I feel like I owe deviantpokemontrainerjay I huge debt since I haven't updated this story for so long. Between studying at university and working on 'Culinary Rivals', I barely touch this story! Anyway, now that my midterm has ended, I've freed up some time. To compensate, I've made this chapter a bit longer!

Chapter fourteen: Fragmented Dilemma

Emma finally received notification that the computer virus Eclipse had mentioned to her earlier was taking effect. A direct channel connecting the IP mobile base to the foundry security systems was establishing in the very moment.

She began the mission late, but Looker made it clear to her that the operation was bound in a 96-hour period. It seemed like a lot of time, yet the PRU's meeting would occur in a little more than two days after that. For a high-level investigation involving a criminal organisation, 96 hours was not a lot of time.

Come to that, we are now 17 hours into the operation, she thought.

"Is it going well there, Looker?" she asked him.

"Whatever virus Eclipse has stored in my notepad is probably the most complex thing I've ever seen," Looker reported. "I'll thank IP intelligence for that. For you, Essentia, I'll need you to hack and take over the foundry security systems once the virus is uploaded. Trust me, this is a long process, and I can't risk leaving while the virus is being installed."

Emma paused, before saying, "I'll see if Eclipse needs help, otherwise, I'm staying put."

A two hour pursuit. That was how agent Eclipse would describe it in a nutshell.

Emma had relayed Mars' request for the ferries to halt until Tattoo was contained. To have him here posed too great a risk to the people present already, and would get worse if Tattoo had striking distance of the ferries. On the other hand, security officers received their orders from IP agents present, who were carrying other wounded IP agents to the pier as well.

But now, Eclipse, Purugly, and Tattoo were well away from the pier. The pursuit was still ongoing and they were running through the streets of the seemingly post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the Battle Frontier. Only few lights remained on, with the Battle Tower being the last beacon of light on the island. The attempt Purugly made to take down Tattoo had ended in a failure when Tattoo happened to turn into the side street Purugly was running on, and ended up leaping over the tiger-cat Pokémon before running toward the Battle Factory.

Purugly subsequently regrouped with Eclipse and they kept pursuing.

Meanwhile, Tattoo wasn't keen on getting further from the pier, so he ran near the Battle Factory. With her Team Galactic-style mind into gear, Eclipse calculated that it was only a matter of time before Tattoo would turn back to carry out an attack on the ferries.

Oh, how she wished she didn't want to think like a Team Galactic commander anymore. It haunted Eclipse, but alas, it still had its uses. But still, Eclipse hoped that that mindset would go away sooner or later.

She could feel the smoke she breathed drying up her throat as she ran and was now wishing for water. If it kept any longer, for maybe another hour, she would collapse. Her Team Galactic mind hit again and measured that Tattoo would have to collapse at some point too. Of course, she took into account that Tattoo had a better physique than her, so that would make things complicated.

Again, the best option was to outflank him.

The constant whiff of smoke made it excruciating to run, and the dense night air did not cool down, with the smoke isolating the heat in the Battle Frontier. It was so unlike what Eclipse experienced in Sinnoh, where it was much cooler. Hoenn was hot, and dressing up for a pursuit was not ideal in her opinion. As much as Eclipse wanted to take off the coat, she had an internal desire to adapt and overcome.

The part of her mind insisted that Tattoo would be expecting another ambush from Purugly, so she had to come up with another outflanking plan of attack. The other part of her mind, still working like it did in her Team Galactic days, measured exactly what to do to take down Tattoo.

Because the Battle Frontier in this area was divided into streets and sections, with the Battle Factory at the end, there were plenty of potential areas where Eclipse could mount an ambush on Tattoo when the time came for him to turn around. Eclipse had it worked out. It would take another ten minutes before Tattoo would make a turnaround toward the pier when he reached the Factory. He would only do so if Eclipse kept up the pressure.

So Purugly, despite her size, was impressively quick to catch up with Tattoo, yet Tattoo was able to still able to keep his distance from his pursuers. Eclipse figured that was what was expected from a terrorist organisation. They had to be physically fit such that if they ever encountered the law or the police, they would end up with two choices: fight or flight.

To her personal shame, Eclipse knew this very well. She had been through such stages before when she marshalled Team Galactic, and back then all she did was run. But not today. Today, she was here to arrest what reminded her of her former self.

