Vero woke up early the next morning. He didn't get much sleep that night anyway. Thinking about the kids, and...reliving his sister's death...It was almost impossible for him to have pleasant slumber. Not to mention, that feeling he had about that admin...he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it almost felt like...familiarity. Of course, he quickly shook those thoughts out of his head. Team Meteor was a new organization that started up in Reborn, so how could he possibly have met one of them before? He'd only been in the region for a week anyway. He laid back down, glancing to his right, where Julia occupied the other side of their bed. Amaria took the second bedroom next door. He hoped that she didn't feel too lonely.

Vero yawned and turned over, pulling Julia closer to him. She sighed happily, snuggling in and wrapping herself around him.

"Mm...What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"9. I should get ready." He kissed the top of her head and showered and dressed for the day. Before leaving, he checked in on Amaria, who was already awake, and getting out of bed as well.

"Oh, good morning." she smiled.

"Good morning. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, a lot, actually." She stood up, showing him that her bruise had already begun to heal.

"That's good...Julia's still asleep."

"Some things never change. She's up all day, and then crashes at night." They laughed softly. "You're leaving?" she asked, noticing that he was already dressed.

"Yes. I'm going to Coral immediately."

"I see. I'm gonna get ready, then head back home."

"Alright. Amaria, we may not see each other for a while now. With everything that I have to do…"

"I understand...just, keep your promise to me, and save those kids. Please, text or call if you need anything."

"I will. Trust me, I will." She walked up and kissed him quickly before pulling each other into a hug.

"Take care."

"You as well." Vero didn't stray any longer, going out to the Coral Ward to get on Amaria's boat.

X

Sailing to Apophyll Beach was actually pretty smooth. Amaria didn't give her boat enough credit, it was actually fairly resistant to the water. After making his way to the academy, he searched around for Victoria, but found no sign of her. He did text both her and Cain last night that something came up and he wouldn't get there until the next day. But assuming that her underground train worked, she should be here by now. Instead, he decided to look for Kiki, who he found out was teaching a class just south of the building. Heading down there, he saw a bunch of people standing in a circle, with a middle aged woman with short magenta hair teaching them. The same woman from one of the visions at Shade's gym…She noticed him rather quickly.

"Greetings. Are you a new student?"

"Uhh...sure. Yes."

"I see. Welcome. Please, have a seat." He went and sat down near a few of the others. She was very calm and polite when speaking. She had a certain sereneness about her, a clear state of mind.

"Now, for today's lecture. We will review the basics of changing perspective. In our lives, we are often faced with troubling circumstances, which we feel we can do nothing about."

This piqued Vero's interest, almost as if this lesson was meant for him.

"However, by changing our perspective on these things we can change the effective reality of the thing in itself. Let us use a physical example to demonstrate. Consider the pokemon, Mawile. When seen from the front of its combat stance, some would argue that its horn appears grotesque. Yet when viewed facing it, we see a very different kind of pokemon, with what many would call a very sweet and cute appearance. In this case, our tangible perception influences our apparent reality. And further, understanding each perspective of Mawile contributes to a much greater understanding of the pokemon than many have when first seeing it. Now, let us apply this to our day-to-day lives. Suppose you are, for instance, confronted by a man who rather aggressively petitions you for money. He smells unpleasant, and perhaps he makes some offhand remark about your appearance. To many of us, this man represents a problem. He may be judged as offensive or disgusting. At the least, he could be considered an annoyance. Let us attempt to shift our perspective of this man. A proud father loses his job after his corporation closes. He applies at several other places, but unfortunately, nothing pans out. Most positions get filled by other employees from his former company. He depends on his few friends for a time, but they soon distance themselves from him, afraid that he is taking advantage of their kindness. Now alone as he is poor, he finds his confidence in his ability to provide for his daughter shattered. He applies for entry-level positions, desperate to take anything...but even those employers are quick to dismiss him, thinking him overqualified and under-groomed. He has several leads to get his life back together, but he needs time to hear back from them. Meanwhile his daughter is growing hungry. She already only eats one meal a day. Determined to do what he must in order to provide for her, he begins approaching random strangers. More often than not, they look down on him. Occasionally, pity pays for his child's dinner. And at night he returns to a home he knows he won't have for much longer, having successfully changed a half empty cup of spare change into a meal. His daughter smiles, gracious for the food, and not quite understanding that hers was not the standard for living. She eats her second peanut butter sandwich of the night. He fills himself solely on her gratitude. Of course, these two descriptions are of the same person, but two very different sides of him. Can you, as a passerby, again look at that man, demanding just a few bills from you, in the same way? Having seen another side of his story, can you still see him as a simple annoyance? Perhaps a city that is sick with homelessness and unemployment, is just a city that is bursting with the desire to live. That will be all for today. Thank you."

Everyone dispersed, going back to their own agendas, with only Vero and Kiki remaining. She glanced back at him, noticing that he was looking up at the sky, thinking about something intensely. She walked up, introducing herself.

"Hello again. Please allow me now to formally welcome you as a student of Apophyll Academy. We are honored to have earned your faith, and I look forward to observing your diligence and growth in the coming weeks. I'll assign you a dormitory and schedule as soon as we return to the Academy."

"A-Actually…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for the false pretenses, but I'm not here to become a student. I'm here for the gym battle and the TMX."

"You came seeking the Machine for Strength?"

"Yes."

"It is in my possession. However, it is only typically awarded to graduating students of the Academy. Everything in due time. For now, please meet me in my room at the Academy, and we will officially enroll you."

"B-But…" She had already begun walking back to the academy, though.

"...I guess I'll just have to explain the real situation to her."

X

"Vero!" He turned around to find Victoria standing in the doorway. "I finally caught up to you!"

"There you are! Where have you been?!"

