The moment we set foot in Vermilion again, I bade our navigator a quick farewell before hurrying off to Pallet Town on Zuma's back. I didn't want to waste any time whatsoever- Deoxys was going to recover at some point, and when it did, I couldn't imagine it being very happy with me. Those sterilized white walls and tiled floors of Oak's laboratory were some very familiar sights from when I was younger, but as time went on, I saw them less and less… so of course, it seemed fate would draw me back again.

"Professor! Ngh-…!"

I nearly fell flat on my face when I went bursting through the door of the laboratory, but Zuma's beak grabbed the neck of my shirt and kept me from doing so. The research aides were a bit surprised at my sudden intrusion into their workplace, but surely, one look at my tired eyes and still-damp clothes accompanying my call for their boss told them that I wasn't there for frivolous reasons.

An older gentleman with greying hair and a lab coat looked up from whatever it was he was analyzing. "Leaf?" Professor Oak asked, casting me a surprised glance. "What brings you-"

I took a few haphazard, clunky steps towards him, Zuma sticking one wing around me, then stumbled over my own feet and went sprawling on the ground in a pathetic heap. The Ultra Ball grasped in my hand dropped on the ground and went bouncing away much to my horror, but just as quick, Zuma reached out with their beak and caught it before it could get far (or inadvertently release the extraterrestrial inside had it landed on the button). The professor and an assistant or two put down whatever was in their hands and darted over to me, and with a few hands to help me, I picked myself up off the floor.

"Leaf!" the professor exclaimed. "What happened?!"

A somewhat muffled cry of 'Zap' came from Zuma as they held the ball in their beak, then tossed it towards the professor, who caught it carefully.

"Don't open that yet," I said hurriedly. "Professor, that thing is out of this world in more ways than one and it straight-up tried to kill me. L-look, can I heal my Pokémon before we get too much farther…?"

He blinked. "… Of course," he replied, studying me. "If I may say so, it seems like you've had quite an encounter."

"Oh, believe me, I have," I answered, handing off the Poké Balls on my belt to an aide offering to take them. "I was hoping you would know a thing or two about what's in that ball, since I've never seen anything like it."

The professor gave me a little chuckle, smiling and striding towards the back of the lab where most of the equipment was. "Oh, I'm sure I can manage that."

The aide was already sticking my team's little capsules, minus Zuma's, into a healing machine, and I took some haphazard steps in same direction that the professor and the aide went. My legs felt like stone pillars that simply refused to listen to what my mind was telling them to do, but nonetheless I wanted to be close to my team. I probably looked ridiculous, a struggling and damp mess against all the pristine whiteness and shining surfaces of the lab's surroundings with a Zapdos keeping me from slumping into a hapless lump.

"So what is this that you've caught, Leaf?" Professor Oak inquired, sticking the ball into a device connected to a PC by several cords. "And what is this about it trying to kill you?"

"It says its name is Deoxys," I explained, sitting myself down on a stool. "And it-"

Apparently, the mention of the name 'Deoxys' was enough to catch Oak's attention, for he went wide-eyed and cast me a look as if I'd grown three heads. "Deoxys?"

I paused at seeing the shock on his face. "Y-yeah, that's what it said," I replied. "Deoxys, forged from the coldness of space, and apparently this world is too soft. I found this ticket that apparently no one sees anymore these days to a place called Birth Island, and, well… Let's just say, things went from zero to a hundred really quick."

At the mention of 'Birth Island,' his eyes went even wider, but we were shortly interrupted by the cries of a very flustered Blastoise bursting out of her ball as soon as she was healed, followed by a certain Heracross, Dragonite, and Flareon too.

"Blast!" Minako cried, rushing over to me. "Stoise! Blastoise!"

"Nite!" Niko fussed.

"Hey, it's okay, guys, we're alright," I said quickly, giving them a knowing glance. I would've given them all a hug, but the aching in my arms made following through with that idea much more easily considered than done. "Zuma pulled through. Everyone's okay, and you guys did great."

