As Michael lead the charge deeper into the base after having chosen the left path of the two paths in the fork in the road deep inside the Neo Cipher base under Pyrite Town, Jovi and Duking kept up with their Pokémon joining the combined blitz.
Blockades of iron gates would be raised from the ground to block them from reaching the inner facilities. Turrets and Tesla Coils would reveal themselves from the ground and ceiling to trade fire with the approaching blitz but they would all be destroyed by the combined might of the trio's Pokémon.
Michael's Umbreon would rush to Bite, Poliwrath would shoot Hydro Pump attacks, Dragonite would tear asunder metal and machines with Outrage. Duking's Guagsire would contribute with forceful Mud Shot attacks, Masquerain would bust walls with Silver Wind, and Flygon would tear into metals side-by-side with Michael's Dragonite with Dragon Claw attacks. Jovi's Mimi and Pluplu supported with their Helping Hand attacks for the Pokémon and Litwick would continue spewing Flame Burst attacks and Hex casting on every burning piece of metal in the comfort of his trainer's arms.
Suddenly having past another cafeteria and destroyed various vending machines to feed and heal their Pokémon with its contents, an incredibly wide elevator for Cipher's personnel was discovered. The elevator appeared to be empty, but Michael's visor reacted to looking in its direction. The visor pulled over his left eye allowed him to identify three Specter Peons standing in the elevator.
"You are not going to stand in our way!", Michael proclaimed as he approached.
"We know… but we will try anyway.", responded one of the Specter Peons breathing through their mask with the electronic filter the mask gave before sending out three Cacturnes over the elevator.
They swung Pin Needle attacks that landed on Umbreon and Flygon, but they were quickly decimated by their opposing forces. The Caturnes fell and the Specter Peons returned their Poke Balls and knelt with one knee on the floor in unison as they were recalled back to their bases.
"Good riddance…", Michael said expressing his distaste for Neo Cipher's presence.
Without hesitation, Michael led the team on to the large metal elevator and hit the button with the down arrow. The team descended down the spacious elevator until it suddenly turned dark. The lights built into the elevator floor's provided illumination. What seemed like minutes turned into tens of minutes as they descended deeper under the crust.
In that time, the adrenaline from the constant barricade and turret bashing on the team withered. Michael still held a certain silent hostility in his heart. Jovi saw his face in the dim light the elevator provided. His eyes were shaded under the shadow on his face.
"Um Michael?... Big Brother?... Are you alright?", she asked with concern as she held her Litwick.
"I feel… absolutely livid, afraid, sad, all of those emotions at the same time Jovi. Don't try to hold me back, the soonest way possible I'm going to see this end. And everything will be back to normal, I promise… everything will be alright.", Michael assured giving a small smirk.
"Aye lad I'm sorry for what happened to your home and your family. I guess I can relate on that level. But don't lose yourself okay?", Duking advised Michael.
Michael shook his head and replied after turning to look at Duking, Jovi, and all the Pokémon in their blitzing team.
"I can't believe Bitt would sell out to Cipher… but it makes sense doesn't it? The evidence adds up…", the red headed teen stated.
"That's why he acted so strangely yesterday… he was dealing with pent up guilt inside. He knew what he was doing… but why?", Michael asked out loud remembering vividly the look on Bitt's face.
"That boy…. We all knew he dreamed of something better for all of us.," said Duking recalling the times prior to this new incident.
"He talked about how great life sounded outside of Orre. He was always wishing for something better than we already have and how he missed a lot of people who aren't even here anymore… especially Wes and Rui I suppose… sigh…", Duking continued with a feeling of regret for the boy.
"We're so helpless out here… it's hard enough getting any attention from outside the region. Clemont didn't do us any favors by claiming my and Dr. Kaminko's inventions as his own… and those 'friends' of mine from Kanto and Hoenn pretend like they've never visited us here. Absolutely no outside help whatsoever….", Michael further lamented their isolation from a world of help, shaking his head in pity.
"Yeah… but you know, if I remember correctly, Gonzap is coming to help us! Yeah! Nett got Gonzap to get his team together on a boat and their headed for Gateon Port!", Jovi offered some good news.
"Oh? Oh yeah, that's right… I guess Seth already has Gateon Port secured for their arrival… if Bitt hasn't already tipped Cipher off to Team Snagem's return…", Michael said looking down in doubt.
"You have to have more faith than that Big Brother! You said it yourself, everything will be alright. We'll fight Cipher together! Everyone left is here to back you up! We'll get our families back and Cipher will be gone! And that is exactly what we'll do!", Jovi exclaimed with a confident smile expressing her belief in Michael and the forces of good on their side.
Michael looked at her for a moment before looking at Duking and all of the Pokémon present in the elevator. Umbreon stood by his feet looking up at him with his red eyes. Michael sighed and broke a smile as he knelt to pet his dad's Pokémon behind his ears.
"Maybe I don't have anything to worry about… Maybe you're right… but after we're done here. We're going to take our chances out there… understand? Orre is no place for you to start your journey as a Pokémon Trainer anymore…", Michael stated accepting the reality that is the unfortunate state of the region.
"I guess it's better that way…", Jovi agreed remembering the places she'll always remember.
"It looks like we're here!", Duking announced seeing the elevator lights beginning to dim.
The metal platform stopped abruptly, taking the group and their Pokémon by surprise. They had arrived in a large dimly lit room with flood lights shining down on them from the walls. In front of them was a large dug out pathway into unknown territory. They followed the path with their Pokémon ready to rush any enemies in their way.
The smell of cold rustic metal and dust grew stronger as they explored the path. The cave grew wider and spacious until they approached another iron gate. There was a console requesting a password on the wall, but Michael gave the word to tear down the gate instead. The gate exploded into pieces, revealing a site the group never thought they'd behold.
"….This can't be real…", Michael said upon casting his sight on the horizon.
They stood at the end of a wide ramp into a large underground horizon. It was an incredibly spacious underground cavern with multiple metal pillars bracing the ceiling. Countless fans were scattered on the ceiling for ventilation purposes all connected with wires both pinned on the ceiling and hanging in the air. On the ground was built various machines, Cipher facilities, encampments and factories across the horizon. Sparks shined on conveyer belts and automated assembly lines transferring and processing minerals between factories. Cables lined the floor originating from hatches in various metal platforms built into the ground appearing to power the facilities. The lights from the facilities and machines scattered throughout the miles of occupied underground darkness gave Michael an eerie feeling surpassing the feeling he had when he first approached the Cipher Key Lair nine years ago.
"What is this place?", Jovi asked in awe of the mechanical horizon she beheld.
"Unbelievable..."
