Chapter Text
Snowdrift:
Prologue 1: In the Shadow of Prism Tower
The stone seemed to sparkle and swirl with endless energy. It was a small, trite thing, no bigger than a shooter marble, and yet to him, it held the answers of the universe. The double helix embedded within reminded him of its importance. The energy that swirled within filled with life and wonder. A power he had yet to truly understand, yet beheld as more than a commodity. It was only recently he had started using it, after all.
Mounted on a tarnished heart shaped charm, embedded to the back of his skyblue leather glove, looking at it soothed him. It kept him calm in ways that most of the world never could. He could picture his sister staring at this same stone, finding it far more beautiful than the endless sea of stars in space. Life had a funny way of blessing him with things. Though he didn’t consider this particular one a blessing.
He didn’t even jump when a disposable cup was placed in front of him. “One Flamethrower Roast,” the rough, feminine voice said. “Every time you come here, you always sit there with that same look on your face. Always staring at that Key Stone as if it holds the answers to the world.”
“Maybe it does.” he said, voice neutral, cold, almost. He looked up at the woman, looking her right in the eyes. Cornflower blue, full of regret and warring thoughts, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her platinum blonde and orange hair was neat, two even tails at the back of her head, the uniform of her cafe was pristine as always.
“Oh? And what’s the answer then, hot shot?”
“Do you think people don’t know?” he said, answering her question with a question of his own. She furrowed her brows, adjusting her white glasses as she looked at him, resting her weight on her leg.
“What are you talking about?”
“That emblem on your apron… it’s subtle, yet in plain sight. I’m surprised no one has asked you.” he said, taking a sip from his coffee. “Or maybe they have, and you’ve just given them a bullshit answer. Hiding in plain sight, it’s interesting really, what people can manage to get away with.”
“Are you gonna rat me out?” she asked.
“And sacrifice not getting my daily coffee fix? Griselle, you wound me. I would never do that to you.” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Still, it’s bold of you and your brother to hide in plain sight. Generally, I’d think the older sibling would steer the younger one away from wrong. But you led him straight into it.”
“He joined first, I went after him to make sure he didn’t get hurt.”
“And you continued anyway. Where’d you get the 5 million PokeDollars to join?” he asked curiously.
“What’s it matter to you?” she barked angrily, glaring at him. “Are you gonna keep bothering me or are you going to drink your coffee?”
“I’m not bothering you, can’t I have a pleasant chat over coffee with my favorite barista?” he asked, quirking a brow. “Oh hang on, you want a tip don’t you.” he continued, reaching into his pocket, placing two hundred pokedollars in her pocket. “There you go, thanks for the bitter beans, Griselle.”
She took a deep breath through her nose, slowly exhaling. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay at Cafe Nouveau. We appreciate your business.”
“Do you now? Here I thought you hated me…? Am I your number one customer then?” he asked. Griselle growled.
“Don’t test your luck.” she responded, walking back toward the cart. He rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his coffee, resting his cheek in his hand as he stared at Prism Tower, or rather, the scaffolding slowly cocooning it.
“What’s going on with the tower, I wonder? I only agreed to Aunt Jeanne’s request because I’d get to travel through Kalos. Yet here I am, stuck in Lumiose City. God, why am I a stickler to promises? I’ve broken so many in the past. Why can’t I break this one?” he thought to himself, savoring the coffee in his mouth.
It hadn’t been a great year for Jacob Black. The young 20 year old Pokemon trainer had been an enigma, traveling through the world, never settling down. It was only until a few months ago that he had been a part of a regional Elite Four. Now…? He was in Lumiose City, in Kalos, guiding his cousin along. Though she was a prodigy when it came to training Pokemon.
He tussled with the fleck of icy-white hair in front of his eyes, his gaze still on Prism Tower. Seeing it calmed him. He didn’t know why, but it was one of those places that just oozed personality. Perhaps it was because the tower was once hated, and now beloved. Or perhaps it was just because it was an icon. Prism Tower was his constant now. Every morning, he’d come here, order his Flamethrower Roast, pester Griselle and stare at the tower. As if it held the answers he needed. It didn’t. Not unlike his Key Stone.
He was someone that stood out. He was from Unova, so already he stood out by accent alone. His pale skin reflected his icy demeanor, his eyes were cold and calculating, hardly trusting anyone, except a select few who broke his walls. He was dressed in winter gear, a white and ice blue jacket with snowflake accents, over a black shirt. White pants rounded out his outfit, and ice blue armored boots served as his footwear. He finished his look with an icy blue, snowflake patterned winter hat, complete with a puffball. A puffball that his partner Pokemon seemed to love playing with.
That’s who Jacob Black was, though he was known more as Jack throughout Lumiose City. The Ice Cold Trainer was a moniker he had gotten somewhere in Borrius, it seemed to have followed him to Kalos. The Z-A Royal seemed to stick with it, and now whenever he was challenged for a promotion match, that was the title that greeted him. The tournament had been easy, he had climbed the ranks without much issue. Being part of the Borrius Elite Four meant he had training and experience. Within weeks, he went from Rank Z to Rank G. He was close to reaching Rank A, upon which, he’d be granted a wish.
“Of course… the only wish I could ever want can never be granted.” He thought to himself, frowning. “Still… I need more answers on Mega Evolution and how it works. If I’m going to master it, and use it to fulfill my goals, I’ll need information. But asking those two is like pulling teeth…”
He glanced back at the owners of the cafe. Grisham was busy preparing food for customers, while also brewing coffee. Griselle was flitting about like a Cleffa, from table to table, delivering orders. She paused to glare at him, as if mentally telling him to hurry up and leave. He had the urge to flip her off but she hadn’t tested his patience yet.
“Maybe I can get some information from Mable. I’ve been such a good little servant for her, fulfilling all of her research tasks like a good boy.” he thought, sarcastically to himself.
The former Team Flare scientist had, apparently, taken a plea deal in order to avoid jail time. Now, she walked around Lumiose City, her personal hell and prison. She didn’t have an ankle monitor or a ball and chain but she may as well have. He could almost hear her complaining and yelling at the mayor from where he sat.
Who even was the mayor of Lumiose? All he ever heard was that he was an ass for apparently agreeing to the Redevelopment Plan. Mable hated them for piling work on her desk. She deserved it for working with Team Flare after all.
Though finding out she had used the holo-caster data to spy on Pokemon Trainers across the Kalos Region was a sobering thought, he was at least glad he hadn’t fallen for that fad.
“Then again, I have a Rotom Phone and a fucking Rotom Watch, so I guess I’ve fallen like the perfect little Wooloo I am. Thank you RPC for getting me into your ecosystem. Now I gotta wait until September for you to show us the next Rotom Phone Model that isn’t last year’s with better cameras.” he thought sarcastically to himself.
“What are you thinking about that’s got you making so many pensive looks?” Griselle asked, standing by his table.
“Your work schedule. I was wondering when you’d next be free so I can take you out on a date. How about it? Sushi High Roller is doing an all-you-can-eat special.”
“Fuck you!”
“Aw sweetheart, not until the third date.” he teased, making her growl.
“Charizard!” she called out, making him stop, a look of fear on his face.
“Okay, okay! Sheesh, I’m sorry. If you’re curious, I need information. About Mega Evolution, I happen to know that your former employer was studying it. The Mega Bond Phenomenon as it’s come to be known as. I want to understand it. Even though Yuna and I have a strong bond, she can’t adjust to the Mega Wave. She just won’t Mega Evolve.” he said.
Griselle frowned, waving at Charizard, making the fire lizard stand down. “Mega Evolution is more than two stones and a bond. That is the basis, but if your hearts aren’t into it, it’ll fail every time. It took me a long time for me and Pyroar to find that bondwave and use it.”
“Yes, my cousin said the same thing. But she’s a natural at it and I’m… I’m just not.” Jack said, glancing at the Key Stone on the back of his glove. “Maybe it just isn’t for me. I should get a Z-Ring instead…”
“Pfft… you’d have to go to Alola for that, and sweetheart, you aren’t dressed for the tropics.” Griselle said with a laugh. “You want cold hard data, don’t you? You’re like me, in a sense. I have to see something in bar graphs and numbers for me to get it. Grisham thinks it’s because I process things differently. I say it’s a curse.”
