Pokémon 1. Chapter 1

_In the lands known as the Sylvia, there was an island that slightly south-west, bearing one hundred and fifteen degrees from the nearest port city. Its name: Lunar Island. The island was mostly made of forested areas and the only known town situated there was called Moon Glade. The town was built near a waterfall that falls from a fresh water spring at the top of a mountain; getting their water needs from the rivers that follows the waterfall. The town also made use of the mountain to attain several precious minerals and also metals; the way of live there was traditional and they had their own customs and rituals compared to the modernizing cities on the mainland. _

_The rain fell down, covering the landscape in a curtain of gray. The usual night skies that contained lights that shone like diamonds was hidden and the brilliant full moon barely emitted a light that could seep past the downpour. The cold air made various creatures shiver and some feel refreshed; the darkness shrouded the land as the droplets showered it._

There was a sudden movement as a creature dashed across the foliage of leaves and hedges. It was an Eevee with slightly paler shade of colors; her eyes were a deep shiny shade of silver; her fur looked like it had not been tended to in a long time and she wore an electronic collar, a compact hi-tech earring that was locked around the base of the ear instead of piercing the sensitive skin and lastly, an microelectronic tail ring that was too locked at the base of the tail as well. The accessories seemed to be waterproof as they did not get affected from the rain.

"Where is she?" a voice called out from the darkness. "This test subject is more trouble than she is worth…"

"Shut up and listen! Get ready the tranquilizer darts; Boss would be furious if he knew we failed to bring back his favorite!" Another voice spoke.

The mysterious Eevee's ears shot upwards when she had the word 'tranquilizer darts' and started to take evasive maneuvers by moving in a zigzag pattern. She actually had no idea on where was she headed and the darkness was not helping her at all. The cold air made it harder for her to focus as it made her feel sleepy; she had been on the run since morning and was nearly out of energy. Her overall movement was significantly slower than when she was just running straight. Her pursuers soon caught up.

"Oh no… too slow…" she muttered in a gentle tone.

"There she is! Fire that shot!" one of them commanded. "Hurry before she gets away!"

The rifle fired and the dart was propelled forward; the Eevee strafed and it missed by inches. As they were preparing the next shot, she accidently slipped on the wet grass and she fell over and rolled.

"Quickly! She slipped now! Now is your chance!" the first one commanded again as the gun reloaded and made a loud sound to signal it. "Use the laser, you fool."

The mysterious Eevee momentarily saw a red dot move in front of her and she decided to dash quickly into the dense forest but her plans did not go as planned; the shot of fired and it managed to hit her rear. She managed to lose her chasers in the forest.

"Ah… it hurts…" she said aggressively as she roughly pulled out the dart. The effects of the dart were starting to take place; she felt drowsy and her consciousness was failing her, soon she collapsed over and knew no more.

_I… I am an Eevee, a test subject…. At least, that's what they told me when I asked them about myself. I could not even remember the times that I never had to see the lonely white room of mine that I was born in and lived in for these two months after I was born. They seem very strange at first: telling me to run 'obstacle courses'; do memory tests and even perform 'acrobatics' for those viewing pokemon in the observation room. I really don't know why I am doing all of this… they told me that it was part of my life that I work with them… to discover new things; things that might change the world that they knew. I never knew the world outside and I was curious… When they were transporting me to a test chamber, we usually had to take an elevator and I could see the outside world… a world filled with colors other than white, there were trees, flowers, grass and the majestic sky… They kept calling me Test Subject number three one seven zero, I never knew my name… just a number. I felt like I am treated like a tool… an instrument for conducting their 'research'; the times I disobeyed them… they dealt with me harshly and never once felt anything._

_I really wanted to go outside that's all… not to be a prisoner inside. There was this other Eevee, much like me. We first met when I was being moved about and he was too. His deep gaze… was magnetic for some reason. He told me that I could go outside if I wanted; I just needed to wait for the right time. I trusted him completely and… I really got to go outside. His name was Wilson, lucky he never asked for my name as I could not answer him…. It was dark when I got out and he told me that it was night-time and it's always dark at night. I walked behind him, letting him lead the way for me. I thanked him for letting me get out this once and his face turned into a very cute shade of red… We went to a cliff and when he sat down; he said we were going to watch the sun rise. _

_I cannot believe my eyes when I saw the peaceful night sky slowly changed into an azure from the crimson sun. Honestly, I always preferred the night but this sun rise made mornings at least better. We stared at it for a few minutes before we continued again. Wilson found a hollow tree and told me to wait for him to come back with some 'food'. I really don't know what is this 'food' he was talking about; whenever my stomach growls I just take what I was given… soon there was water falling outside, I took a short sleep to pass time. Time seemed to have gotten away from me; when I woke up, Wilson was still not back yet. I was worried so I went out to find him._

_As I wandered around, I heard voices and I followed it; I hoped that it would lead me to find Wilson but instead, when I found the source, it was my 'punishers'. I instinctively ran in the opposite direction… they threatened me as I ran… I don't see why I should stop if they are going to hurt me. I am not their slave… I will never be…_


	2. Chapter 2

_The cold night's downfall soon lightened up and so did the sky. Night has passed, bringing forth the promised day. The clouds had floated along and showing a clear azure sky with the glowing sun; the remains of the earlier rain were the morning dew still resting peacefully on the leaves; the moist air everywhere; lastly, the damp and slippery grass._

After losing her pursuers and slept through the night due to the tranquilizer, the mysterious Eevee shivered and slowly woke up; she took a while to realize where she was and what had happened when she fainted.

_Mmph... Oh? Its morning, maybe Wilson is looking for me? I better go and find him. That hill… did I roll down here into this den where I slept for the rest of the night? I am lucky with all things considered...i could have broken my neck…_

The strange Eevee suddenly gave a huge sneeze then she felt feverish. She felt tired even though she had slept the night but she was awfully cold and fell ill; she managed to get herself off the damp grass and brushed herself free of natural debris before wandering on.

_I feel strange… My body feels cold but my head is warm. My poor head; I feel it pounding hard. Why is everything so blur?_

The Eevee was soon slowed down to a crawl and before she knew it she blacked out.

_Hours passed by very quickly as she slept; her blocked nose prohibited her from smelling the difference in surroundings. Just as she fainted, a Lopunny just happen to be walking by and brought her back to her place in Moon Glade. This pokemon was a tutor; teaching others about music as well as making instruments for a living. Her house was the second level of their store; that's where our mysterious Eevee is resting right now._

_The quiet atmosphere of the store was soon changed as the Lopunny had taken a wooden flute and started to play a traditional song that was filled long notes. The gentle song filled the ears of nearby pokemon; sharing the warm sound that could make almost anyone smile._

The mysterious Eevee stirred and then slowly sat up; her fever had broken. As she sat up slowly, an ice-pack from her head.

_What's this packet? It feels awfully cold… I am feeling rather hungry, can I eat it? I haven't eaten since yesterday._

She took the pack in her paws then used her teeth to try opening it to get to the 'food' inside. The plastic was tougher than it looked and it took her a while to open it but, as she did, she spilled the yellow liquid all over the bed.

She suddenly let out a yelp due to the spill; it seemed like she just had an accident. The music stopped and then she heard movement; she quickly got off the bed and then looked for a place to hide then she just dove into the nearby closet and shut the door.

She heard a voice coming from the outside.

"Oh my… you know; if you are trying to hide, maybe it's better not to leave a trail of water to where you are hiding. Come on out… I won't hurt you or scold you."

She slowly opened the closet door and stepped out. Her eyes were fixed on the Lopunny before her; she was a little scared.

"Well my name is Charla; what's yours?" the Lopunny asked as she lowered herself a little to talk to the Eevee face to face.

_Name? Oh no… I don't have a name… think fast… think fast. I know! Look for words that are in this room and use it as a name. Let's see…_

The Eevee's eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for words; there were a couple of books that had no name imprinted on it; there were some music scores that did not have a title.

"Can you tell me, little one?" Charla asked again, clearly staring straight into the Eevee's eyes. It was a general respect rules that adults should call kids 'little ones' instead of their names if they do not know them.

The little Eevee suddenly saw a picture on the wall with the annotation: Lunar Island, Best Moon-Gazing Location.

"My name is… Luna… yeah that's it. I am Luna." The little Eevee said, stammering a little as she did. She immediately took the name: Luna as her real name from that point on.

"Ok, little Luna, where are your parents? Do you know where you live?" Charla asked, thinking that Luna was just lost in the woods and fell ill.

_Parents? Where I live? What is she asking me? I don't understand… but I don't want to go back there…_

"I... I… don't have parents or a home." Luna said, hoping her white lie would not be seen through. Charla inspected Luna; she is looks very young and her small height, her voice sounds puerile and also she does not know much about anything. Luckily for Luna, Charla seems to be convinced and choose not to ask anymore.

"You poor thing… I bet you're an orphan, aren't you. You are more than welcome to stay with me. This guest room could be yours… after I clean up the mess you made…" Charla started then stared at the mess. That reminded Luna that she was hungry and her stomach was begging for food; she was thankful for the kind hospitality and did not want to cause any trouble. Her tummy's desperate response came at a bad time…

"Thank you… is there anything I can help you with?" Luna asked earlier then her tummy growled noisily. Her face flushed due to the embarrassment and she stood in place awkwardly.

"Maybe **I **can help you get some food instead… just wait for a bit, OK? " Charla said while smiling then she left the room. She had taken a rag from the nearby restroom and started to mop away the yellow liquid before Luna's stomach made a sound. Luna had been standing around and just observing what is Charla doing and now she took the rag in her paw and mimicked what she saw.

_This is the least I can do I guess… she just dragged this across the floor and over the liquid… Was this stuff tasty to begin with?_

Charla soon came back with some bread and herbal tea for Luna; she noticed Luna cleaning the floor while she was preparing her a snack; it was now night time and the bed was still a little wet. Luna gobbled down the bread and when she tried to take a sip of the tea, she scalded her mouth and tongue.

Charla laughed as she saw Luna stuffing down the bread quickly then tried to drink the tea equally fast as well.

"There is no need to rush, sweetie. Just take your time. Tell you what… come with me." Charla said then she picked up the cup of tea and led the way downstairs. There were a lot of instruments and Charla warned Luna to be careful around them as they are fragile. Luna was tempted to touch but then she remembered that she still owed Charla a lot and so she obeyed and just followed.

_Behind the shop was an open area that had been fenced off; you could see the starry skies; feel the cold wind on your fur or skin; the grittiness of the grass as you walk on it and as it prickles you while you pass by._

"I think you will like this place, this used to be my parent's house…" Charla explained as they found a fallen tree trunk to sit together; she also handed Luna back the tea, it had cooled down slightly. Luna listened attentively while drinking the warm herbal tea. Charla shared some stories from her past.

_Wow… Charla is so amazing! She is not only pretty but talented as well. I am lucky to have bumped into her… maybe I should have called myself Lucky due to all the luck I been experiencing. Music sounds so magical, maybe I should give it a try…_

Luna suddenly heard movement nearby and then told Charla what she heard; Charla stood up and then under the light of the moon, she saw a strange group of Pikachus whom were wearing the same kind of accessories as Luna. They all unleashed their charged up electricity together and they aimed it at Luna in particular.


	3. Chapter 3

Charla grabbed Luna and leap up nearly ten feet in the air to avoid the thunderbolts; the hot tea that Luna was holding spilled over, some on the grass.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" Charla asked as they were reaching the peak of the jump; Luna was left speechless due to the near-instantaneous action. "Those Pokémon... why did they attack for no reason? Well… no time for questions if they are attacking like this."

"Char… la…" Luna said suddenly grabbing onto Charla as tightly as she could; eyes closed. "I am afraid of heights!"

They were beginning their descent when Luna got stuck with fear; Luna hugged Charla as if her life depended on it and it was causing Charla to have difficulty breathing.

_Oh my… so high. It was alright when they made me do those 'acrobatics'; I always closed my eyes before I jumped; I really did not like falling from tall heights. I just can't help it… I had a bad dream once while I was sleeping; I was falling endlessly then suddenly I spattered down on the hard ground, dead._

"Luna! Relax or I can't land properly and you're choking me!" Charla yelled at Luna, begging her to loosen her grip. Luna was too frightened to listen and instead, increased her strength.

Charla started to choke and failed to focus on the landing; they fallen in a heap on the ground. Luna lost her grip as soon as they hit the ground and rolled slightly to the side, paralyzed by the drop; her legs just twitching randomly. The Pikachus advanced and surrounded the separated Luna then their 'controller' showed up; Charla was getting her breath back at that time.

"You ran for too long, you little shit," said a familiar voice that Luna could recognize.

_It's him! Whenever I failed to do the 'tests' they wanted to do on me, they will send him…. His whip showed me no mercy. They call him: The Punisher. That Raichu's tail whip was rumored to be very accurate and also painful._

"I warned you from the first day you are born; I do not tolerate misbehaviors from no bloody test subjects. You are just a mere tool and you will obey everything we tell you to do. I guess you must have forgotten the time, I whipped you… well I was too soft that time, this time will be different." Punisher threatened, lashing his tail at the ground to display its power.

Luna put her paws to her head as she braced herself for impact. As the sound suddenly cracked through the air, the tail left a red line on Luna's back; soon one after another, whiplashes began to appear all over Luna's back.

Charla finally recovered from her shortage of air and stood up. She witnessed the abuse before her and was angered.

"Stop that! She's just a child!" Charla shouted and the Punisher temporarily stopped.

"What's it to you? This is how we do things at the research facility." Punisher replied coldly and his group of two Pikachus whom were also test-subjects, shifted nervously.

"This is child abuse and I won't stand for it." Charla said as she took an aggressive stance. The Punisher suddenly commanded his minions to attack first. The two Pikachus hesitated before moving and they had fear in their eyes the entire time.

Both of them decided to use tackle and so was charging straight forward. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, Charla punched one squarely on the belly then twirled around to land a stomp on the other's head, wiping both of out quickly.

"So you took out two more little kids… impressive." The Punisher said sarcastically as he stepped on Luna's head then continued so that he was facing Charla in a respectable distance.

"Those two… you threatened them, didn't you… If they were loyal, there would not have been any hesitations." Charla asked as she looked at the Raichu before her; she did not really hurt the two Pikachus but knocked them out.

"So what if I did? Not like it matters to you, does it? I will take that little garbage back to the facility and she will be treated specially by me." The Punisher said; then he started to charge up electricity.

A charged up electric beam was fired but Charla dodged it by doing a somersault while leaning slightly to the left.; when she landed, she bent down and swept the Punisher off balance with her left leg; the infamous tail whip grabbed Charla's right leg then pull her down as well. Charla recovered by doing a handstand then she spun her legs in a circular fashion as if it was a dance; the momentum allowed Charla to hurl the Punisher far away while she stood back on her two legs.

The Punisher got back up then discharged strings of electricity in a general direction. Charla did a sort of balletic dance that allowed her to move evasively while maintaining an elegant style; the Punisher lost his cool and then ran forward to use his tail that he charged up with electricity, his signature skill: Tail Smite.

Charla saw him coming while he was seduced with rage; Charla then spun like a top while staying at one spot and waited for the opportunity to show up. When the Punisher came close enough to use his tail smite, Charla swiftly attacked first with an uppercut. Following it up with a quick focus punch, it stuck directly on the Punisher's belly and he landed in a heap afterwards.

"Let that be a warning to you and also a message: Luna is now under my protection and I will do whatever it takes to protect her." Charla said as she strolled over to the Punisher while he was struggling to get back up.

"Luna? Strange… I don't recall any of the test-subjects having names… If you think that you can deter us from retrieving her, you're wrong and I can bet on it." Punisher laughed as he picked himself up and left with his two Pikachus.

Luna, who was too frightened to look and kept her face buried in the dirt slowly, looked up; she saw the Punisher fleeing along with the other two, she then looked at Charla in awe. Her back stung with pain due to the whipping earlier; it prevented her from getting up.

"Ouchie… It hurts!" Luna cried as she felt the burning sensation on her back.

_It hurts more than last time. He was really holding back from giving me permanent scars last time…. But did Charla really beat the Punisher? She's incredible, I could not lift my head up to face him… I am just so weak. I think I should learn from Charla._


	4. Chapter 4

"Careful Luna, let me help you get up." Charla said as she rushed back over to Luna who could not get on her feet due to her back burning with pain. "Now endure it for a bit, ok?"

Luna nodded as Charla picked her up; her back stabbed her with discomfort as Charla cradled her in her arms.

Charla took Luna back to the house; went back up the flight of stairs then entered another room that Luna had never been to yet. This was one of the most spacious rooms in the whole house; it had mirrors mounted on the walls with a dance room and some wooden bars resting on steel support structures that were meant for stretching. There was also a cabinet; Charla opened it to collect a first-aid kit, an exercise mat and a long black casing.

She unrolled the mat then placed Luna on it before placing the casing and the kit beside her; she opened the lid of the first-aid kit and took out a cotton swab and some anti-bacterial medication.

_What's she doing? That colorless liquid looks strange as well as that stick with those white fluffs at the ends. These marks would go away soon anyway…_

"Oh... I guess you're curious on what this is. This liquid I just applied to the cotton swab, which is this stick I am holding now, is called Hopip Essence. It cleans your wounds and stops it from getting infected." Charla explained, holding the bottle for Luna to see. "Now it might sting a little but bear with it, alright?"

Luna endured as much as she could but occasionally letting out a few sounds and beads of tears; Charla did the process slowly and as delicately as possible to reduce the hurting felt by Luna.

After a while, Luna had been bandaged and was set down on the thick mat to rest. Charla brought some pillows to let Luna down her head down; she then opened the long case and took out a wooden flute and played it.

_The soothing sound of the flute filled the silent enclosed room; the natural vibrato gave the notes texture and feelings while the gentle decrescendo created a relaxed atmosphere. The long notes tested the user's capacity but it also brought about a moment where the inner feelings could flow out freely._

_Wow… It sounds so beautiful. I feel joy… from hearing to it… but why does it also seem sad?_

The night simply drifted by for Luna as she closed her eyes and slept peacefully with Charla's music to accompany her to dreamland. The morning soon approaches and bringing back the glorious sun in its wake; some of the inhabitants of Lunar Island had woke up to tend to their farmlands and fields.

Luna slept on in the solitary room, almost forgetting the incident yesterday. She soon woke up and realized that she was in a nearly pitch black room; the only light source was the light coming in from the gap under the door and the glass on the door.

"Ahh…" Luna yawned and stretched; her back sent a reminder to her nerves that she was still recovering and forced her to lie back down immediately. "Ouchie!"

"Luna? Just lie still for a moment, I will be with you in a moment," came Charla's pleasant voice. When Charla came into the dance room, she picked up Luna gently before bringing her outside.

Luna leaned her head on Charla's chest then slowly snuggled sweetly in Charla's arms. They went downstairs into the music shop section of the house; there were several customers browsing through the instruments and some of the books; Charla set Luna on the seat of a piano which was near the counter.

"Alright, little Luna. I need to tend to some customers; be a good girl and wait here." Charla instructed and then she promptly left Luna on her own.

Luna waited patiently on the comfy piano seat, as hours ticked by and earning a few Pokémon's interests, she started to feel a little bored that she shifted herself around to face the piano. Luna looked at the book popped opened at the stand; it was a song book with the rhythm and words written in fine print.

_I learned this back at the centre… words and pronunciation_…. _It can't hurt to try and read it. But those symbols seem to have a separate meaning as well._

Luna sang the song softly; the tragic ambience of the piece flowed out as freely and naturally as water. The lyrics accurately depict what was Luna feeling deep down inside; some Pokémon who were passing by heard Luna's lament song and stopped to listen. It was not well sung but the emotion was clear as day.

Charla saw the crowd by Luna and went to talk to them and then she heard Luna's voice. She quickly dispersed the Pokémon surrounding Luna then she gently pat Luna on the head.

_Oh… Charla heard me. I thought I sang it softly so that… nobody would hear me at all. Music is amazing… all those moments I went through._

"Its okay, Luna… every Pokémon has those days where they feel sad or lonely." Charla whispered to Luna while brushing the fur with her own paws; Luna was then transferred away from the seat and to the registry counter. Throughout the rest of the day, Luna received some attention and Charla was bombarded with questions about her; Luna shyly avoided eye contact but strangely, it made her seem more popular with the other Pokémon that took notice of her.

