( Notes:

Well, four chapters in and I finally bring Brandon into the fray! Hopefully I've done his character justice. And how about some more familiar character cameos, huh? Though I would have to say in all honesty that Daisy, Misty, or Tracey will not have a large role in the story. They basically exist for that dramatic tension in helping Brandon get one step closer to Regigigas while Reggie still isn't ready to fight him yet! The horror! I promise next chapter will be the much-hyped-by-Paul Byron battle. No way it can't be, right? Looks like I was wise to plan ahead, too; Paul seems to be set to appear in a future episode in Japan a few weeks from now while the gang starts their journey to Snowpoint City. I'll be ready to find a way to integrate that episode into the story when the time comes.

And ahh, Reggie. I just keep doing horrible things to the guy. I think this stunt has set him back maybe two-thousand or so steps. Still, I kind of like ol' nice guy Reggie doing a swerve heel turn in a sense. At least it's just out of insanity, right? That makes it a little better. I may have done too many scene switches in this chapter since it just doesn't feel that meaty despite its length. Guess you'll all be the judge of that. Have fun with it! )


While rain plagued many parts of the Sinnoh region, Kanto was experiencing much nicer weather. Sunny weather is what Brandon preferred, as it was the best weather condition for exploration and excavating as he continued his quest to learn about and obtain rare Pokémon.

However nice the weather was, Brandon was no less displeased today. It had taken him months now, trying to find Regigigas. He had visited many cities in Kanto while battling trainers (with only victories on Brandon's end) for his coveted Brave Symbol. Samuel, Brandon's assistant, knew by now how fierce Brandon could be in battle, especially if he was doing so while he was on the hunt for something important. He'd yet to see a trainer defeat him when Brandon wasn't satisfied in his own affairs. Even in the case of Ash Ketchum, the one who defeated Brandon and declined the offer to be a Frontier Brain, he only won against Brandon after he finally finished discovering the final member of the Regi trio: Regice.

Samuel wondered if the legends were indeed true if it was taking Brandon this long to find Regigigas. After all, if it was related to the other Regis he captured, Samuel assumed it would be relatively easy to figure out its location, at least. That turned out not to be the case… as there was no sign of Regigigas anywhere in the Kanto region. Most residents didn't even seem to know what such a Pokémon was to begin with.

The flying Battle Pyramid was quickly coming up upon its next destination. Brandon stood distantly from his assistant, looking down at the region below him with full intent of extracting information out of someone soon. He was quickly growing impatient… for various reasons outside of simply wanting Regigigas to finally complete the Regi collection. Brandon was aware of his own ulterior motives, but pushed them to the back of his mind in order to focus on the mission. He was certain by now that his letter had reached his sons, and they were hopefully doing as he instructed. Not that the Pyramid King was going to make sure of that… he only assumed, because he knew his actions in the past would inspire his sons to work harder in order to defeat him one day.

Even in the middle of his work, he often thought of Reggie and Paul… but the thoughts were suddenly cut off.

"Brandon, sir… we've reached Cerulean City," Samuel informed. "Where exactly should we land?"

"Don't spend too much time deliberating on such a detail," Brandon sharply ordered. "A clearance in the forest just outside the city will do fine. We will make this inquiry a quick one."

Samuel looked nervous, as it was never a good sign when Brandon was already uppity and impatient so early on in the day. "Y-yes, of course… do you really think we'll find information on Regigigas here, though?"

Brandon continued to look forlornly at the scenery below him. "We must leave no stone unturned. At this rate, Regigigas might not even be in this region… and if that is the case, then there will be a problem. We will deal with that problem if and when it comes to us. Until then, do not question me. Sometimes the most important clues are right under your nose… only rarely does the searcher realize that in time."

"You're right…" Samuel said with a sigh. "We should be making landfall within a couple of minutes, then. Out of curiosity… where do you intend to go first?"

"Where I always go in major cities of Kanto," Brandon responded, as if his assistant should have already caught on by now. "The Gym."

After landing, that's exactly where Brandon headed: the Cerulean Gym.

"Cerulean City," Brandon muttered as he walked across the town. "They say a mysterious, blue aura surrounds it… yet I see nothing. Pointless flowery language…" He soon came upon a brightly-colored dome-shaped building complete with a depiction of a Dewgong. It almost resembled a circus tent or a carousel by shape and color, but Brandon was overcome with pessimism when he noticed the building was in fact the Cerulean Gym. "This really does feel like a waste of time," Brandon admitted to himself. "But I cannot underestimate any potential source. This is a direly important matter."

The Pyramid King took a deep breath before entering the gym to find a giant pool before him. Decorations of Starmie and Poliwag were on the wall and there were crowd stands on each side of the pool, making the Gym seem to double as a stage for water shows. The atmosphere made Brandon flinch, but snapped out of it when he realized no one seemed to be present.

With a loud, booming voice, he decided to draw attention to himself… though he honestly thought it was highly irresponsible of a Gym Leader to not be at his or her post. "I am here to challenge the Gym Leader of Cerulean City! Show yourself now!!"

His voice echoed throughout the building. The design was convenient, as it allowed anyone not in the immediate area to hear him. Quickly, a young woman with blonde hair decorated with a single flower came walking briskly to the direction of the voice.

"Oh, hi there!" she greeted. "So, you like need something, mister?"

"Get over here immediately!" Brandon hollered. "I have no interest in carrying on a conversation across the Gym! Hurry up!" He honestly hoped this was not actually the Gym Leader…

"Okay, okay! Geez, take a pill…" she muttered as she hurried over to greet Brandon. "Here I am!" she announced cheerfully. "Can I like, do something for you, mister?"

"NO."

Brandon's… 'catchphrase', so to speak, had quite an enhanced effect within the Gym. The loudness of his voice bounced across every angle of the dome and made the poor young lady's ears ring. She covered them, looking highly disturbed until the ringing stopped.

"Okay… I'm so confused right now," she admitted. "You came over here but you really don't need anything, mister? Why'd you rush me, then?!"

"First of all, do not address me as 'mister'!" Brandon commanded. "I am Brandon. That is all you need to know. Please tell me you are not the Gym Leader of this place."

"Well gee, I'm standing right here," she grumbled. "A little tact never killed a guy. Anyway, I used to be the Gym Leader, but now I just kinda look after the place from time to time, you know? My sisters and I are totally famous and popular, so we-"

Brandon glared. "Get to the point. Who are you?"

