[IC] Pokemon: In The Shadow of a Rainbow

[Todd Howard]

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 ten years that had passed since the Shadow Pokemon epidemic were peaceful ones, nobody could have truly asked for better. The region was mostly at peace now, aside from minor crime here and there. It was certainly a place worth living in now, much more than before. Of course, not everyone is fit for the Orre lifestyle. Especially travelers without any transportation. A lone bus runs through the region, transporting people from place to place for a perhaps less than reasonable fee. Your adventure begins on this bus, which is heading towards the Pokemon HQ Lab. Some of the passengers may have considered this tour to be more... Official. Little did they know of the events currently happening at the lab.

Theme of the Pokemon HQ Lab

"Alright, everybody! We've got to make sure everything is ready for our visitors!" Michael said loudly, his voice reaching the scientists and breeders that worked in the lab. Everyone was hard at work, getting the rather cluttered lab full of notes and Pokemon cleaned up. Michael himself was personally dealing with a rather large steel bird Pokemon, known as a Skarmory. It was one of his own Pokemon, one that assisted him in battle from time to time. It seemed to look sad, as Michael crossed his arms. "You've got to go back into the garden for now. We've got visitors coming." He told the bird, and he simply got a depressed sigh as a reply.

Michael chuckled, and offered a smile to the large Pokemon. "Don't worry, the garden is part of the tour. You'll be able to meet them soon enough. Now get going! They might need your help getting the little ones outside." Though the Skarmory was still not pleased, it nodded and turned around, walking strait down the hall towards the back of the lab. "He's like a big baby." Michael muttered, as he turned around and walked towards the entrance. He had to greet the guests when they arrived, and that could be any minute. He wasn't exactly good at touring, or at least he didn't think he was, giving he never did such a thing before. There was a first time for everything though, right?

As he walked outside, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sunlight. He felt relieved, the fresh air was always good for making him less nervous. All that was left for him to do was wait. Michael wasn't known for being extremely patient, but as he stood there you could tell he was trying.

He heard the doors to the lab open, and glanced back, The girl that had walked out of the lab stopped in her tracks as soon as she was noticed.

Jovi

"Where do you think you're going?" Michael asked, causing his sister to 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. A gift for you, Jovi knows how much you love Chobin's inventions!" Her words sent a chill down Michael's spine, he nervously shook his head. "Aah... Thanks, Jovi. But I'll pass."

"Okay then!" Jovi said, starting up her scooter. She put her helmet on, and soon drove off. Hearing her brother's voice behind her. "Be back by twelve!"

Meanwhile, back on the bus...

A girl on a scooter zoomed by the bus as it approached the Pokemon HQ Lab. They were here at last! The drive felt like forever probably, for those who weren't used to travel times in Orre. For the driver, it was just another day on the road. He smirked as they pulled up to the lab, and looked back at the small group in his bus. "Well, kids. We're here. Thank you for using my service, and make sure to mention me to all your friends!" A laugh followed from the man, as he opened the doors. Professor Michael waited patiently in front of the lab, waiting for everybody to exit before he began speaking. A small welcoming, of sorts.

'Less people than I expected...' Michael thought, observing the group as they got off the bus. Once the five 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! Oh- Uh, ask any questions you think you need to, as well! I'll answer what I can!"

'Crap. I slipped up...' Michael bit the inside of his cheek, waiting for replies. He was certain this would be fine! What could possibly go wrong, right?

[Soul]

"Ele-Le-Kid!"

"Damn it, stop!"

Raizo glared at the bipedal electric-type, grabbing it's large, bulky fist right before it could punch him - yet again - in his jaw. This entire bus ride was taking waaay to long, and after an hour of sleeping the trainer was awoken by his Pokemon punching him repeatedly in the jaw; for no reason! He sincerely doubted that the Pokemon was bored, seeing as it usually entertained itself with electricity when Raizo slept, so the electric-type was only doing it to annoy him. "Kid Kid!" The disgruntled Pokemon growled back, standing up in the leathery, torn seat of the sweaty bus and attempting to punch Rai with it's other fist. Similar to the first time, Raizo merely grabbed the fist and twisted it sharply, causing Elekid to grunt in embarassment as it tripped from the sudden pressure, falling face-first onto the sticky floor.

"'Tis what ya get for messing with the best," Raizo grinned his usual rugged smirk, running a thumb over his nose and turning the other way snidely. Elekid growled, electricity sparking between it's large, plug-like ears. "ELEKID!" It yelped, before tackling the back of Raizo's pack and releasing a small voltage of electricity-charged power right into it's trainer's system. Raizo merely ignored the, to anyone else, painful shock, turning his head towards Elekid with his brown eyes twitching harshly. His spiky brown hair was smoking, standing straight up due to the sudden discharge of electricity.

"Oh no you just didn't..." he began, a brutal smirk making it's way onto his face, but Elekid matched it with his own cocky grin. They stared at each other, one sparking with electricity and the other smoking from it, until the gruff voice of the bus driver snapped them both out of it. "Well, kids. We're here. Thank you for using my service, and make sure to mention me to all your friends!" the man stated, and at once the staring contest was over, with Elekid grabbing onto Raizo's bag as the muscular, scarred teen stood up and cracked his sore appendages, looking back at the other children. Two girls and two boys. An even number. "See ya out there, kiddies." he smirked, flashing them the peace sign before dashing off the bus. Elekid leaped off of his bag and landed on the top of a bus seat, flashing the group a peace sign as well before turning around with a grin of it's own.

"Ele-ele-kid, Kid!"

---

Raizo and Elekid settled down outside of the bus, noting the tall figure of Michael standing right in front of them. Their journies had brought them face-to-face with dangerous Pokemon, criminals, and even some VERY weird stuff, but to be in front of a hero was...interesting. As the other kids settled beside him, Raizo grinned and stepped forward, Elekid bouncing after him.

"Yo! Name's Raizo, or Rai, whatever. Nice to meet you all." he said, rough tone friendly and eager. Elekid leaped onto his head, nestling itself into spiky brown bangs. "Ele-Kid!" it yelled out, flashing a Thundershock into the air.

