oOo

Time moved quickly while Missy sat on the tardis. As her position and date changed so did her surroundings. The sun and moon rose and set chaotically as time-shifted around her. The seasons came and went in a violent fury of seconds.

She watched the leaves of a Japanese Maple rapidly bud and grow. The leaves grew into bright red expenditures. As time slowed the sun began its descent from the sky. Soon it was all over. Time had stopped at the given coordinates.

Missy's insides twisted, she cringed and cramped. She clenched her stomach and winced. Not too long after, she stopped herself from vomiting.

It took a moment for her organs to stop churning. When her insides calmed, she decided she'd close her eyes the next time she traveled.

Missy turned her head and noticed the fountain she sat on had transformed into a shrine to celebi. She was sitting on its base, she dusted herself off before she re-entered her ship.

The room was illuminated by a dull purple light. At the center, a Gothic-style control console dominated the room. The ornate drawers below the console and elegant but useless safety railing made the control room a sight to behold.

Missy set her umbrella on the control panel before she had bothered to bat an eye at the fox. An old habit that came from years of traveling alone. She was keeping the fox and would need to be more mindful of the pokemon.

Ninetails waited at the base of the control panel, she seemed bewildered. The pokemon looked at everything she could. Slowly the fox would come to terms with her newfound reality, it was only a matter of time.

Curiously, the pokemon looked at her. What is this place? Why is it talking to me?

Perplexed by the question, Missy promptly answered, " It's a tardis, this is my home. What did it tell you?"

It told me that we were traveling through time, that this was some kind of ship in time and space, and that the future was a dangerous place to be. In preparation, it crafted you a special screwdriver, Ninetails explained.

Missy let out a sigh of disbelief as she observed the control panel. A yellow crystal jutted out of the fabrication dispenser. Surely enough a screwdriver had been produced.

On the monitor above, a diagram explained it was a laser and sonic combination. The diagram showed that laser beams could be fired from the crystal, the device was capable of gathering information about her surroundings, it could access any electrical interface so she could meddle with all sorts of equipment, an electric guidance feature, and a slider on the side that could raise a pokemon's level.

She didn't want to admit it, but the tardis had hit the nail on the head. Opposed to being anything like The Doctor, she had little incentive to use it.

Missy picked up the short silver device it was light and easily managed. The crystal radiated light as the device buzzed. She was immediately informed that her bio-metric code had been linked to the screwdriver.

She looked over her new toy once more before she put it in her jacket. At the very least she could use it to level her pokemon.

The tardis had crafted something for her, the simple act was a dire warning. As she considered the situation, an overwhelming sense of dread followed. She closed her eyes, then began to discard the emotion with a brief meditation.

As she opened her eyes her despair had gone. She analyzed the time rotor and let out a long sigh. There was a lot of work to be done.

Ninetails silver reflection caught her eye. The pokemon knew more about this than she did. That's where she needed to start.

Missy turned around and then asked, " You told me that the world was coming to an end. I would like to know what happened back there?"

Ninetails wearily gazed back at her. Someone fired the Ultimate Weapon. A weapon that will end this world. I was fighting to try and stop it everyone was. The pokemon, even Team Rocket, but we were running out of time. In a few hours, the world would have been nigh. Then I found you and you saved me from a ghastly fate. I am forever in your debt.

A sinister sensation came over her while she took in the information. Missy hastily disregarded the emotion, the fox was her's that was a given.

If that was how this world ended that was a tragedy. The matter was a tricky affair to fix at best, and an impossible one at worse. With the little information the pokemon presented, the only certainty she had was to get off the world.

For the time being, she had an elegant companion with the unique ability to talk to her. It was strange but she welcomed the idea, the pokemon could probably be of assistance. That was a good thing because there was a lot to be done.

" I think I'm going claim that debt." Her lips curled into a smile before she introduced herself, " You can call me Mistress."

