(BACKSTORY FOR TEAM SHADOW!!!!)

--------------------

Around four years ago, a little boy by the name of Parker woke up on his birthday. He was excited and woke up hours earlier than he had ever done before.

"Today, I can get my very first Pokemon!" Parker pumped his fist and leapt out of his bed. His mind was already set on his Pokemon and his Mom had already gotten all of his stuff ready to go for his adventure.

"Make sure you change your underwear every day and be sure to stay safe at night, don't stay up to-" his Mom kept on saying, constantly kissing him around his face, not wanting to let go.

"Stop coddling me Mom, gosh" Parker pushed off his Mom and straightened his clothes. He was wearing a short sleeved white t-shirt, with the long sleeves from the black t-shirt underneath hanging out over the short sleeves. He had dark black jeans on and white sneakers. His hair hung down over his eyes in a mess, which his Mom hated.

"I'm sorry, I just don't want you to grow up" his Mom frowned, staring at his hair. "You better do something about that messy hair of yours, here..." his Mom took out a black headband, with a white circle in the middle. Within the white circle sat a purple orb, that represented a shadow ball. She then grabbed some hair gel and began to mess with Parker's hair, spiking it up and exposing his forehead. She then tied the headband just under his fringe, sitting around his forehead. She tied the knot at the back and took one step back, staring at her son, who stood awkwardly, waiting to go. "Perfect!"

"Can I go now, Mom?" Parker moaned. He didn't care how his hair looked, he was just getting fed up by his Mom. 

"Yes, go and enjoy your journey. Make sure you visit!" Parker was already running off when she said yes, but he turned to wave and then continued on to the Pokemon lab. Parker lived in the Johto region, so the professor he was seeing was Professor Elm. But, upon his arrival, the lab was deserted. 

"Huh? Professor Elm?" Parker's voice echoed around the lab and no reply came. He was lightly confused, so he walked on and further into the lab. A sign said 'STAFF ONLY', but Parker ignored it and decided to continue his investigation. Then, he could finally hear shouts coming from one of the lab rooms. Parker rushed into the room and found Professor Elm chasing an Eevee around. 

"Come back here, listen to me!" Elm was saying, struggling to catch the mischievous Eevee. 

"Erm, Professor?" Parker looked at Elm, who immediately stopped and turned to face Parker.

"Oh yes, hello Parker. I will be with you in a moment!" Elm went to grab Eevee, but he landed face down on the table, in an awkward position. Eevee jumped onto his back and lay down, finding Elm quite comfortable. Parker couldn't help but laugh.

"Looks like Eevee is quite the handful" he commented, looking at the Eevee. Eevee looked back at Parker and seemingly smiled, feeling happy that Parker thought he was funny. Eevee jumped over to Parker and lay on the table, just in front of him. Parker slowly extended his palm and gently caressed Eevee's soft fur. 

"Eevee..." Eevee purred, finding Parker's stroking very warm and comfortable. Elm finally got up from the table and was amazed.

"You're a natural with Eevee, wow" he walked over and looked at Eevee. "Do you like Parker? He is a new Pokemon trainer and has no Pokemon"

"Eevee!" Eevee jumped up, suddenly having a lot more energy. He slowly nodded and then Parker smiled.

"Ok, we need to let Eevee rest for a moment. Lets go and get your starter Pokemon" Professor Elm headed to the door, but Parker didn't move.

"How about Eevee?" he asked, looking at Eevee. His face had now dropped and he was sad because he thought Parker was leaving already. But Parker's words lit up Eevee's face. He jumped onto Parker's shoulder and smiled.

"Well, it is a wild Eevee, so I don't see why not" Elm scratched his chin and then looked at Eevee. "Do you want Parker to be your trainer?" 

Eevee gave an instant nod and the Professor walked off. He came back and had a Pokedex and some pokeballs. "Here are your pokeballs and a Pokedex. Make sure to use one of the balls on Eevee before you set off. Have a nice journey and good luck!"

