Colress was sitting at the round desk that stood on the balcony of his hotel room. The sun was just beginning to set, its light a soft peach. After Colress's second triumph over the totem pokémon, his search for Klefki had proceeded with ease. He had soon cornered a Klefki—however, one of his Colress Machines, a portable IV judging device—informed him that the individual had below-average potential. Fortunately, after using an Adrenaline Orb, he frightened it and let it call for help until he found one with far greater latent potential! Once he returned to his hotel, he had sent out his newly-captured Klefki, who was currently lying prone on the wooden surface of the desk. Its eyes were thin slits now—its energy had been sapped. Klefki thrived on metal ions, so Colress simply had to monitor its reaction to a stream of positive ones! But it had overwhelmed it even though this Klefki clearly held more potential than other members of its species. An interesting result! Colress had placed his phone face-up on the desk so he could speak to Ghetsis while he typing up his notes on Klekfi physiology.
"My good luck knows no bounds!" Colress said. What a shame Ghetsis could not watch him preen! "Why, the Klefki I caught during my expedition is even Shiny, and its shiny form is electric blue and gold—it even matches my color scheme. Oh, and I won't mention the way its adorable appearance mirrors mine, as that would be boastful… I'll leave that for you to point out."
"If you were a Shiny pokémon, Klefki would be a likely species for you to be. That much, I can agree with," Ghetsis said. "After all, what could be more fitting for you than an annoying thief?"
Colress's fingers flitted across his on-screen keyboard like the fast-beating wings of a Beautifly. "I see! Then you should know that if you were to be a Shiny pokémon, you would be a Mismagius, because it is accursed and its voice causes headaches!"
Instead of arguing with him, Ghetsis let out a low laugh. Colress's smile deepened for reasons he could not grasp as the sea breeze caressed his face. But he rejected the thought of analyzing this phenomenon—not that it was overwhelming! It was simply a distraction from his important research. "That-That aside, if I were a pokémon, I would be genderless! So a Klefki can be ruled out."
"And your hair and eyes are not gold, but a yellowish-chartreuse…" Ghetsis mused. "I presume that your desire to be genderless comes from a wish to be robotic?"
"As wonderful as becoming robotic would be—excuse me, what did you say about my hair and eyes?" Colress blinked in dull surprise.
"What's this? Have you never used a mirror?"
"I know what my own body looks like and I'm quite proud of it! The question is, how did you happen to notice such details?" Colress asked. He brought his hand down to the desk, punctuating his words. "I've received many compliments over the years, and have heard people admire my 'golden eyes' or 'blond hair!'" His pulse quickened even though his surroundings were absolutely calm and nothing stressful was occurring. In fact, the pools of Brooklet Hill reflecting the yellow sun looked like little jewels set into the landscape.
"What kind of leader would I be if I couldn't notice such obvious details?" Ghetsis asked.
"But you—you're not a leader currently!" he stammered. He looked down at Klefki and watched its ring sparkling in the afternoon sun. Its eyes were slightly wider—it was teetering on the brink of waking up.
"Well now, you're certainly flustered over nothing?" It sounded more like a question than a statement. Ghetsis did not appear to understand Colress's state any better than he did himself. "No matter. I'll let you continue your previous train of thought."
He seized the opportunity to put these fluttery feelings behind him. "...Ah, as I was saying—as wonderful as becoming robotic would be, that is not my reasoning. It is because I am already agender!"
It took Ghetsis a few seconds to respond. "'Without gender?' You're saying that you're already like a genderless pokémon…?"
"Do you not understand? Allow me to inform you!" Colress exclaimed. His voice was rather genuine and far less patronizing than he had intended! "What we refer to as pokémon 'genders' are, in fact, more akin to sexes! I am male, and thus unlike a genderless pokémon. I am, however, agender, for I do not identify myself with a gender—after all, gender is simply a flawed categorizing system invented by human beings that serves to oppress in the name of culture! I refuse to label myself with something fake!"
Ghetsis took time to think this over. "I see… that does sound like a perfect fit for you and your eccentricity," he mused. "...If this is the truth, why is it you've allowed everyone to refer to you as a man exclusively?"
