"You're kidding me."

"I'm so sorry, Miss Kairi." Professor Krane apologized, a regretful frown marring his otherwise kind features. He leaned back in his office chair with a sigh. "They left some time ago…"

"Seriously…?" Kairi asked, her tone something between a groan and a whine. She was so tired of this wild goose chase. Just as she was beginning to think they'd catch up to Sora and his friends, too! She slunk in her seat with a huff. The chairs in the Professor's office were surprisingly cushy and comfortable. She'd probably enjoy it more, were she in a better mood. "How could we miss them…?"

Riku was starting to look frustrated himself. "So where are they?"

"After so many repeated Cipher attacks in such a short amount of time, Ash Ketchum – Sora's friend – decided that they needed to report this to their superiors."

Kairi frowned. "They couldn't do it here?"

"I'm afraid not." Krane shook his head, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. He laced his fingers together and pursed his lips. "A rather crucial component of our long-range communications was damaged beyond repair during the attack. Short-range communication to nearby towns and cities? Doable, albeit a little fuzzy in quality, though we still can't connect with Phenac for some reason. Apart from that? Anything outside of Orre, on the other hand, is outside of our capabilities at the moment. We've requested a replacement part from a shop in Gateon, but it will be some time before it's ready. Then we have to have it delivered, which won't take too long, but it's still another delay…"

"And you don't have that kind of time." Riku said. It wasn't accusatory, rather a statement of fact. "Not with Cipher causing trouble."

"Correct." Krane admitted solemnly before pinching his lower lip in thought. "The fact that they've escalated to attacking settlements is incredibly concerning. The last time they attempted a takeover, they were much more covert about things. They're much bolder this time around… perhaps they feel stronger with the Heartless at their side? It does seem a natural counter to the snag machine, but I doubt they knew about Keyblades…"

Yes, Krane knew about the Heartless, Keyblades, and the existence of other worlds. It made sense, Kairi supposed. It'd be a little hard to convince a Pokémon professor that the strange dark creatures he'd encountered were the very things he specialized in. No, coming clean was probably the right call, even if it meant throwing the World Order out the window.

"Maybe." Riku cut Krane's muttering spree off before it could go too far off track. "So where did they go, professor?"

"Oh, right! Sorry." Krane cleared his throat. "They went to Phenac City. They don't seem to receive our calls, but Brock posited that outgoing communications from Phenac might not be as affected. Have you been there before?"

"Nope." Kairi answered with a patient smile. "Off-worlders, remember?"

"Right. Of course, of course. Anyway, Phenac is the largest city in Orre. It's more or less our unofficial capital. You'll find it due east of Pyrite."

"Is it far?" Kairi asked.

Krane made a so-so motion with his hand. "A couple days' journey by vehicle, by my estimate. You will have to cross the desert, naturally."

*SLAM!*

"I'LL TAKE THEM!"

All three heads whipped over to the door, where a panting Michael stood, hand pressing against the doorframe for support. Krane opened his mouth to speak, only for frantic click-clacking of heels coming from the hallway to interrupt him. A second later, a slender hand reached out and gripped Michael's ear, eliciting a yelp of pain and a hurried series of "ow's".

"I don't think so, young man!" Lily Ryuto scolded, dragging her son into the room by the ear.

"But Mo – "

And suddenly a finger was in his face. "Don't you 'but Mom' me, mister! You running off after Riku and Kairi was bad enough, but now that I know what's waiting out there in the literal shadows?! No!"

"They don't know their way around Orre, though!" Michael objected through his hisses of pain. "What if they get lost? What if they run into Team Snagem, and have to battle with Pokémon like normal people? They're still new trainers!"

Kairi felt like she should be offended. Judging by Riku's frown, he certainly was.

"Michael Alexander Ryuto!" Lily continued her tirade. Kairi winced in sympathy at the use of the full name. "There are actual monsters out there! You weren't here during the attack, but these Heartless are ruthless! They don't play by the rules!"

