Ash stood in front of the window, Espeon at his side. Inside Giovanni was sat calmly, waiting, his hands chained together and his ankles tied to the chair. Ash knew that he had to interview him, but for now he was satisfied simply observing the man he had chased. Ever since he had first gone after Team Rocket four years ago, he had wondered what he would do, what he would feel when he finally caught Giovanni. He had expected satisfaction, maybe a feeling of triumph. He only felt hollow. He had finally taken down Giovanni, but at what cost? Giovanni's attack had destroyed a huge amount of the confidence in the Pokémon League. Ash knew that he had to restore his reputation of invincibility. He smiled slightly at this; his next stage of plans for the Pokémon League would do this as a side effect. He just had to get through the trials first.

Ash turned away from the window and strode out of the room, moving around to the door into the interrogation room. This part of Indigo hadn't been used for a long time, before he became Master. Now the rooms were in regular use. The way that they should be. Indigo Plateau was the centre of the Pokémon League, there was no other place that he could conceivably hold prisoners like Giovanni and Agent. Agent, the man who apparently had no background. His fingerprints had been run through every database available, and a thorough search through his background history had been conducted. The result was nothing. Ash had one last hope for revealing who Agent was, otherwise he would go down as a mystery. It didn't matter, it wasn't important that the world knew who Agent was. What was important was that they saw him punished.

Ash pushed the door open and strode purposefully in. Giovanni looked up at him, an aura of resignation emanating from the Rocket boss. Ash sat down in the chair across the table from Giovanni, and leant back, further contemplating the man. In the observation room Espeon started to search the Rocket boss' mind to try to get any information that she could.

"Giovanni." Ash spoke, his voice cold.

"'Champion'." Giovanni answered. "What can I do for you?"

"You can start talking." Came the cold reply. "Why did you launch that strike against Silver Stadium? Why did you hold Cynthia hostage? And why did you try to kill Mewtwo?"

Giovanni sighed. "Why would I talk? You will prosecute me anyway. You have no choice."

Ash didn't smile. "Correct. The political will against you is extraordinary, you are going to trial. And if you are found guilty…"

"What do you mean if?" Giovanni snapped. "We both know I am guilty!"

"If you are found guilty," Ash continued, unfazed by Giovanni's outburst, "then the strictest penalty will almost certainly be applied."

Giovanni sat bolt upright. "You can't!" he half-shouted. "That punishment hasn't been used for…"

"For ninety-seven years. The last man to be executed for his crimes was a man called Edward Scnitter. He had tried to overthrow the Hoenn region, and was found guilty of murdering nine different Pokémon. See a parallel? Just your crimes will be worse in the eyes of the world. Edward didn't kill humans as well."

"You cannot execute me!" Giovanni shouted, trying to stand but was held tight by his ankle restraints. "You don't have the right!"

"You are correct, Giovanni." Ash said, his voice still eerily devoid of emotion. "I alone do not have the right. The decision to take a life can be proposed to a council of gym leaders, each leader has a vote. If there are enough votes, then you will be executed."

Giovanni raised his hands and slammed them on the table. "Damn you! How can you sit there and calmly talk about my death with me?" he raged, all composure gone. "Have you no decency? No respect?"

"I am simply informing you of facts. If you don't talk, I believe it will be a forgone conclusion. If you show the Pokémon League that you are sorry, then the leaders may not be so determined to execute you."

Giovanni slumped, before straightening up once again. Before he could speak however, Ash's voice cut over him once more. "I am not guaranteeing you anything Giovanni. You deserve to die for your crimes. I am merely ensuring you are aware of all the facts before you make a decision."

Giovanni spat, hitting the front of Ash's shirt. As it rolled down he leaned forwards, his voice becoming a harsh whisper. "I will not give you the satisfaction, 'Champion'. I will not give you anything. I will go to my death with pride." Giovanni sat back up again, his eyes now showing pure anger. "Get out of here 'Champion'. I have nothing to say to you other than I'll see you in hell."

Ash stood up, but didn't turn away. "Correct Giovanni. You have nothing to say to me. Allow me to answer for you. You struck against Silver Stadium because you led a criminal organization who had hoped to have time in the chaos to strengthen. Time you would've had if I didn't already know where your base was. Am I right?"

Giovanni looked absolutely stunned, which was enough confirmation for Ash that Espeon had indeed gotten the truth from Giovanni's mind. He knew that this wasn't evidence he could use in court, but there was more than enough other evidence.

