You guys know what time it is?

IT'S POKEMON TIME!"

*A cricket chirps inside an empty theater*

Wow. Tough crowd.

Anyways, welcome back to Pokemon Clover everyone! Glad to see everyone is still enjoying the story. I know we've only followed canon events so far, but there will be original arcs and such soon enough.

Speaking of the original, this chapter will be slightly different than the episode from the anime, most notably the conflict.

But I won't spoil it too much. ONTO THE REVIEWS!

Drake D Hero: Not a bad idea, man. (By the way, I LOVE the fact you have Hackmon as your profile pic).

Omniverse Nexus: Believe me. Noelle will confess a lot sooner than how the manga had it. And those are some good ideas.

GracefulArt: Unfortunately, we won't see Kiawe YET. But when he returns… oh boy. And thanks for seeing why I gave Julius those two.

Messiah of authors: Agreed. If I had thought of it earlier, I would have had Asta x Mallow!

To recap: After completing their mission in Saussy Village, Asta and Noelle were given their first payday and day off. To help them get used to life as a Magic Knight, Vanessa opted to take the two out for a day of shopping, which turned out to be much more eventful than planned. From chasing a wild Aipom thief, to running into Mallow, to stopping a criminal from robbing an old woman, who in fact, was the current Wizard King.

How will Yuno's first mission in the Golden Dawn fare? And what Pokemon will we see? Let's find out…

'A few hours earlier'

"Rowlet, Leafage! Cutiefly, Bug Buzz!"

Rowlet let out a battle cry as he launched a barrage of glowing leaves while Cutiefly let out a shockwave from her wings. Each attack struck the wooden targets in front of them, causing them to topple over. Yuno stared at the handy work of his Pokemon before giving a small nod.

"Good work." Yuno complimented his Pokemon, much to their joy as they flew over to land on his shoulders.

"(I think we've gotten better. Don't you think, Cutiefly)?" Rowlet asked, only to sweatdrop as he saw Cutiefly nuzzle against Yuno.

"(Oh Yuno. You're so kind)~" Cutiefly cooed unashamedly. It seemed like every day, Cutiefly would go out of her way to get close to Yuno, which was very uncomfortable for Rowlet.

"Aww. It looks like she likes you." A female voice called out, making Yuno and his Pokemon turn around to greet them.

"(Yes. Thought, maybe a bit too much)." Another voice called out next to them.

The speaker was a girl with a voluptuous build. She had yellow eyes and long wavy vermilion hair with bangs on her forehead. Additionally, she wore a pair of red earrings on her ears.

Her attire consists of a puffy cream-colored sweater with long sleeves, white puffy short pants, and a brown corset. Below the corset, she also wears another lighter brown-colored piece of fabric that has frilly edges. The corset is tied at the front with strings. Her footwear consists of a pair of boots that tightly fit her legs and extend above her knees. They are light-colored and have a split at the top which are kept together by strings. The boots also have frilly edges below the collars. On top of all of those, She also wears a dark red mantle, which has a white lining made of similar material as the rest of the mantle. Over all this was her Golden Dawn Magic Knights robe.

Next to the girl was a quadrupedal, pale-yellow reptilian Pokémon that resembles a sauropod dinosaur. It has a long neck, red eyes, a short, rounded snout, and a stubby tail. Each foot has a single, light gray nail. Sprouting from its forehead is a green leaf that curves back over its head and around its neck are a series of tightly curled leaves.

"... Who are you?" Yuno couldn't help but ask rather bluntly, making the girl smile.

"Oh right. We haven't met yet." The girl admitted rather embarrassedly before she gave him a small bow. "Hello. My name is Mimosa Vermillion and this is my Pokemon partner, Bayleef."

"(How do you do)?" Bayleef greeted the Pokemon while also giving a bow. Yuno took this chance to take out his magic mirror.

"B-Bayleef, the Leaf Pokemon. Bayleef's neck is r-ringed by curled-up leaves. Inside each tubular leaf is a small shoot of a t-tree. The fragrance of this shoot makes people peppy. That must be nice…" The magic mirror informed Yuno.

"Did you need something?" Yuno asked the newly introduced Mimosa.

"Just wanted to meet the person captain Vangeance was interested in." Mimosa answered innocently. "I heard you were a commoner, so I wanted to meet you."

"(Wow. She's kinda… blunt, isn't she)?" Rowlet asked with a sweatdrop as Bayleef sighed.

"(Unfortunately, you're correct. Mimosa means well, but sometimes… she speaks before she thinks)." Bayleef admitted shamefully before she smiled. "(Still, I hope we can all be the best of friends)."

"(Just remember Yuno is MI-I mean OURS)!" Cutiefly warned Bayleef with a glare, getting sweatdrops from both her and Rowlet.

"Ahh. I found you." The group turned their attention to the speaker, who turned out to be Klaus and his Bronzong. He gave Yuno a frown before easing his expression a bit. "The captain wishes to see all three of us."

"(That, of course, includes the four of us as well)." Bronzong added, referring to the Pokemon.

"The captain wants to see us?" Mimosa repeated in surprise, not expecting to be called on so quickly. Yuno, on the other hand, merely nodded in acknowledgement, with his Pokemon looking rather curious about the whole thing.

Soon, the three Magic Knights and their Pokemon stood in the great hall of the Golden Dawn, with their captain William and his partner Chesnaught standing on top of the stairs. Automatically, Klaus, Mimosa and their Pokemon all kneeled down in respect.

"Captain Vangeance." The two said in unison. Yuno, picking up on the mood, also kneeled down. Vangeance smiled before extending a hand.

"Please, raise your heads." Vangeance ordered softly, with the three doing as such. "Before we begin, I would like to ask how the two of you are adjusting to our squad." It was clear from his tone that he was referring to Mimosa and Yuno.

"Oh! It's been good, captain." Mimosa was the first to speak while giving him a smile. "Again, I'm honored to be in the Golden Dawn."

"(Someone's a kiss up)." Chesnaught muttered to himself with a chuckle. Still, he was curious to see how Mimosa and her Pokemon would grow, like a seed becoming a mighty tree.

"I see. That's good." Vangeance told her before glancing over to Yuno. "And what of you, Yuno?"

"I've been fine." Yuno simply answered, getting a glare from Klaus due to the disrespect he was showing to the captain.

"Straight to the point. I like that." Vangeance chuckled to himself before calming himself down. "Now, it has come to my attention that neither of you have gone on your first mission. That will change now."

"(Wait. We're going on our first mission)?" Rowlet couldn't help but blurt out.

"(Quiet. The captain is speaking)." Bronzong scolded the young Pokemon before returning his attention to Vangeance.

"Recently, there have been reports of supplies being stolen outside of Hage Village." Vangeance informed them with a small frown, making Yuno widen his eyes. "Because of this, many of the citizens residing in Hage Village have been suffering a food shortage."

"Oh no…" Mimosa muttered with a horrified look.

"(How could anyone steal from the people)?" Bayleef added with an angry pout.

"Yes. It is rather troubling. That is why the Wizard King has assigned the Golden Dawn to deal with these thieves." Vangeance continued, his smile returning once more. "For that, I wish for the three of you to go to the border of Hage Village, find the stolen supplies, and arrest those responsible."

"With all due respect, captain Vangeance." Klaus suddenly spoke up, bowing his head. "While I do agree this situation is troubling, shouldn't a mission such as this be given to another squad? Perhaps the Crimson Lion Kings or even the Blue Rose Knights? I just feel like this would be a pointless endeavor for the Golden Dawn."

"I understand how you may feel, but as Magic Knights, it is our duty to protect all citizens of the Clover Kingdom, whether they be royalty, nobles or commoners." Vangeance told Klaus with a smile. "I'm sure you understand that, Klaus?"

"Y-Yes sir. Please forgive my foolishness." Klaus asked his captain, feeling rather idiotic for saying such things.

"When can we leave?" Yuno suddenly asked in a serious tone, getting a glare from Klaus while Mimosa stared at him in surprise.

"Ahh. It seems you're eager to go. Then again, I'm aware you come from Hage." Vangeance said with a small chuckle. "We will depend on your knowledge of the land, Yuno. I wish you all the best of luck."

"SIR!" The trio called out before leaving the chambers.

"My, aren't they an interesting trio?" A smooth, female voice called out from behind Vangeance, who smiled as he turned around.

Leaning against one of the pillars with their arms crossed was a tall, slender young lady. She has long, wavy, creamy blonde hair and small gray eyes. Her clothing consisted of black straight-leg trousers, and a long black coat with a V-neck, under which a black top could be seen underneath. Her coat also had black fur trimming the cuffs and also ran down the end of the coat. Her outfit is completed with black kitten heels and a yellow stripe on each shoe. For accessories, she wears a large, black feathery ruff around her neck with 2 hair clips in her hair, both resembling two teardrop-shaped objects conjoined with a pale yellow stripe, as well as a large teardrop-shaped ornament on the center of the coat.

