((Red, isn't that line from the 'end of the world' cartoon with the whole nuclear stuff?))
((Also, I felt like I could've probably made a cheerful joke for your situation, Jimmy, but unfortunately, *sob* I don't have annnyyyy. wahhh.))
Upon entering the girl's house, Wolf managed a weak smile and a friendly nod as a means to say hello. Root and he found Sarah and gave her their pokemon to be healed. Then, the two walked into the living area and sat down on the floor and talked to each other. After awhile, Wolf started to sweat. He felt weak. I knew I should've resisted the urge to even think about Bill's suggestion. Spence walked in and Trevor followed. Wolf tried to listen and comprehend, but he was falling out of it. Root gave him a nudge to wake him up.
"I'm going alone." Wolf gasped at what Spence said. "No." Wolf stumbled to his feet. "No way I'm letting you go to Cerulean alone." he smirked. "Who knows?" Wolf loosened up. "You'd probably get lost there without me to guide you around my hometown." he laughed.

"Well whether you want me to or not I'll be following you to Cerulean." Trevor smirked, "Besides it's because of this team that my past is becoming something of a riddle. I expect to figure out this riddle and take out Psyche in the proccess."

"But... what if it's a dead lead? It would be for nothing..." Spence stared sadly.

Alex chuckled. "You may be the leader, but that doesn't make you any less bull-headed, old man. What's the use of a team if we let you have all of the fun by yourself? Like it or not, I'm tagging along. Knowing you, you're gonna end up getting yourself killed in some crazy act of martyrdom."

"Well, it's nothing like that... And quit calling me old man..." Spence shook his head, "Remember, Sarah will be in harm's way... Wouldn't you do you same?"

"I can look after myself." Sarah exclaimed, "We've made it this far, we can't stop now."

"It looks like I've got no choice. After all, I have been meaning to check out that lovely Cape Cerulean view." Jimmy laughed.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, nothing's forcing you. I bet Axel would be happy."

"Hmph," Axel crossed his arms.

"No." Wolf stumbled to his feet. "No way I'm letting you go to Cerulean alone." he smirked. "Who knows?" Wolf loosened up. "You'd probably get lost there without me to guide you around my hometown."

"I think I'd be fine... Besides, you have Root to worry about... and that man."

"Yeah, go alone. Like hell we'll let you. Teams are for some purpose you know." Bill paused, "Yes, we were used. I don't like it either. But we haven't failed. Not as long as we're still breathing. Besides, I've got some personal business with Psyche. Yes, Mewtwo might be powerful and all. But you know, even the greatest heroes can't do everything alone. So I'm tagging along, old man."

"But, Bill..."

"Bill's right." Gina said. "You're not going alone. I'm coming too." Gina continued. "Psyche killed my parents. They almost executed me. It's time I take my life in my hands." She smiled. "Besides, I've heard Cerulean has many pretty girls. I don't intend to let my boyfriend run wild there."

Spence sighed, placing a palm to his forehead.

"Hey!" Bill protested, then became serious again. "But enough of jokes. Spence, you got yourself a team. Thus, you're never alone. Accept it."

After trying so long not to accept it, Spence gave up. It was obvious that all of their minds were made up.

"Fine," Spence grinned, gesturing, "Well, I guess I can't get rid of you guys now. However, if it looks like we're in hot water we're getting out of there. I'm not too impressed Gina's coming with us... but Bill's proven himself so I think I can trust his judgement..."

Sarah placed a hand on Bill's shoulder, "Just don't do anything rash next time, 'kay?"

"And Axel, I know full well why you're here. You're here because of Jimmy, and you don't generally trust me too much, and I'm fine with that. However, let me prove it to you and Jimmy that I can be trusted and that I can be counted on. I wouldn't be much of a leader if I couldn't do just that."

Axel shrugged, "Alrighty. But in any case, let me be the one to say I was all for the idea of you going by yourself. Like you said, obviously its some kind of a trap, and that punk who had Gina is probably waiting there with his monster friends, who may just be as powerful as Catherine was..." Axel stared at Spence. If nobody was watching, he probably would've pulled the gun on him by now, "And trust me, I don't care what really happens to you guys. But I have my own interests to take care of." He smirked.

Spence nodded, "Yeah, I'm aware of that... But, if we can just get to Mewtwo... we might just stand a chance. I'll keep that in mind, Axel."

Silas watched as all the others spoke up to go along with Spence.

"You know, I won't be much of a team if you all get yourselves killed. So, I guess I'll come too. Being from Hoenn, I don't know much about Mewtwo, but it better be all you hope for and better if we are walking into a trap. Plus I want to find out what kind of goons I was working for for so long." Silas gave a chuckle. "Besides, Gina made my decision when she said something about pretty girls." He finished with a wink.

((don't worry bill, it'll happen when it happens. and redt, no le sleep for derp. sorry for godmodding for a bit here. it's nothing TOO bad, just moving everything along and summarising everything that's happened. where we progress it will be two days after.))

"Alright, let's go. We can catch some sleep on the way."

I wasn't exactly pleased letting everyone come with me... there were still so many uncertainties, especially with some people in the group... But in a way, everyone had been through the same thing that I did. I tried to not think about what would happen when we got to Cerulean City, but I had an idea of what would unfold... Mewtwo waited for me there. Its consciousness had continued to follow me everywhere I travelled in the past, until lately... It helped me survive the war in both Sinnoh and Unova... It told me about Red and Wolf before they appeared at the Pokemon Tower... And Mewtwo also warned me about both imitations as well, Regigigas and Catherine's Giratina... But since the appearance of that man who had Gina, Mewtwo grew quiet... I couldn't hear its thoughts anymore. Even though Giratina was a fake, Catherine had this bond with it, and it also gave her the abilities we witnessed first hand... Inside the white world, that bond was symbolised by a seeming unbreakable chain... At first, I thought that bond was similar to the bond I had with Mewtwo, maybe along with all of my pokemon, the same could be said between Red and his Latios especially, when I fought alongside him... Catherine said she wasn't human, but I felt her grieve and cry out when Giratina vanished, and what could be more human than that...?

