Yagami Kuzuki: I apologize if you aren't keen on my idea regarding the Reborn fic I plan on writing. I understand that you want to see Julius take on the Reborn Region, but it wouldn't feel right to have him take the spotlight all the time.

Welcome to the next installment of Rise from the Ashes. When we last left off, Julius and his friends were dumped into the past once more and met up with Nymiera and her friends. Now we'll be starting off with Julius' investigation of Hiyoshi Pass, searching for the one who had sent them into the past.

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

Hiyoshi Pass

Having arrived at the pass, Julius promptly hopped off the shuttle, giving his thanks to the driver before walking off to the east in search for the mystery man who sent him and his friends here. The pass was a lot quieter than the city, ideal for those who preferred the tranquility of nature to the hustle and bustle of the city. Turning momentarily to the west, he saw the massive Rejuvenation building looming over the area, where Katsu and her employees were most likely working on their project to restore the Meira Region to its former glory. Who knows, maybe he could get some further answers about the Meira region once he was done with his current task. Turning back to the task at hand, the young teen continued down the path in search for his target when he was suddenly struck by a dull pain in his head, a few words echoing in his mind.

'I love you all…I love you all…Please…Don't…Don't…'

"What the…?" He commented, looking around him for the source of the voice, only to find nothing. The voice wasn't one that he recognized, so he had no idea who said that to him, or why. Staggering to the side, the young teen soon fell to the ground and saw a small tombstone on its own, dedicated to someone called Ana. Ana…that name felt…familiar somehow; he had no idea where, but it was as if he had heard that name before. Getting back up and dusted himself off, Julius opted to put the tombstone aside and make his way back to the path, hoping that it led to something of value. And it did, sort of; there was a large mansion at the end of the path, an empty swimming pool at the front alongside a set of picnic benches. Quietly making his way up the stairs, he started to approach the mansion when he was soon struck by another headache, this one more intense than the last one.

'We were supposed to be friends for life. F…..ri…..e….n…d….s….f….o….r…We promised….We promised….We promised….All of us….All of us…..All of us…' The same mysterious voice as before echoed out in his mind, the young teen clutching his throbbing head as he staggered back and turned to the pool. 'Everyone! Let's go for a swim! We can stay in all night if we wanna!"

"W-Who are you…?" Julius asked weakly, falling onto one knee as the unrelenting voice continued to assault his mind.

'Kee….p….it….to….g….e….th…..e….r….WE HAVE TO KEEP IT TOGETHER!' The voice screamed to him, an ethereal, faceless ghost soon appearing in his mind.

'I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" A voice sniffled, thought whether or not it came from the ghost could be determined.

'It's okay, don't cry…I'm here, just like I promised.' A face of content soon formed on the ghost's face as those words were spoken. 'Please, don't cry…'

'I'm sorry, it was just too painful.' The second voice whimpered quietly.

'I understand, but we have to keep it together…if not, we'll fall apart; we need each other.' The ghost consoled their friend.

'A-Are they here too?' The second voice inquired, a small smile forming on the ghost's face.

'Yes, they're listening as well.' They replied.

'What…What do you think of them?' The voice inquired once more, an uncertain expression soon forming on the ghost's face.

'I don't know…I don't know what their intentions are.' They answered back quickly.

'I see…' Was all the second voice could say, only for the ghost to begin wincing.

'I'm so sorry…I can't…I can't go on…' They called out, no doubt having pushed the limit on how long they could appear for.

'Wait, please!' The second voice called out desperately, watching their friend disappear into the light as yet another blinding headache struck Julius, the pain too much for him to bear as he promptly collapsed onto the ground, his eyes slowly closing as he drifted off into a state of unconsciousness.

0000

"It's been over half-an-hour since we sent him off, better check up on him." Ren spoke to himself, arriving at Hiyoshi Pass and began searching the area for him. The raven-haired teen knew just how capable his friend was, so to have him take this long means that something serious must've gone down. The path to the mansion didn't take long for him at all, given how he wasn't assaulted by a barrage of headaches and voices. Soon enough, he arrived at the mansion, where he was promptly greeted to the unconscious form of his friend sprawled out on the path. "Julius!"

Quickly running over to him, he began nudging his body lightly to get a reaction out of him, but to no avail. He then opted to check his pulse, breathing a small sigh of relief upon finding one. But asides from that, there were no signs of life coming from him; almost as though someone had snuffed him out in the blink of an eye. "Hey…hey! What's wrong? What happened? C'mon, talk to me!"

"I'm afraid that one is out like a candlestick at dawn's peak." A familiar voice taunted, with Ren abruptly turning to see the hoverboard dude slowly approaching the duo.

"You! You were the one who did this, didn't you?!" Ren shot back, a look of intense anger in his eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah. Let's not jump the gun here, I had nothing to do with this. It's not my fault they reacted the way they did." The older man defended himself adamantly. "Though, keeping repressed memories like that really isn't healthy. Messes up your psyche and all that, you know? No one ever cares about mental health."

"Liar! You shut your mouth right now!" The raven-haired teen demanded, promptly sending out his Greninja who got into a combative stance.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your claws hidden, kitty cat? You may cut someone." The mysterious man chuckled, taking a Pokéball from his own pocket. "But if a scratching board's all you need, I'm welcome to oblige. Though do be careful, this scratching board scratches back!"

