A/N: Three updates in four days. I'm already on a roll! :D

ENJOY!

"Welcome back, viewers, to yet another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament! It already looks like Trainers far and wide are on their way to the big tournament. Attendance is already mounting as we speak! Now, here's some traveling tips for the novices and the uninformed.

"An unusually powerful windstorm has hit several regions, including Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. For those that are traveling by air, be sure to take a flight that will take at least one stop. Even the largest and sturdiest of planes that engage in one-way flights will be unable to hold steady in these high winds, so pick wisely. Travel by boat is NOT recommended; you don't wanna become Sharpedo bait if your ship capsizes!

"Be sure to pack a good-quality camera! Ketchum City not only offers the tournament, but a number of historic sites, including the Ketchum Center, appropriately the center of the city; the Sky Hero Museum, a museum that describes the life of Ash Ketchum, the legends of Ho-Oh, and the history of Ketchum City and Mt. Silver; the Forest of Hearts, which boasts many species of wild Pokémon; the Ketchum City Train Tour, a citywide tour of the city by train that doesn't dare to miss a single tiny detail; and, most of all, the Ketchum Month Stadium, which has hosted the Ketchum Month Tournament since its conception a decade ago! Oh yes, you'll have more to see than just Pokémon battles!

"And last, but not least, make sure you bring along a candle, preferably a golden-colored one. Each and every night of Ketchum Month, citizens of Ketchum City hold out these candles for a total of seventeen minutes as a tribute to the seventeen-minute-long battle between Ash Ketchum and the leader of the Sky Soldiers! If you do not have such a candle, be sure to go to a marketplace near you and buy one; it has been considered a mandatory city tradition! They'll practically hang you if you do not partake!

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

Ketchum Month Stadium
At Ketchum City
The Johto region

The cyan-haired man with the three small scars running across his right cheek strode down the walkway, his violet cloak, with its cape, flowing smoothly in the breeze, attracting many stares from nearby pedestrians. However, he was undaunted by the attention he was receiving. His primary concern was reaching the Ketchum Month Stadium, where his superior awaited with further instructions. The man took a fleeting glance at his Pokétch, looking at the time. He was late.

The breeze grew slightly colder as he walked in the arms of shade. He looked up.

The Ketchum Month Stadium looked like just about any other Pokémon Stadium, but the civilians of Ketchum City admired it all the same, all due to the commemoration it primarily served. The man scoffed and rolled his eyes as he observed a big group of overexcited, hyperactive tourists as they continuously took pictures. The civilians worshiped Ash Ketchum from head to toe like a Legendary Pokémon, all the way. It sometimes made him laugh, the way people 'honored' their hero of the skies.

"You're late."

The man glanced at a supporting pillar of the stadium, located near its ticket booth. Four people were standing near it, all of them shrouded in the shadow that it cast. One was leaning against the pillar, his arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face.

"I experienced some delays back at the marketplace," the violet-cloaked man said, stepping forward. "Those Arceus-damned tourists were buying those candles-"

"The Master does not forgive even the simplest of excuses, Streak," a red-haired man dressed in yellow-and-scarlet clothing interrupted suddenly, not moving his head as his lips mechanically curved into a disappointed frown, which he directed at his four companions. "He is impatient. He demands progress from me. And as a result, I demand progress from you. All of you." He cleared his throat as he watched the tourists walk away, still talking excitedly. "What's your report, Omicron?"

"The Pokémon living in Mt. Silver grow increasingly restless, Enigma," a bald, short man with a graying mustache replied. "My sensors have also indicated a sudden rise of energy from the Forest of Hearts. It is a type of energy that can only belong to you-know-what."

"It is coming, just like the Master predicted," Enigma said. "Well done, Omicron. You are relieved of your post. Await further instructions. Expect them by next Tuesday."

Omicron nodded and left; the others watched him leave. Then, Enigma asked, "What say you, Fox? What is the current activity of Team Rocket at this moment?"

"They continue to make attempts in rising back to their former power and glory," a gold-haired woman with purple eyes replied. "They've recently formulated a scheme involving this very tournament, but judging from its layout, the rewards they expect to reap will be merely nothing more than fool's gold. They won't be a bother to our objective, not unless they manage to get wind of what we are planning at this very moment."

"And I find a reason to continue entrusting you with the tightest of lips, is that right, Fox?"

"Yes," Fox simply replied, smiling.

"Good. Now, get back to your original post. Your partner should be expecting you at this moment."

"I'm pretty sure I'll have a good excuse for him," said Fox as she walked away from the scene. Streak watched her go, his cyan hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Are you sure you can trust her, Enigma?" he asked. "She evokes a feeling of distrust from me."

"What agent from Team Rocket can I ask for that is better than her?" replied Enigma, not looking up. "She was, after all, one of Giovanni's successful agents. Besides, she was most willing to defect. She expects greater power for herself, now that the syndicate she belongs to no longer reigns at the top of infamy.

"Speaking of distrust..." Enigma smiled. "...I hear Mayor Harrington is feeling the full blow of it, Streak."

