Author's note: So this is my first chapter; kinda an introduction to the introduction. Lol. I hope you like it, and if not...uh, sorry? Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I solemnly swaer that I own nothing published below.

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The air near Fallarbor Town was still and hot as a fine curtain of ash dritfed down to cover all below it, blanketing rocks, grass, houses--and the occasional trainer--in a fine coat of soot. The sky was hard to see through the veil of dust, and what could be seen appeared sickly and gray.

"Swampert, use Surf!" A huge wall of water rushed forward, crashing into the wild Skarmory. Water dripped from its sharp-steeled wings as it staggered back a few feet before collapsing as it fainted.

"Alright!" May shouted, pumping a fist into the air. "Good job, Swampert!" The dark and light blue mud fish Pokemon looked extremely pleased with himself as he turned back to face his trainer, and May reached up to pat him on the head.

"I can't wait to show Brendan how much we've improved since the last time we battled with him!" May said excitedly, her eyes shining as she practically bounced on her heels. Suddenly, her Pokenav began to ring, and May looked down at her bag.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, kneeling to rummage around for her Pokenav. She glanced at the screen and grinned before flipping it open and pressing it to her ear. "Hey, Professor Birch!" she said brightly. "What's up?"

"Good afternoon, May. I hope you are well," Hoenn's Pokemon Professor greeted her. On the other end, May frowned slightly—there was something in the Professor's tone that suddenly put her on edge. He sounded tense.

"I'm fine, Professor. We're just doing some training near Fallarbor Town," she replied. "What's going on?"

The Professor cleared his throat, and May thought that in his brief silence, she could hear the soft murmur of conversation in the background.

"Listen, would you mind coming by the lab? There's something I need to speak with you about, and it wouldn't suffice over the phone like this," he said, and May detected something else in his tone, though she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Of course, Professor Birch!" May agreed immediately. "We'll be there soon," she said.

"Very well, thank you, May. We'll see you soon," the Professor said.

May turned to Swampert, snapping her phone shut. "I guess the Professor needs us back at the lab," she said to him, and Swampert tilted his head slightly in response

May frowned. "I really hope everything is alright," she mused, "he sounded like something was bothering him."

May recalled Swampert to his Pokeball, clipping it safely to her belt. She selected another Pokeball and tossed it into the air in front of her. In flash of red light a Salamance appeared, turning its red and blue head to take his trainer in, waiting patiently for a command.

May crossed the space between her and the Pokemon before hoisting herself up onto its back, slipping comfortably into the space between its wings and neck. May leaned forward, carefully wrapping her arms around its neck.

"Alright Salamance," she said, "Fly to Littleroot."

The Salamance thrummed in response, dipping its head briefly before unfolding his giant red wings and pumping himself and his trainer into the sky.

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"So let me get this straight," May said. She was seated in Professor Birch's Pokemon lab, leaning forward slightly on one of the long metal tables. "Team Aqua is back?"

The Professor was pacing nervously across from May, his eyes trained to the white tiles of the floor. At her question he stopped and his eyes flickered to hers. "I'm afraid so. Yes. They've been spotted about the region, namely in the Fortree and Mauville areas," he replied.

"But what could they possibly want now?" she asked, a puzzled look flitting across her face. She dropped a hand over the side of the table to scratch behind her Mightyena's ears absently. Mightyena lifted his head from his paws and yawned, blinking red eyes up at his trainer from his position next to her. "They've been broken up for years."

Birch sighed, running a hand through his light brown hair wearily. "I've been looking into it. They've been very quiet since you stopped them from trying to submerge all of Hoenn…and the odd thing is the reports have just started popping up very recently."

"I'm not sure I understand, Professor," May said, frowning slightly. "If they've just started to emerge again, then maybe we don't have to worry right now. I mean, they haven't caused any trouble yet, right?"

Professor Birch gave her a wry look. "Yet being the key word, May. And it's not so much that they have emerged once, as when they have emerged."

"When?" May asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

The Professor swung his arms behind his back, clasping his hands together there. "Ah, yes. When." He looked torn for a moment. "You see May; I didn't just call you here to tell you about Team Aqua's rebirth…I need your help with something."

May sat up straighter now, looking directly at the Professor. "What is it, Professor?"

"What I'm about to tell you is extremely classified, May—you can't speak a word of it to anyone else," he said, every bit serious.

May nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Professor. My lips are sealed," she promised.

The Professor began to pace again, his arms still clasped behind his back. "You remember the Institute?" he asked.

"Of course. Team Aqua took it over and tried to steal all of the Castforms the researchers had created," May replied.

"Yes, well they've developed a new technology—just the prototype. They're claiming that it can somehow control the weather. Alter it. The idea behind it is ingenious really. Only a few of us have received any information on it, and it has yet to go public."

The Professor paused, halting his seemingly tireless pacing.

"I'm afriad that Team Aqua might somehow be aware of this new technology, and perhaps that is why they have returned. The Institute has reported an increasing amount of activity from the group around that area. They've placed guards around the premises, and they have sources in both Fortree and Mauville. This technology must not fall into the wrong hands, May."

"But Professor, what do you want me to do?" May asked, her brown eyes wide.

"I want you to go to the Institute."