Author's Notes:

Hello everyone, and welcome to LC, a trainer fic that's been around way too long for its own good because I just can't let it go. After twelve revisions, four rewrites, and multiple hiatuses, I'm finally on track to actually finish this ridiculous, over-the-top story about Rockets, Legendaries, betrayal, conspiracy, war, 'destiny', timespace, and infinity.

What should you expect from this fic? Loads of trainerfic cliches getting deconstructed to hell and back. A large focus on the Pokemon as characters, and not just their trainers. Tons of big, bombastic action. And of course, plenty of character suffering. If you like seeing characters pushed to their breaking point in increasingly bad situations, then this is the fic for you.

Lastly... this is gonna be a long ride. Eighty chapters when it's done. So strap yourselves in and get ready, because once the plot starts, it's not gonna stop. I appreciate any and all comments and criticism, so please let me know what you think. Enjoy~

.

This story began with the human who rejected infinity.
It will end with the human who accepted it.

There was no light at the bottom of the sea. No disturbances, no strife. Nothing but calm, sweet silence and solitude, and that was how the guardian of the seas liked it. The ancient creature spent most of its time in the heart of its domain, deep in meditation. Taking in the whispers and wanderings of a thousand sea currents. Guiding them with its wings. This was how things were meant to be. This was ideal.

At least, until a jolt of awareness in the back of its mind suddenly woke it from its slumber.

Piercing blue eyes snapped open, glowing within the pitch-darkness. The eyes narrowed as their owner contemplated the intrusion. Some kind of psychic signal. Perhaps the creature could ignore it. Pretend it had felt nothing, and sleep for several more months. It knew that signature, and therefore who must have sent it. The guardian knew what they wished to discuss and wanted no part in it.

The future was full of many uncertainties. Not so in the deep. The deep was always dark and always would be. The deep was always calm—not like the surface. The deep could always hide those who wished to be hidden.

Another psychic signal prodded at the back of the creature's mind, and it let out a sigh. It wasn't going to be getting back to sleep, was it. Apparently, solitude was too much to ask for.

Something was approaching. Another mind had brushed against the guardian's psychic field. A deep-sea fish of some kind—Relicanth, perhaps. Not that there was any question who it truly was. They weren't even bothering to hide their psychic presence, after all.

[Are you awake?] came a cool, clear psychic voice, light as an afternoon breeze.

[I am now.]

Relicanth airily drifted around the much larger guardian, their movements playful. Rather unbecoming for that form.

[Are you coming?]

[Must I?]

Relicanth lightly headbutted the creature's wing with a giggle. [I can teleport you if you like.]

[No. I'll fly by my own wings.]

[Suit yourself.]

With a flash of light that felt disturbingly out of place for the deep, Relicanth vanished.

Alone once again. The sea guardian would have liked nothing more than to return to its meditation. But the Order no doubt wished to discuss the state of things. It couldn't be helped.

With a single flap of its wings, the creature shot up from the ocean floor like a silver torpedo. The crushing depths released their hold as it flew through the water, countless fish scattering in its wake. Closer, closer… the waters grew lighter. There—the inviting glimmer of the surface.

The legend rocketed out of the sea. Cool, salty air swept over its body, a sharp contrast to the water's embrace. The sensation prickled like needles against its feathers, but still, there was something freeing about beating its wings through currents of wind and taking gulps of air that burned sweetly in its unused lungs

The sky was so different from the deep, but felt just as right. Flying was, indeed, one of the simplest joys in the world. The legend effortlessly soared higher and higher, its wings stealing bits of silvery cloud to shield it from view. One could never be too careful, especially these days.

Each passing day brought them closer to the one when the balance would fall, just as it had so long ago. The sea guardian had not witnessed that time itself, but every legend knew the tale. Even the humans had stories from the cataclysmic era. And soon the conflict would resurface. No one had wanted to believe it, but recent events had confirmed those fears.

It was a strange thought, knowing that the balance of the world would soon unravel again. Would they be ready? It wasn't as if the Order had no course of action before them. They all knew what was required. They'd known for ages. The search would have to begin soon.

