To Catch A Mew

by Raziere

Ensara Aquana is a new trainer who wants to catch the legendary pokemon, Mew. However as she embarks upon her journey, Ensara begins to realize doing so will be far harder and stranger than she ever expected.

25. Epsidoe 25: Return to Lumiose

Episode 25: Return To Lumiose

Ensara walks despondently alongside Lily and Shade. They had departed from Camphrier town after getting Professor Pines phone number to contact him when they got a keystone for her, but for now she is stuck as a gardevoir. Ensara says to Shade

-You have a keystone, why can't you just give me yours?-

"Keystones are valuable, Ensara. Giving it to you will reduce my effectiveness, and I will need mega-evolution to fend off from Rockets or Cerebrals trying to kidnap you again with their mega-evolutions. Your a one of a kind experiment to them. Valuable. They'll want to study you. That and if I solve everything for you, you won't be able to do anything yourself. A Pokemon Journey is partly about learning to do a lot of things yourself, as it was originally a rite of passage: many kids grow up and become adults over the course of their pokemon journeys and gain valuable life experience and knowledge of many places as a result of them. A part of that is knowing that I'm your competitor even as I'm your friend and teacher. I benefit from you not being able to turn back. Furthermore you have the unusual if not unique experience of being turned into a pokemon- its just another valuable experience in your life, so why rush to end it? You might learn things that no other human will, and I'm sure there is other mega-keystones to find."

-But Prof. Pine said that if I become to used being a gardevoir I might not turn back. Your just being lazy.-

"True. Then your just going to have to work hard to find one to turn back won't you? Or if you really want mine...you can always try battling me. I'll even make it fair, and use only Incinereta."

He offers with a slight smirk. Ensara thinks upon battling his Larvesta Shade's weakest pokemon, for a moment. The Larvesta that could Flame Charge at the speed of a bullet and she had seen him sweep entire pokemon teams with that one attack while read a book not paying attention. That Larvesta.

-...No deal. That Larvesta is crazy. Even at this point, I'm nowhere near you in terms of power.-

"Wise. A lesser trainer would've been gotten angry, challenge me right away and get beaten hard. Trust me, its far better for you to find and earn your own mega-keystone, and much better to get back your original form through your own efforts." Shade says "You'll thank me later when you face other trainers with mega-stones and can't borrow from me. By making sure you never rely on anything borrowed- you'll never have need for anything borrowed. So don't borrow, acquire. Don't get me wrong, helping people is generally the right thing to do, but this is apart of your journey, your training. Its unexpected hardship, so you have to figure out how to deal with it, and solve it."

-Okay, but until then, how to go among humans without being caught or whatever?-

"Hm, that sounds like a problem that a pokemon you have could help with. I wonder which one?" Shade ponders out loud.

-Oh right! Emerald, she could teach me how to use my psychic powers to use illusions to look like myself again.-

Soon they stop to camp for the day. She sends out Emerald and tells of her idea to make herself look human until they find a keystone. Emerald listens, nodding and says

-There are a few options for this. Before pokeballs, there were a lot of techniques to help pokemon evade notice, and they are still in use today for pokemon to survive especially in areas where trainers don't often travel. I only know psychic ones based on my evolution lines, but its pretty common. Basically, we take the move Hypnosis and start using it for some more finer applications than just putting people to sleep.-

-Why do you just use it to put the foe to sleep in battle then?-

-Because its the easiest and most effective use for it in battle, like hitting the brains off switch. What I'm going to teach takes more time and focus, and thus generally not suited for the rush of combat, but rather for the evasion of it altogether. They both rely on slightly tweaking the minds of those around you, specifically the areas of the brain that interpret visual information they perceive. The first technique is the Overlook Cloak. Basically its a low-level hypnosis to make all the people around not notice you. Its the simpler hypnosis technique, and makes sure no one will pay attention to you. However it can be broken if you draw attention to yourself, or if someone is always alert and vigilant. So be careful, it not flawless.

The second technique is the Glamour Cloak, making you look like someone different by using hypnosis to mess with peoples sight, overlaying yourself with the image you want them to see, as well as making them hear what you want as if your talking. This is the harder and more complex technique to learn, but makes sure people will see what you want them see and allowing you to disguise yourself.