The distance from the pier was even greater now. Far across in the distance, Eclipse could see that pier across the waters from the Factory location. The boats were beginning to dock with Hoenn police and counter-terrorists setting afoot on the ground. The ferries, by order of Eclipse, were not allowed to come any closer than 500 yards from the pier, to avoid the risk of attack by the PFA. Until the situation with Tattoo was under control, they couldn't move. Much to the panic of the civilians.

The pace was going well, and by the time Eclipse and Purugly had approached the Factory, it had been precisely ten minutes since she had completed her calculation and Tattoo, rather than keep going straight past the Factory, had veered off to the right. In the brief instant he did, Eclipse found a slight bit of panic in his motions. No doubt, Tattoo was getting desperate. With a silent gesture, she directed Purugly to intercept as well. It was a matter of time before Tattoo would be coming around in the direction of the pier, so Eclipse made the most of it. Just one chance of interception was fine, and she expected Tattoo wouldn't risk climbing on a rooftop, because that would mean more borrowed time for civilian evacuation.

"He's trying to go around the back," Emma's voice noted in Eclipse's ears. "It may be dark, but at least these cameras have night vision."

After running at two more turns, Eclipse was behind the buildings Tattoo had disappeared to. No doubt that he was heading back to the pier as she had predicted. The street was dimly lit, save for the glum reflection of metallic walls against the constant burning of the Battle Frontier, and the street lights shining in the corners. It appeared that Tattoo was intent on running straight back to the pier where the ferries were. Eclipse wasn't going to let that happen.

In the heat of the moment, at the side alley, Eclipse saw the leaping shadow of her trusted tiger-cat Pokémon in the dim light. Perfectly timed, a Body Slam attack was executed without haste from Purugly.

Caught by surprise, the suspect Tattoo collapsed to the ground with the heavyweight of Purugly on top of him. This for certain caught the attention of the few who were in the surroundings, but it didn't matter to Eclipse. What mattered was apprehending this man. She quickly locked his arms behind his back and pinned the back down with her knee. A show of force was likely necessary to take down Tattoo, and she could feel him trying to find the strength to get up. It was a struggle, but Eclipse was not going to let him escape this time.

"Essentia, I'm going to need backup –"

"Eclipse! Careful! There are four people closing in on you!" Emma warned.

Eclipse looked up and around her. What she saw was not the most pleasant sight, whereas there were four menacing-looking people coming from one direction, walking together in unison. Were those Pokémon who were leading the charge? If so, then it made things worse when the four people were armed.

"Tell the ships to evacuate the civilians now, and make sure the evacuation is strictly enforced," Eclipse requested. "I'll need your help on this one, Essentia. I need backup."

She contemplated taking out one of the two Poké Balls Atelier had given her to serve as a distraction, but she thought it better to save those for later. For good measure, she struck Tattoo's neck to knock him out (but not kill, obviously) so she could deal with the others.

The four people drew closer, and Eclipse soon had Purugly ready to fight.

"Prepare to die, young lady," one of the people said mockingly.

Eclipse was not startled. Her eyes narrowed as she prepared to face her adversaries. "I should be asking you that."

In the Trainers Village where the temporary IP base was still in effect, Emma was troubled. As much as she could help Eclipse, she had just received communication from Looker that the virus was preparing its installation into the foundry security system. To leave that unattended was the last thing she would want because Looker may not have a better chance of hacking in nor would he have a better chance of leaving the foundry alive.

"I'm afraid this is the only one chance we have at cracking their securities," Looker explained. "You'll have to override them on your part if we ever have a greater chance to takeover. They can still operate it, but we can both monitor and control them. At least, that's what Eclipse said."

The real-time computer screen Emma was working on showed the directives and security mainframe of the foundry. As the virus Looker was installing took into effect, Emma had more to work with and, when the virus was fully installed, Emma could begin the hacking process and take over the securities before the PFA found out. On the other hand, the separate Battle Frontier security monitor showed Eclipse initiate what looked like a street fight.

"I'll try to help you when I can," Emma said to Eclipse. But to her slight disbelief, Eclipse did not reply and instead looked focused on preparing to fight. Well, if Eclipse was going to fight, so be it. "I can't promise you anything though, but I'll evacuate the civilians."