"The guard put me on the wrong train…" she laughed nervously. "So I didn't get here until today either…"

"Ah…"

"Victoria, is that you?! I thought you left for training?!" One of the other students approached us.

"Yes, I was going to, but so many other important things have been happening. We have to speak to Kiki at once. Is she in her room?"

"I think I just saw her come in."

"Okay, good. I'm going ahead." She went into the back room.

"Are you Victoria's friend? You're very lucky! She's the top student here at Apophyll!" She directed to Vero. "Everyone loves her, and Kiki even took her as a personal apprentice!"

"I see…" He continued to the back, walking in on the two of them.

"I see. So you need the machine to save the kidnapped children. Incidentally, this new student also came to me asking for that. I do not suppose that is coincidence?"

"No, not at all. This is Vero, my...boyfriend. We're working to save them together."

"Boyfriend, eh? You never told me that?" she laughed softly, smirking at the two of them, making Victoria blush. "Right. Truly, I am moved by your plight. However...As you well know, Victoria, I can only award that Machine to a graduating student of the Academy. One must attain inner strength before acquiring worldly strength. And to disregard that procedure is to disrespect every student who has followed it before."

"Then, Sensei, I wish to apply for graduation."

"So you will. I suspected you might finally ask. This may be best, given my worsening condition."

"Sensei…"

"But nevermind that. We mustn't let inner turmoil complicate outside affairs. Victoria, were you successful in your challenge of the Reborn League, as I had asked of you?"

"I admit, Sensei, I was not. So much was going on that I had other priorities."

"I see. That is unfortunate, being that the Machine requires a certain badge. And how about yourself, Vero?"

"Vero can do it! He has lots of badges already, one more won't be a problem!"

"Sure. I don't think I'll have too much of a problem."

"So you intended to pass off the Machine to an outsider regardless. I suppose it cannot be helped, but knowing that that is your intention, I must test Vero as well. Victoria, you will stay here and test for graduation. Vero, your challenge lies elsewhere. As you should know, Apophyll lies in the shadow of one Pyrous Mountain-a volcanic mountain. After all, it is the ash therefrom that grants the beach its grey hues. Atop Pyrous Mountain is one of my newest, though finest, students."

"That's-Oh, goodness!"

"Have faith in your companion, Victoria. Climb the mountain. Find my student. Challenge him. If you are successful, you may have the machine. Good luck."

He nodded, walking out of the room. Victoria chased after him as soon as he walked out the main entrance.

"Vero!"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to wish you luck. The student Kiki is talking about, his name is Cal. He was actually once the Fire type Leader for the Reborn League, but he retired and came here after something bad happened. Anyway, he's really strong. And sort of cute-I mean…"

"Oh, really?" he teased.

"I did not just say that. Oh, yes! In order to get very far into Pyrous Mountain, you may have to drain the lava from the upper floors. If you look, there should be choke points in between the levels, and sometimes they get clogged up. Just give the right one a good smash to clear it and you'll be good to go! Say hi to Cal for me, please? And don't worry about my test. I AM the top student at Apophyll Academy for a reason. Good luck." She leaned over and kissed his cheek before going back inside.

Vero began navigating his way through the cave, following Victoria's instructions about the lava, and even catching a Heatmor, not to use actively, per se, since his fire coverage was in Charizard, but because he liked the pokemon. At the top of the mountain was a pool of lava, and at the very edge was a man, around Julia and Amaria's age. He wore a maroon shirt and matching pants, both with lighter red lines on them, making a kind of fire design. He wore light red shoes, and had short fiery red hair.

He seemed to be meditating, and so didn't address Vero for a minute or two. After a final exhale, he spoke up.

"...Hi. Can I help you? Kiki sent you here too, huh? To battle me? I haven't had a serious battle since I resigned as Gym Leader. And even then, I was misguided. I had let anger drive and control me. That's why I came here: to learn to let go of the rage I felt towards my brother. Everything I'd ever done was just to try and prove myself better than him. You're challenging the Reborn League now, correct? Have you met a leader named Shelly?"

"Yeah, I know her well."

"How is she? Timid, right? That might have been my fault. I used to keep her around. Watch over her. She and I connected on some level. We were both always scorned by our brothers, and our families. Blake...he always got the attention. He got all the praise for everything, and then anything I ever did was just a sloppy second. Back then I was too full of rage to see that he was the source of my anger. But Shelly understood. What she didn't understand was that my anger wasn't directed, like hers, towards trying to earn his love. She said something backwards, and it set me off. I reacted terribly and-I regret hurting her more than anything else. And yet, because of it, I was finally able to change. Look at me, just rambling on." He finally turned around and faced Vero.

"Sorry. I suppose being assigned to meditate alone for days on end has that effect on people. I can see clearly now, but the source of my energy is exhausted. Formerly rage, and now, what do I have? Perhaps I'll stop talking and find out in a battle with you. Infernape!"

"...Very well. Unfezant! Air Slash!"

"Infernape, Flame Wheel!" The two hit each other, but Unfezant hurt Infernape more, thanks to its fighting half.

"Air Cutter!" The whirlwind that started slashed Infernape across the front, defeating it.

"Return. Typhlosion."

"Return, Unfezant. Go, Sandslash! DIg!" It burrowed underground, getting ready to strike.

"Typhlosion, Sunny Day." The sunlight intensified, and Sandslash came out, destroying its opponent with a hard punch.

"Return. Magmortar!" He sent out his ace. "Use Solarbeam!" It took in sunlight and fired a beam of green energy at Sandslash that knocked it out instantly.

"Return, Sandslash. Go, Ampharos! Use Power Gem!" The electric pokemon stomped on the ground, making a flurry of rocks and debris float, before they flew at Magmortar, defeating it.

"Go, Delphox!"

