Interlude 1

...

"I'm sorry, Spark, I failed to convince him and win him over. Not only that, I lost to him disgracefully," came Roxanne's voice on the loudspeaker of the smartphone, with the static buzzing across the oak desk.

The 'Instinct' guild master only smiled as he watched the replay of the footage on his muted TV. "Aww, that's alright darl', can't force the bloke now can we?" he said, playing with the remote as he swung his boot on his desk.

A sharp sigh broke through the speaker. "Yeah, but I still lost. Maybe if I had won we could've convinced him to—"

"Oh, bugger that, sugar rocks, it'd be a bit odd if ya' didn't cough up a couple of badges here and there, right? Besides,"—his black and yellow leather jacket creaked as he leaned upon his chair, fascinated at the final attack the probopass suffered on the footage—"Bloke's got a bloody mean combusken he does, ya' had a tough match up. Not to be a bit of a prick, but if ya' went with geodude, lileep, and your other nosepass? I reckon he could've blown right past all three of em' just with that tough fightin' birdie of his.

"Are you serious?"

"Can't be too sure. But ya' made the right call to go with the lileep and graveler along with 'big nose', otherwise, he would've sweeped ya'."

"I guess I underestimated his skill. To think a 0-0 trainer would be this skilled…Now 1-0...Damn, if only I had been more patient with the tracker."

"Don't sweat it love, the fact that 'Blanchy' got dibs on him first means me' funny bone's tinglin' was right on the dot...That Wilson lad's a 'Meta', no doubt."

"Really!?"

"Right'o—"

'beep'

Spark checked his phone. It was a text message from his secretary reminding him of the pending video conference.

"Whoops! Sorry love', gotta' run, got a meeting to get to. You just keep doin' your best, alright?"

She sighed in relief on the other line. "Sure. Thanks, Spark."

"No worries, bye-bye now."

He hung up, sat straight, and swiveled his chair to open his laptop, activating the conference app and inputting his password to join the private server.

There were two other profile slots on the screen for the remaining two members. Both were blacked out for a moment before one of them blinked to life to display a woman of tanned skin, short brown hair, and golden eyes. She was clad in her usual white and red-lined jacket with the collar design folding to one side over her chest.

Spark gave her a leery smile. "Hey there, firecracker', how's it goin'?"

"It's Candela to 'you', prick head," said the 'Valor' guild master in a dry tone, furrowing her brows in irritation.

He brushed back his blonde spiky hair with a sheepish grin. "Oopsies, sorry darl', just can't help calling ya' that coz' of that same passion of yours."

"I'm not in the mood, Spark."

"Ah, I see. Anthony failed to scout out that Wilson fella' for ya', ay?"

The sound of a desk banging resulted in Candela's camera shaking as her furious face filled the screen. "How the hell did you know about 'that' you fucking weasel!?"

He wagged his finger. "Tsk tsk, we all have our little tweety birds, love."

She growled. "Yeah, nice try tracking him with that little broad Roxanne, or have you forgotten about the rule against employing gym leaders and league officials under a leader guild?"

He just chuckled despite getting caught out just the same. "Aw, c'mon, Candela, we all know you've got a lil' thing for Flannery, or am I wrong?"

"Eh!? Fuck you ya' ghost-faced prick! She's not even a Gym leader! Tch...You're a great reminder as to why I don't date men anymore."

For some reason, he doubted that.

Spark whistled. "Ouch, charmed. Anyway, speakin' o' ghosts, real quick before Blanchy' comes online, what'dya think she's up to? It's strange for her to show a sudden interest in a trainer at the tip of a hat just cause' he dipped a couple of big blokes on TV."

The tan woman sunk back on her desk chair and crossed her arms under her bust. "Pfft. How should I know? I don't have a clue on what goes through the head of that titless bitch. Maybe she's finally come out of the closet or something. But she did get in Anthony's way and happened to be there right when he approached the 'Meta'."

"Ahh, so you're in the loop too."

"Obviously, dickhead. But it means shit now." She huffed.

"Oh nah' sugar, it means plenty! Blanchy's been off the grid for a while, but she's finally made a move and in person no less."

"So?"

"So, if Blanchy's interfered with both our efforts, I reckon she's onto us and has made it crystal clear she's out to screw us over."

Candela raised a dark brow. "Wait, how did she screw 'you' over?"

"In the same moment she did you with Anthony. She must've told Wilson or said somethin' to jitter him into suspicion about the tracker Roxanne gave him. That's what the fella' chucked on the ground and burned during their tussle."

"Bitch!"

He hummed in agreement. "Sad part is, there ain't much we can do about it now...Not unless we take matters into our hands."

"What do you suggest?"

"I propose we join up, beautiful."

"Cut the cheesy crap. Why should I join up with you?"

He leaned closer to the camera, for once narrowing his blue eyes in a rare moment of seriousness. "Coz' if we don't, love, Blanchy's gonna' fuck us both up the arse. Me' funny bone tells me she's up to somethin' real fuckin' big."

Candela was a bit taken aback at his unusual seriousness, but then snorted. "As if."

He leaned back. "Me' granny' always used to say, 'it's the quiet ones you oughta' lookout for'."

She gazed to the side in contemplation, before focusing again. "...I'll think about it."

The third profile frame became active to display Blanche herself with a flat expression. "Think about what?" inquired the 'Mystic' guild master.

"Jack shit, paper face, not telling you nothin'! Not our fault you're late, what the hell kept 'you' lagging? Even I've gotta' admit you're more punctual than 'this'," interrogated the Valor guild master with angst.

"Apologies, Candela, I was just returning from the match my 'new guild member' has just won," responded Blanche with a tiny hint of a smirk.

The tanned woman growled, but Spark quickly intervened, flashing his best smile. "Well hello there, snow princess, congrats on reelin' in a mighty fine member this year, I assume it's Wilson, ye'?"

The Mystic guild master narrowed her green eyes ever so slightly but kept her polite twinge of a smile. "Don't act like you never knew, Spark."

He laughed out, slapping a hand on his desk. "Ha! On the ball, like always, snowflake, though ya' could've at least gave us a chance to have him on our team. Whatever happened to good ol' 'Rock, paper, scissors'? Ay'?"

"I could ask you the same question about Roxanne."

"Now now, lassie, not my fault she was of my 'Instinct Guild' before she assumed the title of gym leader. The rules don't say we can't associate with Ex-members, right?"