Axel and I once both said that pokemon can give us all sorts of abilities. Axel and Zoroark could fool their opponents with illusions and make decoys, and I had the ability to use my Lucario's aura to enhance and heighten my senses and combat, after so much training I couldnt possibly remember living in Sinnoh... I sometimes wondered how I could do the things I did, and sometimes, it frightened me... How did I survive all this time when others around me seemed to die...? Catherine had a similar power, to use her legendary's power as her own while fighting, and she used it to create her own Distortion World... Why did she die the way she did...? When Giratina vanished... why did she beg to that man to bring Giratina back before she disappeared...? Was it her pokemon being defeated that led her to her demise?

I couldn't help but feel responsible. I felt just as bad as Psyche, taking away loved ones from someone who cherished them... Giratina may have been a fake, but to Catherine, wasn't Giratina real to her...? I tried to wipe it all out of my mind as we took the train from Celadon City. We had donned disguises thanks to Lexie, Bill and Gina's friend’s amass amount of wealth. We spread out along the cars, keeping anonymous... Of course, motion sickness got the better of me like it always had... We just didn't have the strength to fight the legendary clones outside of the cities... Even I had to admit I didn't stand much of a chance after constant battles... Everyone tried to get some sleep for the battles ahead, while I kept watch along with Wolf and Root, moving along the train cars and keeping an eye on everyone...

I watched over Sarah more closely. I know I might not have needed to, but I was worried... Alex had kept his word and looked after Sarah for me anyway. I was grateful he hadn't mentioned Darkrai to anyone as well, for Sarah and the group's safety. However, I didn't fully understand it myself. Why was I so hesitant in talking about it in the first place...? When Darkrai brought up Blackwind, the previous Leader of Midnight, it was as if Darkrai was talking about another Team Midnight that I hadn't known before... If was as if I didn't know Team Midnight at all. It was strange... and horrifying. Maybe it was I doubting Team Midnight for a second... Then, the following day, Kikyo... the person who disappeared a long time ago and helped me join Team Midnight, suddenly appeared from nowhere and begged me to kill Catherine... My doubts began to grow once again. How much did I know about Midnight? Why did they disappear on me when I needed them the most, all those years ago when my friends were being murdered one by one? I had that feeling again, a while ago when I felt something, or someone, watching me from outside the train from the station... The guilt and friends I saw once again in Catherine's world... Were Diseh, Xalia and Ki still watching me, judging me?

We were really concerned at first... Our train that had headed to Cerulean City had to circle the right half of the Kanto region due to the unnatural disasters caused by the presence of the legendary clones... Without saying, it had to loop through Saffron City where Psyche control dominated... The train came to a stop at Saffron City as people boarded. I peered out the window. This was the place I first met Alex, and then soon after, a few others somewhere in the underground paths here, and I reminisced... I gazed out, looking towards the tallest building of them all of the middle in the capital, the sky flooded with airships circling the city... The Psyche Building... I wondered if the President was up there, laughing. From what Sarah told me, Alex's father was working there as well, a father he had never met. Before it was known as the Psyche Building, as everyone knew it as today, it was the Silph Co. Office Building... Silph Co. was the leading manufacturer of pokemon technology. It was that company that developed the most commercially used pokemon related items and tools for Pokemon Trainers in that era for the entire Kanto region. I wondered what Psyche did up there now... and what Alex's father did... Was he a scientist? A professor...? Was he working for Psyche, and on his own free will...?

Our train passed Saffron City safely, and eventually moved on to Lavender Town. We got off the train to see Liv and Sarah's pokemon. Liv was happy to see Alex, and Sarah was happy to see her pokemon again as well. They all seemed fine.

I went up to the Pokemon Tower, as I always did, and paid Diseh and Tori their respects. The last words Diseh gave me inside Catherine's world flooded my mind... Sarah came along as well. Eevee, the pokemon she obtained, got along really well with her. She always had a gift with pokemon even better than I did. I was always able to connect to pokemon just fine, and I wondered if having Mewtwo for as long as I did might have helped that... but Sarah could see into the hearts of pokemon. The clones, however, didn't have hearts... Even for her, the legendary clones were impossible to control... Psyche, the strange soldiers of Saffron City, and that man, who said he had planned for the clones to attack Fuchsia City... They all had the means to control those dark pokemon... but how? How were they able to control them, control pokemon as heartless as those, whose very nature keeps destroying everything they touched...? If a pokemon trainer had to fundamentally connect to their pokemon in a way to battle, how was it possible for them...?

We decided to go through some training before taking the last train to Cerulean City. Gina, myself being opposed to the idea of her joining in the first place, wasn't half bad as a trainer... Apparently, Bill and Gina had been training just to met and join up with me all along... They had heard about me from a certain man, a long time ago. It had given them hope. I wondered why... I also wondered why Psyche was after me for so long and why they symbolised me like some kind of idol against them for as long as they did. It certainly made things much easier to find people willing to join my cause... It was within a couple of days and half the people here already knew me as The Midnight Leader... It felt almost too easy... it made me feel like... a feeling a got from the Psyche member before, and how he told me everything we had been through up until now was apart of his objective all along. It made me feel uneasy. When I journey to Kanto on the cargo ship from Unova, I certainly had my mind set on it... to rebuild Team Midnight. No, it had to be my choice, MY objective... but my reasons for doing so still worried me, and it made me second guess myself all the time. I figured it was just because I wanted to stop the war, and to give pokemon back to the next generation... but didn't I originally want this for the revenge for my friends? Or, was it something much deeper than that...?

Whatever the case, my goal in Team Midnight wasn't just my own. It was to stop Psyche once and for all, and that goal didn't just solely spur from my own hopes and dreams. Everyone here, whether they had lost loved ones, was used by Psyche themselves, or just wanted the world to be at peace... They all gave me reassurance that I was helping them, and in return, they were helping me the same way. Bill had said it before; I had a team in them, and I wasn't alone. Not anymore...

Two days had passed...

