August 9th, Gotham, 12:37

Paula Crook was a mother. And as a mother, she had a certain idea of how people should do things.

So when Artemis and I arrived at her door at around 5 in the morning, she didn't care that we were two bad ass superheroes, one a deadly assassin, the other the owner of a stable of legendary monsters. She looked up, frowned in disappointment, and declared that we were to go to sleep immediately.

I argued of course, but somehow, as I was about to explain quite reasonably that I wasn't tired and I needed to go to Mount Justice, I suddenly woke up on the couch feeling really refreshed.

And that was how I ended up joining Paula Crook as she did her Tai Chi with Artemis. The three of us moved through the smooth motions of the often underestimated martial art in the living room of the Crook home, the couch pushed back to give us room. Paula struggled through the motions a bit. Even the power Jirachi couldn't heal her to the point of perfection, but Paula was getting better, slowly but surely.

Paula slowly came to a stop, and Artemis and I did as well. My muscles burned slightly. Despite what you might think, Tai Chi is pretty rough on the muscles in terms of stretching. "I suppose I should be happy to hear that Jade is under arrest. But... it is saddening instead."

Artemis sighed. "I know, mom. Jade is safe though. We'll take care of her."

"As much as I can," I added. "She'll be headed to Blackgate. We'll get visitation rights worked out, but as the ones who caught her, I think I'll be able to visit her more freely."

"Why not me?" Artemis asked, sounding curious rather than pouting.

"...I'm apparently a bigger name than I thought," I grumbled slightly. "You're still an unknown, and that is something we need to preserve for the secrecy of the team. But I apparently have a ton of photos of me floating around online thanks to my work in New York."

I'd gotten too big, too fast basically. Aqualad, Speedy, Kid Flash, Robin, and now me. The five of us were technically high profile, what with our various adventures with our mentors. For me, I had the bad luck of choosing New York as my city to defend. Nobody can do anything in New York City without a thousand people having an opinion on it, and Wildcat being followed by a guy who has control of powerful monsters? Yeah, that got noticed.

Now if only my own personal Jameson type reporter would back the hell off...

"I can visit Jade and get her any messages you have," I said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Mahmoud," Paula said with a smile.

Artemis frowned for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... Thanks."

I nodded at her, before remembering something. "Oh hey, I'm headed to Star Labs today. Want to come?"

Artemis looked surprised before nodding. "Sure. Mom?"

"I suppose so," Paula frowned. "May I come as well?"

"Don't see why not," I shrugged. "Apparently they had some issue with the Berry planting, but hopefully it won't be too boring."

PYJ

August 9th, Gotham, STARLabs, 2:21 pm

The three of us stood next to a woman named Dr. Tina Mcgee, a nutritionist who was helping study the berries I'd brought. We were in a small observation room looking out into a a greenhouse with hundreds of trays of dirt resting on tables.

A greenhouse filled with fully grown bushes full of colorful berries. Two men and a woman went from plant to plant, doing science type things I couldn't understand, while others had samples of the bark, leaves, and berries resting on tables nearby to be examined.

"It's unprecedented," Dr. Mcgee said as we watched them work. "We've only been growing them a short time, and we're already running out of room. At this rate, we'll need to start freezing them to preserve them.

I nodded slowly as another scientist rolled a massive cart filled with Oran and Sitrus Berries past. "And you say none of the bushes have died?"

"None," Dr. Mcgee said with a firm nod. "They just keep growing them. Our security rep keeps having us check if Poison Ivy or some other metahuman is around, but we can only conclude that these plants are made to produce massive amounts of their fruit, possible to survive in a harsh environment."

She didn't know the half of it. Still, this was insanely fast. The berries were a confusing thing in general for me. In the games, the berries were a one off. Plant a berry, get two or three, plant another one, and at ridiculous speeds. Not like our world, where you could somewhat count on a healthy berry bush consistently giving berries for years.

But these guys were some sort of fusion. I could see something like twenty sitrus berries one a nearby tree that were ripe, and several flowers indicating more already on the way. The large numbers and life span of a normal berry bush, and the speed and magical powers of a Pokemon bush.

Then again, everything about me broke the rules in some way so far. I was a Pokemon trainer whose Pokemon could use more than four moves, fought in combat alongside them, and used Pokemon training gear on my own body, three things that were never or rarely seen in the Pokemon series.

