Red opened his eyes, looking around before he sees Poli and Vulpix watching him with worried expressions.

"Hello, handsome." He heard a voice, turning to see Leaf looking at him with a smile on her face, caressing his hair. Noticing the position he was in, Red soon snapped out of his drowsiness and sprang up only to be dragged back down by the brunette who had a pout on her face. "We're having a moment, Red. Don't mess it up."

Sighing, he then ask the question that had been on his mind. "What happened?"

"Welll…" Leaf started, brushing away some of the hair on Red's face then rubbing her nose with his, happy to see his blush before she lifted her fingers. "Banette was defeated, Blue left, Luxio got better and you collapsed."

She then pointed to his left, seeing Luxio taking a nap on his left leg with Meowth on Red's other leg, their tails wrapped around his arms. He petted them, getting content purrs as Leaf continued while patting his head. "They were worried about you. I…was worried about you."

Red noticed tears welling up in her eyes before she put her forehead on his then letting out a sigh. She then held his hand as he wiped her tears. "Please…just be more careful with your life. Like Misty said: you only have one life. There's nothing wrong with being selfish with it. And I don't think playing hero is good for your health."

Seeing the sincere expression on her face, Red continued wiping her tears before bringing her into a hug which caught her by surprise. He patted her back while she held him close which woke up Luxio and Meowth who looked at him worriedly as they hugged him as well and checking if he is alright. After a while, he decided it is time to move on, getting up which was rewarded with a slight pain on his back and arms.

"Red. You sure you should be getting up?" Leaf said worriedly, seeing him stretching his body. He turned to his Pokemon who had the same expression but he put their worries to rest by making a thumbs up, Leaf still worried after noticing the pained look on his face. Taking up his bag, they both continued up the tower for the sole goal of checking for Mr. Fuji's wellbeing.

While they ascended the tower, they encountered a few possessed Channelers who were handily defeated by Vulpix and Nida. Cautiously going up the stairs, the duo heard groans that madw Leaf tightly grip onto Red's arm while shaking. 'Why do we have to be in a haunted tower at night? I would have taken anything over this.'

When they come unto the next floor, they realized that the room is quiet, slowly wandering across the room and making sure to keep an eye out for anything. After an anxiety inducing number of minutes, the duo almost made it to the stairs, Leaf holding desperately onto Red's arm as they were about to ascend. As they reached halfway through the flight, they felt an immense chill up their spines before a bone chilling voice sounded through the room. 'Gooooo baaaaaccck…'

Before they could do anything, a shadow appeared in front of them, morphing into a smile which surprised Red and frightened Leaf. It then grew in size as the two trainers could only watch in fear before it glared at them, the smile transforming into a frown.

"W-w-w-what is tha-" She could not continue her sentence when they both were pushed back by an invisible shockwave which sent them off the stairs and unto the floor, Wartortle's Protect cushioning their fall. Letting out painful groans, they both got up to see a shadowy vortex in front of them, the pressure in the room rising before they noticed something materializing within it.

"R-R-R-R-Red, t-t-t-that's a Marowak, r-right?" Leaf stammered in fear when she noticed a glowing bone before it descended in the hands of a black bodied creature with a grey helmet and a black fire mark between its pale grey eyes. Standing up, it glared at them maliciously which caused Leaf to shake uncontrollably while Red's expression hardened. "Yeah. A possessed one."

Before both of them could blink, its club starts glowing intensely in a purple hue before it throws it, Meowth immediately coming out of its ball. Seeing the weapon moved quickly heading towards them, Red immediately pushed Leaf down to the ground which made it fly over their heads before it then came back to them, the duo too late to react until the bone was stopped by Wartortle's Protect which made the two of them sigh in relief. Their relief was short-lived when they saw the weapon still suddenly started to spin, creating cracks in the veil which made the blue turtle struggle to keep the shield strong.

"Keep it up, Wartortle!" Leaf encouraged her Pokemon but despite its using its best efforts, the move broke through the wall. Before the weapon could do any damage, it was quickly smacked away with an Aqua Tail from Wartortle, the bone going straight back to Marowak.

