The volcano near Hydroton stood about three kilometers away. The legendary pokemon Groudon was currently resting inside of that volcano. Legend believes that every million years, Groudon and Kyogre fight in one grand battle, shifting the continents around as they fought. However, there is no way to verify anything because their two eyewitnesses were both asleep. Some people even suggested the idea of communicating with Groudon through mind reading, it was a terrible idea that could possibly piss him off, but it was an idea.

Bisharp, Druddigon and Sableye had hijacked a boat and were sailing towards the volcano, bouncing with the waves to Sableye's dismay. Speaking of the purple gremlin, he was currently having a wonderful time vomiting over the side of the boat. His throat burned like he had chugged hot sauce like it was the last drink on earth. Of course, he then grew accustomed to that feeling of wanting to die that most people feel after throwing up.

The things he did to summon Darkrai. The plan that Bisharp came up with was strange, but it did serve a purpose. Their plan was to get the Senshi off of their tails by summoning Groudon. As for why they didn't summon Darkrai to do this, Bisharp had told them that, "That comes later, we need them off of our tail,"

Sableye, alongside Bisharp, founded this cult. Cult was a strong word in hindsight. A group sounded more appropriate. He and Bisharp met when the latter broke into the former's home. Bisharp wasn't there to steal anything, however. He came to talk. He talked all about how they were not so different and how they had both been dealt a bad hand by a society that chewed them and spat them back out. Of course, he had some reservations, what with the steel type breaking into his home, but he agreed. He needed to belong somehow.

Nearly a decade ago, Sableye had been living on the streets. Each day was a miserable slog. He looked through garbage cans for breakfast and begged around for dinner. If he was lucky, a good samaritan would buy him a hot dog or a slice of pizza. If he was lucky. Most days were scraps left behind in the dumpster.

For as long as he could remember, he lived on the streets. His mother died during childbirth, followed shortly by his father. With no family suitable to raise him, he was put into the adoption system. It was a decent life, albeit a boring one. His caretakers spent most of their time on their WristOn's, leaving the older kids to raise the younger ones. The older kids taught them about history, with Sableye's favorite interests being the ancient Chinese humans. They were quite an advanced civilization. Inventing tea, paper, silk, and iron smelting. Many fantasy novelists imagined what would happen if the Chinese prospered, if humanity didn't vanish after the Roman Empire collapsed. Some said they would become a space-faring empire, while others suggested that it would collapse just like the Romans. One crackpot even suggested the idea that they would become a communist nation led by a yellow bear. Like that would ever happen.

It was around this time that Sableye became interested in wealth. The Qin and Han dynasties were known for their wealth and this fascinated his mind. He wanted to be just like them. Of course, this was mere childhood fantasy. Everyone had delusions of grandeur at that age. However, as he grew up, he clung onto that idea, at least as a sign of hope. At around 7 years old, he was starting to be picked on by the other kids. He became 'Money Grubber Hosoki,' due to his penny-pinching habits.

He was walking through the streets, looking around for any sort of food that could sustain him. Sableye sighed as the memories faded out of his mind. How he wished he could be in that palace, living without a care in the world. But that was mere fantasy. He was more likely to win the lottery on a blue moon when the planets align than get even close to that life. Now he was willing to settle with an apartment.

At that moment, a strange man approached him. He wore a ringmaster's outfit. With a loud and boisterous voice, he declared,

"Hello there, young man! Why do you look so down?" Sableye scoffed,

"Cuz I'm starving and there's not a goddamn thing I can do about it!" he snapped. The ringmaster then chuckled,

"Maybe I can help you. Do you have any talent?" Sableye thought for a moment. A magic show? They had good pay. But it was hard to impress in a world where your average joe could flood a small village, or dispose of a body with acid, or shut down the power of a town. He did have his crystal control. That was fairly rare. Anything to get out of this little hell he had found himself in. With little hesitation, he accepted the offer and was led to a small circus tent.

