The elevator door shuts behind Steven with a near-silent click as he steps into his floor-spanning office in Ever Grande City. With his mind abuzz, he barely notices sitting down behind his desk. The Champion is only pulled from his musings when something icy and alien touches his brain.

'Your thoughts are in disarray, Steven. Are you well?'

Steven blinks and sits up straight. Inside his jacket, where a number of magnetic pokeball clamps are sewn, Metagross' ball begins to grow warm, like a machine humming into high gear. 'I'm fine, Meta. Just thinking is all. How are you feeling?'

The instant the thought hits Metagross, Steven feels the lightning-fast reply come.

'Teleportation from Lavaridge to Ever Grande utilized six-point-four-five percent of my total stamina reserves,' Metagross rattles off mechanically. 'Supplementation of the Lavaridge arena barrier utilized eight-point-seven-one percent of my total stamina reserves. At this time my reserves have recovered to ninety four-point-eight-two percent and rising. I am able and ready.'

Steven can't help but smile to himself. 'No need to be so clinical. You could say 'I'm fine.'

''I'm fine' relays nothing of substantial value,' Metagross sends back.

The Champion and Devon heir doesn't argue, knowing it's a lost cause with his stubborn ace. Instead, he logs into his computer and clicks his tongue at the number of emails in his inbox. 'How was that eight percent divided between Ninetales and Ty?'

Metagross takes only a second to answer, but Steven is well aware that a second to Metagross is an eternity to anyone else. Just one idle thought from the Steel-type would burn out a modern computer from the sheer processing power needed. 'Between combatants Ninetales and Typhlosion, my barrier absorbed a comparable amount of force between their attacks. Of the eight-point-seven-one percent stamina utilized, Combatant Ninetales's Flamethrower required four-point-six percent of the aforementioned total.'

Steven lets out a breath. 'Not a bad figure… Not a bad figure at all.'

With a drag of his cursor and the typing of a long, nonsensical password, Steven opens up a hidden network path on his computer, one home to a number of off-record servers under the Hoenn Pokémon League HQ.

Once inside, he opens up a folder labeled Archive19xx0101_JohtoKanto. Inside are a number of subfolders, and any history buff would pale upon seeing the names of each folder.

Each folder is named for a battle fought in the Kanto-Johto skirmishes.

Pokemon battling is the world's most profitable sport, the go-to method for dispute resolution, and is a general way of life for many; at the dawn of the information age, every regional Pokemon League had very quickly agreed on one thing:

War footage should not be spread for fun.

Any unapproved graphic media that could damage the delicate relationship between pokemon, pokemon trainers, and the common person had been deemed unacceptable, and to this day, a small army of technicians and a legion of Porygon work to scrub the internet of any content the League deems uncivilized. The resilience and stubbornness of the internet cannot be understated, but the underbelly of the web, away from normal people and the scrutiny of the League, is the only place where such footage of death and carnage can survive.

Some people cry foul at the censorship, and in a way, Steven understands, but at the same time…

Steven's cursor hovers over a folder, one labeled 19xx1023MtSilverRout_WildfireIncident.

He dares not open it a second time.

…There's a unique horror to seeing a pokemon, then the trainer behind him fall, both never to rise again. It's vile; wrong.

Moore and Ty's might were a pillar for Johto those twenty-odd years ago, legends who stood side by side with trainers from Clan Blackthorn, Clan Hayato, and Johto Gym Leader Pryce—who is still regarded as one of the best Ice-type trainers to have ever lived.

Moore and his Typhlosion were past their prime even then, but they commanded a terrible presence on the battlefield. Where they went, Kanto's forces burned. Kanto's civil army, staffed by regular people wielding small arms, refused to march anywhere that Moore and Ty might be.

Ty was finally disabled and retired from the conflict after being impaled through the chest by the Horn Drill of a Rhydon belonging to one Giovanni of Kanto. Pryce would be forced into open retreat by Kanto's Samuel Oak a week later. When the Blackthorn Clan Head fell in an ambush, the clan of dragon tamers was left leaderless. As tragedy and misfortune piled up and their allies proved reluctant to assist, Johto's morale collapsed. The war came to a close with Johto's surrender only weeks later.

Moore returned to Hoenn bitter and defeated. Only his decades of service and the potential for public backlash had kept the League from expelling him for abandoning his post as an Elite Four member to fight in the most unpopular war in history; the black mark that branded his file still stands to this day.

Nearly forty thousand souls went to meet Arceus in those five months, marking it as one of the most deadly conflicts in modern history, and the then-primitive internet gave everyone a front-row seat to the devastation.

Steven logs out of the server and steeples his fingers on his desk.

Even with age and old wounds slowing him down, Ty was still a monster of a pokemon who went undefeated for years—until today. It seems almost surreal that he was bested.

'As I stated previously,' Metagross begins, interrupting Steven's thoughts. 'Due to advances in medical and communication technology, along with greater availability of education for trainers, it is a near certainty that subsequent generations will surpass their forebears.' The supercomputer of a pokemon doesn't seem impressed with either Ty or Ninetales, or at least that's how Steven sees it. Metagross' more esoteric emotions are still a mystery to the Champion even after nearly two decades together. 'Your first meeting today is scheduled to begin in two minutes, fifteen seconds.'

'Ah, right. Thank you, friend.' Steven clicks his tongue and opens his calendar, seeing the two meetings he has set for today. One is the usual, however-often meeting the Gym Leaders and Elite Four attend whenever everyone manages to find a free hour, and the one before that is one Steven scheduled on his phone before leaving Lavaridge.

Emergency Disciplinary Hearing - 3:45 P.M.

