Margaret was ready for that and had Espeon keeping them at bay with Confusion before they got too close. Oh yes, she had experience with Zubat-Golbat-Crobat swarms before. They were all poison, and therefore weak to psychic-types, and she took full advantage.

Aleron let Margaret deal with that, although she had Vulpix out as well. Just in case. Because a face full of fire deterred most pokemon.

Margaret and Espeon took care of the swarms easily and continued on their way. Finally, they came upon an inner chamber full of crystals. One side was covered in blue, one side in red, and the ceiling was filled with green. The crystals started shimmering as the girls walked in, illuminating the room just enough to see a small altar in the center with three little spaces for the orbs.

Aleron walked over to the little altar, setting her pack down so she could dig out two of the orbs. "Ready?" She looked over at Margaret.

Margaret nodded, digging out the third orb. Glancing around the room, she decided to set the blue orb in the depression closest to the blue-crystal wall. Then she waited for Aleron.

Aleron set the red one closest to the red-covered wall, and the green one in the only slot left. Then she blinked, waiting to see what would happen.

The orbs all lit up brightly, as did the crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling. With a brilliant flash, the orbs pulsed a bit, and then went dim. When the light died down, the orbs were still there, but there were also three eggs sitting at the base of the altar. Nothing else happened for a moment, and then the rock around them vibrated as a roar came from outside.

"Oh god," Margaret said, eyes wide. "It gave us the eggs and the parents know."

Aleron had a few seconds of blinding panic. "What should we do? Leave them here or take them outside?" Because she'd be damned if she just stood there and did nothing.

"I don't know," Margaret replied, just as panicky. "Take them outside? It's best to give them back to the parents, right?"

"I would think so..." Aleron picked up two of the eggs, nestling the warmer one against her. She had the feeling that one was at least part fire-type. And then she waited to make sure Margaret got the other egg okay before she headed outside again.

The remaining egg was cool, which made Margaret think it was probably the water-type as she picked it up. She heard the roar again from outside and shuddered a bit.

"We should hurry, I think," she said.

Aleron nodded and hurried outside with her two eggs. Then she sort of just had to stop for a moment. Groudon did not look happy. And he was glaring at her.

Kyogre didn't look happy, either, from where it was floating in the water. Margaret hesitantly got close to the edge of the water and set the egg down just past the water line.

"Really," she said, loud enough for them to hear, "just giving them back."

Aleron set down the warmer egg (with some reluctance) and moved out of the way. Groudon rumbled again and went to go retrieve the egg.

"Where's the third?" Aleron asked Margaret quietly.

"Not sure," Margaret replied. "Water, fire... wasn't the last one--" she was interrupted by a roar from above them, "--sky?" She looked up and saw Rayquaza. "There it is," she said weakly.

Aleron set down the last egg a little ways away, watching as Rayquaza came down to gather up the egg, flying away.

"Well. We survived. Again."

"I stopped counting how many have nearly killed us," Margaret replied. "The number got too high."

"Way too high." Aleron swallowed. "Well. Now that we've had another near-death experience, what do we want to do?"

"Figure out how many more we need to have before we can check other regions," Margaret replied. She knew there had to be more while they were in Hoenn. Had to be.

"I think I remember a couple others. Latias and Latios, I want to say? And Jirachi. I remember Jirachi." Aleron looked over at her. "But that's about all I know for the moment. We'd have to go look things up again."

"We'll figure it out," Margaret nodded. "For now... Pokemon center for the night?"

"Yes. I think so." Aleron started walking so they could get to the pokemon center. She needed a hot shower to help relax after all this.

It took several more weeks and two more regions, but Margaret and Aleron managed to return all the eggs they could find. It was the ones they couldn't find that started to worry Margaret a little. They'd been to all five regions and not once had they seen the missing eggs or any place the eggs could be. It puzzled her right up until the moment they were hit with a Sleep Powder from somewhere and carted off.

Margaret woke up in what looked like a room in a science lab. She had no idea how long she had been out or how she'd gotten to where she was, and her pokeballs weren't on her belt anymore. She looked around frantically for her pokemon and Aleron.

Aleron groaned as she woke up, having been dumped in the corner. She groped around for Vulpix, and she woke up real fast when she could find her pokemon. She sat up, scrambling to her feet to look around.

"Where are they?" She looked at Margaret, her eyes wide and a little panicked. Or a lot panicked.

"I don't know," Margaret replied. "I don't know where they are or where we are or how we got here."