Galactic Trouble.


In the most remote, far back part of her mind Inyssa felt lucky that her legs started moving on their own. Her mind was currently struggling between a myriad of different emotions that would've frozen her if she were actually thinking about what her body was doing.

Her vision was blurry, though she didn't know if it was due to the speed at which she was running towards that smoke or the strong, uniform beating of her heart. She closed her eyes for a second and saw her face, Mars' face, grinning at her the same way she'd done it back in the Windworks. Those cold red eyes and those thin lips that couldn't have created a warm smile if she were forced to. She felt that chill again, that debilitating, all-consuming fear that Mars instilled in her that time. Like cold poison running through her veins, paralyzing her limbs and stealing her breath.

But there was something else too. Pulsing, growing from her heart outwards, like an ember being fanned by a light breeze. It started to boil inside her, a white, furious flame which heated her entire body and burnt the fear away, chasing it to the back of her mind where it would not interfere with her current plan of action.

She would find her, she decided, and she would break that stupid tiny nose of hers. Perhaps a few other things too, if the opportunity presented itself to her. The thought made her smile, or at the very least twitch the corner of her lips slightly upwards. She was going to make her feel the same thing she felt back then, she was going to...

Her legs stopped, feet sliding on the floor beneath her and almost making her fall. Her body was jerked backwards, an iron grip grabbing her by the right arm and nearly dislocating her shoulder again. The air inside her lungs escaped as she came back to reality, and with a confused expression she turned around to see Sarah, face red and eyes spelling out a clear Don't even think about it.

Behind her appeared Barry, hair ruffled and cheeks red. Inyssa opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She felt a painful stab in her chest and she suddenly realized she needed to breathe. Closing her eyes she inhaled as quickly as possible, her legs burning and the beat of her heart resounding in her ears.

Right, she thought to herself. This piece of SHIT body...

"Let... me go," she said between gasps.

"No. Absolutely not." Sarah squeezed her arm painfully. "You're both going back to the Pokemon Center while I take care of this."

She looked at Barry, who was staring at both of them full of doubt, the fear of his mother slightly overpowering his desire to help her. She frowned at him.

"It's... it's them. Team Galactic," she explained, voice slightly high pitched. "I have to go."

"We don't know that," said Sarah. "And even if that were the case..."

A beeping sound filled the air, coming from Sarah's wrist. Everyone's attention was drawn to the Pokétch as she lifted it up and answered the call.

"Sarah, we need your assistance north of town!" It was a man, voice full of urgency. "There was an explosion in the Energy Research Lab, three blocks behind the Pokemon Center! We believe it might be Team Galactic's doing!"

Sarah would've facepalmed if her hands weren't busy.

"Great timing, jackass," she whispered to herself before she put the Pokétch close to her mouth. "Sarah Paladino here! Transmitting on all Association frequencies; any agents in Eterna City must head directly to the building where the explosion took place. Don't do anything until I arrive, I'm already on my way!"

Inyssa stared daggers at Barry's mother, her expression a mix between See? I told you so and Can you just let me go already? There's a redhead who needs to be punched in the face, though it was unclear if Sarah picked up on the nuances of her gaze.

"It's too dangerous," Sarah told her. "Let us take care of it; we'll apprehend them."

"I know what they look like, I can identify one of their leaders!" she tried to explain. "And I can help with my Pokemon if they want to start a fight."

"I'm not letting you go near terrorists Inyssa! How do you think I'd feel if something were to happen to you?" The woman put both hands on her shoulders, and she immediately recoiled. "Please, let this go. Don't go near these people, it won't accomplish anything."

"They killed my Pokemon!" Her scream rang through the entire street, hurting her throat. "And you want me to just let it go!? Fuck that!"

Silence fell on them as Inyssa and Sarah stared each other down, gazes firm and unwavering. She would never admit it, but she was struggling not to shake under the look on the woman's face. It continued for about five seconds before Barry spoke.

"Okay, let's all calm down." He raised both hands and Inyssa almost laughed at the ridiculousness of him being the one to say that. Almost. "Mom, you had a lot of people here in town, right? There's no way they'll be a problem for you, so if we go with you it's gonna be safe for us!"

"Even then..." Sarah barely got those words out before being interrupted.

"Sarah, please!" Inyssa begged, all semblances of pride going out the window. "I... I have to go. I have to prove that I'm not scared of them. I have to..." She couldn't find the words, and for a moment she felt the fear come back. "I... I have to..."

