Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed LC during the blitz! I'll get around to doing review replies throughout the week, but for now, I wanted to continue crossposting finished chapters to get TR caught up to the other sites.
Fair warning, this one is 12k words. It's been a long time coming, but here we go~
~Chapter 47: Sebastian Shepard~
It had been two days since the world came apart. A boy wandered through the wreckage alone. Each step was slow and arduous. His feet caught on chunks of concrete and charred wood as they made the journey without him telling them where to go. He’d walked this path a dozen times already. Enough times that he could see his own footprints in the hardened mud.
The boy wasn’t supposed to be out here. The rescue teams had cleared the area, and it was still dangerous. But he didn’t want to go back to the emergency shelter. He didn’t want to talk to the rangers, with their prodding and their questions and their insistence on finding some way for everything to be alright when it
wasn’t. He just wanted to be alone.
After some time, the boy stopped. He glanced around at the surrounding, and at the houses all burned so thoroughly that it was hard to tell them apart. His eyes locked onto one in particular, tracing the familiar pattern on the charred door. He then sat down quietly in the middle of the ruin and didn’t move for some time.
He hadn’t slept since it happened, and he’d barely eaten. His sense of time was gone. It was like it had happened both two hours and two months ago. He tried to recall images of what had happened but they wouldn’t come. The sights and sounds had all melted into a nightmarish haze. There was… the freak storm that had rolled in from nowhere. Flashes of lightning and fire. Screaming. A terrifying, overwhelming presence, and then…
The boy clutched his head. The memories were
there, they were right there, but it was like he couldn’t reach them, and he’d been left with this gaping hole in his heart that he didn’t know how to process. He’d already felt everything a hundred times over. He didn’t think he had any room left in himself to feel anything else.
His face was suddenly wet with hot tears. He rubbed them away furiously but they wouldn’t stop. This was
wrong. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but it was like nothing was more true in the world.
The only thing he knew was that he couldn’t stay here. There was something burning within him, driving him forward. He wasn’t sure where it’d come from or what it was, but it was the only thing pushing him through the pain.
Keep moving. Become strong. This pain is nothing compared to…
Compared to what? The boy didn’t know. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That one, he thought, eyeing the storefront. The one with the Meowth coin in the corner of the window. He’d seen it before, knew what it meant. He also knew that it would be his ticket to moving forward.
The bell jingled as he pushed the door open, then slammed shut behind him with what felt like way too much force. He glanced around at the collection of knickknacks lining dusty shelves. The shop was hot and musty, and the slowly-turning ceiling fan didn’t help much with that. A Houndour leered at him from its bed in the corner.
At the far counter, two men had been chatting with bored faces. When they heard the jingle, they looked up, fixing the boy with expressions that were both curious and… predatory. Like they were sizing him up.
“Well lookie what we have here. How old are you, kid?” the man behind the counter asked.
The boy paused. Eleven was too young. Too naïve-sounding. Everyone had always said he looked older—tall enough to be a teenager.
“Thirteen,” he replied.
The man nodded absentmindedly, like he was thinking about something else. “I see. And what brings you here today?”
“I’m looking to sell some things.”
The man chuckled. “Are you, now? Well, why don’t you come on over and we’ll take a look?”
The boy hesitated. But then he adjusted his grip on his shoulder strap and walked across the shop to pour the contents of his bag on the counter. He hadn’t found much. Some Pokéballs that had escaped the blaze (all empty). Some evolution stones. A rare-looking crownlike rock that he’d found inside a melted glass case, whose owners might not be alive anymore. He wasn’t expecting much for any of it. A place like this, they were guaranteed to rip him off, if they even gave him anything at all. But that wasn’t the real reason he was here.
The shopkeeper and his assistant browsed the items for a few minutes, discussing some things between themselves. Occasionally they glanced at him, and he tried not to let his attention wander. After a few minutes, the shopkeeper fixed him with an incredulous look.
“Now, I’m gonna offer my honest opinion here, kid: you look like sh
it. What’re you even looking to do with the money you get from this?”
