After Ash and Looker returned to camp, they realized everyone was there, unharmed and awaiting the return of their friends. After parking the bike, Ash got down to sit under the Pyramid's shade silently, trying to make heads or tails of what he witnessed. Noticing his somber attitude, everyone gathered around him, only for Looker to catch their attention next.

"All of you, listen up. I've something very important to say to all of you." Looker said, gaining the attention of everyone. "I need to tell you why this place is such a touchy subject for me."

"Well go on and tell us. Any info you have can help us locate the people who wanted to harm Ash's family." Alain said, hoping that the man finally would withhold no more truths from the group.

"The truth is that I've been to this Region before. Early in my career at Interpol, twenty years ago, my team and I were dispatched to this place to solve an illegal fighting ring circuit that cropped up. Back then, Orre was a beautiful place, nothing like it was now, or even after what we did." Looker began to say, gaining a lot more intense stares at him as he said this.

"You came to stop a fighting ring circuit? How's that different from what other Regions do with Pokémon Leagues or Gym Battles?" Brock questioned, curious about what he meant.

"It was nothing like what we consider ethical. These fights were, and still are, to the death. Ash and I witnessed such a fight before we met up with you just now." Looker said sorrowfully, the whole group choking on their words, shocked at this new unearthed truth, only looking towards Ash to think what might be going on in his mind.

"My team and I entered the Region, shortly afterward is when we met Cipher, a group of individuals who promised the people of the Region care. The Region was losing resources due to this damn Desert. Half of this Region's landmass is pure sterile sand. Nobody can grow food here, and the only clean water source for miles was where some of the Illegal fighting was being held: Phenec." Looker said, this barrage of new info almost scaring his company.

"So then, what did you do?" Sawyer asked, almost afraid of what was to happen next.

"When we met Cipher, they had incredibly technological advances. They're ability to create gadgets that would help people live on this rock bought the people's loyalty. This Region used to be a big hub for trade back in the day, but when the lands started becoming mysteriously infertile and desolate, the Regions we live in pulled out of trade deals. The Region was made completely isolated, and we did nothing to help these people." Looker said bitterly, questioning who decided that such action should be taken.

"So when these Cipher guys came into the picture, they were like Orre's saviors. So when my team went into Orre to solve an issue that expanded into Kanto and Johto, the people weren't too kind to us. We were attacked by the locals, harassed, driven off. We turned our backs on them, only to come back later and police them after we left them with bits and scraps. To say we were a public enemy would be an understatement." Looker continued, his words beginning to show remorse and sorrow with every next sentence.

"So what happened next?" Ash asked, finally raising his head from his hands.

"Cipher happened. We went into a town by the name of Pyrite, looking for the fighting circuit. What we got was an ambush led by that man we met earlier, Nascour. They dropped half of us before we could even react. My commanding officer, Officer Chou did all he could with his Arcanine to protect us from the attack, but it was no good." Looker began to say, as tears began to well up in his face.

"After a while, me and Chou were the only surviving members of our squad. We ran and ran as fast as we could, trying to save our own skins, but we were set upon by Nascour. He struck Chou in the leg with something I wasn't able to even see, and just like that, I was up against that monster alone. My Croagunk and I fought for as long as we could, but it wasn't enough. I was left on the brink of death and I lost sight of my Croagunk. I only could believe he was killed, but when I felt like I was all alone, Chou saved me. In his last moments, he gave me his Arcanine and told me to run. Run and never look back." Looker said, wiping his eyes in his jacket to dry his tears.

"I knew Chou for years in the academy. He was my mentor and inspiration, but more importantly, he was my friend. For years, I've tried to put the past behind me. I knew that if I returned here, I'd most surely die, and doing that would dishonor Chou's dying wish for me to live. And now after thinking I finally put this whole thing behind me, more people I care about are being harmed by the very people who almost killed me and killed my friends and Pokémon." Looker said, a serious and strong tone now forming in his voice.

"Perhaps I can avenge Chou by ending that bastard Nascour off, but what I intend to do first and foremost is ensure Ash's family is safe and these madmen are brought to justice. I swear on my life that I will keep this promise!" Looker said proudly, putting his left hand to his heart and gesturing to Ash with his other. "Let us save your family, Ash!"

"Yeah!" Ash said, grabbing the officer's hand with his own, a firm shake being shared between the two, putting the past behind them and determined to shaper Orre's future for the better.