With a quick flick of his wrist, the mysterious man sent out his first Pokémon, the Alolan Raichu chirping happily and hopped onto its tail in an affectionate imitation of its trainer. Both Ren and his Greninja knew that Alolan Raichu were no joke despite their cheery demeanor and opted to get serious. With a quick leap in the air, the Greninja's vivid pink tongue soon turned a dark shade of black as the frog conjured up a ball of eerie energy, firing it in a pulsating beam that struck the Raichu head on. The Mouse Pokémon was knocked off it's tail from the attack but was able to quickly get back up on it, it's short arms poised in the air as it began to channel it's mental energy into a bright orange ball. Once the ball was sufficiently charged, the Raichu flung it towards the Greninja at impressive speeds, with the frog being able to dodge the incoming attack, but the result explosion sent it flying towards the ground and skidded for a few feet.

Getting back up and brushed the blades of grass off its body, the Ninja Pokémon pressed its hands together, it's tongue turning a shade of deep green as the ground started to tremble slightly. Just then, a set of thick vines emerged from beneath the Raichu, tripping it off its board and snared its feet firmly, leaving it vulnerable. Now that it's foe was vulnerable, the Greninja had a perfect opportunity to finish off it's opponent, the frog Pokémon leapt up into the air, channeling a ball of frozen energy as it's tongue turned a shade of icy blue. Soon enough, it fired the beam of frozen energy at the Raichu, striking it dead on as the Mouse Pokémon was soon encased in ice, trapped in a frozen prison of sorts.

"Heh, those claws of yours are pretty sharp…" The mysterious man chuckled, recalling his defeated Pokémon before quickly selecting his next option. "But as the old saying goes; the best way to deal with a rowdy cat is to spray it with water!"

The man promptly threw his next Pokéball, a Swampert emerging from the device as it let out an intimidating bellow. But the Greninja wasn't fazed by its enemies display of power, the frog content with gazing at it quietly. Raising its fist in the air, the Swampert slammed it on the ground, creating a powerful tremor that shook up the place, the Ninja Pokémon staggering slightly on the spot. Seizing this opportunity, the Mud Fish Pokémon lunged at its opponent, its fist cloaked in ice as it dealt a powerful punch to the Greninja, pushing it onto the ground. But the Greninja wasn't down for the count yet, promptly getting back up on its feet and went for another Grass Knot. However, the Swampert anticipated such an attack, taking a light green berry it had kept safe and quickly consumed it as the vines snared its feet and tripped it over. Though the attack did hurt the Swampert a fair bit, the nutrients gained from eating the berry greatly reduced the damage it would've taken.

Tearing the vines off its feet with its powerful arms, the Mud Fish Pokémon got back up on its feet and cloaked its body in water, charging at the Greninja and tackled it harshly, following up with a swift punch to the stomach that took the wind out of the Greninja. Weakened from the assault, the frog Pokémon slowly got back up on its feet, a determined look in its eyes as it leaped back a few feet, its tongue turning a shade of black as it fired another Dark Pulse at the Swampert. The attack struck it head on, causing it to stagger as a wave of uncomfortable thoughts plagued its mind, flinching it momentarily. Seizing this opportunity, the Ninja Pokémon leapt up into the air, it's tongue turning a vivid shade of green once more as some more vines emerged from beneath the Swampert, picking it up in the air before slamming it harshly into the ground, creating a small crater as some dust permeated over it. When the dust died down, it showed that the Swampert was unable to continue battling.

"Hah…how'd you like that?" Ren inquired, his Greninja panting lightly with exhaustion as his enemy recalled his Pokémon.

"Not bad, not bad at all. But you'll be shivering in fear at the sight of my next Pokémon. Xurkitree, go!" The mysterious man called out, sending out his third Pokémon as the sentient collection of power cables let out an ear-splitting screech. The raven-haired teen eyed it up cautiously; he had heard about its kind from Nastasia, who referred to it as an Ultra Beast. Supposedly, a whole lot of them invaded the Alola region from a different dimension several years ago, but the incident was kept a secret. When asked if Team Xen had any plans for them, she promptly told him to mind his business, leading him to think that they played a key role in their operations. Regardless, he knew that they were very strong, almost on the same level as Legendary Pokémon, so he had to act cautiously.

"Greninja, cripple it with a Scald!" He called out, hoping to inflict a burn on it so he could start playing a game of attrition. Leaping up in the air, the frog Pokémon spewed a stream of boiling hot water from its mouth, striking the Xurkitree head on as it hissed loudly in pain, a few small burns appearing on its body. Though crippled, the Glowing Pokémon still had energy to spare, rearing its arms up in the air as it channeled a wickedly powerful bolt of lightning at the Greninja, striking it head on as the frog Pokemon was blown back several feet, crumpling on the ground and was unable to get back up. "Greninja!" The raven-haired teen cried out in concern, running up to his injured ally and checked up on it.