Later that night, after Charla helped Luna get cleaned and changed her bandages, they both were enjoying a cup of tea at the backyard as usual. Luna had been inching to ask Charla something but could not build up the courage; she shifted awkwardly on the tree trunk they say on.

"Is there something wrong? Your tea is getting cold." Charla asked, looking at Luna. Stuttering, Luna was summoning her virtually non-existent willpower.

"Can you teach me?" Luna began; Charla looked at her with interest. "Teach me how to battle. You defeated the Punisher, perhaps the strongest Pokémon at that centre… I know that the head of the research facility would do anything to have me back in my chamber. They said so… that I was special in a way. I need to learn to fight…"

Luna widened her eyes, looking at Charla with hope and anticipation. Charla thought about it for a moment.

_She is really a poor thing… I lost my daughter to those jerks to those heartless jerks. They only cared about their work on immortality and endless energy… I can't forgive them for all the lies and lives they had taken but on the other hand, Luna is young and still have her life ahead of her; teaching her how to battle so young could affect her in a bad way…_

"I don't know Luna… everyone learns how to battle when they are older. You are a little underage to be learning now." Charla said before taking another sip of her tea.

Suddenly there was a rustle from the bushes from the far end of the backyard; a Pokémon had leapt through the fences. Luna's ears heard it and she slowly got up; Charla followed along to investigate as well.

"Wilson!" Luna exclaimed as she recognised the eyes of the Pokémon she encountered. "Where had you been? I had looked for you everywhere."

"Oh there you are…" Wilson replied with a sigh of relieve. "I had to track your trail that you left from the hollow tree, I told you to wait there until I came back."

"But… you took very long and it was getting dark. I was worried." Luna continued; suddenly noticing that his fur was rather messed up and had scars on his right side.

"Listen… I have something that I should have told you. I am not a test subject at that place…" Wilson confessed suddenly; Charla then realized that he was not equipped like Luna. "Those guys…"

The conversation soon ended as suddenly another voice came.

"Capture priority test subject three-one-seven-zero!"


	5. Chapter 5

The 'Punisher' had returned and this time he brought along a good team of Pokémon to battle Charla; a Roselia somersaulted into view, the grass around Luna suddenly grew in size and wrapped around her four legs; a Medicham also floated into view and then took a battle stance. The Raichu came in with arms crossed and his tail still as strong as before.

"I told you that we will come back for her and following young master was worth the trouble." The 'Punisher' said in a triumphant tone. "Razz, 'take care' of that test subject; Vance, you deal with that Lopunny; I have to escort young master back now or the boss will be furious."

"With pleasure!" The two Pokémon; Razz the Roselia and Vance the Medicham replied and then they executed their commands. The 'Punisher' swiftly went after Wilson.

Luna, with her back still hurting from the battle yesterday, was in no condition to battle but she tried with all she could to escape the grass binding her in place. Razz laughed at her attempt before slowly generating sleeping powder to spray.

Charla was having a tough time fighting Vance due to the psychic attack that causes her to be confused; Vance was then able to attack freely with his variety of punches. A fire charged punch to the side; an ice type punch to the other and finishing with a well-executed high jump kick. Charla fell to the ground, she barely recovered and counter attacked; Charla charged forward at speed; and then twirled to dodge a fire punch, she sped up the spin into a dizzying punch. The punch caused Vance to be disorientated and left him open for another attack. Charla leapt upwards and started to bounce on Vance; Vance recovered then he focused his will and then rammed his head upwards, charged with mental potential. Charla was knocked off and she landed on the grass, unable to get up.

_This is bad… I am just overpowered in this situation, only a miracle can save us now._

Luna held her breath to prolong falling under the effects of the sleeping powder.

"Stay away from me!" Wilson yelled as the 'Punisher' advanced on him; he tried to fight back but the 'Punisher' dodged it easily and used his tail and wrapped it around Wilson's leg and tripped him.

Wilson was flung over the Raichu's shoulders then carried away easily like a piece of driftwood; Wilson looked at Luna, calling her name uselessly as he disappeared from view. A strong feeling of hate came upon Luna as the clouds had covered the mystic full moon.

_Wilson! How could they… they… will pay for taking him away! I am so weak… useless…. Unable to protect the ones I love and care about, I don't care what the cost is, I want the power!_

Luna's eyes suddenly glowed in a sinister shade of dark purple then a new power came over Luna. Her paws were then charged up with a kind of dark energy and it sheared off the grass binding her in place; when she was free, she leapt forward and bit Razz on the side.

"What's with this test subject?" Razz exclaimed as he managed to throw off Luna who recovered almost instantly. Razz felt a sudden pain stabbing him from where Luna bit him.

Luna, now with wisps of dark smoke surrounding her, showed her teeth; Razz was cringed at the power of the single attack and backed off while still holding onto his injury. Vance saw that his partner was retreating and then Luna took notice of him.

"Must I do everything myself?" Vance complained as he charged up his fists with elemental potential. Luna stood her ground and gave a mighty roar; a huge shadow duplicate had appeared and it followed what Luna did and Vance flinched from intimidation. "She is not a test subject… she's a monster."

Luna seemed to have heard the comment and then she swiped her paw; a dark entity seemed to have followed Luna's movement and as such, Vance felt something scratching him with tremendous power. The shadow beast appeared again and this time it charged forward, it tackled Vance before dissipating back into the shadows.

"We are out matched like this, we need to run!" Razz called out and they were sent packing and running.

_They… they… how could they… do these horrible things to me…. I hate them… hate…_

Charla was completely speechless as she saw Luna's eyes starting to revert back to her normal silvery color; the shadow beast that came to Luna's aid before reappeared and gave what was unmistakably a bow to Luna before disappearing for good; Luna's body glowed again in purple and then she fainted on the spot. Charla then ran over to Luna and inspected her before bringing her back inside.

_The rest of the night passed by silently after the incident at backyard; a slight downpour occurred and drenched the land, leaving dew drops on leaves and grass. The wind blew gently across the dark landscape, bringing the smell of damp dirt and grass into houses. The crack of dawn was approaching and most of the residents were still asleep._

Luna woke up earlier than expected; she sat up from the bed that Charla tucked her in last night; the curtains were closed, blocking light from entering the room.

_What… what happened… I was in the backyard; there was an attack and… Wilson! He was taken away but why… was he called, young master? Could it be that he was… It can't be… I refuse to believe it!_

Suddenly Luna felt a new presence in the room, she turned her head but it was not Charla. A beast was lurking in the shadows away from the light; its size was thrice of Luna's; it has pupil-less dark purple eyes and razor sharp teeth and claws. Luna pulled the blanket up to hide her face while still allowing her to maintain eye contact with the creature.

_What is that? I hope it's friendly… it does not seem to be attacking right now. Maybe I should gingerly find a way out and find Charla? My back seems to have recovered; I better not let it get injured again._

Luna tried to make small movements as to not startle the strange being but when she suddenly found herself face-to-face with it; Luna let out a shrill scream; the creature backed off and retreated back into the shadows before disappearing.

"Luna? What's wrong?" another voice came from another room and then Charla burst through the door.

"There… there was… a creature there!" Luna exclaimed, pointing towards where the beast backed off to. Charla went to inspect and only found clothes that could have been mistaken as a monster.

"You must have just had a bad dream." Charla commented, "Well, it's rather early. I will go make us some breakfast; you can just stay in bed and rest for a while."

_Could I been wrong? Was it just my imagination?_

Luna puffed the pillow and laid her head back down; her paws finding the rims of the blanket and pulled it over herself before closing her eyes.

_Rain… tears from the clouds like many times before. A dark feeling looms around like the wind and blown leaves… this empty feeling what is it? I feel like… I had lost something… something very important. Fire… wood crackling, Pokémon screaming… running for their lives. Young ones crying for their parents; the grim reaper's taint hangs over the place. The salty stench and water lingers everywhere… and Charla is…_

"Luna?" a voice called out, "Wake up, Luna! Breakfast is ready."

Charla nudged Luna gently; Luna was moving around and twitching like having a nightmare. Luna suddenly sat up and head-butted into something hard.

"Ouchie!" Luna cried, grasping her forehead. Charla withdrew her paw that Luna bumped into. "Charla?"

"You seem to be having a bad dream just now," Charla commented. "Are you alright?"

"I am alright." Luna responded silently. Something about the dream earlier was making Luna nervous but she decided that it's best to keep it in the dark.

"Come on, sleepy head." Charla teased. "Go wash up and meet me downstairs; remember to brush your fur after you rinsed and shampoo-ed. Those devices on you… they are water-proof, right?"

Luna shrugged; Charla then took some thick purple ribbons and tied them around Luna's tail, ear and neck, over the devices.

"Those can repel water and they also look cute on you. Now go clean up."


	6. Chapter 6

After a somewhat clumsy first time in the bathroom, Luna was soon cleansed of all the grim and muck she collected on her body. Luna then took a good look at herself, using the mirror.

_Wow… those ribbons Charla gave me look great. But maybe… if I just adjust it a little to make it more comfortable, I won't mind it that much._

Luna leaned back onto her hind legs and then used her front paws to pull out the ribbon's frills; the frills were tucked firmly behind the bows and it was hurting Luna's ears; choking her slightly and her tail feels a little tight. Luna pulled off a towel from the rack and used it to dry herself.

Her fur became all fluffy when she came down the stairs for breakfast that Charla had made.

"Didn't I tell you to try and brush your fur; I can't do it for every time." Charla said, taking a comb from a nearby shelf. "Listen, Luna. There might be a day that I am gone; maybe for a day or forever."

"What do you maybe forever?" Luna asked, "you will always been with me, right?"

"That's up to fate… all living things die one day, Luna… including you and me. It is sad and cruel but that's life." Charla explained quietly to Luna as she combed the fluff into a neat coat of fur. "The sooner you know that life can be cruel, the earlier you can accept it. Do not dwell on the past, Luna."

_I don't know why she would ever leave me; I hope and pray that that day never comes. I enjoy my new life with Charla and nothing else could ever make me forget it._

Luna ate her breakfast, savoring each bite as much as she could because it was delicious. Her smile when she tasted the steaming food made Charla feel happy for her job well done in the kitchen early morning.

After breakfast, Luna helped to wash the dishes with Charla's guidance; today the music store was closed for the day as Charla needed to restock some of the sold instruments.

"Luna, do you remember what you asked me yesterday?" Charla asked.

"I asked… if you could teach me how to fight." Luna recalled. "You said I was too young to learn."

"Can we make a deal?" Charla asked again. "I will teach you how to fight if only you promise me that you would use it only for self-defense, never to attack or to gain."

"I promise!" Luna replied cheerfully after a brief pause to consider.

_The following week was something Charla called training. It does not seem to be any different from what those Pokémon at the facility made me do. Charla started me off with a 'mediation' lesson; it was about clearing my mind and training my mentality in battle. Charla said: in battle, the one who loses first is the one who let their emotions control their movements and thoughts. Somehow, I feel that these lessons were more than that…._

_ After an evaluation test, Charla commented that my endurance was already well trained and my dexterity was not lacking either but I lack the strength and the abilities. We started with learning new combat techniques; I already understood the basic tackle and bite. We started to learn a more powerful version of my basics skills; Charla taught me about using my speed to boost the impact of my tackle and how to use my bite more effectively._

_ Charla also taught me how to play the flute; it was meant to increase my focus. Learning how to read the notes was difficult and which keys to press confused me; Charla was patient with me and personally guided me every step of the way. Calming down in a frustrating situation was important or the solution would never appear; I had learned a lot in a week and now I am Charla's assistant in the shop; I helped to carry in boxes and also find things for customers when they visit the shop._

Luna looked up at the crescent moon from the veranda; her purple ribbons flowing in the cold wind. Luna closed her eyes and recalled what she had done during the day; she had done some weight lifting on her tail to prepare for a new combat skill.

_It's clearer this time…. Throughout this week, I had these strange dreams and also encounters with that creature when Charla was not around. It was all the same... I see a downpour early morning; the smell of smoke from fires... fireballs landing everywhere. This dark feeling seems familiar as well… that time when Wilson was…. No. It's too painful to remember. A sinister laugh from a Pokémon that I had never seen before, standing on a ship…. And lastly, Charla was…._

Luna suddenly snapped out of her thoughts as she felt a presence nearby. She turned around to see the same creature again; it had always appeared after she had some strange vision.

"Back off! I am warning you; I am not frail anymore. I will take you on if I have to!" Luna said getting to her feet and taking an aggressive stance to the huge creature. The shadowy being retreated slightly as if it had just received a command.

_"Don't forget those feeling you felt from those 'dreams' of yours. For they will come through…."_

That was telepathy; the creature then disappeared into the darkness again. Luna was getting nervous as that 'dream' was horrifying and depicting an invasion from the sea.

_I can't just keep this to myself… I need to tell someone or at least help save some lives by asking them to leave the island first. And something is going to happen to Charla, maybe if I find it out first, she might believe me._

"Luna, please head back inside! It's about to rain soon…" Charla called and Luna went back to her room. Charla sat by Luna on her bed; she showed her how to tie her ribbons and bows properly; Luna had once tried to do it herself but it looked messy so Charla decided to teach her.

"Charla… I know it's going to sound silly but I think I had seen the future." Luna tried to explain.

"No Pokémon could see the future, Luna. Not even Legendary Pokémon could do that." Charla replied. "But let's hear it."

"There was rain, fire, screaming and something happened to you but I don't know it yet. I had these 'dreams' lately and they were becoming clearer every time." Luna continued. "I think the day of this event is going to come to past soon."

"Try and get some sleep, alright? It's late. Whatever the future holds, we will face it together." Charla whispered as she kissed Luna good night and switched off the lights.

_Sounds of thunder and lightning accompanied the rain; I am in… the jungle from where I escaped from. My body can't move; smoke was still visible and the screaming had not stopped… Charla was shielding me._

_ "I don't care what you do… I will protect Luna! I promised it!" Charla yelled before suddenly she was hit by something and she fell to the ground._

"No!" Luna screamed as she woke up. It was early morning and there was a deluge outside; Luna felt a foreboding feeling.

_Huh…? Rain…? It can't be… not today, not when I just found out what will happen to Charla._

A distant sound of cannon fire caused Luna to duck for cover; a mortar shell flew over the town and exploded in mid-air, scattering many little grenades that exploded on contact.

The town was rudely woken up and was forced to run for their lives; the bell at the village leader's house rang shrilly, giving warning to everyone who heard it.

The following few bombs that were fired from a vessel out at sea sent a few buildings crumbling down, smoke was made by the collapsing rubble. Pokémon screamed and shrieked as they ran; a large ship docked slightly off the shore and smaller row boats were approaching with Pokémon; they wore a bandana on their heads that had a symbol on it: there was a skull in the middle with the three elements; fire, water and grass surrounding it. The residents had woken up and were screaming and running for their lives while the only guards were trying to buy time.

Charla burst into Luna's room and grabbed her and quickly ran for the jungle. Luna then remembered that the scene took place at a forest like area.

"Charla, please you have to listen to me." Luna pleaded. "We have to…"

"Luna, we have to run first. Those are the Yucca Pirate Guild; a guild that focuses on recruiting Pokémon and training them to do evil deeds; this guild had always threatened this town and made demands. Recently, we could not raise enough money from sales to pay them so I assume they are attacking now." Charla explained, overriding Luna. "Oh yeah before I forget, keep this with you from now on."

Charla stopped and set Luna down before tying a bundle around Luna's neck.

"Charla… I…." Luna tried again to warn Charla.

"Promise me that you would not open it unless I tell you to." Charla requested suddenly. "Promise me, Luna?"

"I promise." Luna replied. Soon someone else had caught up with them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Captain Meriul, some stragglers!" called an Umbreon from the Yucca Pirates; right behind him was a Metagross floating by. His eyes stared at Charla before looking at Luna.

"Eliminate the tall one, capture the small one." Captain Meriul commanded with no interest before turning away.

"Felsic…" Charla muttered softly so that only Luna can hear. Felsic's rings on his body glowed bright under the dark clouds. Thunder and lightning soon joined the downfall as the two prepared to engage each other.

"So we meet again, Charla… I appreciate it that you trained me so well. But I have my orders." Felsic said, dashing forward but feinting an attack into a direction before double backing and tackled Charla and Luna; Charla held her ground but Luna flew backwards before landing in a heap.

"Felsic, you don't have to do this. I know losing her was hard to accept but this is no way to deal with a loss." Charla replied as she counter attacked another incoming tackle with a low kick, tripping him.

"What do you know about how I feel?" Felsic shouted with anger. "Nobody understands me! Losing a loved one and then something precious was taken."

Felsic opened his mouth and then a mysterious energy gathered and was charging up.

_In the currently era of Pokémon, all the special attacks that has no physical contact were long since forgotten. Generations of Pokémon were slowly learning about using technology and soon forgetting the mysterious power that lays within them thus special attack were used rarely and losing popularity as well._

A sphere of energy formed and was unleashed; the orb sliced through the air and Charla narrowly dodged it.

"What was that attack? Who taught you these tricks?" Charla exclaimed as she saw that energy based attack.

"Captain Meriul… he uses these kind of attacks as well. I cannot even scratch him when I was learning. These are the forgotten attacks that Pokémon can learn." Felsic said.

Felsic then stood in an aggressive stance and then he glared at Luna and Charla and his eyes seem to emit a sort of power. Charla and Luna both felt it and they felt like they lost the will to run away.

"There… now you cannot escape this battle." Felsic commented. He then used the same attack repeatedly. Charla found it hard to get close to him to inflict physical damage.

Luna, who had to dodge as well, soon spotted an opening and she quickly used her trained agility to zip in between the incoming spheres and bit Felsic on leg causing him to flinch before clutching onto it, not letting it go.

"Charla, now is your chance!" Luna yelled as she continually held down Felsic and immobilizing him.

Charla took the chance given and sprinted forward and started with an uppercut to give Luna time to run; when Luna was out of the attacking range, Charla followed up with a jump kick successfully. When Charla was about to finish Felsic off with a final dizzying punch, Felsic generated some sort of barrier and it shielded him from the finishing attack.

"What the…?" Charla asked in surprise as her attack was blocked.

"I… am… not going… down… that easy…" Felsic said as he got up but before he could continue, a purple wave attack came and stuck Charla on the side.

"Charla!" Luna shrieked and ran to her friend. "Are you okay? That strange beam hit you really hard."

"Luna! Be careful!" Charla exclaimed, pushing Luna away from another beam attack but getting hit in her place.

_ Oh no Charla! This is bad… if this continues, that will happen!_

"Ensign Felsic… you are too careless," some Pokémon said from a distance. Luna recognized the voice… it was the Captain, Meriul.

"Sorry Captain…" Felsic apologized instantly and backed away slightly to join the Captain as he approaches.

"Most of the teams had done their jobs already…." Meriul commented. "I guess you can't handle fighting your former trainer after all."

"So… you are the one who trained Felsic after he left my place in the dead of night." Charla said apparently displeased.

"He was on a raft and when we 'rescued' him, he said that he wanted to get stronger… strong enough to protect the things that mattered to him." Meriul replied, his voice as deep as the sea. "I was empathetic and invited him to my guild and also taught all the skills and power that he could ever need. Gave him a purpose in life after he lost his will…."

"So you were 'helping' him? Did you mention the fact that you were the ones who…" Charla said but was interrupted as a punch with nearly the same force as a meteor striking her on the belly.

"I had enough talking; someone in your village had just sent a messenger for help. If I linger on, everyone in my guild will be in trouble." Meriul said.

Charla grunted as she cringed under the impact of that attack; Luna was by her side, trying to help her stand up.

"Felsic, grab the little one and let's go."

Meriul turned to go but as Felsic was about to nab Luna, Charla just did a low sweep with her legs and tripping Felsic again.

"I don't care what you do… I will protect Luna! I promised it!" Charla yelled and Luna suddenly remembers what happens right after that line.

_Those words! Oh no… that means that…! No, I will stop it._

"No!" Luna yelled out loud as she used her body to block whatever incoming attacking that was going to hit Charla. Surely enough, a strong force came and pushed Luna head over heels and tumbling her backwards into Charla.

_Wait a minute, in the dream, I felt a little heavy, almost like… I can't move my body! I need to warn Charla now!_

But as Luna tried to tell Charla, Meriul had somehow closed the distance and landed the punch that was as powerful as a meteor.

