls, I'm so sorry." The Espeon, Solaris, and the shiny Umbreon, Lunaria, both looked at their trainer with lowered ears and rather cross expressions. He looked between the two, smiling awkwardly, "Please forgive me. I know you hate Pokéballs. It was an emergency." Lunaria seemed satisfied and she smiled at him, but Solaris still seemed peeved. She glared back at Eeveen and squeaked something at him. "Don't say things like that! Of course I love you! Now come here, you two!" Eeveen threw an arm around each Pokémon, pulling them into a big hug.

AJ couldn't help but grin. Eeveen's sincerity was matched only by his kindness, and AJ found it amusing how open and honest he was with his Pokémon. He noticed that Melody was watching the scene too, smiling a little for the first time since he'd rescued her.

"He really loves his Pokémon doesn't he?" Melody commented.

"He was raised by those two," AJ replied, "He thinks of them like his parents. Neither of them like Pokéballs much though. They tend to pout when he has to put them away."

Melody's smile broadened. She looked back up at AJ, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Do you have a favorite Pokémon, AJ?"

AJ simply nodded and grinned. AJ had three Pokémon: a female Marowak named Ivory with an aggressive disposition, a male Gabite called Jaws with a naïve and rather silly personality, and his Grotle, Thorn. Now, Thorn had a cool and smart attitude. Though he could be a little cocky, the turtle was easily AJ's most trusted Pokémon. Back when he first set out to join Team Night, all AJ had was Thorn, as a Turtwig. He was now evolved, but his change only made AJ grow even closer to Thorn. AJ was pretty proud of Thorn's talents too. He was a bit more clever than most Grotles, and AJ felt like the turtle could pretty much read his mind sometimes. One of AJ's favorite comforts was talking to Thorn. AJ was not entirely sure the Pokémon could understand him, but AJ wouldn't have traded any of his chats for the world. AJ most definitely had a favorite Pokémon.

"I sure do!" His hand went to Thorn's Pokéball, "My Grotle, Thorn, and I are practically brothers!" He released the turtle, and Thorn gave Melody a judging stare. "How about you? Do you have a partner, Melly?"

Melody's face fell. "I used to. My Zoura. Those Silicon people took her from me back there."

"Oh..." AJ bit his lip. He didn't mean to make her sad again. "I'm sorry. If I knew they stole Pokémon from you, I'd have looked for them."

Melody shook her head. "I don't think she's there anymore. They said they were taking her to 'the main facility', wherever that is."

"So, you don't have any other Pokémon?"

Melody shook her head, staring down at the table again. "No. Zoura used to get jealous. She'd turn into other Pokémon I saw and try to get me to look at her instead."

AJ chuckled a little. "Sounds like you spoiled her."

Melody sighed sadly. "I don't think she was spoiled so much as just clingy. Very, very clingy." Melody wiped at an eye, clearly trying to hide tears. "I miss Zoura so much..."

AJ stood up. He had an idea how to help. "Hey, Melly. I have an idea." Melody didn't respond. She just stared down at the table, turning her head away from him slightly. "I'll let you borrow a Pokémon from me until we find Zoura." Thorn didn't seem too pleased, and he looked up at AJ with a scowl. AJ chuckled at the Pokémon, scratching him behind the head. "No, no, silly. I didn't mean you. I meant Jaws or Ivory." The Grotle continued to glare, clearly not amused in the least.

"Really?" Melody looked up. She had a somewhat confused look on her face, as if AJ just asked if she could fly.

"Sure!" AJ said cheerfully. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his other two Pokémon. He set both balls down in front of Melody. "The one on the right's my Gabite, Jaws. He's a dragon, so of course he's kinda proud, but he's really funny too. I think I've seen Slowpokes smarter than that silly Pokémon. He's really sweet though, and just loves to snuggle."

Melody looked at Jaws' ball, then back at AJ with a frown. "I don't know...he sounds kinda...high-maintenance."

"Then maybe Ivory's better. She's a Marowak. You gotta watch out though. She's got a temper, and a really combative side. It's up to you."

Melody stared at both balls for a while, seeming to mull it over. Then, she picked up Ivory's ball. "I've never seen a Marowak before. May I?"

"Go for it." AJ said with a smile. Melody let the Pokémon inside out.

The tan Pokémon looked sharply up at Melody, her beady, red eyes gleaming at her from inside the white skull. "Wak?" Ivory seemed to be sizing up Melody.

Melody blinked and smiled. "She's actually pretty cute. I like her." Melody reached down to Ivory, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey there. I'm Mel-"

"Waaak!" Ivory swiped at Melody without warning, smacking her on the leg with her club.

