A New Path

by TheCouchEffect

Ash has finally achieved his dream after so many years. He has become the champion of a Pokemon league. Despite this victory, he feels lost with no sense of direction. Weeks after his victory, he is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Unwilling to accept guilt, he will be drawn into a battle to clear his name and bring Team Rocket to justice before they can become unstoppable.

18. Friends and Enemies

"This is June O'Lay with Alolan News Network coming to you live from Aether Paradise with an exclusive story."

The reporter stood in a former nature reserve. While it had once been a beautiful replica of Alola's forests, its devastation was clear to everyone watching. Gone were the towering trees and vibrant flowers that once made up the reserve. In their place was a field of ash, scorched earth, and trees charred black by mighty flames.

Even the building that houses the reserve wasn't unscathed. The roof had been blown out and its walls completely smashed. The catwalks above the reserve were all but gone. Whatever had caused this destruction had spared nothing in its path.

"It's been two weeks since the recent crisis at the Aether Foundation. After a dramatic display of force by the local authorities and the mounting questions of the public, the company has finally decided to give us the answers we deserve." Ms. O'Lay smiled. "With us today is Alolan branch chief Wicke."

Wicke smiled and waved at the camera. "Hello."

"So, how are you doing today, Ms. Wicke? It must be stressful overseeing the reconstruction." The reporter asked.

"I'm doing alright, Ms. O'lay."

"Glad to hear it, ma'am. Now, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I'd prefer not to beat around the bush." She thrust her microphone into Wicke's face. "What happened here? Aether and the police have been tightlipped about it all."

"That was at our request. We decided it would be best to keep it quiet until we had the situation under control." Wicke said. "No need to cause a panic after the danger is passed."

"A fair point. You still haven't answered my question, though."

"Two weeks ago, the scientists of the Aether Foundation detected fluctuations in the ambient energy levels of Alola. Anomalies in space that we only ever detect when Ultra Wormholes are about to appear."

"Just for clarification, these Ultra Wormholes are connected to the same creatures that attacked Manalo Stadium eight months ago?" Ms. O'Lay asked.

"That's correct. Those particular Ultra Beasts have been dubbed Guzzlord's." Wicke closed her eyes and hung her head. "After the tragedy of that day, Aether vowed to keep a constant vigil for any sign of their return."

The reporter frowned. "If you detected them across Alola, then why did none of these Ultra Beasts appear anywhere else?"

"Thanks to our efforts, we prevented that from happening. Our scientists discovered how to strengthen the bonds of reality across Alola, at the expense of its strength here." She explained.

"Was that really the best option?" The reporter asked. "Just look at the destruction. Surely, there must have been another way."

"None that wouldn't have put the main islands at risk." Wicke gestured for the reporter and her crew to follow her. "Our only mistake was underestimating the strength of the Ultra Beasts."

"I see. How did things go wrong?"

Wicke sighed. They stopped at the edge of a small lake. While the waters seemed healthy, there wasn't a single Pokemon in them. A few of the rocks jutting out of the water even bore the scorch marks of a flame attack.

"We thought only one would come through the wormhole." She said. "Instead, nearly a dozen Guzzlord flooded our facility. They overwhelmed our security and rampaged across the island. It was… horrific."

"A dozen!?"

"It's why the police and the Rangers mobilized in force. If it hadn't been for their help, none of us would be standing here now." Wicke hung her head in mourning. "We owe our lives to the brave men and women who came to our defense. Aether will never forget their sacrifice."

The reporter appeared unconvinced. "Inspiring words, Ms. Wicke. Yet the rumors persist. Would you care to comment on them?"

"And what rumors might those be, Ms. O'Lay?"

"Word on the street is that there were no Ultra Beasts involved in the attack at all." She said. "In fact, they claim the foreign crime syndicate, Team Rocket, was behind this travesty. Witnesses report- "

"Thrill seekers, conspiracy theorists, and amateur fishermen are not credible witnesses. None of them stepped foot on the island, so how could they know?" Wicke countered. "Why would we make up a story about Ultra Beasts? Why would the police or the Rangers go along with it? None of us have anything to gain."

"Why indeed?" The reporter smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You must admit, though. None of the victims' bodies were ever returned to their families. One can hardly blame the public for being skeptical."

Wicke's lips thinned into a tired line. "It's not skepticism that fuels these conspiracies, but thinly veiled cruelty born of ignorance. Guzzlord are not like other Ultra Beasts nor any Pokemon in existence." She explained. "They're the perfect life form. They can live in any environment, survive nearly any attack, and consume everything in their path."

The reporter frowned. "What does that have to do with- "

"Everything." Wicke stressed.

Ms. O'Lay stood in silence for a moment before grimacing in disgust. "I-I see."

"We informed the families privately to avoid the media backlash. However, if it will spare them harassment by conspiracy theorists and other vulture, I have no choice but to reveal it to the world as well."

"Is there any chance more Ultra Wormholes will open in the future? Should the people of Alola be worried?"

"There's always a chance, but our scientists are the best and brightest in the world. With the support of the Alolan people, I'm confident that we'll discover a way to prevent this from ever happening again." Wicke bowed dramatically for the camera. "The Aether Foundation gives you its word."

The TV in the room was muted.

"I don't buy it."

May glanced at her brother. The two of them were sitting on a couch in the hotel room they had rented for the night. She had come back to Hoenn recently and ran into him in the city. In the hopes of catching up, they split the cost of a room and had been spending the past few days together.

"Don't buy what?"

Max shrugged. "Her story. It just doesn't add up."

She rolled her eyes. "And what makes you say that?"

"For starters, she completely dismissed all the witnesses as crazy looneys!" Max growled. "Just because they didn't go to the island doesn't mean they're lying. They had video footage and everything!"

May suppressed the urge to sigh. Her brother had taken up an interest in conspiracy theories recently. While normally it was harmless speculation about long dead historical figures or archeology, sometimes it crossed into the real world. He didn't understand that not every terrible thing to happen in the world had some sinister force behind it.

Sometimes, bad things just happened.

"Here, take a look at this!"

Before she could protest, Max thrust his Pokegear into her face. Despite his confidence, however, May didn't see anything. The photo he'd shown her was just a bunch of blurry figures and what could have been Aether Paradise in the distance.

If she squinted.

"Max… this is just a bad photo."

He growled. "It's more than that! This shows Pokemon flying towards the island during the attack. Wild Pokemon don't go towards danger, May."

"This picture is so blurry I can't even be sure those are Pokemon, let alone what direction they're flying." She said. "Even if they are, who's to say they aren't the police or Rangers? Seems a lot more likely to be them than some shadowy criminals."

"Not just any criminals! Team Rocket!"

May pinched the bridge of her nose. "Max… Team Rocket is a lot of things. Stupid; incompetent; comedians in the wrong line of work; people with way too much time on their hands." She could go on, really. "One thing they aren't, though, is monsters. They'd never attack Aether."

"I mean the real Team Rocket! Not the three that followed us around for years!" Max pouted and crossed his arms. "They're dangerous criminals that rule the underworld. They're capable of anything, no matter how cruel it is."

She desperately wished she could turn the news back on. "Why would they even want to attack Aether in the first place? They're all the way over in Alola."

"The Ultra Beasts, obviously!" Max practically leaped into the air as he shouted it. "Aether is the only place in the world that's been able to study them! If Rocket got the data from their labs, who knows what they'd do with it?"

"And where did you hear all this?" She asked.

To Max's credit, he tried to appear confident. Yet once he started to shift in place and couldn't look her in the eyes, she knew she wouldn't like the answer. "So, there are these forums- "

May was so glad the hotel room came stocked with a full bar.

"Max… I think we need to have a talk about internet literacy."

"It's not like I just took them at their word! I dug into it a little." He protested. "You wouldn't believe how many crimes Team Rocket gets away with and the media just ignores! Some people even call them the Invisible Empire!"

And yet, they still rode around in hot air balloons and wasted time chasing children with random Pokemon around the world. No matter how much Max believed this stuff, she just couldn't see it being possible. Team Rocket wasn't anywhere close to as dangerous as he believed.

"Even if this is all true – and that's a big if – why would Aether or the Alolan government lie about it?" She asked. "There's just no reason for them to hide such a blatant attack like this."

Max snorted, pushing his glasses up his nose. "If people knew what really happened, Aether's stock prices and Alola's economy would tank. They'd never recover!"

"Look at you playing the detective. You know, if you ever decided to quit being a trainer, you could probably make it big as a private investigator." She teased.

"I'm serious!" He whined.

Chuckling, she ruffled his hair and ignored his protests. "Well, whatever really happened, it doesn't matter. A lot of people were hurt or lost their loved ones in the tragedy. I'll just have to add them to the list."

He blinked. "You mean you're actually going through with your festival thing?"

It was a little more than a festival. Contests; performances; tournaments; music; science expos'. All that and more would be available for people to see when they came. While she'd originally meant for it to be a simple regional event, it ended up gaining international attention. If ticket sales were anything to go by, this was going to be big.

Finding financial backers had been easy. With her reputation and the support of other big names in entertainment, many companies had been eager to help set this up. For some, the chance to show off their products and rake in the profits was all they wanted. Others were more interested in just having their names attached to the event.

None of that mattered to May. She wasn't doing this for fame or money. She already had plenty of that. No, the true purpose of this festival was philanthropic.

Ever since The Sinking, May had been inspired to use her platform for the betterment of the world. Any time she entered a contest, she dedicated it to a worthy cause that would help people in need. Any winnings she made were used to support that idea.

The refugees from Alto Mare were only the beginning. Orphans, survivors of domestic abuse, the sick and the dying. It didn't matter who they were or what they were going through. If there was a chance for her to help them even a little, she'd take it.