'Damn. So it can control its weapon telepathically. That just made this harder.' Red thought in frustration. Noticing the Ghost type rearing to attack, he quickly released Poli and made it use Bubblebeam which was able to stop the spectre. The Bone Keeper Pokemon never had the chance to make a counterattack when it was attacked by Meowth, barely struggling as it easily pushed back the feline. 'Heh, you didn't even struggle against that. This might be fun.'

Marowak kept quiet before it sent back the Normal before they clashed again, the cat grabbing unto the club before noticing Wartortle sprinting towards it with its fists raised. Quickly spinning its weapon and shaking off the Normal type, the phantom skillfully blocked the blue turtle's strikes until it got hit by Meowth which staggered it before it saw a huge sphere of water charged in front of it. Before it could react, it got hit by the orb which sent it back to a wall and creating smoke.

"Nice job, Wartortle!" Leaf hugged her Pokemon while Red observed the smoke with serious expression. Suddenly, stones flew out of the smoke which everyone had to dodge, Leaf pulling Red behind a huge gravestone for shelter from the falling rocks.

"Red. Is that version of Marowak able to do that?" Leaf asked which Red nodded. "It's different but it's still Marowak and honestly…"

'This is gonna be a problem.' He said while preparing his slingshot. He thought about his options until he felt a presence, looking up to see Marowak above them clutching its club before he pulled Leaf along with him to the ground and let Poli and Wartortle hit it with their Water type move which sent it into a gravestone. They could not get time to rest before they shelter was destroyed which made them have to move quickly as the Ghost type's hands lit ablaze while it chased them.

"Leaf. Are you able to paralyze Marowak with Buneary?" Red questioned Leaf, the girl nodded before she released Buneary. Lunging forward, its ears crackled with electricity as it throws punches with Marowak. A fist fight then occurred between the two, the specter winning the bout by landing a punch in Buneary's stomach before throwing the Pokemon back, resorting back to flinging rocks.

Unable to quickly dodge the stones after a few attempts, the rabbit decided to break the stones with Thunder Punch before reaching the Ghost type, dodging its attacks before landing a clean hit, the impact echoing throughout the whole room and creating smoke.

"Bullseye!" Leaf said with a huge grin on her face before noticing Red's cautious expression as he called out Vulpix. "Red! You don't look that glad about this?"

"I don't like this. Usually, there should be a little electricity discharged from either Buneary or Marowak. It's like it's being…neutralized."

"It might have Lightning Rod as its ability." Leaf suggested, Red nodding in agreement before both of them paled, the brunette starting to sweat when she realized what she said. "Oh shit! It might have Lightning Rod as its ability."

They were unable to continue their conversation when Buneary was knocked away from the smoke cloud, Leaf barely able to catch her. Readying themselves and dashing forward, Poli and Red were about to launch their move until he saw something that made his eyes widened in surprise. "No way."

"What the hell?" Leaf said, mirroring his expression.

'That should be impossible.' Meowth mouth went agape, looking in surprise as the smoke dispersed, seeing Marowak but it is brown and bulkier instead of black.

The Kantonian form of the Bone Keeper.

'You will all DIE!'

It then punched the ground creating an immense tremor, making rocks erupt from the floor before it glared at them, much to everyone's surprise. It was about to continue the assault but was stopped by a shot to the head, turning to get hit in the face again by a Bubblebeam.

"B-but shouldn't Marowak only be in one form?" Leaf asked in disbelief while she watched Marowak block the incoming volley of bubbles with Bone Rush until it was attacked by Meowth and Buneary which barely affected it.

'What the?'

'Oh no.'

The duo could not continue as the phantom shrugs off the hits then repel its attackers with minimal effort, much to the trainers' dismay and shock. Seeing their bone wielding opponent running towards them, Leaf thought quickly before sending out her Roselia. "Red! Try to keep it busy for a sec!"

