"So in the end Akashi swept the program through flawlessly," Akuma finished telling Chad while they took a break in the lounge.
"How did yours go by the way?" Kurishimi asked.
Chad waved his hand in the air as he spoke. "Not so good. I couldn't figure out what was happening until it was too late. I was in a really pretty water themed city in the desert, but the people were all acting odd. When I found out they were actually criminals in disguise who were taking over the city they were almost too much for me to handle. I tried to hide in the nearby stadium where I could catch my breath before I fought again, but the head of the group was already there. I had to fight him too, but he had a really strong and violent Pokémon called Lunatone with him. I don't know what was going on there. I beat his Castform and Quagsire and almost beat his Metang, but his Lunatone was way too strong for me. I didn't know psychic powers could manipulate attacks that your Pokémon have already fired."
"Sounds like a really strange situation. Where did the idea come from, Akuma?"
"The city was called Phenac City, a small but attractive spot in the Orre region which is mostly desert. What Chad experienced was the Cipher takeover three years after most of the group had been arrested. We didn't know about the problem for a long time, and when we sent someone out there the situation had already finished. The Lunatone was a morally warped shadow Pokémon that was artificially engineered to become evil. We don't have much information on what actually happened at the time other than various reports on what other people have told us. The battle against the Lunatone trainer was caught on camera though, so we know he was exceptionally strong. Like Akashi's program, it's another of the higher levels I haven't fought yet. The simulated opponent's Pokémon are set to be a specific degree stronger than the user's Pokémon so the power difference for you was similar to how it was during the actual battle at the time. If I tried to fight him with my Pokémon he would be that much stronger than he was when he fought Chad."
A brief silence followed which was broken by Kurishimi.
"So… what happens now?"
"Now you two get to work on your most outstanding weaknesses. The computer and hunters were checking your performance for any errors in your battling styles and strategies. There are individual reports you may both read in regards to your most impressive and inventive moments as well as your most prominent and subtle errors. After I make one more trip outside of town we'll be leaving Lavender behind. You have until then to make the most of these facilities. Also while I'm gone I want you to go to the medical rooms, Akashi. I'm sure you broke some bones after Groudon's last attack."
"No kidding, I can feel where the broken ones are. I was already planning to stop by anyway."
"Hey, Kurishimi," Chad cut in, "weren't you the one who brought up the subject of performing less risky actions so none of us would end up in a hospital bed again?"
"Chad, if you say anything more I'm going to hide Ivysaur's poké ball from you for the rest of the day."
Akuma stood up from his chair. "You two can have your socially fulfilling argument without me. I'm going to prepare to leave for the power plant after I check on some of our newly acquired Pokémon." So saying he left the room, ignoring what the other two were saying to each other. Mr. Fuji was waiting for him in the hallway when he came out.
"You said you were planning a trip to the power plant, correct?" Fuji asked him as they walked together.
"Yes, I need to get a Voltorb for one of the Survivors. It'll just be an in and out job, then I'll take my group out of town again. I'm going to check on some of the newer hunter recruits before I leave here too."
"I don't think you'll have time for that. We just received a message from one of our card numbers asking for you specifically. From what we can assume there's a situation at the power plant where one of the card holders is in trouble. The message was cut off before we could figure out who they were or what the problem is. All we know is the location. How fast can you arrive there?"
"Fearow can fly me over Rock Tunnel pass in under an hour, but I bet I'll need more firepower so I'll take Charizard instead."
"Do you want special clearance so you can carry extra Pokémon just in case?"
"No, I'll have plenty of hard-hitters without it. I'm going to pull Metagross and Magmortar from their holding cells for a field test. They need some fresh air anyway."
"Should I send backup after you leave?"
"I'll be fine on my own. Send someone after me in a couple days if I don't contact you."
"As to the new recruits, we can take care of them without you this time."
"Glad to hear that. I hate meeting new people. It wears me out."
"Do you have any plans to take anything from supplies before leaving?"
"I just need insulated gloves in case I grab something with a charge. I'll sign out for them at the supply room before I go."