"It won't be ready for a couple of months. We're still getting all the permits and waiting for everyone's schedules to clear up." She explained. "But if everything goes according to plan? It should be ready by the end of the year."

Max smiled. "I'm happy for you, sis. You've been talking about this stuff for a while. You're gonna rock the world with your performance."

She chuckled. "Actually, I won't be competing. It just wouldn't be right, since I'm the one who set it all up." She said. "I'll be acting as a judge instead."

Her first time doing it too. This would be a festival of new experiences, that was for sure.

"Doesn't matter. I know you'll do great." Max said. "You've spent years on the other side. I'd bet everything I own that you know what makes a great Contestant and how to score them."

May smiled and flicked his nose. "Thanks, ya goober. I'm glad you have so much faith in me." She stood up from the couch, stretching her arms wide. The mini fridge was calling her name. "Have you thought about coming?"

"Contests? I don't know, May. I'm not exactly great at that sort of stuff…." He trailed off.

"There's more than just contests to compete in." May made her ways towards the fridge by the bar. "We're hosting a Pokemon tournament as well. No badge, but there's a pretty big prize pool for the top contenders. We've got people from all over the world competing."

Max's eyes lit up with excitement. "There's gonna be so many rare Pokemon there!"

"Among other things." May snatched a can of peanuts from the fridge. "It's why you should come. You might not win, but it'll be a great learning experience. And who knows? You just might place high enough to earn one of the prizes."

"You know what? Yeah, I'll do it!" He pumped his arm in the air. "Kirlia and I have been practicing. We're finally able to enhance her power by consuming the energy she makes from her attacks."

May perked smiled. That was unorthodox and impressive. She'd never have thought to do that. If her brother could pull it off in his matches, she'd have to give her hand a try at it. As the elder sibling, she couldn't afford to fall behind him.

Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Where'd you learn that?" She couldn't help but ask.

"An old match of Frontier Brain Palmer's." He looked away. "Ash was amazing in that battle."

She froze. The can of peanut dropped to the counter. A familiar smiling face and a deep set of brown eyes flashed through her mind. Guilt, anger, longing, and unwilling worry warred within her.

"Oh… that's great, Max." She smiled bitterly. "I'm glad you're learning so much."

Max reached out. "He's innocent, May. He didn't do it- "

"Max!" She snapped. "Stop! Just… not now. I can't have this conversation with you."

Once the world learned about what Ash had done, it was all anyone could talk about for months. Everyone had an opinion, and they made sure everyone else heard it. Experts gave their professional opinions on who they thought he was. Podcasts and TV hosts spouted off conspiracy theories left and right. Anyone he had ever met was forced to endure endless questions and accusations from a public hungry for answers.

It was too much.

Max had always idolized Ash. Even more than their dad, Ash was his hero. With every League competed in, Max was cheering him on from home. After journeying across two regions and facing down some of the strongest Legends the world had ever seen, it would have been impossible for him not to admire the Pallet Town native.

So, when Max lashed out at the media for daring to report the story, May hadn't been surprised.

It'd been such a shock to the world as well. Everyone else was happy to criticize and condemn him, yet here was a child calling them out. Max had called them frauds. Greedy and lazy pigs who couldn't be bothered to do any research themselves. He'd even gone so far as to accuse them of being bribed.

The only thing that saved Max from a media firestorm was their dad's sterling reputation. Even then, most news outlets writ him off as an ignorant kid talking about things he couldn't possibly understand. Nothing to get angry about. He'd surely realize in time what kind of man Ash was.

And if they just so happened to be more critical of Max's own career in the League? Well, that was completely unrelated. A journalist never let personal feelings impact the story, after all.

Her little brother looked away. "You're all so eager to just forget him. Just pretend he never existed!" He growled. "Well, I'm not like all of you! I won't just throw a friend under the bus to make my life easier!"

Her fists tightened and forced herself to take a deep breath. It was all she could do. It took everything in her not to snap at Max and say something she knew she'd regret later.

He was just a kid….

"I'm going for a walk, Max." She forced out. "Don't follow me."

May didn't wait to hear what he had to say. She brushed past him and stepped out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind her.

She couldn't be around him right now. Once she'd cooled off, she'd come back and hopefully have a better idea of what to do. Because right now? All she felt was an overwhelming sense of shame.

Max didn't understand how deeply his words cut. He didn't understand how desperately she wanted him to be right. Ash was her closest friend. He'd been by her side during some of the most difficult times in her life. For Arceus' sake, he'd risked his life to save hers countless times.

Did Max think she wanted Ash to be a killer? That she wanted to act like he never existed? None of this should have happened! In a perfect world, Ash would still be an innocent man, too busy pursuing his dreams to stay in one place or focus on anything else.

It wasn't a perfect world, though. She'd seen the pictures of what he'd done. She'd heard the grieving family on the news following his escape. Try as she might, May couldn't ignore all of that. No matter what her feelings towards Ash may have been, there was no excusing cold blooded murder.

She ran a hand down her face, stepping out into the cold air of the night.

"I wish things could go back to the way they were." She muttered.

---

The slow, mechanical beep of a machine filled the air.

Ash's eyes slowly fluttered open. He shifted uncomfortably in place while they adjusted to the light. A quick look around revealed that he was in a hospital room of some kind. He wasn't alone either. Pikachu was curled up at his side, snoring away silently. Latias' Human form was slumped over in the corner in a chair, scarlet hair obscuring her face. Even Bewear was out of her Pokeball, sleeping soundly by the door.

Memories flooded back to him. Gunfire, screams, the foul taste of blood. Every horrific moment of the attack rushed back to him as though he were still there. He tried to force himself up, only for pain to flare in his chest.

He hissed and dropped back onto the bed, clutching an invisible wound.

"Careful, Ash." A familiar voice said. "You'll rip your stitches if you move too suddenly."

His head snapped to the source of the voice. On the opposite side of the room from his Pokemon, a familiar face sat at a table with a book in her lap. Dark gray eyes met his deep brown. A tiny, amused smile stretched across her copper skin. The older woman leaned forward, her black hair cascading down her face.

Olivia Lychee, the Kahuna of Akala island.

"Speechless, eh?" She teased. "Good to know I still have that effect on men."

"… I guess this is the end of the line." He muttered.

She frowned. "Come again?"

Ash didn't know how, but the police must have found him while he was unconscious. Looker's plan called for everyone to respond to the attack, so it was only natural they'd show up. Even if they hadn't known who he was when they found him, his identity would have been revealed once he made it to the hospital.

He just couldn't figure out why his Pokemon were here. Any competent officer would have known to take them away and force them into their balls.

"How many officers are outside?" He asked.

However many there were, it didn't matter. Ash wasn't going to try escaping. He wouldn't hurt innocent people just so he could remain free.

An amused laugh brought his attention back to Olivia. "I think you've got the wrong idea, Ash. There aren't any police outside." She said. "And before you ask, no. I'm not here to guard you or anything like that."

His brow furrowed. "Then what's going on?"

"Our agents found you once the attack was over. You were in pretty bad shape too, so they brought you to the one place in Alola that could help you." She told him. "You're lucky to be alive. The doctors said if you got here even a few minutes later, you may not have survived."

"Our agents?" He repeated. "Where am I? What are you talking about, Olivia?"

"Guess our training hasn't quite knocked the denseness out of you yet." Olivia stood up and straightened her back, slamming her fist above her heart. "You're at Interpol's regional HQ, Ash. Sorry we couldn't give you an official tour before now."

Ash's jaw hung open. "You're an agent!?"

Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "In a manner of speaking. I'm the regional commander and overseer. I give the orders, approve the operations, and read the reports." She said. "In other words? I'm your boss."

Olivia was one of Interpol's leaders? Ash almost couldn't believe it. He'd always imagined that the leaders of Interpol would be these imposing, larger-than-life figures that stared unflinchingly into the abyss. It was hard to reconcile that with the clumsy woman desperate for love that he'd known during his time in Alola.

Despite all this, he straightened his back and held his fist over his heart. "Sorry, ma'am! I didn't know!"

"You're fine, Ash." She rolled her eyes. "If it was obvious what I really am, I'd be a pretty poor agent. And none of that ma'am stuff! You'll make me feel old if you keep doing that."

A tiny smile split his face. "Okay, Olivia. I'll try not to say that." He said. "How long have I been out?"

She shrugged. "About two weeks."

He choked. "Two weeks!? Why the hell was I asleep for so long?"

"The doctors said you needed your rest. I can't say I disagree with them, considering how we found you." She leaned forward. "Do you remember what happened? What you did during the attack?"

It was impossible not to. All that death and destruction… it wasn't something he'd ever forget. Ever since joining Interpol, it had forced him to witness the depths of Human cruelty. He wasn't sure he'd ever forget what he'd seen.

Let alone what he'd done.

"I remember." He sighed, leaning back against the bed. "Is everyone alright? How many people did we lose?"

"Less than we thought, more than we'd hoped. Half of Aether's security died in the attack and a quarter of the survivors were injured. Casualties weren't as bad for the civilians, but we still lost too many for my tastes." Olivia said. "Fortunately, we didn't lose any agents. A small win, but not one to overlook."

He smiled. Good. That meant that Looker and Anabel were alright. "What about the data? We stopped Team Rocket from stealing it, right?"

"Thanks to the efforts of your team? We didn't just stop them, we decapitated the heads of their Alolan leaders in a single day." Olivia said. "Matori surrendered once I arrived with reinforcements and I made it clear there was no escape. As for Gozu… well, you know what happened to him."

Blood. Flesh. Wet gasps and dying eyes.

