A/N: My fanfic has an illustrated cover for each chapter, but since FFN doesn't allow inserting images nor does it accept links within the fanfic itself, please head over to my tumblr (carefreejules) if you'd like to see the covers!

Chapter 16 - Countdown

"I'm worried about Darkrai…"

"I am too but, don't worry - I'm going to save him."

"How?"

Juliet bit her lip anxiously, stopping in the middle of braiding Maya's hair. How was she going to save Darkrai? She had been so preoccupied with keeping her nerves in check, and documenting everyone's progress, that she realized that they hadn't even started with formulating a plan on how to prevent Rose's scheme from behind the scenes. If anything, they were preparing themselves for the worst case scenario.

Evacuation, shelter, rations - all the necessities to minimize as many casualties as possible because Arceus knows how many people were going to get hurt or worse from the fall out. She couldn't help but meticulously plan everything as if she was going off to war - it might as well be and she favoured being over prepared than under-prepared.

She really hoped that Sonia and Professor Magnolia could figure out the origins of The Darkest Day, Eternatus, and Dynamax enough to have some ideas of how to prevent it. Juliet trusted them. She had to. It wasn't her place to stress out over matters that were outside of her expertise.

Still...the lingering worry of what Darkrai was going through right now...Every second that passed on the clock was another second of suffering that he was going through. She wanted to act now and act fast, but again, she had to keep herself grounded, for everyone's sake.

It was so hard.

"I...I don't know but, we're going to figure something out."

"...You're kind of amazing, Juliet." Maya complimented with a small smile. "Even though you don't know the answer, you still try so hard to find it."

Juliet laughed dryly. "I'm just...I'm just doing what I can. I've spent so much of my life living idly by that I've gotten too comfortable with doing the bare minimum. Or, at least I've always thought I was doing the bare minimum. So, whenever someone told me about their problems and I'd give them advice, I never fully realized just how powerful my words could be. I never realized just how much I was actually helping them. I grew up believing that you had to do something grand in order to be deserving of things like praise and gratitude." Juliet smiled to herself when she tied the end of Maya's braid into a neat bow. "But...I don't want to take anyone's praise for granted anymore. It's not fair to the other person to not look them in the eyes and truly let them know that you're thankful for their words. So...I wanted to give back to everyone who has helped me, by doing all I can to protect them. Who would believe in a leader who didn't believe in themselves?"

Maya was silent throughout her impromptu spiel, which made Juliet flush in embarrassment. "S-Sorry. There I go again with my tangents. I must have bored you-"

"I know."

"...Huh?"

"I know what you went through. I've been with you for a long time so I know when you were happy, when you were sad, when you didn't believe in yourself - all of it." Maya stirred in Juliet's arms and hugged her tightly, burying her face into her chest. "I'm happy that you love yourself a little more. And...I'm happy I'm here to see it."

"Maya...:" Juliet stroked the back of the little girl's head. "Thank you. Everything is going to be OK. Not just me, but we're all going to work together to make it happen."

"Do you think I'll be able to see Darkrai again, then?" Maya muttered hopefully.

Juliet smiled gently. "You will. Because, when I see him again, you will too."

"So...the Chairman and CEO of both Macro Cosmos and the Pokemon League is behind everything. I hate to say it but, a part of me isn't all that surprised."

"I don't blame you. We've seen thousands of cases involving corrupt politicians and businessmen that it's hard not to suspect someone with so much wealth and power at their disposal. That being said, we can't trap ourselves in that biased mindset. We have to be as objective as possible in order to present the facts as they are." Anabel explained, looking out the window of her plane seat to see the region of Galar come into view from the distance. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the spiralling tower that stood in Galar's capital - Wyndon. That was no doubt the headquarters for both Macro Cosmos and the Pokemon League.

There was a sense of excitement over being sent to a region they had never been to before, but this was anything but a vacation. Which is why their first stop upon landing would be the Pokemon Lab in Wedgehurst so they can get themselves up to speed on what's been going on from those who were researching the phenomenon in question. Hopefully in the process, Anabel could meet up with Juliet personally since she was the one who gave her the most substantial lead to go off of.

