Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the sun had fallen behind the horizon for the night, Kalos' crowned jewel was as bustling as it would be during the day. Rather than people going to and from work or school, they gathered in the various battle zones to participate in the nightly Z-A Royale tournament. Renowned trainer, Mihara, was among them who took part in the nightly activities. Or at least, that was his plan. After winning a few battles, less than an hour into the night, he decided to call it quits for the night. His Pokémon fought hard, his Challenger's Ticket had been secured, and he wasn't particularly desperate for cash tonight, so there was no harm in taking a break for once. After wrapping up his final match for the night, a hasty retreat towards the nearest exit was made and he'd make his way back to Hotel Z to get washed up and ready for bed. Another day spent aiding the people of Lumiose City and training his Pokémon had gone by and he slept peacefully throughout the night.

Though he was able to enjoy a well-deserved, restful night, most of the city wasn't too lucky. Throughout the night, both the Looker Bureau and Lumiose Pokémon Lab were flooded with numerous reports regarding strange holes opening over each of the five plazas with an especially larger hole opening above the Prism Tower. Each report carried similar details; a golden ring surrounded the strange holes and occasionally, they could spot Pokémon hovering around them. People were getting nervous, they had just barely recovered from the activation of Ange and now, it seemed another problem was occurring. Perhaps they were nothing to be worried about, but even if they were harmless, it would be foolish to ignore it. During the night, Mihara received numerous calls and messages from Emma and Mable, though considering his phone was on silent, they went ignored until the next morning.

It wasn't his alarm or his Pokémon waking him up this time, but rather, it was the frantic knocking of a visitor. "Mihara! If you're in there, I need you to wake up!" A familiar voice yelled out. "You can't sleep in today, it's important!"

With an annoyed groan, both Mihara and his Meowstic had awoken to answer the door. He didn't seem particularly happy to have been woken up so abruptly. "Taunie? What's got you so riled up?" He asked, trying to mask his annoyance.

"You can see Prism Tower from here, look out the window." Taunie suggested, gesturing towards it.

Now slightly confused, Mihara did as suggested and gazed upon the old, moss-covered structure. Given he only woke up a few moments ago, his eyes weren't entirely focused. Despite that, he could still vaguely make out the strange ring floating above the top of the tower. He said nothing at first, merely attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he stared. "You see it, too?" He asked the little Psychic-type clinging to his shoulder.

Meowstic nodded her head, looking more curious than confused by it. Before he or Taunie could say anything else, his phone went off with yet another phone call from Mable. Noticing the sheer number of missed calls, he almost seemed afraid to answer it, but picked it up anyways.

"It's about time you picked up, Mihara! Do you have any idea how long we've been trying to get a hold of you?!" Mable yelled through the phone, loud enough for the entire hotel to hear it. "We don't have much time to explain, but we've got some visitors at the Looker Bureau requesting you here. I told them that you were reliable, but you've embarrassed me tenfold by ignoring my calls. You can make up for it by getting your happy little butt here on the double!" She ordered, hanging up without giving Mihara a chance to argue or ask any questions.

"...I'm going to assume that Mable's request probably has something to do with that... whatever that thing is over Prism Tower." Mihara sighed softly. Even if it was an urgent request, he was nowhere near ready for any kind of outing. He hadn't showered, gotten dressed, or eaten breakfast, but he knew how impatient Mable could get, especially after seeing how many messages and calls he unwittingly ignored. Emma was probably going to rip into him as well for ignoring her.

"Yeah, Emma came by earlier to request your presence personally, which is why I woke you up. I'll meet you at the Bureau." Taunie replied, giving him an apologetic wave before leaving his room.

With a newfound sense of urgency, Mihara quickly showered and changed into his usual black jeans and jacket before grabbing a quick snack consisting of some fruit and granola bars for him and his Meowstic. It wasn't a perfectly complete breakfast, but it'd hold them over while he was yelled at by Mable and introduced to the strangers Mable mentioned. Fortunately, their destination wasn't far from them and with the aid of the Lumiose Taxi Service, they arrived in a matter of minutes.

Before Mihara could greet anyone like he normally would, Mable glared daggers at him. "You sure took your sweet time, even after I told you to get here sooner. I wasn't sure I could keep them waiting any longer, but now that you're here, we'll begin explaining the situation to you and we'll introduce you to our... friends." Mable said, practically dragging him into Emma's office.

Emma and Mimi were a welcomed sight, though the black-haired woman with a strange halo over her head and the tablet-wielding man in a suit were strange, as was the small portal behind them. Like the one over Prism Tower, a golden ring surrounded it and offered a view of a well-kept, high-tech office overlooking a massive city that seemed to dwarf Lumiose City.

"I'm sorry we brought you on such short notice, Mihara, and I hate to ask more after all you've been doing to help us, but it's a matter that can't be ignored. I'm sure you've noticed the strange portals behind our guests, and the ones that appeared over the plazas, right?" Emma asked him, offering him a cup of tea.

Gratefully accepting it, Mihara nodded in response. "Yeah, what's with them, anyways? Who are your visitors?" He asked.

"Nanagami Rin, Vice President of the General Student Council. I've arrived here with Schale's Sensei to request your help. Those portals you've seen over the portals and the Prism Tower have appeared on our side as well. Six of them so far aside from the one connecting Sensei's office to the Looker Bureau." The woman explained, her tone matching the stern gracefulness she carried herself with.

"We've gathered a few reports that a few... Pokémon as you call them have been spotted on our side. No one's reported any direct violence, but buildings have been leveled and people are growing afraid. Firearms appear ineffective for the most part." Sensei started, turning his tablet around to show them a few photos sent to him by civilians. "We've got reports that these creatures have shown up in the Abydos, Trinity, and Gehenna districts so far. There's even been sightings of another flying around Schale, but we don't have direct evidence of it yet."

Mihara listened closely as he studied the photos shown to him. They were blurry, but he can vaguely make out the details of several powerful looking Pokémon. "Tyranitar, Clefable, and Malamar are the only ones I can make out. That Clefable..." He looked towards Taunie. "It looks like it's been Mega Evolved, doesn't it?" He asked her.

"Yeah, it does. Think it might be another case of rogue Mega Evolution? Maybe those portals are after effects of Ange, and the Pokémon on the other side were displaced? Perhaps they're afraid and that's why they're attacking." Taunie suggested, looking towards Sensei. "What do you propose we do?" She asked.

"We'd like to request your aid in quelling these Pokémon. According to your friends here, the two of you are the finest in Lumiose City. Of course, you'll have my support along the way. We want to ensure no one gets hurt, figure out where these portals are coming from, and find out if they pose any risk to those in Kivotos, or those living here in Lumiose City." Sensei stated.

"We can offer you a place to stay in Kivotos, access to our databases if it'll aid in your quest, and we'll make sure you're well-fed and well paid. We've got a few students that'll be coming to Schale with some more information on the situation, they should be able to fill you in better than we have." Rin explained, stepping out of the way of the portal behind her.

"Mihara, you should go with Rin and Sensei. You have more experience with battling these rogue Mega Pokémon than anyone. Taunie and I will investigate the other portals and work with other trainers to ensure no one gets hurt." Emma replied, giving him a smile. "As long as we have you, I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on."

Traveling to another world was a daunting task, but it wasn't like he was in a position to refuse this task. "Alright... I'll do what I can to help." Mihara promised, offering a smile.

"So long as these portals remain open, you should be able to access your boxes if you need to make adjustments to your team. Be careful, Mihara. Rin assured us that Kivotos is safe, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take it easy." Mable said, giving them a wave. "I'm returning to the lab to monitor the growth of the portals on this side."

Taunie gave her friend a confident grin, "As long as they have you, solving the mystery should be a cinch! Good luck over there, Mihara. Don't hesitate to call me or the others if you need some help. I'll see if I can't get Lida and Naveen to help me on this side."

Mihara returned the grin. "Right. Once this is all said and done, we'll celebrate with your croissant curry. See you soon, Taunie." After saying his farewells, he'd turn back to face Rin and Sensei.

"Keep in touch with me, Mihara. Keep me updated on your progress. Good luck." Emma smiled warmly.

"I will." Mihara promised, waving towards her before following them into the portal. His first instinct was to approach the windows that overlooked the city. Lumiose City was huge, from his room in Hotel Z, he saw nothing but buildings for miles and yet, it seemed to be massively overshadowed by the sheer scale of Kivotos.

"It's... it's endless." Mihara said breathlessly, his eyes carrying the same curious sparkle as the Meowstic on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I suppose it's a big city. Don't worry, you'll get to explore it soon, but for now, let's focus on the briefing. We've got Sorasaki Hina of Gehenna's Prefect Team, Hayase Yuuka of Millenium's Seminars, and Hanekawa Hasumi of Trinity's Justice Task Force here to give whatever information they can." Rin explained, inviting him to join them in the boardroom.

The air was ripe with tension and the normally outgoing Mihara found himself unusually nervous, perhaps the change in environment was getting to him. Thanks to the presence of his partner Pokémon, he was able to remain calm, but unable to hide the nervousness in his eyes.

Rin sat down, urging him to do the same. "So, Yuuka, you mentioned something about obtaining some footage, right?" She asked, eager to get down to business.

"Thanks to the Veritas team, we've been able to recover some clearer footage of where the portals opened up and what came out of them." Yuuka replied, pulling up the footage onto the large screen behind her. "Red Winter has reported sightings of a strange creature, similar to the reports we've gotten from the other districts. Blizzards are nothing new there, but one of this scale could be troublesome. Some roads have been blocked, a few stations have been closed. Only the Red Mustache Subway remains active as of right now, but if the blizzard keeps up, it'll go soon." She explained.

The footage showed a furious looking Pokémon whipping up fierce winds and smashing up any building and vehicle it approached. Hina glanced towards Mihara, "Does that creature look familiar?" She asked dryly.

"It's blurry, but it looks like an Abomasnow. They're aggressive Pokémon as it is, but I've no doubt the Mega Energy inside it is ramping it up. The blizzards are only going to get worse until it's dealt with." Mihara replied, approaching the screen to study it. "It looks a great deal bigger than the ones I'm used to seeing. Perhaps it's an alpha, which would explain its aggression, too."

Hasumi looked towards the trainer, "So, we should visit Red Winter first, then. Maybe if we defeat it, we can find some clues behind the opening of the portals." She suggested.

"That seems like the best course of action. I'll send word out to Cherino and let her know to expect us." Sensei replied, quickly sending out a MomoTalk to Red Winter's great leader. "Do you have any outfits for the cold, Mihara? I'm not sure how well you, or your Pokémon will do in the snow..."

Mihara rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It doesn't get too cold often in Lumiose City, so I'm afraid my winter preparations are lacking." He admitted.

"Not a problem. I'm sure I've got some extras here you can use. We'll head to Red Winter as soon as possible." Sensei replied as he stood up. "Make your preparations and meet me in my office." Though, before he could leave the room, a breaking news bulletin blared over the screen.

"Check it out, folks! This is Kawaru Shinon with the Kronos School of Journalism bringing you the latest in the developing story regarding the mysterious portals. An anonymous bystander sent us footage of a strange, draconic beast overlooking the Shiratori district. It hasn't moved a muscle, but its intimidating presence has people nervous. We'll continue to watch it and update you as the situation evolves."

Mihara's eyes widened, "That looks like a Salamence. A highly aggressive and powerful Pokémon, even when it's not Mega Evolved. Warn people to stay away from that... Shiratori district." He said as he stood up from his seat, making some quick adjustments to his team. Given a powerful Dragon-type was overlooking the city, he wanted to prepare himself by swapping his Feraligatr and Mawile for his Avalugg and his own Salamence respectively.

"Do you have any Pokémon that can take to the skies? Maybe we can attach a camera to it so we can monitor it from here." Yuuka suggested as she took a small camera from her back.

"Yeah, I think Talonflame can help with that." Mihara nodded, sending the large Flying-type out. "Attach it to her leg and I'll send her out."

Talonflame stood perfectly still while Yuuka attached the camera, stepping back after a moment. "Perfect. We'll monitor it from here and if we determine it's ready to attack, it'll be up to you to calm it down, Mihara." She said, opening a window for Talonflame to exit out of.

"Don't take any unnecessary risks, Talonflame. I know how strong you are, but avoid engaging it in battle if you can. Just... monitor it for now." Mihara said to his Pokémon.

Talonflame gave off a soft chirping-like sound along with a nod of understanding. Once she left to do her investigation, Yuuka relayed the camera's feed onto the screen. "Whoa... it's fast. I don't think we'll have much of a problem tracking the target if it moves that quickly."

Mihara grinned pridefully, "When it comes to speed, Talonflame is second to none. You can see why I've relied on her so heavily since I caught her a while back." He huffed, looking quite of himself.

"...I see you're not short on confidence." Rin sighed softly, her focus on the screen. "On the off chance we have to engage it in battle, could your Talonflame defeat it?" She asked.

"Talonflame is strong, but I don't think she could do it on her own. If Salamence chooses to pursue her, I'll have Avalugg and my own Salamence take it on." Mihara replied, looking back out the window. "Should we head to ground level to wait for it? I'm not so sure Avalugg could fit in this room... and I doubt it'd be a good idea for a full scale battle in here, anyways."

Sensei nodded as he stood up. "I'll go down with you. Yuuka, keep in touch with us if anything changes on the screen. Hina, you and Hasumi should stay in touch with your academies and see if anything changes." He suggested, soon approaching Mihara. "Given how fast your Pokémon moves, I doubt we have much time before any conflict begins. Let's get down there before we're too late."

Yuuka nodded, looking a little worried. "You might want to hurry. Something's happening to Salamence... I think it has spotted your friend, Mihara." She warned them.

"...looks like it's undergoing Mega Evolution." Mihara said confusedly. It wasn't like the rogue Mega Pokémon he faced before, something about it almost felt deliberate, as if it was waiting for someone to challenge it.

Rushing outside with Sensei, Mihara mentally prepared himself for what would likely be a difficult battle. Once at ground level, he sent out his Avalugg and Salamence.

"Avalugg, keep a sharp eye on the Mega Salamence when it approaches. No doubt Talonflame will be returning soon. You'll land the finishing blow while the others distract it. When the right moment comes, strike it with Icicle Crash with all your might." Mihara ordered the larger Ice-type. It let out a thunderous roar in confirmation, watching as the other Salamence took to the skies.

"Mihara, Sensei! Talonflame is returning at high speeds, it's being pursued!" Yuuka warned them.

In the distance, a number of furious explosions followed as the two Flying-types zipped through the air. Though Talonflame skillfully avoided the obstacles in front of it, the Mega Salamence cared little about anything that stood in its way. It smashed through small vehicles, lightposts, and signs without a worry in the world, leaving a trail of destruction behind it.

"Sensei, focus on evacuating the area. I'm not sure the Mega Salamence will stop until the block's reduced to rubble. Make sure no one visits the area until it's been contained." Mihara ordered as he looked towards his Salamence. "Use Fire Blast on it, get it off Talonflame's tail!"

His Pokémon nodded in confirmation, unleashing a devastating gout of fire towards the enraged Dragon-type. Given his opponent's distraction, the Fire Blast was a direct hit, but it only seemed to annoy it more than it did any damage. The Mega Salamence to face its new opponent, a furious glare in its eyes. Without hesitation or warning, it struck with a powerful Double-Edge attack. Rushing in at Mihara's Salamence with terrifying speed, the two Dragon-types smashed through the windows of the planning room. Glass littered the floors, the planning room was in complete disarray.

"Mihara, are you seeing this?" Hasumi called out. "Your partner doesn't look to be in the best of conditions." She added.

"Evacuate the building if you can, it'll get worse!" Mihara suggested, internally debating if he should try and head back into the planning room with the others. Fortunately, it didn't seem necessary as his Salamence recovered from the devastating blow and began to attack the rogue Pokémon with Dragon Claw. His sharpened claws began to clash, sparks flew every time Salamence was countered with his opponent's Dragon Claw. It didn't seem either side was budging at first, but the Mega Salamence was slowly gaining the advantage; repeated pressure from its much more powerful attacks were taking its toll.

Though it seemed like the battle may have been a lost cause, Talonflame had rejoined the fight by rushing at the Mega Salamence with Steel Wing. It didn't do the most damage, but it gave her companion a moment of respite.

"Good work, Talonflame! Keep it distracted a little while longer!" Mihara yelled out. "Avalugg, try to hit Mega Salamence with Icicle Crash."

The larger Ice-type nodded and stepped forward, bellowing with a loud roar as it formed several massive icicles over the raging Dragon-type. Several of the spears of ice hit it head on, causing massive damage. However, Mega Salamence was far from done and it turned to Avalugg with great anger in its eyes. Before launching an attack on Avalugg, it turned to the two pests flying around and decided it was time to finish them in one fell swoop. Without any prior warning, it struck them with a devastatingly powerful Hyper Beam, sending them back into the destroyed planning room with a loud crash.

"Talonflame! Salamence!" Mihara yelled worriedly. Unfortunately, he wouldn't have time to check on them as Mega Salamence rushed at him next, deftly avoiding the falling icicles created by Avalugg. Some desperate times call for desperate measures, and though he was confident that Avalugg could take the attacks, he knew it wouldn't last forever. With two of them out of the mix for now, he'd call upon his signature Pokémon; Gyarados.

"Gyarados, we need your assistance!" Mihara said, letting the massive serpent out of its Pokeball. "It's time to rise up and show them why you're the star of the Z-A Royale, Mega Evolve!" He raised his hand up, the Key Stone in his Mega Ring shimmering with a brilliant light. The Gyaradosite attached to the central crest on his forehead shimmered in response to the Key Stone's activation. Mega energy surrounded Gyarados for several seconds and once it faded away, his Mega Evolved form remained.

"Help out Avalugg with Ice Fang, we have to slow Salamence down by any means necessary!" Mihara ordered. The newly Mega Evolved Gyarados nodded in confirmation, launching itself with surprising force towards his opponent. He latched onto Salamence's tail with his viciously sharp fangs, repeatedly striking at Salamence with the frozen energy.

Now, Salamence was heavily distracted, it could hardly reach Gyarados to counterattack and it was far too late to react to Avalugg's Icicle Crash. The spears of ice crashed down repeatedly, often being alternated with Rock Slide. The repeated damage from Gyarados' Ice Fang and the alternation between Avalugg's Icicle Crash and Rock Slide was slowly wearing it down enough to the point where Mihara's Talonflame and Salamence could rejoin the fray. Using their opponent's preoccupied state, they struck with Brave Bird and Dragon Claw respectively.

The combined attacks was enough to knock it out of its Mega Evolved state, but not enough to defeat it completely. However, by this point, the formerly Mega Salamence was at its limits. Seeing that it likely wouldn't win the fight, it was time to flee the scene. In order to flee without further issue, it used Flamethrower on the partially ruined Schale building, a raging fire rushing through the evacuated planning room that threatened to spiral out of control if nothing was done to stop it. The distraction worked and at the moment Mihara and his team turned towards the burning building, the weakened Salamence fled the scene. Chasing after it normally would've been a priority, but the raging fire overtook that.

By now, Sensei had returned after successfully evacuating the block. "Mihara, I see you've succeeded against your opponent. I watched it fly down south. Are you going to chase after it?" He asked.

"No? Do you not see the fire spiraling out of control here?" Mihara asked in response, making further adjustments to his team. Swapping out Talonflame, Salamence, and Avalugg for his Blastoise, Vaporeon, and Simipour to aid in putting the fires out.

"I already called the fire department. Shouldn't chasing the Pokémon be your priority?" Sensei seemed confused.

"I haven't seen Rin or the others evacuate yet, they could be stuck inside. We don't have time to wait for the fire services to arrive." Mihara replied as he moved towards the front door. "If you can help them escape, my Pokémon and I can take care of the fires. We need to put them out before it has a chance to get worse."

Ultimately, Sensei agreed. "You're right. I'll stay in touch with Rin and coordinate evacuation efforts. Be careful, Mihara, we don't need you getting hurt." He replied.

"Meowstic, go with Sensei and help him. You can use Psychic to clear away fallen rubble, we'll meet again soon." Mihara said to his partner. The little Psychic-type was reluctant, but she knew her trainer could handle himself. Briefly rubbing against his cheek before jumping over to Sensei's shoulder.

With the plan in mind, Sensei began to make numerous calls to his students inside to determine their locations. Since the Mega Salamence crashed through the walls, Hina had already taken charge of leading evacuation efforts and by the time the fires began to spread, many of them were already in a safe place. Thanks to Meowstic's efforts in clearing some of the rubble, Sensei was able to reunite with them and lead them back outside while Mihara and his Water-types contained the spreading fires with well placed uses of Hydro Pump and Water Gun.

By the time everyone had been rescued and the fires put out, Salamence was long gone and searching for it would only waste time. They needed to plan out their next move and recover from the hectic events, but without their planning room, they'd need to find somewhere new to use.

"Let's head to Hotel Z. We can use Team MZ's dining room to discuss our next move." Mihara suggested, gesturing towards the unharmed portal surrounded by the rubble. "I'll need to report back to Emma, anyways, and I'm sure Taunie and the others would appreciate an update."

Hina seemed hesitant. "Are you sure it'll be alright for us to do that?" She asked.

"Of course. It's not like we have any guests at the hotel, so we wouldn't be bothering anyone." Mihara shrugged in response.

"We don't have many options at the moment. Until the Schale office is restored, we'll need somewhere to act as our base of operations. Lead the way, Mihara." Rin replied, following him back into Emma's office.

"Mihara, you've returned. Your mission was successful then, right?" Emma asked as the group exited the portal.

"Sort of. We defeated the Mega Salamence, but it fled the scene. It destroyed most of Schale before it escaped, we're gonna be using Hotel Z as our base of operations until Schale's back up and running." Mihara explained, flashing a somewhat embarrassed smile. "I'm only hoping the others won't be as strong. It took everything in us just to slow it down..."

Emma laughed softly, patting his shoulder. "Mega Salamence is no easy opponent, defeating it is no small feat. I'll continue to monitor the portal here. I believe Taunie and the others are at Hotel Z, I'd imagine they have much to discuss with you. I'll fill Mable in on what happened." She said, dismissing them with a friendly wave.

"See you around, Emma." Mihara smiled, returning the wave before leading the party from Kivotos back outside. "I'm sorry your first visit to Lumiose City couldn't be under better circumstances, but... welcome to the city anyways."

Hasumi looked up and down, a smile crossing her face. "It's beautiful... the architecture looks similar to what we have around Trinity." She said softly, admiring the Prism Tower in the distance.

"Kalos has some of the most beautiful sights anywhere in the world, I'd say. There are few things I enjoy more than a good cup of tea while admiring Prism Tower." Mihara replied cheerfully. "Great cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, and battle spots. There's not much more you could want from a city like this."

Yuuka gazed upon Prism Tower for a moment before returning her attention to Mihara. "So... are conflicts like what we saw at Schale common around here?" She asked.

"Pokémon battles are one of the most popular pastimes, though battles are often done for sport and leisure. It's not as often our battles have stakes like that. Don't blame the Salamence for what it did, when a Pokémon has an unwanted buildup of Mega energy like it did, it's often in great pain and distress. When the Mega Evolution triggered, its instinct was to do anything to ease the pain." Mihara explained, a soft expression crossing his face. "I hope Salamence finds somewhere to rest, and hopefully finds some way to return to Lumiose City."

Hina's own expression softened slightly, but she still seemed skeptical. "So... people here pit these creatures against each other? What do you get out of it?" She asked.

"Pokémon trainers like myself often partake in these battles to forge stronger bonds with our Pokémon. As we battle together, we gain a stronger understanding of each other. Some trainers pursue fame and glory by undertaking the Pokémon League in the hopes of conquering the region's gyms and sitting upon the Champion's throne. Some compete in contests, hoping to showcase the beauty and creativity of their Pokémon. Many of us in Lumiose City compete in the Z-A Royale, a nightly battle competition in the hopes of taking the title of the city's strongest, I compete in the Royale myself." Mihara explained, smiling towards his Meowstic. "Pokémon like her alleviate much of the loneliness one would feel on the road, an invaluable partner that became irreplaceable the moment I met her."

Sensei laughed softly, admiring the sentimentality. "So, these Pokémon are more like your friends and allies than your pets, hm? How did you two meet?" He asked.

"I met Meowstic years ago during a family vacation to the Kalos region. While my family toured Parfum Palace, I snuck out and explored the grasslands that surrounded it... I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings when I was attacked by a wild Venipede. I didn't have any way to defend myself until I stumbled upon Meowstic, who was just an Espurr at the time. I don't think she intended to defend me, but she defeated Venipede and thanked her with some berries I had found... we've been together ever since. I wouldn't trade her for the world's weight in gold." Mihara hummed, gently stroking his Pokémon's cheek.

"That's sweet." Rin laughed softly, a fond smile crossing her face. "Though, you mentioned she used to be... an Espurr? Do these Pokémon change forms?" She asked.

"Some Pokémon can undergo something called evolution. After meeting certain requirements, they'll change their appearance, often becoming stronger in the process." Mihara explained, pointing towards the small flock of Fletchling that flew by. "See those Fletchling? In time, they'll eventually evolve into Fletchinder, and eventually into Talonflame. You don't see it happening to wild Pokémon as often, so I suppose evolution can often be a sign of the growing bond between trainers and their partners."

Hasumi watched as the Fletchling flew overhead. "Seems this place has a lot to be learned about." She hummed.

"We'll have time to study after the crisis has been averted." Yuuka reminded her. "Is this Hotel Z?" She asked.

"It is. Head on inside, I'll see if Taunie and the others are available to join us." Mihara nodded, welcoming them inside and gesturing towards the dining room. "Please, make yourselves comfortable and we'll begin our strategy meeting soon."

The first rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon may have been stopped, but given the sightings across the other districts, they'd only have a brief time to rest and figure out their next move. With any luck, whoever they'd deal with next wouldn't be nearly as destructive.

Chapter Text

"So far, we know of at least five Pokémon roaming around Kivotos. The Salamence that Mihara battled is still at large, but we haven't received any news of further sightings since then." Rin said as she hung a map of Kivotos over the whiteboard in the dining room. "There's the Abamosnow in Red Winter, Tyranitar in Abydos, Clefable in Trinity, and Malamar in Gehenna as of right now. We can't take them all at once. Given the damage that Salamence caused, we'll need to proceed with caution." She said,

"Who do you think we should prioritize? You have more experience with these Pokémon than anyone." Sensei asked, making a few mental notes. "Trinity is the closest to Schale, but according to the footage from Yuuka, Red Winter seems to be the most in danger." He added, turning to Mihara.

"Even if it's the furthest out of the way, given the nature of their situation, Red Winter should be the first one we visit. Even with the blizzards, Abamosnow should be a much easier battle. For what it has in strength, it lacks in speed... combined with a severe weakness to Fire, we shouldn't have nearly as much trouble as we did with Salamence." Mihara stood up for a moment, accessing his boxes once more. "Chandelure should be a good counter to it, then I'll have Beedrill, Scolipede, and Aggron in for backup." He'd make a few adjustments to the team, sending Avalugg, Talonflame, and Salamence back to his PC in exchange for Chandelure, Scolipede, and Aggron.

"Are you prepared to visit the district? It's called Red Winter for a reason, even without the Pokémon's influence, it gets bitterly cold." Hina warned him.

"I can stop by one of the boutiques before we head back to Kivotos. I'll probably need to stock up on some potions, too..." Mihara replied, "There's a few shops up the road we can use."

Before anyone could respond further, Taunie and the other members of Team MZ had entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Mihara, but do you have a minute?" Taunie asked.

"I think we've mostly wrapped up our strategy meeting. What's up? You seem more than a little excited." Mihara asked, somewhat curious now.

"I guess you haven't seen the news, then?" Naveen asked in response. "There was a major robbery at the Lumiose Museum. Nothing was destroyed, but some important artifacts were stolen. They want Team MZ there for a briefing, they believe that one of the artifacts may be related to the portals appearing around Lumiose City."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Lida seemed excited as she bounced around her feet. "Emma's already at the scene, so she'll fill you in further on the situation."

Rin glanced towards the newcomers, "You're Mihara's friends, then? You were responsible for investigating the portals on this side, correct? Did you notice anything strange?" She asked them.

"Right, I'm Lida; and this is Naveen and Taunie, proud members of Team MZ." She replied proudly. "We've investigated the Vert, Magenta, and Rouge Plazas so far and with some help from Gwynn, we were able to get some footage of the other side of the portals. This one is from what we recorded over Magenta Plaza" Her Rotom phone flew out of her pocket and began to play the footage.

The group watched closely, Yuuka's eyes widening slightly at the panoramic video. "That... that looks like Millennium?!" She exclaimed. "Does that mean we're gonna be one of the targets?"

Naveen shrugged slightly, "I'm not sure. We spent several minutes recording it, but we didn't see any hint of a Pokémon in the area." He assured her.

The footage of the Vert and Rouge Portals seemed to reveal they were hovering over Hyakkiyako and Abydos respectively, bringing them more questions than answers.

Hasumi stood up, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "So... we've got at least six known areas of interest along with what had already happened at Schale. None of the recordings revealed any of the Pokémon that we'd be seeking, but at least we have some of where to look." She turned to Taunie. "Would it be possible for us to reach the portal over Prism Tower?" She asked.

"It wouldn't be impossible, but it'd be difficult. Wild Zone 20 surrounds Prism Tower and it's home to numerous strong Pokémon, we'd need to be cautious about it." Taunie replied almost apologetically.

"We'll worry about the Prism Tower portal later. Let's begin preparing for the Red Winter mission. Taunie, I would like to ask you and your companions to continue to monitor the portals over the plazas. Relay any new information you find to Mihara." Rin ordered them as she marked out their destination on the map. "Once we return to Kivotos, I'll begin working with the other members of the General Student Council to begin restoring Schale back to what it was. Sensei, you'll accompany Mihara to each of the districts to provide him with support. Hina, Yuuka, and Hasumi; be sure you have contingencies in place for when you return to your academies. Contact Sensei as soon as you notice changes in the situation."

Everyone had their job to do and with the strategy meeting adjourned, it was time to get the plan underway. Rin made her way back to the Looker Bureau to use the portal that led back to the damaged Schale offices while the others made their way towards the Lumiose Museum to brief with Emma about the robbery, and to see if it held any connections to the portals. After arriving, a security guard escorted them towards the crime scene.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice. As I'm sure Taunie told you, the museum was subjected to a break-in that resulted in the theft of a number of artifacts, though nothing else was damaged." Emma said, turning towards the museum's director. "Fill us in on all the details, please."

The director nodded, gesturing towards the empty pedestal. "This display was meant to serve as a history course on the legendary Pokémon of the Kalos region." He started, pointing towards the large statue of a Pokémon. "For instance, this is supposed to be the depiction of Volcanion, a Pokémon capable of creating devastating blasts of steam. Next to it, those diamonds are said to have been created by Diancie, the Royal Pink Princess, and finally... we had the Prison Bottle. Not much is known about it, except that it was said to harbor the vengeful spirit of a Pokémon. It was stolen last night, and the break-in occurred at around the same time the portals appeared over Lumiose City."

Hina looked towards the empty pedestal. "Do you think there's a connection?" She asked.

"I'm not certain, but it feels too coincidental. Considering it was the only artifact of note that was stolen... we last a few old gems and accessories, but those can easily be replaced." The director replied, gesturing for them to follow him into the security office. "We recovered some security footage, but the culprit was largely obscured."

The footage being played back revealed a short figure with a black coat with numerous multicolored stars and planets embroidered into it. "This is the one responsible for the break in." The director said as he switched the footage to one of the external cameras. "After they left, you can see them flying off on what looks like an Aerodactyl after handing the Prison Bottle to that strangely colored Gengar in the corner."

Naveen pointed towards a dim light in the distance. "Look, you can see that large portal over Prism Tower forming as they leave the museum. It could be a coincidence, but I don't think it is. Something about it feels deliberate." He mused.

"How could they have opened a portal? What did they need the Prison Bottle for?" Taunie asked in response, becoming a little more confused.

"According to the Pokedex, Gengar is capable of traveling between dimensions when it Mega Evolves, so maybe it could've had something to do with it?" Lida suggested with a slight shrug.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look to be Mega Evolved in the footage, unless it somehow timed the opening of the portal. It sounds a little farfetched, admittedly." Mihara crossed his arms, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Might be a little crazy, but it's the only lead we have. I'll set up some wanted posters around the city to see if anyone has any information. Bring what we've learned here to Mable, she might have a few suggestions." Emma also crossed her arms, sighing softly. "Give me a call if Mable gives us any useful information and I'll stay in touch if I learn anything myself."

As Emma went her separate way, Mihara turned to his companions. "I suppose our next stop will be the Lumiose Pokémon Lab. Mabl's a bit... abrasive, but she's brilliant. I'm sure she'll have something for us."

After a short walk to the Pokémon Lab, Mihara quickly made his way to Mable's office. "Sorry to bother you, Mable, but maybe you'd be able to answer a few questions for us?" He asked.

Mable huffed slightly, shooting him a not so subtle glare. "Took me hours just to get you to pick up the phone and now, you're expecting my answers out of the blue? You've got some nerve, Mihara." She grumbled, "Ask away, I guess."

Yuuka rolled her eyes at the dismissive tone Mable held, but she'd step forward. "We spoke with the museum's director. He mentioned the thief responsible for the break in stole an artifact known as the Prison Bottle. Are you familiar with it?" She asked.

"Ah, the Prison Bottle. I'm pretty sure Lysandre had some notes on it while Team Flare was still operating. Hold on a sec." Mable slid her chair towards the filing cabinets behind her desk, fiddling several folders. "Funny you mention the Prison Bottle, I've been noting some similarities between the portals and some old sketches..." She paused, holding up a folder with 'Project Ring' written on it. "Lysandre had been doing some research on the mythical Hoopa in the hopes of using it as a contingency in case he wasn't able to find Xerneas or Yveltal for his plans."

She stood up, distributing some of the crude sketches. For all of Lysandre's talents, art was clearly not among them. Despite that, the sketches clearly showed several structures similar to the Lumiose portals. "According to his research and some of the myths, Hoopa is capable of creating portals and often does so for mischief. Given the theft of the Prison Bottle and the portals around Lumiose City, and the ones in Kivotos, it's possible that Hoopa is connected in some way." Mable explained, briefly skimming through the file.

"So, do you think it's possible that the Pokémon attacking on the Kivotos side might be related to them?" Hasumi asked.

"It's possible, but it could also be a result of lingering energy from Ange and the Pokémon's sudden transportation to another world. Until we've confronted the others already spotted, we won't have an answer." Mable shrugged, giving the documents to Yuuka. "Hold onto these, they may prove useful. Contact me if you discover anything new..." She then glared at Mihara, "...and you better not ignore my calls next time." She warned him.