The train had finally arrived in Cerulean City, apparently Wolf and Root's hometown... When I stepped from the train to the platform, I lifted my hand for a snowflake to fall upon it. It was snowing here... Suddenly, something strange hit me, an eeriness around me filled the air. Cerulean was completely white. Flashbacks of Mewtwo, and snow falling in the darkness in my dreams came flooding back to me... I shivered, looking to everyone who was just getting off at the station as well. I wonder if anyone else felt unusual, that this weather wasn't exactly normal... especially for a region plagued with storms.

"Jimmy, wake up. We're here." Axel nudged Jimmy awake, making his way out with the others with Zoroark by his side.

"Yay, snow!" Sarah ran out, spinning around with her Eevee in her arms. Sarah wore a fluffy purple jacket with a hood with woollen gloves. She had taken a liking to the Rocket member Scarlet, and had dyed her hair red to match hers. The Eevee caught a snowflake on its tongue and ate it happily. It was the first time Sarah had seen and experienced snow.

"Wolf, Root, when was the last time you were here? Has it ever snowed here before?" Spence asked his questions. Spence wore a new black coat, a replacement to the burn marks he received from Moltres in Fuchsia and the tears he received from Giratina at Celadon, and he had new fingerless gloves. A long brown leather suitcase, tailored to fit his buster blade, was carried behind his back. His long spiky hair was put into a ponytail, like Axel's. It served as a minor disguise in their travels.

As the train pulled into the station Trevor gazed out of his window, his breath fogging the freezing glass. This is fairly odd...

He walked off the train to join the others, having changed in the process. Trevor was now wearing a steel gray long sleeve with a dark crimson jacket. He swapped his cargo shorts out for a pair of black jeans. Though his signature blade was still sheathed onto his back, Trevor would go no where without his blade. Gallade walked up beside him, wearing a grey hoodie himself. "If you don't like the cold so much then why didn't you stay in your ball like Ivysaur did?" Gallade pointed at the snow and smiled. Trevor sighed, "All that to just see snow."

Almost on cue Vaporeon ran out from her pokeball and joined Jimmy's Eevee. The two playing in the snow. He looked over at Jimmy, "Now that's just sickening cute." Trevor chuckled a little.

Trevor agreed with Gina, "You should of brought a few changes of clothes with you. You need to pack to survive in these times. No telling if we'll be able to find a warm place to rest in this ghost town."

Soon images flashed across Trevor's mind. A storm battled Cerulean laid in front of him, he could sense a few others standing behind him. "Crimson what should we do? Cerulean has fallen farther into Psyche's hands and our base is in ruins." He turned to look at the group, words he can never remember falling from his lips, "Let Psyche have our beloved Cerulean...for now. But I swear I'll take it back someday." He looked at the black sky, lightning flashing every few moments. "We need to leave Kanto."

The group gasped and tried to reason with him. "There's nowhere here for us anymore. All the gyms are destroyed, Cerulean was our last stand in this region. We can at least try to stop things from progressing in the other regions. Johto is already finished so we'll take a ship to Hoenn. We can set up base there and begin again."

Trevor snapped back into reality. I've been here before.....In the beginning of it all.... Gallade sensed his confusion and peered at him. "I don't think this place was ever like this, not even when the clones first populated it. Everything used to be....stormy.., Trevor muttered half to himself.

((Ok so I'm kinda pushing Trevor getting his full memory back, hope that's alright with you Crunchy.))

((sorry samurott, i was just about to pm ya. i had a better idea... you did good, but you rushed a fair bit.))

"We'll be meeting again at Cerulean City, with all your friends. I promise you that. Goodbye for now, Midnight Leader..." The mysterious man's words flooded Spence mind.

Spence chuckled, "Well, hope we weren't late for the party..." Spence pulled up his large suitcase over his shoulder, and proceeded to walk down from the station platform and into the heart of Cerulean City.

The group walked together while the pokemon played. Wolf and Root seemed oblivious as to why everything was so quiet and the bizarre slow kind of weather they were experiencing. Alex and Sarah were still playing in the snow as well as the pokemon. It was starting to tick Spence off a bit.

Spence looked around, "This place IS kinda deserted... So much for the pretty women, huh?" he shrugged, turning to the two children nearby, "Hey, you two! This is no time for games, cut it out and be on guard!" Spence waved them over before looking to Trevor who seemed to be muttering to himself, a blank stare on his face, "...Have you been here before, Trevor?"

Spence watched Trevor closely, wondering to himself. What memories were resurfacing in Trevor's mind if they weren't his own...? Before they had left Celadon City, Spence had given him time to borrow Seeker, Wolf's Hunter, and went back to the old gym where he had said his parents and his own grave had lay. When he eventually came back, Trevor never mentioned anything about it. Spence didn't bother to ask. He wondered if he had uncovered anything or if it was another dead lead like he had feared...

Ding, ding, dong...

A message through the city's speakers, an automated message throughout the city. It was a female with a cheery voice, "Good evening, Cerulean City. Just as a reminder, the upper half of the Kanto region will be experiencing a week's blizzard that will be scheduled today. I repeat, the upper half of the Kanto region will be experiencing a week's blizzard that will be scheduled today. All those are welcome to take shelter in Saffron City, and we will still be providing transport to the next city until further notice. However, you are also welcome to stay if you are comfortable sticking it out. Please, keep warm and stock plenty of food and blankets. If available, please rest and stay warm inside your or your neighbour's basement until help does arrive. This has been a safety message from the Psyche Building, thank you for your cooperation."

"A blizzard, huh...?" Spence raised an eyebrow, "When has anyone been able to forecast the weather nowadays thanks to all Psyche's legendary clones mucking up the atmosphere?"

"Hey! You lot!" An old short woman banged open a door from a small house nearby, walking outside to greet them, "Are you deaf? There's a blizzard soon to hit! Come inside, the lot of you!" The old lady had pale purple-bagged hair, her skin the colour brown. She wore a flowing white and pink dress. She had this almost overwhelming charisma about her. She practically dragged Spence inside her house.

"Okay, okay! We're coming, geez..."

