//------------------------------//
// Extra 1: Distant Memory 
// Story: A New World, A New Family 
// by Lance Skyes 
//------------------------------//



Author's note
This chapter is set two years prior to Arceus' release and all the events that follow that. As such, there are some things I want to acknowledge and make sure you know before you flood the comments section with... whatever.
First, some of Felix's Pokemon will be in different forms since this is in the past.
Second, since I'm assuming that wild Pokemon don't often give each other names and they just have some kind of... "thing" that lets them know when others are talking to them, neither Kanga nor Roo will be named until the end.
Third, I'm well aware this chapter contradicts with the story Roo told in chapter 3 in some ways. That is because she is two days old when these events happen. Even putting it into perspective, can you tell stories with exact detail from when you were two years old? If the answer is yes, I extend my congratulations, but please think about the majority who answer "no" before you comment.
Fourth, there will be some slightly brutal beating and abuse in this chapter. I don't expect it to make many people uncomfortable, but just know that it's there.
Fifth, if you find any other plot holes in this chapter that I didn't mention here, the excuse I'm going to give is that they were among the damaged memories Felix had when he was sent to Equestria, which Pinky fixed.
Wow. Who knew a bonus chapter would come with so many disclaimers? Sorry about that. Enjoy the chapter.



At the entrance of Glittering Cave in the Kalos region, a lone Kangaskhan stood silently, looking out upon the horizon. It was a mostly clear day, but she noticed that there were storm clouds gathering over the ocean far away. Surely it couldn't mean anything, but the Parent Pokemon couldn't help but feel... something as she looked on.
It was about at this point that she sensed a presence attempting to sneak up behind her. Quickly, Kangaskhan whirled around and was about to hit the entity with a Mega Punch, but she stopped short when she saw just who it was she was about to hit.
“Well...” Meganium said as he used a vine to lower Kangaskhan's fist. “I suppose that's one way to greet your mate.”
“I'm sorry, Meganium,” Kangaskhan said with a sigh. “But you did sneak up on me. You know how jumpy I've been lately.” She looked down to indicate the egg nestled comfortably in her pouch. It was mostly white with many green spots on it, no different from any other Pokemon egg.
“I don't blame you,” Meganium said as he rubbed a vine on the surface of the egg. “I'm at least glad our child will have a great protector.”
“Oh, you'll be great too, Meganium,” Kangaskhan said with a smile. “I wouldn't have chosen you to be my mate if you weren't strong.”
“You flatter me, Kangaskhan” Meganium said with a laugh. “Look at me. I'm quite literally as frail as a flower. My strength is not the reason you chose me.”
Kangaskhan smiled and placed a hand on the side of Meganium's face. “Then tell me why I did choose you.”
Meganium laughed. “Let's see... I've got these beautiful petals, this adorable face... there's also  the fact that I'm one of possibly three Meganium in the entire Kalos region and you wanted to feel special. That could have something to do with it.”
“Heh, you can be so self-centered sometimes,” Kangaskhan said with a laugh. “I think you  missed the real reason why I wanted you to be my mate.” The Parent Pokemon poked Meganium's chest. “Your heart. One of the reasons why I love you is because you're so kindhearted. You'd never hurt a soul unless you needed to, you're there to help whoever needs help, and if I may bring up how you wooed me...”
Meganium chuckled at the memory. “At least you can say you're one of the few living beings in the world who can say a flower brought you flowers,” he said. His smile then turned to a frown. “That poor Sunflora, though...”
“Don't be so hard on yourself,” Kangaskhan said. “You didn't know she was there. Besides, I'm sure saving her from those angry Floette made up for what you did.”
Meganium was about to say something else when a crackling noise stopped him. “Kangaskhan, did you hear that?”
“I did,” Kangaskhan replied. She looked down to the egg in her pouch to find that, sure enough, there was a small crack in the top. She quickly took the egg out of her pouch and held it out so that she and Meganium could see it shake once more, causing the crack to become larger. There was another crackling sound, the cracks got larger still, and the shell looked like it was about to burst. Then, with one last shake, the shell burst and a bright light illuminated the area, despite the sun being out. When the light faded, both Kangaskhan and Meganium found that instead of an egg in Kangaskhan's arms, now there was a baby Kangaskhan curled up. The little one stretched and yawned before looking up at the two with a pair of very adorable and beady eyes.
For the longest time, no one said anything. Kangaskhan and Meganium were just soaking in the feeling of calmness that lingered in an area whenever an egg hatched. After a moment, the baby spoke up.
“Are you my mommy and daddy?” she asked.
“Yes we are,” Kangaskhan said, a tear of joy sliding down her cheek. “Welcome to Earth, little one.”

Ding, ding, din-din ding...
