Hey there, everyone! Welcome…er…welcome back? At least, I'd hope I have returning readers! I'm back with the final installment of the Ancienverse. Yes. Final. This is the last major story I will be writing for this particular universe, cleaning up every loose plot thread I have introduced throughout the series. I feel it'll be a very wild ride for all of us, and hopefully an emotional one. But that's beside the point! This isn't the space for me to ramble on; that's below!

NOTE: This story is the final in a series of stories, which I will detail in a moment so that you don't miss anything. Also, this story is to be much darker than the previous two. Not grimdark or anything, but still darker. It also contains spoilers through XYZ 43, maybe 44. Anyway, the stories in the Ancienverse:

Love in the Time of Teamwork

Firsts, Fans and Failure

A Little Give and Take

A Starlit Sibling Session About Scientific Sweethearts

Love in the Time of Turbulence

Fragmented Figments

Seconds, Skates and Science

Quietude

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T, for violence

Pairings: Amourshipping (duh), Marissonshipping, Laserbladeshipping and an undisclosed pairing

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. For the last time…stop asking.

Love in the Time of Tribulations

An Amourshipping Pokémon Finale

Chapter 1

A Meeting

"You seem amused, young man," rumbled a deep voice among the ambient sounds of the café. No one else seemed to hear him save for the boy to which he was talking. Said boy, a young man with green hair, turned to him with a rather surprised expression. The man, for his part, looked away from the television and the coverage on the Nova Incident. He really wanted to shake his head at that one. Ash just couldn't help it…

"Huh? Oh, well I guess I kind of am," the boy replied. The man regarded him with interest, sipping on his cup of coffee as he waited for the boy to say more. Eventually, he did. "I know the people involved in the Nova Incident and…well, Ash does have a girlfriend. He's dating Serena."

"Ha, that is funny…" the man commented with a short, barking laugh. Truth be told, he could hardly believe it. All his research hadn't turned up any of that information, even if he knew very well the boy that was sitting right in front of him. "…though a little disappointing for any girl who's developed a crush on him. She seems like a nice girl, too. Must give her all sorts of problems to date a boy who seems to be involved in every crisis that comes this world's way."

"Really? I think she's used to it," the boy responded, shrugging a little. The man wasn't entirely sure what to make of it himself, so he just emulated the boy and finished his coffee. It felt nice, running down his throat. Having finished that, he stood and stretched a little, checking the TV. Unfortunately, the time wasn't displayed.

"Well, he certainly seems to be becoming the favorite at the League despite it not even starting," he told him, stretching a little as he adjusted his long coat. "Who knows? Maybe he'll win it all this time. That would be rather interesting. How is it you know him, by the way?"

"Ash?" The man's face fell into a slight frown, hearing the acclaimed boy's name. How long had it been since he'd spoken it with his own lips? Now he was, by mere chance, standing before someone who knew him personally. "Oh, he's my rival…and someone I admire very much. That's why I'm not surprised that he…" Here, the boy stopped and the older man surveyed him a moment, his black hair itching slightly. "Well, Ash may be the favorite, but I won't let him win the League so easy."

"That's the spirit!" the man assured him, laughing lightly and clapping the boy on the back. Inside, he had a feeling the conversation was over and he began to move towards the door from the café. "I look forward to a strong battle between you and Ash, Sawyer."

He didn't stick around to hear the boy's surprised response. He hadn't intended necessarily to say either boys' name, but he was glad to be able to say it out loud. Regardless, he disappeared from the café like no one ever knew he was there and out onto the streets of Lumiose City.

The city appeared to be humming with the activity of people going to and fro. Some Pidgey flitted through the air and the man watched as a woman pushed her stroller, a little Chingling bouncing over the baby's head. Still others were walking their Furfrou. The man just sighed to himself and continued along, heading for the exit to the Mélancolie Path. As he did so, he looked down at his large watch, fiddling absentmindedly with the watch's face. He clearly needed to pick up the pace.

A shadow flitted overhead while he shoved his hands into his pockets and the man afforded himself a chance to smirk. She was a real worrywart, she was. Though she had nothing on what would be waiting for him near the gate from the city. The man's foot stepped in a shallow puddle, a remnant of the rain the day before, and its ripples spread outward. Sighing with slight annoyance, he continued on, glancing up towards the Trainer's Village that was being constructed right here in Lumiose. He had to admit, he found it odd that they'd be having the League in such a popular town. That was like asking for trouble.

"You're late, Jack," rumbled a deep voice standing next to the gate from town. The man, Jack, stopped and leaned back, his hands going deeper into his pockets.

"I thought I was right on time," Jack said with a slightly haughty smirk. The man before him, leaning against the posts of the gate to pass from town, straightened himself, standing firmly on both feet. Jack observed him a moment, watching as he ran his hand through his own black hair, the multicolored charm shining on his wrist in the sunlight as he did so. It served to highlight how dark his skin was, but Jack paid more attention to the man's eyes. "You're looking tired, Lionel."

"I'm fine," Lionel bristled at him, puffing his chest out. "You look happy."

"Hmm…guess I am," Jack replied, taking his strides forward once again. This time, he took the lead in front of Lionel and stepped onto the rain drenched path that led from the city. Of course, it was mostly just a course of mud and leaves now, but that hardly mattered. He didn't mind getting himself dirty. Not to reach where they were going. "The Nova Incident is still a matter of concern."

