Isaac Nox was a bright inventor, despite the methods he may have used to get there. He only had one goal in life, and that was to become the greatest, most successful inventor in the world. It didn't matter what method he'd use. Lie, cheat, steal, you name it, Isaac Nox would do everything and anything to achieve his goal.

He didn't care what methods he had to use, just as long as people gave him money in the end. For the past few years, inventors had to get sponsors to gain freedom to do anything. When this happened, Isaac knew how important it was to show that he was the best. People would want to fund only the best. He knew that. Anyone could fund him, and he wouldn't care.

It was that careless action that he invented for a sketchy organization a few months ago. The pay was nice as he had received more from them than any of his previous sponsors. All he had to do was invent and play a small little trick on a particular group of people.

Isaac didn't think of the consequences. If he'd known working for them would ended him losing trust in all his other sponsors, forcing Isaac to start over once again, he wouldn't have done it. People seemed to have found out he worked for Team Oblivion, inventing technology for them that should've never seen the light of day.

The inventor did the only thing he could think of; he started over again. He ran door to door, trying to find work. Every time he would try, the people reacted the same way. They'd shoo him away, wishing him ill fortune.

It came to a point in time where there was only one person he could turn to. He looked up at the building, feeling a wave of guilt. Isaac wasn't going to lie to himself anymore because he knew what he did was wrong. Going to seek this inventor for help was going to be a long-shot. Still, he had to do something to get by.

After waiting a few minutes after ringing the doorbell, the door opened to reveal a blue haired woman in a business suit. The outfit she wore wasn't ideal for inventing, especially since it could get dirty with oils and old rust from the tools that were used. That didn't seem to be a problem for her, as she wiped her hands with an old rag.

When she raised her blue eyes to look into Isaac's green ones, her nose scrunched in disgust. Isaac didn't need her to say a word to know what was about to happen.

"What in the Distortion World are you doing here, you son of a bitch?" Rena Rhea seethed.

Her hands tightened on that rag, causing Isaac to flinch. He would have to watch his words for once if he wanted to get a job. Getting hurt, well, Isaac knew there was no hope in him leaving the place without a few bruises or a possible broken bone. All of which, he knew he deserved, whether he liked that or not.

"I wanted to apologize," Isaac forced himself to say. "I just heard the news of what happened during the Castelia City Crisis."

"So what? Now you decide to come and apologize? It's been four months," Rena hissed. "I don't need your sympathy when it's your fault."

Isaac flinched at her words, waiting for the twenty-five year old to hurt him in some way. When none of that happened, the man drew in a deep breath.

"Team Oblivion locked me up in the building during that time," he explained. "I only got out because the International Police came in and were investigating the building and to arrest any stray member."

"And you didn't get arrested?" Rena's voice raised a bit. "Tauros shit!"

The older inventor shrugged. "They believed my side of the story, but no one else did. I didn't watch any t.v. because I was trying to gain sponsors again to rebuild my company. I didn't care what was going to change, so I started to do some research on what happened that day. I wanted to come sooner when I heard what happened to Ru—"

Isaac didn't have a chance to finish saying the name as the blue-haired inventor took her rag and slapped it across his face. The man looked down at the ground, feeling the stinging sensation ripple across his cheek as the oils on it painted his face. He was surprised by how much force there was behind the slap as Rena was a small little thing. Her structure would have hinted that she couldn't hurt a Cutifly, but her actions said that even a Mewtwo had the chance of getting hurt.

"Don't you dare say his name! If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't be dead." Rena screamed. "You've got some real nerve coming here and bringing that up."

They? All Isaac knew was that Rena's brother passed in the gigantic crisis that had happened. There were a few other deaths, but it wasn't as large as it could've been.

"Ms. Blue," Isaac used her old nickname he gave her, hoping it would give him some sort of sympathy, "I want to start over."

"That's a lie," Rena sneered. "What's the real reason your here? Is it because people finally saw the truth about you and stopped supporting you? Is that what it took for you to come around? If so, you're too late! You should've died that day not them! I hope I never see your face ever again!"

