Author's Note: Elgyem and Beheeyem didn't debut in Gen IV, but that's not stopping me from giving the line to Team Galactic. It fits them way too well for me to pass up.
Chapter 8: Discretion
Not even five seconds after Dialga and Celebi parted, he heard Palkia's voice piping up in his mind; "Heads up."
This was swiftly followed by the ground opening underneath his feet, and Dialga fell into darkness. He easily lost his balance as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Cursing, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Having a human form like this was convenient in terms of blending in, but it also had many shortcomings. He was already blind in one eye, so to be plunged into total darkness was bewildering at best and downright terrifying at worst.
At least Dialga was able to make sense of things in his seated position. There were two Auras that he could pick up on, and both were familiar. The main source of light was Palkia's portal - with the Liege of Space looking out.
"...Sorry about that. Are you okay?" At least Palkia seemed to realize their mistake. They then followed up the awkward query with; "I did warn you this time."
Dialga nodded with a huff. He did appreciate his sibling's apology, but indignation was (probably) clear on his face...or at least in his Aura.
"You did, but three-quarters of a second is hardly sufficient!"
"Oh, please. You know time is not my domain. Didn't you used to say that time wasted is lost?"
"That's not the point, and you-" Dialga stared as the thought occurred to him. Why would Palkia bring that up, unless...? "Did you do what I asked? What did you see?"
"...I'll tell you when you're done talking with Azelf," Palkia answered. "I'd rather not upset him any more than I might have."
That was when Dialga recognized the second Aura - the Spirit of Willpower timidly approaching the two.
Dialga had once likened Barry to Azelf. Both of them could definitely be headstrong...in times of conflict. While Dialga did not know Barry nearly as well as he did Azelf, he could see that the two were similarly headstrong when it came to protecting what was important to them.
The similarities ended there. While Barry was bold and extroverted, Azelf was always a more timid creature. The Spirit of Willpower rarely left the safety of his cavern in times of peace, even in his astral form. It was only when there was a threat to himself or to his loved ones that he became bold and stubborn.
Humanity would think this a puzzling nature for the Spirit of Willpower, but every member of the Pantheon would agree that it made sense. A human would have to be incredibly patient to get even a glimpse of Azelf, and what is patience if not a form of willpower?
Perhaps this was why Palkia had chosen to deposit him directly into the cavern of Lake Valor rather than at the lakeside. Despite this, he shot an annoyed look at his sibling's image before addressing Azelf; "I'm sorry to intrude."
"No, it's okay. Mesprit and Uxie filled me in," Azelf answered, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't think Palkia told you this, but I actually wanted to talk to you. They told me they'd bring you right over...I just didn't think it'd happen this soon."
Dialga didn't know if that comment was aimed at his terrible sense of direction, or Palkia's terrible sense of time. Was it both?
"I'll try to be quick," Azelf continued. "Um...This whole 'Red Chain' thing...is Lucas really the only lead you have? Can't you look into the unraveled timelines to piece things together?"
"I did try, but it was like trying to contain sand with human hands," Dialga answered. "What little I was able to grasp came in bits and pieces."
"Oh...I'm just worried for this kid, especially since he apparently looks so much like..."
Azelf trailed off and Dialga remembered that he was also close to Rei when the latter was alive. In fact, one could say that Rei was to Azelf what Lucas was to Mesprit - of course Azelf would have his former Hero on his mind upon learning of this situation. (It occurred to him just then; had Mesprit chosen the boy to be her Hero? Was that the reason she was so furious with him when all this started?)
"I've met him a few times during my investigation, and I can tell you that he survived the impact. He likely has some subconscious memories, but..." The thought then occurred to Dialga; "Now that I think about it...Uxie told me that a human's spirit or body remembers when the mind cannot. This means he would be compelled to fight against Team Galactic, yes?"
"That question's hard to really answer without me being able to read his Aura," Azelf admitted. "But if I had to guess? It's very likely. If Lucas' memories are subconscious, how do you know that they don't affect his will? How do you know that your will won't overpower his, given the nature of Roar of Time itself?"
