Meowth ate some berries for breakfast, as usual. It was the only thing remotely decent for his taste buds. He was feeling himself get back up to top strength again. Dark Glameow was a really good caretaker, having made sure he was getting his needed nutrients. And these berries were packed with them.

It has been six days since he started learning about the Darkmon culture. Things have been going well, for the most part. His nervousness seemed to have died down a bit with each passing day. Now any time Dark Mightyena made any threats toward him, he'd normally respond with a short eye roll. It may have been disrespectful, but it's not like he can touch him with the looming threat of Dark breaking the mutt's neck. Still, he didn't resort to mocking him. He didn't want to test his limits.

Things between him and Dark Glameow were going surprisingly well. It was a rocky start, but they were starting to get along with each other. When she wasn't teaching him about their various fruits and berries, they would sit and have a small chat. First time was a bit awkward since they didn't have much in common, but they would usually find some common ground to start from.

He threw the last of his berry in the air and caught it in his open mouth, swallowing it whole. "Ah…" He leaned back and patted his stomach in satisfaction. "That hit the spot."

"I am glad to hear that," Dark Glameow spoke up, poking her head into his home. "How are you feeling this morning?"

He smiled and jumped to his feet. "Pretty good. And you?"

"Just stood guard, listening to you sleep." She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

He tilted his head. "You tired?"

"More or less. As I have mentioned, Darkmon can go a week before fatigue sets in. I will require my weekly sleep soon."

"I see."

"But I should be able to stay awake long enough to give you a few more lessons." She shook her head. "Please follow me."

"Sure thing." He followed her out of the tree. "So, how's Laura doing?"

"She is doing well. She has been greeting a number of our Darkmon. She has been doing well in her studies from what I've heard." She sighed. "To think, in merely a week, she will become our queen."

"I can hardly believe it myself…" he muttered.

She smirked. "Sounds like you're still worried."

He sighed. "I can't help it. She's like a little sister to me. I have to worry about her…even though she's clearly stronger than me," he mumbled with a slight chuckle.

The dark cat chuckled. "Of course. Now then, should we pick up from our previous lesson on the trap plants?"

"After that last demonstration, I'll pass."

"Hey, I told you, that vine was not going to eat you."

"It had serrated teeth! Why would I not think that?!"

She rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Very well, we'll do something safer for the fraidy cat."

He glared with a blush. "I am not a fraidy cat!" She ignored him as she chuckled lightly, walking ahead of him. "Hey, aren't you listening?!" He chased after her.

A Dark Noctowl flew through the trees, observantly scanning the plains. He was assigned by Fang to look for any and all Pokémon wandering in the forest. He had their top scouts hunting for them.

For the whole week, more and more Darkmon were being hunted and taken down. They clearly weren't doing it to destroy them, that much they know. They were after something else. What it was, they don't know. They were just assigned to hunt them down and incapacitate them.

Still, searching for these particular Pokémon has been becoming difficult. Even if they find them, there was the chance of being captured. It really puzzled the dark owl how they've been able to catch the most skilled hunters of the Darkmon ranks off guard. It was truly perplexing.

The Dark Noctowl glanced down at the ground again and stopped in midair upon seeing something laying on the ground. He flew down and landed right next to it.

It was a Dark Emolga and she seemed to be injured. She was sprawled out across the ground with a pained expression. She had scratches all over her body.

The dark owl tilted his head. "Scout, what happened?"

The dark flying squirrel groaned as she moved her head, her eyes clenched shut. "Oooh…it was awful…they came out of nowhere…they attacked us…"

He grabbed her hand with his wing and helped her up. "Where's the rest of your team?"

She pointed forward, opening her eyes a bit. "Just over there, I think…"

He went over to the bush she directed him to and peered inside. There was nothing. Great, she's delusion. He rubbed his head in annoyance, but discovered something odd on his wing. He looked at it in confusion. His wing was stain purple. He didn't remember touching anything that could stain his feathers…unless…

He shot around, ready to fire Air Slash, but the ground exploded under him. Two hands gripped his ankles, shocking him. He flapped his wings wildly, trying to get airborne. "Let me go!"