"The citizens do not take kindly to him putting too much ambition into the planning of this year's battle tournament. There's actually some social unrest going on in the streets, talks of Harrington going mad with power. But as long as the tournament goes ahead as planned, it will allow our scheme unfold."

"Excellently stated, Streak. You've redeemed your lateness. You may leave. And next time, do not disappoint me with your timing. It is of the essence."

Streak rolled his eyes and walked away from the stadium.

"How was Alto Mare, Slate?" asked Enigma.

"Enlightening, I guess," replied Slate, a purple-haired man with a stoic expression on his face. His quiet voice expressed bitter simplicity.

"I ask for specifics, Slate. How go the subjects?"

"They have met up with a friend. Dawn Berlitz. She does not know of their mission yet, but I expect that they will eventually ask her to join them in their travel here. It isn't private knowledge that she has a...thing for Ash Ketchum. Besides, there is a Pokémon Contest being held here as a side-offer for the first week. I doubt she will resist the temptation of it either. But what concerns me is the fact that I spy on them in the full field of a Legendary Pokémon. One that has inherited the information of what transpired eleven years ago. I felt someone...or something...watching me..."

"Whether or not Latias was aware of your presence is not the Master's concern," Enigma said dismissively. "Or mine. What the true concern is, at this moment, is what you have overheard from your observances. So...enlighten me, if you will, Slate."

Slate looked at Enigma with narrowed eyes. However, he replied, "They talk about searching for the Rainbow Wing. They've been searching for a while."

To his surprise, Enigma smiled. "That shouldn't be too much of a worry. Rainbow Wings are extremely rare. A region, located anywhere in the world, would be lucky to host one Wing. Ho-Oh sheds once a millennium." He chuckled jeeringly. "Anything else, Slate?"

"That is all they talk about. Finding the Rainbow Wing. The Rainbow Wing."

Enigma understood immediately, but he was still calm. "They expect themselves to find the Wing, the same Wing they had once before, somewhere here. That breeze could have taken that thing anywhere in the world. HA! That is why Pokémon don't belong under human ownership; they are too much caught up in their stupidity."

A strange expression flooded Slate's face, but only for a second. Enigma looked at his remaining compatriot, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Is that all?"

"No."

"Then you may resume your duty, Slate."

Slate pursed his lips. "You know I despise that name, Enigma."

"What else do you expect me to call you? I know you hate your other name too." Slate was silent; Enigma's smile widened. "Now, if you don't mind, you're excused."

Slate blinked, but then, he merely nodded. Enigma's head moved upward for a fraction of an inch, and he turned around calmly. A sudden force of wind blasted through the air for just a split-second, picking crisp autumn leaves up from the ground and forcefully sending them flying in the air. Enigma's clothes blew with the brief gust as a flock of Pidgeys flew off from a nearby tree, startled. He then looked back: Slate seemed to have vanished into thin air. The leaves fluttered to the ground.

He chuckled and left.

"Yes, things are going according to plan," Enigma thought. "The Master will be pleased to hear of this development..."

Somewhere in an unknown region

At a snowy, lonely mountain, the mouth of one of its caves let out a sudden howl as the great creature that resided within it awakened from its slumber. The interior of the cave was occupied by pitch-black shadow, disabling anyone from discerning the Pokémon's physical features. However, a pair of yellow eyes pierced the darkness.

"It's almost time..."

The sky was filled with a deafening roar of triumph.

A/N: I know, this chapter is shorter than the rest, but it looks like we're formally introduced to the bad guys, or at least some of them. And it looks like they have a big scheme planned out! And I don't mean to quote the show, but...who's that Pokémon at the end? XD

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

Galaxina-the-Seedrian: Well, if there's one thing you should know about this story, it's that things aren't what they seem... ;) Oh, and VisorShipping is what they call a possible romance between Nate and Rosa, named after the fact that both wear sports visors.

iheartphinabella05: STALKER! YOU FOLLOWED ME HERE! ...Nah, I'm just joking. So, you want PearlShipping, eh? Well, stay tuned, 'cause you might get it! :D And yes, you'll be seeing more of Molly Hale in the story. I think that she's an underdeveloped character, and considering the fact that people like to pair her with Max, I thought I'd draw off on that and develop that Shipping as well.

DarkJumper: For now, it's just Pikachu with Ash, but I might throw one more into the mix. You'll see if it's Paul or not. And I already have a Shipping chosen, thanks.

x-Aztec-x: Maybe, maybe not. Stay tuned if you wanna find out!

v (guest reviewer): You're welcome! I'm glad you think this story's different!

Alpha B. A. 7: Thanks! And that's a nice outlook you have on Ash, a really good one!

woodland5 (guest reviewer): No, no I didn't. I'd just think you were stalking me around the website. :P Anyway, I'm glad to see your name in the review box! So, you like PearlShipping? Well, stay tuned to see if it becomes canon in the story or not!

ampplaca1: So you KNOW me! Great to see an old fan (if you are)!

random girl (guest reviewer): This is what happens next. Intriguing, isn't it?

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!