===

Leon regained consciousness as a sudden mix of heat and cold from the melting ice filled his body. He was still a bit confused, and his mind was hazy.

He looked at the area around him in hopes of getting a better idea of where he was: Several armchairs were placed around a single table decorated by a silver chandelier... The large windows made it possible for him to notice it was dark outside. The wine- colored walls were dimly lit by a Fireplace next to where he was. The light reflected by the puddle of melted Ice he was standing on. Above the Fireplace were hanging the pictures of an Espeon and Umbreon. Judging by the looks of the place, he was in the home of someone very, very rich.

He was finally coming to his senses and noticed Tiffany standing next to him. Her fur was soaking wet and both her ears were flopped over her face, probably from the melted Ice as well. She seemed to be going by the exact feeling he had just gotten out of... Leon then turned around to notice a Glaceon standing in front of him.

"They're awake" The Glaceon called out to someone. Her voice was soft, fine and delicate. She was wearing a Dark Blue scarf which gave her a very stylish look. It was possible to see something Metallic coming out from under the Scarf, but Leon couldn't make out what it was. She was probably the most beautiful Pokemon he had ever seen.

"I'll be right there!" Answered a deeper, female voice.

"Take your time, Yulia." The Glaceon called back "It'll probably be a while before they come to their senses."

"They seem quite dazed" said a Weavile who emerged from the darkness of the room, holding both Leon and Tiffany's bags. His accent was heavily British "You may have overdone that Ice Beam, Mistress."

"Please!" The Glaceon responded, amused "I barely even hit them!"

Leon finally managed to utter something "Who...Are...You?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, once you're both awake" She answered

"I'm here!" A Jynx walked through the door to the room "I'm sorry I am late, Mistress. But Tomorrow's Breakfast is not going to cook itself!" Her accent was tilted more to the Russian style.

"Good..." The Glaceon paced around Leon and Tiffany "Please warm them up, Yulia"

"At once!" The Jynx answered as she left the room. A few moments later, she returned holding two blankets, which she put over Leon and Tiffany.

After a moment, Tiffany finally spoke "Leon... Where are we?"

"I have no idea" He responded "It seems like the home of someone rich, however..."

"Wow..." She also took a moment to observe the room, straightening her right ear, her arms still numb.

"Ah... Judging by the fact you're talking" The Glaceon said, sitting in front of them. Unlike the Weavile and Jynx, she had no accent. "I'll assume you are both well awake now... Listen: I'm sorry. I heard the sounds of someone fighting, so I thought the Midnight Voices and the Resistance were fighting again. When I got to where the sounds were coming from, I attacked the first ones I saw... Please, forgive me."

"It's okay" Tiffany answered.

"Thank you" The Glaceon said "Jacques, what have you found? Are any of their belongings damaged from the melted Ice?"

"Well... So far..." The Weavile answered, searching Tiffany's bag "I can only guess... None of them is. This Buneary is, however,certainly equipped for travel... And..." He pulled the Flower Barrette out of her bag "She is an admirer of The Wild Flower."

"Fine... And this Pikachu's?"

"He..." Jacques opened Leon's bag "My, oh, my..."

"Something important?"

"The Tale Of The Silver Hero!" He claimed in surprise, holding up the book "And one of the oldest versions of it... Quite rare... Ah, the verses of the heroes are my favorites...Thankfully, it's not damaged... But moving on" He put the book on the table and kept searching "Some travelling supplies... They are all fine...And... What's this?" He finished as he pulled out the "XV" band from the bag "He is with them..."

"Ah..." The Glaceon said with a severe expression "So, you are with them... Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to attack you after all..."

"No!" Leon answered "Please listen to me! I'm not with them! I just-

"I don't believe you... You cruel monsters have done nothing but give us trouble here in the Northern Region..."

"Please, believe him!" Tiffany said "He's not a bad guy!"

"I do believe I can vouch for this Pikachu's innocence" Came the voice from a Charmeleon who had just walked in the room.

"And who might you be?" The Glaceon asked.

"Ah... Mistress" Jacques said, approaching them "This is Adrian Rustoff. He's the Gentleman from the resistance who was to meet with you today. Regarding the Financial support you were planning to give the Resistance."