"You didn't hold Cynthia hostage. Agent did. You didn't know where she was. Mewtwo told you that she was Agent's leverage, but he didn't know where she was. And why did you try to kill Mewtwo? Because you are a cold man. You have a record of cruelty to Pokémon, you don't recognize them for the beings they are. They have as much right to live and breathe. In fact, more than you Giovanni."

"How do you know this?" Giovanni shouted. "Why come in here to taunt me if you already knew the answers to your questions? Was this just a game to you?"

The only warning was a slight glint, almost lost in the darkness of the shadow underneath Ash's hat. The Pokémon Master slammed his hands on the table with a deafening crash, causing the table to crack and Giovanni to instinctively recoil as much as he could while still restrained. This time it was Ash's voice that barely made it across the table, but for the first time in the interview there was emotion in the tone. Every word carried venom.

"I came in here to try to help you Giovanni. I said you deserve to die, I didn't say you would. I was also required to give you the chance to give information willingly. Your refusal will be held against you at trial, if you are foolish enough to force it."

Ash turned and strode out of the door, shutting it behind him. Behind him, Giovanni, a man who had never known fear was struggling to come to terms with what had just happened. And for the first time in his life, he felt a stirring inside him. He feared death.

"Come back!" he screamed at the door. "I'll give you anything you want!"

The door opened again, but this time it was an Officer Jenny. "You had your chance" she said firmly. "You are given exactly one chance to give information freely, but you clearly didn't. I'm sorry, but 'Champion' has other things to do than come at your behest." Unchaining his legs, she led him out of the door and back down to his cell.

Ash listened to the shouts of Giovanni, and grimaced. He took no pleasure from listening to the defeated man scream obscenities at the Officer Jenny, him and the Pokémon League in general. But it did confirm what he had suspected. Giovanni wouldn't give him anything willingly. He sighed; it was almost certain to cement his punishment. As he walked down a corridor, Espeon appeared at his side.

"Nothing on Agent?" he asked, and his Pokémon just shook her head. He sighed. It was galling not to know who Agent was, but some mysteries couldn't be solved. He reached a door, and opened it for Espeon. Inside was another single way window, and Alakazam sat meditating. Agent was visible through the glass, a picture of calm like Giovanni had been. Ash sighed again. He didn't want to have to do this, but he had no choice. He shut the door, and turned back down the corridor, opening a different door and walking into the room where Agent sat, bound similarly to Giovanni. The only difference was that Agent had a Psychic Pokémon with him permanently. If he tried to use his own abilities, there would be reinforcements there. Agent wouldn't be able to escape, no matter what he did.

Inside the room, Agent looked up expectantly when Ash strode in.

"Ah, 'Champion.' I wondered when you would be arriving."

Ash ignored him, and took the chair facing him. "Agent. Do you want to start this by telling me your real name?"

"I believe I once offered you a trade for my name. You refused. I believe I may now do the same."

"This is not a good start."

"I never said that this would be enjoyable. In fact, you can tell your Pokémon to stop trying to break into my mind. As a Pokémon she doesn't have a chance; just like I would struggle to break into hers."

Ash didn't say anything, and Agent laughed. "This is going to drive you mad. Not knowing my name. I think I'll take it to my death."

"Will you willingly tell me anything?" Ash said. "Or am I just wasting my time?"

"Wasting your time mostly." Agent said, still chuckling. "I lost this round, but I'll win the next one."

"I think you'll find that unlikely." Ash said coldly as he stood up again. "You will go to trial."

"I agree." Agent said. "And then I will be sentenced to years in prison, they will eventually slip and I'll escape and we'll be back where we started. I look forward to facing you again, 'Champion'" The last word was said with as much mocking emphasis as possible. Ash strode back out of the room, not bothering to tell Agent what could happen. He didn't want to threaten both of those who would be facing trial. Agent would find out the potential punishment soon enough.

Aaron was sat inside a room in Indigo Plateau, along with the other trainers that had been captured. He was waiting for 'Champion' to come and talk to them. He assumed that he would soon be allowed to leave, although he wanted to know what 'Champion' had decided for the end of the Silver Conference. He had discussed it briefly with Mellanie, but she hadn't seemed particularly interested. In fact, compared to the vibrant girl he remembered from before the final, she was completely different. She seemed traumatized by the whole experience. But then that was hardly surprising, she was ten years old for crying out loud! She should never have had to go through it. The rest of the trainers were slightly subdued, but they would recover quickly. Children however, were a lot more vulnerable. Aaron looked up as the door opened and 'Champion' stepped through. He stood up, and moved forwards. Most of the other trainers had seemed pretty happy for him to be the spokesperson for the group, so he assumed he would have to do similar once again.

