*Nathan's POV*

"Hey!" Maxwell whispers, tapping me on the shoulder again and again.

"Nnngh..." I groggily respond, not budging at all.

"Wake up! Nathan! What about Voltflare?!" Maxwell resuscitates, and, at my partner's name, my eyes fly open in a hurry.

"Voltflare?! Wha... where?! Mmph!" I try to panic, but Maxwell covers my mouth with his large palm.

"Shh..." he warns,

"We're not really safe where we are, but I just had to get you out of the water before I could focus on anything else."

I look down at my tattered lab coat and jeans. I'm thoroughly soaked, but, luckily, my glasses are still intact, secured around my neck with a rubber band. Judging by the closeness of the knot in it, Maxwell is the one that saved my glasses before they sank into the waters.

Speaking of which...

"What about your Dragonite? Is he alright?" I ask, while attempting to organize what little semblance of an appearance I still had left.

"Yes," he quickly dismisses me without a second thought,

"My Pokemon and I are fine. But, based on what I've been seeing around here, I'm not sure if Voltflare is..."

My heart sinks.

What could Colress possibly be doing to him?!

My mind flashes back to the many times Voltflare had to endure unspeakable things because of Giovanni, and Cyrus, and Ghetsis, and...

"No," I slowly tell Maxwell,

"I'm not going to let Colress torture him!" My fists curl into a ball.

"That's the spirit," Maxwell applauds me, still keeping his voice to a whisper,

"Now, as I was saying, based on what I've been seeing around here, I'm not sure if Voltflare is safe. Remember that ship that attacked us, the one that blew off part of my precious Pokemon's wing?"

I nod, wincing in pain, and he continues,

"The vessel docked not too long ago. A large group of light-blue hooded men came pouring out of the craft, and each of them were lugging around pieces of some mechanical object with them. I couldn't quite tell what they were attempting to build, but, when I saw them disappear around a few bushes, I figured I would tail them for a little while. I hid you under some brush and went after them. One of the men at the front of the group put down his load and stopped in front of a large warehouse. The door was rusted over with age, and a small metal slot, in pristine condition, jutted out of the side.

"Welcome ... P2... La.. tory..." a broken metallic voice greeted him when he stepped up to the door. Wordlessly, he pulled a small key card, bearing a design that matched the one on Ghetsis' cane, from his pocket and slid it across the door's reader. A small aperture opened above the door's iron handle, and two blue eyes peeked out of it.

'Ahh, these must be the parts that I needed,' a voice that I could clearly identify as Colress chimed,

'Bring those in here with all haste. And be careful not to disturb the precious Equilibrium Pokemon. He's... interesting.'

The aperture faded back into the door, which opened with a metal clink. The entire horde of men, each bearing their mechanical part like a newfound trophy, happily crept into the metal door, which closed and locked behind them. As soon as I saw that the coast was clear, I came back to get you, so we could raid that warehouse together. So, are you ready to show these chumps who they're messing with?" Maxwell roars.

I nod, and he points to my Metagross' Pokeball.

"My Dragonite's still resting. It'll be a while for wounds like that to heal, so why don't we kickstart this with your Metagross. Besides, that thing hacked into Team Rocket's elevator to stall it way back when- I'm sure that it could easily pulverize that locked door, even without the key card."

I slowly bring out my Metagross' Pokeball, but I begin to have seconds thoughts about it.

He does have a point... But...

I have a pretty good idea of what's inside that warehouse, but I remember the threat that Colress had given us when we attempted to save Voltflare.

"Don't follow me. Don't even think about it. If you attempt to stand in the way of science, I will not hesitate to subdue you with your own Pokemon..." Now that I think about it, Metagross smashing down the door would draw too much attention to us. And if Colress realizes that we're here, no doubt that he'd force Voltflare to attack us. I don't want to have to fight my own Pokemon- I really don't.

I turn to Maxwell and relay what's going through my head.

