"Here and now- if this is it, can't get out from under it.

Never more to leave here, never more to leave here; my love is the killing kind."

I had been more than prepared to defend myself against anything the adult could have done. The battle went by easier than expected, especially compared to Rich and Velga, and his tactics reminded me more of those random goons found lurking about in Mt. Moon when Brock and I had been searching for the fossils. What neither of us had been expecting, however, was what happened after I defeated him.

"Wh… What!?"

"I told you before," I growled, starting to feel the familiar sensation of frustration as my words continued to fail in being understood by this person, "I'm not joining you."

"But… with your skills you could totally become a top leader!" He protested. "Your pōkemon and leadership are incredible!" When he saw I was not being swayed he faltered, taking several steps back. His teeth ground together and his eyes lit up with rage, frustration on his face. "You and that boy… damn it all! Do you realize what you're turning down!? You selfish, spoiled little kids will never understand what it's like to be part of something great! Not like this! So I guess… I'll just have to show you."

"Explain!" Brock frowned deeply when the adult started to cackle, the teen stepping forward and readying to summon a pokemon at a moment's notice. "What are you trying to do? Why does Team Rocket want to use kids so badly?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head, blinking. "Oh, you haven't figured it out? You really are just a child."

I closed my eyes, expression growing empty and solemn. It was such an obvious answer, one I had learned a long time ago. Considering how he's acted so far, I knew my travelling companion would not like the answer. Ignorance, in cases like these, was complete and total bliss. But when living under such terrible conditions like I had for so long ignorance was a curse and knowledge was power. With his view of the world, I knew the truth would only enrage him further should he find out.

"Brock, don't…"

The boy looked back at me, confused when he heard my voice trail off and go quiet. "But you want to know, right? You deserve to know! Grunt, you-"

"Grunt?" The adult echoed. Realization dawned on his face and he whirled around, staring at me with big eyes. "You can't be… no, no, no- hold on. Yes, of course! How did I not realize!? You were there that day, weren't you? The day the headquarters blew up…"

The hate on his face intensified and Brock tensed, chills going down his spine as he took a fearful step back, holding a shaky arm up in front of me, the boy bravely pushing me behind him. His actions no longer surprised me, though the logic behind them did. "It wasn't her fault!" He protested, defending me. The way he said it made it almost sound like that sentence would solve everything; that it would make all the hurt go away. Brock, despite his fear, spoke with confidence.

Unfortunately, he knew nothing. I still haven't explained everything to him.

Him believing that I didn't know why children were being used was proof of that. I knew all too well why kids like me were targeted; I just… found it hard to speak about it. I think I just didn't want to upset him anymore than he already was over my situation, which was weird. He shouldn't be so upset about it; it wasn't like my life was something particularly special that should be deserving of attention, and yet… here we are.

He said I was the one who cared too much, but it was so obviously the other way around. This only showed more with Brock's kind words.

Unfortunately, the person across from us did not care to listen. He was bristling with rage, only hearing and focusing on what he wanted to. "It was… It was you! You little brat- my friend died in that fire!"

I flinched at those words, the guilt washing over me like a tidal wave. It was suffocating, the weight of the lives taken crushing me inside. My head ducked down as he continued to scream, Brock's back being the only thing blocking him from my view. The boy kept me behind him as best as he could as we started to become surrounded- all the trainers from before crowding around us and removing their disguises, revealing the large red R that was plastered over all of their chests.

"That's not on you," I heard Brock say firmly, speaking to me and momentarily snapping me out of my darker thoughts, his attention never leaving the evil trainers around us, "you didn't mean for it to happen."

But... I still caused it. I freed the legendary pōkemon that exploded the building.

Their deaths were on my hands. I murdered them.

And these people… those that were little kids had actually been wearing well-made masks, revealing very small adults. They were all Team Rocket. In my panic to rescue Blue I made a very grave mistake; I stopped observing. If I had paid the slightest bit of attention to their attire or appearance anymore than I had then this could have been avoided. I knew their tactics inside-out and yet I let this happen.

I… I screwed up. Frick.

Why do I keep making the simplest of mistakes? Was it because this was the outside world?

It was so much larger and vast than I had ever expected it to be, and despite my reluctance to trust strangers I still found myself letting down my guard, fooled by the kindness that had been shown to me by so many. This was going to cost us dearly.

The people started to grow closer and I tensed, watching as Ansem and Basil growled at the Team Rocket members. There were so many of them; I could handle one or two of them easily, but six? The leader yelled at me, cursing my existence, and without realizing I found myself grabbing onto the hem of Brock's jacket, scared as the consequences of my foolishness caught up with me, clinging onto the newer light shining before me in desperation for comfort.