---

Inside the warm and inviting old lady's house were photos and pictures everywhere. Photographs displayed tough looking trainers and dragon-type pokemon. Gym Leaders and previous Elite Four members that even Spence couldn’t recognise from first glance. She seemed to have come from the Unova region, a region now plagued by war.

"Coffee, tea? Hot chocolate anyone?" She asked her guests.

"Oh! Hot chocolate for me, please!" Sarah's eyes lit up.

"Hot chocolate for the young lady, anyone else?"

Spence walked around the place, picking up a picture that caught his eye. It was a photograph of her in her youth, alongside a young trainer with a Pikachu. He turned around, looking to the welcoming fireplace. There seemed to be some kind of shrine in front of it, an orb of some kind warming on a cushion.

"What's that?" Sarah asked, pointing it out.

"Oh, that?" the lady went around, serving everyone hot drinks, "That's a dragon's egg, my dear."

"Oh, wow! I've never seen a dragon's egg before! They sure are different from normal ones... I couldn't even tell at first if it was just stone. I hope it hatches soon!" Sarah gazed down at it in excitement, "Spence, Bill and Silas have dragon-type pokemon, too!"

"Oh really, young lady?" The old lady cackled, soon taking a seat in her rocking chair by the egg and the fire. Spence walked over, sitting comfortably on the lounge as Sarah and the others sipped at their hot beverages. The old woman gazed into the fire, "Well, I haven't seen a group of Pokemon Trainers travelling together in long while. It certainly is a rare sight nowadays. What brings you to this city of all places?"

"I'm..." Spence turned to the fire before looking back in confusion, "You knew we were Pokemon Trainers?"

"Of course. I'm a Pokemon Trainer myself, you see. I've been travelling all across the world. I thought I would go visit Kanto before I go see my roots back in Blackthorn City. This house was for rent and I decided to stay for a couple of days before I took off again. "

"You're a Pokemon Trainer, too?"

"Yes indeed, in fact, I wasn't such a pushover in my time either. Consider yourselves lucky, you're in the presence of a Pokemon League Champion." She gave them a smirk.

"What?! You were a Champion?!" Spence jumped.

"Bahahahaha!!" The old lady laughed, almost falling off her rocking chair, "Haha! Of course I was, kid! Just call me Iris."

((you guys can have fun with old lady iris for a bit, she'll advance the plot next post. and if you're really nice she might offer axew to somebody.))

((I'll have to look at that when I get decent internet again...))

Axel refused the hot drinks, shaking his head. He wondered around the room with Zoroark, looking at disgust of the flowers neatly vased with cute pink bow ties around them. The smell of scents and flowers also got up his nose, "Ugh, gross..."

Champion Iris cackled again, finding enjoyment over the boys' beckering. She went on, "Yes, young man. I was a talented trainer in my day... I always looked forward to having serious battles with decicated pokemon trainers. The trainers who made it to the Elite Four fought their way to me with every fiber of their being, desiring victory above anything. They battled alongside their pokemon through countless difficult battles... In those times, the acknowledgement from those trainers through battle made me stronger, it made each other stronger."

"And then there was Psyche, right? Your little fairytale ended, I'm afraid. Too bad, lady." Axel spoke, giving a cruel smirk. Iris got up from her chair and walked over to him, placing a hand on Zoroark and patting it. To Axel's surprise, Zoroark was actually enjoying it. Axel glared at her, turning away in a pout, "Hmph!"

"Only through compassion and love for pokemon, will Psyche ever hope to truly rule. Without that, Psyche has already lost."

"But Psyche uses clones for total control of the regions. Those pokemon can't be tamed the way you described," Spence explained.

"Every pokemon gains something through battle and experiences. I'm sure, even a clone, and learn to feel and love."

Spence slouched, giving a shrug, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree somewhat with Axel. I just see no way that's true..."

Sarah nodded, agreeing absolutely with the once Pokemon League Champion, Iris. Sarah really liked this person.

Silas exited the train into a wintry setting and stopped cold; he hadn't been expecting snow. His Eevee jumped off of his shoulder and ran to join the others to play in the snow.

"Are you going to join them?" Silas asked a cloaked Fury who gave a snort in response. "You're no fun." Silas replied with a chuckle.

A loudspeaker soon came on announcing an impending, and apparently planned blizzard. Soon after an old lady was yelling at them to come into her house for shelter.

"Do we have a choice?" Silas followed the group in, scooping up Eevee and setting him on his shoulder.

*****

Silas removed his fedora as he walked into the quaint little house. Silas politely refused a hot beverage and took a seat, Fury sitting on the floor beside him and Eevee remaining on his shoulder.

Soon enough the group got into a debate about the clones, whether or not they had hearts and whether Psyche members cared about their Pokemon.

"Hey, just hold up a second. From what's being said here, all Psyche members don't care about their Pokemon. Does that mean I didn't care about my Pokemon until I left Psyche? Because if you think that, you're wrong. Many Psyche members do care about their Pokemon, even if it is so deep down that no one can see it." Silas had to stop and take a breath after his rant. "Back to the clones; if you think about it, one regular legendary is hard to control. You clone it and all of a sudden you have to control two, or however many you have. And the clones may or may not have some serious flaws. It may not be that the clones don't have the capacity for feelings, it may just be that they aren't perfect copies. And on top of that, wouldn't you be completely disoriented, confused, and possibly angry if you woke up to find any amount of copies of yourself suddenly there?"

((iris is old in this story, chillbill besides, everything else is kinda fine and based on the timeline... stop it lol.))

"Speaking logically, a clone is just that, right? A clone. It would generally have the exact same genetic make up from which it was clone from, correct? So why would the factor of emotion and compassion be any different? For example, take that Giratina back there. Catherine obviously cared for it, and it was willing to protect her. In my opinion, would it not be a case of nature versus nurture? If loved and taught to love, pokemon should reasonably love in return. However, in the altered instance of being taught only to battle, the pokemon will grow cold. Biologically, every living creature has the ability to care. Why should clones be any different?" Jimmy spoke.