Ninetails eye's softened with relief. The pokemon let out an excited yelp before she replied, Thank you Mistress.

Missy gave a nod of appreciation before she started to analyze their location. After a moment, she got the results. They had arrived close to Ecruteak City, the date was March 20th, 1864.

On this day The Festival of The Returning Sun was taking place. It was a day of festivities that ended with a congregation of the wise.

Every year, scholars and priests came on a pilgrimage to Ecruteak City. They would gather at the Brass Tower to exchange knowledge and discuss their discoveries.

Missy brought a map onto the screen. She was located less than a kilometer away from the city. The quarter of a mile walk was convenient, not too far from the tardis, but not too close.

She looked into her attire options and gasped, a tunic was out of the question. She learned that cloaks were popular and decided she would stick with that.

The tardis is like a pokeball Mistress, Ninetails slowly said.

" It's way better than that," Missy replied before she entered her wardrobe.

She peeked in and took a ruby-colored cloak from its hanger. She put it on and let the hood fall behind her.

" Come along," Missy said as she briskly walked past the fox.

The pokemon dashed over to her and took her side. As they left, Missy shut the door and was sure to lock it.

What do you mean Mistress? Ninetails asked.

Missy hesitated, it would be best to keep her reply telepathic. With that in mind, she answered, What I mean is it's much better. I'll show you sooner or later.

The pair walked briefly through the woods before they arrived at a path. The pair kept a moderate pace, the sun would set soon, which could destroy her plans. They had good timing, when they arrived at Ecruteak city the sun hung low in the sky.

The bright red leaves of a forest of Japanese Maple trees reflected the light. The trees provided the white-washed walls of the city with some much-needed color. The gates ahead were open and unguarded.

When they entered the city, they stepped into a new world. Colorful banners lined the streets, they all contained images of spring.

Her attention had been taken for too long. A group of carefree children shouted at one another as they ran by.

The kids had nearly run into her. She shrugged, agitated, but undeterred, she wasn't going to allow children to get the best of her.

The road ahead was busy, vendors bartered their wares, cooks touted their delicacies, and those around them eagerly participated in the exchange. Lanterns of red and gold adorned every roof and street corner. The sound of music and chatter filled the streets.

In the distance, a ten-story brass pagoda stood next to its twin made of tin. They looked elegant in the sunset.

" Fried tamoato berries for sale sure to add some spice to your night!" a vendor called out.

" Revival herbs, perfect for any last-minute turn-a-mate preparations!" another called out.

It was annoying, but to be expected. Her companion seemed so excited. The silver fox was a treasure, curios but still composed. She liked that aspect of the pokemon.

What really bothered her were all of the curious glances from those around them. As she observed the crowd she took note that most did not have pokemon at their sides.

Mistress where are we? Ninetails asked.

We traveled to the past. This will be a good place to learn about this world from the view of the residents, Missy replied.

An eruption of cheers disrupted the conversation. Ahead of them, was a mass of people. Just past the group was a Torii Gate and their destination, The Brass Tower. Just outside of the gate, two people were having a pokemon battle.

She spied the enormous, scaly blue dragon. The beast appeared to be in a state of rage. The pokemon's black eye's narrowed at its opponent before it roared.

The creature it fought was considerably smaller. The pokemon resembled a toad with an unbloomed red bulb on its back.

Curious to see what the commotion was about, Missy shoved her way past a couple of onlookers.

When they arrived at the front she witnessed the battle. The man in charge of the gyarados took command with great conviction, " Now gyarados finish this, flamethrower."

His grey eyes were focused on the fight. His spiked red hair and gote gave him a unique flare. The robes he wore, must have been of the highest quality. From what she had seen on her travels, he was easily the tallest human she had seen in recent memory.

He took a step back as gyarados lunged at its opponent. The dragon roared as it unleashed an intense jet of flames. Its opponent jumped back in fright.

The pokemon's keeper quickly countered," Ivysaur dodge it!"