An eleven-year-old boy named Felix, who seemed to be dozing off in a chair, quickly jolted awake as he heard that noise. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he picked up his bag and made his way to the back of the Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy and her Wigglytuff were walking out of a back room, the Wigglytuff carrying a tray with five Pokeballs in it.
“Thank you for waiting,” Nurse Joy said with a smile as Felix walked up to the counter they were behind. “Your Pokemon have been restored to full health.”
“Wigglytuff,” the Pokemon chirped as she placed the tray on the counter so that Felix could take his Pokeballs back.
“Thank you Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff,” Felix said as he grabbed the Pokeballs and placed them in his belt.
“Anytime,” Joy said with a smile. “But, if you don't mind me asking, I was curious as to why you only have five Pokemon with you. I understand that Ambrette Town is a fairly early stop for trainers in the Kalos League, but you look like you've been on the road a while.”
“I don't mind you asking, actually,” Felix said. “I've gotten that question from almost everyone I've met since my plane landed in Lumiose City. These five are all Pokemon I caught back in the Unova region where my journey started. My starter, Piggy the Pignite, my first catch, Drake the Flaffy, a Slowpoke who stole the book I was reading one night, Pinky, one of my favorite Pokemon of all time, Nana the Tropius, and a Pupitar who didn't get any love back home. His name's Tartar. All five of them are important to me, and they offer great type coverage so I can be prepared for almost anything that comes my way. At least, that was my thinking until I came to Kalos. I'm still getting used to these Fairy-types.”
“Yeah, we get that from a lot of foreigners,” Nurse Joy said with a chuckle. She then turned and patted her Wigglytuff on the head. “I bet you didn't know Wigglytuff were Fairy-types.”
“No, I didn't,” Felix said, sounding a little bit surprised. “Any Wigglytuff I ran into back in Unova were just Normal-types.”
“Well, maybe the Fairy-type is just on Kalos-born Pokemon,” Nurse Joy said. “The Fairy-types who don't have that type in other regions, I mean.”
“Huh...” Felix said, looking down at the Wigglytuff, who was staring back at him with soulless innocent eyes and a murderous adorable smile. “Well, I guess I've got a lot to learn and re-learn in that case.”
“Looks like it,” Nurse Joy said.
“Tuff,” the Wigglytuff added with a nod.
“Well this has been a nice chat,” Felix said, “but I'd better get going. I wanted to go check out that Glittering Cave place nearby before the end of today.”
“Yes, do that,” Nurse Joy said. “It's a beautiful place, and many people from outside of Kalos are often awe-stricken when they see it. It's even said that some very beautiful stones can be found there around sunset. Have you yet been told about Mega Evolution?”
“No,” Felix said, his eyes wide with curiosity. “What's Mega Evolution?”
“Oh, it's not my place to say,” Nurse Joy replied with a chuckle. “But if you happen to be at Glittering Cave around sunset and you find a glowing orb somewhere, I'd suggest picking it up.”
“Alright,” Felix said. “Thanks again, Nurse Joy. Bye.” Felix then turned and walked away.
“Goodbye,” Nurse Joy called. “We hope to see you again.”

Felix walked out of the Pokemon Center and looked around at Ambrette Town. It was small, quiet, perched comfortably on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The young trainer had never really cared for the taste of salty sea air, but it had the same relaxing effect on him as it had on anyone else.
He looked out at the horizon. There were some storm clouds gathering in the far distance. They'd been there for about two days, and they hadn't seemed to move at all since then. Almost as though they were waiting for something to happen before moving close to land...
Felix's train of thought was derailed when a tall man wearing black ran into him, almost knocking him over. “Ah!” Felix shouted. He turned around to see that the man actually had fallen over. Ordinarily, Felix would have offered a hand to help him up. This time, however, there was something... off about him. Arceus knew what it could have been were it not his all-black uniform, his angry expression, or the giant red R on his shirt.
“Watch where you're going, kid,” the man said with an angry tone as he got up and ran past Felix in the same direction that he was going previously.
“Well that was rude...” Felix said to himself. He then did something that Pinky had taught him to do a while back whenever something felt off. He went over the situation that just transpired in his head. Felix didn't know what, but something about what just happened was off to him, and if what Pinky always kept blabbering on about had any truth behind it, then the truth behind hunches lay in the details. It didn't take Felix long to realize that the uniform the man wore was familiar in some way, and it was only a moment longer when he realized how it was familiar.
”Team Rocket?” Felix thought to himself. ”But I thought they got taken down once and for all years ago by that one kid. Was it... Ethan? Was that his name? I can't bother with names right now. No doubt that if that guy's around, something real bad is going on.” Felix looked around only to find that there weren't any authorities around. The closest police station was probably back in Lumiose City, but that was at least an hour's bike ride. Sure Felix could call out Nana and fly him back to Lumiose, but the police probably still wouldn't get there for a while. ”I've never considered myself on the same level as Ash or Brendan or any of those other kids who stood up to criminal organizations, but I guess there are some days when you just have to take charge.” Felix then began running off in the direction that Rocket Grunt went, assuming that he'd let the Grunt gain enough distance for Felix to run after him at a decent speed.