"Yes... And why do you say you can Vouch for this Pikachu's innocence?"

"Because" Rustoff answered "I just returned from a 4 month- long undercover staying in their fortress... Things are quite shaken up for the desertion of this particular one. If I'm not mistaken, he's Fifteen... One of their leaders who abandoned them about 3 months ago... And, yesterday, I heard Six, another one of their leaders, report that their Fifteen had evolved. Not only that, but that he confronted her when she tried to bring him back... Those were probably the sounds you heard. If he is not against them, he is not with them, at least."

"I see..." The Glaceon stood there for a moment before speaking out again "Do you swear, on your soul, that I can trust you?" Her stare was fixed on Leon, piercing him, waiting for an answer.

"I swear" Leon answered "And may I die right here and now if I am lying to you."

"Fine" She said, her voice recovering its soothing tone. "I apologize if I doubted you. My name is Alexandra... But I hate to be called like that. Call me Sasha. And these are Jacques and Yulia" She signaled at the Weavile and Jynx.

00First impression I got when I met Sasha? Too much bark, way too little bite. Of course, that changed with time. She has a lot of both.00

"Yes. Pleased to meet you all" Leon answered "I'm Leon. And this is Tiffany" He finished, pointing at his friend.

"It is my pleasure to meet you" Sasha returned the pleasantries "Please, settle in... Jacques, show our guests to their bedrooms... Mister Rustoff, too. We shall discuss the matter he wishes to over Breakfast tomorrow."

"Yes" Jacques answered, picking up Leon and Tiffany's bags "Please, follow me." He walked out the door of the room, followed by Leon, Tiffany and Rustoff. After exiting the room they found themselves standing in a large foyer, a Red carpet running up the stairs in the middle.

"Excuse me... Mister Jacques?" Tiffany asked

"Yes? What is it, young lady?"

"Where are we? Leon and I were heading for Lizean before we were frozen..."

"This is Frost Mansion." Jacques answered "It's far before the Northern Wall, in fact, it is located right where the Snow begins to fall. An hour south from here and you would be standing in green, snowless grass. We dragged you here during the night through the hole in the Northern Wall. The Snowstorm covered us quite well. I'm afraid if you intended to reach Lizean, you have been greatly delayed."

"Well... That's kind of good, I guess" Tiffany said as they went up the stairs "After all, The reason I wanted to go to Lizean is... Pretty much gone."

They walked up the stairs and turned right, then kept walking until they reached a hallway, stopping by the first door on the left.

"This is where Mister Leon will be staying" Jacques said as he put down Leon's bag and opened the door, then walked to the other side of the hallway "And this is where Miss Tiffany will be staying".

"Oh, we're not staying together?" Tiffany asked.

"These are one- bed rooms." Jacques put Tiffany's bag down "You may not share a bed. It is not proper. Now, if you would excuse me, I have to show mister Rustoff to his room as well." He turned around and walked away, followed by Rustoff.

"So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow..." Leon said

"Yeah... I'll... I'll see you tomorrow."

They both went into their respective rooms and closed the door.

Leon was amazed by the sight of the place he was staying at: The same Wine- Colored walls and carpet from the Sitting Room below... Two large windows with long, red curtains, another Fireplace, and a large, royal- looking bed with fine wood drawers on each side. That was, quite possibly, the finest place he had ever slept at. He put his bag on the floor and lied down on the bed. It was surprisingly comfortable. Just a few seconds on it were enough to drag him into a deep sleep...


The Next morning...

"Jacques, Breakfast is ready!" Yulia called "Go get the Mistress and our guests!"

"Yes, Yulia!" Jacques answered, running up the stairs towards Sasha's bedroom. He walked down the Hallway until he reached a door at its end. Noises could be heard coming from the other side. "Mistress!" He knocked on the door "Mistress! Mistress, are you there?"

"Yes, Jacques, what is it?!" Sasha opened the door and responded an annoyed tone, panting and sweating.

"Breakfast is ready. I am on my way to notify mister Rustoff, so please come down"

"Oh, Can't you see I'm busy?!" She asked.

