To anyone concerned with reading this story any further: it's going to get really complicated.


Chapter two

Wes was in a lone room in a commercial tower at Vermillion City. He sat down on the sofa and opened his blue GridBook.

The first page was a solid grid showing where he was between reality and dreams. Right now, his cursor was leveled at the top of the grid, which was reality. The lower part of the grid showed the levels of dreams, but of course only he could read his own GridBook.

The next page showed another grid which was meant to show the same dream levels as the first page, but this one was supposed to show his all his companion's locations. The reason why it didn't show his friends' GridBooks was because, and Wes knew this, that they all had to be sharing the same dream.

He turned to the next few pages, these ones showed several blanks. The point of these blanks was that no one, except for himself, could tell was written in the blanks. Once Wes entered a dream, the blank would automatically write itself with a general idea of the dream. If the pages were entirely blank, it would prove that Wes was in reality. If there was writing in it... Wes would be dreaming.

One thicker page showed a communications grid. Wes knew that he could talk with either Kellyn, Lunick, or to anyone once they were in the same dream provided that they were also holding their own GridBook. The way it worked was that the grid would project a screen which Wes could talk to anyone's Grid face-to-face. Like most pages in the GridBook, this page only worked within dreams.

The GridBook didn't show any maps, but Wes didn't really need them. Only one was required to teach the layout of the dream, but Wes hadn't acquired someone yet...

In the last page which was a grid with lots of spaces on it. To confirm that he really was in reality, Wes opened a tiny compartment. Inside was a metal jack, the piece often used to play a game of bouncing a ball and sweeping more jacks. Wes took it out delicately, placed the jack on the grid's center square, and spun it.

The jack spun on the grid in place. Wes placed his hands on a nearby knife while the jack continued to spin in place... spinning and spinning...

Will it stop? Wes thought as the jack spun and spun on the grid.

Wes put his hand to the knife's handle, gripped onto it, and held his breath.

The jack started to tip, and then it fell over on its side, still leaving itself on the center square. Wes exhaled, picked up his jack, and put it back in the compartment.

Though it seemed that that was all in the GridBook, Wes split the back of his book in half and examined it. It showed a super thin white grid with a space just for a fingerprint. Wes never told this to anyone, not even Lunick or Kellyn, that the page had a capability of automatically sending everyone out of a dream into reality, even his own Pokémon. But the release came with a price: once Wes placed his fingerprint in there, Wes himself would plunge into the depths of dreams. Where he would be trapped in the dream forever...

Wes closed his GridBook, the next thing he wanted to do was take a look at an old photograph. It was when he had defeated Cipher years ago at Realgam Tower. The days when Rui was at his side...

Will I ever see you again? Wes hid his emotions, but somehow he felt a sense of impossibility that enveloped his head. Since Cipher had banished him from Orre by manipulating the people that he was a criminal, it just wouldn't happen.

Wes' PDA sounded a ring tone, he took it out. An e-mail, probably from one of his friends at a nearby city, Nett, or...

Wes flicked open his e-mails. The message was titled 'Hi Wes! How're you doing?' He blinked. It was from Rui.

Hi Wes!

You haven't come to Ore for a long time, not that I'm saying that it is your home. But I haven't seen you... never mind. By the way, when are you coming back to Ore?! I mean, Cipher couldn't have been that extreme to banish you from the region. But I'm telling you, I'm not leaving the region until you come back! Deal?

Love from Rui

Wes looked over the message several more times, and then he typed in...

Rui, I'm perfectly fine. I'll be back soon.

Wes

The message was shorter than he would have preferred, but it was enough. Though the message system Nett created was secure, Wes never was the type to talk too much.

Wes took one last look at his message, and pressed the 'send' button. After that he closed his PDA, took his GridBook, picked up his Poké Balls, and headed to the door.

He turned the knob and found himself facing Kellyn and Lunick (not to mention Kellyn's three Pokémon and Lunick's Minun!).

"Our ride's on the floor," Lunick said.

"Let's get going," Wes started to head out of the room, down the hall, and into the elevator. Of course, Lunick and Wes got to get in first. Because Kellyn's Pokémon already took up the space on their own!

At the ground floor, where the three of them met together. They headed outside the front doors without as much as a shuffle.

It was beginning to be dusk, the sun had already set and what remained in the sky were just several sunrays that darkly illuminated the clouds. It was relatively safe to walk on the streets now that there was barely any traffic.

There were three semi-suspicious figures walking quickly down the streets of Vermillion City. There were four Pokémon accompanying them.

"Where's our ride?" Wes murmured.

"They didn't say..." Kellyn murmured back. "They only contacted us by voicemail and I have no idea who's picking us up. They told us to wait at the port and they'll pick us up."

"Let's hurry up, then."

Moving on the sidewalk towards the famous Vermillion Port, the threesome went over to the pier's entrance and waited.

"I wonder who'll pick us up." Kellyn wondered.

"We're about to find out," Lunick looked around as he said that.

Ten minutes passed when a limousine pulled over the side of the road not far from Wes. Assuming that this was their ride, the threesome walked to the limo. The driver, who was dressed in a suit, got out of the limo and opened the door for them in a way that seemed unwelcome, but there was no hint of hostility either.