They all eased up at my words, but I still found myself with Minako's arm on one shoulder, Niko's hand on the other, Shanra curled up by my feet, and Heracles tugging at the edge of my skirt. Silva's ball was rocking furiously in its place, but obviously, the laboratory floor wasn't the place to go releasing a subterranean species and I held her ball in my lap instead when the aide brought them over.

Professor Oak blinked a few more times, shaking his head in sheer disbelief. "Birth Island… Now, that is a place I didn't think I'd hear about ever again," he remarked, turning back to the PC and pushing a few keys on the keyboard.

I perked up. "So you know about it? The captain at Vermilion said no one had been there in over a decade because it was so rough."

"That's absolutely true," he replied, pulling up more windows on the PC. "I went there long ago, Leaf. Truly, it was as much a relief as it was disappointing to disband our studies there since the creature that kept interrupting us was so unbelievably hostile, but I wouldn't expect… this."

He opened up one window on the PC that displayed a summary of sorts- a hologram of the fainted one inside the ball came up, along with its moves listed and a tag for the location it was captured in. The professor stood back for a second, studying the page with wide eyes and mouth slightly open. The aide that had returned my balls to me also took notice and got a stupefied look as well, eyes narrowing in scrutiny.

"Professor… isn't that the same species that was sighted over Mossdeep Space Center?" the aide inquired, fixing her glasses for just a second as if she too was seeing something that wasn't real. "And wasn't that one called 'Deoxys' too?"

"… Yes and yes," Professor Oak answered, taking a step forward and pushing a few more buttons again, still looking stunned. "That one too was captured by the Hoenn region's champion with the help of the legendary Rayquaza, and we thought that was the only Deoxys in existence. The general public still doesn't know about that yet, but I was lucky enough to get those research files…"

"W-wait, really?" I chimed in, a bit off guard. "There's two of them?"

The professor typed a few more things and hit another key, where another window popped up- a hologram with the same shape, but a different set of moves, and curiously enough, a different color. This one was primarily an orange-ish red instead of yellow like the one I'd caught, making me blink a bit in surprise.

"… I knew something was different," Professor Oak remarked, crossing his arms. "Leaf, did this one you caught sparkle by chance?"

I blinked some more, getting a funny look. "Well, I guess, but that was probably because we were all covered in rain droplets with the sun shining down, so of course-…"

The realization hit me. Two different colors, and if one was sparkling…

"… Shiny variants, Leaf, Shiny variants," the professor noted, still studying the two windows. "You know how that works- some Pokémon have an incredibly rare mutation that causes their natural colors to look different and their outer surface to shimmer. The one captured in Hoenn did not have shimmering skin, so we can safely assume that the reddish coloration was standard. This one, on the other hand…"

My mouth fell open a bit. "H-hold on," I said in stupor. "So you're saying that there's only two of these in existence that we know of, and this one is a Shiny variant?"

"That's correct."

I still didn't quite believe it. "But…! That's…! That's over a one in eight-thousand chance in this region! H-how do we know this isn't just a form difference, like- oh, what's it called…- Alcremie in the Galar region? Or Miniors in Alola?"

"Well, that is possible," the professor acknowledged. "I suppose there's only one way to find out for sure."

I grew a bit hesitant again, eyes falling on the Ultra Ball hooked to the PC. Of course, leaving Deoxys in its battered condition forever wasn't something that I was going to do, but all the same, I couldn't help tensing up a bit at the idea of letting it out again. Zuma caught on too and practically stared daggers at the ball, Minako and Niko not too far behind.

"… Well, I do have some questions I'd like to ask this one…" my voice trailed off. I looked to my team. "We figured out its weakness… Do you guys think you can handle it if it starts acting up again…?"

Minako let out a determined snarl- of course she was ready for a second round. Niko, Shanra, and Heracles gave cries of affirmation, their gazes falling on the ball too. Zuma was silent, but the way they crouched down just a bit and their wings spread out ever-so-slightly was indication enough. Silva's ball, though she wasn't out, shook a little.

