It was our fourth day in Silverstone Town, and the others and I were getting ready to help Professor Cherry again.

She told us she needed help preparing for Xaja Safari's grand opening. If my memory serves me right, I believe the grand opening is a week from now.

"So, what did you two do with Loretta yesterday?" I asked, placing a potion in my bag.

"We helped tend to some eggs and take care of some baby Pokémon," Nina said, "Two hatched, too!"

"Really?" Kat asked, "What was it?"

"It was a Growlithe and Rockruff," Rina said, "We named the Growlithe Amber and the Rockruff Granite."

I smiled as I picked up my bag.

"That's so cute!" I said.

"Come on," Kat said, "The boys are probably waiting for us."

Nodding to our brunette friend, we gathered our things and walked out the door. Sure enough, Eric and Elsu were waiting for us at the end of the hall.

"Hey, guys!" Nina called out.

The boys looked up and smiled.

"Hey, girls," Eric said, "You ready?"

Libby, Angel, and Snubbull let out cheer-filled cries, causing us to laugh.

"If Angel, Libby, and Snubbull are ready, we are, too!" Elsu said happily.

Smiling at our friend, we walked out of the inn and headed to Professor Cherry's lab.

"So, how was herding the Pokémon with Roscoe yesterday?" Kat asked.

"So. Much. Fun!" Elsu cried, "I've never had that much fun before! Riding on the back of Ponyta felt so refreshing!"

"I have to agree with Elsu. It was a lot of fun!" Eric said, "What about you and Era? How did convincing Georgia go?"

"We got through to her, thankfully," I said, "The reason she was acting so stubborn was that she wanted to prove her strength to her parents so she could travel the world one day."

Elsu grinned and nodded.

"Relateable," he said, "I felt the same way when I wanted to leave Ajax Village."

Now that I can believe. Being in the same age range and wanting to leave a place hidden from the world because you want to explore it can be a bit daunting.

"What about you two?" Elsu asked, looking at Nina and Rina, "What did you guys do with Loretta?"

"We helped her take care of some eggs, and two of them hatched!" Nina said happily.

"A Rockruff we named Granite and a Growlithe named Amber," Rina said, "Loretta said that she, Roscoe, and Georgia were going to train them to herd their Pokémon."

"That sounds great!" Eric said.

I chuckled before looking straight ahead. Then, a strong gust of wind blew in out of nowhere.

"Ugh, where did this wind come from?" Elsu asked, shielding himself.

"Up there!" Kat cried, pointing towards the sky.

When I looked up, I saw a large, dark gray helicopter over the town, the blades sending gales of wind our way.

"Where did this even come from?" Nina asked over the copter's blades.

When I examined the helicopter, my face fell, and an aggravated look appeared.

"I think I know," I said, "Look!"

My friends looked up, and a large blue X was painted on the helicopter's side.

"Team Xenon?" my friends asked in surprise.

"Who's Team Xenon?" Rina asked.

"Ugh, they're an evil organization who steal Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution for whatever scheme they have up their sleeve." Nina said.

"They've stolen my Pokémon countless times, as well as many wild Pokémon," I said, "They even tried to steal Sceptile from Primeval Jungle."

"The last Ajax Guardian?" Elsu asked in surprise, "They really tried to take him?"

"If we didn't intervene, they would have." Kat said.

"Still, what in the world are they doing in Silverstone?" Eric asked.

My eyes widened when realization soon hit me.

"Professor Cherry and the Pokémon in the lab and Xaja Safari!" I cried, "They're here for them!"

"If that's the case, we gotta go!" Elsu cried, "Now!"

Fighting against the wind, my friends and I ran up to the professor's lab.

Ugh, this isn't good! All of the Pokémon in the lab belong to trainers! We can't let them get away with this!

Upon our arrival, we saw many Team Xenon grunts infesting the area. The six of us quickly hid behind nearby trees and peeked our heads around the corner.

"There's so many of them," Nina whined, "How are we gonna sneak past them to save the Pokémon and Professor Cherry?"

I breathed out as I scanned the perimeter. Almost every entrance and exit had one or three Team Xenon grunts standing guard.

If we don't act now, Team Xenon will make out with hundreds of Pokémon to do their bidding...

Then, an idea came to mind.

"Okay, I have an idea, but it's not the best," I began.

"What is it, Era?" Eric asked.

"...We surrender..."

My friends looked at me with surprised and confused looks.

"We surrender?" Kat parroted, "As in, walk up to them and have them take us to who knows where?"

"Yeah," I said, "Look, I already said it wasn't my best,"

"No, it is a good plan," Elsu said, "If we surrender-"

"They'll hopefully take us inside to hold us until they leave." Rina commented.

The two looked at one another and smiled.

"That could work." Kat said.

"And it will! Come on, guys." I said.

Nodding to one another, we walked from behind the trees and headed toward the guards posted by the front door. When the grunts noticed us, they pulled out their Pokéballs and tossed them in the air. Out came a Mightyena and a Manectric.

"What do you brats want?" asked the male grunt, "This area is off-limits."