Even as the fires of the Revolution subside, the balance that the Order fought so hard to preserve is already on the inevitable path to being torn apart once again. Seven among them—the ones who dedicated both mind, body, and spirit toward ending the war—shall be empowered to forge an alliance with humankind so that both might endure.

Such a strange course of action, joining the two sides together. But the legend knew just as well as the others that it couldn't refuse. It had seen the threads of fate with its own eyes, much as it hated to admit it. The real question was… when would the conflict reach a point that the interlopers would be forged?

Lugia gazed down over the mainland, its mind swimming with doubts. The next seven years would be interesting, that much was certain.

The school bell's loud ring filled the air—and it was about time, too. I quickly stuffed my books into my backpack before following after my classmates and pretending I hadn't heard the last-minute assignment that we'd been given. It would have been just a normal afternoon, except my head was still filled with rumors from that morning.

I stood on my toes as I glanced back and forth down the hallway, hoping I'd spot Starr somewhere in the crowd. She wasn't anywhere to be seen, but I did manage to spot my friend Ajia, a small fifth-grader with dark hair and eyes. At least I'd get to talk to her before the end of the day.

"Hey Ajia!" I called out, waving to her from the crowd of fourth-graders before quickly running over to her.

"Heya, how was class?" she asked.

"Eh… failed a Pokéspeech quiz—you know, as always," I replied with a shrug.

Ajia laughed. "Yeah, that class is a whole lot of confusing doom when you first start out. It gets better later on, though," she said.

"Mm," I replied. This was my third semester at it, so I wasn't really just starting out. I didn't feel like saying that, though. And my mind kept wandering back to what had been bothering me most of the day. "So, uh… have you seen Starr? I didn't even see her at lunch." I fidgeted a bit, unsure how to ask what I wanted to know. "Is it really true that she's…?" My words trailed off and died.

Ajia sighed. "She… told me she didn't want to talk about it with you 'cause she knew you'd take it the hardest."

"What? What does that even—ugh, I've got to talk to her before she leaves."

"I think she's waiting for a ride out front right now. If you hurry, you might catch her."

My heart skipped a beat. "Okay, I'll see you on Monday!" I yelled, immediately taking off through the double doors behind me.

The bright afternoon sun stung my eyes as I raced down the sidewalk. I quickly glanced at each of the kids sitting on the ledge by the parking lot… and then spotted Starr sitting off to the side, head bent low so that her short, reddish-brown hair hid her face. My footsteps slowed. I hesitated for a bit before walking up to her.

"Hey Jade," Starr mumbled as I neared, without looking up at me.

I sat down next to her, but didn't say anything at first. She had only vaguely hinted at what was going on, and I had no idea what I was supposed to think.

"So… this is really your last day at school here?" I finally asked.

Starr nodded slowly without looking up.

"Where are you moving to?" I asked cautiously. She obviously didn't want to talk about it… and I almost didn't want to know.

In a low voice she muttered, "Cianwood." I didn't even know where that was supposed to be.

It was like nothing around us existed. I couldn't get my thoughts straight—all of this had come up too fast. Sure, I'd known that she was going to leave at the end of the school year, to start her Pokémon training journey. And I'd been trying not to think about it. But I'd thought we'd have three more months together. Not… this.

"It's not fair!" I cried, burying my face in my arms. "Why'd this have to come out of nowhere? And moving on your birthday? What's up with that?"

"I don't know," Starr replied with a huff. "It's all my mom's idea, and she didn't tell me anything. And Dad's not even coming with us."

I slowly uncovered my face. "You never really see your dad much anymore, do you?"

She shook her head.

"Still… it's dumb that your mom won't tell you why all of this is happening," I added.

"Yeah, she just keeps saying that she wants me and my brother to have a better life that we couldn't have gotten here. Or something like that," Starr grumbled.

"Hey, that's right—what does your brother think about all of this? Isn't he friends with Ajia?"

Starr sighed. "I don't know, Lexx has been acting weird and not talking to me much lately," she said with a scowl.

Neither of us said anything else for a while. I just stared at the ground, feeling sort of lost.

"Why didn't you want to talk to me before you left?" I finally asked.

