The gang sat outside of the operating room with their heads lowered. Ash and Krookodile, according to Nurse Joy, arrived just in time to help Ryder and Buneary. She commented about how they were in really bad shape, asking for what the cause of it was. He wasn't able to provide an explanation, since Hank told him the Darkmon and the forest were classified information, with only the local Officer Jenny and the other Nurse Joy knowing the limited details. Thankfully, the agent provided one for them once he arrived.

Dawn held her face in her hands as she wept quietly, worried sick about her beloved Buneary. Piplup was just as distressed, if not more. Buneary is his best friend, close enough to where he considered her family. Awaiting her and Ryder's results was something he wanted to look forward to, if it were positive news. If not, then it would only further their sadness.

James, who was sitting next to Dawn, placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him as he offered a reassuring smile. As someone who went through dealing with a beloved Pokémon who was very sick, he could understand how she must be feeling. She may be the enemy, but even he knew the value of a trainer's love and care for their Pokémon. Dawn smiled back a bit, wiping away some of her tears.

Hank sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. The moment he and the others got here, they had their other Pokémon taken in for healing. Some of them, however, had to be physically treated since their injuries were too great to be healed off with the healing machines. Lucario was one of them, as he had to get his arm treated. While it wasn't as bad as Buneary's, it did require proper medical attention in case it grew worse.

What concerned him, though, was Ryder. His aura was so weakened from the battle that he couldn't tell if he was getting better or worse on the other side of the wall. He felt like he was tipping close to Death's door. He pushed himself way beyond what his body could handle, same with Buneary. It impressed and disturbed him that the both of them pushed their limit pass what their own physicality. It may have increased their strength for their individual fights, but it also put massive strain on their muscles and body. If they hadn't ended their battles at the right time, there wouldn't have been a chance of saving them.

Hank took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm…sorry for putting you all through this."

Iris leaned forward and looked down the row of seats. "Ah, don't worry about it, Hank. We were happy to help."

"At what cost, though?" He gestured to the wall in front of them. "Do you even know what's going on back there? Buneary's probably going to be in a cast for who knows how long. Ryder has sustained so many injuries that even Nurse Joy was shocked he was still alive. Your other Pokémon are lucky to have come out of all of this the way they did." He groaned and rubbed his temples. "And we STILL don't know where Jade, Pikachu, or Dragonite are."

"Shouldn't we look for them?" Cilan asked.

Hank shook his head. "No need. I sent Shedinja to look for them once we got here. Hopefully it gets them back here soon."

Ash sighed. "I'm really worried about Pikachu…"

"You'll be reunited with him soon, Ash, I promise."

Scarlet, who was sitting on the floor next to Pachirisu, stood up and tried walk to the operating room doors. The electric squirrel quickly grabbed her and sat her back down. "No, no, no, you can't go in there."

"Pichu!" Scarlet protested as she flailed her tiny arms, wanting to see her mommy. "Chu!"

Pachirisu narrowed his eyes sadly. "(Scarlet, your mommy is very hurt right now. You'll have to wait out here until Nurse Joy says you can see her.)"

Scarlet whimpered and nudged her head against her Uncle Pachirisu. "Chu…" She cried into his chest. He calmly rubbed her back, easing her sadness.

Pansage patted the Pichu's head. "(It has been a while. Shouldn't Dragonite be back by now? It's not like his counterpart is still alive.)"

Pachirisu shrugged. "(I can never really tell with that guy. He's probably stomping on their ashes or something like that.)" He looked down worriedly. "(Speaking of ashes, what about Koda?)"

Pansage smiled. "(Koda's pretty smart. I'm sure he found some way to avoid the sunlight.)"

The squirrely smiled brightly. "(Yeah, that's true! Can't keep an optimist like him down!)"

The group could hear the sound of the front door opening. They paid it no mind, but something came flying in and caught their attention.

Hank glanced at the shadow hovering above him and looked up, identifying it as Shedinja. "Shedinja!" Hank stood up and asked, "Did you find the others like I asked?"

Shedinja nodded its head in a panicked matter. "(Sir, two of the three Pokémon I acquired are heavily injured.)"

Hank's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" He dashed around the corner with the exoskeleton ghost, stirring the attention of the other trainers, who glanced at each other worriedly. They got out of their seats and followed after them.

They ran into the main area of the Pokémon Center and stopped in their tracks, frozen in shock. Jade was panting on the ground, exhausted from carrying the two Pokémon that laid beside her. Pikachu looked almost dead while Dragonite appeared to be suffering, evident by the massive, bleeding wound across his chest.

"Dragonite!" Iris cried, running up to him.