[jagajac]

Jorie wriggled anxiously in her seat as the creaky old bus whined down the lonely road. Clouds of menacing dust seeped in through her open window and caused the tiny girl to let out a violent series of sneezes. In the frenzy, Maren's glossy green Pokéball slipped from the gear belt attached to Jorie's waist and collided with the floor. In an instant, the red and gold designs on the Friend Ball disappeared and were replaced by a bright flash of light. As Jorie's eyes adjusted she looked down into Maren's puzzled face. The abnormally small Mareep tilted its head to one side and bleated quietly in question. Maaa-reeep? Jorie wiped her palms across her watery eyes and bent over to retrieve Maren from the bus floor. Just as she did so, the bus driver ran straight through a large pothole that sent Maren bouncing upwards into her outstretched arms. Jorie's body hit the seat of her chair with a solid thump and she immediately started giggling. Maren wiggled his tail with delight and his bulb lit up with happy electricity. Jorie stroked his ears gently as she settled herself back into the leather seat.

Maren's nose twitched and he lifted himself up onto her shoulder to peer towards the back of the bus. He could smell the smoke from Rai's singed hair and vibrated with energy at seeing a fellow electric Pokémon. Jorie was about to turn around when the bus came screeching to a stop in front of the HQ Lab. Rai rushed forward before anyone had a chance to get up and Jorie noticed the feisty Elekid clinging to his backpack. She put one hand under Maren securely and leaped from her seat eagerly. "Hey! Wait for us!" She dashed forward and stumbled down the stairs clumsily. In her haste, she realized she had forgotten to thank their driver. Jorie turned quickly on her heels and peered up into the emptying bus. "Thanks for the ride sir." Jorie winked at the friendly old man before turning to pace towards Rai, Elekid, and Michael.

Jorie stopped and stood shoulder to shoulder with the unfamiliar boy and his Elekid. Maren jumped from her arms onto the floor and stared up at the trainer's Pokémon. He bounced around beneath Rai's feet, and the small bulb on the tip of his tail lit up in excitement. Jorie stared open-mouthed at Michael, unable to form words in front of the infamous hero. Thoughts and questions rattled around in her brain at supersonic speed as she tried to listen to his introduction. Jorie shook her head abruptly, as if shaking the shock away, and forced her hand into Michael's. She shook with one hand and held their shake tight with the other, smiling fully into Michael's eyes the entire time. "I'm Jorie, from Agata Village, I've heard so many great things about you! Did you really save Orre from Cipher and the Shadow Pokémon all those years ago? Wowza, this is unbelievable."

Jorie released their hands and stood back to take in the splendor of the Pokémon HQ. The proud building glinted in the sunlight and Jorie had to squint her eyes to avoid the blinding glimmers of light. She nodded her head and smiled approvingly. "I could definitely get used to this." Maren began to weave his way in between Rai's legs, the static from his wool sending tiny pinpricks of shock up the boy's pants. Jorie looked down at Maren sternly. "Calm down, Maren. You'll have plenty of time to play later." She turned towards the stranger and smiled sweetly. "Sorry about him, he's just excited. I'm Jorie, by the way, and that's Maren." She gestured towards the playful Mareep. "Rai, is it? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jorie turned and observed the other kids making their way off the bus. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, of course!" Her emerald eyes met Michael's once more as she mouthed the words. You the most.

[Bigg Slamm]

A little bus riding music. :)

Tyler rode in the back of the bus on the bench that spanned the width of the bus. Napoleon sat in front of him wagging his tail happily for the petting he was receiving from a young girl in a pink dress and wide yellow eyes. "Your pokemon is so cute mister. He sure loves getting petted doesn't he?" She squealed in joy as the Furfrou shook its fur strait and barked his appreciation for the attention. "He sure does. You know what he likes better than getting pet?" The girl shook her head in youthful awe. "Getting treats. You want to give him one?" "Yeah yeah yeah," she bounced up in down in excitement. Smiling Tyler handed the girl a piece of pokemon food and told her, "Now the trick to it is he can only take food from friends, and how do you make friends?" "You shake hands silly." And with that Napoleon handed the little girl his paw. She squealed again with glee as she shook his paw and fed him his treat. It was about this time the bus halted in it tracks and the man driving said they had arrived to the Pokemon Lab. Tyler was surprised to see such a small group of kids his age get up and exit the bus to visit the Champion Professor.

As they approached the lab a man with bright red hair came into view. Tyler knew from pictures in his pokemon books that this was the Champion Professor, Micheal. Once they all had settled in front of him he introduced himself and welcomed them to his lab. He then asked them for their names and told them to ask any questions if they had any. The first to step forward to introduce themselves was a tall muscular kid named Raizo and his Elekid. After the Electric Pokemon's light show Tyler stepped forward, but was interupted by a girl who said her name was Jorie. When she finished Tyler spoke up. "I'm Tyler Alexander from Gatean Port and this is my Furfrou, Napoleon." The Poodle Pokemon barked at the mention of its name and did a little pose of its own lifting its chin high in pride.

[Double]

Unfortunately, Eric's mood had soured by the end of the trip. This was thanks mostly to the obnoxious behavior of the Elekid and its Trainer. It was annoying to say the least, the two were loud and their wrestling caused them to even kick the back of Eric's seat. If they weren't on a moving bus he would have had half a mind to have Froakie pound both of them if only to shut them up for a moment. But such an action would lead to a Pokemon Battle and, frankly, it wouldn't have been worth the effort. So Eric just quietly moved forward to the next seat, eventually even putting Froakie back in his Poke Ball so he at least could have some peace and quiet. Honestly, some people...

He was the first off of the bus, or he would have been if that jerk with the Elekid didn't shove past him followed closely by another inconsiderate passenger who just happened to have an Electric Pokemon. Was that some kind of unwritten law? That all Electric type trainers had to be rude and annoying? He sighed quietly in annoyance, again just trying to brush them off and keep what was left of his good mood. The introductions began, and Eric at first was going to wait and be the last one to introduce himself. If he had done so now he would be more likely to say something rude or stand-offish and certainly didn't want THAT to be the first impression he made on the Professor. When someone asked if the Professor had really saved the Orre Region, though, he couldn't help himself.

"Oh no, it was all a big hoax. We just decided not to tell you." he snapped, quickly realizing his snide behavior and shaking his head, "My apologies, the bus ride was a bit..." he sighed, "...bumpy." he said the last word with a quick glare at Raizo and the Elekid. He reached for his bag and retrieved Froakie's Poke Ball, "Come on back out Froakie, the trip's over." he said as the ball dropped from his grasp, tapping the ground and giving off a flash, as if being replaced by the small blue toad that was Froakie, "I'm Eric... it's nice to meet you..." he paused glancing at Rai again, and with a quick sigh, "...all."

