//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17 : Darkness Inside II 
// Story: A New World, A New Dawn 
// by Uber Reaper 
//------------------------------//

How far are we all willing to go? For our ideals? For our beloved ones? For our believes? It differs for each person in the matter of how far are they willing to go. Will they commit an atrocity? Will they commit themselves wholly to their ideals and believes? Or will they willingly threw themselves into danger without thinking of the consequences? …..Sadly, I was the lattermost - Eric Angelo

Play this as the second opening theme






“Lady, be quiet!”

Eric, back then, a boy of 18 years with dark brown hair, a jacket with a simple white shirt underneath laid face down on the ground. His attention were on the middle-aged woman beside him who was whimpering like there’s no tomorrow.

“Please, lady, be quiet!” He hissed through gritted teeth. His words could not reach her, her whimpering continued endlessly.

A sharp click came from above them. For a moment, Eric’s heart leaped to his throat because he knew what that sharp click was.

“YOU TWO, SHUT UP!” A demanding voice reverberated through the lobby.

The lady instantly zipped her mouth shut, Eric wisely done the same and made sure his face was stuck to the floor.

Their position offered them no amount of comfort. The fact that this was forced by the crooks waving his gun all around the lobby was not helping.

Frustration was written all over Eric’s face at the hopelessness of the situation. As much as he wanted to help, every scene that goes through his head inevitably ended up making the situation a lot worse.

Footsteps came next, Eric tilted his head up to see that the crook who had threatened them earlier walking away to face the door access to the vault beyond. “How’s it going in there?”

“Five minutes, just wait there.” Another deeper voice echoed back in response.

It was not the reply he wanted because of his evident growl. “It’s already five minutes, c’mon, we’re on a timetable here!”

“You try and hack these control panels yourself, let’s see how you get it done faster!”

“Well, hurry it up, my arm’s starting to hurt!” The first crook emphasized by a shook of his gun arm.

“Geez, hold onto your panties! This is difficult!”

“You try waving your arm around for more than ten minutes, see if that helps!” The crook yelled back with no amount of frustration in his voice. “Arceus dammit, sometimes I hate him.”

Done with the matter concerning his partner, he returned to the task at hand, mainly to make sure no one decided to do anything funny. “You hear that, people?” He yelled to ensure everyone will heard his message. “Try anything in that timeframe and I’ll make sure you’ll be meeting Arceus a lot faster!”

Frustrations welled up inside the young adult. He was supposed to protect people, not laid down helpless. But he is more afraid if he acted out of character, the others around him might get the repercussions.

In the end, all he could do is growl. “Dammit....”

His day had gotten a lot worse when a familiar bout of whimpers came again beside him, from the same woman from before.

He needs to keep this woman in check and fast. “Lady, be quiet! They’re going to hear us!”

The accursed whimper continued, Eric looked around frantically, wondering if the crook had heard her. He focused on her again quickly. “Be quiet, lady! They’ll do worse to us this time if they hear us!”

The lady was scared. No, terrified was the better word for it. Her mind was a jumbled mess, and the outlet came in the form of her whimpers, Eric realized that now.

“Shit....” He cursed at his rotten luck when he realized no amount of words could stop the terrified whimper of the woman.

To make his day complete, he heard the familiar footsteps heading toward their direction before stopping short of their head.  The young adult hissed in a desperate gamble to shut the lady and secure their safety.

“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP! DO I NEED TO FILL YOU WITH HOLES?” The other patrons in the lobby flinched at the intensity of the yell.

However, instead of his desired silence, it fueled the lady’s terrified whimper.

Eric cursed again underneath his breath. “Lady, if you don’t want to die then stop whimpering!?”

“I-I c-can’t...can’t do t-t-this!” The whimper made way for a stutter.

The young adult’s momentary surprise was cut off by his desire to prevent this from becoming much worse than it already is. “Yeah, you can, lady! Otherwise we’re both screwed!”

“ARCEUS DAMMIT! SHUT UP!” Eric could feel that the gun was no more than an inch right now before them. “NOBODY ELSE MOVE!”