And as the other's grinned at the two's interaction, Anabel turned her attention to the map, where she spoke up.

"Pyrite huh? Well then why don't we go there next?" The psychic suggested, showing the group the map as she pointed out. "After all, it's only a few miles West of us."

"Did you not just hear Looker, Anabel? What if going back there brings back bad memories?" Brock asked, concerned about the older man's mental state after having to recount the tale of such a clearly painful memory.

Upon the woman saying these things, Looker pondered his options.

"Sorry, after having to recount that memory, I don't know if I'll be composed enough to go there. To those who do go, remember that to lay low and only ever use your Pokémon if you need to." The officer stated, the others shaking their heads in understanding.

"I need to go, that's for sure. That guy Brock and I met will be expecting me at this Pyrite Town anyways." Ash said, standing up from his seat.

"Then I'm coming with you." Alain said, putting his hand on Ash's shoulder. "You might need backup here, and I'm not exactly looking to sit down and down nothing on this trip."

"Thanks Alain." Ash said, grateful for his friend's commitment to his cause. "So Sawyer, what about you? Want to come with us?"

"Actually I was hoping Sawyer would stay with us this time around. The more we swap up out groups patterns, the better. Perhaps you and Alain should go in alone." Looker suggested, taking the map from Anabel's hands and giving it to Ash.

"Makes sense I suppose. Let's get a move on Alain." Ash said, walking towards a Cyber Bike.

"Yeah..." Alain said, grabbing some water for him and Ash before they took off, leaving the rest of the group to unpack and sort through the supplies Ash and Looker bought in Phenec.

As the two began speeding off to the west, Ash began swiping through the data pad. Apparently the pad gave descriptions of the Towns and Cities that dotted the landscape. Upon reading the description of Pyrite being a town centered around casinos and gambling as well as hosting a colosseum involving blood sport. Swallowing from his nervousness, Ash put the pad in his back pocket, strengthening his grip on Alain's waist as the two drove to town.

Upon reaching their destination, Ash and Alain safely stowed away their vehicle behind a rock. As the sun began the set, the red rock canyon the town resided in grew darker. However, before Ash and Alain could comment on it, bright neon lights light up, the night sky becoming filled with many colors as the signs blazed to life.

As the two began to walk into town, Alain asked Ash a question that had been bothering him ever since Brock told him about their encounter with the man in the blue trench coat. "So Ash, how do you exactly plan to find this guy anyways? He never gave you a location or address beyond the town name itself, so how are we gonna find him?" Alain said, gently reaching to meet Ash's ear to speak, partly due to the noise and activity in the streets as well as to avoid having people listen in on them.

"Well, this town is based upon gambling. Perhaps we can maybe find him in one of these casinos." Ash said, examining which of the buildings the two would go into. "I'd say split up, but frankly I don't think that a good idea."

"Agreed wholeheartedly. Why not try that one first?" Alain suggested in reply, picking a building out at random, as the two had no other leads to go on.

"Sure thing." Ash accepted, the two now making their way to large green building.

Walking in through the doors, Ash and Alain were introduced to a wide open casino floor, with slot machines on each side of the hall and roulette and blackjack tables dotted in the center, a bar up a set of stairs, while at the very end where the bar's balcony overlooked the main hall, a stage could be seen at the very end of the building, a small musical number being sung by a woman in a red dress, accompanied by a Gardevoir and a Lopunny as the patrons of the casino looked on in enjoyment, eyeing the trio and mentally undressing them with their eyes.

"Let's hit up the bar." Ash suggested, betting the barkeep would have knowledge of the Region and all their customers.

"Didn't think you were that kind of guy, frankly." Alain said, snickering at Ash's comment.

"Shut up." Ash laughed, nudging his old friend in a joking manner. "No, what I mean is with that balcony where the bar is located, we could easily scope out our guy if he's on the casino floor.

"Good idea, Ash." Alain said, surprised at how well thought out Ash's idea was, impressed at how he already thought of a way to exploit the building's layout to spot their man as effectively as they could.

Heading up to the second floor, Ash sat down at a table looking over the balcony, while Alain fetched the two drinks, coming to sit with his friend soon after. After a while at glancing down at the people below, Ash and Alain couldn't see anyone who matched the same description as the man Ash met in Phenec did. After thinking the first building was a bust, the two began to get up, but as soon as they did, a young woman approached them.