Isaac didn't know how to respond, but he didn't have a chance as Rena slammed the door in his face, leaving him outside by his lonesome. The man sighed, knowing this whole idea was a long shot.

"Looking for work?"

The inventor turned to see a hooded figure walking towards him. This newcomer must not have realized who Isaac Nox was if he was offering him a job or was willing to help. Being that Isaac was desperate, he was willing to do anything, even if that was cleaning toilets for a while. If he could just make some sort of money to invent one more thing that could have people support his work, he'd be happy.

Before Isaac could respond, he felt something in his hands. He looked down at it, finding a business card with a simple name and address on it. Isaac had no idea how that card got in his hands, so he looked up to see the hooded figure.

But the hooded figure had already disappeared.

(-o-)

My teeth gritted together as Audino pierced the needle into my arm and pulled it out. Despite doing this many times to the Pokémon I've treated in the past, I loathed the feeling of needles. It didn't matter if it was something as getting my yearly shots or getting stitches; I hated it.

Plusle hated seeing me in this kind of pain so much that she grabbed my left hand with both of hers and gave it a squeeze. I forced myself to look at her and gave her my best smile. As I did, I felt Audino prick my skin once more; only this time, it was more painful. In response to the pain, I squeezed my eyes shut and hissed through my teeth.

"Audino no no Audino!" my Pokémon scolded.

Even without knowing what he was saying, I swore he was scolding me for being a big baby. It wasn't my fault I've just had bad experiences with needles though. If I could, I would've glared at him, but he jabbed the needle in my skin, causing me to wince in pain.

With the events that have happened, I thought I was lucky. Things could've ended a lot differently. That Braviary Man imposter could've hit a building, causing it to crash down on the hundreds of people who were visiting for the festival, or worse, actually hit someone. Every time he did it, people would look in horror.

They never looked at him in accusation. It was always me. Guess impersonating the one good person in this world, it was so easy to do that. They all knew I meant trouble, so the attacks were somehow my fault. The more I thought about it, they were right.

All it took was the look of sheer horror on Joy's face to say it all.

That battle, it took every bit of concentration I had to try and stop the imposter. While the people were able to make it out alive, it got to the point where I worried I wasn't going to be as lucky.

If it wasn't for Gila's call during that encounter to retreat because Clyde had found what he needed, I don't know if I would've made it out alive.

I felt Audino patting me on the shoulder, telling me he was done. I opened my eyes, no longer seeing the battle between the Braviary Man imposter and me. Instead, I looked down to see the nasty mark on my right arm. Even though it hasn't even been a day, the pale skin started to gain some color around it. Light purples weren't the kind of color anyone would like to see.

"Audino no no Audi," Audino started chastising as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I looked over at my Pokémon and raised an eyebrow. "How I got it is none of your concern. What matters is that we're all safe right now, alright?"

Audino harden his gazed, not convinced. In all honesty, I wasn't sure how I got that particular gash on my arm. There were so many Hyper Beams and close up attacks that I had to dodge myself rather than let Swanna take care of. Everything blurred together that I had to worry about dodging his attacks myself rather than worry about the pain.

At least no one got killed...I think.

"Plusle?"

I turned to see my little Pokémon tilting her head. Even though she didn't say much, I could tell she was worried about my well-being. A sigh escaped my lips as I scratched her behind the ear. Her fur was soft to the touch, and very comforting. Plulse's head fell into my hand, and her eyes closed in contentment.

It was nice having a Pokémon like Plusle. The nerves that were building up inside me slowly started to escape. She didn't have to do much for that to happen. All she had to do was be there for me. I know Audino was doing what he did because he cared, but he was just putting me on edge.

"Besides," I said before looking back at Audino, "my parents probably got hurt loads of times when they were supers, didn't they?"

The pink Pokémon glared in response. It was easy to forget at times that Audino had once belonged to my mom, so he knew better than anyone the kind of business saving the world entailed. This job, whether it was working alongside the bad guys or working to stop them, always meant someone was going to get hurt.

At least the physical pain was something that I knew would pass. Those stitches he threaded into my right arm, they would disappear in time. If anything, there would be a scar that was left to show the pain. By that time, the pain would pass.