You will be learning both of these, for they are useful in different situations. Keep in mind that techniques are all in peoples heads, they will both break if someone under their effects touches you. The tactile sense, the direct impact of solid objects meeting breaks the illusion as its too contradictory. So keep your distance. Also, never try to overload or compensate lack of technique for more power with this stuff. These hypnosis techniques are all about finesse and fine control, putting people to sleep is the most gross control you can get while still being safe, and overloading beyond that just turns it into attacks like Confusion, Psyshock or even Psychic. The mind is a delicate, complex machine and to manipulate it properly requires the lightest of touches.-

-So how does kadabras and drowsees from Team Cerebral mind control people then?-

-With great care, and discipline. I don't think even I can pull off mind control, even with hypnosis. Doing so requires not just tweaking the mind as I do, but an intimate knowledge of brains, of what to leave alone and what to tightly control and perhaps perceptual or processing capabilities that I do not possess, for even I cannot process everything that goes on in one persons head. But some pokemon can do it with...well I would not say ease, but its certainly much more possible for them than it is for the gardevoir line. An Alakazam or Hypno can certainly do it, and kadabras seem to be able to do it if specifically trained to. However I doubt they have are capable of some of the stuff that Gardevoirs like me can do.-

Ensara thinks back wryly

-Like create black holes to protect their trainer?-

-Oh ha ha, real funny. Thats a last resort technique of the Psychic move. We don't use it unless the circumstances are incredibly dire, so don't even think about it.-

Ensara does a double take at this.

-WAIT THATS REAL!? I thought that was just the pokedex making up stupid stuff again.-

-Focus, we're getting off topic, concentrate on learning the Overlook Cloak first...-

They begin by training upon a nearby group of bunnelby, since Emerald herself knows the trick and its much less effective when people are aware of it being used, especially psychic type pokemon who can defend against them easily. Over the week of travel to Lumiose, Emerald soon deems Ensara's ability to do these techniques "acceptable enough" and that the rest of it was simply learning how to maintain it for hours on end. It was nowhere near mastery, but Ensara could soon maintain it long enough to be useful.

***TCAM***

Along the way to Lumiose they come across a girl wearing all white. She has blond hair, blue eyes and comes walking up to them in her white pants and shirt, with a white hat and grey pokeball outline printed on it. Her eyes fall upon Shade and she calls

"Hey Shade! Its me Shine! You came to Kalos to? Who are these two your traveling with?"

Shade instantly freezes for a moment as if conflicted about something and says

"Yes. I...already got all the badges. This is Lily Willow and Ensara Aquana. This is their first journey. Lily, Ensara, this is Shine Destinia, the winner of the Unova League tournament."

"Nice to meet you both!" she says waving "But...Shade...I have something to ask you...why did you leave so suddenly after the Unova League? I know you lost, but you could've at least said goodbye."

Shade turns away from her, oddly quiet, muttering back

"After I lost to you, and you ran away after defeating me explicitly to prevent me from achieving my dream, you mean."

"Oh come on! What kind of dream is it anyway!? What would being champion even help with it? And in that situation, all of it could be for nothing when you get to it. You might as well catch a mew."

"Hmph. Whatever. I'll achieve it regardless." Shade says, still looking off into the distance.

"No you won't! Honestly I'm just saving you from seeing it shattered more directly. Saving you some pain in this instance. Find something else that doesn't require another person to agree to it."

"I don't care, Shine. If I'm doomed to fail...let me experience the crash myself." he says

"and what are these two then?" Shine says, turning to Ensara and Lily

"Just new trainers, friends of mine that I'm showing the ropes. They have nothing to do with this."

"Really?" she says lightly, yet Shine's eyes narrow dangerously with just a hint of jealousy.

"Then I fight them, see how they're doing. Got to test them on their strength, eh?"

Ensara takes out her pokeball, stepping up in front of Lily

"You'll be fighting me alone. One pokemon each." she says. She didn't want to humor this nonsense any more than she had to.

"Very well then. Go, Emboar!"

Shine sends out the big wrestling pig, the pokemon landing on the ground with a thud, its flames on its body roaring with an intense orange heat.

"Go, Flara! Psychic!"

The delphox leaps out and sends out a wave of psychic energy as an opening move. Emboar to Ensara's surprise charges right through it, not as hurt as expected and flame charges at Flara, who flies upward to avoid his attack. They both blast a flamethrower at each other and the two streams meet each other in the air. But Emboars is more powerful and is pushing her stream back, so Flara flies out of the way abandoning her flames and maneuvering around the flames of Emboars following her around through the air using her own dodging as a distraction to telekinetically pick up a rock and throw it at Emboar, who realizes the rock is coming towards him- and catches it just in time. Worse then he flings that boulder back at Flara with great strength, hitting her dead on and knocking her out of the air.

Then while Flara struggles to pick herself up, Emboar rolls out into her before she can react, knocking her back down as the rolling emboar comes back around for another round. Flara flame charges at the rolling boar, enveloped in a flaming corona roaring out her defiance at this, already predicting the outcome. She gets hit by the second roll out and falls unconscious.