"Is it? I'm surprised we didn't get involved," Lionel noted. This made Jack purse his lips, though he said nothing for a moment. "I'd imagine it's all taken care of, though."

"Naturally," Jack responded. "Still…no matter the actions we've taken, there's been a very disturbing trend as of late. I'd have thought nothing of it before, but these last couple years are starting to disturb me."

"Operation Tempest? The ruins in Unova?" Lionel questioned, catching up and keeping in stride. The man, slightly younger now that Jack thought about it, was a little shorter than him, but was able to match him stride for stride. "You really think he had a hand in them?"

"Not directly," Jack answered, turning down a concealed dirt path. The forest around them grew darker and their feet continued to slosh through the mud. "Then again, he rarely does anything directly. He's sneaky like that."

"And the rumors of this Kalos Crisis…He likely is involved with that. Makes me wonder why we aren't getting involved."

"Why bother? It hardly interests me!" Jack proclaimed, earning a disgruntled wrinkle of the nose from Lionel. He couldn't help but laugh at the expression. "Oh, calm down. Whatever will happen with the Kalos Crisis, I'm not concerned about its ramifications. There's been no hint it will involve anything of…ancient properties. At least none that aren't monitored."

"I suppose you have a point, though I don't like playing the bystander," Lionel begrudged him. Jack nodded, agreeing with the man's point. So, he answered it in kind.

"That's why we won't be. He'll be going on the offensive himself soon. First Ancien, now Nova? He's stepping it up. I'm sure that once Ash stops whatever the Kalos Crisis is about, he'll become more direct in his methods. Are we sure that man didn't mention anything about the Weapon?"

"Very certain. As for our other quar-"

"Shh!" Jack suddenly shushed harshly. Lionel ceased making any noise to peer ahead through the darkening brush. There was light a little ways off, but Jack wasn't making a single move towards it. He was listening, his eyes swiveling every which way. He knew he should have checked himself when leaving the café. It had been reckless, but he'd wanted news on the Nova Incident.

A twig snapped somewhere far off and Jack relaxed, a smile on his face. Lionel, however, didn't. In fact, he was almost looking at him like he was insane. He might have been, but he felt there was no real threat.

"You know, my dear, if you wanted to sneak up on us and track us to where we were going, you may have wanted to try the oaks. Pines are too heavy with Pinecos and some other trees could very well be Trevenants, though you'd know all about that," Jack said, almost in a mocking tone. Lionel was wrinkling his nose again as they heard another twig snap and a hooded figure dropped onto the ground in front of them.

"How did you notice me, Red? !" the girl in front of him cried. Jack raised his eyebrows at the use of his codename. He felt it was a silly and cumbersome thing, but Lionel insisted on it being used when out in the field and not in a city. All to "hide his identity". He didn't feel a need to, but as he hadn't been figured out yet by most people, he knew that Lionel's suggestion was a good one. As for identities, however, the girl in front of him was more unsettling. He couldn't see her face, but the blonde tresses flowing out slightly told him who she was.

"You're graceful, but next time, you may want to try getting yourself dirty," Jack pointed out. Grinning a little, Jack reached over to a small string hanging from his chest and made to pull out the object concealed beneath his shirt. "Twigs don't snap on this muddy path."

"You're such an annoyance. Pangoro!" the girl cried, tossing a ball with an underhand throw. From it emerged a giant panda, a shaft of bamboo in its mouth as it loomed over them with strength. Jack sighed sadly.

"Pangoro is such a brute for a beauty like yourself. And that hood hardly becomes you," he said. The girl took a step back, and though he couldn't see her face, he could tell she was glaring. He would have chuckled, but didn't; seeing her so riled up was a bit of a treat. Reminded him of someone all too fondly. "If you were to bring it down, we could all see your lovely face. Remember when you used to wear all those st-"

"Stone Edge!" the girl commanded, crouching low as she did so, and throwing her hand out. Pangoro, rather deft despite its size, bounded into the air with a somersault and then slammed its fist upon the ground with a cry.

"Oh, dear. Think I hit a nerve?" Jack asked of Lionel. The darker skinned man sighed and stepped forward.

"Let me handle this, sir," he said with a tired rubbing of his eyes. "Banette, operation time."

"Bane!" cackled the Marionette Pokémon. Lionel put his hand on Jack's chest and pushed him back.

"Let me handle this, Red."

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Grey," Jack snickered out. Lionel stepped forward with a scowl as large stones jutted out from the ground, aiming straight for their little group. Banette chattered excitedly.

"Ugh, whoever came up with that filthy codename system? Fake names would have been good enough. Protect." Banette's ghostly arms snapped outward and a circular shield was erected right in front of it. The stones slammed into the surface of the shield and broke up, the shattered pieces sticking themselves into the mud. "Now, Phantom Force."

"Dark Pulse," the girl said, emerging from her crouch. Pangoro tossed its massive arms back and then heaved them forward, firing an inky black helix of energy at the spot where Banette was. Only Banette disappeared. Pangoro looked around, confused. "Behind you!"

"Nette!" Banette cried, slamming upwards from the ground to gouge Pangoro in the back. It then began to dance around Pangoro and back in front of Lionel. Pangoro shook its head, not wounded but still dazed from the strike.