But one thing that stood out was the Golden Dawn magic robes she had over her clothes. However, unlike most of the robes worn by the members of the Golden Dawn, hers included a blue cape running down the middle as well as a golden seal over her right breast.

"Are you sure about this, William? They are still newbies." The woman questioned Vangeance, who merely chuckled a bit.

"Come now, Cynthia. We can't hold their hands forever." Vangeance reasoned. "Besides, Yuno is a rare mage, considering he was also chosen to wield the Four Leaf Clover."

"True. I wish I could have seen him in action." The woman, now known as Cynthia, confessed with a small sigh before her smile returned. "But my findings were well worth it."

"I'd love to hear about it. Care to join me for some tea?" And with that, Vangeance and Cynthia went off to discuss more about the latter's findings.

'A few minutes later'

Yuno, Klaus, Mimosa and their Pokemon finally gathered the supplies they needed for the mission and were now ready to embark on the quest at hand. However, the one who seemed most eager to go was Yuno, who was looking off to the distance while clutching his broom.

'Someone's been stealing from Hage. Whoever it is… they'll pay.' Yuno thought while tightening his grip a bit, something his Pokemon noticed.

"(Wow. I've never seen Yuno so determined. Even when he had to fight that other human)." Cutiefly pointed out.

"(It's because Hage is where me and Yuno grew up, along with Asta and Scorbunny)." Rowlet answered, mirroring Yuno's serious expression. "(We need to stop whoever's doing this)."

"(Oh dear. We might need to keep an eye on that one)." Bayleef muttered to Bronzong, who simply scoffed.

"(A true Magic Knight knows to hold back their personal feelings. Otherwise, it will be a risk for everyone involved)." Bronzong commented, disappointed with Rowlet's lack of control over his emotions.

"Because I am the highest ranked member in our party, I shall act as leader." Klaus spoke up to get Yuno and Mimosa's attention. "As such, you will both be following my every word and you will not act unless I instruct you to. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Mimosa nodded with a smile, though Yuno didn't answer.

"I said is that clear?" Klaus raised his voice in hopes of getting some kind of reaction.

"We should go soon before it gets dark. Otherwise, we might lose the trail." Yuno spoke up suddenly, seemingly ignoring Klaus' words. Before said knight could berate him, Yuno turned towards him and Mimosa. "I know the layout of Hage, which means we have an advantage. I need both of you to trust me."

"Trust you. Well… as long as you don't do anything foolish, I suppose." Klaus reluctantly agreed, though his gaze didn't falter. "Don't forget that it isn't just your reputation on the line. We all represent the Golden Dawn, and as such, it is our responsibility to uphold our Squad's honor."

"Right." Yuno simply gave him a nod. At least he was listening to what Klaus was saying, so that was something.

"Then let's be on our way." Klaus took out his Grimoire as it began to skim through the pages until it found the right spell. "Steel Creation Magic: Iron Chariot!"

Yuno, Mimosa and their Pokemon watched as a chariot made of steel, with a horse head on the front, appeared before Klaus.

"Wow. I heard of Klaus' Steel Magic, but this is the first time I've seen it." Mimosa confessed in awe as she looked at the chariot.

"(It's like a Steel Rapidash. Magic is amazing)." Bayleef added with an impressed tone.

"Bronzong, return." Klaus took out his Pokeball and returned his trusty Pokemon. He looked over and saw Mimosa do the same with Bayleef, though Yuno kept Rowlet and Cutiefly out. "Aren't you going to put your Pokemon away?"

"Rowlet and Cutiefly can fly with me." Was all Yuno said before he infused magic into his broom, allowing him to fly upwards. Klaus just sighed while Mimosa giggled a bit before the two began to fly with him.

'A few hours later'

The trip to Hage didn't take as long as it did on foot, at least to Yuno. That was one of the perks of being a Magic Knight. Magic brooms made it easier to get somewhere.

"Captain Vangeance said this should be the area where the wagons were robbed." Klaus spoke up, putting away the map in his hands as he looked down at the path. "We should begin our descent now."

"Understood." Mimosa acknowledged with a big smile on her face. "Wow. Our first mission ever! This is so exciting. I've never been in the Common Realm before."

"Yes. Well, compared to the Noble Realm, Hage isn't exactly… impressive." Klaus bluntly said, not bothering to hide his annoyance. Soon, the group lowered their brooms until they finally reached land, with Klaus' chariot disappearing a moment later. "Alright, we'll begin our investigation. Split up and find anything that can lead us to the thieves." Reaching into his belt, Klaus took out two Pokeballs before tossing them in the air, releasing his partners.

The first, of course, was his Bronzong.

However, his second Pokemon was what caught Yuno and Mimosa's attention. It was a small reptilian Pokémon that resembled a light-blue turtle. It has large, purplish or reddish eyes and a slightly hooked upper lip. Each of its hands and feet have three pointed digits. The end of its long tail curls inward. Its body is encased by a tough shell, which is brown on the top, pale yellow on the bottom, and has a thick white ridge between the two halves.

"(Ahhhh. Good to be free)." The turtle-like Pokemon confessed while stretching his stubby arms. Opening his eyes, the Pokemon then noticed some unfamiliar faces, making him smile. "(Hey there. How's it going)?"

"Awww. It's so cute." Mimosa cooed as she kneeled down and patted the new Pokemon on the head. "Hi. My name's Mimosa. What's yours?" Yuno took this chance to take out his magic mirror to learn more about Klaus' Pokemon.

"S-Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. Squirtle's shell is not m-merely used for protection. The shell's rounded s-shape and the grooves on its surface help m-minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to s-swim at high speeds. So fast for such a small t-turtle."

"(And don't you forget it)!" Squirtle declared before reaching into his shell, pulling out a pair of glasses identical to Klaus'.

"Awww. It even has the same glasses as you!" Mimosa called out with a bright smile.

"Believe me, this wasn't my idea." Klaus admitted with a tired sigh as he looked at Squirtle. "My parents recently gifted me with this Squirtle, though he is… different."

"How different?" Yuno couldn't help but ask. With a confident smirk, Squirtle began doing something no one expected.

He started to dance.

Hopping on one foot, Squirtle then began to break down in a wild and energetic dance style no one had ever seen (to us modern people… it's breakdancing XD). Backflipping in the air, Squirtle slammed his right claw on the ground before he started to spin around like a top, using his shell as a base.

"That different." Klaus bluntly told them before they saw Squirtle spinning towards a nearby tree until…

*Bonk*

"(OOF)!" Squirtle's head hit the tree, causing him to stop while his glasses were tilted to the right. This got a giggle from Mimosa, a sweatdrop from Yuno and his Pokemon… and a facepalm from Klaus.

"I told you to stop doing that, Squirtle." Klaus sighed tiredly as he went over and helped Squirtle back on his feet, who grinned sheepishly.

"(Hehehe. Sorry)." Squirtle admitted in embarrassment.

"(Please don't cause so much trouble for Klaus and the others. We're on a mission)." Bronzong scolded the Water Pokemon.

"Well, since we are here, we should spread out and search for any clues that may tell us who's been robbing the wagons." Klaus practically ordered everyone as he looked to his left. "I shall go in this direction. We will meet back here in one hour."

"Then I can go over there." Mimosa pointed to the right before taking out two Pokeballs. "And I have just the Pokemon we need. Come on out, you two!" With that, she threw the balls in the air, releasing whatever was inside.

The first was a large, sauropod-like Pokémon with a brown body wrapped in green leaves on its chest and head. It possesses large, broad green leaves on its back. It has a long neck with a thin black line around it. Strangely enough, hanging under its chin was a bundle of banana-like fruit.

The second was a lepidopteran insect Pokémon which resembles a vaguely anthropomorphic butterfly with a purple body. Unlike other insects, it only has two body segments and four light blue legs. The upper pair of its legs resemble small, three-fingered hands, while the lower pair resembles long, digit-less feet. It had two black antennae, a light blue snout with two fangs underneath, and large, red compound eyes. Its two pairs of wings are white with black venation.

"(Yeah! Freedom)!" The butterfly-like Pokemon cheered as she began to fly in the air in circles.

"(I do hope there are some good fruits in the area. I'm feeling rather hungry)." The taller Pokemon said out loud while spreading his wings.

"Interesting. A Tropius and a Butterfree." Klaus blurted out as Yuno took out his Magic Mirror.

"Tropius, the F-Fruit Pokemon. The bunches of fruit around Tropius's neck are very popular with children. This P-Pokémon loves fruit, and eats it continuously. Apparently, its love for fruit resulted in its own o-outgrowth of fruit. Though… you have to w-wonder if the fruit is healthy for humans and Pokemon."

"B-Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokemon. It loves the n-nectar of flowers and can locate flower patches that have even tiny a-amounts of pollen. Some say that Butterfrees and C-Cutieflys fight over pollen. Their battles are always intense."

"Yup. I caught a Caterpie after I was given my Chikorita. And last week, I was able to catch Tropius when I saw him eating some berries." Mimosa explained as Butterfree flew down, landing on her head. "Isn't that right, Butterfree?"