"Charla!" Luna cried, some tears leaking out. The rain continued to fall and the thunder sounded menacing. Charla had raised her arms to soften the impact but it seems a little useless.

Charla did not fall over head over heels but she was pushed back strongly a few inches, judging from the dirt tracks left on the ground; Luna crawled over to Luna with her tears flowing as free as a waterfall. Charla did not make another move but her body fell forward and she landed face first onto the ground.

_Charla… it can't be. But I really tried to avoid this from happening… why? Why did this have to happen…?_

"Charla?" Luna asked softly as she came over to Charla's stationary body.

_She's not moving… but at least she is still breathing._

"Luna…." Charla said softly, her voice was weak. Scratches and bruises were abundant on her body; she barely lifted her head to look at Luna. "I am sorry…. I could not keep my promise."

"Save your strength… please, don't leave me." Luna cried as she found the energy to get back up and hug Charla. The rain and tears on Luna's face had become one and were all flowing and dripping. "I really love the new life you given me! You can't just go and leave me alone in this world."

"Luna… all living things… die eventually. I guess my time is coming faster…." Charla whispered as she started to feel sleepy. "When… you get… to a… safe place…. I want you… to open… that bundle…."

After giving Luna instructions, she then passed out; Luna felt the dead weight and gently lowered her to the ground while sitting and using her front paws to rub her eyes. All of Luna's senses were nulled slightly as she continued to weep.

_Charla… please… don't leave me alone… I am really afraid of being alone. Our lives were simple but it was the best that I could ever ask for: living every day to the fullest with a great friend. I don't want it to change…_

Felsic bit the scruff on Luna and carried her all the way back; Luna was too busy mourning to notice that she was being taken against her will. Her teary eyes obstructed any vision she had and was not paying much thought to her surroundings. Most of the buildings in the villages were either raided or destroyed completely; one such example was Charla's former home: it was destroyed completely and its contents with it as well.

Other than Luna, several other young Pokémon were also snatched up by the Yucca Pirates; some of the pirates brought back supplies that they raided from the buildings: food, medicine, equipment and money.

Most of the younglings were already crying and missing their parents; Luna's feelings of sorrow were still entrenching deep inside her young innocent heart. The pirates attached shackles onto the legs of all the Pokémon they nabbed before bringing them down to the brig and locking them in groups of two in a cell.

Felsic escorted Luna and one other Pokémon into a cell with a porthole, viewing the gloomy weather outside, and then locked the barred door after he left; he also gingerly dropped blankets down. Luna sat down in one corner and continued to mope; the other Pokémon looked at her and felt concerned although he was also feeling frightened.

_Charla… please… don't leave…. I want you by my side… The world had turned dark and cold, please I need the warmth of a friend…._


	8. Chapter 8

"Excuse me? Aren't you cold? That Umbreon left us some blankets." A voice spoke from behind. Luna slowly turned her red and tearstained face around and then she looked at the Pokémon in front of her.

"Thanks a lot…" Luna replied weakly, her vision still hazy, as she took the blanket handed to her and used it to cover herself. She did not really pay any attention to who was sharing a cell with her, just busy with her internal self-blame and questioning.

"Can I ask what your name is?" The other Pokémon asked; Luna seems to be unable to hear his voice at all.

"I just want some peace and quiet…. I… had just lost something important…." Luna replied in a irritated tone. "Name's Luna…"

"Sorry, you just look a lot like an Eevee I know. I was separated from her a while back." The other Pokémon said, and then Luna heard him settling down in a corner from the rattling of chains.

The ship soon departed and leaving the shattered remains of the village on Lunar Island. The rain continued to descend and the waves were getting rougher as well; the members of the Yucca Pirates were busy bilging or managing the sails.

Meanwhile back inside the cell, Luna had finally cried herself to sleep after being rudely wakened by loud bangs and screaming early in the morning. Hours flew by and soon the ship was stabilized and the rain had stopped but the dark clouds still looms over head; most of the captives were also asleep as well, unknown to what the pirates want with children like themselves.

After the situation at sea had calmed down, Meriul and his apprentice, Felsic, were walking slowly down to the brig and to where Luna's cell was.

Luna heard the sound and instantly stirred herself awake; she rubbed her eyes and then realized something about the Pokémon that she was cellmates with.

_Wait a moment... I had seen that shade of brown and cream color and that voice... there is no mistake about it. He is Wilson, he must have gotten caught as well. Wait I do look a little different from when we last met!_

"Wilson? Is that you?" Luna asked in disbelief as the other Pokémon just woke up too. "It's me… the Eevee from the facility."

"Oh! No wonder you looked familiar… those ribbons suit you, cute really." Wilson complimented. "So your name was Luna?"

"I just made up a new name for myself." Luna responded with a great zeal, meeting a long lost friend. "I am really happy to see you, even when we in this situation."

Luna then approached Wilson and just embraced him suddenly. Tears were dripping on Wilson's fur coat; Luna buried her face into his fur.

"Luna? What happened? After I was taken away… did someone do bad things to you?" Wilson asked while lending a comforting paw.

Luna was about to reply when Meriul and Felsic had just reached the jail cell and were inspecting the both of them.

"Is that the one?" Felsic asked; the key of the jail door hanging loosely on his belt. "He is Zooid's son?"

Luna flinched at the name 'Zooid' as that was the name of the owner of the facility she was held in then she remembered that Wilson was the 'young master' of that facility. Wilson, on the other hand, looked defiant.

"So what is it about my technology-loving father?" Wilson snarled at Meriul and Felsic. "If he asked you to send me back, tell him that I chose to leave…"

"Silence!" Meriul bellowed and Felsic opened the door to allow admittance. Meriul slowly floated into the room and then Wilson set Luna aside before showing his rebelliousness to Meriul.

"Your father, also friend of mine, had asked me to keep you safe until he comes to pick you up personally and so I am going to do just that… but what kind of friend I am to your father if I let you stay in a rat-hole like this?"

Wilson considered his options carefully:

_I had seen Meriul over at father's place many times; he respects my father a lot and would hate to displease him even the slightest. Even if I insist to stay here, Meriul would try and use force to make me cooperate; actually I don't mind being dragged away… but… Luna, right now she needs someone who she could trust and take good care of her until we are safe._

"So come along now or we might have to do this the hard way." Meriul commented, his agitation showing.

"Fine… I will go along but I do have a condition; I think my father would not be too happy if he found out that I was not treated well." Wilson said, his sly smirk made Meriul feel uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" Meriul said, carefully phrasing his words and correcting his disconcerted attitude.

"I want to be able to keep this girl with me until we meet father…" Wilson stated carefully. "If I recall, my father did send you a message saying that an important test subject was on the run?"

"So this girl is the test subject he was talking about? I don't suppose you have any proof?" Meriul replied, smiling slightly.

Wilson then walked over to Luna and then pulled at one of the ribbon frills stemming from the neck. The ribbon was pulled loose and then as the purple ribbon slid off, the electronic collar underneath was revealed. Luna was a little shocked at the sudden movement and also a little upset that Wilson just undid the ribbon that Charla had helped tied properly.

Meriul was stunned at the fact that Luna was hiding the device under the ribbon; he did not make another complaint after that and just told Felsic to unlock the shackles on Wilson.

"Unlock hers too!" Wilson demanded as the heavy steel shackles fell off his four legs.

"I am pretty sure your father would rather I keep this test subject chained than loose with you." Meriul retorted harshly; Wilson sighed as it was the best he could at exploiting the respect that Meriul has for his father. Wilson apologized to Luna softly as they were escorted out of the brig and into a cabin.

Luna had a huge heavy steel ball weight attached to her with a length of chain; Felsic then made a straw bed for Luna before leaving the two Eevees alone.

"I am really sorry, Luna…. This was the best I could negotiate with Meriul." Wilson said as he tested the chains between the shackles and the huge weight that was meant to prevent Luna from moving away. "These are rather new... I can't just forcefully break them. Sorry about the ribbon…."

Wilson handed Luna back her ribbon; Luna delicately retied the ribbon around her neck into a bow with the ends flowing about. After looking at the huge ball, Luna sighed.

_There's no way I can even lift that…. Wilson was really clever to get us out but I am still chained to this dead weight._

"Wilson… There's something I wanted to ask you…" Luna said as she adjusted herself so that she could lie comfortably on the straw bed provided; Wilson sat down just beside Luna and waited for the question.

"You are the young master of that facility, right?" Luna started.

"The former young master… I ran away from home that's why Meriul was being more polite."

"If you worked there, then that means you know why your father is after me… can you tell me please?" Luna asked again; Wilson's expression turned slightly sour as that question was top secret and if they were being observed, spilling the secrets out would cause a big rumpus.

"To tell you the truth, Luna…. If Meriul knows what you really are, even he will go to the ends of the earth to capture you too." Wilson said. "I think we best leave this topic closed for now; at least until we are away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears."

Soon lunch was brought in by Felsic: stale bread with marinated meat; there was only enough for one Pokémon and Wilson could understand why: Meriul only cares if Wilson is alright and could care less about Luna's wellbeing. Luna double checked whether the bundle that Charla had left for her was alright and then she tied it around her waist. Wilson split the meat and the bread, giving slightly more to Luna than himself.

"You look famished; I guess you did not have breakfast earlier." Wilson commented and then he took a bite of his bread. "The bread might be a little tough to chew…"

_Wilson really does look out for me and he also helped me ease my mind a little by sharing some of his 'warmth' with me. I still can't forget about Charla but at least Wilson stopped me from feeling overly depressed; I think Charla would want me to be happy even without her._

"Thanks Wilson… for what you have given me." Luna said as she gave Wilson a nose kiss that made Wilson's face blush into an adorable shade of red.

"What did… I give you… exactly? I am… just being… friendly. That's all…." Wilson badly stammered through as his heart rate accelerated and his red face becoming more obvious by the minute.

"Are you cold or something? Why are you shaking your words like that? Why is your face so red?" Luna asked as she noticed Wilson panicking for no reason. "It looks rather cute on you."

_Oh Wilson…. You gave me something that was extremely precious that I had just lost… not just the warmth of a friend but something… its called hope._


	9. Chapter 9

Later that night, Wilson had fallen asleep already on the bed that was 'kindly' provided. Luna shifted her body around the makeshift straw bed, trying to get comfortable.

_It's no good…. I can't sleep like this at all. The straw is just too rough and prickly. I wonder if it is a full moon out tonight…._

Luna got up and then sleepily dragged her paws, along with the shackles around her legs, as much as she could to the nearest window. The night sky was littered with twinkling stars and the moon was greeting Luna as the night progressed.

_I wonder what's going to happen to us…. I am lucky to have Wilson looking out for me. Those other Pokémon down there…._

_"__Their safety is of concern to you, mistress? If so, why don't you do something?"_

Luna was startle by the sudden telepathy and when she turned around; there it was: the shadow beast. Luna's eyes widened, realizing that she was quite vulnerable with the shackles locked around her legs and a heavy dead weight holding her down.

"What… are you?" Luna asked carefully as provoking it might cost her life. "You… seem to know what does all these strange sensations I been experiencing are…."

_"__I am your shadow spirit; the embodiment of your own negative emotions; you are the guardian of the great moon, I only live to obey."_

"You don't attack anyone, right?" Luna questioned further to clear her own suspicions. The creature slowly approached Luna as it answered.

_"__I don't strike unless commanded; the only one I will obey is you, mistress."_

Luna heaved a sigh of relief and when the beast got a little too near for Luna's liking, she panicked and closed her eyes.

_Back off!_

That command seemed to have gotten through as the beast immediately backed off as instructed.

_Wait… of course! If we shared a telepathy connection, it works both ways… so I don't need to actually talk. How can I address you? I really want to know what you can do for me._

_"__Mistress may address me as anything she pleases; I linger about in the darkness, able to listen to valuable information; I can take a physical form at night and also enhance your attacking capabilities at the cost of your strength."_

_Alright, I think I will call you Feral and I want you to help me find out what does the captain want with all of the Pokémon he captured from Lunar Island._

_"__I will obey, my mistress."_

Feral turned his back to Luna then disappeared into the darkness. Luna was still unsure about using Feral to get information like this but she did not really have much of a choice and she had seen Feral several times before and he seems to be loyal.

"I don't know if I can really depend on Feral but I don't know anymore." Luna muttered as she returned to her straw bed and tried her best to sleep.

Morning seems to arrive rather quickly and while the two Eevees were still asleep, Luna was in a dreamless sleep when suddenly a voice called to her.

_"__Mistress, I had acquired the details you requested…"_

_Feral…? But it's not night time, how are you still here?_

_"__I am a free spirit that resides in the darkness; I live as long as there is darkness…. About the details: that captain said that there would be a ritual to enslave the minds of the captives and turn them into willingly slaves for the guild and since you and another Pokémon is wanted by another party, you two would be left alone and handed over at the meeting point that we are headed to now; we will reach by tomorrow morning."_

Luna snapped out of her dreamland into the harsh reality when she heard about what will happen to the captured Pokémon. She saw in person what kind of mind tricks that Meriul could do and was certain that mind control was not completely out of the question.

The light was slowly seeping into the room that they were in and then Luna had an idea; it was not a prefect plan but it was the best she could think of.

_Feral, quick! Before the sunlight completely covers this room and wakes everyone up, I want you to materialize and weaken these chains. When you are done, help me find out where the signal flares are kept._

Feral wasted no time in appearing at lashing out that the chains that binds his mistress and soon instead of weakening them, they broke apart. Then he instantly disappeared before the light reached Luna; the sound of chains breaking woke Wilson up.

"Huh? What was that sound?" Wilson yawned as he got up.

_Feral…! I told you weaken them, not immediately break them! If anyone sees this, I will be in trouble!_

There was no response from Feral but Luna quickly shifted herself closer to the metal weight then covering the broken chains with some straw.

"Did you sleep well last night, Luna?" Wilson asked out of concern as he got off of the bed. "I am sorry that I can't do anything else to help…."

Luna looked at Wilson then something else came into mind and she had to ask and confirm before tonight.

"Wilson, I overheard some of the Pirates talking outside last night: we are going to get handed over at a meeting point by tomorrow morning and also those other Pokémon, Meriul is going to turn them into slaves…." Luna explained quickly, Wilson was also horrified at the information given.

"Alright… that's good enough for me. We need to escape from here as quickly as possible; first of all let's try and undo your chains…." Wilson started, Luna tried to stop him but he found out about the already-broken chain. "How did these break? Luna… did you stay up all night to break it?"

"Um… yeah, kind of like that. I wanted to see… the moon so… I broke it." Luna lied, linking her sentences awkwardly.

"It's too risky to try and escape now, we need to wait until tonight when there are less Pokémon out there to stop us." Wilson continued, explaining his plans to Luna. "If we are lucky, we can board the rowboat and reach the mainland. We probably want to avoid going back to Lunar Island…."

Luna did not say anymore; there was something bothering her and it was that Wilson seemed to have forgotten about the other Pokémon whose fates were in their paws as well.

_It's true that I want to escape and avoid getting sent back to the facility where I will be kept under a tight watch and probably never see the outside ever again. But those Pokémon… their fate if we don't save them is to be a serve a life of mind controlled slavery. It's… unacceptable!_

Wilson helped Luna hid the fact that the chains were shattered by sticking close to her and blocking the view. They carried on like this all the way past morning to afternoon; finally at evening, Felsic visited the two Eevees again.

"Just to let you both know, tomorrow morning, we are going to hand you both back to Zooid and his crew when we meet. So enjoy your last day of 'freedom'." Felsic told them as he set down some snacks and took the tray from earlier out. After he left the room, Luna and Wilson exchanged glances.

_"__Mistress, I have found the locations of those signal flares… there are some in every room, in this room, they are kept in a shelf on the right."_

_Thanks Feral, take a rest… tonight, I have a special command for you…._

"Wilson, what is inside that shelf?" Luna asked, subtly hinting to Wilson to check the shelf. Wilson opened it and found the signal flares that Feral had told Luna about. "Flares… do you want them?"

Luna nodded and Wilson took a couple and brought it back to Luna who starts to learn how to use them for later.

"With this… we can attract some attention for a bit while we escape." Luna said as she buried the flares deep into her fur coat to avoid detection. Wilson felt that something was strange and decided to ask Luna about it.

"Why would we want to get attention if we both are trying to escape?" Wilson asked.

"So that we have time to free those other Pokémon…" Luna replied and Wilson objected immediately.

"We don't have time to free the others if we want to escape quietly and quickly." Wilson said, trying to convince Luna to follow his plan.

"Then I guess we are not escaping quietly and quickly then…." Luna muttered as Wilson helped to check around the cabin for some supplies; Luna was finalizing her plan of attack and escape as Wilson was busy.

_Tonight… when the lights go out, I will strike at these pirates and make them respect the freedom that belongs to those Pokémon they captured._


	10. Chapter 10

_Time to some goes too fast and to others too slow; wishing things last longer or ending quicker. This does not seem to apply to Luna and Wilson as they waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to appear; Luna decided to mediate before this risky attempt to escape as its all or nothing._

_Feral…. If you can hear me now, I want you to materialize in the ship's brig and start trashing all of the jail cells doors then proceed back up to the main deck and cause a riot. I want you to deliver my wrath to the pirates but I want the innocent unharmed, make no mistake this time._

_"As you command, my mistress…."_

Luna then got up and prepared to dash out on signal; Wilson simply followed as he felt that Luna have a plan that would put his to shame; Luna took the bundle and tied it around her neck. Soon the last ray of sunlight had disappeared and the foreboding darkness of the night covered the landscape. Luna took off the ribbons that Charla had given her as it might get spoiled badly

_It won't be long now…. Three… two… one…_

As if on cue, there was a commotion by the brig and Luna and Wilson can hear the panicking voices outside the door.

"A beast is attacking the brig; leave the prisoners and just focus on bring it down!" a voice yelled then there was a huge squabble outside. Wilson peeked out the crack then flung open the door and they ran to a hiding place.

"Alright, as we planned it alright? You go and take care of those row boats and I will go and free the others." Luna muttered quickly but quietly. Wilson simply nodded and was motivated by Luna's will to save the rest; Luna waited at the spot patiently until Feral, in his full beast form, burst back up to the main deck. Luna took advantage of Feral's distraction to slip past the pirates and down into the brig.

"All of you, we are escaping! Come with me to the row boats." Luna yelled and rallied all of the captive Pokémon together and they made their way out of the brig. However, when they reached the deck, they were surrounded by the pirates; Feral was beaten down and he had to disappear back into the darkness to recover.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Meriul mocked as his crew surrounded the captives. "I should have known that you would pull a stunt like this but it's all over now!"

Suddenly Felsic showed up with Wilson knocked out being held by his mouth, Luna gasped as this situation had gotten out of hand.

_This is bad… there must be something I can do to… wait a minute! The flares…!_

Luna took out the flares and struck one of the ends on the boat's wood floor then aimed it skywards, releasing a flashy and noisy signal flare into the sky. Luna then took out all of the flares she had and followed the same procedure but this time aiming it at the pirates, creating a smoke-screen. The captive Pokémon ran to the direction that Luna pointed them; Luna stood her ground.

_I am not done with these pirates just yet. I still have a score to settle with them… for Charla, if I don't attack, they will and recapture everyone. Charla would have granted me permission… as a tribute to her name; I will fight until I am finally defeated!_

When the smoke cleared, the pirates were confused on what happened. Luna's eyes glowed in the sinister shade of purple and then suddenly she was possessed with super natural fighting abilities; not even giving the pirates a chance to react, Luna charged straight forward and tackled a group of them and sent them flying off the ship; turning around and gave a powerful swipe that knocks them down.

"All of you attack! Bring that miserable Eevee to the floor!" Meriul yelled and the remaining pirates that did not get blasted away earlier started their attack.

Luna swatted away the pirates one by one with a fast tackle, swipe or even bite; those that were tackled were sent swimming in the freezing cold sea in the middle of the night. Luna's attacks seem to be a little weaker compared to the fierce appearance but it was strong enough to force Pokémon to go into the sea from the vessel.

Several special based attacks flew to Luna's direction but then they are all blocked by a sort of barrier. Meriul noticed that and then proceed closer, protecting himself from a powerful tackle, and landing a powerful punch to Luna's skull.

