When we last left off, we saw Melia and Erin continue their investigation in the Blakeory Atheneum, which included a "gym battle" and even a few heart-warming moments in it. Now we'll get to see what out other main protagonist is up to with his friends.

Edit: Sorry for the lack of updates on my other fics, but between the temporary shutdown of the Insurgence wikia, and the stomach bug I've had, I just haven't had the motivation to write either chapter. The worst of it is over, so I should be able to get back to writing them again. Thank you all for your continued support.

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

Sometime after Alamissa Urben…

"—You would do well not to speak out of line." A mysterious woman shot back at the group of four, who were all rubbing their aching heads wearily as Reina and Huey looked around the nearby area. She had long brown hair and wore what looked like a set of homemade leather armor over her outfit, an Aegislash strapped to her back that she most likely used as her weapon of choice.

"W-Where are we, Ren? Weren't we in that wrecked city?" Reina inquired.

"I'm…I'm not actually sure. There was this bright light and then…" The confused teen began, at a loss for words on what had happened to them.

"Call this a hunch, but I believe we traveled back in—" Julius began, only for the mysterious woman before them to clear her throat audibly, demanding complete silence from them.

"Cease your talking at once! State your name, and your business here in Aevium." The older woman demanded, shooting a glare at the group of four.

"Jeez, you want my Social Security and my credit card info as well? I gotta keep some secrets." The raven-haired girl chimed in, only for the woman to bring out her Aegislash and point it at the younger girl, causing a quiet 'eep' to escape from her mouth.

"Speak out of line one more time, and I shall cut off your head!" The woman threatened, completely fed up with the nonsense she was given so far.

"Hey, hey. There's no need to be so violent…we're just as confused as you are. Do you happen to know where we are? We were just in Alamissa Urben?" Ren attempted to defuse the situation, hopefully to gain a bit of insight as to where they were.

"Alamissa Urben? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about…" The older woman replied, soon getting back to the topic at hand. "But I'M the one asking questions around here!"

"Hazuki? What's going on?" A somewhat familiar voice called out to the swordswoman, the latter turning around to see…Anju walking up to the group? 'This was our chance to explain ourselves!' Julius thought; hoping that Anju would remember him and explain to her friend that he and the rest meant no ill will towards them. It was funny thought, he was placing all his hopes into the same woman that left a permanent, lingering trauma within him, Melia and most likely Venam as well. At the very least, his hunch about the group travelling back in time was proved correct.

"L-Lady Anju, please excuse me. I was just taking care of the anomaly I mentioned earlier." The now named Hazuki explained to her.

"You mean the ones that fell from the sky?" Anju replied, taking a closer look at the group as a look of interest appeared on her face. "Ah, do my eyes deceive me? Is that you, Julius?"

"Y-Yeah, it is. Do you mind telling your friend to stand down? We mean no harm to her or anyone else, honest." The young teen requested, attracting the attention of his friends.

"Y-You know these people?" Huey inquired, slowly turning to face his friend.

"It's a bit of a long story but yes, I have met Anju before. I helped her out with a few…important tasks shall we say." Julius replied, with Hazuki eyeing him up suspiciously before turning back to the blue-haired woman.

"You mean to tell me that you know this young man, Lady Anju?" Hazuki inquired.

"Indeed, I do know this young man, though I can't say I recognize his friends. But if they're anything like the other three, then I can safely say that we can trust them." Anju replied, the black-haired woman shooting another glance at the group of four before sheathing her Aegislash.

"Please pardon my transgression…I did not know you were friends with Lady Anju." She apologized to the group, turning back to face her friend. "I am not fit to be your protector. With the order, I shall take my own life."

"W-Wait! There's no need to do something like that." Huey called out, hoping to avoid some unnecessary bloodshed.

"Agreed, there's no need to be so formal, Hazuki. You're a Protector of Aevium, just like myself. You don't have to protect me." The blue-haired woman agreed, a stunned expression soon forming on her friends' face.

"…I understand." Hazuki replied, unable to form a convincing rebuttal before making her way back to Anju's side.

"Now that we've fixed that problem, may I ask you what you're doing here, Julius? I thought you returned to your own time?" Anju inquired, causing more confusion amongst the young teen's friends.

"Returned to your own time? What exactly is she talking about, mate?" Ren inquired, with Julius taking a deep breath as he began to explain the situation to them.

"Long story short, we're 30 years in the past. This isn't my first time that I traveled to the past, hence why Anju knew who I was. I don't know why that mysterious stranger took us here, but I'm sure that going back to our own time won't be so easy." He informed them, shocked expressions soon forming on their faces.

"Y-You can't be serious; we traveled through time?!" The raven-haired teen exclaimed.