With no further reply, Emma watched meticulously at the loading screen. It wouldn't be long before the virus was installed now, but wow, did it take a while. It took time, and with more time expended, that would be less time in the 79 hours they had left. But in the time Eclipse spent pursuing, and the time needed for the ferries to dock, it would look more like 78 hours.

That being said, the time was better spent starting the evacuation. Emma marshalled the security forces to begin evacuation now, and surveillance showed the ferries getting closer to the pier. The ferries moved slowly, and the people were getting desperate, impatient, and worrisome.

It would be an hour before additional PFA reinforcements would arrive, Looker measured. With the clock against him, Looker wished he could speed up the process somehow. He had no doubt, and it was not help knowing, that whoever would be arriving would have the skills of trained assassins like other PFA agents. Nevertheless, the styles were reminiscent of… not Fiera, but International Police training. Perhaps the IP had been working behind the scenes? No, that was too easy.

He crouched down at the desk and heard the sound of footsteps walking in the hall outside. Still clad in security guard uniform, Looker contemplated putting on a disguise, but he didn't want to make himself more suspicious than he already was. No, it was better to keep in the uniform, and that was that. The room was dark as it had always been and was only illuminated by the light of computer screens. If what Eclipse said was true, the three-dimensional project she had been working on would be completely useful once security access was gained. Looker kept a close eye on the monitor displaying the upload, and became more fretful when the upload was slowing down, whereas there could be a PFA agent walking down the corridor just outside.

"The upload's almost done," Emma reported.

Looker's hopes nearly went up, but he kept them down to anticipate the worst. Indeed, as he drank the rest of the cup of coffee, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Was that the sound of more than one person out there? To make matters worse, Looker was aware that there were no cameras in the building he was in because the only way in and out was through the blast doors, so he couldn't use the security system here to check who was out there.

Deciding not to risk it, Looker made sure the door was locked before he went on to check the uploading virus.

"Okay, it's done," Emma said. "I'll be hacking into the security mainframe now. You are clear to get out of there, Looker."

Taking this as encouragement, Looker prepared to leave, but not before whispering into his mic, "That virus should give you sufficient time to hack in, but it won't last forever. Hurry up and get that security system down."

After this, Looker unplugged his notepad from the hard drive and quietly went for the door. As he planned earlier, it was better not to leave the PFA agent in here in case another PFA agent discovered him there. Like the security guards he knocked out outside, Looker planned to make up a story to cover his tracks. He picked up the unconscious agent while sending out Croagunk to help him carry the agent.

Looker opened the door with one hand to peek outside. PFA agents were well close by, and on Looker's personal agenda, he had to be back to the Trainers Village, to the base, by the 24th hour, which was a little over six hours away. But in light of the fact that reinforcements would be arriving in less than an hour, Looker had to get out of the foundry by the 18th hour, or else face greater risk and less likelihood of fleeing if that hour arrived.

"How much more time does the hacking need?" he whispered as he prepared to leave the room, where the PFA agents outside seemed further away.

"Eight minutes," Emma reported. "Get out of there, Looker!"

At the point when the coast was clear, Looker checked outside, and slowly dragged the unconscious body out of the room, with Croagunk. If Emma managed to hack the systems in eight minutes, she would be able to manipulate the blast doors surveillance so that alarms wouldn't go off once he went through. To make sure to cover his tracks, he would have to personally talk to Heavy once he was prepared to leave. He just hoped he would be able to get out in less than an hour.

That was not a lot of time. Not a minute could be spared.

Emma felt like she was stuck in a hole, caught between two conflicting decisions. On one hand, she had to stay to help override the foundry securities and this was her one best chance to do so. On the other hand, there was a chance that she would be risking Eclipse's life as well. This was a trade-off she was facing, where she would have to focus on helping one life at the expense of the other. Emma hardly came to decisions like these, and she had to choose the one with the best outcome.

"I can't help you, Eclipse," Emma said in an even tone. "Looker just uploaded the virus and I need to help him…"

Again. No response.

Unrelenting force was what defined both agent Eclipse and Purugly now. With speed, Eclipse dodged lethal punches and swings from her attacks and came back with her own attacks. Purugly attempted to use Hypnosis, but the attackers moved too quickly for a successful hit, so Purugly had to resort to using physical force.

Despite being a young woman, the training Eclipse had as a commander with Team Galactic proved to be useful here, and allowed her to rapidly defend herself whenever needed. That moment was now, when a gang was practically bearing down on her, and she was cut off from support besides Purugly. As a Team Galactic commander, she treated Purugly as a tool, but the situation has changed since that day Kellyn helped her out of predicament. Now as an IP agent, Eclipse and Purugly were partners.

