It was a short walk to reach Selene Town and a couple townsfolk were happy to point him in the direction of Mr. Mon. When he reached his house the pokémon trainer get-together was in full swing. Everyone, trainer and pokémon alike, seemed to be having a good time, relaxing and talking to each other. Approaching the elderly gentleman outside his house Jace offered his hand to shake. "Oh, hello," the elderly man, who had to be Mr. Mon said as he took his hand and shook it. "You look somehow familiar to me, trainer."

"Oh I'm not a trainer, not yet at least," Jace explained. "My name's Jace Fortune. My father told me you'd know me."

Mr. Mon's smile threatened to split his face. "Oooh, Jace! You've grown quite a lot. It's good to see you. And I see your father isn't with you. Is he busy saving the world again? Hehe…"

The friendliness was contagious and Jace found himself laughing too. "In fact, yes. He's saving the world as we speak. He said he'd be back soon."

Mr. Mon clasped his hands together, pleased. "Marvelous!" he exclaimed. "Say, Jace, could you do me a favor? Could you ask Mr. Joyce for one bag of Pokémon Cookies? The pokémon simply love the cookies, but we seem to have run out of them."

Jace nodded. "Sure," he said. "I'd be glad to help."

"Excellent!" Mr. Mon said, pleased. "Mr. Joyce's house is the only one with a red roof. You can't miss it!"

"A red roof," Jace echoed. "Got it, thanks."

Indeed, finding the baker's house was not difficult at all. Between the unique roof and delicious smells coming out of it, it was very easy. Jace's mouth watered at all the delicious looking baked goods when he entered, but forced himself to ignore them and his grumbling stomach and approached the baker.

"Mr. Joyce? Mr. Mon sent me to fetch a bag of cookies for the pokémon get-together," he explained politely.

Mr. Joyce groaned. "What a surprise! Someone needs me to cook something!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "Well, I'd love to make you some, but you see, someone stole all of my Happy Powder! And you can't make Happy Cookies without the Happy Powder. It is known!"

Jace made an attempt at a reassuring smile. "Who stole it?" he inquired. "I'll go get it back."

Mr. Joyce sighed, Jace got the feeling this wasn't the first time this had happened. "I don't know for sure, but I could swear it was that little urchin, Richie," he offered. "If you can get back that Happy Powder, then I'll be able to make you some cookies."

"It's a deal," Jace agreed and set off to look for this Richie.

And found him instantly, hiding right next to the bakery.

"Hey, kid. I know you stole the Happy Powder from Mr. Joyce. It's time to give it back," Jace told him firmly.

"Screw you," Richie said, and Jace felt weird hearing a kid who couldn't have been more than six cuss, he hadn't even known any cusses at six. "I ain't returnin' ennethang!" And then he ran off.

"Oh Arceus, here we go," Jace muttered. "Time to chase the brat!"

He took off after the annoying kid and found him on the beach. "Give the Happy Powder back, Richie," Jace demanded.

"Get awaaaaaaay from meeeeeeeeee!" Richie yelped and ran across the bridge. Naturally, Jace chased after him.

"Seriously, give them back before I lose my patience," Jace insisted.

"You can't stop me, fooool!" boasted Richie and he took off again. Jace rolled his eyes and went after him.

When he finally caught up to Richie again, the kid just said he was giving up and going home. Now very tired from running and sick of the whole thing Jace trudged after him, very relieved when he saw the mailbox with "Richie Owns" painted over it. Richie, very rudely, told him the powder was up in his room and when he tried to explain what had been going on to Richie's mother she rudely rebuffed him. Sick to the teeth of the whole thing, Jace went and grabbed the powder. As he headed out the door he realized the sun was starting to set. "I wonder where Dad is," he mused aloud. "I thought he'd be back by now…"

Meanwhile in Another Place…

"This is the time and place?" Hal asked Celebi, standing ankle deep in snow outside what appeared to be a cave. The wind howled and snow fell around them.

"Cele Celebi bi," Celebi insisted, nodding her head vigorously.

Hal nodded and headed for the building.

"CELEBI!" the legendary pokémon cried.

Hal turned back to her and sighed. "Wait for me here, Celebi," he said, gently but firmly. "I know you're eager to help, but I need you to be safe."

Celebi's expression turned despondent, but she nodded. "Bi bi bi."

Stepping into the "cave" showed instantly it wasn't a cave at all, but some kind of military compound. Hal readied his pokéballs at his belt. He really didn't want to be here, he wanted to be back in Selene Town with Jace but duty called. A quick wrap up mission and then he'd be back with son, and they'd be celebrating his first pokémon. Hal was pretty sure he knew what pokémon Jace wanted and had set things up with an old friend to ensure he got it. But for now, the mission.

As he made his way through he came upon a statue inscribed with the words:

As the time turns, two stars shall reveal, the worlds in the sky.

Is that their goal? Hal mused internally. Or some kind of vow for their organization?