"You know very well that's not what I meant, Spark,"—Her eyes flicked over to the side—"and before you interject, Candela, might I suggest not underestimating your member interests with a poultry trainer like 'Anthony'? What with how he effectively bought his badge from Roxanne with a fossil he lucked out on at a bargain sale. If you want to bolster your member count, there are far better and more efficient ways of doing so."

Candela reddened and her eyes glowed a dangerous yellow as she was about to yell, but Spark, being the host of the video call, cut her transmission temporarily.

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he imagined Candela chucking one of her wild tantrums. It was a wonder how the girl held her position for so long. "You really shouldn't antagonize her like that, she does her best ya' know."

Blanche leaned in on the screen, now deadly serious. "Before we begin with the actual meeting, I just have this to say...You can smile at me all you like and hide behind that goofy disposition all you want, but you both had a chance to convince Grey Wilson to join your cause. I came in person to Rustboro because it seems I wanted him more."

"Sure, love, but—"

"I'm not finished…Mark my words, Spark, Grey Wilson is now a part of the Mystic Guild. Period. Touch him, or approach him about the matter again...I'll consider it an act of aggression against my guild." She declared with an icy edge to her tone.

Spark only blinked a few times.

These sheilas' are fucked in the head…

Candela's screen blinked back to existence. She seemed to have returned to her usual demeanor though not without signs of heavy breathing, and her office behind her desolated, looking like a tornado had just run through it. "Spark, you little shit, how dare you cut me off from the video call."

"Sorry, me' hand must've slipped, though please do think about our little bet on how long Wilson's gonna' last in Mystic." He winked at Candela, who gave a curt nod in understanding.

"What does 'that' mean?" Asked Blanche.

He chortled. "Unlike you ladies, I'm a bloke, and blokes know other blokes. Wilson doesn't strike me as a team player. I might be wrong...But...Something about him gives me the wiggles'."

"Why did you want him on your team then?"

He gave a throaty chuckle, before leering at the silver-haired woman. "Who's playin' dumb now? We're all in on his potential 'Meta-human' status. But as you've said, he's in your club now, and that's that. Let's get on with the important stuff."

"Indeed. Who shall read out the regional state of affairs, mandates, and policy reviews for this week?"

Spark and Candela remained silent.

Blanche sighed. "I guess it's me, again. Very well."

"It's just that you've got such a beautiful voice, Blanchy, darl', and I rarely get to hear it."

Candela gagged. "Ugh, poof."

The silver-haired guild master rolled her eyes as she propped up some papers, straightening them out, and began reading the first page, but—

"Oh c'mon Blanchy babe', you're not gonna' actually read that, are ya'? Candela and I already gave the main article a run-through. It's all the same unchanged stuff that we know the gist of by now, let's just focus on the new stuff, ye'?"

Blanche flicked her gaze upward in a moment of consideration before gazing at them once more. "Alright, I suppose we could make this one shorter, I do have to show my 'new member' the ropes later on after all...Sure, why not."

"Tch. Rub it in, why don't you," muttered Candela.

"Sweet as! So what's on the Guv's menu this week?"

Blanche placed most of the papers aside on her end and held only but a few pages. "Well, the exterior executive branch's defense and justice ministries have declared the criminal organizations known as 'Team Magma', 'Team Aqua', and 'Team Rocket', as public threats as well as criminals to be prosecuted, and have redistributed all data on these groups to the three leader guilds as well as all local enforcement agencies in Hoenn. Of course, we as leader guilds and primary law enforcers have our designated roles."

"And what would those be?" asked Candela.

"Simple, we see, we subdue and hand off to the police for further processing. Moving on, it has also been noted, according to several cases already on record, that 'pokémon poaching' and 'trafficking' has increased by a factor of 30% within Hoenn alone since the last month."

"Why so bloody high?" demanded Spark.

"We're not sure, but with the appearance of these criminal organizations? I'd say it could be related."

"Hold on. Didn't that Wilson guy run into those morons?" asked Candela.

"Specifically Team Magma, yes. There is no record of him having run into Aqua. Why do you ask?"

"Well...I'm just thinking. I watched the match too between him and Roxanne, and pokémon smuggling's been up by a huge percentage, meanwhile, it was made apparent that the Magma grunts stopped by Wilson didn't have pokéballs on them…"

"You think Grey stole the salandit from team Magma?" Concluded Blanche.

"I'm just sayin', it is a rare species to the region...I'd imagine something like that wouldn't have been so easy to come by."

"Or, maybe an inter-regional trainer came around to Hoenn and abandoned it here, conveniently deciding they didn't want it anymore. There are countless cases like this worldwide. Abandonment and re-adoption is an ongoing global issue, Candela. Your speculation is so narrowed, that it's almost laughable. Are you that jealous of my recent recruitment?"

Candela slammed a hand on the desk. "Forgive me for thinking that it is a bit odd that a 0-0 trainer appears out of nowhere with a rare specimen to the region and another that is found in an area very far from Little Root, proceeding to defeat his first official opponent, a gym leader no less…"

"Not to douse your passion, firecracker, but even I gotta' admit that those rare attacks and moves the bloke's pokémon used in their tussle show he's got em' well trained. You don't get pokémon and trainer harmony like 'that' in a couple o' days, not unless you're a prodigy or somethin', and even then, you'd be needing more than just a few days of training to pull stuff like that off. I would know, as I do fancy me'self a specialist of pokémon intuition from breeding to post-hatching, darl."

She couldn't argue against that. "Hmph. Fine. Guess I jumped the gun..."

Though Candela's admission didn't seem genuine.

"Returning to the issue, we as guild leaders also have to make all our members at each checkpoint and home bases throughout the region aware of the threat. We've been given authority and government funding to assign well-paid guild quests for our respective qualified constables, based on these national threats, should we encounter any of them."

The two other guild masters simply affirmed with a nod.

"Speaking of constables...Next on Central's agenda and going down in priorities, but certainly not any less important, is yet,"—Blanche sighed in annoyance—"another military draft requisition from our member count."

Spark and Candela groaned, with the latter hammering her desk in anger.

"Aww fuck me sideways, for real!? How many do they bloody want this time?"

"And what's the reason!?"

Blanche was also visibly displeased as she read the order carefully. "Well, according to the reports of the Department of Defense, seems like the regions of Fiore, Almia, Oblivia, and Holon have made several naval movements in between each other's territories, as well as an unusual fortification of their coastal defenses, suggesting an inter-regional alliance and military exercise. I think they're exaggerating with these numbers, but they want at least 250 constables each."

They went wide-eyed.

