*Riku's POV*

Ungh... My head hurts... I struggle to stand, or even just to breathe. My body aches all over, and I can barely walk without my legs buckling. I can hear a few leaves rustling in the distance, and the sound gives me a little respite. I begin to slowly walk down the corridor when I hear the bone-chilling words from somewhere behind me,

"You shouldn't have done that..."

It's... It's... That Pokemon's voice from before... That... That Gengar...

My body tenses up in fear, but adrenaline kicks in- I know what I need to do, but my fear doesn't want me to follow through.

He's in trouble... I've got to help him!

Fighting against my weakness, I finally find the strength to stand and catch a slight breeze blowing through the white corridor. Flying on the dwindling draft towards the sound of the voice, I begin to hear another voice, this one belonging to Maxwell,

"You're not gone yet?! Hmph, insolent pest! Try this on for size!"

I turn the corner to see a scene that horrifies me, and I almost pass out from shock and fear. The men from earlier- the ones that I had stalled with Psychic energy- all stand next to Maxwell, throwing multiple objects into another room, where a Gengar stands, a furious expression on its face.

"Kekekek!" the Pokemon laughs, and I watch as it waves its shadowy arms in an odd pattern. I can't quite tell what it is that the Gengar's going to do, but I know that, whatever it is, it's going to hit Maxwell if I don't do something. With reckless abandon, I decide that I'm going to take the attack for him.

"Kekekek!" the Gengar laughs again, and I shout, with as much voice as my little body can muster,

"No!"

The loud voice hurts the back of my throat, but it grabs the attention of the entirety of men there, including Maxwell. With the split-second that he turns his head, I take a deep breath and slice my paw through the air as hard as I can. The air around it bends, and I immediately ride the agitated current towards Maxwell, knocking him over and out of harm's way.

If looks could kill, Maxwell's definitely would have massacred me, but, before he can do anything, the Gengar laughs again.

"Kekekek!" it snickers, an equally wide grin crossing its face, as it points towards the area that I'm currently standing in. A small ball of black energy leaves its shadowy palm and vanishes. I watch the Pokemon's spectacle in horror for a few scintillating seconds, but, as soon as I think the attack is over, I begin to feel an immense amount of pain, like someone had placed my entire bloodstream over an open fire.

"... Urgh... ... Maxwell..." A weak cry for help leaves my mouth, while the pain does nothing but increase, while Maxwell and the others quickly back away, watching the entire event take place from safety. My veins creak and squeal, and, soon, I can barely stand. My breathing becomes erratic.

"Maxwell... Anyone..." Spots had begun to appear in my vision, and I crumple to the ground before I can utter another word. The Gengar, seeing this, laughs heartily- another loud,

"Kekekek!"- and disappears into the shadows.

I slowly turn my head to Maxwell and his group of "friends." I try to hide the intense pain behind a smile, but none of them will return the glance. Instead, a horrified look is on each and every one of their faces.

Ngh... The pain...

"M...Maxwell? I... Did I help?" is all I can muster from my exhausted body.

"Maxwell?" I ask again, this time more scared than anything else.

The first response from the group is a loud scream of alarm, and the entire lot of them take off down the hallway. I am too drained to even attempt to catch them- all I can do is futilely watch my Trainer disappear with a band of ruffians.

A few minutes later, all I can hear is silence. Then, I realize- I was just abandoned by my Trainer- my only friend. Tears come to my eyes, but I don't have the strength to wipe them away, letting them drench my fur...

My... My fur... It's... I begin to violently shake in fear, and tremors course through what's left of me. My emotions attempt to translate themselves into anger, but I refuse to regret what I'd just done.

What is...? Why is...?

Quickly, I scrape myself off the ground, move as close as I dare to a small puddle of water, and stare at my reflection, mortified.

My teal-green paws and crest had changed to a dull yellow, and my eyes...

They're... They're blood red! What's happened to me?!

Still not believing this to be true, I shed another tear, and the hideous monstrosity of a reflection does the same.

That's... That's me... I'm... What am I? Definitely not a Shaymin anymore...

I try to take my eyes off my horrific reflection, but I can't tear my eyes away from it. I just sit there, continuing to stare at the ominous image until it's permanently etched into my mind.

Then, just as quickly as my new state had appeared, it vanishes, covered, once again, by my usual teal-green fur. My eyes had also retained their proper color, and I feel relaxed again. I slowly sigh in relief.

Was it all a dream? I don't feel like I've woken up from anything, but...

"Riku? Where'd you go, buddy?" I hear Maxwell shout from the other side of the hallway. By the sound, he's still a few turns and corners away from me, and, on account of what I've just seen, I make up my mind,

That "curse" makes me lose control more easily... No, I won't let it get to him, too... Goodbye, Maxwell... I wish you the best, but I can't stay with you like this. My newfound curse may overpower me and hurt you. As much as I dislike your actions, I can't discredit your person- there is true talent down there somewhere- so I'm going to leave you as a step towards your well-being and growth as a person.