“Cursed with genius yet stuck in an apron, what a curse indeed.”
“Asshole, I’m trying to have a heart to heart here with you.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I have issues.” Jack said, sitting up. “I appreciate the information, I do but… well I need to read it.”
She remained silent for a moment before looking away. “Mable should have the answers you need. Just tell her ‘The key to a new world is beauty’. She’ll have what you need. You’ve been her errand boy for weeks now. She should reward you properly and not give you a TM.”
Jack blinked, frowning. “Why are you parting with this information? You want something from me?”
“A battle. But only when you learn how to Mega Evolve your Glaceon.” Griselle said, glancing away from him. “You look at that Key Stone as if it holds the answers to the world. But it’s just a rock, kid. You have to find your own answers. But it doesn’t matter how deep you dig or how many times you turn the iceberg. Sometimes the biggest answer is that there are no answers.”
With that, she returned to work, leaving Jack with much to think about.
Location:
Hibernal Avenue, Lumiose City.
Heading back to Southern Boulevard took a bit of time. Lumiose City was quite big, bigger than even Castelia, bigger than Seaport City back in Borrius. He had seen a lot of places as a trainer, but never a city as big and as lively as Lumiose. He thought back to his earlier trip through Kalos. He had met his cousin in Aquacorde Town after having taken a bullet train from Marseille City in Southern Kalos to Vaniville Town in North Central Kalos. She had insisted on taking the train to Lumiose City, he had insisted she learned the joys of travel, by walking.
She hated it. Lucienne complained the entire time. And once they had made it into Santalune Forest, all she did was bug him. But after he gave her a Pokeball and told her to catch a friend, she seemed to ease down. That friend had been a Chikorita, one she named Marigold. He still wondered how a Chikorita even made it into Santalune Forest considering it wasn’t even a Kalos native Pokemon.
Santalune City had been gorgeous, a modernized city-village near the massive forest, housing the first gym in Kalos. Lucienne had wanted to challenge it, and she did. Unfortunately for her, Viola trained bug type Pokemon and Chikorita wasn’t known for its strengths against bug types… or flying types for that matter.
Somewhere in Johto, a newbie trainer was crying.
She had given up on the Gym challenge nearly immediately, but did vow to return to Santalune City at some point. Route 4 had been gorgeous, though Jack found himself wanting to don rollerskates like most trainers on the route. It would have made traveling easier. Alas, he couldn’t skate and neither could Lucy, apparently. They arrived in Lumiose City from the southern entrance and from then on, they’d been ensnared.
Lucienne called it luck. Jack called her Taunie. A brash, overly arrogant young girl who failed at getting views on her promotional videos. Yet somehow, she had managed to rope his cousin in and was even a victim of something that seemed to happen quite often in Lumiose. Petty theft.
Jack’s bleeding heart felt for the Kalosian People, truly it did. Being subjected to rogue Pancham stealing leather bags from trainers. Jack almost wondered if Taunie had been involved somehow, but then he realized Taunie likely couldn’t plan anything that concrete. If her promotional videos were anything to go by.
Somehow, all of that led to Jack becoming embroiled in saving Lumiose City, joining Team MZ and helping calm down Rogue Mega Pokemon. Of course, Lucienne did that better than he could. He couldn’t Mega Evolve his Glaceon despite having a newly discovered, ultra rare Mega Stone for her.
And that was the root of the problem, why he found himself there, at the Sycamore Research Lab. Or as the sign now reads “Mable’s Research Lab”. He wondered if it had been Mable herself who had painted a red X over “Sycamore” on the sign instead of paying for a new one. But hearing her complain about the mayor made him realize maybe she couldn’t quite afford one.
Taking a deep, calming breath, Jack made his way inside the Research Lab. He briefly greeted some of the staff, having met them all during his work for Mable. He reached for his wallet, pulling out the special ID card he had been given by Mable. Unlocking the elevator, he dialed the 3rd floor button, entering the old, worn lift.
“Wonder what Mable has been up to… Lucy hasn’t mentioned visiting her. She’s been busy catching Pokemon in Area 6. I do wonder how Quasartico expects people to just accept pieces of Lumiose being given to Pokemon. I mean, how does holo-tech work? Can’t those Pokemon just walk out? I swear, technology is going to be the death of us.”
The elevator dinged, the doors slowly opening. The second Jack stepped outside of it, he was greeted by a usual sound. “Putain de Merde!”
Jack held back the urge to laugh as he listened in. “That stupid fucking mayor! How dare he keep piling more shit onto my desk? Why the hell am I the one that has to deal with this shit? I’m just a Professor! Arceus dammit!”
Jack walked around the large wall separating the lift from the main area of the lab, seeing the blue haired professor sitting behind her desk. She looked up, glaring at him. “Oh joy, just what I needed, the iceberg coming to give in his progress report.”
“Who pissed in your cornflakes, Professor? I just came to say hello, no need to bite my head off.” Jack said, clearly amused.
Mable sighed audibly. She leaned back in her blue themed gaming chair, eyes tightly closed. The young woman looked tired, with visible bags under her eyes. Her blue hair was perfectly in place, the white lab coat rested over her oddly themed dress, her Rotom Pad floating beside her. She was clearly annoyed, tired and stressed. He didn’t blame her. If avoiding jail time meant taking such an important position, he’d take it too. But it was clear the mayor was overworking her just because he could.
“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s just that… that… that Connard! Ugh!” she cried, sighing. “You didn’t come here for a progress report or a T.M. did you?”
Jack stood straight as he spoke. “The key to a new world is beauty.”
Her blue eyes grew wide. “Who the hell told you that?” she barked, shooting to her feet. “Who told you that phrase, Jack?”
“Does that matter? You know the meaning of it and you know why I said it. I need information. It’s the only way I’ll be able to master the secrets of Mega Evolution.”
“What… you…” she gritted her teeth, slamming her fist onto the desk. “There is nothing you need to know revolving around that damn phrase. And there is nothing I can help you with.”
“I think there is, Mable.” Jack said, leaning back, arms crossed. “I’ve been your errand boy for months now. Lucienne happily does it because she’s unaware of what you did. I am, though. I don’t intend to blackmail you, but you’re the only one in Lumiose City who can help me.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Or… maybe I can take a jaunty little walk to Geosenge Town and poke around your old hideout. They dismantled the Ultimate Weapon and filled the crater in, but I think I can find my way inside.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Try me,” he said. Mable bit her lip, looking away for a moment before frowning, glancing back at the young man.
“You’re a fool, Jack.”
“Perhaps,.. And yet here I am, standing in front of an even bigger fool.”
Mablel stayed quiet before speaking. “Magenta District, you’ll find a building there that’s been closed off. A cafe… beneath it is the lab… Lysandre Labs. It was where we conducted research on the Ultimate Weapon and converted the energy we stole from the Kalos Power Plant.”
“I see… I wasn’t aware that such a large complex sat beneath Lumiose City.”
“Not a lot of people did, at least until ten years ago when that kid came in, Pokemon blazing.” Mable said, looking away. “We tried our best to stop her and yet we still got pushed around like idiots. I was seventeen then, way in over my head…”
“And wearing a hideous uniform.” Jack said, having seen pictures of her and the other scientists in their Team Flare uniforms.
“Screw you! Those were totally in style back then!”
“My ass, you looked like a Camerupt without its humps.” Jack said, narrowing his eyes. “Though maybe I was looking for those humps in a different area.”
“Ugh… pervert.”
“Relax, it’s a joke. So the labs… they have information on Mega Evolution?”
“All of our research data on the Mega Bond Phenomenon, we used the holo-casters to keep track of personal trainer data. Including those who had mega stones. We were going to create a brand new model that siphoned the energy released during mega evolution and harness it for the Ultimate Weapon. That was before we found the old tree husk that turned out to be Xerneas.” Mable explained.