"Remember what Colress told us back at the Giant Chasm?" I ask him,

"If he's in that warehouse, and he catches us here, he'll sic Voltflare on us. I... I don't think I could bring myself to fight him. If he really is under Colress' control, I need to find a way to snap him out of it. If you fought him with your Dragonite, his mind would be fully focused on only survival, and he might lock up to reason altogether."

Maxwell rubs his chin, processing what I've just told him.

"Well, that would make sense... But just how do you plan to get in there without breaking the door down? Wait- get down!" he quickly whispers, grabbing me by my shirt and yanking me into some nearby bushes,

"Here comes another round of those hooded men, probably with more machinery and whatnot."

I nod and keep my mouth shut, soundlessly following the group of seven figures with my eyes, and the gears in my mind are already working on a plan.

Getting in by force is out of the question- that'll alert Colress to us being here for sure. But if we steal the key card and use it to get in, we can slip in quietly and get the jump on that crazy Scientist! I know just the Pokemon for this kind of stealthy manipulation!

"I've got an idea. Watch this," I instruct Maxwell, and, as quietly as I can, I reach to my belt and press the button on Markus' Pokeball to open it.

The ensuing bright is released from the ball in close proximity, blinding me for a few seconds, but, luckily, Maxwell and I are the only ones to see it- the natural camouflage of the bushes do a good enough job to conceal it from the eyes of those cowled grunts.

The elder Espeon appears out of the light, and he immediately senses the direness of the situation. His purple ears perk up like satellites, his tail flicks wistfully, and he lowers his body to the ground.

"I've heard everything that's gone on from inside that Pokeball," Markus whispers,
"So Voltflare's been taken by Colress, who's hiding out here. The only way into that warehouse is with a key card, unless we choose to break down the door, but that would definitely raise an alarm..."

"Welcome... P2... boratory..." the loud computerized voice interrupts the Espeon, and the door to the warehouse opens. From our hiding place, I quickly relay to Markus,

"He's about to motion the others to head inside. Then, he'll go in, himself, and the door will shut on us. I need you to pause the man outside with Psychic just long enough for the door to shut on him, locking the card-bearer out here with us. That way, we can grab it and get in, ourselves."

"Voltflare..." Markus murmurs. Then his hazel eyes take on a bluish shade, and his body becomes deathly still. I can tell that he's deep in concentration, and I don't want to disturb him. But time's running out- our pass inside is entering the warehouse as we speak. I watch, hopelessly, as the man carrying the key card crosses the threshold, and the door begins to close.

Then, Markus yells,

"Hey, over here!"

But his voice isn't his own. It sounds like...

Colress... How are you able to imitate Colress' voice?!

The Espeon grins in my direction, signaling that he has a plan. The startled guard quickly turns around, dazed and confused.

"Sir? Colress, sir, you told me to bring this to the lab. Should I drop off this precious cargo?"

"Bah! That can wait! It's hardly as important as what I've found. It's about..." Markus's Colress voice falters,

"It's about Voltflare. I think you need to see this."

Markus continues to talk to the man, posing as Colress the entire time. The hooded man walks closer and closer to our hiding place.

A dozen paces away.

Ten.

Eight.

You've got a plan, Markus? Because, if you don't do something about the guard that you've just brought here...

Six paces. Five- four.

Markus points at Maxwell with a purple paw, then at the approaching man. He mimes a punching motion, and Maxwell smiles.

"I gotcha," he whispers,

"Don't worry- I'll take him out for ya!"

Three paces. Two.

"Sir, are you in the bushes?" the peon asks,

"What kind of thing would you need to show me in the bushes?!"

Maxwell leans forward like a hungry Persian- ready to leap off its feline haunches and pounce.

One pace. A half-pace.

The man reaches down and begins to part the bushes, and, as soon as I can see the man's gloved hand poking through the green, Markus yells,

"Now!"

Without hesitation, Maxwell springs out of the bushes and grabs the card-bearer by his light blue collar.

"Surprise," he crows, just before he lets loose with an abrupt haymaker that knocks the man unconscious. Maxwell smiles when his target crumples to the ground in his grip. He nimbly snatches the emblazoned key card from the outstretched comatose hand and saunters over to the warehouse's door. Markus and I cautiously watch for any more incoming grunts that could potentially sound the alarm before following him.

