Morning had soon arrived in the dreadful forest. Darkmon were out and about, conversing with one another. They all had the same thing in mind: the invasion is right around the corner. They had all sorts of plans for the humans and Pokémon once they finally leave their home/prison. Of course, being such a likeminded society, they had the same basic plans: murder, destroy, etc. Not much thought in their plans, but what can one expect from a group of creatures being secretly influenced by a plant?

These were the thoughts roaming along within the mind of Meowth. As usual, he got the same aggressive greeting he'd expect simply from passing through. Much like his attitude towards Dark Mightyena, he has long since gotten used to it, especially when he had one of the fiercest Darkmon in their ranks by his side. One wave of her sharp claws was enough to disperse the gathering crowds. It felt kind of nice having his own personal bodyguard. It made him feel mightier than those under him.

Still, those kinds of devious thoughts have been somewhat…questionable, as of late. He's still trying to consider whether or not his role as a Team Rocket member is even worthwhile. He had much better luck doing odd jobs for money or helping the twerps.

He shook his head, moving the thoughts away from his mind. He'll have to dwell more on them at a later date. For now, he had more pressing matter to attend to, such as forming a revolution against the Darkmon. A very…very small revolution, consisting of one Pokémon, one android, and one Darkmon traitor.

…sometimes he felt like he was digging his own grave. This was one of those times.

If he had access to equipment, he could construct a robot to put him on an even playing field with the Darkmon. Dark? Eh…that may require a miracle to pull off. He has only seen him in battle once and, even then, knew he wasn't using his full strength. He probably wasn't doing much to begin with. For all he knew, he put absolutely no effort into his fight with Laura. That thought scared him, to be frank.

So, with no access to machinery, that left one option: build a bigger rebellion. A simple, yet smart strategy, though the main problem was finding worthwhile candidates to join. That was not easy when the entire population of this forest was murderous monsters. Chloe has stated there might be some Darkmon who could likely become good, but Meowth didn't have the time to teach them or rehabilitate them to repress their murderous intentions. So, potential Darkmon allies were off the table as of now.

The Shadow? He had no idea where he was. Chloe has no idea where he is. No one knows where he is. A potentially strong ally who he didn't even know the identity of. Chloe wasn't entirely clear on his appearance either, so she was just as clueless.

That just left one last option: the twerps' Pokémon. Admittedly, he didn't want it to come down to this, especially after the last time he teamed up with them. There he was, acting like a changed Meowth, turned over a new leaf, walking down the right path in life. He earned their trust, their respect, their friendship. What did he do next?

He betrays them.

It was planned from the start and he was proud of his deception. He didn't regret tricking them like the gullible twerps they were. However, in his current position, that may be the stupidest plan he ever went through with. He stepped on their trust and now he's asking for their help. He didn't like his odds.

He didn't know where Pikachu or his group were. Though, he didn't know where anybody was at this point. He could barely remember which of the twerps' Pokémon were in the forest to begin with. He did, however, have confirmation of four: Axew, Emolga, Krookodile, and Scraggy.

All he had to do was put on the old 'Meowth Charm' and he'll get them to sway to his side. The scenario played out perfectly in his head. However, it only worked on paper. He knew what he was getting himself into. Krookodile didn't have much of a grudge against him since he wasn't part of their team at the time, though their previous encounters might be an issue.

The other three were going to be the hardest to convince. They've experienced his friendship and betrayal. They know what he did. Getting them to cooperate was not going to be easy. He might get Axew to consider, but Emolga and even Scraggy, despite his young age, were not fools.

He groaned, dropping his head. "This is going to turn into a disaster."

Chloe raised a brow at him. "You said you wanted potential rebels for our revolution."

"Yes, I did, but I clearly wasn't specific enough. I want rebels whose first thoughts aren't 'Attack Meowth'!"

"I get that you and these Pokémon aren't on the best of terms, but they're in the same boat as you. I'm sure they'll consider your offer."

He grumbled quietly to himself. "Yeah, then maybe we can rekindle our false friendship after capturing all them in a ghost train…"

The dark cat clearly had no idea what he meant by ghost train, but she didn't ask. She, instead, patted his back reassuringly. "This was your idea. You might as well see it through."

"You haven't met them like I have. They don't like me…at all. I made it worse after I betrayed them. If they see me, I'm going to be electrocuted, buried six feet under, get kneed in the stomach, and get draconian energy blasted into my face. How can I see any of that through?" he asked rhetorically, expressing an exasperated smile, sweat pouring down the side of his head.

Chloe sighed. "They aren't going to listen to me. They may hate you, but you're still a Pokémon. The message will come out clearer from you." She narrowed her eyes. "That's one advantage you have over me."

The cat looked ahead, pouting. "Thanks for the confidence boost…"

"Meowth, I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't mean it. I don't sugarcoat details." She gave an innocent shrug. "Think of it like this. They want out just as much as you do. They want to end their plans before they carry out their mission. If you explain it through that view, you'll have yourself a loyal team of Pokémon by your side."

