Epilogue: Shooting stars

When wishes and reality do not collide

Five years later, afternoon

North of Virbank City

PokeStar Studios

The afternoon heat rolled off the pavement and struck his face in hot blasts. In the middle of the park, a grand marble fountain spewed jets of water and the spray evaporated under a merciless sun. Next to the elevated square, the sea stretched out in a carpet of endless blue, lapping on the craggy bank in rhythmic splashes. The PokeStudio Park was crammed full of people and tourists and a huge crowd congregated in front of the banner board. Breaking his attention away from the willowy form of an actress, splayed in dazzling colors across the board, his gaze swept through the bustling park, to the ice-cream stand and its garish balloons and landed on the adolescent sitting next to him. In the periphery of his vision, he witnessed a teenager, black, chin length hair parted in the middle. The youngster squinted fiercely and thumbed a portable game controller. Heaving a sigh, he went back to his thoughtless gazing of the PokeStar studios and absent mindedly licked his ice cream cone.

"Are you sure she's gonna be here Lack-2?" Next to him, Hugh squirmed in his seat and a red visor shaded his eyes. "We have been here since the morning, I feel like a fried human. What are we doing here anyway? I doubt it's to catch up on the latest movies. Last time I checked-" The lilac haired man peered into his cracked leather wallet, "we don't have enough funds for an extra cup of instant noodles…Much less an attendance of a grand premiere." His friend merely grunted and perked up when he spied a man walking up to the adjacent table. The teenager with the gaming console, muttered an apathetic greeting to the well-dressed individual and continued to ignore him whilst Lack-2 peered at the good looking stranger suspiciously. "Casteliacones cost money; you better pay me back for the dozen you wolfed down just now." That statement caught Lack-2's attention and the brown haired man turned fully, his russet irises gleaming with mock pain. "Don't look at me like that!" Hugh growled, "We live in a trailer on Route five and thanks to you, I was forced to give up joining the league circuits because I had no money to stay in hotels. Next thing I know, you ate a huge chunk of my savings and thus I can't pay my gym battle participation bills."

The brown haired man snorted and grinded the rest of the frozen confectionery between polished teeth, his gaze veered towards the table and he observed a hushed conversation taking place between the adult and the teen. A group of fans inched closer to the cyan haired man and the black haired boy irritably shoved the older man off. "Yeah, I get we live in a homeless trailer...Still doesn't explain why Whi-2 decided to move in with us last month." Lack-2 muttered distractedly and quickly looked away, the boy graced him with the foulest glare the former officer had the displeasure of seeing. "I am a private investigator...Meaning, I'm on a high profile cas-"

Hugh cut in and flexed his hands: "You are a hobo who does nothing but chase odd leads around and you absolutely refuse offers from the International Police. One day, they are so going to wring your neck. If it weren't for their protection, you'd have to constantly watch out for those scattered team Plasma grunts who'd happily gut you." The lilac haired man grunted incomprehensibly and frantically dug into his waist pack. His fingers twitched and convulsed oddly. Unable to watch his friend dissolve into a mess of warbled words and erratic gestures, Lack-2 reached over and pulled out a foil sheet of capsules. Hugh instinctively opened his mouth and the brown haired male popped two pills and handed him a bottle of water. From the adjacent table, the raven haired teenager fixed his emotionless gaze at them and Lack-2 curbed the urge to snarl at him. Hugh swallowed and leaned back into his chair, apparently drained of energy.

The teen eventually eased up from his wooden seat and placed a maroon peak cap on his head. He spun around and despite Lack-2's best efforts to concentrate on Hugh, whose muscles subtly twitched, he found his sight veering to the foreign featured boy. The child walked briskly and lazily waved at a woman standing at the palm tree intersecting the giant studio into four compartments. For a moment, Lack-2's breath caught in his throat and he sent another fleeting glance at Hugh who tiredly reached for the water. Passing the bottle to him, the copper eyed man whispered a few words and broke into a run, he spent the last two years searching for a lead on her and he was not about to let her slip through his fingers. Unfortunately for him, he forgot about the teenager. As he passed the hunched boy, the coal haired child straightened up and delivered a vicious kick into his abdomen. Lack-2 doubled up, fought down the urge to moan in pain and swallowed rapidly. His Casteliacones demanded for a way out.

"X!" The woman screeched; her familiar voice sent a tingle up Lack-2's spine, "what do you think you are..." She broke off and the Unovian unfolded from his crouched position. Despite five years passing since he last saw her, Blue's face remained the same. Her lazuline eyes, fringed with thick eyelashes, carried a hint of concern, pain and mostly disbelief. Clothed in a knee length gossamer gown, her thick mane of hair was curled at the ends and he noticed a black glove covering her right hand. The teenager, identified as X, slunk towards her and glared at Lack-2.

"He's been coming here for the last couple of days...Since he looks so much like a moron; I thought he might be some sort of a stalker." X drily drawled and shifted his blue-grey eyes to listlessly examine his game console. "Where's Ace?"

Blue momentarily turned to pin the boy with a disciplining glare. "X...we have talked about this."

"Fine." The child snapped. "Where's Dad?"

Confused by the weird turn of events, Lack-2 watched, slack jawed as Blue moved closer to the boy and smoothed out his crumpled clothes. She spoke soothingly and the frown gracing X's face melted. Abruptly grabbing the youngster's hand, Blue rotated and marched away from Lack-2. "Wait!" The Unovian called and once again, the teen whirled around and speared him with a look of utter loathing.

"What..." X forced through gritted teeth, "do you want with my mom you police scum?"

Mom?

"Mom?" Lack-2 did not see any resemblance between Blue, her husband and the child in front of them. The boy's features were not Unovian; he looked distinctly Kalosian, with pale skin and a lithe build. And besides, he contemplated; the teen was too old to be Blue's biological child. "Pardon me; I fail to see how you two are related." The Unovian stated crisply. "Your dad has blue hair..."

The Kalosian rolled his eyes, ignored him and carried on walking with his mother. "I'm adopted," he threw back over his shoulder, "and stay away from my mom, she's been clean for the past five years and is now part of showbiz." The moment he uttered those words, a black car swerved down the road and Lack-2 retreated to the pavement. Behind the wheel, a stunning male with a mop of unruly, cyan hair opened the doors and Blue and X hopped in. The actor gave Lack-2 a sardonic frown and then tires squealing, peeled out of the studio. Blinking and cursing his bad luck, the private investigator grinned wolfishly and pulled out a portable computer from the pocket of his jeans. A red, pulsing dot pulled out of the gate of PokeStar studios and made for Virbank city. Lack-2 jogged back to Hugh who sighed when he spied the devilish smile on his best friend's face.

"Let me guess, you actually found the woman you are looking for and she told you to go away...now you are going after her and I have no choice but to follow you right?" The russet eyed man nodded exuberantly and quickly shouldered his backpack. "Quick question," the lilac haired man unstrapped his visor and stuffed it into his bag. "Just who are you obsessing over anyway? Is she pretty or..." Lack-2 pointed at the banner board and Hugh's face split into a grin. "Huh...for a hobo...you sure have expensive taste."