"Hmph." Shine says as she returns emboar "Seems about right for someone with five badges. But nothing special. You'll have to get much better for the battles ahead. I mean you got the tactics down, but your pokemon just aren't strong enough which is to be expected, but the things that trainers will do to win only get more intense as you get higher up."

Shine seems to relax now. Ensara didn't seem much of a threat at all, given how Shade didn't even glance up from his book. Not interested at all.

"Some of the crazier stuff we do can get real unorthodox and crazy."

"Whatever, you picked a fight out of nowhere with a trainer thats less skilled than you. Seems pretty pathetic."

"I can do to the rest of your team with my Emboar that same thing I did to your delphox, so don't think your in any position to be stubborn, bye. Be sure to remember me, Shade."

She walks away and as soon as she is out of sight, Ensara's illusion drops and she pants.

-That was exhausting.- she thinks -Maintaining it for the fight was...nerve wracking.-

If it flickered, hopefully the fight had distracted Shine enough to not notice it.

-Shade, what was all that about?- she asks

Shade looks at them and thinks for a long moment, then says

"Very well. I shall tell you. But not here. Lets get to Lumiose first, sit down and talk for this."

After returning Flara they set to walking again.

****TCAM****

They sit down in the cafe section of the pokemon center in Lumiose city, Shade Wagers regaling them of his time in Unova, Ensara maintaining her human illusion over herself.

"Listen the way I started my journey….wasn't exactly….how to say it…legitimate. But before I say how I started it, I must explain why. I was a young foolish boy of fifteen. I had watched a lot of TV, a lot of pokemon battles between powerful trainers. One of them of course stood out: Cynthia. Fool that I am, I fell in love with her through watching her battle from a distance. So I decided that I want to become a Champion, a trainer great enough to impress her and thus court her for her affections. I have no other in this world that I can set my sights upon! Now for the how:

I don't know how it works in Kalos, but in Unova, you have to fulfill two conditions to become a Trainer who can journey across a region: You must demonstrate the proper knowledge to handle pokemon and you must get permission from your parents. Not everyone who achieves the former gets the latter, and I was one of them."

-Did your parents hate pokemon?- Ensara asks

"Nope. Weirdos like that tend not to live near any pokemon at all. My parents were pokemon breeders. They loved pokemon. However, they were risk-averse people. They focused on raising pokemon for cooperative purposes in daily life, as pets and companions. Not battling. Most of the pokemon at my home were just the cute lovable types of pokemon that are easy to raise and care for by most people: Lillipups, Skittys, Togepis, Swablus, Glameows, the occasional Eevee, that sort of deal. People would come by to adopt this or that just to have a pokemon friend for the family.

So of course, they viewed me going on a journey as too risky. They knew so much about pokemon they'd constantly barrage me with their knowledge, saying that raising a dragon type or a fire type was too dangerous for me or worrying what would happen if I started raising a poison type pokemon. All because they were parents and wanted to protect me and probably take over the family business. To them trainers are these incredibly reckless foolish risk takers with pokemon who don't know what they are doing and putting themselves in danger just for the thrills, and that Pokemon should be raised properly by the Breeders who specialize in their types or whatever. That they prefer battle pokemon in the hands of professional pokemon rangers and blah blah blah. They loved pokemon so much they could never stand seeing one get hurt."

"So you didn't get permission. What did you do then?" Lily asks

"Oh. I lied to them, lied to Juniper, took my starter then ran away from my home town as fast as possible." He answers, his tone matter of fact.

-So...you basically stole your starter and took off on your journey without permission?- Ensara questions

"Yup." He says plainly

"...and you got away with it!?" Lily exclaims shocked that he did something so brazen.

"Yup! By the time Juniper connected the dots and called me I was two towns over and had collected my second badge."

"whats so bad about not getting your parents permission?" Ensara asks

"It means I technically am carrying around a pokemon trainer license that isn't truly legitimate, at least for someone of my age. In two years time when I become 18, that won't matter, I'll be an adult by then.

But right now, I'm technically a rogue element. Most people don't bother to check whether a trainer is fully legitimate after all, its just assumed when most trainers you meet are legitimate when given that they are traveling around, there is little proof that they are aside from the card, and if you have the know-how you get the card regardless of whether you travel. And rogue trainers aren't something the government wants going around, after all your commanding powerful creatures to do things for you and the less than can track, the more trainers can get out of control. The license is important to make sure you handle pokemon well and they don't want anyone who will abuse the power or endanger peoples lives using pokemon, while parental permission is there to make sure some kids stay at home and actually grow up to keep communities stable rather than allowing them to go all over the place. If you don't have both, your technically not legit and technicalities are all that matters to the law."

He continues

"But of course the time I was two towns away, it was too late, and my parents are too tied to their business to go chasing off after me. There I met Shine, and we became friends. From then on, I went through the region, beating trainers and Gym leaders along the way constantly encountering her. She was always my equal at every turn and we respected each other. I had even confided in her my dream.