"That's close to half the amount we have! Not to mention a sixth of our current member counts!" Exclaimed Candela furiously.

"How do they bloody expect us to patrol and enforce the laws with a measly half of our current force!? Have they lost their noggin'!?"

Blanche nodded in agreement, "Even the police force is being affected, and that's not all, because of the issue of public enforcement numbers being culled, they're expecting us to train new constables and to replenish the amount by the end of the year…"

"That's preposterous! We're already almost a quarter-way into the year! We'd be lucky to get half that done in such a short time."

"Yes, indeed. This is why to further aid us in this venture, the executive branch's Department of Defense together with the Department of Labor, the Regional Trade Commission, and the Pokémon Association, have given us authority and liberty to draft more voluntary members from amongst the Pokémon League's contenders. This means that we've been given the green light to create public campaigns with the League to boost our membership numbers."

Candela raised a brow at that as Spark considered the potential behind that odd decision from the Central government.

"I suppose it's better than nothing. But even though it's within their contracts and they were prepared for the possibility, I'm not happy about shipping off a lot of my constables to the military," mused Candela.

Spark sighed, deflating into his chair with his energy suddenly hitting nil; unwilling to face the rest of the day. "Same here, love...It puts me' underdaks' in a twist, I mean it's the third time within this decade alone...But I guess that's just how it goes with the Guvs...Alright then, anything else?"

"Well, those were the main changes, the rest are notifications pending confirmation of our awareness. The first is the resignation of Mr. Moore from the Lavaridge Gym and the accession of his granddaughter, Flannery Moore, into the new position."

Spark smirked at Candela. "Ahh, somethin' tells me you knew about that already, Candy love," he said, pooching his lips at her.

"Shut up, cockhead!"

"Now, now Spark, no need to involve Candela's personal life into this," added Blanche with a pretentious stoic expression.

"She's got nothin' to do with my personal life, Blanche, maybe you should worry about your own and get some' you flat-chested bitch!"

Spark laughed hard at Candela's embarrassment, noticing Blanche's amused twitch of her lips.

"Haha! Awright', Awright', settle down. Consider us notified, snowflake. Anything else?"

"Well, the Regional Trade Commission and the PA have officially added a 9th Hoenn gym, eligible for League trainer filtering. The installation of the gym at Lilycove city has recently been completed, automatically giving trainers an option to plan their advancement according to their team build with regards to typing, allowing them to dodge the gym that is most inconvenient to their line-up, as still only eight badges are required. Of course, there's nothing that says they can't attempt all of the gyms, though, in my opinion, it's not recommendable for time management."

"Oh? Who's the new gym leader and what type do they specialize in? Give us the details."

"Easy does it, firecracker, let snow white speak."

"Well...Interesting thing is, it's a newly discovered type. The 'Fairy-type'."

"...Huh?"

"Oh?"

"Along with this addition, the PA has updated all local databases with additional information about new pokémon discoveries abroad, as well as identifying 'Fairy-type' energies within some already existing pokémon that haven't been noted before, officially making those particular individuals 'Dual-typed', with a select few having been normal-types, now listed as 'fairy-type', like 'Clefairy' for example. The new data patch should help further understand the Fairy typology for quicker adaptation."

"Right. So who's the specialist gym leader?"

"...Ruby Haruka, Norman Haruka's eldest son."

Another moment of silence passed before Candela ventured. "What? I didn't know Norman had another kid."

"Bloody oath, I didn't either. Hold up, wasn't his lil' girlie the one who was interviewed about Teams Magma and Rocket? May Haruka?"

"Yes, that's right. May Haruka, like Grey Wilson, is another of this year's starter lab trainers from Birch labs."

"How come I've never heard of this 'Ruby' bloke? How old is he?"

"Twenty four, the same age as Grey, funny enough. I shouldn't have to remind you that Norman and his family are originally from Johto. The reason why you've never heard of Ruby is, according to his undisclosed profile, when he was thirteen he had left home and traveled abroad across regions, becoming a coordinator as well as a trainer. It's been made apparent that, for a while now, the PA and its League organizers were looking for some way to give starter trainers some more room for the team compositions and introduce another gym to the region; as usual they seek to 'spice things up'. Of course, ironically as fate would have it, due to Norman's success as a gym leader and Ruby's success with his 'Fairy-types' in contests as well as overall battling experience, he was offered the chance to start a gym in Hoenn."

Spark read the whole picture now. "Oh I see...Lad wants to show his old man up as a gym leader and a trainer who's also a successful coordinator. Looks like there's some serious bad blood between the two if Norman hasn't ever mentioned or named his eldest boyo' once. Makes plenty' sense now."

"A safe bet, Norman's not exactly the ideal 'fatherly' type, at least that's how the rumor goes. And if this 'Ruby' guy is that vindictive, then we can bet he's just as ruthless as Norman has shown to be," commented Candela.

"Be that as it may, we are now notified of this change, and as Guild Masters, we have some studying up to do of these new discoveries by the Office of Pokémon Universal Science and Tech Department." [OPUS-TD]

"'Same age as Grey', huh? Looks like you really are coming out of the closet, Blanche," teased Candela with a sharp smirk.

Blanche made several solid blinks of her emerald eyes before answering. "I'm not sure I follow."

Candela's smirk infected Spark as he mimicked it with his own sunlit grin. He was fully conscious that his aloof disposition often made others think of him as someone more laid back and less observant. But this couldn't be further from the truth. He was very attentive and aware of his surroundings exactly because of how easy he took things, never being tunnel-visioned, and with his social nature giving him the edge.

Blanche, almost being the polar opposite on the social spectrum to him, was an extremely hard person to read. But there were rare moments when her icy tenor would fail her in the face of a keen eye.

This was one of those moments, and he'd be damned if he didn't take an opportunity to tease Blanche of all people. "Ahh, has our little 'Casa Blanca' been smitten by a certain 'hero'? Is that why you were so keen on getting him 'under your flag' that you went in person? ay'?" He purred.

Candela snickered hard at his innuendo.

"Most inappropriate, Spark. I, as you both do, obviously see him as a valuable asset to my guild. If you two were serious about recruiting him, you'd have been there personally yourselves." She defended without showing much emotion.

He leered at her in amusement. "Oh? Me' ears couldn't help but pick up seven separate instances that you've mentioned the bloke, seems like your noggins' filled with him. I like how you're so defensive of him too."