“Interesting… and I can go exploring to my heart’s content?”
“If you want. The place has been powered down, and Pokemon have likely moved in. That shouldn’t be an issue to you. Besides, it’s not like you can get in. The door is voice protected, and I’m not going to part with the password.” she said, looking away, smirking. “You’ll have to figure that one out on your own.”
“It’s Open Sesame.”
Mable gasped, eyes widening. “How did you…”
“I didn’t, you confirmed it.”
She gaped, glaring at him. “Okay, that’s enough of that. I got shit to do, keep doing your research tasks like a good boy and I’ll give you new T.M’s as your reward. Be more like your cousin, would you?”
“Sure thing, Mable.” Jack said, swiveling on his foot, pausing for a moment. “You know… you aren’t a bad person. You were just… way in over your head.”
“We held the Pokeball Factory Hostage until they gave us a Master Ball for Xerneas”
“And you didn’t ask them to lower prices? That’s the real crime.”
“Goodbye, Jack.” Mable said, waving him away. He rolled his eyes, turning to leave the lab.
xxx
Jack glanced at his Rotom Watch for the time, seeing it was just past 5 p.m. It wouldn’t be long until the Battle Zones became active and all of Lumiose City started attacking each other like crazed maniacs. It was the lively part of the Z-A Royale, but he wondered how the city was allocating funds for collateral damage.
Perhaps that’s why Mable was so pissed off… that and the Krokorok’s that managed to get out of their Wild Zone and caused havoc on the streets of Lumiose, to the point the scaffolding around Prism Tower became compromised. Who in their right mind thought bringing Sandile and Krokorok’s into Lumiose was a good idea? There was something going on here that he needed answers to. Prism Tower was his answer, but he knew he wasn’t going to be getting any of them.
Turning off of Centrico Plaza, he headed toward Magenta District, passing by Sacre Coeur, the second largest church in Lumiose City, second only to the grand beauty that was Notre Dame de Lumiose. Being woken up by those bells was one of the finest experiences of his young life. And it was one that he would definitely cherish.
He looked around, holding his Rotom Phone in his hand, despite months of running around Lumiose, he still had time finding his way around. One minute, he was by the Arc de Triomphe, the next, he was by the river, explaining to a police officer why the Goomy on the bench wasn’t his. And arguing about their anti-homeless design.
“Why is the city so willing to accommodate Pokemon and not the homeless? Those benches are disgusting… but they are comfortable, I guess.” he thought to himself.
“Bzzt: You have arrived at your destination. Bzzt!” his phone chirped. He stopped mid stride, looking at the maroon colored entrance.
He saw the worn sign near the door, Lysandre Cafe, it read. The windows were boarded up, and the doors had caution tape over them. But there were clear signs of breaking and entry. It was likely wild Pokemon had made their way in, like Mable had said. Perhaps there were thieves who wanted artifacts or even those who sought to profit from the allure of Team Flare. They had been a menace while they were active.
Looking around for a moment, he headed toward the doors, testing them, only to find them locked. He reached for one of his Pokeballs, releasing the Pokemon within, a Greninja that he had been training since his arrival in Kalos.
“Hayabusa, Water Shuriken.” he called calmly. “Aim for the lock.”
“Nin~” the Pokemon replied, pulling its large webbed arms back. He formed a pulsing orb of water in his grasp, launching it at the lock, watching as it morphed into a glowing shuriken made entirely of water. It busted the lock with ease, rattling the door.
“Stay close.” he said, as he opened the door. He grabbed his phone from midair, turning the flash-light on, waving it around the closed up cafe. It looked cozy, despite everything being strewn about.
Though after hearing about what happened here, it was no wonder people didn’t buy the property. He grabbed one of the mugs with the Team Flare logo on it, frowning. “How tacky.”
Setting it down, he headed toward the back of the cafe, looking at the bookshelf, having felt a draft coming from behind it. Hayabusa got ready to attack, but Jack held his hand out, stopping the large amphibian from launching it.
“Open Sesame.”
The shelf shook as it slowly slid open. Hayabusa looked at him as if he was crazy, but he shrugged, heading down the stairs. It was dark, musty, filled with dust. A decade of disuse made it the perfect place to squat. He could see the broken down walls, papers thrown all over the place. It was clear that it was torn up, likely by the International Police when they were dismantling the place.
He noticed the elevator near the front of the room, but he noticed the button wasn’t lit. The place had no power, even the warp pads were off. He felt Hayabusa move behind him, and followed him, noticing the water type pointing to a desk.
“Good find, Hayabusa.” Jack said, picking up the Team Flare ID Card. It wasn’t an elevator key, but it would help him traverse the lab.
He headed toward the nearby door, holding the card to the sensor, watching as the door hissed open. Jack looked around, aiming his phone to a nearby wall, noticing a large power handle with glowing buttons and switches. Walking over to it, he grabbed the handle, letting his Rotom Phone float out of his hand as he pushed it up. It whirled to life, the lights flickered as they turned on.
“Keep an eye out, Hayabusa, I don’t think we’re alone here.” Jack said.
“Grenin~” the Pokemon softly replied.
As they moved forward, they heard growls, slowing to a stop, finding a pack of Houndour and their leader, an Alpha Houndoom, resting just past the doors. The Houndoom rose to its feet, low, threatening, growling. Giving orders to its minions.
Jack tried not to show his nerves, he really didn’t like fire types. But Houndoom had made the mistake of growling at a Water type. Jack snapped his fingers, Hayabusa already darting forward. “Aerial Ace.”
The Greninja leapt into the air, hands glowing as it struck the Houndour with the flying type attack, launching them into the walls, which crumbled beneath them. Jack noticed the Houndoom getting closer, using its large size to intimidate him, but Jack wasn’t scared.
“Double Team, Hayabusa, follow it with Water Shuriken!” Jack called out. Hayabusa darted forward, body glowing as several copies of itself darted forward. Each one launched a water shuriken at Houndoom, causing it to become disoriented.
“Houndoom!” it growled, aiming a Flamethrower at the copies, sweeping its neck around, all of the copies dissolving. Hayabusa had leapt up, managing to throw the massive shuriken at its face, making contact with it.
Hayabusa grabbed it by its snout, slamming it hard onto the ground before launching it into the air, pulling its arms back. It darted forward, using Night Slash, the attack taking the form of a swirling black katana, which he used to deliver a hard slash to the falling Houndoom. While the dark type attack wouldn’t do much damage, it left the Houndoom scared and startled.
It yelped in pain before running off, deeper into the lab, followed by its Houndour minions. Tugging on his glove, Jack gave his Pokemon a nod, striding forward.
“Stay vigilant, Hayabusa. They’re licking their wounds, they might come back.” he said, earning a nod from the silent frog.
They moved through the lab with relative ease, traversing fallen debris and other abandoned materials. None were what he was looking for. He ended up finding another card, leading toward another section of the lab.
Pulling another handle up, Jack was convinced he had turned every sector of the laboratory on. He and Hayabusa had faced some wayward Beldum, which had tried to test their strength, falling to a single Night Slash, as well as a Noivern that had nested in the rafters. He stepped into another section, an office, it seemed, causing him to move forward. He spotted a few computers, deciding to check them out.
As he sat down in the worn chair, he noticed an overturned picture. When he grabbed the frame, he noticed who the subjects were. He recognized a young Mable, dressed in a gaudy Team Flare uniform, wearing what looked like a VR headset over her eyes. Next to her were three others, dressed the same, though they had different hair colors. The final person behind them was an old scientist, who wore dark red goggles over his eyes.
He looked at the picture, blanching. “God, these uniforms were awful. And Mable pranced around in this? I am so using this as blackmail later.” he thought, as he booted the PC up. He frowned. “Ugh… Windows. I fucking hate Windows, goddamn spyware bullshit with their dumbass AI integration. Rotom Phone Company is the way to go, at least they don’t spy on you. Of course Linux is king. They have an Eiscue as their mascot."