'Dark' Emolga giggled with a smirk. "Better luck next time!" She fired Discharge at him, heavily damaging him. Once the attack ended, he fell over with a plop on the ground. "All good, Krookodile!"

The sand croc jumped out of the ground and dusted his shoulders clean. "Nice work, Emolga."

Another successful ambush. Throughout the week, Emolga and her friends were getting serious about finding that antidote for Axew. After some quick learning and practice, they've been steadily taking down any Darkmon they came across. Emolga would then use her Attract to coax the location out of their captives before leaving them unconscious with no memory of what transpired.

It was a good plan, but it didn't get them closer to the antidote they needed. They did, however, get some information on plants that slowed the poison's effects, buying them much needed time, thankfully. It was becoming frustrating to deal with.

Emolga walked up to the Dark Noctowl and tilted his head. She winked and sent the swarm of hearts around him, putting him under her spell. "Alright, cutie, would you mind telling little ol' me where to find that flower used to counteract your forest's poison?"

He blushed with a goofy smile. "Of course, my darling…"

Her eyes widened. "Wait! You actually know where it is?!" Her heart was pounding with hope.

"Yes, I do. I've seen it many a times during my flights. I can lead you straight to it."

She squealed in excitement. "This is great! We finally have a lead!"

Krookodile tapped her shoulder. "Problem, though. How long would it take us to get there before the Attract wears off?"

She rubbed her chin in thought, smearing the moss stains she used to disguise herself. Attract could wear off at any moment. Any moment, this Darkmon will snap out of his trance and attack them. She could place the spell on him again, but he would be prepared for it, no doubt.

"Ooh, this is a problem." She scratched the side of her head with a worried expression. "Well…directions won't work since this place keeps shifting in position. We need a Darkmon's guidance to find it."

"We can't bring him along," the sand croc argued. "He's a danger to our health and Axew's. We're just gonna have to take some directions and work from there."

"But…"

"Actually," Dark Noctowl spoke up, lovingly staring at Emolga. "There is a way for you to find it without a Darkmon guide."

"There is?!" they shouted quietly.

He nodded. "The flower is the only purity that exists in this forest. Everything in this forest is connected. If you can track the energy flow, you'd be able to find it."

Krookodile smiled. "That's great!" He blinked, then sighed in realization. "But we can't detect the energy throughout this forest."

"An Electric-Type is capable of tracking it," he pointed out. "They'll be able to sense the energy flow and the subtle changes."

The sand croc looked at Emolga. "Well?"

She narrowed her eyes at the ground and sparked electricity from her cheeks. She let the sparks flow into the ground. She jumped back after feeling the malicious energy in the ground. "Ugh! I-I can, but it may take me a while to get used to it…"

"Alright." Krookodile grabbed the dark owl by the neck. "As for you…" He clobbered him in the head, knocking him out, before throwing him to the side. "Let's head back to the hideout." They ran back to where they were staying.

Deep within the forest was a tree that housed a sick Axew and a Scraggy that was nursing him to the best of his ability. To the side was supplies they've been using to survive. There was water being carried in a rubbery substance they found after standing on what they assumed to be the equivalent of a landmine. They got the water from a few Ice-Type Darkmon who 'willingly' gave them some ice. To the side was a stack of berries, freshly cooked for consumption. Next to that pile was a variety of plants, which were said to slow down the poison's toxicity rate.

Scraggy fed Axew some water, gently pouring it into his mouth. He heard the small dragon swallow and nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank…you…"

Scraggy smiled. "No problem, buddy." He rubbed his head. "Just get some rest."

Axew was feeling considerably better. He was still in pain from the poison practically burning his insides, but it's becoming more tolerable. He felt lucky to have such caring and considerate friends. He didn't know what he would do without them.

