Pokemon XD: Storm of Worlds

by Dr. ZalostTealos

Four years after the events of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, the Orre region has become barren again with wild Pokemon having left the land for good. The citizens of the isolated region have left their homes to be with the rest of the progressing world. Though time has stopped in Orre, something from the past is stirring within the emptied region. Our heroes must remain vigilant.

1. Episode 1

Years ago in the Orre Region, a great evil nearly conquered the world. Through the use of transforming Pokémon into vicious fighting machines known as Shadow Pokémon, Cipher nearly had their victory over the world until one day they made the mistake of kidnapping a Pokémon Professor known as Professor Krane. On that day, a young hero made it his mission to save him and save the Pokémon that have been transformed under Cipher's captivity. Relentless in his constant pursuit to save the Pokémon, he had come to overwhelm many of Cipher's admins in battle and annihilate their bases of operations in the process.

As famous as his tale was in the Orre Region at the time, no information of what happened in this isolated region reached any of the other more well populated regions of the Pokémon world. Nothing from the Orre Region ever reached the shores of any other region except for the Pokémon of two individuals who have made contact with individuals from the Kanto and the Hoenn Region but even they wouldn't speak of the Orre region to their acquaintances for whatever reason. One of the two individuals from Orre has been missing for the longest time, but the other one is still here after all this time. Grown up and self-taught from his inspiration taken from his father's work and legacy, Michael has taken upon himself to be well educated in mechanical engineering and devices centered around aiding, simulating, and enhancing certain attributes of Pokémon along with strengthening the bond between a trainer and its Pokémon through technology.

On this particular day, sand and dust covered the rust that kept eating away the foundation of the small Pyrite Town Poke Mart shop. The young redheaded engineer kept himself busy fusion cutting and carefully replacing the decaying metal skeleton of the small building. Brushing off the dust the sandstorms brought in over the months this land had to withstand against the storms, Michael felt only a little satisfaction from aiding the resident shopkeeper in restoring his establishment.

"Why do people rely on him?", people might ask themselves when they see this former savior of the world running about in his hovercycle hurrying to meet the needs of the people who have come to ask him for assistance too many times over. Some say that it's because he's just amiable and preferred for assistance. Others say that it's because he feels it is his responsibility to help the region as a sort of "caretaker" of the town's people. In reality however, it's because the common help and services of the scattered towns and establishments are already gone.

Michael knows this, as just the other day when he walked into the police station in Pyrite Town, the chief and his clumsy officer had disappeared only to leave behind a note on their desks describing where they have gone and why. They detailed how the crime rate in Pyrite Town has been so low that they were actually struggling on keeping themselves financed with how peaceful it has been. Probably because all the residents of Pyrite Town have started to disappear from their homes, including the more troublesome residents like the Gate Keeper Cail who's had conflicts with the law enforcement before. Outside of Pyrite, crime has stopped entirely in the Orre Region with the decline of its population.

Towns scattered across the region from Gateon Port to Phenac City have been losing their inhabitants to the gradual exodus out of the region. Employees of the ONBS building and its organization have left the Orre region to places where they can get better pay from news stations with more revenue from their viewers. Places such as the Hoenn region or the Sinnoh region, anywhere but the Orre region for the working class. Pokemon battling became out of fashion two years ago when the authorities on the colosseum challenges, including all Mt. Battle challenge modes, were drawn out of the region by a corporation in Sinnoh that was building a trainer's resort on an island city far away.

Every month, people leave and disappear by the dozens as they never leave any trace behind besides their empty abodes. Pyrite Town has been the most hallow next to Gateon Port. Phenac City and Agate Village are the last two towns that still have a population more than five. The Colosseums are emptied and tournaments are never held anymore as trainers find more interesting battles in the more popular and populated regions. The Realgam Tower's luxurious hotels have only a handful of rich dwellers while their employees have either been let off or allowed to stay to continue to earn their pay for their days of service for the higher class.

The red headed, blue headband wearing teenage boy stood up and dropped the unlit fusion cutter and his protective mask. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he reviewed his work. Beside him on the cement floor was his old Umbreon looking up at him with anticipation for their return to the HQ Lab. Michael patted his Pokémon's head and rubbed behind his ears for a brief moment before walking into the rusted cylindrical building to talk with the shopkeeper.

Inside the shop, shelves full of Pokémon foods and groceries lined the edges remained untouched by the few citizens that still live in Pyrite Town. Thin layers of dust had accumulated over the merchandise and the cash register has only been opened twice this month. The floors have been kept swept but only to an extent as the shopkeeper now spends his days laying back in his chair watching the small retro television on his desk tuned into to the ONBS station for the daily news.

The shopkeeper, a brown haired simple man dressed in a blue shirt, jeans, and apron listened to the news as well as Michael's footsteps drawing near has he was half asleep in his chair.

"How could anyone do such a thing to you? That's horrible!", the voice of a female interviewer said coming from the television set.

"I know but I'm not at all angry about it now. Even if he doesn't credit me, at least my designs and effort aren't going to waste.", Michael's voice followed the interviewer's reaction.

The shopkeeper glanced at the television screen for a moment before facing the yellow vested boy in person standing in front of his counter. He tilted his head and said with a sympathetic tone as he scratched his right eyebrow, "Sorry that happened".

"It's fine. But it won't happen again.", the red headed teen assured him, wiping the leftover sweat off of his eyebrows.

The shopkeeper nodded before handing over a check for one thousand Poké Dollars. Michael grabbed it and stuffed it into his black fanny pack hanging around the back of his waist. To Michael, money was no object, but people who remember what he has done for them still pay him for his services regardless of how small the tasks might be.

Now having been dismissed, Michael walked out of the shop and returned his Umbreon by his side on his way to his hovercycle parked outside of town. Walking back down the streets, in the corner of his sight something caught his attention. He turned to see Duking emerging from the fortune teller's chamber waving at him.

Duking was once the leader in the Orre region's attempt to rediscover Wild Pokémon in nature again. The burly but big hearted man had spent years searching for Wild Pokémon in spanning more tua the five years of the two Shadow Pokémon incidents to finally discover returning wildlife during the second incident. However after the incident was over, the people of Orre seemed to either have scared off the Wild Pokémon off or caught them all in their excitement as they have not returned to the Orre region for the longest time again. The Poke Spots Duking discovered would not draw Wild Pokémon anymore no matter how many Poke Snacks he left on the plates. Heartbroken, he turned to living life quietly in regret in his Pyrite Town trying to assist Michael in any way he can trying to keep the town from rotting into ruin

"Michael! Fateen wants to see you! She says it's urgent, must be very important lad. I'll be in the hotel cleaning out rooms if I'm needed.", he said before walking off around the junkyard behind the fortune teller's hut to the hotel just around the corner.

The red headed boy wondered what could possibly be the cause for his presence. He did not think much of the fortune teller's messages back when he was busy fighting the second Shadow Pokémon incident. Her cryptic messages indicating what he had to do next did not help him so much as it confuses him. Although he'd eventually figure them out as soon as something happened that seemed like what she was pretending. He would prefer not to know however as when he does realize what her messages meant his mind would be blown apart in astonishment.

"What now?", he wondered as he stepped through the cloth of the mystical elder of Pyrite Town.

Looking into the darkened room illuminated only by the crystal ball on her table, he slowly stepped through the curtains at the door. The unusually dark room felt more ominous as the mother of Pyrite Town sat behind her table with her glasses shining off of the crystal ball. It seemed as the though the entire room was a dark void with only the table, the crystal ball, and the fortune teller visible.

"It's good to see you again child. Please step forward.", she requested of him.

The yellow vested teen stepped forward and stood before the table to pay attention to what Fateen had to say.

"Michael. I have seen a vision of the future… Your future… an uncertain future."

"Is that so?", he replied a little intrigued.

"We are here. The message will be delivered. Are you ready Michael?, she asked as she held her hands in the air around the crystal ball on the table.

The boy nodded, but his response was not enough apparently.

"Tell me you are ready to hear this message. Michael.", she demanded of him.

"I am ready! … (Hope this doesn't take long)…," he whispered to himself as he imagined himself back in the comfort of his laboratory home.

The elder looked into the crystal ball as Michael watched. She hummed a small tune before the crystal ball suddenly illuminated the entire room in a flash. Michael shielded his eyes from the blinding light for a moment before the crystal dimmed its light to normal. He looked into the crystal ball to stare into a small abyss within the gem as the elder spoke in another cryptic language.

"…I see… a clash in the clouds… between worlds… what has been forgotten will rise again… the shadows of our past will reawaken…. A storm is coming… an unstoppable gale of darkness… Times change."

"Times change?", Michael asked for the obscure phase that seemed out of line for what Fateen was just talking about.

"Times will change. That is my message for you. I cannot tell what it means, but I'm afraid you should proceed with caution in your daily cycles these next few days. I can't promise everything will be alright, but…. Just be careful.", Fateen warned him as she adjusted her circular glasses that shook from the dread she felt inside.

Michael couldn't wrap his head around what she could possibly be warning him of. He looked into the crystal ball to see nothing but an abyss of darkness. Whatever Fateen was seeing, he could only imagine it as something either terrible or just rambling of a probably senile old lady.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for telling me…", the redheaded boy thanked her politely although he was still very confused.

Just before he walked out of the hut, he waved goodbye to the old lady. Upon glimpsing upon the crystal ball from the distance he was at the door however, he could see a pair of red glowing eyes in the abyss looking back at him. Without hesitation, he quickly walked away from the hut and pretended he didn't see what he just saw.

Later in the middle of the Orre Region's desert, Michael zipped across the sand in his hovercycle with is goggles shielding his eyes from the dust. As he calmly traversed through the desert, he spotted a single familiar red hover truck stranded in the middle of the wasteland in the distance. When he squinted at it, he could see that it was the old truck the Cipher peons used to kidnap Professor Krane. In the middle of the desert away from the abandoned Cipher laboratory, what could it possibly be doing in the middle of nowhere?

"Huh…. Maybe I should take a closer look?", he asked himself considering anything to do with the old evil criminal syndicate that is out of place should be inspected for safety reasons.

Hovering over to the vehicle, the goggled redheaded boy stepped off of his hovercycle and walked over to the front end of the immobile vehicle. The first thing he noticed that seemed unusual about it as he approached it however was how clean the coat of paint was on its surface. He proceeded to peer through the windshield to see the driver seats were empty and no traces of the drivers were apparent in the seats of the hover truck. The seat cushions seemed to be in mint condition rather than torn and decayed from the last time he remembered seeing this truck.

"Has somebody been driving this? It looks like its fresh out of a factory…. But who would drive it out here?"

Proceeding with his investigation, he walked to the back of the truck. His attempts to lift the truck's rear cargo hold were unsuccessful as it seemed to have been locked.

"Hm…. Hitmonchan!", he called out one of one of his trusty old former Shadow Pokémon out of his Ultra Ball.

The battle ready punching Pokémon emerged from its ball and turned its head at Michael ready for his command.

"Use Brick Break on the truck! I want to see what's inside!"

The Hitmonchan nodded at his trainer and raised its arm upward before smashing the rear of the vehicle and tearing the metal bits and pieces away for his trainer to inspect the cargo. Michael could finally see what was inside… before he became genuinely unsettled at what he was seeing.

"…. What the heck is that?!", he exclaimed as he stared at the anomalous circular object hovering within the truck.

Before he could find the words to describe it, the unidentifiable object suddenly zipped forward and collided with Michael's forehead. He blacked out for a brief moment before he regained his consciousness to see Hitmonchan looking down on him on the sand as if he had been knocked out for a considerable amount of time

"Owww!...What was that?! The heck was that?! That hurt!", he said as he picked himself up and rubbed the bump on his forehead.

He tried to see where the object had flown to but it was already out of sight when he tried to spot it again. Then suddenly his P DA (Pokémon Digital Assistant) vibrated with an old familiar ringtone that has been unchanged for years. The red headed boy grabbed this device and slid the cover around its Poke Ball pattern and opened the monitoring screens for his Trainer ID and functions such as the rarely used Poke Spot Monitor, the never-used Shadow Monitor, the Strategy Memo for displaying information on Pokémon including their abilities and types, and his Mailbox for sending and receiving electronic messages to and from friends and family. The mailbox icon was vibrating, signaling he has just been sent a message.

"What is this?"

A message from Professor Krane back in the HQ Lab was inside the inbox. The red headed teenage boy selected it and opened it to read it off of the screen.

"Michael! Something just shot through the windows of the lobby and smashed through the building! The Purify Chamber's consoles were smashed to bits! Nobody was hurt thank goodness but it's a mess here! Please come back as soon as you can!", read the text message from the Pokémon Professor.

After a fast zoom across the desert into the forest region in the Western part of Orre, Michael arrived at the white building with the large holographic Poke Ball displayed over the roof of the entrance to the lobby. The large windows that protected the employees from the elements had a large gaping hole shattered in its barely stable cracked surface.

Running through the automatic glass doors he nearly injured himself when he almost slipped on the mess of glass shards scattered across the floor. The receptionist was not at her desk but no signs of injury were apparent in her space. Michael carefully stepped through the shattered glass to the damaged entrance to the Purify Chamber room. The automatic doors were shut however, and sparks flew when the red head tried to approach it to trigger its opening mechanism with its sensors.

"Through the windows!" a voice shouted from inside the Purify Chamber room.

Michael stepped around the outer wall of the chamber room to see where the object had crashed through. The windows that surrounded the chamber room have been shattered completely with glass lying all over the floor. It has left a gap that seemed big enough for him to stride through though. Stepping into the chamber from across the broken glass, he was met with his mother, Lily, and Krane who was holding a wide broom to clean the mess. Behind them, Michael could see the object had crashed through the consoles of the Purify Chamber and pierced the building out into the forest. A warm draft could be felt in the room from the new outdoor exit.

"I'm glad he's not here to see this….", his mother mumbled referencing to Michael's father.

"Do any of you know what was it? What crashed through here?", the red headed boy asked with great curiosity as he looked about at the debris on the floor.

"It was too quick! I was in your workshop tending to your inventions on display when I heard glass shattering and an ear popping explosion immediately after. None of us caught sight of what it was but the receptionist.", Krane said as he swept wires and metal across the floor with his broom.

"She said it looked spherical in appearance, but she had to cover her eyes when the glass flew at her.", Lily added.

Upon hearing their statements, Michael and immediately thought back to the strange floating anomaly he found in Cipher's hover truck in the middle of the desert. Then he remembered Fateen's warning. He could remember within her cryptic message warning. The anomalous object he found was slightly spherical in appearance but he couldn't identify it properly before it knocked him out. If that had anything to do with her prediction, he can't explain why at the moment for it is still mysterious and unknown.

"I'm sorry I have to ask you this, but could you possibly find a way to patch the hole in the wall? You know how it is not having as much help around here as before… we'll do something about the windows though don't worry about that.", the brown haired professor requested before turning to the broken automatic door to examine it's condition.

"I could go to Gateon Port to see if there's anything for the Purify Chamber at Makan's shop, but these holes through the chamber room will just have to be patched up with welded metal sheets or boarded up for the time being.", Michael stated his quick-fix solution to his two mentors.

Shortly after having exited out of the Purify Chamber room through the hole in the wall, Michael walked up to the door of his workshop and triggered the voice activated security system he invented himself. Only he, his family, and Professor Krane knew the password to his workshop as it used to be the room where research on his old Snag Machine was held.