A few hours later after landing in Wyndon and immediately taking a train to Wedgehurst, Anabel and Looker finally arrived in front of the Pokemon Lab. But, before they could even enter, Anabel heard a gasp before turning around to see Juliet, holding a container of coffee and a box of donuts with shock written all over her face.

"Anabel?! What are you doing here?!"

Anabel chuckled and removed her sunglasses. "You can recognize me even though we haven't seen each other in a few years?"

"I'd never forget the face of the Battle Tower Brain! Wait, are you here because of-"

"We are, but let's talk about it in the Pokemon Lab, shall we?"

Juliet nodded eagerly and escorted Anabel and Looker into the Pokemon Lab where Professor Magnolia and Sonia were waiting for them at the coffee table. Anabel took a quick glance around the lab, noting the various diagrams and research plastered all over the wall that no doubt had to do with Dynamax, the staircase leading to the small library above, and the quaint terrarium that gave the lab an air of tranquility amongst all the technical equipment. She stuck her hand out to the elderly Professor, who shook her hand firmly. "You must be Professor Magnolia, the leading researcher on Dynamax."

"Indeed. You must be Anabel and Looker from the International Police Organization. I must say, I was rather surprised to hear that our region's problems have even reached your ears as well."

"Yes. The higher ups have been monitoring the situation and thought it has gotten serious enough to send us out to investigate and intervene. But, not only that, Juliet has also personally contacted me about it and what she saw so now it's just a matter of putting the pieces together to get the evidence that we need." Anabel explained.

"Wow, so Anabel must be the person that the others told me you were contacting! How did you even manage to get connections to someone from the International Police?!" Sonia exclaimed in awe at Juliet.

"Oh, I wasn't always part of the IP. I used to be one of the Brains for the Battle Frontier in my youth. Juliet used to partake in battles there for fun and we became acquainted." Anabel clarified with a nostalgic grin.

"So, you can count on Anabel to put up one hell of a fight! She's got two legendaries under her belt too-" Juliet added with a cheeky grin, making Anabel huff and put her fingers up to her lips to shush her.

"Hopefully it won't get to a point where I'd have to use them."

"T-Two legendaries?! That's amazing! I'd love to see them!" Sonia replied with excitement sparkling in her eyes.

"It will have to wait, Miss Sonia. For now, let's get down to business." Anabel turned to Looker, who was oddly silent for most of the exchange. "Looker? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, Chief! Sorry for being so quiet. There's quite a lot of research strewn about so I couldn't help but take a look at some." Looker picked up a sketch of what looked to be a meteorite. "I've seen photos of meteorites but never one like this."

"Ah, that's a sketch I made of a meteorite that was referenced in this one paper I've been analyzing. The one that was scrutinized, right Gran?" Sonia asked.

"Correct. Though, who's to say if that meteorite really existed or not."

Anabel narrowed her eyes in interest at the meteorite and held her chin thoughtfully. Her mind flashed back to what she uncovered the day prior and tried to connect it with the meteorite. A research paper that had been heavily scrutinized…

"Miss Sonia, what's this about a research paper that's been scrutinized?"

"You can just call me Sonia, and I have it right here." Sonia pulled out the stapled research from under her arm and handed it to the woman before twirling her orange hair out of stress. "I haven't been able to draw any conclusions from it, but I really feel like there's something missing here."

As Anabel read through the document carefully, everything began to fall into place, but she had to make sure that her growing hypothesis was correct. And the only way to do that was to go to the site of the operation herself and do some digging around.

Literally.

"...I may have an idea of what's been going on." Anabel announced, making everyone in the room turn their heads to her with wide eyes.

"Already, Chief?!" Looker gawked.