"Oh, but not exclusively! Do you not remember that party we attended in which I wore a couture grey dress made of the finest sheer fabric that moved smoothly as emulsion? The other guests assumed I was a woman, and I did not correct them. I may be agender, but why would I go out of my way to correct others' incorrect beliefs when they cause them to be agreeable?" Colress smirked and leaned over the desk, resting his head against his console to bathe in the sunlight. It was not too hot or too warm, but a perfect balance!
"...That party in which you continually shook your head in order to shine the light refracting in your prismatic earrings right into my eye? Please forgive my forgetfulness," Ghetsis grumbled.
Colress's chest shook as he giggled at the memory. "Indeed, the fun we have knows no bounds—!" He tried to speak, but could not hold back his glee! He mewled and resumed his giggling!
Ghetsis made a surprised sound that he quickly stifled. He stayed silent throughout the rest of Colress's giggle fit. Only after it had ended, did he ask, his voice wavering slightly, "Then why—if those assumptions are such a help to you, why are you… telling me the truth?"
"Oh! I am…" Colress trailed off and slowly looked up. Why was he informing Ghetsis? It was not particularly amusing to do so, nor was it necessary. It was also not a widely-known fact—why, Colress had only told—he had not told anyone that he was agender. There had been no reason to tell anyone, as it might have been an inconvenience. In addition, Colress did not crave validation, as he had always been splendidly self-assured! No justification for his telling Ghetsis came to mind, but he could never admit being caught unawares. How unbecoming that would be! Instead, he chose an old excuse. "...That is, it is amusing to tell you secrets about myself... you are detestable enough that no one would believe you were you to share the information!"
Ghetsis sighed like a tired Bouffalant. "Of course… there was no need for me to ask. But you are being rather hypocritical. You claim that you won't label yourself with something fake, yet you allow anyone's assumptions to go unchecked? Tell me, what do you wish to be called, Colress?"
"What are you—What do you mean by that?" Colress felt off-balance, as if he had been hit by Sweet Kiss.
"I know that you've been listening intently to me. You know that it's useless to act coy, don't you? I asked you what youwish to be called."
"D-Do not flatter yourself! You are not the most interesting of my subjects!" Colress huffed. His fingers fluttered against his console, though there was nothing to record. "...To me, pronouns make no difference. 'She,' 'he,' 'they,' or 'it,' I will accept. As for other form of address, I am a person, certainly not a man or a woman. With that in mind, everything else becomes clear." He felt heat rise in his cheeks—was the thermostat of his console not set correctly? He checked, and it still displayed a comfortably cool setting. Perhaps it was the lack of sarcasm causing him to feel awkward. Fortunately, that problem had a simple solution. "Ah, and you must address me as, 'greatest and most brilliant of researchers and beloved winner of all debates!'"
"I appreciate your response and will take all you've said into careful consideration..." Ghetsis said, using the sugary tone he reserved for his speeches, "...aside from the last sentence you spoke. You must not be the most interesting of people as well, for I completely failed to hear it."
Colress giggled again. "And I went to all the trouble of listing my desires for you… how abhorable!" Klefki shook itself awake at the sound of his voice and began floating up to the sky. "Oh, my Klefki has awakened! I must run a few more tests before I set out again! I'll speak to you again shortly." He hung up and withdrew his pokémon, which returned to its Poké Ball with a puff of Shiny sparkles.
Colress's Metagross strained under its trainer's weight as it toiled up the peak up Mount Lanakila, trudging through deep snow. The snowflakes that streaked by like comets struck the lenses of Colress's glasses and lodged themselves in his hair, but Colress did not falter—his Achromatic Wearable Console, with its internal heater and thick, tall collar, shielded him from discomfort. He was scaling the mountain because he had heard rumors that its giant crystal structure, which stood exposed to the elements, might possess the same qualities as Anistar City's Sundial. Colress's journey throughout Kalos had disappointed him, but considering Alola's history with Necrozma and Z-Power, perhaps its version of the Sundial could be imbued with celestial power! He could see the fiery blue crystal structure now as it jut into the churning clouds hanging in the oppressive slate sky.