"Would I lie to you? To any of you?" Julius replied, the group of three turning to each other and whispered among themselves before arriving at the conclusion that he was indeed, speaking the truth.

"W-Woah…this feels like some sort of weird fever dream." Huey commented, his mind running ablaze at all the wild possibilities laid out before him.

"This is no dream, this is really happening. It's all thanks to that smooth-talking dude on the hoverboard; he took us here before promptly dumping us. Couldn't he drop us off at a town at the very least?" Reina exclaimed in slight frustration, having recovered from when her life was on the line.

"Oh dear, this sounds very troublesome. From what I can understand, you four didn't come here on your own volition. A troubling problem indeed; I would take you back to Kugearen City, but—" Anju began, only for a quick tremor to rock the surrounding area, subsiding as suddenly as it began.

"E-Earthquakes? Have they been a common occurrence frequently?" Julius inquired, the older woman nodding firmly at him.

"I'm afraid so; things haven't been going so well here." She replied.

"It began with small weather abnormalities, but now it's turned into periodic tremors. Some of them have been so strong that the ground has opened up. I was escorting Lady Anju to Hiyoshi City, but we were interrupted by a large magnitude and a great white flash. When we came around, a rockslide from Mount Valor blocked off the way back to Kugearen City." Hazuki chimed in, giving a brief synopsis on what had happened before the group's sudden arrival. "Which means that we have no choice but to press on into Hiyoshi City."

"I-If it's any trouble, do you mind if we came with you to Hiyoshi City? As you can see, we're in a bit of a sticky situation here." Reina requested.

"Not at all!" Anju smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, there's someone in Hiyoshi who could help you get back to your own time."

"L-Lady Anju, you don't mean…" Hazuki began, a look of surprise etched on her face.

"Yes, we shall bring them back to Lady Nymiera." The blue-haired woman stated. "if anyone would know what to do, it would be her. Come now, everyone. Hiyoshi City isn't far from here. Let us go, Hazuki."

"Of course, Lady Anju. Let me lead the way." The black-haired woman offered, the two older women quietly making their way down the path with the four teens watching them go.

"S-So are we just gonna follow them?" Huey asked the others.

"Well what else are we gonna do? Stay here and fall victim to whatever could be lurking in this part of Aevium?" Reina retorted.

"Well Julius knows and trusts them, and they seem like nice people, so I say we put our faith in them and follow them to town. At the very least, we should be able to get something to eat." Ren chimed in.

"Nice people? That woman with a sword threatened to kill me!" The raven-haired girl shot back at him.

"She was just doing her job. Besides, you were the one who tried to be smart to someone holding a weapon." The redhead countered her argument.

"I'll give you that, it wasn't one of my brightest ideas…" Reina conceded, chuckling a little hesitantly. "Well if we're gonna follow them, we should get going now. Last thing we want to do is to lose sight of them."

"I'll lead the way; don't wander off to far, alright?" Ren called out, the raven-haired teen walking down the dirt path with the other three following right behind him.

Hiyoshi City

The group of four were in awe at the sight before them; walking through the entrance to the vast city and gazed at the splendor before them. The large city was populated by dozens of tall skyscrapers, alongside a wide variety of stores, apartments and houses. This must've been the crown jewel of Aevium, at least before the events of the upcoming years that would see the honor going to Grand Dream City.

"Amazed, are you? This is Hiyoshi City. Capital of the Aevium Region." Anju informed the amazed teens following behind her.

"Amazing is an understatement; this place could even rival Grand Dream City in terms of beauty." Huey gushed in awe, as a third voice called out to the older woman.

"Anju, Hazuki, you're back. Welcome to Hiyoshi City!" A familiar voice called out, the two older women turning to see Kanon approach them as how bowed politely to them. "I am at your service?"

"K-Kanon?" Julius exclaimed, confused at his sudden appearance. Did he happen to touch the Timesplicer Stone back at the Rose Theatre? Was he sent here by Alexandra or Krystal or whatever she was calling herself now? Is this all part of that secret training to unlock his special power or something?

"H-Hey, Kanon! It's so good to see you again!" The redhead cheered, eagerly making his way to the white-haired youth of a handshake, only for the latter to gaze at him oddly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else." Kanon replied. "I'm most certain we have not met before, as I never forget a face."

"Huh? What are you talkin' about, dude? It's me, Huey!" Huey insisted, hoping that this was all some sort of joke, but the unwavering expression on the latter's face told him that it was the truth.

"I'm not sure who you've met in your time, Huey, but Kanon here is Nymiera's assistant." Anju told the young boy.

"Considering how the Kanon in this time looks a lot like the Kanon in our time, it could all be a simple misunderstanding." Ren commented, causing Kanon to raise an eyebrow at the last comment.