Anabel held up her hand to calm down her right-hand man. "I believe I know the events that have occurred that have led to this point in regards to Chairman Rose's operations. But, I need to go to Stow-On-Side to confirm my suspicions. Will you please escort me there, Sonia?"

"Yes, of course! I'll bring my Dynamax reader just in case!" Sonia nodded before scrambling to put on her boots and gather everything that she needed.

"What should I do, Chief?" Looker asked.

"Stay here with Juliet and Professor Magnolia. If all of us went, it could draw suspicion from Macro Cosmos employees. I imagine they must be out and about more often knowing that a few people know what their boss is up to."

"Understood, Chief!"

Anabel regretted not packing a pair of goggles because the winds that were sweeping through Route 6 were picking up sand and blowing it everywhere. That was until Sonia tapped her on the shoulder and held up spare goggles for her, along with a scarf that she could wrap around her mouth and nose. She murmured a quiet thanks to the assistant before quickly putting them on and surveying the Diglett monuments that stood outside of Stow-on-Side.

Yes, something of this size could cleverly cover up a darker secret.

"Sonia, can you try using your device around this monument.?"

"Eh? Alright…" Sonia nodded hesitantly before walking around the monuments with her eyes fixed to the small device in her hand. She honestly wasn't expecting any sort of abnormal readings based on their previous attempt throughout Route 6, until her device briefly rang out before stopping. The assistant abruptly stopped in her tracks in surprise. That...That was such a quick reading but it was most definitely there.

"As I suspected." Anabel concluded confidently from behind her.

"Did you figure it out?" Sonia whipped her head around.

"Yes." Anabel cleared her throat before thoughtfully surveying the towering Diglett monuments. "I've researched Chairman Rose's operations along with his finances in order to learn where his funds were going into."

"And?"

"I noticed in one of his financial reports, there was a large sum of money that hadn't been accounted for. Perhaps it went towards a private charity since he's rather charitable, but my gut was telling me to keep digging and…" Anabel crossed her arms. "I stumbled across some witness testimonies and complaints about 10 years ago in regards to noise complaints from all the construction that was going on in the area. But, strangely enough, no one knew what the construction was for and no one was allowed anywhere near the area to get a glimpse. What if... this area was where Chairman Rose extracted the meteorite that housed Eternatus?"

Sonia's jaw dropped and the pieces were starting to fit together in her head as well. "That would explain where all that money went into! For the excavation itself, but also to keep the media under wraps."

"Exactly. This Dugtrio monument wasn't always here so it was likely erected here to cover up any loose ends. I mean, you wouldn't really find this suspicious, would you?"

"No way. Then, that means that research paper IS true, and that the Chairman did manage to revive Eternatus. But…" Sonia pondered deeply. "If he only revived it not too long ago, then, how did the Darkest Day happen 3000 years ago if Eternatus was the cause of it?"

Anabel shrugged and gave her a wry smile. "I believe that's up to you to uncover, Assistant Sonia. I'm afraid my expertise only covers putting corrupt individuals behind bars."

Sonia laughed dryly. "You're right-"

"Hey! Sonia!" Hop called over from a distance before running up to her with Gloria trailing close behind him. "Out researching? And who do you have with you?"

"Yup! It's my life after all. And this is, uhhh…" Sonia trailed off, not knowing if it was OK for her to reveal who Anabel was to the young trainers.

"I'm Anabel. An agent and officer of the International Police." Anabel introduced with a polite bow of her head. Hop sputtered incomprehensibly upon hearing the words 'International Police' and straightened up his posture in a vain attempt to appear like an innocent civilian, which made Anabel laugh lightly.

"Relax. I may be part of the police but there's no need to be so on guard."

Hop let out the air he had been holding in and relaxed his shoulders. "Oh, that's a relief. Why are you here, Miss Anabel? If someone from the International Police is here then that means something serious is going on if the cops here in Galar need help."

"You could say that. Are you two challengers of the Gym Challenge?"

