The Wonderful World of Pokemon

Prologue: X in the Dark

"Therefore, it is the opinion of the legislature that the creatures known as Pokemon are an unmistakable threat to society and common law. As such, the possession of said creatures is hereby prohibited in all cases except in those in which a permit is granted to the creature's owner by the executive governing body of the region. And in all cases, so called 'Pokemon battling' is prohibited, due to its cruel and unusual nature."

-2120 Final Ruling Regarding Pokemon


Only a thin glimmer of light illuminated the tall woman as she strode briskly down the dark alley and towards a small, battered shop packed between what seemed to be two abandoned bars. The entire town was silent, and each of her footsteps echoed off the walls of the nearby shops, returning to her ears almost as loud as they had left her feet. Cans, bags of trash, and old boxes were littered across the street, and not a soul was in sight. The only light on the block was a streak of moonlight from a crack in the cavern ceiling far above.

The woman was thin and pale, wearing a tight silver uniform with a tall collar, flaring sleeves, and knee-high, blue-lined boots. There was a dark blue 'X' emblazoned on the left side of her shirt, and she wore a pair of silver half moon spectacles in front of her narrow bright blue eyes. Her hair was startlingly white, and seemed to almost shine in the dark street. The shimmering locks were pulled back into a tight braid that hung down from a large, crescent-shaped pin.

Arriving at her destination, the woman reached out one of her sleek, white-gloved hands and knocked almost silently on the shop's door. It didn't matter that the shop's occupants couldn't hear the knock; they would already know she was there.

There was a crunching noise on the other side of the door, and, after a moment of waiting, it slid open before her. Just inside the doorway was a tall, muscular man wearing a dark blue uniform with silver trim, holding a machine gun over his shoulder. He also wore an X shaped badge on his chest.

The soldier saluted to the woman and said quietly, "The Executive is waiting upstairs."

The woman nodded curtly to the man and entered the battered shop, which looked just as antique on the inside as it did on the outside. The machinery lining the walls was nearly ancient, and the woman couldn't even recognize the function of half of the devices hung by the door. She even spotted a computer in the corner of the room with a two-dimensional display.

Almost immediately, the woman found the tall, thin staircase headed upwards, and she gracefully ascended it to the second story without another word. The hall upstairs was much more tastefully decorated than the mess downstairs, with ornate rugs, skins, and tapestries lining the walls and floors. The door at the end of the hall was slightly ajar, and a faint glow emanated from around the steel frame.

Without any hesitation, the woman pushed open the door and entered the lit room. The walls and floors of that room were covered in exquisite art pieces, exceeding even those in the hallway. But the only pieces of furniture in sight were a small wooden chair and a large desk, which sat perpendicular to the doorway and a window on the wall opposite the door.

A single figure sat behind the desk, staring intently at a holographic computer display. It was a young boy, no more than twenty-five years old, with brown hair combed neatly forward on his head. He was tall, tan and was wearing a black, unbuttoned, single-breasted suit, a blue tie, and a white dress shirt.

As the woman entered the room, the boy raised his gaze from his hologram and smiled warmly at her. "Ah, Commander Lunette, I'm glad you could make it."

Lunette wanted to reply in kind, but just as she was about to speak, she remembered that she had never actually heard the boy's real name. Most others referred to him as The Executive, if they mentioned him at all. Usually, people would omit his name and just say that they 'received orders,' since everyone understood exactly where the orders were coming from. Normally, Lunette agreed with the need for secrecy, but as she stood there awkwardly for a second, she wished she could have at least some name to call him by, since The Executive hardly seemed an appropriate way to address someone to their face.

Realizing that she still hadn't replied, Lunette nodded and answered, "Yes, as am I. As you most likely already know, Solari was occupied elsewhere today. I will have the recordings of this meeting sent to him, so that he may remain up to date with his orders."

"Recordings?" the boy said with a slight air of disdain. "I'd rather you just send a synopsis of the orders to him via computer. As you know, I recently acquired a safe network for us to operate through."

"Of course," Lunette responded almost immediately, "it will be done."