"Power Gem again!"

"Dodge it and use Mystical Fire!" It jumped up and took out its torch, igniting it and tossing the flame at Ampharos, who took some damage.

"Power Gem again!" As Delphox landed, it was hit hard, knocking it back.

"Delphox, Psyshock!"

"Discharge!" Ampharos was faster and electrocuted it, defeating it.

"Return. Charizard!"

"Ampharos, Discharge!" It once again discharged energy, defeating Charizard already.

"Return. Blaziken! Use Blaze Kick!" It gathered flames onto its foot and smashed its foot into Ampharos, injuring it heavily.

"Ampharos, Power Gem!" It hit Blaziken, but the pokemon still seemed good to go.

"Fire Punch!" This time it punched Ampharos up into the air, knocking it out.

"Return. Go, Unfezant! Use Air Slash!" Its wind sliced it across the front, knocking Blaziken back.

"Bulk up, then Blaze Kick!" It gathered power, raising its attack, then used Blaze Kick, destroying Unfezant in a single kick.

"Return, Unfezant! Charizard! Wing Attack!" Charizard finished Blaziken off with a Wing Attack, making Cal return his final pokemon.

"...Hm. I seem to have lost my fire after all. Perhaps it's for the best. I only ever started training Fire types to beat my brother's Ice. How stupid of me. In any case, you can go and tell Kiki that you defeated me. I'll be staying up here. I've got things to finish. Er, meditation, that is." Vero nodded and went back down to the academy, thinking about what Kiki taught him.

To look at things from another perspective...It seemed like the kind of lesson that would apply to his situations, but he couldn't really see Team Meteor or Dr. Connel in a different way. At least not yet; he didn't know enough about them. But in any case, he didn't think that that's what she meant. The example she used was simply a homeless man, not a criminal organization and a tyrannical doctor. Was it possible for him to look at his family's deaths in a different way? In a way, because of that, he came to Reborn to help. If they weren't dead, there wouldn't be anyone to combat Team Meteor and stand up for the people…..Maybe it wasn't the event itself, but the way he was acting about it. Julia was right...even though she told him not to, he's still been distancing himself from his friends...he's been consumed with revenge. Vero sighed, going back into Kiki's room.

"Sensei, please! If you keep pushing yourself you're going to hurt yourself!"

"No. Willpower...is a muscle. I will...not let...mine slip...away. I have always said: One must fight hard to defeat the chaos inside. This is my chaos. Please allow me to fight it. Oh, Vero. You've returned."

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. As I just said, I will combat this. I'm perfectly fine. I was only...winded."

"How was Cal?" Victoria asked. "Er, I mean, were you able to beat him?"

"Yes."

"So you did. I see. Victoria, too, has already been informed of everything she must do. That means there is only one thing left to do. Vero, you will face me in an official Reborn League match. If you win, you will have your badge, and more importantly, your Machine. I will be waiting in the courtyard." She began to walk out of the room before stumbling.

"Ugh...Apologies. I am all right." The two lovers were left alone in the room.

"Why does it have to be like this?"

"I don't know...this region is a cold and cruel place. I'm beginning to understand that myself."

"...Do you regret your decision? Of coming here?"

"Never." He smiled at her before walking out towards the courtyard. She sobbed before running after him.

"Vero, wait! I have to tell you something. When you were gone, Kiki didn't give me the graduation exam at all. Instead she just, showed me how to run things around the Academy. Gave me an overview on policies, and...Vero, Kiki is dying." He could tell from her little episode when he came in.

"She's been sick for months, but she's tried her hardest to hide it from everyone. She only told me before. Apparently there's no cure. And...I think she intends for me t o take over when she...Nevermind, but, Vero: The point is, I don't feel good about you fighting her like this! We'll convince her to give us the Machine some other way…"

"There is no other way, Victoria. If she's running out of time, then this is all we can do."

"But battling takes so much of a toll on her, I just can't let you do it. I'll stop you myself if I have to! If you can't beat me there's no reason at all that you should even try to fight Kiki!"

Despite having a stronger team than she had previously, i.e. Scraggy, Heracross, Hariyama, Emboar and Gallade, her moves were sloppy compared to previous times, and it didn't take Vero long to defeat her.

"...It's for the kids, right? They're more important than she is, right?"

"Victoria, it's not like that."

"...I'll just go." She walked out to the arena, standing on the sideline as the referee. Vero followed, taking his place opposite of her.

"Vero, let us see how well your discipline holds you."

"...The challenger, Vero, will now face the Gym Leader, Kiki, in a six on six battle. Either competitor can make substitutions. The battle will end when all six of either trainer's pokemon are unable to battle….Begin."

"Very well. Machamp."

"Meowstic. Let's go, Psychic!" It used its mental powers to lift Machamp into the air and slam it back down into the ground, almost defeating it already.

"Machamp, Rock Slide!" It picked up multiple rocks and threw them, falling towards the pokemon. Meowstic was knocked back.

"Finish this with Psyshock!" Psychic projectiles homed in on Machamp, defeating it.

"Return. Toxicroak."

"Meowstic, Psychic." Due to the 4x effective bonus, Toxicroak was wiped out instantly.

"Return. Hitmonlee. High Jump Kick." Hitmonlee flew forward and hit Meowstic back, knocking it out.

"Great. Return, Meowstic. Go, Unfezant! Use Air Slash!" As expected, a flying type attack kicked around the ash and sand on the field, so after the attack hit Hitmonlee, both pokemon lost some of their accuracy. Ame advised him about the field as he came back down the volcano, but since Meowstic was already out, he had to take care of her team with his other pokemon.

"Hitmonlee, use Knock Off."

"Dodge it and use Air Slash again." Unfezant flew up, avoiding the attack, and once again flapped its wings, hitting Hitmonlee again with a slice of wind, defeating it.

