Totum kept the flame alive in his hands for a few seconds before closing his fist and extinguishing the fire.

"Now do you see why the Master wants me?" his voice was choked with emotion.

"Yeah," Bandit croaked. "You're a fucking wizard."

"I'm not a wizard," Totum said. "It's not magic. I can just use every elemental attack."

"That's magic!" Bandit exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Pokémon aren't supposed to be able to do that. You get an elemental power and you're stuck with it. Those are the rules."

He started to pace the building, running a hand through the fur on his head. He stopped suddenly, giving Totum a suspicious look. "Wait, you said you can use every elemental attack?"

"In theory, yes."

"What do you mean by 'in theory'?"

Totum scratched his arm. He was starting to think that telling Bandit about his powers was a bad move. "I tried to do the basic attacks for each type. It's possible, but I can't achieve much. I've only really practiced with fire and psychic attacks. The others are too hard to use."

Bandit was totally lost at this point. Maybe he was imagining this entire conversation and he was really back in the cell, suffering from a concussion from the fall. He dismissed the thought. Even his subconscious wasn't this messed up.

"This doesn't make any sense," Bandit muttered, just loud enough for the Treecko to hear.

"I know it doesn't," Totum replied. "I mean, I can teleport for Arceus' sake."

"No way. Show me."

At that, Totum paled even more. He shook his head furiously. "Nope. I'm not teleporting. It hurts way too much to do."

"You're a wizard! How can it hurt?"

For a moment, Totum was silent. Then he started to laugh, only there was no humour in it. "You seriously think that this gift came without consequences? That it's some amazing blessing?"

"Yeah, of course," Bandit smirked. "I bet anyone would kill for a power like that."

"No man. This...this is a curse. Like you said: Pokémon aren't supposed to be able to use every element. It isn't natural. So whenever I use a different attack, an attack I'm not allowed to use, pain rips through my body. Sure, it's not so bad for small things, but the more powerful the attack, the worse the pain gets."

"Like a punishment," Bandit concluded quietly.

"Exactly," Totum said, relieved that the Pikachu was catching on. "Now you see why I can't be caught. So, will you teach me how to survive on the streets?"

Bandit thought it over for a second.

"Nope," he decided, turning his back on the Treecko.

"Are you serious?" Totum exclaimed. "I just told you that the Master wants me very badly and you're not going to help me?"

"That's why I'm not helping you," Bandit said, facing him again. "Hanging around you is the worst possible choice I have. The Master wants you more than me, so he'll go after you instead. I'm a free man, and once they have you, they won't be nearly as interested in me."

"Yeah, because they'll be turning me into a weapon!"

"And I'll go back to my life as a criminal. That's why I'm not going to help you."

Bandit resumed his departure, unaware of Totum's clenched fists. Totum had no way of convincing him to help through his own means. Getting Bandit to accept would require more forceful negotiation, which Totum hated doing. He didn't like to force people to do stuff that they didn't want to do, but he also didn't want to get captured. Summoning his courage, he took a deep breath.

"You realize that if you don't help me, you're screwed," he said softly, breaking Bandit's walk again.

"How so?" Bandit laughed. "You're gonna come after me with your weak-ass attacks? Yeah, I don't think so."

"If they capture me, I get turned into a weapon," Totum continued, keeping his voice even and his eyes trained to the ground.

"We literally just went over this, and once again, I don't care," Bandit said. At this point, he was just humoring the kid. He didn't have anywhere to be at the moment.

"Like any of the Master's forces, I'll be forced to do what he wants. He'll make me stronger, yet I'll have no control over my actions. He'll send me after his enemies."

"Remember how you told me that your attacks were really weak? You're not exactly a powerhouse. You are no real threat, at least not to me."

"Am I, Bandit?" Totum asked, finally raising his eyes to meet the Pikachu's. "The more I train with an element, the better I get at using it, the less it hurts. It may take months or years, but I'll eventually be able to use the other elements just as well as my grass attacks. When that time comes, who do you think he'll send me after?"