The pokemon obediently leaped out of the way. It desperately continued to do so as the gyarados attempted to attack again.

The child that commanded the pokemon was young, he couldn't have been any older than ten. The kid's hazel eyes grew weary with concern as he watched the flames.

Ivysaur attempted to dodge the attack but was struck back by the attack. The pokemon collapsed to the ground, it let out a grunt before it fainted.

Its trainer called it back to what looked like a green walnut. A green light surrounded the pokemon and carried it to the object. The child said something to the walnut before he put it into his pocket.

His opponent did the same. Missy couldn't make out what it looked like. She suspected that they both used something similar to a pokeball.

Missy glanced at her companion. Can you do that?

Yes, Mistress, I'm a fire type. My move pool is a powerful set, Ninetails proudly answered.

They watched the trainers shake hands. The victor looked to the crowd. He spread his arms out and presented a challenge.

" Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me?" he asked with great confidence.

There was much chatter through the crowd. " Seventh battle he's won in a row," a man next to her muttered.

" He's too good, Where ever he's from the people must spend an extraordinary amount of time raising and training their pokemon," a woman behind her said.

She took in the surrounding conversations. It was hard to believe some of the things she had heard about his power. Those around her seemed suspicious of him. Not a single person stepped up to his challenge.

Missy had hoped to see more but had other affairs to attend to. with a glace at Ninetails, she said, " Let's get out of here."

The pair began to make their way into the clearing. She was careful to keep her distance, but it wasn't enough to stop him from calling out to her.

" You there!" he shouted.

Missy looked over with a calm annoyance. Apparently, he didn't understand body language. Instead, he smiled, he was very ambitious.

" It would be an honor to battle such a gorgeous trainer and her elegant pokemon," he smoothly requested.

Missy rolled her eyes in annoyance, then coldly replied, " I am a priestess."

" And I am a priest," he warmly explained. " Where have you traveled from my dear?"

This question caught her off guard. She quickly thought of a lie. There was always a town called Arcadia in almost every world. With her knowledge lacking she decided that it was her best bet.

" I've traveled from Arcadia," Missy coolly replied, but she leered at him. " Arcadia is not a place known for its pokemon battles."

" Arcadia, there was a town long ago by that name on an island somewhere very far away-" he trailed off as he twisted his beard with his fingers. " There it is you're from the Hoenn Region. Oh my goodness, I never expected to meet such a lovely priestess from Hoenn."

Her eyes met with his. " We are the scholars of history."

" I happen to have a passion for history. Come you've traveled such a great distance and I would be honored if you accompanied me to the congregation," he insisted, as he offered his hand.

Missy gazed into his eyes, she didn't like how he was speaking. He struck her as condescending. His second attempt was a completely different offer. She could tell that this man had different intentions.

She saw right through his patronizing and lies. She wondered what he was up to, probably seduction, and she wasn't interested.

Missy defensively crossed her arms. " I'm sorry, but a priestess of my status and power has one objective tonight and that is to learn."

He frowned, it was clear to her that he was displeased about her rejection. She turned away, then loudly scoffed. Ninetails took her side as she approached the entrance of the tower.

Two men guarded the entrance. She reached into her bag and snatched her credentials. Gracefully, she presented the psychic paper. Both guards looked it over in awe.

" The Mistress High Priestess of Arcadia," one of the doormen declared.

" We are pleased to have you in our company Mistress," the other doorman said as he opened the door for them.

She took the paper and tucked it away as they stepped inside. A sign was ahead, she stopped to read it over.

Welcome Priest and Priestess

The congregation will begin at sundown.

Missy looked out a nearby window, the sun was very close to setting. A priest briskly passed her, she decided to follow him up the stairs. Sure enough, he led them to the temple.

She slowed her pace as she strolled through a shoji door. The parchment wrapped as the door was opened. The room was filled with many priests and priestesses dressed in wildly variant attire.

