When we last left off, Julius took his first steps into the vast Zorrialyn Desert at the request of Kanon and Alexandria, with Huey and Reina tagging along for the ride. Along the way, the young teen reunited with his dear friend Ren, and is making his way back to Sashila Village for an important meeting.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.

Sashila Village

Upon arriving at Sashila Village, the group made their way to Alexandra's place of residence, the large villa that overlooked the entire village. From there, Alexandra herself took a seat on her plush couch with Kanon standing still beside her, as if he was her personal bodyguard. Damien opted to take a seat on a smaller couch beside her, while Ren and Julius were content to stand in front of the older woman.

"Before we begin, I would like to thank you all for finding Alexandra, especially you, Ren. She told me about what happened between you two and that mysterious man." Damien expressed his thanks, shooting a quick look at the raven-haired teen.

"It was no problem; it was the right thing to do after all." Ren replied casually.

"As for you, Alexandra. Please tell me what you were thinking when you went out on your own. Because to be brutally honest, that was a very idiotic move on your part." The older man inquired, his tone brimming with seriousness. "Did you seriously believe the words of someone you had only met that very moment, without asking them to backup their claims?!"

"I'm sorry I'm a human being who wants to help people who need it…" She apologized sarcastically.

"How saintly of you. You could've just sent me after them. After all, it's my job to complete tasks like that." Damien retorted, with a sigh of weariness escaping from Alexandra's mouth.

"Whatever, it's in the past. I don't want to dwell on it anymore. Now then, I believe Julius is interested in why I called him here for." She began.

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself. Could it have anything to do with what I've done recently?" Julius inquired, the door to the opening as Reina and Huey joined up with the others. "Ah, you two arrived. Now keep quiet like you were told to—"

"Damien, who is the boy with the fiery red hair?" Alexandra asked.

"He's another friend of Julius; he also helped out in searching for you." The older man answered, with Ren turning to face his juniors.

"Reina, Huey, I think you two should stand outside for this one…" He suggested to them.

"No way! I'm not going anywhere until you start giving me a proper explanation Ren!" Reina shot back, causing Huey to step back in surprise.

"W-Wait…you mean to tell me that he's the Ren you've been looking for? Your big brother?" Huey asked, with the raven-haired girl giving him a quick nod of confirmation.

"M-My apologies Alexandra. I told them that Julius was the only one requested, but they both tailed us." Kanon apologized humbly, only for the older woman to brush it off.

"No need to apologize; the more the merrier I say!" Alexandra chimed happily. "I even requested the arrival of an old friend of mine, but he didn't show up unfortunately. That aside, there's something I need to ask of Ren and Julius. Something I can only trust these two to do."

"H-Hey, now I'm feeling a little left out…" Reina commented quietly.

"You and Huey weren't even meant to be here, so shush!" The white-haired teen whispered bluntly at her.

"Now as I was saying, I was going to ask Ren and Julius to perform a task for me." The black-haired woman asked, turning to face Julius. "Julius, do you know what Zone Zero is?"

"Hmmm…that's a doozy. I recall hearing that name long ago when I was in school, but it slipped my mind. Do you mind refreshing my memory for me?" The young teen requested, with Alexandra shooting him a small smile.

"Certainly. Zone Zero is the ruins of a city that used to be the pinnacle of Aevium's development; the entire place was wiped out during the tragedy. Beyond Zone Zero is the Eclysia Pyramid. It used to sleep beneath the ground but was mysteriously unearthed recently. Within Eclysia Pyramid, lies the Spring of Rejuvenation. I…I need to get to that spring as fast as possible, which is where you two come in." She explained to him, with something sparking in the teen's mind. The Spring of Rejuvenation; that was one of the locations Aelita needed to go in order to awaken her power. Perhaps once Alexandra has finished her business there, he could ask her if she could grant Aelita access to the spring. However, she did tell him that this was a journey she had to do alone, which is what kept him from telling the older woman about her.

"I get it, you want me and Jules to act as an escort, to keep that mysterious stranger from attacking you again." Ren deduced, only for the older woman to shake her head.

"Not quite. What I want you two to do is to take care of the massive sandstorm that appeared over the area recently. Mind you, sandstorms are common in this place, but they're never this strong, or violent. I happened to catch the culprit behind the storm, and it was a being of the Rift." Alexandra concluded, catching the two teenage boys off-guard.

"Seriously? Am I to keep fighting these things throughout my journey?!" Julius exclaimed to himself, shooting a quick look at Ren. "I take it this is a surprise to you as well?"

"Yeah, I don't recall Nastasia telling me about this Dimensional Rift at all. But that means…" He began.

