A few days prior, Lethe had been pacing back and forth in the current Team Oblivion compound. According to the higher ranked grunts, they had to keep moving every four days or so to keep their identities hidden. Most of the grunts were wanted criminals, a few wanted Unova to be run differently, while others had nothing better to do.

Lethe, well, he was one of the lucky few who was recruited.

None of that really mattered. There were five tiers of the grunt ranks, and he was in the second. The first and top tier consisted of the commanders. They were the only ones that could choose which missions their unit could go on. Lethe's grunt leaders were O7 and O9. Those were their given names from the three leaders, that was.

Lethe wasn't even the boy's actual name, but after working for Team Oblivion for five years, he realized it was best to forget what his old name was along with a majority of his past. It was probably for the best, given his tier. They were the "selected" few who had "talents" of some sort. Most were actual criminals who could sneak into a bank to acquire more funds without being monitored. Lethe never went on those missions. He wasn't needed in that field, nor did he have the expertise.

The lower three tiers didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The third tiers were combat fighters. Fourth tier were the scouts or spies. Fifth tiers was where newbies usually started, whose job was to do household-like chores and doing the dirty work.

Well, usually that was where new members started. Lethe was one of the handpicked few that started in the rank he was currently in. Usually, once moved from one tier to the next, it meant there was no way of being moved again. It was the leader trio's way of showing their authority. That didn't mean Lethe couldn't move. Since he started up near the top of the ranks, he could very well be moved up to the first tier or down to the bottom.

After the amount of stunts he'd pulled, he was surprised they hadn't pushed him down. He guessed they had their reasons, and those reasons made him positive that he was being used. He wouldn't have lasted five minutes had they not found use of his gift.

It was a gift Lethe's mother had warned him would get him in trouble if anyone knew, just like his father. Some days, Lethe found it as a saving grace, but most days, it was a curse. At least it made him feel better that he wasn't the only person who could see into the future, even if the only other person with this particular gift was his father.

Lethe never knew his father. He had passed away before Lethe was born. Because of this, his mother had to raise him on her own. It was just her and him for the most part, living in the shadows so no one could find them. He remembered how she would keep him quiet just so they wouldn't get caught. Whatever she had done to get herself in trouble with the law, Lethe figured it was best not to ask.

When Lethe lived with his mother, they didn't just hide, but were constantly on the move. It wasn't until Lethe's twelfth birthday that Team Oblivion snuck into the house they were living in at the time and killed his mother right in front of him. He was a fearful child back then, so he didn't—couldn't—do a thing. He had just watched, utterly horrified and about to be sick as the deed had been carried out.

After both the blood of his mother and the contents of his stomach had been spilled onto the cold floor, Lethe remembered seeing Shadow's face for the first time as he had his Pokémon look the child dead in the eyes. He had asked him one question that would seal Lethe's fate forever.

Shadow asked why Lethe should be kept alive.

Being the scared little boy he was, terrified of dying, Lethe told him about his gift. He was taken that night, leaving his mother's lifeless body alone in that house.

Memories like that were etched into Lethe's brain, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever seen. He could see into the future, or glimpses of it for that matter, and there were some things he desperately wished he could unsee. At first, he could never control when he had the visions, that was until the leaders created a pair of special sunglasses he had to wear all the time. They helped control when Lethe saw the future, but even more so, it helped the leaders see what he was seeing.

He hated being used, but what choice did he have? If he wouldn't help them, they would've killed him on the spot, just like they had done to his mother.

Lethe turned down the hallway when his vision went black. He froze, knowing what would happen next. All he had to do was wait until everything around him merged into a different scene. Whenever he had these visions, he never saw them from his point of view. Whoever's eyes he was seeing them from bore fear. He could only guess that he was a girl due to some previous visions he'd had before and the thoughts that were racing in her brain. It was only when he saw from her point of view that he could actually hear thoughts. Only, this time, they weren't good.

She was scared; the great Swanna Girl was trembling as she stared up at Yveltal. That was the only thing she could see as the sky behind the destruction Pokémon was filled with smoke. Lethe could almost see the fear in her eyes as they locked on to the Pokémon right as it threw an attack her way.

If Lethe had to guess, this particular legendary belonged to Shadow, the leader of Team Oblivion. While Lethe had never seen the Pokémon in action before, he knew good things never came when that thing was around.

The only reason Shadow hadn't released it on anyone yet was because he wanted complete control over everyone. That Pokémon was his last resort. That was why Shadow had everyone do his dirty work. He could sit comfortably so that he wouldn't be hurt in the line of fire. Part of  Lethe thought Shadow was a coward because of that; however, he had only seen the man once, and that was all it took for him to realize that Shadow didn't need to be seen to be feared.

