"As Professor Juniper had said Team Plasma did start stealing Pokemon a few years back, however we've also had our problems with them as well...
Three years ago...
Joe sat along the bench as he watched all the Pokemon in his and his wife care play around, Pidoves and Patrats playing around on the swings as little Marills and Corphish played in the pond together. It was a peacefully time, just enjoying the Pokemon play around and just be free.
A Purrloin apporached him as it jumped up on the bench next to him, he petted the purple furred cat as it purred loudly. "I say you seem like you're enjoying yourself today with all the others now, aren't you?" he asked as the Pokemon smiled at him.
"Joe!" his head shot up as he heard his wife screaming, as charged towards the front of their home. He bursted threw the front door as he could see what the commotion was about, a large group of Team Plasma grunts stood in front of their little cottage. "They refuse to leave, they said they want to take the Pokemon!" she cried.
He shot an angry glare their way as he hid his wife behind him, "is what she saying true?" he asked as a grunt stepped forward.
"We were told by out King that this place is an abomination! You're forcing these innocent Pokemon to be trapped within this place when they can finally be free from their suffering at the hands of their so called trainers! Their trainers abandoned them at a place like this to only return when they want to!" a male grunt shouted at Joe.
"These Pokemon choose to be with their trainers, they choose to be here and to wait for their trainers! We do not force them to do anything, they have all the freedom they could possibly want here and with their trainers!" Joe replied as he pulled out a Pokeball.
"We'll fight you if we need to old man, but just know those Pokemon will be ours!" another grunt shouted, as they all prepared themselves.
"I'll fight, but I won't lose!"
"I was able to beat them all, but every now and then there are few who try and come back." Joe explained.
"That's awful, I can't believe they would try and gang up on you like that." Saki said as she looked over at Steven, "are you ok?" she could see the anger in his eyes as his hands were balled up into fists.
"We fear that if this keeps up we'll have to close the daycare, we don't want to but if there's anyway we can protect them then we'll have to do what's necessary." Lucy explained as she sipped from her tea cup. "Is Steven alright?"
Saki nodded her head, "he is, it's just he can't stand the thought of people stealing Pokemon. He's almost lost his best friend before, so this is very personal to him." She told them as Steven took a deep breath. "In fact when we were in Hoenn..." Saki trailed off as she looked over at Zoroark who was laying down besides Snivy and Eevee as they were resting together in the large Pokebed. "Zoroark was the target of a group similar to Team Plasma, they called themselves Team Magma and were at war with another group called Team Aqua." she started.
"When she was still Zorua, one of the admins saw that she was able to transform and they thought that she would be able to take form of a legendary Pokemon known as Groudon," Steven stated. "But once they realized that Zoroark could only take forms of Pokemon it's familiar with, they gave up on her and went for the real deal." he finished.
Joe shook his head, "it seems like our world will never be at peace if all it seems people are after is power."
"What are you talking about Papa?" Saki asked.
"From what it sounds like, this Team Magma you dealt with was after power. They may have been powerful enough, but they needed more power to be feared. Team Plasma and them are no different from each other in the fact that they want power." he told them.
"When we were in Accumula Town, it sounded like their leader only wanted to free them. They didn't make any claims of wanting power, just freedom." Steven argued.
Lucy shook her head, "we old timers know better than to listen to what they say. You must remember, someone can say one thing to draw you in but their true motives are never known until it's too late." she placed her cup of tea down on the table.
"She has a point Steven, who knows...it's still too early for us to decide what they're really after here...liberation or power..." Saki whispered to herself as the sound of her grandfather clapping his hands snapped her out of it.
"That's enough talk of that, now your next badge will be waiting for you in Nacrene City!" Joe announced as he stood up with the support of his cane. "Boy, will Lenora be surprised to see you again."
Saki's eyes widened at the sound of that name, "that sounds familiar..." she said as she heard Lucy giggle.
"Why of course it does, Lenora use to be your mentor remember! She taught you a few of her battle strategies when she came down here to volunteer." Lucy reminded her.
"Oh yea, now I remember! She taught me how to see when to attack and defend against my opponents." Saki snapped her fingers.
"Why don't you two get some rest, Nacrene City is about a days walk from here." Joe suggested, "tomorrow you can tell me about your battling back in Hoenn over breakfast," he said as Saki smiled.
Finally being able to see her grandparents again after her bumpy start back to Unova, made her feel much better and hopeful for her next match.
"So it would appear that her family runs the daycare..." N whispered as he shook his head, leaning against a large tree he watched as the lights to the upper story of the home were turned out. The sun was long gone by now and replaced with an inky black sky with hundred of stars peaking through the darkness, "what a shame." he said to himself. To him, to see such a beautiful and gifted young woman be apart of a family like that he didn't know what to feel.