Luna rolled backwards and was slightly cringing under the impact of the punch; she unleashed the final stage of her power: Feral appeared again and charged straight, damaging whoever was in his path. After that Feral disappeared and Luna was barely standing.

The special attacks that were negated all flew at hit their mark and sending Luna backwards and off the ship and plunging through the air towards the watery depths.

_I… hope that they… all… made it off the ship and… back home… with their parents... Wilson, I… am sorry. I guess… we couldn't… escape together… after all._

"Do you think she's alright?" a voice suddenly spoke. Luna's ears twitched when she heard the new voice.

"We did soften her landing when she fell… can you believe she actually held her ground until we arrived?" a second voice spoke and Luna's mind was slowly waking up from its slumber.

"She is a heroine now… saving all those poor innocent lives from one of the most feared pirate guilds in history." A third voice spoke and that's when Luna decided to wake up fully. She slowly stirred her body into moving.

"Hey she is waking up!" the first voice spoke. Luna tried to lift her head but after a stabbing pain later, she fell back down with a yelp. "You can't get up yet; your skull got a minor fracture so you need to stay still for a week."

Luna opened her eyes and she looked around as best as she could; she then saw the owners of the three voices she heard: the first belonged to a Glaceon with an unusual sparkle and also unique vibe surround her; the second belonged to an Umbreon with purple glowing rings instead of the usual yellow; the third and final voice belonged to an Espeon with floating stones that moved around gracefully at random. They all wore the same of badges with the name: Team Legend and the circular center was titanium with the words: Master Rank imprinted.

"What… happened? My head really hurts right now…" Luna said as she lifted her right paw to feel the bandages wrapped tightly around her head. "Where am I? Where's Wilson…?"

"Just take it easy, after you sent that flare, we came as quickly as we could and you delayed the pirates long enough for us to step in and finish up. You are a real hero." The Espeon praised as she gently provided water for Luna who drank it all in one shot.

"As for where you are…. You are now in the Gracidea guild, in our traveling guild ship. As for the other Pokémon, they are being transported back to Lunar Island from where they came, so you don't have to worry about it anymore." The Umbreon added on.

"As for this Pokémon called Wilson, he is under investigation so he was taken away with the pirates." The Glaceon finished with a cheery tone. Luna's face turned pale and she started to panic.

"You got to listen to me! He is innocent; he has nothing to do with those pirates!" Luna pleaded. "He did nothing wrong, I would not have saved every Pokémon if it weren't for him!"

The trio listened to Luna's pleas that Wilson was not associated with the pirates and when Luna finished, they decided to tell her something.

"Listen…. This Wilson, he was taken away by the Federation as they had evidence to suggest that he had relation with those pirates. If he is truly innocent he would be released with a full apology." Espeon said. "It's out of our hands…."

_No… Wilson… I can't believe it after being reunited with someone I knew and trust. I am separated again… am I fated to be all alone in this world? Everyone I ever knew… all suffered… friends don't last forever…. I wanted the power to protect the ones I cared about… the power that Feral gave me, it was simply not enough._

"Well, just rest for a while. We need to have a conversation with our guild master… again." Umbreon suggested before the trio left the room. Luna was slowly descending into a world of loneliness and despair; her hope in friends had been tested twice and now it had been lost.

Luna adjusted herself slowly to sit up and stared at the mirror's reflection; her earring was gone and her collar, that was unmovable, was roughed up pretty seriously. Luna then realized her bundle was missing and when she checked, her tail ring was also gone.

"Wait… where's my bundle?" Luna muttered then she turned around to her right and it was just resting on the table. "Well now is a good time as any…."

Luna untied the bundle's inner and outer layer of cloth and it revealed a box. Luna took hold of the lid and gently lifted it and inside was a photograph, traveling supplies, a piece of newspaper and also a crescent moon shaped anklet. Luna first took a look at the anklet before taking the bag full of supplies; she checked what was inside and then placed the anklet and her ribbons inside.

Luna held up the photo and took a close look; there was a lovely Espeon and Umbreon's wedding then something made Luna's eyes widen.

_Wait isn't that… Charla in the background and that Umbreon… I had seen him before. That anklet as well… that Espeon was wearing it. What… is going on…? What's Felsic doing in this photo...?_

Luna then noticed that there was something written at the back of the photo from the reflection of the mirror; she turned it around there it was written: Felsic & Penelope's wedding; they had an egg before they were married….

_It can't be… what does the newspaper say?_

Luna inspected the article on the paper and when she finished, she felt she could just faint from shock. Tears were already streaming down her face as she dropped down the article on the blanket while she buried her face into her paws.


	11. Chapter 11

_Many years ago, Felsic and Penelope were happily married to each other and they took care of the egg that they had before the marriage. However, there was an accident…_

_They lived together in a modest house in Coralina; a city that was located due north-east of Lunar Island, behind a series of mountains. The place was well-known for its scenery and craftsmanship; Penelope was a seamstress with an eye for elegant details and Felsic, at the time, was the accountant of the shop that they both set up to earn a living. They lived happily whilst raising the egg._

_Pokémon eggs had an incubation period where they need to keep warm for a number of weeks varying on the egg itself. The most common way to do this was to pay in installments to a hospital to keep the egg for them; some families have their own incubators and could continue without needing to pay the heavy fee. Penelope loved and cared for that egg; Felsic and she made a wooden brooder and they monitored the temperature carefully. It was all going well… but maybe too well._

_Those times when there was an unusual increase in the number crime and the flourish of bandits, robbers and thieves fell upon Coralina. Having natural barriers like fold mountains; thick jungle labyrinth to the east; the boundless sea to the west made it hard for any Pokémon to attack Coralina but it also meant the residents have nowhere to run to when they were._

_Another league of bandits: Snow Diablo managed to slip their numbers into Carolina and conducted minor crimes and petty thief as a start. Mistrust and suspicion was lingering ever since the news of bad guys had reached Carolina; the start of the small but numeral incidents raised the tension. Everyone does not know who were associated with the Snow Diablo and those who were not; scuffles and fighting broke out everywhere._

_Felsic and Penelope decided to take a vacation away from the unpleasant vibes in Coralina. They saved up a lot of Poké from the recent fashion trend; they both bought a mobile incubator for the egg and they both went on a cruise on Arrow Spire Ocean._

_After they enjoyed the first few days, the Snow Diablo had infiltrated the cruise liner and they planted a bomb that exploded late at night. Felsic and Penelope had to separate and they promised to meet up soon on the life-boats. But when Felsic reached safety, he found that Penelope had been hit by blazing debris and was brought back to the life-boat but she had already passed away, also the mobile incubator was missing._

Luna did not want to believe the article that she read; she turned the paper around to avoid looking at the title: Tragedy at Arrow Spire Ocean. Her sobs were heard from outside the door of her cabin and the Umbreon from before came in, alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Umbreon asked as he came in after he heard the cries. He noticed the old paper on the bed and inspected it. "It's just an old oran berry juice advertisement."

Luna did not respond as she was still trying to contain her tears; the Umbreon could not understand why was Luna crying over an oran berry juice picture. He then turned it around and stared with wide eyes.

"Oh! I was there during this incident… it was really tragic, all those Pokémon lives that the Snow Diablo's bomb took." The Umbreon commented as he recalled that day.

"What's… your name?" Luna sniffed as she looked at the Umbreon with swollen eyes.

"You can call me Ken." The Umbreon said and he then saw the anklet and the photo. "Oh… are you…?"

"I …am… Luna…. I really… need a… hug… right now…." Luna sobbed and then Ken felt sympathy for Luna and gave her a loving embrace.

"That's it…. Let it all out…." Ken explained slowly over Luna's weeping. "I will tell you what happened that day…."

_I was there undercover along with my sister, Chloe, we were looking for suspicious Pokémon but we didn't expect that they would just break in. The next I knew a bomb went off and the oil tanks caught a spark and ignited; I had to get to safety like the rest…. While I was running, I caught sight of an Espeon; she was carrying an egg with her. There were a couple of agents from the Snow Diablo and they attacked the poor Espeon; they snatched away her mobile incubator with the egg. That Espeon chased them but that unfortunate accident: the burning interior weakened some of the support and a chunk from the celling fell and struck her on the head. By the time I brought her out, she was already gone…_

"She… was my mom…." Luna cried. Ken already guessed that Luna was related to her and was feeling the empathy. "I never knew her… and… she tried to get me back… but… but…."

"Say no more…. It always hurts, I know…." Ken said as he gently laid her back down. "Try and get some shuteye, alright?"

Ken left Luna to cry her heart out and sleep as he went out again to talk with his guild master, Daniel the Shaymin.

"She is asleep now…. She was the daughter of one of the lost Pokémon from that tragic bombing so many years ago." Ken reported.

"I had double-checked that Eevee's information, there a serious lack of details in her history and also her record for the past few years." Daniel said in a dynamic tone to Team Legend which also included Chloe the Espeon and Eve the Glaceon. "She's really suspicious…."

"Daniel, you worry too much as always… if she's with the pirates, why would she let the prisoners go?" Chloe said with a powerful tone; the stones that were levitating around Chloe were producing a humming sound that was barely audible. "From what I see, this particular Eevee escaped from somewhere and the pirates managed to recapture her. They were probably on their way to meet with their client before we intercepted them…. This Eevee must have something."

"Impressive… but is there any evidence to support your deduction? I know you are intelligent but I am going to require prove." Daniel said. Chloe smirked and then pulled out something that looked like the remains of Luna's tail ring and also a map with a location marked on it.

"I found these as we investigating the ship. Apparently some of the pirates had managed to escape; most notable was the captain and a few others. The ship was heading towards this remote island called Bliss Isle; I removed the earring and tail ring from that Eevee. They seem to be analytical equipment and also experimental enhancing technology as well; we already got records of a research center somewhere in Lunar Island. The ship was heading away from that direction so that's why I assumed."

"Is this equipment dangerous?" Daniel asked, inspecting the tail ring.

"They seem harmless but then again, that collar that I was unable to remove may contain something." Chloe started. Daniel was pacing around, thinking. "We will take responsibility for this Eevee, don't worry."

Luna slept for quite a while to relieve her sorrows; nightmares of Charla kept haunting her in dreams, waking her up screaming. There was soon a voice in Luna's mind.

_"Mistress, I sense two shadow spirits nearby… ability spirits to be more correct."_

_ Huh…? Feral…? Ability Spirits?_

_ "That's right… I am a type of clone spirit; I grow and assist with my master. Ability spirits on the other hand are totally different: they don't grow in power but they grant a new ability. Clone Spirits can assimilate Ability Spirits and grow in power; I need to pinpoint who is the vessel… I will have to leave you for a time."_

_ If it makes you stronger, Feral, just go… I will be alright…. I can't move for a week or so._

Luna woke up and she felt considerably weaker than normal; she did not feel perked up and ready but thankfully, she was still in no condition to move. It was early in the morning and she felt rather lonely now without Feral anywhere nearby. Luna took another look at the anklet that she left in the bag and wore it around her right leg; she also took out the ribbons and tied them into bows around her neck, ear and tail. She dug around the bag and found a comb. Her bed-fur was extremely messy and needed to be combed properly to retain the fluff that Luna wanted.

"Good morning!" someone called, a Glaceon and Ken came into the room with a tray of food. "Oh you are awake; I hope you are hungry as we have a great breakfast selection."

"Who… are you?" Luna asked as she was presented with an array of roasted berries and assorted bread. Luna's nose smelled the overwhelming aroma and when she picked the bread up, she felt the crisp edges of the toasted bread.

"I am Eve! Pleased to meet you! I can't believe that you accomplished something so great!" Eve started to ramble until Ken stopped her.

"My sister can be a little noisy but she has her strengths as well. Did you sleep well?" Ken asked as Luna gobbled down the food. "There is no need to rush…. No Pokémon is going to steal your food."

"Except for me!" Eve teased as she took an ice replica of a slice of bread and imitate eating it. "It was delicious."

Luna choked on the bread due to laughter; she started to cough.

"Eve! No jokes when someone is eating!" Ken reprimanded as he patted Luna on the back and then she coughed out the piece of bread; Ken hurriedly passed over some water to Luna who drank it.

"Sorry… I was too anxious and ate it too fast…." Luna elaborated. "But that was amazing, Eve! Show me some more!"

"Sure! What kind of ice sculpture do you want to see?" Eve replied cheerfully as she made another ball of ice and started to manipulate it into various shapes.

"Can you make a Lopunny?" Luna asked eagerly and Eve started to get to work; Ken laughed and decided to leave; Eve was always better at engaging with little children than Chloe and him.


	12. Chapter 12

Luna spent a few more days with the Gracidea Guild to recover her strength and also her injuries; Eve and Ken particularly and constantly kept her company. Chloe only appeared in front of Luna occasionally and most of the time does not really interact with Luna; Daniel also popped in to check in with Eve and Ken before leaving, mainly treating Luna like some kind of suspect.

Luna's fracture had recovered and was able to move about again; Luna originally wanted to leave the vessel that the guild was using to travel around but since they were still on the ocean, she had to stay onboard unless she was thinking of swimming.

A warm serene afternoon came upon the ship as it was still traveling due south; Eve and Ken once again brought Luna to the cafeteria for lunch; they soon after left as they had something they need to attend to. It was rather crowded and Luna was still inexperienced, having grown up in a research facility.

_Oh no… what do I do now? Ok… Luna, think… all these Pokémon are taking trays and just standing one after another over there. Well can't hurt to just follow what everyone does, I think._

Luna awkwardly moved around and just took a tray and followed the line; she just can't help feeling that something was terribly strange and then when she reach the point where she could collect her food, the Pokémon that were serving looked at her with a glance before placing various food items on the allocated spaces on the tray; Luna bit down on the handle of the tray and brought it to an empty spot, silently eating without anyone disturbing her. Soon Chloe came down to the cafeteria and Pokémon gave her an ovation; she also got in line to get her share of food, turning down offers from others to go ahead of them; then sat beside Luna who suddenly received a few stares.

_Wow she is really popular…. I feel a little uncomfortable just from the staring already. Well, she had not spoken much to me yet so I guess I should just be careful on my choice of words._

Luna took a small sip from the soup as she noticed the rocks that were orbiting her. They had stopped moving and just hovered in place; Chloe seems to be just waiting for something to happen as she stared at the food.

"The soup was a little… overcooked," Chloe commented. "It was originally a stew from earlier, filtered of the solid contents. The soup was then left on the stove for a few hours so the taste was be acetifying."

_Wow… that's a lot of big words… wait, did she say the soup was bad?_

Luna spat out the soup back into bowl; some of the other Pokémon noticed and then looked at soup again. Chloe giggled slightly and then took a generous helping of the soup that Luna spat out.

_Huh? I thought she was saying that it was bad._

"I think you misunderstood what I said; the soup was just a tad bit sour than usual." Chloe said soothingly and Luna's face flushed with embarrassment. "Also the bread may be a little overdone thus it's a little hard."

Luna took bread she had and carefully took a bite; she took a while to break through the flaky texture of the bread and get it into her mouth. The tough chewing and a slight aftertaste made the bread almost too hard to swallow.

_Wow… she's good at guessing. Well at least she seems nice enough. She is really clever… I really want to be more like her._

After a few more minutes, Luna finished eating and returned the tray; Chloe wanted to talk to her though so they walked together towards the cabins.

"So what kind of life did you go through before we met you?" Chloe asked as they strolled down the hallway. Luna explained what she mostly underwent while she was on Lunar Island. It was difficult to share the more sensitive parts but Luna trusted Chloe and just let it all out.

Chloe seems to have been listening to everything that Luna had said and when they reached Luna's cabin, they bid a short farewell; Ken and Eve coming in soon after to accompany her for the rest of the day.

Time moved into the evening and then there was something strange moving towards the ship; Ken, Eve and Luna took a glance out the porthole and noticed a submarine ascending past the water's surface and attaching itself to the side of the Guild's vessel. Luna noticed a symbol and then dove into the bed and covered herself with the blanket.

_Oh no… where's Feral when I need him. It's those researchers from the facility, but how did they know I was here. There's no way to run and little places to hide on this boat._

"Luna, what's wrong?" Eve asked as she saw Luna trying to hide. She looked at the submarine that was attempting to board and then she conjured an ice barrier on the door to block it.

The group of Pokémon stormed through the ship, barging through most Pokémon that tried to stop them. They forced their way into every cabin and room available on the ship, searching for something. Daniel and Chloe were exceptionally worried and managed to pin down some of the intruders.

"What are you doing on my guild?" Daniel bellowed straight into one of the invading Pokémon's face. He charged a sphere of Gaia energy and was threatening to blast it straight away.

"Hold it right there or follow suit your friends' fates." Chloe warned as the stones that were orbiting her were super charged and were primed to fire at any moment. Some of the invaders decided to move and the stone fired a black beam and it wiped out the invaders that moved with pin-point accuracy.

Meanwhile back in Luna's cabin, the invaders noticed the blocked door and were attempting to break it down; Eve was trying to reinforce the icy barrier that she had made earlier by adding more layers of ice. Ken took Luna away from the bed and back against the wall, standing in front of her to take on any invaders that got in. Eve also knew that the wall she made was not going to hold on forever so she backed off.

A small assemblage of Pokémon rushed in and Luna could recognize the 'Punisher' from amongst them.

"Team A, we have found the target. Proceeding with containment." The punisher said into his electronic headpiece. All of the specialist team was armed with various gadgets and the first of many they used was a sort of stun ray gun. Eve made a barrier of ice to protect against the ray beams; they were reflected and stuck some of the specialists, stunning them. Blaze grenades were then lobbed and it exploded into an inferno; the ice melted and extinguished the flames. Ken took the chance to sprint out and slash five opponents with his powerful dark energy blade that stemmed out from the side of his paw. The remaining three then used a sort of quiescence gas and Ken fell the ground after getting a whiff of it; the specialist were using gas masks to ward off the effects. Eve made another barrier of ice to block out the gas.

_This is my fault… they somehow were able to track me and I now brought the entire guild into harm's way. But I can't go back… I will fight even if I don't have Feral at my side!_

Luna had to duck down as instructed by Eve as the ice was shattered and the smithereens gathered and launched themselves at the specialists; despite knowing that it was risky, Luna dashed out and attacked.

Suddenly Luna felt a sharp jab from the back of her head and then she felt electricity interfering with her muscle's norm functions and she just staggered and swayed before tumbling down to the floor, unable to move. From the vision angle she was at, Luna saw Eve getting subdued by a sort of long spear with sparks being emitted at the ends.

_No… I failed; I guess I am really useless without Feral after all. I strangely don't feel hatred more of regret… regret that I could not help anyone._

A dark beam of light entered the room and soon Luna knew no more.

Luna could hear voices around her, too warped to be able to interpret clearly. She felt the chronic headache from the strike at the back of the skull earlier; having just recovered, her head was still a vulnerable location to attack. Luna's eyes wavered between focus and blurriness, looking at the irregular shapes before her.

"I will have to insist that I take her back into containment; she is a danger to anyone around her." A familiar metallic voice said but the memory brought back despair and fear.

_Even after all this time, running away, I can still remember his voice… Zooid…. Or rather his cyborg name: Enderzoid._


	13. Chapter 13

_I can't believe that he would come here personally…. I thought that he would not do anything that his lackeys could handle by themselves. Just what do they want from me?_

Luna winced and tried to bring her paw to her head to attempt to ease the chronic headache that she was experience; the aftermath of the earlier tussle left some charred fur on her body and her fur all frizzled. Her body was not listening to her; disregarding her own will to move and just lay on the bed that she had been lying on for days.

"If you need proof, I can show you the report that I had gather whilst she was still at the Centre." Enerzoid said with a monotonic robot voice and then Luna heard the sound of papers getting passed around and flipped. "She was with us since she was an egg; experimented on and tried various chemical formulae; she was deemed as dangerous as of late. She was part of the cross hybrid project and might hold strange attributes."

"What I don't understand is…" Chloe suddenly burst out saying. "How did you track her all the way here? She ran away and somehow you knew where she was hiding and when we rescued her from the Yucca Pirates; you also knew where she was and where we were headed as well!"

"A tracking device, hidden inside of her collar, made to send a signal to pinpoint where she was." Enerzoid commented. "Lucky, she was above ground. Underground will cause the signal to bounce and be distorted."