Seeing through Swanna Girl's eyes, Lethe noticed a different kind of fear as this attack got closer to her. It was as if she was accepting of her fate. She took a deep breath as memories of her past resurfaced, something Lethe noticed she'd suppressed for years. A part of him wanted to yell at her for just standing there and not doing anything. It was stupid. Swanna Girl saw the attack coming, and yet, she did nothing!

Then again, from what Lethe had heard from the other grunts, once in the line of Yveltal's fire, there was no escaping. It was as if the Pokémon had some sort of hidden ability that could just force the other Pokémon into shock. Lethe had tried looking it up, and there was no way it could've been true. While he didn't want to believe there was such an ability to exist, he knew deep down that this Pokémon never missed its target. The person, or Pokémon, always froze and had no way out of an attack the moment Yveltal laid eyes on it.

So there Lethe was, staring right at the attack hearing people yell Swanna Girl's name. Not just Swanna Girl either, but her true name. Her friends were supposed to keep her identity hidden, and yet, here she was, standing there, with everyone knowing who she was.

The last thought that went through her mind was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes.

Having enough of the vision, Lethe ripped the glasses from his face and took a deep breath after what he saw, trying to calm his racing heart. The three leaders must've wanted him to see how their plan would work out with the way things were progressing. While he was technically on their side, he couldn't let them win, meaning there was no way he was going to let Swanna Girl die. Not on his watch.

Then he remembered. She was dating that Braviary Man. Shouldn't he have been there to stop her? That attack was too close to know for a fact that Sylvia was going to die. If he really loved her, he would've prevented her from dying. Braviary Man was just proving himself to be that same egotistical superhero he was when he started that job.

Sylvia deserved better than that.

If Lethe let this path of the future continue, all of Unova would burn by Team Oblivion's hands. This was his home, so he couldn't let them do that. If Team Oblivion would win, then the sole purpose as to why he found meaning to stay here was a waste of time.

Someone cleared their throat, so Lethe looked up.

O7 stood there. She dressed in the usual black uniform, and her blonde hair was pulled into a braid over her shoulder. O7 crossed her arms over her chest.

"Lethe," she asked, "I just received word from Shadow that he would like to meet you. Apparently, we are ready to go into phase nine of our plan. Are you ready?"

Lethe nodded, trying to push those images out of his mind. The only reason he was a member of Team Oblivion was because they spared his life. If things could've gone another way back then, maybe he wouldn't be in this mess.

Unfortunately, some people weren't meant to be heroes.

(-o-)

The seventeen year-old boy lay in the bed in a room with a glass wall separating us from him. While we were technically in the same room, I was in the smaller part of it as the glass cage was twice the size of a normal jail cell. A part of me worried that he would get out, but Landon assured me that the only way out was from the outside with the key code: 119. Without it, there was no way out.

To make sure of that, we took his three Poké Balls in a separate room, where Wendy would take care of them. Lethe and his Pokémon might have been prisoners in a sense, but that didn't mean we would neglect their needs. While Hilda and Hilbert were both hesitant on this, Wendy assured us that back at her shop there was a room where they could specifically treat rambunctious Pokémon. Not that they were, but it helped knowing that there was no way they could escape and yet be helped.

Joy and I sat outside the glass cage. Neither of us said a word for a moment. All we did was watch as Lethe laid in that bed as if he was sleeping.

"Sylvia," Joy finally broke the silence. "Why does he have to be in there? He's good. I know he is. He was the one who helped me out."

My eyes didn't leave Lethe as I took a deep breath. "Look, I don't like it either, but right now, they have Nox."

Joy didn't like my answer. "So you're saying we have to play by their rules, that if they take one of us as prisoner, we have to do the same?"

Her tone of voice shocked me as it was full of loathing and hatred. I turned my head to look at the girl, seeing her look at me like I had just killed her beloved Pokémon partner. My stomach tightened at her gaze.

"No, it's not like that," I tried.

The sixteen year old stood up, her hands balled up in fists. "Then what is it like?"

I stayed quiet, looking down at my lap.

"That's what I thought. You're no better than the rest of them," Joy sneered before I heard her marching out of the room.

My stomach dropped as I fixed my eyes on my hands that folded carefully in my lap. Joy had a point. What were we doing? We were supposed to be the good guys. Lethe was goodish. I mean, sure, he worked for the other side, but he also helped us more than once.

Then again, was I really good? Or was I the villain just like them for taking Lethe prisoner?

I tried not to think of it, but there was one thing I couldn't help but shaking off. After all, it was the reason behind every nightmare I had. Taipan could've been behind bars if I had stopped Lantana sooner. They were dead, but they could've changed. After all, Gila and the Krait Twins did somewhat. They wouldn't have agreed to help stop Team Oblivion if they didn't.