[Pyromania99]

On the bus with the others, Marie wondered if she should say something to the obnoxious boy and his Elekid in the back. Peering over her should at them she decided that being rowdy wasn't too bad. They weren't physically disturbing anyone but themselves. As Marie flicked her head back to a front looking position her haired followed in a limp way. Compared to the environment of Kalos, Orre was a whole different matter. Instead of nothing but mountains and grass she got nothing but mountains and sand. That's how it was on Phenac's side of the region at least. The other side had lush green forests. Green forests such as the ones she traveled now. It was a whole different story from what she was use to seeing anymore and brought the smallest bit of nostalgia back as she remembered Kalos' grass and green trees. Her Ralts, safely snuggled in her arms, began to move as the bus seemed to come to a halt.

Looking down at Ralts now Marie mentions to her, "Wake up, we're here finally." Ralts had seemed rather unsettled on the bus earlier and felt easier only after falling asleep in Marie's arms like it had done many times prior. It replied with a light, "Rrr?" Sleepy still, Ralts measured out it's surroundings and assumed everything was fine due to the happiness if felt from the people around her. "Let's go now. We've got a Pokemon Lab to explore." Standing at that, Marie watches as the kid with the Furfrou and an angry looking kid walk off.

Stepping off the bus last the first real sight was the red-haired man in a white coat. 'Michael was the name of the kid who beat the Cipher organization right?' Marie thought to herself. She couldn't help press her clothes down as if getting rid of any wrinkles in them and then examine this "Professor Michael". Up and down her eyes studied. In truth she had never seen a picture of what the Hero Michael looked like so there was no real way for her to know the truth. Something caught her attention in the middle of her studies however. The angry kid from earlier. Her inquiring face disappeared and was replaced by a tiny frown. Her tone deepened as she agitatedly said, "Regardless of how bad your ride was there is need to be snide." Ralts begins to fidget in her arms as it feels the emotion in Marie. "Besides, this man here is the one who saved this region ten years ago. He deserves our respect, even if that was a joke." Something similar had happened her homeland of Kalos a while back as well. She also realized that she may have went overboard and that she was in front of one of her idols. Her throat cleared quickly and she patted her skirt down again. "M-my apologies. My name is Marie Laurent and this is Ralts. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer." She pauses a moment, realizing what she had said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Todd Howard]

'Oh, Wow!' Michael thought in excitement, a moment passing by where he was observing the Pokemon each child had. He hadn't seen a few of them before, he heard about them, but in his opinion there was nothing better than seeing them up close! He snapped out of it, as the first boy, Raizo, introduced himself. His Elekid seemed quite excited, the Thunderbolt it released was powerful, the man could tell. "Wow! What an amazing display of power from your Elekid, Raizo. You must train pretty hard to have such strength." He was nervous about throwing in the next part, but figured it was for his own good. "But, Aah, please be careful about doing that inside. There is a lot of electrical equipment in there, it could get a bit dangerous."

'Just got to be safe... Jovi would kill me faster than any accident that could hap-'

Michael's thought was cut off, feeling somebody suddenly take his hand. He blinked, starring at the girl in front of him, She talked so fast, all he could do was offer an embarrassed expression. Before he could respond to her, another introduction was already being thrown his way. And then another child smarted off...

'Oh, boy...' He thought to himself, a small frown on his face. He lightened back up a little once the boy apologized for his remark, though. But it worried him as the last one in the group spoke up. He needed to consult this, he didn't like the fact he could spark problems like this. "First of all, it's a pleasure to meet all of you." He thought for a moment about what he should say next, not sure of how it'd sound.

"Yes, I did help Orre during the events that happened back then. Cipher endangered both people and Pokemon with their schemes, and they had to be stopped. I had friends that helped me along the way, though. Without them, Cipher would have never of been defeated. People call me a hero... I was just a part of it, though. A young trainer, like all of you, that loved Pokemon. Cipher had taken an important person from me back then as well. I... Guess what I'm trying to say is, there were a lot of heroes that worked together to save Orre back then."

Michael froze for a moment. 'Wait... I just went back to square one and called myself a hero, didn't I?'

Michael put a hand over his mouth and let out an awkward cough. "Anyways... Shall we get on with the tour? There's a lot to see!" Thankfully he managed to recover quickly, turning around and gesturing for the others to follow. "Right this way!" He called out, walking towards the doors to the Pokemon HQ Lab. He loved going in and out, because no matter how many times it happened, it was still awesome for the doors to open automatically.

Once inside, the group would probably notice the area looked rather neat, aside from some scratches here and there, from the Pokemon. "This is the Pokemon HQ Lab. I've lived here since I was a kid, it hasn't changed in all these years. Aside from Pokemon research, we actually have a rather large daycare for the Pokemon that were saved during the Shadow Pokemon Epidemic, located in the back garden. My own Pokemon mostly reside there as well, helping out when they can. Then there's one of our special studies, known as Pokemon Purification."

Michael put his hands into his pockets, walking forwards. "We'll be focusing on the latter first, this way, please!" The walk would be a few minutes of winding through halls, all neat for the most part. Windows that peeked into other rooms revealed scientists sitting down and having discussions. The looks on their faces seemed to be that of worry, though it didn't make any sense why. Maybe it was just work?

[jagajac]

Jorie waited patiently as Michael addressed the members of their little group, although the tips of her fingers twitched along her palms in excitement. When Michael waved for them to follow, Jorie wasted no time and made her way to the front. Maren looked up at Elekid longingly and then to his trainer as she skirted away. He let out an exasperated sound, wishing so much to play, but obediently tailed after Jorie. The clean sound of the automatic doors opening sent a shiver of delight through Jorie's body. She walked inside the HQ Lab, a slight whoosh of crisp air teasing the bangs that hung in her face, and stood silently beside Michael. Jorie couldn't take in the magnificence with her eyes quickly enough, and her neck craned from side to side rapidly. When Michael mentioned the lab's daycare center, Maren perked up from beneath Jorie's feet. The small Pokémon bleated joyfully up at the Professor. Mareep! Mareep! Jorie smiled down at her companion and then looked back to Michael. "I don't know who's more excited for this tour, Professor. Me or Maren?"

