"Heracross is unable to battle! That means Ninetales and Alex win!"

I clapped alongside Robert as Alex went up to Burgh to accept her badge, but half of my mind was still on my loss. Trying to ignore the shame of defeat, I instead tried figuring out what I would do next time I challenged him. Maybe a change of who I used...

"Hey."

I started. Alex had laid a hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I gave a wry smile. "It's just been a while since I lost, I guess."

Alex nodded, keeping a straight face. Then the façade cracked and she grinned. "Sorry, sorry," she chuckled. "Losing in a tournament is one thing. But you lost against a gym leader. I just can't help but laugh."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Just wait until you lose a gym battle."

Alex smirked. "The day that happens, is the day that... that I give Robert one free get-out-of-a-beating card."

"Hold up!" Robert protested. "How the heck did I get drawn into this!?"

"If you plan to rematch me, I'm afraid it'll have to wait a couple days," Burgh told me, coming over. "I'm hosting an art tour all day tom-"

The gym's front doors slammed open and someone yelled, "Where is she!?"

Our group turned around, startled. Standing in the doorway, breathing hard with sweat pouring down her face, was Hilda. She blinked, staring at us. "What?"

"Lemme through!" A voice grunted, pushing her forwards and Hilbert stumbled in after her. He took us in. "So I take it Team Plasma isn't here."

"No," Robert said slowly. "This is a gym."

"It is?" Hilbert looked around and whistled appreciatively. "Dang! You've certainly upgraded haven't you, Burgh? I must say, I kinda want to see what kind of battle I could produce here."

Hilda jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. "That's now what we're here for." She turned her gaze to us, desperate. "My Pokemon! He's been stolen!"

"You said Team Plasma wasn't here," I narrowed my eyes. "It was them, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "We were training in the central park area when a member of Team Plasma ran by and snatched Solosis up. I didn't see until he was a good distance away."

"We lost him in the crowd," Hilbert said regretfully.

"Why didn't Solosis try and fight back?" Alex asked.

Hilda shook his head. "He's newly hatched, so he's not strong enough to escape."

"Well then let's go find him and take him back!" Robert said confidently. "With extra pairs of feet and eyes, we're sure to find Team Plasma!"

"And I'll be glad to lend you my assistance as well," Burgh gave a little bow. "If anyone can find them, it'll be the critters that see all."

Hilda nodded gratefully and it looked as if she were trying to hold back all the worry she must be feeling. "Thank you, all of you."

"I'll go with you two," Robert told Hilbert and Hilda. He turned to Alex and I. "I'll call you two if we find them. Use your X-transceivers to call me if you find them first."

"Will do," I said and together all of us hurried out of the building, Burgh close behind.

"Have you checked that seedy alleyway yet?" Robert asked them.

Hilbert frowned and Hilda's eyes widened. "No! Of course, that could be where they're at!"

"Then we'll check there first," Robert said.

"We can go back to the park and go from there," Alex said, already hurrying off.

Before I ran after her, I looked at Burgh. "What about you?"

The Gym Leader shared a glance with his Leavanny. "Let's just say there are more Bug Pokemon in Castelia than one may think."

"Leavaaaaany."

Nodding, but not totally understanding what he was getting at, I hurried after Alex. She had stopped by the street, waiting for me. When I reached her, we both took off. We had to slow to catch our breaths before we reached the park, but we managed to reach it within ten minutes.

"Where do we even start?" Alex asked.

I frowned, staring around at the park. People were still going about their daily lives and there was certainly no sign of Team Plasma grunts. "I don't know. Perhaps we can start by finding where he was stolen maybe? Maybe have Arcaneis try to find their scent..." My eyes widened. "Of course! I should've thought of this sooner before we all split up!"

"What?" Alex asked, arching an eyebrow. "You have some ingenious strategy to locate them?"

"Yeah, with him." I opened a pokeball and let out Lucario. He stood on weary feet, holding his arm still. He was still hurt from the battle we had with Burgh.

I dug out a Hyper Potion from my pack and applied it to him. He shuddered, hrring in relief.

"Sorry, but that'll have to do until we can get you to a Pokemon Center," I apologized. "We're in an emergency."

At that word, Lucario immediately spun around, staring around the park.

"It's alright," I assured him. "We're not under attack. Not yet at any rate. What I want you to do is use your aura to find a Solosis."

"He can do that?" Alex asked, surprise in her voice.

Lucario growled.

She held up her hands. "Alright, sorry, I guess you can."

"He might be in distress," I told him as he knelt on the grass, ears pricking up as a faint wind of aura flowed around him. "Very young. He'll be with Team Plasma members, but I dunno what their emotions will be like."

Lucario dug his paw a little deeper, frowning, then shook his head.

"Can you Mega Evolve?" I asked and he looked uncertain. Even with the Hyper Potion, he did just go through a harsh battle. "You'll only need to for as long as it takes to find Solosis, then you can rest and let others take over."

Lucario nodded and I pressed onto my Keystone. Lucario Mega Evolved and fell to one knee, breathing hard, sweat already forming on his brow. But he gritted his teeth and punched his fist into the ground, a wind of aura whipping up around him. The trees shook around us and passerbys gave us strange looks as they took a wide berth around us.