"Return. Gallade, it's your turn."

"Unfezant, Air Slash!" Gallade was hit and knocked back, but survived with a good amount of its health and stamina intact.

"Rock Slide." Gallade kicked up rocks and sent them flying at Unfezant, heavily wounding the bird and knocking it out.

"Return. Alright then, Charizard! Wing Attack!" Charizard flew out of its pokeball and slashed Gallade across the front, defeating it.

"Return. Lucario. Use Psychic." Lucario's attack hit Charizard and did a fair bit of damage, but it recovered quickly.

"Use Flame Burst!" Charizard blew fire out of its mouth, exploding upon contact with the pokemon, heavily injuring it.

"Now finish it with Fire Fang!" It flew up and chomped on the Lucario with flames in its mouth, making it faint.

"Return. Medicham. Use Meditate." It focused its power, raising its attack.

"Charizard, Wing Attack!"

"Dodge it and use Ice Punch." The Medicham leaped into the air, avoiding Charizard, and flew down, punching it with cold energy. Even though Ice is neutral to Fire Flying, Charizard still took a lot of damage due to Medicham's increased power.

"Charizard, Wing Attack!" It quickly got up and slashed Medicham, knocking it back.

"Strength." It jumped over to Charizard and slammed into its stomach, defeating the fire dragon.

"Return. Ampharos! Discharge!" Ampharos unleashed a blast of electricity that destroyed Medicham, winning Vero the battle.

"...And all was silent. Return."

"Return."

"Amidst true focus, your energy shines through. Your hard work has earned you this. Proceed, take-Excuse me, I-" That was all she could say before collapsing.

"Kiki!" They both yelled, running over to her.

X

"..."

"There you go. Just focus on your breathing." Victoria and Vero eased her into her hammock in her room. "Like in Beginning Meditation, right? Keep it steady. You're okay."

"Am I? There's no longer any point to keeping up a facade of serenity. After a display like that-collapsing in the courtyard...My glass reputation is already shattered."

"Nobody could be as strong as you have through all of this. Look at everything you've done, all the people you've made happy, and-"

"And in the end, for as strong as I've been, I'm still too weak."

"Please calm down."

"How can I? 'Defeat the inner chaos?' Did you think I was only talking about zen of the mind? I could be centered to dead-zero and I will still end up just that. No amount of meditation is going to change the simple fact that my body is killing itself!"

"Right…." Victoria ran out.

"Victoria!" She turned to Vero. "Please leave me. I wish to be alone right now."

"Fine. But remember Kiki, when I came here, you taught me to look at things in a different perspective. Try doing that with yourself." He went out as well, leaving the Gym Leader stunned and distraught. Victoria greeted him outside.

"I've never seen Kiki get upset like that before. But then, I've never seen her faint before, either. She must be going through so much. I understand if she just needs to rest alone for a while. I'll try and keep things together, so she can hopefully get better. And I'll be sure to get the Machine from her, too. And your badge, of course. Although, if she doesn't make it, that badge would be reset. Anyway...there's something that's been bothering me. Wasn't Cain coming to challenge her too?" Vero's eyes widened.

"You're right…"

"Kiki said he was never here."

"He left before me though. He sailed across the lake on his Muk. He should have been here long before now."

"I think it's very strange. Could he have gotten lost? I mean, it's kind of hard to miss a beach as big as this one. But, I think there is one place between here and there. That is, Azurine Island. I think if he's anywhere, something must have happened to him there. Would you go and look for him? After all, he still has the key to get into the Wasteland. I'll take care of Kiki, so don't you worry about her."

"Alright. I'll be back soon, hopefully."

X

Maneuvering his way around Azurine Island was somewhat challenging, due to all the trees and Foongus disguised as pokeballs. But eventually, he made it to a sort of cabin.

"Hello! Was not expecting you here."

"Hmph, you again!"

"Oh look, tweedle dee and tweedle dum." Vero addressed Aster and Eclipse.

"Shut up! Come trying to find your friend again, have you?"

"But I'm afraid you're too late! We captured him already. Boss' orders of course."

"They told us that he escaped a previous ambush. We had to correct that mistake."

"Hey Eclipse, is it just me, or is someone outnumbered?"

"I believe so. You've always had a friend to help you before. And now?"

"Game over."

"That's what you think." Vero proved strong enough to defeat both of them.

"...Welp."

"That's disappointing…But just as well. Good luck finding your friend~ You'll need it."

"Yeah, we've gotten him hidden away here good!"

"Aster, for once could you shut up? Like, just once, please? You just TOLD Vero that he's here. Ugh! Nevermind. We're gone. See ya!" They both left.

"...Fucking idiots." Vero walked up to one of the machines, which moved to the side, revealing a hidden door and hallway. At the end was Taka, a Camerupt, three grunts, and a locked up Cain.

"Yes, yes, Camerupt is ready. Let's get going shortly, alright? Oh, hey, Vero. Didn't expect to see you down here."

"Heyyyy, Vero!"

"Oh, yeah. Guess you came for your friend, huh? Sorry about that. We were kinda ordered to capture him, and well, he happened to be sailing right by, soooo….yeah."

"I am but a damsel, imprisoned and distressed! Vero, save me, my darling prince!"

Both Vero and Taka sighed.

"But how did you find us?"

"Your two grunts can't keep their mouths shut."

"Of course. This island was meant to be for breeding Pokemon and repopulating the region, but since we closed it nobody should be coming here. Even this building was just an observation center-Well, before we hijacked it anyway."

"Yeah, and now they're trying to attack Apophyll!"

"With that Camerupt, I assume?"

