The first thing Reiko felt as she woke up was the cold of her cheek against the floor.

She parted her eyelids only half-way, eyes glassy and distant as her mind tried to catch up to her body. Everything was blurry. She seemed to be in some kind of white room, empty except for the lone metal chair a few feet from her.

Letting out a groan, she tried to move her hands only to find that something firm and tight was constricting them. There was confusion for a moment, and then she tried to move her feet apart. They were tied together as well.

"Reiko. Hey."

She almost didn't hear the faint whisper over the panic building inside her. Eyes going wide, she rolled over to the side and saw Percy laying next to her, his feet and hands also bound by ropes. He, however, did not look nearly as panicked as she expected, in fact he seemed more annoyed if the look in his eyes and that cute frown of his were any evidence of it.

"Percy!" she blurted out, only a second after remembering that she should probably stay quiet. "Kuso..." she whispered. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

He replied with a scoff, which lifted a cloud of dust from the floor under his cheek. "Okay is… sort of subjective here. Though I am unharmed, thankfully."

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh. There was that, at least.

"Looks like those assholes got us," she said, looking over the small room. There was a plain door in front of them, closed. "How long you've been awake? You remember how we got here?"

"Tsk. I've got no idea; I woke up just a couple minutes ago." His face flushed slightly as he struggled, trying to free his hands from the knot they were tied with. "I can't even move and there's more dust and ash on this floor than on the peak of Mount Goddamn Pyre!"

She made sure to roll her eyes as soon as he looked away. "Look I know that your clothes cost more than literally everything I own but can we please try to focus?" She gave the knot on her wrists a tentative push. "I… think I can break these, though it'll scrape my wrists pretty badly. Still, if it comes down to the wire…"

"Reiko, we've been kidnapped. I don't think it gets more on the wire than that."

A tiny smile formed on her lips. "You say that like we weren't planning to kidnap someone a couple hours ago."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "How do you know how long it's been, anyway?"

She tried to shrug, though it was difficult with her hands tied. "I just know. Internal clock and all that."

"Weirdo," Percy whispered under his breath. "But… yes, I think that's the only option we have right now. I can't feel my Pokeballs on my belt so they must've taken them."

A sudden wave of anger rushed over her as she heard that. The weight of her Pokeballs on her belt was something so normal and reassuring than having it missing made her feel like she was naked. Had they also…? She rolled over to be on her back and… yes, they had taken her bokken too. Made sense. Now, for the other one…

She touched the inside of her ankles together, and smiled. "They didn't take the switchblade in my boot. We can use it to get out."

"Bless you and your paranoia," said Percy. "All right, try to free your hands. Just be careful, ok–?"

His voice trailed off as he saw Reiko's expression change. She looked at him and shushed, looking toward the door.

"Someone's coming," she whispered. "As soon as they're distracted I'll free my hands and jump on them. Keep it cool"

Percy gulped, a bead of sweat falling down his forehead. "Hmph. You don't need to tell me that."

"Sure I don't, hon," Reiko whispered. "Get ready."

They heard the metallic sound of the door unlocking, and then a person stepped into the room. Tall and commanding, with a perfectly kept Galactic uniform adorning their body. Reiko's eyes went wide as she recognized the grunt which had been her target.

Reiko froze. The grunt walked a few feet toward them with the greatest of ease and carelessness, as if they couldn't imagine their life being in danger in the slightest.

And apparently, they were right. Reiko grit her teeth as her mind yelled at her to move, to break her bonds and jump on them, but… why wasn't her body obeying? Why was her throat so dry? Why did it feel like air wasn't enough all of a sudden?

She balled her hands into fists, and immediately the grunt's grey eyes fell on her. There was no anger in their expression, only a calm, resolute strength.

I… I know them, Reiko gulped, realization dawning on her. That face…

"Nice to see you're both up. I was afraid my Lucario might have hit you too hard." They folded their arms and formed a genuine smile. "He's not the best at controlling his strength, you see."

Reiko felt a shiver down her spine, and as she looked over to Percy she noticed his brow furrowing in confusion. There it was again… why did their voice sound so familiar?

Percy was the first to answer, though he needed a couple seconds to gather himself. "You look a bit too old to be a Galactic grunt," he said, tone forcibly firm. "Yet you don't have the uniform of a commander. Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?"

Her lips pursed in an attempt not to smile. Percy might need a bit of time to build up his confidence, but the moment he got it he became fearless. That's what she loved about him.

He's got a point, too, she thought. Most of Galactic's grunts are young and stupid, not to mention shitty trainers. But if this grunt really has a Lucario then we're good and truly fucked.