"Akuma, I don't mean to sound as if I doubt you, but this is a largely unknown situation. What should we do if the worst should happen?"
Akuma paused at the door to the supply room for a very brief moment before replying, "Go to the emergency plan I suggested to you before I left Saffron City."
Much later, in a room meant for hunters to privately contact their families, Kurishimi phoned someone with the poké ball in hand that she had secretly dropped before her test began. After the usual news, Kurishimi told them about what was on her mind.
"I've noticed that the computer programs and even the computer itself have unnaturally strange quirks depending on who runs the programs. Everything can be run manually and there aren't any requests about who the user is or what Pokémon they will be using. I think the computer is judging our Pokémon before the program begins which is impossible for as much as I know. I managed to sneak this Pokémon into a few practices as well as the major test I took today. Even though it's a very basic Pokémon compared to the modern world it gathered a ton of data without being detected by the hunters or the computer. I think something is really wrong here, so please go over every bit of information it can give you. Even if something small happens, like a hiccup in the program, check it out. I might be spending less time in the simulators if I can since I'm getting so paranoid over it now. Anyway, let me know what you find out next time I call. Talk to you later, bye now."
Before hanging up, Kurishimi transferred the poké ball to the person on the other end of the line. She sighed quietly while resisting the urge to chew on her lip for once. The Pokémon Hunters were a legitimate and capable force in the Kanto region, an undeniable fact. However she found it strange that they would have a computer capable of adjusting skill tests away from the basic difficulty level to skill levels which either Akuma or Chad could compete at with equal difficulty or simplicity depending on how they chose to set it up. Without Chad knowing, Kurishimi had retaken one of Akuma's programmed tests at a very low level with her most inexperienced Pokémon and found she could easily win with minimal effort. She noticed she could have also boosted the level to an extremely high difficulty rating, but she had been too scared to even think about how much harder a program could get that could already best her in only a few second's time. There was also a setting to have the computer adjust the test to a person's skills according to the records it had on the individual and their Pokémon. Kurishimi had tested this setting as well. As expected it gave her a decent challenge without being overwhelming no matter what Pokémon she brought in, but again, there was never a point where she had told the program what Pokémon she had brought in with her.
Kurishimi had grown more wary over the last two months so she knew something about the computer was not right. She did ask a few of the hunters about the computer, but they just said that was how the computer was built to run and would say no more. Chad seemed to know nothing about it, but he spent more time with books lately than training programs. If something really was out of place, and she was sure something was, there wasn't any point in worrying Chad anyway. Kurishimi didn't have any ideas on what results the Pokémon would reveal or even what she would do after finding out. Until the results came back to her though, there wasn't any point in worrying. For the time being, she decided to go back to her room and read over the training tips and reports Akuma and the hunters had prepared for her.
What she found was quite surprising. While her skills were ranked very high, her Pokémon's abilities were less than average. Akuma noted that she was focusing all her training on herself and learning new battle strategies while her Pokémon's growth was almost completely ignored. She was a talented trainer, but unless her Pokémon began to increase in strength as well her talent wouldn't do her any good. While Akuma was gone she had to focus her training on improving her Pokémon without paying attention to how they battled. Granted, she couldn't not pay attention to their condition during the fight, but it shouldn't be her main focus during the battle either.
First things first though. She needed to go to the infirmary for X-rays. At the moment her back was hurting so bad it was hard for her to even walk upright.
"Oh Akuma, before you go there's one other thing we found during Kurishimi's test," Mr. Fuji said as Akuma prepared to mount Charizard outside the building. "During her test she snuck in another poké ball which she left behind at the start of the test. The poké ball didn't open until later on and with the cameras focused on Kurishimi we could only capture a glimpse of it through the ashes. Except for the silhouette it's completely undistinguishable. It returned to its poké ball when the battle was ending and Kurishimi picked it up on her way out. We later noticed that some of our computer files had been accessed during the test. Is it possible that her Pokémon hacked into our computers to get the information?"
