Everything felt fuzzy. His memories were unclear, merely foggy images of his last thoughts before he slipped into an unconscious state. He could feel himself rising out of that dark abyss called sleep and barely being aware of the presence of reality. In spite of his groggy condition, he wanted to wake up and rise out of his slumbering position.

Despite his wishes, his body forced him to stay in bed. His body hasn't seemed to realize that his mind has awoken from slumber. He couldn't move his arms, legs, or tail. Though, it may not just be sleep that's holding him down. It might be the soreness he felt over it, too. He tried to stretch his limbs out, but it led to a moment of frozenness once his limbs stiffened and locked up on him, probably due to a shot of pain surging through his body. He gave in and didn't fight back further.

With his eyes still closed, he tried to recall the incident that led him to being here. The question he should start with was 'Where am I?' followed up by 'What happened before I passed out?'. He dug deep into his foggy mind to recall anything of significance.

If he remembered correctly, there was a bright flash of blue blinding him. He could remember great deals of pain during the whole experience. Remembering further back, he recalled being pummeled violently and smashing through trees. A little farther back and…he remembers the sinister grin of his malevolent counterpart.

Dark…

Now Ryder remembered what happened. He tapped into that latent energy from the first time he fought Dark. It seemed like enough to fight on even grounds before Dark decided to turn up his own power and violently beat him to a pulp. Whether it was the lack of control over his…Final Focus, he believed the Darkmon lord suggested...or just the significant gap in power between the both of them. Regardless of why he lost, he knew for a fact it was the worse battle he ever had to suffer through.

Everything went blurry for a moment. He thinks it had something to do with getting kicked out of the sky and crashing into the ground, then immediately getting stomped on by a gravity and flying powered landing. He was close to passing out from that hit. Then he remembered getting up and telling Dark to…get away from someone…was it Laura? He remembered a Pikachu and his pal was still in the forest, so…yeah, probably Laura.

More punching…a lot of punching, in fact. He felt like he was lying in a crater. Then the sun came out and…he forced himself to give it his all before he completely burned out his aura. Then…he killed Dark…

Ryder's eyes nearly flinched open at that memory. That's right, he summoned up all his aura into an unrestrained Aura Sphere and passed out from exhaustion, likely due to his mind finally giving out once it realized he completed his mission. Now, after recklessly destroying his body, he had to pay of the consequences of overexerting himself.

On the plus side, this soreness and discomfort he felt confirmed that he wasn't dead. Though, once the pain medication he was likely under wears off, he'll wish he was kicking the bucket. Through the slight twitches of his claws, he could feel the bedding material he laid on. He was likely in a Pokémon Center, meaning he was in a recovery room.

He won't be going to sleep any time soon. Actually, this has to be the first time he slept peacefully in forever. Granted, it took wearing himself down to near death, but he felt surprisingly refreshed for the most part. A little cranky with the soreness, but it was a start. With this in mind, he opened his eyes.

The room was illuminated in orange light. His eyes glanced to his left and saw the sunset through the window. Aside from the morning sunlight from earlier, it has been a while since he saw the parting rays of a beautiful sunset. It was rather peaceful to gaze at after so much struggle.

He glanced around the room, then narrowed his eyes worriedly as they landed on three other Pokémon that occupied the same space as him: Pikachu, Buneary, and Dragonite. They were all still sleeping.

Pikachu had bandages wrapped around his forehead, arms, and chest, along with an adhesive bandage placed on his right cheek. Buneary had a couple of adhesive bandages on her face and a bandage wrapped around her left ear. Her right arm, however, was in a sling so it could heal properly. Dragonite had very few injuries other than the bandages wrapped around his chest.

Ryder glanced down at his body and saw he was covered in bandages as well. He could see them wrapped around his arms and chest. A blanket sat on top of him, but he had suspicion that his legs got bandaged, too. Possibly his head, too.

He sighed and look up at the ceiling. He expected all of this to happen. He knew the moment he started pushing himself beyond what his body was capable of performing, he would tear something apart. How was he even alive? Was the adrenaline that pumped through him giving him extra life support? Was the magnitude of his aura able to apply some of its properties to sustain his life? Or did he just get lucky in the end? Honestly, the answer didn't matter too much to him. What's important is that he finally achieved his mission of defeating Dark.

It took years of struggle and training to overcome such a fierce and powerful rival, one who can shake the very boundaries of absurd with his overwhelming power. It was tough, dare he say impossible, but he managed to pull through with the help of his allies. Now he could be at ease, having obtained his ultimate goal…

…he could be at ease, but he wasn't.

Ryder narrowed his eyes angrily as he thought back to those final few moments in the battle. Dark had him in his grasp. There was no escape by then. With his Awakened Evil and superior power, Ryder was at a disadvantage. He could have failed his friends, the whole world even, if he didn't do something. By some miracle, the sun came out sooner than they all expected. In that moment, Dark was being weakened, allowing the Charmeleon to snatch his one and only opportunity to end him.

He should be happy he gained such a grand advantage to the evil tyrant, but something felt…off about the victory. It felt…unearned. It sounded like a selfish thought to consider, but that's how he felt. He wanted to show Dark that he wasn't this almighty god he claimed to be. Even with Dark's defeat, Ryder lost the true battle he was aiming for.

Good and evil…such a delicate line that can be crossed with a simple step. Kindness and patience or cruelty and frustration. What was it about these moral standings that made it so difficult to make a final decision?

Dark's words cut like a knife, leaving a scar that ran deep into his soul. Was there truly no difference to morality? Is good just a façade they donned to mask their true feelings? The hidden urges of malice everyone feels? Was there truly an imperfection to the society they built upon through these morally positive actions? The disregard towards moral conflict…the goals of trainers across the world…the black and white understanding of how good and evil existed…what is he not seeing with his eyes?