"Ouch!" Melody shot up and took several steps back. "That hurt!"

"Ivory! Bad girl! You know better than to hit people!" AJ scolded her as he stepped between Ivory and Melody. "Be nice."

"I don't think Ivory likes me..." Melody frowned and sighed.

Ivory climbed up on Melody's now empty chair, pushing AJ aside as she scrambled up. Ivory stared Melody in the face, tapping the bone in one hand. "Wak, wak! Marowak!" Melody took a step back, looking uncomfortable at the Marowak's display.

"She's trying to challenge you." Eeveen said, standing up from the floor at last. "She seems to think you're a rival."

"Me? Her rival? That's silly." Melody smiled again, looking back to the upset Bone Keeper Pokémon. "I like that attitude. What a little pistol!"

"You...like that?" AJ was puzzled. He thought for sure Melody would go for Jaws' more laid-back style. Even he had trouble with Ivory's bellicose and short-tempered nature. "If you really want, I'll let you borrow her. Just watch your back. She likes to hit people."

"I noticed." Melody turned to Ivory again. "Heya, Ivory. I'm Melody. I'm gonna be your trainer for a while." She extended a hand to the Pokémon. "Can we be friends?"

"Maro?" Ivory stared at her outstretched hand for a moment. Then, with a big grin on her face, she smacked Melody's palm with her bone club.

"Ow!" Melody pulled back, rubbing her hand and shooting a look at AJ. "What's her problem?!"

"I don't think Ivory understands what a handshake is. She thought you were challenging her again." Eeveen chuckled, coming up alongside Melody. "She doesn't see you as a trainer just yet. What she sees is a bigger and older competing female. She thinks she needs to defeat you to show her strength to you."

"Oh yeah?" AJ gave Eeveen a look. "And how are we supposed to get through to Ivory!? I can't have her hitting Melody!" AJ shook his head and sighed. Maybe Ivory wasn't a good choice for her after all. "I'm sorry, Melly. This is my fault."

"It's okay. I understand. I'm a newcomer, and she doesn't trust me just yet. I just need to show her that I'm someone she can rely on." Melody recalled Ivory and nodded, giving AJ a warm smile. "Thank you, AJ. I'm glad you let me borrow her."

"Hey, it's the least I can do. I'm happy that you're happy."

Cheren joined them just then. He sighed irritably and came up to AJ. "I just contacted the Elite Four about Silicon. You're never gonna believe this." Cheren glared down at his Xtransceiver. "They aren't going to send us any backup! We're on our own..."

"What!" AJ was taken aback, his cheerful mood gone in a flash. It didn't make any sense why they'd refuse to send help, especially after the recent kidnappings. "Why?! What's the problem?"

Cheren shook his head and sighed angrily. "They say there's not enough evidence to prove that these guys are a growing threat." Cheren shoved the Xtransceiver into his pocket and scowled. "Ever since Team Plasma was defeated again two years ago, those guys have become just plain lazy! It's like they've forgotten what the price of ignoring trouble is...!" Cheren pounded a fist on the table. "I can't stand it!"

"What will it take then?" Eeveen asked, "How do we prove it to the Elite Four?"

"I'll have to start with convincing the local Gym Leaders." Cheren said without hesitation.

"Okay, but maybe we need to regroup first." Eeveen offered. "Sarah and the others are still up north."

AJ drew out his Xtransceiver. "I'll call her. Maybe she's had better luck than us." AJ dialed up Sarah's number. He wasn't looking forward to telling his leader the bad news. At least he'd managed to rescue Melody, so it wasn't all bad news. Still, he'd hoped raiding that base would've uncovered more clues.

Sarah appeared on the phone as she picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hi AJ!" AJ was confused. For some odd reason, Sarah was wearing a blue swimsuit. "What's new?"

"Sarah..." AJ blushed a little. He wasn't expecting to see Sarah like this! "What in the world are you doing in a swimsuit?"

"Having a barbecue." Sarah chuckled, "Nah, Amber found a hot spring and we decided to relax for a bit."

AJ was more than a little baffled. "Uh...okay? I was going to ask if you guys made any progress. I guess you didn't, huh."

Sarah's smile faded quickly. "Actually, we found a stash of Silicon's robots. One of them shot Gloria."

"What?!" AJ almost dropped his phone, horrified. Even though he'd been a Team Night member for three years, he still hated times like this. "I-is it serious?! Is she okay?"

"She was hit once in the tail. It's not too serious. Amber's bandaging her up. We'll stay the night here, then we're going further north after Victini."

AJ bit his lip. "Shouldn't you guys get her some help?"