"Regardless, I refused to just hand her over! She really hated the abuse that you were giving her back at the place. I don't know what your ulterior motives are but I will not stand for it!"

"Sis! Calm down." Eve started and there was movement and ended briefly.

_Daniel had been rather quiet; he had been staring daggers at me ever since I was aboard, believing I was a dangerous criminal. I think he would gladly just give me back to where I came from…_

"She's injured right now." Daniel declared. "She stays here until she is better, then we will let her decide: go back with you or stay with my guild and be my apprentice. She now have a place in my guild, no matter if she is dangerous, even the most dangerous can become the most helpful and useful companion with the proper guidance."

_Daniel…. So much trust… I couldn't believe I doubted you… well you were a little intimidating but you have a heart of gold._

"I really have to insist, sir. Her destructive nature had yet to be seen, you may regret it soon." Enerzoid countered, not wanting to give up either. Daniel was adamant and refused to be swayed by a possible threat. "Very well, I will see you and your guild very soon." The loud and heavy metallic footsteps gradually turned into silence.

"Every Pokémon who wants to attempt and try their best will always have a place on my guild; welcome Luna." Daniel commented with a husky chuckle before leaving the room. Eve and Ken cheered thankfully afterwards and Chloe could barely be heard talking in the background.

Luna mustered up the strength to get up and when the trio saw her wake up, they gathered around her to tell her the news that she already knew. While she wanted to celebrate, she still felt exhausted so she was soon left in peace.

_A clear sky afternoon…. In this strange town where the buildings were made of coral, our ship had docked in recently…. The town's shell horn had just sounded… and darkness... Pokémon were… no….No!_

"No!" Luna screamed, sitting up abruptly, slowly coming to the realization that she was still on the boat late at night. "Just a dream… wait, this seems familiar. It's another one of those 'future visions' I have occasionally. This one is another event; if only I can recall all of the details."

"Luna? Are you alright in there?" a voice called from outside the door of her cabin; Luna could recognize that it was Chloe. "I was meditating when I heard your scream."

"I am fine!" Luna called back and Chloe seemed to have left after that. _At least, I hope that I am fine. Something is going to happen again and the guild is involved in it as well. Tomorrow, I have to at least warn someone and then ask Daniel when we are docking at that town._

When Luna went back to sleep, another dream stuck her curious. It was completely different from what she dreamt earlier.

_Under a full moon lies a lovely sanctuary, having a great view of the waterfalls from the nearby mountains and the forest between. An altar stood alone between two trees with statues lined up by the gravel path; the lightly natural scent of primroses diffused in the air; a mysterious Pokémon standing tall, covered in a robe, wielding an exquisite blade appears to be designed like the altar. He spoke in a deep rasping voice, while unsheathing the sword and pointing skywards and to the moon: The guardian had been appointed and with it, comes the protector._

"Wakie wakie, little Luna! Its morning!" the shrill cry of Eve interrupted the rest of Luna's dream; Luna naturally took evasive actions when Eve pulled the curtains, bathing the room in sunlight, by pulling the blanket over her head. "Don't hide! It's a bright new morning so open your eyes!" Eve continued in a sing-song fashion.

"Why must they send Eve to wake me up…." Luna grumbled as she slowly pulled the blanket back down after her eyes had adjusted and mind had returned to reality.

"That reminds me! You haven't washed up yet! I will save us a seat at the cafeteria; it's normally crowded in the morning. I heard that we are having those Salac Berry buns, those are really hard to come by!" Eve then left, leaving Luna still dazed on her bed.

_How does she stay so active and somewhat crazy in the morning… what did she say that I need to do again?_

Luna got up and swaggered off to the washrooms, drenched in the warm water to wake up. After a while, Luna noticed that the ribbons changed colors; from purple to a light shade of pink, apparently due to some stubborn stains and dirt.

_Charla's ribbons… they were pink originally but I guess Charla couldn't bear to tell me that they were filthy since I loved it… or she thought that it would wash off eventually… I will never know, I guess._

Luna dried off and returned to the cabin to retrieve her bag that she kept packed in case she may have to jump ship. When she reached the cafeteria, Team Legend had already saved a seat for her. Chloe was again reeling her analysis of the food that she was given; Ken and Eve were talking cheerily about something.

"Hello…" Luna greeted as politely as she could while being annoyed at the wake-up call. "What's for breakfast?"

"I told you already, its Salac buns; they are extremely hard to come by. Here have one and find out!" Eve started and Luna took the bun offered and took a bite. The sweet and sour symphony of taste was refreshing and energizing in the morning. "Aren't they great?"

Luna nodded as she took another bite; they enjoyed themselves with conversations and stories of Ken and Eve's misspent childhood.

"I think the Machoke's house at the south is still being constructed after we did a job there!" Ken laughed as he recounted that one incident of an accidental gas leak that caught a spark as they did a job.

"And that's when I stopped pairing these two together when we do jobs…" Chloe muttered as she levitated her food off the plate and took a bite. Luna, having never seen much, was impressed at Team Legend. Chloe took out a map that she had with her and began to read it.

"Daniel said that we will be docking in a town further south, I was thinking of getting off and paying a special friend a visit." Chloe answered simply. "I was also thinking that maybe I will teach Luna a little combat while we are docked."

_Oh right! That dream… I don't know if I should mention it; I am still in the dark about the details. I think it nothing to worry about; an entire guild could not possibly be destroyed in an instant. I hope…_

"Maybe we should start that training now! Let's head to the arena!" Chloe suddenly declared and stood up. "You in?"

_Already? Feral has not returned yet… well it's a chance to prove myself without any help…._

"Yeah I am in!" Luna replied after a while and followed Chloe to the training room. _This room is filled with stuffed dolls with a target mounted on them and also bags suspended from the ceiling; some metal objects that look a little like hooks and lastly an open area. A sour stench looms over this place and the walls seem to be reinforced to the fullest as well. The floor was rather smooth, I feel like I could trip over any second._

"I hate to be the one to say this but… I think we have to start out hard: battle me." Chloe mentioned darkly. Luna flinched._ Fight… Chloe right now?! The renowned and intelligent leader of Team Legend is requesting a battle with me?!_

"But I… can't possibly…" Luna started, stammering badly, wanting to talk her way out of fighting Chloe. "I have little experience battling…"

"Don't be modest; you managed to hold an entire guild of well-trained pirates. You must be a worthy opponent to face off." Chloe reasoned and already took positions; the stones that always accompanied her were now glistening with a dark sparkle. "Don't worry I will go easy on you."

Luna was skeptical about that fact. Despite her doubtfulness, she slowly stepped out and onto the marked position. _Chloe would stop if I got hurt, since I agreed, I best give her my best and to let her have a great battle._


	14. Chapter 14

_I am now feeling tensed; my body is simply shivering and my heart is pounding really hard and fast. I looked at Chloe who had yet to make the first move; being cautious, I didn't attack first. The pressure from those strange stones revolving around her was unsettling. I feel like I am perspiring a kind of cold sweat as we both stalled for a good one minute before Chloe's stones suddenly fired a dark beam that I narrowed dodged._

"Pretty good reflex there; it's just the beginning; look sharp." Chloe called and then eight beams were fired in quick succession; the beams were shot in various directions and they changed their course to a certain place. Luna hopped lightly and danced around to avoid a direct hit, closing the distance very quickly. Doing a spin, Luna's paw built up the strength from the momentum and whacked Chloe back slightly.

Chloe does not seem to be fazed at the hit; she suddenly just stood her ground and Luna naively continued the assault, thinking that it was an opening. As Luna's tail was about to make contact, it stuck a barrier and Luna was sent flying backwards and she crashed onto the ground. Priming a counter-attack, Chloe started to charge energy from where she stood. Luna noticed as she was about to get up and then she waited a little; when Chloe was about to discharge the attack, Luna pushed against the ground hard with her legs and shot herself skyward, avoiding the incoming blow. Luna landed and there was a short pause to catch their breath.

_She's not kidding, if I was hit by those attacks, I could be seriously hurt. I don't have any way to attack her without going into close proximity of those beams. I think Chloe knows that too; she's just going easy on me._

"You are indeed well-versed in defensive maneuvers; able to wait for the right moment to dodge and counter-attack." Chloe commented as her dark rocks closed in on her, forming a sort of barrier. "Let's try your defense at close quarters."

Giving almost no time to react, Chloe charged forward and tackled Luna who hastily got up as Chloe advanced once again; Luna was taking a few hits as the initial shock was wearing off, she endured and then found an opening to trip Chloe which a fluid motion with her right hind leg. Luna then countered but when her tail failed to charge up strength, she lost the chance when Chloe recovered. The stones were humming slightly and Luna panicked and jumped into the air too early; Chloe was able to fire her beams so that some stuck. Luna crumpled to the ground in agony.

"Sorry, I may have over done that attack. Most of my opponents were tricked into thinking that at close quarters they are relatively safe but they are wrong…." Chloe said as she helped Luna up and gave her an Oran berry to restore her strength. "But not many Pokémon broke my first barrage of attacks so you did very well already."

_Wow... that beam really hurts, and she could do a lot worse against a real opponent. I am really no match for her. If only my iron tail had charged up, I might have ended her whole attack completely…._

"Well I got a good evaluation of your fighting style and techniques; I think I can recommend your training curriculum to the guild master." Chloe commented again and Luna just laughed.

"Why don't you teach me?" Luna asked, suddenly the thought of someone else thrashing her about popped into her head.

"Well, I could always ask… do you feel more comfortable facing me?" Chloe queried back and Luna nodded, her tail wagging as well. "Alright, I will try and convince the guild master to let me teach you."

They soon picked themselves up and then proceeded out of the training room. Chloe then began to tell Luna about the annual event that the guild always participates: the team battle tournament.

"We always take part in this event as its location is at the master's hometown of Whirlpool Island. This event calls in Pokémon teams from all over the continent; ranging from exploration teams to rescue teams to even junior teams. There are games to help determine which team has what it takes to be called the best of the best. My team had a winning streak for years; then we took a long and tedious job that takes us to somewhere south and we couldn't take part. So we lost our title… but this year, we are going to take it back!" Chloe explained, Luna was surprised that there was such an event for teams.

Luna returned to her cabin and Chloe went her own way; Luna was inspecting her room, finding a book about focusing energy and decided to take a read. She puffed her pillow behind her and then leaned on it comfortably and opened the book. As time slowly ticked on, hours and minutes flew pass quickly. Luna suddenly noticed that the words on one page moved to form a sort of canine creature and then it spoke.

_"__Mistress, I managed to convince one of the three spirits I found on this ship to join us. This ability spirit gives me form and a lingering presence around you. And its ability is… shadow manipulation. You mysterious claw attacks now have form and it obeys you."_

"Feral!" Luna exclaimed while dropping the book. A shadow seeped out and materialized before her within the shadowy parts of the cabin. Feral's features were now more distinctive than before; he looks like a full grown wild wolf with red pupil-less eyes and wisps of black smoke being emitted from the paws. Feral bent his legs into a bow. "So wait… you now have a real form? Then what were you when you appeared to help me?"

"Formless… no defined physical properties…" Feral spoke in his deep and low voice. "Thoughts still link us together but now we can communicate like what you call 'normally'."

"Wow…" Luna comment as she got over her surprise and approached Feral and felt his fur. "Wait, you said you got only one of the three? What did it give you? You spoke a little fast earlier, didn't manage to catch it all."

"Shadow Manipulation: controlling shadows to your will, altering their properties." Feral elaborated again but in a more simplified way. Feral gave a quick demonstration: he focused on the porthole and he seemingly 'pulled' a shadow and a dark matter appeared and fired a spike out the window. "Abilities like these could be used by you without my influence so be sure to master it."

"What do you mean influence? Were you controlling me at times that I didn't know?" Luna questioned, finally demanding some answers.

"When your feelings of hatred and anger reached its peak, it overpowers me. I, in return, give you more power for a short duration but in order to do that: I needed to control your body for a time so those blanks in memory were mostly likely to be me." Feral enlightened, Luna was horror-struck.

"That means… what Enerzoid said was right. I am really a danger to anyone near me." Luna said resignedly. _My anger and hatred will cause harm to those around me when Feral charges me with that extra power._

Feral backed away and then nuzzled Luna; double backing and then relaxing.

"You are mistaken, you only attack those you want to hurt the most and to those you care the most about, no harm will come to them." Feral replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. _Feral seems to be a funny creature, vast intelligence and also a great companion._

"Thanks for the compliment." Feral chuckled again. "Our thoughts are linked still, so whatever you think of. I can hear it as clear as day."

"That reminds me, you said there were two other… how come you didn't get them first before returning?" Luna asked again. Feral seems to be disappointed at the question; he got up and then he paced a little. "Something wrong?"

"The other two… you know that Espeon named: Chloe and the Umbreon called: Ken?" Feral started, avoiding his usual direct answer. "The last two spirits I sensed had taken residence in these two for a long time and their abilities became part of them; removing them just so you could use them is simply unthinkable."

Luna suddenly hit the realization: when she fought Chloe, those strange floating stones that fired a kind of dark light were unusual and they seem to give off a similar vibe to the skills that she uses when she's powered up.

"That's right… that was Sinister Laser, involving the use of minerals to charge up negative light to attack." Feral explained. "The other one is called Moon Blade: forms a dark blade to the side of the paw and could be used a melee weapon. I could still communicate with those spirits but removing them may have a consequence… I await your decision."

"No…. I can't possibly take those abilities away; Chloe told me that her team was unable to take part in a tournament and lost their well-deserved title." Luna replied. "I could never do that."

"Luna…. That was a brave choice…" a voice said and then Chloe appeared through a pillar of dark light that her stones created.

_Oh no! Chloe must have heard everything…! Feral is still in his physical form too; this is going to be hard to explain. Oh boy..._


	15. Chapter 15

_"__Mistress… should I just disappear for now?"_ Feral asked through telepathy; Chloe's eye moved between Luna and Feral. Dumbstruck at what to do, Luna just remained silent and was literally frozen on the spot.

"Well… I was expected something but not this…." Chloe commented. "I just walking past and then I heard talking; being curious, I can't help but listen. At first I thought it was some Pokémon that came in to talk but as I listened, I heard: 'our thoughts are still linked' and that's when I knew that it was no ordinary Pokémon inside."

"I…I… can't… explain." Luna started. "Wait I meant I can explain even though I really can't. I mean…" Luna was getting slowly getting tongue-tied; Feral was on his guard as he did not know whether Chloe will take it easy or not.

"Chloe! The master had been waiting for…" the familiar voice of Eve called from the doorway and there's someone else with her. Before Feral could disappear, the whole Team Legend caught a glimpse of Feral. "What in the world was that?"

After a few hours of explaining everything about Feral, Team Legend were utterly speechless and they were in deep thought; Luna sat on her bed, hugging her pillow while waiting for the 'verdict' to fall. _"Feral, you best come out… the water has already been spilled."_

Feral reappeared and his sudden materialization scared Eve whose back was facing him at that time; Chloe cautiously got up and then strolled over to Feral as well as Ken.

"Don't you knock when you appear behind Pokémon?" Eve commented again in her usual repartee. "That scared the daylights out of me!"

"I apologize…" Feral replied as politely as he could. Chloe and Ken were slowly inspecting him. "Don't think me rude but what are you two looking at?"

"So you are like the 'guardian angel' of Luna?" Ken asked as he sniffed Feral. "That's so cool!"

"It's more of the case that I am the embodiment of her inner darkness." Feral replied at the questions he was asked; Luna was just sitting on bed silently as the trio examined Feral.

"That's strange, I could have sworn that I would have sensed you if you were nearby." Chloe said as she thought for a bit. "So… Luna, what's Feral been doing lately, other than lingering in the shadows…."

"I think it might be better if we have another battle than to explain it." Luna replied softly and then she departed first. Feral disappeared into the shadows and followed her. Ken decided to have the round with Luna, instead of Chloe as she needed to see the master first, this time. They both took their positions while Eve, as well as, Feral went to the spectator stands.

"Mistress is right… having a battle will be easier than talking. She must be intending to use her new power that I just retrieved." Feral said as he dove into the shadows again; Eve was now more hyped up for the battle.

Now is approaching dusk; the shadows were abundant and Luna could use those to her advantage now. Ken let Luna make the first move; Luna's paw glowed and then she managed to pull up a spike of dark matter and used that to gain elevation from the battleground. Eve clapped happily: Luna was using a technique that Eve had used before which was to gain some height advantage before attacking.

Ken and Eve had been practicing with each other so Ken knows what to do: he leapt up and propelled using momentum upward and catching up with Luna in seconds. A wave of dark matter spikes was sent and it pricked and knocked Ken off the platform she made; Ken landed on his feet and then he seeming 'disappeared' and before Luna knew it, her platform was sliced into pieces and she was falling. Luna saw her shadow below her and then created a pillar to break her fall. Luna shot three spikes from the ground and it kept growing from the origins to hit that target; Ken did a horizontal corkscrew with his Moon Blade and sliced away the growing dark spikes heading his way. Luna noticed that one of the pieces did not fully disintegrate yet so she grabbed it and hurled it forward; striking Ken on the tail.

_Hey! That piece stopped disappearing when I made contact with it so maybe…._

Ken sprinted forward with his Moon Blade fully charged and ready. Luna focused and then formed a barrier of dark matter in front of her to take the blow; then 'equipping' a claw attachment to her right paw and dashed forward, slashing Ken on the way. The claw attachment disappeared soon after that hit.

"Ok I have seen enough…" Chloe said as she came back; Ken was about counter-attack. "Ken, let's just call it a draw or you may end up defeated."

Luna stopped and left the field to the spectator stands; Eve had given a standing ovation as well as a verbal reenactment the whole battle. Ken examined the scratches he received; they seem to be infected with a sort of poison and its beginning to sting.

"Luna, your attacks left me with some kind of poison…" Ken remarked as he took out a Pecha berry and munched on it. The sweetness of the berry spread from the mouth into a refreshing sensation and it cured the poison that Luna had caused.

"I don't know… did all of my attack cause a poisonous effect?" Luna questioned back. "I think whatever that substance was, its highly poisonous."

After that, Luna continued to live on the ship; her training schedule was planned by Chloe and taught by all the members of Team Legend; they had accepted Luna for who she is and made her part of their junior team. Since Luna was still underage, she could not take part on missions that Team Legend often underwent. Chloe always sends two members together to do their missions (including the most destructive and playful pair of Ken and Eve) and the one left behind would look after Luna and keep her company. It was all going rather well: Team Legend, consistently brought back Poké and supplies after each mission; training hard and learning how to control her powers, Luna soon was nearly on par with Eve, despite her age. As the days rolled pass, Luna's vision was still as vague as before: not letting her lift the fog of mystery that hung around.

One day, the ship had docked in a town due south called Coral Town. Luna was a little worried as the town matched her visions and sometime soon, something is going to take place. Right now, Luna was taken out of the vessel and onto land by Eve while Chloe and Ken were still away.

"Wow, I remember being here years ago." Eve said as she walked around to familiarize herself. "There was a time this place was forcefully taken over by a notorious group of Pokémon called Raiders. But we came in with our whole guild and drove them away; we had help from a team from outside the guild… I wish I could meet them again."

"Why can't you meet them?" Luna asked as she strolled beside Eve, not wanting to get separated.

"The Federation lost contact with them a year ago. Not one of them was seen again, they headed north and we don't know what happened to them. They should be fine… just that they have trouble communicating back to the Federation." Eve said and Luna thought that it's best to close the subject. They continued sight-seeing; first stopping by a few local food stands and purchasing their famous edible coral rocks; continuing to the craftsmen district where jewelry and other kinds of accessories were sold; they took a break by the Coral Tower that stood at the heart of the town. Whenever the hour hand on the gigantic clock face reaches a number, a horn sound could be heard being emitted from the inside.

The architecture of the building was awe-inspiring. Luna took a while to digest the great majestic piece of art before her; Eve simply smiled at the building, recalling the past when this build was not even there and the town hall was in its place. Luna soon remembered her vision and silently bit her lip as she heard the horn sound at high noon. Nothing happened yet.

_Calm down, Luna…. I mean I have not seen the full vision, what could possibly happen anyway?_ _Wait a minute… why am I feeling light-headed?_

Before Luna knew it, the darkness engulfed her into an abyss and her body fell to the ground. There was the horrifying sound of battling and screams from injured as Luna blacked out.

