Alright, here's chapter twenty - six. Thank you Kauris Azurai, Transmorphic Wyvern, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, and KrazyKoldKyurem613 for reviewing last chapter!

Chapter Twenty - Six: Aftermath

Professor Sycamore hummed. "Well, it seems we've had an excellent research trip."

"Yeah," Hailey agreed.

Taylor sighed. "For you two, maybe."

"Oh, come on, Taylor, you caught an absol!"

"That was technically mine in the first place."

"Quit being so depressing!"

Taylor said, "Fine, fine." He wanted to remind them that they didn't really learn anything, either, but decided against it.

"Taylor," Hailey begged, "can we see Absol? You haven't let it out of its pokeball since you caught it."

"There's a reason for that. It ran away last time."

Hailey puffed her cheeks.

Sycamore stared at him, his eyes oddly serious. Taylor flinched back. "Taylor," Sycamore warned, "if it wants to be free, perhaps you should let it. That is the duty of a trainer. To understand the hearts of their pokemon, and do what is best for them, even if it contradicts the trainer's wishes."

Taylor fingered Absol's pokeball. Something inside him rebelled. "It'll be fine. Besides, I should really get back to searching. There are so many places I have left to look." And maybe, he added silently, this absol will give me some clues into Kalos's legend.

Sycamore turned slowly. "Well, then I suppose we'd better get going. There's a town not far from here. We can stop there to rest and clean up."

"We don't have to go," Hailey pleaded.

"But we do need to analyze the data."

Hailey had no argument and followed sullenly. Taylor and Eve brought up the rear.

The journey through the woods ended shortly. The trees came to an abrupt halt. The land sloped down towards a small settlement. "There it is," Sycamore proclaimed, leading the way.

Taylor patted Eve's head. "Do you think we'll leave at a reasonable time?"

"Chespin." She sounded doubtful.

They entered the town. A small café waited opposite an inn. "I'll get us a couple of rooms," Sycamore said. "You two can wait at the café."

Hailey and Taylor slid into seats opposite each other. Hailey looked glum. Taylor said, "You could stay for longer, you know."

Hailey shook her head. "No, the professor's right. We need-"

A voice interrupted, "Can I get something for you?"

"A coffee would be good," Hailey said.

"Nothing for me." Taylor waved the waiter off.

He lingered. "You two seem awfully calm."

Taylor asked, "Why wouldn't we be?"

The man blinked. "You didn't hear? Have you been living under a rock?"

"No, in the woods," Hailey replied cheerfully. "So what happened?"

The man leaned forward conspiratorially. "The legendary pokemon's come back."

Taylor stiffened. "Wh-what?"

Eve jumped on his shoulder, then patted him. "Ches Chespin!"

"It's been all over the news. A giant red pokemon arrived at Lumoise City and broke through the library ceiling. It even carried someone off."

"That's scary," Hailey commented.

The man nodded. "Apparently, there was a woman there who knew something about what was going on. Crazy thing is that she used to be a top battler from Kanto."

"Rachel Yale?" Hailey gasped.

"Hmm? Yeah, how'd you know? Have you heard this story?"

Taylor wordlessly shook his head.

Hailey explained, "She was with us for a while. She went back to Lumiose to get her…daughter." Hailey turned wide eyes to Taylor.

He'd already had the same thought. He pulled the waiter closer. "This person. Was it a girl? Did she have a honedge attached to her arm?"

"U-um, I don't know. Maybe?" He detached himself from Taylor, brushing off his shirt. "Anyway, apparently Yale knew that this pokemon was called 'Yveltal.' And apparently the person who was stolen was 'Marked,' or something like that. The Elite Four are probably going to get involved."

Taylor sat back.

"Taylor?" Hailey asked. "Are you alright?"

"Alright?" He was smiling. "History is playing out before us! We're living, creating legends! I'm better than alright!"

"Wow, you're taking this really well. Especially when the person who was taken might have been your friend."

Taylor sobered. "She's not my friend. But it is a fair point, I suppose." He stood abruptly. "I have to get back to Lumiose as fast as possible."

-Rachel tapped her fingers impatiently. She fingered the pokeballs at her waist. "When are they going to get here?" she muttered.

"Sir!" a shout exclaimed from the library entrance. "No one's supposed to go in there!"

A man picked his way over the rubble strewn about the library, white hair wrapped in cloth, his clothes tattered and dirty. Rachel removed a pokeball. "Who are you?"