"… Very well," Professor Oak noted, giving the ball a look too. "My equipment is quite durable… but please, if it comes to it, do be careful."

Of course, that was something I couldn't make any guarantees over, but we would try nonetheless. He made a few more clicks of the keys and the Ultra Ball started to glow for a second, indicating a healing function, and almost as soon as it happened, the ball went bursting open. We all jumped a bit, giving the creature some space as it took form on the outside again, those piercingly empty eyes falling on me almost as fast. Still, just as had been the case when it appeared at Birth Island, its skin sparkled on leaving the ball… but that quickly wasn't of much concern.

That strangling grip returned to my throat and I felt my body move by no accord of my own, getting ripped off of the stool I sat on and floating in the air as if a Machamp had wrenched me up by my neck. I gasped for air, my hands reflexively reaching up for my throat as if to pry a set of arms off, but there was nothing there to pry at. My vocal chords felt like they were getting shredded.

"YOU!" Deoxys exclaimed, using my voice again. "I'll be damned, you pathetic human, you actually managed to do it! Perhaps you aren't as soft as the rest, but if you think this changes ANYTHING about how I see all of you wretches, then you! Are! WRONG!"

Minako snarled again and looked like she was ready to Skull Bash the alien into the next universe, but in silent response, Deoxys' form shifted to the defensive one and it Protected itself with another energy shield. Niko and Heracles both tried to wrench me free of Deoxys' telekinetic grasp by grabbing me by the shoulders or ankles, but that wasn't much good either. The Professor and his aides were taken aback, but I simply didn't have it in me to be surprised.

"And what is this about you capturing me, Leaf?" the alien went on, sounding even more annoyed. "I'll give you one thing- it's adorable that you even tried to contain me in the first place."

The Ultra Ball I'd caught it in floated up out of the device and promptly ceased to be in one piece- Deoxys' telekinesis crushed it to dust in mere seconds.

All at once, the crushing force on my throat left and I went slumping onto the ground, gasping for air. Deoxys' shield left, and though my team looked ready to rip it to shreds, I held one shaking hand up to stop them.

"H-hold on, you guys…" I said weakly, trying to regain my composure as quick as I could.

They looked at me as if I was crazy, but even so, Deoxys too wasn't making any moves. It changed forms back to the normal one it had appeared in when I first saw it, albeit with the tentacles replaced by arms. It studied me, crossing its arms and bending both legs as if it were leaning against a wall while it levitated in place, studying me like a snarky school teacher would look at a misbehaving child.

"Deoxys, look," I said, trying to pick myself back up. "Let's handle this like civilized people, okay…? We've already fought once. Can we just try to talk about things?"

The alien's eyes practically stared holes through me, but nonetheless, with the same unpleasant usage of my own voice, it replied, "… Fine. You won, so I'll oblige you for now."

That was a relief, if nothing else. Some of the aides grabbed clipboards and started scribbling things down- making notes about this new creature, obviously- and Professor Oak likewise typed a few things down on the PC, for which Deoxys' eyes bounced around between them as if studying them in turn. They all looked fairly unnerved at the creature making such inhuman growling sounds come out of my throat to communicate, but of course, I couldn't help such and they definitely couldn't make it stop. Minako was still looking ready to rip into the alien if it made a move, and one of her arms curled around my back as I haphazardly got back to my feet.

"Okay, for starters, I have to ask," I said, voice still a bit tired from Deoxys' haphazard use of it, "you're a psychic, so you can use telepathy, right…? Look, if you need to talk, you need to talk, but the way you use my voice like that… it feels like I've been screaming at the top of my lungs for hours after just a few seconds, and that's probably not something I can keep up for very long."

Deoxys was silent for a moment, not moving at all, but eventually, an incorporeal voice could be heard in our minds. *Fair enough. I only did it to see your reaction in the first place.*

I wasn't… quite sure what to make of that, of it simply wanting to see my reaction, but I accepted it anyway. It certainly wasn't my voice that Deoxys was telepathically speaking with, but very similarly, it sounded just a bit off from a human voice as if some other creature had merely heard the sound of one and tried to mimic it, or perhaps like a distorted radio broadcast. Either way, it sounded much more befitting of the creature standing before me.

