The closer they got to the mountain, the more icky volcanic ash fell onto their clothes and in their hair. Manny was flailing in a most ineffectual manner.

"I can't get it out of my hair! It just gets worse!"

"Ash is sterile," Hannah informed him.

"I've had worse in my hair," Mint reminded him.

"I'm buying an umbrella," Manny grumbled.

The higher they climbed, the stronger the stink of sulphur became until the three of them were almost gagging on it. A boy around their age, with flaming orange and red hair tied back into a spiky ponytail, jogged up to the group. He wore black cargo pants and a red open-neck teeshirt with black flames licking around the hem. Even his eyes were a disturbing shade of orange and red.

"Yo, if it isn't Manny! Out training right away, are you?"

"Who are you and why do you know my name?"

"Oh! Sorry, my name's Buck. My brother's the Elite Four's Flint. Watched you fight him on TV," he said with an easy laugh.

"Carrot Top's bro, huh? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You're here to give me a mission, right?"

"How did you know?"

"It runs in your family."

"Hah! Flint loves bossing me around, too. Speaking of being bossy, I'd like you to patrol Stark Mountain for me. Deep inside the mountain is a special rock called the Magma Stone. I can't explain it, but it's really important; it keeps a Pokémon asleep."

"Which Pokémon?"

"I said I can't explain it! Lately, I've heard rumours about vandals in Stark Mountain. They say goons in space suits are causing trouble there. I'd help, but my Pokémon are low on Health Points so I'm off to the Centre."

With that convenient excuse, Buck ran southward. The three Trainers were left to skirt a number of magma pits on their way to the mountain's cave entrance.

"Oooooh," Mint said in a trance, eyes dilating. "Pretty fire."

"Mint, don't bend closer!" Manny yelled.

Mint's clothing then combusted.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" he wailed, rolling on the igneous rock.

"This is why I'm glad I carry a water type. Vaporeon, go!"

The sleek feline seadragon spat on Mint, extinguishing him before his skin noticed he was being immolated. Mint trudged on without a word.

"DISAPPOINTED STATEMENT," Glitch proclaimed from his Pokéball, "I WAS ENJOYING THE SHOW."

"So was I," whispered Hanny.

"What was that?" Manny asked.

She smiled. "Nothing."

Just inside the entrance, the kids spied two Galactic Grunts on the other end of the cave, talking just loud enough for the acoustics to carry their voices.

Quoth Grunt Number One, "This is it! Stark Mountain! Now we need to get deep inside. Let's do this!"

Quoth Grunt Number Two, "Yeah, but... Can that old guy really take over? Can he replace Master Cyrus?"

Quoth Grunt Number One, "Yeah, I hear you... That elder Charon is a Commander, but he can't replace Master Cyrus. Maybe this is a good time for me to be done with this Team Galactic thing..."

The Grunts traveled deeper into the mountain. Ensuring that their teams were battle-ready, the Trainers followed.

None less than Commander Mars met them. Flanking her were Commander Jupiter and old man Charon, along with the Grunts from before.

"Hey! You!" the redhead shouted, almost in tears. "Tell us where Master Cyrus went. Where were you after you disappeared at the Spear Pillar?"

The kids explained what happened. Mars did not believe them. She fought with Bronzong, Purugly and Golbat. Hannah defeated her easily. Jupiter gave a smug grin, running a hand through her violet hair.

"Mars, you really are weak. Pitifully so," she said in her older woman's purr. "You make me embarrassed to be a Commander like you."

While Mars attempted to stab Jupiter with her eyes, Jupiter fought with Bronzong, Golbat and Skuntank, so Mint took the heat (and awful smell) and won.

Though her rival was defeated, Mars only became morose. She sniffed, put hands to her eyes, then dropped them to her sides like a ragdoll. Her voice was much clearer and less whiny, now.

"I'm going to the Distortion World."

She lifted her head high, her spirit kindling behind watery eyes. Her voice became loud, but not in her accustomed tone of irritation. Rather, her words sang with passion!

"I'm going to find Cyrus! I'm quitting Team Galactic!"

It was Jupiter's turn to put hands to her eyes.

"Same," she said quietly. She turned up her nose at Charon. "So, old-timer, go ahead. Do what you want with Team Galactic."

"There you have it," Mars grinned. "We're going back to being ordinary girls. You can mop up whichever way you want."

She left. Jupiter gave a throaty giggle.

"Mars is anything but ordinary. Ah, is leaving on this journey the right thing to do?"

Despite her self-doubt, she followed the younger Mars.

Once the ladies had left, Charon sighed, gearing himself up for a good lecture.

"So impressionable and impetuous. What do they see in Cyrus? Immature, overthinking buffoon. He goes through the trouble of assembling Team Galactic for what?"