"Thanks, professor. Lets go Eevee!" Parker rushed off out of the lab and set Eevee down in front of him. He threw a pokeball at Eevee and a red light sucked him in, encasing him inside the pokeball. It shook a few times before glistening, confirming the capture. Parker instantly threw the pokeball up, letting Eevee out. 

"Eevee!" Eevee said excitedly, rushing up onto Parker's shoulder.

"Hey, Parker!" a voice said, rushing up to the lab. Parker's friend was called Jeremy. He was wearing a black tracksuit, huge circular glasses and white shoes. He had a huge white backpack sitting on his back too. 

"Jeremy, hi" Parker waved to his friend, who stopped by the doors.

"What Pokemon did you...Hey is that an Eevee. You caught another Pokemon already?" Jeremy asked impressed.

"Erm, no...I got Eevee as my starter Pokemon" Parker scratched his head, giving a nervous laugh.

"What?! Awesome. I am going to go and get my Totodile, you better tell me how this happened"

On the way to the next city, Parker told Jeremy the story of how he got his Eevee. They spent weeks travelling around the Johto region, capturing other wild Pokemon and battling in tournaments, training hard for gym battles and having days out in the fields. A whole year had gone by since Parker had begun his journey, but Eevee hadn't evolved yet. He still didn't know what to try and evolve him into. Parker sat alone on some rocks by the edge of a mountain. Jeremy had gone to a science expedition in the Sinnoh region, leaving Parker alone. Parker had all eight gym badges and got into the semi-finals of the league, so his journey in Johto was over. He still wasn't sure what was next. 

"You mind if I sit here?" a female voice said from behind Parker. She looked no older than him and had dark purple hair. Her hair was pretty long and straight, falling down to her waist. Her short bangs sat just above her eyes, falling slightly to the left while the shorter sides of her hair fell on her shoulders, rather than across her back. She straightened the skirt of her dress as she sat down.

"Why did you ask if you are just going to sit there?" Parker looked at her with one eye open, his other eye shut in concentrated thinking. Eevee was asleep by his side, relaxing in the sunlight.

"I didn't think an answer was required. I am Elizabeth" the girl smiled, extended her hand out. Parker took another look at her and held his hand out.

"Names Parker," he said, shaking her hand lightly. 

"So, Parker, what brings you here today?" Elizabeth asked him, trying to make conversation.

"Mind your own business" he disregarded her question and closed his eyes again.

"Sorry for being so friendly..." Elizabeth frowned and then looked away, staring out at the sky. "Parker?"

"What is it?" Parker asked, keeping his eyes shut.

"Have you ever felt so alone, that you feel like you have been left in the shadows?" Elizabeth suddenly asked, sounding a little upset.

"What do you mean?" Parker opened his eyes, looking at Elizabeth. Her eyes were glistening as tears fell onto the rocks. "Huh, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry" Elizabeth sniffed, wiping away the tears. "My friends ditched me and stole my only Pokemon. They said it would have better use with Team Rocket"

Those words hurt Parker. The villainous team that caused disruption to many events in the Johto region.

"So, why were you acting so friendly and trying to pretend like nothing happened?" Parker asked, getting up from the rocks.

"Well, if I just came up to you as a stranger and blurted it out, you would think I am crazy" Elizabeth admitted, feeling kind of awkward.

"Too late for that" Parker nonchalantly replied, making Elizabeth frown. He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "I will help you get your Pokemon back, I promise"

Her frown was turned upside down and a big smile broke across her face. Elizabeth jumped into Parker and hugged him tight. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"Ok, lets not get all touchy feely and lets go get us some Pokemon" Parker poked his Eevee gently and his eyes opened. "Time to go buddy" Eevee immediately jumped onto Parker's shoulder and waited obediently for any instructions.