"I know, Mom!" Michael managed to slip free of his mother's iron grip. After taking a few steps and creating some distance, he massaged his red earlobe. "We already ran into them on the way to Cipher's lab, but that's why I should go with them! There's nowhere safer than with them. They know how to fight Heartless! They're like gym leader or champion level trainers, but with keys instead of Pokéballs!"

"I'm afraid he's right, Lily."

Lily wheeled on the professor, who flinched at the sudden movement and hostility radiating off of the Ryuto matriarch. Still, he managed to collect himself enough to continue. Kairi wasn't sure she'd have been able to do the same, really. Lily had one heck of a "mom stare."

Krane cleared his throat. "Allow me to play Giratina's advocate here, for a moment. When Cipher and the Heartless attacked here, we were thrashed, Lily. Absolutely destroyed. Would you agree with that assessment?"

"We didn't know what to expect!" She objected vehemently. "Now that we do – "

"We'd still fail." Krane cut her off. "Yes, we know what to expect, but we're in no shape to fight, Lily. We're still licking our wounds. Ignoring, for a moment, the presence of Riku and Kairi here, if Cipher decided to come back right this second, they could just grab whatever they wanted. Even me, again, if they chose. Riku and Kairi are Keyblade Masters – "

"Technically, only Riku is." Kairi interjected.

"... Riku is a Keyblade Master, and I trust Kairi is not far behind." Krane amended.

"You can't be serious!" Lily exclaimed.

"Lily, you didn't see what I saw. If these two are anything like Sora, they are capable of feats of strength and power that we see only in Pokémon. Fire, ice, electricity, water, wind… they're capable of mimicking nearly a half dozen Pokémon types using just their magic."

Kairi decided not to point out Riku's aptitude for darkness, nor her own for light.

"And that's without going into their physical strength. Remember those Heartless that resembled Snorlaxes? I saw Sora defeat one in a single, well-aimed strike with his Keyblade before going on to destroy another dozen lesser Heartless, all without suffering a single scratch. There is no safer place in Orre right now than beside this young lady and gentleman." Krane finished. "Well, outside of joining up with Ash Ketchum and his group. Ash knows how to wield Aura, thanks to Eagun, and Serena can use magic, thanks to Sora. If these three manage to track down and find Sora's group, then Michael could literally not be safer."

Lily opened and closed her mouth like a fish, clearly desperate to form some sort of counter. Krane waited patiently, but no argument came.

"...Fine." Lily finally relented. She turned her 'mom glare' to the two Keybearers in the room, and Kairi felt her blood run cold at the promise of vengeance in the older Ryuto's eyes. "You will keep my baby boy safe. Is that clear?"

Kairi gulped, but nodded regardless. "Crystal, ma'am."

"We'll protect him with our lives." Riku added, and Kairi was thankful for her friend's ability to remain stoic and collected in the face of… well, most things, really. "You can trust us, Lily."

Lily's eyes narrowed as she stared at the Destiny Duo.

"Good." She finally said with a nod, and suddenly Michael was in her sights again. "I better not hear about you causing them any trouble, young man, do you understand me?"

"W-wha?!" Michael sputtered.

"These two are responsible for your safety, but that's not an excuse to act recklessly!" Lily warned. While Kairi was thankful that her ire was no longer focused on them, she did feel some second-hand embarrassment for the boy. "You will follow their orders to the letter. If they tell you to run, you run. If they tell you to get behind them, you get behind them. If they tell you to jump, you ask how high and then you jump like there's a Basculin about to bite your butt. Am I understood?"

"... yes, Mom." Michael sighed.

Lily's stern expression turned into something… teasing? "You'd better behave; after all, you wouldn't want to look bad in front of your idol when the three of you catch up with Ash Ketchum, right?"

Michael froze, and Kairi stifled a giggle. Riku held no such compunctions and openly chuckled, earning him a betrayed look from the boy.