Ash grimaced. "Yeah…."

Olivia moved towards the bed, stopping next to him. "We don't have to talk about what happened now. You just woke up, and I doubt you want to relive it." She said. "Once you're back on your feet, though, I expect you to start seeing a shrink."

"But I- "

"That's an order, Ash. You bit out a man's throat and nearly died. Anybody would need therapy after something like that." She assured him. "It's not a punishment. I just want to make sure you get the help you need. Knowing you, you'd just bottle this up and move on with your life if it were up to you."

It hadn't failed him yet.

He glanced to his side at his team. "I'm surprised they haven't woken up by now."

If Olivia saw his attempt to divert the conversation, she didn't comment on it. "They haven't left your side since we brought you in." She told him. "You've got a loyal team, Ash. I hope you appreciate them."

He did. More than they knew. If he didn't have Pikachu and the others by his side, he knew he wouldn't have made it this far.

Reaching out, he gently judged Pikachu awake. "Wake up, bud."

Slowly, Pikachu's eyes fluttered open. Any confusion he may have had disappeared once he realized Ash was awake. The electric rat let out a joyous cry and leaped onto Ash's chest, rubbing his cheek against him. The sound was more than enough to wake Bewear and Latias up.

Latias let out a yawn and brushed the hair out of her amber eyes. She gasped and looked ready to tackle him. "You're awake!"

Olivia held up a hand to stop her. "Easy, Latias. He's still recovering from his injuries."

She shrunk back, scratching her head. "Right. Sorry."

Ash blinked. "You know who she is?"

"Looker's reports are very thorough. He spared no detail." Olivia said. "Not that she cared much about hiding it while you were injured."

Bewear stalked forward and sat at the foot of the bed. One of her massive paws came up to rest at his feet. "That's an understatement. She looked ready to fight those Humans in red before Interpol took you away."

He blinked. Humans in red? "Why were you trying to fight the Rangers?"

Latias laughed nervously and looked away. "They tried to take you to a hospital on the main islands. I knew if they did that, they'd figure out who you are."

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest. "She's not the only one." She said. "Your Bewear was standing guard over you and Pikachu when they found you. From what I hear, she almost killed a team of Rangers who got too close."

She had? That came as a surprise to Ash. While she'd joined his team, they'd only been partners for a few short weeks. He knew she had joined to fight Team Rocket and rescue her daughter, but defending him still came as a surprise.

Bewear noticed his look and shrugged. "I was injured. If I wasn't pacing myself from my wounds, I wouldn't have missed."

Pikachu snorted. "I don't think that's why he's surprised, Bewear"

Ash chuckled. "I'm just glad everyone's alright." He glanced at Olivia. "Speaking of, what about the rest of my team? Where are they?"

"On assignments." Olivia retook her seat across from him. "Anabel is dealing with Skull's leadership. Petrovic is working with other agents to mop up the last stragglers of Rocket still on the island. As for Looker… he's cleaning house, so to speak."

Her cold tone kept him from digging deeper. He didn't think she was angry at him, but at someone else instead. Whoever they were, he pitied them. Looker wasn't the type of person you sent to deal with a minor problem.

It might be best to distract her from whatever was on her mind.

"So, how long have you been with Interpol?" He asked. "Must be a long time if you're the regional commander."

Olivia seemed happy for the distraction. "Close to a decade now. Originally, I was just an asset helping them on an archeological dig. A greedy conglomerate dug too deep and angered an old Legend." She explained. "I helped destroy the Legend and find them the intel they needed to bring the company down."

Latias cupped her hands in front of her, eyes wide with admiration. "That's amazing!"

"It's certainly an adventure I'll never forget, that's for sure." She shook her head. "Guess I impressed someone back then. They offered to train me as an agent, and I wasn't about to say no. Eventually, the Director made me Alola's commander. The rest is history."

"You know the Director?" He blurted out. "I thought no one knew who they were?"

Olivia snickered. "Oh, I'm sure some people know who they are. It'd be impossible to run Interpol as a complete unknown. But no, I've never met them. All I get is the occasional order from them."

"How do you balance it? Being the commander and a Kahuna?" He asked.

"It's not easy, that's for sure. Keeping things running and the public from finding out about our work is hard enough on its own. Throw in the island traditions, guiding the next generation, and playing babysitter to a temperamental Tapu?" She sighed. "It's pretty much impossible to have a social life."

He winced. As a field operative, Ash already struggled to have a life beyond the job. He couldn't imagine having to juggle that alongside other duties. It sounded like more trouble than it was worth.

That reminded him of something important, however.

"How's everyone doing? Since my… my…."

"Your fall from grace?" Olivia finished. She offered him a sad smile. "Are you sure you wanna hear about it?"

He nodded resolutely. "I need to."

"Fair enough. Well, once you were stripped of your title, the other Kahuna and I gathered to decide who would become our replacement Champion. The obvious choice was Professor Kukui, but he shot that down before we could even ask him. None of us wanted the position. So, eventually we reached out to the top contenders from the League."

He tilted his head aside. "Who did you end up choosing? It can't have been Guzma."

Olivia snorted. "As amusing as that may have been, no. We decided that Hau was the best choice. He's young, strong, and exemplifies the spirit of Alola."

Ash hummed in thought. Hau… he was the best choice. He was younger than Ash by a few years, but had still given him an intense battle during the tournament. If it had been a full team battle, Hau might have won. As it was, Ash was all but certain the boy could surpass him one day.

He just hoped the Alolan native wasn't taking the lackluster way he became Champion to heart.

"As for Kukui and your friends… they didn't take it well. The media left them alone, especially once they realized Kukui wouldn't play their games." Olivia closed her eyes. "Kiawe threw himself even harder into his training. He hasn't said anything, but it's obvious what happened with you weighs on him."

Ash looked away. "I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for, Ash. It's not your fault Team Rocket framed you, and it's not your fault Kiawe is being a stubborn fool." She narrowed her eyes. "Though that little stunt you pulled at his family's ranch didn't help."

Pikachu nuzzled his hand. Though he couldn't smile, Ash appreciated the gesture. "I didn't have any other choice. I tried to limit the damage, but I know that doesn't excuse it." He sighed. "I took back his Z-Ring during the attack on Aether. I was going to give it back to him, but I've got no idea where it is now."

"With your things," Olivia said. "I had a feeling that's what you were planning, so I didn't touch it. A word of advice, though? Don't see him. It'll only put both you and him in danger."

"I need to give it back to him, though."

"Then have Mallow do it." Olivia shrugged. "I know you've revealed yourself to her. Have her deliver it to him or plant it somewhere in his house. Trust me when I say that he's in no state to listen if you reveal yourself now."

He didn't want to admit it, but Olivia was right. Ash wasn't just the shame of Alola and a criminal, he'd nearly turned Kiawe's life upside down. If he revealed himself now, all he'd get was a punch to the jaw and a call to the police.

"I'll think about it." He eventually said. "What about my Pokemon? Is there any chance we can sneak my Alolan team out of the lab?"

He dared to hope.

It was a foolish mistake.

"Sorry, Ash. It's not so easy." She sighed. "Ownership of them was transferred to your mother. She had them all transferred to Professor Oak's lab back in Kanto, and that place is still watched too heavily to sneak any of your Pokemon out."

"I see… I'll just have to stick with the team I have." He smiled at the three of them. "They're more than strong enough to help me."

Each of them stood a little taller at his praise. Even Bewear seemed pleased with the praise.

"I'll leave you four to talk. I have business I need to take care of, and the doctors will want to know you're awake." Olivia stood up and stretched her arms. "It was nice seeing you again, Ash. I'm glad we were able to get to you before something went wrong."

He got the feeling she was talking about more than just his injuries.

"Thanks, Olivia. I appreciate it." He smiled. "You always were my favorite Kahuna."

"Heh. Charmer."

"It's a gift."

---

"What are you doing here, Looker?"

He smiled. "A man can't just stop by to see an old friend?"

Nanu glared. "Not when it's you."

Looker held his hand to his chest and recoiled in mock hurt. "That is cutting, sir! And here I thought we had something special!"

"I'll cut you for real if you don't get the hell off my lawn-"

"Who's at the door, Uncle?" An unfamiliar voice said.

Before Nanu could protest, a girl with purple hair and gray eyes pushed him aside. She was around Ash and Anabel's age, maybe a year or two younger at most. With ghostly pale skin and a patchwork dress, she stood out compared to most others her age.

She was also exceptionally tiny.

Looker held out his hand. "Hello. My name's Looker. I'm an old friend of Nanu's."

The girl gasped. "Nanu has friends?"

His lips quirked upward. "Despite his best efforts, yes."

Nanu gave them both a flat stare. "Hilarious." He deadpanned.

The two of them snickered. "Well, I'm Acerola! I make sure Uncle is doing his job and doesn't forget to eat."

"I've never forgotten to eat, brat." Nanu said.

"Junk food doesn't count!" She growled, placing her hands on her hips. "I swear, if I wasn't around, then you'd eat nothing but candy and chips for the rest of your life."

"And I'd be happier for it." Realizing that Looker wasn't going away anytime soon, Nanu reluctantly held open the door. "Get in before people start thinking you're a solicitor."

Looker stepped past the two of them with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. Nanu's home was the same as the last time he'd visited his old mentor. The only difference now was the collection of Alolan Meowth lounging around the living room.

He strode past the gray felines towards the kitchen and gingerly opened up the fridge. Snatching a small cup of blueberry yogurt off the shelf, he kicked the door shut just in time to see Nanu standing in the doorway.

"Help yourself." Nanu drawled. "It's not like I was saving that or anything."