"You mean to say that Huey's misunderstanding is due to an encounter you had with me in the future?" The white-haired boy replied. "I suppose that's not entirely out of the question, due to certain circumstances…but this is not the place to discuss such things. Hazuki, if you will, escort these guests to Nymiera's quarters at once."

"As you wish, Kanon." Hazuki agreed, with Kanon bowing in gratitude before making his way back into the city.

"S-So that wasn't the Kanon I know in my time…?" Huey commented quietly, his glance shifting down to his shoes.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Huey. I'm sure Nymiera would have a satisfactory answer for you when we meet her. Hazuki, please lead the way." Anju consoled him, turning to face the black-haired woman. Giving her a quick nod of confirmation, she gestured the group to follow her into the city, with everyone except Julius following right behind her.

"Wonder what the past will have in store for me this time. I just hope Spacea and Tiempa don't pull any stupid stunts like they did before." The young teen mused to himself, before opting to follow the others. But as he was making his way through the city, he happened to see something that intrigued him; a small stall that was selling jewelry. Perhaps he should buy something for Venam; sort of like a gift to celebrate her revival when the time comes. But it would be wrong to not get something for Melia as well, so he figured he'd buy something for her as well. Settling for a pair of rings, he purchased them before tucking them away in his bag, the vendor thanking him for his business as the young teen quickly made his way back to the group.

0000

"We're here." Hazuki called out to him, the duo stepping inside the apartment complex only to see Huey petting his Flareon affectionately.

"Who's a good little Flareon? You are! Yes you are! Yes you are…" He chimed happily, his Flareon nuzzling him affectionately.

"Heh, you're such a dork, you know that? In the best way, though." Reina giggled lightly.

"It's good to see a trainer showing their love of Pokémon; I never get tired of such a sight." Anju smiled, turning to face the others. "As you can see, Nymiera's house is kept for reasons that are confidential. Hazuki, if you would."

"As you wish." Hazuki replied, making her way to the back wall and shifted the thermostat to the left, revealing a small red button. Pressing on the button, a portion of the wall moved back and to the side, revealing a hidden entrance. Gesturing the others to follow her through, the group of six made their way through the entrance, which soon closed behind them. From there, it was a short trek alongside the outskirts of the city, beside a river that flowed into the open sea and towards a small building tucked behind a few apartments. Opening the door, Hazuki gestured the group to follow her inside, the group of six entering the house only to be taken aback by what they were seeing.

The house itself was full of various art projects, ranging from statues to paintings to drawings and all sorts of artwork, all of them radiating an aura of high quality. However, there didn't seem to be anyone around.

"So…is Nymiera here?" Ren inquired, taking a quick look around the place.

"She should be…mind fetching her for us, Hazuki?" Anju requested.

"That won't me necessary, Lady Anju. It seems she's on her way now." The black-haired woman replied, the group turning to see a third woman approaching them, with Julius taking a closer look at her since she looked…familiar. It soon dawned on him; she was the woman depicted in that painting back in the alternate timeline. Their features were the same; her long brown hair, her dark-brown tone of skin, and even her above average height was the same. The only difference was that instead of a reddish pink robe, she was wearing what looked to be light purple overalls with a white shirt underneath, a matching purple beret on her head.

"Ah, company! Welcome, welcome!" Nymiera greeted her guests enthusiastically, giving them all a firm handshake.

"It's so good to see you again!" The blue-haired woman smiled at her friend.

"My task has been completed; Lady Anju has been safely escorted from Kugearen to Hiyoshi." Hazuki bowed in respect.

"Thank you so much, Hazuki. You may go see your date now." Nymiera replied, shooting a small smirk in her direction as the stoic swordswoman became flustered all of a sudden.

"I-It's not a date! I am…simply seeing someone…I…" She stammered.

*giggle* "You'll be late if you keep trying to clarify." The tall woman told her, with Hazuki giving her a quick nod before promptly making her way out of the secluded house. "Now, what can I do for you, my precious guests?"

"So, you're Nymiera, huh…" Ren inquired, shooting an odd gaze at her. Perhaps she was a lot more boisterous than he had initially expected.

"Yes, that would be me! Did you want to say something?" She smiled back at him.

"I gotta say, your apartment is pretty interesting, what with all the art projects and whatnot." The raven-haired teen replied.

"Thank you. Sorry it's a mess; I'm just a messy person by nature. Unfortunately, I can't clean up right now; as an artist with barely any money to her name, I have projects I have to start and never finish." Nymiera rambled, glancing at all the half-finished art projects scattered all over the house.

"Perhaps that's why you're facing some financial difficulties; it's not in my place to suggest it, but perhaps you should consider finishing off your older projects before making something new?" Julius suggested.

"Good point, good point. However, when I'm working on something, I can't help but think about other projects I could be doing. So I put the current one on hold and go for the newest one I thought up of. And as you can see, I have those type of thoughts all the time…" The brown-haired woman answered.

