Well, hello there! Hello, for the last time, it would seem. That's right, you've come to the final Ancienverse story I will ever write. Now, don't be sad; I think this may be some of the most intense stuff I'll write for the series, and there's plenty of it. But it's time it comes to an end for me as a fanfiction writer. Hopefully, however we can make this some of the best stuff you've read.

Naturally, you need to have read everything that built up to this moment from Love in the Time of Teamwork, all the way to now, long after the Epilogue of the Kalos Trilogy. This will certainly be the darkest installment I've done, but I can think of no more fitting ending. Anyway, I won't waste your time when it's time to read!

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T for violence and innuendo

Pairings: Amourshipping, Laserblade, Snowlily, Marisson, etc.

Cover done by Captain Luky Greace. As always, many thanks for the amazing work!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon and likely never will.

Love in the Time of Tomorrow

An Amourshipping and Ancienverse Finale

Chapter 1

A Herald

"Finish setting them up over here!"

"I'm on it, mayor!" yelled the voice of a strapping young man. The older man, sitting at the edge of the river, dipped his fishing rod into its cool and clear surface upon hearing that. He looked up, watching the newest generation of workers walking back and forth with packs of balloons and streamers. Others were carrying stacks of wood to set up even more stands. It was like a party, by all rights, but not for anything he would have expected. It wasn't quite that time yet again.

But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to behold. Aston was just glad that he was alive to actually see it happen.

"Former mayor, are you just going to sit there all day?" At the voice of the current mayor of Ancien City, Aston sat up straighter, raising his fishing pole from the water. Nothing seemed to be biting today; not in the slightest. With a sigh, he realized it was from all the hubbub that surrounded him and the entire city. Knowing that, he gave a toothy grin and looked up at the mayor, her hair pinned back and her lips pursed.

"Oh, come now, Chrissy, I'm an old man," Aston chuckled out, groaning as his knee made a slight popping noise from movement alone. Old age had certainly taken him on a journey in so long a time. Looking away from Chrissy a moment, Aston looked to the beautiful blue sky, watching the Pidgey and Fletchling fly by peacefully. Peaceful, indeed. "Can't you cut me some slack. My body doesn't move the same as it did nine years ago, you know?"

"Doesn't stop you from coming out here to fish every day," Chrissy said with a sigh. She reached a hand up, tucking her hair behind her ear as she stared out over the activity of the city. For once, Aston decided to follow her ever hectic gaze. It was a wonderful thing to see the city truly working as one force; he'd seen it many times, but it still warmed his heart to see it again. Aston closed his eyes and felt the breeze a moment. Maybe he'd take a stroll that day, before everything was going to begin in the stadium. Goodness knew he hadn't been to the mural in quite some time.

"Chrissy, learn to take things at a slower pace in life. Time doesn't wait around forever."

"Exactly, and there's much to do," Chrissy remarked with her usual snappy tone. "We still have to finish setting up the stands and making sure concessions in the stadium are good. I know we don't need to use all of the underground functions or anything like that, but-"

"Chrissy!" Aston was coming to stand now, his fishing rod dropped to the side as he used what strength he had to place his hands on the young woman's shoulders, almost as a support. She had always been headstrong and organized, even when he was a younger man (if one could define the seventies as younger), but her years working in her capacity as mayor had sharpened her into a model of efficiency. It also meant… "Take time to just relax. This isn't the Kalos Team Tournament!"

"Mayor Ast-"

"Ah, ah!" Aston cut her off, placing a finger to her lips to silence her. The woman glared at him from behind her glasses, but he just smiled back. Youth was so impressionable these days. "I know this is a big event for the city, especially those youth that saw that titanic battle nine years ago. To see the heroes they knew, themselves, on television, battling it out with the best of the best of that generation…It's a wonderful moment.

"But in no way, does it mean you need to run yourself ragged!"

"Mayor…" Chrissy's lips pursed even tighter, forming themselves into a thin line. Aston watched her insistently, eyes sharpening with their old flames. The sight of that seemed to relax the current mayor, for her lips finally came out of their line and she chuckled. Her hand reached up and adjusted her glasses. "Very well. I suppose I can take an hour or two and trust everyone to do what they need to."

"Yes, it's all in good hands," Aston insisted, patting her on the shoulders once more. A loud, yet somewhat dulled, roar emanated from the stadium in the distance. Things were really starting to get exciting, it seemed. Thankfully, Chrissy didn't seem to find more urgency from that sound. She just took a deep breath, fiddled with her hair, patted the older man on the back and walked off. Aston watched her go before reaching to his belt and sending his dormant pokeball cascading out.

"Ran?" the sand-colored Pokémon asked, looking around, as though surprised he had been called out. Aston didn't blame his steadfast partner. It had been a while since either of them were so active; not since that day when the sky glowed green. It truly made him think of the reason the whole city was gathering in excitement.

"Well, partner, my old bones don't work like they used to," he chuckled out, picking up his fishing rod with a few groans and tapping Tyranitar with it. "Mind helping an old fella out by aiding these youngsters?"

"Tartar!" Tyranitar grumbled out, and while some would have taken it as disgruntlement, Aston knew how overjoyed his partner was. With a shuddering footstep in the direction of the young working men, Tyranitar stomped off to help. Aston shook his head with a laugh as the young men gratefully handed their things over to him. With sparkling eyes, Aston watched them a time. Those working were probably the same ones as the teens that had attended that fateful Kalos Team Tournament. The same ones that had been given a future by those warriors.

"Ah, I'm very much looking forward to seeing them battle again!" Aston commented with a shout to the sky that went largely ignored. He spun his handy fishing pole around, snapping it into the new configuration of a walking stick. Tapping it on the ground twice, Aston started off through the beautifully rustic streets of Ancien City. Most civilians or guests were heading for the stadium, especially the teenaged crowd that looked beyond excited. It was rare to see so many trainer-age kids here for a time that wasn't the Kalos Team Tournament.

"I wonder if they'll be selling figurines, mommy!" a young child shouted out as Aston neared the city hall. The elderly man looked over to the boy, already wearing a hat on his head that looked ever so familiar. A Pichu slept lazily on his head, as well, scratching its stomach.

"We'll just have to look, won't we?"

"I want one of Ash!" the little boy said excitedly. That came as no surprise to Aston, given the boy's attire. Even for a boy who wasn't yet born at the time of the debacle those many years ago, Ash Ketchum was still a powerful influence. Aston gave a small cough from dry throat as he finally reached the doors to the relatively empty city hall, but a few stragglers remaining behind. Those kinds of thoughts always seemed to lead him there, to that mural, reminding him of that day. Perhaps his memory had slipped away for a few things, but that was one that never had.