"The Resistance, obviously," Bandit answered, smiling at the absurdness of Totum's argument. "They're his greatest enemy. Who else would they send you after?"

"You," the Treecko responded simply.

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," Bandit muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Think about it," Totum said, walking forward slowly. "He's wanted you for years. He wants you so badly, he sends his best man after you whenever you get caught. Why would he do that? Why would he go through so much to catch a thief?"

"I dunno. Maybe 'cause I've been a giant pain in the ass since I started stealing from him?"

"No, he'd want you because you're known to be able to break into and escape any building possible. You're known to be capable of picking any lock. You have the reputation of the greatest thief alive. So when he captures you, he'd stick you on his enemies, just like he'll do to me."

"He'll make me break into the Resistance's headquarters," Bandit finished. His cocky attitude had disappeared, replaced by a feeling of foreboding.

Totum nodded. "Yes. Even if he doesn't catch me, he'll still go after you. I was last seen escaping with the great Bandit of Ambera. His forces will be on the lookout for you, now that they know what you look like. They'll come after you, thinking that you'd have information on me. Whether you help me or not, you'll still be the Master's number one target."

Bandit didn't speak. He was stunned into silence. There wasn't a way to argue with Totum's logic. What he said was true. Sure, he could flat-out refuse to believe him and get on with his life, but he couldn't do that. One of the reasons why he was still alive was by playing it safe, and that required taking in all possible accounts. It just took Totum's explanation to help him realize just how screwed he was.

"You don't have to do this for me," Totum said, standing only a few paces from the Pikachu. "From what I've seen, you've never done anything for anyone except yourself. So for your sake, will you teach me how to be a criminal?"

Bandit scowled and swore under his breath. "Fine. I'll teach you. You got a week to learn, though. I hope you learn fast because as soon as that week is gone, I don't want anything to do with you."

"Deal," Totum said with a smile, extending his hand. Bandit glared at it briefly, then shook it.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered, shaking his head.

Totum ignored his attitude. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, now that he knew what to do. He was confident that he would learn the skills necessary to survive.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"You wait here," was his response. He gave the Pikachu an accusing look, who chuckled lightly. "Don't worry; I'm not going to ditch you."

"Am I supposed to believe that? You seemed quite eager to leave me a few minutes ago."

"Hey, I may be a thief, but I'm a thief who keeps his word. When I make an agreement, I don't back out of it."

With that, he jumped off the roof and out of sight. Totum thought of following him, but decided against it. He wasn't too good at sneaking. If Bandit caught him, which he probably would, he wouldn't be happy at all to find him. Totum didn't even want to think what would happen if a guard found him.

Five minutes later, Bandit climbed back onto the roof. A burlap bag was draped across his back, one arm slung through its loops. It looked heavy, yet he didn't seem hindered by the weight. Maybe he was used to climbing with the extra baggage.

"What's in the bag?" Totum asked.

Bandit glanced at him, an odd look in his eye. "It's your freedom. With this, I'm going to make our lives a hell of a lot easier."

"Okay," Totum said uneasily. "Where are we going with it?"

That odd glint was back, accompanied by an unnerving smile. Totum realized what it was: humour. Whatever Bandit had in store, he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

"Are you up for another run?" he asked. Not waiting for an answer, he sprinted along the roof and jumped the gap with ease. Totum groaned, and set off after the thief.

Half an hour of running and jumping later, the two fugitives came to a rest in another alley. The streets were still crawling with guards, still looking for the escapees. Due to that fact, Bandit had led his new trainee through a series of rooftops and alleys, with an occasional sprint across the road. The thief knew what he was doing, and the guards never saw them.

Totum came to a rest next to the Pikachu, his hands on his knees while he panted. They had come to a stop next to an unmarked door.

"Why'd we stop here?" he asked between breaths.

"I told you," Bandit said, turning his attention to the Treecko. "We're getting some heat off you."

