Author's notes: I notice a steady audience on this story over the last week. This chapter, I have had it written for some weeks, but didn't post it for some reasons. Right now, I want to tell you first, that this chapter is about 9000 words long, which is the combined length of the first two chapters of this story and a personal record for me.

Because of that, the amount of work I have put on it and my school life, I would appreciate reviews now, to show if there are people interested in this story. If not, this is all I'm going to write about and eventually maybe take it off the website. The story will live on in my head where I will be the only one enjoying and I won't need to to sacrifice my free time on writing it.

That issue aside, I have based the locations in Hoenn on Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games while keeping the proportions of the the cities at the same level as in the Anime. As for Alola, Mallow's Restaurant only exists in the Anime as Mallow lives on Akala island in the games instead of Melemele, but I suppose it's located in Hau'oli City near Route 2. That's to to help you get a better focus on the surroundings.

Chapter 2: Cracked Mirror

Alola Region – Melemele Island's Hau'oli City

''For those of you just joining us, Kanto Region has been a site of series of attacks the likes of no other,'' the newscaster said beginning the report from the start. ''The most visible attack was the destruction of the small town of Pallet, known for being the home of famous Pokémon researcher Professor Samuel Oak, who is among the people confirmed deceased. ''

''PROFESSOR OAK IS DEAD!?'' Ash yelled shocked as the tv screen showed an image of Professor Oak and what was left of his research laboratory, as well as Pallet Town's current status, on a live video feed. ''Then… MY POKÉMON?! AND MOM?!''

''Pika-Pi!?''

And the evening had begun so well. The school day had ended as it usually did, after which Ash had dropped his non-essential belongings to Professor Kukui's house before departing to Mallow's Restaurant with Pikachu. Professor Kukui had also ran into and introduced Ash to his neighbor Thomas Jr, who had just returned from something he had called a walkabout. Because of a run in with Team Skull, Ash and Pikachu had ended up arriving to Mallow's Restaurant with Thomas Jr, who had managed to clean himself up and catch up to them. And that was the moment when the whole day had begun to go sourly from good to bad, with the whole newscast about the attacks in Kanto making the bad turn worse.

Pallet Town had been, in other words, in the middle of nowhere in Kanto, where it was mostly famous for Professor Oak's research ranch as well as the trainers who had begun their Pokémon journeys there and managed to get to compete in the Pokémon League. Ash couldn't understand what could have provoked anyone, human or Pokémon, to attack it.

''What kind of Pokémon is that!?'' Lillie, the blond girl in white dress and hat asked pointing at the screen which showed footage of large being making it's way from Pallet.

The footage was taken from air, according to the screen text by a Pidgey camera, meaning that a flying bird Pokémon was following it from afar. From the footage, the culprit of Pallet Towns' destruction and Professor Oak's killer was a grey skinned being with wide shoulders and it had bone structures coming out of it's shoulders, elbows and pretty much everywhere. Pokémon or not, it was a monster.

''Hello, my name is Thomas Wayne Jr and I'm calling in behalf of Professor Kukui of Alolan Pokémon School,'' Thomas Jr spoke to handheld mobile device while also looking at the news cast. ''Kukui has been providing place to stay for one of his students who is from Pallet and would like to know what has happened to his mother. Ash Ketchum. Yes, I'll hold.''

''Pika?'' Pikachu said turning to look at Thomas Jr on the phone, then turned Ash's attention towards him. ''Pikapi, Pikachu!''

''Huh?'' Ash asked.

''I'm on hold to that number on the screen,'' Thomas Jr said pointing at the screen with his right hand busy with the phone. ''The sooner we know what has happened, the sooner you can properly process this.''

''Who are you and why are you being that nice?'' Kiawe asked not recognizing Thomas Jr.

''Professor Kukui's neighbor,'' Thomas Jr answered glancing at Kiawe. ''And I know what it feels go suffer a tragedy like this so- Yes, I'm still here.''

Thomas Jr stood listening what was told to him on the phone, with an emotionless stone before exhaling and turning to Ash and Pikachu.

''Your mother's name is Delia?'' Thomas Jr asked frowning his forehead.

''What happened to my mom!?'' Ash asked impatiently.

''Yeah, that's her,'' Thomas Jr said with his attention back on the phone, then turning back to Ash and Pikachu. ''Your mother survived thanks her Mr Mime using Barrier to create a shield around her when your house was attacked. She is still alive, but in critical condition.''

''Critical condition?'' Ash asked not understanding what Thomas Jr meant.

''Could you repeat that?'' Thomas Jr told the phone and switched on the loud speaker.

''Mrs Ketchum was saved from the worst by Mr Mime's Barrier shield, but the magnitude of the tremors caused her to get hurt by being thrown to the Barrier walls,'' the voice of the person on the phone explained. ''Before being shielded with the Barrier, she also seems to have fallen down the stairs based on her other wounds.''

''Where is she now?'' Thomas Jr asked in behalf of Ash who was still coping.

''Pii-kaa,'' Pikachu said trying to comfort his trainer.

''She has been transferred to a hospital in Saffron City for observation and necessary operations,'' the person on the phone informed them. ''We will keep you informed about her progress as it changes. Can we contact you on this number?''

''Sure,'' Thomas Jr answered. ''There is still the issue about the Pokémon that Ketchum had living at Professor Oak's lab. Can you tell us anything about them?''

''In due time, we are still waiting to hear from the Pokémon Rangers and Doctors at the scene,'' the person on the phone answered. ''We will keep you informed.''

''Thank you,'' Thomas Jr said as the call was terminated. ''Well, Ash, you got some good news and-''

''Pikapii piikaa,'' Pikachu said pointing at the door.