He waited for it to boot, frowning. “Ugh…. Mable what the fuck? Were you seriously using Windows 8 as your operating system? Arceus how did any work get done?” he thought, as he tried to log in. He was met with a password prompt, but he checked the back of the picture, finding the password easily. “Bingo, jackpot. Let’s see if Mable’s research is still on the hard drive.”
He started browsing the files, finding a lot of interesting things, including personal messages to Barony, Aliana and Celosia. Typical girl banter, even some members that Mable found cute. Debatable, considering they all looked and dressed the same. After a few minutes of skulking around, he didn’t find anything of interest. He opened a terminal and started searching through it that way, finding nothing. He leaned back in his seat.
“Fuck… of course.” he muttered, crossing his arms. “Okay, so not in Mable’s personal computer, it was either taken or deleted. Though I doubt the Science Society would let go of all of that useful research. There have to be backups somewhere.”
Jack shut down the PC, knowing no one would ever be back to check it out. He reached for the necklace around his neck, pulling out his Cube. He pressed the button on the side of it, opening his “Key Items” pocket, holding the picture to it, watching as it disappeared within. He was honestly glad this little gadget existed. Being able to store everything in a digital format like you could Pokemon? It was convenient and something he loved. He could have an entire living room’s worth of furniture inside it and it wouldn’t weigh more than 5 grams.
Nodding to Hayabusa, they left the office, heading deeper into the lab. As they moved, they ended up running into more Wild Pokemon. A couple of Gastly and Haunter, which were dispatched quickly. The trickier ones were the wild Honedge and Aegislash. He hadn’t been expecting such a strong Pokemon to be down there, let alone an Alpha. But Hayabusa held up, dispatching them with haste.
Stumbling onto another key card, he headed toward another door, surrounded by debris, before scanning it, watching as it slowly opened. Stepping down the long, dark corridor, he held his Rotom Phone out, lighting his path. He found himself in another power room, finding a large lever. He let go of his phone, which kept lighting the room as he pulled the lever up, throwing the last remaining sectors into light.
“Okay, let’s see here… ah! An elevator key. Perhaps we can find our answers in another room.” Jack said, glancing at Hayabusa, who was ever vigilant. “Come, Hayabusa. We can cut around this way, I don’t think there are any other Pokemon down here for us to worry about.”
The Greninja nodded, following after his trainer. He easily climbed over some debris, cutting through some broken down walls and open doors. With a single Night Slash, a weak wall crumbled, opening the path back to the forward room. He swiped the elevator card against the pad, watching as the elevator opened.
He stepped inside, reading the labeled buttons. He hit B3, as it seemed to be where the main laboratory was located. He waited for the moving car to take him down, the loud ding signaling their arrival. As the doors opened, he stepped outside, looking around the darkened room.
“Sense anything, Hayabusa?” Jack asked quietly. The large amphibian moved forward, looking around for enemy Pokemon. He turned, shaking his head, letting his trainer know they were relatively safe. “Alright, let’s get to it then.”
Jack looked around, moving toward the stations that had been on standby. He shined his phone around, spotting a few things of interest. “Should have invested in that Flash T.M.” he mumbled to himself.
He headed toward the very front of the lab, aiming his light up, seeing the back wall was actually a large screen. Moving the light down, he found what looked like a mainframe. Walking forward, he found the keyboard and looked for the power button, holding it down when he found it. He blanched a bit when the screen came to life, bathing the room in bright lighting.
He found a prompt on the screen, a blinking cursor. He narrowed his eyes in thought before remembering the phrase that Griselle had told him.
“The key to a new world is beauty.” he typed, hitting the enter key. The screen shifted for a moment before various file systems appeared. He started looking around, finding the folder that contained information about Mega Evolution.
He clicked on it, opening the file. “Mega Evolution documents, taken from Professor Augustine Sycamore, Professor Barnaby Birch and Professor Cornelius Rowan. Mega Evolution is thought to have been a product of the firing of the Ultimate Weapon by King AZ 3,000 years ago, during the Great Kalos War. It is, however, attributed to many factors. While Lucario is the first Pokemon to have Mega Evolved in Kalos, it was in fact believed to be Rayquaza to have been the very first Pokemon to Mega Evolve.
Contemporary drawings located within Dewford Cave in Hoenn as well as Sky Pillar seem to confirm this. It is thought that the true source of Mega Evolution is the result of energy of the Kalos Legendary Pokemon, Xerneas and Yveltal, irradiating evolutionary stones with Infinity Energy, the energy that seems to trigger this further evolved state. It is why this state is only temporary.
The Tower of Mastery in Shalour City has the oldest historical books revolving around this phenomena. It is stated that this process is not common in regions without ties to Kalos or Hoenn, but Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and one from Unova, seem to be capable of Mega Evolution. There are no known Kalos native Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution. That is subject to change.
This phenomena is comparable to the Z-Moves found only in the Alola Region, where a mysterious Power envelopes Pokemon, allowing them to use a powered up version of a move respective to the type selected. It is not, however, comparable to the Dynamax and Gigantamax phenomena of the Galar Region, though both states are comparable. Further research needs to be conducted on Terastilization, a recently discovered phenomenon in the Paldea Region.
Below are the files of 48 Pokemon known to Mega Evolve. It is noted here that Charizard and Mewtwo are the only Pokemon to have two Mega Stones, which we have dubbed Charizardite X and Y and Mewtwonite X and Y. As Mewtwo is a Pokemon created by humans, it is theorized that its mega stones are also artificial, but we could not verify that data. Furthermore, Rayquaza is the only known Legendary Pokemon that does not require a Mega Stone to evolve, instead, knowing the move “Dragon Ascent” seems to be its trigger. It is a dangerous Pokemon, capable of Mega Evolving at will. Perhaps to deal with Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, should they get a hold of the Blue and Red Orbs respectively. Further research must be conducted…”
Jack looked through the list, reading the available data. It was old, but serviceable. Unfortunately, he didn’t find anything on Mega Glaceon, or even anything on Greninja or Milotic. He frowned. “So, Glaceonite, Greninjite and Miloticite are stones created after Team Flare fired the Ultimate Weapon a second time. That’s why there’s hardly any data on them… Fantastic… me and Yuna won’t be able to nail Mega Evolution. Even with you, Hayabusa, we haven’t managed to get ours down pat.”
“Grenin~” the large amphibian replied, as if telling him “We’ll get it soon”. He smiled at his friend, giving him a nod.
“You’re right… We’ll be a lot more useful to Lucienne and Team MZ if we can actually fight Rogue Mega Pokemon. And if we can do that… Maybe we’ll be able to get strong enough to teach my older brother a lesson.” Jack said, squeezing his hand tightly together.
Continuing his search, he wasn’t able to find anything new. But he did download all of the Pokedex information onto his Rotom Phone’s Pokedex App. He had a notification on his Z-A Royale App, alerting him that the Battle Zones were open, but he wasn’t interested in that at that moment. He kept searching, pouring through files, but he found nothing.
Just as he was about to give up, he found something of interest. “Blue Prints for the Ultimate Weapon…?”
Growing curious, he clicked it, watching the screen go dark before several files opened at once, showing him the schematics of the Ultimate Weapon. “Holy shit…”
He read the data, sitting up a bit. “We have located the Ultimate Weapon used 3,000 years ago by King AZ. It is beneath modern day Geosenge Town. We believe we can power it up. We have tried to give back to the world, but it continues being greedy. In order to fix that, we must rid ourselves of the blemishes that taint our world. Using the Energy we have taken from the Kalos Power Plant, we will be able to fully operate the Ultimate Weapon, but it isn’t enough.