"How?"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that you need to ditch the name."

Totum stood up straight and gave Bandit a look of confusion. "Why do I have to ditch my name?"

Bandit face-palmed, groaning into his hand. This was going to be a long week. "Totum the Treecko is now one of the most wanted Pokémon in Ambera, maybe even higher on the list than me. If you go around using that name you're gonna attract every guard in the city. You need a new name, an alias, if you want to get by."

"So basically I have to change my name if I want to succeed as a criminal," Totum summarized.

Bandit nodded. "Right on. Plus, 'Totum' just sounds stupid. You should be glad you're getting a new one."

"Hey!" Totum protested. "What's wrong with my name?"

"Oh my Arceus. Just pick a name!"

"How can I just pick a new identity off the top of my head? It's not that easy."

"Yeah it is. Here, I'll help you out. Maybe Suds? Timmins? Drummond? Any of those sound good?"

Totum bit his lip, trying to decide. "I don't know..."

"Ah... screw it," Bandit threw his arms in the air. "We'll figure it out inside. If you can't think of a name, I'll make one up for you."

Totum's eyes grew wide. There was no way that he was letting Bandit choose his new alias. No doubt he would choose the most awful name possible. The Pikachu pushed open the door and Totum quickly followed him inside.

He honestly didn't know what he expected to be behind the door. Still, the pub on the other side managed to surprise him.

It wasn't necessarily dirty inside, but it wasn't exactly clean. The walls hadn't been painted, leaving them dark brown. The floor was covered in a thin layer of dirt. Debris was piled in small mounds along the baseboards and in the corners. Smokeless torches hung on the walls, lighting the room and its occupants. The bar was being run by a lone Ledian, who's four hands were working so fast that they were a blur. Bandit seemed right at home here, while Totum felt completely out of place.

He followed the thief as he navigated around tables, stopping when he got to the bar. They hopped onto the stools, Bandit whistling to get the bartenders attention. Grinning, the Ledian came over.

"Hey hey!" he laughed, still mixing drinks with his four hands. "Haven't seen you in a while, Bandit. What brings you back to Iron Town?"

"Well Malton, I just broke out of the local jail, if that answers your question," Bandit said.

Malton the Ledian almost dropped one of the drinks in surprise. "That's what all the fuss was about? Hell man, what are you still doing here? You should be long gone by now."

"You're right. I got some... business to attend to."

He glared back at Totum, who was staring at Malton's hands work. The bartender noticed Bandit's look of distaste, but didn't bring it up.

"So, you're not buying any drinks today?" he asked.

Totum opened his mouth before Bandit could respond. "No, I don't drink."

Bandit buried his face in his hands, while Malton's mouth hung open slightly. The Ledian tried to silently get some information from the Pikachu, receiving a look that said don't ask.

"Yeah, no drinks," Bandit sighed. He was regretting taking Totum as an apprentice more by the minute. Of course he had to team up with the lamest Treecko known to Ambera. "Can't go spending money. Speaking of which; have you seen Whitby?"

"Um..." Malton said, glancing at the bathroom doors. "You can say that."

Bandit followed his gaze. "Dude, she's still doing that?"

"Only when the pay is good."

Totum had no idea what they were talking about. The men's door opened, and a small, brown Pokémon with two massive front teeth walked out. The Bidoof was looking really proud of itself, like going to the bathroom was such a huge accomplishment. At first, he thought the Bidoof was who they were talking about, but Whitby was a girl's name, and the water type came from the men's room.

Shortly after, a second Bidoof exited the same bathroom. This one was wearing a bored face, comparably different from the look that was on Bandit's. The Pikachu's expression was a mix of horror and disgust. The second Bidoof noticed them, taking the empty stool next to Bandit. Malton slid a glass of amber liquid down the bar to it.

"I haven't seen you in six months, and you're just going to sit there like a slack-jawed idiot?" she finally asked after gulping down half her drink. "What've you got to say for yourself?"