Besides, the physical pain was much better than another kind I knew too well.

Something slammed open causing me to snap my head up. Gila walked into the small dingy room I was rooming in. As I stood up, Plusle climbed up my arm and snuggled close to my neck while she perched herself on my shoulder. Meanwhile, Audino took a protective step in front of me.

"I thought you said he was dead," Gila accused as she marched closer to me. "I thought you saw him die with your own two eyes!"

Gila stopped an inch away from me as she grabbed part of my loose t-shirt and pulled me close to her. I was forced to look into her green irises that were filled with rage. Plusle freaked out and leaped off my shoulder, probably landing on the bed. If I had to guess, she hid behind the bed or under the covers.

She was lucky that she could hide. I didn't have that luxury as Gila glared into my eyes.

"That man wasn't him," I whispered.

"Then why the hell did he look like him!" Gila yelled into my face. My squeezed shut as I felt the spit escape her mouth as she kept denying the truth. "You know something, so spit it out!"

I peeled my eyes open and shook my head. "No," I told her. "Your guess is as good as mine because that man wasn't him."

Her eye twitched as her face hardened even more. I tried not to shake, but my body betrayed me as I shuddered in fear. There was nothing I could do.

"You lie! You fucking lie!" she screamed in my face. "I said no one gets out of there alive, and nearly everyone did, and he shows up. How the hell did that happen?"

Once again, I didn't say a word. Everything inside me wished I could rewind to the small disagreement Audino and I were having. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about Gila's threats. All I had to worry about was Audino's disapproving look while I had Plusle there to comfort me.

Plusle didn't need to be in this kind of environment. She was too young for this.

"You better stay away from him and the rest of your friends," Gila sneered. "You have a deal to fulfill, and until then, I need you here."

I nodded my head. "I understand," I whispered. "I'll get on the Lantana case right now."

Gila gave a curt nod before she shoved me down on my bed. For a moment, I stayed seated, feeling a nudge from behind me. I ignored it, fearing that if I looked back to check on Plusle or whatever stray Pokémon that made a home here, Gila would force everyone to feel her wrath.

Meanwhile, in the corner of my eye, I saw Audino's hands rolling up in a fist. Despite chastising me a moment ago about my injuries, I could tell he wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone who hurt me further. Only, this time he was holding back. That was only because I could see the speck of fear and concern in his eyes. It was hard to see, but it was there. There was only one person who had anger that could scare Audino like that.

To think I thought Rena was the scariest person I've ever met. She had nothing on the woman standing across from me. It wouldn't be surprising if Gila could make a Legendary tremble in fear.

Gila crossed her arms as she looked at me. Slowly her eyes trailed to something behind me. I wasn't sure what it was at first, and for a moment, I feared that it was the small package I received from Lethe. Fearful of what she was looking, I carefully tore my gaze away and tried to find what she was looking at.

There was nothing there. The package I kept Braviary's Poké Ball, the keychain, and the note, was gone, probably hidden either under the bed I sat on or tucked under the pillow. Both were places that I knew Gila wouldn't check. All she wanted was the laptop and Holo Caster after I used it to make sure I didn't try to contact anyone.

Whatever she was looking at, it wasn't good. I turned back to look at Gila, who smiled menacingly.

"You managed to defeat my father in three months, and yet, in that same timeframe, you can't find Lantana. I don't think you're trying hard enough," Gila warned.

"I promise, I'm doing my best," I assured. "If I wasn't thrown on missions all the time—"

"Missions haven't slowed anyone else on this team. Do you honestly think Hunter and Archer's job is solely to watch over you and help out? No! Things don't get done that way," Gila sneered before pausing. Her voice softened when she opened her mouth again. "But you know, I'm a forgiving leader. More forgiving than my father has been."

Forgiving? Gila didn't seem to be the forgiving type. I would know with the amount of punishments I was given in the past. Something wasn't right. There was something in her tone of voice that made me shiver.

"You don't need that Pokémon for any reason, do you?" She asked.

I glanced over at Audino, noticing him taking a step back in response. Audino was our best healer. Even with my old job as a nurse, I couldn't have done half of the procedures without his help. We needed Audino.