She was a small brunette haired girl, with two distinct pig tails forming at the ends. She was dressed in a white shirt and short jeans. Her eyes were a deep blue, and it was almost as if the girl was peering into their souls. Trying to not make any rash moves, Ash tried to negotiate his way out of a possibly dangerous confrontation.

"Sorry miss, we were just heading out." Ash said, scratching his head to get into a character.

"You boys seem to be looking for something. What might you need help with?" The girl asked the two in a friendly tone.

"We were just looking for someone, but apparently he's not here." Ash said, making his way to the stairs, only for the girl's arm to block his escape.

"Hmm. So you're the two he spoke of? You don't look like much." The girl exclaimed rudely.

"Follow me, and you'll find who you're looking for. Break from the path or try to run, and you'll pay the price." The girl continued, a threat being issued to the two should they walk away.

"Ah, so he is here then. And here I was beginning to think I wouldn't get an audience." Ash replied in a sassy tone, returning the girl's rude manners back. "Very well then, lead the way."

Leading the pair out of the building, the girl took the two with them closely down the long road, heading North-West for a while. As the neon lights of the casino began to dim behind them, the girl led Ash and Alain to an incredibly disheveled building, one that seemed to be an old school house. Walking around the side, Ash looked around the building, noticing the countless broken and boarded up windows. Walking to the back of the school, there stood a lone man in a blue hood and grey pants.

As the trio made their way to him, the girl turned to the two she escorted, issuing a command.

"We don't trust you yet, so we're taking your Pokémon for now." The girl said, only to notice her words may have been cause for concern as the two men got in fighting positions. "Relax. What I meant to say was we're taking them from you for now. We barely know you people, and if the boss is to meet you, you have to turn over your Pokémon. You'll get them back after we're done with business."

Ash and Alain then looked at each other, wondering if such a course of action was for the best. Realizing they were out of options and this was their best lead in the Region, the two agreed, forfeiting their Pokémon. Leaving nothing to chance, the girl then commanded her large companion to search them.

Upon realizing the two truly relinquished their Pokémon, The girl placed their Pokéballs in a small crate, holding it while her friend led them to a large dumpster. Seemingly too heavy to move, Ash and Alain were shocked to see that the dumpster was a fake. As the large man moved the large metal object, a concealed cellar door hatch was revealed. Handing the crate off the the man in her company, the woman took a key from her pocket and unlatched the lock, allowing the entrance to slide open.

With the girl signalling that Ash and Alain go first, the four entering the room. It was quite spacious for a secret room. Though it seemed damp and dingy, a few lit candles allowed the space to be illuminated. The were a few other people sitting and laying down in this room, some simply sleeping while others eyed the suspicious new strangers in their sanctum. Proceeding further down the hall, the four encountered a secure metal door.

After waving her companion to stand out front of the door, the woman then led Ash and Alain into the room, where a single lamp lit the room. There was a rather small, yet effective desk centered in the room while the man Ash met in Phenec sat behind it. As the door shut behind them, the man smiled as his companion walked towards him, placing the crate of Pokéballs on his desk.

"Ah, I'm so glad my friend here was able to find you." The man chuckled, kicking his feet up on the desk after examining the contents of the crate. "I see you came here boy, but what about your other friend?"

"I'm afraid he's busy elsewhere. What is all this about? Who are you? You don't seem to be a member of Cipher, so what are you after. You said something about helping each other out." Ash said, asking the man many questions, only for the man to chuckle and sit back up.

"My name is Wes, and my group and I are called Snagem. It's a name our old leader took from an old gang who use to ride around Orre. Before Cipher went and annihilated them that is. You can call us a group of people who simply want to return Orre back to the way it was before Cipher." The man said, introducing himself and his partners. "This is where I make you an offer."

"I'm listening." Ash said, getting straight to the point.

"My crew is very small. We can only work around the patterns of Cipher goons that patrol the wastes. My group is poorly supplied, without many allies, and the few that I have working with me are beginning to lose hope. A few years ago when this movement was started, we had a lot more people." Wes began to say, recounting the events of the past ten years. "I was much younger then and wasn't the leader, but I remember what happened. A great many of us were captured or killed when these new guys, Team Rocket I think they called themselves, started coming in droves and attacking any who dared rebel against Cipher."

As Ash and Alain looked to each other at the mention of Team Rocket, Wes continued his story.