Duking looked around the horizon of automated machines. He was dumbfounded at the site of an entire hidden base taking up so much space deep under Pyrite Town. He could remember when he took part in sealing away the Under to keep crooks from living out of sight in the cover of the darkest corners of the Orre Region, but to seal this would take an army.
"This is far worse than the Under ever was! This is…. this is the Under fifty times over again! But it's all this new Cipher's doing…. What are they doing?!", Duking expressed his extreme discomfort with seeing the base with structures connected by cables, wired walls, conveyer belts holding ore and spanning across the vast cavern.
"Welcome to the Undermine.", Ein's voice rang out from an unidentifiable source with an electric filter.
The group beheld a small object flying in the shape of a Ninjask flying towards them with its wings flapping so quickly it couldn't be seen. Upon approaching, it turned out to be a Ninjask Bot from Michael's workshop, reverse engineered to include a speaker on its abdomen and a camera in its forehead.
Michael watched his altered invention in the hands of the enemy flying towards him standing in front of the group of trainers and Pokémon. The Ninjask Bot hovered in the air infront of him.
"I commend you for making it this far, but if you think this is our base of operations, you're gravely mistaken. None of your friends are being held here. Nothing awaits you here but the seeds of a new means of instant control over newly acquired ground for our master's dream."
"This is not your grave, but you are welcome in it should you continue to explore this place. Though if I were you, I would highly advise myself to return to the surface and make your time before the entirety of Cipher comes crashing down on you like a torrential storm.", said Ein through the hovering metal imitation of a Ninjask.
"Where are they?! In Citadark?!", Michael demanded to know where Megg and the other prisoners were kept.
"…. Yes. Yes Citadark Isle.", Ein answered with slight hesitation in his tone.
"And where are you? Ein?", the red headed teen requested further information.
"If you must know, I'm in my testing chambers down the other path you didn't take where you met my expired Doppelganger. If you really want to reach Citadark Isle, perhaps I could offer you a one way ticket with my key card at one of our Warp Stations…"
"That sounds like a trap, Michael.", Duking offered his view on the offer.
"Even still that is a tempting offer… but all I want is to see is my friends and family you've captured back with us safe and sound. If we have to tear our way through your army to get them back, then we're ready to go.", stated the red headed teen eyeing his own reverse engineered invention.
"I see your appetite for destruction has grown. But I find your lack of time management disturbing. The more you stay here the harder it will be for you to defend what little friends you have left. Don't be surprised if you return to an empty Shop on the surface.", Ein warned with a small sadistic laugh.
"Turn back now and face me! Only then will I give you the choice of going to Citadark or taking what you have now…. Hold on. What?", Ein asked someone who is with him in his undisclosed location.
The group and the Pokemon froze in silence as they watched the Ninjask Bot hover in silence before sounding Ein's voice in a surprised manner.
"A parley?! You honestly wish to…. Understood…", said Ein to the unknown entity.
"That was a message from our master. Plans have already been set. But in ord-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Michael's patience grew thin before he lunged forward and snagged his machine. Ein was caught by surprise as Michael hijacked his own invention, clamping the Ninjask Bot against his chest as it's metal legs scattered and it's thin wings froze against him.
"Gasp! How dare you! You dare interrupt me when I-"
Michael drew out his P*DA with his Snag Machine mounted hand and unfolded it. To the surprise of his sister and Duking, Michael hacked control of his own invention back into his hands. The Ninjask Bot stopped struggling, allowing the red headed teen to place the augmented invention on the ground. He tapped his P*DA screen and accessed the autopilot option in his reverse engineered invention that was still his.
Ninjask Bot began flapping its wings again and faced his inventor. Michael smiled with a laugh at this achievement. Hacking his own stolen invention to usurp it's control.
"Now this Ninjask Bot is mine again. And with that camera, I think it will help us here now more than ever.", Michael gladly stated.
"What an idea! Good on ya!", Duking congratulated him.
Michael turned about face to face Jovi, Duking, and their Pokémon eagerly awaiting his word.
"If Undermine is going to be Cipher's factory for their armies, then there must be a Warp Station somewhere, maybe even multiple Warp Stations. We may not even need a Key Card if things are as automated as they are. We'll find a Warp Station and I'll send you both to the Station we found earlier in the Pyrite Cave base and get to the people left behind in Pyrite Town.", Michael explained his plan.
"And what about you? Big bro?", Jovi asked the question that came to her mind the moment Michael let out his thoughts. She watched him respond with his head facing away in uncertainty as he said.
"I'm… going to take a Warp Station to Citadark Isle and find Mom, Krane, Megg, Marcia and anyone else I could find before I settle this with Ardos. I need to make sure Dr. Kaminko and Chobin are safe too while I'm at it…. And actually, I think Seth could help us here too.", said Michael accessing the email feature on his already open P*DA to check with Seth via email.
Seth sent an immediate response to his request.
"The Realgam Tower's caretakers are on their way to Gateon Port. I will head towards Pyrite Town and see about saving those people in the Shop if you can't make it in time. I will send them to Gateon Port and proceed to Dr. Kaminko's manner to convince them to come with me with their belongings to the port town as well… if you can provide me coordinates.", requested Seth through his message.
Michael responded complying with his ally's request along with the proposition of having them bring their inventions, including the Robo Kyogre specifically, in case circumstances should arise. Seth agreed and confirmed he is en route. The P*DA was closed.
"Now let's send Ninjask Bot to scout for us.", he said raising his arm up to the air to send the robotic Pokémon replica into the air.
Michael watched as he could see from where the group stood, blockades of Cipher Peons and Pokemon were setting up ahead beyond the ramp. Engineer Pawns were lighting their welders on turrets built into metal ground and many variants of Peons were keeping guard with their numerous Pokémon varying in size. Packs of Mightyenas and Houndooms, swarms of Beedrills, assemblies of Aggrons and Metagross, and parked caravans of Camerupt were in their arsenal within each of the sections blocked off by giant metal gates in wired caged walls. Laser fences were flickered on with, in synch with the panning perspective provided by the Ninjask Bot, their power lines running towards the same metal platforms appearing to be acting as batteries to their surrounding sectors of structures and missile launchers. Behind a line of Magmortar and bunkered up Peons with a battalion of lesser tiered Pokémon, a Warp Station could be seen with a visible blue outlined portal within the structure's arch way at the top of its pyramid-like shape. A single Specter Peon could be seen emerging from the portal before the portal shrunk and disappeared in an instant.
Michael was awestruck, along with Duking and Jovi and the rest of the Pokémon peering over his shoulders. Suddenly they heard the sounds of Cipher's helicopters within the vicinity. Looking outward into the horizon they could see a squadron of piloted Gyrocopters flying with their spotlights shining in the distance, approaching the guarded path ahead. It looked as if they were being stationed with the rest of the teams preparing for Michael's arrival.
