A/N: As I mentioned on the forums, I had to push back the beach chapter in order to advance the plot and get over my writer's block. There IS still going to be a beach chapter, so don't fret. Enjoy the chapter!

Operation Roux

Shane Clarke walked into the enormous common room of the mansion to see a beautiful woman with ocean blue eyes, long blonde hair, and nearly flawless skin on the phone, in the middle of a deep conversation.

"Are you serious?" she shouted in the phone. "You shot her? Zaria, what would Mother say if she were still alive? Yes...I realize that Iris is a lunatic. However...Very well, I will speak with you later..."

Laurina Clarke hung up the phone and looked up to see her son staring at her in confusion. "Mother...I came to tell you that we were about to leave for the plane to Cherrygrove City. Is everything alright?"

"Apparently your Aunt Zaria was involved in an attack against Logan Martin about two weeks ago..."

"Martin?"

Laurina nodded her head. "Iris Martin was shot by Zaria and the Mackenzie girl was poisoned by your aunt's Drapion. I believe both of them were in the hospital."

"Really?" Shane replied. "I thought it was something bad. I mean, I couldn't care less about Iris Martin, but Muk-Face Mackenzie? Yeah, this is pretty much a prayer that's been answered. It's too bad the ambulance didn't crash on the way to the hospital with Muk-Face in it. That would have made a story. Plus, she probably wouldn't need plastic surgery. Not even a car crash can make her any uglier than she already is..."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Laurina said as she kissed her son on the forehead. "Neither of them are of any concern to me. Have fun in Johto, Shane..."

"Mom, once again, I'm sorry," Logan said sincerely. "Like for real. I thought I should let you know before I leave."

"You should be!" Riri shouted at him. "It's your fault-"

"Don't blame him!" Coco yelled at her twin. "You're the one who didn't come to the meeting! At least he was there!"

Iris stepped in between her daughters. "Corral, Rielle, please sit down." Logan snickered as his sisters took a seat. He always found it hilarious when they were called by their full names. Iris adjusted her cast before speaking. "Listen, you three. I am fine. I want you to quit worrying. In several weeks, I will have this cast taken off and it will be like it never happened."

"It did happen, though..." Logan said. "My friend was poisoned and if it wasn't for Agent Jones and Jett, things could have gotten worse. If I hadn't been so mad at you-"

"Logan, relax," Iris said calmly. "You are wearing yourself out. I talked to Henrietta's mother. She told me that she's doing just fine. You didn't leave with Zoey last night and as much as it pains me to see one of my children leave for nine months, I need you to go to Louhearst. Dean Horace can offer better protection than I can and your father agrees. Now, please go. Jett is outside waiting for you."

"Bye, Logan..." the twins said in unison.

"I'll be fine," Iris said as she kissed her son on the forehead. "And for the hundredth time, apology accepted. Have fun in Johto, Logan..."

He grabbed the rest of his stuff and rushed outside to see Jett texting on his phone. "Dude, what was taking you so long? I was just texting you."

"I was just saying bye to my mom and sisters," Logan told him. "Anyway, I heard Rietta's doing pretty good."

"Yeah. Aria told me that the medicine she's been taking has been making her like loopy and it makes her super hungry. It's like a stoner pill if you think about it. Anyway, let's get ready to-"

"Yoohoo, Jett!"

A silver sports-car pulled up beside them and Logan saw a girl with shoulder-length auburn hair and grey eyes step out of the car. She had slightly tan skin and a small, petite build.

"Jessica!" Jett nearly yelled. "H-How did you get that car?"

"Birthday present," she remarked dryly. "Oh, but you wouldn't know since you dumped me two hours before I got it. I wanted to apologize to you about the whole 'cheating' thing. I'm willing to give us a second chance if you take a ride with me to Louhearst. Oh, did I forget to tell you that-"

"You're going to Louhearst!" Jett finished. "And all I have to do is get back together with you to ride in that badass sports-car?"

"Would you rather drive?" she asked as she winked at him.

"Hell yeah!" he shouted as he dashed for the driver's seat. "Logan, I'll see you in Cherrygrove with my new girlfriend! Later!"

Before Logan could reply, the car was already hallway down the street. He couldn't help to laugh at the situation as he made his way up a small dirt road. He found a small, lush green hill and took a seat before opening Mawile's Poké Ball.

