VulpixTrainer: Okay, I am sincerely sorry about the small drought of updates, and it seems that you are very happy at my return. And now, to the disclaimer.

Firestorm: VT owns nothing of Pokemon. Do you get it yet? Only Nintendo and Game Freaks Inc. own Pokemon. Also, please do not ask VT when the next one is. It will be done when it's done. Got it?

VT: Firestorm, easy. In fact, let's start now.

A Parent's Secret

"So, how is he?" Renard Vixen asked her son as she sat down beside him on one of the blue couches in the Pokemon Center. While she sat down she also handed over Ethan's Pokebelt to Matthew.

"Not too well," Matt said as he sighed and leaned back into the blue couch, looking like he had aged a few years. "I feel like a father that nearly had his son taken from him…" Matt just stopped, realizing what he had just said.

There was a small pause before he continued, "What I am trying to say is that I saw Dark Wind's life flash by my eyes in the seconds that he was in that dark ball, how he was scared of Doctor Evil P, Evil Mastermind of Pokemon kind, how excited he was at starting school," Matt then laughs before continuing

"The time he sneaked into my classroom to wish me happy birthday, and then when he evolved into an Umbreon. It was a beautiful night, in the middle of a forest meadow in Viridian Forest, a full moon above us, and then boom! a pure white glow around his small body and then soon it seemed as if the shadows became him, the only hint he was there were two red, glowing eyes, as well as those gold rings. I couldn't have been prouder of him that at that time. I was a little surprised at first, but that went away very fast. I must have changed training plans five times since, still looking for a suitable plan for him." Matthew, after saying all this, only slumped further into the couch, tears now near to running down his face.

"But now look, he's in the ER and I don't know if he will pull through. Oh, if only I could take his place in there. I have had experience with what happens behind those twin doors more often that I would like to think about."

At that moment the sign that had been lit up in red turned off, indicating that the procedure was finished. The only thing left was to tell those outside how it went. The seconds that were between the sign turning off and the Nurse Joy coming out felt almost like the lifetime of a Ninetales.

Nurse Joy came out, her face revealing neither good nor bad news, a perfect mask that only elevated the mounting tension.

The nurse smiled at the two sitting on the couch and then spoke her words to them, "I'm please to say that Dark Wind is to make a full recovery. In fact, he is being moved to recovery room number three, if you would kindly follow me." She then turned around and, with Matthew Vixen with his two Vulpix following him along, his mother in tow, led them all to the third door in one of the hallways leading off the main foyer of the Pokemon Center.

(Six Minutes later)

"So," Matthew said as he sat down on a chair that he dragged to the side of the hospital bed, "care to explain how you knew about our little secret? Just please don't say you saw that man suck Ethan into a dark ball. You acted much too calm for that story to hold water." So this is what it feels like being the one in the chair, Matthew thought as he awaited an answer from his mother.

But before she could answer, the window overlooking the back of the Pokemon Center, which showed a courtyard of sorts, blew in, showering the people in the room with broken glass and debris along with smoke. Coughing on the smoke, they both barely heard the command but soon they could feel a breeze sending the smoke back out the broken window. Soon the two could see that standing on the cold floor in front of the open window was a lady Matthew had grown to dread and not like very well, Shadow Moon.

"Stop right there, you fiend. I will not let you finish the evil deed that you seem to have started." Then Becky Samantha White Sparks walked into the room, her Pidgeotto walking in behind her, Ruth sparking electricity from her checks and looking at the lady menacingly.

All of a sudden and in fluid motion, Mrs. Renard Vixen stood up and, while turning to face the Mightyena, threw a Pokeball, revealing Flood, who immediately took up a battle position.

"Please, women, I am not here to battle inferior beings like yourselves, I am here to claim my three lost pack members, so if you…." She suddenly jumped right, melting into the shadows, eluding the blast of electricity that had come from Ruth, who had jumped to the ground and sent off a bolt of lighting during the conversation.

She suddenly appeared again right above the still form of Ethan, looking like she was about the grab him, when she got a muzzle full of a dark matter ball from Eve, who had during the entire time stayed still next to Ethan.

"UMBREON!" (TAKE THAT, YOU WITCH!) Eve yelled as the Mightynea fell back into the shadows. Eve then leaped into the shadows as well, following the creature that had plagued them from the start of the journey.