Akuma looked at the silhouette for less than a second before tossing the picture back to Mr. Fuji. "This isn't any of my business. It's between you and her only. I don't want any part of this."
"Akuma, you're a part of the hunters too. Anything that affects us will come back to you in some way as well."
"Good thing it won't be an issue by the time I get back, will it?"
"What is this Pokémon? Do you know what she was doing?"
"I told you it's none of my business. Take care of it yourself or leave it alone. I don't much care either way. Fly, Charizard!"
Charizard lifted itself into the air and flew towards the north, leaving Mr. Fuji to watch them quickly grow more distant. He'd recognized the Pokémon in the picture, but didn't know Kurishimi had a Pokémon of that particular species available to her. There were a large number of possibilities as to where the Pokémon came from, but at the moment he didn't have a clue. The species was extremely rare; so much so that it was a frequent offer to attract customers to the black market. It was also possible that Kurishimi was up to something dangerous by having the Pokémon invade the hunter's network. Akuma hoped he wouldn't have to hunt her in the near future because of it.
After passing over Rock Tunnel the two of them landed on the side of the mountain. The chimneys of the power plant stood proudly beside the river, showing all passers-by where the building was, but the smoke had stopped pouring out from there long ago. While some groups had moved toward the idea of tearing down the building so it wouldn't be an unnatural obstruction to the local wildlife, the plans were halted when it was found to be a haven for electric type Pokémon. Once in a blue moon some people would report seeing the legendary Pokémon Zapdos visit the landmark as well.
Based on the minimal information from the phone call, Akuma assumed there was a poacher at the plant. If the person's call was cut off the poacher probably found them and the caller was captured. That could have had both good and bad consequences. If the poacher was initially in a hurry to get in and out they would be delayed now as well as worried. On the other hand if they were doing a clean sweep of the building they would now feel rushed to finish and get out as quickly as possible before a strong opponent arrived. While these were the most common scenarios there could be other plans happening down there too. The reason Akuma planned to land on the side of the mountain was so they wouldn't see him coming if there was a lookout stationed outside and they were planning to ambush him when he came in.
Unfortunately there was still a long way to walk, so Akuma released Metagross from its poké ball and sat on top of its frame. After tucking its legs into its frame Metagross was able to glide swiftly down the mountain and across the grassy plains. Akuma kept a sharp eye out for anyone who might have been watching for him as they drew closer, but there weren't even any wild Pokémon about. He hoped they weren't too late.
At the edge of the tree line Metagross came to a lurching stop and because Akuma hadn't ridden Metagross before, he naturally flew a few feet before landing in a roll. Metagross was apologetic as Akuma took notes to practice their technique in the future. After returning his Pokémon to his chest straps, Akuma approached the building. He looked in the windows and listened at the doors but couldn't find anything out of place. The front door and maintenance doors were the only entrances that remained unlocked. While Akuma could've sent Gastly to sweep through the whole building to find the best entrance, the building was far too large to allow for that. Instead he sent Gastly to check past the few doors he had easy access to. Reports afterward were average rooms with nobody in sight. Based on random choice Akuma entered through the front doors.
In this first room was a visitor lounge and reception area. There were a number of labeled doors leading to different areas. Among them were doors leading to corporate offices, bathrooms, and a set of double doors for 'employees only'. Akuma looked in each of the bathrooms only to find empty space then walked down the halls where the offices were. All the rooms had been cleaned out except for two that were mostly filled with garbage. Save for the sound of his footsteps the building was quiet enough to make even Akuma nervous. He held Magmortar's poké ball in his hand for security when he made his way back to the reception rooms.
Akuma was cautious when he opened the last doors. While the floor had certainly seen a great deal of Pokémon traffic, the air throughout the building was stagnant. Light from the windows allowed him plenty of light to make his way down the empty hallway and through another pair of doors. Now he found himself in the main generator room. The mechanical behemoth was uncomfortably silent as Akuma climbed a ladder to the catwalks to get a better view. From the top he could see there was another back room where he assumed there were repair supplies in case of emergencies. He could also spot the maintenance door he opted against entering earlier.