"I would like to thank you for your patience." 'Champion' said to the small group. "I understand that you do not wish to be shut away at a time like this, but I have had little choice. In the aftermath of the attack, I established martial law and a media blackout. This means that until I end this, you cannot be wandering around. There will be a press conference this evening. Any of you are welcome to attend; Lance and Steven will escort you if you wish. Afterwards, you will be allowed to return to your families, although I must insist that you do not talk to the media. It will be made clear to them this evening that they should not contact you, and if they do, contact the Pokémon League and inform us. You will be given time to recover from your experiences."

"Sir." Aaron asked. "Will we be needed for anything after the press conference this evening?"

"The police will be along shortly to collect statements for the trial of Giovanni and Agent." 'Champion' said. "Other than that, please remain contactable should we need you to give more evidence at the trial. However, the statements should be enough, so you shouldn't have to be put through any more. Any other questions?"

The room fell silent, before Aaron spoke up again. "This may seem insensitive, but what about the Silver Conference?"

"There will not be a winner this year." 'Champion' said. "It would not be appropriate. Silver Stadium is in ruins and will be rebuilt, but until it is, the Silver Conference cannot take place." Aaron nodded, and stepped back, making it clear that he had nothing else to ask. Another trainer spoke up.

"Do we have to make statements?"

"We cannot legally insist you do, although we can offer complete anonymity." 'Champion' answered. "If you would prefer not to, you do not have to. Mellanie, since you are underage, I will speak with you privately about this."

At the sound of her name Mellanie looked up slightly, before bowing her head once again. The lack of energy worried 'Champion', but he turned to another trainer as a question was asked.

A few minutes later, when the questions had dried up, 'Champion' turned back to Mellanie. "Mellanie, please come with me." The other trainers made space for her as she reached 'Champion's' side, before subconsciously edging behind him. "Some Officer Jenny's will be arriving shortly." 'Champion' said. "Thank you once again for your coöperation." And with that, 'Champion' turned and left, Mellanie right behind him.

Ash strode into his office at Indigo, and gestured for Mellanie to take a seat. She sank into one of the chairs facing the desk, and he sat behind the desk and took off his hat before turning to look at her. She sat quietly, looking down at the ground.

"As you are underage, there should be no need for you to get involved in the trials of Team Rocket." Ash started. Mellanie remained motionless. "This in effect means that once the announcement has been made, you will be free of obligations."

Mellanie raised her head slightly, but didn't say anything.

"I suggest that you return home to recover, you have…"

"No."

Ash stopped mid-sentence and blinked. "No? Mellanie, your parents will be worried about you."

"No they won't."

"Ash leaned back in his chair, and considered the young girl in front of him.

"Why not?" he asked quietly.

"Because they don't really care about me." Mellanie said. When nothing else was forthcoming, Ash turned to his computer and began typing rapidly. Mellanie's head sank again, and she sat quietly waiting. After a minute, Ash turned back to her.

"Very well. In that case, you may come and train with me, as I offered before the final. Although Mr Fernandez may return home for a time, meaning that you will not initially be together."

This seemed to give Mellanie pause, and she sat thinking, not immediately answering. Ash didn't press her, choosing to simply observe. Eventually she looked up again.

"Did you mean what you said, Sir? When you said I could spend as long as I wanted training with you?"

Ash was about to answer, but caught himself. He considered the question, one he considered surprisingly mature given who was asking it. He nodded.

"As long as I am Pokémon Master, you will be able to train with me" he said. "This doesn't mean that I will always be available, but you will be able to continue to train even when I am not."

"Then I would like to come and train with you." Mellanie said quietly, looking down again.

Ash nodded again. "Why do you want to hide away?" he asked. Mellanie glanced up in shock.

"What do you…"

"You wanted to know how long I would let you train, before you agreed to come. You don't want to see your parents. Do not try to hide things from me, Mellanie. Particularly not if you want to be a student of mine. I'm not hiding anything from you, extend me the same courtesy"

Mellanie felt tears start to leak out of her eyes. She hadn't realized her plan had been so completely transparent. "I'm sorry sir!" she gasped. Before she could say anything else however, she felt something change. No longer was she upset. She suddenly felt completely at peace, with no worries. She looked at the Pokémon Master again, as he frowned slightly.

"Espeon."