Again, her silver eyelashes fluttered erratically for a moment. "That's six times I've mentioned him in a distinct context, three of which you both initiated as a subject, you're not the only one that can count here, Spark. I believe your accusations are unfounded. Shall we—"

Candela giggled. "Ooh, 'accusations'? No one's accusing you of anything, princess, no need to get so defensive. It's totally normal to like a guy and need some'," said Candela with a catty hum.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Nice pick up there, Candela, seems like she is getting a bit defensive, oh, and is that a bit of color I see on your face, lovey dove?"

For a moment Blanche jerked her arm to reach for her face but instead reached for the keyboard. "Nice try, Spark. Since you two are bored enough to start fantasizing about someone else's 'personal life', you'll be glad to know we've covered everything in this week's regional affairs and policy review."

"In a rush to end the meeting to go see Grey boy, are we? Lovey dovey?"

"Anything else 'substantial' to add before we adjourn the meeting?"

Candela hummed an evil laugh. "Yeah, one thing, sugar flake, since when did Wilson become part of your 'personal life'?"

"What?"

"Aw wowee' Candela, you're on fire today! That's another good pickup."

"Thanks, Sparky."

Blanche seemed confused, so Spark would clear it up. "You said 'personal life' with regards to Grey, sweetheart, you do know that Guild masters aren't allowed to have personal relations with their own members or other leader guild members, right?"

Blanche rose a white brow at that. "What? That can't be right, I've never heard of such a rule, and what of Candela and—" But Blanche cut herself off, wide-eyed in regret for her apparent 'slip up'.

Candela burst out laughing so hard that she toppled off her chair with the camera shaking and her cackling coming in bursts of static from Spark's laptop speakers with how loud it was. He muted her and chuckled. "You were worried there, Casa blanca, obviously I just made that rule up. After all,"—he leaned in with a cheesy smile—"no one can control who they 'get the hots for'."

Blanche just deadpanned at him. "And just like that, this meeting is adjourned. Good day."

She switched off her camera and logged out.

He laughed hard as he unmuted Candela, who reappeared on her chair wiping tears out of her eyes. "Oh! Ohh! Fuck me dead! Oh shit, that was freakin' brilliant Spark!"

"Thanks, love. That was pretty hilarious, it's rare for her to slip up so hard though, ay?"

"Oh yeah, kind of odd when you think about it. Woo, I needed that laugh. Anyway, smell ya' later, got shit to do, like culling half my constables...Not looking forward to that."

"None of us are, Candy girl', see ya' later."

With a final curt nod, the 'Valor' guild master disconnected, and the Guild leader conference meeting was officially over.

Spark sighed. "Now, onto other matters."

Dragging the mouse up on the interface, he exited the current meeting room and set up another one, linking up a private VPN call to a different associate.

'Beep'

The screen came to life for a single respondent, revealed to be a young man in his twenties, sporting orange sports shades on his shaggy mid-length, light blue hair; a sun-tanned visage, and darker blue eyes staring into the screen. He was shirtless, sitting on the sand with a backdrop featuring a sun-gleamed ocean with some wingull singing.

"Spark, buddy! How's it ridin' dude?"

"G'day Brawly, not too bad, yourself, mate?"

"Haw, yeah, just catchin' some killer waves bro', check it out." The camera swerved to capture some ten-plus-feet high waves crashing onto the sandy coast, dotted with surfers.

"Aww, righty'o those are some beautys', I'm jealous, mate. Oi listen, I got a favor to call in."

"Anything for another wave slayin' bro'."

He smiled. "You' seen that Wilson bloke on TV and how he wrecked Roxanne's top team?"

"Haw' yeah, that dude's got a mean fighting type on his hands, that wicked move the combusken did was gnarly' man!"

"Yeah, bloody oath, and I'd be bettin' he's coming for you next, matey."

Brawly's eyes widened in a sparkle. "Really!? No leg-pulling?"

"Totally serious, he's gonna' try all the way."

"Whoa, that dude's got guts man, can't wait to try out some new moves of my own. Dya' try and get him on your team?"

"Yeah, but trouble is, Blanchy got a hold of him before I could, and she's mighty proud of her new addition…"

"Aww, bumber man. Hey, check this thing out—" The surfer lifted a gleaming object up into the camera.

Spark was surprised as he recognized it.

"Blimey! Where'd ya' get that!?"

"Some traveler was sellin' them, my man, and it's super legit'! Though he sold it at a killer price, it still cost me a fortune. But it was, like, totally worth', man!"

"That's mad lad, it might help ya' with the favor I need."

"Oh yeah, you were referring to Wilson, right?"

"Yep. When he comes to challenge you?…No poofin' around."

"What do you mean?"

Spark leaned into the screen with a serious glare. "I want you to crush him with your best."

Brawly stopped for a moment and gave him a questioning gaze. "Why's that?"

"Blanchy's too prideful about her shiny recruit, but if we take him down a notch, he'll figure she won't need him, and that's when I'll come in to prey on his insecurity, and convert him to our side. Get it, mate?"

"Oh! Totally man! Though, why so desperate for this guy?"

"Let's just say, he has a very unique ability. I'll be needin' it for me' line of work…"

Damn psychic's read me like a book...but I'm bettin' money that Wilson's a tad bit different...For now...

"Ah, sure thing bro! Anything for a legend. If this Wilson dude can take Roxy's best team, it'll be a chance to let loose a bit, I've been aching for an epic battle to match these radical waves, man!"

Spark grinned, "Cheers, mate…"

...

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

...

The floorboard split open with a crack as the blue mudfish crashed into it from the force of the white, wild monkey's strike from above.

"Mudkip! No!" Shrieked May in worry for her starter pokémon.

"Such emotional weakness. I can't believe you're my daughter."

May glanced at her father, who stood tall in his tank top, crossing his chiseled arms, and staring at her with disdain. His navy eyes for a moment shifted to the side as a floorboard creaked behind May.

A slakoth was about to swipe her feet from under but she bounced back, barely dodging it.

"Good, you read my eye movement, but what about the battle happening in front of you?"

Oh crap!

She whirled her vision to mudkip who struggled to move out of the wooden wreck.

"Vigor, Fury Swipes."

"Mudkip! Get up! Dodg—"

But it was too late as the vigoroth cut the Hoenn starter mercilessly with several swings of its claws.

"Kiiip!" screeched the mudfish pokémon. Its desperation echoed in the training hall as well as his form tumbling along the wooden floorboards. He twitched in an attempt to get up, but fell flat face first, sprawled on the floor with swelling bruises and bleeding gashes along his body.