Sweats was running down Eric’s forehead when the whimper became louder instead. “Please, lady, if you don’t want to die, be quiet!”

It backlashed, this whimper was even more louder. The crook shouted something in their ears, but he shut it out in favor of the woman’s growing fear. The sign itself was clear, Eric’s only chance was to utter two words : “Oh, no.”

The woman screamed, and due to the vastness of the lobby along with their proximity to the source, it went off like a war drum in their ears. The woman made a mad dash toward the exit due to fear overtaking her being.

Once the ringing in both ears gone, he glared at the retreating figure of the woman. “I SAID DON’T MOVE!” He threatened, but the woman was beyond reasoning. His temper flared to dangerous level. “YOUR FUNERAL, WOMAN!” And he took aim.

Just as he pulled the trigger to let out a piece of deathly metal, he could see that his shot went wide and hit the ceiling instead. He realized now what had made it that way, a hand had slapped his aim upward. Before he knew it, another hand had gripped his arm alongside the first and struggled.

Not taking chances, Eric’s flicked the safety on. His caution was founded to the fact that the gun’s owner keep on pulling the trigger desperately. But despite his best attempt to grab the deathly piece, their strength was near equal, no one could best the other.

Not wanting to waste the surprise attack momentum, Eric promptly let go. The result was just as he desired, the crook stumbled backward. The young adult dashed forward, grabbed the arm holding the gun and let out several right hooks to the owner’s face while Eric kept him rooted on the spot. Next, he kneed his stomach, causing the man to spit out saliva, but Eric wasn’t done. His face become a punching bag one last time that the force whirled him around, and a frontal kick send him to dig trench across the tiled floor.

Whipping himself around, he found his face was starting at the end of his own gun, only now he realized his gun had been taken the moment the struggle is renewed. The crook was about to try an old trick regarding the safety when it went out the window due to a sharp click that he took as a sign that the gun safety was off. He decided it was wise to remain in that position, less the kid really was going to shoot him.

Eric knew what a gun could do, knew that it’s purpose was to take a life, but he wasn’t going to use it that way. This time, it’s purpose was something else, to ensure that the crook before him will not try anything.

“Let’s repeat the game from before. You say, and I quote, ‘don’t try anything funny’.” The young adult finished with the barrel now pointing down toward the crook. Eric felt that the threat would lessened the chance of retaliation, and he made himself convincing for that part.

But the crook smiled, turning into a chuckle a second later. Not a reaction Eric wanted. “What’s so funny, pal?” Eric had answered his own question when he felt a piece of metal collided with the side of his skull. He dropped like a sack of brick, revealing another man wearing a similar balaclava.

“...that, ‘pal’.” The crook finished. He had gotten up, and snatched his gun away from the young adult before dusting himself off. “You like playing heroes?” He didn’t expect the boy to suddenly wake up and tell him otherwise, but he felt that payback was appropriate. “Then I’ll show you what happened to heroes!” With a sharp click, now it was the unconscious Eric that ended up at the end of the barrel.

His partner hadn’t given a reaction to his now-angered partner’s actions.

A flash of movement caught the corner of his right eye. He looked at the source too late to warn his partner as another, older man within a light brown suit jacket elbowed the side of his head. He could have sworn to have heard a crack there for a second. He wasn’t spared because with another flash of movement, the air had vacated his lung and he had learned to fly backward before crashing on his back.

Dave, one leg jutting out backward and one still standing to support himself was red with anger. “Stay away from my, son!”

For the second time this day, the crook had felt what it’s like to be struck by something to that of a sledgehammer. Shaking his head, he could finally get a picture on what was happening.

His partner was on his back on the floor, and he took aim. That did not happen, however, because an unfamiliar man in brown-ish suit whirled around and kicked the gun away from his grip, continued with a soccer kick to his partner’s side that sent him skidding across the floor. Not wanting a repeat of that scene, his partner stood up and assumed a fighting stance.