We need the power of Xerneas and Yveltal for it to work properly. King AZ used the life energy of fallen Pokemon to bring back his Floette, and then he turned that machine into a weapon. A weapon that nearly destroyed Kalos. We plan to go bigger. Should we aim the Ultimate Weapon at the Anistar City sundial, we believe that it’ll trigger an explosion of Infinity Energy, enough to wipe out the entirety of Kalos and the rest of the world…
Team Flare shall hide in bunkers, and we will emerge after the end. We will rebuild, and ensure those who survive get to live in a prosperous and beautiful world. One where we ensure no strife and greed overtake us. It is a shame then that Pokemon as a whole will suffer the consequences. They aid in our greed, and that cannot exist in this new world. But we cannot eliminate them either. As it stands, a full DNA record of all registered Pokemon is being stored in our space station. Should we need it, we can bioengineer our own Pokemon, and return them to the world. But only when the world is deserving of them. Those who survive the Ultimate End will bring in a new era of Pokemon. Feral ones, who will keep humanity in check.
It is the only way for this world to remain beautiful… to that end, we shall strive to do what we must…”
Jack swallowed hard, rereading the document, noticing it was written by Lysandre himself. He blinked, shocked. “Holy Mew… that bastard was going to do it… He wanted to kill all of us… Genocide… for a beautiful world? My God.” he said softly to himself. Hayabusa bowed his head slightly, realizing the gravity of what they had just stumbled upon.
He kept skulking around, finding another file, labeled “Ange”. He tilted his head. “What the hell is Ange?”
He clicked on it, watching as the other half of the screen shifted, showing an image that looked familiar to him, Prism Tower. Though it didn’t look like the tower he was used to seeing, it looked different. An iron, lattice tower… but it was still recognizable.
“Ange Floette, the monster hidden within Prism Tower. It is a weapon created by King AZ 2,000 years ago, in what would later become Lumiose City. It was a nameless village then. We do not know what the purpose of this machine is, but we do know it is capable of firing Infinity Energy the same way that the Ultimate Weapon does. Unlike that weapon, this one seems to gather Mega Energy, and Infinity Energy, and stores it, perhaps to discharge it later.
We were able to determine that Ange Floette can only be powered by a rare, long extinct form of Floette, dubbed “Eternal Flower” Floette, the same Pokemon that was once King AZ’s partner. Eternal Flower Floette hasn’t been seen in 3,000 years. We believe we have what it takes to activate it, but without Floette, we cannot control it. We have abandoned this weapon, the one in Geosenge Town will be more than enough.”
Jack remained quiet, his own voice echoing through the empty room. “So… this is what’s inside Prism Tower…? What Quasartico is hiding from everyone? The true cause of the Rogue Mega Pokemon?” he asked, to no one in particular.
He shook his head, rising to his feet. “Guess I’ll have to ask AZ myself. He has his secrets and has kept them, but this is one he has to answer.”
He glanced back at the computer, shaking his head. “Come, Hayabusa. It’s time we left.” he said, earning a soft hum from his Pokemon. Jack made sure to leave everything how he had found it. Placing the cards back and shutting the power off as he left. The last thing he needed was someone finding out they had come to Lysandre Labs.
Once back in the first floor, he glanced back at the elevator that had led him down. Down into the lab where he had discovered more than he should have. And now, he had the burden of deciding if he should share it with anyone else, or keep it to himself. It was clear that Quasartico knew what was going on with Prism Tower, but did Taunie know? Did anyone else know? He was sure Grisham and Griselle did, and so did Mable. Perhaps he should consider sharing it.
Of course, what good would that do? Prism Tower was a weapon none of them hoped to control. AZ was the only one that could. And thus, he’d go to him directly, to ask about Ange Floette, and the truth behind the tower. The symbol of Lumiose, the tower whose shadow he had learned to live beneath, for it brought him peace and tranquility when he most needed it.
Jack returned Hayabusa to his Pokeball as he climbed the stairs, wanting to give his friend some rest. He pocketed the sphere as he re-entered the cafe, finding a familiar figure hunched over the bar, sitting at one of the stools. Jack didn’t say anything as he walked past, the man speaking first.
“Have you found what you were searching for?” he asked, voice rough, demure even. Jack stopped, adjusting his scarf slightly.
“I found information, just not what I was looking for. I won’t bother asking, since you have amnesia and all.” Jack said.
The man took a sip of his drink, whiskey, he assumed. The man let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “Amnesia seems far too convenient, and yet it’s the truth. Though I do remember this place, it bears my name.”
“It does… come to relive some memories?”
“I’ve already seen what there was to see here. It was one of the first places I came to. The key was under the potted plant outside. You didn’t need to break the lock.” L said.
“But where’s the fun in that? Breaking and Entering is something we all need to be experts in.” Jack said with a chuckle. “Why are you here then…?”
“Questions, Questions, Questions.” L murmured, pouring himself another drink, having used the mug that Jack had set out hours earlier. “I find myself asking a lot of those as time goes on. Why did I come to such a conclusion? Why are people so greedy? Why did they continue taking advantage of the goodness of my heart…? It pains me to arrive at a blank answer.”
“Ah but that answer is suitable isn’t it? We can’t know why people do the things they do. They take a look at someone generous and continue yanking the chain. Some are grateful for the help, others are grateful to be thought of. But the insidious ones are thankful someone is foolish enough to help them. Be it food, shelter, water, or clothes. People want things, because they need things. But sometimes, the line between want and need are blurred, and it all becomes a guessing game.” Jack said.
“Wise for your age, aren’t you?” the man asked.
“I had to grow up quickly. Suffered a major loss, as it were… all I can say is that there are always those who take advantage of others. There’s a sucker born every minute and you have to take him for everything they've got.” Jack said, looking away. “Unfortunately, I know too well what that is like.”
“Oh? Are you going to share?”
“Nope… I like to remain an enigma. I’ve built walls around myself for a reason, I figure the ice can keep people away. Sadly, it has the opposite effect. The more I want people to take a wide berth, the more they approach me.” Jack said, leaning back against the bar.
L nodded, pouring some whiskey in another mug, sliding it to him. Jack wasn’t old enough to drink in Kalos, but that didn’t stop him from clinking it against L’s, taking a gulp. “Whoo… that’s brisk. Good flavor.”
“It’s Galarian… the note attached to it said it was for a special occasion. Something tells me that occasion never came.” L said.
Jack sucked his teeth as he held the mug in his grasp. “You know about Ange Floette don’t you? You discovered it ten years ago, back when Team Flare was at the height of its power.” Jack said. L didn’t say anything, he just nodded.
“I did… I didn’t know what to make of it. I still don’t. All I know is that a man came to AZ and asked him to build another machine. I don’t know what its purpose is, but it seems to have been dormant for 2,000 years. It wasn’t build in Lumiose City. Lumiose City was built around it. In the year 1888, it was remodeled, and the machine was hidden, acting like the tower’s skeleton. That’s why it has the facade it has now.”
“Is there a way to stop it?”
“Mega Evolution, it seems. The machine was designed to respond to AZ’s unique Floette. It cannot evolve into Florges, perhaps due to the energy of the Pokemon used to bring it back to life. That didn’t stop fate from giving Floette a Mega Stone. That stone is the key to Ange Floette… to stopping the tragedy that will befall Lumiose City.”
Jack remained quiet, sipping his drink. “Heavy stuff.”
“Your cousin seems to have attracted the gaze of Zygarde. If she continues proving her strength, I believe she will be the one to save Lumiose, and Kalos as a whole.” L said, finishing his drink. “Or… perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps we’re doomed to fail. Such is the hubris of humanity, of King AZ, and of Lysandre. After all… Prism Tower is reacting the way it is because I fired the Ultimate Weapon.”
“Yet here you are… trying to remember what you forgot, to atone for your sins. For the sake of a beautiful world.” Jack said, biting his lower lip. “I read your manifesto…. It was pure Rapidash Shit.”
Lysandre let out a chuckle. “I was quite altruistic in my youth, there’s a word for it, you know.”
“Foolishness?”
“Ignorance.” L corrected.
“Interchangable.” Jack shrugged. “But you seem to have learned from your mistakes, and if not well… 3,000 years is a long time to think.”
“Hm… indeed it is. By the time I reach AZ’s age, I doubt Lumiose CIty will still be standing. I might not even remember this conversation we’re having.” L said.