A few hours later:

Blue poured tea with a heavily scarred hand. Lack-2, unable to tear his eyes away from the parallel scores burnt deep into her skin, briefly flashed to five years ago where he glimpsed a similar, smoking mark flush against Gold's cheek. The investigator let his gaze roam around the spacious lounge. Leaning against the door frame and casually munching on an apple, Ace fixed his celeste blue eyes on Lack-2 who did not feel flattered in the least. On the white leather couch, X kicked off his shoes and sprawled across the sofa with his trusty game console tucked between his hands. The mansion smelled of flowers and fresh air, silk curtains framed floor to ceiling length windows and a lush cream carpet sat underfoot. An array of books and a porcelain vase full of flowers decorated the glass topped coffee table and the russet eyed youth focused on the intricate patterns on the vase. The cup of tea he accepted from the former commander felt comfortingly hot between his palms. Urging X to head to his bedroom, Blue slipped a glove over her hands and Ace stalked inside the room, disdain stamped on his mien.

"Nice of you to visit me Lack-2" Blue's words lacked mischief but it dripped with dry sarcasm. "If you wanted to interrogate me, you could have left a note. I have to regularly visit the police precinct anyway." She blew a strand of hair away from her face and leaned back, the couch depressed beneath her weight.

"Is there a problem officer?" Her husband chimed in with a baritone most females melted for. "Like X informed you, Blue is clean for the past few years. If you don't have any other matters to discuss, I suggest you get out, police officers make her nervous." Ace sighed and oblivious to their discomfort, Hugh asked for a refill and an autograph, Blue smiled at him warmly, signed on his pokeball and refilled his cup. Lack-2 decided he will have to snip a lock of his best friend's hair and keep it as a good luck charm. When Blue opened the door to her home and saw Lack-2, she almost shut the heavy oak door in his face and only the presence of Hugh stopped her. She invited the lilac haired adolescent in; Hugh grinned smugly, bowed and entered through the door.

Exhaling, the investigator placed his empty cup on the table and brought out a sheaf of papers. "If you don't know that I quit the International Police five years ago, then you two must be living under a rock." He jibed, "I came here for a different purpose," he handed a few papers to Blue who examined them critically, "I am a private...investigator." Hugh snorted at this and chortled mirthfully whilst Ace arched a perfect eyebrow on his sculpted face. Blue ignored them, "currently, I am trying to locate all the members of the Dex Holders so I could gain some information about the spatial rip on top of mount Coronet. My search is not going well, however, I managed to find out how to collapse the tear, theoretically speaking, I need more intel though." Lack-2 finished and the brown haired woman quickly handed the stained papers back to him and accused him of lying. The facial muscles on her spouse's face tightened with anger and Lack-2 demanded. "What do you mean I'm lying? I don't even have money for a decent jacket! Ask Hugh! I'm living off him and Whi-2 now-" he paused, trying to keep himself from exploding. Five years, he reminded himself, he's been searching for them for five years, if he made a wrong impression on Blue, she might refuse to divulge the location of the rest. "...look, I am not part of the International Police, for some reason I cannot get into Sinnoh and I have no idea what Cynthia is doing. I just...need to find out where the others are and some more info about the reverse world-"

"You are lying Lack-2" Blue cut in firmly and the copper eyed adolescent bit his lip. "You only came here seeking for forgiveness." She pushed the papers away. "I...have been thinking you know. When-" her voice wavered, Ace eyed concernedly and gently squeezed her hand, "when Red and Green were beheaded, I wanted someone to blame and eventually, I directed all my anger to you. But digging through the records of the International Police revealed the decision to kill them was solely from the Ransei officials. Despite their agreement, they came after me and I fled to Kalos. I met my son there." A mellow smile tugged at her lips and the corners of Lack-2's mouth lifted subtly. "Then I met Ace and-"

She stopped speaking and large tears slid down the curves of her cheeks.

Lowering his eyes, the brown haired male profusely apologized and she laughed shakily.

"I forgave you a long time ago. Currently, I am happy with my life but unfortunately, we are branded," she showed him her palm, "I am forbidden to contact the others, no matter the circumstances. I haven't seen Silver in five years. I don't know what the others are doing. White is in Kalos, she is a famous movie director and I am currently working with her, unfortunately, she won't return to Unova for another six months. I can't tell you anything else about the former members, we are scattered and we do not exist in the databases." Lack-2 nodded and pulled Hugh's hand away when it inched towards a particularly expensive looking paperweight.

"Thank you," he softly intoned and got up. "I'll try my best to find the others...And hopefully...Bring photograph of Silver." Blue beamed at his words and he dipped his head respectfully.

Several months later

Johto

Route thirty four

The day care resembled a zoo. Slightly intimidated by the noise, Hugh scowled deeply and clamped his hands over his ears. A couple of passing teenagers pointed at the trembling adolescent and Lack-2 bent down to retrieve a broken branch from the grassy ground. He threw it. The twig somersaulted in the air and struck the freckled brat square on the nose. Satisfied, the Unovian peered at the sign board hammered in front of the domicile which resembled partly a greenhouse, a playground for pokemon and a stone mansion. Behind the building, a park stretched out endlessly and pokemon lumbered around, frolicking in the grass or splashing in a huge swimming pool. Smoothing out the form fitting shirt he wore, Lack-2 swallowed nervously. No doubt this was Gold's place...A day care suited the golden eyed man. Running a hand through his shock of greasy hair, he motioned at Hugh, stepped through the double glazed, sliding doors and into the cool interior of a brightly lit foyer. The juicy aroma of crushed berries wafted to his nose and he walked through the empty reception area and alighted at the wooden counter.

"Your hair..." Lack-2 gaped at the red headed receptionist. "It's short."

Silver's hair, chopped short to the point it stood up in stiff spikes, tilted his head imperiously. Recognition replaced his polite expression. "Lack-2" he hissed lowly and sent a fleeting glance to an open door leading to the back areas. "What are you doing here and how did you find us? If Gold figures out you paid a visit, he's gonna ask me to chop your head off and mount it on the wall." His voice dipped into a guttural tone. "Get out and stay out." The older man returned to his magazine and flipped through the glossy pages with a hand covered in a fingerless, leather glove. Guilt welled up in Lack-2's chest but he persisted on seeing the amber eyed man. Shutting the book with an incensed noise, Silver crossed his arms over his chest and the Unovian gazed at him warily. No longer the gaunt, perpetually underweight phantom thief, the person standing before Lack-2 wore an apron sporting pictures of nauseatingly cute baby pokemon. Couple that with a leather, biker jacket studded with faux metal spikes; and the russet eyed youth did not know if he should laugh or cry. If Silver wanted to look intimidating, he'd best ditch his apron. "I'll get Gold...If he comes for you with a machete; I'm not going to stop him." The red head warned.