The boy’s expression was cold and unflinching. “I want to get a Pokémon. Preferably from the kind of place that doesn’t ask too many questions.”
At these words, a slow, satisfied grin crept across the man’s features. “I think I might be able to help you out. Hey Jenner, lock the front door, why dont’cha.”
The shop assistant stood up from his seat and casually strode across the shop to turn the lock. Satisfied, the man behind the counter then focused on the boy. “First of all, what’s a kid like you needin’ to come to a place like this to get a Pokémon? Don’t they just give ‘em away at your age?”
“I don’t have a home to go back to and I don’t have a license.”
The man’s eyes seemed to bore a hole right through the boy, searching for anything to latch onto. Any evidence that this could be a lie. Finally, he folded his hands in front of his face and said, “I see. And what if I were to make you a business proposal? I represent an… organization that could get you your license, no problem. And in return, all we ask is that you use your newfound trainer status to perform various services for us. Now, I think those are some generous terms, wouldn’t you agree?”
It would look too desperate to agree to anything right away. He dared to try for more info. “What kind of services?”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “See, that’s not exactly the kind of question you’re supposed to ask in your position. It doesn’t sound very grateful.”
He should have expected that. Time to twist it into something that looked better. “It’s not that. I think it’s a nice offer,” he said, idly twirling one of the Pokéballs on the counter. “I just want to have all the details for something so important.”
The man laughed. It was a condescending sort of laugh. “Would you get a load of this kid?” he said, still chuckling as he cast an amused glance at the assistant. He turned back toward the boy and went on, sneering. “You’ll be a part of some… moneymaking endeavors. Namely in the Pokémon attaining department. Trainers catch Pokémon, right?”
The boy stared. “If I’m going to be doing anything criminal, just say so. I wouldn’t be asking to get my license illegally if I was afraid of that.”
Another roar of laughter. The boy was tired of being laughed at, but he didn’t let it show on his face.
“Doesn’t miss a thing, this one!” the shopkeeper boomed. When he regained his composure, his words grew quieter, sharper. “Let’s say this
were something outside the law. I don’t suppose you’d have a problem with that, now would you?”
The boy shook his head. There really wasn’t any other answer he could give, was there?
The man leaned back in his seat, satisfied. “Good, good. It looks like we have an agreement, then. I’ll just hand you off to my superiors, and they’ll handle your registration.” He grabbed a phone from the counter and punched a few buttons. A few seconds passed, then: “Hey send someone from recruit processing up.”
After hanging up, the man surveyed the boy again, an odd look on his face, like he was trying to figure something out. “I think you’ll be a good fit for serving us. There’s something about you, kid. Can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m taking a risk on my recruiting metrics with you. So you better look good on me, you hear?”
The boy nodded. He wasn’t sure what else to do.
After a few minutes, the wall behind the shop counter slid open to reveal a secret passage. A woman stepped through the entrance and glanced at the shopkeeper, who pointed at the boy. She then motioned for him to follow her, and he did, descending a dimly lit staircase.
“What’s your name anyway, kid?” the shopkeeper’s voice called after him.
This was the start of a new life. His old life, and anything from it, was now meaningless. There was no reason to hold onto any of it.
“My name, it’s… Sebastian. Sebastian Shepard.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Alright kid, looks like you’ve been assigned to my squad,” his commanding officer said, pacing in front of him. “It’s my job to make you useful to us as fast as possible, so the sooner we get you on missions, the better.”
Sebastian said nothing. He’d learned by now that was usually the best course of action as a new recruit.
“You got a Pokémon, right?” When Sebastian nodded, she went on, “Alright, let’s see it.”
Sebastian unclipped the lone Pokéball from his belt and opened it. He couldn’t help enjoying the look of shock on his officer’s face once the light took shape.
“A
Charmander? Damn, what kinda favors did you have to do to get one of those? Guess they let you have him since he’s a runt.”
“She,” Sebastian said immediately. Charmander was a girl. She’d told him so when he first let her out.