"This is a good thing, right?" Paula asked. She was wearing a simple white blouse and blue jeans, and looked at the going on in curiosity.

Dr. Mcgee hesitated. "Well... usually, I would say yes. But none of the berries we have are approved by the FDA, and all the potions we've been making are just being tested. We're going to need to slow down production soon. And there's another problem-"

"Berries have disappeared," I cut her off.

Dr. Mcgee's eyes widened in surprise. "Um... yes. A shipment of ones we were sending to Keystone to be researched by our labs there disappeared. The drivers were found in a bathroom, tied up."

I nodded, and Artemis narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. She didn't speak, since as far as Dr. Mcgee knew, Artemis was just a friend of a guy who was brought in to consult on a newfound set of alien berries he'd found. Still, I could tell the question Artemis wanted to ask. Paula, on the other hand, was a sphinx, the older assassin better at hiding her feelings.

"It was the decoy shipment," I said simply. Artemis and Mcgee blinked in unison. "I had suspicions people would want to steal these berries and the potions made by them. So I had a shipment of Razz, Bluk, Pomeg, Qualot, and Hondew berries sent. Those are all useless to our project, outside of flavor."

"But... But why?" The young doctor asked.

I didn't answer her, instead turning and walking out. As soon as we were in the blank halls of STARLabs, I took out my phone and sent a text through encryption. Artemis and Paula walked on my left and right, both just a step behind as their eyes panned around us steadily.

Bring Da Ruckus, I typed and sent to Batman. The code based on music unheard in this universe brought the song to my mind. With two badass assassins following behind me like bodyguards, and badass rap in my mind, I exited STARLabs.

As soon as we were out, Artemis spoke. "You think people want to make their own potions?"

"I think that berries that have a proven ability to heal and strengthen multiple species, may be key ingredients in a lot of my Pokemon enhancing gear, and can be grown at a massively quick pace, will have a hell of a resale value for a lot of bad guys," I said, frowning. "Don't get me wrong, I know my healing and enhancing potions will eventually hit the mass audience. A hell of a lot of pharmaceutical companies are going to fight it of course. Potion alone can instantly heal everything from small cuts to muscle pain to headaches with 100 percent success. Cancer is a little harder to figure out, but a lot of what berries and potions can cure basically makes modern medicine look a little useless," I sighed. "Don't get me wrong, doctors will still be useful and needed but-" I looked over at the mother and daughter pair, realizing I'd gone on a tangent. "Anyways, the point is I already knew people would be ready and willing to steal this stuff. So instead of stopping it, I let it work for me."

"Clever," Paula said softly. "But what will you do when you find out who stole this shipment?"

I didn't answer.

August 10th,New York City, Manhattan, 7:14 am

The next day, I had other issues.

I grunted with effort as I carried my end of the sofa I was carting into the center of a living room. It took a bit of effort, but muscles trained from long hours in the gym helped me persevere. Soon I put it down, and smiled.

Soon I was leading the guy who'd helped me to the door.

"Well, that should be it," A man in simple clothes, a balding head, and big biceps told me as we stood in the doorway of the large apartment. His accent wasn't strong, but it had a hint of the roughness I was used to from the meaner parts of New York Wildcat and I ran around."Got to say, you didn't have as much stuff as I'm used to for guys who live in this part of town."

I smiled a bit at that. "Well, I'm not used to being able to afford this kind of place. My last place was shoebox compared to to this."

The man, who'd seemed a bit standoffish the whole time, smiled at that. "That so?"

I nodded a bit self-consciously. "Yeah. Living in a place this big is a bit daunting really."

The mover and I looked back at the room.

It was big. The place had recently been remodeled, so hardwood floors, marble, and massive glass windows all gleamed brightly. My stuff looked positively lonely in there. A single tv and sofa in the living room, a bed in my room, and some boxes holding pots, pans, and other essentials.

"Eh, you'll grow into it," The large man patted me on the shoulder. "Stay safe, kid."

"Thanks," I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet. "Here. I pretty much owe for all the help," I handed him a tip of two hundred, and got a shocked look from the guy. He quickly turned and walked away, as though I was going to ask for it back.

As he walked away, he passed a massive tank of a man, who stepped aside politely before walking towards me. I smiled at him, and Ted 'Wildcat' Grant smiled back.

Ted was wearing a black hoodie over a shirt with a panther design on it, and some black jeans. I realized as he came closer that I was wearing a red hoodie and my own jeans. Without even meaning to, we were both wearing civilian versions of our costumes. Funny that.