Jorie giggled sweetly, the echo filling the large lobby like the sound of tinkling bells. Michael urged the group forward down one of the lab's corridors. Jorie looked back at the group and waved eagerly. "Come on, Slowpokes!" She chuckled at her own corny humor and skipped after Michael like a faithful puppy. The hall was pristine in every sense of the word. It smelled and looked like it had recently been cleaned. The sharp scent of cleaning chemicals filled Jorie and Maren's nostrils. Michael passed one of the many windows that lined the walls, and Maren stopped short in front of one. The curious Mareep stood up on two legs, trying in vain to look through the glass, and wiggled his body in frustration. Jorie paused, and walked over to the window that Maren was struggling to see through. She saw two scientists conversing on the other side. Their brows were furrowed in concentration, and Jorie noticed a sense of nervousness in their posture and gestures to one another. She scooped Maren into her arms and turned towards Michael questioningly. "What exactly are they working on, Professor? Does it have something to do with the Pokémon Purification?"

Maren's rounded nose pressed up against the glass as Jorie spoke. She pulled away from the window, and Mareep voiced his discontent. Maa! Jorie's emerald eyes were large and bright as she waited for Michael's response. She peered at the other trainers out of the corner of her eye, each one following behind the other at a decent pace, and shrugged her shoulders. "Well you guys certainly aren't practicing your agility are you?" Jorie crooked her lips into a sly smile and winked playfully at the other trainers. She cradled Maren snugly in her arms as curiosity began to creep steadily into her mind.

[Bigg Slamm]

After the introductions Micheal spoke of the events that happened years ago. Reiterating that it was not only him that had saved Orre back then. Tyler admired the Champion Professor's modesty and humbleness. It was a good trait he aspired towards. Once he had finished he invited the batch of youths into the Lab. Passing though the doors the first thing Tyler noticed was the bookshelves lining one was filled with books he had never dreamed of. It seemed there were books on every known subject about pokemon from A to Z. Rushing the selves, not meaning to ignore the professor, he grabbed one and opened it up to a random page. A picture of a Totodile followed by a small paragraph about where it was from donned the page. On the opposite page listed its eating habits, known moves, and some breeding tips. "Wow, I don't have anything like this in my collection, but then again mine isn't as vast as yours Professor." Tyler smiled as he put the book back and joined the group as the professor motioned them to follow him along the halls of his lab. Passing a window he saw into the garden of the daycare. There were all kinds of pokemon playing and sleeping. Peeking over the sill Napoleon barked his intention to play too, but Tyler said, "I know you want to play too, but maybe later. There is plenty more to see I'm sure of it." And boy was Tyler plenty excited to see it all.

The next window showed a pair of Scientists speaking in what Tyler could only imagined worried tones. The looks on their faces said it all for them. Something was wrong. Jorie noticed to and spoke up about it. She mentioned the Pokemon Purification process that had been developed recently. Tyler was curious about that too. He had seen the Shadow pokemon at work once. He was real young and his mom had brought him to work, because she couldn't find a sitter. One of Cipher's goons decided to rob the store. Tyler and his mom were lucky that one of the patrons had a pokemon of her own, but that didn't mean much against the Shadow pokemon. The woman's Raticate was no match for the goon's Hitmonlee, but the short lived battle was certainly enough to distract him into forgetting why he came into the store in the first place.

Tyler was brought back to reality when Jorie made the comment about the rest of them not practicing their agility. Tyler couldn't help but think the girl had a teachers pet complex. He put it out of his mind just as fast as he had thought about it. He had no place to judge when he realized he just ignored the professor to read a book not five minutes prior. So he picked up his pace with his trusty Furfrou in tow behind him.

[Pyromania99]

Shadow Pokemon. Certainly nothing Marie had heard about in Kalos. Judging by what others had said up to this point it wasn't anything that could be good. Purification was probably just as it sounded, taking the impurities out of the Pokemon and purging it. The bigger question on Marie's mind was,'What impurities?' She thought the answer would come later anyway. Phenac City held no real idea for her to know of these so called Shadow Pokemon. The place was peaceful enough. Sure it was in the middle of the desert but the city was a nice little bit of an oasis. The people there apparently seemed to put it behind them for some reason or another.

Still they were at the Pokemon HQ Lab now. What was her reasoning to be here now? Marie's father wanted her to see if they were hiring a researcher but judging by the looks of the place she guessed not. Speaking of the Lab Researchers, they seemed to be a little stressed in some way or another. Ralts slightly wiggling around in her arms gave her a mostly positive idea that there were negative feelings, or maybe she was tired and hungry. Sometimes it was hard to read with the emotional ticks that the Ralts family has. Marie was use to the life of a researcher because of her father anyway. Back in Kalos when her father was working on something he seemed stressed all the time.

"I wonder what could be making them stressed." She mentioned to herself. Ralts looked up to her questioningly from the comment. "It's nothing, Ralts. Nothing at all." Although altogether unpleased with the answer she received Ralts relaxed back into Marie's arms as the girl moved to follow behind Michael after the other girl's words of agility and whatnot. Marie didn't care all to much. If she were in a hurry to get through the place originally there would probably be not visit from her in the first place but she decide not to vocalize it again as she had already stirred a noticeable notion of trouble on Michael's face earlier.

There was something to look forward to at least. Both Marie and Ralts had decided that they wanted a new friend to join their team and looking at the Pokemon here would help give an idea about what a good addition to the team would be. Of course there would be no taking from the lab, but it at least gave a good idea of what Pokemon were in the region. "I'm looking forward to this. How about you Ralts?" Marie spoke happily to which Ralts lightly replied, "Rrraa."

[Soul]

"Chill..."

Usually Elekid was calm in the company of other Pokemon and Trainers, yet the electric-type was acting antsy for some odd reason, a reason that Raizo had no idea on. The tall trainer frowned, adjusting his hold on the strong baby Pokemon and putting it into a gentle, harmless half-nelson, keeping his upper biceps wrapped around it's chest. Elekid buzzed worriedly, yet the spiky-haired teen merely frowned in reply, not wanting the Pokemon to cause any ruckus. Thankfully the squirtming stopped once they passed another hall filled with baby Pokemon, and carefully, Raizo sat him on the ground. "What's gotten into you, hn?" he whispered, glancing over to where the others were glancing and talking amongst themselves. Elekid merely glared heatedly, obviously not wanting to talk about it. Knowing not to push anything when it came to the electric-type. His curious and determined nature often caused him to be shocked with hundreds of volts of electricity.

Raizo turned back to the group once he noticed that he was getting left behind. Badly. Nodding to Elekid, the two jogged up to the group in a few strides, with Raizo dully noting that he was the tallest, other than the professor, of the group. "I must be the oldest, hn?" He whispered to Elekid. The electric-type nodded dully, too busy staring at that Mareep with intense eyes. Raizo smirked. Stupid rivalry complex. Stretching his arm muscles, the scarred teen lethargically continued following after the group, picking up tidbits of conversation here and there.