Bandit, who was sitting in a stunned silence, shook his head. "Really? A Bidoof? I know it's a good source of Poké, but come on!"

"So? Money is money. Does it really matter where it comes from?"

"But... but... it's a Bidoof! A Bidoof! Where did your sense of shame go?"

"Look, did you come here for any actual reason, or are you just going to berate me because of my customers?"

"Okay, sorry. Sorry," Bandit said, holding his hands up in apology. His tone turned serious. "I need your services."

"Whoa, no way," Whitby said suddenly. "We're friends, Bandit. It'll be way too awkward."

Bandit cracked a smile. "No, don't worry. It's not for me."

"Okay, I'm listening," Whitby smiled. At least, she did smile, until Bandit plopped the sack down in front of her, spilling a large amount of coins onto the bar. Her eyes widened. "Come on, man! That amount is usually for something really weird."

"It's nothing weird, I promise," Bandit said. He glanced back at Totum, and lowered his voice. "Look, it's for the kid behind me."

Completely oblivious to what they were talking about, Totum raised a hand in greeting. Whitby raised an eyebrow in return. She turned to Bandit.

"You're trying to tell me that isn't weird?" she questioned.

Bandit was caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"He's a kid, barely younger than you," she said. "That's not right."

"Ugh, gross!" Bandit groaned, realizing what she was saying. "I was talking about your other services. For the love of Arceus, that's just disgusting! Why would you even think that?"

Whitby started to crack up, almost causing Malton to follow suit and drop the drinks he was pouring. Bandit muttered some curses into his palm.

"That explains the sack of cash," Whitby managed after halting her laughter. "I don't do that very often anymore."

"So will you do it?" Bandit asked. "You know, for old-times' sake?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll do it," she said, rifling through the bag. "There's definitely enough in here."

"Excuse me," Totum finally said, having remained silent for the entire conversation. "Exactly what are you planning on doing to me?"

"We went over this, remember?" Bandit said. Totum shook his head.

"I'm going to make you disappear," Whitby explained with a grin, immediately sending a wave of terror through the Treecko.

"WHAT?" he exclaimed, nearly falling off his stool. To his embarrassment, the others laughed.

"Chill, man," Bandit said. "She's not gonna kill you."

"Yeah, I'm just going to fake your death," Whitby clarified.

"Just fake my death? Totum repeated, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry, but how in the world are you supposed to do that? I'm not putting myself in that position, and it's not like you look much like me."

Bandit and Whitby exchanged amused glances.

"He still hasn't guessed yet, has he?" she asked.

"Nah... he's a bit slow," Bandit told her.

"Am I missing something?" Totum looked at them, almost begging for an answer.

Whitby rolled her eyes, which Bandit took as a signal to avert his eyes. Totum wished he'd done the same. Right before his eyes, Whitby the Bidoof began to change.

It was disgusting to watch. Her fur slowly shrunk into her skin, going from a dark brown to bright pink. The many features of her body melted and disappeared, until all that was left was a pink blob with two eyes and a mouth.

"Oh..." Totum said once the transformation was complete. "You're a Ditto."

"We got a genius over here," Bandit muttered.

Totum didn't hear the remark. The bits of what he'd heard were all starting to fall into place. He finally understood what the plan was, yet he didn't feel all that reassured by the knowledge.

"Are you sure this will work?" he finally asked.

"I've done this dozens of times," Whitby said. "The Master's never caught me before. I've got a perfect record for this."

"Okay. I guess I'm in," Totum said uneasily. "Let's get to it then?"

"Not here. Let's go up to the roof," Bandit suggested. "I got a feeling that someone might be weirded out by the transformations."

Nodding in agreement, they said farewell to Malton and headed for the door.

The first step of the plan was unpleasant to say the least. Whitby had to perform something called a 'DNA Transfer' on Totum. She had to touch his body to get the genetic code, absorbing part of him through her undefined body. When it was done, he was left shivering and had the feeling that he would never feel whole again.

