Chapter 15

Spark

. . . . . . . . . .

14:25, September 15, Unified Year 4734 - Federal Bureau of Research and Intelligence Headquarters, Grand Auditorium (B16F)

. . . . .

For the first time this year, the Grand Auditorium was filled to the brim.

Of course, under normal circumstances, this would have been far from unusual. Being that the auditorium was specifically used for official proceedings and ceremonies only, it was common for the facility to be left empty and unused for extended periods of time.

But the current circumstances were anything but normal. As of three years prior, the number of agents that had earned promotions had substantially increased; a given considering that the arrival of a state of war would give them more opportunities to rise through the ranks. And so, as a result of this, over the past few years, the auditorium had been heavily utilized, hosting promotion ceremonies one after another in quick succession, leaving the doors open for anyone from the Bureau to bear witness to the deserving agents earn their new ranks.

And yet, few would ever attend such proceedings. With the number of new promotions being all but overshadowed by the number of casualties that the war had produced, it was all too understandable why hardly anyone was in any mood to celebrate. Quite frankly, it seemed all too inappropriate to do so.

With this in mind, today should have been no different to the other slew of celebratory proceedings that the auditorium had held over the past three years. But there was something uniquely different about today's circumstances that would prompt a vastly different reception from those present.

For starters, the development of a ceasefire between the Federation and the Empire, established only half a year ago, had finally brought a well needed calm and respite to the Bureau and its staff. Freed from the chaos of war, everyone present had finally allowed themselves a moment to relax. And though they all knew that the shaky state of peace would be temporary at best, they nonetheless chose to relish the moment for as long as their situation would allow.

Second was the fact that today's proceedings weren't those of another promotion but was instead a rare induction ceremony. The introduction of new agents into the Bureau had always been seen in a positive light by both agents and the members of staff alike, and this year would prove to be no exception. As a matter of fact, it could be said that the Pokémon in the auditorium were more elated than usual by the graduation of this year's batch of recruits; something that was easy to understand given everyone's awareness of the Bureau's desperate need for more personnel as of late.

But the main reason for the state of commotion, more than anything else, was the unprecedented reintroduction of the fabled Cerberus programme. Nobody had suspected the defunct initiative to be revived in the way that it was, and with the higher ups of the Bureau refusing to disclose the reasoning behind their discussion, rumours had begun to run rampant throughout Headquarters as to why the programme had been brought back, and what it meant for the future of the Bureau as a whole.

Escalating matters even further was the fact that the agent in question was none other than the very daughter of the legendary Cerberus agent Arthur Schwarz. Though much of the hysterical fanfare that surrounded the mysterious Glaceon had faded since she first appeared within the Bureau Headquarters three months ago, the intrigue that surrounded her and her background still remained; a matter only exacerbated by her lack of willingness to interact with others or even explain her unusual circumstances.

And so, with rumours and speculations all but dumping fuel to the puzzling fire, it came as no surprise that everyone would want to lay witness to the graduation of the Bureau's latest batch of Pokémon to make it through their infamous recruit training programme. Huddled close together, they watched; a sea of eyes, their attentions locked onto the graduates standing atop the auditorium's stage, the six standing at attention in perfect form and formation.

A hush befell upon the audience as an Emboar, the head instructor and spokesperson of the event, took up his position behind the podium. Taking a moment to glance over towards the Chairman and the three Directors observing the proceedings from the theatre box perched high above the auditorium, he cleared his throat and began his speech.

"Fellow members of the Federal Bureau of Research and Intelligence, standing before you today are, without question, six of the finest Pokémon that the Federation has to offer. Following in our footsteps, they have chosen to surrender their freedom and identity for the sake of our Federation; to join us in becoming but whispers in the wind. They stand here today, having endured the most demanding of trials through their own sweat and blood, having surpassed our expectations with their wit and cunning, and having withstood our best efforts to tear their souls asunder."

He paused, taking a moment to look over towards the six graduates standing in place, their faces firm with grim determination. He and his fellow instructors had thrown everything but the kitchen sink at them, from intensive combat exercises, extensive espionage classes, to relentless torture resistance trainings, both physical and psychological. Quite frankly, given everything that they had subjected them to over the past three months, it was a miracle that their bodies weren't already broken.

And yet, despite all the sleep deprivation, endless exhaustion, and psychological trauma they had put them through, these six had managed to press on until the very end in a spectacular display of tenacity. And though it was true that he, along with everyone else in the Grand Auditorium, had gone through the exact same thing, it was nevertheless astonishing to think that these six standing before him, all of whom had seemed so ordinary to him just three months ago, had managed to endure everything all the way to the end. With this in mind, satisfied by what he and his colleagues had produced, he returned to the podium microphone and resumed his speech.

"…They have persevered through the most arduous of circumstances and remained steadfast when all others faltered, their tenacity a true testament to their capacity and willingness to serve the Federation as a member of our beloved Bureau. And so, it is with great pleasure that I welcome into our ranks and family the graduates of the 955th Recruit Training Regimen."

On cue with the Emboar's speech, two other instructors, a Stoutland and a Pangoro, made their way onto the stage, a silver tray perched atop the canine's back. Neatly arranged atop it were a set of six berets, cushioned by a layer of fantastic crimson velvet. Headpieces worn by agents of the Bureau for ceremonial occasions, all berets were colour coordinated to represent the rank that the wearer held. Of course, being that the graduating trainees were only just entering the lowest rank that an agent could hold, the berets brought forth to the stage were all a shade of pure and innocent white.

One by one, the two instructors stopped in front of each awaiting graduate, going through the formalities with swift and deliberate movements as they placed the berets atop the recipient's head. Each beret had embroidered on its front the emblem of the Bureau's department that the recipient was assigned to. And as the six gave their salute after receiving their berets, everyone could see with naked clarity the emblems that they so proudly displayed.

Four Hex class Operative emblems…

…One D-class Intelligence emblem…

…And one Hex class Cerberus emblem.

"Graduates of the Nine-Five-Five, from this day forth until your duty is complete, the you as you had known all your life is now dead and buried." With the berets now awarded, the Emboar continued with his speech. "From this day forth, you will serve as the eyes and ears for a nation that is otherwise deaf and blind. From this day forth, you shall take up arms to become the Federation's spectral sword and shield, your hardships and sacrifice to go forever unnoticed by the public's eye. From this day forth, to all who lie beyond our house of secrets, the you that they had known will no longer exist. But, unsung heroes of the Federation you may be, know that the consequences of your actions will be felt forever. Though your last days may be in painful solitude, know that the crimson within your veins will forever flow with us. Because, though your disappearance from the world may be forgotten, your brotherhood to the Bureau will be eternal. Stay audacious, stay courageous, and stay fearless, Nine-Five-Five."

A firm thud echoed through the auditorium as the six graduates gave their salute, their movements in perfect sync.

"""Stay fearless!"""

Satisfied, the Emboar nodded.

"May your years with the Bureau be as glorious as they are victorious. This concludes our 756th Induction Ceremony. Everyone, please give a round of applause to the graduates of the 955th Recruit Training Regimen."

With the conclusion of the induction ceremony, the auditorium thundered with rapturous cheer, shattering the stiflingly formal mood in a matter of seconds. The audience rising up from their seats and onto their feet, they applauded the six graduates, now fully fledged agents of the Bureau, who were standing atop the stage, perfectly still and expressionless.

Not until the three instructors had vacated the stage did the six finally surrender themselves to the quickly changing atmosphere, smiles and grins seeping out from the cracks that formed on their stoic façade. Breaking from the formation they had maintained throughout the ceremony, the new agents wandered apart, drifting towards the audience as they partook in the celebrations with their new friends and colleagues.

One of the new agents, a bubbly Leafeon, had gone so far as to throw herself into the cheering crowd, no longer able to contain the surging energy and enthusiasm that she contained within. Her face lit up with a blinding smile and sunny laughter, she embraced the first Pokémon she saw in a tight hug, her squeeze practically crushing the agent, an unsuspecting Bunnelby, as he in turn responded with a frantic plea for help of his own. Quite frankly, to all that knew her, it was a miracle that she had managed to stay still throughout the ceremony at all.