Looker smiled, peeling back the top of the yogurt. "Appreciate it, Nanu."

Nanu let out a long, tired sigh and moved towards the kitchen table. He took a seat, slouching forward to rest his head in his hand. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

Looker shrugged and took the seat opposite of him. "I figured you'd want to know how things are going." He glanced towards the living room. Laughter and the faint purr of a pleased Meowth reached them. "I didn't know you had a niece. Or any siblings, for that matter."

"I don't. It's an Alolan term of endearment." Nanu shrugged. "Girl's an orphan. Found her in the rain one day and took her in. Gave her some food. Ever since, she's refused to leave me alone."

A remorseful smile crossed his face. "You must be the closest thing to family she has."

Nanu sighed. "Just fill me in on what's happened so you can go. I don't need Interpol to ruin anymore of my day."

If only it were that simple.

"Team Rocket's nearly been driven out of the region. Between Skull and the police, they won't last long. Without Matori or Gozu, no one is strong enough to lead them." Looker drank some of the yogurt and audibly swallowed. "It'll be years before they return."

"Assuming they even can. I've seen the firepower they have now, thanks to your little partnership." Nanu said. "If Team Rocket comes back, they'll come prepared. It'll be a gang war unlike anything Alola's seen before. Interpol won't be able to stop it."

"We won't let it come to that, Nanu." Looker closed his eyes. "Skull, Rocket, and everyone like them always think they're one step ahead. That they'll always come out on top. It makes them arrogant. All we have to do is give them the rope and watch them hang themselves with it."

"Bold strategy. Makes it easy for them to take power and hurt innocent people, though."

Looker frowned. "We'll never be able to stop that. All we can do is try to limit the damage and give people the illusion of safety." He lamented. "As for Aether, they're recovering. Their public image took a bit of a hit from the Ultra Beast story, but they'll be fine. Soon enough, people will remember them as heroes for sparing the rest of Alola from those monsters."

Not to mention the profits that would come with it. Once people started associating Aether with fighting off otherworldly monsters, everyone would rush to invest in their heroes. Even the ones who didn't would still look favorably on their products. It was the kind of PR most companies could only dream of.

All they had to do was stick to the story. There was no security footage to discredit it. The Alolan government wouldn't let the actual story get out for fear of how it would impact tourism. As for the survivors of the attack. Money had a way of influencing most people. Even those who didn't want it still had friends or family that needed help.

As long as Aether and Alola kept them happy, the truth would never get out.

"I can already imagine how insufferable the news is going to be for the next few months. Bastards already get too much attention as it is." Nanu snorted. "That all?"

Looker took another swig of yogurt, letting out an exaggerated hum. "Not quite. You remember the data they were trying to steal?"

Nanu yawned. "What about it? I thought we kept it safe."

"We did. Rocket never breached the labs. We've even patched the holes in their defenses they used to attack. They'll never get another chance to steal the data." He set the now empty cup of yogurt down. "Despite your best efforts."

Neither of them said a word. Mentor and protégé; traitor and loyalist; friend and enemy. Whatever the two of them were, they held each other's gaze in a silent battle for dominance. Only the distant sound of Acerola playing with the Meowth broke the silence.

Eventually, Nanu leaned back in his chair. Tense, but not overtly hostile. "No point trying to deny it, is there?"

Looker kept both his hands on the table, cupped in front of him. "None."

"How'd you figure it out?"

"We knew that someone was feeding Team Rocket intel on our plans. We've known that for years." Looker said.

It was to be expected, really. Interpol was an organization with tens of thousands of agents and influence that spread across the globe. There was always going to be someone among them willing to sell their integrity to the highest bidder, or unfortunate enough to be blackmailed.

Looker had hoped that Nanu wouldn't be one of them.

"The commander and I figured whoever Team Rocket's spies were, they'd keep close to Aether. Try to find out everything they could about its defenses and get their hands on that data." He said. "So, we set a trap. If Rocket attacked, we knew they'd use the traitors intel."

"There had to have been dozens of agents who knew what was going on with Aether." He pointed out. "Most of them had to have known what your plans were. It can't have been that continuous signal being spared, either. Everyone at HQ must have known about it."

"They did. We changed one tiny, but significant detail for everyone who knew, however." Looker said. "We told some that Aether had tamed Ultra Beasts guarding the labs. Others, that the company had replaced their security with veterans of the war. We even told some the labs below were a decoy, and that they stored the real data in Kanto."

None of which Nanu was aware of.

"There was only one person I told about Wicke's computer having remote access to the system, however." Looker drummed his fingers on the table. "You stayed behind a few minutes during the attack. And just like I predicted, someone had stolen files before the attack."

"I'll take a stab at it and guess I didn't steal anything worthwhile?" Nanu asked.

"Nothing but junk data and a virus. Whatever system you transmitted it to will start feeding us everything. Agents, operations, transactions." Anything they could use to take them down. "I doubt it'll take long before Rocket finds it. But every bit helps."

Nanu chuckled despite it all. "Bossman won't like that one bit."

"Giovanni will just have to get over it."

His former mentor's eyes widened. It was tiny – almost imperceptible – but Looker noticed. "How'd you lot figure it out?"

"He's not as subtle as he thinks."

If he were, he'd never have launched an all-out assault on a mountain and revealed his identity to Ash so many years ago. He struggled to see what was so important the man would risk it all like that.

"And yet, he's still running around. Way I hear it, some people have considered naming him Kanto's Champion. Hell, there's even people clamoring to make him their next president." Nanu smirked. "He'd get my vote. If only for the punchline."

Interpol would never let that happen. Giovanni already had too much influence as a Gym leader and business mogul. They would never allow him to get any more power than he already had.

"We'll deal with him soon enough. Now that we know he's their leader, his days are numbered."

"Don't underestimate him, Looker. Smarter people than you have, and they're all dead." Nanu warned. "So, how's this gonna go? This an assassination or an arrest?"

"I'd prefer an arrest." Looker admitted. "Cooperate, Nanu. For your own sake."

Nanu snorted in derision. "I know what happens to traitors, Looker. I'm not about to hand myself over to the tender mercies of our old friends." He drawled. "I think I'll take my chances."

Looker was afraid of that. Nanu was one of Interpol's best agents, once upon a time. He was the one they sent to deal with the worst terror cells, rogue agents, or awakened Legends. In more ways than one, he had been their heavy hitter.

It was why Looker came prepared. Dozens of agents and their Pokemon had surrounded their house. Some were hidden in the foliage nearby, while others were in the crowds or buildings, biding their time. All of them were experienced agents who knew how to handle themselves in a fight.

Yet would it be enough? There was no telling what contingencies Nanu had in place or how much he had slowed down in his old age. If Nanu thought he had nothing to lose, then there was next to no chance they'd take him alive.

Looker leaned back with a tired sigh. "Maybe you can kill me. Maybe you can fight your way past the teams outside. Hell, maybe you can even manage to escape Alola and disappear." He admitted. "But you won't. You're going to come with us peacefully and tell us everything you know."

"And why would I do that?"

"Acerola."

Nanu froze. "You wouldn't dare..."

"You're right. I wouldn't." Looker shrugged. "But the people I brought with me? Who knows what they're capable of? Anything can happen in the midst of battle, old friend. You know that better than anyone."

It was why they had chosen today to confront him.

Nanu's hands tightened into fists. "You're a piece of shit." He growled. "Fine. I'll go with you. Just… let me have a few hours. This'll be the last time I ever see her."

Yes, it would.

Looker stood up. "You have two. I don't care what you tell her. When I come back, you'd best be here, ready to surrender." He paused. "Before I go, though. I need to know… why did you do it? Why betray everything you stood for? Don't tell me it was the money."

Nanu laughed bitterly, refusing to meet Looker's eyes. "I won't lie. The money helped, but that wasn't it. You remember that story I told you about the Kingsmen?" At Looker's nod, he continued. "The contact who warned me about the bombing? It was Giovanni."

"So, that's how you two met." He muttered.

"He was integral to dismantling the Kingsmen. I kept tabs on him. Now and then, I'd reach out for information, and he'd provide it." Nanu said. "In exchange, he'd ask for my services. Sometimes, it was just intel on an enemy. Other times? He needed me to use Interpol resources to help."

"And you were too happy to sell your soul." Looker sniped.

Nanu scoffed. "Don't act like your hands are clean, Looker. None of yours are." He snapped. "Only reason Rocket aren't terrorists like Flare or Galactic is because of me. I helped Giovanni seize power. Turned it from a revolutionary group to a crime family."

Looker wouldn't deny that one was preferable to the other. If Rocket had stayed true to its original purpose, who knew what Kanto would be like today? How dangerous it would be to Johto and its other neighbors, let alone those who defeated them in the Great War?

"No one's faulting you for that. But at some point, you stopped handling him, and started working for him instead." Looker said. "Why?"

"Because I got tired of it all. Tired of risking my life to save people who couldn't give a rat's ass about me. Tired of trying to fix a world that's determined to stay broken, no matter how hard we try." He spat. "So, yeah. I opened the door for Rocket. I put some money in my pocket. And I'd do it all again."

Rather than anger, all Looker felt was… pity. Nanu had fallen so far. Once, he'd been the pinnacle of an agent. Someone Looker vowed to emulate. Somewhere along the way, however, Nanu lost his faith in the world. He fell to the same pessimistic view of the world that so many in their line of work did.

He vowed never to become like him.

Looker turned to walk away. "Two hours, Nanu. Make them count."

---

"The data should be transmitting now, boss. Should be the real thing this time."