He yawned tiredly and snuggled under his moss blankets. Scraggy sighed and took a bite out of a berry. He wasn't sure how much longer he can't take this. Here he was, watching his friend suffering and all he could do was slow the poison down. If he didn't get any good news from the others, he was going to charge up to Dark and smash his skull against his own…which probably wouldn't end well on his part, but not the point!

He heard footsteps and formed a small Focus Blast in his hand. But he deactivated his attack upon seeing it was his dear friends. He sighed. "You're back, finally."

Emolga rubbed the purple stains off her face. "Yeah. How's Axew doing?"

"As fine as ever. Still hurt from the poison, but he's holding strong." He passed some berries to them. "How'd things on your end go?"

"We found a way to track down the flower."

Oh thank goodness! Scraggy mentally cheered, relieved he wasn't going to go with his crazy plan. "You did? That's amazing! Where is it?"

"We're not…exactly sure," Emolga admitted. "We only found a suitable way to track it using the energy flow under us. It might take me sometime to actually learn to control it, but we might find it in due time." She looked at the sleeping dragon. "You think he can hold out for a little longer?"

"He has no choice, but I'm sure he can tough it out a little longer."

"He better," Krookodile muttered. "The Darkmon scouts have been becoming more frequent recently. We need to find that flower and the others soon. We're running out of time."

Emolga rubbed Axew's head. "Don't worry, buddy. Everything will be over soon." The small dragon smiled in his sleep.

Koda poked his head out of the bushes. There was no sign of the Darkmon, thankfully. They were nearing the cliff side. They would have been here sooner, but Savage's troops were persistent. Not to mention the sudden increase in scout activity. That's the reason why it took them so long to get here. They had to constantly duck for cover as scouts swept the area for them. It made travel much more difficult.

But, after time and semi-patience, they've finally reached their destination.

"Finally!" Koda fell down as Dragonite bumped pass him. "Let's climb up and finally get the edge over the Darkmon!"

The Dark Riolu picked himself up. "Uh, Dragonite. We can't exactly go up yet."

"Why?" The dark jackal pointed at himself to give him a clue. It took him a second for his brain to click, making him groan. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

"We have to wait until the sun is down for me to actually go up there."

"I knew you would end up being deadweight," he muttered.

Pachirisu stepped forward with a glare. "Hey, be nice! He got us here, didn't he? At least give him that much!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, barely. It shouldn't have taken us this long to get here."

Koda glared. "Excuse me for not knowing about this sudden increase in scouts. I can't exactly get information on this kind of activity now that I'm being hunted down."

"Or maybe you're just waiting for the right opportunity to capture us."

He rolled his eyes at the dragon. "Yeah, because I definitely didn't have plenty of chances to snuff you all out."

"What was that?!"

"What will it take for you to realize I'm on your side?! All I want is peace!"

"You can't make peace with monsters!"

"The Darkmon aren't monsters! They're just-"

"-misunderstood?" Dragonite finished with a huff. "I say they're perfectly understood. They have evil in their hearts. Heck, you even snapped when you fought that Dark Gliscor!"

Koda flinched, choosing not to remember that moment. "W-Well, so what?! All I've been doing is helping you all and I don't get so much as a thank you from you?!"

"Oh yeah, thanks for leading us into danger! You've been a real help!"

Koda growled as his eyes began glowing dangerously bright. "You want to fight?!"

The dragon cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on!"

"Enough, both of you!" Pignite shouted, getting between them. "What is the matter with you two? We're fighting for our lives and all I've been seeing from you two is hostility."

"Pignite's right," Pansage agreed. "We may be of different species, but that doesn't mean we should be fighting. Right now, our top priority is to get to those ruins at nightfall and find out more about the Darkmon and their nefarious purpose. Fighting with each other won't solve anything."

He pointed at the two. "I don't care how or when, but I want the both of you to make up with each other by the time we're done here!"