She sighed again. "I didn't want you to make a big deal out of it, okay?"

"Who says I was gonna?"

Starr laughed. "What do you think you're doing right now?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but then realized that she'd got me with that, so I just glared at her.

"Pfft, see what I mean? You're such a little kid," Starr said, smirking.

"Don't call me that!" I yelled, punching her in the shoulder, but she just laughed even harder. Yeah, I was annoyed, but I was also glad to see her smiling. Anything to make things feel normal.

"So… were you planning to get a starter Pokémon, or is it just gonna be you and Ponyta?" I asked.

"Of course I'm getting a starter," Starr said with a scoff, like there was no way she wouldn't. "I'm gonna see if they have any water-types. I'd love to train a Totodile."

I smiled. "Yeah? That's cool. It just sucks that I won't be able to start my journey for three more years. Then I could meet up with you and…" My voice trailed off as the realization hit me.

"Hey—hey, wait! If you're gonna be a Pokémon trainer, that means you can travel anywhere you want, right? So then you can come visit Viridian way before I start my journey!"

Starr paused, blinking in surprise. "I… hadn't thought of that."

My face fell. Why wasn't she more excited about it? She was just kind of… staring into space, distracted.

"You… will visit, right?" I asked quietly.

Starr blinked, like she'd just snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, of course. It might be a while, but I will. Promise."

Something in her face told me that she wanted to say more. I kept waiting, expecting her to turn towards me and finally say it, whatever it was. But she never did. And I was too afraid to ask.

We sat there for some time. It was probably only a few minutes, but I wanted it to last forever. Eventually, Starr glanced up at a blue car that had just parked along the curb. She stared at it for a few seconds, then stood up and threw her backpack over her shoulder before walking towards the car, feet dragging a bit. She had only taken a few steps when she paused, turning back towards me one last time.

"Bye."

Just hearing that one word made me feel weirdly numb. I forced a smile—it felt fake, and I could tell from her face that she wasn't fooled.

I didn't watch as she got in the car.

Chapter 1: Ravaged Mountainside

June 1 (five years later)

Summer days were made for this—made for feeling the wind in my face and the rush of adrenaline as my bike flew down the hill. My eyes focused, teeth clenched, fists tightening on the handlebars as I closed in on my target, dead ahead. Just a few more seconds and my front wheel would hit the ramp and I'd pull back on the handlebars and then—!

"Aw yeaahh!" I yelled, throwing a fist towards the sky as my bike flew through the air. No matter how many times I jumped the same ramp, those few seconds of being airborne were the best thing in the world. My bike landed several yards away with a thud, and I immediately doubled back the way I came, waving toward the top of the hill.

"Did you see how much air I got?!" I yelled.

"Big deal, I can beat that!" Rudy called out, racing down the hill. A broad grin covered most of his tan face, and his dark eyes held a wild, confident energy. I wasn't too sure how far I'd jumped, but I was pretty sure there was no way he could beat it.

I slowly pedaled back up the hill, still watching him speed downward. Which is why I didn't see it until the last second.

A flash of black out of the corner of my eye. I swerved instantly to avoid it—too far! My front wheel skidded on the dirt and pitched sideways, and I just barely had enough time to throw my arms out before I toppled over into a sprawled heap in the dirt.

Well, that was random. Not that I had any doubts as to who was responsible.

I coughed hard, wiping my long hair out of my face as I attempted to sit up. Not a second later, I was forced back down by a pair of heavy paws colliding with my chest as black fur filled my entire field of vision.

"Ow, c'mon… lemme up, Ebony!" I yelled, shoving a hand against the Houndour sitting triumphantly on my stomach. She finally jumped off, looking way too pleased with herself as she trotted over to her owner… who was now standing next to his bike, cracking up.

"Pfft—shut up, Rudy," I said, climbing to my feet and wiping the dirt from my baggy clothes.

"You gotta admit that's hilarious," Rudy laughed, wiping his eyes. He then gave the Houndour a bewildered look and added, "Okay, but seriously Ebony, how the heck did you get out?"

The firedog barked out a reply that had something to do with the gate. Had we… left it open? We weren't that dumb, were we?