Giovanni sipped at the glass of wine in his hand. He took a moment to savor the taste and aroma. Endless Spring… a Kalosian brand. Well known for its natural origins and the involvement of Lilligant in its creation. Sitting in his mansion on the edges of Viridian city, he took a moment to think.

Eventually, he set the glass aside to look at the TV on the wall of the room. Petrel's black eyes stared back at him, respectful and subservient.

"I would hope so." He said. "Nanu's failure was enough."

Costly too. After losing Matori and the impending loss of their territory in Alola, the news that Nanu had stolen the Ultra Space data had been welcome. A sign that keeping the man on retainer had been a good decision.

Yet it had all been a ruse. Looker had outwitted them all with that trap of his. It had taken a few days to discover it, but whatever Nanu transmitted to them had devastated Team Rocket's electronic infrastructure. Self-replicating streams of junk data that clogged the system; viruses that drained their bank accounts; even remote access that allowed Interpol to syphon intel straight from their database.

In the end, they had no choice but to shut down the system completely in order to put a stop to it. A drastic measure, but necessary. If they hadn't done that, their operations in Kanto would have been permanently crippled. As it was, he expected to take some hits in the coming months.

Giovanni leaned forward, cupping his hands together. "Tell me, how did you get this?"

"Wasn't easy. I really had to work for it." Petrel drawled. "Once I heard what happened at HQ, I found an excuse to go back to Aether. I snuck in with some scientists and snagged some files. It's not a lot, though. From what I can tell, it's the just basics on Ultra Space and the physiology of known Ultra Beasts. Any more than that and I'd have been noticed."

It was better than nothing. While he would have preferred it all, the basics would be enough. Their scientists could conduct their own research and experiments into Ultra Space. If nothing else, they could develop theoretical weapons and containment procedures for the Ultra Beasts.

If they ever returned, Team Rocket would be ready to drive them back.

"What about our operation in Alola?" Giovanni asked. "Is it salvageable?"

"Depends on how important it is." Petrel shrugged. "Interpol's backing Skull hard. They're turning from a bunch of failures and gangbangers into a small army. Military hardware, stronger Pokemon, enhancements. Rumor is they're even planning to station agents as permanent members to keep them in check."

That was concerning. Skull had been a minor threat at best when they first arrived in Alola. To think that Interpol could turn them into a dangerous pawn in such a short time. If left alone, Giovanni predicted Skull would have uncontested dominance over those islands.

"It doesn't stop there, either." Petrel said after a moment of silence. "Aether's restructuring their security. They'll be hiring veterans and experienced Trainers from now on – a private army in the making. Between them, Skull, and the Alolan governments newfound distaste for us? We'd struggle to get anywhere here."

Giovanni snorted in amusement. "Is that all?"

"Now that you mention it, no." Petrel frowned. "Apparently, the Tapu's hate our guts. Far as I can tell? We try to come back? They'll be out for blood."

Which effectively meant that Alola was off limits. With so many factions working against them, carving out a place for themselves in that regions underworld would require immense manpower. Teams of Legend-killers; tens of millions of dollars in bribes and contraband; an army of Grunts and Admins.

Team Rocket could do it… but they would need to draw resources from other Regions to pull it off. To strengthen one hand, they'd have to weaken another. He wasn't willing to do that. Alola was unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

With the true data in hand, everything else that Region had to offer was insignificant. Team Skull could prance around those islands like kings for all he cared.

One day, Team Rocket would return. Guzma and all his followers would learn the importance of a blood debt when that day came.

"We'll abandon our efforts then." He wouldn't fall victim to the Sunk Cost fallacy. "I imagine Interpol will be moving to capture Nanu soon. Will you be in a position to eliminate him?"

"Not without blowing my cover. Looker didn't want me anywhere near the mission. Thinks I'm too violent to be trusted." Petrel said.

"I told you not to take it too far."

"It's the best way to explain all the people I kill for you. They see me as a psychopath who enjoys the violence, not a spy," Petrel defended. "I can probably kill Nanu, but it won't be like with Proton. He's too high profile, and too close to Looker. Once I pull the trigger, it'll only be a matter of time until they figure me out."

How annoying. "Stay your hand. We'll find another way to deal with Nanu. The same goes for Matori and the rest of her unit."

One of their spies would find the chance to kill them eventually. Even if they couldn't, bribing or blackmailing an agent who could do it would be a simple matter. Time was on their side, after all. No Psychic could break past their mental defenses, and they'd never willingly give up what they knew.

Not when Team Rocket knew where their loved ones lived.

Giovanni shook his head, looking towards the ceiling. "What about your other assignment?"

"Ketchum?" Petrel hummed, taking a moment to think. "He's… I'm not sure what to say, boss. I didn't think much of him at first. I figured he'd die in his first proper battle, or at least get scared and head into witness protection."

Giovanni felt the same. He'd read Interpol's psych profile on the boy and heard Petrel's reports. Ash Ketchum was an impulsive child in over his head. A bleeding heart who saw the world through rose-tinted glasses. He was the furthest thing from a spy imaginable.

"I'm sensing a but coming."

"He's changing, boss. He hasn't said anything to anyone yet, but something's broken in him." Petrel closed his eyes. "Not sure if it was the stress of the job, the trauma, or something else entirely. All I know is if things keep going as they are? Interpol will have a powerful new weapon."

An intrigued hum escaped him. "It's not even been a year since his recruitment. His skills aren't anything we haven't seen before."

Skilled trainers with powerful Pokemon were a dime a dozen in their world. Conmen and killers were even more common, especially with a group like Interpol. Even the boy's absurd number of connections to the rich and powerful was nothing new.

"It's not his skills, boss. It's how far he's willing to go." Petrel reached up to run a hand through his thick purple mohawk. "He ripped out Gozu's throat with his fucking teeth. Like a rabid dog!"

Giovanni was silent. He was no stranger to death. His mother had insisted on 'teaching him the ways of the world' as a child. He'd served on the front lines as a trench raider during the Great War. Upon his return and eventual ascension, he had bloodied his hands countless times.

He'd seen men gunned down in droves and gutted like animals. Watched disease and starvation ravage the body. Seen Pokemon rip men apart and desecrate their corpses. Butchered men and women in cold blood. He'd even gone so far as to slaughter his extended family for the simple fact they might be a threat down the line.

He had long grown numb to the act. Whether he killed for vengeance, money, or a long-dead sense of patriotism, however, he never tormented his enemies. Quick and relatively painless; a detached sense of professionalism. It was a small dignity he saw no reason to deny them.

Yet even he felt uneasy at the thought of biting out a throat. To do that… you'd need to either be truly desperate or completely detached from Humanity. It wasn't just the brutal act itself; it was going against every fiber of your being telling you to stop. To bite down harder and harder, even as the taste of flesh and blood flooded your mouth.

"Do you know why he did it?" Giovanni asked.

"If I had to guess? Desperation. We found the brat bleeding out with a knife in his gut." Petrel sighed. "Could be there's nothing to worry about with him. Desperate men do insane things to survive."

Perhaps. If it was just a desperate act on the verge of death, then the boy would recover. Adrenaline and the urge to survive would have pushed his mind to ignore everything else. If it was more than that, though, the boy could become a problem.

There was nothing dangerous than an enemy who saw you as less than human.

"Keep me updated. If he becomes a threat, move to neutralize." Giovanni instructed. "I won't allow someone with a Legend at their disposal to lose their Humanity."

Petrel nodded deferentially. "Latias' power has been growing. It's unnerving how fast it improves. Like taking a prodigy who's had to rely on their own skills to learn, then suddenly giving them a good teacher."

"They're a Legend, Petrel. Their potentially is always going to be greater than the rest." Giovanni glanced down at his feet towards the slumbering form of Persian. "What are your chances of stealing it?"

"Stealing it? All I'd have to do is wait until the brat puts it back in its ball and slit his throat. That's easy." Petrel said. "Looker and Anabel would notice if anything happened to him, especially if I were to vanish. My cover would be blown. Not to mention what'll happen to me if the dragon escapes her ball before transferring her."

In other words, the costs outweighed the benefits for now. While Giovanni didn't like the idea of leaving a Legend in Interpol's hands, he would begrudgingly admit they were perhaps the second best at handling them besides Team Rocket. The fact Latias was a minor Legend as well helped ease the distaste.

"Continue as you have. If an opportunity that won't risk your position arrives, take it." He instructed the spy. "Keep up the good work."

"Got it, boss."

Once he hung up, Giovanni shut the TV off and stood up. Careful not to disturb Persian, he stepped around her and moved towards the window to gaze outside. He could see patches of blooming flowers and towering trees everywhere one looked. Another sign that despite his best efforts, his Viridian was still clinging to the past.

He'd tried to modernize it. All of Kanto.. It belonged to him, after all… his to do with as he pleased. Yet time and again, the powers that be stood in his way.

Well, they wouldn't be a problem much longer.

He commanded the largest criminal network the world had ever seen. More power was at his disposal than any other Human in history. With a single command, he could plunge the world into chaos. Assassinate its leaders, destroy economies, instigate wars.

And it all meant nothing to him.

The power, fame, and wealth were a luxury he would gladly do without. The only thing in this entire world he cared about was his son.

A son who was now in danger because of the very power Giovanni held.

Despite his better judgment, Giovanni plucked his phone from his pocket and hit speed dial. It took a few moments, but eventually, the person on the other end picked up.

Silver yawned. "Dad? It's three in the morning. Why are you calling?"

Ah, right. Silver was on a journey through Unova. "Sorry, Silver. I guess I forgot the time difference. I wanted to hear your voice."

He could practically hear his son roll his eyes. "You couldn't wait until morning?"

Giovanni chuckled softly. "Is it so wrong for a father to miss his son?"