"PIKACHU!" Ash dashed over to his best friend, sliding onto his knees and scooping Pikachu up. "Pikachu, are you okay?!" The mouse was unresponsive. He was completely out cold. "Pikachu…"

Hank narrowed his eyes on both of them, sensing their aura. Dragonite appeared to be suffering from the wound inflicted upon him, something that quite honestly shocked him. He has seen some brutal damage inflicted by the Darkmon, but nothing that cleanly cut. Whatever hit Dragonite thankfully was only able to slash off an upper layer of skin and nothing deeper.

Pikachu, on the other hand, had wounds he would expect from being in the forest. However, the main source of his troubles were very similar to Ryder's: heavy bruising and near depleted aura. How he managed to hold out for this long was nothing short of miraculous.

He clenched his fists, then shouted, "NURSE JOY! WE NEED YOU DOWN HERE!"

Cilan and James helped Dragonite to his feet. He panted heavily, close to losing the last bit of consciousness he had left. Pachirisu and the others ran up to him with worried expressions. "(Dragonite!)"

"(What happened to you?!)" Pansage asked in concern.

Dragonite shook his head, trying to clear his foggy mind. "(It…It all happened so fast…I was battling my counterpart when I suddenly started fighting…this other Darkmon. He…He…ugh…)" He stumbled forward, with the two humans catching his weight. "(He's…a monster. I'm not sure how…but I felt that power deep within him…he's worse than the others. I…I don't know how, but he's much viler than all of them…)"

Pansage patted his leg. "(Don't strain yourself. You've been through a lot.)"

"(He's…He's a murderer…)"

Pachirisu narrowed his eyes worriedly. "(How so?)"

"(I was there when it happened. They were battling each other…the fight was completely one-sided when I arrived. He was breaking him down, chasing him until there was nothing left to play with. He was like a predator breaking down its prey until they've reached the borders of death.)" He clenched his eyes shut. "(I saw what he did…what he did to him.)"

Nurse Joy ran down the hall with two Audino. "What seems to be the pro-OH MY GOODNESS!" Her hands shot up to her mouth in horror. "What happened to them?!"

"There's no time to explain!" Hank shouted. "This Dragonite and Pikachu need help, now! They're on the verge of dying!"

"R-Right!" Nurse Joy looked to the two Audino. "Get two gurneys and wheel them into the operation room!" They nodded and raced off.

Pachirisu stepped forward. His eyes were watering. "(Dragonite…what are you talking about? Who did what to who? Did someone die?!)"

The dragon clenched his teeth angrily. "(He's not like the rest…there's something off about him. He's not normal! He's not like the other Darkmon!)"

"(Dragonite, did he kill someone? Who did he kill?!)" Pansage asked loudly.

Dragonite sucked in some air before uttering a sentence that left them stone cold:

"(He killed Koda.)"

Pansage, Pachirisu, Pignite, and Quilava stared up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. The sounds of the gurneys being wheeled in drowned out of their ears as their minds replayed that single phrase hundreds of times over in a matter of seconds. Their bodies shook as the overwhelming feeling of grief surged through their bodies.

The Audino helped Dragonite onto the gurney while Ash, by Audino's orders, placed Pikachu down on the second gurney. They briskly wheeled them to the operation room. The four Pokémon continued to stare up into space as their minds were trapped in an endless cycle of disbelief.

"(That…That can't be true…)" Pachirisu sniffled as his eyes became waterier. "(Koda's not dead…he can't be…right?)" Tears flooded his eyes, reaching their limit before streaming down his face. "(Koda…wha…how could this…?)"

He collapsed onto the ground and curled up into the fetal position, crying his eyes out. This display of sadness got to Quilava as he was the second to burst out into tears. He fell onto the ground and wept onto his paws, sobbing profusely. Pignite slouched over and wept softly, a steady stream of tears sliding down his face.

Pansage had tears brimming at the edges of his eyelids. He stared at the ground in perplexed shock. This had to be a trick, but Dragonite wouldn't lie about something like this. Maybe Koda did survive…whatever killed him. Maybe he escaped in time. Maybe it was all an illusion. Maybe he…he…

The grass monkey tried desperately to come to a logical conclusion, but nothing could stick with his mind. Was it possible someone actually got to Koda and killed him? Was the optimistic, good-natured jackal of evil actually gone…forever?

The tears broke through as Pansage collapsed to his knees, continuing to stare at the ground in disbelief. "(Koda…)"

The trainers looked down at the Pokémon in befuddlement. "What on earth has gotten into them?!" Jessie asked.