The man ignored her, examining the hole, the rubble, the walls. A horrified look slowly spread over his face.

"Hey!" Rachel stormed towards him. "I asked you a question. And since you're not supposed to be in here, I'd suggest answering it."

The man spoke, but it wasn't an answer. "This was him. He's back."

"'Him'?"

"The Destruction Pokemon."

"Yveltal? You know about it?"

The man didn't answer. He ran a hand over the wall. "If he's back, then where is she?"

Rachel frowned. "Who?"

This time the strange man didn't answer. He just continued to stare at the walls.

Rachel was considering throwing him out when her Holocaster rang. She grimaced but switched it on, assuming it would be another news report about Yveltal's attack.

It was, but not in the way she expected. Lysandre appeared on-screen. "What's he doing?" she growled, only remembering belatedly that he was the one who invented the Holocaster.

"Hello, everyone. I am sure by now you have heard about the attack on the library."

"Yes," Rachel muttered. "I was here."

"I would like to offer you a solution. I run an organization called Team Flare."

Alarm bells rang in Rachel's head. The other 'teams' she heard of-more specifically Team Rocket, who used to terrorize the Kanto region-had been nothing but bad news.

"We have been searching for a pokemon called Xerneas for quite some time. This pokemon is the direct opposite of Yveltal, the one who attacked the library. If we could find her, perhaps she could counterbalance Yveltal's destruction."

Her, Rachel realized. The strange man was looking over her shoulder, staring wonderingly at the Holocaster.

"If you have any information, you can contact Lysandre Labs. I also plan to work with Professor Sycamore, and if you'd prefer, you may direct feedback to him." The call ended.

"What is that?" the man muttered, examining Rachel's Holocaster like it was a foreign object.

"A piece of junk the police lent me."

"That man," the stranger muttered. "I've seen him before."

"Really." Did you hallucinate him?

The man hurried away.

"Wait a minute!"

"I thought you wanted me to leave."

So he was paying attention. "Who are you? How do you know about this?"
"That's not important. I need to go."

"Go where?"

"To warn her."

"Xerneas? You know where she is?"

But the man had already left. And Rachel, no matter how far she chased him, couldn't find him again. It was like he disappeared into air.

-Professor Sycamore, Taylor, and Hailey ended up hitching a ride back to Lumiose on some garchomp. The pokemons' trainers seemed amused by their reactions. "R-Really," Taylor stammered, "I-I-I'm not th-that desperate. I c-can walk."

The pokemon's trainer laughed from his position behind him. "Just relax, kid. We know what we're doing. Ain't that right, buddy?"

"Gar!"

"G-great." Taylor hugged the garchomp tighter.

Taylor attempted to drown out thoughts of falling until they landed, at which point the dropped to the ground. "I will never leave land again, I will never leave land again…"

Hailey laughed. "Come on, Taylor! The garchomp were sweet for carrying us. Isn't that right?" She scratched one's chin.

Eve patted Taylor comfortingly.

"Alright," Sycamore said, looking around Lumiose, "let's get to the library. I'm sure someone there will know what we're supposed to do."

The four made their way through the streets. The wrecked library looked like a horrible wound, spilling rubble like blood. Police surrounded the wreckage. Sycamore tapped one's shoulder. "Excuse me. We're here to help-"

"Professor Sycamore!" The man seemed relieved. "Did Lysandre send you?"

"Lysandre?"

"Yes. He just finished a Holocaster broadcast." The man seemed puzzled. "You must have seen it, at least."

Sycamore shook his head. "My Holocaster was off. Flight regulations and all that."

"I don't think that applies for pokemon," Taylor muttered.

"Well," the officer said, "he just said-"

A voice interrupted, "I was just talking about my team, Professor. And offering a solution to our problem."

Lysandre waited a short distance away, hands calmly at his sides.

"Lysandre!" Sycamore said. "Please, explain everything."

The man smiled. A shiver ran down Taylor's spine. Lysandre said, "Gladly."

That's the end of chapter twenty - six. Review responses:

Kauris Azurai: Yeah, Yveltal's fate is kind of sad.

Transmorphic Wyvern: Indeed he does. I love Yveltal too, truthfully; he's probably my favorite out of all the characters to write, so I'm glad you like what I'm doing with him! And haha, you'll see.

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Yep. Chaos is like that.

KrazyKoldKyurem613: Haha, to an extent, at least.

Like something? Hate something? Drop a review; constructive criticism is always welcome!