"H-How do they have helicopters down here?", Jovi asked.
"More like how are we going to make it past all of those defenses?...", Michael asked himself uncertain on where to start.
"Do you think we have enough firepower to fight all of this, lad? Even with your Lugia?", Duking added his uncertainty.
Michael thought hard about their options. They could easily turn back, but the time it would take for them to go back would lead to a trap back in the Pyrite Cave base. They could rely on Seth to save the people hiding in the Shop and try to hold their ground here, or they could take their chances fighting the army ahead and take to the Warp Station to proceed with their plan.
"But how can we stand against all of them?! There must be a way…. Maybe there…. Wait. What about this?", he spoke his thoughts out loud, pulling out the Neo Evolution Key Stone he received from Rett earlier.
Jovi and Duking looked into the chaotic twister within the orange gem Michael held in his left hand in the palm of his Snag Machine glove. Confused, Jovi proceeded to ask her brother.
"Are we going to Neo Evolve one of our Pokémon? If we can?", she asked holding her Litwick who was also intrigued by the stone.
Michael held the stone towards their Pokémon. From Jovi's Litwick, Pluplu the Plusle, and Mimi the Minun to Michael's Umbreon, Dragonite, Polywhirl, Ariados, and Magmar, excluding Lugia for last. Duking's Quagsire, Masquerain, and Flygon didn't react to it either although Flygon looked more entranced and erratic at the sight of the stone for some reason, but it did not trigger an evolution of any kind never the less.
"Lugia. We need you for a moment.", he said before sending out the former XD001 project from Greevil's Shadow Pokémon plan.
Michael held the stone to see if his perched silent guardian would react to the stone. Lugia stared with a small growl into the stone's twister and shook his head with a frown. Michael lowered the stone with this experiment yielding no results, but then Jovi reminded him of something important.
"Wait a minute Michael. Neo Evolution also hurts the Pokémon that's evolving right? Isn't that what that Peon told us?", Jovi queried upon remembering what Rett said.
Then Michael thought back to the fight he and Seth had against Dakim and Nascour at the Cipher Key Lair. Seth's Tyranitar Neo Evolved by its trainer's command with his gauntlet, but the transformation left Tyranitar severely injured for the price of being stronger.
"… You're right Jovi… but that doesn't mean anything to us right now because we don't have any Pokémon capable of Neo Evolving.", Michael replied.
"Aye but the rat did say you weren't limited to using that thing on your own Pokémon right?", Duking asked.
"… You're not saying I could just bum rush at them waving this stone and hope to the universe that they'll start turning into weakened Neo Evolved forms of themselves all at the same time?!", Michael suggested questioning his safety in the matter.
"Oh big bro you know better than that! There must be a way… like maybe a certain invention of yours could help?", Jovi stated with a smile nudging her brother to look at Ninjask Bot hovering in the far distance.
After a realization and a plan was developed, Ninjask Bot returned with the Neo Evolution Key Stone in the grip of its small metal arms. It could barely hold on to the gem and keep itself balanced in the air, but it slowly began flying towards the first blockade ahead as it gained altitude.
Michael gathered and assembled the blitzing group of Pokémon ready to rush down the enemy as soon as they could see any of their Pokémon entering a cocoon of light for their painful transition. Lugia stood behind the group ready to swoop in as soon as they'd get a head start in their charge down the ramp.
They waited. They spied out the Pokémon ahead. Mightyena and Houndoom with minor Cacturne support from Specter Peons. The Ninjask Bot was just overhead. Michael had it lower it's altitude little by little before to everyone's surprise including the enemies, the Houndoom began acting howling and yelping before becoming overwhelmed by the Neo Evolution Key Stone's exposure. The Houndoom portion of the blockade began Neo Evolving all at once.
"Now's our chance! GO GO GO!", Michael shouted, leading the charge down the ramp with Umbreon running slightly ahead of him.
Duking's Masquerain and Flygon flew as Quagsire ran with the grace of a jelly bean. Jovi's Mimi and Pluplu rode on their trainer's shoulders ready to lend their Helping Hand attacks as Litwick was readying his Flame Burst attacks. Michael's party was invigorated by the rushing charge their trainer lead with their fangs, claws, a spines ready to deal damage.
As soon as they made it off the ramp and into the sector, Lugia swooped forward and provided covering fire with streams of Areoblast attacks sending the opposing force into a panic as the heroic strike team began dwindling their numbers. The Neo Evolved Houndooms couldn't cope with their newly forced unexpected form and the pain left them easy targets for the blitz team. They fell by fours and were forced to retreat with the energy they had left at their trainer's commands.
"Alert! Our Houndooms just Neo Evolved without consent! A Neo Evolution Key Stone is in enemy hands! The first barricade has fallen to enemy hands! Retreat!", a Commander Peon announced via intercom through speakers scattered throughout the first sector.
Michael's Dragonite and Duking's Flygon tore into the commanding officer's bunker windows, wreaking havoc with the fire they left behind. The bunker was emptied as soon as Michael and the others arrived. The Peons were driven back, leaving their structures and mechanisms at their mercy.
A battery platform built into the ground powering a laser fence and a few tesla coil turrets in the first barricade's sector was still standing. The blitzing team rushed back out of the bunker to target the mechanized ground. Lugia blasted it open with a Psycho Boost attack. The psychic sphere allowed the rest of the Pokémon to tear apart the mechanical innards. With repeated claw and bite attacks, Outrage from Dragonite, Karate Chop from Poliwrath, Dragon Claws from Flygon and Bites from Umbreon completely destroyed the battery buried in the metal ground, leaving the tesla coils and the laser fences off.
Michael called all the Pokémon to regroup. Ninjask Bot still hovered clumsily with the Neo Evolution Key Stone in its claws but it descended slowly towards its master among the two trainers and their Pokémon.
"Great work everyone! We've beaten this section, but the second part of the barricade is just ahead.", Michael said seeing the destruction they've caused around them.
"When we destroyed the battery though, some new paths opened up over there and over there.", he explained pointing at two gateways opposite of each other in walls previously sealed with the laser fence.
"It might be worth it to explore a little before we go ahead. Anyone want to come with me or stay here until I come back?", he provided the options to Jovi and Duking.
"What? You mean over there?", Duking asked directing his attention towards the open Eastern gate.
"It will be a quick trip! We'll run there, break something, and return in minutes flat. Lugia can keep this sector clear of Cipher until we come back. Sounds good up there?", he asked his legendary ally in the air.
Lugia let out a small shout as he dropped himself down on to the ground with a small tremor. He stood tall and folded his wings in a guarding vigilant stance, looking towards the rest of the blockade ahead.