"Yes, this Rift is not under the control of Team Xen. Bladestar are the ones who are controlling it." The older woman finished his sentence off.

"But how? How can Bladestar have technology to create Dimensional Rifts?! As far as I know, that technology was exclusive to Team Xen!" The raven-haired teen exclaimed.

"Perhaps someone defected from Team Xen and gave the information to Bladestar." Julius suggested, only for Ren to shake his head.

"Highly unlikely; Team Xen kept that information under tight security, only the admins were allowed access to it." Ren knocked back the idea. "Besides, even if one was able to get their hands on it, Team Xen doesn't take too kindly to those who wish to leave the organization."

"I believe the existence of this Rift is why the friend I mentioned didn't show up. My friend Ryland, is an admin of Bladestar." Alexandra chimed in, gazing at the duo. "I would like you two to deal with the Rift so that the sandstorm subsides. I know you both have the expertise to deal with this task."

"I'm fine with the task myself, but I don't know if Ren would want to, you know, work with me…" The young teen replied, only for Ren to rest his hand on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about mate? Of course, I'd be willing to work with you!" He shot a smile back, before a question soon formed in his mind. "Alexandra, I've seen the way you battle. You could easily run circles around the both of us, blindfolded. Why would you need our help if you could easily handle it yourself?"

"Please forgive me for my selfish statement, but if anything were to happen to me…I cannot afford to die now." She cut herself off mid-sentence, as if she wanted to keep something hidden from everyone else.

"Ah, if only you followed that sentiment earlier today…" Damien muttered snidely to himself.

"I understand…" Ren accepted the answer, almost as if he knew what she was talking about. The young teen could ask him about it, but he doubted he would get an answer from him.

"There's just no way you said that, am I hearing it wrong? You're more than willing to kill my brother and my childhood friend off just to save yourself? Give me one reason why I shouldn't slap the—" Reina shot a glare at the older woman, getting ready to approach her only for Ren to hold her back gently.

"You're not involved in this, so calm down. I've already made up my mind and I'm sure Julius has as well." He reassured her.

"Besides, I highly doubt we're gonna die. I've dealt with Dimensional Rifts so many times, it may as well be my job." Julius chimed in.

"Honestly Alexandra, why don't you let me deal with this Rift? Why bring in children who have NOTHING to do with ANY of this at all?!" Damien demanded an answer from the older woman.

"As I have learnt, Julius has had a hand in taking down numerous Rifts and Xen members, a fact which he has confirmed himself. His efforts have gained so much notoriety that he's been dubbed the 'Xen Destroyer'. And Ren is a part of Team Xen himself; I cannot see how they're not involved. Besides, they'll continue to be involved even if I didn't send them off."

"I…I just don't know what to say to you anymore." The older man huffed, mulling over her words as he briskly stormed out of the villa.

"Don't worry, Alexandra. I'll take care of the mission, even if it means working with the fabled Xen Destroyer." Ren stepped up to the plate.

"You don't have to worry about me; I'll make sure you're spared from my wrath." The young teen replied light-heartedly, shooting a small smile at his friend. "So, where will we be meeting up?"

"I plan on heading out to Alamissa Urben first thing tomorrow, before making my way to Zone Zero. I'll give you a nudge before you leave, just in case you happen to sleep in." The raven-haired teen answered, bowing respectfully to Alexandra before promptly exiting her villa.

"I don't expect you to trust or understand me, but I'm begging you. Please accompany Ren to Zone Zero." The older woman requested urgently.

"Fret not, ma'am. I plan on helping my friend out in any way I can." Julius pledged, with a warm smile forming on his elder's face.

"Thank you so much! I've already prepared a reward once you two have accomplished your task. Damien told me about the conversation he had with you and your friends in the hospital, so perhaps it would be best if I tell you more about Nim. That being said, you are more than welcome to stay in the village tonight. I've arranged some rooms for you all down at the Inn. It may not be as luxurious as whatever Grand Dream City has to offer, but it's all we have."

"No need to worry, I'll be fine with whatever you have." The young teen accepted her generous offer, quietly making his way out of the villa with Huey and Reina following right behind him.

0000

"Wow, just look at the books in this place! They've got a wide variety of wacky things in them, and they all look handwritten, too. Guess there isn't much to do here than write down their own thoughts." Huey exclaimed, sifting through the bookshelf in the room they were renting. Reina was lying down on the plush bed, her mind still enraged at Alexandra for essentially sending Ren and Julius to their deaths, despite Huey's insistence that she wasn't sending them to die. Julius on the other hand, was mulling to himself over the events of the day. He still couldn't believe that Ren had no ill will towards him for what happened back in Goldenleaf, but perhaps he was waiting for the two of them to be alone before he lets his anger be known. "Hey, Reina, Julius. Take a look at this one." The redhead called out, taking a book from the shelf and approached the duo.