Sarah looked at her with a raised eyebrow, her lips a thin line.

"You will both stay behind me. At all times." She pointed first at Barry, and then at her. She was talking slowly and clearly. "And you will obey every order I give you. If you don't then I swear to god I will rip your trainer cards in half myself. Understood?"

They both nodded energetically.

"Follow me."


The question in her mind just before they reached the building was How the hell do these two have so much stamina? Sarah and Barry ran through the streets like two Tauros, as fast and elegant as she was slow and awkward. By the time they arrived at the crime scene she could feel her heart beating like a drum inside her chest, while the two Paladinos hadn't even broken a sweat.

The laboratory was half a street wide and two stories tall, being mostly glass and a few foundations of stone and steel. On top of the roof was a giant, square sign with the strange logo of the Energy Research Lab; a yellow, angular G with black borders. It would've been a cool building were it not for the giant, smoking hole in the middle of it.

Where the door should've been now lay only a freshly created entrance thanks to the previous explosion. Bricks and pieces of glass adorned the front of it and it was impossible to see inside due to the slowly dissipating smoke coming out of it. Sarah took a single glance at the place, and immediately went towards the side of the lab, where six people were waiting. They were all dressed in similarly blue outfits with thick clothing and even a bulletproof vest around them. Sarah addressed the one who was closest to her, a short man with black hair.

"Where is everyone else?" she asked, hands behind her back.

"They're on their way, miss!" The man gave her a salute, tone nervous. "But they will not arrive for at least fifteen minutes."

"We don't have time to wait for them," she said. "We'll have to go inside with the people we have now. These two..." She pointed at Inyssa and Barry. "...will follow behind us and help if needed. Our numbers should be enough to find and apprehend any culprits without trouble.

"Two of you will stay out here to make sure no one exits or enters the place," she continued, and then looked at two of the armed people in front of her. One of them was a tall, fit man with brown hair and a shadow of a beard, while the other one was a short, dark haired girl with a big frown on her face. "Kyle, Zofia, that's you. Everyone else will follow me inside."

"Yes sir!" Kyle yelled, a speck of sarcasm in his voice.

"Fine by me," Zofia whispered under her breath, crossing her arms.

"Alright, we're moving in." Sarah turned towards the ruined building, an indescribable look on her face. "Let's go!"


Inyssa had to cover her mouth as they passed through the wall of smoke at the building's entrance, the smell of soot and ash and whatever chemical engineers used to keep bricks together making her nose itch. Barry followed at her right, his fingers tapping the side of his pants quickly as if the boy needed to expel his energy some way. In front of her all she could see was Sarah and her four companions as they slowly walked forward, their hands firmly grasping some heavy looking black pistols.

Her heart made a jump when she felt everyone in front of her stopping, their steps coming to a sudden but unanimous halt. She waited for a few seconds until finally Sarah spoke, her voice tinted with confusion.

"What is this?" she whispered.

She had to peek in between two of them to see what was the problem, Barry resting his hands on top of her shoulders, trying to do the same. The room they walked into seemed like a normal office lobby, various sofas and chairs at the side walls, a small but elegant fountain in the middle and the receptionist's table at the other end of it. It looked awfully familiar to the Windworks, Inyssa thought, and she tried not to let that fact fill her mind with fear again. Her eyes kept exploring the room, until she finally found what had surprised everyone. Near the elevators and the staircases leading to the different rooms were three bodies laying on the floor, completely immobile.

They were Galactic grunts. There was no question about it, they were all wearing that same stupid body suit which made them look like rejected space men.

Barry let out a breathy Huh?. "Wait, why are they on the floor? Weren't they the ones who made that explosion?"

"I wonder..." Sarah whispered. "All the debris and glass seems to be on the inside of the building, which would indicate that the explosion came from the outside. Perhaps someone trying to forcefully enter..."

Inyssa stared at the place, her mind working overtime trying to think of the possibilities. If Team Galactic was already inside before the explosion happened, then who caused it?

"I don't understand… where are all the scientists?" Sarah asked herself, her brow furrowed. "The trail of bodies seems to go down." She pointed towards the staircase at the other extreme of the room, which led to what Inyssa imagined would be the basement. "We'll explore there first. Everyone stay close to each other!"