"You can say that again." Reina commented quickly, glancing at the unfinished projects.

"So what type of art do you do in particular? Paint? Sculpt?" Huey inquired.

"I do all types of art; nothing is off limit for me. Being an artist is my main occupation, but I'm more of a self-imposed vagabond. This is my primary place of residence, but it wouldn't be unheard of to catch me in say…Hoenn, and Johto, and Sinnoh, that's my favorite region." Nymiera answered, a sigh of content escaping from her mouth. "Ahh…visiting ruins and seeing old culture makes me happy. It makes me feel…nostalgic. Not to mention that they're a great source of inspiration for my artwork."

"Anyway, the four of us are in a bit of a predicament. A problem that expands across time, I guess. We were thrown into this time without any way of returning. You wouldn't happen to know a way back, would you?" Ren requested, informing her of the group's plea as she turned to face them.

"You…You were forcibly thrown into this time?" The brown-haired woman inquired, gazing at them oddly. "If something like that were to happen, it's because time itself requires you to be here. That's just the way it goes."

'As I expected, we're here for some reason. Though what it is exactly, I have no clue.' Julius thought to himself, recalling the events that had sent the group here. Just who was that guy on the hoverboard? Was he a part of Team Xen? The Storm Chasers? Or some mysterious third party that wanted them here for some reason?

"So…you're saying that you're not gonna help us?" The raven-haired girl called out.

"It's not that I won't help you, but if you all continue your lives here, eventually a way back will be presented to you. Do you understand?" Nymiera replied to her inquiry.

"So it's a matter of patience then? I gotta admit, I was hoping for a more satisfactory answer." Huey chimed in.

"Yeah, I'll admit as well that it wasn't the answer I was looking for…" Ren added, an idea soon forming in Nymiera's mind.

"I know, I'll get more intensive help for you four. Kanon, could you please come here for a moment?" She called out, facing an empty spot on the floor beside her, only for the white-haired teen to appear out of nowhere, catching the group of four off-guard.

"Woah, how did you just appear out of nowhere like that? That was so cool!" The redhead gushed in awe.

"Master Nymiera summoned me. That's all there is to it." Kanon answered casually, before turning to face his master. "What can I do for you, today?"

"M-Master? What's going on between you two…?" Reina inquired, a little uneasy over what she was seeing.

"I am Nymiera's humble servant. My sole purpose in life is to serve her. After all, that's why I was born." The white-haired teen replied calmly.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. You were born to be someone's servant? That's pretty harsh to be honest…" Julius exclaimed, surprised at what he was hearing.

"No matter how many times I tell him that he doesn't have to serve me, he simply won't listen." Nymiera chimed in, hoping to clear up any issues surrounding the relationship between the two.

"But that is why I was crated in the first place. All I know is to serve." Kanon rebutted, a small sigh escaping from the brown-haired woman's mouth.

"I guess an explanation is required here. Technically speaking, Kanon isn't a human being. He—" She began.

"I was a being created by a Garufan spell. I am what you would call a maid, however I'm sort of a special case. I was created with a personality in mind, and therefore, I didn't come out the way I was supposed to. This is not something that happens very often. It's a rare occurrence." The white-haired teen explained, the group of four left speechless over what they were hearing. "I figured an explanation of my origin would render you all speechless. Which reminds me; these four claim to know me from the time they're from. Does that mean anything to you?"

"…It's nothing we should try and wrap our heads around now as for why I called you here—" Nymiera began once more.

"You would like me to find a way to send these people back to their timeline, correct?" Kanon answered.

"Hahaha! You're always one step ahead of me, Kanon. That's exactly it." She chuckled.

"In that case, I shall search for an alternate passage through time. Though I must say, this task is definitely on the more difficult side. I'll ask that you forgive me in advance, for it will take some time to accomplish." He pledged, apologizing in advance to the group of four.

"No need to apologize, we greatly appreciate you doing this for us." Ren replied, with Kanon bowing in respect before promptly warping out of the room.

"Like he said, it'll take some time before anything turns up. In the meantime, you four are all welcome to rest here until that time comes." Nymiera offered to the group.

"Ohmigosh, thank you so much! My feet are killing me…" Reina sighed in relief.

"Well I'm not one to knock back someone's kind offer, I thank you very much for your generosity." Julius replied, with Ren shooting him a look of slight confusion.

"Nymiera, there's something I wish to speak to you about." Anju spoke quietly to her friend's ear.

"It's about Vivian, isn't it?" The brown-haired woman replied, with her friend nodding quietly in response. "I…I already know. I don't wish to speak about it at this time."

