Unfortunately, there was still another night before the real adventure began. Upon arriving home, I tried to explain the day to my parents. I fidgeted as I spoke, unsure of the response I'd get even with the envelope from Salvator. The three of us were in the spacious and modern living room. My parents were sitting next to each other on an L-Shaped couch, and I was on my own armchair directly across from them. I paid careful attention to their faces, looking for any distinction as to what they were thinking as they read over the letter.

Man, oh man, I thought. I really should have peeked at what the gist of the letter was. The SIM master had to have made it before we met this morning, so were some crucial details missed?

I was snapped out of my thoughts when my father set the letter down on the coffee table. He raised his head, and looked directly at me, and I met his gaze with as much determination as I could muster. Sure, it was my father, but if this was some kind of test to see how committed I was to going through with this, then I had to prove myself.

Our eyes were locked for what felt like an eternity. No matter how hard I tried, I could not figure out what was going through his head. Was I winning? Or had his mind already been made up? He turned away and whispered something to Mom, too quiet for me to pick up from across the room. I adjusted my posture in the armchair, trying to remain as calm as possible.

My father leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms, a large smile on his face. He chuckled.

"This is wonderful, son! I knew that you had the fire for battle in you! Just like me and your mother when we were trainers!"

"And," Mom chimed in, "after careful consideration, we have both agreed to let you should go through with this. We won't stop you from experiencing the world of Pokemon, but if anything else happens out there, we can send you items via your PDA."

I stood up from the armchair.

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed. "Thank you both so much for understanding. You do know that you're the best parents ever, right?"

In response to this, my parents walked over to where I was standing. Together, we shared a hug.

"Hakins…" my father said, pulling away from the embrace. "Your mother and I owe you an apology. We thought that the simulations would be best for you, and we pushed you pretty hard at times, despite the clear signs that it wasn't meant to be."

My mother nodded, and stepped away too. "Yes," she said. "We should have realized that it wasn't doing you any good battling with Pokemon in that way. We're just glad that everything has been sorted here."

"Nonsense," I replied, shaking my head. "That decision doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that I've just been allowed to go out and be in Orre. There isn't a reason for you to feel bad."

I smiled.

"Alright, I think I should start packing a bag for tomorrow. And I'm gonna talk to Dustin, see if he's up for coming with me. Can I get a ride in the morning?"

My parents gave me an incredulous look.

"Of course we're going to! Who knows what our son will come back looking like after being out there…" my mother said, clearly starting to get more nervous about me leaving.

My father caught this development, and gestured for me to head up to my room to pack while he sat down with my mother, talking reassuredly.

And with that, I headed into my room, closed the door behind me, and began to pack…

…

"I would love to go with you!" Dustin exclaimed, a big grin on his face.

It was just past 9PM. I was in a video call with Dustin, and I explained what happened earlier in the day. Dustin's skin was darker, a sort of caramel brown. He wore a light blue T-shirt and pajama bottoms, his normal outfit consisting of brighter colors. His hair was a darker blond, a tangle of curls in every which direction. He had large eyes, which were a deep blue. He fidgeted around in excitement as he spoke.

"This will be awesome! My parents want me out of the house more often anyways. I'll be there Hakins! Don't keep me waiting!"

"I won't," I replied, a grin on my face as well. "Get a good rest, and I'll see you there!"

"Bye!" Dustin ended the call.

Sighing, I looked over at my duffle and suitcase, which were packed with everything that I thought that I needed for a journey through the desert. I thought about it for a moment, and then realized that I wasn't quite relaxed enough to sleep yet. Nonetheless, I changed into my nightwear and climbed into bed, clapping twice and getting a satisfying feeling as the room went dark. I closed my eyes ready for sleep…

Then an hour passed.

Then another.

Then another.

And I eventually realized that this wasn't going to work. I climbed out of bed and made my way to the screen door across from my bed.

I quietly slid the door closed behind me, now outside on the balcony that overlooked the ocean. Although heights weren't my favorite, and the balcony jutted out with a massive drop below, the calm of the night lessened the fear. I relaxed as the wind from the sea swept past me, my spiky hair leaning with the wind. I stepped over to the railing, leaning forwards and looking out into the night sky. I began to think thoughts of Pokemon.

What Pokemon will I meet? How will I know which Pokemon to take with me and fight alongside? Will I get to choose my Pokemon? Or maybe it will choose me? What if I don't want it and it stands in front of me ready to join my party? No. I would still take it, because not doing so is selfish. But what if it didn't want me?

I shook my head, quickly realizing that going through scenarios like this would get me nowhere. I turned to walk back into my room, when movement from the right caught my eye. I turned quickly, just in time to see a massive flying Pokemon swoop upwards, the force of the wind behind it knocking me off of my feet.