A few seconds later, Maxwell and his gang comes sprinting back down the hallway, and I quickly look around for a place to hide. My eyes settle on a large trash can to my immediate right. The lid is raised over the top with a metal rod, and I can tell that there's just enough of an opening for me to squeeze through. I brace myself and leap for the top of the open can with the last of my strength. As luck would have it, my paws land on the exact hinge of the rim.

My joints cry out in pain as I slowly pull myself inside and slip through the crack.The inside is quite gross disgusting, but it's no worse than my previously-horrifying reflection. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that I can rest, at least for the moment.

And besides... At least they won't find me in here. He needs this- Maxwell needs to understand that power isn't everything. He'll figure it out- one day...

I soon fall asleep inside the cramped trash can, pondering just what, exactly, I had gotten myself into by taking that attack for Maxwell.

*Nathan's POV*

The next thing Elijah says sends a chill down my spine.

"May I see that letter of yours? The one from your father?" he asks.

I freeze up, and Sylvia quickly places a warm hand on my back to calm me.

"How do you know about that?!" I shout at him. He holds up one hand in protest.

"Relax," he chides,

"Your father and I were great friends. In fact, I was the one who raised that Shroomish that you currently possess."

I fiddle with the Pokeball in my pocket, and he nods in the direction of my fidgeting hand.

"Go on, let your Pokemon out of its Pokeball. I have something to show you."

I quickly do as he says, and the green Mushroom Pokemon appears out of the inevitable flash of light.

"Mish?" it says curiously, slowly pacing around the decorated room. Eventually, it settles down near a small area painted to look like a marsh.

"So, you see," Elijah begins,

"I have my room painted like this for a specific reason. Each Pokemon has a natural habitat that it knows best- for you Shroomish, it calls the marshes its home. Just like knowing a person's background is one step towards knowing them as a person, knowing a Pokemon's habitat can tell you many things about said Pokemon. For instance, I can see that your Shroomish has an uncanny habit of letting itself get out of control with its Spores when it becomes happy.

As if to demonstrate the point, my Shroomish's top explodes again, letting another cloud of spores into the room. I have to remember to breathe slower to prevent any of them getting into my lungs again, but, eventually I grow accustomed to the changed breathing pattern, and my Pokemon is free to "blow its top" as many times as it wants in the painted marshland. Elijah clears his throat again.

"In that manner, getting to know a Pokemon is sort of like getting to know a friend, someone that you can share a mutual bond with..."

He stops when Sylvia gasps and clutches her chest in pain. She begins to hyperventilate, and she falls to the ground. I quickly rush over to her and catch her before her head can hit the floor.

"Sylvia?! What happened? Answer me!" I call out to her, worried beyond belief. I didn't see any sort of wound on her, so any pain that she's feeling must come from inside her. A knot forms in my gut, knowing that if she's struggling with something internally, I can't really do anything about it.

"A... A Curse..." she mumbles,

"Gengar... I felt it curse someone. I feel the pain of it. A... A Shaymin. Someone has to... to help it..."

Sylvia's eyes close, and she slips into unconsciousness.

Elijah looks at me with the same determination that I do him.

"We need to find that Pokemon before anybody else in this school does. The power that something like that could pose in the hands of Team Rocket is something far worse than a Gengar's Curse," he says. I nod, immediately recalling my Shroomish and helping Elijah move Sylvia's senseless frame to the side of the room and behind his desk.

"There," Elijah says,

"If somebody comes in here, they won't see her. Now, hurry! Let's go!"

As much as I hate to leave Sylvia defenseless like that, I figure that if Elijah's worried about something, it's probably quite important.

But I can't blame him- in a place like this, nothing is guaranteed... And none of it is usually good, either... I think to myself. Elijah motions for me to head through the open door, then puts his finger to his lips.

"If someone hears us while class is still in session, there's bound to be trouble," I muse, jogging through the open door.

Before we leave, Elijah turns back to the room.

"Latios, stay in the light, and watch over Sylvia while we're gone. I'll be right back!" he says.

At first, I don't understand. Then, I remember,

He never recalled his Pokemon... Is it really invisible right now? I shake my head.

No time to think about that right now- we have a "Shaymin" to find. I push away my own curiosity and continue jogging down the hallway, careful to make as little noise as I possibly can. Elijah joins me as soon as he's done talking to his Latios.

Then, I hear a voice from the other side of the hallway- a voice that I recognize within seconds, shouting,

"Riku, where'd you go, buddy?"

That was Maxwell! I... I've got to tell him what's happened, and see if he's found anything useful.