"Then it's settled. Let's keep up the pace everyone!", Michael encouraged everyone as he and his Umbreon proceeded forward to the open Eastern laser gate.
Jovi and Duking followed Michael with the rest of their Pokémon as Lugia stood guard.
The blitz team passed through the electric gate to see a small walled sector with myriad of scrap metal and rusted junk. In the center of it all was a single cylindrical metallic structure with a holographic purple topped Poke Ball on top of its roof, vaguely resembling Phenac City's Pokémon Center. Its automatic door was on elevated ground with small retractable ramp built under it.
"Is that Phenac City's Pokémon Center?", asked Duking before hearing rustling from the surrounding junk yard.
From the metal piles, a burrowed triad of Lairon emerged and charged at the team. Flygon and Dragonite were the first to meet it with their sharp claws before Poliwrath and Magmar finished them off with combined Hydro Pump and Flamethrower attacks. The Lairon fainted in their places.
"That was easy…", stated Michael before running up the ramp to the Cipher Pokémon Center.
The door wouldn't open. Michael stepped back down the ramp and ordered his Dragonite to blast the door open with great force.
"Outrage! Open it up!"
The door was mauled over and over again before it was blasted to pieces by a finishing punch.
Dragonite stood aside as he allowed Michael and his Umbreon to enter the building. The first thing he notices was how similar the inner interior was to Phenac City's Pokémon Center interior despite having metal tiles on the floor and various aesthetics reminiscent of the Cipher Key Lair's interior design. Where the stairs to the Cable Club would have been located is replaced with a kiosk advertising Woot Candy for Pokémon and people to consume for its taste and health benefits.
Behind the counter beside a Healing Machine was a familiar nurse. Michael and his sister approaching from the door recognized her from Gateon Port. The nurse looked afraid.
"You?!", Michael exclaimed.
"Nurse? Didn't we see you at Gateon Port?", Jovi exclaimed.
"Michael? Oh… you're here.", she stated with a worried tone.
"What happened? I mean, what happened to you after the Slaking went mad in Gateon Port that night?", Michael questioned as Duking joined through the broken door.
"I can't tell you. I'm sorry…", the nurse apologized, bowing her head in her regret.
"Why? Did Evice take you, Lovrina, and Naps after we left? Is that what happened?"
"I can't answer that…. Please…", the nurse pleaded him to stop asking questions.
"Just tell me, why are you here?!", Michael interrogated further before the nurse shook her head and spoke clearly.
"I am here to heal your Pokémon… I have been given a new purpose in my life and that is it... Please just let me heal your Pokémon. It's what I do best…", the nurse requested with a melancholy sincere expression.
Michael didn't respond verbally, but instead returned the Pokémon present with him in his Poke Ball to give to the nurse before she healed them in the Healing Machine. Jovi and Duking followed with their Pokémon handed to the nurse in their Poke Balls.
"All of your Pokémon have been healed. Please proceed on your mission and have a nice day…", the nurse said like she has been rehearsing that line to everyone she's met in Undermine.
Michael, Jovi, and Duking looked at her for a moment. She would only stare at them with a simple melancholy expression.
"Is that all you have to say?", Michael asked.
"… Beware the rings… that's all I can say.", the nurse stated her cryptic message before pushing a secret button under the counter.
"Go before they come here. Please find a way to end all this…", she requested one last time before silencing herself of all speech.
Michael turned to his sister who looked just as confused as he was. Duking couldn't make sense of what she meant by the "rings" either. But when they looked out the broken door they saw they don't have any more time to waste. Lugia was busy fighting a Gyrocopter in the air as the pilot was firing miniature missile salvos to harm Lugia as ground forces approached the Eastern gate.
After sustaining damage, Lugia countered through the smoke with a direct Areoblast attack. The air vehicle spun out of control in the vortex beam started falling before it hit the ground in a fiery explosion. Just before the impact however, the pilot was recalled back to his safe point, free from harm.
When Lugia returned to his guarding post he saw the strike team of Peons fighting his trainer and company. With immediate intervention, Lugia's Earthquake attack shook and crippled the opposing forces from behind, out of range of Michael, Jovi, and Duking's Pokémon in area of effect of the Move. This allowed Michael and the gang to gain the upper hand immediately, finishing off the team consisting of Metang, Mightyena, and Arbok.
After their way was cleared, Michael and the others were able to regain their thoughts. They turned back to the Cipher Pokémon Center to see the ramp was retracted and the door was blocked by a set of back up doors that went unused earlier. It seems the nurse would not like to see them again, or the building itself has been set on some sort of lock-down mode.
"What did she mean?... The 'rings' was it?", Michael asked Jovi and Duking though it was obvious they wouldn't know.
"I don't know big bro… maybe it stands for something?", Jovi suggested it might be a code word as she held her Litwick and kept both of her shoulders adjusted with Mimi and Pluplu's weight on them.
"Rings? Ring leaders? Rings of fire? Ring… that is very strange…", Duking added.
"Maybe it does stand for something… like some sort of division, though I guess it would be Ein in charge of this division specifically that we're fighting. The Epsilon Division and the Alpha Division with those Specter Peons we met earlier. That must mean Nascour could be around here somewhere, but I wouldn't see him coming like I could see his Specters. He has some sort of advanced invisibility technology that the program in my Aura Reader can't spot, so we better be ready for anything.", the red headed teen explained keeping the team on alert.
Upon returning to Lugia, Michael discovered Ninjask Bot was still flying in place with the Neo Evolution Key Stone. It must have been too small for the Peons to notice.
"Now where to, lad?", Duking asked with his Quagsire, Flygon, and Masquerain ready.
Michael looked at his options. Seeing as the blockade ahead seems to be growing in numbers, it would be best to attack it now before it becomes too unbearable. He pulled out his P*DA and instructed Ninjask Bot to scout ahead with its Neo Evolutionary Key Stone in its metal claws.
Everyone had their Pokémon ready as the tiny fake Ninjask zoomed forward in the air. From the P*DA they could see Aggron standing beside their trainers near pairs automated missile turrets. A Swarm of Beedrill flew back in forth in a patrolling manner with their eyes angry red from a nearby Remo Machine. Sand bags were stacked in a line, dividing a few Rhyperior teams and turrets while laser fences were activated, keeping the extra areas outside the zone locked.
One of the Enraged Beedrills noticed the mechanical Ninjask clumsily floating forward. They all proceeded to charge with their stingers ready before they started dropping and twitching like a cascade of insect Pokémon after spraying imported Repel items. To Michael's surprise, the Beedrill were beginning to Neo Evolve along with the Aggron shortly after the Ninjask flew over the downed Beedrills.