And yet, despite all the festive cheer and atmosphere, one of the graduates showed no signs of sharing the celebratory attitude. Quietly stepping off from the stage, a Glaceon, the sole recipient of the Cerberus emblem, collected her only belonging; a tattered old backpack, before making a beeline for the exit in the back, seemingly uninterested in the jovial celebrations that her cohort had begun to partake in.

Perhaps, if such celebrations had taken place a little earlier, Kiteki may have allowed herself to indulge in the festive mood shared by everyone else. She wasn't one to dismiss such an occasion as being entirely unimportant, after all. But much had happened over the past couple of days that had all but ruined what little celebratory attitude she had left. Only a week prior to today, immediately after learning of her assignment as a Cerberus agent, Kiteki had found herself being briefed, in utmost secrecy and privacy, of the circumstances that surrounded her father's research by none other than Director von Cannon herself.

Burdened with the knowledge of the Empire's plans on creating an unknown superweapon and the critical role that she was assigned in preventing it, Kiteki's reason to celebrate had all but vanished into thin air. Though blessed with the conclusion of the Bureau's gruelling training programme, the hellish three months that Kiteki had spent in the underground training facility now only seemed to serve as a means to an end, her newfound understanding forcing her to put her priorities elsewhere.

Unfortunately for her, because of the strict order of confidentiality that had been placed upon her by her new superiors, nobody around her could even begin to fathom what it was that had consumed the Glaceon's mind. And so, with everyone oblivious to her worries and concerns, Kiteki found herself halted at every step she took, her path up the auditorium aisle entirely blocked by a slew of different faces, all of them eager to meet and greet her.

"Congratulations on making it through!"

"Heh, I'm not surprised. You're Arthur's kid, after all."

"How did you bring back the Cerberus group? Please, tell me!"

"Following in your old man's footsteps, I see? Congrats!"

"I never thought I'd see a new Cerberus agent again. Good on you, Miss Schwarz."

Showered with congratulations, Kiteki politely accepted the cheers that she received, returning their gesture with a courteous, albeit frustratingly brief, word of thanks. And yet, despite her response, the Glaceon made no effort to stay and talk with any of them, quietly slipping past each agent she encountered as she went straight for the exit in the back. In her mind, there was no reason to, after all. She didn't recognise a single Pokémon that came up to her from the crowd, and those that approached her seemed more interested in her newfound role as a Cerberus agent or her relation to her father than they did in her. If she were to be perfectly honest, she could very much do without the superficial thanks that came from those that knew nothing about her.

It wasn't until she had reached the exit that she found herself willingly stop, having finally encountered a face that she even recognised at all. Standing on his own next to the auditorium exit, the lone Flareon gave her a sincere nod of approval upon catching her attention, voicing his congratulations in an unusually solemn tone.

"Congrats on getting through, Kit. I never thought you'd actually end up joining a group like ours, but… looking at you now, I guess it was bound to happen, eh?"

Kiteki blinked, caught off guard by the Flareon's presence. Having failed to spot or identify a single familiar face during the induction ceremony, she had all but expected herself to finish the proceedings and leave on her own. For her to now find her old childhood friend to be here waiting for her came as an entirely unexpected, albeit welcome, surprise. And, though strange as it may have been for the Flareon to be skulking about on his own like this, Kiteki still had to admit that it was in several ways reassuring to finally find someone that she knew at all.

Taking a quick glance around her, making doubly sure that they were out of eavesdropping distance from anyone else in the room, Kiteki made her way over towards him.

"What are you doing here, Clay?"

Her question was met with a pensive silence as Clay nervously scratched the back of his head. Eventually opening his mouth, he spoke slowly, picking his words with palpable caution.

"I just… I wanted to apologise for what happened between us back in Winteroot."

"Clay." Kiteki frowned, removing the beret from atop her head as she sighed upon the Flareon's explanation. "That was three months ago."

Despite her forgiving response, Clay could only chuckle apologetically in reply.

"Yeah, I know… pretty late for an apology, ain't it?"

But Kiteki simply shook her head, not an ounce of anger or contempt in her expression as she did so. Perhaps, had his apology come immediately after their mission, she may have been much less quick or willing to forgive. But now, though the memory of what had happened back in Winteroot was still fresh in her mind, the three months that had passed since those events had taken place had drastically changed her opinion on the matter.

Yes, it was undeniably true that she utterly loathed what had happened to her during that mission. But, even so, considering how things had ended, she couldn't deny the fact that the plan had, in the end, worked out perfectly fine for the both of them. And besides, now that she had been familiarized with the Bureau's espionage tactics during her training period, Clay's actions seemed much more understandable to her now.

"Clay, don't worry. I'm over it. Besides…" Pausing to put her bag down onto the floor, she pulled out a perfectly preserved envelope, handing it over to the curiously watching Flareon before her. "…You've already apologised."

Confused, Clay took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the neatly folded letter that was contained within. His confusion gave way to open shock as he scanned the first few sentences of the letter, his eyes growing wide with surprise as the realisation of what it was that he was holding dawned upon him.

"You… You held onto this?"

"Of course, I did. Did you really think I'd throw away something like that?"

Clay grinned wryly. "Honestly, after what I did back then, I thought you'd do worse."

"Clay, I'm fine. It's behind us now."

"Yeah, but… I just can't rest easy with that alone." And yet, despite Kiteki's repeated assurances, Clay couldn't help but let out a hard and heavy sigh. Taking in a deep breath as he mustered up his courage and suppressed his pride, he gingerly folded the letter back into its envelope before handing it back, his eyes firmly locked onto the curiously staring Glaceon as he did so. "I've been wanting to say this to you for a while now, but I never managed to figure out how to put it into words until long after you had gone in for training. And, look, I know I've sent you that letter, but I just won't be able to sleep properly unless I can say it to you face-to-face."

Kiteki sighed, wearily shaking her head upon his insistence as she put away her beret and envelope into her bag. "It's been bothering you that much?"

"…Yeah." Staring at her with firm, remorseful eyes, Clay spoke, his words dripping with sincere humility. "I'll say this now while I still can. I wanted to show you what it was like to be an Operative, but I… I didn't realise how overboard I went till we got back to Headquarters. I… I'm sorry, Kit. I'm sorry for being so damn blind. I'm sorry for letting that Houndoom and his grunts do all those things to you. And… I'm sorry, I'm really sorry that we had to meet up again the way we did, instead of the way I promised we would all those years ago. I'm really sorry, Kit… I really am."

For a brief second, Kiteki simply blinked in reply, her deadpan expression as icy as ever.

And then, slowly, for the first time in months, her cold stare began to melt away into a light and airy giggle.

Her soft and delicate laughter wasn't a result of her surprise. She had, after all, been made aware of his feelings a month in advance. And though she had been unsuspecting of Clay's second apology, her attitude towards the guilt-ridden Flareon had barely changed. To all extents and purposes, she had already, and still has, forgiven him entirely.

But that wasn't to say that his apology had no effect whatsoever. Because, though the sway of his words had failed to bring up any new sentiment or change in feeling, they had, albeit completely inadvertently, brought up a warm realisation in the weary Glaceon.

Over the years of being with him in their youth, Kiteki had grown to become more than aware of the fact that Clay could be, at times, surprisingly dense. Though usually sharp as a razor, there had been several times during their younger years where Clay would demonstrate an entirely unexpected degree of thoughtlessness, resulting in the boisterous Eevee getting into more than a handful of needless fights with his friends and peers.

But, despite that shortcoming of his, Clay had always made up for it with his incredible sense of justice. Never one to simply watch as a silent bystander, Clay had, time and again, always been the first to confront and challenge injustice, doubly so when he himself was the one at fault. And though Kiteki had feared the Flareon to have lost that trait over the years they were apart, the sight of him so desperate to make amends all but confirmed that the chubby Eevee she had once been so fond of was, despite first impressions, still alive within the dashing Flareon before her.

Faced with that realisation, Kiteki, for just a brief, fleeting moment, smiled gently in reply.

"…It's alright, Clay. Thank you."

Clay froze.

For the first time since he could remember, Clay found himself at a loss for words. He stood in place, his body perfectly still as his eyes stared back in wonder at the Glaceon in front of him.

All because of a single, innocent smile.

