When we entered the lobby, everything was a complete mess. Potted plants were overturned, the walls had deep gashes carved into them, and the windows and glass doors had been broken, littering the floor in the glimmering shards. In the middle of it all stood Wallace, looking scared out of his mind with Mudkip standing in front of him trying to be as intimidating as he could.

"Wallace, what happened?" I asked, carefully picking my way through the sea of broken glass to get to him.

"I was waiting for you to finish your battle, and these people in black suddenly broke into the building! They demanded that the attendant tell them where this thing they called the WaveOrb was and they attacked me with Pokémon wearing black collars. And of course, I sent them running!" He tried to hide his expression with a smirk and failed miserably.

"The WaveOrb?" Justine gasped. She ran out of the lobby and down another hallway, leaving Wallace and I alone.

Black collars? Were those crazy people here too? I thought, the image of Valerie's face appearing in my mind. "Where's Winona?" I asked frantically, my mind racing with every horrible memory of my encounter with the Valerie and the strangers. If she ran into them, she could get seriously injured, or worse.

"She was on the beach last time I checked, why?"

My heart nearly stopped. Oh no. No, no, no! "Wallace, those people are dangerous! Before I met you two, I was attacked by them and had almost gotten slashed by a Vigoroth!"

All of the color drained from Wallace's face. "Winnie..." he said faintly.

"We have to find her, now." I grabbed his arm and pulled him outside, ignoring the glass smashing under my feet.

When we got back outside, we found Winona sneaking up on a flock of Wingull resting on the nearby beach. Her steps were well-placed, making sure not to disturb the sand too much. She raised her right hand, which held a blue and red Poké Ball and took aim. She then completely abandoned her stealth by screaming, "Go, Great Ball!" and chucked the ball at the nearest Wingull.

As expected, the flock freaked out and took flight except for the one that Winona's ball hit. It was turned into a burst of red light and was sucked into the capsule, a small star emitting from the center button a second later. Winona squealed in delight and collected her newly-caught Wingull from the ground.

"Winnie! Thank Arceus you're all right!" Wallace ran to his sister and hugged her tightly, almost knocking the Great Ball from her hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why are you so worried?" She freed herself and looked at us, confused. When she saw the relieved looks on our faces, she frowned. "What's going on?"

"There are some bad people around here, Winona. I was afraid that they would hurt you, and I wanted to make sure you were safe," Wallace said, not bothering to sugarcoat his words. He seemed to be fine with telling her the straight truth.

Winona's eyes grew wide with fear. "Really?" She looked around, as if mentioning them would make them appear. "Wh-what should we do?"

"We should probably go wait in the Pokémon Center until it's safe," Wallace suggested.

"Yes, that would be the best option," I agreed.

With that, Winona latched onto her brother's arm. "Let's go now," she said, her voice trembling.

"Hey, you kids! Wait a moment!" We looked behind us and saw the Gym attendant running over to us. "Justine has been searching all over for you! She needs your help. The only strong Trainer she could think of was you," he said breathlessly, his gaze locked on me. "If you'd be willing to help, she'll give you all the details when we get back to the Gym."

"What do you think?" Wallace asked me. I considered my options briefly and came to the conclusion that if I were to help Justine, she would either reward me or the threat would be taken out. It may have sounded petty to think of a reward at a time like this, but it was a possibility, and I always considered all outcomes. At the very least, the strangers would go away. That meant I might have to face Valerie again...

"I'll help you," I said, my words belying my actual thoughts. I had to help them, it wouldn't be right if I didn't. And if I did, I could finally find out who those people were.

"Thank you," the attendant said. "Follow me, quickly."

It turned out that the WaveOrb was a machine very recently created by Devon. No larger than a Poké Ball, it was capable of harnessing the power of water to create electricity. They were supposed to be able to provide power to seaside towns that suffered from weather-induced blackouts. It was like a portable water wheel, only much weaker as it was being used to power the Gym alone.

Unlike most of Devon's products, I had no previous knowledge of the WaveOrb or anything like it. When I asked why such a useful device wasn't on the market, Justine explained it away by saying it was a prototype and it wasn't fully functional yet.

Once the explanation was over, Justine tasked each of us to search a separate part of Dewford. She would guard the Gym in case they came back, the attendant would search the east beaches, Wallace and Winona would look on the north beaches, and I had to search Granite Cave located on the west side of the island. Just my luck that I had to look in a damp, dark cave. "If you see anyone suspicious, you cannot engage them. Leave and tell the others so that we all can assist," Justine had said.

