Remus and Sirius fought the urge to squirm in their seats as Harry stared them down from his spot on the couch. It was ridiculous, of course. They had no reason to fear him. They were years older than him and were his guardians, after all! Remus had been a Gym Evaluator who had dealt with the likes of the Parkinsons and the Malfoys for years while Sirius had fought in the Johto/Kanto War and been the Warden and Lord of Sevii. The two of them had seen things that would make most men whimper and had lost things many would never understand. They weren't even in a place of darkness and pain! They were in Remus' living room, with a rare Avalonian sunny day sending warm rays through the large bay window and Sirius' collect of dirty magazines half hid under a cushion. There was nothing about the situation what should have made them feel worried.

And yet there was Harry, glaring at them with his hands folded in his lap, making them feel like school boys once again.

It was the eyes that were getting to them. Lily's fierce, fiery eyes, staring at them from James' face. Lily had always been able to capture someone with her eyes and make them squirm and twist until they blabbed their secrets. Even when they had been firsties and she had been the new arrival to Avalon, literally right off the boat, she had been able to dominate wills and overpower minds with just a burning gaze. That was part of the reason why so many fool-proof pranks had failed, because Lily would look at them, demand to know what they were plotting, and one of the four Marauders would end up squealing.

Years. It had been years since the two of them had been held by that gaze. Yet it hadn't lost its effectiveness, even when performed by Lily's son.

"So..." Sirius said awkwardly, shifting back and forth. Remus winced; Sirius always began to wiggle in his seat when he was about to try and squirm his way out of a bad situation and it never… EVER… worked. He'd crack a joke or try and get ahead of things but the worst thing he could do would be to try and deflect. For some reason he thought he was the master of changing the subject and that all he had to do was broach a different topic and whoever was pinning him down with a dark stare would instantly forget what they were talking about. Remus just prayed his friend had finally matured enough to realize that- "You are getting older and you may begin to find hair in places that you didn't have hair before."

Remus dropped his head into his hands.

"Sirius," Harry said dryly, his face as stony as an Onix.

"What?"

"One. Not in the mood for jokes. Two. They actually do teach sex-ed at Hogwarts. Three. Even if they didn't Jack and Clair decided to sit me down and explain things during the summer. Four. Not in the mood for jokes."

Sirius held up his hand. "One. There is always a time and place for jokes and that time is every time. Two. Do they still have Flitwick teach it?"

"Yes," Harry snapped off.

Sirius and Remus shuddered. "He doesn't still have the Mr. Mime puppet, does he?" Harry nodded, right eye twitching slightly. "We'll look into getting your memory erased… and ours. Ugh. Three. Jack and Clair?"

"They were very happy to do so."

Remus frowned. "Your girlfriend's parents taught you about safe sex?"

"Jack did. It also involved threats about how I better put a ring on Jasmine's finger before I consider it. After he left Clair explained how to have raunchy mind-blowing sex because, and I quote, "I don't need my daughter lying back and thinking of Avalon". Johtoians are very…kinky." Harry's face screwed up in a mixture of confusion, disgust, and embarrassment… and possibly arousal, it was hard to tell.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," Sirius mumbled, blushing slightly and unable to look at Remus or Harry for a few seconds. When he finally looked up he smirked. "And Four. Why couldn't you say we had to be serious because then I could have-"

"I deserve answers," Harry demanded, cutting him off. "This is my history… I am paying for the sins of the last war and I deserve to know about the Order of Moltres and why it, and my parents, would EVER work with Voldemort!"

"-made a joke about me being Sirius. Because… the words… you know." Sirius quieted down rather lamely.

Remus sighed. "Harry, it's just… hard to talk about."

"Not hard enough for people to think about, to whisper about behind my back. I thought my parents were heroes in Avalon… is that what a hero is? Someone who works with Voldemort? What? Were my parents Admins who turned on him? Or tried to seize power?"

"NEVER!" Sirius snarled, his head snapping up. "James and Lily would NEVER be a part of Nocturne!"

"Then why were they trying to help put Voldemort into power?"