"So that's why he wants to go with us so badly." Kairi piled on with a smirk. "Michael wants an autograph!"

"Like you know anything about him!" Michael spat back.

"Nope." Kairi grinned. "But I know a fanboy when I see one."

"Alright, alright…" Riku cut in, earning a thankful sigh from the boy. "We can tease Michael later."

"RIKU!"

"For now, though, we need to catch up with Sora and Ash." Riku continued, ignoring Michael's outcry. He looked to Lily. "I am curious, though… how did Sora react when he learned we were here?"

Lily's eyes widened. She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed with exasperation and shame.

"Lily, you did tell Sora that his friends were here, right?" Krane pressed.

"...Arceus, I knew I was forgetting something."

"Mom!" Michael cried out, scandalized.

What came next was long overdue, in hindsight.

"I had a lot on my plate, okay?!" Lily snapped at her son, though it was clearly aimed at them all. She started counting on her fingers at this point. "Keeping this place running without the professor, coordinating with Sebastian to plan for some semblance of a defense if we were attacked again, and repairing our communication systems fast enough so we could send out a call for help. And then my only son runs off on some Spinda-brained attempt to back up two novice trainers – mind you, I didn't know you two had superpowers – as they tried to rescue the professor from the clutches of the worst criminal organization to ever infest this region. All I knew was that between you, you only had three Pokémon to your names! Unevolved Pokémon, to boot! So yes, I forgot to tell Sora that his friends were here when they dropped off Professor Krane. Forgive me for being a little distracted."

Silence, save for the sound of Lily breathing heavily.

"I… apologize, Lily." Professor Krane said softly as he looked up at the frustrated woman. "I would be lying if I said I had no idea the pressure you were under in my absence, but I have at least some inkling, and for that you have my thanks. Thank you for keeping this place safe and running while I was gone."

"...you're welcome." Lily said, regaining some of her composure as she fixed her blazer. She pulled out her PDA and began to dial it. "Now, at least I can fix this much. I'll call Sora now and – "

"No, wait." Kairi found herself saying, feeling just a little mischievous. "Don't tell him we're here."

"What? Why?" Michael asked before his mother or the professor could. Riku looked about ready to ask as well, but then he seemed to catch on. All he did was smirk.

"I wanna surprise him!" Kairi explained. "I can't wait to see the look on that lazy bum's face when he's walking around Phenac City and he sees me."

"Ahem."

"... and Riku."

"Could you at least tell them to stay there, though?" Riku added, giving Kairi a curious glance before turning his attention back to Lily and Krane. "We really don't want to have to chase them to another town again."

Krane laughed fondly. "Yes, I suppose that can be arranged. I'll simply inform them that I'm sending some people from the lab to meet with them. After all they've been through lately, they could use a reprieve, even if it is forced."

The wink the professor sent her way was far from subtle. Neither was the knowing smile Lily had on her face. Then again, apparently Kairi herself wasn't being subtle either.

"Actually…" Professor Krane trailed off, swiveling in his chair to access his computer. He typed away at the device for almost a minute before pulling out a familiar-looking drive and offering it to Riku, who happened to be closest at the time. Wasn't that the drive she found buried in the rubble of Cipher's lab? "That drive is encrypted, and I'm afraid I can't crack it. Whatever information is on it will undoubtedly assist Ash, Sora, and their friends in their efforts against Cipher. Would you be willing to make a slight detour?"

"Where?" Riku asked, gently taking the drive.

"ONBS." Krane explained unhelpfully. "Orre National Broadcasting Station. It's the lead news network here in Orre, and their main office is in Pyrite. Nett, one of the founders, is a genius when it comes to technology. Cracking the encryption on this drive should be child's play to him. I'll send word ahead of your arrival, so he'll know to expect you."

"Well, we've been to Pyrite before." Riku said, now inspecting the drive in his hand. "Hopefully it's not too far out of the way, though."