"The Gym Leader's big sis, no duh!" she announced in a bubbly tone. "Daisy! If you want the Gym Leader, you'll wanna talk to Misty. You want me to go get her or something?"

"Yes," Brandon gruffly affirmed. "Immediately if she is available." He inwardly prayed Misty was not like this…

"No prob, brah-"

"Brandon."

"… Brandon. Right. Whatever," Daisy murmured. She then looked away and called for her sister. "Hey, Misty!! This Brandon guy wants to like, challenge you or some junk! You'd better get over here fast, 'cause he's a total ticking time bomb!"

The much older man found that incredibly rude. "What was it you were saying about tact, woman?"

"Daisy!" she adamantly amended. "I totally already told you my name!"

"Names are bothersome to remember," Brandon said. "Only those who defeat me earn my respect and my will to remember their names."

"Shut up, no way!" Daisy cried, aghast. "You're a Gym Leader?! Like who knew?!"

"A Frontier Brain," Brandon corrected. "Those who earn my Brave Symbol earn the right to be acknowledged by me by your given name."

Daisy looked intrigued. "No kidding, huh? Alright, then, how much for one of those thingies?"

"You earn them in battle," Brandon emphasized. He almost wished he never came into this Gym if this was what he had to deal with. "Don't waste your time and fetch me your sister."

"I'm here!" another voice cried out. Skidding to a halt was a younger, redheaded girl with a side ponytail. She looked up to see her visitor and was immediately a bit intimidated. "Sorry for the wait, sir. There was some outside business I had to tend to, and-"

"NO. How many times must I say this? Bran. Don," he enunciated, now completely irritated. "Not sir, not mister. Never anything like that. Now… I take it you are the Cerulean Gym Leader."

"Y-yes, s-… Brandon," Misty confirmed, looking nervous that she almost slipped up again. "Hey, can you kind of… keep it down? Your loudness is disturbing our Gym's Pokémon."

Almost on cue, Misty's Psyduck came running out into the main room, flailing and holding its head in either pain or frustration. Misty's good friend Tracey Sketchit was also over visiting and much more slowly walking his way towards the group, but was also disturbed by the loudness of Brandon's voice and soon felt the full brunt of its repercussions as Psyduck crashed into Tracey and knocked him into the pool. The Duck Pokémon was quick to follow. The others looked awkwardly at the accident before Misty rushed over to the incident.

Daisy just sighed and shook her head. "Like, bummer. We just got those floors wiped clean…"

"Tracey!! Psyduck!" Misty cried out as she helped them both out of the pool. There was little she could do about Psyduck continuing to freak out, but Tracey was considerably calmer.

"N-no worries, I'm fine… that was just quite a shock," Tracey admitted. He looked over to the newcomer. "So this is our disruptor, huh?"

"His name is Brandon," Misty told him. "Don't worry; I'll take care of this." Suddenly taking a mature approach, she walked over to Brandon again and made direct eye contact with him. "As I was saying, Brandon, yes. I am Misty, Gym Leader of Cerulean City. Are you here to challenge me for a Cascade Badge?"

Brandon stiffly shook his head. "I am here for no such thing. I am a Frontier Brain; the Pyramid King, specifically. I have defeated your Gym and earned your badge well before any of you were even born."

This seemed to shock the others; they at least knew meeting a Frontier Brain was a big deal.

"Good point, I guess," Tracey figured. "He looks a lot older than us…"

Misty nodded. "You certainly look like a strong trainer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Brandon…" She looked to the side and murmured an uncertain "I guess…" before facing him again. "So you're not here for a Gym Battle. How can I help you today?"

Brandon was thankful that the Gym Leader, while young, was considerably more mature than her older sister. It almost felt like déjà vu in a way… "I have been travelling across the Kanto region in search of information regarding a specific legendary Pokémon. I wish to know if any of you know of what I am looking for, or at least a hint as to where to find it."

"Well, uh…" Misty was uncertain again. "I've done my fair share of traveling, Brandon, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer your question. Do you know the name of the Pokémon?"

"According to what few records I've acquired, the name is Regigigas," Brandon said. "It is the leader of the trio that go by similar names, all of which I have captured already: Regirock, Registeel, and Regice."

"No Regiwater, huh?" Daisy wondered out of the blue. "Bummer…"

Brandon wanted this girl gone already, but heeded the Gym Leader's words to not be too loud. He saw how unstable that Psyduck looked. "If you don't know anything, just say so. Don't waste my time with nonsense."

Misty sighed and shrugged. "I can't help you there, then. This is the first time I've even heard of such a Pokémon. What about you, Tracey?"

"Hm…" Tracey looked up and pondered for a moment. "I do remember reading about the Regis somewhere, but I forget exactly what source it came from…"

Brandon seemed intrigued. "And who exactly are you, boy?"

"O-oh, I forgot to introduce myself!" Tracey realized, flailing. Misty chuckled and calmed him down.

"It's fine," she said. "You're the one who got knocked into the pool, remember? Ah, Daisy, maybe you'd better get a dry outfit for him…"

Daisy snapped her fingers. "Leave it to me, sis! Clothes are definitely where I shine!" With that, she ran out of the main room, allowing Brandon to sigh a breath of relief.

"Ah, thanks, you two," Tracey said, looking mildly embarrassed. Then he looked to Brandon. "I'm Tracey Sketchit. I'm a longtime friend of Misty's and currently an assistant of Professor Oak at Pallet Town. We do a lot of researching, so we've been studying about various legendaries for a while now."

"You don't say," Brandon mused, now intrigued that he had inadvertently stumbled upon a colleague of a Pokémon Professor. "Professor Oak… if anyone in Kanto could give me details on Regigigas, surely it would be him. He's a student of Rowan's, after all."

Tracey nodded. "I think he could definitely give you a lead. I've even read up a bit on the Regi trio before, but I had no idea there was a fourth. And it's the leader, you say?"

"That is what has been said," Brandon affirmed. He was officially relieved that for once, a visit to the city was not a complete waste of his time. He was finally on a path rather than desperately digging up whatever clue he could find. "Would the Professor mind terribly if I were to stop by and discuss this matter with him?"