Remus scrubbed his face with his hands. He didn't want to talk about this, to focus on those dark times. He preferred fun stories, like his time in Hogwarts with the rest of the Marauders or when James and Lily had been in hiding yet had still managed to find laughter and joy in their newly made family. The memory of Harry at 6 months old somehow managing to get on top of the head of James' Turtonator and ride him around, babbling commands while Lily, freaked out, had sent her Blaziken to try and get Harry off only to end up with the infant riding on Blaziken's head instead. Those had been wonderful, even with the fear of the war. But what had come before that? The rumbles of the storm to come… and how they had handled it? Those were memories Remus hated to think about. Sirius too, as Remus knew that his best friend looked first at how Avalon had handled the start of their war and what he'd been a part of with the Sons of Johto… and wondered what would have happened if there had been people like Jack, Jonas, and the Sons to marshal the Avalon defense against Voldemort instead of-

"I'm waiting," Harry said coldly.

The former gym inspector's shoulders slumped. "You have to understand what we were facing and what had come before. Yes, the Great War had come and gone but it still remained in the minds of many. Children grew up hearing of those dark days, when the entire world fought against one another. When Grindelwald and his Team Ascendance took control of large sections of regions and eventually the only choice left to all was what side they would pick. There was no sitting out that war. That kind of thing… it leaves scars. After that Avalon watched as region after region fell into smaller conflicts. Southwestern Hoenn attempting to secede or Unova and Sinnoh in a Cold War. No one wanted that… no one wanted to go to war again with the pain of The Great War still fresh in their minds."

Harry opened his mouth but Sirius held up his hand, taking over. "You also need to understand the timing. Before 1967… when, if we are to believe Voldemort, Riddle found the Keystone and became possessed… Tommy boy was just a REALLY good trainer. The best of his generation. Was Pokémon League champ 6 times. Then, when we now know Tom was taken over by Voldey, he still remained relatively peaceful, winning Championships until he finally formed Nocturne in 1970 and began the war. Not that we knew that at the time. Hindsight lets us see now that they were operating for at least a decade before the war in 1979 truly broke out but back then all there were was rumors and whispers. Now all the books state the Civil War stated in 1970 but back then no one saw it coming until we were already in the thick of it. He was just… a really good trainer who had followers. Like Cynthia or Red in the last decade. There were hints there was more, that he was behind the disappearances and random attacks. But in the moment? He was just a dominant trainer. Forming not a 'Team' but a power base to help him continue to develop and grow. Shifting from the Pokémon Arena to the Political one. Demanding policy change and bringing about pressure to see his will done."

Remus nodded. "And eventually it got to the point where some began to wonder if the demon you saw was better than the one you didn't. And with that thought… came the Order of Moltres."

~Potter Family Gym, August 1979~

James looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, tugging at the cuffs of his maroon dress shirt before ripping it off and tossing it aside, it joining the pile of other similar shirts in various shades of red, orange, and yellow. No matter which one he selected he looked at his reflection and saw only a child wearing his father's suit jacket playing pretend. It didn't matter that he'd spent good money on those shirts, had them tailor made, and everyone had complemented him… he still felt like a fraud. A stand-in who was merely filling a spot temporarily.

The problem was that James had never expected to be a gym leader so young. The Potter family was known to be long lived and healthy. No history of heart attacks or cancer or strokes. Just lifespans that reached near centuries. That wasn't to say that the Potters were gym leaders until they were on their death beds, of course. It was quite common for a gym leader to retire and pass the duties on to their son or daughter but remain in an advisory position. Sometimes the former leader would become a mentor to their grandchildren or great grandchildren, showing them the ropes so that the current leader could focus on training and challenges. It allowed the old to pass along their knowledge to the young while those in their prime had a support system to ensure that they never floundered and flailed.

For the Potters that was how it had always been. Hell, James' father had only become the official leader of the Potter Family Gym when he was 55, when James had been just a little tot. His grandfather had taught James how to battle and helped James' father manage things until he'd died during James' 3rd year. Even with his father's old age Fleamont Potter had been a spry man who could run circles around 'those smart little trainers who thought they could push around an old man'. James had expected to become one of the youngest official Potter Gym leaders when he was in his 40s minimum, most likely his fifties, when his father too would hand off the reins to James and enjoy a half century of assisting the Potters that were to come. Before that though he would work in the gym, taking challenges of course, but he would also focus on raising his family, training his team, learning under his parents, and establishing himself within Avalon. Lily he knew dreamed of getting her Pokeball making mastery after their family was truly settled while James wanted to see about getting a second Pokémon breeding line for the Potters. Perhaps a Ghost type, as they were always rather tricky and cunning and that fed into his prankster side. Apparently some hotshot Tracker from Johto had discovered some kind of Ghost/Grass type on one of the Forbidden Islands near Avalon and while James normally laughed at Grass types a Ghost/Grass Pokémon would have been a challenge. He'd thought about seeing if Frank Longbottom would like to work with him on a joint venture, as the man needed something to do to get him away from his mother constantly fluttering about him.

