Mars stretched across her bed yawning awkwardly. She'd never slept at a normal angle before and wasn't about to start doing so today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow… whatever day that was going to be. Losing track of time was much easier now that she had lost her watch.
Cyrus had been furious with her.
"Not everything is my fault," she grumbled.
Her bedroom door flung open and in it stood Jupiter, brandishing the same snide look she had every other day with passion. Not everyone could be as passionate as her about whatever Cyrus had in store next either, and her losing his watch had booted her out of their secret meetings.
"Get dressed," Jupiter droned. "Today is the day we make our first move. If you perform well, I'll make sure to mention it to Cyrus."
That caught her attention if nothing else would.
She sat up quickly disturbing Purugly's rest. Her Pokémon yawned as she had done earlier and went right back to sleep. To Mars' amusement Purugly took after her sleeping position which looked anything but comfortable. Bless Arceus for the invention of Gymnasiums, without them, Mars would never be able to walk when she awoke from her well-earned slumber.
Gigalith woke with a bellowing roar and marched forward… straight through the wall beside Jupiter. Mars groaned in embarrassment and went racing after him. For such a large Pokémon he could move when he wanted to. This was the seventh morning in a row that he had done this and she could never understand why. Had he injured himself? If so, when?
Eventually, Jupiter and Mars slid across the glossy floor of their hideout and came upon Gigalith who looked just as stupefied as they did. Despite being a goliath of a Pokémon, he had no understanding of the world around him after he'd evolved. He understood her though, so that was good.
"GIGS!" Mars shouted. "Come here, baby!"
Gigalith wobbled toward her and stomped affectionately on the ground. Mars played with his spikes while Jupiter made a call. Mars 'accidentally' forgot to mention that to Gigalith, who rolled on the floor as loud as he could. Affection had many languages. Too bad for Jupiter she hadn't mentioned that before.
Jupiter's Bronzong buzzed above them like a giant glistening alien spacecraft. It looked almost exactly like the one on Alien Artefacts, her favourite show. Mars smiled at the Pokemon, who shared her antics almost as well as Jupiter's secrets.
That was something else Mars would never mention to her.
"Ugh!" Jupiter whipped her phone across the floor. "Why are people so STUPID?"
"Reminds me of Canalave," Mars said dreamily. "Lots of people died down in those tunnels. Shame they were all– mostly Team Galactic slaves."
"Grunts."
Mars looked up at Jupiter, frowning a little. Nobody of a high rank cared for the little people… it was a strange sudden change. Mars hated sudden things. Hated surprises. Hated… that annoying Gym Leader and those people with him. They were bugs but Byron had proven challenging, not many could stand against Gigs and Pugs alone.
"Grunts are pointless Jupiter. We get things done." She tried to reach for her friend but was batted away.
"If that were true, why is it taking so LONG to get these plans in motion? I saw that Flint was in Canalave looking for our boat as well just to make things that much more stressful. Although... I'm not sure how he figured out that the boat was responsible for such carnage."
Mars shrugged having zoned out three words into Jupiter's whining.
"Well, what's done is done. Now," Jupiter rolled her eyes, "get some clothes on and be ready in five minutes. Bronzong?"
Mars went to protest but Bronzong had already lifted her in the air before she could speak. Gigs wasn't any better off really, being forced to stomp on after her in protest. Bronzong was laughing maniacally when it let her go outside of her room. Instead of making it easy Mars slunk in through the new doorway her Gigalith had made.
Out of spite Bronzong pulled her out with Psychic, opened the door with its metallic hand, and then pushed her inside like she was four. Thankfully the Pokémon waited for Gigs to enter the room before sealing the entryway. Probably because Gigs would just walk through any wall he saw, she thought amusedly.
Once she finished getting dressed and pranced about in front of her mirror, she turned to Gigs with a smile. "Let's get groovin' bud!"
Mars grabbed the Poké Balls resting on her dresser. Oh, how she loved her friends. She would never go anywhere without them. If she had to choose between Team Galactic and her team... she knew exactly what she'd do. It was all planned out in her mind should things go astray.
Gigalith moved alongside her as she made her way deeper into the hideout. White stone turned palish blue the further her journey took her. Eventually, the stone turned black and the only thing to light her way were torches held aloft by a man's Bronzong. Mars paused in front of it, forcing an awkward exchange of beeps between the man's Bronzong and that of Jupiter's.
"Aw you have a crush– AH!" she shrieked having been flipped upside down. "Put. Me. Down! Gigs, help!"