"Right, right. You'll be the first to know if we find anything new." Mihara promised her, offering an apologetic smile.

"Hmph. Skedaddle for now, I've got some stuff to look into. Go get yourselves for the next leg of the journey." Mable dismissively waved them off as she returned to her desk. "It might be worth looking into Lysandre Labs when you get a chance, it's possible there's some leftover data on the computers, that's if you know your way around hacking a computer."

Yuuka nodded, a grin crossing her face. "We might not be able to, but I know some people that might be able to help." She replied, turning to Mihara. "I'll return to Millennium and gather the Veritas team, hacking some old computers would be child's play for them. Hina and Hasumi should probably return to their student councils to inform them of our mission, too. You and Sensei should take some time to prepare for your visit to Red Winter."

Sensei hummed his agreement, "That's a good idea. Keep me updated if the situations at your academies change. This is goodbye for now, be careful."

Mihara smiled slightly, waving towards them. "If we visit Lysandre Labs later, we'll have to move forward with extreme caution. It's mostly in ruins now and powerful Pokémon lurk inside it. If they're willing, have them meet Sensei and I at Hotel Z, Yuuka." He suggested.

"Will do. Don't wait for us, make your preparations as soon as you can. I believe the Red Winter situation can wait until our investigation into the labs. I'll speak with Chihiro as soon as I return and coordinate for them to meet with you in the morning." Yuuka replied as she'd leave the room alongside Hina and Hasumi.

"There's a boutique not far from here, we should be able to find some good winter clothing there." Mihara said to Sensei. "Team MZ, I'll see you at the hotel for dinner later. Be careful out there." He gave them a warm smile before departing.

"You too, Mihara. I'll have my special croissant curry for you." Taunie promised.

"Don't do that, Taunie. We don't want to scare Sensei away from Lumiose City!" Naveen argued. Their playful squabble continued as Mihara and Sensei entered the elevator.

"Quite a lively bunch, I see. I'm not sure I've ever thought about combining croissants and curry together, but I'm curious." Sensei admitted.

Mihara laughed cheerily, "It tastes a lot better than it looks. Taunie's a wizard in the kitchen." He assured him, smiling as the boutique came into view. "Most of the region is fairly warm, so I hadn't considered buying any winter clothes until now."

For the next couple of hours, the two of them wandered across the shopping center in search of the outfits that would be perfect for a winter excursion. Settling on some simple heavy, black snow coats, gloves, and hats. As they finished their trip in the boutiques, the next stop was the nearest Pokémon Center to stock up on some potions and other medicines that might be helpful while in Lysandre Labs. As they walked, Sensei found himself looking up and down the streets, occasionally noting several of the Wild Zones.

"Mihara, what's with the places surrounded by the green lights?" Sensei asked him.

"Those are Wild Zones, part of the city's redevelopment plan. Those barriers keep the wild Pokémon contained and allow people to get closer to them. A lot of trainers in the city frequent them in the hopes of finding those special partners... over there, in Wild Zone 2 is where I found Gyarados, of course, then he was just a Magikarp that slapped me with a healthy dose of reality." Mihara replied, laughing sheepishly.

"A dose of reality, huh? How'd that happen?" Sensei asked, chuckling lightly.

As they walked by one of the canals leading out of Wild Zone 2, Mihara pointed towards a lazily swimming Magikarp. "See those Pokémon there? Magikarp usually aren't a big threat, it doesn't take much to defeat them or scare them off, but the one I encountered in Zone 2 was an alpha; a larger, more powerful specimen. Despite knowing that, I walked up to it expecting to catch it without any issue... that was until it hit me with a Hydro Pump at point blank. It was painful, but a necessary wake up call." He explained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Big or small, it was all I needed to realize that any Pokémon could be dangerous if you weren't careful. You'd think I'd have learned that after the wild Venipede that led me to meeting Meowstic, but apparently I didn't."

Sensei laughed heartily, Mihara's story mirroring many of the stories he's heard and witnessed himself. "It's good to have learned these lessons sooner than later. Painful, I'm sure, but it seems like those experiences allowed you to become stronger and wiser."

Flashing a cheerful grin, Mihara nodded in agreement. "Hey, thanks, Sensei. I'm not sure how much wiser I've gotten, but I'm just trying to enjoy my youth as best I can and I can't enjoy it if I'm doing stupid things, after all."

As they continued their walk and talk, they'd finally arrive at the Pokémon Center where Mihara picked up some supplies and made sure his Pokémon were healthy by having the nurse give them a quick check-up. After wrapping up, it was time to return to the hotel to sleep off the day and prepare for the arrival of Yuuka and Veritas the next morning. Unfortunately, just as they began to walk down the street, a number of red barriers appeared around the neighborhood block.

"Uh... Mihara? What's with this?" Sensei asked, somewhat nervous now.

"As night falls over Lumiose City, the battle zones appear as part of the Z-A Royale. Your first visit to Lumiose City was a lot like mine, stuck in a battle zone." Mihara stepped over to him, handing three Pokeballs. "Here. Arbok, Blastoise, and Pidgeot can help you in battle. Stick with me and let's find the exit. Be quick, but careful. If any other trainers spot us, we'll have no choice but to battle them."

Sensei only seemed to grow more confused as he held the Pokeballs. "Mihara... I'm not a trainer, how am I supposed to battle?" He looked somewhat frantic as his gaze ran up and down the streets around them.

"Just follow your instincts, trust in your Pokémon, and the rest will come naturally." Mihara pulled up the map on his Rotom phone. "There's an exit not far from the hotel. We just continue going down this street, then go west, and then south again. Stay close and watch your surroundings."

Without much of a choice, Sensei followed close behind. Given all of the chaos and insanity that seemed to happen on a daily basis in Kivotos, he was rather adept at watching his back and had shown a gift for leading people on the battlefield time and time again, but back home, he was merely leading the strategies. He was responsible for guiding and commanding his students through the storm of bullets, never was he the one actively pulling the trigger. Now, it was time for his first real test. It was time to see if he'd be able to stick to his own carefully created strategies. Fortunately, the Z-A Royale wasn't as serious as many of the recent events in Kivotos. At worst, a loss tonight would result in him losing a few bucks, he could live with that.

"Here's your first opponent, Sensei. Look, she's using a Slurpuff... we're not gonna get past her without a battle. Call out Arbok and have it use Gunk Shot." Mihara suggested, hoping this first opponent would be enough to give his companion some idea of what to do.

Despite his nerves, Sensei complied with Mihara's suggestion and let out the former alpha. Arbok glared towards the Slurpuff, poised to strike the moment the order dropped. "Uh... Arbok, use Gunk Shot?" His tone wasn't the most confident, but it was enough to get the Poison type to move. Arbok hurled a large blob of poison towards the unexpecting Fairy-type, netting an easy KO.

"Huh? Slurpuff?" Chloe questioned, having been taken off guard by the sudden attack. "You've asked for it, pal! Simisage, it's your turn to shine!" She then sent out the energetic Grass-type.

"Keep going, Sensei." Mihara encouraged him. "Arbok also knows Fire Fang, Iron Tail, and Leech Life."

Somewhat shakily, Sensei nodded in response. "Uh... avoid that Pokémon's attack and retaliate with Leech Life." He ordered.

Arbok deftly avoided the Simisage's Shadow Claw by ducking beneath its shadowy hand. She swiftly slithered behind it and without any pause in her movements, she lunged forward, her sharp fangs sinking into Simisage's shoulder. Even as the Simisage thrashed about, Arbok refused to back up and continued to bite repeatedly, stealing a little more energy each and every time. Despite the best efforts from her opponent, she was relatively safe from being counterattacked by the way she held on.

As expected, it didn't take much for Simisage to fall and as it collapsed, Chloe recalled and admitted defeat. "Here I am, calling myself one of the SBC's elite." She sighed softly. "Here, you can have some of my prize medals for winning, you should be honored." She huffed, dropping several of them into his hand.

Sensei seemed surprised, but pleased with his unexpected victory. Gazing upon the prize medals, he smiled. "Oh, thank you for the good match."

Mihara nodded his approval. "You're officially a Pokémon trainer, Sensei... well, mostly, anyways. Good job getting your first win. Hold onto those prize medals, at the end of the night, you can exchange those for some prize money. Though... that might be a bit difficult to get since you're not officially a participant in the Z-A Royale." He said, continuing their walk down the road. "We can worry about it later. Once everything's said and done, I'll speak with Vinnie to see if he's willing to give you something for your efforts."

With or without the prize money, Sensei was ecstatic about his first win, happily admiring the medals as he followed behind Mihara. The night continued to move along slowly, with both of them picking up several victories along their way to the exit. These nightly victories were routine for Mihara, though Sensei was pleasantly surprised by his performance. With the two of them combined, they were able to reach the end of the Battle Zone, only a few hundred feet away from the entrance of Hotel Z. Of course, exiting the Battle Zone wouldn't be that easy as they were confronted by a pair of trainers.

"When our eyes meet, a battle begins." One said as he sent out a Sharpedo, his Mega Stone glistening beneath the streetlights.

"The only way out of here is through us. I don't know who your friend is, but we'll be responsible for ending your reign here, Mihara." The other grinned, sending out Camerupt. "With our Mega Evolved partners, Cyrille and I will be unstoppable! Let's show them what we're made of." She turned to her partner.

"It's time we showed who the masters of the Z-A Royale really were. Let's get 'em, Caroline!" Cyrille agreed. In near perfect sync, the loving couple raised their hands to start the battle by Mega Evolving their Pokémon. Once the battle truly seemed to begin, Mihara sent out Beedrill while Sensei sent out Blastoise. Considering that Sensei didn't have a Mega Ring, he wouldn't be able to use Mega Evolution, but Mihara was.

"I'm not about to embarrass myself in front of my companion. You'll regret picking this fight!" Mihara shot back, pumping his fist triumphantly. "Show them your strength, use X-Scissor on Sharpedo! Give it no chance to strike back!" As expected from the Mega Evolved Pokémon, Beedrill controlled the battlefield with its unmatched speed, zipping through the air without showing any signs of slowing down. She struck at Sharpedo with her shimmering stingers, but even if she was able to easily outmaneuver even the speedy Sharpedo, repeated Flamethrowers from Camerupt were quickly applying pressure. For each Flamethrower she was forced to dodge, she'd have to take her attention off of Sharpedo, which of course, made no hesitation in striking at Beedrill by alternating between Crunch and Aqua Jet.

"Blastoise, help Beedrill out there." Sensei said. Even if he had primarily used Arbok for the last few battles, he had some idea of what Blastoise could do thanks to some coaching from Mihara. "Use Hydro Pump on Camerupt!" He ordered.

Though Blastoise was considerably slower than Beedrill, he was able to easily outmaneuver Camerupt. He aimed for the Fire-type, blasting it with the highly pressurized water spewing from his cannons. It was enough to defeat Camerupt quite yet, but it was able to get it off of Beedrill who continued its fight with Sharpedo.

"Sensei, target Camerupt again. We need to take it out before dealing with Sharpedo." Mihara said. "Beedrill, follow Blastoise; as soon as he attacks, use Drill Run on his opponent!"

Sensei nodded, repeating the command for Hydro Pump. As the powerful water blast struck the Camerupt, Beedrill swooped in; rapidly rotating as it flew towards her opponent with blinding speed. The combined power of their attacks not only knocked Camerupt out of its Mega Evolved state, but knocked it out of the battle entirely.

"Camerupt!" Caroline cried, sighing in defeat as she recalled her Pokémon. "It's all up to you, love. You can do it!"

Cyrille frowned, but quickly focused on Beedrill. "Go, Sharpedo, take Beedrill out with Crunch!" He ordered. The ferocious Dark-type lunged for its opponent, its sharp fangs shimmering with a foreboding energy, but before it could connect, Blastoise struck with Aura Sphere. The supereffective attack left it dazed enough for Beedrill to land the finishing blow with her putting as much strength as she could into her X-Scissor.

Sharpedo tried its hardest to recover from the attacks, but it ran out of energy and collapsed, forcing Cyrille to recall his Pokémon. "Someday, we'll defeat you, Mihara. We'll take your crown in doing so, just you wait." He huffed.

"Right. I look forward to the next match." Mihara nodded as he recalled his Beedrill. "I don't know about you, Sensei, but I think I'm ready to call it quits for the night. Hotel Z is a little up the street." He promised.

"I'm bushed. I had no idea battling could be so exciting, but so draining... I'm not sure how you do it every night." Sensei replied, yawning slightly.

"You'll get used to it. You'll have to if we're going to explore the labs tomorrow." Mihara stepped through the Battle Zone's gate. "Hold onto the three I gave you for now, they'll be helpful in the morning."

Sensei nodded, setting Blastoise's Pokeball back into his pocket, along with the others as he followed behind Mihara. It had been a long, but exciting day. Though he wanted to continue the nightly battle, given the situation at hand, they'd need their rest. Perhaps after it's all said and done, perhaps Mihara would be willing to properly show him the ropes and maybe even help him sign up for the Z-A Royale himself, but that'll be a possibility for another day. For now, it's time to mentally, and physically, prepare for the exploration of the ruined Lysandre Labs.

Chapter Text

As the morning arrived, Mihara and Sensei had long since gotten ready for their adventure into the ruined labs beneath the shady Lysandre Cafe. Breakfast had been cooked up and eaten, and now, it was just a matter of waiting for Yuuka to show up with the Veritas team as she promised. Instead of meeting at Hotel Z to plan out their expedition, Mihara had instead sent Yuuka the coordinates for Cafe Pokémon-Amie, feeling that some good coffee and pastries would help make the planning a little easier and be a more effective way to introduce her companions to the big city. Though she was a little skeptical at first, with some reassurance, she relented.

About an hour had gone by before they'd arrive at the cafe, though Yuuka and Chihiro appeared to be ready to conquer the day, the other Veritas members seemed as if they were running on fumes. Mihara frowned slightly, but made an order for a round of coffee and a plate of cinnamon rolls. "Good morning, Yuuka. Are... are your companions alright? They look like they'll collapse at any moment..." He said worriedly.

"If they hadn't stayed up all night playing Mineral Craft, they'd be better off. Though, I'm sure some coffee will perk them up soon." Chihiro replied, shooting a not so subtle glare towards them before returning her attention to him. "You must be Mihara; Yuuka told us about you. I'm Chihiro, Vice President of Veritas. These Maki, Kotama, and Hare; despite their knack for procrastinating, they're among the brightest minds at Millennium."

Mihara smiled, inviting them to sit down. "A pleasure to meet you all. Cafe Pokémon-Amie has some of the best coffee in town, feel free to help yourselves to it." He offered.

"Thank you." Hare muttered as she took a seat, gratefully taking a cup. "Precious caffeine..."

Yuuka sighed, shaking her head as she sat down as well. "What can we expect to find in the Lysandre Labs? We'll be relying on you to guide them through it. Kotama, Hare, and I will coordinate things from Hotel Z while Chihiro and Maki will join you and Sensei in the labs to acquire whatever data they can use." She explained.

Mihara leaned back, sipping his coffee. "The labs are in a major state of disrepair, so caution is advised. Holes in the floor, cracks in the ceiling; I'd suggest watching your step. Wild Pokémon live within it, many of them are highly aggressive. If we're quiet, but quick, we can avoid them. I'd imagine some of these Pokémon used to be guards of the facility before Team Flare's collapse, so many of them are strong."

Sensei perked slightly at the mention of Team Flare. "Mable mentioned Team Flare yesterday. Who were they? Who was this Lysandre guy?" He asked.

"I... I'm not the best person to ask about Team Flare. I was still living in Cherrygrove City during their operations. From what I heard, Lysandre wanted to reactivate the Ultimate Weapon to effectively destroy the world by using Xerneas and Yveltal to his advantage. As for Lysandre himself, I only know bits and pieces about him, he was a generous man overcome by his ambitions. I'm guessing his search for the legendary Pokémon caused something to snap inside him." Mihara explained somewhat sheepishly. "Mable was one of Team Flare's scientists, but in exchange for avoiding prison time for her role in their plans, she would be tasked with running the Lumiose City Lab and wasn't allowed to leave the city."

Yuuka frowned slightly, "So... Mable was part of some guy's insane plan? Are you sure we should be taking her advice?" She asked, clearly concerned.

"I know how it seems, but Mable's genuinely trying to help us." Mihara assured her.

"Given it was apparently the center of some evil organization's ambitions, it'd be safe to assume there's a few traps, right?" Kotama asked.

"Probably. I know I've blundered into a few of them, I wouldn't be surprised if there were others." Mihara shrugged as he set his empty cup down. "The last time I visited, I remember encountering an alpha Arbok. I would enjoy not having to fight it again, but I'd be ready." He warned them.

"You've mentioned these alpha Pokémon before. What's up with them?" Sensei asked.

"They're often more powerful and much larger than the average specimen, they're often much more aggressive, too." Mihara paused, sending out his Beedrill. "Beedrill, for example, was an alpha herself. Beedrill are already aggressive Pokémon, but they didn't come anywhere close to her ferocity. However, once you've become friends with them, they'll become irreplaceable parts of your team."

Chihiro nodded in response, "So, we just have to keep an eye out for especially large specimens. I suppose that won't be too difficult. Anything else we should keep in mind?" She asked.

"Not that I can think of. I can bring you to the old lab whenever you're ready." Mihara shrugged as he stood up, stretching slightly. After making another adjustment to his team, he'd swap Aggron out for his Ampharos. "I'll keep this one with us, the lighting in the lab isn't perfect, so Ampharos should keep things nicely lit for us."

Yuuka stood up as well, "Best of luck down there. Find the information we need, but don't do anything crazy." She said to them, gesturing for Hare and Kotama to go with her. "Meet us at Hotel Z after you're done and we'll discuss the next phase of the plan."

Mihara nodded in response, "Right. We'll see you soon." He then turned to Chihiro and Maki, "If you're going to the labs with us, you'll need a Pokémon yourself. I'll coach you battles when the time comes, but hold onto them for now." He'd hand them Pokeballs containing Aurorus and Roserade respectively.

Maki stared at the Pokeball, a wide grin crossing her face. "It's like we're playing Capsule Creatures... I'm excited!" She said cheerily.

"Please try to take this seriously, Maki." Chihiro said with an exasperated sigh. "Let's get going, there's no time to waste."

Mihara led them toward the ruined cafe, an eerie, foreboding feeling seemed to permeate every inch of it. From the old chairs to the unusually adorable silverware and cups haphazardly stacked in the crumbling cupboards. As they entered, Maki shivered slightly. "What's with this place? I've been in abandoned buildings before, none of them felt this creepy..." She sighed softly, moving closer to Chihiro.

"I've felt it every time I've visited. The cafe's been up for sale since Team Flare disbanded, but no one wants anything to do with it. Can't blame 'em, the place was the epicenter for what could've been a major disaster if things went slightly wrong." Mihara said as he approached the elevator. "I believe their main research center was somewhere on the second floor..."

After the elevator reached its destination, Mihara sent out Ampharos. "Think you can keep things lit for us, buddy?" He asked the Pokémon. Ampharos nodded in response, illuminating the red-orb on its tail. "Perfect. Now... we just need to start wandering around until we find something."

The foreboding feeling never stopped following them as they aimlessly wandered through the ruined lab. So far, they hadn't run into much trouble aside from them occasionally tripping over loose cables and rubble on the ground. No wild Pokémon had tried to attack them yet, but their good fortunes wouldn't last long.

"Mihara, look. I see a few computers down the hall, but it looks like a Pokémon is guarding it..." Sensei pointed out, looking somewhat concerned.

"A wild Metang? So, you really can find them down here. Our mission is the priority, but if I can add to my Pokedex..." Mihara grinned, looking towards his Meowstic. "You're up. See if you can catch it off guard with Earth Power." He suggested.

The little Psychic-type hopped off his shoulder and quietly approached the Metang, carefully observing its movements before she'd unleashed a furious burst of energy beneath it. The attack certainly caught it by surprise, hitting it for supereffective damage, though it wasn't enough to defeat it completely. In retaliation, Metang angrily used Take Down, launching its full weight at Meowstic. Though, the bulky Pokémon missed by a country mile and clumsily slammed into the wall.

"We'll keep Metang occupied, you three should go in and see if you can't find anything useful on the computers." Mihara suggested, his gaze firmly on the wild Pokémon.

"Be careful, Mihara. That thing looks strong." Chihiro replied, gesturing for Sensei and Maki to follow her into the crumbling computer lab. Fortunately for them, there was enough power for them to use the computers as needed. As expected, much of the information they were wanting was locked behind a number of passwords and well designed firewalls, but it wouldn't be enough to stop the Veritas members from getting into them. At first, they didn't find much use besides some names and occupations of the former Team Flare members, and it seemed that it was all a waste of time until they came across a strange looking file that was unusually well protected.

"Look at this folder.. it feels important." Maki said, attempting to bypass the protections surrounding the folder. "Project Hyperspace. There's a few other files on this computer, but none of them are as blocked off. It might be promising." She mused.

"Can you get into it? If you can remove those protections, copy it onto the flash drive and we'll take it back to Mable to see if she knows anything." Sensei replied.

Maki nodded in response as she began her decryption of the protections that surrounded the folder. It hadn't taken her long to break into it and as she opened the folder, she noticed a strange document that looked like more of a diary of sorts than anything used for genuine research or planning. "What's this all about?" She asked idly, opening the document.

"With some inspiration from Team Galactic's research into Dialga and Palkia, I began to look into the potential of other dimensions. I felt it'd be good to have a back-up plan in case their search for Xerneas and Yveltal failed. I've heard stories of a prankster Pokémon that hoarded treasure in some other dimension. I wonder if those stories hold any truth to it. I doubt Xerosic or Lysandre will approve of using organization funds for a wild Swanna chase, but I can fund it myself. Day one of Project Hyperspace begins now."

Maki seemed confused as she read the document, finding another one with similar writings. "This guy seems insane..." She admitted. "He just keeps going on and on." She added.

"Day 63 of Project Hyperspace. I've captured Hoopa, though I'll wait to tell Lysandre about it until I can figure out how to properly control its power. I've experimented with creating gateways to other regions. I grabbed some cookies from Lavaridge Town, some ice cream in Castelia City, and some shady guy in Azalea Town was offering me some Slowpoke Tails. It smelled good and I was tempted, but then told me the price was in the millions! I don't care how tasty they are or I can just nab some money from the bank with Hoopa, I'm not about to clean out my pockets for a snack!"

The documents continued with the ongoing ramblings of this strange Team Flare member until they reached the final document.

"Day 339 of Project Hyperspace. So, Team Flare has fallen. I knew trying to control the legendary Pokémon wouldn't work. There was no way they could contain them and without any kind of incentive, they'd have no reason to lend them their power. The same logic should apply to Hoopa, but it seems strangely motivated by donuts of all things. So long as Dunkin' Darmanitan stays in business, which I'm sure it will with the way Hoopa eats those donuts, it'll cooperate with me. Further research and experimentation with the portals Hoopa creates has revealed that it can indeed choose its destination, though its choices seem to be pretty random... Most of them were unimpressive, but recently it revealed a place called Kivotos. I only saw glimpses of it, but what's been revealed so far shows it to be a place of fascinating technology. Imagine what we could do if we had access to it... we wouldn't need Xerneas or Yveltal to fuel our wildest dreams if we had access to it. Further study is required. Given that the authorities will be beating our doors down at any moment, this'll be my final entry here. Team Flare will be a thing of the past, now's the beginning of... well, I'll figure out a name for my new organization later. We'll be called the Universalites, or something like that... maybe something not so lame."

As the final document came to a close, Maki worked on copying the data to her flash drive. Sensei sighed softly, "I doubt Mihara would know about any of this, but Mable might. I wonder if that Project Ring she mentioned might be related to this. The documents look to be a couple years old, so it turns out that they've known about Kivotos for a while. I wonder if they've got something to do with the portals?" He mused, looking at the name signed at the bottom of each entry. "Alexandre Colbert. Keep that name in mind."

Chihiro nodded, turning back to her teacher. "We've got the data. We should find Mihara and leave. Judging by the sounds down the hall, either he's still struggling with that Pokémon, or maybe the sounds of his fight attracted others. Whatever the case, we can't keep him waiting for too long."

While they were wrapping up the data collection, Mihara was successful in capturing Metang, but the noise had indeed attracted other Pokémon. His Gyarados and Chandelure were currently locked in battle with an alpha Doublade that led a group of smaller Honedge and Doublade into battle. They could see several Houndour and Houndoom weren't far behind. He was confident they could defeat them with no problem, but that didn't mean he was particularly excited about being in what could've been an endless battle. The combination of Gyarados' and Chandelure's powerful attacks proved to be an overwhelming combination for the alpha's minions, but the alpha itself was fighting as hard as possible, paying particularly close attention to Chandelure by repeatedly attempting to hit it with Shadow Claw.

Mihara initially only intended to defeat the rampaging Steel-type, but after seeing how hard it fought, perhaps catching it wouldn't be a bad idea either. He came in with just the Pokémon on him, so if he could leave with two new companions, it'd make the whole trip down to the old labs even more of a worthwhile venture. As the battle raged, the group of Houndour and Houndoom arrived to make things worse, forcing Mihara to split his Pokémon. Gyarados was tasked with fending off the approaching Fire-types, while Chandelure continued to weaken Doublade until it was finally able to be caught.

"Mihara! We've got the data!" Sensei called as he finally caught up to the young trainer. "We appreciate you keeping them occupied, but it's time we headed back to Mable's lab."

Mihara nodded in response as he threw a Dusk Ball at the Doublade. One... two... three... click! The Doublade was successfully caught, though the Houndour and Houndoom remained a problem. "Doublade won't be an issue any longer, but I don't think they'll let us leave any time soon. You remember the way we came in, right? Have Yuuka meet your students back at Cafe Pokémon-Amie, she should be able to lead them back to Mable's lab."

While Mihara's Pokémon were strong, numbers do overwhelm. Sensei nodded, sending out the Blastoise lent to him. "Chihiro, take yourself and Maki back to the cafe. Have Yuuka meet you there, we'll catch up as soon as we're able." He ordered.

"Right. Be careful, Sensei. You too, Mihara." Maki replied, seeming somewhat hesitant at first, but after watching the trio of Pokémon defend their trainers, she relented and followed after Chihiro.

Chandelure had since been swapped out for Aggron, and combined with the ferocity of Gyarados and Blastoise, the group of Houndour and Houndoom were eventually forced to flee, giving Mihara and Sensei a window of escape. All that was left was to escape the labs and reunite with the Veritas team. Though, before either of them could even step onto the elevator, Sensei received a call from Hare. "Sensei, can you meet us at Nouveau Cafe? The one near Prism Tower? Maki and Chihiro ran into someone that might be able to answer a few questions before you head to Mable's lab." She said,

"Yeah, I suppose we could do that. We'll be there soon." Sensei confirmed.

"Nouveau Cafe? I wonder if they ran into Grisham and Griselle after we left..." Mihara suggested, seeming a bit confused.

"Who are they? Should we be concerned for Maki and Chihiro, then?" Sensei asked.

"Former Team Flare members. Grisham and Griselle are good people, I promise. They weren't high up or anything in the team, but maybe they'll have some idea about the data you've recovered." Mihara replied, exiting the elevator. "Come on, Nouveau Cafe isn't far from here. We get some gorgeous views of Prism Tower from where the coffee truck is located."

They'd pick up the pace slightly, hurrying toward the cafe. By the time they had arrived, Yuuka and the Veritas team were already sitting at the cafe with a few drinks along with the former Team Flare members. Mihara approached them first, a smile crossing his face at the sight of his friends. "Sorry we took so long, those Pokémon down there were a stubborn bunch."

Grisham nodded, inviting them to join the table. "I'm glad to see you're both unharmed. Your friends told us about your mission. You recovered a few files from a former member named Alexandre, right?" He asked.

"Alexandre Colbert, yes. I assume you're familiar with that name?" Sensei asked in response.

"He was a friend of ours, a scientist in Team Flare. He was always researching strange phenomena anywhere and everywhere he could. He was one of the chief architects behind Project Ring and was the one who discovered Hoopa's abilities, believing that having access to a Pokémon like could help Team Flare be a little more subtle. I'm not sure where his plans transitioned from Project Ring to Project Hyperspace, but sometime after Hoopa's discovery, we'd see him less and less often. After Champion Levi defeated Lysandre and freed the legendary Pokémon, he locked himself up in his research lab for weeks. When the authorities came for him, the room was empty and his computers were protected with the finest security. No one was able to crack the code, so like the rest of Lysandre Labs, it was abandoned." Griselle explained, a somewhat somber expression on her face.

"Do you think he has something to do with the portals appearing over Lumiose City?" Mihara asked. "Oh! Yuuka, you still have the footage from the museum, don't you? Maybe they'll be able to recognize the person in it?"

Grisham perked slightly, "It's possible. He was determined to fully control Hoopa's rings, so perhaps he's made some progress since Team Flare collapsed. I would be interested in seeing the footage, though." He replied.

Yuuka nodded, pulling up the security recordings. Grisham and Griselle watched closely, hints of recognition in their expressions as they looked at the strangely colored Gengar.

"...that Gengar is familiar, isn't it?" Griselle asked. "I don't remember him having an Aerodactyl, but it makes some sense. He always had a fondness for the ancient Pokémon."

Grisham nodded in agreement, "I see his fashion taste hasn't gotten much better since then. It could be a weird coincidence, but I'm positive that it's Alexandre's Gengar. He was known to use it for his thievery before he joined Team Flare. Looks like some things don't change much, either." He then turned to Mihara. "I'm afraid we're in the dark about the finer details of Project Ring, though Mable might know a bit more about it."

Mihara smiled, setting his empty cup down. "No worries, thanks for telling us what you did know. At least this'll lower the number of suspects. We'll talk with Mable and I'll let you know if we learn anything useful." He said as he stood up.

"Be careful. Alexandre was a powerful trainer back in the day, I'd imagine he's only grown stronger since then." Griselle warned him. "Feel free to come back for another drink in the future, you and your friends are always welcomed."

As they said their farewells, they left the cafe and made their way towards Mable's lab to discuss their findings with her. While they were gone, it appeared the former Team Flare scientist had been sifting through some of the notes on Lysandre's former Project Ring and was in the middle of looking through his findings when the group had arrived.

"Ah, Mihara and friends. I take it you found something useful in the old labs, then?" Mable asked, looking at them lazily.

"We found evidence of something called Project Hyperscape by Alexandre Colbert. We spoke with Grisham and Griselle earlier, they mentioned he was one of Team Flare's researchers and one of the main architects behind Project Ring." Sensei explained.

"Alexandre, hm? Now, that's a name I haven't heard in years. Yeah, he was skeptical about the potential of us being able to find and control Xerneas and Yveltal for our grand plans, so he looked into other possibilities. If Project Ring transformed into something bigger, then he must've had a breakthrough in his research. I'm not surprised, he was well beyond the point of being obsessed with Hoopa within only a few weeks after the Project began." Mable explained, pulling up some old documents written by Alexandre.

Maki offered her the flash drive, "We were able to access the files on his computer. Perhaps some of them might make more sense to you?" She replied.

"So, you managed to break through Alexandre's protections? Impressive. I'll look over the data and see if anything pops out at me. Looks like there's over seven-hundred documents here, it'll take me a few days." Mable very briefly skimmed over the folders contained within the flash drive. "I'll give you a call soon, Mihara. Don't ignore me this time." She huffed.

"Thanks, Mable. In the meantime, perhaps we should take care of the Red Winter mission, then. We shouldn't keep them waiting much longer. We can head back to Kivotos together." Mihara suggested as he turned to leave.

"That's a good idea. I can already expect Cherino will give me quite the chewing out..." Sensei said with an exasperated sigh.

After leaving, they had made their way back towards the Looker Bureau to use the portal in Emma's office to step back into the ruined Schale office. Next stop would be the train to Red Winter, or at least that was the plan until they were stopped outside the Schale building by one of Gehenna's emergency vehicles. Chinatsu stepped out of the vehicle, an apologetic, but worrisome expression crossing her face. "I'm sorry to drop in so suddenly, Sensei, but it's an emergency. I know you're busy, but it's a matter that can't wait. Gehenna is under attack and the Prefect Team is struggling to keep it under control. Hina's doing her best, but even she's reaching her limit."

Sensei's eyes widened, seeming concerned. I suppose Red Winter will have to wait for now... who's attacking, Chinatsu?" He asked, motioning for Mihara to climb into the vehicle with him. "I'm sorry, Yuuka. I'll see you soon, but I suppose this is where we go our separate ways for now."

Yuuka nodded, giving him an encouraging smile. "We understand, Sensei. Hopefully you get there in time."

Maki perked up slightly, holding out the Pokeballs that Mihara lent her and Chihiro. "Here, you might need them back. Good luck out there."

Mihara smiled as he set the Pokeballs back into his satchel. "Thanks, Maki." He then turned to Chinatsu. "So, what's the issue?" He asked her.

"It's the Gourmet Research Society. Normally, they wouldn't be too difficult to handle, but... they seem different. Normally, Akari would be throwing around some lame jokes and Junko would be threatening us with nonsense, but today, they seem unusually coordinated. They're handling Iori and Hina like I've never seen before... and this time, they didn't even bother taking Fuuka hostage." Chinatsu started, gesturing for Sena to drive back to the academy. "We were hosting a small school festival with the Pandemonium Society in attendance as well as students from other academies. There's a lot of people at risk... so, Hina ordered me to come get you as soon as possible."

Mihara looked concerned as he glanced towards Sensei, "You remember the footage Hina showed us the other day? If I remember correctly, Malamar was the Pokémon spotted near Gehenna... even when Mega Evolved, it's not the most powerful, but it's devious and possesses incredible mind control powers. Perhaps it's responsible for the attack on the school." He suggested.

"If that's the case, I hope you're ready to battle it. We can't let it carry on like it is now." Sensei reminded him.

"Chances are, it'll be hiding in the background while whoever it possessed does its bidding. I'll need you to do what you can to keep those students contained while I look for Malamar." Mihara replied, hoping that this battle wouldn't be nearly as destructive as the one against Salamence.

"That... Malamar thing you're talking about, was that the weird squid we saw on the cameras? Last time it was spotted, it was seen around where Problem Solver 68 is headquartered. With any luck, it will still be there. It's bad enough that the Gourmet Research Society is involved, we can't risk it taking control of Problem Solver 68, too." Chinatsu glanced towards Mihara, briefly studying him. "Keep in touch with Sensei during your search." As the emergency vehicle came to a screeching halt, Sena pointed down the alleyway.

"Last I heard, Problem Solver 68 was headquartered around here. It shouldn't be hard to find it. If they've been untouched so far, they might be able to help you search for that creature you mentioned." Sena said, her expression never changing. "Good luck, Mihara."