I… caused this.

I failed. Just like back in the caves, I… couldn't protect anyone.

We were totally trapped.

Brock glanced over his shoulder at me before turning around, wrapping his arms around me. I was shaking, barely breathing as horror and guilt took over, the older teen keeping me pressed close to his chest protectively. He called out to my pōkemon, catching their attention as I started to shut down and surrender to my darker emotions. "Ansem, Belladonna, Basil! Get us out of here!"

"Oh, no you don't! Aerodactyl, go!" The violet-haired man raised a hand outwards, eyes flashing dangerously. A large gust of wind appeared, nearly blowing us all off our feet. Suddenly a big pōkemon appeared from a pōkeball, flying high into the air, beating its wings. An ear-piercing screech erupted from its throat, making it difficult to hear the goon speak. "If it weren't for the boss wanting you alive, I'd kill you myself! So instead, I'll have you all suffer! "

The ground began to shake, and Brock stumbled sideways- being forced to let go as I staggered backwards. Basil panicked and leapt into his arms, scared of being seperated, and Ansem started to bark again and dashed towards me, Belladonna right behind him.

Just where was this earthquake coming from? It wasn't from his Aerodactyl; it was coming from…

...underground?

Oh frick, oh frick, oh Arceus, oh gods-

I'm so sorry-!

We're going to be killed!

I screwed up!

This is all my fault!

Why did I escape so soon!?

The ground itself began to open up, shifting as two metal slabs drifted apart, and as I sat there frozen in terror Brock was shouting, calling out me as he stumbled over, trying to get to me and the rest of my pōkemon. Basil wailed loudly, tears in his eyes, and in my shock it took me a second too long to notice Brock's outstretched hand. I struggled to move, constantly knocked back down by the violent shaking of the earth, and in my desperation I reached out for him.

This was all too familiar.

In the recesses of my mind, buried deep into my memory from a time long ago, I remembered. It wasn't the first time I bore witness to such a thing, but I was certainly never on it when it happened. It was just like how the Hoenn base opened up when I was first stolen away and… when I left to Kanto on that cursed helicopter Rich and Velga made me ride.

And, deeper still, I had the feeling that I once reached out like this for someone. Who, I wasn't sure, but the sensation of a memory was there- trying to claw its way to the surface and tearing at my brain, forcing my skull to throb even more than it already was.

The Team Rocket goon raised his voice, shouting at us with a crazed grin, rage in his eyes. "Your pōkemon, your supplies; they'll all be ours!" He declared. "And you, Grunt, traitor to our kind, will suffer alongside your foolish companion!"

That was when the ground beneath me gave way, crumbling to pieces, and as I fell through the trap door I saw a quick flash of green-and-brown as Brock leapt after, following me down into the underground like a fool.

"Together forever! Trapped in the underground maze we've created!"

Rather than air, I thought of water- cold, freezing water that was filled with debris, and skies that seemed to boil with heat. Falling deeper and deeper, sinking below the surface.

Stuck… in the terrifying abyss of darkness.

As we tumbled deep into the black I muttered not so much as a word, not even able to scream, only watching with wide eyes as the light above us vanished. For a moment, as the trap doors closed and we continued to fall, all hope was lost. I found myself wondering if this was truly the end.

"A-Are you okay? What's wrong?"

It was still there- buried in the recesses of my mind. As much as I felt I should start ignoring it, I couldn't help but find that the traces of connection still held strong. My heart just couldn't let go. Everything always went back to that one person, after all, and I spent so long surviving on the pure hope of seeing him again. Even now he was haunting me, the memory of that promise keeping me rooted to this earth.

Earth…

So many years I spent living on this planet; obeying orders, acting as the puppet I was groomed to be, and plotting schemes that were only doomed to fail. Everything I ever dreamed of or desired to obtain was just too far out of reach, and they were all centered around that boy I had met so long ago. As time past my goals did shift, focusing more on the rescue of the other children, but the fact remained- I wanted to see him again.

To thank him for saving me so many times.

But… it was all an illusion. Even this freedom I have now is false.

I'm still trapped by Team Rocket.

And now… I've never felt more useless. Falling endlessly through nothingness, mind and heart slowly giving up as everything went downhill once more. It wasn't as if I truly desired to go on this journey in the first place; all I wanted was to find the police, inform them of the hideout, and then go on my way to find that mysterious boy whom I made a promise to. Yet… those plans failed too.