Of course thats not all, I also found a mentor named Millorio the Musician, who taught me everything I know about Poke-Flutes. I was going to need it, as I faced the remnants of Team Plasma in a plot to capture and use Kyurem for their own evil ways. I defeated them, but Kyurem became and enraged and out of control, no matter how much I battled him, he was unbeatable. So to calm him I played Shamouti Melody with my poke-flute, and thus he returned to his crater.

Then came the Unovan League. I faced every trainer, I battled my way to the top...only to find Shine Destinia waiting to face me in the finals. The friend from my hometown. There she said that she couldn't allow me to achieve my dream, then after a long battle, defeated me. I was hurt, and questioned why she did this, but she didn't answer and simply ran away. From that day I wondered why she did it, but I now am aware that when you go into such competitions, you put your dream on the line, your chance to achieve it. I will not make the same mistake of being hurt from such a thing again. You just have to accept that there can only be one first place, it wasn't me that time.

So I came here to Kalos to try and win this one."

-Wait, if your here to win, why are helping me to achieve my dream? The terms of my agreement with Mew makes sure that I have to win the competition. We can't both win.-

"Because I'm a kind dude, your interesting, and I want to earn my victory. That and helping a friend is its own form of happiness."

"Well the fact that your a runaway certainly explains why your okay with me capturing Mew." Ensara muses.

"Wait, I'm confused." Lily says "Didn't some guy named Tobias win the Sinnoh League with some Legendaries? I thought catching them was legal."

"Not anymore after what Team Plasma did to the Unovan League." Shade explains. "Tobias has been in hiding ever since. To be honest, legendary pokemon ownership has always been a controversial topic among pokemon trainers. The Hoenn Teams and that fiasco with Groudon and Kyogre made some people aware of it, but it was Team Galactic's attempt to control all of time and space with Dialga and Palkia that really started the controversy with people debating whether it was righ to risk all of reality for one persons desire. Then Team Plasma came in with their stupid hypocritical ideology that really caught the attention of the world and thus made everyone discuss it with their theatrics. Three times was enough, so the now the Leagues have collectively decided to that catching legendaries in any form was not legal for the safety of the world. The whole incident with Team Flare here in Kalos has only further reinforced the view that its best to leave the legendaries alone.

But there have been recorded instances of people working alongside legendaries without being threats to the world. So your dream is possible, especially if its something like Mew instead of some vital one like Dialga. No one is sure what some legendaries exact jobs are, so its assumed they don't have any until proven otherwise. Just be careful, the Pokemon League isn't going to take chances, they want to make sure things are safe no matter what. However, its not a black and white issue. Arceus nor the legendaries have told anyone of any specific rules against catching them, and they seem just as willing to fight with trainers as any other pokemon when encountered. The fact that they seem to have vital roles in the harmony of reality or at the least planet is also true even if they willing to fight and risk being caught. Basically, its not entirely unwilling on the legendaries part, its just that they are really hard to beat and therefore really hard to catch. Whether there is good reason or behind this behavior of such legendaries is irrelevant, the fact of the matter is that they are willing to risk being caught and there are people willing to try and catch them."

Ensara thinks about this -But wait, have I heard somewhere that if Palkia was caught in a pokeball, it would suppress his powers? Wouldn't that collapse all of space as a result?-

Lily shakes her head. "No Ensara, thats ridiculous. If Palkia getting caught collapsed all of space, how would we know? We'd all be dead, so it can't have happened before because how are we still here then? Therefore whoever said that is either lying about pokeballs doing that and Palkias powers are unaffected which is the most likely since I don't recall pokeballs being designed to suppress the divine powers of gods we don't understand, or Palkias powers being suppressed doesn't collapse space. Either way, reality is safe if Palkia is caught in a pokeball."

Lily holds up a knowing finger. "And even if we had the capability to suppress divine powers with a pokeball, we'd have to put it in every single pokeball ever! Humans after all, have no actual idea which pokeball will be used on what, so we have to plan for every eventuality. So why would we design every single pokeball to potentially screw up the world by suppressing a legendary pokemons power that keeps the world existing? How would we even know how to do that? And even if we did, Wouldn't Arceus with his godlike power fix it to make sure space didn't collapse anyways? The entire concept is ridiculous, and a major design flaw besides."

-Hmmmm.- Ensara thinks -Lily are you okay with this? Shade not exactly being legitimate?-

"Ensara, the law can't even stop things like Team Rocket, what makes you think they can stop any other crime? Its not as if he's hurting anyone."

-...Good point.- she thinks. -I... have things to think about. Cya, I'll be think on the roof.- she thinks back and leaves.