The grunt raised an eyebrow. "You two look quite hostile, considering your position."

"Answer the question," Reiko spat back. "What do you want from us?"

"I believe I should be the one asking you that," they replied. "When I noticed the two of you I thought a commander had sent either reinforcements or someone to keep an eye on me. But, it's just like you said…" Their gaze went from Reiko to Percy, and then back to her. "Your Scyther, Golduck and Vivillion were not easy to take down, even without their trainers helping them. As far as I know, no grunt is in possession of such powerful Pokemon."

"W-what did you do to them?" Percy asked, his cheeks paling.

"They are perfectly safe, you needn't worry," they said. "Besides, I think you have bigger concerns at the moment."

Reiko felt her face flush, and if she hadn't been immobilized she would have jumped on them right then and there. To think they'd taken everything from them… their Pokemon, their Poketch…

However, an annoying thought started buzzing around her head, one which she had trouble ignoring. Something about this grunt… seemed wrong. They were completely unarmed and she didn't notice any Pokeballs on their belt, and yet all of Reiko's instincts were screaming at her not to try anything. Moreover, why were they referring to Team Galactic as if they weren't part of it? And why did she feel like she'd seen them somewhere before? She remembered seeing a lot of stormy grey eyes like theirs back when they had visited Celestic, and…

Realization hit her like a hammer to the face, and she let out a gasp. A second after, Percy's eyes shot wide open as he figured it out as well.

"You're not part of Team Galactic," he said, no doubt in his voice. "Who are you?"

For a single moment surprise flashed across the grunt's face. Then their lips curved upward, and they let out a short, powerful laugh as they covered their face with one hand.

"Ah… didn't take you long, did it?" They parted their fingers slightly, staring down at them as one of their eyes emerged between them. "Such brightful youth… I knew talking to you myself would be a treat."

Then, still smiling from ear to ear, they placed a hand on their hair and gripped it tightly, ripping the wig off with a single tug. From under what used to be a short, green bowl cut emerged a long and beautiful curtain of blonde hair. It fell down the impostor's back toward the back of their knees, shining under the fluorescent light of the room like a sheet of sunshine. Another, smaller tuft had fallen from the front of their head and now covered their right eye, its tip scratching their cheek.

If Reiko's chin had not been technically already hitting the floor, the usual turn of phrase would have applied quite well. She recognized the person in front of her; how could she not? She was the woman both her and Percy were trying to dethrone, after all.

"C-Champion Cynthia?" Percy's voice came out thin, full of disbelief. "What…?"

"Ittai…" Reiko finished. "The fuck are you doing here?"

Cynthia didn't respond immediately, taking her time to savor the look on their faces. The wig she'd been disguising herself with hung from her right hand, while the other went to her pocket as she retrieved a small switchblade.

"It seems we all have a few things to discuss," she said. "Let me untie you. Our talk will be more pleasant while enjoying a cup of tea."

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

Percy would not have described himself as having high standards, at least not openly, for that would have put him in the same position as his father. However, a life of such luxury and comfort had failed to prepare him for the rougher aspects of being a trainer. Like, for example, being kidnapped and thrown into a dirty room for a few hours, or being forced by the rule of politeness to accept the cup of tea Cynthia had offered to them.

"This is the worst tea I've ever tasted," he said after only the first sip. "By far."

Cynthia simply smiled, sitting across the crummy metal table. "I apologize. Cooking has never been my forte, despite my grandmother's insistence in teaching me."

Next to him, Reiko sat as still as ever, not even acknowledging the cup in front of her. The expression on her face was… hard to describe. Uneasiness? Pent-up anger? Both would have made sense, though he felt as if there was something more.

After kindly untying them, the Champion had led them to another, even smaller room inside the same crummy, abandoned house and sat them down while she prepared the tea and explained the events of the night.

With tensions steadily growing inside the Association, both Cynthia and her Chief Manager Lucian had devised a plan in order to locate Team Galactic's whereabouts and strike before they could protect themselves. She was to gather a small team of Sinnoh's most elite trainers, whose skills and expertise might be able to find a way past Galactic's defenses.

Infiltrating Galactic's group tonight had been the first step of their plan. The one which, she gently reminded them, they had royally screwed up.

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By the time I realized you weren't also part of Team Galactic it was too late, she had told them. I had to get out and take you two with me.