Everything I come up with just… fails.

Perhaps this was the world's cruel sense of justice- to get back at me for causing such a tragedy. Team Rocket was full of cruel and terrible people; they were evil beyond belief. But that didn't mean the deserved to die. Those evil enough to kidnap children and torture them, stealing them away from their families, and even go so far as to experiment on innocent pōkemon…

They needed to be imprisoned. That fate, that kind of suffering, was far worse and more befitting.

But… I was starting to believe that there was no such thing as justice. Only karma, the world making twists and turns to toy with the lives of those that lived on its back.

"Don't forget about me, you hear!?"

I'm sorry. I did. I remember your words, though the voice that once accompanied them is long gone. It was thanks to you that I became so good at surviving, yet I'm afraid that that itself was a grave mistake. My existence only ever seemed to cause others to hurt. Whether it be by putting them in danger or inadvertently hurting them with words…

I'm starting to think you should have let me rot on that street.

"Veeevaa!"

That cry snapped me back into my senses.

The world around me seemed to recollect sound and my eyes slowly opened, vision taking a while to adjust to the dark. In the distance, somewhere nearby, I could hear Ansem barking. Brock was screaming- calling out to me and trying to locate where I was. The guilt hit full force as I thought about the family that was waiting for him. They had told me to protect him, to keep him safe, and here he is falling to his death because of me.

There's… no way I can just let him die, can I?

Not like this.

Basil, Belladonna… they were all so innocent. Like the kind strangers I've met, they've only done things to help me. The pōkemon chose me as their trainer.

Did that… Did that condemn them to this fate? Because they outstretched their hands to me?

I don't… want that. I don't want them to suffer because of me.

Too much blood has already been spilled.

I can't help people; I'm only ever good at endangering them. My only real accomplishment was staying alive- so, that means… I just have to figure out a way to extend that to those I surrounded myself with. The determination to reach my goal, the willingness to do whatever it took to reach the finish line. The reluctance of falling back into the arms of those who would hurt me, to accept those who would gather me.

Obligation, obedience. Fear, guilt. Cowardice, courage.

Hate… and love.

My eyes squeezed tightly shut, burning with tears as so many emotions welled up inside me, mixing together and creation a concoction that was far from healthy. As they bubbled up, some strange sensation rising in the back of my throat, I opened my mouth and out came a cry- a scream full of rage and frustration, aggravating my still-not-quite-healed vocal chords. A howl echoed out afterwards, coming from the ever loyal Ansem, the pōkemon reacting quite intensely to my overflowing emotions. My arms shot out and I reached blindly in the direction I heard them, body coiling around a large and soft body, fur tickling my face.

It was so dark I couldn't see anything and it hurt so much to keep my eyes open, but I have to get us through this! I have to survive, so they can survive! It's the only thing my foolish self is good at!

I had no idea how much longer we had before we splat against the ground, as we had been falling for quite a while, and as a result of this knowledge adrenaline started to pump through my veins, causing my heart to race as I hiccuped and choked, mind reeling with ideas and solutions to the problem we found ourselves in. That goon said we were heading into an underground maze, which meant it could very well be a Team Rocket hideout they've created. Our pōkemon, our supplies- he said they would be theirs.

This trap was most likely designed to capture those who refused their offer to join the organization, made with the intention of stealing their money and pōkemon.

That meant that there had to be some sort of safety mechanism at the bottom- or maybe they expected us to call the pōkemon back into their pōkeballs to save them, leaving us humans to splatter into goop at the bottom. Regardless the reason, the design, or their plans, we couldn't risk just falling forever until we became sludge on the ground. We had to take precautions. And, as someone who grown up learning how to plot and scheme by the very criminals that were entrapping us, they were greatly underestimating me.

No… they were underestimating us.

I'm not alone anymore. Brock, the pōkemon… we're all here working together. Journeying together. We're friends.

And Brock just so happened to be a retired gym leader, who owned a pōkemon that was so large that he could easily stop our fall if he so wished.

If memory served correctly, and I'm praying it did because I'm panicking so badly right now that it was rather hard to think straight, Onix was a pōkemon who liked to burrow in underground places. He could even evolve naturally into some kind of steel-type pōkemon once deep enough, becoming embedded with either crystals or diamonds, or maybe both.

It might hurt a bit, but… we could use him to our advantage here. Feeling Ansem nuzzle his face into the curve of my bandaged neck, I called out as loudly as I could, ignoring the sensation of what felt like glass piercing the inside of my throat. "Brooooock!"

