"How is he, Nurse Joy?"
It had been just over an hour since Iris and Ash had their battle with Apollo. They had gotten their mystery man to the Pokémon Center as quick as they could, and Nurse Joy was shocked at the state he was in. She had barely left the operating room since the moment she had got him on the table, and Ash and Iris had been worrying the entire time. Thankfully, as she stepped out and into view of the two teens, she had a relieved smile on her face.
"He's still unconscious, but his wounds have been bandaged up. He'll be fine if he takes it easy", she explained.
Ash and Iris similarly felt relief and shared a smile with each other. The last time they had felt this worried was when they had found an injured N and Braviary running from Team Plasma. Funny enough, this man had also been running away from an evil force. That hooded duo, Apollo and Artemis…
"How's the Pokémon Egg he had?" asked Ash.
Nurse Joy nodded and led the duo to another room. The Egg was now in a more familiar state for the Trainers, safe inside a glass incubator. Protected from the outside elements and warming up nicely. The entire time Ash and Iris were waiting for their human friend to recover, Pikachu and Haxorus had been watching over the Egg with a mix of curiosity and concern. As soon as Ash and Iris stepped into the room, the duo turned their gaze to their Trainers. Pikachu let out a happy squeak and ran over to Ash, jumping back up onto his shoulder. The three humans giggled, and Nurse Joy walked over to the protected Egg.
"Considering how tightly he was holding onto it and how hard Chansey had to pull it away, I'm amazed we haven't made an omelet out of it yet", she joked. Ash and Iris didn't laugh, so she continued. "In all seriousness, the Egg is just fine. I'm worried about the little one inside, though. For some reason, its heartbeat is very faint."
Ash and Pikachu looked at each other with worry, but Iris seemed unconcerned.
"Well, maybe it's a Dragon-type Egg. Some Eggs take longer to develop than others", she suggested.
"Maybe", answered Nurse Joy, but she didn't sound convinced. Silence settled over the room as Nurse Joy stepped aside and started typing at a computer.
"What I want to know", Ash finally said, "Is what those two want with the Egg."
"Pika…"
"Yes", said a new voice that made everyone jump. "I'd like to know as well."
Officer Jenny, a Growlithe at her heels, walked into the room, carrying her signature air of authority. Her expression was steely and serious, without an ounce of idle curiosity. She was all business now, and that was enough to set Ash and Iris on edge. Few things were scarier than a Jenny with a mission.
"You got here faster than I expected", noted Nurse Joy.
"I had to", explained Officer Jenny. "My sister in Lavender Town gave me a call. Someone wearing a black coat just turned the town into a bonfire. She had to run away to Saffron City."
A collective gasp filled the room. Lavender Town was… It could be rebuilt, but that would take years! All those people who were forced from their homes would need to settle elsewhere until then. All those Pokémon who called the town home, too. The Pokémon Tower! All of it was… Ash clenched his fists and grit his teeth. Just the thought of it made his blood boil in anger.
"I'm supposed to attend a meeting with the wider police force at the Indigo Plateau, but I wanted to get a statement from you two. Please. Tell me what you know about this dangerous individual.
As Ash and Iris spoke, nobody noticed what was going on out the window. It was opened up just a crack, and outside of it was a comically large mechanical ear on a pole that connected to a small electronic box. At the bottom of the box was a long audio cord that stretched an impractically far distance away. Across the street into some bushes beside the road, in fact. And inside those bushes, attacked to the end of the audio cord was ANOTHER comically large mechanical ear. Sitting around that ear were a familiar trio. A woman with long magenta hair, a man with shoulder-length blue hair, and a Meowth. The two humans wore white uniforms with a letter "R" on the shirts.
Team Rocket.
"Hmph! Another fashion disaster thinking they can muscle in on Team Rocket's turf", mocked Jessie.
"At least in years gone by, they kept themselves confined to other regions", noted James.
"There's gotta be some union regulations taking it to our home turf", Meowth agreed.
"We should notify the boss at once", declared James.