"Our time is now! GO! Lugia take care of those turrets!", Michael issued the order to have Lugia draw the coming fire of the machines.
With a running start and Lugia overhead, the Beedrills were quickly doused and incinerated before the stragglers in their altered weakened form were tackled with brutal bite and claw attacks.
Jovi's two Cheering Pokémon provided supporting Helping Hands to boost everyone's power as Litwick provided complimentary blasts of Flame Burst attacks towards machinery and structures.
The three Neo Aggron recovered from their state and were quick to start swinging themselves at the Dragonite and Flygon there to meet them in combat. Poliwrath and Umbreon surrounded them from behind and dealt a combined blow as Quagsire washed them out of the way with a Surf attack.
The Peons were forced to return their Pokémon and flee for the last blockade as the automated defenses were destroyed one by one by Lugia's concentrated Psycho Boost attacks.
Streams of smoke from the destroyed machinery signified their victory in this newly conquered sector. The laser fences were still online, so the battery hidden in the ground was still needed to be destroyed however. The blitzing team searched the area for hidden wires until they found a particular metal tiled ground that was marked with a warning sign. It was shortly torn open by the Pokémon and the battery inside was decimated.
With the laser fences down, the way to the last barricade was clear and a few extra areas were open to explore if Michael would so choose. With Ninjask Bot still safely hovering in the air and Lugia now standing guard in this newly acquired ground; Michael made his time and made the decision to investigate the Western gate that opened up after the laser fence's battery was destroyed.
The blitz team marched forward, following the red headed teen that was not afraid to see what was ahead. The lamp posts and spotlights scattered all over the walled grounds revealed some sort of training ground outfitted with obstacle courses built on sand, fenced into sections by sandbags for new Peons to train.
There were target ranges, beside the obstacle courses, where various wooden dummies vaguely resembling different Pokémon were scattered throughout the wide spaces. Just to the right of the target ranges were small arenas for Pokémon Battles between Peons. Kiosks were placed near the target ranges for some strange purposes.
"This looks like a playground for Cipher's goons…", Duking stated his observation as he followed Michael and Jovi to one of the lines of the target ranges.
Michael approached and examined a kiosk. It displayed information and a small amusingly animated sequence, showing a Cipher Peon and his Arbok.
"You have thirty seconds! Choose a Pokémon with a projectile move and hit the targets as they rise for points!", said the Kiosk as it showed the Neo Cipher Peon's Arbok hurling an Acid attack over a gray dummy resembling an Oddish before hurling another purple blob of poisonous acid on a Machop dummy behind the Oddish.
Michael looked back at the range to see the dummies that stood in place have retracted into the ground, as if it was an arcade game waiting for him to play. If he really wanted to he would send his Ariados to participate, but he knew they had better things to do with their limited time.
"Is there anything of use here?", Michael asked, scanning the area with his Pokémon as Jovi and Duking searched the obstacle course consisting of jungle gyms, claustrophobic crawlspaces, jump courses, walls with ropes on each side, walls with no ropes on each side, laid out tires and tight ropes.
Mimi and Pluplu playfully hopped through the tires as the other Pokémon in the combined triad searched the area. But then they stopped when they found something of interest in one of the tires. Curious, Jovi approached with her Litwick still in her arms and examined what was the matter.
"Woah! Here's something!", Jovi announced after peering into a tire on the sand.
She placed her Litwick down on the ground picked up another purple topped Item Chest. She opened it to discover a key card of some kind. Michael and Duking approached to see what she had found.
"Why was a key card stashed in a tire?!", Michael asked completely confused before being handed the card by his sister.
"What is it for? It's not for the Warp Station thing is it?", Jovi asked as unlikely as it is.
With the card in his right hand, Michael saw it belonged to Admin Evice. This was scarcely odd because it was sitting in the middle of an obstacle course in the least likely location it would be found. In a purple Item Chest no less, which then forces Michael to ask the question.
"Who keeps leaving these purple chests everywhere we go? This reminds me of that Phenac City Battle SIM Membership Card we found on our way back to the HQ Lab. We barely saw who it was that left it there for us.", exclaimed the very confused red headed teen.
"Do you think whoever that was is leaving these chests for us to find?", Jovi suggested.
"Who? What are you all blabbering about?", Duking questioned as he couldn't know what they were talking about.
"Cipher can't possibly be behind all this. Either this is the real thing or it's a fake card planted here by them to throw us off!", said Michael looking at the card's dark gray design. It has a black stripe presumably for accessing Cipher's machines or other appliances.
"But if there is someone else out there leaving these clues for us, do you think they're on our side?", Jovi suggested, thinking back to her dream last night.
"I-I don't know! But I'm not going to put my faith in some ghost. Let's meet back with my Lugia. This place doesn't seem to have anything else…", suggested Michael after suddenly feeling unnerved by the notion of something even more eerie than Cipher being present in an empty underground training ground walled from a horizon of mining machines and structures.
After the blitz team was reunited back with Lugia and the idling Ninjask Bot still clinging to its Neo Evolution Key Stone, Michael was presented with his choices again. He was very tempted to go to the other side from the Cipher Peon Training grounds to see what facility they would otherwise miss. Seeing as the blockade ahead has remained stagnant and no one has bothered to send a fire team to Lugia in the time they were gone, Michael figured they might investigate one last side section before they burn a path to the Warp Station ahead of them, but he wasn't sure if they'd have the time.
Suddenly, Michael's P*DA rang. Two messages were in his mailbox.
From Seth the Magician to Michael, titled "Liberation Successful."
"Evice's teams of Specter Peons have been eliminated and the people in the Shop are free. Pyrite Town's last residents are on their way to join the Realgam Tower caretakers at Gateon Port. I will escort them myself until they've arrived.", read Seth's message.
From Ostix to Michael, titled "We're alright."
"There was a scuffle outside, but we couldn't see what was happening. The knocking on our door stopped and then a man in a black cape told us to get out on to our bikes and head to Gateon Port. I'm writing you this now before I get on my ride. Hope to see you there soon!", read Ostix's message.
Michael replied to both of the messages before closing his P*DA.
Knowing the people in the Shop have been rescued from abduction, Michael found it more reasonable to explore one more sector before confronting the final blockade. Even so however, he decided it would be best to head straight for the Warp Station instead because the more time they spend the more reinforcements there will likely be standing between them and their escape.
"We're breaking on through you guys! Be ready to face the fire up ahead!", Michael announced to Jovi and Duking's surprise.
"We aren't going to see what's over there first?", Jovi asked out of curiosity.
"No, not enough time. We have to strike now before more of them are waiting for us. Don't worry! Ninjask Bot will scout ahead and Neo Evolve any Pokémon that can Neo Evolve.", explained Michael, pulling out his P*DA and keeping his Pokémon ready.