"Heh. Growing up, huh? I guess you have to wearing something dorky like that," Axel remarked, ruffling up his hair from behind him.

Spence sighed, shaking his head to himself as the others continued, "But what exactly has been logical since we've journeyed together?" he muttered under his breath.

Bill chimed in, "What you say definitely has some base. But I'm not sure. Back at Fuschia... That cloned Azelf would have killed the woman. the child and Sarah and, by the looks of it, it would have enjoyed it. I don't think such a thing has something as a compassionate heart. Still, from what you tell us, Iris... Psyche doesn't have compassion for Pokemon, right? So how is it possible for them to control three regions? According to you, they should be doomed. But they rule this world for almost twenty years. Why is that?" He paused. "I don't mean to be rude, but this really seems strange to me."

Silas seemed somewhat irritated. "Hey, just hold up a second. From what's being said here, all Psyche members don't care about their Pokemon. Does that mean I didn't care about my Pokemon until I left Psyche? Because if you think that, you're wrong. Many Psyche members do care about their Pokemon, even if it is so deep down that no one can see it."

"Silas is right," Sarah broke in, arguing, "I don't believe all Psyche members are evil and heartless, either. They just can't be." It was more or less something she still had on her mind. It didn't exactly fit the current topic.

Axel started to glare. He was getting slightly irritated himself, but why...?

"Back to the clones; if you think about it, one regular legendary is hard to control. You clone it and all of a sudden you have to control two, or however many you have. And the clones may or may not have some serious flaws. It may not be that the clones don't have the capacity for feelings, it may just be that they aren't perfect copies. And on top of that, wouldn't you be completely disoriented, confused, and possibly angry if you woke up to find any amount of copies of yourself suddenly there?"

Spence got himself up, pacing around the room as he opened up for maybe the first time, "Before I journeyed to Unova, a long time ago, a successfully caught and captured a stray Articuno that had flown all the way into the Sinnoh region. I think it was trying to find a place to live and Sinnoh’s mountaintops suited the ice-type very well. It was a realisation of nature and instinct, even from a clone, as to why I tried to find hope in them in the first place... It was a tough and gruelling battle, and I almost died trying to capture it by myself... However, I had to eventually release it. Even after years of fighting, and pulling my pokemon through countless battles and nurturing them to health... Articuno never obeyed me, and it got to a point in time where I had to let it go and simply give up. It was one of my worse moments... Although I had raised and evolved my own Dragonite, an accomplishment in itself, I couldn't hope to raise that cloned Articuno... It would sometimes glare at me, like staring straight through me... I-- I don't care to admit, but I think it knew... I had abandoned my own pokemon and friend before I left when times got too hard for me. Mewtwo... Even though it was a clone, and I was young and stupid... I did know, however, that deep down Mewtwo had feelings of its own, that it had its own soul and its own heart like any other pokemon... but I ignored my own feelings. I know, generally legendary pokemon are hard to control and tame, but I... I don't know. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I still held a kind of hatred for them, and that I couldn't fully accept Articuno in my hateful heart for what it was... It was during my time in Midnight that Mewtwo DID destroy my home, I suppose..."

"Yes... I am the one who destroyed your home. Defeat me."

"My town... my friends and family... give them back, give them back!!"

"Legendary clones may have a right to deserve the same kind of care, respect and compassion like any other pokemon should have. Still, pokemon never have attacked humans, let alone cities and towns before without good reason. And that was what was happening and still is today, possibly not in Fuchsia, but many others without any warning... Travelling to the Kanto region from Unova, I have had several dog fights with clones that could've killed me if I had the slightest hesitation, so I guess I was suddenly surprised when I saw the same clones being used by Psyche soldiers in Saffron City when I first arrived here... The commander back at Fuchsia, before he let us go, said that those soldiers were strange somehow... But maybe through time, and by the right people, a legendary clone could develop what is called love... Hopefully, when Psyche is gone, we could live with the clones instead of always having to fight them...

I guess you could say I'm not the best trainer... A lot of people thought I was, but I'm not... I still have so much to learn about pokemon and myself. Through pokemon alone, I thought I could understand who I was after Midnight was destroyed and my friends were killed, but I was wrong... I guess you could say I'm still learning, and what you guys are saying makes sense, too. Thanks, I guess. Talking like this is actually kind of nice.

When I was first learning how to become a pokemon trainer with my first pokemon, Treecko, I was taught by a woman that through a pokemon trainer's battles, one could generally grow closer to each other. It's as Iris was saying... Winning or losing a pokemon battle didn't matter at all... As long as you learned something from your experience, cared for your pokemon and congratulate them above your on performance, you'll eventually grow unbreakable bonds... It's the reason why Baroo, Zidane, Cyan and Edward are still by my side today... However, nowadays, winning means survival... The only reward we pokemon trainers can achieve now is our lives, but we still have pokemon because we believe something Psyche does not. Silas, even you can't deny, although you defected from Psyche and although some of your friends their might have cared about their own pokemon, pokemon shouldn't ever be used to take other people's pokemon away... I've seen it all before, too many times to count. ...Join and fight with Psyche, or have your pokemon taken away from you forever, or worse... Sooner or later, if you had continued, your pokemon may have abandoned you... Just as my pokemon once did through my own arrogance... Eventually, they'll leave on their own record. Someday, I hope we can beat Psyche, and maybe change the minds of real pokemon trainers to be more like Silas and everyone here and realise how much damage Psyche is causing... And someday, get our old world back when it was the days of Gym Leaders and badges. I know... my greatest dream as a kid used to be becoming a Pokemon League Champion. But this generation... they don't even have the chance to have their own hopes and dreams for themselves." Spence glared into the blaze of fire, a piece of charred wood falling into the ash beneath it. Sparks from the fire blew into the chimney above.