"Psh, it's basically on the way." Michael waved dismissively. "Shouldn't delay us long at all."

"Then I guess we're going to Pyrite." Kairi said.

Krane clapped his hands once, enthusiastically. "Splendid! Now, let's get you both registered as trainers before you go. If you're going to train your Pokémon to not only battle each other, but also shadow monsters that seek nothing more than to plunge our world into never ending darkness, let's make sure you're doing so legally. Kairi, let's process you first…"

"Oh my goodness, I swear that Rockruff is the cutest!" Kairi squealed.

She couldn't help it! Yes, its fur was a little scraggly in places and felt like sandstone if she petted it the wrong way, but that was a small price to pay to give that good girl the scritches she deserved! Ooh, she wanted one of her own so bad!

Riku chuckled as they walked along. "It was good seeing Enok again. She seems to be doing well."

"Yeah, I've gotta say…" Kairi said, slowly spinning in place as she took in their surroundings. "They recovered quickly. It hasn't even been a week and things look so much better."

Michael shrugged. "Pokémon make cleanup work easy. Sure, we don't have a whole lot of Pokémon compared to other regions, but we have enough to get by."

That much was true, Kairi mused. She'd witnessed as much during the rebuilding of Krane's lab. Pokémon just made everything easier.

'So many people…' Ralts cooed in their heads as she, Larvitar, and Eevee trailed behind their trainers.

"Stop!" Michael suddenly grabbed the hood of Kairi's jacket and pulled her back.

"Ulp!" Kairi choked, her neckline suddenly and violently slamming against her throat. Instantly, the pressure released and she wheeled on the youngest (human) member of their little posse. "What was that for?"

"You were about to step into Duel Square." Michael said, and Kairi's eyes widened in surprise as her foot hovered over the platform in the middle of Pyrite. Enok warned them about this, how anyone could challenge you to a Pokémon battle if you made the mistake of stepping inside. She also said that people would be wary of challenging anyone that looked weak. Last time someone did that, they were beaten so soundly that their opponent ended up walking away with one of their Shadow Pokémon.

Still, best not to tempt fate.

Stepping around Duel Square, Michael led them deeper into Pyrite than they experienced during their last visit, to a large white building that stood in stark contrast to the ramshackle storefronts that seemed to make up most of Pyrite. A truly massive satellite dish sat atop the roof, pointed to Light-knows-where. All in all, in a town as shoddy and slapped-together as Pyrite was, it was a strange thing to see.

Almost as strange as the person posted outside the front doors.

'Big man!' Ralts shouted in their heads, and she wasn't wrong.

Standing guard outside the spotless glass doors of the ONBS headquarters was probably the most muscular man she'd ever seen. He was sporting an orange muscle shirt, a pair of ridiculously green shorts, an equally garish set of green gloves, and a pair of white and orange shoes that made him look more like an eccentric bodybuilder than actual security. Still, though, the man was built like Beast, so he had physical intimidation working in his favor. Unless somebody decided to introduce Pokémon into the mix, all that awaited any potential intruders was a world of musclebound pain.

The beverage in his hands absolutely ruined the intimidation factor, though.

"Wait, are you drinking milk?" Michael asked as they approached.

The man perked up at the question, pulling the glass bottle from his lips. "What? What's wrong with drinking milk? It's good for your bones! How are you supposed to grow big and strong, and then stay big and strong, if you don't get your daily dose of calcium?"

Kairi couldn't help but giggle. "He's not wrong, Michael. Sorry about him. Can we enter? We have an appointment with Nett."

He capped his drink and gave them a nod. "Of course you can. The first two floors are open to the public. I'm just here to scare away any shadier elements from causing trouble for the folks inside. Go right on in. Talk with Megg; she'll get you sorted.."

"Megg?" Kairi asked.

"The front desk receptionist. I'm Oliver, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Oliver! Thanks for the help." With a wave, Kairi took the lead and walked through the door.