And they threw themselves at each other. It was clear that the crook had underestimated the man in suit, for every two strikes his partner had made, the man had countered with more of his own.

He cleanly dodged and weaved his partner’s strikes, kicking his side before whirling around and backhanded him across the face. He wasn’t done, closing the distance again, the man in suit grabbed a fistful of hair and slammed his face into a bone-crushing knee strike and shoved him forward to the floor.

Their dance resumed, it was clear that the old man was winning. His partner tried to strike again, only for him to slink beneath the strike and slammed a fist into his stomach. No behind him proper, the man swiped his jacket off and wrapped it around his head, taking him on a merry-go-round before releasing him from the impromptu ride and gain an acquintance with another tile. The man in suit dismissively wore his jacket once more while the crook got up with an effort.

For all the man’s skill, he had made a mistake. He thought he had knocked him out with that skull-crushing elbow, unfortunately, it did not.

Now that his attention was on solely on his partner, an opportunity flashed. Beneath his balaclava was a face with fury written across it and he took aim toward the two struggling men. Not caring for the proximity of his partner, he pulled the trigger.

Meanwhile, Eric suffered the mother of all headaches. Every movement felt as if there’s a ton of weight was dropped on his limb. The best he could do was to flutter his eyelids open, even then, the images couldn’t be processed correctly due to his impromptu nap.  All he could see were two figures that seems to dance against one another across his vision.

Opening and shutting his eyes several times ensured that each time his vision cleared up until the fifth time when he could see correctly. He had wished he had stayed unconscious then because the scene of the wide-eyed expression had been burned into his memory as he fell with blood running down the left side of his head.

The echo of the gunshot was followed by the screams of all the other hostages. They decided it was better to take chances and get out than staying in place where a murderer was in the room with them. Most stumbled against each other in their mad dash for the safety of the daylight beyond the door, either way, the robbers were helpless in their attempt to herd their chaotic hostages.

Though, Eric was still rooted to his spot, staring at his fallen father. “....dad.” He crawled forward, limb as slow as a Snorlax. Once he closed the distance and seeing what had been done to him, words couldn’t describe what he felt right now. “....dad.”

The two bank robbers meanwhile were in a state of panic after the latest fiasco involving the unexpected departure of their hostages. They were literally no one left in the lobby to act as a deterrent against the horde of cops waiting to throw them in a cell far away from the sun light.

A crook was pacing to and fro with a sense of urgency coming from him. “C’mon, what are we waiting for? We gotta get out of here!”

“Will you shut up for a moment and let me think!?” The second crook retorted with no less frustration.

“The cops will be here any minute, there’s no time!”

“Oh, you want to walk out there without any deterrent to prevent the dozen or so Stoutlands and Herdiers from mauling us? Be my guest!” He emphasized with a sharp flick of his head toward the door.

The first crook’s adrenaline level shot through the roof. “Ah, shit,” He glanced around the lobby like a head on a swivel. “What should we do!?”

The second crook was wracking every corner of his brain for an answer to their situation. “Just let me think for a moment!”

“....dad.”

Faint whisper registered in his ear. Seeing the teenager’s crouched form, he sees and attempted to seize an opportunity. “We might actually still have a chance to get out.”

His partner would have let out a baffled expression had it not for the balaclava in the way. “How?”

A hand simply pointed toward the sobbing teenager.

The first crook’s face instantly turned into a frown at the reminder. “Ah yeah, the kid.”

“Think he’ll be of any use to us?”

Disturbing thoughts went through his mind. “We could certainly use him.” Grin was fixated onto his face beneath his balaclava as he walked over to their potential hostage.

Meanwhile, Eric had stopped the flow of his tears a few seconds ago and continued to stare at the limp form of Dave, with blank, unblinking eyes . One would mistake him for a life-like statue unless they listened closely to the sound of his breath.

The source of his misfortunes were well aware that he is still alive and breathing, therefore an opportunity to get out of this situation in one piece.

Heavy footfall came behind the young adult, until it stopped short a few feet before his back.“Get up!”