Wes walked over to the limo and stopped dead at the door.

It was Cyrus. He merely looked at Wes and gave a short sigh.

"I thought it would be a nice surprise for me to appear at a time like this."

Wes frowned, "Yeah. Some surprise you're giving."

Cyrus glanced at Lunick and Kellyn who had their Partner Pokémon with them, "The Pokémon can sit at the back. The Rangers come with you here. I'm sure the police would agree to that too."

"I'm not that kind of person to deal this way."

Cyrus stared, and motioned for Wes to come in.

Wes walked back to the Rangers, "its Cyrus. He's the one who's picking us up."

Lunick looked astonished, "That's it? To think we almost died getting info from him and he's repaying us by giving us a ride. How original."

"Lunick," Kellyn said irritably. "Remember that we can't die in a dream."

"Let's get going," Wes directed.

Kellyn loaded Grotle and Kirlia into the back of the limo while Wes and Lunick got in to sit across Cyrus. After a minute, Kellyn joined them.

"Your employer..." Cyrus began. "I won't say it. But it's enough to keep you out of Cipher's books, isn't it Wes? I thought you had a smarter idea than that, being you."

Wes did not look at him, but said, "What do you want from us, Cyrus?"

"Inception."

That got Wes' attention and interest, and as a result Wes faced him.

"Can it be done?" Cyrus asked.

Wes, Kellyn, and Lunick remained silent.

"I'll take that as a no, then. Shame," Cyrus said. His expression unchanged.

"Now why would we take that as a shame?" Lunick asked.

"It is pretty obvious, isn't it? If you can steal an idea from someone's mind why can't you just plant one there instead? Wouldn't that be easier?"

Pachirisu and Minun looked as if they had no idea what was going on.

The threesome on the other hand was deep in thought.

"It's not," Kellyn said defiantly. "Ideas would have to form by itself. I can't just put my own idea in there because you know that I gave it to you. Your mind could instantly draw itself back to the source. If I were to perform inception I would need to plant an idea that couldn't be mine. Even if I were to do it I would need something real small, I mean small enough that the idea is untraceable. An idea that could grow and turn into a multitude of connections, and not to mention that..."

Kellyn trailed off. He couldn't think of anything else.

"I agree with Kellyn," Lunick said. "Inception is next to impossible. I don't know if it can be done properly."

"You said 'next to impossible'," Cyrus noted. "Can you do it?"

"Do you recommend it?" Wes said with doubt. "Or do I consider it an option? Because there are some other ways I could break through Cipher with."

"Not that you know of," Cyrus said. "Yes, consider it an option."

"Then consider it not done, Cyrus," Wes replied. Cyrus sighed.

The limo pulled over to an airfield on the outskirts of Vermillion City. Where, near the hanger, a private helicopter was waiting for them.

"Tell the pilot where you want to go," Cyrus instructed.

The Rangers were the first to get outside, Grotle and Kirlia followed them.

As Wes was in the middle of exiting Cyrus shouted, "Hey! Wes!"

Cyrus leaned outside, "What if I propose that you could go back to your home? Would you like to go back to Orre? To your best friend?"

Wes thought of Rui at an instant, but no... How?

"It's impossible!" Wes shouted back. "That region will be on to me the second I get back! Can't be done!"

"A minute ago, inception could be applied in the same way," Cyrus called back.

Lunick hesitated for a brief instant, and shouted to Wes, "I think it's a bad idea, Wes! Don't listen to him!"

But Wes remained where he was, "What's the idea?"

"Simple and plain. I will not guarantee that it will be clean," Cyrus said.

"Nothing, that involves planting an idea, can be plain!" Wes argued.

"You still haven't heard the idea."

Wes waited.

"My competitor has persuaded the president of a major bank to hand over his company. But the catch is that the bank holds the money of every known person in the world. I need the president of the bank to change his mind from signing the agreement."

"Every person in the world, huh?" Wes raised an eyebrow.

Cyrus nodded, "So, do you want to walk into the realm unknown? Or would you rather run away, mourning for life to see your best friend again?"

Wes had no choice. If it meant that much to Cyrus and it was his best chance of seeing Rui again. He would do it. He turned to Cyrus and nodded.

Cyrus smiled, "You can take the liberty of assembling your team, Wes. Select sensibly."

And then Cyrus was off, his limo disappearing into the night.

Wes boarded the helicopter, speaking with the Rangers, "Let's get going."

After they were all inside, the helicopter took off.

"Where to?" asked the pilot.

Kellyn looked at Wes, "What are we looking for, anyway?"

"We need an architect, preferably two, seeing that we already have two point men already."

"Two point men? Who are they?" Kellyn asked.

Wes and Lunick looked at him quickly. Kellyn shrugged.

"You have got to be kidding me, Kellyn. Who?" Lunick said.

"Let's get back to where we were, okay?" Wes interfered. "Anyone here knows where to acquire an architect?"

The next minute was spent in thought.

Kellyn motioned to the pilot, "Take us to Floaroma Town." The pilot nodded.

Before Wes or Lunick could ask anything, Kellyn said, "I have an old friend of mine who just might suit the profile." And they turned northwards to the Sinnoh Region.