"This increased activity has ever since made it hard for our group. Nowadays, anyone who doesn't openly support Cipher's regime gets taken away and they're never seen again. With all of this happening, you'd think it'd be the end for my group, but oh no. Just when I myself began to give up hope, some more new strangers show up in a giant floating Pyramid and do battle with Cipher. Not only did you fight them, but you beat them back!"

Ash and Alain looked to him, wondering how he'd know all this, only for him to continue to speak.

"That's right, I saw everything. I saw you fight Cipher, I saw you enter Phenec, and I ever saw that Cipher skiff that made off with all your stuff. Let me make a deal with you. I'll give you the location of that stuff my scouts tracked down in exchange for you doing a little favor for me. A test of faith, if you will. My men need medical supplies, for both themselves and their Pokémon. What I need you to do is do a little 'supply run' to a Cipher station right here in town, and return all the medical goods you find to me without bringing any of those goons back with you."

"How do you intend we do that?" Alain asked the man, imagining such a task would prove impossible.

"Steal a skiff after loading it up, then scuttle the thing. Most Cipher vehicles tend to have trackers in them, so you'll either need to remove it, a quite tricky task or destroy the whole vehicle." Wes said in reply, the words giving Ash and Alain a sense of dread, realizing that the bike they rode in on could have a trace in it as well.

"Something the matter?" Wes asked the two, taking note of their sunken faces.

"Alain, let me go try to see if I can find that tracer on our bike. See if you can help this guy out here." Ash said hastily.

"And where do you think you might be going?" Wes asked, where he then pointed out. "We have your Pokémon, so you go by our rules here. Your bike will be fine. You need to focus on the matter at hand."

"Believe me, if I find you're more a hindrance to us than help, then I'll just rat you and your pals out to Cipher, if it means protecting my own. Now do we have a deal?" Wes continued, reaching out a hand to offer to shake Ash's own.

"Ash, what do we do here?" Alain asked, unsure of what their next move should be, while Ash sighed in defeat.

"Fine..." Ash said, accepting the position he was in while shaking the man's hand.

"Splendid!" Wes replied in an oddly upbeat fashion. "Now, for obvious reasons, I won't leave you with all your Pokémon. I will allow you one Pokéball to take with you. That ensures that you'll return rather than making off with the medicine and finding out about your missing stuff on your own."

"I'll take my Glalie then." Ash said, pulling out a Pokéball that contained the Ice-type Pokémon.

"Wait Ash, don't you want...?" Alain began to question, only for Ash to give him a look of confidence.

"Very well than, I'll take my Bisharp." Alain said, grabbing one of his own Pokéballs from the crate.

"How will we be sure if you'll be gone with our other Pokémon or something when we return? How are we to know you won't simply steal them?" Alain asked the pair.

"You frankly don't know, but we have very few bases left. With how many we got housed here, we all wouldn't be able to leave anyways, even under the cover of night." The girl replied snarkly to the black haired Trainer.

"Who might that girl be anyways? She's got quite a mouth on her." Ash said, pointing at the girl, hoping his words towards her gave her a hint that he attitude was unwarrent.

"Oh, her? She's my assistant and second in command. Rui, try to be nicer to our guests now." Wes said to the girl, who gave off an annoyed huff.

"Yes sir." Rui replied reluctantly, still skeptical of the two strangers who were tasked with getting crucial supplies.

As Rui lead the two out of the room, leaving the crate behind, Ash turned to look back as they left. The three then made their way out of the cellar and back towards the glowing lights of the town. Reaching a hill overlooking the town, Rui handed the two a pair of night vision binoculars.

"You see that building over there, the one with the gate in the East? That's the compound you'll be hitting. Some of our scouts have found a way in through a drainage outlet, but it is always flowing with water. You'll have to improvise to get it. When you get out, ride South. The Boss will be waiting for you there with details on your stuff and your Pokémon. Are we clear?" Rui asked the two swifty, ending their informal briefing.

"Loud and clear, girl." Ash said, continuing to jab at the girl for her sour attitude.

"Hmph." Rui replied, snatching her binoculars from Ash's hand and walking off into the darkness.

Once the girl left, Alain finally spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"So can you care to explain why you left Greninja behind? His stealth skills would be a great help here!" Alain questioned, wondering if the choice Ash made was a sound one.