Lucario's appendages rose as he held back a groan of pain. Suddenly the aura died around him and he nearly fell forwards before I managed to catch him.

"It's alright," I told him. "Where is he? What direction?"

Lucario lifted his paw, pointing a finger to the northernmost street. I returned him to his pokeball and murmured, "Thank you. We'll take it from here."

"Call Robert," I told Alex as I stood.

"Already on it," she responded, opening her X-transceiver.

"That was fast," Robert's voice commented from her device. "We've only just reached the alley."

"Well we know the general area of where they're at," Alex said as we both rushed for the northern street. "It's the northernmost street in the park."

"We checked there-!" Hilda's voice exclaimed.

"We're on our way," Hilbert cut her off.

"We'll wait," I told them as we left the park. "But if we see them leaving, we'll intervene."

"Don't let Solosis get hurt!" Hilda's voice yelled before Alex turned off the X-transceiver.

On either side of the street were skyscrapers and regular looking Castelia citizens. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That is until I spotted a familiar face.

"There." I pointed to a blue-haired woman in a black suit standing outside the doorway to one of the skyscrapers. She appeared to be on her phone, but her eyes would glance up occasionally.

I pulled Alex into the mouth of an alley and out of sight. "Recognize her?"

"She's the one that had stolen our Pokemon when we stayed at the orphanage," Alex said, peeking out for a quick second. "I guess she's standing guard."

We waited for a solid fifteen minutes before I sensed a presence behind me. I grabbed the hand reaching towards my shoulder and slammed the person into the alley wall.

"OW!" Robert cried out and I quickly released him.

"Sorry," I apologized. Hilbert and Hilda were both staring at me, wide-eyed. "You really shouldn't sneak up on me. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking too much apparently," Robert groaned, rubbing his arm. "It was supposed to be a great joke, sneaking up on you from the other end of the alley."

"You know how Zeno is, it's your own fault," Alex whispered as she stuck out her head to check on Team Plasma. When she turned back around, she grinned. "Good news. Robert's shout of pain didn't alert them."

"Where's Burgh?" I asked Hilbert, who shrugged.

"Right here."

We all looked up to see Burgh scaling down the wall, hand gripping a String Shot. Leavanny dropped to the ground first, followed by her trainer.

"Nice of you to drop by," Robert joked, making the rest of us groan while Burgh chuckled.

"So what's the plan?" Hilbert asked.

I smirked. "Just follow my lead."

"Hello again," I brought up my hand in greeting as I approached the Plasma woman. She looked up from her phone, studied me for a second, then froze. The color slipped from her face and she turned on her heels and rushed inside the building.

"Wha-!?" Hilda's jaw dropped.

"How the heck did you manage that?" Hilbert asked incredulously.

"He's got special eyes," Robert said dramatically before Alex socked him in the shoulder.

"Let's go see what they're up to inside," I said, ignoring them as I pushed open the front doors and stepped into the cool lobby. The floor tiles were golden and a fake, exotic plant stood in one corner. No one was behind the main desk, but a group of Team Plasma grunts were huddled together, forming a circle. The woman from outside was speaking hurriedly.

"If we don't hurry, they'll-"

"They'll what?" Alex asked, causing all of them to turn around in surprise. "Call Officer Jenny? Sorry, we're the ones taking Solosis back, not you."

One of the grunts backed up towards the elevator. In his arms was Solosis.

"Solosis!" Hilda cried out upon seeing him. She unhooked a pokeball, letting out Samurott. Rage became her sole expression. "Let him go or so help me-!"

With a ding, the elevator opened and a tall, cloaked man walked out. I recognized him from his speech in Accumula Town.

"Lord Ghetsis!" The grunts fell to their knees.

Ghetsis ignored them and stepped towards us. When he had passed the grunts, he stopped and opened his arms in greeting. "My word! Why if it isn't Castelia's Gym Leader, Burgh!"

Burgh smiled, but it wasn't friendly. "I've heard your speeches. Tell me though, what are your guiding principles? Is it, perhaps, stealing Pokemon from trainers?"

Ghetsis shook his head. "My, I'm afraid I had no idea something like this occurred." He turned around, snapping his fingers. "Return the Solosis, now!"

The grunt hurried forwards, saw the look on Hilda's face, and stopped a few feet from her and allowed Solosis to hover back over to his trainer.

"Oh, Solosis!" Hilda hugged the Psychic type.

"This doesn't fix things," Hilbert said angrily. "The fact is that Team Plasma isn't as honorable as you make them out to be. You're nothing but thugs that steal Pokemon from trainers!"

"My boy, I'm afraid you just don't understand," Ghetsis said, shaking his head. He clasped his hands behind his back as he paced. "Tell me, who among you have heard of the legend of the founding of this region?"

"I am," Robert said, curious. "It had to do with the legendary white Dragon-type, right?"

Ghetsis nodded, continuing his pacing. "The truth is that this legendary being appeared before a hero of Unova who sought to bring peace to a warring period. This white Dragon-type shared its knowledge and bared its fangs at anyone who opposed it. Together, the power of the Dragon and hero brought unity to the hearts of everyone in the land, and that is how Unova was created."