"I guess you saw right through me and my little test... I may have mistook you for arrogant before by the look of ya, but I was wrong. I did say before that it was a rare find meeting you, and I guess I just wanted to see if your hearts were in the right place. You're all correct, by the way." Iris smiled to herself, rocking back and forth in her wooden chair, "I guess I should explain the meaning behind what I said. You're all still young, there's still so much to learn as pokemon trainers... I can understand that nowadays when I say battling with pokemon sounds bad. But from experience in the past, when I was a young girl, I learnt that battles can be tough, but they can always be really fun for both you and your pokemon… If Red and Gold swayed the hearts of Team Rocket with the love and dedication they shared with their pokemon through and through... I think it honestly showed in the way they had battled, and it was how the regions were saved back in the day. THAT was their greatest strength, and THAT is what we need today. It was why they became Champions, you see. Pokemon are our friends, not tools used for senseless battles and war, nor the destruction of towns and cities that once cherished pokemon everywhere, but through truly fun and exciting battles... That is the correct way pokemon should be treated."

Axel snorted, giving a loud and annoyed sigh. He had stared down Silas for awhile now and he have had enough of all the talking when they were in the presence of the biggest hypocrite ever. It was first spurred on by Sarah's comment after Silas, but nevertheless. "Enough! Psyche members are cruel and heartless along with their soulless doll clones! They wouldn't hesitate to harm their own pokemon if it benefited them! You're really one to talk, Ex-Psyche," Axel snapped at Silas, "For a while now, I had tried to put it out of my mind... I admit, I didn't want to consider it at first... I was beginning to warm up to you guys, maybe thanks to Jimmy I was starting to realise that you weren't just all full of crap."

"Axel, what are you talking about...?" Spence glared back, trying to attempt to calm him down.

He continued, "...But then I saw it, during your training in Lavender Town... Ages ago, I had met and battled a kid for the heck of it, for the so-called entertainment the old woman mentioned. He was training his own Electrike... sound familiar?" he glared at him, coldly, "I KNOW you have the same pokemon! Admit it! I just hope the kid's all right... If not, you'll be answering to me, Silas... So, before you say Psyche isn't all that bad, how about you have a real hard think about the crimes you've committed and realise what is really evil in this world... hypocrites, storytellers, and frauds, just like all of you!" Axel had stormed out, slamming the door behind him. His Zoroark whimpered, rushing through the door after him. While Zoroark kept running to catch up to its partner, Axel walked off, a mean look on his face, hands to his pockets.

"Axel...?" Spence stared blankly, soon giving a sad gaze downward, "I guess some people besides me, still can't simply forgive and forget." He bowed his head, "I'm sorry about this, Iris."

"Don't worry about it, and I'm sure everything will be fine. I think that man only needed to let out some pent up anger. I'm sure he'll be alright."

"I guess... Silas," Spence turned, "Are you okay?"

---

"Hypocrites and fairytales, I know exactly who these people are now." Axel glared, staring off before a cliff face. Zoroark had caught up to him, snow still falling overhead. Axel didn't say another word, simply placing his hands back into his pockets as a draft picked up his coat, a shiver of cold wind. Beyond the cliff was a river, and beyond the river led to mountains where a mysterious Cerulean Cave laid secluded.

After everyone made their arguments, Spence gave a long-winded speech about his experiences on the matter and what he thought. Silas' opinion on the matter remained relatively the same. Iris then piped up saying that they had passed her test.

Axel gave a derisive snort and Silas looked over to find that he was being stared down.

"Enough! Psyche members are cruel and heartless along with their soulless doll clones! They wouldn't hesitate to harm their own pokemon if it benefited them! You're really one to talk, Ex-Psyche," Axel snapped at Silas, "For a while now, I had tried to put it out of my mind... I admit, I didn't want to consider it at first... I was beginning to warm up to you guys, maybe thanks to Jimmy I was starting to realise that you weren't just all full of crap."

"Axel, what are you talking about...?" Spence glared back, trying to attempt to calm him down.

"Spence, let him finish." Silas said in a flat voice.

Axel continued, "...But then I saw it, during your training in Lavender Town... Ages ago, I had met and battled a kid for the heck of it, for the so-called entertainment the old woman mentioned. He was training his own Electrike... sound familiar?" he glared at Silas, coldly, "I KNOW you have the same pokemon! Admit it! I just hope the kid's all right... If not, you'll be answering to me, Silas... So, before you say Psyche isn't all that bad, how about you have a real hard think about the crimes you've committed and realise what is really evil in this world... hypocrites, storytellers, and frauds, just like all of you!" Axel had stormed out, slamming the door behind him. His Zoroark whimpered, rushing through the door after him. While Zoroark kept running to catch up to its partner, Axel walked off, a mean look on his face, hands to his pockets.

Silas groaned and let his head sink into his hands.

"Axel...?" Spence stared blankly, soon giving a sad gaze downward, "I guess some people besides me, still can't simply forgive and forget." He bowed his head, "I'm sorry about this, Iris."

"Don't worry about it, and I'm sure everything will be fine. I think that man only needed to let out some pent up anger. I'm sure he'll be alright."

"I guess... Silas," Spence turned, "Are you okay?"

Bill cursed under his breath as Gina ram after Axel. "Seriously, what's gotten into them?" He turned to Silas. "What was that about the Pokemon?"

"I guess it had to come out eventually. I may be a fraud and a storyteller, but I'm not a hypocrite. Spence, I'm not okay. And Bill, I'll get to that. Before I get too far into this, you all probably need some background info. Most of you may have guessed already, but I'm from Hoenn, Mauville to be exact. My father was and still is, as far as I know, a high ranking Psyche member stationed in Mauville. He trained me to join Psyche pretty much from day one. Fury and Spike were my first two Pokemon. I later caught Quake in the desert during survival training. I rose through the ranks quickly, due to my own skill and my father's influence. Soon enough I was respected as a trainer and I was in charge of three other Psyche members.

Before I go any further, Axel is right. I'm not Jolt's original trainer, that kid he was talking about was. He was just a young kid and Jolt was his only Pokemon. Before you judge me, let me finish. You all think you know how this goes, but you don't." Silas paused for a moment glancing around.