Duking and Jovi readied their Pokémon as they watched the metallic Ninjask replica hover forward and elevate itself into the air.
On the screen of Michael's P*DA it showed the blockade ahead still had their Magmortars behind a line of Cipher Peons with their varying Pokémon like Skarmory, Dodrio, Cacnea, Arbok, Weezing, and Houndours. It looked relatively unchanged until Michael spotted a single Engineer Pawn running forward with two strange devices in his hands. He seems to be in a hurry.
"What is he doing?", Michael asked out loud as he witness the peon place the strange devices on metal ground entangled with electric wires.
When he placed a device, he proceeded to place the other device six yards away from the other one side by side. The devices themselves began sinking partially into the metal tiles and began rooting themselves with electric wires. The embedded device stuck out like a rock on a smooth surface entangled with vines.
"What is that?... W-What?!", Michael suddenly reacted to what was happening over the planted devices.
Over the two little machines were two strange hovering horizontal ring-like objects floating overhead without any strings. They descended upon the devices and suddenly concealed them as if the machines disappeared into their gaps. The devices were nonexistent for a moment before the two unidentifiable objects suddenly started to ascend. And like a curtain on a stage, it slowly revealed a mechanical structure out of seemingly nowhere. It appeared to be revealing a strange tesla coil-like defensive structure erected with electricity crackling at the spherical tip of its spire. Once the two structures fully revealed themselves from the strange flying objects, the rings shrunk and vanished without a trace.
"Did they just place two of… whatever that was… with those rings?... What in the world was that?!", Michael expressed his extreme curiosity about about what power Cipher must be possessing to instantly summon buildings.
Suddenly one of the two structures activated itself with the power from the metal wired ground. A ball of crackling energy was shot out of the tip of its spire and hit Ninjask Bot. Michael gasped at his static screen before he and the other dumbfounded trainers saw Ninjask Bot's parts and the Neo Evolution Stone it held fall to the ground. The strange towering defensive spires ahead were idly charging electricity, presumably to use against them soon.
"Well this complicates things…", Michael admitted.
"What are we going to do now?", Jovi asked keeping her Pluplu and Mimi seated on her shoulders.
"All the stronger Pokémon will head in first. We need to bring down those buildings, and by the looks of it, a well-placed Earthquake attack from Lugia will break its power source which seems to be running through the ground. Otherwise Flygon and Dragonite will rush forward and tackle the Spires down before we let the rest of us rush in to try and finish the battle.", the red headed teen strategized.
Duking prepared his Flygon as Michael signaled his Lugia to start flapping and flying forward towards the opposition. They could see the spires beginning to activate and the Peons sending their Skarmories to fight.
The Spires began shooting their orbs one shot for every two seconds. Lugia spun to dodge one but was struck by the second volley. Michael rushed forward and shouted as Lugia tried to keep itself in the air circling around the Cannon Spire as Skarmories gave chase.
"Earthquake!", Michael shouted with Lugia already readying its powers.
With a loud roar, the ground began to shake and tear itself apart a little. The Cannon Spires still stood tall but the enemy Pokémon on the ground were stunned for a moment. The Magmortars saw Michael and began launching giant flaming balls of fire out of their arms into the sky to hit him.
The red headed teen ran back to dodge the coming fiery explosions and told his Dragonite and Dukin's Flygon to start rushing toward the Cannon Spires to knock them down any way they can.
Lugia spun as more shots from the Cannon Spires were fired in his direction. Some shots barely missed his wings while others zipped across his neck. When Lugia turned to see the flock of Skarmories and the volleys of fire balls towards the team proceeding to attack the blockade, Lugia unleashed an Areoblast attack to divide the Skarmories and disrupt the Magmortar team below.
Explosions were heard all over the place and sirens went off as the Cannon Spires had their tesla coils toppled and the Neo-Cipher Peons struggled with keeping their Pokémon standing against Michael, Jovi, and Duking's combined forces.
The Magmortars launched more fire balls towards the blitzing team, blasting Michael's Ariados before they were suddenly harassed by Duking's Masquerain using Bubblebeam attacks and escaping away from their lines of fire.
Lugia evaded the flock of Skarmories attacks while seeing an approaching squadron of two Gyrocopters in the distance. The silver winged Pokémon flew between the Gyrocopters, confusing the pilots of the two air vehicles before they were met with scattered metal clangs of Skarmory clumsily colliding with them in pursuit of the legendary Pokémon.
As Michael revived his Ariados with a crushed Revive medicine, Duking had his Flygon and Guagsire sweep through the lines of enemy Pokémon with combined Sand Tomb and Surf attacks. Jovi's Mimi and Pluplu stood by cheering with Helping Hand moves as Litwick periodically blasted distant enemies with Flame Burst shots.
Houndours were met with Umbreon and Poliwrath as Weezings and Arboks were set a flame by Magmar. The once fortified positions and walls of stacked sandbags began to fall into disarray.
The Magmortars finally singed Masquerain before returning their attention to the enemies at the door. But Lugia descended upon them with another direct Earthquake attack, bouncing them up and down before some fainted in place, before returning his attention to the two Gyrocopters unleashing small missile salvos.
Lugia sustained damage and was forced to land abruptly, drawing attention from his trusted trainer.
"Dragonite! Outrage! Poliwrath, try to knock one of them down with a Hydro Pump attack!", shouted Michael pointing towards the two approaching Gyrocopters.
Dragonite approached a Neo Cipher Pilot in the air with a ferocious spirit and claws swinging as Poliwrath tried to snipe the other air vehicle with a Hydro Pump attack, but it missed.
Dragonite's target tried flying backwards away from the approaching damage; he couldn't fire any Missiles when the target is too close to lock on to. But the other Gyrocopter Pilot tried to help his ally by locking on and firing his missile salvo towards Dragonite. Dragonite rushed downward as the missiles followed him and eventually made their mark on him, downing him in a blasts of smoke and fire.
Despite this small victory, one of the pilots were immediately met with a high pressure volume of water from Poliwrath' second attempt while Lugia was brought back into the fight by his trainer.
The doused Gyrocopter lost control of its altitude and the pilot was forced to recall back to his safe point. The other pilot began to panic as he saw Lugia about to fire a direct Areoblast attack in the air thirty yards away from him. He immediately recalled before his vehicle was tossed through the destructive blast and crashed into a nearby mining conveyer belt transporting ore from one facility to another.
Dodrios ran with their cowering trainers and whatever being was left was forced to either be returned to their Poke Balls or run away screaming in terror. The Cannon Spires were destroyed and the Warp Station's sector has been cleared.
