It was a bright, sunny day in Orre. As it usually was. Rain didn't come too often, and snow was basically unheard of. The sun had just reached it's high point, beaming it's light down upon the Pokemon HQ Lab and it's surrounding area. The place was kept clean, and the building itself was in good condition. The Pokeball rotating above the entrance to the lab shined brightly, welcoming anyone that approached. Though the outside looked very calm and peaceful, the inside of the lab was a completely different story, as today was important for those who worked in the lab. Especially the head professor, Michael.

Everyone was hard at work cleaning, making sure the place made a good impression. The papers that had scattered the desks yesterday were now stacked neatly, the footprints left by Pokemon that wandered around the lab had been cleaned off the floors, along with any other small messes made by the usually busy workers who didn't exactly have the most time for being neat and tidy. But cleaning the lab wasn't their only concern, as everyone had the thought of Shadow Pokemon on their minds giving the reports of rather powerful Pokemon that would not be that way under normal circumstances. The last sighting of Shadow Pokemon twelve years ago proved of their power, especially since the epidemic that happened five years before that. If they roamed Orre again... Who knows how much more powerful they could have become?

Nobody knew for sure, and that was perhaps the most terrifying thing of all.

A deep breath escaped Michael as he stepped outside the lab, taking in the fresh air as he looked up at the beautiful blue afternoon sky. He had a small smile on his face as he slipped his hands into the pockets on his lab coat, the sky and fresh air always being able to help him clear his mind when he was stressed. Was it time? Had Ardos finally decided to begin his scheme? It was difficult to believe it was truly happening, with the years of peace Orre had before now. But now wasn't the time for being down, or negative. It was time for keeping a level-head, and being able to handle the situation.

"What's wrong, 'Professor'?" A familiar, cute voice emerged from behind him as the doors to the lab automatically opened for her. Her blue hair flowed in the breeze, as she approached the Professor. "Jovi thinks you have too much on your mind! Maybe you should try and relax every once in awhile!"



Michael shook his head at the suggestion his sister made, turning to face her. "It's difficult, Jovi. I can't take a break when troubled times are possibly approaching." He said, a small frown forming on his face. "Plus, the guests are arriving soon. I have to be ready to give the tour. There's just too much to do, and not enough time in each day to get it all done."

"Jovi thinks you've gotten a lot more boring as an adult!" Jovi spouted out, crossing her arms. "You have to think about yourself more often, or you'll fall under the stress, big brother!" Her irritated tone was one she got from her mother, and Michael knew it well. He scratched the back of his head, leaving the one hand out of his coat pockets. Jovi had simply glared, tapping her foot on the ground.

"Thank you, Jovi." Michael responded respectfully, smiling once more. "You're right, I do have to take time out for myself, or I'll get too stressed to be helpful to anyone. I promise I'll take some time out for myself tomorrow, alright? It's supposed to be sunny, as usual. A walk with my Pokemon would be nice, for me and them."

"Good!" Jovi replied, grinning. walking past her brother. "You do that, while Jovi goes shopping in Gateon Port~!" She cheered happily, skipping down the pathway towards her scooter, her method of transportation across the desert. It was a rather old model, but still managed to levitate none the less. It worked good enough. 'Heh, totally fooled him this time.' She thought slyly, though the sound of her brother's next words made her stop.

"Where do you think you're going?" Michael asked, causing his sister to turn and narrow her eyes. "Jovi's not a kid anymore, you can't just act like mom used to and worry all the time! Your hair'll fall out!" She shouted at him, being more playful rather than actually irritated. "Chobin again, right?" Michael wasn't going to let up on the questions, and his most resent one made her blush uncontrollably. "Jovi was... Just going to do some shopping!"

"Buying Chobin's inventions, right?" Michael snickered, watching as Jovi walked over to her scooter and hopped on. She glared at him for a moment, the big grin on his face almost making her laugh. "Jovi might find a gift for you! Jovi knows how much you love Chobin's inventions!" Her words sent a chill down Michael's spine, as he nervously shook his head. "Aah... Thanks, Jovi. But I'll pass."

"Suit yourself!" Jovi replied, before putting on her helmet, before soon taking off. She bit the inside of her cheek irritably as she heard her brothers last words as she made her departure.

"Be back by twelve!"

---

Meanwhile, down the road, a rather run-down bus sped down the dirt road towards the lab. The vehicle was obviously old, especially giving it was still using wheels. It managed to blaze through the desert with nothing more than a mildly bumpy ride. It was certainly reliable. it had to be, giving the man driving it lived off the funds he made for transporting people around Orre. The man was certainly willing to talk, though had been quiet for the last hour or so of the trip. Giving the surprisingly small amount of passengers some time to think.