"Grunt!?" The boy was alarmed. It sounded like he was coming somewhere from my… left… yet higher up. He jumped in after me, so it makes sense that I'm farther down than him. "Grunt, where are you!?"

"O-Over here!"

Ansem started to bark, sensing my pain as I started to cough. Frick- I seriously needed a drink now. It felt like needles were stabbing my neck from the inside. It was almost as if the pōkemon was trying to alert the others to our presence, so that I wouldn't have to.

Still, if we couldn't reach each other… the plan might not work. "Can you hear me!? G-Grab my hand!"

"Where!?"

I reached out above me, following the sound of his voice, trying to grasp some part of him.

Something brushed my fingers and, before I even had a chance to latch on, his hand grabbed onto my wrist and suddenly I was being pulling forward. I barely had time to let out a yelp before his arms were around my back, holding me and Ansem to him, the boy cradling the back of my head as if to shield my skull from anymore injury. I wasn't quite sure when it happened, how it happened, but sometime during the past few days his touches were starting to become less anxiety inducing and more comforting.

"I've got you!"

I didn't flinch away as much in the hospital when he was braiding my hair back then, either, so I could only assume it was because of something during my wretched stay there. Something that was actually making me reach out for touch. Keeping one hand on his shoulder and the other wrapped around Ansem so not to drop him, I was about to suggest my idea when Brock yelled again.

"W-We need to do something quick!"

"I-I know, just- where's Onix!?"

"Onix? Oh, of course!" Keeping an arm around my waist, Ansem wailing as his claws dug deep into my shoulder, Basil clinging to Brock's backpack while Belladonna cried from somewhere nearby, Brock reached out to his belt. Snatching a pōkeball and enlargening it, he held it up into the air and yelled, "Onix, come out! I choose you!"

He threw the ball down below us and a red light erupted from it, growing larger in size until it took up over half the space around us. Not much else could be done as the area grew cramped, the pōkemon wrapping himself around us and practically smacking us with his tail to get us on his back. Brock, Ansem, and I ended up rolling down his giant stone body, stopping only when a pair of vines reached out and caught us. Basil, from a few feet away, having flown off of Brock and acted upon instinct, managed to stop our descent.

H-Holy frick…

Basil pulled us back up slowly, seeing as we were currently dangling on the edge and threatening to fall down all over again, and released us so we could sit up. Setting Ansem down on Onix's back, I watched completely dumbfounded as the Eevee stumbled around. He himself would have fallen had Basil not dashed over to clamp his mouth on his tail and pull him back. Basil was… such a good boy. Frick.

When we manage to get out of this I'm going to have to give him all the berries and affection later, because mother of Arceus that was way too close. Belladonna was laying on her back near Onix's head, leafy arms waving tired into the air, a weak, "Weepin…" leaving her lips.

She was… safe.

Everyone was. I actually… did it. We did it.

My plan… worked?

Choking back another sob, blinking away all the tears, I hurried over to help Brock sit up. I felt his head for any wounds, relaxing only when I saw there only a bump on the back of his skull. "We made it," He breathed, glancing around the area, "though the question is… where did we make it?"

That was a good point. I had a decent idea of the area, but I needed to make sure. "D… Do you have your flashlight?"

The seriousness almost faded from his expression, seeming to be replaced with amusement as he nearly snorted upon hearing my words. "Do I have my flashlight- did you forget who you were talking to?" He brought a hand back to his backpack and unlatched the flashlight from the side pocket. He held it up with a stupid grin. "I always have my flashlight. It's like my frying pan; I never leave home without it! If you don't need to cook with it, it always makes for a good defense against angry pokemon! Or, in this case, criminals."

I mean, I'm not going to question that, but… why did I suddenly get the weirdest image of him fighting a white horse? And how come it was using a sword? I blinked and shook my head, dismissing it as a hallucination driven by adrenaline.

"C-Can you turn it on, please?" I asked, still shaking a little. I fiddled with my sleeves, nervous and very much scared.

Doing as asked, Brock flicked the switch and the light illuminated the area- temporarily blinding us in this total darkness. Once our vision was regained, however, all sense of humor was gone. We weren't surrounded by rock at all; no, instead…

...the walls were made out of steel.

We truly were in an underground base. "I-I knew it…"

Brock stared at me in surprise, but didn't say anything as I hesitantly took the flashlight from him. Carefully crawling over to the edge of Onix's back, the large pōkemon eyeing us worriedly, I pointed the light beam downwards. My brown eyes went wide when I saw just how close we were to death. Actually, thinking on it, how the frick did landing on Onix not kill us? We were falling a such a high speed.