"Well...Yeah, that's the plan. Take a PULSE up there, take Camerupt up there. You probably know, Pyrous Mountain is the last active volcano in Reborn. So we just have Camerupt use a little Eruption attack, and that's bye-bye Apophyll. That's one pocket of civilization wiped off the map and off our to-do list. Anyway, we were also ordered to capture you. And since you sorta just waltzed in here...Yeah, that's a thing.

Without wasting another moment, his expression darkened as he tossed out a pokeball, a Klefki appearing from it.

"Have it your way. Charizard, Flame Burst!" Charizard breathed fire, hitting the Klefki and heavily damaging it.

"Klefki, Foul Play." They key ring transformed into a ball of purple energy and flung itself at Charizard, injuring it.

"Charizard, Fire Fang!" The dragon flew up and chomped on it, defeating it.

"Return. Gligar!"

"Return! Piloswine!"

"Gligar, use Acrobatics!" The winged pokemon flew around the room at a blinding speed before crashing into Piloswine, knocking it back.

"Piloswine, Icy Wind!" Piloswine cried out, blowing a stream of cold wind, ice and hail at Gligar, who was frozen and defeated thanks to its 4x weakness.

"Return. Cradily!"

"Stay in, Piloswine! Ice Fang!" It rushed up and bit Cradily with cold fangs, hurting the pokemon a great deal.

"Cradily, use Giga Drain!" It sapped the strength from the pokemon, almost defeating it.

"Piloswine, finish this with Icy Wind!" It once again blew a blizzard towards it, finishing the job.

"Return. Chatot!"

"Piloswine, Icy Wind once more!" It did it again and wounded the bird greatly.

"Chatot, use Heat Wave to finish it off!" The bird cried and flapped its wings fast, creating a large wave of fire that consumed Piloswine, knocking it out.

"Return. Ampharos, use Discharge!" Ampharos came out and used its strongest attack, defeating the bird pokemon as well as Taka's last team member.

"Return. Welp, I tried. Looks like I don't have a choice but to let you go this time, huh? Team Meteor, prepare to retreat. Bring Camerupt with us. And I guess we'll just have to hope Vero doesn't try to stop us. It'd be a right shame if he did. Saving all those people? We'll see you up there, Vero." He clenched his fists as they walked out, knowing that he couldn't stop them due to his pokemon being tired from the last few fights as well as having to free Cain. Speaking of which…

"Phew! I knew you'd come for me~ Hey, what's that look for? I was just kidding about the damsel and prince thing...Geez~ You can still be my prince if you want."

"No thanks."

"Nevermind that for now. We have to hurry! If we don't get over there fast, those freaks are gonna make Pyrous erupt and destroy Apophyll! I'm gonna head over there right now-without getting captured this time, hopefully-and stop them! Come quickly!"

X

Vero ran back up the front steps of the academy, Victoria coming out to meet him.

"Vero!"

"Victoria!"

"Cain already told us everything that happened! Come inside; Kiki wants to talk to us all!" They went to her room, with Vero, Victoria, and Cain all standing near her.

"So you're all here...good. I cannot speak much, nor long. We already saw the Meteors pass through, and they've begun climbing the mountain."

"They're going to use a machine to make a Camerupt react with the volcano and erupt!"

"If that happens then the academy and everyone here will be…"

"From what I've been told of their motives, I can only assume that it is more than that. The two may be separated by the toxic lake, but if Apophyll is destroyed, the city will be hurt as well. Though we reject the technology which festers in Reborn, we are two sides of the same coin. Reborn, outside the city and within, is one whole. If one part is lost, the balance will be broken. The power will shift to their favor. We must stop them, and time is short. If they've already begun, our only hope is that Cal can hold them off for long enough. But you must hurry to aid him. I-...I-A-Ah…"

"Take it easy, Sensei! You have to conserve your strength!"

"There isn't time for that."

"No, there has to be. You leave this to us. Vero. Cain. Please. I'm going to stay with Kiki to make sure she's okay. I'm trusting you two to help Cal and stop Team Meteor. All right?"

"Don't have to tell me twice! Vero, I'm going ahead! Let's go quickly!" The two of them left together, beginning to climb the mountain. Guarding the entrance was a Meteor Grunt. Cain sent out his Nidoking. They stood at a stalemate, the guard seeming unfazed.

"So you're really not gonna move?"

"No, sir. Them's my orders. No entry. No battle."

"And so you're not gonna send out your pokemon either. You're just gonna stand there?"

"Yes, sir. And you aren't going to pass. Because that's what I'm here for!"

"...Kay. Nidoking~?" The pokemon walked up to him and pushed him down the ledge, making him fall a bit.

"H-Hey!"

"So anyway, let's get going, yeah?" Cain went on ahead. When Vero stepped inside, he heard Victoria's voice behind him.

"Vero! I caught up to you! Kiki made me leave her. She said there was nothing I could do for her. I know she's right, but...I don't like it. You know the way to the top, right? I'll just follow you then." The two of them fought their way through a few pairs of grunts and knights before arriving outside, near the summit.

"Hey, Vero, when you battled Cal, what did you think of him?"

"Hmm...In a way, I could see part of myself in him, I guess."

"Wow...good answer. Ever since he first came to Apophyll, I've thought he was really cool."

"Ironic considering he's a fire type trainer."

"Oh, haha. He was helpful, and eager-A little shy, but, well, that's cute, right?"

"Depends on what kind of guys you're into."

"I think once all of this is over, maybe I'll tell him how...Well, nevermind. Let's just focus."

"...He's the one you were talking about. The one you have a crush on."

"Well...yeah...is it that obvious?"

"Well not at first, no, considering I never met the guy and you never mentioned his name. But once I got here, and Kiki suggested challenging him, you seemed to get all flustered when you thought about him."