There were only four people riding with the man today, one of which was a white-haired young man cramped in one seat with his scooter in front of him, wearing an unzipped red coat and white undershirt, with green cargo pants. He stood at around 5'11", and by the look of him his age was fifteen or going on sixteen. He had been silent, simply starring out the window drifting in his own thoughts, His intentions for coming to the lab were simple, he wished to see the way the lab operated, and meet the man that helped his region years ago. He was certainly curious, and decided it'd be best to not pass up the chance to get to see what the lab was truly all about.

His yellow eyes widened as he noticed the bus zoom past a girl on a scooter going in the opposite direction. He pondered for a moment who she was, and if she had came from the lab, before starring out at the view out in the green pasture that was a fair distance away from the road; The Rustler Family Farm. The place wasn't huge, but Pokemon and Humans alike could be seen working hard out in the fields, providing berries for the region and it's Pokemon. A wonderful sight for those who appreciated the teamwork between both Humans and Pokemon, but perhaps a little dull to some.

"We are about to reach our destination! Up and at'em, don't go drifting off to sleep on my bus!" The driver shouted, not trying to actually be rude, he was more just fooling around. The white-haired young man simply shook his head, staying silent. He was just waiting until it was time to get off the bus. Which would probably be in the next couple of minutes.

---

As the bus approached, Professor Michael tugged on his lab coat nervously. "Here they come. I've got to try and act official about this, it's important to stay calm, and take things at a decent pace. Right? Right." He didn't want to screw up this tour, though he had never done anything like this before. It was kind of awkward for him, but he had a feeling it'd be alright. Though he swallowed hard as the bus pulled up, and the doors slowly opened.

"Thank you for riding with 'Official' Orre Transports! I hope to see you again!" The bus driver said, seeming happy enough as he waited for everyone who was going to depart. The young white-haired man picked up his items as the bus driver spoke, standing up to put on his backpack, before grabbing his scooter and rolling it along the small pathway on the bus to the back exit. He was happy to finally be getting out of that cramped position, as he maneuvered the scooter and himself outside, thankfully without dropping his scooter and possibly damaging it. He simply pushed it along with him a short distance, before leaving it in a spot where he'd figured it would be safe enough and not in the way. After getting situated, he stood at attention, observing the man in front of the lab's entrance. Things were quiet, until the others exited the bus. Then a small introduction of sorts began.

'Less people than I expected...' Michael thought, observing the group as they got off the bus. Once all four of them were in front of him, Michael knew he had to say something. A sort of... Welcoming. "Welcome!" He began, smiling happily at the group. "My name is Michael, and I study Pokemon in the Orre region! I'm very glad you could all make it here today, and I am also very thankful for your interest in the work that goes on here."

'Yeah. That sounded really good! I should do this more often...!'

"Aah, anyhow... Before we continue inside, may I ask your names? Just to make it a little easier to answer if you have any questions."

Michael calmly waited for replies. He was certain this would be fine! What could possibly go wrong, right? He just needed to keep a level head and not get his words twisted up, and everything would go great. He was sure of it.

"My name is Desmond." The white-haired male spoke first, staying calm and being polite. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor. I have a lot of interest in the operations of this lab, and I can hardly wait to get started."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well! There will be plenty for you to see once we're inside, I assure you." Michael responded, happy to know there were those in Orre interested about his work. That alone made him happy enough to continue, most certainly.

'I think I might enjoy this tour more than I thought...'

“Are you sure you have everything sweetie?”

“Yeah mom.” It’s just a tour, I don’t need anything.

“Your bus fare? ID? Contact information?”

“Mhm, I checked.” About three times...

“And you’re sure you don’t want me to come along?”

“I’ll be fine.”

A block or so away from the bus stop near the edge of Gateon Port the green eyed, black haired woman, wearing a light blue dress and white blouse, stood over her fairly short son, his hair short and black, his eyes wide and blue, wearing a wide sleeved purple shirt and black shorts, a hip bag turned to hang near the back of his lower torso. He had a tired expression on his face: he knew she meant well, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a bit much. Sure, he was a bit skittish around Pokémon, but just because it was a Pokémon Lab, it wasn’t like there were just going to be a dozen of the things running amok...right?

Briefly cringing at the though, the boy cringed even harder as his mother said, “Well, you enjoy yourself, Cornelius!” That name: why did his parents curse him with that name? Cornelius Rudolphus Duval. His sister was better off with ‘Marielle Josephine Duval’, but it took a couple years for Cornelius to squeeze a decent sounding name out of his long one. Seeing his displeasure, his mother corrected herself, “Er, Rudy: I’ll see you when you’re back!”

Rudy nodded, waving before turning to go to the bus stop. Despite his previous certainty that he’d be fine, he did get a bit of anxiety as he headed towards the sign: sure, he’d gone around the town alone, but he’d never been far from Gateon Port alone. Trying to get a grip on himself, he focused on what he was going to say to the Professor when he got a chance.