"See? I told you this scratching board scratches back!" The mysterious man taunted, with Ren consoling his injured ally as he recalled it, his glance shifting to see the Xurkitree bobbing up and down on the spot in what could only be determined as a joyful expression. He knew that the Ultra Beasts grew more powerful the more foes they defeated, so defeating one quickly was a top priority. However, with his fastest Pokémon knocked out, his opponent now had the advantage in speed. Still, there was a way he could salvage this situation.

"Flygon, let's teach this creep a lesson!" Ren called out, sending out his next Pokémon as the Mystic Pokémon let out a quick cry of determination, flapping its wings at a rhythmic pace. He figured that if speed couldn't win the battle, then a type advantage would, on top of the burn his Greninja had inflicted as a "parting gift". Taking to the skies, the Flygon flew up quickly, flapping its wings quickly as it performed a special dance to boost its power and speed. The Xurkitree outstretched its arms, channeling its inner power as a series of ice blue balls formed around its body, the Glowing Pokémon soon slamming its arms on the ground as the balls of energy flew towards the Flygon. However, the Mystic Pokémon was able to dodge them quickly, swooping towards the ground and slammed its tail into it, creating a powerful tremor that struck the Xurkitree, causing it to stagger on the spot. The Flygon then lunged at its foe, slashing it with its sharp claws as the Glowing Pokémon was blown back by the combo attack, crumpling on the floor as a shocked expression appeared on the man's face.

"To think that my best Pokémon could be defeated…" He spoke to himself, shaking his head to break free of his stupor as he promptly recalled it. "I've still got one more Pokémon left, and it'll blow you away. Clawitzer, ready yourself for battle!"

Emerging from its ball, the shrimp Pokémon let out a low gurgle, aiming its massive claw at the Flygon who gazed at it calmly. Charging up a ball of frozen energy in its claw, the Clawitzer took aim and fired a beam of energy at its foe, the Mystic Pokémon dodging it effortlessly only for the Clawitzer to keep firing. It seems that the Howitzer Pokémon's strategy was to wear its foe out with repeated attacks from long range before dealing a finishing blow to it. If Ren was to win the battle, he would have to close the gap quickly, since Clawitzer were very weak in close range battles. Going over his plan with his Flygon, the duo were ready to initiate the strategy, the Mystic Pokémon flying up into the air to perform another rhythmic dance.

The Clawitzer saw this opportunity to attack and began charging up another salvo of Ice Beams, which was when the Flygon ceased its dance and swooped down towards its foe. This had caught the Howitzer Pokémon off-guard, the shrimp Pokémon now realizing that it was vulnerable while charging up its attack. Quickly closing the gap, the Flygon slashed at the Clawitzer before using its tail to fling it into the air. It then finished off the assault by flying into the air and struck the Clawitzer with its tail again, sending it hurtling towards the earth as it crashed into the ground, kicking up some more dust as the Mystic Pokémon flew to its friend's side. When the dust died down, it showed that the Clawitzer was unable to continue battling.

"You done yet, kitty cat?" The older man taunted, quickly recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"Just what is your problem?! Why did you send us here?!" Ren demanded, wanting answers right now.

"Hey now, don't be mad. I figured you'd be appreciative of my…service." The mysterious man replied calmly, looking around the area. "This is a pretty nice spot, isn't it? Julius thought so as well."

"You have no right to talk about Julius after what you did to him!" The raven-haired man retorted viciously. "It's your fault we're all in this mess in the first place!"

Lunging towards the man, Ren attempted to sucker punch him, only for the latter to bring out a taser and jabbed it in his side, the raven-haired teen wincing in pain as he staggered back a few feet. "It's my fault? Is that so? Look who's talking. I'm not the one wearing that disgraceful uniform." The older man shot back, pushing Ren to the ground as a chuckle of contempt escaped his mouth. "And to think that this cat thought he was worth something. You're just playing a game you never owned. A party you weren't invited to. So then tell me, why are you lot here? All of a sudden?"

"W-What are you talking about…?" The raven-haired teen asked weakly.

"I'm talking about fate, kiddo. Everything's on a predetermined path. At least, that's how it's supposed to be. Maybe you should ask Julius when he wakes up." The mysterious man started rambling.

"You're talking utter nonsense, you psychopath!" Ren hissed, glaring at his adversary.

"Call me what you want. I know what fate has in store for me. Or at least, I did. We'll speak again, kitty cat. I've got to dip for now." The older man replied, a low revving noise emanating from his board.

"Don't run away from me you bastard…" The raven-haired teen called out, getting back on his feet only to see the man fly off at lightning-quick speeds. "Ugh…this isn't over you freak."

"Fly~" His Flygon chirped, pointing towards Julius' unconscious form.

"R-Right, I've got to help my friend first." Ren replied, making his way to the fallen teen as the duo lifted him off the ground and began the slow trek back to Hiyoshi City.

Hiyoshi City Hospital

Ren, Reina and Huey were waiting patiently in the hospital lobby for news regarding Julius' condition, the latter two clasping their hands firmly together. They were horrified to hear the news from Ren when they saw him arrive back to the city, his friend's body in his arms. A few minutes later, a young nurse made her way from the back rooms and approached the trio.

"How's Julius doing? Is it serious?" Ren inquired.

"Your friend is doing just fine, he only passed out due to exhaustion. He's resting right now, but once he wakes up, he's free to leave." The nurse smiled at them, the trio breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.

