Damn it. Damnity-damn-damnaroo. Just where the hell were all the fruit bearing trees? How did anyone in the region eat around here? Kevin found himself growling after discovering that none of the local vegetation seemed to show any signs of being edible – at least not for his diet.

He vaguely remembered being taught that most regions other than Hoenn didn't have the proper climate to sustain the growing season year round, but this was just getting ridiculous. It didn't help that the landscape currently surrounding him had gradually changed from grassy field-like areas to the base of a mountain.

Mount Chimney had grass growing on it. Why couldn't this one?

Kevin kicked a nearby rock to vent his anger, then turned to his right. He had passed the borders of the city in front of him several times while searching for nourishment but never actually considered entering it. From its appearance, it looked like it was a mining town; there was a giant entrance to a cavern that was apparently open to the public and a ton of rubble littering the ground around it, along with what looked like construction materials. Either way, the city was brown, not green.

While he was off on his adventure before, back home, in the more civilized parts, he'd sometimes try and get some market stall owner to give him some food out of pity. He'd long since mastered looking adorable to humans. But due to his evolution and the general societal differences, he somehow doubted that it'd work as well. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot.

He wandered into the city, squinting in an attempt to find some place that would be selling food. To his dismay, there didn't seem to be any open stalls, which meant he'd have to visit a grocery store or a restaurant or something instead. At least one building had the decency to include an oran berry on their sign, making that store his best bet.

He stepped into the store cautiously. Nobody cared that he was a Pokémon, apparently, while he wandered around the produce section. A couple of customers gave him weird looks, but nothing to the point of trying to kick him out. He supposed that was better than nothing.

Kevin gazed across the baskets of fruits. Oran berries came in giant boxes that would satisfy a Snorlax, at least for breakfast. Whatever. It wasn't like he was that picky. The other berries were the same, individual sale being pointless for humans, he figured. That left stuff like bananas, oranges, peaches, apples…

He smirked. There was only one person in the world who would happily eat apples all day, and that was his little brother. Kyle loved the fruit for no other reason than it being "delicious" and everything else apparently tasting like garbage. Personally, Kevin liked peaches more, but for nostalgia's sake, he'd go for apples today.

Deciding that two would be enough for one dinner, Kevin grabbed a pair of golden delicious (the kind that Kyle once declared was the absolute king of all fruits) and set off towards the checkout. And then… well, he hoped that there was some sympathetic teenage girl who thought he was like, totally cute and she'd gladly pay for the food with her own pay check. He hoped.

Unfortunately, the only people working were middle-aged people, who Kevin had learned were much, much more cynical about saving up their money. Something about mortgages, whatever those were. Then maybe… just… try and be friendly? It was really all he could do.

He took a deep breath and marched up to some lady with her hair up in a bun. She eyed him carefully, as if he was going to cause trouble or something. Maybe Sinnoh wasn't so different after all.

"Um, hey…" Kevin began. "Look. I'm starving, there's nothing growing on the trees and I'm kind of broke. Do you think I could have these?" Flat-out honesty felt weird after the shouting match with Kari.

She hesitated. "You're not… the Shade, are you?"

Kevin blinked. The Shade was a Pokémon? And… not plural? "Um…"

The woman looked a little scared now. "Oh, um, you can have the apples, just… just don't do anything, okay? We're an innocent company and I'm just an employee that needs a bit of extra cash… please?"

He stared at her in confusion. "…Yeah, okay. Bye," he said before hurrying out.

While he ate his apples far up on a tree branch devoid of its own fruit, Kevin tried to remember everything he'd been told about the Shades, which was, frankly, next to nothing. The way people had spoken about it before made it seem like some sort of mystical event, like a shadow that had covered Sinnoh and left its Pokémon inhabitants with the ability to speak like humans. Not some Monferno creep who apparently stole food by threatening the people running the store.

If the latter was true, though, that meant that the Shades, plural, were a group of people and or Pokémon who went around being criminals. But why would that mean that Pokémon were suddenly able to speak human? He guessed that he needed a bit more information. Duh.