She instinctively ducked her head down to avoid contact with the metal bar one of the attackers swung at her. Upon careful inspection, Eclipse could see they were also wearing white bracelets. So the PFA was here. These were fanatics she was fighting against. However, taking on four people at once was not ideal, given there was only her and Purugly. Initially, two of the PFA agents lunged forward to tackle her, but Eclipse swiftly avoided the tackle and brought several fists down on their backs to force them to the ground. Purugly assisted by throwing Body Slams everywhere, where she missed three of them but immobilised the fourth.

Eclipse brought her arms up to block further strikes from the three remaining PFA agents. True, the blows from fists and metal rods hurt a lot, but at least some defence proved effective. She frequently had to take a step back to absorb the blows she was getting, but at the same time aware that for every step taken back she would be heading closer to the pier, which was the last thing she wanted.

Thinking as critically as she could, she was able to bring a punishing kick onto the knee of one of her attackers, making contact with the kneecap with the bottom of her all-purpose leather running shoe. He staggered a little, which allowed Eclipse to kick him to the ground.

In an effort to become more agile, Eclipse dropped her bag against the wall along with her black trench coat. Now left in her white dress shirt and black pants, along with her red-and-black tie and the e-Scope Lens (still concealed), she became more agile and was able to dodge more potential blows against her. Granted, one less layer of clothing meant she would get her sleeves dirty, and it hurt more.

Oh well. It was a part of Team Galactic training to do so, anyway.

However, for one such as Eclipse who had fragments of her Team Galactic mind and reflexes within her, she was still a mild-mannered young woman at heart, she still. She thought she had that old mindset exterminated when Kellyn helped her out that day, but it was apparent that the Team Galactic fragments still had a place within her. In some twisted sense, it was appropriate to use those tactics under these circumstances, but the mild-mannered side of Eclipse tried to suppress it whenever possible. How was it possible to manage it when she was clearly under attack, at the possible brink of death?

While Team Galactic training was ingrained in her style, Eclipse could tell that that was separate from what was left of her Team Galactic mind, which was responsible for all the calculations and relentless reflexes she could do. However, her other mild-mannered side did try to keep herself cool unless she couldn't hold back, and her training did make her more advanced.

Eclipse still attempted to fend off her attackers, but two of the three people went to seize her arms and slam her against the wall. The third person was battling Purugly with a pipe at first, but resorted to using bare hands to fight her off. "Die," was the single word Eclipse heard before one of the two people attacking her brought a series of punches to her stomach. Every blow made her want to cough and throw up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. However, she sure felt like it was over.

At least until Eclipse began to think like a Team Galactic commander again. Granted, it did have its uses, as she was all too aware. Eclipse jumped to bring her feet against the wall, as the constant punches continued to occur, and she pushed against the wall to force her attackers to release their grip. Subsequently, she flew forward to the ground, grinding against it and messing up her tie. Getting up, she took off at breakneck speed to deliver a flying kick to Purugly's attacker and crippled him to the ground.

By the time Purugly and Eclipse were able to recover, the latter suddenly became self-conscious as to what she had done. She looked at both her hands for a moment. Just how did she do that? How did she turn from being trapped against the wall by two people and ultimately took out a third person? Plus, it was executed almost perfectly.

Emma was speechless as to what she just saw.

She had heard and reviewed the records of what Eclipse was capable of as a Team Galactic commander, but never had she seen it in person; never seen Eclipse act so aggressively using nothing but her body and her wits. It was interesting to see, but it was also daunting.

However, she managed to hack into the PFA's security and had gained access to the surveillance systems of the foundry at her discretion. The 17th hour was almost up and Looker still had to get out of the foundry. Just how was he going to get out of there, anyway?

"Good news, everyone," Emma said. "I've gotten into the foundry security systems."

"About time," Eclipse snapped back. "I won't need your help now. I can handle this myself!"

That hurt.

"I'll need you to shut down some systems for me, including the blast door," Looker requested at the same time. "They'll be arriving soon and I've just thought of an idea of how to get out. Hurry, agent Essentia, or I won't be getting out alive."

Suppose Emma only had one course of action.

What did Eclipse get into now... :(