At Glittering Cave, Kangaskhan and Meganium were playing with their newborn daughter. It had been about two days since the little one hatched, and the entire cave was abuzz with energy following that event. The other Pokemon were leaving the family alone for the time being, however.
At the moment, Meganium was bouncing around with his daughter on his back. (Held securely by vines, of course.) “Faster, Daddy, faster!” she said while laughing.
“Oh dear...” Kangaskhan said as she watched her daughter getting tossed all over the place atop Meganium's back. She trusted him, but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to worry for the safety of her young. It was about this time that a large group of Zubat flew by at a high speed, followed by several other Pokemon running in the same direction.
Meganium quickly stopped a Mawile and asked, “What's going on? Why's everyone running?”
“There's a bunch of strange humans on their way here,” the Mawile replied. “And they've violently attacked several of the Pokemon who wound up in their path already.”
Meganium and Kangaskhan exchanged nervous glances as the Mawile continued running. Quickly, Meganium lifted the little one off his back and into her mother's pouch. “We should start running too,” he said to Kangaskhan.
“Good idea,” Kangaskhan replied with a nod. They turned and were about to run when a shout stopped them.
“Shadow Ball!” a deep and angry voice shouted, followed by an attack by the very same name flying past the three and causing an explosion in front of them, which caused the baby to start crying. They turned back around only to be faced with about six Team Rocket Grunts, one of them accompanied by a Golbat. (Apparently the very same one that fired the Shadow Ball.)
“Well lookie what we got here,” one of the grunts said. “A Meganium and a pair of Kangaskhan. They’ll fetch us some dough.”
“Hey,” another grunt spoke up, “didn't that guy who ran that brothel say he was looking for really young Pokemon like that baby over there?”
Kangaskhan shuddered when she heard what the grunt had said. There were a few Pokemon at Glittering Cave who had escaped that kind of captivity, and some of the Pokemon who weren't too badly damaged emotionally were able to share their stories for the purpose of cautioning the others.
“That he did,” the first grunt replied. “Looks like there's use for two of them, but...” A wicked smile crossed the man's face as he looked at the adult Kangaskhan. “Looks like that doesn't leave much room for you in our haul.”
Kangaskhan was about to take up a defensive position, but Meganium stopped her and stepped forward. “Meganium, what are you doing?” Kangaskhan asked.
“I'm going to fight them,” Meganium replied.
“But you can't,” Kangaskhan said. “What happens if they capture you?”
“What happens if they capture you?” Meganium asked. “You know what plans they have for our daughter, and they won't even let you survive. My priority is to make sure the little one is safe, and I'd never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you if I could have helped it.”
“But-” Kangaskhan tried to protest. She looked up to find that the Team Rocket members had gotten tired of waiting and had begun advancing upon the group. “But you can't-”
“Kangaskhan, go. Take our child and get out of here. I'll be fine.”
“But Meganium-”
“GO!”
Kangaskhan was reluctant to leave, but before she could consider leaving her mate to the Grunts any longer, the Golbat swooped in and tried to attack them. Meganium quickly lashed out with his vines to knock the Golbat back with Vine Whip, but the attack did little more than pester it and cause it to retreat slightly. “You need to get out of here,” Meganium said to Kangaskhan. He gave his mate a quick kiss on the cheek before saying “I'll see you again. I promise.”
Kangaskhan took a deep breath before replying. “I'm going to hold you to that, Meganium.” She then turned around and started running further into Glittering Cave.
“Golbat, don't let those Kangaskhan get away!” one of the grunts shouted. His Golbat quickly took off in accordance to its trainer's command, but it was stopped suddenly by Meganium pulling it out of the air and straight into the ground with another Vine Whip.
“So you wanna play like that, do ya?” another grunt asked with a devious smile. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device which quickly extended into a long electrically-charged rod. He then turned to the Golbat's trainer and two other grunts. “You three, follow the Kangaskhan while the rest of us keep this Meganium distracted.”
“Yes sir,” the Golbat's trainer said. He, his Pokemon, and two other grunts then took off after the Kangaskhan.
“Oh no you don't!” Meganium shouted. He then ran towards the two grunts who were trying to get past him, but he was stopped when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his body from his midsection. He screamed and fell to the ground, but was able to get up and turn around to see the grunt with the cattle prod, joined by the other three grunts who now weld similar weapons.
“Alright, little Meganium,” the lead grunt said, “you come quietly with us, and we won't hurt ya... much.”