The lobby resembled a museum more than it did a broadcasting station. Diamond-shaped tiled floors polished like mirrors, various paintings lining the walls, and a large freestanding wall behind the receptionist's desk with big, bold, blue lettering spelling out ONBS. Behind the front desk was a teenage girl with braided blue hair and a pink hair clip, dressed in a stylish business dress. To her right, resting atop the marbled countertop, was a Pokémon that resembled a puffball mushroom with short, stubby green legs and an overall displeased face.

"A Shroomish." Michael provided. "A Grass-type native to Hoenn."

"That it is!" Megg replied. "Isn't he cute?"

Kairi couldn't tell if the expression on Shroomish's face was just annoyance from being called cute… or if this was just how Shroomishes in general looked. She didn't want to ask.

"Yep!" She agreed nonetheless. It couldn't be helped, really. Shroomish was short, pudgy, and overall very friend-shaped.

That seemed to be a common theme among many of the Pokémon she'd seen thus far. Very friend-shaped. Well, except for the ones that looked like they'd sooner hurt you than cuddle you, although she suspected that Sebastian's Machamp was one heck of a hugger. For better or worse.

"Anyway, can I help you? Perhaps you'd like a tour of the facility? We do offer free tours to the public." Megg said, reaching over to scratch Shroomish's back. Any displeasure the little mushroom might have had at the 'cute' comment quickly melted away at her touch.

"Maybe some other time." Kairi replied with a smile. "We're actually here to see Nett. I think we have an appointment?"

"Names?" Megg asked, already typing away at a computer.

"Kairi, Riku, and Michael."

"Hmm… yep, there you are. Open appointment, then." Megg nodded before picking up a phone and dialing a number. She held the phone to her ear for a moment, offering them a smile as she waited. "Nett, Professor Krane's aides are here. Yes. Yes, Kairi, Riku, and Michael. Do they have the drive…?"

Riku held up the storage device between two fingers.

"Yes they do. Right, I'll send them up." She said, hanging up. "My brother's ready for you. Just head right on up. His office is on the roof, just under the dish."

Kairi blinked. Was that safe?! That dish was massive!

"Right. Just follow the stairs up, then?" Riku asked, already walking past the reception desk and further into the news station. Kairi hurried after him and Michael, their Pokémon tagging along and openly gawking at their surroundings.

"Yep! Have fun with your meeting!"

The meeting wasn't fun, necessarily, but it was productive. Nett, a polite young man about their age dressed smartly in a polo and slacks, got straight to work decrypting the drive while Kairi and the boys made small talk and poked around the room curiously. Overall, she'd call the visit pleasant.

What came afterwards was not.

"Why don't you brats just get with it already?!" A tall man with a Pokéball shaped (and colored) afro shouted, swaying to and fro to some silent beat, even as chaos erupted around him as Heartless and Pokémon battled it out outside the ONBS building. Cipher Peons and a handful of nearby trainers were already in heated battles while their Pokémon frantically fought off Heartless. Oliver was down there doing his job, trading blows with a larger looking member of Cipher with a similar build. All the while, the afroed man danced as if chaos wasn't erupting all around him. "We're gonna rule the world soon! Don't you news brats want to be on the winning side?"

"Miror B…" Nett growled, leaning over the railing as he glared down at the afroed man below. Kairi was taken aback at the vitriol in his tone; the tech genius of the ONBS building evidently had a grudge. "I thought you defected from Cipher, you cowardly little Wimpod!"

"Rude!" Miror B gasped in outrage, his head snapping up. He flashed a charismatic, yet slightly sinister smile. "You're not wrong, though. I did! They made a convincing argument to come back, though. I mean, have you seen these jivin' backup dancers we have now? They know how to groove!"

"Is this guy serious?" Michael asked, hanging and leaning over the railing. He teetered for a moment before Riku pulled him back onto solid ground.