He walked behind the wooden counter and ducked into the open doorway. Inside the second room, Silver's glare softened as he watched a couple of newly hatched pokemon tumbling about on the carpeted floor. In one corner of the gigantic chamber, near the windows, Gold watered a potted berry bush and cooed to a vulpix nestled in the crook of his arm. A chick swablu nested in the breeder's hair and he looked up inquisitively when his best friend entered.

"You have a guest waiting for you in the reception area." Silver droned.

"What?! Did your fiancé finally miss me?" Gold jubilantly hollered and the silver eyed man flushed as he walked out.

"Crys is not my fiancé."

"Well she would be if you screwed up enough courage to give her the ring that's hiding at the bottom of your drawer." Gold triumphantly declared and crossed the sun dappled room with the wailmer pail in his hand. A group of young pokemon immediately reached out for the breeder.

The red head gritted his teeth. "I warned you not to go through my stuff!"

"I needed a new pair of underwear!" Gold screeched back and Lack-2's heart pounded, he rotated to see Hugh peering interestedly at the pictures lining the walls. "Tsk, can't you propose to her already? I want grandkids!" The breeder's words grew increasingly louder as he drew closer.

"What?!" Silver sputtered comically, "how the hell does me having...Children..." he tried to roll the idea around his head, "make you a grandfather?" His best friend grinned perversely and the red head decided he did not want to know. "Anyway...Like I said, you have a guest waiting for you." Gold flashed him a sunny grin and entered the reception area whilst the swablu on his head cheeped.

And he froze.

His mouth pulled into a grimace and with a furious roar, he hurled the half full wailmer pail at Lack-2 who ducked at the last moment. The can sailed through the air and smashed into the opposite end. It broke and shards of pottery scattered across the granite tiled floor, the water marked a wet starburst on the pale pink walls. "You..." Gold growled and his hand automatically jerked up to his scarred cheek. "How dare you show your face in here!" The amber eyed man thundered, the chick on his head cried out in distress and promptly launched itself off his head. Alarmed, Silver dove down to catch the baby pokemon as it fruitlessly flapped its wings in a vain attempt to fly. "Silver!" The raven haired man spun around and his companion coolly held his infuriated gaze. "Why the heck did you allow him in here? Break his bones and toss him out!" Gold wore a similar apron to the red head but the picture did little to soften his demonic aura. A latticework of scorched marks covered one side of the man's face and the lines converged into a strange crest. Hugh, his crimson irises flaring with telltale signs of his former anger, clenched his hands into fists and marched to the front. Lack-2 held out his arm in an attempt to stop his friend from rupturing. After his manas dunking experience, Hugh morphed into a level headed individual, but if provoked, he exploded like the volcanoes of Cinnabar Island.

The purple haired adolescent resolutely strode forward and glowered at Gold. "I admit...Lack-2 can be irresponsible and utterly useless at times but, he spent months looking for you; he spent sleepless nights searching up on you guys and he finally found you. At least listen to what he has-"

"I'm not listening to a murderer!" Gold bitterly spat.

"Oh yes you are!" Hugh howled back. "At least listen to what he has to say. And don't call him a murderer, he did what he had to and you have no right to condemn his actions when you are no better you stupid pervert! All of his gross habits are from you!" The purple haired Unovian suddenly launched into a full, screeching assault of Lack-2's habits and momentarily stunned by his passionate outburst, Gold calmly listened. Lack-2 fixated on his former mentor and the breeder's fuming visage eased into an interested scowl. "He goes out in the middle of the night and where do I find him? The casino! He uses my hard earned money to buy cream...Get it: CREAM for his pichu. That thing is so spoiled; it needs to be carried to the toilet. All requests from the International Police are ultimately rejected and if a pretty officer happens to make a request, he flirts with her! I am sick and tired of your influences!"

The breeder nonchalantly bored a finger in his ear. "Dude, chill down...Who are you anyway? I don't think I've ever met you so how do you know about me?" Still spitting expletives, he irate trainer dismissively gestured to Lack-2.

"He's been mumbling about the Dex Holders for the past few years and running around in an effort to close the dimensional hole atop Mount Coronet." Hugh replied and rifled through his bag for pills. "After visiting Blue, he resumed his investigation and eventually traced you here. Though seeing your friend was a bonus. So yeah...He's not the same anymore. Still an obsessive workaholic, but not the same."

"My sister." Silver interjected with a strained voice. "How is she?"

Lack-2 boldly answered him: "Actress, married and has a pre-teen child."

The red head nodded slowly then frowned. "Wait...What? Sis is married?" His breath hitched. "She has a...A...Kid? A pre-teen?" Blood drained from his face. "That's impossible...How." Depositing the sleeping swablu back on Gold's head, Silver strode forward and roughly grasped Lack-2 by the shoulders. "Are you toying with me? I'll snap your neck if you are lying."

Groaning, the russet eyed adolescent shook his head. "You heard of him...Ace. Blue is married to a famous actor and her child is adopted...he's a Kalosian by the name of X." Straightaway, Silver gripped his hair and moaned about how some rich dude conned his sister into marrying him. From the counter, Gold barked a short laugh and intoned that it might have been the other way around. The two men exchanged looks and unanimously agreed that it must have been Blue swindling the actor.

A silent spell descended on them.

"So...what do you want?" Gold finally directed his gaze at Lack-2. The investigator's breathing fluctuated. For the first time in five years, the breeder finally looked at him with something either than distilled hate.

A few weeks later, early morning.

Sinnoh

Sunnyshore Airport

"Stop getting your snot all over the ticket." Hugh tersely barked and promptly burst into tears next to a weeping Lack-2. "Thanks to you...I had to sell my stupid caravan to Whi-2." The adolescent sucked in a breath and added, "Thanks to you, we are now employees, modeling for her boutique and do you know how uncomfortable it is to pose like a mannequin inside her cramped store? I have girls touching me all the time!" The wind buffeted the two and they shivered in the early morning chill. "And would you stop spontaneously bursting into tears every time you see that slip of paper? I get it, it has Gold's signature on it and he said you were welcome to pay him another visit. Seriously, we need the document thing to see the Champion of Sinnoh; don't screw our chances up and for Zekrom's sake! Stop! Crying!" The spiky haired individual dug out a wad of tissues from his pack and dabbed at his cheeks. Hobbling next to him, Lack-2 quickly wiped his own tears and stowed the piece of paper away in his shirt pocket. All vestiges of a sniffling mess gone, he briskly hiked up to an information board and checked the city map and bus schedules.