Was it the momentum of which Onix was moving, along with our own? Or is velocity the proper term? Frick, I can't do this kind of math. I was smart- just not in that way. Cogs turned in my brain like clockwork as I slowly sat up, leaning back against Onix as exhaustion washed over me. "He said… we were going to suffer."

I found myself speaking aloud, eyebrows furrowing as my head started to throb. There was a piece of a puzzle I was missing; one that already belonged to a project that was meant to be finished. Brock crawled over, concerned, and sat down beside me. "What was that, Grunt?"

"Not dead…" His frown deepened. Alarm washed over me and I abruptly sat up, turning to face him. "Blue!"

"What about him?"

"He's here!"

"I don't…" Realization dawned on Brock's face. "Wait, if he was on his way to find that talking pōkemon the professor mentioned and he battled that Team Rocket goon…"

I nodded fervently.

"...and he refused their offer, they would have sent him down here, too!"

"Right! Which means he's down there in this hideout somewhere!" Belladonna had recovered by this point and was hopping over, poking a dizzy Ansem with one of her leaves. He let out a small mew in response and Basil proceeded to nuzzle his side with his face, trying to get him up onto his feet. I was going to regret this later, but it needed to be done; I couldn't risk losing them in this place. Pulling the pōkeballs off of my belt, I held them out towards my companions. For the first time in all my life, I shouted, "Return!"

They all looked quite startled as they were enveloped by a red light. Even Brock was stunned by my decision to call them back. It wasn't going to be for very long, but…

Please, forgive me.

I stood and staggered along Onix's back, pulling Brock by the sleeve. "Grab onto him! We have to keep going!"

"Wait, hold on." He pulled back, causing me to stumble. I looked up at him in confusion. "How do we know Blue survived? Not… to be downer, but… we barely made it ourselves, Grunt. What makes you think he figured out a way to get by?"

That's…

"I-I think…" I faltered for a moment, biting down on my bottom lip and turning away. My bangs obscured half of my vision, not that I really cared, and I looked down at the ground below us where we almost got squashed. "I think that Aerodactyl before was… was Blue's."

Brock's eyebrows shot up. "He has an Aerodactyl!?"

"Y-Yeah. I mean, I never actually seen him use it before, but… when he was… helping me catch Ansem," I paused, trying to build up a mask as the pain started to get too much for me, the painkillers only doing so much, "he t-told me about his team, y'know? I don't remember a whole lot about it, but… I remember Aerodactyl. I think he has a Pidgeot, too. "

"...I see. Okay then." Brock nodded his head and smiled, bringing his hands up and pressing a fist into his free open palm. "Let's go save your friend, then! I'm sorry for doubting."

"N-No, it's…" I wasn't quite sure what to say. "...it's fine. Let's just go."

"Right!" He hurried over to the neck of his pōkemon, sitting down and patting him gently on the side. "Onix, buddy, do you think you can take us to the bottom?"

The pōkemon roared and shifted in place, letting us latch on to him, and then he proceeded to dive down. Barely a minute had passed thanks to his speed and then we were there, Brock thanking Onix and returning him back to his pōkeball. I paced around the room nervously once I had regained my footing, noting how frightfully similar the layout was to the Hoenn base, and how they even had the arrow tiles and teleporters.

Frick. Frick, frick, frick! Okay. Calm down.

There's no time to panic. We have to find Blue at all costs, and rescue him and the pōkemon that were stolen from him. It'll be fine. I know the Hoenn base inside-and-out, as well as all their little tricks, so it can't be too difficult. Right? They're so similar looking, after all. Swallowing down the lump in my aching throat, I pressed my arms to my sides with my hands shoved into my pockets. Fingers fiddled with a familiar stone, the cracks and nicks somehow relaxing me through it all. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, before opening my eyes with a hardened expression.

"Brock."

He jumped a little, hearing the the cold tone of voice. "Yeah?"

"...I'm going to get you out of this." He stared at me, though how he reacted I was unsure. I kept my back turned to him, eyes glaring into the distance. "Even though it's similar, the layout is probably different. We might run into Team Rocket goons. So… if push comes to shove, I want you to take Onix and dig your way out. Okay?"

"What?" The boy stepped forward, rushing over and planting a hand on my shoulder. "No way! I'm not just going to leave you here alone, Grunt! We're in this together, remember? Friends stick with each other."