Ash had left the restaurant, probably to process what had happened in solitude as he had even left his Pokémon behind.

''Give him 30 minutes max, then go after him,'' Thomas Jr told kneeling next to the little mouse Pokémon. ''This stage of grief requires him to be alone for a-''

''PIKAA!'' Pikachu screamed pointing at the television screen.

Looking back at the television's newscast, it was now showing a loop of the monster noticing the Pidgey cam following it, then jumping high in the air towards it, closing in and the turning into static. As the loop kept repeating, the close up of the monster got clearer, eventually the footage slowing down to showing the monster's appearance better. The bone structures came out of its skin, from its shoulders, elbows and knees as well as its face. But it's face, it showed intelligence, meaning it knew what it was doing, and it didn't show any signs of being a rapid Pokémon. The features on the monster's face were human.

Hoenn Region – Lilycove City Pokémon Center

''Oh, there you are,'' Serena said seeing Bruce approach her in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria. ''I saw you by the phones earlier. Did you call home?''

''Bad phone reception, but I did manage to leave a message,'' Bruce answered as he looked at the lunch menu. ''I ran into a Piplup, whose trainer is a coordinator after I was done. If you don't mind, I asked if she wanted to eat with us.''

Serena leaned backwards hearing this.

''Why?''

''I got interested to learn more about the Pokémon Contests,'' Bruce answered still looking at the menu and tapped a hamburger meal with his finger, before turning to face Serena. ''You peaked my interest about them and the Coordinator I met told me she has been at it for 5 years.''

''So?''

''So,'' Bruce continued, ''hearing from both of you would an informative dinner conversation. What are you having?''

Serena made a half smile hearing that before choosing her food and had it put on a tray. She and Bruce moved to a table by the window and sat down to eat their meals.

''So, I told you my story,'' Bruce said taking out a knife and fork to eat his hamburger, ''you're going to tell me yours? What made you decide to become a Pokémon Performer?''

''I owe it to these people,'' Serena said taking a photograph from her pocket and passed it to Bruce. ''I travelled my first journey through Kalos with them.''

Bruce took the photograph and looked at it. His gaze moved from its right corner to the left slowly, as if he was taking his time looking at every one in it and forming his impressions on them by the changing looks on his face. While looking at the right side where Korrina was with her Lucario, Bruce tilted his head and hummed. Then as he moved Clemont and Bonnie, Bruce made a half smile that then turned into a frown, like he was thinking. Whatever he thought he thought it out quickly as got to the right side of the photograph where Serena was with Ash. At that point, Bruce lifted the picture up, so it was on his line of sight with Serena and he took multiple glances back and forth between the photograph and her.

''It's an over a year-old picture,'' Serena said after Bruce had done it enough time. ''Yes, I have shorter hair now.''

''I get the picture,'' Bruce said smiling as he returned the photograph by sliding it on the table, but kept his hand on it. ''You traveled with them and you wanted to impress him.''

''Huh!?'' Serena sighed as Bruce put his finger on the photo, where Serena was slightly leaning towards Ash.

''I take that as a yes,'' Bruce said leaning back and resumed to cutting his hamburger into digestible bites. ''I also noticed, and you confirmed, that after taking of this picture, you have also changed your appearance from quote cute schoolgirl appearance unquote to a quote professional to be taken seriously unquote. And when you gasped as I brought him up, you reached for the blue ribbon on your collar, meaning it means something for you. My guess, he gave it to you. Add that to your shocked reaction, the matter is personal to you and you haven't sealed any deals yet. Or, judging by the way you are looking at me right now, you think you have, but are not sure if you did.''

Bruce stuck his fork to the piece he had cut and put it in his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it, before adding:

''Did I get anything wrong?''

''No- I mean, did you get all that from the photo?'' Serena asked, as she started to get second thoughts about having befriended the stranger. ''Or have you been following me?!''

''To your first question, yes. I have good enough deduction skills that have caused some of my friends to call me the World's Greatest Detective. Or in case of my former father-in-law, just the Detective,'' Bruce said focused on his food. ''To your second one, only when we were on the road and walking to the same direction.''

Serena look a long look at Bruce with a changed perspective. The details about her life that Bruce had managed to guess from just looking at the photograph of her and her friends from Kalos were frightfully accurate and the fact that he had guessed them all as a stranger she had never met was another thing. Then she thought back to everything he had told her. Bruce had laid out his entire life story to her, but left out some details, like people's names, out without mentioning them. Did he really even have a son or friends?

Then there was what Serena was currently seeing with her own eyes. Who uses a fork and a knife to eat a hamburger!?

''Piplup!''

Serena's trail of thoughts was cut by a small water type Pokémon. A Piplup that had jumped on their table and it was glaring at Bruce like it didn't trust him.

''Ran off from your trainer again?'' Bruce said with a half-smile as he turned to the Piplup and then looked up. ''Ms Berlitz! Dawn, your Piplup's over here!''

''Hey, sorry about that, Mr Wayne,'' Serena heard from behind her and eventually saw a blue haired girl younger than her, setting down her tray on the table before grabbing the Piplup and sit next to Bruce at the table. ''Piplup, what is it with you today?''

''Piplup, pip pip luup!?'' Piplup shouted from it beak, before jumping out of his trainer's lap and back on the table where he begun to wave his flippers at Bruce and rant. ''Piplup pip pip piplup, pip lup lup! Piplup piplup piplup, piplup pip pipluup, PIP PIP PIPLUUUP!?''

As soon as the Piplup was done and needed to catch his breath, Bruce set down his knife and fork, put his hands together and leaned towards the Piplup while keeping his eye contact with the Pokémon.