"No!" May moved to approach but the vigoroth and slakoth jumped in the way, honing their gleaming claws.

May's jugular pulsed madly in her adrenaline—

"Enough." Commanded her father.

In an instant, the two wild monkey pokémon stood down, with their trained battle-hardened expressions dying down to a normal, if anything, sympathetic guise.

Heaving in desperation, sweat running down her sports bra and soaking her body, she held the poor mudfish in her arms as he groaned in pain.

An object clattered across the floor and slid next to her. It was a super potion.

"Spray him and come. The news will start soon, I think you should watch it," said Norman Haruka dryly. The Petalburg gym leader gave her a final glare before walking off into the hall exit, dismissing the monkey pokémon with a wave of his hand.

May did as her father instructed and sprayed the battered water type, watching the injuries fade to a significant degree.

"Can you get up?" she asked weakly, to which he responded with a "Mud."

She and Ash had arrived in Petalburg a day ago, the latter having met her parents and her annoying, dorky little brother, Max. Ash had politely requested a challenge from her father, but he refused on the grounds that the Kanto born trainer didn't have enough pokémon to challenge him with, only having pikachu at the time. Ash, to her befuddlement, had refused to use his other team from professor Oak's lab and instead, upon her father's recommendation, sought to catch and train two other pokémon from Petalburg woods to return and challenge him.

While Ash would be undergoing his assignment, May, alongside Mudkip, tended to her impending training session with her father...something she wasn't all too enthusiastic about…

Tired, battered, and bruised, she and her starter crossed the training hall, following her father. They entered a modest living room with two sofas and a plasma TV at the familiar window of her childhood household.

Norman Haruka sat on his single sofa, while the other two-seater nearby, was devoid of life. His eyes were focused squarely on the news anchor on the TV.

"Sit." He ordered without so much as a glance.

She did as told, along with mudkip on her lap who glared at the gym leader.

"What went wrong there?"

May's eyes fell to her laps. "I-I failed to maintain full awareness of my surroundings."

"Why must you master this skill?"

"Because out in the wilds of Hoenn, there are all sorts of threats. Not just trainers," she answered.

"Why else?"

"Double battles."

"And how many pokémon do you have…"

"One…" She squeaked out.

The TV replayed the footage of numerous highlights of trainers and their progress in their Hoenn gym circuits, though few, in particular, stood out.

—"And now, drawing in a large number of view ratings, we present one of the most highlighted Pokémon League Gym qualifier matches of the week between a newer member of the Gym Leader crew, Roxanne Rachaels of Rustboro, and a mysterious upcoming starter trainer from Birch Labs, Grey Wilson. Here are the highlights of the match—

May jolted at the name.

"I've seen the live feed of the match on the main PSPE channel. They were bound to replay it on the main news network. Watch closely," said Norman without peeling his eyes off the screen.

Then the match came on the screen.

It was Grey, standing at the other end of a rocky arena. He had a new outfit on, and he looked quite imposing and sharp. An interesting choice in fashion...He looked good.

—"Lily! Astonish—"

—"Sucker Punch."

The lizard pokémon, labeled as 'Salandit', was like a shadowy bullet that struck the sea-flower pokémon in an instant before it could even let out its attack.

—"Now! Wrap!"

—"K-Flame." commanded Grey calmly.

Salandit proceeded to spew purple like flames in its opponent's face which ended the fight right there. The Lileep was rolling on the floor in agony as the shell of its head was corroding into pieces.

May was astounded at how quickly the round ended, and how ruthless it was.

"Relentless, I like that," commented Norman, observing the match keenly.

Roxanne was walking toward Grey with an upset frown, but the replay footage was cut into the next round.

"Seems like she didn't like his style of battling, but they wouldn't show their little dispute on the news. Clearly, that girl has a lot to learn as a gym leader," mused Norman.

What happened between the two? May was deathly curious.

Norman raised a brow as Grey on TV refused to swap out the Salandit. "Now that I watch this again, his decision makes even more sense. He's clever."

"Why? Wouldn't it have been better to swap out due to the typing?"

"He's psyching Roxanne out with that choice. His entire roster has some kind of weakness to rock and ground types, he was aware of this before challenging her. Therefore, swapping out wouldn't mean much. But since Roxanne was painfully made aware that salandit is both fire and poison-typed, a ground-type attack from graveler would spell the end of the round. There's no point swapping it out, since it made quick work of the first opponent, and the unnerving choice causes Roxanne to subconsciously be over-cautious despite having a quadruple type advantage."

"Oh. I didn't...Think of it like that."

"Some battles are won by planting the seeds of doubt in the enemy trainer. This is a prime example of why pokémon battles aren't always just about the pokémon themselves, and why their trainers need to be just as steel-willed. Watch. "

—"Bulldoze into Rollout!"

—"Poison fang!"

The collision between the two was obviously one-sided due to the rock-type's bulk, but before tumbling away, the salandit still bit into the graveler who as a result was severely burned and poisoned. Amazing and deadly combo.

"That right there is the difference between you and Wilson, May."

"Which is?"

"He knew there was no way salandit would dodge the attack after that bulldoze, so instead he counter-attacked and got off a Poison and a burn status. Those split-second decisions can change a battle. If he had carelessly told her to 'dodge', the graveler would've gotten a clean hit either way but come out of that unscathed. Though, the burn must've been an internal ability of the lizard's...Interesting. This boy seems to have a grasp on probability management. You'll need to learn that skill too."

May considered how just minutes ago, Mudkip was in a similar position. She made the mistake of giving mudkip a command he was unable to execute, and as a result, missed the opportunity to counter-attack.

"Right," she affirmed as she concentrated on the screen.

—"Shake it off, Gravy, and Rollout again!"

—"Smog 'n' Hide."

The salandit hid within the smoke it generated and the graveler missed the attack.

—"Nice try! Sandstorm!"

The smog was sucked up and cleared out by the shifting winds of sand.

—"Hang in there Joanna! Heatwave! Full power!"

The lizard blasted out a wave of hot air at the graveler who was dealt a direct hit as it barely finished the sandstorm attack.

"He constantly capitalizes on every opening and never allows his opponent to make a move without punishing them for it. Very good." Commented Norman.

—"She's right where we want her! Rock slide, now!"

—"Shit, swerve around and use flame burst!"

Though the salandit couldn't move, it launched the attack which was countered by the huge rock graveler threw at it. May's heart dropped on seeing how the rock struck the lizard.

—"Joanna! Ref! Stop the round! She can't battle." Grey called out, looking a bit desperate.

