"Well it's about time Azure!" Auris rebuked him for being late.

The Lucario casually stepped into the office, shutting the door behind him. Laurel stood behind her desk and Auris sat in front of her, arms crossed, glaring at him.

"My apologies," he spoke softly and sincerely. "Our preparations took much longer than I expected."

Auris rolled her eyes, "There's always an excuse with you, isn't there?"

"What matters is that I am here now. I believe it is finally time to address what happened today."

"Yeah, we've waited long enough for you anyways."

Azure ignored Auris and shifted his focus to Laurel, "Recount how you met the two members of Team Inferno for me."

Laurel nodded, "Fallen barged into my office in a panic. When I noticed him, I did my best to calm him down. Apparently, he had gotten lost on his way to the request board with his friends. He told me he had lost his memory, and so I helped him find his friends, Vigil and that Jigglypuff, as well as had Auris try and fish out whatever he had forgotten."

"But, that backfired," Auris continued. "Something was keeping me from unearthing his dormant memories. It was unlike any barrier I had ever seen before."

"Describe it to me," Azure commanded.

"It was a giant blue fire, an inferno. It's almost ironic they chose such a name for their team. I managed to put a dent into it, but once I did, it created a giant shockwave and sent all of us towards the walls, aside from Fallen."

"So that was the disturbance I felt," Azure thought. "The blue fire...tell me, did it glow similarly to the guild marks?"

"In a way, I guess it did," Auris remembered, staring at the guild mark that churned over her paw. "But it was much stronger. And besides, an aura barricade is child's play, even if it's yours Azure."

"I see. Did you manage to find out how he came to Herbon?"

Auris shook his head, "His first memory is of him waking up and...falling from the sky."

"He fell from the sky?" Laurel gasped. "How in Arceus' name is he walking?"

"Their Jigglypuff friend is from a family of doctors. They patched him up and had him down a Snorlax's fill of Oran Berries. Anyways, I assumed a flying-type pokémon probably dropped him, but that didn't make any sense. He would've remembered, at least for a short time, being carried by a Pokémon. Where could he have come from?"

"Well, maybe the incident at Lookout Peak might shed some light into that," Laurel added.

"Maybe," Auris hoped. "Did you manage to squeeze out any more information from Vigil?"

Azure shook his head, "I decided against pressing the child. Although he seems excited and adventurous on the exterior, his aura is the exact opposite. I did not want to force up those terrible memories. He has had enough to deal with over the past day."

"Well then, how are we going to know what happened, Azure? It was your job to get Vigil to tell you what he saw!" Auris asked angrily.

"Yes, yes, I know what I was supposed to do, and I failed. But I would rather not harm the child in the process of selfishly attaining information."

Auris shook her head, "It's not selfish if it means keeping the rest of the world safe! Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good! You should know that better than anyone here!"

"There is no further reason to argue this. We cannot change the decision I made. You two will have to investigate Lookout Peak, or rather, what's left of it."

"You want us to leave the base unattended?" Auris questioned the Lucario's sanity. "The Alliance doesn't run itself, Azure."

"There are several pokémon qualified for the job. Since Lupe is handling missions already, I am sure she would not mind supplying the teams with their rewards. Besides, the request Team Inferno took should only last into mid-afternoon. I will be able to manage the Alliance from then until the two of you return."

"Alright, Azure," the Meowstic deadpanned.

"Laurel? Do you agree?"

"Yes," the Bayleef gave a determined look. "As is the mission of the Pokémon Alliance."

"Excellent. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to speak with them for a bit."

"It's been quite some time since you last needed to talk to them," Laurel frowned. "Do you think they might be able to help in some way?"

"A human has entered a world meant solely for pokémon. If anyone will be able to guide us, it will be them. After all, Fallen is not the first one. Sleep well, both of you. I will see you later tomorrow when we will discuss your findings at Lookout Peak."

"Good night, Azure," Laurel replied.


A human, here, in this world, and transformed into a pokémon. Azure thought such a phenomenon could never happen. A human had somehow crossed into this world from someplace that only humans exist. What a turn of events, and what a situation for the lucario to be thrust into.

So many questions bombarded his mind as he walked through the desolate streets of Amethyst City. The moon shone immensely in the darkness, lighting the way for him. Not a single pokémon walked the streets, and the only sound in the air was the impact of Azure's feet to the cobblestone.

It had been so long since he last met with them. Before, he would disclose every bit of information to them. He enjoyed allowing the hours to pass, conversing with those two, for at one time, they were his everything, his drive to push onward, even when age continued to debilitate him.

But time had a tendency to catch up with Azure, no matter how routine his life could become. This was the toll of his vitality. Nothing ever lasted forever for him, and it always ended the same way. He was not afraid of death, but death seemed to be apprehensive of him.

And so, Azure continued down these streets until he came upon a certain tent. Although businesses for the day had all closed, the lucario knew this pokémon would oblige. Quietly, he stepped into the purple tent and called out into the darkness.

"Avarice," he whispered, trying not to startle his friend. He was always easily alarmed when he began running the bank.

