We set up camp in a patch of brush near the entrance to Chargestone Cave. Everyone was asleep by the time night fell, everyone except me that was. Watching the fire and talking with Illie were the only things that kept me busy most of the frigid night. The night passed with nothing strange happening, which I was thankful for. I was so used to either sleeping with one eye open or not at all.

   Dawn soon came and I ended up waking the others up so we could leave sooner. I just wanted to get through Chargestone Cave as quickly as possible. Although disgruntled, the others got what I was trying to do and went along with it. At that rate, we would be in Mistralton by sunset at the latest. By nine-thirty, we were entering the cave and I was ready to power through it.

   When we entered the cave, I was instantly filled with an unnerving sense of nostalgia. The blue tinted rocks, the static feeling that hung in the air like a thick fog, and the hunks of rock suspended in mid-air by strong electric currents. It may have been intriguing to many others and maybe even enchanting in a way, but for me, it brought up memories I had tried to bury. I was sure they others were trying to talk to me, but I was already hearing enough voices.

   "Visitors."

   "Who are they?"

   "What do they want?"

   "Should we go closer?"

   The voices of countless Pokémon assaulted my ears and stuck in my mind like cobwebs. Whenever one would fade another would take its place, being echoed further because of the cave's enclosed space. I was on the verge of covering my ears to block the noise. Caves were always bad news for me. Being enclosed and trapped was the stuff of nightmares. It always brought me back to when I was stuck there. Ironically, my claustrophobia stemmed from what I was doing right then. Being able to listen to the voices of Pokémon.

   Hearing Pokémon speak always had felt strange, and in all honesty, it should have. Being able to hear what others couldn't, it was unnatural, and I knew it was well enough. I had been called a freak, unnatural, defective, even a mistake at one point. All because of one thing that separated me from others, the "normal" ones.

   "This is your first visit to Chargestone Cave, isn't it Hilbert? I've always loved this place."

   I thought I was the only person who was like this, the only defective one.

   "Formulas express electricity and its connection to Pokémon. If people did not exist, this would be a perfect place."

   That all changed, though, when I met Natural.

   "We have been chosen, does it surprise you I said that?"

   He was the one person who could empathize with me. He was in the same situation I was. It was quite amusing that he happened to be the Hero of Truth, the one person I was supposed to hate. But he instead turned out to be my best friend. And now I couldn't see him anymore. I miss you, Natural.

   "Are you listening, Hilbert?"

   I snapped out of my thoughts and saw Nate walking beside me, his hand hesitantly raised. "Um, no I wasn't. Sorry," I apologized, internally scolding myself for zoning out like that.

   "I was gonna tap you, then I remembered your illusion thing," the messy-haired teenager said, giving me a lopsided smile.

   Wait, when did I tell them about how Illie's illusion worked? I thought, wracking my mind for an answer. It was better I worry myself about trivial things like this than whatever else I could be thinking, or remembering for that matter. "Anyway, what were you asking me?"

   "Are there any good Pokémon in here? I was thinking of adding a Rock-type to my team or something."

   "You already have type coverage for Fire, Water, Psychic... I then proceeded to list every type Nate's team had an advantage over. "Maybe a Grass or Steel-type? There are wild Ferroseed in here," I suggested, taking out my own Pokédex. I frowned when I saw the layers of smudged dust covering the device. Compared to Rosa's updated Pokédex, the one I had was practically obsolete. I powered it on, relieved to see that it still worked. To my credit, there were Ferroseed in the general area of the cave where we were.

   "You have a Pokédex?" Nate asked, looking at my mostly-filled Pokédex. I nodded, scrolling up on the screen.

   "Yep, but filling this wasn't exactly my goal, though. I was more focused on collecting badges."

    Nate's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Did you challenge the Unova League?"

   I returned my Pokédex to my bag and took out a slightly dull-colored badge case, its copper exterior beginning to rust along the edges. I opened the case to reveal eight glittering badges. Each sparkled in the faint light, looking just as new as the day they had been made. "I... never really got to challenge the Elite Four," I sighed. "Team Plasma and Design got in the way of that dream."

