Oh, boy. We are really building suspense aren't we? I'm really excited for these next few chapters. Theres even a chance that I might be able to post an additional chapter after a few days, but we'll see. I'd like to thank thor94; your reviews have been helpful and I appreciate your input. I also am pleased to say that I have 3 favorites and 4 followers for this story. That isn't much but it means that people are at least reading this. Also, make sure to read the afterword below when you finish with this chapter. With that all said, lets continue.

Shaymin: You guys are awesome.

Ash: Thanks for reading.

Me: And get ready for Chapter 9. Here we go.

Chapter 9: A Growing Intensity

Storage Train (Forty nine minutes till zero.)

The storage cabin had been in heated discussion. Ash and the two other trainers conversed about what course of action should be taken. While not completely adamant to a specific idea, Ash was supportive of an aggressive response to Zero and his demands. Brock was calmer than he was and called for a more passive response. Dawn stood somewhere in the middle, with slight leaning towards Ash. What would be done depended entirely on whether or not the humans were willing to surrender the legendary Pokemon they were acquainted with. Throughout the entire eleven minutes of discussion, Shaymin never spoke. Brock began listing the three possible plans as to what they could do. They all listened attentively.

"As I see it we have three options." Brock began. "Plan A is leaving the train. This doesn't save anyone except us, but it does give us a chance to get help and bring down Zero."

"We can't just run!" Dawn exclaimed before lowering her voice. "That will put everyone in serious danger."

"Whats Plan B?" Ash asked.

"Plan B is that we agree to Zero's demands and hand Shaymin over. This could save the people on the train and possibly end all conflicts with Zero, but we have no idea what would happen to Shaymin."

"Plan B is basically appeasement!" Ash angrily interrupted. "Plan B is basically letting Zero win."

"I'm just stating our options. This brings us to Plan C" Brock said calmly. "Plan C is that we risk the lives of the passengers and attack Zero's Magnamite and attempt to save everyone while still keeping Shaymin with us."

"I like Plan C." Ash exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yes it is the best but only if if if we can stop the Magnamite." Brock explained. "Its our most risky option by far."

"I still think we should choose Plan C, we can't abandon these people but we also can't give up Shaymin. Plan C seems to do this."

"Well Brock does make a good point in that Plan C has the most improbable rate of success." Dawn admitted. "We need to decide what we do carefully."

"We've gotten ourselves out of dangerous situations before." Ash said rather bluntly with determination on his face.

"Yeah, but I'm not concerned about ourselves." Dawn replied. "I'm concerned about the other passengers."

Ash bowed his head slightly as he understood that she had a point. Even though they were experienced, this train had many innocent people on board, possibly children. He couldn't risk them so easily without serious consideration. Five years ago, he probably would have done something rash, and in all probability, be dead by now. He had matured and he realized that while he didn't like it, he had to be realistic. And that meant possibly negotiating with a madman, if he didn't end up negotiating with the threatened passengers first.

"So lets review." Brock began once again. "Plan A is that we lose everyone on the train but we have a chance to stop Zero together. Plan B gives Shaymin up but could save everyone else. Finally, Plan C tries to save both the passengers and Shaymin but could end up killing everyone instead."

"Theres a fourth option." Shaymin interrupted suddenly. Everyone turned to the Pokemon to hear a new proposition. It became apparent that he had never spoken since they had gone on board. They silenced their words and thoughts and listened attentively. "The three of you abandon the train and attempt to contact the authorities or stop Zero on your own." The trainers looked shocked to hear that it so far excluded itself from the plan. They feared asking what he had in mind for himself, no matter how obvious it seemed. Finally, one of them spoke up.

"What about you?" Dawn asked nervously.

Shaymin sighed before giving his response. Five words of absolute determination. Five words that showed both guilt and certainty. "And I turn myself in."

"No, Shaymin, no!" Ash screamed. "You can't!"

"Stop it, Ash!" Shaymin replied with fierceness. They never heard Shaymin talk with such intimidation before and Ash and Dawn stepped back a little. He was giving an order, and it was frightening. "Nobody here is going to die! Not for me!"

"Shaymin, what are you talking about?" Dawn asked. The Pokemon didn't wait to respond.

"Those people in the village have been killed!" He replied angrily. "That is what I am talking about! Giratina came for me, and those people were his victims! I do not plan on repeating that here onboard this train!"

"But Shaymin, if Zero captures you, think of what could happen." Dawn spoke up. "Giratina could find you and something bad might occur. You won't be able to get to the Flower Garden. You won't be able to meet your-"

"None of that is important now!" Shaymin snapped.