****TCAM****

Ensara leans on the roof railing, thinking upon events and gazing out upon the city from the center. In the time she has journey, she has gotten an illegal pokemon in the form of a nidoran, has become a pokemon and one of the trainers she met as a sketchy background, another trainer who likes her is a former rocket grunt, she is being pursued by rangers and a mercenary trying to stop her from catching Mew. Mew herself is a trolling trickster who messes with everyone's heads more than anything else, and does not live up to the kind motherly Mew she heard in the legends. Speaking of mothers, no matter how many times she calls, she doesn't get an answer back, what was up with that? Ensara can't help but feel as if she expected this journey to go differently. As if she wanted a nice safe journey of her just traveling being a trainer and enjoying her time, but instead she was caught in events far beyond what she expected. Dangerous events that could go wrong if she wasn't careful. Criminals, a legendary pokemon, a transformation that might be permanent? She'll have to get smarter on how to do this.

Mew appears before Ensara

-So, you've gotten this far. Five badges. Back in Lumiose, ready to get the other three. But now your a pokemon, only kept from being caught by illusions and lies. Feeling like giving up yet?-

"No. I've grown stronger. I'm going to catch you. The challenges I've faced- they've made me grow and better myself. Your not going to stop me."

-Real fiery and determined there kiddo. But are you really sure you want to keep doing this?-

"Yes."

-Really?-

"Yes, really!"

-Are you sure?-

"Positive."

-I repeat: Are. You. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrreeeeee?-

"Absolutely certain."

-C'mon, there has got to be some doubt in your mind about this. About the dangers. About whether you'll succeed? Some voice telling in your head that maybe you should turn back?-

"Afraid that I will catch you, Mew? I'm not falling for your attempts to convince me otherwise."

-I'm just pointing out, that things will get only harder from here on out. I don't want a trainer to endanger themselves just to catch little ol' me. That would irresponsible of me.-

"Well you don't have to worry, I can handle myself."

-Come on. There is still time to give up, to turn back and have a normal journey where you and your pokemon just enjoy yourselves. I see it in your mind, Emerald, Masala, both wanting your love. It would be such a shame if your quest led to putting them in danger.-

"They know the risks. And it would be hypocritical of me to give up trying to achieve the seemingly impossible when they reach for it as well."

-Come on. We can make another deal if you give up. I could help you catch all the other pokemon you want. You could have your Petilil, your Feebas, your Shinx that you want so much, and so many others! I could give you a keystone to change back, I could do so much for you! You could have such a great journey without doing this. I could even teach you so much about pokemon that you could become Champion! Anything a trainer could ever want!-

"And you can also do so when I finally capture you."

-Come now, won't you at least consider my offer? Most people would not throw away such a chance of a lifetime!-

"No."

-What will catching me really get you? A powerful legendary who fought against you all the way? The scorn of the entire world for daring to command one of its holiest most godlike protectors? Environmentalists coming after you for controlling the only specimen of a unique species? What could you possibly hope to gain from this that won't backfire in your face!?-

"I work for this because its my dream, to do it because that no one else has done it before, to make it MY accomplishment! Something that no one will be able to take away from me, no matter how much the world approves or disapproves! Promises of help and safe life won't buy me away from that!"

-I'm telling you: give up! It doesn't have to be this way!-

"No!"

-There are so many other options for you out there, so many other ways for you to be happy, you could choose any of them!-

"But I choose this way. You won't be dissuading me from it."

Suddenly Mews eyes glow while shoves herself into Ensara's face threateningly.

-Ah, but behold my power! I am capable of taking over your mind and body completely, of making you a puppet dance to my whims then erase your memory of ever wanting to capture me! I could stop your journey entirely then make sure it never continues! Do you really want to push me to such methods?-

Ensara stands her ground and points at Mew while angrily declaring

"Your bluffing! If you were allowed to do that, or had the guts to do it even if you weren't, you would have already done it and we wouldn't be having this conversation! You may be powerful, but there is a pokemon above you who wouldn't approve of your actions if you stepped out of line and that pokemon is Arceus themselves. Despite all your jerkishness and trollery, you have rules you follow. I'm betting one of those rules is that you can't just mind control anyone you want for no reason. Which would be a smart rule to put upon someone as powerful as you, the alternative of allowing such abuse of power would be too horrible to imagine."

The glow from Mew's eyes fade and she floats back a bit.

-Your right, Ensara. I do have rules. I have morality. I do not do such things without good reason and this isn't a good enough reason. You are smart to see through such a lie. I only do such things when the need absolutely arises. At the end of the day, what matters is that everyone is safe, the world is protected and that people and pokemon live together in happiness and harmony. I have morals.-

Mew grins at Ensara.