The day of the Ancien Debacle, the day that had arguably changed the future more than any other, was seared into the memories of all those that had experienced it, for good or ill.

"Hey, Mr. Aston, you headin' to the stadium soon?" called a young man, on his way out of city hall. Aston didn't feel like summoning the requisite energy to respond verbally, so instead he raised his hand and smiled at the young man. Said young man seemed to accept that answer, throwing his arms around his friends as he smiled at some tittering girls waiting for them near the entrance.

Aston sighed out and neared the mural that was his destination, wanting to look over it and its rich history once more. However, he came to a stop before he even reached it.

Mostly because he wasn't alone.

There was a woman there, a rather strikingly beautiful one.

As Aston approached, he took in her features in the bright light of the hall, her hand reaching out to touch, as if a feather, upon the mural with interest. Aston had never seen her around before, with her prominent cheekbones and auburn hair, small star-shaped earrings hanging from her ears. She was dressed rather simply, a small traveling cloak around her lithe frame as she pulled back. Aston couldn't see much else beneath it, but finished approaching. The woman said nothing; she just continued to stare at the mural. The former mayor joined her.

It hadn't changed all that much in the years, other than the addition to the very end of it. It was still beautifully haunting, telling a history of the space that Ancien City was once built upon. Traveling his eyes along, he saw the edge of the mural, the one with the painting of the bright green meteorite and the shadows of those who had fought in that major battle. While he did so, the former mayor's eyes locked gazes with the woman's and she giggled lightly.

"There's no need to mind me. I just wanted to pay a visit," the woman insisted. Aston blinked, a little surprised that she was speaking to him. She didn't hold a hand out, but turned to him, as if introducing herself. "Deirdre."

"Ah, Aston. Pleasure," Aston said with his usual toothy grin. She smiled back at him, but it caused Aston to only blink further. Her eyes weren't quite smiling, he felt. "So, what brings you here to Ancien City? I don't think I've seen you before."

"Oh, this and that. The tournament, I guess," Deirdre said, reaching behind herself and dragging her hair up, tying it into a prim and proper bun that changed almost the entire structure of her face. "And the past."

"Yes, that's not uncommon." Aston nodded his head, taking his walking stick and tapping it against the mural, to the point that was the farthest in history. "Ancien is rich with history, you know. Many come…well, most come to see the site of the Ancien Debacle. No doubt you've heard of it, despite nearly being a decade ago by now…"

"Who hasn't?" the woman commented, very little mirth present in her voice as she continued to stare at the mural. "I wanted to see it for myself, I suppose. To understand." Aston gave no response to that, unable to truly formulate anything reasonably intelligent that he could say to the woman.

He did, however, take the moment to study her a little more carefully now that she had engaged him in conversation. Up close, she seemed older, with some wrinkles around her eyes and forehead. On top of it, she held herself both with the grace of a woman long used to waiting for extended periods of time. As he thought this, Deirdre turned, her shadow traveling with her and her feet clopping upon the surface of city hall while she began to walk away from the mural. Aston spared another glance to the artwork, noting that she seemed to have been looking most closely at the depiction of the Ancien Debacle.

"Is the site of the meteorite still here?" called Deirdre's voice. Aston shook his head away from it and turned in the woman's direction. She had stopped, looking back at him with a rather coy and unyielding smile. He smiled back, clapping his walking stick to the ground as he moved in her direction.

"What's left of it," the former mayor chuckled, drawing to her side. She continued smiling as the two exited city hall, leaving the mural behind. The streets were quieter now, the stadium having grown louder in the meantime. Deirdre looked in its direction as the two walked along, Aston angling the both of them towards the square. "Can I ask your interest? Most like seeing the site, but I don't think many ask about the meteorite in particular?"

"I'm a fan of history," Deirdre laughed out, swatting at his arm almost affectionately. She didn't dare to actually make contact, though, for which Aston was most grateful (at his advanced age, he was afraid that would make him fall over). "The past is such a fascinating thing. How one can begin a journey, what it means for the future. How it can turn good men into monsters…"

"Like the Draconids?" Aston asked, his feet crunching upon the stones. Deirdre didn't answer at first, not until they had arrived at the square. He once more took the opportunity to look at her. She looked…sad, almost. Or perhaps it was a resigned look. She sighed.

"Something like that," she finally responded. That left a silence between the two of them, staring out over the empty, but beautiful, square. At one point, Aston could remember it as a smoldering crater, yet now it was as lively as ever. Well, not quite right now, as a cry erupted from the stadium. Aston had to take a moment to muse to himself if the opening ceremonies for the tournament had begun to be televised. "I almost have to wonder…what was it like, standing there?"

"Frightening, I have to admit," Aston chuckled out, reliving the memory. He stared out over the entire square, reminiscing. "But, as frightening as it was, we gained a future through those actions. While we may have lost the meteorites, such a defining piece of the town, we gained something more valuable…and you know, I always get the feeling that the meteorites are still here, sometimes, as if parts could never truly vanish. They did make this city for many years, after all."

"Hm, perhaps you're right," Deirdre noted with a smile in his direction. It looked truly genuine, with her eyes crinkling up at the action. Aston shared the smile, looking at the square alongside her. Maybe he was right about that sentimental feeling of his, though it mattered little. He just knew how sometimes the ground would glow green, though it wasn't all that often. Deirdre was soon speaking again. "We use the past to shape the future. Maybe, in some way, the Draconids and the meteorites will always be a part of this town, helping to shape its future.

"And that is a rather comforting thought, to me, at least."

"Yes, yes, I suppose, though it's not like I'll be alive for much longer to see it! Not at my advanced age!" Aston chortled out. He was soon joined by a rather crystalline laugh from Deirdre, as well, and they shared it rather heartily. She seemed to find it so humorous, that she was waving her hand at the air, as if to move the joke and stop herself from laughing. That didn't last long, as another cry from the stadium interrupted them, louder than before. "Well, it would seem the tournament has begun."

"So it has," Deirdre said, ending her laughter. The two turned away from Meteorite Square, looking set to move towards the stadium. The woman took one last look back at the square and smiled before glancing to Aston. "Would you like some help towards the stadium? I'm not here to watch the tournament for long, but…"

"Oh, no, dear, go on ahead. My legs don't work quite the way they used to. I'd only hold you up," Aston insisted, tapping his legs with his walking stick. Deirdre frowned, a melancholy smile passing over her lips as she watched him. He didn't care for any pity, so he just smiled back, and she seemed to accept that.