By the time that we've decided that the area is safe, Maxwell has already swiped the key card and opened the door.

"Wel... P2 Laboratory..." the computerized voice chimes, and the door opens. I glance behind us one last time before our small group of three steps through the open doorway, and the metal gate slams shut behind us, locking with a swift, forceful click that startles me.

"Well," Maxwell whispers nervously,

"We're stuck here- so we might as well have a look around. I quickly agree and begin to scan the surroundings, which practically resemble a utopia for any Scientist. The walls are painted a relaxing beige color, and the floor is made of tile in much the same hue. Rows and rows of colorful machinery line the walls, whirring and buzzing with activity in anticipation for their next use. Scores of loose cables stick out everywhere, and an entire echelon of boxes sits behind a large table. Several of them are open, but none of the contents are disturbed. I take a peek inside- they're full of motors and appliances- an oven, an electric fan and more. They will all probably be used for spare parts eventually. I turn my attention to the back of the room, where a large metal desk, swamped with papers of all colors, shapes, and sizes, guards another keycard-locked door. Judging by the size of the object in front of the door, it is clearly meant to prevent access.

"Maxwell, could you give me a hand with this?" I turn to Maxwell, knowing that the combined strength of both me and him will easily be enough to move the desk without inadvertently rearranging its contents.

He nods and walks over to the object. He sizes it up for a second, then firmly grabs the left side of it with both hands.

"You take the right," he grunts, motioning to the desk's other side with his reddened face.

"This thing's heavier than I thought! Markus, help us out a little, would ya?"

The Espeon pauses, and his eyes glow blue. I move into position on the desk's right side and grip it for all I'm worth. I pull up as hard as I can, but, despite my best efforts, I can't get my side to leave the ground. Markus laughs.

"Back in my day people helped Elders get things done- I see it's the reverse now," he smiles sarcastically, and easily lifts the heavy desk with Psychic, moving it, Maxwell, and I to an empty spot where the desk would fit.

I thank Markus for his help and approach the locked door once again.

Perhaps this door's where Colress' goons brought all that machinery... I think.

"Another one of these dang things?!" Maxwell curses, jamming his key card into the open slot and swiping.

Nothing happens.

Do we just not have the level of clearance needed to open this door? But who would have the key card that we need? Hm...

In my pondering, I see a large handprint reader in the corner of my vision. The screen is faded, and I wonder if it still works, but I've got to try it.

Giving Maxwell a nervous glance, I place my left hand on the reader, and a computerized voice answers me,

"Scanning..."

"Scanning..."

"Scanning complete. Welcome, Scientist," it finally chirps, and the door slides open.

Without hesitation, I step through the door, and Maxwell and Markus follow me in, while the door closes and seals to signify our successful passage.

This next room is much of the same- machinery, boxes, and so on. I almost discredit it entire when my eyes come to rest on a familiar sight- one that fills me with both compassion and dread. There, peacefully sleeping in a red circular bed affixed to one corner of the room, like nothing in the world could distract him, is Voltflare. A few, uglied patches of crimson adorn part of the structure, no doubt from Voltflare's wounds.

I immediately lower my voice, and clench my fist in silent frustration. I try to keep my breathing to a minimum, and I signal for the others to do the same.

If any of us even make a sound, he'll wake up and attack us, I guarantee it.

"Let me take care of this," Markus speaks directly into my mind, and, before I can stop him, he begins humming that age-old Eevee nursery song that Voltflare could even put me to sleep with if he really tried. Markus' voice isn't quite as hypnotic while performing the tune, but it still makes me drowsy, nonetheless. Oddly, Maxwell seems to be unaffected by the melody, but I can see Voltflare visibly falling into a deeper and deeper sleep with each passing verse.

I breathe a silent sigh of relief.

Markus... Thanks... I think to myself, but I don't say a word to tell him that- I don't want to risk waking the sleeping Equilibrium Pokemon.

He probably already knows what I'm thinking, anyhow.