The twerps' Pokémon obviously wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Their desire to leave would fuel their desire to eliminate the threat. It's that same mentality they have when they thwart his plans to capture them. With that kind of mentality, he might be able to convince them.

He clenched his fist, then looked straight forward. "Alright…I'm not backing out now."

She smiled proudly. "That's good, because we're almost there."

Indeed, she was right, for the captured Pokémon were still inside their prison of wood. Krookodile and Scraggy have finally woken from their restless slumber. Just like Emolga, their muscles and body were sore. Moving sent aches up and down their system, causing them to cringe and flinch slightly. That was a problem. If Krookodile couldn't move, that meant they couldn't break out from the prison. Scraggy wasn't at a hundred percent yet either, so blasting their way out was a bad idea. Not that it would help. One Focus Blast would alert the entire forest to their escape.

The sand croc leaned against the walls. He placed his sunglasses on and snorted angrily. "Great…just great. We were all ready to bust out of this joint and I can't even twitch a muscle without feeling crummy."

Scraggy groaned. "Don't beat yourself over it. I doubt we would make it far." He sighed irritably. "Plus, there's still that cliff we would have to scale. We're pretty much trapped down here."

Axew grinned nervously. "Aww, don't be like that, buddy. We'll bust out of here in no time."

"Says the dragon who ate a magical 'poison curing, strengthening' plant," he argued. "Do you feel even the tiniest bit sore?"

He scratched his head. "I mean…I haven't been in combat like the rest of you have."

"Exactly my point."

Emolga was laying on her stomach, digging her finger through the dirt with a bored expression. Maybe if she kept this up for a couple weeks, she might make a promising start for a tunnel. "Our only hope now is for the others to find us, which could take weeks."

"We don't have weeks, remember?" Krookodile reminded.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, how can I forget?" she muttered sarcastically.

Axew chuckled. "Hey, there's no reason for us to be downers. We just need a little positive reinforcement."

Krookodile exhaled a hiccup of a chuckle. Watching the dragon be the optimist of the group was refreshing after their chaotic week. "We're gonna need more than positivity to break out of here." He glance at Emolga. "You sure you don't have more of those plants?"

"If I knew they would restore your energy, I would have." She groaned. "Though, if I did, they'd probably confiscate them."

The dragon stood up, dusting his legs off. "Well, all we can do is keep trying to escape." He walked over to the wooden bars. Wrapping his hands around them, he pulled on them with all his might, digging his heels into the dirt.

Scraggy sighed. "Axew, if Dragon Rage couldn't smash through, there's no way you can rip them off…unless you evolve into a Fraxure, then maybe. Oh, even better, a Haxorus!" He rubbed his chin. "You think we can force him to evolve right now?"

"I don't have the energy to help with that," Krookodile mumbled.

Though, that would be helpful. The little dragon dreamed of becoming a powerful Haxorus. He wanted to become stronger for his friends, for Iris. Now, more than ever, he wished he had that strength. He doubt it would be much to defeat the Darkmon, but enough to help his team.

"Come on, you stupid bars! Break!" he shouted.

His friends immediately shushed him. "Quiet!" Emolga whispered worriedly. "If any Darkmon know we're recovering, they'll…"

She stopped talking as they heard movement nearby. It sounded like a small group making their way over towards them. But were they friend…or foe?

"Crap…" Krookodile muttered, with his sunglasses sliding down his face.

Scraggy pushed himself up from his sitting position and held his hand up. "No way…am I letting those freaks take me alive." Blue sparks bounced off his hands as he tried to form a Focus Blast.

The rustling sound got closer until it stopped. The group didn't let their guards down. They, instead, listen out to the two sets of voices.

"Maybe you should go while I wait over here."

"YOU were the one making a big deal about ME doing this, now you're chickening out?!"

"I'm not chickening out. I just don't want to be a detriment to your plan. Like I said, they don't trust my kind."

"If I'm going to get them on my side, you're gonna have to be with me."

"Meowth, they don't even know me. How trusting are they going to be after one glance?"

Meowth? The group looked at each other in surprise. Why was he here? And who was he talking to? Couldn't be Laura, so this was a new person. But what did she mean by not trusting her kind?

"Ugh…look, I'll talk to them and explain everything clearly. They need to see you so I can get my point across."

"…fine…"

"Thank you."

Some footsteps were heard and a figure came into view. Once the group could make out the image clearly, they could see it was their 'old friend', Meowth.

He stood straight in front of the bars, hands behind his back. He gave a small, slightly nervous smile. "Uh…hey everyone…" And there it was, the hostile glares. Who could have ever predicted those? "Well, I see your little adventure through the forest hasn't changed your animosity towards me."

Krookodile, with a grunt, pushed himself onto one knee. He growled at the cat. "Meowth…what are you doing here?"