"It's okay, I'll just go" Came from inside the room.

"You stay there!" Sasha yelled back into the room "Now we'll have to start all over again!"

"Oh, Mistress..." Jacques sighed "If Mistress Natalia was here right now... She'd faint!"

"Please, Jacques" She answered "My mother would not mind. I will argue this with you no longer. I don't expect you to understand my... 'Needs'... Now, if you'll excuse me..." She finished as she closed the door, leaving Jacques standing in the hallway.

At that Moment, Leon was already awake...

He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind was idle with thoughts of what he'd do next... He had taken Tiffany to the place she wanted to go, even if it went wrong...

"Tiffany" He thought "I wonder what she's going through right now... She's still pretty shaken up... I guess I'd be like that too if I found out my Mother was dead... I wonder what its like, having a Mother... In a way, I envy her... At least she did have one..."

His mind was brought back to reality by a knock on the door.

"Leon?" Tiffany knocked again "Leon?"

He got up and opened the door. "Hey, Tiffany... What is it?"

"Can I come in?" She asked. She was wearing the red Barrette over her right ear now.

"Sure... Come on in."

"Thanks..." She said as she walked in and closed the door behind her. "Listen, I..." She sat on the bed and signaled for Leon to come sit next to her "I... I just wanted to thank you. For everything... First, you save me from those brutes... You save me from the Don... You take me all the way here... And you even came to my help, even when I told you I didn't want to see you... And I just... I just wanted to thank you. You're the best friend I've ever had... Even though we've only known each other for about a week."

"You don't have to thank me for anything" Leon answered"If it wasn't for you... I wouldn't have evolved... Besides, I would never let anything happen to you. You could tell me to get lost on the other end of the world and I'd still be there for you... "

They just sat there, staring into each other's eyes... And then it popped in his head: He could actually hear that voice say it. "Now... Now! Now or never! Do something!" And he decided to listen to that voice: He leaned closer to her before taking her in his arms and pulling her into a deep kiss. For a moment, he expected her to push him away and ask him what the hell was wrong with him. And if she did, he wouldn't object. But no...That did not happen. She actually wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. It was a strange sensation. And yet it felt so right... It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before... He just held her, letting the world melt away... At that moment, it was just the two of them: Leon and Tiffany. There was no sorrow, no sadness... no Midnight Voices... Nothing and no one but the two of them in that small bubble of a world... Seconds passed like hours, and he was loving each and every one of them.

Just at that moment, the door to the room opened and Jacques walked in.

"Mister Leon, breakfast i- Oh, For crying out loud! What is it with youth nowadays?!"

"Nothing, nothing!" Tiffany answered with a blush, quickly pulling away "You were saying Breakfast is served? We'll be right down!" She got up and whispered into Leon's ear "That was incredible... We'll continue later, okay?"

"Okay" Leon whispered back "I can't wait..."

They left the room and followed Jacques through the Mansion hallways.

"The Dining Room is this way" Jacques said as he opened the door into the large hall where Rustoff was already sitting by the table, waiting for his meal and led them in. "Mistress Alexandra will be here soon. Please, sit down. Breakfast will be served shortly." He finished as he held out one of the chairs at the table so Tiffany could sit.

As Leon sat down, he noticed Rustoff giving him a malevolent look, but he turned away the moment he realized Leon noticed him.

"Sorry I'm late!" Sasha said as she ran into the room and climbed on a velvet pillow on the end seat and sat on it.

"It's quite alright, Mistress" Jacques responded "Food is not served until you are here, so you really can't be late... As a matter of fact, Its us who are running late. Yulia appears to have...'Overdone' some of the food and she failed to notice until now."

"Ah, well, we'll just have to wait!" Sasha answered. She seemed to be in an incredibly good mood.

"Thank you, mistress. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"So, tell me!" She said as she turned to face Leon and Tiffany near the other end of the table "What were you two doing heading for Lizean? Especially you, Leon. If you are indeed a fugitive to the Midnight Voices, their city is the last place you should go."

"He was taking me there" Tiffany answered, sadness seemed to be returning to her "I wanted to go see if my mother was fine, because she was there during the takeover..."