Meganium wasn't even fazed. He simply looked the grunt straight in the eye with the most serious expression he could manage.
“What's the matter?” the grunt asked in a teasing manner. “You're not gonna do anything to- AHH!” The grunt was stopped suddenly when he felt one of his legs yanked out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground, throw the cattle prod, and somehow cause the weapon to land right on his chest, giving him quite a shock.
Meganium quickly retracted the vine he had used to steal the grunt's foot out from under him before turning to face the other grunts. He then did something he never thought he'd have to do in his entire life. He let out a loud and surprisingly intimidating Roar, causing the grunts to huddle together and quake in fear.
It was about at this time that the lead grunt had gotten back up. “Don't just stand there, you dolts!” he shouted. “Get him!”
Despite their intimidation, the other grunts quickly charged forward towards Meganium. Meganium charged back and attacked them with Razor Leaf, stopping them in their tracks but not deterring them. It was at this point that the lead grunt ran up and struck Meganium hard in the neck with his cattle prod. This dealt a significant amount of pain, but Meganium was still able to retaliate by hitting the grunt's hand with a powerful Vine Whip, knocking the cattle prod out of his hand. Meganium was about to follow this up with a Body Slam, but one of the other grunts snuck up behind him and struck him with another electrical blow, causing Meganium to fall to one knee and allowing the other two to run in and strike the Pokemon with their own prods. Despite having a resistance to Electric-type attacks, Meganium could still feel the unimaginable amount of electricity coursing through his body, not to mention the injuries he was taking from how hard the grunts were striking him. But he had to keep fighting. He made a promise that he'd see Kangaskhan again, and the only way he'd be able to stick to that promise was by winning this battle. He also had to escape these grunts in order to chase after the other two that went after Kangaskhan. This was probably the only thing keeping him going despite how many times he had been struck by those cattle prods, which was at this point possibly a near-fatal number.
After several more strikes against which Meganium was powerless, he finally fell to the ground, only to have the lead grunt walk up and give him another zap right to the base of his neck. “Not so tough now, are you?” he said with a sneer. “Alright, boys. Let's bag this Meganium and-”
“PIGGY, USE TACKLE!” an unfamiliar voice shouted. One of the grunts turned just in time to face a Pignite that crashed into him head-on, knocking the grunt to the ground. Another grunt watched his comrade fall and wasn't able to defend himself from another form, this one a human, slam into him and bring both of them to the ground.
“A kid?” the lead grunt asked. He then turned back to Meganium and gave him another shock, causing the Pokemon to scream in pain once again. “You stay down. I'll be back to deal with you.” The grunt then turned and walked towards Felix, who had managed to knock the grunt he tackled unconscious. “What the hell do you think you're doing, kid?”
Felix quickly got up and faced the grunt with a stoic expression. “What does it look like I'm doing?” Felix asked. “I'm here to stop whatever crazy scheme you're up to.”
The grunt simply laughed to himself a little in response to Felix's reply. “Are you, now? You make that so evident with those quivering knees of yours.”
Felix looked down and gasped as he realized that his legs were, indeed, quaking with fear. “Well... legs have nothing to do with courage!”
“Oh no?” the grunt asked before arming his cattle prod and charging at Felix.
“Nope!” Felix shouted before reaching behind him and pulling out his Pupitar, Tartar, to take the electrical strike. Not only was the attack nullified because of Tartar being a Ground-type, but his Rock-solid body was hard enough to snap the grunt's cattle prod in two.
“Tar! (Ha!)” Tartar taunted.
“Thanks, Tartar,” Felix said. “But we can't stop at breaking this guy's toys. Use Crunch!” Felix then tossed the Pupitar towards the grunt.
“Pupitar! (Take this!)” Tartar shouted as he opened his mouth and clamped down hard on the grunts arm.
“AHHHH!” the grunt shouted as he ran around frantically, trying to shake Tartar off of him. “GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!”
It was at about this time that Piggy returned to Felix's side. “Pignite? (Now what?)” the Pignite asked.
Felix looked over to the downed Meganium and knelt down towards it, placing two fingers on the Pokemon's neck. He waited for one second, two seconds, three... Suddenly, Felix's expression went from dim, to sad, to angry. He then got up and turned to the grunt that Tartar was still latched on to. “Piggy, Tackle that grunt to the ground and hold him there.”
“Pignite. (Okay.)” Piggy said with a nod before rushing towards the struggling grunt.
Taking his cue, Tartar quickly leapt off the grunt. The latter had only a moment to breathe, however, before Piggy hit him with a full-body Tackle and knocked him to the ground. “GAH! Not another one!” the grunt shouted as he struggled under the Pignite's weight.