"I don't see why not," Tracey responded. "He loves having visitors over. Right, Misty?"

Misty smiled at him. "He certainly does! I'd like to visit him, myself. It's been way too long."

It was Brandon's turn to smile. "How soon could you bring me to him, boy? I am eager to speak with him as soon as possible."

"Ah-ah, I'm Tracey, remember?" Tracey pointed out, apparently missing Brandon's policy earlier on. "Tracey Sketchit, okay?"

Brandon held out a Brave Symbol before him. "Battle me, win, and I'll give you the distinct honor of calling you by your name. Are you gutsy enough to waste my time on such a matter when I have urgent business calling?"

That sufficiently snuffed out Tracey's bravado. "O-on second thought, there's always more derogatory terms out there than 'boy'! Guess I should be thankful, r-right…?"

"Indeed," Brandon agreed. "Now, how soon can you take me to the Professor?"

"Just as soon as I get some dry clothes on, probably!" Tracey nervously uttered. "Geez, I hope Daisy didn't forget where I put my things again…"

Misty rolled her eyes. Brandon scowled once again. Even when she wasn't present, Daisy was aggravating him. For once, he was glad he never had any daughters.

Not that Brandon's sons never gave him grief. Thousands of miles away in Canalave City, Paul continued to stare out the window thoughtfully as the rain continued to pour heavily.

"Paul…?"

His mind was still on Reggie. He still wondered where he was right now, and what he was doing. If he was still at home, taking care of all those Pokémon… or if he was in some unknown location, training with the team he originally assembled for epic battles over the years. It annoyed Paul to suddenly start thinking about him, as he often didn't… but he knew this was a unique situation. He simply couldn't help but wonder about his older brother, who would soon have to face their father and surely lose again. Paul wasn't sure if he was ready to do what he threatened to do to Reggie should he lose the battle.

"Paul…?"

Reggie was out of practice; Paul knew that much. He was so out of practice that it would take quite a bit of time for him to adapt to a trainer's mindset alone. To get himself strong enough to be on his father's level… it seemed virtually impossible, now that Paul thought about it. Even Reggie knew the odds were against him, yet he allowed Paul to threaten him the way he did… and Paul wasn't quite sure why. Reggie was the only one in the family still trying to make vain attempts to keep said family together. His loss would result in Paul making Reggie's dreams of having a full family again impossible… but then again, Paul remembered that it was already impossible. There was no way to bring his mother back from the dead. Paul was too young to remember her to still mourn her today, so it didn't bother him nearly as much as it did Reggie. No matter how Paul looked at it, Reggie had unfair advantages… everywhere.

"Excuse me, Paul…?"

Paul snapped back to reality as he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He whirled around to find Nurse Joy standing right behind him with a Pokéball in her hand.

"Oh…! Uh…" Paul immediately felt awkward. He looked away from the kindly nurse. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright," Nurse Joy assured, offering him the Pokéball. "I just wanted to let you know that your Weavile is fully restored."

"Ah, yes…" Paul should have figured as much. He accepted the Pokéball and nodded to Nurse Joy. "Thank you."

Nurse Joy bowed to him. "It was my pleasure. You're welcome to rest here as long as you need to, Paul. You don't look very well…"

"That's all in your head," Paul said, brushing her off. He went to gather his things before leaving the Center. Conway, meanwhile, was watching TV. "I'm far too busy to rest at the moment."

"Don't be stealing my umbrella, now…" Conway said almost threateningly, smiling as he said so. Paul could not see his expressions due to Conway being faced the other way. "I know where you live."

"A lot of good that'll do you," Paul grumbled as he walked over to where Conway was. "You said you wanted to see my Gym Battle, right? Well, I'm going on without you since you're obviously not intent on leaving anytime soon."

Conway raised a finger and waggled it. "Not so hasty, my friend-"

"I am not your friend!!"

"Touchy," Conway remarked with a smirk. "Anyway, you can spare a few minutes to watch the weather report. It'll be useful to know about the conditions ahead of time so you won't end up with another incident like earlier. By the way, you still have a cold. You're going to fight Byron while you're sick?"

The focus on Paul's apparent illness was aggravating him to no end. "I'm not sick, either! All things considered, I feel completely fine!"

"Your face is all flushed," Conway pointed out. "Very feverish. You've been sneezing all day. Shall I go on?"

"No, you shall not," Paul said with great emphasis on the latter part of his sentence. "I'll watch the stupid weather report if you insist, since I'll be aiming for Snowpoint City after this."

Conway nodded. "That's the harshest area of Sinnoh climate-wise. It's very important to keep up-to-date on the weather of that area. Then there are preparations to consider, but we'll wait until you get your Mine Badge before going into detail on that."

Paul looked horrified. "You are not following me to Snowpoint City."

"Free will says I can and shall do so," Conway claimed. "That's what you just said to me earlier today, remember?"

Paul grumbled, now wishing he hadn't said it. "Whatever. We'll deal with that obstacle as it comes. Oh, and before we leave, I need to give Weavile a little… 'pep talk' before the Gym Battle."

"Is that so?" Conway asked, amused. "Didn't you say you were going to release it?"

"I brought Weavile with me for a reason," Paul explained. "I'm testing its endurance in a Gym where it has a type disadvantage. Its performance there will tell me whether or not it deserves to stay with me."

Conway shook his head. "That's hardly fair. You know Weaviles by nature are typically glass cannons. They come in quickly, they attack quickly, but they also fall just as quickly… especially to a Pokémon that gives it a distinct disadvantage."

Paul cross his arms and looked away. "You may see it as unfair, but Weavile's been with me for a long time… since I traveled Johto. I caught it as a Sneasel and brought it up to be the powerhouse it is today. But regardless of the time I invested into it, I can always find a stronger Ice-type or a stronger Dark-type to replace it if I wanted to. So if it wants to make amateur mistakes and almost kill me and itself in the process, it can do so without me."

"Hm…" Conway considered this, but then shrugged. "Nope, sorry. It's still unfair in my eyes."

"Then it's a good thing your eyes don't matter," Paul said snidely. "Must be why you wear glasses."

"Low blow, Paul," Conway said with a sigh. "Low blow. –Ah! It's on, now. Come sit down."