"Very well. Take care of yourself, Mayor Aston," Deirdre finally concluded with a wave. He nodded and watched her begin walking off towards the stadium. A few stragglers looked to be heading there with her, one or two of them pushing a cart that likely held concessions, hoping to make the tournament showing before it was too late (not that he could tell from his aging eyesight). Aston, however, just watched her go before deciding to take the slower road to the stadium.

"What an interesting woman," he muttered under his breath. "So graceful and upright in her steps, too. Ah, or maybe it's just been so long since I was…The advantage of youth…" Aston continued to chuckle, walking along slowly as Diedre and the others vanished in the distance. When they had, he cast another glance back and thought he could once more catch a glimpse of that green glow present in the ground. Shrugging it off with a smile, he walked on.

That was all in the past. Now was a time to celebrate the present.

"Thea, you little ball of energy, calm down!" Christopher turned his head at the sound of his wife's voice yelling for their little girl, clearly making a very poor attempt at bolting for the door. He chuckled under his breath and moved just a few inches to the side as his little girl came barreling down the front hall of their home.

"I've got her." That was all that needed to be said, something that Bethany clearly understood in that moment. She skidded into the frame of the hallway, a flushed face as her turquoise hair draped in front of her face. Christopher reached down, grabbing hold of the girl who took far too much after her mother.

"Daddy, put down!" Thea cried, though there was a rather obscene amount of giggling behind it. Christopher shifted his daughter in his hold, making sure to grab her with both hands and hold her up high. Then he smiled at the little ball of energy squirming in his hold. She seemed to stop after a moment of his rather stoic staring, giggling a little more.

"She takes after me, but shuts up around you," Bethany finally sighed out, finishing her stride down the hall. Thea finally stopped trying to get out of her father's hold and was lowered into Bethany's arms. The toddler turned to face her mother, reaching up for her face, something the woman smiled about. "Don't know how I'll handle it with all the excitement in town, Substitute Principal."

"Very funny," Christopher said, folding his arms as he looked over to his wife. She winked to him, taking her hand (as much as she could, given her hold on Thea) and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Her wedding ring glinted sharply in the light, something that caught Thea's immediate attention. The young man leaned in towards his overly energetic daughter. "You behave yourself, Thea. Don't give your mother trouble."

"You stay out of trouble," Bethany demanded of him. He drew back up, sharing a silent, yet insistent, look with her. She chuckled a bit, and leaned forward to peck him on the lips before pulling back. "I don't want to hear that Nova Town turned into a riot when Seamus loses to Ash…again."

"Pretty sure that's expected," Christopher stated, turning around on his feet and aiming right for the door from their home. Bethany offered a slight huff, but further ignored him as he opened the door. "The class will be rooting for both either way! Take care."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, Thea, let's go play with Vanilluxe while daddy goes to teach his big battle class," Bethany said cheerily to their daughter, heading further back into the house while Christopher stepped outside.

"Vanilla! Vanilla!" Christopher almost snorted at that, and then the door was closed, cutting off all sound from the actual house. The wind whispered through the small and peaceful town once he had. The sounds of ambient bustling from Nova Town's square reached Christopher's ears as he strode towards it. Like so many other towns across the region, no, the entire world, they were preparing for a whole town viewing of the upcoming Champion Tournament, set to begin that very day.

It had been one excitement after the other, and something that had been building with anticipation over the course of that entire week. Seamus, at first, had been the most excited. As Christopher had known for all too many years, any chance to use one of Ash's battles as a lesson usually made the head of their school giddy. Never had he expected to have actually been invited to take part, though. Rocky, who had taken a break from his time with Elaine's excavation studies to stay in the school, told him to go, especially since he missed the last time such a big tournament exhibition had been happening.

"Yeah, but we all know what happened then, huh?" Seamus had joked before departing just a few days prior. Regardless of that, the blond had had the most infectious grin as he left the town, promising to be back shortly after the tournament's end…leaving Christopher in charge.

What was he thinking? was the only thought running through Christopher's head at that one. Placing his hands in his pockets, the young father strode down the cobblestone streets for the square, each sound becoming louder as he did so. His thoughts were constantly drifting in and out, towards the battle class he would be teaching, as well as back towards his wife. In just the nine years since Team Brutal had become Team Nova, he was surprised by how much had changed. Maybe that was the reason Seamus had entrusted him with his class.

They sure were lively ones at that. Not to mention Rocky was useless in calming them down.

"So, this trainer with the Absol, Mr. Rocky, we've heard rumors…" said one of the girls that were surrounding his friend. Rocky looked stoic in the moment, but even from the distance that Christopher was now closing, he could easily see how uncomfortable the man looked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, give us the details!"

"You know we like a good story!"

"It's nothing like that," Rocky insisted, nodding his head as though it were obvious. Christopher could now see him quite clearly, along with the rest of the square. Instead of the desks typically used inside their school, various tables were set up in the area, avoiding the fountain, but set in an orderly fashion. Some boys and their Pokémon were arm wrestling on top of one while other girls were either eyeing them or talking to each other, waiting for the "class" to begin. Other townspeople were there, too, sharing in the rather festive feeling. Near to the center, surrounding the fountain, were large television screens, displaying an all too familiar logo: that of the Pokémon League. Finally, Christopher reached the square and neared to his friend.

"No gossiping, girls," he said sternly. The three turned around, looking sheepish and ashamed. "You're here for a battle class. No dulling the minds."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Christopher!" the head girl said, saluting and hooking her two friends by the arms. They stuck their tongues out in a teasing manner while their leader looked insistently at Rocky, as though asserting that they weren't done yet. Then they were gone, and Rocky sighed.

"If I wanted to be treated to teenage gossip, I would have gone somewhere else…" he snapped, still sounding thoroughly annoyed. Christopher refused to address his friend a moment. He just looked around, all of the students getting themselves assembled into their seats. Other adults around the square seemed to be scrambling off elsewhere, as though indicating this was the school's show. From the windows of houses that ringed the square, younger kids were poking their heads out to watch, as if excited that one day, perhaps, they could be joining the school, too.

"Just tell her," Christopher finally commented. Rocky snapped a glare of incredulity to him, but the reticent young man continued to ignore him beyond his initial statement. Instead, he clapped his hands together, while from the corner of his eye, he saw Allison, Seamus' assistant, running up to him with a sheet of paper that seemed to hold the pointers. The students all settled down, staring raptly at either him or the screens set up in the area (a technological marvel that was said to be the brainchild of Clemont and Molayne, not that he was surprised).