"Was the touching really necessary?" he asked, rubbing his arms to regain some warmth. "I thought Ditto just needed to look at the Pokémon to change into them."

"There's that way, yes," Whitby said, shuddering once. She was feeling the same thing as Totum, only she was used to it by now. "But that only gives you a general body of the species. The DNA transfer allows me to use your exact body. I'm also able to switch between my normal form and the last Pokémon I transformed into."

"Ditto can do that?" Totum asked, halting his rubbing.

"It's a rare skill," she said. "Those who have it don't even know it exists because it's an obscure fact."

"Whitby's probably the one of five Ditto in Ambera who know how to use it," Bandit added, sounding a little proud. "Why did you become a criminal again?"

Whitby glared at him as best as she could with her beady eyes. It didn't look fierce, though it did wipe the smile off the Pikachu's face. "You know why."

Totum sure didn't, but he decided to drop it. He didn't want Whitby to be angry at him. She seemed like the person you didn't want to be on her bad side. He cleared his throat, cutting the awkward silence.

"So, shall we see if the transformation works?" he suggested. The other two agreed. Whitby closed her eyes and went in a trance, concentrating hard.

It took a while for the morph to start. Slowly, the pink colour of her body darkened to a green hue. Limbs became more defined, with a fifth sprouting from her back. Her eyes grew, a nose expanded from nowhere. After a few minutes, Totum was staring at an exact replica of himself.

It was disorienting, seeing himself without the aid of a mirror or other reflective surface. The Treecko in front of him was similar to him in every way.

Suddenly, his copy smirked "Jeez, can't get enough of yourself, can you?" it said in his voice. Whitby and Bandit laughed when Totum jumped back in surprise.

"Never heard yourself talk?" Bandit asked, a big grin plastered to his face.

"Not until a few seconds ago," Totum managed once his heart stopped racing. "Is my voice really that high?"

"Yeah, it really is."

"Well, I'm used to this body already," Whitby stretched her new arms and legs. "You Treecko have really simple bodies. I had to change into a Taillow this one time... man, it was weird getting used to those wings. Flying was the most amazing feeling–."

"Hey, Whitby, no time for your rambling," Bandit interrupted, earning a glare from the disguised Ditto. "You got a death to fake."

Whitby nodded, even though she was a little angry at Bandit's rudeness. "You're right. I should get started. These jobs can take weeks sometimes."

That last part sent a jolt of fear through Totum. He grabbed Whitby's arm as she prepared to jump off the roof.

"Hey!" she protested. "What gives?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to know what your plan is," Totum said, releasing his grip on her arm.

"We went over this already," Whitby groaned.

"We didn't go over the details though."

"Fine. I'm heading to a city farther north of here. I'll announce your presence there and make sure that a lot of important people see you die. Eventually, word will get to the Master as it always does and you're a free man."

"Okay, thanks," Totum said, nodding his head and staring off into the distance.

"Is that it?" Whitby asked, annoyed by the delay.

Totum thought it over. "Just don't get caught," was all he could say. Whitby rolled her eyes as if to say 'well duh' and jumped off the roof. Totum watched as his clone disappeared from view in the crowds of people rushing to get home.

"You just have to know everything, don't you?" Bandit jeered from behind him.

"Of course I do," Totum responded, not bothering to face the thief. His eyes were focussed on the setting sun, and the brilliant colours it painted the sky with. "Ever heard of the expression 'knowledge is power'?"

"Yup, and I think it's a load of crap."

Totum cocked an eyebrow and turned around. Bandit had a superior look on his face, like he thought he was better than Totum.

"Fine. What's your take on it?"

"Being an all powerful being and having a full army at your disposal is real power. Just look at the Master; he isn't very smart, yet he can do pretty much anything he wants."

"So you're saying that you don't try to get as much information as possible before doing... whatever it is you do?"

"You know it. Where'd the fun be if there weren't any surprises?"

"You're crazy."

"Maybe a little," Bandit chuckled. "But you still need me."