But that had all been in the past. Before the Dragonite Pox Epidemic.

Dragonite Pox.

'How can something that sounds so stupid ruin so many lives?' James thought bitterly before finally retrieving the last shirt he tossed away and putting it back on. Luckily it hadn't gotten wrinkled and even if it had no one was going to see much of it while he had his suit jacket on. He looked fondly at his Gryffindor gold tie before selecting a black one, knowing that he needed to be professional for what was to come. Still, his mind drifted back to the Dragonite Pox Epidemic that had rang in the New Year with the rest of Avalon and robbed so many of their parents and grandparents. The old were the most affected and it had sprang forth like a Garchomp, infected many, and left scores dead. Lily had caught it early on but it had only left her with flu-like symptoms for a week and then she'd felt fine. The same with Peter. Remus and Sirius had avoided it while James had been badgered by Lily to wear gloves and a medical mask while caring for her. They'd thought that was that until James' parents had come home early from visiting the Meadowes complaining of lightheadedness and stomach pains.

Within a week James had buried them both.

In the months that followed he'd found himself forced into the role of gym leader, unprepared for the task. Worse, he was made leader during a truly chaotic time of upheaval when Avalon needed strong gym leaders and the Council of Gym Leaders needed a steady leader. For centuries the Potters had been one of those guiding forces but now James found himself on the wrong foot, feeling like he'd started a Gauntlet match with his shoes untied and his Pokeballs left in his dorm.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing Remus?"

"We need to be respectable!"

"The Sex Pistols are a very respectable band, I'll have you know! Peter, you agree right?"

"Leave me out of this!"

James found himself smiling despite his dark thoughts. Of course, if he had been allowed any wish in the world he would have asked for his parents to be with him, to help take the burden of power away. But that didn't mean he wasn't thankful for his friends for stepping up and helping him in his time of need.

Sirius wasn't a surprise at all. James had known since 6th year that Sirius would help him with the Gym and become his second in command. Sirius, like him, had been trained early on to be a Gym Leader but unlike him Sirius hadn't been given gentle guidance but rather harsh discipline that had left his friend an utter wreck. His mother alone had been a terror who never saw Sirius as good enough to be the Head of House Black and run their gym and his being sorted into Gryffindor had only confirmed her twisted views. Sirius had never talked about what his summers were like at home but at the end of their Fifth Year Sirius had shown up at the Potter Family Gym during a rainstorm covered in bruises and shivering, though not from the cold. His parents had welcomed him in, told him they had a guest room they never used anyway that he was welcome to, and then told James to leave them be for a while. He didn't know what Sirius had said but afterwards his mother had left the house while his father got the local doctor to look Sirius over…and the next time James had seen Sirius' mother she'd had bandages on her clearly broken nose.

His best friend had later told him that summer was the best time of his life and that he wished he could stay forever. James had casually told him that his home was Sirius' and that was that. Sirius had moved in and when Lily and him had gotten married he'd made it clear that the only thing he was unwilling to bend on was Sirius living at the Potter estate. His brother in all but blood would NEVER return to the Black Family Gym if James had anything to say about it. It didn't matter that Sirius' father had never disowned him, despite what his mother had wanted, and that Sirius was still the heir to the Family Gym… the building could go to rot because Sirius and James would run the Potter family gym together.

Sirius had quickly become a godsend, helping James lift the burden of running the gym on his own after his parents' death. Life didn't stop just because he was grieving and as such two days after his parents had been buried the first challenger under James' reign as gym leader had arrived. His pain had meant little to the trainer who was doing their gym challenge. And he understood... if he hadn't gone to Hogwarts and his only path towards fame, fortune, and a place in the history books was an Avalon Championship he would have been mad too if a gym leader put off his challenge for even an hour. So he'd gotten dressed, done all he could to smile even with his red eyes and sullen mood, and headed out to the arena only to find Sirius battling in his place, putting the challenger through the ringer to ensure that they earned their badge. Even now, with the pain only a dull ache and James able to truly focus on his duties, Sirius would still step in and assist. Training the Jr. Gym Leaders, ensuring that the gym was in working order, taking on challengers when James was busy...