"Sorry, but I don't feel like socializing right now. I'm too busy thinking about things that are really upsetting to me. You two may think I'm crazy, but I need to get this off my chest…" The young girl began, taking in a deep breath. "Before my mom had Ren and I, she visited an oracle in Grand Dream City. She was young and dumb, only wanting to have fun. You know, get your readings and see how many kids you have, whatever. The oracle said something really peculiar, something about the future of her children. 'Be wary, for your children shall clash. One will fight for a bright future, and one will seek to destroy it.' Of course, my mom laughed it off and went home. She thought it was nonsense because she was only expecting one child, but it turns out she was having twins; Ren and I."

"Guess that explains why you two look so similar, more so than most siblings." Julius commented.

"He's two hours older than me, but yeah, we're pretty much twins. I've always believed in the supernatural, things like tarot cards, fairy tales and urban legends. So, for someone like me to hear that…I was…worried to say the least. For a long time, I thought I had Ren under control. Everything seemed fine until he just got up and left one day. He left without telling me, or mom, or anyone else." Reina continued.

"Which is when you went off to look for him…" Huey began putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, and now I've found him, but I'm too late. He joined Team Xen, and I have no idea why he would do so; it's my fault that I couldn't keep him on the path…" The young girl sighed sadly to herself.

"Don't blame yourself. If anything, it's MY fault that he joined Team Xen." The young teen admitted, attracting her attention.

"How could you blame yourself for Ren's decision, Julius?" Reina inquired.

"I…I think it's best if you get that answer from him. After all, I think he'd prefer it if he told you himself. As for when he'd be willing to do so, that's ultimately up to him." Julius replied, making himself comfortable on one of the couches. "Anyway, I think it's best if we hit the hay for tonight. I've got a job to do after all."

"Yeah, all this travelling has worn me out. Good night Julius! Good night Reina!" Huey chimed in, putting the book away and hopped onto the other couch as Reina made herself comfortable in the bed.

"Oh Ren…what has happened to you?" She spoke softly to herself, her eyelids slowly closing as she soon drifted off to sleep.

Hospital of Hope: That same night

"I don't care who they think they are…" Lavender huffed to herself in annoyance, getting up out of bed and put on the fluffy slippers provided to her by the hospital. "They can't keep me here and perform numerous experiments as if I was a Guinea pig. I'm no longer sick, therefore I have no reason to be here. This has got to some sort of abuse of power, right? I've got to get out of here, but they took my Pokémon away and I don't think I can get them back safely. Guess the best thing to do is to make a run for it and inform the authorities about what's going on here."

Quietly making her way out of her room, the lavender-haired girl crept down the halls slowly, so as to not wake up any of the other patients. Soon enough, she stumbled into the main corridor on the floor and glanced at the elevator, uttering a prayer that no one else was on it. She crept down the hall towards the elevator, only to freeze in place as she heard a couple of voices, one of which was too familiar for her liking.

"Doctor Isha, is something wrong?" The nurse inquired, noticing the older man glance to his side momentarily.

"No…I thought I heard something weird, that's all." He replied, making his way towards the source with Lavender covering her mouth in fear. She was terrified over the prospect of the "good doctor" catching her and locking her up in her room, however Lady Luck decided to show mercy and throw her a bone just then.

"Doctor, the patient is ready to be examined." A second nurse called out from beyond a door, with Isha turning around to gaze at her.

"Is that so? In that case, let us proceed with the examination then." He said, making his way towards the door with both nurses following him inside.

"T-Thank you…" Lavender whispered to herself, looking up at the ceiling before sneaking her way towards the elevator, pressing on the button as she waited with bated breath. However, she soon grew impatient and began tapping her foot on the ground, quickly realizing that it wasn't even moving. A sigh of annoyance escaped from her mouth; the elevator in the hospital was locked! But she wasn't ready to throw in the towel; she mustered up all the strength she had in her to open the elevator doors. "Phew…that was a lot harder than I expected. But if there is a ladder in this elevator shaft, then I'm all good."