The Charmeleon growled angrily, then calmed himself down to let out a melancholy sigh. "I just killed off an entire race to save my own skin…"

"Well, when you say it like that…it doesn't sound all that successful." Ryder looked across the room and saw that Pikachu was awake. His eyes were a little droopy from sleeping for so long, but otherwise conscious. "Hey…"

"…hey…"

Pikachu folded his arms over his stomach. "So…we're in the recovery room, it seems like."

"Yeah…" Ryder looked up at the ceiling again. "I'm…glad to see you're doing alright."

Pikachu chuckled softly. "Well, uh…I wouldn't say I'm feeling one hundred percent. Everything's…a bit sore. I'm feeling a trifle bit dizzy as well."

"Probably the pain meds we're on."

"Heh, perhaps." He looked over to his right, frowning at the sight of his sleeping mate. "Poor Buneary…I don't want to know what she had to do to protect Scarlet if it meant getting a broken arm."

"She'll recover in time, don't worry." He looked over at Dragonite. "Know why he's here with us?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Probably went through some CRAZY obstacles himself." He turned back to Ryder. "Speaking of which, I don't see dark clouds covering the sky anymore AND we're all alive, so…I take it you defeated Dark?"

He tightly gripped on his bed sheets. He took a few breaths and controlled his anger. "Y-Yeah…I did. Can't say I would have if you hadn't destroyed the central flower."

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head. "I was just trying to do my part. With you and Jade outclassing me with years of experience, I…felt I had to do something of value."

Ryder's eyes widened, then he threw his head down on his pillow, groaning. "Ugh, Jade…I left her in the forest when I was fighting Dark."

"Yeah, I think she's the reason Dragonite and I got here," Pikachu informed.

"She's probably going to kill me for nearly tearing my body apart."

Pikachu chuckled sheepishly with a small sweatdrop forming on his head. "Hehe…don't count me out of that predicament. If I wasn't already injured, Buneary would give me a good bonk on the noggin."

Ryder stifled a chuckle as his lips curled up into a smirk. "She would kill you if you didn't keep your promise and make it out alive."

He sighed with an exasperated smile. "You don't know the half of it. Even in death, I wouldn't escape her anger." His smile turned more loving. "She has become more attentive on my safety when we started dating." He laughed. "Though, I can't say I'm any different. She can be a klutz sometimes."

"I wouldn't say that while she's in the same room as you," Ryder warned with a mild chuckle.

Pikachu chuckled back. "She knows I love her no matter what." He grinned teasingly. "Speaking of which, now that Jade's back in your life…" Ryder blushed brightly, drawing his attention away from him and to the wall. "You said you wanted to become her mate. You got your wish after all."

"I barely survived death and I'm recovering with several injuries. I believe that's a topic to discuss with her at a later date." His face deepened to a darker red. "Besides, I, uh…think I sort of accidentally blurted it out when I was…venting my frustration at Dark." The mouse snickered, leading the Charmeleon to glare. "It's not THAT funny!"

Pikachu took some breaths, letting out the last of his laughs. "Doesn't matter. She's here now."

"Yeah…but not Ryan." He looked down glumly.

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head with a sympathetic look. "Ooh, right…and the rest of your friends."

"I kind of get why Jade would be here before him, but…when she tried to explain the situation to me, it almost sounded like he was coming."

"She ALSO said that he still loves you, remember?" Pikachu reminded, trying to lighten up his mood. "He's probably doing…whatever it is off-the-grid agents do when they…vanish."

He sighed. "I'll say this much…Jade definitely owes me an explanation."

"And one you shall get."

The two turned to the front door, where Jade promptly made herself in as she walked up to his bedside. Following her in was the trainers, Pokémon, and Hank. Even Team Rocket was behind them to check up on things.

Ash smiled and walked over to Pikachu's side. "Hey buddy. How are you feeling?"

Pikachu smiled back. "(I've been better, hehe.)"

Ash gently gave Pikachu a warm hug, mindful of his injuries. He rubbed his head comfortingly. "I'm so glad you're alright," he tearfully said.

Pikachu carefully wrapped his arms around Ash's neck and hugged back. "(I missed you, Ash.)"

They pulled back, then Ash felt a tug on his pants. He looked down and saw Pachirisu, who was holding Scarlet. The baby Pichu was waving her arms pleadingly. Ash grinned. "Oh, I know what you want." He picked her up and set her down on the bed. "There's your daddy, little fella."

Scarlet bounced up and down, waving her tiny arms. "Pichu!"

Pikachu smiled happily, glad to see his baby safe and sound. He opened his arms up to her. "(Hey, sweet pea, come give your daddy a hu-AAAAAAGH!)" Scarlet literally jumped into his arms and nuzzled him affectionately. However, being so young and naïve, she wasn't aware she was also hurting her father. "(AGH! Scarlet! Not so rough!)" he pleaded, flailing his arms desperately. "(Daddy's not totally healed!)"

Ash sweatdropped and quickly pulled the excitable Pichu off. "Err, Pichu…you might want to be a little more gentle. Your dad's not feeling one hundred percent yet."

Scarlet tilted her head. "Chu?"

Ryder chuckled. "Just for the record, her name's Scarlet."

Dawn gasped delightfully. "Scarlet?! Aww, what a cute name!"

Buneary, whose sensitive hearing was picking up all the conversing, pulled herself out of slumber and opened her eyes groggily. "(Ugh…can you all keep it down?)" She looked at her arm and stared with large, blank eyes at her arm. "(…oh, you have got to be kidding me? I didn't know my arm was THAT injured!)"

Scarlet saw that her mother was awake and squealed. "Pichu! Pi-Chu!"

Buneary directed her attention to her and smiled happily. "(Aww, there's my little cutie pie!)"