'Once this is all done with today I'll make it official. I'll make Sirius my co-gym leader, his family be damned. If Dumbledore and the Ordercan wrangle up enough votes for this then they can force through Sirius being named a gym leader along side me.'

He moved down the stairs, shaking his head as he heard Sirius and Remus still bickering while Peter trying to stay out of trouble. Remus and Peter had been big helps as well in their own ways. While Remus still had work to do to get his accreditation to be a Gym Inspector (and put up with the Marauders mocking him for finding a way to cram more school into his life after graduating) those lessons had paid off in spades. When one was a gym leader it was easy to get lost in the 'bubble', understanding how things works from his side of the arena without seeing how it was like for a challenger. Obstacles that were too long and forced a trainer to spend multiple days trying to get to the leader (not to mention the backups this could cause if a gym's inner workings meant that only one trainer at a time could go through). Too few or too many Jr. Gym Leaders leading to team fatigue or a trainer not properly broken in before they faced the gym leader. Stimulations and challenge guidelines that broke Avalon's Gym Laws. Remus had saved James and Sirius several times from wasting time and money on elaborate ideas that would be both impractical and would be ruled illegal in the courts.

Not that Remus' help was all negative. He also suggested ways to update things and bring them into the current decade. James loved his parents but they had been stuck in the past, unwilling to upgrade. What they had started out with long before he had been born had remained up until their death and while James understood the need to honor the past he also wanted to put his own personal touch on the gym, especially if it was to be his for many years (and he would, most likely, be the longest surviving Potter Gym Leader in recorded family history). Remus had already suggested ways to make the gym more intense while also safe, such as using projectors to create the illusion of flames bursting from door ways. James knew eventually his friend would have to begin to travel but until then he would make use his knowledge.

"Sirius, go change," James said, rolling his eyes as he finally entered the living room. "Remus, go with him."

"Why do I need to change?" Sirius complained, his long hair hanging loose and down like a curtain over his face.

"And why do I get punished by having to watch him wiggle his tiny willy into some briefs?"

"First off I don't wear briefs… or boxers… or anything. Second tiny?"

Remus smirked. "Should I be concerned that you focused on the briefs first?"

"How about you and then pathetic excuse for a mustache say that to my face?" Sirius demanded, waving his hand as Remus reached up and rubbed the thin patch of whiskers that made up the mustache he'd been trying to grow out for the last few months.

"Guys!" James snapped in annoyance. "Sirius, we need to give a good impression for-"

"For who? Voldemort?" Sirius sneered.

"Everyone," James said with a sigh. "You know that."

"…yeah," Sirius grunted, shoulders slumping before he trudged to his room.

"Remus, make sure he gets dressed. You are punished because I have other things to deal with than Sirius and you bickering like lovers."

Peter cocked an eyebrow as Remus left. "You don't want them acting like lovers so you send them off to get naked together?"

"Bickering, Peter, not acting. They want to snog that is their thing. And only Sirius is getting naked." He sat down in a recliner and sighed, running his fingers through his wild messy hair.

"They are just stressed, same as you," Peter finally said. "This whole thing… none of us want this. Not really."

"You don't seem stressed."

"Only reason I'm not pissing myself is because I haven't had a drink all day," Peter said glibly, making James chuckle.

The final member of the Marauders had always assumed he'd have no part in the Gym Leader business. Peter's father had only gotten into Hogwarts thanks to a scholarship and Peter himself had gone because his family wanted him to make connections that would help him later in life. Everyone had assumed that he'd follow in the footsteps of his old man and get an office job or something of the like. And he had been doing that for the first year out of Hogwarts, pushing papers and giving reports at a company who built… something. Honestly James had no idea. But when his parents had died James and Sirius had turned to Peter to help keep the gym afloat.