"Not likely", retorted Jessie. "That ice queen Matori would simply answer the call and take credit for our discovery!" As she said this, she imagined Matori as if she was poorly drawn cartoon with devil horns and a mocking grin. An exaggeration at best and wrong at worst, though there was no doubt that Jessie saw Matori that way.
"I'm thinking before we do anything, we get that Egg that the twerps are guarding and give it to the Boss as a gift", Meowth decided, a lightbulb going off over his head.
"Yeah!" The trio shouted.
"Wooooooobbuffet!" echoed Wobbuffet as it burst out of its PokéBall.
However, a twig snapping caught the group's attention. Turning around, they saw a figure peeking out from behind a tree. A figure wearing a long black coat that covered their figure from head to toe.
On the top of Mt. Moon, a structure was being built. Round the clock, 24/7, by rotating teams of builders, a sign outside labeled it the "Stratos Research and Development Observatory". Officially, its purpose was to study the meteors and Moon Stone deposits on Mt. Moon, as well as other celestial goings on. Funded with backing from Silph Co. in Saffron City and even the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region, it wasn't exactly beloved by the people of Kanto, who believed it was disrupting the lives of the wild Pokémon that called the mountain home. But little could be done to stop it.
Unofficially, however, it served another purpose. Even as construction continued around her, a woman was sitting in the center of a large room. This woman wore a black coat that covered her from head to toe, as you might expect at this point. But beside her was a Pokémon that contrasted her dark appearance. Pink and purple all over, this was a Musharna from the Unova region. Affectionately, the Drowsing Pokémon floated beside her hooded master, snuggling into the woman's side. With a small smile visible beneath her hood, she began to stroke the Psychic-type.
It was then that Musharna began doing exactly what was needed from it. From a small spot on its forehead, a cloud of thick pink mist began to swirl around it. Dream Mist. The mist enveloped the woman, hiding her from the outside world. But on the inside, there were many things to be seen. Within the blinding pinkness of the void, several figures appeared around the woman. All of them wore the same black coats, faces obscured by their raised hoods.
All except for one.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Apollo", one hooded figure said sternly with a frown. "I finally allow you a mission of your own, and you repay me with failure."
"It's not my fault, superior!" Apollo pleaded. "There were complications! If Artemis hadn't stepped in-"
"Superior, Apollo encountered Ash Ketchum and Iris", interrupted Artemis. "As soon as the target escaped from Lavender Town, it was sealed."
"They're just kids!" Apollo shouted angrily. Another figure laughed, earning a glare from Apollo. "Is something funny?!"
"Those two are more than just kids", the figure explained with an unhinged grin. "They're Champions. Iris, the Champion of Unova, and Ash, the Champion of Alola, and the world."
Silence settled over the group, letting this sink in. Apollo's eye began to twitch, an undisguised growl escaping his teeth. Clearly, he refused to accept that these teenagers, these CHILDREN, were Champion-level Trainers. Or maybe he was refusing to accept that they were giving him trouble, Champion or otherwise. Another figure looked at the superior, deciding to ask the obvious.
"What do we do now?"
"This changes nothing", the superior said simply. "I've already dispatched the messenger to recover the target. Champions or not, we will not be denied."
"You can't be serious, superior! I'm just as capable as-"
"ENOUGH!"
The booming voice of the superior was enough to force Apollo into silence.
"Artemis, you and Apollo are to maintain positions and await further instructions. No exceptions", he ordered.
"Yes, superior", Artemis declared obediently.
The superior continued, addressing the female figure flanked by Musharna. "What of my brother? Why hasn't he joined us?"
The woman sighed.
"As usual, milord, your brother remains in the depths and declined to answer the summons", she explained. "But last we spoke, he told me that all was still on schedule."
"I should hope so", said the superior. "Our business is concluded. Return to the mortal world."
The Dream Mist swirled around, and the woman found herself alone in the observatory once again, Musharna now sleeping peacefully. As she slumped over in her chair, one construction worker who saw her enveloped by the Dream Mist saw her again and shook his head.