Hannah stuck out her head. "Cyrus is a virile older man. He stands around looking mysteriously angry all the time. They're girls. Do the math!"

Charon pretended he had not heard that. "Ultimately, he destroys his own creation for his ludicrous vision. It's no thanks to him that I have to struggle with the pieces."

He cast a meaningful, spiteful glance at the Grunts beside him.

"But that's fine. The young can live with their dreams. I prefer to remain firmly in reality, and for that, money is paramount. You there, children, I'm not dealing with you. After all, the other Galactic members who did all suffered the consequences. We'll be off to collect the Magma Stone. It's all for the money!"

"Awakening a sleeping monster usually ruins the economy, you nitwit," Manny warned him as he and his grunts walked off.

"OBJECTION: MASTER, COMMAND ME TO DESTROY HIM!"

"Hush, Glitch. No slaughtering the elderly."

"STATEMENT: I WOULD MERELY BE HASTENING THE INEVITABLE."

888

The kids followed him north through another exit. Buck approached them from behind.

"Hey, wait up! So, what's going on?"

They explained, so Buck joined them. Manny, Mint and Hannah took this opportunity to grind levels for ("train") their Pokémon.

"Why are there always double battles when we team up with a random Trainer?" Mint asked.

"Question not the cosmos," Manny replied, "nor Buck's ability to heal our entire party despite pleading his own team was low on health not fifteen minutes ago."

The mountain interior stank of sulphur worse than outside, thus they were forced to muffle their mouths and noses with their scarves. Buck was immune.

Dragon Tamer Drake was inside there, hanging out with Black Belt Jarrett. He was not some guy called Drake; he was Hoenn's Elite Four Drake, because some random Dragon Tamer calling himself Drake would just be dumb and a possible fanboy.

"Hello, children!"

He stood there in his entire ship captain's glory, resplendent in white captain's hat, shredded black captain's waistcoat and rugged black boots. Some theorised that his bare chest and epic grey moustache gave him his power.

Hannah greeted him. "What brings you to Sinnoh, Captain Drake?"

"Jarrett here moonlights as a tour guide. Stark Mountain and Mount Coronet are fascinating!"

"You're not here to see the legendary Pokémon?" Mint asked.

"I'm a Dragon Tamer, nothing more and nothing less! I'm content with my ship and my crew if I crave adventure. You kids, like Ash Ketchum, are more suited to contending with the gods!"

"That's funny, because all three of us have already caught…"

Manny and Hanny clamped their hands firmly over Mint's blabbering mouth.

Manny saluted. "It was a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Enjoy the rest of your sightseeing!" Hannah said, giving a thumbs-up before dragging Mint away with Manny's help.

"You IDIOT!" Manny growled in a fierce whisper. "You don't go telling people we caught legendaries, even if it's an Elite Four!"

"But Volkner…"

"Volkner needed inspiration! It's a need-to-know basis!" Hannah explained.

Manny's Bibarel HM slave pushed a boulder down a corridor so that they could access a stairway leading to an exit deeper into the mountain. At the final entrance, Buck paused.

"Team Galactic's inside, right? This is it! No fooling around!"

Charon was there, the Magma Stone behind him, his two goons at his side. There was a lighter-coloured rock among all the blackened igneous rocks, but nobody paid heed to it. The kids snuck up on the criminals, overhearing another one of Charon's boring lectures.

"Cyrus disappeared. Mars and Jupiter quit. Saturn said he would look after what remains of Team Galactic, but he won't join me. So foolish of him! So very foolish of the rest of them, throwing away Team Galactic! After all the effort we took as a team to make it grow... That power could have made us rich beyond imagination. But, enough of that. The Magma Stone will be mine."

As he snatched the artifact, the mountain trembled violently.

Buck ran forward.

"Hey you! Team Galactic! What's going on here?"

"He JUST SAID what's going on!" Manny said.

Charon smirked. "Chased me here, have you? I like seeing children try their best, but too bad for you - you're too late. With this Magma Stone I will let awaken the legendary Heatran! I will control the volcano's eruptions to extort money by the millions! Fear me, for I am Charon; the boss of the reborn Team Galactic!"

An unknown voice shouted, "Go, go, go!"

A Croagunk appeared out of nowhere, stealing the Magma Stone from Charon.

"No! The Magma Stone! What? What is going on?"

The unknown voice spoke again. "Excellent work, Croagunk!"

Looker threw off his fake boulder costume.

"Pah! Disguising myself as a boulder for stakeout was not easy!"

He ran to Charon.

"Now, old-timer, the International Police cordially requests your cooperation. I am sure you have much to tell us about the new Team Galactic. With Cyrus, Mars and Jupiter gone, you are all that is left."

The Grunts looked at each other, nodded, then broke into a dash for the exit.