"That's a relief. I'll be back to check on things if you don't mind." The raven-haired teen replied, the nurse nodding in confirmation as she made her way back to the back rooms.

"Thanks goodness he's going to be fine. I was on the verge of puking from fear and anxiety." Huey chimed in.

"I don't think we needed to hear that…" Reina retorted, turning to face her older brother. "Jokes aside, I'm glad Julius is gonna be alright."

"I'm glad he's fine as well, but we're in a bit of a situation now. Since we're down one man, we cannot progress through our investigation as much as I wanted to. Which means that we're gonna have to lay low for a while, at least until Kanon finds a way back for us." Ren told the other two.

"But what are we going to do while we wait? Just stand around and suck on our thumbs?" His younger sister inquired.

"I'm sure there's something to keep you two occupied in this city. Jeez, you traveled back several decades in time and you're still bored…" The raven-haired teen sighed in slight exasperation.

"Hahaha, good point. If you really think about it, most people here would be old or dead in our time! Isn't that hilarious?" Huey chuckled lightly, but the deadpan expression from the two siblings indicated that his joke was a complete bust.

"Alright, that's enough from you two. I'm gonna head out for a bit." Ren began, making his way to the exit only for Reina to run up towards him.

"Can we come with you, please?" She requested, only for him to shake his head back at her.

"That's a no from me, sis. Just hang out with Huey or something." He knocked her request back, briskly making his way out the hospital to the chagrin of his sister. Once he was on his own, he checked to see if the coast was clear before briskly hiding behind a tree. Peering from behind it, he saw Reina and Huey quickly making their way out the hospital.

"Are we seriously doing this again, Reina?" The redhead asked her.

"I'm not following my brother if that's what you're thinking. I heard that you could take the shuttle to a lake north of here, if you ask them to. I was thinking we could check it out or something?" She replied, catching him off-guard with her answer.

"Oh, my bad. I'm fine with your idea as long as it involves no stalking." Huey said.

"Relax, I'm over it. I just want to get my mind off of things for now." Reina admitted, the duo quietly making their way down the path as Ren soon emerged from behind the tree.

"Huh…guess she really wasn't following me after all. Guess she's finally starting to grow up." He spoke to himself, a little surprised over what he just heard. But as he was making his way back on the path, the speaker phone attacked to his wrist started ringing, the inbuilt screen indicating that Nastasia was the one calling him at this time. A little surprised at how he was able to receive a call from her despite being 30 years in the past, he accepted the call and began speaking to her. "Yes, this is Ren here. What do you want?"

"Ren!" Nastasia snapped at him, the screen showing that she was very angry at the young teen. "I've been trying to contact you for ages. Why haven't you picked up?"

"That's because I haven't actually gotten a call from you recently. In fact, I'm not even sure how this one was able to go through considering where I am." He replied cautiously, knowing that a wrong move would cost him dearly.

"I configured that device to have reception literally wherever you went. So there's no way my calls wouldn't make it!" The older woman retorted.

"Well…what if I said that I wasn't even in the same time period as you?" Ren spoke, with Nastasia calming down upon hearing what he said, or so he thought.

"Ren, where are you right now?" She inquired.

"Somehow got myself stuck in the past with my sister, a guy named Huey and Julius, who happens to be unconscious right now." He answered, his words seemingly having no effect on the older woman.

"That's awkward; don't you have a way back?" Nastasia inquired, seemingly unfazed by what she had just heard.

"Unfortunately, I don't. Truthfully, I thought you would've been surprised over what I just told you." Ren commented.

"…Did you say something? Sorry, I was thinking to myself." The purple-haired woman replied. "Well since you're stuck there, we may as well get some work done. Describe the surrounding area to me."

*Sigh* "As you wish…" The raven-haired teen sighed, upon hearing that he had work to do. "I'm in a place called Hiyoshi City. Does the name ring a bell or anything?"

"I-Interesting…I see…" Nastasia began, a little taken aback by what she had just heard with Ren noticing her slight stutter. Was there something about this place that meant something to her? Or was his mind playing tricks on him? "Yes, I believe I know where exactly you are now. It's a large city by the coastline, right?"

"Y-Yeah…how'd you know that?" Ren asked.

"Where else? The internet." The older woman answered bluntly. "Anyway, I know the place I want you to visit. North of Hiyoshi City is the Rejuvenation Corp building, right?"

"If my memory serves well, then yeah it's up there. I dunno, I haven't looked up north that much." The raven-haired teen replied.

"Good. Once you're there, call me again for the next part of your assignment." Nastasia ordered, promptly hanging up as a small sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Looks like I can't get out of working for Team Xen, even in the past." Ren muttered to himself, making his way towards the shuttle to the north. But before he could do so, he was caught off-guard by the sound of a crowd murmuring amongst themselves. Turning to the source, he saw what looked like a well-dressed businessman atop a stage with a Hippopotas and what seemed to be his family. Making his way into the crowd, the young teen figured that he may as well listen to the presentation.

"Hello citizens of Hiyoshi City, it's your beloved mayor here and I would like to welcome you all!" He began, with the crowd politely clapping for the middle-aged man. "I am very excited to unveil a project me and my team have been working on for many years. Just five years ago, Hiyoshi City was constructed after our beloved home region was destroyed. Even in the face of adversity, we move on! Before we continue, our town mascot, Gloria the Hippopotas, would like a few words."