Paul rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch with Conway. He sneezed in a rather untimely fashion, as it allowed Conway to smirk and continue to believe he was in the right about Paul being sick. Paul simply grumbled and focused on the TV. "This had better be quick…"

"Welcome back to Sinnoh Now! Your one-stop place for all topics hot and current happening in the Sinnoh region!" After the Sinnoh Now logo appeared, it faded to Rhonda sitting cheerfully at the news desk. "It's eight minutes past the hour, so it's time to cover what's going on in the world of weather! Or in Sinnoh's world, at least!" Rhonda added with a giggle.

The screen switched to a radar map of the Sinnoh region with all present systems displayed in their designated and current areas. Rhonda was at the side to go into detail of what was going on.

"As many of you already know, Jubilife City was slammed by a brief but powerful thunderstorm last night! Many had lost power, but as of now, it has since been restored. In its wake, the thunderstorm has left us a seemingly endless mass of heavy rain that covers Oreburgh City, Jubilife City, Canalave City, and the southern parts of Floaroma Town! Well, Floaroma Town certainly never complains when its beautiful flowers get a nice drink from the heavens, and they'll be getting their wish as the system continues to push up north. By the evening, the showers in the Jubilife and Canalave areas should move out completely. It'll still be cloudy, but at least it won't be such a nightmare to walk outside, right? Am I right?!"

"This woman is so irritating," Paul muttered. "No meteorologist should be this peppy."

Conway simply chuckled to himself. "I seriously doubt she has the qualifications of a meteorologist. She's just a weather girl who loves her job, apparently."

"As I said, this system is pushing north, so by nightfall, Iron Island and the Snowpoint area should start getting pounded. And as conditions in Snowpoint City have been worsening as of late with record-breaking low temperatures this week, a storm like this will only further dent that beautiful but frigid city! But you Snowpoint citizens are tough! You'll fight strongly to the end! … on that note, any Pokémon trainers aiming for Snowpoint City should use extreme caution when heading up to challenge Candice, or better yet, wait until this system passes through completely. But be wary, trainers! You'll only have a short time to get to Snowpoint City after that system passes, because another one is coming up behind it!" Rhonda's announcing never ceased to be energetic, but then she suddenly looked surprised. "Oh! And we have news on another system that has branched off and is over Veilstone City as we speak!"

At the mention of his hometown, Paul's expressions hardened. Conway took notice to this as the report continued.

"Yes, it seems Veilstone City is dodging a bullet, as it will be missing the majority of the heavily severe thunderstorms that are raging through Mt. Coronet. Trainers near Mt. Coronet should beware, however! There have been several reports of cloud-to-ground lightning in the area," Rhonda spoke in an ominous voice. "And some have even reported cyclone formations! Valley-effect weather is no laughing matter, trainers! So take caution and stay indoors if you're in that area. Thankfully, the worst parts of the storm should quickly dissipate. It'll be much safer to train tomorrow, trust me!"

Paul thought he should be relieved, knowing the worst parts of the storm were missing Veilstone City entirely, but for some reason still felt as if something were wrong… or had gone wrong… or was about to go wrong. Was it intuition, or was Paul simply paranoid? Paul himself had no idea. He personally didn't believe in brotherly intuition.

"No need to worry, Paul," Conway sung out. "If the severe storms missed Veilstone City, that means your brother is fine, correct?"

It was hard for Paul not to growl at Conway in annoyance. "Stealing that girl's stupid catchphrase… ah, but yes. If he chickened out on the training and stayed home, he should be fine."

Conway only smiled at the mention of Dawn. In a negative or positive light, it always brightened up his mood. "You're certain he stayed home?"

"Almost positive," Paul said, completely sure of himself. "He hasn't taken his training seriously in years. He may be too nice and ridiculously naïve, but even if he were training, he wouldn't be stupid enough to train out in areas where lightning's striking and cyclones are about."

"Why don't you give him a call so you're undeniably positive?" Conway innocently suggested.

Paul looked away abruptly. "That won't be happening. Alright, we've got our weather news." He stood up from the couch and turned the TV off. "Satisfied? Can we go now?"

Conway stood up as well, yawning and stretching himself out. "Yeah, that should do for now. Weren't you going to give Weavile that little talk, though?"

"Ah, right," Paul said, nearly forgetting about it due to his impatience. He brought out Weavile's Pokéball and glared at it. He then glanced at Conway from the corner of his eye. "I'd prefer to accomplish that without your company. Make yourself useful and assemble our belongings so we can get out of here immediately after this."

"As you wish," Conway conceded, distancing himself from Paul and gathering up everything that belonged to them.

Meanwhile, Paul went to a quiet corner, all the while glaring at the Pokéball. He thought back to the earlier events that morning… and then sneezed. He truly was beginning to not feel very well… but he shook it off, because he knew he had to be firm with Weavile in order to get his point across.

In a low, quiet voice, Paul muttered "Weavile, standby." He pressed the button and half-heartedly tossed the ball a very short distance. Out came a fully-healed Weavile, ready for battle.

"Weav…!" It shouted out with enthusiasm before seeing the dark, indignant look on its trainer's face. It quickly stood at attention, finishing its introduction with a much quieter and humbled "… Vile."

"We're at Canalave City now," Paul informed. "We'll be having our Gym Battle soon. I relied on you to get us here, Weavile, and you failed miserably. Your shortcomings almost killed both of us."

Weavile recoiled from Paul's scathing tone as it began to remember the events earlier that day. Weavile had put every ounce of energy it had into that Surf and Ice Beam combination… and even beforehand, Weavile knew the mission was a risky one. It looked down to its feet in shame, being told that it did in fact fail to fully carry out Paul's orders.

Paul felt no remorse for what he was saying, however. He found every bit of it justified and refused to take any blame for the incident. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Weavile!"

Slightly stumbling from the shock of the power in its trainer's voice, Weavile obeyed Paul and reluctantly faced Paul, now able to see the full extent of his true anger and disappointment.

"The only reason we're here now is because we had help from some outsiders," Paul explained, glaring at Conway from a distance from the corner of his eye. "What you've done is normally unforgivable. I had considered releasing you here and now."

"W-Weav…!" However tough it liked to act, Weavile always broke down if it heard this kind of threat, and it hadn't been the first time Paul threatened to release it. Distinctly, it remembered having this kind of talk shortly after Paul was completely humiliated by Cynthia in battle. However, as most of Paul's Pokémon proved to be just as useless against the Sinnoh Champion, he let it slide, knowing it was unwise to release the majority of his team all at once simply because he lost a battle that had a forgone conclusion from the beginning.