Mihara nodded as he exited the vehicle. He'd swap Chandelure out for Talonflame, needing some eyes in the sky. "I'm going to begin my search for the Problem Solver 68 team, I need you to search the skies for Malamar. With any luck, it won't notice you. If you find it, come back to the alleyway and we'll engage it in battle." He said. The Talonflame nodded in response, taking off for the skies to begin her aerial search while Mihara wandered through the alley to search for the Problem Solver 68 office.

Chapter Text

After several moments of aimlessly wandering through the somewhat unnerving alleyways of Gehenna, it seemed he'd finally have found his destination after stopping beside an old office building with a sign that said "Problem Solver 68" on it, though it wasn't exactly well drawn or well written. If they were trying to advertise their services, they weren't doing a great job, but criticizing their business choices wasn't why they were there in the first place. It didn't appear any lights were on, so perhaps they were out of the office at the moment, though that didn't stop Mihara from entering regardless.

"Pardon the intrusion, but is the Problem Solver 68 squad here?" Mihara called out, only to find himself on the opposite end of a student's pistol pointed at him.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, seeming a little on edge thanks to recent events. "What are you doing here? We're not taking new clients at the moment."

Both Mihara and Meowstic raised their hands to show they meant no harm. "I'm Mihara, here on behalf of Schale's Sensei to deal with the rogue Pokémon spotted in the area. He's likely at Gehenna by now, but he requested I meet with you to investigate the Malamar sightings in the area." He explained.

Though still somewhat wary, she lowered her weapon. "If by Malamar, you mean those weird squid things, then yeah, you'd be in the right spot. We got some CCTV footage from this morning, two of our companions were acting strangely." Kayoko explained, gesturing for him to follow her. "Mutsuki was acting unusually calm and quiet this morning. I thought she might not be feeling well, but then she just disappeared. Haruka was acting the same way, though she's usually fairly quiet normally, so I didn't think much of it. Aru has been trying to contact Sensei, but I guess the situation at Gehenna must be bad if he's focusing on it."

Sitting behind the desk was Aru who was frantically watching the screens. "There you are, Kayako! Look at this, I've spotted Haruka and Mutsuki. They look like they're in battle with the Prefect Team, though I'm not seeing Hina or Iori anywhere. Both of them seem more focused than normal..." She said, not even noticing Mihara yet.

Both him and Kayoko stepped over to screen to see what she was watching. In the very corner of the screen, a pair of Malamar could be seen hiding away in the alleyway watching Haruka and Mutsuki hold their ground against the Prefect Team. "Mihara... those squid things in the back, are they what you're looking for?" She asked him.

"Yeah... so, we've got at least two Malamar at large and there's likely a third one controlling the Gourmet Research Society..." Mihara replied, standing up straight. Before he could say anything else, Meowstic suddenly jumped off his shoulder and scrambled back outside, seemingly noticing something he hadn't yet.

"Meowstic? Where are you going?" Mihara asked her, but got no response. "Maybe Talonflame's come back..."

Kayoko raised an eyebrow as she watched the cat-like Pokémon scamper out of the room. "Perhaps your friend's noticed something." She shrugged.

It was just as Meowstic left the room that Aru noticed that Mihara was there. "Huh? Who are you? Where'd you come from?" She asked frantically, instinctively reaching for her rifle.

"Mihara, here on behalf of Schale's Sensei. I think I know what's causing their strange behavior." Mihara replied, pointing towards Malamar. "Those things back there, the Malamar... they possess powerful mind control powers. Though, I'm not sure why they'd target your friends, or the Gourmet Research Society. It... it almost looks like they're purposely causing chaos to serve as a distraction." He mused.

"A distraction? For what?" Aru asked, growing slightly unnerved by the revelation. "Will we be able to break them free from their control?"

Mihara nodded in response. "Of course. We need to find where they are. You two can hold off your friends while I take care of the Malamar. The Prefect Team doesn't seem like they'll last much longer... and I need to see where Meowstic ran off to."

Kayoko sighed softly, not sure what to expect from the coming battle. "They're just a few streets north of here. If we're quick, we might be able to catch them before they can cause any further damage."

The three of them quickly stepped back outside to find Meowstic talking with Talonflame, both Pokémon turning to their trainer with confident expressions. "I take it you found the Malamar, then?" Mihara asked the Flying-type. "Can you lead us to them?"

Talonflame nodded as she took off for the skies again, gesturing for the group to follow them. "Try to keep up, Talonflame's speed is second to none." Mihara said as he quickly picked up his Meowstic, soon running after the swiftly flying Talonflame.

It didn't take them long to find the chaotic battlegrounds; cars were ruined, the streets were littered with debris, defeated Prefects were strewn about on the ground while Haruka and Mutsuki looked raring to go for another couple of rounds. Before intervening, Mihara took a moment to study the layout. "Do you think you and Aru can distract your companions? If I can catch the Malamar off guard, it'll make defeating them that much easier and with any luck, your companions will be freed from their control."

Aru seemed nervous, but determined to rescue her friends. "Right. Just be quick about it." She replied, rushing out of her hiding space to confront the mind-controlled Mutsuki and Haruka.

Talonflame carefully led Mihara around the buildings, hoping to help her trainer sneak up behind the Malamar before more damage could be caused. Fortunately, it seemed the rogue Pokémon were more focused on watching their hostages cause problems and hadn't noticed the arriving trainer. Taking advantage of their distraction, he sent out Scolipede and Beedrill.

"Hit them with X-Scissor, don't give them a chance to strike back." Mihara ordered.

The pair of Bug-types nodded in response and rushed towards their opponent, their horns and stingers poised to attack. By the time the two Malamar noticed their arrival, it was already too late as the attacks connected. The battle had been finished the second it began. As they collapsed to the ground, Mutsuki and Haruka slowly snapped out of their controlled state. Their rifles dropped to the ground and the clouds in their eyes cleared away.

Before any kind of celebration could occur, a rain of smokebombs came from the heavens, obscuring the field of view. Nothing could be seen, but the sound of someone swooping in and out could be heard. As the smoke cleared away, the Malamar were gone. It was concerning, but ensuring that everyone was safe was more important. Mihara rushed back to the ruined street, approaching the recovering Problem Solver 68 members.

"Are you four alright?" Mihara asked, recalling his Scolipede and Beedrill.

"Yeah... we're alright, I think." Aru replied softly, cradling Mutsuki in her arms.

"We're not injured, but my head is killing me..." Mutsuki whined, clutching her forehead.

"Pretty common to see in Malamar victims. You'll feel better once you've gotten some water and rest," Mihara explained, taking a bottle of water from his bag for her and Haruka.

"Thank you, Mihara. We'll get some back to the office for the night." Aru replied, giving him a grateful smile. "Let me give you this... a coupon good for any service we can provide free of charge. Don't be a stranger around here." She handed him a small business card.

"Before you report to Sensei, you should take a look at this. I caught a picture of something swooping out into the smoke cloud." Kayako said, showing him a photo on her phone. It was hard to see much of anything, but the blue-colored tail and the very tips of some red-colored wings stood out against the black smoke raised some concerns.

"There's no way... I could be wrong, but I'm certain that was the Salamence that escaped after the attack on Schale. It would seem it's connected to the Malamar in some way. Two of them were defeated, but I haven't received any kind of update from Sensei, so I guess the situation at Gehenna is still ongoing." Mihara replied, briefly looking at his phone. "Would you be willing to send that photo to Sensei so I can have him forward it to Yuuka and the others?"

Kayoko nodded in response. "I take it you're headed to Gehenna, then? Be careful out there, if the Head Prefect is having trouble, then you might be in for a tough fight." She smiled lightly as she picked up the sleeping Haruka. "Be sure to stop by, we'll grab some ramen or something."

Mihara returned the smile before sending a message to Sensei. "Right. You should take my number, keep in touch if anything changes here."

Not long after they parted ways, a vehicle could be seen speeding down the road towards him. As expected, it was Sena of the Medical Emergency Club. She rolled down the window, calling towards him. "You're needed in Gehenna immediately, Mihara. The situation hasn't changed much and the Prefect Team is nearing its limits. Hina is doing all she can, but she's struggling to keep up the momentum." She said quickly. "If they aren't stopped, then we'll have corpses... I mean, injured students piling up."

Though her statement about the pile of corpses caught him off guard, Mihara climbed into the passenger's side. "Well... I guess we have no time to waste, then. Scolipede and the others are raring to go." He promised.

Without further hesitation, Sena stomped on the gas and sped back towards the warzone that was once Gehenna's parking lot. Innumerable Prefect members were strewn about, worn from the ongoing battle. Iori and Hina fought as hard as they could, but with dwindling ammunition and the unusual level of coordination from the Gourmet Research Society, they were on the losing end. As soon as Sena's vehicle came to a screeching halt, Mihara stepped out of his vehicle and sent out Talonflame to be his eyes in the sky. It didn't look like there were too many places to hide, but if they wanted the situation to cool off even slightly, they needed to be quick.

"Mihara! I heard from Kayako that the situation with the Problem Solver 68 club has been resolved and she sent me the photo." Sensei said, quickly running towards him. "Give me the run down, please."

Mihara turned his attention to him as Talonflame took off. "I'm positive that the Salamence that destroyed Schale is connected to this, there were two weaker Malamar controlling Haruka and Mutsuki, they showed the same level of coordination as you're seeing from the group here. As soon as we find the lead Malamar, we can piece together the clues gathered so far."

It didn't take long for Talonflame to find the Mega Evolved Malamar, much like with the Salamence over Schale, it attacked the moment it spotted Talonflame, but it wasn't nearly as quick and coordinated. The Flying-type easily evaded its attacks and responded with Steel Wing. Each attack from Talonflame seemed to be weakening its grip on the Gourmet Research Society. "Sensei, can you hold them off for a little while longer? Once Malamar has been defeated, they'll be released."

Sensei nodded, looking towards the exhausted Prefect Team. "I hate to rush you, but... make it quick. I don't think they'll be able to hold out for much longer." He replied, turning his attention back to the ongoing gunfight.

Mihara sent out Beedrill, "Alright, it's time to shine bright like a star and Mega Evolve!" He cheered, the Key Stone on his wrist and the Beedrillite on his Pokémon shimmered as it transformed into its Mega Evolved state. "Help out Talonflame and strike with X-Scissor!"

The Bug-type rushed towards the distracted Malamar with blinding speed, the glowing stingers connecting for high damage. Mega Malamar flew back several meters; crashing hard through the wall of the school. Though it sustained heavy damage, it wasn't ready to give up. It retaliated with Night Slash, easily connecting with the otherwise speedy Beedrill. Talonflame came charging in with Flare Blitz, though this proved to be a mistake as Malamar had grabbed a hold of Beedrill as it tried to recover from the powerful strike. It held the Bug-type as an effective shield, holding it in front of it as Talonflame attempted to dive bomb it. She noticed her friend a second too late and collided with Beedrill for supereffective damage.

Beedrill was quickly defeated and the recoil damage from the Flare Blitz left Talonflame vulnerable to another attack. Malamar may have been weakened from their combined attacks, but it wasn't about to give up. With Beedrill out of the picture, Mihara swapped to Scolipede. "Don't give up! Hit it as hard as you can with Megahorn!" He yelled out.

The raging Poison-type bulldozed its way towards Malamar, its glowing horns colliding with the Pokémon. It was shoved back a fair distance, struggling to return to its feet as Scolipede charged towards it again. For the second time, Megahorn collided with it. The final strike knocked it out of its Mega Evolved state, but truly defeating it would have to wait as the Salamence from Schale made another appearance. It used Hyper Beam on the tower that the Pandamonium Society was using to watch the festivities. Mihara wanted to go after it, but the damage caused by Hyper Beam caused the tower to tilt, a gaping hole forming where the beam struck. The building wasn't going to collapse, but the sudden tilting caused a young student to fall from it.

Hina looked worried, but her exhaustion prevented her from rushing to her rescue. "Ibuki!" She cried out.

"Gyarados, catch her!" Mihara yelled as he sent out his ace. Despite his massive size, Gyarados proved to be faster than he looked, using his tail to launch himself forward. He carefully grabbed Ibuki by the collar of her shirt with his gaping jaw. Afterwards, he dropped the terrified girl in the arms of Mihara. This distraction was enough for the Salamence to make a quick getaway with the Malamar.

He sighed in relief, "Good, you're safe." He smiled, looking towards his Pokémon. "Good work, Gyarados. It seems Salamence got away, but she's safe and it looks like the attack from the Gourmet Research Society has ended."

Despite the sudden fall, Ibuki seemed surprisingly cheerful as she smiled up at him. "Thanks for saving me, mister." She said happily, squirming slightly in his arms.

"I'm glad you're not hurt." Mihara returned the cheerful smile as he set the girl back on the ground.

"Sena, start transporting the injured to the infirmary. We'll coordinate a search and rescue once we've regrouped." Sensei shouted before approaching Mihara and Ibuki. "I'm glad that's over, hopefully that'll be the last we see of the Malamar. It was strange that Salamence showed up again."

Despite her own wounds, Hina had joined them as did Iroha and Makoto; the former was far more concerned about Ibuki's wellbeing while Makoto wanted some information.

"Thank you for saving Ibuki." Iroha said gratefully. "And for stopping that weird creature when you did. I'm not sure how much longer we could've held out."

Mihara waved off the gratitude, smiling still. "I'm glad I could be of some help here." He then turned to Sensei. "We should regroup back at Hotel Z to begin planning our next move. Schale's still largely out of commission, and it doesn't seem like we'll be able to use Gehenna, either."

Sensei nodded in agreement. "Satsuki and Chiaki can help coordinate the search and rescue efforts while Makato and Hina come to Lumiose City. Of course, we'll need to keep it brief. Red Winter's still in danger."

With a sense of urgency, the group hurriedly made their way back to Lumiose City, making a brief stop at the Pokémon Center to allow his exhausted Pokémon to get some much needed recovery. As they finally returned to Hotel Z, they were greeted by Taunie who was setting the dining room.

"Welcome back, Mihara. I'm glad you could join us for dinner." She greeted happily, seeming quite proud of her latest batch of croissant curry.

"...croissants and curry?" Hina questioned, staring at the steaming plates with some slight apprehension.

"Yep! The best of Kalosian and Galarian cooking in one dish! Within time, it'll be known throughout the city!" Taunie said proudly, inviting them to sit.

"Yeah, it'll be famous, but not for the reasons you're wanting." Naveen replied, clearly not a fan of the meal either as he stepped out with some alternatives.

"Just try it, you'll love it." Taunie encouraged as she sat down.

"Don't worry, Hina, it tastes a lot better than it looks." Mihara assured her with a teasing laugh.

The group from Kivotos seemed hesitant, but with the assurance from Mihara and Taunie, they joined in on the meal with some mixed reactions. Ibuki and Iroha seemed to love it, but the others were still on the fence. In order not to offend their host, they finished up their meals regardless of the uncertain thoughts in their mind. After they finished eating, they turned their attention to the whiteboard with some notes and photos regarding the repeated Salamence sightings and the recent trouble with the trio of Malamar.

"So, we know that the Salamence that destroyed Schale is connected to the rogue Malamar. It almost looked like those Malamar were just there as a distraction." Mihara started, turning towards Hina for a moment. "From what I've gathered, the Prefect Team is the main enforcement group in Gehenna, right? It looked as if whoever was behind Malamar wanted to distract the district's most powerful groups."

Hina nodded in response, "It seems like they wanted to keep us occupied, but why?" She asked in response.

"Do you know if there's been any robberies reported around Gehenna, Hina?" Sensei asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, at least. Though, I've noticed that the Hot Springs Department has been unusually quiet lately. We haven't heard from Kasumi or Megu for a few days. Normally, they'd be blowing something sky-high by now." Hina leaned back in seat, slightly confused.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't heard from either of them recently. Last I remember, Kasumi was researching some water veins she discovered near Hizashi Park. As far as I know, there haven't been any incidents since the last message." Sensei replied, concern in his eyes.

"You don't think they might've had a run in with those Malamar? Though, it seems strange that they would've been so quiet." Mihara mused, looking towards the board.

"Once the Prefects have recovered from the earlier conflict, I'll send a group to search for them. Even if they're wanted criminals, I'd hate to see them seriously hurt." Hina stood up, taking note of how late it was getting. "I suppose you'll need to be visiting Red Winter soon, right?"

Before Sensei could answer, an emergency call popped up on his phone. In the hologram hovering over the screen, Nozomi and Hikari appeared; though they wore their usual mischievous smiles, there were hints of concern in their eyes.

"Hey, Sensei, you're not busy, are you? If you could make an emergency stop to the Red Winter station soon, that'd be great. Us and a few Highlander students were asked to try and clean the station from the massive blizzard and we got stuck. If you could throw us a helping hand before that weird... walking tree-thing notices us, we'd appreciate it. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't look happy."

Just as quickly as the hologram appeared, it disappeared. Sensei sighed softly as he stood up, "I know it's late, but we need to head out sooner than later. Things always seem to go from bad to worse when Nozomi and Hikari are involved... and from the sounds of it, they're in the most direct danger of that Pokémon." He said.

"I'm raring to go when you are. I'm not sure the Abamosnow will wait for us to take our sweet time getting there." Mihara replied as he swapped his Scolipede out for Aggron.

The situation only seemed to be growing more and more dire with the passage of time, but that wouldn't stop them from doing all they could to end it. With any luck, the Abomasnow will provide them with less trouble than Malamar or Salamence, but given their track record so far, that didn't seem likely.

Chapter Text

Given the apparent severity of the crisis in Red Winter, there was hardly any time they could spare to get any real rest after they had finished eating supper. The moment their plates were cleared off was the moment they rushed off to get changed into their winter clothing to make the journey towards the snow covered district. Neither were particularly excited for this mission, not that they'd been all that excited to deal with the previous rogue Pokémon, but at least they weren't going to be stuck in freezing winds and snow in piles as tall as them. It likely wasn't any more pleasant for the Red Winter or Highlander students. Regardless of their feelings, it was time to make their way in dealing with the Abomasnow sooner than later.

Fortunately for them, the walk back towards the portal in the Looker Bureau and the car ride to Red Winter didn't take nearly as long as they thought it would. Of course, within seconds of arriving in the district, Sensei's car was practically buried beneath the raging snow, much to his dismay. With high winds, it would be difficult for them to conduct any kind of aerial search, even for a quick flying Fire-type like Talonflame, so for now, they would have to go by foot. Lucky for them, it wasn't particularly hard to find the Highlander students thanks to Hikari and Nozomi having a veritable light show with their emergency flashlights, much to Aoba's annoyance. 

"Yoohoo, Sensei... and Sensei's friend!" Nozomi called, her voice being almost infectiously energetic despite the situation at hand. "You sure took your sweet time getting here. We've been trying to shovel our train out of this mess, but for every pile of snow we move, a new pile shows up." 

Sensei sighed softly, glad to see they were okay. "I'm glad you three are safe." He replied, briefly glancing around to see if they could find any sign of the wandering Pokémon.

"Hey... what happened to that Pokémon you two mentioned earlier?" Mihara asked them, a little more concerned now that he wasn't able to see a supposedly massive Pokémon. 

"I'm not sure what a Pokémon is, but if you're talking about that big tree thing, it's probably nearby." Hikari shrugged casually. 

Neither Mihara nor Sensei knew how to properly respond to them, but that would come later. The first priority was to try and dig the train out of the snow. Perhaps using a couple of Fire-types would be useful in that. He already had Chandelure on him, but even for as strong as she was, she wouldn't be enough to clear it completely. Opening his Pokémon storage system, he'd hand Sensei a pair of Pokeballs. "Here, Camerupt and Simisear should be able to help us immensely." He said as he'd make one final adjustment to his team, temporarily swapping Talonflame out for Charizard. "Perhaps it'll draw the Abomasnow out from hiding, too."

Sensei nodded, sending the two Pokémon out. "Oh, you'll probably want the others you lent me back, won't you?" He asked, a sheepish smile crossing his face.

"No, hold onto them for now, we may need their aid later on." Mihara shook his head, turning his attention towards the train.

"Whoa... more weird animals, cool." Hikari grinned, her eyes sparkling as she looked towards Simisear, finding it to be rather amusing in comparison to the others.

All four of the Fire-types began to use Flamethrower on the piles of snow that surrounded the train and covered the tracks. The blazing heat coming from them made quick work of the snow, though they'd have a long way to go before they could properly travel towards the Red Winter station, but they could at least relax knowing that the train wouldn't be buried. The Pokémon continued to melt away the snow for a little while longer until a shrill scream filled the air and a sudden thud against the train could be heard.

"Aoba?" Sensei called out, "Are you alright?!"

She shakily stood up, "...maybe?" Aoba replied quietly, clutching her stomach for a moment. Somehow, while they were clearing out the trainer, the rogue Abomasnow managed to catch them by surprise and like any alpha Pokémon, it made no hesitation to attack anything that moved. Unfortunately, Aoba happened to be in the way of its Wood Hammer attack, and it was preparing to attack again.

"Chandelure, use Flamethrower on it, quick!" Mihara ordered, looking worried for the white-haired girl. 

"Uh... Camerupt, join him with Flamethrower as well." Sensei said, trying his best despite his lack of experience as a trainer.

The powerful gouts of fire combined for a devastating attack on the Abomasnow, pushing it back several meters. "Charizard, stay with the girls. Don't let Abomasnow get anywhere close to it." Mihara said, stepping in front of the train with Sensei. The draconic Pokémon nodded, protectively standing in front of Aoba, watching the towering Ice-type carefully.

"Simisear, continue working with Hikari and Nozomi to clear away the snow." Sensei ordered, gesturing for Camerupt to stand alongside Chandelure. 

Despite the powerful combination, Abomasnow stood back up and was ready for another bout. It retaliated against their fiery attacks with a devastating Earth Power; molten rock spewed from the ground, hitting the two Fire-types for supereffective damage. Both were severely weakened from the attack and vulnerable to another devastating hit, prompting Mihara to send out Aggron to aid them. He knew full well that another Earth Power would be even more damaging to him, but he had hopes that Aggron could deal enough damage that one of them could take it down.

The heavy Steel-type let out an echoing roar as he stared down his opponent. "Aggron, let's try to finish it in one shot." Use Head Smash!" Mihara yelled out.

Despite his bulky size, Aggron rushed towards the Abomasnow for a powerful headbutt. Again, it was knocked back several meters, but the attack seemed to be working as it struggled to stand up again. "Charizard, join with Chandelure and let's finish it with Flamethrower! Aggron, join in with Flash Cannon!" 

The two Fire-types joined forces, spewing out the blistering hot flames alongside the burst of light from Aggron. "Camerupt, Simisear, you do the same. Let's wrap this show up with Flamethrower!" Sensei ordered.

Four Flamethrowers and a Flash Cannon, even the most powerful Pokémon would struggle to stand against such a combination and Abomasnow was no exception. Even as it tried to stand up again, the attacks took their toll against it. The rogue Pokémon fell with a loud thud against the ground. For a moment, Mihara frantically looked for the Salamence that made off with the Malamar from the day before, but there was no sign of it. This was strange, but considering that the Abomasnow wasn't Mega Evolved and the way it was moving seemed to indicate that perhaps it was unrelated to the investigation into the portals and potentially an unfortunate victim of them suddenly opening. 

Curiously, Mihara threw a Pokeball at the fallen Pokémon to see if it might've been wild. One... two... three... click! 

The apparent wild Abomasnow was now his; though he didn't come to Red Winter with the intention of catching some Pokémon, it'd make for a nice addition to the Pokedex. After its capture, a gleaming object was seen on the ground where it once laid. Mihara approached it, picking it up to study it. 

"A camera...? It was a wild Abomasnow, so why'd it have a camera attached to it?" Mihara questioned, looking towards Sensei. "Does it look like any model from Kivotos? I don't think I've seen models like this around Lumiose City."

Sensei shook his head, "It's not familiar to me, but... we can always bring it to Millennium. The Engineering Department and Veritas might be able to help with it. One group can figure out its origins, the others might be able to recover any footage on it." He replied, crossing his arms slightly. "I find it hard to believe that a wild Pokémon would just randomly have a camera attached to it... any theories?"

Mihara was silent for a moment as he'd set the camera in his satchel. "Perhaps it was another experiment by our suspects, they attached it to Abomasnow as a way to gauge the defenses of Kivotos, though how they managed to get close enough to it without getting hurt is beyond me. Abomasnow are naturally aggressive, the alpha energy that flowed through it only made it worse. Let's bring it to Millennium as soon as we're done here." 

By now, Hikari and Nozomi were able to make some adjustments to the train while Aoba regained her bearings after the attack. A snow-plow was attached to the front of it. "Sensei! We should be able to make the rest of the journey to the station. Climb aboard and we'll get you there." Nozomi said cheerfully. "We'll bring you to Millennium as thanks for your help afterwards."

Sensei nodded, helping Aoba climb back into the cabin. "Thank you, Nozomi." 

Mihara climbed in with them after recalling his Pokémon. He glanced towards Aoba, an apologetic expression on his face. "I never would've imagined such a large Pokémon could sneak up on us. How are you holding up? I know all too well how painful a Pokémon's attack can be."

Aoba waved off his concern. "I'll be fine, it... scared me more than anything." She assured him. "Hopefully that's the last one we'll have to deal with."

The train quickly began to fly down the tracks, the newly attached snow plow making quick work of the obstacles in their way as it eventually reached the Red Winter station. The blizzard had since dissipated thanks to Abomasnow's capture, but many of the buildings were still blocked off and for the most part, the station remained largely inoperable until the snow had been cleared away. They'd have a bit of work cut out for them if they were to get to any other district. Sensei and Mihara climbed off the train as they came to a stop.

"We'll be back as soon as we're able. We need to clear out the Red Winter Library and meet up with Cherino soon so we can figure out how to clean this place up." Sensei gestured for Mihara to follow him towards the library. 

Despite the mountains of snow, traveling towards the library wasn't particularly troublesome thanks to the help from Charizard and Simisear. After arriving at the library's entrance, the sounds of gunfire and yelling could be heard from behind the door. Worried that another Pokémon could be causing trouble, they hastily plowed through the snow that covered the doors and rushed inside. There were indeed multiple Pokémon that managed to get inside the library; several Snorunt, Gogoat, Bergmite, and even several Delibird were running amok while panicked students opened fire on them. 

Several students remained locked in combat while a few others tried to calm them down. Sensei sighed softly, he knew chaos like this was a daily occurrence, but he saw the frustration in the eyes of Momiji. "Hey! Let's calm down for a moment!" He yelled, his voice echoing through the library. It was enough to capture the attention of both the students and the wild Pokémon as they stared at him. "Looks like these Pokémon were among those trapped by Abomasnow, I'd imagine they're as afraid as you are. Mihara, would you be able to calm the Pokémon while I talk with Momiji and the others?"

Mihara nodded, taking several Pokeballs from his satchel to begin capturing them as quickly as possible. Momiji sighed with relief, running over towards her teacher. "I didn't think you were ever going to show up, Sensei. These... These Pokémon showed up when the blizzards started. A weird portal opened up in here and they began pouring in." She explained, looking upset to see the state of their once pristine library. "It's gonna take months to clean all of this up..." She pouted.

"I'm sorry, Momiji. I wish we could've gotten here sooner." Sensei said apologetically, watching as Mihara captured the remaining Pokémon. "Is that portal still open? Where is it?" He asked her.

"No, it disappeared shortly after the Pokémon burst in here. Though, Cherino disappeared with it. One of the Pokémon knocked her into it by mistake when she came for an inspection, I haven't seen her since. Tomoe and Marina have ordered an emergency search around the district, but with the blizzards, they haven't made any progress." Momiji explained, sighing in defeat.

"Cherino disappeared? That's concerning, but if she was knocked into the portal, that likely means she's in Lumiose City by now. I suppose we'll have to make our trip to Millennium later." Sensei shook his head, internally annoyed that a new problem seems to show up every time they make any progress in their investigation. "It looks like Mihara's rounded up the Pokémon, that should make the cleanup a little easier."

Mihara soon returned to them, seeming rather proud of his work. "You know, you should keep these Pokémon with you. They could make for useful assistants. I don't think they intended to make a mess of things, but it happens when you're in a panic." He hummed, handing Momiji the newly filled Pokeballs.

"Wait... are you sure it's a good idea?" Momiji asked skeptically, looking towards the Pokeballs in her hand. 

"It doesn't seem like these rings will close any time soon. The longer they stay open, the more likely Pokémon are to enter them. It'd be better for the residents of Kivotos to begin learning about them before another situation like this occurs." Mihara assured her, smiling softly. "I overheard you mentioning a student being swallowed up by a portal. Judging by the Pokémon that were running around the library, she'd most likely be in Wild Zone 12. It's home to all sorts of Ice-types like the Snorunt and Bergmite we saw running around here."

Overhearing it, Tomoe rushed over to him. "You mean our Great Leader is safe, then? You must take us there immediately, we need to bring her back home sooner than later." She begged him.

"Yeah, as long as she isn't doing anything crazy, she should be fine. If you have any photos of her, I'll send it to Emma so she can send word out to the residents around Lumiose City to keep an eye out." Mihara offered as he pulled out his phone.

Without any hesitation, Tomoe chose the finest photo she could find; one displaying Cherino in all of her mustached glory. It was hard to tell if it was a real photo or doctored to make the school's president look better, but there was little time to question, or criticize, the photo. Mihara sent it to Emma with some notes, asking her to keep an eye out for the girl. "Let's get going, the sooner we find her, the sooner we can get her home and out of any trouble." He gestured for them to follow. 

Tomoe hastily followed behind them, and Momiji somewhat hesitantly came with them. Though cleaning the library was her priority, she couldn't deny her curiosity to see the other side of the portal. After returning to the station, they found that the Highlander students made impressive progress at bringing the station back into working order.

"Hey, Sensei! You're back... and with company! I take it you're not heading to Millennium, then?" Nozomi asked with a playful grin.

"There's been a change of plans. If you can get us back to Schale, I'd be grateful. We've been informed a Red Winter student was trapped in Lumiose City. We're heading there to see if we can't bring her home safely." Sensei explained.

"These portals are becoming troublesome." Hikari huffed, crossing her arms childishly. "You might as well get comfortable, then. It'll be a few hours before we reach Schale's station." 

At least they'd have some time to rest before the next mission. Upon climbing aboard and getting comfortable, Mihara found himself nodding off, Aoba subconsciously leaned against him as she fell asleep, too, the toll of the day's events weighing heavily on her. The others remained awake for the ride. Occasionally, Sensei glanced towards the two sleeping side-by-side, a light smile crossing his face.

"For a girl who hates the world, she seems awfully comfortable next to Mihara." Sensei chuckled softly, glancing back out towards the window. Even if his focus was somewhere else, he'd speak to Momiji and Tomoe. "Do you know if any other students have gone missing? Or was it just Cherino?" He asked them.

"Not that I know of, but... come to think of it, I haven't seen Meru since the portal opened, but I don't remember seeing her in the library before it opened." Momiji replied, frowning slightly. "You don't think she got swallowed by another, do you?"

Sensei shrugged. "I hope not, but I suppose we'll find out soon. Have you been able to contact her since then?" He asked in response.

"She hasn't been responding to my MomoTalks since yesterday. I'm worried about her. She's not usually this quiet unless she's found something to inspire her artwork." Momiji teared up slightly, her concern for her friend growing by the second.

"Don't cry, Momiji. We'll find her. Emma's been informed about the disappearance of one student, I'd imagine she'll keep an eye out for any others, too." Sensei assured her. 

The remainder of the train ride went smoothly. As they finally reached the station, Mihara was woken up and ushered off the train. Sensei turned to them, "Thanks for the ride, girls. Be careful on your way back to Highlander." He smiled, waving towards them.

"Pyahaha, that was a lot of fun. We'll see you, Sensei." Nozomi replied, a playful smile on her face.

"M-Mihara... thanks for the help earlier, it means a lot to me." Aoba whispered, her hand brushing against his. "If... if you ever find yourself in Highlander, look me up." 

Mihara smiled, nodding in response. "I'll be sure to do so. See you around." He replied, waving towards her before following the others towards the Schale building.

Along the way, Emma called him. "I hope you're not busy, Mihara, but I've asked around regarding Cherino. Some eyewitnesses say they saw a mustached-girl being led to the Rust Syndicate building. We're not sure what she's doing with them, but I can't imagine they're up to any good. Some have witnessed another girl with a halo hiding in Wild Zone 12. An alpha Avalugg has prevented anyone from helping her." She explained.

"That must be Meru!" Momiji explained, slightly relieved to know she was found, but concerned that a wild Pokémon has her in danger.

"She doesn't seem to be in any danger, but until the Avalugg's been dealt with, there's not much we can do. We've tried speaking with the Fists of Justice, but they haven't been able to make any progress against it. I know you’re worried about Cherino, but the girl in Zone 12 should be the priority. Meet me at the entrance of the Wild Zone and we'll begin our rescue mission." Emma soon hung up.

"I'm worried for Meru, too. Zone 12 was where I caught my Avalugg... and I still have the scars from that battle. I'm not too concerned that Corbeau will hurt Cherino, but he might hit her with an unpayable debt if she isn't careful." Mihara sighed softly, "Let's be quick. Emma will be there to help with the battle against Avalugg."

Chapter Text

After arriving back in Lumiose City, the group hastily made their way towards Wild Zone 12 to begin their rescue mission of Meru. Given the danger of the Pokémon that called it home, they'd need to be quick if they were to ensure the girl's safety. Momiji clung to her rocket launcher like a lifeline, ready to fire it at the first threat against her friend. It wasn't a particularly long walk, but after they arrived at the entrance, Emma waved towards them.

"Mihara, you've arrived. Taunie's on the inside, scouting out the Wild Zone in search for the missing student, but she hasn't returned yet. She's a strong trainer, so I'm sure she's fine, but she could probably use our help. Are you ready to step inside?" Emma asked as she turned towards the entrance.

"I am. I'll have Charizard search from the skies while we coordinate a ground search." Mihara replied, stepping into the Wild Zone. "Charizard, I need your assistance! Take to the skies and see if you can't find Meru. Check around the water-ways. We'll join you as soon as we're able."

The large Fire-type nodded as he took off, swiftly flying towards where the Bergmite and Avalugg gathered while the rest of the group began to look through the Wild Zone. It didn't take them particularly long to find Taunie, stuck in a battle with several wild Machoke and Machop. Her Emboar was handling them fine, but that didn't stop Sensei and Mihara from lending her their help by sending out their Pidgeot and Chandelure respectively. With the added pressure of the two newcomers, they were able to make short work of the hostile Fighting-types, fending them off until they finally had enough sense to run off.