His whiskers twitched. "Oh, you know, skipping through the fields, picking daisies…WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" He coughed into his fist, trying to compose himself. "Err, sorry. What I meant to say was…I fell in here."

"Huh?" the group sounded.

"After Buneary blew up our balloon, Laura and I got separated from Jessie and James. When we woke up, we realized we were stuck here. A lot of things happened and…well, here I am."

Emolga narrowed her eyes. "How do we know you're not another Darkmon?"

He groaned. "I'm telling the truth. Just look." He unsheathed his claw and quickly poked himself, making him wince. He squeezed his flesh so that a tiny bit of blood would flow out. As expected, the color was red. "See? Normal blood color."

The group looked at each other hesitantly before looking back at the Rocket agent. "What do you want?" Scraggy asked suspiciously. "How come you haven't been captured too?"

He raised his hands. "It's…kind of a long story. To give you the short version, Laura struck a deal with Dark in exchange for my protection. I'm sort of living here now." He rubbed his eye. "Haven't had the best of sleep in some time. The Darkmon do NOT like me." He looked off to the side. "Most of them, at least."

Krookodile scoffed. "Should have figured you and Laura would join forces with malevolent creatures like them."

He shook his hands dismissively. "It isn't like that. Yes, we did agree to become part of their society, but that's only because I was going to die if Laura didn't cut a deal with them. Frankly, I would've been a corpse being chewed on for my marrow right about now."

"Gross…" Axew commented, tongue sticking out.

"However, we don't agree with their philosophies. These kinds truly believe they are the incarnation of evil itself."

Emolga raised a brow curiously. "Seriously?"

"It's true. Everything they do is all about 'opposing the light' and stuff like that. They absolutely despise our world simply because there's an unnatural balance of good. They think tipping the scale into their favor will reset the balance." He pointed at the sky. "The moment that bulb of theirs is fully charged, the sun will be blotted out for eons. They'll be able to walk around at any time without worrying about sunlight."

Scraggy's eyes widened. "That's insane! We need the sun!"

"Tell that to these crazy wackos!" The sound of a throat clearing caught his attention. He smiled sheepishly at Chloe. "Not that that implies to you, or course. Hehehe…"

Emolga tried to peer out through the bars, but her head was too big to see anything pass the blind spot. "Who are you talking to?"

"That…brings me to my other reason for being here." He cleared his throat before clasping his hands together. "Here's the thing. I know we're not on the best of terms with each other. And that you don't particularly like me. And that you're just waiting to break out of here so you can send me blasting off…I can make a whole list about it.

"My point is…while we may be enemies, we have a common foe. Team Rocket can't take over the world with competition in our way. And you all don't want these guys taking your planet away and sending you to near extinction. The way I see it, we should form an alliance."

"An alliance, huh?" Emolga repeated, leaning her elbows against the door. "And, pray tell, why we would ever work with you?"

He sighed. "Look, these guys are nuts and there's no telling how long I have. I haven't had the best of encounters so far. I was nearly killed two or three times ever since I landed here. And that's just from psychos who are being forced not to kill me. You four, however, don't have it so easy."

Krookodile glared, pushing his sunglasses up. "So you're asking for our help? Help with what? If you think we can take all of them on, you must have hit your head when you landed."

He wrapped his hands around the bars. "Just listen to me, alright? I've been studying the Darkmon under the protection of my caretaker. I've learned of one major weakness they have that can wipe them all out. We just need to destroy one thing and we win."

The group looked at each other, eyes filled with suspicion. Axew gulped. "That sounds…too good to be true."

"I'm not joking. I got this information from a Darkmon and, before you say it's a trick, I know it isn't. She's…not like the rest of her kind."

"She?" they chorused.

"As of right now, my rebellion consists of three members. Me, Laura…and my newest friend." He stepped to the side. "Okay, come over here, Chloe."

"I'm not comfortable with this…"

"You've been cold and emotionless around me. You can do the same with them."

It took her a moment to comply, but she slowly made her way into view. The group definitely reacted how Meowth and Chloe expected. Shock, fear, anger, etc. The typical greeting one gives to any Darkmon.

Chloe masked her face under her calm guise. "Hello…Pokémon."

Emolga glared at Meowth. "What's the meaning of this? I thought you said you were rebelling against them. Seems like a shady partnership."

He shook his head. "It's not what you think. Chloe…isn't like her kind…at least, now she isn't." He pinched between his eyes. "I don't have the time to explain this, but…I've managed to convince her to see things through a new view. Isn't that right, Chloe?"

She nodded. "Meowth is correct. His guidance was most…enlightening, to say the least."

Scraggy huffed. "I don't buy this garbage for a minute." He pointed at her with a vicious snarl. "Your kind nearly killed us! They nearly killed Axew!"

She raised her paw to calm his tension. "I understand your anger, but blaming me for the actions of my people isn't the proper way to explain myself."