"Understood. In that case, I'll be taking a stroll through the city." The blue-haired woman stated, quietly making her way out of the small house. From there, the group of four went their own separate directions, with Julius taking a seat to mull over a few things. There have been several new revelations that have surprised him these last few days, but none more so than the fact that Kanon wasn't an actual human being, but a homunculus created by some Garufan spell. Does that mean that the Kanon that he knows was the same, rendering all his prior knowledge of him null and void? Just how would Melia take the news that one of the very few people who supported her during her first trip into the past was nothing more than a "maid" created to serve their master? His train of thought was soon interrupted by someone taking a seat beside him.

"Hey." Ren greeted, with the young teen greeting him back. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I was just thinking about a few things. Why'd you ask?" Julius replied.

"I've noticed something odd about you back then; you were willing to accept Nymiera's offer to rest here. This isn't like you at all; I still remember when you freaked out over the idea of Melia paying for your admission in the Magnolia Library, back before all this happened." The raven-haired teen replied. "Have you had a change of heart while we were…separated?"

"I…" The young teen began, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves. "You're right, I did have a change of heart. It was thanks to Melia that I'm no longer wallowing in a pool of self-pity and loathing. I learnt that there's nothing wrong with taking someone up on their kind offer, as long as you don't exploit it or take it for granted."

"I see." Ren replied, mulling over how he could apologize to Melia for his betrayal, before opting to change the topic. "I saw something interesting while everyone was talking. Wanna take a look?"

"Alright then, lead the way." Julius agreed, the duo hopping off their seats as Ren escorted him to one of the southern rooms in the house. Upon arriving there, the raven-haired teen gestured his friend to look at the paining on the wall, which depicted a 'cross' with four different colored arms, consisting of deep blue, red, purple and green. Additionally, there was what looked like a white square resting on its corner, with one of the arms coming out from each side. "It looks great, but what is this, exactly?"

"I believe it's meant to symbolize the four keys of the Reborn Region. You've heard of it, have you?" Ren inquired.

"Bits and pieces of it. Supposedly, it's this region that was flourishing at one point, but a series of unfortunate disaster caused the region to fall to ruin. Following the disasters, a woman named Ame made a vow to restore the region to it's former glory and is working alongside a crew of hand-picked trainers to form a functioning league. From what I've heard, it's supposedly on the same level of difficulty, if not, harder than the Aevium league." Julius answered, turning to face the painting once more. "As much as I would want to visit the region and take on its league, I might kick up my legs and take a nice vacation once I'm done with the league here. It was a lot harder than I expected, on account of all the interruptions in my path."

"A fair call. Personally, I'm hoping to visit the region and take on its league as well. The only trouble is, you'll have to start over from scratch in terms of items and Pokémon. Maybe you'll get away with it if the Reborn region is interested in introducing Pokémon from Tandor, like Professor Jenner was when you came here." The raven-haired teen commented. "By the way, I say Huey gazing in awe at a set of paintings in the back room. Perhaps you might want to check up on him."

"I'll go do that. If you need me, you know where I'll be." The young teen replied, leaving Ren to himself as he made his way to the back room. In there, he saw Huey gazing at a set of paintings, an intrigued look on his face. "Ah, Huey. How are things going?"

"I'm fine, thank you very much. I'm busy staring at these pictures; what do you make of them?" Huey replied, asking Julius for his two cents.

"From the look of things, they're meant to tell a story. Perhaps if we asked Nymiera—" Julius began.

"Did somebody say my name?" Nymeria inquired, causing the duo to jump on the spot as she approached them. "Sorry about that, but I see you've taken an interest in them. Would you like me to tell you the story behind them? I warn you, it's a bit of a long one."

"By all means, go ahead. I'm really curious." The redhead chimed in, the trio taking a seat to get themselves comfortable.

"Truth be told, I'm not all that fond of it as it isn't a happy story, but since it's history it needs to be told." The brown-haired woman began, gesturing the duo to look at the painting that depicted some almighty deity hovering over the mountainside, illuminated by the sunset. "This is the tale of how this world came to be, how good and evil began. It all started when a deity descended unto the earth at the beginning of time. the being was so powerful and great, light itself would bend at its presence. It was a kind and benevolent spirit though, but very lonely. It wished for companions to love. Creatures that would flourish under its light. Because it demanded it, a woman and a man were born into the world. The deity thought of them as its own children, bestowing them the gift of intelligence and free will."

She then turned to the second painting, which showed the woman and the man frolicking in a lush green landscape, the deity watching with pride as a mysterious light emanated from its body. "Both decided to dedicate their lives to worshiping and praising their creator. Everyone loved one another; the man and the woman married and lived their lives under the powerful deity's protection. Life was a paradise. Together, the two of them would build a family and lead the way for the rest of humanity to prosper."