Turning on his camera and his microphone, Steven enters the meeting and schools his face into well-practiced diplomatic neutrality. Less than two minutes later, his computer beeps and Mura Moore's face appears on the screen. The old man looks entirely too content for being called into a meeting such as this. Behind the elderly Gym Leader is a darkened meeting room with no one else present.

"Mura…" Steven begins. Even after being on the throne of Hoenn's champion for several years, it still feels a little odd to the Devon heir that he ranks above decorated veterans such as the man before him. "Do you know why I scheduled this meeting?"

"Because you wanted to escape the curious mob that was dying to know what you and Lee talked about in that private sitting room?" Moore jokes with a hearty laugh. "Goodness me, your fans are going to have a heyday with that one. What do the girls call it? Yeow-y? I admit I'm rather curious myself. What was so important that that Lee boy had to talk to you in person?"

Steven doesn't humor the joke. "Don't worry about that discussion. I called you here to discuss the dangerous stunt at the end of your match with Lee Henson," the champion's eyes narrow. "Moore, as Gym Leader, it's your duty to ensure the health and safety of everyone who steps foot into your Gym. You know the strength of your own pokemon better than anyone, and you knew that the average league-trained Psychic-type would not be enough to contain the after-effects of a Hyper Beam. If the second barrier had failed, we could've had dozens of injuries and possibly even deaths on our hands. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Moore's expression doesn't shift. "I recognize that maybe I went a little overkill at the end there, but I don't think you understand, Steven; I needed to let Ty have one last clash! One more moment to relive the good old days before Dialga's wake forced him to fade into the twilight! Maybe you didn't see it, but I did! When Ty was staring down Ninetales, I saw decades lift off of his shoulders! I saw the Ty from before I let him stagnate!" Moore's voice rises until the Gym Leader stands up in an emotional crescendo. All at once, the energy seems to drain out of the Fire-type master, forcing him to sit back down heavily.

"I betrayed him, Steven…" Moore whispers, head bowed. "I let him sit and languish, afraid of the pokemon I raised from boyhood. I went to defend my ancestral home, and what did I get in return? Years of scorn for participating and the phantom sense of blood on my fingers. Ty created so many widows, widowers, and orphans all those years ago, all of them at my order. I let him get old and fall from the Elite because I feared him, my first pokemon! I needed to give him this, Steven, I needed to show him I learned to trust him again before he dies…" Moore removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose with a deep, shuddering sigh. "Not once did he protest. Weeks, months, years at a time spent idle, growing older and weaker. Not once did my partner question me, so absolute was his trust."

Taking a deep breath and holding it, Steven counts to ten and exhales slowly, hating how he always feels like the bad guy in exchanges like this. "I understand there was an emotional stake in this particular match, Mura," he begins calmly. "Due diligence… still wasn't performed, though, and that is my primary concern here. If Metagross hadn't stepped in, there was a very real chance of the second barrier failing. I think you already know the implications of such an event upon yourself, but Flannery would have been caught up in the scandal as well."

Moore says nothing, but from how his shoulders slump further, the point obviously gets across. "She had no part in this. Taking over the match was entirely my decision."

"That may be, but the Lavaridge Gym is the oldest and arguably the most respected Gym in Hoenn. Flannery would have inherited a Gym with a tarnished reputation if the worst had come to pass. People don't forget things like that nowadays." Steven leans back in his chair, remaining stern. "It's still conduct not befitting of a Gym Leader either way."

Moore says nothing in his defense.

"Since no harm was done and you're already planning to retire, I won't be filing an official reprimand, and if the chairman or the board of directors asks, I will say the matter is already resolved." Steven's conscience finally forces him to relent. "...How are your pokemon doing?"

Moore raises his head and replaces his glasses, doing so with an exhausted sigh. "Rapidash has a broken fetlock on his right foreleg and severed tendons on his left. He'll be down for a week or so with another week of limping after that, but he's expected to make a full recovery. Arcanine will be back home in a few days, though he won't be smelling or tasting much for a few weeks. Ty…" Moore smiles, both content and melancholic. "The Pokemon Center gave me an official notice that his days as a battler are over."

Steven struggles not to shift in his seat. "Will he…?"

"Ty will live, of course," Moore finally laughs once more, his spirit returning. "That fight forced him to use everything he had and aggravated a lot of his old wounds. That's not to say Ty can't roughhouse with his kids or send a whelp packing, but his retirement is official now. The average Typhlosion only lives to be sixty-some, and Ty is already pushing seventy. We're a regular pair of old coots now!"

Steven finally allows himself to smile. "I'm glad to hear everything will work out."

Moore laughs once more. "You're a good kid, Steven. I can't think of anyone better to be champ!" The Fire Master composes himself and clears his throat, bumping his table with his elbow and shaking the camera a bit. "Now, onto the big meeting, right? I'll see you there." With that, Moore drops out of the call.

With a tired groan, the Champion leans further back into his comfortable leather chair, grumbling to himself. After spending a minute mustering the willpower to compose himself, he sits back up and clicks 'join' on the next meeting link after turning off his camera.

Ding!

After buffering for a moment, the computer screen fills up with the names of all of the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.

"Well well, the champ himself is late," Sidney's icon lights up, and Steven can already imagine the man's sneer. "What took ya?"

Glancing at the corner of his screen, Steven rolls his eyes when he sees he's only a single minute late. "Sorry, Sidney. I was organizing some news that I'll be sharing." Steven's retort is as diplomatic as he can make it. "Does anyone have any important news they'd like to share before we move on to the state of the league this year?"