Quickly entering the shaft, she clung to the wall so that she didn't fall and injure herself, briefly looking at the wall and saw that she was on the 3rd floor. All she needed to do was climb down three floors, open the doors and make a run for it…however, something caught her off-guard. There was another ladder leading down to some sort of basement, a small computer panel beside the opening. A sense of intrigue overcame the young girl, what could Isha be hiding down there? She mulled over the option of an easy escape, or an answer to the numerous questions that were stuck in her mind, pointing out that fleeing from a hospital and labelling Isha an abusive person would have people think she's crazy. There must be proof of his crimes in that underground floor, and she will get her hands on it.

"As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to do stupid acts in order to expose the truth. Huey…please don't hate me for this." Lavender whispered to herself, quickly scrambling down the ladder. But as she was climbing down, she heard…whispers from the other side. Pressing her ear against the wall, she eavesdropped on the conversation, hoping to learn something interesting.

0000

"It's been a long time, too long." Madelis spoke to Neved, the tall man resting his back against the wall.

"Aye, it has been a while. We last saw each other at Blacksteeple, no?" Neved replied.

"Yes, that was the last we saw each other. Tell me, how have you been holding up?" The redhead inquired.

"Not the best; with Blacksteeple Castle completely taken down, I'm afraid that Madame X will have no further use for me." The tall man answered, shooting her a look of curiosity. "Tell me, why did you call me to this hospital of all places?"

"You know exactly why I called you here. A long time ago, Geara, Zetta and I all told each other what we fought for. Everyone was willing to share except for you and Nastasia. But to the topic at hand, there's a girl here in extensive care with an unknown disease. She has heterochromia, just like you." Madelis began explaining to her co-worker.

"You do realize I am not the only person in the world with heterochromia, right?" Neved inquired.

"I know that, but that's not the interesting part. The girl told me that her father also had heterochromia and was a well-known sailor in the Kalos region. Now, doesn't that sound familiar?" The redhead continued, with Neved's sudden silence giving it all away. "She's your daughter, isn't she?"

"F-Franchesca…" The tall man said quietly to himself, quietly moving away from the elevator with Madelis following right behind him.

0000

"Seems that they're moving elsewhere…" Lavender mused to herself, opting to continue down the ladder until a thought soon hit her. That panel beside the bunker entrance would no doubt need a password of sorts to operate, and she had no idea what it could possibly be. Figuring that Isha would keep it inside his office, the young girl opted to make her way to the first floor, mustering up her strength to open the elevator and step into the hallway. From there, she crept quietly towards Isha's office, making sure that there were no nurses patrolling the hallways as she soon stopped by the door. Pushing it gently, the young girl was a little surprised to see it open without much resistance and stepped inside the office. "That was way too easy… ah, never mind. I'll go check his computer for any clues."

Making her way to his computer, Lavender took a seat and began typing away at the keys, only to get caught off-guard by the password prompt, or more accurately, the lack of a password prompt. Either way, she didn't have time to mull over the doctor's carelessness, she had to find a password for that panel as soon as possible. The young girl sifted through many file, ranging from patient profiles to archived documents, learning some interesting things about the other patients, which she jotted down on a small notepad in bullet points to bring with her.

The first profile was about Risa Raider, stating that she was terminally ill at one point, but was cured somehow, information that had never made it to the public. Nearly all terminally ill patients would end up dying, but somehow Risa pulled through, as if a miracle had happened. The second profile was about a young girl named Mosely Carmicle, who was labeled a missing child. Lavender had heard several stories regarding young children going missing and assumed that Mosely was one of those children. The third profile was one that she really wanted to see, her own profile. She knew that she didn't belong here anymore, yet Isha insisted on keeping her here, probably spinning some lie to Huey to keep him from visiting her earlier that day.

Moving on to the Archives, she soon found a document talking about an Isiah Halvard, a profound brain-surgeon and incredible 99% success rate with his procedures. However, his legacy was tarnished by undeniable proof of medical abuse and malpractice against his only son, warranting an arrest. He was thrown in jail, but managed to break out shortly afterwards, kidnapping his son and went on the run. Around a month later, he was found at his own home, deceased for some unknown reason, with his son nowhere to be found. While it was an intriguing tale, Lavender was a little confused as to why Isha would have it on his own computer. Upon exiting the file, she soon inadvertently opened another one, depicting a series of numbers with the digits 8,4,3,3 highlighted.

"That must be the passcode for the panel near the bunker. All I've got to do is write it down and…ta-da! I'm making some good progress over here!" Lavender smiled to herself, shutting off the computer and tucking the notepad under her gown as she crept out of the office and back into the elevator shaft. Making her way to the panel, she typed in the code quickly, stepping back as she saw the bunker doors open up as a sigh of relief escaped from her mouth. "Phew…I can't believe that actually worked. Anyway, let's see what the "good doctor" is hiding down here."