The rest of Dewford Island was somehow more desolate than the actual town. There was nothing but sand, stray flocks of Wingull, the water lapping at the beach's edge, and the clear blue sky above it all. If it wasn't for the remote location, the citizens of Dewford would have a perfect tourist trap on their hands.

Soft, yellow sand soon gave way to pebbles and sharp rocks. Eventually, the sand was gone altogether and the outcropping of rock that had looked so distant from the boat was now startlingly close. The outcropping was worn mostly smooth by the wind and rain. Natural alcoves in the rock dotted the side facing the beach, the other hidden on the opposite side of the island. They created pockets of shadow, giving the illusion of holes carved into the ground. It was within one of these alcoves where I found the entrance to what I was positive was Granite Cave.

The entrance to the cave was nothing more than a double-door sized hole in the side of the rock face. Sunlight stretched a few feet into the cave, and the rest was consumed by inky blackness. The thought of how dark it would be in there made me feel uneasy. I wasn't necessarily afraid of the dark, it was what might be in the dark that frightened me. I could already envision the pulsing green lights the collars gave off and the cruel smile Valerie wore when she ordered her Sableye to attack Meteor. It sent a chill down my spine.

You don't need to be so worried, I'm right here with you, Meteor said comfortingly. He let himself out of his Poké Ball and hovered close to me. We know what we could be up against, and knowing that will make it easier.

"I don't want her to hurt you again," I said back.

She won't! I'll be fine, and you'll be fine, trust me, Meteor said confidently, crossing his arms.

For once, his words didn't make me feel better. It took my own stubbornness to convince me that I had to do this. I had to keep my word to Justine. With Meteor by my side and my PokéNav acting as an impromptu flashlight, I entered the cave.

Walking through Granite Cave was like being in a dark forest at midnight while being blindfolded. Saying that I couldn't see my hand in front of my face was an understatement. It was that dark. My PokéNav's light cut through the tar-like darkness, a beacon in the relentless black. Every once in a while, the tunnel would turn sharply or the ground would dip, adding another layer of uncertainty to my already confused steps. If Meteor wasn't able to sense our surroundings, I would have tripped over every stalagmite or run into every wall. My light could only reveal so much.

At one point, Meteor put out his arm in front of me, causing me to stop. I turned my light to him and he was completely still with his eyes closed. Did you hear that? he asked me, keeping his voice down. Other than the rhythmic dripping of water, it was silent. I then realized how unusually quiet it was. For such a secluded habit, I was surprised to not hear any wild Pokémon.

What did you hear? I asked. If I was supposed to be hearing something, I didn't want the sound of my voice to possibly drown out whatever Meteor was hearing.

I'm not sure. It sounded like a Pokémon, a Geodude possibly. Whatever it was, it was screaming.

They were here, they had to be. Come on, let's go tell the others, I said.

No, we can't go back. I can sense more lifeforms at the end of this tunnel. If we go back, we'll be wasting time! Without warning, Meteor shot ahead into the darkness. I couldn't believe it, he had left me!

"Meteor, wait!" I yelled aloud, my voice excruciatingly loud in the enclosed tunnel. When I got no reply, I ran after him. He had better not gotten himself into trouble!

After blindly running for several terrifying minutes, I found Meteor hovering in front of an entrance to a side passage. He wordlessly floated to the side so I could view it. I was able to see a faint light emanating from the end of the passage. It was the weak glow of sunlight.

They're down there. Meteor pointed to the tunnel. I nodded and began walking down the passage. We were here, so we might as well investigate.

As I approached the exit, I began to hear the sound of crashing waves and I caught the faint scent of briny air. The passage let out onto a thin stretch of rocky beach running alongside the cave's exterior. Not two yards away stood a trio of familiarly dressed men, a small group of collared cave-dwelling Pokémon clustered around them. If it weren't for the pulsing glow of the collar lights or the violent twitches the Pokémon exhibited, I might have mistaken them for very lifelike statues.

The people didn't seem to have noticed my presence. It was up to me to let them know I was there. This was perfect, Valerie didn't seem to be here and I had the upper hand this time! It was my turn to instigate the fight, and I needed to make a real impression. I wanted to sound threatening, or confident at the very least. I took a deep breath and tried to look stern. "Hey!" I yelled, putting as much force into that one-syllable word as I could.

