Really, Sera supposed Morgan's abandonment may have been serendipitous, in its own way. Certainly, the kind of attention it garnered was not ideal, but the scandal it created did hold people's attention, and Sera did what she could to try to make the most of it.
She didn't have to lie about having developed feelings for Morgan, or feeling personally betrayed by this stunt she was pulling, or not wanting to continue her journey until Morgan came back, or having faith that she would eventually come back. She didn't have to lie, but playing up each of those facts in just the right ways garnered audience sympathy and support and increased their investment a good amount. Sera assured both their fans that she knew Morgan, that this wasn't like her, that unless there was some deeper secret reason she almost certainly was just struggling under all the pressure and only needed some time to cool down alone.
Many people, particularly among the League, particularly Professor Birch, were not happy with this. Not one bit. But the way Sera worked the cameras to get the audience behind her, frustrating as it was, meant she was still doing her job as a distraction, so they'd humor her… for a time.
Which left Sera hanging around Lilycove for roughly a week. Flash rocked some Cool contests. Zuma even got to see some action again in the Cute contests. Even Tank started trying his hand at some, showing how Tough he could be (or at least look). Sera did a lot of shopping, some personal meetings with fans, and a lot of traveling back and forth- to ah, sightsee, catch certain Pokemon for dad's research, and satisfy various fan requests, of course. If those very legitimate reasons happened to give her an excuse to look for Morgan or Tabitha, well…
Twice, she tried looking around Mt. Chimney, but she found no signs of Team Magma anywhere.
She probably could have held out for a month or so like this, but she wouldn't get the chance, for one fateful afternoon, the call finally came: Mt. Pyre was being assaulted.
She rode on Sapphron's back, having him disrupt her Nav. Part of the reason for the latter was to block the incoming calls, both from the League (she'd sent Steven a quick message, but didn't care to deal with anyone else right now) and from more of the folks at Mt. Pyre. (Upon giving so many her number, she'd meant it so that no matter who first spotted the attackers, she'd hear about it quickly; not for everyone who saw them to keep calling to see if she was almost there yet.) But the other reason was…
Sera sighed and hung up as, for the third time in a row, Morgan failed to answer her Guild-issued phone. Sera had refrained from calling before now, and sent only two or three texts along the lines of "hope you're well" that always went unanswered. But now… As the peak came into view, Sera quickly typed another text:
"Mt. Pyre under attack by both teams. I know you must've had your reasons for leaving, but I could really use your help. … I'm sure it sounds dumb but… there's no one I'd rather fight beside…"
She considered adding an 'in case I don't make it out of this', but then clenched her jaw and shook her head. She would, one way or another, so there was no need to entertain thoughts like that, and she sent the message as it was.
Sapphron still couldn't fly directly to the peak, it seemed; nor could Sera see it for the veil of unnatural fog that hung over it. So they landed at the lower edge of that fog, and found they were able to enter from there.
Within a minute of doing so, a voice cried out, Not another step, scum! Sera startled as a Meditite came into view. You and your comrades need to get OFF my mountain!
Com-...? Right, her cloak. "You don't understand. I'm here to stop them!"
The Meditite looked her over, then looked to the Latios at her side. While she wouldn't put it past villains to enslave such a Pokemon, she got no impression such a dynamic was present here. Relaxing her stance, she answered, Very well. In that case, I intend to join you.
Sera barely took the time to nod before hurrying further up the path.
It was already clear this was no ordinary fog, but Sera soon realized how much it blocked sound as well, as she was nearly upon the battle before she heard them: the roars of Suicune and Entei doing battle. Suddenly stopping, she remembered the mountain was a blackout zone… so she took a moment to set her Nav to local recording. This way, should she need to, she'd have something to turn over, but she'd also have the chance to delete it before anyone ever knew she had it, should that serve her better. That done, she picked up her pace all the more, until crowds of red and blue came into sight.
It seemed this time, the Grunts were merely hanging back for the most part, watching their leaders vie for control. Archie and Maxie were locked in a fierce battle, while Matt and Courtney fist fought rather than leaving things to their Pokemon. The latter was what drew Sera's attention most, if only because Courtney's impossibly quick, erratic movements and ability to take Matt's punches like nothing were so immediately unnerving.
When a grunt finally noticed Sera, he spun on his heels to face her. "You!" -o-oh, it was.. the guy she'd befriended back at the museum. "Come to make a fool of us again?" Several other grunts had turned now, and before Sera could protest he continued, "I'll show you the true terror of Team Magma!"
… "Which one?" she asked even as he sent out his Mightyena, unable to help herself.
"What?"