After Cipher was destroyed and all the Shadow Pokémon were purified, Michael decided at some point, after retiring from taking the Orre Colosseum challenges, in his time to take this room and the secret room below it to be his personalized tinkering workshop for his own inventions and research for various topics, most involving trainer enhancements or Pokémon interaction tools inspired by his father's work in the Purify Chamber and Snag Machine. Many different gadgets and engineering solutions have been developed over the years in this workshop with the occasional help of Dr. Kaminko and his assistant Chobin. (To an extent before Michael would ask them not to help anymore as it is their habit to make counter-productive inventions meant to do harm such as their "Unhealthy Sandles" invention. Although Chobin does try to improve himself in his judgement of efficient inventions now.)

"P-PLEASE SPEAK P-PASSWORD TO ENTER.", the security system requested in a metallic stuttering electronic voice.

"Extra Dimension.", Michael spoke the password to the small microphone installed beside the door.

"A-ACCESS GRANTED…"

The door opened and Michael was allowed within his workshop once again. He was glad to see nothing was damaged by impact of the object. The warm air from within the room conflicted with the cold air of the ground floor of the laboratory wing. On this floor, he has metal shelves and tables decorated with many different displayed gadgets and gizmos he has created. Designs and formulas for different concepts were drawn on his white board canvass in the back of the room with a rotating electric generator attached to the wall beside it staying operational and benefitting the entire building even with the damage that has been dealt to the building.

Sitting on top of a table was a closed deployable miniature Pokémon healing station that takes one Pokémon containing Poke Ball at a time to heal before a thirty second cool down period after every patient. Michael named it the Pocket Pokémon Center for its useful ability to fold itself up into a small, but heavy, octagonal shaped metal box for traveling Pokémon Trainers.

Beside the Pocket Station was another deployable but bulkier cylindrical device inspired by the anomaly of a late rival of his he met and repeatedly encountered during the last Shadow Pokémon incident. The anomaly being when the rival in question would say "Let the music play!", or something similar to that command, there would always be a mysterious but upbeat and addicting disco music "theme" that would play out of nowhere even if they're alone in a cave or on top of a lighthouse. Programmed with Michael's personal choice of music fit to dance to with people and Pokémon, the device is most often used at parties or social gatherings. This would have been used within the first year it was made shortly after the last Shadow Pokémon incident before it was left alone and neglected in the underground secretive portion of the workshop for years until recently when Michael decided to have his own personal renaissance.

Lining the shelves are different applications for an experimental handheld Pokémon interactive gaming device similarly built and inspired by the SIM CD Battle systems used exclusively in the Orre Region. Different applications hold different games and scenarios for a Pokémon and its trainer to play through together for bonding and training. Applications such a basketball game, a punching bag training game, a free roaming virtual ranch for Pokémon to graze, a soccer ball training game, and an art game where the Pokémon would be given a canvass and different colors of paint to express its creativity with the aid of its trainer. Of all the virtual add-ons, only two of them have been recognized by an influential power outside of the Orre region that would result in a mutual beneficial relationship between Michael and the mutual friend he had accidentally met until he learned what it felt like to be the victim of plagiarism.

"At least my work is being put to good use….", Michael said to himself, stepping in front of the automatic sliding floor door to the hidden set of stairs to the lower workshop.

As he stepped down his stairs he immediately realized the lights were already on in his inner domain. Passing through the shelves of more prototype inventions and piles of scrapped work he listened to the hasty echoing voice of his younger blue haired sister Jovi.

Jovi has grown a lot over the years since the last Shadow Pokémon incident. Eleven years old, she no longer refers to herself in third person, her vocabulary has grown, and is more mature but she still has the heart of a child. More often than not, she'll playfully address her big brother as "big brother" or "big bro" just to be friendly.

In the deepest part of his workshop, a series of different inventions, scrapped and completed, are on display on the shelves mounted on his wall along with special glass cases holding different gadgets he had made. A few of his inventions are messily strewn across the floor in the corner of the room, tangled with wires and parts. His Snag Machine and Aura Reader are kept clean in a special glass display case for sentimental purposes.

"Hurry Bonnie! Send back Dusclops before my brother catches us!", her voice echoed and bounced through the metal walls of the underground two-roomed bunker.

Upon hearing her, Michael sighed in slight disappointment as he walked through the doorway to his office where an eleven year old blue haired girl dressed in a blue frilly short sleeved dress with white shorts was sitting at his desk sending a Poke Ball through a GTS emulator with the little sister of his former mutual friend. Jovi looked back at Michael from where she was sitting with his desk facing a wall. She smiled nervously and waved at him in greeting.

"Oh… hai! Big brother! I was not just trading your Dusclops over to Clemont's little sister so that she could trade it back to me with a special little item or anything heh…"

Michael stood beside her to see the monitor show a brief glimpse of the blonde young little girl closing out of the call as soon as he came into the camera's view. Dusclop's Poke Ball materialized in the Poke Ball slot of the GTS Emulator and was immediately swiped by the blue haired girl. The older sibling looked at his younger sibling with a neutral expression.

"Okay maybe we might have… but it's back! I'll send it back to your PC just give me another second."

"It's alright Jovi. I don't care if you and Bonnie want to stay pen pals. I'm not angry with her brother anymore, but I'd prefer that he isn't mentioned for a while…", Michael replied ensuring his younger sister that it's okay to stay friends with the his former friend's little sister.

Jovi's blue eyes widened before she smiled knowing she can still keep in touch with her little French friend. The blue dressed girl thanked her older brother saying, "Thanks big brother! You don't mind if use your computer a little bit more do you?"

"Not at all. I'll just be getting some vouchers for the Makan's shop in Gateon Port to repair the damage upstairs."

"Damage? What happened?", she asked suggesting she was unaware of the incident upstairs.

"You don't know? It's a mess up there. Something crashed through the front windows and pierced through the Purify Chamber room like a meteor…. But we didn't see what it was exactly. We don't know what it is for sure…"

"Something crashed through the windows upstairs? Was that the sound I heard not to long ago? I just thought someone tripped on something and made a big bang when he landed… someone heavy I'd think...", Jovi explained as she looked back into Dusclop's Poke Ball to suddenly gasp a little in shock when she saw the Dusclops wasn't Dusclops anymore.

"We all wish that was the case.,", Michael replied grinning at the amusing thought.

"Where's Mimi and Pluplu? You didn't trade them over to Bonnie did you?"

Jovi turned away from the Poke Ball and aced Michael again before answering with a guilty sheepish tone as she looked to the floor with her big blue eyes.

"I…. Might have…. They'll come back though! They needed a little change of scenery. Bonnie tells me Lumiose City is a beautiful place to live in. She promised she'll trade them back as soon when they miss us."

Michael was silent for a moment; thinking about that concept of leaving the Orre region for better places. The fact that Pokémon would want to leave Orre seemed reminiscent of the old days before the first Shadow Pokémon incident occurred and was resolved. The Minun and Plusle that stuck with their family since before their father's passing must really have wanted to leave the Orre region, but why? Then again… why not? The red headed teen knew that nothing really happens in the Orre Region anymore. He would leave the Orre region too if he could. The wild Pokémon that once returned to the region had disappeared again, leaving no reason for exploring trainers to visit the desolate region. It was previously thought however that it was because of Cipher's existence that leads to the exodus of the wild Pokémon of the Orre region in the first place. That doesn't seem to be the case right now.

"…. Well I don't blame them. Have fun with Bonnie. I'm going to Gateon Port and will be back in maybe an hour or two.", he said as he opened drawers filled with papers and expired Battle Coupons for the vouchers.

Michael pulled open a drawer to immediately see the remote control to one of his inventions. A large flat controller with the flat screen built on it was made for a specific invention that had become the last collaboration between him and Bonnie's older brother. He turned to see the prototype of the invention he had built still laying back next to a pile of scrapped gadgets and metal.

The machine was the metal skeleton of a holographic skinned automaton. It was inspired by what he knew of the foreign Pokémon, Zoroark, who had the ability to change its appearance in an illusion it could make. The concept behind the invention was that it could stand up and take the holographic shape of a person based on scanning the body type of a subject and physical details of his or her clothing and visible flesh. The limbs and spine of the skeleton are extendable for adapting the body to take the shape of any body type the robot scans. It is currently programmed in its memory to mimic Michael's appearance. This would have been used for making guides in a battle facility or for making virtual caretakers for people's Pokémon. The possibilities of use were virtually endless, but there's one thing that Michael didn't have that his former mutual friend had. An audience and direct contact to big name corporate funders like Game Freak and Silph Co. The Orre Region cannot provide anything to help Michael be recognized by people outside of the isolated region.

"… It's fine. I didn't want to be known anyway. Not me or anyone here in Orre…", Michael mumbled to himself in a slightly agitated sarcastic tone as he pushed the drawer back.

"Maybe we'd all be better off inventing combustible Nomel berries for burning down all these empty useless houses in this stupid….rrggh…", he grumbled in his frustration

Michael grabbed the scrunched up vouchers and stuffed them into his pant pockets. His feelings of negativity were quickly expelled when he turned about face to see Jovi standing in front of him with his Dusclop's Poke Ball in her hands. When he looked into the Poke Ball from where he stood however, it didn't look like Dusclops.

"Two things. First of all uh… well… big brother… I accidentally evolved your Dusclops into this new strange Pokémon… so congratulations on your new Pokémon! And second, can I come with you to Gateon Port too?"

Michael was speechless in that moment he peered into the Poke Ball. He raised his eyebrows as he viewed the strange legless specter of a Pokémon with a single red eye glowing within the empty cavity of its head. Its resemblance to its previous evolutions was uncanny but it looked even more menacing than its younger pre-evolved forms.

"Uhh….. well that's alright. You can come along if you want, and bring whatever Dusclops is if you'd like. But you do know that your friend is not there anymore right?", he asked his sibling.

"Yeah I know… but I just want to see the ocean again. Maybe see the sunset if we stay there long enough… you don't mind me coming along?"

"Not at all. You're taking your cycle right?"

"Of course! I wouldn't want to ride backseat on your old scooter again like back in the old days. As fun as it was riding backseat, I really like riding on my own hovercycle!", she exclaimed with a little happy cheer.

"So I see…. Want to race there then? If you know the way of course.", he suggested jokingly with a new little smile.

"Yeah! Let's start now!"

"Huh? Now?", he asked expecting her not expecting her to be serious.

"Yeah! Ready? Steady? GO!", she shouted before darting off with his newly evolved Pokémon in its ball.

Before he could speak, Jovi was already gone and running up the stairs. Michael hesitated in a moment of regret at his suggestion. He had been planning stay for a while before leaving the lab again on his hovercycle. He'll just have to race her to Gateon Port now before he can get a brief moment of rest in his previously planned schedule consisting of a lot of rest at home. The yellow vested boy with black under shirt charged forward and returned up the stairs after his younger sister.

By the time he exited his workshop and looked out through the broken windows past the water fountains of the lawn, he could see Jovi riding her blue hovercycle out through the forest and beginning to accelerate increasingly in speed. He was struck at how fast she was but kept his footing around the mess of glass on the floor as he proceeded out the automatic sliding glass doors.

Through the vehicle trails of the forested fraction of Orre, Michael zoomed across the vegetated roads on his hovercycle. The wind blew against his face in his speed but his goggles helped shield his eyes. After enduring more acceleration and controlled turns he finally could see Jovi far ahead of him on her blue hovercycle.

The azure dressed little sister looked back at her brother though her rear view glass and realized he was catching up. She then floored the acceleration pedal and reached a speed Michael could not compare to. The dust that kicked up temporarily blinded him before he realized they were already approaching the clearing to Gateon Port's gateway.

The redheaded boy was going to let her win anyway but he didn't think she would be so fast in her own hovercycle. He floored his pedal and tried to keep himself behind her until they inevitably reached the port town at the gate. Jovi slowed down almost suddenly when she started approaching the stone pathway to the stairs of the gateway but in doing so, she almost flipped herself over off of her seat.

"Woah!", she shouted before sitting back down on her hovercycle.

Michael saw what almost happened to his sister and immediately rushed beside her to see if she was alright. He parked his hovercycle next to hers and asked with concern.

"Are you alright? That looked like you were going to flip over on your back! Are you okay?"

Jovi turned off her hovercycle and turned to her older brother saying with a smile and a cheery tone, "I win! Heehee!"

Michael was a little miffed by how reckless she was for the sake of winning their little race but he couldn't help but chuckle and smile back in admitting defeat to his happy little sister.

"I'll be more careful next time… Let's go to Makan's shop! That's where we're going right?" she asked.

"Right, then we go home.", Michael replied wanting to get some rest for his back.

The siblings stepped forward onto a stone path leading to the stairs downward onto the main square of the town. The big sign that said "Welcome" at the entrance to the port town has shown to be neglected after seeing the cracks and faded paint within the structure of the sign post. The light inside it seems to be malfunctioning as it blinks every so often as it tries to keep itself illuminated. Aside from the site of the decaying welcoming sign, the vast blue ocean that still kept its luster even after time has passed was still ever present in Gateon Port.

"Look at the sea! Still as big as I remember! Aww look at it big brother! Soon it will be sunset and it will be so beautiful!"

Michael nodded in recognition of the natural beauty and vastness of the ocean from where they stood at the top of the stairs. A portion of the town is built on cement spires sticking out from the ocean water within the port. To get to the houses and places on these tall blocks of cement, rotating bridges are present for people to traverse through and align for ships to enter and exit the port safely. Two floor switches on the bases of the two rotating bridges exist for the vary purpose of arranging the paths for the convenience and safety of everyone. The blue haired girl scanned the town for a pair of certain familiar faces she remembered encountering with her brother the first time she arrived however Emili and Acri are nowhere in sight.

"Aww…. It's too bad they're not here…", she muttered with lament for their long lost friends.

"I know. But at least they were here when we were.", Michael replied.

The two stepped forward down the stairs and suddenly paused when they both remembered an event that happened that day during the last Shadow Pokémon incident. Jovi remembered vividly of the brute that bullied her when she accidentally bumped into him in her excitement of seeing the ocean for the first time. Michael also remembered standing between her and the brute when he threated to beat them both with his Shadow Zangoose.

"Wow…. Do you remember that one time?", the little sister asked

"Yep…", the big brother answered.

"And Mr. Verich and his… wow this was so long ago… heh what are the odds of that happening again?", she added with a curious tone.

Jovi walked forward a few steps before turning to Michael again as he said.

"Not likely… especially since they're both probably detained right now."

Out of the right corner of his eyes, he saw a dark partially cloaked figure walking through their path. It was walking their way from the Pokémon Center in the Eastern part of the port town. (In perspective to one entering the town from the gateway) He kept an eye on the man as Michael listened to his sister.

"That's too bad. Maybe they'll come back as better people now.", Jovi suggested a hopeful solution before she faced the ocean again and started running for one of the piers but about to intersect with the other person's path.

"H-Hey! Jovi!", he called his sister out to warn her of the impending pedestrian.

But it was too late, Jovi bumped into the passerby and was knocked flat on her rear again in a flash of déjà vu before her eyes. She was on the ground rubbing her head from the impact she endured from the collision.

"Ow…. Huh?", she expressed her sudden surprise to see a tall man dressed in a dark cloak and top hat.