People who never did the gym circuit tended to assume that Gym Leaders just sat around waiting for challengers, collecting fat paychecks. And for a few that was true… they got a wealthy sponsor who hired them to run things or just used funds from other parts of the family business to pay for things (the Blacks were like that). But in Avalon the government was filled with penny pinchers and even if they weren't there was no way one could raise a family just doing gym battles. Others saw them as political figures and while almost all of them were considered to be on the same level as a mayor when it came to the town they called home that didn't pay either. No, gym leaders always had a secondary job to pay the bills. The Lovegoods ran their newspaper. The Longbottoms had their nursery and greenhouses that supplied potion ingredients. The Weasleys their repair shop and the Diggorys their security company. The Clearwaters did shipping while the Greengrasses had their ice rink and entertainment complex. As for the Potters they had been like the Blacks but James wasn't happy with the idea of just living off of interest. No, he wanted to expand, to grow his family' wealth and influence but do it in his own special way.

And that's why he'd hired Peter to run Marauders' Marlarkey, their new joke shop.

Peter was perfect for it, handling all the backroom stuff and the tedious things that always gave James a headache. Back at Hogwarts when it came to their pranks Peter had always been the one to come up with the nitty gritty… getting the plans just perfect. James and Sirius were the idea men, Remus added depth, and Peter ensured it happened. The same with the Joke Shop which was already a smashing success. Trainers would go through the gym attached to the house that was slowly becoming the Marauder's personally created funhouse, have their battle, then buy some of the goodies that had been thrown at them from Peter. Was all working out quite well in James' opinion.

"How is Lily handling all of this?" Peter finally asked. "She's been quiet since Dumbledore showed up last week."

James grit his teeth, wishing he'd just slammed the door on that old man and his crooked nose the moment he darkened his doorstep. "You know Lily… this is a problem and she knows the solution but that doesn't mean she isn't trying to find a better one."

Peter licked his lips. He hadn't been there when Dumbledore had laid out for them their "only option". Neither had Remus or Sirius… they'd been out to pick up some food when the professor had shown up. James wouldn't have been surprised if Dumbledore had been waiting for everyone to be gone; that was his MO. Whenever the Marauders pulled a prank or when Lily and Snape had retaliated Dumbledore would split them all up and get one of them to break. Never the same person… each of them had been the snitch far too many times. Half the time that was the biggest fear, that you'd be the one Dumbledore went after to get his information from. The man knew how to wield guilt like it was a katana, cutting into you one slice at a time until you caved.

He'd done the same thing when he'd told Lily and him his plan to stabilize Voldemort.

No stop. Stabilize.

For the last decade Avalon had slowly but surely found itself pushed to the edge from two different angles, starting small but growing in intensity. The more innocent side, and it could only be called that in comparison to the other darker dealings that had been happening at the same span of time, was Tom Riddle and his Traditionalist Movement. The most decorated trainer Avalon had produced since Dumbledore himself had begun giving interviews speaking of corruption and a decaying of the moral fabric of Avalon. He'd spoken of how people were forgetting their history, turning away from what had made Avalon so great and so different compared to every other reason. He pointed to the Galar Region, the former colony region of Avalon that had gained independence centuries ago, and how it was now going through an industrial revolution that was ripping away the charm and beauty of their way of life. He pointed to Unova, another colony region that had won its freedom, and of how its lack of history had bred arrogance within the people because they had not lessons to learn from the past. He'd warned that Avalon would soon head down the same point.

Once he'd stirred up the fear he had begun to preach 'his way'. He'd taken the name Lord Voldemort, claiming it was an old name from the Ancient House of Gaunt, and gathered to him others who feared the changes in society. Lucius Malfoy from Kalos who said that his family had originally been from Avalon and how he wanted to return it to better days… even though Lily had found no record of Malfoys being from Avalon. The Parkinsons who had once been Gym Leaders but had lost their seat on the Gym Leader Council nearly 90 years ago after one of their Patriarchs had been found selling weapons illegally to a Team Something-Or-Other in Zelia. He'd gathered families like theirs and preached a return to the better days, to the days when the people of Avalon held their heads up high. He pointed to the lost grand estates and mourned their fall. He waved his hand at the disillusioned city teens who turned to crime because the idea of family had been lost. He mourned the famous and powerful Old Families who had been brushed aside by time and progress and how they could be brought back!