"Mawile?"

"I just wanted someone to talk to," he told her. "You know I'm not going to go crying to everyone about my problems, but you're different, Mawile. I can actually talk to you."

"Mawiiiile!"

She nodded her head as she jumped in Logan's arms. "Thanks, Mawile." He took a deep breath. "Don's dead, there's a leader of a terrorist organization after me, Rietta got poisoned, Mom was shot and the government is trying to hide everything. The Mt. Moon thing still hasn't blown over and it's like things are just getting worse. And that's only the Soul Destroyer stuff. Two years ago, we wouldn't have even dreamed of any of this stuff happening to us."

"Mawiiile..."

"It made me realize that I had it so easy. The only thing in my life I didn't like was how annoying that Maggie Bellingham was and even she wasn't that bad. Even after I got to Louhearst, my biggest problem until Mt. Moon was just Clarke. After that it was the Cherry Boys and after I beat them, everything went smoothly for a while. I guess you can really never plan anything."

"Maawiiile..."

"There you are..."

Logan stood up and made his way down the hill as Xavier got off his Charizard. "Xavier, what are you doing here?"

"Listen," he began. "There are some things I want you to know. In life, there are things that are out of your control. What happened to Don Meladeo was not your fault. The same thing goes for what happened to your friend and your mother. That attack from Zaria was Monsiadem's fault. That being said, you never know what is going to happen next and not even fortune tellers like Cynda can fully predict the future."

"Where are you going with this?" Logan asked curiously.

Xavier took a deep breath. "Don was one of my only friends and I lost him at the hands of the Soul Destroyers. Your mother and friend were lucky to have survived, but the truth is, people and Pokémon are going to die. Lord Monsiadem and the Soul Destroyers are ruthless terrorists and will stop at nothing until they conquer the world."

"Is it true...?" Logan muttered. "If Monsiadem kills me and destroys my soul, I won't exist? What does that even mean?"

"I think I can answer that question. I got a lot of useful information from Saul Vella's book and from other sources. When people and Pokémon die, their souls go directly to the afterlife and they live on with full memories of their entire lives. If your soul is stolen, you cannot pass on. You'll be stuck wherever your soul is being held hostage at, but you can pass on if you're soul is freed. However, if a soul is destroyed...then yes, the person or Pokémon will cease to exist. They will be gone forever and everything they were, every memory they held, every emotion they shared vanishes completely. It is a fate worse than death..."

Xavier glanced at the horrified look on his younger cousin's face. His eyes were widened and his breathing had become heavier. Mawile seemed to be in a similar state.

"Gone forever..." Logan whispered to himself. "Gone...forever..."

"Which is why you must live," Xavier said. "And Monsiadem must be dealt with. Saul Vella knew about this stuff which is the main reason that he had a change of heart. Hell, if Samuel Clarke or even the most dangerous Soul Destroyers knew exactly what Monsiadem was planning, they would be sick to their stomachs. Listen, I'm not trying to scare you, Logan, but you have the right to know what will happen if Monsiadem wins and that's why, you must be strong. That being said, I want you to have something..."

Logan stared at Xavier in confusion as he handed him a Poké Ball. "A Poké Ball..."

Xavier nodded his head as Charizard moved closer to them. "I want you to have...Charizard."

"WHAAAT?"

"I want you to have Charizard," Xavier repeated calmly. "She and I made this decision together and she has accepted it."

"She? Wait, you never said your Charizard was a girl..."

"I never said she wasn't a girl," Xavier remarked as a faint smile formed on his face. "Anyway, like I said, Don was one of my only friends in the world. He was like family to me and blood couldn't have made us any closer. However, Don's soul passed on when he was killed. As long as Monsiadem is alive, your very existence is in danger. Charizard is an excellent flier and she can protect you."

"Xavier, I can't accept your Charizard. I mean, she was the first Pokémon you had. You raised her from a Charmander. That's like me getting rid of Mawile or Bellossom. They were given to me by my mom and my sisters and-"

"Charizard was given to me as a Charmander by your mother," Xavier interrupted. "I only turned out this way because of your mother's influence. Without her, I don't know where I would have ended up. The least I can do for my aunt is protect her only son from a fate worse than death. Don't worry about me. I have other Pokémon and this is not only for your protection."

Logan arched an eyebrow. "It's not?"