"One day my squad and I were ordered to take out a group of trainers who had been causing some trouble. The order actually came from my father. We caught up to them north of Mauville on Route 111. There were three of them, the kid with Electrike, one with a Maril, and one with a Swellow. The kids with Maril and Swellow surrendered but the kid with Electrike ran. Tony, probably one of my closest friends, and I stayed with the two who had surrendered while Matt and Murray went after the kid.

In retrospect that was a bad decision on my part, Matt and Murray are twins and they have a bad case of getting carried away. I should have split them up. Anyways, Tony and I forced the two others to release their Pokemon, neither of us wanted to see Psyche use them. They couldn't have fought back, not with both of us and our Pokemon their. Soon after the twins returned, Matt's Shiftry dragging a body and Murray carrying a pokeball.

Needless to say, I felt horrible. Soon after I took off stealing Jolt from Psyche in the process. Tony wanted to come but he didn't want to leave his family. After that I made my way to Saffron and you know the rest." Silas paused again. "That incident is the reason I'm fighting Psyche. There are good people like Tony in Psyche, but there are also those who are like the twins." Silas sat back. "If you think I'm lying, I'm sure Trevor's Gallade or Spence's Lucario could decide whether or not that's the case. And one last thing, if Axel comes after me like he said he would, all of you will stay out of it; it's my fight."

It started raining again as Trevor, Ivysaur, and the Haunter made their way through the forest. He recapped what Spence did after everyone agreed to follow him to Cerulean.

"Here. Wolf is letting you take his Haunter to investigate the burial grounds." Spence and Trevor were outside while the rest of the group were still inside. Trevor took the pokeball, "Honestly I'm a little scared. I'm scared that I'll find something.....but I'm more scared if I don't find anything." They agreed that Trevor would meet up with the group at the station at dusk.

The clearing came into view, Trevor taking a deep breath as he prepared for what was about to happen. The group came to the gravestone that read Trevor's name. "Alright Seeker find the truth. See what's beneath this grave."

The Haunter dove into the ground like it was nothing but air. It quickly rose out of the ground as it did diving in. Trevor was anxious, "Well?! Did you find anything?!" The Haunter shook it's head, signifying there was nothing beneath the ground. Trevor tremored a bit, the truth starting to sink rather quickly. That meant that he had to be the same Crimson he thought he killed many years ago. I am Crimson and Red was my clone..... He looked at his mother's grave and knelt at it.

"I'm sorry mother. I'm sorry that I wasn't here to protect you and everyone else."

A figure appeared hovering above the headstone. "But you didn't my son." Trevor looked up, tears in his eyes, as he saw a beautiful woman dressed in a green kimono smiling down at him. She continued talking, "You were too young to fight when Psyche came to crush the gym. We hid you in the green house while your Bulbasaur kept guard over you." The ghost of Erika saddened, "But Psyche still found you. They took you as they destroyed everything. There was nothing I could do, they were too strong with their clones."

"Though I am glad you were kept alive, even though I couldn't watch you grow." Trevor interrupted her, "But why can't I remember anything? Why is it all bits and pieces?" Erika shook her head, "That I don't know. Psyche is full of strange and evil things, so be cautious when you face any of the elite members. There is something odd about them and their Pokemon."

Erika turned, like she heard something from far away, "It looks like my time is up and I have to go back." Trevor started to cry, his beloved mother smiling back. "Trevor I want you to know that I love you and I always did, no matter what side you were on." Trevor cried out her name but she was already shimmering out of sight.

As Trevor and the group of Pokemon left the clearing he turned to look at the edge of the clearing, swearing he felt a presence there watching. But Trevor shrugged it off, the feeling of dread overwhelming him.
----------------------------
Trevor sat in the corner, listening to the ongoing converstions. Spence's heart to heart, Axel's rant, and Silas' confession.

He stood up, "We all have done things in our past that we regret, Axel is no exception. Though some of us have done things worse than others, it's still all in the past and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it now." Trevor touched his belt holding his Pokemon. "Gallade and Vaporeon were acquired the same way that Silas got his. My team murdered a man after he entrusted his Pokemon to me. I should of stopped my team but I was weak then." He smiled, "But they forgave me and I trust my life with them."

"My mother could befriend the most savage Pokemon and I'm sure she could of tamed a clone if given the chance. Every Pokemon does indeed deserve a chance, clone or original." Trevor looked at Spence, "Red knew that more than anyone."
--------------
Outside, a jet-like figure watched from the tree line. It's body shivered slightly in the oddly brutal cold.

It had been following the train since it left Celadon, and had been following Trevor even longer.

((Jimmy, that song is a- -mazing.))
Root and Wolf took the Champions offer. "I don't want to be rude or anything." Wolf said, and sat back. Spence began to speak, and speak, and speak. It was ever so touching, and Wolf paid a lot of attention to it. What caught him off-guard, though, was Axel's response. When Axel snapped on Silas, it made Wolf jump. He felt angry at himself and at Axel upon his exit. He was angry at himself for being associated with Psyche, but more so at Axel. Axel could have gone after anyone; Trevor, Wolf, even Root, seeing how the three were associated with Psyche recently. Of course, he had to go after Silas.
Wolf didn't like it. He smirked. "So, he's angry for jumping the gun and judging Silas as a criminal, eventhough he used to be a Rocket himself? No offense, Jimmy." Wolf said aloud.
Root was surprised by Wolf's reaction. Any other time somebody would have an outburst, he'd usually get in their face and try to either stop stuff from happening or just instigate, but he rarely ever sat back and issued a snide remark.
"I mean, I'm a bounty hunter, but that doesn't mean I kill people for a living or kiss the feet of the highest bidder everyday." Wolf said. "I caught Gar here, almost a decade ago, and Seeker in Lavendar about three years ago. I may have caught them for mixed intentions, but that doesn't mean I only ever socialize with them or care for them when they are in battle. Which reminds me..." He took out both of his pokeballs. "I still need to heal them." he stated quite shamefully.