Dragonite glared. "I don't take orders from-"

"Zip it!" Pansage growled, making the dragon jump back. It wasn't in the grass monkey's nature to get angry. He can be very tolerant and patient with others. But he has had insufficient sleep and been running for a whole week with minimal rest and he was getting a bit cranky as of lately.

Quilava inched away and hid behind Pignite. "He's scary when he's angry…" The fire pig nodded in agreement.

He sighed to cool his nerves before glaring at them. "Look, we have until night to check that place out. Use that time wisely to converse with each other. Try and find some middle ground you two can work off of. If we're going to help with Koda's plan to get the Darkmon and Pokémon to coexist, even though I have my doubts that will happen, we need to show that you two can act like friends."

The dragon and jackal looked at each other and sighed. "Alright…"

"Thank you…" He let out a breath of air and fell on his back. "I need a nap."

"I'll keep a lookout for any scouts," Pignite offered, being the second most rested of the group, only beat by Koda who didn't need to sleep as much as them.

"I'll find some food," Pachirisu exclaimed, practically jumping as he zipped off to find berries.

Quilava looked around, unsure what he could contribute to. "I'll…just be over here," he awkwardly said, inching over to a tree to rest.

Koda and Dragonite sat down, leaning against a tree. They waited for the other to speak, one to break the ice. But they weren't sure how to start off. This is not going to be easy. They both sighed and dropped their heads.

"That's it, all of you! Keep it up! Don't stop!"

One would be surprised what a single week of nonstop training could accomplish. In the time they've been training, Pikachu and the gang have become accustomed to wearing the heavy weights that originally caused them so much strife. Now, it just felt like they were wearing wristbands. They were moving at their normal speed.

That wasn't the only thing they've accomplished. As the week progressed, Ryder has been training all of them in martial arts. While it would take them years to become full-fledged masters, they were able to block some powerful strikes and perform a few simple techniques, such as a judo throw and a focused palm strike.

They felt proud at what they've achieved. But they clearly weren't anywhere near Ryder's level of skilled, as demonstrated from their current training exercise: tag Ryder.

Pikachu jumped into the air with Iron Tail, buzz saw style, and flew down at his teacher. The Charmeleon sidestepped and casually watched the Iron Tail fly pass his face. "Not quick enough!" He slammed his palm into the mouse's chest, rocketing him into a tree.

He fell to the ground and shook his head. "Buneary! Snivy! Now!"

The Shadow Agent darted his eyes as Buneary and Snivy came up from his left and right with Dizzy Punch and Leaf Blade. He jumped over them, effectively dodging their attacks and grabbing them by the ear and tail. "Good use of a diversion tactic!" He threw them in the air and fired Inferno.

A Hydro Pump and Bubble Beam blocked the blue flames from hitting the airborne duo. They landed and gave their teammates a thankful smile, who returned the expression before glaring at the cloaked Charmeleon. Oshawott used Aqua Jet and propelled himself at Ryder, while Piplup fired Bubble Beam as a distraction.

"A direct assault coupled with a long range attack? Impressive." He jumped over Oshawott and twisted his body to avoid the bubbles. He landed and dashed away from the continuous stream of bubbles chasing him, with the sea otter still on his tail.

Oshawott pulled off his scalchop and doubled Aqua Jet with Razor Shell. "I got him in my sights!"

Ryder stopped and spun in place, coating himself in a dome of blue flames. The sea otter, not worried about the flames hurting him, crashed through. However, Ryder ended up vanished, so his target was now the dirt. He skidded across the ground, drenched in water.

Piplup quickly scouted the area. "Where did he go?!"

Oshawott quickly picked himself up and looked around before spotting a shadow fly through the air. "Piplup, above you!"

The penguin just barely blocked a Slash attack with his Drill Peck. Ryder smiled. "You all are proving to be excellent fighters! Who knows, you might actually tag me…eventually."

Piplup glared. "How about right now?!" He threw his balled up flipper at him, but the cloaked Charmeleon flipped over him and kicked him in the back.