"It's for Charizard's protection as well. There are plenty of things I have to do for the Heart Warriors and all of my allies as well as my enemies, are aware that I have a Charizard. If she is with you, under the protection of Dean Horace, her safety is guaranteed. Please, Logan, do this for me."

Logan stared at Charizard and then at the Poké Ball in his hand. He sighed before nodding his head. "I'll take her, but I'm going to have to leave a Pokémon here in Viridian City. Riri's always talking about how she wants to use Crobat to scare away the kids from our yard..."

"I'll take Crobat to your sisters," Xavier told him.

Logan nodded his head and handed over Crobat's Poké Ball to Xavier. "So, I guess this is it, for now?"

"Take care of yourself, Logan. Charizard, be good for Logan..."

"When will I see you again? Will you be back as Jimmy Ames?"

"I'm afraid my days as a janitor are over, but whenever you need me, I'll be there. You can count on it..."

Xavier gave his younger cousin a quick hug before doing the same to Charizard. Logan watched as he disappeared down the old dirt road leaving him alone with Mawile and Charizard.

"Well," he started. "Me and Jett were going to go through Tohjo Falls, but since he's hitting 90 in a 35, he'll probably be in Cherrygrove in about five minutes. Ugh, I wish Emma had a cell phone so I could call her and let her know that I still haven't left. We're already behind and it will be morning by the time we get to Cherrygrove if we go through Tohjo Falls, so "I think-"

"Hey, Logan!"

He looked up to see Roux flying towards them on her own Charizard, Vulcan.

"There you are! Vulcan, go ahead and land..."

"So, that's the whole story..." Logan finished. "You're the only one I'm going to tell. I don't want Jett, Rietta, or Emma knowing at least not just yet. So can you try to keep it a secret?"

"Sure..." Roux replied as she stared at the ground. "I mean this is bigger than anything I ever imagined. It's more than just life and death. It's like your very existence."

"Uh, yeah. That's why I asked you to keep it a secret. You're the only one I can tell who won't freak out..."

"Well, it was cool that Xavier gave you his Charizard. Look, Logan, you've been through a lot lately, and I came by to see if you wanted to you know, take your mind off of everything."

"Definitely..."

Roux grinned and then hopped on Vulcan. "Well, it's time for part one of Operation: Take Logan's mind off of all this crap." She grinned. "There's an abandoned warehouse right before you get to Tohjo Falls. Get on your Charizard and race me there."

"Hmm, what do you say, Charizard? Are you up for it?"

Charizard nodded her head as Mawile climbed on Logan's shoulders. He carefully made his way on Charizard's back and awaited the signal from Roux.

"Go!"

Logan looked back and grinned as he rode through the sky on Charizard. They had passed Roux and Vulcan moments ago and now they were nowhere in sight. He looked at the land below to see a run-down warehouse a few miles from Tohjo Falls.

"There it is, Charizard! Go ahead and land!"

Charizard landed on the ground and Logan hopped off of her with Mawile in his arms. "Ha! It looks like we beat-"

"Took you long enough..."

The dark-haired, green-eyed girl approached them with a large smirk on her face. "You so cheated," Logan told her.

"Cheated or outsmarted?" Roux replied. "Come on, let's go inside. It's time for part two of Operation: Take Logan's mind off of all this crap."

They entered the warehouse and Logan noticed that it was full of junk. It contained absolutely nothing that would be of any use. "Roux, what's the point of coming here?"

"To help you get your mind off of everything," she answered simply as she picked up an old wooden bat and smashed a nearby lamp. "And nothing does that better than breaking random shit." She tossed him the bat. "Here, try it."

"Alright..." Logan said as he smashed the small table with the bat. "You know, this does feel kinda good." He smashed a couple of carts and grinned. "Hey, Mawile, Charizard, come on in!"

"Maaaawiiile!"

Mawile rushed in and immediately began breaking things while Charizard was more reserved. Roux called her Charizard in as well as she began smashing the windows of the warehouse.

"No reason, we can't all have a little fun," she said as she reached for the rest of her Poké Balls. "Logan, let out your other Pokémon!"

No less than five minutes later, there was complete chaos in the warehouse. Mawile, Golduck, Bellossom, and Primeape seemed to be having an endless amount of fun along with Roux's Plusle, Politoed, Absol, and Porygon2. Charizard and Vulcan were flying around outside the warehouse. As a matter of fact, the only two not having fun was Roux's Chimecho and Zangoose. The former was due to shyness while the latter was just being himself.