''Listen,'' Bruce said with sincerity, ''I don't understand anything you're trying to say, but I expect you to understand me as you understand her.''

By her, Bruce was referring to the blue haired trainer sitting next to him as he was also pointing his index finger towards her from.

''I have no idea why you have a hostile opinion on me and I have, so far, nothing against you,'' Bruce continued, glancing at his company as he did, ''so understand that whoever you might be mistaking me for, I am not that person. Stop treating me like this and let's both move on like adults. Deal?''

Bruce reached out his hand, at the short distance between him and the Pokémon, towards Piplup as a gesture of good faith in making friends. Piplup didn't answer it. The Penguin Pokémon turned away and jumped down on the seat on the opposite side of the table, putting it between him and his trainer with Bruce.

''It's times like this when I wish they could say more than just their own names,'' Serena said looking down on the Pokémon, before reaching her hand toward Piplup's trainer. ''I'm Serena Yvonne from Vanavile Town of the Kalos Region.''

''Or a talking Meowth who could translate they are saying,'' Piplup's trainer said before reaching her hand to shake Serana's hand. ''Dawn Berlitz, I'm from Twinleaf Town of the Sinnoh Region.''

''See, this you make friends,'' Bruce said giving Piplup a glare and answering to his hostility in a civilized manner. ''Moving on, Dawn, I invited you to eat with us, so I could hear about Pokémon Contests and Performing from both of you. You're a Coordinator and Serena is a Performer, so…''

''What is it that you want to know them, Mr Wayne?'' Dawn asked formally, as Serena saw her also noticing that Bruce had been eating his hamburger with a fork and knife.

Bruce answered with charming and embarrassed smile.

''Serena can start with her performing and you can pick up from how it works with the Contest Coordinating. That feels like a good start.''

Alola Region – one of Melemele Island's beaches

Ash stood on the beach looking at the ocean in the direction where he knew Kanto Region was. It was far, far away. So far that he couldn't see the land or the smoke probably coming from what was left of Pallet Town… and Professor Oak's lab. Ash had learned thanks to Thomas Jr that his mother had survived the attack and was taken to a hospital at Saffron City for surgery and observation. That information had helped a bit, but the uncertainty of not knowing how she would recover, if she even would recover, was a harrowing though in the young trainer's mind.

Then, as a Pokémon Trainer, Ash lost his footing trying to imagine what all his Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab had gone through. The tv-news had let him know that Professor Oak was dead and… Arceus! Professor Oak was dead. Ash could only imagine how Gary could have taken the news about his grandfather's death back in Sinnoh. And then all of his Pokémon… Bulbasaur, Charizard, Bayleaf, Muk, all the Tauros, Kingler, Snorlax, Donphan, Sceptile, Corphish, Glalie, Starapror, Infernape, Buizel, Gliscor, Oshawott, Scraggy, Krookodile, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Noivern… There were others, but Ash couldn't think straight with this uncertainty where he just couldn't know what had happened to all his Pokémon when Professor Oak's lab was attacked. Had his Pokémon tried to attack that monster on shown on the television? Had they tried to protect each other from it? Considering how the monster had been seen making its way away from Pallet, what could they have accomplished.

Ash had already fallen off his feet to his knees and the images entering his head with all these thoughts begun to make his sick.

''Is that the Twerp?''

''Alone out there?''

''With no Pikachu?''

''Wobbuffet?''

''TEAM ROCKET!?''

The unknown emotions he had never felt before were running in Ash's head as he turned his head away from the ocean and towards the voices behind him. Whatever these emotions were, Ash wanted and needed to get them out of there and now he had heard the four voices of potential outlets to help him with that. Those four, originally three, had plagued Ash's life ever since he had been 10 years old and been there at every turn to try and steal his Pikachu. Pikachu wasn't there with Ash now and this time Team Rocket was not getting any Thunder Bolt sendoffs. This was a long time coming.

''You think he heard us?'' Magenta haired female asked her team mates as Ash begun to march towards them.

''Maybe he is just coming out of the beach,'' blue haired male suggested as Ash kept closing in.

''I don't like the look on his eyes,'' the scratch cat Pokémon said hiding behind the cyan colored psychic type.

''Wobbu-'' the patient Pokémon said raising his hands in surrender, ''-FFFEEEEEEEET!''

PJONK!

Wobbuffet's Counter move reflected Ash's attempted attack against Team Rocket and made him fly backwards to land on his back on the sand.

''When was the last time the Twerp tried to attack us head on?'' The female Rocket said looking down at Ash.

''First time was at Viridian Forest in Kanto back when we first tried to capture his Pikachu,'' the male Rocket said.

''But I'm not 10 years old anymore!'' Ash grunted as he pulled himself back up. ''This time you're not going to just-''

''PIKAA PIKAPII!''

Pikachu ran between Ash and Team Rocket, followed by Ash's Rowlet, Lycanroc and Litten, with Thomas Jr who was carrying his phone in his hand.

''Looks like it was good not to wait 30 minutes,'' Thomas Jr told Pikachu as he looked at Ash and then turned to Team Rocket. ''I'm sorry whatever he did or tried to do you. He just learned about the situation in Kanto.''

''Pikapi, Pikachu! Pika pikaa!'' Pikachu told Ash and nodded his head at Team Rocket while looking at Thomas Jr. ''Pi-Pikachu pikaa pikaa!''

''Translation, Meowth?''

''Pikachu told the Twoip that we're not worth the trouble,'' Meowth said before pointing at Thomas Jr, ''and then it told the taller Twoip not to waste his apologies on us.''

''Not to waste apologies on us!?'' the outraged female cried.

''He attacked us for no reason!'' the male followed.

''Wobbu-Wobbu!'' the Wobbuffet followed.