The Sun Pokémon leapt out of a corner of the room, landing on the desk and looking at Ash. As Mellanie watched, Espeon started to berate her trainer, making sure that Mellanie could hear everything that she said.

"Be kinder to her." Espeon said, at the same time as stopping the effect that Mellanie had noticed, causing her to feel oddly empty.

"I…"

"She has just gone through that and you are being cruel. She is ten years old, still just a kitten."

"I wasn't…"

"If you are truly going to keep looking after her, treat her like one of us. You would never say something like that to us."

"She isn't…"

"Ash." Espeon snapped. "You cannot treat a ten-year old like this, like an adult. Kittens need to be given some protection. She is strong for her age, but that hides something."

At this Mellanie tried to interject as did Ash, but the Sun Pokémon cut across both of them.

"What do you…"

"How do…"

"You wonder why she wants to hide away. Perhaps she doesn't want to go home for some reason? Maybe she can't? It's common enough among the Pokémon you meet, why can't it be true for humans to?"

There was silence in the office now. Mellanie felt a great deal more cheerful, knowing that Espeon was on her side. It was comforting. Ash had never seen Espeon snap at him like this. He took a deep breath and spoke forcefully.

"You're story isn't necessarily the same, Espeon. And even if it is, I never asked what happened to you, and I won't ask what happened to her. If she wants to say, she can, but I don't press for stories like this. Some secrets are meant to be kept. When I offered you the chance to find your family once again and you refused, I asked why, you merely said you didn't want to find them again. That was enough."

Silence fell again, Espeon staring at her trainer, while Ash met her gaze levelly. Mellanie felt like she shouldn't be here, but hadn't been dismissed by the Pokémon Master so couldn't just leave. After nearly two minutes, she felt she should try to break the silence.

"Sir?" she asked.

Ash looked at her, but before he could speak, Espeon butted in again.

"Call him Ash. Somebody should."

"Ash…" Mellanie said confused. He had told her to call him that when he had rescued her, but she wasn't sure if that had been something permanent. It felt weird to call the imposing man she had first met at the start of her journey by something other than "Sir." Then it suddenly clicked. She was quite possibly the only human he had revealed his name to. She cursed herself for not noticing earlier, but put it down to stress.

"Yes Mellanie." Ash said. "My name is Ash Ketchum. If you intend to train with me, then I would prefer you to use my name."

"Okay…" Mellanie said, her voice trailing off before getting stronger again. "Why?"

"My name is only hidden because people who know it would never leave me alone. Not applicable for you. Although, I doubt I need to point out that the name shouldn't be shared?" the Pokémon Master said, a sterner tone in his voice.

"Of course not." Mellanie said quickly, not catching the glare Espeon threw at her trainer.

"Mellanie?" Espeon asked. "Why don't you want to go home?"

Mellanie flushed. "My parents don't care for me" she said, hoping that the Pokémon would leave it at that.

"Why not?"

"I… I'd rather not say." Mellanie said hurriedly. Espeon seemed to accept this, and leapt silently off the desk, before arching her back and moving away. Ash watched her settle in the corner once again, unobtrusive, easy to miss but always on hand. His gaze swept back to Mellanie as he stood up and extended his hand.

"Welcome to training." Ash said. "That was your first lesson, albeit unintended." The door behind Mellanie opened as she took his hand and shook it. "Espeon will take you to a room where you can rest. Tomorrow I will show you where your new home will be."

And with that, the Pokémon Master strode out of the room, leaving Mellanie to contemplate what had just passed. He had been far more familiar than she had expected, almost as if she had entered into a select group where the barriers he held up to the world didn't exist. She followed Espeon out, fingering her Pokéballs. She hadn't told any of her Pokémon the offer that had been made; she hadn't wanted to distract them before the final. She looked forward to being able to spend some time with them, although she was desperate to see Sam again. He was the one person she missed above all.

As Espeon walked, she felt her mind also distracted. She had watched in surprise as Ash had talked to Mellanie; he hadn't been like that with a human for… since she had known him. He seemed like he was trying to be caring, but had forgotten how. She smiled to herself, having remembered a conversation she had once had with Meganium. She had been told how Ash had once been kind and caring to everybody around him, not just his Pokémon. Somewhere, along the training that had been lost. What she had just seen could be evidence that it was finally beginning to reassert itself. Being back with humans was good for him. He would always put his Pokémon first, she knew that, but now he was putting humans a very close second, and some he almost seemed to be getting close to. Although Mellanie did seem to be terrified of him, which Espeon found highly amusing. She had nothing to fear from Ash. And hopefully she could bring out the best in him as she trained.