Before I could protest, I notice a hand snatch the empty Poké Ball lying on the bed. My eyes widened as I saw a stream of red light shoot behind me. When I looked back, my little Plusle had disappeared.

"Give her back!" I yelled as I stood up and glared at Gila, not thinking of any of the consequences that could've come by doing so. "She did nothing wrong!"

Gila clipped the Poké Ball to her belt and kept her hand on it while she took a few steps back. "Which is why I won't feed her to my Pokémon, yet. I'm sick and tired of you not taking your job seriously. First, it's failure in finding Lantana. Then it's letting those people survive with Braviary Man's return. If you keep up the slack any longer—"

She didn't finish as a flash of pink rammed into Gila. I blinked, finding Audino no longer holding back as he tackled Gila to the ground. The blonde screamed on the top of her lungs, making me realize what Audino was doing. He couldn't fathom the thought that Gila would dare to threaten the life of a Pokémon, so he took action into his own hands, using Double Slap to hit her repeatedly across the face.

Threats were something I was used to, but I realized if Audino kept hurting her even more, I'd be in more trouble. For all I know, she could take all of my Pokémon away from me and eliminate them.

I grabbed Audino's Poké Ball and returned him inside. Unfortunately, it didn't stop Audino from leaving a mark on Gila's face. With him off of her, I bent down to try and steal Plusle's Poké Ball back. Unfortunately, I was too late.

I was always too late. There was nothing I could ever do to help keep my friends safe.

"You little bitch! You can't even handle your own Pokémon!" Girl screamed.

I turned my head to look at her as she sat up, wiping the blood from her nose. As much as it went against my morals, I was somewhat glad Audino didn't hold back, but the death glare Gila gave was so terrifying that I froze in my place. I could've easily grabbed Plusle's Poké Ball and made a run for it, but her glare said everything.

One more wrong move, one tiny slip up, and Gila wouldn't hold back. She would make sure she could torture me in the worst way possible. As if punishments from Hunter and Archer weren't enough, I could tell Gila's was going to be far worse.

I should've run, but I just stood there, watching Gila in fear. My body hands started to shake. Without taking her eyes off of me, the leader of Team Miasma grabbed her own Holo Caster and pressed a button. The device didn't even ring as a man with a Duskull mask popped into the screen.

"Did you get answers?" Hunter's voice cut through.

Instead of looking at her device, Gila turned it so the camera was pointing at me. Holo Casters were odd devices. Being that we stole them, these were an older model, meaning at any angle, you could see a hologram of whatever the camera was pointing at. That picture would show no matter what angle you'd turn it. It would just pop the picture up in a hologram.

The moment Hunter Krait's eyes met mine, he took off his mask and frowned. He didn't say a word as Gila gave him instructions.

"I need you to bring the inventor's device, now," Gila sneered. "It's about time we've tried it out to see if they work."

"I'll get them there ASAP," Hunter responded as his hologram disappeared.

While it disappeared, my eyes widened even more. I took a few steps back, bumping into the bed. Looking back, I could see that nothing was there. My head dropped looking at the Poké Balls on my belt. My eyes narrowed onto Swanna's Poké Ball. I could've easily taken him out and fly out of here, never having to worry about Team Miasma ever again.

But Plusle would still be in trouble. I turned to look back at Gila, who finally stood up. She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. Her smile sent chills down my back.

"Let this be a lesson for you, Swanna Girl," Gila warned. "My patience is running thin. Your time is running out. I think it's about time we speed things up."

Author's Note:

Before anyone comments, yes, this chapter is up earlier than usual. Since I didn't upload a chapter last week, I figured a couple days earlier wouldn't hurt anyone. I wish I could say that this would be a double update week, but I still have about five chapters to prewrite and chapters to edit before I can truly feel comfortable in doing that. Hopefully within the next month or two, we'll be there.

In the meantime, since Gen 5 was released into PokémonGo a week ago, and this book takes place in Unova, I want to know, what is your favorite Unova Pokémon?

Can't wait to hear from you all! Cya'll next week!