I plunged my hands into the clear mountain stream, wincing slightly when the freezing cold water made contact with my skin. Ignoring the numbness that began overtaking my hands, I cupped them and brought them up to my mouth, gratefully drinking the water I had scooped up. It was like drinking liquid ice, but it wet my dry throat and quenched my thirst. The water out here had a certain taste to it that city water never retained after being filtered and treated with whatever chemicals they put into it. It was so much purer, if not a tad high in mineral content.

   After refilling my canteen, I stood and told my partners that we were moving on. The duo, who had also been drinking from the stream, obediently straightened and followed. They padded on either side of me, their dark eyes searching the trees around us, ears perked for any odd noises. Their long red claws were spread and sharpened into deadly points, ready for action in case anything were to attack. I smiled when I saw them doing this. Always faithful, always unwavering... They were my loyal partners, willing to do anything to protect me, and I couldn't ask for better ones.

   The forest route I'd chosen followed the stream until it would eventually empty into the ocean. And while I somewhat regretted my decision to traverse a nonexistent path when the actual route wasn't too far from where I was, I preferred the quietness and solitude it provided. This forest was my home at one point and being back here filled me with a pleasant sense of nostalgia.

   "I think it would be best that we spend the night in a town," I said after walking for maybe an hour. My Pokémon voiced the dismay I anticipated, and I gave my reasoning. "I know, I don't like it either, but it has become far too cold for my liking, and staying out here without shelter is dangerous," I said. And it shouldn't be this cold. The Legendary's influence has spread farther than I expected, I thought grimly. "It should be fine for tonight. Undella Town isn't too far from here, and the tourists will have long gone by this time."

   One of my partners grabbed my arm and pointed in the direction of the Abundant Shrine, back the way we came. I shook my head and pulled away from him. "No, Midnus. We cannot stay out here for another night. You know we ran out of food days ago," I said, my stomach growling in agreement with my words. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I ate, and it only proved how badly we needed to stop in Undella.

   Midnus sighed and hung his head in defeat. He knew that once I had my mind set on something, no amount of coaxing would change it. My other Pokémon let out a barking laugh at her twin. Midnus growled and cuffed her over the head.

   "Stop it, you two!" I said sharply. "Luna, don't antagonize him. And Midnus, no fighting. The last thing I want is either of you getting hurt."

   Midnus looked up at me apologetically. "I'm sorry," he barked.

   "It's fine. You know I can't stay mad at you," I replied with a soft smile. That was also another reason why I preferred it out here. Nobody needed to know what I was able to do, nobody needed to know that I could understand the voices of Pokémon.

                           ~*~*~*~

The white beaches of Undella Town stretched out before us, completely devoid of human activity. The buildings lining the beachfront look just as lively as the beach and it gave the small vacation town the air of a settlement left abandoned. Most of the stylized beachwood buildings were summer homes, places of recreation for those who could afford them. Now that winter gripped the town, their windows were dark and their doors bolted shut. The town was unnervingly quiet.

   "It's quite dead here, isn't it?" Midnus commented as he looked up and down the empty streets around us.

   "You say that like it's a bad thing!" Luna replied, smirking.

   I scanned the small row of businesses and wasn't too surprised to see that a few were still open. "It's not as dead as you think. Even in the winter, there still has to be some activity," I said, catching sight of a café located near the town's Pokémon Center. Without waiting for Luna or Midnus to reply, I began briskly walking towards the small building. The temptation of actually having a hot meal for the first time in weeks was near impossible to refuse.

   "Are you really just gonna walk in there?" Luna asked sarcastically.

   "No, of course not." I looked to Midnus. "You know what to do." He nodded, and his eyes briefly flashed green as he cast the illusion I used before entering a populated area. For the past two, almost three years, I used Midnus' Illusion Ability to hide what I truly looked like. Ever since my friend had come up with that idea, I practically never went out in public without Midnus disguising me. While my friend was always too paranoid about everything for his own good, his ideas were usually clever and well thought-out.