May glanced at her father, who once more raised his thick brow at the spectacle that unfolded next.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She understood that Grey was against the idea of the pokéball, that much she gathered from their last conversation, which explained why his combusken was always out. She gathered that Grey lied to them about her having been in her pokéball. But to think he didn't have any pokéballs? How did Grey command his pokémon if they were technically wild?

"Girl."

Typically her father would just call her by her gender if he was serious. She slowly creaked her neck to meet his cold stare.

"Is that Wilson boy the reason you refuse to use a pokéball for your starter?"

May fiddled with her fingers, but in the face of her father's authority-infused aura, she couldn't lie. "Yes…"

"Why?"

"...Because I feel it's right...Somehow."

"Based on what someone else told you?"

"Based on results." She defended shakily.

"Results, huh? All I see there is a piss weak water-type,"—Mudkip hissed at Norman, who only narrowed his eyes—"we'll see what results a wild starter will bring. Tch. So I'm assuming that Wilson either owned them before and let em' out permanently. Or...No, that couldn't be right..."

What couldn't be right?

The next round was a blitz of movement, with the sneasel jumping over a magnitude attack and slicing graveler with a Metal claw before launching an ice attack at it.

—"Evade and use Stealth rock!"

The ice attack missed and Graveler made several gestures of his multiple limbs, glowing in pewter energy though looking sicker and sicker. The sneasel dashed forward with another metal claw but—

—"Self-destruct."

—"What!? Neva, abort! Get away!"

May gasped as a massive explosion covered the arena in smoke, with Grey yelling out and being protected by the ref Mime's barrier.

"That's how it goes. Expect the unexpected."

Thankfully, the sneasel was alright. But her next opponent was a huge pokémon that, apparently, not even her father had seen before.

—"Thunderwave!"

The sneasel barely stood a chance. But the final attack she made and the damage it wrought on the probopass was very significant.

May shivered at the sight of the demonic shadow that attacked the probopass. Even on screen, it seemed surreal.

Norman was wide-eyed in thought, despite having seen the fight before.

"I still can't wrap my head around what that was. I've never seen a Dark-type attack like that before…Still, it was clever of Wilson to use ice as an insulator against probopass. That's called using your head, girl."

Norman narrowed his gaze as Grey entered the sandstorm to retrieve the sneasel apparently called 'Neva'.

"And that right there is why you should use pokéballs. This Wilson kid has guts, I'll admit...But his stubbornness reminds me of...him."

Him?

Then Ginger walked into the fray.

And she was nothing short of amazing. Her speed, guile, determination, and strength.

—"Retribution!"

Especially after that explosive final attack which was just...

To think there was such a stark difference between her and...Ash...Grey...Her father; they all seemed like insurmountable rivals. It was almost unfair.

"You have every right to feel ashamed. But…"

She raised her gaze to a thoughtful Norman.

"This Wilson boy, he battles like someone closing in on the 'Expert' level…It's almost suspicious, considering he's 1-0 and you two started out on the same day, disregarding the fact he started with a combusken, which should have been hard for a beginner to control in any case..."

"'Expert' level?"

He finally shifted his focus to her, "Yes. There are eight trainer skill levels, with a theoretical ninth. In order, they are: Beginner or Rookie, Advanced, Expert, Pro, Elite, Champion, Master, and Grand-Master being the very pinnacle of what a trainer could achieve."

"And the ninth?"

Norman's eyes drifted in contemplation. "A mere folklore at this stage...An urban legend and an unofficial level...But they call it the Mythic level."

"Mythic?"

"Yes...they call it that because they're almost, if not just as rare as a 'legendary pokémon'...These people in theory can only be born with the skill and power to reach such a stage...Often freaks of nature...God-like beings that just cannot even be considered entirely human, similar to 'Meta-humans'...Entire landscapes are shifted and altered in a battle between two mythics, from the raw destructive strength they and their pokémon are capable of…My great grandfather once told me that our ancient family dynasty, from the long since disbanded 'Haruka' clan, once produced such a trainer. However, I'm not sure of the truth behind such a claim..."

May's eyes shifted to the screen where Ginger let out a roar as she stood in the middle of the devastation she wrought from her attack.

Norman tracked her line of sight and chortled. "Wilson's good. But he's not that good. At best he's just touching the expert level. Though his win rate plus his battle count needs to reflect this as well. He's still got a ways to go, and that goes double for you, young woman."

"Yes, sir."

—"In other news, the new Lilycove city gym has been completed and the new gym leader, after going off the grid for eleven years, and being known all this time as the mysterious and famous 'Dream mask' overseas in various pokémon contests, has unmasked and revealed his true identity as Ruby Haruka, Petalburg Gym leader's eldest son, who left Hoenn a young starting trainer, and finally coming back home a success, specializing in the newly discovered fairy-type. He's expected to take charge of the gym soon, starting from next week. I'm sure Petalburg's Mr. Haruka must be a proud fathe—"

Norman smashed the armrest of his sofa under his callused fist, "What!? Ruby!? Why haven't I heard of his return!?"

May jumped at his sudden temper and sunk into the couch, though it seemed she faded from existence in Norman's eyes as he kept swearing profusely while dialing a number on his phone.

Ruby...Haruka...

"Put me on with the PA chairman, now...What do you mean he's occupied damn it!?...I'm calling because I wanna' know why the fuck wasn't I notified of my eldest son's return!? And much less of his new role as a freakin' gym leader!? Is this some kind of joke!?"

His eldest son?

Then that means...

"It's because you're an abusive idiot, as usual, Old man," came a honeyed and silvery voice from the training hall corridor, causing them both to jump at its suddenness.

It was a man of similar height to Norman yet with an identical navy hair color, the same fringed widow's peak, and very similar facial features, but their similarities ended there as this man's hair was longer, as well as sporting two thick, jagged scars that crossed his right temple and disappeared into his hair. His eyes were a brilliant copper color, partially hidden behind his round circular shades. His fashion was quite flamboyant, sporting a pink feathered boa scarf, draping over his white vest and passing the leather belt of his pink-black, snakeskin animal print pants. His pointed white dress shoes clacked on the floor as he stepped closer with a calm smile on his face.

"Hey lil' sis. You've certainly grown."

May was confused. "Do...I know you?"

Norman shot up from his sofa with veins pulsing on his forehead and knotted arms from the fury he displayed on his visage. "You have some nerve letting yourself back in this house, boy," he said with a guttural growl and a disgusted snarl twisting his lips.