"Normally? No." Silver said. "We're not normal, though. You wouldn't call unless you had a reason. What happened?"

He flinched. He couldn't deny that he'd been slipping recently when it came to his son. Running Team Rocket was time consuming on its own, but his duties to the League and his company only compounded that problem. He wanted to call at least once a week… but it had been close to half a year since they'd last spoken.

It was one of his greatest failures as a father.

"There's been a development with the business. A new enemy." One that knew Silver was his family. "I need you to return to Kanto."

Silver growled on the other end. "Are you serious!?"

"It would only be until the threat is past." Giovanni promised. "You could think of it like a vacation. Relax and see your old friends-"

"Which ones? The ones who wanted our money or the ones more interested in you than me?" Silver demanded. "Doesn't matter. I'm not coming back."

Giovanni scowled. "Silver-"

"Don't 'Silver' me!" Silver retorted. "There's never going to be just one threat. Once this one's gone, there'll be two more to replace it. If you had things your way, I'd never step foot outside Kanto."

If he had things his way, Silver would have been by his side, learning how to lead. Team Rocket was his birthright. Giovanni didn't trust anyone but his son to lead it in his death. He longed for the day this teenage rebellion ended. There was much to teach him.

He knew there was no forcing the issue, though. Silver was too strong-willed for that. He took after his mother in that regard.

"If you won't come home, then at least let my people protect you." He said. "The Unovan branch is strong. They could make your journey much easier and put my mind at ease at the same time."

"For the last time, no!" Silver shouted, forcing Giovanni to pull the phone away from his ear. "I'm not walking around with a bunch of killers and thieves!"

Giovanni's grip on the phone tightened. His teeth ground together and he scrunched his eyes shut. "Silver… please. I'm just worried about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

Silence. It ran for so long that Giovanni almost feared his son had hung up. The only sign he was still there was the faint breathing on the other end.

Eventually, Silver let out a tired sigh. "I can protect myself, dad. I'm not a kid anymore." He whispered. "I still remember the lessons from Surge and Koga. And I have my Pokemon with me. I'll be fine. Trust me."

There was no one in the world he trusted more than Silver. This wasn't an issue of trust, however. However skilled Silver may have been, he was also kind-hearted and compassionate. Easily manipulated and taken advantage of. Giovanni's enemies would use that against him.

If only the boy would listen to reason.

Giovanni shook his head. "I know." He said. "Just promise me you'll stay safe."

"I should be the one telling you that." His son's laugh was cut off by a loud yawn. "Anyway, I really gotta get back to sleep. Goodnight, dad. Love you."

He smiled. "Goodnight, Silver."

Once the two hung up, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and gazed back out towards the city. His son may not have wanted his protection, but this wasn't something he would budge on. He'd just need to be subtle about it. His lieutenants and Admins in Unova would watch over Silver if he gave the order, but there was always the risk of them turning traitor.

He needed someone that could not only be discreet, but whose loyalty was beyond reproach.

Domino would be the perfect choice. Her cover as Silver's friend was still strong, and her loyalty was without question. She'd done well to protect him during their war with Team Plasma. He knew she'd do just as well this time.

Iron-Masked Marauder… he was inconsequential. However physically dangerous he may be, he wasn't smart enough to do this on his own. Building a network of traitors and preparing a coup unseen for all these years took a level of subtlety and intelligence he lacked.

No matter what Pryce claimed, he was behind this. Giovanni didn't know why he had waited this long to begin his revenge. He didn't care.

All he knew was that he would kill anyone who dared to threaten Silver.

---

Anabel stepped over the sleeping body of a Skull Grunt.

Po Town was a complete mess. While it could generously be called a rundown ruin at the best of times, this was something else. The smell of alcohol and old food was so strong she wanted to gag. Drunk, unconscious Grunts and their Pokemon littered the ground everywhere she looked. Distantly, she could even hear music coming from some houses.

She hadn't been expecting much from Team Skull. Simple professionalism was all she asked for. Somehow, though, they still found new ways to disappoint her. She prayed to any god listening that Guzma wasn't in the same sorry state.

When she eventually found him on the lawn outside of Shady House, she was relieved to see he wasn't. Hunched over a table and munching on a BLT, he looked miserable. Unkempt hair, bloodshot eyes, and a scowl replaced the arrogant aura that usually surrounded the man.

Now, Anabel wasn't a petty woman. If she had an issue, she dealt with it directly and decisively. No dancing around a problem with half measures. Even so, when Guzma flinched as she scraped a chair along the ground to take a seat?

She couldn't hide the pleased grin on her face.

"Rough night?" She asked.

Guzma grunted. "Far from it. The gang and I decided to celebrate our victory with a little Alolan fun." He bit down on his BLT, shaking his head. "Damn shame the morning after always sucks."

Anabel rolled her eyes. These people were acting like they were the ones to drive Team Rocket out. If it hadn't been for Interpol, Guzma would be lying in an unmarked grave somewhere with the rest of Team Skull. A fitting end for the Alolan kingpin.

A shame they still needed him.

"You should tell your people not to drink on watch." She recommended. "I just waltzed right in without a problem."

"Rocket's dead, and you people are keeping the police off our backs. Way I see it, there's no reason my boys can't relax for one night." Guzma said. "So, why are you here instead of Looker?"

"He had more important things to do." A job she didn't envy. "I'm only here to make sure you stick to the plan, and fill you in on what's happening going forward."

Guzma raised his half-eaten sandwich in a lazy salute. "Whatever you say, boss."

Sarcastic son of a bitch.

"With Team Rocket gone, your people will need to move quickly. The power vacuum they'll leave behind isn't one you can ignore." She said. "If any other gangs try to take advantage of it, crush or absorb them."

"Way ahead of you there." Guzma reached across the table to grab a glass of something clear, though she had no idea if it was water or more alcohol. "We've already moved into their former territory. The ports are ours, and I've made sure everyone knows it. Most of the gangs in the area are falling in line."

Good. She doubted any of them held any great love for Team Rocket. To them, working under Skull was just the same. Maybe even better in the eyes of the more nationalistic gangs. So long as Skull didn't do anything drastic, the rest of the underworld wouldn't unite against them.

"Most?" Anabel drummed her gloved fingers on the table. "Who's been giving you trouble?"

"Underground casinos mostly." Guzma shrugged. "They're stubborn. Refuse to pay us our dues for operating on our new turf. I figure we'll just burn one of them to the ground and the others will fall in line."

Or it would spur them to resist. Even if they submitted, it wouldn't last. Those casinos would take every opportunity to undermine and resist Skull short of open conflict. When Team Rocket inevitably returned, those casinos would be perfect allies to help reestablish themselves.

"Before doing something drastic, let us see what we can dig up." Anabel ordered. "If there's a way to get them to work with you willingly, it'd be better to take that. Fewer enemies that way."

"If you can find something by the end of the week, I'm all for it." Guzma said. "Prefer not to torch such lucrative businesses if I can help it."

"Good. We'll contact you once we find something you can use." It shouldn't take too long with the reach they had. "Agents will be arriving soon. They'll be taking leadership positions in your organization from now on."

Guzma didn't bother to hide his scowl. "Don't trust me to lead my own people?"

She wouldn't trust him to lead her to breakfast.

"We need to whip your people into shape. The weapons and Pokemon we provided may give them the firepower, but they lack the training and experience to use them effectively." Anabel smiled. "Our agents will give them that. We'll turn your band of delinquents and failures into a respectable organization."

As respectable as a crime syndicate could be, anyway.

"So, what? I'm supposed to just step down? Let them run the show?" He growled.

"You'll still be in charge." She assured him. "Their only job will be to train your people and run ops for us under your name. Anything beyond that is your purview."

"Really?" Anabel could feel his skepticism as clear as day. Buried beneath it was a faint hint of anger. "Not gonna try to tell me who to recruit as well?"

Anabel shook her head. "Nope. We're perfectly fine with who you recruit." She said. "You're giving the poor and downtrodden a chance at a better life. We see no reason to get in the way."

And wasn't that one of the saddest things she'd ever said? Loath as she was to admit it, Alola had failed its people. The system was more focused on keeping tourism high and its image as the perfect paradise untainted. Even acknowledging the significant homeless population or number of failed trainers would have gone against that.

For all of Skull's evil, that was one thing she couldn't fault them for. Most people preferred not to think of the less fortunate in society. It was just easier than acknowledging they existed. Many of those who did often levied blame and suspicion upon them.

It was a rare few who ever stepped up to help. For those with no hope, the opportunity to work for Skull would be life changing. Warm food in their bellies, roofs over their heads, and a community that cared for them. It was all any of them could ask for.

And all Skull asked in return was their willingness to embrace the role society had already forced upon them.

It was exploitive, but Interpol couldn't solve that problem. Better to control it than let it run rampant.

Satisfaction radiated off the man. "Good. Glad we agree on that." Guzma said. "Now that Rocket's gone, I can focus on making things better for our people. Fix Po Town up while am at it. Maybe even convince Aether to help me improve things now that we've got a partnership."

Her eyes narrowed. "A noble idea. You should get a better hold on your people before trying that, though." She remarked. "I've heard reports your Grunts shakedown soup kitchens and anywhere else that helps the poor. It won't do your reputation any favors."

Anger flared within the man, but it wasn't directed at her. A righteous rage that wasn't at all unpleasant to feel. "Those were rogue Grunts. I've dealt with them and made sure everyone knows that we don't target our own." He slammed his fist on the table. "Any of them try that shit again? They'll wish Rocket had killed them."

Ash would be glad to hear that.