Making her way to the ladder, she quietly climbed down them and stepped onto the cold floor, stepping beyond the steel doors as she was taken aback by what she was seeing. There were dozens of machines that had no place outside a military base, yet alone beneath a hospital, as well as several barrels and boxes that contained who knows what. A slight shiver crept up Lavender's spine; who knows who, or what was lurking down here? Just then, a low whimpering could be heard from one of the rooms, alerting the young girl as she made her way to a nearby window to see what was going on. Inside the room were a pair of scientists, quietly observing a large machine as a thin layer of fog emanated from it.

"How disappointing…we aren't getting any good results at all." The first scientist commented to his co-worker. "How exactly are we to extract the memory from this one if they refuse to cooperate?"

"Because it doesn't want that to happen, obviously. Much to our dismay, but it'll succumb to us eventually. We need to be patient or else Isha will get very angry at us, and you DO NOT want to see him get angry." The second scientist replied, the door to the machine opening as a Braixen wearily stepped out of it before collapsing to the floor. "Seriously? Get up now, it wasn't that bad!"

"Talking to it like that won't help us; I already have a burn mark on my arm from last time." The first scientist shot back at his co-worker. "Set the machine up for a second round, it won't be long before this thing decides to give up."

"This is awful…how could they do something like this?" Lavender asked herself, horrified at what she just saw. "I've got to help that Braixen out, there must be something here that can disable that machine."

Climbing down the ladder and onto the main floor, she began searching for anything that could shut that machine in the other room off. Eventually, she stumbled upon a small panel tucked away in the corner, hidden from plain view. Making hey way towards it, she yanked the plug from its socket before using it to smash the screen, creating a bit of noise and sent shards of glass everywhere. Carefully leaving the corner to not cut herself on the glass, Lavender hid behind a couple barrels and watched the scientists from before exit the small room.

"Unbelievable…it's always one thing after another with this place." The first scientist muttered angrily to himself.

"And to think this is where are hard-earned tax dollars are being spent on. Let's just go check on the monitor, okay?" The second scientist replied, the duo making their way to the panel, granting the young girl a chance to rescue the Braixen. Upon entering the room, she saw the weakened Pokémon and helped it back up on its feet, her eyes focused on the blue flower nestled behind its right ear.

"Braowow?" The fox Pokémon chirped, eyeing up the girl cautiously.

"Relax, I mean you no harm. Let us get out of here together, okay?" Lavender reassured the Braixen, raising her hands in the air to show that she was unarmed. The Braixen gazed at her for a few seconds before letting out a quick chirp, indicating that she trusted the girl. A thought soon crossed her mind, didn't Melia and the others tell her about how they knew a Braixen? Yes, she remembered hearing about how the Braixen disappeared alongside their other friends, but she couldn't be sure that it was the same Braixen. Regardless, she figured it was worth trying out. "H-Hey, this may sound weird, but are you familiar with someone named Melia? How about Venam? Or even Julius?"

The Braixen started jumping up on the spot upon hearing those names, chirping as loud as she could without alerting any of the scientists down here. This settled it; this was the Braixen that the three of them told her about. "Ah, so you do know them. I'm a friend of theirs; I can take you to them once we escape." The young girl promised, gesturing the fox Pokémon to follow her out the room. But as they did, they quickly hid behind a shipping container as the two scientists from before walked by them, stopping before the stairs to the elevator to chat with one another.

"W-What is it Braixen? Lavender inquired, noticing her friend eye up a corridor before quickly running towards it. Following right behind her, Lavender soon wound up in a small office of sorts that housed another terminal of sorts, a steel door sitting adjacent to the panel. Seeing that the panel was light up, the young girl figured that Braixen had turned it on and stepped beyond the steel door, where her friend was waiting. "Clever thinking…we should be safe here for the time being. But we can't stay here fore—W-What is that?!"

The fox Pokémon turned to see what had the young girl spooked, only to step back in fear. There, standing petrified by a blue laser was the legendary Giratina, the same one that was under the ownership of Geara, or at least it was before it was freed.

"Unbelievable…this is the legendary Giratina. How could Isha have gotten his hands on it, much less without anyone else realizing it?" Lavender asked herself, only to have Braixen began chirping to her nonstop, making several gestures with her paws as she was telling her…something. It was a lot harder to speak to others without her trusty voice translator, that was sure, but she thinks that Lavender got the gist of it. "Oooh, I think I've got it! No wait…I don't actually, I have no idea what you're saying…"

The Braixen collapsed to the floor, both in exhaustion and embarrassment over her friend's ignorance. "That aside, I think we should free the Giratina. No doubt Isha has some nefarious plans that involve this Pokémon." Lavender mused, with the fox Pokémon looking at her wearily. It was evident that she wasn't keen on the idea of letting Giratina free, but at the same time, she wasn't keen on Isha having his hands on it. Ultimately, she left the decision up to Lavender.