She felt everyone's stomps inside her head as they advanced, a nervous feeling growing in her chest and making her hands tremble. She was not alone, she had to remind herself. There were five trained professionals in front of her, not to mention Barry at her side, his bright almond eyes giving her the strength she needed. She had no reason to be scared; even if Mars was somewhere around, not even she would have a chance to hurt her again. She felt a shiver in her stomach, in the exact place Mars had buried her fist that time, but she forced herself to ignore it.

The steps were made of pure stone, and the railways at the side felt cold and painful to the touch. She started biting her lip as they went down, feeling it dry, and she really wished the beating of her heart would stop being so honest about how she felt. Didn't it know she had a reputation to uphold?

"I hear something," Sarah whispered, although it was enough to almost make Inyssa jump. "Someone's talking down there. Quick."

The end of the staircase opened up to a narrow hallway heading to another huge room, so they all had to squeeze through to pass, the bodies of the people in front of her completely blocking her vision. She could see both sides of the door laying on the floor, their metal frames bent into strange shapes as if someone had bent them with their own hands.

Sarah was right, but only partly. What they thought were whispers slowly started to sound like whimpers and moans as they approached the giant room, Inyssa's teeth shaking from the sound. When they finally crossed to the other side, she almost couldn't believe what she saw.

The room was enormous, easily the size of a small cathedral. Concrete and metal covered the walls and ceiling, and the look of it told Inyssa that the place wasn't meant to be seen by people not working there. A couple feet from them the floor turned into a wide metal bridge, under which lay a jungle of wires and cables running towards the gigantic machine at the other side of the room. From afar she could clearly see it, standing at least ten feet tall and glowing with a strange white light. Two people were standing close to it, their shapes that of a young woman and an old man, and next to them was a large Pokemon that she couldn't see quite clearly. But that wasn't what caught her attention. In the middle of the bridge, hands on the floor and slightly panting, was another person. A familiar girl, tall and with pink hair falling to her shoulders. Inyssa's heart made a slight jump at the sight of her.

"Metchi!?" Her voice betrayed her, making everyone on the room turn towards them.

"Whoa! What is she doing here!?" Barry's voice followed, having to almost jump on top of one of Sarah's coworkers to see her properly.

The girl slowly turned her head towards them, and Inyssa would've laughed at her horrified expression if she weren't on the floor and bleeding.

She let out a chuckle that sounded like a sob. "Oh great, it's you two."

With one hand she helped herself to her feet, the other one holding her own stomach, where blood was slowly running through her fingers. The cloth around it was stained in red, and from the looks of it the wound seemed somewhat serious. Behind her lay the unconscious body of a Scyther, the blade on its left arm stained with the girl's blood.

Looking up, her eyes set on the three figures next to the strange machine, two of which were facing their way. One of them was a woman, tall and slim, wearing the same body suit Mars had when she encountered her, minus the short skirt. Her hair was dark purple, long and being held by two crescent shaped buns, and her lips were painted maroon. Her hands were set on her wide hips, quickly tapping her fingers on them, and her expression was that of someone dealing with a slight, annoying inconvenience. Behind her stood a short man with a hunchback and grey, colorless hair who was currently typing something on the keyboard at the base of the machine, and to his right there was that Pokemon that she could now identify as an Alakazam. His slim arms were extended forward towards them, two giant spoons on his hands and his eyes glowing blue.

Barry didn't waste a second. He broke formation and ran toward Metchi, kneeling next to her.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his hands moving around as if he didn't know what to do. "Are you okay? Wow that's a lot of blood."

"Smooth," Inyssa followed him with caution, her eyes still set on the Galactic people in front of them.

Sarah let out an annoyed sigh, and with a flick of her hand she ordered her agents to keep their eyes on the targets, ready to fire. She walked towards Metchi and the kids, her gaze cold and calculating.

"Do you two know this girl?" she asked, as if she expected the entire room to listen to her. "Who are you? What happened here?"

Metchi stood still, head tilted to the side and expression unreadable. She heard everyone's questions slowly, and after a few seconds finally opened her mouth.

"I need a fucking smoke," she whispered, eyes almost closed.

The strange woman at the other side of the room stomped her foot on the ground, cheeks turning red.

"Yeah Metchi, why don't you tell them everything, you filthy narc!" Her voice wavered in pitch as if she were slightly drunk. "Are these your new friends you betrayed us for!?"

Metchi simply gave the woman a look Inyssa wouldn't have liked to be on the receiving end of.

"I hate you," she stated plainly, "I hate you so much."