The bus ride was a bit quiet (well excluding the bumps and jostling), with only three others taking the tour. Did the tour’s happen often enough that not too many showed up for each one? Or perhaps the Professor wasn’t as popular as Rudy had heard.

When the bus finally came to a stop, Rudy took a moment to stretch before standing from his seat, waiting for the others to file out, the first being the white haired boy with the scooter. Following the rest, the path took them to a red haired man in a white lab coat, who looked around for a moment before launching into an introduction, then asking the four for their names. Rudy cringed again, why did it have to be names.

The first to introduce themselves was the white haired boy, Desmond. As Professor Michael responded, Rudy began to predict the future: the other two would introduce themselves, and then the shy Rudy would be badgered into giving his own name. Wanting to avoid that, the short boy suddenly blurted, “Rudy!” Having said it a bit louder than intended, he bit his tongue, feeling a shred of embarrassment.

Aah, anyhow... Before we continue inside, may I ask your names? Just to make it a little easier to answer if you have any questions."

Velis smiled as she looked at the building in front of her. This was the Pokemon Lab. One of the most famous locations in all of Orre. And now she was here, standing in front of the person who had fought in the second Shadow Pokemon crisis. She was glad she had gotten out of Phenac city, it was getting boring seeing the same thing every day, doing the same things over and over.

"Hello Professor." She said with a large smile on her face. "My name is Velis and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing the inside of the Pokemon lab." She said with a laugh. "I've been looking forward to this for awhile."

Jason noted the names of the other three trainers after they said them. He also noted that he had decided to let them go before he could say anything which was rather unusual for him. "Oh, uh, my name is Jason. Jason Ashburn. I am from Kanto and it is a pleasure to meet you Professor." Jason said with a slight half smile on his face. He didn't intend on telling anybody that he was from Kanto but it just seemed to slip out of his mouth. It was almost as if Jason could already tell that the Professor was a very personable man. Jason though hoped that he could tell the Professor his story as soon as they were alone.

Desmond cringed, glancing at the younger boy who had shouted his name. It was unnecessary in his opinion, but he didn't know what kind of person this 'Rudy' was, so he wouldn't really judge him on it. The Professor sure didn't, as he seemed indifferent about the volume. Desmond couldn't figure out if he was just being polite, or was used to the noise due to working in the lab. Even more reason to see how the place operated.

"Well, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Rudy." Michael replied to the young boy, taking the loud tone more as excitement than any sort of awkwardness. A little liveliness never hurt anyone, right? Sure some people don't appreciate it, and Michael himself never was a very loud-speaking person, but it was understandable, none the less. He just hoped he could live up to any expectations the small boy might have.

The next one to speak up was a young woman that seemed to be older than the others somewhat. He listened to her words, before thinking of his reply. "Awhile, eh? Our doors are always open for trainers, even if we don't always have the time to explain as much as one might want. We provide basic services much like a Pokemon Center, though we do not have anyone as skilled in the medical department as a Pokemon Center would normally. I've been hoping to find a doctor that would care to stay and assist us at the lab, but I've had no luck." He said, shaking his held slowly. "But I'm sure we'll find someone before they'll truly be needed. Now then, what about you?" The Professor glanced at the last person in the group, seeming to be in the middle of the age range here. It didn't take long for him to get a response.

"Oh, uh, my name is Jason. Jason Ashburn. I am from Kanto and it is a pleasure to meet you Professor."

"Aah, from Kanto? I hope you are enjoying Orre, even if it is a lot warmer around here." Michael was glad to have the introductions out of the way, so they could get into the thick of things. He took a moment to think of what to say, before speaking up once more. "Thank you all. Now that we've got that out of the way, I suppose we should start, yes? Follow me, if you'd please."

Turning, the Professor began walking. The doors opened, allowing him to enter the lab with what he hoped was the small group following him. The inside of the lab was much cooler than outside, which after the trip here, was probably something to appreciate. "We here at the Orre Pokemon Lab do what most Pokemon Labs in other regions do; study Pokemon. Also like the labs in other regions, we focus most of our work on a specific subject. For example, Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh Region focuses on Evolution. While Professor Elm of the Johto Region focuses on Pokemon Breeding." Michael could feel himself becoming more confident as he continued speaking. "Here, we focus on studying the emotions, the feelings, and treatment of Pokemon. It's a very interesting subject, as befriending Pokemon is a very enjoyable experience, and that is the most important part of the study. As some of you may know, there have been two terrible events in Orre's recent past, know as the Shadow Pokemon Epidemics. An organization by the name of Cipher used undisclosed methods to lock the hearts and emotions of Pokemon. These Pokemon became monsters, attacking anyone and anything they could get their hands on. It was truly terrifying for everyone involved."