"Actions speaker louder than words." She stood up, offering him a curt nod. "Good day, Guzma. We'll be in touch when next we need you. Good luck with your ambitions."

He'd need it.

---

"Ah, the prodigal daughter returns! How goes your tribute?" Tapu Koko trilled. "I hope you have good news to summon us all like this."

Latias regarded the Legends around her for a moment. Like before, they had all convened at the Altar of the Sunne. To her relief, they didn't make her wait on them for hours. It was barely fifteen minutes before they all arrived in the same spectacular fashion as before.

With what she'd seen of them so far, she was convinced they did it to show off more than anything else.

She bowed her head deferentially. "Of course, Tapu Koko. I would never intrude upon your precious time without good reason."

Tapu Lele rolled her eyes. "More like you can't stand us." She drawled. "Don't bother denying it. Your eyes give it away."

Psychic energy flared behind her eyes, but Latias kept it under control. "Only one of you. The rest are worthy of respect."

As expected, the slight against her pride drew a growl from the pink butterfly. Tapu Lele fluttered her wings erratically. "Something to say, Latias?"

"Why waste my words?" She retorted. "Nothing I say or do will earn your respect."

"You arrogant little-"

A yawn cut through their argument. "Would you kindly save this for later? Preferably when I'm not here?" Tapu Bulu groaned.

Tapu Fini nodded, running her webbed fins through her cyan hair. "Quite. We have more important things to do than listen to your petty squabble."

Tapu Lele may not have been happy about the interruption, but Latias was secretly relieved. She still wasn't confident she was strong enough to fight the island deity and win. Not when her enemy had the type advantage and millennia of experience on her side.

"My apologies. I shouldn't have let my feelings control me." She bowed her head again. "This shouldn't take long. I summoned you all to inform you that my tribute is complete."

Tapu Koko tilted his head aside. "You've driven out the Humans? This… Team Rocket, I believe they were called?"

Latias hummed in acknowledgement. "Thanks to the help of more benevolent Humans, we were able to drive them out. Their leaders are either dead or imprisoned. It'll be years before they even think of returning."

A snort interrupted her. Tapu Lele fluttered her wings in annoyance. "Years, you say? That may mean something to those parasites, but we're immortal. It will be the blink of an eye for us."

Tapu Koko leveled a stern glare at his pink counterpart, but she didn't appear intimidated. Latias wasn't surprised. While the Tapu's may have all had different roles, none of them were inherently stronger than the others. Not to any overwhelming degree.

That was the case with most Legends. When Arceus created them in pairs or groups, they ensured none of them could overpower the others. A way of keeping the balance of the world in check, or so she remembered Latios telling her as a child. She'd never paid much attention to any of it.

Her brother handled the diplomacy with other Legends before he died. No one wanted to talk to the weak, childish younger sibling. It was just one of the many things she missed about her dear brother, even all these years later.

Humans were much better company than other Legends.

"The Humans that I worked with won't let them come back without a fight." She promised the group. "They know what you four will do if Rocket returns. Trust me; Interpol will go to any length to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Worked with?" Tapu Lele snorted. "You're a Legend, girl. You're meant to lead, not follow. Those Humans should be bowing to your every whim, yet here you are willingly accepting their leash."

The air around Latias hummed with Psychic power. Light distorted and the air became tense. Trees previously swaying in the wind became unnaturally still. Even the idle chatter of local Pokemon ceased as an overwhelming aura of anger filled the air.

Despite this, Tapu Fini nodded along with her pink counterpart. "Indeed. I've even noticed you walk among them in your Human form." She looked at the young Dragon with pity. "You must know you will never be one of them. No matter what you may wish."

Latias scowled and took a deep breath. She needed to control her emotions. Anabel had told her that deep breaths and focusing on her heartbeat was one of the best ways to do that. To her relief, it was true.

Once her Psychic power was back under control, she opened her eyes and calmly regarded the island deities. "What I do in my private time is my business. As I've told you before."

Tapu Koko trilled in sympathy. "I understand the allure of Humanity, Latias. Their passion and strength are admirable." He looked wistfully towards the sky. "But no matter how tender or exquisite your time among them may be, you will never be one of them."

Her claws twitched in irritation. "I'm not stupid. I know I'm not Human."

"Do you?" Tapu Fini said pityingly. "You wear their form with the eagerness of a child. You almost seem to treat your divine form as an afterthought."

"We don't mean to criticize you, Latias. Only educate you." Tapu Koko rushed to assure her. "You've spent your life among Humans. It's only natural you would feel disconnected from your true self. Now that you've completed your tribute, we will gladly take it upon ourselves to educate you."

Even with the lessons Anabel had given her, it was hard to control the rising annoyance and anger inside her. The Tapu's insistence on treating her like an ignorant child got on her nerves. In their eyes, it didn't matter that she had taken care of a threat to their islands for them. It didn't even matter that she was a fellow Legend.

All that mattered to them was her association with the Humans, and her willingness to see them as equals. So long as they remained true, they would never give her the respect she deserved.

If nothing else, it made what came next much easier.

"That won't be possible." She told them with barely restrained glee. "I'll be leaving Alola in the next few days."

The Tapu's all blinked and shared looks of surprise.

"Are you sure? You only just completed your task. Do you not wish to enjoy our islands?" Tapu Koko asked.

Latias shook her head. "I didn't come for pleasure. I came to find the people responsible for the destruction of Alto Mare, and drive them out." She shrugged. "Now that I've done that, I have no reason to stay."

Tapu Bulu blinked drowsily and swayed in place. "Are you certain? There's much the others could teach you."

She smiled. "Positive. Team Rocket has influence across the world. If I'm going to stop them, I can't afford to waste my time where I'm not needed." She shrugged. "Besides, the Humans can teach me anything I need to know in a fraction of the time."

Tapu Lele narrowed her eyes. "You think the Humans are better teachers than us? Have you lost your mind?"

"Absolutely." She floated into the air above them and offered a mock salute with their claw. None of them seemed to understand the gesture. "Goodbye, great Tapu's. Treat your people well. I'd hate to have to come back and correct you."

---

It was the middle of the day when Mallow returned to her home. When she stepped inside, she was carrying an armful of groceries and kicked the door shut behind her. A tired sigh escaped her, and she shook her head. She stepped into her kitchen, setting the grocery bags on the counter with a dull thud.

"Want some help with those?"

A startled gasp escaped her. Mallow frantically spun on her heels, eyes wide with fear. One hand flew to her belt to grab her Pokeball, while the other snatched a cucumber off the counter as an impromptu weapon.

Ash held up his hands in mock surrender, barely holding in laughter. "Stop, please. Don't hurt me. I didn't know you had such dangerous weapons."

His mirth-filled eyes flicked to the cucumber. With his feet up on her kitchen table and a half-eaten yogurt cup in his hands, he must have cut an imposing figure.

Mallow tightened her grip on the cucumber. "Ash, you jerk! Don't scare me like that!" She snarled.

Easier said than done. Ash was almost tempted to see what she'd have done with that vegetable if he'd been someone else. Though, knowing his luck? She'd have probably domed him in the head and ordered Tsarina to break his legs.

Not that he could blame her in that situation.

"Sorry. Guess I should have waited till you were home." He let out a small chuckle. "Seriously, you need help with those?"

"Do I- No!" Once she set the cucumber on the ground, she placed her hands on her hips and glared down at him. "How did you even get in here?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "I picked the lock. You should upgrade those, by the way. A novice could pick through those without breaking a sweat."

Not that anyone would come after her home. Most people already saw her as a pillar of the community, thanks to her work with local soup kitchens. Everyone else would stay away for fear of retaliation from Team Skull.

Mallow's eye twitched. "You know where we keep the key! Why would you do that?"

"I'd have had to go through the front door. Who knows who could have seen me then?" Ash stood up. "Don't worry, I didn't snoop through your things."

His mother had raised him better than that.

Mallow pushed past that and leaned close, emerald eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Where have you been?" She demanded. "You promised you'd keep in touch, but it's been weeks since I've heard from you. Now you just drop in and act like it's business as usual?"

He flinched. "I'm sorry. I was in the hospital and-"

"The hospital?" Alarmed, Mallow forced him to sit back down in his seat. "What happened? Why were you in the hospital?"

Ash tried to smile reassuringly, but his old friend was unconvinced. "I was just in a small coma. Nothing to worry about."

"A coma doesn't sound small, Ash!" She snarled.

Ash was tempted to point out that things could have gone much worse. He could have died or been crippled for his troubles. Far as he was concerned, a brief stay in the hospital was a small price to pay. Something told him that if he said that, though, he was liable to give her an aneurysm.

The greenette shook her head with a groan. "How did you even wind up in a coma in the first place?"

"I got stabbed."

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth.

Mallow froze. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open, gaping like a fish out of water. It would have been funny if he didn't feel so guilty. With how many shocks and bombshells he was dropping on her today, he could only imagine how fast her heart must be beating.

Eventually, Mallow broke from her stupor and snapped into a panicked worry. "H-how did that happen? What were you doing? Why are you not still in the hospital?"

She accentuated each question with a poke and prod of her hands. They roamed over his body in search of the offending wound. Before he could stop her, she grazed his stomach and applied pressure. He recoiled from her touch with a hiss, face scrunching up in discomfort.

Her hands flew to her mouth. She looked away in shame. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ash shook his head, taking his brown flat cap off and setting it on the table. "It's alright. No harm done."

She frowned, eyes glanced at his chest. "Can… can I see it?"

That wasn't what he'd been expecting. "Why?"

"I just want to make sure you're okay with my own eyes." She reached out as if to poke him on the forehead, but stopped at the last second. "Knowing you? You'd try to hide how bad it really is out of some stupid sense of not wanting to be a burden."