Red nodded before he, accompanied with Poli, Vulpix and Wartortle, rushed Marowak, aggressively attacking the Pokemon and not giving it room to counterattack. The confrontation continued, Meowth and Buneary joining the fray as they held their own against the apparition. While the fight was going on, Leaf made her Roselia use Growth, taking the time to boost its attacks.

"Alright." Leaf exhaled when she noticed that Roselia is done, watching the battle for an opportunity to strike. While she waited, she saw Buneary and Meowth land a combination attack of Feint Attack and Double Hit which smacked away Marowak's club before it was struck with a Jump Kick that sent it to the ground. Taking the chance and seeing Leaf give him a nod, Red took the chance to trap the phantom with a combination of Bubblebeam and Extrasensory, giving the girl the signal.

"Now Selia! Giga Drain!"

Roselia raised her hands, huge vines coming from them which latched onto Marowak before they started draining its energy. For a while, it struggled against the vines but to no avail, falling to the ground and losing strength until something caught Meowth's attention which did not go unnoticed by Red. "What's wrong, Meowth?"

'Oh no…' She muttered before moving quickly towards the Pokemon and unsheathing its claws, surprising everyone. However, it was too late as Marowak's hands lit ablaze, engulfing it in flames.

"Damn it!" Leaf cursed, witnessing the vines getting burnt before commanding Roselia to stop the move while Red ordered Poli and Wartortle to douse the flames. Hearing footsteps, they all saw the ghost emerge from the fire, the Pokemon now in its Alolan Form before it outstretches its arm, its weapon coming back to it. Quickly using Fire Punch, its assault was immediately countered by Wartortle, Poli jumping on its head and repelling their opponent with Bubblebeam. Marowak then tried to use Shadow Bone but was stopped by Meowth who smacked the weapon away before the Ghost type felt an intense pain through its body, noticing Vulpix on Red's shoulder. It was about to attack it before a Water Pulse collided to its stomach, sending it back before an Ice Beam almost froze it completely, making it immobile.

"Water Gauntlets, Wartortle!" The brunette said, her starter running towards the Pokemon with its fists being surrounded by water before it pummeled the phantom's face, much to Red's surprise as he looks at a smirking Leaf. "You like? You're not the only one with ideas, sweetie."

Wartortle continued battering Marowak while Poli maintained the ice prison which made it difficult for their opponent to make its counterattack.

'I w-won't fa-fall again.' Red slightly hear it whisper, quickly making a command to Meowth and Vulpix. 'I won't…'

'…FALL AGAIN!' It yelled before erupting in fire, sending back Poli but Wartortle continued its assault until Marowak caught its fists, a firm grip to keep it place as it telepathically raised its weapon.

What the Ghost type did not realize was the blue turtle charging its Aqua Tail, much to Leaf's glee. Seeing its trainer's gestures, it pulled Marowak forward, making it lose its balance and get hit by its own weapon before the Wartortle sent multiple punches which the specter blocked until it was hit from behind, turning to see Meowth. 'Keep an eye on your surroundings, Bonesy. Now, Wartortle!'

'With pleasure.' Wartortle grinned before it slammed its tail into Marowak which made it slide back a few feet. Quickly recovering quickly from the attack, it immediately struck the blue turtle with its bone and was about to land the finishing blow but missed when the Pokemon was returned, glaring towards Leaf. Seeing it lowering its head then charging towards her, the brunette goes through her options before she looks at Roselia. "Selia, Poison Sting!"