   "It... seems like so long ago..." I said to myself, repressing an urge to sigh. It seemed like reminiscing was the only thing I really did nowadays. The times I spent with my friend before we parted ways were some of my most precious memories, and it made me wonder where he was today. I shook my head, this wasn't the time to be dredging up old memories. "Wait out here for me," I told Luna and Midnus. "I won't be long."

   "We will," they said in unison.

   I made my stop in the café a short one. I bought the cheapest thing on the menu and didn't bother collecting my change once I had paid. After bidding the cashier a hasty farewell, I stepped back outside into the near subzero temperatures. Midnus and Luna were waiting near the door, like I had told them. They were obedient to a fault and I couldn't help but feel guilty for them turning out that way. Even Luna had calmed down over the two years she'd spent with me, and I could vividly remember her being so defiant before.

   "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" I said to Midnus.

   "It's nerves, that's all. Humans or no humans, I hate being in towns," Midnus growled.

   "Whatever you say," Luna chimed in with a singsong voice. "Paranoia does seem to rub off on others."

   "You can't blame me. Bad experiences make for bad habits!" Midnus retorted.

   "Ah-hem!" I cleared my throat loudly, catching the twin Dark-types' attentions. "I don't know about either of you, but I'm freezing over here," I said as I clung to my carryout bag, its heat the only thing keeping me warm. I quickly stuffed it in my backpack, thinking it would keep it warm until I got a room... If there were any rooms left. Leaving the heated store made me realize how cold it really was out here and that brief respite from the frigid conditions forced me to readjust to them whether I wanted to or not.

   "We should probably go to the Pokemon Center," Midnus said once he saw that I had begun shivering.

   "Agreed," Luna added.

   As we approached the Pokémon Center, I began hearing something strange. It was faint but clear, it almost sounded like someone screaming. I stopped walking and strained to hear what I thought I heard. Nothing. I could only hear the waves crashing against the shore. Right when I was about to continue walking I heard the noise again. It was unmistakably the sound of someone screaming. They weren't human, I could recognize them as the screams of a Blitzle. Midnus and Luna heard them too and their fur bristled.

   "A Pokémon is in trouble. We have to help it!" I said, running in the direction of the distressed cries. Midnus and Luna didn't object and ran after me. My decision may have been rash, but I couldn't stand to see Pokémon suffering.

   The noise came from a natural alcove created by the rocky cliffs lining the beach, an ideal spot for someone to stay out of sight. Along with the Blitzle I heard several human voices as well. And from how the humans seemed to be mocking the poor Pokémon, I could tell that this wasn't just a normal battle between Trainers.

   I peered around the edge of the alcove, and my heart seized. I saw three people dressed in black cornering a Flaaffy while a Cubchoo and the Blitzle I heard cowered behind it. All three Pokémon were terrified and covered in bruises, their whimpers barely audible.

   "L-leave my friends alone! We don't want to be with you!" the Flaaffy said, trying to sound brave.

   "Stop resisting! We own you, and that means you obey us! Or do you want to be punished again?" one of the people said threateningly.

   "They don't know what they're passing up! We're willing to save them from Kyurem's wrath, and they refuse our kind offer? Such selfish Pokémon," the second said.

   "Punishments exist for a reason," the third added. "Maybe then they'll appreciate what we're doing for them."

   I could hardly watch this. The way some people treated their Pokémon made me sick to my stomach. To force innocent creatures to do their bidding while ignoring their true feelings was truly horrific. They didn't deserve this, none of them did! It made me feel horrible to see that all I had done two years ago was wasted. My goal in life had once been to save all Pokémon from the selfish people that "owned" them. Even though it had ultimately failed, I thought at least some sense had been drilled into the thick-skulled people of Unova as a result of the aftermath.

   "Midnus, Luna, Hone Claws," I whispered, not taking my eyes off of the battered Pokémon. My partners nodded and began sharpening their claws.

   Flaaffy's tail then lit up and weak bolts of electricity arched over its matted wool. The person paid no mind to this and kicked the Electric-type, knocking it to the ground. It pitifully cried out and struggled to get up, only to be kicked again. That was it.