"The tournament's opening ceremonies are set to start in…" Allison's voice fell off in Christopher's head and he stepped forward, putting all attention on him. The image on the screens changed to that of a large and excited stadium that was positively pulsing with people.

"Class, you know what we're here for: to watch and examine the battles between all the top tier trainers in the world," Christopher spoke. Some students blinked, while others looked to be way too giddy to contain that sort of excitement. Instead of letting his own voice continue with the talking, he instead left it to the predictable man on the screen to do it.

"Hey hey hey! Welcome one and welcome all!" boomed the voice from the screen, switching over to the very familiar sight of Harrison Kalas, winking to the crowd with excitement. "Here we stand! After months of planning by the League for a tournament celebrating all the immensely strong trainers the world over in an era of unprecedented peace: it's the Champion Tournament!"

"Aw yeah!" one of the boys in class cheered, alongside the girl next to him. Their enthusiasm was mirrored by the crowd in the stadium, and even the competitors that they seemed to be panning over in the crowd. Rocky deliberately looked away, while Allison, still close to him, seemed to slacken a little. If it was like him, Christopher would have rolled his eyes. He didn't, however.

"Here to share a few words with us is Champion Cynthia, who has been at the top of the Sinnoh League for nearly twenty years!" Kalas proclaimed. The pictures on the screen changed to show the rather fetching blonde striding onto a basic battlefield. In her hands was a microphone and she began to speak into it.

"Fellow competitors, and audience members here and across the world," Cynthia began to speak plainly and calmly. It didn't calm the crowd down, though, all of them getting more and more excited with every word being spoken. "As all are aware, this is a tournament pitting those such as ourselves, the Champions, against trainers of equal measure, as well as those strong enough to battle in such an esteemed tournament.

"We live in an age of peace, one we have diligently worked for after all these years. In order to step into that bold new future together, however, we feel it is necessary to celebrate all of those who brought us here to this point as much as possible. To this point, we now declare the first annual Champion Tournament open!"

"YEAH!" the crowd's cry went up, causing the students' to spike right with them. Fireworks seemed to whiz and pop on the screen, and while Diantha seemed to have now joined Cynthia, beginning to explain the rules of the tournament (a simple one-on-one match, it appeared), most of it was drowned out by the following enthusiasm. Faces of ace trainers appeared on the screen, connecting each other with small blue lines, the most obvious faces easily picked out, including one that matched Seamus up with the one they knew as Paul. He was in for a rough battle from the start, it seemed.

"Huh, looks like Ash is battling that guy who beat him in the League all those years ago," Rocky commented. Christopher nodded, unable to really find much more else to comment on. At the very least it would be a good and instructive fight to watch for sure. The class all moved closer, notebooks out, as the field in the stadium changed to one of grass and the first competitors stepped on to the field (it looked like the Elite Four of Kalos, Siebold, against the Champion from Kanto, Lance). "Oh, guess Astrid is battling that Sawyer guy."

"Don't mention it to the girls." Rocky snorted in his direction. As the competitors continued to take the field, all the festiveness practically exploding from the screen, Christopher continued to watch. Some older adults were at the edge of the square, watching now, which was no surprise, but Christopher made sure to keep one eye on his students.

Siebold and Lance stepped forward on the screen, sending their pokeballs out and a static flash glitched across the screen. As a Dragonite and a Blastoise emerged, the two Pokémon ran at each other. The students were already engrossed in the battle when the screen burst with static again. Christopher frowned; he had thought everything worked properly and would ensure no interruptions. Yet as Siebold held out his keystone, Mega Evolving his Blastoise, there was another burst of static.

"Watch the students," Christopher mumbled out to Rocky and he skirted around the edge of the square. No one was paying much attention to him, but his worry for the connection to the tournament was outweighing any discipline. He was halfway around the square, looking over to the cords and generator, when he stopped, feeling he caught sight of…someone. "Can I help you?"

"Help us?" asked a decidedly feminine voice. It was hard to tell in the darkness of the forest beyond Nova Town, but in the light of the sun, he could see two figures standing there, cloaked and watching the tournament on the screen. He didn't know how he couldn't see them before, but it was a sight that sent the hair on his arms tingling. "Hm…yes, maybe you can."

"Steady," said her companion, a gruffer voice on his lips as his fingers played with a pokeball. Christopher's own hand slowly lowered itself to take hold of his own pokeball. In the background, he could even see and feel Rocky moving slowly and stealthily. "That's the famous Nova Fountain, correct?"

"Wouldn't call it famous, but it's caused its share of trouble," Christopher stated plainly. A small outcry from within the crowd of students indicated an unfavorable match…or perhaps there was yet more static. He swallowed. "You here to watch the tournament?"

"No," came the easy response. The first one, the woman, turned with a small controller in her hands. "We came for the town."

"Tyran-"

"Slaaaash!" One moment, Christopher was pulling his pokeball out, the next, he was suddenly slashed against his midsection, falling back as though the attack, itself, had been imperceptible. Thankfully, the blow appeared to have not cut quite as deep as feared, allowing him to jump back and finish tossing his pokeball. Tyrantrum emerged, slamming onto the ground with a growl.

"Rhyperior, let's wreck!" Rocky's booming voice was heard next to Christopher as he clutched at his slightly bleeding chest. Looking up, an Aegislash was floating there, unsheathed and glowering menacingly with its singular eye. Christopher whipped his free hand out to hold Rocky back as the sound of loud footsteps indicated the one thing he feared: the students were well aware of whatever was going on in the square.

"Fighting's not the priority," he said to his friend. "The students."

"We can fight, Mr. Christopher," said the boy that had first cheered as the tournament began. Neither of the strangers at the edge of town seemed to care much for them, though. On the screens, there was nothing but static. Christopher stepped forward, even with the warning laced through Rocky's eyes.

"No. Get to the Pokémon Center," was Christopher's response. He removed his hand, wincing at the smarting pain now on his chest. "Allison, go." There was no immediate response, but what seemed to be stunned silence, in return.

"NOW!"

"Sacred Sword," came a cool command. Christopher stepped forward, his foot slamming powerfully down on the cobblestones. Aegislash whipped around in midair, its blade glowing a bright blue as it elongated and shot straight for him.

"Dragon Tail!" the young man shouted sharply. Tyrantrum spun, his large tail glowing green. It slammed right into Aegislash, sending it veering off course and colliding with the fountain. The screens near it broke apart, tumbling across the square. Thankfully, the students had already gotten out of harm's way, with Allison ushering them out.