From the triumphant grin on her face, I suspected we were.

"Aw c'mon… you know I'm the one who gets in trouble when you wander off, right?" Rudy said, rubbing the back of his head. Judging by the cheerful barks she let out next, I didn't think she cared.

Rudy sighed. "Oh well, maybe it's a good thing that you followed us." His face split into a mischievous grin. "Gotta keep practicing, after all. Now where was it…" He spun around, looking in all directions for a few seconds until his eyes fell on a dry log. "Perfect!"

An uneasy feeling came over me. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"It'll be fiiiine," Rudy said dismissively, waving a hand. "There's no grass nearby, look."

"Mm," I replied vaguely. I guess that was true. It would probably be okay.

Rudy took up a fighting stance, like he was facing down a serious opponent and not just a dead log. He planted his feet, thrust his arm forward, and yelled, "Alright, go! Ember!"

Ebony's eyes flashed. She stamped her paws, took a deep breath, and—!

—breathed out a half-dozen red flares that fizzled into nothing before reaching the target.

Rudy's face fell. "Lame. Oh well, there'll be plenty of time to practice fire breathing out on the trail."

"Out on the trail…?" I asked.

"Yeah, when I start my journey, duh."

And there it was. The reminder that he'd be leaving soon. Just like everyone else. I'd been trying to ignore it, to pretend it wasn't really happening. But there was no avoiding it forever.

"So, you're leaving soon," I said in a low voice.

"Well, yeah! Why wouldn't I!" Rudy replied cheerfully, oblivious to my tone. "And Ebony's coming with!" The Houndour let out a bark of approval.

"You realize you're pretty much the only person I know who hasn't left on a journey yet?" The words were out of my mouth before I'd had time to fully think them through.

He shrugged. "I guess? But that's only because I'm starting late."

"Getting your license at thirteen isn't that late. Me not having a license at fourteen? That's late," I grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Jade," Rudy said, looking kind of bored with my complaints after having heard them a dozen times. "I still say you should just take Swift and leave, license or not."

I stared at him. "I'm not gonna train Pokémon illegally. I'm not that stupid."

"Alright, alright, it was just an idea," he said, waving a hand impatiently. "I'm just saying if I failed the exam twice, that's what I'd do—just take Ebony and leave. Though it would kinda suck not getting to challenge any gyms."

"Yeah, that's definitely the worst part about training illegally," I said with an eyeroll. Then again, this was a nice place to change the subject. "So, is Ebony going to be your starter?"

Rudy shook his head. "Nah. Dad said we're not responsible enough to keep each other in line. Wanted me to get a 'proper starter' who's trained in that sort of thing," Rudy said, with a mocking tone added for good measure. "Just wants me to have a babysitter, more like."

I shrugged. "I figure it can't be all bad having a Pokémon by your side who knows what they're doing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. And they'll be all-in for the League, obviously." He put a hand to his chin. "Wonder what kind of Pokémon they'll have. I know everyone says we're not s'posed to care about that, but like, come on. What if I get a Charmander? That'd be so frickin' awesome."

Wait, but then… if Ebony was coming along, and he was planning on getting a Charmander, then…

"Is Chloe coming too?"

Rudy shook his head. "Nah, she's not really into battling, so she's staying home."

Ebony's face fell, and she mumbled something disapproving under her breath.

Rudy gave her a look. "Hey, I'm upset too, but Dad said we can't bug her about it, okay?"

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "I guess it's probably for the best that she's not coming. Then you'd have three fire-types."

Rudy raised an eyebrow. "That supposed to be a problem?"

I shrugged. "I just thought you wanted to go competitive."

"There are monotype trainers," he said defensively.

"Well, I guess if you feel like losing to one Blastoise…"

That earned me a shoulder punch. Worth it, though.

We ended up heading back home soon after that since Rudy's dad would flip if he got home and saw that we left the gate open. Rudy and I each held onto one end of the ramp and carried it between us as we walked our bikes home. Ebony made a game of running in a figure-eight around us and under the ramp. When we got back to Rudy's house, Chloe was waiting patiently by the open gate, wagging her tail.