Sarah raised her hand with an open palm, and suddenly all her agents drew their guns and pointed them at the purple haired woman. Her eyes were tired and cold and Inyssa could see she was not joking around.

"I assume you two belong to Team Galactic," she said, hand still raised. "I will need you to come here with your hands behind your head. You are charged with acts of terrorism, theft and murder, and you will be judged by the League Association. Give up willingly or we will be forced to make you."

"Are you... serious?" Metchi helped herself up with Barry's aid, and Inyssa couldn't tell if she was angry or just in a lot of pain. "Just shoot them! You have them right here!"

"That is not how it works." Sarah spat back at her, surprised by the girl's nerve. "I can't use lethal force unless certain conditions..."

"They're going to get away!" she bellowed, desperation clear in her eyes. "Jupiter's just buying time until they can teleport out of here, and if Charon gets all that energy they're..."

"Stop spilling our plans you piece of shit!" the woman Inyssa assumed was Jupiter screamed. "See? It's exactly that kind of attitude that earned you being slashed in the stomach!"

"Okay, that's enough, I'm done with this." Sarah took a step forward, and extended her hand towards the two strangers. "Bring those two to me!"

The four agents in front of Inyssa advanced towards them with swift steps, weapons at the side of their bodies even though their postures told her that they were ready to shoot at a moment's notice. She barely had time to think about the possibility of releasing one of her Pokemon to help when a purple flash filled the room. The first person to get to the other side of the bridge stopped to a halt, his body being momentarily paralyzed as he flew backwards through the room, landing a few feet back. Another one soon followed, and the other two agents simply stopped, fearful.

"There's... a barrier there," Metchi had to put her right arm around Barry's neck as to not fall again, while her left was covering her abdomen. The boy was struggling with trying to keep her on her feet. "The Alakazam put it... just before you arrived."

"And you couldn't have told us before because..." Sarah frowned, the veins in her neck now slightly visible.

"Hey leave me alone, I'm bleeding out over here," Metchi complained, hand still covered in red. "Besides, I told you idiots to shoot them didn't I?"

"I already told you!" Sarah lowered her gun, face turning red. "I can't shoot at civilians unless..."

"Fine! You want a fucking incentive!?" She leaned so strongly on Barry that the boy's face started to get pale. "Then look at what's behind the damn machine!"

Everyone's heads turned towards the Galactic commanders, silence forcing its way into the room for a few seconds. Jupiter froze at everyone's gaze, a drop of sweat running down her forehead.

"Ah, shit," she whispered.

Inyssa set foot on the metal bridge, trying to get a better look at it. It was hard to make out, due to the machine's impressive frame and the light it was emitting covering most of what was behind it. But it almost looked like... grates? Metal grilles covered the opposite wall entirely, and for a moment she thought it might have been used to cool down the machine, but the bars seemed to be... shaking. She forced her vision, furrowing her brow a bit to make up what was behind them. Tiny shapes, all of different colors. They were moving, squirming and...

Her shoulders dropped as she realized what was behind those bars. She could see a tiny, furry arm hopelessly attempting to escape with almost vacant strength.

"Oh my goodness." Sarah's tone gave her chills, a mix of shock, disbelief and a terrible, cold rage.

"Are those Pokemon!?" Barry yelled at the top of his lungs, eyes opened wide. He almost dropped Metchi to the ground.

Inyssa could only nod, any other form of communication being impossible for her at the moment. She could make up the appearances of many different Pokemon behind those cages, and with every one she identified the flame in her stomach grew, swallowing her whole. A Clefairy was holding tight to the metal trapping her, meekly attempting to shake it open; a pale Growlithe lay on his stomach, his weeping cries turning her veins to ice. Gloom, Vulpix, Pikachu and even a couple Eevee were all trapped in there. Strange cables were attached to different parts of the Pokemon's bodies.

Just when anger was about to take her over and force her to say some less than flattering things to Jupiter, all the Pokemon in the cages started glowing. Their forms surrounded themselves with a blinding white light as their bodies started to expand slowly. Inyssa couldn't help but form a minuscule smile at the sight of that. They were evolving, they were going to escape and...

An electric buzz resounded through the room and the Pokemon started screaming. A debilitating, screeching sound which froze her body and bounced inside her head, forcing her to block her ears with her hands. The powerful glow dissipated slowly as the Pokemon turned back to their original forms, collapsing onto the floor of their cages once more, their breathing ragged and their bodies shaking.