Lance stood up as 'Champion' walked in through the door. He had been sat in a chair next to the bed Cynthia was sat up in. She had been taken to hospital after her rescue, and treated for malnutrition. Otherwise she was simply exhausted. However, in the day since they had returned, she had shown remarkable signs of recovery. The doctor treating her had been pleased to see that she hadn't actually that starved, and so it wasn't hard for her to regain her strength. She had been given clean clothes, and had been arguing with the doctor to get release her from the hospital. Lance had come to visit her and was filling her in on what had happened in her absence. She turned to look at 'Champion' who noticed how much healthier she looked than the last time he had seen her. When Lance had brought her out, she had looked drained and starved. Now, a day later, where she had spent most of it asleep, and eating when she wasn't, she looked frail but nothing more.

"Cynthia. It is good to see you recovering." 'Champion' said.

"Thank you, 'Champion'." Cynthia said. "Thank you also for stopping by. I wanted to apologize for not having faith in you before. I made a mistake when I went after Team Rocket."

"Yes, you did." 'Champion' said, a slight smile playing over his lips, hidden by his hat. "But I don't intend to hold it against you."

Cynthia looked relieved; she had feared some other punishment from the Pokémon Master.

"I am here for something else though." 'Champion' said. "Do you feel sufficiently recovered to make a public appearance?"

Cynthia smiled. "I've been trying to get out of here since I woke up." She confessed. "I'm up for it."

"Good. Lance, the press conference is in forty minutes. I want you two and Steven there."

"Yes sir." Lance said. "We will see you just before it."

'Champion' nodded, turned and strode out the door again. Lance turned to Cynthia.

"Guess that is how you're getting out of here. Maybe he'll make you go back again when we're done with the press?"

"Shut up Lance." Cynthia said, although she was smiling. Lance laughed, and held a hand out to Cynthia who pointedly ignored is as she clambered out of bed. The doctor came in slowly, his face slightly white.

"Miss Shirona?"

"Yes?"

"I've been informed that you are to be allowed to leave whenever you like."

"Thank you Doctor." Cynthia said, as she slowly walked out. "I appreciate everything you've done."

The doctor watched Lance and Cynthia leave and breathed a sigh of relief. The Pokémon Master had been fairly blunt when informing him that Cynthia would be leaving now, and in truth he was pleased to be free of her arguing. He turned back into the hospital, already thinking of his next patient.

The assembled media waited nervously. They had been surprised when they had been informed that there would be an announcement with regard to Team Rocket. It had only been a few days since the Pokémon Master had very publicly disgraced a reporter, Alba Rinot, who had since been fired by her agent and network. The news blackout since had been total; not a single league official would agree to talk to a reporter, and so the supply of information had dried up completely. The entirety of the four regions was taken up by martial law, with travelling trainers being informed as they reached towns that they could not leave again. Curfews had been imposed, and every gym had more trainers there than ever before, as they trained and prepared for the worst. Two reporters had managed to corner Olive, the Goldenrod City Gym Leader to try to get a story from her. They had both been placed under arrest, awaiting trial. The effect had been to create a feeling of anxiety around the four regions, widespread nervousness. Most people still had faith in 'Champion', but it was clear that part of this faith had been shaken by the attack on Silver Stadium. Against this backdrop, they had no idea what to expect; surely 'Champion' hadn't managed to deal with Team Rocket in just a few days. And so they waited, in the same place as the last press conference, in front of Indigo Stadium.

There was a ripple of surprise as four figures stepped out of the stadium. They were all easily recognizable; the Pokémon Master, and then the champions of each region, Lance, Steven and Cynthia. The surprise was that Cynthia was there, looking pale and tired, but still present. 'Champion' reached the microphone, and stopped, with the others stopping a few paces behind. He cleared his throat, and the murmuring died down.

"Thank you all for coming." 'Champion' said, his voice easily carrying across the field. "This will be a brief announcement, and there will be no questions at the end of it."

The silence remained, as 'Champion' surveyed the field of reporters, all of whom were waiting with bated breath for his next words.

"Since the beginning of martial law, elements from the Pokémon League successfully infiltrated the headquarters of Team Rocket. They captured a large number of Rockets, including their top agent, and the leader of the organization. They also rescued the trainers that were taken hostage. As a result, the threat of Team Rocket has been nullified."

