Amethio felt a droplet of water running down his forehead. Still half-asleep, he instinctively tried to wipe it away, only to realize that his glove was completely soaked, making his forehead even wetter. Startled, he sat up and saw that it was pouring rain from the clouds above, drenching his entire outfit. "Damn it, I fell asleep last night, and with my luck, of course, it had to start raining!" he cursed as he looked around for his Pokémon, which had been with him the previous evening. He noticed that Eevee was peacefully sleeping under a small overhang, with Ceruledge resting right next to it. When Ceruledge noticed Amethio was awake, it stood up and approached him. "You couldn't have woken me up?" Amethio asked, annoyed. Ceruledge waved its blade-like arms around, seemingly trying to explain something. Amethio didn't understand its gestures and just sighed, "It's fine. I shouldn't have fallen asleep out there-or at least I should've noticed the rain." And it was still raining. With every passing second, Amethio got wetter and wetter. Finally, he decided, "Come on, let's head inside." Amethio walked over to Eevee and picked up the small, sleeping furball in his arms. Startled by the dampness, Eevee woke up abruptly and leapt from Amethio's arms back under the small overhang. "Oh, now you don't want to be carried, because I'm wet?!" Amethio teased with a small smile. Eevee simply looked at him, confused, before the three headed indoors.

On the way to his room, Amethio thought irritably, "All my clothes are soaked," feeling the fabric clinging uncomfortably to his skin. Just as they were about to reach his room, the three of them ran into Liko and her Floragato, who stopped in her tracks upon seeing him. "We've been looking for you. Were you outside in the pouring rain this whole time?!" Liko asked, shocked, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at him. "I fell asleep out there last night and got caught in the downpour," Amethio admitted sheepishly, turning his head away. "Go change into dry clothes first, and then we'll talk," Liko said firmly. "I'll wait here."

Amethio hurried into his room, where he dried himself off and changed into fresh clothes. When he was done, he instinctively ran his fingers through his hair. "Great. My hair's still completely wet. I forgot about that," he sighed, reaching for his comb before realizing, "Damn it, the bandage around my neck is soaked too. Just perfect. I've really outdone myself this time." He quickly rubbed his hair dry with a towel, combed it, and removed the wet bandage from his neck. Amethio glanced at the wound in the mirror on the wall and noticed, with some surprise, "Looks like the medicine from... what's her name again? Oh yeah, Mollie. Looks like her remedies worked." The wound was almost completely healed, so Amethio decided to leave the bandage off. He then headed back to Liko, who was waiting with Ceruledge and Eevee, which had stayed by her side. When he closed his door behind him, he saw Liko greet him with a smile as Eevee happily played with Floragato. "How did you manage that?" he asked, confused, pointing at Eevee and Floragato. "Manage what?" Liko replied. "Getting Eevee to stop being afraid of your Pokémon," Amethio clarified. "Oh, that. Well, I just showed it that it didn't need to be scared of Floragato," she explained cheerfully. Suddenly, Terapagos emerged from its Poké Ball and joined the playing Pokémon. At first, Eevee was afraid of it, but once it realized that Terapagos didn't mean any harm, it also befriended the mysterious Pokémon. "Impressive," Amethio blurted out unintentionally, unable to take his eyes off the joyful Pokémon.

"Thank you," Liko broke him out of his thoughts. "Now, back to you. Why were you outside?"
"Because I... needed to think about a few things," Amethio admitted, looking sadly at the ground. "About your grandfather, right?" Liko wanted to be sure. Amethio's only response was a slight nod. Liko placed a comforting arm around his shoulder and said softly, "If there's anything... I'm here for you. Even when it comes to those visions. I'll help you." Amethio looked up, directly into her determined eyes. There was something different about her. It felt as if they shared a special connection neither of them fully understood yet. Maybe, just maybe, Liko was someone he could finally trust. "Thank you," he replied briefly, offering her a small smile. Normally, he never showed his feelings to others, but everything had changed since his injury. Somehow, everything felt different.

"Friede wants to talk to you," Liko interrupted his thoughts again. Amethio flinched slightly, startled by her words, before asking, "About what?" Liko shrugged and removed her arm from his shoulder. "He didn't say exactly, just that we should send you to him if we found you," she explained calmly. "I guess I'd better go see him," Amethio said, a little worried. "I'm coming with you," she called after him as he made his way out with his Pokémon, Eevee now perched in his arms. Together, they walked to the meeting room, where Friede was already waiting for them. With him were Roy and Dot.