"Well... this is certainly awkward..." Jupiter scratched her cheek. "Uh... Charon? How long until we can get out of here?"

The old man behind her stopped operating the machine for a moment, and with a side glance he gave the woman an irritated look, his thick half moon glasses covering part of his eyes.

"A couple more minutes," he stated, voice low and raspy. "Stop interrupting me, this is extremely delicate equipment!"

What took Inyssa out of her stupor was a slight movement at the side of her hip. One of her Pokeballs attached to her belt shook strongly, as if what was inside were attempting to escape. A simple glance told her that said Pokeball belonged to that strange ghost Pokemon she'd caught recently. But she had no time to worry about that; without missing a beat she looked once more towards the Galactic commanders.

"What are you doing to them!?" The scream came out of her mouth without her realizing, her throat hurting from the effort.

"They're... forcing them to evolve with evolutionary stones." Metchi's voice carried a sort of sad acceptance, as if that answer didn't surprise her at all. "And they're stopping the process by hurting them. They want... the energy..."

Inyssa's stomach revolted at the sound of that, her insides turning into mush and making her want to vomit. But in the back of her mind something came to light; a memory, something she'd heard from those Galactic idiots just when she had started her journey. Back in Jubilife, those documents that they'd tried to steal from Rowan, didn't they entail something about this? The energy that Pokemon released when they evolved... she started connecting the dots in her head, and the picture she created wasn't a very pretty one.

"Disgusting..." Sarah's voice took her out of her thoughts, her tone that of disbelief. "Listen to me! Release those Pokemon immediately and give yourselves up! This is your last chance before I open fire!" She yelled with enough force to even startle Inyssa, although from Jupiter's expression she wasn't as intimidated as nervous.

"Yeah! Let them go before we kick your butt!" Barry took a Pokeball from his pocket.

Inyssa took a deep breath, trying to contain the fire inside her body. She was trying with all her might not to run directly towards that Jupiter woman and punch her in the face, which wouldn't have worked for a variety of reasons. She had to be pragmatic, she'd get her chance eventually. Her hands went to her oldest Pokeball and she held it in front of her, clenching her hand around it strongly.

"Return those Pokemon to the people they belong to!" she yelled. "And also tell me where that bitch Mars is!"

"Inyssa!" Sarah turned her head towards her, a horrified look on her face. "Language!"

"What!?" she protested. "Am I being too rude to the terrorists!?"

Jupiter tapped her fingers on her temple, biting her lip and switching her gaze between everyone in the room. She seemed more annoyed than scared, and the older guy behind her didn't even flinch at their words.

"Look, we'll take this energy and after that we'll let these Pokemon go, if that makes you feel better." She spoke jovially, as if she were offering an amazing deal. "Oh, and as for Mars? I have no idea where she is, which I am grateful for. Trust me, if I knew I'd tell you immediately, that way either you or her would die and I'm honestly fine with both those options."

Inyssa's jaw was completely clenched, her teeth hurting from the pressure. How could someone speak so casually about something so horrible? Those Pokemon... were they missing their trainers? Were their trainers even alive? She didn't doubt Team Galactic would be willing to kill someone to take their Pokemon, not after meeting their commanders. The thought almost made her choke from rage, and without hesitation she threw her Pokeball into the air, the light coming out of it quickly materializing into Enma. Barry quickly did the same and released Pedri from his, the penguin Pokemon appearing in front of him ready to fight. Enma shot her a glare full of disdain.

"Look, I know you're an idiot and you're mad about not getting to fight the Gym Leader, but this is really not the time!" She pointed with one hand towards the machine. "I need you to help me with that!"

Enma lazily turned his body until he could see what was behind those cages, and once he realized it his cocky smiled completely disappeared, being replaced with a mix of surprise and rage.

"Exactly," she nodded, sharing her Pokemon's anger. "Use Ember on that barrier, we have to get to those two!"

"Pedri, Bubble Beam!" Barry ordered next to her, Metchi's arm still around his shoulder.

Both Pokemon attacked together, torrents of their own elements traveling through the air directly at the Alakazam. The impact shook the basement they were in and part of the barrier seemed to pale for a second, but it immediately returned to its full force. Inyssa frowned; they would need more power than that.

Sarah's scream rung through the room. "Everyone, shoot at the same time!"