The house they were in was an abandoned one, the first shelter Cynthia had been able to find as soon as she lost sight of the grunts chasing her. Percy frowned as he took another look at the dimly lit room they were in, his gaze falling on one of the distant corners, where a Pokemon stood silently. The Lucario had been there the whole time. Despite being the one who knocked both them and their Pokemon out, he didn't react in the slightest when he saw them, the soft blue of his eyes as dispassionate as they were terrifying.

So that's why she gave us our Pokeballs back so easily, he thought. With that thing so close, it doesn't matter if we have them. He could kill us before we even lifted a finger.

He was so caught up in his own thinking that he almost jumped when Reiko spoke. And, as usual, her choice of words revealed just how unlike him she was.

"Must've been a bitch to hide all that hair inside a wig so small." Despite the implied mocking of her words, there was no humor in her voice. "Your chest too, though that probably wasn't as hard, considering…"

Cynthia's cup stopped halfway toward her lips, and she shot Reiko a look half amused and half offended. Percy had only just noticed himself. Cynthia was still wearing that fake Galactic uniform, which despite being almost skin-tight made the woman's chest look completely flat.

"It… was a challenge, yes. However, compared to the danger I put myself in by masquerading as one of their own, an itchy wig and a tight binder hardly constitute as an annoyance." She finally took a sip from her tea, letting out a small sigh of delight as she did so. "Though I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to changing out of this outfit. Unsurprisingly, binders have not become any more comfortable in the years since I've stopped using them."

"Yeah," whispered Percy, resting his cheek on his palm. "Tell me about it."

"I still don't get why you went through all this fucking trouble," said Reiko, her voice flat. "You're the Champion, aren't you? Why not kidnap one of those guys like we were planning to and interrogate them? Or is that too hard for you?"

Oh boy, here we go, Percy thought, holding in a sigh. He reached to his side and placed a hand on his girlfriend's lap, and instantly some of the hostility in her expression lightened. She was too high-strung to have a formal conversation at the moment. Then again, when was that not the case?

Luckily, Cynthia didn't seem offended by what she had implied. "I'm afraid that's impossible. You must've heard of what happened in Veilstone, no? All those Galactic grunts captured by us…" Cynthia's lips paled slightly, and her grip on her teacup tightened. "No matter what method we used, we could not get them to reveal even the slightest bits of information about Team Galactic."

Both of them leaned back a bit, surprised.

"What do you mean?" asked Reiko, brow furrowing. "They're all scared teenagers, how hard could it be to get them to talk?"

"Not hard at all, actually."

"Then…"

"The problem came after they decided to talk," Cynthia clarified. "The moment they accepted our terms and opened their mouth to reveal the information we wanted, something… appalling occurred. Their eyes flashed gold, and they passed out."

There was a short pause. "W-what?" asked Percy, tone full of disbelief.

"It is as I say. When they woke up, they had absolutely no memory of ever being part of Team Galactic." Cynthia let out a sigh. "It doesn't matter if we ask them to speak, write or use any other method to tell us the information; the moment they agree to do it they immediately lose their memories. That's why we've been forced to go to such lengths in order to find anything substantial."

"I…" Reiko tried to speak, but for a few seconds no words came to her. She shook her head and looked down, clearly confused. "That's insane. How could that even happen?"

Percy tapped his bicep with a finger, nibbling on his lower lip. "Maybe some strong psychic Pokemon?"

"There's no way." Reiko immediately shot down his idea. "The only ones strong enough to do something like that are Mew and…" She caught herself, forcing her mouth shut for a moment. "…anyway, if they had a Pokemon that powerful then they wouldn't need all the grunts, they could conquer all of Sinnoh with just that."

He opened his mouth to argue, but reminded himself that Reiko would know better than anyone else when it came to these sort of things. He then looked at Cynthia. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Perhaps," was her simple answer. "I have a vague idea, though until I obtain hard proof I would like to keep my speculations to myself. In any case, that is why I decided to infiltrate their ranks tonight." Her shoulders slouched ever so slightly as she raised an eyebrow at them. "That ship was, in all likelihood, supposed to depart toward what I assume is Team Galactic HQ. Since the place is completely untraceable and it is impossible to learn its location from any grunt, I was hoping to go there myself by disguising as one of their own. Though I suppose even the best of plans aren't infallible when it comes to outside influence."

Percy suddenly wasn't able to bear the weight of the Champion's gaze anymore. Reiko, however, had no such problem. She stared directly at the woman's eyes with a fierceness which felt strangely out of place. What was her deal? Why did she look so eager to punch her in the face?