Taunie sighed softly, glad the battle was over for a moment. "Well, that was fun. I'm glad to see you made it here alright, Mihara" She said cheerily. "Who are the girls you've brought with you? Are they searching for the missing student as well?" She asked.

"This is Tomoe and Momiji, they came with us to rescue their friends. Meru was the priority given the danger of this Zone. You haven't seen any sign of her yet, have you?" Sensei asked her.

"Not yet, but I was following some footprints until those Machoke and Machop attacked me. I've noticed the trail seems to abruptly end near the canals. I don't know if she fell in the water, but I haven't heard any activity from the Pokémon there nor have I heard anyone say anything." Taunie explained, continuing on her trail now that the battle had finished.

Mihara followed behind her, studying the trail for a moment. "You don't think she managed to make an escape through that exit? The Avalugg and Bergmite seem awfully eager to get to the otherside." He suggested.

"Maybe Meru's on the other side? How do we get by them without attracting them?" Momiji asked, gripping her launcher just a bit tighter.

"Taunie and I can distract them while Emma leads you two down the canals. Charizard will go with you, if you find any sign of Meru, send him our way." Mihara replied, looking towards his friend. "Up for a fight against the Alpha?"

Taunie gave him a confident grin, "Let's do it." She replied, sending her Emboar back out while Mihara sent out Aggron.

"As soon as we've grabbed its attention, exit through the tunnel there. We'll catch up as soon as we're able." Mihara said to them, whistling to get Charizard's attention. "Charizard! Go with Sensei!"

With only the slightest bit of hesitation, both Emboar and Aggron started the battle with a powerful Head Smash attack. Given the Avalugg's distraction, they were able to catch it off guard. The consecutive super-effective attacks caused it to stagger back, but once it regained some of its composure, it was ready to fight. The smaller Bergmite attempted to attack the pair, but they were easily defeated by a combination of Drain Punch and Iron Tail. Those that weren't defeated had fled the scene, leaving them to face the alpha alone.

Thanks to them keeping it preoccupied, Sensei's group made a quick escape into the canals to search for Meru. Charizard kept to the skies, his eyes peeled for any unusual looking residents. Given how large Lumiose City was, there was no telling where she could be, but how many people could really be wandering around with brightly glowing halos like Meru and her classmates? Fortunately, despite how large the city was, it didn't take Charizard particularly long to find the girl. Rather than being in immense danger like they expected, she was instead reclining on a bench overlooking a small canal, cheerfully sketching the Magikarp that swam by and the various Flying-types that flew by.

Though he was only given orders to find and report back to Sensei, he had a change of plans and decided to try and lead her back towards them himself rather than have her just wait around. Going in for a fairly rough landing, he'd catch Meru by surprise. She nearly threw her tablet into the waters below, but held onto it for dear life, staring at the Fire-type with some mild confusion and concern. Charizard looked incredibly cool, like something out of the manga she enjoyed, but being approached by something that could burn her to a crisp caused some concern. Instinctively, she reached for her handgun just in case Charizard was hostile.

"Can... Can I do something for you?" Meru asked nervously, fighting the urge to begin sketching the Pokémon in front of her.

Charizard gave off various grunts and growls, gesturing for her to follow him. Though still confused, her curiosity was getting the better of her. Setting her tablet back into her bag, she'd stand up. "You want me to follow you?" Meru asked him, shrugging after thinking about it for a moment. "Maybe I should start finding a way back home, I'm sure Momiji's worried about me. Lead the way." She suggested.

With a nod, Charizard huffed as he flew upwards, showing off a bit as he did a loop-de-loop in the air, swooping up Meru in the process; much to her dismay. She wasn't afraid of heights, but to suddenly be grabbed off the ground would throw anyone off. A strange mixture of fear and fascination swirled around her eyes as she watched the ground swiftly move beneath her dangling feet. Seeing the city from this view was incredible. It was already unlike what she had known while in Kivotos, but to see it from this angle highlighted its difference in ways she wouldn't be able to see otherwise. If she weren't terrified about the possibility of the Charizard dropping her, she'd be snapping all kinds of photos; the architecture, the Pokémon high in the sky by their side, the moss-covered Prism Tower and all of the portals overlooking the city. No doubt any pictures she'd take would provide her with some incredible inspiration for her future art pieces.

Fortunately, the flight from where Charizard found her didn't last that long and within a few minutes, they had found Sensei's party. Once they were safely back on the ground, Meru released a sigh of relief once she was set back down on her own two feet. Seeing that one of his students was safe, Sensei was satisfied.

"Good work, Charizard. I'm glad to see Meru's safe once again. Where have you been?" He asked worriedly.

"After I ended up in that snowy park, I was attacked by some angry iceberg thing... I fled until I found somewhere to regain my bearings. I suppose I got a little distracted doing some sketches, but I didn't know who to go to for some help." Meru explained sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

Momiji smiled widely as she rushed to her friend's side. "I was worried about you when you suddenly disappeared like that. Though, I guess we shouldn't be surprised you found some inspiration here." She said, giving Meru a brief hug.

"Sorry for worrying you so much. I suppose I could've called you or Sensei, but I didn't think my phone would have a signal here." Meru laughed softly, gladly returning the hug.

"Mihara seems to have a signal in Kivotos, and my phone works here, too. As long as those portals are opened, you should be able to reach us." Sensei turned his attention towards Tomoe. "Now that we've found Meru, it's time we regrouped with Mihara and Taunie to begin searching for Cherino."

Tomoe nodded in agreement, "Should we be worried about Cherino being involved with this... Rust Syndicate, Emma?" She asked curiously.

"As long as she doesn't make any deals with them, she should be fine. They're troublemakers, but I wouldn't worry too much. Since the situation with Ange died down, Corbeau's been on the down-low. Once we get there, let Mihara deal with them. He's on good terms with most of the organization. I doubt they'd be too welcoming to a law enforcement officer." Emma explained as she began to head back towards Wild Zone 12.

By the time the group had reunited, Mihara and Taunie had long since defeated the Avalugg with the latter successfully catching it. Now, the two trainers have another source of playful competition by trying to establish which of their Avalugg is stronger. Given how much more experience Mihara's Avalugg had, he was obviously leaning towards his, but that wouldn't stop the banter between them. The groups reunited at the halfway point.

"Good, it seems like you've found Meru. The Rust Syndicate's building isn't far from here. As long as Cherino hasn't done anything crazy, bringing her home shouldn't be an issue." Mihara said, gesturing for them to follow him. "I'm not sure if we'll be as lucky to have Corbeau wipe any debt she'd owe them like he did with Taunie... though, I suppose as long as Cherino's willing to do a little work, paying it back won't be impossible."

Sensei rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Knowing her, she'd just get some of the Red Winter students to do it for her... and that'd just invite another coup. Lumiose City would be the site of the next Red Winter uprising." He sighed.

"The next one...? You say it like it happens regularly." Taunie replied, clearly confused.

"There's a new coup every week, typically led by the Labor Party. Even if she doesn't get wrapped up in some deal, I wouldn't be surprised if she returns to Red Winter with someone trying to take over." Sensei replied somewhat casually.

Mihara and Taunie shared a confused glance, unsure of what to make of it. They had little room to be too surprised at the chaos in Kivotos, given the things that have been happening around Lumiose City these past couple of months. From the rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon causing trouble for them, an ancient weapon reactivating beneath Prism Tower to the various portals opening up. Still, hearing that coup de tauts and uprisings were so common that they were treated as a minor inconvenience was surprising to hear. Despite that, it only made them grow more curious about seeing Kivotos in its fullest. Mihara's been able to see a few of the districts so far, but there's still so much more that he hasn't explored yet. Any further exploration would have to wait until the crisis was over.

Eventually, they arrived at the Rust Syndicate's building, but were stopped by Philippe as expected. The burly syndicate member gestured for them to stop. "I take it you're here for the girl, Mihara?" He asked the obvious.

Mihara nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, is she here? We need to make sure she gets back to her school before any further trouble occurs there." He replied.

"She's with the boss now. You and that teacher guy might be intrigued in what he has to discuss with her. Head up to his office, he's expecting you." Philippe said as he stepped out of the way. "I hope the boss isn't in too sour a mood, though. That girl's a bit... pushy. I could tell he wasn't the happiest dealing with her, but he recognizes a good opportunity when he sees it."

Tomoe sighed softly, she knew better than anyone how Cherino could get. "I'll apologize in advance for any offense that our Great Leader might've had." She said apologetically, wearing a somewhat worried smile.

"Don't apologize for her. Hurry up there, you don't want to keep him waiting." Philippe waved off the apology.

The group moved forward, taking the elevator up to Corbeau's office with uncertain expressions. Even if Corbeau has proven himself an ally and good friend to Mihara, he's seen him get angry and it's never been a pretty sight. Fortunately, despite the annoyed glimmer in the Syndicate leader's eyes, he greeted them with a smile.

"Took you long enough, Mihara. Seems we ought to teach you how to be more punctual, but I guess it can be excused given everything that's happened. I doubt you've been given much of a breather since those portals opened up." Corbeau said, inviting them to join him and Cherino on the couches.

"Ah, Comrade! You've arrived at last." Cherino grinned, twirling her mustache as she looked towards them. "We've got much to discuss while we're here."

Sensei sighed in relief as he took the seat beside her, "You haven't caused any trouble, have you?" He asked worriedly.

"She's a bit... stubborn, but no trouble's been caused so far. Instead, I want to make a proposal." Corbeau said, a hopeful grin crossing his face. "If those portals are still open by the end of the crisis, I got to thinking... if they remain open, it might not be a bad idea for our worlds to become properly connected. We'd establish a Kivotos Academy in Lumiose City where citizens here can learn about the other world, and we'll establish a Pokémon Trainer's Academy on the other side to teach them about the wonders of being a trainer. Even if the Pokémon that have shown up on the other side belong to someone, that doesn't mean that wild Pokémon won't eventually cross over, too."

Mihara chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Wild Pokémon have already been making the trip. The Abomasnow that was sighted in Red Winter was a wild Pokémon, and there were several wild Pokémon inside the school's library. Though, establishing an educational source on both sides might not be a bad idea." He hummed, becoming interested in the idea.

"To ease people into the proposal, I'm considering contacting Director Clavell of Paldea's Naranja Academy to establish a sort of... exchange program. Students from Naranja Academy attend a few of the academies and students from Kivotos will attend Naranja Academy for a few months." Corbeau explained, glancing back towards Cherino. "She's already agreed to the potential of it, but there's the matter of contacting the other student councils, but that's where their teacher steps in. She mentioned that you've got some sort of... extrajudicial authority, Sensei."

Sensei seemed a little surprised that so much could be planned out in such a short amount of time, but he did like the proposal even if the idea of letting certain students like the members of the Hot Springs Department, Gourmet Research Society, or Kata-Kata Helmet Gang get access to potentially powerful and dangerous Pokémon filled him with some anxiety. If the two worlds were going to be connected, it wouldn't hurt to properly establish some peaceful relations and a student exchange program was the perfect way to do so.

"It'd have to wait until the current crisis cools down, but I'll talk to them and see what they think about it. The Millennium Expo is happening soon, so I could probably run the proposal by Yuuka and Noa to get their opinions on the matter. They asked me to monitor the Expo for now to ensure that it goes smoothly with all the portals opening up." Sensei replied, glancing towards Mihara. "Could I ask for your help in monitoring the Expo? Having your Pokémon on guard would make me feel better, and I'm sure the others would enjoy it, too."

Mihara nodded in response. "Of course. We'll need to stop by Millennium anyways to see if anyone there can help with the camera we found." He reminded him.

"A camera?" Taunie questioned, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah... the Abomasnow in Red Winter was a wild Pokémon, but after I captured it, I found a small camera where it fell. It didn't seem to be from Kivotos, but it didn't look like any model I've seen around Lumiose City." Mihara explained as he took the small, black camera from his bag. It didn't look like anything too impressive, just a generic looking trailcam, but without any logo or branding on it, there was no telling what company made it.

"That camera... it almost looks like the ones we use for our security cameras here." Corbeau said, looking at it confusedly. "I'm pretty sure it's from the Todd Snap Company's line of security cameras, though I've never heard of anyone attaching it to a Pokémon before."

Mihara frowned slightly, "According to Mable, our likely suspect was a top scientist in Team Flare. Perhaps he could've modified it to work differently. We'll be taking it to the Veritas team to see if they can't recover any footage or trace its origin." He replied, setting the camera back in his satchel.

"You know... it almost feels like they're wanting us to know who's behind it. Why else would they leave behind potential evidence?" Taunie asked, crossing her arms slightly.

"It doesn't make any sense, but I suppose some people do enjoy establishing their presence. Back in Gehenna, the same Salamence that attacked Schale seemingly came to rescue the Malamar that were attacking the district, but they ignored the Abomasnow and left behind potential evidence. I wonder why?" Sensei mused.

"Maybe the Abomasnow was meant to gather intel on whatever trainer stopped it? Do you think there's any potential it could've been recording Mihara's battle against it? He'd be their largest threat, so it makes sense they'd want to gather whatever information on him that's available." Emma suggested, her eyes widening slightly. "Which also means they could be listening in on us now. Get this to the Veritas team as soon as you can. Any evidence we have against the suspects would be helpful."

Taunie nodded in response as she stood up. "I'll continue working with Naveen and Lida in monitoring the portals on our side and I'll keep you updated if anything changes." She replied.

"I'll have my people keep an eye out for the rest of the city. Philippe and I will stay in contact if we discover anything useful." Corbeau added as he turned to Sensei, "...and I'll be in touch with you if I make any progress with Director Clavell."

Emma hummed, turning for the exit. "I'm going to contact some of the International Police officers in the other regions. I can't imagine that Lumiose City is the only place with these portals, I'll see if they've noticed anything strange. Mihara, you go with Sensei and his students back to Kivotos. Keep me updated if you find anything strange and make sure you send any useful footage to Mable. If we're dealing with former Team Flare members, she'd be the most likely to have any information on them." She said before making her exit.

"This just keeps getting more and more interesting. We'll head back to Schale, and I guess we'll go our separate ways from there." Mihara looked towards Cherino, handing her his phone number. "Give me a shout if any new problems brew in Red Winter. My Pokémon will be there to help." He promised.

"No need for that! Mr. Corbeau was nice enough to give me my own." Cherino grinned, tossing up a Pokeball to reveal she had been given a Mawile. "He said that this Pokémon would be the unofficial start of the student exchange program." She stood up, proudly placing her hands on her hip, her Pokémon mirroring her movements. "With her power, purging troublesome students will be easier than ever! Shooting and biting those who cause trouble, Red Winter will see an era of peace like never before."

Internally, Sensei groaned at the idea of Cherino having a troublemaking Pokémon, but on the outside, he just smiled. "Be sure you take good care of it, Cherino." He reminded her.

"I know that, Comrade. I'm going to up my pudding allowances to make sure she gets her share of it." Cherino assured him, looking towards her new Pokémon. "All she needs now is a mustache of her own, but I can worry about that when we get back to the school. Thank you, Mr. Corbeau. Red Winter will be opened to the students from here if that exchange program gets established. Now, let's be off."

Corbeau nodded, waving towards them. "I'll be in touch, then." He hummed, "Good luck with the rest of the mission, Mihara. Don't be such a stranger here, you're welcome to share a cup of tea with me anytime."

With their farewells in place, the group made their way for the Looker Bureau Portal to begin making the long trip to Millennium to monitor the Expo. "So, Sensei, what's the Millennium Expo, anyways?" Mihara asked curiously.

"It's an annual exhibition where Millennium clubs showcase their projects. I heard the Game Development Department was planning to show off what Momoi claimed was their magnum opus, it'd make their previous titles look like child's play... which isn't exactly a high bar to raise. I believe the Engineering Department was planning to reveal some new weapons, and there were a few other exhibits I'm interested in seeing. This year's exhibit was supposed to involve several Trinity students visiting as an exchange program of their own, but with the portals, I'd imagine they may not visit." Sensei explained as he followed Mihara down the road. "Though, I haven't heard from Nagisa that members of the Tea Party were cancelling the visit, so I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Chapter Text

Several hours had gone by since the group returned to Kivotos; Sensei and Mihara said their farewells to the group from Red Winter and took the first train towards the Millennium Science School to partake in the academy's annual Expo. No one expected any real trouble, but with the trouble that the rogue Pokémon have been causing around the city, it made sense they'd want some extra security. Sensei and Mihara were simply part of the security detail they were bringing in addition to various C&C Agents and members of Trinity's Justice Task Force. As the train pulled into the station in front of Millenium's campus, they could see that the school was already ripe with activity as students prepared their exhibits and toured the grounds. As they stepped out of the train, the overabundance of incredible technology caused Mihara's head to spin.

Lumiose City had some cool stuff like the Holotech, zoning tech, and things like the Pokeballs, but none of it seemed nearly as sophisticated as the stuff these students were presenting, and this was just from the booths outside the school. There was no doubt there'd be far more to look at on the inside. "Too bad Taunie and the others couldn't join us, they would've loved this..." He said breathlessly.

"After the crisis is over, I'll see if I can't arrange a tour for your friends with the Seminars. You've all been working exceptionally hard to protect Kivotos, even though you didn't really have any reason to do so." Sensei replied, a light smile crossing his face. "I'm going to meet with Yuuka and Noa, feel free to relax and enjoy the Expo in the meantime. After I finish with the meeting, I'll bring you to the Engineering Department to see if they'll be able to help us with the camera."

Mihara nodded in response, following Sensei inside the school, only to find innumerable booths. It was almost a little overwhelming, but exciting all the same. "Right. Take your time with it." He replied, briefly watching as the teacher walked off to find the Seminars before beginning to explore the Expo in its fullest. His first stop was at the Game Development Department's booth as his attention was grabbed by a poster hung up.

"The Senior Tales, hm? An epic high-fantasy adventure that'll determine the world's fate against the growing dragon menace..." Mihara read aloud, glancing towards the Meowstic on his shoulder. "I wonder if we could teach you to wield a sword like the cat on this poster." He suggested in a playful tone. Meowstic rolled her eyes in response, though there was the slightest hint of intrigue in her eyes.

"You have a good eye, visitor! Showing off our newest project, the Senior Tales! It'll be our biggest and most exciting game yet!" A blonde-haired girl approached him, her pink eyes sparkling with excitement. "It'll follow the adventures of the legendary spellsword, Ja'vassa, as he fights against the growing dragon crisis across the snow-covered land!"

Mihara glanced towards her, smiling slightly. "I've never been much of a gamer, but... an adventure like this sounds appealing. How far along are you in development?" He asked her.

"We're hoping to have a fully playable demo by the end of the month. At the moment, we've only got a few cinematics and concept art." She admittedly, rubbing the back of her head. "But, we've got our past projects here for visitors to play with."

Gesturing for him to step over towards the arcade machine, she finally noticed the Pokémon on his shoulder. "Whoa... I've never seen a cat like that. Is it real?" She asked, tempted to reach out and pet it.

"Hm? Meowstic's very real, she's my precious partner." Mihara grinned proudly, softly rubbing his Pokémon's chin.

"A precious partner, huh? She's cute." The girl smiled widely, "Oh! I'm Momoi, by the way. I hope you're enjoying your time in Millennium so far!"

Mihara returned the smile, "I'm Mihara, it's good to meet you. Yeah, it's beautiful so far. There's so much technology here I couldn't fathom back home." He replied as he stepped up to one of the machines, taking a spin at the Tales Saga Chronicles 2.

"...Mihara? I remember Sensei mentioning that name. You're not the one that's been helping him with those weird portals, are you?" Momoi asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I am. He mentioned we were brought here to monitor the Expo in case another rogue Pokémon shows up here." Mihara explained, seeming quite proud of himself.

"So cool! I didn't expect to have someone like you here to enjoy our games!" Momoi cheered, bouncing on her feet slightly. "I take it the one on your shoulder isn't the only one you've got on you, huh?" She asked.

"I have a few others on me, I suppose you could say they're part of the security detail." Mihara replied, subtly debating if he should bring them out now. Most of them should be fine, though he wasn't entirely sure if Gyarados could fit in the booth without destroying anything. It wouldn't make a good first impression if he ruined such an important school event.

As he and Momoi discussed both the game he was playing, and the game that she and her clubmates were developing, they'd eventually be joined by a few other students carrying a few snacks. "Momoi, we're back!" A black-haired girl said cheerfully, wearing a positively glowing smile on her face. "...and we've got a visitor!"

She glanced towards him for a moment, "Have you been enjoying our presentation so far?"

Mihara nodded in response. "I have. The one I'm playing is a little confusing, but it's fun. If your work-in-progress is anything like this, then it seems I'll have something to look forward to." He hummed, setting the controller down after a moment.

"Aris, Midori, meet Mihara! He's the one Sensei mentioned recently. He's our guest for the day." Momoi explained, her smile never faded.

"It's good to meet you. Have you had a chance to visit any of the other booths yet?" Midori asked, a curious glimmer in her eyes as she looked towards his Meowstic.

"Not yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the rest of the Expo has to offer." Mihara replied.

Midori nodded, turning to her clubmate. "We haven't had too many visitors, so we were thinking about taking a tour ourselves. I don't think it'd hurt too much if we closed up the booth for a little bit. I've been eager to see what the Engineering Department has been cooking up. Utaha mentioned they'd been working on something that'll shake Kivotos to its very core."

Perking slightly at the mention of the Engineering Department, Mihara grinned. "As it happens, Sensei mentioned that we'd need to meet with the Engineering Department. He thought they might be able to help us figure something out." He replied.

"Is it related to the case you're working on?" Momoi asked as she took a few moments to shut down the various arcade cabinets.

"Yes. While we were in Red Winter, the rogue Pokémon had a camera attached to it. We had a potential lead from a friend back in Lumiose City, but until we can access any footage inside the camera, it won't do us any good. Sensei thinks the Engineering Department could help in getting the footage. He mentioned that Veritas might be able to help, too." Mihara explained, beginning to follow behind them towards another booth.

"The members of the Engineering Department are crazy smart, I'm sure they'll be able to help." Midori assured him, though she paused for a moment. "Momoi, where's Yuzu? Wasn't she here this morning?" She asked.

"I think she went back into hiding... there's a lot of people here, after all." Momoi reminded her. "Maybe we could coax her out?"

Mihara went silent for a moment as he opened his Pokémon Storage System. "In Lumiose City, people sometimes keep Pokémon to help with social anxiety. Maybe a Pokémon could help your friend." He suggested. After sifting through the boxes before settling on Pansage. He'd let the little Grass-type out of the Pokeball who looked towards his trainer with a cheerful smile. "The leaves on its head are able to relieve stress, it might help her."

The girls watched in awe as the monkey seemingly came out of nowhere, briefly admiring the Pokémon. "Something as cute as that should help her!" Momoi said cheerfully as she rushed to one of the various lockers in the booth. "Yuzu, you can come out! Mihara's a friend, I promise!"

At first, it didn't seem her reassuring words were doing any good, but after a little while, an orange-haired girl slowly stepped out of the locker. Her gaze remained on the ground as she approached Mihara and Pansage. "I heard what you said... It makes me happy knowing someone's excited for our games." She said softly.

"I'm sure my friends would enjoy it just as much. Maybe I'll invite Canari here in the future, she'd probably want to complete it on day one." Mihara mused, looking towards Pansage. "Would you be willing to stay by her side? It'll be better if everyone's comfortable with our little tour."

Smiling cheerfully, Pansage approached Yuzu as calmly as he possibly could. He reached up, lightly tugging on her jacket as if asking to be lifted up.

Yuzu was a little confused, but the sparkles in her eyes indicated she found him to be adorable. Reaching down, she'd lift him up and hold him close to her. "He's cute..." She took a whiff in the air, smiling softly. "He smells nice, too... almost like fresh tea leaves."

Mihara laughed softly. "Pansage are often seen helping cafe owners in Lumiose City. The leaves on his head are often used for various brews." He explained.

Soon, their tour of the Expo began with them visiting various booths until they finally arrived at the showroom floor of the Engineering Department. Various weapons, appliances, and gadgets were laid out on the table. None of it made much sense to any of them, but their anticipation to see whatever groundbreaking invention they had up their sleeves grew by the second. Midori perked as she saw Kotori talking the ear off of a Trinity student regarding one of their inventions.

The fox-eared girl seemed too polite to call her out on it, but it was exceedingly obvious that she was growing uncomfortable. Midori couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "There she goes again. I hope she doesn't scare her visitor away." She shook her head.

"I take it that she does this often?" Mihara asked, chuckling softly.

"Ask her a question and she'll gladly give you the history behind whatever answer she gives you and she'll go on and on and on if you don't stop her. Kotori's a sweet girl, though." Momoi assured him.

As they approached, Kotori's long-winded speech finally stopped. "Oh! We've got more visitors! The Game Development Department and... their friend!" She said excitedly. "Have you come to join the Tea Party's tour?" She asked.

Mihara glanced towards the fox-eared girl. "The Tea Party? Sensei mentioned some of them would be visiting here." He hummed.

"I'm afraid it's just me here for the time being. Nagisa remained behind at Trinity to monitor the situation there, Mika's still under house arrest." Seia replied, looking him up and down. "You must be Mihara, right? I take it you're here to keep a lookout for any trouble at the Expo, right?" She asked him.

"That's right. It doesn't seem like there's any trouble brewing yet, so I thought I might take a look at the Expo... and I needed to speak with the Engineering Department." Mihara replied.

"You needed to see us?" Kotori questioned. "Is there something we can help you with?"

Her clubmates soon joined her, looking towards Mihara expectantly as he fished the camera out of his bag. "We recovered this from the rogue Pokémon that was attacking Red Winter. I'm... not the most technologically inclined and apparently, Sensei isn't either. He thought that you might be able to help us recover the footage." He explained, handing the camera to Utaha.

"This doesn't look any different than a typical trailcam. We should be able to have this opened up and any footage recovered within a few hours. I'll contact Chihiro to see if she's able to provide some extra help." Utaha hummed, briefly studying the camera.

"I'd appreciate that. Sensei asked if you could keep in touch with him if you discover anything important." Mihara smiled gratefully, "Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Momoi approached them next. "Before that, can we ask about the groundbreaking invention you were gushing about?" She asked.

Kotori grinned excitedly as she picked up a small gun that laid on the table. "We've been studying the portal that opened up over Millennium and decided we wanted to see if it was possible to create a portal of our own. Working day and night, we've finally made a breakthrough. Tomorrow morning will be the first test. If it works as we hope, it'll create a new gateway to the city on the other side. We call it the Portal Gun!" She explained eagerly as she lifted it up, showing it off proudly.

"If those portals don't close in the future, even after your investigation has concluded, our cities are going to be connected, so we might as well make travel between them easier. We intend to create various... Portal Stations across Kivotos and connect it to parts of the other side." Utaha added, looking fondly upon their invention. "We just need approval from each academy's student council to go through with the building of these stations."

Seia's ears twitched slightly, "I wouldn't have a problem with it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in seeing Mihara's home." She mused, looking towards his Pokémon, and the one that Yuzu held in her arms. "I'll bring it up with Nagisa when I return to Trinity and see what she says. No doubt she'll need to meet with Mihara first to ensure an idea wouldn't be dangerous."

Before anyone could say much more of anything, a pink-haired member of Trinity's Justice Task Force burst through the room. "S-Seia! It's an emergency. Some weird... flying machine had been spotted outside, it's attacking students outside the school without reason." She said breathlessly.

"Calm down, Koharu. We have someone here to help with these situations. Is it still outside?" Seia asked, trying to remain calm.

"Y-Yes... Hasumi's trying to hold it back, but it doesn't seem bullets even slow it down." Koharu replied worriedly, jumping slightly at the sound of a loud, echoing crash followed by a blaring alarm.

Mihara turned back, his eyes widening at the sight of a Mega Evolved Metagross floating in front of the mess of broken glass on the ground, looking primed to attack. "Begin evacuating the students immediately. Metagross is dangerous as it is, in its Mega Evolved state, it won't rest until everything around it has been destroyed. I'll keep it occupied." He ordered as he grabbed one of his Pokeballs.

"If Hasumi couldn't stop it, what can you do? You're not even armed!" Koharu argued, seeming confused.

"Don't worry about me, just focus on helping the others get out." Mihara said, watching as a lavender-haired student tried her best to fight against the metallic beast. "...and you can start by getting that girl away from it." He rushed towards the scene. He no longer worried about destroying the booths, considering how much damage Metagross had caused up to this point, so he sent out his Gyarados without much worry. "Alright, Gyarados, I need your assistance! Millennium won't be standing for long if we let Metagross go on its rampage! Mega Evolve and let's take it down! Strike it with all you can by using Crunch!"

The Gyarados let out a ground-shaking roar as he was surrounded by Mega Energy. As the pink shell burst, he launched himself towards his opponent with surprising speed and sunk his fangs into the Pokémon's arm. Despite the supereffective attack, Metagross seemed more annoyed as it tried to shake Gyarados off, striking at him with Metal Claw. It took a few strikes, but Gyarados was eventually shaken off. He seemed raring to go for some more, glaring daggers at the hostile Steel-type.

With Gyarados distracting the Metagross, Koharu rushed towards her exhausted looking friend. "Azusa, stop attacking it! Help me get the others to safety." She said quickly.

"...fine. I suppose they could use my help more than he needs it." Azusa seemed a bit upset about having to leave the battle early, but she knew she'd only get in the way. Regardless, she couldn't help but watch in awe as the two Pokémon traded devastating blows.

After being struck with a powerful Hydro Pump, Metagross crashed into the ground, ruining more than a few booths in the process. It just barely slid by the Game Development Department's. Mihara seemed particularly worried about them, especially since it seemed like he might've had a friend in them. Though confident Gyarados would be able to soundly handle it, that wouldn't stop him from sending out Chandelure to serve as backup.

"Chandelure, hit Metagross with Flamethrower! If we can slow it down, we should be able to take a finishing blow." Mihara yelled. The Ghost-type glared at her new opponent, quickly unleashing a powerful gout of fire. Thanks to the distracted state from Metagross, the attack struck head on. Though it caused significant damage and gave Gyarados an easier time by burning it, Metagross only seemed to be angry with Chandelure as it rushed towards her, preparing to strike with Psychic Fangs.

While the battle raged on, another Pokémon watched from the shadows, savoring the apparent distraction created by the attacking Metagross. It eyed the various inventions left out on the Engineering Department's table. Slinking through the shadows around the room, it moved closer towards it and once it was within arm's reach, it emerged from the shadows to grab the prized Portal Gun. Unfortunately for it, before it could make an escape, Mihara noticed it. His eyes widened slightly at the familiar sight.

"A Gengar?" He questioned. "No way... it's the one from the museum's footage." He clenched his teeth slightly. "Gyarados, distract Metagross! Chandelure, don't let the Gengar get away! Use Shadow Ball on it!"

The order to attack Gyarados caused Metagross' attention to be firmly on Chandelure as it rushed towards it in the hopes of taking it out with a single Iron Head. Fortunately, its efforts weren't wasted as it struck the Pokémon before Shadow Ball could be unleashed. Even if it wasn't a supereffective hit, it was enough to let the Gengar make its escape with the Portal Gun in hand. Strangely, Gengar's escape seemed to signal for the Metagross to flee as well despite it being nowhere near defeated yet. Crashing through the wall, the Mega Metagross fled the scene; swiftly avoiding any attack from Mihara's Gyarados and Chandelure.

Despite the destructive nature of the battle, no one had gotten hurt from the sudden attack and though several booths were damaged, it seemed like they'd be able to recover from it soon enough. As the dust settled, Sensei arrived on the scene with the two Seminar members. "Mihara!" He screamed, almost out of breath. "We came as soon as we could. It seems we came too late, though. Is the battle over?" He asked.

"Yeah... that was strange, though." Mihara sighed softly, watching as his Gyarados returned. "You remember the security footage we recovered from the museum robbery?" He asked.

"From the night the Prison Bottle was stolen?" Yuuka questioned. "What about it?"

Mihara crossed his arms slightly as he stepped over to check on his Pokémon as they were finally able to rest. "Remember that Gengar we saw carrying the Prison Bottle? It was here in Millennium, it made off with the Portal Gun the Engineering Department was working on. I tried to stop it, but before Chandelure could attack it, Metagross got in the way. The moment Gengar disappeared, Metagross fled the scene."

Sensei frowned, seeming a bit confused. "At least that somewhat confirms that these Pokémon are being used to cause a diversion. Though, if they have Hoopa as they claimed and if your legends are correct about it being able to create portals, why would they need the Portal Gun?" He asked.

"Maybe they're seeking better control over Hoopa's portals. I'm afraid there's too much we don't know yet and I doubt we'll have any real answers until we encounter the trainers behind it." Mihara sighed softly, recalling his Pokémon.

"You've had several victories over them so far, I wonder why none of them haven't tried to personally stop you." Noa crossed her arms slightly. "I suppose we'll have to start cleaning up soon. I'll write up an incident report."

Sensei nodded, "Before the attack, did you have a chance to speak with the Engineering Department about the camera we recovered?" He asked.

Right on cue, Hare had arrived on the scene with both the camera and a laptop in hand. "Utaha brought us the camera during your fight. She's... upset about the thievery, but we'll worry about it later. It wasn't difficult to recover the footage, but we weren't able to figure out who manufactured the camera." She set her computer on the table, beginning to replay the footage recovered. The first few minutes seemed to be a continuation of Alexandre's diary. His bright red hair sharply contrasted his pale skin and dark-colored clothing, his dark golden eyes indicated that he wasn't entirely all together; his obsession with Hoopa was clearly taking its toll on him.

"I've been in Kivotos for a few days now and the technology is... incredible. The equipment I had with Team Flare was top notch, and yet, it almost seems like child's play compared to what I've seen here. The things I could do if I had access to the technology here... everything I'd ever wanted and then some would be at my reach. Though, it'll take time before I'm able to acquire any of it. I'll return to Kalos for now and bide my time... I'll need some help if I'm to make any progress in my goals here. I've seen children commit some insane crimes and be let off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I doubt it'll be easy to convince anyone to come to a crazy world like this, though maybe the promise of a good pay day might convince them, or maybe I'll find researchers as crazy as I am that are interested in the potential of taking advantage of this world's technology."

The footage they recovered was far from finished, but the Veritas team spliced together the most important pieces, including where he finally attached the camera to the wild Abomasnow, this time, he appeared to have a few scratches on him and his Aerodactyl can clearly be seen in the background, worn from the battle.