There are murmurs, and after a moment, Roxanne takes the lead like she usually does. "Devon Corp suffered a break-in here in Rustboro several weeks ago, as I'm sure you've all heard," The academic woman's frown can almost be heard in her voice. "I worked with the local police and Devon to try and determine who the thief was and what the possible motive might have been. A Devon representative revealed to me that the thief was after a gene sequencer intended to clone pokemon from fossils."

"Clone pokemon from fossils?" Wattson asks with an amazed whistle. "Didn't that lab in Kanto land in hot water over the ethical ramifications of cloning some years back?"

"The Cinnabar Island Laboratory in Kanto pioneered the technology and faced rather severe backlash for it, yes," Roxanne confirms. "But Devon has begun prototyping their own gene sequencer. As per the representative who shared the details with me, I must request that this information does not leave this circle."

"If this tech is so new, it must have been top-secret…" Phoebe, the Elite Four's Ghost-type Master hums. "How did the thief know?"

Roxanne pauses, likely to collect her thoughts. "After setting up a sting operation with the Rustboro Police Department, we captured another thief and interrogated him. He refused to reveal much, how he acquired the information on the gene sequencer included. After several fruitless days, all we ascertained is that he is loyal to the eco-activist group called Aqua."

"Those bozos again?" Wattson grunts. "I heard they've been sniffing around the Slateport sub docks, too, and someone busted them before they broke into a dock holding some state-of-the-art submarine."

"Their thugs have been seen around Lilycove as well, according to my darling niece," Wallace chimes in. The Water Gym Leader might sound as he usually does to everyone else, but years of being best friends have keyed Steven into the dangerous lilt in Wallace's tone. "How curious…"

"The thief refused to cooperate for a lighter sentence and was jailed with a heavy bail amount. The bail was paid… then the thief never showed up to his court date. He's assumed to remain at large," Roxanne clicks her tongue.

Steven takes that time to unmute himself. "Thank you for the update, Roxanne," he says kindly. "That actually ties into my news as well. Does anyone mind if I take the floor for a moment?" After a round of negatives, Steven clears his throat. "A source I've deemed to be reliable has tipped me off that the eco-activist groups Aqua and Magma might be a greater danger than suspected, suggesting that their current street-gang level crimes and environmental activism are fronts for something much more sinister. The source suggests that both gangs have deep pockets, friends in high places, a slew of Elite trainers and pokemon to call upon, and goals that might result in the loss of lives or even the destabilization of Hoenn." The Champion hardens his voice. "This is an unofficial notice for all Gym Leaders and Elite Four: confirmed members of Magma and Aqua are now considered persons of interest to the Hoenn region. Suspected members are to be tracked and may be detained for questioning with probable cause. An official notice in writing will be sent to you after the Hoenn League Department of Justice finishes its final drafts. I am warning you in advance as I believe that this is a matter that shouldn't wait. Depending on the results of further investigations, Magma and Aqua may be elevated in status from simple eco-activists to domestic terrorists."

Stunned silence is the answer to Steven's announcement. Really, he can't blame them. If he didn't get the news right from the Ponyta's mouth, he wouldn't really believe it either.

"That's quite a warning…" Steven murmurs, resting his chin in his steepled fingers. 'Metagross?'

From within his ball, Metagross is silent for almost five full seconds, long enough for a living supercomputer like himself to simulate a rocket launch, one so detailed it would go all the way down to the specks of dirt displaced by the engines. '...After a thorough analysis of Henson's brain waves during questioning, including a recursive analysis of the results, I have found no evidence of falsehood or deception. He believes what he is saying.'

Steven raises his eyes back to Lee Henson's face.

Blue, impassive eyes, one framed by ghastly burns, stare back. "I'm aware it might be… hard to swallow," Lee says with a nod. "And I'm sorry that I cannot reveal the source of my information for safety reasons, but I hope Metagross' verification of my word is enough."

Steven isn't really sure where to begin with this. Plans to awaken ancient pokemon? Moving landmasses and oceans? Schemes upon schemes upon schemes? It almost seems like something out of a fantasy novel. Henson seemingly couldn't stress how dangerous both groups were enough, going as far as to give detailed accounts of key members—one of which he and his dragon tamer friend are traveling with to pump for info—and their capabilities. To make things worse, Henson declined to cite where exactly he got all of this information, saying that revealing his source would put him in danger.

When Henson said that leaders of both organizations are capable of Mega Evolution, Steven felt his brain short-circuit for a moment. Absolutely no one outside of the highest tiers of upper echelon trainers and classified circles in academia should even know what Mega Evolution is. And yet, Henson looked right at the keystone pinned to Steven's breast pocket when he said it. The conclusion was inescapable:

He knows.

Did his Draconid friend tell him? No, never. The Draconids are as stubborn as the Dragons they stand beside. Not a single one would dare breathe a word of their sacred technique to an outsider. During Steven's visits to Meteor Falls in the far north of Hoenn, not one Draconid has ever agreed to part with any information related to Mega Evolution, no matter the reward offered, and so the phenomena still remains mostly a mystery.

Were Henson anyone else, Steven might have invoked his powers as Champion and declared this whole fiasco to be a national concern, letting Metagross mentally probe the other trainer without fear of legal repercussion. He had stopped himself short, though. The possibility of Henson realizing something is amiss mid-probe is just too high. Alienating the Hoenn Regional Laboratory, the Birch family, a Draconid, and angering a Ninetales on top of a cadre of other powerful pokemon is courting disaster, even for a regional champion.