His officer looked at him like he’d just said the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. “The hell? There is
no way they’d give some brat a female Charmander, those things are way too valuable.”
“She’s a girl,” he just said.
The officer waved an arm like she didn’t remotely care enough to argue. “Fine, call it whatever the hell you want, I don’t give a sh
it. Let’s see some precision fire moves.”
They spent the afternoon running through drills. Basic stuff—target practice, evasion, endurance tests. It was exhausting. His officer was definitely trying get him to complain, which was why he didn’t. And Vesta didn’t either.
Sebastian could have chosen a common Pokémon, like a Rattata or an Ekans or a Nidoran. But he’d had his heart set on getting a proper starter Pokémon, and he refused to settle for anything less. And it wasn’t like they’d just given him one, either. He’d had to steal her for himself. He was pretty sure no one expected him to succeed. And even once he’d surprised everyone by pulling it off, he still had to sign away two months’ pay to keep her. He didn’t mind, though. Nothing worth having came easy.
Being on Team Rocket would mean following orders. Following orders would mean doing things he wasn’t proud of. He’d known that going in, and he knew that he couldn’t afford to have second thoughts. But that also meant that he’d need to be on the same page as any of his allies. Starting with Vesta.
“Do you want to be strong?” he asked her a few days into their training.
“*I volunteered to get a trainer,*” the Charmander replied simply. “*I got you instead. Not much different.*”
“There’s a lot of reasons why someone would do that,” Sebastian mused. “The League circuit is a bit different than what we’ll be doing.”
Vesta just shrugged. He wasn’t sure if she just wasn’t thinking through the full implications, or didn’t care.
Sebastian leaned back in his chair slightly, folding his arms behind his head. “I’ve decided I’m going to be the strongest on the team.”
Vesta’s large blue eyes stared at him, unblinking. “*That’s bold. You just started.*”
It wasn’t like he didn’t know how unrealistic it was. He definitely had no intention of telling anyone but her. Though he didn’t enjoy the way no one took him seriously, it would be useful if they didn’t expect anything from him.
“I know it won’t happen overnight,” Sebastian said. “It’s just something I need to do.”
The fire lizard’s gaze was unyielding. “*Why?*”
Why, indeed. He was sure he’d thought about it, but trying to call back the memory of how he’d come up with it was like wandering through a fog. He just… knew it was there. That’s all he really had to go off.
“My old life was destroyed,” Sebastian finally said, and for a moment it was like he was looking through her. “Getting strong is the only thing I have.”
No more feeling. He’d already felt it a hundred times over. No more.
Vesta blinked. Her tail flame flickered a bit, but he didn’t yet know what that meant. “*Strongest on the team,*” she said airily, like she was trying out the idea in her head. “*There’s an appeal to that, if you can pull it off.*”
Sebastian relaxed slightly. “Yeah. I’m glad you agree.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Months passed. Sebastian busied himself with jobs for the Rockets. For his first year on the team, that mostly involved catching Pokémon to be sold later. Occasionally they let him join heists. Most likely as a scapegoat in case things went wrong, but it never came to that. There wouldn’t be any opportunities to impress anyone while he was a grunt, but he was content to wait.
Getting more team members was going to be a slow process. He wasn’t aiming for rare or valuable. He wanted power. Unfortunately, power cost a lot of money, and even when he went and got it for himself, his superiors weren’t about to let him hold onto any of it for free.
Not all the Pokémon that Team Rocket obtained got sold. Some were kept in reserve, usually handed off to the combat unit to train into enforcers. Which meant that getting onto the combat unit would be Sebastian’s first goal. Until then, his only focus was paying off his debt for getting to keep Vesta. After that, every ounce of his earnings that didn’t go toward necessities went toward saving up for more team members later.
Kaida came to him from the Dratini that he’d taken from the Dragon’s Den. He chose her because she was curious about humans and wanted to get stronger—not to mention the way that she’d bonded with Vesta right away.
