The trio of Pokemon who actually slept awoke bright and early the next morning. Much to the Scyther's displeasure, it would seem. "Gah...someone turn down the sun, I want to sleep in..."

"Unlikely to hap-hap-happen," Bit replied. "Seeing as there is a res-res-resident deity in charge of proper solar cycles, she will likely take her du-du-duty more seriously than your morning shuteye."

Bit's reply only caused Sam to groan again and roll over before he blinked his eyes open. "Fine. I'm up. I don't like it, but I'm up."

We are up as well, Luke pitched in from the guest bedroom.

Fooooooood, Vincent added before shuffling out of the room towards the kitchen. The more adult Pokemon shared a look and a smirk before following the Abra to the table. Partially because they wanted to see him try to cope with the kitchen when he was half-awake at best, and partially because they knew that if left to his own devices, his food would be the only one that he retrieved. The little psychic had developed quite an appetite since Luke had started pushing him into using his powers on a regular basis.

After a short breakfast that surprisingly did not end up all over the room due to mismanaged psychokinesis, the foursome looked at one another across the table. "Well, I have to go out and help the Monte Colto today, they're far worse off. Plus, if I do, they might consider me more seriously for that job they talked about."

"I too must go, but my destination is the sta-sta-station. There are approximately one hun-hun-hundred reports to go through in my efforts to find any form of pat-pat-pattern."

Bit, a moment, please? Luke stood from his spot at the table before motioning to the couch in the other room. Vincent, you as well. This is the next step...

Vincent sighed but moved to sit on the couch. Jeeze, it's not like the building will fall down around us if I don't get a handle on my powers.

Oh really? The Gallade had what could almost be called a smirk on his face. I can tell when something...like, say, a wall...has been blasted, Vincent.

At that, Vincent stiffened before sitting back on the couch. I have no idea what you're talking about.

Luke's almost-smirk grew at that before he motioned for Bit to come closer. Now, I want you to try keeping a link with Bit up as he goes to the station. Something like this comes naturally to both Psychics...and you, it would seem.

Vincent gulped at the enormity of the task before him before he nodded and closed his eyes. A paw was extended in Bit's general direction before both it, and Bit's head, lit up in blue light. After a moment, it faded, and the connection was established.

Very good. Now...keep that up for as long as you can, Vincent. I will be here to watch over you.

Bit nodded a few times before leaving, closely followed by the Scyther.

Lucy stared at the rock in front of her. The rock the ponies were trying to break apart. The rock they'd passed on to the Lucario couple she'd met here. The rock that they'd passed on to her and told her to break. The rock that was easily twice as tall as she was, and that thick around as well. That rock.

"You expect me to break this thing?"

"Of course not," the male Lucario replied, causing Lucy to sigh in relief before he continued. "I expect you to break it in one strike. Two, if you must."

Lucy sputtered a bit at that. "What sort of training is this?!"

"None, this is a test to determine what you know about strength." The way he calmly responded to all her questions was getting under her skin, but Lucy held her irritation in.

"Fine," she muttered darkly before walking up to the rock, tapping it a few times before deciding on her mode of attack. Two if she had to, huh? Two would work.

"Force Palm," Lucy said, starting up her mode of bolder pulverization. With a short, quick, yet still mighty punch, cracks appeared in the stone, spiderwebbing the boulder from its point of impact to about ten inches away. The ponies whistled a bit, but the male didn't move. Lucy smirked a bit and raised one foot off the ground for her next attack.

"Earthquake," she said simply, and that got a reaction from her instructor. With an almighty slam, Lucy brought her foot down on the already weakened boulder, causing it to collapse into a pile of pebbles and gemstones. A rumbling echoed through the quarry, and a few loose stones tumbled down slopes before it faded. The ponies applauded Lucy for her move once the earth stopped shaking, and several started to pick through the rubble the boulder left behind. The male Lucario slowly advanced on Lucy and stopped a short distance away. He looked from her to the boulder a few times before he asked his question.

"What was that?"

Lucy shrugged. "Me breaking a boulder in two moves."

Silence reigned for a minute before the male would speak up again. "You really don't know anything about being a Lucario, do you?"

Lucy shook her head. "We went over that already."

The male sighed and facepawed. "I have my work cut out for me if you don't even know about the Aura, how to read it, or how to use it."

Lucy considered his words and slowly shook her head. "Noooot ringing any bells there."

The sigh was louder this time.

Sam carefully heaved and pushed another slot machine upright. Looking behind it, he saw it wasn't quite where it needed to be yet. The Scyther shrugged and carefully grabbed a hold of the one-armed bandit before starting to move it to be in line with the others. As he did so, Sam saw two ponies talking to one another on the edge of his vision. While this normally wouldn't be a cause for concern, he noticed they were a part of the casino staff and that they were making every effort to not be overheard, at least by ponies.

"What do you mean, the family's pulling their support?" the first pony asked.

"Keep it quiet!" the second pony hissed while casting a glance around. Upon seeing no other ponies, the second one softly replied to the first. "That's all they said. When they heard about the damages, they were all smiles and willing to help. When they heard the damages were to the slots, they pulled a one-eighty faster than a pegasus and said 'you're on your own.' I'm tellin' ya, there's something about that that doesn't sit right with me."

"Me either," pony one replied before looking around. Upon catching sight of Sam, the Scyther acted as if he was simply trying to move his slot machine into place. The pony's eyes narrowed, but he turned around again and resumed talking to his compatriot. "Did you hear that rumor about that thing that came outta the machines?"

"Yeah," pony two nodded slowly. "Heard it through the grapevine that whatever that thing was, it was looking at our slot machines like they were a two-bit con-pony."

Silence reigned for a minute as Sam picked a new machine to maneuver into position while still eavesdropping on the casino staff.

"Maybe we're better off without the family," the first one said.

"Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. All I know is my paycheck's not as large as it once was. What does that creature know, anyways?"

More than you'd think, Sam thought. This...this is something Luke and the others need to hear. I'll tell them when I get home.

Bit paused in his parsing of the guard's data. It wasn't quite a voluntary pause, one that he'd take to better cross-reference the information he was practically absorbing. It was one of shock.

While Bit had fixed himself, there was a significant portion of his memory that held a copy of all the information the lab's mainframe had on it at the time of the transfer. He'd been slowly deciphering the information so that he could give a summary of everything that Nurem had done to the Rangers, and he had come across...something startling.

Something dated fifteen and a half years ago.

Vincent had apparently picked up on his shock and sent a pulse of thought across the still-active link. Bit? You okay?

I am fine, Vincent. That was an upside of thought-transference, Bit mused. No stutter there. I have something to show you when I return, but I am fine otherwise. Please inform Luke he may want to be present as well. The information could be startling, and you will likely need a stabilizing factor nearby.

Silence reigned for a moment inside the Porygon-Z's head before Vincent's voice rang out again. He said he would be there and be near. Just what is this information?

Something I honestly did not expect to find, Bit replied. Now if you'll pardon me, I must return to work.

And return Bit did, but something bothered him out of the corner of his eye for the rest of the day.

Something that looked like a stack of audio files.

Something that started with RUPERT_NUREM_AUDIO_LOG_1 and continued for a good, long while.

And it sent chills throughout his body whenever he considered what could possibly be on those audio logs.

Author's Notes:

And so Doctor Nurem gains a name.

And in the next few chapters, a backstory.