"You bet! Well, Gloria and I have already beaten the Gym Challenge and got all of our badges! The Champion Cup is where the real battle starts!" Hop boasted proudly, pulling out his badge ring that was filled completely with all eight gym badges.

Anabel grinned at the young trainer's enthusiasm. "Congratulations! That's quite a feat you've accomplished and you should be very proud of yourselves."

"Aww shucks…Thanks, Miss Anabel!"

"You're very welcome. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask you two a few questions for my investigation, but will you promise to keep what I've asked to yourself?"

"Of course! I don't know how much help we'll be but if we can help in any way, ask away!" Gloria encouraged with a nod of her head.

"Thank you, you two. First off, have you two personally experienced anything strange that happened to you, specifically with Dynamax Pokemon?" Anabel asked as she pulled out a small notepad from the inside of her suit's pocket.

"Not personally, but Hop's older brother, Leon, definitely has. He's been the one keeping the Dynamax Pokemon at bay and works closely with Chairman Rose." Gloria explained.

"But, the weird thing is, is that my brother has gotten help from Sonia and a few other people during a few instances, but they were never mentioned on the news or anything. I can tell that it's been bothering him..." Hop added sadly.

Anabel hummed to herself knowingly. For a massive conglomerate as Macro Cosmos, of course he'd have the influence to control over the media. In fact, looking at his affiliates, most of them would bend their knee to his every request if it meant their pockets could be filled and their businesses could keep thriving. It was a good thing that she and Looker were sent out to investigate considering how there likely wouldn't be many people within the region who wouldn't be loyal to him. Hell, the police departments in Galar were probably just as corrupt. But...For the region to be flourishing as long as it has, clearly it hadn't always been this way and Chairman Rose had been in charge for a rather long time.

When did he start to change and why? If there was anyone who would notice those changes, it'd be someone who worked closely with him like Leon. But, it was hard to ignore the risk of doing so because he could very well reveal all the things that she'd ask to the man in question. Seeing as how willing Hop was in divulging information and promising to keep secrets, perhaps Leon was the same – but there was no guarantee of safety in assumptions.

"Hop, was it? Do you know if your brother is particularly close to Chairman Rose?"

"Hmm...I'm not too sure but, back when he first became Champion, Chairman Rose basically raised him to be the respected and loved Champion that he is. But..." Hop shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked mindlessly at the dirt, his voice growing distant. "Lee seems more stressed than usual, and he's been a lot more honest about what he's been going through. He's always put on a brave face so I never thought anything was wrong until now. I don't know if Chairman Rose has anything to deal with it but...I just wish there was more I could do to help him."

"Hop..." Gloria muttered, looking at her best friend sympathetically.

Sonia turned to Anabel with pleading eyes. "Anabel, do you think it's OK to tell them?"

Anabel closed her eyes and sighed. "I suppose it's only wise since Leon is very likely involved in this. And, it's only fair that his brother knows too. Do you know if Leon has been told?"

Sonia shook her head. "I don't think so. Knowing him, if he did, he'd probably would have tried to do something by now. As Champion of the Galar region, he has always felt like he had to be the one to take care of matters into his own hands. I think that's why Juliet has been keeping the truth from him."

"Hmmm...That could be a problem. But, at the same time, I want to believe that he can trust in myself, Looker, and everyone else to help because this issue extends past what he understands. I think we should have a bit more faith in him." Anabel smiled. "I used to be like that, until I realized how important it was to rely on others especially in this line of work. From how you and Hop talked about him, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd tell on anyone. That being said, I'd like to meet him so I can be absolutely sure."

"In that case, let me see if I can get a hold of him." Sonia wandered off to call Leon while Anabel placed both of her hands on Hop and Gloria's shoulders before looking at them seriously.

"Are you two available? There's something important I need to tell you both back at the lab."

"So, do you have any badass Pokemon yourself, Looker?"