But this wasn't the first time he had seen that smile. As a matter of fact, he had seen it several times when they were both but young and innocent. The smile upon her face was no different to the one she would greet him with whenever he came to visit when she was bedridden and sick; no different to the smile that would nurse him after he had defended her from her tormentors at school. And though this was the first time that he had seen her smile after her evolution and subsequent reunion, nothing about her smile had changed to warrant a different reaction from his end.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, Clay found himself stunned by the sight of his old childhood friend smiling at him with such genuineness. For a reason he couldn't quite understand, he found himself utterly captivated by the smile he had seen a hundred times before. His mind turning blank in an instant, Clay stared, helpless and vulnerable to her unexpectedly lethal display.

But it was only a moment before he would regain his footing. Finally catching himself, he stuttered uncharacteristically as he forced his flustered self to shift its attention elsewhere.

"Oh, err, hey! Did they tell you where you're getting assigned to?"

As quickly as it had appeared, Kiteki's smile vanished, replaced once again by her typically frosty gaze as she nodded in reply. "Squad 17, though I won't be going right away. They're giving me and the other graduates a week to relax before they put us to work."

"Squad 17? Hey, looks like that makes the both of us."

Kiteki's ears perked up, a faint sense of delighted relief showing on her otherwise stoic face.

"Really?"

"Yeah. The squad's only been formed about two months ago, so I'm still getting used to everyone there." Clay paused, trying to recall the members that made up his team. "Maya and Lee's in it too, but I'm not sure if you know any of the others there."

"Lily's going to be joining us."

"Lily?"

"The Leafeon."

Seeing Kiteki gesture back to the auditorium stage, Clay's eyes scanned the area, his gaze quickly falling upon the effervescent Verdant Pokémon enthusiastically enjoying herself in the midst of the crowd. Taking a moment to watch Lily's high-spirited celebrations, Clay chuckled, his mouth curling into a devilish grin.

"Her? Damn, what a babe. Hey, this might not be so bad after all."

Kiteki glared at him upon his remark.

"Clay."

"Relax, Kit. I'm only joking!" But Clay simply laughed in reply. Chuckling mischievously, he reached up and began to vigorously pet her head like he had done several years before, eliciting a familiar groan from the petite Glaceon as he roughened up the fur on her head. "Anybody else?"

"Ugg…!" Squirming in a futile attempt to fight back, Kiteki waited impatiently for him to finish, promptly combing her head with her paw as soon as he let her go. Flashing him a deathly cold glare, she sighed, before shaking her head in reply. "…No, that's all from the graduating group."

Clay shrugged, making note of the two new members that would soon join his team. "Figured… it's a small group this year too, after all. Well, that's alright then. I'll let Yuri know the next time I see him."

"Yuri?"

"Our squad leader. You'll see him soon enough."

"…Alright."

Pausing to let Kiteki return the envelope to her bag, Clay pondered for a moment as his friend resecured her pack onto her back. "So… what're you gonna do for the next week?"

His question was met with a nonchalant shrug. "…Look around, I guess."

Her answer was perfectly reasonable, logical even. Now that Kiteki was a fully-fledged member of the Bureau, all of the restrictions that had been placed upon her when she was classified as an outsider had now been lifted. Graced with the clearance to visit all but a few specific locations within Headquarters, it made perfect sense that she would want to become familiar with the facility that would be her home for the foreseeable future to come.

Clay, aware of her newfound freedoms, nodded in understanding, before gesturing back to the celebrating crowd.

"You gonna do that with that Leafeon?"

Kiteki turned back to look at Lily, who was still happily celebrating with the other graduates, a carefree grin on the Leafeon's face. Though barely noticeable, the sight of her brought forth a faint smile from the Glaceon.

"…Only if she wants to."

Letting out a weary sigh, Clay shook his head in response to her reserved, hesitant answer. "Well, look. If you're gonna go sightseeing, then I'd suggest you go pay your respects at the Grand Memorial Cemetery first."

Kiteki's ears perked up upon the unusual suggestion.

"And why would I want to go there?"

"Your old man, Kit. He's down there."

. . . . . . . . . .

15:17, September 15, Unified Year 4734 - Federal Bureau of Research and Intelligence Headquarters – Grand Memorial Cemetery Entrance (B39F)

. . . . .

During the final days of training, I had started to imagine how my first hours out would look like.

Perhaps that comes as no surprise. After all, I'm sure that everyone else in the training programme had the exact same thought cross their minds, especially once we had been briefed on our assigned positions and what that role would entail. The thought of freedom from the hellish training facility and the adrenaline-fuelled anticipation of where our first missions would take us had almost everyone eagerly waiting for the day we would step out from there.

But to say that my own expectations were just as glamorous couldn't have been further from the truth. As a matter of fact, upon learning of the position they had assigned me to, I dreaded the day that training would end. So much so that I ended up taking solace in all the sleep deprivation and exhaustion that training had subjected me to. It just seemed so comforting compared to what awaited me once it was all over.

This isn't to say that I wasn't expecting my new life with the Bureau to be difficult. Quite frankly, given the reasons I had for joining the organisation in the first place, I'm glad that they've chosen to put me straight to work. But, I admit, I never imagined that the scale of what I had to tackle would be this big. I never imagined that the role I would play would be so critical in stopping the Imperial effort. I never imagined that the little locket that dad had given me would be a key to a Pandora's box so unfathomably dire.

As a result of this, my own predictions of the hours following my graduation were far less jovial than that of everyone else. In contrast to the hours of celebrations and partying that the other five graduates intended to partake in, my own predictions involved me going straight to my room to fret over my future in solitude as I slept the night away. And besides, why would I not? Not only am I absolutely, bone-numbingly exhausted, but the Bureau's even gone so far as to provide us with private rooms in the Azurite Retreat above grounds for us to rest in until we get transferred to our respective team's dormitories. And with the threat of losing this beloved privacy yet again once I join up with the rest of my new squad, there was no way I could pass up on this opportunity to finally get some peace and quiet all to my own.

All in all, a perfectly reasonable and logical choice.

But instead, here I am, running as fast as I dare, as if I were late for Winteroot's old biweekly train.

This wasn't what I had planned to do. As a matter of fact, were it just thirty minutes ago, I wouldn't have dared even suggest doing something as stupid as this. Quite frankly, I'm far too tired to be running about like this without good reason. The last thing I would want to do now would be to expend any more energy than I already have.

But that was thirty minutes ago. Now, having just heard what Clay had to say, there was no way I could just retire to my room and let this by.

His revelation honestly took me by such surprise that it was remarkable I could even give him a proper reply. Given the reasoning behind his presence in the Grand Auditorium, the last thing I had expected him to do was disclose dad's final whereabouts. Nor, for that matter, was I even remotely suspecting of him to have figured out the real reason why I chose to snoop about in my old home during our mission in Winteroot three months ago. And yet, there he was, having read me like an open book despite having given him hardly any explanation whatsoever.

"You were looking for your old man when we were back there, weren't you?"

All I could do to answer him was nod in reply. There was no reason to hide it any longer, after all. I knew that it wasn't the main objective of our mission that day, but the thought of dad always seemed to linger in the back of my mind. If anything, I was half expecting to see his corpse around any corner as I went through my old home.

Although, perhaps, in hindsight, it wasn't too hard to figure out what I was really up to. With how things had played out during our mission, anyone would be able to tell that I would have needed a seriously legitimate reason to delay our escape any further. And if there was anyone who could deduce what that reason of mine was, it was going to be Clay.

Clay sighed at my response, seemingly dismayed that his assumptions had been correct all along. His brow furrowing into a frown, he spoke in a low voice, giving me a gentle and reassuring look as he explained himself.

"Hackett brought his body back when he came here last time… or what was left of him, at least. The cemetery's right at the bottom of Headquarters, just above the HQ's power station. Give it a visit once you've rested a bit, alright?"

At least, that's what he said. But now that I'm thinking over his words again while frantically running to the cemetery, I can't help but shake my head in frustration.

After I've rested? There's no way I could wait for that long after what you told me.

And so, powered by this newfound knowledge, I run. I run with desperate speed, willing myself to go faster and faster. The floors this deep below ground are sparsely populated, but what few Pokémon that are here stop and stare at me as I blitz past them, confusion clouding their faces as I leave them guessing upon the motive behind my feverish pace. This attention I'm garnering would have made me hide away in fright, but right now, I dare not stop. I'm exhausted, but I dare not stop. I'm not sure if it's because of what Clay had told me, or if it's actually a result of those three months of intense training, but my legs refuse to stop. My body refuses to let me stop.