_Wait… could it be? My vision was vague due to that… I was blacking out? No… why did I have to wait before raising the alarm? I should have just told someone. I wonder what's going on though… a battle? Or maybe everyone had stopped... even that was more than wishful thinking..._


	16. Chapter 16

_Where did these Pokémon come from? That symbol… it's the Snow Diablo and… another group that I never seen before._ Eve picked up Luna on her back after she was hit by a tranquilizer dart on the hind; before she could run, she suddenly found herself surrounded by the Snow Diablo and another group. The Snow Diablos' uniform consisted of a veil to mask their identities; a white cotton tunic and shorts with a belt around the waist and lastly, caps made of fur.

_This is not good: Chloe and Ken are now away on a mission and Luna is out cold. What can I do...? I am now surrounded._

"Hand us that Eevee on your back and you can go without a scratch, refuse and we will attack," warned one of the Snow Diablo Elites. Eve had to make a choice and fast; they were too far from the docks to call upon the guild's help.

_Well… one against all. Guess it shouldn't be too hard: after all, I fought an entire guild before too, but first, I need to thin out their numbers first._

Eve closed her eyes and focus; the temperature around her started to plummet to sub-zero degrees. Clouds were moving and gathered above her and then it started to hail; a barrier of ice had formed around Eve and Luna. The Snow Diablos' winter attire seems to give them a slight advantage but they needed protection against the hailstorm; some tried to attack the barrier but Eve caused spikes of ice to appear on the barrier and deterred them. Eve then fired the spike in a one hundred and eighty degree arch coverage; sending more packing and running. Eve leapt up after opening a hole in the barrier; by freezing the water vapor in the air, she made a track made of ice and started to 'surf' on it. Eve was careful not to go too fast or Luna may just roll off; she was speedily making her way back to the guild's ship; a fiery cannon ball flew through the air and bombarded the docks. Eve skated to a halt and onto the pier to see that a naval battle had just started against a familiar submarine.

_This is unbelievable: they dared to attack the guild directly. With Chloe and Ken still gone, this is going to be tough battle. Wait, there's another ship coming this way…._

Luna shivered due to the initial cold either and slowly woke up to see the guild under attack, can't help but feel guilty for what's going on. Eve let Luna down as the group from earlier chased them to the pier; the other vessel sailed into view and it also began to attack the guild's vessel. Eve was her guild's most potent naval battle trump card but she could not leave Luna's side at the moment. Luna stared at the battle right now.

"Eve, you need to help them. I will find a way to hold this group." Luna pleaded with Eve to save the guild first, her second. Eve was caught in a tough spot right now: on one hand, she wants to protect Luna but on the other, she needs to help her guild fend off a new opponent and the submarine. "Trust me!"

Eve knew Luna was adamant so she wished her luck before traveling out to sea using her ice as a walkway. Luna turned around and knew that she was biting off more than she could chew; a rough estimate of nearly a hundred Pokémon in front of her.

_Feral, I need your strength… there's no way I could beat this many without help. Oh wait, I forgot… Feral could only give me strength if I empowered him with my negativity. I need to somehow invoke it. I can't use shadow manipulation like this either… it's now broad daylight, no shadows except…._

Luna, using her own shadow, summoned thorns made of similar dark matter to attack. The sharp tips of the thorns grew forward from the origin; it pierced through the crowd, pricking or knocking any Pokémon that was in the way.

_Wait… why… did my… strength just… dropped? That's… strange._

_"Mistress, fluctuations in your strength was abnormally dangerous. Using Shadow Manipulation on your own shadow takes a lot of strength as you were taking a double toll from using Shadow Manipulation and drawing strength from yourself."_

_You should… have told… me that… earlier. What… can I… do now?_

As Luna was waiting for some suggestions, some Pokémon confronted Luna and attacked her with various melee abilities. Luna was physically and mentally drained of energy so she fell to the ground easily. As the attacks continued, Luna struggled to get back on her feet.

_Wait… maybe if I… could just…_

Luna harvested the last bit of her mental strength and then used the crowd's shadow to knock them back and launch a large spike that carried Luna out of the battle. Luna crashed painfully onto the pavement after the spike reached its peak distance that Luna could summon up.

_"Mistress, that was completely reckless! You could have been in a lot of trouble, risking your life like that."_

_I… didn't… have much… choice, Feral…._

Luna unsteadily got up and staggered in the direction of the forest path. Bruises and cuts were abundant on Luna's body; it was agonizing to even take a step. Luna managed to enter the forest, despite her impending black out, she managed to find a hollow tree to take refuge in.

_That's… as far as… I could… go…._

Luna fainted and knew no more. Time passed by as Luna rested to recover her strength; the sun begun to decline from the sky, changing the azure sky into a crimson gradient spectrum. The last rays of sunlight were dissipating; allowing the darkness of the night to take hold.

_"Mistress? Are you alright?"_

Luna shivered due to the cold wind and slowly came to; she inspected her surroundings first then noticed Feral in his full beast form, barely able to squeeze his head into the hollow tree that Luna was hiding in.

"Wah!" Luna screamed in surprise as she saw Feral's ferocious wolf head before her, tumbling back in shock.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Feral apologized as he backed away a little. "I watched over you while you were sleeping; the area is filled with Pokémon patrolling about. Your best bet at getting away is right now while it's harder for them to notice you."

"I see… wait, its night time…." Luna said as she just came up with an idea. "Feral, I need you to help me buy a map and a disguise… here's my money pouch."

"Understood," Feral acknowledged and took the money pouch in his mouth, "Try not to strain your body, mistress. Stay here until I get back."

Feral departed and then Luna remembered what happened the last time something like this happened.

_Don't worry, Luna…. Feral will come back for sure, there's nothing that could stop him… I hope…. Well I can now practice using the shadows while I wait._

Luna started to experiment with the uses of the weaving the shadows into equipment that she could use; to make it more effective, Luna also tried to change the physical properties of the dark matter. Sometimes, Luna wants it to be sharp and hard as metal would be or as malleable as clay.

_This is really hard…. I need to focus on the change and the shape I want it to be or it would not work properly. I wonder if I could change it into armor as well…._

The shadows were gathered and then they reformed into a helmet that when Luna tried to test it, simply shattered like glass. Luna watched as the fragments melted back into the shadows in frustration: unable to master the changing properties of dark matter.

Feral soon returned with a rolled up map and a black cloak with silver bindings; Luna opened up the map first while chewing on an Oran berry she took out of her bag.

_Well we are now at the forest outside Coral Town…. The battle should have ended and they are looking for me in Coral Town and here…. I need to get away from here. Maybe…towards Spring Town? I am already on the path towards it anyway so it might be worth a try. This forest is rather dense; I could lose my way very easily._

Rolling back the map, along with the money pouch, stuffing those into her bag, Luna took the cloak that Feral bought and tried it on. It was the perfect size for her and it has a hood to cover her face; the silver bindings were just an aesthetical improvement and allowing her to secure it properly. Luna took off her ribbons and kept them inside her bag so that she would not be recognized. The collar that Luna (and Chloe) had not been able to remove was now hidden behind the cloak. Pulling the hood over her head, she was now ready to set off.

_I hope that this would work; I am still weak but I should make pace so that it would be harder for them to locate me._

After that, Luna gingerly came out of her hiding place and slowly stalked her way through the foliage, avoiding the main path. Now heading towards a town that she had never heard of; hoping to find answers and a purpose other than simply running away or hiding: Spring Town.


	17. Chapter 17

Just due south of the lands of Sylvia lies the prosperous country of Sequinox. Coral Town and Spring Town were part of the western Sequinox; there were mountains that lie at the border of the two kingdoms due north of Silver Cove that was situated at the base of the mountain before the fold mountains aforementioned.

Between Silver Cove and Spring Town, lies a remote lake that was infamously known as the Lake Of Lost Pokémon. The lake was just a stone's throw away from Spring Town and the road takes travelers through a vast open plain. There's a house located at the lakeside; it was a wooden bungalow with an extra level built on top.

Within, lays an Eevee no more than five years old, on top of a soft mattress bed with a cherry wood framework structure. Her fur, at the moment, was now messy due to last night's slumber. Her brown and cream tones of her fur were slightly darker than the norm; her eyes were naturally glistening with an amber hint.

An alarm clock that stood on the windowsill beside the bed went off shrilly; Sunny was shocked by the alarm like she normally do and reached out her right paw and began to use it to track the location of the alarm's snooze button. She first grabbed a hold of the clock and then patted it a few times before whacking on the protruding button; the sounds were silenced and Sunny tried to get back to sleep with her blankets over her head to block out the sunlight.

"Sunny! Time to wake up!" a voice called from below the stairwell and Sunny soon snapped back to reality. "I am making your favorite pancakes today!"

_Pancakes?! I am going to break my record on my time getting ready! But I need to wash up first then I can start the time._

The word 'pancakes' was enough to wake Sunny up completely and she quickly got up, sprinted into the washroom to freshen up; Cleaning and combing her fur; brushing her teeth with a toothbrush with toothpaste and then she returned to her room. Sitting on a wood stool in front of a mirror, she took out a few bands with a bell that jingles as the wearer moves. The bells have a rotatable cap that could be adjusted so that there was no sound being emitted from them; Sunny tied two bells to her right ear and popped on a straw hat, she locked the bells so that they would be silent; she then grabbed her backpack and carried it.

Sunny walked out of her room, turning the lights off as she did. She strolled down the corridor and then when she saw the stairs. She hopped on the railing and slid down all the way to the lobby; she landing in a perfect landing as the pancakes was ladled out of sizzling pan.

_I made it! Half a second shaved off my original time!_

Nancy, Sunny's mother, was just stacking the pancakes when she saw Sunny rushing down. She smiled as she saw her daughter's usual morning enthusiasm which brought life to a rather sad place: the place they were living in was also the place where eggs were sent to be buried.

In the Pokémon world, most eggs would usually hatch out after a year or so; dependent on the individual but there were also the small percentage of eggs that had their life ended short due to various reasons and the eggs would never hatch. The eggs would usually dissipate into energy after a while but they were gathered at the Lake Of Lost Pokémon to give their essences back to nature; the teleportation technology that was recently invented helped the process but the cost of running the facility was not cheap. The business started to make losses and Sunny, in order to help cover it, took two jobs to help keep up with expenses but nonetheless, they were living happily.

"Good morning, Sunny. You were faster than usual!" Nancy greeted and adding a side comment; Sunny was known for her hyperactivity. "Well here's celebrating your newest record on rushing downstairs!"

Soon Sunny was tucking in to a sumptuous stack of Pecha pancakes, topped with Oran sauce; Nancy was just sitting down and watching Sunny enjoy herself, like she usually do in the morning. The smile from enjoying the simplicity so everything and the pure joy straight for the heart always made Nancy feel good inside, made everything worthwhile in the morning.

"You know your smiles just make me want to smile too." Nancy comment while continuing to watch; Sunny soon finished and was about to help wash the dishes. "Sunny, you are running late… again…."

Sunny turned her head and looked at the wooden wall clock that showed eight in the morning and Sunny's first job at the bakery starts in half an hour.

"How could I be so late?" Sunny exclaimed and she took her bag and dashed out the door and on the road to Spring Town. Nancy sighed but giggled afterward as she cleared the table: Sunny's intentions were in the right place but she had problems balancing her own problems and the happiness of others.

Meanwhile on the other side of town; the forest due west of Spring Town, Luna could now see Spring Town after three days of traveling and evading. Luna had a few close encounters but always hiding during the day and moving around at night worked to her advantage: she was able to hide in the shadows and also use the shadows to shield against the various equipment her hunters were carrying to capture her. Feral helped keep watch over Luna during daylight as it when she was the most vulnerable as compared to night. The events after the naval battle at Coral Town were still unknown to Luna; she was trying hard not to think about the aftermath.

_Finally… I made it; I was beginning to think I may have taken a wrong turn past the big tree or that small stream. My supplies were all used up in three days; I was lucky to find ripe berries in the forest or I would have starved…._

Luna's tummy rumbled at that time, reminding her that she did not consume anything since last evening. Luna's face flushed due to embarrassment; she then took out her money pouch to check how much Poké she had… not much. Luna forced herself to forget about food first and prioritized finding a place where she could get her collar removed. The electronic collar locked around Luna's neck was clever covered by the robe; Luna overheard her chaser talking about a tracking transmitter inside her collar so to have a chance to lose them for good, she needed to get rid of it. The light of dawn was dazzling as Luna made her way out of the forest; her fur extremely dirty and messy, not to mention, smelly from the adventures in three days. She was also quite tired as she did not get a decent sleep; constantly worrying about her pursuers.

"Well… it couldn't hurt to stay here for a few days to recover my strength," Luna reasoned with her own conscious. "It's important to keep moving but even those guys would think twice about attacking in broad daylight with security around." Her tummy growled loudly that a passer-by stared at her; Luna sighed and entered town to find some food first before anything else.

At the same time, Sunny had managed to clock in for work at the last second; she hung her straw hat on the hook provided and changed into her apron and a white beret. Her bells were loosened so that they will jingle as she walked; it was meant to attract customers with a curious sound. Sunny started the fire at the bottom of the oven; she gently fanned it and blew on it to help nurture it to grow bigger. Sunny was a prodigy whenever it comes to keep fires under control but she could just generate an inferno just as easily. The chef, a Pansear, looked at Sunny nervously; Sunny had a history of causing the aforementioned blaze without meaning to, most of Sunny's salary always when into repairs.

"Sunny, I think that's good enough for the first batch; why don't you help me check the bread stock and tell me which type of bread needs refilling." The Pansear asked; Sunny poked the fire one last time before replying an energetic 'yes'.

Sunny stopped feeding the fire and left it crackling and hot; she smiled at the nervy chef before heading out of the kitchen.

_I am all for enthusiasm but Sunny needs to be watched or disaster would happen._

Sunny went out and check the display trays; the store had a counter at the back with three shelves with clear display windows and heating for the bread; Sunny saw that the loaves of bread were selling out fast and also one of the more popular, Oran Swirls (Circular bread that had a spiral design on top and within contained Oran Jam) was running out. As she scribbled on her notepad that was inside her apron's pocket, she picked up a scent: which usually means that there was a customer.

"Hello! How can I…?" Sunny started but then she saw the Houndour that entered the store grabbing an entire tray of Pecha Lillies (A special bread that was in the form of a water lily with Pecha Jam lining), putting all of them into his side pack and running off. Sunny's amber eyes sparked with a fiery passion and she gave chase whilst yelling 'thief' once: letting the other bakery workers know that they had been robbed.

_No one steals on my watch! I hope that you are a good runner or I can't guarantee your life!_

Sunny was getting hyped up; she not only enjoys playing with fire, she also enjoys the trill of chasing and hunting. The hype accumulated overflowed and it took the form of raw flames; it surrounded Sunny and also reducing the air resistance around her so she was able to run faster.

_Fire? What's going on? I will figure that out later! I got a criminal to put down! But this is awesome! I love it and it helping me to run faster!_

Sunny's hype continues to build and the flames grew more intense and although Sunny could not feel the searing heat but the Houndour could feel it coming closer and when he looked behind; a blazing inferno greeted his eyes.Consumed by fear, the Houndour opened his mouth and blasted his own fire into the firestorm; the new fire got added into the vortex and made it a lot bigger. Running for dear life, the Houndour headed down the streets; Sunny, at this point, knew she could not catch up and began yelling for help.

At that exact time, Luna was just nearby; further down the street and looking through the window of a restaurant. Luna felt that the price was a little too much so she decided to continue down the street; then she saw the Houndour running towards her and the incandescence right behind him

"Stop that Houndour! He robbed the bakery!" A voice yelled; Luna was unable to pinpoint the source and then she saw Sunny within the fire.

_Is that Eevee out of her mind? Chasing after a Houndour with all the fire around her? That energy is primed to explode at any moment; I need to do something but I can't let this Houndour get away!_

The luxury of dawn was that shadows were abundant from the buildings and alleyways; Luna's paws glowed in a dark purple and as it did, the shadow did the same. Luna swiped horizontally and then added a vertical swipe upwards. The shadows materialized into a dark matter and it first gathered together from the origins and then formed walls, blocking the Houndour. In that short moment, Sunny caught up and when she leapt upwards to pounce, she went skywards and her paws instinctively reached out and 'pulled' the conflagration together into a condensed fireball and as she lands, she pulled the fireball below her and aimed straight at the Houndour.

_Alright… I hope this works or this street would be blown apart!_

Luna did a somersault and then swiped upwards with two paws; the shadows formed a sphere to trap the Houndour first then grew two spikes that formed a barrier around the fiery Eevee; an explosion occurred and smoke engulfed the scene. Luna struggled to hold onto the shadows as the gigantic impact meet the barrier.

_I need to hold it out…! For everyone's sake...! No...! It can't be... I can't... No!_


	18. Chapter 18

The smoke slowly cleared out; at this time, the local police arrived due to the loud explosion; they blocked off the area while sending in a squad to see what happened. The first thing they found what Luna who was blown to the side of the building and smacked hard, on the floor.

"That should teach you not to steal from any Pokémon! If you want food, you just have to work!" Sunny yelled and attracted the searching squad. The smoke thinned out more and they saw an Eevee with her bell bands jingling away. The unconscious Houndour was ransacked by Sunny for the stolen goods and that was then the authorities stepped in.

"Excuse me, Sunny, what happened here? Did you cause another fire outbreak?" asked an officer who was more familiar with Sunny's incidents.

"I didn't officer; I was just chasing this thief. He stole from the bakery; here are the stolen goods." Sunny explained, showing them the bag of Pecha Lilies. The officer seemed convinced and his squad returned with an all-clear and it was a fake alarm. Sunny then noticed Luna at the side; although, Sunny could not see Luna's identity due to the robe and the hood over her face, she was worried that Luna was caught in the explosion earlier.

_Ugh… what happened…? That explosion was intense…. I guess if I am hungry, my power suffers as well._

"Oh my… goodness! Are you alright? Please say something, anything!" Sunny said while trying to wake Luna up, "But please don't say something or anything."

_What the… heck? She's crazy or just plain strange…. At least that explosion was contained; that's the most important thing._

Luna slowly got up and Sunny heaved a sigh of relief; Luna dusted herself off while remaining silent first, hoping that the 'psycho' would go about her own business.

"Why… aren't you responsing…?" Sunny asked again, carefully choosing her words. "**Did that blast hit your head and made you mute or deaf?**"

Luna jumped at the sudden yell and absurd question; Sunny noticed that she was heard and stopped yelling. Luna let out a soft growl, inaudible to Sunny, to release some of her annoyance.

"I am fine… really…." Luna replied, her voice was hoarse due to lack of water and her throat being sore. "Now if you would just…."

"I really must thank you! You stopped me from exploding the whole district into ashes!: Sunny added on quickly and then started to pace around, thinking of how to repay her savior.

"It's nothing…. I really have to be on my way now…." Luna replied carefully, hoping to get away as soon as possible. However, just when Sunny was about to let her go, her tummy growled loudly and Luna could hear the 'psycho' Eevee tittering at her.

"Well, your tummy says you're hungry! Come with me to the bakery and pick whatever you want, it's on me! I am not taking a 'no' for an answer from a boy like you." Sunny declared and started to nudge Luna in a general direction.

_Well, I am a little hungry… wait a minute! Did she just call me a 'boy'? This is just ridiculous, how could she call me a 'boy'?_

_"To be fair, mistress, your voice was deeper than usual and your appearance was shrouded in mystery from that Eevee's point of view. Even I could have mistaken."_

_Just great… another chapter in my life…: The day that I was a 'boy'._

Luna was thrown for a loop by the earlier 'boy' comment; Sunny was busy guiding Luna towards the bakery. As they were moving, Sunny noticed some of the cuts and bruises on Luna's legs.

_He must be a traveler; those wounds seemed recent as well. I should grab a first aid kit later on and help tend to his cuts._

They soon reached their destination; Sunny went in first and told Luna to pick out whatever she likes and she would pay for it. Luna gingerly browsed through the selection of bread available while Sunny talked to the owner, who was also her uncle Charizard.

"She helped me earlier chasing that thief; I told her that she could pick out whatever she wants and I would pay." Sunny elaborated and her uncle nodded in agreement. "By the way… where's the first aid kit?"

Sunny went upstairs and then her uncle called for the hooded Eevee.