"Hm...Perhaps I was too forward in my emotions...I'm sorry for the other night...To you, it must seem like I'm toying with you, leading you on like that, and sleeping together, only to say that I love someone else…"

"No, not at all. Victoria, the only reason I'm allowed to date other women is because both Julia and I want to see Reborn become a better place. And that means not just the state of the city itself, but also the citizens. If I helped you sort out your feelings, then it means I helped you as an individual. And that's all I wanted in the first place. I mean, sure, you're beautiful, and kind, and smart, and I'd love to be your boyfriend, but it's up to you whether I am or not." He smiled at her.

"Vero...thank you." She hugged him, and they continued up the mountain, seeing Cain, Cal, Taka, and Solaris facing each other.

"Cal!"

"Victoria?"

"Were you defeated already?"

"Uh, about that…"

Vero's eyes widened as he realized what was going on, and his upstanding and unique opinion of Cal just went down the drain.

'You bastard…'

"Ugh, I couldn't take both of them at once…" Cain said, stepping back.

"You did enough, Cain, thank you." Vero and I will take it from here!" She stepped forward towards Taka.

"I'm not letting you lay a finger on Cal, or anyone else in Apophyll!"

"How amusing. And Vero is here, too. I writhe in fear at what you yapping pups could possibly do." Solaris mocked.

"Hey, Vero, Victoria, we don't have a whole lot of time. Look!" Cain pointed over the pool of lava, where Camerupt was hooked up to a Pulse Machine.

"As soon as that machine builds up enough energy in Camerupt, the whole place is gonna blow!"

"And you are not permitted to interfere. Taka, deal with the girl."

"Yes, Father." He replied, stepping forward.

"Woah, you're that creep's son?!" Cain asked.

"Seems so."

"I'll deal with Vero. It won't take me more than a single pokemon to defeat him. In fact...send all of yours out at once. Let's make this interesting."

"You want that much of a handicap?"

"The handicap is my decision to use a single pokemon. Now stop talking and lose to me." He tossed out a pokeball, his Garchomp appearing from it.

"...Fine then. Charizard, Ampharos, Sandslash, Piloswine, Unfezant, Meowstic!" All six of Vero's pokemon were sent out at once, facing Solaris' Garchomp.

"Meowstic, Psychic! Sandslash, Dig! Piloswine, Icy Wind! Unfezant, Air Slash! Ampharos, Discharge! Charizard, Flame Burst!" The pokemon all used some of their strongest moves, but they all did little to affect Garchomp. It shook off every attack.

"Garchomp, Earthquake." It roared and struck the ground with its claw, making it shatter. Piloswine, Ampharos, Meowstic, and Sandslash were all defeated instantly.

"Damn it...return, all of you!" Vero brought them all back to their pokeballs.

"Finish it with Stone Edge." Pointed rocks flew up from the ground, quickly knocking both Charizard and Unfezant out.

"Return…" Vero sighed and looked at Solaris intently.

"Woah, Vero…"

"Huh? He beat Vero? No way…"

"Please stand aside." Vero turned around to find Kiki walking up behind him.

"Sensei! You should be resting at the Academy! You're too weak!"

"Stand back, Vero." She ordered, ignoring her student's plea. "I will take care of this. Medicham."

"No matter how many of you there are, you cannot stop it. The PULSE will reach its full capacity any second now."

"Therefore...Medicham, destroy that infernal machine!"

"Cal! Stop her!"

"Magmortar!"

"High Jump Kick!"

"Catch it!" Cal's Magmortar caught Medicham by the foot and held it in place.

"What are you doing?!" Victoria screamed.

"Just as I thought…" Vero said, catching the attention of everyone.

"You are a smart one...it seems I don't give you quite enough credit, Vero." Solaris smirked.

"Sorry, Victoria. I know this isn't what you thought of me. I guess I have a habit of not really being what people want me to be."

"Y-You're betraying us?"

"Dispose of it." Solaris ordered.

"But-"

"Do it. Now!" Cal watched him for a moment before nodding at his Magmortar, who threw Medicham into the Volcano, burning to nothing in the lava.

"Sorry, Sen-...Kiki." he muttered.

"All who oppose Team Meteor will be silenced. Execute!"

'Damn it….he's doing that again…!' Vero turned to Kiki, seeing Garchomp rush up and slash her across the front, making her fall over in a puddle of blood.

"No!"

"Kiki!" Victoria rushed over to her.

"Solaris! This was NOT part of the plan!"

"She would have died in the flames regardless. You have no reason to be upset. You knew this would happen."

"No, I didn't want this! Forget it, I'm done!"

"Hm. It seems you're as weak as your brother advised, after all."

"Don't you DARE-...Yes, I am. I am weak. I am pathetic. I always have been. Kiki helped me realize that. And she helped me accept it. Strength isn't what's important. Or maybe it is, and maybe weakness is standing by, not doing anything to stop the things you hate from happening around you. I'll stop that right now. Magmortar. Destroy the PULSE. Blast Burn attack!" Magmortar instantly complied, retracting its claws and charging up its cannons on both arms, releasing a wave of fire that destroyed the Pulse and Camerupt along with it.

"Blake was right. You are insufferably useless. And you've killed your own teacher. Taka, the operation has failed. Retreat."

"Yes, Father." Both of them slid down the mountain with aid from their pokemon. Cal returned his Magmortar back to its pokeball and walked up to Victoria, holding Kiki's body.

"Victoria, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen…"

"Then just what did you mean to happen, Cal? You meant to destroy all of Apophyll?"

"I wasn't-"

"Did you want me dead, too?"

"No!"

"What were you thinking?! Were you just lying to us the whole time? Did you even care at all?!"

"Victoria, I-"

"No! Don't talk to me! Go away!"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't even want to look at you right now."

"...That's fine." He walked away as well, scaling down the volcano with his Charizard.