With the pace I was maintaining, it would only be a matter of time before I finally reached the cemetery in question. With each corner I rounded, with each step I took, I hurtled deeper and deeper into the belly of the Bureau's Headquarters, the corridors growing increasingly silent as the sound of my frantic pawsteps and wild heartbeat pounded in my ears. Compared to the floors above, this place is practically deserted. The quiet of it all is rather unsettling, and were my circumstances any different, I would have no doubt begun to wonder if I was heading the right way at all. But all the signs hanging from the corridor ceiling say that I'm heading the right direction, and I dare not stop to question them now.

And then, rounding one last corner, I slowed to sudden and complete halt.

Greeting me and my weary eyes was the sight of a vast and open expanse, fields of green as far as the eye can see, packed with full, flowing grass, their soft, emerald blades swaying and dancing as a calm and peaceful breeze gently rolled over them. Up above, my senses were welcomed with the mesmerising spectacle of a clear and limitless sky, its air cool and crisp as vibrant hues of vivid orange, purple and red streaked across with astonishing beauty. Far off in the distance, on the edge of where the land and sky kissed, the brilliant sun had just begun to set, its bottom just dipping below the horizon, lighting up the distant ocean as it shimmered and sparkled with a captivating light. And though stone graves as old as time dotted the landscape, the serenity of it all was a truly astonishing, heavenly spectacle.

But… how?

The last time I checked, I was quite distinctly heading down. As a matter of fact, I should be near the bottom-most floor of the Bureau's Headquarters, surrounded by sea and several hundred feet beneath the surface. None of that aligned with what I was seeing.

I blinked. Stopping to stare at my surrounding as I panted breathlessly, I can't help but to wonder if I've started to become delirious from exhaustion.

"Not bad, is it?"

I freeze.

I hadn't noticed it until now, but it looks like I'm not alone.

Moving slowly, I turned around to face the unexpected guest. But even I couldn't help but hang my mouth open when I realised who it was.

"H-Hackett?"

. . . . .

"H-Hackett?"

Kiteki froze, taken aback by the Decidueye's unexpected presence. Her mind having been swamped with one thought after another, she had barely enough time to register the fact that she was not as alone as she had first assumed. Startled and caught off guard, she stood in place, her eyes staring back at her former trainer as her body instinctively took up a defensive stance.

But Hackett didn't seem at all bothered by the Glaceon's guarded surprise. Giving Kiteki a cool and unconcerned glance, he sighed, slowly rising from the iron bench he was sitting on.

"So, you've decided to come here too, huh?" He paused to take in a deep breath, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness as he stood up and dusted his feathers. "Looks like that's it for my peace and quiet."

Slowly coming to grips with the identity of her unexpected guest, Kiteki slowly lowered her guard, allowing herself the freedom to finally ease herself a little. But, even so, her confusion with regards to both his presence and the whimsical place she found herself in refused to wane.

"Where… where am I…?"

"Grand Memorial Cemetery." Hackett responded matter-of-factly, as if not at all bothered by the almost magical nature of the room that the two of them were in. "Don't worry. We're still underground."

Kiteki tilted her head, unsatisfied with his answer.

"But… this place… how?"

"What, the sky and sea? None of it's real. It's just made to look that way."

Taking in another deep breath of the seemingly cool and fresh air, he gestured back towards the way that the Glaceon had come from. Sure enough, upon turning around, Kiteki found herself face to face with a somewhat jarring opening from where she had entered; a hole seemingly cut straight into the fabric of reality itself that led back to the silent corridor that she had come from.

With a sight as surreal as the one before her, even she couldn't help but give in to her nagging curiosity. Slowly making her way over towards the entrance with tentative steps, she raised her paw, reaching out to touch the seemingly open expanse that was next to the floating hole in space. To her surprise, she felt her paw press up against an invisible wall, her sense of sight betraying what her sense of touch was telling her. Just as Hackett had said, despite the almost endless landscape that lay before her, she truly was inside nothing more than an underground, albeit enormous, room.

Slowly but surely, Kiteki began to come to grips with this beautiful yet bizarre room she found herself in. But, even so, try as she might, she just couldn't quite manage to wrap her head around how any of it was possible at all. The crispness of the cool air against her fur, the saltiness of the gentle ocean breeze, the warmth of the low hanging sun. None of it looked or felt like it could have been faked or even manufactured; it all just seemed so real.

Hackett groaned. He could see exactly what the Glaceon was trying to do, and he wasn't so willing to wait here and see her figure it out on her own.

"Look, don't think about it too hard. You'll hurt yourself trying."

Kiteki turned back around, staring back at the Decidueye before nodding hesitantly in reply. Her mind finally tearing itself away from the workings of the cemetery, she instead shifted her attention to her former instructor, a hesitantly curious look in her eyes.

"So… you were here this whole time?"

Hackett chuckled dryly. "Instead of the auditorium? Heh. You're not going to see me there anytime soon. I'm not the type to take part in those damn ceremonies."

Kiteki shook her head, fully sympathising with his rationale. While some would have thought it weird for Hackett to opt to skip the festivities that he had helped create in the Grand Auditorium, Kiteki could all but understand how the Decidueye felt. After all, were she to be in his position, she would have more than likely chosen to do the same.

"It's fine…"

And yet, despite his more than adequate answer, there was still something that she didn't quite understand, something that she just couldn't figure out on her own.

"…But why are you here?"

For a brief moment, the Decidueye didn't respond.

Instead, Hackett simply turned around, closing his eyes as the calm artificial sea breeze gently combed through his feathers. He stood, in perfectly still silence, drawing in a deep breath as he basked wordlessly in the artificial sunlight. At a glance, it would have seemed as if the Decidueye had simply taken a moment to himself and his thoughts, as he so often did. But as Kiteki watched, she began to notice a flickering flame of the likes she had never seen from him before.

For a second, Kiteki began to wonder if she had unknowingly overstepped some forbidden boundary she shouldn't have crossed. Her eyes cautiously reading the senior Operative before her, she stared, his body radiating a hollow and bitter aura so painful that even she couldn't help but wince. With how he was reacting to her question, it would have been no doubt wise on her part to retract her question, that much she knew. But with just how stifling the atmosphere of the cemetery had become, she could hardly bring herself to even open her mouth.

But she wouldn't suffer for long. An air of calm eventually washing over him, Hackett finally opened his eyes. Turning his sharp gaze over towards her, he gestured for her to follow.

"…Here, let me show you."

Kiteki nodded, making her way over towards her senior colleague with hastened pawsteps. Trailing the Decidueye closely, she watched as he walked over towards the marble monolith at the centre of the field of tombs, the fire she had felt from him still faintly noticeable beneath his cool and cold exterior.

"This cemetery is where we honour those that have fallen for the Bureau's cause. Every soul that make the greatest sacrifice while out on a mission end up here. At least, that's the intention. That's why they've built this place to look the way it does; to give the dead a place where they can rest in peace."

But as Kiteki watched him give his explanation, she noticed that the look on his face didn't quite match what he was saying, his expression darker than his words would imply. Putting two and two together, Kiteki asked, her question based on a calculated assumption.

"…There's a catch, isn't there?"

"Huh, looks like all that training's actually paying off." Hackett grinned wryly, his expression equal parts smile and grimace. "Only the lucky ones are here. There's no guarantee that we'd be able to recover a body if someone gets killed on a mission. Only the ones we could bring back are here. The others just get their name carved into this cenotaph here in the middle."

Kiteki frowned. Though she didn't like it one bit, she had to admit that, given their line of work, it made perfect sense why such a thing would exist. The simple truth of the matter was that it would be impossible to recover every fallen agent that was lost on the field. Even armies, with their number of personnel in the tens or hundreds of thousands strong, wouldn't be able to say with honest sincerity that they were able to bring back every single fallen soldier from the battlefield. And so, for an organisation like the Bureau, such a thing was simply an inevitability, especially given the clandestine nature of, not just their operations, but their very existence.

