Malamar teleported onto a rooftop in Hydroton. Looking out into the city, he scowled. This was the city where everyone pretty screwed up everything. They lost the gem, nearly got arrested, wasted a massive amount of money, and overall made fools out of themselves. It was a place of failure for him, but from failure can grow an even bigger success. At least, that was what his horoscope said for today.

With a dramatic turn, he entered the building. His immediate goal was the same as it always was. Find bodyguards. Someone of his personage shouldn't sully their hands with brute work. His powers of hypnosis placed him on a higher tier of existence compared to those of lesser power. Opening a door, he saw that he was in some sort of office building. A few leftover workers from the graveyard shift were sleeping on their desks. He scoffed but continued regardless. He would need to find the security room, though. Odds are, the guard will be waking up soon and he needs to be dealt with. Of course, that wouldn't be so easy.

A particularly punctual worker arrived to see someone who definitely was not supposed to be there. He called out,

"Excuse me, sir, but-" within moments, he was falling to his knees. His neck gushed out blood. Without a moment's hesitation, Malamar had killed him. He looked towards one of the sleeping employees and woke them up with a hushed,

"Hey, wake up, stupid." When that employee woke up, he was immediately presented with rapidly flashing rainbow lights. That poor man's mind, already weakened by the night shift, gave in instantly. His eyes glowed as he fell under Malamar's spell. Confident, Malamar gave him these instructions,

"In thirty minutes, you will awaken and you will believe that you have killed that man with all of your heart. You will forget you ever saw me. Got it?" His victim nodded his head obediently,

"Yes master."

"And don't call me master. It's weird," insisted Malamar. Once that was done and dusted with, he made his way to the security room and dealt with the guard. All footage that contained him would be gone.

Stepping out in the street, Malamar took a breath of the nice, seaside air. No amount of cynicism could deny the beauty of the sea. Sure, he could teleport straight there and be done with it, but Lopunny probably wouldn't be home for a while. Teleporting here from Sinnoh took enough energy as it is. No need to waste it for a twenty minute walk. He could take a day or two to enjoy the sights and enjoy a city with more refined taste. Still, it's probably a good idea to check out the house. He walked through the heart of the city, with no one paying any mind to the squid Pokemon. Why would they? They had no idea he was with the group that had devastated this city. It thrilled him. These nobodies were utterly clueless, that made getting bodyguards easier.

He bumped into someone. His larger frame knocked them to the floor. Looking down, he saw Gardevoir, although he didn't immediately recognize her. She looked up at the large squid, who remarked,

"Watch where you're going," Gardevoir stood up, bowed, and apologized,

"I'm sorry," she said before trying to walk away, hoping to get out of this awkward social interaction. However, a tentacle wrapped around her wrist. Gardevoir was pulled in front of him to a glare,

"Now, now, now, say you're sorry," he said condescendingly. Gardevoir, confused, tried to pull away,

"But I did!" she said.

"Be a good girl, and say it," demanded Malamar. Just wanting this conversation to be over with, Gardevoir gave in and reluctantly said,

"I'm sorry," once more. Malamar, satisfied, let her go and watched as she walked away. There was no reason for him to do that. He just took pleasure in humiliating someone like her. Although, now that he thought about it. She seemed familiar.

"Unbelievable," thought Gardevoir frustratedly. Never in her life had she been treated like that way. That Malamar talked to her like she was a child. She was not a child. She was a twenty five year old woman who had beaten wanted criminals, and that man had the audacity to make her feel like a spoiled little brat. Hearing herself think like this shocked her. Had there ever been a time where she had been so angry at someone? It…It scared her. Was she going down a dark path? Was there some sort of unaddressed evil within her that influenced her? If so, was that the cause of her stupid little ego? Of course, this could've all been her overthinking this. It was natural to be angry at a man who was openly and needlessly condescending towards you. She decided to bring this up with Alakazam. He would know how to handle this.

As Gardevoir arrived for her next day of therapy, which was two days before she had to return home, she was a bit wary of Alakazam reading her mind. She wasn't an expert on psychology, but his methods seem unusual. It was almost like the author of, let's just say, a fanfiction not even pretending to know how therapy is supposed to work and deliberately choosing to be inaccurate to avoid making an ass out of himself. Anyway, she tried to make that repeat in her mind as she stepped into her building. The secretary greeted her as Gardevoir gave her a meek wave.

"Hello there, Chrona. How was last…" Alakazam trailed off. He noticed Gardevoir's flustered expression. Something had happened. Most likely recently. He asked, "Did something happen?" Gardevoir told him everything about Malamar. She found herself getting riled up again, which frightened her. Sensing that, Alakazam told her,

"Don't doubt yourself. You have every right to be upset. It is okay to be angry. You just need to let out that anger in a healthy way," Gardevoir grinned slightly and asked,

"How do I do that?"

"There are plenty of ways to ease your anger. You could take deep breaths, recite a mantra, and enjoy a relaxing hobby. Personally, I enjoy a nice cup of tea to relax after a stressful day." It was nice to hear a reassuring voice. Alakazam offered to end the session early, but she refused. This was important, even if she had her doubts.