"Rock Wrecker!" Rocky roared alongside him, a snarl on his lips at the challenge presented. Neither of the hooded figures made another move, unless one counted the woman, who held her device up and clicked on it. A light buzzing filled the air, and Christopher found himself scanning the area, all while keeping another eye trained on his surroundings. Asking why these people were here seemed like such a redundant and pointless thing to do.

"Perior!" Rhyperior finished lobbing the large chunk of pulsing-red stone towards Aegislash's prone figure. The humming increased, and Christopher looked up, seeing little black machines floating upwards, filled with a frightening intensity and surrounding the form of the largest Beedrill that he'd ever seen.

"Rocky, pull back!" Christopher demanded, grabbing ahold of his friend and pulling him away from the center of the square. Tyrantrum did the same, nudging Rhyperior and pushing him along. Just as they both pulled back, Aegislash flipped around, securing itself inside its shield. The stone slammed into it and rebounded, crashing through all of the tables and desks in the area. Naturally, the fountain remained unharmed.

The force of the collision was enough that Christopher and Rocky were pushed back, near to one of the Gates closest to the school. The students seemed to have fully exited the square, and more trainers within the town had arrived. Christopher spat on the ground; where was Seamus when one truly needed him?

"Pin Missile Explosion," called the woman, now affixing her remote control to her wrist and pressing a button. The drones rose up into the air, swirling around the Beedrill's figure. Said Beedrill raised its stingers, pulsing with a powerful yellow glow, and then it fired them upwards. The streaks of Pin Missile were yellow in color, and it wasn't the only thing attacking. So, too, were the drones, firing their own yellow projectiles into the air, as if mimicking Beedrill.

"Rock Slide!" Christopher ordered, clenching a fist. Tyrantrum roared loudly, his jaw opening wide. Above the drones emerged large, gleaming stones that were set to rain down upon the enemy. He wasn't the only one attacking; while Rocky seemed to be standing back, other trainers were ordering projectile attacks upon them.

"Hypnosis." Christopher's brow furrowed. That wasn't a move of Aegislash's, though the blade moved so fast it was hard to tell. There was no time for thinking on it, as the blade was on the move, unsheathing and slashing across the air with extreme accuracy. The stones were flung away, slamming into some of the Pokémon that were attacking back. Others nailed their trainers. Those not hit by the attack suddenly froze in place or dropped to the ground. Tyrantrum looked to struggle.

"Hammer Arm on those guys!" Rocky demanded. Christopher's eyes went wide, watching the situation closely. Only those closest to the opponents were well and truly frozen, and Rhyperior…

The Pin Missile collided, raining upon the square. Combined with the attack of the drones, Christopher couldn't even open his mouth to order an attack. The projectiles slammed into the cobblestone, ripping it apart, blasting the tables into splinters. It was just like before. Just like…The explosion lifted Christopher off his feet at the thought, grabbing hold of Rocky as they were blown on to the street.

Their bodies hit it with a gasp, rolling off to the side involuntarily until they slammed against the iron gate that led to the school. Christopher scrambled to his feet, hacking a bit from the dust particles in the air. He looked towards the square, noticing that it was all but demolished, save for the gates and the fountain. Numerous Pokémon were down for the count, their trainers right alongside them. Even Rhyperior was heaving, exhausted from having taken a huge brunt of the hit. Tyrantrum seemed all right, but more concerning was the continual humming noise.

"I'll leave you to handle the square," the woman said and Christopher could see her emerging through the smoke. He finished standing, trying to pull Rocky up. Ever closer, the woman stalked, her Beedrill and her drones moving forward. There was a loud ripping sound in the background, as if Aegislash was flitting back and forth, cutting down all opponents.

"Don't be too long…you know our purpose. The blood of innocents isn't quite the objective," called her companion. Christopher's body began to shake.

"Well aware. We just need to set the bait for it all," the woman said. Her face was still concealed, but as she came closer, Christopher could see the smirk on her lips. His breath grew shallow, fear setting in. He squeezed his eyes, not believing he was truly feeling this way. Battle after battle he had been through…why was this woman making him shiver? Was it because of Beth and Thea, hopefully somewhere safe in town…?

"Rocky, get up!" he said, his voice warbling just a bit. The woman was bouncing with every step, drawing closer. "Come on!"

"Ergh…" Rocky was groaning, trying to get up, as well, but Christopher could see the wound on his side, one of the planks of wood impaling him.

"Tyrantrum, Head Smash!"

"Hyper Beam," the woman's coy smirk called out. Tyrantrum, having recovered from the blast of Pin Missiles earlier, charged through, blazing with a bright yellow light and aiming for the woman with her little army of drones. The drones broke formation and Beedrill pulled back, stingers glowing with a dark fury. Meanwhile, the woman raised her arm, something glittering on the control panel there. She touched her fingers to it and Beedrill began to change, glowing with light. Tyrantrum blasted down the street, ripping up more of it as it slammed into a set of drones. The light around him began to sputter.

"Drrrrrrrillllll!" The buzzing Beedrill finished transforming, finished Mega Evolving, and then it fired the dark beam. Tyrantrum was caught in mid-attack, its maw opening wide when the blast fired, consuming him. Christopher screamed, but couldn't let out a word. The beam consumed them all with dark intensity, and they were flung back.

Wood tore apart, dirt and weeds flying into the air with it. Christopher flew back, slamming into a stone statue in the garden as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Rocky received the brunt of it, spiraling all the way to the back garden of the school. The door flew off, the windows were shattered, and like an enormous typhoon, the whole school was almost blown away. Christopher slid down the statue's front, looking back to see that Rocky was groaning, but very much alive. Tyrantrum, however, was down for the count, head collapsed on the road with ragged breathing.

There was a crunch of footsteps on the grass leading to the school, and Christopher looked up to see the woman there, a small speck of her mint green hair flickering out from beneath her hood. She kneeled down.

"I'm terribly sorry, but it was a necessity, you see," she spoke. Christopher struggled to stand, hand gripping at the stone. "We needed the point and…well, other reasons."

"What…are you…?" The woman reached up, placing a finger to his lips. He couldn't see anything; could only hear the screams in town. The woman looked up, beyond the now wrecked school from her attack, to the graves in back. She sighed and shook her head, a light, nearly sadistic, smirk playing upon it.