Michael shivered a little at the memories of the Pokemon he encountered in the past. They were difficult for him and his team to bring down, and even when they did, catching them was still hard due to the pure anger inside of them. "Luckily, during the first Epidemic, a young man emerged from what almost seemed like thin air, damaging the criminal organization Team Snagem, as well as capturing all the Shadow Pokemon in Orre, in order to put an end to Cipher. After the defeat of the supposed leader of Cipher, Evice, we had five years of peace. During that time, my father and a brilliant man, Professor Krane, worked on a device to help against the possible threat of Shadow Pokemon in the future. They called it the 'Purification Chamber'. A device able to purify Shadow Pokemon easily, surely that'd stop Cipher in their tracks for good, eh? Sadly that wasn't true. I was twelve at the time, when the second epidemic began. Cipher appeared at this very lab, and kidnapped Professor Krane. He had treated me like a son since my father passed, and it was what set me to begin my own journey to stand up against those who would harm both the people and Pokemon of my home."

Michael chuckled, stopping his tale. "But that's a story that is much too long for this tour. Needless to say though, everything turned out alright. After the second epidemic, I returned here, to the lab, and began studying Pokemon and the technology of the Purification Chamber. Sadly, years ago, Professor Krane passed away. He was the last person with any true knowledge of the machine, and that left me to figure out how to improve the purification process." He sighed, glancing down at the floor. "Even with all these years, not much progress has been made... We are still putting our effort into it, but he possibility of a breakthrough seems to be very small. Therefor we focus on the study of the emotions and treatment of Pokemon, to help find ways of naturally assisting Shadow Pokemon instead, even if it takes longer and is more dangerous for those involved. I befriended the Shadow Pokemon I encountered, and I'm positive that others can as well. It'll be helpful if we can provide information on how to do so carefully though, yes?"

Desmond had kept quiet, listening to the Professor carefully. He respected the studies, and had to admit this was more than he was expecting. A lab focused on how Pokemon were treated, and how certain species possibly reacted to one-another emotionally? A truly fascinating topic. He remained silent though, keeping his thoughts to himself. One thing was for sure, and that was everything he learned here, he was taking to heart. It was all fascinating to him, and he hoped to see some of the lab's work in action before the tour was over. Or afterwards.

As the others introduced themselves, Rudy kept quiet, regretting his outburst a little. The Professor didn’t seem to mind that much, but still, why was he so nervous? It wasn’t like he was the farthest he’s ever been from his parents or anything alone...oh wait, it was. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he took a calming breath, which seemed to help a bit. It wasn’t like things were focused on him, and as long as things stayed that way, it’d be alright.

After introductions were completed, Professor Michael led the tour group into the cooler air of the lab proper. As they stopped, Rudy got a look around, seeing all the machines and such before turning his attention back to the Professor as he began speaking. As he mentioned Professors, Rudy couldn’t help but remember the Professor of his home region, Kalos, whom he’d probably heard about on TV or something to that effect. As he went on about befriending Pokémon, Rudy couldn’t help but frown a little bit: it felt like something easier said than done, yet Michael said it like it was so easy. However, as he began to talk about the Shadow Pokémon Epidemics and Cipher, the mood in the room seemed to tense a bit. Rudy had heard rumors of them, but to hear it from the person who had actually dealt with it was something else. And he was twelve when he did it, the same age that Rudy was now.

A question burning on his mind, Rudy began, “How...” Stopping, he cleared his throat, before raising his hand, finally asking, “How do you tell what a Shadow Pokémon looks like?”

"Aah, an excellent question!" The Professor responded, preparing to answer the question. "Shadow Pokémon are quite mysterious, as they usually appear as normal Pokémon. It can actually be quite difficult to tell if a Pokémon is a Shadow Pokémon. But thankfully back when I hunted for them, we had a piece of technology known as an Aura Reader. Like the Purification Chamber, it was made by my father, and Professor Krane. It turned out that Shadow Pokémon emitted an odd aura that was invisible to the human eye, purple in color. Though we couldn't produce this technology many times over in case the Aura Reader stopped working, so we had to find other methods of identifying a Shadow Pokémon. Studies have shown that Shadow Pokémon are incredibly full of power, fueled by their anger and hatred. One way to spot a Shadow Pokémon is by simply seeing how it reacts to situations given to it. The offer to battle, for example. Most Pokémon would be willing, yes. But a Shadow would viciously step forward and insist on it happening. They also have incredible battling ability, showing great strength of both mind and body, one more than the other, depending on the Pokémon. They show no mercy in battle, willing to drain the opponent's strength to the bare minimum needed for survival. Some attacks in the past have left both Pokémon and Trainers fainted, people passing by happening to recover anybody to meet such a fate and thankfully getting them proper care. It can take days, even weeks, for somebody to wake up after an assault from a Shadow Pokémon. Cipher liked to make Shadow Pokémon out of species' that would appear weak to others, throwing them off guard if they were searching specifically for one. I..."

