The underground castle was just about the last place Colress wanted to be right now, but after N had all but destroyed the P2 Lab, he had been left with little other choice. He found himself sitting at the long dining table with Ghetsis and Zinzolin. Zinzolin's white hair bounced irritatingly as he stifled the mocking laughter he'd been unable to contain since Colress had arrived. Ghetsis was scribbling in his leatherbound tome, deep in concentration.
"Who would have thought, Team Plasma's golden boy, fired already!" Zinzolin chortled. Colress shot him a glare across the table.
"He's not fired, Zinzolin. We just need to rethink how best to use Colress in a more... discreet manner." Ghetsis replied without looking up.
"I was under the impression that N would not know the location of my lab. You know, in case he were to visit and destroy all of my research in a fit of righteous rage." Colress said bitterly.
"He was not given the location, not by me. He must have gotten the information out of a grunt. He is the king, Colress. We cannot reasonably expect his subjects to withhold information from him." Ghetsis replied, the frustration evident in his voice.
"Was all of your research destroyed, Achroma? Surely that would make you... useless to us, no?" Zinzolin taunted.
Colress flashed him a thin smile. "No, not all of my research. I still have everything I require to rebuild the EMWT. That's the Electromagnetic Wave Transmitter, in case Ghetsis hasn't deemed you important enough to know the details."
"I'll have you know-" Zinzolin started, but Ghetsis held his hand up and finally stopped writing.
"Enough, both of you." he snapped. "Colress, we have a lab here at the castle. It isn't as high-tech as the P2 Lab, but I trust it will do for the time being. You will remain here and continue to work on the EMWT."
"Remain here? Surely our little king will have some feelings about bumping into me in the halls of his castle?" Colress raised an eyebrow.
"N has been travelling Unova since his coronation, he only returns to the castle for King's Council meetings. He will not know that you are here. However, I would prefer that you keep to your own wing while you stay here. The sages, too, take great objection to you."
Colress laughed, catching Zinzolin's eye. "And what about Viomare here?"
"Ah, Dr. Achroma," Zinzolin replied, a smug smile curling his lips. "Unlike the others, I understand the delicate balance of our mission. I am not burdened by emotion, only reason."
'Is that what I sound like? I hope not.' Colress thought to himself, not sitting comfortably with the glaring similarities between himself and the self-important Zinzolin.
"Very well," Colress sighed. "I will continue my operations discreetly, prioritising the completion of the EMWT."
The following days passed slowly. The castle was a depressing departure from the windswept island he'd called home for the past few weeks. Every window had the same view – the inky blackness of the cavern outside. He took no issue with the isolation of his new lab, it was a small blessing to be away from the constant burble of voices from Dudley's TV, but the whole situation felt like a defeat. He had lost most of his equipment, many of his research papers and most importantly, he had lost Genesect itself.
He had intended to plant a tracking device on Genesect when the time came to let it out of the containment chamber. If he had predicted N's recklessness and done it sooner, he may still have been able to salvage the project. But as it stood, Genesect was completely and utterly lost.
Rebuilding the EMWT was not nearly interesting enough to keep Colress' mind off the creature. It lacked novelty, despite the upgrades. He was not inventing, just... building. And while his fingers worked, soldering and programming, his mind drifted to the dangerous purple beast now roaming Unova.
Despite his initial relief at being television-free, by the second day, he had the news channel on constantly. If Genesect was as dangerous as he believed, it would only be a matter of time before it began terrorising the general public. And when it did... He would be the first person on the scene. There was so much more work to do on it, so much more he could learn... He couldn't just chalk it up to failure and forget about it.
One day – or perhaps night, it was easy to lose track without seeing daylight – Colress' luck began to turn. He glanced up at the small TV as he was adjusting the dials on the EMWT 2.0 and a bulletin was scrolling along the bottom of the screen:
'ALERT: Public advised to avoid Chargestone Cave due to reports of a highly dangerous Pokémon sighting. Stay safe and avoid the area until further notice.'
"Aha! That could be it!" Colress leapt up, the EMWT instantly forgotten. He ran from the lab to his bedroom, haphazardly jamming things into his pockets. The Colress Machine, Ultra Balls, some other gizmos he'd developed in university and of course the Light Stone. He didn't dare leave it unattended.
As he stepped outside, he winced as his eyes grew accustomed to the daylight. So, it was daytime, then. He made a mental note to purchase a clock at some point during his outing. His stomach groaned at that moment, as if reminding him to buy some food while he was at it. But food and clocks would have to wait, Colress had a Genesect to find.
Colress arrived at Chargestone Cave within a few hours, stepping into its familiar, electric blue glow. The air was thick with the hum of electromagnetic energy, crackling in the rocks and buzzing in the charged crystals embedded in the cave walls. The cave had always been a source of fascination for him. He'd visited a few times before, long before Team Plasma, long before Ghetsis and long before the grand schemes of liberation and power. It was here that he'd first caught his Klink, and now, many years later, he found himself back, this time chasing a far more dangerous quarry.