The man ignored him and addressed her instead. "It's me, Ruby, your brother. Though you might not remember me, since last we saw each other, you were around six-ish," responded Ruby.

Ruby!? The guy they just mentioned on TV!? The new Hoenn gym leader!? 'The' Dream mask!?

"You expect her to remember a stranger!?" Hollered out her father in a rage.

Followed by her little brother, May's mother, Caroline, walked into the room from the kitchen with concern in her garnet eyes. "Honey, what's with all the shouting—" She gasped, putting her hands to her mouth as her eyes immediately locked on to Ruby.

The eccentrically dressed man gave a sad smile. "Hey there ma'...Been' a while, huh?"

"Oh, Arceus above...It's been eleven years...My boy…"

"Some 'boy' we have." Grunted Norman, crossing his arms, but a tearful Caroline immediately embraced her eldest son…

"Mum, dad, what's going on?" asked a confused Max.

Ruby hugged his mother and gazed at the little bespectacled boy. "Oh wow, a new addition to the family?" He asked Caroline, who happily nodded and beckoned Max forward.

"Max, May, this is your eldest brother, Ruby Haruka. He's been traveling abroad for the last eleven years."

Her mother's confirmation sealed it.

The new Lilycove City gym leader, specializing in a newly discovered typing...Dream Mask...Was her eldest brother...Yet another rival and obstacle to overcome. Max was bewildered at the revelation, and May wasn't faring any better.

"Hey there lil' bro, I'm Ruby. Sorry, I've been missing a while, but I'm back now—"

"You're simply 'sorry' for fucking off for eleven years you little shit!? You come here calling him 'lil'bro' like it's a casual meetup all of a sudden!?" Their father roared out.

"Norman!" berated Caroline, but the Petalburg gym leader stepped between his family and eldest son, ignoring her.

"Who do you think you are, coming back to Hoenn and thinking 'you' have what it takes to be a damn gym leader of all things!? And pretending like your decade-plus absence was a walk around a corner? Huh!?" He made to grab Ruby by the vest, but he slapped away his father's hand with ease, swerved around him gracefully as he took a few steps toward May, and placed a strong hand on her shoulder with a wink.

"Let's get out of here for a sec, it's getting a bit rowdy,"—he turned to the rest of the family—"I'll catch up with you all later."

May was so confused. "Huh?"

She was nauseated as their surroundings completely warped and shifted into Petalburg park, with one of its benches replacing the sofa she was just sitting on and mudkip reeling in confusion as he jerked his head back and forth in amazement.

"Thanks for that, Hecate," said Ruby, gazing behind her, where a shadow loomed over. May turned in her seat and was jolted by the splendorous yet eerie six-foot-something creature floating in front of her. From what she could tell, it had a white face with black slanted eyes with white pupils and oval pink markings for lashes. Its long, mostly baby-blue, layered hair made up most of its bulk that hid its thin small body, the top of which resembled a witch's hat, and the lower portion being a gradient of pink into a white bottom, looking like a mermaid dress of sorts. It moved its long bluish head-tail that acted as a single arm, articulating the three claws at the end of it with a wave in greeting.

It was bizarre, creepy, yet beautiful at the same time, like an ethereal goddess made of nebulous silk and dream essence.

The being's presence both intimidated and mesmerized her. "Wh-what pokémon is that? And did we just..."

Ruby smiled. "Yeah, Hecate 'Teleported' us out of that drama. She's a Hatterene, a relatively new discovery of the Galarian region. She's a Psychic-fairy type. Lovely, isn't she?"

"Y-yeah, she is."

"Thank you, May. Your eyes are pretty too." Rang a high-pitched, siren-like voice in May's mind, startling her and causing her spine to chill in nervousness.

The floating being smiled. "Do not worry, child, I pose you no harm. This is what you may call 'telepathy'. I am converting my neuro-lingual signals into thoughts that you may perceive as a human and transmitting them to your mind. This is how most psychic pokémon can communicate with humans. From what I've gathered on the surface of your memories, this is the first time you've experienced it."

"O-oh. Sorry, it's just...I've never seen a pokémon like you before, and I-I've never had one speak to my mind. Wow. You sound so human."

"Yes. If I open a psychic channel to you, you may speak to me through your mind as well. Give it a try."

"How do I do that?"

"Just 'think your words' and I will detect them."

Like this?

"Yes."

May gasped. "Oh wow! This is telepathy!"

A cute ringing reverberated in her mind which matched the hatterene's smile, it was a giggle. "Yes, indeed."

May turned to Ruby who was amused at her wonder. "So you traveled all the way to Galar? That's so amazing!"

"Yeah, I've been on the road for a while now. Why don't we get something to eat? You and mudkip look famished. It's on me."

May pleaded. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly—"

But her stomach rumbled and again, some more ringing like that of bar chimes with a siren wail resonated in her psyche, with Hecate jerking her head and smiling widely as though she were laughing. "Teehee...I don't think I need psychic aid to know she's lying."

May's cheeks burned from embarrassment.

Ruby laughed as well. "Come on then, May, let me be a proper brother for once, besides, we have much to talk about," he said as he lifted a pokéball. "Hecate, thanks a lot for busting us out of there, you may return."

The hatterene just nodded as the red humming light shot out of the pokéball, touched her, and converted her full height into a red beam that returned to the pokéball. Ruby began walking away but May didn't move, now that she was free to think without her mind being read.

"What did you want to talk about? I know he can be a pain, but my father was particularly upset about your return."

Ruby stopped but kept his gaze ahead of himself. "You feel the weight of his disappointment crush you every day, don't you."

Her breath hitched as his words touched her core. "How...I don't understand."

"I don't need Hecate to know that you're lying to yourself. I can see the hurt in your eyes. I know it all too well. It's the look I saw every day in a mirror under Norman's obsessive drive to force a legacy on his children...He started with me when I was only twelve."

"Then why has he only started 'now' with 'me'? Being 17?"

Ruby faced her with a somber gleam in his eyes. "Probably because his misogynistic mind thinks twelve-year-old girls are too emotionally sensitive. Either that, or he didn't want to make the same mistake he did with me. But then again, Max's existence proves something else...Something far more twisted, which can explain why he bothered with you at all, considering his attitude."

"Something twisted? Like what?"

"He's using you as a 'control' component for Max's eventual training. He plans on eventually pitting you two against each other to create the strongest possible successor to his legacy as a gym leader...No...As a 'trainer'. He had been planning the same thing for you and I, before Max came along."