"Oh! My apologies! It seems I should be more aware of the existence of people here. It's so empty here you see I had previously believed this town was devoid of life if you know what I mean.", said the stranger.

Michael walked up beside his sister still sitting on the ground and pulled her up before he confronted the stranger to see who he was. The stranger was a tall caped gray haired but rather handsome young man that appeared to be in his early twenties. He wore a black cloak around his left arm and a black top hat on his head. He had blue eyes and a black long sleeved fastened shirt on his torso connecting to his legs with black boots on his feet.

"Who might you two be? May I ask?", asked the mysterious cloaked stranger.

Michael was about to answer when Jovi interrupted him.

"My name is Jovi. And this is my older brother Michael! He's with me.", she said in a manner reminiscent of her old young self. Michael shrugged and played along with the idea of her being the leader just to amuse her.

"Ahh! Michael and Jovi! The children of the scientist that invented man-made Shadow Pokémon purification process right? I've heard that you have been quite a hero in the past, but what do you do nowadays?"

Michael didn't know how or why he should answer to that question without knowing who he is talking to. He had never seen him before in Orre. In all his years of knowing everyone in the region, he had never seen this man before.

"Might we know who you are first?", Michael requested of the stranger.

"Oh I'm sorry. My name is Seth. I am a magician coming here to practice the art of illusions at the Krabby Club. Unlike Razzle and Dazzle however, I do not rely on cheap tricks to snag my audience's attention. Only real magic will do."

"Really?", Michael replied a little intrigued by his occupation.

"Wow! A magician?! Can you do magic now?", Jovi asked of the dark dressed magician with enthusiasm.

Michael watched as the man leaned forward toward Jovi and hypnotized her with his blue hypnotic eyes before pulling a blue rose behind her ear with his right hand. He then placed the trimmed blue rose into the palm of her left hand.

The two siblings were in awe as they both just experienced a classic illusion of magic. Michael could only assume the stranger pulled the rose out of his sleeve but the sleeve appeared to be too tight to slip anything inside.

"That is just a sample. I have infinitely more impressive tricks to display at the Krabby Club later tonight. Although I know there probably won't be a large crowd, I will perform never the less. For now I must bid you both adieus.", he said before walking off to the western part of the city towards the Makan's Parts Shop.

Michael stared with curiosity at the stranger disappearing into the parts shop while Jovi sniffed the blue rose and giggled from what she had just experienced.

"Well… he seems polite.", the red spiky haired boy observed as he neutrally watched his younger sister smile and blush with the blue rose in her hands.

"He's so cool! Can we see his show later Michael? I want to see the sunset too but now I want to see his tricks too!", the blue haired girl exclaimed with enthusiasm.

He quickly thought over the possibility of staying for the show but he knew he would have to get back to the lab to repair the wall eventually. Whether he does it sooner or later it probably wouldn't matter if they enjoy themselves with a little excitement they don't see every day in Orre.

"We're going to have to follow him into Makan's shop anyway. Let's go get what we came here for then stay around a little for the show and sunset.", Michael proclaimed his plan to accommodate for what his sister wanted.

"Alright! Let's go then!", she urged with enthusiasm.

They made their way to the shop with the giant rotating chrome motorcycle model that is surprisingly still spinning and clean against the elements it has been exposed to in time. The two entered the automatic doors of the shop to see Perr in his blue overalls and red knit cap asleep behind the counter of a nearly empty shop with his face buried in his arms. Seth was standing between two shelves looking at a bottle of emergency coolant for overheating mechanisms. Michael immediately walked up to Perr while his sister admired Seth from a little distance in the shop.

"Hello? Perr?", Michael called him in his attempt to wake him up.

"….Snore…zzzz….", Perr sounded in his slumber.

Michael called out his name again and poked him on the shoulder. Upon touching his shoulder, Perr jumped and was startled at the revelation of a customer inside the shop.

"OH! Oh sorry Michael! I uh… I didn't think we'd still get customers… like we didn't get customers yesterday or the day before that…. And the day before that…. What do you need? How's Professor Krane? Everything good these days?"

Michael explained what happened at the HQ Lab involving the mysterious disappearing spherical object that crashed through the lab building. Perr was astounded at the news. He had never heard anything like it since Michael told him Professor Krane was kidnapped by Cipher. While Michael spoke, Jovi was found out by the magician that she was admiring him in secret with the blue rose still in her hands.

"Are you a trainer by any chance?", Seth asked of the blue haired girl.

"Oh! I… uhm…. Well I do own Pokémon… but the ones I have with me aren't really caught by me."

"Oh? May I see them?", the magician asked again.

Jovi pulled out three Poke Balls out of the pockets of her blue dress. Michael's unidentifiable Dusclops evolution and two of Bonnie's Pokémon were in their balls in her hands. The magician nodded upon seeing these three foreign unidentifiable Pokémon.

"That one used to be my brother's Dusclops. And these two belong to my pen pal in another region far away from here.", Jovi explained.

"So I see….. but you can't explain what they are. None of us can. These Pokémon do not belong in the Orre region ergo we don't have the technology to collect data off of them… but I have a solution for you and your brother. Here."

The magician reached under his cloak with his free right hand and pulled out a small microchip add-on for a P DA and a small hand-held two screened folding device with a camera lens in the back of the gadget. Jovi slipped the add-on into her pockets and activated the two-screened folded device to see what purpose it served. With her left hand she held the Dusclops evolution in its ball ad viewed it within the device.

"It is…. A Dusknoir? This thing helps us know what these different Pokémon are?", she asked astounded by the invention.

"As will the add-on for the P DA…. It will upgrade the Strategy Memo feature with the ability to identify even more Pokémon that have never been seen in the Orre region. Treat it with care.", he told her before returning to browsing the merchandise.

"Are you an inventor too? My brother tinkers with stuff like these in his free time. Are you?", she asked as she switched the Dusknoir for one of Bonnie's Pokémon to scan with the device.

Just then, Michael intervened after having received a heavy backpack full of repairing materials and parts for the Purify Chamber. Jovi turned to see Michael looking at the device in her hands with his eyebrows raised with curiosity.

"Uhm… is that yours?", he asked a little awkwardly to his sister.

"He gave it to me! Look! Now we know what your Dusclops has evolved into!", Jovi explained with her usual enthusiasm.

Michael held the device and viewed the two screens of the gadget. The top screen showed the Pokémon and its name while the bottom displayed its stats and moves. He can now be familiar with his new Dusknoir but he didn't understand why Jovi was given this device. He took his eyes off the gadget to briefly look about for the magician but it seems he had disappeared when Jovi turned his attention to her brother to show him the device.

"He's gone? …. Wasn't he just here?", he asked a little befuddled at how quickly he disappeared.

"We followed him in here. But I guess he really had somewhere to go huh?"

"He probably just disappeared like a real magician! But don't worry big brother. He also gave me an add-on for your P DA so you too can know about these new strange new Pokémon. Here!", Jovi proclaimed as she presented the microchip from her blue pockets.

Michael took the small plastic cased microchip and looked for any kind of label on it. He could only see the initials, N.U.F. on the cap of the small microchip casing. He uncapped it and plugged it into his P DA and in less than a second; his Strategy Memo was updated with three new Pokémon. His new Pokémon being Dusknoir, and two previous Pokémon he had encountered in his last journey four years ago, a Munchlax owned by an old lady who lived in Gateon Port and a Bonsly owned by a little girl who had lost it on the S.S. Libra before Michael found it and brought it back to her safely.

"Flabébé! And Dedenne! That's what these two Pokémon are!", the blue haired girl happily proclaimed her discoveries with the device held over her two imported Poke Balls.

"Not like I didn't already know. Bonnie told me what they were before we traded."

"Well… I guess he's generous…", Michael observed of the magician again closing his P DA and slipping it into his black fanny pack around the back of his waist.

"I think he is an inventor like you! Maybe you two could be friends!", Jovi suggested with a happy tone.

"I don't know…. The last time I made friends with an inventor it didn't end well for me. As you already know.", Michael said shaking his head in doubt.

"Oh…. Well I'm sure Seth wouldn't do such a thing like Bonnie's brother did. Not every inventor you'd meet would do such a thing I'm sure. People can be nice."

"Yeah well…. Maybe when we see people again in Orre… I'll try to remember that…"

With the heavy bag strapped to the boy's back, the siblings were at the door and out waving back at Perr at the counter before he resumed his sleeping position in the empty store for machines.

Upon exiting, Jovi turned to her right to see the house her friend's family once lived in. Emili,and her mother Acri, will not be found in that house anymore but they might have left something behind. Curiosity provoked Jovi to ask her brother if they could go visit her old friend's house.

Although he didn't care for the idea, Michael led Jovi to the door of the empty house and opened the front door. Inside they immediately felt a cold dusty chill from the interior of the abandoned house. Ironically for being in a generally arid region, this house has been kept cool since the departure of the house owners. It could be because of how close it is to the ocean especially considering it being literally on the edge of town with the ocean being right beside with a five foot drop to the ocean's surface.

"Don't know what you're expecting to see here….", Michael stated looking about at the empty living spaces.

The television mounted on the wall facing them appeared to still be operational even after having been left off for so long. Just past the living room was the only other room in the house being the bedroom. The mattress was removed and only a few dusty books remained on the bookshelves on the wall of the sleeping space. When Michael examined the few books that were left on the shelf, he could see a small number of books that apparently Acri left behind.

"That's right she was a writer… a journalist too? I think? … it's been too long since I've paid attention to her."

Michael pulled a plastic covered book off of the shelf that seemed to have been published by Acri. It was titled, "Orre's Origins.", a book of myths created by the imagination of the author. There was a disclaimer on the first page of the book as Michael inspected its pages. It read, "All of these stories were inspired by short documentations of Orre's obscure history. It was hard finding any information on Orre's past as it seemed there are no real lore keepers in this region but I will rise to the challenge of providing an imaginative tale for the reader to read."

Michael skimmed a few pages of the book to catch glimpses of a small myth detailing about a mythical Pokémon having brought humans to the Orre desert as punishment for their misdeeds. This organization of humans were scattered across the desert and in one hundred years made what we know of today as the Orre region. The details of what the Pokémon looked like were vague in Acri's words, but Michael found the concept amusing that a legendary Pokémon could have punished their ancestors by bringing them here to this isolated empty region seceded from the rest of the world. He placed the book back into it's shelf and looked at other titles for other books that included, "How to be a Hero" and "The Story of Orre's Hero", both made by Acri with Michael as her inspiration.

"Good news! The TV is still working!", Jovi announced as she pressed a button on the home appliance.

The television screen displayed its lack of signal with a loud static mesh. Jovi hit the screen's plastic edge thinking it would make a difference. Much to Michael's surprise after coming back to the living room when he heard the thud against the wall, he briefly viewed a small barely visible television program he was unfamiliar with before it returned to static white noise.

"WEeElcome B-Back to BZZZZT! –overage of BZZZZT Uno-BZZZT! S-Spectacular! BZZZZZTT!", the television shouted with its faulty signal.

"Well… sorta works…heh…", Jovi added shrugging her shoulders with a little smirk.

"What was that? Did you see that?", asked the red headed teenager regarding the brief visible visual.

"See what? I didn't see anything.", she answered looking back at the white static of the television to see what her brother was talking about.

"Just wait. Look!"

They both stood staring at the static of the television for thirty seconds with nothing happening. Michael squint his eyes at the static to see if he could make out anything again but nothing seemed to be appearing. Jovi turned to her older brother and suggested…

"Maybe if I hit it again?", Jovi suggested.

"Go ahead. I guess."

The blue haired girl slammed the television two more times before another brief screen displayed on the television before returning to static. Michael quickly tried to recognize what was on the screen but he couldn't as it was no show that ever appeared on the ONBS network. Despite the visual quality being horrible, the audio quality was still decent enough to recognize a few words.

"BZZZT! The clouds over S-BZZZT! Have cleared-BZZZT!", uttered the television before returning to white static noise.

"Wow! Did you hear that big brother? Maybe if you could fix this TV we could have this house as a little club house or something. You know some place comfortable where we can play with our Pokémon or have friends over for parties! … Well the friends that are still here anyway. I'm sure Emili and Acri won't mind!"

Michael thought about that proposition as he walked up to the television to turn it off. The house is empty but still very much useful. There is definitely potential to make use of this empty useless house unless a visiting foreign family comes to Gateon Port however, the odds of any family outside of the region visiting Orre to stay, or even visiting at all, is very unlikely to happen within the next decade.

"I'll think about it. Maybe after I fix the lab we'll look into fixing up this place for ourselves."

"Alright! …. So what now? Want to go to the lighthouse? I bet the sun's just about to set.", Jovi suggested with anticipation to see the sunset over the ocean again.

Leaving the heavy bag behind to be picked up later, the two left the empty home and proceeded to walk past the machine shop to gaze their eyes on the sun slowly ascending down into the horizon. Exuding a pink sky around it and the ocean with its reflection, the scene was so beautiful to their eyes. They walked to the edge of the pier where the rotating extended bridge had planted the edge of its walkway into the concrete where they stood.

"Isn't this good view?", Michael asked his sister.

"It's beautiful! …. But it could be better on top of the lighthouse! C'mon!", she exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm.

Jovi stepped onto the bridge first but momentarily lost her balance on the relatively thin walkway without any rails to hang on to. Waving her arms about trying to regain her balance, she would have fallen ten feet into the water below if her brother didn't come to her rescue. Grabbing her hand, he helped her gain her balance back as he stood behind her.

"Are you alright?", her big brother asked with concern.

"I-I'm fine! Thanks!", she replied with a half-smile as she was still shaken from nearly experiencing free falling into the cold salt water of the ocean.

"Be careful! You seem to have a habit of rushing into things without paying attention you know that?", Michael added as he began leading Jovi across with bridge with her hand held tightly.

"Heh yeah… I'll try to be more careful.", she replied.

"It's funny. It's that exact behavior that had you bump into that thug back then and now that magician too! It's like some things never change.", Michael observed as they stepped into the central platform with two step-on panel buttons to control the rotating bridges.

"I promise I'll be more careful. I couldn't help myself!"

"Hah yeah I know. It's not a problem. Just be more aware from now on if you can.", Michael advised his younger sister with the sincerity of a caring older brother.

Michael stepped on the panel switch that controlled the rotation of bridges and activated it. At the current moment before the activation the walkways are arranged in a right angle for travelling between two concrete piers. The walkways contracted themselves off of the concrete they were anchored in before being repositioned into extending into a single square shaped island of concrete with a house on it and the other bridge that is always set in a straight ninety degree angle.

The two siblings proceeded to the other rotating bridge before Michael stepped on its panel switch as well to give them access to the concrete island that holds Gateon Port's lighthouse that continuously shines for the safe passage of any ship that may sail nearby. No foreign ships from any other region have arrived since the S.S. Libra was abducted and dropped in the middle of the desert however. The usefulness for the lighthouse has dropped significantly over time but it is still kept standing as a beacon of hope for the future of the Orre region.

Michael walked forward with Jovi following close behind him being careful not to look down at the rushing water for fear of losing her balance again. Standing beside the entrance to the tower was a stout short man with gray mustache and balding hair wearing a brown suit and red bow tie with a content expression on his face as he appeared to be standing beside some sort of prize machine. The machine appeared to look like a slot machine with a variety of different prizes stored in the big glass bubbled built on top of it. It seemed to work much like the slot machines in the former gambling place in the Realgam Tower's lobby area.