There was that strange anxiety again; the same kind that Dialga felt in Lake Acuity. The ability to choose one's own fate was one thing that Dialga found himself admiring about humanity. The last thing he wanted was to take that away, even if unintentionally.
Azelf knew that better than any in the Pantheon. Perhaps this is why he wanted to speak with Dialga; to remind him to be careful, if nothing else.
The Spirit of Willpower hesitated before continuing, "Um...Whatever you decide to do as far as Lucas and the Red Chain...be careful, okay? And, um...try not to get him killed. Mesprit clearly sees him as a friend, and I don't want to see a repeat of what happened to Rei."
That would be another reason for Azelf's concern. "...You still miss him."
"Of course I do. Don't you? You were as close to him as I was."
Dialga said nothing.
When Lucas exited the Eterna Gym, it was with a Golbat latched onto his backpack. This would have been a concerning sight, if the Trainer wasn't laughing and gently trying to shove the Golbat off him.
"Arty, you're not a Zubat anymore," he laughed. "I know you're happy, but come on buddy."
To be fair, Arty had several reasons to be happy. One of them being that he could finally see now - he could actually put a face to the kind trainer he loved so much! And then there was the fact that he was the star of the show - none of the Grass-types within that gym stood a chance against him!
Barry exited the Gym not long after, with his Monferno by his side.
"Man, did you see Gardenia's face?!" Barry exclaimed. "Bet she wasn't expecting to get beaten twice in a row so fast!"
"You and Otto were really good in that battle," Lucas agreed. The Monfero placed a hands on his hips, a proud expression on his face. Like Trainer, like Pokemon.
"So...now what do we do?" Barry questioned. "You know if Dawn's back yet?"
"I'm not sure. She said she was going to try finding a Feebas, remember? Those aren't easy to find, so we may be here a while."
"Yeah, you're right..." Barry looked around. "Ooh! I heard that there's this old guy that knows all about the Underground! Maybe he'll get us started on exploring there and digging for treasure!"
The thought immediately got Lucas' attention, and he nodded. "Sounds good! Maybe we should get Dawn set up with that too, if we can?"
As the two walked, Lucas couldn't help catching sight of two Team Galactic Grunts standing outside the large Galactic Building. They didn't seem to be aware of the two Trainers, so Lucas placed a hand on Barry's shoulder to keep him still. Barry was clearly confused, until Lucas pointed his thumb at the two Grunts. The two shared an unspoken agreement to listen in on their conversation. Not the most polite thing to do, but they didn't really care; not after the Valley Windworks.
"You know, I've been wondering something. First we had Mars, Jupiter and Saturn...and now Charon? Not that I'm questioning the Master's logic...but I dunno. You'd think there'd be a Mercury or a Neptune, right?"
"...Uh."
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, you're right! I just never thought of that before. You'd think we would have exhausted every planet name before we get a Commander named after...what even is Charon in the solar system? A moon?"
"Don't ask me, science stuff was never really my thing. Vega would know, though."
"Oh yeah. Speaking of Vega, where are they? I haven't seen them since I clocked in this morning."
"They didn't text you? Commander Jupiter got news of a Totodile hatching. She sent a few Grunts to extract it from its Trainer a few hours back, and Vega was one of them."
The conversation between the two Grunts didn't stop there, but that didn't matter to Lucas and Barry. The moment they heard the word 'Totodile,' they looked at each other with widened eyes.
"We messed up," Lucas whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. "How did we not think this could happen!"
"Beating ourselves up isn't gonna do anything!" Barry hissed back. "We gotta go and find Dawn before they do!"
"Right!"
Thankfully, the Galactic Grunts didn't seem to be aware of his or Barry's presence. They could just sneak away and get to Mt. Coronet in no time at all. Barry took the lead - dashing towards the mountain without a second thought. Lucas followed...for about three seconds. He looked up at the building looming over the city. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to ignore it.
It was like something in the back of his mind was urging him to go in there and confront Team Galactic himself.
The thought crossed his mind, and it made him pause; what if they already took Totodile? What if they already brought it back there with them, leaving Dawn behind?