Veilstone's Convention Center hosted a private meeting with the Champion of Sinnoh. Influential families from all over the region shall gather to discuss the future of Sinnoh's lucrative prospects, or so, everyone is told; Lack-2 knew the families congregated in order to garner favor with Cynthia and he wondered why she barred him from entering the region, was she still mad at him for abruptly retiring from the International Police? He decided to find out today. However, the ticket scrawled with Gold's signature, bothered him. Why did the airport officials allow him in after seeing the slip? The more Lack-2 pondered about the reason, the more puzzled he became till a hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts, muttering an apology, the russet eyed youth picked out a route and marched to the bus ticket office.

The ride to Veilstone offered pleasant views of sloping valleys and lush, wooded forests. It also brought on the unpleasant view of the infamous dimensional rip, resting atop Mount Coronet's peak like a cherry on top. Lack-2's stomach churned. A team of Ransei's psychic and dark pokemon maintained the rip and as he studied it, the tear seemed a little smaller than it was five years ago. Piloting his attention back to the panoramic views of forests and sheer slopes of rock, he heard a soft snore next to him. Tired from the numerous experiences the investigator subjected him to, Hugh fell fast asleep. Grinning, Lack-2 reached over and covered his friend with a sheet and then he too, bundled down for a well-deserved rest.

A smooth, electronic voice roused him up and he pulled the sleeping mask off to peer bewilderedly at his surroundings. A warehouse pierced the skyline with its huge satellite dishes and a display of colorful flags fluttered atop a metallic mast. Disembarking with a groggy Hugh in a tow, Lack-2 located a seating area and grabbed his companion's waist pack. His best friend's mouth slackened and slowly hung open. Finding the right medication, he popped the pills in Hugh's gaping mouth and pressed a bottle of water into his hands. A few minutes later, the spiky haired man tiredly exhaled and thanked him.

"No problem, I know we are ahead of schedule, but I want to meet her before the center becomes crowded." Hugh asked if Cynthia would be here this early. "Yeah, I think so, she take her duties very seriously." Veilstone's Convention Center loomed up, the building, a mixture of traditional and modern architecture, crawled with cameras swiveling on ancient styled pillars and domes. Bouncers, clad in sharp, black suits, patrolled the entrances and when the sliding doors slid apart with a whine, the Unovians stepped into the air-conditioned vestibule and shivered. Several guards turned to face them and Lack-2 hurriedly dug out his slip of paper and showed it to him. A bald man directed them to a set of swinging doors tucked away behind a short corridor. Thanking him with a curt nod, the duo set off again. Inside the meeting chamber, the air turned warm and stuffy. The room appeared as an expensive lounge; lights dotted the low ceiling and washed the room with a mellow glow. A thick, maroon carpet muffled footsteps and in the middle of the cloth draped room, Lack-2 noticed a throne-esque chair. A young man sat on it, his head bent over the gold plated Poketch encircling his wrist. For some reason, the individual seemed very familiar. Around his fancy chair, clusters of tables and chairs were set up, like small islands swimming in the vast sea of maroon. After scanning the chamber, the russet eyed man failed to see the presence of the Sinnoh Champion. Exhaling and not about to give up, Lack-2 located the nearest guard and hiked up to him, meanwhile, Hugh roamed the opulent room, pausing to admire the crystal vases and elaborate light fixtures

The guard turned to face Lack-2 and the Unovian spied his reflection on the dark sunglasses, "You are looking for the champion of Sinnoh?" The bouncer asked, his voice gruff. "That's him right there...they call him The Fortress." He looked like he wanted to say something else but Lack-2 turned around to peer at the young man. Sinnoh has a new champion? Why did not anyone inform him of this? Smoothing out the crumpled slip of paper, he cautiously edged towards the individual. His senses screamed at him, warning him to be cautious. The reclining man lifted a huge smartphone to his ear and rapidly spoke into it:

"Yes senior Emerald, the watch you gave me is working fine; it's got a bunch of other apps and programs that I'm still trying to figure out. Hmm? No, Moo once rolled over it..." Lack-2 stopped dead in his tracks and ducked down, hiding himself in the confusing tangle of chair legs and table cloths, still eavesdropping, he crawled forward and situated himself directly behind the throne. "I'm very busy Emerald and I can't just pop into Hoenn without a valid reason. What about senior Sapphire? She's with Yellow? I see. Then why don't you ask her to deliver the stuff to me? I'll be in a meeting for the next few hours and she'll have to come here to participate in the concert two weeks from now. Yeah, tell her that, I'm still slated to write a thesis on my battle tactics...I don't even know how to start. Apparently people are intrigued by my formation Alpha. Pearl? He's attending the event as an entert-"

"Eavesdropping is bad you know" Hugh crouched next to Lack-2 and admonished him

"Then stop doing it!" The investigator snapped, he immediately doubled over and clutched his head. A wave of pain rolled over him, so intense, it was nauseating. He checked Hugh. Not good. His best friend's mouth opened in a silent scream of agony and he clutched fistfuls of lilac hair and tore it out. Biting his lips to numb the extrasensory bombarding his brain, Lack-2 pulled himself over to Hugh who now banged his head on the floor. Shrieking softly, the brown haired man pulled his comrade closer and pinned his arms to the side. Veins pulsed in the blood eyed individual's head and neck, his eyes rolled over in his sockets and he gasped for air. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Lack-2's head cracked apart, he imagined blood pouring out of his ears and nose.

And in another split second, the pain stopped.

"Vee, that's enough." An all too familiar voice commanded, "Come back here." Peering over the fake jewel encrusted back-support, a pair of ultramarine irises speared into the duo and the male smiled. The grin on the man's face did not look very friendly and it was an expression Lack-2 had seen a fair share of.

Disgust.

Contempt.

Sheer loathing.

The champion of Sinnoh leaned on his high backed chair and picked up a cream covered cupcake, brought to him by one of the waitresses, opposite him, Hugh crammed his mouth full of delectables and Lack-2 discreetly punched himself in the stomach, he was not letting hunger get in the way of pride. The aroma of baked goods, hot coffee and a range of mouthwatering savories, over powered the investigator and yet, he refused to budge. Instead, he took time off to study the champion. On the man's slender fingers, a large diamond ring ensnared his attention. Diamond. The once chubby boy resembled nothing of his older self; his normally close cropped hair grew longer, brushing his nape and forehead in thick, wavy strands. Dia still sported a scarf around his neck but the silver of red silk was tucked into an immaculate charcoal suit. His indolent countenance evaporated and a guarded expression darted about. Calculative and analytical. The Champion's face grew sharp and angular and Lack-2 failed to see the slightly overweight child Diamond had once been. A couple of badges and merits glittered on his blazer and the male smiled. A distorted smirk betraying his distrust for the world. Dia nudged another tray at Hugh who paused in his wolfing to thank him, the older man smiled and offered a hot cup of chocolate to Lack-2 who finally caved in and accepted it with an imperceptible nod.