"Swords Dance!" Pangoro righted itself and slammed its fists together menacingly as swords began to glow and circle around the giant Pokémon. Jack watched with a disinterested frown as Lionel stepped forward and held his bracelet up, one of the charms on it still shining.

"Banette, let's show this little girl how sneaky we can be. Mega Evolve!" Lionel grasped the shining charm, his keystone, and it exploded with light at the same time that Banette did as well. The lights connected together, bursting with energy as Jack watched with now folded arms. Banette's arms grew longer, its body bigger as numerous parts of it unzipped, revealing a pink and rippling skin underneath. Then the light burst out to reveal the tittering form of Mega Banette. The girl didn't look concerned, watching the swords still circling around her Pangoro. "Snatch."

Banette moved even faster than before, almost disappearing before it hung in front of Pangoro like a truly twisted marionette. Its ghostly limbs shot out and nabbed the swirling swords, causing an expression of surprise to appear on Pangoro's face. Banette began cackling as the stolen swords circled around it, and then it vanished again.

"B-be alert!"

"Phantom Force…" Lionel was sounding bored, which was no surprise to Jack. He tended to get a little…sadistic, when his opponent was levels below him. Banette appeared and suddenly pummeled Pangoro from behind, sending the large Pokémon stumbling into the bushes. The girl whipped her cloak out to take Pangoro's pokeball out.

"Time to retur-"

"Pursuit," was the simple command. Jack's frown etched deeper, looking over to his ever-loyal companion, leering at the battle scene with a twisted grin. He would have scoffed, but decided to let the battle finish out. After all, it was over now. Banette's body glowed with an eerie purple as the girl's red beam from her pokeball shot out. It wasn't enough when Banette's hands shot out with ridiculous speed, intercepting the beam and pummeling Pangoro without mercy. The Pokémon was slammed up in the air and then down before being lifted and tossed right towards his trainer and dumped at her feet.

"That's enough, Grey," Jack told him pointedly. "I think the point has been made."

"Right…sorry. Just want to make sure she doesn't keep following us to places she shouldn't," Lionel stressed as the girl finished calling Pangoro back, reaching for another pokeball. Jack turned his attention from his companion to glare at the girl, who flinched, especially when he threateningly reached for his necklace.

"I wouldn't, my dear," he said warningly. That gave the girl pause and she swallowed loudly. "I believe it's time you leave."

"I don't think so…I…have a mission to-"

"Does that mission involve getting killed?" Jack snapped at her, giving the girl complete pause. Her hand wavered on her pokeballs as she stared at them (or he presumed she did given the hood). "I don't wish to take your life…and I don't think he would have wanted it, no matter what your dear leader believes is necessary."

"Shut up! What would you know?" the girl yelled. Next to Jack, Lionel sighed, as though tired of the proceedings taking place. He ignored him.

"I would hope you know full well what I know," Jack said tersely. The girl was almost shaking, though he wasn't quite sure if it was fury or fear. "Now, go back to DARC and tell them to keep doing whatever they will. Our battle will reach its finale very soon, and we won't let you do what you wish."

"Tch, you can't give me orders!" the girl protested, but she seemed to shiver when Banette turned to look at her with its leering faces. That alone was enough to make the girl drop her hands from her Pokeball, instead grabbing a small device that she dropped on the ground. The second it hit the ground, as expected, it began to spew smoke to obscure her, though Jack could still see the girl's outline through the smoke. He took a step forward and made sure to raise his voice so that she could hear.

"A warning, my dear," Jack said sternly. "We will not back down, and if you plan to harm any of them, there will be no restraint left." She said nothing, her form beginning to retreat over the dead leaves and twigs of the area. "Oh, yes…and keep away from Ash Ketchum. Goodness knows if you try anything to him, he'll pay it back in kind and stop you before you even start. And if he doesn't…then expect no mercy from us."

His declaration made the girl stop for just a moment, as though the name froze her up. Then her hurried footsteps continued on. A bright light briefly shined out as Banette reverted form. Jack looked to Lionel who nodded his head towards Banette and the Ghost type flitted into the trees, obviously to make sure that they would no longer be followed by the girl or anyone else. With the situation resolved, Jack sighed out.

"Conflict is so annoying," Jack expressed. This earned a laugh from Lionel.

"Says the man practically waging a war for how many years now?" he asked as they began to walk forward, nearing to the light at the end of the copse of trees. Jack didn't answer him. "Regardless, I don't know why we never capture one of their members."

"Because it would be pointless," Jack waved off. "Capturing wouldn't provide any intel worth having. Better to have them scare the others with tales of how we thoroughly drove them off, no?"

"You're soft…" Lionel expressed. The pair stepped out of the trees into an area with flowing waterfalls and a small pond off to the side where a group of people were gathered. They caught sight immediately and waved before Banette flitted back down to Lionel's side. He patted the Pokémon on the head and returned it. Jack took another step forward only for both he and Lionel to be stopped by a Samurott holding a Razor Shell to each of them. "Then again, if you weren't, we'd have our whole ax-crazy crew causing more problems than not."