"I understand that you had a bad experience with Giratina, hence your hesitance to let it free. But I cannot bear the thought of leaving it here to suffer. Should Isha have Giratina by his side, there's no telling what chaos he could cause. I believe this is the right move…" The young girl made her decision, with Braixen seemingly accepting it, albeit it hesitantly. Making her way to the panel before the Renegade Pokémon, Lavender typed away on a few buttons, shutting off the laser as Giratina regained its mobility. The massive Pokémon let out a loud roar, eyeing up the duo before it as they stepped back in surprise, and fear.

P-Please be quiet. We're all working together to escape from this miserable place. If we work together, then we can all get out of here in a jiffy." The young girl pleaded her case, with the Giratina quietening down as if it chose to cooperate with her.

"There you are!" A voice called out to her, with Lavender turning around as she saw the scientist from before approaching the trio, only to step back in surprise at what they saw. "Y-You released it?! The Giratina Isha caught?!"

"T-This is bad. This is very, very bad; no way do we stand a chance against a Pokémon like Giratina!" The second scientist stammered, watching Braixen and the Giratina approach the duo.

"Looks like you have a dilemma on your hands. Do you risk your lives to fight Giratina, or risk Isha getting angry at you?" Lavender smirked at them, the two scientists mulling it over with each other before making a decision.

"We'll won't be risking Isha's anger; we will be fighting you, no matter who or what you have on your side!" The first scientist declared, as he and his comrade sent out their first Pokémon, a Dhelmise and a Muk. The Giratina eyed up the enemy Pokémon in contempt, knowing that they won't be a match for it at all. Rearing up on it's legs, it began flapping its wings rapidly, conjuring up a gust of spine-chilling wind as the Muk cling onto the ground in order to maintain its footing. However, the same couldn't be said for the Dhelmise, who was promptly flung back into the wall and crashed into it, sliding down for a few moments before it collapsed onto the tiled floor. A low growl escaped from the second scientist, who recalled his fainted Pokémon before sending out a Porygon2, with Braixen shooting it a confident look. Twirling her wand in the air, she conjured up a barrio of wondrous light that shielded her and the Giratina, protecting the duo from an incoming beam of psychic energy that the Porygon2 channeled their way.

The two Pokémon opted to begin their second assault, with Braixen lunging at the Porygon2 and shot it down with a barrage of fireballs, causing the Virtual Pokémon to begin hurtling towards the ground with the fox following up with a tremendously powerful Heat Wave. The attack sent both the Muk and the Porygon2 flying back, with Giratina conjuring up a Shadow Ball with its power and sent it hurtling towards the Muk, the sludge Pokémon getting flung back towards the back wall with the Porygon2 crashing into it as a blanket of mist emanated from a machine that was damaged amidst the chaos. When the mist died down, it showed that both Pokémon were unable to continue battling.

"A-Ahh…d-do you have any Pokémon left?" The second scientist started to panic, the duo recalling their Pokémon as the first scientist brought out his other Pokéball and threw it, sending out a Klinklang. With a low whir, the gear Pokémon began grinding its gears, emitting a copious amount of static electricity that short-circuited the lights in the room momentarily. The Braixen let out a cry of surprise, promptly taking her wand out of her tail and lit it up with a small fireball as she began waving the wand all over the place, in search of her opponent. A few moments later, she shone her light onto the Klinklang, the gear Pokémon gazing at her quietly as it began charging up a second electrical attack. The bipedal fox pointed its paw at the air behind the Klinklang, causing it to raise an eyebrow as it turned around to see what she was pointing at. But before it could react, it was promptly knocked to the ground by a powerful strike coming from Giratina, the gear Pokémon collapsing to the ground as the charge it had been building up was soon released, turning the lights in the room back on.

"I-Impossible!" The first scientist screeched in surprise, recalling his Klinklang as Lavender shot them a confident smirk.

"See? I told you that we're unstoppable! Did you really think you could stand a chance against a legendary Pokémon?" The lavender-haired girl shot back. "Now move aside, before I—"

"Giiraa!" The Giratina roared, taking flight as it used its power to disappear into the shadows, causing the other two to turn around as a sinking feeling welled up within them. They were now on their own, without their most powerful ally beside them.