"Unfortunately." Nett continued to grumble. He glanced over his shoulder. "Bitt! Have we called Sherles yet?"

Bitt, a young man around Nett's age, typed frantically at his PDA. After several tense seconds, he nodded. "Yes, but no ETA!"

"WHAT?!" Nett bellowed in outrage. "What do you mean, no ETA? The station's a ten minute walk from here!"

"They got hit, too, boss." Bitt replied, frowning. "They beat them back, but they're gonna need a little bit to reorganize and send some people our way."

"Then we'll buy them that time." Kairi said, grabbing at the railing with one hand. With her other, she called forth her Pokémon. One flash of light later and her adorable little Psychic type stood at the ready. "Ralts, I'm going down there. Can you stay up here and attack them from above?"

'Aye-aye!' Ralts saluted. In hindsight, it was adorable watching that little arm snap to attention. 'Bring out Larvy, Riku! We've got your backs!'

"You're going down there?" Nett asked, looking at them like they were crazy. "There's monsters down there!"

"Yup!" Kairi grinned before she and Riku vaulted over the railing. Twin sparkles of light heralded the appearance of their Keyblades, and then she felt it. The instant that the Heartless took notice and shifted their attention towards her. Which was the whole point of jumping down there, honestly.

"Heal!" Kairi shouted as she fell, pointing her Keyblade at Megg's Shroomish and Oliver's… she wasn't sure what exactly, but it looked like a bipedal, muscley boar with a collar of flames around its neck. She'd learn its name later, probably.

Their bruises and scrapes knitted together in a matter of seconds, earning a few startled looks from both the Pokémon and their trainers.

The Heartless swarmed them a second later, Shadows and Darkballs and Bandits and so many more sprang into existence, giving the Pokémon and their trainers pause. Kairi, however, threw her Keyblade forward, cutting into the approaching crowd of Heartless. A moment later, she teleported over in a flash of light and began swinging, every impact causing a sparkle as her mastery over light made itself known. Riku, on the other hand, slid in behind her like a shadow, covering her exposed flank as he launched darkness at their foes.

'Rock Slide, Larvy! Make it rain!'

"Larvitar lar!"

'Riku so would have said it like that!'

Rocks and pink heart-shaped sound waves descended from above, sending the Heartless into further disarray as Ralts and Larvitar joined the fight from afar. Larvitar was steadily manifesting large, sharpened rocks and lobbing them downward, while Ralts seemed to be belting out a song of some kind as she used Disarming Voice.

"Emboar, Flame Charge!"

Then that fire boar Pokémon – Emboar, apparently – barrelled into the fray, wreathed in flame like a runaway locomotive. Shroomish hopped in after it, shaking its body and spreading around some kind of yellow dust that was causing the Heartless to freeze up, paralyzed in place.

"FIRE!" Kairi shouted, and a fireball roared to life, sending more Heartless flying. Scorch marks littered the clay and dirt beneath their feet, and the battlefield was littered with the wispy smoke trails of fallen Heartless.

Suddenly, Emboar's charge was sent off course as a Defender deflected it to the side. The enormous dog-faced shield barked and snapped, held back only by its silent wielder. Kairi almost groaned; fighting and beating Defenders was straightforward enough, but annoying.

Riku slid out from behind her and sprinted forward, launching a volley of shadowy bolts forward. The Defender hurriedly raised its shield to block the attack, only for a stray rock from above to smack it in the head. The damage was minimal, but it staggered the Heartless long enough for Riku to pivot and slide to its flank, scoring a devastating hit with a slash of his Keyblade. It lashed out with its shield, forcing Riku to block. Kairi took advantage of the distraction and flung her Keyblade forward once more, scoring a direct hit and allowing her to teleport into close range. She immediately adjusted her position, stepping behind it and swiping at its exposed back with her Keyblade. With a bark and a whimper, the Defender burst into smoke, defeated.