The four agents nodded energetically, and with one smooth movement they followed their leader's example, now five guns aimed directly at the barrier separating them from the two Galactic commanders.

"Keep attacking!" Inyssa and Barry ordered at the same time.

Pedri and Enma shot once again walls of fire and water, converging together at their target's location. Around them five shots were heard, slightly hurting Inyssa's ears, but she didn't care. The immense power of their assault almost dissipated the barrier, but the Alakazam managed to keep it up. The psychic Pokemon's face was twisted into an expression of pain as he desperately tried to keep them out. Behind him she could see Jupiter's breathing become heavy, and her eyes widen.

"Charon! I'm not fucking joking!" Her voice was tinted with desperation as she put a hand on the old man's shoulder. "Just get the energy we have now and let's get out!"

"Agh, insolent child!" She heard his raspy, nasal voice through the noise of the gunshots and Pokemon attacks. "We can't until the vessel is completely filled. I already told you, I only need one more minute!"

"We might not have a minute you old fuck!" she complained, both hands clenched into fists.

Inyssa felt that strange shake in her belt once again, and when she looked down it was still that one Pokeball. Did that ghost Pokemon want to come out? She could certainly use the power, but she wasn't sure if he would obey her at all. What if he made everything worse? She looked again toward the barrier, where Alakazam was still holding his own against the barrage of attacks they were throwing at him. She didn't have a choice, if they didn't hurry those two would escape, and she wouldn't let that happen. With fierce determination she took the Pokeball from her belt and threw it into the air, only then realizing she hadn't given that thing a name.

"Attack that Alakazam... uhh... Hao!" She would have time to regret that name later. "Use some... electric attack, I guess!"

The ghost Pokemon's strange form appeared in mid air, crackles of electricity jutting out of his body. For the first time since they arrived the old man operating the machine stopped, his arms frozen for a moment as he heard that unique clicking sound. He turned around slowly, eyes wide, and when he set eyes on that thing Inyssa could swear he almost had a heart attack. There was a clear recognition and a hint of pain in the man's face.

"Rotom!?" His voice lost all semblance of indiference it previously had. "M... Mikh...!?"

She couldn't help but be confused at the man's words, and everyone else stopped for a moment too, their gazes switching between the ghost Pokemon and him. Hao simply opened his mouth, and from it came a horrible, daunting sound that one could hardly qualify as a roar. Pulses of electricity filled the room as the Pokemon yelled with all its might, forcing everyone to back away from it.

"What the hell!?" Jupiter yelled, high pitched. "Is that your...!?

"Curses! Jupiter, quickly, help me seal the vessel!" With a jerk of his body he turned around towards the machine once more, his arms shaking. "We have to secure it and then get back Rotom or-!"

His words were interrupted by a loud crackling sound as the ghost Pokemon began buzzing, his body vibrating as the air around him turned into electricity. With another astounding roar he fired a bolt of lightning at the barrier, the light from the impact momentarily blinding Inyssa. By the time she was able to open them again her vision was slightly blurry, but even then she saw Hao wasn't there anymore. She turned her head around, everyone close to her still getting their bearings, and when she looked towards Jupiter she noticed the psychic barrier was still there.

It happened gradually. First one of the cables under the bridge exploded, sending sparks everywhere and forcing Inyssa and Sarah to back up. Soon followed another and another until the floor under the metal bridge was sending electricity everywhere, making it impossible to pass through. Then the lights started flickering above, as if the power were about to go off. And then he appeared.

The main screen at the front of the machine changed. From a myriad of numbers and grids which she couldn't possibly hope to understand it changed to a single, still image. The ghost Pokemon's eyes appeared on the other side of that screen, that piercing blue staring down everyone in the room. For a single, still moment the image didn't move, until Hao blinked, and a huge, white smile formed beneath his eyes.

The screen exploded.

"Shit!" Jupiter jumped back from the machine, glass falling around her. "What's going on!?"

A simple blip sound resonated through room as all the cages behind the machine opened up, releasing its prisoners. With desperation a wave of Pokemon started flowing from it, screeching and running towards the exit as they tried to avoid the electrified bridge. She saw a couple Eevee and a Pikachu run past her and toward the staircases.

"No! Not now!" Charon's face was red, his lips trembling and his hands in his hair. "Jupiter, seal the vessel! We'll take what we can get!"

"Uh... yeah, about that..." Jupiter's eyes were fixed in the machine. "The vessel is..."