So here he is, in the awkward situation of being told about national threats not from an official source, but from a trainer vetted only by Metagross…

"It's obvious that you're very well-informed, Lee…" Steven lets the statement hang, hoping Lee will provide more info of his own accord. When Steven gets no such thing, he continues. "However, my ability to act is limited by your refusal to disclose exactly where you're getting your information. If someone is threatening you to keep quiet, I would be happy to provide official League protection from any persecution or retaliation."

The unmarred side of the other trainer's face frowns. "Thank you for the consideration, but I'm afraid I still have to decline." Henson seems to consider something as he taps a finger on the meeting room table. "Champion Stone, have you ever heard of Ash Ketchum?"

"I've heard his name pop up here and there, yes. He's competing in the Ever Grande Conference this year, I believe," Steven raises an eyebrow. "Why ask?"

"Have you been following his…" Lee pauses, rolling a raised hand as he searches for a word. "More 'extravagant' adventures?"

Extravagant? "I don't know what you mean?"

Lee hums, staring hard at the champion. "That confirms a few things for me. I know the various Leagues keep files on different trainers, so look up Ash Ketchum when you get a chance. I think my warnings about Groudon and Kyogre will make more sense after that. Legendary pokemon, as in Legendary with a capital L, are more real than you think. Worse is that Magma and Aqua know that, too." Lee smiles, and it's a grim thing that forces a frown onto Steven's face. "After all, is there anything more tempting to a psycho with men and money to spare than Godly power?"

What Steven found in Ash Ketchum's files, or rather what he didn't find, spoke volumes. Even with his credentials as a Champion, the logs regarding the Kanto-born trainer were filled with black ink. A lot of black ink. Even the dates were redacted. It took a brainstorming session with Metagross doing the heavy lifting to build a rough timeline of all of the censored files, and each one lines up with strange happenings and legendary pokemon hearsay in Kanto and Johto. He sent an inquiry to Kanto's chairman for more information, and his email bounced back.

Someone is going to a lot of trouble to ensure Ash Ketchum and his friends remain unmolested in their travels, but it highlights Lee's warnings clearly.

Legendary pokemon, as in Legendary with a capital L, are more real than you think.

Is there anything more tempting to a psycho with men and money to spare than Godly power?

With little else to do and honestly feeling a bit out of his depth, the Devon heir decided to trust in the warnings as they were presented to him… and to begin his own investigation into the mystery that is Lee Henson.

"Well…" Norman Maple of Petalburg begins unsurely, drawing the Champion's focus back to the present. "Sure thing, Steven. We'll keep an eye out."

"Steven, dear," Glacia of the Elite Four begins to object, "How was this source verified?"

"By Metagross." With that, any other protests wither on the vine. Steven clears his throat. "I apologize if I unintentionally made the atmosphere awkward. Is there anything else, before we move on to lighter topics?"

After a round of negative murmurs, the Champion leads the group into the next topic. "Has anyone had any interesting challengers? We've had a record number of registrations for the Ever Grande Conference this year, so I imagine everyone's schedule is packed."

"Several," Roxanne begins, her cool voice restoring an air of normality to the meeting. "One Gavin Freed, a Fighting-type specialist, visited me. Due to the threat he presented, I met him with my personal Graveler and Nosepass. He did well, securing a sure, if narrow win, despite Nosepass paralyzing his Machoke early in the bout. My other opponent was a rather sour boy, maybe seventeen years of age, named Andre." Roxanne huffs. "I underestimated him at first, which proved to be a mistake as his Mightyena's Ice Fang incapacitated my loaner Geodude in one strike. Nosepass fared better, defeating Mightyena, but lost against his Absol. That Absol was quite adept at avoiding harm." The Rustboro Gym Leader sighs. "His pokemon were powerful and his tactics without needless fluff, but the boy could do with an attitude adjustment. The gloating before and after the battle was entirely unseemly."

Brawly groans. "That kid… Don't worry too much about Andre, Rox," Brawly says. "He was my last real challenger, too. The kid is a Dark-type specialist and has been throwing himself against me for years, finally winning narrowly a month ago. He's got a case of asshole-syndrome and some sort of victim complex that I'm hoping calms down now that he's left Dewford," the surfer grumbles. "In other news, I battled this kid, Ash. I beat him the first time, but he had his Nuzleaf pull a pretty clever trick in the rematch by attacking Hariyama's legs. With Hari slowed down, Nuzleaf took the win." He chuckles. "I'm going to battle the Gavin guy you mentioned tomorrow, but I haven't really faced anyone else of note."

"My turn then?" Wattson goes next. "I've got four this time around. Brendan Birch, Lee Henson, Tyson Rhyn, and Ash Ketchum. Hoho, Brendan really is his father's son!" The old Electric-type specialist laughs. "Baited me good! His Breloom smacked one of my poor Magneton silly with Counter, and his Marshtomp went toe-to-toe with Manectric for a fantastic finish! He was really cooking my brain there with his moves all planned out and such!" Wattson's chuckles ease. "Lee Henson… Hrm, I hope I didn't make a bad impression on him. He came into the match distracted and was right peeved when I had to pull out the old Agility-to-Baton Pass to save Jolteon and knock out his Grovyle. All the speed in the world couldn't save us from his Vulpix, though." The sound of Wattson scratching his beard can be heard through the microphone. "Sure as the sun rises, she went on the attack and everything she threw out curved and swerved like an angry Beedrill with barely any warning. Magneton and Joltie both went down, and that was that. Tyson and Ash…" Wattson hesitates. "I'm not sure what happened in those matches. Tyson was a terror and a half. I remember sending him packing three or so years ago, and by golly, he and all of his pokemon must've had their noses to the grindstone the entire time because his Donphan tore through my Jolteon and Electabuzz. We could barely do anything. It was the same story with the Ketchum boy and his Pikachu, only worse. With one attack for each, Pikachu downed both Manectric and Magneton."