"Passcodes and identities," spoke a man, one of the people by the pond groups. He had slicked-back blond hair, tied into a ponytail with a pair of glasses. His hands were shoved in his pockets, though Jack knew that he wasn't complacent in the slightest. If anything, he was the most aware of anyone there. Jack cocked a smirk at the man and his security measures, but chose to partake in them.

"For history and family, we will shine the light of peace on this world. So do I, Jack, solemnly swear," Jack responded, clasping a fist over his heart. Lionel simultaneously did the same actions, only stating his own name. The blond observed them a moment longer before nodding to Samurott, who withdrew. Then he stood forward and embraced the both of them.

"I'm glad to see you're safe. The both of you," he said. Jack just smiled and patted him on the back until the man withdrew and Jack walked forward. He breathed in the fresh air, looking up to the tops of the waterfall where a familiar dark shape landed in the midst of the water up there. Offering a nod to the one resting there, Jack took a better look around the area where his comrades were gathering. More importantly, his eyes landed on the small path that led further in, past the waterfalls, and his smile dropped.

"Your stringent security measures are almost slipping, Aidan," Lionel commented with a chuckle. The blond, Aidan, glared at Lionel and punched him on the shoulder.

"Shut it, Grey…" Lionel snapped another glare. Jack shook his head and ignored their usual pointless bickering. "Of course I'm cautious. If anyone were to discover our base location or our identities, our families would be in danger, no?"

"Whatever's left of them…" Lionel commented, playing with the charms on his bracelet from what Jack could hear.

"Aidan, did we find the information we're looking for?" Jack said, slightly harsher than he intended to. Aidan snapped to attention and nodded in almost military precision.

"Just about. It's only rumors but we think we've found a location for the sixth. I've sent Jenny and Ryan to go observe and report," Aidan informed him. "As for the seventh…well, it is mobile. I have some old research buddies looking into it, without knowledge of course, and I feel like we're drawing close. I'll let you know when we have more information."

"That's fine for now…" Jack said simply. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he walked forward towards the narrow path, his own eyes narrowing. Lionel and Aidan trailed behind him. Everyone was on their own missions, recovering what needed to be recovered, and soon all the information he'd been recovering would at last pay off. A small cry filled the air from the top of the waterfall and Jack nodded his head. The air was changing. The events in Ancien…the events in Nova…all too soon, the Kalos Crisis would be upon them…and then everything would change. They'd need to remain in the shadows until then; goodness knew that their enemy would.

"I take it your trip to the city was most fruitful, then?"

"Yes…very…" Jack said with confidence, putting one step on the narrow path and stopping. He looked back at his comrades who both appeared to understand. They wouldn't be getting anything out of him now, not with what he was going to do. Instead, he took another look at the sky. Rain seemed to be rolling in. I'll see you very soon…Ash…

"Jack, one thing," Aidan mentioned, drawing Jack away from his thoughts. He permitted his friend a singular moment to ask his question. "What took you both so long to get back? I was under the assumption your city trip wouldn't take long."

"Heh, it didn't," Jack confirmed for the man before smirking wider. "We were delivering our declaration of war."

Several Weeks Later…

Diantha's footsteps echoed through the hall of the venerated Kalos League branch's headquarters. Casting a gaze outside at the cascading waterfalls through the stained-glass windows, she had to marvel at how quickly workers had managed to patch up the headquarters…though it was undoubtedly nothing compared to the work that needed to be done on Lumiose City. More importantly, she noticed all the security measures resting outside via either helicopter, hovering machines, Pokémon, or all three. Not that this particular League Summit was as…well-advertised as the previous one.

"No, no, that's all right," a voice, a familiar one, called from ahead. Diantha adjusted a bag she was carrying on her shoulder and looked up to see a man dressed in a suit back out of a room. "I'll make sure to let the president know your concerns at the meeting. Yes, it's all right, Aaron, I understand. Take care."

"Michael!" Diantha called out as the door the man was emerging from closed. The man in question, a dark-blond-haired individual, turned and touched his earpiece, ending whatever conversation he was having. "You seem busy."

"Tell me about it," the man sighed. Diantha picked up her pace a little to catch up to him. Standing next to him, she marveled his ability to consistently look like he'd never aged a day since the last time she saw him six months ago, when they had begun planning for the Lumiose Conference. If only she'd known then what a disaster it would be. "I've been so busy since planning for the Leagues started, I'm exhausted. It's a constant pull: plan Unova and Kalos, and once they've happened I have to start planning for the others. Gives me little time for hobbies."

"I understand completely. Was that Aaron from Sinnoh?" Diantha asked of the man, Michael. Michael sighed, allowing Diantha a moment to look at him with interest. He really did look far younger than he had any right to, especially with all of his stress. Though…that was only the case if one removed the goatee and glasses. It did make him a little silly, but also all the more intimidating at the same time; certainly befitting of the man that was the Vice President of the League.

"Yes, apparently he's not coming…owing to the, er, ambush from last time," Michael admitted sheepishly. "At this point, I feel like I'm just errand boy for Charles, er…President Goodshow."