"They were talking to Dragonite, then…this happened," Iris deduced hesitantly. "Did…something happen down there?"

Hank stared at the suffering Pokémon. He didn't understand the circumstances for what or why it happened, but he can confirm that these saddened Pokémon had lost something dear to their hearts. He hurt his poor heart to even look at this uncomfortable scene.

He looked down at Jade, who laid across the ground with a dead tired expression. He picked her up in his arms. "You deserve some rest. Once Ryder's clear for visitors, you can see him."

Jade smiled lightly. "(Thank…you…)" She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Hank rubbed her head soothingly before turning back to the crying Pokémon, who were being comforted by their trainers. "Shh, shh…Pachirisu, Quilava, it's okay. No need to cry…" Dawn comforted as she rubbed their backs.

"You're all right, Pansage. Just let it all out," Cilan said to his partner Pokémon, holding him in his arms.

Ash placed his hand down on Pignite's head and gently petted him. "Hang in there, Pignite. It'll be okay…" The fire pig snorted sadly before burying his face into Ash's chest. This surprised the trainer, but that didn't stop him from soothing him.

Hank smiled at their efforts to calm their sorrowful hearts. It showed the amount of care and respect they put into each other. If one's down and gloomy, the other will be there to reassure them and raise their spirits.

Still, it worried Hank that something bad happened down in the forest. They barely came out of an impending apocalypse being started by a monstrous force like Dark. However, he has never seen a Darkmon perform such a clean cut before, especially one of that size. It was bizarre. Some Darkmon did have remarkable precision and skill, but none he has ever observed could perform a cut that smoothly. Whatever Dragonite faced in battle was no ordinary Darkmon.

He may have to do some research on the destroyed grounds. The sun should have had plenty of time to burn away the last of the Darkmon and vegetation. Something told him there was more to look into on the Darkmon case than he thought.

The trainers started heading back to their seats, while either guiding or holding their sobbing Pokémon. Hank sighed at the sight and prepared to follow them back when a hand grasped his shoulder. He turned and met the eyes of Jessie. "May I help you?"

She scoffed. "Considering our little truce will be coming to a close once we leave, what do you plan to do with us?"

Hank narrowed his eyes. "To be honest, I should have you four arrested just for being affiliated with Team Rocket." He sighed. "However, despite my better judgment, I letting the four of you off the hook."

"You are?" James asked surprised.

"You two made a huge contribution in helping in our battle against the Darkmon. Plus, your two friends have been through enough trouble as it was. Putting you four in jail is just asking for psychiatric help." He pointed menacingly at them. "But let me give you two a piece of advice: the next we cross paths, don't expect the same special treatment as before. The moment you four leave my line of sight after stepping out of this building, and if we cross paths again, I will have you arrested for your crimes."

Jessie leaned forward with a smirk. "I wouldn't take us so lightly with your pass. We're quite hard to capture. You may have your fancy powers and junk, but we're the most elusive members of Team Rocket."

Hank smirked. "We'll see about that." He narrowed his eyes. "Which reminds me, I need to ask something about your boss, Giovanni."

James crossed his arms. "If you're asking about his current location, we'd never tell you."

The old agent shook his head. "That's not what I'm asking. It's more so on something you four might not be aware of."

"In what regard?" Jessie asked questioningly.

"Let me ask you something: are you aware of the projects your boss runs behind your backs?"

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"The Shadow Agency has been on Team Rocket's case for quite some time now. We've busted many of your organization's capture schemes and retrieved any and all stolen Pokémon from their clutches." He closed his eyes. "However, my main concern lies in their top secret projects, the ones even WE can't access."

Jessie tapped her chin. "Funny…I believe that Charmeleon said something similar to us back in Sinnoh…"

James narrowed his eyes. "Why bother asking us this? What if we do know and we're sworn to secrecy?"

Hank sighed. "Look, I can be an impatient man when I'm tired, so let me just get to the point: I can tell if you're lying and I know you're just as curious about Giovanni's secret projects just as much as me." The two Rocket agents looked at each other unsurely.

"Giovanni is a very dangerous man. Finding valuable information on any of his hidden agendas is miracle work from Arceus. Entire records we find on previous branches of Team Rocket are either erased or nonexistent. I fear your organization has a dark secret buried within its past dealings and only you two have the clearance and access to uncover those secrets."

Jessie glared. "Now hold on, are you asking us to help you expose our boss' secrets? If so, then forget it! We've come too far in this game to lose our jobs now! We've already spent years trying to catch that twerp's Pikachu! Going back now would just be humiliating by now!"