Selia moved quickly, rhythmically dodging the phantom's attacks before landing a direct blow which send its opponent rocketing to the other side of the room. It was about to attack but was again hit by Bubblebeam, turning its attention to Red. Getting up, its hand glowing before making a swiping motion, its bone moving on its own towards Wartortle, smacking it in its face and sending it, Meowth and Buneary on the ground. Before he could say anything, he noticed Marowak running quickly towards him, shooting several stones which the Pokemon shrugged off, much to his worry before he recognized that it's in front of him. Red barely dodged the ghost's first strike by rolling over, shooting a rock which crumbled to dust in one of its eyes before he got hit in the face, sending him skidding on the ground. Spinning over, he commanded Vulpix to hit him with a Hex, Leaf coming his way with Roselia shooting Poison Sting which it quickly reacted to; one of its hands went ablaze, burning some the poisonous projectiles coming towards it but it still got pelted by the needles before it made a grabbing motion, the brunette looking in confusion until she realized what was happening, doing a backflip to avoid an incoming bone club.

"Damn! That would've been so cool if we weren't trying to die." Leaf commented, seeing Meowth and Buneary running towards the Ghost type only to be stopped when it hit them with a levitating Bone Rush. Telepathically guiding the weapon, Marowak spun before it made a throwing motion again, the bone coming towards the girl again, this time being faster and stronger as it shrugged off all of Roselia's attacks. Wartortle was able to intervene, stopping the attack using Protect while Poli and Vulpix hit the specter from behind under Red's instruction, making it lose focus on its move which made the water starter able to knock away the club, it along with everyone ready to attack the apparition.

'GET AWAY!' It starts glowing intensely before sending a black energy wave which repelled every Pokemon from it, much to the trainers' shock and horror. Recovering from his stupor, Red immediately readied himself to attack but was surprised when he saw nothing, confused on where it went. He then felt an intense presence, him and Vulpix ready to attack but they were blasted away by a huge black sphere, knocking the wind out of him. Seeing the Pokemon walking towards her friend, Leaf immediately ran towards it but was stopped when it hit her with the same attack, making her lose her balance and shaking. 'What the? Why can't I move?'

"Leaf!" Red yelled, finally able to muster some strength and get up, about to make his attack until he was grabbed by the mouth. Struggling against its hold, he saw dark energy emitting from the hand before he felt pain throughout his body which made him paralyzed. Getting its bone, the phantom prepares itself to strike, the weapon lighting ablaze.

'Red…' Vulpix struggled to get up but was too late when Marowak attacked, the entire area it hit becoming ablaze as it did so. Leaf barely got her bearings together before she looked forward in horror, seeing intense purple flames where Red once was. "Oh no…"

Ignoring the pain welling up in her stomach in defiance, she noticed something extremely odd. Red was gone. Almost like he never existed. This made the brunette confused as she looked around the room. 'What…happened? Where is Red?'

She was knocked out of her thoughts when Marowak descended to the floor, a pained expression on its face which made her more bafflled. Suddenly, something hit Marowak in the stomach which made it stumble backwards before it was knocked again, this time into a gravestone. Everyone could only watch in confusion as the Pokemon get smacked across the room by an invisible force.

"Ok. Tonight has been just…weird." Leaf mumbled, the Pokemon nodded while Buneary looked ahead, a smile on its face which the girl noticed. Before long, she saw a huge shadow leaping around the Fire type before it made another strike which sent Marowak into the ceiling then following it up with another that sent it flying into the wall. Seeing the huge shadow coming towards them, it then got bigger as a huge red eye glowed from it, making Leaf and the others cautious about it until a white mask pops from the darkness over the eye.

"A…Duskull…?" She questioned before she noticed something else in the shadow, her eyes widened when she saw Red's unconscious form coming out of the shadow.

"Red!" She ran towards him, checking for any injuries or burns from the attack while the Pokemon gathered. Letting out a sigh of relief, she let the Pokemon know he is alright before she turned to Duskull, thanking it. Hearing groans, Leaf turned to see the boy waking up before clutching his head in pain, rubbing it while looking around in a dazed expression.

"What happened? The last thing I remembered was a club nearly coming to my face then…" His eyes widened as he starts to pinch himself and clutch his body. "Wait! Am I dead?!"