And, sure enough, Kiteki's hunch was all but confirmed as she got closer and closer to the cenotaph. A solid rectangular slab of polished marble standing fifteen foot tall, the monolithic structure's minimalistic design was littered with engravings, its surface filled with the names of several hundred fallen agents. By appearances alone, some of the names engraved must have been absolutely ancient, the letters on which their names were engraved having long since begun to fade, their mark in the Bureau's monument deep in the process of being eroded away by the sands of time.

But, despite this, Kiteki simply tilted her head. Though informative, it wasn't the answer she was promised.

"That… still doesn't explain why you're here."

Hackett nodded. Though his back was turned to the Glaceon behind him, Kiteki could feel the melancholy aura beginning to seep out from his body. It was thick, heavy, and from someone as cool as Hackett was, disconcertingly unusual.

"…Way back, years ago, there used to be someone other than Tori that I was close with. Us three… we were always together, long before the Bureau took us in. We were like family… hell, we were family. You couldn't have separated us, even if you tried."

He paused, bring his wing up towards the cenotaph. From over the hundreds of names engraved into its marble surface, he reached up to one in particular, gently brushing the dust off of it with a level of tenderness that Kiteki had never seen from the cold Decidueye.

Hector A. Robertson - Dewott

The name was still clean, as if freshly chiselled by the engraver's hands. Though many others preceded it, there was something sinister about how startlingly new that engraving in particular was that sent a dreadful shiver down Kiteki's spine.

"…But four years ago, we got sent on a mission. They sent us to Sinnoh, to check out some weird shit happening inside the Empire. And they were ready for us. They caught us when we were least prepared, and all we could do was flee. Tori and I made it. Hector didn't."

Slowly bringing his wing back down, Hackett's talons began to dig into the grass beneath him, his feet gripping the soft ground with palpable anguish and frustration. For the first time since Kiteki had met him, the Decidueye began to tremble.

"…They mutilated his body right in front of our eyes. They dismembered him, disembowelled him, butchered him like he was a piece of fucking meat. And all that Tori and I could do was run. Run and leave him behind. We never got a chance to bring him back."

To the untrained eye, Hackett would have appeared to be perfectly calm and controlled, his body displaying at best only a mild degree of discontent. But as someone who was more familiar with the distinguished Operative, Kiteki couldn't recall a time she had seen him so genuinely furious as he did now. Never had she seen him this vengeful before. As he spoke, his words searing hot with palpable rage, the stunned Glaceon could do nothing but simply stand and stare, finding herself at a loss for words as she was confronted with the unfamiliar sight of the Decidueye's rare display.

Having said that, though his burning fury was plain and easy to see, few would have been able to empathise with him. Of course, many would sympathise or, at the very least, acknowledge the Decidueye's tale; few would be so callous and so narcissistic as to hold no feelings of sympathy for someone with a story like his, fewer still tactless enough to voice that lack of care. But, even so, to an overwhelming majority, such a thing would have seemed far too foreign and far-fetched to be believable, like watching a tragic opera being played out before their eyes. Few could ever relate to an experience like that.

But Kiteki could. She could understand it all too well. She knew his pain; she felt his pain. And how could she not, when her own experiences aligned so close with his? The anguish she saw in him resembled so closely to the hurt aching within her that the sensations she felt from both seemed almost indistinguishably identical. His pain was her pain, and the discovery of this newfound shared trauma was, though undeniably painful to bear, a blissful and reassuring source of solace.

And yet, despite knowing all too well how Hackett felt, her mind turned blank when she tried to find the right words to say. Though her mind screamed in unison to the anguish and suffering of the battle-hardened Decidueye, she could do nothing but stand and in silence, staring with bitter understanding as Hackett trembled before her with seething contempt and anger. Her lack of social skills coming to haunt her once again, she found herself so desperately close yet so despairingly far, being unable to do anything but simply stare back with frustratingly expressionless eyes.

In the end, still unable to find the right words to say, Kiteki whispered out a feeble but sympathetic apology in reply.

"…I'm sorry."

Even as she uttered those words, she found herself infuriated by how shallow her reply sounded, so utterly disappointed by her inability to find a response, any response better than the two words she could offer.

But, even so, lacklustre as she may have thought it to be, something about Kiteki's apology must have struck a chord with the brooding Decidueye. His grip on the soft ground slowly beginning to loosen, he turned back towards the Glaceon staring up at him, the air of rage that surrounded him slowly starting to dissipate. With one last sigh, he shook his head slowly, the tenseness in his body fading away.

"…Don't be. We all knew the risks when we signed up for this shit. You do too. But only those that really understand that risk know how important this place is. That's why I'm here. And that's why you're here as well. Isn't it?"

Kiteki nodded solemnly. She hadn't forgotten her main reason for having come here in the first place. As a guest, it would be rude for her to let her host wait any longer than he already had.

Hackett, seemingly aware of just how Kiteki felt, gave her an understanding nod. Slowly unfurling his wing, he pointed towards a lone grave sitting near the edge of the cemetery, its slate tombstone glistening from the perpetually setting sun.

"He's waiting for you, Kiteki. He has been for the past three years."

She didn't need to be told twice. Without a word, she turned around, taking her first tentative step forward, her first step towards the one she had thought she had lost forever; to the one that had given her so much love, yet so much hurt and remorseful regret. And though the look on her face remained as glassy as ever, the violent and turbulent storm of emotions that churned just beneath her skin was plain for anyone to see.

But make a beeline for her father's grave she did not. Much to the Decidueye's surprise, Kiteki stopped halfway, her body freezing as if seized by an inexplicable force, by some new and powerful emotion. She stopped, standing still and motionless for a long and silent moment, before finally turning back around to face her former instructor once more.

There were tears welling up in her eyes.

"…Hackett?"

"Aye?"

"Thank you. For bringing him back."

For the first time in ages, a smile formed on the Decidueye's face.

"…No problem."

He paused, giving her in reply a smirk so uncharacteristically gentle that it could have almost been called serene. But as Kiteki began to turn back around, he halted her, gesturing for the Glaceon's attention one more time before she returned her focus back to her father's grave.

"…Oh, and one more thing."

Kiteki silently tilted her head, her ears perking up with cautious curiosity.

"…?"

"Congratulations, Kiteki. For making it through training. I'm sure your father would be proud."

As Kiteki nodded one last time in an unspoken display of appreciation, Hackett watched as she finally turned around to make her delicate way over towards the final resting spot of her fallen father. There were no more words left to say. There was nothing left needed to be said. All that was left for him to do was watch, in contemplative silence, as the little Glaceon sat before her father's tomb, her back towards him as she stared at the tombstone in front of her.

He never caught a glimpse of her face as she sat there in solitude. Even as she draped the well-worn scarf she had pulled from her bag around the deceased Umbreon's gravestone, her visage remained hidden from view. But he didn't need to. He didn't need to see to understand the flurry of emotions that billowed inside her. He didn't need to see her to hear her tears dripping onto the soil below.

Though cold and unforgiving as he often proved himself to be, he wasn't the kind to struggle with reading the room. What his junior colleague needed now was time alone, and he would be more than happy to offer it to her. After all, it had been a long time since someone had truly shown him some genuine gratitude for his hard work and effort. Heart wrenching as the sight before him may be, he couldn't deny that it also brought to him a calm sense of fulfilment that, if only briefly, put him at ease.

Neither his mood nor his expression would budge, refusing to let anything sway him for that brief and fleeting moment. Not even when a certain Braixen came barging into the cemetery hall, crying from the top of her lungs upon spotting the moody Arrow Quill Pokémon.

"Hackett! I so knew you'd be here! For God's sake, you stupid bird, you can't keep coming down here like this, you're going to mess up your-"

"Tori."

"What?"

Hackett gestured to the scene before him.

"…Oh."

And all that she could do was watch in knowing silence.

. . . . . . . . . .

20:30, September 28, Unified Year 4734 - Federal Bureau of Research and Intelligence Headquarters, Squad 17 Dormitories, Squad lounge (B7F)

. . . . .

For the hundredth day in a row, Clay found his head to be swimming with thoughts.

Frankly, given how long this had been going on, it was a surprise that it still bothered him at all. He had wrestled with the matter in his head for so long now that, realistically speaking, he should have gotten over it by now or, better yet, forgotten about it altogether. It definitely wasn't his style to fret over matters in such an excessive way. And yet, despite it all, his mind always seemed to wander back, always returning to the same anxious train of thoughts he so desperately wished to leave behind.

Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply, sinking deeper into the plush red sofa he was slumped atop of. His mind had begun to wander again, and he was helpless to resist it. It was exhausting, working through them one by one, and the unease that doing so brought up made him sick; a sensation he never thought he would feel.

He wasn't usually like this. It wasn't like him to be this way. And the worst part was that he knew exactly why it was that he was feeling this way.

Kiteki.

To be quite honest, he had been thinking about her for quite some time now. And, for Clay at least, it wasn't hard to understand why she had filled his mind for so long.

Ever since he heard the news that his old hometown had been destroyed following his graduation from the training regimen three years ago, Clay had found himself every so often to worry over his lost childhood friend. It was only natural for him to do so, after all. With every part of his childhood having been all but destroyed on the day of the Frontier Massacre, the only piece of his former life that remained was the tiny sliver of hope that his old childhood friend, the formerly tiny and sickly Eevee, was still alive somewhere.

But there was something else thrown into the mix that caused Clay to hesitate, something else in his cauldron of emotions that cast an ominous shadow over his otherwise warm and inviting memories. Though he had long believed himself to be strong enough to withstand it, he soon found himself at the mercy of his sense of guilt stabbing at his heart, constantly reminding him of his failure to protect her as he had promised so many times in their past. And though he wished dearly for the hope that she would one day return, he couldn't deny the dread of having to face her again after all the years they were apart.

Unfortunately for him, those thoughts of his only seemed to grow stronger upon the revelation that his friend had managed to survive on her own for all those years. Of course, that wasn't to say that he wasn't relieved, exalted even, to hear news that she was alive, let alone fitter and healthier than ever. But even so, in the hours immediately following the announcement of Kiteki's survival, Clay found himself waking up with a jolt in the middle of the night, his body drenched in sweat and his dreams haunted by visions of her.

And so, upon her arrival at the Bureau's Headquarters the following day, Clay had made it his number one priority to go out of his way to meet with her again, going so far as to volunteer himself to guide her on a mission that Chairman Earnest himself intended to personally request. Aside from him sating his wish to see her once again, Clay hoped that doing so would allow him to finally free her from his mind; to put to rest the thoughts that had grown to take hold of him.

But instead, things had taken a turn for the worst.

For starters, the shock of seeing just how much she changed had caused their reunion to be anything but smooth. Gone was the tiny and adorable Eevee that he had once known, her body now having transformed dramatically into a slender and graceful, albeit still petite, Glaceon. And it wasn't just her appearance that had changed. The sweet and shy personality that he had known her to have had seemingly vanished over the years they were apart, replaced entirely by a cold and unfeeling emotionlessness that had taken over her. Quite frankly, when they were first reunited prior to the day they departed for Winteroot, she seemed almost entirely unrecognisable.

Things only got worse after the two of them were sent back to Winteroot to retrieve her late father's research data. In an attempt to prove himself to her, and in turn clear the sense of guilt that had plagued him for the past three years, Clay had placed his mind dead set on the mission they were assigned, making it his number one priority to see that their mission ended in a success. But, in a moment of catastrophic carelessness, he had unwittingly turned a blind eye to the Glaceon's feelings, and ultimately went ahead with a plan that, while effective, tormented his childhood friend with an endless barrage of humiliation, anguish, and suffering. Upon the realisation of the extent of damage he had caused to his old childhood friend, Clay had found himself terrified by the possibility of having lost her for good.

But that wasn't the case anymore. Kiteki had made it perfectly clear during her graduation ceremony just a week ago that she had forgiven him entirely for the events that had taken place during their mission in Winteroot. And though it was undeniable that she was no longer the same meek and helpless girl that he had known her to be, now that he had gotten over the shock of her startling metamorphosis, Clay had to admit that he wasn't particularly upset by her change in any way. By all means then, there was no reason for him to be so anxious; no reason to be so nervous about her finally moving into Squad 17's dormitories tonight.

'So then why can't I get her out of my mind?'

He sighed. Closing his eyes, he sank deeper into the couch, resting his head back as his thoughts began to consume him again. He didn't want it to. He wasn't used to having such unexplainable feelings churn inside of him. It made him sick. But even so, he couldn't help but find himself slowly being dragged back into the depths of his turbulent state of mind.

But this time round, he would find himself pulled free before long.

"…Look, I just don't understand how everyone's getting so damn impressed by it!"

A sudden bang echoed through the lounge area as the main entrance was slammed open. His eyes flashing open from the abrupt noise, Clay turned his attention over towards the open door, finding himself greeted by the sight of three Pokémon casually walking in, engaged in a somewhat heated discussion amongst themselves. Realising in an instant who they were, a wry smile crept across his face; he couldn't have been happier to see his teammates.

The first to enter the room, and the one to have kicked open the door in such a rash and reckless manner, was a visibly agitated Jolteon. Though of only average build and size, his appearance belied the astonishing strength and speed that his body possessed, the only hint to his potential performance being his jagged and messy fur, which gave him a startling air of speed and motion even while standing still. Leading the other two back into the lounge, he spoke with unabashed energy, his wild and sharp eyes offering a glimpse into the brilliant, if not mad, intelligence that lay only skin deep.

"I mean, the proposed drive and system components are stupidly inefficient, and the design! The design! It's a fuckin' mess! I've seen Tangela orgies with more sense and order than that… that… thing!"

Hearing the Jolteon's enthusiastic outcry, Lee Jun Sung, the Vaporeon following in the rear, chuckled light-heartedly as he gently closed the door behind him. Though he wasn't the squad leader, his status as the most senior member of the squad in both rank and age meant that Lee had a responsibility to set an example for the other members of his team. Of course, for him, that wasn't particularly hard to do. He was already an established name within the Bureau, infamous for being an especially deadly and ruthlessly effective assassin; something that many found surprising due to his incredibly calm and gentle nature.

"But, Viktor, you're not even a part of the D.R. Forgive me for saying, but I'm struggling to see why you're getting so worked up."

Hearing Lee voice his confusion, the Jolteon, Viktor Jaeger, stopped dead in his tracks, spinning around in a hurry to face the questioning Vaporeon, utterly oblivious to the Flareon that was already in the room.

"See, that's the problem right there, isn't it, Lee? That's what everyone's like!" Viktor rambled on, his voice a hurried tenor that spoke with a noticeable, if not unsurprising, degree of impatience. "They take one look at something like that and then, all of a sudden, they've all got a goddamn hard-on for it because it's big and shiny and they haven't got a clue how it works! Well, I'm sorry, but if they want me to use that thing when they're done with it, then they're going to have to do a damn slight better than that hot pile of shit they've got so far!"

Hearing this, the third Pokémon to enter the room, the team leader of Squad 17, shook his head firmly, failing to see the humour of the situation like Lee had. Walking with determined and purposeful steps, the Umbreon stared, his crimson eyes locked in a perpetually serious glare as he frowned with a face that had seemingly never learned to smile. Strong, stern, and a foreigner to the concept of taking things lightly, his body radiated a terrifyingly powerful aura, no doubt aided from possessing a body like a soldier from a blockbuster film; no amount of jet black fur would ever be able to hide just how massive his muscles were.

"Brother, enough." He spoke with a commanding tone, his voice deep and powerful, appropriately complimenting his muscular physique. "This is ridiculous."

But Viktor didn't seem the slightest bit intimidated by the Umbreon. Ignoring his squad leader's demands, he stopped, turning around to face him as he waved his paws in the air.

"No, no, Yuri, ol' brother of mine! You'll never get it with that sort of attitude. Give it some perspective…" Spinning around to give his explanation some flair, Viktor stopped dead in his tracks mid-sentence, having finally spotted Clay sitting on the lounge sofa, watching his antics with a humorous grin. Stopping to stare at the Flareon for a few seconds, his blank and confused look quickly gave way to a casual smile as he made a valiant attempt to brush off his awkward embarrassment. "…Clay! Almost didn't see you there for a second!"

Clay shook his head, chuckling at the Jolteon's dramatic change in mood. "…What the hell are you even going on about?"

"Don't mind him, Clay." Lee chuckled in unison, sharing in the humour of his teammate's absurd antics. "Viktor's just slightly aggravated by the new construction project that's begun in the main lobby."