"And? Did you find her?"

"No... She's dead now..." A tear trickled down her face again "All I found was this..." she leaned forward so Sasha could see the Barrette "It was hers" That last comment made the still silent Rustoff look up with attention. Leon even noticed a Faint Smile forming for a moment on his face.

"I understand your pain" Sasha said in sympathy "I, too, have no parents..."

"Ah, yes" Jacques said in a solemn tone as he walked in, holding a Tray in a waiter- like fashion "The Mistress' parents passed out when she was but a baby... In fact, it was her brother, Master Misha, and us, who took it to ourselves to raise her... " He finished as he placed the tray down in front of Sasha .

"Oh, you have a brother?" Tiffany asked, not noticing the stare showdown between Leon and Rustoff "Where is he?"

"He's... Out there" Sasha answered with a nostalgic tone "Out there somewhere..."

"Master Misha" Jacques returned with another tray which he placed in front of Tiffany "Signed up for the Selenian war three years ago... A few months later, we received a letter saying he had gone missing in action."

"The Selenian war?" Tiffany asked.

"It was a conflict that occurred about three years ago between the nations of Selenia and Sol... The Master signed up... But when we received that letter..."

"Poor Mistress Sasha was crushed by these news" Said Yulia as she set another tray in front of Rustoff, whose eyes were still locked with Leon's "But she doesn't think he's gone. She says he's probably out in some adventure... And tells us we don't know what it's like, having that vivid hope that someone you care for so much is alive... And that you won't change your mind until proven wrong..."

"I know what that's like" Tiffany answered "When my mom didn't come back from Lizean six months ago, I still believed she was alive. And I didn't care if she was or was not... I believed she would walk through the door to our house any day..."

"That is how I feel" Sasha let out a sigh "I still hope Misha will walk through our door someday... And when he does... We'll go adventuring together, like we did when I was little... And we'll have so much fun..."

Leon had not said anything during that whole time. He was paying attention, sure. But he didn't take his eyes off Rustoff, who did the same to him.

"Who are you?" Leon thought "An undercover? An infiltrate? And for 4 months... I don't buy that... II would have sniffed you out in a few hours... Who are you?"

"Wait a few minutes and you'll find out..." The Voice echoed in Leon's head.

Upon hearing this, Leon reacted and got up in a challenging position, one hand on the table and the other one clenched into a fist "Who are you?!" Everyone looked at him.

"I'm sorry" Rustoff answered with an amused look "I have no idea of what you mean... I am Adrian Rustoff. And I work for the resistance... Do you make outbursts like this often?"

Leon sat down again, growling.

"Leon... Is everything alright?" Tiffany asked him with a worried look.

"No, It's not..." He answered "There's something about this Rustoff... That look he gives me..."

"Driving you out of your mind, aren't I?" The Voice echoed through his head again.

"We'll see" He thought.


At that moment, a loud bang followed by a Clanking sound brought his focus to reality.

"Jacques! What's going on?!" Sasha asked, shaking from the sudden bang.

"Well, Mistress..." Jacques said calmly as he walked towards the window "A large and rather obese purple brute appears to have knocked down our front gate... Followed by a Blaziken and... Oh, my... The Most beautiful specimen of what a Weavile fem should look like I have ever seen!"

"That's them!" Leon told Tiffany as he got up and ran outside, followed by her.

They both left the Mansion, and found themselves standing in a vast extension of Snow. The skies were once again grey... There was a frozen lake far to the right, along with a tall fence surrounding the Mansion, the gate of which had been knocked down. And there stood the one responsible, his figure being easy to distinguish thanks to its purple coloration. It was one Leon had been hoping to see for a while now: IV was standing right there. XI and VIII behind him.

"Why, Hello, XV!" The Nidoking called out "Remember me?! I owe you a beating, buddy!"

"You!" Leon yelled back. The sole sight of IV made him feel rage building in him.

"I knew it..." Sasha said in a Spiteful tone as she, Jacques,and Rustoff walked out the Mansion and saw the invaders standing by the knocked- down gate "I knew you couldn't be trusted..."