'Champion' paused for a moment, to let his words sink in. The reporters were completely stunned. Many felt small tinges of guilt; they had been damning of the Pokémon Master after the attack on Silver Stadium, but it seemed that their faith should have been placed in him.

"As a result, martial law shall be revoked at 9pm this evening, across all four regions. It is now time to remember those who lost their lives in the attack, and to hold trials of those most responsible for the atrocities committed. The actions of Team Rocket will be punished, and to the bereaved who are crying out for vengeance, you will have it. This I promise to you."

'Champion' stopped speaking, and turned away from the microphone. He led Cynthia, Lance and Steven back into Indigo Stadium, as the reporters looked on in silence. The announcement was back to what they had been used to from 'Champion'; brief, and straight to the point. And carrying plenty of hidden messages; it was clear that 'Champion' himself must have led the attack on Team Rocket. Nobody else could produce such a result in such a short space of time. The reappearance of Cynthia also created a stir; particularly since it was a line of questioning that had caused the end of the career of Miss Rinot. The suggestion that she might have been on a mission for 'Champion' against Team Rocket was only going to gain in strength after that. Reporters started to leave, heading back towards their offices, to try to start getting the best stories now that the news blackout had ended.

Inside the stadium, 'Champion' led the way towards the administrative buildings. He walked inside, then into a lift, followed by the regional leaders. The lift rose, stopped and opened onto a corridor. The group was led down the corridor towards the door at the end, which opened as they got near. 'Champion' walked into his office and sat behind his desk, gesturing for the three following him to sit down. As they did so, he leaned back in his chair, contemplating them.

"I want to thank the three of you." 'Champion' started. "Throughout this crisis you have simply stood back and allowed me to deal with it as best as possible."

"I didn't have a lot of choice." Cynthia said, her face stony. There was a moment of silence, before Lance and Steven started laughing. 'Champion' allowed a smile to show underneath the shadow of his hat as Cynthia's joke.

"Indeed." 'Champion' said. "Now I have something else to discuss with you." The laughter died down as the three watched carefully. "As you are aware, when I became Pokémon Master, I promised to uphold the traditions upon which the league was founded. This was started with the replacement of various Gym Leaders, and forcing them to take on students."

Cynthia found herself nodding at his words. She had agreed with his decisions; the taking on of students was one of the best things that the gyms had done for a while. It gave trainers the option of staying and learning, instead of just travelling around and hoping that they get better almost by chance. Although, she reflected, she wouldn't have been able to do it herself; her image as Pokémon Master had been very different to that of 'Champion'.

"My next step is to restore laws that have been forgotten or repealed over the years since the league's foundation." 'Champion' said. "As well as other traditions."

"'Champion'?" Steven interjected. "Are you sure you want to change more now? The public's confidence in us is pretty shaken and…"

"There is only one thing that I intend to change soon, and it is vitally important. After that, I will wait." 'Champion' said. Steven sighed in relief as 'Champion' continued. "The next law that I intend to remind the world of is that regarding legendary Pokémon." Lance gasped, something that 'Champion' didn't fail to notice. "I see you know which law I speak of, Lance. Care to explain to the others?"

"Legendary Pokémon are unique." Lance began. "And each one maintains a crucial role in maintaining balance. For example, the weather is controlled by a combination of legendary Pokémon. Groudon and Kyogre are responsible for the overriding weather patterns of sun and rain. Should one appear out of balance, there will be an excess of whichever it controls. For example, if Kyogre is allowed to run free and out of control, the rain will completely overcome the world. The two Pokémon are in constant balance; one stops the other. Rayquaza is the guardian of the air; air is impacted on by all-weather and can influence weather. As a result he is a balance to the other two. However, the legendary birds and beasts also have some impact on local weather; they can overcome the overriding conditions in an area. They are also in balance. For an example consider the events at Shamouti Island nearly eleven years ago; the birds were disturbed and the local weather was thrown completely out of balance, and impossible weather patterns spread across the rest of the world."

Steven and Cynthia nodded in understanding, and realization. They suspected they knew where Lance was going with this.

"The law was created to prevent any human controlling the powers. It was illegal to capture or try to capture a Legendary Pokémon."

"You are correct." 'Champion' said. "Control of a legendary Pokémon gives the trainer control over part of the world. Legendary Pokémon will often choose to help humans, but capturing them and bending them to your will is illegal, and for good reason."

"But Tobias…" Steven said, before trailing off.

"Is in control of 6 Legendary Pokémon." 'Champion' finished for him. "This law is one that has passed out of memory."