Meowth took over. "The thing is, there's a little more to their…evil than we both originally thought. There's one other significance importance to that bulb."

"What?" Emolga asked.

"…it's brainwashing them."

"…excuse me?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Crazy, I know. I didn't believe it myself, but…careful studying has shown that the Darkmon…don't have as much free will as they are led to believe." He looked at Chloe. "That bulb forced her to attack me, trying to reinforce that killing intent back into her mindset. If it wasn't for me snapping her awake, I would have been a goner."

She bowed her head. "I wish not to be reminded of that horrible experience…" She grunted as she felt another sharp pain in her heart, something Emolga noticed.

"The bulb seems to limit their ability to express emotions. They have trouble understanding them or even reciprocating them. All they know is hate and violence."

"I see…" the flying squirrel muttered. "So that bulb is conditioning their minds from the day they're created?"

"Precisely."

She narrowed her eyes. "And you expect me to forgive them, just like that?"

Chloe sighed. "I can assure you, not all my people deserve forgiveness. There are those who resist the temptation of the bulb, while the rest succumb to the darkness in their hearts."

Krookodile rose to his feet, a little unsteadily. "So you want us to destroy your people?"

"Not…all of them. There are those who I feel…deserve a second chance at humanity. I will need time to round them up, but there isn't much I can do until the bulb is dealt with."

"What I'm asking," Meowth explained, "is for us to join forces so we can save our planet. If we don't, the entire planet will become unsustainable for all but the Darkmon. You wouldn't want our entire species to become extinct, do you?"

Emolga scoffed. "Oh please, like I let those freaks push me around…no offense," she directed hesitantly at the dark cat in front of her, to which she shrugged it off. "But how do we know we can trust you?"

"Yeah!" Scraggy joined in. "Nothing you've done has been for honest means."

"Look, I'm a simple Meowth trying to survive here!" he said, raising his voice. "Those monsters are close to tearing my head off! I'm not asking us to become friends or to just ignore the past! What I'm asking for is your cooperation."

He stuck his hand through the bars. "Join my rebellion so we can take out the Darkmon. In the end, we all get what we want: freedom and a chance for another bright tomorrow."

The group looked at each other with thoughtful expressions. They huddled close together to speak in private. "Well, what do you think?" Krookodile asked.

"I don't trust that two-timing pest for a moment," Scraggy shared.

"I understand, but we don't have many options here. Once the ruse is up, those freaks will be dining on our bones."

Axew shivered. "Still nasty…"

"You heard Meowth, he's just as in danger as the rest of us," Emolga reminded. "Besides, there's no telling when the others will come to find us. Taking up the cat's offer should give us the escape we need. Plus…I rather not live in endless darkness. No sunlight means no apples will grow." She shook her head. "No one gets between this Emolga and her apples."

The Shedding Pokémon glared. "You really think we can trust him?"

"In our current situation, I'll take what I can get."

He sighed. "Well…if you're in, I'm in, too."

"Same," Krookodile and Axew seconded.

The flying squirrel nodded before looking back at Meowth. "Alright Meowth, we'll help you and your little girlfriend out, under the condition that you don't pull a fast one on us."

He raised his paw. "On my honor as a Meowth, I will keep to my word…just until we leave this place."

"Fair enough." She stretched her arm out, to which he shook, sealing the deal.

"Now then, onto my pla…wait, what was that other bit you said?" he asked, letting the rest of Emolga's words finally sink in.

She smirked. "I said we'll help you and your girlfriend out."

The cat's face brightened to the color of a Tamato berry and jumped back. "Whoa, hold on a minute! She is not my girlfriend!"

"Really?" she asked with a lips curling.

He growled, steam practically pouring out of his ears. "Can we go back on topic here?!" Chloe found herself looking away uneasily. Her face started to become warm.

Emolga raised her hands defensively. "Fine, fine, whatever."

He huffed, then took a moment to compose himself. "As I was saying, I have a plan. I can't have you all come back with me to my hut, so you'll have to wait here until tomorrow night. That's when the evasion will commence." He looked at Chloe. "She'll come by with food for you all. Once night comes, she'll release you so we can begin."

"Okay…but how do you expect us to get passed an entire crowd of Darkmon undetected?"

"Honestly, I'm hoping they'll be too distracted with Dark and Laura's wedding ceremony to notice. You could hide out in the trees until I give the signal. Which reminds me, I need to work on a signal."

Krookodile raised his hand. "Time out. What's this about a wedding with Laura?"

The cat smiled sheepishly. "Remember that, uh, deal I mentioned earlier?"

Emolga face-palmed. "Oh brother…"

"It has been a strange couple of weeks, definitely." He shook his head. "But that doesn't matter now. Our goal is to wait for the right opportunity to strike. Once Dark's attention is off the bulb, we can destroy it before anyone stops us."

Chloe tapped his shoulder. "So, what's your plan after that?"

