-Pokémon League Village-

Ash glanced up at the sky, squinting at the setting sun. "C'mon, Brock. It's gonna rain soon." He paused, sharing a look with Pikachu. "And I guess I owe you an explanation."

Brock nodded mutely, still not perfectly sure he wasn't dreaming. Ash cracked a grin, clapping the doctor on the shoulder and leading him out of the alley. A siren sounded, and an ambulance rolled up as the four rounded the corner.

"They'll be fine," Ash said after a moment. "The Rockets, I mean," he added when Brock raised an eyebrow, "we didn't, uh, hurt them too bad."

"Yeah, about that. Why were they chasing you? I mean, Jessie and James've been following you for years now, but it was never that... intense."

"I actually haven't seen Jessie and James in, what's it been, Pi, two years? "

"Pika."

"Right. But anyways, Brock, yeah, things have kind of, ah, escalated the past few years. Team Rocket kind of hates me now."

"What happened?"

Ash shrugged. "We have a lot to talk about," he said finally.

The two lapsed into silence as the first drops of rain began to fall. The rain intensified as they found the nearest Pokémon Center, ducking inside for refuge. Rubbing the back of his neck, Ash sat down at a nearby table and gestured for Brock to sit opposite him. "So, where do I begin?" Ash asked.

Brock thought for a second. He shrugged. "At the beginning, I guess. Why did you leave?"

Ash nodded, exhaling through his teeth. "Right. This will take a while, then." He cracked his neck, scratching Pikachu between the ears. "It started at Lily of the Valley."

-Lily of the Valley Island, Sinnoh Region, five years prior-

"Latios! Luster Purge, now!"

The Eon Pokémon turned, hovering inches above the stadium floor. A sphere of purple energy swirled into existence in the Dragon's open mouth.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Ash cried, his hands clenching into fists.

"Pi ka!" Pikachu spun in midair, electricity surrounding the Mouse as he fell.

"Tios!" Latios cried in response, firing the Luster Purge. Pikachu met the attack head on, racing into the magenta beam. The Electric Mouse seemed to run on the very air itself, chanting its name through gritted teeth.

"Now! Use Iron Tail!" Ash roared.

"Pika... CHU!" Pikachu flipped, his silver tail slamming into the Luster Purge. For a terrifying moment, nothing happened, then -

Boom.

The two attacks exploded, releasing a massive cloud of dust into the air. Ash and Tobias struggled to stay standing as the shockwave ripped through the stadium, momentarily disabling even the stadium screen.

Slowly, the dust began to settle. Everyone in the arena tensed, leaning forward in their seats to be the first to catch a glimpse -!

A stunned silence swept across the battlefield. "Pikachu and Latios are both unable to battle," the referee began, wiping the stunned expression off his face, "all six of Ash's Pokémon have been eliminated, so moving on to the Finals is TOBIAS!"

Brock raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Lily of the Valley?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. You remember Tobias, right?"

"The guy with the gray hair and the Legendaries?"

Ash nodded. "The guy who thrashed me at the Conference. Yup, that's him."

Brock stared. "Ash, is that why you left? Just because you lost? That was one of the best battles I'd ever seen!"

Ash scoffed. "Please, Brock. I was destroyed."

"You took down two Legendaries!"

"Using six Pokémon!" Ash barked, slamming his hand down on the table. "I keep hearing that same old song, Brock, and I am so tired of it! It took me an entire team – the best team I'd ever trained back then, I might add – of the strongest Pokémon I had to take down one third of Tobias' party! At that rate, it would have taken me twelve more of my most powerful Pokémon just to have had a chance at beating him!" Ash took a deep breath, blowing it out through clenched teeth. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Brock said. Lily of the Valley was obviously still a sore spot for Ash, the doctor noted, reminding himself to avoid bringing it up again if possible. "So... what? You just up and left because you lost?"

Ash shook his head. "No, of course not. I'd lost Conferences before. That much was nothing new."

"Then what was it?"

"It was everything,"Ash explained. "Sinnoh was my year. My Pokémon were in top shape, we were tearing through Gyms, man - I was ready to win. Then Tobias came along, and that went out the window. If that wasn't bad enough, our group was splitting up again. It was hard enough with Misty, or Max and May. Dawn leaving was going to suck, but you, too? You were my best friend, man. You'd traveled with me across four whole regions, cooking up your insane rice balls or whatever and generally being the only sane person around." Ash swallowed. "I could survive without Misty or Dawn or whoever, but you were like a constant. I'm not trying to ride on you for becoming a Doctor – you were just following your dreams, same as me – but I guess it just wouldn't have been the same."

Brock sat back in his chair. "Well, yeah," he said after a moment, "can you imagine trying to replace me?"

Ash rolled his eyes and grinned. "Yeah. Where else could I find a whole other Gym Leader that would follow me around and cook for me and be generally ridiculous?"

"Hey! I am not ridiculous!"

"Do I even need to mention the whole 'drying pan' thing?"

Brock snickered. "Hey, that was ingenious. I didn't even get wet."