He dismounted Metagross once they were a few feet from the formation. Colress decided to keep Metagross at the ready, for he had interviewed the construction workers who worked on the Pokémon League and had discovered the peak was sacred land. It was possible that Colress's methods would be deemed unacceptable, so he had decided to utilize his research into the islands guardians. Tapu Bulu, the guardian of Ula'ula Island, while often idle, could be brutal. It was even known to bind its enemies with vines, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and gore them. Fortunately, each Tapu was part fairy-type and would be easy for Colress to neutralize, even if any of them were witless enough to label him a blasphemer!
As expected, Ghetsis called and Colress picked up. They exchanged their first few barbs and Colress approached the crystal. He watched his smile widen, his entire body reflected in the many facets.
"I still can't believe your suggestion that I'm bored when you're the one who keeps calling me! I believe you need a new hobby, Ghetsis!" said Colress. "You could easily be a human chess piece, or the little tower that lies anterior to a castle…" It was unwise to attempt to break off a piece of the formation, for that would likely lead to immediate retaliation. Instead, he pulled out his portable spectrophotometer and keyed it to the resonant frequency.
"The term is 'bastion,' Colress," Ghetsis said, amused. "But no matter what, it wouldn't do at all for me to stand still when I must execute my plans."
Colress puffed out his cheek. "Pursue art history. You've already begun pompously correcting others!" The formation did not demonstrate any unusual properties. It appeared more similar to an Ice Stone than the Anistar City Sundial. "You already studied it in college," he added, a bit more seriously.
"That cannot be allowed," Ghetsis said, his voice suddenly rough and grave. "In order to rule the hearts and minds of the populace and attain perfection, I must throw away anything I don't need. Leisure will not assist me in my plans of complete and total domination." He let out a cough, dry and broken.
"Oh, I should have predicted such a response. You're still dedicated to those ambitions of yours!" Colress put the spectrophotometer away. He felt compelled to reach out and touch the crystal. Even though he had his thick gloves on, it felt deathly cold. He had concluded many years ago that much of Ghetsis's power arose from his ambition. He and Ghetsis were quite similar in their desire to reach the highest heights possible and break all those frustrating attachments that dragged others down.
"Of course I am still dedicated to my schemes. I have been thinking long and hard about them every day…" Ghetsis trailed off, his voice fading to a murmur.
Colress withdrew Metagross and decided to fly away from the mountain. He could not return to the hotel while he was talking to Ghetsis, so he had to find another place to land. He circled through the air, searching for something interesting. His thoughts drifted back to Ghetsis's desires. Of course, Colress had researched Ghetsis's family history, and it also played a part in Ghetsis's plans. About three thousand years ago, the Harmonia family ruled Unova. The Harmonia king was strong, brave and could communicate with any being! The Twin Heroes were his descendents, and the ancient Unovan civilization reached its peak under their guidance. While Ghetsis's close association with ancient history and his obsession with "perfection" was ridiculous in Colress's eyes, he could understand it driving him to rule his subjects with perfect control, while keeping his pokémon tied to him by their bonds. Colress strived for the same—conducting experiments would be much simpler if he could have such power over subjects of his own!
Colress decided to land in Ula'ula Meadow. Perhaps in this dark night, he would stumble upon an interesting phenomenon at the Lake of the Sunne. When he touched down on the boardwalk, everything turned black. The trees blocked out what little light was reflected off the grey clouds overhead. In this darkness, the crimson flowers appeared the color of deoxygenated blood, and the cries of Ribombee and Oricorio were absent. Colress used the lights of his console and cell phone to illuminate the path.
"It sounds like you've become fixated on something 'interesting' once again… you've been uncharacteristically quiet," said Ghetsis.
"Oh?" Colress was shaken from his musings. "Now, now, I only wanted to run a few tests in peace without your rude interruptions!" The path opened onto the lake. The water looked like ink, and was currently stagnant. He proceeded to the stone archway.
"And what are you testing? My patience?" asked Ghetsis.
"It is only just to do so! You are always testing mine!"
"Ah, of course. I do love to bear witness to this testiness of yours." Ghetsis's voice was softer than ever before.
Colress felt his face warm as he walked over the stonework. Was it the stuffy air inside the archway? After several minutes of walking, he left the passage and reached the temple grounds. The Lake of the Sunne vast, and even though it had fallen into disuse centuries ago, its landscaping reminded Colress of the picturesque gardens he had visited in Kalos. The main path circled the circumference of the ritual platform, and each of the other paths branched out like the winds of a compass.