"How?" Steven asked. "And how do you know it Lance?"

"I found a record of it on a tablet buried in the depths of the ruins of the Brass Tower." Lance said. "Before the tower burned down it was allegedly home to a large collection of laws, protected by the power of Lugia and Ho-Oh. Many of the laws had been forgotten, even before the tower burned down. In the years after, many of the laws were forgotten, as no other record of them existed."

'Champion' looked at Lance, who seemed to shrink under the piercing gaze. "I am impressed Lance. How did you learn all of this?"

"After the battle between Kyogre and Groudon nine years ago, I did some research to look into how Legendary Pokémon could have so much power. It was very revealing."

"You are correct in every aspect." 'Champion' said. "This law is the next one that I shall bring in. I have checked, only one trainer still has legendary Pokémon in their collection. These Pokémon need to be released."

"You are talking about Tobias." Cynthia said, drawing a nod from 'Champion'. "But you say the reason they cannot be captured is because the trainer will use them for power. Tobias has not. So why should he give up years of hard work?"

"Two reasons." 'Champion' said. "Firstly, each legendary that he has captured has a role to play in the balance of the world. If Celebi is attacked, for example, Latios will be called to defend her, along with Latias. Latios at the moment is unable to do so, being controlled by a trainer. The balance is in peril when these Pokémon are not free, and other legendary Pokémon are aware of it. They are upset already, it is why things are more unpredictable at the moment."

"You said there was another reason." Steven said cautiously. "What is it?"

'Champion' looked hard at Cynthia. "How do you think Tobias learned how to capture all the legendary Pokémon he has?"

Cynthia looked like she was thinking hard for a moment, before a look of realization passed across her sunken features. "No… He didn't?"

'Champion' nodded. "He did. He captured Uxie, using the information gathered by Team Galactic. Uxie embodies knowledge, and by controlling knowledge, Tobias was able to know exactly where and how to capture other legendary Pokémon."

Steven looked from Cynthia to Lance to 'Champion' before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I don't follow this. I feel like I'm at a disadvantage having not studied legendary Pokémon like you all clearly have."

Cynthia turned to him. "Put simply, the Lake Guardians represent consciousness. Uxie is knowledge. This doesn't mean she is merely intelligent, it means that she knows everything that it is possible to know, all the time. With her, tracking an elusive Pokémon is suddenly simple; if you know where it will be in six months it is easy to wait for it. Since many of the travelling legendary Pokémon will follow a path unless something causes them to deviate, it is easy to place yourself in that path and then fight the Pokémon. As for capturing, if you know every weakness that the Pokémon has, then battling it is easy. Uxie was the key to capturing legendary Pokémon for Tobias."

Steven paled slightly. "But then couldn't he capture all of them?"

Cynthia started to nod, but then 'Champion' cut across her.

"No. The legendary Pokémon are all linked, once some have started to be captured, the others will begin to push against the balance. As a result, they become a lot harder to predict, and so capturing them becomes a lot harder."

Lance took this moment to butt in.

"How do you know all of this 'Champion'?"

"Because this is the reason I returned from the wilderness" came the answer.

"What?!" Cynthia asked in shock.

"Charizard was training, practicing prolonging his attacks. The mountain he was targeting heated up so much, it attracted some attention. The next thing Charizard knew, he was being attacked by Entei. After Charizard defeated Entei, I helped both recover and talked to Entei. He explained that many of the legendary Pokémon were upset because their number were being captured. Entei himself had tried to take advantage of a missing rival, but was repeatedly stopped by Ho-Oh. He wanted to know what had sparked this change in human behaviour. I suspected it might be Tobias, but even if it wasn't, I knew I had to return to civilization and stop whatever was happening. If it gets much worse we might have a repeat of Shamouti Island, just with more than just one set of legendary Pokémon."

The three élite trainers sat opposite 'Champion' sat, utterly stunned. They didn't know what to make of it, before Lance finally decided to break the silence.

"Your Charizard defeated Entei?" He stammered out.

"Yes." 'Champion' said calmly.

"I don't…"

"The important thing isn't that Charizard can defeat legendary Pokémon, but that Tobias is at risk of upsetting the balance of nature." 'Champion' said, his voice a little sterner than was strictly necessary. "I'm asking what we should do about it."

"The law will have to be announced." Cynthia said. "Tobias might appeal it. If you can prove that it used to be a law and was never repealed, you have a chance of doing it without causing a large stir."

"That's possible." Lance said. "The tablet I found is in a museum in Goldenrod City. It's been authenticated as genuine, so is good evidence of this law being in effect once."