Silvan and Tako came to him during a trip to Hoenn. Silvan, from a League starter house. Tako, from a cave where Sebastian hadn’t really gone on a job—he’d gone because he’d heard about the historic cave paintings deep within. Silvan just wanted a trainer and didn’t care exactly how he came into possession of one. Tako wanted to see the world. Sebastian gave them both what they wanted in exchange for their strength.
Typhon was the last—stolen from a breeder and raised in secret. They’d only discovered him after Sebastian had been training him for six months, after which point Typhon wouldn’t listen to anyone else. Sebastian had to give up his entire savings just to train him.
None of his team members were
really his. He’d only been allowed train them because it was useful to the combat unit. And the deal was obviously designed so that they could bleed him dry for years to come. So his plan was simple: he’d just use his team’s strength to rise up the ranks until he became strong enough that no one could tell him they weren’t his.
Two years after joining the team, Sebastian found himself turning fifteen and up for an officer position. That is, they hadn’t offered the position, he’d demanded it. He could tell the executives were skeptical. Reaching officer rank at age fifteen wasn’t unheard of, but it was limited to the extraordinarily talented. So he’d decided that he would be one of them. It was the combat unit. He just had to prove himself strong. That’s what he was good at.
The initial evaluation pit him against the other prospective agents up for promotion. Vesta wiped the floor with them. Grunts weren’t even a challenge anymore. His team would need to rise up the ranks just to keep their skills from stagnating.
Sebastian took his position at one end of the training field before letting out Vesta. Across from him, a combat unit officer sized him up, looking unimpressed. After a few seconds’ thought, she grabbed a Pokéball and let out a Rhydon. Well, if he wasn’t sure before, this sure confirmed it. They didn’t intend to let him advance.
There was no fanfare. The executive overseeing them waved a flag, and the match was on. The two combatants faced each other in an explosive burst of rock and fire. His opponent didn’t just have the overwhelming type advantage. Rhydon was higher level too. He had decent precision, and he liked to anticipate where Vesta would approach from. Lots of ranging, trying to control her movements—he could keep her at bay, hold her back from afar. Vesta’s specialty was long range, but all the moves she needed for the win condition were close-range. Sebastian tried having her feint with Flame Burst before swooping around for a Steel Wing. But his opponent saw that coming, and Vesta took a bad hit from Rock Throw, only narrowly avoiding the Stone Edge that burst up right after. Sebastian could feel his pulse pounding uncomfortably hard. He inhaled deeply, centering himself. Focus only on the win condition. Nothing else.
He changed tactics. Smokescreen first to cut visibility—Stone Edge was hard to aim at the best of times. That’d give Vesta the ability to close the distance without giving Rhydon an opening. It did mean that he couldn’t give play-by-play orders. But he didn’t mind. He had faith in her.
His eyes caught the glimmer of wings glowing white. Metallic blows rang out, chipping through rocky armor with each strike. Her growl split the air as she took a hit in return. But it was worth it to set up the expectation that she’d continue with that move. One more wing strike and the Charizard burst out from the smoke. For a brief moment they made eye contact, and he said, “Keep going with that,” but the look he gave her said otherwise. She read him and dove back into the smoke, where his opponent couldn’t see Vesta’s actions, couldn’t warn Rhydon. Though Sebastian couldn’t see her either, he could hear the rhythmic swishing of her claws sharpening her movements.
Win condition set. Rocks clanged off metal wings. A vicious flurry of strikes followed, then a heavy impact hitting the floor, and when the smoke cleared, Rhydon lay prone.
Sebastian did his best to keep the grin off his face. He turned and met eyes with the executives expectantly. They spoke to each other for a bit, then motioned for him to follow. He kept his face neutral, but inside his heart was pounding with anticipation.
The executives brought Sebastian to the office of the base’s head of operations. They spoke to her in private while he waited outside. Naturally, he listened at the door.
“Not a fan of doing this,” Sebastian heard her mutter.
“The kid’s scary as hell, and his Pokémon are stupid loyal,” his CO said in hushed tones.
“He’s a kid,” came the unimpressed reply.
There was some stammering, followed by, “The way I see it, this gives us the chance to see what he can really do for us.”