A ripple of murmurs flows through the assembled Elites and Gym Leaders, and after a second, a sigh comes from Sidney. "Someone want to put it on screen sometime today, maybe?"

Reluctant keystrokes can be heard through Wattson's mic, then the videos of each fight begin to play.

Ash's battle is just as Wattson said: the boy's Pikachu throws utterly enormous thunderbolts at Wattson's pokemon, so bright they almost overwhelm the cameras. With just two attacks that rattle the windows, the battle is over, leaving a shocked silence behind.

"Arceus above…" Winona mutters.

Tyson's is almost worse. The Donphan the young man used is brutal. The instant Jolteon makes the mistake of coming too close, Donphan seizes her hind leg in his trunk with devilish speed before he breaks the limb like a dry twig. Before Jolteon can cry out, she's raised high, slammed upon the ground, and then crushed beneath Donphan's foot as Tyson calls for an Earthquake that shakes the entire building. Electabuzz is dealt with in a similar, nauseating manner.

"I battled Tyson two days ago…" Norman breaks the usual order to chime in grimly. "I used Spinda against his Hariyama and paid for it. Spinda went down in a single blow. Slaking managed a win against Hariyama after sustaining a few injuries, but…" A sound similar to grinding teeth can be heard for a moment over Norman's mic. "Slaking was treated like a toy by Tyson's Metagross."

There are several sharp inhalations when they hear another of the near-legendary Metagross is in the hands of a trainer other than the Champion, and it takes Steven a moment to realize one of them came from himself.

"We lost, and last I heard, he was headed to Rustboro and then Dewford," Norman finishes, clearly warning Roxanne and Brawly. "Other than that, I defeated a talented Grass trainer named Valorie who is set for a rematch in about a week. I'm not sure I can win a second time."

"It seems like Miss Forrest is moving quickly…" Winona says quietly. "To my shame, I underestimated Valorie Forrest and suffered a loss at her hands. Her Venusaur is quite a powerful pokemon with an impressively diverse array of techniques."

"No one too strong has crossed our paths yet…" Liza of Mossdeep speaks for herself and her twin brother, Tate.

Wallace hums under his breath. "Mister Clark White and I clashed a few weeks ago. He has quite a polished nonverbal style to conduct his pokemon with, quite literally I might add! I've never seen someone use an orchestra conductor's baton to direct pokemon as he does, and it was a delightful showing. Alas, the power of his pokemon left something to be desired, as he struggled greatly for his win against my weaker pokemon even when he left me guessing as to what he would do next." After a moment, Wallace speaks again. "Mura, you've been silent so far. Have any interesting trainers crossed swords with you recently?"

'Oh Wallace, you don't know the half of it.' Steven thinks to himself.

Moore chuckles. It's a quiet, worrying sound, and it tells Steven that the Johto noble theatrics are going to come out. "Indeed. Today, I battled Lee Henson in a three-on-three match. It was quite something."

Drake, the strongest of the elite four, finally speaks. "You mean your granddaughter battled Henson."

"No no, I know what I said," Moore's tone is all smiles. "Today, I pitted my Rapidash, Arcanine, and Ty against Lee's Grovyle, Octillery, and Ninetales. We lost."

Even with the meeting relegated to audio-only and despite it being no surprise to himself, Steven can still feel the tension ratchet up. First the revelation that a Metagross is in the hands of a challenger, and now a Ninetales?

Without needing someone to complain, Moore taps a few keys on his end. "C'mon… I know Flannery put the video somewhere… Aha!"

Moore starts the recording of the fight for everyone to watch.

The first is Lee's Grovyle against Rapidash, and already Steven can tell everyone's eyes are glued to the screen. Reviewing the match from this new perspective, Steven watches as the Grass-type dips and dives with impressive midair control, avoiding what should have been nigh undodgeable attacks. Then, when Rapidash suddenly changes the spray of his Flamethrower and sears large, ugly patches of skin right off of Grovyle, there is a gasp here and there. The brutally pragmatic disabling of Rapidash draws hisses from more than one person.

Octillery versus Arcanine is less thrilling, but no less wince-inducing. Octillery's resolve to keep battling with his entire side torn open is admirable, but the Gunk Shot directly into Arcanine's mouth and its horrifying effects flip any positive sentiment right around. After Arcanine's unexpected Facade finishes off Octillery, Arcanine is left a panting, wheezing mess, with red still weeping from his gums.

Finally, Ninetales makes her appearance.

"Challenger Lee! Please select your final pokemon!" The referee calls.

The applause goes quiet at the announcement as nervous anticipation seems to fill the entire arena. All eyes are on Lee - everyone knows who his selection is going to be.

Lee takes Ninetales' ball and enlarges it. With a deep breath, he steadies himself, draws his arm back, and throws the ball into the arena.

The ball splits open, and out comes Ninetales.

The great fox lands in a crouch, then slowly stands, unfurling each one of her tails as she does so. Once at her full height, she snaps her red eyes open and imperiously stares down Arcanine with open, burning hostility.

The fox cuts a hauntingly beautiful figure, one that glows radiant gold in the intense sunshine streaming through the windows. Even through a computer screen, the weight of her presence is undiminished.

Ninetales' eyes glow, and everyone is treated to a front-row seat as Moore's Arcanine is dismantled without being touched.