"Hippaa~…" The small hippo called out, gazing calmly at the crowd as they all applauded her like crazy.

"Now then, allow me to present to you our new project in the works!" The mayor continued, removing the cloth over the billboard and revealed an advertisement for a place called Grand Dream City, the crowd cooing in awe as Ren grew wide-eyed at the sight.

"No way…" He spoke to himself.

"From the very beginning, we knew that we wanted a safe haven for all inhabitants, be they people or Pokémon. And that city will be a new form of Hiyoshi! Construction begins after the festival has concluded. Of course, we planned things so that our construction won't be a bother to anyone living here. So, that being the case—" He continued.

"Is that really all you got?" A voice rudely called out from the crowd, the crowd turning to see Thomas Blakeory make his way to the stage.

"Oh, it's you Thomas. What do you want now?" The mayor inquired politely.

"This is what you've been working on for so long, Mayor Rafael? Really? After everything that's been going on here?" The younger man opted to press him for answers.

"W-What are you talking about? Please get off the stage." Rafael requested.

"Everyone, this man is nothing more than a greedy man who wants nothing but to drain your banks accounts! The past few weeks have been catastrophic! Earthquakes, weather abnormalities, HEAT WAVES! Is this not a sigh for the imminent end of this region? Why is this man not working towards a solution to this issue?" Thomas ranted, causing the once cheery crowd to begin muttering among themselves.

"Please, compose yourselves everyone. An emergency plan has already been put forth. In the time of a catastrophic event, evacuation ships have been docked at—" The mayor began once more.

"You hear that? In the event that this happens! That means he won't even do anything UNTIL it happens!" The younger man retorted.

"Y-You're twisting my words, Thomas!" Rafael retorted.

"Are we just going to let this man trample over us? I guarantee you that the first person who would be off this stupid island is the mayor and his…disgraceful family!" Thomas retorted back, with the fury of a power-hungry demagogue.

"How dare you talk about us like that you scoundrel!" The mayor's wife snapped at him, holding her young daughter close to her, a look of fear etched on the young girl's face. "Don't worry Sandra, everything will be ok. We just have a rabble-rouser who wants to make the show about himself."

"You know what I think? I think we should throw them all in prison. Until he shows his citizens respect, I demand that he be held in contempt!" Thomas rallied to the crowd, who all began to express their support for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please! Do not be manipulated by this man! Your safety is my number one priority! Nothing is going to happen, please just—" Rafael pleaded to the crowd, only to get interrupted by a surprise snowfall. "W-What the…snow?"

"Do you see this? Snow is falling during the hottest season of the year! This is unprecedented! We need to throw this man in jail for keeping us here for so long!" The younger man began, with the crowd hollering in anger as they bum-rushed the stage, dragging the mayor and his family away as they tried desperately to get the crowd to see reason.

"I've never seen a speech go downhill so quickly." Ren muttered to himself, a hint of sadness in his tone. "That was depressing to watch, just what the hell happened?"

"Heh, like taking candy from a baby. Looks like mother nature is on my side and wants to spend the night with me…what a peach." Thomas chuckled to himself, making his way off the stage only to bump into the raven-haired teen. "What? You're still here? Go home kid, this presentation's over."

"Don't think I can't see through your bullshit! You're a con artist; a sleazy opportunist who exploits people's fears and insecurities for personal gain." Ren growled at the older man, who chuckled lightly in contempt.

"Smart kid. Too bad for the mayor that everyone else in this city is a half-witted troglodyte. Who knows? Maybe I'll be their mayor one day…until then, stay cool." The older man sneered, briskly making his way down the path as Ren watched him go.

"Now that I'm free from that bastard, I should make my way to Hiyoshi Pass." The young teen sighed to himself, quietly making his way to where the shuttle was parked.

0000

Upon arriving at the pass, Ren thanked the driver before hopping out of the shuttle and onto the path. Almost immediately, he saw what appeared to be an older woman walking briskly to the left, a few quiet sobs escaping from her mouth. "Something must be seriously upsetting her; the economy must be going down quickly no thanks to all the disasters and whatnot. Something's going to happen, and it will not be good." He mused to himself, opting to follow her to see if there was a way he could cheer her up. A few minutes later, he had crossed a fairly large bridge and arrived on a small island, where a massive building towers over the entire area.

"This must be it…Rejuvenation Corp. Better give Nastasia a call." Ren commented, quickly dialing the phone for his boss as it began to ring. Soon enough, the older woman picked it up and the duo were conversing with each other once more.

"Ren, I've calculated the time it would take for you to get to the building. According to my calculations, you should be there by now." She informed him.

"That would be impressive if it weren't for the fact that I got held up for a bit." The raven-haired teen replied, choosing to omit the fact that he attended the presentation.

"Well truth be told, I predicted that you would've gotten lost, so I added half an hour to the total." She replied in a somewhat snarky tone, the young teen unamused by her comment.

"So what do you want me to do then?" Ren inquired.

"You've seen the actual building, yes? I'll need you to infiltrate the building and gather a certain file for me. I'll give you some more details when you're inside." Nastasia ordered, with Ren giving her a small nod of understanding.