I looked up just in time to see it flying in the direction of the Cipher ruins, vanishing behind the jagged peaks around it seconds later. I got to my feet, momentarily stunned by what had just occurred. My eyes wandered towards the largest peak on the island, and seeing it snapped me back into reality. I then decided that I had to figure out what it was, or I wouldn't get any sleep at all. My curiosity as strong as ever, I changed into my normal clothes and grabbed my phone. I then left my house, guiding the front door gently back into place until it closed without a sound. That area wasn't far from where I lived, so I bolted up the winding road, the streetlights on the road casting my shadow as I ran.

As I went higher up the island, the street lights gave way to a dark dirt road, the treads of vehicles marked in the ground. While the dark was frightening, my determination to get to my destination was stronger. I kept the pace, using my phone flashlight to stay in the right direction. About ten minutes of jogging later, I reached the ruins…

While three years had been enough time to remove most of Cipher's development on the isle, the sheer size of the Cipher ruins left the task of disposing of it a frightening prospect for the workers. There wasn't just some lab equipment and a couple of walls to remove like the rest of the Isle; the herculean-sized Sphere didn't just disappear after the Second Shadow Incident. Therefore, it was agreed that the building would be knocked into the lava below, making usage impossible. And so, three years ago, the Sphere was sunken into the lava.

As time passed, the lava flows were sealed in order to add more space for real estate and make transit more smooth. Opening after opening was closed up, until one particular sealing also cut off the flow of lava to the Sphere. Over time, the violent ocean storms that defined the island extinguished the lava, leaving elevated ground.

Ultimately, the Sphere was shown to still be intact, misshapen and heavily damaged. The wreckage from the Sphere was all over the areas where lava once flowed. The workers ultimately decided to leave it be. They rationalized that on an island full of ocean views, the crater of a volcano might not have been the prime real estate.

I now found myself standing a couple hundred yards from the crumbling Sphere. I hadn't really been near it before, and the sheer size of it buried in the ground was astonishing. Even with part of it obscured, it had to be at least 10 stories high. It was flanked on all sides by the rising natural walls of rock, reminding me that I was standing on the bed of a once active volcano. The chunks of wall missing, the full moon shining through it, along with the dents and holes, was beautiful.

My attention was quickly shifted when I looked down to see that same Pokemon sat down a ways ahead of me, with a figure to its left. The figure was staring intently at the massive structure. The curiosity that overcame me earlier was beginning to give way to fear. My heartbeat sped up, and my fists were clenched. Despite my better judgement, however, I found myself taking small steps towards the stranger. My arms grew weak with fear, and my muscles were so tense that they could not bend in any direction. Each step forwards brought more conflicting emotions, and my focus began to blur from all of the feelings and thoughts. Closer, I got, closer and closer and-

"Moonlight!" the figure shouted.

His Pokemon swung around, and before I had time to react, the moonlight intensified throughout the area, completely illuminating where I was. I froze, too scared to move. My heartbeat was pounding in my throat, and the idea of moving could not get through to the rest of my body.

The mysterious stranger turned around and sauntered into the lit area.

The figure was wearing a Peon outfit, which was produced en masse during the Second Shadow Incident. This one, however, was badly damaged. The armor was broken in several places, with clear weld marks on the chestplate. One of the legs did not have the white armor at all, and in its place was scrap metal. The helmet was shattered on the left side, a half face mask covering the part that would've shown the face of this stranger. He wore a grey cloak over the back of this all. This was much more intimidating than any Peon that I had seen in the past years of my life.

"What are you doing here, kid?" the stranger's deep voice asked, although it was clear to me that he was a young man. He projected an eeriness about him, and I could feel his gaze burning into me through the mask he wore.

I remained silent, too scared to speak. The damaged Peon seemed to twitch.

"Answer me!" he yelled, causing me to flinch. "Or would you rather be shredded to pieces where you stand?"

At saying this, his Pokemon walked into the light, revealing that it was a Noivern. This Pokemon growled loudly, claws outstretched. I could barely muster the strength to blink, but silence brought about the prospect of death.

"Well…your Noivern flew by my house…not that that's bad or anything…just…uh, I thought I'd investigate...harmless?" I said the last word almost as a question more than a statement. The Peon folded his arms.

"What kind of idiot sees a Dragon Pokemon fly to the center of a volcano, and feels compelled to follow it?"

I let out a defiant shrug.

"Well," I started. "I…was just…you know…int-"

"Idiotic," Peon interjected. "Foolish, thoughtless-"

"Alright!" I countered, some force giving me courage. "What do you want, Cipher? What good is this place to you? You've lost. There's nothing left!"

This triggered a reaction from Noivern, who bore its fangs on me. Startled, I jumped back, but the figure raised his hand before the fearsome dragon could advance any further on me.

"I am no Peon, boy." he said, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

After a moment, the figure crossed his arms, and his voice quieted again. "When I first wore this armor, I was a pawn. Things are a little different now."

He turned to briefly stare at the Sphere, and then returned his attention to me.

"Who are you?"

"Hakins." I replied. "And uh…you are?"

"Zero." he said. The ex-Cipher Peon walked over to me, now just mere feet in front of me. After a moment, he sighed.

"You will not die tonight, so long as you leave."