"...But a friend doesn't let the people they care about get hurt."

He faltered, having not expected me to say such a thing. I let out a breath, raising my gaze up to meet his.

"You know why… they kidnapped us, Brock?" The teen didn't speak, frozen to the spot as he listened to me. My empty expression was void of all emotion, but the sorrow in my voice was there. The heartbreak. The loneliness I had felt for so long while growing up. The desire for a warm hand to hold. "It's because we were easy to control. To manipulate. Children are more susceptible to their environment than adults, and their personality develops in accordance to that. If they're raised to be monsters… then that's what they'll become."

"But you… aren't a monster." His voice was soft, quiet enough I almost didn't hear it. Brock's grip on my shoulder tightened, but it didn't hurt me. I didn't even flinch at the touch. "You're a good person. Not a puppet, not a villain. If you were, then… pōkemon would be afraid of you."

I shook my head at that. He was completely missing the point. "I… I was found with no memory when I was about four. Nurse Joy took me in and I met a boy. We… made a promise. That promise is what… kept me going in Team Rocket. Without him, I wouldn't be here. But now…" I turned away, clenching the dawn stone tightly in my pocket. "I don't even remember his name. I-I can't keep that promise, Brock. I don't think… I can keep the promise I made to your family either."

"...What are you saying, Grunt?"

I pulled my shoulder away and turned, looking up at him properly. This conversation had me feeling vulnerable and even smaller than I was, and I hated that those feelings could be heard in my voice. "I'm saying that I might not be able to protect you in this place. Surviving is what I'm good at, but... I'm a selfish coward, Brock. I-I can't… be responsible for other people. The little kids I want to save…" My teeth clenched together and my lips curled back, head lowering as my eyes squeezed shut. "Back in the base, I couldn't even stop the goons from hurting them. The toddlers, the babies… they were all hurt because of my cowardice. I'm tired of getting you hurt, too, Brock. I want to save Blue, but after that…"

"No." My head shot up and I blinked, alarmed. Brock was frowning deeply, looking almost angry by my words. "I am not leaving you. You faced too much alone already. No kid… no person… should have to face that kind of thing. Team Rocket is going to pay for what they've done, Grunt, and I'm going to make sure I'm right there with you when it happens. I don't know anything about this "Blue" we're saving, but if he's truly a friend of yours then I bet he's going to say the same thing. Now come on-"

He reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him as he marched down the hallway. My mind was a mess of confusion and conflicting feelings, this place stressing me out greatly as well as the imagery of the terrible things Blue was probably being put through while down here. I knew Team Rocket's torture methods well and I did not want to see him in such a state. Even more so, I didn't want to have Brock bear witness to it.

He was such a kind person. Even his hand was kind, gentle like the one Yuna had held my own with so many weeks ago. It was… a hand I didn't want to let go of.

But I… I can't keep him with me. I can't keep anyone with me.

Not while Team Rocket is about.

Can I?

Moving quietly, holding a hand up to stop Brock whenever we were about to make a turn, I carefully mapped out which arrow and teleportation tiles to take so as to not get turned around. We maneuvered our way through the building and found a couple of stray items here and there, certain things amateur Team Rocket goons left lying about, and after some debate we took them with us. They stole those golden nuggets and potions, so surely the real owners won't mind too terribly if used them to get back at the thieves who hurt them. Right?

I sure hoped so.

We were just about to make a turn when voices could be heard, and I pulled on Brock's hand abruptly to stop him from proceeding any further. "-apparently there's this kid going around taking down some of us grunts!"

"What, really?"

Narrowing my eyes and holding an arm out, we pressed our backs to the wall and squatted down, carefully peering over the corner to see some goons gossipping with each other. A man and woman. They looked rather low-tier, based on their uniforms. "I know there was that one arrogant brat that showed up earlier, but another kid?"

"Like, the littlest of the kids." I scowled at that, seeing the goon raise a hand up to the side as if to demonstrate just how short I really was. It was their fault I looked like this; I didn't want to be so small. I could only hope that by the time all this was done with and I was back in Hoenn I would be at least a semi-healthy child. "Rumor has it she's the escapee from headquarters! And, even worse, she's got an ex gym-leader traveling with her!"

Oh, frick.

I bit down on my bottom lip, regretting more than ever having decided to let Brock travel with me. I felt him place a hand on my shoulder, his signature act in trying to calm me down. He had a good idea of what I was thinking and/or feeling, and he wanted to keep me from shutting down again. It felt wrong not having Ansem or the others out of their pōkeballs at a time like this, or at all, and I closed my eyes to try and calm down.