The altar was adorned with seven candles, one for every color of the rainbow. A stained-glass depiction of a rainbow bird hung above it.

Missy walked past the many rows of floor mats. She meandered her way through the many priest and priestesses. She did her best to avoid any kind of interaction with them.

As she passed the groups of people she noticed that none of them had pokemon. She looked a ninetails and realized how uneasy she was. She shook off the fear, after all, she had no way to hide the pokemon.

When she spotted an available mat she took it. Ninetails lay next to her and calmly observed.

It wasn't long before the congregation began. An old man dressed in gold-colored robes stepped up to the altar. He raised his arms in praise as he looked at the congregation.

" My beloved brothers and sisters. On this eve we celebrate Shunbun no Hi, the day of the returning sun. Let us give praise to Ho-oh," he said with exuberant praise.

The Priest and Priestess around her bowed their heads in prayer. Missy quickly joined them and lowered her head.

The High Priest began a prayer, " Let us praise Ho-oh great bringer of light. May the return of the sun enlighten our souls."

" May your sacred fire light our way, " the congregation responded.

Missy grinned as she attempted to lipsync. She didn't have to be good at it, she just needed to blend in.

" Let us follow your glorious path to a new day," the high priest praised.

" May your sacred firelight the way," the congregation chanted.

" Let us reach for the divine," he praised.

Missy glanced up. The high priest had raised his arms to the sky. She quickly closed her eyes as roleplayed her self-appointed priesthood.

" Brothers and sisters let us give thanks for the longer days and the return of spring," he jovially ended the prayer. " Let our congregation begin."

With those words, those in the room relaxed. She sat up along with the others. Their rituals were strange, she hoped that was the last of them.

"He smiled in delight as he addressed the congregation, " Brothers and sisters, Tonight the pilgrims of this congregation will share their knowledge. May we be enlightened by their teachings."

The High Priest stepped away from the altar and took a nearby seat. An older woman dressed in robes of rose and emerald took his place. Her story of Shaymin and medicine kicked off the event.

A haiku about moltres and the return of summer followed. There was the story of darkrai and the bad dreams it brings. She learned that a lunar wing could be used to ward off its nightmares.

The tale of the wish pokemon Jirachi seemed absurd. She laughed to herself, the primitive people around her would believe anything. She found this fact to be amusing.

The next priest to speak was the man who tried to battle her. He stepped up to the altar with the same confidence he had in battle. He had brought a case with him, and when he opened it, the room grew still with awe.

Missy marveled at the five small colored stones. The blue, white, green, purple, yellow, and a large rainbow-like gem, could make exquisite jewelry.

" My beloved brothers and sisters today the world of pokemon battling changes. I have traveled many nights and seen many moons. In my journeys, I have discovered a gift from the Gods themselves."

" My fellow priest and priestess I introduce to you Mega Evolution. When just one of these stones matches the coordinating pokemon it will ascend to a level of power greater than what it was before," he paused, and a few members of the audience gasped at the statement.

"When the pokemon ascends to its final form, divine energy is released from the mega stone. The pokemon can use this energy to evolve once more, the power they will wield will challenge the legends."

Missy looked over the many different colored stones they were very similar to marbles but bigger. She had so many questions and wanted to get a closer look.

" By the power invested in me by the people of Anistar, I present these stones as gifts to assist with your quest for knowledge, " he said, he then placed the box on the altar.

With his speech concluded, the priest cheered and applauded. He smiled and waited for them to stop. He briefly bowed before he reclaimed his mat. The high priest took his place.

He smiled as he addressed the room, " We can't thank the priest from Anistar enough for this tremendous gift. I look forward to seeing the true power of these stones. My brothers and sisters this gathering has given our hearts deeper wisdom and our souls greater light. The hour grows late and the time of the moon is upon us. Let us give thanks to Ho-Oh and all of our pokemon friends."