[Todd Howard]

Michael couldn't help but smile at the excited little Mareep. It was certainly an adorable little Pokemon, one somebody would just want to hug. There was no time for anything like that, though. At least he assumed so. "The best part is that you and Maren can enjoy it together! Bonding time between Trainer and Pokemon... I'm happy to know what I do interests some people, and Pokemon!" He swore these halls felt longer than usual, as if they had been walking for awhile. Surely the room was just ahead? It had to be, or else he must have made a wrong turn, which... He really hope he didn't. That'd be awfully embarrassing.

Michael blinked at Jorie's question, turning his head and noticing what they were talking about. He continued to walk as he spoke. "Yes, actually. You see, the technology we use for the process was created by a man named Professor Krane. He took care of most of the business in the lab while I was younger, a brilliant mind with a pure heart that cared about Pokemon. The first epidemic was before I was born, and was what inspired Professor Krane to pursue purification technology. If it wasn't for him, we would have perhaps never of been able to help the Shadow Pokemon from back then. Sadly, without Professor Krane being with us now, advancements of the purification process have come to a halt. We just can't seem to find any way to improve it, though we are dedicated to trying, in case of any emergency in the future. Speaking of which..."

Michael could see the double doors up ahead that lead to their destination. He took the time to continue his small speech. "Shadow Pokemon... Some of you may be curious about what they actually are. A lot of details are unknown, but what we do know is that Cipher has a method of closing the heart's of the Pokemon they capture, effectively draining them of all emotion aside from anger and hatred. They are very dangerous, stronger than a normal Pokemon, and they cannot think rationally. They even attacked their own trainers in some situations, unable to control themselves."

As they approached the pair of double doors, they opened automatically leading them into a small room. Wires were spread everywhere, along with monitors and devices. A large platform was in the center of the room, most of the wires being connected to it. He waited a moment, allowing everyone to gather inside before he turned around, keeping his hands behind his back. "This is the machine Professor Krane built. The Purification Chamber. The purification process is for returning Pokemon to their normal states, but it doesn't work by itself, as amazing as that would be. In order to open the hearts of Shadow Pokemon, they must be shown kindness, and respect. Over time the emotions from a good trainer will soften them up, make them remember. They begin acting more peaceful, though they can still get extremely violent. Once they have begun to shown signs of returning to normal, the Purification Chamber is used to assist in the final stages of purifying them."

Michael took a deep breath, keeping quiet as he exhaled. He hadn't spoken this much in a long time, he decided to take a moment and stay quiet, nothing else in the lab required a whole lot of explanation, though it was still interesting to see. He glanced back at the Purification Chamber, his mind wandering for a moment.

'We hopefully will never have to use it again... But I've always got to be ready. In case he keeps his word.'

[jagajac]

Jorie smiled brightly at the Professor and made a whistling sound directed at Maren as the group pushed forward through the double doors. The small Mareep closed its large eyes happily and darted after his doting trainer. The heavy doors swung open effortlessly as if Michael had passed in and out of them hundreds of times. Jorie tilted her head curiously to one side as the bundles of multi-colored wires came into her vision. The gentle humming of the machines tingled in her ears and Maren bounced about playfully beneath her feet. The electricity surging throughout this enclosed space was causing his own electric fur to prickle with excitement.

As the others fell into place at her sides, Professor Michael began to address them once more. She focused on his facial features and body language as he spoke. When he spoke of the late Professor Krane, his demeanor seemed comforting and calm, but when his speech turned to the topic of Shadow Pokemon something about his posture changed. Jorie was a very perceptive girl and could see the distinct differences overtaking his features. Maren was struggling to contain his energy and sent a small shock through Jorie's body as he rubbed against her leg. She jumped instinctively and gave her partner a stern, but gentle, look. The Pokemon tucked into himself and sat anxiously between her feet.

Jorie's bright eyes glazed over momentarily as a memory seeped into her mind.

---

Officer Beckett crossed her hands in her lap and inhaled deeply. The interrogation room was eerily quiet as she prepared to speak with the victim's child. She ran a gloved hand through her spiky brown hair and closed her eyes in thought. She envisioned the crime scene under investigation. Just on the outskirts of Agata Forest, seemingly abandoned path, no reports of disturbance in the past... Beckett tensed her body as the metallic door swiped open. A young girl with wide, frightened eyes stepped shyly inside. Beckett directed her to the seat in front of her own, but the girl kept looking behind her at the other officer. Beckett's eyebrows furrowed at the man and he shrugged his burly shoulders. A tiny ball of fluff cautiously crept into the room behind the girl. It stayed obediently at her feet as she made her way to the chair.

The officer outside looked at Beckett for approval and she nodded her head curtly as he closed the door to the room. Beckett examined the little girl thoroughly. Small, fair-skinned, green eyes, long blonde hair... She stopped and sat up straighter in her own chair. She's not an object Beckett, she's a child. The Mareep put two hooves into the girl's lap and she gathered him into her lap clumsily.

"My name is Officer Beckett, and I'm here to help you. There's no need to be afraid. You're safe here."

The girl's eyes misted over with tears, and Beckett bit the inside of her cheek hard. Dammit. Don't get emotional. Just do your job and the rest will work itself out. Beckett's inner conscience attempted to sever any attachments with the girl, but this one was different. She stared at Beckett with a fragile strength as her Mareep nuzzled into her stomach anxiously, sensing the girl's sadness.

"I'm Jorie and this is Maren. I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of what you won't say."

---

Jorie blinked hard, the beginnings of tears erased by the gesture, and came back to her senses. She couldn't imagine her life without Maren, and the thought of a Pokemon being devoid of any emotions brought on painful memories of her past. She looked towards the others in her group, unable to come up with any clever words. She knew this wasn't the time to joke and instead looked up at Professor Michael and nodded in understanding at his words.

[Pyromania99]

"I've not heard of Shadow Pokemon prior to today." Marie said somewhat agitated. Agitated by what those people did, erasing the pokemon's emotion until only anger and hatred remained. "But, I'm both disgusted and relieved. Disgusted that it happened and relieved that it is in the past." So this machine let them recover the emotions of the Pokemon. Shadow Pokemon seemed like they were a lot of trouble back in the time they were around. If Shadow Pokemon were loose again. . . Marie wasn't sure of what she'd do! Like she would just sit around her house and hope someone like Michael would come back through and fix everything.