Annoyed that he was about to say something relatively nicer soon, Paul closed his eyes and refused to face his Pokémon. "However, I brought you here to fight against Byron. This was to test your endurance. Apparently, your endurance is lacking, Weavile. Real-life experiences have shown me that. Now I want to see if the same is true for Pokémon battles. Since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you another chance and keep you on with me if you help me win this Gym Battle."

Hearing this filled Weavile with hope. It almost couldn't believe it was being given a second chance, and gratefully cheered "Wea-Wea!" to its trainer. However, Paul held out his hand and made a gesture to stop the victory celebration.

"This isn't the time to get lazy," Paul warned. "Because you didn't let me finish. I will stay true to my word: win the Mine Badge for me, and you can stay. But if you are knocked out and unable to battle at any time against Byron, I will release you immediately after this Gym Battle."

"W-Weav…" This rained on Weavile's parade. It knew it was coming up against a primarily Steel-typed Gym: a type that was resistant to Ice as well as being super-effective against Ice. The way it had been trained was to end battles quickly against Pokémon it had advantages against before its own weaknesses could be exploited. While Weavile was an expert dodger, its endurance against super-effective attacks was pitiful. This was not just as a result of Paul's method of training, but by the nature of the Weavile species itself.

However, Weavile knew what was on the line now. It made some flashy poses by jabbing at the air at lightning-quick speed with its claws, telling Paul it fully understood what must be done. "Weeeeavile!"

Paul nodded. "We're understood, then. It seems you still know when to keep your emotions in check in a tight situations; this is a good thing. I'll expect nothing but your best performance, Weavile." He held up its Pokéball. "Return."

Having finished the so-called "pep talk", Paul sighed and turned around and walked towards Conway, who was true to his word and gathered both of their belongings so that they could leave the Pokémon Center immediately.

Conway still looked skeptical about Paul's decision. "Well, this is the last call," he said. "You're absolutely certain you're going through with this before taking care of your cold?"

"Will you shut up about that already?" Paul complained, grabbing his things. "I'm not sick in the least. I…" He was suddenly cut off by coughing, and Conway raised an eyebrow at him. Paul only glared back in return. "It's this stupid weather! Probably allergies. Let's just get out of here, already. Before I have an even greater urge to ditch you."

"Umbrella-less?" Conway reminded, opening up his own large umbrella. "Hah, nice try."

Paul rolled his eyes as they both exited the Pokémon Center en route to the Canalave Gym. Along the way, they passed the library, which Conway couldn't help but gaze at as they continued to walk by it.

"Hm, since I'm doing all of these favors for you, Paul… may I make a request?" Conway asked straightforwardly.

"Huh?" Paul looked up and realized the building they were passing by. "Oh, right. The library. Well… I've had enough of traveling from city to city today. Spending the night here should be fine."

Conway smiled. Cruel as Paul was, at least he knew how to hold up his end of a bargain. "Would you like to join me after your battle, Paul? It might be worth your while."

Paul huffed at such an idea. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because, Canalave's Library is notorious for holding several informative books on rare and powerful Pokémon, like I told you before," Conway reminded. "You're certainly one who's interested in maximizing your team's power. There may be something of relevance to you; you never know. It's worth a look."

Then, it hit Paul. Conway had said the library contained information about legendary Pokémon. His father was on the hunt for a legendary Pokémon, and Reggie was on borrowed time. Paul wondered if perhaps there was information on Regigigas within the library that would be unavailable to Brandon, who was stuck far away in Kanto. If he were to obtain the crucial information first, Paul would be the one in control of both his father and his older brother if he withheld the information. Perhaps out of mercy, he would let Reggie know about the information but withhold it from Brandon until Reggie was ready to battle him. He would find it pathetic of Reggie to be so reliant on him, but Paul wondered if he would be as thankful for such a merciful act if he and his brother switched positions. While Paul held no respect for his brother, he borderline despised his father. He would always side with Reggie before siding with Brandon.

"Goodness," Conway remarked. "Your mind flies off to the moon even quicker than mine does."

"Hm…?" Paul blinked as his thoughts were disturbed. Instead of taking offense to Conway's teasing, he looked to his acquaintance very seriously. "Well, for once… you have a point," Paul admitted. "I'll go to the library with you after my Gym Battle."

"Oh, delightful!" Conway exclaimed, possibly overjoyed. "It'll be so much more fun to have a reading partner."

Paul shook his head. "I'd rather do the research on my own. I have reasons to go there rather than filling my head with even more useless Pokémon trivia."

"Is that so?" Conway asked, looking interested. "I'll have to ask you about that after your battle, because look where we are already…"

Paul looked up and found himself facing the Canalave Gym. Holding down another cough, he grinned and looked upwards. "Excellent. Everything is going according to plan. Get ready, Byron. I'm going to wipe the floor with you."

"Ooh, ominous," Conway tauntingly commented.

Paul grumbled and made his way inside. "Shut it, Conway." Conway himself had nothing to say to that; he simply followed the younger trainer into the Gym to witness the showdown that was about to take place.

Elsewhere, near Mt. Coronet, the severe thunderstorms still raged on. The wind gusts were strong enough to be almost deafening and Reggie's Pokémon were having a hard time being able to stay on the ground, let alone fight as viciously as he ordered them to.

As they threw their attacks at each other, Reggie's Pokémon still couldn't quite comprehend why they had to train this way. This went against everything Reggie had ever taught them in the past, and even if it was for a special occasion… never before had they seen their trainer mentally snap.

By this point, Infernape was severely injured. It was craving for a Potion or a Sitrus Berry, or anything… even a break from the fighting. It found itself backed up against a tree. Infernape found the will to fight its trainer and caretaker, but still could not immerse itself in the rage of battle the way Reggie forced himself to. However, all reservations had left Reggie at this point, and he was clearly no longer himself. Infernape never thought him to possibly look so fierce, but with every strike of lightning that shot across the sky, the kind breeder seemed every bit as dark as his younger brother.