"We were starting to think you'd never show up," Friede teased humorously. Liko and Amethio each took a seat, and Friede began, "So, Amethio, I wanted to ask you something. Do you have any idea what the Rakurium is capable of, or why your grandfather wants it?" "Not really. He never told me anything," Amethio admitted shyly, averting his gaze. "I just know that he would do ANYTHING to get it." "That doesn't really help us," Friede sighed. "I stole information from them, though," Amethio suddenly remembered, springing out of his chair so abruptly that Eevee was startled for a moment. He quickly apologized to Eevee, scratching its ears gently, as Friede exclaimed in disbelief, "YOU WHAT? YOU STOLE INFORMATION FROM THEM?!" "Yeah, when I escaped from there," Amethio said, feeling proud of his clever decision as he quickly pulled his Rotom Phone out of his pocket. Luckily, it was waterproof, so the rain hadn't damaged it. He tapped on it a few times before groaning, "Damn it, of course, it needs a password!" "How could I forget that!" he scolded himself silently. "Let me see," Friede requested. Amethio handed him the Rotom Phone, and Friede spent a few minutes trying to unlock it. "Then the information isn't much use to us," Friede sighed in frustration, handing the Rotom Phone back. Amethio, equally frustrated, pocketed it again while Liko gave him a comforting look. "Can't you figure out the password, Dot?" Roy asked hopefully. "Not when it comes to the Explorers. You know they've tricked me too many times before, especially that stupid Spinel," she replied irritably. "Tell me about it," Amethio muttered bitterly. "But there has to be a way," Liko countered, her voice filled with determination.

"There is a way," Amethio murmured quietly to himself, hoping no one would hear him. "If there's a way, then... please tell us," Liko pleaded with him, her voice filled with hope. Amethio felt incredibly uneasy at the thought, but he also knew that he owed it to the Rising Volt Tacklers. Eevee noticed his discomfort and snuggled against him in encouragement. Normally, this gesture would bring a smile to his lips, but this time it was different. It was much more serious. "Please...!" Liko begged again, looking him directly in the eyes. Amethio sighed in defeat and began, "Well... uh... do you know Exceed, that company that researches trainers and Pokémon to improve their way of life?" "Yes, I used to work there as a professor," Friede replied in surprise. "Well... my grandfather is the chairman of Exceed," Amethio admitted, fiddling nervously with the drawstrings of his sweatshirt. "WHAT?!" Friede exclaimed in shock. "And... my father works there too. He's... the president. Maybe we can get information from him," Amethio continued, growing increasingly uncomfortable. "WHAT?!" Friede repeated in disbelief, jumping out of his chair. "He... he used to be my boss. We're talking about Crave, right?"
Amethio nodded in confirmation. "I don't know if it'll work. I've gone to him before, and he told me he couldn't give me any information. Someone higher up than him forbade it," Friede explained further. "My grandfather," Amethio muttered bitterly. After a moment of thought, Friede suggested, "Maybe he'll give it to you. You are his son, after all." "Maybe," Amethio murmured, not sounding very convinced. Eevee snuggled even closer to him. "Would you be okay with that?" Liko asked compassionately. "Yes," he answered, sounding more resolute than he actually felt. Liko could still tell that he was deeply uncomfortable with the idea. "Alright then, we'll set a course for Levincia," Friede said, immediately setting to work with Flight Captain Pikachu. Rory, Dot, and their Pokémon also got up and began preparing for the journey.

Liko was about to leave too when she noticed that Amethio wasn't moving. He was lost in thought, replaying his entire life up to this moment in his mind. How he had been rejected time and time again, even by his own family. His mother, who had loved him the most, was gone. At least, that's what his grandfather had told him. Amethio wished his life could go back to how it had been before he was sent to live with his grandfather at the age of five. Back then, his life had been almost perfect. Liko didn't know what was going through his mind, but she could see that he was sad. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said softly, "Hey, everything's going to be okay." Even though it didn't really cheer him up, Amethio nodded with a fake smile and pretended that everything was fine. "Thank you. We should probably get ready now," he replied, standing up with the same fake smile. Apparently, Liko believed him, as she said nothing further. With Eevee in his arms and Ceruledge at his side, he left the meeting room and headed to his quarters. Once there, Eevee immediately curled up against him, and even Ceruledge gently rested one of its sword-like arms around him. That finally brought a genuine smile to Amethio's face.