"I'm afraid I pale in comparison to what the Chief has. But, I do have two." Looker reached into his trench coat's pockets and threw out two Pokeballs to reveal a Croakgunk and a Growlithe. Juliet knelt down to the two Pokemon in awe and proceeded to scratch behind Growlithe's ear and pat Croakgunk's head. The Growlithe growled contently at the affection while Croakgunk only looked mildly satisfied by the gesture, but he made no move to pull away from her hand.

"They're very well-behaved! Ever thought about using a Fire Stone on Growlithe here?" The mere suggestion seemed to agitate the Growlithe, who pulled away from her hand to bare his fangs out at her.

Except he didn't look all that menacing.

"Aha...He's not too fond of the idea. It would also make it hard to do any infiltration if he grew into an Arcanine." Looker laughed.

"That makes sense, but it'd be easier to strike fear into the hearts of the criminals you're trying to apprehend."

"Hey! Growlithe can be intimidating!"

"We're back!" Sonia announced.

"Welcome back! Wait, why are Hop and Gloria with you?" Juliet asked with a tilt of her head.

Sonia smiled gently and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're going to tell them. And Leon, whenever he gets here."

Juliet's jaw dropped and her hand curled into a fist out of anxiety. She wasn't expecting to have to tell him so soon only after promising the other day. That could only mean Anabel had already understood Chairman Rose's intentions that it wasn't necessary to keep it a secret from him any longer. She was glad that the agent was able to figure out in record time, as expected from someone with incredible intuition as Anabel, but she dreaded how Leon would take the news. "We are?"

"I know what you're thinking and I can't help but agree as well, but Anabel has a good idea of everything that's happened behind the scenes and I think I have a better understanding of what that means for the Darkest Day. I just need to take a moment to look over my notes before he gets here. It's better to tell him now than later. Let's have more faith in him."

Seeing the hesitation on Juliet's face, made Anabel grip her other shoulder reassuringly. "You've always had a habit of over-thinking about all the possibilities and outcomes that you end up over-complicating the situation entirely. I've always noticed that in the way you battle. I could practically see the thoughts and ideas that are swirling around in your head that you end up not committing to one out of hesitation. Your compassion for other people's feelings is admirable, but you need to open yourself up to other people's compassion for you. Caring about other people's feelings isn't a one-sided affair – it's a mutual one. You care about Leon's well-being, but understand that he worries about yours as well especially if you're keeping things from him to spare him the shock. He's a capable adult, just like you, and you need to trust that he can take it."

Juliet opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. And here she thought she was good at reading people but Anabel was practically reading into the depths of her soul. It almost felt a little invasive but...it was necessary to bear the insecurities that made her who she was, for better and for worse. And, she was right. She didn't really trust the people around her as she wanted to believe, and yet she'd absorb everything she could understand from others like a sponge, without offering anything in return. It was selfish, even if she didn't intend it to be. She wanted to open her heart to others, but she was still so afraid. Afraid of disappointing people and then being cast aside when she wasn't needed anymore.

How can she open her arms to embrace others when she couldn't accept the arms that were offered to her?

It felt like she hadn't changed at all.

"I...I'm sorry. You're right." She replied, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"Now, now. There you go keeping so many thoughts to yourself again. I don't mean to criticize you but, you need to learn to open up about the important things so everyone is on the same page. This isn't just one person's problem." Anabel added before turning to Sonia and Looker. "Shall we go over what we've discovered so far?"

"Yes! I've compiled a lot of data over the past year so I should be able to put the pieces together with Gran's research! Hey Gran! Mind giving me a hand too?"

"Of course, Sonia."

"I guess we should wait until Leon gets here in the meantime. Why don't we play Pokemon Crossing, Hop?" Gloria suggested, already pulling out her Nintendo Switch. Hop reached into his bag for his Switch when he looked up to ask if Juliet wanted to play with them, only to see that she walked out of the lab with her hands in her pockets.

"Juliet! Where are you going?"

"...I'm just going to go for a walk. I'll be right back." She answered hollowly before letting the door close behind her. Hop took Gloria, and she looked back at him, and it seemed like they both had the same idea. Their villages could wait.

