The younger twin, Arsyn, reached up with all his might to grab onto his brother's sleeve. "Xahler, are we gonna die?" He asked his older brother while trying desperately not to lose his balance and fall flat on his face.

Xahler looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing but his black bangs. He couldn't see through the dark veil and he didn't have the strength to flick it back like he always did. "No, we're not gonna die. I won't let that happen." He reassured his twin, but he wasn't so sure that they would survive. Where exactly were they going find food and water? Certainly not in this graveyard of trees. Xahler doubted there was anything alive here save for them.

Arsyn whined, as he always did. He never did grow up. "Then what are we gonna do? We can't just keep walking around aimlessly." Arsyn sighed. "We're lost, aren't we?"

A heavy sigh left Xahler's lips. "No, we're not lost. We're just not sure where we are." He muttered. Never before did Xahler feel so helpless. How was he supposed to take care of his brother when he couldn't even get them out of a stupid forrest.

Arsyn whined again, this time louder and much more childish. "We are lost! Great! We're gonna die!" He plopped down on the cold forest floor then fell over on his side.

Xahler turned around and grabbed his brother's hand then yanked on it. "Come on. You can't just sit here. You'll die for sure." He pulled again, but what good would it do? He didn't have the strength to drag his twin along. "Arsyn, get up." He pulled once more. Arsyn did't budge. Getting frustrated, Xahler dropped his brother's arm and proceeded to kick him. "Get up!" He kicked again. "Come on, Arsyn! Get up!"

Arsyn didn't feel the pain of his brother's assault. He only felt the stabbing pain that was the hunger eating him alive. "No!" He said much like a stubborn child.

A low growl left Xahler's throat, one that was a bit commanding. "Get up or I'll eat you!" He threatened.

Arsyn laughed. "You wouldn't eat me. You love me too much to do that." He looked up at his now angry twin.

A smirk crossed Xahler's face. "Wanna bet?" He licked his lips mockingly, wondering if he could scare his brother into moving.

Arsyn's eyes grew wide with fear. "You wouldn't. You can't. Dude, I'm your brother!" He scrambled to his feet, sliding once before managing to stand up.

Xahler couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe that worked." He said through chuckles. "Come on, let's go." He took his brother's wrist and pulled him along. Arsyn was still wary of his twin. Who knows? Xahler might eat him. Hunger does make one delusional.

Once she was safely in the house, she closed the door and flicked the kitchen light on. She looked down at what was in her arms and smiled. "Alright, buddy. Welcome to your new home." Reiko scratched the head of the puppy she was cradling before she set him down.

Reiko went to the sink and grabbed a plastic dish and filled it with water. She set it on the floor and the puppy scurried over to it. She watched the adorable creature lap up the water like a thirsty wolf. "You poor thing." She said softly. Reiko opened the refrigerator and looked for something a puppy could eat. She spotted a dish of left over grilled chicken and pulled it out. She heated it up a little and pulled the meat apart into small pieces that the puppy wouldn't choke on. She set the dish down and let him have at it.

The puppy seemed to be a mutt, possibly a mix of pit bull and German shepherd, though he looked more like a pit. This pup had a rust colored brindle coat and a white underbelly. He had amber eyes and a shiny black nose. The toes on his paws were white and his ears weren't floppy like a pit's but pointed like a shepherd's. His muzzle wasn't as long as a shepherd's and his body was stocky like a pit's. He wasn't very big and only weighed about fifteen pounds, but Reiko knew he would get much bigger and quickly.

-"Wait here, fella." She said to the pup who paid her no mind. Reiko walked down the hall quietly and peered into the bedroom. Sephiroth was asleep as he should be. She crept into the room, crossing it carefully. She came to her closet and grabbed a blanket from the top shelf. She crept back out and pulled the door in just a bit.

Reiko went back to the kitchen to set up the puppy's bed, but when she got there the puppy was gone. She dropped the blanket and spun around searching for the puppy. "Oh no. Where did you go? If Seph finds you... I'm dead." She searched the dining room, getting down on her hands and knees to look under the table. He wasn't there. She searched the living room, he wasn't there either.

She was in Sephiroth's study when she heard a startled cry come from the bedroom. "Dang." She whispered and rushed down the hall and into the bedroom. She flicked the lights on only to see an angry Sephiroth staring at her with piercing green eyes. In his hand he held the puppy. The poor thing must have been terrified because it was shaking and whining.

Reiko stepped into the room, but stopped when Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at her. "Seph, I can explain."

-"Then explain. Because I'd love to know why there is a mangy mutt in my bed." He held the puppy out for emphasis.

-"One, he's not mangy, he's just starved. And two, that's our bed."