As much as I would love to have my Pokémon plow through them, we must stick to the plan.

"We humbly surrender to Team Xenon." I said.

The others nodded behind me. The grunts looked at one another before looking back at us.

"Well, if that's the case..." the female grunt began.

When she snapped, the Mightyena and Manectric walked behind us and growled.

"You'd better follow our lead." said the female grunt.

She opened the door and held it open for her comrade and us. When we walked inside, there were grunts at every computer.

"Where's Professor Cherry and her colleagues?" Kat whispered.

"I don't know," I answered, "Let's hope they take us to where they are."

The grunts soon came to a halt in front of three familiar people.

"Commanders," the male grunt said, "We have visitors."

The three commanders turned around and smiled.

"They put up quite the fight, commanders." the female grunt said, bumping her comrade's shoulder.

"But we managed to subdue them." the male grunt said.

Amber grinned and walked up to the grunts.

"Well done, you two," she said, "Meet up with the others in the back. Leave your Pokémon here."

The grunts nodded before walking out of the back door.

"You kids just love sticking your noses into our business," Gabriel said, "Now you know the consequence of what happens when you don't stop."

"Well, we did beat you," Kat said, "Twice."

Barren chuckled, and Gabriel glared at him.

"Well, your capsule glass certainly did its thing back in Zillas City," Gabriel said, sarcasm poisoning his tone, "No weak little Pokémon could escape it."

Barren growled and turned away.

"Enough, you two." Amber said.

Gabriel and Barren straightened their posture, but not before sneaking another glare at each other.

"Mightyena, Manectric. You know where to take the kids," Amber said, "But leave this one with us."

She then grabbed my arm and pulled me away from my friends.

"Eragona!" Kat cried.

Angel and Libby both let out a cry. The Mightyena got in between us and growled.

Okay, this was not part of the plan.

"We'll be fine," I said, "Don't worry."

The others frowned and nodded. The Manectric and Mightyena growled at friends and led them down the hall.

Why did they keep me behind?

I shook my arm out of Amber's grip and growled.

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"You're the ringleader of your little circus, aren't you?" Gabriel asked, "Well, we want you to meet ours."

Like clockwork, a tall woman walked in from the back. She had dark skin and dark denim blue hair and eyes.

Like me...

She wore a navy blue suit with light blue heels. The woman wore a sky-blue bracelet on her right wrist and a watch on her left.

She almost looks like me.

"Ma'am, this is the child we've been telling you about." Amber said.

The woman walked up to me and stooped down to my level.

So this is the one the commanders said I resemble.

The woman then took my hand and rested it in her palm.

What is she doing?

Libby growled and let out a cry. I furrowed my brows and pulled my hand away.

"What's your problem?" I asked, backing away.

The woman stood up and sighed.

"I am Calista, leader of Team Xenon," she said, "I've heard you and your friends have been causing my commanders some problems,"

"Well, I think you need better commanders," I said, "For them to lose to a couple of children is quite shameful, don't you think?"

"Very."

Calista then turned to glare at the commanders, making them shudder.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, "You've endangered the lives of so many Pokémon, including my own!"

Calista furrowed her brows and pulled out a Pokéball. She held it to the ground, and a familiar Pokémon appeared.

It's a Gardevoir, but why is it blue? Could that be a shiny Gardevoir?

"This is why," Calista said, pointing to her Pokémon.

Looking closer at it, I saw it was wearing a necklace with a bright-colored stone.

Is that... a Mega Stone?

"Imagine it: the power to mega evolve any Pokémon without this would be revolutionary!" Calista said, "And when the Pokémon mega evolve, they will be completely under our control,"

"That's horrible! You were trying to force my Pokémon to evolve, and you're forcing other Pokémon to mega evolve, which is much worse!" I countered, "And the fact that you don't even care about their well-being says a lot about how you really think of Pokémon. You only see them as tools."

Calista grimaced before looking away.

"What do you know, child? You don't know the first thing about Mega Evolution." Calista said.

"I know enough, thanks to my grandmother," I said, "Mega Evolution is a special evolution stage that only certain Pokémon can achieve. A trainer must have a Key Stone, and the Pokémon must have its Mega Stone. True Mega Evolution is achieved when the trainer's and Pokémon's hearts are truly one."

The room went silent.

"You read that off a cereal box, kid." Barren chuckled.

"Well, she's half right," Calista said, "It is a special evolution stage, but why wait for hearts to connect when you can have any Pokémon mega evolve, whether or not the Pokémon is wild?"

She really doesn't care about the well-being of Pokémon.

"You're a cruel, cold-hearted woman!" I cried, "How could you say that while your own Pokémon stands beside you?"

Libby let out a cry, agreeing with me. Calista sighed before straightening her posture.

"Gardevoir, take her to her friends," Calista said as she turned away, "We still have many Pokémon to collect."

Gardevoir nodded before pushing me forward. I glared back at the Team Xenon leader and shook my head.

====. * ･ ｡ﾟ☆ ◓ ☆｡ﾟ･* .====

"Was it her, ma'am?" Gabriel asked.

"It was," Calista said, "But I'm not stopping until I've cracked the code."