As a Pokémon nurse, I was supposed to try my hardest in saving everyone. Here, I felt like I couldn't do that.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I heard Hilda's voice asked. "I just saw Rudi chasing Joy."

Leave it to Rudi to try and fix everything. I didn't answer as I lifted my head to look at the unconscious boy on the bed. Joy was right. We were just like them.

I didn't have to look as I felt Hilda sit beside me on the bench. It was the only piece of furniture that was in this room along with the glass cage.

"Hey, Joy's fine now," Hilda said, "That's one thing off the list we have to worry about."

I shook my head. "She's not okay. The girl's been through so much these past few months, and it's my fault. I shouldn't have let her run the Pokémon Center on her own that day. I should have had another nurse take over."

"You didn't know," Hilda argued.

"But I always have that feeling like something's going to happen when I'm gone. Now look what happened. Joy is traumatized for life, even if she won't show it. I've lost her trust. I've lost my rights to my own Pokémon Center. J—"

"You lost your rights to your Pokémon Center?" Hilda gasped.

I looked at her. The brunette had her usual clothing on, but her hat was missing, showing off her high ponytail.

"Yes. Until this is over, another Nurse Joy is running it. Officer Jenny from Nacrene City claimed that to be the best option for right now, so the Pokémon Centers won't become targets. The only one that has a potential threat is one in Nacrene, but the Officer Jenny there is keeping a close eye on the center and Nurse Joy," I explained.

Hilda looked at me with wide eyes. "How do you keep all the Jennys' and Joys' in line? They all look the same."

I shrugged. "The Nacrene City Nurse Joy raised me. Plus, it's not really that hard to spot the difference."

The brunette shook her head. "For you maybe. Look, I'm sorry to hear what happened to your Pokémon Center, but on the bright side, Joy is back. Hilbert says once N's out of jail...he should be able to help."

Her voice wavered when she mentioned her friend, N, which was another thing I did wrong. I couldn't seem to be doing anything right, especially since I secretly accused of being untrustworthy. If only I let my guard down for just a little bit, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess.

I turned my gaze over to Lethe, realizing the boy had turned his back to us, as if he was sleeping. I stood up, signaling Hilda to be quiet.

As much as I wanted to know why N was strange, I realized now wasn't the time. Not only was he arrested, but there were other things I had to worry about. I wanted to trust Lethe, but I also had to worry about what could happen if Lethe was listening in.

I tapped my hand on the glass cage. My fingers were soft on the glass, making sure I wasn't going to wake him if he was sleeping rather than passed out. Seeing the boy stir at the sound, I realized we weren't the only ones awake.

"Everything alright?"

I turned my head to see Hilbert walking in with his arms crossed over his chest. Instead of answering, I side stepped out of the way to let him see what was going on. The young man looked inside the cage, scrunching his nose in disgust.

"You," Hilbert growled, "I know you're up, so cut the crap."

By the tone of voice he was using, I took a couple of steps back until I fell back on the bench I was sitting on earlier. Hilda glanced at me, her eyes widening with fear.

If anyone knew Hilbert, it was her.

And if she looked scared at what Hilbert was doing, then it couldn't be good.

"We're all going to die," Lethe groaned. "What's the use?"

I snapped my head over towards the glass, seeing Lethe not moving from the position he was in.

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to you!" Hilbert claimed. "So you better start talking about what Team Oblivion is going to do next, or I will make sure you suffer more than you made that girl did."

Lethe didn't answer. In response, Hilbert threw his fist at the glass wall, causing it to shake a bit. According to the Rhea's, this glass was built so nothing could break it. That still didn't mean I trusted it.

Then again, how did they get a cage like this, and why would they need it?

"Hil," I heard Hilda whisper in protest.

Hilbert didn't look back as he slammed his fist against the glass, once again. "Don't you dare make me send Reshiram out to finish you."

"Hilbert!" Hilda yelled in protest.

The boy looked back with a fire in his eyes. I flinched in protest, but glanced back at Hilda, who was completely mortified. She wasn't the only one who was scared. Hilbert's sudden burst of anger caused me to shake as well.

I watched as Hilbert's eyes softened a bit, realizing what he had just did.

"Sorry," Hilbert muttered under his breath. "But we are running out of time."

"He's right," I heard Lethe whisper, "and I'll tell you everything."

Hilbert turned around. I could tell just by the way he stood that he was doing everything he could to not throw another punch at the wall.

"You better tell us right now," Hilbert growled.

Lethe, who still laid with his back turned against us, nodded his head. "I will, but I'd rather do it one on one first."