''And you four are…?'' Thomas Jr asked, obviously just noticing the white uniforms with purple Rs on them.

Their direct reaction to this was to assume a stylish form, as if they were posing for a photoshoot.

''Did someone ask something? We're here to find out!'' the female said as if she was reading a script.

''Noble answers are what we're all about!'' the male said doing the same.

''The beauty so radiant, the flowers and moon hide in shame,'' the female said introducing herself as walked stylishly like the beach was a catwalk. ''A single flower of evil in this fleeting world: Jessie!

''A nobly heroic man of our times. The master of darkness fights against a tragic world!'' the male told his name while pulling purple rose out of nowhere. '' It's James!''

''It's all for one and one for all! A glittering dark star that always shines bright!'' the scratch cat Pokemon said prancing around proudly presenting itself. ''Dig it, while Meowth takes flight!''

''Team Rocket, let's fight!'' Jessie and James in unison as they took the form of standing back to back.

''That's right!''Meowth said jumping up and landing before the humans.

''Wobbuffet!'' the psychic type replied doing a proud salute next to his masters.

''Never thought I'd see the day,'' Thomas Jr said doing a sarcastically slow clapping, which tempted Team Rocket to lean forward expecting for complements, ''when Kite-man Hell Yeah would become a less ridiculous catch phrase.''

''Excuse me!?'' Jessie said outraged.

''Our motto is a product of years of improvising hard work!'' James yelled at Thomas Jr while waving a fist.

''Yeah, we put a lot more effort into it than some kike man!'' Meowth said on tow.

''It's Kite-Man,'' Thomas Jr corrected them in a deadpan voice.

''Kite-Man!?'' Team Rocket repeated after him.

''Hell Yeah! It's short, it gets the point across and you can remember it easier,'' Thomas Jr told them, putting pressure in that last part. ''That was amusing, now let's get back into the real world. Ash, listen to Pikachu.''

''Pika Pika, Pi-Pikachu!'' The electric mouse Pokémon told his trainer as he had made it back on his feet. ''Pii-Kaa, Pikapi.''

''Hold on,'' James said cutting the tensioned situation with rationality and looked at Thomas Jr. ''What did you mean about Kanto?''

Ash, frowning at Team Rocket glanced at Thomas Jr. The truth was that Team Rocket had not done anything to him and he had attempted to attack them. Thomas Jr obviously didn't know them, and even then, Ash didn't know much about Thomas Jr besides that he lived next door to Professor Kukui. He had been friendly and when Ash had learned about what had happened to Pallet Town acted quickly to help Ash know more of what had happened.

''There is a monster at large in the Kanto Region,'' Thomas Jr said as bold statement while taking his phone up and showed them the image from the news. ''Monster that has not been identified as a Pokémon and has so far destroyed Ash's home town of Pallet.''

''Yeah, that ain't no Pokémon,'' Meowth said looking at the image.

''Is not!'' Thomas Jr snapped at the scratch cat. ''Ain't no is a double negative that translates into Is.''

''Grammar lessons aside, a Pokémon knows another Pokémon,'' Meowth continued. ''Ain't that right, Wobbo?''

''Wobbu,'' Wobbuffet complied, ''Wobbuffet!''

''So, if there is a monster that can destroy cities at large in Kanto,'' James said thinking aloud, ''how long would it take to find headquarters?''

James' point made something click in the heads of his team mates. Jessie, James and Meowth exchanged glances as Wobbuffet stood on its feet expecting to be told what to do next. And what happened next, was all four to run away towards the woods screaming:

''WE NEED TO CALL BOSS!''

''Wooobbuffeeeet!''

GRUMBLE!

Ash's stomach grumbling took his, Pikachu's and Thomas Jr's attention away from the fleeting Team Rocket.

''When was the last time you ate anything?'' Thomas Jr asked.

''I'm not hungry,'' Ash said without looking at him.

''Pikaa?'' Pikachu said surprised as he looked at his trainer.

''That is the trauma talking,'' Thomas Jr said in the serious tone of knowing what he was talking about. ''Let's head back, you should eat something while we wait for the call on Pokémon.''

''Pikapi,'' Pikachu said friendly gesturing Ash to come back with them.

Ash sighed before doing nod with is head and started to walk back to the direction of Mallow's restaurant.

''Just so you know,'' Thomas Jr said to Ash as he followed him with Pikachu, ''I was 12 years old when I watched my little brother and our parents die on our way home from movies. I can relate to what you're feeling right now.''

Hoenn Region – Lilycove City

''So, to summarize,'' Bruce said leaving the Pokémon Center in Serena's and Dawn's company, ''the core difference between contests and showcases, that's the proper way to call them, comes from how much the Pokémon Trainer is involved in the activity. A Coordinator enters one or two of their Pokémon to two-to-three rounds, first one being Appeal round that judge the entrance to the last two rounds that are basically fights where the Pokémon need to look cool while fighting under 5 minute time limit.''

''Yes, the third round is the finale where the winner gets their contest ribbon,'' Dawn said, Piplup sitting on her head and still leering at Bruce. ''Five ribbons and then the Coordinator can enter the Grand Festival, where the winner gets named Top Coordinator.''

''While alternatively a Performer enters Rookie Class Showcases which have two sections,'' Bruce said continuing his summary, ''first on being themed and it can have multiple rounds for the maximum of 3 performers, doing what the theme demands of their Pokémon. Winners chosen by the judges of that Theme Performance get to enter Freestyle Performance and do whatever, of which winner is decided by the audience.''

''Winners get Princess Keys and Performer who has three of those Keys gets to enter the Master Class Tournament,'' Serena answered picking up the conversation with Bruce. ''Oh, and another difference, Showcases are girls only, unlike the Contests where everyone can get enter.''