Juliet knelt down to the shore of the lake and stared at her wavering reflection in the water. She always did this, sit by a body of water whether it was a lake, river, or the ocean, and just stare at her reflection as if to remind herself of who she was and where she was. But, sometimes she would see reflections of her past self, basking in the spotlight and raining confetti, or wallowing in despair. And when she blinked, the reflection would bring her back to her present self. The world around her has changed and she did too.

But…

She closed her eyes, her mind flashing back to the words spoken to her. Those moments where someone had extended their hand out to her.

"We'll always love and be proud of you, Jules."

"Seriously. We got your back. We'll deal with any assholes that try to give you trouble."

"But now more than ever, I want to be there for you. If you need to let it out, I hope you'll trust my shoulder to cry on."

"That's it, sweetie. You know that your uncle and I love you, right? If anything happens, we'll be there for you."

"Look, each of us has issues we're dealin' with, and it'd be nice if we had answers to all of our problems. And while we can try to fix each other up, you can't fix everyone."

"Juliet?"

Juliet's eyes shot open to see that Hop and Gloria were sitting on opposite sides of her along the lakeshore. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were worried about you so we couldn't help but follow you. Are you OK? You seemed a little shaken up by what Anabel said to you." Gloria asked worryingly. "I didn't expect you to know someone from the International Police."

"I knew Anabel back from when she was a Frontier Brain in Hoenn. I used to participate in tournaments so I got to fight her a couple of times. Always kicked my ass though." Juliet laughed heartily. "Even when I wasn't Champion anymore, I still wanted to battle. I wanted to preserve the strength I thought I had-"

"W-W-W-Wait," Hop stuttered. "You were a Champion too?!"

"Surprise." Juliet replied bluntly.

"That's-! So you-!" Hop stood up suddenly. "I-I wanna have a battle with you!"

"Hop! Now's not the time for that!" Gloria laughed, coaxing her best friend to sit back down, which he did with a sheepish grin.

"S-Sorry. I forgot why we were here for a sec. But, that's amazing, Juliet! To think that you're probably on the same level as my brother-"

"Oh, I highly doubt that. I'm kind of past my prime. But, you know…" Juliet looked out onto the lake. "For me, being a Champion wasn't easy. Everyone had all of these expectations of me, and there were plenty of people who thought I didn't deserve to win."

"What?! Based on what?!"

"Well, I have a few guesses, but what really matters was how it affected my confidence. I didn't have someone to look out for me like how Leon has Chairman Rose. That's not really how it works in Hoenn. Sure, Wallace was proud of me and did what he could to help me out, but ultimately, he was often busy with his Pokemon Contests and I was a kid who wasn't properly taught how to deal with being under the spotlight from the start.. No one is really taught that. Which is why if either of you manage to beat Leon in the finals, prepare yourself for more than just glory and fame." Juliet spoke honestly.

"Juliet...You...You must have been through a lot…" Gloria noted sadly. "But, thank you for saying that. I didn't start to notice how the title of Champion was weighing down even someone like Leon until recently, so hearing that makes me feel...more aware of what comes after. Not only that…" The young trainer stuck her hand into the lake, feeling the cool water against her skin. "I can tell you and the other adults are doing all you can to make sure me, Hop, and all the other gym challengers can compete in peace, but at the same time...if there's anything that we can do to help, we want to help. I know we're only 15 and we don't really know much about Pokemon research and politics, but we're strong too and you guys can rely on us!"

"Gloria…"

"Gloria's right. As much as I want to concentrate on training for the Champion Cup, if there's something serious happening that could affect my brother and everyone else, then it's our problem too." Hop added with determination.

Someone to rely on…

Sharing the burden…

And mutually caring about each other…

Gloria and Hop were both so earnest and decisive. They knew what they wanted, and even through moments of doubt, they kept charging forward without a second thought. They were exactly what Juliet needed to be too. Or rather, she needed to tap into that unshakeable resolve that she used to have.