Ash set Scarlet down on Buneary's bed, allowing the Pichu to run up and cuddle against her. Buneary happily nuzzled the tiny mouse. Pikachu smiled at the two, though felt a little sad that he wasn't joining in on the affection.

Though, thankfully, his usually dense trainer actually picked up on this. "Hey Pikachu, want me to move your bed up against Buneary's?"

Pikachu blinked at the offer, then nodded sharply with a bright grin. Ash went to the side and gently rolled the bed next to Buneary's. Once they were placed against each other, Pikachu scooched closer to Buneary and nuzzled her. She blushed faintly, then kissed his cheek. Scarlet, now seeing both her parents next to her, snuggled against them both with delightful squeals of merriment, leading the parents to laugh.

Dawn could barely contain her excitement at the display. "Oh my gosh, this is too much! I need to take a picture of this!" She ran out for a moment to get a camera.

Dragonite groaned and opened his eyes. "(Ugh, my head…)" He flinched. "(Ugh, my chest…what the heck happened?)" He remembered being dragged to the Pokémon Center, but the pain he felt earlier seemed to have messed with his memory a bit. Though, it didn't take long for him to remember the devilish smirk of that intolerable Dark Gliscor that nearly killed him. "(That wretched, flying rodent…If I ever see him again, I'm gonna-!)"

"Dragonite!" He blinked in surprise as his trainer ran up to him. "I'm so glad you're awake! How are you feeling?"

He wasn't quite used to this level of attention, as he is, understandably, still getting used to having a trainer. He crossed his arms and looked away with a huff. "(I'm…fine.)"

Even with his gruff exterior, Iris was just glad he was okay. She smiled at him. "That's good. I'm happy you're back, safe and sound."

He grumbled. Safe, maybe. Sound? That's up to debate.

"(Hey Dragonite…)" He looked down, greeted by his travelling companions while in the forest. They looked up with smiles, though he could see the sadness that they blatantly showed. Pachirisu teetered on his heels. "(We're, uh…glad to see you made it out in one piece.)"

"(Yeah, we were worried something happened to you when you didn't come back,)" Quilava added. He narrowed his eyes sadly. "(Though, from what we saw and what you said…it's not all that surprising anymore…)"

Dragonite looked down on his bedsheets with an ashamed, angry look. "(How are you all coping with…our loss?)"

Pansage shook his head. "(Honestly…not all that well. It's only been a day, but…the news still hurts. Not as badly, but…a dull, piercing pain, I guess.)"

The dragon sighed. "(I know how you feel…)" He glared. "(I could have done something to save him…maybe there would be still a chance of him surviving.)"

Pignite shook his head. "(It's not your fault, Dragonite. There was nothing you could do to save him.)"

"(But there was!)" He growled angrily at himself, pounding his fists on the bed.

Iris jumped away in shock before reaching out and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Dragonite, calm down! What's wrong?"

Smoke exhaled from his flared nostrils. "(I was there. I saw the whole fight. There was time to stop that maniac from killing Koda. I could have diverted his attention, halted his attack, anything! But no, I froze up like a coward! I wasn't fast enough! And this wound on my chest is all I have to show for my efforts!)" He held his face. "(I couldn't do anything…)"

Pachirisu jumped up and patted his hand. "(There, there…it's all right.)"

Pansage narrowed his eyes. "(Though, we never asked…how did he…die?)"

Dragonite shook his head. "(That Dark Gliscor…the same one a day after we met Koda…he had these weird pincers that chomped him up in one slash. It was crazy…it was like he ate him with those pincers.)"

"(Are you sure it got all of him? Maybe some of his blood sprayed when he ate him,)" Quilava suggested.

"(I couldn't see a lot of the fight, but…I never saw any blood fly when I last saw him. Nothing…just his scared, frightened face…)"

The Pokémon bowed their heads sadly. "(So much for that…)" Pachirisu muttered. A glimmer of hope sparked within him for only a moment, but it went out just as quickly as it arrived.

Dragonite gripped his fists tightly. "(I swear, if that rat survived the forest burn down, I'll hunt him down and make him suffer for what he did to Koda!)"

"Dragonite, I said calm down!" Iris demanded. She wasn't sure what was getting him this riled up, but Nurse Joy made it clear they should be resting. He shouldn't be getting this agitated or energetic. "Your wound will tear open if you mess with it anymore!"

The dragon glared at her in irritation, but succumbed to her pleas, leaning back against the wall. "(Fine…)"

Pansage looked up at the dragon. "(Don't worry, Dragonite. If he is out there, we'll make sure to avenge Koda.)"

Dragonite glared at the wall in front of him. "(As long as I get payback for what he did to my chest, too…)"

"(Deal.)"

"Excuse me." They turned to Ryder, who seemed awfully confused and concerned. "Did I hear you all just say Koda was killed?"

Dragonite closed his eyes, facing away from Ryder. "(…yes, he was.)"

The trainers looked at each other, confused. "Who is Koda?" Cilan asked.

"He's one of the Darkmon from the forest. He…wasn't like the rest of his kind, actually." Ryder narrowed his eyes. "He was like an anomaly in their ranks, completely separate from the brainwashing the central bulb used to influence their behavior."

"A good Darkmon?" Hank asked. "Though I'd never hear those two words in the same sentence." He crossed his arms. "And I take it you all were awfully close to him if it's causing this much heartache."

Ryder shook his head. "I wasn't particularly close to him, but…he…he truly believed he could change his people's ways and help them grow into better Darkmon. All he wanted was to let Pokémon, human, and Darkmon coexist with each other."

Jade narrowed her eyes curiously. "(Coexist with Darkmon? Is…Is that even possible? Even if what you said about brainwashing is true, there's no denying their evil aura. Dark's actions proved that very clearly.)"