Spence sighed as both Gina and Jimmy followed after Axel. The worried man made his way over to the window just after a blue blur outside quickly raced away. He gazed out. The blizzard the intercom mentioned was approaching quicker than expected, he remained quiet long after everyone gave their opinions, "...I'm sure we've done a lot of cruel things in the past that we've all regretted, but Trevor's right, whether Psyche's to blame or not, we're all responsible for our own actions, and the past is the past. I must admit though, if either one of you were in my place back then, maybe you wouldn't have made the same mistakes I did."

"Rocket may have been a criminal syndicate, but they're not on Psyche's level, Wolf. Axel, Jimmy, Scarlet... they've all helped us this far, and besides, our Eevee were in excellent condition. I think anybody who cares enough about pokemon should be given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise," Sarah commented, turning to Red with a smile, "Your mother could really do that? She must have been a really wonderful person. I hope one day I'll be able to catch a clone and tame it myself... I agree, they do deserve a second chance."

Spence turned, responding to Silas, "Because you're both with me, Silas, it's my responsibility to take action if that is Axel's intention. I'm sorry, but I can't allow fighting to happen within our own group. I'm trying to rebuild Team Midnight, not destroy it from the inside after we've been through so much.

I thought Axel never felt regret, that he was really cold at first... I didn't think he cared about anything about anyone... I felt for sure Axel coming along and sticking to Jimmy's side was only to satisfy his own interests, like he still owned their family and Team Rocket a favour or something..." Spence continued, "But he cared that much over the death of a child... If Axel really wanted to just take revenge, he could've had a fight here. Besides, he was always after me, too. He wanted to see what kind of man I was, I think. I never got to know why.

We've all come from very different backgrounds, bad or good. But it's because we have a common goal that we should stick together. Creating wars, taking regions and pokemon, experimentations and cloning legendaries while having no care of the repercussions is abusing nature and our world. Team Midnight has an obligation to stop Psyche, no matter what. If anything, it's our differences that should make us stronger, and the care and loyalty we do have with pokemon."

---

"Why... Why was I brought here...? I was supposed to be looking after Jimmy for his family and keeping an eye on that old man... Why did I lash out like that...? It wasn't me..."

Axel growled, gazing upon the mountains that lead into Cerulean Cave. The bitter and chilling winds did not faze him in the least. It was as if he was fixated on it, as if communicating to it. Zoroark watched Axel carefully from behind him. Suddenly, Axel's head throbbed. He grabbed his head, falling to his knees. Zoroark barked. His eyes shot open, as if realising a sudden and shocking truth. Catherine was a puppet, then so... was...!!

"NO!! I'M NOT YOUR PUPPET TO CONTROL!!!" he roared, teeth snarled.

"You haven't gotten a choice, Axel, our brother... No. 6..."

"I'm not your brother you conceited witch... First, you murdered Red... Then, you people killed my family... My REAL family...!!" Flashbacks of Jimmy's brothers and Red flooded through his memories, "I'll make you pay, I'll make you ALL pay...!!"

"Oh.. but Axel, we're not giving you a choice. We may have let you go do your own thing after we lost you during the battle between Colors, but now that we've finally found you--- thanks to Spence, of course... I think you'll do just as we say..."

"NO!! Gahhhh!! You will NOT...!! You will NOT control me...!!!!!" Axel fought back as hard as he could, trying to mentally fight his way out of their grasp. But as hard as he tried, there wasn't anything that could be done... Zoroark barked, snarling. Catching a scent off off towards Cerulean Cave, the Zoroark jumped from the cliff before dashing for the mountains, "Zoroark... Jimmy... I'm sorry..." Axel murmured, before fainting and falling into the snow.

Axel's subconscious fell into a dark prison, falling under the control of three shadowy figures.

Moments later, after being buried in snow... Axel's eyes reopened. The light in his red eyes had vanished. Axel was no more.

---

When Gina and Jimmy finally found Axel, he seemed to be fine, however, he wasn't completely acting like himself either. Axel kneeled back up, standing before turning to see the girl and young man.

"Gina, Jimmy... I didn't think you would follow me. Listen, I'm sorry about before, but I think I need your help," Sorry?! Jimmy, don't listen to me!! Damn it, it's no good!! She's got my body completely under her control!! Grr, you bitch!! Let me go!! "Zoroark's run away from me again. I think he ran off towards the mountains. There's a cave up there, he might have seen something up there and went to investigate."

"Gina, you better go warn the others where were going. Jimmy, your Pidgeot should be strong enough to fly us up there with no trouble, right?"

Axel turned his back to Jimmy as Gina went off to tell Spence and the others. A large smirk grew across his mouth.

---

"Ah, it's hatching!" Iris exclaimed, hovering over her dragon-type egg. With the sound of the egg cracking, it suddenly glowed until the egg revealed the hidden pokemon inside. Axew had hatched from the egg.

"Aw wow! It's so cute!" Sarah said, taking it to cuddle.

Iris laughed, handing her a pokeball, "Please, make sure that man gets it."

"That man? Wait! You don't mean Axel, do you?!"

Iris nodded, lowing her head and resting, "Sadly, in these times, the only pokemon trainers in this world are those fighting a war and those using pokemon to hurt others. Back then, I chose not to decide and handed down my pokemon to the next generation. I had hoped maybe their youth and promises could change things... Until there's peace again, I'm afraid I made the wrong decision, and decided I couldn't be the Champion I once was and feel the thrill of being in an enjoyable pokemon battle... Meeting all of you made me realise this. I believe that man deserves second chance, just like the Legendary Pokemon you speak of."

Spence chuckled, giving a nod, "You're right. Let's get moving everyone." Spence made his way out, turning, "What will you do now, Iris?"

"Well, I'll be waiting until the blizzard blows over... Then, I'll probably travel to the next region. But enough about me, you guys better get cracking! There's a whole wide world to save!!"

"Well, thanks, maybe we'll see each other again someday," Spence grinned, heading out the door.

---

Once outside in the blistering winds, Spence walked with Trevor.

"I didn't realise you learnt about Red... You can tell me about it later AFTER we've found the others."

"Wolf, do you want to make sure your hometown is safe?" Spence asked before getting out a pokeball. He released his Lucario.

"Edward should be able to track down their auras from here. They couldn't have gone far."