"Junkie", he muttered before getting back to his work.
As he lay dazed in bed, the man finally began to stir. With a low pained groan, he attempted to sit up, only for a sharp pain to strike through his stomach, forcing him back down onto his back with a hiss. Sighing, he let his hand drift over his stomach. His eyes fluttered open as he realized that where his chest was bare, his stomach was wrapped in bandages. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he looked around and saw himself in an unfamiliar room.
What happened to me? He thought. The last thing I remember was Lavender Town. I was trying to find Atlanta when Apollo attacked, and-
Finally, the man's panic began to properly catch up with him.
"The Egg!" he shouted, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to spot the Egg. Unable to find it, he forced himself from the bed. Reflectively, he yelped out in pain as he was attempting to move far too quickly, but he had to get out of here. Had THEY managed to get the Egg?! If so, then-
"Oh, my goodness! It's good you're awake, but you shouldn't be up and about so quickly!"
Nurse Joy, Ash, and Iris had heard the man cry out about the Egg and rushed back to his room. Finally, they were able to get a better look at the man now that he was conscious and standing upright without an Egg in his arms. Looking at him, he appeared to be quite tall and built like a Machoke, with his hair complimented by a set of brown eyes. Iris couldn't help but let her jaw drop at the sight of him. Unfortunately for her, Ash couldn't resist getting one in once he noticed.
"If you're done drooling", he reminded her.
"I-I am not drooling! Don't be such a kid!" Iris snapped, smacking Ash's arm with a furious blush on her face.
"Seems like you're the one being a kid to me", muttered Ash with a playful smile.
"How about we agree you're both kids, and you tell me where I am and where the Pokémon Egg I was carrying was?!"
The man, clearly still panicked, didn't take long to get annoyed with the two younger Trainers bickering. Likewise, Nurse Joy cast a scolding glare at the duo that sent a fearful shiver down their spines. Nervously, Ash and Iris looked at each other and giggled nervously, sheepish blushes crossing their faces before immediately glancing away from each other. Pikachu sighed and smiled at its two old friends. With that issue resolved, Nurse Joy finally decided to explain things to their injured guest.
"Since you seem more worried about the Egg than yourself, it's in another room, guarded by Iris's Haxorus. You're in the Vermillion City Pokémon Center, and these two found you trying to run from a man called Apollo", she explained quickly.
"Apollo… I might have known it was him. Those fires were a dead giveaway, and I still let my guard down", the man muttered, berating himself.
"Maybe if you sit down and relax, you can tell us more about who that guy was and what he wants from you", Iris suggested.
"And maybe who YOU are, too?" added Ash.
"Pika!"
The man stood there in silence for a moment, before letting out a long sigh. Aided by Nurse Joy, he slowly sat back down in his bed before looking back at his three visitors. A thick and uncomfortable silence settled over the room, and while it only lasted a few seconds, it felt like hours. When the man finally spoke, Pikachu could have jumped from Ash's shoulder in surprise.
"Well… I'll start with me", he said at least. "My name is Jason. That's easy enough."
"Nice to meet'cha, Jason", Ash answered instantly with a smile. "I'm Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!"
"And I'm Iris!" added Iris with a smile of her own. Clearly, she and Ash were both glad to have a name to attach to this person now.
Jason nodded, but he didn't smile back.
"As for who Apollo is and who he works for, well… That's a bit more complicated", he admitted quickly. "He comes from a region far away from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, or Unova. Him and his… Associates."
"Like that Artemis girl?" asked Iris.
Jason's eyes widened.
"You saw Artemis?!"
"She told Apollo to back off and got them out of there with her Gallade's Teleport", answered Ash.
Jason clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. A frustrated growl could be heard in the back of his throat.
"So, she was there, too. …Darn it! I never stood a chance", he lamented.
"So, they come from a region far away", repeated Nurse Joy. "Can you tell us more about their group? I can phone Officer Jenny and tell her it's an emergency-"
"No no no. No Officer Jenny", Jason shot down. "This is something that falls outside the scope of the police."