"Its not what it seems!" Leon answered "I have no idea how they found me here..."

"Less talk, more pain!" VIII shouted as she ran towards them, Jacques stepping in her way and crashing his claws against hers.

"I'll fight by your side, Mistress!" Rustoff said as he followed Sasha, who was walking towards IV. "And perhaps when this is over we can discuss the support you plan to give us!"

At that moment, Leon turned around to see the Charmeleon's claws glowing a dark purple and getting ready to strike Sasha. That's when he realized who this Rustoff was.

"I KNEW IT!" He screamed as he launched himself at Rustoff and hit him with Thunderpunch.

The Charmeleon was thrown back with a growl, his body, which still crackled with electricity from the attack dissolved, and revealed the thin, floating figure of II.

"Cleverly done, XV!" II grinned as he hovered back "You saw through my cover quite some time ago, didn't you? But it was entirely worth it to blow it, just to see you look as ridiculous as you did when you made that little outburst..."

"So, then, it was you who brought them here!" Sasha barked as she turned around and saw the Mismagius floating behind her.

"Yes..." II answered "Poor, innocent XV had no idea I've been following him all this time... I regret to say he was no part of this... This resistance agent was the perfect guise. The idiot infiltrated us about four months ago, and the day wasn't even over when I had already sniffed him out... It takes a genius to infiltrate... And I must add, I commend you for that, XV. The way in which you trespassed the Northern wall three days ago was worthy of a master of my craft!"

"What do you want?!" Asked an angry Leon "I told you! Leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you!"

"Ah... But you see, XV... Or, should I call you 'Leon' now?" II chuckled for a moment when he said this "We DO want something to do with you... For whatever reason, the Professor has always had great interest in you... And our orders have been issued now: If you refuse to surrender and return peacefully with us, we are authorized to attack without any regard for your safety... Deadly force is authorized, as long as we bring your body back... So, the final choice is presented to you right now: Come back with us? Or... Die...?" He emphasized the last word.

"I'd rather die than come back to you!" Leon answered.

"Fine... IV, if you please"

"I didn't need permission to do this!" IV roared in excitement as he charged towards Leon, stopping just a few feet away from where he and Sasha were standing. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this!"

Leon simply got in a fighting stance, followed by Sasha, who was standing next to him. The world once again shrank to him, but not in a tender, loving way like it did when he kissed Tiffany. No... It shrank and melted away in the rage he felt for IV... It was just Sasha, IV, and him... And no one else. Revenge was, indeed, a Dish best Served Cold... And he could not think of anything colder than the vast, white Snow.

Without warning he threw himself at IV, hitting him with a Night Slash. IV simply staggered for a moment before gabbing him in his large claws and squeezing him with the greatest of ease. Leon was in a bind... He could feel himself being crushed in the Nidoking's gigantic hand... His vision was starting to get cloudy when he suddenly felt himself being released, as Sasha had just hit IV with an Ice Beam. Although the attack landed straight on IV, he was not frozen, but just stepped back a little, with some frosting forming on his arm, which he simply brushed off.

At that moment, VIII and Jacques were fighting, claws crossed with one another as they dashed back and forth, breaking apart and then colliding again.

"You've got some good moves, Geezer!" VIII gave Jacques a sadistic smile before jumping away and then crashing, her claws crashing against his again "But you move in a really weird way!"

"This" Jacques answered as he stepped back, made a swing, and then tried to strike VIII again, sweeping his foot in an attempt to knock her over. "Is how the true Weavile do battle. I do not expect you to understand."

"And you talk funny, too!"

"Benefits of a higher education, I suppose... And a much better Upbringing."

And they kept fighting. The way in which they moved and stepped before crossing their claws with one another could be best described as a violent Waltz. Fearsome and imposing, yet surprisingly artistic. At one point Jacques even put his claw on VIII's waist and made a couple of spins with her before leaning her forward in a Tango- like fashion.

"Very funny, old guy" She said, annoyed, before making a backflip and landing a few feet away.