"All packed in?" He asked as he walked up.

"We'll find out soon enough," I beckoned him inside. My mentor went in, and I closed the door after him.

As soon as I was sure the door was locked, I turned to the living room, remembering my instructions. "Trainer Red, online."

The windows darkened. The island table in the kitchen rose up and shifted around, turning into a large stand where my costume rested along with my gear and an empty mannequin. A large holo-screen floated before us. Another section of the building slid to turn into a garage, while the couch slid aside to reveal a small worktable with tools neatly stacked, along with some forensic equipment.

"Where does Bruce get all these amazing toys?" Ted asked gently.

"He's only got one superpower, but it's versatile as hell," I joked.

Ted laughed. He turned to look at me. "So, what's next?"

I shrugged, my right hand running along the pokeballs set along my waist. "For now, I don't think we have any missions. I've spoken with Wonder Woman about using her Themyscira Embassy offices here in New York as a gathering place for the various gods and spirits that will show up, but that is still getting set up. I'm all done with the notes I've been writing for Batman. My plans with STARLabs are still getting set up. The Team is training with their mentors... I don't have anything to do."

I felt a bit lost. It felt like recently I'd been running from weirdness to weirdness, with little to no time to think, and no sleep. And now? Nothing. I had free time, and nothing to do with it.

"Maybe we should train?" I asked Ted. "Or I can finally play some video games again. Maybe patrol? I..."

"Kid," Ted patted me on my shoulder. "How about you and I go grab some coffee, and you tell me about your last mission."

I frowned, but finally nodded.

PYJ

A while later, we were sitting in a cafe, in the corner where we couldn't be heard. I described my fight against Cheshire, making sure to word it like a spar in case others listened in.

"So I don't feel like it was a real win," I wrapped my hands around the warm cup of coffee in my hand. "I mean, I know why I won, Ted. I had better equipment than her," I whispered the next part. "I had armor and electric taser gauntlets, she had bra and panties," Ted raised an eyebrow at that. "I mean... it didn't feel right. I know I shouldn't feel that way. A win is a win, but-"

"But you're a boxer," Ted said. He sipped his coffee. I didn't reply, waiting for him to finish speaking. He finished his sip, sighing in satisfaction as steam rose from his cup. Someone in the cafe laughed. Outside, cars lumbered through traffic as people walked along the sidewalk. "It's something I had to get used to in the day. Even though I didn't have the weapons and skills Alan and Jay did, I still had advantages others didn't. Bruce doesn't mind it, he was taught to look for every advantage he could. And I never feel that way when someone brings a planet-cracker to a fist fight. But as a boxer, I don't like feeling like I have to reach for a gun. I'm supposed to be strong enough not to need it."

He sighed. "But that kind of thinking will get you killed. Cheshire, according to what you told me, has been fighting for decades. You won. Take the win, and keep taking them. Just win. Don't hurt civilians, don't kill unless you have no other choice, but otherwise, don't feel like it's cheating to win just because you have better training, equipment, or friends... Now tell me. What is really bothering you? Because you haven't stopped touching your pokeballs since your apartment."

Surprised, I looked down at my hand, which was touching Chesnaught's simple red and white ball.

"Oh..." I took my hand away. "I... Maybe my problem with Cheshire is a symptom of something else?"

"And what would that be?" My gruff mentor asked.

I thought about that quietly. What was the issue? Was it just my fight? No, that was something I'd had issues with, but something deeper was going on. Something I'd been feeling for months. Something to do with my Pokemon.

"...I don't feel like a Pokemon Trainer."

Wildcat blinked. "What? I thought you were one."

"I..." I didn't know how to explain it to Ted, who had no real understanding of Pokemon, but I knew why I felt so off now.

I wasn't a real trainer. I'd never beaten another Pokemon trainer in battle. I wasn't a Champion, or a Master. And until I fought another Pokemon trainer in true battle, six on six with four moves, I'd never feel like I was. I was a superhero now. But for some reason, I also needed to be a trainer as well. No, more. I needed to be a Pokemon Champion, to feel truly worthy of the power I had at my waist and the badges in my bag.

But how? How could I do it?

And then, as Wildcat watched me, the idea came to me. A dangerous, wonderful idea, involving a cute, feathery dragon.