''That makes them sound like Beauty Pageants,'' Bruce noted frowning as he realized something. ''Say, did I ask you about the Showcases' age li-''

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Bruce's question was cut short by something that moved past them at a speed that none of their eyes could see.

''What kind of Pokémon was that?'' Dawn said digging out her Pokédex to try and scan it.

Serena did the same with her Pokédex, but Bruce actually recognized the sound of the speed's frequency, having seen and heard someone else move at that kind of speeds before. As Serena and Dawn still tried to use their Pokédexes, Bruce looked into the direction the wind had just blown and then to the opposite direction. The Lilycove Hotel on the opposite side of the road from the Contest Spectacular Hall and for a split second, Bruce saw a figure on the roof. A figure, that had just run past him at the same speeds as-

''Ladies,'' Bruce said to Serena and Dawn, making them stop doing what they did and look at him. ''I just realized, that after the Contest is over, you two have a place for the night in the Pokémon Center, but as I'm still a Pokémon away from being a trainer, I should probably go get myself a hotel room.''

''You have a Pokédex,'' Serena said pointing at Bruce's left hand, ''so Nurse Joy should be able to let you-''

''Yes, but better be safe than sorry,'' Bruce told Serena as he begun to walk backwards towards the Lilycove Hotel. ''I'll be at the audience when you're up.''

Bruce left the Performer and Coordinator at the Contest Spectacular Hall and ran into the hotel. The Lobby was empty of staff, minus the receptionist who was busy watching the Pokémon Contest's preshow footage from television. Moving as stealthy as he did, Bruce walked past the receptionist and to the other side of the lobby where the staircase was. As the Hotel was only 3-4 floors high, Bruce marched up the stairs and begun to undo the buttons on his trench-coat.

''No cameras,'' Bruce said as he looked around and pulled his scarf off his neck. ''Good.''

Bruce stuffed the scarf in his pocket and pulled on his gloves. Finally, as he got up to the highest floor, Batman pulled on his mask and took lockpics from his belt to open the door accessing to the roof.

''Flash!?'' Batman called out as stepped out to the roof of Lilycove Hotel. ''Flash, are you out here?''

The rooftop was deserted with no one out there besides him. Batman frowned as he looked at the surroundings, trying to find something to justify his decision on getting there. Having managed to get a call to the Batcave had been a success in contacting anyone back home and the sight of a speedster running past him, had given Batman every right to assume the Flash could have managed to locate him, wherever here was, by finding this dimensional frequency with the use of his cosmic treadmill.

''Someone has been here,'' Batman said as he kneeled to examine the spot on the roof where he had seen the speedster standing on from the ground level. There were footprints on the dirt, fresh ones, meaning someone had indeed been there recently before Batman came there.

''Where did you come from?'' Batman asked as he turned on the mask's lenses, so he could differentiate his own footprints from the other ones on the roof. There were two sets of them, recent and older ones left by the same pair of legs. There were less of the recent ones, showing that whoever had left them had only just been here to look down from here and older ones were coming from the other side of the building, which was facing the ocean.

''Someone fast came here, left and came back,'' Batman said reviewing the scene. ''But before leaving, they stood here for a sometime, observing the… Contest Hall?''

Returning to the spot where the unknown speedster had stood, Batman took another look at the view from there. The Contest Spectacular Hall was in perfect view from the roof and at this exact viewpoint, it was easy to see the entrance and everyone who would be going into the building.

''I saw the speedster up here when I looked up, meaning this spot was abandoned when I left Serena and Dawn to enter- how much older are these other footprints?'' Batman continued in his examination as he calibrated the lenses to do carbon dating on the prints and compare the age difference between them.

''The speedster first came here long before I entered Lilycove with Serena,'' Batman said seeing the results. ''This couldn't have been the Flash, so who here in this world could have access to the Speed For- ''

''Piiiiiip-luuuuuup!''

Batman froze. That could not have been what he thought it was. Considering what he had just learned about the Pokémon Contests, that specific Pokémon should have been at the Contest Hall with its trainer and not there on the roof startling him. Worse, if it was that same Pokémon Batman thought it was, it now knew about his identity.

''Piiiiiip-luuuuuup!''

''You cannot be serious,'' Batman growled biting his teeth as he slowly turned around to the rooftop access and saw his little stalker. ''This stopped being cute way beyond this point!''

''Piiiiiip-luuuuuup!''

It was Dawn's Piplup, it had followed Bruce to the roof of the hotel and probably also seen him as he change into Batman. The penguin Pokémon was panting and out of breath, meaning it had ran up the stairs to the roof following Batman.

''Piiiiiip… Piplup!'' The Piplup shot back at Batman, still attempting to catch his breath, and pointed his flippers at him in accusation. ''Pip-Pip… Piplup!''

''Now you listen to me!'' Batman barked at Piplup as he walked to and confronted him. ''You don't like me for some unknown reasons and I'm starting to lose my patience to tolerate your behavior.''

''Piplup? Pip-Pip-Piplup!'' Piplup yelled at Batman in an offended tone and begun to point at Batman's mask and the symbol on his chest. ''Piplup-Pip-Piplup-Pip-Pip-Piplup! Lup-Piplup-PIPLUP!''

''Once again, I have no idea what you are saying!'' Batman told Piplup as he picked up the water-type and started to walk towards the edge of the building. ''I'm taking you back to your trainer now and after the Contest is over for today, we both go our separate ways. I'll come up with some excuse and then we don't need to see each other anymore!''

PTOOTH!

''Piiip-LUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!''