Hilda and I looked at each other. We didn't have to say one word. With Hilbert in the room alone with Lethe, things could get nasty. Out of anyone that was here, he was the best one to do an interrogation with the seventeen year old.

I took a deep breath, realizing the we didn't have a choice. Hilda stood up, and the two of us started to walk out the door.

Only, Lethe stopped us before we could.

"I want to talk to Sylvia, alone. Give me five minutes with her, and I promise, I'll tell you everything," Lethe begged.

I turned around, seeing Hilbert's mouth gap open in surprise. He was about to protest, but I quickly shook my head. If we wanted Lethe to open up, we had to give this some sort of attempt.

Hilbert sighed before walking past me. He didn't say a word, but held up his right hand, wiggling his five fingers. Five minutes. After that, he'd be back, and Hilbert won't be holding back.

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he would get inside that glass cage just to use Lethe as a punching bag.

Once the two ex-Champions of Unova had left the room, I walked up to the glass cage and shoved my hands inside my pockets. Meanwhile, the door closed behind Hilda and Hilbert. At the sound, Lethe sat up, facing his back towards me.

"I'm sorry," Lethe whispered.

"What are you sorry about," I asked, as I quickly looked back to make sure no one was listening it. "You saved Joy. I don't know why you would go out of your way to do it, but regardless, you shouldn't be sorry."

"I—"

"Thank you," I softly said, so only Lethe could hear. "But that still doesn't make up for why you attacked us last night at the Pokémon Center."

Lethe hunched over wrapping his hands behind his neck. "I didn't have a choice. The kind of grunt I am has to listen to orders, no matter how much I don't want to. I disobeyed orders on my watch and took her out, but it was worth it."

"Why do you work for them then?" I asked. "You sound like you don't want to."

There was a moment of silence as if Lethe was trying to come up with an answer. While I didn't trust him for the most part, the way he was talking about it sounded like he defied their rules too much.

The seventeen year-old drew in a deep breath. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," I said.

I watched as Lethe sat straight and ran his left hand through his shaggy dark brown hair. It was as if he was trying to pull the courage to say something, but didn't know how.

"Do you remember your parents?" Lethe asked.

I dropped my head, not wanting to look at him. "No. They died when I was too little to remember. The only memory I have of them—" I felt my voice waver for a moment as I paused. I had no memories of my parents, just the memory of their funeral. Unless I were to count that odd memory that I saw back when I fought Taipan, I didn't really have any memories of them. "It doesn't matter."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Lethe said. "It's just, well, I know what it's like not to have any parents around. If it helps, I didn't know my dad either. My mom, she did everything to protect me, even if it meant being constantly on the run."

I bit my lip. With the way things have been, it didn't surprise me. Being from a broken home can either make or break a person. I remember my fight with Taipan, and hearing how he was forced to leave his home because they didn't want him. Then, there was me, who lived with Nurse Joy.

Moral of the story was that it didn't matter where you come from. Anyone and everyone had the choice to create their own path. For some, it was hard, but it wasn't impossible. You just had to see what was good in this world and not fall astray from it.

But the choice was never easy.

"Would your mom be proud if she knew what you were doing now?" I asked.

Lethe shook his head. "She probably wouldn't look me in the eye if she knew, but it doesn't matter. She's not the person I'm letting down the most right now."

"Who would that be?" I asked.

"If I tell you, well, you won't believe me."

"Lethe, I've dealt with the unimaginable over the past few years," I explained. "Trust me when I say I'll believe you."

The boy sighed. "My sister."

Before I could ask him why I wouldn't have believed him, the boy turned his head to look at me. For the first time, his sunglasses were missing from his face, showing more of his features. His brown hair fell all around, and his pale skin seemed ordinary. It was his eyes that caught my attention.

He had the same gray eyes as I did.

Seeing my reaction, the boy frowned. "It's been a while since we've last seen each other, as family," Lethe explained, "and I'm sorry for what I've done, sister."

Author's Note:

Dun dun dun!

Okay, sorry for the cheesy, Star Warsesque plot twist there, in addition to a cliffhanger. I couldn't help myself.  I've been waiting ALL book for the perfect moment and when I found it, well, you can only imagine how much the suspense was killer on my end.

So, here's a question for you, out of ALL the new characters I've given to you in this book, who has been your favorite? Adding Hilbert, Hilda, and N into the mix has been fun, but I've really enjoyed creating Lethe and Nox, but that's due their complexity. Though, Nox can be a bit of an a—er, in kinder words, a jerk, but Lethe has problems of his own if you haven't noticed.

Any-who, can't wait to hear what you all think of that plot twist, the new characters, and everything. Au revoir readers!