He was given a few gems to show off his skills. With ease, he lifted up the gems into the air and began to swirl them around. He then looked at the amethyst and closed his hands, making the crystal grow into an intricate pattern of purple crystal spires. The ringmaster applauded loudly with a greedy smile. Sableye wasn't going to stop, however. He had to get this job. He couldn't live on the edge of life and death anymore.

Sableye then took several diamonds and made several steps for himself. He climbed up into the air and backflipped off of the last step. Landing perfectly on his feet, he turned around to see a pleased ringmaster.

"Haha. Good show. You've got some talent." He then eyed that amethyst crystal and grinned,

"Can you do that with any crystal?"

"Sure, if need be." Sableye said. The ringmaster's smile grew wide as he pulled Sableye to his side,

"I think we got ourselves a star."

So, for a while, Sableye performed. He would attend every weekend and perform for free under the promise that he would receive over 10000000 or 100,000 UR dollars in two months. He was allowed to stay in the tent. It wasn't the best way to live, but anything was better than the streets. However, the ringmaster had requested that every night, Sableye give the newly transformed crystals back to him, and then the following day, he would give Sableye a new set of crystals, claiming that,

"We need variety, baby!"

Sableye is a well meaning man, but he is far, far too trusting.

Two months passed, Sableye was finishing up his last show and as he returned to the tent, he eagerly awaited payment. 1000000 more than enough to buy a decent apartment and pay for rent for half a year. Sableye shivered with delight. He would finally be free and be able to live life as he wanted. Finding a job would be so much easier. Hell, he could probably hook up with a sugar momma if need be. Pushing past the curtains, he looked for the ringmaster's office to hand off the jewels and receive his payment. It should be down the hall, to the left.

He opened the door to find the office empty. Hurriedly picked through and looted everything of value. Sableye immediately searched for help, thinking that someone had stolen from the circus. Eventually, he found one of the stage hands and told him what he found. However, the stage hand shook his head.

"That didn't happen."

"How do you know?" Sableye asked incredulously. The balls it took to outright deny a crime had happened made Sableye's blood boil. But then that stage hand said something that struck a nerve,

"He left midway through your show. He had this huge briefcase with what sounded like glass."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. The ringmaster had dipped. He had taken those gems that Sableye enhanced and left.

There was no way. There had to be a mistake. Some important meeting that he had forgotten to tell the crew about. A family emergency that required his attention. Anything that made sense. Sableye worked for two months for zero pay, under the pretense that he would be compensated for his efforts, and now that rat bastard ran off with the money that belonged to him, it viscerally angered him. But that anger didn't last. It was instead replaced with melancholy.

What did he expect? He should've known it was too good to be true. But he didn't. That man had played him for a fool. Why did he think that he could trust that man; everyone else had neglected or outright despised him? Everyone he had ever met didn't care, so why did he put his faith in them,

The waves smacking into his face snapped Sableye out of his flashback. His mind became filled with regret. He couldn't go back. No way would he risk being scammed like that ever again. Hopefully he was a wiser man, but anxiety is a cruel mistress. When she is allowed to fester within your mind, she tears you apart slowly. Subtly using your fears to stop you, yet leaving you blind to the reality in front of you.

To think that someone would be so cruel to manipulate a homeless person for entertainment, it sent shivers into his core. Anxiety then started to transform his worries into fear. Sableye believed that he couldn't go back, that the exact same thing would happen again. That he becomes a toy to be thrown in the dumpster once the fun runs out. Everyone would do it. No one stopped the ringmaster from running away with the money that belonged to him. Bisharp had made sure that Sableye knew that.

He looked up at Bisharp, who was staring towards the volcano. With some reluctance, Sableye asked,

"Once Darkrai is awakened, you will grant me my wish, will you?" Bisharp waved away at Sableye dismissively, focused entirely on his goal in front of him,

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever." Bisharp had promised him riches beyond his wildest dreams. Enough wealth to live out that ancient emperor lifestyle and then some. But now that Sableye was beginning to think, something stuck out to him. Whenever something went wrong, no matter the circumstances, it was his fault, never Bisharp's.