There was a pause.

"No thank you!" Miror B exclaimed, striking a pose and pointing at Kairi and Riku. "Don't want none of that action. No one told me there were more of you Key-brats! Take care of them, lovelies! Big Daddy B has to go… anywhere but here! Time to split, Exol!"

"STOP HIM!" Nett bellowed from the top floor, only to squawk in outrage when Miror B and the larger Cipher Peon threw down smoke bombs of all things. Kairi conjured a quick Aeroga to disperse the smoke.

They were gone.

"NO! Get back here, you coward!" Nett shouted, shaking his fist in a way that was almost comical.

With the leader gone with the wind, dispensing with the rest of the Heartless was child's play. In a matter of minutes, the only evidence the Heartless had even been here was the faint wispy trails of smoke left over from the recently defeated and the damage to the ground itself, the other peons having made themselves scarce in the chaos. Kairi had only a bruise and a scratch for her troubles (thanks to a lucky hit from a Powerwild), while Riku was practically untouched.

Though, Kairi would admit, her pride stung more than the bruise did; normal Heartless like that shouldn't have even been able to land a hit on her! Evidently, she still had some improving to do before she'd catch up to Riku and Sora.

After checking up on Oliver and his Emboar, they followed Megg and Shroomish back up to Nett's office.

"Oh, no you don't!" Nett growled as they entered the room, typing away furiously at his keyboard as if his life depended on it. On the television screen on the far wall was a video feed showing a helmed Cipher peon also typing away at something, their lips twisted in a frustrated and intense grimace. Behind him stood a man dressed in a white lab coat. His impassive, disciplined expression was hidden behind a pair of sharp shaded glasses. The absurdly long fringe zig-zagging down his face was an interesting hairstyle choice, though. He remained silent as his underling typed away.

"...Nett?" Megg asked. "What's going on, bro – "

"Not now!" Nett barked as his fingers continued their assault. Kairi feared the man's keyboard wouldn't survive the digital war being fought right now. "They were after the drive! We stopped the attack, but now they're trying to wipe our servers! Hah! Get around that, Cipher scum!"

"Stop resisting!" The peon at the keyboard on the screen screamed. "All will fall to the will of Cipher!"

"They have to know they're the bad guys, right?" Michael deadpanned. "Normal people just don't say stuff like that."

Kairi nodded, opting to stay silent rather than risk distracting Nett. Despite the lack of actual combat in the room, the air was tense as Nett fended off Cipher's hacking attempt. If Cipher managed to overcome his defenses, then there was a real risk of not only ONBS being compromised, but the data on that drive could also potentially be wiped.

"NO!" The hacker on the screen growled.

The man behind him smirked, finally breaking his silence. "Well played, Nett of ONBS. You've only bought yourself time. See you soon…"

Nett, rather than looking relieved or victorious like Kairi assumed, only glared at the screen silently. A moment later, the screen turned off and he finally breathed a sigh of relief, slumping in his chair.

"Nice job, bro!" Megg cheered, jogging over to him and reaching over the chair to ruffle the man's hair.

Nett, however, shook his head. "A pyrrhic victory, sis. Our servers are safe, but they managed to wipe some of the data off the drive."

"How much?" Megg asked.

"About…" Nett trailed off, leaning forward and checking something on his monitor. "Forty percent of the drive is wiped. Arceus…" He cursed under his breath.

"So what's left?" Riku asked, walking up behind him and peering over his shoulder. "There has to be something we can use left over, right?"

Kairi joined the growing group of people crowding around Nett and his computer. Michael, thanks to his shorter stature, managed to slip through and was right next to Nett as the man continued diving into the leftover data. Even Ralts and Larvitar jumped onto a nearby desk as they tried to peer at what the humans were doing.

"Looks like the S.S. Libra was Cipher's doing, after all…" Nett said as he read through the data. "They used something called XD001, which is… oh, no."