"Ah! Aren't you Michael? The hero of the Orre region a few years ago? It is an honor to be at the presence of such a legendary trainer! My name is Agnes Cade. My profession is providing trainers the chance of winning marvelous prizes through my lottery machine as you can see here."

"I've never seen you around here. Are you new to the Orre region?", Michael asked with great curiosity of the stranger.

Jovi walked up to the machine and tried to look into what the prizes where in the glass bubble above as Agnes further explained himself to Michael.

"I was born in Orre but raised in the Johto region by my family of slot machine manufacturers. I came here to further expand our influence …but it seems there is too little here to have influence over if you know what I mean."

"Of course…", Michael understood with a slight frown.

"But I have been doing well today! A sailor came by and won one of our grand prizes! He is a lucky guy I tell you. Always puts a smile on my face to see a happy contestant… and more money in my bank.", Agnes said patting the money in the pockets of his suit.

"What kind of prizes do you have?", Jovi asked trying to see through the glass bubble to spot anything familiar.

"Well why don't you find out? … Later! Both of you can try your luck later for the mere price of five thousand Poke Dollars!", the man said with a tone of an enthusiastic salesman.

"Five thousand?! Outrageous!", Michael exclaimed in shock and sudden distrust of the stranger.

"Not when you've seen the fabulous prizes inside! The sailor didn't seem to complain when he got his marvelous gift!", Agnes defended his reasoning with a still joyous expression on his face.

When Michael tried to peer into the glass bubble to see what could possibly be worth five thousand Pokémon Dollars when he could suddenly see there appeared to be an assortment of Poke Balls suspended in glass tubes inside the glass bubble. From a distance it looked like the sort of old fashioned machine that people would stuff coins in for gum balls or jawbreakers. The prize is not as random as it seems but the prize itself seems very controversial to the yellow vested teenage boy.

"… You're giving away Pokémon as prizes? Are those Pokémon in those Poke Balls I see there?", Michael asked with an aggressive tone.

"Only the winners will know for sure! And besides, giving away Pokémon as prizes is already legal in Kanto."

"But is it legal here? Do you even have a license?", Michael interrogated him.

The stout man flashed an identification card showing a profile of himself and his profession with the bolded words, "Licensed Pokémon Provider". His pointer finger covered a portion of the card's text that would have been assumed to have been information as to where he obtained this license. Agnes quickly slid it back into his suit pocket and said with again with an undying smile, "Come back when we're ready for business!"

Michael was still frowning at him with his untrusting eyes. Anyone who distributes Pokémon freely as goods in exchange for money are no better than the evil Cipher syndicate in Michael's eyes. Captive Pokémon given out to unsuspecting trainers who would never have guessed their new Pokémon was the result of Cipher's inhumane engineering. This is exactly how Shadow Pokémon began to spread under the aid of the Orre region's trainers so long ago.

"I'm not sure how much I like this… or how much I like seeing you sell Pokémon on the street like this…..", the boy said slowly becoming less passive aggressive and more offensive towards the raffle man.

"Awh Michael don't be like that! C'mon let's come back later after we go up to the top shall we?", Jovi said trying to ease the tension by reminding her older brother where they were going to see the sunset.

"Oh! Right Jovi. Let's go.", the yellow vested teen said following his younger sister into the tower.

Before stepping through the door however, Michael turned to the stout man and shot one more distrusting glare with his green eyes before he disappeared from his sight from inside the building. Jovi stood looking at her older brother with her arms crossed with a displeased look in her blue eyes. Michael looked back at her with his eyebrows raised as in curious as to what is the matter.

"What?", he said.

"Why do you have to be like that? You don't need to be so mean to the man.", the blue haired sister said to her older brother while looking at him with judgement while her head tilted to the side.

"Anyone who keeps Pokémon captive just to sell them for money is not a friend of mine. How do you think Shadow Pokémon became such a problem back then in the first place?", The red headed teen explained to his younger sister in a slightly impatient manner.

"Well if selling Pokémon is legal in Kanto….", Jovi tried to rationally defend the stranger when her brother interrupted her.

"This isn't Kanto! We are in the Orre region! If selling capturing and selling Pokémon on markets are a custom in Kanto then keep it there! It's bad enough this region is decaying as it is. We don't need foreign outcasts or parasites coming here to do even more harm to our home.", he said with his eyebrows drawn together as the silent hatred and distrust foreigners he had kept with him since the end of his collaboration with his mutual friend from Kalos began to build.

"Alright I get it but imagine this! Imagine if someone wanted a Pokémon but couldn't catch one himself or herself for some reason or wanted a certain Pokémon to give a friend or child who can't catch a Pokémon themselves. In some cases I'd think it would be okay as long as the Pokémon themselves are taken care of by the provider right?", the blue haired younger sister said while shrugging with an empathetic expression .

Michael suddenly had his eyes widened and his anger quickly subsided when he realized the potential goodness his younger sister suggested could happen. If such a thing were the case in Kanto he guesses he shouldn't be so quick to judge any suspicious new person so quickly based on personal experience. He looked at the old faded tiled floor with his right hand on his chin as he thought over the concept. He tilted his head a little and gave a small smirk of admittance that Jovi's brighter side of thinking seemed to have won over Michael's quick aggressive assumption.

"Well… best case scenario you would be right…. I'll try to ignore it now but I hope that guy honestly takes care of those Pokémon…. You really have grown over the years haven't you? You're pretty rational and much smarter now than you were four years ago huh? No longer that annoying little sister heh.", the older brother complimented to his younger sister.

"Hee! Thanks! …. I think….", Jovi replied scratching the back of her head in her confusion of whether or not she should take offense or feel complimented.

"C'mon. Let's take the elevator up.", she said as she approached the metal automatic sliding doors of the cylindrical elevator shaft that served as the lighthouse's central support for the entire building.

Jovi lead Michael into the elevator and rode the rising platform all the way to the roof of the tower where the light house's light kept itself shining towards the ocean with its source over on top of the elevator shaft. They stepped through the sliding metal doors onto the roof to be immediately met with a refreshing breeze on to their faces. The high altitude gave them a fresh breeze of the ocean air unlike anything they would experience in any other place in the Orre region.

They immediately set their gaze on the orange sky under the slowly clearing clouds. The sun was halfway visible in the horizon of the huge vast ocean with its reflection glistening on the water's surface. The two walked to the edge of the large circular railing fence that enclosed the flat roof top of the lighthouse and basked in the view of the ocean and the land as far as they could see. The clouds that once obscured Citadark Isle in the far distance were gone thanks to Michael's effort that destroyed Cipher's final base of operations there on that island. The gorgeous sunset was allowed to be seen from the streets of Gateon Port again with the shutdown of their atmosphere altering machines that Cipher had on their island headquarters long ago.

"It's so beautiful…. They should have sent a poet…"

"Instead of suspicious salesmen?", Michael suggested with a smile.

"Pfff! Of course! Heh… but you know big brother…", Jovi addressed him as she leaned forward onto the metal railing with the ocean wind blowing through her blue hair let down to her neck.

Michael stood beside her and looked at the far scenic nothingness of the ocean while she spoke. As she spoke to him however, some caught his eyes in between the clusters of clouds far in the distance. Two unidentifiable flying objects could be seen flying through the clouds. They were too far away to tell what they were for sure. When he squint his eyes to focus on the objects he could only tell they looked spherical in shape.

"I'm sure someday things will be better here. We'll get visitors from all the different regions and we'll all have the best time discovering these new strange Pokémon by battling with them or seeing them settle here. I mean sure things don't look well now…. But we're still here tidying up the place. Chobin says that with this last invention Dr. Kaminko has in the making maybe we'll finally get some attention from one of those companies you hear about in other regions."

"Is…. That so?", the red headed boy said still entranced by the flying anomalies he suspects might actually be related to what crashed through the lab.

"Yep! …. It's a surprise! I think you'll like it.", she said cheerfully as she looked back at him to suddenly notice him with his attention on something in the far distance.

"Uhm… what are you looking at?"

"Do you see those things over there?", Michael asked pointing his right hand towards the anomalies as best as he could.

The blue dressed girl looked forward and stood up straight and focused her eyes trying to see where her brother was pointing. She couldn't see them at first but when Michael explained to her what they looked like from there she could see the two strange objects in the sky.

"A UFO? Woahhh…..", Jovi exclaimed in awe from the distant flying objects.

"I can't tell… but it sort of reminds me of that thing I found in the desert…. It might even be the thing that crashed through the lab…", Michael added.

"What? What did you find?", she asked with great curiosity.

Just as Michael was about to explain what he found in the middle of the desert, he was interrupted by the sudden presence of someone walking up behind them. They both turned around to immediately be met with the dark caped top hat wearing magician again to their surprise. Jovi smiled in delight of seeing him but Michael still didn't know what to think of him.

"Uh Seth is it? Are you following us?", the red headed teen asked trying not to raise his own suspicions again.

"I was already here. The more proper question would be to ask why you two following me.", the handsome mysterious caped magician replied.

Michael immediately thought back and realized that they have been following him on accident almost the entire time they've been in Gateon Port ever since Jovi had collided with him near the gate. Into the machine shop where they had to visit anyway for repairing materials and onto the lighthouse where they are now, they can't seem to stop running into him.

"You were here? Oh uh s-sorry about that. We didn't know you were here.", Michael apologized scratching his scalp in embarrassment.

"But since you are here can you do another magic trick again?", Jovi asked with anticipation for another illusion from the magician.

Michael was about to tell Jovi not to take advantage of the generosity of this stranger but was interrupted when Seth drew a Great ball in his right hand from under his cloak. The two looked at the magician's Pokémon capsule in a brief moment of wonder before they were both shocked to see it levitate in the air with a small blue halo surrounding it as if the magician knew how to use telekinesis. The Great Ball levitated in the air in front of the top hatted man's face as he spoke.

"Before I perform at the Krabby Club, I want to test Orre's hero with a Pokémon battle."

Something bulged out of the cloak that covered his left arm slipped out revealing itself to be another levitating Great Ball. He seemed to be levitating them with his mind by how he doesn't seem to move his arms or hands at all to interact with the medium grade Pokémon capsules. Michael was wide eyed in astonishment as Jovi's eyes glistened with excitement at the little miracle held before her eyes.

"A quick Double Battle but only with two selected Pokémon. Don't hold back. I really want to see what you can do with your best Pokémon!"

"Alright then… let's roll!", Michael said immediately picking two Pokémon in his party he had closest for his convenience.

Michael didn't hesitate as this was the most interesting challenge he has been issued since the time he conquered the Orre Colosseum challenges so many years ago. Jovi stood aside to spectate the quick match that was about to unfold. Holding a Poke Ball and an Ultra Ball in his hands he sent them both out calling the names of his two trusted Pokémon.

"Go Umbreon and Salamence!"

Light from the capsules materialized to form Michael's childhood Pokémon given by his father and a recovered former Shadow Pokémon snagged from one of the most elite Cipher admins respectively. Umbreon stood ready with Salamence awaiting for the opposing trainer to call out his Pokémon. The magician looked at the Umbreon and raised his gray eyebrows with interest before he smirked with the calling out of his own Pokémon.

"Medicham! Ursuring! To my side!", Seth shouted.

Summoned from their capsules, a Fighting and Psychic Type Pokémon Medicham stood in an aggressive stance while Ursuring stood swinging it's arms ready to thrash anything she is told to by her trainer.

"That Fighting Type will hurt Umbreon if we let it. Umbreon! Confuse Ray on Medicham! Salamence use Dragon Claw on Ursuring!", Michael commanded.

Umbreon charged and flashed its rings as he inflicted the Medicham confusion. Seth's Medicham . The Medicham started jerking its head in different directions trying to keep itself together in response.

"Ursuring, Protect! Medicham use Ice Punch on Salamence!", Seth ordered his Pokemon.

Michael smile turned upside down really quickly when he saw Salamence fruitlessly try to attack Ursuring's quick Protect wall that blocked his Dragon Claw to immediately take a super effective hit that was twice as destructive because of his unfortunate type match up. Adding insult to injury, his Salamence froze upon impact of Medicham's icy strike. The confusion didn't stop Medicham from dealing heavy damage not to Umbreon but to his Salamence. His once heavy hitting Flying and Dragon type has nearly fainted and is frozen in place. Umbreon looked back at his trainer waiting to hear what to do next.

Before he could react, something burst from Ursuring's paws and infused her with a toxin. The magician smiled as he knew his strategy involving synergy between the item Ursuring had and its ability to maximize its destructive potential.

"Ursuring! Façade on Umbreon! Medicham use High Jump Kick on Umbreon too.", Seth commanded anticipating two devastating attacks.

Michael's old Moonlight Pokémon immediately cringed as the enhanced and enraged Ursuring charged with great force while the Medicham jumped and flew towards his Pokemon with its foot stretched for impact after having snapped out of confusion. Despite Umbreon's great amount of stamina and defensive bulk, it was proved no match for the brutal combo dealt to him. It whimpered before falling flat on the ground with its eyes closed. His trainer returned him to his ball.

"Ohh….", Jovi exclaimed after seeing the forceful attacks on what was once her father's Pokémon.

Before Seth could order his Pokémon to finish off the frozen Salamence, Michael returned it to its ball and waved his right hand with his head tilted forward implying he has forfeited. Seth's expression turned into one of slight disappointment.

"You win. Thanks for the match.", Michael said admitting defeat.

Seth returned his Pokémon to their balls and slipped them back under his cloak. The top hatted man did not seem satisfied with the results of the battle. He approached Michael again and began to ask him while sporting a tone of severe disappointment.

"Was that really your best? Were those two Pokémon really the best that you had to offer?"

"…..Uuh… well I didn't…."

"You didn't think I would be a challenge did you? As Orre's once powerful savior I would have expected you to have used far more powerful Pokémon in this match! To think it was you who eliminated Cipher… Next time we battle, hope to see you prove yourself a true hero.", Seth scolded before he began walking back to the elevator doors.

Michael was speechless at the young man's ridicule towards him out of great disappointment. He watched him disappear into the closing elevator doors in silence while Jovi ran up to her brother's side with concern for him.

"Michael! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…. But now I think I'll have to look into rebuilding my team again just in case that guy really wants to challenge me again.", he said lamenting for his unnecessary defeat.

"Wow what a jerk! You're more of a hero than anybody in this region! What is he talking about?!", Jovi pouted in defense of her older brother.

"Why if it weren't for you, he'd probably wouldn't be around here parading around with his stupid hat and hypnotic eyes.", she continued before she caught herself saying something unusual.

"Uhhh… huh? Hypnotic?", Michael asked his younger blue haired sister now blushing.

"Well they are! I mean uh… neh…. I don't care. Wanna go home?", she said quickly changing the subject while sheepishly trying to hide the red on her cheeks.

"Peh! I didn't think you've reached that age already! Hahaha!", the red headed teenage boy stated before bursting into laughter.

"Wh-What are you talking about?! Knock it off!', Jovi demanded with her cheeks puffed red as she gave a light punch her brother's shoulder.

They had a moment of laughter before Michael brought up the notion of making their way to the Pokémon Center to treat his badly beaten Pokémon. Jovi agreed without hesitation out of her previous sympathy for the two. As the sky grew dark, they descended down the elevator and walked out of the front door of the lighthouse. Oddly enough when they investigated for the salesman from Kanto, he had disappeared with his lottery machine. Not that Michael would care to see him again any time soon. Jovi was disappointed to see the salesman disappear however Michael promised then that next time he'd lend her the money to try her luck at the Pokémon distribution game.