"Are you okay?" Cain asked, walking over to the others.

"I'm fine. I'm just fine. But Kiki is-"

"Apophyll is safe thanks to her."

"That's right. She died protecting the place she loved. It was her home. Everyone there was her family. She built it from the ground up. She gave her life to it. And for it...Oh, Kiki...I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry…..Vero, could you help carry her body back down?"

"Of course." The three descended together.

X

All of the students attended her funeral, with Victoria, Vero, and Cain leading the procession. Despite not having a cemetery on the island, they found a peaceful spot behind the building aways where they buried her.

"We all remember Kiki's teachings. Everything that she taught us, she taught us not just as trainers, but as individuals as well. She wanted us to succeed at whatever path we chose. I have not met a wiser, more serene, or considerate person in my life. She was truly a model human being." Victoria finished up her sermon, stepping back to where the others were.

"Anything else you guys wanted to say?" She asked her two friends.

"No, you pretty much covered it." Cain replied.

"Vero?" she asked again, seeing him in deep thought.

"...Yes. Yes, there is." He stepped forward, addressing everyone. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"I'm not going to pretend that I knew Kiki half as well as the rest of you. After all, I only just arrived here today, and already I have to leave. But for the short time that I was here...I don't think that there's anyone else in this world that could have been her. I know I can't. The amount of patience she had was overwhelming. To have a terminal illness, and yet still continue on as if nothing was wrong for months...it's unthinkable. After I defeated her, and she collapsed, she was distraught because her perfect glass reputation had been destroyed, for everyone here to witness. And at first, I thought it was selfish, that keeping up appearances was more important to her than telling the truth to you, her treasured students. But then I used the one lesson that she taught me while I was here: To look at certain situations from a different perspective." All of their eyes widened, and Victoria covered her mouth, trying to fight back tears.

"She kept her illness under wraps not for herself, but for you. Because to her, you weren't just her students, you were her family. She must have thought of you as her children, and herself your mother. She wanted to appear as the perfect parent, someone who you could always believe had nothing wrong with her, and never would. Someone you could trust, someone you could love. I believe that once you saw what her body's real condition was, she was so afraid that you would no longer look up to her. But I also believe that despite Kiki leaving us, her passing will only help us grow closer together, and to grow stronger. And yes, your next sensei will not be the same as her, but as I explained, no one can be the same, and to each their own. Kiki's ideals will live on in all of us. Even someone like myself...she was that kind of person: the kind that despite only just meeting her, feels like you've known her for years. Thank you."

X

They sat in silence, in Kiki's old room.

"...That was amazing, Vero. Thank you." Victoria sobbed, sitting close to him. She stood up and sighed, opening one of the drawers from the desk, and pulling out a disc.

"As owed to you by my former master, I present you, Vero, with the Machine, Strength." She handed it to him.

"Thank you."

"And having witnessed your struggle from your first steps, I would like nothing more than to offer you the Fury Badge, which you earned against Kiki before. However, I cannot. Because Kiki is...no longer a leader, that badge has been invalidated. I'll take care to contact Ame and make sure that the reserve Fighting Leader is notified. I will also be remaining here at the Academy henceforth." Vero's face faltered, looking up at her questioningly.

"Apophyll Academy needs a leader. Kiki chose me. So, I'm sorry, Vero. It looks like we won't be able to travel together anymore. So...you two have to beat the Reborn League for me, alright?"

"Usually when I'm asked to beat something, it's a little more intimate, but, you got it~"

"Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not, I'm just tryin' to lighten the mood~ But there are a few things that come first, you know?"

"Yeah. You still have to save the kids."

"And that means Vero has to beat Aya, huh? Alright Vero, I'm gonna head down to the Byxbysion Gate to open it for you tomorrow morning. You remember where it is, right? In the south Obsidia Ward. I'll be waiting~" He walked out, leaving Vero and Victoria alone. They once again remained silent for a while, as she sat down on the hammock, looking around the room.

"It really is over for us, huh…" he sighed.

"Stop...don't say anything...you're gonna make me cry…" she sobbed, rubbing her eyes.

"Victoria…" She jumped onto him, hugging him tightly.

"I don't want to stop travelling, Vero...I want to stay with you!" she cried into his shoulder.

"I know…" She sat on his lap, getting all of her tears out for the next 10 minutes, as Vero simply comforted her.

"It's dark out. I should head back now."

"Wait...take me with you."

"You don't want to be alone, do you?"

"No…"

"...Alright. Julia's escorting Amaria back home anyway, so I know she's staying up in Aventurine for a few nights."

"Thank you…"

X

As soon as they walked in, Victoria started taking off her clothes.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I just felt...suffocated wearing these. I need a shower. Come join me."

"Yeah, be there in a minute." He heard her go into the bathroom and turn the water on, as he walked over to his nightstand to put his bag down. He took out his Pokegear and texted Julia, Amaria, and Ame, telling them what happened, then taking off his clothes and going into the bathroom. She was already inside, sitting underneath the shower head, looking up at the ceiling, deep in thought. Vero did take notice of her body, and while he did still prefer Amaria in terms of sheer assets, Victoria was a rather valuable prize herself, with her large ass, buxom breasts, and ample nether region. But he wasn't as into it as he usually was. Not after today's events. He sighed, sitting across from her as she placed her feet on top of his.

"Tell me...how did all of this affect you? I think it's pretty clear how I reacted to everything, but...you've been rather calm and quiet throughout most of these events...what happened?"

He smiled at her, the most sincere smile he's ever given anyone since arriving in the region.

"Kiki's what happened. She made me think about things in a different way."