Much to his dissatisfaction, the teenager had not registered his latest order. The first crook frowned beneath the mask. “Get up!”

Once more, no reply was heard, only the echo of his own voice. “Are you deaf, kid? I said, GET UP!” He made sure to yell the last part as loud as he could to gather the teenager’s attention.

However, the teenager ignored him still.

The crook was not amused at the lack of reaction. “ARCEUS DAMMIT! I SAID, GET UP!” His hand flew to yank the kid out of his daze, he got what he wanted, but not what he was expecting. The teenager whirled around and before he knew it, the metal piece in his right hand was gone and he found himself staring down the barrel of his own gun.

“....you’ll pay!” The stare could give a trained military man nightmares was directed toward the crook.

A loud bang echoed throughout the lobby.





A pair of eyes belonging to an Alakazam shot open. As a Master Psychic, he could feel it, the dread outside of his Pokéball resting place. As a loyal partner and friend of his trainer, Master Dave, he felt compelled to get out of his resting place.

He struggled and struggled in an attempt to get out of the cramped space he is in.

A satisfying click was heard and once more he could feel his entire being was sucked outside of his resting place. The feeling of fresh air flowed across his body, he took that as a sign that he is back in the real world.

“Alakazam!” Letting out his signature cry, he quickly set up a Psychic field to ensure all within could understand him. “Master Dave, Master Eric, what-“ The sight that greeted him nearly rolled his eyeballs out of his skull. “Oh my Arceus.” Reynard was never one to speak a god’s name, however, this situation calls for it.

To his left was a wailing man wearing a ski mask while clutching his stomach which now housed a piece of metal which had bored into him a few seconds ago, he is short on breath and gasping for more. His attention was called elsewhere, before him was his master’s son, Eric. It horrified the Alakazam to see him sitting down on the stomach of a similar man with a gun clutched within his right hand, all bloodied and him continuedly using said item in an attempt to cave the crook’s skull in.

The crook’s ski mask was still on his person, otherwise everyone would have been treated to a beaten and bruised face. “Sto-“ His sentence was never finished as his face was currently used as a punching bag.

“Shut up!” He let of another series of beatdown.

“Pleas-please...stop, I give....have...m-m-mercy!”

The crook’s eyes laid upon the face of his assaulter who frowned. He nearly breathed a sigh of relief, only for he wasn’t given the chance because his face was pistol-butted again.“....mercy? Tell me, did you show my dad mercy just now? The one you just possibly killed?”

The crook remembered now, the limp form from before, the one his hot-blooded partner had shot. “It...wa-wasn’t...me!” He croaked.

“I DON’T CARE, YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED MY DAD! YOU KILLED HIM, YOU HEAR ME! KILLED HIM!”

He realized too late as the action of his partner alone serve to conceal his fate.

The teenager breathed heavily while making sure the robber below him felt every piece of his anger. “I’ll make sure you pay! Just like your friend had paid his due!”

“YOU’LL PAY!” He pulled his arm upward as far as he could and make sure the grip of the gun was facing down. With a howl of fury, he let out his anger in that one downward swing.

Only....he couldn’t, not because he had a change of mind, but because he couldn’t...move his arms for some reason.

He stared upward to witness a blueish aura that is known when a Psychic Pokémon is in play wrapped around his arm. Try as he might, his arms wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Master Eric!” A familiar voice serve to pull him out of the daze. He glanced over his shoulder and saw his father’s first and long-time partner, Reynard the Alakazam crouching beside the limp form of Dave. His blue-glowing eyes stared at the teenager to convey disappointment. “Please, do not cross the threshold! This is not what your father wanted!”

Reynard’s word struck a chord deep within the young adult’s mind. Sensing the lack of struggle, the Alakazam let go of his Psychic grip over his friend’s son arms, but kept himself vigilance for any sign of renewed murderous intent.

Eric’s arm went slack and limp on his sides, letting the piece of metal clutched like death fell and clattered on the floor when the horror dawned on him.

He had nearly committed an attempted murder not two seconds ago.

