The closer to the All-earth forest we got the less destruction there was. It was a beautiful forest and the pokemon here seemed at peace. The sun here was warm, and the rays touched everything in sight. There were no clouds nearby.

Treecko and Greninja traveled through the branches of the trees, leaving me on the ground alone but I didn't mind.

A beam of light stopped all of us in our tracks. It was so close to my face I could feel the heat coming from the hyper beam. It was hottest thing I think I've ever felt in my life! Pokemon in the trees scattered, chatting to each other in worry and surprise. I followed the trail of destruction left by the hyper beam.

A Hydreigon argued with a Noivern, who wasn't backing down from its position. Noivern clung to a branch as if the tree had the capacity to protect it. Whatever was said wasn't good based on the way they chatted and Treecko and Greninja felt it necessary to come in between the two pokemon and attempt to calm them down. I approached slowly, as if I would scare all of them away and never get my answers.

"What's going on?" I finally asked the Noivern when I was close enough. The Noivern pointed an accusing finger at Hydreigon and half barked out the answer in almost a slur that I couldn't understand it. Even Treecko looked confused. "What?" I turned to the rest of the pokemon. "What happened here? What's going on?"

After a while a Gardevoir stepped up. "Hydreigon's home was destroyed and he wants answers from Xerneas as to what is going on. He wants to know if Yveltal has awakened. But Noivern is preventing Hydreigon from going any further due to the destruction Hydreigon has caused. We've had to take in many pokemon who have lost their homes because of him."

I looked back at Hydreigon and saw somewhere in his eyes that he looked lost, afraid, and alone. "You've been feeling it too, haven't you? The same thing Treecko and Greninja have been sensing. It's as if the earth is dying."

He bowed his head in a low nod.

I spun around to Noivern. "Do you know where Xerneas is? I need to speak with him. I need his help…and so do other pokemon."

Noivern was reluctant to help.

"You need to take me to him. Forests aren't just being destroyed they're also dying. I need to speak with him and ask him for help."

Finally, Noivern flew ahead. I motioned for Hydreigon to follow and followed Noivern from the ground. In the distance I started to hear waterfalls and the wind seemed to stop completely. There was a type of stillness in this area that made me stop. Everyone else went ahead except for Hydreigon. It stopped and stared at me for a long time while I looked around at the trees and took in the quietness of this part of the forest. The waterfalls were the only things that dared to make a sound.

The snapping of a twig almost sounded like thunder and it startled me, and I turned around to find myself face to face with the guardian of the forest. Xerneas stood tall with antlers like a tree. Parts of its antlers were glowing a calm blue. I couldn't hear myself breath anymore, only my heart beat in my ears while I took in the majestic creature before me.

Hydreigon bowed all three of its heads and I realized that I should be doing the same, rather than standing with mouth gaped like an idiot. Finally, I bowed my head. Xerneas bowed its head in greeting to us. Pokemon were such interesting creatures! They have their own values, communication, and politeness just like people and the rarely seen pokemon like Xerneas were even more interesting!

"You two have traveled a long way from home," I was taken aback at Xerneas' ability to use telepathy. I never knew that it had that ability.

Hydreigon spoke up while I was stunned into silence, explaining about its home. Xerneas listened intently until the entire story was finished. Then it turned to me and I realized it was waiting for my explanation.

"Team Flare has been experimenting on cells of humans and pokemon and I think they may have actually created something. Something that shouldn't exist called a chimera. But the baby may not survive for long, not if the cells of both species are essentially self-destructing cells. She won't be in pain but she will eventually die if this happens. She needs your help."

Xerneas bowed its head in a low nod. "Your home has been dying. Diseased trees roam your lands. Yveltal has not even stirred, so I will go with you to investigate further. However, I have heard that you have destroyed other pokemon's homes as well."

Hydreigon nervously rubbed the two heads on its arms together.

"You will make up for what you've done on the way to your home." Xerneas looked at me. "I have heard rumors of these experiments but not just among Team Flare." I felt myself flinch. I knew what it was getting at it was talking about my family. "I am sorry but there is nothing that can be done, not from me. This creature you call Chimera should not exist and so I will not try to call upon Arceus to intervene either."