The girl's focus was mainly on the device that turned the Shadow Pokemon back to normal on the last step of their journey. It was difficult to believe everything in honesty. Shadow Pokemon, Purification. . . "But it did happen. It happened here in Orre." Marie whispered to herself. She probably seemed like a sort of freaky foreigner already so it was best not to give off too bad a vibe to the others. . . Not that they seemed to be paying half as much attention to her as she did to them, not much in the first place. Ralts fiddled around in her arms a bit, asking to be put to the ground. Marie complied and lowered her friend.

Ralts was a bit more daring about others as in could sense how others felt. Waddling it's way over it looked at Maren the Mareep and Jorie who seemed to have a change of emotion. Now satisfied with them, it made it's way closer to Marie but looked over to Raizo and Elekid. Ralts had nothing to really say to them (and even if it did it couldn't) and held on to Marie's boots with one hand not wanting to be separated.

[Bigg Slamm]

"I have." Tyler said to Marie. "Mean as all get out like the Professor said. Ruthlessly attacking anything put in its way." Tyler's mind flashed to that day at the store. One of Cipher goons was in town and apparently they had some new recruits that needed uniforms so the goon was sent to get fabric. Another customer, an older woman than his mom was at the time, had unintentionally grabbed the last of the color they needed and he wanted it. She refused saying she had gotten to it first. He didn't like that. He then smacked her and took the fabric. She wasn't going to let some goon get away with that so she released her Raticate and ordered it to take back the fabric. It was quickly blocked by the goon's Hitmonlee which he released as quickly as the lady released her pokemon. A brutal one sided battle ensued. Attack after attack the Raticate stood no chance. He left with the words, "Don't challenge Cipher you'll never win." Tyler then noticed he was staring into nothing with a black face entranced in the memory. He quickly apologized and added, "I feel bad for the affected pokemon and I'm glad this machine helps them. Thank you for showing it to us Professor."

[Todd Howard]

Michael simply nodded. "Thankfully they have all seemed okay after the incident. There have been a few times that trainers have actually came and recovered their Pokemon. It's a great feeling to see old friends reunited." He felt he had perhaps said too much. But it was better for them to know about Shadow Pokemon than being taken by surprise if anything ever happened. He wanted nothing to happen to them, or their Pokemon. "Well, then... Perhaps we should lighten up the mood a little. A trip to the garden ought to do nicely. There are many Pokemon of different types and sizes, I'm certain it will surprise most of you." He offered a small smile, taking a moment to eye the machine once more. He liked to think that Professor Krane would be proud of him for the work he did. His approval meant a lot to the man.

---

Meanwhile, outside the Lab, multiple trucks had driven up to the front. They blocked in the bus the children had arrived on, the driver simply staying down, and quiet. He peeked out, noticing multiple people jump out of the two trucks. Six of them looked identical, wearing similar white outfits. The helmets completely blocked off their faces. His eyes widened at the realization of who they were. After all this time, they still kept those same outfits... He instantly began digging around, looking for his book with contact information in it. Running out there wouldn't be as effective as a call. He had the information just in case there was a change of plans with the tour.

Aside from the six similar Peons, one man stepped out also. He glanced down, making sure his purple vest was nice and strait. His large sunglasses made it impossible to see the pink eyes hiding behind them. "Three of you go left. The others, right. You can handle those back there caring for the Pokemon, I'm sure. Snatch as many as you can."

"But sir, what about the Professor?" A Peon questioned, as the man pushed up his tophat. "The Professor?" He asked, grinning. "He's mine."

Knowing what to do, the Peons were off. Meanwhile, the man with the purple vest simply approached the front doors. He'd meet Michael directly.

---

"Alright... Let's go, shall we?" Michael slowly walked past the group and back into the hall, before he heard a notification. "Hmm?" He glanced at his PDA, noticing who was trying to contact him. The driver outside... He answered. "Yes?"

"Y-You got trouble... C-Cipher just came outta nowhere, blocked me in! They are heading around the Lab to the back of the place!"

"What?!" Michael glanced down the hall, towards the back exit. "Alright. You stay put, I'll take care of it."

"No arguments from me!"

Michael ended the conversation, looking towards the children. Of all times, while he had guests here! He was an adult though, he had to make sure they stayed safe during this. But he also needed to ensure the Pokemon would be okay... Too many places to be at once. He narrowed his eyes. "You all need to stay here. I don't want any of you getting in the middle of this, it's too dangerous-"

"Are you sure this area isn't dangerous, Professor?"

Cipher Admin Theme

Michael glanced at the approaching man, who seemed barely younger than him, if he had to guess. "Who are you?" He asked, not noticing a familiar face at all. If he was part of Cipher, he was certainly a new addition. They certainly had the time to find a few of those, though.

"Introductions aren't usually necessary for people you won't see again, but I suppose you deserve it, 'Hero'." The man simply tipped his hat to Michael, keeping a grin on his face. "My name is Perdey, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. The boss spoke about you a lot, but you don't look like you're all-that to me. I mean, are you giving a tour to a bunch of brats? That isn't how the popular should live!"

"You seem to misunderstand what kind of person I am. I don't care about the spotlight, only the deed." Michael responded, getting mildly irritated as Perdey fake-gagged. "Boring much? Jeez, I thought this would be interesting, but instead you're just some goody two-shoes that is really dull... Oh well." Reaching into his back pocket, Perdey pulled out a Pokeball. "If you don't want the spotlight, I'll happily take it from you. Along with your Pokemon!"

Michael was concerned, to say the least. A battle in the lab would be chaotic... It was too dangerous for the kids to stay now. He looked back at them, figuring the best place to send them might actually be outside. "Change of plans. The exit is further down the hall, it'll lead you into the garden. It's much too dangerous for you to stay here during a battle, and I need you to warn those who are outside so we can keep the Pokemon safe! I beg of you though, please be careful!"

"You're going to ruin my mood with all this concern, 'Hero'!" Perdey called out, chucking his Pokeball into the air. It opened and shot out the usual white beam, releasing a small Pokemon. A Smoochum. It glared at Michael, and the group behind him with obviously bad intentions.

"A Smoochum... You must be confident in it's abilities to use it in battle." Michael focused on Perdey, and couldn't help but smile. "It's been awhile since I've battled, and that counts for this guy, too." He pulled a Pokeball out of his coat pocket. "He'd rather stay with me than outside with the others. We've been through a lot, and I hope you're up to the task of fighting against our experience! Jolteon, it's time to battle again, we've taken long enough of a break!"