"Hey lad! Why don't you wait upstairs while I cook up a fresh batch of bread for ya!" the Charizard called and Luna almost fainted when she heard the word 'lad'.

_This is just a nightmare! Two strangers calling me a male!_

"Could I use your restroom?" Luna asked politely as she could and the Charizard pointed to a room marked with a blue Pokéball symbol. Luna nodded and went in to wash up; she took off her robe and then tied her pink ribbons around her neck and ear. She gargled with some water and spat it out before clearing her throat; her voice became normal again. She then groomed her fur so to avoid any further confusion and also frustration.

When Luna left the washroom, the Charizard earlier did not recognize her at all.

"Excuse me, little lady. That was a male washroom…." The Charizard commented and Luna's face flushed with an adorable shade of pink.

"But… you pointed me there!" Luna tried to retaliate. The Charizard did not understand what was going on and when he entered the washroom personally; there was no other Pokémon inside. "Oh, I think you don't recognize me: I was that 'lad' that went inside there earlier. I am a girl not a boy!"

It was now the Charizard's turn to be embarrassed; his face also blushed and he started to laugh awkwardly.

"Now that's going to be the biggest joke of the century! My sincerest apologies, little lady, please wait at the table upstairs and make yourself at home." The Charizard laughed and hurriedly tried to end the mortifying situation. Luna could understand and turned around and headed upstairs. The stairs led to a living room and to the side was a dining table and Luna took a seat while placing her bag beside her.

Sunny found the first aid kit in the cabinet in her room and as she was heading to the dining room; she caught sight of Luna.

_Who's this? Where's that hooded Pokémon that helped me? Maybe she knows what happened to him…._

"Hello! My name's Sunny! Did you happen to see a Pokémon that wore a robe with a hood?" Sunny introduced herself and asked her question. Sunny then noticed the same cuts and bruises on Luna's leg and then the realization hit her hard. "**You're a girl**!"

_Well to be honest, I thought that she would take longer than her uncle to figure that out. Guess she has her own strengths as well._

"Yes… I am and thanks for starting the 'I am a boy' sitcom. At least, you figured it out faster than your uncle." Luna commented and Sunny picked up the first aid kit that she dropped due to shock.

"It was your leg…. As I was nudging you along, I noticed the cuts and bruises. They seemed recent so I fetched the first aid kit for you." Sunny explained as she flipped the lid of the kit open and looked for a sort of spray.

"Thanks for the concern, but I think you are just wasting your time worrying about me." Luna replied. "Oh name's Luna…."

"Well, wasting time or not, these injuries might get infected and I do not want any Pokémon to get hurt when I could do something about it. Now this might sting a little…" Sunny said as she pressed the nozzle and the small cylinder unleashed its contents in a vapor blast. The initial pain that Sunny mentioned came soon after and Luna yelped slightly but endured the rest. After that Sunny took some bandages and pasted them over the cuts. "I wish to travel one day… I like adventure!"

"I never got to ask why you were in such a rush, Luna." Sunny suddenly queried; Luna was about to answer when the Charizard from earlier came up with a tray of different types of bread. It was still letting off steam, showing that it was straight from the oven. The aroma waved through the air and was picked up by Luna's sharp nose; Luna thanked the two Pokémon for their generous hospitality.

"Well, they are still a little hot. Sorry about the earlier confusion; please accept what we could offer." The Charizard said, bringing back up the whole incident. Luna brought a paw to her face while Sunny could not help but hopelessly try to suppress her laugher.

"It's alright, really." Luna replied after sighing slightly. The Charizard then called Sunny downstairs for a while to let Luna rest.

_Finally a little peace and quiet for a while…. Without Sunny talking excitedly and full of vigor, I almost miss her rambling and her personality._

Luna sat at the chair quietly for the next few minutes, consuming some the bread given to her and then there was a sudden yell from the bottom of the stairwell.

"Who are you Pokémon? Why are you ransacking the bakery? Stop it or I will not let you off that easy." Sunny yelled and then Luna felt dread creeping up on her.

_Oh no… please don't let it be them…. They couldn't have tracked me all the way here already… could they?_


	19. Chapter 19

Luna wasted no time in pulling off her pink ribbons and swapping it with her travelling cloak; hastily securing the fastenings, she then decide on her next course of action.

_These Pokémon were kind to me…. I must drag those jerks away from this bakery. It's risky but I really do not have much of a choice…._

Luna grabbed her bag and then walked down the stairs, pretending to be careless. She saw that a whole squad of six was there and the entrance was well and truly blocked.

"There she is! After her!" One of the Pokémon yelled and Luna retreated back upstairs.

_So much for a frontal attack…. Guess I will just have to..._

"Come with me!" another voice called and then Sunny bit onto Luna's cloak, literally dragging her along. They entered rushed into the one of the bedrooms and opened the window.

"What are you thinking? Jumping from a two story height?" Luna asked urgently.

"Well, why don't you just shut up and jump? Come on or they will be here soon!" Sunny riposted and then pulled Luna to the window and pushed her out; follow right behind her. Luna could not help but scream as she fell; her fear of falling had taken over all reasoning.

_That Eevee does not think ahead, does she? Wait… I am… terrified of height! __**Help me!**_

Luna could not focus and instead, cringed during the fall. Sunny noticed that Luna was panicking badly; she then unknowingly channeled her excitement into raw flames; causing a small vortex at the street that they were about to hit and it softened the landing significantly.

Luna was still frozen due to fear so Sunny just tossed her on her back; staggering at the initial adjustment to the weight.

"Wow, she needs to go on a diet or something… she is unbelievably heavy!" Sunny commented and she brought Luna down a side road that leads out of town and towards her home by the lake. "Geez, I didn't know she would be such a baby when falling down a mere two floors."

"I can walk on my own now, thank you very much…." Luna answered sarcastically , clearly hearing the comment, slightly offended. "Sorry for having a fear of falling, tell me when you get a fear one day."

"Sorry… I just wanted to help…." Sunny muttered slowly; Luna heard it and turned around. Sunny was smiling at her but Luna felt that the smiling face was just a mask for her.

_She seemed to be hiding her true feelings for other's contentment; why?_

"Are you alright? I can feel that you are hiding your feelings," Luna asked and Sunny flinched slightly but regained her cool almost instantly after.

"No, I am alright! Really! Come on, we might want to hurry up or those guys might catch up." Sunny noted and they soon reached Sunny's house.

Luna started at the modest looking dwelling; it reminded her of Charla's former home and the scent was also similar with aged wood and also a small lavender fragrance. Sunny opened the door with her key and her sudden arrival startled her parents.

"Oh hello darling, I thought you would be home a little later." Nancy asked as she hugged her daughter. "Oh, and who is this?"

"Her name's Luna, she's a traveler. I owe her a favor for helping me catch a thief." Sunny started first by elaborating. "I was wondering if she could stay here for the night. We have an extra room."

"Well…" Nancy said and also looking at Luna who was waiting patiently. The hood and cloak made her consider for a moment. "Alright, any friend of my daughter is welcomed here."

_Friend…. No… I can't let Sunny be my friend, she would… just get hurt someday. Nobody lasted being my friend for a month…._

"I don't really…" Luna wanted to respond but Sunny cut in saying that she needed to get back to the bakery to check up on what happened over there. Nancy took Luna for a short tour and showed her the guest room.

The room was similar to Sunny's: the floor were polished oak wood planks; the window had a view over the gloomy dark forest and the simmering lake beside the house; a cherry wood frame and mattresses were piled on it to form a bed and there was a desk and wardrobe. Luna loved it already; it gave her nostalgia feelings right from the start.

"It's not much but I am sure you will find it nice." Nancy commented politely to the new guest; Luna was awestruck and all she could say was a 'thank you'. "Alright then, I will leave you to get settled."

Luna placed her bag down on the nearby chair and swapped out her traveling cloak for her regular pink ribbons. Whenever she changed her accessories, she felt the metallic surface of the collar that was locked around her neck and she sighed.

_This collar… I can't wait to be rid of it. They will find me soon; I can't really stay for the night…. By nightfall, I need to get moving._

Luna sat on the bed and pulled out her last inheritance to her deceased mother: an anklet with a crescent moon decoration. It glowed in a deep naval blue as Luna held it into the afternoon sun.

_I had really been through a lot…. Months or maybe even years in that research facility; escaping with Wilson and meeting Charla. My life had been adventurous and exciting; I had a lifetime of sweet and bitter moments ahead of me. Wilson and my dad, Felsic, should be in the Federation Prison somewhere in the east; Charla…._

Luna's tears started to form and they flowed down her cheeks and started to drip on the floor; her past was painful to recount and she could not find anyone to cry to. Silent sniffles and wiping of tears lasted for a good few minutes before Luna had returned her 'treasure' back into her bag.

_I need some air…. Maybe I could go to the lake outside._

Luna left the room and back down the stairs; her eyes suddenly caught onto some photographs of the family. She particularly liked one that stood on the mantelpiece: it was a picture taken in front of the house on the opposite side of the lake. Nancy and her husband, an Umbreon, Thomas, was lovingly embracing each other and smiling for the camera.

_This is a nice photograph; it seems to be taken a few years ago…. But wait, where's Sunny? Was she the one taking the photograph? Wait a minute… Sunny is not in any of these photographs._

Luna's eyes scanned through the older pictures and sure enough; Sunny did not appear in any of them. The more recent ones had Sunny grinning and riding on Nancy sometimes; Luna felt that something was strange.

"Do you like them? They were taken by our friend who was a photographer." Nancy added in after looking at Luna inspecting the pictures.

"If I may ask something... Why is Sunny not in these photographs from a few years ago? I thought she would be born already and I did not see a photograph with the egg." Luna asked, trying to clear her suspicions.

"Well…." Nancy started then she looked left and right, checking for something before approaching closer to Luna.

"Sunny is not my biological daughter, she was originally just another egg that was sent here for burial but somehow life came back to her egg and she was born on the spot. We did not know where she came from or her real name but since she was born at the crack of dawn and her eyes made us called her Sunny. We tried not to tell her that she was adopted as it would break her little innocent heart. I am sure you saw how happy Sunny was. I don't want that to change."

_Oh…. So Sunny is an adopted child; I could almost tell since Nancy and Sunny had really no traits in common much, I would have expected Sunny's true mother to be more 'crazy' as she was._

The door suddenly slowly creaked open; Luna and Nancy were both stunned and Sunny was at the doorway. Her smile was really transparent; anyone could tell that she was not truthfully happy.

"Why didn't you tell me…?" Sunny asked, clearly retaining herself from crying. Nancy turned pale as she did not want Sunny to find out; at least not by eavesdropping.

"Sunny… I kept the truth to protect your feelings; we were meaning to tell you one day; when you were grown up and could take the blow, we were intending to tell you then but… we were worried about you." Nancy said, trying to ease the hurt that Sunny was displaying. Sunny ran into Nancy's arms, letting out all the emotion she was holding back; Luna looked at this scene in silence.

"I am really happy here! I love you and Dad too! Please… I want you to be happy too; don't make yourself unhappy over a secret." Sunny cried out and Nancy also could not hold it in any longer and cried tears of joy in the embrace. "Promise me... No more secrets between us?"

"Promise!"

Luna smiled silently as the two finally broke a wall that was inhibiting mutual trust; she did not know how but somehow she was reminded of the times she was with Charla.

_What a lucky child you are, Sunny…. I wish I could say the same for myself..._


	20. Chapter 20

After a while, Sunny and Nancy broke their hug. Sunny then shared her inner most desires since that they agreed not to keep any secrets anymore: her thirst for excitement and adventure; her dream of traveling around the world, meeting new Pokémon and making new friends.

Sunny's zealous and animated elaboration was the source of contagious excitement; even Luna could not help but laugh at some of the wildest, most childish yet the most sincere words from the heart.

Nancy giggled heartily and then placed her pink paw on Sunny's head; it was almost like a 'snooze' button as Sunny stopped talking instantly.

"Alright sunshine, you win. But, only if Luna would take you with her; even you would say that" Nancy laid out her conditions and then the attention returned to Luna. Sunny pouted with showed her huge puppy eyes; Luna felt a little uncomfortable.

_No! Sunny cannot come with me; I am on the run and having a companion might slow me down or worse… get herself hurt. And… would she be able to defend herself if in a sticky situation?_

"But… I… she…" Luna stammered badly; wanting to say 'no' but her conscious was contradicting itself. Nancy saw that Luna was getting pressured and tense so she said that the decision could wait; Luna needed to relax badly so she went out.

Luna walked around the edge of the river, kicking in some pebbles in frustration. Her life was already complicated as it was and now there was a possibly that Sunny may tag along, it was all too much for her to take in right now. As she wandered around, she found a swing that was suspended in the air from some branches.

_Maybe a little relaxation would clear my mind…._

Luna sat on the swing; her hind legs dangling and front paws grabbing hold of the ropes. She swung herself and then played with the swing for a bit before she stopped. She then looked over at the lake; it was dank and dark, also like life and joy had been deprived and removed from the place.

_This place… is rather sad…. There is little joy here; I am surprised that Sunny lived here. Her personality really gives the lake back what it needs. That 'fire' that brought light to this sad place._

"A penny for your thoughts…." Sunny asked as she approached Luna. "This is where I usually go to when I am down too."

Luna nodded to acknowledge Sunny's presence but kept her eyes to the lake; Sunny strolled to Luna's field of vision and then to her horror, saw that Luna was sad. Then she did something that startled Luna.

"Burrrphff!" Sunny exclaimed as she used her front paws to distort her face; pushing her cheeks in way and squishing in her face to make it seem hysterical. Luna's eyes widened as she saw Sunny being more weirder than before. "Nothing? Not even a smirk?"

"No… sorry. But you did catch my attention." Luna replied; Sunny was standing on her hind legs and then she slipped on a piece of twig and fell down on her back. Luna, due to the sudden comical act, sniggered while using her front paws to muffle it.

_Well at least; she's laughing now. I just wanted to see her smile._

"Are you alright? Oh nice bandana you have there." Luna asked then realized the new addition to Sunny's appearance. The red bandana was tied around her neck and it matched her amber eyes perfectly.

"I guess I really did not mention one thing…. I am on the run…. Those Pokémon earlier were after me; I am not a criminal but…." Luna started to explain; slowly easing into the breaking the news that Sunny could not possibly tag along.

"I know…." Sunny replied and Luna was shocked. "When those Pokémon came in as if they knew you were there and then they tried to chase after you was when I knew what was going on."

"So I hope you understand… I don't want to put you in danger." Luna responded. Sunny then shook her head and approached Luna.

"No…. If I knew that it would be dangerous, why would I still insist on going? Maybe… you don't think I have what it takes?" Sunny asked; Luna was rendered speechless as Sunny found out what she was worried about. "How about a battle? I will prove that I have what it takes. Come on, I know a place that we could safely rumble."

Luna could not object as Sunny nudged her in a direction; she took the time to slip off her ribbons as she did not want them damaged. They arrived at a small clearing; there was a stump at the side where they could put anything that they do not want to risk getting damaged. Luna placed her ribbons there and that was when her collar was exposed.

"What's that around your neck?" Sunny asked after noticing it. Luna bit her lip and walked to the left side of the clearing.

"I might tell you if you win; you would be my travelling companion with no objection if you do." Luna replied, establishing the conditions. "But if you lose, I may have to reconsider."

"I am getting hyped up! I will not lose!" Sunny said in pure enthusiasm and as she did, flames started to appear on all sides. Luna noticed this and was being cautious.

_So that's it…. Her positivity fuels that inferno; I need to be careful or I might end up seriously injured._

Luna scanned the surroundings and noted the shadows of the trees and leaves; the direction of the wind as well. It was now a stand-off waiting for one to make the first move.

Sunny did not hesitant that long and she sprinted forward and charged while engulfed in flames; Luna focused and then she first gathered some of the shadows into a concentrated area and then she waited for Sunny to close the distance until she could not stop in time; she then 'pulled' the energy upwards and lifted herself by forming a pillar under her. Sunny, as planned, slammed her head into it and suffered the recoil.

_Great, she had fallen for that ploy. I wonder if I could change the properties of my dark matter now…._

Luna refocused her mind and as she did, a fiendish black glow surrounded her; she did a perfect somersault backwards and landed on the grass safely. The pillar collapsed and then exploded into liquid that flooded over Sunny, extinguishing her flames. Afterwards the shadows receded back to their original places.

Sunny was still smiling and then there a faint red glow around her paws; Sunny, as if she knew what to do, slammed her paws down and a tremor traveling to where Luna was standing. Luna felt that she should find cover and thus formed a spherical barrier using the shades. And lucky for her that she did as the next moment, the earth cracked and a hellhole burst out. Luna was sent flying but she called the darkness to her aid and stopped herself from falling. Like roots, dark matter tendrils came out of the ground to grab the orb that Luna locked herself in to safeguard her life. The structure suddenly burst into a watery substance that doused any fire that Sunny produced.

Sunny smirked again as she saw her fires went down; several fireballs formed around Sunny and they each fired smaller spurt of flames at Luna and Sunny created the same firestorm around her as before and ran at Luna. The combination of attacks forced Luna to run off first, away from the initially agreed location. Luna saw the lake and had an idea; she created platforms using the darkness from the bottom of the lakebed and walked on them. Sunny recklessly chased Luna to the lake and without even flinching or fazing, followed her on the platforms.

_She's toasted…_

Luna raised a few more fragments of darkness to shield against the fire attacking her. But once Sunny was over the water. Luna melted the platforms and Sunny fell into the water but just as Luna thought the battle was over; something like a fiery cannonball dropped down and bombard Luna at where she stood. Luna, took reduced impact thanks to her fragmented shield, also went underwater but she merely came back up on a boat made from the dark matter.

"Ouch… that hurts…. Wait where's Sunny? Oh no, could it be… that she didn't know how to swim?" Luna muttered while rubbing her head. When she noticed that Sunny was missing from where she fell, something was wrong.

_Feral…. Do you know where she went?_

_"The last I saw was her sinking to the bottom of the lake." Feral replied as politely as he could._

_Oh no…. if she can't swim, she might be…. Feral, take me to land if I fall unconscious. I am going to do something big and risky but it's to save a life!_

Luna closed her eyes and she then stood on her hind legs on the platform she made and raised her front paws skywards. There was a slight tremor and then afterwards a continuous rumble as Luna glowed in black; the surface of the water ebbed and rippled. Luna was channeling all that she had and after a few seconds, Sunny reappeared on the surface and then a tendril came out and lifted her gently to land. After that, Luna sapped herself of her energy and collapsed down into the lake.

_Why… are watery… graves always… finding me…? Is… it… destiny? I think… I could… say… that… I won…._


	21. Chapter 21

Several hours had passed; the events during that time were a blur. The sun had slowly set from the highest point in the sky; the azure sky changed into a bright crimson.

Sunny woke with a start as her mind and body finally reconnected after a black out; she looked around her and then realized that she was in her room. She sat up and took a while to gather her thoughts while looking out on the lake.

_Huh? Wait… what happened? I was battling Luna then I was at the lake… then…. Luna!_

"Luna!" Sunny called out as she left the room and ran to the guest room where she knew Luna would be staying; she flung the door open to see Luna lying down on the bed with an ice pack on her head. Sunny then realized that she also had a bandage on her forehead by looking at the mirror in Luna's room.

"Oh hello, Sunny." Luna replied weakly; her body was strong but her mind was exhausted. She smiled at Sunny as she approached her in bed. "Thank goodness that you didn't drown."

"What happened?" Sunny asked; Luna shrugged as she also woke up just a few minutes ago. Nancy soon came back into the room and was surprised to find Sunny there as well. Nancy set down the tray with a bowl of soup and then she recounted, in her mind, what took place earlier.

_I was cleaning the windows to the balcony when I saw a flash of light; the next I saw was Luna 'walking' over the lake's surface. I thought that I was seeing things but it was real; then Sunny burst into view and all that fire everywhere. I wanted to try and stop her but that intensity of the battle made me unable to move; when Sunny went underwater, that was when my legs listened to me and I ran as fast as I could. Sunny had one fear: she did not know how to swim and she really did not feel comfortable being in water. As I reached the balcony, the earth trembled and I lost my balance. Luna was standing in the middle of the lake and at the same time, the sky turned black; she was standing upright and glowing with a black aura unlike anything I ever seen before. Then I saw Sunny rising back to the surface and something lifting her gently and to land. Luna then faint and dunk straight into the lake. The tremor stopped so I dived in and saved Luna._

"I guess I lost, didn't I?" Sunny said, disappointed. "So that means I could not tag along?"