Charon recovered from his initial shock. "Gah... What a mess... uh, International Police? What are you saying? I know nothing! A new Team Galactic? Extorting with Heatran? Merely the blathering of this harmless old man! All said in jest! Besides, among Team Galactic's Commanders, I was the most junior..."

"You can tell us all about it. We have plenty of time."

Charon backed away from the handcuffs. Looker wagged a finger.

"Oh, no, no. No resisting arrest. You can't win three-on-one, no? Okay, Officers, over here, if you will."

Two officers in blue uniforms entered the small cave. Looker arched his shoulders in triumph.

"He is an old man. This heat cannot be good for him. Quickly, take him somewhere cool. Yes, the cooler will do!"

Everyone, including Charon, groaned at that pun. Looker handcuffed Charon behind his back so that the Officers could lead him away between them. The detective then noticed the children.

"Manny, Hanny and Mint! And you, unfamiliar boy! I wish to say something. First, it is too hot! Let us exit this environment!"

Outside…

"Whew! The air outside, it is delicious, yes!"

He breathed deep, inhaling volcanic ash by the lungful, coughing.

"Now, you four. This is what they were after."

He rolled the Magma Stone between his fingers. It was an unremarkable thing. It did not even glow.

"I took it for security purposes, but will it awaken Heatran, causing an eruption?"

In response, Buck nabbed the stone.

"I'll return it."

Meanwhile, Looker talked to the children.

"After we parted at the Mount Coronet, I investigated their hideout. I uncovered Charon's plot, which led me to a stakeout of this place."

Mint raised his hand. "How'd you uncover the plot? Were the goons talking too loudly like they always do?"

"No, I followed him on Twitter. That Charon is now securely within our custody. It is safe to say the Team Galactic is a threat no longer."

Hanny cried out, "NO! DON'T SAY THAT!"

"Buh?"

Manny gesticulated with his arms. "Every time someone says a villainous organisation is a threat no longer, they ALWAYS come back with an EVEN WORSE threat!"

"...That being said, it looks like my work here is finally finished."

Buck returned, triumphant.

"Now the volcano won't erupt!"

Mint raised his other hand. "How do you know for sure?"

"Okay, it maybe probably won't erupt. But hey! You guys are amazing Trainers! Swing by my place later. It's in the Survival Area."

He ran off. Looker nodded.

"I, also, will take my leave. 'The more wonderful the meeting, the sadder the parting'. That is a quote I have heard many years ago in a foreign land. Its meaning... I understand it better, now. Farewell, my friends! Long may you cherish Pokémon!"

888

Returning to the Survival Area, the Trainers enter Buck's place, which was the house adjacent to the Pokemon Centre that was previously locked.

To their right, an old man behind the bar greeted them.

"I've heard about you from both Buck and Wake. Well, my young friends, you're always welcome here from now on! This is a private club for only Sinnoh's Gym Leaders, or those vouched for by those selfsame Gym Leaders. It's a place where the best seek to better themselves. Welcome to the Battleground!"

Buck passed them, saying he was off to the Battle Tower to see how high he could get. Fantina was sitting at a table.

"Oh? It is you? Are you not taking part in Contests? Since you are involving yourself in Contests, you should challenge me."

Manny accepted. Fantina clapped her hands.

"Never give up! Never surrender!"

Riley was sitting at the bar.

"Long time no see. Since you're here, I'd like to challenge you to a battle right now."

Hannah accepted. Riley looked out of a window, musing.

"If I had not been on Iron Island then... If you had not arrived on Iron Island then... Would we have ever met? Or would we have met elsewhere?"

Candice was sitting at the far end of the room.

"Candice is on fire! Blazing hot! I need a battle to cool me down!"

Mint did not bother with her lame attempt at metaphor, refusing her challenge. He instead watched Manny prepare himself against Fantina on the small rectangular battlefield. It was only then that Mint noticed the smallness of the building they were in. It was nothing more than a bar, a couple of tables, and the modest battlefield.

"Manny!"

"Not now, Mint. Luxray, use Discharge!"

THOOM!

Luxray's explosive electrical attack obliterated the wooden structure around them. The elite Trainers were left standing there in the open as passersby stared at the destruction they had wrought. Hannah turned to Riley.

"Sorry for destroying your hunting shack!"

"It was our Battleground!"

"Whatever!"

"Are you going to pay for this?" asked the old man at the bar.

Manny snorted, "Heck no," returning Luxray. He summoned Rapidash, riding eastward. Hannah and Mint offered some curt apologies before following him. Riley picked splinters out of his hair.

"Can we bum another shack from Buck?"

"Nah, let's move into Battle Tower," Candice said.

"Ooooh! They 'ave, 'ow you say, air conditioning!" Fantina bubbled over.