I felt an anger welling up inside of me. I had spent so much of my life being pushed around by men dressed as him. Rational or not, I wanted answers..

"What are you doing here? The Sphere is gone, and all of the equipment has been destroyed."

I grew still, unsure if I had just sealed my fate.

Zero turned around and took a few steps towards the Sphere, his footsteps echoing in the silence. A strong breeze from my left blew past, making Zero's cloak drift to the right in the wind. The Moonlight that had been radiating throughout began to dim, my eyes straining to keep focus on the ex-Peon.

"I came to see what your workers have been doing here" Zero said, still not facing me. "They may have seen Cipher; they may have lost people or Pokemon to their forces, but they came here to build some pampered property without any real idea of how awful this place was. They should've let Citadark burn and flood."

"I…"

I began to try and say something. Something that might justify why things weren't so bad on the Isle. But I certainly couldn't be one to talk; I was about to leave it all behind with a smile on my face the next morning.

Living on Citadark the past couple of years had been complicated. I found myself thinking of the limited diet allowed to me. Given that crops could not grow, boats brought supplies from the mainland daily, primarily canned food and other long-lasting products. Produce was available, but it was often tainted by the waves upon arrival to the Isle.

I then thought of Pokemon. There were close to none here. Just like us people, the lack of food would've been a problem for them too. The violent storms driving away bird Pokemon. The drastic change of tides sending water Pokemon through whirlpools.

I found the words.

"Just because Cipher built a monolith of evil here doesn't mean that it has to taint the soil forever. Living here has been hard, but in a few years years time, this will be a much nicer place to live. And that's because we've let go of the past."

I heard the shuffle of Zero's armor as he shook his head, folding his arms and gazing up beyond the Sphere that dominated his view, and towards the lustrous full moon.

"How naive," Zero said. "It's easy to say that you didn't have to see the true monster that Cipher is."

Zero took a step forwards.

"Did you ever see a Shadow Pokemon for yourself?"

I shuddered. I couldn't forget it. My family had been living in Phenac city before we moved here. We witnessed a lot of concentrated activity from Cipher over the course of my life there. I had seen the Shadow Pokemon when I was very young; young enough that I was barely walking on my own. My parents were walking with me that day, and then suddenly pulled me to the side of a house. I heard impacts and explosions, and in my childlike curiosity, slipped out of the grasp of my father to see what was going on. I turned the corner to see what lodged itself in my mind forever.

It was a Pokemon battle. A peon dressed in blue was battling a strange young man with a machine on his arm. While the man's Pokemon was gaining the upper hand. The peon's creature was ravenous and horrifying. Its screeches rattled my soul, and seeing it ram its head against the walls was equally traumatizing. Even at my age, I could feel the Pokemon suffering. I didn't have sleep soundly for a long time after that.

Because of that single encounter, it took me a long time to feel comfortable with Pokemon battling again. Seeing one would almost always trigger the memory of the self-brutalizing Pokemon. I was likely directed to Battle SIMs from my parents because of this. However, as an adolescent, I came around to caring a lot about the importance of Pokemon in my life, especially as we spent time on Citadark. My battle with Salvator cemented the change in me.

I saw that Zero had turned around, the cracked pieces of his Peon helmet casting a menacing shadow in the moonlight, looking like an urchin atop a ragged pedestal. His arms remained folded, and his voice gritted and deep. I was doing a poor job hiding my reaction to my thoughts.

"I know that look. Now imagine what it was like to not only see those monsters every day, but sit by and watch them scream as the their hearts were violently closed through scientific exploits."

At saying this, his mouth showed anger, outwards and scowled.

"The world's top researchers banded together, not to solve the myriad of problems facing our changing world, but in the pursuit of pure power. Bright minds should've be used for the betterment of all. Instead the visionary advances in technology that should've benefited everyone were modified to infect Pokemon and push the limits of their power. What worked was trained and studied, and the failures were disposed of."

Zero turned to face Noivern, who up until now had its gaze locked onto me, awaiting any sign of aggression to rip me apart. The dragon's mustard eyes turned to lock onto Zero, and I could almost sense a sort of respect. There was no warmth in that gaze.

"I believe in making the hard calls. But I will not stand for those who wish to treat the Pokemon of our world as the necessary test rats for humanity's future. My Pokemon."

He returned Noivern's stare. It was clear that this Noivern and Zero had a story far deeper than I could pick up on. Zero once again shifted to face me.

"That's why I visit places like these. So that I can remember; so I never lose the fire to keep fighting."

Zero stepped forwards. Another shiver went down my spine.

"I will pry Cipher from this place. Every corner they cower in, every foxhole they hide in. They won't get away with this."

I stared in disbelief. No. It couldn't be.

"Wait," I said quietly. "Cipher is gone, right? Michael wiped them out years ago-"

"I answered your questions," he interjected. "We're done here."

He stepped away from me, and then turned to Noivern.

"Boomburst!"

A feral shriek, a throbbing ring that filled my head, and then darkness…