   "Really? That's... that's too bad." Nate seemed unsure of how to respond.

   "It's fine. You can't expect everything to always go your way. That's just how life works. I've accepted who I am, and I can't imagine being any other way," I said, trying to smile. I looked down at the ground, keeping my gaze fixed on the blue stone. If I didn't, Nate would have saw the look of guilt I was failing to hide. Like most other things I said, that previous statement was a lie.

   "Hilbert, watch out!"

   What?

   "You are coming with us, human! You are needed!"

   The metallic screech of many Steel-types filled my head, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. My head snapped up, and I took in my surroundings in a split-second. I was surrounded by a group of Magnemite. How did I not notice them sneaking up on me?! Shock froze me in place, my mind blanking.

   "Target sported! Acquire target!"

   Half of the Magnemite suddenly discharged a simultaneous Thunder Wave. My cry of surprise was cut off when the electricity hit me. My entire body seized up, mouth frozen open in mid-scream. I could hear nothing but buzzing and the sound of crackling electricity. Next the other half used Spark, not too powerful, but jarring and painful all the same. One question flashed through my mind like a Thunderbolt, Why is this happening?

   Another Spark hit me, paralyzing me further. To my horror, my vision began spotting and I could feel my surroundings beginning to slip away. I tried to fight it, but the continuous pain forced my mind to automatically shut down. Right when I was about to slip away, a single voice cut through the static, neither the others or Pokémon.

   "I'm sorry Hilbert, but Luna has made her choice."

   Then my vision abruptly went black, cutting out like a cord being unplugged.

~*~*~*~

When I regained consciousness, I was greeted with dizziness and droning static. I opened my eyes and was immediately disoriented. My head was tilted backwards in such a way that I could see both the cave ceiling and the tunnel moving behind me. Where were these Pokémon taking me?

   Trying to move was useless. My limbs wouldn't work. In fact, I couldn't move at all except for my eyes. It was like I was experiencing sleep paralysis, only I knew for a fact I wasn't asleep. Looking to my right and left sides revealed a pair of Magnemite, lines of electricity flowing from their magnets to me. It felt as if there was a rope looped around my waist, suspending me from the ceiling and causing the rest of me to hang limply, hence the dizziness I felt. It was like I was a puppet hanging from a single string.

   "The human is awake," a Magnemite quipped.

   "Does it matter? It's not like it can get away," the second Magnemite responded.

  "Soon it will not be moving at all," a third droned.

   Not moving?! My stomach turned over at the Steel-type's words, a wave of panic washing over me. The remaining memories of the last time I was in this cave surfaced all at once, sending countless panic signals through my entire being. I could feel myself regressing into the fearful person I had been two years ago. On the inside, I was screaming and begging for them to let me go. I couldn't speak though. Like the rest of me, my vocal cords were paralyzed.

   I continued to helplessly hang there, trying my best to shut out the macabre conversation going on around me. I'm going back, they found me and they're taking me back! That was all I could think of. It was them, it had to be. No, no, no, no, no! I knew that as soon I regained mobility, I would crumble into a sobbing mess, who I used to be two years ago. Scared of the outside world, scared of what they would do to me once I was brought back. Images of red-tipped needles and petri dishes filled my mind's eye, causing my heart to race. Nononono I don't want to go back!!

   "Master, we have brought you the one you wanted."

   The current around me stopped, sending me crashing to the ground. I landed hard on the uneven cave floor, feeling sharp rocks digging into my back. I still couldn't move, the paralysis must've not worn off yet. I could do nothing but involuntarily twitch or spasm.

   "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

   A familiar face looked down at me, a slight smile playing on his lips. Two Beheeyem and a Klingklang were hovering beside him, staring at me as well. Just as I thought, it was one of them. I was sure they were gone from my life forever, vanishing just as the original Team Plasma had. I wanted to believe they had perished with the other grunts in the wreckage, how stupid I was. But here was one of them, the leader no less, a white-clad angel of death ready to drag me back to my own personal hell.

   "It has been quite a while. Hasn't it, Hilbert?" Colress said, his smile widening.