Sarah chuckled at him. "You know how stubborn she can be sometimes. It was all I could do to convince her to rest here tonight."

"Hey!" AJ heard Gloria's voice shout. "I still can hear you!"

"I wouldn't have to say that if you'd quit being such a tough cookie!" Sarah said over her shoulder, grinning.

AJ couldn't help smiling. "At least she's okay. Do you want us to head up there too? We can be there by tomorrow afternoon if we set out in the morning."

"Come if you want, but we'll be just fine. Shawn finally came back just a few minutes ago. We're about to set up camp."

"I'm glad you guys are safe. "AJ said. "Our day wasn't much better.."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" Sarah's expression became serious.

AJ did his best to explain today's events to her. When he told her about the research note, Sarah's face darkened and she seemed angry for some reason.

"Were you able to copy the notes?" Sarah asked.

AJ shook his head. "No. It looked like the thing was kinda messed up anyway." As he recalled the strange research memo, he found himself pondering its meaning again. The note mentioned a "primary base" somewhere. That meant that Silicon had to be more active than they thought...

"You said they were conducting experiments to 'eliminate free will'..."Sarah scowled. "So that's what they want?"

"I dunno." AJ scratched his head. "Come to think of it, one goon, a girl called Agate, said 'they don't even have all the facts.' I think they might be trying to trick us."

"Maybe. We need to be careful what we assume about them."

"And they have another base. The notes said as much."

"We should keep an eye out for it then."

AJ smiled. "Oh yeah. We managed to rescue one of the kidnapped trainers!"

Sarah's expression brightened. "You did? That's great! Good work!"

"Yeah!" AJ beamed. "She's right here. I'm going to see her off tomorrow."

"You'll what now?" Melody cut in.

AJ was caught off-guard by her sudden appearance. "Melly, we're doing some things that are probably gonna be dangerous. I don't feel right getting a civilian involved."

"Those Silicon Movement creeps have my Zoura and Ian!" Melody shouted, "I won't stop until I find them!" Melody snatched the phone. "Is that your boss? Lemme talk to her."

"Hey!" AJ protested, making a grab at his phone.

"Hello?" He heard Sarah ask. "Who's this?"

"That's Melody. She's the girl we rescued earlier." AJ replied, pushing in over Melody's shoulder.

"Well Melody, it's good to meet you. What's the problem?"

"The problem? The Silicon Movement took my Zoura and kidnapped my brother! I want to find them both and make Silicon pay!" Melody's anger was obvious, and AJ took a step back in surprise. He didn't expect Melody to have this kind of temper!

"I understand your feelings, but the Silicon Movement's very dangerous."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Melody sighed, "Look, I just want to find my Pokémon and my brother. Is that such a problem?!"

"No, but you need to understand. These people are violent and very persistent. I have to insist you stay with AJ and Eeveen if you want to pursue this."

"That's fine by me!" Melody's good mood seemed to have returned.

"Great! Hear that, AJ?"

"Yeah, I heard loud and clear." AJ nodded. So long as Melody didn't try to start by herself, he didn't mind too much. She didn't have any Pokémon besides that missing Zoura, and he was worried that she might do something unexpected. "Eeveen?"

"I heard too. Welcome aboard, Melody." Eeveen smiled at her. "I'm sure your brother and Zoura are just fine. We'll find them safe and sound, I'm sure of it."

Melody nodded. "I hope so."

AJ grabbed his phone back from Melody. "Well, we better turn in for the night. We've got a long walk to Virbank tomorrow."

"Virbank? Why are you going all the way there?"

"Cheren called the Elite Four for backup, but they want more evidence before they'll pursue Silicon. Cheren wants to get the help of the local Gym Leaders."

"Okay, I see. Well, good night. You guys be careful, okay?"

"You too, Sarah. Good night." AJ hung up the Xtransceiver.

"I couldn't help overhearing the conversation. Sounds like the others had a rough time." Cheren commented.

"Yeah." AJ sighed. "I'm worried about them, especially Gloria. She was shot by one of the robots. It's not a bad injury, but still..."

"Let's go get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow." Eeveen yawned. As AJ followed him outside and to the hotel, AJ knew he had a long way to go from here. For some reason, in spite of all the encouragement, he found himself uneasy.

He had the strangest feeling that he was being watched.

As AJ reached the hotel doors, Eeveen suddenly put an arm in front of AJ. "Wait. Did you see that?"

"What?" Melody pushed Eeveen aside. "Quit overreacting. Let's just get some sleep." No sooner than she said that when AJ saw what Eeveen was talking about.

A big, red eye was staring back at them from the other side of the window, its baleful glare fixed on the three of them.