"Nonsense!" Diantha informed him, raising her head a little to meet his eyes. Michael turned his head with a smile, the Champion catching the azure blue sight of them beneath his rimless glasses, which sometimes appeared more a fashion statement than a necessity. "I view your contributions far better than my own! I could never organize Leagues or deal with everything you must. I have to admit, I'm not sure the Lumiose Conference could have ever occurred without you putting in such diligent work! We were so busy dealing with the fallout from the Nova Incident, after all…"

"Well," Michael admitted with a rather sheepish laugh, "I must admit I'm flattered to hear such high praise from the Champion of Kalos! Either way, with what happened in Lumiose, I have to say I'm a little grateful that President Goodshow put a slight hold on planning for conferences. Makes sense in the face of League reform. You're spear-heading the movement, yes?"

"Mm," was the response. Diantha now turned her head away, looking down the hall to the far more secure room where the Second League Summit would be hold. Her smile fell a little, remembering what had led them there. Too much…From whatever happened in Ancien to the Nova Incident and Dalton's ambitions. To her surprise, the man, for all his insanity in his actions had a strong point…a point that Lumiose proved even further. Her fist tightened around her bag; she was so useless. She had put the fate of the world in children, again. And the one who guided them hadn't even won the League!

"Diantha, are you all right?"

"Hm…oh, yes, just some reminiscing," the Champion answered. Michael nodded. Seeing that, Diantha considered him a moment. She hardly knew Michael, not with her busy schedule, but his was a rather dull story, all things considered. Some years ago, he had started in the League Offices, a rather unremarkable trainer, as an accountant. That was before she'd become Champion. He had always been an odd one, completing his work quickly and then vanishing for stretches of time. It was eventually revealed that he took his time going on explorations to enhance his cultural understanding of the League he was serving in a hopes to better improve the conferences. He rose through the ranks quickly, once Goodshow had taken an interest in him. It was thanks to him that so many League Conferences had gone off without a hitch…until the latest, of course.

Not that Diantha knew him all too well. In fact, most of them didn't know him that well…not that it was a surprise; between regions, the Champions and League officials hardly interacted, really. Having two Summits in a single year was strange in and of itself, and seeing Michael at even one of them was even stranger. Regardless, she liked the man enough to consider him a good support for Goodshow. She even identified with his feeling of being Goodshow's errand boy. Sure, she was a well-known face as an actress and was the face of the Kalos League, but sometimes she felt like little more than someone for Kathi Lee to order around.

At least the softly smiling man before her had his earnestness, dedication and devotion to Goodshow. She appreciated that the most.

"I'm glad you were able to come to the Summit, this time," she finally spoke up, watching him for a reaction. He turned to her and crinkled his eyes with a smile.

"I wouldn't miss it! I feel bad having to miss the last one when I could have helped, but you know, the conference took precedence," Michael admitted and they drew very close to the door to the meeting room. "I'm away from the branches so much, it's like a breath of fresh air. Now, let's see how many people actually remember me, shall we?"

Diantha had no time to reassure him of anything as he pushed the doors open and led the pair of them into the room. Diantha instantly scanned the room, catching sight of the long table around which multiple people were seated. At one end was the president and a nondescript League official (though, Diantha noticed him to be the same one that was at the previous Summit), while at the other end was a consortium of Champions. Dotting the rest of the table were various members of the Elite Four, conversing quietly.

"Ah! Diantha, Michael, you're here!" President Goodshow called out from his place at the table, picking at a plate of grapes. Michael bowed low while Diantha nodded. There was a scraping of a chair and the Kalos Champion noticed that Cynthia had stood and was walking over to the pair, with her hand outstretched.

"It's been too long, Michael," Cynthia greeted him. Shifting the stack of folders in his arms, Michael shook the Sinnoh Champion's hand. "I don't think we've seen each other in years."

"Busy times."

"That's for sure," said another voice, though one that Diantha usually heard relatively little of. She craned her head to notice Lance, Champion of the joint Kanto-Johto regions, sitting lazily in his chair next to Steven, who greeted her with a wave. It was remarkable that all the Champions could gather so easily. "You're looking well, Michael. Younger every time I see you."

"I have a good health regimen," Michael confessed to the red-haired champion. "To be honest, it's nice to see familiar faces! Not much has changed in the years, huh? Still the same Elite Four members and all. Only Mr. Stone has changed, replacing Wallace, right?"

"Oh, don't be modest, Michael!" Goodshow called out, waving the man over to his side. Michael gave another bow to the pair of female Champions and scuttled off to the president's side. Diantha quickly shook Cynthia's hand and the two women began walking over to their place at the table, passing by a confused Alder. "This is your handiwork! Without your efforts on the conferences and scheduling Championship matches, the entire structure between regions would crumble."

"Er…who is this guy…?" Alder whispered as they were passing by.

"Stop talking, Alder," Cynthia breathed out. The flaming-haired man just shrugged, as though he couldn't be bothered to remember a guy's name or role in their organization. Diantha said nothing, sitting in the middle of the five Champions.

"I highly doubt the League would fall apart without me," Michael insisted. "I just do what I can. Don't we all?"

"Well spoken!" Goodshow said, sitting up in his chair and pushing his plate of grapes away as the League official next to him stood. Michael took that moment to seat himself. "After all, keeping the League and the world together is why we're all here!"

"Champion Diantha, I believe you were the one to call for this Summit," said the League official as soon as Goodshow finished. Diantha cleared her throat to indicate confirmation and stood, herself. "I give the floor to you."