Athena glanced questioningly at Pikachu. ...what?

Pikachu shrugged, twitching an ear. "Pikachu pika,"

"So..." Brock said, still grinning, "What happened next?"

Ash shrugged. "You know. We went back to Twinleaf, said goodbye to Dawn, and got on the boat for Kanto. We split up, you went back to Pewter, I went back to Pallet."

"That's not what I mean, but whatever. After that?"

Ash sighed, pushing a stray lock of hair out from his eyes. "I dunno, man. I stayed at home for a few weeks. I guess I was kind of depressed? I mean, I was so close to winning this one." He shrugged again. "It sounds really stupid, looking back. I was thirteen years old. Even if I had won the conference, I wasn't gonna beat the Elite Four or Cynthia."

"I think you could have won."

"You're just saying that. Cynthia's been Champion for how many years now? Since I was a kid, anyway. No, I wouldn't have stood a chance. I probably still don't."

Hey, speak for yourself, Athena said, shooting Ash a dirty look.

"Yeah, yeah." Ash rolled his eyes at Brock. "So anyways. Where was I?"

"You were in Pallet, being an angsty teenager," the doctor deadpanned.

Ash made a face. "Screw you, man. Anyway, I decided that I wasn't gonna let this whole thing get to me. I mean, I'd lost before, hadn't I? That hadn't stopped me. I mean, hell, I've died before! Remember that time in Lavender?"

What.

"Oh, Arceus, don't remind me. That was creepy, man."

"I know! But I didn't let that stop me! I kept on going! So I thought to myself, if actually dying isn't going to stop me from being a Pokémon Master, than something as trivial as losing a Conference sure as hell shouldn't, either.

"So I said goodbye to Mom and set off, having absolutely no idea where I was going or what I was going to do. It was just me and Pikachu, and it was awesome. We went to Johto first, touring the circuit there for maybe a month or so." Ash frowned. "Then Team Rocket appeared."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They were still following me around, still wanting Pikachu. Only this time was different."

"How so?"

"There were dozens of them. Jessie, James, Meowth, yeah, they were there, but they had brought backup. A lot of backup. They surrounded us. They all but beat me within an inch of my life. Then he appeared."

"Who?"

"Riley."

-Route 45, Johto region, five years prior-

"P-pikachu! Thunderb-augh!" Ash gasped as the Rocket's fist hit him square in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him in a great whoosh of air. The Trainer went down, and in seconds over a dozen Rockets had piled onto him.

"We got the Twerp now!" Jessie grinned, looking down at the mob of white uniforms with grim satisfaction.

"I dunno 'bout 'dis, Jess," Meowth began, fidgeting at the redhead's feet. "Don't ya tink 'dis it a bit much? Da kid might die."

"Oh, shut up, Meowth. You're getting soft. Besides, it doesn't matter if the Twerp dies. All that matters is that the Boss gets that Pikachu. Right, James?"

Jessie's counterpart didn't say anything, twirling a rose between his fingers and looking away.

"Oh, please, not you too, James. You'd think that you two actually care about this Twerp. He's done nothing but make our lives miserable the past three years, and I for one am done with it." With that, the Rocket stalked away from her partner, leaning in to get a better look at their victim.

Ash curled up into a ball, clenching his eyes shut. "Pikachu..." he choked out, feeling himself slipping into unconsciousness. "I'm sorry."

"ENOUGH!"

The voice thundered down, causing the Rockets to pause their attack and locate the sound. Behind them, standing on a tall ledge, was a man. Dressed in dark blues and blacks, he glared down at Team Rocket. At his side, a Lucario growled, its paws glowing a faint blue.

"And who are you?" Jessie asked, her hand wandering to a Pokéball clipped to her belt.

"I think the better question is who are you?" the man responded, leaping off the cliff and landing next to the horde of Rockets. "And what are you doing to this Trainer?"

Jessie scoffed. "If you must know, we are Team Rocket, and we are currently in the middle of stealing this twerp's Pokémon. Now, unless you would like the same to happen to yourself, I would suggest turning around and leaving."

"I don't think so. Lucario? You ready to teach these guys a lesson?"

Ready and willing, Master.

"Leave now, and we won't hurt you," James said, crossing his arms.

"I make you the same offer," the man countered.

Meowth laughed. "Ha! You's're clearly outnumbahed here."

If the talking Pokémon surprised the man, he certainly didn't show it. "And you are clearly outmatched." He nodded to his Lucario, and the two vanished.

Ash's eyes widened. What the..?

"AUGH!" A Rocket yelled as something grabbed him and sent him flying into another Rocket. Another Rocket screamed as a sphere of energy appeared from nowhere, slamming into her chest. There was a blur, and the Lucario suddenly phased into existence, charging an attack between its paws. With a roar, the Aura Pokémon fired the attack at the group of Rockets. The man reappeared right as the attack struck, his fists glowing white as he lashed out at the criminals.

"Shit! Let's get out of here!" Someone yelled. The few Rockets who were still standing fled, tripping over themselves in their rush to promptly get the hell out of dodge. The Lucario fired another Aura Sphere, catching one in the back.