Shortly after the grunt went down, Felix walked around to the grunt's head and knelt down. “I'm gonna tell you something about me,” Felix said with an angry tone. “I'm usually a nice guy. Need an assist of some type? I'm there. But if you have the nerve to hurt Pokemon, or even do what you and your pals just did to that Meganium...” Felix took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself, before continuing. “I will show you no mercy.”
“What are you?” the grunt asked. “Some kind of freelance cop?”
“No,” Felix replied. “Just a really nice person who you just made really angry.”
“Pupi! (Felix!)” Tartar said while nudging Felix.
“Do you mind, Tartar?” Felix asked. “I'm trying to intimidate a criminal here.”
“Tar tar tar, Pupitar! (There's more going on, though!)” Tartar continued while turning and “pointing” further into the cave.
“Your Pupitar's smarter than it looks,” the grunt said with an evil grin. “Seems like he knows where the rest of my comrades are.”
“What?” Felix asked reaching down and grabbing the collar of the grunt's shirt to pull him closer. “I should have known there were more of you. What are they doing further in the cave?”
“Just rounding up a few more Pokemon to sell,” the grunt replied with a smug look. “Not that you'll be able to save those Pokemon, though.”
“That's all I needed to know,” Felix said. He then let go of the grunt before pulling out two of his Pokeballs and aimed one of them at Tartar. “Tartar, return.” A red beam of light shot from the Pokeball, enveloped Tartar, and pulled the Pupitar into the ball. Felix then threw the other Pokeball into the air. “Pinky, come on out!”
The Pokeball burst open and out of it fell a Slowpoke, who quickly yawned and stretched after landing. ”What is it this time, Felix?” Pinky asked telepathically.
“Use Hypnosis on this guy,” Felix said, indicating the grunt.
“What?” the grunt shouted, squirming under Piggy's weight.
”Seems like a waste of my talents, bur ok,” Pinky said before she turned to the grunt, her eyes flashed red, and an invisible wave of psychic energy washed over the grunt, causing him to quickly grow drowsy and fall asleep.
“I could have knocked him out, you know,” Piggy said to Felix thanks to Pinky setting up a mental translator. The Pignite then got up off of the grunt.
“I know,” Felix said. “But we have to be delicate here... to an extent. We can't go 100% vigilante here. Now both of you come on. There's some more Team Rocket members further in this cave who we have to stop if we wanna save the Pokemon in this cave.”
“If you say so,” Pinky said while psychically lifting herself onto Piggy's shoulders.
“What are you doing?” Piggy asked.
“I can't run,” Pinky replied. “And Felix is too scrawny to carry me.”
“Hey!” Felix shouted. “You know what? Arguing over this would just be a waste of time. Come on.” The three then quickly made their way further into the cave.

“Keep the heat on that Kangaskhan!” one of the grunts shouted at his Golbat as they and the other grunts chased Kangaskhan. “Hit her with Air Cutter!”
“Golbat! (Take this!)” the Golbat shouted as he flapped his wings hard and generated a powerful blast of wind that quickly caught up to Kangaskhan and hit her square in the back, causing her to stumble and almost fall over. However, she was able to recover. It wasn't enough to maintain her distance from the grunts, however, and the Golbat took advantage of this opportunity by flying ahead and stopping right in her way. Now Kangaskhan and her child were trapped between the grunts and the Golbat.
“Nowhere to run now,” Golbat's trainer said with an evil smile.
“Kangaskhan. (Then I'll fight.)” Kangaskhan said angrily as she readied herself for an attack.
“Golbat, use Screech!” the trainer shouted.
Golbat quickly followed his trainer's order and opened his mouth wider than normal. “BAAAAAAAAAT!” a deafening screech echoed through the cave, overloading the eardrums of the two Kangaskhan. The grunts, however, had protective earplugs in, so they were unaffected. While Kangaskhan was incapacitated, one of the grunts quickly rushed up, pulled out his cattle prod, and struck Kangaskhan right in the chest, causing electricity to surge through her body, all but immobilizing her just long enough for the grunt to swipe the baby right out from her pouch.
“Gotcha,” the grunt said as he held the struggling Kangaskhan in his hand.
“KHAAAAAN! (HEEEEELP!)” the baby screeched as she struggled to break free of the grunt's grasp, though to no avail.
“Kangaskhan! (I'm coming!)” Kangaskhan shouted as she tried to charge towards the grunt.
“Gol Golbat! (Not so fast!)” the Golbat shouted as he rushed forward and struck Kangaskhan hard in the back with his wings, causing her to lose her balance and fall right on her face.
“Heh, how sad,” the grunt that was holding the baby said while shaking his head. He then turned to the other grunts. “You two, finish her and-”
“WATER GUN AND HEAT CRASH!” a voice shouted from behind the grunts. Suddenly, one of the grunts was struck by a powerful jet of water fired from a Slowpoke flying at it, while the other grunt was knocked off his feet and into a cave wall by a charging Pignite.