The statement was a harsh one, yet despite how ludicrous it sounded, there was a part of her that was heavily inclined to agree.

"That can't be…" May narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What does this have to do with your return? Why are you telling me this?"

Grinning, Ruby raised three fingers. "I have three days before the final preparations are complete for the official opening of my Gym. In those three days, May, if you accept...I'll train you, and attempt to cram eleven years of modern pokémon training knowledge into your mind."

"...Why? What's in it for you?"

He huffed out a chortle as he gazed at the ground in melancholy. "We're siblings...I left you behind to endure harsh treatment from our father so that I could become strong enough to prove that there is another way to strength that isn't his...Call it arrogance if you want, but I've never been a brother to you...And that's unforgivable. Allow me this chance to do right by you...Of course, there is a condition."

"And what's that?"

He furrowed his brows in determination. "When you feel you're ready and have assembled a decent team, you'll come back to Petalburg, and crush our father and his ego."

"So you want to use me as a tool for your spite against him, in exchange for me getting stronger, is that it?"

"You don't seem to understand...Norman needs to be saved from himself. Max needs to be spared from his eventual harsh treatment...Once you defeat Norman as a gym leader, I, his eldest, will go on to defeat him at his best as a 'trainer', in the 'Hoenn Leaders tournament' that takes place after the 'Evergrande conference'...That will be the final blow to his ego, so the old man can give it a rest already."

Everything was going so fast all of a sudden. Until a few minutes ago, she had no recollection of Ruby. Now, her father was being called out by his own eldest son.

Deep down, May knew her elder brother was right. The emotionally tormenting cycle produced by the Haruka lineage's mad pursuit of legacy retention had to stop. Years of abusive torment had to be accounted for. Max, who had been slowly groomed to begin his own harsh training in a few years, had to be spared such a fate...But could she trust Ruby?

"What's it gonna' be, sis'?"

May considered her options carefully…Grey came to mind…

'You need to stop caring about who other people are or where they're at...fight back against the pressure of a society that condemns you for not living up to their standards...put him in his place for his spiteful dubiousness…'

The opportunity to train and prove herself against her father, without his particular aid, was standing in front of her in the flesh...

She drew her pokédex and dialed a number on the communication platform. It rang for a few moments.

"Yeah Ash? It's May…"

—"Oh hey May! How's it goin' over there?"

"Fine thanks, listen...You go on ahead with your plans, I'm leaving home on urgent business. Did you want to meet me at Rustboro pokémon center in three days?"

—"Uh...Sure, is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. Sorry about that."

—"Oh that's cool. Don't worry about it. Actually, I just got reunited with a great buddy of mine! Brock from my Region! I told you about him, remember? He even helped me out with an angry flock of taillow, and I even caught one!"

"Oh wow, that's great news Ash, can't wait to meet him. I'll see you at Rustboro in a few days then."

—"Awesome! See you then!"

"See ya'."

She hung up and looked at Mudkip who stood by her below. "What do you think, pal'? Are you ready for some real training?"

The mudfish nodded and gave an enthusiastic "Kip'!"

She smiled and gazed at Ruby, determined. "When do we start?"

...

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

...

In a dark room, illuminated only by lines of numerous monitors and a larger central one on the main wall, the typing of keyboards, clicking of mice, and whirring of machinery were the only things keeping the quiet away. A man sitting on his large chair oversaw all the fluctuating data of atmospheric conditions and gravitational frequencies in different parts of the world displayed on the main screen.

An exclamation broke the rhythm of the room's hum-drum, "Dr. Charon! I've detected signs of residual gravity distortion, it appears to concur with the data criterion for a high-level time-space contortion," called out a young male surveyor.

Charon got up from his chair. "You mean it's possible that a portal has been opened in that area?" he asked in a strained guttural tone, betraying his older age.

"It appears so, sir."

"Patch your screen to mine."

"Yes, sir."

The scientist engineer watched the data readings that were somewhat different, yet similar to the space-time distortion Giratina had caused to capture Palkia and Dialga, along with that selfish idiot, Cyrus, his ex-boss. But the reading matched the criteria just fine. It was near-perfect.

Charon, being an ex-Team Galactic member, and their past science division leader at that, had spent the last decade trying to find signs of a portal hotspot that wasn't in Sinnoh, to avoid the authorities that now considered 'Mt. Coronet' and 'Spear pillar' crucial touristic locations with high-priority protection and preservation.

To think he was once so close to controlling the pokémon gods themselves...Only to be reduced to a man with nothing and constantly fleeing from the authorities, thanks to a bunch of meddling brats oddly named, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, as well as Cynthia, the Sinnoh champion herself, and others. Of course, only his closest aides believed the tale of his struggle back in the days of team Galactic, with the rest of his followers having doubts about his encounter with so many legendaries and mythicals...

Now, he had assembled a new group: 'The Pulsar Corp.'; solely dedicated to finding portals to other worlds and dimensions that could mean new pokémon, or even higher beings to take control of and use for his plans, whether they be of the distortion world, or beyond…

"Find' something, Charon?" Asked a tall, thin, pale-skinned, and purple-haired woman, standing over and leering at the screen with her narrow silver eyes. Next to her was her weird little 'advanced level grunt' pet, with his bowl-cut teal hair and dark shades peeking out of his black cloak.

"Yes, Sird, finally there's residue from a solid signature that was spawned approximately three to four days ago, we need to capitalize on it right away before it fades completely."

Charon hated to admit it, but it was partially thanks to Sird who was invested enough to aid him in his efforts at rebuilding the scientific foundation of his work and new goals. She was an enigmatic woman, with her agenda largely unknown, considering she had aided several criminal organizations in the past from various regions, including Teams Rocket, old Aqua and Magma on one occasion, Galactic...And now the Pulsar Corp. It seemed wherever she went, chaos would ensue, meaning her allies' undoing, after which she'd just simply hop onto the next project or group...Suspicious. But her skills at team management, battling, strategy and tactics were undeniable and too valuable to pass up, but he would still be cautious of her.

"I see. I'll mobilize a team right away, where is it located?" She asked.

Charon's orange-tinted specs gleamed from the light of the screen he scrutinized. "I'll be coming with you personally to oversee the operation. The location is 31 degrees South, 150 degrees East, elevation 351 meters...That's in the Hoenn Region, in a forest a few miles off of 'Littleroot Town'."

Soon, I'll see my goals achieved...With the aid of Giratina once more, or perhaps someone greater.

Once again, I'll have the Gods themselves in the palm of my hands...

...