"I left Greninja with them for a reason. Greninja has shown me times before he has consciousness of his his surroundings inside his Pokéball. I'm using my mental link with him to ensure that our Pokémon aren't stolen from us. Don't worry, man, I've got this covered." Ash said in reply, hoping that mentioning that little detail would ease Alain's mind. "Besides, given the info we just received, it may have just been a good thing to bring Glalie along."

Dipping into the crack where the drain flowed, Ash and Alain got into position where the drain pipe flooded out. The pipe entrance was blocked by a large metal grate preventing Ash and Alain from passing through.

"Bisharp, use Night Slash quietly on the bars." Alain whispered, calling out his Pokémon, where the Dark/Steel-type Pokémon appeared and followed the command, carving through the metal like butter, grabbing the grate to make sure it didn't fall and make a loud noise.

"Good, now Glalie, it's your turn. Fly into the pipe and use Freeze Dry on the water." Ash followed up, tossing his Pokéball into the air, where he called upon the imposing Ice-type, who flew into the pipe.

Watching for a moment, Alain was wondering what Glalie was doing, noticing as it was simply floated about. But just as he was about to ask was was going on, he realized the temperature around them became fridged, while Glalie's body exuded a visible mist.

As it dispersed in the pipes, the water around Glalie froze up almost immediately, thus allowing a path where Ash and Alain could simply slide through the man sized pipe with ease. Upon going further down the pipe, the two approached a sliding hatch. Opening the hatch just slightly, Ash saw the coast was clear, signaling for Glalie, Bisharp and Alain to commence with the entrance.

The three finally made it inside the base, just on the border of the wall, with the main gate a few dozen feet adjacent to them. Proceeding to duck behind a concrete barrier, Ash spotted a patrol of guards walking to a security booth a few feet away from them.

"Alain, we need a new place to hide." Ash whispered, only for a guard to look in their direction.

Holding his breath for a moment, Ash felt like the two had already been made. However, before the curious guard could investigate, his companions got his attention back on them.

"Why are you staring off into space for? We've got crates we need to move." A tall grunt said to his friend.

"Thought I heard something." The curious guard replied, turning completely away from Ash and Alain's position.

"Yeah, whatever. Just remember, Mr. Ein said that we need to load all this medicine and deliver them to the Desert Lab by the hour." The second man said, turning to grab a crate of medicine as the other two joined in.

As the grunts moved walked towards a hover skiff in the back, Ash began to follow them, only for Alain to catch him by the shoulder.

"This booth seems to open the gate to this fort. You stay here, and I'll get that floating vehicle readied. I'll pick you up as we leave, so let's return our Pokémon back to their Pokéballs." Alain whispered to his friend, Ash nodding his head in agreement, where the pair recalled Glalie and Bisharp back to their respective Pokéballs.

As Ash got in position, Alain trailed the trio of grunts loading medicine onto the skiff. Looking for a way he could sneak on and bail as fast as possible, he overheard more of the grunts' conversation.

"So what does Mr. Ein need so much of this stuff anyways?" The third grunt asked.

"Dunno. Apparently one of the last Shadow Projects was a major bust though. Ein needs a tons of medicine to continue his research though. Guess some of the test subjects had an 'accident'." The first grunt said, saying the statement in a disturbing matter of fact way.

As the three grunts walked away, Alain got onto the skiff, sitting in the pilot's seat. Noticing his friend was ready, Ash found the switch that opened the fort's electric doors, making his way to the exit himself.

Upon hearing the doors to the fort open, the grunts on the base, including the three who were making their way to the very same security booth turned to look. As they were beginning to piece two and two together, the trio spotted Ash bolting for the entrance.

"Hey you there! Stop at once!" The first grunt shouted, not receiving a response, which caused him to call to his allies. "Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Stop that man!"

As the three grunts ran in pursuit, Alain fired up the engines on the skiff, causing the grunts on the base to turn and look at him. Speeding off to the entrance, Alain met little resistance. One of the grunts attempted to shut the doors again, but it was too late. Alain had already made it past the barrier, stopping to pick Ash up along the way.

"Oh boy, Mr. Ein's not gonna be happy about this." The second grunt said nervously.

"You think Ein'll be pissed? I can't imagine Mr. B or that Rocket guy are gonna be much happier. Oh, they're gonna be so mad that we had a bunch of rebels break into the base." The first grunt added, sweating bullets due to their slip up.