He paused for a moment, before continuing. "... Doubt that you will see an actual Shadow Pokémon anytime soon, but it never hurts to be wary of certain species' that seem to be preforming too well for their skill level, especially against highly trained Pokémon." Finishing his explanation, he stared at the hallway ahead, a neutral expression on his face. "Forgive me if that wasn't the most informative explanation, it's all we really know about identifying them without an Aura Reader. Hopefully it was enough to answer your question."

"Forgive me if that wasn't the most informative explanation, it's all we really know about identifying them without an Aura Reader. Hopefully it was enough to answer your question."

Velis was a little confused by what she was hearing. That explained how they had identified Shadow Pokemon during the second crisis but not during the first one. From what she had heard from others and things she had read in books and magazines and from what the professor had told her the Aura Reader had created around the time of the second crisis.

"Professor, I have a question about the first Shadow Pokemon crisis. You said a trainer managed to stop the first crisis,but the aura reader wasn't created until five years after that. So how did he manage to identify the Shadow Pokemon back then? Was there some way to identify them back then?"

Velis was eager to learn more about the first crisis. She knew a bit about the second crisis but not the first.

"She makes an excellent point, Professor. It must have been near-impossible to find them during that point in time without the Aura Reader. I doubt luck would bring somebody that far." Desmond added to the end of Velis' question, quite curious about it himself. He stared ahead, slowing down as to not bump into the Professor as he stopped.

"Well," The Professor began, turning to face the group. "It is almost impossible to gather information from back then about the trainer that stopped the epidemic. Not a whole lot is known about the, from my gathered facts, duo that stopped the first crisis our region had. The biggest source of information was from the people of the village in Agata Forest. A man there, known as Eagun, told me his granddaughter had traveled with the trainer that had captured the Shadow Pokémon during the first crisis. She wasn't a trainer, but what he referred to as a 'blessed individual'. He wasn't too clear in what he meant, but I believe he may have meant it in a gifted sense, as in psychic power."

"Psychic power? That's a bit far-fetched, Professor." Desmond chipped in, not seeming to believe it. "Certainly there has to be a more scientific explanation?"

Michael shook his head. "I understand you wouldn't trust in such a thing, as Orre doesn't have many psychics. Other regions actually have quite a few though, they are indeed real, and sensing Shadow Aura is possibly a psychic talent. The conclusion I came to was that the woman that traveled with the trainer had this power, and assisted him by pointing out Shadow Pokémon. As Velis said, the Aura Reader didn't exist during the first epidemic, therefor there has to be an explanation to how they identified and captured those Pokémon. I feel this is the closest we'll ever get to the truth."

"I suppose..." Desmond muttered, retreating to his thoughts, not wanting to voice his disbelief anymore. 'Though still... Psychic powers... That can't be it, can it? No, there has to be a better explanation than that. Perhaps I can be the one to discover the truth to this mystery... Maybe there was something similar to the Aura Reader that existed back then and only she had it? it's a stretch, but it's worth believing in as a possibility. I wonder where I would start my search for information..?'

Jason started to listen in on the conversation about the Aura Reader and this woman who traveled with the hero from the first epidemic. Was it really possible that this woman could see the aura of shadow pokemon? Even more so Jason wondered whether it was not just a hallucination from the heat that he saw the same distinct purple aura of shadow pokemon. "So," Jason started slowly, "is it possible that other people can see the exact same auras read by the Aura Read such as this 'gifted' woman did? If so, how would you prove that it was not just maybe some hallucination or daze brought on by some outside source?" Jason wanted dearly to believe that the Professor was right, that the shadow pokemon were gone.

Jason had read up on the shadow pokemon epidemics and more specifically, the random attacks upon trainers by shadow pokemon during these periods of times. Jason even learned from a man ,who was attacked by shadow pokemon, that he felt as if he could never battle again after his defeat. No trainer should have to go through such a feeling, being unable to fulfill your life's dream because of a defeat so great.

At Rudy’s question, Professor Michael explained thoughtfully and clearly. Rudy had a brief feeling of admiration: he was truly knowledgeable in his field. The description of Shadow Pokémon chilled him, however: not only did they sound terrifying and dangerous, but it lined up eerily with the reason he came here: the Crawdaunt his father had recently received. The fact that people couldn’t see Shadow Auras was bothering him though.

As he finished, the girl, Velis, asked yet another question, which Rudy was also quite curious about, though he hadn’t thought about it until she’d said something. Professor Michael answered, explaining about a girl who’d aided in the crisis, who had possibly been in possession of some strange ability. Rudy felt a bit nervous, his blood chilling: was he some kind of...weirdo? Desmond seemed skeptical about the subject and speculation, leading Rudy to wonder about himself as well. He’d have to ask the Professor.