"See, she follows the rules," Rudy pointed out, and Ebony let out an indifferent snort before bolting forward to tackle the Growlithe. The two firedogs collided in a heap of black and orange fur.

Rudy glanced around the backyard. "Huh, I guess now that we're back, I should prooobably do my chores before my dad gets home."

"I thought you said you did them before we left," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, uh… might've exaggerated a little," he said, running a hand through his spiky black hair. "I did like, one."

"Wow, one entire chore."

"Oh, shut up," Rudy replied, jabbing my arm. "Help me get the ramp inside and then I gotta get to work."

We dragged the bike ramp into the garage and then waved each other goodbye. I rode my bike across the street to my house, folding my arms behind my head and debating what to do with the rest of the afternoon. It seemed like a nice day to go for a ride around town, at least… just to take my mind off things.

I grabbed my wallet from my room, quickly scribbled a note to my mom on the first piece of scrap paper I could find, and was about to head outside when I noticed the sound of the TV playing in the other room. Most likely Swift; he always liked watching TV when no one was home. I paused to listen to the audio—some kind of documentary? Yep, definitely Swift.

"I'm heading out!" I called.

The TV abruptly shut off. I heard the fluttering of wings behind me and turned to see Swift perched atop the bookshelf, preening his wing like he'd been there the whole time.

"You wanna come with?" I asked.

The Pidgey glanced away shyly, but then nodded.

"You know you don't have to ask, right?" I said, smiling as I held the door open. He didn't waste a second before fluttering through the doorway and out into the open air.

The afternoon stretched by as I wandered the streets of Viridian City, glancing at various storefronts as I passed, half-tempted to stop by the card shop or the gas station or the library, but deciding against it. I mostly just wanted to ride aimlessly under the shade of the trees, enjoying the cool breeze and the empty sidewalks that came with it still being early in the day. Every so often, I glanced up at the sky through the trees, catching glimpses of Swift following overhead. My hands idly drifted from the handlebars as my mind wandered back to the earlier conversation.

Rudy was leaving. Going on a Pokémon journey, like everyone else. And as much as I hated to admit it… I was glad when he didn't have the credits to take the training exam last year.

I'd never had all that many friends, but it seemed like for each one that left, I always had someone still here. Starr had been the first to leave, five years ago. Then Ajia three years ago, then all the aspiring trainers in my year, and then everyone I knew in the year below me.

I didn't even want to be a competitive battler; I just wanted to go with them.

First I screwed up by failing Pokéspeech so many times that I didn't have enough credits the summer after I turned twelve. Then failing the test the summer after I turned thirteen. And now this year. The crushing feeling of seeing that failing score… for the second time.

I hated to think about it, and yet I didn't want to do anything but think about it.

I was nearing the edge of Viridian city; the trees and buildings on either side of the road had grown further apart, replaced with open stretches of tall grass. I'd just reached the point where the road merged with the highway to Johto, with trails leading north branching off into the forest. This was usually where I turned around. I glanced up at the sky and called for Swift, but he wasn't there.

"Swift…?" I asked hesitantly, half expecting him to hear me and suddenly fly into view. But the sky was completely open. Where had he gone? He had never done this before.

"Swift!" I yelled, pedaling harder. Unease crept into the back of my mind. This wasn't like him. Did something happen to him? I didn't want to believe that, but I couldn't see any sign of him in the entire…

Sky. The sky was empty. No birds within sight, and these fields were usually full of Spearow.

"That's… weird…" I muttered to myself. My eyes traced the horizon, hunting for any possible clue, when I spotted a plume of smoke over the trees to the north. What was that?

Feeling almost compelled to head that way, I turned and rode along a trail leading north—towards the forest. I reached the treeline within minutes and kept going, unsure of whether I'd be any nearer to finding Swift when I could barely see the sky anymore.

The terrain here was rougher. I had to work to keep my bike moving over the uneven path studded with rocks and tree roots. The deeper into the forest I went, the dumber I felt. Obviously heading toward smoke was a bad idea. What was I thinking? Well, obviously I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to find Swift and get out of here.

I was just about to turn around when a winged figure passing overhead caught my eye.

"Swift?!" I yelled, daring to let my hope rise.