Ethan, after about two tense minutes in which no sound or sign of wakefulness was heard or seen, woke up groggily and, after a few large blinks of his eyes spoke in Umbreon, "Umbreon, um eon breon umbreon?" (Matthew, where is Eve?) Ethan's voice sounded weak and confused. At this time Eve came out of the shadows on the other side of the room and staggered forward before collapsing into a heap. Along with Eve a voice seemed to sound from the shadows themselves. "You have not seen the last of Shadow Moon. You will meet me again, and I will win."

Eve, with the last of her strength, gave out a snarl of defiance before total blackout. Sir Thief, who during the battle had somehow or another gotten out, responded to Ethan's question, "Rattata atta." (There she is, kid.) Ethan only rolled his blood red eyes before he, too, fell asleep.

Mrs. Vixen, seeing that the threat was over, went over to Eve and picked her up and placed her on the other bed in the room. At that moment Nurse Joy came rushing in with Officer Jenny, along with Mr. Timothy Vixen. Right away Officer Jenny began to take photos while Nurse Joy questioned the humans in the room on what had happened. The Pokemon only settled down and stayed out of the way.

(Evening time, Recovery Room #5)

"Now Matt, I believe that before you ask us again what is going on, you deserve some of the truth…" Mr. Vixen was seated in one of the chairs near the window, this one being one of those new ones claiming to be Pokemon proof.

"Dad, before you begin, can I try and guess your real job?" Matthew asked as he leaned forward in his chair. They were both facing each other. The rest of the group of people had all fallen asleep. A half crescent moon was shining through the window of the recovery room, casting long shadows that streamed from the furniture. Matthew, Matt, Firestorm, and Timothy Vixen were the only ones awake at that moment. Mrs. Vixen and Becky had gone to sleep a while ago when their shift on lookout duty was over. "I think you and Mom are members of some elite police force. I mean, the way mom handled that attack in the diner, and the way she was about to handle the attack that Shadow Moon was launching, well, she did not just do it impromptu. She was trained for that type of work, right?"

Mr. Vixen just leaned back a little more while chuckling to himself. "I can see why Team Rocket wants you back so badly. Barely anything gets by you. In fact, even we have had a hard time keeping track of you three in the wild, and we are the G-men force. In fact, our leader himself has told me that as soon as you figured this out, I was to give you this badge…" He then began to reach into an inside coat pocket for something for Matthew when a hand fell on his own. He looked up into his son's moist eyes.

"No, Dad. Thank you, but no. I want to be as normal a trainer as I can with this condition. I don't think now is the time for me in the G-men force. Sorry, Dad. Pease convey my thanks to your boss, but the answer is no" Matthew said in a tone that said he was touched by the offer but also had a firmness to the answer he gave.

Timothy only smiled, tears in his eyes as well. "Yes, Son, I understand your wishes, but still I must admit it would have been nice to have you working with us, along with Ethan and Becky. We all could have given Team Rocket a run for their money and maybe even been able to finish the entire organization off. Be it by your own mind or a cross of human and Ninetales brain I can see that you can see your own pitfalls, but be careful; that mind may become its own pitfall. Always trust your gut feeling, even when your mind says everything is fine. But be careful out there. We can't watch over you forever, Son."

"Yes, I know, Dad," Matthew said, his voice almost breaking. After a few times of clearing it, he continued, "Now, what do you say to us keeping watch instead of just acting like two old men who are reminiscing about bygone years?" He was met with a soft but pure chuckle form his dad, who was being as quiet as he could with people resting.

Neither of them noticed a pink glow that seemed for a second to come from within Matthew's backpack before fading just as fast as it had appeared.

(Celadon Gym)

Ethan was looking a little weak, but other than that, like the nurse had said, he was ready to travel, but no battling for another day. Of course he was not going to battle, he was going to lead one. Already he has been filled in on what had happened so far to everyone, including that mom and dad where part of the G-men force.

"So, are you all ready for our easiest gym match?" he crowed in a cocky tone of voice, irritating everyone in the group, but they all knew that due to them having fire-types, yes, this would be a pushover. However, Matthew and Becky both had a feeling that they would be facing even harder events in the future, maybe even the battle they dreaded, a full-blown Team Rocket attack that they could not hold back. But for now, Ethan's mood just bolstered and even lifted Matthew's and Becky's moods back to a sunny outlook.

I may end up battling for my life, that much may be true, but for now I will enjoy the wonderful weather as well as the good times on this journey, Matthew said in his head right before following Ethan through the sliding glass door into the main gym foyer and the registration desk for battles. Through windows along the back inside wall they could see a lush greenhouse garden. The pack was now entering their fourth gym match for the Rainbow Badge.