"No shame in humility, however that isn't what I'm asking. If I wanted you to turn against your boss and act as double agents, I wouldn't be taking such a lighthearted approach. What I do know, though, is that you have a natural curiosity for this kind of stuff. Don't do it for me. Rather, uncover your boss' secrets yourself and ask yourselves whether or not what you're doing fits your moral codes.

"I can guarantee this: despite not knowing what hides underneath Team Rocket's line of secrets, there will be something buried deep down that'll make you reconsider all actions taken up to today."

Jessie and James stared at the old agent with looks of contemplation. Should they really be questioning the dealings of their own boss? Sure, he hasn't been…supportive of them in the earlier years, but they have showed improvement in their skills and have earned enough of his trust to gain substantial promotions. The extra field training they underwent, the new equipment provided for them, and the opportunity to help with some of Giovanni's other plans.

They have helped with that scheme back in Castelia City involving the Meteonite, though the events of that day WERE kind of fuzzy considering that rock caused quite a few issues for them. Though, there was also their most recent contribution to Team Rocket with their plan to control the Three Genie Pokémon. That was one of their biggest schemes ever and their boss asked for their assistance without a second thought. It seemed like a standing achievement for the four agents.

So why was it that Giovanni didn't let them in on his other projects and schemes? It seems oddly bizarre and unnecessary, considering they, not to long ago, tried to take over Unova by manipulating the weather. What WAS so special about these top secret projects that it didn't require their input or, at the very least, any hint of confirmation to them?

Giovanni can be a secretive man when he wants to. There were some things he worked on that shouldn't be gazed upon by lower ranking agents. That did raise a bubble of curiosity in their minds. It makes one wonder what was really going on behind those closed doors of his.

Jessie crossed her arms and glared at Hank. "Why should we take your word for it? What proof do you have that we can't trust Giovanni?"

Hank sighed. "After reviewing your track records, nothing I say will convince you. It's best if you found out for yourselves." He walked pass them. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Flaaffy to heal." He walked down the hall and stepped out of view.

James held his chin for a moment before turning to his partner. "What do you think?"

"Blah! He's a senile lunatic filling our heads with conspiracy theories," she brushed off lightly. "So the boss might have a few dark secrets meant to be kept from our eyes, big deal. This isn't the first time we've been left out of the loop."

"Yes, but…it makes you wonder what the boss does with the stolen Pokémon we capture."

Jessie shrugged. "Duh, we use them for the glory of Team Rocket."

"But why would stolen Pokémon comply to our commands after being ripped away from their trainers?" James placed a hand on Jessie's shoulder. "Has Giovanni even told us HOW he gets the Pokémon we capture to obey our commands?"

Jessie scratched her cheek nervously. "Err…they're probably…put through rigorous obedience training or something…"

"What about those top secret files we don't know about? Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

Jessie growled. "James, that old man is filling your head with nonsense! If Team Rocket does have dark secrets lurking underneath us, what's the worse they could be?"

James looked at the window. "Perhaps…menacing creatures that almost killed us…"

His partner's eyes widened. "Wait…you don't mean…"

"After everything he said about the Darkmon, it eventually pieced together for me that this was one of Team Rocket's darker secrets."

Jessie narrowed her eyes. "You're telling me Giovanni actually authorized the creation of those…things?"

James shrugged. "Maybe, but…the question I want answered is why?"

Jessie crossed her arms. "To think Team Rocket has the resources to manufacture life…" She shivered. "Life that could have actually gotten us all killed." She sighed and looked to James. "Okay, assuming for a moment the old guy has a point, what can we do about it?"

James sighed. "For now, we should head back to Kanto and report in with the boss."

"Should we tell him about what happened?"

"…" James ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out an answer to that. "Perhaps not. If HE brings it up first, then yes. Until then, best if we keep this entire experience to ourselves until further notice."

Jessie nodded. "Agreed." She looked around, then scratched her head curiously. "You know, I just realized Meowth and Laura aren't here."

James looked down and noticed, too, that the cat and android are nowhere to be seen. "Oh dear, where did those two run off to now?"

"They weren't looking well when the chaos died down…" Jessie muttered to herself.

They both felt tugs on their pantlegs. They looked down, greeted by the stoic face of Azumarill. She wordlessly told them to follow her before walking down the hall. Jessie and James looked at each other questioningly before deciding to follow the aquatic rabbit, hoping she could lead them to their absent friends.

Meowth and Laura laid on the ground, the tops of their heads pressed against each other, and stared up at the ceiling of the dark room they locked themselves in. They were in a broom closet, surrounding by all kinds of cleaning equipment. The air smelled lemony, though the atmosphere was quite sour.