Batman fired the grabbling hook to the wall and then started to rappel down the side of the hotel, with Piplup held against him by his other arm. Down on the ground level, Batman hid kneeling behind a dumpster to pull his cowl off and tied his scarf around his neck to hide it. The gloves were once again hidden into the trench-coat's breast pockets and the trench-coat was buttoned to hide the Batman costume under it.

''For your sake, I hope Dawn didn't plan to use you in the Appeal Round,'' Bruce said fixing his scarf on to properly cover the Bat symbol on his chest and picked Piplup up to carry again.

''Piplup.''

Alola Region – Team Rocket's hideout

Hollow tree hosted by a Bewear held built in ladders leading to workplace with a computer and live in quarters for both humans and Pokémon. The Bewear carried berries into his tree when he saw the humans and their Pokémon, that he was keeping house in his tree, dramatically running towards the tree. Bewear allowed them to run past him and to do whatever work they usually did when they were at his tree. As a good host and their caretaker, Bewear resumed carrying berries to his tree and make dinner from them for his guests. With his back turned away from the tree, Bewear failed to notice the figure glowing dark green light and floating in the air at the observing distance.

''What should tell the Boss when we call him?'' James asked with his hand on the dial at the computer console.

''It's not like we have caught any new Pokémon,'' Meowth said quite depressed with his pawns hanging, ''and your Mareanie isn't actually something to report on.''

''At least we should address the monster in Kanto,'' Jessie pointed out. ''The Team Rocket status could have changed with the monster attacking headquarters and-''

''Oh, you don't need to worry about the Devastator.''

The hideout inside the tree wasn't that well-lit as it was dim, but as the unknown voice spoke all the light in hideout was taken away. Not being able to see anywhere paralyzed the Team Rocket, not because they might have been afraid of the dark, but because of what had brought the darkness.

''With Darkness Black, I choke the Light! No Brightest Day escapes my sight!'' the unknown voice spoke again this time bringing back enough light so the Jessie, James and Meowth could see him and where they were. ''I turn Dawn into Midnight! Beware my power- DAWNBREAKER'S MIGHT!''

''Yes, we beware you!'' Jessie screamed as they fell to their knees and bowed in fear.

''And your power!'' James screamed with his head down.

''Please don't hurt us!´´ Meowth screamed in the similar position.

''WOBBU WOBBU!''

''Get up!'' the Dawnbreaker said creating dark green holds on Team Rocket and used them to lift them back on their feet so they could properly see him. ''You Team Rockets are all about your mottos, so I thought introducing myself to you with my oath.''

Team Rocket looked at the Dawnbreaker. He was a tall and slender young man, not older than 20 years, wearing a green and black costume complete with long eared cowl and dark green goggles that hid his eyes. On his chest there was symbol in the shape of a lantern that had black wings. And on his right hand, which was made into a fist, there was a dark green ring.

''Who are you?'' Meowth asked first.

''As I just said, I am the Dawnbreaker,'' the young ringbearer said, with his age reflecting from the tone of his voice as he raised up his ring for Team Rocket to see and used it to levitate so he would look down on them. ''And this is the most powerful weapon in the known universe. Not even the strongest Pokémon can survive from being hit by it so don't try anything stupid.''

With the intimidation, Dawnbreaker forced the Team Rocket members into a formation before him.

''So,'' Jessie said first, ''what do you want with us?''

''Me and the Devastator are two of the chosen seven Dark Knights,'' the Dawnbreaker said raising his ring hand and used his ring to create hard light constructs of those other six besides him. ''Every one of us are from our own dying realms and we are making our way to a new home world through this one. For our time here, we have made a partnership with your boss Giovanni and Team Rocket.''

''Was that before or after your buddy wrecked the Twerp's hometown?'' James asked defiantly. ''That goes against protecting the world from devastation.''

Dawnbreaker answered to this by creating a hard light constructs of a unknown, not-Pokémon looking creatures that snared James back in line and served as warning for Jessie and Meowth not to do the same as him.

''Your world has the eighth Dark Knight to join our ranks, but he is not one of us yet,'' the Dawnbreaker continued with his ring hand up as the constructs continued snarling around them. ''We all were born from tragedy and trauma, which number 8 has yet to experience here. Pallet Town was the first part our building trauma for that Dark Knight. You three, or is it four with that thing?''

''Wob-buf-fet!'' Wobbuffet said intimidated and made a salute.

''Anyway, you have part to play in it,'' the Dawnbreaker continued with a frown. ''It shouldn't be hard considering how you have spent years practicing it.''

''All we have been doing for the last few years have been blasting of again and again,'' Meowth said depressed thinking back to all their failures. ''All because the Twerp and his Pikachu.''

''And that is your mission,'' the Dawnbreaker said creating a construct of an all familiar Pokémon. ''Except this time, you are not stealing it. Your mission is to kill that Pikachu in front of its trainer.''

Hoenn Region - Contest Spectacular Hall in Lilycove City

Bruce marched in a fast pace into the Contest Hall while carrying Dawn's Piplup in his hands. The look on his face was not amused as the penguin Pokémon had not only managed to sneak up on him and figured out his identity as Batman (maybe not the whole picture of it as Batman was not a native concept to this world) but also as the sighting of the unknown speedster had raised new questions about this place on top of the ones he already had.

But then, Bruce's thoughts moved to a what-if scenario as he looked down on the Piplup he was carrying. What if the Flash had been up there on the roof? What if Bruce had been pulled back to his own universe and this little Piplup had followed him there. The little Penguin Pokémon was already suspicious of him and following Bruce to another universe could have caused a lot of trouble to himself, literally anything to Bruce's universe if Piplup had ran out on his own there and then there would have been Piplup's absence here in this universe, mostly on Piplup's trainer.