Taken back, the trainers looked at him with both stunned and confused expressions. "None of that matters?" Ash asked. "But...we took you here...we thought you needed us...thats why were in this with you. It was all for nothing?" Ash asked with a hint of anger. A voice was growing in his head. He deceived you. Dawn almost died because of him, he told himself. Those people are dead because of him. Now he's telling you it was all for nothing. How dare he?" Ash clenched his fists and began to sleep forward. Ash Ketchum, the boy who normally was caring to Pokemon, snapped.

"Why you!" He was held back by Dawn and Brock who kept him from taking out his anger on the grass type. The other Pokemon cowered as Ash began to get angry. Shaymin looked shocked and began to charge multiple Magical leaves for self defense. "WE ALMOST DIED FOR YOU! MY GIRLFRIEND WAS NEARLY KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU! NONE OF IT MATTERS? YOU DON'T MATTER!"

"ASH STOP IT!" Brock and Dawn screamed in unison. The boy squirmed but try as he might he could not break free of the firm grip of his friends. Eventually he managed to calm down enough to start arguing with them and not the Pokemon.

"You heard what he said. None of it is important. He lied to us!" Ash yelled.

"No, Ash, he didn't." Dawn yelled back.

"Why that little green bush is gonna pay. I'll hand him over to Zero myself if I don't kill him first-"

Ash was silenced by a rather powerful slap to the face. He stumbled backwards and fell against the walls of the storage cabin. Dawn looked angry but she also was looking hurt. Ash's expression changed from anger to shock. The realization of his outburst came back full force and he didn't feel good at all. Dawn, while shocked at her own power, continued to argue with newfound authority.

"Shaymin, didn't intend for any of this to happen!" She screamed. "He just wanted a little help and we were being nice, because that is who we are. We don't care about ourselves! If we did, then explain where we are right now? Taking your anger out on him is not going to help us. We need to work together. We can't change the past, but we can decide our future as well as the futures of everyone here."

Ash stood there as Dawn finished her own little outburst. He knew she was right. Shaymin is not guilty, he told himself. He himself was feeling guilty for his actions and wished he could take back what he said. He glanced down to see that Shaymin was watching Dawn with a warm expression; her defense of the legendary was greatly appreciated. He only glanced at Ash and the look was hard and strong. The charging Magical leaves stopped and hid themselves into his grass-like fur. He then glanced to Brock with a neutral expression, awaiting for the continuation of discussion.

"If we are quite through, lets decide our course of action." Brock began once again. "Time is of the essence."

"No argument there." Ash said glumly as further discussion began.

Passenger cabins (32 minutes until zero)

Looker had been amazed at how quickly the passengers began to become aggressive. After the shock had ended, there had been many bold statements made such as, "We can't sacrifice ourselves for this! A Pokemon?" and "We don't deserve to die!" Does anyone, Looker asked himself. The one smart thing that happened was that the women and children were relocated to separate cabins farther up the train. Whether or not it kept them safe was questionable, but it didn't matter. It calmed them all down and allowed the makeshift "squads" to move around the train in search of the three teenagers and the Pokemon, Shaymin. He hadn't revealed his identity to anyone, he wasn't trusting any with such valuable information, so he had no choice but to comply to the masses. There was no clear leader, even though Evan acted like he was in charge. Amazing how his personality seemed to change so quickly. He was once the friendly lighthearted passenger; now he was the gruff leader of the "search squad."

"We're gonna head to the back of the train, near the storage. Thats the only place that hasn't been swept." He said with sense of authority. He seems to like his new power position, Looker told himself.

"At least the women and kids are safe." Evan said to Looker.

"Your idea of safe is not the same as mine." Looker replied. Evan gave a weak smile as he and some of the other men came to a door marked, Cabin 8. He and the others entered the room and began to lift open crates, pull off sheets, and look in every inch and corner. No matter what they did, they would not be found.

"Nothing here." Evan said with disgust. Where the hell are they?" Looker knew that if these kids were smart they wouldn't reveal themselves. Yet, he reminded himself. Once they did find these kids, Looker figured he might have to reveal his cover to keep the angry mob from harassing them. They were only teenagers after all. He didn't think Evan would share the same view. When they moved on to Cabin 9, Looker wanted to step in first, but Evan beat him to it.

The room was dimly lit and the rocking of the train didn't help matters. It looked clean, Looker thought. He walked around, his footsteps echoing off the wooden floorboards. He began to sweep the room; his eyes scanned the area for any movement. His years of being an agent had prepared him to be attentive. No stone was left unturned. The others were less subtle in their searching. Their eyes were piercing through the room, like hungry vultures.

Evan was busily ordering others to looker harder. Looker could sense it, the anger. No, Looker corrected himself. He is not angry, he's scared. It won't be long before either he or someone else snaps. Looker continued looking. He wanted to find something, anything that looked strange. However, like many detectives, he realized he was overlooking. He was looking at something too deeply.