"I know, but…" Ryder looked at his hand. "If Koda could do it…" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The Darkmon race is gone. There's…no point in discussing what ifs right now." He looked at the grieving Pokémon. "I'm truly sorry you all lost such a dear friend."

Pachirisu rubbed his eyes. "(It's fine…we all took risks yesterday. It was expected…)"

Ryder sighed, then looked to Team Rocket. "Now…can someone finally explain to me why they're still here?"

Laura put her hands on her hips and scowled at the Charmeleon. "Just because we're criminals doesn't mean we're totally heartless. So I'd watch my mouth with what you say, buster. After finally getting a proper repair, I can easily add a few new bruises to you."

Jade glared at the android before walking around the bed and stepped in front of her. "(Just who exactly are you supposed to be?)"

She smirked. "Guess we never gave proper introductions. The name's Laura, sweetheart. And you are?"

"(Jade…Ryder's girlfriend.)"

Her eyes widened. "His what?!" She shook her surprise off and grinned evilly. "Well, guess I see why he was acting so melodramatic back in Sinnoh. Though, I must say…I'm not impressed."

Jade smirked irritably, her wool crackling with electricity. "(You want to take this outside, Scraps?)"

"The heck did you just call me?!" Laura shouted as she rolled up her fur sleeve.

Meowth scratched his cheek nervously. Half of me wants to stop this. The other half is wondering how this will play out. He sighed, feeling he needed to be the bigger man and stop them from destroying another Pokémon Center. He got between them and pushed them away from each other. "Hey, hey, hey! Break it up! We're calling a truce and we're keeping it like that until we leave each other! No fighting!"

They both shot a glare at each other, then sharply turned their back with a firm 'Hmph'.

Ryder deadpanned at his girlfriend with a sweatdrop. Dear Arceus, it's been five years and she still just as hotheaded as before.

Jessie shook her head before turning to Ash. "Listen here, twerp, we've come to the agreement that we won't be pilfering your Pikachu or any of your Pokémon after what happened here. The last thing we want is having to resort to capturing an injured Pokémon as our only means of victory." She raised her fist proudly. "We will not be discredited by a mere handicap!"

James nodded. "Yes! Plus, our own Pokémon need time to rest, too. Same with Meowth and Laura, obviously."

Meowth pointed threateningly at Ash. "But don't expect any form of warning when we return. We'll be back to capture Pikachu when you least expect it. Once you let your guard down…WAM! He's ours for the taking!"

Laura crossed her arms and snickered. "Hope you look forward to your humiliating defeat when the time comes!"

One would think Ash would fire back, declaring that they'll never get their hands on Pikachu no matter what. He did, though the delivery of the statement came out like he was speaking to a rival. With a smirk, he said, "Don't be so sure, Team Rocket. We'll be ready for when you return. And we won't go down easy, just as before."

They were a bit surprised by the tone of voice, actually catching them off guard. Jessie clenched her fist angrily, shouting, "HEY, don't treat us like we're on even grounds, twerp! Next time, we'll be stronger than ever!"

Ash raised his fist in excitement. "And I look forward to it!"

"Stop treating this like we're rivals! We're enemies!"

James pulled Jessie back with a nervous grin. "O-Okay, Jess, we got our point across."

She groaned. "Whatever…" She turned her back to them. "We're leaving."

Hank crossed his arms. "Leaving already?"

"We have no business here, gramps," Meowth said with a shrug. "Besides, our boss is probably wondering why we haven't reported in for so long."

Hank glared. "Right…"

"You sure we should be letting them go free?" Iris asked.

"They're not a threat as far as I'm concerned."

Jessie glared at him with a snarl. "Hey, like I told the twerp, we will NOT be taken so lightly! You're making a mistake in letting us go free."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Again, with your history, it won't be that hard to find you…"

Jessie nearly snapped at him, but Laura interjected with, "Jess, cool it. He's letting us go and we're taking it. I don't want the police on my tail."

She glared down at Laura for a moment, then took some calming breaths to relax herself. "Okay…I'm good." She turned to the door. "Let's go." James, Meowth, and Laura followed her out the recovery room.

As Hank looked out the room and watched them turn a corner, Ryder asked, "Do you…have a valid explanation as to why you let them leave?"

Hank narrowed his eyes. "…aside from their assistance from yesterday…they're my only lead to getting actual dirt on Giovanni." He slid his hands into his pockets. "I planted a seed of doubt into their minds. Like it or not, they'll find out something about Giovanni that could lead to worldwide havoc. Those four may be part of Team Rocket, but I see the same kindness in them that you see."

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "You sure they would cooperate with you if they were to find information like that?"

"Even if they don't, they're likely going to second guess their boss. It's only a matter of waiting now." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway Ryder, we have some things to discuss now that the forest is gone."

Ryder nodded. "I understand. Don't worry, once I'm back up to full strength, I'll be ready to resume work."

Hank narrowed his eyes. "That's the first topic of discussion. I spoke with the boss and we came to a mutual agreement: we're pulling you from further work."

His eyes widened. "Say what?!" He nearly stood up in his bed, but his weak body forced him onto his back once more. "W-Why?!"

"Your physical wounds can be healed, but not the psychological ones. Ryder, for the past five years, it's been constant survival and activity for you. Every day, you're out there keeping Pokémon that wander into the forest safe. At every turn, you had to deal with the Darkmon. You say you're fine, but…you clearly aren't."

"But I am fine!" he pleaded. "I'm not that messed up in the head!"

Hank glared. "Are you guaranteeing that you won't go off the deep end if you encountered a strong, stubborn opponent? With the way you've been dealing with the Darkmon, you're instinctively responsive to the threat of death. It's driven you to use force that would be lethal to a regular Pokémon. I repeat, you are not well.