"Couldn't have been that great a plan if it was ruined by a couple of idiots like us," Reiko shrugged. "Though I'm glad we didn't waste our time with something that wouldn't have worked anyway."

As if that's a good thing, Percy thought with a frown. Now we're back to square one.

"I'm glad I could help out," said Cynthia, her tone so flat it was difficult to detect if she was being sarcastic. "I do have one question, though. I hope you won't mind answering it, considering the situation you're in."

Her expression hardened ever so slightly. It wasn't a request.

"Sure, shoot."

Cynthia took another sip from her tea before asking.

"You must be aware of the Association's declaration that no trainer is allowed under any circumstance to try and fight Team Galactic on their own, unless they possess all eight of Sinnoh's badges." She let her statement air for a moment, but neither Reiko nor him said anything. "Percy Morow and Reiko Chabashira… you two have only managed to get seven, as far as I'm aware."

"Stalker much?" whispered Reiko, frowning. "I thought you had a question for us, not a lecture."

Percy grabbed onto her wrist, gently. "Reiko…"

"No, she is right," said Cynthia. "In order to set the mood I do tend to ramble unnecessarily. My apologies." She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms, expression unreadable. "My question is this: why are you so fiercely going up against Team Galactic?"

Reiko and him exchanged a side look, the same question written across both their faces.

Should we tell her?

"Because someone has to," was Reiko's answer. She avoided Cynthia's eyes as she said that. "And it's not like you guys are doing a good job at it."

Cynthia gave a small nod. "I apologize for our lack of success. However, I would hate for two promising trainers to get in trouble for breaking the rules…"

She let the sentence hanging. It was clear what she was implying.

"Oh cut the shit already." Reiko snapped, strongly placing her hand against the table. The red of her eyebrows formed a line over the bridge of her nose. "Dear Mew, why can't you Sinnohans just say what you mean instead of some cryptic bullshit? If you want us to join this team of yours then just ask already!"

Percy froze. That was not what he expected to hear from her.

"Is that what you believe I'm trying to imply? That I need your help?" Cynthia slightly raised an eyebrow, an amused look on her face. "I could call to my aid trainers with twice your expertise by simply snapping my fingers. What makes you think you could be of use to us?"

Good question, Percy thought as he turned to look at Reiko. What did she have in mind? It annoyed him to no end that the angrier and more serious she looked the less he could read her expression. It made no sense; just like her in general.

Reiko's lips stretched into a confident smile, and she lifted her chin as she replied. "You think I didn't notice my Poketch was the only thing you didn't give me back?"

Percy's eyes widened, and across from them Cynthia looked pleasantly surprised. Something about the way her eyes shone made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Interesting Pokemon you have inside that device," she said.

"He's a lot more than just a Pokemon," said Reiko. "He's the reason you're going to let us help you."

And just like that, he understood. So that's the bet you're trying to make, he thought as a proud smile formed on his lips.

He cleared his throat. "From what I understand, he can enter and steal information from any electronic device he's close to, including Poketch and Pokedex. As far as intel-gathering resources go, I don't think you can get more useful than that." There was a little pause. "Oh, and I should also mention that he only takes orders from Reiko. You know, in case you get any funny ideas."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Me, funny ideas? I would never."

"She probably knew already," Reiko whispered to him. "Which again, makes me wonder why you're wasting our fucking time with all this useless chit-chat when we could be getting stuff done. Isn't that what you should be doing? You are the Champion of this shithole of a region, aren't y–"

Suddenly, both trainers felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on them. Cynthia didn't move or speak, she technically didn't even change her expression, and yet the friendly and somewhat odd vibe about her evaporated in an instant, replaced by an oppressive and very tangible aura of anger.

Percy couldn't help but lean back on his chair, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape in shock. It was like a blizzard had been let loose inside the room; he had never felt anything like it, and judging by the look on Reiko's face she hadn't either, which is what truly terrified him. What kind of…?

It vanished a second after. The room fell silent for a moment, and only then did Percy and Reiko dared to breathe. Across from them, Cynthia looked down for a moment –her eyes hidden in shadows– and let out a tiny sigh, her clenched fists relaxing.

"I… apologize." She lifted her chin and formed a flat, somewhat forced smile. "But I would greatly appreciate it if you refrained yourself from using such words to refer to my home."

Percy glanced nervously to the side, expecting Reiko to reply snidely to her comment or to even double down on what she had said. However, judging by her expression, that seemed increasingly unlikely.

"Thank you."

As she said that Cynthia placed a hand against the table and lifted herself to her feet, her expression blank. She stood there with her arms crossed for what felt like an entire minute before finally speaking.