Akuma made his way to the center of the room, still on the catwalks where he could observe the entirety of the generator when he realized what had seemed off about the building since before he entered. Despite being a habitat for electric type Pokémon the building had been completely emptied of all life. It was highly possible the poacher had cleaned the place out and left immediately upon finding the caller. All he could do now was to check the back room to see if the poacher had possibly left the caller or any clues behind. If not, he would have to track the poacher down on his own.
Not wanting to navigate the ground level of the generator's mechanical maze he crossed the catwalks to the far side of the room where he started the climb down another ladder. On his way down he missed one of the steps, lost his balance, and fell the rest of the way to the concrete floor with a hard crunch. Akuma bit his lip in response to the pain until he could stand again when he felt the back of his head throbbing. Touching the back of his head he discovered the fall had caused him to start bleeding. Fortunately the wound wasn't serious and after the dizziness passed he opened the door of the storage room.
Unlike the rest of the building there were no windows here. The room was completely dark, but filled with mechanical parts and shredded boxes. Akuma used Charizard's flaming tail to light up the room when he quickly noticed a female form collapsed on the ground. The girl's arms and legs were wrapped tightly with thick ropes and she had a gag in her mouth. She seemed to have been sitting in the chair behind her, but had fallen out and made her way forward by a few feet. Akuma quickly hurried over and removed the gag from the girl who he found was also unconscious and may have been crying before she passed out. Akuma immediately checked her pulse and was relieved to find she was still alive. Charizard used its claws to break the ropes while Akuma found a large soft berry to feed her. Fortunately the girl was able to chew and swallow it subconsciously. Akuma had Charizard carry her out of the room which he shut tight after exiting.
When they were clear of the room and into the light Akuma realized it was the girl he had met a week ago on the road to Lavender Town: Brianna Rennis. Realizing she was probably the person who'd called for him, Akuma tried to wake her up. With some coaxing she finally opened her eyes and smiled when she realized who was with her, then became worried.
"I'm sorry, they made me call you. They captured me after you left without telling me anything." Her voice was dry and strained as she spoke.
"Who did? What happened to you?" Akuma asked after giving her some water.
"I don't know. They took me here and threatened me until I agreed to call you, then tied me up in that room. I didn't think you would have found me."
"At least you're safe now. I'll get you out of here." Akuma started to pick her up again, but she resisted.
"No, we aren't safe yet. They've been waiting for you!"
Akuma quickly stood up and looked around. Coming from behind every corner were men and women sporting the ever hated Team Rocket insignia. Three familiar faces stood atop one of the generator sections. Akuma remembered their names as Chris, Kyle, and Niklos. Kyle was the first to talk as more people continued to appear around Akuma and Brianna.
"Now we've got you outnumbered, hunter. There's no way for you to escape us this time!"
Akuma quickly looked over the opposing numbers while Charizard stood closer to Brianna. "Almost outnumbered," Akuma corrected him. "Rush me all at once if you like. I'm stronger right now than you've ever encountered."
"You'd better think again about that statement, hunter. None of us need to fight you at all. We only came to watch you fall instead. Your opponent is right behind you."
Akuma turned around to see a male a few years older than him reclining against the wall in the corner and spinning a custom poké ball on one finger. For him, time seemed to freeze when he realized who it was. Akuma's anger went beyond the boiling point instantly, Brianna suddenly forgotten, while the man showed nothing more than what he knew was a deceptive smile. Charizard in turn seemed to become enraged. Its breath was warping the air with heat as fire seemed to flit through the air from its mouth while the flames of its tail quickly grew larger and more intense.
The man tossed the poké ball up before catching it in midair and chuckled at the reaction of the other two. "So you're really Akuma? You've grown up nicely, Little Survivor."
At those words Akuma's temper snapped. He rushed the man in a blind fury with two poké balls in hand and an already raging Charizard beside him while the criminals began to cheer.
"Beat him down, boss!"