She then turned to the third painting, which was a more detailed portrait of the deity, its body covered in darkness so as to mask its true identity. "After the deity created humanity, it wished to bring new life. Life which would stand equally to humans. Hand in hand."

Gesturing the duo to gaze at the fourth painting, which showed the deity floating above several species of Pokémon in the same lush landscape as before, only it was at nighttime. "Using its powerful light, it created new beings, all in a variety of shapes, sizes and color. They were perfect. The deity named them Pokémon. Pokémon had wondrous abilities. some could shoot fire. Some could control things with their mind. Some could generate water. Some could even create imaginary worlds and illusions."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed what looked to be the humans interacting with the Pokémon. "The deity's creation soon flooded their gates. From the north, the west, the south and the east…all were welcome. All were precious beings that were given life. That's how the woman saw them. But the man…he thought differently. He thought that humans were superior to Pokémon, questioned why it was them and not the humans who could wield such power. He was jealous and angry at the deity for supposedly putting humans below the Pokémon, but the deity wouldn't succumb to the man's anger. They proclaimed that Pokémon and humans were one and the same, equal beings that roamed the earth in unity. Rejecting this notion, the man left the woman and the deity, forever. The woman tried to persuade the man to stay, but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't allow his former God to ruin what he thought he had."

Nymiera soon turned to face the next painting, which depicted a meteor crashing into the deity, splitting it into three smaller deities. "Not long after, tragedy struck. Out of nowhere, a meteor struck the deity, splitting the being into three. The meteor dragged one fragment far away. The second fragment was mortally wounded, and could not hold its form for long, eventually disintegrating and fell apart. As for the final one…the last fragment took a new name; it is what we know today as Arceus."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed the humans and the Pokémon praying before what looked to be a pyramid radiating a golden light. "Although it survived the impact, it was greatly weakened. Arceus agonized over the thought of future dangers that may befall its children. Therefore, Arceus made a decision. It told the woman that it cannot stay the way it is for much longer, granting her a final gift. It gave her an object that will act as a conduit between life and its power. An object that will bend the world to its owner's bidding. She was told to take it and store it away, at least until it reawakened. Leaving the world in the hands of its beloved children, Arceus formed itself into an object called the Archetype. It was the embodiment of Arceus' love. A physical manifestation. Both the man and the woman knew that if its existence was found out, it would only create chaos. They both took The Archetype and sealed it away, vowing not to use it for their selfish desires. And it rested peacefully, awaiting the day that Arceus would return to its people once again."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed humans and Pokémon engaging in bloody combat with each other. "Though the two created their pact, it was broken soon after. The man grew lustful for The Archetype's power, still enraged over his former God's "favoritism" towards Pokémon. He stormed the woman's castle, demanding that she surrendered to him. She refused and locked in combat with the man, thus beginning the first Pokémon war. When other regions found out about The Archetype, they joined as well. One war became two, two became four, four became eight…before long, the entire world had become nothing but a cesspool of pain and suffering. The woman, now a queen and her son, a loyal knight, fought for the safety of all beings. All who entered the castle fell to the knight's hand. But even then, the effect of war pressed down deeply on the woman's heart. Countless lives lost for nothing more than lust for power. The war was at a standstill, at this rate, the entirety of the world would soon be nothing. Tired and determined, the woman took matters into her own hands. She decided that she had enough."

Turning to the last painting, which depicted the woman praying before The Archetype as she held it in her hands, while her son was fending off the enemy army, including his own father, Nymiera concluded the ancient tale. "The woman made her way to her castle with the past behind her. She could no longer look back. The deaths of her family and friends pushed her forward. Her resolve was all that she needed to make the final move. She took The Archetype and gave her wish, wanting this bloody way to come to an end. Her wish echoed through the sky and finally, The Archetype responded with an empty glow. It did something she had not expected; it made the humans more intelligent, and stronger than before. Humanity soon began to overwhelm the Pokémon, pushing the woman and her son into their castle. Her son fought valiantly but succumbed to his wounds and fell in battle. The man presented his sword to her in a gesture of mockery, the woman having given up. Her God had betrayed her, her husband turned on her, her only child was killed in battle. As she surrendered, a bright flash of light enveloped the sky; a man named AZ from the far-off region of Kalos fired off the Ultimate Weapon, hoping to destroy all sides of the war, and it worked. The blast was so strong that it pierced the sky and flew into space, rebounding and made its way back to earth. In the light of that confusion, the woman pulled back her bow and fired one final arrow. And the blast from the Ultimate Weapon ended it all."

"Wow…that was the most amazing story I've ever heard!" Huey exclaimed in awe, sitting on the literal edge of his seat.

