Shoulders tense and back straight, Lucas's eyes never left the croagunk sitting at his feet. A bright neon purple substance began to ooze down its clawed fingers, dripping onto the carpet. The only thing that made his situation better was that at some point into the interrogation Looker had turned off the television, erasing Cyrus's image from his view.

"Tell me, what are your ties to Team Galactic?"

Sweat rolled down his back. His face remained carefully blank. He did not dare remove his eyes from the pokemon. "When I was a kid, they tried to create a new world by destroying ours and killing everyone in it. They almost won, but we were able to take down Cyrus on Spear Pillar after he summoned Palkia."

Dark eyes bored into the side of his skull.

Between the aching pains in his body and the threat of being stabbed looming over him, his mind was going a million miles a minute. For a supposed International Police agent, Looker did not seem too well-versed in Sinnoh's recent history–or its government, for that matter. After all, does it not count as an act of political intrigue to kidnap and hold the champion hostage?

Doubts began to circle his mind, dizzying him. Was this man even who he said he was?

Had this man been a part of Team Galactic at some point and was looking for revenge?

His stomach turned. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid when he had censored all things regarding the Team Galactic incident. More than anything, he did not want a repeat of what had happened in Johto with the sudden reappearance of Team Rocket. It was a story as old as time, especially with the most recent reappearance of Team Plasma in Unova that had happened a couple of years ago.

He thought he had been careful. He thought that, as a region, they had gotten past those dark times and that no Sinnohian would ever have to experience sacrificing themself to save a world that they had barely experienced.

Had it been a trap? Had this man somehow summoned Palkia and knew that he would investigate, only to capture him when they had been downed?

No, no. That's not it–Palkia used Spacial Rend. I know it.

So, why?

Why am I here?

He flinched when Looker snapped his fingers next to his ear. A loud croak echoed from the pokemon.

"I will repeat myself," Looker stated, tucking his hand away. "It seems as if you speak in the past. Why is that so?"

For the first time since he had been threatened, Lucas ripped his eyes away from the croagunk.

He wrinkled his brow. "Because Team Galactic is in the past, and it'll always be in the past. It was broken up years ago."

He was sick of this. He was the champion, for Palkia's sake. He did not have to go through these hoops, and he did not have to answer this strange man's questions. He was not the kid who had gotten too far in over his head anymore. He was an adult, and he was an undefeated champion to boot.

He had looked a god in its eyes and survived–twice.

So, a croagunk who looked as if it was barely over level twenty and an old man who was dressed like he was starring in an old detective show were not going to intimidate him.

It did not matter how badly his body ached or how violently he shivered from pain after being blasted in the face by a move that should have killed him.

A move that probably had killed Barry.

Before Looker could probe further, Lucas cut him off. "I really would love to continue this conversation, but I think we're done here. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you're just a little confused. I would appreciate it if you give me my pokemon back, and I'll go on my way without having to get the League involved. I'm sure they're wondering where I'm at by now, anyways."

However, he did not move to stand. He had plenty of experience to understand that even a low-leveled pokemon could do a lot of damage, especially to humans, and he was not willing to stress it out by making any sudden movements.

He chose to narrow his eyes at Looker, instead.

"Young man, I believe you may be a little bit more…misguided than originally thought. Like I mentioned earlier, you are currently under arrest for being in possession of items suggesting you were involved in the murder of the CEO of Valley Windworks." When Lucas did not respond, he continued. "Not only that, I took it upon myself to search our database for any of your records, and, interestingly, it seems as if you do not exist in this world. Especially one who seems to have your credentials, such as owning a completed Pokedex, all eight gym badges, and the Champion's Coin. All of which do not even seem to be forged."

Lucas decided that he was not, in fact, going to give this man the benefit of the doubt. As soon as he got access to a Pokegear, he was calling the League immediately.

"So, with all of that being said. Lucas, is it?" He stared. "This brings me to my next set of questions. Could you explain why you are in possession of six well-leveled pokemon with a Trainer ID number that does not exist?"

Feeling his chest tighten and his cold sweat spreading, Lucas stood.

Upon standing, several things happened at once: Looker reached to grab his arm, the croagunk growled, and his entire world spun as he felt himself quickly falling, falling, falling–

–and the next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees in a pile of papers with the croagunk's claws pressed into his side.

Lightly pushing, but not plunging–a warning to stay where he was.

But Lucas could not find it within himself to worry about the pokemon when his eyes, albeit blurry, were taking in notes among notes of information on Sinnoh's Lake Trio, on Palkia, on Dialga–a beast he had only ever heard Cynthia's grandmother talk to him about, usually while she made him tea that tasted of the bitter herbs she had grown.

He heard the low, muffled voice of Looker. He was yelling something at the croagunk, reaching down and grabbing his arm.

Blood pounded in his ears.

…and these myths of Sinnoh claim of a beast who can rip space apart with its claws, creating parallel worlds…

Everything clicked.

Years and years of research, yet he did not realize what had happened to them sooner?

"Who's the current champion of Sinnoh?" His voice was hoarse.