"I've spent time studying the various districts. Millennium, Abydos, Gehenna, and Red Winter seem to be the most promising so far. I'm going to unleash this Abomasnow into Red Winter to wreak a little havoc. I want to see how they'll defend themselves... Abomasnow was a terribly strong opponent, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that an alpha like it caused so much trouble. I wonder if it being away from Wild Zone 12 will cause some kind of power vacuum to open up? Maybe not, I can see that Avalugg is eyeing me like I'm one of the food groups... regardless, this'll probably be the last time you see me on this feed. I'll keep the footage rolling, that way I won't have to be in the vicinity when the attack starts."

The recovered footage seemed a little strange, Mihara frowned slightly. "So... this Alexandre guy went through all of the trouble to apparently capture Hoopa while evading arrest from local authorities just to... take advantage of the technology in Kivotos?" He asked confusedly. "There's gotta be more to this... something that we haven't seen in the footage we've recovered."

Yuuka nodded in agreement, "Mihara, do you know what Hoopa happens to look like? We've seen the Aerodactyl he escaped upon, and the Gengar he gave the Prison Bottle appeared here. I don't recall seeing any other Pokémon in the footage."

Mihara shook his head, "I'm afraid I've never seen it before, but you're right. So far, we've only seen his Aerodactyl and Gengar in the footage." He turned to Hare, "His last entry mentioned that the camera was still rolling after attaching it to Abomasnow. Could you tell if it was still recording by the time I handed it to Utaha?" He asked.

"It's still recording now, chances are, it's how Alexandre found out about the Portal Gun in the first place." Hare replied, "We tried to trace the signal, but it seems like they're always on the move. We've tracked them to Hyakkiyako, but they may not stay there for long."

Sensei made a few mental notes, "Logically, Hyakkiyako should be the next place we visit, though I haven't received any reports of a Pokémon attacking yet." Before he, or anyone else, could say anything else, a sudden phone call interrupted their discussion.

Mihara's Rotom phone hovered unexpectedly before him. "Logically, you'd be correct, but I'm always on the move. Hyakkiyako today, might be Abydos tomorrow, we'll see." A familiar sounding voice spoke in a calm, almost condescending tone. "You're quite the trainer, Mihara. I see your reputation wasn't just for show. Defeating Salamence, Malamar, Metagross, and even capturing that Abomasnow. You remind me of the trainer that defeated Lysandre years ago."

Mihara seemed confused, unsure what to think of the sudden call. "Are you Alexandre? How'd you get my number...?" He asked.

"You're a competitor in the Z-A Royale, right? Your number's public information, how else would people contact you for their promotion matches? I'm surprised you don't get more unsolicited phone calls, admittedly... But, yes, I am Alexandre. It seems you've all been doing your homework, huh? I'm glad to know my opponent's been so thorough. You can't see me, but I'm applauding you for your efforts." Alexandre said, an unseen smile on his face.

"Why are you doing all of this? Causing so much destruction just to gain a few new pieces of technology?" Sensei asked, just as confused.

"Why? Hm, now that's a strange question. I never had much of a reason for it besides the fact that I wanted to do it. The discovery of Kivotos was an accident. I only intended to begin various heists in the other regions, but then I stumbled upon this beautiful city and its bounty of riches ripe for the taking. I want it for myself." Alexandre replied simply.

"...seriously? That's your whole reasoning for this mess?" Mihara asked in disbelief.

"What? Were you expecting some kind of tragic backstory? I'm sorry to disappoint you, I'm just doing this because I want to and because this place has things I don't. It's as simple as that. But, I'm intrigued in seeing you in action a bit more. Keep an eye on the news, my friend. I've got a few other Pokémon to drop in the districts. If you thought Metagross was tough, be ready for the next ones. We'll meet real soon, my friend. Let those engineering girls know that their invention will be put to good use. Farewell for now." As suddenly as he called, Alexandre hung up.

"So, what should we do now?" Mihara asked, "Should we visit Hyakkiyako now or wait? I don't want to visit the wrong district while another gets attacked, but if we just sit around..."

Noa shrugged slightly, "Let's regroup in the Seminars clubroom, we've got a lot to discuss regarding the case. Now that we know what he looks like and we have some idea of where to find him, we can send word out to the other districts to keep an eye out for him."

After a quick transition to the Seminars clubroom, the members of Veritas along with Sensei, Seia, and Mihara took a seat at the round table to begin the next round of discussions. "We've isolated the clearest image of Alexandre. Sensei, I'd like to request you to send this to each of the student councils across Kivotos. I'm sure the General Student Council would be especially interested in it. We'd also want to figure out which district to visit next." Yuuka said as she jotted down a few notes.

"Hare's signal was last traced towards Hyakkiyako, and he mentioned Abydos. Shouldn't those be our priority?" Mihara asked.

"What about Trinity? Unless I'm mistaken, there was a rogue Pokémon spotted there recently." Sensei replied as he turned to Seia. "How's the situation looking there?" He asked her.

"There's been a few sightings here and there, but nothing's been destroyed and no one's been attacked yet. We're monitoring it, but we're not too concerned yet." Seia assured him. "I know the signal was traced to Hyakkiyako, but I'd be more concerned about Abydos. With their debt and occasional attacks from local gangs, a rogue Pokémon like what we saw with Metagross would be the last thing they'd need. I'll need to return to Trinity soon with a full report of the situation here."

Sensei nodded in response as he stood up. "We'll head to Abydos, then. Keep in touch with us, Seia. Hopefully the situation in Trinity doesn't change, but things have been crazy lately... keep in touch with us as well, Yuuka. I doubt Metagross will return, but keep an eye on it regardless."

As their brief meeting had come to a close, Yuuka smiled towards them. "Even if it didn't go as we planned, I appreciate the help. Be careful in Abydos, the desert heat is no joke. Feel free to visit us again, Mihara. You made quite the impression on a few students here."

Mihara nodded, returning the smile. "Next time I'm in Millennium, I'll bring some company. I think Lida would love to see this place. See you around."

As they made their farewells, they'd begin to make their way towards the front entrance, but before they could step outside, Mihara was approached by Yuzu.

"Um... b-before you leave, you should take your friend back." Yuzu reminded him, still clinging to the Pansage given to her earlier.

"Oh, that's right." Mihara hummed, holding out Pansage's Pokeball. "Why don't you hold onto him? He seems quite fond of you already, I'd hate to tear a blossoming friendship apart."

Yuzu seemed a bit hesitant as she stared at the offered Pokeball. "A-Are you sure...?" She whispered.

"I'm positive. I'll stop by Millennium again soon and I'll show you how the Pokeball properly works." Mihara nodded, glancing towards Pansage. "Now, you be good for her."

Yuzu smiled softly, hugging Pansage a bit closer to her. "I'll take good care of him, I promise. Thank you... feel free to stop by our clubroom if you're ever wanting to play a few games."

With the final loose end tied up, it was time to catch the first train out to the Abydos station. So far, they haven't received any panicked phone calls and no worrisome news bulletins have popped up yet, so perhaps they'll be able to travel towards their next destination in peace.

Chapter Text

The train ride out to the Abydos District was relatively short and pleasant, though the transition from Millennium's sleek, futuristic appearance to the decrypted, sand-covered wastes of Abydos was slightly disappointing. Mihara sighed softly as he stared out the windows. "This almost reminds me of a trip my family took to the Desert Resort in the Unova region, but... somehow, it feels even more lifeless than it." He admitted, crossing his arms slightly. "Is there really a school out this way?"

Sensei laughed softly, "I know it seems desolate, but beneath the sand hides a resilient bunch of students. They've been struck with an unpayable debt, pressure from an awful company, and rough sandstorms, but they refuse to give up on their home." He replied quietly. "Since the Kaiser situation had mostly settled down, they've been able to relax a little, only really having to worry about occasional troublemakers. I really hope that this Alexandre guy isn't planning to attack the district, they don't need any new problems."

Mihara nodded in agreement. "I guess I understand the sentiments to protect your home, though I can't see any reason for Alexandre to attack here. All I can see for miles are buildings buried in the sand. If he's really in it for all the technology, then surely a district like Gehenna or Millennium would be a more valuable target, right?"

Before Sensei could respond further, a sudden phone call caught their attention. It was Ayane calling, her voice ripe with concern. "S-Sensei! It's an emergency!" She cried. "Some weird... monster is attacking the school. It's leveled several homes surrounding it and it's almost here. We've tried fending it off, but it seems like our bullets don't even phase it."

Sensei sighed softly. Of course, this little trip out to Abydos had to have something go wrong. Until the situation with Alexandre had been resolved, it didn't seem either him nor Mihara would be able to relax, and there was no telling when they'd actually meet the former Team Flare scientist. Regardless, it was no time to be mulling over their series of unfortunate events when several of his students were in direct danger.

"Calm down, Ayane. Can you describe what it looks like?" Sensei asked in response, shooting a quick glance at Mihara.

"It's... it's huge. Mostly green, huge spikes on its back... almost looks like there's a face on its chest. Every step it takes, it feels like sand is surrounding it. The buildings destroyed so far are covered in sand... I'm worried Abydos will be next." Ayane replied frantically, trying her hardest to calm down. "Hoshino and Shiroko are doing their best to slow it down while Nonomi and Serika are doing what they can to keep people from getting too close. I'm not sure how long we can hold up before our school's buried."

Mihara opened the Pokémon storage system. "Sandstorms, large and green... sounds like Mega Tyranitar. I've faced a rogue Tyranitar back in Lumiose City, that wasn't a pleasant experience... I'm not sure I'm all that eager to do it again. Time to make some adjustments to the team." He didn't have many Pokémon that were that effective against one like Tyranitar, so ultimately, he settled on swapping Charizard for Feraligatr, and made further adjustments by replacing Beedrill, Chandelure, and Scolipede with Excadrill, Machamp, and Hippowdon respectively. "Maybe Onix and Diggersby could help dig up the buried buildings... but, I suppose that'll have to wait for now."

Sensei briefly watched as Mihara worked with the storage system, internally wondering if any of his Pokémon would be effective in the coming battle, though for now, he'd focus on Ayane's plight. "Hang tight for as long as you can, Ayane. I'm on my way, and I'm bringing some help. We're pulling into the Abydos station and we'll be at the school soon." He assured her.

"Please hurry. We're already low on supplies, and this weird thing isn't helping much." Ayane replied pleadingly as she hung up.

Within minutes of the call ending, the train had stopped. Without any further delays, the pair rushed off and exited the station. The school was barely visible beyond the thick cloud of sand, but they could make the faint outline of the rampaging Pokémon in the distance. To buy them some extra time, Mihara sent out Excadrill. The feisty looking Ground-type thrived in harsh conditions, her Sand Rush ability in particular becoming extremely handy in times like this.

"Excadrill, we need you to move ahead of us. Can you see Tyranitar? I don't expect you to defeat it, but we merely need you to distract it until Sensei and I can join you. Think you can handle it? We need to keep it from damaging anything else." Mihara said, looking rather confident in his Pokémon.

Excadrill nodded in response, looking toward the sand mountains in front of her. She gave an excited yelp and dived into the sand, effortlessly drilling through it. For Sensei and Mihara, such an obstacle seemed impassable, but for her, it was as easy as swimming through the shallow end at the local swimming pool. While she made quick work of it, navigating through the sand would be difficult for them. This prompted Mihara to send Hippowdon next.

"Sensei, climb on Hippowdon's back. He'll get us over the sand with no problem at all." Mihara suggested as he climbed onto the large Ground-type.

"You have a Pokémon for every situation, don't you?" Sensei asked with a soft laugh, climbing onto it as suggested.

"The wise Pokémon trainer must be prepared for anything, even when he's so far from home... at least, that's how they taught us back at Stantler River Academy." Mihara replied, a confident grin crossing his face.

"Stantler River Academy, hm? Sounds fancy." Sensei mused, returning his attention to the sand-covered roads ahead of them.

"I suppose it's a bit fancy, it's a big private school near my hometown of Cherrygrove City." Mihara smiled somewhat nostalgically. "It's been a while since I've been back home, maybe paying my family a visit after this is all said and done wouldn't hurt."

Sensei nodded in agreement, "I wouldn't mind meeting your family. I'm sure they'd be delighted to know how courageous their son is, risking himself for people he doesn't even know."

Mihara flushed with slight embarrassment, shrugging subtly. "I'm not so sure about that, but... I should still check in with them. I don't know how much news they'd get from the Kalos region all the way in the Johto region."

As Hippowdon approached the rampaging Tyranitar, the sight of Excadrill engaging it in battle could be clearly seen. Even if her Metal Claw and Focus Blast didn't deal as much damage as they had hoped, it was enough to keep the raging Pokémon on its toes and away from further damaging the school, though Hoshino and Shiroko watched the unfolding battle with a mixture of interest and confusion.

"Hoshino! Shiroko!" Sensei yelled out as Hippowdon finally reached his destination. "Are any of you hurt?" He asked.

"No, we're all okay so far. Can you explain what's going on here? First that weird... monster thing showed up and began attacking the district, and now that weird mole thing showed up. Is it defending us?" Hoshino asked, her confusion growing as Mihara took a defensive stance in front of them.

"Abydos is just the latest target in a series of attacks orchestrated by a crazy scientist, Alexandre Colbert. That thing you're facing was a Tyranitar, according to our friend here." Sensei started, reaching for one of his Pokeballs. "Have you seen Nonomi or Serika recently? What about Ayane?" He asked them.

"They're all inside. Nonomi and Serika did all they could to evacuate any people that were caught by the attack." Shiroko assured him. "So, who's our friend here?"

Sensei briefly turned to Mihara, sending out his Camerupt in an effort to help Excadrill and Hippowdon. "This is Mihara, an incredible trainer from Lumiose City. The Vice President brought him aboard to help deal with the rogue Pokémon. I believe he'll be able to handle himself out here. Let's head inside and regroup, we'll need to make sure nothing in the school's been too damaged yet." He replied as he turned towards the front door.

"Hoshino! We've got an emergency inside. The security cameras caught some weird guy walking around the hallways. He's on the bigger side... a purple bat seems to be following him. He seems to be looking for something and he's approaching the Foreclosure Taskforce clubroom quickly." Serika's frantic voice echoed through her friend's headset.

"Serika? We should head in there as soon as we can." Sensei suggested, briefly turning to Mihara. "Think you can handle it out here? I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mihara turned to him with a grin. "Who do you think I am? Of course I can handle it here. You focus on your students, we'll worry about the battle out here." He replied confidently as he sent out his Feraligatr. "Big or small, there's no Pokémon we can't handle! Show 'em the power of Mega Evolution!"

As the Mega Energy surrounded Feraligatr, he'd release a glass-shattering roar as he burst out of his shell. Glaring daggers towards his new opponent. "Hippowdon, Excadrill; dive into the ground and wait for the signal to strike. Feraligatr, hit it with Aqua Tail! Give it no chance to strike back!"

At his orders, the two Ground-types buried themselves deep within the mounds of sand while Feraligatr rushed towards Tyranitar, striking at it with his shimmering tail. "Sensei, go in there and deal with the stranger. We'll be fine."

Sensei nodded in response. "Camerupt, you stay out here with Mihara and help him however you can. We'll be back soon." He promised.

As Mihara's battle raged on, Sensei and the pair of students rushed inside to meet with the others inside the Foreclosure Taskforce Clubroom. Their frantic rush was interrupted by an attack by the stranger's Pokémon that barely missed them.

"Ahaha, so, you must be the infamous Sensei that Alexandre mentioned. You don't look like much, but you're clearly well respected here." He said, releasing a bellowing laugh as he approached them, his red goggles shining slightly beneath the soft lights of the school. "I don't have any issues with you, but you're standing in the way of my data collection. You interrupted my Malamar's efforts in Gehenna, and now, you're here to interrupt me again... but, I won't let you." He growled.

"That uniform..." Sensei muttered, "It's clearly seen better days, but I'll go out on a limb and assume you were part of Team Flare like Alexandre, correct?" He asked.

"Ah, I see your reputation isn't for nothing! You figured it out so quickly." The man said, nodding his approval. "I was part of Team Flare, I was right there beneath Geosenge Town when Lysandre tried to revive the Ultimate Weapon. I enjoy plot twists here and there. Lysandre allowed future Champion Levi to choose the fate of the Kalos region if he defeated me in battle, and he did. If he pressed the right button, the Ultimate Weapon would remain underground. To my surprise, Levi chose the right button. Unfortunately for him, I was able to remotely activate it regardless of his choice. He got a front row seat to watch the deathly flower bloom once more." He laughed heartily, wiping away a tear formed from his joyous chuckles.

"So... even after your boss told you to respect Levi after he made his choice, you activated it anyway?" Sensei questioned, looking fairly annoyed already. "Who are you, anyways?"

The man smiled apologetically. "Oh, forgive me. I was too busy reminiscing about the good ol' days that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Xerosic, a pleasure to meet you. Now, I'm sure my story gave you no reason to trust me, but I'm not here to harm your girls today, at least not intentionally, anyways." He assured him.

"So, why are you here, then?" Sensei asked, his annoyance growing slightly.

"Alexandre's here to take advantage of the fascinating technology of this place, I'm more interested in the unique energies I've been detecting here. The most fascinating energy comes from your students... While I was observing the battle in Gehenna, between the Prefect Team and those food crazy terrorists, I was amazed to see how much damage they could take. Even a single shot from one of their rifles would put us in the hospital for days if we're lucky, and yet... bullets seem to almost bounce right off of them. For being so small, they're remarkably durable. Strangely, their weapons seem to have no effect on the Pokémon we've brought here." Xerosic explained as he approached them. "Imagine the potential we'd have if we could harness their energy... to power our weapons and machines, why, we could create something unstoppable!"

Sensei stood in front of the Foreclosure Taskforce clubroom protectively. "So, you were behind the attack from the Gourmet Research Society? How do you intend to gather their energy, anyways?" He asked, reaching for one of his Pokeballs.

"The same way we harvested the energy from the Legendary Pokémon to awaken the Ultimate Weapon. They'll live, probably, but it wouldn't be a pleasant experience. It's unfortunate, but we can't progress without a little suffering. Now... if you choose to get in my way, Sensei, I'll be forced to take you out." Xerosic warned him, sending out his Malamar. "I wanted the battle in Gehenna to last a little longer just to see how much they could take, but then your little friend just had to get in the way. I suppose I should be grateful Nina stepped in when she did, but I wasn't finished with my research there..." He sighed softly, gesturing for his Crobat to return to his side.

"You're insane... how haven't you been locked up yet?" Ayane asked, somewhat concerned as she gazed upon him.

"Alexandre busted me out of some prison in Snowbelle City. No doubt I've got wanted posters all over Kalos, but as long as I'm here, they can't touch me." Xerosic smirked, looking towards Sensei. "What's it going to be? Are you going to stand down or will I be forced to dispose of you?"

In response, Sensei sent Arbok and Simisear. "Given the situation, I'm afraid I'll have to fight. It's not a strong suit of mine, but I can't expect my students to fight a battle where their weapons are useless."

Xerosic bellowed with laughter, "You're a courageous one, I'll give you that much, but... now it's time you saw why even Champion Levi had a hard time with me!" He raised his hand, "Crobat, strike at Simisear with Cross Poison! Show it the meaning of fear! Malamar, destroy that Arbok with Psycho Cut!" He ordered.

Considering that Sensei was still a rookie in Pokémon battling, he was outmatched by his opponent's experience, but considering that these were Pokémon that Mihara trained, perhaps he'd stand a chance. Before he could issue his first order, both of his Pokémon were struck hard by the mad scientist's attack. Simisear was inflicted with poison, his strength slowly diminishing with each passing second. Arbok took heavy damage from Psycho Cut, but he stubbornly stood strong.

"...Arbok, use Leech Life on Malamar! Simisear, retaliate with Fire Blast!" Sensei called out. The two Pokémon had somewhat recovered from the powerful attacks and responded with their own. Arbok quickly slithered towards Malamar, deftly avoiding further attacks from his opponent before sinking his sharp, glowing fangs into the Psychic-type's tentacle. The super-effective attack dealt devastating damage while healing damage previously taken.

"Wrap yourself around Malamar and continue to strike at it with Leech Life! Don't let go of it!" Sensei called out, growing increasingly worried about Simisear's weakened state. Even if the raging gout of fire dealt heavy damage towards Crobat, it wasn't enough to defeat it.

Arbok managed to carefully restrain Malamar by coiling its thick tail around it, holding it still with every ounce of strength as he continued to savagely bite it, weakening his opponent bit by bit.

Xerosic growled under his breath, clenching his fists in anger. "I see you're no slouch in battle. Have you been taking tips from that meddler outside?" He asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Actually, yeah. I doubt I'd defeat Mihara anytime soon, but he's given me some pointers here and there. It helps that the Pokémon I'm using were his originally. No doubt they're as strong as anyone on his team." Sensei replied, grinning slightly. "I wouldn't make it far in that Z-A Royale thing he's part of, but if it means keeping my students safe, then I'll do my best here."

Xerosic gagged slightly, shaking his head after a moment. "...your disgusting optimism makes me want to barf. You're not going to beat me today." He clenched his teeth, "Crobat, stop worrying about Simisear. Use X-Scissor on Arbok, shake it off Malamar!"

Sensei grinned, recalling the battle at Gehenna. "Arbok, let go of Malamar and move away from it!" He yelled out. At his orders, Arbok slid away from Malamar, finally setting it free mere seconds before Crobat connected. Unfortunately for Malamar, that meant X-Scissor struck it head on. Thanks to the repeated bites from Leech Life and the devastating strike from Crobat, the unfortunate Psychic-type was defeated much to Xerosic's rage.

"Argh! I can't believe I fell for the stupidest trick in the book!" Xerosic yelled, slamming his hand into the wall in anger; leaving a small hole behind. "It seems I've underestimated you, Sensei. You've won this round, but I'll be back. My ambitions will never be stopped. We'll meet again, and our next battle won't end the same." He recalled his Pokémon before tossing a smoke bomb on the ground to obscure his escape. By the time the thick smoke clouds faded, the former Team Flare scientist had disappeared. That was one problem solved, but now they needed to check in on Mihara.

Nonomi clasped her hands together. "That... guy was weird. I doubt that was the last time we'll see him. Still, I'm not really sure what happened, but that was incredible, Sensei!" She cheered.

"Maybe I'd do better in the Z-A Royale than I thought." Sensei laughed softly, recalling his Pokémon. "Let's not linger for long, Mihara needs our help."

Serika shook her head, "It looks like the battle outside has finished, but... there's someone else outside." She said quietly. "Do you recognize that woman, Sensei?"

He shook his head, "No, but..." Sensei's eyes widened, "It's that Salamence again! This time... there's people on its back, but it doesn't look like they're engaging with Mihara." He gestured for them to head outside with them, worried a bigger situation may arise out of this if they're not quick.

"You know, Mihara, you're as impressive in person as you are on TV. I can see why the Z-A Royale team is so eager to promote you. TO not only quell wild Mega Evolved Pokémon, but trained ones as well is no small feat. Alexandre's praise was not unfounded." The mysterious woman said, nodding her approval.

"I take it you two are friends of Alexandre, then?" Mihara asked, having since recalled his exhausted Pokémon, though his hand remained on Gyarados' Pokeball just in case.

"Indeed we are. I am Nina, his second-in command. I've been tasked with finding new technologies for him to study. I'm not sure what he wants, but his goals aren't my concern. I'm just here to ensure they succeed. You were impressive against Coralie's Tyranitar. I'm not sure anyone else could've beaten it so soundly." She said, despite her condescending gaze, her voice was sincere and she meant every ounce of praise. "Though, my admiration for you isn't why I'm here. Alexandre has one more test for you before he battles you himself. Come to Hyakkiyako, Admin Paola is waiting for you. Be prepared, her Delphox is exceptionally well trained and more than a match for any Pokémon. Alexandre promised not to cause any further trouble until he's personally engaged you in battle. You should be quick, Paola isn't known for her patience."

With her final words, she took off towards the sunny skies on the back of her Salamence. Sensei and the others arrived on the scene moments later, watching as the Dragon-type left.

"Mihara! What was that all about?" Sensei asked.

"That was Nina. She mentioned that Alexandre wanted to test me in battle, he wants us to visit Hyakkiyako as soon as possible to battle against someone named Paola." Mihara explained, not entirely sure what to expect from either Paola, or when he finally meets with Alexandre. This entire conflict hasn't made much sense to him. So much chaos caused all for some fancy gadgets. He sighed softly, shaking his head slightly. "How'd it go in there?" He asked.

"Are you familiar with someone named Xerosic?" Ayane asked in response. "Apparently, he was behind the Malamar attack in Gehenna... apparently on some mission to collect data on our energy, whatever that means. Nina was the one who coordinated the rescue of his Pokémon back in Malamar, it seemed."

The name caught Mihara off guard, but he quickly nodded. "Yeah, the International Police put a huge bounty on his head after he disappeared from Snowbelle City. Emma's been offering some crazy rewards for even the slightest bit of information on him. We should inform her as soon as possible." He replied.

"You should shoot her a message while we're on our way to Hyakkiyako. Though, the journey can wait until tomorrow. You need some rest, Mihara. We can't expect you to battle someone with no sleep." Sensei replied, gesturing for them to come back inside.

"Wait! Why don't we have dinner at Shiba Seki first? After a day like this, I'm sure we could all use a good meal. It'll be my treat!" Nonomi said insistently. "There's a few hours before the Master will close up for the day."

At the mention of food, Mihara's stomach audibly growled. "Yeah... that sounds nice." He said, a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

"...before we do that, could I ask for some help with my Pokémon, Mihara?" Sensei asked, sending out a weakened Simisear. "Xerosic's Pokémon hit with Cross Poison... Simisear doesn't look well."

Mihara nodded as he took a Pecha Berry from his satchel, giving it to the poisoned Pokémon. "That's nothing a Pecha Berry can't solve. After we're done in Hyakkiyako, we should make a stop back in Lumiose City. We'll want to restock on some supplies, especially if Alexandre's as strong as I believe him to be." He hummed.

With Simisear treated, the group made the journey towards Master Shiba's renowned ramen stand for a well earned meal. As they arrived, Master Shiba smiled brightly. "Ah, Serika! You're not scheduled for tonight, but it seems you've brought some friends. Order whatever you'd like, it'll be on the house tonight." He cheered.

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Nonomi assured him.

"Nonsense! I saw on the news that you and your friends dealt with that monster. If it weren't for you, much of the district could've been buried in rubble. You've earned this much. Now, take a seat and let me work my magic." Master Shiba insisted as he stepped towards the stovetop to cook up the finest bowls of ramen seen anywhere in Kivotos. With a wide grin, he piled their bowls high with generous portions of noodles, pork, and green onions; topping it with beautifully soft-boiled eggs and made sure to let his ingredients swim in a delicious pork broth.

The smell of home-cooked food wafted in the wind. Though it was something that Sensei and the Abydos students had multiple times, it was a meal unseen to Mihara and Meowstic. Both stared at the monstrously sized bowl with sparkles in their eyes. "...part of me hopes Alexandre succeeds in creating permanent connections between our worlds. I'd hate to miss out on food like this." Mihara whispered. Though he struggled to learn how to use the chopsticks at first, he eventually got the hang of it. As the warm, savory broth slid down his throat, he couldn't help but sigh in pleasure. "That's amazing..."

His Meowstic purred contently, savoring each and every bite her trainer gave her. This was far, far more appealing than anything he'd eaten at Hotel Z, and far more appetizing than the Pokémon food he normally gives Meowstic and the others. Seeing the pure bliss in their eyes, Master Shiba laughed warmly. "A friend of Serika's is a friend of mine. You're welcomed back anytime, stranger. Now, enjoy your meal." He cheered as he left to take care of other customers.

"I'm not sure I've seen anyone enjoy Master Shiba's cooking so much since Sensei first arrived here." Nonomi said with a soft giggle. "The cat on your shoulder looks like it just entered a paradise."

Mihara laughed softly, rubbing the back of his head. "Food like this isn't something I'd see around Lumiose City. It's... different than I'm used to, but it's incredible. I wonder if Taunie could make something like this. I'm sure it'd be more palatable to Naveen than her croissant curry." He mused.

"...croissant curry?" Shiroko questioned. "That sounds... unpleasant." She internally gagged, trying to imagine what it could taste like.

"It tastes better than it sounds. Even the Head Prefect seemed to love it while we were briefing over an earlier mission in Hotel Z." Sensei laughed heartily.

"So, what's been going on, anyways?" Hoshino asked. "We've seen the news reports in Gehenna and that one near Schale. Those weird... Pokémon randomly attacking, but apparently they're controlled by Xerosic's organization?"

Mihara nodded in response. "From what we've gathered, it's an effort led by Alexandre of the Universalites. All this destruction and chaos is merely a distraction while he hoards fascinating pieces of technology. He didn't have any real reason for doing this beyond the fact that he wanted to. We'll be heading to Hyakkiyako tomorrow, and then... well, I don't know where Alexandre will want us to meet."

Sensei crossed his arms slightly, "I wonder what happened to the Pokémon that was sighted in Trinity? I haven't heard anything from the Tea Party, and Seia didn't say much beyond they were only monitoring it when we met her in Millennium. Should we worry about it, or wait until the Tea Party calls us?" He asked.

"I think we should wait until they say something. Perhaps one of the Universalites had a change of heart, or maybe Alexandre's planning to use it as another test for us. I'm more concerned about whatever awaits us in Hyakkiyako." Mihara replied with a slight shrug.

"Worry about that tomorrow, you should be able to enjoy your meal without worrying about a big battle." Nonomi huffed, her smile widening slightly.

Ultimately she was right, there was no point in getting worked up about the ongoing crisis when they had steaming bowls of food in front of them. This warm meal and pleasant evening was the perfect opportunity to ask some questions to their new friend.

"Mihara, you mentioned your family earlier. Mind if I ask about them? I'm curious to know about the family who raised you." Sensei mused, glancing towards him with an inquisitive look.

"Hm? There's not much to say. Four siblings, though we never got along that well. I guess they never approved of my career in battling instead of helping them run the family company like our parents expected. I've been more or less written out of the business' hierarchy after I moved to Lumiose City." Mihara explained with a slight shrug.

"A family company, huh? I could see it being a stressful career, having to run a large business. After taking part in a few battles myself, I can't say I blame you for choosing it over the business." Sensei admitted, "It's... a lot more enjoyable than I thought it'd be. So, do you think they'll react to you returning home?"

Mihara shrugged again, somewhat idly swishing the last few morsels of food in his bowl. "I'm not sure. It's been over a year since I last visited home, though I've considered returning home to take on the Johto League." He replied.

"The Johto League? Is that any different than the Z-A Royale that they mentioned before?" Ayane asked curiously.

"The Z-A Royale is a fun exhibition match, essentially. Around the world are large competitions known as the Pokémon League, Kalos has one, too. Trainers compete against Gym Leaders hoping to collect enough gym badges to enter the League. There, they battle a group known as the Elite Four before moving onto the Champion, the strongest trainer in the region. If you defeat them, you officially take the title of Champion until someone defeats you." Mihara explained, taking out his phone to show some photos of reigning Kalos League Champion Levi.

"So, that's the Champion I've heard them mention." Sensei hummed, smiling slightly.

"Levi's an incredible trainer. He was responsible for stopping Team Flare several years ago before he'd challenge the Pokémon League. I want to eventually battle him, but I believe I need more training before we're ready." Mihara said, setting his phone away.

"I'm not sure I understand, but if you hold yourself in the League like you did against that beast, then I'd say you'd have what it takes to be Champion. We'll be there to cheer you on in spirit." Hoshino promised, giving him a thumbs up. "Though, all these battles seem like too much excitement for an old-timer like me."

Mihara tilted his head slightly, "Old-timer...?" He questioned. "Uh... well, thank you. I'll be sure not to disappoint you." He promised. As the evening continued, Mihara introduced the Abydos students to the rest of his Pokémon before joining them back at the school to sleep off the warm meal and the day's events. The next morning in Hyakkiyako would be a big one, and depending on his success, could change the course of the ongoing mission.

Chapter Text

"...look at this, Mihara. Seems like we're arriving in Hyakkiyako at the right time. Shizuko sent out a notice about the beginning of the White Lotus Festival." Sensei said, showing him the latest post. "Sort of like the Millennium Expo, it seems most of Hyakkiyako's clubs are gonna be there. Showing off their projects, performances, and... it looks like she's hyping up something coordinated between the Festival Operations Department and the Yin-Yang Club. Haikus from Chise, a karuta competition hosted by Kaho, Niya will be commentating on it... and an appearance from the..." Without warning, Sensei cut himself as his skin paled slightly.

Mihara seemed confused as he read it aloud. "The Calamitous Fox? That's... quite the title. I take it you're familiar with her, and not in a good way?" He asked, unsure how to respond to the teacher's reaction.

"I sincerely hope that this is Shizuko's attempt at a prank. The last thing the festival needs is Wakamo showing up and causing trouble for anyone." Sensei sighed as he'd call up his student. Though she was likely busy with preparing a few last minute things for the festival, she was able to answer rather quickly.

"Hi, Sensei! Are you on your way to check out the White Lotus Festival?" Shizuko asked cheerfully. Though she couldn't be seen, the absolute warmth of her smile could still be felt even all the way from beyond the station that they were traveling to.

"Yeah, we're on our way now. I just saw your post... could you clarify what you meant by the appearance of the Calamitous Fox?" Sensei asked, doing his best to mask the nervousness in his voice. The last few encounters with Wakamo have ended with something being destroyed.

"Oh, that? Yeah! A woman named Paola contacted me. She saw flyers for the upcoming festival and suggested something for our main event. She explained that she was from the other side of that weird portal in Hyakkiyako and mentioned she invited a colleague to demonstrate her home's biggest sport. She showed me this cool fire fox and it gave me an idea! I know she isn't Wakamo and... I'm sure some might be upset that I used her nickname, but I figured it'd be the best way to draw in some spectators! Do you happen to know how I can get a hold of this Mihara person?" Shizuko asked, her excitement growing by the second.

"He's sitting next to me on the train now. Is Paola wanting to meet with him?" Sensei questioned, calming down slightly now that he realized that Wakamo wouldn't be involved.

"Oh, that's convenient. She wants to meet him before her demonstration. Can you bring him to Momoyo Hall as soon as possible? We'll be waiting for you!" Shizuko soon hung up, though her infectious enthusiasm could still be felt even as Sensei's phone went silent.

"So... Paola wants this to be a public event. I suppose we should be happy that she's wanting to battle in a somewhat controlled environment. We won't have to worry about as much destruction this time, but I have a feeling that they're planning something." Mihara sighed softly. So far, he only knows of Paola's Delphox. The rest of her team was a total mystery to him. Up until now, he usually had some idea of how to adjust his team for the coming battle, but today was different. Perhaps he wouldn't need to prepare as heavily and he could just use his regular team in the Z-A Royale. After doing a bit of restructuring, Avalugg, Beedrill, and Talonflame have been returned to his team.