"Besides, Dark's aura still exists within you. We've seen how it affects your mind when you go into that feral state. It has made you bitter towards those you consider an enemy. It's not a healthy mindset for you. It's not something you can rid yourself of, but it is something you can control."

"How can I control an EVIL aura that's bonded to mine?!"

Hank sighed. "That's for you to find out. This isn't within my realm of expertise. All I do know is that you can't go on missions when there's still the threat of losing control if you're under too much pressure." He walked up to his bedside and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's for the best that you stay away from missions for a while."

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "But I-"

"You've done a great service taking out the Darkmon, Ryder. Be thankful of that much. You deserve a break from all the fighting. You need time to rest and get yourself back on track."

The Charmeleon looked at his hands with doubt. He could feel the evil strand of aura weighing down on him as its presence within his being grew. He clenched his fists softly. "I don't know about this…what if I can't control it?"

Hank smiled. "I'm confident you can. You just need to be around the right people to…keep your mind off those angry thoughts."

"Like who?"

"That brings me to the other topic we need to discuss. Fact is, we still don't know where Ryan is. Jade told me herself that he won't be returning for quite some time." Ryder looked at Jade for a moment, who nodded in confirmation, before returning his attention to Hank. "I have work to do as well. I can't keep my eye on you all the time. And believe me, that's a necessity with someone as stubborn as you."

Ryder glared with a small blush. "I'm not that obsessed with work…" He sighed. "Then…what should I do? Stay in your apartment or something?"

Hank chuckled. "Nothing like that. Actually, I already asked some…friends to keep an eye on you. You'll be around people you know and won't be bored with your vacationing."

Ryder raised his brow suspiciously. "And…that would be…?"

Hank gestured to the trainers. "Them, of course."

The Charmeleon faced them with a surprised look. "Wait, what?"

Ash nodded. "It's true. Hank told me that you would be worked up from all that time in the forest, so he asked me if it'd be alright if you tagged along with us."

Iris smiled. "We don't see any problem with that. It'd be nice to have an extra traveling companion along for the ride."

Cilan nodded. "Agreed. Adding an extra bit of spice into this dish we call our team would make an excellent blend of taste and magnificence."

Ryder narrowed his eyes softly. "You all would really let me come along with you?"

"Of course. You helped me and Dawn out in Sinnoh when Team Rocket tried to steal Pikachu and Buneary. Plus you helped get all our Pokémon back to safety. After everything you've done, we're more than welcomed to letting you join us!" Ash exclaimed.

Ryder couldn't find the words to respond. He could only stare at the kind faces, taken back by their kind words and unexpected offer. "I-I-I…I…don't know what…"

Hank smiled. "Perhaps we should give Ryder some time to think it over. Nurse Joy said we could only visit for a moment. They need their rest."

Jade tapped his knee, asking, "(Would it be alright if I stayed here for a bit? I want to…catch up with Ryder,)" she requested with a light blush.

Hank chuckled, patting her head. "Sure thing, Jade. We've taken up enough of his time. He deserves some special attention from you," he finished with a teasing grin.

Ryder blushed angrily. "HANK!"

The old man laughed. "Kidding, kidding!" He wiped a tear from his eye before gesturing the trainers over. "Come on, let's leave them be."

Dawn walked over to Pikachu and Buneary and attempted to pick Scarlet up. However, the baby clung to the bed, refusing to part from her mommy and daddy. "Chu!" she angrily squealed.

"Scarlet, they need their rest," Dawn tried to coax, but failed as the baby Pichu stubbornly held on. "Scarlet, please!"

Buneary giggled at her refusal. "(Actually Dawn, we don't mind if she stays here.)"

Dawn stopped pulling Scarlet, but kept a hold on her. "You want her to stay with you two? Are you sure about that?"

Pikachu nodded. "(It's been a whole day without us. She just wants to be with her parents right now.)"

Dawn looked to Hank for an answer. He smiled and said, "Oh, let the little one stay. She can't cause that much harm."

She smiled. "Well…okay." She let Scarlet go, who then immediately scampered back to her parents and nuzzled them affectionately with sweet, adorable coos. "Aww!"

Hank chuckled. "Okay, okay, come on. We'll be back to give you guys your dinner. You must be hungry after not eating all day."

Pikachu's stomach growled loudly upon hearing the mention of food. He blushed sheepishly as his mate gave him a playful grin and narrowed eyes. "(Of course, your stomach would be the first one demanding for food.)" She blushed herself when her own stomach growled at her. She chuckled sheepishly as Pikachu returned the same look.

Ryder rubbed the back of his head. "We could all use some food right about now."

"We'll be back with it soon. Until then, take it easy." Hank led the trainers out before shutting the door behind him.

Ryder sighed and laid his head against his pillow. He felt a second body slide onto the bed and press up against him. He smiled lightly as Jade gently nudged her head under his chin. "It's been a while since we last laid together like this," he reminded her.

She chuckled. "I often remind myself of that. Gets kind of lonely."

He wrapped his arm around her. "You don't know the half of it. I'm glad I haven't gone nuts."

Jade giggled. "Well, for all your hard work and patience, you definitely deserve this."

She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Ryder mentally sighed as he kissed her back. Years of waiting to be reunited with his love…it was worth the wait. He never thought he could be with her again, but now he was. It was his reward for taking on this task, defending Pokémon kind and opposing the Darkmon. He finally had his moment of relief.

Jade pulled back and nuzzled under his chin. "Been waiting a long time to do that again."

"Same here. Although, speaking of which, I have to wonder…" He tilted her head so he could look her in the eye. "When and how did you get that strong? I've been training just as much over the last five years, yet you were holding your own with Dark just as well as I was."

She smirked pridefully. "I'm offended you think so little of me, Ryder. I may be your girlfriend, but I also consider myself your top rival. What do you think I was doing for the last five years? Crying and whimpering that I didn't have my favorite guy to cuddle up with? Heck no, I was training to reach this point!"