Even though Voltflare is sound asleep once again, we're not out of the clear just yet. Before I can react, a computerized voice calls,

"Wel... P2 Lab..."

My blood chills, and the three of us whirl around in surprise. We all know what that voice signifies- someone's come back to the lab, and with my luck, it's bound to be Colress.

"Hide," I quickly say to Maxwell and Markus,

"We've got to remain undetected until..."

"Until what?!" the calm calculating voice of Voltflare's Scientist captor interrupts me and keeps me from saying anything more. Before any of us can react, the locked door behind us opens, and Colress calmly stands in the doorway. Judging by the resolute expression on his face and his death-grip on his clipboard, he's definitely not happy about our espionage here. I quickly return Markus to his Pokeball, before the mad Scientist gets any bright ideas about experiment on him, as well as Voltflare.

Colress raises an eyebrow.

"So, you actually had the gall to follow me... I'm impressed. But it doesn't matter to me in the slightest. I just knew that you would come to save your Pokemon- that's the kind of Trainer that you are. My goal is to draw out the ultimate power of Pokemon- if that involves forcibly separating you from Voltflare, so be it. It is a sacrifice I am willing to make on behalf of science. But you... There was a Trainer like you that I met in the past- someone with your determination and love for his Pokemon. For countless days, he would battle me. Yet I could never trump him, no matter what I did. I lost faith in my own Pokemon as a result. I was on the brink of giving up, until a new idea crossed my mind- if I can't harness the true power of Pokemon by myself, I'd simply just let others do it for me and separate Trainer from Pokemon so that I could work with that fettered Hidden Power, myself."

A look of recognition crosses my face.

Now I understand why Colress appeared when Ghetsis left the Giant Chasm... He was waiting for him to finish with me, so he could swoop in and take my partner for his own. That's... that's despicable! Unforgivable!

"Yes, you're getting it," Colress smiles. He reveals the remote device from the Giant Chasm in his other hand- the one that he had used to control Voltflare.

"Haven't you ever wondered what happens when you tempt fate?!" Colress continues,

"I know that I have. And, from one Scientist to another, I think that you should, too. An idle curiosity, when left to fester, does exactly that. It grows and pervades your thoughts, your experiments, and your everything. I renounced much of my ambition years ago, but that insatiable desire never truly left me. That is why I partnered with Ghetsis- I wanted was a chance to work with Voltflare, a chance to settle my curious revelations, and a chance to tap into some of that HIdden Power."

"No!" I yell,

"He's not your lab rat! He'll never be yours!"

"Ah, but he already is, is he not?" Colress taunts me. He presses a button on his remote and flips the dial about halfway to its maximum, and I turn to Voltflare's sleeping body. I watch in horror as the Equilibrium Pokemon begins to convulse violently for a few seconds. By the end of the terrifying ordeal, he looks much more emaciated than he did, even when the icicle was still inside him.

"Voltflare!" I scream in pain with him. Abandoning my ultimatums aimed at Colress, I quickly run over to Voltflare, who is still half-dazed after whatever Colress just did to him, and I stoop to my knees in front of him. He opens his eyes, still bright red and hazy, and blinks a few times at me. Anger begins to pulse across his docile face. Under that Scientist's control or not, I'm not going to leave his side. If he chooses to harm me as per Colress' orders, I'll gladly take the blow if it means breaking him from Colress' control.

Maxwell's arm tenses, and, before I can stop him, he grabs Colress by his lab coat's collar and hoists him up into the air.

"What're you trying to pull here?!" he roars, tightening his grip on the man.

Colress, not seeming to even care about his predicament, just laughs,

"Ahahaha! Do you really think that brute force will save you from what is to come? At least your friend has more sense than you! Look at him, trying as hard as he can to break his friend from my control! Let me ask you, Maxwell, what are you doing to help?"

"..." Maxwell is taken aback by the Scientist's words,

"You... You're right, Colress... And for that, I'm going to make sure that you're never right again! You said you liked battles?! Let me show you what battling is really like! Come on out, Dragonite!" he yells, and he throws his Pokeball to the ground in front of the Scientist. The capsule promptly explodes into light, and his trusty dragon appears, ready for battle, but something seems different about it.