"Sacrifices, hm…? One more, then." The woman stood and began to walk away. Christopher got up, looking back to see Rocky standing and pulling the wood out of his side. He was moving sluggishly, but attempting to catch back up, like he wanted to make one last assault. The woman turned, and Christopher saw it, felt it: bloodlust, sadism and intensity. He moved. "Fell Stinger."

"Rocky!" Christopher roared, finally finding the adrenaline to push himself up and dash for one of his best friends. Said young man's eyes widened as a searing pain filled Christopher in the back. He gagged, cried out as the heat and pain shocked through his system while the stinger bore itself deep into his back. There was a snapping noise as Christopher fell to the ground, the appendage removing itself so he could. Once he had, his head turned slowly, and he looked over to the woman, now reunited with her male partner, and the drones, as they fired one more Pin Missile to the air. In that moment, they seemed to vanish like shadows into the momentarily pulsing red light of Nova Town.

Rocky screamed. Christopher closed his eyes.

The Nova School exploded once more.

It was madness. The world. The news. And especially the location which ARC had set up as its latest base. All Lionel knew was that eyes on the ground had reported a most disturbing occurrence at Nova Town. It wasn't one he expected, but it was one that needed to be dealt with almost immediately.

"Chi, Theta, report," his voice snapped the second he entered the room. There were small windows inset to the building, allowing just a little bit of light. In the corner of the room were Aidan and Tau, speaking quietly with one another. Time had changed them all little, if only that they were older, now.

"We're still trying to make sense of things," Chi ordered, huffing on his glasses to clean them. Theta was silent, holding a pair of headphones to her ears while her lips were set in a frown. Lionel stopped at the edge of the room, looking out into the corridors. There were mutters in those corridors, some of their younger members chatting. There was no doubt that the news was traveling through the organization quickly.

"Has word reached the Pokémon League yet?" Lionel now asked. He gave another glance down the hall of the abandoned office building they were in. Aidan turned away from his conversation with Tau.

"We haven't managed to reach them as of yet," Aidan said in a lamentable tone. Lionel finally snapped the door closed and decided to give himself the chance to breathe. He had already been following up on the rumors of something going on in the Johto region, where they had decided to make base for a few weeks, barely having touched down in Azalea Town. Now there was something in Kalos and the League seemed unreachable. He sighed out.

"That tournament, huh…?" Lionel breathed. He closed his eyes a moment, trying to steady himself further. Seconds in, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to see Aidan there, as unconcerned as ever, his glasses highlighting everything that was going on behind his eyes. "Pssh, sorry. Just stressful."

"Any news on what's going on elsewhere?" Aidan muttered to him. Lionel pursed his lips, stepping away for a moment to look out of the window to the small city they were currently stationed in. Aidan went with him while Tau returned to Chi and Theta's side, the squad listening for whatever they were looking for.

"Nothing." Aidan blinked, but waited for Lionel to elaborate. "We went there, but there was…nothing. Not a single soul, person or Pokémon. Then you called me back."

"That's disconcerting," Aidan stated. Lionel nodded and quickly decided to put his thoughts together, not letting his tired mind get the better of him in such a situation. "Sorry. You need a moment?"

"Just a second," Lionel indicated with a smirk to one of his oldest comrades. Aidan seemed to understand, and walked over to speak with Alpha Squad. The dark-skinned man leaned forward, placing his forehead against the glass of the small windows. There were some people walking past, completely oblivious or uncaring to the fact there were people in the recently abandoned and foreclosed office building; they'd kept it rather quiet, after all.

Sounds were still heard in a dull roar beyond the door he had closed earlier, indicating just how affected all of ARC seemed to be by the news. Not that they were a very large operation anymore. In a time of peace, those who sought out to protect artifacts were hard to come by, though they did have those people that occasionally trickled on through the League, and their work was still an altogether fulfilling one with new things and new quests every day.

Until the odd case would appear, like the one in Unova. Or worse, like the call to check out Azalea Town in the Johto region on the League's request.

It had seemed a simple call, only for himself and a few of the select agents he was with to arrive and find the place utterly empty, as though the citizenry itself had vanished. That was enough to put Lionel on edge. Things like that didn't happen in a time of peace. Things like that usually didn't happen at all. And that became the very reason for Lionel's own unease, with various theories roiling around inside of his brain, joining with others he had already been contending with before then. It could have been some sort of artifact, yet Lionel was unsure…not that he had the time to wait around for an answer or to explore the location; not when Aidan had called with the news.

"I have some confirmation," Theta spoke solemnly, drawing Lionel out of his own reverie. He didn't like the tone in her voice, but nevertheless turned in her direction in order to listen. "It appeared there was a cease of all communications in Nova Town around the start of the tournament. No messages in or out, and it would seem that our own informant on the ground was only able to do so because we have such a different network."

"What happened there?" Aidan asked, folding his arms and looking disturbed. Lionel swallowed a little, looking out of the building once more. Less people were around now, so that was one less concerning thing.

"Still unclear, other than the school being damaged. Our ally couldn't get close," Theta sighed out, finally removing her headphones and sitting back with a sigh. "More than that, a message has been relayed to the League, but it's taking time. I guess there's been some interference with communications on that side, too."

"An attack?" Tau questioned. Lionel's brow furrowed. He knew the man meant it less in the sense of an obvious attack that was made on Nova Town, but also whether there was an attack on the League itself. It seemed odd for any communication issues to exist within the League. That would only mean that they would be targeted specifically, and no one he had ever heard of could manipulate that.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Aidan spoke calmingly. "It's still early days, and we don't have enough information to make a rash judgment call. I only wanted us all to discuss this because if we do have a problem on hand, the League will need all hands on deck."

Lionel remained silent, contemplating the information being given. Odd disturbances in Unova. A disappearance in Azalea Town. A strike on Nova Town. A lapse in communication with the League. It was all very cloak and dagger. His hand patted at his pocket, feeling the communications device he had there. His worry was increasing tenfold every passing second…and that was usually Aidan's job!

"Either way, this is rather disturbing…as have the energy readings we've been detecting lately," Chi spoke in his usual measured tone. "We know that we detected readings in Azalea Town, or so it seems from the small data Derek sent us while you were in transit, but judging from your face, that didn't go well. There was also that strange orange glow in Unova that you had mentioned, though whether it gives off power or not is something Derek's data was unable to fully confirm, even if I'd hypothesize that it's the case. Monitoring the sky as best we could after you left that sanctuary, we saw no change, except for the obvious hue in the sky, but that could have been from the natural barrier, too."

"You don't think someone's trying to force something, do you?" Tau asked, stroking his chin as he cut over Chi's musings. Lionel decided to head things off, finally stepping forward to intervene with the conversation.