When Ty, in all of his scarred glory, is finally called upon, no one makes a sound as the pair of Fire pokemon clash, ending with a Flamethrower versus Hyper Beam struggle. The resulting explosion is one that rocks the Gym so violently that the cameraman tumbles to the ground, ending the video with a loud crack and an 'OFFLINE' error message.

"Madam Ninetales was the final send-off Ty needed…" Moore sighs contentedly. "I feel the storm brewing over Hoenn. This year's crop of trainers…" Moore laughs, loud and clear, "will be unforgettable!"

Silence consumes the meeting for the next minute as mute testament to the calculation being undertaken by every other participant.

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Topic: Official Lee Henson MegathreadThreadmark #1: Lee wins 4th badge at LavaridgeIn: Boards ► Hoenn ► Indiv Trainers ► Lee Henson►DannyDarkoPosted On July 20th 20XX:

Well I almost died but I'm pretty happy about it ngl. I nabbed a ticket to see Lee's battle live at Lavaridge and flew in on my pal Fearow to see if he lives up to the hype. I definitely got my money's worth. I got most of the battle on my phone and I'll post that alongside the rip of the TV broadcast. Summary for anyone who cant watch rn below:

So this was supposed to be Flannery vs Lee because she's been fielding all the battles in Lavaridge for like the last month and some change and filtering the casuals pretty well, but Mura Moore walks in at the last minute and yoinks the match away from his granddaughter. I asked the guy next to me what was going on and he kind of shrugged.

They start the match and Mura sends out his personal Rapidash. Like a Rapidash to fight Lee's Grovyle. I'm sitting there like "Wtf how is this fair." Then Grovyle pulled out some insane 3D moves, shot Rapidash in the shoulder with a move I've never heard of and got first blood, then somehow tanks a Flamethrower to hamstring Rapidash and win the fight. (Look I know I'm bad at describing fights just watch the videos. Grovyle's fight was good.)

Grovyle gets retired, and Octillery comes out next to fight Mura's Arcanine (This fuckin guy sent out an Arcanine in a gym match). Octillery gets blitzed by Arcanine and loses, but not before he does Arcanine dirty and hits him in the mouth with Gunk Shot. Arcanine is choking, bleeding, and throwing up, and finally things even up when Lee sends out Ninetales.

Arcanine stood no chance and gets folded like wet cardboard without being touched. L.

I can't even put the Ninetales v Typhlosion fight into words cuz running out of post space and I can't do it justice anyway. Just watch. Mura keeps going on and on about how his pokemon aren't elite-tier anymore and it shows but fuck me they ain't slouches either man cool it

Edit: Thanks for threadmark mods

#TVRip Lavaridge gym Lee Henson versus Mura Moore (Link)#LHvMM (Link)

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►KazuoKandyReplied On July 20th 20XX:This thread is clearing 150 pages by tomorrow. Screenshot this post.

►LowKeyBadAtBattlingReplied On July 20th 20XX:Type specialists on suicide watch. Variety team wins again. Go look at the stats and seethe at how the top 1% of trainers almost all use variety teams.

►J_Augger (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:DannyDarko The fuck you mean you almost died you're skipping over an important part.

►OakNuggins (Banned)Replied On July 20th 20XX:[Deleted]

►RunThatBack (Mod)Replied On July 20th 20XX:OakNuggins3rd strike for advertising in viral threads. You're gone.

►K_Markus (PKMN Ranger)Replied On July 20th 20XX:…Was Steven Stone in the crowd? I swear I saw Steven Stone.

►#1solrockReplied On July 20th 20XX:Ok. I know everyone is absolutely freaking out about Ninetales, but I'd like to talk about grovyle for a moment. Go back and watch (Timecode here) where Rapidash is using flamethrower and grovyle flickers around it in midair! That's crazy! How fast is that pokemon? Can he fly?

►CarbinkBoiReplied On July 20th 20XX:77Ok, what the hell is he feeding his pokemon, and where can I get some?

►Aegi_ (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Maybe I should start betting on these matches? Henson for the title vibes anyone? Hoenn's heating up this conference!

►WirelessGrasp (Psychic Type Specialist)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Where did that second shield come from? The gym Kadabra's shield broke on that last attack, and there was a little bit of a shout at the end…did someone say Metagross?!

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►FeFiFoFumReplied On July 20th 20XX:Anyone else take a look at the crowd in the video? I thought I saw Steven Stone of all people there. Can someone who was actually there confirm that?EDIT: WirelessGrasp if the Champion was there, then that must have been his

►GreenPhoenix (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Why is no one talking about how Ninetales countered HYPER BEAM with flamethrower? HYPER BEAM! Sure she took some damage, but so did Ty! She is going to be a monster by time she reaches the Ever Grande tournament!Edit: Spelling. I make that mistake every time.

►F_AulmaisReplied On July 20th 20XX:Told y'all Henson would be giving Ketchum a run for his money. This shit is wild. Next thing you know he'll be going head-to-head with a goddamn Moltres or something.

►FlamingTress (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:WTF is the madlad doing to those pokemon?! Flamethrower matching a HYPERBEAM!?What the hell is next?! Hyperbeams that track their targets? Baby Shinx using Hydro Pump? Grass that cuts through boulders?

►TipsNTypesReplied On July 20th 20XX:You all are sleeping on Octillery. This must be Henson's new acquisition to his battle team. They couldn't have been together for more than a week right? And he held his own on Moore's Personal Arcanine? Octillery has massive type spread in their movesets. Can you imagine what Henson can do with a couple months of training with him? We've already seen some custom moves come out from the rest of his team. The move variety could be endless!