"We did it!", Michael cheered with his arms in the air.
Jovi and Duking cheered along with the rest of their Pokémon who helped in the largescale battle. Dragonite was healed back up with any of the rest of the Pokémon who might still be injured from the engagement. Finally after pushing their way through the enemy's ranks, they stood before a functional Warp Station that did not even require an admin's key card, but had the slot for one anyway in it's console.
All Pokémon were returned to their Poke Balls, including Jovi's and Duking's as they examined the tall marvel of technology. Michael inspected the console before looking at the tear in reality up in the arch way.
"Status: 96% Durability. Energy Consumption Unrestricted due to Domain. Reinforcements Available. Recall Function to Home Base currently established. Specimen Link unavailable.", said the status report.
"Home base?...", Michael asked out loud.
"Do you think that's Citadark Isle? Lad?", Duking asked standing beside him to see the console.
"It must be… I can't think of anywhere else….", admitted Michael.
"Should we come with you? Or do you think you can handle this yourself?", asked the big man again as he looked back at the tear in reality on the top of the stairs of the machine.
"You've all been very helpful, but I think I'll need to see about this alone with my Pokémon. I don't want to risk losing any of you to the mazes on Citadark Isle where there's probably an ambush waiting in every corner. I'm going to find as many prisoners as I can, including Megg and the rest, and then I'll end Cipher once and for all by defeating their leader as soon as I can…", Michael explained as he felt his heart growing heavy from how nervous he felt about invading yet another enemy base.
"But what about us Big Brother?", Jovi asked uncertain on where they fit.
"I'll have you both warped to the station in the base just below Pyrite Town. Find a way to blast through that iron gate with your Pokémon and reach the ONBS building to see what happened in there. And then you're heading over to Gateon Port with the rest of the refugees. Seth will be there with Dr. Kaminko and Chobin hopefully.", the protagonist explained looking through the options on the console.
He found an option to select a waypoint for the Warp Station's connection. Some Warp Stations were listed while others had limited access and the names of their locations redacted. A very odd security measure, but Michael thought nothing of it for now as he selected the Pyrite Town Warp Station and saw the tear in reality under the archway begin to alter and expand.
"Now's the time Jovi! Duking, take care of her! I'll be back with Megg as soon as I can!", Michael proclaimed to the two.
"Good luck big brother! I believe in you! We, believe in you!", said Jovi giving him a tight hug with her arms around him. He hugged back and assured he will be alright.
"Please stay safe Michael. See ya soon.", she requested giving one last hug with her head on his shoulder before releasing and approaching the steps of the Warp Station.
"Thank you, for rescuing me and taking us on this little adventure lad. A shame I can't come with you, but I understand that in certain times safety isn't in numbers. I'll see you later!", Duking bid farewell as he began climbing the steps too.
Michael watched as his no longer little sister Jovi and Duking make it to the top of the pyramid shaped structure. Jovi stuck her hand through the tear in space wide enough for her to step through. She put one leg over the other into the hole with Duking following her into the familiar territory. From there they made their way back to the iron gate dividing the cave and the ONBS building's roof.
Just then a thought pierced his mind as he stood looking up at the tear. Michael remembered the invention that sacrificed its life not too long ago. He rushed back to see the broken remains of his Cipher-reverse engineered Ninjask Bot. Though it was likely a duplicate of his design, he still felt very sorry for what had to have happened. He could never have imagined his own inventions inspired by his father's legacy to turn on him in a way, but also suffer an unfortunate fate. He picked up a piece of its wing and its little claw and took them in memory of his altered creation.
He spotted his Neo Evolution Key Stone intact among scattered burning remains. Michael reacquired his stone and put it in his Key Items pocket before he proceeded back to the Warp Station. There he began getting curious with his options for where to warp to and realized he had Evice's Keycard from the training ground sector.
He swiped it, and immediately a whole mess of new options were presented to him. He could edit Evice's hidden Sigma Division that consisted of upgraded Specter Peons, Classic Peons, Stealth Gyrocopter Pilots, and various experimental classes Peons that haven't even been finalized by Ein apparently. If he wanted to, he could request that one arrives through the Warp Station and he would be forcing it to fight him, but that would be a waste of time.
As for his Warp Station connection options, he could see the Home Base and Citadark Isle were two different destinations. The rest of the Warp Station locations were to bases all over Undermine.
"Citadark Isle… isn't their Home Base?", he asked out loud in his confusion.
"But if Citadark Isle isn't their base… and Undermine is just a mining branch… then where is their Home Base?!"
"Where did you get that card boy?", a familiar malevolent voice sounded off in Michael's left direction.
The red headed teen turned to see Ein walking forward with a single Crobat hovering near him. He approached in his large lab coat with his signature dangling strands of hair in the shape of a lightning bolt. His P*DA was visible on his coat's left sleeve over his wrist.
"You have strayed so far off the rails, and now you've found key card that belongs to one of the highest ranking officers in our reformed syndicate. You need to be stopped before you ruin it for everyone! You will give me that card after our battle!", Ein demanded a stern serious with the white of his eyes hidden behind his shades.
Michael was challenged by Ein, but for once in his life as Pokémon Trainer, he didn't feel compelled to send out a Pokémon battle him immediately. He looked at the card in his hand, then looked at the Warp Station's console to see the connection was currently towards the Pyrite Town Base.
"Lovrina told me you were annoying when you were enemies. I can see why, as the one time we decided not to bother with your options you chose to discover all of this. Do you have any idea how stressful it is on my colleagues and peons when they're being told they're going to face off with the kid who ruined their lives four years ago? With his ferocious and powerful legendary Pokémon?", Ein said casting a veil of guilt on an already confused protagonist.
"What are you saying?", Michael asked unsure of what he is talking about.
"Isn't it obvious, Michael? It was… after all... Your fault!", another familiar malevolent voice echoed behind him suddenly.
He turned to suddenly feel his heart beat heavy with adrenaline when he saw Ardos standing as Michael remembered him so long ago.
The man who remade Cipher stood in his blue faded to grey Cipher elite suit with his shades. His face looked more wrinkled, but his hateful emotions towards Michael were ever present in his expression.
"You did this. You cause all of this. When you shattered my father's dream, you forced so many Orre people, whether they deserved it or not, to slowly die without their source of life support.", Ardos explained as he slowly began approaching Michael.
He was startled and began backing up towards the Warp Station's console. Michael selected the previously locked Home Base option and waited for the Warp Station to establish its connection.