"What do you mean?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Assuming you do destroy the bulb, you do realize it'll still be the middle of the night. You really think you can outrun thousands of Darkmon before the sun comes up?"

Meowth eyes widened fearfully. He'll need to make some adjustments to the escape portion of the plan. "Uh…I'll work on that…" He looked back at the group. "Don't let me down, alright. We need as many Pokémon as possible to pull this off."

Axew saluted. "We won't let you down, sir!"

"Great!" He looked at Chloe, who nodded in understanding. "As a show of gratitude, we brought you something to eat." She handed him berries wrapped in a leaf cloth, which he then passed through the bars. "They're not poisonous, so eat 'til your heart's content."

The gang licked their lips. "Thanks!" They tore it open and chowed down on the berries, not minding the strong sour flavor they packed. They were just happy to fill their empty stomachs.

Chloe bowed her head. "I shall return later with another helping."

Meowth raised his finger. "Remember to be ready tomorrow night. I need you all fully rested and prepped for a fight if needed."

"Right!"

With that, they parted ways for the day. Meowth and Chloe made their way back to his hut. Now that they got out of the way, it was time to get down to other important matters: figuring out how they were going to survive the night of doomsday.

"That's the last of it," Hank stated as he set a box down outside the destroyed Pokémon Center. With the damage that accumulated last night, they had to move important equipment and medicine out as pieces of the building randomly gave out from damage strain.

Nurse Joy looked at the center with a sad look in her eyes. "I can't believe this…"

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "The International Police will cover any damages that need repair."

"You don't have to…"

He placed a hand over his heart. "It's the least we can do after letting us set up our operation from here."

Ash looked off into the distance, in the direction of the forest. To think it stretched out this far, right under their feet. He knew he was safe during the day, but he can't help but feel uneasy with the looming threat of a massive forest and its ravenous inhabitants.

Plus, he was still worried about the safety of their Pokémon. They only had brief contact with some of them, relieving him that Pikachu was safe and sound. But, since they'll be at the front of this upcoming invasion, he wondered how they would make it through.

Hank kept trying to reassure them that Ryder will get them out safely. While he had no reason to distrust the Charmeleon, there was much about him that remained an enigma.

He glanced back at the others as Hank checked on the healing equipment for the Pokémon. "It's a little dented, but I think I can get this fixed up in a few hours. Until then…" He reached into the boxes and tossed the trainers some medicine. "These should help get your Pokémon back on their feet until I fixed this."

"Thank you!" The trainers released their injured Pokémon and began treating their wounds.

Hank ripped open the back of the healing machine and checked the inside. "Dang…that plant did a number on the inside. Makes my job harder…especially since I have to fix the transporter next…" He rubbed his hands together, then reached in with a wrench and screwdriver.

Ash walked up to the old agent. "Hey Hank…can I ask you something?"

"Kind of busy, kid, but shoot."

He sat down next to the machine, resting his head against it. "I'm…curious about something. It's about Ryder. When we met him in Sinnoh, he seemed kind of…distant."

"That's normal." He reached around for his toolbox, trying to find a wire cutter. "Don't get me wrong, he's a friendly fella. Warm heart, good intentions. Though, you know things have been rough on him. He hasn't heard from Ryan or Jade in five years. He's bound to get gloomy from time to time." He found the wire cutters and started clipping away at some of them, hoping to get a jumpstart in power. "He's unstable…we can't give him any reasons to lose control."

"Why would he do that?"

"Ryder has been known to be obsessive. The moment a mission or goal is set in front of him, he won't back down until it's uncovered. We want him to exterminate the Darkmon, but we're trying our best to keep him calm. It'd be so easy to set him off on a murderous slaughter to eradicate their power source. If he goes down that road…if anyone goes down that road…there is no turning back."

Ash looked down. "He must be confused…"

"It's hard on all of us. Ryan and Jade meant the world to him. They were the only things in his life that kept him at ease. Yet they're also his greatest weakness." He pulled himself out of the healing machine, chuckling. "Everyone has a weakness that acts as a strength. Take Buneary for example."

The trainer blinked. "Huh?"

"She thought she lost the love of her life and she gained an adrenaline boost from it. The same can be said for your Pikachu. Anything happen to her, their egg…or especially you, he might do something he'll regret. It's that moment of instinctive fury that can give us strength, in exchange for rational thought.

"This is why I trained Ryder to find inner peace. Anyone who has mastered aura can quickly lose control of it if succumbed to anger. He isn't an exception to this rule." He leaned against the machine himself. "That's what we Shadow Agents do. Keep a cool head and settle the task at hand."

Ash smiled. "You guys know what you're doing."

"I hope so…" He sighed. "Still, even the toll of not seeing my grandson wears me down to the bone. I can't say it has affected me as much as Ryder, but it…still stings."

"You're sure you don't know where he went? Why he left?"