Wisely Bronzong flipped her back to her feet and beeped away. Despite being stubborn and stupid and fat and… other things, Bronzong knew better than to cross Gigs. There was a reason why Mars had been sent on that last mission and everyone knew it. Nobody killed better than Mars, nor had the brutal track record that she did. Well, despite one person.
It sickened her that she failed to kill the little Leader then and there. The little weasel was lucky that her team was recovering. If they hadn't been caught in that initial blast the fight would've been more of a slaughter. Then again, Byron didn't have his full team and still managed a brilliant defence, she begrudgingly admitted in the solace of her own mind.
Gigs pulled at her ankle.
"Hm?"
"Bron," the metal Pokémon murmured.
They had arrived outside two tremendously large doors coated with shiny gems. Mars was miffed that she had never thought to ask for any gems for her service. She should've. She deserved the world. Well, at least the new world. The one Cyrus wouldn't stop talking about.
The doors opened quiet enough to not bring attention to her presence. She whispered a silent thank you to which Bronzong buzzed a 'you're welcome' in return. The room was packed with men and women dressed from top to bottom in Galactic clothing. Not one of them had any distinguishable thing to them. It was annoying. No yellow hair, or anything special whatsoever. Arceus they needed to be patched up a little, but then again only a few had their own uniforms.
Normal losers were what they were. That's all they'd ever be and the worst thing was that they knew this. How could they not? It was told to them every single day until any and all resistance had been stomped out.
She silently climbed a set of stairs quietly until she reached the lavish obsidian stage. Jupiter beckoned her closer and smiled at her. "You're late. Even with my Bronzong, you were somehow late."
"Not my fault this dumb dress gets me stuck in doorways," she grunted.
"Sure it's not because you're fat?" Saturn chided to her left.
"Gigs rip his face off–" she paused when it went silent and her voice echoed throughout the room. No laughter. Good. Cyrus raised an eyebrow at her and she instantly turned red, then shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"As I was saying," Cyrus turned back to the crowd, letting her outburst go. "We will build a new world one stone at a time. First, however, we must applaud our dear Commander Mars for planting the first stone of the new world; a stone we all stand upon today."
Her eyes widened. The applause was deafening, but she took it like a champion. At least on the outside. Saturn clapped slowly and made an effort to smile. The annoying ant was certainly problematic but at least Jupiter was nearby. Gigalith boomed his voice; the ground cracked when he started hopping excitedly. He'd always love people fawning over him.
"Today marks a world of pain for those that refuse to adapt. Change is a necessity. Without it, without the ability to let go of what tethers us to weakness, we are lost. And those that are lost…"
"Are worthless." Everyone repeated loudly.
Cyrus ended his speech soon after but Mars was preoccupied with making sure Gigs didn't fall through the floor again. She could return him but for some reason, she didn't want to, it was a feeling she couldn't quite place. She blindly clapped to whatever had been said along with everyone else not even bothering to listen to the people around her.
The room went silent when it appeared. A magenta frill emerged from the darkness behind Cyrus poking at the light with such malice that the lights flickered. Nobody moved besides Cyrus, who turned around and rubbed at… something. She couldn't quite see from where she was but the noises she heard? Whatever the Pokémon was sounded hateful to the depths of its soul. The last time she'd heard such a sound was in Hoenn when she caught one of her stronger Pokémon.
Bravely, or stupidly, she pushed through people to get to Cyrus just so she could see the beast. They didn't seem bothered by her and in fact, looked rather pleased to be further away from centre stage.
"Cyrus…" said Mars in a whisper.
"Approach." His voice sounded so gentle, kind even. But in the back of her mind, it sounded an awful lot like a command.
As she made her way towards Cyrus, Gigs had been stealthily trailing behind her, always on high alert. But just as she reached her destination, Gigs swiftly pulled her back, shielding her from an unseen danger. At that moment, heads turned in her direction, not just one, but two more. And then, emerging from the shadows, the creature revealed itself in all its majestic glory. A white trail of drool pooled beneath the largest head. Mars couldn't help but be captivated by the sight before her – the creature's belly, adorned with two rows of vibrant magenta scales, glistened under the lights. There was no room for doubt now; this was more a devil than Pokémon.
Gigs boomed something, maybe a threat? Mars wasn't sure but it was enough to make Cyrus place a firm hand on his dragon's chest. It was difficult to understand what exactly a Pokémon was trying to say, but nobody doubted the tone of her Pokémon. He'd just levied a death threat against a dragon. For her. He was her brave little soul. She'd definitely find him some kibble after all was said and done.