"It'll be easier said than done, but I'll see what I can do." He replied, with the older woman promptly hanging up on him. "Just go into the building, she says. Gather info for me, she says."

Making his way to the front gate, he saw a pair of guards stationed by the area. Quietly approaching it in the hopes that they allowed visitors to access the ground floor at least, he was disappointed when he saw the duo stand before him. "Halt! Authorized personnel only!" The first guard barked firmly.

"S-Sorry, I'll be on my way…" Ren apologized, quickly retreating from the gate and hid behind a tree before pressing on his speaker phone once more. "C'mon Nastasia, please pick up…" He whispered.

"What is it, Ren?" She asked in an impatient tone, the young teen sighing in relief that she actually picked up.

"The guards won't let me in. do you know another way to get inside?" He asked her.

"Are you—of course they won't let you inside!" She snapped in frustration at him. "Do you not know what infiltrate means? It means to enter or gain access to a place discreetly. How you get anything done without me is a mystery even to me."

"Ok, I get that I messed up. But are you going to give me a hand or not?" Ren inquired.

"You'll have to brainstorm an answer for that one; there's not much else I can do." Nastasia told him, promptly hanging up on him as Ren sighed in defeat.

"Ugh…this day just keeps getting better and better." He grumbled to himself, stepping back from the tree and surveyed the building for a few minutes. "I could probably get over the wall and on the rooftop no problem with the equipment Nastasia gave me. But that'll be too obvious; someone's bound to see me doing that. Perhaps someone in the city might have an idea on what to do…"

Making his way from the area, the raven-haired teen began the short trek back to the city, hoping that he might find an answer to his current predicament.

0000

Upon arriving at the city, the first thing he noticed was a young woman ranting about her boyfriend not showing up for the meeting with her, throwing something to the ground before storming off somewhere else. Eyeing it up curiously, he saw that it was a ticket advertising a free tour of Rejuvenation Corp, the raven-haired teen's eyes sparkling as an idea was presented before him. But before he could pick it up, it was snatched up by a young girl with short purple hair, who giggled at him before promptly running away.

"H-Hey, give it back!" Ren demanded quickly chasing after her, with the young girl running off at surprisingly quick speeds. He was a little alarmed that someone who was less than half his age was able to outpace him; perhaps he needed to work out for a bit once he was back in his time. Noticing that she was making her way to Route 5, he continued his pursuit of her past the gate to the city and onto the route itself. Soon enough, he found her making her way to what seemed to be a small outlook beside the lake and was able to corner her. "Look, missy. Stealing is wrong, you know that? If you give the ticket back to me, I won't tell your parents about it."

"W-Wait, I have a deal to offer you…" The young girl offered, intriguing the young teen. "I need your help, mister. I-I want to confront my m-mommy about a few things; she's the President of Rejuvenation Co. I can help you get in without any problems. I need you to be there just in case mommy gets mad at me."

"So you want me to be your body guard?" He deduced, the young girl nodding in confirmation. "Yeah, I can do that for you. But I would've helped you if you had just asked me back then."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again mister…" She apologized, looking at him in confusion. "What's your name."

"The name's Ren. What's yours?" He answered, getting on one knee.

"I'm Anastasia!" The young girl smiled at him.

"Alright Anastasia, let's go meet your mother." Ren stated, gesturing her to follow him as the duo made their way back to the shuttle, a few thoughts coursing through his mind. If her mother really was the President of Rejuvenation Co., then she might know a password or two to a restricted area. But it was another thought that stood out the most; didn't Julius help out a young girl in confronting her parent back then? Yes, he did; Maria was her name if he recalled. A small chuckle escaped from Ren's mouth; guess he and his mate were more alike than he initially thought.

Outside Rejuvenation Co.

Having arrived at the towering building, the duo stopped right beside the front gate, with Anastasia thinking of a way to get inside the facility. "Just follow my word and everything shall go smoothly. We need to act professional." She told the young teen.

"Lead the way, princess." Ren smiled at her, with the young girl gesturing him to follow her. The duo made their way towards the gate, with Anastasia attempting to pass by the guards, only for them to halt her in place.

"Halt, where are your parents young one?" A guard inquired firmly, yet gently.

"I-I'm here with my friend." Anastasia answered, gesturing at Ren as the guards turned to face him, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Hmmm…you look familiar. Have we met before?" The second guard asked, the raven-haired teen freezing on the spot as he realized his previous attempt could come back to bite him.

"N-No, he isn't. He's a really nice guy; I'm sure you haven't met him yet, but once you get to know him, you will." The purple-haired girl replied, a sudden realization soon forming on the first guard's face.

"Y-You're the President's daughter! The same one who's been missing for a few months!" They exclaimed in shock, the duo stepping back a few feet.

"You need to come with us; your mother is worried sick about you!" The second guard ordered, the duo slowly advancing upon her.

"W-Wait!" Anastasia called out, halting the guards in place. "I-I wish to see mommy with my friend. I…I want to speak to her about something."

The duo ceased moving, cautiously eyeing up Ren as they began whispering among themselves. A minute or so later, the duo had come to a conclusion. "Fine, you can see her on your own. But once this is done, your friend has to vacate these premises, understood?" The first guard conceded.