After traversing through the rotating bridges again and walking towards the Eastern part of Gateon Port far across from the parts shop from the West side of town, the siblings made it into through the automatic sliding doors of Gateon Port's Pokémon center just as the sky darkened into the dusk of night.

The nurse behind her counter within the lobby of the building appeared to have been reading a book as she waited at her station for trainers and sailors who have not been so frequent to visit her for healing their Pokémon in the longest time.

The nurse took her eyes off the pages of her book and noticed Michael and Jovi walking towards her counter. She closed the book and faced forward putting on her usual universal friendly smile all Pokémon nurses would put on no matter what region or what condition they are in. They will always do their jobs so long as they stay behind the counter even in an empty Pokémon Center in a nearly deserted town that is on its way to disappearing from the world.

"Oh! Hello Michael! Nice to see you again! The usual?", she asked him upon recognizing him.

"Yes please.", he replied before placing all of his Poke Balls onto the counter from the pockets of his black fanny pack.

"One moment please."

As the nurse placed the capsules into the sockets of the healing machine beside her, the siblings looked about the small lobby. Almost like any other common Pokémon center there would be book shelves and small lounges for travelers to sit around and idle with their Pokémon. Up stairs on the second floor there used to be a lady who sold medicine herbs for Pokémon with her Munchlax that used to walk about and snack on Poke Snacks. Now it seems this nurse is all alone at her post in the isolated Pokémon Center.

"Here you go Michael. Say have you heard of that there's a magician in town today? It's amazing that anyone with talent would come here again after so long. Especially since there really isn't anybody here anymore.", she said trying to strike up a conversation to break her streak of silence.

"Well… we definitely know he's here.", Michael proclaimed subtly suggesting the obvious reason why he's here to heal his Pokémon in the first place.

"Are you going to see the show?", Jovi asked her as she stood beside her brother retrieving his Poke Balls at the counter.

The woman in her pink Pokémon nurse uniform seemed to have been surprised by the choice presented to her.

"I would… I guess I could…. Not like anyone's going to need me here anytime soon anyway…. Are you going to the show?", she asked the two after quickly reviewing her options on what to do for the rest of the day.

"Are we? I don't know how much I like that man after how that guy treated you.", the blue haired girl admitted to her brother.

Michael shrugged on the notion. It's likely that Lily and Krane won't be too impatient to see him return with the materials to repair the lab. It probably wouldn't hurt them to stay around for a little while longer. It might even be worth it considering literally nothing happens in the Orre region anymore. This chance to break the cycle of stale life in Orre shouldn't be passed.

"Why not? I couldn't care less what he said before. In fact it's probably beneficial to have him remind me that I need to keep myself ready for anything. I need to strategize before I act on things you know?", he said to his sister.

She shrugged with her eyebrows raised with a small smirk on her face before her brother continued.

"Well anyway. Let's go to the Krabby Club and have a good time before we leave. What say you?", Michael asked Jovi for her opinion.

"If you're okay with it I'm all for it! Let's go!", she exclaimed with a cheery tone.

"Let's roll!"

The two turned away from the counter and started walking to the door before the a loud thud was suddenly shocked their ear drums from the sound that bounced off of the relatively small lobby. They turned to see the nurse had jumped over the counter with her book in her hands. Apparently her heeled shoes made the clap that beat their ear drums in that moment.

"Don't mind me! I'm taking the rest of the day off."

They emerged from the Pokémon center and walked out onto the checkered weathered marble pavement that made up of the Eastern part of the town's street high above the water. Looking forward they can see near the Poke Mart beside the Pokémon Center was the Krabby shaped brick building. It was not a far walk, but along the way while they stepped on the marble street, the sky had turned completely dark with the sinking of the sun over the horizon. The streets of the town were illuminated by the lights of the few lamp posts scattered on the concrete edges between the ocean and land. A bigger light source came from the Krabby Club's patio lights that shined on a young sailor and his big Pokémon sitting in front of him that appeared to be a Slaking.

The Slaking didn't appear to be very fond of its new trainer judging by how it seemed to angrily stare at him as he sat. For whatever reason, it would only respond to its new trainer by angrily grunting with every attempt to connect to it. The siblings approached the seafaring trainer after they stepped up on to the patio entrance of the Krabby Club.

"What's the matter Slaking? Is something bugging you?", the sailor asked his Pokémon.

"Where did you find that Slaking?", Michael asked the sailor out of curiosity as he remembered what the suspicious salesman told him.

The sailor man was startled before he turned about to see Michael and Jovi awaiting an answer from him. He answered without hesitation to share the highlight of his day.

"This guy had a lottery machine. I got lucky and won myself this Slaking! Look at how awesome he is! He must be a real heavy hitter don't you think? I just wish he would listen to me though."

They all turned to glimpse at the Slaking briefly before Michael started contemplating why it would have trouble obeying its trainer. The nurse that followed the siblings intervened with a possible diagnosis.

"This might be a little off, but I think it won't obey you because you aren't strong enough. That is to say, not worthy enough. You know what I mean?"

Michael, Jovi, and the sailor looked at the pink dressed nurse with confused expressions on their faces. She blushed in embarrassment for her small vague explanation for those that didn't know what she meant.

"You see… In regions that have Pokémon Leagues. Pokémon that don't originally belong to you won't obey unless you prove you're strong enough with badges or something. I don't know, it's weird how captive wild Pokémon behave in those regions."

"I'll say… the Pokémon I snagged their trainers sure didn't have a problem obeying me even when they were Shadow Pokémon…. How would a small bit of metal pinned to your shirt make any difference to a Pokémon? Let alone a captive one at that. Why should they care?", the red headed boy asked shaking his head trying to understand the concept.

The three were at it in conversation over how Pokémon League badges could make a difference in how a Pokémon feels towards you. How a Pokemon could understand the human concept of a League badges and respond to it as such. Then Jovi broke the conversation by stating her theory out loud.

"Maybe…. They like recognize it as a symbol of power?"

Everyone turned and looked at her. Michael had his eyebrows raised with curiosity over this new concept seen only in regions with Pokémon Leagues. Jovi blushed timidly for being the center of attention at that moment.

"I mean…. Or…Or they just like how shiny they are? Bleh I don't know….heh…."

Everyone shrugged at the matter. The Slaking didn't seem to be responsive to anything during the entire conversation. It just kept staring at Michael and his sister with its unblinking eyes. Michael noticed the Pokémon's blank expression towards them. He didn't think much of it other than it must be "loafing around" as it is in a Slaking's nature to idle lazily.

"Well I can take a look at it later. I'm going inside.", the nurse stated before walking through the automatic double doors of the building resembling a Krabby.

"I'm sure it will turn itself around soon. Give it time.", Michael said to the sailor with a positive attitude.

As the siblings walked towards the automatic double doors, Michael turned to see the Slaking one last time to see if it's still staring at him. As expected it had its eyes glued on him for some reason. The eye contact ceased when Michael and the Slaking were no longer within each other's line of sight upon entering the rather decent but empty seaside bar.

Inside the Krabby Club there five tables spread out within the dining area; two of them near the bar and three surrounding the stage where entertainers would entertain the diners. Upon entering, one could see that the bar was located to their far left and the stage was located to their right. The decorative décor of the stage featured a pink and white checkered floor with the back stage gate being wired with once pulsating glowing yellow neon lights. The two levitating jewels that were suspended over the two pillars on the opposite sides of the stage with strings did not glow their colors anymore and the stage lights that divided the diners from the entertainers flickered once or twice every three minutes. An old huge television set was placed beside a set of stairs leading up to the private bar for rich people. By the looks of its layers of fine white dust, it hasn't been used or tended to in a long time.

A single bar tender behind his bar and a man playing a melancholy tune on his guitar sitting on the stage were the only signs of life in the building besides Michael, Jovi, and the nurse. The brother and sister listened to the guitar playing man wearing a ten gallon hat and overalls as he sung a small verse.

"So If I broke…. You're heart last night…. It's because... I love you most of all… "

Jovi was a little entranced by the lyrics, but Michael didn't pay much attention to it as he was anxious to see the magician's show. The red haired boy led his younger blue haired sister to the bar where the bartender was busy serving the nurse a small burger with a glass of pink Nomelade. The two sat on their own bar stools and waited for the bartender to come around for their order.

"Welcome to the Krabby Club. How can I help you?... oh hey aren't you that kid? Michael right?", the bartender asked of the yellow vested teen.

"Uh yeah?", he answered.

"Oh…. Well I would give you a discount but we're actually on the verge of having our business here expire because of the lack of ships coming in over the years. It's a surprise we're still alive today to be honest. There are never more than five people in this place."

"I'm sorry to hear that…", Michael expressed his condolences for the man's business.

"Don't be. Even if it we were better off when Mr. Verich was still around…"

Michael couldn't tell if he was being sincere or passive aggressive with that observation. Mr. Verich was an incredibly rich old man who visited the Krabby Club when he made port. The old man who later turned out to be Master Greevil, the very face of Cipher, who was ultimately stopped by Michael's efforts to purify the region's Shadow Pokémon and purge it of Cipher's presence. Although the entire region celebrated Michael's victory and vanquish of Cipher, time had passed and due to the incident with the S.S. Libra, ships from other regions became less likely to go anywhere near the oceans of the Orre region before the thought of traveling to the region via ocean was dismissed all together. In the long run, everything stopped progressing when Cipher was stopped. The only connections to the outside world is through the GTS simulator and the slim network of connection that Michael discovered on accident one day during a test run with one of his inventions.

"So what will it be for you? And you there in blue?", the bartender asked the siblings as he wiped a glass.

"A fruit smoothie? You got any?", Jovi requested first with a smile.

"What flavor? We have Cheri, Rawst, Pecha…."

"Pecha Berry please!"

"And you sir?"

"Same.", the red headed boy answered as he continued listening to the music of the guitarist.

Less work for the bartender as he figured. He pulled out a blender from the shelves below the counter top and threw a scoop of plain ice cream, drowned it in Moo Moo Milk, threw three stem cut Pecha Berries into the refreshment before dumping a quarter cup of sugar into the mix. As the blender liquefied the Pecha Berries and mixed the flavors, Jovi asked the bartender a question.

"When will the magician take the stage?", the younger sister asked.

"Shortly. The guitar guy over isn't really an entertainer here. He's just a friend of mine trying to keep this place as alive as possible…. We even had to sell those life preservers we used to have to keep this place out of the danger zone. We try our best but we don't think this tavern will survive into next week now. We've already got boxes full and ready to move out in the basement."

"Awwh…. Wish there would be some way for us to help…."

"It's alright. Not everything lasts forever, but now we're going to have move on… here you go."

The bartender pulled out two tall glass cups and began the Pecha Berry smoothie into each cup; perfectly filling them both by two halves what the total amount of smoothie. Michael swiped his transaction card on the card slot the bartender provided paying up to eight hundred Poke Dollars in total for the drinks. The bartender then left the siblings alone to tend to his other duties of cleaning dishes and dusting the always present dust off of his work place.

Jovi happily sucked on her straw and faced Michael as she listened to the musician's music. Michael heard footsteps coming from the automatic front doors but he neglected to see who it would possibly be as he couldn't care less if it were the salesman or Perr dropping in to pass his time away even further. He could see Jovi's eyes turning towards the person of interest to her before she turned her attention away from it and began to speak with the straw still in her mouth.

"So big brother. You never told me…"

"Told you what?", he asked before he sipped some of his smoothie.

"You never told me if you met any cute girls in your adventure. Don't you think you should find a girlfriend or something? Heehee!", Jovi asked with a little enthusiasm to hear his response.

The green eyed boy shook his head at the thought of ever being paired with someone.

"Naahh….. even if I tried now it would probably be too late. Everyone being gone and all…."

"Mmm? Well have you met cute girls in your adventure back then?"

"Well I can't say for sure… I didn't really think of a girl any different from… just another person you know? Just another character."

"So you're saying throughout your entire time running around place to place, you've never met ANY cute girls at all? Not even a little cute?"

"Uhmmm why are you asking this now?"

"No reason… just very curious….giggle", said Jovi trying not to laugh for some reason.

Michael smirked a little to pretend he was amused by his sister's behavior. He continued speaking for himself on the matter.

"Well… when you put it that way…. I think…. Well don't tell anyone about this…. But I did think of this one girl I met during that time who did give me trouble was a little cute…. But she had the temper of a Primeape. I should know, I snagged a Shadow Primape from a Cipher Admin once."

Michael suddenly felt shivers down his spine for some reason.

"Mmmm…. Was it the pink haired lady you told me about once? Lovrina was it? Was she cute to you?"

"….Uh…. yeeaah? Kind of…. She was cute. But her behavior was atrocious. I'd go so far as to say it was her bratty behavior that eclipsed how cute she looked. Not that it matters though… if were a bit older back then maybe I'd be more forgiving…."

"Oh really little boy?", a nearly familiar female voice sounded behind him on the stool beside him.

Jovi's cheeks grew red as she was laughing so hard in her mouth; blowing a few bubbles in her smoothie. Michael was silenced and wide eyed in a stare at the wall far behind his mischievous sister. He placed his right hand on his face and reviewed the possibilities and statistics based on how many people are left in the Orre region and the odds of ever seeing a certain specific individual again. He thought to himself.

"…No it's not….the odds are like…. One in five hundred? No … two hundred?... it can't be..."

He slowly turned the rotating cushion of his stool. In the corner of his eyes, a single giant twin tail of pink hair that slowly grew into the head and hair of a familiar face he would not have expected to see again in a long time. No longer slowly turning himself, he sat facing the former administrator of Cipher's scientific branch dressed in a red glittering dress. When he locked eyes with her green eyes with her frown coupled with her smug smile, he slipped off of his seat and fell backwards as he flailed his arms in panic. The awkward teen landed with a thud. Jovi briefly let out a small burst of uncontrollable laughter before she shut her mouth and withheld her giggles with a smile.

"Well nice to see you too…", Lovrina said to him before turning towards the bartender to order something to drink

"I'm here too!", Lovrina's slightly younger brother and former Cipher agent Naps introduced himself waving at the red headed boy on the floor.

Naps was wearing a set of black sunglasses over his eyes and a yellow knit cap on his head. He wore a white shirt and blue casual jeans. He had a much friendlier appearance than he did in his more recognized higher ranked Cipher Peon armor.

Michael picked himself up off the floor and stood up dusting himself off. Before wanting to scold his younger sister for accidentally admitting to a former rival how he thought of her, the spiky red haired boy put on a friendly expression and greeted.

"Oh hai! Uh… long time no see huh?", Michael said with an nervous smile and small blush on his cheeks towards Lovrina.

"We were just fine back in Poketopia. Naps and I would dominate so many people with our awesome Pokémon we raised back in the labs. Not the kind of lab raised Pokémon you'd think of though if you know what I mean. We played things smart.", the pink haired young woman said after ordering a Cheri Berry Martini.

"Ah of course.", Michael understood, sitting back on his stool.

"Yep. We were so dominating every challenge with strategic planning and counter constructed with my ingenuity…. And Naps."

"I already miss that place. It was so beautiful and huge. Action packed too.", Naps added before sitting on his stool between the nurse and his sister.