A resolve that she didn't have to realize on her own.

Juliet grinned. "Well, we should be heading back then. We'll tell you everything. Everything from what Chairman Rose has been doing, to what our plan of action is."

"Mind if I follow?"

They turned around to see Leon sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I took a wrong turn."

"Of course you did, Lee." Hop replied sarcastically while rolling his eyes. "Let's go then!"

"Awww, since when did Charizard and Tiki get so close?" Sonia cooed, watching the two Pokemon rest their heads against each other in a quiet corner of the lab.

"Charizard took a hit for Tiki during that time in Hammerlocke about a week ago. She was really worried about him, but I think it was his bravery and chivalry that stole her heart." Juliet said with a light blush. The Professor Assistant couldn't hold back a delighted squeal and nudged the Raid leader with her elbow suggestively.

"Does that make them mates, then? Ohhh, if Tiki lays an egg, do you think it'll be a Trapinch or a Charmander?!"

"I'd have to ask Mary. She's the breeding expert."

"Ahem." Leon coughed, his blush spreading to his ears. "Didn't you call me here for something important, Sonia?"

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend that you aren't at least curious-" Sonia retorted with a pout.

"Alright, I think I have everything ready." Anabel announced.

"In that case," Juliet went over to her laptop and began typing away before revealing a video call with all of the Gym leaders, her team, and her uncle.

"Oh? What's all this, Juliet?"

"When I first found out about what Chairman Rose was up to, I thought it was important to let the Gym Leaders know in the event that the Darkest Day happens, they'll be in charge of evacuating everyone in their respective towns." Juliet looked at each of the Gym Leaders on the screen. "Thank you for trusting me and cooperating with us. I can only imagine how shocked you all were to know what your boss has been up to."

"It was, but for me anyway, I'm not particularly loyal to him so it wasn't a hard decision to be a part of this plan." Nessa replied.

"I agree with Nessa, I'm grateful for the sponsors that I have because it means I can put food on the table for my folks, but if their lives are in danger because of him, I can't work for someone like that." Milo added seriously.

"Wow, I don't think I've seen you so serious before, Milo…" Gordie gawked.

"But, you have to agree with him, you know. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the rest of our family." Melony concurred.

"...How are you feeling, Bede? You were pretty close with him weren't you? I'm a little surprised you agreed to be here." Juliet said.

Bede grumbled something under his breath and looked to the side. "...He may have been my foster father for a time, I can't forgive him for casting me aside after all that I've done for him."

"Does that mean you're doing this out of revenge?" Hop interjected.

"...Hmph. Revenge is a bit of a strong word but, something like that. Why are you here, Hop?"

"If my brother is involved in this, then I am too. Whether you like it or not."

Leon sighed. "Just don't tell mum, OK? She'll die from stress alone if she finds out what we're up to."

"Relax, Lee! You can count on me too!"

"Juliet, I trust that this call is confidential?" Anabel whispered to her.

Juliet nodded. "Don't worry, Vanquil, one of my friends and teammates, and my uncle have put together a VPN just for this call so no one can listen in outside who's here. That's why my uncle is here too since he's monitoring the call."

Dave waved to his webcam. "Don't mind me. Just here to make sure no Rattatas try to snoop in!"

"...You've really thought this through, haven't you? I may have underestimated you a little. I take back part of what I said earlier about your over-thinking things." Anabel expressed with a small smile.

Juliet shook her head. "No, I had to hear that. Or else I would have been against everyone listening in. Besides, I don't have anything more planned than what you see here."

"Regardless, it was a good move on your part." Anabel agreed. "As much as I'd like to continue these pleasantries, I'm afraid we're on the clock so let's get down to business. First off, my name is Anabel and I'm an agent and officer of the Pokemon International Police Department. This is my assistant, Looker, who is also a member and a master of going undercover."

"The Pokemon International Police, huh? You really pulled out all the stops, huh, Leader?" Vanquil commented cheekily.