It didn't take long before the airship docked at the port of Levincia. Friede, Liko, Amethio, Roy, Dot, and their Pokémon disembarked and headed towards the Exceed headquarters. Amethio wished the walk there would never end, but after just about five minutes, they arrived. Amethio looked up at the tall building and swallowed hard. He had to admit to himself that he was terrified of talking to his father. Absolutely terrified. Eevee let out a soft "Eevee," making Amethio realize that he wasn't alone. He had his Pokémon and his friends with him. "I never thought I'd ever call the Rising Volt Tacklers my friends," he thought, and the realization brought a small smile to his face. "Let's go in," Amethio decided, taking the lead. The others followed, still awestruck by the towering building-everyone except Friede, who was only surprised by how well Amethio seemed to know his way around. Eventually, they stopped in front of a door with a small plaque that read, "President Crave. Please knock." Amethio froze, his uneasiness returning, and hesitated in front of the door. Seeing this, Friede took the initiative. "I'll go first," he said, pushing past the others and knocking. "Come in," a man's voice called from inside, and Friede opened the door. "Oh, Professor Friede! What an honor to see you here again," President Crave said, rising from his desk chair and walking toward Friede. Halfway there, his eyes widened in shock as he noticed Amethio. "Amethio... What are you doing here? And what happened to your eye?" he asked, as if he were seeing a ghost. "You can ask Spinel about that," Amethio replied coldly. "Why Spinel?" Crave asked, confused, as he moved to sit on the sofa in the center of the room. When Amethio didn't answer, instead clutching Eevee even closer, Friede sat on the opposite sofa. Liko, Roy, and Dot joined him, but Amethio remained frozen in place. "There must be a reason you're here, right, Amethio?" Crave asked his son. "We need information about Rakurium," Amethio said, meeting his father's gaze directly. The president closed his eyes briefly before replying in a cold tone, "I can't give it to you. Gibeon has the information." "I know you could give it to me if you wanted to. But you don't want to. You've never helped me. You've only ever followed Grandfather's orders. Even back then, when you sent me to him, despite Mother being against it!" Amethio snapped at his father, anger boiling over as he clenched his fists. He carefully set Eevee down on the floor, afraid he might accidentally hurt it in his rage. "You think I wanted that?" Crave retorted, annoyed, standing up and stepping closer to Amethio until they were face-to-face. "YES! YOU DIDN'T EVEN FIGHT BACK! AND EVEN NOW, WHEN I NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER, YOU STILL WON'T HELP ME!" Amethio shouted furiously, barely holding himself back from doing something he might regret later. "WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I CAN'T HELP YOU, I MEAN IT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S AT STAKE!" Crave yelled back. "YES, I DO! YOUR REPUTATION WITH GRANDFATHER!" Amethio screamed in a blind rage. "WRONG! AND IF YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, THEN GET OUT OF HERE! GET OUT AND DON'T EVER BRING THIS UP AGAIN! YOU'RE SO STUBBORN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN'T STAND ABOUT YOU! JUST GO!" Crave shouted in a tone that left no room for argument. Amethio flinched at his father's words. A pain greater than anything he had ever felt before pierced his heart. It felt as though it was shattering into countless pieces. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, and he struggled to hold them back. All he wanted was to get away. Away from here. Away from his family. Away from his entire life. The burning tears in his eyes became harder and harder to suppress, but he refused to cry in front of his father. As quickly as he could, Amethio rushed to the door, slamming it behind him with a loud bang, and ran toward the exit. Just before he reached it, Spinel appeared in his path. "Damn it, I totally forgot that Spinel works here as a researcher," Amethio thought, both annoyed and angry. "Oh, who do we have here? Little Amethio," Spinel taunted mockingly. Amethio wasn't in the mood to deal with Spinel right now, so he simply shot back, "Shut up, you idiot," and shoved past him, heading for the exit. He ran out of the building, not knowing where he was going. He just ran and ran until he couldn't anymore.

Finally, he sank to the ground along a wall in a dark alley and buried his face in his hands. "No one in my family likes me. I wonder if anyone does. Is it my fault? Do I even deserve to be liked?" Amethio questioned himself, feeling the first tears roll down his cheeks. "I swore to myself I wouldn't cry anymore, but it just hurts so much. Nobody likes me, and that's just pathetic..." Hearing his own words only made the tears come faster. It was only then that he realized he was sitting alone in a dark, empty alley, crying and doubting himself. Without family. Without friends. Without his Pokémon. Completely alone.