"No, Nathan- don't do it." Elijah grabs my arm as soon as I begin to move towards the sound of Maxwell's voice.

"That's the one from Biology, isn't it? I've seen glimpses of the inside of that class while he's there- and let me tell you, it isn't pretty. We can't risk running into him and causing trouble. He's on their side now," Elijah says, in a hushed whisper.

I look down the hallway once again- the voice being much closer this time,

"Riku?! Hey, where are you?!"

"Well, don't just stand there!" Elijah yanks on my arm and pulls me down another corridor of hallways.

Maxwell... I can't help feeling sorry for him, that he'd been corrupted by this Team Rocket so easily.

But I can't help that right now... Where's the Shaymin...?

"Kyuu uuhn?" a weak voice cries to my right. I jump backwards in shock.

"Did you just make that sound?" I turn to Elijah accusingly. He shakes his head, "No."

"I swear that noise came from the trash can," I muse out loud.

"Kyuu?" the voice asks, much more meekly this time.

It takes a second for me to register that the sound is actually coming from inside the trash can.

I sigh and grab the can's plastic lid, setting it on the floor as quietly as I can.

I look back into the open can, and two scared teal eyes stare back at me.

"... No, please... No more... " the Pokemon inside says weakly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," I tell it, as calmly as I can. The Pokemon stares back at me, a blank, but hopeful expression on its face. A few tears fall down its cheeks. It seems to be incredibly scared of something, but what?

"You, you mean it?" it asks, stretching out a teal paw towards me.

I smile and lower my arms into the can, cradling the Pokemon, which Elijah had just identified as a Shaymin.

So this is what we were trying to keep away from Team Rocket? It looks quite harmless... I begin to think, but I stop myself. In the world of Pokemon, size doesn't seem to make a difference in power, if my Shroomish being able to continually put anything and everything to sleep with Spore is any indication.

"There, there..." I gently coo, wrapping my arms around the Shaymin and slowly lifting him out of the trash can.

"You seem to have a natural affinity for Pokemon," Elijah smirks.

"Just the kind of guy that could bring down Team Rocket. Maybe, one day, you..." he stops, mid-sentence, when I hear a defiant shout from the other side of the hallway.

"Hey, would you look at that? Guess I'm not the only one skipping my second class today!" an all-too-familiar voice laughs. I could place it anywhere- it's Maxwell, but I can't tell who the other dozen guys surrounding him are.

Seeing the grin on Maxwell's face, I immediately hide the Shaymin behind my back so he can't see it, but it's too late- he's already seen a glimpse of the Pokemon.

"So you are a thief? Not the kind of route I'd expect someone like you to take, Nathan!" he laughs, continuing to draw closer to me. He motions for the rest of his group to stay back.

"I can handle this myself," he tells them before cracking his knuckles and turning back to me.

The Shaymin cries out in anguish, struggling in my arms like a spirit had suddenly come over the Pokemon, causing it to thrash like this.

"There, there, Riku," Maxwell chides, his voice an octave lower than normal. He doesn't stop his slow walk towards me.

"Your Trainer's right here- he came back for you. I just have to get rid of this little interloper, right now!"

As soon as he says this, Maxwell leaps at me, and I instinctively place my arms directly his path, ready to parry the incoming punch. It never happens.

Quicker than lightning, Elijah springs into action, and, by his side, is a four-foot Pokemon that reminds me of a jackal. Its blue and black fur glows a bright blue color, and the two place themselves between me and Maxwell.

Before Maxwell can redirect his aim to hit the two new targets, each of them grabs one of Maxwell's wrists and holds on, tight.

Maxwell attempts to break free, while the scared crowd of students can watch the fight in awe.

"Now! Give him a little taste of his own medicine, Nathan!" Elijah turns to me, still holding to Maxwell. I can tell that his arm is slightly damaged, and he won't be able to restrain Maxwell for much longer, even with the help of his Pokemon. So I set down the Shaymin and do as Elijah says- and I leap at Maxwell with an outstretched foot.

As soon as my shoe makes contact with Maxwell's chest, Elijah and his Pokemon both let go of his wrists, and the momentum from my strike carries him a dozen feet backwards and onto his butt.

Maxwell fumes- it's not often that Maxwell is humiliated like this, but, when he is, the outcome is usually never pretty for the perpetrator. Realizing this, I yell,

"Go!" and scoop up the petrified Shaymin into my arms. Elijah and I take off down the hallway, in the opposite direction of Maxwell and his "gang."

However, our little excursion doesn't take long to end, because, as soon as we turn a corner, we run straight into another "old friend" from school- Mr. Geo Vannhi, himself, and Mr. Richards directly behind him. Both of them seem to be in a panic.