Harsh.

Not inaccurate, though.

Ash reached down and pulled his shirt up. While it initially revealed a more lean, muscular body from his time training with Interpol, that was quickly overshadowed by the ugly scars on his chest. They were an ugly shade of pink; jagged and unsightly, even with the stitches and weeks of healing.

Mallow could only stare in silence. The longer she did, the deeper her frown grew, and the more uncomfortable Ash became. He shifted in place and tried to bring his shirt down, but paused. Tentatively, she reached out and traced her fingers along his scars.

"What happened?" She whispered.

"You know the incident at Aether?"

Looker and Anabel would be furious if they found out Ash was telling a civilian this. He trusted Mallow, though. She'd kept his secret, even after she learned what he'd done to Kiawe. If there was anyone in Alola who could keep quiet about Aether, it was her.

"An Ultra Beast did this?" The disbelief was clear as day.

He shook his head. "No, that's just the cover story." He told her. "Truth is, Team Rocket attacked Aether Paradise. They wanted the data on Ultra Space, and were going to kill anyone who got in their way."

Mallow's eyes widened. "Arceus…."

He smiled bitterly. "I was on the island with my team when it happened. They outnumbered and outgunned us. So my boss told us to hold them off until reinforcements could arrive." He said. "I got into a fight with a Rocket. It… went about as well as you could expect. I survived, though, and stopped them from getting the data."

All in all, it was a win. Even if what he'd done would haunt him forever.

"How are you even out of the hospital?" Mallow asked. "These look bad."

Ash chuckled. "Interpol has the best doctors and medical tech in the world. Once they patched me up, all I needed was some rest. And if there's one thing a coma's good for, it's that."

Not that it had been so easy. It'd been a few days since he woke up, and the doctors had been adamant about keeping him until they were sure he could be trusted on his feet. Looker and Anabel had threatened to handcuff him to a bed if he tried to leave before he was ready.

Petrovic… had just offered him a bottle of whiskey. A gift for surviving his first knife wound, or so he claimed. Ash was convinced he just did it to piss the others off.

But he'd passed all their tests and been given the all clear. All he had to do was avoid anything strenuous until he'd fully healed, and he was free to leave. Something Ash was all too happy to agree to.

The mandated therapy was less pleasant, but he would manage. As unpleasant as it might be, Ash knew he needed it. Fortunately, he still had a week before his first session.

Lucky him.

Her emerald eyes met his dark brown orbs. "You're really okay? You're not lying to make me feel better?"

"Trust me. If I wasn't okay to be walking around, my team would have kept me prisoner in the hospital. My Pokemon would even have helped them." He said.

Mallow snorted. "I'm glad you've got them, then. Arceus knows you must give them a heart attack with how often you do something crazy."

He pouted. "Just so you know, I'm the one getting dragged into their insanity. Compared to them? I'm the sane one."

Mallow didn't even bother to hide her laughter. "Whatever you say, Ash." She tilted her head aside. "By the way, where's Pikachu? Is he alright?"

Rather than answer her, he pointed beneath the table. With a confused shrug, she leaned down to find the electric rat in question. Pikachu was curled up under the table, a bottle of ketchup between his legs. He was entirely focused on getting as much ketchup out of the slim bottle as possible.

He did offer her an energetic wave and a squeak in greeting, though.

"I hope you weren't saving that for anything." Ash laughed. "Pikachu never leaves scraps when it comes to this stuff."

Pikachu chortled something that may have been either an admission or a cry of indignation.

It was hard to tell without a Psychic to translate.

"I guess I forgot how obsessed Pikachu was with the stuff." Mallow grinned. "Guess I'll need to keep the house stocked up with him around."

He grimaced. "About that… my stopping by wasn't just to see you, Mallow." He said. "My team and I are leaving Alola in a few days."

She froze. "Why?"

"Me." He sighed. "I've stayed hidden so far, but I'm too well known here. Being the first Champion will do that to you. If I stay, I run the risk of being discovered."

If that happened, things would get bad quickly. Most of the world still believed he had chosen to hide in remote uninhabited areas of the world, like Mount Silver. If they found out he was here in Alola, though? It wouldn't just be him who paid the price.

Anyone with even a passing interest in the case would turn to his friends. The authorities would demand to know if any of them had helped him, while the public would demand they condemn him. He didn't want his terrible reputation to hurt them anymore than it already had.

The worst outcome would be if they found out he was working for Interpol. Team Rocket may have already known, but everyone else? The damage that would do to Interpol would be beyond anything he could imagine. Public outcry and hatred would be the least of their worries if the public learned they were employing wanted criminals.

His leaders would have no choice but to hand him over to the police – to salvage their reputation, if nothing else. Looker, Anabel, and Petrovic would all face censure in some form for working with him. They would take his Pokemon from him, and parade him around in a show trial.

The disgraced Champion of Alola finally brought to justice… it made for an eye-catching headline.

"I see… thanks for letting me know, I guess." Mallow hung her head. "Is that the only reason you came?"

"I came because you're my friend." He adamantly stated. "This may be the last time we see each other for a while. I figured I'd spend my last couple of days in Alola with you."

Mallow looked up uncertainly at him. Her cheeks darkened slightly. "Really? Aren't you busy with all your spy stuff?"

"I'm still just a rookie. My job was done the minute the attack ended." He smiled. "I've got plenty of time for you, Mallow."

"Oh… well, good. I-I'm glad to hear it."

He tilted his head to the side. Why did she look so nervous? Mallow was normally so confident. Was it something he said?

He blinked. "Before I forget, there's something I need to tell you." Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out Kiawe's Z-Ring, handing it to the greenette. "I need you to give this back to Kiawe."

Shocked, Mallow could only nod. "You got it back?"

"You know me. When I make a promise…."

"You keep it." Mallow mumbled. She set the ring on the table. "How did you do that? I thought you were in a coma?"

Ash shrugged. "Pure dumb luck. The Rocket I was fighting was the same one I gave it to before. Once I beat him, all I had to do was take it back."

Her eyes shined with admiration. "Amazing…."

That wasn't the word he would have used. He'd take his blessings where he could get them, though. Ash was relieved she didn't try to dig for details about how he'd done it.

"You shoulder sneak it into his home, if you can," Ash told her. "I'd do it myself, but I can't get past the Herdier they have. I doubt he'd just accept me walking up and giving it to him, either."

Truthfully? He expected either a lot of angry shouting or a swift kick to the balls if he revealed himself to Kiawe. It wasn't even just his old friend's passion for justice and outrage at Ash's supposed crimes. After what he'd done to Kiawe, he deserved every bit of anger the Alolan native held for him.

Ash would just have to hope he could atone for it one day.

Mallow frowned. "He really should get it back from you, but I'll see what I can do. If worse comes to worst, I'll just say I found it in my mailbox." She said. "I'm guessing you don't plan on telling him or the others what you told me?"

"As much as I want to, I can't risk it." Ash closed his eyes and looked towards the ceiling. "I took a big risk with you – and I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't forced me to."

She shrugged, entirely unapologetic for what she'd done. "Guess you shouldn't have been so heroic then."

That was one word for it. Stupid and reckless were a few more. Probably more accurate as well.

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I can't risk telling them. Without hard proof that I wasn't in control back then, they won't believe me. Not after what I did to Kiawe."

"Couldn't your team vouch for you?

"Maybe." He admitted. "I'd have to convince them, though, and there's no guarantee that everyone would believe them. All it would take is just one to reveal this to the world, and that's it. My chance to clear my name goes up in smoke."

And his survival along with it.

"I think you're underestimating our friends… but alright. It's your secret. I just hope you'll trust them enough to reveal the truth one day." She said sadly.

"I will. Once I have evidence they'll believe." He said. "But if there's you think will believe me just on your word? Well… I guess it would be alright if you tell them the basics. Just nothing about Interpol, got it?"

Mallow bobbed her head up and down vigorously. "That's fair! Don't worry. I won't tell anyone anything unless I'm sure they'll keep quiet about you."

Good. Even if he couldn't speak to them, just the thought that more of his friends believed in him was enough to keep him going. Clearing his name wouldn't just help him. It would show everyone who supported him that their faith wasn't misplaced.

Ash grabbed Mallow by the hand and stood up. "But enough of that. Come on! If we've only got a few days before I leave, then we need to get moving!"

"H-hold on, where are we going?" She asked.

"The beach! It's been ages since the two of us went Mantine surfing, so I think it's about time we fixed that. And after that? Well, the sky's the limit!"

---

And with that, we've reached the end of the Alola arc. It was a long time coming, but we made it. This was definitely an interesting arc for me to work on. That climax at Aether went through at least five other variations before I settled on what we got. Overall, though, I enjoyed this arc. It's definitely an improvement over Alto Mare in terms of writing and character development, I feel.

Next arc, we're heading to Hoenn! This is gonna be a lot of fun!

Before I let you all go, I'm going to announce a little competition, so to speak. As I revealed this chapter, Interpol has a commander in charge of each region. The competition is simple: correctly guess who the commander for each region is and explain your reasoning. The first person to correctly guess them all will win a oneshot of their choosing! And if you can also correctly guess the identity of the Director, you'll earn a bonus oneshot as well.

The only thing to keep in mind is that the commanders must be adults, and they must have no connection to Team Rocket or any other evil team. So, no one below the age of twenty or with a dubious background can be a candidate. Beyond that? Anyone is fair game. Have fun guessing! I'm interested to see what your reasoning behind your choices will be.

Anyway, I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you thought, and I hope you enjoyed.

Once again, I would like to give special thanks to Echoh and Kasan_Soulblade for their help with this chapter.