As he moved deeper into the cave, Colress activated a small device. The scanner blinked to life, projecting an overlay of the cave's energy signatures onto the narrow screen. He studied the readings carefully, watching for anything that might indicate Genesect's presence. He knew the beast was powerful enough to show up on the most primitive of scanners, but in a cave like this where energy surged constantly, it would be difficult to separate its energy signature from the ambient noise.
His thoughts wandered to Klinklang, whose Poké Ball rested heavily at his side. It had been his loyal companion for many years, withstanding any experiment he required from it. But it didn't seem to like him any more now than it did eight years ago when he'd tested the very first rendition of the Colress Machine on it, forcing it to evolve. In fact, none of his Pokémon liked him. They had all experienced similar experiments that had created an insurmountable rift in their bond. They obeyed, of course - his commands were never defied – but they did so with a sluggish reluctance. He remedied this reluctance with more scientific intervention, and so the cycle continued.
As the cave grew darker, the blue glow deepening, Colress found himself at the very spot where he'd caught Klink all those years ago. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a brief pang of melancholy. He swiftly shook it off, scanning the area for anything unusual. The readings on his device remained normal.
And then, he heard voices.
"Clown... I was hoping I would meet you here. You are releasing your Galvantula, yes?" N's voice was unmistakable. His fast, quiet words blurred into each other.
Colress' hand clasped over his breast pocket instinctively. The Light Stone. He couldn't get too close and risk N hearing Reshiram's voice. Silently, he ducked into the shadows, pressing his back against a cool rock face. He narrowed his eyes, straining to make out the conversation.
"Yeah, I am. I was kind of hoping to see you again too. I wanted to make sure... I mean, I just need to know... N, were you telling the truth before? About Galvantula wanting to be free?" The other voice replied. Colress frowned, recognising Annie's voice as quickly as he had N's. But why was she talking to him? Her tone sounded familiar, almost like she was talking to an old friend.
"Of course. I don't lie." N sounded a little affronted at her accusation.
"Right. Maybe you could ask again? Just to be sure I'm doing the right thing?"
Colress couldn't believe what he was hearing. He listened as Annie sent out a Pokémon, presumably the Galvantula that he had tested the EMWT on, and N spoke to it. Had Annie started supporting Team Plasma? She had told Colress in no uncertain terms that she planned on taking Team Plasma down. Colress had quite looked forward to seeing her try. Had she been so easily swayed by N's bleeding Pokémon heart?
As he listened to their exchange, Colress couldn't help but purse his lips in frustration. They were quite alike, he supposed. Self-righteous empaths, blinded by their ideals, unable to see the truth. Perhaps it was inevitable that Annie would be drawn in eventually. If she ended up joining Team Plasma, maybe he could request her as a lab assistant. He'd have to apologise for the whole Galvantula thing, but maybe-
"Goodbye, buddy."
Colress' thoughts were stopped in their tracks when he heard Annie wishing her Pokémon a tearful goodbye. He still couldn't believe she'd finally caved into Team Plasma after all these years.
"Chargestone Cave... I like this place." N spoke softly as the pitter-patter of Galvantula's feet disappeared deep into the cave. "Formulas express electricity and its connection to Pokémon... If people did not exist, this would be an ideal place. You have been chosen, you know. Does it surprise you I said that?"
"I don't think anything you say could surprise me anymore," Annie sniffled in response.
"Hmph. If you don't understand what that means, it's not likely to surprise you."
"So, what have I been chosen for?"
"I told Ghetsis about you. After I did, he apparently used the Shadow Triad to find out about you. You were at Blueberry Academy when Team Plasma was founded. You then collected eight gym badges, but never challenged the league. You do not greedily pursue strength, but you are not weak. You are more of a neutral presence, which is apparently a good thing. I will wait for you outside the cave. Ghetsis wants to see what kind of Pokémon trainer you really are."
Colress narrowed his eyes. N had told Ghetsis about Annie? That was the first he'd heard of it. He shrank as far back into the cave wall as he could, staying perfectly still as N walked right past him, back toward the entrance of the cave.
When N was safely out of earshot, Colress stepped back into the blue glow of the crystals.
"So, we meet again," Colress drawled. "My, my! How intriguing! I must say, I never predicted this outcome. Tell me, what prompted this... shift in your perspective? I'm eager to collect data on such an anomaly."
Annie whirled around. Tears streaked down her face but her expression hardened as she recognised him.
"You have some nerve showing your face here today." she replied, fists balling at her sides.
"Don't worry, this encounter is merely serendipitous. I assure you, my presence here is not related to your own... endeavours." Colress gestured in the direction Galvantula had disappeared. Annie simply glared at him, so he continued. "Should I take this to mean that you have given up on your vow to dissolve Team Plasma?"