Cyrus remained stiller than ice and carefully warned people out of the room. They didn't need to be told twice. Bustling crowds and Hydreigon were not a good mix and they all knew it. Perhaps it was a tad cruel but if they needed practice in remaining calm, then this trick worked splendidly. Move wrong and die. Fairly easy for even the dimmest of people to understand.
"Mars return your Pokémon." He carefully moved aside, his voice sharp.
"No," she spoke before she had the time to think.
To her shock, he seemed pleased with the answer and nodded. "Very well then. A duel between us both. Begin."
"We need a battle referee–" she stopped herself. "Never mind, they're annoying."
"Dark Pulse."
In a breathtaking display of power, Gigalith swiftly erected a formidable barrier made of glistening obsidian, just in the nick of time to thwart the impending Dark Pulse. The force of the strike missed its mark by a considerable distance, but what caught her attention was the fact that it hadn't even originated from the fearsome Hydreigon's primary head. A surge of fury coursed through her veins as she quickly realized that this was nothing more than a calculated test of her unwavering determination.
He wanted to battle dirty.
And who was she to ever deny a challenge!?
"So be it, Cyrus." She smiled. "So be it."
"You did quite well."
"My head hurts," Mars whined.
The throbbing pain in her head felt like a relentless drumbeat, each thump sending waves of discomfort through her entire body. Mars winced, her face contorting with agony as she tried to find some relief. With her fingers pressed firmly against his temples, she hoped that the pressure would somehow alleviate the pounding sensation that seemed to be consuming her every thought.
What had once stood as a clean assembly hall now lay in ruin.
Mars kept her thoughts locked away as she brooded over the unjustness of the recent battle. Oh, how she despised that dragon. It was a true nightmare, a haunting experience that she prayed would never repeat itself. The clash was thrilling, however, and left her fingers curling into the palm of her hands. Regardless, she felled the mighty beast with her Salamence, so in the end it hadn't proven as formidable as it seemed. But with a little more training there was no doubt in her mind that Cyrus would have a new bruiser on his team.
"Don't worry. This was by no means a punishment for your… behaviour, but I must intone words of wisdom on you. Never see people as beneath you. Desperation can do things to a person, Mars, and do you know what desperation can be used as?" Cyrus asked curiously.
She rubbed her temples harder, desperate to get the headache to leave. This was worse than what any other Pokémon had done to her. Only when her Rhydon evolved and shattered her nose did the pain compare. Cyrus had commanded his Weavile early on in the battle to wrap dark energy around the hall, shrouding her mind from the light of her own battle tactics. The effects lingered long after the small Pokémon's defeat.
"Nope," she responded honestly. "A curtain?"
"This isn't a time for jokes. Desperation can be used as a weapon, a tool with which I can bring about the annihilation of all that is wrong in this world." He looked down at her, tailed by his imposing Gyarados. "You will be needed for the future. Your future will be bright at my side."
With that, he turned away, recalled his Gyarados, and vanished with a tiny Pokémon she hadn't the time to fully see. It was likely to be an Abra, given how tiny it looked. But for an Abra to get through Weavile's Blanket Darkness move… it had to be more special than it appeared to be.
The sound of someone approaching made her flinch; her Pokémon were all out for the count, and Mars hated it when that happened. "Who's there?"
"Me you idiot," Jupiter laughed. "Come on let's go."
"Go where exactly? Going to a Pokémon Centre is a no-go for obvious reasons."
Jupiter smiled at her. "What I'm about to show you is far better than any treatment facility. Come with me."
Mars quirked an eyebrow, gently moving her hands back to her hips away from her Poké Balls.
"Ok," replied Mars. "But can we get some food first?"
"No time."
"Please?" she begged on her knees. "I will starve. Die. Then what will you do? How will you explain the world's light disappearing?"
"Your light?" Jupiter turned with an amused expression. "What are you talking about?"
Jupiter would never actually understand Mars because most of the time she hardly understood herself. But with a few seconds to herself, Jupiter laughed lightly, deciphering what Mars had meant. "So you think you're the best thing this world has to offer?"
"Obviously."
The walk back to her room felt awkward. Not from the silence, though, she was used to that. Whenever Gigs of Rocky, her Rhyperior, made a mess she was the first to vanish from the room. And passing by those rooms made her cheeks redden. Explaining how a giant drill suddenly stopped working because Rocky decided to headbutt it out of jealousy was not fun. It was fun for Rocky but definitely not for her.
That had been a low point – one of the worst she'd ever had. Far worse than the one she was currently in. At least now she knew what to do when she'd screwed something up. Earlier in her career, not so much. And she had paid the price in currencies many others would refuse to part with.