Whether or not the two crook’s were guilty or not, no justification could be given for what he had almost done. He lifted his now-bloodied hands up to his face, staring into the deep, red abyss, seeing his own reflection,  of what he had almost became...a murderer.

Eric heard a voice call out to him, but felt as if it’s a mile away. His face a grimace, face at the palms of his hands, slightly marring his face with blood, but he didn’t care. The same voice called, he felt it was a few feet away this time. He whimpered at the mere thought of becoming a monster to society.

The third time the voice called. It was as if someone had shouted it directly into his ears, making it ring. “Master Eric!”

“Huh?” Peeling away the blood-marred hands from his face, he turned his shaking head toward the one who had called for his attention, Reynard.

He was tending to the crook he had shot moments before when he realized Eric was in the process of a breakdown. “Your father needs you!”

Only now does the sight of his father’s limp form was processed. “...ri-right.” Shakily, he pushed himself up and walked over to his father.

He covered the distance faster than he even thought. Eyes are not upon his father, his breath promptly stolen from him as fear seized him. Eric is afraid of the fear that if he had tempted fate by checking his pulse, it would only confirm what he had feared.

Fortunately for him, he didn’t need to because beside him Reynard had done so for him using his Psychic scan.

Reynard gasped before turning to the human beside him. “Master Eric, it’s a miracle, I had sensed his pulse!”

Eric had heard, but his mind was on something else. All the events that had lead to this point kept on replaying in his head, trying to find what went wrong. Only, did he realize the gravity of the situation, that no matter how many times he had searched what went wrong, what happened had already been done.

The reality sunk into him. Closing his eyes, he sobbed, letting the dam inside had broken and tears came.

By the time the cavalry came, all they had witnessed was a single human with his hands on his face and an Alakazam beside him, left arm draped over his back and whispering words of comforts.





In that moment, their visions of the real world have returned full force so does the breath that leaves their lungs, leaving them stumbling over. Lucky for them, a warm feeling of something wrapping around them had guided to place them back onto their seats. Once the worst of it was over, Dawn and Dominus took much needed breath into their emptied lungs.

Then a smell of tea found it’s way into their nostrils when a teacup appeared right in front of them, in the hands of Eric who’s face was still blank. “....take your time....it’s never easy for me either.”

Just when she and Dominus was about to just swipe the cup right then and there, only then the corner of their eyes had registered someone else beside him. Slowly turning their gaze to the figure, they were left speechless by the beauty and the sheen that reflected off the serpentine figure.

“Oh my, are you hurt? You are staring.” The Milotic said in a motherly tone. Her hair-like fin was delicately manipulated to place themselves onto her guest’s forehead.

It took all of Dominus’ power not to blush right there. He quickly covered his face with his wings.

Dawn had no such luck. “I..I...what are you?” She blurted out, only to realize too late and covered her mouth with her own hooves.

“A Milotic,” Eric explained, drawing their attention, except Dominus who decided it was best not to stare. “They are also called, Tender Pokemon. They could calm down fights by releasing some sort of energy to calm any hatred or feelings of anger of any creatures, humans included. Also, the reason you are staring is simply because they are called the most beautiful Pokemon.”

Hearing’s Eric explanation, it was Anna’s turn to blush in embarrassment. “Oh, dear, sorry if I have that kind of effect on you both. I should go now.” She chuckled nervously before slithering away from both so they could gather their wits.

Dominus mumbled something incoherent beneath his wings. Something about a ‘no problem’.

Once the Milotic was a far enough distance away, Dawn could think clearly once more, mainly about her experience. “But anyway...wha....what was that?” Dawn was still breathless, and no one could blame her, not after seeing....that.

“.....you could call that....my greatest failure. And the event that made me who I am today, the nearly emotionless and brooding person.”

“Dude, that’s....” Shaking his head to clear the horrific image, he swiped the cup and emptied the contents into his gullets. “First, it’s Sally and now....” He clenched his beeks together, remembering the culprits that did this to his friend.