As the Pokemon was released, it stood tall, glaring at the Smoochum and it's trainer. "Jolt!" It shot up sparks to intimidate it's opponent, but the Smoochum didn't budge. The two stared each other down, giving the group enough time to head back to the Garden as they were told.

---

Of course, once they were outside, they would see that this 'Garden' was more than that. There was no fencing keeping them in check here, there was a forest behind the grassy backyard of the Lab that they wandered in. Many of the Pokemon had fled into the trees, terrified of what was happening. Cipher was already getting to work where they could. The few assistants outside had been captured and tied up, left by a tree. The Peons, though they only had Basic Pokemon, were already preparing to capture some of the pokemon. There were only three visible from the exit, one was using his Magby to scare a Bulbasaur into a corner, another was using his Tailow to attempt to knock a Mankey out of a tree. And the third was using her Oddish to lure out more victims from farther inside the forest. It was only safe to assume the other three had ran into the forest to find more Pokemon... For the moment, there were three to take care of, if the children decided to do so.

[Pyromania99]

Marie was angered by this seeming assault on the Lab. She agreed with what Michael had said though. The lab was a bad place to fight she returned Ralts to it's Pokeball in order to make retreat a bit easier for everyone. Fleeing outside with the other kids, she looked around. More goons. Were these Cipher goons? Having never seen Cipher prior to this point, she only assumed that they were. These people seemed to be an evil group trying to kidnap Pokemon after all. Her sense of justice was raising. Her head becoming more heated. Noting that the Oddish was Grass and Poison, she remembered that Poison is weak against her Ralts' Confusion. If she were to go for it, she must be careful as Ralts was still a Fairy-type, the poison could be harmful, if it even had a poison attack.. "You guys, take care of the other two. I'll take care of the Oddish."

"Hey you! Leave the Pokemon be!" Marie then grabbed Ralts' pokeball and tossed it summoning her friend. "Let us do justice, Ralts!" The goon and her Oddish caught Marie's yelling and turned around. "Ralts! Confusion!"

"Ra!" Ralts yelled and used Confusion on the enemy Oddish. The Oddish stumbled around after the hit and then charged at Ralts crashing right into it. Knocking them both down.

"Ralts! You alright?" Ralts pushed Oddish off and stood, "Run away now and we'll leave it at this." Marie says directed at the goon and her Oddish. Marie didn't figure she needed to punish the Pokemon for the Trainer's mistake. It gave the Pokemon a chance to get out from being too hurt.

[jagajac]

Jorie closed her eyes tightly and shook her memories aside. She missed Beckett and her friends from Agate Village dearly, but she was happy for the opportunity to explore the famed Headquarters. The ends of her blonde hair swept the ground briefly as she bent down to retrieve Maren from beneath her feet. The small Mareep nuzzled its nose under Jorie's chin comfortingly, sensing her memory lapse, and whined softly. Jorie smiled weakly at the Professor's mention of those faithful trainers who returned for their purified Pokemon. She felt that she could be that devoted if circumstances required it. Her eyes flickered from the whirring machine and Maren, and she hugged her partner tighter to her chest.

Michael mentioned the Pokemon garden, and Jorie and Maren's skin prickled with excitement. The girl was practically on her tiptoes ready to sprint when Michael's PDA went off. She watched the expressions rapidly change on the man's face and tilted her head questioningly to one side. Something about his demeanor tightened and it made Jorie's eyebrows pull together in the center of her young face. Michael turned and addressed the tour group with his natural authority. Jorie couldn't help but admire him in that moment, despite the seriousness in his tone. Before Jorie could ask what kind of danger could possibly be unfolding, she was interrupted by heavy footsteps coming down the hall.

She stared incredulously at the stranger, Perdy as he called himself, and Maren vibrated angrily against her chest. Her friend was always a good judge of character, and this goon was obviously a rotten apple. Jorie listened to the two adults exchange conversation, intrigued by Perdy's allusiveness. He's hiding something? Who sent him? What could they possibly want with the lab Pokemon? Jorie's mind raced with these questions, but her body suddenly tingled with a small shock from Maren.

"Yowch!"

Maren's threatening shock had startled Jorie, and she couldn't stifle a small yelp of protest. Her cheeks flushed slightly, hoping she hadn't been heard by the others, and she glared down at Maren annoyed. The Pokemon wiggled restlessly in her arms and began bleating loudly, ready to defend his trainer boldly. Michael instructed the children to the end of the hallway, urging them to assist the Pokemon in the garden. Jorie hesitated, not wanting to leave the Professor alone, but realized he was more than capable of handling himself. She nodded curtly and began to jog down the long hallway towards the open Pokemon Garden.

Jorie burst into the garden breathlessly, and Maren leapt from her arms. She held her hands on her waist and tried to marvel at lush plants and overall beauty of this place. Unfortunately, all her eyes could see was chaos and fear. The multitudes of Pokemon were scattering amongst all directions, doing their best to avoid the reach of Cipher Peons. Jorie noticed some lab assistants tied together at the bottom of a tree and immediately ran over to free them.

"Here, let me get these things off you. What's going on? We need to get the Pokemon to safety! Professor Michael..."

Jorie's sentence was broken off by the triumphant bleating of Maren. She did a spin on her heels and looked around for her Pokemon desperately. REEP MAREEP! Jorie spotted the tiny ball of fluff dashing in the direction of one of the Cipher brutes. Jorie couldn't see a Pokemon with him and sighed prematurely with relief. Just as she did so she noticed a threatening streak of blue and red descending from the treetops.

"Maren! Dodge right!"

The small sheep looked back at his trainer confused and was knocked backward by the furious Taillow. Jorie sprinted to Maren's side, but stayed well out of the Pokemon's fighting range. She and Maren had bonded closely over the years, but both had little experience in a true battle. Beckett had practice sparring with the two many times, and Jorie took a deep breath to regain her composure and sense. Maren stood shakily to his feet, and his wool bristled with electric sparks. Jorie wished he knew an electric attack to zap out this flying Pokemon, but realized she could win this with their combined skill and strategy. She looked up to the frightened Mankey in the tree above and waved him away with caring eyes. Jorie straightened her posture and spoke confidently to the Cipher trainer before her.

"I don't know who you are or what you want with these Pokemon, but let me assure you the threat stops here."