"(Yup! And we're the bestest friends around)!" Butterfree then began to snuggle against Mimosa's head, earning a giggle from the Magic Knight.

"(It is an honor to meet all of you)." Tropius bowed his head out of respect. He then noticed Rowlet before a smile grew on his face. "(Ahhh. Hell, fellow Grass lover. How do you do)?"

"(I'm good… thank you)." Rowlet returned the bow, surprised to see how kind Tropius was compared to most of the Golden Dawn's Pokemon. He turned towards Cutiefly… only to blink as he saw the intense glare she was sending towards Butterfree. "(Cutiefly)?"

"(... Enemy)." Was all Cutiefly muttered, her glare not ceasing.

"We'll go this direction." Yuno told the group before he went off with Rowlet and Cutiefly. Klaus watched him leave for a moment before he went off in the other direction, with Mimosa doing the same. "Rowlet, can you fly up and see if you can find anything?"

"(Right)." Rowlet gave Yuno a nod before taking flight, searching the ground for anything that could lead them to the thieves. '(It feels nice to be near Hage again. Maybe we can see Father Orsi and the others… though I don't know about the kids).'

"(COME ON! I'M NOT DONE)!" The Grass/Flying Pokemon was brought out of his thoughts when he heard someone roaring. Looking down, his eyes widened in shock at what was going on.

"(YUNO)!" Rowlet shouted as he quickly flew back towards Yuno, who seemed to be investigating a strange set of tracks.

"Rowlet?" Yuno looked up and saw Rowlet fly around in circles, indicating that he found something. Narrowing his eyes, Yuno and Cutiefly quickly went to the area Rowlet was circling around.

*Thud*

"(GUAH)!" A howl of pain escaped the mouth of a small creature after it was slammed into a tree. It was a green, canine Pokémon with yellow markings. It has a large head crest with angular, lightning-like markings on the side. Its snout has a yellow blaze, and four fangs are discernible when its mouth is open. It has a yellow stripe down its back. Each of its four legs has a spike, with the ones on its hind legs being longer. It has yellow crescent-shaped paw pads on its front feet, while the pads on its hind feet are circular. It has a small, pointed, yellow-tipped tail. The small Pokemon growled as it got back on its feet, glaring at its attackers.

They were a pack of canine-like Pokémon. Their fur was mostly short and gray, but their lower legs, tail, and two thick shaggy strips starting behind their eyes and running the length of their bodies are black. They had dark, triangular streak patterns below its eyes, which are red with yellow sclera. Their ears are rhombus-shaped with dark insides, their noses are red, and they have gray paw pads.

"(I can still… fight)!" The green Pokemon barked in defiance, earning growls from the pack of large Pokemon, which were known as Mightyena. Pulling back a bit, the green Pokemon then rushed towards the nearest Mightyena with a white streak following it via Quick Attack.

However, the Mightyena dodged the attack before opening its mouth and howled, unleashing a Dark Pulse that struck the smaller Pokemon. It skidded along the ground, using its paws to hold its position. Unfortunately, this allowed one of the other Mightyenas to come from behind and tackle the green Pokemon. The green Pokemon rolled around as the third Mightyena opened its mouth to bite it, forcing it to dodge.

'What Pokemon is that?' Yuno thought as he took out his Magic Mirror to learn more about the green Pokemon.

"E-Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon. Static electricity builds up all over its body as s-strands of its long fur rub together. This Pokémon b-boasts incredible speed. Despite being small, it's a very a-aggressive Pokemon."

"(That's it! You're done)!" Electrike shouted in anger before he closed his eyes, slowly beginning to charge lightning through his body. The Mightyena, as well as Yuno and his Pokemon, watched as small bolts of lightning shot out of his back. "(DISCHARGE)!" With that, Electrike let out a battle cry.

… Yet, nothing actually happened.

"(What)?" Electrike looked around and rather than seeing the three Mightyena knocked unconscious, they were still standing, looking at him in confusion. Growling in anger, Electrike tried launching another attack, yet nothing happened. "(Come on! Discharge)!"

No matter how many times Electrike tried, he couldn't unleash any electric attack.

"(It looks like he can't control his magic)." Cutiefly commented as the Mightyena all began to laugh.

"(Stop laughing)!" Electrike shouted as he continued to try and unleash his attack. He managed to shoot out a tiny bolt, though it was so unstable, it shot out randomly. "(Damnit! Why)?!"

Deciding it was time to end this, the three Mightyenas opened their mouths, charging dark magic before unleashing a triple Dark Pulse.

"Towering Tornado!" Before the attacks could strike the helpless Pokemon, Yuno created a sizable tornado, shielding Electrike from the Dark Pulse. He, Cutiefly and Rowlet quickly put themselves between Electrike and the pack of Mightyena. "Leave."

"(Or else you'll have to fight us)." Rowlet added as he gave the three Pokemon a deep glare. The three Mightyena would've definitely attacked had it not been for the overwhelming magic power the human and Pokemon were producing.

So, with one last growl, the trio ran off, though something seemed to have fallen off one of them.

Yuno let out a sigh as he deactivated his magic, turning back towards Electrike. "Are you okay?" He asked while walking up to the green Pokemon. However, much to his and his Pokemons' surprise, Electrike growled at them.

"(Why'd you get in the way?! I could've beaten them)!" Electrike demanded with a frustrated tone. He was a strong Pokemon, so why did these guys think he would need help?! He could've tanked those Dark Pulses… maybe.

"(Huh. Is that any way to thank someone? So rude)." Cutiefly pouted as Rowlet flew down to Electrike's level.

"(Sorry about that. But you looked like you needed help)." Rowlet tried reasoning with Electrike, who took a step back, only to flinch a bit. Rowlet noticed this and frowned. "(Are you hurt)?"

"(Quiet! Just leave me alone)!" Electrike barked as he began to turn away from the group, only to flinch again due to the pain from his back left leg.

"You're hurt." Yuno realized as he went over to Electrike, kneeling down while taking off his pack. After a bit of looking, Yuno found one of the potions father Orsi gave him and Asta, along with a small rag. "Let me see your leg."

"(I don't need your pity! Just leave me alo-ahh)." The more pressure Electrike put on his leg, the more it hurt. As much as he hated to admit it, those Mightyena packed a punch. So, with a growl, Electrike gave Yuno a nod, allowing him to move closer. Opening the potion, Yuno poured some onto the rag.

"This is going to burn a little." Yuno warned Electrike before he pressed the newly wet rag onto his wounded leg. As soon as it made contact, the green Pokemon flinched, though he tried to stay strong. Yuno then proceeded to wrap the rag around Electrike's leg, taking extra precaution to not tie it too much in order to lessen the pain. Once he was done, Yuno pulled back and gave Electrike a nod. "Don't put too much pressure on it."

"(Yeah, yeah)..." Electrike grumbled, though he was SOMEWHAT grateful for the help.

"(We saw what you were trying to do)." Rowlet told the Lightning Pokemon with a frown. "(Can you not control your magic)?"

"(What? Of course I can! I'm a Pokemon too)!" Electrike shouted in anger, though this didn't faze the trio. "(You don't believe me? Then take this)!" Like before Electrike began to charge lightning, gritting his teeth. "(Come on… DISCHARGE)!" He let out a mighty roar…

… Only to shoot out a small bolt of lightning, which Yuno casually dodged.

"(DAMNIT! DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT)!" Electrike began to curse his bad luck, slamming his front paws on the ground in frustration.

Rowlet couldn't help but frown, feeling some pity for the Pokemon in front of him.

Cutiefly didn't really seem to care much for what happened, though she was mildly curious why Electrike couldn't use his magic for long range attacks.

As for Yuno… he was looking at Electrike with a thoughtful expression on his face, as if contemplating what he just saw.

'So it isn't that Electrike doesn't have any magic. But it can't USE it to attack properly aside from physical attacks. It kind of reminds me of… me.' Yuno thought, recalling how he struggled to use his magic when he was younger. It was thanks to Asta pushing himself and Rowlet's encouragement that he was able to perfect his Wind Magic. Seeing as he and his group weren't finding anything on the bandits anytime soon, Yuno decided to do something for Electrike. "Start by calming down."

"(Huh)?" Electrike looked up at Yuno, who stood up before looking at a nearby tree.

"I saw that you were tense when you were trying to use a spell." Yuno explained before he took a deep breath, allowing a windy aura to surround him (though somehow, Cutiefly was able to stay on his shoulder). "To use a spell, you need to calm down. Focus on where you want to launch your attack." He extended his right hand, summoning wind around it. Electrike watched in genuine surprise as Yuno formed what looked like a ball of wind. "After you charge up your magic, use it." With that, Yuno launched his ball of wind forward, striking the tree with enough force to shake some of its leaves off.

"(Woah)..." Electrike let out a small gasp, surprised to see how much power Yuno had for such a small attack. Had he possessed such power, then he would have been way stronger than those pathetic Mightyena.