It was then that Gardevoir got a call from Garchomp. Like yesterday, she didn't answer it. She knew that she was worried. She knew that Garchomp would probably go looking for her. But she didn't want to be found. Not yet. Not until she managed to get rid of this cloud of shame.

"Now, last session, we ended talking about your pursuit of true altruism. Now that you have had time to think about it, what do you think?" he asked. Gardevoir didn't answer immediately, wanting to gather her thoughts together.

"I don't know what to think. There are good people and there are bad people. That much I am certain about. But last night, I began to think. …I had a friend. I don't think I ever got his name. He was rude, crass, uncultured and just so profane, and I have a feeling he has connections I don't want to know. But he was a hero. He saved us multiple times and even helped us defeat that cult."
"That cult?" asked Alakazam?"

"Long story," said Gardevoir, "Anyway, he was an undeniable ally to our cause. I haven't thought much about him since he left. Other things got in the way but last night, I finally started to think about him." Gardevoir began to tear up. Something she didn't expect, "I don't know what he is. I don't know if he cared about us. I don't know if he is a hero or villain. All I know is that I miss him,"

Alakazam gave Gardevoir a few moments to let those tears out. Clearly, this mystery man had left an impact on her. It was obvious that she cared about him a lot. He would need more information on that whole cult thing, but she was the priority right now.

"That sounds complicated. He sounds like a man with a lengthy story behind him. As for your thoughts, may I provide an alternative perspective?" he asked. Gardevoir nodded, and Alakazam elaborated,

"The idea of good and evil, right and wrong, and morality as a whole serves as a way to simplify a complicated world. Unfortunately, we cannot divide the world into simply good and evil. Morality is a spectrum, and while there are certainly individuals who could be defined as wholly good and wholly evil, most everyone else doesn't fit cleanly into either, and that's where the complications lie." He turned around, "Say there is a starving man. He cannot get a job. He has no money, no home. He decides to steal some bread from a grocery store. Would you say that he is a bad person?"

"No," said Gardevoir, "Of course not. That man was desperate and he was going to die."

"And that is a valid statement. However, it is equally valid to say that man was a bad person because he broke the law, because he took something that wasn't his, because someone else needed that bread more. You're not wrong for viewing the world in any of those ways. Let's add on to this hypothetical. Let's say, a woman sees that man starving and walks away. Is she a bad person?"

"Yes!" said Gardevoir without a moment's hesitation, "If she can help that man, then she should!" Alakazam merely nodded.

"Once more, you aren't wrong, but here's the complicated part. Why did that woman walk away?" he asked. Gardevoir was confused. It didn't matter why. All that mattered was that she didn't do what needed to be done. That woman failed. Alakazam seemed to read her mind, "Perhaps that woman is living paycheck-to-paycheck and is unable to pay for bread to feed that man. What if that woman is running late to an important event, like a marriage, a funeral, a critical meeting? What if that woman simply has too many things to worry about in her life to worry about one man? Finally, what difference would it make in the long term if she gets him that bread aside from moral gratification?" He asked.

At this point, Gardevoir was growing frustrated. What point was he trying to prove? That she shouldn't help anyone. That every action, no matter how cruel, can be justified with any number of excuses. She told him,

"That man doesn't starve to death if he feeds her. That's the difference." Sensing her growing frustration, Alakazam decided to cut straight to the point.

"The world, despite our best efforts, isn't black and white. There is a massive gray area between those two binary points. It is a lot to unpack and there are a lot of questions one needs to ask themselves. Where do you draw the line? Where do you say, no matter the context or the circumstances, that person's action is inexcusable?" Unfortunately, Gardevoir already had her answer,

"Anything that leads to someone's death. If your action or inaction causes someone to die, then you have failed."

It was growing increasingly apparent that the elephant in the room needed to be addressed. With that last sentence, Gardevoir had reinforced those ideas that Alakazam saw in her mind yesterday. He asked her,

"Do you believe yourself to be a bad person after the events at Hauntasia?"

"How could I not?" asked Gardevoir incredulously, "Because I failed! Because I left my friends to save no one, Infernape and Lopunny are dead!" Gardevoir's voice began to tremble, "How could I possibly be a hero when all I've done is destroy people's lives and hurt everyone I care about?"

"Chrona-"

"It was my fault that Lee spent all those years alone! It was my idea to go on this stupid quest to begin with! I saved thousands of strangers from Groudon, but I couldn't even protect those closest to me!"

"Chrona, please," said Alakazam worriedly. She was spiraling, and if he didn't stop her soon, she'd throw herself in a place not many people get out of. "Take a breather and really think this through. You didn't pull the trigger. Infernape and Lopunny were killed by those men at Hauntasia. You're-"

"And I could've saved them if I didn't run like an idiot!" yelled Gardevoir, "They would still be here! No matter what I try to do, I can't take that back! They are dead, and they are not coming back!"