She narrowed her eyes and nodded at Maren who voiced his agreement. He was ready to battle. The Taillow ruffled its feathers and puffed out its chest as it growled fiercly at Maren, attempting to lower the Pokemon's defense. Maren held his ground and stared unafraid at the puffed up bird Pokemon. Jorie thought back to her practice with Beckett and made a decision.

"Maren, circle him, NOW!"

The Mareep obeyed without question and began racing quickly around the Taillow. Jorie hoped his swift circling figure would entrance the creature enough to keep it grounded. She watched the Taillow's head bobbing to keep up with Maren's speed, his small size came to his advantage in that area, and waited for the opportune moment. Jorie smiled mischievously at the Cipher goon, winking a challenge his direction, and issued a new order to her Pokemon.

"Now's your chance, headbutt!"

She held her breath as she waited to see if the blow struck Taillow or not. Sparks were flying from the yellow circle that was Maren, and Jorie wondered if the odds would be in their favor for paralysis.

[Todd Howard]

The silent stare-down between the two trainers continued, both seeming to be waiting for the other to make the first move. Michael knew this was serious, but couldn't help grinning himself due to being able to battle with Jolteon again. Jolteon felt the same way, though it's look was much more serious, as it was focused on not letting Michael down. Though it did grow impatient, glancing back at it's trainer and letting out a mellow growl. Michael nodded. "Alright then. Jolteon! Wild Charge!"

"Jolt!" Jolteon launched off at a high speed through the hall, becoming shrouded in electricity while heading towards the Smoochum that stood it's ground with what appeared to be no fear. If anything, this irritated Jolteon as it felt it wasn't being taken seriously. The situation confused Michael somewhat, he wasn't certain what Perdey was pulling. He seemed to be doing nothing, but as Jolteon approached, Perdey finally took action. "Smoochum, you've taunted long enough. Jump up and dodge it, then counter with Shadow Ball!"

The Smoochum obeyed, taking a leap into the air that allowed her to avoid the Jolteon's assault. The Pokemon below began grinding to a halt, as Smoochum did a spin in the air, firing off a decently-sized Shadow Ball from her small hands. Jolteon was too alert for it to hit, simply dodging to the right without a command. The Shadow Ball slammed against the floor, damaging it in a small explosion. "Jump up after it and use Double Kick!" Michael commanded, Jolteon following the command by leaping up at the Smoochum, turning mid-flight to attack with it's hindlegs. The blow connected, effectively slamming the Smoochum against the wall.

Perdey simply kept his grin, throwing out another command. "You can take it! Climb onto it's back!"

Though injured, the Smoochum and Jolteon's decent to the floor was a good time for what Perdey ordered. The Smoochum grabbed Jolteon's paw, pulling and launching itself over it's head and onto it's back. Jolteon tried to look back, as he landed on the ground. Michael was just as confused, but gasped in shock as the Smoochum grabbed Jolteon's large ears, pulling back on them and causing the electric-Pokemon to cry out. "We've got 'em! Time to get some Payback!" Perdey was excited, watching as his Smoochum jumped up, pulling on Jolteon's ears again, only to release one and pull strongly on the other to bring itself down to punch Jolteon's head with it's free hand. The blow connected, causing Jolteon to slam face-first onto the floor.

"Jolteon...?!" Michael stared, quite amazed by the power of the small Smoochum. He watched it land on the floor, and simply cross it's arms as it stared at Jolteon, who was having difficulties standing. The Smoochum smirked, whirling back her foot to kick Jolteon. Though as she attempted it, the Pokemon's eyes shot open and it opened it's mouth, latching onto the Smoochum's foot.

"It can still fight after that?!" Perdey exclaimed, watching as Jolteon swung it's head, releasing the Smoochum and sending it flying down the hallway. It crashed against the floor, rolling backwards before stopping on it's backside. Jolteon stood up, obviously angered by the Smoochum's antics.

"You can't count my Pokemon out after just one good move. Jolteon! Use Thunderbolt!"

Michael's command came as Perdey took a moment to grasp the fact it was still up. He shook his head, deciding it was time for a change of tactics. "Smoochum! Go in that room over there!" Perdey was pointing towards none-other than the room where the Purifier was. The Smoochum groaned, but managed to roll out of the way of the incoming shock and retreat into the room as told. Jolteon, still upset, charged in without second thought. Michael's eyes widened with concern. "The machine! Are you crazy?! An electric attack in there could blow it up and harm our Pokemon severely!"

"Guess you better limit your moves before it's too late, 'Hero'!" Perdey said, laughing as Michael ran into the room after the Pokemon. Perdey simply walked towards the doorway, knowing this was going to be interesting.

[Bigg Slamm]

Following Micheal's instructions Tyler left with the others out to the garden only to be met by Perdy's Cipher goons harassing the pokemon. Marie and Jorie had already leaped into the action defending the poor garden pokemon. Tyler remembered back again to that day Cipher came knocking. Not wanting history to repeat itself Tyler joined the fray. Running up to the goon with the Magby Tyler shouted, "Stop that now or I'll make you stop. These pokemon are not yours and never will be if i have anything to say about it." The goon whipped around with his attention now on Tyler he replied, "Is that so? Then I guess I'll have to shut you up. Magby...use Smog on this brat." Napoleon jumped in the way of the incoming attack. He took the damage, but thankfully the poison had not set in. "Your gonna have to be faster than that jerkface if you think you going to pull a fast one on Napoleon. Like this...use Tackle." Ordered Tyler. His Furfrou broke out into a sprint strait for the Live Coal Pokemon. The attack hit sending the Magby sprawling across the field. It stood and shook itself off. "Magby!" It growled. Furfrou barked and snarled at it in return.

Tyler couldn't let this go on much longer. "Ok Napoleon one more time. Tackle!" The Poodle Pokemon followed the order and sprinted toward the Magby once again. "That won't work on us twice," said the goon, "Magby dodge and use Ember." Napoleon missed Magby as it leapt into the air. "I wasn't expecting it to...Sand Attack." Returned Tyler with a confident smile as the Magby's Ember attack flew toward his Furfrou. Napoleon spun on his axis to start kicking up dirt extinguishing the attack and momentarily blinding his opponent. "Napoleon, lets finish this and make an example out of these punks...Tackle." Tyler ordered his pokemon with gusto and it followed with the same enthusiasm barreling towards it target. Tyler watched as time slowed down to him from the anticipation. The seconds turned to minutes the closer Furfrou got to Magby.