This was going to be fine. We just… have to sneak past the guards.

Or… we can take the place by storm?

No, no; too risky. Blue's life will be put at stake, not to mention Brock's.

But our pōkemon are overleveled. They're incredibly strong.

We're not ready yet.

My anxiety battled my logic, leaving me frustrated and a bit dizzy as my headache began to grow worse. Without realizing I had stuck a hand into my pocket, fiddling with the dawn stone inside once more. I could try to use the training I was forced to do and attempt to sneak up and knock them unconscious, but… I'm so weak, not to mention short. I wouldn't even be able to reach them. There was no way it would work.

Maybe if…

Wait, what is Brock doing? No, no, no- get back here! I reached a hand out, eyes wide with panic, and I made to grab onto his jacket to stop him. He glanced down at me with a small smile, giving me a thumbs up, before gently prying my fingers away and continuing onward. Heart racing rapidly as he neared the guards, all the worst case scenarios running through my mind, my jaw tightened so much it hurt. Why is he doing this!? It's too reckless!

Oh gods, please no…

The goons weren't even looking at him. They were completely distracted by their conversation, the two wondering how a pair of kids could be considered a threat to their organization. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell from the tautness of his shoulders Brock was in serious mode and as he snuck up behind the two adults, he flexed his arms and brought his hands up.

And then, not even giving them a chance to react, he promptly slammed his hands into the sides of their necks where their pressure points were. The two crumpled lifelessly onto the ground, their blood pressure effectively lowered to the point where they fell unconscious. I stared blankly, dumbfounded by what just happened. That was my original plan- for me to do that- but I had believed it wouldn't have succeeded. Yet he just snuck up on them so effortlessly?

He's a force to be reckoned with…

I stood, slowly making my way over as I watched him dust his hands off, the boy stretching.

"Man," He breathed, "it's been a while since I had to do that. Those classes I took a while back really came in handy, haha! So, what do you think, Grunt? Ready to rely on me a bit more?"

Wait, what? Was all that… just to convince me to let him help?

I made a face, greatly confused. "I… uh…"

He tilted his head, then walked over to stand in front of me. Brock leaned down, crossing his arms over his chest. "Big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters, so while you protect everyone else I'll protect you. Sound good?"

"Um…" I am so lost. He sounded like he was insinuating something, though I wasn't quite sure what it was. "O… Okay?"

He beamed. "Great. Now, let's go save that friend of yours!"

Right...

I felt frustrated, scared, and… relieved for some reason. He can take out the guards out so easily on his own, unlike me.

And… so Brock did. Whenever he failed to knock one out, or some goons caught onto the sneak attack, he would end up getting in a short tussle with them. Years of training with rock-type pōkemon, as well as practicing in a dojo to help strengthen the rest of his body and mind, had left Brock quite strong, and he always won in the end. After about ten minutes we finally wound up in what I believed to be the lab area, and quietly standing next to the door I listened for any sounds.

It was hard trying to build up the confidence to go in, not exactly willing to be face-to-face with something so horrible, but this was as good a place as any to start looking for Blue. Besides, if there were pōkemon being held captive here… they needed to be set free.

Inhaling deeply, I stood there for a long moment before opening the door.

And inside was a terrifying visage; one that even had Brock choking on air as he looked on in horror.

Pōkemon chained and beaten, strapped to lab tables, stuck inside tubes filled with mysterious liquids. You could see Marowak and Cubone skulls here-and-there, as well as the tongues and tails of Slowpokes. Even the furs of skinned pōkemon, hung up until ready to be sold. A butcher's shop. "What… th-the heck…?" Brock's voice trembled. "Grunt, what… is this?"

I didn't spare him so much as a glance, a dark shadow falling over my face. My voice was low as I answered, expression grim. "Team Rocket… and their main source of income."

"This is…" He brought a hand up to his chest, rage slowly washing over his features. "Are Team Rocket even human!?"

"No." I walked over, observing the tubes and wondering if there was a way I could get them out without hurting them. I didn't want to break the glass unless absolutely necessary. "Help me find a control panel or something, maybe even keys. We need to get these guys out of here. If there's a map grab that, too."

"Geodude, come out!" Brock hurriedly summoned one of his trusted pōkemon, instructing it to get to work on breaking the chains of several pōkemon. As that happened the boy himself went to unlatch those pōkemon who were strapped to tables, while I looked around the room closely, trying to find a sign of anything that could help me get those test tubes open. Suddenly a cry rang out. "That sound…?"

