*****Author's Note: Well, since almost every story has one of these, we decided that we might as well make one too. There's not really much to say until the story really gets rolling. In case you didn't notice, we have been writing "we". Yes, there are actually two people writing this story, so hopefully that will make it twice as good :) R&R and hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

People tell me that I'm the smartest trainer in the entire region of Orre. In the entire history of Orre, in fact. None of that mattered to me, though, for my team is my life. Charizard, Pidgeot, Raichu, Vaporeon, Snorlax, and Primeape. Nothing could be better than my team. I even consider my starter, Charizard, to be a part of me as much as my own heart. Pidgeot, my first capture, is probably the most loyal Pokemon there is. Raichu, filled to the brim with magnificent, yet powerful energy. She's the heart and soul of our family. Vaporeon, the most clever and wise being possible. Snorlax, the poor insomniac, is powerful yet cannot sleep without using the move Rest. And who could possibly forget Primeape, who can endure so many hits, yet pack powerful punches.

Nope, nothing is better than this life, except for a single dark cloud, hovering over my head with malice. This one sheer destructive force could only be Cipher, of course. Led by Greevil, they constantly turn innocent Pokemon into beings they call Shadow Pokemon. I have been trying to develop a cure for this evilness for many years with no success so far. There is only one lead as to means of purification. I must somehow find a way to return the Pokemons' hearts back to a kind state.

It definitely hasn't been easy, especially with my son, desperate for constant attention from my wife and me. His name is Michael, and hopefully he will grow up to love Pokemon as much as I do. Luckily, my wife, Lily, is always there to take care of him, allowing me to continue with my research as smoothly as possible. Although she often takes care of him by herself, she does enjoy helping me with my research as well.

And to think that I will be leaving this life of joy behind forever...

As soon as this thought crossed my mind, I shook my head vigorously. Whether I was about to charge into Greevil's lair or not, I wouldn't let myself imagine death just yet.

Death. What would happen if I was killed at the hands of Greevil? Would my spirit intermingle with the spirits of all Pokemon, or would I left in a world of utter darkness? I'd never see Lily or Michael ever again - not to mention my team. Then again, If I was killed, I doubt Greevil would spare my poor Pokemon.

"Seth, we're almost at Gateon Port," Lily's voice snapped me out of my trance. "Dr. Kaminko will be waiting!"

"You sound so happy," I grumbled.

"Why shouldn't I be? It's not like you're going to die," she sighed exasperatedly. "You've been to Greevil's lair many times this year."

I shut my eyes closed and breathed slowly. As close as we were to each other, she would never understand my fear of death. I kept my eyes closed the rest of the car ride to the Kyogre Robot; it would be transporting me across the sea quickly to Greevil's Lair.

Although less than an hour passed, it felt like seconds before I was stepping out of the Robot Kyogre. The dark looming castle before me almost overshadowed the lava flowing out of the volcano nearby.

I took a deep breath; it was now or never. We needed the Darkness Divider, an item that helps separate the kindness and evilness in a Pokemon's heart, very badly.

I had barely taken another step towards the stone building before a pack of Houndoom leaped out of their hiding place in the dark bushes. Instinctively, I grabbed Vaporeon's Poke Ball off of my belt, and pressed the silver button in the middle, causing it to grow to the size of a baseball. I immediately threw it towards the middle of the advancing pack, and it popped open with a white flash.

A blue Pokémon with scales lined along the ridges of its backbone and a mermaid tail appeared in the middle of the Houndoom pack. With a white ruff flowing around its neck, the creature gracefully emerged from its Pokeball. "Vaporeon!" It cried in a high pitched voice.

"Use your Surf attack!" I ordered her.

An enormous blue wave of water surged up from underneath Vaporeon's paws, reaching out in all directions, and slammed into the pack of Houndoom. They collapsed at my feet, most of them either whining in pain or knocked out. Instead of feeling triumphant, a frown appeared on my face. This was way too easy - Greevil would never have let an intruder off so easily. Not accepting success, I suspiciously stood in place, thinking about how Greevil could possibly have made this situation a hundred times more malicious than it was already.

I didn't have to wait long before I found out what he had in store. From the mouth of each Houndoom rolled a red pulsing orb the size of a golf ball. Unnerved, I took a pace back, anticipating something horrendous to happen. Slowly, the red orbs, in their abundance, started to expand farther and farther out. Soon enough, the orbs were each the size of a Golem. Each orb then glutinously expanded and popped, revealing billions of tiny red orbs inside. Slowly, it dawned on me. These red objects were not orbs. They were Ariados eggs. In the millions. Already hatching.