The Pokemon roars in challenge, but the defiance isn't directed at Colress. A look of horror crosses my face when I realize that the Dragonite's rage is towards Maxwell, his own Trainer. A red film envelops the Pokemon's eyes, clouding their black luster with an almost-demonic grin. It begins to walk towards Maxwell, who's suddenly lost all of his bravado.

Colress howls in laughter, and he touts his machine for a second time.

"As I said before, brute force will not allow you to overcome science! Are you deaf to my ways?! Dragonite, take care of this little disruption, why don't you?!" he commands. I can only watch, in both stricken awe and horror, as Maxwell's own Dragon Pokemon grabs him in its clawed hands, smashes down the laboratory door and carries him away. Where he's being taken, I have no idea, but it gives me another incentive to keep working with Voltflare.

Colress' parting words to Maxwell send a chill down my spine,

"You're no better than Cyrus! I lent him my technology, and he wasted it in a vain attempt to overthrow the world! You're no different!"

Yet, my ears perk up when I hear Colress talk about Cyrus, the nihilist that was incarcerated not too long ago. Taking into account what he's just claimed, I can't doubt the similarity between the two Scientists' mind-control devices.

It finally makes sense to me... Colress, you're the reason Voltflare almost died in the Distortion World! You're the reason all of this happened! Your ridiculous "curiosity" keeps ruining lives, and I'm going to put a stop to it- right here, and right now!

I reach for my Metagross' Pokeball, but I quickly remember that sending out my Metagross is exactly what Colress wants- just another Pokemon that he can control with his device.

In that case, I need to focus on breaking Colress' little machine.

I remove my hand from my pocket, and Colress frowns. He seems to realize that I've caught on to his charade rather quickly. I assume that he had wanted to control my Metagross, or even Riku and Markus, as well as Voltflare, before he does who-knows-what with my Pokemon.

I didn't have long to think of another plan- of a way to break Voltflare free from Colress' machine. The Equilibrium Pokemon is beginning to wake up, his eyes reflecting nothing but hate and murder- no doubt fueled by Colress' machine.

"Arise, my friend, and show this interloper your true power," Colress commands, and his eyes sparkle with a fire that I've never seen before.

No.. I quickly stop myself,

I have seen that same gleam before. It was in Giovanni's eyes, just before Maxwell flipped the switch to "engage Hybrid Experiment Number 048," way back when I first met Voltflare. An unhealthy urge- but it does give me an idea. His entire scheme is centered around that machine he keeps toting around. If I can just get rid of it, I'll free Voltflare, Maxwell's Dragonite, and everyone else that Colress has taken under his control.

"Voltflare, your Trainer needs you," the Scientist taunts, and he directs his gaze to Voltflare. I follow his eyes, and what I see horrifies me.

Voltflare slowly begins to rock back and forth, and blood trickles from his now-exposed wound from Kyurem's Glaciate.

Colress must have pulled out the frigid object, but he did nothing to abate the blood loss. At least, by the looks of it, his body is functioning much better than before. Perhaps the extended time with the icicle inside him allowed his body to rebuild itself around it, as a sort of shield to prevent more blood from being lost to its icy tendrils...

My partner leaps up from his sleeping position with an otherworldly vigor, and I immediately notice something wrong with his posture.

Voltflare's not acting like himself. Yes, he's under Colress' control, so that makes sense... But his body doesn't even act like his own anymore- like he's on strings, being manipulated by a master puppeteer!

"Colress, what did you do to him?!" I scream at the perpetrator, but I never take my eyes off my Pokemon. Colress just laughs.

"There is so much that you have yet to understand!" he smiles.

A knot forms in my gut at his words, while a bulge begins to form in Voltflare's throat. From experience, I know exactly what Colress is planning to have Voltflare do to me.

"If you attempt to stand in the way of science, I will not hesitate to subdue you with your own Pokemon."

This is it. He's turned Voltflare completely against me- manifested hate in his mind towards anyone and anything that isn't himself. Colress, you're deplorable...