They really are improving. They're starting to move at their usual speeds. I can only imagine how quick they'll be once they take off their weights.

He heard the shifting of twigs and leaves, indicating someone was rushing him, and dodged a Vine Whip. Snivy spun and used Leaf Storm, firing the attack from multiple directions.

"That won't work, Snivy!" Ryder fired Inferno and spun to get more range and direction. The leaves, as he figured, burned to ashes. His eyes widened, however, when a tornado of flames blasted at him. What the heck?!

He jumped in the air as the attack nailed the ground. The flames dispersed, revealing Buneary who used her Drain Punch and Bounce to coat herself in the flames. She looked up and smirked. "I believe that's checkmate."

Ryder finally registered the new aura that was behind him. Pikachu launched himself out of the tree, combing the force of Iron Tail and the speed of Quick Attack. And, with the Charmeleon in midair, his chances of dodging were slim.

He powered up Inferno and Aerial Ace and blasted himself away from Pikachu's attack. But that didn't stop him. He landed on a tree and ricocheted off, aiming back at him. Ryder landed and sidestepped out of the way. The electric mouse kept bouncing off of the trees and land, practically trapping Ryder in a web of Quick Attacks.

He engulfed his hands in blue flames. Their teamwork is amazing. Their trying to limit my options. He smiled lightly. I could easily get out of this by taking off my weights, but I don't want to cheat. Besides, I'm faster than them now and they're already eliminating my options. Things are about to get interesting.

His eyes darted forward as Piplup charged at him. He got into a battle stance, but his eyes widened upon seeing the penguin use Bubble Beam. The move itself wasn't the cause of his shock, it was what he used it for. Piplup created one large bubble with the attack and threw it down at him.

Ryder dodged it and watched the attack explode against the ground, leaving a large crater. I should've figured. With him being in contests, he would know ways to improvise attacks. He stopped himself from running into Pikachu's stream of Quick Attacks. He could feel the breeze from the attack's movement.

He barely had time to recover as Oshawott rushed him with Razor Shell. He countered with Slash, blocking each hit blow for blow. He sensed a presence coming at him at high speeds and used his other hand to activate Slash, blocking a Dizzy Punch from Buneary.

He tried to get away, but a dome of ice formed around them, with only one possible way out. He looked up and saw Snivy wrap her vines around Pikachu, who still had the momentum from his Quick Attack. Using that force, she flung him straight at the ice dome, directly at Ryder.

With the ice dome and Oshawott and Buneary making it near impossible to get away, he lightly smiled and closed his eyes as he felt the mouse ram into him, shattering the ice behind them. He tackled the Charmeleon to the ground before pinning him.

He opened his eyes to see the smirking Pikachu. "And…tag, you're it." He got up, helping Ryder up as well.

He dusted himself off. "To say I'm impressed would be an understatement. You all really showed potential out there. Just a little longer and we'll be ready to take on the Darkmon together."

Piplup put his flippers on his hips and held his head up high. "Yeah, of course we're ready!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You may have been able to tag me, but you'll be dealing with far deadlier threats who have the intent to kill. Don't expect them to treat a fight like a training exercise."

Buneary closed her eyes and smiled sweetly. "We know. But, with you as our teacher, we're confident we can handle them."

He smiled back. "Good. You all deserve a break. There's some berries laying out. Grab some and take some time to relax."

Snivy stretched. "Don't have to tell me twice." She headed to the hideout.

Buneary bounced behind with Piplup. "Better check on the egg. Little guy is going to hatch soon, I can feel it."

"Sweet!" Piplup cheered.

Pikachu and Oshawott prepared to follow, but Ryder stopped them. "You two…I need to have a word with you." They looked at each other in confusion. Was something wrong? "I need to discuss some matters about your training. Please follow me." He led them a little ways away from the hideout. With a shrug, they followed.