"Understood. Come along, Ren." The young girl agreed with these terms, gesturing the raven-haired teen to follow her into the building.

"I've gotta say, that was some impressive negotiation skills back there." Ren complimented her, the duo taking their first steps into the highly technological building.

"Thank you. But it's not just negotiating I'm good at; I'm also very good at Pokémon battles." Anastasia smiled at the older boy.

"I see. So where'd you train your battling skills?" He asked her.

"At a Gym in Kugearen, but it's been abandoned for a while. I would hide in there and train all by myself. Well not by myself; I was with my other friend, Squiggles!" The young girl continued. "But Squiggles is really shy; he only comes around when he wants to. He hides in some shiny gemstone, but when he comes out he's all squiggly!"

"I see…" Was all Ren could say, his mind running wild with speculation. Just what kind of Pokémon was Squiggles supposed to be, if it was even one in the first place? Furthermore, he could shake the fact that there was something…familiar about this girl, almost as if he was one key detail away from uncovering her true identity. He had a hunch on who she was, or will be in the present time, but he simply needed more evidence before he could arrive at that conclusion.

"If I know mommy, then she's most likely on the rooftop. That's her favorite spot to go whenever she's stressed out." Anastasia informed him, the duo making their way to the elevator as Ren suddenly received an email via his speaker phone. Opening it discreetly, he saw that it was from Nastasia, the Xen Admin giving him the details about the file he was looking for and where it was. "Is something wrong, Mr. Ren?"

"N-No, everything's fine. Anastasia." He replied, quickly hiding the email before pressing on the elevator button, the duo waiting patiently for it to arrive. But after a few minutes, the elevator hadn't arrived at their floor, indicating that it was nonfunctional. "Bummer. Looks like we'll have to take the stairs."

"Not to worry, Mr. Ren? I know a way we can fix this issue." The purple-haired girl reassured him, gesturing him to follow her once more. While they were walking through the building, they duo opted to engage in a bit of small talk in order to pass the time. "What's your favorite flavor of ice-cream? Mine's vanilla with a hint of blueberry in it."

"Well…this'll be controversial, but I'm rather fond of mint-flavored ice-cream." Ren admitted, the young girl giving him a look that indicated that she sincerely regretted bringing up this conversation. Noticing this, Ren opted to talk about something else. "So err…what's your favorite color? I'm not too sure what mine is, but it'll most likely be red. Or blue, or even green."

"My favorite color? An easy question; it's purple for me!" Anastasia chimed back, grateful that she no longer had to hear his heretical beliefs about ice-cream flavors. Soon enough, they arrived at a second elevator, placed right before the inside dock where supplies are shipped from and to the facility. Pressing the button, the young girl sighed in relief to see the doors open, the duo stepping inside as Ren made his way to the button panel.

"Sorry Anastasia, there's something I need to do before I can take you to the rooftop…" He apologized, pressing on the button to the 64th floor as the elevator doors started to close.

"Mr. Ren, that's not the floor to the rooftop…" The young girl reminded him.

"I hope you don't mind if we take a little…detour first." Ren requested, with Anastasia gazing at him in confusion before accepting his decision. The elevator soon arrived at its destination, the raven-haired teen gesturing for Anastasia to stay behind as he stepped onto the floor. Quietly, he made his way to a room where the archives are kept, making his way to the small computer at the back as the young girl managed to follow him without getting detected. Typing away at the keyboard, he began searching the computer for the file he was after, the small girl creeping up behind him.

"Mr. Ren! A-Are you stealing from the company?!" She exclaimed in shock, giving the young teen the fright of a lifetime as he quickly turned around to face her.

"G-Gah! I thought I told you to stay behind." He replied, realizing the magnitude of the situation he was in. "I-I'm not stealing from the company…technically."

"Y-You told me that stealing was wrong, yet here you are stealing things! Well I won't help you out, Mr. Hypocrite!" Anastasia huffed, taking a seat on the couch as a sigh escaped Ren's mouth.

"First, I gotta babysit my sister, then I gotta babysit Huey. Talk about ten jobs in one, how the hell can someone need to eat so often? And now I'm breaking into Rejuvenation Co. with the President's daughter in tow…" He mumbled to himself, scanning through the files until he finally came across the one he was looking for. "Aha! There it is. Now to go to the mentioned shelf and take it…"

"Mr. Ren, are you done being a criminal?" The young girl asked sarcastically, watching the raven-haired teen make his way to a shelf and take a file from it.

"A criminal? I am not a criminal!" Ren defended himself quickly, quickly tucking the file away somewhere safe. "There we go. Now to see your mother."

Her mood improving somewhat, the young girl hopped off the couch and followed him to the elevator, stepping onto it and pressed the button for the 73rd floor. As the elevator slowly rose up to its destination, the young girl began clenching her fists tightly, a few beads of sweat on them. She knew that she was terrified of what might happen, but this was something that had to be done. Eventually the elevator arrived at the rooftop, the duo hopping off it and stepped onto the roof, with Ren taken away by the amazing view of Aevium he was given.

"Wow…no wonder your mother goes here to cool down." He spoke softly to Anastasia, noticing that she was a little nervous about what was to come. "Hey…no matter what happens, know that I'll be there by your side, got it?"