The Contest Spectacular Hall, as Bruce entered it, opened up with a colorful and brightly lit hallway that lead to larger entrance hall. On the other side of the entrance hallway, there was a reception desk with two people standing by it. On both sides of the reception desk there were stairs leading up to the audience area, to which a lot of people were making their way as Bruce watched. Another contest about to begin.

''Hey, excuse me,'' Bruce said coming to the reception desk and showed them the Pokémon he was carrying. ''This Piplup belongs to one of the coordinators appearing here. Can you tell me where I can drop him?''

''Which coordinator?'' the staff member at the desk asked.

''Berlitz Dawn,'' Bruce said, with Piplup agreeing with a nod.

''Piplup.''

''She'll be on soon,'' the staff member answered looking down at a screen. ''You can get to the back stage through there. Just leave Piplup with her stuff.''

Bruce nodded to that and headed to the direction pointed to him. Getting to the backstage area, which had walls painted pink and a lot of mirrors over elevated desks, Bruce and Piplup couldn't find Dawn from among all the Coordinators present there. As Bruce walked in he noticed the other coordinators were watching the contest battle about to get started on stage from the large television on the wall next to the door he had just walked in.

''We just missed her,'' Bruce said seeing Dawn on the television at the stage wearing a pink and white dress with black ribbons on it and her hair tied back to her head. ''Looks like I'm stuck with you for a little longer.''

''Piplup,'' Piplup agreed looking down to the floor disappointed.

''Hmm,'' Bruce hummed in thought as he looked around the back stage again, this time looking for Serena, before noticing she was set to face off against Dawn at the mainstage. ''I did promise to be in the audience when they were on. So-''

''Piplup!?'' Piplup said surprised as Bruce turned around and begun to make their way to the audience area.

''Coordinators, ready?!'' They both heard the announcer say as they climbed up the stairs to the audience where they could see the main stage as the contest was about to begin. ''All right, battle, begin!''

''Braixen, you're up!'' Serena yelled throwing a Pokéball and released her fire type Pokémon.

''Braixen!'' the fire type yelled proud as it was released with impressive special effects.

''Bunneary, spotlight!'' Dawn yelled also throwing a Pokéball, which released a brown furred rabbit with yellow fluffy fur on its ears and lower body.

''Bunneary!'' the rabbit Pokémon yelled excited upon it's release which was as impressive as Braixen's release.

''Okay, that is an impressive start,'' Bruce unaware he was smiling to the sight as he lifted the small penguin Pokémon to stand on his shoulder and crossed his arms. ''Here, you can see better from there.''

''Piplup,'' Piplup responded and crossed his flippers. He was obviously grateful to have been given the higher vantage point to see the contest but was also too proud to let Bruce know this.

''Braixen, use Hidden Power!'' Serena yelled pointing her hand forward as her Braizen jumped up and created blue spheres of energy to be fired up in the air.

''Braai-XEN!''

Not minding it for now, Bruce focused his attention on the contest battle between Serena and Dawn. Both were wearing fashionable dresses on the opposite sides of the arena on the stage and moving animatedly as they yelled orders to their Pokémon. Or actually, Bruce focused on just watching what he saw and reserve the rest of his attention on thinking about what to do after the contest was done.

''Bunneary, use Ice Beam!'' Dawn yelled as her Bunneary jumped high, dodging the Hidden Power spheres and blew ice from it's mouth.

''Buuun-Bunneary!''

The speedster out there was more important than this form of entertainment he was watching for appearance's sake. If Bruce was now stuck in this world, like he had been in the two previous ones, the existence of someone who had access to Speed Force could have helped him in getting back home to his own universe. If Bruce could find the speedster and lend in his knowledge about the Speed Force, help him or her in using it more creatively, then maybe-

''I'm in the position.''

That voice came from Bruce's left hand, which was blinking in and out with dark red light. Piplup didn't notice it as he was too busy to watch the contest. The device, or the piece of technology that Bruce still had not come up with a name for, seemed to have captured an exchange between-

''And-so-are-the-targets,'' another, more machine-like voice also coming from the hand, now blinking with red and blue light. ''Make-it-look-like-an-accident.''

''Piplup?'' the Pokémon said now noticing it too.

''Targets?'' Bruce repeated after the machine voice and exchanged glances with Piplup. ''What targ-''

But then he realized. The device had captured communication between a hitman and client. The Contest was public, it had witnesses and someone speaking from the device in Bruce's hand had just ordered a hit on two targets and wanted it to look like an accident. Everyone's eyes in the Contest Hall were on Serena and Dawn, as well as their Pokémon doing the contest battle. If someone wanted to cause an accident, Serena and Dawn were the most obvious targets and the best way to make them have an accident would have been…

Their Pokémon. Serena was using her Braixen, which Bruce was told to be a fire type, and Dawn was using some kind of rabbit Pokémon that Bruce had just seen use an ice type move. On each other, the Pokémon could probably resist those attacks with chances of survival through recovery, but if they were aimed at their trainers at the correct time-

''The speedster!'' Bruce said out loud and looked at the arena where Braixen and Bunneary were currently face to face.

''Braixen, use Flamethrower!'' Serena told her Pokémon to do a move as Bruce ripped open his trench-coat and reached for his gloves.

''Bunneary, Ice Beam!'' Dawn told her Pokémon the same as Bruce pulled on his gloves and reached to pull on his cowl.

''Take out the fire type and protect your trainer,'' Batman told Piplup before lifting him up and throwing the Pokémon at Dawn's end of the arena like a football. The Penguin Pokémon's beak glowed on the flight and he moved his flippers as he built the momentum from the throw to fly further to his trainer.

''Pipluuuuuuuuuuuuuup!''