"Come on, Zangoose," Logan told him. "Have a little fun. You see those glass tables over there? Why don't you use Crush Claw?"

"Zaaan..."

He reluctantly went along with his trainer and began smashing the tables. By the time everything was nearly destroyed, the sun had set and night had arrived. The group made their way out of the warehouse and to the outside of Tohjo Falls.

"Alright everyone," Logan began as he moved closer to Charizard. "I want you all to be nice to Charizard." He looked directly at Zangoose. "All of you..."

"Hey," Roux interrupted. "You ready for part three of Operation: Take Logan's mind off of all this crap?"

"Part three?"

She nodded her head and grinned. "Part three..."

Logan stared down at the roaring Tohjo Falls and looked at Roux like she was crazy. "Part three is sliding down a waterfall!"

"Yep," she answered. "Don't worry, there aren't any sharp rocks at the end. I had Lir check it out. We didn't get to go to the beach, so I figured we should at least do this."

"Fine..."

"Good. Now stay right here and I'll be back in a sec."

She walked towards the entrance and Logan changed into his swimming trunks. Golduck was beside him, completely calm and relaxed. As crazy as Roux's 'three part operation' was, it was actually working and Logan knew that he was having fun, more fun than he had in a long time. As he thought about flying through the sky on Charizard and sliding down the waterfall, he suddenly remembered that Roux mentioned that she had developed a fear of heights over the summer.

"She hasn't even shown it..." he muttered to himself. "Is she hiding it just to make me feel better?"

"Hey, I'm back..."

Roux made her way back over to him and Logan found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. Her hair was tied back and her hunter green eyes stood out in perfect contrast against the light inside the falls. She was in a dark purple bikini and even though she was nearly as skinny as she was a year ago, her legs were quite toned and she seemed to be developing a few curves. In fact, it seemed like she was the exact opposite of Emma in both physical appearance and personality.

"Hey," she called out as she noticed his gaze. "Eyes up, dude. The last thing I want is for people to start thinking that I'm trying to steal you from your girlfriend." She grinned. "Now, grab a hold to Golduck and I'll grab onto Lir."

Logan did as he was told and grabbed onto Golduck as Roux took a hold of her Politoed. "When do we jump?"

"Now!"

Their yells could be heard from the depths of the falls as they slid down the water on their Pokémon.

"This is so awesome!" Logan shouted.

"Goooolduuuuck!"

When they hit the bottom of the waterfall, Logan and Roux found themselves surrounded by water Pokémon as they moved underwater. They raced through the water until they reached enough land for both of them to stand on.

"And part three is done!" Roux yelled. "How do you feel?"

"A lot better," Logan answered. "I-I don't even know what to say. Thank you, Essa."

"Essa?" Roux said as a smile formed on her face. "Well, I guess we're on a level where you can call me that, but it's a special privilege, so don't abuse it. I will, however, murder you in your sleep if you say the whole name." They laughed as Golduck and Lir played around in the water. "I am glad that you had a good time, Logan. I did too."

Logan nodded his head as they wrapped their arms around each other. He didn't simply have a good time, he had a great time and he realized that he may not have had as much fun if it was someone other than Roux. Despite everything that was going on in his life, he knew that a moment where he could just kick back and have fun was worthwhile. Whether it was flying through the sky on a Charizard, breaking things in an old warehouse, or sliding down a waterfall, Logan could not think of a better way to spend his last day before he had to return to Louhearst and he definitely had Roux to thank for that.

"A-Alright," Roux said as she finally broke the hug. A blush formed across her face. "Can't have too much of that. We better get ready for tomorrow..."

So, Xavier gave Logan his Charizard, we learned exactly what happens if someone's soul is destroyed, and Roux's three part operation helped Logan have fun for the first time in a year. Also, we met Jett's ex (now once again) girlfriend, Jessica and we learned that she'll be at Louhearst this year. Speaking of Louhearst, it is time for all the characters to reunite with their friends and foes, so stay tuned for next chapter.

Also, feel free to check out and submit characters for 'Spirit of Omicron' and 'The Dacions' (That last one is a very dark fic, just so you know) and feel free to come to the discussion and join the RP's of the stories on the forum.

Later!