“What in Kalos?” the lead grunt asked. He looked over to see Felix running onto the scene, his Pokemon quickly joining him.
“Put the child down,” Felix said with a serious expression.
“You really think you can just barge in here and start demanding things, kid?” the grunt asked. “Lemme teach you something about business.” The grunt then turned around and was about to give an order to his Golbat, but he was instead met by Kangaskhan having gotten up and was about to attack the grunt.
“BAT! (NO!)” Golbat shouted as he rushed to h is trainer's aid. He quickly flew forward and sunk a powerful Poison Fang into Kangaskhan's shoulder.
“KHAAAAN!” Kangaskhan shouted in pain as she quickly fell once again.
“HOW DARE YOU!” Felix shouted. “Pinky, get that Golbat off the Kangaskhan! Piggy, save the child!”
“Got it!” both Pokemon shouted as they leapt into action.
Piggy ran at full speed towards the grunt and quickly Tackled him to the ground, causing him to toss the baby into the air. The little one screamed on the way up and the way down, but she stopped when Piggy caught her. As for the grunt, the force with which Piggy Tackled him was enough to knock him into the cave wall, which was about ten feet away, knocking him unconscious.
Pinky used Psychic to levitate herself at high speed towards the Golbat, as well as using the move as an attack on her target. The Slowpoke's psychic energy struck the Golbat like a ton of lead, the fact that he had a type disadvantage only adding to his pain. With a shout, he let go of Kangaskhan and fell to the ground. However, Pinky wasn't finished with the Golbat. She used another Psychic attack to lift the Bat Pokemon and throw him over to his unconscious trainer, the Golbat himself knocked out.
“Great job, guys,” Felix said. He then turned his attention to the downed Kangaskhan and ran over to her. He placed a hand on her. She had fainted, but she was still breathing, albeit barely. The Golbat's Poison Fang did its job: badly poisoning her. “She's not looking too good...”
“Khan... (No...)” the baby said with tears in her eyes as she leapt out of Piggy's arms and ran over to her mother and hugged her head.
“Pinky, link me to that baby,” Felix said.
“Alright,” Pinky replied. She then turned to the baby and her eyes flashed blue for a second before she turned back to Felix and nodded. Felix then stepped forward towards the little one.
“Please wake up, mamma,” the baby said as she hugged her mother while crying. She almost jumped when she felt Felix place a caressing hand on the back of her head.
“Don't worry about it, little one,” Felix said. “I'm going to make sure she gets better. Trust me.”
The little one looked up at Felix with eyes full of tears. “Y-you will?”
“I promise,” Felix replied. He then took off his bag and began rummaging through it. “I know there's a Pecha Berry in here somewhere. I just have to find it. Bicycle, fishing rod, Charizardite, I need to figure out what to do with that soon... here it is.” Felix then pulled out a single Pecha Berry. “My last one. I'm glad I haven't had to use it yet.” The trainer knelt towards Kangaskhan, opened her mouth, and fed her the berry. Felix had to help her chew, but she was fortunately able to swallow on her own. “I wish there was more I could do, but I'm useless when it comes to first aid. She'll live now that that Pecha Berry is clearing the poison from her system, but we'll still need to get her to the Pokemon Center in Ambrette Town if she's gonna recover completely.” Felix then pulled out one of his Pokeballs and tossed it. “Nana, I choose you!”
Out of the Pokeball came a Tropius. “Tropius! (All right!)” he roared.
“Nana, I need you to do something for me,” Felix said to his Tropius as Pinky set up Nana's translator.
“What is it?” Nana inquired.
“I need you to carry this unconscious Kangaskhan back to Ambrette Town so she can get medical treatment,” Felix replied.
“Uh... I don't think I can,” Nana admitted. “Not if you expect me to fly at the same time, I mean. I have my weight limits.”
“Oh,” Felix said, moving to rubbing his chin while thinking of another plan. “Wait... Pinky, what if you carried the Kangaskhan?”
“As Nana said, not if you expect me to fly at the same time,” Pinky replied.
“No, I mean Nana flies us while you tow Kangaskhan with Psychic,” Felix explained.
“Huh...” Pinky said as she rubbed her own chin. “I wonder why I didn't think of that.”
“So you'll be able to save Mamma?” the baby Kangaskhan asked, tears still flowing but a smile now breaking through.
“I will,” Felix replied. “No, we will. My team and I.”
”Good save,” Pinky thought to herself. “So, are we gonna get out of here and get this Kangaskhan to the Pokemon Center or what?”
“You're right,” Felix said. He then turned to Piggy and pulled out his Pokeball. “Piggy, return.” A bright light shot out of the Pokeball, enveloped the Pignite, and returned him to the Pokeball. “As for everyone else, let's get this Kangaskhan out of here.”