Leaf giggled at the boy which got his attention before he walked to her and starts feeling her face, getting another round of giggles from her. "Red. I'm alive. "

He then looked at her with a blank face before he blushed and bowed. "I'm so sorry! So sorry. Anyways, what happen-"

An explosion cut his sentence as they turned towards to Marowak, seeing the flames dancing around the area in an almost hypnotic motion. Glaring at them, the two teens could notice that its pupils have dilated in anger before it leaped towards them, its screams echoing around the room. 'YOU WILL PAY!'

Watching the Pokemon coming towards them, Red looked around the area for a bit until a smile appeared on his face. Returning Poli, he outstretched his arm and made a command. "Flame Burst."

Vulpix looked at him in confusion before it saw the look in his eyes, using the move which collided into the specter but it went through the fire with no damage. Everyone was ready to attack again until they saw another massive fireball hit Marowak, the attack having no affect on it.

"Uhh, Red. You know that's a Fire type move, right?" She said nervously. Red did not listen, continuing to use the move which made him receive incredulously looks until the brunette scratch her head. 'I think he got hit harder than I thought.'

The battlefield was only filled with the sound of fire and explosions as Vulpix continuously use Flame Burst, Marowak barely affected by the fiery assault. Seeing it about to get close, Red stopped Leaf from saying a counter before he utters one word. "Hex."

Vulpix quickly used the move, everyone see the Ghost type in pain, falling on one knee before a sick expression came to its face, Leaf realizing what is happening. "Wait! How was it paralyzed?"

"It wasn't." Red answered, a little out of breath before they both see the Pokemon changing into its Kantonian form. "It was poisoned by Selia earlier. We lucked out."

Seeing the brown form of the Pokemon, Red immediately states his next move while giving the girl a confident smirk. "Watch this."

The brunette was about to question until he voiced his move. "Flame Burst and Extrasensory to keep it in place."

Vulpix started glowing, a huge fireball with psychic energy within it being shot towards Marowak who was about to dodge until it felt something holding it in place. The Ground type tried its best to move but failed which made it have to look in despair as it was hit by the huge fireball causing fire to dance in the area. Before it could move, Red snapped his fingers, the flames starting to gathering around it, creating a vortex. "Now."

Leaf and the others could only watch as the Bone Keeper was enveloped by a huge flaming tornado, its cries echoing through the room until Red made Vulpix stop the attack, everyone seeing it sprawled out on the floor. Seeing it on the ground made a collective sigh of relief come from the two trainers and their Pokemon, Leaf leaning on a gravestone while Red crouched to take a rest. After a while, he noticed the red glowing eye in his shadow. "Hey there, little guy. Are you lost?"

He received no response which made him sad until he noticed Marowak struggling to stand. Letting out a sigh, he went towards it while taking out some berries out of his bag. He then looked at the Pokemon with a pitiful expression, seeing its bone lit ablaze before it pointed it towards his direction as he approached it.

"Red! Don't go near it. It's still dangerous!" Leaf pleaded but it fell on deaf ears when she saw him continue advancing forward. Slowly getting up, the phantom started glowing intensely as it raised its weapon just inches from his face. 'Listen to her…if you value your life…all you do is take from us…and don't think about the repercussions…what about my family…what about us…'

The Marowak gritted its teeth, clenching the club with all the strength in its arms despite it being exhausted. Seeing the veins on its hands, Red looked down in sorrow, feeling bad for the Pokemon. He then looked at his own party, their injured bodies making his body feel heavier. Leaf, on the other hand, gasped at the revelation. Her hands gripped her dress, threatening to rip the fabric as she thought about the apparition's words. She looked at her Pokemon with a pitiful expression, them recognizing it before they hugged her. 'Did I do that to you guys?'

'WHAT ABOUT MY SON?! MY BABY BOY?!' The Bone Keeper yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice thundering through the room. When Marowak said shocked Red and Leaf, the latter gasping in horror. She could not even think what it would be like from their perspective while clutching her chest. Red continued walking onwards, seconds feel like hours as his mind wandered, feeling the pain that the mother felt as she wept in front of him. 'Why must it be like this? Who would hurt her like this?'