"I've not given up anything." Annie replied through gritted teeth. "Don't pretend to know anything about me, Colress."
Colress laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "Very well, perhaps you could sate my curiosity, then? What is your relationship with N? What was it that convinced you to embrace Team Plasma's ideology?"
"Why do you care? I heard you were fired." Annie shot back. Colress suppressed an irritated eye-roll as she avoided his question again.
"Ah, yes. Quite right. It seems Team Plasma's new king shares your disdain for me." Colress smiled wryly.
"I knew there was something I liked about him." she smiled back, but there was no warmth in it.
"So, tell me," Colress tried again, unwilling to walk away until she'd answered him. "What changed?"
"What changed?!" Annie's grey eyes looked electric blue in the light of the cave and they burned with fury. She unclipped a Friend Ball from her belt and sent out her Ariados. It fixed him with a murderous glare, clicking its fangs together. "Nothing has changed. Battle me and I'll show you. I'll defeat you now as easily as I did in the academy."
Colress quirked his eyebrow at her challenge. 'A rematch, after all this time? I ought to keep my Pokémon in good condition in case I run into Genesect... But to see her strength in a one-on-one battle, it's a case study I can't pass up.'
"Very well," Colress released Klinklang. It hung limply in the air in front of him and didn't make a sound. "Klinklang, Shift Gear."
"Ariados, Swords Dance!"
Colress quickly realised that he didn't have a hope of winning. Annie and Ariados were synchronised, united in their hatred. It seemed to boost their power, far more than any device Colress could concoct. But Colress wasn't concerned with winning. He laughed and clapped his hands together in delight as Ariados ricocheted off the walls of the cave, firing a tirade of attacks at the listless Klinklang.
'Such power... Is it due to their bond? Or is their hate pushing them to new limits? She would say it is the former, I'm sure. But, Ghetsis would claim the latter.'
"Klinklang, Thunderbolt!" Colress issued his commands with an amused smile.
Klinklang's attacks were fruitless. Ariados seemed to shake off or avoid every attempt to deal damage. But Colress continued anyway, just to see how Annie would counter each attack. While they were battling, in a tit-for-tat exchange of moves and strategies, Colress had all but forgotten Genesect. It was his greatest achievement, but not his greatest question. His true goal was to bring out the potential in Pokémon... And Annie was doing that at this very moment.
"Ariados, let's finish it! X-Scissor!" Annie shouted, her determined voice echoing around the cave.
Colress didn't bother issuing a counterattack. He simply smiled and clapped slowly as Klinklang thudded to the floor. "I can see why N has taken an interest in you."
Annie ignored him and crouched down next to Klinklang, pulling a potion bottle from her bag.
"What are you doing?" asked Colress sharply.
Annie shot him a contemptuous look. "I'm healing Klinklang, in case you don't bother."
"Do you truly believe me so callous?" Colress fought the urge to recall Klinklang, deciding to let her finish healing now that she'd started. "I assure you, its recovery was always an inevitability."
"Next time, I think it would feel more satisfying if I battled you directly. Poor Klinklang didn't deserve to get hurt for you." said Annie softly, applying the potion liberally over Klinklang's dented surfaces. It trilled happily as she did so, a sound Colress hadn't heard in eight years. He tried to ignore the dropping feeling in his stomach.
"Battle me directly?" he repeated blankly.
"Yeah, if you ever touch one of my Pokémon again, I'll kick the shit outta you." replied Annie menacingly, her Galarian accent thick. Despite himself, Colress burst out laughing.
"You shouldn't take things so personally. It's all in the pursuit of knowledge," he waved a hand dismissively, still chuckling.
Annie's eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "Knowledge?" she spat, "Look at Klinklang. Look at how it cringes every time you give a command. It's traumatised! Just like my Galvantula. You don't even care, do you?"
Colress tilted his head, momentarily glancing at Klinklang. "Trauma, as you call it, is sometimes a necessary byproduct of progress. Some collateral damage is unavoidable in my line of work."
Annie's face twisted in disbelief. "Collateral damage? These are living things, Colress, not lab equipment! They're not just machines to be tested until they break... You've lost whatever bond you might've had with them!"
He sighed, almost pitying her. "A bond is irrelevant if it doesn't further our understanding of what Pokémon can achieve. You're clouded by emotion, Annie. That's the difference between us."
"You think you're so smart, don't ya?" she said quietly, the blue crystals reflected in her glasses. "But you're the one who's blind. You'll never understand true power, because real strength doesn't come from fear or from breaking things down until there's nothing left."
Colress met her gaze with a cool indifference. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I'm simply willing to make sacrifices you're too soft to comprehend. In any case, this has been enlightening." He turned, his coat swishing as he turned to leave. "If you wish to be sentimental, that's your choice. But sentiment won't help you stop what's coming."
"What's coming?" Annie called after him.
Colress paused, casting a final glance over his shoulder. "I'm sure your new friend, N, can tell you all about it. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."