“Just so you know, I'm gonna have to cut your translator so I can focus on holding Kangaskhan,” Pinky said.
“Alright,” Felix said. He then turned to the baby. “Don't worry, little one. Your mom is going to be fine.”
“Thank you,” the baby said as she ran up and hugged Felix. “Thank you so much, Felix.”
“You're welcome,” Felix replied as he hugged the baby back.
”If only I could help your father...” Felix thought to himself.

It was a ten minute flight for Felix, Nana, Pinky, and the two Kangaskhan. The little one was tense the whole time, but Felix did his best to comfort her the whole way. And he didn't even stop with the comforting when they got to the Pokemon Center and the mother was rushed into care.
“It's very lucky you were there when it all happened,” Nurse Joy said to Felix after he explained the whole situation to her as Wigglytuff moved Kangaskhan to the back. “I didn't even know Team Rocket was still around. Who knows what they would have done if you weren't there.”
“I try not to think about that,” Felix said as he looked down to the baby Kangaskhan in his arms. “I just try to focus on the fact that I was there.” Felix then patted the little one's head in a comforting way while looking back up at Nurse Joy. “And have you alerted any police?”
“We have our fastest Chatot on its way to Lumiose City,” Nurse Joy replied. “They should have Jennies out there in less than an hour.”
“Oh, something tells me most of the grunts in there will be napping longer than that,” Felix said with a slight smile. “But back to Kangaskhan...”
“She'll be all right,” Nurse Joy replied. “She's in stable condition, but exhausted. A little bit of rest and she'll be back on her feet in no time, but we're going to keep her under observation for some time to make sure she recovers fully. She should be back in shape in time for you to take her back home by this evening.”
“Thank you, Nurse Joy,” Felix said.
“Kanga! (Thank you!)” the baby cheered.
“You're both welcome,” Nurse Joy replied with a smile. “Now if you'll excuse me, I need to join Wigglytuff in treating Kangaskhan.” With a bow, Nurse Joy turned and left.

It was another couple hours before Kangaskhan was back on her feet and was rejoined by her daughter. It was a heartfelt reunion, and everyone who happened to be in the Pokemon Center at the time took notice and couldn't help but smile.
After that, it was another ten minute flight back to Glittering Cave. The Officer Jennies had moved in and arrested the Team Rocket members earlier, so the cave was relatively safe now.
“I can't thank you enough for what you've done,” Kangaskhan said to Felix with a smile.
“I couldn't have done it without my team,” Felix said while glancing back at Pinky and Nana, who were standing behind him.
“Then thank you all,” Kangaskhan said. “You saved me and my daughter.”
“Yeah, about that...” Felix said, shifting nervously. “I, uh... I'm sorry, but I couldn't save the Meganium. Was he the little one's father?”
“He was,” Kangaskhan replied. “I'll miss him, but I'm glad our daughter is still alive, and for that I'm in your debt.”
“Don't worry about it,” Felix said. “I was just passing through and I sensed there was someone in danger. Helping was just the natural thing to do for me.”
“If... if you say so,” Kangaskhan said.
“Oh come on, Mamma,” the baby said as she looked up at her mother from the latter's pouch. “Just ask him already!”
“Ask me what?” Felix asked.
“Well...” Kangaskhan said. “The thing is, we don't feel quite safe at Glittering Cave anymore. I mean, sure this was an isolated incident, but...”
“Bad memories, huh?” Felix asked. “I can understand that. I have a friend who's in the same predicament.”
“Oh,” Kangaskhan said. “But the point is, my daughter and I want to travel with you.”
“I wanna see the world!” the little one cheered. “I wanna battle trainers and take on gyms and participate in contests and-”
“Now hold on there, little one,” Kangaskhan said with a laugh. “You're two days old. You don't think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?”
Felix couldn't help but smile as he watched the exchange. “Okay,” he finally said. “If you really want, I'll add you two to my team.”
“Thank you,” Kangaskhan said. She winced slightly as Felix pulled out a Pokeball for her, but she quickly recomposed herself.
“Ready?” Felix asked as he held the Pokeball out.
Kangaskhan looked down at her daughter before looking back up at Felix. “Yes,” she said. She and the little one then reached out and touched the Pokeball together, quickly being pulled into the spherical capsule. The ball bounced into the air upon the Kangaskhan being sucked in before landing back in Felix's hand. It rocked once, twice, three times... THUNK!
“Welcome to the team, you two,” Felix said to himself. “Now come on out for a proper introduction!” Felix threw the Pokeball into the air and out of it emerged the two Kangaskhan once more. “I said this to your Pokeball, but I want to say it to you two personally. Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you, Felix,” Kangaskhan said. “It feels... strangely good. Being your Pokemon, I mean.”
