June 25th, 2007

Kori ran with Chimchar and Oshawott on her shoulders and then turned around. "Hurry up you guys!" She yelled while waving.

Lyssa growled. "We can't all be as fast as you!" Lyssa and Diana were jogging farther behind.

"Wait up Kori!" Diana called.

"Slowpokes," Kori called. She waited until the others had caught up. Both Lyssa and Diana were breathing heavily. Kori on the other hand, looked like she hadn't even broken a sweat. They have all been running since they had left that Pokémon Center and that was far away. From where they were, they could see Jubilife City down the hill. As soon as Lyssa and Diana recovered they walked into the city. They were going to rest at the Pokémon Center, when they heard something.

Kori held her hand up, a signal to be quiet. "Chimchar?"

"I heard something." The sound started again. It sounded like a person yelling. Diana was getting nervous.

"Maybe we should just go," she said uneasily, playing with her skirt.

"But I think someone's in trouble though," Kori said. She walked closer towards the sound. Diana hesitated. She looked at Lyssa, hoping for support from her.

Lyssa looked at Diana and shrugged. "Let's at least make sure no one is hurt." She held on to Diana's hand and pulled her the same way Kori went.

Diana's shoulders slumped. She was scared; anyone could see that by looking at her green eyes. At least Lyssa was holding her hand. As embarrassed as she was to admit it, she was comforted by it.

"Look," Kori whispered. She pointed to the Northern entrance of Jubilife City. There were about three... no four weirdos dressed in these strange white and black outfits that made them look like aliens. They also had this weird 'G' symbol on their chest. Who are these weirdos?

"Whose that?" Lyssa pointed somewhere. Kori and Diana looked to where they were pointing. They and Chimchar gasped. They knew who that was.

"Professor Rowan.." the girls whispered at the same time.

"Chim..." Chimchar recognized the man instantly as the one who raised Chimchar. He looked angry. What was this about?"

"Osha?" Oshawott was just as confused. Maybe Chimchar would know. He tapped her shoulder. "Wott oshawott?" What was going on?

Chimchar shrugged. "Chim..." She had no idea herself. But she wanted to find out. She held a finger to signal quiet. They could just make out some of what they were saying.

"... stupid old man."

"Give us your research."

"No I will not!" Rowan yelled angrily. "What do you even want with it?"

"We'll... a new world." New world? What were they talking about.

"Find... Legends." What?

"... insane," Rowan said. "You're... not giving it to you."

"Fine." One of the weirdos pulled out a pokémon and released a pokémon that Diana didn't immediately recognize. She pulled out her pink and green pokédex.

Zubat-the Bat Pokémon. It checks its surroundings and location using reflections of the ultrasonic waves from its mouth.

"Zubat use Wing Attack!" The Zubat flapped its wings, its attack aiming for Professor Rowan.

"Osha!" Oshawott jumped off of Kori's shoulder, followed by Chimchar. Oshawott countered the attack with Air Slash while Chimchar used Flame Wheel on the Zubat, causing it to hit the floor and faint.

"What?" One of the weirdos returned the Zubat to its pokéball. The others looked at the pokémon that stood protecting Professor Rowan. Kori and the others ran over to them.

"Hey!" Kori called. The weirdos and professor looked towards her voice. "Leave Professor Rowan alone! Right now!"

One of the weirdos just laughed eerily. "Mind your own business little girl." At that moment all of them, including the one whose Zubat was defeated, threw pokéballs in the air. Three Zubats were released and one other pokémon that Kori did not recognize. She quickly pulled out her pokédex.

Dustox-the Poison Moth Pokémon. Toxic powder is scattered with each flap. At night, it is known to strip leaves off trees lining boulevards.

"Now it's time for you kiddies to learn not to mess with Team Galactic!" The ring leader yelled. "Dustox use Confusion!

"Dus!" The Dustox preformed the attack. A blue light surrounded both Chimchar and Oshawott, carried both of the startled pokémon and throwing them hard to the ground. Kori ran over to them to make sure they were okay. The three Zubats flapped their wings, readying themselves to preform Wing Attacks on Kori and her pokémon.