"Funny how things turn out," Totum mumbled. His gaze drifted back to the rapidly darkening sky. For as long as he could remember, he'd feared the night. It wasn't the loss of his eyesight that bothered him about the darkness; it was what lurked in the shadows that bothered him the most.

"We should get inside," Bandit said, noticing the sky. There was an edge of fear in his voice. Any sane Pokémon feared the night.

"Good idea," Totum said, agreeing with him without hesitation. "Where are we staying for the night?"

"A place I haven't been to in months," Bandit said. "Home."

They reached the alley as the sun was dipping below the horizon. This place meant nothing to Totum, but to Bandit it was comforting. So many days had been finished by a mad sprint to this same spot, it made the Pikachu feel safer by just standing there. He knew well enough that no spot outdoors would be safe once the sun fully set. Approaching the wall, he felt around the rough stone.

"Uh... what are you doing?" Totum asked from behind. His anxiety had been growing all day. Being outside so close to night always worried him.

"You'll see," was Bandit's response. His hand stopped when he found what he was looking for. He pressed his palm against a part of the wall that looked no different from the rest. To Totum's surprise, it pushed in and then popped out, revealing a hidden lever behind a disguised flap. Bandit pulled the lever, which popped back into place.

Totum jumped back as the ground sunk beneath feet. The ground descended in sections, gliding smoothly and soundlessly. When the movement stopped, a set of stairs led down to a simple wooden door.

Bandit walked down and opened the door. He looked back up and noticed Totum still standing at the top.

"You coming?" he asked.

The Treecko looked around nervously, expecting something to jump out at him at any moment. "Is is safe?"

"What the... of course it's safe!" Bandit said. "If you wanna stay outside, be my guest. I'm sleeping indoors tonight."

He walked inside, and to his dismay, Totum followed. He was actually hoping the kid would stay outside so the Watchers would get him. It would save him the trouble of teaching the guy anyways.

Totum looked around the room. After seeing the bar, he'd set his expectations low for Bandit's home. Despite that, it still managed to fall short. Way short.

The home was cramped and dirty. Garbage was strewn everywhere, covering most of the floor and the furniture. A wooden desk and chair were crammed between two bookcases along the left wall, with a faded map of Ambera on the wall above it. Two beat up couches and a small table took up most of the right side of the room. A small kitchen was nestled in the back left corner, a few cupboards hanging above it. A darkened doorway was at the back, presumably leading to Bandit's bedroom and, hopefully, a bathroom.

To Bandit, this was always his home. It was his first safe house when he started life as a criminal. Earlier that day, he was drawn towards this place, tracing the path along the rooftops as he used to do when this was his permanent residence. Totum didn't realize that the roof of this building was same roof where he revealed his powers to Bandit.

"Okay, time to hit the hay," Bandit said, realizing that they were standing at the door for a long time. Careful to avoid the trash, he manoeuvred around the room to the other side.

"I get the couch, I guess," Totum said, shuffling towards through the garbage.

"I guess so," Bandit said, reaching the doorway. He stopped when a thought occurred. "I just remembered. You haven't picked an alias yet."

Totum had already flopped down on the couch. "Oh right. I forgot about that."

"You better choose quickly," Bandit grinned, "or else I'm going to pick your name. Oh, please, let me pick your name."

He wasn't prepared to let Bandit get that honour. Totum thought about it briefly, and a name clicked into place.

"I got one," he said. "Jasper."

"Jasper? Really?" Bandit asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not gonna choose something cooler, like Magic Man, or the Wizard?"

"No, just Jasper. I like it. It's simple, inconspicuous and it just seems to fit. What do you think?"

Bandit grunted. "I don't care. It's your name," he said, vanishing into his room. "You better get some sleep. We start your training tomorrow, Jasper."

The room went dark, and Totum lay back down on the couch. The dark hid it, but he was smiling. For better or for worse, Totum the Treecko was dead. He would now start his life as Jasper, a master thief.