Ryder chuckled with a small drop of sweat forming. "I didn't mean it like that. I guess it caught me off guard. You did pop out of nowhere, you know."

"Perhaps. Still, I was preparing to come back when the time was right. Ryan agreed that if he got what he needed to do done, we'd come back and help you. Plans changed when we saw…well, the forest was preparing to invade."

"Yeah, now that's the other thing I want to know. How did he know?"

Jade smiled. "Ryan never stopped worrying about you. He wanted to make sure everything was alright, even if Hank was here to keep an eye on you. So, he actually secretly wired himself into Hank's equipment so he can keep tabs on the forest's activity. Well, with a little help from Techno, of course." She winked.

Ryder sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Figures…how is everyone doing, anyway?"

"Same as always. Slick's been getting a lot stronger since you last saw him."

"Has he evolved yet?"

"Nope. He's still his adorable Cubchoo size. Though, Tsunami has evolved well over a while ago. And we made some new teammates along the way. We told them a lot about you. They're interested in meeting you in person…if we ever see Ryan again, that is. Still, the others miss you dearly."

Ryder smiled. "Glad to hear it…I can't wait to meet them, too." He narrowed his eyes, then asked, "I take it your trip here wasn't intended to be a two way ticket back, right?"

Jade sighed sadly. "On the nose. Ryan's very busy these days. He's been…doing a lot of top secret work that he wouldn't normally be able to accomplish as a Shadow Agent. It has a lot to do with Team Rocket."

Ryder narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

Jade looked around the room. "You sure I should be saying this stuff with witnesses?"

He shook his head. "They've been exposed to enough top secret projects. I trust that they'll keep this to themselves. Right, everyone~?" he asked, emphasizing his tone.

The Pokémon flinched, then laughed sheepishly. They were in a room together, so it wasn't that hard to assume they were focusing in on their conversation. "Y-Yeah, uh…hush, hush, don't worry," Pikachu assured.

Jade rolled her eyes, chuckling. "If you say so." She frowned seriously. "You know the main protocol as a Shadow Agent is to be discrete with our missions, never attracting the attention of the public by going out in board daylight or something like that. Well…Ryan has been doing very much the opposite. In disguise, of course. He has been secretly tracking down Rocket grunts these last five years. He dedicated a lot of his time into busting their operations."

"Isn't that what we already do?" Ryder asked.

"Yes, but there's more to it. Ryan wasn't focusing his time on simple burglary heists or crime waves centered around missing Pokémon." She muttered under her breath, "Though, any chance we get, I'll jump kick some grunt in the face while he's fleeing." She shook her head. "No, Ryan was focusing on the big stuff. The stuff the Shadow Agency was having trouble cracking for years against Giovanni: his hidden agenda."

Ryder narrowed his eyes curiously. "As in…his top secret projects?"

"Oh yeah. The agency knows that Team Rocket does some shady stuff behind closed curtains. Crime waves are just a front for their real insidious plans. I can't tell you how horrifying it was to discover some of the crazy stuff we came across. Don't even get me started on the stuff that he personally discontinued."

"Discontinued?"

"Ryan discovered that Team Rocket has been experimenting on Pokémon, physically enhancing their strengths pass their limit. The results range from terrifying to detrimental. Those physical enhancements are not healthy. It's like what you did when you fought Dark with all your might and then some, but this isn't a brief burst of power from pushing yourself through effort. This is a constant strain on the body we're talking about. Constant pain."

Ryder clenched his teeth tightly. "You…can't be serious?"

"I wish I wasn't. He does horrible things to those Pokémon to improve their natural power. Some Pokémon would end up permanently crippled after such events. Some…got off worse."

The Charmeleon clenched his fist angrily. "That inhumane, son of a…" He held his tongue, mindful of the child that was in the room with them. "I can't believe anyone would be so insidious…"

"This may sound like I'm justifying his actions, which I'm not, but it doesn't come close to what his…former science division did."

Now the Charmeleon was looking at her confused. "Former?"

"I don't have all the details, but…one of Giovanni's old science divisions was abandoned a long time ago. Ryan doesn't know what happened to it or where it is. All we know is that Giovanni had…tense friction between the lead scientist. The notes we found mention how he genuinely regrets…creating such a heartless monster and turning him into one of the deadliest minds he has ever encountered."

That struck Ryder as confusing. "Created him?"

"Again, I don't have all the details. That line alone could imply several scenarios. Though, we have reason to believe this old science division played a role in some of Team Rocket's darker schemes." She narrowed her eyes. "Straight up genetic mutation."

"Mutation?!" Ryder shouted in shock.

"Whoever that scientist was…he wasn't right in the head. Giovanni approved of the experiments…but he seemed to feel an uncanny disturbance from this scientist. We don't know what happened to him after the division was abandoned. Even so, Ryan thinks he was one of the scientists who helped create the seed for the Forest of No Light."

Ryder rubbed his chin. "We already know Namba and Zager work with Giovanni. Dr. Waltz is a robotics engineer from what I remember. The only other scientist who worked on it is…" He glared in realization. "Wrath…" The mysterious fourth scientist that indirectly screwed up their last mission together. The one who indirectly allowed the Forest of No Light to flourish.

Jade nodded. "Precisely."

Ryder clenched his fist. "You've got to be kidding me…as if that guy hasn't already caused enough trouble for us."

"We don't have much record on him or, from Giovanni's mention of him, if he's even human. It's…something to keep in mind."

The agent crossed his arms. "So Ryan's trying to undercover Team Rocket's secret plans?"