They walked off down into a forest. The vegetation within the forest was very thick, so they had to constantly duck and dodge past brambles and branches in order to make their way through the forest. 

"I forgot to ask, what Pokemon did you have?" Parker stopped and turned to Elizabeth. 

"A Zorua," Elizabeth said, surprising Parker.

"Those are pretty rare, I would see why a team like Team Rocket would go for it"

"You're not helping, saying things like that" Elizabeth frowned and folded her arms.

"Yeah yeah, I am sorry" Parker turned around and continued walking on.

"No" Elizabeth couldn't accept his apology. "Say it like you mean it"

"What?! Oh, come on Elizabeth, don't be like this" Parker moaned and then sighed. "Fine. I am sorry for saying things like that"

Elizabeth smiled and then clapped twice. "Apology accepted!" 

"Did you seriously just want me to apologize properly so you could feel better?" Parker asked, feeling slightly annoyed.

"Yup," Elizabeth skipped forward, feeling quite proud of herself. She was happy to be travelling with someone else, but her personality kind of made it hard to get people to like her. 

Parker sighed once again and Eevee sweatdropped. 

"And where is Team Rocket now, do you know?" Parker decided to break the silence with another question.

"Mhm" was all Elizabeth said. She stopped at the edge of the forest and pointed out towards a warehouse. 

"In there?" Parker asked and Elizabeth nodded. "Hmm...."

"Do you think you can get in and get Zorua still?" Elizabeth wondered, hoping he had the confidence to do it.

"Of course, this will be like taking candy from a baby" Parker wasn't even fazed, he just stared blankly at the warehouse, thinking of a plan. The night was beginning to fall and a few Team Rocket grunts stood at the entrance, guarding it. 

"So, do you have the plan to take the candy?" Elizabeth asked, looking around for anything that could help Parker.

"Just let me handle this. I think I will have to take out the two grunts first and then move in. You will have to follow me, in case we find Zorua"

"Good idea, Zorua will need to see me so he can trust you" Elizabeth agreed, so Parker moved on through the forest, getting close to the entrance. Elizabeth stayed behind him, but she decided not to interfere, she was there to get Zorua while Parker helped her out. They were using the night for cover, immersing themselves within the shadows. Parker and Elizabeth ducked beside a bush and slowly and quietly crouched down and went around it, standing adjacent to the two grunts guarding the door. They were only a few yards apart now, but the grunts still couldn't see them.

"Eevee" Parker whispered. His partner looked up. "Use hypnosis on the guards please"

Elizabeth was surprised that his Eevee knew hypnosis, but she watched on as the purple light formed in Eevee's mouth surrounded the two guards. They both collapsed onto the floor into a deep sleep and Parker stood up from the bush. 

"Ok, lets keep going," he said, stepping up to the door. Just then, it opened and out came two people that looked familiar to Elizabeth.

"Well, if it isn't good ol' Liz" one of the girls scowled and the other folded her arms, a pokeball in her right hand.

"Don't call me Liz, I hate that name" Elizabeth frowned. "And give me back my Zorua!"

"Sorry Liz, no can do," the other girl said, making Elizabeth angry. "We need your Zorua for our plan"

"Well, whatever your planning, we will put a stop to it" Parkers expression changed. It was still his casual expression, but he seemed more evil. Like something was consuming his entire being. His Eevee seemed to also have the same expression, which was strange. Then, Eevee began to glow and change shape, evolving. As soon as the light broke away, Umbreon stood in Eevee's place.

"Umbreon!" he said out loud, staring at the two girls in front of him.

"What is this, your boyfriend and his pet?" the girls both laughed, but Parker kept the same straight face, looking directly at the two girls. Both of their faces dropped, because his face was quite scary to them. They both stumbled back slightly. "Who is this freak?"

Even Elizabeth looked slightly worried as she looked on, watching Parker, who was like a statue, not even blinking.