-Unlike you. I know you, you'll never give up. Your not the type. You will pursue me no matter what, unwavering and willing to destroy any obstacle that gets in the way of your goal. However, the mark of a true hero, of a good person is that they know when to give up. A good person knows when enough is enough, when too far is too far, when to stop the madness at the right time so that people can be happy.

Sure a hero has to know when to NOT give up, to keep going, but that is only one side of the equation. Someone who truly never gives up, who endlessly pursues their goal without any care for the consequences, for who they hurt in the process, are villains. And so far, you have not demonstrated your capacity to give up. I'd tread carefully Ensara. Walk too far down this road and the place you end up might not be too different from Team Rocket's.-

"...Your just trying to scare me. Keep me from pursuing you. How convenient that the most moral thing to do is also the thing that would allow you to get away and thus fail in my journey. I'm sure there is no ulterior motive to making me give up my dream at all! All your talk of morality is just you hiding your selfish desires behind them, nothing more. At least be honest about what you want."

-What I want? What I want dear Ensara, is to not be caught. To keep doing my job, to keep being able to troll and prank people, to keep the world protected. Your just a selfish trainer ignoring all the warnings for the sake of your dream! If you are to keep on this path, there is no compromise we can come to!-

"Then fight me honestly, rather than using all these tricks and manipulations. Prove that you can't be caught even at the height of my power like we agreed!"

Mew was about to angrily continue, but then stopped, as if realizing something. Mew then trollishly grinned from ear to ear.

-You see Ensara, that doesn't matter to me. When your immortal, once you live long enough, you realize that eventually, all your actions are washed away by the march of time. Sure I may make stories that shock and troll now, but eventually they become old news, then legend, then myth and folklore that some people tell around a campfire. As long as I don't be too big too cruel and lend a hand to keep the world from blowing up from time to time, I can prank and and troll all the world without consequence forever!

And all the while your Pokemon Rangers and League will always protect me like a holy goddess, because I am one. I am their playful little angel, the elusive and mysterious and goodhearted myth-cat that needs protecting from the big, bad humans in their silly uniforms with their sillier plans. They are all just another fool I'm playing with, another person I'm subtly trolling even though they don't know it.-

-So what, we're all pawns in your game of chess?- Ensara asks

-Wrong. Chess implies that I have an opponent worthy of being my peer. That there is someone else making moves opposite to mine. There isn't yet. I'm a legendary immortal pokemon with powers beyond your understanding who has outlived all these people around you probably a thousand times over, and will outlive everyone around you many lifetimes more. What I'm playing is Dominoes, Ensara: I set up the pieces then push the first so that they fall in a beautiful chain reaction that forms a great picture at the end that I can look upon in satisfaction, then I pick up the pieces to do it all over again. All this is, is one of the middle dominoes in the process of falling. Once I battled pokemon with force directly, served justice and had fun with that when I was younger. Worked a lot better back when Tyrantrums walked the earth. But now its all social media and civilization, lies and negotiations, rules and agreements, and I find much more fun and effectiveness in setting it all up, trolling them with a quiet engineering hand that sits back and watches the chain of events reach a conclusion.

I have already planned how each domino will fall- and you can't even influence the domino in a different direction, for I have planned for the alternate direction as well, because I've made sure all dominoes lead to the Pokemon League. It all leads to the same destination, so what does it matter where you go on the journey?-

She laughs wickedly at this.

-...But very well. I will do as you ask. Go ahead. Train all the pokemon you want, make all the preparations you feel are necessary, I won't stop you. I'll be waiting at the Kalos League. Don't disappoint me... Ensara! Now I have to take care of...other business.-

Mew then teleports away, a haunting giggle upon the air.

****TCAM****

Things were going good as far as defeating evil teams go, Serena reflects. She was taking out base after base, the grunts and even higher members of both Team Rocket and Team Cerebral were of no of challenge to her. Based on her intelligence reports from the pokemon rangers, Napal and Valanoth weren't Champion strength, she could defeat them without too much trouble. As soon as she cuts off the heads of these organizations, the rest of the members will scatter and Kalos will be safe. Its just a matter of finding them, and these two were keeping well ahead of her in constant relocation and hiding away. Her most recent intelligence report has pointed her her in Lumiose City to the old Team Flare base of operations, apparently Team Cerebral, including their leader has decided to hole up there to use it themselves. She was going to take care of them soon, but first she needed to meet with the Elite Four.

She goes into a cafe where Siebold with his Water-type smooth svelteness, Wikstrom with his steel type strength in his armor, Drasna with the wisdom of the dragons at her call and Tasgelle, the new Poison type Elite Four, sit there waiting.

"Report." she says taking a seat.