They stopped around a dark clearing, illuminated by the various moss covering the trees. "So, what's up, Ryde?" Oshawott asked. "Did we do something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No. Far from it, actually. All of you have been doing amazing in your training, especially you two. You've been pushing it hard out there. Ash trained you both well."

Pikachu smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah…maybe."

Oshawott, however, pounded his chest. "Well, duh! No one trains harder than me!" Pikachu smirked and rolled his eyes in response.

Ryder chuckled. "Yes, well…" His face turned serious. "Thing is, I'm a little concerned. You all are fully capable of defending yourselves. I have no doubt in my mind you can take on a few Darkmon on your own. My concern lies with…something else."

"Wh…What do you mean?" Pikachu asked, now becoming worried.

Ryder put his hands behind his back and paced in front of them. "The Darkmon can be very dangerous, yes…but there are the rare occasions where one them…becomes far worse."

"Worse?" Oshawott questioned.

"It's hard to explain, so I'll try to elaborate. Are you familiar with…instincts?"

They raised a brow. That wasn't a question they were expecting. "How so?"

"The basic need to survive. Something you're prone to do without even realizing it. All wild Pokemon possess these kinds of feelings, as it is needed to survive. But, for Pokemon that are captured, these instincts are removed subconsciously. It's to prevent us from harming others out of bloodlust. It may be hard to believe, but there are the occasions when territorial Pokémon can get…lethal."

Pikachu gulped. "O-Oh boy…"

"It's for our trainer's safety and for our own. However, this doesn't remove our natural fighter instincts. Just the wild ones. So there is no harm in losing them."

"What…are you getting at?" the sea otter asked, almost dreading what he might hear.

Ryder sighed. "With the Darkmon, however, things are much more complicated. They have the instincts to hunt and kill. Some agents tried capturing them in Pokeballs, but their corrupted DNA merely rejects them, sometimes even destroying them upon contact. There's no way to physically remove their instincts. They would either need to learn how to control them or they just get lost in their own bloodlust filled madness.

"Some Darkmon fall prey to this madness, fully becoming the murderous monsters they've made themselves out to be. But there are others…who can control it."

"You mean…like a switch in their brain to…envelop them in madness?"

"Something like that. I've studied the Darkmon closely and have had very dangerous encounters with these particular Darkmon." He shook his head. "Sometimes being able to sense aura comes with some consequences…

"When I saw their aura, it became, for lack of a better term, suffocating. It was like I was staring into the eyes of Death itself. All emotions were washed right out of them. All while having this murderous glint in their eyes and a sadistic grin that would make the bravest of man quiver." He sighed. "I've…learned to get used to it, but the first fifty or hundred times seeing them in that state never got easier.

"They were able to increase their strength, speed, everything. They became ravenous, monstrous, craving the blood of a fallen prey…it was horrible to be near. While Hank and the local law enforcement kept Pokémon out, I have to work double time to rescue any wandering Pokémon, leading to many…many stressful, restless night…"

"Oh man…" Pikachu mumbled.

Ryder sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I rarely get a decent night sleep these days. With the Darkmon advancing in their plans, I need to stay on my toes. But I'm worried my lack of rest will hinder my skills in battle. Or worse, my aura."

The sea otter raised his hand. "Not to sound rude, but what does this have to do with us?"

He shook his head. "I guess I should cut to the chase. The point I'm trying to make is that we need some extra firepower in the event I'm out of commission. We need someone else who can manipulate aura, allowing us an edge over the Darkmon."

Pikachu crossed his arms with a confused look. "Where are we going to find another aura master at this time?"

The cloaked Pokémon smiled. "I think the two Pokémon standing in front of me are perfect candidates."

Their eyes bugged out in shock. "W-Wait, what?!" they shouted in surprise.

"Pikachu…Oshawott…you two possess incredibly potent auras. The life energy surrounding you both is bustling with raw, untapped power. You two have the potential to become aura masters yourselves."