Colress had no reason to pay the center of the ruins a visit. Instead, he climbed over some old stonework that had been displaced and took one of the branching paths. He reached a wall—each of its quarried blocks was precisely cut, which allowed it to survive for so many years. Colress could just barely peer over it. As he predicted, he spied an Ultra Wormhole beneath the temple!
Ghetsis finally spoke again, his voice still gentle. "Colress, I still have one more pressing question for you. And after I've listened to you air your grievances, it's only right for you to answer."
Colress pressed his phone to his ear while he observed the wormhole. "What is your question? I'm curious!"
"The Ghetsis from the other world, whose plans succeeded… was this alternate version of me delighted to have finally become the ruler of Unova?" asked Ghetsis. "Was he… happy?"
"Happy?" Colress mentally played back his interaction with the other Ghetsis and thought it over. "I wouldn't say so... he still seemed quite stressed. And how fortunate! Even with an infinite number of timelines, I would have thought it impossible that there exists a universe in which you won—for that Ghetsis to be happy in addition to that would be too terrible!"
"...Then even after becoming King and meeting all expectations, I still couldn't feel happiness."
"Oh, don't give in to despair, Ghetsis! Even if you can't become king, you still have amazing potential. And-And I never misjudge anyone's potential… which is why you need a hobby." Colress felt his face flush once again, and tried to dispel the feeling. "Eventually, your many possible careers will become evident to you—perhaps you will become a curator of stained, crumbling tomes who destroys anyone who touches them!"
"Do you not understand? I have no choice in the matter of my duties. Chasing after whatever I fancy is impossible—I'm not allowed to be mercurial like you."
"Oh, please. You may want to become king, but you can just choose a new path!" Colress reached over the wall and pulled himself forward—the wormhole felt close enough to touch, even if it was many feet down! "When I reach an impasse in my research, I investigate a new theory and travel to another place. Right now, in fact, I'm standing at the site of a ruined temple that lies between the border of two worlds… if the potential I seek isn't present in Alola or anywhere else, I can simply move to another plane of existence and seek its opportunities."
"Colress—"
Colress cut him off. "I hope you understand that your current desires are infeasible. Allow me to explain! In your first attempt to gain power, you needed to groom another human, because only a human being could be chosen. But traveling the world to find educators for Natural and providing for him and his two caretakers took such resources! I must admit that Natural did come to embody a true hero and was chosen as you had hoped he would be, but your plan was guaranteed to fail for an even more basic reason—for Natural to be chosen, he had to be a true hero. But being a true hero, he insisted on hearing others' thoughts, thus attracting a trainer who unraveled your schemes! And as for your plot to freeze Unova—you focused too intensely on developing a plan to defeat Natural, as he interfered with your earlier attempt, and thus you were left open to attack by a completely unexpected trainer!"
Ghetsis stayed silent.
"Do you see the reason your plans fail? There are too many unknown factors you must consider, even when you think many steps ahead as you do. My reason for choosing to focus my research on bringing out the power of pokémon through trainers' bonds must now be evident to you—pokémon can be controlled by devices such as Poké Balls and my Colress Machines. Involvement with humans, on the other hand, can cause trouble. Thus, when a human is no longer useful to me, I leave! I believe you should abandon your old ambitions and test the viability of my approach." Colress grinned. His argument was perfect! He excitedly waited for Ghetsis's irritated response.
"...Colress… you have no grasp of how fortunate you are to be free of responsibilities. You and I are of a different kind—I must become the new Harmonia king, no matter how many years of pain I must endure." Instead of frustrated, Ghetsis sounded melancholy and drained of energy.
"What do you mean? Why don't you do anything else?" asked Colress.
"I was bred to reunite the lines of the Heroes, and my existence is one of rules and strictures. I have been training my entire life and shaped for this purpose. But despite that, I couldn't become the hero and control the legendary Pokémon myself…" Ghetsis recounted his story like a priest gives a eulogy. "When I came upon that monster, N, deep in the woods, it caught me completely off guard. This was a boy who had received no training, yet knew the hearts of pokémon like the Harmonia king of old! And even though he'd been thrown away by his birth parents for his ability and was forced to debase himself and live as a pokémon, he was innocent enough to smile?! That much was already terrifying." His voice fell to a lower pitch. "But there was something even more haunting—this warped, defective boy looked strikingly similar to myself when I was a child, but somehow remained in perfect health… I couldn't accept it. Since that time, I've always been jealous of that freak..."