Leon did not see this, however. He was focused on getting his revenge on IV. He ran towards him, stopping right him. When IV swung his gigantic claw down to strike him, he jumped, landing on IV's head and kicking him, making him fall to the snowy ground. IV got up and tried to hit Leon, but was stuck from behind by a ring of cod water. Sasha had attacked him with a Water Pulse.

"Stay out of this, Lady!" IV roared angrily as he turned around. His mistake as he exposed his wet back to Leon, who hit him with a Thunderpunch. The water boosted the attack's effects, and IV was zapped, shaking as the electricity ran through his body. The fact he was a Ground- type granted him near immunity to Electrical attacks, but this one was still able to hurt him. He turned and charged, roaring, towards Leon, who stepped aside, making him crash against the fence, bringing down a large portion of it and falling to the snow again.

"You know I'm getting sick of this!" He roared even louder and charged at Leon, his fist glowing as he readied a Mega Punch. This time, Leon was not so fortunate as to dodge it, and was sent flying, screaming in pain as he crashed against the Mansion wall.

"Score one for the Awesome guy!" IV yelled tauntingly as he pounded his chest in an Ape- like way.

"I'm not done yet! " Leon said as he dashed towards IV, his fist glowing as well as he hit him with the same attack. IV was, just like Leon, sent flying and crashed against the fence, knocking down another portion of it. IV got up and gave another roar. The vein on his forehead was huge, and his face and eyes were red from the anger he was feeling: He couldn't believe a small Pikachu that was not even half his size was giving him so much trouble... He was losing control now. He was seeing red...

His rage finally took him over as he let out the loudest roar yet and charged at Leon. Sasha fired another Ice Beam at his feet, which hit him and glued him to the snowy ground. Leon ran towards him and hit him with another Mega Punch. The attack's force was enough to rip IV from the Ice and send him back a few feet. Leon and Sasha were sending IV closer and closer to his breaking point with every attack they hit him with.

As Leon, Sasha and Jacques led their respective fights, Tiffany found herself standing in front of XI.

"Ah... A fan of the Wild Flower, are you?" The Blaziken asked with a smug expression as he noticed the Barrette on Tiffany's right ear "You know... It's thanks to me She won't be fighting anymore!"

"What? Who's the Wild Flower?" Tiffany asked with a puzzled look

"Actually, XI..." II said with his macabre smile as he floated behind XI "I have been observing XV and this one for quite a while now. And, piecing together what I've seen and heard... I do believe this Buneary is actually the Wild Flower's daughter."

"What?!" XI looked at II "the Wild Flower had a daughter?! Man! With a Body like that, it's hard to believe she actually had a child! Oh, she was Smoking Hot!" He laughed before turning around to look at Tiffany in a cruelly amused way "That's right, girl! Its thanks to me you will never see your mommy again!"

"What?!" Tears of anger began to form in The Buneary's eyes when she heard that. He was standing right in front of her, the one she was to blame for the fact she would never see her mother again. Not thinking twice, she leapt at him, unrolling her ears, and slamming them against his feet with all her might.

XI let out a loud yell of pain as his foot was crushed by the slam it had received. He hopped around on one foot while grasping the other one with his claws "That Hurt! You little- I'm gonna-

He was cut short as Tiffany tackled him and knocked him down.

II laughed at the sight of his colleague being attacked by the Buneary "Oh, XI! Is that little Bunny too much for you to handle?!"

Suddenly, Leon passed flying by them. He had been thrown by IV.

"Leon!" Tiffany ran towards him as he crashed into a mound of snow. "Leon! Are you okay?!"

"Never been better" Leon answered as he got up and jumped at IV, hitting him heads on with another Thunderpunch, he knew this wouldn't be so effective, but he took advantage of IV's staggering to strike him in the head with another Mega Punch, finishing with a Shadow Ball to his face. "That's for Leon!" He yelled as the Shadow Ball hit IV.

IV clenched his face in and gritted his teeth in pain, staggering from the attacks he just received. When he finally took his claw away from his face, he gasped in surprise when he noticed Sasha and Leon had both fired Ice Beams at him.

The streams of bright Blue light made their way through the Battlefield and struck IV straight in the chest.