He looked down at the ground. "Well…that's not entirely true. He had a dual purpose for leaving…" He looked at Team Rocket, who were busy tending to their injured Pokémon. He glared shortly before looking at Ash. "You've dealt with Team Rocket on a regular basis, haven't you?"

"Oh, uh…y-yeah, I have," he answered embarrassingly. "I have saved a Lugia before…and saved a Celebi…my friends and I were always there to thwart their evil plans whenever we could."

Hank smiled wearily. "If only you knew the true horrors I've seen…"

The expression showed content, but it reflected pain as well. Ash narrowed his eyes curiously. He doubted he knew everything about Team Rocket, but…was there something he was missing from his seemingly innocent statement? This man has seen more action and battles than anything he'll face in years.

The old man sighed. "Ash, do you know of the Team Rocket leader, Giovanni?"

That name set alarms off in Ash's head. He glared. "I've met him before. Last time I saw him, he was trying to harness the power of the Genie Pokémon using Meloetta."

"Yes, we've heard about that case a while back." He gripped his knees. "Giovanni is a mysterious man, one that we, Shadow Agents, have been trying to crack for years. Many things about him leave us pondering more and more. An endless stream of questions that I can't comprehend.

"We thought we knew the ins and outs of their operations, but…we discovered something far worse." He glared. "I'm not sure if you know, but, many years ago, we discovered unusual activity in Kanto. An explosion from a Team Rocket lab we've been spying on." He narrowed his eyes. "They were keeping something secret there, but it escaped before we could get a good read on it.

"However, the remnants of that explosion led us to a new path. Something we never considered." He picked at the grass. "Pokémon go missing, even when we recover a massive hoard of stolen ones from the big boss himself. When we locate them…" He narrowed his eyes sadly. "Well…the worse part of my job is telling the trainer something bad happened…"

The trainer could already feel his blood boiling. "You mean…how can anybody be that cruel?!"

"It's a mystery to all of us. All I do know is that we're dealing with something bigger than Team Rocket. Something hiding under our noses." He peered forward. "This forest was made from science. A collection of advanced minds using their knowledge to create an unstoppable force." He sighed. "Four scientists worked on this forest…only three are known of."

"Three? Then who's the last one?"

"A mystery only hidden behind his name. He refers to himself as 'Wrath'. No records of him in Team Rocket's history, no affiliation with them…it's like he doesn't exist." He looked at the trainer. "I do know this, though. Ryan was a sharp lad. Instincts told him something didn't add up.

"Team Rocket has many secrets that have yet to be uncovered. Ryan knew following the agency's policies wouldn't suit his needs, so he decided to leave to expose the evils behind their operations."

Ash looked back at the forest. "I see…"

Hank glanced at the trainer for a moment before looking forward. "Ash…you care about the life of all Pokémon, right?"

He gave an expression as if the answer was obvious. "Of course I do! Humans and Pokémon are meant to coexist with each other! I'd do anything to rescue my buddy, Pikachu! I'd do anything to help a Pokémon in need!"

"I figured as much…" He chuckled. "I can't let you go into that forest on your own, nor can I risk the safety of your friends. But I have a favor to ask you. Two favors."

The trainer narrowed his eyes curiously. "How come?"

"Because, from what I've seen and read up on you, you have quite a bit of experience handling dangerous tasks. You're a lot braver than most trainers I've seen." He crossed his arms. "Not every day you see someone your age take on an evil organization and battle alongside the Legendary Pokémon. I figure…you might be able to help us."

"Oh…yeah, sure!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Help with what?"

The old man raised a finger. "First…if and when we get through the invasion, I ask that you keep a close eye on Team Rocket." He threw his thumb over his shoulder. "Those two are clearly in the dark about their organization's secret projects. If you come across anything suspicious and related to Team Rocket…report that information to me."

Ash raised a brow. "Why? How come you guys can't do it?"

"We can, but the enemy would be a little less wary of you. Besides, I'd bet my job that you've had more direct encounters with them than we've had to deal with. You definitely have that advantage over us." He glanced at the trainer. "All I'm asking is for you to keep an ear out for anything Team Rocket might be planning. They keep that information locked up tight so we can't get our hands on it. Though they wouldn't be as cautious around a trainer, even if you're practically their enemy by this point. Think you can handle that?"

He blinked, giving it some thought, before nodding. "Anything to help the Pokémon of the world."

He smiled. "You're a good kid, Ash…"

"So, what's that second favor?"

"Ah yes, that." He sighed. "Recently, I've been speaking with my boss. Once the forest is eliminated, we'll be done here, moving on with our plans to thwart the rest of Team Rocket." He narrowed his eyes. "However, he gave me an order to pass down to Ryder:

"Ryder's services to the organization have been astronomical. He is a worthy Pokemon to assist the Shadow Agency. That being said, we fear his mental stability has been…off balance for all these years. So focused on destroying the Darkmon, along with his mental breakdowns due to that tainted aura in him, we can't risk having him do more work. He has been at this for nearly five years. What I advise is that he takes a break. He far exceeds the rights to a vacation. We can't have him going on missions if he's still stressing over his trainer. It won't be easy to convince him, but…well, I know you'll think of something."