-"Reiko!" He was definitely angry. If Reiko knew one thing, it was that Sephiroth didn't like animals.

Reiko cringed at his tone. "Okay okay. I found him on the street. He was tied up to a lamppost near a restaurant. I couldn't just leave him there. He needed someone to love him. Take care of him. I mean look at him. He's nothing but skin and bones." She came closer to the bed and leaned over to take the puppy from him. The dog was happy to be with her and cuddled close to her. "Please, Seph, can we keep him? He needs a good home." She asked while petting the puppy to calm it.

Sephiroth looked at the puppy. He really didn't like animals and having one in the house would only mean trouble. But then he looked at Reiko's pleading eyes and wondered how he could say no to her. He ran a hand through his long locks and sighed. "If we're going to keep him we'll have to name him." He said with a small smile.

Reiko's face lit up. She wrapped her free arm around Sephiroth and kissed him. "Oh thank you, Seph!" She bounced with joy and brought the puppy up to her face. "You're one lucky dog. Now, what to call you?"

-"Monster." Seph suggested and pulled the bed sheets away from his body. He crossed the room and entered the bathroom. Reiko followed him, puppy in hand.

-"Monster? Why Monster?" She leaned against the doorframe and watched as he brushed his silver hair.

-"Because that's what he is." Seph said as if it were a fact.

Reiko rolled her eyes. "You're a monster." Her voice was flat as if she was trying to be cold.

Sephiroth raised one silver brow and looked at her through the mirror. "Oh really? Then tell me, why did this monster take you in when you needed a place to go?" He turned to face her. "I'll tell you why, because I love you. And I'm letting that puppy stay here not because I want him here, but because I love you."

-"You're still a monster to me. And you know what I'm talking about." She winked at him. "But thank you. For everything." She smiled at him and stood on the tips of her toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

Sephiroth took her free hand and led her back into the bedroom. He sat on the bed and patted the space beside him. Reiko sat beside him and laid the puppy in her lap. He turned on his back, offering his belly to her. A giggle left her lips as she rubbed the puppy's belly. He wriggled about in her lap and looked up at her with gleaming eyes.

-"Isn't he adorable?" She said, not expecting an answer.

-"Adorable. Right." Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "So what are you going to name him?"

Reiko bit her lip in thought. She really didn't know what to name the puppy. She looked down at him, trying out names on him in her head. Nothing seemed to fit. "I don't know. Nothing comes to mind, well nothing that'll work."

Suddenly the puppy jumped out of Reiko's lap and ran into Sephiroth's closet. Immediately, Sephiroth chased after him, Reiko following to make sure he didn't hurt the puppy. What they found had them both staring in disbelief. The puppy had a sheathed Masamune in his mouth, dragging it to them by one end. Sephiroth moved to grab his prized sword from the dog, but Reiko was faster. She grabbed the puppy, leaving the sword behind. That sword did not like her in the slightest. It's been known to burn her hands if she tried to touch it. Sephiroth claimed his sword, checking the sheath for damage. There were a few bit marks, but nothing too upsetting.

-"I have the perfect name for him." Reiko said as she nuzzled the puppy.

-"Trouble?" Sephiroth said while replacing his blade where it belonged.

-"No." She shot cold eyes at him before returning to the puppy. "Masaru, Masa for short. It means 'victory' in Japanese."

-"You chose that name because he touched my sword, didn't you." He asked even though he knew the answer. Reiko was quite predictable at times.

-"Yep!" She beamed. "It's perfect, right?"

Sephiroth laughed. "If you say so, love." Sephiroth walked past her and out of the closet. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Find him a place to sleep and come to bed. We'll go shopping tomorrow and get all the things he needs."

Reiko smiled at Masaru and set him down. "Let's go put your bed together." She said and walked out to the kitchen. She formed a makeshift bed out of a blanket and some throw pillows. Masaru looked at the bed, but refused to get in it. "What's the matter boy?" Reiko titled her head in question. Masaru dashed off, heading back to the bedroom. Reiko ran after him but she was too late. Masaru was already in the bed, curled up on her side of the bed.

-"He doesn't want to sleep in the kitchen I take it." Sephiroth propped himself up on his elbows to look at Reiko.

-"Nope." Reiko shook her head. "I'll just set his bed up here then." And so she did. She put the makeshift bed in one corner of the room near her side of the bed, that way she could keep an eye on him. She closed both of the closets and shut the bathroom door. She didn't want Masaru getting into anymore trouble tonight.

-"There. This should do until tomorrow. You'll have a better bed then." She gave Masaru a quick kiss. "Sleep tight, Masa."

Reiko changed and climbed into bed, cuddling close to her silver haired angel. "Thank you, Seph. This means a lot to both me and Masa."