"Ahh, Nathan," Mr. Vannhi says when he sees me. His Hawaiian does nothing to abate the seriousness of his tone.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you here. Shouldn't you be in class- I could have sworn that I had Mr. Richards send you to Biology with Maxwell... Wait a minute!" he says, suddenly, a cross between welcoming an old friend and scorning a hated enemy,
"Elijah? What are you doing up and about, already? Didn't I tell you to finish work on..."

Mr. Richards immediately cuts him off,
"Well, well, well... Look who you've brought with you. Thanks, Nathan, you've made my job much easier."

I turn around to see that Maxwell and his friends are standing only a few feet behind us.

Drat! They must have caught up to us when Mr. Vannhi stopped us!

"Oh, and what's that in your arms, Nathan?" Mr. Vannhi asks. My eyes widen- he's referring to the Shaymin in my arms- Riku, as Maxwell seemed to call him.

"What a cute little pet that you've found for yourself! Why, it's simply adorable..." Mr. Vannhi laughs,

"And brimming with potential! Yes, that's it..."

While he continues to ramble on about the Shaymin in my arms, Maxwell makes a dive for my legs from behind me, and Elijah kicks him out of the way, mid-leap.

"Hmph! Can't you see we're having an adult discussion over here? Keep your childish shenanigans to yourself, Maxwell!"

He turns back to me, and I have to hide a smirk as he asks,

"Can you feel the breeze?"

"Can I what?" I falter. The question catches me off-guard.

"Can you feel the breeze?" Elijah asks again, this time with more urgency than before. He points to an open window directly behind Mr. Vannhi. A little sliver of light is streaking out of it, because the rest of the light is absorbed into Mr. Vannhi's shadow.

How fitting... He steals the light from the room with his very presence... I muse.

"I... I..." Riku begins to say,

"I feel it!" His voice becomes much louder and shriller than before, and he appears to have shaken off his earlier weakness.

"Aww, how cute..." Mr. Vannhi says, with faux pity in his voice,

"He can talk! Did you teach him that?!" A large, demented smile crosses his face, and both Mr. Richards and Mr. Vannhi begin to walk towards me.

"You've done enough to stand in the way of my administration, my institute, and my organization, and I'm quite fed up with your interference, Nathan. Maxwell complied with us- his power-lusting spirit quickly became an integral part of Team Rocket. Mr. Seitzer even enjoyed his first-ever heydey training the man in Biology, teaching him everything he knows. Even your friend Sylvia was a challenge to deal with..."

"What did you do to her?!" I scream out.

"Oh, nothing much. I just enlisted her in my wonderful criminal enterprise. You see..." he says, walking right up to me and attempting to stare me down,
"Your father was too circumspect- he knew too much. And your mother was much the same- she figured out my little game before it even began..."

A spark of recognition crosses my face, causing it to break out in crimson rage.

"You killed her! It was you and your organization- Team Rocket!" I clench my fist and thrust it at Mr. Vannhi's crooked face, but, before I can enjoy the satisfaction of breaking his nose, a hand grabs my arm from behind and yanks, causing my punch to harmlessly impact the air instead of Mr. Vannhi. I whirl around to see my former friend, Maxwell Graves, that same evil grin on his face.

"That just ain't right, Nathan- that just ain't right," he mumbles.

"Nobody harms the Boss without goin' through me, first!" Maxwell shouts and punches me in the face, slamming into me with such a tremendous force that it forces me to my knees. As I crumple to the ground, Riku slips out of my hands and utters a silent whimper before Elijah silences him with a hand over his mouth.

"I'll be back for you, Nathan!" Elijah says, hastily grabbing the Shaymin with both hands, ducking under Mr.'s Vannhi and Richards's arms, and making a break for the doors of the school.

"What's this?" Mr. Vannhi roars.

"Maxwell, - after him, immediately!" he commands my friend like a puppet.

"I'll deal with this wretch, myself..." Mr. Vannhi turns back to me, another evil grin on his face, while Maxwell and his "escorts" rush past me in pursuit of Elijah, cries of, "Get that Shaymin!" echoing through the halls the entire time. Mr. Richards also follows the entourage, but I don't think his true purpose to find Elijah. He seems to have something else on his mind.

I slowly stand up, facing Mr. Vannhi straight on and refusing to blink. He laughs again, ripping off his Hawaiian attire to reveal a darker clothing scheme, one that bears a red "R" on it. My eyes widen.

Just like the one that Mark had... So that means...

"This was your game, all along, wasn't it? To use your fake university to find suitable replacements for your criminal organization! You... You monster!"

I grab my Shroomish's Pokeball out of my pocket and release the defiant Mushroom Pokemon, ready for a fight.

There's no more running, Mr. Geo Vannhi! Your little game... I can't helping thinking,

Ends now!