"Ryder's health has been my top concern ever since Ryan left. Spending time to help him meditate, expel his negative emotions to think clearly…but, in the end, all he really needs is time off."

"And you think he won't do it because he's loyal to his job?"

"Right on the nose, kid." He smiled. "However, when we finished our short trip to Sinnoh, I did notice a change in him. He was…a bit happier. Spending time with your Pikachu and Dawn's Buneary seemed to help get his mind off things. He hasn't had the time to converse with friends. I feel it would be good for him if he spent his time around normal trainers, like the old days with my grandson."

Ash narrowed his eyes in confusion, then they widened, slowly piecing his request together. "Wait…are you saying…"

He nodded. "Until Ryan returns, whenever that may be, I ask you to let Ryder join you all on your journey."

"S…Seriously?"

He nodded. "Very…"

He placed his hand to the side of his head, surprised by the request. "W-Well…I…I don't see why not." He dropped his hand and smiled. "I mean, if you think it'll help him, I suppose. But why us?"

"I think we made it clear Ryder has bonded well with your Pokémon. I can't think of anyone else. Besides, you and your friends are good people. I'm sure I can trust him with you." He smiled. "I just want him to clear his head and finally relax. No work, no missions, no stressing. Just leisure and time with friends."

The trainer looked back to his friends, who seemed to finally get their Pokémon healed up. "Well, I'm sure they wouldn't mind." He smiled at the old man. "We'd be glad to have him come along with us."

Hank chuckled. "Thank you, Ash…thank you."

Pikachu flipped across the ground, spinning his Bo staff as he deflected a series of fast moving rocks, thrown by his teacher. Ryder scooped another handful of pebbles and threw them with precision and speed. The mouse landed on his feet and spun the staff in front of him, ricocheting the projectiles away.

Ryder sensed movement behind him and threw five pebbles. Buneary raised her tonfas and whacked them away. She spun them around, flashing a toothy grin. Ryder nodded with a smile.

Snivy, Oshawott, and Pignite were doing their own form of training, competing in a battle royale. The fire pig was surprised by how much his two companions improved in speed and strength, as they were running around him and clashing against one another, while also deliver strong attacks that would push him back. This only encouraged the fire pig to battle harder, as he ran into battle coated in the flames of Flame Charge.

Koda sidestepped from Dragonite's Thunder Punch, then performed a sweep kick to topple him off his feet. His wings flared out and flapped. The strong movement kept him suspended in the air before he flipped his body around and slammed his fist down on the dark jackal, who immediately raised his hands to push against it with his aura.

Standing off in the sidelines were Pansage, Quilava, and Pachirisu. The squirrel was happily holding Scarlet in his arms, throwing her up and down, earning delightful squeals of babbling cuteness. He caught the baby and hugged her. "Yay! I get to babysit! My dream came true!"

Quilava playfully rolled his eyes before looking at the others. "Can't believe these are the same Pokémon we've known on our journey. They've been training hard."

The grass monkey nodded. "They're determined like their trainers. With this kind of enthusiasm for battle, we might have the upper hand."

"Try not to jinx it, buster." He shivered uncomfortably. "I rather be running for my life than engaging in combat with those fiends."

It came to a unanimous vote that Buneary was going to need someone to accompany her while she made her escape out of the forest with Scarlet, even if the chances of Darkmon still being in the surrounding area were greatly reduced due to tomorrow's ceremony. So, the three Pokémon agreed to tag along to ensure safe travel for mother and daughter.

Their attention was collectively drawn to Piplup, who was getting into position to deliver a swift, devastating onslaught to the wooden dummy set up for his use, carved to look like his evil counterpart.

Feeling his dramatic side taking over, he pointed intensely, wrapping his other flipper around the folded collapsible shuriken on his back. "So, you dare show your face again?! Even after falling to the great Piplup?!" He threw his head back, laughing superciliously. "I'll give you this, you're brave! And foolish, too!"

He pulled the shuriken off his back and, with a flick of his flipper, unfolded the weapon to full size. He spun it over his head, letting it hover for a moment as he laughed jeeringly. "I hope you're ready! I'm about to unleash a tornado of passionate fury!"

He caught the shuriken and reeled his flipper back, winding up his throw. With a hefty swing, he threw the shuriken, hovering beautifully across the ground. The fierce wind of the spinning blades uprooted dry grass, flying up into the sharp edges, shredded into smithereens.

He has been trying desperately to improve his throw. Ryder has complimented him on his training, saying he mastered the proper technique to allow the weapon a smooth gliding through the air with the grace of an Altaria. He was so happy to have perfected such a difficult task.

…now if only he didn't suck at aiming.