They both stood there, mouths agape, unable to reply as their brains worked hard to try and relay the sudden opportunity practically thrown at their faces. He was asking them…to become aura masters? Pikachu was the only one of them who truly witness the power of aura, back when he got kidnapped by Mew and that whole incident with Sir Aaron's Lucario. But, getting the opportunity to use it? It was unreal.

"You…You're kidding, right?" Oshawott stammered lightly. "You want the both us to learn to use aura?" He nodded. "Why…are you telling us this now?"

Ryder crossed his arms. "Well, for one, training the others was my top priority. I had to be sure they were trained enough to protect themselves. You two, however, have stronger auras than them. It shows you both have strong wills.

"With the threat of these Darkmon becoming greater, I need some insurance that we can beat them. I, alone, can't lay a hand on Dark without being thrown across half the forest like a ragdoll. If you two can learn to master aura, then we might stand a chance."

Oshawott's eye twitched. "Talk about pressure…"

"I'm serious. If we want to destroy the Darkmon, we need to get you two to unlock your power."

"How?" Pikachu asked.

Ryder held his hands out to them. "Normally, I would have you two meditate. But since we're on a time crunch, I'm gonna force it out." They looked at each other, unsure. "I promise, this won't hurt. You might feel overwhelmed by the power, but that's normal."

"I…I don't know, Ryde," Pikachu hesitated. "We're just two regular Pokémon. We couldn't possibly become aura masters like you."

He chuckled. "Pik, you forget who you're talking to. I was a shy, timid Charmander back then. Look back then and tell me that same Charmander would have ended up like me."

He glanced to the side. "Well…you got a point, but still…"

"Pikachu, you and Oshawott are much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know you can become an aura master. And I will make sure of it."

The mouse glanced down at the ground, then glanced at Oshawott. "What do you think?"

He rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. He always wanted to get stronger, just never expected to be in this matter. Still, would learning to use aura be a bad thing? He didn't have the luxury of seeing it himself like Pikachu, so he wasn't sure what he was getting himself roped into. On the other hand, from what Ryder has said, aura was an incredible power. It might be worth it.

Plus, if he did learn it, he might be able to impress Snivy. Ever since they got here, he hasn't been able to get any alone time with her to talk. Maybe this would get her attention. What could go wrong?

He smiled happily and raised his hands. "Alright! I'm in!"

Pikachu smiled and chuckled. He had an idea what was going through his head. He shook his head and raised his hand. "Alright, guess I'm in as well."

Ryder smiled. "Good. Give me your hands." They each held out a hand and placed them in one of his. He took a deep breath. "Really hope I can do this…" He clenched his eyes shut and started sending energy into their auras.

The two Pokémon stood there, waiting for a change to overcome them. They waited for an overwhelming aura to wrap around them.

But after five minutes, they stood there with tilted heads and confused expressions. Nothing was happening. And, judging by Ryder's expression, he knew that too. He looked like he was struggling to send aura into them. They could barely feel anything pass through their bodies.

Come on, come on! He tried amplifying the power, but he could raise it any further. That stupid seal! I can't unleash their aura!

He should have seen this troubling obstacle getting in the way. With Dark's seal over his aura, he couldn't use the full potential of his aura. He hasn't been able to use it at its max in years. All he could do was sense other auras and somewhat augment his stats. Nothing else.

For years, he has been trying to unleash his aura, to break the seal over his aura. Nothing worked. He's tried physical training, meditation, even science at one point. All attempts failed. All were nothing but failures.

He was at least hoping he could unleash Pikachu and Oshawott's aura as a way to awaken his again. It turned out to be a disappointment.

He glared angrily. This was all because of Dark. Everything was Dark's fault. Everything that happened to him. All of it. That wretched monster…ruining my life…

Pikachu and Oshawott could feel the uncomfortable anger surrounding Ryder. "Uh…dude? Maybe we should take a break…" Pikachu suggested.