"Huh. Odd seeing you here with the rest of them, Lee. I thought you would be with Maya."

Lee simply shrugged in reply. "I would, if she wasn't otherwise occupied."

"Occupied?"

"She's gone down to the H.Q Plaza with the two new girls. I can't blame her; she's been the only girl here since our squad was formed two months ago. No doubt she's eager to meet them."

Clay nodded in understanding. An excellent and fastidious Operator that was as well-known as she was well liked, Maya Rosenthal had managed to get herself assigned to their squad as their designated Operator following a number of negotiations between Lee, her significant other, and Command. Sisterly and lovingly gentle, her maturity had been instrumental in keeping the fiery testosterone of the squad under control.

She claimed, whenever approached with the question, that she thoroughly enjoys working with the four boys that made up the rest of Squad 17. But, even so, it was easy to see that the stresses of being the only female in an otherwise all-male group were taking their toll on the Espeon. If anyone from their squad was to be excited about the arrival of two new female Operatives, it would have to be her.

With the absence of their fifth pre-existing member explained, the four Eeveelutions conversed amongst themselves, making light jabs at the Jolteon for getting so obsessed over a project that wasn't in any way related to either him or their squad. At a glance, the new atmosphere created within the lounge would have appeared perfectly friendly and inviting.

But one of the four had remained deathly silent. His hardened gaze locked onto Clay, Yuri Jaeger stared hard at the Flareon before him, the Umbreon eyeing him with concerned suspicion.

"What's the matter, Clay." Interrupting the conversation, Yuri confronted the Flareon, his tone of voice making his question sound more like an order. "You don't look yourself."

Clay blinked. With the sudden change in atmosphere that the arrival of his three teammates had caused, he had assumed that he had managed to put his thoughts behind him, if not fully then at least enough to put up an effective front. Clearly, however, it wasn't enough. Despite his laughter and good-humoured attitude, Yuri had managed to see right into him.

Nevertheless, Clay grinned wryly, feigning ignorance.

"What're you talking about?"

"You're sweating."

He paused. Reaching up to his brow, he realised only now that it was still slightly damp. He was aware that he sometimes perspired when the thoughts in his head got especially bad, but today wasn't like that. Bringing his paw back down, he stared at it, equal parts shocked and confused as he was left wondering at what it was that had come over him.

Regardless, there was no point hiding it anymore. Having now been found out, he let out a defeated sigh, shaking his head as if to dismiss the Umbreon's question.

"…It's nothing important, Yuri."

"No, I'd rather you tell me. I don't want it impacting your performance out in the field."

But Yuri remained frustratingly steadfast. A by-product of his disciplined personality, Yuri had always been adamant over his belief of producing what he called "tangible" results above anything else. And though that belief of his often came at the expense of the feelings or emotions of his teammates, most would ultimately choose to forgive him because of his righteous ideals and awe-inspiring determination.

Unfortunately, not everyone was as willing to overlook his faults. And among those, there was perhaps no one who best exemplified that than Clay.

The Flareon groaned reluctantly. He hated when Yuri prodded him like that.

"…Alright, if you really want to know. It's actually about the new girls. One of them, to be exact."

"Kiteki, isn't it?" Lee asked.

Clay nodded "I haven't been able to stop myself from thinking about her for… a while now."

"Eyy? Kiteki?" Having curiously watched the whole thing unfold before him, Viktor finally joined in, no longer able to stand being left in the dark. "Who's that?"

Clay paused, flashing the Jolteon an incredulous look. "Bullshit, Vic. You know who she is."

"Hey, give me a break, Clay! I ain't good with names, and you know it!"

"Seriously? The Glaceon! The one everyone's talking about! Ring any bells?"

But the Flareon's attempts to spark any sort of memory from Viktor were futile. "Glaceon? Woah, we're getting a Glaceon?"

Watching Viktor rearing in excited anticipation, Clay let out a defeated sigh. Though it was a little hard to believe, if Viktor hadn't realised who he was talking about by now, then chances were that he probably didn't know her at all. "Yeah. Quiet, kinda reserved, you know the type. You seriously don't know her?"

As he had expected, Viktor shook his head. "Fuck no. I'm pretty sure I would remember seeing one if I did."

Listening attentively to Clay's rather hasty description, Yuri pondered for a moment, thinking to himself as he tried to recall the name. Despite what his brother's reactions would suggest, the fact of the matter was that most members of the Bureau, himself included, had at least heard of that name before. And, sure enough, it would only take but a moment before he himself made the necessary connections within his head.

"Kiteki… Daughter of the late Arthur Schwarz, correct?"

"Wait, wait, wait." At the mentioning of the former agent's name, Viktor's ears perked right up. Though he had never heard of this Glaceon everyone was getting so worked up over, he most definitely knew about her father. "You mean the Arthur Schwarz? As in, the legendary Cerberus agent Arthur Schwarz?"

Yuri nodded. "And, coincidentally, father of Clay's childhood friend. Or so he says."

"Daaamn." Visibly impressed with the revelation, Viktor whistled, flashing the Flareon a cheeky look. "I didn't know you were friends with celebrities, Clay."

In response, Clay let loose a low, exasperated growl. "Hey, I didn't know who he was until three years ago, alright? I don't go lookin' for folks like that."

As Viktor poked fun at the conflicted Flareon for divulging in his worries, Yuri instead found himself frowning, casting a serious and concerned gaze towards his fiery subordinate. Seeing shadows in the Flareon's predicament where his brother saw none, he walked right up towards Clay, determined to know the root of his problems.

"Regardless. This isn't like you, Clay. You're not the kind to get so worked up over a girl like this."

"Look, I know, I know!" But Clay simply groaned, throwing his paws up into the air as he sank deeper into the couch. "But I can't help it, y'know? She's been stuck in my mind for the past few days. I don't know why, but… I just can't stop thinking about her."

For a brief moment, everyone in the room paused. Over the two months that they had been together since their squad was formed, everyone had managed to get a grasp of the sort of Pokémon that Clay usually was. Suave, outgoing, hot-blooded, and bold, it was hardly a surprise to them how he had managed to earn the infamous reputation that he held, though whether his popularity with the opposite sex was a biproduct of his personality or because of his active pursuit of their company was something that they had yet to figure out.

Perhaps as a result of his daring and hardy nature, some of the members of Squad 17 had begun to believe that any sort of lows Clay would ever hit would only ever be slight, insignificant, and never long enough to keep him down for long. Of course, this isn't to say that nobody suspected him to be completely immune to it; he was only a Pokémon, after all. But none of them had expected Clay to be able to hit a state as low as this. Never had they seen the Flareon, usually overflowing with confidence, to be so unsure of himself like he was today.

Left all but guessing as to whether or not his sudden and unexpected change in behaviour was something to be concerned about, the three Eeveelutions cast anxious glances at one another, the mystery of the Flareon's predicament causing their own worries to drag their theories astray.

And then, all of a sudden, a spark lit in Viktor's eyes. His gaze turning back towards the deflated Flareon atop the couch, he grinned, a mischievous smile stretching across his face as he stared at him with taunting eyes.

"Ooooh. I get it now. That's cute. Clay's finally found a girl he actually digs."

In the blink of an eye, the dreadful air of anxious worry that had begun to creep into the lounge had vanished. The change so startling, the three others couldn't help but find themselves stunned, unsure as to how to respond to the abrupt shift in atmosphere.

And then, slowly but surely, Lee smiled as well.

Clay, in a flash, grabbed the closest cushion he could lay his paws on, throwing it at the jesting Jolteon, growling and baring his fangs as he did so.

"Piss off, Vic."

But Viktor simply sidestepped out of the way, his speedy reflexes far superior to Clay's. Ignoring the Flareon's half-hearted display of intimidation, Viktor pressed further, an eager, if not cheeky, grin on his face.

"Well? Is she cute?" Viktor asked, his question as much directed to the rest of his squad as it was to Clay.

His eyes meeting Yuri's, the Umbreon simply shrugged in reply. "Don't look at me. I haven't got the slightest clue as to what she looks like."

Clay groaned, in no small part frustrated by how little everyone knew of the Glaceon despite the fame she had unwittingly garnered. "C'mon, guys. She's joining our squad later today. You should know who she is by now; you especially, Yuri."