The men turned to face me. They didn't look surprised in the slightest. In fact, they looked angry, like I was nothing more than a nuisance. Their dead-eyed stares instantly dissolved whatever confidence I had scraped together, a crippling sense of fear taking its place. I forced myself to look them in the eyes, I couldn't let them know I was afraid.

"What do you want, kid?" One them asked, sounding annoyed.

"Y-you stole the WaveOrb from the Dewford Town Gym!" My trembling voice sounded the complete opposite that I wanted it to. "Give it back, or you'll regret it!"

"The WaveOrb? Oh, you mean this precious piece of technology?" A very tall man held up an orb constructed from copper and iron. "My men need this to further our research. And let me assure you, young man, it's very important work."

"I'm sure it is! And what is this so-called 'research' you need to do? Is it for controlling those Pokémon? They look lifeless enough if you ask me!" I said, trying to replicate Meteor's earlier confidence. He was right beside me, I had no excuse to be afraid.

"That is no way to speak to an adult, did your parents not teach you any manners?" the man asked condescendingly.

"Why should I be nice if you're the one controlling innocent Pokémon?" I retorted. What I was doing now went against practically everything I had been taught growing up, but I was pretty sure that confronting thieves didn't exactly call for polite conversation.

"It's seems Valerie's information wasn't wrong, you don't know when to be quiet. That's a very bad habit to have, you know?" the man said.

"Excuse me?" I was more scared than confused.

This man has heard about you from Valerie, Meteor said. He must have read the man's mind. You're who she called, 'The Cutie with the Beldum.'

'Cutie?' I felt a heave deep in my stomach at those words. Why did Valerie refer to me like that? And this meant that these people knew her! Why wouldn't they? Both of them used Pokémon wearing the strange mind-controlling collars. These and countless other thoughts and questions swirled in my mind, making me feel dizzy. "H-how do you—?" I stuttered, pausing halfway through. I didn't want the man to figure out that Meteor had read his mind. "Just... just who are you people?" I cried out, feeling more than fed up with all this uncertainty.

"If it'll make you go away, I guess I can give you one or two vague details," the man said with a blindingly white smile. "We aren't anybody special, just a little group my friends Valerie, Liam, and I like to call the Insurgents. All we really want to do is right a few wrongs and take what we want from a certain corporation, and we'll need a bit of Devon's technology in order to do it. It's for a good cause, really. Now, I've told you enough information. So be a good boy and run off if you please. The adults have work to do."

"No, I won't! It's clear that you're hurting Pokémon by turning them into those soulless puppets and stealing technology that doesn't belong to you!" I said with a kind of boldness I never knew I had. I had to save those Pokémon, I couldn't let them be controlled by these people.

The man's dull gray eyes narrowed. "Don't test me, boy. You lost to Valerie, what makes you so sure you can win this time?"

"I don't know," I said, swallowing back my fear. "That doesn't mean I won't try again! Meteor, use Bullet Punch on Geodude!"

"Makuhita, Arm Thrust."

"Geodude, Rock Blast." Like Valerie's followers, these men showed no emotion when commanding their Pokémon.

Meteor flew out of the way of the Makuhita's attack and easily dodged the rocks Geodude launched. He threw several punches at it, throwing it against the rocky wall and causing deep cracks to spread through its collar. Rouge sparks sprung from the device, fizzling out before they hit the ground. I needed to figure out how to destroy the collars while doing as little damage to the Pokémon as I could, but I wasn't sure about how I was going to accomplish that.

The men ordered their puppets to use the same moves and I had Meteor counter with Confusion. The Geodude fainted while Makuhita was tossed into the ocean. I was momentarily shocked when this happened, I didn't know whether that Pokémon was capable of swimming or not!

To my relief, the Fighting-type splashed about in the ocean, managing to keep its head above the water. I saw that its collar had short-circuited once it hit the water and it was freed from control. My plan of attack changed now that I knew how to destroy the real threat. The Insurgents called another Makuhita and a silver quadruped Pokémon known as Aron from their enslaved ranks.

"Aron, Metal Claw."

"Makuhita, Karate Chop."

"Meteor, Iron Defense!" And counter with Confusion afterwards! Make sure they go into the water! I added. If the Pokémon couldn't swim, I would try to help them once this battle was over.