Jessie and James drew their Pokéballs. "Who the hell are you?" Jessie asked, fury in her eyes.

"Name's Riley," he replied, grinning as he held out a hand. A sphere of energy swirled in his palm, and he launched the attack. "You probably haven't heard of me."

The Aura Sphere exploded, sending the Rockets flying into space. Nodding to himself, Riley turned to the unconscious boy lying in the dirt. "Damn, Ash, what have you gotten yourself into?" he asked, picking up the Trainer. Motioning for Lucario to carry the Pikachu, Riley took one last look around the clearing and started walking.

"What?"

"Riley. I know, right? I wasn't expecting that, either."

Brock leaned back in his chair. "What was he doing in Johto?"

Ash shrugged. "Something about the Whirl Islands, I think. So anyway, I wake up and he explains everything that happened, and then he asks me if I want to rethink his offer."

"What offer?"

"Remember Iron Island? Riley knew I had an aptitude for Aura, and he offered to train me, but I turned him down?"

"Oh, yeah. So I take it you said yes?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I stayed on with him for like a month or so, learning everything I could, but when he went back to Sinnoh I stayed behind. I had a grudge against Team Rocket. Still do, I guess."

"But you're fine with Jessie and James?"

"Oh, yeah. They're fine. I forgave them when they left Rocket like three years ago. But Team Rocket itself... that's different. I told myself that I would do anything I could to take them down."

And that's what we've been doing the past few years.

Ash nodded. "And now here we are." He glanced out the window, where the rain had finally stopped. He yawned. "Well, I should really be getting back to camp. I have a match tomorrow, you know."

Brock's shoulders slumped. "But we still have so much to talk about!" he protested.

Ash shrugged. "We can talk later." He stood up, cracking his back. "By the way, Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"You cannot tell anyone who I am. Anyone." The Aura User leaned in, staring hard at Brock.

"What? Why?"

Ash hesitated. "I can't tell you that yet. I can't tell them yet. Just trust me, okay? I'll reveal myself before too long. So please don't tell them. Especially Misty. Okay?"

Brock opened his mouth to protest, but nodded anyways. "Alright."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Pulling up his hood, Ash held out his arm, letting Pikachu race up it onto his shoulder.

"Alright. See you, Ash."

Ash smiled and nodded. "C'mon, then," he said to Athena, and walked slowly out of the Pokémon Center into the night.

-Indigo Stadium, the next day-

"WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE NEXT MATCH OF THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT!"

"So, you talked to Red?" Misty asked Brock, turning to the doctor.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, I did," he answered.

"Well? What'd he say? Did he have any reason for standing us up yesterday?"

Max sighed. "Here we go again."

"C'mon, Misty, you saw how bad the weather was. The match nearly rained out. Were you expecting us to just go waltzing through all that rain and get totally soaked just to get to see Maylene battle?"

Misty crossed her arms. "Maybe!"

"-EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR THE MYSTERY TRAINER HIMSELF, RRRRREEEEEEEDDDD!"

Red took the field, grinning as his eyes scanned the arena for his friends. Finding the group, he nodded, giving Brock a look. Pikachu rested on his shoulder while Soul and Eve walked alongside him.

"May, who's Red up against?" Dawn asked, glancing at the Hoenn native.

"Here, let me check," she replied, unlocking her Pokégear. Opening up the tournament app, she scrolled through the listings, searching for Red's name. "Let's see. Looks like Red is up against... no way!"

"What? Who's he fighting?"

"...AND FACING HIM, THE GYM LEADER OF SOOTOPOLIS CITY, THE ONE, THE ONLY, JUUUUUAAAAANNNN RRRROLLLDDDDOLLLLFOOOOO!"

"What?!"

"THIS WILL BE A FOUR-ON-FOUR DOUBLE BATTLE MATCH WITH NO TIME LIMIT! TRAINERS, SELECT YOUR POKÉMON!"

"Politoed! Crawdaunt! I choose you!" the Gym Leader yelled, hurling two Pokéballs onto the field.

"Eve, Soul, you're up," Red countered, nodding to the Pokémon at his feet, who made their way to the designated places on the arena, keeping their eyes locked on their opponents.

"TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Crawdaunt! Bubblebeam on the Ninetales! Politoed, Rain Dance!" Juan ordered.

"Eve, Water Gun on Crawdaunt. Soul, counter the Rain Dance with Sunny Day," Red countered, crossing his arms.

The Pokémon leapt into action. Eve raced forwards, firing a jet of water at the Rogue Pokémon, popping most of the bubbles the crustacean had produced from its claws. Meanwhile, the green frog closed its eyes and began a fast, repetitive dance. A blue glow illuminated the toad, and dark clouds began to form.

Soul lifted her head, opening her mouth to the sky. A bright gold beam of light shot from her maw and into the sky, forcing back the storm clouds the Politoed had summoned. The sun shone brighter, the stadium warming up considerably under the newfound luminescence.