Inyssa's eyes set on the machine's core, that strange metallic ball which was glowing with a blinding white energy. She couldn't see what was different until she realized it was much brighter than before, to the point where she could barely see the people in front of it. She could feel it too, almost taste it. A powerful, oppresive force flowing from the machine towards her, its intensity growing with every second that passed.

"Something is overflowing the vessel's capacity!" Jupiter rushed towards the machine's controls, desperately hitting the keys. "I can't shut it off! It's going to melt down!"

"Take the core off! Quickly!" Charon tried to help his partner, but a jolt of electricity sent him backwards as soon as he approached the machine. "Agh! I can't get close to it, you have to retrieve the vessel before it's too late!"

"I can't, all the controls are locked! That stupid Pokemon is inside the machine!" Jupiter lifted one of her legs and started kicking the panel in front of it. "Stop! Exploding! You! Fuck!"

Inyssa couldn't move. She simply witnessed as those strange events happened in front of her, no idea how to react to them. Should she attack them? Help them? What did she mean the core was locked? She looked down at Enma, who was as dumbfounded as she was, and then to Barry and Metchi, the latter of which was barely conscious.

"Charon, this thing is going to explode any second now!" Jupiter said, her voice filled with a grim realization. "We have to teleport away now!"

"We can't! We have to...!"

"Shut up!" yelled Jupiter. "I didn't bust my ass off getting two degrees in theoretical physics to die in a dump like this! Alakazam, teleport us to the base!"

Inyssa's body reacted at the sight of Jupiter dragging Charon towards the psychic Pokemon, ready to escape. Her legs moved once again on their own, but this time she was stopped before her stupidity could take off. Sarah's hand gripped hers and stopped her on her tracks.

"We have to clear this place!" She yelled, not only to her but to everyone else. "If that thing is really about to blow up..."

"NO!" The scream made everyone jump, and made Inyssa momentarily forget about her rage. Metchi took a step forward, a strange strength imbuing her as her eyes were set on the Galactic commanders. "I'm not letting you go again!"

"Wait you can't...!" Barry tried to grab her once again but the girl slapped his hand away, a terrifying expression on her face.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled. "I'm not gonna wait here for those two to escape, not after what I went through to find them!"

She ran forward, her feet moving swiftly considering the wound on her stomach. Inyssa wasn't sure if it was her imagination but she could swear there was some sort of golden glow surrounding her, and when she looked up at her eyes her heart froze. That gold, that exact same color she'd seen back then, and recently behind Barry's eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she had the chance Metchi threw herself forward.

She wanted to scream at her, call her an idiot for heading toward an electrified path even though she'd tried the same only seconds ago. But to her amazement Metchi simply ran through the bridge, the electricity bouncing off her as if she were wearing a rubber suit. She reached Jupiter and Charon the moment they grabbed onto the Alakazam; they both put their hands on the Pokemon's shoulders, and a purple glow surrounded them as they started to dissipate. But the pink haired girl was determined, and her hand managed to grab on to his mustache just in time. All four of them vanished into thin air.

She wanted to do something, but once again she felt Sarah's grip on her, the woman's face filled with worry. She looked up and witnessed as the core's light grew more and more powerful, until it was painful to look at it. Inyssa could feel disaster in it.

"Everyone, run towards the exit!" Sarah commanded, her voice filled with desperation and her eyes set on her and Barry. "Quick, before...!"

The entire world shook. Darkness swallowed everything.

Inyssa's breath escaped her lungs, her body paralyzed and her limbs unable to move. It felt like a light vacuum, as if the opposite of thunder had struck the room. Time had stopped, she could not feel the beating of her heart or the sound of everyone in her ears. Only shadows covering her eyes, and death's hand closing around her neck.

And then she heard it. The voice, shapeless, toneless, not a sound but simply words being implanted in her mind. She felt them clearly as crystal, her brain deciphering the soundless meaning behind it.

Only this time. Try to stay out of trouble, will you, Niss?

Her mind turned off, and her body fell into nothingness.


When her consciousness came back it felt like she had woken up from death. Her muscles jolted awake, eyes opening quickly and lungs filling with air. Her body was cold, or at least half of it. More specifically the half that she now realized was laying against the cement under her. She moved her fingers first, making sure she was indeed alive, and a pint of joy sparked inside her as she felt the twitch of her muscles in her hand. Her back hurt a bit and the arm she was resting on was asleep, but other than that she felt fine.