One currency is that of blood. Her mother's to be exact.
Ordering Pugs to slash her mother's face nearly broke her heart, if she indeed had one, as Cyrus claimed. However, the result boosted his trust in her. Tiny at the time, but it built up and up until she could now openly challenge his commands without facing too great a punishment. But that didn't spare her Pokémon from the pain of her actions. She'd been a fool.
Jupiter stopped suddenly; her tight buns bouncing in the air. Mars tried to poke them but was given a sharp mental slap by Bronzong. Oh, that was another thing she had completely forgotten about, Bronzong had free reign to make her life as difficult as possible now that she was defenceless.
"Here," said Jupiter in a low whisper, handing a device to Mars.
It was a long rectangular remote with twenty buttons all arranged in columns of similar colours. Red, blue, and then green. There was one giant yellow button in the middle that caught her eye. Jupiter must have sensed it and quickly pulled the remote away with a stern expression.
"What?" Mars shrugged.
"Move on, now," Jupiter warned with an icy tone.
Mars stood with her mouth agape. She turned around when she realised Jupiter's eyes were fixated on a spot behind her. A small mischievous grin stretched on the face of Jupiter's Sableye, who mocked innocence with raised hands. With a giggle, Mars realised Sableye was just as fascinated with the buttons as herself.
When Jupiter turned back to stare at a wall, like a normal person, Mars dropped to her knees and fist-bumped the jewel-eyed menace. "Don't worry," she placated, "we'll play pranks soon. You can even come with me on my next mission!"
"Sabe!" the Pokémon laughed.
"I know. Grouchy pants might get annoyed if we play."
"I can hear you two conspiring about something," Jupiter spoke still staring at the wall. "You're not making Sableye's behaviour any better, you do know that don't you?"
"Ignore the mean woman Sables. Some people don't know how to have fun anymore."
She felt a hand grab her ear tightly. "That's because some people act their age, unlike yourself, Mars. We've wasted long enough time as it is, Sableye, leave us for the time being. You'll get playtime later."
Sableye vanished into a random dark corner presumably to cause antics elsewhere. Mars, on the other hand, had no such secret power and couldn't so easily vanish from trouble.
Jupiter held Mars upright and pressed her thumb down on the yellow button. What had once been nothing more than a random wall shimmered, altering itself to form a door. The door opened upon manifesting itself into the world, inviting them inside. Mars had half a mind to turn away and heal her Pokémon, but Jupiter had already pulled her through before she could hatch a plan of escape.
Bronzong buzzed above her with a snicker.
"Funny," Mars said sarcastically. "Don't read my mind again. You know I like to keep my thoughts to myself."
"Mars you're like a child. Everything is going well when you're misbehaving. It's when you're quiet that we need to be worried. Bronzong only wants what's best for you. You should know that by now." Jupiter said in a knowing tone.
"Doesn't mean that I have to like it, though, does it?" Mars shot back staring at the strange room where she now found herself.
Old machines whirled away powering a single yellow light which hung above a table. A map stretched to fit across all corners of the table; light notes and circles appeared every so often. One circle showed their current location hidden in the southern section of Mount Coronet. How on earth electricity worked here was anyone's guess. It probably had something to do with a certain Magnezone that Cyrus definitely didn't own.
"I hate that little menace," she muttered.
Jupiter sat at one of the chairs placed around the desk, her hands intertwining. "I thought you and 'Sables' were good friends?"
"We are," Mars cut in, "we're the best of friends."
"Then why– oh why bother, you've been thinking again haven't you?" Jupiter asked with a pointed glare. "Is it about that battle you were in?"
"I hate Magnezone," Mars spoke with such vigour Jupiter's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh don't act like you like that thing. It's even more annoying than that Weavile."
"True," she conceded, her glare not faltering. "I suggest you familiarise yourself with all these marked points. These will be areas of great strategic importance to us. Do not anger Cyrus again and for the love of all that is good in this world, remain focused."
Mars muttered to herself that she was always focused but only on what she cared for. Like playing Headbutt Bonanza with Rocky and Gigs. She always lost but she did give it her all… which probably explained a great deal about why she could never behave. At least that's the excuse she'd tell to anyone that questioned her.
"Ok," said Mars, "I'll look at the map."
"Perfect."
"Wait a second, did Cyrus intentionally get my Pokémon out of the way so you could make me look at this–"
"Can't hear you already out of the door," Jupiter shouted, closing the door and leaving Mars with Bronzong, who was otherwise known as a babysitter.