'Sounds real lovely until you look into it and see he wants to bring back serfdom where only the most elite truly are free and everyone else are basically slaves,' James thought bitterly. Even though he would have been unaffected it had been a shock to Voldemort's recruiters in Hogwarts when James had laughed in their face and told them to piss off. The Potters had always fought for freedom and the rights of others… clearly Voldemort, who claimed to love history, had forgotten that. During the Unova Revolution the Potters had argued in favor of their former colony and before that had worked to help boost up the families that worked under them, helping them thrive so their children could dream of lives other than being valets and footmen at best for their lords. James had seen that 'Traditionalist Viewpoint' in action with Sirius' family and he knew that was the last thing he wanted to return to Avalon.

Those that didn't fit the view of society driven out or worse. Men and women whose only 'crime' was to love the same sex forced to hide their desires. Children not sent to school but to the factories and workhouses to toil away. Lords sitting on gold thrones while the poor starved. Pokémon only caught by the will of a Lord, who could claim any of his villagers' companions as his own if he so desired. No hope of bettering oneself. No hope of rising above their station. Just an endless existence of service and controlled by the whims of people whose only claim to power was that they were born to the right person.

No… James did not want any of that.

'And yet we are about to allow just that,' he mentally snarled.

On its own all of this could have been managed well enough. There always seemed to be some group or another that wanted to push things too far, one way or another. If they weren't demanding that all Pokémon be kept in their balls except when they were battling and that regulations on how employers treated their employees and Pokémon be relaxed then there were the nuts screeching about how Pokémon should be left alone and attacking the likes of Ollivanders to try and capture his stock to 'free them' (only to end up keeping them in balls themselves when they found it hard to release two dozen Muks). Voldemort was merely the latest in a long string of firebrands to come along and try and stir things up for political gain. On his own it meant very little as even with how charismatic he was Avalonians were naturally lethargic when it came to politics. So long as the trains ran, the Pokecenters were open, and they got their paychecks at the end of the week they were happy. Firebrands always demanded too much. "Good times for all... so long as you show up at this time and do this thing." And the public would respond with "But there is a new episode of Fawlty Towers on and you know I can't miss that!".

Yes, on his own Voldemort's campaign would have fizzled and died. It might linger for a year or two but you could only promise the world while giving little in return for so long before the backers found something else to throw their money at and all but the fanatics drifted away. Voldemort and his supporters had known this and also known how one could take a cultural and political movement and make it a revolution: violence.

Oh, they didn't do anything themselves. Grindelwald had been the prime example of why that was a bad idea. All well and good to be giving rallies declaring that the only way to bring about change was to murder those that opposed you. A different kettle of Feebas when enough people decided to meet you blow for blow and suddenly you couldn't show your face outside the door without becoming a target for assassination. Yes, Grindelwald had caused much damage and there were some that claimed he'd come close to achieving what all Team Leaders dreamed of and conquering the world. But history showed that was far from the case. He'd taken control of Sinnoh and had occupied Kalos and Hoenn but Avalon and Unova, along with to a lesser extent Kanto and Johto as well as Kalos resistance fighters, had been ready to oppose him. While it had been Dumbledore who had ended the war with his epic battle against Grindelwald that had made him one of the most beloved men in the world had he fallen James was sure that the regions would have still driven Grindelwald back.

Voldemort had learned well from Grindelwald's fall. Don't ever do in the open what can be done in the shadows.

It frustrated James and others he talked to that nothing could ever be pinned on Voldemort or his lackies. Someone would rise up to cause problems and then something would happen to shift them away from view. Sometimes it was blatant, like when Otis Opperhammer had stood up while Voldemort had been given a speech and called him 'a gobby piece of shite that liked the sound of his own voice' before marching out of the rally. Voldemort had merely made a joke and continued on... and two weeks later Opperhammer was killed in a botched robbery. Other times it was subtle. Lily had been horrified and angered when the daughter of Rebecca Gregston, who owned Gallahad's largest convention center who had told Voldemort he couldn't hold a rally here, had been sexually assaulted, only barely managing to escape before the attack had become...well, something no person would wish upon another. No one had ever said a word but the rumors were whispered softly of the message the girl had been given: her mother backed down or next time she wouldn't 'escape'. Voldemort had been given the hall for his next rally, where he had bemoaned the crime and offered his sympathies to the girl, who had been forced to sit there and thank the mastermind of her attack for his kindness.