"Aren't two of the three terrors of Team Magma right over there?" she gestured toward Maxie and Courtney.
"...Cute," the Magma grunt said derisively. (Admittedly, it would have felt cuter to her if she wasn't wondering what happened to the third…) "But it won't-" He was suddenly silenced by a punch to the face, courtesy of Meditite, who proceeded to directly attack several other Grunts while Sera sent out her Pokemon to help clear the path. Once the Grunts realized they were in immediate personal danger, however, many of them soon fell back. She was one girl, after all. What were the odds she could take on four team leaders?
Sera worried the same as she stepped forward. Words suddenly froze in her throat. She felt like she should be calling out, but… to whom? Did she dare invite them to all gang up on her, or… how should she do this?
She surveyed the fights more closely. On the far side of her field of vision, an old man and woman stood on a dais in guarded poses, concerned but seemingly scared stiff, or maybe just holding their ground despite no way to enforce that.
To the left, Boreas and Pele seemed to be more bark than bite, trading threats but only rarely blows, whether as some sort of mind game or to conserve their energy or because they were already worn out she couldn't tell.
To the right, Matt was definitely starting to get worn out, but Courtney hadn't broken a sweat. "You should already be well aware… Continued efforts… will only yield similar results. Why waste your energy…?"
But Matt cracked a smirk even as he growled. "A heartless bitch like you couldn't understand." And he landed a clean blow to her gut.
It stalled her, but only for a few moments. "... Unexpected."
Meanwhile, just in front of the dais, Maxie and Archie were both getting more intense, which for Archie meant passionately enthusiastic, and for Maxie meant pissed. "Better watch your temper, little Lava Cookie~!" Archie taunted with a wide grin; the term had an immediate visible effect on Maxie. "Get too hot and you'll burn right out."
"You," Maxie declared, "don't get to tell me what to do." This might have been more intimidating if his voice didn't start cracking at this volume. "You don't get to pretend you're concerned for me." He'd started making his way right past their Pokemon to yell in Archie's face, having to stand on his toes to get close to doing so. "And you don't get to call me stupid names that I hated even when we were together."
Sera briefly debated just backing right down the mountain until they'd settled this, but knew she couldn't do that. Archie just breathed out a curt laugh. "Didja now? My memory must be a little screwy, 'cause that ain't how I'm recallin' it."
Maxie reached back and attempted to deck Archie, but Archie caught his hand. The regret on Maxie's face was immediately apparent. "Really, luv? Ya think you're gonna overpower me?"
Clearly, no. "... Courtney!" Maxie called with sudden force, and in the time it took Archie to process the word and frown in confusion, Courtney's eyes had flashed fiercely as she abandoned Matt to plow into Archie, her momentum carrying them much farther than it looked like a girl of her size should have.
In the time it took Matt and Archie to react, Maxie had rushed toward the dais, and Sera began to panic. Why did she not already have Fla- Oh shit wait, Sapphron was even faster and already on the move.
The Latios beat Maxie to the Orbs, grabbing both, though Sera did worry that the old couple was quicker to move out of the way to avoid the dragon-jet than they would have been for just-a-guy. No sooner did he have them, though, than both Boreas and Pele turned to attack, and while Pele's fire was brushed off, Boreas's ice was not.
The Orbs clattered to the ground, and Matt managed to preoccupy Courtney long enough for Maxie and Archie to both dive for them; Sera had rushed that way as well, but was far too late.
When they stood, Maxie held the Blue Orb, and Archie the Red. Slow smirks came to both faces. "It appears we have ourselves a bit of a conundrum…" Maxie mused.
"Aye, that it does. So what shall we do, mm?"
"Y-...you're going to get us all killed," Sera finally piped up. "Just…" She took a breath to muster her courage. "Just put them back!"
"Afraid we can't do that, lass," said Archie. "Not when we're this close."
"If you know what is wise for you, child, you will stay out of this," said Maxie.
Without warning, both Boreas and Pele suddenly let out pained cries, the prior glowing green as he stumbled and very nearly passed out; the latter suddenly assaulted by a giant blue frog. "I've always favored Intelligence over Wisdom," came a familiar voice behind Sera.
Spinning, heart leaping, she exclaimed, "Morgan! You came!" And she had a… Greninja? Apparently she'd been training that new Froakie a lot.
"Unfortunately. All I really want is to be left in peace, but it's gonna be awfully hard to relax if these assholes destroy the world, so…" She rode Andraste, and Cerebus and her Greninja both returned to her side. She then sent out three more Pokemon: Mithril, A-Aegislash? And- Gardevoir?! When did she even get a Ralts? Or had this one come evolved already?