"Now, now, calm down," he said confidently. "There are some things that I've been concerned about lately, especially where those different rocks in Unova are concerned, but we don't have enough knowledge to act on as of this moment. I'm not even aware of anything that could make these things react after all this time."

"Unless you count the rumors," Aidan noted, as if reminding him of the fact. Lionel sent him a puzzled look at that one. "We were so concerned about Michael's plans for Unova at the time, but don't you remember? There was an object that seemingly vanished and never resurfaced."

"Vanished, hm?" Lionel noted. It may have been an object and not people, but it was still worrying when one considered Azalea Town. Not wanting to delay his attempt at getting a response any further, Lionel dug in and pulled out his communications device. The others watched him for just a moment. "Team Azalea, report."

"Reporting, sir," called the voice of Derek over the device. It sounded scratchy, further enforcing the point that perhaps there were some issues with communications. Lionel waited, his silence indicating his thirst for information in that moment. "We've been combing the town since you departed, and weren't able to find a single living soul."

"Then what do you think-"

"Sir, we checked underneath the well…" Derek's voice was heavy, much like Theta's, and Lionel could already tell that he wouldn't like what he'd hear. "They were there…piled. It looked quick and painless, even with the blood, but all I could say is that it was like a shadow of death crept over them in the night. I don't think there was any artifact involved here, no matter the readings that Chi indicated from my data. Just a purplish glow from beneath the well."

"Dead?" Tau asked in immediate concern. "For what reason?"

"I can't confirm," Derek stated, the heaviness in his voice still present. Lionel's mind was churning in multiple directions. A mysteriously murdered town, energy spikes that weren't fabricated but had no source, and then the attack on Nova Town itself, which was far showier than what Azalea Town would have one believe. As Lionel put a hand to his chin, he began to think carefully, even while Derek gave the details and pictures of what he was seeing to Aidan. Was there a mysterious organization in the works? They had spent much time cleaning up any formed organizations that Michael had influenced over the years except for one, which they kept a very deliberate watch on, but had heard nothing potentially harmful from recently.

No…that wouldn't be possible…Lionel mused to himself, trying to put things together. Michael's influence was surely gone by this point, with ARC already having spent years clearing away the detritus left behind. Sometimes with help, but mostly working within the shadows. And while there may have still been things lurking in the darkness, it was now all too easy to expose the light on them. Their peace, nearly a decade after the true war, had been hard won. Yet, there was still a new, incontrovertible truth in this moment.

The world was moving again.

"Continue to observe and report," Aidan was speaking as Lionel pulled himself out. "We'll send more to you to help…with the bodies. In the meantime, Theta, can you contact our special team? We'll need them to get information that's vital. They haven't been slacking but…"

"I'll send the team out," Lionel noted with a wave of his hand as he turned right back towards the door. His mind was still thinking, now wondering how to sort out the mess in Azalea and whether he'd missed something both there and in Unova. Perhaps there were two forces…or maybe they were just trying to throw them off the trail…or maybe they weren't even connected at all…The possibilities were near endless with so little information. Lionel opened the door, poking his head out to three young women that were chatting in low tones. "Anna, Missy, Clarise, I need you to-"

Lionel stopped mid-sentence, realization taking over his mind. It wasn't possible. Had they really…? "Yes, sir?"

"Everyone, dow-"

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The room and hallways exploded around Lionel, sending him flying down the corridor, blood and cuts appearing all over his face. His head slammed against a wall as that wall was ripped away from him, practically conflagrating around his figure. He coughed, hand reaching for his pokeball in seconds and tossing it out.

"Protect…" he wheezed. Smoke billowed in front of Lionel's eyes as a honeycomb shield appeared. Another explosion ripped through the hallway, but Lionel was protected, if pushed back from the sheer force of the blast. He aimed to stand, pushing against what was left of the wall. Loud crashing sounds indicated the building's collapse, despite the leader of ARC being unable to see anything through the thick smoke. He coughed again. "Anna! Missy! Clarise!"

There was no answer.

Lionel stumbled forward and looked up. The area above him was veiled with smoke, yet there was no longer any ceiling, but just the sky above. The whole building had to have been utterly destroyed. Placing a hand on Banette, Lionel walked forward and almost tripped over something. His face contorted into one of pain when he looked down and saw all three of the women staring up at him, lifeless.

"Li-Lionel!" coughed a voice from the area of the room he had been in. His heart raced and he aimed for it, recognizing the voice as Aidan's. The smoke cleared a little. Some debris and pebbles fell from the wreckage of the building they had been in, and screams pierced the air, though none were close by. Lionel stopped, and looked up, towards one of the few remaining pieces of the structure that was intact.

"Aw, that's a shame…" The voice, gravelly and playful, sent chills down Lionel's spine, and he came close to Banette. "I had thought all of you had died in the explosion, but it looks like there's still…one, two, three, four…five of you left."

"Who are you?" demanded another voice from the space of the room. It sounded like Tau, though Lionel breathed no easier. His words, this man's words, were like a bludgeon. They were dead. Lionel's hand gripped tighter.

"Your grim reaper, don't you know?" the voice called. Suddenly, a large gust of wind came from the direction of the room, clearing out all of the smoke in the area. The covering haze vanished, revealing the numerous agents of ARC now laying charred and dead in the area. Only those in the room seemed to have survived due to Chi's Doublade and quick actions.

More important, though, was the man atop the slowly crumbling structure. He had shaggy, dirty blond hair and an almost melancholy look upon his face. There was a black cloak around him, nearly allowing him to blend into the smoke, and with him was a Camerupt, already seeming to be in a Mega Evolved state, it's mini-volcano churning smoke. Lionel stepped forward, careful to avoid the bodies of his fallen compatriots. Small pieces were coming together in his head, forming sickening conclusions.

"You killed the people of Azalea Town?" he asked sharply. The man turned to look at him, tapping his head. "All to lure us out, was it? You killed them to call us away, and damaged Nova Town to call us back…"

"This is why you're a threat," the man spoke, clicking his heels against the wall. "You figured that out so quickly…and we don't want someone like you interfering and finding things they shouldn't. She wanted to make sure of that."

"She?" Aidan's voice called. Lionel once more stepped forward, throwing his hand out, as if telling his long-time comrade to stay put. The man above didn't drop his melancholy look, but nor did he answer. Lionel's gaze shifted back, as if telling Aidan to leave, but the man didn't budge.

"And why is it a shame that there are only five of us?" the dark-skinned man decided to inquire instead. Their attacker raised a finger, snapping it lightly and Camerupt, with surprising skill, leapt off the platform and crashed upon the ground.