"Now, it's your turn." Yuno spoke up, getting Electrike's attack. "Try hitting the tree with an attack. It doesn't need to be too big. Just hit the center."

"(... As if I needed YOUR permission)." Electrike growled, though regardless, he was preparing himself to use his magic. Focusing on the three, Electrike narrowed his eyes before he started to charge his magic throughout his body. However, unlike before, rather than trying to force out his lightning, Electrike began to take a few deep breaths to try and calm his nerves. '(Calm down… don't try to make the magic come out… do better)...'

'(He's getting better at it).' Rowlet thought with a smile as he saw the lightning form around Electrike at a more steady pace.

'(Do it, Electrike. Show them you're strong)!' Gritting his teeth, Electrike opened his eyes wide and stared at the tree. "(DISCHARGE)!" With that, Electrike was able to launch a small series of blue lightning blasts from his body.

However… His aim was not good.

Rather than hitting the tree like he intended, Electrike's Discharge shot around it, striking the ground and bushes nearby.

*ZAP*

"(OWOWOWOW)!" And somehow, one of his Discharge bolts shot out of his back and struck Cutiefly, knocking her off Yuno's shoulder.

"Cutiefly!" Yuno and Rowlet quickly went over to the Bug/Fairy Pokemon, who laid on the ground with swirls in her eyes as sparks zapped out of her body.

"(... Arceus… is that you)?" Cutiefly was able to mutter deliriously.

"(Damn! I didn't hit the tree)!" Electrike complained before he turned around, only to sweatdrop as he saw Yuno pick up Cutiefly. "(... Oh… sorry)."

"(Well, I don't think she's hurt too bad. And at least you were able to use Discharge)." Rowlet said as he flew over to Electrike. "(Still, you shouldn't try and fight three Pokemon by yourself, especially like those Mightyena)."

"(Tch. I don't care if there's a hundred of them. I'll take them all out)." Electrike declared confidently.

"Are you okay?" Yuno asked Cutiefly, who was able to shake off the shock from the Discharge.

"(Yes. I'm alright)." Cutiefly answered before she turned to glare at Electrike. "(You)!" She quickly flew towards him, much to his annoyance. "(Learn to control your aim! You could have hurt my Yuno)!"

'(Her Yuno)?' Rowlet never felt so embarrassed by Cutiefly until now.

"(Whatever. I'm out of here)." Electrike scoffed and began to walk away.

"Hey." Yuno called out, causing Electrike to stop. "You have power, but you need to master it. If you want, I could keep helping you." He went over to Electrike and reached a hand out. "What do you say?"

Electrike took a moment to consider this as he looked at Yuno's hand.

He slightly opened his mouth…

*Chomp*

And bit Yuno's hand altogether, much to everyone's surprise. To add insult to injury, Electrike charged up his magic, sending small amounts of lightning into Yuno's body…

*POOF*

Because of this, Yuno's hair suddenly popped out into a sizable afro.

"(... )" Rowlet turned his head around in order to avoid Yuno seeing him hold his laughter. He couldn't help it: seeing the normally cool Yuno with such ridiculous hair was such a rare thing. But as he did, he seemed to notice something near a rock, causing him to fly over.

"(Oh Yuno! I love the new hair)!" Cutiefly exclaimed while flying up and nuzzling his rather deadpan face.

Electrike pulled away and snickered before running off into the woods, satisfied with his work.

"... Well okay." Yuno shook his head, which somehow caused his hair to return to normal as he went back to his investigation.

"(Yuno)!" Rowlet called out while flying around Yuno. Curious, Yuno decided to follow his trusty Pokemon and went over to the rock, only to widen his eyes a bit.

"What?"

'Sometime later'

"... Where are they?" Klaus muttered with an annoyed tone as he looked at his pocket watch, seeing that it has now been over an hour since he and the two recruits split up.

Needless to say, he was not amused.

"As Magic Knights, they must learn how to be punctual, especially when conducting an investigation." Klaus muttered to himself, tapping his foot. "I somewhat expected this from Yuno, but Mimosa?"

"(Awww, don't worry, Klausy. I'm sure they'll be here)." Squirtle reassured his partner as he tried to balance himself on one claw, still wearing his glasses. "(You gotta learn how to relax, my man)."

"Stop doing that. You'll hurt yourself." Klaus scolded Squirtle, who kept doing his own thing, despite the warning. A tired sigh escaped Klaus' mouth as he rubbed his face. "Why do I even bother?"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" Klaus lifted his head and saw Mimosa flying from the sky on her Tropius, with Butterfree following suit. "We were looking when Butterfree wanted to get some honey."

"(It was just right there. I couldn't help it)." Butterfree sheepishly admitted, her small hands having a small amount of honey on them.

"(We were fortunate enough to not encounter a swarm of Beedrill)." Tropius spoke up with a small sigh. While he was used to dealing with Butterfree's honey obsession, it still didn't make it any less annoying.

"Now we just need to wait for Yuno. Wherever he is." Klaus told her as he looked at his pocket watch yet again. Luckily, he didn't need to wait too long as Yuno, Rowlet and Cutiefly returned, though the former seemed to be carrying a sack of some kind. "What is that?"

"A clue." Yuno answered simply before tossing the sack on the ground, allowing some of its contents to spill out.

"Wait… is that?" Mimosa got curious and kneeled down to check the sack, only to gasp as she took out some food rations. "I think this is one of the supplies that were stolen! Yuno, where did you find it?"

"It was near a rock. Rowlet was the one who found it." Yuno explained before he took out a rolled up scroll. "I also found this."

"Let me see that." Klaus walked over to Yuno and took the scroll away, opening it. His eyes narrowed as he realized it was a map.

More specifically, it was a map of Hage, with several circles made around the routes.

"I think whoever was stealing from Hage used this map to plan out their ambushes." Yuno explained with a serious glare. "Look at the X marks on some of the routes."

"Clearly, they already struck those spots." Klaus muttered before he saw one of the circles around a building inside of Hage. "Strange… Why is there a circle here?" Hearing this, Yuno and Mimosa (who got curious) looked at the map, only for the former to gasp.

"That's Hage church!" Yuno blurted out, much to the shock of his Pokemon.

"(OUR church?! But why)?!" Rowlet shouted in both surprise and anger.

"(Clearly, whoever is doing this has another agenda. Though, what it is I cannot understand)." Bronzong calmly stated.

"But why a church? It doesn't make sense." Mimosa muttered with a deep frown before she and Klaus saw Yuno walking away. "Yuno?"

"Where are you going?" Klaus demanded with a glare.

"I'm going to the church to warn them." Yuno answered without turning back, making his way towards Hage.

"We still need a plan to confront the bandits." Klaus urged, causing Yuno to stop. "Why are you so adamant to go to this church?"

"... Because it's my home." Yuno revealed, surprising Mimosa and even Klaus. Rowlet and I grew up there. Everyone in the church is my family and if those bandits even think of robbing them…" A gust of wind began to surround Yuno as he turned towards his fellow Magic Knights with a rare look of determination. "I'll blow them away."

"(That makes two of us)." Rowlet added with his own look of determination.

"(If Yuno needs my help, then I will do everything I can)." Cutiefly chimed in as she moved closer to Yuno.

"Then I'll go with you!" Mimosa suddenly called out. "If they're your family, then it's important to have help."

"(Agreed. Stealing from those who cannot defend themselves is a cruel act)." Tropius commented with a serious glare.

"(I may not be that big, but I can help)!" Butterfree called out with an excited, but determined tone, though this got a glare from Cutiefly. "(What)?"

"As much as I would prefer to not make this mission any more personal… I suppose it would be a decent course of action." Klaus finally confessed while rubbing his chin. "If these bandits do intend on attacking the church, we can stage our own ambush to catch them in the act."

"(Awesome! Kicking butt and taking names)!" Squirtle cheered while getting back on his feet, striking a pose. "(They'll never know what hit them)!"

"Will you show us the way?" Klaus asked, getting a nod from Yuno before the trio got their brooms out and flew towards the church.

Little did the group know, someone was watching them.

'Sometime later'

The sun was beginning to set by the time Yuno and the others were able to reach the church.

"Wow… so this is Hage." Mimosa said to herself as she continued to ride Tropius, with Butterfree flying next to them. "It's so much… smaller than I thought it would be."

"(Perhaps you shouldn't say that in front of the locals)." Tropius suggested with a small sweatdrop, briefly glancing at Mimosa before focusing on flying.

"Where is the church?" Klaus spoke up loud enough for Yuno to hear him.

"Down there." Yuno answered as he began to fly down, more specifically towards a small red brick building with a small cross on the top of it. As they flew down, the trio noticed Sister Lily exiting the building, holding a basket of vegetables with a smile on her face.

However, she noticed the Magic Knights flying down, causing her to gasp as she instantly recognized Yuno.

"Oh my. Yuno!" Sister Lily called out as she ran over to the young man. "Welcome back."

"Hi, Sister." Yuno greeted her, a rare smile crossing his face.