"In return, I suppose I could be straightforward for once." Her voice had lost all the playfulness from before. "It's true that I would like for you two to join our team, though in truth that strange Pokemon you possess has little to do with it. My interest rests more on you two. You are quite the unusual couple of trainers. Your determination is firmer than most, and your spirit burns in a way I have wearily seen before. I would like to keep a close eye on you two, so that I may learn what drives you, what makes you burn."

Okay, that's… kinda creepy, Percy though, feeling the shiver of the woman's words run down his back. He unconsciously grabbed onto Reiko's hand with a bit more force, though she didn't seem to notice.

"I'm sensing a but coming," said Reiko. "Which would make all that you said before a waste of time."

"However…" Cynthia pronounced that word carefully, trying to stifle a chuckle. "The safety of my people takes precedence over my own selfish delusions, and I'm not sure the two of you joining us wouldn't compromise our chances of success. Judging from tonight, stealth does not seem to be your forte."

"What are you talking about?" asked Percy, frowning. "Besides you, no one from Team Galactic noticed us or realized we were even there. Right, Reiko?"

He didn't get a reply. A few seconds passed, and he looked over to Reiko, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

"…Reiko?"

Cynthia's gaze moved from him to Reiko. "You haven't told him yet."

"T-told me what?"

Reiko breathed in deeply and took her hand from on top of his, balling it into a fist.

"I… ran into one of them tonight," she said. "It was an accident, she just happened to exit the hangar when I was there and she saw me."

Percy blinked in confusion. How had he not noticed that? If a grunt had seen Reiko then she surely would have alerted all the rest, unless…

He felt his stomach drop as realization dawned on him.

"I didn't have much time to think…" Reiko continued, biting her lower lip. "I just… moved by instinct. I grabbed my bokken and knocked her out before she could call for help."

No one said anything for a few seconds. Then, Cynthia spoke.

"I took a look at her body before escaping. Her windpipe was crushed and from the look of the wound on the back of her head, she must have suffered a concussion as well." She spat the words out without any intonation. "She seemed to have died of asphyxiation."

It would have been hard to describe Reiko's expression as she heard that. At first glance her face seemed neutral, but the slight shake of her lips and the panic flashing through her eyes betrayed the image of apathy she was trying to convey. When she finally replied, her voice sounded on the verge of breaking.

"If she didn't want that to happen to her, she shouldn't have joined Team Galactic."

Despite barely being able to hold herself together, Reiko looked up at Cynthia and held up as their eyes met. The Champion frowned ever so slightly, her posture turning firmer.

"You talk as if she was a heartless monster," she said. "I saw her; the girl couldn't have been older than sixteen. She was just a scared child, following orders."

It happened too fast. Reiko sprung up, throwing her chair backwards and almost toppling the table. The guilt on her face was quickly replaced by rage. In the corner of the room, Lucario frowned and moved as if to take a step forward, but Cynthia stopped him by raising a palm toward him, without taking her eyes off Reiko.

"You're probably not aware…" Reiko spoke in harsh whispers, her cheeks red and her hands balled into fists. "…but where I come from, no one buys that excuse. You ended the war so you should remember, right? The bombing of Viridian, the invasion of Saffron, all those casualties and wounded, all which we lost…" She swallowed hard, wetness forming on her eyes. "I don't care about their age or how scared they were. I'm sick and fucking tired of losing the things I love to people who were just following orders."

They continued to stare at each other for long, uncomfortable seconds, fiery red clashing against stormy grey, neither willing to back down. Finally, just when Percy felt as if the tension could be cut with a knife, Cynthia let out a sigh and looked away, something like guilt reflected in her face.

Reiko gulped, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Then she spoke.

"I don't like you or your fucking Association, but I do need your help if I want to find the person I'm looking for," she said. "So I'll swallow my pride and agree to work for you. Is that okay?"

Cynthia stood still, lost in thought for a few breaths. When she finally spoke, her tone carried somewhat less strength than it had before.

"I should be traveling south in a few hours to meet with my two partners. You're free to come with me." She turned around slowly, and headed for the door. "There's a room with two beds at the end of the hallway. Get some rest; you'll need it."

A deaf clunk was heard as she and her Lucario exited the room, their steps echoing down the hall.

Both trainers stood in silence for a few seconds, drinking in what had just happened and the implication of what would happen next. Then, after taking in a deep breath, Reiko uncurled her fists and spoke.

"Punk-ass bitch."

As soon as she said that she headed for the door, and Percy followed soon after.