“Heady tonic ain’t it? Holding life and death in the palm of one’s hand?” Jack mused, finishing his whiskey. “You pressed the button. You unleashed the power of Xerneas and Yveltal, and only you suffer its curse… or perhaps it is a blessing. 3,000 years is a long time, what will you be doing?”
“Creating a beautiful world, the right way. It isn’t about overtly giving, or taking away, but balance. Zygarde taught me that when it saved me. It made me realize that too much of either thing can lead to instability. And when there’s instability…” Lysandre paused, finishing his whiskey. “You activate a flower shaped weapon and fire it into space… the lessons AZ learned were left in the annals of history, and I didn’t learn from it. I disregarded it.”
“Ignorance?”
“Arrogance.” L said, shrugging.
“Hm.”
L didn’t say anything, staring at the bottle in his hand. “What about you, Jack? What do you seek in this world of ours?”
Jack remained silent, turning toward the door. “I’m still searching. I don’t think I’ll ever find it.”
“You will… but when you do, you won’t feel joy or relief… you’ll find grief, and acceptance. That is the only key to moving forward. Do not waste your life searching for meaningless battles, young man. Take it from a fool who tried to end the world. There are much more important things to spend one's time on.”
“Easy for you to say… you’ve got 3,000 years left.” Jack said, heading toward the door. “Thanks for the drink. I’ll keep growing stronger… I have to. Not only to try and fix your mess, but because I have my own demons to fight. It’s up to children with Pokemon to fix mistakes made by adults. Funny how our world works, huh?” he said, leaving the cafe, the bell jingling as he closed the door.
Location: Centrico Plaza, Lumiose City…
Jack stared at Prism Tower as he headed down Centrico Plaza. It was quiet, despite Lumiose City being the city of light and love. There were still trainers walking around, people coming out of movies and theater performances, restaurants and other things. Life moved on, all while the most dangerous monster slept right in the heart of it all. How something so beautiful could hold something so dangerous was beyond him. But that was the way things were.
Part of him wanted to sneak into Prism Tower, to see what it was like on the inside. That was what he had wanted to come here for. Sure, he told his Aunt Jeanne that he’d guide Lucienne, but he couldn't do that forever. If Prism Tower was going to be concealed, if it was at risk of being demolished… he wanted to have a picture from the observatory.
“Big Brother! Look at this thing! It looks like a tower! Where do you think it is?”
“Hm… it says here that this is a scale model of Prism Tower, located in the Kalos Region. It is in the heart of Lumiose City, the capital of Kalos. It was built over 2,000 years ago and houses the Lumiose City Pokemon Gym.”
“Wow! That’s so cool! We have to go, big brother!”
“Penny, we’re in Hoenn, do you actually think we can go to Lumiose City? I doubt it. You know how Mom is… she’s gonna put her foot down. I bet you if Patrick asked, she’d drop everything just to take him there.”
“And that’s why I wanna go! I want it to just be you, me and our Pokemon. The first thing we’ll do when we get to Lumiose City, after running all the way to this place, is to go alllll the way to the top! We’ll take a picture there, just the two of us! Freedom! We’ll be able to see the whole world from up there!”
“Eh… maybe to Cyllage City, not all of the world. But sure, kiddo. Let’s find a day to sneak away, buy plane tickets and head to Kalos! It’s about time we started our own journeys. After all, how else will you become a top coordinator…?”
“Yes! You’re the best, big brother! I love you so much!”
A notification shook Jack out of his memory, tearing his gaze away from Prism Tower to look at his Rotom Phone, which had floated out of his pocket. “Bzzt: Your Next Promotion Match has been decided!”
The Z-A Royale App glowed for a moment, showing him the profile of his would be challenger. It was a young man named Jonathan. The winner of this would move up in rank, from Rank G to Rank F.
“Hm… Rotom, where’s the battlefield for this match?”
“Bzzt: The chosen battlefield for this promotion match will be in Magenta District: Basilique du Sacre Coeur. Shall I send a message to the organizers saying you accept?” The device asked. Jack nodded.
“Sure, I think I can battle this guy before heading back to Hotel Z.” Jack said. His ice blue Rotom Phone beeped thrice, sending the message out.
“Bzzt: You are all set, your promotion match is set for the next half hour. Shall I find the quickest route to Sacre Coeur?"
“Sure, pick a scenic route, please. I want to keep looking at Prism Tower while I walk.” Jack said, earning two beeps from his phone. It was going to be an interesting night, it seemed.
xxx
The walk to Sacre Coeur was a lot quieter the second time around. He had done a full loop around Centrico Plaza, delving through some of the back streets within Magenta District. He had briefly waved at a few passersby that he remembered, most from errands he had helped his cousin with. Others whom he recognized from Pokemon Battles. Climbing from Rank Z to Rank G had been a long time coming. Though he did wonder if “Le Z eternel” was still at the bottom of the totem pole in the rankings.
Reaching the bottom of the steps of the basilica, he spotted whom he assumed was his challenger. He looked like a businessman, dressed in a black suit and tie, polished shoes yet had a disheveled appearance. Long, black hair fell to his shoulders, and he had a thick, short beard covering his cheeks. He looked several years older than Jack. But in that regard, most were older. All seeking the same thing, the Wish granted to those that reached Rank A.
“So… you’re my opponent for today. The Ice Cold Trainer…? I’ve heard rumors about you. You don’t crack during battles, cold, calculating, direct. Still, you aren’t going to get past me.” Jonathan said, walking down the stairs that led up to the basilica.
“You think so? Because the way I see it, I’m already Rank F.” Jack said with a shrug, hand in his pocket. Jonathan chuckled, shaking his head.
“Arrogance gets you nowhere.”
“But skill does, and I’ve got truckloads of it.” he returned.
Their Rotom Phones flew out, bumping into each other as they connected. The beacon was sent out, causing nearby cameras to swing their way, holographic screens appearing all throughout the city. The Rotom Phones started speaking in unison, through the citywide PA system.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of Lumiose City! The Promotion Match between Rank G trainers, Jacob Black of Castelia City, and Jonathan Bourgeois will now begin! Each has the use of Three Pokemon and the battle is over when one side cannot continue the battle. With this we begin another Promotion Match! The winner of which will be brought to Rank F!”
Jack took a few steps back, Pokeball in hand, rolling his shoulders. “Go ahead, you first.” he said to Jonathan.
“Hah? So you can formulate a strategy against me? You go first.” the man spat. Jack rolled his eyes.
“Skadi, Forward March!” Jack called out, throwing the Beast Ball forward. It snapped open, and from it emerged a Flygon.
It wasn’t like a normal Flygon, this one was different. Its skin was a mix of ice white and blue, its neck being white, while its lower body and tail were a mix of deep ice blue and dark teal. Its tinted lenses were dark, violet in color, its claws icy white. Its wings resembled snowflakes, large, and glittering, the tip of its tail matched this, snaking around as it floated above the ground, a gorgeous, regional variant of the Mystic Pokemon.
Skadi cooed loudly, bowing her head in greeting, as she landed on the ground, the air around her suddenly growing cold. Jonathan looked taken aback, not expecting such an elegant Pokemon, and certainly not one that had been mentioned on the Z-A Royale Official Forums.
“Tch… we’re not gonna let this set us back. Alakazam, let’s go!” Jonathan called out, releasing his first Pokemon. The bipedal psychic type emerged from within, gripping its spoons tightly, looking warily at Skadi.
“Bzzt: Battle Begin!” the phones announced.
“Alakazam, Light Screen!” Jonathan cried out.
“Ala!” the psychic type called out, lifting up its spoons, forming a shimmering gold barrier around its body.
“Skadi, use Aqua Tail.” Jack said, in a neutral tone, hand in his pocket. Skadi spread her wings, snowflakes falling around her body as she took off into the air, zooming forward.
“Reflect, Alakazam! Hurry!” Jonathan called out. Alakazam lifted its spoons, but was too slow to react. Skadi somersaulted in mid air, slamming her tail into the Pokemon, the water swirling around it striking it dead on.