Dia licked his fingers and checked his expensive watch. "So much for my efforts of keeping you out." The investigator choked on his hot beverage. "After I assumed my role as the new champion of Sinnoh, I did everything in my power to bar your entry to Sinnoh. I suppose it worked." Diamond furrowed his brows and rested his chin on a gloved hand. "But then you had the audacity to visit Senior Gold and he informed me you were coming...I am forbidden see anyone of the Dex Holders, apart from Pearl since he's a famous comedian, but Gold always found a way to break the rules. The officials respond to his signature and let him in. I guess he gave a ticket to you as well." Diamond mused and Lack-2 nodded, "Do you want anything else? The bagels are delicious." Hugh muttered his gratitude and proceeded to dump a few of those bagels on his plate. Dia watched, the prim grin on his face softening. "Lack-2, to put it bluntly, I do not appreciate seeing you." The champion's voice carried a razor edged threat, "I would be happy if you removed yourself from my sigh-"

"DIA!" The man exhaled when a loud screech cut into his speech, Pearl, who also sported a pristine figure, beamed widely and crossed the room in long strides. The moment he reached them however, it looked like the light in his face turned off. Lack-2 suppressed the urge to groan and hide underneath the table. Just how many times would he have to see the dour expressions on his former comrades' faces?

You sold them out. His mind viciously delivered.

You split them...

You inadvertently killed the ones they held dear.

STOP! He ordered himself and inhaled deeply to clear his head. Forge on. He renewed his resolve. You can do this.

Pearl and Diamond exchanged looks and the former sunk himself into a luxurious sofa next to his best friend. Dia bent over and the two exchanged a few whispered words. Moments later, Pearl loosened his necktie and Lack-2's gaze veered to his fingers. Like Diamond, the entertainer sported a band encrusted with different shades of pearls and a cream colored glove concealed his left hand. "What brings you here?" The blonde queried and drunk a healthy swig from a crystal flute. "Dia says Gold sent you here. Amnesty?" Pearl's flame irises flickered with savage mirth. "You are fortunate we don't hold grudges." Diamond slowly nodded at his friend's words and reached for another article of food, his habits made Lack-2 wonder how he sported such a slender figure. "We've also been informed that you have information regarding the spatial tear on top of Mount Coronet." Pearl added and set his flute down with a soft clink on a polished tray, "Is this true or are you just bluffing in order to get to us? Pardon my skepticism, but nothing good came out of trusting you." The blonde waved a waiter away and implored them for privacy, bowing, the servers shifted to the edges of the vast room. "The former Champion of Sinnoh buckled under the pressure to retire, she refused and asked the Pokemon Association to reroute the league. They did so and sent Diamond through to test it, fortunately he came out without a scratch but in his first try he toppled Cynthia and assumed the rank of Champion." Pearl paused in his narration and absentmindedly stared into a random direction. "Then he used his newfound authority to land me the career of my dreams...It's a pity...I couldn't do the same for him." The blonde's orange eyes rested heavily on Lack-2 and he shrunk under the intense gaze. "Do you understand what your actions ultimately lead to? Our lives are scattered, torn. Dia is stuck in a tribute for Gold who couldn't become a champion..."

Hugh stopped eating and faced Lack-2. "Say something," he ordered, "I did not sell my trailer only to come all this way and watch you get cold feet."

The investigator composed himself. Like scars of old wounds, his neck and throat tingled, the phantom pain surfaced every time he thought about how Gold almost throttled him to death. The duo seated before him sized him up, predators scanning their prey. Lack-2 wondered if his journey to locate the missing Dex Holders has been worth it. Each person he came across drove a clear message home: We do not want to see you, get out of our life and stay out. Despite Gold inviting him for a day out, the breeder's expression remained bland and guarded. Shoving apprehensive contemplations to the back of his still aching head, he said: "I have information regarding the dimensional rip, but I suspect you have more than me." Diamond did not nod; he simply twisted the large ring on his finger. "I will give it all to you, basically, it is theorized the Unown will be able to seal the rip and send the distortion world back to its rightful dimension, unfortunately, the Unown answer to no-one. Theoretically they will follow Arceus' instructions..." he broke off and sent the coffee stained envelope over to Pearl who wasted no time in rifling through it. "According to seniors Silver and Blue, the Unown may respond to the creation trio, the problem is how to summon them."

Pearl skimmed through the papers and handed them to his companion. "I suppose that should be a problem," He admitted, "after all, the summoning orbs shattered when senior Green...Used them. We have to explore more options."

Lack-2 got up and unashamedly packed some of the foodstuff splayed in the trays in front of him. Hugh, getting the message, did the same and the two older males eyed them with a hint of amusement. Well, the russet eyed Unovian grumbled to himself, they could laugh all they want. Who could resist free food? "The Sinnoh authorities can do whatever they want." His eyes veered to Dia, "I am not allowed in here remember? So I'll take my lea-"

"Wait."

His voice sent a chill down Lack-2's spine. It was full of quiet, commanding authority.

Diamond extracted a pen-drive from the folds of his tailored suit. "Here, this will tell you the locations of the others. As for Black, the white stone has been taken to Ransei. Don't ask." The champion warned when Lack-2 raised an inquiring eyebrow, "I am not entitled to divulge the details." He turned to Hugh and presented the lilac haired adolescent with a paper thin electronic card. "This is an invitation to a medical facility situated in Canalave City. It's a project funded by the Sinnoh government and it's where I go for my treatment. You should drop by sometimes, hopefully they will take you off those medications." The corners of Dia's eyes crinkled in a heartwarming smile and Hugh thanked him profusely. As soon as the champion rotated to Lack-2, the warmth in his face vanished. "Take care of yourself and please; don't ever come back here unless you need to." Dia pulled out his oversized smartphone and tapped rapidly in it whilst Pearl fiddled with his cuffs. The servers and bouncers set to work, clearing the trays and sweeping the carpet. A heavyset man ambled towards the Unovians and after grabbing a doughnut with this free hand, Hugh and Lack-2 shouldered their backpacks and hightailed out of the building.

Three days later

Unova

Route 5

Booting up a portable computer, Lack-2 reached out with a free hand and grasped a plastic cup from the overflowing table. The cup felt half empty, shrugging and sparing it a glance, his eyes strayed back to the monitor and he read through the contents carefully. A sip of the mug's contents told him that it was strawberry milkshake. Quickly, he scrambled up from the spindly chair, placed it back on the table and tried to pick up discarded snack packets, too late he saw Whi-2 stroll inside the cramped room and eye him deplorably. Sheepishly, he smiled, his pichu squealed and he whipped around to see Hugh rolling over on the battered couch and squashing his precious rodent underneath. Gingerly, he skirted over a pile of clothes dumped on the floor, a small cabinet, an upturned chair and a coffee table; reaching the sofa, he reached out for his pichu. The mouse shocked Hugh for good measure before gleefully hopping into its masters waiting arms. It squeaked and Lack-2 shuffled towards the kitchen area. Holding his breath, he crawled past Whi-2.

Alas.