Reggie himself was battered, bruised, bloody (and still rendered with a fractured hand that he insisted on fighting with, no matter how much it hurt him), and was finally looking exhausted. He still intended to follow through on his promise: to fight Infernape until only one was left standing. He grinned to Infernape, having it cornered, as he prepared his next attack.

"So, this is how it goes down…" Reggie uttered between breaths. "Seems like I'm the winner. That reflects horribly on you and the rest. You'll never be successful if you can't beat m-" He suddenly paused. Infernape looked up, feeling as if something wrong was about to happen.

Ampharos abruptly ceased the fighting with Bibarel and Marowak to look towards the Reggie/Infernape battle scene. It could also sense disaster approaching. "Ampha!!" It screeched, putting all battling to a halt. Even Reggie slightly heard its Pokémon's cries over the howling winds, but then came the biggest warning sign of all.

Reggie could feel his hair standing on end.

He whirled around quickly to see his Starter Pokémon lying against the tree. It was clear what was going to happen. But Reggie was born from a man who didn't know the meaning of the word "quit". If there was anything he truly inherited from his father, it was that. Instinctively, he leaped towards the tree to shove Infernape out of the immediate area, the latter of which was in too much pain to escape on its own.

Reggie succeeded, pushing Infernape away from the tree and ended up rolling it down a hill on accident. However, it was a convenient accident, as the next thing that happened was a flash of light and a sound reminiscent of an exploding bomb.

The shockwave of a lightning bolt striking the tree was strong enough to knock all Pokémon off their feet as they watched in horror of what they were witnessing. It was instantaneous, but to Reggie's Pokémon, time felt as if it slowed down for them all. But eventually, the blinding light receded. Residents of the more distant areas of Sinnoh heard the ominous thunder, and those closer were witness to the bolt of lightning, though did not see it strike anything. Even in Veilstone City, the lightning was strong enough to send out a brief flash across the sky, disturbing citizens who happened to be outdoors at that time.

Maylene was one of those people; she was in the backyard feeding the breeding center's Pokémon. Knowing Reggie was out there somewhere, though not sure where specifically, she became concerned.

"He'd know better than to be out in this," Maylene acknowledged. "But it wouldn't hurt to call him, just to make sure he's alright…"

It was a very good decision on the Veilstone Gym Leader's part, because the trainer who usually knew better was now lifelessly on the ground in front of a tree that was almost completely split in half due to the lightning strike. Reggie was effectively fried; potentially fatally fried.

His Pokémon were quick to rush over to him, and Infernape quickly climbed the hill to see what had happened. They all cried out to Reggie, hoping he would hear them, but much to their horror, he did not respond in any way. Staraptor nudged its beak against Reggie's face in hopes of getting some kind of reaction, but its trainer remained silent and still.

While Bibarel tried to assist Staraptor in reviving their trainer, Infernape could faintly hear a ringing sound in the distance coming from the direction of where Reggie left his belongings prior to the beginning of the training session. Knowing the Pokémon could not help their trainer alone in this desolate area, Infernape rushed over to find that Reggie's PokéGear was indeed ringing.

Being a Pokémon, Infernape did not exactly know how human technology worked, but had watched Reggie use such gadgets several times over the years. There was only one button to press, so Infernape went ahead and pressed it. It looked excited when it could hear Maylene's voice from the other end.

"Reggie? Are you there…? It's… it's Maylene… w-wait, what is that noise?" What she was hearing was the fierce wind still blowing about the place. It didn't take her long to figure that out.

"I can't believe this! Reggie, do you have any idea how dangerous it probably is over there?!" Maylene shouted in frustration. "You know better than to do this!" Suddenly, she realized she should have heard Reggie reply by now. She grew worried. "R-Reggie…? Say something…"

Infernape easily recognized Maylene's voice, but knew Reggie was unable to come to answer the call in his condition. Not able to speak the human language, Infernape hoped its panicked cries across the PokéGear would get through to Maylene and tell her that something has indeed gone wrong.

"Huh?" Maylene was confused. "Infernape, what're you doing with Reggie's PokéGear?" She was more surprised that a Pokémon would know how to even use one, but as she continued to listen to Infernape's cries, she gasped. "Y-you sound… really freaked out, Infernape! Did something happen to Reggie?!"

"Infernape, nape!" Infernape yelped, trying to make it sound like an affirmative sound. Regardless of that, its worry was well-reflected in its voice, and Maylene could tell that something had gone wrong. Immediately, she went over to a computer while continuing to talk to Infernape on the PokéGear.

"Listen to me, Infernape, you have to stay on the line with me until I can trace where your call is coming from!" Maylene instructed. "If Reggie really is in trouble, I have to find out where you are so we can help him!"

She was handy enough with the computer to work with it while under pressure, at least, which was a good thing. Not able to find out what happened to Reggie through Infernape worried her sick over what became of him. If he were lost, if he were already dead… but just as that morbid thought crossed her mind, she got a lock on the signal. "Got it! Thanks for staying on with me, Infernape. I'm gonna hang up now so I can call for back-up, and we'll be right over! If Reggie's there with you, do whatever you can to keep him safe! I'll see you soon!"

Maylene bit her lip nervously as she hung up and started calling for reinforcements. "Near the base of Mt. Coronet… that's exactly where the worst part of the storm is. Sounded like Infernape was right in the thick of it, too. Oh… I just hope I'm not too late!"

"Reggie…"

His eyes were still closed, but he was oddly conscious. At least, he was conscious enough to hear and recognize the ethereal voice calling out to him.

"Who…?"

"Reggie…"

"… Is that…?" He whispered out in vain. Try as he might, Reggie was unable to open his eyes, but smiled when a warm light enveloped him.

"Open your eyes."

"No… way…" Reggie mumbled out of disbelief rather than denying the request. "You couldn't be… but if you're… talking to me, then I…"

"Open your eyes and you will be able to see me for as long as you like," the distinctively female voice gently told him. Already warm and comfortable, Reggie felt even better when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around his body. He remembered being held like this before. "My sweet Reggie…"

That cinched it for him. "M-Mom…"

He still couldn't see her, but the arms holding him felt distinctly like hers. The soft and gentle voice perfectly matched hers. Reggie swore he could feel her long, dark violet hair against his chin once more. Though his eyes were closed, Reggie's face could not possibly express more joy than they were now. "Y-you're really… you came back…"

"I am afraid that is not so," the voice, presumably his mother's, regretfully informed. "It was not I who came back, but you who left."