Lyssa threw her pokéball to help. "Corsola use Water Gun on the Zubats!"

"Now use Bubble!" Corsola was about to use Bubble, but one of the Zubat used Supersonic on Corsola, causing it to become confused. "Dammit!" Lyssa could see that Chimchar was battling Dustox and Oshawott seemed to be having trouble with the Zubats that flew over it. They needed help. Lyssa turned back around as she realized something.

Diana looked scared stiff. She had yet to release a pokémon to battle. They all needed her help.

"Diana," Lyssa yelled. Diana turned to Lyssa, looking very startled, as if she had forgotten about the older, taller girl.

"I know your scared," Lyssa whispered, understandingly. "But we need your help. We won't be able to do this without you."

Diana looked around. She was scared, but she could see how her friends struggled to beat these guys. She breathed heavily; time to be brave now. She threw a pokéball. "Turtuwg please use Razor Leaf!"

"Tur!" Turtwig used Razor Leaf, but they were blown away by one of the Zubat's Wing Attack.

"AH!" Diana yelled, panicked. It didn't work. What now?

"Diana," Lyssa said. "Calm down. Just try something else. Shinx is an electric- type, so maybe it can help."

Lyssa then promptly ordered Corsola to use Rock Blast.

Lyssa was right. Diana released Shinx. "Shinx! Use Thundershock!"

"Shinx!" Shinx became surrounded by a blue light that attacked all of the Zubat.

"Now Turtwig! Use Razor Leaf again!" The Razor Leaf connected this time around.

"Corsola use Bubble!" Corsola attacked the Zubat as well, causing them to finally faint.

"Oshawott! Scald on Dustox!" Oshawott managed to use the attack from behind the preoccupied Dustox, causing Chimchar to be released from Dustox's Confusion.

"Now Chimchar! Flame Wheel!"

"Chim!" Chimchar became engulfed in a ball of flame that attacked Dustox. The bug- type was burned and quickly fainted on the ground.

The Team Galactic people returned their defeated pokémon into their pokéballs. Their ring leader growled. "You'll be sorry," he said ominously.

"Sure we will," Kori muttered sarcastically. Chimchar and Oshawott looked at them defiantly. "Probably right after we call Officer Jenny."

The guy just laughed and threw something. Suddenly smoke started to appear, causing everyone to start shielding their eyes and cough.

Tears came out of Diana's eyes. "I can't see..." The people and pokémon alike continued to cough until the smoke finally cleared. Everyone glared at where the Team Galactic members were standing. They were gone. Not a trace of them.

"Where did they go?" Kori kept searching for them but didn't see them at all.

"Who know?" Lyssa shrugged. "I'm just glad they're gone."

Kori agreed as she picked up her tired Chimchar and Oshawott. Diana actually came to help by carrying Oshawott and Kori thanked her. The girls finally seemed to notice Professor Rowan was still standing there. "Are you alright Professor Rowan?"

"I'm fine," the Professor stated. He took notice of the state of the girls pokémon. "We should go to the Pokémon Center quickly. We can continue our conversation there." The girls nodded in agreement. After Lyssa and Diana finished returning their pokémon to their pokéballs they all quickly ran towards the Center.

Time Skip

"So who were those guys?" Kori asked. Kori, Lyssa and Diana were sitting with Professor Rowan inside the Pokémon Center while their pokémon were recovering from them. Officer Jenny had just finished asking them questions and getting their statements about the incident. "What did they want from you Professor?"

"I have no idea who those people were?" Rowan answered. He laid his chin in his hand in thought. "It is quite obvious they are a group of people up to no good. As to what they wanted; it seemed to be my research."

"Your research?" The girls all asked. Why would those goons want it? At that moment, Kori's father ran into the Pokémon Center in a panic. Steve calmed down when he noticed both Professor Rowan and his daughter.

"Professor Rowan! Kori!" He walked over to where they were seated.

