Michael arrived at Citadark Isle at about six o'clock. Six hours remain until Greevil unleashes XD001. We are in so much trouble. He made his way up the volcano, one step at a time, before I had to stop him. Greevil, I will kill you.

"You. I remember you. You never showed up," Michael seemed accusatory. I wasn't sure what he meant by 'showing up'.

"Mikey, I, like, totally wasn't going to help you!" I shouldn't be lying to his face.

…Mikey, though?

SNAGGER MICHAEL would like to battle!

SNAGGER MICHAEL sent out Springtime and DUSCLOPS!

Go! GARDEVOIR and GOREBYSS!

Dusclops opened with a Shadow Ball, and Springtime a Razor Leaf. Somewhat standard by this point, but Michael didn't have a second to spare.

Go! ALTARIA and ROSELIA!

Michael's eyes narrowed. Altaria was a Shadow. Michael had Dusclops use Will-O-Wisp to wither away the Altaria, while Springtime used a Scissor Cross on Roselia.

Go! FARFETCH'D!

Michael's eyes narrowed. A second Shadow Pokémon. In sequence, Michael caught Altaria and Farfetch'd.

MICHAEL defeated CIPHER ADMIN LOVRINA!

"Sniff… you meanie!" I have absolutely no idea where that came from.

"Lovrina, I have very little time left before the world is crushed by Cipher."

"Oh… you are so totally gonna get it!" I left the island in irrational tears.

I ran to the Pokémon HQ Lab, before hiding myself in the shrubbery. I idly sent Michael a message that all Shadow Pokémon that I knew where not on Citadark Isle had been snagged, before contenting myself with sleeping by the tree's base.

My eyes opened. I didn't know what happened. Then it clicked. I opened the P*DA, and found Eldes' template for my arrival.

Come here. I am at PKMN HQ LAB.

Donning the Snagger's cloak, I stood up, and walked literally straight up to the group.

"Well, Michael… it looks like you've done a lot here," I told him. I could see Wes and Rui tangled on the floor, Eldes and Greevil watching from the sidelines… good and evil in the same place.

"Yes I have," he confirmed. I hugged him as tightly as I could. Michael could only respond with a weak squeeze in return.

"You… you have done so much for me…" Michael sighed. Springtime bounded up, and I started to stroke her hair. Was this perhaps the time Michael admitted he liked me? Please let it be so.

"But I have no idea who you are. Please… may you lower your hood?"

I gave a nervous start. But I knew that I couldn't love him if I was constantly hiding myself. I reached for my cowl, and flicked it back.

"Lovrina?" Michael asked in surprise.

"Um… surprise?" I said.

"Wait… you!" Wes roared, Rui having finally allowed him to stand up.

"Wes, please, let me explain!" I started panicking. Wes was known the world over for having the sheer force of a Hitmonchan in his blood.

"You were the one that stole my Snag Machine!"

"I needed to! I finally had the chance to take Cipher down from the inside! I just needed a Snag Machine! Krane wouldn't give me a blueprint to work from, so I needed yours!" I started nervously breaking down.

"What about Megg's?" Michael piped up. Michael, yes, help me…

"Exol's actions were intercepted not long after they occurred, and the Snag Machine returned to ONBS. However, I highly doubt Megg had the courage to use it again," Eldes stated. So that's why he was throwing Michael onto this Megg girl's trail. She had a Snag Machine!

"Though, Lovrina, I must ask… why the secrecy?" Michael asked. I knew this question would come.

"To make a ruse like that work, you have to deceive allies as well as enemies. In regards to keeping my actions secret from Cipher, and thus keeping access to all of their weaknesses, you were enemies, from a certain point of view." Michael, an enemy? I guess… NO! I don't want to think about that point of view!

"From a certain point of view? From any other, we could've helped you!" Rui roared. I agreed. My point of view, especially.

"Mom, enough," Michael told her. Rui looked at Michael like she was about to scold him, but Michael had already started defending me.