Sephiroth pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome, love."

Looking down at Luna, Tina smiled and shook her head. "You just can't stop smiling, can you?"

In response, Luna looked up to beam at her Trainer, eyes closed in glee. "Umbreon!" She said cheerfully before continuing to skip along the dirt road.

Of course you can't." Tina muttered, finding her Umbreon to be quite annoying at time but lovable most of the time. "Well just remember that once we get to Hearthome City you've gotta be on your game, okay? We won't have time to mess around."

Nodding her head without looking at Tina, Luna continued to skip then began to sing a song that Tina could not recognize. You are truly something else, Luna.

Tina looked over her shoulder, staring at the large rocky form that was Mt. Coronet. They had travelled through the dank, dark caves of the mountain two days ago, getting lost more than enough times. Xander, Tina's Typhlosion, lit the way with his fiery mane while Lexi the Luxray bashed away rocks that were in the way. They came across some wild Pokemon, mainly Geodudes that Lexi has mistaken for crumbly rocks. The angry Geodudes were taken down with ease by Tina's Dewgong, Celia. Refusing to go into her Pokeball, Luna stayed at Tina's side, shivering from the cold and trembling in fear of what they might find. Once they had reached the exit, and thankfully the right one, they rejoiced with excitement.

Now they were almost at Hearthome City, where they would win their next contest ribbon. Just thinking about the competition brought a smile to Tina's face. There were so many new moves she couldn't wait to try out on an actual stage. And she had a brand new outfit and new seals for her Ball Capsules.

Um!" Luna cheered, calling Tina's attention to her.

Looking down, Tina saw that her Umbreon was staring at something. Following her gaze, Tina saw that they had reached their destination. Before them stood the wonderful Hearthome City. It was a rather large city filled with people and Pokemon. There were many things to do and see, but all Tina was interested in as the Contest Hall. Spotting the ornate building in the center of the city, Tina set off to register for the next contest.

After registering, Tina headed off to the dressing rooms. Luna followed at her side, her crimson eyes darting around with excitement. Finding an empty room, Tina claimed it for her own and swapped her normal Trainer gear for her contest attire. She pulled on the blue sequin dress and accessorized appropriately before tending to her Pokemon.

She decided to use Luna and Violet, her Vileplume. Pulling a shimmery ribbon from her bag, Tina fastened the cloth to Luna's neck, tying it into a neat bow that sat off to the side. For Violet, Tina slipped on an anklet made of shimmery shell stone. Taking their Ball Capsules, Tina adorned the plastic devices with seals.

Alright, ladies. Are we ready?" Tina asked her Pokemon. She held their Pokeballs in her hands.

The two Pokemon cheered, Luna jumping into the air while Violet bounced gently. Smiling, Tina returned the Pokemon to their Pokeballs then slipped the Ball Capsules on. Confident that they were going to win the contest, Tina headed to the backstage area where she would wait for her chance to impress the judges.

As she walked down the brightly lit hallway, she couldn't help but overhear several Trainers reporting missing Pokemon. Curious to know what had happened, Tina peered into one of the rooms where a short girl spoke to the resident Officer Jenny.

I turned around and my Pokeball were just gone! All of them!" The girl was hysterical. She held her head in her hands while she cried, ruining her perfect makeup.

Officer Jenny placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to calm her down to get more information from her. Her Growlithe spotted Tina at the door and began growling, taking a step closer to her. Officer Jenny looked up with narrowed eyes. "You there! How are you!?" She demanded.

Jumping at the tone of Jenny's voice, Tina poked her head in. "My name's Tina. I just overheard a few people saying their Pokemon were missing. I just wanted to know what's going on." She clutched the Pokeballs in her hands; she didn't want to lose them.

Looking her over, Jenny came to the conclusion that Tina was not a threat and relaxed. "I don't know what's going on, but I'll figure it out. No one snatches Pokemon from my city and gets away with it!" She declared and turned to her Growlithe. "We'll catch the criminal and teach them a lesson, right boy!?" Growlithe barked in agreement.

Static came from the speakers lining the hallway and everyone stepped out to listen to the announcement that followed. "The Pokemon Contest has been postponed due to several Pokenappings. Until the matter is resolved and the missing Pokemon have been returned, the contest will not go on. If you have any information leading to the missing Pokemons' whereabouts, please see Officer Jenny immediately. We hope that the unfortunate Pokemon are returned safely. Please do all you can to see that they make it back to their Trainers. Thank you."

This is serious. There's no way we came all the way to Hearthome City just to have some loser ruin this contest! Tina thought and turned to Officer Jenny. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to help you find these missing Pokemon."