"(And don't forget me)." Rowlet called out as he flew over to Lily, landing on her shoulder.

"Rowlet too? How wonderful." Sister Lily reached out and rubbed the small Pokemon's face, making him coo in relief. Turning back to Yuno, she noticed Cutiefly on his shoulder, giving her a glare. "Is that the Pokemon you caught, Yuno? It's adorable."

"(How dare this human give my Yuno that look. I don't like her)." Cutiefly muttered in clear jealousy.

"This is Cutiefly. Cutiefly, this is Sister Lily." Yuno introduced them before gesturing to Mimosa and Klaus. "These are my comrades."

"Hello! I'm Mimosa Vermillion, and these are my Pokemon Butterfree and Tropius. It's an honor to meet you." Mimosa introduced herself as she and her Pokemon bowed. "We all joined around the same time as Yuno."

"And I am Klaus Lunettes, a member of the great Golden Dawn squad." Klaus spoke up in a professional tone.

"(I am Bronzong. Loyal partner to Klaus)." Bronzong gave a robot bow next to Klaus.

"(Yo! I'm Squirtle)!" Unlike his human and Pokemon partners, Squirtle introduced himself in a more casual manner, lowering his glasses to get a better view of Sister Lily. "(You need anything, let me know. Cause I'm the best there is at what I)-"

"Awww. You have a Squirtle." Sister Lily interrupted, kneeling down to Squirtle's level and began petting him with a bright smile, much to his own shock. "I always wanted to see one in person."

"(... W-Well, now you have)." Squirtle stuttered with a hint of embarrassment, much to the bemusement of the other Pokemon, minus Bronzong, of course.

"What brings you here, Yuno?" Sister Lily stood up and asked. While she was more than happy to see Yuno and Rowlet, it did beg the question why they were here.

"We think there's going to be an attack on the church." Yuno explained with a serious tone, much to Lily's horror. "Is the Father home?"

"N-No. Not yet. He and the children are off-oh, there he is." Sister Lily saw a certain group walking towards the church, only for them to stop.

Father Orsi had anime tears run down his face as he saw Yuno before he started to run forward.

"YUNO!" Father Orsi cried out as the children of the church ran with him, excited to play with Yuno and Rowlet. Just as the older man was about to hug Yuno… the younger man stepped aside, causing the father to fall on his face.

"(Oh. That looked like it hurt)." Butterfree muttered while cringing a bit.

"How are you, Yuno?"

"Ahh cool! He's wearing a Golden Dawn robe!"

"HE BROUGHT ROWLET!"

"Awww, cute bug! Cute bug!" The kids surrounded Yuno and began asking multiple questions, all while Yuno sported his smile.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've ever seen Yuno smile." Mimosa whispered to Klaus, finding herself smiling at the sight.

"Perhaps." Klaus stared at the interaction for a moment before composing himself. "Regardless, we are still on a mission."

"(There's so many of them)." Cutiefly commented as she stared at the four children with curiosity.

"(Believe me. Their hugs can hurt, but they're good kids)." Rowlet reassured her with a soft smile, happy to see everyone again.

"Are you going to be staying the night, my boy?! Because we're more than willing to let you and your friends stay!" Father Orsi told Yuno, still crying in joy.

"That's something we need to talk to you about." Yuno told him with a serious tone, much to the Father's surprise.

"Ummm, of course. Everyone, let's go inside." Father Orsi ushered everyone inside the church.

However… they failed to notice several eyes watching them.

"You see that?"

"I do. Three Magic Knights. And from the robes they were wearing, it looks like they're from the Golden Dawn."

"Is one of them that Yuno kid?"

"Hmmm… I think so. The hair's the same at least."

Hiding in the darkness of the forest were several individuals, each wearing a dark cloak and hood in order to hide their identities. However, one thing that marked them as a unit was a small skull pin on their chest.

"I don't get why he wants that kid's Grimoire. Didn't he just become a Magic Knight?"

"You idiot. That kid was the one ALL the captains wanted. Plus, I hear he's got the Four-Leaf Clover."

"Seriously? Shit. That could go for a lot in the black market."

"Which we AREN'T selling to. The supplies we stole are ours, but that goes to the client."

"Tch. Fine. Let's wait until they go to sleep. No way in hell am I fighting three Magic Knights at the same time." One of the cloaked individuals turned their head towards a certain trio of Mightyenas. "Make sure you cover all the corners."

The Mightyenas all snarled in response before they scattered.

The time will come when Yuno will lose his Grimoire.

'Inside the church, sometime later'

"I hope this is enough for all of you." Father Orsi told everyone as they all sat at the table, which was filled to the brim with food dishes.

"Yay! Pop Potatoes!" The youngest of the children cheered, happy to see all the food.

"This seems like… much." Mimosa sheepishly said, a bit surprised by the spread. Considering the location they were in, was it alright to have so much food for one meal?

"(Oh dear. This is just like the banquets back home)." Bayleef also commented, having been released out of her Pokeball along with the rest of the Magic Knights' Pokemon.

"(I'd rather eat some honey than anything)." Cutiefly muttered with a sigh.

"(Wow. I missed Pop Potatoes)." Rowlet confessed with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. The food in the Golden Dawn base was good, but there was something about Sister Lily's cooking that he genuinely missed. '(I wonder if Scorbunny misses her cooking too)...'

'Black Bulls headquarters, around the same time'

*Thud*

"(Uggggghhhhhhh… no more)..." Scorbunny sighed as he, Froakie and even Rookidee lied on their backs, their bellies expanded to the point they looked fat.

"(So good… but too much)..." Froakie croaked out before burping.

"(My love… don't… look… at me)..." Rookidee urged the Anti-Magic bird, though was nowhere to be found at the moment.

"Here ya go! We made fifths for all of you!" Charmy said happily as she put yet ANOTHER bowl of food down for Asta's Pokemon, the food being almost twice their size.

"(... Maybe just a little more)..." With that, the three pushed themselves to try and eat some more of Charmy's food.

No one could really blame them. Charmy's sheep were great cooks.

'Back with Yuno and the others'

"Are you sure this is okay?" Yuno couldn't help but ask, though Father Orsi just waved him off.

"Please. It's been too long since you've been home. The least we can do for all of you is give you a proper meal." Father Orsi reassured his surrogate son.

"Besides, with the funds you AND Asta have been sending us, food isn't an issue. Even with recent events." Sister Lily added with a sweet smile before she looked over to Klaus and Mimosa. "Are you sure we should have some of your Pokemon outside? I'd feel guilty if they didn't eat."

"It is fine. Bronzong knows when a mission is important." Klaus told her with a calm tone.

"And my Tropius can just eat some of the grass if he gets hungry." Mimosa added as she saw Butterfree looking at the food. "Don't worry about Butterfree and Bayleef. They aren't picky eaters."

"(I'll say! This grub is good)!" Squirtle called out, having already indulged himself in some of the food.

"Well, let's not keep all of you waiting." Father Orsi ushered everyone as they began to eat.

"Oh my… it definitely takes the moisture away." Mimosa commented, already feeling the need to drink some water.

'To think a noble of the Clover Kingdom would eat dishes that defy identification.' Klaus thought, unable to hide his annoyed expression. Of course, he wouldn't say such things out loud, but he was a little more than miffed.

"By the way, Sister…" Yuno spoke up, getting the nun's attention. "How much DID Asta send to you?"

"O-Oh… well…" Feeling a bit embarrassed to say it out loud, Sister Lily moved closer to Yuno's ear and whispered the amount, causing him to gasp in shock.

"Hahaha! How do you like THAT, Yuno? I beat you!" Asta, in Yuno's head, declared with a proud grin on his face.

"... Next time I get my wages, I'll send all of it." Yuno declared with a serious expression, not wanting to be beaten by Asta in any way shape or form, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

"What? Oh nonono. You don't need to do that." Sister Lily tried to reason with him. "You don't need to send so much. The amount you sent was more than enough. Besides, you should use your money for yourself and your Pokemon."

"You'll get it all." Yuno shot back, not willing to back down.

Outside the church, Bronzong hovered around the church, scanning for anything suspicious.

"(Clear… Clear… Clear)..." Bronzong continued to repeat those words, not showing any sign of fatigue or even hunger.

"(I will say despite being in the Common Realm, the grass is well taken care of)." Tropius said to no one in particular as he munched on some of the grass, making sure not to eat too much to avoid ruining the scenery. Lifting his neck, Tropius stared at the beautiful moon with a smile on his face. "(The moon. So beautiful)..."

*Snap*

Tropius and Brozong suddenly stopped as they heard the sound of a twig breaking on the right side of the field. They both tensed up, with Bronzong slowly floating towards the area while staying close to the church.

*Whoosh*

Before Bronzong was able to respond, a shadowy figure came out and slashed him in the chest, causing him to groan in pain.

"(Bronzong)!" Tropius began to flap his wings, ready to aid his fellow Pokemon, when suddenly a Dark Pulse came out of nowhere, hitting him in the back. "(GUAH)!" He fell on the grass with a thud.