"Poketopia? Can't say I've heard of that place. Is it anywhere near Orre?", Michael asked with curiosity of the strange new place.

"Nope. It's far. Close to the Sinnoh Region but still so far really. The funny thing is after the four years we've been there it's been dying slowly. People are leaving and nothing is really happening anymore there…. From the looks of things, things aren't really happening here either."

"Really? What do you think happened?"

"How should I know?! I'm not a social scientist nor would I care.", Lovrina responded with sass before sipping on her martini.

"…. So why would you come here of all places? You could have gone to Sinnoh or someplace more populated and popular than this region.", the red headed teen questioned with great curiosity.

Lovrina turned to her brother and asked him the same question before interrupting his answer saying it was a sarcastic rhetorical question addressed to him. She turned back to Michael and answered.

"We were called here by somebody for a job interview. He said that it would be a high paying job for us if we were hired but I don't know what it is or who wanted us. It so better be worth coming back to this place again. I hate seeing sand everywhere."

"Oh… interesting… why you though? You who actually made Shadow Lugia among more than eighty other Shadow Pokémon?", he asked her referencing to all the Shadow Pokémon he had to save.

"I don't know can't a smart girl get a high paying job? Especially one from here. Nobody outside Orre even knows this region exists. It's so insane how obscure we are even though we were so close to enslaving everyone in the world if you hadn't shown up to ruin everything.", she said thinking back to how close history would have been made in the world.

"Eh well…. Enslaving innocent Pokémon and turning them into violent fighting machines for world domination is sort of a no-no in my book/ You understand that right?", Michael said to the pink haired young lady with a smirk on his face.

"…. Sure. Well hope you're happy with that now that the rest of Cipher and its members were either jailed or out of a job and likely homeless in this Orre-excluding world we live in. You wouldn't believe the shanty towns we've seen full of homeless Orre immigrants trying to make it in other regions. But nobody would hire them because they don't believe such a place exists… families sleeping in cardboard boxes and rugs in the streets..", she continued sipping more of her martini.

Michael was shocked to hear that he could have caused such widespread distress by doing something he judged to be right. He thought twice on the matter however after realizing she just might be guilt tripping him with stories that are a little less than real.

"That's not true! Don't lie to me. People know that we exist here. None of the ex-Cipher grunts are suffering as much as you say they are. I don't believe it."

"Believe what you want to believe…. But off that subject I think we're missing one of the key subjects of this conversation…. You thought I was cute back then?", Lovrina asked with a straight face with her martini glass empty.

Jovi turned to smile and giggle at her brother upon hearing her. Michael covered his face with his right hand in embarrassment. He tried to think of what to say until the pink haired young woman spoke first.

"So what do you think of me now?"

Michael was wide eyed at the question before he quickly thought deeply for his answer. Jovi listened and Naps paid attention from their seats with their respective siblings locked in a conversation. The red headed boy shook his head and answered timidly.

"Well…. As a veteran member of your fan club…. I'd say you look….. honestly you look beautiful. There I said it. Happy everyone?", Michael asked as he turned to look at his sister, Naps, and the bartender who was not at all paying attention.

Jovi giggled, Naps didn't know how to respond to anyone even remotely complimenting his older sister, and the bartender rolled his eyes as he kept wiping his glasses with his white dish towel. Lovrina had her right eyebrow raised and grew a small smirk on her face.

"That's cute of you to say… sorry but not sorry to say though, it would never have worked out between us anyway. Haha!", she said with a laugh.

Jovi immediately grunted in slight disappointment while Michael chuckled a little at the whole ordeal he went through of trying to tell a girl she was beautiful. He had never given a compliment to anyone like that in all his life, especially to a girl.

"That's a relief…", Michael expressed his gratitude for their differences as he faced forward and drunk more of his Pecha Berry smoothie.

After five minutes of idling at the bar, the musician had left and the lights were starting to dim for a spotlight on the stage. Jovi ran to a chair at a table set directly in front of the stage before Michael followed her to the table to join her in watching the show. Lovrina and her brother took a seat at another different table beside the stage to observe the show as they wait for their new possible employer. The bartender watched from behind the bar and the nurse watched from her seat on her stool. The mood didn't seem particularly thrilling at first with nobody being on stage for a short while.

"…. Well…. Can't say I'm impressed so far…", Michael stated in a quiet tone.

"Just wait a moment will you? I'm sure he'll come.", Jovi said keeping positive.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard from backstage coming onto the pink and white checkered floor of the stage. Although it sounded like someone stepped on to the stage nothing was apparent until the faint outline of an invisible figure was reflected in the air the spotlight shined its light on. Everyone watching gasped when they saw the magician reveal itself like a Kecleon coming out of its camouflage. From being completely invisible to visible in the blink of an eye, the magician had already caught the small audience's attention with his first magic act.

"Good evening Krabby Club patrons. It is a shame to see my audience so few in number but I guess in today's dire times it is a blessing to see anyone at all. I thank you all for coming to my show tonight. My name is Seth.", the top hatted gray haired young man introduced himself to the audience.

His cloak still continued to conceal his left arm as he took his hat off and bowed towards the show goers. Michael and Jovi's attention was undivided towards the young man. Naps was looking at Seth trying to remember if he's seen him from somewhere or not but Lovrina was not nearly as interested in the illusions as any of the other spectators.

"Tonight I will show you what I have under my sleeves while revealing the hidden power of what you thought was just another Pokémon. For my first act of magic, I require a volunteer from the audience. Some of my tricks tonight will require cooperation from the audience."

Jovi turned to Michael and enthusiastically shook her head towards the stage implying he should go up and volunteer. He shook his head in disagreement to his sister's proposition. Jovi kept insisting that he should go before the magician suddenly decided.

"This young man! Would you kindly come up here and assist in our first illusion of tonight?", Seth addressed Naps instead of Michael.

The attention and spotlight was on Naps. Lovrina sat back with her arms crossed as she watched her brother awkwardly climb up on stage while looking staring at the magician. Naps stood up on stage and tried to see if he could recognize the character in the top hat.

"Have we met?", Naps asked him as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"I don't recall ever seeing your face before…. Maybe you've been to one of my shows before? No matter. Please co-operate with me for our first trick."

Seth took off his top hat and gave it to Naps. Michael and the others watched him peer inside to have a shocked look in his face before the magician quickly stuck his entire arm into the hat as Naps still held on to it. Defying the laws of physics with how small the hat was compared to his arm, the hat was up to Seth's right shoulder before he started pulling out of it. Just as soon as he recovered his arm, the hat spontaneously combusted into a blue flame and was incinerated into ashes in Naps' hands. Everyone gasped in shock at the sight of the ball of fire but not as much Naps did holding on to the flame that didn't burn him at all. Then everyone turned their attention to Seth to see sitting in his right hand covered in a tight black glove, a strange looking Pokémon that took the shape of a candle with a blue flame lit on its head. The little Pokémon looked about the room in confusion before it calmed down and watched the audience with silence as its flame continued to burn.

"Behold! A Pokémon named Litwick that is native to the Unova Region! Never before has this Pokémon been seen inside the Orre region but thanks to my hat… which just incinerated just now in a ball of flame… I was able to introduce it to all of you."

Jovi took out the device Seth had previously given her and identified it. Michael's Strategy Memo application on his P DA also identified the strange new Pokémon. It was a Ghost and Fire Type Pokémon named Litwick that apparently resembles a haunted candlestick. Michael found it interesting while Jovi found it absolutely adorable with how it looked about and smiled with its little mouth.

"Since this Pokémon does not belong to me and is, in fact, a Wild Pokémon, we require a new volunteer to come up here and demonstrate their wild Pokémon catching skills so that we may continue the show. Kind sir thank you for your assistance but you may return to your seat now." Seth said telling Naps to return to his seat.

His hands were dirtied and dusted black as Naps returned to his seat. Lovrina immediately pointed her brother to the washroom and told him not to come back until his hands have been cleaned. Not wanting to disobey his intimidating sister, he left the table towards the washroom as she continued watching the show.

"How about you go up there? Catch your first wild Pokémon!", Michael suggested to his blue haired sister who was still admiring how cute the Litwick was.

"Me? You mean right now? I could do it?", Jovi said not knowing whether or not she should climb on stage at this very moment.

The magician turned towards the table where Michael and Jovi sat at their table and pointed towards them. He ignored the red headed boy and turned to the blue haired girl looking at him with her eyes wide in awe. Seth slowly slid the Litwick off of his gloved hand onto the stage and pointed to her while offer her his hand to pull her up onto the stage.

"You there, the azure little sister. If you're already a trainer, please step up and demonstrate your skills by catching this Litwick so that the show may go on."

Michael smiled as he watched his sister pulled up on to the stage with one of her three Poke Balls with Bonnie's Dedenne inside. She eyed the the Litwick who seemed content where it was on the floor of the stage until it turned to lock eyes with her. The tiny candlestick resembling Pokémon puffed its cheeks and gave a Mean Look at her that kept her from escaping the stage.

"Hey! If you're going to battle, do it outside! I haven't had to clean up after someone's battlefield in years and I won't start today!", the bartender warned the magician and Jovi.

"What? That's stupid.", Michael said to himself in disappointment.

"Boring.", Lovrina reacted unimpressed with the decision of the club owner.

"No problem. Our current volunteer will recite the proper technique of capturing a Pokémon all the while illusions will be performed. See now… Jovi is it? How does one catch a wild Pokémon?"

"Oh! Uhm… first of all you want to weaken it with a move… but we can't battle here though."

"Don't worry. That's why instead of using Pokémon for this trick, you will be using your mind. Please envision what you'd need to have a proper wild Pokémon capture."

"Oh? Um… alright. Well-"

"Describe how, but with your eyes closed.", Seth said to her with his left hand unveiled from his cloak and revealed to be fitted in some thick black sleeve that covered his entire arm down to the very tips of his fingers. By comparison it seems his left arm is significantly thicker than his right.

The audience, including Michael watched as the magician motioned his fingers in the air to form some sort of energy ball much like the naturally learned move by Ghost Pokémon, Shadow Ball. The sphere hovered with a plain blue aura that expanded in detail as Jovi described how to capture this particular Pokémon.

"It is a Ghost and Fire type, so weakening it with Water or Dark type moves would work…. My brother says paralyzing a Pokémon is the best status condition for capturing them so a quick jolt of an electric move like Thunder Wave would work. Then after it's been weakened, you throw a Poke Ball at it and hopefully it will stay in its ball after shaking around three times.", the blue dressed blue haired girl said aloud with her eyes closed.

The sphere of energy that was suspended in air developed a small surge of blue arcing electricity flashing around what seemed to be now a water bubble. With a small push in the air, Seth tossed the sphere of elemental sphere at the Litwick who was occupied staring at Jovi with its continuously used Mean Look attack. As soon as it impacted the little foreign Pokémon, the sphere exploded and blasted the little Pokémon against the far wall of the area where Naps was just coming out of the washroom with his hands cleaned. Startled at the bang of the Pokémon forcefully propelled at the wall beside him, he slipped back into the washroom to refresh himself some more before coming out again.

"You may open your eyes now. And take this Poke Ball so that you may proceed to capture this new strange Pokémon for yourself."

Jovi was amazed to see the Litwick having disappeared on stage in front of her but more amazed to see it nearly knocked out and dizzy near the entrance to the washroom. Seth levitated a single Poke Ball from the pockets under his cloak and dropped it onto the palm of her hand.

As soon as Michael noticed her sister's smile of excitement, he couldn't help but smile remembering his first time capturing his first real wild Pokémon in the Poke Spots Duking provided. Far different feeling from the first time he had to Snag a Shadow Pokémon from another trainer. The stress of the battle between him and the criminal was very alien and weird but later very easy to get used to once he became accustomed to snagging Shadow Pokémon every day. That first criminal no longer gave him the pressure though as he is now coming out of the washroom again to join his elder sister at their table again under a renewed and redeemed life style.

Jovi walked forward to the Litwick who was dizzy and paralyzed from the assistance of the magician. Everyone's eyes were on her minus Naps who was running to his seat. She threw the ball at it sucked it into the red and white capsule where. On the wooden floorboard it shook about three times before the button on the ball clicked with a small spark. Michael was the first to cheer with the rest of the viewers giving a small hooray and a round of applause for Jovi's first official Pokémon.

"Congratulations on your new friend. Ahh a wild capture in the Orre region again…. The very thought would give us all hope that the tides will turn in our favor soon if it weren't for the fact I had to pull it out of my now disintegrated hat. Never mind that though, congratulations young lady. Moving right along now with the show…"

Jovi returned to her seat with her new Pokémon in the Poke Ball in her hands. Michael scooted over beside his sister to admire the new strange Pokémon Jovi held on the table as she couldn't help but feel so excited over the new addition to her little Pokémon parties.

"For this next presentation, I will demonstrate my skills with the assistance of one my own friends to reveal a hidden…. Evolved form of its species! Medicham! Stand by ."

Seth levitated a Great Ball and sent out his Medichan beside him. The magician waved his left hand raised it into the air with a sudden purple glow that turned into a blinding light that enveloped himself and the Medicham. Michael and the others covered their eyes to keep themselves from being blinded by the light before it faded onto a strange drastically altered version of the Pokémon and its trainer.

"Behold! Through the miracle of a process secretly discovered by the finest Pokémon scientists hailing from the Orre region, Medicham has become Neo Medicham! Through the power imbued in my Key Stone and the sheer power of the bond between us, Medicham has achieved its ultimate temporary form as its hidden ultimate evolution, Neo Medicham!"

Everyone in the club, including even Lovrina, was in awe of the spectacle before them. The Neo Medicham had majestic ghostly arms floating from behind its back while having its head being drastically different from its previous red pattern to a much more rugged and beautiful white forehead that would remind one of a turban. Despite how powerful it looked however, its eyes closed shut and twitched as if it seemed to be in pain for a moment before Seth called to it.

"Alright everyone! Think of a drink that you would like off of the bar and Neo Medicham will provide it with Mind Reader followed by Psychic!"

As the members of the audience quickly thought of the drinks they'd want from the bar. Neo Medicham levitated ingredients off of the shelved under the bar quickly mashed berries and ice cream into a blender. The bartender was terrified see his utensils and ingredients hovering and thrown about under the control of the powerful Psychic type Pokémon for the fear of having to clean up a mess of proportions at his work station he'd never imagine.

An Oran Berry Soda was placed in front of the nurse at her table. Another Cheri Berry Martini for Lovrina and Chesto Juice for Naps served. An additional Pecha Berry Smoothie was given to Jovi but nothing was given to Michael as his mind was filled with wonder over who could have been the scientists Seth had mentioned that discovered Neo Evolution in the Orre region when he has been in Orre since he was an infant at his dad's old Pokémon Laboratory.

"Thank you Neo Medicham! Not only are you powerful as you are but you are also very useful as our waiter. I will pay for all the drinks distributed by our friend here."

The bartender was glad to hear the magician assure that he will get his payment for the beverages. He walked back to his station to organize what the Neo Medicham had placed and dropped from its performance. The magician faced the audience and continued to announce to everyone listening.

"Now for our next demonstration…. Thank you ,Neo Medicham, for your assistance. You may revert back and return to your ball now."

Seth returned the Neo Medicham to its Great Ball. Michael immediately raised his hand with a question for the black dressed gray haired magician.. The young man in black turned to the red haired teenage boy and acknowledged him.