Before Alakazam could get another word in, Gardevoir stood up and left. Initially, he wanted to go after her. However, he knew that she didn't want to see him. His desire to tackle this one problem at a time allowed the primary issue to fester within Gardevoir's mind. He had misjudged how to go about this. He wanted to rush after her. However, he knew that she didn't want to see him right now. When people are highly emotional, sometimes, you need to wait before you take action. That is what he would do. Alakazam gave himself two hours to formulate a plan before he would search for Gardevoir.

Gardevoir ran out of the office and into the city streets. The 1pm sun seemed blinding to her. She ran for who knows how long. Only when she finally stopped, in a simple park close to the suburbs, did she finally take the time to process her thoughts.

"Don't be. We're in the middle of the play and we can't change our roles." Those words that Infernape said all of those many months repeated again in her head. Words spoken when he was in a dark place. Despite this, Infernape's words became horribly prophetic. That mistake, eight years ago, couldn't be undone. With him gone, any chance of forgiveness, the one avenue for her to potentially move on after abandoning him when he was at his lowest, was gone. As if that wasn't enough, she killed the person who gave him happiness. Who gave him hope. Who had the potential to bring him out of the pit of darkness he fell into eight years ago. She killed her. She killed Lopunny.

So, she asked a question in her head for someone, anyone, to answer,

"If we cannot change who you are, then why are people born, destined to be failures?"

Garchomp had spent that day asking around for any sign of Gardevoir. She figured that someone, somewhere would've seen her. Once again, she tried to call Gardevoir but got no answers. Now, Garchomp was growing fearful. What if something happened? What if after she called her mom, Pangoro and his goons jumped her. Desperate, she left a message, hoping for her to listen,

"Chrona, please. No one is angry with you. We just want you to come back. You didn't need to leave."

It was around 1pm when she finally got a lead. She managed to track down the guy who would teleport Gardevoir and, upon explaining the situation to her, he pointed her in the direction of Gardevoir's hotel. Finally, something good. That meant that Gardevoir would be here for at least two more days. She would have to return to her hotel room eventually. Even if the search today was fruitless, all Garchomp had to do was ask the reception where the room is and boom, search over. That didn't mean that she could just give up now. The sooner she found Gardevoir, the better. Garchomp continued to search the city, starting with the hotel and the immediate area surrounding it. However, she wasn't the only person looking for her.

Malamar arrived at Lopunny and Blastoise's house. Surrounding him were a few bodyguards he had "hired" to protect him. Mostly bodybuilders, a Conkelder, a Sawk, a Throh, Sigilyph for range You know, all the Pokemon I don't give enough of a shit about to make into characters. Regardless, Malamar psychically unlocked the door and waltzed in. He ordered his bodyguards,

"Hey, keep an eye out. Anybody asks, say it's official Senshi business." He decided to search for a house phone. Perhaps he could contact Lopunny or Blastoise, say he's a cop doing a wellness check, and boom, he'd get their location. Alternatively, since he'd probably be here a while, he could grab some phone tracking equipment, call them, and track them that way. As he searched, Malamar recalled a conversation that he and Bisharp had privately, before he left for Hydroton.

"Oh, yeah, and get yourselves trounced again," said Malamar to the furious Bisharp. Bisharp had hidden it well when they came up with the plan, but now with just the two of them, there was no need.

"The hell do you care?" snapped Bisharp, "They ruined everything! I'dve already been done with these fools by now if it weren't for that monkey!"

"Boo, hoo. Maybe you should've just used it when you got it," hissed Malamar, "Or maybe you wanted more than just revenge." Bisharp was quiet. Malamar always seemed to read him like a book.

"I'm not going to take an unnecessary risk. If any of them realizes what I really want, they'll stab me in the back. They have no drive, no ambition, no lust for revenge after everything the world has done to them. They're weak, and they'll always be weak. So, I have to play to that weakness. Make them think I want to make sure everything is absolutely perfect. If I could go back in time, I'dve killed Sableye and summoned Darkrai right there and then," he admitted. Malamar grinned,

"And the truth shall set you free. The first step is admitting you fucked up. Anyway, once we find that gem, you'd better summon him," he said. With that, Malamar took his leave.

Malamar was a fairly recent addition to the cult, joining shortly before Sableye grabbed the Eclipse Gem from Pangoro. Neither Sableye, Umbreon, nor Druddigon had any clue why someone like him would join. Nothing especially bad had happened to him. His life story was uneventful, not even worth mentioning. At most, he seemed like a pretentious asshole. When they asked why, Malamar would always answer, "I have a feeling that idiots like you will draw plenty of attention. Plenty of powerful attention. I simply want to take advantage of that. When they asked Bisharp why Malamar joined, he would give his usual angry response. Eventually, they came to the assumption that it was Malamar's undeniable skill with hypnosis that gave him the spot. They were partially right.

Unbeknownst to them, Malamar had an ulterior motive. Having a god on speed dial sounds oh, so delightful.