The figure banked around to swoop down through the trees, and I felt a surge of relief.

"Swift!" I cried, holding out my arm for him to perch. "Why'd you fly off like that?"

His expression was reserved but noticeably troubled. He pointed a claw in the direction I'd been heading.

"Did you check out the smoke? Is there a fire?" I asked.

The Pidgey nodded. I glanced upward, but now that a thick canopy of trees covered us, I couldn't make out the smoke anymore. Then again… weren't there a lot of fire-types living in the area? Fires had to be pretty common.

Swift gave a low string of chirps. This time they had meaning, and I knew enough Pokéspeech to catch the words, "*It's bad… come see.*"

He took flight again, circling overhead. I hesitated. Wasn't this a job for the rangers? What could I possibly do to help? Still, part of me had to know. So I pushed onward through the trees, unsure of what I'd find. After several minutes, the air grew thick and hazy, and my nose burned. The feeling of unease intensified. Still, we continued on until the trees abruptly ended.

One moment we were within the thick of the forest, and the next, there was nothing but the charred remnants of tree trunks and scorched bits of grass and leaves. Flurries of ash saturated the air, stinging my eyes. And that foul smell just wouldn't go away.

I stopped dead when it hit me. The odor saturating the air was burning flesh. These woods had been filled with Pokémon—and some of them must have been caught in the blaze.

My brain couldn't process any of it. Who on earth expected to see something like this on an ordinary day?

"C'mon…" I muttered to Swift. "We don't need to be here. We shouldn't be here."

But Swift just landed at the base of a nearby tree, looking up at me imploringly. I was about to ask why, but then a glimmer of orange caught my eye. A small ember, still clinging to life at the edge of a dark mass. I leaned my bike against a tree and approached it hesitantly, eyes widening once I got a good look at it.

It was breathing. The mound was alive. It was a Charmander.

The lizard's scales were charred black and covered in ash. Every few seconds, it took a shuddering breath. The flame on the tip of its tail was just a tiny ember, flickering weakly.

What could have done this? To burn a fire-type…?

It was like my arm was moving on its own. I held my breath as my hand hovered right over the Charmander's back, feeling the residual heat emanating from its body. I couldn't possibly move it in this condition, could I? No. No, it would only do more harm than good, carrying it. But what else could I do?

"I wouldn't stay here if I were you."

I jolted at the sudden voice and threw a glance over my shoulder to see a tall figure slowly approaching through the haze. A young man, judging by the voice. Once he was close enough, I could see him more clearly—roughly college-aged, with a sharp face framed by wavy brown hair. A long, gray trench coat covered most of his lanky frame. His thick boots left clear footprints in the ash.

"What did you say?" I asked.

He examined me with icy blue eyes that seemed to stare right through me. "It's dangerous. The disaster isn't far from here, and they wouldn't want any witnesses."

"Witnesses?" I blurted out. "Who caused this, do you know?"

"I can show you if you follow me," he said, tilting his head in the direction I'd been walking.

I was about to stand up, but then I glanced back down at the Charmander, a sinking feeling settling into my gut.

"What do I do?" I said miserably, staring at the helpless fire lizard. "It's gonna die, and I don't know if it's safe to move, and I don't know what to do."

"Put it in a Pokéball," he replied, as though this were obvious.

I stared blankly at him. "I don't have any."

He reached into a belt pouch, retrieved one, and held it out to me. I flinched.

"I can't... put it in a ball," I said quietly, avoiding his eye. "I'm not a trainer. It didn't challenge me."

"Desperate times," he said simply. "The pact allows for life-or-death scenarios."

Right. I should have known that. But it still felt wrong.

Hesitantly, I reached out a hand and fought to keep it steady. I took the ball from him and gently tapped it against the lizard's unconscious form. It immediately transformed into bright red energy before being sucked into the ball. The button on the front flashed red, then only a second later went white. Capture successful.

The trainer nodded approvingly. Then he turned and walked off into the haze. Half of me still wanted to leave. The smoky air was thick and uncomfortable to breathe. But… I had to know.

I glanced back at Swift to see if he had any objections, and he just fluttered up to perch on my shoulder. Guess we were in this together.