"Yes Michael? Are you curious about Neo Evolution by any chance?"

"You said that scientists from Orre discovered…. Whatever that was, Neo Evolution? Where and when did that happen and with who?", Michael asked with great curiosity for the odd evolutionary concept he'd never seen before.

"Why by the scientists that used to work for Cipher before the syndicate was destroyed. You should know." Seth replied.

"Wait a minute I was part of Cipher! I was even a high ranking administrator of their science team! I've so never heard of anything about this 'Neo Evolution' when I was in charge. What are you talking about?!", Lovrina objected while standing up off of her seat with her eyebrows closed together in her short burst of anger over the possibilities of this strange new concept hidden from her when she was working with Cipher.

"What if I told you… and you who used to be part of the evil syndicate without remorse for your crime against Pokémon kind…. That an organization as secret and malignant as Cipher had their secret experiments and agendas besides making Shadow Pokémon? A different discovery to be exploited for the use of world domination could have been put in place it if weren't for the circumstances that took place that day on Citadark Isle by the hero that delivered them to their destruction.", Seth answered to both of his sceptics.

Michael immediately unleashed a barrage of questions at the magician on stage without reflecting on Seth's passive aggressive tone towards him. His questions came quickly as this has been the most interesting event that ever happened in all his time cooped up in the Orre region with little to no progression despite his own attempts to bring the world's attention to the arid region.

"Are they still here? The scientists? Who discovered this? What are their names? Why do-", the red headed teen was suddenly interrupted in his asking spree.

"All questions will be answered in time. A true magician does not reveal the origins of his tricks to his audience. But now as we're nearing the end of my show due to my unfortunate schedule, I must ask for one more volunteer from the audience. This time, I have already chosen who it will be. You, Michael, please come on stage."

All the eyes in the club suddenly turned their gazes at the red headed teenage boy who was caught in the middle of his interrogation of the magician. He turned about looking back at his sister who seemed excited at the thought of seeing her brother volunteer in this next illusion whatever it may be. Michael didn't know if he should trust Seth with his magic tricks he felt he still hated him for the lack luster battle at the lighthouse. If he were to do something malicious to as a sort of revenge, Michael wouldn't know what to do if anything were to go wrong. Looking at his thick left arm under its fastened black sleeve it appears his "gauntlet" might actually be the source of his magic he keeps hidden under his cloak, but its potential is still very unknown to him.

"Me? Now? Me?", Michael asked repeatedly in that brief moment with both of his hands pointing toward himself with uncertainty.

"Go on big brother!", Jovi urged him with a smile as she held her Poke Ball on the table and eagerly looked up at him.

The spiky red haired teen hesitated to even begin making his way up on stage. He looked at Seth who was looking at him back with a smile and his right hand stretched out for him to grab. Everyone was waiting in anticipation for his arrival on stage.

"You are no stranger to mystery. Come up here and be ready to embark on a new adventure! A new game! Don't worry, I can assure you everything will be fine.", the magician said to him with his hand still out for him to grab.

Michael reluctantly took his right hand that was offered to him and was pulled up on to the stage. He faced the small audience and stood still with a small unsettled expression on his face as the magician spoke.

"Now Michael, pay attention to the sound of my voice as you close your eyes and relax. Clear your mind of worries and imagine yourself in the air… on the count of three, you will go into a deep sleep and you will know when to wake up."

The red headed teenage boy shrugged at the notion that he could be hypnotized by the magician without the use of a Psychic type Pokémon. He raised his eyebrows as he turned to look at him before his eyes focused on his black gloved hand in front of his face. Seth snapped his finger in front of his face before Michael immediately felt dizzy as his vision started to blackout.

"Hmm… he doesn't look entirely hypnotized yet. Sleep now… so that you may be of use to me…", the magician said to Michael before he placed his thick left hand hidden in the thick glove that concealed his entire left arm on his forehead.

Before Michael could react, he blacked out entirely as soon as he felt Seth's palm push his forehead so hard he fell backwards into a freefall. He felt himself falling in a void before he suddenly felt himself impact the ground. He felt a soft ground that seemed to be grown with a layer of grass as he began to regain his consciousness. He woke up in the middle of unfamiliar forest clearing in a sunny afternoon. An immediate spring breeze blew across his face as opened his eyes to see the blue sky.

"….. Wow uh…. Where…. Did that magician just teleport me? Or am I dreaming? He hypnotized me into dreaming didn't he?", Michael assumed as he picked himself up off the grass.

He couldn't see anything of interest within his initial scan of the forest that surrounded him until he heard Bird Pokémon squawking overhead. He looked up to see that there were a flock of wild Pidgeys flapping through the sunlit blue sky. The sight of wild Pokémon again excited Michael before he realized with the harsh reality of this situation. He must be in a dream if Wild Pokémon had actually returned to the Orre region again.

The green leaves of the trees rustled in the summer breeze. A single Seedot could be seen hanging on a branch sucking nutrients off of its tree while it slept. The smell of sap and fresh air from the lush environment would have made Michael think he had actually been teleported to a different region if it weren't for the obvious fact that he is still volunteering for the magician's last trick at this very moment.

"Where are you two? Come out!", a voice called from beyond the trees.

Michael's ears caught the sound of the mysterious and slightly familiar voice. He couldn't quite tell who it belonged to. Nevertheless, with his old sense of discovery returning to him from his old days, he ventured through the tall grass to find the source of the calling. As he came closer to the source, he slowly felt an odd feeling of déjà vu as he began recognizing the particular trees and scenery as he progressed.

"Wow…. Have I been here before? …. Maybe…. It's so nice here though...", he said to himself before he froze in place when he heard the sudden sound of a man calling.

"I have ice cream pops for both of you! Your favorite flavors, Sea Salt and Pecha Berry!"

Michael raised his eyebrows with astonishment at them mention of Sea Salt flavored ice cream. It was his favorite flavor he loved since he was a child. He can't remember the last time he enjoyed such a flavor since it was a rare flavor of ice cream that hasn't been sold anywhere in the Orre region. It had to be made using an ice cream maker his father bought a long time ago.

"Sea Salt?... wow that brings me back… that salty but sweet taste in your mouth… I hadn't had that in ages… not since…."

Suddenly he heard the noise of twigs and leaves being kicked and run over by something or someone. He spied out a single figure beyond the bushes spread in front of him. Michael, figuring that this must be some sort of revenge from the magician, he decided not to fear it and rather confront to show the magician he is competent; maybe not heroic, but still able enough to take on a challenge.

The teen ventured through the forest; kicking away loose sticks and cutting through small trees that blocked his way. He could see the silhouette of the figure was actually a white lab coat wearing man. The man who was facing away from him was brown haired and wore glasses judging by what he wore over his ears. His hair was messed up as if he truly was a scientist who spent hours of dedication to his research. Michael approached the man and attempted to greet him.

"Hello?"

As soon as he spoke, the world froze in place. The sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze stopped entirely. It's as if the entire world froze along with the lab coated man who was facing away from him. Confused and startled, Michael hesitated as he slowly tried to touch the lab coated man's shoulder. In a blink of his eyes, he found himself not in the calming pleasant forest but in a much darker and confusing scene.

He was in a large dark room with a metal floor as he could tell from his footsteps. Adding to the sound of his echoing footsteps, he could hear a strange ambiance of breathing and echoes of strange sounds he couldn't identify in the darkness. Michael fell silent with his heartbeat beating loudly from his feeling of dread. He blinked his eyes repeatedly in the darkness to see what seemed to be pair glowing red eyes staring up at him on the dark floor.

Upon having his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could see the eyes belonged to a Rattata looking up at him in front of his feet. Another pair of red eyes revealed themselves next to the Rattata revealing a Spearow in the darkness looking up at Michael. Then suddenly a flash of five more red eyes belonging to Pokémon revealed themselves in the dark until the seemingly large dark room was illuminated by the glow of so many eyes belonging to Pokémon all looking at him. The befuddled teen tried to identify where he was in the ominous glow of the eyes until suddenly the glow of the eyes stopped when they disappeared in the darkness, leaving only one pair of eyes belonging to a Pokémon that seemed to be airborne in the far distance of the dark room. The sound of his heartbeat eclipsed the noise and cries the Pokémon made as the large airborne Pokémon flew itself closer. Its eyes acted as a pair of spotlights that blinded the red headed teen before it dimmed. He could feel it flying towards him over the horde of Pokémon that surrounded him. Michael raised his arms over his face to brace himself for the coming confrontation.

"And there you have it! Now we know that even when hypnotized, one can have the voice of the world's best singer that ever lived!", Seth the magician said to the audience of the Krabby Club as Michael woke up from his brief nightmare.

Michael gasped for air with his eyes widened in his sudden realization that he is in the real world apparently. He was back on stage in the Krabby Club with the magician who apparently just finished his last trick of the night. Seeing his younger sister back at her table, Lovrina and her brother at their table, and the nurse and bartender at the bar in the back behind tables, it's as if he had been gone for only a few minutes.

"Haha! Encore! Encore!", Jovi cheered as she clapped from her seat.

A few of the club goers laughed and clapped along with her. Michael couldn't bring himself to adapt himself to the lighter mood of the club after the strange ordeal he had just experienced. The magician smiled and bowed for the applause as the red headed teenage boy turned to him with a greatly concerned look on his still shaking face.

"W-What just happened?!"

"You were hypnotized into being a professional singer! Haha!", laughed Jovi as she couldn't stop smiling at what she had just seen her brother do.

Michael was dumbfounded at his sister's brief explanation. He turned to the magician who had been enjoying the small applause of the small audience. The red headed teenage boy shot his questions at him again with his adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

"What was that?! What did you just show me?!", asked Michael.

"What was what? I don't know what you're going on about. You seemed quite happier when you were under my spell I must say.", Seth replied with a grin on his face.

"You mean you had nothing to do with what I just saw?!"

"What? What did you see? The subconscious of one's mind can be a very frightening place. If you had experienced a hallucination during our presentation I'm very sincerely sorry.", the magician apologized as he returned his thick sleeved left arm under his cloak.

Michael couldn't tell whether he should forgive him and forget or stay suspicious of the caped man. He isn't one to hold grudges, but he will never think of Seth the same way again after the vision that he provided through his hypnosis. Whether it was intentional or not, Michael decided to calm down and drop the subject as he jumped off the stage and stood beside his table again. The image of those likely representations of Shadow Pokémon still resonating within his mind, he sat down with his hand wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"I thank you all for coming to my show tonight. In today's troubled times in Orre, I cannot express enough how much I appreciate all of you coming here to see my illusions and a sample of the mystery behind Neo Evolution. For the time being I can only say that I will be meeting some of you again soon hopefully as I will be staying in Orre all week, but for now I must disappear. I bid you all adieu.", dismissed the magician as he walked through the heart shaped entrance into the backstage area.

Michael eyed him as he faded into the darkened backstage area. The sound of his footsteps stopped as soon as Seth disappeared behind the stage. He expected to hear more of his footsteps as he would walk up the stairs into the entertainer's quarters. It seemed that he stayed backstage for some reason. In the darkness behind the stage however he wiped his eyes to keep from possibly hallucinate another pair of red eyes looking at him from the dark.

With the show over, Lovrina and Naps stayed at their table arguing over who could have kept Neo Evolution a secret from them when they were part of Cipher as they waited for their new potential employer. The nurse walked back outside to examine the sailor's new Slaking. The bartender stayed in his workstation resuming his duty of cleaning the glasses of his few customers. Jovi sat by her brother in distress and patted him on the shoulder before asking him.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?", Jovi asked Michael with concern as she sat beside him.

Michael shook his head with his eyes squinting at the surface of the table they sat at. He debated whether or not he should even tell Jovi about the realistic visions he had involving the strange lab coated man and the group of Pokémon most likely representing Shadow Pokémon. When he turned to look at her for a moment her concerned look showed she really wanted to know. The red headed teen briefly took a moment to decide between telling her about the the forest vision or the dark vision with the manifestations of Shadow Pokémon.

"When I was under his spell… I saw… lab coated man in a thriving forest….", the red headed boy muttered as he then tried to spot the magician through the heart shaped doorway backstage again.

"Really? Just a scientist in a forest? In a dream?", the younger sister asked intrigued by Michael's dream so far.

"This scientist was looking for something while holding two ice cream pops in his hands. A Sea Salt and a Pecha Berry Flavored ice cream pop."

"Ooh I love Pecha Berry! Go on.", Jovi said to Michael as she kept listening with a smile on her face.

Michael explained to his sister what had happened in the dream he had while he was hypnotized. He explained the transition between when he tried to talk to the scientist into the darker vision where he told what had happened there. Jovi was amazed what how her brother described his dream and gave him her undivided attention. Michael explained that the eyes in the darkness of his vision belonged to what he thought to belong to many different unkown Shadow Pokémon. Some of the Pokémon he could tell he had already snagged and purified while others were never seen as Shadow Pokémon before from what he could remember in his list on his P DA . After finishing explaining what he had seen, Michael told Jovi about the other weird things he saw today including one Cipher's hover trucks in the middle of the desert and Fateen's warning in Pyrite Town.

"Fateen's warning… these visions… the truck in the desert… the lab's Purify Chamber out of order…. Why is this happening today? What is happening?", Michael asked himself as he scratched his scalp under his blue headband.

"Well….. well maybe…. Well I wouldn't think about it too much but maybe there's something you forgot to take care during the Shadow Pokémon incident… since most of what you're saying seems to hint at there's something else that needs attention.", the blue haired girl suggested to her older brother as she thought deeply about what it could all mean.

"… Would you care to explain?", Michael requested of his younger sister as he couldn't read her mind.

"Oh uh well…. If you think about it, Cipher was basically a bunch of mad scientists right? And they wanted to rule the world with these altered Pokémon by having their hearts artificially closed right? And remember what Seth said about Neo Evolution?"

"Neo Evolution right…. He said that Cipher's scientists discovered it… though it looks like Lovrina didn't have anything to do with it.", he said nodding his head at the logic his sister presented.

"Secrets! Secret projects! Secret weapons! Imagine the mysteries those old buildings held full of secrets. Like the secret room you have your stuff in back home! The lab in the desert and the Key Lair should both have its fair share of mysteries. Who knows what Cipher had up their sleeve before you came along and stomped them.", explained Jovi with a excited at the thought of a hidden adventure waiting in their midst.

"What made you think of that?", asked the older brother who was surprised to see his younger sister deduce such a theory.

"I…. read manga….", Jovi admitting smiling with a little red on her cheeks.

"You do?! Wow I didn't think-", Michael was interrupted by his sister.

"And anime! Haha! The Trozei series with Lucy Fleetfoot is my favorite anime. But the manga series had just that, mad scientists who left secrets behind in their laboratory when Lucy defeated them long ago. Maybe we have the same situation here!", she explained further with a smile.

The older red haired brother was amused by his sister's logic. As farfetched as it seemed, it looks to be the most probable scenario. He imagined himself investigating the abandoned facilities tomorrow to see if his sister's theory could be proven true.

"So what Fateen and that dream with the red eyed Pokémon are telling me… that if I don't find what these 'secrets' is before it's too late… Shadow Pokémon will return?", Michael said trying to map the possible outcomes together.