"Thank you," she said kindly, glancing around at her fellow trainers. The President and official took their seats once more. "To be honest, when I called for the Summit, it was in response to the Nova Incident and various…revelations that were made plain to me. Things changed with the Kalos Crisis."

"Kalos certainly seems to be having its share of problems lately," Cynthia noted. Diantha couldn't deny any of that. "First we met regarding the Ancien Debacle, then the Nova Incident happened and the Kalos Crisis…"

"Makes you wonder if someone's making these things happen," Michael joked, though his tone suggested it was a humorless one.

"I would not be surprised," Steven said sternly. Despite her intentions being derailed, Diantha was more than prepared to aptly listen to Steven's words. His involvement in her own region's crisis gave her a level of respect for the man. "There are actually rumors in Hoenn, or there were when I was busy excavating, of a group…they call themselves ARC, and they're very interested in ancient artifacts. I don't know much about them or their purpose though, so it's mere speculation and rumor."

"Yes, well, the cause of these recent events is, sadly, not my main focus here," Diantha decided to say, pushing the topic back to where she wanted it to be. "What I am proposing is League Reform."

"Reform?" Alder said in disgust. "What needs to be revamped? The Gym system works, the Conference system works, the-"

"All due respect, Alder," Diantha cut across him, "the system doesn't quite work." That made some mutters occur from members of the table. The only ones who didn't look all that surprised were most of her fellow Champions and the president. "I saw firsthand how ineffective the League system has been in Nova. I watched a man who had descended into madness from losing his daughter try to change the world as we know it because we hadn't protected her. And Lysandre…I don't think I need to speak much about him. His ambitions were hardly secret."

"They're raving lunatics, though, aren't they?" Alder tried to wave off, as if it hardly mattered. "We're more than a match for all of them."

"That may be…" Cynthia decided to chime in, "but they're effective. These recent issues have driven that point in quite well. Even Cyrus, I believe, was once a good man who came to believe this world wasn't one worth living in. Of course, I don't prescribe to the theory we should just give up on the world, but maybe there are some things that need fixing."

"I can second that," Steven brought up. "I know a girl who had just started her journey, and within a short amount of time she had suffered more trauma than anyone her age should have ever had to. No child should have to know that level of pain."

"Pain…huh?" Alder breathed out. Diantha turned her head to watch him as he frowned. His face looked in conflict but eventually he sighed and nodded. "No, I don't want to see children live through that."

"And this is the point I'm making," Diantha said loudly, bringing the point up to the table at large. "We send children out on journeys, or rather, allow them to go on them with little more than a word of farewell. Yes, there are those more adept to surviving on the road or that have been trained by their parents, but what of those that aren't? How are we defending them? And when a disaster happens, why aren't we doing more to prevent these things?"

"We can't stop every missile in midair," Lance reminded her. "Some things can't be stopped before they happen."

"And I understand that," she told him sharply. "However, that doesn't excuse our actions once they have. Look at Ancien, at Nova, and Lumiose. That alone should point out how ill-prepared we are to deal with any threats on the horizon."

"Yes, but those things were resolved, huh?" called a Hoenn Elite Four Member by the name of Drake. Diantha inclined her head to listen to him. "Ash Ketchum, right? He put a stop to those foes."

"And he is a child, too," Diantha sighed out heavily. "I believe Ash is very skilled. Runner-up at the Kalos League, defended our world…but he made that choice. And he'd make it again and again…but he shouldn't have to do it alone. And we certainly shouldn't try to make it that the other children on the road that aren't as equipped as Ash be involved either."

"Suggestions then, Champion Diantha?" called the League official. Diantha once more straightened her back and placed her bag on the table, reaching into it for a small stack of documents and sliding them across the table. Michael was the first to grab them.

"I suggest a few guiding principles, namely three of them," the Champion of Kalos spoke to the room, drawing attention on her. "First, I propose an Inter-Regional Communications System. I've already begun doing research into this and it's very possible with some genius engineer minds within a matter of days or even hours. It would need approval, however. This would allow us a greater communication should any of the worst happen to befall a single region.

"Second, I want to have a very small and direct corps researching legends. I think the recent circumstances have shown that Legendary Pokémon are typically involved with every little aspect of these crime syndicates. If we have a greater knowledge of these legends ourselves, our opportunity of stopping things before they occur will skyrocket. And finally, I want the Gym Leaders to play a more active role in the defense of their regions. I understand the need for them to travel sometimes, and that's fine, but I find it would be just as important to keep an eye around their areas in case anything fishy is going on."

"Proposal's pretty sound…" Michael commented, having been flicking through the papers during her speech. "Mr. President, I could easily get some engineers on the first part of the proposal if it's approved. The second would take some time, as would the third…"

"That's not a problem," Goodshow grumbled out, rubbing his back a little. "I like all of the ideas, though, with the recent trends…I wonder how we'll be able to hold up until your points can be implemented."

"Verily, why not a tournament?" Diantha couldn't help but blink at the voice of Wikstrom from the table. He usually spoke so little that to hear him speak and suggest such a thing was nearly unheard of.

"And invite more danger?" Diantha reminded him.

"Nay, we shall deter it!" the Elite Four member stated with a clanking of his armor. "Why not hold it at the stadium on League Headquarters grounds, right here? That would allow a greater degree of control. We do have our own lives to lead, but given the security of our League, I believe it would be fine."

