Hi! :) As you might be able to tell from my profile picture, I usually write EarthBound fanfiction, but I decided to branch off into Pokemon with this short oneshot. I just thought that Pokemon X and Y didn't make any real attempt to justify Lysandre's actions when there was plenty of logic that he could use. Logic that I don't agree with, but logic nonetheless. So I prepared this short fic to provide a little bit more to his argument. I apologize if there's something exactly like this already out there; I don't read Pokemon fanfiction so I wouldn't know.

Also, there's no real mention of the government in Pokemon games, so I just lumped it in with the Pokemon League. Canonically incorrect? Possibly. Do I care? Not really.

And I may have made other mistakes with regards to canon (I'm not that into Pokemon, honestly). Feel free to point them out, but please don't be mean-spirited about it. As much as we like to pretend that we don't care what other people think about us or our work, the responses I get to my writing do mean a lot to me. Thanks! :) But yeah, positive reviews or constructive criticism are much appreciated. :D

And I hope that everyone's having a good holiday season! :D I celebrate Christmas, so I'm looking forward to the 25th... and I'm sure that a lot of you are with me on this one. :)

Lysandre waited.

"The weapon is ready," Xerosic said, his eyes dancing madly. "Shall we activate it?"

Lysandre surveyed the labs around him. So dark. So mechanical. Did they really need to be like this?

"Not yet," Lysandre said. "I am preparing for… visitors."

"Those kids," Xerosic said, his voice deflating. "The ones who ruined our plans at the Pokéball factory. Why are you so interested in them?"

"…It happens every time, doesn't it?" Lysandre asked. "Whenever a crime syndicate such as ours bands together, a little kid with big dreams waltzes in and schools us all. With Pokémon, anyone with a little determination can do anything." Lysandre paused. "That's the problem, isn't it? The fact that our pokemon give us the power to exert almost complete control over others if we just try hard enough shows how broken our system is."

"If it's broken," Xerosic said, fiddling with a device that Lysandre didn't recognize, "Then why can't you fix it? Why do you have to kill all Pokémon?"

"Because…" Lysandre said, trying to suppress the tears that wanted to come out. "Because even if I fix it, the system is too fragile. Even if I purge the Pokémon League of its corruption, there's always the possibility that another group like this will form. And while every time before we've been saved by some kid who appears out of nowhere, that won't always happen. Eventually, one of these organizations will succeed. What happens then? Ghetsis wanted to rule the world. Cyrus wanted to mess with space-time and create his own world. What will the next villain want, Xerosic?"

"I don't know," Xerosic replied, seeming only half-interested in the conversation. "I'm just a scientist, remember? I make things work. It's your job to decide what to do with my technology."

Lysandre sighed. Why did everybody else refuse to look at the truth?

"And even if we can avoid the apocalyptic plans of crime syndicates like ours, Pokémon still create more problems than they solve. Did you know that the Pokémon League has a branch dedicated to psychological torture? It's surprisingly easy to make people hallucinate their worst nightmares when you have psychic Pokémon on your side. Hm… I wonder how Ghetsis is doing. I wouldn't be surprised if he's been broken down so far that he doesn't even remember his name."

Xerosic shrugged.

"I didn't know that the Pokémon League was that sinister," the scientist said. "Diantha always seemed good-natured to me."

"The elite four and champion are just figureheads," Lysandre said, waving his hand dismissively. "The people who stand in the shadows with clipboards are the ones really ruling Kalos. And while corruption and secrecy don't necessarily call for what I have planned…" Lysandre took a deep breath, trying to maintain a logical tone of voice. "They simply have too much power. The people of Kalos have no privacy, no real will of their own. Why do you think that training Pokémon is such a common practice? The Pokémon League wants to distract us with games while they manipulate us like pawns. But they should have chosen a more peaceful pastime. Today, we shall make them regret everything that they've ever done… the ones that I haven't yet neutralized, that is."

"Why not do what Ghetsis tried to and take over the world?" Xerosic asked. "Take everyone's Pokémon. That way, nobody would be able to use Pokémon irresponsibly. You wouldn't have to kill anyone to accomplish your goal."

Lysandre buried the hope that those words produced in him. The world was doomed if he didn't eliminate Pokémon entirely.

"…I want to do that," Lysandre said. "In fact, that was my original plan. But I won't live forever to watch over humanity. After I die… what happens then? So long as Pokémon exist, this world is not safe from the greed and ill wishes of humanity. If I take control, this world will exist in tranquility for decades… but centuries? Millennia? There's no guarantee." Lysandre took a deep breath. "Even though I kill millions this way, I ensure that the human race will live on. That promise of preservation is priceless, Xerosic."

"So why don't you activate the weapon right now?" Xerosic asked. "You don't have to wait for the children. They are talented, yes, but if millions of lives don't matter when compared to the survival of humanity… Surely a little skill with barking orders at Pokémon doesn't either."

Lysandre paused. He knew deep down why he wanted to meet the children in this lab. They reminded him of himself when he was younger: cheerfully implacable, eager, and energetic. He wanted to experience that again… If only the world needed him like that instead of like this.

"Besides," Xerosic said. "What makes you think that any of them will find us? This lab is hidden, after all."

"At least one of them will figure it out," Lysandre said. "It's really quite obvious. It was part of an intricate plan to deceive the Pokémon League, but the children cannot see in subtleties. They will come, Xerosic."

"If you say so," Xerosic said. "But you still haven't answered my question. Why do you care?"

"…It's just something that I want to do," Lysandre said. "I want to see how far their determination can take them. They won't be able to stop the weapon, so it's hopeless for them, but… they'll do anything in their power to chase me. I guess I want to give them the honor of putting up a semblance of a fair fight, even though I know that I shouldn't."

"I can see the longing in your eyes," Xerosic said. "You want to be more like them yourself, don't you? But again, I'm just a scientist. I don't really care. If you really think that you should talk to them, go ahead. But I think that you're lying to yourself, Lysandre. You want to give them a real chance, because you believe that anyone can make something happen if they try hard enough. You don't want to break it to them that all of their effort was in vain. You saw them struggle, and now you want them to succeed. Isn't that right?"

"I… don't know," Lysandre said.

"Just remember," Xerosic said. "If millions of lives are worth the price of preservation, then what do one person's ideals matter?"

"…"

"Perhaps you should think about that, Lysandre. I'll be down further in the labs, making sure that everything is ready. Call if you need me. Good bye, Lysandre… and good luck."

Xerosic turned around and walked away, leaving Lysandre alone with his bitter thoughts.