"… Thanks," I said softly, giving Deoxys a glance. "Let me ask you something else. I don't blame you for thinking this world is too soft, not after what you showed us in that battle, but why is it that you were so quick to fight? Why'd you attack the researchers from all those years ago? Is it because you were mad, because you were bored, something else…?"

The alien rolled its eyes. *I wanted to see what would happen. They came out there, with all their radars and computers and fancy equipment trying to study me, completely unaware that the entire time it was me studying them. And once I deduced that I had no intention of associating with them, I sent them on their way. I kept throwing more and more at them, making the waves stronger or the winds faster or blasting them harder, just to see how much I could get away with, until they called it quits and things went silent for over a decade. It was… amusing, to say the least. And then you show up, with apparently the strongest team in Kanto, trying to find me again… Well, I couldn't ignore that, now could I? When you glimpsed me from the boat, from the way you were struck with fright, I thought you had a big name only and I could at least mess with you. After all, Kanto is only one region in this world… If it turned out that I was indeed stronger than you and your team like I thought, and I killed you, then surely, the resulting news would spread and finally bring me a worthy opponent.*

At the mention of killing anyone, a few growls came from my team again, Minako making something of a lurch but stopping herself and Zuma's eyes narrowing. The ones working in the lab also got perturbed looks, and I was hesitant too, but everyone else kept silent. Clearly, this creature had some… questionable motivations, but if it was calmed down for the moment, then there was no need to rile it up again. Perhaps it was a ploy, another trick just to mess with us, but I… had other ideas.

"So you were intending to kill me," I said matter-of-factly.

Another eye-roll. *You know the answer to that. Frankly, I'm surprised you're up and moving around at all.*

More wide eyes.

"And you were intending to do so because then you know you'd get some serious notoriety and lots of other strong trainers trying to hunt you down, is that right?" I asked.

*More or less.*

"Then why have you just stayed secluded for all this time? I've had tons of League matches, there's plenty more that go on in other regions, and you could've dropped down into the middle of any of them and caused a giant scene."

Perhaps the alien couldn't literally laugh, but all of the mannerisms that followed in that next moment were blatantly indicative of amusement. *… You really are a foolish human, aren't you?* Deoxys scoffed, straightening up a bit and tilting its head to the side. *If I did that, I'd have millions of eyes on me at the same time, and it's a pretty safe bet that a big chunk of those millions of eyes belong to stupid, stupid humans with absolutely no capabilities of dealing with me that still have a brazen, idiotic desire to either fight or capture me. Throw in the fact that, according to you and this old tryhard here-* it shot Professor Oak a glance for just a second- *that apparently I'm a rare variant, and I'm sure some foolish fanatics would lay their eyes on me. I'd blast them all away, but there would be no fun to it. It would be like you taking a stroll through Viridian Forest and having a wild Rattata try to steal things out of your bag- harmless but annoying. If I killed you, at least the authorities of this region would handle it in a less idiotic way. I'll take boredom over being annoyed.*

That made sense, at the very least. This creature had definitely thought things through. I studied Deoxys for a moment, and it too studied me, no one saying a word.

Nonetheless, I piped up again, "… Deoxys, I think I have an idea that's better for all of us."

*What?* it asked pointedly.

"First of all, let me ask- did you think my team was a worthy challenge? We did win, after all."

Deoxys looked primarily at Zuma, who was still eyeing the extraterrestrial with very scrutinizing eyes, then to Minako, then to Niko, then Shanra and Heracles and Silva, then back to me. *Well, you made me have to Recover multiple times, which is something that… I really can't say anyone or anything else has made me do. That Blastoise is the most durable foe I've faced, and that sparking bird is… a challenge. That, and you figured out my weak point, which no one else has…*

"'Weak point?'" Professor Oak chimed in. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, apparently-" I began, but was then cut off, yet again, by telekinetic pressure on my throat. It wasn't nearly as crushing as before, but it definitely shut me up.