"I suppose…"

"It's an idea, Sir Wikstrom," Michael agreed. That surprised Diantha a little, to hear such an idea be agreed to so easily. Diantha placed her hands behind her back, lacing her fingers as she stared at the vice president. "Ah, forgive me, we're getting ahead of ourselves! Before we move forward with the tournament, are we all in agreement with the rest of the proposed League Reform?"

"I certainly take no issue with it," Cynthia stated simply. Her own agreement seemed to pass around the table, including to those (like Alder) that had been more reluctant. In fact, they quickly put it to a unanimous vote and discussion moved onto this idea for a tournament. Diantha, however, was unsure. Having a tournament so soon after the disaster of the Lumiose Conference was disconcerting. Michael appeared to read her mind and proved his adeptness at his job by attempting to allay her fears.

"Champion Diantha, if you're worried, I'd be more than happy to place stringent security measures over the tournament," he mentioned casually. Diantha looked at him in expectation. "Well, we'll have it here, myself and the president can oversee proceedings and we can only include trainers that have undergone a screening process."

"Well…I highly doubt that last part is necessary…and this is the most protected location in the region given what happened…I just fail to see the point in it," Diantha admitted, taking a seat finally as she looked across the table. Michael tapped his pen on the table a little before clapping his hands.

"How about something a little different? !" he cried out. "If we want League Reform…wouldn't it help to have those who choose to fight be part of a special squad to protect their fellow trainers. We open the tournament to the Ancien Warriors, the Nova Nine, those involved in the Kalos Crisis and anyone interested in the protection and welfare of our society. No prizes, awards, real winners or accolades; just a chance to serve the people. The…hmm…The Purity Tournament…er, Peace?…Maybe the name needs some work, but the basics work, right? Just make it a set of different kinds of challenges to keep the competitors and audience on their toes. A real tournament of inspiration to get people's mind off the ugliness!"

"Brilliant as ever, Michael!" Goodshow chortled out, thumping the man on the back. Diantha cracked a smile at the action. It may not have been the greatest strategy, but perhaps having a fun tournament with nothing at stake beyond the chance to help their fellow trainers was a good idea. With a nod, she accepted the idea.

"Great! I'll get to work right away, planning the event and sending the invitations out. Anyone not invited by invitation will go through the screening process via examination. President Goodshow, why don't we both attend together?"

"Been a while since I attended a League-sponsored event in the Kalos Region. I'm game," Goodshow mentioned with a grin. "Now, what ideas do we have?"

"Fire rings!" Flint shouted out with a grin. Some other people around the table chimed in with their own ideas and Diantha sat back. She knew most of them wouldn't be there, but as a statement that Kalos was still standing, it was quite the positive sign. Well, Diantha had to admit with an exhaling breath, it may not heal the gaping wound we caused, but it's a start. That's good enough for now.

"You're beyond late, Reeree!" screamed the voice. Well, maybe she wasn't screaming, but it sounded loud, even with the sound of machinery and water. The girl in question, Reeree, looked up and noticed the girl talking to her, dressed in a black cloak and an elaborate face-mask, leap down from a set of pipes and land with all the grace of a gymnast. Reeree drew her cloak tighter around herself, not letting her hood slip.

"I'm almost certain I'm on time, Mimi." Mimi scoffed, running her hand through her blue hair. "Did Master Carl receive the message I sent?"

"Of course he did. I delivered it personally," Mimi answered. Reeree nodded and began walking past the row of pipes to the crack of light at the end of the darkened hall. "You're not going to remove your hood?"

"You haven't removed your mask," she pointed out to the girl. Mimi shrugged, completely understanding. "We all have a habit of keeping anonymity."

"Maybe you girls do, but I sure don't…keh heh heh," cackled out a voice. A crinkling sound was heard and both Reeree and Mimi turned to see a large, heavyset man emerge from the darkness of the pipes. Despite the narrowness of the hallways, he seemed to be quite fine with fitting through it and keeping pace with them. In his hands was a bag of chips, which he appeared to be reaching into all too often. For her senior, particularly in age, Reeree held little respect for him.

"You're super creepy, Mister Cedric," Mimi informed him, the trio nearly upon the sliver of light in the room. Reeree was the first to push it open.

"I am not working with you and your pathetic team ever again!" came a shout from the center of the room. Reeree squinted her eyes, discerning the few figures around the round table, lit only by the embers of odd candles. First she caught sight of the one speaking, though it wasn't like he was identifiable with his beanie cap and sunglasses. It made him look more like a thug than one of their compatriots. He was talking to another hooded figure, similar to herself. No surprise considering the time the two of them had joined. All that was plain was that under the hood was a boy.

"Like I care, but it's orders! I'm not a fan of your rather brutal tactics, myself!" the hooded boy roared. Both boys leaned over, glaring sparks towards one another until someone else, a friend of hers, inserted himself between them and pushed them apart.

"Enough of this fighting!" the boy yelled, his blond hair and goggles shining eerily in the light of the candles. Reeree really had no idea why they liked to keep it so dark in their meeting room. Cedric shuffled past her and plopped down upon a chair, shoveling another handful of chips into his mouth with a leering grin. Mimi wrinkled her nose at it. "We're all friends here."