Meowth woke up the moment they entered the Pokémon Center. His first instinct was to ask Laura if Chloe was all right. However, after seeing the sun has risen over the sky and the somber expression delivered from Laura, the truth was much too clear for the cat. As a way to get some privacy and cope with both their sudden losses, they decided to lie in the broom closet.

Laura was playing with one of the sponges, stretching and squishing it mindlessly. "A lot happened the last couple weeks…"

Meowth sighed. "No kidding…did you expect us to be laying in a broom closet like a bunch of sad sacks?"

She looked to her left in thought before saying, "Err…no. I was REALLY hoping we would have egg-napped Buneary's brat and took her back to Team Rocket HQ. Instead, we get thrown in an evil forest and both meet two monstrous creatures who stole our hearts." She sighed. "Life's weird."

"Believe me, I've been at this game much longer than you. It's worse than you think."

"If this isn't the worse of what's to come for me, then I'm not looking forward to it."

"No one really does." Meowth folded his hands behind his head. "To be frank, I didn't expect to feel like this."

"I'm surprised you're not crying," Laura stated as she tore her sponge apart.

He clenched his eyes tightly, before relaxing them and sighing. "I feel like crying. No…I really, really want to cry right now. But…I'm too…emotionally drained."

"I'm not following."

"Well…how to explain this to an android?" He raised his right hand and made slight gestures with it as he explained, "It's like…a machine without the right amount of electricity. At peak capacity, it runs smoothly without any issue. You just operate the machine and deal with all the little kinks it throws at you. Then suddenly, something cuts into that power and…drains it out. The process itself is taxing as you release all that electricity in one swift burst, like the sadness filled within a creature's tears when they are spilt."

Meowth sighed and placed his hand back behind his head. "Once it loses a lot of electricity, it doesn't operate quite as well. It's…not as efficient. Not as strong. Not as energetic. It's just…empty. Empty until it recharges." He shook his head. "That makes sense, right?"

"I…I get what you mean." Laura closed her eyes for a moment before gazing back up at the ceiling. "Meowth…was it wrong of me to have feelings for Dark?"

"Do you think it was wrong?"

"Yes…no…maybe…" She sighed. "I don't know. All these emotions are too much for me. They're not something I'm used to yet. I still glitch out whenever I get too overly charged on one. I've never glitch that much until I met Dark. Suddenly, everything inside me is sparking like crazy and I have no control over it."

Meowth smiled sadly. "That's called love, Laura."

"It feels weird."

"No one said it was a pleasant feeling. Sometimes it's a wonderful experience. Other times…it's painful." Kind of like how Chloe felt.

Laura groaned. "The painful part is definitely hitting me hard." She shook her head. "Dark was an oddity that I couldn't figure out. He was a force of nature that clashed with my technological side. It's weird, since he's basically a clone of Ryder."

"Maybe you secretly liked Ryder and placed those feelings onto Dark?"

"Ugh, as if! I don't like Ryder!" she shouted, crossing her arms angrily.

"You sure about that? Honestly, even before all of this started, you would not stop talking about him. Granted, mostly to remind us how you hate him, but…"

"My head's already screwed up as it is, Meowth. Don't force more nonsense into it!" She sighed. "Even ignoring that fact, I saw Dark as some sort of mirror image of myself, only amped up by five. It's like my emotional programming saw that as needs to improve my own deception skills by also telling me that…I had feelings for him." She sighed. "Can androids even feel love?"

"I've never met a lot of androids, so I wouldn't know. I can safely say that you're one of a kind."

She gave him a short, weak chuckle. "True…" She ran her finger against the surface of her medallion, the last thing she had left of Dark. "Do you think Dark even cared about me?"

"It's hard to tell with that guy. I'm still unsure if he intended to let me live or not. He's just…unreadable."

"Until the central flower was destroyed."

"How so?"

"While you were unconscious, Dark and Ryder were fighting each other to near death. Before that, however, Dark actually tried to kill me and the others. It was…heartbreaking, to be frank." She clenched her eyes. "I would have been fine, but…you, Jessie, and James wouldn't have. You don't have a backup database to send your destroyed memories to or anything. You're regular, living creatures. I actually thought for a moment that Dark's true nature was complete heartlessness.

"Then I saw a slight change in his expression. He hesitated…then he continued to glare down at me with that evil grin of his. I thought it was a fluke, but I analyzed that grin within the few seconds I thought I had left. I know how he laughs. I know how he smiles. I can tell when he's expressing evil from his heart.

"That grin…was forced. It was like he was thinking…he didn't want to do it, but he had to keep the cycle moving. To be evil, you must abandon all purity and morality of the positive kind. If you show weakness, you lose. You have to encase yourself in a hardened shell of adamant determination to destroy all that stands in your way."