The smile faded away from Reggie's face. "I… I died… trying to save Infernape…"

Those soft, familiar hands stroked Reggie's back comfortingly as he let it all sink in. "I've been lonely for many years without you and the others, Reggie… things have not turned out as I wished, did they?"

Reggie reflected on what he had inadvertently left behind him: an emotionally-distant father who refused to acknowledge hi s own sons as anything more than opponents, and a younger brother who forgot his mother's love entirely to the point where he threw the very idea of love out in favor of power. All three were far away from each other… nothing like the family their mother wished for them to continue being after her death. "I… I'm so sorry, mom…" Reggie apologized as a tear fell down his still-closed eye. "I did everything I could to keep us together, but…"

"Sometimes, the things we wish for are unreasonable things," his mother explained. "Before I lost my life, I constantly wished for a stronger body… one not so susceptible to the illnesses that put an end to me. But I could not change that any more than I could stop the sun from rising and setting, Reggie."

"Sometimes, life isn't fair… I learned that the hard way," Reggie admitted. "But still… I was powerless to stop our family from shattering. You were the glue who held us together, mom. I wished with all my strength to become that glue in your place… a-and I failed you. I failed you, and I failed dad… I'm even a failure in the eyes of Paul."

There was a brief period of silence before his mother responded. "You've grown so much, my dear… but even now, you say the most childish things sometimes."

"That's… that's because…" Reggie attempted to cry out. "I had to grow up so soon!"

"You honestly wanted to become a breeder, just like me?"

"I didn't realize it after I lost to father," Reggie admitted. "I wanted to continue where you left off… accomplish what you couldn't because you died too soon…"

"Yet you lost your life attempting to do what your father and brother do," his mother pointed out. "Because you were so desperate to prove your point, to honor me… how can you imagine a mother would feel, knowing she lost her son like that?"

"I-I'm sorry," Reggie said, ashamed of himself. "I guess… I deserve to die after what I did. I threw away all of my years of breeder experience to essentially torture my Pokémon, because I knew my usual methods weren't going to get me anywhere… but that's no excuse for what I've done."

"I see you have yet to open your eyes," his mother noted, without even having to look at her son's face. "You regret going out this way."

"Of course I do!" Reggie exclaimed. "Now I'll never be able to carry out your work, and Paul and dad… they'll only get worse from here. All the same… I've been dying to see you again, mom…"

"You should not be content with your position if you feel you have unfinished business in your life," his mother noted. "Of course, I do not feel content in the least… but I was powerless to fight the toxins in my weak body. But, Reggie… you were born healthy and strong like your father. You aren't held back with physical limitations."

"I'm not…?" Reggie was confused. "But… but you said I died…"

"You're within the light, but weigh yourself down with your regrets, your unfinished business… and never open your eyes. Because you have a strong body, you can survive this. But you mustn't give into temptation, Reggie. Do not give up your chance to return to your life just to look at your mother," she warned him. "In my arms… this should be enough…"

Reggie sighed. "You think I actually serve a purpose? I single-handedly erased every good deed I've ever done in my life by pulling the stunt I did today! Who would even want me back now?"

"You only believe so, but your Pokémon forgive you… your friends and family will all forgive you. They know what you are going through, and you are greatly admired for persevering," his mother told him. "I will have a hard time forgiving you if you give in to temptation now, Reggie. No matter what you've done, you did so with your heart in the right place. Keep trying to succeed… because your loss now will inevitably bring the rest of the family into the afterlife sooner than you think. I can feel it…"

"W-wait, what?" Reggie was confused, but did as his mother instructed and did not open his eyes, though he could not deny the temptation was great. "What are you talking about?"

Reggie's spiritual mother released her hold on her son and set her hands on his shoulders, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "You must focus on bringing your spiritual being back into your body before it is too late. I fear your brother was not born to be as fortunate as you are. You must remain alive to guide him… save him." She began to send him down. Where, exactly, was not apparent, but in some metaphorical way, it seemed Reggie was being pulled back into the tangible world.

"Remember that I love all of you… and I still remain alive in your hearts…"


"MOM!!" Reggie cried out, reaching out to his mother but no longer able to feel her. In his desperation, he tried to get a glimpse of his mother before they were separated again, but all Reggie saw before him was a hospital bed with him in it in a hospital room. "Huh…?"

He heard some joyous gasps of relief nearby. Reggie looked to his side to see all of his Pokémon and Maylene sitting next to his bed, finding it a miracle that their dear friend had come back to life against the odds.

"Maylene…?" He asked out loud, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Fighting back the tears, Maylene nodded to confirm this was reality. Reggie looked to his Pokémon. "Infernape… all of you…"

They were battled and bruised, all worse for wear due to the training regimen (especially Infernape). The bad parts of reality flew at Reggie like bullets as he began to look depressed. Though he managed to sit up in bed all on his own, Reggie noticed the various amounts of bandages wrapped around his body. His entire right hand was bandaged up; the one he had fractured during his fight with Infernape. His other Pokémon were bandaged up appropriately.

Just to be sure, Reggie did a full scan of the room once more. "Mom…? Where's…"

This worried Maylene. "Reggie… don't you remember?" she asked quietly. "She's…"

"Dead…" Reggie finished for her. He could have sworn he was just talking to her, but now he knew what happened. He remembered what he did for the sake of strength and power. It was disturbing for the Pokémon and Maylene to see the usually-calm and collected Reggie shaking as he brought his hands to his face. He looked as if he were about to sob.

"She's… sh-she's dead, and I… that was just a…"

Maylene shook her head, now unable to fight back her tears now that she was seeing Reggie's. "It must have been an awful nightmare… I'm sorry, Reggie…"

Reggie vehemently shook his head. "N-no! It was good! She was talking to me…! She held me and kissed me… a-and she told me to keep going!"

Now hi s Pokémon were officially worried again. Maylene was determined to keep him back in reality where he belonged, however. "Reggie, they said you were struck by lightning… you must have suffered one of those near-death experiences. Your life flashing before your very eyes, your…"

"No!!" Reggie cried out in defiance. "I wasn't reliving the past! She was telling me not to let myself die! None of you believe me, do you?!"