Jason asked yet another question, about the possibility of others like the girl. Heart leaping into his throat, he couldn’t help but gag on his spit. After choking for a moment, he recovered, before pointing out, a bit of nervous sweat visible on his forehead, “Er, this Shadow Pokémon stuff is kinda interesting, but what about the rest of the lab?” Wiping his brow with his sleeve, he hoped that they could get on with the tour. He wanted to speak with the Professor, certainly, but he’d have preferred a bit more privacy.

Shadow Pokemon...I've heard so much about the second crisis, I wish I could have met the two that ended the first crisis on their own, they were heroes! Not to mention they were most likely great trainers with plenty of advice. Maybe one day they'll come back, and once I get stronger I can battle them to prove that I'm a good trainer and get some advice. Velis thought wistfully as she stared straight ahead for a moment. She caught herself a moment later, hopefully before anyone saw her staring off into space.

"There two who fought against Cipher back during the first crisis...has anyone seen them since? Any ideas on where they may have gone?" She asked carefully. Her family knew she had been fascinated with what had happened during the first and second shadow Pokemon crisis and had tried to keep her from finding out more about the first one. They had worried about her fascination, called it an obsession even. But Velis was determined to meet the heroes who had stopped the first shadow Pokemon epidemic and had taken down Cipher.

It was her dream.

"Well, it's certainly possible for more than one person to have such a power, in my opinion. But the probability is truly quite low. The same goes for it being a trick of the eye, though some people harmed in the epidemics may experience such things as hallucinations of Shadow Pokémon, but the probability of it happening randomly to somebody, simulating that dark and eerie vibe of Shadow Aura... It's as low, if not as low as somebody else being able to actually see it. I suppose the only way to prove if somebody had the power was to go and find a Shadow Pokémon. But that'd be..." Michael glanced behind him, down the hall. As he turned his head to face the group, Rudy spoke up. He smiled, actually glad to get off the topic himself, especially giving where he had been going with his words.

Clearing his throat, he nodded. "That is a good idea, Rudy. We've stood here long enough, there are things to see! Come along, I think I know just the place to lighten the mood after this discussion." Michael turned, as Velis began to speak. He took a moment to redirect his thoughts to the question, before replying. "The only person I think that'd know would possibly be Eagun, though he never told me if they were still in Orre or not. It's possible they've been living here the whole time and nobody realizes it, yet it's also possible that they left and have been gone since the first epidemic. There is no solid evidence, at least that I've uncovered. If you are ever near Agata Forest, I suggest you seek out Eagun in Agate Village. You might be able to get some information from him that I didn't."

Deciding to get back to where he was intending to take the tour, Michael began walking down the hall, speaking as he went. "We have a large quantity of Pokémon here. Inside the lab, and in the garden behind it. We sometimes end up with quite a few eggs, and having all those Pokémon together back there can get a bit messy if the little ones get into trouble. So we dedicated a small portion of the lab to housing them, sort of like a Daycare."

Michael explained, as the journey down the hall continued. After a short period of time, Michael stopped, turning left and looking through the observation window that showed the inside of the Daycare without them having to enter right away. Inside there were many small Pokémon, playfully wrestling, eating, and some even surprisingly sleeping through it all. Multiple breeders could be seen inside as well, assisting the Pokémon when necessary, and making sure they all ate healthy. It wasn't the most relaxing job, but it was certainly a fulfilling one.

"As you can see, there are plenty of young Pokémon here. When somebody comes to the Lab, looking for their first Pokémon, this is where we go. There are quite a few different species, and they all have different personalities. I like to think there's a partner for everyone, and that partner can be found here."

Desmond observed the Pokémon through the window, a smile forming on his lips as he noticed a Slakoth lazily sleeping in a corner, away from the commotion. He then glanced down at the two Pokéballs on his belt, recalling the comrades he already had, and trusted more than anyone else. They were always there through thick and thin, like kin. "I think that's most certainly correct, Professor. There were certainly partners for me when I first began."

Michael glanced at the white-haired young man, curiously. "Oh? And what partners were those?"

"A Mareep, and Nidoran." Desmond answered, looking up at the Professor. "They have aided me more than a few times, I could never thank them enough for being there for me, so I always try to be there for them, in battle, and in general to make sure they stay healthy."

Michael nodded. "They sound like dependable Pokémon. It's good to know there are still plenty of strong connections between trainer and Pokémon these days." He replied, before curiously looking over at the others. "You also have Pokémon, yes? Companions you trust deeply?" He asked, personally curious. It got his mind off of the Shadow Pokémon, which he appreciated.

After the Professor answered yet another question of Velis’, he finally continued with the tour, taking them deeper into the lab. At the mention of there being a number of Pokémon about, Rudy was put on guard. However, he managed to relax a bit when the group was brought to the Daycare. Not only were they on the other side of a wide window, they were all small, young Pokémon of their species. Even if for just a moment, he managed a smile, his mood put at ease.