“I, I....don’t know what to say.” She took the cup herself and emptied the contents and sighing in relief at the refreshments. “

“Me too, dude. Sally was one thing, but yours.....man, I don’t even want to know if that happens to me.” The eagle bowed his head low, lamenting such cruelf fate that has befallen onto his friend.

A pat found it’s way onto Dominus’ shoulder. Looking up, he locked gazes with Eric. “.....don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault. It’s partly my fault, no matter how you see it.”

“Spoken like a true trainer.” Reynard agreed behind Eric, whose spoon is now once more absent. “Nonetheless, please forgive me, sir and madam, for I do not wish to to impart such a memory to you. If there is anyway for me to repay you two, I shall see to-“

“No, no, it’s okay. Let me just....” Dawn took a deep breath. “Calm myself down a little.”

“Say, where’s Alex, dude?” A simple arm pointed to their left allowed them to discover that the little Volcarona is happily asleep. “.....just how long were we standing around like a statue anyway, dude?”

“.....thirty minutes, it wasn’t that long. You both were standing straight up during the session.” Eric’s face was blank as ever.

“Wait, wait, wait, we’ve only been standing for thirty minutes?” Dawn’s jaw nearly hung agape at the implication before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “I thought we’ve been there for hours!”

Reynard answered quickly to abade her curiosity. “It is the truth, madam. The mind can be such a delicate thing, what one may perceive can be different from what others perceive. One of the reasons why, we, Psychic-types must not abuse our powers needlessly.”

That explains a lot for Dawn. “I guess so....”

“Now is the time we attend to another matter. Now that you have discovered Master Dave’s location, what do you plan for us next, Master Eric?”

“.....I don’t know. Move him to Vanhoover?” Eric glanced behind him with a raised eyebrow. “....but that’s assuming they do have the equipment in the train needed to carry patient around. And that’s if we had enough money.”

“I...don’t think we can actually do that.” All eyes find themselves onto the mare who said it, instantly sending her into a nervous fit again.

“...hmmm?” Seeing her expression meaning that she knows something. “....is there something you want to say, Dawn?”

“I don’t....know, I mean, I don’t think.” She once more fumbled with her own words, then Dawn furiously shook her head. “Ah, I’ll just say it. No, the Equestrian Railway does have something like that, but...but, I...don’t exactly have enough money to help out.”

“It cannot be done, then. I fear it might be too dangerous to move a comatose patient either way, and we do not have the money necessary for such an attempt to be made.”

Once more, Eric had entered his self-indulged mode. “.....what should we do, then? One trouble has been taken care of, and another has risen. Should I just...stay here or.....do we another option right now?” Eric had realized where he is now. “....we’re...in a new world.....that’s right. If we had failed to find anything back on Earth, it might be possible in here. Magic, cures, equipment....so many things to be tried upon.”

Then Eric realizes what he must do.“....how about we...scour Equestria for some sort of cure?”

The Alakazam had seen where the young master is going with this, nodded. “Ah yes, it might be possible.”

“Wait, what?” Dawn interrupted, not having an idea where the conversation goes. “What did you guys just talked about?”

“Well,” Anna voiced beside Reynard. “This is a new world, dear. If the old world do not have a cure for Dave’s condition, then this world might have one.” She smiled at the prospect of her recovered trainer again.

“That’s....kinda true, actually.” Dawn said sheepishly as she scratched her head, the possibility went over her head.

“Then I say we go for it.” All attention quickly went to the Braviary beside Dawn.

“....are you sure about this, Dominus?” “...I mean, this is itself is still quite....far-fetched.”

Dominus decided to fix Eric with a steely gaze. “Dude, your old man is in coma, you been dealt with some bad hands. Best I can do is to help you now.”

“Then, I’m helping too.”

Dawn’s voice was unmistakable for Eric. “....Dawn? Are you really sure? I don’t want to trouble-”

The mare interrupted by waving her forehooves. “No, no, you’re not leaving me behind. You’ve been like what? Always helping me whenever I needed it? Like I said, it’s my turn to help you. Not to mention, your dad needs it too more than ever.”