►TipsNTypesReplied On July 20th 20XX:Octillery got mentioned in the last thread update, hadn't been seen before Lee passed through the Valley of Steel. I don't know of any major bodies of water there though, and Lavaridge is about as far inland as you can get in Hoenn? Maybe Lee got him at the beach and has just been keeping him in his back pocket or something.

Regardless, Octillery did surprisingly well, and displayed a breadth of move types.

►TwoPlusTwoIsFishReplied On July 20th 20XX:J_AuggerDuring Ty and Ninetales final clash, you can see the barriers fall before being reinforced, if they did actually fall I definitely would have died as well seeing as I had a front row view. Completely worth it though. Anyway, is anyone able to get some rough stats for the energy output in that clash? I want to know how close I came to being annihilated.

Edit: the firebeam(that move has no right being called flamethrower) seems quite similar to the pillar of fire that was seen in a wild-fire clearing near Lavaridge a few days ago. Maybe they are the same? If so could that help in getting some numbers to this insanity?

►PoisonedFaith (Poison Type Specialist)Replied On July 20th 20XX:FlamingTress Grass and leaves slicing through boulders is fairly standard for grass-types. There is a reason why Grass usually trumps Rock.Back on topic, thank Arceus I am not competing on the Hoenn Circuit this season. Tentacruel, Weezing, Cradily and either of my three Muk (Especially Crag) are my go-tos for dealing with fire types, but that much fire would boil them alive!

►Spece-Time (Pokemon Researcher)Replied On July 20th 20XX:ARCEUS FUCKING DAMN! Just how much energy was being output by that final Hyperbeam vs Flamethrower!? Hell, how could flamethrower somehow match it? Wait, going to use a napkin for this real quick. Anyone here study Pokemon Moves?

►FlamingTress (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:PoisonedFaith Fair enough. Maybe grass cutting boulders was me taking leave of my senses and forgetting. But seriously though, the way things are going, that lizard will probably use Surf, and whatever move that vulpix used in Dewford, all in the same match.

Whatever pokemon he captures next will never know what hit it.

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►platinumGuy009Replied On July 20th 20XX:Not sure if anyone else has pointed this out, but, Henson's Ninetales was already setting records as a Vulpix, I wonder how she stands in comparison to other records of freshly evolved Ninetales now? We might just have a new record for their entire species on our hands.

Add on the fact that Henson seems to create radical new moves every few weeks, especially for his Ninetales, and you get a trainer whose record is starting to border on the fantastical. Furthermore, he's traveling with Birch's son and an unknown Dragon Tamer who is not challenging gyms with them, which compounds on that fantastical factor. I'm very curious about the strength of a Dragon Tamer who travels with those prodigies.

►Leafeon_L0verReplied On July 20th 20XX:Jeez, sending a Grovyle out against a Rapidash is one helluva move. Impressive that he was able to win despite the type disadvantage and Rapidash being so stronk. Hope he's doing ok! Plus 9T at the end? Wow, I'm partial to my grass fox, but that firefluff is DANGEROUS!

►Licorice&LitleoReplied On July 20th 20XX:Does nobody else find it a bit sus that Henson is ON CAMERA at Moore's Gym when he gives vulpix her fire stone? Moore's even in that vid?! I'm not saying it's all fake but come on, the man must have given Henson the stone in the first place and then muscles Flannery out of her match to use his old as dirt team. He probably just told them to make it flashy to hype him up.

►GyaradosUsedSplash (Water Type Specialist)Replied On July 20th 20XX:licorice&litleo do u have eyes? i was in the stadium and i felt the heat from that beam struggle from the back row. no way that shits fake, im betting henson all the way to the conference

►JustAnotherInternetStrangerReplied On July 20th 20XX:Yo! That battle was insane and it was only his 4th badge!? What's his 8th badge battle going to be like?

►FlamingTress (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:JustAnotherInternetStranger The gym will probably explode. In style. Wallace will be ecstatic.Speaking of style, I wonder what that battle crow of his is up to. Anyone got an update on that?

►Leafeon_L0verReplied On July 20th 20XX:Licorice&Litleo No way, That team is dangerous as hell. I've heard stories from family friends who took part in the fighting back then. It wasn't pretty.… I think I remember hearing a rumour about a glass field after a battle that took place. Nothing left to even see of the enemy.

►Licorice&LitleoReplied On July 20th 20XX:Leafeon_L0ver I'm not saying Moore wasn't a monster back in his day… but his day was a long time ago, his typhlosion is what, pushing 65 at least? I just can't help but wonder how a grovyle (not even sceptile) can take out a formerly elite rapidash without some foul play, but an octillery (the only member we don't even have stats on yet) gets one lucky shot before being downed. Arcanine didn't even try to fight back once ninetales came out.

But the real smoking gun is in that final showdown, after that firestorm typhlosion makes it tries something else and the move fizzled, smoke and sparks like some sort of skit. And then it doesn't pull out any more fire attacks for the match? Like at all? Has anyone ever seen an elite's attack just go limp like that for no reason? Smoke and mirrors, has to be.

►Leafeon_L0verReplied On July 20th 20XX:Licorice&LitleoI don't think thats the case at all. There is a REASON his team is in the elite tier, even as they have gotten older. I'll admit that the combustion Typhlosion tried to make was kinda sus, but I don't think that was on Typhlosion's part. He did seem super surprised when it didn't work. Plus he still had the energy for that hyperbeam at the end! (I am questioning why he went for hyberbeam rather than overheat, but that just may be a personal choice from Moore) Something was off about that battle, but I don't think it was fixed. Both were giving it their all at the end.

►CrystalShowers (Scientist)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Did anyone else notice that only Grovyle had a held item? Ninetales did all that without a type booster!? That's insane! I'd love to examine the battle data and performance stats with and without an item of that majestic beautiful floofy fox.