"Alright, Eve, Aurora Beam on Politoed! Soul, keep up that Sunny Day!"

"Politoed, counter with Ice Beam! Crawdaunt, hit Ninetales with a Night Slash!"

Politoed stopped dancing, opening its eyes to see the multicolored attack streaking towards it. Opening its mouth, the Toad Pokémon responded by releasing a blast of icy cold energy that met the Aurora Beam head-on. The two attacks collided midway through the arena and stopped each other dead. Meanwhile, Crawdaunt sprinted towards Soul, its claws glowing a dark purple.

"Soul! Watch out!"

Too late, Soul lowered her head, the beam of light she had produced fading to nothing. Fire stemmed from her open maw, but the Rogue Pokémon was already on her, slashing out with his sharpened claws as he raced past. The attack struck hard, slicing a long gash into her side.

"Now hit her with Crabhammer!"

"Counter with Faint Attack! Eve, Dig!"

Crawdaunt slowed, turning around to attack again, his pincers taking on a metallic glow, but stopped when he realized that his opponent was nowhere to be seen. Confused, the Rogue Pokémon turned this way and that, searching for the injured Ninetales. Behind him, Soul snarled and bit down hard on her attacker, fire streaming through her fangs. Lifting the crab into the air, she violently shook her head, tossing Crawdaunt onto the stadium floor.

Eve suddenly dropped the Aurora Beam, crouching down and digging into the battlefield. Within moments, the Bubble Jet Pokémon had completely vanished from sight. Politoed looked around uneasily, glancing to its master for guidance.

Juan grinned, twirling his moustache around a finger. "Earthquake!"

Politoed nodded, leaping high into the air. As the Toad Pokémon reached the apex of the jump, it flipped, slamming back down hard. The stadium rumbled as the earth began to tremble. For somewhere underneath the ground came Eve's pained cry, then silence.

"Eve! Can you hear me?"

Slowly, Eve emerged from the rocks, limping from where one of her legs had been crushed by the shifting earth. "Por... poreon..." Eve replied weakly.

"You okay?" Red asked, grabbing at the Pokéball on his belt. Eve nodded, turning back to face the Politoed.

"You're sure?"

Eve nodded resolutely, straightening up and glaring at the Toad Pokémon.

"Alright then! Eve, Aqua Ring! Soul, hit Politoed with Energy Ball!"

Eve nodded, stepping back as the Fox Pokémon raced forwards, charging a sphere of blue green energy in her jaws. Eve's eyes flashed blue, and water droplets formed around her body, condensing into glowing rivulets that encircled the Bubble Jet Pokémon.

Soul lifted her head as the attack finished charging. Ready to fire, she glared at her target and let out a howl, releasing the sphere of –

"Crawdaunt! Guillotine!"

The Rogue's claws glowed as they clamped down on Soul's neck, cutting off her oxygen. Soul choked, eyes going wide as Crawdaunt lifted her up off the floor and held her there for a moment before slamming her down hard on the arena floor, where she twitched once and lay still.

"No way..."

"Did Juan just knock out one of Red's Pokémon?"

"NINETALES IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! RED, CHOOSE YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Red detached a Pokéball from his belt, aiming it at Soul. "Nice job, Soul. Take a good rest." Slipping the ball into a pocket, Red glanced at Juan. "I underestimated you, man. Trust me, it won't happen again." Putting two fingers to his lips, Red whistled, a loud, shrill note that reverberated through the stadium.

"What's he doing now?"

An ear-splitting roar erupted overhead. A large shadow passed over the arena, blocking out the sun. Red grinned as Spectre roared again, eliciting screams from a few members of the audience. The dragon folded in his crimson wings and plummeted down, a dark blue aura surrounding him as he fell. Mere seconds before meeting the hard ground, Spectre flared his wings and shot towards the Crawdaunt. The Rogue Pokémon realized an instant too late that, hey, he should probably get out of the way of this speeding angry dragon. Spectre slammed headfirst into Crawdaunt, sending the crustacean flying into the opposite wall. The Rogue slumped, eyes closing as it slipped into unconsciousness.

"CRAWDAUNT IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! JUAN, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

The Sootopolis Gym Leader fiddled with his moustache, a real smile forming at his lips. He hadn't had this great of a battle in years. Juan selected a Pokéball, smiling warmly at his opponent. "This will be interesting," he mused, expanding the sphere and preparing to throw. "Go! Kingdra!"

"Eve, Retaliate! Spectre! Double Dance!"

Eve growled, coating herself in a silver aura as she raced towards Politoed, leaping at the frog and tackling him to the ground. Baring her fangs, she bit down hard on the Toad Pokémon.

"Politoed! Knock her off with Strength!"

The frog's eyes narrowed, and he made a fist, lashing out at his attacker. Eve let out a screech as the megaton punch connected, blowing her back several feet. She took a step back, and the rings surrounding her body briefly glowed again, restoring a fraction of her health.

Spectre blurred, moving impossibly fast. Copies of the dragon began to appear across the stadium, each moving in a synchronized pattern that grew faster and faster with each step. Each Salamence began to glow a blood-red, their eyes flashing as he danced.