He can fire down moving targets with his Bubble Beam or Ice Beam with ease, but he couldn't hit anything with the shuriken to save his life. The weapon curved to the left, away from the wooden dummy, and sliced down a multitude of trees, leaving the penguin thunderstruck. His eye twitched, the sound of a sharp twang echoing through his head, as if something was on the verge of snapping.

The group stared with toned down versions of his expression. He has been working so hard on learning to use the windmill shuriken and he still couldn't hit the dummy.

Pikachu walked up to his buddy and offered him a friendly, yet awkward, pat on the back. "If it's any consolation, I don't think the Darkmon want to be anywhere near you with skills like that…" He chuckled uneasily, hoping his dear friend doesn't blow steam.

The penguin's cheeks puffed out in anger, turning red to match his mood, before exhaling a loud sigh of annoyance. "You know what? You're right!" He placed his flippers on his hips and puffed his chest out. "If I don't know where I'm aiming, neither will they!" He marched off to retrieve the shuriken.

Ryder laughed quietly. That's…one way of seeing it. He looked over at Koda, who was balancing on Dragonite's head.

"Get off me, squirt!" the dragon demanded as he swatted at the dark jackal.

He laughed and backflipped off his head, landing on his feet elegantly. "Guess I'm too quick for-WHOA!" His future vision picked up on a Vine Whip from behind, to which he reacted by spinning on his heel and catching them in his hands. "Sneak attacks? Really?"

Snivy jumped down and crossed her arms with a smirk. "Oh, don't whine over it. Training is training." She retracted her vines. She glanced to her side as Oshawott and Pignite joined her side. "Nice work, you two."

Oshawott smiled with a blush spreading across his features. "Gee, thanks Snivy." He glared to his left, hearing the unmistakable sound of Pignite trying, and failing, keep his snickering under his breath.

Ryder shook his head at the otter. Poor fella was close to admitting his feelings to the grass snake. He would have if it weren't for the Charmeleon's brief episode of madness. He knew Buneary wanted to get them together. Same with Pikachu. Perhaps he could set some time up so they could be alone. Tomorrow night was going to be a big day for everyone.

He raised his hands up and clapped, gaining everyone's attention. "Alright, alright, settle down. We're going to be spending the next several hours training until dark. You rest for the night, train some more in the morning, then rest throughout the afternoon. You need your strength up for tomorrow." He glared. "It's going to be a long night for all of us. I hope everyone is ready for the worse time of their life."

Dragonite cracked his knuckles. "No sweat. I'm looking forward to it."

Ryder turned to Koda. "When does their invasion take off?"

"Technically, midnight. They'll be having a ceremony for Lord Dark and the android Laura. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but they'll begin the evasion soon after. Then they'll release the smog into the sky."

"So that gives us a decent window of time to destroy the bulb." He crossed his arms. "Failure is not an option. We go in, take out the bulb, then try to flee an army of Darkmon until daybreak."

"Gee, when you say it like that, it sounds simple…" Pignite commented sarcastically.

Ryder sighed. "I told you, this isn't going to be an easy mission. These things are vicious. It's either us or the rest of humanity. It's a small price to pay for the safety of our planet."

Snivy raised her arms slightly. "Hey, don't worry, we know what's at stake. We'll be training all day and ready for combat tomorrow."

"That's what I like to hear." He checked the moss before pointing at the secret hatch. "Alright, it's time for lunch. You got forty-five minutes to eat." They nodded and headed down.

Oshawott was about to join them, but Ryder stopped him. "Yeah Ryder?"

He pulled him away from the hatch and rubbed the back of his head. "While it wasn't my intention, I must apologize for…interrupting your moment with Snivy the other night."

The otter blushed brightly, looking toward the ground with a meek expression. "Uh…n-no issue or anything. You weren't…in the right mind."

The Charmeleon sighed. "Oshawott, it's not in my right to tell you what to do, but you may need to tell Snivy how you feel soon. You might not get another chance in the future."

He glanced away from his eyes. "I know, but…there's so much to consider. She could reject me…my admission could distract her if she doesn't give a definite answer…she might not feel the same…"

Ryder placed a hand on his shoulder. "You want my honest thoughts?" He gave a weak nod. "Snivy…doesn't look like she reciprocates your feelings on the same level as you."

He pouted sadly. "Oh great…"

"However, what I do see is a considerate friend who wouldn't push another friend away like that. Snivy might not feel strongly for you as you do for her, but I do know she appreciates your friendship."

"So…what should I do?"

"In my opinion, just get your feelings out while you still can. It'd…be better than not knowing what'll happen."

Oshawott looked back at the hatch. He could hear everyone conversing with each other, barely making out Snivy's voice from the crowd. "I'll…I'll try…later tonight." With that, he retreated into the hideout.

The Charmeleon sighed, looking at the leaves above. "I wish I had a chance like you…just so I can see my own love again…" He shook his head and followed him into the hideout.