*Don't tell them,* Deoxys said coldly, looking to Professor Oak. *If they're so smart, they can figure it out. Get your own strongest team and we can have a go and you can study me then, Professor. Just don't expect to get very far.*

The professor looked as though he just might try that, but he didn't say anything. I didn't divulge it, either. It was certainly a reasonable, if combative, request.

"Well, in that case, I think I've figured out a little more than just your weak point," I said, Deoxys' eyes falling on me again. "I can tell, you're definitely a combative type, aren't you? You've gone all this time messing with everyone that comes close, wanting someone worthwhile to show up."

*No need to state the obvious.*

I chuckled a bit. "I just needed to be sure," I replied. "Look. One way or another, we gave you a challenge and we won. I'm Kanto's strongest, but as far as the rest of the world goes, I'm only one of strongest trainers. The champion of the Sinnoh region has a Garchomp that's apparently one of the scariest creatures to walk this earth, the champion of Alola had to handle a region-wide invasion of these wickedly strong otherworldly creatures called Ultra Beasts, there's the two Battle Frontiers where the world's strongest go to test their skills in different setups with different rules, and if I ever cross paths with my friends Red and Blue again, I know those two are anything but weak. That, and we get all sorts of contestants in the League matches each year… and some of our matches have been close."

Deoxys' gaze grew even more intense, and shortly, those piercing eyes were only centimeters away from my face. *What're you saying?*

I flinched just a bit, still slightly unsettled, but I smiled nonetheless. "… I know a place where those tendencies of yours are fine to express. Join me and you won't be bored anymore."

A few cries of surprise came from my team and the aides alike, while Zuma gave me a silently scrutinizing look like I'd gone insane. Deoxys stared at me, still up close and personal, for a few more seconds, then retreated backwards, crossing its arms again.

"Flare!" Shanra cried, pawing at my shoes.

I reached down and gave my Flareon a stroke. "Don't worry; it's only an idea. If this one tries anything funny, then we're straight back to square one." I looked up at our extraterrestrial company. "We're past the stage of trying to destroy each other, right? We hashed it out already, yeah?"

The alien's gaze practically burned holes through me, but nonetheless it replied, *… I suppose. But I fail to see how accompanying a prominent figure like yourself would solve the problem of annoyances if everyone's eyes are on me.*

"You won't have to worry about a bunch of fanatics annoying you if you're with me. If everyone knows you're on my team, then trust me, they'll keep their hands off. Zuma's a legendary, a well-known one too, and nobody has been dumb enough to try snatching them or their ball, not that it would end well if anyone was able to."

Deoxys' head tilted again, those unnerving eyes studying me with incredulity. *You're not going to shove me in a capsule like some kind of trinket, let's get that straight.*

"No, no, of course not!" I exclaimed. "The balls are only there for convenience; you don't have to stay in one if you don't want to! Like, if you were tired or the weather was really bad or you just wanted to be alone for whatever reason, the balls just give you a safe place to go! Earlier today, we were down at the beach, and Zuma doesn't care for the beach, so they stayed in the ball for most of the time, but then you've got other Pokémon like Minako who's hardly ever inside of hers because she likes to see everything. It's not so I can carry you like a trinket, I swear."

Deoxys was silent for a bit, shifting around slightly but its eyes never leaving me. I was half expecting it to scoff at me and throw another attack, but oddly enough, the creature before me seemed to be softening up. My team still wasn't sure what to make of it, and Deoxys didn't appear very sure of what to make of my team, but at the very least, things had calmed down. The professor and his aides were frozen, apparently taken aback by the entire ordeal unfolding before them, but they too were silent.

Nonetheless, after a minute, Deoxys stared me straight in the eyes and said, *… Fine. I accept, but on one condition.* Once more, the alien's face was centimeters away from mine. *If you're going to get me a 'Poké Ball' as they're called for convenience's sake, I want to pick it out myself. That one you threw at me was utterly distasteful.*

I grinned again- for such a confrontational, quite literally in-my-face gesture, I definitely hadn't expected the condition to be about the aesthetics of a capsule. "No problem," I replied. "We can go shopping. Heck, we can even get some of those fancy custom ones from Johto shipped to my condo if that's your thing."