Batman started to run down the stairs to the arena. If someone had seen him change into Batman, he would worry about that later. Keeping the speedster from killing Serena and Dawn was on top of his priority list right now. At the arena, Batman saw Braixen's Flamethrower and Bunneary's Ice Beam were still being fired at each other. If he had the Speed Force, this would have been where Batman would have used the speedster powers to move the two Pokémon to face their opponents' trainers, so-

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

''Gotcha!''

Alola Region – Melemele Island's Hau'oli City

''Saul, Saul, you better call Saul. He'll fight for your rights when your backs to the wall,'' was sang from Thomas Jr's phone which was laying on the table between Ash and Thomas Jr who had now returned back to Mallow's restaurant.

''Thomas Wayne Jr,'' Thomas Jr answered picking up the phone. ''He's with me here.''

''Is it my mom or about my Pokémon!?'' Ash asked with Pikachu also looking at Thomas Jr who gave his phone to Ash. ''Hello?''

''Hey, Ash,'' familiar voice said in the phone.

''Brock!''

''Yeah, it's me, Pokémon Doctor in training,'' voice of Ash's oldest friend said on the phone. ''The Doctors assumed that it was best if I was the one who talked to you.''

''Pipluuuuuuuuuup!'' Piplup flew at Dawn and pushed her to the floor of the contest arena.

''Piplup, what did you-'' Dawn was about to ask when suddenly, flames were shot at the exact spot where she had just been standing before Piplup pushed her put of the way. When the flames stopped, Serena's Braixen was standing much closer than she had just been, exactly where Bunneary had been but facing Dawn's last position.

''Braixen?'' The fire type said as confused at what had happened as Dawn was before turning to look at her trainer.

On the other side of the stage, Serena was pushed on the floor by something heavy, which moved away from her as quickly as it had arrived. Turning her body around, Serena saw the Ice Beam move Dawn's Bunneary had been using, still being beamed past where she had been standing, but then suddenly it's course was changed.

Someone tall, wearing the exact same trench-coat she had seen Bruce Wayne wear, moved and grabbed Dawn's Bunneary, which was almost point-blank distance from where Serena had been pushed away from. Bruce, that's who Serena assumed that was based on the trench-coat, grabbed Bunneary and aimed the Ice Beam somewhere in the middle of the contest arena. As Serena climbed back on her feet, she saw the trench-coat was on a masked man. Mask, that was covering all of his head except his chin and mouth under his nose and had short ears pointing up from the back of his head. This masked man, whom by all common sense had to be Bruce, also wearing some kind of black gloves on his hands as he pointed Bunneary at the stage while using Ice Beam, which now hit its target.

TCHAAAALK! as the Ice Beam hit its target and stopped another masked man by freezing him from the shoulders down.

''Bunneary?'' the Pokémon said confused as it stopped using that move and was also confused at what had just happened.

''Good, Bunneary. You can go now,'' the trench-coat wearing masked man said in a deep voice, letting the Pokémon down and then let it go to Dawn, before yelling to the audience, judges and the announcer: ''THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER! GO TO YOUR HOMES!''

Then he turned his attention on the other masked man on ice, who was wearing a strange, dark red and orange costume with spikes on the arms, legs and the sides of his body. The mask on him had white wings on its sides and unlike the one Serena assumed Bruce was wearing, it had no mouth hole. Through the ice, they could see a shape of a lightning bolt on the chest.

As the trench-coat wearing masked man came face to face with the frozen masked man, he glared at the man on ice for a few seconds before reaching to grab the mask and pull it off him.

''GHAAASP!''

Having taken of the mask and seeing the face of the frozen man, the trench-coat begun to back away from him with a shocked expression on his face exposed by the mouth hole.

''It hurts to look in to the mirror,'' the frozen man said, with his voice also scaring Serena, ''doesn't it, Batman?''

''Mr Wayne?!'' Dawn said as both she and Serena reached to see the frozen man's face and seeing it, Serena also gasped in fear. The frozen man had the exact same face as Bruce had and he had spoken in the same voice as Bruce had. The only difference between him and the Bruce Wayne both Serena and Dawn had seen before were the scars on his face. Scars that looked days old and less than an hour ago they had seen Bruce without any.

''You can't be-'' Batman, as he had just been called, said walking backwards from the scarred Bruce, glanced at the mask he had just pulled off and then at the scarred Bruce on ice. ''Why do you have the Speed Force!?''

''I am Justice,'' the scarred Bruce said and

CRACK!

broke his right hand out of the ice. It was vibrating at an inhumanly speed.

''I am VENGENCE!'' the scarred Bruce continued, yelling the last part of that sentence and

CRAAASH!

freed his other hand, also vibrating at an inhuman speed. Then before anyone could react, the scarred Bruce had freed himself from the rest of the ice and begun to run circles around the contest arena at an inhuman speed, keeping both Serena and Dawn inside the radios, with his running generating dark energy in the shape of a swarm of-

''Bats,'' Batman said looking at the swarm. ''SERENA! DAWN! GET OUT OF THE-''

TSOCK!

PUNCH!

POW!

The swarm of dark energy surrounded the arena, separating everyone on it from those outside. Being done with building that, the scarred Bruce ran at Batman, giving him two fast punches and beating him to the ground. Now that he was standing still, Batman, Serena and Dawn could see the symbol on his chest. It was a white, cracked version of the on Batman had on his chest, split in half so that the shape between the two halves were in the shape of a lightning bolt.

''I am Batman,'' the scarred Bruce said with his voice distorted, pushing his foot down on Batman's chest and grabbed his own mask back to put back on, ''THE RED DEATH!''

Author's notes: As I said above, if no one is interested, I won't sacrifice my free time on writing this story anymore.