IV put his claw to his Chest and stepped back as he felt his Heart Rate slowly decreasing... The cold was starting to spread across his body... On the Exterior, he might have not been frozen, but, on the Inside, He was on Sub- Zero temperatures. "No! No,No, NO!" He roared as he angrily stomped at the ground beneath him. "I will not be beaten by a pair of puny, tiny, stupid cowards! No!" He gave that final stomp with particular strength: That would be the last Mistake he ever made, as a Cracking Sound was heard. He looked below him and realized what he had just done: He had gotten his foot stuck in the Shattering cover of a Frozen Lake. "Oh, NOOOOOO!!!" His blood- chilling scream was drowned as he fell into the water. Suddenly, everyone went quiet, looking at the scene, and a dead silence filled the air.

"No way..." Muttered XI as he saw the weakened IV sink into the water.

"Is he... You know... Dead?" VIII asked as she stepped away from Jacques.

"By far, Not our finest moment." II said. Unlike the others, he didn't show the slightest amount of sorrow for IV. In fact, he even seemed to be amused.

"So... So what do we do now?" VIII turned around to ask II

"We retreat. We retreat and report that IV has been terminated."

"Has he? Maybe he's alive?"

"Unlikely. The damage he sustained before, added to his weight and... Well, the fact he can't swim. I think we should consider him as dead."

"Fine... Let's just go..."

"This is damn, fucking unbelievable" XI muttered as he approached II "Get us outta here, then..."

"Mind your manners, now" II answered as all three of them vanished in a grey flash "This is not over, XV..."


And they were left alone: Just Leon, Sasha, Tiffany and Jacques.

"Leon..." Leon said as he looked down into the lake IV had fallen into "You can rest now...But I won't... One down... Eighteen more to go..." He turned around and headed into the mansion with Tiffany and the others.

"Leon!" The Buneary ran towards him and hugged him "You won! How are you feeling?"

"Being honest" He answered "I have never felt better..."

A few moments later they were back in the sitting room where he had been thawed out.

"Thank you for helping us fend off those attackers" Said Sasha as she raised her paw and sipped some tea from a cup "Without you, we might not have been able to hold."

"It's nothing" Leon answered "I had some unfinished business to settle with him anyway."

"You are a very capable fighter, yes?"

"I don't know... I guess I am."

"And... do you have any plans as of what to do now?"

"No. I'm blank on that. I wanted to get Tiffany to Lizean and then keep traveling, but I guess that won't happen... My one goal is to stop the Midnight Voices..."

"Then" Sasha took another sip "Allow me to ask you one question: Do you mind if I accompany you on your travels?"

"Mistress?!" Jacques and Yulia yelled in unison.

"You can not be serious, My Liege!" Yulia said in a worried tone.

"You are of noble blood!" Jacques added " Its not the same for you to travel with your brother like you did when you were younger than to join common travelers! Your life might be in danger!"

"I think I asked Leon the question" Sasha silenced her servants with a serious look "I want to find Misha. And, someday, I want to stop those Heartless, Evil monsters that enslaved Lizean and take it back! Even if I have to travel with you for a long time before that happens... So? What do you say? I have enough Money to provide us with what we might need, and I think I have proven myself capable enough a fighter..."

Leon thought it over for a moment... What could go wrong if he traveled with Sasha? She was, indeed, quite powerful. And he could use the money... There was no downside to traveling with her, as far as he could tell. Finally, he gave his answer "I would love it if you could join us."

"Good! Perfect!" She said with a satisfied smile, shushing Jacques with a stare before he could object "I'll go and prepare for our journey. I'll see you by the door in twenty minutes!"

A Few moments later, in Leon's room...

"Hey, Leon" Tiffany asked

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Do you know who the Wild Flower was?"

"Huh? Nope. Never heard of any Wild Flower" He answered as he packed 'The Tale of the Silver Hero'. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that Blaziken told me he killed my mom... But I think he called her the Wild Flower..."

"Well, maybe we can ask Sasha, or Jacques, once we get back down." He said as he finished packing everything and flung his Bag over his shoulder "Are you ready?"

"I'm all ready!" She answered

"Then Let's head down."