"Tropius. Bronzong. Dinner." The door to the church opened up, revealing it to be Sister Lily with two plates of food. She blinked as she saw the two Pokemon weren't nearby. "Hello? Are you there?" Curious, she continued to walk away from the church, only to widen her eyes as she saw the two Pokemon on the ground. "Oh no!"

*Grrrr*

Before she could do anything, Sister Lily heard a growl behind her. Turning her head, she saw one of the Mightyena snarling at her, as if daring her to move. She was about to call out for help, but was stopped when a hand came from behind, covering her mouth.

*Crash*

"Huh?" Yuno suddenly jolted up upon hearing the sound of dishes shattering outside. Without warning, Yuno quickly ran outside.

"Klaus?" Mimosa turned towards her superior, who nodded as the two stood up, with their Pokemon following suit.

Once they reached the field, everyone saw both Tropius and Bronzong on the ground, still affected by the attacks they received.

"Tropius!" Mimosa, Bayleef and Butterfree quickly went over to their fallen comrade.

"(What happened? Please tell us)!" Butterfree asked Tropius with a concerned tone.

"(A… A… Ambush)..." Tropius muttered as Mimosa took out her Grimoire.

"Plant Creation Magic: Princess-Healing Flower Robe!" Flowers began to form around Mimosa, taking the shape of a dress as she extended her hands towards Tropius. A green light quickly began to manifest from her palms, surrounding Tropius' wounds. A relieved sigh escaped her Pokemon's mouth as the pain was starting to subside.

"Oh no…" Father Orsi looked down and saw the broken plates on the ground.

"Where's Sister Lily?" Nash asked with a very worried tone.

"This was an ambush." Klaus muttered as he and Squirtle helped Bronzong up. Looking around, he saw several small footprints, as well as a few that looked human. "It seems whoever attacked had Pokemon with them. Perhaps canine-like."

"(Wait… canine)?" Rowlet muttered as he flew over to the prints on the ground. For some reason, this looked very familiar to him.

"Those look like the prints from the Mightyena we saw." Yuno spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "While we were looking for clues on the bandits, Rowlet found an Electrike being attacked by a pack of Mightyenas."

"This matches up with the reports…" Klaus rubbed his chin. "But why take a hostage?"

"Maybe to draw everyone away." Mimosa theorized out loud. "The fewer people around, the easier it can be to rob a church."

"I'm going after Lily. Rowlet, you're with me." Yuno spoke up as his partner flew onto his shoulder. "Cutiefly, stay here and protect everyone."

"(What? But you might need me)!" Cutiefly called out with a whine. However, the look Yuno sent her way made her flinch. "(Okay)..."

"(Let me go too! I wanna show those fools what I can do)!" Squirtle called out with an eager tone.

"I'm going with you, Yuno!" Father Orsi spun a broom, preparing himself for combat, despite his old age.

"No." Yuno immediately told everyone, much to their shock as he summoned his broom. "Rowlet and I will be more than enough. Everyone else should stay here."

"Wait." Klaus called out, stopping Yuno in his tracks. "Remember our mission is to stop the bandits and we know they'll be coming to the church. We have to prepare."

"(But what about the Sister)?" Butterfree questioned, wondering why Klaus would ignore the chance to save someone.

"Come on, Four-Eyes! She needs help!" Nash shouted at Klaus, much to his anger.

"Four-I mean Klaus." Mimosa stood up upon healing most of Tropius' wounds, now moving onto Bronzong. "Shouldn't we try and-"

"No. You know this." Klaus scolded Mimosa, who frowned sadly before he looked over to Yuno. "I know you're worried about your friend, but leave it to the local watch."

"... I won't leave her." Yuno told Klaus, turning towards the Demon's Skull as it seemed like the most likely place the kidnappers would take Lily.

"You WILL listen. Insubordination will not go unpunished." Klaus warned Yuno in hopes he could see the logic.

"(Forget your logic. Sister Lily took care of us as kids, so now it's our turn)." Rowlet shot at Klaus with an angry glare. "(And you call yourself a Magic Knight)."

"I'll take whatever punishment the Captain will give me. I'm still going after her." With his mind made up, Yuno and Rowlet rode on the magic broom, flying towards the Demon's Skull.

'Where are they?' Yuno thought with narrowed eyes as he kept flying. However, as they got closer to the Demon's Skull, the duo saw a cloaked figure in the middle of some ruins.

"So you came. Didn't anyone tell you that recklessness isn't the same as bravery, Yuno?!" The robed figure, their voice revealing they were male, called out as their Grimoire came out.

"He knows my name." Yuno muttered with a cautious tone.

"(If that's true… was their plan really to take us away from the others)?" Rowlet asked before the robed man summoned multiple stalagmites in an effort to take them down. Yuno quickly jumped off his broom while taking out his Grimoire.

"Towering Tornado!" Yuno unleashed a powerful gust of wind, knocking the robed man off his feet. The man crashed into a rock and was knocked unconscious. "One down."

*Grrr*

The hair on the back of Yuno's head straightened up as he heard a growl behind him. "(Yuno, look out)!" Rowlet and Yuno quickly split up as a Dark Pulse struck the spot they were standing in just a moment ago. The two turned around and saw a Mightyena growling at them, baring its teeth to show it was ready to attack.

'So they were a part of the raids.' Yuno thought as he and Rowlet prepared to attack…

"(DISCHARGE)!" When a sudden string of lightning bolts shot out from the bushes. Though many of them struck random spots, almost hitting Rowlet in the process, one was able to strike Mightyena, causing it to yelp in pain. Emerging from the bushes was a wild Electrike, though due to the cloth wrapped around its back leg, Yuno and Rowlet could tell it was the same one they saved.

"(You again)?" Rowlet couldn't help but ask in genuine surprise, not expecting to see the same Electrike from before.

"(I'm not letting you go this time)!" Electrike shouted as he focused his attention on the Mightyena, who huffed at him. "(Don't ignore me)!" Barring his own fangs, Electrike began to conduct lightning around his teeth before he charged towards the Mightyena. Noticing this, the Mightyena began firing Dark Pulse after Dark Pulse, though much to everyone's surprise, Electrike managed to dodge each one. Once he was close enough, Electrike jumped as high as he could before chomping down on Mightyena's back. A moment later, the Bite Pokemon howled in pain as its body was engulfed by the electrical currents produced by the Thunder Fang.

However, the Mightyena fought through the pain and shook its body as hard as it could before finally managing to throw off Electrike. Before it could attack, Yuno blasted it with a burst of wind, knocking it out.

"(I had that)!" Electrike barked in annoyance before he realized who he was talking to. "(Wait, you two again)?"

"What are you doing here?" Yuno asked the wild Pokemon in mild curiosity.

"(I've been hunting these hounds for a while)." Electrike explained as he glanced over to Mightyena. "(They attacked some humans not too long ago, almost killing them. So, I tried to stop them before they could do more bad stuff)."

"(You knew who was attacking the convoys)." Rowlet realized with genuine surprise. He never expected a wild Pokemon to get involved in something so big, especially when it didn't concern him. Suddenly, he found a newfound respect for Electrike. "(Did you see any more humans like that one nearby? They took one of our friends)."

"(They did)?" Electrike narrowed his eyes in anger before he began sniffing around. After a few sniffs, he suddenly perked up. "(I have a sweet scent, like a female human, that way)." He pointed his nose forward. "(But there's three more scents too. They could be waiting for you)."

Rowlet nodded in understanding before he flew towards Yuno, giving him several wing signs as a way of communicating. Thanks to their bond, Yuno was able to understand his partner Pokemon.

"Three more? Alright. Let's go." Yuno looked down at Electrike. "Thanks. You can go back." He expected Electrike to simply nod back, but the wild Pokemon shook his head.

"(No. I'm finishing this, whether you like it or not)." Electrike shot back with a determined glare, something that reminded Yuno of Asta. Seeing as he wouldn't back down, Yuno simply gave Electrike a nod.

"Okay. Follow us." Electrike nodded before the newly formed trio rushed towards the forest. They noticed more footprints, which indicate that the mages dragged Sister Lily even deeper. 'They better not have hurt her. Otherwise…'

"(Wait)." Electrike suddenly stopped running, forcing Yuno and Rowelt to stop as well. He sniffed the air a bit before his eyes widened. "(Look out)!"

Yuno and Rowlet were able to catch on quickly before they jumped back, dodging a barrage of ice blades and water slices. The trio then rushed to take cover behind a tree, with Yuno poking his head out slightly to see their attackers. However, the moment he did, more ice blades flew by, cutting the tree.

"Wow! I can't believe you followed our fake trail!"

"Go easy on him. After all, he's still a dumb kid!"

Yuno didn't need to poke his head out to know that there were two more hooded mages, who were clearly there to keep him busy.

"Try this!" The ice mage cackled as he unleashed more ice blades from his Grimoire, floating in the air before firing down on the tree, slowly tearing it apart.