"What?! N-No! Shadow Pokémon is a crime against nature! You can't tell me Greevil's plan to take over the world with Shadow Pokémon is okay! It had nothing to do with Orre's decline!", Michael said in his defense
"Your thoughts and beliefs are forfeit. Cipher was the heart of all of the settlements in the Orre Region. When Cipher was destroyed by your hands, it was the beginning of a slow painful end for this land. Slowly bleeding out until everyone was forced to disappear to the outside world; a cruel world for our people without a home land.", Ardos replied as he continued to step towards him.
"Who do you think arranged Pokémon to be imported here from other regions for new trainers to use? Who do you think built all of these towns and gave this region its name? The wealth Orre had to sustain itself, it was all us."
Michael was silent as his eyes widened with this newly introduced thought. He never contemplated this idea before. The red headed teen's mind couldn't comprehend the true form Cipher's presence in Orre so long ago until today. What he thought was an evil syndicate bent on world domination may have also been the region's life support system in the world they lived in for so long.
A hidden government, a group above nations, a network of puppeteers that worked in secret making sure this new Region would prosper and circulate its economy. This land would have been shaped under Cipher's image. And the people who lived in it were under Cipher's protection this entire time up until the organization was handed over to a worldwide authority.
"You had to fight all of those soldiers to get here, but how do you know they weren't the same friends you were trying to rescue?! Friends we had to repurpose into our new army?", Ein said joining the attack with his Crobat flapping menacingly.
"N-No! I don't believe this! It's not my fault!", Michael said before he began retreating to the base of the Warp Station's stairs.
"You can't run away from a Trainer Battle!", Ein declared before he began to give chase with his Crobat.
Michael sent out his Umbreon to meet Crobat in battle over the stairway as he waited for the tear under the archway to open. Ardos stood at the base of the stairs. A sudden pair of spotlights from a rising pair of Gyrocopters shone forward on the structure. In a flash he could see Ardos's body was actually a hologram held up by a familiar metal skeleton. It was actually a Doppelganger invention Ein has deployed, using Michael's inventions against himself yet again. Despite not being Ardos, it felt like he was actually speaking to him through the holographic puppet.
"We will meet again very, very soon…", Ardos left him with the ominous warning as he looked up at him with a silent scowl.
Seizing the moment the rift developed itself; Michael withdrew his Umbreon and jumped into the tear.
He made it through the tear to suddenly fall down a flight of stairs with his eyes closed. He felt the pain of each step bumping against his face. His Snag Machine almost slipped off of his left arm. He stopped sliding in the middle of the stairway.
Michael's mind was in shambles with what Ein and Ardos had told him. He tried to remember the faces of the Peons he, Jovi, and Duking defeated on their way to the Warp Station. He could only make out the portions of their faces not covered by the shades of their helmets. It was too hard to tell who could be people he once knew or people he could never have known. But he was too afraid to imagine Megg and the others would be brainwashed into willingly joining Cipher just as the nurse did in her replica Pokémon Center.
Michael tried to pick himself up but he fell forward down the rest of the steps. He felt his right foot suddenly twist and get sprained in his struggle to keep himself outright.
"Earrgghh! Ow!…", Michael cried out as he sat on the tiled metal floor, holding his right foot as he slowly got his bearings.
He could see he was in some sort of secret base. But the room he was in didn't leave any clue as to where this base was. When his senses returned, he could see his surroundings. Around the Warp Station he could see a garden with a myriad of different flowers accompanied by the sound of rushing water nearby.
"….Where is this?", he asked out loud basking in the beautiful surrounding sea of different colored flowers.
Even with the belief in himself and what he thought happened long ago was shaken, he still managed to pick himself up to take in his current environment.
For some reason, he felt his mind calmed by this peaceful room. Unlike any Cipher instillation he's been in, this is the most peaceful by far. He smelled the scent of roses, daisies, orchids, and a variety sweet smelling flowers he has never even seen before. It was like a festival of scents in his nostrils. The sound of the smooth streams of water that poured through the room's tiny rivers stilled his troubled mind.
For once he felt tranquility, and his disturbed, disheartened being recovered from the trauma Ardos and Ein subjected him to by their disturbing revelations about Cipher's true purpose in Orre and the part he took in dooming its future without its governing organization.
Then he started hearing steps coming down the Warp Station behind him. Michael swiftly turned around to see who was there, but nobody was there. The Warp Station's archway was empty of any warping tear in reality.
He suddenly felt an eerie presence behind him. Every hair on his body was suddenly raised in fear before he suddenly felt a sharp unexpected blow to the back of his neck. He lost consciousness and blacked out on the floor. The last thing he could see was the ceiling and a pair of unfamiliar eyes looking down upon on him.
When he woke up, he was sitting on his hover cycle's seat with his face pressed against the metal of his steering bar. He was outside of Pyrite Town's emptied gateway. He could see Jovi's bike wasn't there, so she must be on her way to Gateon Port with Duking by now. It was currently the afternoon and the skies were in an overcast.
"…What… happened?... my head…", Michael said out loud, although remembering he got in the back of his neck he can feel the ache in his head from the multiple falls he took.
He had his hand over his forehead, rubbing under his headband and running his hands through his face. Michael could see that he must have been thrown back on to the desert when he was found out and likely apprehended with a swift knockout blow.
"…. But why am I here?... Was that even real?", Michael said completely confused by what just happened.
He checked his pockets to discover Evice's Key Card was missing. They must have confiscated it after he blacked out.
"How could they capture me than throw me back out here like a Magikarp?! That can't be what happened, Ardos must be toying with me at this point….. I couldn't find Megg…", Michael said suddenly lamenting his failure to find who they lost.
"We came all that way and we couldn't find any of the people they captured… sigh… at least Duking made it out…"
Michael looked down in defeat contemplating how things could have gone differently before remembering the ONBS building. He turned to see it still standing in a now empty town in the middle of nowhere. Its antenna dish still ceased to move.
Michael inspected the now unlocked ONBS building. The signs of a struggle were apparent throughout the whole building as he came to Nett's quarters on the roof. There he turned on the screen on the wall to see the grim truth about where Bitt's allegiance lies.
"We have reached an agreement with the boy. Requesting permission to retrieve individuals for relocation protocol tonight…", read the final ominous decipher from Secc.
At this point, Michael could only turn off the lights on his way out of the town. The windmill could no longer spin itself beside the gorge and the town has been officially left a ghost town until such time things would change for the better.
"Next stop, Gateon Port…", Michael said to himself starting up his cycle and keeping his spirit intact as he prepares for the next inevitable encounter with Cipher's hierarchs.
The words Ein and Ardos left him with still remained as a thought in his mind. He spent his time contemplating how it all happened and how it all went wrong even if it was deemed the right thing to do. No matter the consequence, Orre's Champion knew that he cannot abide an organization bent on producing Shadow Pokémon, let alone planning to use them against the world.