Her vision was blurry, but it was slowly focusing. A shape was in front of her, tall and imposing. Behind her she could hear the crackling of fire and smoke. Almost a minute passed before she could see clearly again.

The shape had moved back, now barely at the edge of her vision. And yet she could make up her details clearly, not believing what she was currently seeing. The woman at the other side of the street was at least six feet tall, slim and graceful, wearing a black winter attire, a belt full of Pokeballs resting on her hips. Her gaze moved up slowly and she set her eyes on the woman's face, entranced by it. She was beautiful; even in her strange mental state that was the only word she could think to describe her. Her hair was long, reaching towards her knees and making it look like a coat of sunshine all over her. The gold of it covered part of her body and the entirety of her right eye, her left one staring directly at her, pale lips curved into a simple smile. Inyssa wanted to speak to her, reach her and meet her, but before she could say anything she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey kid! You awake?"

Gardenia's voice shock her back into reality. She blinked slowly, and when she opened her eyes again the strange woman had disappeared. She felt her body being dragged upwards by the Gym Leader's arms, until she was now sitting on the floor, her head spinning.

"Ugh... what... happened?"

"No freaking clue. I came back from leading my students to safety and I find... well, this." Gardenia pointed with her head to her right.

Inyssa followed her with her eyes, and what she saw at the other side of the street would have shocked her if she weren't so confused already. The building they were previously in had completely collapsed, now only a mountain of rubble and dust where before had stood such a proud place. She heard stomps coming toward her, Sarah and Barry walking their way, the boy having a huge smile on his face.

"Niss, you're okay!" He got on his knees and put his hand around her, almost throwing her to the floor again.

"H...hey Barry." She returned his hug, in no condition to be embarrassed at the moment. "And... Sarah. What happened?"

"I'm... not sure." The woman's voice was pale and brittle. "We were there and then... we were not. We all woke up outside the building after that machine leveled the place."

She could tell there was something more to it; Sarah's breathing was heavy and she noted that her hands were slightly shaking.

"What else happened?" she asked, no time to be courteous.

Sarah took her time to respond, and Inyssa could see both Barry and Gardenia bite their lips.

"We were the only ones who were teleported out."

She didn't understand what was wrong with that, that was a good thing, right? Sure, it was confusing but it was better than...

She opened her eyes wide, realization coming to her.

"What about those Galactic grunts? The ones who were there when we entered."

"They... were there when it happened," Sarah looked down. "They're trying to uncover their bodies from the rubble now, but they only found two, and they were both..."

Inyssa didn't need to hear the rest of it. Dead. That was the word Sarah tried to avoid, even though there was really no way around it. Death wasn't polite, after all, it took and took and took without feeling an ounce of remorse.

"Listen... Barry, Inyssa," Sarah whispered. "I talked with my superiors a few minutes ago. There's going to be a full force investigation around this town, they said they're even sending one of the Elite Four to help..."

Inyssa couldn't help but gasp at the sound of that. A member of the Elite Four? Even after all the strange stuff that had happened, it still surprised her. One of the four strongest trainers in the region, bar the Champion of course, and all because of those clowns from Team Galactic.

"If you don't want to be stuck here, I'd recommend you get all your belongings and move towards the next route as soon as possible. I'd love to have you around here, but as soon as the investigation starts the town will be locked down for at least two weeks."

"We can't wait that long," Barry nodded, putting his hand on Inyssa's shoulders. "Um... Niss, you okay? Should we..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind was a mess, millions of thoughts flying around her head and making her dizzy. But there was no time for that right now.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she helped herself to her feet with difficulty. "Where should we go next?"

"Hearthome is the next city with a Gym Leader in it," Sarah explained. "There is no safer place for the both of you than that city. A very good friend of mine lives there; I'll make sure to tell her that you'll be coming."

Inyssa nodded, trying to push her confusion and exhaustion to the back of her mind. "Sounds good."

"I'll make sure you get all the equipment you need before you head out." Sarah showed them a tired smile. "You'll have to cross part of Mount Coronet, after all."

Mount Coronet. The word formed an image in her mind, one that gave her vertigo just thinking about it. The tallest mountain in Sinnoh, dividing the entire region in half. She knew they wouldn't have to cross the thick of it, but it was still going to be a challenge.

She guessed she would have a couple of intense days in front of her. Perfect for distracting her and not think about anything.

"Awesome," she said, voice emotionless. "Let's get going then."