Here it comes. He prepared himself for the outburst threatening to explode out of her. Unfortunately for him, Whi-2 stood there, hands on hips, dressed in an off-shoulder top and her cheeks blown up like an angry igglybuff. She looked cute. His mind supplied and he desperately wished for Hugh to wake up and calm her. If anyone can stop a threating explosion it had to be his quilfish friend. The investigator frowned, since when did he come to rely on Hugh so heavily? "Whi-2...I can explain..." he gestured to the mess on the floor. "You see, I'm on the edge of cracking another case." His tone dipped dangerously low and inwardly, he cursed; Lack-2 did not want to scare his friends. "And well, Hugh and I will fix things in no time. I promise. I'll even cook dinner. Just don't...just don't make me stand in Join Avenue in only a pair of boxers. I've had enough humiliation for a lifetime." He pleaded, Whi-2 exhaled, laughed merrily and the corners of his lips twitched into a smile. She asked him where he would go next. "Hmm...Hoenn I guess. Want to come with us? You'll get to meet senior Ruby and Sapphire, perhaps the midget as well if we are lucky." She shook her head, a few strands of hair escaped her voluminous ponytail and framed her face beautifully.

"And who's going to fund your trips if I quit my job?" Whi-2 queried and fixed her appearance in a half broken mirror. "Don't worry, bring me a few pictures and I'll be happy." Her expression turned stern. "Look after Hugh properly alright?" Lack-2 nodded and stroked his crooning pichu. "And clean up the mess, I finally get the disgusting inside cleared and you two undo all my hard work in what...Two days?" She shook her head disbelievingly. "Make sure Hugh takes his pills."

The spiky haired individual stirred on the couch and woke up. A stretch of faux brown leather stuck onto his cheek and peeled off the sofa as he assembled in a sitting position. "I'm not a baby." He grouched and irritably peeled off the piece of leather stuck to his face. "I can take care of myself just fine." Lazuline eyes softened at seeing her childhood best friend, Whi-2 beamed at both of them, grabbed her strawberry milkshake and headed out, her boots clunking on the short, rickety staircase leading down to the street. Lack-2 waited, the grip on his pichu grew suffocative...

"LACK-2!" Whi-2 hollered and he let out a breath he didn't know he held. "You touched my milkshake didn't you?!" He heard her fling the cup on the asphalt.

"Hugh drank it up!" He lied and his best friend sent him a crude gesture. Whi-2 huffed some more before stomping off to the general direction of Join Avenue. Hugh unfurled from the sofa and sent him a glare. "Come on! We all know you drank half of it." The russet eyed adolescent defended himself.

"And you took a giant sip out of it knowing the consequences." Hugh accused, his blood red eyes glinting. "Cleaning duty is on you today. Come on Pichu." The rodent squeaked and hopped on to his head. "Let's go see what's for breakfast." Lack-2 weakly called for them but both his monster and companion had already disappeared beyond the partition.

Mid-morning sunlight filtered through a large window set into the back of a spacious chamber. The room smelled faintly of varnish and the laminated floor gleamed like a wooden mirror. Surrounded by scrolls depicting wisdom and the importance of balance, a black haired man, hands gripping a pair of scissors, carefully adjusted his framed spectacles. A delacatty growled softly in delight as he snipped her fur and brushed it. He heard a stiff breeze whistle past his gym and the woody trees behind the domicile waved in the wind. A telephone, set on top of a wooden plinth and tucked into a corner of the gym leader's room, broke the serene silence with a cacophony of monotone beeps. Eyeing the device petulantly, Ruby set down his grooming kit and stood up, briefly eyeing his wooden sandals in disgust before sighing and clip-clopping to the corner. The phone should not be ringing unless it was an emergency call from the Pokemon Association's headquarters, of course, it could also be his mother. Ruby amassed a few of his League issued paychecks and used them to send his parents off on a luxurious tour of Kanto's Sevii Islands. Wiping his hand on a cheered apron he picked up the phone and answered: "Hello, this is Ruby, gym leader of Petalburg gym. How may I help you?" The crimson eyed male scratched his scar. After taking over the gym, he stopped trying to hide his disfigurement and now wore it proudly as a token of survival. "Rald..." he hissed, "I told you not to prank call me. The next time you do so, I'll ring up Steven Stone and tell him to fire you. The C.E.O of Devon does not need a technician who black-markets their products!" On the other end, the midget chuckle cheerfully. Emerald told him to check his PokeNav before abruptly hanging up. Slamming the cradle into the receiver, Ruby pulled out his PokeNav, eyed it and paled.

Over fifteen missed calls from Sapphire, Yellow, Emerald and Silver.

He groaned. Why did people see fit to call him during work hours? The scarlet eyed individual exhaled and the pitiful moan echoed back to him from the empty chamber. Glaring at the doorway, he watched delacatty clean up the fur and mess on the tatami mat flooring. Too silent. The only noises came from outside, from the cries of pokemon surrounding his gym and the people rushing about, lost in their day to day lives. Adjusting his glasses, which often slid down the bridge of his nose, he decided to call Sapphire first. A small smile tugged his lips when the call went through and he listened as she yelled a greeting. The previous melancholy evaporated and he grinned wildly. Sapphire's voice always managed to make him happy.

"Sorry for not picking up your calls, I was busy." Ruby stared out of the windows. "To make it up to you, how about a date?" He smirked; he could feel Saph blushing furiously on the other end.

"No dates." Sapphire blandly stated and Ruby winced, her words punched him in the gut. "I'm currently doing fieldwork for Papa and senior Yellow is assisting me. Next week, I must head to Johto and then fly to Sinnoh to deliver a package for Dia...What does Gold take me for? A courier? I still have to practice for the super contest that I wanna participate in. Yellow's being a big help, although Professor Oak keeps on telling her to come back to Kanto to help him. Senior Crystal is there for the moment but...She's returning to Johto soon 'cause of her wedding." A pause followed her sentences as she spoke with someone in the back ground. "Oh yeah, what are you busy with?" Ruby deflated further when she snidely queried. "You hardly get participants in your gym...Tsk tsk, your dad lectures you about balance and you still floor every opponent walking through your doors. Pretty soon, the League will tell you to step down for not restraining yourself." Sapphire laughed airily and he gritted his teeth, he was about to fire an argument, however, the entrance to the gym leader's room rung a ditty and his lips pulled into a victorious smile.

Ruby crossed the wide chamber. "Hold on, I'll call you back later. I have a challenger." He heard her sputter indignantly as he cut the call. Dropping his PokeNav into a pocket of his oversized t-shirt, he fumbled the apron off his person and slammed a hand on a button. The door whirred open.