His question could not be answered when the club barely missed his face, the teen seeing tears streaming down Marowak's eyes as it clutched the weapon like a lifeline, its' shoulders slumped. 'I-I just want my son to be safe. I just want the best for my baby boy! Is that so hard for a parent?!'

Her words created an echo, a fiercely powerful wind emanating from the Pokemon which make Red have to brace himself as a vortex surrounds them, the ghost starting to float. The winds start to intensify, swallowing up the red capped teen when Leaf tried to run towards him but she could not fight against the pressure of the vortex, being blown away. Inside the tornado, Red tried to keep his balance, Vulpix's Extrasensory being the only thing keeping him to the ground. "Please, I want to help you."

'WHAT CAN YOU DO?!' Marowak shrieked, its voice sounding distorted while the energy started to intensify. 'YOU HUMANS HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT TAKE FROM US AND HURT US! YOU WILL EVEN KILL US FOR YOUR OWN GAIN LIKE THAT BOY BEFORE OR TORTURE US FOR YOUR OWN GAIN LIKE THOSE HEARTLESS MONSTERS IN BLACK! SO TELL ME! WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?!'

"I can look for your son. I think he's still alive. There is a place in this town that takes care of abandoned Pokemon here. We can take care of him there. I think I met him there too. A little guy who's very talkative. He always talks about his mother and how much he misses her and wandered how long she'll be gone! He cries at night, looking outside and patiently waiting! I will help you! I will bring him here!" Red pleaded with the Pokemon, the Bone Keeper seeing the sorrow from his tears filled eyes but it made a blast, knocking away Vulpix then separating them before flying towards the teen. 'You have all caused too much pain. How would you feel if you went through the same pain as I have?!'

Hearing that words, Red thought deeply about this, clenching his fists angrily as he wandered who would be heartless enough to kill her. 'I...I just want to help. I can't bear seeing another Pokemon in pain. It's too painful. What could make her feel like this?'

On the other side, Leaf attacked the barrier again but nothing is able to break through stomping her foot in frustration. 'Damn it! Something, anything can work right now.'

Seeing a glowing bone in front of him gripped by an angry ghost is not something Red can say anyone would believe that he witnessed but he did not care. He wanted to help the Marowak. Taking a deep breath, he stood his ground. 'What can I do?'

He then closed his eyes, shaking a bit and trying to stay still as the light from the weapon is peering through his eyelids, making him a little anxious. After taking some deep breaths, he returned Vulpix before taking a step forward. 'Just calm down, Red.'

Marowak quickly swung her weapon, letting out the strength it has in its body. In that same moment, Red rushed forward, hugging the Pokemon, letting out his feelings in the embrace which surprised the ghost who struggled against him.

'Let me go.' The ghost demanded before releasing a Dark Pulse to repel the teen but he held on.

"I'm sorry for everything that you went through…I'm sorry for all the pain that you have went through…" Red said while taking the blasts, ignoring the pain in his body. The Pokemon glowed intensely, punching him but he took the blows.

"You don't deserve this..." He took a punch.

"You deserve better..." He endured a Dark Pulse.

"I'm sorry that I could not help you before...I would have been able to save you and your son! Prevent you from living this life!" He yelled to the mother, not wavering as she pushed him away, changing into her Alolan form before her arms went aflame as it approached the teenager, the teen letting out shaky breaths. 'Why am I so useless?'

"I'm…so…sorry and I...will avenge you…I will make them...pay for you…I promise…" Red yelled between coughs but everything came to naught when he was blasted to the ground, Marowak raising its bone club to strike him. 'NOWW DIIIIE-'

Looking at the weapon, the teen slowly got up, looking up at the weapon before him. 'Again, it happened. Again...I'm useless. I can't save anyone.'

'MOM!'

A voice pierced through the room which made the vortex dissipating as the entire room was filled with silence. Seeing what was happened in the tornado, Leaf was about to attack it but stopped when she heard the voice again which made her turn towards the stairs, noticing a lone Cubone running in an unbalanced pace. Everyone could only watch quietly when it hugs the specter, burying its face into her stomach as its cries could be heard.