Meowth narrowed his eyes. "But…if he forced himself to do that, doesn't that mean he's not completely evil? That's almost hypocritical on his part."

"Dark kept saying how the balance of good and evil was misunderstood or underappreciated. The majority praise good as it is what keeps balance and what creates a functioning society." She narrowed her eyes. "Yet, that peace wouldn't exist without the destructive nature of evil. A sinister force that defines the term of being good, thus equally defining evil simultaneously. Before light comes darkness. One side defines the other."

"Land and sea," Meowth added.

"Creation and destruction."

"Time and space."

"Day and night."

"Truth and ideals."

"Love and hate."

Meowth closed his eyes. "Good and evil." He sighed. "Maybe Dark wasn't spitting nonsense after all."

"But what's the balance between two extremely different moral standings? They're impossible to justify for either side!"

Meowth groaned. "Guess Dark took that bit of wisdom to his grave."

The android whimpered sadly. "Yeah…" She glanced at him. "We've been talking about my love life, but…I want to know. Why Chloe?"

"I just…fell for her, I guess."

"No, you fell for another Meowth, a Skitty, a regular Glameow, a Zorua who disguised as a Meowth, and a Purrloin who was, in reality, a dude."

Meowth cringed. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again."

"That was infatuation if I've never seen it before. You didn't fall for Chloe. You were straight up in love with her."

The cat blushed. "H-How is this different from those other times?"

"What was the first thing you noticed about Chloe when you first met her?"

"That she was flippin' scary…" he muttered.

"Perhaps, but did you see anything else?"

Meowth clicked his tongue, trying to find the answer. "Well…she was definitely the most decent Darkmon I met, even though the air between us was still filled with mistrust and hate. She took her orders seriously, making sure no harm was brought down on me." He narrowed his eyes. "We bonded and…we learned a bit more about who we are or what we wanted from our futures. The more we talked, the more I felt like we were true equals.

"That's not even counting when she saved my life. She came back to protect me, knowing full well what her deeper urges desire: absolute destruction. Her Awakened Evil, despite acting as an anchor for morality, didn't stop her from protecting me." He groaned. "Morality is a pain in the rear."

"Being cruel is easy. Being nice is a challenge," Laura added. "It's too easy to hate someone. It's a journey to earn someone's trust. Morality is a complicated philosophy to understand."

"But what's the fine line between good and evil? Is there even a proper balance to achieve?"

Laura shook her head. "Don't know…don't care." Her eyes narrowed sadly. "I just wish I could have said goodbye to him…under different circumstances."

Meowth mirrored her expression. "I wish I was there for Chloe. Maybe I could have saved her."

"She wanted to save you, though. She knew the risks and chose your life over hers."

A single tear brimmed out both of Meowth's eyes and streaked down his cheeks. "Why did she have to do that? I could have helped her." He covered his eyes with his arm. "The one girl in the world who liked me back and I lost her immediately! Does the world want me to be a hopeless loser with no chance of love?!"

A pair of arms pulled him up into a sitting position, turned him around, and pulled him into a warm embrace. Laura, despite not being capable of producing tears, stared down at the ground with shimmering eyes. "H-Hey…don't talk like that. You'll find love, I know you will. I haven't given up yet, so you shouldn't either."

"But you…"

She smiled sadly. "I loved Dark, but you, plus Jessie and James, are far more important than him. I wasn't going to trade away my family for someone promising power to me. Besides, who needs relationships when we have each other? None of this would have happened hadn't I taken up Dark's offer. You'd be dead and I would have been destroyed, a mere program waiting to be uploaded back into a new body. I took that offer because I thought of you first."

Meowth's lip quivered as more tears formed in his eyes. "Y-You jerk!" he muttered, forming a smile. "A-Are you trying to make me cry or something?!"

Laura smirked. "Maybe a little."

He sighed, then reciprocated the hug. "It is nice to know I have you to help me back up."

"Same here."

"Hey! What about us?!" Both their eyes widened from the familiar voice.

"Jessie, shush! Don't ruin the moment!"

Meowth and Laura narrowed their eyes before the android pulled away from him and kicked the door open, revealing their two human companions who shrieked, their cover being blown.

Jessie chuckled sheepishly. "O-Oh, uh…fancy seeing you two here."

Laura held her hips with a stern look. "Yeah, nice try. You two have been eavesdropping, haven't you?"

"It's a habit," James admitted. "Still, can you blame us? You two disappeared out of the blue."