Sera belatedly sent out her full team as well, and the combination of forces caused Archie and Maxie to back away and move closer together, until they were standing back to back. "J-Jetsam!" "Camerupt!" Had the bulk of their forces not been used on each other already, this battle might not be looking so grim for them. "Matt!" "Courtney!" But they still had cards on the table.
All their Admins' Pokemon joined their own, and the Admins themselves squared up to look for openings as well. As that fight started, Archie cracked a weak smile. "I dunno about you, luv… But I don't think I want it to end like this."
Although Maxie leered, he quietly asked, "Did you have something in mind…?"
"Mm…" Still back to back, he felt to grab the hand of Maxie's that held the Blue Orb… but rather than try to wrest it from his grasp, it was the hand itself he seemed more interested in, at least for now. Sceptile clashed with Camerupt, Blaziken with Mighyena, Meditite with Matt; but for the moment, Archie's focus was solely on their conversation. "Yanno we'll never see eye t' eye- an' that ain't a height joke, shortie~"
"Please get to the point..." Maxie droned, face starting to burn in more ways than one.
Archie's smile faded as his tone became more somber. "The ideals we carry oppose each other too directly to coexist. But we're both… tryin' ta fix things, aren't we?"
As Maxie started to understand, he nodded. "If we don't make it out of this, neither of us will get a chance to do that. Is that about the gist of it?"
"Mm," Archie hummed affirmatively. "And frankly… 'smany problems as I've got with you, I know…" He sighed. "I know your goals come from passion, not greed.."
"...Aye." That word from Maxie's mouth made Archie immediately more alert. "Something we have in common. Misguided as yours may be…" He smirked now. "So if I'm understanding you correctly… We'd both much rather lose to each other than to Devon and their attack dogs."
"Indeed," answered Archie. He shifted the hand that held Maxie's with the Blue Orb, even as he eased his own with the Red into Maxie's empty hand. "So what say you? Shall we make this a battle of ideals? A race to see who can truly change the world?" After a pause, he added more quietly, "For old time's sake…?"
Maxie tightened his grip around the Red Orb as he slowly loosened it on the Blue, and Archie did the opposite. "... Just to be clear," said Maxie, soft but sharp as they completed their exchange. "You're still a filthy, lying, dangerous madman who doesn't deserve to touch the dirt I walk on, and most days I'd still rather see you at the bottom of the sea you love so dearly."
Archie cringed, yet his only response was, "That's fair."
"...And somehow, for all of that, it seems I still can't quite tell you no. So who's the real imbecile, I wonder."
The Aqua Leader cracked a grin. "Pretty sure that'd be both of us, luv. But if you'll excuse me. Boreas!"
The Suicune didn't seem to hear him, currently trying to avoid another devastating blow from Cerebus. "Having trouble controlling one pet without the other?" Maxie taunted then, and whatever momentary comradery had resurfaced between the Leaders quickly evaporated once again.
Sharply, Archie snapped back, "She's not-"
But Maxie wasn't listening, bringing out his Nav-equivalent. "Pele. We're leaving."' The lights on the Entei's facial apparatus flashed briefly, and she immediately abandoned the battle to allow Maxie to mount up. His ride was made suddenly bumpier by an oncoming attack from a Mega Evolved Tank, but the Entei recovered quickly enough.
"Maxie, please!" Sera pleaded. "Reconsider." She knew this was useless, but… she had to try, right? As a thought occurred, she forced a smile and remarked, "I mean… Swampert here is both land and water… right?"
"Cute." The word came out closer to an insult, however. "But an inapt comparison when your beast is at least half and half." … Right. There was that. Loudly, Maxie feigned, "I certainly hope our friends don't follow you to Slateport to further stall your plans, dear Archie~"
"You little-"
"Courtney? Cover our escape."
"Affirmative."
"Oh no ya don't!" As Entei began bounding away, Archie finally got Boreas's attention. But as he tried to go after his sister, Courtney again moved with inhuman speed to jump in the Suicune's path. His teeth sunk into her arm as he tried to fling her aside- and sparks flew around his mouth.
Sera briefly wondered why Suicune would have Thunder Fang, and why Courtney didn't seem more phased by such a move, and why Maxie would just leave her behind. But all those thoughts fell to the background as she ordered, "Sapphron! After him! Pelt, the Suicune!"
Pelt's Leaf Blade was only narrowly dodged, and Courtney's eyes quickly moved between Boreas and Sera. Stalling Archie was important, but if Sera was the bigger threat to Maxie within this moment, then, "Target acquired." Dipping and weaving through the chaotic array of Pokemon on the summit, Courtney made her way to Sera to deliver a clean, powerful punch.
Sera blacked out.