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►Green0PhotonReplied On July 20th 20XX:I wish I went out to watch matches more often. That video was sick! It must have been amazing being there in person!Then again, that final barrier shaking attack was pretty scary…

►j4x3r (Ace Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Kids these days sure grow fast, my first circuit wasn't as intense as this one and if I tried what Henson did, my pignite (at the time) would be toasted. Keep it up! Will be waiting on the big leagues!

►Glasses_ManReplied On July 20th 20XX:Well, I might not have confirmation for talking, but Ninetales sure delivered hard on psychic abilities. I'm honestly shocked.

►WitchHatStratReplied On July 20th 20XX:Glasses_Man I had to rewatch from the fan cam and the official gym video a few times to realize. Did anyone else notice that Mr. Henson spoke a total of FOUR words that entire fight!? Count em FOUR and they were "Ninetales match him" and "Ninetales". I want that! The Pokemon just needs to be able to learn psychic stuff right? How do I learn to do that with my Braixen?!

►Glasses_ManReplied On July 20th 20XX:WitchHatStrat Yeah, they are obviously communicating: I was specifically wondering about whether they could TALK. With words. I know some people who have described it as vague ideas back and forth, and I think some people have said they could talk but it hasn't been proven: This Ninetales is probably a contender for saying if it's possible at all.

►Betterwhenwetter (Water Type Specialist)Replied On July 20th 20XX:Holy shit, that Ninetales looks AMAZING! She and Henson are so totally in sync with each other it's just mind boggling. Makes me wonder if there's something going on behind the scenes in their relationship. Almost makes me regret becoming a water type specialist.

►LoPwny99 (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:See?! I told you all he was drugging that Grovyle! How else would a stage two grass type battle an elite level fire type for longer than 20 seconds, nevermind beat it! The fact that the League hasn't liberated the poor thing from Lee speaks volumes of the incompetence of the League. Poor lizard is drugged out of his mind. Someone save these pokemon, before someone gets hurt!

►FlamingTress (Verified Trainer)Replied On July 20th 20XX:LoPwny99 Bruh, I sure would love to have some of whatever shit it is you're smoking. Do you think none of the pokemon centers he visited would have known if he'd been drugging up his 'mon? Birch would probably have fired his ass (or worse) if there was even an inkling of something shady going on with the guy his son is traveling with, not to mention one of the Nurses Joy would've come down on him like the wrath of Arceus.

Dude's supposed to be a researcher, researching pokemon nutrition, care and movesets. That would explain much of the bullshit he seems to be pulling outta his ass on a weekly basis. Seems to me like he's putting his money where his mouth is.

A sudden tug at the back of his mind draws Lee from scrolling through his phone. He jolts up so suddenly his head hits the wall behind him, drawing both Brendan and Zinnia out of the conversation Lee had since tuned out.

"Something wrong, Dolittle?" Zinnia asks, eyebrow raised. She leans back on Brendan's bed, folding her arms behind her head. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"I just felt Ninetales wake up is all," Lee answers, letting the relief ease the tension in his shoulders. The fox is still largely incoherent, and telepathically peering through her bleary eyes, Lee sees her glaring at the itchy cast on her fractured hind leg. A wordless complaint about the too-tight oxygen mask around her muzzle zips from her brain to Lee's. He soothes her with a silent assurance that it's for the best. "I don't think she's happy to be in the ICU."

Brendan snorts. "She's got Typhlosion right there with her, so it's not like she's going to be lonely," the boy jokes.

"Hmm…" Lee, nearly as tired as Ninetales after the match, doesn't put much effort into replying. He frowns though when he notices someone missing. "Where did Courtney go?"

"Errands," Zinnia's reply is curt, telling him that she's suspicious as well.

"Maybe someone should go give her a hand next time…" Lee grunts. "You guys don't have to stay here with me if you don't want to. I'm tuckered out, and all I have to do tonight is feed Shinx before bed."

Brendan frowns. "Maybe… but you don't have any battle-ready pokemon right now. It wouldn't feel right to just leave you here."

At Lee's raised brow, Zinnia rolls her eyes and explains. "It's a… What's the phrase? Sort of a social faux pas to disable all of a trainer's fighting pokemon. Once the nerds online figure out that Greenbean, Calamari, and Miss Fox were all your fighters, Moore might catch some heat for it. It's why you never see anything more than a four-vs-four unless it's a huge tournament with a lot of security hanging around. Kinda your fault, too, for not objecting to a three-on-three, but Moore was expected to know."

'Interesting cultural bit I didn't know about…'

"Besides, all of us being here gives me the opportunity to ask something," Zinnia continues. Sitting back up, her smile is traded for something a bit more serious. "Lee, Brendan, if it's cool with you guys, I'd like to head north to Meteor Falls and visit my tribe." Dare Lee call the way Zinnia is holding herself nervous? "I've some business to attend to, and people to talk to. You know how it is, right?"

"Why not give them a call?" Brendan tilts his head. He yelps when Zinnia reaches out and flicks his forehead.

"You think my tribe out in the sticks has a phone?" She snorts before sobering. "I know it's out of the way and all, and if it's too long, I can split off and meet you guys somewhere afterward?"

Brendan's face brightens into a grin. "Lee, aren't we way ahead of schedule?"

"We're only three months into the league year and already we're at the halfway point," Lee idly muses, wondering what Zinnia needs to do. "I don't see why not. We'll have to run it by Courtney, though."

Zinnia's smile is rather pretty when it fully reaches her eyes, Lee thinks to himself.