"Voltflare, use Fire Blast!" the Scientist shouts. My Pokemon opens his mouth, and a massive orange ball of super-ignited flame quickly exits the fleshy cavern and speeds towards me.

Voltflare... ...!

My mind and my emotions become secondary to the onset of adrenaline, and I quickly dive behind the nearest metal table to avoid the blast. The fireball sails over my head and explodes on a nearby desk, causing immolated papers and debris to scatter everywhere like insidious pyreflies.

"Voltflare..." my voice catches on my tongue. I don't even know what to say to my Pokemon, but I don't have an opportunity to reach him.

Not yet, at least... The thought sticks in the back of my mind.

"Again!" Colress fumes,
"Use Fire Blast again!"

Another fireball whizzes towards me. I quickly leap out of the way of the brunt of this second charge, but part of the attack still manages to graze my side when it destroys another desk of papers. The afflicted part of my lab coat turns as black as the night, and I hesitate to check what my skin looks like underneath. The alleged wound doesn't hurt, suggesting that the burn must be quite severe, as I don't feel a thing. In that instant, I have an idea.

There's no way that I can dodge Voltflare's Fire Blasts forever. I'll eventually tire, and he'll blaze me. But... What if I can get him to blaze Colress in the process?! Could that free him from that remote device of his?

The prospect of a way out gives me hope, and I vault past a third fireball, which comes very close to nicking me in the leg. The intense heat still burns through my pants and causes my leg to turn an ugly shade of purple.

"Again!" Colress roars, beginning to sound like a broken record.

I brace for another Fire Blast from Voltflare, but, this time, he doesn't listen to his orders.

"Colress..." he plaintively says, instead,

"I don't have any more fire to burn. The flame sac in my gut is running on overdrive- if I keep using up my fire now, I'll die as a result... Please, Colress, don't make me do this!"

Colress taps his clipboard impatiently.

"No more fire, hm? Well, you are the Equilibrium Pokemon. It would make sense that relying too much on one element would drain you," he agrees. I breathe a sigh of relief, but Colress is clearly not done trying to kill me.

"Fine," he commands,

"In that case, use Thunderbolt!"

Knowing that Voltflare's electricity is much faster than a fireball, I immediately duck behind the only solace that I can see- an open box full of insulators and other circuit-proofing materials. Hopefully, it will be enough to keep the electricity from frying me.

The tip of Voltflare's tail lights up, and a yellow bolt of energy immediately arcs out of it towards my hiding place. I don't even have time to blink before it strikes the box in front of me, turning the entire thing a ghastly shade of black with its energy. The bolt then discharges harmlessly, or as benign as ten thousand volts concentrated in a miniature strip of lightning death could possibly be, into the laboratory floor.

Colress smiles at my quick thinking.

"I had expected as much from you, Nathan. Voltflare," he turns to the Equilibrium Pokemon,

"Please take a rest for now. It is useless to fight in this arena. Thank you, but I will finish this battle from here."

Voltflare obediently turns and walks back to the crimson bed that had been laid out for him. His eyes are half-closed even before he lies down on the velvety surface, and he soon just commits to watching us with a sleepy, glazed demeanor. I know that he won't be trying to kill me, but, at the same time, he's probably exhausted.

I turn my attention back to Colress, who has a Pokeball in his hand. He smiles.

"My technology isn't the only thing that Cyrus borrowed from me..." Colress mumbles,

"I lent him my Pokemon, or, at least... A copy of it! Witness the true power of my technology- my Magnezone!"

He throws his Pokeball to the ground, and the room is subsequently bathed in a bright light. A second later, a large floating conglomeration of magnets emerges from the glare. The Pokemon is coated in a blue-grey metal, which sparkles to reflect the light. Its overall body shape is that of a tri-coned UFO. Two large red magnets rotate from either side of the Pokemon to serve as appendages. A large yellow antenna adorns its head, and a single blue eye stares at me with analytical curiosity.

"Z0N3?!" the Magnezone whirrs,

"WH@T C@N ! D0 FOR Y0U, C0LR3SS?"

Colress points to me with an angry finger.