He continued to make his way through the base, and for quite awhile encountered no trouble at all. Until he finally came face to face with a guard.

"Agent Hal, I presume?" the guard asked, and the Bisharp beside him hissed.

Hal glared daggers at the man. "So," he asked, "they were expecting me?"

The man seemed amused. "Absolutely," he confirmed. "Your recent endeavors have almost brought our entire operation to a halt. It's only natural that we would prepare for your grand arrival."

"You laughable fool," Hal snarled. "Your group was burned to the ground in the last assault. You lost everything!"

The guard shook his head. "You know nothing, Agent Hal," he reproached. "I'll let you through so you can see for yourself, the 'ashes' of our organization. Dance, Bisharp!"

The pokémon screeched and slashed at Hal. "Hold it off, Lucario!" he shouted, unleashing his own pokémon. "Close Combat!" he ordered. Hal didn't know who this man was, but he was clearly no match for his skill. His Bisharp fell instantly to one of his Lucario's attacks, and his next two pokémon only took needed one hit from his Salamence, each.

"Very well," the man said. "That was a fine battle, please do proceed."

Hal ignored him and walked straight past him.

As soon as he passed through the doorway he was assaulted by three men. "Lucario… help…" he groaned, but they were too quick, punching him in the gut with a cry of "Pokékata!" and snatched his pokéballs.

"We have disarmed him," one said while the other two pinned his arms behind him. He realized that all three had shaved heads, and their hair was dyed a pale blue.

"Welcome, Agent Hal," a brown-haired man said, tone dripping with menace. On his left was an egg and further along was a woman with pale white hair.

Hal looked about making a show of being unconcerned. "You do realize capturing me means nothing, correct? Your Group is gone. But I'll humor you. What is it that you're doing here?" he asked, making his voice deliberately sound bored.

The woman laughed. "Hoho… You crave answers, Agent. And I'll give them to you. Why? Let's say it's a parting gift."

They had him, and they knew they had him. It was time to act a lot more confident than he felt. Forgive me, Jace, your old man might be a bit later than he planned, he apologized silently. "A parting gift? I wasn't planning on staying for too long," he said casually. "I'm glad you anticipated my move."

"Agent Hal," the brown-haired man said casually. "Have you perhaps heard of Empyreans? They've helped me escape… and ascend from the abyss you plunged me in."

Not many agents in Omura had heard of the Empyreans. Most that had considered them merely a myth. But Hal had worked with Crow, with Celebi. He knew better. "Huh?" he asked, faking confusion. "Are they another one of your petty criminal affiliates?"

The man was silent briefly, but then he shrugged. "I suppose I might as well tell you," he said, turning to the egg. "Behold. The Proto Egg that has been incubating over a thousand years… will hatch in 41 days. And then our new ruler, and with him our new world, shall rise."

Something hard came down on his head and after that blackness was all Hal knew. Jace… I'm… Sorry… he thought as he fell into unconsciousness.

Back in Selene Town…

"I'm sure he's doing fine!" Jace exclaimed loudly, in an attempt to reassure himself and ignore the hole in his stomach. "Let's get on with these ridiculous errands."

Heading back to bakery, he gave it Mr. Joyce. "Mr. Joyce," Jace said loudly, "I got the powder."

Mr. Joyce gave Jace a big smile. "Ohoho, very good kiddo," he praised excitedly. "Now stand back! And prepare yourself to see the magic of bake bake baking Happy Cookies!"

Despite how silly he was talking, his baking skills did leave Jace impressed. He cooked up the cookies super quickly and they looked and smelled delicious. "All done," Mr. Joyce said, pleased. "Say hi to Mr. Mon for me, will ya?"

"Wow, thanks Mr. Joyce!" Jace replied. "I will!"

Then he bolted out of the bakery making a beeline for Mr. Mon's place, placing the bag in the old man's hand. "Oooh, are those the Happy Cookies?" Mr. Mon asked. "Well done, Jace, you did good. The pokémon will be most delighted, hmm."

Jace yawned, a day of chasing after cookies, powder, and rude brats catching up to him. "You look slightly tired, Jace," the old man said. "Have I troubled you too much with my errand?"

Jace smiled warmly, if tiredly. "No, no," he said. "It's fine. I just need to rest a little bit." It was true. Jace was exhausted, but he loved helping people. And Mr. Mon and Mr. Joyce were good people.

Mr. Mon nodded in understanding. But no sooner had he done so did a blonde woman come running up behind them. "Oho!" Mr. Mon said. "If it isn't Professor Almond. Jace, it seems you're in luck. This is Professor Almond, the famous pokémon researcher."

"My, my," the woman, apparently Professor Almond, said. "My boots are all muddy." Then she turned to Jace. "Ah, so you are Jace. I've heard so much about you."

Jace looked at her in confusion, but Mr. Mon spoke before he could ask her what she meant. "It's good to see you have changed your mind about the get-together, professor."