"Yes. And we have reason to believe this Wrath is involved in some way. It's hard to prove, but his involvement in the Darkmon creation process leaves many questions wide open for answering. We don't know why he returned to help Team Rocket if his old division got canned by their boss. It's rather concerning." She closed her eyes. "I still can't wrap my head around why the Darkmon were made. Why go through all that trouble of stealing Pokémon when something like that was in the works? It just makes no sense."

Ryder rubbed his chin. "It does sound rather peculiar. Giovanni's a secretive man, that much is obvious. His own goals and ambitions have always been a mystery." He glared. "He's planning something dangerous…and I don't like it."

Jade shook her head. "Well, it's not something for you to be concerned about. Even if you managed to sneak away and disobey orders, I can't tell you where Ryan is. Mostly because I don't know where he's heading next."

"You don't?"

"We were in Hoenn when he transported me. However, we finished a case earlier. From the way he spoke, I knew he'll be leaving for a different town, city, or even a completely different region. It was constant moving for us. So…we're here…without a trainer."

Ryder lowered his head. "I see…"

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a light smile. "He does miss you. All of them miss you. We'll reunite again soon, I know it. You've waited this long and now I'm back in your life. Doesn't that make you a little happy?"

Ryder looked away for a moment, then closed his eyes. "No…it doesn't." Her eyes widened in shock and appalment. However, her second of disbelief turned around when he flashed her a teasing grin. "It makes me ecstatic to have you here again."

She smirked with a light blush. "Heh, jerk." She punched his shoulder, though this made him wince. "Ooh, sorry!" she quickly apologized.

"I-It's cool."

She placed her hand on his cheek. "So…since you're being forced to take time off and I'm pretty much stuck with you…what's your decision? You want to travel with these guys or what?"

He looked away. "Well…"

"I spoke with their Pokémon yesterday. I got to know their trainers. They seem like a nice group. Come on, it'd be nice to do some lighthearted traveling. Beats having to look over our shoulders for our enemies."

"But I like doing that stuff…" he softly whined.

She laughed at his childish behavior. "I know, but…well, it'll be like the old times. We haven't hit the road as actual Pokémon with a trainer in a long time. It's just been missions, missions, missions! I, for one, wish to partake in that experience once more! Besides, that Ash fellow will be participating in the Pokémon League. You get to cheer on your new friends and stuff!"

He closed his eyes, trying to think it over. "Well…I do like watching battles…I won't be able to battle for a while, so it's better than nothing…" He scratched his head. "Plus, I have gotten to know them, so…"

Jade smiled. "Yes?"

He sighed, then smiled back. "Oh, what the heck? How can I say 'no'?"

She snorted a laugh. "Took you long enough."

"I'm still a wee bit groggy here. Cut me some slack."

"Wait, you're seriously coming?" They looked across the room and saw Pikachu's ecstatic grin. "That's awesome! Right Buneary?!"

She nodded. "Yeah!" She patted Scarlet's head. "You hear that, Scarlet? You get to see more of Uncle Ryder!"

She clapped cheerfully. "Chu!"

Ryder rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…haven't been called 'Uncle' in a while." He blinked. "Wait Buneary, what about Dawn? Isn't she leaving soon?"

Buneary bit her lip. "Oh…right, that."

Jade waved it off. "I wouldn't worry about it. I overheard her and the others talking this morning. They agreed that once you all are released from the Pokémon Center, Buneary's going to join us through Unova."

Buneary blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. She said she didn't want you three separated from each other. That'd just be cruel. Besides, with your injuries, you won't be able to participate in contests and stuff. So, light traveling and family bonding was the only clear option."

The rabbit smiled. "Wow, that's so sweet of her!" She then frowned. "Wait, that means I'll have to say…goodbye to her…" Her eyes watered a bit. "Oh dear…I think my heart's injured, too…"

Pikachu rubbed her back. "Don't worry. It'll be rough, but…she's doing this for you." He smiled. "Besides, I'm sure we can make weekly phone calls or something so you could stay in touch. It's not like she's releasing you. She just wants you to rest and take care of our baby with me."

She sniffled a bit, then smiled. "Yeah…I guess you're right. I'll miss her, though."

He chuckled. "How do you think I felt when we went our separate ways?" He snickered. "Though, I have a clear memory of your behavior."

She pulled on her ear with a large blush. "Oh please, not that again…"

Ryder smirked. "What happened?"

Pikachu tapped his chin mockingly. "Hmm…I believe it went something like this." Using his strange elastic like body, his face shaped into that of a Buneary's. He clasped his hands together and cried in a squeaky voice, "'No! Don't separate me from my boyfriend! I'm not ready to say goodbye! I won't go, even if I have to glue myself to him!' And she actually almost went through with that," he finished, laughing his tail off.

His mate growled at him with an irritated grin. "I was, and still am, very emotional, you know!"

"And it was hilarious!" he said through his laughter. He cringed in pain as Buneary pinched down on his arm. "Ow, ow, ow! Buneary, STOP! OW!"

"You gonna stop laughing at me?"

"YES!" he pleaded with teary eyes.

She smiled, released his arm, then gave the sore spot a tiny kiss. "You are forgiven."

He rubbed his arm, glaring at her. "And you called ME a jerk?"

She fluttered her eyelids at him cutely. "You know you love me." He smirked and smacked her face with his pillow. She shook her head with a blank expression, then sighed with a smile. "I deserved that." She nuzzled his cheek before kissing him on the lips, which he returned in a heartbeat.

Ryder shook his head with a smile, then he rubbed his eye. "I need rest."

"You've been sleeping for almost two days," Jade reminded.

"The best sleep I could have gotten." He rested his head against his pillow.

Jade rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll let you rest." She then smirked teasingly. "Until we discuss that little thing you said yesterday."

He raised a brow. "What little thing?"

"Oh, you know, when you were announcing your hatred of Dark and how you wanted to…settle down with me," she reminded with lowered eyelids.