The sound of footsteps rushed behind him as he turned his attention towards it, "Lord N!" one grunt shouted in surprise as the others behind them came to a halt, "your highness why are you here?" the grunt asked.
"I wanted to do some investigation of my own on this daycare, from what I understand this is the one that consistently doesn't give up which is the reason we have not been able to overthrow it." he stated as the grunt nodded his head.
"That is correct sir, but we plan-"
"Don't." N cut the grunt off as he crossed his arms across his chest, "the owners keep fighting even though we've tried numerous attempts. It's best if we just leave them be, once we have control over the Unova region they'll have no other choice but to follow under my command." he told them as the grunts seemed satisfied with his answer, "now go find some more information regarding the stones." he told them as the grunts nodded their heads and retreated back.
In the back of his head he regretted his decision, he knew they were planning a night attack on the daycare to retrieve the Pokemon there but he couldn't allow them to hurt Saki. "It's against my own beliefs to spare that place, but I have no choice. They would harm you, I will be the only one who fights you my dear to ensure that what I feel in my heart is true." N said to himself as he painfully turned away from the daycare and walked off.
"Our paths will cross again Saki...very soon."
The sounds of chirping Pidoves and cries of the Patrats rang around them as Saki and Steven made their way to Nacrene City. "You think we'll be there soon?" she asked him as they walked along the beaten dirt path, they had been up since the break of dawn as the journey towards Nacrene City would be a long one.
"Well we're less than half a days travel, we should get there by night time if we're lucky." he told her, as Saki could see something was bothering him. Ever since the conversation they had last night he didn't like himself.
"I know you're still thinking about Team Plasma and what they're doing, it's written all over your face." she told him, as Steven looked a bit shocked.
Shaking his head,"I know I shouldn't let it bug me so much, but-"
"You went through this before babe, you understand the fear and pain of losing someone you love. It's understandable, so don't worry." she told him with a smile as Steven grinned. Saki could always put a smile on his face whenever he lost himself in his thoughts, especially these ones. "Maybe we do need to stop them."
"Look who's talking now, Miss 'let's not get involved with them'," he joked as Saki had no interested stopping another group of bad guys. "Like you said before it wouldn't be a good idea to get involved in something that doesn't need us. We have yet to go against them ourselves." Steven pointed out.
Saki stopped in her tracks on the tight little bridge as she looked at her own reflection in the water, "not yet, but..." even though she wanted to stay out of this, she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't try. "I can't just stand here and watch what happens to these poor people and their Pokemon." she told him.
Steven watched her as she touched the reflection in the water as her face was distorted into tiny little ripples, "we took an oath, Steven. When we became Champions we promised to help and protect those in need, that doesn't just apply to our region that applies to other regions as well."
"Saki, those in this region took that oath as well, we can't just assume that-"
"What if they need our help!" she cut him off, "we can't just sit back and do nothing! What if they're too busy with their own issues that they can't help, we need to help Steven even if it's not our problem. We need to help these people!"
"Saki..." Steven sighed her name, she had a good heart and she did make a good point. They made that promise and even though they didn't know what the leaders of this region were doing, they needed to put their own effort forward.
"This Team Plasma acts like they're criminals, I can understand preaching liberation but stealing Pokemon is something I can't forgive just like you can't either. We need to do something, we need to help." Steven heard Saki choke up a bit as he knelled down beside her and pulled her into his arms.
He could feel her tremble as she buried her hands in her face, he gently kissed her cheek as he placed his head next to her's. "You're such a kind woman, and you have a good heart Saki. It's in the right place in wanting to help these people, and if that's what you want to do than as Champions we shall keep our oath," he told her as he saw the tears in her violet eyes.
Saki wrapped her arms around Steven as he stood them both up, as they held each other on the bridge. "We stopped bad guys before, let's do it again." she said jokingly as Steven chuckled.
"I think if we do a good job here, maybe we can make a living out of it." he told her sarcastically as they both laughed.
N stood upon the branches of the trees as the leaves helped keep him hidden, he watched as Saki and the man she was with hugged and laughed on the bridge. He was unable to hear most of their conversation, but whatever it was it seemed that it had struck a personal note with Saki.
"What is this pain I feel in my chest?" he asked himself, as he was watching them he had felt a strong pain in his chest like a knife had been plunged in his heart and was slowly being turned.
Shaking his head, N jumped down from the tree landing upon the thick grassy ground. "Nacrene City...that is where she is heading next...there I will test if what I feel is true." N said to himself as he walked towards the same destination as the woman who has caught his attention.
"My dear Saki, part of me hopes that what I feel for you is true..."