"So... Who's gonna tell 'em?" The third grunt questioned, only for the two other goons to look at him, seeing him as their scapegoat. "Crap."

As Alain sped off with the skiff, he traveled to the position where Rui said her boss would meet up with them. As promised, Wes, Rui and several of his group members awaited them, a rather disheveled skiff of their own hovering beside them.

"Well done gentlemen! Might I say you did a splendid job doing that little gig for us?" Wes said, patting both guys on the back as he signaled his men to start offloading the goods onto their own vehicle.

"That was so easy, you could have done it yourselves. Why need our help?" Ash asked , holding out his hand to gesture for his and Alain's Pokémon back.

"Like I said, this was a test of faith, and I didn't want Cipher getting ideas where one of my bases was." Wes replied, handing the crate of the two's other Pokémon, still safe and sound in their Pokéballs.

"But you guys did well. Maybe later down the line, we can maybe help each other out some more." Wes continued, hopping on his Cyber Bike, only to stop as Alain asked with an irritated tone. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh yes, your stuff, how could I forget?" Wes sarcastically replied, before saying. "Last my scouts saw, a cargo skiff bearing the same id as the skiff I saw leave your Pyramid was sent off to one of those labs Cipher's got in the desert."

"I heard some of those Cipher goons saying something about sending the meds we stole from them there. What could be going on over there?" Alain asked Wes.

"Hell, if I know. All I know is that that place has got some crazy security. Behind patrol drones and Cipher peons, they got a doors that can only be opened with a Cipher admin key card. Maybe could coult track an admin down or something? Can't really give you any more leads on that, I'm afraid." Wes said, beginning to rev his engine.

But just as Ash was about to speak up, about to complain that such info was almost worthless to them, Wes beat him to the punch.

"On, and you might want to get out of here soon. My guys placed a bomb on that skiff to prevent a trail. Cipher grunts ain't geniuses, but they'll eventually figure out the stuff we steal from them is usually tagged with a marker. Might want to get rid of the tracking device on your bike too. See ya later dudes, it's been a gas." Wes said, waving to the two as the then drove off into the night, leaving Ash and Alain alone.

As the two pondered their next move, Alain signaled Ash, reminding him that they should make their way back to their bike as soon as they could. Thinking about incredibly eventful day he had, all Ash could do was think of getting some sleep.

Meanwhile At the Cipher Lab

"I'm sorry sir, I regret to inform you that our supplies were stolen by a group of rebels." A grunt said through a tv monitor to two men, panic filling him as he spoke to his superiors.

One of these men was Nascour himself. The other, a man wearing a pure grey doctor coat, dark green sunglasses and a head of pure brown hair, with a tuft of hair going down the side of his face.

"Unacceptable! I need that medicine for my precious babies! Oh, how will my research continue, IF YOU KEEP MESSING UP?!" The brown haired man replied erratically.

"Call yourself Ein, we'll find these rebels and quash them soon enough. Miror B has already told me some of his beat field agents are looking into the matter." Nascour said.

"IT'S NOT ENOUGH! It's not enough, it's not enough, it's not enough!" Ein blurted out, repeating the phrase over and over.

"Given Ein's 'nature', I doubt he'll be in a mood to speak further. Give a me a detailed description of the men responsible so the manhunt can go smoother." Nascour continued calmly as the scientist behind him continued to mumble and pace back and forth in the back of the room.

"Here you are, sir. Night vision cameras were fast enough to get footage of the man who was in the security booth. Sending it to you now." The grunts answered back, still nervous of possible punishment.

"That's..." Nascour began to say, noticing Ash from the footage.

Just as Nascour was about to speak, the door to the room opened behind the Chief Executive and his Chief Scientist. Darkness shrouded the man standing in the doorframe, but as he stepped in, loud metal clunking noises could be heard with one step, while the over reverberated like the sound of a dress shoe.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The man asked in a cynical and synthetic voice. "I'm glad to see that boy took our threat quite seriously.

"Indeed, my friend. It seems the boy's been quite a busy person in the last few hours." Nascour replied, looking as the man stepped into the light.

"Then the time shall soon be upon us. Soon, I shall have the revenge I desired for ten long years." Giovanni said, half of his body revealed to purely mechanical.

Looking deep into the video of Ash, Giovanni began to snicker, then laughed maniacally at what was to come.

Soon, the vengeance he had desired would be within his grasp.