Looker's grip weakened. "Ah, well, Miss Cynthia, of course. I do need you to sit back down on the couch, however. Please, allow me to assist you."

After he heard Cynthia's name, his mind shut down. As he was pulled off the ground, Looker gently nudged the pokemon away from the duo. Lucas sank into the couch cushions and his heart sank with him.

Silence consumed them. The sun was setting behind the blinds, casting an orange glow into the room. It felt warm on his skin.

"Young man, you seem confused about my answer. The champion of Sinnoh is no secret, especially to those who live here. Are you to say that you were not aware of this information?"

Looker's words settled into the air, weighing heavily on his shoulders. He did not know how to answer that question. Actually, he did not know how to answer any of the questions that had been asked.

How do you tell someone that you were in a world that was not your own?

How do you tell someone that you were supposed to be dead?

He put his head in his hands.

"I don't know what to tell you other than I'm not in Team Galactic. Never was and never will be. Actually, you know what?" He began to laugh. It was spilling out of his mouth, turning into hiccups, then into sobs. "You'll never believe it! I took them down when I was eleven! They were supposed to be gone forever. They lost! So, why!? What did I do to piss off Palkia to bring me back to them!?"

His shoulders shook. He sucked in ragged breaths and coughed on them.

He wanted to go home. He wanted his pokemon back. He wanted to see Barry, to make sure he was okay, still alive.

Out of the corner of his eye, Looker watched him. Face carefully blank, Looker glanced towards the numerous stacks of papers that lay on the floor. Lucas's eyes, filled with tears, slowly followed his gaze until it landed on a worn and dusty book.

It was a book Lucas had seen earlier, before Looker had appeared: The Legends of Sinnoh.

"Ah, it seems as if we are at an impasse. Maybe it would be best if you were handed over to the local authorities instead for questioning."

He felt his heart skip a beat.

If his assumptions were true, and he truly was in a parallel universe, then the last thing he needed was to be detained in a random police station. At the moment, he knew he had information that could make him important to this man. If this universe was like his own, then he knew where Team Galactic would strike next.

The chilling realization began to set in that if he wanted to go home, then he needed Team Galactic. He needed them to summon Palkia.

He needed to face them again.

His chest tightened. Could he even stop them a second time?

Do I even need to stop them this time?

Looker moved to stand, swiftly ushering the croagunk to follow, when Lucas grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, wait, please. What if I told you that I might know what their next plans are?"

Looker stilled. He swore he could see a ghost of a smile on the man's lips.

"Well, that would be ideal. However, I am unsure if working with a man from Team Galactic would be the best decision moving forward."

"What if you work with someone who isn't a part of Team Galactic?" The tears in his eyes were streaming down his cheeks. His heart thundered in his chest. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I know what's going to happen–I know what they're planning to do. Cyrus has everyone in there tricked, he's–he's deceiving them. He's going to end the world, and I know I can beat him."

Looker shrugged. "I must say, it is hard to believe that one of Sinnoh's old gods supposedly brought you here. Not only that, brought a young man who claims to have defeated Team Galactic at the ripe age of eleven. That is what you mentioned, is it not?"

He held his breath.

In his childhood, not many had known of Palkia until it almost brought their world to its death. So, if this man understood even a little bit of what was going on, it was priceless to him.

He needed to know if Looker was telling the truth. He needed to see Team Galactic with his own eyes. If this man said he was investigating Team Galactic, and it turned out to be true, then he was positive Looker could help bring him to Cyrus–could bring him to Palkia.

If anyone were to believe him, it would be this man who owned stacks and stacks of books on the very subject that brought him here.

"Ah, yet." He snapped out of his thoughts. Looker glanced down at him, a smile now tugging at his lips. "I cannot help but believe you."

"My coworkers tend to claim that I am a gambling man, but I like to think it is something more than that. I have been in this business for a long, long time, and I have…experienced similar things. Perhaps those things have made me a religious man."

Slightly shaking Lucas's grip from his wrist, Looker offered him his right hand for a handshake. Lucas watched, mouth agape.

He did not expect it to be this easy to convince someone when even he was not completely convinced.

"Let us make a deal, shall we not? If you help me prove that Team Galactic is not who they claim to be, then I will let you go. Until that moment, you and your pokemon will be under my jurisdiction, and my jurisdiction only."

He had no one else to turn to for help. He doubted he would even be lucky enough to find someone else to believe him again.

Sealing his fate, he shook Looker's hand.

The next morning came in a blur.

He woke up to a ruckus coming from the hallway outside his door. Looker's croagunk–named "Croagunk," Looker had stated proudly when escorting him back to the spare bedroom for the night–was incessantly croaking. Looker seemed to be arguing with him as they walked closer to his room.

A brief, hard knock. "Lucas, you are awake, yes?"

Well, if he was not, he was now.

Lying prone on his back, staring up at the blank ceiling, Lucas told him to come in.

Looker entered with Croagunk in tow. The poison-type tottered in, staring up at him as he did so. Lucas was about to sit up to greet them when the pokemon jumped on top of his stomach, knocking the breath out of his lungs.