"Umbreon, shadow ball" he suddenly said in a flat voice. Everyone was shocked, there was no Pokemon around, meaning Parker was directly attacking the two girls. His whole personality had changed in the space of a few minutes and this had a direct effect on Eevee too, who had now evolved into Umbreon and was obediently listening to Parker. Umbreon fired a shadow ball straight at the two girls and it exploded between them, sending them both flying back. Then, Parker casually walked into the warehouse. Elizabeth hesitated, but then she too walked in with him and immediately saw her Zorua.

"Zorua!" she shouted, rushing over. She felt really happy to see her Pokemon and he jumped up into her arms, feeling just as happy. "Oh I am so sorry Zorua"

She held Zorua in a vice grip while Parker stared blankly at her. His mind flashed back to when they were hiding in the shadows.

"The feeling you get, of being one with the shadows, it feels good, doesn't it?"  a man's voice entered Parker's head, or so he thought. "Do not turn around and alert the girl. Just admit it to yourself, you are a figure of your former self, a human being in hiding, unleash your true power and let yourself be known to the world. Finally, merge with the shadows and bring darkness to the world, rejoice in a new world fit for those who live in darkness and have no fear. I...No, WE, are Team Shadow. And WE will rule the world"

The words were just whispers and Parker knew this man was right behind him, but Elizabeth didn't see anyone. This was the leader of Team Shadow, a person who was almost like a shadow itself. He knew every trick in the book in order to stay hidden and he targeted Parker, using his power to project himself as a god to manipulate Parker's mind. It was working, because all of the unanswered questions made Parker freeze, but it was like his Eevee had the same thing happening because he evolved into the dark Pokemon, Umbreon. 

"Are you ok, Parker? Parker?" Elizabeth's voice echoed within his head. Then, as he regained consciousness, he felt himself shaking, but it was just Elizabeth trying to wake him up. "Oh thank god, what is the matter with you, you suddenly seem out of it?"

"I...I don't know" Parker looked at his hands, wondering what was going on. Was this man some sort of god? Could he actually enter people's heads? 

"Of course, you know what is going on, Parker..." a voice said from the shadows. Then, a man jumped down and landed on the floor. He was wearing a robe from head to toe, completely covered. His face was like a silhouette, his features unrecognisable. 

"How do you know my name?!" Parker asked, but then he realized it was a stupid question.

"Well, I have been following you for a long time. But now, it is finally time for you to join us" the man had a visible smirk, but Parker was dumbfounded. 

"Us?" Parker asked. Then, he turned to Elizabeth, who stepped next to the man. "Was this.. some sort of plan?"

"The other two girls are expendable, but yes, we have been planning for you to join us for a long time" the man opened his arms. "Join Team Shadow and rejoice in the glory of world domination!"

"I...I..." Parker didn't know how to react. The most obvious answer was no because he wasn't like that. Yet his mind kept telling him to say yes. Parker dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "I will join you"

The man cackled, his laugh full of malice and violence. "Good, this is good! We will soon become the strongest and most feared team in the world! Come, my children, let us become one with the shadows and disappear into the darkness. Our plan will soon become clear, just you wait!"

Over the next two years, they stayed hidden from the world, finding weak trainers that had nothing to lose and changing them psychologically. After one year, upon Jeremy's return to the Johto region, Parker convinced him with ease to join him, but Jeremy was first unaware of their true motives. Then, they found two brothers, twins, in fact, called Tristan and Jake. They both hated their family and resented the whole world, they felt like they didn't belong at first, until Elizabeth and Parker took them under their wings and brought them into the team, preparing themselves for their plan. 

And now, at the age of fourteen, in the Kanto region, stood one of the most mysterious and yet most powerful teams in the whole world, a team so capable of destruction, it would be too scary to know their true power. A team that had been hidden in the shadows for far too long and a team that was ready to go out and consume the world in darkness for all eternity. Team Shadow, was ready to strike.