As Desmond began to talk about his own Pokémon partners, Rudy couldn’t help but notice that both Jason and Velis both had Pokéballs on their respective persons. Rudy didn’t feel envious, but he was still the odd one out. Scratching the side of his face awkwardly, he mumbled, “Er, I don’t...”

Jason wasn't put off guard at all as the boy known as Rudy wanted to shift the focus to the showing. The topic of Shadow pokemon was always a touchy one. What Jason was really interested in after the change of topic was the daycare itself. It reminded Jason of the daycare facility Professor Oak had back in Kanto. Oak told Jason that he would have to treat his Aron with care while he was visiting the laboratory. Aron had been with Jason since they first met and they and inseparable since. Even Fletchling hasn't left Jason alone for more than a few minutes of flying.

This bond was one that Jason knew few people truly experienced with more than one pokemon. The question of his pokemon woke Jason from his thoughtfulness. "Oh, uh" Jason started in haste ", I have two. Aron and Fletchling have been with me for a while. Aron was my first pokemon." Jason was nervous talking about his pokemon. It had been a long time since he had actually used them, Jason couldn't be willing to face them after allowing them such a defeat to the shadow pokemon. Jason was visibly shaken by the mentioning of his pokemon.

You also have Pokémon, yes? Companions you trust deeply?"

Velis smiled. "I do. I first found Makuhita outside Phenac city, he was abandoned and badly wounded and I ended up taking him in and taking care of him. A few years later my family was on a trip to Agate Village when we found a Bagon that was abandoned by it's trainer. I took her in as well."

She looked down at the two Pokeballs on her belt and smiled again. "I trust these two with my life. They've been my best friends." She reached down and grabbed the first PokeBall and held it in her hand. "Makuhita and Bagon were both kind of scared of me at first but they warmed up when I showed them that they had nothing to fear from me."

She let out a soft laugh as she remembered the first time she had bought exercise equipment for her Makuhita. He had ended up destroying it within the first hour while doing his workout. Bagon had had her fair share of incidents as well such as destroying a few large boulders in her parent's garden by accident a few times as well.

"I see. You all seem to have very good Pokémon." Michael said, admiring the, to him, rather unique teams. There were still a lot of Pokémon left for them to possibly catch, but they all seemed to be at least fairly experienced. "Though, Rudy..." The Professor glanced down at the boy, finding it mildly odd that he didn't have a Pokémon of his own. Was it simply due to him not being able to obtain one, or was there another reason? Michael shunned the thought of the latter, and continued. "Giving you don't have a Pokémon, and we're going to take a look inside the Daycare... Would you perhaps like to see if you could find a Pokémon to call your own?" He asked, gesturing towards the window. "I know they all look quite rowdy, but they are a bit calmer when it comes to people."

Though Michael had been distracted and didn't notice, Desmond raised an eyebrow at the way Jason was acting. "Are you alright?" He asked, mildly concerned, as he hadn't seemed the most excited after speaking of his Pokémon. It was odd, to say the least. What could make him act like that? Desmond paused, thinking back to the Shadow Pokémon conversation. Maybe he was just scared of that...? 'If it's all over, then what is there to fear?' Desmond looked away, unsure of what to think on the matter. He had the impression that Jason might have been hiding something, but passed it off as him just overthinking it.

---

Meanwhile, along the road to the Pokémon HQ Lab...

A rather large truck sped down the road, kicking up dust behind it as it quickly approached the lab, not concerned for anything in it's path. The driver kept his eyes on the road, while the passenger, a rather lanky man, relaxed as much as he could throughout the ride. He had a look of disapproval on his face, as they hit a bump in the road, bouncing him up and causing him to hit his head on the back of his seat on the way down. "Be careful, would ya?!" He shouted irritably, grumbling complaints under his breath as he adjusted himself, sitting strait. The sound of a phone ringing soon interrupted his complaints, and he calmed himself as he pulled out his phone. He sighed, answering it. "P here, what's goin' on?"

"Don't act casual when addressing me."

The man's eyes widened behind his sunglasses, as he stuttered his response. "B-Boss! Heeey, I would have never done such a thing if I had known it was you!" He said, as an excuse. "So what's got you so worried about this lab that I hafta' come all the way out here with these low-league grunts? I could be doin' much better, cleaner, and more enjoyable work back in Realgam right now."

"You think that this will be as easy as going in and completing your task? A very powerful trainer resides here, he could handle all of the fodder I sent with you by himself. Do not underestimate the trainers that reside inside the Lab. Or they'll easily see to your defeat. And you know how I respond to failure."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got this covered, don't you worry." A smirk crossed the man's face. "They'll never know what hit them. I'll see to it that they are left frozen solid for eternity, heh." His words had probably fell on deaf ears, giving the fact he was left alone as soon as he finished. He shrugged, putting his phone away, before glaring at the driver. "C'mon! Move it! I ain't got all day to waste on these lab junkies and their 'powerful' trainer."