Colress giggled, loudly. "You became jealous of a such a young child?! How ridiculous!"
"Yes, Colress, I'm jealous of that freak." Ghetsis spoke, with a guttural, warning tone. "Just like I'm jealous of you."
Colress froze. He tried to formulate a response, but nothing fit. All that left his throat was make a stunted, questioning noise.
"You claim to be focused on bringing out the power of pokémon above all, but the truth is this—you're equally skilled in the art of manipulating people . You easily fool them into thinking you're altruistic with your smiling face and careful words, and predict their every move. Even more impressive, no matter where you go or what you do, you're never beholden to anyone!" Ghetsis's voice cracked, but he continued on without clearing his throat, his voice becoming harsher with every sentence. "In these past few days especially, I've listened to you explain how you remove any societal obstacle from your path and tear down every boundary that dares to try and confine you. Your determination to conduct your research—no, your determination to do whatever you desire—and your power to always succeed cause me to be disgustingly jealous of you, Colress. You cause me to be both envious of you... and proud of you."
Colress leaned over until his body was at a dangerous angle. He gazed into the abyss of the wormhole and watched the fading wisps of water droplets spiralling into the darkness, falling into another realm. His glasses slipped part way off his nose. After a few seconds, Colress pushed himself away from the stone wall, hard, and gripped his chest through his thick console. He burst into peals of giggles that felt endless. He giggled and giggled so hard, he felt like crying! He could scarcely speak coherently! "To think! You're actually jealous of me! And proud as well, I see!" His mouth went dry, and he paused before forcing out a longer sentence. "To think that all this time, I thought you were a red-eyed monster, when you're in fact a green-eyed monster!"
"Shut up, just shut up, Colress, you bastard!" Ghetsis shouted.
Colress pulled the phone away. "...Ghetsis?"
"Talk to me like a person! For a single moment! After all that I patiently listened to you say, is this not possible for you?! Follow this simple order or stop wasting my time!" Ghetsis's frenzied yelling was distorted by interference.
"I-I—forgive me—" Colress stammered. He felt a knot form in his stomach—but what did he have to fear? It was only one of Ghetsis's screaming breakdowns! Colress could not crumble in the face of Ghetsis's idiosyncrasies! His brows furrowed. "No. I don't care if you feel entitled to my time! You are being so detestable right now, and I am a better person than you will ever be! You admitted it yourself! You are both jealous and proud of me. I can overcome any hurdle, and you will always fail! You'll lose every argument you have with me," he said, singsong. But the wave of amusement and pleasure he normally felt after besting Ghetsis did not sink in.
"Colress—!"
"Don't be reckless. You might be discovered if you continue to shout!" Colress said, forcing himself to sound amused. Where was the delight he deserved?
"Myah-ha-ha-ha…" Ghetsis laughed, his voice muffled, like a blown-out speaker. "I forgive you, Colress. You've given me a great gift—I now see... we're both prisoners." He hit something beside the PC that resulted in a dull thud. He abruptly hung up.
Colress felt an unfamiliar sensation, cold and prickling, deep in his chest. He could feel a pressure in the air, as if the stone enclosure was inching closer to him. He brushed the feeling aside and flew to the Tide Song Hotel, looking back at Ula'ula Meadow as the thick air pulsed around him. The clusters of flowers in the meadow swayed in tandem—together, they looked like a barely-beating, rotting heart. When Colress reached his hotel room, he immediately got ready to sleep. Normally, he would stay up until the early hours of the morning in order to type up the day's research, but the cold prickling feeling spurred him to escape consciousness. He hoped it was anticipation that he felt—after all, Colress concluded that Ghetsis would stubbornly refuse to call in the morning after his little outburst, but would probably cave after being deprived of entertainment for a few hours. It only made sense to sleep in to pass the time. He placed his cell phone beside his bed and fell asleep.