   "Midnus, Luna, use Punishment!" I yelled. The Dark-types sprung around the corner of the alcove and rushed towards the strangers, trailing purple haze behind them. They lashed out and knocked the people away from their victims. The people were sent flying into the cliff walls where they slid to the ground, the wind knocked out of them. I stepped out from where I had been hiding and looked down at the people with a hatred-filled glare. They had Team Plasma emblems stitched onto their clothing. So the rumors were true.

   "What was that?!" one of the Plasma members gagged, breaking down into a coughing fit afterwards.

   I smirked, enjoying seeing him in pain to some degree. "Karma called... it wanted to have a word with you," I said icily. The grunt's head shot up, his eyes widening when he saw me.

   "Who—?" he began. I held my hand up, cutting his words short.

   "Tell me, why are you hurting these Pokémon?" I asked, my tone sickeningly sweet. The grunt hesitated and I gave him a mocking smile, tilting my head to the side as I did so. The grunt shifted uncomfortably, and I could tell that I unsettled him. The other two grunts had regained their breath but were too shocked to do anything. "Well?" I continued, raising my eyebrows. Midnus and Luna stood on either side of me, their ears flattened against their heads and their fangs bared.

   "They... they weren't listening to us and we needed to show them who was in charge. A-any Pokémon belonging to Neo Team Plasma needs to know their place," the grunt stammered. His gaze flitted to his comrades, subconsciously begging for them to help him. I noticed this and told my partners to make sure they didn't do anything.

   "Neo Team Plasma? So that's what you're calling yourselves now?" I said. "Quite a change from your old style. I suppose Ghetsis is still in charge?"

   "How do you know Lord Ghetsis?" The grunt seemed alarmed.

   "Oh, I've known him for a long time," I replied, walking over to the grunt. I crouched down to his eye-level and grabbed him by the front of his vest. As I did this, my illusion wore off, and he saw who I really was.

   The grunt's eyes narrowed, and he instantly became enraged. "You... you traitor!" He lashed out at me but I caught him by the neck, cutting off his air.

   "Don't you dare touch me. Ever!" I snarled, smacking him into the cliff at his back, my hand still ensnaring his throat. When I was sufficiently sure he had lost his breath for the second time, I let go of him and stood up. "You have the nerve to call me a traitor when you were the ones to abandon the team and follow Ghetsis. You're lucky I decided to let you go, traitor." I returned his insult.

   "All Lord Ghetsis ever wanted to do was save the Pokémon of Unova. He took you in and crowned you as our king! And how do you repay him? With a stab in the back and the disbandment of our team. He was trying to liberate all Pokémon!" the grunt choked out as he weakly clambered to his feet.

   "How delusional are you?! You're not helping Pokémon, you're hurting them more than you ever have before! I may have been naïve back then, but certain ideals made me have a change of heart," I said. "Take it from the person you once called your king, all you're fighting for is tyranny and destruction. It's like what Ghetsis used to tell me: the truth isn't always ideal." I saw that the grunt was removing a black Pokeball from his belt. "If you're looking for a fight, you're going to lose it," I warned. The grunt ignored me and sent out a Beartic. A quick glance to my left revealed that the other two had sent out a pair of Zebstrika along with a Vanilluxe.

   "What do you want us to do?" Midnus asked.

   "Take the Flaaffy and the other two and get them to safety," I said. Midnus and Luna did what they were told and left the alcove with the Pokémon. Then it was just me and the four Plasma Pokémon.

   "You're leaving yourself defenseless? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever seen!" the grunt with the Vanilluxe laughed. "Seriously, what did Lord Ghetsis ever see in you?

   I removed a green and red patterned Poké Ball from my bag, holding it up for the grunts to see. "Oh, come now. Do you really not remember what power I have at my disposal?" I hated to refer to her in that manner, but it was the truth. Without waiting for them to respond I pressed the ball's center button, and a huge flash of blinding white light jetted from the ball into the air behind me. The light turned into small shards and splintered away from the Pokémon they had veiled. It landed on the sand with a muffled thud. The great white Pokemon towered over us, staring down at the grunts with ice-blue irises. So beautiful, so perfect, so powerful... she was my Dream.

   "Reshiram!" one of the grunts cried.

   "If you don't want your lives to go to waste, I suggest you back down now." I said, an unintentional sadistic edge to my voice. The grunts looked horrified at my threat. A strange sense of bliss came over me, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to see these monsters suffer. They had to pay.