He was satisfied as the truck began moving faster, leaning back and keeping his smirk.

'We'll see just who this powerful trainer is... Probably a pushover, but it might at least be a bit entertaining.'

"I... I am fine. Just a little worried that this kid here doesn't even have a pokemon yet! Don't people normally give those old enough to have their trainers license a starter anymore?" Jason said as he quickly changed the topic off himself. Jason eased the tension out of his body and took note of the daycare and how many pokemon there were in there. So many of them could be a good starter for the kid. "There are a lot of them in there kid. Let's hope you choose a good one. After all, this daycare is filled with pokemon and one of them has to be your soul partner." Jason told Rudy. Jason never really knew what it was like choosing his first pokemon, he just knew that Aron was his perfect friend.

Yet Jason still couldn't shake the feeling that he had let his friends down. He lost to those shadow pokemon too badly for him to even believe that they had forgiven him. Jason just wasn't sure that their bond was deep enough for them to trust him after allowing them such a loss. Although Jason's thoughts had turned dark, he still wore a mask of calmness to hide his pain.

As the other’s talked about their Pokémon partners, Rudy listened, the names only bringing him a little recognition. It wasn’t too unusual, right? There were so many Pokémon, how were you supposed to remember them all? However, as Professor Michael noticed Rudy’s lack of Pokémon, he offered to give him one of the ones in the Daycare. Contemplating the offer, Rudy looked from the Professor to the daycare window, considering things. The last time he was given a Pokémon, it was a nearly wild, rowdy Carvanha that tried to take a chunk out of him (seriously, what was his dad thinking?) But, thinking logically, these little baby Pokémon couldn’t be that dangerous, so there was no reason to be skittish around them. In fact, this Lab studied human and Pokémon relationships. Maybe it would be worth it to give it a shot? His parents wouldn’t mind, as it had been a while since he’d even showed any interest in getting a Pokémon. That and Rudy didn’t like to stand out.

As he thought, Jason loudly pointed out that Rudy had no Pokémon despite that he was certainly old enough, though supporting the idea himself. His eye twitching for a moment at the annoyance, Rudy muttered to himself, “It isn’t that weird...” Taking a breath, he looked back to Professor Michael, before nodding, saying, “O-okay, I’ll take one.” Realizing he was being a little rude, he bowed his head lighting, adding, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

The grass of the fields rippled under the hover-car skimming across the dirt road towards the Pokemon HQ lab. It was fluid and sleek, the bumper and rims a polished gold, whilst the body remained a dark, sparkling metallic violet. On the bonnet sat a crest of arms featuring a pokeball as the centrepiece, and all of the windows were tinted black.

It slowly floated to a halt in front of the doors to the lab, and an aged woman in a starched, plain navy pinafore with a white blouse underneath stepped out of the hover-car, opening the door to reveal the black, soft seats in which there was only one occupant. The occupant unbuckled her seatbelt and slipped out of the hover-car, nodding curtly to the woman. "Your father wishes you back before supper, Elizabeth." reported the aged woman and the occupant nodded again.

The occupant waited and watched the hover-car slide down the rolling plains for a while, before turning and entering the Lab. She went on tip-toes to be seen at the reception desk - "Elizabeth Blake, Miss, I'm here for the tour." - and followed her down towards Michael and the other children, down the corridors and approaching a window into the daycare where the group were peering inside.

Elizabeth herself was quite a sight. The first thing that would come to mind is "rich kid" - every inch of her outfit screamed wealth and demanded attention. The dress she was wearing incorperated a shimmering beige silk chestpiece which was smoothly dyed at the bottom to navy blue, on top of which was translucent cloth with a similar dying pattern. On the chest, the hems and the skirt, elaborate embroidered patterns only barely accentuated with sequins and stones brought the full dress together. The slippers were made out of a dark navy velvet. Hanging on her shoulder was a satin clutch bag.

However, the body inside of the outfit certainly was sending the opposite message - Her almond-shaped grey eyes were dulled by years of formality to show little to no emotion or life out of them, completely devoid of the childish spark of excitement and adventure. Unlike the local inhabitants of Orre, her skin was pallid and smooth like cream. Even the colour in her lips is faded, barely pink, as if something sucked the colour right out of her. A stark contrast to her pallor was her hair - a straight black curtain, trimmed as flat and neat as is physically possible. The only decoration was a black headband, almost lost in the dark hair, with a gem-studded Litwick brooch pinned to it.

She scanned over the group without really taking in their appearance, or perhaps even their existence, before her eyes rested on Michael. With the elegance and grace that probably could only be achieved with years of constant practice, Elizabeth bowed her head so the inky dark curtain covered her face and neck, lightly crossed her feet over and curtseyed to the man, rising in a matter of moments. When she spoke, her voice was just as blank and hollow as her eyes. "I apologise for my lateness. My name is Elizabeth Blake, and I wish to attend the tour."