"I said it means I have to reconsider carefully… not that you don't have a chance." Luna corrected Sunny, however, Sunny was still a little disappointed that she failed to make a good impression. Luna noticed and then remembered something.

"Do you think you could help me retrieve my ribbons? I left them by the stump and I can't really move."

Sunny nodded and left the room, leaving Nancy and Luna together. Nancy looked at Luna and then she lifted the ice pack off her head. After checking her temperature, she set the ice pack on the table then levitated the spoon.

"Thanks for saving her life." Nancy said as she slowly prompted Luna to open her mouth. "Sunny may not have said it but she can't swim at all."

_We are all Pokémon, aren't we? Everyone have their own weakness, fears and strengths. I hope Sunny remembers where she took me for the battle._

Sunny walked out and retraced her steps but she took one wrong turn and ended up walking in a circle. The lack of light made it much harder to navigate.

"Was it left twice to a right turn or right twice then a left? Maybe walk straight from here?" Sunny asked herself as she tried to find her way. She soon managed to find the clearing eventually after an hour of wandering around.

The pink ribbons were still on the stump and Sunny picked them up; she then grew a little curious.

_These ribbons look really simple…. Like those that I could buy for a mere ten Poké but why did Luna ask me to retrieve it? Whatever's the case, I best get home soon. Luna would be happy to see these again._

As Sunny placed the ribbons around her neck and started to walk back, there was a rustle in the bushes that Sunny failed to pick up. The sky was getting dark and Sunny was a little worried; at night, these woods could become a natural maze that might take her weeks to get back.

"Is that her? Wasn't that a little too easy?" a voice whispered when Sunny was out of earshot. "Thousands of Poké for the capture of this little girl? Easy money is the sweetest."

Sunny was walking through the same path that she took.

_I am really exhausted; I bet tonight's dinner would be delicious. I can't wait!_

She soon saw the house in sight from the forest and as she was about to make her way there; someone's paw extended outwards and forced a cloth over Sunny's mouth, rendering her incapable of calling for help.

_What is this? Help! Help!_

Sunny struggled as hard as she could; screaming and kicking the best she could but then the lack of air hindered her efforts and slowly she was subdued and taken away.

Meanwhile, back at Sunny's home, Luna was getting worried about Sunny but it was Nancy who was more worried and Thomas had just returned home. Luna, who was a still a little weak, decided to look for Sunny; Nancy did not feel that Luna should push it so she went along with her. They decided to circle about the area separately; Luna heads to the clearing that she had asked Sunny to go while Nancy visits places that Sunny loves to go play. Luna reached the clearing quickly only to find nothing left.

_My ribbons are missing so that means…. Sunny had been here. These imprints in the mud seemed to suggest that Sunny stood there for a while as the imprint was fresh and slightly deeper than those leading up to it._

Luna looked at the stump more carefully then noticed the paw prints heading towards the right. But as she wanted to follow, she heard footsteps and voices. Hiding in a nearby bush, Luna waited for whoever was heading her way. A Leavanny and an Emolga strolled into view and the Leavanny had a huge bag over her shoulders. Luna could barely hear what the both of them were talking about.

"Easiest ten thousand job in bounty hunters' history." The Leavanny said as she hauled the bag. Emolga sniggered darkly; they continued to walk, contented over what they had done.

"Where's the meeting point?" The Emogla asked as he leapt up and glided down. "I want to see the cold hard cash myself."

"They said the abandoned windmill somewhere near here. I am sure we are heading the right way."

The bag started to squirm a little and Leavanny dropped the bag down at the stump, in front of where Luna was hiding. Luna tried to get a glance of what was in the bag and then she had a muffled scream; the Emolga hopped up and discharged electricity, stunning whoever it was. Luna's ears then heard the distinct sound of a bell jingling.

_It's Sunny! I knew it, I should not have asked her to do this but why would these bounty hunters want her?_

"Lucky we caught her before she completely changed guises or we would never find her. She swapped her ribbons for bells and a red bandana…." Leavanny commented as she stuffed Sunny back into the bag.

"We can count ourselves lucky. Let's be on our way." Emolga finished and they both were on their way.

_It's my fault… those bounty hunters were looking for me and… they mistook Sunny as me and they deduced that Sunny was changing away the ribbons to avoid captures. I have to get her out or my conscious would forever be tainted._

Luna stalked the bounty hunters through the bushes; she tailed them for a while before they reached the aforementioned windmill. The roof had collapsed inwards and the fan's wings had broken off; the sky had darkened further and the moon started to rise. Luna waited patiently into the twilight.

The bounty hunters entered the building and they met a Glalie and Froslass who stood by a large capsule that had laminated see through glass and reinforced titanium rims. They exchanged a few words before Luna heard a sudden yell.

"**Imbeciles! You brought me the wrong Eevee; the target had silver eyes not amber! And also, she does not have the collar.**" A voice bellowed and Luna giggled slightly at the thought that those two got the wrong Eevee.

"Calm down, deary. We could get keep this Eevee and send a ransom note for the other Eevee." Another voice said. "She definitely knows our target; I guess that the target asked her to retrieve those ribbons."

_Wow her deduction skills were sharp and she guessed the whole thing correctly._

Luna looked through the window and saw Sunny all trussed up with rope and she seemed to have something in her mouth and taped shut. They brought out more rope and tied Sunny to a pillar as the bounty hunters brought out more paper and started to scribble a note.

"That's good enough… bring it to the lakeside house." The Froslass said soothingly and the two bounty hunters departed.

Luna knew she had to take her chances so she did.


	22. Chapter 22

_I woke up shortly after I blacked out only to find that my front legs were pinned to my sides and had rope tightly wrapped around me. I tried to speak but a large wad of cloth was stuffed into my mouth and a piece of tape covered it so that I could not spit it out. I was helpless and I tried to wriggle my way free… big mistake._

"Easiest ten thousand job in bounty hunters' history." A voice said and Sunny then realized that she was stuffed into a sack. She squirmed around a little, tried to kick but then her hind legs were also bound. Her captors really thought of everything to stop her escape. After more conversation, Sunny suddenly felt her captors stopping suddenly and the sack was set down.

As the sack was opened up, she saw the Pokémon that kidnapped her: a Leavanny and a Emolga.

_These two… I had seen them before at the bakery. They are bounty hunters… but why are they after me? I don't have anything that could be worth ten thousand._

The Emolga then discharged her electricity and Sunny's fur was stung by strings of energy. Her muscles got a spasm and then her mind could not take it and forced her to black out once again.

After a short moment that seemed like an eternity, Sunny woke up again and when she did she was tied to a pillar inside the old abandoned windmill.

_Ouch… where am I? Isn't this the old windmill that was destroyed a few years ago when a meteor struck the roof? But why did they bring me here? These ropes are too tight… I can't get out._

"Now listen carefully, captive." A Froslass said, gliding up to Sunny with a Glalie behind her. "I am sure you know the Eevee that these… belong to."

The Froslass held up the pink ribbons that Luna sent her to get. Sunny's eyes widened as she saw those.

"Gimmph thmmph bmmph!" Sunny said, trying to yell into her gag but all that came out was nonsense that no Pokémon could understand. The Froslass merely threw the ribbons aside then gently caressed Sunny's face; while she slowly drifted out of Sunny's view and holding Sunny's head in place, the Glalie came forward and stared at Sunny straight in the eyes.

_I need to break free! Fire… that's it! I just need to do something… but…_

Before Sunny could put her plan into action, the Glalie's eyes glowed in a spellbinding cyan light. Sunny suddenly felt something strange.

_Wha… what's going on…? My heart… it's freezing…. All the warmth… joy… disappears… just like that. It's so cold… so dark. I…I… am drowning…._

Sunny's eyes lost focus and they became empty as Glalie continued his stare. He chuckled and before he could actually finish, a large root of dark matter popped out of the ground and broke the contact.

Luna showed up and as quickly as she could, she first dashed and forced Froslass and Glalie away from Sunny using her tendrils of darkness. As Luna reached Sunny a barrier of darkness formed around them, locking out Froslass and Glalie.

"Sunny! Don't worry I came to get you out, hold on." Luna said quickly and then she summoned the power of darkness around her own paw, forming a claw. She used it to carefully cut the ropes and then she peeled off the tape. As Luna took out the cloth and ropes, she noticed that Sunny just plopped to the ground like a lifeless puppet.

"Sunny? What did they do to you?" Luna asked, frantically shaking Sunny to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. Luna's barrier suddenly shattered and she set Sunny sitting down with her back against the pillar.

"So glad you decided to show up." Froslass laughed as she hurled a chuck of ice at Luna who threw her claw to shatter it before it could reach her.

Luna smirked as a shadowy being transcended through dimensions and into reality; Feral appeared seemingly out of nowhere and clawed Froslass that she was promptly sent smashing through the wall and landing outside unconscious. As Feral turned to face the Glalie, there was a slight tingly sensation as Feral was frozen solid within a split second and that chuck of ice shattered, Feral disappeared into wisps of black smoke.

"Sorry mistress, I could not take it… his power is humongous." Feral cried as before he retreated back into the shadows. Luna kept her distance wisely; the Glalie's expression did not change as they both stood off against each other.

"Now this was more like the way Enerzoid said it would turn out. I am impressed that a kid like you could harness some of the most dangerous powers I ever seen." The Glalie said, sounding like he liked Luna's powers.

"What's it to you of my strength?" Luna asked back as she also calculated in her mind what sort of counter attacks work best.

"You had been a naughty girl, haven't you? Running away and causing the five bandit leaders so much trouble. Why don't you make things easier on yourself and surrender right now." Glalie suggested and his eyes were still glistening.

"Not to the likes of you who would harm the innocent just to get whatever you want! You Pokémon are sick and I would rather die than accept defeat from the likes of you!" Luna argued back, her anger was on the rise and her power gained a bit more strength.

Glalie suddenly levitated a sort of remote from the bag that Froslass had left on the ground. Luna braced herself and as the Glalie did something. The collar around Luna's neck, which was in clear view, started to make sounds and before Luna knew it, strings of electricity were being emitted from the collar. Luna screamed and she was soon brought to the ground after a few seconds.

"You see my dear girl. That collar was designed to keep you under control. They knew that they were training a monster so they prepared quite well for that." Glalie explained as he floated around Luna as the electricity was still keeping her at bay and helpless.

_It was a trap all along! And I fell for it…. This collar is going to haunt me until I get it off…. I… am losing focus… can't lose… must fight…._

"No use resisting, that voltage was not even high but what if I just turn the dial up…." Glalie mocked and Luna felt the intensity going up and she was fighting a losing battle with her own body. "Time to bring you back home…."

Sunny, at the same time, broke out of the earlier trance that the Glalie had on her. Sunny regained her senses and as she did her power of fire returned to her. Her eyes slowly refocused and then she saw what was going on in front of her: Luna was on the ground and the Glalie was holding a remote. Anger boiled and the most volatile emotion became her strength; Sunny summoned up small pockets of swirling flames and they fired a small fireball at the remote, effectively destroying it completely.

"Oh right… I forgot, I was not finished with you yet…." The Glalie said as he saw Sunny getting back to her feet. Sunny converged all of the small pockets together and it became a huge fireball about twice her size. She hurled it at Glalie and immediately after, sprinted at full speed after it with her head primed for collision.

Glalie's eyes glowed and froze the water vapor to form a shield in front of him and it barely held against the fireball but Sunny's reckless charge shattered it and he was struck on his face. He drifted backwards due to the impact but his eyes glowed again and formed large ice shards that protruded out of the ground and hitting Sunny by the rear.

Sunny was knocked sideways very hard; she stuggled to get back up. Glalie floated in front of her and laughed darkly.

"You never stood a chance against me! And now, time to pay for challenging me!" Glalie said as his eyes glowed again. "Count yourselves lucky, not many Pokémon could ever have the honor of fighting me in battle."

Luna lifted her head with much effort and saw that Sunny was about to get hit from the side and so she used her shadow powers to call a tentacle made of darkness out and shield her friend. The ice stopped in its tracks and shattered; Glalie frowned and was about to finish them off when…

"Sunny? Are you in there?" a voice called from outside, the additional sounds hinted that there was a lot of Pokémon by the windmill. Glalie snarled and a cold wind came.

"Remember this, little girl, my name is Soren! Leader of the Snow Diablo and also, the one who caused your mother's death!" the Glalie laughed as he broke into pieces and rode the wind to safety. Sunny gasped at the revelation and looked at Luna.

Luna wanted to respond but her body failed her and she collapsed. Sunny, who was already barely standing, dashed over and held onto Luna; lifting her head and then checking her for any signs of fatal injury.

"Luna? Luna! No please! Wake up!" Sunny yelled and Nancy, along with a few police Pokémon, came into the windmill. The police went everywhere and searched; they closed the area and started to investigate the scene.

"What happened here?" Nancy asked but Sunny looked up at her, tears were rolling down her face and her eyes were widened and fearful.

"Mom, we need to get Luna to a hospital! She's not… breathing!" Sunny said, while trying to contain herself. The reaction and actions after that were hectic.

_Luna… please, you can't die! You saved my life and I owe it to you. Don't leave this world without giving me a chance to repay you!_


	23. Chapter 23

"My… aren't you just the 'greatest'," a voice echoed in the darkness. Luna left herself floating lifelessly, out of energy and unable to move. Luna opened her eyes and saw Feral before her.

_Huh…? Feral… what happen to your voice? Where am I?_

"Your soul has departed from the world you know. Aren't you happy to be finally gone and away from all your sadness and anger?" the Feral look-a-like said as they continued to fall.

_No… I am not…. All of my pain… my suffering… my past… it's all a setup. I want revenge… I want vengeance… justice for what they all did to me. I am not happy until they are on their knees… until I see their sorry faces… their deaths._

"I feel your hatred; that dark energy is simply overwhelming. I want to help those with emotions and believe that are true and strong." The wolf replied and then he approached Luna. "Let's make a deal…"

Sunny waited with her paws crossed outside the operation room; she could faintly hear the frantic situation inside and the heart rate monitor's foreboding sound. Sunny was praying hard for Luna and then she heard the doctors stop and then the door opened.

"How's she? Please tell me if she's alive!" Sunny begged earnestly but the silence confirmed her suspicions. Sunny, overwhelmed with grief, pushed past the doctors and her parents to Luna's lifeless husk. She hugged her friend and refused to let go.

_How could she perish… she's the strongest and smartest Pokémon I ever knew! She could not have given up that easily! Luna, please, you are stronger than this!_

"Sunny! There's nothing you can do! She's… gone, just accept it…." Nancy said, trying to calm Sunny down. As Sunny was slowly accepting reality, the cardiograph started to show that Luna's heart was beating again.

"It's… a miracle…" one of the doctors gasped and went to check up on Luna. Sunny was forced out and she smiled that Luna was alive.

After a few hours, Luna was admitted into a hospital room for the rest of the night. Sunny wanted to stay but Nancy decided that Luna should rest peacefully. Luna had bandages around her body due to some burns; she tried to sleep but something was preventing her from doing so. She sat back up and stared blankly into the darkness; as she stretched out her paw, a sphere of negative light came to her paws and stayed there.

_Wow… this… is new…._

Luna clenched her paw and the sphere exploded on itself; Luna could feel the small shockwave and the sound was rather loud in the dead of the night. Luna heard someone coming and quickly turned to her sides hastily, pretending to be asleep; a nurse opened the door and looked around before closing it. Luna got back up and carefully got off the bed and pulled the curtains to take a look at the moon.

Luna bathed herself in the moonlight; her fur started to glisten and dazzle. Luna noticed and then she started to wonder what was going on.

Very soon, the moon had set and the sun was beginning to rise. Sunny was walking down the road with a basket in her mouth; she woke up especially early and made a home cooked breakfast for Luna. Sunny reached the hospital and registered her presence at the check in desk; walking down the corridor then she saw Luna's room and set down the basket before knocking on the door with her right paw.

Sunny waited for a couple of minutes; there was no reply. She knocked again but harder this time; she then called out.

"Hello? Luna, are you in there? It's me: Sunny." Sunny asked as she pushed against the door. "I brought breakfast… what?"

Sunny saw Luna asleep on the floor and her fur were still sparkling in the sunlight. Sunny rushed in and then lifted her friend back on the bed; after looking at Luna, she noticed tiredness on Luna's face.

"Did she even sleep last night?" Sunny asked herself as Luna slept peacefully. "Why is the lamp on the ground?"

The table lamp was knocked over and the light bulb was smashed; Sunny set it back on the table before long, Luna began to toss and turn in the bed. Sunny noticed that the darkness converged into an orb then as Luna tossed around, she hurled the orb and it exploded on contact with the wall.

"What the! What's going?" Sunny exclaimed and as she grabbed onto Luna's right paw; after a sudden tingling feeling and a flash of light later, she was suddenly 'transported' into another world.

The world that Sunny arrived in was one that opposed her own: a dark and saddening world that barely had any light or happiness. Sunny then saw Luna and she immediately approached her.

"Luna! Thank goodness, where are we? Do you know?" Sunny asked but the Luna did not respond; on a closer look, Luna looked a few years younger than she last remembered; she looked like a youngling who just hatched.

"Where… where… am I…?" Luna squeaked with her higher pitched voice; she looked around nervously and then Sunny noticed that the Luna could not hear or see her at all. The surroundings changed and it looked as if the lights had been turned on and then Sunny saw all the training she was put through. The scene dissolved and then Luna was cowering and crying; red marks were visible on her back. Her paws were placed on top of her head and the tears flowed as freely to the ground.

"Please… stop…." Luna cried. "I will do it right next time."

A Raichu stood proud and tall, swinging his tail like a whip; his expression showed contentment by putting Luna in her place. Sunny slowly start to realize what she was seeing before her: it was Luna's nightmare, being trapped in the past misery. The scene dissolved again and it changed as well; the next scene was something that looked like came straight out from a horror movie: there was rain, distant screams of Pokémon, fire and smoke. Luna was on the ground and an unknown Lopunny was standing in front of her; a punch that had been super charged with psychic energies landed and Sunny saw the Lopunny holding it and the impact caused her lungs to collapse, ending her life.

"No!" Luna yelled and Sunny felt that she was just been pushed; when her senses came back to her, she was back in reality with Luna on the bed.

Luna's eyes were opened wide and Sunny was somehow on the floor; Sunny leapt back up to her feet; Luna quickly sat up. They both stared at each other.

"What just happen?" both said in unison. "Why did we say the same thing?"

"I think I was having a nightmare; I was looking…" Luna started.

"At your past?" Sunny finished the sentence as well as clarifying what she just saw. "I saw it too somehow."

Luna's fur stopped sparkling and returned to the state it was; Luna was surprised that Sunny actually saw what she did. All of the details and her feelings were complete and now all known to Sunny.

"So you had been through so much, I really admire you a lot… all that pain and hardship." Sunny commented, simply fascinated by Luna. Sunny brought the basket and laid out the breakfast on the fold-out table; Luna, who was starving, gobbled the food quickly. "Maybe manners are not great but still great."

"Could say you're pretty random and unpredictable but your heart is in the right place." Luna commented as she slowed down.

_So that strange sensation yesterday… was that… what I think it is? Sunny is still innocent… there's no way I could possibly let her know. My vengeance and my revenge is my problem; I need to get moving soon, Feral…._

After Luna remembered Feral, she secretly clenched her paws tightly as a sliver of guilty crawled back into her heart but she had forgotten about the increased raw energy she could radiate and a small explosion occurred again. Sunny was caught off guard and she backed away.

"Sorry, I could not seem to control my own strength anymore." Luna explained to Sunny. "We need to get my collar removed soon or we would be constantly followed."

"Well I just checked the details for you; the route to the most technological city in this region: Jube City is currently blocked due to a huge landslide. The route will not open until a week or two." Sunny explained. "We could go the longer route which is due east to Icicle Castle then down south to Sun Grove before going west to Jube City."

"We want to be constantly on the move so I think it would be best if we leave by today." Luna said, pulling off the blanket and getting up. Luna did not feel the burns anymore then they both checked out of the hospital to returned back to Sunny's home to prepare for the trip.


End file.