The Charmeleon shook his head and glared. "NO!" They jumped worriedly. "I can do this! I need to do this!" His aura glowed brighter as he focused more of his energy.

Pikachu and Oshawott stared at him with worried expressions, then noticed a something off about his scar. Slowly, it started to glow purple, pulsing brightly. They looked at each other nervously, unsure what was going on. He has explained to them his aura looked blue, but that was not blue.

"Ryder, are you sure-"

"Will you shut up and let me concentrate?!" he growled dangerously as he amplified his power even more.

The mouse and otter began to feel a surge of energy pass through them. They began to feel something come over them, something overwhelming their very beings. They could feel themselves becoming stronger.

Oshawott smiled. "Hey Ryder, I think it's working!" He could faintly see the blue aura around his hand. "This is so cool! Hey Pikachu, are you seeing…" When he turned around, he saw Pikachu's horrified expression. "Uh, buddy? Something wrong?" He wordlessly pointed at Ryder with his free hand. Oshawott looked forward and gasped.

A sinister, purple aura was surrounding Ryder. He let them go and growled as he held his head. His scar glowed brighter, amplifying the aura's power. His eyes opened up just a bit for them to see red light shining off them.

"R…Ryder?!"

He screamed and pounded his head against a tree, viciously slashing it as well.

Oshawott ran over to him and grabbed him. "Ryder, what's wrong?!" If it weren't for his training, he wouldn't have been able to dodge the incoming arm swipe that lashed at his head. He watched it slowly fly pass him before standing up straight. "Ryder!"

He screamed again and clenched his head harder. "MAKE IT STOP!"

"Make what stop?!"

Pikachu couldn't bear the sight any longer. He dashed over and grabbed Ryder by the arms. "Thunderbolt!" He blasted Ryder at close range, sending electric volts throughout every inch of his system, followed by more screaming.

The mouse kept a steady flow of electricity coursing through him before ceasing it once the screaming stopped. He and Oshawott caught the smoking Charmeleon and propped him up against the tree. "Ryde, speak to me!" Oshawott called out. He held his paw in front of his face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

He shook his head and placed a hand to the side. His eyes were half open. "N…None…your hands are stubs…"

The otter lightly glared. "Well, how rude." He sighed and gave a concern look. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, you gave us quite the scare back there," Pikachu added.

Ryder pinched between his eyes. "What…are you talking about?"

He blinked. "Wait…you don't remember?"

"All I do remember was getting angry that I couldn't use my aura at its max potential. Then I blanked out for a moment…" He carefully picked himself up. "Why do I smell like a barbeque?"

The mouse and otter looked at each other, unsure if they should explain what happened or not. "Uh…well…you kind of…"

The fire lizard shook his head and fully opened his eyes. They widened upon seeing the sight in front of him. A white and blue aura surrounding Pikachu and Oshawott respectively. Just like how he saw them before, they were bustling with power. And now, seeing it awakened like this, they were bursting with energy.

"Your auras…they're incredible!"

They looked at themselves, then each other. "Whoa…"

Ryder smiled, then rubbed his head. "I'm not sure what happened…but I'm glad we got your auras to fully awaken." He flinched and rubbed his head. "I…need to lay down for a bit. That took a lot out of me."

"Y-Yeah, you go do that," Pikachu stuttered.

He walked pass them. "We'll start your training later in the afternoon. Your first lesson…try and control your aura on your own." He stumbled a bit, then shook his head and continued forward.

The two waved until he was out of sight. "What…the heck…was that?" the otter asked Pikachu with worried eyes.

"I…really wish I knew…"

"Didn't his aura…feel familiar?"

"Y-Yeah…it kind of did…it felt like…" He shook his head. "It's…probably just our imagination…"

"Y-Yeah, you're probably right…"

Pikachu shook his head. "L-Let's…just do our training…"

They nervously walked back to the hideout sight, with the looming image of Ryder's glowing red eyes and purple aura still looming within their thoughts, unsure how to interpret the horrifying sight they saw.