"I agree; it is rather fascinating." Julius chimed in, mulling over a few details of this story, namely The Archetype itself. If it really was as powerful as the story said it was, then there were several things he could do with it. he could defeat Team Xen once and for all, cure Venam of her petrification, and could bring life back to the Badlands for the sake of appeasing the people there. However, as nice as those things were, it would be awfully easy for him to get consumed by its power and wage war, making him no better than the man in that story.

"That story you were talking about…would it happen to be the Great Pokémon War?" A fourth voice called out, the trio turning to see Reina standing by the doorway, having heard the entire thing.

"Correct. I'm very impressed with your knowledge, Reina." Nymiera offered her a compliment. "Although the first Pokémon war was mentioned, I never mentioned the overall event it grew into."

"I assume you painted these portraits, as a means of showing the events of that story?" The redhead head inquired.

"Yep; one lonely afternoon turned into a bunch of paintings. It happens a lot around here—" The older woman began, only for her trusted assistant to appear beside her once more, catching Huey off-guard. "Ah, Kanon. Have you found anything yet?"

"Forgive me for my incompetence, but I was unable to complete my mission due to interference. A rather embarrassing ordeal, but a certain individual seems certainly fond of me. At every turn, they were there to stop me in my tracks. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to defend myself, hence why I had no choice but to retreat." He apologized, with Nymiera raising a hand to her chin.

"This is troubling news…I can't have you stalked by some creep without any form of protection." She replied, an idea forming in her mind as she gifted the white-haired teen a Pokéball. "Please take this Salamence. He is my dear friend and will protect you."

"T-There's no way!' Julius thought to himself, watching Kanon gratefully accept the Pokéball. The Kanon he knew had a Salamence but lost it in an attempt to thwart one of Gardevoir's plans a long time ago. Was this the decisive proof needed to confirm what he had been thinking; that this Kanon and the one he knew were the same?

"I am honored, Lady Nymiera. I will guard this beast with my life." Kanon pledged, bowing in respect to her. "In that case, I shall be off once more."

"Wait Kanon!" Ren called out, having just arrived on scene and heard what the latter had said. "Before you go, do you mind telling us about this shady person?"

"Yeah, perhaps we can help in someway if we knew who we're going up against." Reina chimed in.

"That is a logical line of thinking. Very well, I'll tell you; the stalker was very…peculiar. He had technology I've never seen before. It looked like he was levitating on some piece of metal resembling a skateboard." The white-haired teen conceded, informing the group on his mysterious stalker as looks of concern grew on their faces.

"Looks like the man who sent us here has no intention of letting us leave. But why he wants us to stay here is unknown; perhaps he wants us to do something in the past." Julius mused to himself.

"A likely answer, but we have no idea who he's working for, or what he wants us to do." The raven-haired teen replied, turning to look at Kanon once more. "Where was the last place you saw this person?"

"I believe it was on Route 5, but I doubt they're still there." He answered. "They've been tailing me for a while and I'm certain they've relocated. As a matter of fact, I have an idea I'd like to present. I could act as bait, enabling the rest of us to conduct our business unscathed. Out of all the options possible, this one has the highest chance of success."

"I don't really like the idea of using you as bait, but if you think it's effective…" Nymiera began, promptly making up her mind afterwards. "Please do so but be careful."

"As you wish. I shall be waiting at the central square." Kanon replied, promptly warping out of the room.

"Alright, everyone! It's about time we caught this bastard and get some answers from him." Ren called out, gesturing the other teens to follow him out of the house, with Nymiera staying behind to keep the house safe from intruders. However, she managed to call out to Julius before he left, causing him to stop as she made her way to him.

"Adrest…is that you?" She inquired, looking at him oddly.

"H-Huh?" The young teen replied, confused at what he just heard. She knew his name was Julius and had even referred to him as such. So why was she calling him a different name when she had the opportunity to do so earlier? "Y-You must have me mistaken."

"No, it is you Adrest. You remember me, don't you?" Nymiera called out to him.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about. I really need to catch up with the others." Julius replied, quickly exiting the house as the older woman was left speechless by what had just happened.

"What was all that about…?" He mused to himself, a loss at words as to what had just happened. Why now? Why did she call him by a different name, acting as if they had met before? Who was this Adrest person she was talking about? Just when he thought that he'd be free of the enigmatic questions, some more were soon dumped onto his plate. But they could be dealt with another time, right now he had an important task to complete. Quietly making his way through the secret entrance and out the apartment, he soon joined up with his friends in the central square, a few of them shooting odd looks at him.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Ren inquired.

"My bad, I had…dropped something and had to search the nearby bush for it." The young teen bluffed, not completely ready to tell the others about that strange conversation he had with Nymiera.

"Well it's not like you missed much; that guy has yet to show himself." The raven-haired teen replied.