I whirled around, following the noise with Brock rushing over, turning a couple corners before finding a black-furred pōkemon chained to a wall. His red eyes were fierce, the pōkemon biting at the chains and struggling to break free. He was unlike anything I've seen before; fur as dark as ebony with yellow neon rings on his forehead and legs. "Umbre! Bree!" He was glaring at us so darkly.

I noted it's lack of injuries; it must have been captured only recently. Ignoring Brock's warnings to be careful, I found myself making my way over to the angered pōkemon. Our eyes met and I slowly got down on my knees, showing as best as I could that I was no threat. Just out of range of its attacks, I spoke quietly so as to not alarm the pōkemon, putting as much genuine feeling into my voice as possible. "It's okay… we're here to help. We're going to get you and the others out of here."

Read my emotions. Stare deep into my soul.

I only plan to free you.

Umbreon snapped and growled at me, threatening me, but when I did not so much as flinch he stepped back, gaze flickering up to Brock momentarily before back to me. "It's alright…" I held my hands up, reaching out into his space yet not getting too close. If he wanted to hurt me he could do so; I would not fight him. Team Rocket had put him through something unjust and cruel. "It's… okay."

The pōkemon's expression softened, feeling the honesty in my words, and his fur and muscles relaxed. He let me move forward, allowing me to run a hand gently along the top of his head as I used my other to feel the collar strapped to his neck. It was on there pretty tight.

"Hey, Grunt," Brock spoke, "think Geodude can give it a shot?"

Yeah. That's a good idea, actually. I shifted, scooting to the side, and watched as the rock-type pōkemon floated over. It's large rocky hands grasped the collar and crushed it, snapping it into pieces, and the Umbreon jumped forward. He shook his body, revelling in his freedom, and then barked at us.

I blinked, thoroughly lost as to what it was trying to say. "Uh, what…?"

The pōkemon moved his head, gesturing to another part of the lab. Brock brought a hand up to his chin, humming thoughtfully. "I think he wants us to follow him…"

What? To where?

I glanced back at the test tubes, uncertain. What about the other pōkemon? We can't just leave them here. They were all dazed or injured, or confused! I can't just run away and let them suffer. Brock, sensing the turmoil within me, smiled softly and knelt down, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Grunt. You go on ahead; I'll stay here and focus on freeing the rest of the these little guys."

I tensed at that. He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest, expression light. I gazed up at him in alarm. He seriously expected me to leave him here in this room by himself? That was the dumbest thing he ever suggested. There was no way he actually thought I would let him-

"I'll catch up with you." He told me. "But right now that Umbreon has something important it wants to show you. If something happens I promise to take Onix and get away from the danger, but I'm never going to leave without you. I trust you, Grunt."

Don't… say such a thing.

My hands trembled and curled into fists at my side, gaze conflicted and focused on the ground. I hated this so much. I knew fully well what Team Rocket was capable of and if enough of them ganged up on Brock then not even he would be able to withstand it. My expression shifted, torn between the desire to build up the empty mask once more or to show just how scared I was feeling.

"I…"

Would he really take Onix and run away? If there was the slightest chance he was lying to me, then-

"Grunt, listen to me." Brock leaned down closer to my height, hands on both my shoulders now. Geodude looked at me from over his shoulder, grinning confidently. "We're going to get through this. I will be fine. Go- find what that Umbreon wants to show you. We'll met back up afterwards, okay?"

I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling sweat bead down the side of my face as my anxiety spiked. "Y-You… You swear?"

"Yeah." Brock nodded at me. "I swear."

Okay.

"D-Don't… die on me." I muttered, pulling away from his grasp and turning around, glancing at the Umbreon. His red eyes bore into mine, deep and almost foreboding, and with a nod the pōkemon took off. I shook my hands to force the jitters away and then took after in a small dash. "Wait up!"

So, this chapter was gonna be a bit longer... but I decided I'm gonna split it up into two to make things flow easier. Haha. I finally summoned Blue in Pokemon Masters, so I understand his character a bit better since there's so little of him in Let's Go. :3 I've just been imagining him as a nicer "Gary Oak" up until now, if that makes any sense. XD ALSO STEVEN! STEVEN CAME HOME! AHHHH! He's so overpowered and I love it. His Metagross two-hit KO's most pokemon. He's so arrogant and charming. 3 He knows he's the best.

(Cough cough) A-Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Friendship is growing~!

Read and Review! :D