His face lit up, bright red. He shifted his body and turned away from her with wide eyes. "Sleeping now!" He made loud snoring sounds with his eyes closed.

Jade chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Well, just so you know…I have no objection to it." She hopped off the bed and left the room.

He groaned, burying his face into the pillow. "Good grief, she never lets me catch a break…" He then smiled softly. "I really missed you, Jade…"

Exiting Undella Town, Team Rocket were making their way to…somewhere. Yeah, since they were giving Ash and the others a break from any Pokémon pilfering schemes, they didn't really think through what they were going to do within that frame of time. Stealing other Pokémon might be an option, but they weren't in the best of shape themselves. Plus, while they have gotten better, Meowth and Laura were still emotionally unbalanced. They needed some time to get over their crushes.

Jessie folded her arms behind her head. "Well, what's the plan?"

James rubbed his chin. "Well, we could take an actual vacation for once. We kind of deserve it."

Meowth groaned. "Do we even have enough money to afford a vacation?"

Laura sighed. "Too bad. I could use something to loosen up the gears."

Jessie stopped and faced her teammates. "Well, as loyal members of Team Rocket, our only course of action is to return to base and report on this incident with the boss."

Laura crossed her arms. "What exactly do you plan of reporting? That we helped destroy one of his secret projects and aided the enemy? Yeah, the moment we say that, he'll have us thrown into a canyon or something."

"What I mean is that we report on the forest without bringing up in our involvement in its destruction. We just tell him how it all went and say that we were merely observing some of the…technical stuff."

"Don't you think he'll get a little suspicious that we figured out this forest was created by Team Rocket?" Meowth questioned. "We only know about this because of that old guy."

Laura scratched her chin. "Something feels off-putting to me, though. Remember what Dragonite said? About the Dark Gliscor that killed one of his own allies?"

Meowth rubbed his chin. "The only Dark Gliscor I'm familiar with is Fang."

Laura narrowed her eyes. "That guy always rubbed me the wrong way. Something about him was fishy."

"How so?" James asked.

"Well, you haven't met him, but…he always appeared spiteful in front of their ruler. He acted suspicious and secretive that multiple alarms were going off in my head." She glared at the ground. "Something isn't right…about all of this. Fang left all of a sudden before our ambush got exposed. He never showed back up again. Now I hear he kills one of his own and is still nowhere to be seen."

Jessie rubbed her chin. "Now odd. Do you think he was up to something?"

"Maybe, but I don't know what he could have…" Her eyes widened as her ears started twitching.

"What's wrong?" Meowth asked.

"I'm getting a transmission from…Giovanni!"

They gasped in shock. "Oh no, what does he want?!" James screeched. "Does he know about the forest?!"

"Only one way to find out." Her eyes lit up and she flashed the video call against a tree, revealing their boss in all his menacing glory.

They forced smiles on their faces and saluted. "Greetings, Giovanni! How are you feeling, sir?"

Giovanni laid his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together. "I have long since recovered from the events of Operation Tempest. I do, however, want to know the current status of you four." He narrowed his eyes. "I've gotten some disturbing reports about something in your area."

Jessie gulped, trying to force down her nervousness. "Ah yes, sir! We encountered a strange and unnatural forest during our time here! We were performing research on the inhabitants and discovered some…peculiar creatures that dwelled within."

He glared. "I see." He sighed. "That forest happened to be one of my secret projects."

"Really?" Laura asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes. The project was meant for a higher purpose, but we lost control of it after it was stolen and prematurely bloomed into that nightmarish underworld. With the seed out of our control, we couldn't pull through with my original intent." He closed his eyes. "I take it the forest was destroyed?"

"Err…yes sir. It would appear, uh…" Meowth scratched the back of his head. "Some of the creatures were violently unstable and destroyed the source needed to sustain its presence during the day…" They didn't want Giovanni knowing their involvement with the Shadow Agency. Blaming the Darkmon for their own destruction was disgraceful against them, but it was believable.

Giovanni leaned back in his chair. "Pitiful creatures. It amazes me they survived for this long without doing themselves in."

"Is this the only reason you contacted us, sir?" Jessie asked.

He took a moment, then shook his head. "No…I have two assignments for you four, actually." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm moving up my plans, finishing a project that has long since been forgotten. You'll be helping with the construction of a machine that'll play one of many key roles in the execution of this plan."

"You're actually letting us help you with one of your secret projects?" James asked with shock.

"Precisely. You'll be assisting the lead scientists in any way they see fit. You must do as they say and without question. Is that clear?"

They nodded. Laura then asked, "What about the second assignment?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I've been hearing reports of a rivalling organization in Unova. A new branch of Team Plasma." He folded his hands together and stared them in the eyes. "I'll have you return to base to get acquainted with the scientists. After that, I'll have you return to Unova to confront Team Plasma. We mustn't let them interfere with our plans."

They smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, sir, we won't fail you."

"You better not. You've proven your competence this time around, but I expect results."

"Yes sir!" they saluted.

"Good. I'll send a jet to retrieve you four. Do not disappoint me." His transmission faded out. Laura ending the feed, blinking twice.

Jessie raised her fist in excitement. "Great! With us helping the boss out, we'll be able to get the details on his plans!"

"What a brilliant stroke of luck!" James cheered.

Meowth patted Laura's back. "Isn't this great, Laura? The boss is finally recognizing our worth!"

She grinned cheekily. "Well, duh! It's about time he recognized how brilliant we are! Helping out with his top secret projects! That's basically our version of a promotion!"

Jessie crossed her arms. "I say we go out to eat and celebrate!"

"I'll prep the disguises!" James exclaimed.

"And I'll get the money in order!" Meowth added.

They threw their hands into a circle, stacking them on top of each other before throwing them into the air. "Look out, world! We're coming back at full force!"