"Which just leaves Tobias." Steven said thoughtfully. "If he refuses to release his Pokémon, what will you do?"

They turned to 'Champion' who seemed to be contemplating. "That's for the courts, although it won't take long."

There was a chorus of agreements, and 'Champion' nodded. "Good."

"Out of curiosity, Brandon once captured the three golems, didn't he?" Lance asked.

"Not quite." 'Champion' answered. "He made a deal with them to train with him, if he could use them in battles. If they ever asked to be released, he agreed to do so. Which he ultimately did."

'Champion' glanced around and was about to dismiss them when Steven interjected.

"'Champion'?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"May I make a request?" When the Pokémon Master nodded, he pressed on more confidently. "Re-appoint Cynthia. It will enable you to remain the powerful image at the front of the Pokémon League that you wanted to be." 'Champion' said nothing, and so Steven carried on. "She is good at teaching, and she won't do what she did again. I know that much about her."

Although 'Champions' eyes were hidden underneath his hat, it was obvious that his gaze was fixed intently on Steven. "Why?" he asked.

"Because you've just proved to us that you work well when you have those around you who can give advice, and Cynthia will always be on hand to do so. She is popular, and will help to mitigate the fallout from the attack. And you need somebody to be coordinating the training; you haven't appointed her successor. I just thought that she might be deserving of another chance"

As Steven trailed off, 'Champion' looked from him to Cynthia who had fallen completely silent, and back again. He then leaned back in his chair to contemplate the three trainers in front of him.

"Let me make something clear." He said. "I do not need you. I am aware that you are all excellent trainers and politically astute, but I do not need to have you on hand. Cynthia's mistake was to assume that I needed her." Lance tried to interject, but the Pokémon Master spoke over him. "I discussed this with you because you needed to be aware of the reasons for the law that I will be changing. That is all. Steven, I know you are in contact with Tobias so you in particular needed to hear the reasons." The three in front of him were completely silent now. "However, you have performed admirably recently. As long as you all accept that my decisions are my own, and as Pokémon Master I am separate from you, then there is no reason that we cannot work closer together like you clearly want."

Steven sighed in relief, and Lance slouched. It was reassuring to know that the Pokémon Master had noticed the work that they had done for him recently, and that he was considering rewarding it in a way. Cynthia was still on edge, as she waited for him to finally answer Steven's question. "I will agree with you in this case Steven. Cynthia, if you want it, the job is yours once again. Try not to interfere this time." Cynthia felt giddy with relief. She had been dreading a return to Sinnoh, to being the head of their Elite Four, a job which she felt she had outgrown. She was almost wishing that somebody would defeat her soon, so she could focus on her passions; research and teaching. Now that the ban on her teaching had been removed, she knew she would throw herself into it once again.

'Champion' stood up. "Thank you for your time. Cynthia, you know where your office is, I expect you will want to begin as soon as possible. You will once again handle all public aspects of the Pokémon League, assisted by Lance and Steven."

The dismissal was clear. The three regional champions thanked their superior before leaving his office. They split up, Lance and Steven heading to arrange transportation back to their own regions, and Cynthia to her old office to begin to plan her job once again. There was a feeling of satisfaction between them; they had achieved a great deal with 'Champion', far more than they had in any other meeting with him. Perhaps he would one day open up to them completely. Only time would tell.

A/N

There really isn't much for me to say so you can completely ignore this if you want. I don't mind. I won't even know! Just skip it and go and do something more productive.

You're still here? Mad people!

I want to say thank you to everybody who is reviewing this story (and those who just read. You're pretty cool too!) I do appreciate hearing your views. Just a note; while I'm not asking you to stop, there is little point asking me to update soon. I won't suddenly decide to drop my life and focus solely on writing. Just something to think about. Otherwise please keep reading, please keep reviewing and I'll keep writing.

A few people asked about Tobias a couple of chapters ago. Well, as you have probably guessed, this is the last part of the story. As parts of Tobias' team will be revealed as the next few chapters go on, if there is a legendary (up to Sinnoh only) that you want to see appearing, stick it in a review. I can't guarantee that it will appear, but I do feel that I owe you readers something for the amount of times I have just simply vanished in writing this. And if you've actually read down this far, I'm impressed. Or you are just stubborn and didn't want to be told to do.

Anyway, as a final thank you, this chapter is out a little early. Next one will probably still be next Friday, so my usual schedule stays in place.
Till then!
Iama2p