"The pokemon saved from Glittering Cave have all been released and taken back to their natural environment." says Tasgelle

"I have scoured the coast." Siebold adds in "There are no holdouts of either Team Rocket or Cerebral remaining on any islands or coastal caves. Any forces they have left are inland, and the Rockets supply chain from other regions have been cut off. As usual, we cannot find any information on who the true leader of Team Rocket is from the usual scorched earth measures they take."

"The pokemon rangers" Wikstrom rumbles "have posted people to watch every environment with psychic or dark type pokemon in them as well likely targets of mind control. If either team goes to capture wild pokemon we'll be ready to ambush them."

They look to Drasna, the oldest and wisest of the Elite four, she speaks "My scouts have been investigating the regions legendaries and the Teams. We can confirm that they do not seem to have any interest in Xerneas, Yveltal or Zygarde. They have made no moves towards their locations, nor can we find any evidence of either Team researching them. However recently we have received unconfirmed sightings of Yveltal attacking a castle near Camphrier Town- a strange occurrence given that we have no record of Yveltal moving from his location, nor any reason to attack them from so far away."

"Good work everyone." Serana says "As long as we keep these teams under lock down, we'll get them eventually. As for this Yveltal sighting, that is strange indeed. Legendaries may be good, but they do not generally have a strong sense of justice- they just attack whatever humans disturb or upset them. I do not think they have much of a concept of going all that way just to punish people like a police officer."

"Could there perhaps be a second Yveltal?" Wikstrom wonders "A younger, more reckless one, more prone to dealing out death needlessly?"

"Possible." Drasna wonders "There is very little we know about Legendaries. Who knows if they are eternal or ephemeral, singular or simply incredibly small in number. Though if any legendary makes sense to have an end and a new generation to take up their torch, it would be the god of death- everything ends someday after all, why would Yveltal themselves be an exception?"

"Sounds mythical enough to be true, but then again why would Arceus, an omnipotent being, build someone to need replacing while all the other legendaries doesn't need replacements to relearn how to do their job?" Champion Serena ponders.

"If that true though, whats the explanation for the second Yveltal?" Siebold asks

"No need to explain it. We just need to be on the lookout for it. Whether its a second Yveltal, some Team hoax or whatever, be on the lookout, assess it, act accordingly." Champion Serena says matter of fact.

"Lets focus on things we can do something about: The teams."

"What of the media?" Drasna asks "The way they've spinning it, its sounds like a Dark Vs. Psychic war and trainers are distrusting each other."

"The faster we take out the teams, the faster the news can no longer spin it into some sensationalist story of fear." Serena says back.

"Champion, we don't know about that, this kind of thing requires attention and control." Drasna says back.

"Yeah" says Tasgelle "I say we ban all psychic types from the region, just in case."

"What? No." Serena says "We do not have the resources for that, Tasgelle and even if we did, its wrong and unwise. That would only make all the legitimate psychic trainers angry at us for lumping them in with the criminals. Honestly cutting pokemon out of a region, what kind of stupid idea is that?"

The other Elite Four give a general mumble of agreement.

"Anyways, we've found intelligence that Team Cerebral is here in Lumiose. At the old Team Flare base. I'm going to go in, and take them all out. You four stay out there. In case I fall, there needs to people capable of keeping the region in order. However I'm not worried. I've taken on entire bases full of grunts like them before, all champion level trainers are capable of it."

Jansen comes walking up to them and asks

"Might I help with that?"

"Yes, and you are?"

"The names Jansen. I'm volunteering to help you out with attacking Team Cerebral's base. After all, the Elite Four are too valuable to all attack with you. But I'm just an ordinary trainer. I'm more expendable than them, and I'd happily give my life to protect this region." he lies with ease.

"I'm glad your stepping up to the plate, Jansen! If only more trainers were like you. I myself volunteered to help defeat Team Flare and look at where I am now.

Serena and Jansen enter the base, keeping themselves wary as they look around searching for Cerebral grunts. Their search is thorough, going through various old rooms that Serena remembers already passing through, teleport pads now deactivated, old red team flare uniforms in their gaudy overpriced glory hung upon racks mixed with new cerebral grunt uniforms, unused. She remembers defeating grunt after grunt easily, as she did so with many trainers. Team grunts were never much, often criminals that couldn't bother to work properly for their pokemon or to raise them well. After all, real trainers were legitimate and could make money enough by training enough to do so. Though, even those didn't get to a full pokemon party, as most people don't find it practical to feed six dangerous beings while traveling around to get more.

It was actually kind of weird how abandoned this place was. No signs that there was anyone around for quite some time. However she couldn't just not investigate on the assumption that its abandoned. Could be some trick of theirs, and she needed to figure out what. She can't discount that Team Rocket was up to something different than just taking over the region's underworld. Their movements, reports she could find and operations were oddly searching as if they were trying to find something, the Cerebrals picked up on this and were searching as well, so what were they after?