“Yeah, I feel warmer,” the little one said with a smile.
“I'm glad you feel that way,” Felix said, returning the smile. “But first, if you don't mind, I'd like to give you two nicknames. I don't want to be addressing you both as 'Kangaskhan' after all.”
“Fair enough,” Kangaskhan said.
“I've always wanted a nickname!” the little one cheered. “I've wanted one for literally my whole life. Sure my whole life has been two days, but...”
“Alright,” Felix said with a smile. He looked up at the adult Kangaskhan. “Something simple and straightforward... how would you like to be called Kanga?”
“Just Kanga?” the mother asked. “It... sounds alright. Yeah, I think I actually like that name.”
“Good,” Felix said. He then looked down at the little one. “Now you need an adorable name. Something that'll match your cute little face.”
“Hey! I am not that cute!” the little one said while pouting, only adding to her cuteness.
“Let's see...” Felix said while thinking out loud. “The word 'khan' means monarch. Like a ruler. Ru...ler. How about Roo? Short for ruler and still adorable.”
“Roo?” the little one asked. “Well... I suppose it is short for ruler, and that's kinda what I'll grow up to be, so... very well. I shall agree to being called 'Ruler.' Er, I mean Roo.”
“Then it's settled,” Felix said. “Kanga and Roo. Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you so much, Felix,” Kanga said with a smile.
“Thanks a lot!” Roo said.
“No problem,” Felix replied. He then pulled their Pokeball back out. “Now come on. I'd say it's about bedtime.”
“Bedtime?” Roo asked. “But I'm not even ti-” She wasn't able to finish her sentence before she suddenly fell asleep, quickly curling up into Kanga's pouch.
“She's had an eventful day,” Kanga said with a chuckle. “But yeah, I'm a bit tired too.”
“In that case, return,” Felix said. Kanga and Roo were then pulled back into their Pokeball. “I hope we'll be able to make a lot of good memories together, Kanga and Roo,” he said to the Pokeball in his hand, which rocked once in reply. Felix then turned, returned Pinky, and climbed onto Nana's back to fly back to Ambrette Town, where the trainer would spend the night at the Pokemon Center. However, he didn't tell Nana to Fly yet. His attention was drawn westward, where storm clouds were still gathering in the far distance. They still haven't moved inland, as though they were still waiting for something.
“Tropius? (Felix?)” Nana asked his trainer, who seemed distracted.
Felix shook his head. “It's nothing, Nana,” he said. “Just... thinking about something. Not important. Just Fly us back to Ambrette Town.”
“Trop. (Ok.)” Nana replied with a nod. He then took off in an ungraceful fashion that was standard for a Tropius. All throughout the flight, however, Felix did nothing but focus on the storm clouds in the distance. He didn't know what they were waiting for, nor what they were supposed to mean, but he was sure they were there for a reason. He just didn't know exactly what that reason was...

Inside of her Pokeball, Kanga slept. And as she slept, she dreamed. Her dreams weren't entirely pleasant, however. 
Kanga stood in a bright white space. Roo wasn't there with her, but that wasn't her concern. No, Kanga's main concern was the form standing before her.
“Meganium...” she said to the Pokemon before her.
“It's me, Kanga,” Meganium replied as he stepped forward.
“I...” Kanga tried to say. With a tear in her eye, she finally spoke. “You didn't come back. You promised you would.”
“I'm sorry, Kanga,” Meganium replied. “In form, it was too late for me. But in spirit, I'm still with you. You and Roo.”
“But...” Kanga said. “But I miss you.”
“And I miss you too,” Meganium replied. “But you cannot dwell on me. You have our daughter to take care of. Looking back on the past will not help your future.”
“But what about you?” Kanga asked. “It's like you're telling me to completely forget about you.”
“No,” Meganium replied. “As I've said, I might not exist in this world anymore, but I'm still with you in spirit.” With a slight smile, Meganium added, “The trainer, Felix, is a good person. He is kindhearted, he'd never hurt a soul if he didn't need to, he's there to help anyone who needs help...”
Kanga quickly realized what Meganium was talking about. “You don't mean... but that can't be...”
“Roo needs her father, no matter how she gets him,” Meganium said with a nod. “Follow your heart, and promise me one thing. No matter what, do what's best for our daughter.” Meganium then began to glow brightly, and when the light faded, rather than Meganium, Felix stood before Kanga. “This isn't the end,” he said. “It's a new beginning.” Felix then began glowing before fading away while waving goodbye to Kanga. As Kanga watched him fade, she felt... something. It was calm and soothing. She could only akin the feeling to what one feels while bathing in moonlight. But that wasn't what she was thinking about. She only had one thought on her mind as her dream concluded.
“Meganium... you did come back.”