Eric had no words to describe his gratefulness to his newfound friends. The best he could do right now is to fix them a small smile. “....thank you.”

“No problem, dude, what are friends for?” He stood up and patted the Hydreigon on the shoulder.

“All in agreement, then. This leaves us with one question left remaining. What do you require us to do, Master Eric?” Said Hydreigon merely glanced behind him with a raised eyebrow. “With Master Dave currently resting and waiting to recover, we are at the moment yours to command, Master Eric.” Reynard elaborated.

“As long as your father is in coma, we are happy to follow you, dear.” The Milotic smiled softly. “Do not worry, we will not abandon neither of you. Our loyalty stays with you both.”

Eric put a head under his chin in thought. “....hmmm, I think with that....Reynard and Anna are....a part of my team....for now. What should I make them do? There are so many things. I could have them go with me, it could lessen the time needed to find either the equipment, needs or the cure for dad. Or.....have them stay with him for now, and gather any team members if some of them come across. I think the latter is the best.”

“....Reynard, Anna.” The Hydreigon turned to face the two Pokemon. “Here’s your order, just guard my dad for the moment and don’t forget to gather his team at anytime you can. We’ll deal with the search, because no one else could guard him otherwise.”

“As you wish.” The Alakazam bowed courteously. “We shall keep watch of your father, then as a side task, we shall gather any of the missing team member of Master Dave’s team.”

The Milotic fixed a motherly smile on her face. “Yes, Eric, dear. We will take care of your father as best as I could.”

“....then that’s our next move. We’ll be the ones to search the cure, and before you ask.” Eric held up an arm as a sign of silence. “We won’t go around Equestria like a headless Torchic either. First, we’ll find information where the likeliest place to hold the best thing to help dad then we go to the place and ask around. The last thing we need is to randomly go around, that is just a waste of time.”

“Wise thinking, your father and mother would be proud.” Reynard praised with a smile, although one thing remains. “Still, I must ask, Master Eric.” 

Eric raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “.....what is it?”

“How do you plan to travel the entirety of Equestria? It comes to mind that the pass for a ride on the Equestrian Railway does not seem cheap.” His eyes found themselves locked on Dawn’s

One thing came to Eric’s mind. “......I think....I might have a solution for that.”

“How so?”

In response, the Hydreigon merely pulled the Golden Ticket he had received from the CEO of the Equestrian Railway itself, Express Route.

Reynard’s sharp mind instantly caught on to what the young master had in mind. He nodded sagely. “Ah yes, with such object, it is possible to travel the Equestrian Countryside.”

“Although, dear,” Anna chimed in, who also slithered closer to inspect the VIP ticket. “Wherever did you get this?”

It finally came, the hard part of the explanation. “....it’s just a thing.....that I received from a CEO after I helped take care of a crime lord in charge of some excavation of illegal artifacts. It happened on the way here, on the train.“ The Hydreigon purposefully left out the part about Steven and Fox as to prevent unneeded questions for the time being, or having to repeat it again when the full team is not here.

Upon hearing that, both of Dave’s Pokemon came to a grave realization that their trainer’s son had still done it.

“Eric, dear, what possessed you to do that?” Anna’s motherly tone struck a chord in Eric’s heart.

“Indeed, I had suspected that you would want to avoid unnecessary troubles. I certainly did not expect this attempt at such an early stage. It as Anna had said, dare I ask why?”

“....it crossed my mind....once.” The former human answered cryptically. “...to just stop all of this. Thinking this a new world, just to start anew.....it went out the window....fast.”

“Oh, my, what happened, dear?” The Milotic used one of her hair-like fins to hold up Eric’s chin to look her in the eyes.

“.....it’s not exactly...good, but I’ll tell you....right after everyone has gathered.” He answered with some hesitation.

Reynard could and will, probe the young master’s mind with the help of Miracle Eye, but he did not. After all, it is considered one of the worst offences out there for a Psychic Pokemon to freely probe the mind of another with reckless abandon. The Alakazam are not the type to do that, the mind is the private part of one’s being.