With that, his decision was made.
Lucas promised himself that he'd text Barry as he entered the building. Four seconds after he stepped inside, he heard a hiss coming from his right side. He turned, to see a Galactic Grunt staring right at him. The Grunt didn't do anything to alert his companions, but beckoned Lucas closer. The Trainer's first instinct was to ignore him and keep going, but then he realized there was something familiar about the Grunt's Aura.
"Pssst!" the Grunt hissed again. "Mister Lucas, it is me! Me!"
Lucas froze. Hearing the newcomer talk, it clicked in his mind. Only one person called him 'Mister Lucas'.
"Mister Looker?" he whispered as he walked over. He knew that Looker was investigating Team Galactic, so there was no point in asking what he was doing here. But the other question on his mind needed to be asked; "Where did you even get that outfit?"
"Let us just say that I have my ways," Looker whispered back, a crooked grin on his face. "It is only natural that an International Police officer be a master of disguise."
"I guess. You had me fooled for a few seconds." He really did. If it wasn't for Looker's Aura, Lucas would've just pegged him as another Galactic Grunt. Which brought to mind another question he wanted to ask. "Um...you've been investigating Team Galactic, right? Is there anything you can tell me about them?"
"Nothing that you do not already know, I am certain," Looker answered. "Who they are or what their goal is, I do not know. The minions here, they seem to be ignorant of their boss' intention."
Ignorant of their boss' intention. The words felt like a punch to the throat, and Lucas wasn't prepared for it.
It took little effort for Lucas to sweep the Galactic Grunts in his way. Arty and Kale had proven to be an incredibly good team together (between Arty's speed and Kale's bulk).
Blair even evolved after a particularly tough fight. Looking back, it made sense that she would evolve into an Umbreon; she hadn't shown any particular interest towards any evolution stones she was presented with, and she always did like going out at night. Her new Dark typing made her that much stronger against the Grunt's Bronzors and Elgyems.
He wasn't prepared for what he saw upon reaching the top floor.
The wall behind the Commander and her Beheeyem was lined with fish tanks, each of them containing a Feebas. There was also a small group crowded in a corner - consisting of a Clefairy, a Buneary, a Porygon, and a middle-aged man. The Clefairy seemed to cling to the man's arm - it was likely it was his Pokemon. Lucas couldn't see anyone's expressions, but he could pick up exasperation and anger coming from the man.
"Why take our Pokemon?" he demanded. "And all these Feebas? What's that about?!"
The Commander spoke up, as she looked over the captive fish Pokemon; "Because, we are Team Galactic. Everything we do is for the sake of creating a world without strife!"
She looked over the captive fish Pokemon. Lucas couldn't help noting that one in particular glared at the Commander. "Feebas are said to evolve into the same Pokemon, but different methods can be used to make that happen. That makes them unique; In order to study their evolution, it only makes sense that we would acquire more than one. As for your Pokemon-"
The woman turned around, and caught sight of Lucas as she did. Lucas took a deep breath - there was another wave of nausea, but not nearly as intense as what he'd feel around Cyrus.
"And what do you want?" the Commander drawled. She waved a hand, and one of the Grunts brought her a PokeBall. Before Lucas could say anything, she continued, "Actually, don't answer that. It's written all over your face; you want to free the Pokemon here."
"...That's what happens when you steal Pokemon, isn't it?" Lucas answered, as he unclipped Blair's PokeBall from his belt. The words didn't sound nearly as cool as he would have liked, but it was the only thing he could think of.
The Commander squinted. "...Mars told me about some Trainers that managed to oust her from the Windworks. If you're one of those brats, then all the more reason to not hold back! I, Jupiter, will take you down in the name of Team Galactic!"
As he and Jupiter released their first Pokemon, Lucas couldn't swallow down the feeling that something was going to happen.
Author's Note: Now that Azelf's had his time in the spotlight, an overview of the Lake Trio's natures/characteristics! Mesprit is quirky and mischevious, Uxie is docile and often dozes off, Azelf is bashful and quick to flee.