"Hey," Wildcat said after a moment. "You haven't been sleeping, right?" When I looked startled, he smiled gruffly. "Bruce gave me something to help with that. Had to slip it into your cup."

As I gave him a betrayed look and saw my vision peacefully go to black, Ted chuckled. "Sleep kid. Rest. Do whatever hairbrained schemes you're thinking of later."

PYJ

August 11th, Metropolis, 8:18am

After a long nap and a flight on Latias, I stood under a bridge in Metropolis, grumbling about overbearing mentors to myself. Latias floated next to me, giggling softly in my mind at my annoyed demeanor.

The area we stood in was a section of freeway far away from the actual city, in the outskirts. The place was actually empty of people, which was odd to me. Even the outskirts of most giant cities I knew about were always full of people.

You sure this is where your scientist friend wanted to meet? I asked Latias. She nodded even as she continued to check telepathically for anyone coming close.

Yes. He said his labs weren't secure enough for a conversation.

I felt my lips curl into my closest approximation of Batman's frown. This was just way too suspicious.

We were out there to meet someone Latias had spoken about a few times. She was constantly working on a way to open a portal to the Pokemon universe, a project I'd been worried about at first. After all, I didn't want Latias innocently opening a portal to the Crime Syndicate universe or some place where Batman and Joker combined or something. Or hell, even the Marvel Universe would end in some chaos. Not to mention the dozens of universe where Pokemon existed, from Ash's universe, the main games, the Adventure series, and so on.

The point was that dimensional travel was always dangerous. Still, Latias had promised to only work on calculations for now with the guidance of textbooks and scientists. Which in itself was surprising, realizing that Latias was a genius. But then, I'd trained to be Latias to be a Clever Contest winner in the games, and a lot of Psychic and Legendary Pokemon were known to be incredibly intelligent.

Still, as we stood/floated there, I began to feel nervous. I took a moment to thank god that I'd come in my Trainer Red armor, as opposed to coming as Mahmoud instead.

Ah! Latias suddenly said. He's here!

I looked in the direction Latias was waving at excitedly. My blood froze.

"...Is he coming in that car?"

Yes!

The car rolled up as I stared at it. "The limo with a tasteful Lexcorp flag?"

...Yes?

I ignored the hesitance in her voice as she realized my fear and anger. Latias, I said to her in our minds. Hit the skies. You see any drones, kill them, I reached to my side and grabbed my comm unit, tossing it to her. If or when I die, send a message to Batman describing everything. And move quick. If a laser comes down on top of us, I want you to avoid it.

L-laser? She asked, catching my comm unit.

It's something he's known to do, now go! My telepathic voice carried a hint of my anger, and Latias flinched. We'll talk about your phone and internet privileges later.

Scared and sad, Latias zoomed upwards. I reached into my bag and took out two hyper and max potions as the car rolled up, placing them in my bag for easy reach, made sure my shock gloves were working, then grabbed Chesnaught and Jirachi's pokeballs in my right hand.

The limousine rolled to a stop. The engine cut off. The driver got out and we shared a look for a moment.

She had light brown hair, and brown eyes. She wore a business suit with a red tie and a short skirt, as well as short heeled shoes, all of it made of expensive materials. And her eyes were narrowed at me as I stood in a loose stance.

"...Mercy." I said, taking a shot in the dark.

Her eyes narrowed further. I didn't say anything else. She was a fighter, and so was I. We may not have known each others styles or methods, but the implied threat was there. 'Not yet... but maybe soon.'

She turned away from me, walking towards the back door of the limo. She opened it.

Lex Luthor stepped out of the limo, and strode towards me. Tall, with a simple strength I could see beneath the crisp suit. He was bald, like his counterparts in other universes. His eyes were green, piercing. He had a slight smile on his face. Not a smirk, but something close.

The man walked up to me. He had nothing but a suit on. I had a stable of powerful monsters, armored electric gauntlets, and healing potions.

I took a deep breath as he came closer, pushing down my fear. Lex Luthor was the guy who could hold off even the most powerful iterations of Superman off with nothing but a couple words. I needed to stay calm.

He came to a stop in front of me, Mercy just a step behind him.

"Well. I have to say, I was waiting for this meeting," his eyes flickered upwards. "Latias won't be joining us?"

"...I don't know yet," I said honestly. "It depends."

"On if I'm here to kill you?" Luthor asked with a small smile.

The two of us looked each other in the eyes. And I made my decision.