Even after gifting the gym leader with the most fashionable article found in Whi-2's boutique, he still was not pleased to see them. However, Ruby, delighted with his new present, ran off at once to change into the slim fitting shirt. To the older man's credit, he looked fabulous but a twisted expression of anger soon replaced his earlier elation. "I am not a member of the International Police." Lack-2 drawled and watched the wrath mellow in the glassy pools of the Hoenn native's eyes. "So spare me the killer looks." The Unovian observed the stark, minimally decorated chamber and pondered how it clashed with the flamboyant individual's tastes, his gaze veered back to the gym leader and beneath a mop of sable hair, Lack-2 spied a scar, his eyes must have lingered there a tad too long because Ruby spoke up:

"I haven't been branded; Dad pulled some strings to make sure." He explained, "You are looking at a scar I got when I was a kid. Most of Dex-holders have their brands on the back of their hands. Saph and Dia have it on their palms whilst Gold...Holy Groudon, he ruined his face. Rald stamped his back." The gym leader waved dismissively. "So you two came for a visit huh?" Hugh absentmindedly nodded and continued to decipher the wisdom penned abstrusely on the hanging scrolls. "…Welcome to Petalburg Gym. I hope you paid your participation bills at the counter because I am not letting you leave here without challenging me." At his words, Hugh turned around, his ruby irises brimming with passion and fire whilst Lack-2 merely shrugged. "Go on, take your places, I'll duel you both." The gym leader declared confidently.

The investigator shook his head; Ruby was being a tad too overconfident. "Are you sure?" Lack-2 asked and rifled through his bag for the pokemon belt, his fingers brushed over the cold metal of a handheld crossbow and he stiffened for a moment. Pulling his thoughts together, he delved deeper into the tangled mess and extracted his belt. In one capsule, Pichu puffed steam and shook its tiny fists about. "Not to undermine your skills but...Hugh is a finalist of the Unovian League and he is very capable." The spiky haired individual tossed a pokeball in his hand. "And I...I am not too shabby either." Lack-2 quickly added and decided he did not want to think about his past self. Better leave those bitter memories where they belong. Ruby nonchalantly walked back to a raised podium and pressed a few buttons. The doors slid shut automatically and the desk spat out a drawer. Inside the drawer, cradled in velvet padding, sat six pokeballs. Selecting two, the gym leader ambled to his position and motioned for the others to do the same.

Hugh gripped his pokeball tighter; heart tossing in an erratic beat, his body warmed up and blood pulsed violently in his veins. Blood vessels stood out visibly on his forehead and neck and he resisted the urge to scream. When Lack-2 unceremoniously plopped into his life four and a half years ago, Hugh forfeited his dream in order to support his best friend. All the prim and proper former officer did, was laze around, sleep like a comatose patient and spend his rapidly dwindling savings on expensive food and chasing phantom leads. Quitting the league circuit, Hugh toted his depressed comrade and purchased a trailer on Route five. There, the duo set up a little base of sorts and the lilac haired male suggested Lack-2 make peace with his past, no matter how difficult it might be. Spurred on by his words, the investigator slowly changed and now, a small part of Hugh regretted it. He shoved his selfish contemplations aside, after his best friend fulfilled his dream, it will be Lack-2's turn to fund Hugh's goals. The trainer smiled to himself; meanwhile, he had a target to mop up. Although, the gym's pristine flooring hardly needed a cleanup. Throwing the pokeball in the air, Hugh watched Emboar erupt out in a flash of light, the fire type stomped the floor and breathed a stream of hell heated flames. Next to him, Samurott, disciplined and proper, tumbled out and regarded the leader with an analytical stare. Opposite them, Ruby let loose two pokemon: A swampert and gardevoir, the psychic twirled and Ruby retrieved a brush from the pocket of his slashed jeans; he immediately fell over his beast and brushed her fur clean. Hugh grimaced, what was wrong with this dude?

"Cool sandals." Lack-2 taunted and pointed to the traditional wooden clogs Ruby wore. The man swore silently, flung his brush behind him and clapped. Once. A barrage of energy spheres catered the ground next to Emboar and the fire type squealed in terror and dove to the corner. Ruby grinned and pushed his glasses up, Hugh roared and commanded Bo to execute a flamethrower, in good time too as the swampert spat a water gun at him. Breathing heavily, both Hugh and his monster observed the gym leader warily. "Are you okay?" Lack-2 inquired, his eyes never leaving the fashionista, the spiky haired man nodded slowly, he would have to take the man seriously. "Wow...I never expected..." the investigator broke off and calculated his actions. "Samurott, ice-beam," he worded and pulled out another pokeball. "Are we allowed to use another one?" Ruby nodded his consent, "then, genesect, use infestation and follow it up with shadow claw." The crimson eyed leader arched an eyebrow at Lack-2's choice of monsters but refused to comment. Streaking in a blur of tyrian purple, the modified beast whipped past the guarding swampert and plunged its claw into gardevoir's creamy white fur and skin. The psychic beast howled, an unearthly string of notes battered against Lack-2's skull. With uncharacteristic viciousness, it smacked genesect aside and whaled on the Paleozoic pokemon with a flurry of punches and psychic attacks. The reinforced armor covering genesect dented and a focus blast shattered one of its eyes into silvers of crystal. Even as infestation seized hold of the embrace pokemon and tiny maggots crawled over its skin, it kept on fighting. Ruby glanced at his pokemon and a sardonic smile graced his face.

Hugh attacked. Heatcrash flung the psychic type away from genesect, the insectoid panted and its dented body emitted steam. Gardevoir somersaulted through the air and samurott struck. Pawing the ground, it opened its mouth and let a pillar of water rip at the psychic. The gym leader barked a command, ordering the swampert to protect its companion. Lack-2 simpered and nodded at Hugh, with a harsh, guttural cry; Bo swung forward and aimed a fist at the mud-fish pokemon.

A colossal pillar of water bounced back from a reflect and devastatingly shot into Bo as it prepared to attack. The mega fire pig reeled backwards, fighting the deluge of ice-cold water. Grinning like its master, swampert opened its cavernous maw and added to the pressure. A jet of muddy water shot out and emboar gave in, the floorboards creaked, the fire type swept backwards and the heat from its body rapidly drained away, it smacked into the wooden walls and the panels cracked. The water stopped.

And Bo fainted.

"So that's one down" Ruby declared, finality stamped in his announcer-esque voice, "and two more to go." When Lack-2 swerved his attention back to samurott, he cringed. His beloved partner lay on its side, exhausted and a knot of grassy tendrils tangled at its feet. Apparently gardevoir recovered and it primly waved off the insects buzzing around her. Genesect coughed and Lack-2 recovered his beast, it was in no condition to fight. "Zuzu, use hammer arm." The leader commanded, both Hugh and Lack-2's eyes bulged in horror. The latter screeched, begging the fashionista not to hurt his partner. Zuzu did not step down, pulling back a mast like arm, it smashed it next to the water type and the wooden floor boards splintered in half. "Match over." Ruby intoned and recalled his beasts. He placed the pokeballs back into the drawer, smugly strode back to them and pressed the Balance badge firmly in their palms. Bewildered, the Unovian duo looked down, at the metallic badge gleaming dully in their palms.