A small laugh escaped Professor Oak's mouth at the happenings too, but apparently some telekinetic pressure on his throat shut him up too.

"And I should ask," I piped up again, "Deoxys, do you have a gender? I've been calling you 'it' since I can't tell and I had no idea you'd be an intelligent being, but that might not be your preference."

At that, the alien did scoff. *That might be important to you, but it isn't to me. You have my name and that's all I care about- refer to me with whatever set of pronouns you like. I couldn't care less.*

I got a sheepish look, but nonetheless replied, "… Well, alright then! I'll call you 'they' like I do with Zuma, in that case."

*Fine.*

I glanced around at all my Pokémon. "You guys think you can give Deoxys a chance? This one isn't as hostile as they seem. I think the eight of us can reach an understanding pretty easily."

Silva's ball shook a bit, Niko and Shanra merely studied the alien, Heracles gave a little intonation, and Zuma's scrutinizing look fell on the other legendary instead of me. Minako, however, made a few little laughing sounds and pumped her arms, getting a mischievous look that Deoxys in turn studied her for.

*Yes, you shelled brute, I have no objections to blasting away at each other all day, but your human here better have plenty of potions,* Deoxys flippantly remarked, rolling their eyes.

I chuckled, giving Minako a hapless grin. "You never change, do you, Minako…~?"

Evidently not, for she made a few more laughing sounds under her breath with a little wink.

However, Deoxys gave Zuma a look next, remarking, *And you… Rest assured, you have strength I can respect, so you don't need to envision yourself ripping my brain out and smashing it against a rock if I act out. You won; I acquiesce for now.*

Their facial expressions couldn't convey such, but Deoxys sounded slightly awkward, almost hesitant to go invoking Zuma's wrath again. Still, Zuma gave Deoxys one last scrutinizing glare before easing up at least somewhat. Nonetheless, my team wasn't objecting, and I grinned at the extraterrestrial.

"Well, I guess that settles it, then- welcome to the team!" I said with a happy laugh. "Let's head back to my place for now, okay? I can show you a bunch of different balls, you can tell me about the coldness of space, and I can show you some League match recordings- my own and ones from other regions."

*Agreeable.*

I moved to slide off of the stool, but still, my utter lack of energy made me stumble and nearly go sprawling on the floor again. Minako reached out to steady me and Zuma held one foot out to grab me, but before either one of them could make contact, a psychic glow froze me in place and straightened my body out so I could stand properly before leaving. Deoxys got a few funny looks, my team probably anticipating another strangling grip or some other malevolent shenanigan, but I smiled, giving the alien a glance.

"Thanks," I said softly.

They merely rolled their eyes, not responding. I could tell it was a helpful gesture, but clearly, this creature was not going to break their standoffish façade so soon. That was fine- perhaps the 'coldness of space' would never truly wear off, but I was determined to melt the icy shell around their heart one way or another. We left the laboratory and my team returned to their balls while I crawled on Zuma's back again to head for my condo in Celadon, the stretches of the Kanto region laid out like a quilt underneath us. Just as always, gliding along on the back of a legendary never lost its charm, but that time, I had two with me, for Deoxys took up in the sky next to us. They were silent, just like Zuma usually was, but much unlike my Zapdos that had seen everything in this region from above multiple times, Deoxys's eyes were flitting around between the scenery below and off in the distance.

I chuckled. "You're happy, aren't you?" I said softly.

*… Don't push your luck, human.*

I held my tongue and grinned with the bottom of my face buried in Zuma's feathers, not making a sound.

My opponents were going to have even more of a ridiculous time trying to wrench my title away in the next League tournament, and my new comrade was sure to have a fun time throwing wrenches in their setup at every turn. For plenty of reasons, the battle at Birth Island wasn't ever going to leave my memories.