"H-Hey! Don't leave us here!" Lavender protested, small smirks forming on the scientists faces as the duo turned around slowly. "Ahahahaha…about what I said before…" She began uneasily, before the duo opted to run away as fast as their legs could carry them, the scientists momentarily stunned before regaining their composure.

"Get back here! You won't get away with this, you brat!" They shouted, quickly running after the duo in hot pursuit. Lavender and Braixen began running through the underground bunker, quickly scrambling up the elevator shaft but not before shutting the bunker entrance, slowing down their pursuers. From there, they spent the next few minutes climbing up the various ladders, making their way to the ground floor before bursting into the hallway. This was it; they could smell the fresh air coming from outside. All they needed to do was run for just a little longer and…

*Pow* Braixen let out a cry of surprise, falling onto her back as she had inadvertently run into a Dusknoir that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Lavender stopped in her tracks to help her friend up, only for a familiar chuckle to send shivers down her spine.

"I knew I heard something back there…" Isha commented, walking back into the lobby as she shot a quick glance at Lavender. "I wonder what's going to happen to you now, Lavender, you sneaky rat. I told you that you were very sick, and that you are not to make an escape attempt. I only want what's best for you, after all…"

"Lies! You want to keep me here as your prisoner, performing unspeakable experiments on me and Braixen to fulfill your twisted goals!" The young girl shot back, shooting a glare at her elder.

"You're quite the tactless patient, you know that? Between your escape attempt and the fact that you released this…putrid Braixen from its confinement, I think it's about time I punished you for your misconduct." Isha began, a twisted smirk on his face as Lavender whispered something into Braixen's ear, the fox Pokémon stepping back in shock as the young girl reassured it that everything will be alright.

"D-Don't worry about me…just get out of here…while you can." Lavender smiled at her friend, the Braixen quickly glancing at the door before making a beeline for the exit. The Dusknoir was about to give chase, only for its trainer to halt it in its place.

"Don't worry about that fox, it lacked the device that enabled it to communicate with humans, therefore it is of no more use to me. It was a most impressive device constructed by the famous Saki Blakeory. But that aside, we have some unfinished business with Miss. Lavender over here…" He began, a menacing grin plastered on his face as the young girl shivered at what sort of experiment he has planned for her next.

Julius' Dream: That Night

"Ack, another dream? What will it be about this time?" The young teen mused to himself, slowly getting up off the ground as he began to wander through the area, which resembled Sashila Village at night. The key difference was that it was abandoned, seemingly devoid of any life whatsoever; no trainers, no civilians, not even any Pokémon were nearby. This meant one of two things; either he would be told of some great prophecy where he was the hero, or that it was another meeting with his various embodiments, and he wasn't so keen on meeting them again.

"Well if I'm alone, I guess I should make the most of it…" He mused to himself, making his way towards the large fountain in the village square and took a dip in it, the cool and refreshing water sending a wave of relief throughout his body. This peace, this serenity…it gave Julius ample time to mull over the events of the day, mainly the surprising reunion with Ren. He was glad, if not downright ecstatic that there was no hostility between the two, giving him a glimmer of hope that there was a chance to rebuild their friendship. This mission Alexandra sent them on would be a great opportunity to bury the hatchet, and begin again, despite Reina's protests to the idea. But this Spring of Rejuvenation she mentioned did raise a few questions in his mind; why was it tucked away within a pyramid that, until recently, was buried deep underneath the desert sands? Could it have some special power that, in the wrong hands, could cause utter chaos? Given it's name, it could have the power to heal wounds, cure disease, or even bring back the dead. If that was the case, then it very well could be a cure for—

"Heya!" A friendly voice called out, catching the young teen off-guard as he slipped into the fountain, a light chuckle coming from the voice as Julius got back up to confront the figure.

"Gah! Don't scare me like that, again!" He scolded the person, only for his eyes to widen at the sight. The person before him…was himself but brimming with optimism. The happy Julius wore a bright yellow jacket, a white undershirt and simple blue jeans, resting on the edge of the fountain as he smiled at him. "I take it you're the personification of my happiness?"

"Correct! That pleasant reunion with Ren gave me all the power I needed to break free from your future selfs' prison." Happy Julius chimed back, helping his other self get out of the fountain. "I gotta say, I never knew you were the one to sit back in a fountain and relax. I should try it one day."

"Yeah, it is pretty nice, provided that nobody scares the daylight out of you." The young teen retorted casually. "Anyway, what is it you want with me?"