"Because it means I'll need to kill you personally, instead," he answered. He snapped once more. "Rock Polish!"

"Banette, Snatch! And Mega Evolve!" Lionel called. His hand threw itself out, touching to the charm bracelet. Banette began to change as Camerupt's body glowed. Then it shot forward, rushing straight through Camerupt before disappearing, its speed enhanced greatly. "Aidan! Get out of here! You, too, Alpha Squad! Rally our surviving memb-"

"Earth Power!" Camerupt gave a loud cry, the area around its feet glowing a bright yellow. Then the earth exploded, pulsing forward as Banette proceeded to zip along, avoiding it in its Mega Evolved State. The man was truly not going to give any of them a moment to breathe.

"Phantom Force!" Lionel screamed. Behind him, the sound of movement indicated that, at the very least, Alpha Squad was heeding his orders, crawling their way out of the mess of stones and rubble. Lionel grit his teeth at the thought of it; how many had died from his mistake, his indiscretion. He had thought he hadn't been followed by either person or Pokémon from neither Unova nor Azalea, so how…

Banette vanished entirely into the mist created from the Earth Power. Lionel tried to track his Pokémon's movements, paying careful attention until it was at Camerupt's backside. It reappeared and went for the blow, landing a decisive hit. Lionel's gaze snapped up to the man, only he was shaking his head, beginning to grin.

"Eruption." Even as Camerupt was flung forward, the ground underneath Banette churned and bubbled with fiery intensity. Then it blasted outward like a volcano, consuming Banette entirely.

"Protect!" came Lionel's next command. The honeycomb shield suddenly expanded from within the Eruption, blocking the rest of the damage from being dealt and splitting the flames. Camerupt landed on the ground, skidding across it.

"You're good," the man jeered across the space. "I'm not surprised. The great and mighty ARC. It was only a small patch of luck that allowed me to pinpoint you exactly…luck, ingenuity and intuition."

"Was it? Pursuit!" Lionel snapped out. The shield broke apart, dispersing the rest of the flames. It flitted through the shadows, jabbing forward onto Camerupt's head and driving it into the ground.

"Camaaaaaah!"

"Now, Phantom Force!" Lionel roared, gripping a fist tightly with a snarl on his face. Banette once more disappeared into the shadows entirely. Lionel stepped forward, raising his other hand in a taunt for the man to come down and fight him. "Then test your luck against me for hurting my comrades."

"Your comrades?" the man said, his grin now full and leering. He finally stepped forward, doing a small flip to land deftly on the ground. "Your 'comrades' are all that was left of a broken and dying world…well, them and those 'heroes'. I consider it my duty to put them and you out of the misery of your sins. Earth Power!"

"Banette!" Lionel screamed, but he couldn't make it in time. The ground glowed a golden color, churning and cracking, even beneath Lionel's feet. He tried to back up, but in mere moments, the man was right in front of him, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him to the ground. It exploded around him, consuming Banette and throwing it through the air. Banette's body glowed and reverted form, tumbling on to the street outside the destroyed and decayed building.

"Oh no! You don't get to go anywhere…" the man pinning him said with the leering grin, now gone fully manic. His voice had lowered in pitch, but sounded just as gravelly as before. "You see…your whole organization is the target: Team Rocket's target."

Lionel's eyes widened, and he turned his head as best as he could. He could see no sign of Alpha Squad or Aidan…or so he thought. He was slowly losing consciousness, his windpipe constricted. Team Rocket…no…they weren't…

"Scald!" Aidan's shout made Lionel's eyes snap open as the heated water blasted forth, colliding with the unknown man and driving him back towards his Camerupt. The enemy scoffed loudly, while Lionel coughed. He suddenly became aware of the pain all over his body, and in his legs. A piece of rebar, broken off during the last Earth Power, had lodged itself in his leg, making him unable to move. "Team Rocket, you say? What are they planning? Whose idea?"

"As. If. I'd. Say," was the man's taunting response. He reached behind himself, placing a hand gently atop Camerupt. "Let's just say, the world you know will burn…be splattered with blood. And it all begins here, with you. Explosion."

"Ai…dan…run…" Lionel choked out. He attempted to sit up, but found his leg wouldn't move at all, barely twitching in the moment. "Go!"

"Like hell I'm leaving you behind, Lionel. Jack wouldn't-"

"Jack's dead!" Lionel shouted angrily. He snapped his head, feeling the pain race up his leg, causing his sentences to become choppy. "But you're not! Now get out of here! Live, Aidan! We know one…part…so…Find him! End this!"

"Lionel!" Aidan screamed, but the dark-skinned man wouldn't take no for an answer. Instead, he found what little strength he had to reach up and rip his keystone from his charm bracelet, part of the charms remaining attached to it. Before anything else could happen, he tossed it towards his long-time companion. A shadow, sluggish but sure, arrived to grab it and a pokeball as Banette tackled Aidan. It cast one look back at Lionel as the whole entire area glowed red with Camerupt's impending attack. There were tears in his faithful Pokémon's eyes, but it nodded. Lionel pushed at the ground, struggling to stand, all while casting a venomous look towards the man that had attacked them. He wasn't smiling anymore, but looking at him with respect.

"You fought me to let your comrades get away…how admirable…" he said with a light sigh. "I wish you could have made it to the new world with us, but alas, it's not to be. Goodbye, Lionel of ARC. May you find peace in the light of my explosions, as your comrades did."

Then the air exploded. More cement was ripped up, the bodies disintegrated. Heat churned at the air and Lionel felt himself already breaking down as he grasped his charm bracelet. Tears leaked from his eyes, and his body shook. I'll be there soon…my loved ones…Jack…my comrades…

His eyes snapped open, facing it with dignity as the building erupted with a blazing and destructive fury that claimed everything around it.

The only thing heard above it was Aidan's curdling scream: "LIONEEEEEEEEEL!"

Author's Note: Well, this was a very big opening chapter! Of course, since this story is set after the epilogue, all promises of who lives and who dies are off the table, and with a lot fates already up in the air, and a major death permeating Chapter 1, you can already see the darker tone this story will take. After all, I haven't made the joke that those who are sent to Johto go there to die for nothing…Ehem, anyway, Team Rocket is finally making a move in the plot, and I think it will be very exciting! Hopefully you all think so too. Just don't expect a Rocket plot like any you've seen before; seriously, drop your preconceptions. In any case, you'll have to wait and see just what happens next! In the meantime, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.