"What is that?" Dawn asked up in the stands.

Max narrowed his eyes. "That looks like a mix of Double Team and Dragon Dance! There's no way Kingdra can land a hit on Spectre now!"

"Kingdra, Dragon Pulse!"

"Dodge and counter with Thunder Fang! Eve, finish the toad with Blizzard!"

Kingdra's eyes flashed purple, and a wave of dark energy exploded outwards in a large ring that expanded throughout the stadium. Each copy of Spectre took to the skies, avoiding the Dragon Typed attack. A few alternates were struck by the ring of energy and blurred out of existence as the illusion was broken. Those that still remained all swarmed the Sea Dragon, fangs crackling with electricity.

The rings of water surrounding Eve flashed again, freezing in midair. Eve's body glowed with pale blue light, and the temperature of the arena dropped. The now-frozen rings orbiting the Bubble Jet Pokémon collapsed in on themselves, shattering into tiny slivers of ice. With a cry, Eve released the attack, sending the icy barrage flying towards her opponents. Politoed let out a pained cry as hundreds of the miniscule icicles sliced into him, and the Frog slumped to the cold stadium floor. Kingdra withstood the attack better, but soon felt the metallic taste of electricity as Spectre bit down hard on the Dragon.

"POLITOED IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! JUAN, SELECT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!"

"Whiscash! It's up to you!" Juan yelled, hurling his final Pokéball onto the arena. "Zen Headbutt! Kingdra, Dragonbreath!"

"Spectre, counter with your own Dragonbreath! Eve, hit them both with Synchronoise!"

Blue fire flared from both Dragons' lips, pouring out in powerful streams that met along the middle of the arena. Eve's eyes flashed, and a multicolored shockwave sped towards the two Water Types, crashing into them and knocking them back. Dragon fire licked at Kingdra's scales as it fell to the floor, its eyes replaced with swirling spirals.

"KINGDRA IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!" The announcer called, holding up a flag.

Juan nodded, recalling his Pokémon and murmuring to his now-unconscious friend. "Well executed, my friend. Recover your strength." Looking out to his one remaining Pokémon, the Sootopolis City Gym Leader shrugged. "What do you think, Whiscash? What do you say we go out with a bang?"

The Whiskers Pokémon nodded, and Juan smiled. "Alright then. Magnitude!"

Red wasn't expecting the sudden command, and was unable to call out a counter as the dark blue fish somehow leapt into the air and slammed back down, shaking the very foundation of the stadium itself. Magnitude 9!? He thought incredulously. That fish is powerful!

"Fissure!" Juan ordered again, and Red paled. "Fly!" He shouted, Spectre barely taking to the skies in time as Whiscash fired a beam of white-hot energy towards the two Pokémon. The ground cracked and split beneath them. Eve wasn't so lucky, falling into the massive crevasse the fish had formed. Her pained cry could be heard throughout the stadium, then silence.

"VAPOREON IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! RED, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Red looked away, tossing Eve's Pokéball into the abyss. "Nice job, girl. Take a rest." He glanced at Pikachu, pocketing the ball once it returned to his hand. "I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. Whiscash is part Ground Type. Your attacks won't have any effect."

"Pikapiii!" Pikachu complained, crossing his arms.

"Nah, it's best to let Spectre deal with this one," he said, gesturing to the referee. "Spectre! Double-Edge!"

The Dragon roared, launching itself towards the Whiskers Pokémon, coating himself in bright light. Folding in his wings, Spectre collided head-on with the fish, sending both Pokémon flying.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Fire Blast!"

The two elemental attacks shot towards one another, meeting in the exact center of the battlefield. For an instant, they battled each other, the two elements fighting for control, until they both exploded into a vast cloud of steam that covered the whole of the arena.

The mist cleared, revealing Spectre standing tall over the unconscious form of Whiscash.

"WHISCASH IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS RED!"

The audience roared as the two Trainers recalled their Pokémon and met eyes. Juan beamed and inclined his head, silently applauding the victor. Red smiled, accepting the Gym Leader's unspoken camaraderie with a slight nod. Reaching up to scratch Pikachu behind the ears, he let his gaze sweep over the audience before turning and disappearing into the underbelly of the stadium.

-Eterna City-

"Lance, what the hell are you doing?" Cynthia all but yelled, sending a rush of static through the videophone speakers. "Pryce told me you'd up and skipped town two days ago! Where in Mew's name are you?"

The Dragon Master flinched, glancing away from the video screen. "I'm, uh, in Eterna City."

"What? Why are you in Sinnoh!?"

Lance sighed. "I went to see Riley about Red."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Really? What did he say?" Her eyes narrowed as a nurse walked into view behind the Kanto Champion. "Arceus, are you in a hospital!?What happened?"

"Riley was shot."

Cynthia gasped. "Shit. Is he okay? What happened?"