Many attacks though weren't personal but, like the assault, were designed to stir up fear. Arsons. Thefts. Attacks and beatings. Vandalism. Each of which then became something Voldemort could use as an example to show why the current culture was an utter failure. "Remember the good old days? Teens weren't spray painting shops, they were painting fences! Desperate men were selling drugs, they were building roads! Why can't we go back to that time?" People ate it up, never seeing how utterly convenient all those crimes were. How they seemed to slot so very nicely into Voldemort's message.

It made James feel like he one of those conspiracy nuts, gesturing at a wall filled with mad scribbles and proclaiming that yes there were Pokémon living in computers and one was a cat that turned into an angel!

The end result was that Voldemort wanted power. He wanted to rule. Everything he did was towards that goal. And Dumbledore, when he had come to James and Lily's house, had told them of his plan to deal with Voldemort once and for all.

Give him the power he craved.

"He is going to win," Dumbledore had told them with a sad little smile. "He is no longer a man shouting into the darkness. He has been heard and others lend their voice to his cries. Only something drastic would derail his movement and send it scurrying back into the shadows."

James had countered that then their answer was to fight, to finally stop reacting and be proactive. To take the fight to Voldemort instead of just wringing their hands.

Dumbledore's eyes had twinkled then, much to James' annoyance. "It is easy to proclaim that now, sitting here at the beginning of the conflict. But in the middle? Or the end? I fought in the Great War and let me tell you... no one wins."

'Easy for you to say that,' James had thought. 'You got decades of peace and now that you are nearing the end you are willing to sacrifice my future and the future of my children just so you can live out the last few years of your life without a hassle.'

His disgust must have shown on his face because Dumbledore had shaken his head and struck back. "This isn't like the old days. This won't be the Great War. I fear that the fires of revolution have died out in the world, snuffed away. Especially here. I doubt we'll ever see a true Knight of Avalon ever again. And even if we did have one... I fear that the populous wouldn't stand with him. Too many now believe in Voldemort and what he preaches... even those that would be hurt the worst by it naively believe that it will be all but them that will face the storm. And those that don't have seen what happens to people who stand up and have come to believe it better to remain quiet. It is easy to desire someone to give their life to a cause... a different matter when it is you asking to make the sacrifice.

"Yes, Voldemort is going to win. The odds are in his favor and if we stand up to him all I see is us becoming in the eyes of most the monsters that wish to ruin Avalon's peace. So is it not better to give him what he wants but on our terms? To keep him firmly in our watchful gaze. so that we know is every move?"

Dumbledore had gone on to explain that he wished to give Voldemort a small position within the Avalon Government. Most likely an undersecretary spot. He'd be able to influence policy but he would need to do so in the spotlight. To achieve this Dumbledore would use the might of the Order of Moltres.

The Order had been around for decades, forming after The Great War, kept secret save for those that were a part of it. When Grindelwald had first begun his campaign the Avalon government had been crippled by indecision. Did they fight for a region half a world away? Send soldiers and Pokémon to die on foreign soil? Especially when Grindelwald's handpicked Prime Minster had won the vote fair and square? It had nearly led to a civil war in Avalon, where neighbor refused to talk with neighbor and brother yelled at brother because they stood on opposite sides of the issue. It was only Grindelwald's invasion of Kalos and then the release by the International Police of secret documents showing how Grindelwald wished to go after Avalon after taking Hoenn that saw the government move. But by that point Team Ascension had become far too rooted and what would have been an easy war for Avalon become a slog that lasted years.

After the war Dumbledore had decided that something needed to be done to ensure that never again would Avalon be caught with such indecision. Thus the Order of Moltres, named after the fiery bird that rose from the darkness to light the way towards the heavens, had been created. A collection of ministry officials, Gym leaders, political figures, and influential trainers, the Order would work together behind the scenes to unify their message and goals so that they could create one narrative and push through changes that needed to be made. When a bill was stalled Dumbledore would contact the Order and all would do their part to rally support either for or against. Papers would run articles, the connected would whisper details at parties, and Gym Leaders would voice their support until the measure lived or died on their terms. It was rarely used, maybe once every few years, for unions easily died when overused, but when it did history was changed.