She planted her feet firmly on the ground, wings spread as she sprung forward, claws extended outward.
“Dragon Claw!”
“Flyyyy!” she cried, pulling her arm back, swiping the glowing green claw at the psychic type, making Alakazam howl in pain. The strong, dragon type physical attack did major damage, and with Alakazam failing to erect its Reflect, the attack fully hit.
“Tch. Get up, Alakazam, use Psyshock!”
“Kazam!” Alakazam cried, using its spoons to create large, psychic stones in mid air, launching them at Skadi, who easily dodged all of them. Skadi grabbed a hold of Alakazam, launching herself into the air with a powerful beat of her wings, a swirl of ice being left behind.
“Now Skadi, throw him down and use Draco Meteor!” Jack smoothly called out. The ice type flygon did, slamming her opponent down hard against the pavement. She shot into the air, her wings glowing brilliantly, a swirl of draconic energy forming in her belly.
“Flygon!” she howled, firing the attack high into the air. Jonathan could only watch as the meteor exploded, raining down on the battlefield, each one striking his weakened Pokemon. As the dust settled, Alakazam could be seen, clearly unconscious.
“Alakazam is unable to battle, the first match goes to Flygon!” the Rotom Phones called out. Skadi let out a cry, landing in front of her trainer, a smile on her face.
Jack smiled back, allowing his Pokemon to express her victory. It was as if he was a different person, the gentle look on his face as he cared for his Pokemon was completely different from before. Jonathan meanwhile growled, returning his fallen partner.
“Lucky shot.”
“If you say so.” Jack said with a shrug. He returned Skadi to her Pokeball, storing it for later. “You could have substituted, you know? That was an option.”
“Heh… why would I do that? I battle on set mode, my friend. Go big or go home. And we’re not going home today!” Jonathan said, releasing his next Pokemon, a towering Steelix. He leaned back, smirking. “I work all day in a stuffy office, this is the only time I get to cut loose. Never given in, never surrender. The one who’s going home is you, Yankee!”
Jack took a deep breath, ignoring the insult. He reached into his pocket for a Lure Ball, maximizing it in his hand. He gave it a nod before throwing it into the air. “Dante, Forward March!”
The Pokeball opened, releasing the monster within, a massive, towering Gyarados, towering high above Steelix. It was far larger than normal Gyarados, causing Steelix to back away slightly. Dante opened his mouth, letting out a roar so loud it echoed through Magenta District, causing Jonathan to look fearful. Steelix’s body glowed orange as Dante’s Intimidate kicked in, lowering its attack.
“Don’t let it shake you up, Steelix, you’re far stronger than that! Use Dig!” Jonathan cried.
“Steee!” the steel type growled, launching itself into the ground, digging beneath the ground. Jack quirked a brow, glancing at Dante who just stared back at him.
Jonathan had made a mistake, after all. Ground Type moves don’t affect Flying types like Dante. He rolled his shoulders, pointing to the hole the Steelix had made. “Hydro Pump, straight into the hole.”
“Gyaaaaahhh!” Dante growled, aiming its massive maws at the hole, firing the mother of all pressurized water beams into the hole, flooding Steelix out. The ground rumbled for a moment before Steelix was forced to emerge, howling in pain from the super effective attack.
“Now Dante, Hyper Beam!” Jack calmly said. Dante coiled up, maws opening as it channeled the power into his mouth, a swirl of power that coalesced into a ball of energy right in his mouth. With a roar, it exploded outward, the beam of swirling violet white energy struck Steelix point blank, sending it flying back.
It fell to the ground, the whole street shaking as the massive steel type was put out of commission by it. Dante stood by, unable to move after firing the strongest normal type attack known to man. But Steelix didn’t move.
“Steelix is unable to battle, Gyarados wins the second match!” the Rotom Phones called out. Jack smiled.
“Excellent work, Dante. Take a break, you deserve it.” Jack said, returning the Pokemon to its Pokeball, glancing at Jonathan who had done the same with Steelix. “You know, forfeiting is an option.”
“And give you the satisfaction? Absolutely not, I’ll beat you with this last Pokemon.” Jonathan said, reaching into his pocket for his last Pokeball. “Let’s go, Aggron!”
He threw the sphere outward, releasing the massive steel type to the field. Jack noticed the armband it was wearing, the glittering stone embedded into it. Jonathan smirked, pulling his tie out of his suit, showing off his tie pin, which held his tie in place.
“I happen to know you haven’t mastered Mega Evolution, even with that Key Stone on your glove. And that’s where we’ll beat you!” Jonathan said, tapping the Key Stone, which exploded with power. “Alright Aggron, let’s show this kid our bond. Mega Evolve!”
Jack shielded his eyes as Aggron started Mega Evolving, the golden strands of infinity energy connected, enveloping the steel type with the new power. Mega Aggron emerged, larger, covered in thick steel armor, the double helix swirled above it before fading. Aggron slammed its fists together, as if trying to intimidate Jack, but he wasn’t impressed.
He drew his last Pokeball, a Moon Ball, giving it a nod before throwing it up into the air. “Katara, Forward March!”
It snapped open, and from it emerged one of his strongest, a Samurott, but one that came from a different time. The shell armor on its head was dark with red accents, a large horn growing out of it. Its claws were a deep rich red, the armor swords on its forelegs matching the colors on its shell, its flat, triangular shaped tail was larger, with a longer fin at the top. This was not like a normal Samurott, this one was different.
“Saaam!” she cried out, facing off against Aggron, not at all startled by the Mega Evolved Pokemon.
“Now Aggron, Flash Cannon!’ Jonathan cried, not waiting for a second. Aggron opened its jaws, firing the swirling beam of steel-light at Katara, who dodged it with ease, leaping high into the air.
“Swords Dance!” Jack calmly returned. Katara reached for the blades on her arms, drawing them out to their full length, swirling with energy as she performed a seamless dance, boosting her attack power. “Follow it up with Ceaseless Edge!”
“Metal Claw, Aggron, don’t let it get close!” Jonathan called, urging the massive Pokemon forth. Aggron moved slowly, stomping the ground as its claws glowed brilliantly, something Katara took advantage of, dodging the attack.
She zoomed forward, crossing her blades together as she struck Aggron, pulling them apart, sending the hulking beast flying. Dark energy shot out of the blades, slamming into the steel type, causing it to scream in pain.
From each ball of energy that shot out, a layer of sharp spikes rained on the ground, making Aggron cry in pain as it tried to move, the spikes digging into its feet. Katara moved back, landing expertly on her hind legs, swords at the ready, smirking at Aggron, unbothered by its pain.
“Shrug it off, Aggron, I know you can do it, bud. Use Earthquake!” Jonathan cried out.
“Aagronnn!” the steel type cried, lifting its foot up, only to fail the Earthquake as a massive spike embedded itself in its foot, causing it to scream in pain, losing balance. Jack snapped his fingers.
“X-Scissor!” he called out. Faster than wind, Katara sprung forward, avoiding all of the spikes she had laid out, twin swords glowing as she crossed them again, delivering a powerful strike to Aggron’s undamaged leg.
The Mega Evolved Pokemon fumbled and fell to the ground, more spikes digging into it. Katara leaped into the air, sheathing her swords as she landed a few feet away. Jack got into a stance, performing some Tai-chi movements, which Katara mimicked to perfection. He pulled his arms back, hands hovering above each other.
“Now Katara! Hydro Cannon!” he commanded.
“Saaaaamurooottt!” Katara howled, the swirling ball of water in her claws sparkled for a moment before she brought her arms forth, the orb exploding into a massive, swirling jet of water. Aggron couldn’t react in time, taking the full brunt force of the impact right to the face.
The attack exploded on contact, rattling the ground for a moment as the excess water flowed into the sewer drains. Aggron’s body began glowing as its mega form broke, returning to normal, swirls in its eyes.
“Bzzt! Mega Aggron is unable to battle! Samurott is the victor. The winner of this promotion match is Jacob Black from Castelia City! Congratulations on your ascension!” the Rotom Phones called out in unison.