"Indeed, almost as if he had lost interest in stalking me." Kanon suggested, a small sigh of annoyance escaping from Ren's mouth.

"That's annoying…I was looking forward to kicking his ass." He sighed.

"Is there anywhere else we can search for him?" Reina inquired, with Kanon mulling over a few ideas.

"Well the main part of the city is blocked off due to the festival preparations. But there is a shuttle that takes you to the northernmost part of the area, that being Hiyoshi Pass. One of us could check that area out." He proposed.

"How about Julius? I'm more than confident that he could stand up to that loser!" Huey chimed in.

"Works for me. After all, he's managed to build himself an impressive reputation thought his life." Ren agreed, turning to face his friend. "Are you fine with this idea?"

"I'm fine with it, that guy doesn't stand a chance against me. But in the off-chance that I don't comeback within say…half-an-hour, would you come check up on me? Better to be safe than sorry, I say." Julius requested.

"Not a problem at all." The raven-haired teen accepted the request.

"Then it's settled. Julius will investigate Hiyoshi Pass while the rest of us will investigate the city. Agreed?" Kanon went over the plan, with everyone agreeing in unison.

"Good luck, Julius! Make sure you scream really loud if you find our guy!" Reina called out.

"Not before you punch him in the gut! Actually, make it two, just for me!" Huey chimed in. Giving the duo a nod of confirmation, the young teen picked up his bag and made the trek north of the city and towards the shuttle to Hiyoshi Pass.

0000

Hazuki had been waiting patiently at the bench in the small park for her special guest, having spent the last 20 or so minutes on her own. But her patience was soon rewarded when she heard someone approaching her bench.

"Hazuki, my darling. I'm finally ready!" A voice called out, the brown-haired woman turning to see a tall man with short black hair, his eyes covered by a pair of tinted sunglasses. His outfit was a lavish five-piece suit, the sort that only those with a lot of money could buy.

"Th-Thomas!" Hazuki called out in joy, watching her boyfriend making his way to her. "I-I thought you were going to abandon me."

"Why would I abandon you? A Blakeory never falls back on their word." Thomas smiled at her, though its sincerity should be questioned.

"I know, it's just that I'm so caught up in protecting others that I forget that…I don't know, I'm an idiot." The brown-haired woman replied, mentally kicking herself for doubting him.

"No, you're not. You're my sparkling water, sunshine. You're always off doing your duties protecting people, but who will protect you? That person's going to be me, understand? I'll be there for you, my flower." The rich man lavished her with compliments, winning her over easily.

"Y-You'll protect me? No one's ever said that to me before." Hazuki inquired, a warm smile forming on her face. "Thank you for your words, Thomas. They brighten up my day. but I must go now, I have duties to attend to."

"Leaving already? That's a shame. I get it though, you're a hardworking woman. Lemme at least give you a little kiss before you go." Thomas said, leaning over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek and petted her on the shoulder, as a fierce blush soon formed on her face.

"I-I love you, Thomas! Goodbye my love!" Hazuki smiled, the duo waving each other farewell as she left the park. Once she was gone however, the smile dropped off of Thomas' face as he began retching on the spot.

"Blegh! I can't believe I actually did that…" He grimaced, wiping his lips before calling out to a nearby tree. "She's gone now, you can come out of hiding."

Right on cue, a pair of ominous figures appeared out of nowhere, that being Indriad and Gardevoir, a sinister smirk on the latter's face. "Did you put the tracker on her like I instructed?" Gardevoir asked in her usually twisted tone of voice.

"Yeah, yeah. like I said before, a Blakeory never falls back on his word. It was so damn easy; girls like her are too easy. You just tell them what they want to hear and they're yours." Thomas answered casually, turning to face them. "But what about you? Did you do your part?"

"Of course. Your father, Mr. Blakeory is no more. The Blakeory fortune and company is now in your hands, Thomas." Indriad replied, a smirk forming on Thomas' face. "Just to make sure we're clear. If I see you again, I will kill you."

"You told me that last time, I got it." The young man replied rudely.

"Good, not let's go M—" Gardevoir began, only to realize that Indriad had already teleported away from the area. "Yes…well we won't be seeing each other again, Mr. Blakeory. Ta-Ta!"

Watching Gardevoir disappear as soon as she left, Thomas began mulling over his actions to himself. "I feel bad for deceiving such a pretty face, but hey. I may end up marrying her and merging her fortune with mine. Only one thing left to do…" He mused to himself, quietly making his way out of the small park.

That's it for this chapter, everyone. I hope you liked it. Regarding the idea of Julius taking on the Reborn League, I don't think it's gonna happen. Don't get me wrong, I do plan on writing a story about Reborn, but it will most likely feature a different character as the main protagonist. Now the next part will delve into the portion where you get to play as Ren, so that'll be something to look forward to. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.