"Should we send a message to Shizuko or the Yin-Yang Club to step up security a bit? We could have them keep an eye out for suspicious characters." Sensei suggested.

Normally, increased security wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially with what happened at the Millennium Expo, but even with the Justice Task Force and Millennium's own defenses keeping an eye on everything, the Mega Metagross went undetected and Alexandre's Gengar still managed to make off with the Engineering Department's Portal Gun without a problem. The Universalites have shown themselves capable of moving around with frightening efficiency regardless of where they went. Gehenna's Prefect Team was overwhelmed by the same terrorist group they'd have locked up in a heartbeat. There was no guarantee that any sort of security in Hyakkiyako would have the same luck against potentially underhanded tactics.

After a moment, Mihara shook his head. "No, I feel an increased security detail might make the atmosphere of the festival heavier than needed. We can have Talonflame and Pidgeot monitor the district from the skies." He replied, crossing his arms slightly. "Let's just hope that all Paola wants is a genuine battle."

Though Sensei didn't fully agree with Mihara's suggestion, he understood where he was coming from. "Right. We're almost at the station. Momoyo Hall isn't too far from it. I'm sure you heard her over the phone. Shizuko is a sweet girl, but she's a professional at buttering up customers. Keep an eye on your wallet." He said in a somewhat playful tone. "Though, emptying your wallet there is worth it. Her drinks are incredible."

Mihara sighed in defeat, "The cafes in Lumiose City drain me of Royale winnings on a regular basis... there's no way I'm coming out of there with a full wallet. But, I suppose a good cup of tea before a battle won't hurt." He chuckled softly, though his smile briefly faded. "Hey, Sensei. You mentioned you encountered Xerosic yesterday and he claimed to be behind the Malamar attack at Gehenna, right?" He asked.

"Yes, what about him?" Sensei asked, unsure of where he was going with this.

"So, we know his Malamar can Mega Evolve. Did you happen to notice anything that might hold a Key Stone like my Mega Ring does?" Mihara asked in response.

"No, I didn't notice anything like it. But, now that you mention it, I did notice him carrying what looked like a remote detonator in his hand. I had assumed it'd have been for an explosive until he tossed an old smoke bomb on the ground. Why do you ask?" Sensei seemed only more confused.

"I'm wondering if he's had something to do with the Mega Pokémon we've faced so far. It wasn’t until Nina and Coralie arrived yesterday that we saw any of their trainers. Mega Evolution usually requires the presence of a Key Stone to react with the Pokémon's Mega Stone... like the Beedrillite and Gyaradosite I've used for mine. Perhaps he's found some way to remotely Mega Evolve Pokémon, perhaps in a similar manner to the Rogue Mega Pokémon that were attacking Lumiose City." Mihara suggested, crossing his arms slightly.

"If he's capable of remotely Mega Evolving Pokémon, then I suppose that'd mean he's been watching us since you first fought against Salamence when our mission started. Do you think he may intervene in your battle against Paola?" Sensei asked him, crossing his arms slightly. "Did Nina mention him at all yesterday when she and Coralie came to reclaim Tyranitar?"

Mihara shook his head, "No, not a word. I'm not sure she even knew he was in Abydos. I certainly didn't until you mentioned him." He replied, briefly looking at his phone. "I did let Emma know about Xerosic showing up in Abydos. She has a platoon of officers ready to arrest him at a moment's notice. We just need to capture him and drag him back to Lumiose City."

Sensei nodded in response. "I'll send a bulletin to the Valkyrie, and to the student councils around Kivotos to keep an eye out for him. What about the others, then?" He asked.

"I don't know. I've only seen Nina and Coralie so far. I don't even know what Paola or Alexandre look like, and we can't even be sure that they're the only Universalites here. Maybe Paola will give us a little more information." Mihara shrugged slightly.

After a little while longer, the train had finally arrived at the Hyakkiyako Station. Wandering through the district's streets seemed to mentally transport Mihara back to the streets of Cherrygrove City. He smiled slightly as he admired the architecture, finding a surprising amount of comfort in it. The decorations and various stands for the festival only added to the appeal. One stand in particular caught his eye. Innumerable pieces of ninja-themed merchandise from various anime and manga were rigidly placed on display, an extravagant, but somewhat sloppily written sign hung loosely in front of the stand.

"Ninjitsu Research Department?" Mihara hummed, his smile widening slightly. "That sounds like my kind of club. I know the battle's the main priority, but... maybe after it's all said and done, I'll pay them a visit."

Sensei laughed warmly, "I take it you're into ninjas too, then?" He asked playfully.

"You could say that. I grew up idolizing Koga of the Indigo League... he was known for being a master ninja and one of the Elite Four in Johto. When I was younger, I wanted to be like him. I tried to practice some ninja arts, but I didn't get far with it." Mihara admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"You'll fit in real well with them, then. Michiru and her friends are an energetic bunch, they're always eager to show off how cool ninjas are and are always trying to become ninjas themselves." Sensei laughed, watching as a familiar face came out from behind the stand. Her bright smile and fluffy tail were hard to miss, especially as she dashed towards them with blinding speed.

"My Lord has come to visit!" The girl said excitedly, eagerly bouncing on the heels of her feet. "Have you come to check Izuna's stand?" She asked, not even noticing Mihara yet.

"Soon, yes. Before I can do that, I have to meet with someone at Momoyo Hall." Sensei replied in an apologetic tone.

"Izuna can lead you there! Her friends are there, too. Come on!" Izuna said excitedly, tugging him behind her. "Izuna sees that my Lord has a new friend today." She hummed, finally noticing Mihara.

"This is Mihara, he's been helping me with my latest task. I know he'll be paying you a visit after we've wrapped up our meeting in Momoyo Hall." Sensei explained, silently laughing once he noticed the sparkles in Izuna's eyes as she stared at the Meowstic on Mihara's shoulder.

By this point, Izuna's focus wasn't entirely on her teacher as she reached out in an attempt to lift up Meowstic. She succeeded, slightly, at the moment she picked up the small Psychic-type, Meowstic began to growl and electricity crackled around her ears. Oblivious to the threatening body language and noises she made, Izuna's smile only widened. "It's so cute!" The girl cheered.

"Whoa! Be careful." Mihara suggested, placing his hand on Meowstic's head to calm her down. "She's not fond of being touched by people she doesn't know. You were close to being hit by Thunderbolt."

Izuna tilted her head slightly, clearly unaware of the Pokémon's attempted attack. "Hm? Izuna promises to be gentle with her!" She assured him. Meowstic reluctantly calmed down at her trainer's touch, though she pouted the entire time Izuna held her. "So soft... Izuna's never seen a cat like this."

Mihara sighed softly, "Most Meowstic are pretty soft, though I guess it depends on how well you take care of them." He replied, laughing slightly as he heard his Pokémon purring softly despite the pout on her face. "She especially enjoys having her chin scratched."

For the remainder of their walk to Momoyo Hall, Izuna bombarded Mihara with innumerable questions about his Meowstic, his Pokémon, and the ones he's given to Sensei. She's even asked about the potential of her having her own Pokémon in the future. Given that several other students have their own Pokémon already, he didn't see any reason why Izuna couldn't have one either. There were multiple fox-like Pokémon everywhere. Maybe she could catch herself a Vulpix or Fennekin, or maybe she could get some inspiration from Koga and Janine in her team. There were plenty of options, but that'd have to wait until later.

As they finally arrived at the cafe, they were immediately greeted by Shizuko who happily ushered them towards the table she shared with Paola. They expected to encounter someone older, a little more experienced, but instead, she didn't look much older than Taunie. Despite her apparent youth, her confident gaze was hard to ignore. As the group took their offered seats, there was a brief moment of tension that seemed to throw the cafe's vibes off until Shizuko finally spoke up in an effort to clear the air.

"It took a little longer than expected, but here they are. Sensei and Mihara, you mentioned you wanted to speak with Sensei's friend, right?" Shizuko asked her.

Paola nodded in response. "Would you be willing to fetch them some tea? Add their drinks to my bill." She replied softly, her gentle tone unfitting for the piercing gaze in her olive-green eyes.

"Right away, ma'am!" Shizuko nodded, quickly dashing off towards the kitchen to prepare their drinks.

"So, you're Mihara, huh? I've watched your promotion matches on TV before. You're quite impressive. Alexandre originally wanted us to do as we had been doing, send out our Pokémon and let them go haywire, but once I learned from him how you stopped Malamar and Metagross like you did, I wasn't going to be satisfied with a little pointless destruction." Paola started, setting her cup down. "You see, I'm always on the lookout for strong trainers. I want to test myself to see how good of a trainer I really am."

Mihara stared at her for a moment, faint hints of recognition flickering in his eyes. "I swear I've seen you before... you're not a competitor in the Z-A Royale, but I've seen you somewhere..." He admitted.

"Hm? Oh, right. Maybe I should introduce myself properly. I am Paola, I was the latest person to challenge Champion Levi. If you saw our match on TV, you probably saw how soundly he defeated me." She replied, her tone never changing. "Since I lost that battle, I've been training as hard as I can, battling strong opponents everywhere no matter who they were."

Sensei wasn't sure what to make of her story. "You seem like a good natured person. Why would you join the Universalites if you just wanted a challenge?" He asked.

"I foolishly made an attempt to challenge Alexandre not long after my battle with Champion Levi. After a hard-fought match, he defeated me. Before the battle began, we made a bet. If I won, he'd help me track down Delphox's Mega Stone. If he won, I'd work for his organization. So, here I am now. Strangely, he did help me find Delphoxite a few months after joining them, so I suppose I am a little indebted to him." Paola replied, sighing softly.

Shizuko soon returned with the drinks, setting them down on the table. "I hate to interrupt, but have you had a chance to talk to them about our main event? It's supposed to start soon." She reminded her.

"I was getting there." Paola replied dismissively as she stood up. "Not only do I enjoy a good battle, I enjoy being on TV, too. Shizuko wanted something big and grand to be broadcasted across Kivotos, so I approached her about our battle. She seemed happy to accept my proposal. She, along with Niya, will be commentating on our match... it'll be the main event, and the festival's opening match. They even prepared a special battle court for us a little up the street." She grinned slightly, her confidence growing by the second. "One on one, your ace against mine. Alexandre has assured he will not interfere with the match and if you win, he'll leave Hyakkiyako alone. He warned me something terrible would come to the district if you lose, however, though he neglected to tell me what it might be. Let us depart for the court and prepare ourselves."

Mihara took a few deep breaths; it wasn't often any of his battles had such high stakes. Considering the destruction that their Pokémon have caused so far, he wasn't all that excited to see what Alexandre could do in the event that he failed here. Of course, if it was his ace against hers, then maybe he'd stand a fair chance. Then again, it would be foolish to underestimate someone who was able to defeat the region's Elite Four and make it all the way to the Champion's Chamber, even if she lost in the end. He had full confidence that Gyarados could carry him into victory no matter who the opponent was, but even with all the confidence in the world, one wrong move would spell disaster for him.

As they arrived at the battle court, an excited looking Niya rushed to the center, a microphone in hand. "Welcome to Hyakkiyako's long anticipated White Lotus Festival! An extravagant new event celebrating all of the incredible clubs that make up our school. We've got an exciting list of events for you all to enjoy." She said cheerfully, controlling the crowd almost effortlessly. "To start us off will be an event never before seen anywhere in Kivotos. I'm sure you've seen those weird portals everywhere, right? Today, we've managed to get two visitors from the other side here in Hyakkiyako today to demonstrate their home's most beloved sport, the exciting art of Pokémon battling!"

Gesturing for Mihara and Paola to approach her, the girl's smile widened. "Meet our competitors. To my right, I have Paola; a young traveler filled with confidence. Don't let her youthful looks deceive you, she'll give anyone a run for their money. To my left, I have Mihara, a traveler that's been making himself known throughout Kivotos as he fearlessly aids Schale's Sensei in the ongoing investigation. For the first time ever, these two will be facing off in one exciting match. Who will walk away with a win? Who will walk away filled with regret? Why don't we let them get started and have them answer those questions for us?" As she finished speaking, she walked towards the sidelines.

"When the two of you are ready, you may begin the match!" Niya sat behind a small table, eager to see what the two trainers would do.

"Best of luck, Mihara. Let's make this a battle for the ages." Paola smiled confidently, reaching to shake his hand. "Today, I fight not as a Universalite, but as the future Kalos League Champion."

Mihara nodded, shaking her hand in response. "Best of luck to you, too. You'll find out why I became Lumiose's strongest trainer."

With their initial words shared, the two wandered off to opposite sides of the battle court as they sent out their Pokémon. Gyarados on Mihara's side and Delphox on Paola's side. Both of them took deep breaths and in near perfect sync with each other, they raised their hands towards the sky.

"Alright, let's show 'em what you're made of! Mega Evolve!" They shouted in unison. Both Pokémon were quickly engulfed by furious waves of energy, soon bursting out of their shells with great determination in their eyes. Gyarados glared daggers at his opponent while Delphox wore an eager smile.

"Let's finish this up nice and easy, Delphox. Use Calm Mind!" Paola ordered. Her Pokémon closed her eyes for a moment, quieting her mind and focusing on nothing but her opponent. With it, her offensive and defensive prowess increased slightly. "Now, hit Gyarados with Scorching Sands!"

With a flick of wrist, Delphox whipped up a cloud of burning sand, hurling it towards her opponent. Gyarados slid back several feet, roaring as the hot debris struck him. Shaking it off, his glare intensified.

"Don't give her an inch, retaliate with Earthquake!" Mihara yelled. Gyarados nodded, slamming his tail into the ground; causing it to tremble violently. Delphox lost her footing, falling to the ground as the earth shook beneath her. The terrible tremors dislodged a number of small stones that struck her, though despite the supereffective damage, she wasn't ready to give up. As the shaking stopped, Paola issued her next order.

"Hah! Like a little shake-up will stop us. Delphox, hit them where it hurts with Dazzling Gleam" Paola called. Delphox nodded, creating a brilliant burst of light. The brightness of it dazed Gyarados for a moment, leaving him open to being struck by his opponent's Fire Blast. Even if it wasn't the most effective of an attack, it continued to push him back.

"You've dealt with worse, Gyarados! Hit her with Aqua Tail, we need to wrap this up as quickly as possible!" Mihara said with a wave of his arm. Gyarados pushed himself off the ground, rushing towards Delphox at a surprising speed. His tail was surrounded by rushing water, creating a massive splash as it struck the Fire-type. She was thrust back, unintentionally crashing into an empty stand. Fortunately, there weren't any students nor precious merchandise on display, so nothing was hurt.

"Whoa, whoa! Look at this furious display between them and their partners. Neither side is willing to back down despite the powerful attacks being thrown around." Niya called in an excited tone. "Neither side is giving up an inch, but can they hold out forever? Will Paola's Pokémon recover from that attack? Only one way to find out."

Paola clenched her teeth, "Come on, Delphox! You're stronger than this, show them your true strength!" She pleaded. Beneath the rubble, the Mega Delphox took several deep breaths as she attempted to stand. She didn't want to let her trainer down and she wasn't ready to throw the towel in so soon. She used Fire Blast, destroying the remnants of the stall that surrounded her. Shakily, she returned to the battlefield, glaring right back at Gyarados. "Just like that! Use Scorching Sands again!"

She whipped up another storm of burning sand, hurling it towards the serpentine Pokémon. Like before, Gyarados released an ear-splitting roar as he shook it off. As his eyes opened once more, Delphox had used Dazzling Gleam to further disorient him. Heavy damage had been taken, but it'd be awfully embarrassing if he lost to a Pokémon when he held such an advantage.

"Don't give up, Gyarados! Use Crunch onto her wand!" Mihara ordered. Taking a moment to regain his bearings, Gyarados again launched himself towards his opponent, his sharpened fangs holding onto the flaming broomstick she used. "Hold onto her as long as you can and strike with Aqua Tail! Don't give her a chance to hit back!"

Gyarados' long tail repeatedly struck at Delphox without pause, though she refused to give in. Paola shook her head, "Hit back with Dazzling Gleam!" She yelled.

For the next several minutes, the two continued to trade devastating blow after devastating blow. Both Pokémon were exhausting themselves, kicking up large dust clouds in the process. No one could see a thing, but the sounds of the battle could clearly be heard until a sudden thud echoed.

"The sounds of the immense battle have come to an end, but I can't see a thing behind the dust cloud. Once it emerges, a victor shall be crowned. Hold onto the edge of your seats, folks!" Niya called excitedly, watching as the dust slowly faded with bated breath.

As it faded away, Delphox was on the ground, no longer in her Mega Evolved state. Gyarados was barely holding on, no longer Mega Evolved either, clinging to the last bits of his strength, though it seemed as if all it'd take is one more attack to defeat him.

Delphox crumbled to her knees, trying her hardest to stand again. "Come on, Delphox! You're so close to victory! Don't let it end like this!" Paola cried out. The Fire-type weakly raised her wand, hoping to unleash one final Fire Blast.

"You can do it, Gyarados! Victory is almost ours!" Mihara said desperately. Gyarados launched itself forward, his sharp fangs glowing. The two Pokémon connected for one final attack. They glared at each other, but only one of them would remain standing. Ultimately, Delphox fell first, her flame fizzling out as she hit the ground.

Gyarados may have secured the victory, but with his vision blurrying, he wouldn't have lasted much longer. As it seemed Mihara's Pokémon emerged victoriously, cheers erupted from the crowd. Paola stood there, stunned to see she had lost. She knew Delphox had the disadvantage and yet, she was still fully confident in securing her victory. After a moment, she recalled her Pokémon and approached Mihara, her hand outstretched.

"I'm a girl of my word. You've won fair and square, Mihara. Alexandre will not touch Hyakkiyako." Paola promised, smiling slightly. "I may have lost, but that was... exciting. No matter what happens after today, I'd like to call upon you for future matches."

Mihara nodded, smiling in response. "You were incredible. We had the advantage and it still took every ounce of our strength. I'd be glad to take you on in the future." He replied, firmly shaking her hand.

"What an incredible match between two high leveled competitors! Listen to their closing words, not a shred of animosity between them. It was a solid clash of wills, but in the end, Mihara and his partner have attained victory and with it, comes a special prize." Niya said as she approached Mihara, with Shizuko following close behind her. She'd hand him a small, golden card bearing Chise's likeness on it. "This'll serve as proof of your victory here. Congratulations!"

Shizuko looked towards Gyarados, and then towards the Meowstic on Mihara's shoulder. "Incredible..." She whispered. "We should host another event like this in the future. Just imagine the attention Hyakkiyako's festivals could get if we hosted high level matches like this on the regular."

Mihara laughed softly, taking a few berries from his satchel, offering some to Paola before feeding the rest to his exhausted Pokémon. "Maybe it won't be too out of the question. If these portals don't close after the situation has been resolved, there's been some talks about fully integrating our cities together. Perhaps in time, we'll be able to make Hyakkiyako students into full-fledged Pokémon trainers."

Niya smiled at the idea. "Wouldn't that be something? You'll have to keep in touch with us, Mihara." She replied.

Overhearing the idea, a purple haired student rushed over to them. "The integration of Hyakkiyako with the other side of the portal sounds exciting! If you get the chance, stop by the Hyakkaryouran's club room. I believe something like this would be an excellent opportunity for both sides to form great bonds and learn from each other." She said excitedly.

"You certainly seem excited about it, Yukari." Sensei said teasingly.

"Of course! Opportunities like this don't appear often. I'd imagine Renge, Kikyou, and Nagusa would be just as excited to hear about it." Yukari replied with a cheerful giggle. "Come, let's find them! I remember Kikyou and Renge were looking for something to eat... I don't know if they were able to watch your match."

Before any of them could begin searching for the other members of her club, Niya's voice over the microphone caught their attention. "Look at this! A stranger approaches from above, riding in an equally strange creature."

Mihara's eyes widened slightly. It wasn't just any stranger, but it was the same Aerodactyl from the footage with the very same rider on its back. Paola paled slightly, not expecting to see him.

"A-Alexandre? What are you doing here?" Paola asked somewhat nervously.

"I saw your match, Paola. That was an impressive effort, but it seems you underestimated Mihara here." He replied as Aerodactyl brought him to the ground. "I'm glad to see you're living up to your reputation. As promised, I'll leave Hyakkiyako alone. Instead, I want to congratulate you on your victory. Paola's never been one to go down easy, even when she's at a disadvantage."

Mihara seemed a little confused, and more than a little on edge. "What are you doing here? Were you watching our match?"

Alexandre shrugged slightly. "When I heard there was a big festival, I had to come and check it out. Of course, enjoying an exciting match only made the delicious snacks I've found that much better. You oughta bring some of these back to Lumiose City when you get the chance." He replied innocently enough.

"...you're only here to enjoy the festival? I find that hard to believe." Mihara admitted.

"You wound me. Even villains like myself can enjoy a nice festival every now and then. I'll have to return to my base soon, of course, there's still some research to be done on that Portal Gun." Alexandre said, chuckling softly as he took another skewer from his bag of goodies.

"Can I ask what your purpose in Kivotos is?" Sensei asked, unsure what to make of this strange scientist.

"My purpose? I could've sworn I explained it to you when I called you while you were at Millennium." Alexandre frowned slightly, "I'm after this world's technology. Imagine what we could do if we combined our world's technology, why... that Ultimate Weapon that Lysandre was so obsessed with would be child's play! We could dominate the world, rewrite reality, explore worlds even beyond these two. Anything I could imagine would be within my grasp." He replied, his frown disappearing after a moment. "I want everything this world has to offer and I mean everything..."

Sensei shook his head slightly, "You're insane..." He muttered.

"I wouldn't disagree, but it's only a matter of time before the wonders of this world belong to me. With Hoopa's powers at my disposal, nothing will be out of my reach." Alexandre laughed softly, climbing onto Aerodactyl's back. "Enjoy the festival, Mihara. We will meet again very soon."

However, before Alexandre could take off, a sudden alert caught their attention. A news bulletin blared out across several of the big screens used by the Festival Operations Department.

"This is Kazamaki Mai with the latest development of the ongoing Portal Crisis! It turns out the Shiratori district won't be the only area plagued by these destructive outsiders. Trinity's Justice Task Force is facing great trouble from what was once a peaceful wanderer who's now wandering around school grounds, carelessly launching blasts of lightning and stone in every direction. It's looking more and more like a repeat of the Missile Crisis that occurred at the treaty signing! Who knows how long they can stand against their mysteriously adorable foe? It seems like it'll be a matter of time before they're defeated."

The news bulletin continued with Mai's play-by-play of the destructive battle in Trinity. Mihara clenched his teeth, "So, you promised to leave Hyakkiyako, but immediately attacked Trinity?" He asked, glaring towards Alexandre.

"Hm? That Mega Clefable wasn't part of our plans." Alexandre replied with a shrug.

"Hey, Mihara. Remember how you mentioned that Xerosic might be able to remotely activate Mega Evolution? Perhaps this was his doing." Sensei suggested.

"Xerosic, hm? That checks out. He came here to study the unique energies of this land. No doubt his research on the rogue Mega Pokémon in Lumiose City led to some developments. Perhaps he wants to harness the energy of your students to create more powerful Mega Evolved Pokémon." Alexandre said, sighing softly. "You should head to Trinity. Do what you want with him, I've got all the data I need from him." He added somewhat dismissively, "Paola, feel free to enjoy the festival. Good luck out there, Mihara."

His Aerodactyl soon took off for the skies, leaving them alone once again. Sensei sighed softly, "Are you ready to head to Trinity, Mihara? It's not too far away, we should be able to get there before Clefable can cause too much trouble." He said, looking towards the others. "I'm sorry, it seems we won't be able to enjoy the festival as we planned."

Shizuko waved off the apologies. "The festival will be going for a few days, you'll have time to visit later, I promise!" She assured him.

"We'll be back before it ends, I promise." Mihara replied as he turned to Sensei again. "Come on, we've got no time to waste. Clefable isn't especially powerful, but it can be an unpredictable opponent. There's no telling what it'll pull out against the Trinity students."

Though they wanted to enjoy a peaceful evening, it'd have to wait until the crisis came to an end. Paola sighed softly, "I never liked Xerosic much. I'm coming with you to take care of him. I know you don't trust me, but I'll help however I can." She said,

"We could use an extra hand. Let's get going. The first train to Trinity will be leaving soon." Sensei gestured for them to follow, unsure of what to expect from the coming battle.

Chapter Text

The urgent ride out to the Trinity Station was a blissfully short one. As they arrived at the station, a familiar looking pink-haired girl was waiting for them with a nervous expression crossing her face. As soon as they stepped off the train, she rushed to greet them. "S-Sensei! You need to hurry and get to the school. We've managed to keep it contained thanks to Hifumi somehow distracting it, but I don't think she'll be able to distract it forever." Koharu said worriedly, tugging on her teacher's arm.

"Calm down, Koharu. Is Hifumi actually fighting it?" Sensei asked, trying to keep himself calm.

"No, but... she seems to be trying to calm it down. She's isolated the Pokemon from most of the school, but I don't think she can hold out for too much longer." Koharu glanced over to Mihara for a moment, "Maybe he'll have a better chance at calming it."

Sensei nodded in agreement, "I know you just had a hard match with Paola, but do you think your Pokemon are up for another battle?" He asked.

"Of course. We can't be kept down for that long. Let's get going before the Clefable has a chance to hurt her or anyone else." Mihara replied, glancing towards Paola. "Can I trust you to help keep things under control?" He asked her.

"I'm not a liar, Mihara. I've never much liked Xerosic, if I can one-up, I'll take the chance. Delphox might be worn out from the battle, but it's not like I don't have other options to use. Let's get going. Lead the way to the school, girl." Paola replied, a confident smile crossing her face.

"R-Right! Follow me!" Koharu replied, gesturing for them to run alongside her.

Upon arriving at the school, Hifumi could be spotted running up and down the ruined front lawn of Trinity, hardly avoiding the colorful array of attacks from the unusually aggressive Clefable. She didn't seem to be even trying to shoot back, it almost looked as if she was trying to wear it out.

As they got closer to the scene of the battle, Sensei called out towards the girl. "Hifumi! You can take it easy for now! Join with Koharu and keep other students from getting too close to it!" He said, sending out his Arbok to aid him in the coming battle.

The sudden sound of her teacher's voice caught her off guard. "S-Sensei?!" Hifumi yelped, stumbling to the ground just as Clefable attempted to hit her with a Fire Blast. The fiery attack barely missed her, but it wasn't going to stop Clefable from attempting to strike again.

"Arbok, don't let it attack again. Strike it with Thunder Fang!" Sensei ordered. The large Poison-type swiftly slithered towards the rogue Mega Pokemon. With his sharpened fangs electrified, he latched onto Clefable's arm.

"Whoa..." Hifumi muttered, somewhat surprised to see her teacher joining in on the fray. "What's going on, Sensei? That thing was as peaceful as could be until this morning. I even managed to befriend it..."

Mihara stepped in front of her, sending out his Avalugg. "Its behavior isn't Clefable's fault, someone's controlling it. If we can take it out of its Mega Evolved state, it should return to normal." He explained. "Help Arbok out, use Icicle Crash!"

The Iceberg unleashed a groundshaking roar as it created a cascade of icicles over Clefable. With Arbok distracting it, many of the falling ice crystals struck head on. Even with their combined attacks, it wasn't enough to slow it down just yet. Paola soon stepped in, sending out her Slowbro and Xatu.

"Xatu, I need you to search the skies. See if you can't find Xerosic's location. If you spot him, take him out!" Paola ordered her mystic Pokemon. "Slowbro, you join in with the others and hit Clefable with Sludge Bomb!"

Her Pokemon nodded in response, Xatu quickly taking to the air. Joining her would be Mihara's Talonflame and Sensei's Pidgeot, they'd provide the Psychic-type with some much needed back-up. There was no telling what tricks Xerosic might have up his sleeve, so having extra help wouldn't hurt. While they took off, Slowbro hurled a blob of sludge towards Clefable; hitting square in the face.

With its eyes obscured by the disgusting sludge, it began to move erratically. It'd repeatedly waggle its fingers, hoping Metronome would give it something. Blasts of ice, lightning, solar energy, and more were being fired off indiscriminately. Surprisingly, none of its attacks connected with the opposing Pokemon or bystanding students, though the destruction of the school was hard to miss.

"We need to end this quickly or Trinity's gonna be flattened!" Sensei yelled to them, watching as Arbok joined with Slowbro's barrage of Poison-type attacks. Gunk Shot and Sludge Bomb were used interchangeably while Avalugg was responsible for slowing it down with Icicle Crash.

As their battle raged on, the trio of Flying-types scoured the skies for anyone that seemed out of place. For a while, it didn't seem like they'd have any luck until Xatu spotted an abandoned factory not far from the school. She hovered in the air briefly as if trying to detect any movement within until she finally caught the brief flash of a tattered, bright red uniform walking beside a cracked window. Looking towards her companions, she gestured for them to fly closer to the factory to get a better look. It didn't seem like much at first, but there was an ominous feeling surrounding the factory. At her suggestion, each took care of surveying different parts of the factory in search of their target.

They found nothing at first, and it seemed as if it might've just been a trick of the light that caught Xatu's attention, but as Pidgeot approached that very same window, several blades of air burst through it. It barely missed Pidgeot, but was enough to confirm that they were in the right place. The three Flying-types entered with Pidgeot immediately engaging in battle with the hostile Crobat. The two Pokemon quickly began to trade blows, and though Pidgeot was able to shrug off many of its attacks, Crobat was able to easily outmaneuver it.

Taking charge, the more agile Talonflame joined in Pidgeot's battle; attempting to hit the Poison-type with Wing Attack. Her first attack barely missed it, but that didn't mean she was about to give up. She made several chirping noises, ordering the other two to search for Xerosic while she handled Crobat. Fortunately, they wouldn't need to go far as Xerosic emerged from the shadows, giving off a devilish grin.

"So, you must think you're the early birds that gets the Wurmple, huh?" Xerosic taunted them, clinging tightly to his mysterious device. "How unfortunate you came here alone. Without your trainers, you hold no hope in defeating me." His laughter echoed through the halls as he sent out Malamar. "Destroy them, Malamar! Don't give them so much as an inch, don't let them escape!"

The Malamar roared angrily, prepared to get its revenge on Sensei's Pokemon, and if it had the chance to defeat the others, it'd gladly take it. While Talonflame was busy dealing with Crobat, Xatu and Pidgeot prepared themselves for their battle. With a deep breath, Xatu opted to try and slow Malamar down with Thunder Wave, the tingles of electricity paralyzing the hostile Dark-type. Even with the disadvantage, Malamar gladly responded with Psycho Cut, aiming for Pidgeot.

The confined space of the factory's hallway made it difficult for the normally maneuverable Pokemon to do much, causing it to take the attack head on. Even with the heavy damage taken, Pidgeot wasn't about to give up and retaliated with Heat Wave, blasting the opponent with a gout of burning air. Xatu didn't seem to pay much attention to Malamar, instead keeping her attention on the rogue scientist. She was particularly intrigued by the strange device he held and seemed to be waiting for the right moment to strike. He was clearly distracted by the battle that raged beside her, more concerned with barking orders than he was in defending himself.

She watched and waited, and at the moment he outstretched his arm to bark another order, she quickly used Shadow Ball on Xerosic, aiming to knock the device out of his hand. Her attack struck her target, causing the scientist to stumble back in surprise. His device dropped to the ground, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, no you don't!" Xerosic yelled desperately, diving for the fallen device, but it was too late. Thanks to Xatu using Psychic on Crobat and with Pidgeot's continued distraction of Malamar, Talonflame was able to quickly dive in to grab it before Xerosic could. With urging from her companions, Talonflame fled from the factory and hastily made her way back to Mihara.

"No... no! Don't let that wretch escape! After it, Crobat! Get that Remote Evolver back, immediately!" Xerosic barked. Crobat quickly avoided an incoming Shadow Ball and began to chase after Talonflame. Its escape signaled for Xatu and Pidgeot to follow behind it, knowing full well that Malamar wouldn't be able to pursue them. For as fast as Talonflame was, it wouldn't be able to avoid Crobat for much longer, so it was up to them to slow the Poison-type however possible. They launched a barrage of Shadow Balls and Heat Waves in an effort to shake it off the other as quickly as possible.

Many of their attacks missed their target, but they did their job and distracted Crobat enough that it turned its attention on them. It attempted to strike them with Brave Bird, but missed its mark. Xatu struck back, holding it firmly with Psychic while Pidgeot finished it off with Hyper Beam; the energetic blast of energy violently hurled it back into the factory where an angry Xerosic watched them take off with his prize invention.

"You let them get away, Crobat." Xerosic growled, angrily returning it and Malamar back to their Pokeballs. "I'm not finished yet. I'm not about to let some brat ruin my work yet again." He sighed, turning on his old tablet. The screen displayed several security cameras hooked up to the Universalites hidden base. "Hoopa's been left unguarded... Alexandre still has the Prison Bottle, so I can't fight him directly, but if I can distract him..." He grinned, sending out an Elgyem and Claydol.

"I have an important mission for the two of you. Claydol, I want you to break Hoopa out of its confinement. Elgyem, I want you to follow Alexander. Watch him and wait for him to lower his guard, snatch the Prison Bottle from him the moment he brings it out. Once you have it, bring it to me here. With Hoopa under my control, I'll be able to harness this world's energy for myself and we will be unstoppable." Xerosic smirked, watching as his Pokemon teleported away to take care of their mission. Elgyem quietly arrived in Alexandre's private quarters, silently watching as goes about his usual business while Claydol appeared just outside of Hoopa's room.

This had to go right for him, if Xerosic had this much trouble with Mihara and his companions, he knew he'd have no chance at defeating Alexandre in a straight battle, so he could only hope that his attempts at stealth would pay off. He'd watch the cameras intensely, waiting for the moment to finally strike.

Meanwhile, Talonflame and her crew finally returned to the scene of the battle where Clefable had finally calmed down, having since returned to its usual form. Mihara could be seen tending to its injuries while Paola inspected it.

"Hey, look at this. There's a camera attached to Clefable." Paola said, taking off the Fairy-type's body. "It seemed Xerosic, or whoever was controlling it was watching us the entire time... and that's not all, it looks like its Mega Stone was attached to its wing. I guess that explains how he was able to Mega Evolve it." She said, frowning slightly.

"How could he force it Mega Evolve? Do you know anything about his designs?" Mihara asked, setting the potion away once he was finished.

"I've heard he created something called the Remote Evolver, it was something he developed while Lysandre was pursuing Xerneas and Yveltal. He didn't tell me much, only that it'd allow him to Mega Evolve his Pokemon even if he were all the way on the other side of the world as long as it maintained some kind of connection to it." Paola replied, sighing softly as she set the camera away in her bag. "I didn't believe him entirely, but... perhaps he wasn't full of it."