He halted, turning back to face us. "You asked what our guiding principles are? We wish for a world where Pokemon can be free, and where we can live alongside them as equals." He spread his hands. "I, no, Team Plasma has made it our mission to bring back the hero and that Pokemon once again! If the people's hearts and minds can be swayed by a duo like that, we can easily create a world that I- We, Team Plasma, so desires! A world of peace and coexistence!"

Burgh crossed his arms. "I cannot speak for the rest of Unova, but here in Castelia we have a variety of people. Their ways of thinking, their lifestyles, it's all different. But there's one thing that we all have in common, and for the life of me I cannot understand something about what you said."

"Go ahead," Ghetsis prompted.

"What we all have in common is that we care deeply about Pokemon," Burgh continued. "Even those who meet for the first time can start a conversation about Pokemon without worry. Whether it be just talking about them or battling..." Burgh stepped forwards. "I was there at your Accumula Town speech. You inspired me to rethink the relationship with my Pokemon." He held out his hand to his side and Leavanny placed her sickle in his palm. "And for that I thank you. I swore that I would dedicate myself to my Pokemon more strongly."

Without even realizing it, I found my hand resting atop Joltik's pokeball.

"But what you are doing," Burgh turned his gaze on the grunts. "Wouldn't you just end up strengthening the bond between people and Pokemon even more?"

Ghetsis was silent for a moment, but then he chuckled. "My, you are quite more of an intellect than I initially gave you credit for, Gym Leader Burgh." He nodded. "I am quite fond of intelligent people. You will be interested to hear, I have gathered many knowledgeable people around the world for our king's benefit. Including I, we are the Seven Sages."

He nodded to Hilda, who was still hugging Solosis. "The friendship and bond between trainer and Pokemon is something to behold, I will admit. But," his gaze hardened. "In order to free Pokemon from all the foolish people, we must do so with everyone. That is why we seek to revive the legend of the white Dragon and the hero and win the hearts and minds of everyone." He clasped his hands together. "Wouldn't you agree that a world where all Pokemon were free, safe from the harm brought upon those who mistreat them, that a world like that is a desirable one compared to the one we currently live in?"

Ghetsis shook his head. "I know that not everyone sees the world the way I do. And even some of those within our organization still have much to learn. But if it's for the sake of Pokemon," His one visible eye twinkled with passion. "I will do whatever I can to ensure they have a bright future."

He bowed his head. "I apologize for the trouble that was caused and I appreciate listening to me ramble." He straightened. "But I must bid farewell. I have urgent business to attend to."

For whatever reason, I felt compelled to move out of his way, allowing him room to move by. I saw Alex and Robert do so too. He strode past, his grunts in tow. None of them gave us a backwards glance.

"He's..." Hilda broke the silence that followed. "He's not what I expected."

"He certainly had a way with words," Burgh said, staring at the now closed glass doors. "I can't get a read on him, but... I think there's truth to be found in what he spoke of."

"I don't know," Hilbert hesitated. "Something about him just doesn't sit right with me."

"Agreed," Alex voiced.

I didn't say anything, just stared down at Joltik's pokeball in my hand. Even if I couldn't fully trust the Sage known as Ghetsis, his words stuck to me, as they had before in Accumula.

"But if it's for the sake of Pokemon, I will do whatever I can to ensure they have a bright future."

Will I be able to do that, I wondered, gripping the pokeball. If I cannot give you what you need, will I be able to give you up?

"So what do you think he meant by 'king'?" Alex asked later as the three of us headed for the Pokemon Center. We'd parted ways with Hilbert and Hilda, who were both off to Route 4 to train while Burgh went back to his gym.

"Oh yeah," Robert tapped his chin. "He did mention that. He said a lot of other things I didn't register that at the time."

"So Team Plasma has a king?" I asked. "What, are they gonna set him up to be the ruler of Unova once they manage to sway everyone's hearts and minds, or something?"

"Maybe," Robert frowned. "Maybe he has something to do with the hero-" He broke off, staring ahead of us down the sidewalk. There, stumbling between the crowds of people, was a familiar face.

"Hugh!?" Robert hurried forwards, grabbing his friend by the shoulders, staring at his bruised face. He sported a black eye and looked exhausted. "What happened to you!?"

"-couldn't find them." I barely heard Hugh mumble as Alex and I rushed over. "They took her. My sister's precious Purrloin. They just nabbed her. I tried to fight them, but I didn't stand a chance against their Pokemon." He shuddered, rage suddenly filling his eyes. "That damn Team Plasma! I won't allow them to get away with this!" He shook Robert off, fists gripped tightly as he shook with anger. "I'll get my own Pokemon! I'll train and train and train! Then I'll take them down. One! By! One!"

Horrified, I shared a glance with my friends, my expression mirrored on their faces. We'd been tricked. Duped. Everything Ghetsis had said, all of his supposed beliefs. All of it was nothing but falsehoods in the face of this treachery.

"I swear!" Hugh growled, gritting his teeth. "I'll destroy them all!"