Hugh turned the badge over and scrutinized it. "Why did you give this to us?" he demanded, "we just...Lost to you." His pride suffered a severe blow, even worse was the realization that even if he brought out more pokemon, the flamboyant man would find a way to crush them both...Effortlessly.

The gym leader angled his face away; his eyes scanned the damage inside the room. "You two put up a good resistance." Lack-2 glared at the older male and Ruby crumbled. "If my old man finds out I went through two months without handing a single badge to anyone, he's going to kill me..."

"With the way you fight, I'm surprised people actually come here." Lack-2 stated, the scarlet eyed man twiddled with his scar. "You hardly get challengers do you?" the russet eyed adolescent pressed and Ruby dejectedly nodded. "...You battle really well. To be honest, I'm astonished." The leader shrugged dismissively and typed into his PokeNav. "Your battling strategies are similar to...To Senior Red."

A heavy silence hung in the air and Ruby stowed his navigator away. "I'm honored to be compared to him, Saph says the same thing. My battling skills...I owe to my dad, he taught me everything I know." The raven haired male smiled. "How about we head out for lunch? Senior Yellow is currently in Hoenn and we can meet up with Rald." His smile turned sadistic. "Sapphire is dying to see you."

The investigator moaned and his stomach did a back flip.

Dying to kill me more like...He muttered to himself and followed Ruby out.

Afternoon

Hoenn

Mauville

As usual, the food court bustled with people, teenagers, young couples and families. Suddenly feeling very alone for no explicable reason, Lack-2 trundled after Ruby who changed his clothes into something more appropriate to his style. A pair of designer sunglasses rested on his head, effectively hiding his scar. When they gathered in the center, a group of people waved at them. The investigator had no trouble recognizing the midget, Emerald, whose long hair swung in a high ponytail as he marched across the room with Yellow in a tow. Sapphire moved faster. Her skirt flared behind her and she launched into a race, flying over the tiles. For a moment, Lack-2 thought she might be coming for Ruby. His mind sneered in disagreement. She swerved; arm outstretched and her fist came to a deadly stop just a few centimeters from his nose. The rest of her friends froze; except for the technician who seemed to privately enjoy the spectacle. Lack-2 petrified to his spot, wanting desperately to move away, he searched for Hugh who remained wide eyed next to him.

"Can I punch him? At least once?" Sapphire asked and the russet eyed individual caught a whiff of her perfume, she appeared resplendent in a layered skirt and a midriff bearing top. Her hair flowed loosely around her shoulders. Next to her, Yellow shook her head in disagreement. "Just once." Sapphire insisted.

Luckily for Lack-2, Hugh thawed out from his frozen state. "No." He firmly stated. "I don't have enough money to pay for the medical bills." Frowning, Saph pulled away and settled for lacing her hands behind her back. Heaving a sigh of relief when she faced Ruby and enquired about his gym, Lack-2 swallowed several times and sent a fleeting glimpse of gratitude to his best friend. Hugh stared at the complex, his face twitching and jumping, he dug out a few pills and popped them into his mouth. Meanwhile, Yellow and Emerald steered the band to one of the tables dotting the periphery of the court. Outside the complex, aromatic wind whipped the Unovian's hair and he eased himself into a chair. He felt queasy. Nauseous. He expected more hostility from Yellow, or Sapphire or even the midget, but snippets of amiable conversation floated in the air as they basked in the warm afternoon sun and sipped drinks. Ruby, done placing orders at the counter, joined them and listlessly stirred the bright contents of his plastic cup with a straw. The feeling of unease, rooted into Lack-2's stomach since he first stepped foot in the complex, slowly let up and dissipated. As usual, when the food arrived, Hugh wolfed it down, blowing on the chewy strands of noodles before shoving them roughly in his mouth. Yellow watched him, her hazel eyes lighting up with mild amusement before Lack-2 saw Sapphire doing the same. Ruby eyed her, sighed and dug into his own food.

The atmosphere mellowed. In the distance, birds chirped, people rushed along the pavement, talking rapidly in their PokeNavs, walking their pokemon or heading to school. Groups of teenage trainers hollered down the streets, some of them pausing and darting into the food court to buy a sandwich or coffee. At the table, Ruby glued his PokeNav to his ear and talked to someone who sounded suspiciously like Silver, complete with Gold's screeching in the background, Yellow mediated a quarrel between Sapphire and Emerald, and the former leaned back in her chair after dabbing her lips in a lady like manner. Emerald sneered at her and commended her on become more human, Ruby won't have to fear the wrath of a cave-woman wife anymore. Instead of bristling and hissing, she flushed, replied with a curt comment and continued to eat daintily. For his part, the gym leader, still locked into a conversation, seemed oblivious. A desperate question rose in Lack-2's throat, one he was extremely afraid to ask. But he did anyway.

For Hugh's sake.

For the sake of his friends.

Pulling out a worn, pale blue Pokedex, he placed it on the tabletop. The noises died. Sapphire stopped eating; a scowl unfurled on Emerald's face. Yellow's visage screwed into one of perplexity and Ruby abruptly cut his call. "I was wondering..." The Unovian began and gulped, licking his chapped lips; he reached for the glass of water lying teasingly out of reach. "I was wondering...If we could have a reunion..." Blood roared in his ears, his face heated up and the world became deafeningly silent. "I am sorry for everything I have done." Lack-2 apologized and the vice on his heart loosened. "I wanted a reunion of the Dex Holders...I'd like, to see each and every one of you again." I want to see smiling faces and hear insults being hurled at each other. I want my hair to be ruffled; I want to witness Pearl admonishing Diamond for being a stooge.

They said nothing. They simply stared, unblinking.

Anabel's words, said to him five years ago, echoed back like a haunting memory:

"Congratulations Lack-2" She handed him a badge as he stood to stiff attention. "From this day onwards, the Dex Criminals have dissolved, they are no more."

A/N: The End. Seriously this time. I butchered my favorite character. Poor, sweet Diamond…heh, no regrets though. This chapter is really long but I hope it managed to tie in loose ends (well, some loose ends). I had great fun in writing this story and once again, Thank you all for reading, the reviews and support is extremely appreciated.

At Forevalone: Of course, I've read your fanfic and it well done. Still, I'm flattered you considered writing a sequel for this story. Thank you. At Magic111: There won't be a version where they win (since they are supposed to be the villains of the story) however…eh spoilers, I'm not going to tell. Thanks to you though I have another shot of villianizing the Dex Holders. Heh, this time, I'm making it darker, hope you don't mind. At Jack54311: Funnily, they all ended up with awesome jobs…but the governments are putting hard brakes on the former commanders. Who knows what they'd do if they were given a second chance? At AceTrainerLeaf: I was about to post this when you arrived with your review :D Unfortunately, no one else dies and Lack-2 is rather on a quest for forgiveness…next thing you know, he turns into a hermit. (I'm joking)