There was something unnerving about the way that the woman talked to him though – she asked him if he was the Shade, not just a Shade… So that meant their leader was a Monferno?

He suddenly remembered what that Iffy guy had said to him at the gym. "The Shades couldn't have been good for you, one of your own and everything…"

Okay, that settled it. Their leader was a Monferno, most likely from Hoenn as well. Well, that made a little more sense. Kevin's mother had always told stories about how the Mount Chimney clan had been borderline insane when she left, due to their passion to stay true to tradition. They'd even tried to kidnap her and his brother to bring her back; thinking she'd been brainwashed by his dad or something. So "the Shade" was a cuckoo who immigrated to Crazyland? Okay.

There was still one unsettling detail, though. He remembered something vague that Kari had said. What was it exactly?

You've got the wrong guy, whatever it is he's important for."

"Wrong guy, hm? Well, I guess that my sources could have been a little shady."

Somebody was looking for him… and the person was shady…

The Shades were hunting him down?

Crap.

The Shades were from Hoenn, or at least their leader was. The Hoenn clan loved tradition. Kevin's mom sort of… defied them. They got mad, and wanted her to come back, along with Kyle for some reason. Kevin hadn't been welcome because, well, apparently there were too many things wrong with him. And his dad? Even worse.

But now they were looking for him. Also his mother, he was sure. And probably his father and brother too. And once they found them, they'd take back his mom and brother and most likely try and kill the rest of them, since by their definition, his father was a demon… and therefore Kevin was too. Well, technically he'd be half-demon, but that probably wouldn't matter…

In short, it wouldn't be good if they found him.

So, if Kari knew about the whole thing… Was she part of some sort of secret rebellion against the Shades? Staying undercover so that he wouldn't turn on her if he joined up with the Shades or something? And maybe, when she had been muttering to herself back in Eterna Forest, she was actually relaying information… Maybe with a secret communicator?

Wait, wait, wait… He was getting a little wild with his theories. Secret agents wouldn't think that he was a ghost. That was what she was wondering, right? So maybe…

Ha! She was one of their almost-victims, managing to escape while also overhearing who they planned to kill next: a blue-eyed Chimchar with a human's name. She was talking to herself because… they'd addled her brain through torture so much that she was somewhat insane too. Yeah. That would explain why her eye was scarred; a consequence of the struggle she went through to get away. And when she met him, she tried to warn him subtly so that she wouldn't be caught again. Yes, that had to be it. It had to.

His mother's strange reaction to the phone call he'd given her made sense now, too. She'd probably been contacted by… Someone… who told her that she was going to be attacked soon. Naturally, she was in a panic and wanted to warn his father. That's why she needed to call Cory first.

But, wait. If Kevin was already on the phone, why not just tell him then and there? Maybe she was just in a panic…

Well, he'd figured something out. Now if he could only find out where the Shades were, he could inform the police or whatever to get them arrested. And then he and his family could rest easy, and Kari could stop nagging him about everything being so obvious and right in front of his nose.

Heh, for once, things were finally looking up.

"Can you tell me where the third gym is? I'm looking for a trainer."

"East, I think."

"Um… 'Kay, but is it like, in a city or…?"

"It's called Hearthome. Giant city with a humongous park and contest hall. Haven't you heard of it before?"

"Er, no, I'm not from here—"

"Whoa, wait! Are you Mr. Shade? Oh, uh, can I get your autograph?"

"What?"

"I take it you haven't come across a fan in a while, then, right? That must be why you're kind of disguised, am I right? You're a smart guy. But don't worry, Mr. Shade. A few of us see right through that liar's claims. We're on your side."

"Um… thanks?"

"So, the autograph?"

"Um, I can't really write…"

"Oh right, I guess you can't without a pen… Oh well. Really cool meeting you!"

Kevin stared after the enormous Pokémon. It was like Bidoof, but evolved.

Did he… Did he just meet an evil guy who was actually friendly? Or were his conclusions completely wrong?