   "Stand down, Hero of Truth," Dream spoke in a pure, melodic voice. "Their lives do not need to be ended."

   "Why shouldn't they? They deserve it, the whole lot of them deserve to burn for their crimes," I said with a small laugh. They did really deserve it, any person who was willing to make Pokémon suffer needed to face my wrath. My mouth formed into a crazed grin. Burn them, a voice in the back of my mind told me. Burn them all! My mind went blank, the only thing remaining being a single command. "Fusion Flare."

   "Very well." Sparks began flying from Dream's tail as it heated up. It glowed a mesmerizing orange and red, the fire within pulsing with her breaths. Dream tilted her head back, raising her wing-like arms as she did so. I calmly stepped out of her line of fire, knowing full well how far her attack reached. The grunts panicked and told their Pokémon to attack. The moves their Pokémon fired didn't even cause Dream to flinch. She then spat a ball of fire into the sky where it hovered in the freezing air before falling back down to her and bursting into a cloak of fire that covered her. The fire conformed to Dream's shape and it exploded outwards, turning the alcove into an impromptu furnace. Even from where I stood I could feel the intensity of Dream's attack.

   Once the flames had died down some, I looked back into the alcove to asses the damage. I saw not the remains of the grunts but the fallen forms of their Pokémon. Three sets of footprints led out of the space and vanished farther down the beach, away from Undella Town. I was momentarily stunned, they had managed to escape! Fury flared up within me and I clenched my fists, smoldering hate rapidly building in my core.

   "Are you finished?" Dream asked primly. "Because you need to take responsibility for what you have done." She pointed with one clawed hand to the Pokémon the grunts had left. All four were burned horribly. I looked at them, and what I had just done suddenly registered with me, snapping me out of my stupor. The bliss I had felt minutes ago dissipated and was replaced by a nauseating sense of guilt. My eyes widened, and I felt my mouth fall open in shock. What have I done?!

   The Pokémon were unmoving and didn't make a sound. They laid there on the sand, most of which had turned to glass by the inferno. I scrambled to the Beartic's side and threw off my backpack. Max Revives, come on, I have to have some! I thought desperately as I dug through my bag's minimal contents. To my relief, I found some of the star-shaped healing items and revived the Pokémon.

   "I'm so sorry!" I gasped once the Pokémon came to. One of the Zebstrika lifted its head and looked at me.

   "It's not your fault," it said. "They're gone now. We're free."

   "While you did hurt us, you healed us. The same couldn't be said for our 'Trainers,'" the Beartic said gruffly, sitting up.

   I let out a sigh of relief and covered my face with my hands. "Thank you. Thank you for forgiving me." I soon felt tears running down my face and dripping from between my fingers. The sheer amount of guilt I felt threatened to overwhelm me. Once again, I had tried to help an abused Pokémon and it ended horribly. It was impossible. Trying to help Pokémon without resorting to violence was useless, it always ended in fighting. But one thought stuck out more than the others.

   Why did I enjoy it so much? It was like I had blacked out and let another part of my mind take control... a part that enjoyed hurting people. I had gladly let it take over, and the suffering of innocents had resulted from it. The worst part was that this wasn't the first time I had felt that way. I just hadn't given in to it until now. What was wrong with me? I felt a clawed hand rest itself on my shoulder and I looked up to see Luna staring at me, concerned.

   "Are you okay? What happened?" she asked.

   "You have let it all go to your head. Your power has changed you," Dream said.

   "You did something to him, didn't you?" Midnus barked. "What did you do, Dream?!"

   "His unstable mentality is not of my doing. He brought it upon himself," she said coldly. "It is not my fault he ordered me to kill those he deemed not worthy of living. I was only carrying out my duty of following the Hero of Truth."

   "You're as much his protector as we are. You should be more concerned for his well-being! If he did hurt these Pokémon, he didn't mean to," Midnus argued.

   Dream scoffed and looked away from Midnus' furious glare. "Do not blame me for simply doing what I am meant to. You need to accept what true nature your Trainer harbors. After all, he said it himself. The truth isn't always ideal."