"...Looking at things in a different perspective, huh…?" she asked, looking down with a small smirk at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah...I'm eager to save the kids and stop Team Meteor, but Kiki's very being was the opposite to what I was before. I was rash and impulsive. I wanted nothing more than to crush them every chance I got, because they reminded me so much of my past, and I didn't want a repeat of last time. I was nothing more than a kid with a traumatic event in my past, out for revenge. But Kiki...she was in pain. A kind of pain that I never experienced. The pain of not just feeling like you're going to die, but knowing that you're going to die. And yet, she was such a peaceful person. Almost as if she didn't mind it. Of course, she did on the inside. She loathed the thought, but I feel like she came to terms with it rather quickly."

"Yeah...after she learned of Team Meteor's motives, she went up the mountain without any concern for her own safety."

"Right. I wondered how she did it. To meet people with such heinous intentions and methods, and yet remain calm and not seethe with hatred and disdain. But it was then that I realized it wasn't her, it was me."

"What do you mean? You're not wrong to be angry with them, Vero. Everything they've done so far, they say is to restore Reborn into a better place, but is really just hurting it even more, to unimaginable lengths."

"Yes, and don't get me wrong. I'm still angry with them, and I'm still going to stop them. But...the way I was looking at it before, I treated them as if they were Team Magma and Team Aqua...And as long as I do that, I'll never be satisfied. I can never truly get revenge for my parents' deaths, because shortly after they happened, both teams were defeated by Hoenn's current and former champions. And for those that survived the disaster, most renounced their teams and were given a pardon for their actions, even the leaders. If I had decided to attack them, I would be considered a criminal, even though I would personally consider it justified. I also would have lost back then, considering that they were very strong trainers in their own right, and both could use Mega Evolution."

"Mega Evolution…? That's a term I haven't heard for a long time."

"You've heard of it?" he asked, somewhat surprised and impressed.

"Yes...when I first started studying at Apophyll, I became interested in the subject, so Kiki taught me a few things about it, but just the basics…"

"I see...Mega Evolution is a special type of evolution that some pokemon can undergo. If the pokemon possesses a mega stone specific to itself, and the trainer holds a keystone that can call upon that power, then they can channel the energy between the stones to allow the pokemon to evolve further, and gain a new form. The form greatly increases their abilities, and in some cases even changes their typing. But there are certain limits to it. First, not every pokemon can do it. A lot is still unknown about it, and only 4 dozen mega stones exist as of now. Also, supposedly a pokemon can only perform the feat if it has a strong bond with its trainer. If they don't get along, the power doesn't really work. And third and most importantly, it acts more like a transformation than another evolution. While the new forms are their full power, they can only remain in that state for one battle at a time before reverting. So it's temporary."

"How peculiar…"

"Victoria...there's something I wanted to say that I haven't told anyone yet, nor do I intend to until I get solid proof." His expression darkened.

"And that is…?" she asked, concerned.

"My sister was a scientist and researcher, and was exploring Mega Evolution and Primal Reversion, another type of transformation for the legendary pokemon. The night that we were attacked, the assailant was not just a common burglar. He made her tell him where her notes were, and stole them. It's just a theory, but...what if that guy worked with Team Meteor, and they're using her research to create the PULSE?"

"...What if it's true?"

"Then that would mean that all of this...is connected to my family. Reborn is in trouble because of us…"

"...Vero, it doesn't matter if your sister's the one who started it. She didn't want to use it for these purposes, and you're trying to stop them. Besides, you said that you weren't sure about it anyway. So don't think about it too much, okay?"

"...Yeah…..Yeah, okay."

"Vero...what are the kids like?"

"Huh? Why do you want to know?"

"I….thought that Cal would be the one for me….I guess I was just a schoolgirl in love….but after what happened, there's just no way that I can forgive him. I love you, because I know that you won't do anything stupid like that. I've...thought about having kids before. What it would be like to have a family...so what are they like?" She asked. The pained expression on her face was replaced by one of genuine curiosity.

"Well...there's four of them. Charlotte, the oldest one, is 16. She's a bit of a hothead, but I suppose that's not surprising, considering that she's the Fire Type Gym Leader. She's not a touchy feely kind of girl, but she cares about her friends greatly, for sure. Then there's Heather, who's also got a temper and often wants to be left alone, due to being raised restrictively. But right now she's a bit calmer due to what happened the other day."

"What happened?"

"You don't want to know. The third one is Noel, a young boy of about 13. He's a bit more quiet and thoughtful than the others, and worries about the consequences of our actions. But he's also Reborn's Normal Type Gym Leader, so he's strong. The last one is Anna, his twin sister. She's the cheery one, always excitable, and not really concerned about what happens to people we fight. Cute girl, really."

"They sound wonderful."

"Yes, they are. I have to help them."

"Yes…You said there were a few things you had to tell me...what else did you have in mind?"

"I...was going to tell you what really happened when I went to the orphanage in Lapis. Dr. Connel had been forcefully taking in orphans in order to perform shock therapy on them and mold them into mindless, obedient children."

"How horrible! No wonder why you didn't want to bring Shelly there! But Vero, why didn't you tell me before? Why did you lie about it?"

"Because you would have tried to call the police or something, or broke in with us. I don't want you doing shit like that, Victoria."

"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"

"Your boyfriend, someone who's looking out for you. You need to be the leader of the Apophyll Academy, and stay on the right path. You let me worry about the dangerous stuff."

"...Okay…..I trust you…." She sighed, the two turning quiet again.

"Listen, Vero...about sex...I'm still not ready. Especially not after what happened today. Being there for me is all I need."

"I get it. Sure." They washed themselves and got out, drying off. Vero went and lied down on the bed, Victoria snuggling into him.

"How lucky I am to have you in my life." Victoria smiled. "For you to be there as soon as I lost my love for another man...thank you, Vero. For everything."

"It's what I do."

"I love you." She sighed, pushing closer into him.

"I love you too."

End.