Aaron was standing in the Viridian Forest in the Kanto region where a portal had just opened. From it emerged a Glalie and a Sneasal followed by a blast of fire that made them panic. A Magmar emerged from the portal followed by a woman with long red hair and a red leather bodysuit. Aaron stood in front of the two Pokémon ready to protect them. "Back off kid. These Pokémon are my catch."

"If you want them, you'll have to go through me." Aaron said calling out his Sandslash.

"Sure, I could use a good battle, and then I can collect my prize." She said smiling maliciously. "Magmar, flamethrower!"

"Sandslash, dig!" Aaron countered as the Pokémon burrowed underground. The ground glowed purple briefly before Aaron's Sandslash emerged and knocked the Magmar on to its back. "While it's down finish it with void lightning." Aaron called out as his Pokémon blasted the Magmar with purple lightning causing it to faint. Aaron watched as it and the trainer both vanished; he recalled his Sandslash and closed the portal and walked over to the two Pokémon. "You're safe now. Let me take you to a safe place." Aaron said as he put a hand on each of them and teleported to the outskirts of Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh region. Aaron was ready to teleport away, but the Pokémon ran back up to him. Aaron smiled and looked at the two of them. "Do you guys want to come with me?" Aaron asked holding up two capture crystals. They both nodded their heads as Aaron absorbed them in to the crystals. Aaron teleported back to his hideout and stowed the crystals in an antique puzzle box that he found in an old temple.

At the same time…

Everyone was watching and helping May practice for her contest. "You're doing great May." Ash said smiling as his Pikachu let out a cry signaling his agreement.

"Thanks Ash." May said smiling at him as she continued practicing. "Squirtle, use ice beam on those bubbles, and Combusken, use flamethrower." May said smiling as the bubbles all froze and then glowed red briefly before shattering and showering may in the icy dust.

"Incredible." Brock said watching the dust fall as he clapped his hands. May continued practicing until it started to get dark. She and the others went to bed wanting to be well rested for her contest tomorrow.

Meanwhile in Team Plasma's secret lab…

"Sir the crystals are ready, and we have successfully integrated them in to the weapons." One of the scientists said as he handed a man with a well groomed facial hair and blue spiked hair what appeared to be a rifle of some sort.

He examined the gun which held an artificial capture crystal containing a Galvantula. He started firing off the rifle shooting out several electrically charged pulses of energy that blasted a hole in the wall. He handed the gun back to the scientist. "Excellent work. What about the portal?"

"We're having a bit of trouble with the environment. We need a little more time to add in the cloaking mechanism, so that Vortex won't be able to find us." He explained.

"How much more time?" He asked stroking his chin.

"Three more days sir." The scientist said.

"Very well then. Also make sure to have enough blasters and crystals made, so that we can take the void with ease." He said walking away.

"Yes sir." All of the scientists said as they started working vigorously on the task at hand.

…

The next day came quickly for May who was very excited as she started getting ready for her contest. She ran to the contest hall while Ash and the others were trying to keep up with her. "May wait up." Ash said running after her.

"Sorry guys, I'm just so excited." May said as she ran to the front desk to check in. After she was checked in she walked over to her friends. "I have to go get ready, so make sure that you guys get good seats to watch." May said smiling at them as she ran to her dressing room to get ready.

"Well, let's go find our seats." Brock said as the group walked off.

…

Aaron was sitting in his hideout when he cringed seeing the purple lightning again. "Contest hall, delayed opening. Those things are so unpredictable and take the whole day. At least I'll have a little entertainment while I wait." Aaron said to himself as he teleported to the contest hall. He found a seat on one of the beams over the stage and called out his Pokémon to watch with him while they waited for the portal to open; his legs dangled over the beam as he looked down watching the contest get ready to start.

The lights in the stadium grew dim as smoke filled the stage and the announcer appeared on the stage. "Thank you for joining us today for this wonderful contest. The winner shall receive this ribbon." He said holding up a silver ribbon in his hand. "Without further ado, let's start the contest."

Aaron sat from the beam watching the contest and smiled a little bit as he watched the performers and their Pokémon work flawlessly together. Aaron continued watching until he saw May start her performance. "It's that girl from yesterday." Aaron thought to himself as he focused on her performance. Aaron watched as she froze a bubblebeam attack and made the orbs glow briefly before shattering them and making an icy dust rain from the ceiling and sparkle.

Aaron watched intently until he saw a portal start to open near her. He jumped from the beam and landed gracefully as he reached in to his bag and pulled out the device that allowed him to close the portals. The crowd all gasped when they saw Aaron on the stage. "Get off the stage. You're interrupting my performance." May said glaring at him.

"I'm just trying to do my job, but let me fix it." Aaron said calling out his Xatu. "Xatu use gust. May have your Combusken use flamethrower on the gust followed by an ice beam from your Squirtle. Trust me." Aaron said looking at her.

May did as she was told and watched at first how the silver gust now had a ring of orange fire. "That's really cool. Squirtle, use ice beam!" May called out as the gust was now silver, blue, and orange.

"Now for the finale. Xatu, Psychic." Aaron instructed as the Pokémon levitated May over the gust and submerged her over it. Aaron pointed his staff at the gust and blasted it with purple lightning causing it to erupt in a shimmering light that bathed May causing the crowd to cheer loudly. Before May could look for Aaron, he vanished.

May won her contest thanks to the help of Aaron, and walked to his hideout with the ribbon in her hand. "Vortex, are you here?" May asked as the secret door slid open.

"What do you want?" Aaron asked walking over with his hood down.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did at the contest." May said smiling.

"I only did it to apologize for interrupting your performance." Aaron told her turning away.

"Well it meant a lot to me, and I want you to know that." May said giving him a hug from behind and leaving. Aaron blushed a little bit feeling the comfort of another person, but quickly shrugged it off knowing that he gave up friends after he escaped the void in order to prevent any distractions from his true purpose.

Aaron went to bed having completed his mission for the day. Somewhere in the middle of the night he cringed seeing the purple lightning. He got up and went to close the portal only for another to open that he had to go close. Aaron returned to his hideout and cringed again, but this time there wasn't lightning; it was a white light. "That can't be good." Aaron thought to himself as he fell asleep again. He woke up a few more times in the night with the white light flashing before him.

At Team Plasma's Secret Lab…

"Excellent, the portal is almost ready. Soon Team Plasma shall be the ruler of the Lost Plane." A boy with long green hair chuckled.