The commanders looked at one another before looking back at their leader.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" Amber asked.

"I will be fine," Calista sighed, "Come on, there is still much work to be done."

====. * ･ ｡ﾟ☆ ◓ ☆｡ﾟ･* .====

I breathed out a heavy sigh as I walked down the hall with Calista's Gardevoir in tow.

How could Calista say something like that?

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the Gardevoir.

"Are you really going to brush off what Calista, your master, said?" I asked, "She's using you, don't you see?"

Libby leaned forward and let out multiple cries. The Gardevoir averted our gaze and let out a small cry. It then looked back at me with a cold glare. It then let out a firm cry and shoved me forward. I grimaced and continued walking.

Even after what Calista said, it still wants to stand up for her. Talk about loyal.

We came to a halt, and it was in front of a metal door. Posted beside the gate were two grunts. One of the grunts opened the door and shoved me inside, closing it as quickly as it opened. Looking up, I saw my friends, the professor, and her colleagues.

"Guys!" I cried happily.

The others looked up and smiled. I rushed up to them and embraced them tightly.

"Are you okay, Era?" Eric asked.

"I'm fine," I said, "What about you guys?"

"We're fine." Nina said with a smile.

Libby hopped off my shoulder and let out a cry when she saw Angel. Angel returned the cry and sprinted up to her. The two smiled and nuzzled their cheeks together.

"Angel has been worried sick about Libby," Kat said, "I'm glad you two are okay."

"Did you guys try getting out?" I asked.

"We tried, but the door is locked from the outside." Elsu said.

There goes that.

I sighed before turning my attention to Professor Cherry.

"Professor Cherry, what happened?" I asked, "How did this come to be?"

The professor sighed before leaning against the back wall.

"It happened so abruptly. One minute I'm working on Xaja Safari; next minute, I hear an explosion," she said, "That's when the freaks in blue came down from their helicopter and forced us to give them every Pokémon that can mega evolve. When we refused, they backed us into a corner and put us in here,"

"Did they take your Pokémon?" I asked.

"I don't have any Pokémon that can mega evolve, except for one. My Lopunny."

"I didn't know Lopunny could mega evolve." Rina said.

"It can, and it's quite powerful."

I sighed as I stared back at the door.

"Era, what's wrong?" Elsu asked, "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing, but I got to meet the boss," I said, "Calista. She's trying to find a way to force Pokémon to mega evolve without the use of a Key Stone or Mega Stone. And when that happens, she says that they would be completely under their control,"

"But that's impossible," Nina said, "You need to have a strong connection with your Pokémon to do that. I would know; my mother uses Mega Evolution."

"That's not what Calista says."

The room fell silent.

"So, what's the plan?" Eric said.

"The plan is sticking to the original plan," I said, "We have to save those Pokémon; the ones that belong to trainers and the ones in Xaja Safari, no matter what,"

"Yeah," Kat said, "First things first, we have to get that door open."

"Leave that to me." Professor Cherry said.

She stepped forward and tossed up a Pokéball.

"Lopunny!" the professor said.

At her command, a lengthy Pokémon appeared. I took out my Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.

"Lopunny, the Rabbit Pokémon, and the evolved form of Buneary. An extremely cautious Pokémon that cloaks its body with its fluffy ear fur when it senses danger. Likes to keep itself clean and never fails to groom its ears. It runs with sprightly jumps."

Strange. The one in the picture has cream-colored ears, but Professor Cherry's Lopunny is pink.

"Is this a shiny Lopunny?" I asked.

"Sure is," Professor Cherry said, "And take a closer look."

Looking closer, I saw a glittering Mega Stone around its neck.

"It's so pretty!" I said.

Professor Cherry smiled before turning to the door.

"Lopunny, freeze the door with Ice Beam!" Professor Cherry said.

Lopunny let out a cry before releasing an icy-cold beam, freezing the door handle completely.

"Focus Punch!" Professor Cherry said.

Lopunny clenched its fist, and it soon started glowing. It then rammed its fist into the frozen handle, and it shattered.

"Alright!" Rina cheered, "Way to go, Lopunny!"

Lopunny turned around and smiled with a friendly cry.

"Now, let's go save those Pokémon!" I said.

Lopunny let out a cry before kicking the door down. The two grunts were startled and quickly readied their Pokéballs.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Professor Cherry said.

Two of her colleagues tossed up their Pokéballs and called out their Crobat and Shiftry.

"Make sure they don't try anything," Professor Cherry said.

"Yes, ma'am." her associates said.

"Come on, kids."

Nodding, we followed the professor down the hall, sprinting as fast as we could.

"Team Xenon probably stole all the trainers' Pokémon that could mega evolve, even the ones in Xaja Safari." I commented.

"Then we're gonna have to split up," Professor Cherry said, "Eric, Kat, and Eragona. You guys try and save the Pokémon from the helicopter. Nina, Rina, and Elsu. You guys come with me to save the Pokémon from Xaja Safari."

Nodding to the professor, we split ways when we arrived in the main room.

We get one shot at this; we have to make it count!