Meteor nodded and crossed his arms over his face, shielding himself. Makuhita and Aron's attacks relentlessly pelted down on Meteor yet he showed no signs of weakening. He then threw his arms out, a pink aura exploding outward from his body. The puppet Pokémon were lifted into the air and were tossed into the water, their collars shorting out. The battle wasn't finished, the Insurgents still had another Aron and a Nosepass at their disposal.

"Use Bullet Punch!" I commanded, telling Meteor when to dodge through telepathy. It was a strange system that worked out better than I expected. As the battle continued, the main man simply stood by and watched his cohorts fight. He seemed to have no Pokémon on him and looked rather interested in the spectacle that was taking place before him.

When the last puppet Pokémon had been sufficiently submerged underwater, I was surprised to hear the leading man clapping of all things. I turned to him, confusion etched on my face.

"Bravo, spectacular, truly amazing!" he said cloyingly, giving me an overly wide smile. "You put on quite the show, young man! It was like watching something straight out of a movie. Are you sure you didn't plan this? Now I'm wondering if Valerie was lying about defeating you!"

Okay, forget Valerie. This guy was the real weirdo. I took a step back, unsure of what he was planning to do next.

"You don't need to be worried! You won, I'll admit that. And instead of prize money, I'll give you this." He tossed me the WaveOrb and I easily caught it.

"Sir Andrew, why are you giving him that?" the third man asked, puzzled.

Andrew cast the man a quick glare, causing him to fall silent. "Shush now! We lost and we'll leave in peace, that's what fair Trainers do. We got what we needed anyways." He walked up to me, his tall frame looming over me. "I'll be sure to remember you, young man. Now if you could so kindly move aside, please." Before I could really process what he was saying, I obediently moved away from the tunnel entrance, chills coursing through my entire body. He vanished into the blackness, the other men following close behind.

I stood there long after they left, utterly speechless. I was beyond confused and I didn't know what to think. My thoughts were no more comprehensible than a scattered jigsaw puzzle. With all that had happened, the only thing I really learned was the group's name: The Insurgents. The rest left me feeling a little overwhelmed. At least they were gone and I managed to get the WaveOrb back from them. However, one thought still nagged at me. Andrew said that the Insurgents were trying to bring down a certain corporation, and other than the Silph Co. branch in Mauville, the only major corporation in Hoenn is—

Um, Steven?

I was brought out of my thoughts and turned around to see Meteor hovering beside one of the Aron we had saved. He had fished the other Pokémon out of the water while I was preoccupied with Andrew and they had fled back into the cave. The Aron next to Meteor was still soaked from being in the water and it looked up at me with guilt-filled, crimson-colored eyes.

I exchanged confused glances with Meteor and he shrugged. I crouched down so I could be at eye-level with the little Pokémon. "What do you need from me?" I asked, feeling strange for talking to a Pokémon that wasn't Meteor.

"Aro. Non naro," it said in a metallic voice.

She says she's sorry for attacking us and wants to make up for it, Meteor translated.

Make up? What could this Aron do that would make up for something she had no control over? "I don't know what you could really do..." I said.

"Arn, naro!" the Aron said somewhat desperately.

She says she'll do anything as long as we forgive her, Meteor continued.

   I had a feeling that she would get sadder if I ignored her so I said the first thing that came to mind. "You could... join my team if you want to," I offered uncertainly. "I honestly can't think of anything else you could do."

"Aro!" the Aron cried happily and she leapt into my arms where I was knocked to the ground by the rambunctious Pokémon. She pressed her flat steel plate of a face against my chest, muttering happily. The surprise I felt and the absurdity of the situation made me burst out in laughter, something I hadn't done in ages.

"I don't exactly have a Poké Ball to catch you in, but I'm sure we'll figure something out." The Aron paid this no mind and continued nuzzling into me. "I'll name you Silvette. Your silver sheen makes it obvious that you're a Steel-type!" I laughed, the questions I had about the Insurgents momentarily forgotten. I found myself already liking my new partner. Either she was very likable, or I was desperate for anything to call a friend, human or Pokémon. I didn't care and made an awkward attempt to hug my Aron. Like Meteor, Silvette had a certain charm to her I couldn't resist. "Welcome to the team, Silvette!" I said.

When I finally managed to get back to my feet, I realized something troubling, something that killed the joy I felt mere seconds ago. Meteor had taken us through dozens of winding tunnels without checking to see where we had come from, and I had absolutely no idea where in the cave system we were. A second later, Meteor voiced my concerns.

I... think we're lost.