"T-Thank you, Mr. Ren." Anastasia smiled at him, the duo making their way to the ledge where Katsu, Anastasia's mother liked to look over the region. As the young girl had expected, her mother was quietly overlooking the region, the purple-haired girl taking a step forward. "Mommy…" She began, causing the older woman to turn around abruptly.

"A-Anastasia!" Katsu exclaimed in shock, stepping forward to approach her, only for the young girl to halt her in place. "W-What?"

"I didn't come back to be with you again. Ever since I left, I've been really scared. I was out alone…I had no idea what to do with myself. But I did it because I didn't want to be with you, I couldn't…When I was stuck with something, it was Maria who helped me out, not you! But now a bad Pokémon took Maria, and she's not here to help me anymore. So I've been training out here, getting stronger so that I can save Maria." Anastasia began to speak, her mother left speechless for the most part.

"Anastasia…" The older woman began, a few dry tears staining her cheeks.

"For the longest time, I thought you hated me. I thought you were sheltering me because you were embarrassed of me. But all your sheltering did was foster a sense of insecurity inside me. Well not anymore, I'm much stronger now! I've been through so much! I can be on my own and I'm not living in fear anymore!" The purple-haired girl continued.

"Well if you're not here to stay, then why did you come back?" Katsu inquired.

"Because…I heard you worrying about me back on Route 4. It sounded genuine. For the first time, I knew that you loved me. But then the meteor hit and I didn't want to reveal myself. I came back so you would stop worrying. I'm fine, mommy! You don't have to cry anymore, I'm fine!" Anastasia answered.

"I'm so sorry Anastasia…I was so caught up in my work, my dream that I took out my frustration on you. I never considered how you felt or how you perceived me. I only wanted to make you a better person, so that you could lead the company one day. But I never asked if that was what you wanted. I know I can never take back what I did, but I know I can be better. Please, forgive me, Anastasia." The older woman apologized, the young girl shooting her a smile as she approached her mother, the duo soon embracing each other in a warm hug.

"Heh…looks like you didn't need me at all, kiddo." Ren chuckled to himself, quietly making his way to the elevator, only for Anastasia to call out to him.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Ren!" The young girl called out to him.

"Yes, thank you very much for keeping an eye out on my daughter." Katsu expressed her gratitude as well.

"It was nothing. I hope everything goes well for you two." He replied back, only for a quick tremor to rock the nearby area. "W-What was that?"

"I-It's her…" Anastasia began cautiously, the trio looking to the side and saw Kanon running away from something.

"Why must they always run away?" An ominous voice called out to the retreating figure, as Gardevoir soon appeared right before the white-haired teen.

"I-If you think you'll get Nymiera's location out of me, then you're a complete imbecile…" Kanon panted lightly, exhausted from all the running he had done.

"I was wondering how you were able to escape my execution back at the mansion. But seeing as you're Nymiera's slave, it's not so surprising anymore." Gardevoir chuckled at him.

"Ignorant fool, I am her humble servant, not her slave!" He retorted back at her.

"Call it what you will, the truth rises above all else. Now, be a good slave and come with me." The wicked Pokémon outstretched her arm, enveloping the white-haired teen in a mysterious ball of black energy that sucked him up and took him elsewhere.

"K-Kanon!" Ren exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and fear.

"S-She's the bad Pokémon that took Maria! That must mean she's around here somewhere…I must go and save her!" Anastasia began.

"Wait! I know you care about your friend, but this is so dangerous. As a mother, I cannot allow yourself to get involved in something like this!" Katsu called out to her, only for the young girl to shake her head.

"I'm sorry mommy…but I have to help Maria." She stated, quickly making her way to the elevator.

"Ren…please look after my daughter. Make sure she doesn't do something stupid!" The older woman requested, turning to face the young teen.

"You got it, ma'am! I'll make sure no harm befalls her!" Ren pledged, making his way to the elevator and hopped on it. A few minutes later, he arrived back on the ground floor and made his way out the building, his speaker phone ringing once more. Accepting the call, he saw that it was from Nastasia, as he had expected.

"Did you get the file I asked for?" Nastasia inquired, with Ren taking the physical copy from underneath his tattered cloak.

"Yep, I have it here. I also have a PDF vile on my device just in case." He answered.

"Good." The older woman replied, as an odd question formed in her mind. "Did…Did anything else particular happen down there?"

"Yeah, and it's something I need to talk to you about. This might be really stupid of me to do, but there's this little girl I found. She said she needed help finding a friend, Maria her name was." Ren stated, noticing an…uncomfortable expression forming on his bosses' face. "Additionally, I've noticed some similarities between her and—"

*click* The phone call ended suddenly, catching the raven-haired teen off-guard. "She ended the call…" He mused, his mind wandering towards his next task. He should let Nymiera know about what happened to Kanon. Tidying himself up, Ren began the trek back to the shuttle to Hiyoshi City, knowing all too well that something serious was going to go down soon.

And that wraps up another great chapter; wasn't it nice to see things from Ren's perspective? As the end stated, some serious business will go down in the next chapter, so I hope you'll be looking forward to it. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy in these trying times.