The boy smiled, obviously humored by her quick response. "Now, onto business... regarding what I sent you, I have a new client with a rather unusual request."

"From what you said in the letter, they sounded quite unusual indeed," Lunette said, remembering the email she had received just days ago. "But what is it exactly that they have requested? If it is the capture of a Pokemon, it cannot be too unusual."

The boy paused for a moment, his grin widening. "Are you familiar with the legends surrounding the universe's creation?"

"Which? There are several that I know of."

"The story of Arceus, of course," the boy answered quickly, obviously expecting Lunette to have recognized which tale he meant.

"Yes, I know that one," she said, analyzing the boy's warm expression. The boy nodded, so she continued, "It is said that the Pokemon Arceus was born from an egg before the universe existed, and that he created the creatures Dialga and Palkia to rule over time and space. He then created Giratina to rule over another dimension and created Mew and the three spirits to give life to all humans and Pokemon." The boy nodded again, seemingly staring at the wall behind Lunette pensively. "But I must ask," she continued, "what does this have to do with our client?"

The boy stood from behind his desk and strode lazily over to the single window in the room, looking out over the dark street. After a moment of silence, he said, "I must admit, that tale has always intrigued me. I consider myself rather a Pokemon expert, and theories regarding the four Pokemon that rule over the universe are particularly interesting subjects. The thought of a Pokemon shaping the universe seems almost too ridiculous to grasp in these modern times. After all these years of human dominance over Pokemon, I think we all assume that we have always ruled over our Pokemon counterparts."

"Yes, but what does this have to do with our client's request?" she asked again.

The boy turned away from the window and faced Lunette directly, obviously masking a small grin. "Those legends are entirely true. Scientists have known it for years, as our client made apparent to me. There was even a time in history, about a hundred or so years ago, when the four ruling Pokemon came to the region of Shinnoh. Of course the government has covered it up, claiming secretly that it will prevent dangerous people from seeking out these powerful creatures. But our client would like us to find those four unique Pokemon for them. And, for what is easily the largest payment we have ever been offered, they would like us to capture the beasts."

Lunette stood in shock. The idea was insane! It was ridiculous and impossible! Even if the four god Pokemon did exist, there was no way to capture them. Arceus created the entire universe; how were they supposed to subdue a force like that? "I... I don't- I don't know..." she stammered, utterly at a loss for words.

"As you obviously realize, this task will require our team's full effort, so I am assigning both you and Solari to individual sub-objectives. I too will be taking part in this particular mission, so I will be in contact with both of you for the duration of this task. I would like you to personally head up a team of researchers to find a way to capture the Pokemon of time and space, Dialga and Palkia. I would suggest viewing any available records of the technologies used at the time of their last appearance, since it is rumored that a certain Pokemon Master was able to conquer both of them around that period. If you would like more specific details, I can provide them, of course. Solari will be researching the methods of summoning the beasts, since I'm sure you are aware that they reside in alternate dimensions. I will lead the research into Giratina, the alternate dimension Pokemon, here. I think it would be wise for us to capture the first three before we worry about Arceus." The boy returned to the chair behind his desk, and gingerly sat down on the leather cushion, his gaze never leaving Lunette.

She noticed that her mouth was gaping open as she watched him. "I... I don't... yes, of course. I will begin research with my factory team immediately. Any documents that you can provide will be greatly appreciated."

"Do you have any other concerns?" the boy asked, leaning back in the chair.

"...Yes," Lunette answered after pondering for a moment. "What should I do if the Red Army interferes?"

The boy laughed in what seemed to be genuine enjoyment, a truly rare occurrence. "I assure you, they will not be a problem. They're too busy chanting about their 'Right to Fight' and terrorizing government facilities to worry about us. If they do get in the way, eliminate them. As you well know, I have many contacts in high places. They will cover up any unfortunate slips."

"Thank you. I will await your further instruction," she said, turning to leave the room.

"Oh, one last thing," the boy said quickly as she reached the door.

"What is it, sir?"

The boy's lips were shaped in a smile, but Lunette could tell that he was making several calculations behind those deep blue eyes. "...My name is Rynce."