Sensei approached them, briefly studying the Mega Stone. "Mihara, do you remember if Abomasnow had a Mega Stone attached to it? I remember finding a camera like this when you captured the Pokemon back in Red Winter." He mused.

"No, I don't remember seeing one, but perhaps Xerosic was intending to Mega Evolve it at some point. There's a good chance that Clefable was in the same boat as Abamosnow... living peacefully until the Portal swallowed it up, then Xerosic noticed it and began his plans." Mihara suggested, sighing softly.

"Look! Your pet's returning, Sensei!" Hifumi called out. "It looks like the orange one is carrying something."

Talonflame quickly returned to her trainer's side, dropping the Remote Evolver in his hand. Sensei's eyes widened slightly, "That was the device he had in Abydos. Is that Remote Evolver you were talking about, Paola?" He asked.

Paola nodded in response, "So, that means he's been stopped for now, at least, but he's still at large. Even without it, his Pokemon are still dangerous. We should begin searching for him next." She suggested.

"I appreciate the help, but why would you continue to aid us, Paola? Isn't Xerosic your ally?" Mihara asked, still somewhat suspicious of her.

"I know you don't trust me considering I've been helping Alexandre, but... this was the first time I've seen one of those Rogue Mega Evolved Pokemon up close. I had no idea they were in so much pain. I owe a debt to Alexandre and I believe I've paid it off, I can't abide someone putting these poor Pokemon through so much pain like this for no reason." Paola replied quietly, clenching her fists.

Sensei smiled, nodding his approval. "I'm glad to hear that. I've no doubt a conniving scientist like Xerosic has some plans up his sleeve. We'll need all the help we can get. Though... What do we do about Clefable? Should we bring it back to Lumiose City?" He asked.

"Hey, Hifumi. You mentioned you managed to befriend it before it went berserk, right?" Mihara asked her.

"Yeah! I tried to visit as often as I could while the Justice Task Force monitored it. They didn't seem too happy with it, but I guess as long as it wasn't hurting anyone, they didn't get in my way." Hifumi explained, a wide smile crossing her face.

In response, Mihara took a Pokeball from his satchel. "Then, use this on Clefable. If it's going to be stuck in a strange world, it may as well have a friend."

Hifumi seemed confused as she held the small capsule. "I'm... I'm supposed to put that huge creature into this tiny ball? How?" She asked worriedly.

"Pokemon are capable of shrinking themselves down. If it wants to stay with you, that Pokeball will make it easier for it to travel with you. All you need to do is approach Clefable and see if it's willing to join you." Mihara assured her, nudging her towards the Pokemon.

Hifumi swallowed slightly as she approached Clefable, holding the Pokeball out towards the Fairy-type. "Well, uh... Clefable, do you want to be my friend?" She asked softly. "To stay with me in Trinity? I know I'm not that special, but I'd make sure you're happy!" She promised.

Clefable looked towards her and then towards the Pokeball in hand. It smiled widely and barely hesitated as it approached her, tapping on the Pokeball. A beam of red light swallowed it into the Pokeball.

One... two... three... click!

Clefable had successfully been captured, much to Hifumi's happiness. She raised the Pokeball, her smile glowing as brightly as the sun itself. "Does... does that mean I can become like you, Sensei?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think it could be the start of your Pokemon journey, Hifumi. Though, you'd be better off asking Mihara for tips and tricks, I'm still a newbie myself." Sensei nodded his approval.

"Hifumi!" Koharu approached her, a relieved smile on her face. "So, you managed to quell the monster? Azusa and Hanako came with me to check on you."

Azusa smiled, noticing the Pokeball in hand. "So, you're like Sensei and his friend now. That's... that's incredible!" She cheered.

"I can't believe Sensei took part in the fray, it seemed all it took was some pushing from his pretty friends." Hanako teased, playfully nudging him.

"Maybe in time, you'll be able to battle like we do. I'm just glad we were able to finish the battle without anyone getting hurt." Sensei replied, sighing softly.

"The battle might be over, but the damage to Trinity will take time to repair." Hasumi said as she approached the group. "Mihara, you wouldn't happen to know of any construction companies that could help us, do you?" She asked.

"I could speak with Tarragon later, he runs Racine Construction. I doubt he'd charge too much for repairs like this." Mihara offered.

In the background, Paola could be heard speaking on the phone. "Mihara, Sensei! We have an emergency, Alexandre needs our help in Gehenna as soon as possible." She said urgently.

"What's going on?" Sensei asked, finding it suspicious that Alexandre needed their help.

"Xerosic's Elgyem took off with the Prison Bottle and apparently Hoopa managed to break free from its confinement. Alexandre said he spotted Xerosic's Claydol escaping the scene and attempted to have Aerodactyl intervene, but it was attacked by Crobat. He needs us there immediately, he believes Xerosic's planning to unleash Hoopa's full power on Gehenna." Paola explained. "We don't have much time, we need to get going, now!"

Mihara bit his lip slightly, "What's Xerosic planning? Gehenna's still recovering from his last attack, they can't handle another attack, especially from a Pokemon like Hoopa."

To add to the urgent call, Hasumi received an emergency message on her phone from Hina. She received a video displaying Hoopa's rampage on the district, though it didn't quite look like the images that Mable showed them prior. It looked huge, multiple arms attacking indiscriminately and opening up all sorts of portals. A number of wild Pokemon poured from the portals. Most of them didn't seem too hostile, but even if they weren't going to attack civilians, it could cause some problems.

"Sensei, the situation doesn't look like it's too good. We need to get to Gehenna immediately." Hasumi urged them.

"No, we can't beat Hoopa like this. Our Pokemon are strong, but a straight battle with it would end in our defeat. I need to return to Lumiose City temporarily... there's someone there that can help us." Mihara replied somewhat anxiously, taking a strange looking Mega Stone from his satchel. "Sensei, you and Paola need to head to Gehenna. Do whatever you can to distract Hoopa and try to reclaim the Prison Bottle from Xerosic."

Paola shook her head, seeming fairly confused. "If our Pokemon won't be able to stop it, how could you hope to stop it with this friend of yours?" She asked worriedly.

"We'll need to stop Hoopa the same way we stopped Ange. We'll need Zygarde's assistance. I'll head back to Lumiose City to find Zygarde and we'll head to Gehenna as soon as we can. You two need to work on keeping Hoopa distracted while the Prefects evacuates civillians." Mihara explained, sighing softly. "I know it seems like a bad idea, but you'll just have to trust me on this."

Sensei crossed his arms slightly, but relented. "I'm trusting you on this, Mihara, but be quick. We don't have the luxury of time on our hands. While you're in Lumiose City, you might want to inform Emma of Xerosic's location."

MIhara nodded in response. "Right. I'll be quick, just do what you can. We'll meet again soon, and inform Alexandre of our plans." With the plan in mind, the group had split up. They needed to be quick if they wanted to keep Hoopa from causing anymore damage.

Chapter Text

With the help of his own Salamence, it hadn't taken all that long for Mihara to return to the portal at Schale and return to Emma's office. Upon reaching the other side, he'd come to the surprising sight of several people in her office that were seemingly expecting him. Without much of a chance to even say hello to Emma, or ask about the strangers in the room, the oldest approached him with a stern and serious expression. There was a sense of familiarity with the stranger, but Mihara found himself strangely nervous to speak up. As the man approached him, crossing his arms as it seemed he was inspecting the younger trainer.

"So, you're Mihara, correct? Emma told me about you and updated me on the situation. Given that you're back here in Lumiose City, I'm expecting you've got some good news for us, right?" The man said, his tone matching the stern appearance in his expression.

Swallowing hard, nervous beads of sweat dripped down Mihara's forehead, though with Meowstic's gentle nuzzling against his cheek, he regained some of his composure. "I wouldn't exactly call it good news. I've come to Lumiose City to get some extra help. The situation has grown dire. Xerosic betrayed Alexandre and has unleashed Hoopa into the Gehenna District. None of us were strong enough to handle it on our own..." He explained with a soft sigh.

"I see. So, now we know where Xerosic is. I've been hunting him since he broke out of prison. Alexandre's on the other side too, right? That'll make my job easier." The man hummed, sighing in relief. "I'll see if I can't lend a hand. Are you able to help me find this Gehenna District?" He asked.

"Yeah... Salamence can take you there. Maybe you can help Alexandre and Paola hold off Hoopa until I return with Zygarde." Mihara mused, "But... who are you, anyways?" He asked.

"Alexandre's helping you? That's odd..." The stranger muttered. "Oh, do forgive me. My name is Levi, Champion of the Kalos region and international police officer at your service. This is my sister, Sophie. I only stopped in Lumiose City to pick her up. We're nearing the deadline for enrollment in Naranja Academy when I received a call from Emma. Go find Zygarde, though I'm not sure it'll be necessary. I'll head to Gehenna with Salamence. Don't keep us waiting for too long." Without saying much else, Levi climbed onto Salamence's back and disappeared through the portal.

"Can we come with you to find Zygarde? We watched it battle with the Prism Tower when it went crazy, I'd love to get a closer look at it." Sophie asked, approaching him with sparkles in her eye, her Pichu sharing a similar expression.

"Yeah.. we need to stop by Hotel Z. I might see if Taunie and the others are willing to lend us a hand as well." Mihara nodded, gesturing for her to follow them. Perhaps having so many people aid in the battle wasn't necessary, but given how dangerous Hoopa seemed to be, he felt it was better to be safe than sorry. The two of them rushed off towards the hotel like their lives depended on it and upon arriving in the hotel lobby, Taunie looked towards them with concern.

"Mihara? I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon. Though, given the worry on your face, I'm assuming you don't have any good news?" Taunie asked, bringing them some cups of water. "Who's the girl with you?"

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Mihara gladly accepted the cup. "I came to ask for your help. The situation in Kivotos has worsened ... Xerosic betrayed Alexandre and now, Hoopa's wreaking havoc in Gehenna. Champion Levi himself showed up to lend a hand, but with the destruction being caused on the other side, we might need help in evacuating people." He explained before gesturing towards the girl. "This is Sophie, she's Levi's sister. I thought I might try to summon Zygarde here and she decided she wanted to see it for herself."

Taunie was silent, it was a lot to take in. Devastating destruction, betrayal from Xerosic, the appearance of the champion, the champion's younger sister, and apparently, her best friend was desperate enough to call upon a legendary Pokemon to aid them despite all of the help he's already got. Moments later, she shook her head. "Go call Zygarde, I'll gather Lida and Naveen. We'll meet you in Emma's office." She promised, a wide grin crossing her face.

"Thank you, Taunie. We'll catch up as soon as we're able." Mihara returned the smile, soon rushing off to the hotel's terrace. He seemed a little nervous, his last encounter was a long, hard-fought battle with Zygarde. He wasn't sure how the Pokemon might react if he was coming to it for help again, but perhaps he was overthinking it.

Sophie looked at him with some confusion and concern in her eyes. "How do you plan on summoning Zygarde?" She asked curiously. "You don't seem too eager to call it..."

Mihara sighed heavily as he reached into his satchel, pulling out Zygarde's Mega Stone. "All I need to do is hold up its Mega Stone. I haven't seen Zygarde since our battle a while back. We've got a big battle ahead of us, I suppose I'm just... nervous. Since Salamence showed up over Schale, we've hardly had time to rest. I'm just hoping that once we've captured Xerosic and calmed Hoopa down, we can put this whole mess behind us." He replied, staring towards the stone in hand.

After a deep breath, he held up towards the sky. "Zygarde! I know Kivotos isn't your home, you have no reason to assist them, but... I need your help! I'm not strong enough to defend it on my own. Lend me your strength so I can protect my new friends!" Mihara called out. At first, there was no response. No change in the wind, no sounds of anything approaching. Nothing. Perhaps they'd have to go about it alone, it wasn't what he was hoping, but he'd have no choice.

He sighed softly, lowering his hand. "Let's... let's head back to the Looker Bureau. We can't keep Taunie and the others waiting for too long." Mihara said quietly, turning towards the door.

Sophie seemed a bit disappointed, but just as she was about to follow him, her attention was stolen by Zygarde's Mega Stone suddenly glowing. "Mihara... look at the Mega Stone!"

Mihara stopped and stared at the stone, his mouth slightly agape. He was silent for a moment, hoping that wasn't just a trick of the light. In the distance, the sound of rushing air could be heard swiftly approaching them. In the distance, they could see the massive Dragon-type quickly approaching them. Within seconds, it was hovering in front of the hotel, staring down at Mihara expectantly.

"Whoa..." Sophie said breathlessly. She stepped closer to it, though Zygarde wasn't nearly close enough for her to reach out and touch it. "It's so much more beautiful up close..." She whispered.

"We need your help, Zygarde. Hoopa threatens the balance of Kivotos.. I'm afraid if we can't calm it down, it may threaten Lumiose City, too. The others are waiting for us, we need to get there quickly." Mihara said pleadingly.

Zygarde was silent, but nodded in acknowledgement and reached out to lift up both Mihara and Sophie. Without hesitation, it rushed off towards the large portal that hovered over Prism Tower. As they flew through the golden ring, they found themselves overlooking the Kivotos' overwhelmingly large cityscape that seemed to stretch on forever. Despite the huge size, it wasn't difficult to see the epicenter of Hoopa's battle. The unbound Pokemon was attacking indiscriminately. Numerous buildings were leveled and fires raged across the streets as it rampaged towards Gehenna itself. Small specks could be seen attacking Hoopa, but with little success.

The large Dragon-type descended upon the battlefield, safely setting the two on the ground before turning its attention to the angry Hoopa. Levi's Mega Steelix and Alexandre's Mega Gengar were locked in a tense battle, though neither seemed to be making much progress.

"Mihara!" Sensei called as he and his Arbok approached the young trainer. "You're finally here. Levi and Alexandre have been able to keep Hoopa distracted, your friends are working with Chinatsu and Sena to make sure civilians are escaping while Iori's searching for any signs of Xerosic. As soon as she's found him, I'll go forward to apprehend him." He explained.

"It's about time you got here, Mihara. Let's hope Zygarde's as strong as you claim it to be." Alexandre growled, watching as Gengar was slammed against the wall after getting struck by a powerful Dark Pulse.

"I hate to admit it, Hoopa's much stronger than I assumed. We just need to hold it back until we can recover the Prison Bottle from Xerosic." Levi said, grunting slightly as Steelix's Gyro Ball missed its mark.

Mihara nodded in response, sending out his Talonflame. "Talonflame, go with Salamence and search for Xerosic." The Flying-type nodded in response, carefully avoiding an incoming attack from Hoopa. "If you two find him, I want Salamence to focus on battling him. Talonflame will recover the Prison Bottle."

The two Pokemon took off for the air, beginning their aerial search. Levi nodded his approval. "Good. We've already got Sensei's Pidgeot and Paola's Xatu searching as well, but we haven't heard from them. Now, while they do their search, help us here!"

Mihara raised his Keystone, "Zygarde, show them the true extent of your power! We need to stop Hoopa here and now." He yelled triumphantly. A surge of energy washed over him and the legendary Pokemon, and as the shell broke around it, Mega Zygarde stood ready for action. "Strike it with the power of your Thousand Arrows!"

Zygarde unleashed an ear-splitting roar as it sent a beam of light towards the sky, bursting into a rain of devastating arrows. The attack struck Hoopa head on, causing significant damage to surrounding buildings. Despite the heavy damage, Hoopa seemed undeterred in its advance, retaliating with Hyperspace Fury; slashing at the Enforcer with shadow-infused claws. The two titans clashed, causing tremors on the ground beneath them. If the battle kept up, the block would be reduced to nothing more than a crater, leaving nothing but the distant memories of the buildings that once stood there.

Sensei clenched his teeth, the sheer scale of the destruction was unlike anything he had seen. "Iori?! Any luck in finding Xerosic? We need to recover the Prison Bottle as soon as possible, otherwise we won't have a Gehenna to save!" He cried out over his headset. He didn't mean to rush her, but his fears and concerns overtook any semblance of common sense he may have had.

"Yeah, I've found him... this damn squid thing won't let me get close to him! Neither will that weird bat..." Iori growled, swiftly dodging the Pokemon and their attacks. "He's clinging to the Bottle like it's a lifeline. Wait... something's approaching. Looks like some blue dragon..."

Sensei seemed concerned when he overheard the Pokemon attacking her. "A blue dragon? That might be Mihara's Salamence. You don't see a bird with it, do you?" He asked.

"I think so... kinda big, looks like it has a flame pattern on it. Are you certain they're allies?" Iori asked in response, narrowly avoiding Crobat's Heat Wave.

"Yes, those are Mihara's Pokemon. Let them deal with Xerosic's team, you focus on capturing him. Once you've got him, Salamence will bring you here." Sensei explained, silently praying she'd be successful.

"Alright, hang tight. I'll be there with this jerk as soon as I can. Hold on for a little longer." Iori cut herself off as Mihara's Pokemon burst into the windows of the abandoned office building. It had become ground zero for another destructive battle as Salamence and Talonflame worked on defeating Xerosic's Pokemon.

He growled, clenching his fists in anger. "That damn Talonflame again! It doesn't know when to give up, does it?!" Xerosic yelled. "Malamar, Crobat, cover my exit! Don't let them pursue me!" He ordered, attempting to flee the scene.

Unfortunately, his Pokemon were preoccupied with the intruders, leaving Iori a clean shot to stop him. She hastily fired several rounds at him, none of them were lethal and were only meant to stop him in his tracks. One round lodged itself in his right arm, another in his left shin, and the final grazed his head, knocking off his visor in the process. He yelped in pain and fell to the ground. None of his wounds were too serious, but the shock of it caused him to stare in fear as the Prefect girl approached him. The Prison Bottle he clung to harmlessly rolled onto the ground.

"Are you crazy, girl?! Are you trying to kill me?" Xerosic yelled, clutching the wound in his arm.

"Shut up. None of my shots were even close to being lethal. You should be grateful, with all the problems you and your buddies have been causing." Iori scoffed as she approached him. Talonflame and Salamence skillfully held off Xerosic's Pokemon as Iori took a few moments to patch up his injuries, seeming unhappy about doing so. "I was only told to catch you and deliver you to Sensei. But, they never said I couldn't rough you up a bit. I'd suggest you tell your... pets to settle down before I give your other arm a matching wound." Despite her casual tone, the glare in her eyes made it clear she was serious.

Without many options, Xerosic growled and recalled his Pokemon. "You haven't won yet. As long as Hoopa's rampaging, I will not be stopped." He muttered.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Iori grunted as she roughly bound his hands together. "Hey, you. Dragon thing... help me carry this idiot back to Sensei, would you?"

Salamence merely nodded in response as he approached her, leaning down so she could place him on his back. While she loaded up Xerosic, Talonflame grabbed the Prison Bottle and was prepared to lead them back to her trainer. "Sensei, I'm on my way to you. Xerosic's in my custody and that bird has the bottle. How's the situation looking on your end?" She asked.

"Not good. Alexandre and Levi have been taken out of the fray, but Mihara's still going strong. Hoopa's strength seems endless. I'm not sure how long Zygarde can last. Get here as soon as you can." Sensei replied desperately.

Meanwhile, the epicenter of the Gehenna battlefield has been reduced to rubble. Buildings were nothing more than piles of debris. It looked as if numerous powerful tornadoes ripped through the district. Hina, Chinatsu, and Ako were hard at work with Taunie, Naveen, and Lida in keeping civilians away, though they seemed to have some difficulty in keeping students from the Kronos School of Journalism from the raging battle. Zygarde and Hoopa continued to trade blows without either of them giving up a single inch.

After a few moments, Iori arrived on the scene with her prisoner and Mihara's Pokemon. "Sensei!" She called, landing beside him. "I've got the bottle. Now what?" She asked.

Alexandre looked towards the bottle in her hand. "If my research was correct, we can't do much until Hoopa's been weakened enough for us to capture the vengeful spirit. It doesn't look like Zygarde's having much luck..." He sighed, though his annoyance turned to anger as he glanced at Xerosic. Roughly grabbing the injured scientist by the collar of his shirt, "What in the world do you think you were doing, idiot?!" He yelled, having to restrain himself from physically harming Xerosic further.

"I was doing as you wanted. You wanted to sow the seeds of destruction to take Kivotos' technology all for yourself, didn't you? You were taking too long, I wanted to accelerate the process." Xerosic replied shaky. He's never seen Alexandre look so angry in all the time he's worked with him.

"Because of you, we lost control of Hoopa before we were ready to use the Prison Bottle. I confined Hoopa for a reason... we had to keep it pacified until we had the means to control it. Now look at what you've caused. Even with Zygarde helping, I don't think there's much we can do to stop it." Alexandre roughly dropped the scientist to the ground. "Idiot. Give me the bottle, I'll see if I can't retake its rampaging spirit." After yanking the bottle out of Iori's hand, he approached Mihara and Zygarde. "Stand aside. Now." He ordered.

"Are you crazy? If Hoopa sees you, it'll attack!" Mihara warned him. "If Mega Zygarde is taking this much damage, I can't imagine you'd fare much better."

Rolling his eyes, Alexandre shoved Mihara to the side. "Hoopa! Heed my command, return to the Prison Bottle at once!" He opened the ancient bottle, pointing it towards the Pokemon. "Return to normal, immediately!" He ordered, but to no avail.

Hoopa seemed to slow down ever so slightly, hints of electricity crackling around both it and the Prison Bottle. It looked to have some effect, perhaps weakening the Pokemon just enough for Zygarde to strike with Nihil Light. The devastating beam of light thrust it into a nearby skyscraper, threatening to bring it to the ground. It sat there, disoriented and dazed without any sign of standing back up again.

"Is... is it over?" Mihara asked worriedly, confused by Hoopa's lack of movement.

Hoopa remained still for what seemed to be an eternity until its eyes flashed with a deep, intimidating red light. Its six arms moved freely around the cityscape. With several heavy slashes, six new portals opened. Two of them appeared on the ground where it stood before being struck by Zygarde's ultimate attack, the other four appeared over the ruined buildings. The moment the portals opened, a terrifyingly foreboding aura filled the air.

A screeching alarm sounded on Xerosic's tablet, causing him to jump in surprise, but in his tied up state, he couldn't look at it. "Can you check that out? That's only programmed to go off for emergencies." He said, his usually smug grin disappearing.

Sensei nodded as he grabbed the tablet from the scientist's coat pocket. The screen merely mentioned something about unusually high levels of energy pouring into the city. "What's happening? Xerosic, tell me what you know." He ordered.

"I'm not certain, but I get the feeling that Hoopa won't be the only opponent for Zygarde today." Xerosic said cryptically.

From one portal, a geyser of molten rock spewed out, blanketing the surrounding ground. From another, suspicious smoke rose. Fierce winds and rain erupt from another. From the last two, it felt as if time and space itself was being distorted. Six new Pokemon emerged from behind the strange events, each letting out vicious roars as they stared down at Zygarde and the others.

"Oh, no..." Alexandre said nervously, sweat dripping from his forehead. "The old stories claim Hoopa could bring powerful Pokemon to its aid and command them to fight for it. The Prison Bottle was trying to reclaim the vengeful spirit and it slowed Hoopa down enough that Zygarde was able to weaken it that it pulled a desperate wild card."

Despite so many of them being summoned by Hoopa, it seemed the Unbound Pokemon only had enough remaining strength to control three of them. A green, serpentine Pokemon flew beside Zygarde, as did the diamond and pearl bearing Pokemon. "Rayquaza, Dialga, and Palkia. One is said to be the only one capable of calming the super ancient Pokemon in battle, the others are the masters of time and space." Alexandre started, somewhat amazed by the scene despite his trembling legs. "Groudon and Kyogre, legends state they're capable of destroying the world if given the chance. Groudon will burn the planet with overwhelming heat. Kyogre will wash away the inhabitants with terrifying storms. Giratina, said to have been banished for its violence has returned with a vengeance."

Sensei took a deep breath, "What do we do now? I can't imagine a battle between titans will be any less destructive." He sighed heavily.

"There's only one thing we can do. We fight. If we can help Zygarde in defeating Hoopa, then we might be able to calm the legendary Pokemon down. With any luck, it'll be enough to send them back from wherever they came." Levi replied as he sent out his Chesnaught.

Alexandre nodded in agreement, sending his Aerodactyl. "This is our last stand. I made a mistake in trying to control a power I barely understood."

Along with their Pokemon; Mihara had sent out his Gyarados, Paola stood strong with Delphox, Nina readied her Salamence, Lucienne's Metagross was primed for action, Coralie's Tyranitar wasn't about to back down, and neither was Sensei's Arbok. The final battle for Gehenna's fate was about to begin.

"Mihara, lead us into battle." Sensei said confidently.

"Right. This is it!" Mihara waved his hand, "Zygarde, focus on taking down Hoopa. The rest of us will focus on its companions."

Chapter Text

It only took a few minutes for things to go from bad to worse. Thanks to the raw destructive power of Hoopa, much of the block had been reduced to rubble, but now as these ancient titans began to clash, what little was undamaged had since been reduced to nothing more than a distant memory. Rayquaza was locked in fierce combat with the forces of nature that threatened to blanket the district's streets with a mixture of burning hot magma and torrential waves. Giratina remained focused on dealing with the forces of reality. Each blow threatened to dismantle the city's very existence. Palkia's spatial waves cleaved even the sturdiest buildings. In two, Dialga's temporal warps made it seem as if the falling rubble froze on the spot.

Hoopa was weakened, but not yet defeated and remained the source of Zygarde's attention as it prepared to hit with Nihil Light once more. However, even if the Unbound Pokemon was defeated here, it wouldn't stop the rampaging titans. There's no guarantee that Zygarde would be strong enough to take them after an already devastating battle, but there was only one way to find out. Hina glanced towards Mihara, "What do we do? It looks like Hoopa might rise again and Zygarde looks like it can't take much more. What do we do?" She asked.

Mihara bit his lip, noting that Zygarde's movements were slowing down considerably. Even a few more hits would be enough to take it out, and if that happens, there's little to stop Hoopa. Especially since the legendary Pokemon it summoned were more focused on battling each other. For as long as Mihara had been battling in Lumiose City, and even after the conflicts began in Kivotos, he never expected to find a situation quite like this. Being forced to rely on Zygarde was bad enough, but being put into a situation surrounded by the very sources of creation and nature itself wasn't something he ever expected. He clenched his fists, taking a moment to study the battlefield.

"Hoopa won't last much longer." Mihara said as turned to face Hina. "If we can get close enough to it after Zygarde attacks it, we can seal the vengeful spirit back in the Prison Bottle." He approached the girl, holding out a purple-colored Pokeball. "Our best chance is for someone to catch it. This Master Ball will catch any Pokemon without fail. Mable gave it to me a while back. She said I'd know what to do with it and I think now is the time. You're the strongest one here, Hina. We'll keep Hoopa distracted, when it falls, catch it."

Hina seemed somewhat hesitant as she accepted the Pokeball. "Are you sure this'll work? What about the others? Will they calm down after Hoopa's capture?" She asked, clearly somewhat concerned.

"I'm not sure, but we won't know until we try." Mihara replied, gesturing for Gyarados to follow her. "Cover Hina until she can capture Hoopa. We'll keep its attention off of you."

Alexandre approached her next, "Keep the Prison Bottle with you. When Hoopa has been weakened enough, open the bottle and the spirit will be forced back in."

Hina still seemed wary, but there weren't many options at the moment and there was little room to argue. "I'm trusting you on this. We've only got one chance to make this work."

Gyarados approached the girl, leaning down enough for her to climb onto his back. "Good luck, Head Prefect." Mihara gave her a confident smile.

"Thank you, Mihara. We'll have much to discuss after this is all said and done." Hina gently held onto Gyaados' spines. "Let's go!"

As the two carefully made their way towards Hoopa, Mihara stood beside Zygarde, watching and waiting for the right time to strike. "As soon as Hina gets near Hoopa, use Nihil Light. Hit it as hard as you can." He said, despite the confidence in his voice, he was clearly nervous. Even if they stopped the Unbound Pokemon, what could they do about the titans threatening to erase not only Gehenna from existence, but all of Kivotos. The chaos from the battle could even spill into Lumiose City and they're still recovering from the first Prism Tower incident, they couldn't take another major disaster.

As Hina and Gyarados made their way towards Hoopa, the other Pokemon occasionally stepped in to defend incoming attacks. Dialga and Palkia seemed to understand that they were meant to protect the students of Kivotos. They knew that for as strong as Gyarados was, he wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few hits from Giratina who seemed to be insistent on stopping their progress. Rayquaza was solely focused on dealing with Groudon and Kyogre, neither of whom seemed interested in defending Hoopa from the Head Prefect's approach.

Despite their best efforts, they couldn't protect Gyarados the entire time. With a well-timed use of Shadow Force, Giratina struck the Water-type with a devastating attack. He slid back several meters, Hina falling off in the process. Despite heavy damage sustained, she didn't seem ready to give up. Gyarados had been defeated, struggling to regain his bearings after the attack, especially as it seemed Giratina was ready to attack again.

Glaring down at the weakened Pokemon, it fired a ball of energy into the sky that burst into a rain of devastating meteors. Gyarados could no longer protect Hina, but that wouldn't stop Dialga and Palkia. The Spatial Pokemon quickly burst into action, rushing in to grab Hina while Dialga took care of deflecting the Draco Meteors. In one last ditch effort, Palkia sped towards Hoopa while Giratina pursued it. Dialga did its best to distract it, aiming to protect both Palkia and Hina from the banished Pokemon's vicious attacks.

Hoopa seemed to take note of the swiftly approaching Palkia and attempted to stop by preparing to use Shadow Ball. The Pokemon's momentary distraction was exactly what Mihara was waiting for. "Zygarde, hit it! Use Nihil Light!" He yelled out.

Using every ounce of its remaining energy, Zygarde blasted the distracted Pokemon with a devastating beam of light that caused it to crash into the crumbling building behind it. Using such a devastating attack knocked Zygarde out of its Mega Evolved state, but it weakened Hoopa just enough for Hina to finish the job. As Palkia got close enough to it, she jumped forward and opened the Prison Bottle. As Alexandre said it'd happen, a furious reaction erupted as a dark, crimson smoke poured out of it and began to surround Hoopa. The Unbound Pokemon let out an ear-splitting roar as the vengeful was dramatically forced into the bottle. The ground beneath trembled violently and the girl struggled to hold her footing, but she refused to give up.

"Hold on a little longer, Hina!" Mihara yelled, "You can do it!"

The Head Prefect's grip on the Bottle tightened as the vengeful spirit attempted to escape, but it was in vain. As the smoke dissipated, the bound Hoopa remained, sitting in a confused daze. "This ends now!" She threw the Master Ball with a sense of urgency, successfully hitting the unaware Pokemon.

One... two... three... click! Hoopa was caught!

Hina took a deep breath, going over to pick up the Master Ball. "Is it over finally?" She asked softly. Unfortunately, while Hoopa had been defeated, the other legendary Pokemon were still locked in battle. Zygarde had officially joined Rayquaza in its battle with Groudon and Kyogre, though it didn't seem like it would last much longer. Giratina continued to hold the advantage over Dialga and Palkia despite being outnumbered. With the help of Talonflame, Hina was able to rejoin the main group.

"What now? Hoopa's been captured, but we still have the others to worry about." Hina said, gripping her machine gun tighter.

"I... I don't know. It seems the best we can do is just hope that Rayquaza and the others can defeat the others." Mihara replied nervously.

"Even if they are successful, how do we get them back on the other side? I doubt we'd be able to force them back... and there's no telling what would happen to Lumiose City." Sensei replied, his legs trembling slightly.

"We can't give up! We... we have to do something!" Iori yelled, gripping her rifle tighter.

Even if it didn't seem there was anything they could do, many of the students that watched the conflict found themselves in a state of desperation. "We've been through worse. Even when the skies turned red on that day, we overcame it. Despite impossible odds, we succeeded. We have to do it here." Chinatsu took a deep breath.

"Not just for Gehenna, but for the rest of Kivotos." Hina added. Strangely, the halos over their heads seemed to glow brighter with each second. The situation seemed hopeless, but they weren't going to give up. As their halos brightened up, distant rumbles could be heard over the legendary clashes. With each rumble, alerts of Xerosic's tablet grew louder.

"What's it telling you, Sensei?" Xerosic asked, more curious than worried.

"It detects high levels of foreign energies." Sensei replied, glancing at his students. "Is... is it responding to them?"

Xerosic shook his head, "Not just them. Something else is coming... something's responding to their desires, their hope." He explained. "It's sickening, but admirable. Even when it seems pointless, they're desperate to save their home."

Even though it didn't do anything, the members of the Prefect Team opened fire on the legendary Pokemon, hoping to offer any kind of aid to them. It wasn't just the Prefects that joined the fray, the Gourmet Research Society, Problem Solver 68, and even members of Trinity's Justice Task Force had arrived to lend a hand.

"Even an outlaw knows when it's time to stand beside the heroes. We won't sit by idly while Gehenna's at risk. Mihara saved us once, now it's time we returned the favor." Aru said, pointing her rifle towards Groudon.

"We can't really expect to eat good food if the city's been destroyed, now can we?" Akari said in a surprisingly cheerful voice.

"Kivotos is our home, we're not about to let some interlopers take it from us." Hasumi said, glaring towards the rampaging Pokemon.

Their halos continued to grow brighter as they began to open fire. Their bullets bounced off harmlessly, but it seemed to open up opportunities for their allies. The energy readings on Xerosic's tablets continued to ring with alerts until one, booming rumble in the sky echoed. Rainbow beams of light appeared overhead as a crack in the sky began to form. Slowly, like glass shattering, a white Pokemon with a shimmering, golden ring around its waist burst out of the crack with a triumphant glow.

Alexandre's eyes widened at the Pokemon's appearance. "I can't believe it... Arceus." He said breathlessly. "I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes. Why is it here?"

Mihara watched Arceus descend before them. "I think... I think it's responding to the students."

The large Pokemon gracefully approached them, its footsteps light as feathers despite its size. "I have been watching the conflict unfold since Alexandre first connected these worlds. I did not interfere as I wanted to see how you would handle it. Thus far, you've braved the situation with courage and determination. Even in your darkest hour, the shimmering light of your hope cut through the darkness. My children threaten to devastate the balance of your home and even with your efforts, it did little to stop them." Arceus said as it stepped closer to a nervous Mihara. "Even after Hoopa was defeated, your worlds remain connected and will continue to be connected, even in the distant future. I can end the conflict, but first I have a request for you, Mihara."

Beads of sweat dripped off his forehead. Being so close to such a powerful Pokemon was an awe-inspiring, but unnerving experience. "A request... for me?" Mihara questioned.