"Stop that insolent little pest from threatening my research! Immediately!" he shouts.

"Z0NE! T@RG3T ACQU!R3D! 3NGAG3 TH3 FL@$H C@NN0N!" his Pokemon replies. The magnets on either side begin to point towards each other and spin clockwise, faster and faster with each passing second. Current leaps from pole to pole, and a large gray orb of energy actualizes from the quickly-moving electrical charge.

"F!R333!" the Magnezone hums, and it releases its charged attack towards my shelter. I just barely have time to run to the left before the sphere slams into the charred box and destroys it, causing the contents to scatter all across the P2 Laboratory.

As soon as he sees the Magnet Area Pokemon attack me, Voltflare's body tenses . His eyes flash between Colress' mind-controlled red and his natural green, like the Magnezone's presence had somehow, at least for the moment, broken him away from Colress enough to fight against his machine.

"No..." the Equilibrium Pokemon moans, slowly rising to his feet and staring down the Magnezone.

"How did you...? How are you...? Why are you...?" he stumbles.

Voltflare can't finish his sentence, and I realize that he's violently trembling. Colress looks at my Pokemon like he's committed murder.

"Voltflare, what are you saying?!" he scolds, "Magnezone is your ally! It's only trying to protect you while your fire recharges."

"No, Colress... I've seen that Pokemon before. It... it tried to harm me, and it tried to harm that very same man that it's attacking now. I didn't side with it back then, and I won't side with it now... Augh!" Voltflare shrieks in pain and falls to his knees. The Magnezone quietly floats next to Colress, waiting for its next command.

I quickly relinquish any sense of caution, run over to Voltflare, and let him rest his tired head on my hands. Tears of anger in my eyes, I stare at the scientific madman known as Colress, who triumphantly holds up his remote device once again. The dial is spun all the way to the right- its maximum output- and I realize what he's attempting to do.

He's trying to kill Voltflare by overloading his brain with impulses from that device!

"If I can't have him, nobody can!" Colress shrieks,

"Science will not be stopped by your interloping! I refuse to let it happen! It is you who will be stopped, Nathan- along with your precious Voltflare!"

I can't watch... Is my initial gut reaction, but that quickly changes when an idea forms in my head.

Overload him, will you?! I think, defiantly,

Two can play at that game, Colress!

"Voltflare, please... Do you have enough will left in you to use Thunderbolt?! Just this once, for me?!"

"I... Augh!" he cries out weakly and buries his head in his paws, hoping that he can shut out some of the pain.

"Voltflare! Stay with me!" I beg, turning his head to face me. His eyes are full of anguish, and his jaw is set. He's visibly running out of time- and fast. As soon as one of those impulses reaches the right spot... Something's bound to give out.

"Voltflare, please! The only way to stop those impulses is to overload his device before it does the same to you," I plead.

"I... I don't have the strength to make it to him. The current will spark out before it reaches him... Augh!" Voltflare cries out again.

"Enough of your blathering! Just die!" Colress roars.

I swallow my fears before I continue to prod my partner, knowing that I'm taking a huge risk with what I'm about to do next.

He can't make it across the room with his Thunderbolt... But I can!

The thought drives purpose to my speech before I can stop it.

"Voltflare, I want you to electrify me," I tell him, as calmly as I can.

He immediately reacts with alarm, but it's stifled by his agony. Tears fall from his beaten eyes.

"Nathan, what are you saying?! I could kill you if I do that!" he sobs. I gently stroke his head to calm him,

"Please, just do it, Voltflare! There isn't any more time! Both of us know that you don't have the strength to zap him, so carry the current through me. Just grab my hand, and I'll do the rest. I promise!"

Weak and crying, the Equilibrium Pokemon slowly raises his paw off the ground, while Colress continues to assault him with his machine.

Voltflare, I will save you. I promise.

That sole thought rings clear in my head, spurring me to take Voltflare by the paw and squeeze. At first, nothing happens, and I wonder if Voltflare's actually going to do it or not. Then, his entire ten-thousand-volt current enters my body, and my insides ignite with searing pain.