He was scanning for a clue when the answer was in plain sight.

He eyed a large brown crate. The top was slightly ajar and he walked towards it. Evan seemed to get the same idea and he looked at it as well. The stubborn man beat him too it and he was scanning the sides and the air around it. Then, ever so subtly, he began to move the lid.

Somewhere hidden (28 minutes till zero.)

Ash was filled with unbearable tension; a growing intensity that threatened to break out and scream. Being so cramped in a tight space was problematic. He felt like he was either rubbing against Dawn or rubbing against Brock. He also considered the unpleasant possibility that he might accidentally crush one of the Pokemon in the crate. Dawn was holding Piplup so that wasn't a problem. Shaymin was hiding in Ash's backpack, ironically, and was thankfully bot being a disturbance. The Pokemon that worried him was Pikachu. The electric mouse has been known to do things when uncomfortable. The last thing Ash needed was for his starter to let out a discharge of electricity and make his presence known to everyone.

While still frustrated at the current situation, he was grateful to have acted fast enough to hide. He barely heard the voices and he instinctively hid himself in the first thing he could find. His only regret was that his hiding spot was a little too obvious.

The wooden walls of the crate were too thick to see through, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was bad in that he had no way of knowing how close the outsiders were to him and his friends; it was good in that he was invisible as well.

But for how long?

He could feel the footsteps of a large man. His boots echoed off the floorboards and Ash tensed even more, barely suppressing a gasp. He could almost feel the hands of the man brushing against the still face of the crate. Then it passed by, as if nothing happened. For a long while there was nothing. Nothing but the stillness of the air. Even with a few voices on the outside, the crate was silent.

It was dreadful, the waiting. The unknowing of what would occur. Ash never thought he would be so scared of the average everyday people. He realized that the average everyday person that didn't expect to be put in a hostage situation.

"If you try to delay time and hide from the crew I am certain that those said passengers will not be quite so sympathetic to your cowardice."

Those words seemed to keep ringing and repeating in his brain. It was becoming a reality that the average man had become his worst enemy. If they found him and the others, Ash knew that all of their lives could be in jeopardy.

A noise.

His eyes, as well as everyone else's, widened as they saw they saw light slowly start to come into the brown interior. The top of the crate began to creak as the heavy lid was being lifted. Ash held his breath.

"Do you think they left?" A deep calm voice asked.

"Better not have." Another voice replied, this one higher and louder. "Those damn kids better come out soon or else that man is going to kill us all."

"What if he kills them?" The deep voice asked.

"Better them than us!"

Ash remained silent throughout all of the discussion, as did everyone else inside the crate. The lid was still slightly open as one of the speakers had not released his grip. Ash now got a hint of how he sounded like earlier. Hadn't he said something similar just a few minutes before? he asked himself. He was unsettled.

'In any case," the deep voice continued, seemingly unaffected by the others response, "I don't think they are here. Perhaps we missed them in one of the rooms before."

"Impossible." The other replied. "How could we?"

"You tell me. Tell you what. I will stay here and see what I can find while you repeat your search. If they come in here, they won't go far."

There was a silence and Ash could only hope that the idea was accepted by the other. Ash knew that he couldn't take all of these people on at once. That would be suicide. But one? As soon as the man opened the crate, Pikachu could jump up use Thunderbolt and stun the person outside. It wasn't the greatest plan, but it was something. He just hoped that he wasn't discovered right here, right now.

Suddenly, the lid dropped with a bang and Ash and the others inside could barely stifle their surprised gasps. "Fine." The other said. "I leave this with you."

"You won't regret it." The calm one said with small laugh.

There was noise and shuffling outside. Ash heard many people leave before the door finally shut. During the time of exit, Ash hand signaled to Pikachu and signed for him to be ready. The mouse nodded and quietly got in position. The other two seemed to understand what Ash was thinking, but they didn't see much to an alternative. The air was quiet again, or so it seemed. Several minutes passed, before the most unexpected thing happened.

"You all really are terrible at hiding." A voice said.

I hate to leave you on such a cliffhanger but hey, what can you do? Well, that chapter was hard to write but well worth it. If you want action, you may need to wait a little longer but don't worry, it will happen and it will be awesome. Just on a side note, I will take any opinions/suggestions for Pokemon for Looker. Since he doesn't have any on his own, I will allow both myself, and you readers, to get creative. What would Looker have, besides a Croagunk, which I don't really want him to have really? The requirements are that it has to be in Generation 4, preferably from Sinnoh, and can't be a legendary. I'll take any suggestions, but if your idea isn't picked, GG. Finally, PM me if you want and review review review.