No answer. He decided to call out again, "Avarice!"

Again, no answer. So, rather than using his voice, he decided to summon his friend another way.

Avarice, are you awake? he reached out to the sableye's mind.

"Azure? What in Arceus' name are you doing here at this late hour?"

Just then, a shadow emerged from the darkness, gathering into the sableye's form. Avarice rubbed his diamond eyes and yawned, "This had better be important."

"My apologies for waking you, Avarice. However, I need to speak to them urgently."

The sableye tilted its head, "You haven't asked me to do that in years, not since I—"

"I know, I know," the lucario cut him off. "Just, please, Avarice. This is a very important matter."

"I bet it has to do with that Team Inferno, doesn't it?"

Azure gritted his teeth, "Yes, it does."

"Let me guess: the treecko is not as he seems."

"No, he is not."

"I noticed," Avarice chuckled. "I can tell the difference between nerves and fear. It's ingrained in any dark-type's instincts. That child was surmounted by fear. No one could be as afraid of pokémon as he was, the very beings that inhabit this world, unless they never encountered them in the first place."

"Before I tell you, promise me this conversation will stay between us."

"You're speaking to a pokémon who guards money for a living," Avarice laughed. "My lips are sealed."

Azure nodded, "Fallen is actually a human."

"A human?" the sableye's eyes glowed brighter.

"Yes. Now you see why I need to speak with them."

Avarice nodded, "Give me a moment, then."

Azure took a few steps back, allowing Avarice the room he needed. The sableye sat on the ground and watched the lucario until the soft glimmer faded from his eyes. Two shadows began to form on both of his sides, emerging from the ground and becoming two figures. They were nebulous and unstable, and each of them expelled wisps of shadows from their beings.

The one to the left exposed two atoms of light from where its face should have been, "Azure...it's been so long."

The shadow to the right stood on two legs, opening its eyes to the lucario, "It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"It is good to see you both after so long," Azure smiled. "However, I am afraid now is not the time to recount the tales of the past few years."

"Is something wrong, Azure?" the quadruped asked.

The Lucario hesitated for a moment, "I encountered a child today. He is quite special. So special, in fact, that I have allowed him to join the Alliance."

"Azure, get to the point," the shadow on the right urged. "You know Avarice cannot keep us in front of you for that long, especially since he must be out of practice."

"Fine," the Lucario sighed. "This pokémon...was once a human."

"A human!?" the two shouted in tandem.

"I am afraid so. The poor child, stolen from his family and condemned to this world as an interloper."

"But, the last human—"

"He is not from this world at all. I have reason to believe he is from a plain of existence where humans reign as the only sentient beings."

"Another human..." the standing shadow pondered. "Does he remember how he got here?"

Azure shook his head, "All he remembers was falling from the sky. He has no recollection of what happened prior."

"Then how in Arceus' name did he get here?" the left shadow seemed confused.

"Perhaps he found a way to cross the Dimensional Boundary," the bipedal shadow hypothesized. "But, after all these years, a mere child—"

"If that were the case, he would most likely have half of the Lustrous Orb in his possession, which he does not."

"Could it have been...him?" the one on the left wondered.

"No. I would have sensed his aura if it was."

"The Lustrous Orb is the only way he could've traveled between dimensions. Palkia, even dormant, split up the orb for a reason."

"I am sending Auris and Laurel to investigate a certain location that might have the answers we need. I will speak to you again as soon as I receive their report. For now, if you two could ask around the spirit world for assistance, then—"

"You know meddling is against our agreement with Yveltal. If word gets out that we shared information with you from the spirit world, no living pokémon will be able to channel us again."

"It is the risk I am willing to take. I have a feeling this human's appearance is part of something much greater than that. So long as I am still alive, I will do my best to preserve this world's future."

The two shadows nodded in agreement and began losing their form, "Avarice seems to be growing fatigued."

"Get some rest, Azure," the left shadow begged. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this."

"I will be rest when this world is safe from whatever catastrophe is about to ensue."

"Azure," the shadow on the right called.

"Yes?"

"Keep shining, my friend."

Azure smiled proudly, "I will. As long as my heart continues to beat and this aura continues to flood my veins, I will shine."

As he spoke, the two shadows dissipated, and the sableye that sat between them immediately stirred.

"Did you get what you needed?" Avarice yawned.

"Yes. Thank you very much, Avarice."

"Now go to bed like the rest of the pokémon, please."

Azure nodded and proceeded towards the bank's exit. However, after putting a foot through the tent's opening he turned his head halfway to Avarice.

"You know, the Alliance could really use you again."

Avarice smirked, "The fate of this world no longer matters to me...not after what happened to Serenity. I'm surprised you haven't retired yet. Those old bones must be wearing thin."

"These legs have plenty of time left to guard this world. Should you change your mind, though, our base is always open, especially for a powerful pokémon like you."

"I'm flattered, Azure. But I don't see myself returning anytime soon, or any time for that matter."

"Suit yourself," Azure waved and returned to the base.