"Thankfully the old guy's Azumarill led us here. We were going to ask why you two were in here, until we heard the both of you rambling about all the morality stuff and…apparently you two gotten yourselves mixed up with your true loves," Jessie teased with a grin.

Meowth and Laura blushed and looked away sheepishly. "Err, uh…well…um…"

James laughed. "Oh, don't feel embarrassed! We're happy for you…at least, we were until we realized WHO they were and…what happened to them, apparently."

Their eyes lowered glumly, staring at their feet. "Yeah…"

Jessie shook her head. "I'm having a hard time believing you were remotely interested in that psychotic creature earlier, Laura, but…" She sighed, pinching between her eyes. "I can't say I'm surprised, either. It is YOU we're talking about. You're not exactly looking for nice guy relationships. Heck, I didn't expect you to be interested in relationships, period!"

Laura rubbed the back of her head. "In my defense…he had a charming laugh."

Meowth rolled his eyes. "As charming as a murder of Murkrow."

She lightly punched his arm. "Shut up…"

James looked at Meowth sympathetically. "Can't say you're feeling any better after all of that." He patted his head. "You found someone to love you and she was taken out of your grasp. I'm sorry, Meowth."

Meowth sniffled and wiped his eyes. "I'm…I'm fine, James, don't worry. It's not a big deal…"

"I beg to differ. That goes for both of you."

Jessie nodded in agreement. "You two have been through a lot. I only wish we came down there to help you."

"We're kind of glad you didn't," Laura admitted. "If anything happened to you two, I would have been devastated."

"Make it double for me," Meowth added.

Jessie smiled. "Well, at least we're back together, as a team."

James nodded. "We heard what you said, Laura. Must have hurt to choose us over the powerhouse Darkmon."

Laura looked down sadly. "It was a painful choice to make, but…not indecisive." She smiled up at them. "You're my family. Why would I abandon you guys?" She looked to Meowth and smiled a bit brighter. "We stick together, even when the path ahead is paved with misery."

The four Rocket agents whimpered before bursting into tears, with the exception of Laura, and wrapping their arms around each other happily. "We're so happy you two are all right!" Jessie and James cried joyfully.

"Us too!" Laura and Meowth cried back.

As they were caught up in their group hug, Azumarill was glancing from around the corner. She rolled her eyes. Yeesh, these guys are weirdos. Though, she did smile before leaving. Guess that's why they love each other.

Hours have passed since the early morning, having reached near sunset. No one moved much from their initial spots, apart from needing to eat or something, as they waited for Nurse Joy to come out of the operation room and give the results on their injured Pokémon.

Pansage, Pignite, Pachirisu, and Quilava whimpered lightly, still mourning over the loss of their beloved friend. Their trainers kept them close by and kept rubbing their heads for reassurance and comfort. Scarlet, who could feel the sadness running off of them, nudged her head against them as a means of comfort. The cute, baby Pichu offering them sympathy did bring tiny smiles to their faces.

Jade sat next to Hank, to his right. She had bandages wrapped around her abdomen and some around her forehead, along with an adhesive bandage on her right cheek. Her body felt sore, but she knew this didn't come close to what Ryder and the others likely endured.

Hank could feel the tenseness in her feelings. He gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "He'll be fine. They'll all be fine. Just hold out for a little longer and you'll get to speak to him." Jade smiled up at him, then pressed her head against his side.

Eventually, after much waiting, the operation light turned off. Everyone's attention gathered to the sliding doors as Nurse Joy and two Audino exited out. They all stood up attentively. "How are they, Nurse Joy?" Hank asked.

Nurse Joy stared back at them for a moment with a neutral expression, tensing up their nerves. Eventually, she gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm happy to say that your Pokémon are in improved condition. It was a difficult process, but I managed to treat their injuries and restore their health to stable levels."

The trainers sighed with relief. "Thank goodness," Ash expressed gratefully.

"I knew they'd pull through," Dawn said proudly.

Piplup stepped up and nodded his head. "(Agreed!)"

Nurse Joy held up her clipboard. "Buneary, compared to the other three, is the least injured. Despite the bruising, she thankfully didn't have any fractures in her bones. Her arm, however, will have to remain in a cast for about six weeks at least. I recommend she stay away from any training or battling within that time."

Dawn nodded understandingly. "Of course."

"Pikachu suffered from bruising as well, but nothing too serious. The main concern was his electric and energy levels. He seemed to have used quite a great deal of stamina and strained his muscles. While he won't need a cast, he will need to ease up on walking for a while, two weeks or until he feels comfortable walking without hurting himself. It goes without saying, but no battling or training until he recovers."