"Clay, I've only got a list of names." But Yuri simply shook his head, dishing out a depressingly logical point to counter Clay's accusations. "Command hasn't given me any information on what she looks like."

Upon hearing this, Clay swiftly sat up, slamming his paws against the coffee table in front of him as he hung his head in frustrated despair.

"For God's sake, Kit!" Letting out a deep and heavy sigh, he muttered under his breath, the realisation of just how introverted his old childhood friend still was even after all those years causing his own frustrations to mount. "You're too antisocial for your own good!"

But, despite the Flareon's exasperated display, Viktor continued to prod. None at all bothered by Clay's own grievances, he pushed persistently, desperate and eager to hear more about the elusive Glaceon the group had been talking about, his motives driven by an insatiable curiosity.

"Hey, stop leaving us hangin' and clue us in! Tell us what she's like, what she looks like. That kinda stuff!"

With one last sigh, Clay slowly brought his head back up to face the Jolteon before him. Deciding at last that it would be best to at least clue the two Jaeger brothers in on the appearance of their newest squad member, Clay shrugged reluctantly, finally giving into Viktor's demands.

"What she looks like? Sure, let's see…"

With intent to clue his teammates in on his childhood friend, Clay opened his mouth.

But no words came out.

For a second, Clay found himself startled by his sudden and unexpected silence. After all, this definitely wasn't the first time that he had described Kiteki to someone else. As a matter of fact, he had done this exact thing so many times by now that, until just recently, he could recall the perfect way to describe her the moment he was asked to do so.

And in a way, he still could. He could still find the best words to use in order to paint a mental picture of what she was like and what she looked like. He had, after all, spent the better part of the last twenty-one years by her side. If there was anyone that knew her better than anyone else, it was most likely going to be him.

But as Clay opened his mouth to speak, he realised in the last second that the description he had given countless times before was for the Kiteki he once knew. Though it was perfectly fitting to describe the little sickly Eevee from Winteroot town, the same string of words that he had always used would no longer work now that she had changed into the sharp and frosty Glaceon that she had become. To say that she was the same as she was when he last saw her three years ago just simply wasn't true anymore.

And so, faced with this realisation, Clay stopped to think for a moment. Furrowing his brows as he rested his chin on his paw, he thought, speaking slowly as he tried to find a new way to describe his metamorphosed friend.

"She's, uhh… kinda small. Pretty damn small for a Glaceon, actually. Uhh… she… she's got this gorgeous coat of fur. Y'know, soft, smooth, that sorta thing. It's got this incredible shine to it. Her eyelashes, they're really long, and her eyes… those sapphire eyes… I feel like I could get lost just staring into them…"

…And then he paused.

As he dived deeper into his memory to recall the new appearance that Kiteki had taken up, he unwittingly found himself returning to the day she graduated from the training programme, to that brief moment when the two were alone together. But, curiously enough, though there was no doubt an abundance of things had happened inside the Grand Auditorium that day, right now, in this very moment, Clay could only seem to find just one thing from that day that he could remember at all.

"…And she's got a… a beautiful smile… such a beautiful, warm, perfect smile…"

As his words trailed on, Clay's eyes slowly began to widen. He had never seen it before, never noticed it until now. But right then and there, from atop the lounge's red couch, as his mind swam with the memories and images of his childhood friend, Clay came face to face with a sudden and heavy realisation hitting him square in the face.

'…Shit, now that I think about it… she's gotten really cute…!'

But as he gave it some more thought, Clay found himself shaking his head. The truth of the matter was that Kiteki had always been cute. To him, she had always been a precious little ball of fur. Hell, even the heart-warming smile she gave him on the day of her graduation ceremony was hardly any different to the smiles that she would give him during their youth. And though the air of cuteness that surrounded his childhood friend now had matured from the adorableness she possessed in their past, the fact still stood that she had always been, and still was, undeniably, unquestionably, unequivocally, cute.

'…So, why am I only noticing that now?'

Leaning back as his body sank back into the couch, Clay stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Fully absorbed into his train of thoughts once again, the Flareon's voice trailed on, his fractured attempt at a description having devolved into an incoherent mumble, muttering to himself as if having all but forgotten that there were others in the room. Once again faced with his unusual display, Yuri and Lee stared at him, watching in quiet concern as the Flareon fell deeper and deeper into his thoughts.

Viktor, on the other hand, smiled, a mischievously smug and triumphant grin spreading across his face. "See? What did I say, eh? I'm gonna be sick if he goes on with this any longer."

"This is ridiculous." Responding to his brother's amused remark, Yuri brought his paw up and pressed it lightly against his temple. Quite frankly, this whole situation with Clay was starting to give him a proper headache. "You know my stance on relationships within the team. It's a detriment to our team effectiveness."

"Hey, relax, bro. Besides, you don't seem to mind Lee and Maya being together."

"I trust them enough to not let it get in the way of our work." Yuri paused, turning his gaze back towards the immobilized Flareon. "I can't say the same for Clay."

Viktor, on the other hand, remained unconvinced. Dismissing the Umbreon's concerns with a nonchalant wave of his paw, he returned his attention back towards the Flareon atop the couch, before letting out a smirk upon realising that the Flame Pokémon was still in a daydream, trapped in his own thoughts. Reaching over towards him, he waved his paw in front of Clay's face, giving him a cheeky jolt of electricity to pull him back into consciousness.

"Hey. Earth to Lover Boy. Snap out of it."

"Eh!?" In an instant, Clay bolted up, quickly looking around the room in a state of attentive confusion. Gaining his bearings before quickly realising what had just happened, he groaned, shaking his head to free himself from the last few tendrils of the thoughts that had managed to snare him so easily. "Shit… sorry."

Humoured by the glimpse of such a rare display from the Flareon, Viktor's smile refused to wane. Giving Clay a cheeky nudge, he smirked, a wide, frustratingly smug grin.

"Gotta say, Clay, hearing that just makes me wanna see her for myself."

"Ho, ho."

Hearing Lee speak up, the three of them turned towards the Vaporeon, realising only now his state of focus, his finned ears twitching ever so slightly to an inaudible noise. Though the three of them had remained utterly oblivious and unaware of it until now, with the coming of a state of silence, they could finally hear the sound that had eluded all but the experienced Bubble Jet Pokémon. It was quiet and barely noticeable, but distinct enough for the four of them to make out: the undeniable sound of pawsteps coming their way.

Lee turned an eye back towards his three juniors. Seeing that they had all figured out what it was that was coming, he smiled gently.

"…Well, it seems that we won't have to wait for much longer."

On cue with his words, the front entrance slammed open as Maya Rosenthal entered the squad lounge, bringing in tow an excited Leafeon and, as Clay had described, a petite Glaceon. But as Lee took a step forward to embrace his beloved, he paused, eyeing the three girls carefully. All the boys did. Even Viktor, who until now had been so eager to meet the latest additions to their squad, had withheld his celebrations, instead choosing to stare at the three girls with cautious curiosity. Something wasn't right, and they could feel it.

For a group of girls having just come from a day of fun and relaxation in the plaza, these three seemed awfully agitated. Restless, even, as if they had all just ran all the way back to the dormitories. Maya in particular seemed awfully anxious, her typically calm and composed demeanour on the verge of breaking apart as she urgently walked over towards them. And though the bubbly Leafeon seemed ready to burst with excitement, the look on the Glaceon's face hinted an anxiety that made even Yuri gulp.

But an opportunity to ask the girls the cause for their distress was something they were never given. Because, upon taking a quick headcount to ensure that every member of the squad was present, Maya cleared her throat, her voice clear but noticeably urgent.

"Alright, boys. Introductions are going to have to wait."

Clay, himself a little startled by the unexpected nature of their entry, slowly got up from the couch, taking a tentative step towards the unsettled girls.

"Maya, what's going on?"

But Maya didn't immediately reply. Setting her bag down onto the coffee table, she pulled out an envelope, its ornate wax stamp hanging loosely from the flap from having already been opened. Without a word, the Espeon opened the envelope, pulling out the letter within before handing it over towards the awaiting Umbreon. She watched, waiting with forced patience, before giving Yuri an understanding nod as his gaze hardened from the letter's contents.

"Squad 17's got themselves their first mission…"

She paused, as if hardly able to believe the news herself.

"…And it's from Director von Cannon herself."