Reynard and Anna reserved to just take that answer....for now. “Of course, Eric, dear. Take your time.”

“.....and so for now....we will be heading back now. Since we don’t have anything to do for now, but to plan our next move.”

“Whoa, so soon, dude?” Dominus tilted his head in question. “We kinda just arrived here, you know?”

“He’s.....right.” Dawn said sheepishly, coupled with a scratch of her head. “We’re kinda tired. From....from...ah, you know what.”

“.....I don’t want to waste time......” He glanced  I want to get searching as soon as possible. But if you want a night rest after the travel, then I’m fine with it either way.”

“They are right, Master Eric,” Reynard cut in. “I sensed that you are in desperate need of a rest if Master Alex himself is of any indication.”

Said Volcarona still snoozing himself to catch up for staying-up the whole night during the travel.

“Dear,” The hair-like fin of Anna laid on his shoulder, making him lock gazes with her again. “There’s nothing wrong with resting for a bit.”

With those motherly eyes of hers full of care for their well-being, it was hard to say no. Eric merely sighed. “....alright, we should rest for a while. After that, we should go.” Looking at his watch, he found that it was now 12 in the afternoon after he set it to match Equestrian timeline. “.....it’s the afternoon, I think now would be the best time to take a nap, then we’ll go at nightfall. Reynard, does this place accommodate for visitors staying here?”

Said Alakazam nodded in confirmation. “Correct, Master Eric, although like all establishment in regards to the treatment of the sick, visiting time is unlimited, barring the night, of course.”

The Hydreigon sighed.“.....then we should take a rest, just like you two suggested.”

“Best thing I’ve heard in a long while, dude. Though sleeping....yeah, I don’t wanna go over there, dude.” He shivered just at the mere thought of the flashback.

The Milotic had that covered. “Then I shall sing a lullaby to accompany you to sleep.” Anna’s smile could literally outdid the sun itself.

“Wait, what?” Dawn was confused again, resulting in another scratching fit.

“....don’t worry, it’s nothing. Just relax.” Eric himself sat on a stool beside his father’s bed, seeing as there are no more sitting facilities around here, but this one left.

Then Anna....sung. Her melodies wafted through the air like the smell of sakura in the springs. Dominus and Dawn found themselves unable to act, just listen at the beautiful melody that came from the Milotic that somehow....calmed them, all previous experience completely forgotten. Then, their eyelids, almost as if gained a life, had shut themselves closed on their eyes, shutting them from the outside world as the leaned their heads back on the window.

Not even Eric himself was immune to the effect of Sing, his eyelids soon unable to stop themselves from drifting shut. Before he could fully find himself asleep, he made sure to let his upper body to fall onto the bed mattress.

The last thing he had seen before he fell asleep on the bed was the sight of his comatose father. “...dad...hang on.”





The Milotic was at the last of her verse just as everyone in the room fell asleep, almost everyone. Reynard was spared due to the effect of Safeguard he had casted over himself.

“Reynard, dear, what do you think of Eric?” Her hair-like fin was manipulated to act like hands and placed themselves onto the Hydreigon’s forehead.

“I....do not know, however, I sensed, distress, desperation from within his tone alone.” Reynard shook his head in regards of the young master’s situation. “Although, my most immediate concern that he may lost his way. ”

That mere prospect caused Anna to let out a whimper of sorrow. “I do not want that to happen, dear. Please, not to him, he had suffered enough.”

“I do hope so as well, Anna. Such a life should never be attempted by one such as he or anyone on this Earth. For such a life has a way of following you....wherever you may go. That is why we must assist the young master as best as we could before it is too late, and hope he does not lose his way.”  

The Milotic manipulated her hair-like fin to stick them together before she closed her eyes. “Please, Arceus, bless our trainer’s son and his companions during their search for they do not know what is ahead of them.”  

“Amen.” Both bowed just as Anna finished her short prayer.




Play this as the second closing theme