Kori smiled. "Hi Dad!" She and Diana scooted over to make room for him to sit. "Officer Jenny told me what happened. Is everyone alright?" Kori and her friends nodded. Kori introduced her father to Diana, since he had met Lyssa via phone. Once the pleasantries, were done, they went back to listening to Professor Rowan's explanation. "You were saying Professor?"

"About my research," Rowan began. "Some of you may not know this, but my research is specifically about pokémon evolution. Your father has been very helpful with my research Kori." Steve smiled at that.

"Together we have found that 90% of pokémon have the ability to evolve, while the other 10% do not. We have also found that some pokémon that evolve may need a catalyst to evolve, like learning a new move, or using an evolutionary stone as an example. After all this work, an answer has yet to be found to explain this or why pokémon evolve. It's still a mystery."

"Wow," Diana gasped. "That sounds like a real mystery."

"Indeed," Steve answered. "There is still so much we don't know."

It sounds like a real mystery, Kori thought. She had personally never questioned the need for evolution before, but now thinking about it, the topic was definitely a food for thought.

"After this discussion, I'm beginning to wonder why some pokémon need stones to evolve and why others don't." Lyssa looked very thoughtful about it.

"That's a good question," Kori said, "but it still doesn't explain why those weirdos wanted the Professor's research. They didn't look like the type to have a scholarly interest."

"Whatever they wanted it for is really anyone's guest. But that is for Officer Jenny to find out." Steve gave his daughter a very stern leave- it- alone- and- stay- out- of- danger- glare. Kori knew enough to drop the conversation there.

They all continued to talk about the adventures the girls had. Kori even proudly showed off her one badge. The pokémon recovered and it was really late. Steve and Professor Rowan said goodbye and left while the girls decided to hit the hay.

Kori was laying in bed, thinking about the events that took place. Chimchar and Oshawott were both sleeping at her sides. Lyssa and Diana were sleeping in their beds, but Kori couldn't sleep. Every time she thought about what happened with Team Galactic, questions would keep going through her head. She sighed. What are they after? Kori just couldn't figure it out. So she took her journal. It always made her feel better to write about things that were going on.

Journal Entry, June 25th, 2007

Me and my friends met some group of weirdos calling themselves Team Galactic. They attacked Professor Rowan because they wanted his research on pokémon evolution.They are such creeps.

But the more I think back to that, the more questions I have. Who are Team Galactic? Why did they want the Professor's research? Is this the last we'll see of them?I hope so.

I really hope that Officer Jenny manages to catch these guys, but I honestly doubt it. Something bigger is definitely going on than some attempted mugging.

-Kori

Somewhere else

Somewhere, in a laboratory in an unknown location, a man stood in front of a desk, looking at a figure sitting behind the desk. The seated figure spoke.

"Have your men completed their task Saturn?"

The man standing, Saturn looked into the icy eyes of his leader, thinking to himself that he wasn't going to be pleased. "I'm sorry to say that they had failed. They were unable to retrieve Professor Rowan's research, sir."

The man at the table slammed his fist on the surface. "Failure is unacceptable," the leader said coldly. The tone caused shivers run down Saturn's back. He is not pleased at all.

"We will just have to proceed without it. I'm feeling very magnanimous Saturn, but fail me again..."

The man did not have to finish the sentence; the message was very clear. Saturn bowed. "Understood sir." Saturn got back up and left the laboratory. He had a few grunts he needed to deal with.

He didn't tolerate failure either.

Kori's Pokemon

1. CHIMCHAR (female): (EMBER, SCRATCH, IRON TAIL, TAUNT, FLAME WHEEL)

2. SWABLU (male): (SING, FURY ATTACK, STEEL WING)

3. OSHATWOTT (male): (SCALD, AIR SLASH, RAZOR SHELL)

4. CHERRIM (female): (MAGICAL LEAF, PETAL DANCE, SUNNY DAY)

Lyssa's Pokemon

1. CORSOLA (female): (WATER GUN, ROCK BLAST, BUBBLE)

Diana's Pokemon

1. TURTWIG (male): (RAZOR LEAF, EARTH POWER)

2. SHINX (male): (SWIFT, TACKLE, THUNDERSHOCK)