ALANA

We continued walking with the sleeping Suicune. I looked out through the wood to see something I wish I hadn't. Cail was standing there.

Cail was a street-style battler, a native of Orre whom I'd met a while back. If he saw me, it would definitely be a battle. And I couldn't battle and keep Suicune asleep at the same time.

"Olivia," I whispered. "There's Cail. Any chance you can make sure he doesn't see us?"

"Spinda!" Olivia confirmed. She crept closer to where Cail stood and started moving her hands. A psychic wave of energy came from her arms and landed at Cail's head.

"Great," I said. "Now let's go."

My team and I ran past Cail until we were a safe distance from him. By the time Meg, the slowest of us, was out of Cail's range, Olivia left and rejoined us.

"Klef," Dawn told me.

"Yeah, it was close," I agreed. "We're not too far now."

We kept moving until we got to the warehouse. Dawn opened the door so we could all step inside the room, empty except for a single table. We put the sleeping Suicune down on the table then let out a held breath. We'd gotten Suicune here. The first step was complete.

"Excellent work, Alana," a voice said. I was surprised but tried not to let it show. "The Beast of the North Wind, the legendary Suicune. It appears that not only was my information on its location correct, but so was my hunch that you would be effective at capturing it. But… you didn't use a Pokéball."

"Pokéballs may be effective at restraining a Pokémon but they have a built in register," I pointed out. "If a Pokéball successfully caught Suicune, it would have registered it as a member of my team. Since I already have six Pokémon with me, Suicune would have gone all the way to Bill's system. Plus the League would know I was Suicune's trainer, and we don't want that."

"You've thought this through, little Alana," he continued, impressed. "But have you thought on how to proceed with our goal now that you have Suicune?"

"I'm using Suicune as bait in the hopes of drawing in the real legend. The golden phoenix of the sun. Ho-oh. But, since Suicune might not be enough, the current objective is to find and acquire Ho-oh's other servants from the Burnt Tower. The Volcanic Beast Entei and the Legend of Thunder, Raikou."

"Good. Ho-oh has strong bonds with those three beasts. But I think you know some more ways to get a reaction from it…"

"Lugia," I said immediately. "Suicune, Entei, and Raikou may be Ho-oh's servants and companions ever since Ho-oh resurrected them from the charred remains of the tower but Lugia has always been Ho-oh's equal and friend. The tower itself, what's left of it at least, can also get Ho-oh's notice." I squinted. "You're not suggesting…?"

"That you go to Shamouti to acquire the legendary birds, exchange them for the silver dragon of the moon, Lugia, then bring Lugia, Suicune, and, if you can get them, Entei and Raikou, to Ho-oh's tower in order to get Ho-oh right where you want it?"

I shook my head. "No way. I know what happened when Lawrence III tried that. I'm not capturing the birds from Shamouti."

He stepped in front of me and held his hands up in submission. "Fine. Don't get Lugia. Risk losing your chance at acquiring Ho-oh and finding out what really happened all those years ago."

I clenched my teeth. "I hate you."

"Dear Alana, I know you don't mean that." His voice dripped with mock pain. "Why, if you hated me, I would have to bring something… or someone… to make your entire goal infinitely harder to accomplish."

I knew where he was going. "You wouldn't dare."

"Would I?" He opened the door. "Welcome, Cail."

He stepped into the shadows and vanished, leaving me alone with Cail.

"Alana Moore, long time, no see," Cail said. "How's about a battle?"