The screens across the city erupted with holographic confetti, showing Jack’s profile image, along with his G Ranking rising up to F. Jack collected his phone from mid air as it returned to his side, giving Katara a nod.
Jonathan sighed, returning his fallen Pokemon. “You are no joke, kid. You didn’t crack a single time, always calm, cool and collected. On your feet, calling move after move, it’s no wonder you made it to Rank G so fast… Rank F now, I should say,” he said.
“I used to be in the Borrius Elite Four, I’ve battled for as long as I can remember. My team is ready for anything. And yet, Mega Evolution seems to be the only thing we can’t master.” Jack said, shaking his head, holding his fist out, much like his cousin did. “Good match, Mega Aggron was fantastic in battle. Perhaps one day we can duke it out with Mega Pokemon only.”
“Heh… I’ll make sure to schedule some off time at work.” Jonathan said, bumping fists with Jack, giving him a nod. “Take care kid, I gotta run to Sushi High Roller and get some sushi for my wife, she’s probably laughing at my loss.”
“Eh… Don’t be so hard on yourself. Perhaps your wife will comfort you when you get home. Get your Pokemon healed at the Center, they worked hard for you. Until next time.” Jack said, walking past him, returning Katara to her Pokeball as he did so.
Jack glanced back at Sacre Coeur for a moment as he left, mentally making a note to come back and snap some pictures for his digital album. It was one of the places he had yet to visit. He adjusted his scarf, lips pressed into a thin-line.
“Alright, I’ll head to the Magenta District Pokemon Center, get Skadi, Dante and Katara checked out and head back to Hotel Z. It’s been a long day.” he thought to himself.
“Bonjour Jacko!”
“Gah!” Jack cried, jumping away at the familiar feminine voice. He growled, glaring at the young woman. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to do that to people?”
“Hehe… perhaps.”
He sighed. “What do you want, Iono? Come to pester me about your live streams again? I told you, I’m not vlogging.” Jack said.
Iono swept into the scene like a burst of neon light, her presence humming with the same electric buzz that saturated every livestream she hosted. Her twin pigtails, cotton-candy pink on one side, sea-foam blue on the other, bobbed with each animated step, the oversized Magnemite-shaped hair accessories glinting as though they were truly charged.
Her smile was wide, practiced yet undeniably genuine, the kind that could make a camera lens feel like a friend. Even off-air, she carried an aura of showmanship; it clung to her like the faint scent of ozone before a storm. Her eyes were bright and sharp, constantly darting about as if seeking the next angle, the next moment worth capturing, the next spark of excitement to feed her ever-hungry audience.
Iono didn’t just enter a space, she occupied it fully. Her voice, lively and sing-song, filled the air with the same rhythm as her streams, bouncing between playful sarcasm and an almost reckless enthusiasm. Yet beneath her high-energy persona, there was a perceptible flicker of sincerity. She cared, about her fans, her Pokemon, and the thrill of every battle she broadcasted. It was all part of the same current that ran through her, an unbroken line of confidence and charm.
She wasn’t just a Gym Leader. She was a phenomenon, a walking voltage spike, someone who could turn the most mundane moment into a spectacle simply by being present. And as she flashed a wink toward the nearest lens, even when no camera was around, you got the sense she was always performing, always connected to the world beyond the screen.
And there she was, standing in front of Jack, his personal thorn, a problem he had picked up in Paldea. That grin always carried with it two things, trouble, and livestreaming, usually going hand in hand.
“This isn’t about vlogging, silly. I just wanted to know why you avoided me all day, bro! Like, we agreed to travel together and be at each others battles! Yet here you are, sneaking around like an Ekans with a plump Ratatta, off to consume it by itself. You wound me. Truly.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t agree to you following me around like a baby Finneon. I do my battles alone with my Pokemon. Besides, what I do on my off time is none of your concern. I already told you, we aren’t doing the Z-A Royale together.” he said, walking past her, heading toward the nearby Pokemon Center.
“Help me out, Chat, how do I convince him to stop being a meanie-butthead?”
“Are you seriously streaming this?” Jack asked, glaring at her over his shoulder, noticing her pink and blue Rotom Phone hovering by her.
“Duh, it’s content. You know, I’ve been going around gathering challenger tokens for my own ticket. I’m about 2,000 away from earning mine. Then I’ll be able to move into Rank F alongside you. Isn’t that swell?”
“No, not really. It just makes me wonder why you’re stepping on my coattails."
“Oh, don’t be like that, sourpuss. You’re just scared I’ll make it to Rank A before you and take that wish!” Iono said, grinning. “Hehee… we can share it, you know? After all, I intend to use it on one thing, and that is to make you continue to travel with me!”
“You can’t force me. I only agreed to Lumiose, nowhere else.” he said, hands in his pockets. “I can’t think of something I’d want to do less.”
“Bah, you’ll get around to it.” Iono said, brushing him off as she looked back at her phone screen. “Alrighty, Chat! Ad break time! While you’re taking a tinkle and loading up on more Iono Zone, be sure to smash that like button, like and subscribe! I’m almost at 20 million subs! Come on! Help me beat Canari in subscribers, let her know that I’m the superior streamer!”
“Chat, I’ll give you 50 gifted subs right now for you to sub to Canari. Dead ass.” Jack said, staring at her phone.
“What? No! Don’t do that! Bro I’m like 15,000 away from 20 million!”
“And I plan to slow you down as much as possible.”
“Muuuu… you’re no fun.” she said, genuinely hurt. “Are you seriously going to pay fans to sub to Canari?”
He sighed. “No… I’m sorry, okay? I’ve just had a long day.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“No.” he said, reaching the Pokemon Center. “Bonsoir, Mademoiselle, could you heal my Pokemon please?” he said, greeting the nurse.
“Of course, Jack. Hand them over and I’ll get them back to you in a jiffy.” The active nurse, a friend of Jack’s, happily said. He handed her the three Pokeballs, which she took into her hands. “Congrats on ranking up by the way, you’re one of the fastest trainers to go from Z to F in such a short period of time. It’s impressive, really!”
“Thanks, I’m just a natural born battler, I guess. But I’m only half of my team, my Pokemon are the ones who deserve the praise. They’re the ones battling for me.” he said, smiling a bit. “They deserve a long rest.”
“I’ll make sure they’re in top shape for their next battle. Take a seat for me, I’ll be right back.” the nurse said, gesturing to the bench near the counter. He sat on the edge of it, with Iono taking the other side.
“You know, Jack, you can talk to me if you’re stressed. I know what it’s like, having a lot of things on my plate and all.” Iono said, becoming serious as she spoke. “Sure, I’m the Levincia Gym Leader and all, and I have a lot of streaming commitments, but I’m still human at the end. I don’t pretend to know what you’re dealing with but… I wanna be a good friend, you know? Extend the Arboliva branch as they say.”
“I’d rather keep to myself, Iono. Last time I opened up, well… I’d rather not say,” Jack admitted, leaning forward in his seat, elbows on his knees. He looked out of the open Pokemon Center, toward Centrico Plaza, staring at the glow of Lumiose City’s most beautiful building. Iono followed his gaze, smiling a bit.
“Would be nice to go up to the Observatory… Makes you wonder what repair work they’re doing to it. Maybe it’s just maintenance?”
Jack remained silent, knowing the truth of what was inside the tower. “Yeah, maintenance,” he said. Shaking his head, he leaned back in his seat. “You know, I still don’t know why you wanted to come here.”
“What? But I told you this last week. Were you not paying attention?”
“Taunie’s abomination curry croissant thing kept me distracted. It was delicious. Sorry.” he said, clearly not sorry. Iono pursed her lips, glaring at him.
“Fine, allow me to regale you with the tale of the awesomeness that is Iono!” she said, clearing her throat. “It began several months ago, in the fairest city of all of Paldea, Levincia.”
“Isn’t Mezagoza the fairest city in Paldea?”
“Shut.” she hissed, making him chuckle.