I'd really appreciate it." She nodded and headed down the hallway. "Let's get to work!"

Following Officer Jenny, Tina looked around for any clues she could find. Then the lights went out. Every light in the Contest Hall went dark. A few screams filled the hallway and startled cries followed them. Something pushed against Tina, knocking her to the ground. She felt the weight of her Pokeballs leave her grip. "No!" She scrambled around in the darkness, feeling around for her Pokeballs.

The lights came back on. Tina blinked away the colorful dots blurring her vision and looked around for her Pokeballs. They were gone. She looked up to see several other Trainers crawling around in search of their Pokemon. Picking herself up Tina looked at Jenny who was on the floor as well, her Growlithe was missing.

My other Pokemon." Tina muttered and rushed down the hall to her dressing room. She snatched her bag and reached inside. Relieved that her Pokeballs where still there, she pulled them out. Choosing her Luxray, Tina threw the ball into the air and watched as it opened, releasing Lexi with a white flash of light.

Lexi! We have to find Luna and Violet and all the other Pokemon!" Lexi nodded and headed off the down the hall with Tina. Tina had taken her Trainer belt out and fastened it over her dress. She clipped on her remaining Pokeballs and returned to Officer Jenny.

The two Pokemon I had with me were taken, but these four are still here. I don't think they took the Pokemon left behind in the dressing rooms. Just the ones in the halls." Tina informed the policewoman.

That's odd. Why would they just take the Pokemon in the hallway?" Jenny scratched her chin in thought. "I can't figure it out."

I don't know, but we have to find these Pokemon." Tina looked around, deciding where to start looking first. Something scurried around the corner and Tina immediately took off, ignoring Officer Jenny.

Lexi ran ahead of her and turned the corner. A flash of yellow light came from the end of the hall just before Tina rounded the corner. Lexi stood in the middle of the hallway, growling at something invisible. Her fur stood on end and her tail stoke straight up in the air.

What is it, Lexi?" Tina stared at the empty hallway, wondering just what Lexi saw. And then something flickered into vision, like a light bulb flickering to life. Tina stumbled back just a bit as a Haunter stared at her with piercing eyes. Its menacing smile stretched all the way across the width of its body and it bobbed up and down in the air while a dark aura pulsed around it. It reached out with a claw-like hand and scratched at the air inches away from Tina's face.

Luxray!" Lexi roared and shot a bolt of electricity at the Ghost type, causing it to recoil in pain. Lexi looked over her shoulder and nodded.

What? Is this what's been stealing the Pokemon? A single Haunter?" She questioned her Luxray then looked back at the Haunter. "Well? Have you? Did you steal our Pokemon?"

The Haunter disappeared only to reappear behind Tina. It grabbed her shoulder, earning a startled scream from her. It pulled her back and she faded with it as it disappeared into a shadowy void behind it. Lexi grabbed hold of Tina's dress, pulling at the hem, trying to save her Trainer, but her efforts were to no avail. The hem of her dress ripped and she was pulled back into the void.

When her body has solidified, Tina found herself in a dark room. The lights flicked on, blinding her and causing her to shield her eyes from the fluorescent rays. She heard the familiar voice of Luna and looked down to see her nuzzling her leg. Violet came running from a corner to hug her Trainer.

Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Tina dropped to her knees to embrace her Pokemon, overjoyed by the fact that they were unharmed. Looking around she saw the other missing Pokemon. They all fine, but not a single one was scared. "I don't understand. Why aren't they scared?" She turned to the Haunter. "Why did you bring them here?"

The Haunter turned around and searched for something. It returned holding a ball. It dropped the rubber ball and watched as it bounced before a Vulpix ran out to catch it. A pleasant smile crossed the Haunters face, well as pleasant as a Haunter's smile can get, as it watched the Vulpix bat the ball around before kicking it back towards the Haunter.

You just wanted someone to play with." Tina shook her head. "You didn't have to take all these Pokemon. All you had to do was ask nicely if you could play." A serious look graced her face. "But you have to let them go. Their Trainers are worried about them. And I'm sure they miss their Trainers."

The Haunter looked out at the crowd of Pokemon, each one a little saddened by Tina's words. Nodding, the Haunter pointed to a door. Crossing the room, Tina opened the door to find that it was a stairwell. "This will get us out of here?" She looked over her shoulder. The Haunter nodded again. "Come on, guys! Let's get you back to your Trainers." She ushered the Pokemon up the stairwell as Luna and Violet led them back to the main floor. Before leaving Tina turned to the Haunter. "You should come up with us. Maybe we can find you a Trainer." Joy filled the Haunter and it gladly went up the stairwell with her, eager to find a new friend.

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