The trainer was already a hazy figure in the distance, and I had to walk quickly to catch up with him. He gave me a sideways glance as I approached.

"You're not a trainer?" he asked. "You look old enough to be one."

"No, I'm not." I didn't feel like elaborating. Instead, I asked, "What happened here? And how recently?"

"So recently that it's still happening," was the only response.

I exhaled sharply through my nose. The whole situation was only getting more unnerving. Part of me wanted to turn around, but my legs kept carrying me forward.

By now I could see a red glow through the haze. My pulse quickened. We reached the edge of a ridge that overlooked an open valley between the forested hills. And that's where I saw it.

A brilliant fireball tore across the clearing, setting everything in its path ablaze. It stopped suddenly in the center of the valley and unleashed a heat wave outward, and when the flames cleared, there it was. Silhouetted against the flames, a fantastically bizarre beast like nothing I'd ever seen before, with a wild mane and a billowing, cloudlike tail and jagged spikes running down its sides. The beast whipped its head around in a weirdly anxious manner, almost like it was on the lookout for something. Then it turned in our direction, and I stared into that brilliantly colored face that I'd seen only in books, like a red star with a golden crown. There was no mistaking it.

Entei. The Beast of the Volcano. A Legendary Pokémon of Johto. Right here, right in front of us, for real. I couldn't help feeling the urge to... avert my eyes or bow or something.

And then another sound caught my ears, even above the roaring flames. It was almost like… engines?

Over a dozen jeeps and trucks burst into the clearing at once, closing in on Entei from multiple directions. Entei recoiled backward, pelted by bullets—they were shooting it? The volcano beast slammed its heavy paws to the ground and unleashed a heat wave, turning the valley into a sea of fire. But when the flames died down, the jeeps were unharmed, surrounded by shimmering energy shields. Several dozen Pokémon appeared from Pokéballs, immediately unleashing torrents of water at their target. Entei stood its ground with a furious roar, but it still winced in pain as steam poured from its body. And the next time it tried to run, a ghostly aura kept it from straying too far.

I was frozen, staring at the scene in a stupefied shock. "What? What are they… why?" I stammered. "Why would anyone attack—?" Didn't they realize what they were doing?

There was a pause. Then came the reply, "Have you ever heard of Team Rocket?"

I tilted my head. "I mean, everyone's heard of them, right?" They were only the biggest crime gang in the region for as long as anyone could remember. Everyone had heard stories and rumors about them. Although… how many of those rumors were true was another story.

"To the general public," he continued, without acknowledging I'd said anything, "Team Rocket is nothing more than a widespread criminal gang. What the public doesn't know is that for the past twenty years, the team has been making a slow push for total control over all of Kanto and Johto. On the surface, they're still the same thieves, smugglers, and traffickers they've always been. But that just hides the fact that there's another side to the team that no one knows about." He motioned to the ongoing struggle down in the valley.

Team Rocket. They were the ones responsible for this. A gang of thieves was going after gods? Words failed me. Everything he had said was overloading my brain, and the only thing I could manage was, "How do you know about this?"

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Not all Rockets are satisfied with the direction the team is headed. Some of them have their own plans. Some of them are working against Giovanni from within the team."

"Giovanni?" He couldn't mean… the Giovanni? Leader of the Viridian Pokémon Gym?

"The current boss," he clarified.

I shook my head. "Hang on, hang on. You're telling me those crazy rumors that he's involved with Rockets—they're not just true, but he's the boss?!"

He nodded.

I couldn't help staring. "You're serious? That's supposed to be, like… tabloid fodder for conspiracy nuts. If it's actually true… shouldn't more people know?"

"You underestimate the team's influence," he replied with a slight laugh. "They have agents working all over. Turning him in wouldn't do anything."

Well, that was… unnerving. Really, what was I supposed to say to that? With a glance back at the blazing valley, I asked, "Shouldn't we do something? I mean, if we don't—"

"We?" he asked with just the slightest hint of amusement. "I thought you said you weren't a trainer."

"I… I'm not," I mumbled, lowering my eyes to the ground. Then I looked up at him hopefully and said, "Can't you?"