"If you know what's best for you, I'd say give up." The other mage, the water user, called out rather arrogantly, ready to attack at the slightest sign of movement. Yuno looked at Rowlet and Electrike before he gestured for them to move to the left and right respectively. They nodded silently before the tree finally snapped, forcing Yuno to create a barrier of wind.

"Gotcha!" The water mage grinned as he summoned a pillar of water from underneath Yuno, completely engulfing him. "Should've given up when you had the chance. Now we get to see you drow-"

"(Leafage)!" Rowlet emerged from the right and unleashed a barrage of leaves towards the water mage.

"Not so fast, feather head!" The ice mage began to create more ice blades in order to repel the attack, but before he could finish casting his spell, Electrike popped out of a bush and slammed into his right side. "GUAH!"

"Cabra!" The water mage quickly created a water barrier to block Rowlet's Leafage. But the moment he did, he lost focus on Yuno, who broke through his water prison thanks to the aura of wind surrounding him.

"You tried to outnumber me. But you didn't realize I had help." Yuno told the water mage coolly before blasting him and Cabra with a powerful wind blast. He let out a sigh before he felt Rowlet land on his shoulder. "Good job." A small smile grew on Yuno's face as he rubbed the top of Rowlet's head, earning a coo of joy.

"(You're welcome. But Electrike did good too)." Rowlet pointed out as he and Yuno looked down at Electrike, who looked away in an attempt to look cool.

"Good work, Electrike." Yuno complimented as he kneeled down to the Lightning Pokemon. He noticed Yuno was about to pet him… only for Electrike to bite his hand like before, sending a small surge of electricity through his body.

*Poof*

And like before, Yuno's hair got puffy. He and Rowlet gave Electrike a blank look while said Pokemon snickered. "(You fell for it twice)." Electrike laughed in amusement.

"(Are you done? We still need to save Lily)." Rowlet bluntly told Electrike, who fortunately, stopped laughing.

"Let's go." Yuno told them as they began to run towards the Demon's Skull. However, he stopped once a thought crossed his mind. "Wait. I have an idea."

'Demon's Skull, a few minutes later'

Yuno and Rowlet were able to make it to the Demon's Skull, noticing a certain shadow leaning against a broken wall. The two looked at each other before nodding, continuing to move forward. "Sister."

"That's far enough, Yuno!" A deep voice called out, forcing Yuno and Rowlet to stop. The two narrowed their eyes as they saw another robed mage, standing over a tied up Sister Lily with a ball of fire over his right hand. "Take out your Grimoire, nice and slow. Don't even think about having your little bird do anything."

"And what will you do if I give it away?" Yuno questioned in an effort to buy time.

"Probably sell it. I got someone REALLY interested in collecting rare Grimoires. But then again, I can always just burn it and take your bird. Might be useful for a while." The robed mage replied with a dark chuckle. Noticing Yuno not moving, the robed mage extended the flame closer to Sister Lily, showing that he wasn't messing around.

"(Don't you hurt her)." Rowlet warned, resisting the urge to just attack. Seeing as he had no other option, Yuno took out his Grimoire, preparing to move forward. However, the other two Mightyenas from before pounced in front of him, growling in anger.

"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do anything too crazy." The robed mage taunted. "Go get it, boy." One of the Mightyenas went closer to Yuno, waiting for him to give away the Grimoire. Yuno glanced up and saw a shadow moving from the top, mentally smiling at the sight.

"Sorry, but I won't be giving it to you." Yuno finally declared, much to the mage's shock.

"Seriously? Aren't you worried about your sister here? And here I thought you cared." The robed mage asked, though inwardly, he was confused. Yuno already took out some of his friends just for kidnapping Lily. So what was his game?

"You won't be hurting her." Yuno told him with narrowed eyes. "I won't let you." This clearly confused the mage before he glared at Yuno.

"Too bad. I really was gonna let you go." The robed mage confessed before looking at his Mightyenas. "Go-"

Before the mage could order them to attack, Electrike leapt out from above, opening his mouth. "(Thunder Fang)!" Once he was within striking distance, he bit down on the robed mage's arm, sending lightning coursing through his body.

"AAAAHHHHH!" He let out a cry of pain, shocking the Mightyenas.

"Rowlet, Peck!" Yuno ordered as he launched a wind blast at one of the Mightyenas, knocking them out. Rowlet flew up in the air before diving down, his beak glowing. The other Mightyena quickly noticed this and tried to bite Rowlet, who veered to the right just in time.

"(SURPRISE)!" Out of nowhere, Squirtle leaped in, spinning his shell rapidly. He then slammed into the Mightyena, who cried out before shrugging him off.

"Squirtle?" Yuno asked in surprise before he heard movement from behind.

"Get down!" Klaus shouted urgently as he pulled his hand back, his Grimoire floating next to him. "Steel Creation Magic: Spiral Lance!" He then slammed his hand on the ground, causing a steel lance to shoot out and fly towards the Mightyena. All it could do was look in horror before Klaus' lance struck the Dark Pokemon, knocking it out.

"(Awww. Did that hurt? Sucker)!" Squirtle taunted while blowing a raspberry at the unconscious Pokemon.

"YOU… LITTLE… SHIT!" Gaining some control, the robed mage pulled Electrike off his arm before kicking the Pokemon hard in the stomach. Electrike howled in pain as he was sent flying into one of the remains of the Demon Skull. "That'll teach you-"

*Boom*

The robed mage was unable to finish as Yuno blasted him hard with a gust of wind. "Mimosa, go check on the sister." Klaus ordered as said wizard ran from behind him, with Bayleef following suit.

"Sister, are you okay?" Mimosa asked as she kneeled down to Sister Lily. Checking her body, Mimosa let out a sigh of relief. "She's fine. Just a bit dazed."

"(What a relief)." Bayleef sighed before she gasped and saw Electrike. "(Oh no)!" Yuno beat her to the punch as he and Rowlet went over to the Lightning Pokemon.

"Electrike, are you alright?" Yuno asked as he carefully picked up Electrike. He frowned as he saw a large bruise on Electrike's stomach.

"Let me see, Yuno." Mimosa went up next to Yuno and saw Electrike's wound. "Hmmm. It isn't too serious, but I should heal it right away." Yuno set Electrike down as Mimosa began to heal the injured Pokemon.

"Is this all of them?" Klaus asked Yuno as he took out a rope, tying up the unconscious mage.

"I think so." Yuno stared at Klaus for a moment before continuing. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to stay at the Church."

"As magic knights, it is our sworn duty to safeguard the people. ALL of them." Klaus answered as he turned towards Yuno with a stern look. "We kept Butterfree, Bronzong and Tropius back there to protect the orphans."

'(So he really does care).' Rowlet thought in surprise, not expecting to hear this from someone as prideful as Klaus.

Klaus noticed the Pokemon Mimosa was healing before raising a brow. "Is that the Electrike you mentioned earlier? I was unaware you caught it."

"I didn't. It just came to fight those Mightyena." Yuno pointed at the unconscious Dark Pokemon.

"Hmmm. I see." Klaus simply accepted this answer as he lifted the unconscious mage up. "Still, don't act so reckless. You're part of a Magic Knights Squad. So act like it."

Yuno took a moment to take in Klaus' words before he bowed his head. "I'm glad you came when you did. I needed the help." Yuno confessed, catching Klaus and Mimosa's attention. "Thank you, Klaus. Mimosa." This caused Klaus to look away while Mimosa smiled.

"You still have a ways to go before gaining my approval. However, I won't deny your potential. After all, you gained the attention of every captain, including captain Vangeance." Klaus offhandedly told Yuno, giving him an underlying compliment. Mimosa and Bayleef giggled at this while Yuno and Rowlet smiled.

"Right… sir." Yuno replied with respect, earning the faintest of smiles from his superior.

"(Awww. You blushing, Klaus)?" Squirtle teasingly remarked while nudging his partner, who gave him a slight glare.

However, as the group were preparing to head back to the Church, they failed to realize someone had been watching them.

"Damn. The plan didn't work." A hooded mage muttered with a nervous sweat, hiding behind one of the large bones as he saw his allies being taken away. The plan should've worked wonderfully: they made a fake plan to attack the church so they could get Yuno away in order to steal his Grimoire by using a hostage. But now, it all fell apart! "I guess I have to report this to-"

"(To who)?" The hooded mage jumped as he heard a voice inside his head. Gulping nervously, he turned around and saw Gallade glaring at him.

"Where did you-?!" The hooded mage was about to try and run, only for a pair of hands to grab his head from behind.

"(Sleep)..." A calming female voice whispered. Suddenly, the hooded mage's eyes rolled back as he fell down, losing consciousness. Gardevoir removed her hands from the human and looked down at him with a sigh. "(It's so disappointing to see these humans engage in criminal acts rather than live honest lives)."

"(I had that handled, sister)." Gallade told his fellow Psychic Pokemon, who gave him a smile.