"You remind me much of the young surveyor that battled the corrupted Nobles of Hisui in the ancient past. Thrust into a world he knew nothing about, surrounded by people he didn't know, but it didn't stop him from putting himself in great danger. Even after quelling the Nobles, he remained in Hisui to mend the scars of the conflict. This is where my request comes from. As long as these worlds remain connected, the people of this world are bound to form bonds with the Pokemon of your home. However, as in ancient times, people feared what they didn't understand. Alexandre's actions will make it that much harder for the people of Kivotos to trust in the Pokemon that'll inevitably call this city home, further conflicts may arise from their fear and distrust." Arceus said, the golden wheel around its waist glowing slightly, preparing to join the fray.

"Do... Do you want me to do survey work like the Hisuian hero you're speaking of?" Mihara asked in response.

"Not quite. I want you to remain in Kivotos to help teach them about the Pokemon they may encounter. You have shown immense courage and compassion by aiding them as you have. You had no reason to help. There was nothing in it for you and yet, you helped anyway. After you've finished the first exchange program in Paldea, I want you to start a new trainer's school in Kivotos. Teach them not to fear the Pokemon that'll come to call Kivotos home, but to embrace their future. Conflicts like this may arise again where their weapons are ineffective. If they're to overcome these problems, they'll need to learn to trust and form new bonds with them. Can I trust you to help them? To use your experience and compassion to teach them so that these worlds may enjoy an era of interconnected peace?" Arceus asked.

"Being a teacher...? I'm not sure I'd be the best choice for the position, but..." Mihara paused, looking towards the students that surrounded them. "I'll do my best to help them learn all they can. If our worlds are to be connected, it'll be better if we take the time to better understand each other." He promised, giving a triumphant smile.

"I will watch over you. I trust that you'll be able to make both cities proud. Take this, as a symbol of my trust in you." Arceus formed a small, golden plate with a seemingly indecipherable text inscribed upon it. "This was the very same plate I gave the Hisuian hero. Let it serve as a symbol of the mission I've given you." As it finished speaking, it turned to the Pokemon engaged in battle.

Flying up towards the sky, it'd unleash a powerful Judgement. A blazingly bright ball of energy flew upwards before exploding into a rain of devastating light that struck the clashing titans. The devastating attack seemed to knock Groudon, Kyogre, and Giratina out of their mindless states, causing them to stare at Arceus in a confused state. Not a word was spoken from the Alpha, but it didn't seem like it was necessary. Giratina opened a pathway back to the Distortion World; Groudon and Kyogre slowly moved towards the portals they came out of. With the conflict seemingly over for now, Dialga and Palkia glanced towards Arceus before returning to their respective dimensions while Rayquaza chose not to escape over the portals, but instead retreated behind the clouds that gathered over Gehenna.

Reconstruction would be long and difficult, but it wasn't without reassurance from Arceus as it returned to their side. "I will remain in Kivotos until reconstruction has been completed. It had been devastated by forces that never should've been here in the first place... after I have left, Rayquaza will watch over the city and act as its guardian from future conflicts." It then stepped towards Hina. "I will entrust Hoopa's care to you, Head Prefect. Keep it separated from the Prison Bottle, entrust the bottle to someone who will keep it safe."

Hina nodded as she approached Levi, "You seem to be a powerful trainer. I would expect it'd be safe in your hands." She said sternly, holding it out towards him.

"Never again shall it fall into the wrong hands. You have my word." Levi promised her, clutching the Prison Bottle. "Now... it's time I brought Alexandre back to Lumiose City. It's time he answered for his crimes, as will Xerosic and their accomplices."

Paola sighed softly, "I'll accept whatever punishment comes my way." She turned to where Alexandre was standing, only to find a hastily scribbled note on the ground. "...where'd he go? He was just here."

Sophie shrugged, picking up the note. "Champion Levi, my ambitions may have ended here today. Hoopa was a power I knew nothing about and I failed to contain it, but that doesn't mean I'll let myself be captured. I will be back, Kivotos is a treasure trove of technology waiting to be plundered. For now, I will bide my time. By the time you've returned to Lumiose City, I'll be long gone. This isn't the end, I assure you. Do what you want with the other Universalites." She read aloud.

Levi sighed softly, "I'll let Emma know. Everyone in Kivotos knows what he looks like, so you'll know to keep an eye out for him." He shook his head, more than a little annoyed.

"So... now what?" Sensei asked, frowning at the devastation left in the wake of the battle.

"We begin reconstruction. I'll head back to Lumiose City, I'll see if Tarragon is willing to bring Racine Construction over here to help with it. Maybe I'll bring the Engineering Department, too. Gehenna's suffered the most damage, but Millennium, Trinity, and Abydos will likely need some help, too." Mihara replied with a shrug, turning to Sensei. "Since it seems I've a new mission from Arceus, could you speak with the Vice President? I'll see if she's willing to meet with Corbeau about the exchange program with Naranja Academy."

Sensei nodded in response, "I'll see what I can do. No doubt I'll have a few reports to make out as well. Give me a call tomorrow afternoon and update us on both Corbeau's plans and regarding aid from Racine Construction."

Chapter Text

Hoopa has been defeated, Xerosic and most of the Universalites have been arrested and have already had their trials scheduled for the coming weeks. Alexandre, however, seems to have completely disappeared following Arceus' arrival over the ruined city block. It didn't take long for authorities on both sides of the portal to put out an alert to keep an eye out for anyone matching his description. The crisis had finally come to an end, but they had a long way to go for recovery. Red Winter and Millennium didn't suffer nearly as much damage, but it could be months before life in Gehenna returned to normal, but that wasn't going to stop anyone from trying. The morning following the destructive battle, Mihara had gathered several students from Millennium to talk about receiving aid from Racine Construction in rebuilding as much as they could.

The members of the Engineering Department wanted to be present to ensure they'd be able to effectively guide the outsiders in rebuilding parts of the ruined district while Yuuka accompanied them to ensure that they'd be able to pay for everything effectively. Fortunately, while Tarragon had to charge them something, he gave them a special promise to cut some of the costs as long as Mihara's willing to entertain him with a battle after reconstruction has finished. Of course, it'd likely be a few months before they'd be anywhere close, but that wouldn't stop them. After the initial meeting with Racine Construction, next was to meet with Emma regarding the whereabouts of Alexandre.

Some eyewitnesses claimed to have seen an Aerodactyl flying towards Paldea in the southwest, but they haven't found any evidence supporting these claims. Nonetheless, it's the only lead they have and as the meeting concluded, Emma gave him simple instructions to inform her immediately if he finds Alexandre and to do his best to prevent the Universalite leader from fleeing once more. She didn't say much about the others, only mentioning that Paola might receive a lighter sentence as she hardly caused any damage herself and it seemed as if she may have been manipulated by her superiors into joining their cause. For now, it seemed that both sides of the portal could rest easy for the most part. The rogue Mega Evolved Pokemon have been dealt with, Hoopa has been contained and it along with the Prison Bottle have been entrusted into good hands. Of course, Mihara's work was far from over; he still had the student exchange program to oversee and the Kivotos Pokemon Academy to start soon.

The already busy day had one final meeting to take care of, this one involving a meeting between Vice President Rin, Sensei, Corbeau, and Director Clavell all gathering in the Rust Syndicate's office. Mihara hadn't arrived exactly on time, but given that he's been running up and down the streets of both cities for most of the day, they cut them some slack. Corbeau invited him to sit with them before opening the meeting.

"At long last, the conflict has come to an end. The portals that appeared over Lumiose City seem to have shifted, with all of the reported portals being replaced with a smaller portal that connects the Lumiose City Station to a station not far from the Schale building." Corbeau started, pulling a map of the two cities on a large screen behind him. "The Vice President mentioned that she wants your new Pokemon training facility not too far from the Schale portal, we'll be working on that while you help the students travel across Paldea."

Mihara nodded in response, somewhat excited for the whole exchange program. He's visited Mesagoza and Levincia with his family several times in the past, but he was never allowed to venture far from their supervision, and now, he was finally being given the chance to properly explore the region. "Have you decided what students will be taking part of the program?" He asked.

"Not yet, but that's where you'll come into play, Master Mihara." Clavell stated, holding a hand out to shake. "I suppose I should introduce myself first. I am Director Clavell, I'll be providing you with as much help as I can once we return to Paldea. We intend to do a bit of a lottery system to determine who'll be taking part in the first exchange program. It'll allow us to test the waters a bit and potentially develop other exchange programs like with Blueberry Academy."

Sensei took out his tablet, briefly looking over it. "The drawings should be happening soon. I believe the Director mentioned that three students will be selected." He explained.

"Could I request your help with gathering the selected students? I believe their student councils will feel better knowing that an experienced trainer will be aiding them." Rin replied, briefly looking up from her own tablet. "Before I forget, I promised a good reward after the conflict was over. When you return to Kivotos, please meet with me at the General Student Council building, I'll have something for you and I promise it'll be worth your time."

Mihara smiled, slightly curious about what she had in mind. But before he could ask any questions, several alerts popped up on their screens. Corbeau hummed, "And here they are, the results of the lottery."

Shirasu Azusa, first-year student of Trinity.

Aikiyo Fuuka, second-year student of Gehenna.

Mikamo Neru, third-year student of Millennium.

"And there you have it." Corbeau hummed as he turned his attention back to Mihara. "I trust you and Sensei won't have any trouble gathering them, right?"

There was some slight amusement on Sensei's face as he heard the names listed off. "An interesting bunch of students. I think we should head to Gehenna first. With any luck, the Gourmet Research Society hasn't done anything crazy since we last saw them and left Fuuka alone." He replied as he stood up.

"I'd imagine they're still recovering from the fight with Malamar and the Prefect Team, so I'm sure Fuuka will be fine." Mihara shrugged, ready to get their next task out of the way. "This'll give us a chance to check in on Hina and Hoopa, too. I'd imagine she's had her hands full since we left."

Sensei nodded in agreement, "Let's be off, then. Maybe you can give Hina some pointers on her new partner." He replied, gesturing for Mihara to follow. "We'll return here by tonight. Finding Azusa and Fuuka won't be too difficult, though I'm hoping Neru isn't off on another mission."

It'd be nice to finally be able to properly enjoy a walk around Kivotos without having to worry about some overarching battle, even if the state of several districts were less than pristine. The train ride out to Gehenna didn't take too long, the state of the legendary plain to see even miles away from the epicenter. The academy itself was still trying to rebuild from the Malamar attack; the old watchtower seemed to be moments away from collapsing despite the scaffolding that surrounded it.

"Maybe we should check in on the Pandamonium Society, I wonder how Ibuki's holding up after the attack." Sensei mused. "So... we've got three stops today before we move onto Trinity."

Mihara knew nothing about the academy's internal layout, so he was relegated to following behind Sensei until arrived in the office of the Pandamonium Society. Unsurprisingly, it seemed they were bogged down with some paperwork regarding the recent battle and subsequent reconstruction efforts. As they entered the room, Makoto glanced up towards them with some surprise in her eyes.

"Sensei? What brings you here? Mihara, too?" Makoto questioned, clearly somewhat confused even if she seemed pleased to see them.

"We came to check in on you. Gehenna suffered the most damage in the recent conflict, so we just wanted to see how you're doing." Sensei replied as he approached her desk. "Is it just you in here?"

Makoto shrugged slightly, "We've been fine. It's just a matter of notarizing expense and damage reports. Satsuki is taking care of sweeping through the site where the titans appeared, she wants to be sure no one's trapped in the rubble. Chiaki's trying to get pictures of that serpent that's been sighted in the skies. Last I remembered, Iroha and Ibuki were grabbing some snacks for us. They should be back soon." She explained, setting her papers aside. "According to the reports, the disaster was caused by something called Hoopa. What happened to it? We saw on the news, it just disappeared." She added, clearly confused.

"Hina captured Hoopa, I'm planning to meet with her to see how she's holding up and help her learn about her new Pokemon." Mihara explained; he trusted Hina well enough, but he couldn't help but worry about the potential trouble Hoopa could cause again.

"Hina...? You trusted a powerful creature to her?" Makoto asked, clearly offended by this revelation. Competing with the Prefect Team was hard enough, and now she has to contend with a creature capable of creating incredible gateways. "For your sake, I hope Hoopa doesn't cause further trouble under her care. If anything happens, I'm coming for you, Mihara." She warned him.

"I'm sure Hina will be fine, but if it'll make you feel better, I'll pass along your warnings." Mihara rubbed the back of his head, perking slightly as Ibuki and Iroha arrived in the room.

"Oh, Sensei and Mihara are visiting!" Ibuki said cheerfully, setting her bag of snacks onto Makoto's desk. "Did you come to play with Ibuki?" She asked.

"Not quite, but I do have a gift for you, Ibuki." Mihara replied as he turned to face her. "I seem to remember you seemed quite fond of Gyarados after the Malamar incident... it's a bit complicated for a first Pokemon, but I believe you've got the kindness a trainer needs." He said, holding out a Pokeball for her. "There's a Gyarados inside here, let it serve as both a new friend and as a guardian."

Ibuki gently accepted the Pokeball, staring at it with some confusion before widely smiling at Mihara, happily throwing her arms around him. "Thanks, Mihara! Ibuki promises to take good care of it." She said happily, stepping back after a moment.

"After we've finished our meeting with the others, I'll come back to give you a few pointers, Ibuki." Mihara promised, smiling softly. "In time, maybe you'll be able to master Mega Evolution, too."

Ibuki's smile widened as she listened to him, practically bouncing with energy. "I can't wait! Ibuki will be waiting right for you, big brother." She said cheerily.

Him being called brother caught him by surprise, but he smiled nonetheless. "See you soon." Mihara hummed, glancing back towards the others. "Once the exchange program ends, I'll help the rest of you catch your first Pokemon."

Iroha nodded, glad to see Ibuki so happy. "I look forward to it. Good luck with your meeting with the Prefect Team." She replied, waving towards them as they left the room.

Despite all of the insanity, apparently Hina was able to find a few moments of peace and quiet while her fellow Prefects ran some errands. Sensei sighed softly, glad to see that she isn't wearing herself ragged, though he knows this moment of peace won't last for long. As they entered the room, Hina glanced towards them with a small, but imperceptible smile. "I figured you two would show up sooner or later. You're here about Hoopa, aren't you?" She asked, picking up the Master Ball that idly laid on the empty desk beside her.

Mihara nodded in response. "As long as it remains separated from the Prison Bottle, I believe it'll remain pacified enough for you to use it like any trainer would use a Pokemon." He said, glancing towards the Master Ball. "Can you let it out for a moment? I'd like to see it."

Hina was hesitant, but complied with his request. Tossing up the Master Ball, Hoopa appeared from a rain of sparkles. The Pokemon looked towards them with a mixture of confusion and fear, perhaps worrying about punishment for its role in the attack on Gehenna. Instinctively, it cowered slightly, trembling beside the empty desk. "...it's terrified." Hina whispered.

"Something tells me it didn't go along with Alexandre's plans as willingly as his diary said it did, or maybe it's afraid of the Prison Bottle." Sensei suggested, a slight frown crossing his face.

"No doubt that this whole ordeal left it nervous... looking at Hoopa now, it doesn't look like a villain. A little mischievous maybe, but not a villain." Mihara replied as he pulled a Sitrus Berry from his bag, offering it to the Pokemon. "Don't be afraid, you're in good hands. Hina will be here to make sure you're cared for."

Hesitantly, Hoopa took the berry, carefully inspecting it before taking the first bite. Even as it gratefully ate, it stared at the group with weary eyes. "It'll take time to earn its trust, but I believe you'll be able to do it, Hina. If you have some time in the future, why don't you join us for a trip to Paldea? I've heard Lake Casseroya is a fantastic place to relax, maybe a peaceful vacation is what it needs." He suggested.

"I agree, but... would it be okay for me to take time off with it, especially with the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Gehenna?" Hina asked somewhat worriedly.

"Of course it'd be fine, Hina. You've been working nonstop since the portals first appeared, you deserve a break. If you won't do this for yourself, consider it an order from me. Join Mihara at the lake for a few days of rest. Let yourself wind down from all of the chaos recently and enjoy yourself." Sensei said in a firm, but gentle tone.

"Sensei's right, Head Prefect. We can handle ourselves for a few days without you. It wouldn't do us any favors if you work yourself into an early grave." Ako said as she entered the room. "Perhaps a few days will help you bond with your new friend."

Hina sighed softly in defeat, despite her hesitancy, she couldn't refuse a direct order from her teacher. "Very well. I'll join you at the lake. When do we meet?" She asked.

"Meet us at the Schale building by tonight. We're picking up Fuuka, then visiting Trinity and Millennium to pick up the other students chosen to join the exchange program. Once we return to Corbeau's office, Director Clavell will be happy to answer further questions." Mihara explained.

"Fuuka's been chosen? I suppose we'll be cooking our own meals for the time being..." Ako sighed softly, rubbing the back of her head. "Juri works hard, but... she's got a long way to go."

Sensei laughed softly, "Stop by Schale and I'll hook you up with some good meals in Fuuka's absence. Just... don't tell Juri, it'd break her heart."

Hina chuckled at the playful banter, "What should I know about Paldea before I arrive? Any precautions I should take?" She asked. "Do we have any stops before visiting Paldea?"

Mihara shook his head, "Admittedly, I couldn't tell you much. The few trips my family took to Mesagoza and Levincia were strictly for business, but I don't think you should expect too much trouble. Before the program officially starts, I was planning to take a trip back to Cherrygrove City to catch up with my family. I figured it'd be nice to at least say hello before I make the transition to Kivotos." He replied, somewhat nervously. "It's... been over a year since I've spoken with any of them, I'm not entirely sure what I'll say to them."

Ako seemed to pick up the nervous energy. "You don't seem excited about it. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you again, especially after you tell them about what you've been up to." She replied with a somewhat encouraging tone.

"I'm not so sure about it. My parents never approved of my Pokemon career, they think it's a waste of time. I think they'd prefer I'd have followed their steps and continued to run the family business. My siblings enjoyed teasing me when I was younger. I can't imagine things will have changed much, they're probably still expecting me to be the spineless Jellicent I was back then." Mihara replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sanjiro and Masahiro always loved to put me down for my partner Pokemon, often challenging her to battles with whatever Pokemon they had my father rent from local facilities. My sisters made it known that I was taking up space by spending more time with Meowstic, and the wild Pokemon in the area. I never tried to let it get to me, but... it hurts, you know?"

Sensei nodded in response, "I think I understand... being invalidated by people that are supposed to support you would hurt anyone, but when you return home to show them all that you've accomplished, I feel like it'd have to change their opinions at least somewhat." He assured him.

Hina placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be there with you every step of the way, so even if they don't change their tunes, you can lean on us." She promised.

"Thank you." Mihara returned the smiles, briefly looking outside. "I'm sorry to run, but we should probably go and find Fuuka before it gets too late. Corbeau's not one to tolerate tardiness. We'll see you later tonight, Hina. Be safe, Ako."

As they left, they'd make the quick walk towards the cafeteria to pick up Fuuka as planned. Walking inside, there was nothing but chaos. It wasn't world shattering like the recent battle, but none of them expected to find her and Juri locked in battle with a swift moving sentient pile of pancakes. Neither Mihara nor Sensei knew how to properly react to the situation, but it didn't seem they had to. Something about the sweet scent of the sticky, unnatural looking syrup grabbed the attention of one of the Pokemon that lay dormant in Mihara's Pokeballs. Without warning, Avalugg popped out of its ball and eyed the living pancakes hungrily, causing further confusion not just for Sensei and Mihara, but for Fuuka and Juri. All four of them watched as Avalugg clumsily chased the pancakes, eventually managing to trap with a well-timed Icicle Crash. Once the pancakes were immobile, the Ice-type rushed to finish the job with one big bite.

No one knew what to say or do, they could only watch as Avalugg happily ate the once-sentient dish. All over the walls and ground were numerous bullet holes and trails of slime from the unexpected conflict, though it didn't seem they'd have to worry too much about cleaning up the sticky residue left behind as Avalugg began to joyfully clean it himself. After regaining some of their composure, Sensei looked towards Fuuka.

"What was that all about? I've seen a lot in my time here, but... mobile pancakes?" Sensei asked confusedly. "Was that a new recipe? If so, it seems somebody liked it, at least."

Fuuka sighed softly, "Juri wanted to try a new recipe... I'm not sure how, but something she added brought the pancakes to life. We were trying to neutralize it before anyone saw it, but then you two showed up and... and that weird ice monster just ate it." She said in an exasperated tone.

"I-I'm sorry! I wanted to give Fuuka a break by cooking up some food, but... I guess I missed a few steps." Juri whined, tears pricking at her eyes.

"Don't apologize, Avalugg seemed especially happy with them. I've rarely seen the big guy look so happy." Mihara replied with a hearty laugh.

"I'm glad someone's enjoying it, at least." Fuuka sighed, looking at the mess she'd have to clean up. "Was there something you were needing, Sensei?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. You've been selected to join Mihara for the Naranja Academy Exchange Program. For the next couple of weeks, you'll be among a handful of students chosen to study at the academy and become a Pokemon Trainer. Mihara will act as a chaperone for the program, showing you and the others the basics." Sensei explained, a wide smile on his face.

"Exchange program?" Fuuka questioned, a smile gracing her face. "I had forgotten I signed up for it. Will you be fine on your own, Juri?" She asked her.

"O-Of course! I had a little slip-up, but I'll hold down the fort for you. Enjoy your trip!" Juri replied excitedly.

"Bring us back some new recipes, alright?" Haruna called out as she stepped into the ruined cafeteria. She was covered in a few bandages, clearly still recovering from the Malamar battle.

"H-Haruna? You're not here to cause further trouble, are you?" Fuuka asked, clutching her submachine gun.

"Not today, but I did come to see you off. You work exceptionally hard, you've earned this trip. Just bring us back something good to eat, would you?" Haruna asked, a playful grin crossing her face.

"I'll see what I can do." Fuuka promised, turning to the others. "Who are the other students joining us?" She asked.

"We'll be heading to Trinity next to pick up Azusa, and then Millennium to pick up Neru. If you're ready, we can leave now." Sensei replied, gesturing for her to follow.

"I'm ready, I just hope the Tea Party won't be too upset about a Gehenna student being on their campus." Fuuka replied somewhat nervously.

"Don't worry, as long you're with us, you'll be fine." Sensei assured, beginning to head towards the station.

It was a relatively short train ride to the Trinity district. As expected, it seemed in much better shape than Gehenna. The Mega Clefable was destructive, but it didn't cause nearly as much damage as Hoopa did to Gehenna. If anything, it only looked as if there was a recent skirmish between the Trinity Vigilante Crew and some troublemakers. Sensei's first instinct was to visit the Make-Up Work Clubroom to check in on them. Despite his best efforts, it seemed they'd continue to occasionally stumble back into the club, though none of them were in danger of flunking quite yet. As they arrived in the clubroom, they'd find the group not worrying about their studies, but rather they seemed to be more interested in figuring out where to go for lunch. There was some idle chit-chat regarding some cafes that the After-School Sweets Club had been raving about, and it seemed just as they were about to come to a decision, that's when Koharu noticed the visitors.

"S-Sensei? When did you get here?" Koharu asked in surprise, blushing slightly to have so easily been caught by surprise.

"We're just here, I hope we're not interrupting anything." Sensei replied apologetically.

"Not at all, it's good to see you, and it seems like we finally get to properly meet your friend." Hanako replied cheerfully, sauntering towards them. "What brings you by? I see you've even brought a Trinity student with you." She hummed.

"Two reasons. I wanted to check in on Hifumi's Clefable and see if she had any questions about her Pokemon." Mihara said, glancing towards a cheerful looking Hifumi.

"Clefable? We've been getting along great since you were able to calm it down." Hifumi replied assuringly as she let it out of the Pokeball. "She's our club mascot now."

Mihara sighed in relief, "Oh, good. In the future, feel free to stop by Mable's office. She might be able to help outfit you with a Mega Ring and Keystone. You'll need it if you ever want to use Clefable's Mega Evolution.. and I meant to give this to you sooner, it's Clefable's Mega Stone. You'll make better use of it than I would." He said, holding the stone for her.

"Whoa.. it's pretty, like a shining marble." Hifumi said breathlessly, enjoying the way it glittered beneath the light of the classroom.

"What's your other reason for being here?" Azusa asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Hifumi's newly acquired Mega Stone and their visitors.

"Our second reason is you, Azusa. You've been selected to join Fuuka and Mihara in the exchange program. We came to pick you up before visiting Millennium to pick up the final student." Sensei explained, gesturing towards his companions. "Mihara will act as the supervisor for the next couple of weeks, he'll be able to answer any questions and teach you the ropes in Paldea."

Hanako grinned playfully. "Oh? Sweet little Azusa gets to enjoy a fun trip with our beautiful hero, huh? I hope you enjoy yourself, be sure to tell us all the juicy details of the shenanigans you get into with him." She said teasingly.

"Hanako!" Koharu yelled, blushing fiercely. "Don't be encouraging anything lewd, even for adventures away from Trinity!"

Hanako tilted her head slightly, "Hm? I never mentioned anything lewd, but it seems you've got some ideas. Care to share with, maybe give them some ideas?" She asked teasingly.

"...Of course I don't have any ideas! I just want to be sure you aren't corrupting them!" Koharu huffed, crossing her arms.

"Uh... I'm not sure what you expect from us, but I'm just helping Azusa learn to become a Pokemon trainer..." Mihara replied confusedly.

Hifumi laughed awkwardly, "It's a shame we can't join you, but make sure you enjoy the trip, Azusa. We'll wait here for all your stories when the trip has finished." She said cheerfully.

"I'll make sure to make the club proud." Azusa smiled faintly, looking back towards Mihara. "Does this mean I'll get a Pokemon like Hifumi has? What kind of Pokemon would it be?"

Mihara shrugged. "No trainer would be complete without a trusted Pokemon at their side, though I've no idea what kind you'll encounter first, but that's half the fun of the journey." He replied, gently lifting Meowstic off his shoulder. "This sweetheart was my first, I met her way before I moved to Lumiose City. When you're ready to choose your partner, make sure you've chosen carefully, they'll be your friend for life." He added, scratching his Pokemon's chin. "The road can be lonesome without a Pokemon by your side."

Azusa nodded, staring towards Meowstic thoughtfully. "I'll catch them all... I'll befriend them all, no matter how long it takes." She then turned to her clubmates. "I'll make you all proud, and when the trip is all said and done, I'll introduce you all to my new friends." She said in a hopeful tone.

"Be safe out there, Azusa. We'll wait for you and all the stories you'll tell." Koharu replied excitedly.

"She's right." Hanako agreed, "Will you be joining them, Sensei?"

Sensei nodded, "Temporarily. I'm only going to be there to oversee the initial ceremony before I return to Schale." He explained, briefly looking at his watch. "It's nearing time for us to meet back in Corbeau's office. We've got one last stop. I'll see you around, Make-Up Work Club."

As they made their farewells, it was time for one more quick train ride to the Millennium Station. After arriving, it was slightly surprising to see that so much of the academy had already been repaired despite the destruction caused by the Mega Metagross during its attack. Thanks to the tireless work by the Engineering Department, rebuilding seemed to be an easy task. It was a huge school, so trying to find a student as small as Neru would be difficult, but that didn't mean they weren't going to try. Their first instinct was to visit the C&C clubroom where they were met with Akane who welcomed them in with a warm smile.

"Good afternoon, Sensei. I see you've brought us some guests. Is there something I can help you with?" The maid asked, bowing towards them out of respect.

"Good afternoon to you, Akane. We came by to see if Neru's available. We've got some news for her." Sensei replied, briefly gesturing towards Mihara. "She's been selected to join Mihara and the others for the Exchange Program. I was hoping to see her before it got too late."

Akane nodded, a slight hint of jealousy that she wasn't chosen for the program, though she made sure to hide it in her voice. "Neru should be back soon, she left for a walk to cool off after some thugs tried to cause some trouble."

As if on cue, the C&C's president had arrived in the room with a lazy stroll. "Overheard you were lookin' for me, Sensei? Sounds like some fancy trip, eh?" Neru asked as she casually leaned against the wall.

"That's right. Mihara will be your chaperone for the duration of the program, he'll be there to help you with any questions along the way." Sensei replied, once again gesturing for his companions.

"Mihara, huh? I watched that battle of yours with that metal monster. Pretty impressive, I'd say. Would we encounter another battle like that?" Neru asked, confidence brimming in her voice.

"It's possible. Paldea's home to all kinds of Pokemon, I wouldn't be surprised if something like the battle with Metagross happened again. Only one way to find out." Mihara replied with a shrug.

Overhearing the conversation, Asuna cheerily rushed over. Without warning, she snatched Meowstic. "Neru's going to the place with all these weird creatures? Think she'll catch a cutie like this one?" She asked playfully, completely unaware of Meowstic preparing to use Thunderbolt to break out of her suffocating grip.

"Asuna... be careful." Akane suggested, tapping her shoulder. "You may want to let the cat go before it gets angry."

Asuna tilted her head, unaware of what Akane was referring to before it was too late. Meowstic used Thunderbolt, quickly jumping back to her trainer's shoulder once the maid released her. Despite the sudden jolt, Asuna laughed it off, "Wow! I didn't know cats could shock people!" She said happily. "Do you think there's any bunny creatures?" She asked.

"Yeah, there's a few. Buneary and Bunnelby immediately come to mind." Mihara confirmed.

"You'll have to find one of them for us, Neru." Karin said suggestively. "We already wear bunny costumes, so why not find a mascot?"

Neru sighed softly, "I make no promises, but I'll see what we can do." She shrugged, turning back to Mihara. "Should I bring anything with me?" She asked.

"Only what you can't live without. We'll need to get back to Schale soon. Director Clavell will probably have a few things to tell you before we head to Paldea to begin the exchange program." Mihara replied.

"Right. I'll be sure to bring back some souvenirs for you guys." Neru promised, "Suppose we shouldn't keep this Director guy waitin' for much longer. Let's get going."

With all three students finally gathered, it was time to return to Schale and meet Hina. Fortunately, they'd reach their destination with time to spare as Hina had only just arrived in Sensei's office minutes after they did. Now, it was time for one final trek across Lumiose City to speak with Corbeau and finish up the initial preparations for the exchange program. There was much they needed to get done before they could take the first plane to Mesagoza. As expected, a fairly annoyed looking Corbeau greeted them upon arriving in his office.

"Sure took your sweet time getting back to us, Mihara." Corbeau scoffed, his brow furrowed as he gazed upon them. "I remember only three names being drawn. Why is there a fourth?" He asked.

"Hina's joining us for a short vacation in Paldea. After everything that went down, she needs some time to unwind. Neru, Azusa, and Fuuka are here as requested, too." Sensei assured him.

Despite the tension in the room, Director Clavell smiled. "Welcome students of Kivotos, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Clavell, director of Naranja Academy. I'll be here to answer any questions you might have and then I'll explain what the exchange program is all about." He stated, inviting them to sit down with him.

"So, what's Naranja Academy like? What can we expect from it?" Fuuka asked, hoping to get an idea of what her new temporary home would be like.

"It's a prestigious academy with students from all over the world, being taught by some of the finest teachers. We run a yearly treasure hunt that encourages students to explore Paldea in its fullest while they pursue their goals." Clavell explained, his smile never fading.

"A treasure hunt? Are we looking for something in particular?" Neru asked, perking slightly.

"The treasure you seek is entirely up to you. Whether you're seeking to discover every Pokemon that exists in Paldea, unlock some long lost mysteries, or aim for the top of the Pokemon league, or something else is entirely up to you. It's all about self-discovery and learning about yourself and the world that surrounds you. Paldea will be yours to explore, just be sure to check in with your teacher on occasion. Sensei will be available for support, and Mihara will be there to give you some advice." Clavell explained, standing up after a moment, pointing towards a map pulled up on Corbeau's screen. "Many students often pursue the Pokemon League Assessment, but it's not a requirement. All of Paldea will be yours to explore."

Azusa's eyes sparkled with excitement, clasping her hands together. "All of Paldea..." She whispered, clearly eager to start.

"There is one thing, however. If you're going to study in Naranja Academy, you'll need to do it like the other students. Your weapons will not be permitted on campus, but to compensate for it, you will be able to pick up your first Pokemon when you arrive at the school. If you're okay with this, leave your weapons with your teacher, you'll be able to collect them when you return to Schale." Clavell said, noticing the change in their expressions.

Neru looked towards the rifles in her hands. "It'll be weird not carrying them around, but... it'll be a relief to not need them for once. Take care of them for me, would you, Sensei?" She asked, handing them to him.

"Of course. They'll be safely kept for you in my office." Sensei promised her.

"We'll leave for Paldea first thing tomorrow afternoon. Make sure you get some rest, it'll be a plane ride." Clavell said, bowing slightly. "Please look forward to the trip and everything that Naranja Academy will have to offer."

As their initial meeting was adjourned for the night, Mihara invited the group to come stay the night at Hotel Z. He wanted to make sure he got to enjoy one more meal with Team MZ before the lengthy journey in Paldea. Upon arriving, Taunie welcomed them with a cheerful smile.

"Mihara! You're back finally!" Taunie greeted, ushering them inside. "Got a full party tonight, huh? I guess I'll have to make extra tonight. Relax, I'll get supper started." She gestured for the empty table where Lida and Naveen were sitting.

"I'm glad the whole portal mess is finally over, I didn't think it'd ever end." Lida said, sighing softly. "I guess now we can go back to focusing on helping out the city. We'll be sure to hold down the fort while you're in Paldea." She promised.

"i know Lumiose City will be in good hands with you guys hanging around. I'll be sure to bring back some souvenirs and some stories to share." Mihara replied softly; he was excited for the trip, but he'd miss his friends greatly, but when he eventually returns, it'll make their reunion that much sweeter.

"I got a favor to ask of you, Mihara." Naveen said as he dug into his pocket, holding out a poster featuring Canari's likeness. "If you visit Levincia, could you hang this up near Iono's gym? I want her to know that the Canatics have breached her Iono Zone."

Hina seemed confused as she watched accept the poster. "...Canatics? What are those?" She asked confusedly.

"The true fans of Canari, a brilliant streamer from Lumiose City. Iono fans are always talking about how she clears Canari, in both her content and battling skill. I want to prove them wrong." Naveen replied confidently.

"A livestreamer? Sounds like she's got a dedicated fanbase." Fuuka said with a soft laugh.

"I'll be sure to do so for you, Naveen. I'll even record a video of Meowstic doing Canari's iconic pose." Mihara promised.

For the remainder of the night, the group happily finished the unusually pleasant dinner followed by some much needed sleep. The conflict with Hoopa may have been behind them, but that didn't mean their work was anywhere near completed. When the sun rises in the morning, a new adventure will come with it.