"Hmmmmm could be! But I know whatever happens you can stop it! You and your Pokémon are invincible! …. Well on good days anyway…. Heh…", Jovi tried not to bring her brother down by remembering that he was certainly not invincible in the short battle he had with Seth on the lighthouse.

"But anyway. If anyone can do it, you can do it. I believe in you.", she added with an assuring smile that forced a smile back from her older brother.

"Thanks sis. I'll go investigate your theory tomorrow, but for now how about we go home with what we came here for?", Michael suggested the notion of returning to the HQ Lab.

The siblings were about to leave their table when they were approached on their way out of the Krabby Club. Without any warning, Seth was standing behind them as they approached the door as if he just teleported behind them without even taking a step across the floor. The magician caught Michael's attention by calling his name.

"Michael! I want to speak to you for a moment before you leave if you would be kind enough to lend me some of your time.", Seth requested of him.

"Oh? Uh… what is it?", the red headed teen replied a little nervous to even make eye contact with the magician with the ordeal he had just experienced.

"I feel that we got off on the wrong foot earlier today… I'm sorry for my bad temper and manners on the top of the lighthouse.", the young man apologized for his behavior.

Michael was a little shocked to hear the apology from the stranger. He raised his eyebrows with curiosity suspicion of the dark dressed gray haired magician before shrugging and deciding to accept his apology.

"It's alright. Just please don't keep your expectations so high of someone you've never met next time.", he advised the stranger.

"Right…. I suppose it was silly of me to think you would be the same heroic child that stopped Cipher four years ago…. Not that you should take offense. Times change, I understand."

"Hmhmm…..", Michael disdainfully agreed before almost proceeding to out the door with his sister to feel sudden vibrations on the floor they stood.

Sounds of smashing and screaming were heard outside on the patio deck. Jovi looked back at Michael with a shocked fearful expression for what was going on outside. The two quickly walked through the automatic doors to see tables flipped and chairs smashed to splintered pieces. The sailor was unconscious on the stairs with the nurse injured on the marble black and green tiled floor of the street. The siblings and the magician rushed to the sides of the two injured victims.

"What happened here?!", the red headed teen asked the nurse when he approached her to pick her up off the ground.

Jovi stood by her brother's side as the magician tended to the knocked out sailor sprawled on the stairs. The nurse held her hand over the pain in her back as she stood up with Michael's help. She pointed into the darkness across the pier to the other side of town near Makan's Shop.

"The Slaking just blew us away with one punch and jumped across the town on the bridges. I don't know what set it off but it's angry…"

An echo of a roaring Pokémon could be heard coming from the other side of town. Michael could see the shadow of a big Pokémon irrationally acting like no Slaking should with their natural docile and lazy natures. The Seth stood beside Michael as he spied the rogue Pokémon too.

"Interesting….", Seth muttered to himself as he observed the large silhouette walking across the far pier.

"What are we going to do Michael? It might attack us if we try to get to Emili's house…", Jovi asked with concern as she watched the darkened parts of town for the potential threat waiting for them.

"A simple Slaking shouldn't be too hard to beat. Especially some Kanto-raised Slaking. That salesman must not have trained it very well…", Michael expressed his thoughts on the matter of the relatively foreign Pokémon.

"Well trained or not, it's out of control. I'll tend to the sailor but somebody needs to take care of that Pokémon somehow…. ", the nurse said to the three before she lifted the sailor's hands and dragged him into the Krabby Club.

"Right. I'll take care of it… we can't leave without that bag of parts..", the red headed teen said as he started planning how he'll approach the enraged Slaking.

"You stay here Jovi. I"ll be back in a moment."

Michael proceeded to walk down the marble plaza street past the Pokémon Center on to the cement of the southern part of the port town (in the perspective of one entering the town). Jovi watched with the magician observing nearby as they could see the big bulky Pokémon slowly walking towards him with its fists lifted and clenched ready to fight.

Michael couldn't see its eyes in the dark of the night. Upon further inspection under the light of the street lamps, the Slaking seemed to be walking with its eyes closed. Despite how strange it was to see it operate without sight, it roared ferociously and slammed the cement ready to charge at the teen.

"Houndoom! Flamethrower!", he called out and issued his Pokémon's first attack as he threw the Poke Ball straight out of his black bag strapped to the side of his waist.

Stopping in the Slaking's tracks was a stream of flames spewed from the Houndoom's mouth. Enduring the flames, it jumped forward and grabbed the Dark Pokémon to throw it back at its trainer. Houndoom let out a yelp as it was tossed towards Michael who was stricken with amazement at what he was seeing before he ducked to narrowly miss the impact.

"That just made it angry!", Jovi shouted.

"It's already angry! Houndoom return! Go Hitmonchan! Mach Punch!", Michael shouted as he swapped out of his Pokémon while he kept his distance away from the Slaking.

The Fighting type came out charging for the enraged Pokémon and delivered a swift blow to the stomach. The Slaking brushed off the supposedly super effective attack and crushed Hitmonchan with a brutal ground pound attack. The Hitmonchan laid flat on its back on the cracked cement with arms sprawled and twitching eyes with a half-smile on its face.

Michael returned the Hitmonchan as he narrowly dodged the Slaking's swinging fists. Jovi shrieked in response to how close her brother was going to get hurt. She would begin fearing even more when she would see the Slaking slam the ground around the teen to knock him off his feet and on to his back. The image of seeing him about to get pummeled drew her to run to his rescue with his Dusknoir's Poke Ball in hand.

"Michael hold on! Go Dusknoir! Help him!", she shouted as she summoned the Gripper Pokemon out of its ball and between the brute and her brother.

With quick and immediate instincts, Dusknoir blocked Slaking's attack and bought Michael enough time to get up and call out one of his emergency Pokémon. Presenting itself with arcs and sparks with electricity, the Slaking would toss aside the Dusknoir to reveal the legendary Pokémon that Michael had to save from its villainous trainer. Coming at the rampaging Pokémon with a swift arc of electricity, Michael's Zapdos electrocuted its savior's attacker and made sure the Slaking will be stopped.

After being electrocuted with the Zapdos' Thunder attack, the Slaking fell forward on its face. Michael could see its eyes temporarily open to reveal something he thought he was imagining with his mind still recovering from what he saw in the vision. It appeared its eyes glowed red very briefly before dimming out of its abnormality. Michael rubbed his own eyes to see if he was hallucinating but the Slaking's eyes seemed to have been normal the entire time.

Zapdos stood perched beside the Slaking and stared at it to ensure it wouldn't get up to hurt its trainer again. Michael's Dusknoir approached his trainer and happily offered him his hand in the air for their victory. At first the red headed teen was unaware of what his new foreign Pokémon wanted, but then he understood and laughed as he gave his Ghost Pokémon a High Five with a collision of their palms together in the air.

"Michael! Are you alright?", called out Michael's younger sister as she ran to his side mindful of the fainted Slaking on the ground.

"Thanks to you! Throwing Dusknoir in between me and Slaking before it could hit me was really quick thinking on your part! Thanks sis!", Michael thanked his blue haired sister who was standing in front of him with a concerned expression on her face that turned into a smile with little bits of red on her cheek.

"Ha thank you big brother. It was nothing…", she said scratching the back of her head with grin on her face."

"Well done! That was an impressive show you've put on there.", Seth said as he approached the siblings and their Pokémon.

Michael's Pokémon stood silent as the cloaked gray haired magician stood beside the Slaking on the ground. Seth was fascinated by the presence of the legendary bird Pokémon that was under Michael's care. He took a moment to admire its majesty before examining the fainted Slaking that lay beside his feet.

"I may have misjudged you, Michael. But I'll have to take points off for needing your sister to rescue you.", he said grading his overall performance as if he were his school teacher.

Michael was not amused by the man's banter but he remained silent when he turned his attention to his sister.

"You though. You seem to hold potential to be a hero too. Maybe you'll follow in your brother's footsteps and be become a legend yourself someday? You're already a trainer, all you need is to find a start to your own legend.", the magician said with a smile that was illuminated by the light of the street lamps.

"Me? You really think so?", Jovi asked with wonder of what journey she could embark on comparable to her brother's famous tale.

"Everyone has the potential to be the hero in his or her own story. All it takes is the will and effort to make a change in the world.", the magician added to his statement.

"Are we not going to talk about this Slaking?! Why was it attacking me with its eyes closed? Why was it attacking me at all?! It didn't act like a Slaking should.", Michael said bringing everyone's attention to the battle that just took place.

"What do you mean?", his sister asked for what he was referring to.

"The Slaking's ability, Traunt, makes it loaf around every time it uses a move. I couldn't tell what move it was using but it was not resting in between its attacks. It wouldn't stop attacking and it was so angry!", the red headed teen explained its odd behavior he observed during the battle.

"And what's even weirder, just as it fell, it opened its eyes and I saw them glowing red for a split second before they dimmed back to normal… I'm not sure though, that might have been just a hallucination from the reflections of the street lamps, but it's still very strange…", Michael explained further trying to recall what he had seen with reason.

"I can't help but think… that it sort of acts like a Shadow Pokémon from four years ago…"

"Really? That's an interesting statement.", the magician said as he leaned forward over the Slaking to examine it further.

Jovi stood by her brother as she watched Seth lift Slaking's left eye lid. Michael's Zapdos stood guard as the magician finished his examination. Michael returned his legendary electric bird Pokémon back to its ball after feeling that the Slaking won't be rising anytime soon. Approaching from the direction of the Krabby Club, the nurse came running with a Poke Ball in her hand.

"I've got its Poke Ball! I can return it to its trainer if it's calmed down now after healing it.", said the pink dressed nurse as she approached the scene.

After Seth had stepped away from the fainted Pokémon, the nurse returned the Slaking to the sailor's ball. The nurse bowed to the three before proceeding to walk back into her Pokémon Center with the Slaking in its ball. The red haired teenager, the blue haired sister, and the magician were left in front of the stairs to the gate of Gateon Port. Michael's Dusknoir hovered near his trainer's sister as he waited for its return to his capsule the girl held.

"Well that settles this episode don't you agree? Hopefully I'll see you two tomorrow.", Seth asked Michael as turned to face the direction of the Krabby Club.

Michael didn't bother responding to his banter as he was already imagining what he was going to do tomorrow. He was to go back to Gateon Port to scan the Slaking with his Aura Reader to see if his gut feeling was correct. As unlikely as it is, a Shadow Pokémon that has not been documented on the Shadow List in his P DA could exist and he missed it long ago. The signs he's seen today must mean something is coming his way, he felt he should start his investigating tomorrow with the sailor's suspicious Pokémon received from the foreign salesman.

Jovi felt a tap on her shoulder before she noticed she had not returned her brother's Dusknoir who caught her attention. She returned it and waited by her brother's side as she watched Seth walk back to the patio of the Krabby Club. Michael watched the magician walk away from the scene with his sense of suspicion about the stranger. Despite Seth's claim to having been born in Orre with a career in entertainment, Michael has never heard of him in his entire life.

"I guess he really needed to be back there…" Jovi commented on Seth's departure back to the club.

"Whatever. Let's get those supplies from Emili's and head back to the lab.", her brother said before beginning to make his way toward Makan's dimly lit shop.

In a moment, Michael and Jovi had begun ascending up the stairs of Gateon Port's gate with the repairing equipment strapped to Michael's back in a bag. The gateway was barely illuminated by the broken flickering welcome sign, but beside it on the cracked pavement was a strange object Michael hadn't seen in four years.

"Wait a minute isn't that one of those item chests you told me about?", Jovi asked her older brother when she noticed the small container.

"Yes! I wonder who left it here…. If it's not locked, you're free to loot what's inside. I used to find stuff like Potions or Poke Balls in my adventure long ago. Although this looks like a new model…"

The usual Poke Ball pattern Michael had seen on the item chests he found long ago was different from this chest. Its top was painted purple instead of red but its bottom half remained white like its usual counterparts. The red headed teen was amazed to see such a variant of item chests ever existed in Orre.

"So I can just open it and take what's inside?", Jovi asked her brother again.

"Yes! Go on now. Take it so I can get this thing off my back sooner.", the red headed teen replied adjusting his posture with the immense weight on his back.

Jovi pressed the capsule button on the Poke Ball resembling chest and released the lock. Her blue eyes beheld a strange clear ball that appeared to contain purple smoke inside. Michael could see the item and identified it for his sister.

"That's a Smoke Ball! It's not a Poké Ball, but it's an item you throw on the grown to make a smoke screen to escape battles! …. I'm not sure what use it is to us here though."

"How did you know all that?", asked Jovi as she placed the Smoke Ball in her own Items Pocket in her blue shirt.

"I used to have friends from Kanto and Hoenn remember? …. Who knows if they still remember me here… or even remember talking to someone from the Orre region at some point…", said the tired hero of the isolated region to his sister.

"Oh…. Well don't worry about it big bro. Today was a different day don't you think? Maybe things will start looking up for us soon…", Jovi said in her usual optimistic manner as she began walking towards her hovercycle desert zoomer parked by her brother's on the sand

"I'll say it's different…. but if there something that I'm quite thankful for today, as weird as it was,… I actually kinda enjoyed the thrill of fighting that Slaking and the few magic tricks the magician performed at the club… even if it did leave me scarred from the last act…. So bizarre…", Michael said remembering the cryptic vision that still haunted him while still raising his suspicion of Seth at the same time.

"That is strange… you definitely didn't look like you were in a nightmare up there. You sung like a world famous singer and you were so happy! You definitely looked happy with your smile and all."

"Well…. More than what meets the eye I suppose…. Hold on… eyes…. Were my eyes open when I was on stage singing?", Michael asked with a sudden thought as to the reasoning why the enraged Slaking was fighting with its eyes closed so well.

"Ummm no? No I don't think so. You were hypnotized with your eyes wide open. I've never thought I would ever see somebody sleep with their eyes open, let alone sing under hypnosis with his eyes open! But there's a first for everything I suppose haha!", said Jovi with a laugh as she sat on her vehicle ready to ride back home.

With that known, Michael's suspicion over Seth for ever being partially responsible for the Slaking's strange behavior was lessened. It still leaved him curious and suspicious over the foreign salesman who Michael couldn't bother remembering what other region he came from. He knew in his heart something must be very wrong about that man with that stupid smile on his face.

Reviewing his schedule for tomorrow, he sees that he is going to be the busiest he has ever been in a long time with investigating his sister's theory at Cipher's abandoned facilities and inspecting the Slaking at Gateon Port. With very little happening in Orre, this was actually very desirable for Michael for the potential of beginning a whole new adventure. Even if it's a short one just to prevent a hidden catastrophe growing in the mysterious depths of Cipher's installations. The secret of Neo Evolution must also be found in Cipher's laboratories if possible.

Michael sat on his hovercycle with his heavy bag of metal and supplies still strapped to his back and proceeded to drive back to the lab with his sister on her own zoomer. They made their way across the darkened with the illumination of the headlights on their vehicles. Throughout their ride, Michael tried not to think of his vison as he casted his eyes sight on the darkness of the forest surrounding their trail home.

Even though Orre's forest is devoid of all life as is the large barren desert, Michael can't help but feel that he is being watched just as he zoomed across the forest. The feeling of being gazed upon by the Shadow Pokémon from his vision haunted him and chilled him every time he zipped across the pitch black darkness of the foliage around him. His sister provided him comfort with her presence beside him on her blue vehicle however, as they safely made their way home to rest. Tomorrow is a new day.