"(I know. But you were simply too slow)." Gardevoir teasingly replied as her brother rolled his eyes. Gallade lifted the human on his shoulders before Gardevoir used her powers to teleport them to the top of the skull, where a certain person was star gazing.

"Ahhh. You managed to capture one of them. Good work." Julius complimented his Pokemon as he stood up.

"(Can you at least try and take your job seriously, Julius? Why did we even follow them)?" Gallade asked while putting the robed mage down.

"I've heard about Yuno, so I wanted to see how strong he was." Julius answered simply with a slight grin. "I was going to jump in just in case something went wrong, but they all handled themselves well."

"(It seems captain Vangeance chose some rather capable recruits this year)." Gardevoir chimed in with a hint of respect in her voice.

"(That Yuno kid is rather reckless. But… even I admit he's got potential)." Gallade begrudgingly admitted, earning a chuckle from Julius and a giggle from his sister. "(What)?"

"It's just rare to hear you compliment anyone. Hopefully, you're not getting soft, Gallade." Julius jokingly told his Pokemon, who simply huffed and looked away. 'I wonder how far Asta and Yuno will go? Perhaps they will-'

"(Julius)." Gallade cut off his partner's thoughts. Julius thought he was going to scold him again, but when he looked at the Blade Pokemon, he saw a folded up paper in his hand, as well as something else. "(I don't think this was just a robbery. It looks like they were trying to move supplies somewhere)."

"Let me see." Julius opened his hand as Gallade handed him the paper. Opening it, Julius frowned as he saw it was a map of the entire Clover Kingdom, with circles around certain borders. "So they were just delivering them. But to who?"

"(Maybe this has a clue)." Gallade then handed the other object he was carrying to Julius.

It was a pin that had the shape of a heart-like flame.

For some reason, Julius felt like there was more to this than meets the eye.

'The next morning'

"Thank you all so much for what you did for me." Sister Lily thanked the Golden Dawn trio with a bow as they all stood outside the church. After delivering the rogue mages to the authorities, the Magic Knights decided to spend the night in the church courtesy of father Orsi. It was also to keep an eye on Electrike, who thanks to Mimosa's healing, would make a full recovery.

"Think nothing of it. We were simply doing our duty." Klaus politely told the sister.

"And thank you for the pop-potatoes." Mimosa added with a smile, carrying a small basket with said food.

"Yuno, Rowlet. You've both grown up so much. I'm so proud of you." Father Orsi told his foster sons with a proud smile. "Please, don't forget to visit us when you can."

"We will, father." Yuno told him with a small smile.

"(And hopefully, Asta and Scorbunny can join us)." Rowlet added, though he did feel a bit sad to be leaving Hage again.

"Goodbye, Yuno!"

"Come back soon!"

"And bring more cute Pokemon." The children of Hage cried out as they bid Yuno farewell.

"We should be on our way to give the captain our report." Klaus interjected, wanting to head back to HQ. However, as he turned around, he found a certain Pokemon in his way.

Electrike stood his ground, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Oh dear. Looks like someone's awake." Sister Lily commented in mild surprise given how long Electrike had fallen asleep for.

"Does it want something?" Mimosa questioned as Electrike focused his attention on Yuno.

"(...)" Electrike said nothing, as if trying to make up his mind.

"(Electrike? Are you okay)?" Rowlet asked with a curious tone.

"Did you need something?" Yuno went over and kneeled down, though he made sure to give him some room.

"(... How did you get so strong)?" Electrike finally spoke up, directing the question towards Rowlet. Said Pokemon blinked a bit. "(You're a Pokemon like me. And I don't think you've evolved yet. So how are you so strong)?"

"(Because… I had Yuno)." Rowlet admitted as he smiled at Yuno. "(Thanks to him, I got stronger. Even more than I would have by myself. Plus, being with him, Asta and everyone here makes life better)." He then turned back to Electrike. "(They're my family)."

Family. That word felt so foreign to Electrike. After all, his pack left him when he was old enough to survive on his own, so he hasn't had anyone to lean on for a while. No one to help him use his magic.

Until Yuno showed up.

Despite being a human with no connection to him, Yuno took the time to help Electrike control his magic, even if it was just one little lesson. And given how skilled he and Rowlet were, maybe, just maybe… they could be the ones who can make him strong.

"Yuno." Orsi called out, a knowing smile on his face. "I don't know about you, but I think this Electrike likes you."

"Well, Yuno did say he saved it before." Mimosa commented in realization.

"And it was there to help me when I was captured…" Lily added, her own smile growing. "I think father's right, Yuno. Maybe this Electrike wants to go with you." The children were surprised by this while everyone else watched to see what Yuno would do.

"Electrike. Is that true?" Yuno asked the green Pokemon. "Do you want to come with me? To get stronger?"

Electrike didn't reply immediately. All he did was stare into Yuno's eyes with unwavering conviction.

Something that reminded Yuno of Asta.

"(Help me get stronger… Yuno)." Electrike growled. Although Yuno didn't understand his exact words, the look in his eyes was more than enough.

A small smile grew on Yuno's lips as he took out an empty Pokeball. Pulling it back, Yuno tossed it towards Electrike as it struck his head. Opening up, the Pokeball absorbed him inside before landing on the ground. It didn't even shake once as a symbol of Electrike appeared on the ball.

"... He caught it…" Nash muttered with a shocked tone. "Yuno actually caught a Pokemon without fighting it!"

"YAY YUNO!" The other children cheered in unison. Mimosa and Lily clapped for Yuno while father Orsi gave his son a proud look.

'He captured a Pokemon. Not through battle, but through mutual respect. Interesting.' Klaus thought with a curious expression. 'I suppose there is more to Yuno than I expected.'

"We have a new friend." Yuno said to Rowlet as he picked up the Pokeball.

"(And at least he won't be as clingy as Cutiefly)." Rowlet said, noticing Cutiefly's Pokeball shake a bit. "(Oh… she heard me)."

"Come out, Electrike." Yuno released his newest Pokemon, who looked at him with a smile. "From now on, we'll work as a team. Okay?" To test the waters, Yuno reached out to Electrike. However, unlike before, Electrike didn't back away as he allowed Yuno to rub the top of his head.

'(Hmmm… this isn't bad).' Electrike thought, feeling a strange sense of comfort from the head pat. Of course, he would never admit it out loud. As Yuno pulled away, a mischievous idea crossed Electrike's mind.

*Chomp*

Everyone was caught off guard when Electrike suddenly bit Yuno's hands.

*Zap*

And for the third time this chapter, Electrike used Thunder Fang, causing Yuno's hair to turn into a puffy afro.

"... Hahahahahaha!" The children, Sister Lily, Father Orsi and even Mimosa began to laugh at how ridiculous Yuno looked. Even Rowlet couldn't contain it as he busted out laughing. Klaus fixed his glasses, though if one could look closely, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Yuno just gave Electrike a look, with said Pokemon snickering.

It was clear their relationship would be anything but boring.

Jesus. You guys have NO idea how long I wanted to post this.

I mean it should've been out two weeks ago, but I have been playing No Man's Sky for too freaking long! I NEED HELP!

Okay, okay. In all seriousness, I'm glad this chapter finally came out. Cause the next arc is gonna be a bit… wild.

So, in regards to this chapter… I know it focuses mostly on the episode it's based on, but I decided to change it up since Yuno never fought Salim. While there were rogue mages here, they had a different reason to attack Hage. And while you guys might thing it was just a one off thing… there WAS a hint for a future arc. I won't say though~

Now onto the new Pokemon. I wanted Yuno to have an Electric type, so I decided to go with my underrated doggo, Electrike. I know it isn't strong and its Mega Evolution is okay, I think it still fits Yuno. Even though he is a little punk. As for Klaus getting Squirtle, I think Blastoise would fit him, though as you can see, Squirtle is a little mischievous. As for Mimosa, there's not much to say for Bayleef, Tropius and Butterfree.

Hopefully, I can get the next chapter out before the end of this year. So, fingers crossed.

Also, check out Pokemon Horizons. It's actually a good series and Liko is a fun protagonist.

Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything.

Yuno

Rowlet. Type: Grass/Flying. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Peck, Leafage, Tackle, Gust.

Cutiefly. Type: Bug/Fairy. Ability: Shield Dust.

Moves: Bug Buzz, Fairy Wind, Stun Spore.

Electrike. Type: Electric. Ability: Static.

Moves: Quick Attack, Thunder Fang, Discharge.

Mimosa

Bayleef. Type: Grass. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Synthesis.

Tropius. Type: Grass/Flying. Ability: Solar Power.

Moves: Sweet Scent, Whirlwind, Magic Leaf, Stomp.

Butterfree. Type: Bug/Flying. Ability: Compound Eyes.

Moves: Confusion, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz

Klaus

Bronzong. Type: Steel/Psychic. Ability: Heatproof.

Moves: Gyro Ball, Metal Sound, Confusion, Weather Ball.

Squirtle. Type: Water. Ability: Torrent.

Moves: Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Iron Defense, Tackle.

Next time: Dungeon, dungeon, dungeon!