In order to get someone placed within the Avalon government they needed to be confirmed by the Gym Leaders Council as well as have support within the ministry itself, including the House of Commons and the Elite 4. Dumbledore's plan was to have the Order quietly make agreements with those already in positions of power that supported Voldemort to approve his selection to become an undersecretary. The Elite 4 would be hard, as Barty Crouch of the International Relations Department and whoever was currently running the Aurors (James could never keep the Elite 4 straight) would be against Voldemort being given any power. The Unspeakables head could never guess and the Medical Department would usually abstain these days unless it directly affected them. That would be a strike against the plan... but if all the Gym Leaders voted yes that would put enough pressure on the House of Commons to move with them. Dumbledore and his influence peddlers would get public support behind them... and Voldemort would be brought in.

James had balked at the idea of supporting Voldemort in any form. Lily had balked at the ramifications of Dumbledore's plan.

"He could use this as a stepping stone!" she had declared in horror and rage. "A unanimous Gym Leader vote and a majority of the House? He would use it as proof that he was right! Proclaim that it was the will of the people to see him rise even higher... to be made a member of the Elite 4 or Prime Minister! We would be handing him Avalon!" At that last comment Lily had picked up a vase that James' mother had picked out years ago (and that Lily, James, and even James' father had always found hideous) and thrown it at the wall inches above the headmaster's head.

Dumbledore had taken it all in good grace, calmly stirring his tea and staring her down with a look designed to make one feel guilt and shame. "Could, Lily. He could use it. Or he could make a grand mistake and face a vote of no confidence. Or find that being limited by the ministry and its bureaucracy would cause his movement to crumble when he can't deliver. Or some other person could rise up to counter him within the Ministry and end up snatching the power he desires. We don't know." He'd set his cup down and sighed. "What we do know is that our only other option is to fight. To turn this into the war I fear Voldemort wishes his crusader to become. A war we may not be able to win and would result in him gaining power than hasn't been seen in the hands of one man since the end of the Ironside Dynasty in Hoenn. Yes, we are giving him what he wants... but that doesn't mean we might never rise up in revolt. Should he, in a few years, prove to be all you and James fear then we can face the choice then of war." James had rolled his eyes at that, knowing the old man would likely be dead when that happened and thus able to avoid getting his hands dirty. "Isn't it better to have a few years of guaranteed peace... than to risk it all on a roll of the dice? Dice that might be loaded against us?"

James hated Dumbledore. He'd never thought he could ever feel that way about the headmaster but here was, hating him. Hating that he wanted James to work with Voldemort, to serve Voldemort, to give him all he desired. Hated his cowardice. His weakness.

...and hated most of all that the old man was right.

'We aren't ready for this fight,' James thought to himself bitterly as Remus and Sirius finally returned, the latter wearing a suit and dress shirt (but going without a tie... his need to rebel and James knew it would be useless to try and fight him on that). 'We can't rely upon the Order because they are already moving.' That had been a bitter pill to swallow, the realization that Dumbledore had already positioned the Order towards installing Voldemort and James and Lily and their friends were being told last, like afterthoughts. They had the votes without them, Lily had done the math and realized quickly with Remus that the likes of the Weasleys would side with the headmaster as they were such strong supporters of him. Even if the Order was split down the middle with the Voldemort supporters Dumbledore would have the votes with the Gym Leaders and the House. Unless something earthshattering occurred it was a done deal. 'We are alone. If we move to stand against Voldemort we'll be targeted by all sides. The Order won't protect us and Voldemort will be able to move to make examples of us... and that will only cement his power further.' He gripped the arm rests of his chair. 'If only we had something on the bastard! We're not prepared but we could at least convince more of the neutrals to shift over to us and declare war instead of waiting to see how the chips fell. Damn it all to hell!'

A year or so ago James would have fought, to hell with the consequences. But then he'd had his parents and Lily and him had merely been dating. Now he was a husband, the last of the Potters, the Head of his Family Gym, and god willing would soon be a father. Dumbledore was right... sometimes a few years of peace, to settle his family in place and to grow into his new reality, was worth it.

'Even,' he thought as Lily descended, her eyes hollow and her smile watery, mimicking the morose feeling he and the others felt about what they were about to do, 'at the cost of our souls.'