Professor Almond shook her head and walked towards the door to Mr. Mon's house. "The get-together? Oh dear me, I most certainly haven't. What brings me here is an utmost emergency."

Mr. Mon nodded, his expression growing solemn. "I see. Let's talk inside then." Then he turned to Jace and attempted to give him a smile. "Enjoy the get-together. I'll be back shortly."

Jace nodded and went to move back towards Mr. Mon's garden, but Professor Almond interjected, "Mr. Mon. It's Jace that I need to speak to, in fact."

Beep beep beep. Jace could hear it again. The beeping heart monitor. Something was wrong. He shouldn't have ignored that gut feeling.

"Oh?" asked Mr. Mon, interrupting his worries.

"Let's talk inside," Professor Almond said.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Jace quickly followed them into Mr. Mon's house. Mr. Mon affected an air of grandfatherly calm, which helped soothe Jace's tattered nerves, at least a little. "Now, now," he said calmly. "What's this all about?"

Professor Almond turned to Jace and addressed him directly, "Jace, I have received word from your father's superiors," she began. Beep beep beep. "They haven't given me much to work with but… in short… They told me that your father, Jace, has been captured by an enemy group."

Beep beep beep. Jace's eyes widened in horror. "Wh-What?!" Dad was their best agent and someone had managed to capture him?! he thought in shock.

"Furthermore, and the reasons to this are unclear, there will be no attempts to rescue him," Professor Almond explained, far too calm for what she was saying.

Jace's mind was racing. Beep beep beep. "An enemy group? What enemy group? No attempts to rescue him?! What's going on?! Dad would never allow himself to be captured like that!" he demanded, words flying out of his mouth a mile a minute. Those jerks made him go when he was supposed to be free… And now they won't even help him?! he thought incredulously. Beep beep beep.

"This is quite unsettling," Mr. Mon said, his air of calmness slowly but surely evaporating off him, like rain off a Magcargo turning to steam. "And that's all there is?" Beep beep beep.

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Mon," Professor Almond said, and turned to Jace. "Now, your father, Jace, left a message for you before he took off."

"A message?" Jace asked. Dad's never left me a message before, as far as I know of. But then… he's never been captured before, either. Maybe this is just the first I actually got?

"Yes," Professor Almond confirmed. "It's a letter, actually. Here, I was asked to deliver it to you personally."

"I… I can't believe this…" Jace said, voice faint. "This cannot be happening." The only family I had left. Am I gonna lose him, too? Mom… What do I do?

"I know it's not easy, Jace," Professor Almond said gently. "But there's still hope. Even though Sylentia Agency gave up on your father, there is no reason why any of us should give up."

Mr. Mon gave him a warm smile. "Mmhm, that's right. Jace, we're close friends of your father's and we'll do anything we can to help him."

Jace nodded but his mind was miles away. "Dad's a pretty badass trainer. I can't believe he would ever fail like that."

"Jace, please believe me," Professor Almond said. "Your father is missing, but we'll do all we can to find him." She patted his shoulder. After you read that letter, come visit my lab in Mera. Just follow the grassy path north of this town to reach Mera. I know that your father would want you to follow in his footsteps of becoming a world class pokémon trainer. Also, the data you collect will be useful for my research. So, do pay me a visit, Jace."

"I'll come," Jace said quietly. He'd been looking forward to becoming a trainer for months, but this wasn't how he'd expected it to happen.

"With that, my visit has come to an end. Mr. Mon, it was nice to see you again."

Mr. Mon sighed. "Yes, likewise. If only the circumstances were not so grim," he suddenly sounded much older. "Take care."

She squeezed Jace's shoulder gently, then left.

Jace got out of his chair and walked for the door. Grim. Dark, he thought. Surely, this situation would be accurately described with those two words.

"But," he said aloud without realizing, "I'll use neither of those words. Instead, from here on out, my quest will be twofold. To become the best pokémon trainer, and to find Dad! My only family. Mom, please, watch over us both!"

"Jace, are you feeling alright?" Mr. Mon asked. "You started mumbling something to yourself. Do you want to rest here for a while?"

"I'm okay," Jace said, giving the kind old man a smile. "I'll be heading out to Mera Town now."

"Good, good," Mr. Mon said, returning the smile.

But first, Jace thought, Dad's letter.

Hello Jace

If you're reading this, that means I was probably captured, and you've probably been told no one will come to rescue me either. Well, hey, don't fret! It only means the mission to rescue me is so risky and dangerous that it's not profitable. When I phrase it like that, it sounds like I'm in some sort of grave danger, but I'm not! By the time you see finished reading this, I could already be soaring the skies on my Salamence, free as a Pidgey! Anyway, Jace! I wish for you to become the best pokémon trainer in the world. I know you can do it. Good luck on your journey. We'll meet again someday.

Best wishes,

Dad

-P.S. And so I sailed the undulating seas, latched on to lackluster twines of destiny.

"What even was that last bit?" Jace asked no one in particular.