"Croagunk! Show some respect to our guest, now, yes?" As Lucas tried to regain his breath, Looker ushered Croagunk off. "Sorry about that, he seems to have taken a bit of a liking to you!"

He did not know how that was possible, seeing how just last night he tried to stab him in the side with what he presumed to be a Poison Jab.

With one last unsettling look shot his way, Croagunk jumped off of him and plopped down onto his butt near Looker's feet.

Lucas really did not like the way that pokemon looked at him.

Breathing heavily, Lucas settled himself at the edge of the bed, musty-smelling blankets pooled around him. In Looker's arms, he held three greasy takeout bags. The pleasant smell of fried breakfast wafted into the room.

Dragging a wooden chair closer, Looker took a seat beside the bed. He opened one of the bags and put it near Croagunk–who quickly began to rummage through its contents–kept another in his lap, and then handed the remaining bag over to Lucas.

Gingerly, he took the food. Despite not eating for a couple of days, he did not feel hungry.

He did not feel too much of anything, actually.

"Ah, good morning. I hope you do not mind, but I brought some breakfast from a nearby Unova-styled restaurant. It is one of my favorites, actually. I assume you must be very hungry, so I brought you something."

Lucas forced a smile onto his lips. "Thanks."

He did not feel like eating in the only bed that he had at the moment, but Looker and Croagunk seemed to be already helping themselves to their food in the room, so he followed suit.

Opening the bag slightly, he saw a white styrofoam box. Inside were fried eggs, gravy, and hashbrowns. He grabbed the plastic cutlery that was in his bag and began to pick at his food.

He knew Looker was observing him quietly. He could feel his glances burning into his face.

"So," Looker spoke around a mouthful of food. Lucas grimaced. "Regarding yesterday, we need to speak about our plans moving forward. I have gained intel that Team Galactic has been possibly involved in a string of thievery and kidnappings in Eterna City. They have one of their major headquarters located there. It is quite an eyesore, some of the residents have stated, but Team Galactic claim they use it for their research on clean energy, which I do not believe in the slightest."

Lucas knew exactly what Looker was referring to. He felt a strange mix of nostalgia and dread.

He pushed his cold eggs around with his fork.

"You seem to not be too surprised. I am assuming you experienced something similar in your world, yes?"

Lucas shrugged. "Yeah, basically. Their entire organization is centered around 'clean energy,' but it's just a coverup, honestly. They're doing some pretty horrible experiments in the background." He thought for a second. "I actually know a way to get into their Eterna headquarters. It's pretty easy—they've got holes in their security everywhere. Jupiter's going to be there."

He shivered. He could still smell her skuntank.

He could still see Barry's bloodied face as he clutched Infernape to his chest after he had been defeated by her. After Lucas had been too late—always too late—to save Uxie and to save Barry from a crippling defeat at the expense of the almost-death of his partner.

It had been a warning from Jupiter to both him and Barry—children should not be involved in adult matters.

He wondered briefly what the commanders would do to him, now, when he is an adult sticking his nose into their matters.

Would they just straight up kill him and his pokemon?

No, I'm much stronger than I was then.

"Jupiter?" Looker pressed.

"Yes, Jupiter. She's one of the three major commanders of Team Galactic. It's her, a red-haired woman named Mars, and then a man named Saturn. They're directly below Cyrus in terms of the hierarchy within Team Galactic. I've battled all of them, so I'm pretty familiar with their teams."

Looker had only finished half of his food by the time Croagunk reached up to yank the sleeve of his shirt. It pointed towards his plate, and Looker wordlessly handed it over to him, eyes distant.

"I see," he said. Croagunk let out a pleased trill as he began to shovel cold eggs into his mouth. "I have not heard of those three individuals, yet. Would you say that they are dangerous?"

"Yes," Lucas answered quickly and with zero hesitation. "They do Cyrus's dirty work. They're probably the most knowledgeable about what's going on in the organization than all of the grunts put together. They have the best pokemon, the best roles. They're very organized."

Looker sat with his chin in his hands, propped up on his knees. He listened to Lucas with rapt attention. Lucas shifted under his intense gaze.

"I see, I see," Looker muttered. "So, it would be dangerous to enter their building without prior approval, yes?"

He thought about how he had done just that several times.

"I have been gathering things for a while now for just this moment," Looker continued. "Actually, stay here, let me show you myself."

Looker jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room in a flurry, beige trenchcoat fluttering behind him. He stared, perplexed, as Croagunk's lips smacking on wet food filled the quiet room.

Barely a minute later, Looker came rushing in with several things in his arms.

Several things that made his blood leave his face completely.

"Here, I have Team Galactic grunt wigs and uniforms. I believe one of them would fit you perfectly. Perhaps we need to take this organization on from a different approach, yes?"

The golden "G" blazened onto a silver and gray space uniform glinted under the lights.

"With you by our side, I am sure that we will take Team Galactic down permanently—from the inside, out."

Lucas ate none of his breakfast that morning.