'Mom, you're awright! I've been waiting for you, mom! A kind man took care of me, mom!' The Cubone said between sobs, its tiny hands clutching its mother like a lifeline. While she caressed her son's head and pull him more into her embrace with a sorrowful, Red watch the scene with a sense of longing and guilt. 'I hate this.'

The Cubone hummed happily before it jumped in surprise, turning to his mother. 'Oh! Mom. I learned to create my own bone! It was awesome! I wish you could see it. Oh! Oh! I have a lot of friends too…'

'Why does it have to be like this?' Red thought with his hair shadowing his eyes. Leaf walked beside him, holding his arm. "Leaf…why…why must they suffer like this...it's not fair..."

He looked at her with pursued lips as she wrapped her arms around him, the brunette able to feel a damp spot on her shoulder where his face was. "I don't know, Red. I don't know."

'And…And…' For a while, Marowak listened patiently to the child, trying to hold back her tears as she heard his stores, happy with the growth of her son. She was surprised that a human has been taking care of him which made her realize something. 'That boy was telling the truth.'

She look back at the two teenagers that she fought, only to see nothing but a bunch of berries and some porridge in their place, much to her confusion. Hearing the faint sound of footsteps near the stairs, she uttered something that she hopes will reach them.

'Thank you.'

Red and Leaf approached the stairs, silence present between them before the brunette looked towards her raven haired friend, seeing him preparing his stuff and healing their Pokemon. She noticed the sorrowful expression on his face while doing so, much to her worry. "Red, you sure it was alright to leave them like that? Also, are you ok?"

He nodded, an anxious expression on his face before he had a conflicted look on his face. The moment they were about to continue up the stairs, Leaf caught sight of something from the corner of her eye that was dashing down the flight. "Red. What's that?"

Looking at the Pokemon, a baffled look appeared on Red's face before he muttered. "A Zorua?"

Red turned before seeing an injured Zorua, his eyes widened when he noticed the name tag on its neck. He then walked towards the Pokemonn, crouching and petting the Pokemon. "Midnight? Wait, you're Midnight, right?"

'Please help! Mr. Fuji is in danger.' The fox said in panic, Leaf realizing the different colors on its fur while spraying its wounds with Potions. During this, Red fed it berries in an attempt to calm it down as they sat down with it.

"What kind of men? Were they burglars?" The raven haired teen questioned, worry present in his voice.

'Yeah. They called them 'Rocket' or something like that.' Hearing the name made Red's hands run cold and his heart drop which was noticed by Leaf. "Red, what's going on?"

He looked at her with furrowed brows before mentioning two words. "Team Rocket."

Shock took Leaf's expression before she looked up the stairs, Buneary and Cleffy hopping on her shoulders. Seeing her, Red looked at the ground before clenching his fists and lifting his gaze. "Are…are you sure that you want to come with me? You don't need to come with me, Leaf. I…I don't want to see you get hurt. You can call the police while I hold them o-"

Leaf then held his hand, cutting him off by intertwining her fingers with his before using her other hand to make him look at her face, a serious expression etched on it. "Red. I've already decided and I'm still here with you. You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, sweetie."

Red looked down to the ground before nodding with a smile, advancing up the stairs as he remembered what happened with them at the Rock Tunnel, a look of anger on his face.

'I can't let Team Rocket get away with this. Hope that you are alright, grandpa.'

It's done. Phew! Well, here's the chapter and I hope you enjoy it. This chapter tugged on my heartstrings honestly, especially at the end. Pokemon Origins and the Let's Go games made me feel for this section of the story. Words can't tell how much I wanted to make this as good as I could with a couple of paragraphs and some lines. I'm very satisfied with how I wrote the Marowak fight and I believe that under certain phenomenon, a Pokemon can change between its forms. I just wanted to thank you all for taking your time to read this and let me know your thoughts on the story and this chapter. Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for stopping by. Enigma out!