The trainer closed his eyes. "I know my limits. My team is strong. But not strong enough to stop them alone."

I wasn't sure why I'd said it. I didn't know anything about this guy. Of course it was stupid to imply that he could take out an entire squad of armed Rockets alone.

I glanced down at the Pokéball in my hand, feeling rather miserable about everything. Why did he even bother explaining anything only to flat-out tell me I was useless?

"What would you say," he began slowly with a curious tone, "if I told you that a regional takeover might soon be within their grasp?"

I whirled around to face him, gaping in shock. "What?"

"That's why they're aiming to capture Legendary Pokémon. If the combat unit had legends at their disposal, there would be no stopping them." His tone was perfectly casual, as though Team Rocket being on the verge of a regional conquest was normal, everyday conversation.

I was frozen, unable to process all of this. "…What do we do about that? Why are you telling me this?"

He gave me a very serious look. "Are you interested in helping stop Team Rocket's Legendary project? Would you be willing to fight them?"

I stared. How exactly was I supposed to fight them, and how did he expect me to? Didn't he just say there was no way I could help? I kept waiting for him to say something like "it would be nice if it were possible," but his expression was cold and unflinching.

"How… what do you mean?" I asked.

"If you were able to stop Team Rocket from catching Legendaries, would you?"

I wanted to say, "well, who wouldn't?" but that didn't seem like a very good answer. I simply nodded.

He considered me for a while before reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small card. "I've been handing these out to people just starting their journey," he said, handing it to me. "This is your formal invitation to join a team against the Rockets. If you want to know more, meet me at the specified location after you become a trainer."

"But how—?" I began.

"What's on that card is all I can say for now," he said firmly. "Don't lose it, and don't reveal it."

He unclipped a Pokéball from his belt and opened it. The flash of white light from inside took the form of a tall dragon with glossy orange scales and huge wings—a Charizard, the final evolution of Charmander. I'd never seen one in person.

He replaced the Pokéball on his belt and climbed onto the dragon's back. It stretched its wings, flapping hard and sending flurries of soot into my face. I shielded my eyes reflexively until the fire lizard had lifted off.

"I'll see you there," the trainer said before the two soared off into the sky.

"Later…?" I said, more to myself than him. The whole conversation had felt very bizarre and surreal, and part of me half-expected to wake from a dream any moment. But I knew that was too much to hope for. So I looked down at the small card he had given me and read:

If you have received this card, it is because you have been recognized as either a beginning trainer with high potential, or an ambitious young trainer willing to face danger for the sake of stopping Team Rocket. If you are serious about joining a rebellion against the Rockets, then meet at pier 3 in Vermilion harbor prior to June 16 for further instruction.

Well, that sure was vague. Still, it made sense, just in case Team Rocket got their hands on a card. But was he really just giving them out to random trainers? Why was he doing this? And how on earth had I gotten myself mixed up in all of it?

My eyes drifted back to the ongoing battle, no matter how badly I didn't want to look. Everything about it was completely mind-boggling. Entei was still keeping its attackers at bay, but even its incredible strength was waning. It wasn't invincible, no matter what the stories said.

"C'mon… you can beat 'em. You have to…" I whispered.

Most of the fire in the valley had been put out by torrential waterspouts. Entei's fur was waterlogged. Its movements had grown sluggish. Was I seriously about to watch a Legendary get captured? And not be able to do anything about it?

No. I couldn't watch this. I didn't want to be able to say that I saw a legend get captured.

"We shouldn't be here," I muttered to Swift. He glanced between me and the Rockets, then looked down, conflicted.

Coming here was a mistake. I couldn't do anything about all this. I was just a kid; I wasn't even a trainer. Why had the Charizard guy even given me a card?

I glanced at the Pokéball still in my hand. At least I could save the Charmander. It wasn't much, but it was something.

But before I could turn to leave, movement caught my eye. One of the jeeps had broken from the rest of the group, driving away from them at breakneck speed. Up the hill. In our direction. I stared stupidly at it, unable to process what I was seeing.

"Don't… don't tell me they…" I took a step backward, eyes wide.

I'd been spotted. And they were coming for me.