Lance leaned forward, licking his lips. "Team Rocket. They raided Iron Island yesterday night, according to Lucario. Riley and his team managed to fight them off, but not before they wrecked his house and left him with a bullet in his gut."

"How's he doing?"

"He's stable. Just got out of surgery about an hour ago. They haven't let me in to see him yet."

"Damn. What did Team Rocket want?"

"I don't know. Riley passed out on the flight here and Lucario won't say anything about what they were after. Once Riley comes to I'll ask him. How are things at Indigo?"

"Fine. There've been reports of criminal activity, but all minor stuff. Muggings, break-ins, that sort of thing. Oddly enough there's been no sign of Team Rocket."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Weird, isn't it? You'd think they'd be all over this kind of thing."

"You'd think. Anything else? How is the Tournament going, by the way?"

Cynthia shrugged. "Like any other Conference, only bigger. Oh, Red had a match earlier today."

"Oh? Who against?"

"Juan. Four-on-four Double Battle."

"Red won, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, but Juan managed to take out his Ninetales and his Vaporeon."

"No shit? What moves?"

"Guillotined the Ninetales and Fissure for Vaporeon. I'll send you the tapes. We found out Red's last Pokémon, too. Salamence. Big-looking thing."

Lance quirked an eyebrow. "A Dragon? Can't wait to see how that thing handles."

Cynthia grinned. "It beat down Juan's Kingdra and Whiscash pretty much single-handedly. I wonder how he'd fare against Chompy," she added, mainly to herself.

"You know I hate it when you call him that."

Cynthia winked. "That's why I do it, Dragon Master. By the way, what did Riley say about Red?"

Lance opened his mouth, then closed it, shaking his head. "I'll tell you when I get back to Indigo. Not my place to say right now.

"Fine, keep your secrets. When are you getting back? The Champions are slated to join the Tournament proper by the top 64,, you know, and I know how much you hate missing a chance to show off those beasts of yours."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Once Dragonite is rested and Riley is functional again I'll leave. I shouldn't be too long. Another day at the absolute most. He was lucky. The bullet went straight through, and didn't hit anything vital."

Cynthia nodded. "I'll let Goodshow know. He's been wondering where you've gone off to. See you then, Lance. Keep an eye out for Rockets."

"You too, Cynthia," Lance replied, tapping the screen and ending the call. He sighed, cracking his neck and running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the clock, watching the seconds tick by. Sitting down in a nearby chair, the Champion let out a deep breath before closing his eyes for a short rest.

"Excuse me, Champion Lance?"

Arceus damn it. "Yes?" Lance answered, opening one eye.

"Mr. Riley is awake now, sir. He's been asking for you."

"Good. Can you take me to him?"

"Certainly, sir. Follow me."

Lance stood and followed the orderly to a small, quiet room. Riley sat up on the hospital bed as they approached. "Could you let us speak in private for a moment, please?" Riley asked. The nurse nodded, quickly stepping out of the room, leaving Lance, Lucario, and Riley alone.

"How you feeling?"

"Lance, I'm fine. This is not the first time I've been shot. It probably won't be the last."

"Good. Then we can get down to business." Lance pulled up a chair and sat down next to Riley's bed. "What does Team Rocket want with you?"

"It's not me they want. Actually, they'd probably be happy to get rid of me. It's Iron Island they want. More specifically what's under it."

"Does this have anything to do with Team Galactic and their attack on Iron Island six years ago?"

Riley shook his head. "Fortunately not. Lance, what do you know about those ruins?"

"What anyone else knows. They're ruins of an ancient civilization that inhabited Sinnoh long before we did, that they were some of the first humans to harness Pokémon power to build the first cities in that region, etcetera, etcetera. What do they have to do with Team Rocket?"

"Everything. Lance, have you ever heard of Mega Stones?"

-Iron Island, six years prior-

"Careful, Professor," Riley cautioned, holding the torch high. "We don't know what's down here."

"Nonsense! Of course we know what's down here," the elderly scientist replied with a wave of her hand. "Ancient glyphs and decaying skeletons. And that's what we're here to find."

Riley and Lucario shared a look. Keep an eye out all the same, Riley instructed mentally. Lucario nodded, and the two continued along, hurrying to catch up with the stalwart Professor.

"So what do you expect to find down here, Professor Carolina? Lucario and I have never been down this deep."

"I told you already, glyphs and skeletons." The researcher chuckled to herself for a moment. "In all seriousness, however, I've a few theories on what we may find hidden amongst these ruins."

Such as? Lucario asked.

"You're of course aware of the old meteorites on the outskirts of Veilstone, yes?"

Certainly.

"Then you'll know of the inscriptions carved upon them in an ancient language dating back thousands of years?"

Err... No.

"Thought not. Very few actually know of their existence. I suspect it has something to do with the strange aspect of the stones that seems to interfere with the mood of its visitors. How touching one stone will induce anger, and touching another will balance and calm. Nevertheless, they exist, though they have yet to be fully translated. Doubtless if more of the script were to be discovered, the translating process would be vastly accelerated."

"So you believe these ruins may contain the same kind of writing as the ones on the meteors?"