Its things like this that made being Champion harder than just being a heroic trainer. She needed to think bigger picture. She needed to take out both teams herself or it would look bad on an inter-regional level. But then again all the regions have had problems with teams like these. It was concerning. The Champions of course being competitive trainers who got their positions by fighting their way to the top argue about what to do about it rather than

Meanwhile Jansen sends out Electrodes, four in total to certain weak points in the structures of the base, to match with the plans Team Cerebral gave him. He could care less if Team Cerebral ran rampant, and eliminating Serena from the equation of who to defeat for the Championship himself. Defeating four specialized trainers, even strong ones like Elite Four was still infinitely easier than facing a single varied team. Honestly he doesn't get why not everyone just makes a varied team, it wasn't that hard. He after all grabs tons of pokemon then throws them away after all. Pokemon are everywhere after all, so its not like they were precious or anything. Like the electrodes: they were just bombs that could be convince to be loyal so that they could explode for you. Then he could probably find more electrodes somewhere else if he needed them once they're done exploding this place.

Just like he could always find more people to use once he discarded previous ones.

****TCAM****

Mew suddenly teleports in and pauses time in a bubble around Serena.

-Can't have you dying, no no no. That would be wrong. Can't have you interfering with Ensara's journey and doing all the heroism for her, either! She needs to be strong, and you'll steal too much of the spotlight if I let you run around any longer. Don't worry. I'll make sure you'll reappear in time for the league.-

She thinks to herself, then teleports them both away to a pocket dimension with a snap of her fingers.

****TCAM****

Jansen teleports out of the Cerebral Base, the explosions making the Elite Four run up to him in concern.

"Jansen! Wheres Serena!?"

"She...didn't make it." he says, affecting sadness in his tone "It was all a trap. They rigged the entire base to explode and collapsed it around us. The champion stayed behind to keep it from falling on me. She truly was a champion of Kalos and her sacrifice should be honored." he smoothly talks, as if he really cares. He doesn't. It took practice to fake all this, but he did he could put and take off masks without a care in the world. The old saying about becoming the masks you wear wasn't true at all, and he knew it. A kind caring person was so easily faked after all, he didn't see how being kind was being proof of anything.

"What!? Serena is...dead!?"

"Yes, she sacrificed herself for me." he intones somberly "It..it..happened so suddenly. One moment were were okay, then suddenly we find the bomb and it starts counting down and...yeah..."

He hangs his head "I could do nothing but make sure I got out before her sacrifice was in vain."

The Elite four look grim.

"Damn it. The Cerebrals outsmarted us." Siebold says "We'll have to continue the fight without her, and given we have little time to fight out a new Champion from us, I say the leadership passes to the eldest among us: Drasna."

"I object" Wikstrom says "Kalos needs a strong leader like me in this crisis. We have to act now, or the criminal teams will run rampant..."

As they descend into arguing over who should be leader, Jansen walks away from them, smiling evilly to himself. Team Cerebral was going to reward him handsomely for this, taking out the Champion was of mutual benefit to them both after all, and they had resources he didn't. The Kalos league will be chaos and there will be one less person to defeat to become Champion himself. It didn't matter how he did it after all, or that it was garbage pile, as long as he was on top of said pile thats all that mattered. He would continue smiling as the somber news spread throughout the news, causing more chaos as trainers lost their symbol of stability and safety. As they began to realize that the true state of the world was meaningless chaos. He would take advantage of it to rise to the top! It wasn't as if those teams ever succeeded anyways- it always a lone trainer with their power alone that became the champion and therefore the ruler, and therefore he was just doing the sanest thing to attain power himself.

"This world is one of the survival of the fittest- and I'm going to be the fittest one of all!"

he says to himself, only cackling maniacally on the inside. He couldn't look too crazy to the people around him or they will know he is. Jansen may be a psychopath, but he is a intelligent psychopath who can mask himself thank you very much.

****TCAM****

Mew of course, allows this. Chaos and Order were just two tides of the same ocean, rising and falling to the inevitable flow of humanity's cycle of change and backlash against change. It wasn't too hard to exploit the flow of such things, the back and forth tug of war as time went on. An immortal gets a feel for it after a few centuries or millennia, what makes people worry, what makes them compassionate, what makes them fear or angry or whatnot. How to best use it for her ends of keeping the world safe while having her own fun. A trainer like Jansen and his machinations was nothing to her. She could dismantle all that he is doing in an instant. The only reason she doesn't is because she has other things in mind. More fun, more glorious things in mind. After all, life would get boring if one was a control freak about it wouldn't it?