“Pikachu!”

        Ash and his friends yelled when Pikachu shocked them.

        “What the—?” Wendy and Sven shot up in bed, and Kellyn lifted his hands, stepping off Pikachu’s tail.

        “I’m so sorry, Pikachu!”

        Behind him, Torterra giggled.

        Dawn quickly started on her messed-up hair, but Brock and Ash faced Kellyn.

        Ash studied his uniform and asked, “What’s going on, Kellyn?” Did he actually try to sneak out while they, Sven, and Wendy slept? And what was that Pokémon behind him? It hid in the shadows, but it looked like a Torterra, the final Evolution of Ash’s Grass Starter, Turtwig.

        Kellyn’s alarmed face changed to… slight disappointment? “I made a mistake, and now we must leave now instead of in the morning.”

        Had he slept? What was he talking about?

        Ash’s brown eyes widened when the Pokémon stepped out of the shadows. It was a Torterra. It was hard to miss that tree on its back.

        Kellyn patted its shell and explained, “I caught Torterra when J ambushed us, but…” His voice quivered. “I released him too late, and he followed me here.”

        “What?” Sven and Wendy got out of bed and approached him.

        It was strange to see Wendy upset. “You know better, Kellyn!”

        “That means the Hunter may have tracked us here with your Capture Signal.” Sven clicked his tongue. Was there a hidden rivalry between him and Kellyn? It seemed so because Sven added, “I’m surprised you haven’t been demoted to Rank 8, too.”

        Dang, talk about tough love!

        Kellyn turned a bright red, but he didn’t fight Sven.

        Wendy turned to him. “You didn’t have to say that, Sven.”

        He glared. “He needs tough love, Wendy.” Why did Sven remind Ash of Paul?

        Kellyn appeared too embarrassed to speak, so Sven took the lead. “If the Hunter is coming, then we need someone to defend the Union, just in case.” He looked at Ash, Brock, and Dawn. “How about you Pokémon Trainers do it?”

        What? Excuse him! What was with these Top Rangers?

        Ash and Brock growled, but Dawn stood and clenched her fists, leaning into Sven. “I don’t know what your problem is, Sven, but we’re helping! So cool it!”

        Brock remained calm. “We can’t come to a new region and not be dragged into an end-of-the-world scenario.”

        “I’m sure we’ve saved it way more than you!” Ash fought. Lighting flashed between him, Brock, Dawn, and Sven.

        “Stop it!” Wendy said, pulling them apart. “We can’t teach Kellyn about teamwork like this.”

        “But—!” Kellyn tried.

        “Hastings and Erma made themselves clear,” Wendy included. “We’re doing this mission together.”

        “But, but…” Kellyn and Sven said.

        “Shush!” Wendy clamped her fingers into a duckbill. “Together! That’s final.”

        From there, Ash knew the mission wouldn’t be as easy as he hoped.

        He and the others changed and packed their things, and then Ash, Brock, and Dawn accompanied the three Rangers to the Conference Room for one final briefing.

        Kellyn still appeared embarrassed by Sven’s tough love, but he straightened up once they entered the Conference Room.

        Ash didn’t like the looks Sven gave him and his friends, so Wendy intervened and shooed him away.

        Erma and Hastings were up and about, but Ash didn’t see Kellyn’s family (then again, it was midnight).

        Hastings approached Kellyn and held his Vatonage Styler out to him. “Sorry about the delay, Kellyn, but here’s your Styler.”

        My Styler, but I don’t deserve it, Ash saw in Kellyn’s eyes. Hands shaking, he removed his Fine Styler and traded it for his Vatonage one.

        Hastings banged his cane. “Now, before you leave, everyone, take a look at the monitor underneath us.”

        Ash and his friends’ eyes lit up when the monitor turned on, revealing a picture of Kellyn’s Vatonage Styler and a plan beside it.

        “So cool,” Ash squealed, but he quickly became serious again, especially when Sven huffed and crossed his arms. Why did he hold a grudge against Ash and his friends? They were merely ready for another end-of-the-world scenario involving Legendary Pokémon.

        “Now, Kellyn,” Hastings elucidated, his tone discreet. “All three Operators and a Mechanic ran a diagnostic test on your Styler, but they didn’t find anything wrong with it.”

        “Uh, okay?” Kellyn seemed just as confused as Ash and his friends. They literally saw his Styler spark.

        “That means that what happened, dear,” Erma said, “had to do with your Vatonage power. Hastings and I believe that you momentarily gave in to darkness instead of balancing it and light, and it overpowered the Styler.”

        “Okay,” Kellyn repeated (he looked even more bewildered now). “So, what does that mean?”

        It meant that Kellyn needed a therapist, but since Ash knew that whatever was happening to him was more than that, he listened.

        Hastings tossed him the tough love again. “It means that you’re unbalanced, Kellyn, and cannot harness Vatonage on your own if you don’t rest and work with the others. It means that if you continue giving in to darkness, you could make the same mistake as the King of Olde, break your Styler, and create a new Shadow Crystal.”

        King of Olde? A new Shadow Crystal? Ash didn’t know the whole story, but he knew it was serious. He remembered catching a glimpse of the “Tears of Princes” in Almia’s Visitor’s Center. Did that have to do with the King of Olde?

        Wendy, and even Sven (though it was subtle), gave Kellyn a concerned look.

        Erma said, “We fear, dear, that if you don’t leave now and are captured by the Hunter, she will exploit you—and maybe even the Rainbow Birds—and turn you into a human Gigaremo. That would be deadly for you, Almia, and the Luminous Crystal.”

        Was that what happened in the forest: Kellyn temporarily became a human Gigaremo by giving in to darkness? Wow, he really carried a divine power, didn’t he?

        Sven opened his mouth, but Hastings held up his hand. “Before you argue, Sven, we’re recruiting a few Area Rangers to look after the Union in your guys’ absence.”

        He argued, anyway. “But the Pokémon Trainers…!”

        Hastings narrowed his eyes. “Would you like a demotion, too? Wendy told us that—mind you—Ash, Brock, and Dawn can weaken Pokémon if Kellyn’s power accidentally spirals out of control again.”

        Sven shut up and lowered his hat.

        Ash noticed Wendy giving him a Watch yourself, Sven, look.

        Erma focused on Kellyn. “Don’t worry about your family, dear. We will take care of them until we can get them back to Chicole Village. Would you like me to wake them?”

        “No.” Kellyn shook his head. “Let them sleep. Just tell them that I love them and am sorry.”

        “Dear…” Erma’s voice trailed.

        Kellyn turned on his heel. “I guess I should get Blue-Bird.” He placed his Styler on his arm and walked out of the room toward the medical bay, Torterra following him.

        “I’m worried about him,” Erma said. “Please”—she glanced at Ash, his friends, Sven, and Wendy—“you’ve got to help him before the worst happens.”

        Brock smiled gently. “No worries, Erma, Hastings. Ash, Dawn, and I are experts when it comes to helping people and confronting Legendaries.” He moved near Wendy with his following line. “I’m happy to work with the famous Flying Ranger. Thank you, Wendy!” He grasped her hands. “Maybe after all this is over…!”

        Croagunk popped out of its pokéball and Poison Jabbed him before he got too far.

        “I think I’m living in the shadow now.” Brock sank to the ground, and Croagunk dragged him away.

        “Cro, Cro, Cro.”

        Ash and Dawn chuckled (Brock couldn’t help himself), but then something crossed Ash’s mind.

        Brock wasn’t wrong. Kellyn was living in the shadow, the shadow of the Hero of Almia, and only they, Sven, and Wendy could save him.