"Sounds familiar", Iris said flatly, looking at Ash.
"…What are you looking at me for?! I didn't call them here!"
"If I had known I was gonna get caught up in another adventure-", Iris began.
"You would have called and asked to visit sooner than you did", Ash responded with a cheeky smile. "Don't pretend you're annoyed by this."
Iris opened her mouth to retort, but stopped herself. Nurse Joy and Jason were looking at her, but not with the same annoyance or scolding as earlier. If anything, they were confused and curious. They didn't know much about Iris or her relationship to Ash, after all. With the wind taken out of her sails from that, Iris closed her mouth and hugged herself tight, yet another deep blush rising to her face.
"If it falls outside the scope of the police", continued Nurse Joy, trying to rerail the conversation, "Then who are they?"
Jason thought for a moment of how to explain it.
"The full extent of their goal is unknown. But they seem to have a vested interest in Pokémon Eggs", Jason said eventually. "Back in their region, they would snatch them up from any Trainer not skilled enough to hold onto them. It seems like they're looking for a very specific Egg, and any Pokémon that isn't what they're looking for just gets sold on the black market."
"Those jerks!" Ash growled.
"Unforgivable", agreed Iris.
"So your Egg is of interest to them. That still seems within Officer Jenny's wheelhouse", pointed out Nurse Joy.
"You're not wrong", admitted Jason. "But where it falls outside of her scope are their battling skills. When Apollo isn't underestimating his opponents, he's as strong as the Elite Four of Sinnoh's Champion League, and the others are floating around the same level. If not, above it."
Ash and Iris glanced at each other nervously. They were both thinking the same thing. A whole group around the level of Sinnoh's Elite Four, potentially around Cynthia's level, was terrifying enough to think about. But unlike the Elite Four and Cynthia, these weren't people that would let a tournament with rules and regulations hold them down. That easily made for a deadly combo.
"Why are they after your Egg?" Ash asked. It felt appropriate to ask.
"Our region's professor found it in the depths of a cave at the request of a friend. I'm to deliver it to a rookie Trainer here in Kanto", Jason said with less hesitation than normal. Seems that was the simple part. "Unfortunately, these guys chase after Eggs like a rat chasing after cheese."
"So, it's a rare Egg?" asked Iris.
Jason opened his mouth to answer, only to be rudely interrupted. There was a loud CRASH, and the building shook violently. Nurse Joy stumbled, falling into Jason's arms, while Ash and Iris reflexively clung to each other. After a moment, the shaking stopped, but a sense of dread filled the air. Nodding at each other, Ash and Iris were quick to dash out of the room, ignoring Jason and Nurse Joy's calls to wait.
It wasn't a pretty sight. The entire right side of the Pokémon Center had been reduced to rubble. The only thing that was still standing was Jason's Egg, Haxorus hugging the incubator close, shielding it. On the ground around Haxorus, though, was…
"Team Rocket?!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth lay on the ground, injured, but alive. James was slumped over against a piece of rubble, completely unconscious, with Carnivine by his side. Similarly, Jessie had landed face-first into dirt, Wobbuffet laying on top of her. Meowth, however, was able to rise to his knees, a pained mewl escaping his lips.
"Twerps", he said through grit teeth. "Get outta here! While ya still can!"
"No one is getting out of here alive", said a male voice. "I was only tasked with retrieving the Egg, but I can already foresee you all being a thorn in the superior's side if you aren't removed now."
Ash, Iris, and Meowth turned their gaze to the outside. In the shadow of the moonlight stood a man in a familiar black coat. With his hood lowered, his face was bared for the world to see. Hazel eyes that cut like diamonds on a pale face, with a small upturned nose and soft pink lips, his gentle appearance further accentuated by his long white hair, and a choker around his neck that held a Keystone. However, this gentle appearance was completely at odds with the partner standing just behind him. A vicious, angry, and battle-crazed Aerodactyl.
"If you're going to run, do it now", the man offered. "Not that you'll get very far."