"What?" Kairi asked, finally slipping past Riku for a better look. "What's XD001?"

Nett looked devastated. "They corrupted another Legendary."

"What?!" Megg and Michael practically screamed, while Ralts and Larvitar audibly gasped.

"It gets worse." Nett growled, shock giving way to anger. "According to this, it's not like what they did with Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. It's irreversible."

Kairi blinked, understanding that these were important names but having no other context. Thankfully, Michael swooped in for another succinct explanation, and she felt her heart sink. Suicune, Entei, and Raikou – otherwise known as the Legendary Beasts – were nomadic legendary Pokémon of great power that held deep cultural significance to the people of Johto. To think Cipher would so brazenly desecrate something so significant for the sake of power was disgusting.

Then Nett pulled up a picture of XD001, thankfully safe on the data drive.

'No!' Ralts screamed in her mind, absolutely horrified at the sight. Nett, Michael, and Megg looked pale as sheets, and Larvitar had tears in his eyes.

The Pokémon looked like something between a dragon and a bird. It had a long slender neck, and a tail that was equally slender but spiked and clearly built for swimming rather than flying. White plate-like protrusions ran down the length of its back, and its hide was a deep, dark purple. Its massive wings ended in large, distinct segments that almost resembled the fingers on a hand. Its ridged mouth was beak-like, though it sported pointed teeth on its lower jaw. The back of its head tapered to a sharp point, as did the white-colored ridges surrounding its hateful, red eyes.

"That's a Lugia…" Michael whispered in abject horror. "Those monsters corrupted a Lugia!"

Deciding to be a bit more proactive this time, Kairi pulled out her Pokédex and looked it up herself. The contrast was stark.

It was like someone palette-swapped normal Lugia when creating XD001. Instead of dark purple skin, normal Lugia was a brilliant white with dark blue eye ridges and back plates. Where XD001 was an avatar of rage and darkness, normal Lugia exuded grace and majesty. It was called the Diving Pokémon, but there was a brief mention in the Pokédex entry that its power was enough to keep three other legendary birds in check, acting as their caretaker and mediator, ensuring that balance was maintained.

Though Kairi had yet to witness XD001 in person, she knew that the corrupted bird was anything but balanced.

"They're having trouble controlling it, though." Nett went on to explain. "It was supposed to bring the S.S. Libra to their headquarters, but their control slipped and it decided to drop the ship in the middle of the desert instead."

'Phew!' Ralts said, dramatically wiping her brow. 'Larvy and I woulda been Shadows if it had! Good thing those meanies are bad at their jobs!'

"What else?" Kairi asked. "We'll make sure to keep an eye out for XD001, but is there anything else on the drive?"

"Sure…" Nett said as he closed the XD001 file and opened a new one. He read silently to himself, while Kairi squinted to read the small text from her position. Nett gulped audibly, and she could see a sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Where did you guys say you were going next after this?"

"Phenac, why?" Riku replied.

Nett didn't answer, instead choosing to point at a paragraph on the page. Kairi leaned in, and felt her blood run cold as she read. Specifically, what Cipher had planned for Phenac City.

"Oh no, Marcia!" Megg gasped. "Nett, she went to Phenac earlier today to investigate what was wrong with their communication systems!"

Kairi started backing away. "We need to go."

"Agreed. Go!" Nett practically shouted. "I'll let Krane know what's happening, but you need to go now! Hurry!"

"Let's go!" Riku shouted, already running out the door, having already balled Larvitar. Michael yelped in surprise as he tried to keep up with his shorter stride. Kairi started running after them the moment she felt Ralts teleport onto her shoulder.

Before they knew it, they were on their vehicles, racing towards Phenac City through the desert heat. She knew Sora and his friends could handle themselves, but a part of her still feared the worst. She gripped Riku's waist tighter as they sped off, and she hoped and prayed that that lazy bum of hers would stay out of trouble while he was there.

She knew better, though.

"Step on it!"