"We were approached by the higher ups so rest assured that the situation is being monitored by our headquarters as well."

"W-Whoa...Then that means…" Allister trailed off nervously.

"Yes, the situation is serious, but allow me to paint you all a clear picture so we're all on the same page." Anabel started before stepping out of frame to reveal a white board with a timeline drawn on it with various photos and notes pasted all over. "Starting from the very beginning, Chairman Rose has invested a large sum of money into an excavation project in Stow-on-Side. No one knew what was uncovered because he bribed several media outlets to keep any word about the project under wraps to steer away prying eyes. But, based on witness reports by the select few individuals who managed to speak out about it during that time, it could hardly go unnoticed. Which is why, in order to cover his trail and tie up any loose ends, he erected the Dugtrio monument over the site to distract anyone from assuming anything had happened at all."

"That sneaky son-of a b-" Raihan swore under his breath.

"Raihan, please be aware that Allister is listening in as well." Kabu sighed.

"That rotten Exeggcute…Man, it doesn't sound as threatening…"

"Moving on, it's safe to assume that he extracted the meteorite containing Eternatus from this excavation and he likely spent the next 10 years trying to revive it." Anabel passed the laser pointer to Sonia.

"So, the explosions that have been gradually occurring over the past few months is likely linked to Eternatus' power. In fact, I have no doubt in my mind that Dynamax is directly sourced from Eternatus. And it's because of Eternatus that the Darkest Day happened 3000 years ago." Sonia explained.

"But, didn't Anabel say that Eternatus was contained in a meteorite? How come the Darkest Day hasn't happened again already?" Bea asked.

"This is only a theory, but the only explanation that I can think of is that Eternatus was sealed away in its original form as a meteorite before being revived again by Chairman Rose. I've spent weeks studying the tapestries in the Vault, the recently uncovered statues of the two Kings, and the fifth tapestry in Bob's Your Uncle, and I believe that the two Pokemon depicted with the sword and shield are responsible for sealing away Eternatus during the Darkest Day!"

Everyone's jaws dropped and Hop was the first to recover, "Are you serious, Sonia?!"

"Like I said, it's a working theory but I believe I have the grounds to back it up. The first four tapestries depict the crowning of the two rulers for the newly established kingdom of Galar, with the sword and shield being the ones to drive off the disaster. But in the fifth tapestry, it looks like they're laying the sword and shield to rest in front of some sort of tombstone or altar. The sword and shield Pokemon must have used up all of their energy to seal Eternatus away and they must have sealed themselves away in order to recover."

"That means...they're still alive somewhere, right?" Gloria asked.

"I hope so, because if my theory is correct, then they're our only hope of stopping the Darkest Day if it happens again." Sonia frowned. "But, I don't recognize the place that was depicted in the tapestry so I can't begin to guess where it could be…"

"There's...also something you're forgetting that probably makes the situation more complicated…" Juliet chimed in. "Remember Darkrai?"

"Darkrai…? Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

"O-Oh! I remember Darkrai! I saw him in Juliet's head!" Allister exclaimed before stammering apologetically for his sudden outburst.

"As in the nightmare Pokemon? What does he have to do with this?" Piers asked.

"You remember how I talked to you about not being able to help someone? I was talking about Darkrai." Juliet reminded him.

"S-Seriously?"

"I know, it's hard to believe and I don't know how or when it happened but, Darkrai was attached to me and he'd purposely show me nightmares as a way to get to know me. It sounds a little morbid but he did it because he was trying to find closure for his own pain from what I went through. If he could relate to someone, then he wouldn't feel alone and burdened with the powers that he has. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, but his powers say otherwise…" Juliet hugged herself and shuddered at the thought. "And now, he got captured by Chairman Rose and merged with Eternatus."

"...Wait. How would you know that, J?" Leon asked suspiciously.

She bit her lip and clutched herself tighter, bracing herself with how he would react to her breaking his promise to not do anything reckless. "I snuck into the Power Plant."