"I came to give you a warning; your future self is causing a lot of meddling in your mind. He's been manipulating your inner psyche, all for the sake of achieving his goal. That goal is to isolate you from your friends, preferably by killing Professor Larkspur." The optimistic teen answered, causing Julius to raise an eyebrow at what he just heard. "You must heed my warning; do not let your anger get the best of you. Do not get his blood on your hands."

"B-But that man has haunted me for so many years; all the suffering he caused. I-I can't let him get away with it, no matter what you say!" Julius shot back, with the second one raising his hands in the air.

"Woah, woah. Calm down, mate. I'm not saying that you can't bring him to justice, I'm saying that you can't deal it yourself. After all, nobody made you judge, jury and executioner." Happy Julius reassured the latter. "Besides, it would make all your friends sad to see you commit such an act."

"Yeah, you do have a point. I don't think any of my friends would want to associate themselves with a murderer—wait, was this what caused Melia to leave Future Julius for Venam in his timeline?" The young teen inquired, with his personification nodding in confirmation.

"Yes, I overheard it myself. Future Julius rambled about how Melia yelled at him after she saw him murder Larkspur, causing the two to get into an argument about it, which ended in her ending their relationship. Now he wishes to do the same to you in an act of bitter jealousy." He replied calmly. "No matter what happens, do not let your anger get the best of you."

"I-I won't become consumed by anger, I promise you…" Julius pledged, causing his happy self to smile warmly at him. "Now, is there anything else you want to talk to me about?"

"Yes I do, it's about Melia; isn't she so amazing? I managed to see her awakening, somehow, and it was the most bedazzling sight of all time. She and Venam used their unbreakable bond to awaken the power within her and confront Melanie, and they become one person as they soon showered the entire world with light, restoring the doomed planet to one of peace and prosperity, bringing hope to all the survivors there. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen and should be made into a movie. Heck, they should make a movie about Melia's life; it would have it all, action, adventure, friendship, romance, comedy. It would be a major blockbuster and would win several awards, making her into an overnight celebrity. But then again, she already is a celebrity; she's got special powers, and shiny Pokémon, and is super intelligent, and is so nice and kind, and, and…" Happy Julius began rambling quickly, catching the young teen off-guard with his fanboyish attitude.

"Hey, slow down. Take a breath after each sentence, lest you run out of air." He tried calming down his personification, and it managed to work somehow.

"I-I'm sorry…but every time I hear about her, I can't help but go on a fanboyish ramble about how amazing she is. You think she's amazing, right?" The optimistic teen inquired.

"Yes, I do think she's amazing, more so than mere words can express. Then again, you would know what I'm talking about." Julius replied, with his personification letting out a light chuckle.

"Indeed I do…ah, but our time is up tonight. I don't know when I'll see you next, but I hope you took my advice to heart…" Happy Julius replied, fading away from the fountain as the area was soon enveloped in a bright light.

The Next Morning

With a quiet yawn, Julius slowly got up off the couch and brushed his hair, tiding it up as he saw Huey reading the same book he had mentioned the other night. "Ah, good morning Julius. Did you sleep well last night?" Huey inquired; his eyes fixated on the book

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I had an…interesting dream last night. I'll tell you about it once I'm back from my mission." Julius answered, making his way outside the Inn as he began searching for his childhood friend. A sneaking suspicion soon crept up on the young teen, as he made his way to the fountain in the village square and saw Ren waiting beside it, shooting a small glance at him.

"Ah, guess you didn't need me to give you a nudge after all?" Ren chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I didn't want to keep you waiting. After all, there's so much I want to get off my chest, and this would be a perfect opportunity to do so." The young teen admitted.

"Same, there's so much I want to say to you, but I was worried that you wouldn't listen to me. But I'm glad that we're able to sort things out, despite our…differing allegiances. Anyway, to get to Zone Zero, we'll need to get through Alamissa Urben; Alexandra informed me today that this is where her friend Ryland lives. As he's a member of Bladestar, it'll be a problem if we run into him, especially since he's quite the capable trainer. But asides from that, it should be an easy trip." The raven-haired teen explained, packing up his bag for the trip. "Well what do you say? Let's get going already."

"You said it!" Julius smiled, the duo making their way towards the village entrance and into the desert, with both of them hoping that this trip would repair their damaged friendship.

Another chapter completed, nice and neatly. Hopefully this trip will be beneficial for both our heroes, but you'll have to check out the next chapter to see if that's the case. The dream sequence near the end may be a bit out of the blue, but it'll play a crucial role in a future chapter. I do apologise for being a little late on upload my Insurgence and Shadow of the Order stories, but I was busy with my Valentine's Day fic. But for now, I would like to thank you all for reading and supporting my story. Peace out!