With those words, the congregation was over. The priest and priestesses began to talk among themselves. Missy gazed at the stones the longer she looked at them, the more she wanted to know.

She pondered the thought of overtaking the gathering. She could have drawn her screwdriver and caused pandemonium. As she pondered this over, she recalled the battle she had seen earlier and decided against it. She didn't know what kind of monsters these people had with them.

She stood up and hastily left the room, doing her best to go unnoticed. She and ninetails slipped into a nearby hallway. They found a stairwell and took it to the third floor.

They hid there and waited. She listened for the priest to leave, for the candles to be blown out, and for the tower to grow silent. When all was still she stepped out into the hall.

Missy reached into her bag and pulled out her controller. She pressed a button and a dim purple light came from it. The light source wasn't good enough for her to see much of anything. She sighed before she put it back into her bag.

Disgruntled by the revelation, she took the screwdriver from her jacket. The device started to hum, as the light intensified. It got the job done, swiftly she got to work.

She gently stepped down the stairs. Her companion dourly looked on as she followed.

Missy noticed the pokemon's demeanor and asked, Do you really agree with what I'm doing?

No, but who am I to stop you? You saved me from a horrific fate, Ninetails somberly answered.

They rounded the corner and made their way back to the temple. Missy slid the door open and walked in. Candlelight danced on the walls. The colorful stones reflected the light, it gave them an ominous glow.

Missy hastily proceeded, but a confidant and familiar voice stopped her, " Might I ask what you are doing here Mistress? Priestess of Arcadia."

Undoubtedly the priest was going to be a problem. Perhaps she could best him with a bluff.

She crossed her arms, appalled by the interruption. " Why I've come to pray to the stones for greater power. Are you faithless?"

He shook his head no. " Quit the shenanigans."

It was a long shot and hadn't paid off. The priest glared at her as he reached into his cloak. She was in a tricky spot, swiftly she considered her options. Her thoughts ceased at the sight of a red and white ball, a pokeball.

He tossed it ahead. "Murkrow."

A black crow with a crown of feathers manifested from the ball. The pokemon spread its wings and shrieked.

In exchange, she aimed at the pokemon's heart. Ninetails, let out a yelp as she leaped in between her.

Her opponent's eyes narrowed at the fox. " Use nightshade. "

A dark aura surrounded ninetails, she whined as scratches formed on her body. The pokemon growled return before she unleashed a jet of flames.

" Protect, " he countered.

A clear shield appeared in front of murkrow. The flames dissipated as they were deflected by the shield.

Ninetails took a step back. and glared at the bird. Mistress tell me to do something.

Missy ignored the fox, and coldly asked, " Who are you?"

He grinned then answered, " I'm a priest of Anistar and you've forced my hand. " A sinister smile crept across his face. His gaze was filled with murderous intent. " I can't let you destroy my plans."

The tip of Missy's screwdriver lit up with vibrant yellow light. She sneered at him as she prepared to fire.

" I have plans as well, can't let these stones go waste. A girl's gotta do, what girls gotta do," she replied before she took the shot.

A yellow beam of energy shot from the screwdriver. He barely dodged the attack when he jumped into the hallway.

Murkrow fled from the battle and flew to his aid. As the pokemon cawed, the light in the room shifted.

The laser had shot through a shoji door across the hall. Small embers glowed in the aftermath of the missed shot. A small fire had started to form, it rapidly grew by the second.

Missy turned her back to the flames. She ran to the mega stones and shoved them in her bag.

" Ninetails let's get out of here," Missy beckoned to the fox.

She began to set the vortex manipulator for a town she had read about, Saffron City. It was a safe place to go, she'd be able to purchase the things she needed.

Their arrival time was set a few years before the event. She had questions, but before she could get the answers she wanted to get the tardis off the ground.

As Ninetails took her side, she placed her hand on the pokemon's head. With the press of a button, they left that point in time.