"Hardly," the boy in the beanie said. "We each have our own goals…our own purpose, right? I don't consider you my friends."

"More than likewise," the hooded boy spat. They looked to be ready to glare daggers at each other as the blond stepped back, allowing Mimi to insert herself in between them teasingly.

"Now, now, boys…no fighting, for me?" she said with a little wink, visible through the facemask. Neither really seemed interested, and the girl gave a pout. "Fine, but I don't like it when we fight. Teasing is one thing, but we're still a team."

"Yeah…a team, right…" the blond scoffed out next to her and Reeree walked forward to pat him on the back consolingly. "This is taking away from my experimentation time!"

"And what number is this?" she asked of her friend. The boy flushed, snapping his goggles against his face and drawing the collar of his jumpsuit against himself. Reeree decided to not make fun of him.

"It's slow going…"

"It's always slow going with you! No wonder you always stay behind at headquarters instead of going out into the field," the hooded boy said. Reeree glared at the boy while Cedric laughed. For some reason, all the boys seemed to find a need to fight in their group whenever they were gathered in one place.

"Like you're one to talk," beanie boy said.

"Shut up…" Mimi expressed with a huff of annoyance. "We Seven haven't gathered like this in almost two years. We've all been away on our specific missions. It's nice to see everyone, so can we not fight for once?"

"Maybe when you provide a challenge, I'll actually listen to you, but you're not worth it, idiot!" Mimi snarled loudly, walking up to the boy and slamming his head against the table. He was unfazed by it.

"Don't let my coquettish looks put you off guard, jerk. I can make you draw blood if I want to…and you know how much that could appeal to me…"

"Stop this bickering, all of you!" Silence filled the room as a loud clang was made on the table. The other six in the room turned their heads to face the last person in the room, who was the oldest of all of them, though he was obscured in shadow. Reeree moved forward, drawing his face a little in the light to show his slicked-back red hair, and a scar on his forehead. In his hand was a pokeball, which he had used to bang on the table. "You're all acting like children."

"Keh heh, let them act like children for a moment, Carl," Cedric cackled out. His laugh always sent shivers up her spine. "There's not much opportunity for them to be what they are in our line of work."

"That's beyond the point," Carl argued, standing from his seat and fully bringing himself into the light. "The time has come at last for the final stages of our operation; no time for pointless bickering or amusing antics."

"Oh ho?" Cedric asked, the chip bag that had been in his hands now abandoned. "So…we can finally begin."

"I was wondering why we were called here," beanie boy said before smirking darkly. "Finally. I've been waiting for this day for six long years."

"Something we can agree on. We're ready to go."

"All communications are active, and the stage for our future is set," her blond friend said from next to her. "I'll support you mostly from the base, but I am ready to head out to the field."

"Yes! A good chance to show these spineless people their new world," Mimi laughed out. Reeree said nothing, continuing to watch Carl as Cedric stood as well, his mouth empty of chips as he grinned a rather manic smile, making him look beyond unhinged.

"At last…our plans come to fruition. The day of reckoning…The Final Day is here. Keh heh…keh heh heh heh!" Cedric laughed out, his belly shaking with every single chuckle. Carl, for his part, ignored most of them and began to walk around the table, heading for the door on the other side of the room that lead to an outside area. Reeree followed after him and the scraping of chairs told her that the others were on the move right behind her, sweeping out their plans into the light.

"Time to do what needs to be done, then," she finally spoke to Carl. The redhead smirked at her. "Our final mission begins now. The time for war is upon us at last."

"Indeed," Carl said with a guttural growl underneath his deep voice as they swept out of the dark room like a determined entourage, "let us go forth and show our mission to the world. Go forth, my fellow sins, gather all of this world's excess sinners and raze it to the ground!

"Let us bring a crushing blow of destruction upon humanity and Pokémon alike!"

Author's Note: A quite different first chapter, no? Now, there were a lot of parts to this chapter and I'm sure you all have questions (that I can't totally answer) but I can say a few little things. For one, if you can't tell, this first chapter was written to give a feeling of a final story. Ash and the others didn't appear at all. This was entirely intentional because having a first chapter without him ups the tension. To that point, we had a lot of characters and plotlines in this sole chapter alone. Who are Jack, Lionel and Aidan? Who is Reeree, the girl who faced Jack and Lionel at the beginning? What about Mimi, Cedric, Carl and the other members of this mysterious group? What are their plans? All to be answered in due time.

On a different note, the three sections may read similar, simply because it's a group of characters meeting. Again, intentional, given the chapter title. For the record, the first portion took place during the last chapter of "Turbulence" if that wasn't plain. As for the character of Michael, given the League Reform, I wanted a character in there who could help to represent that but that wasn't part of the game cast. Beyond these notes, that's all I have. Look forward to seeing Ash and the rest of the gang, and for the tournament to begin, next chapter.

Also, as a special notice, I have two things to say. 1) The Ancienverse now has a TV Tropes page! Give it a check under Ancienverse. 2) I have a Twitter account, so follow me EpicocityFanfic for updates on the story and some other fun tidbits, and for any news on other stories. In the meantime, I hope I can see all my old reviewers that I love and adore (and even some new ones) out here to Review, and Dare to Be Silly.