Two weeks of time to recover meant Pikachu won't be able to train as long for the Pokémon League. While that is a downside, Ash couldn't care less. Knowing Pikachu will be all right was far better than anything. Ash placed a hand over his heart and sighed in relief.

"Most of Dragonite's injuries are relatively minor…expect for the large wound on his chest. Whatever attacked him seemed to have repeatedly blasted an acidic substance onto the cut wound, causing major burning."

Iris gasped. "What?! Oh no…"

"We had to carefully clean the wound of residual acid and healed any of the damaged tissue before stitching his chest back up. I can't say I know for certain how long he'll be out of commission. It may take three weeks at most for it to heal. Also, you will notice a long scar across where the wound has healed. That, unfortunately, will not go away."

The dragon trainer sighed, clasping her hands together. "Poor Dragonite…"

"And finally, the results on your Charmeleon, aka Ryder." Nurse Joy glanced questionably at Hank. "I do question the origin of these injuries, sir. Are you positive an angry hoard of Ursaring caused this damage?"

Hank scratched the back of his head. "Err…yes. It was quite the shocking sight to see them…all the way out here."

Nurse Joy sighed. "Call me skeptical, but I find that hard to believe. The other three are somewhat normal, but what Ryder was put through seems almost abnormal. I'm sorry to say, but the injuries inflicted on his body should have killed him. How he's still alive is beyond my comprehension. Again, are you sure a hoard of Ursaring were responsible for the matter?"

Hank sighed. "Ma'am, I understand you're only doing your job, but the details on what happened aren't something I want to relive."

Nurse Joy shook her head. "Regardless, what I see is major bruising across his body, minor cracks in his bones, a bruised jaw, heavily damaged legs, and a number of other injuries I can't even begin to describe. Thankfully, we were able to treat the more serious injuries. He will have stitching across his chest, but they shouldn't leave any scarring. He, along with the others, will need to stay here for the next few days so they can heal."

Hank sighed. "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"Just doing my job. Now, I will have to prescribe them pain medication for their injuries until they heal."

"Of course." Hank felt a tug on his pants leg from Jade, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. "Oh yes, uh…when will they be ready for visitors?"

"I recommend they get a night of sleep. They should be feeling a bit better in the morning for visitors."

"Chu?" Scarlet questioned, waving her tiny arms.

Pachirisu gave her a small smile and patted her head. "That means you get to see your mommy and daddy tomorrow."

Scarlet beamed excitedly. "Pichu!"

Pachirisu chuckled lightly, then frowned a bit. He wasn't quite as high energy as usual. His eyes were still red from crying. He felt that Dawn and Scarlet's comforting finally toned down his sadness, but it didn't do anything to remove the misery he felt inside.

"(Koda…I'm sorry…)" he muttered.

Pansage carefully patted the squirrel's back. "(He…)" He paused to sniffle a bit. "(He wouldn't want us crying over him like this…we have to…stay strong…)"

Pachirisu hugged Scarlet closer. "(I don't think I can…I wish there was some way we could have saved him. Now he's gone…forever.)" He choked up a bit.

"(It's hard, I know, but we can't disgrace his memory like this. We should…honor him for who he was and smile brightly at the future…)" He shook his head. "(I'm sure he would say something like that…)"

Pignite gave a weak chuckle. "(Yeah…that's Koda for you.)"

Quilava sniffled. "(We…just have to keep moving forward…)" He whimpered as new tears streamed down his face. "(I'm gonna miss him…)"

"(We all are…)" Pansage said, sighing deeply. "(He was a good ally…and a great friend…)"

Hank stared down at the crying Pokémon and smiled a bit. "You four have been through a lot…all of you have…" He sighed before folding his arms behind his back. "Well, since we know they're going to be all right, I believe this calls for some dinner. That should get everyone's spirits up again." He looked back down at the four Pokémon. "That sound good to you four?"

They sniffled a bit before giving him smiles back, nodding.

Cilan stood up and clasped his hands together. "Allow me to take care of that! After a long battle, we all deserve a treat! I shall prepare my finest culinary creation to turn those devastating frowns upside down!" He ran off to the kitchen.

Hank sighed, then chuckled. "Best we wait in the lobby until he's done. I'll get Jessie, James, Meowth, and Laura and tell them to join us." The group nodded and made their way to the lobby.

As soon as they left, Hank looked back at the operation room. "Even with the Darkmon gone…there's still the matter of the evil lying inside you, Ryder…" He sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it. I don't know what to do with it." He turned around and made his way down where Team Rocket scurried off to. "Balancing good and evil inside…that's the next step in your journey. And only you can decide the path you take next."