"Lovrina did her best to keep us a step ahead. She couldn't let her identity slip, not even by accident. I trust her." He trusts me…

"Oh… well…" Rui looked humbled. As did I. I didn't know Wes and Rui were Michael's parents…

"So, Michael… what do you say about a battle?" I asked, mostly to take my mind off what I did to Wes.

"Huh? A battle?"

"There's something I want you to do…"

SNAGGER MICHAEL would like to battle!

SNAGGER MICHAEL sent out Springtime!

Go! DRAGONITE!

Michael's eyes narrowed. This was a Shadow Pokémon.

"So that's what happened to that Dragonite! Well, Michael, why don't we see one last Snag before the Snag Machines become completely useless?" Mr Verich said. Michael nodded.

Springtime leaped forward, and used a Leaf Blade attack. The Dragonite took it like a champ. Springtime tried a Scissor Cross, and then an Aerial Ace. Finally, she used a GrassWhistle, to send the Dragonite to sleep. Michael tossed his last Snag Ball.

… … … …Gotcha! DRAGONITE was caught!

MICHAEL defeated SNAGGER LOVRINA!

"Thanks… I always wanted to see you Snag something in a determined battle, and not just one of those all-hell-breaks-loose deals," I shyly admitted.

"You're welcome."

"Michael, honey… the deadline didn't help us at all with the purification. Why don't you two go for a walk, and we'll get caught up on this purification," Rui urged. Alone, with Michael?

"Sure thing, Rui!" I said.

Michael and I had pretty much walked all the way around the HQ Lab, when Michael kicked off the conversation.

"Lovrina,"

"Call me Ashley," I found myself saying.

"Why?"

"I was taken from my family at birth, and raised among these Cipher crooks to do their bidding. According to Eldes, my birth name was Ashley."

"OK… listen, Ashley… I do like you. I really do. But I was expecting Megg to be the Snagger." So Eldes' plan worked.

"Yeah, Eldes met her a while back. He heard the whole story of how she Snagged the Mawile. We pretty much-"

"Wait, you and Eldes were in this thing together?"

"Come on. I'm the head scientist. I don't know everything about Cipher. Plus, the guys didn't take me seriously, thank you Ardos, so I needed Eldes' help to get anything done." I tugged unconsciously at this overly tight uniform they had me wearing. Better get some better clothes soon.

"Makes sense."

"Yeah, anyway, I made sure to cover my tracks, and at any chance I could, conceal myself. If it was conceivable that you could confuse me for Megg, I rigged the situation so you would. If someone could identify me, mainly Ardos and Greevil, I made sure to be out of their way as the Snagger." I didn't mention that it was Eldes' plan, and I hated every second of it. Not yet, anyway. Perhaps not ever.

"And Eldes made sure that he was in contact with Megg, making her a sure-fire candidate," Michael put together.

"Yes. Also lucky Megg had a crush on you," I blurted out.

"Wait, I'm confused now. Do you have a crush on me, or is that just pretending to be Megg?"

I responded with a simple hug. Michael could hug me back this time.

"I'll take that as a yes," Michael said. YES! Michael did want to reciprocate my feelings!

"Michael, we're almost done," Rui stated. All but one Shadow Pokémon was purified. Shadow Lugia was still to be done, however.

"Lovrina, is it purifiable?" Rui asked.

"You still don't trust me? Yes, it's purifiable. Like I would cave in to Greevil." I stepped into the Purify Chamber, and looked at the Sets. All were running at full tempo. I placed Shadow Lugia into one of the Sets.

Something's different about the LUGIA! Maybe…

Green lights surrounded the Set, as Hitmonchan, Magneton, Farfetch'd and Exeggutor let their hearts wide open. The energy struck Lugia, surrounding it in a green orb. Purple light was expelled from its heart.

LUGIA opened the door to its heart!

"Like I said, I would never have harmed a Pokémon like that! XD001 received no adjustments after you were kidnapped, Professor Krane!"

"Thank you, Lovrina," Professor Krane said. They had all realised: I was on their side. I wanted them to succeed.