"Very much so. These ruins date back to the Shin-Jōh Dynasty some three thousand years ago, which carbon dating suggests is about the same time the meteorites fell on what would one day become Veilstone."

"I see. So..." Riley trailed off, looking into the darkness. Something felt off. "Hold on," he said, closing his eyes. "You feel it too, right, Lucario?"

The Aura Pokémon grunted in agreement, and Riley put a hand to his head. A pulse of blue light expanded out from the Guardian, illuminating the ruins around them

Professor Carolina's eyes lit up. "Ooh," she crooned, taking a half-step forwards. "Well done, Aura Guardian. Well done indeed."

What is this place? Lucario wondered.

"This must be the burial room."

"The burial room!?"

"Yes, of course. See the sarcophagus there in the center?"

"You mean that isn't a Cofagrigus?"

"Of course it is now. Or, was, rather, it's most certainly dormant now. Don't you young people know anything about Ghost Pokémon?" the Professor scoffed, moving closer to the dormant coffin. "Oh! There! See the markings on the base of the lid?"

Suddenly, a ripple of energy washed over Riley, stopping him dead in his tracks. Cold fear flooded his senses as the Professor continued talking excitedly, reaching to wipe a layer of dust of the feet of the coffin.

Professor, no! Lucario shouted as an ebony hand rose out of her shadow to grab her from behind. Lucario fired a tiny sphere of Aura at the shadowy figured, which vanished as the attack made contact and slammed into the wall behind it, knocking loose bits of dirt that rained down on the them.

Crimson eyes opened, and sharp fangs curled into a menacing smile as the Cofagrigus awoke.

Riley broke free of the fear holding him and summoned a staff of cobalt aura to his hands. "Lucario! Guard the Professor!" He ordered, rushing the Coffin Pokémon and smashing the staff down on the coffin's lid.

"Fagrigus!" the ghost cried, grinning all the more as more wisp-like hands appeared out of the shadows, snatching at the Aura Guardian.

"Oh no you don't!" Riley yelled, batting the hands away. He tensed, releasing another pulse of bluish light that blinded the Cofagrigus. The shadowy hands evaporated in the new light, and the Coffin Pokémon hissed, retreating into the darkest corner of the tomb.

"That's right, stay back!" Riley ordered, summoning an even brighter burst of light. The Cofagrigus roared as the light seared its bloodred eyes. "Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

Lucario clapped his paws together, charging a sphere of indigo energy and firing it at the Coffin Pokémon. The attack collided, sending the ghost reeling back into the wall, knocking loose even more dirt and bits of stone before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Riley let most of the light fade, turning to the Professor and wiping a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. "You alright, Professor?"

"Y-yes, I believe so. And yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just, let's not stay here any longer than we have to, agreed?"

"Agreed."

Riley slid down the wall, pulling a bottle of water from his bag and taking a long swig as Professor Carolina toured the crypt, taking pictures of the Cofagrigus's markings and the glyphs decorating the walls. "Hmm," she said after a few minutes. "That's odd."

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just I think that that last Aura Sphere knocked something loose in the walls. Here, look," she demonstrated, pushing at a section of the wall. The square section slid inwards a fraction of an inch. "Come help me, would you?"

Lucario joined the Professor first, and the two pushed together at the indent in the wall. Finally, with a mighty crash, the section fell away, revealing a dark tunnel leading away from the catacombs. "Come on!" she said excitedly, getting down on her hands and knees and crawling down the newly opened pathway.

"Wait!" Riley shouted, leaping down and crawling after her. "We don't know where this goes! It could be a booby trap or –"

"A secret treasury," Carolina breathed, lifting the torch high. Light bounced off the crystals, glinting partially embedded in the rock.

"What are they?" Riley asked, picking up a cold gem and bringing it into the light. "They look like evolution stones, but like nothing I've ever seen."

"No. I can't believe it. It can't be!" Carolina exclaimed, shining her flashlight down the cavern. "These are Mega Stones!"

"You've got to be joking," Riley scoffed. "Those are just Fairy tales."

"Oh? Lucario! Catch!" the Professor said suddenly, tossing a stone to the Aura Pokémon, who reflexively snatched it in midair. Lucario gave a surprised yelp as his body shone with the white light that accompanies evolution.

Riley put a hand over his eyes as his friend shone brighter and brighter. After what felt like an eternity, the light faded, and Riley could stand to open his eyes again. He did, and saw Lucario, evolved, standing even with the Aura Guardian, his feet and paws stained red and black lines of fur running down his body.

Mega Lucario.

Lance swallowed. "You're telling me that there is an entire mine of Mega Stones underneath Iron Island? That's what Team Rocket was after?"

Riley nodded. "Yes. I don't know how they know about it, but they'll do anything to get their hands on those stones. And we can't let that happen, Lance." He shifted on the bed, trying to stand.

"Whoa, whoa, where are you going?"

"Back to Iron Island. Rocket could be there now. I've been away too long as it is." Riley swung his legs off the bed and stood. He winced, clutching his stomach. "Come on. Take me back to Iron Island."