They left the room and headed down the stairs into the Foyer. Sasha was already there, her light blue fur bright from the Sunlight that Filtered through the window.

"Are you two ready to go?" She asked. The Bag she carried had a much more elegant style, it even seemed to shine.

"Yeah" Leon answered "But, before we go... Jacques, can Tiffany ask you a question?"

"Ask away, young Miss" The Weavile replied.

"Who is The Wild Flower?"

"Who is the Wild Flower? Surely you jest, young miss. You are even wearing a Barrette just like hers!"

"I actually don't know who she was... This belonged to my mother."

"Well... I can not believe you do not know, but I suppose I'll tell you anyway... The Wild Flower was the name of one of the brightest fighters the Selenian Arena ever saw! Her style was brilliant... She was Unbelievably Beautiful" And, she was every bit as strong... The time in which she fought was considered the Golden Era of the Arena because of all the great fighters that battled there during that time... About a year and half ago she retired, and nothing was known of her again..."

"Wow... My mom was..." Tiffany was quiet for a moment before finishing the sentence "My mom was a Fighter in the Selenian Arena!"

"Pardon?!" Jacques looked at Tiffany in surprise "Your Mother?!"

"That's it, Leon!" She said as she raised her paw in an upbeat way "We're going! We're going to Selenia! Please? I want to know more about my mom... Please?"

Leon stared at the Hyper Buneary that was hopping restless in front of him, then turned around to look at Sasha "Are you fine with that?"

"I just wish to travel" She answered "Besides, seeing how Misha was with the Selenian military... What better way to start looking for him?"

"Good. Then We're going" He told Tiffany, who immediately leapt at him and nuzzled him.

"Oh, thanks Leon!"

"Then, We'd best be on our way" Sasha said, watching the Cheerful Bunny nuzzle Leon "Selenia is a long way from here..."

"Right" Leon said once Tiffany was done "Let's go, then!"

"Mister Leon" Came the question from Jacques "Can I speak with you for just a moment?"

"What is it, Jacques?"

"Mistress Sasha is our life. We have looked after her since she was but a small Eevee... If any harm befalls her while she travels with you... Yulia and I shall hunt you down, and I shall slice you to very fine stripes... Understood?"

"You can count on me" Leon answered.

And they left the Mansion, walking away from sight in the Snow- covered Hills... A Long journey was ahead, and, with a new companion and a first Love, Leon walked down the path towards the South. Their goal: Selenia. Capital of the world...


A Few hours Later...

It was Nighttime... The Darkness and cold of the Night surrounded everything as the snow around Frost Mansion was colored Grey from the night.
It was then when a Single Large, Purple claw grabbed hold of the Lake Shore. Another Claw quickly followed, and soon, IV's head emerged from the bone- chilling water. He was gasping and struggled for breath as he tried to pull himself out of the lake, but he couldn't. He was too heavy.

At that moment, he noticed a familiar figure hovering in front of him, looking at him with its Yellow, Red-pupil eyes.

"II!" IV Sighed in relief "It's so great to see you! Hey, listen... Can you help me out of here? I can't do it by myself..."

"Hmm..." II just stared at him "No. I think not."

"What?! Come on! I'm friggin' freezing here! Help me!"

"Ah, IV... The Proud Giant..." II said as he hovered around "So many great things have you done for our cause... All that faithful service you have provided us with... Shall not go unremembered..."

"Wha- What are you saying?! This isn't funny anymore, Okay?! GET! ME! OUT!"

"It pains me to say this is the place where your Journey meets its most abrupt end."

"NO! COME ON!" IV kept calling for II's help, even if II was not planning to oblige.

"Thanks for playing" II said with his cruelly amused Grin as he hit IV full with a Shadow Ball, which pushed him back into the water, too weakened to resurface. He just hovered there, looking down into the lake he had thrown IV back into before saying "Oh, IV... Who will I find to fill the Void your parting will leave in our hearts? Oh, I know..." He said as he picked up a pebble from the shore "This! It's just as smart as you are... And Its even quieter... Ah, this is the start of a profitable friendship!" He finished as he vanished away, Cackling Maniacally into the night...
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