Maylene inched back a bit; she was officially afraid, as she never saw this side of Reggie before. By now, it was a wonder if anyone had ever seen this side of Reggie, as his Pokémon certainly hadn't. "Reggie, please…" she pleaded. "Calm down. We're all so happy to have you back…"

"Stop lying!" he spat. Reggie's eyes hardened; he was looking similar to the psychotic state he was in before he was struck by lightning once more. Maylene could now see a true resemblance of Brandon and Paul within him… both inside and out. "You're not 'all' happy to have me back! Where's my dad, huh?! Where's my brother?! Absolutely nowhere!!"

Just to show his anger and frustration, Reggie's non-broken hand slid behind the side table and proceeded to knock everything off to crash onto the hard hospital floor. Maylene flinched as she heard something break. Under her breath, she weakly begged, "Reggie… please stop…"

"You know why they're not here! You know exactly why!" Reggie shouted, pointing at Maylene. "Neither of them couldn't care less about me! I'm the embarrassment of their family! And being the weak link of this family will never give me the victory I need! I'll make them both regret the-"

"What's going on here?!" shouted a Nurse Joy approaching the scene. She noticed the mess Reggie had made and the furious state he was in. "Oh, thank goodness, you survived!"

Maylene rushed over to Nurse Joy. "He's alive, but he's snapped! I-I don't know what triggered it! What's wrong with him?!"

Nurse Joy looked shocked at this, but regained her calmness quickly. "Perhaps that's the anesthetic wearing off…"

Maylene flinched as she watched Reggie continue to destroy whatever he could get his hands on. "With all due respect, Nurse Joy, I don't think pain's the only reason! This isn't like him at all…"

"Perhaps you're right," Nurse Joy admitted, taking out a syringe full of powerful anesthesia. "Regardless, we'll need to calm him down before we can do a proper diagnosis. Can you help restrain him for me, Maylene?"

Initially, the thought frightened her, but her Lucario also happened to be present at the time, and he glared at her. That was enough to straighten her out.

"Lucario and I can both do it; no problem. Do what you have to, Nurse Joy. Let's go, Lucario!"

Both Gym Leader and Pokémon restrained Reggie from both sides, but were surprised at the hidden physical strength Reggie possessed. He was harder to hold back that it looked. "P-please hurry!" Maylene begged as she struggled. "I didn't think he had this kind of strength within him…!"

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied, going over to inject the syringe into Reggie's arm. Within moments, Reggie's resistance stopped and slouched, looking and feeling limp. "There. That should keep him sedated long enough for us to figure out what's ailing him."

Maylene stepped back, now looking upset. "In all of the years I've known him, I've never seen him fly into a fit of rage before… his dad and brother covered that area well enough. But Reggie… huh?"

Infernape tapped Maylene to get her attention. "What is it, Infernape?"

"Innnnfer," it mumbled, gesturing to its own wounds before pointing to Reggie's.

While examining Reggie, Nurse Joy paused. "I believe Infernape is trying to remind you about the wounds Reggie sustained prior to getting struck by lightning. The patterns matched Infernape's perfectly."

Maylene gasped and glared at Infernape. "What?! How could you do that to your own trainer when he's-"

"You didn't let me finish," Nurse Joy interrupted. "Reggie was undoubtedly attacked by Infernape several times. But at the same time… the nature of his fractured hand seems to be self-inflicted."

Infernape nodded.

"On the other hand, Infernape was also injured although it was not struck by lightning. While you were in the waiting room, we analyzed the wounds of all the Pokémon, and…"

"And? What?" Maylene asked, not sure if she wanted to know.

"All of the Pokémon aside from Infernape were fighting each other. If Reggie was out training like you said, that isn't out of the ordinary. But the beating that Infernape suffered… all of that came from Reggie himself."

Maylene could almost feel herself going faint. "What…? So then… then you two were fighting each other…?" She looked down with a pained look to Infernape. With a solemn nod, Infernape answered her question without a word.

"Reggie must have requested it himself," Nurse Joy speculated. "Especially after seeing that fiery attitude before we sedated him… he's hit a sudden violent streak contrary to his nature."

"You… mean to say that…" Maylene uttered before sitting down, but her eyes were wide open. "Reggie was like this before the lightning struck him?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "I'm afraid so. He didn't act strangely around you before leaving his breeding center in your care, did he?"

"Not at all!" Maylene exclaimed. "He was the perfectly happy, casual, normal Reggie we all knew and loved… from the moment I arrived at this place and well after he left it to me. Thing is, it hasn't even been a full day since he left to train…"

"Would you say he's had a stressful life?" Nurse Joy asked her as she continued to examine her sedated patient. "I'm aware his mother died a few years ago… his father is that famous Frontier Brain…"

Maylene sighed. "He's handled his life better than I would've if it were me in his shoes. The family's split apart and hated each other ever since she died. I can't imagine the responsibility Reggie had to undertake with Paul and the other Pokémon once his father left for Kanto. And after all that, Paul just totally disrespects him, and their dad hardly tries to interact with them anymore… all because neither of them can defeat him in battle. It sounds like overwhelming stress to me. I don't know how Reggie pulled through that kind of thing all his life with a smile… and that sweet personality." She looked to Nurse Joy. "Why, do you… do you think all of that was just a lie? That Reggie never was that nice guy?"

"Never!" Nurse Joy insisted. "However, enduring immeasurable amounts of stress and holding it all in can be… very unhealthy, both for the body and mind. Everyone has a breaking point. And if this kind of personality is in his genes combined with a hard family life, then… we could be looking at something far more serious than an innocent young man who just seriously needs to vent."

"Wh-what… are you saying, Nurse Joy?" Maylene nervously asked. Again, she feared the answer.

Nurse Joy looked to the young Gym Leader sternly. "We'll need to run more tests, but I'll give you a preliminary diagnosis now, since the evidence is pointing in this direction: Reggie… most likely has borderline personality disorder. There may or may not be a link to bipolarity or dissociative personality disorder. We may need him to be fully conscious before we know all of the details… but signs are pointing in that general direction."

"All this time…?" Maylene looked down and suddenly felt guilty, as if she should have caught onto this before even though she'd never seen Reggie act like anything other than ordinary Reggie.

Nurse Joy looked to the sedated young man with pity. "For now, all I can say is that it will be a long road to recovery for Reggie if he wants to overcome this… and he won't be able to do it alone."

( TBC )