Master, you need to rest!

"Lucario's right, Riley. You're in no position to go running back to Iron Island just yet. You need to rest up and heal. Don't worry about Iron Island. I'll get the G-Men on it. Team Rocket wouldn't stand a chance against them. Now lie back down and get yourself better."

Riley sighed. "Fine."

I'll do my best to help speed up the healing process, Lucario told Lance, who nodded, pulling a C-Gear from his pocket and dialing a number.

"I'll be back soon," Lance said to the Aura Guardians, putting the device to his ear and leaving the room. "Once you're mobile we need to head back to Indigo. There's no way Team Rocket's raid on Iron Island and the World Tournament coinciding is an accident. They must be planning something big."

-Pokémon League Village-

Max snapped his Pokégear shut, a grin on his face. "My next battle was just posted," he announced, glancing up at his friends.

"Oh? Who you got, Maxy?" May asked, glancing her brother's way.

Max groaned at the use of his nickname, but answered anyway, "Erika. You know, the Gym Leader of Celadon?"

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, huh, Max?"

Max looked hurt. "Gee, Misty, thanks for that vote of confidence. It really makes me feel better. C'mon, I've beaten her once, I can do it again!"

It took us four tries to defeat her the first time, Max, Grace reminded her trainer.

"Well, yeah, but we've gotten a lot better since then! We can totally take her! Right, Brock?"

Brock started. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course," he said, looking away, lost in thought.

"You alright, Brock?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"You sure?" Dawn asked, "You've been acting awfully strange since yesterday."

"Yeah," May added. "You were fine up until you left to follow Red."

"That's right! What happened to him, anyway?"

Brock flinched. "Nothing happened. He just had to... uh, he just had to go somewhere, is all." He looked away, avoiding the curious eyes of his friends.

"Come on, Brock! You have to give us more than that! What happened? Was he being chased by somebody?"

Brock nodded slightly. "I can't talk about it, okay? Nothing happened, Red's fine, I'm fine, we're all fine, alright?"

"Brock, please! We need to know what happened!" May pleaded. "Tell us!"

Brock sighed. "Fine! If I tell you, will you all please just drop it!?" May and Dawn nodded eagerly, and Brock rubbed at his temples. In quick, terse sentences, taking care to leave out anything relating to Red's true identity, Brock relayed the tale of how a group of Team Rocket grunts had jumped him, wanting to kidnap him, and how Red, Athena, and Pikachu had swiftly and deftly beaten them back. Brock made sure to not mention anything that Ash had said at the Pokémon Center, finishing his account when he and Red left the scene. "That's all I know," he lied.

Brock ignored the amazed gasps and conversation that followed, looking out the window of the Pokémon Center where they were staying. He hated lying like this, but he had promised Ash. And when Brock Harrison makes a promise, that promise is kept, even if it makes him feel like crap. I just hope Ash comes clean soon.

-Elsewhere-

"Sir?"

Giovanni didn't respond, breathing slowly in and out, his eyes closed. He sat cross-legged in the center of the dark room, hands placed firmly on his knees, his head down.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt you, sir, but it's about Iron Island."

Giovanni sighed. "The mission was a failure. Sir Riley and his Lucario somehow managed to defeat the squad of trained grunts we sent to capture the Guardians and seize Iron Island." His neck snapped up, and his dark eyes stared into the Rocket's. "That is what you were sent to tell me, is it not?"

The Rocket gulped, nodding. "Y-yes sir, it is. Admin Accona suggested –"

"I know what Accona would suggest." Giovanni interrupted, closing his eyes again. For a moment, he was silent.

The Rocket fidgeted. "Sir, should I-"

"Organize another raid. Iron Island will belong to Team Rocket." He paused, thinking. His teeth glinted in the darkness as he grinned. "Send the Shadow Rangers. Tell them to shoot on sight."

Hey guys, Wolverinejoe here.

I could give you guys this really big speech explaining why I haven't updated these past – what is it, three months now? – these past three months, but honestly, I've just been lazy,. There's no other explanation than that. I literally wrote half of this chapter in June, then put it off until this week. So yeah.

Much thanks to Sunblade16, whose much-needed scolding got this chapter written. Round of applause for him/her, and for all the people who have been dropping favorites/follows on this story despite the long wait. It really means a lot, and hey, it's inspired me to keep going, so thanks a lot.

But enough of that boring stuff. Holy crap, guys, I am so excited for Pokémon X and Y. I really need to buy a 3DS now. Those Mega Evolutions? Holy shit. I mean seriously. That Absol had wings! But yeah, I'll be implementing new stuff from X and Y as I learn about it and if it fits in with the story, and I must say, I'm loving where this all is going. What do you guys think? Let me know, alright?

Once again, sorry for the long wait, I promise you guys won't have to wait for three months for the next chapter (Oh god I probably just jinxed it didn't I?)!

Feel free to tell me what you all think of this story! And by feel free, I mean you really should tell me. That would be really cool.

Until next time,

-Wolverinejoe