"So, you can't do anything?" I could feel my heart drop to the bottom of my stomach.

Xerneas nodded.

"And you won't do anything?"

Again, Xerneas nodded.

Never before have I ever wanted to hurt a pokemon so badly. As if it could read my mind Xerneas suggested to Hydreigon that they leave now. They left me alone, in the middle of a quiet forest, with a cloud of disappointment hanging over me.

I wanted to scream but it felt wrong to break the quietness of the forest so, instead, I fled to Avignon town, without thinking about Greninja and Treecko.

Once in Avignon town I felt lost and when I feel lost I call my parents at their research lab located in the Kanto region. It must've been a bad time but they insisted on talking to me anyway despite the alarms and the people running around, their uniforms all the same; black pants and white shirts with a big letter "R" in the middle. My parents' uniforms were simple lab coats but the R was still sewed onto their coat pocket haphazardly. It looked very malformed because I was barely seven when mother taught me to sew and so I stole their lab coats to practice. I was surprised that their boss still allowed them to wear it.

"Are you sure you can talk now? It seems like something's wrong."

My dad waved his hand as if to shoo away a fly. "It's just the preliminary alarms. Now, if the lights were flashing yellow, then we have to intervene. So, what's up, my little girl? How's the Kalos region? Were you able to find Oaky?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not sure. That's not why I called you."

Mother tilted her head. Mother had light brown hair and father had the fiery hair I had. We always joked that I looked like a female version of him. Mother looked like a true Alola native with her very tan skin, light brown almost blond hair and bright blue eyes.

I explained to them everything that has happened with Team Flare. Father's face became grim as did mother's. Did they know something?

"I see, so you want a cure for her?" Mother asked.

"I want to keep her alive. Pokemon or human, nobody deserves death so early."

The sirens wailed louder and turned yellow. Now they had to go. "Sorry, honey, just let it go for now. Oh, but if you get the time send us samples of the earth from these dying forests. We'll analyze them further." Father grinned. "Now don't cause much trouble!" Then the screen went black.

I sighed and kicked the wall. "Stupid!"

"That Treecko didn't work out for you?" The annoying voice scraped every fiber of my being and it took as much energy not to punch him. The Alolan trainer was in the lobby, waiting to use the phone.

That's right! I'd totally forgotten about Treecko and Greninja still in the forest! "Treecko is training with Greninja," I lied as I turned on my heels toward him. "How's that Torchic?"

He shook his head. "Torchic isn't any of your concern."

"And Treecko isn't any of yours." I sat on a couch. As if to purposely annoy me the trainer sat across from me. "What's your name, anyway?"

He stared into my eyes for a long while. He had very hard eyes, like life has thrown him one curve after the next. Was he only doing to Torchic what he's learned in life? Thinking about this, I suddenly couldn't hate the trainer. Does he think love is being tough on his pokemon? "Logan," he finally said.

"Logan…I'm Alice."

"I know who you are," he snapped. "Alessandra, Alola's first champion of the Elite Four." He must've seen the confusion on my face because he added; "I'm from Poni Island, so of course I know who you are. Your whole battle with Professor Kukui was aired and the entire region watched. I was nine, not nearly old enough to receive my first pokemon from the Professor."

I nodded. "Torchic and Treecko are native to the Hoenn region," I said it as if he didn't know.

He nodded. "Yes, I went to the Hoenn region shortly after receiving Litten. Your first pokemon was a Rowlett. Now it's a Decidueye."

I shook my head. "You're wrong there. Professor Kukui gave me the Rowlett when I turned eleven, true, but I'm a native to Kalos. My first pokemon was a Froakie. I've never battled with him so you'd never know." I decided not to tell him any more than that.

Outside was sunny and people were happy and unaware of the situation outside of their little town. I kept thinking of Hydreigon. Where was its home? What did it look like now?

I needed to find Greninja and Treecko; I realized they didn't know where I was.