When the door finally opened, Sebastian was standing stock-still like he hadn’t moved from where they’d left him. The base head gestured for him to enter, and he did, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
Her eyes bored into his. “This position ain’t just about being some kind of tough guy. You have to be able to lead. You need a commanding presence.”
Sebastian nodded. “I look forward to it.”
She let out an incredulous scoff. But it was obvious that part of her was impressed all the same. She reached into a drawer, rummaged around for something, and then tossed it across the desk. He caught it, and found himself looking down at an officer patch.
“Alright kid, you got your wish,” the base head said, folding her arms. “Welcome to the combat unit. Your training starts at 0600 tomorrow.”
His heart skipped. Holding his excitement back, he bowed deeply and said, “I look forward to it,” before exiting the office.
He’d done it. Not that he’d
really been worried about it, but still, it was proof that he could do it. One step closer. He just had to keep working his way up. Two more years until he could try for executive. That’d be a lot harder. He would need some real leverage. But he didn’t have to worry about that until then.
It wasn’t until he’d gone to bed that he remembered that he was only thirteen and no one could ever know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being an officer meant being privy to more combat unit matters. At first it was just small-scale stuff. Higher-profile targets. Riskier missions with more powerful defenses. But after a few months, Sebastian was invited to an orientation meeting that was somewhat unusual for not having the subject announced ahead of time.
As he sat himself into a chair against the back wall, it struck him that he must have been the youngest one in the room. It wasn’t something he paid much attention to on missions (he was almost as tall as the adults by now anyway). But it was still odd to think that he was being trusted with something so exclusive.
How would it feel giving orders as the youngest one in the room?
…Maybe it was a bit early to be entertaining that idea.
After a few minutes, one of the combat unit heads walked up to the front of the room, and under his stern gaze, most of the chatter died down.
“The Legendary Project. I’m just gonna cut to the chase: I know you’ve all heard of it.”
He’d certainly heard rumors. Even if it wasn’t the sort of thing grunts were supposed to concern themselves with, he’d heard talk of it ever since he joined. Before then, even. Town gossip about restless gods and natural disasters. How much of it was true, he couldn’t say.
“All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket,” the executive said, his expression total stone. “And yet, somehow, no one ever extends that to the strongest Pokémon of all. Commanding their power would be the ultimate symbol of humanity’s triumph.”
His tone was hard to make out, but it almost sounded like he believed what he was saying.
“Anyone able to wield their power would be unquestioned,” the man went on, and by now the room was hanging on his every word. “Just think of how much the League would be willing to pay to anyone that could control the power of nature itself.”
It was a wild, dangerous idea. Sebastian hardly knew how to process it. Humans capturing legends. Was it even possible? Could they even go into a Pokéball? He suddenly wanted to know everything there was to know about the subject. Had their power been formally studied? Did they have energy signatures like ordinary Pokémon?
He only got the answers to some of those things throughout the rest of the meeting. The combat executive was more concerned with practical matters—the missions that had been carried out, the strategies that had been developed, the technology that would be used. There’d even been attempts to create artificial Legendaries, though none had panned out so far. (Artificial Legendaries! Built from DNA just like anything else! It was unreal.) And the team did have some idea of what kind of power they were dealing with from the samples that had been taken. It was a power far beyond what any ordinary Pokémon could dream of. But it wasn’t limitless.
Legendaries were living beings of flesh and blood, physical enough that they could be attacked. Captured. Commanded.
Anyone able to wield their power would be unquestioned. Those words echoed in his mind, and even though they’d been referring to the team, he couldn’t help but wonder.
“I understand some of you may have reservations,” the executive told them at the end of the meeting. “I invite you to keep those reservations to yourself until you get over them. The Legendaries might be seen as gods, but the truth is, they’re just Pokémon.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In his downtime, Sebastian began researching Legendary Pokémon religiously. He wanted to know everything there was to know about them. Everything from modern accounts of encounters with them to speculative essays on their biology to ancient records of the impact they’d had on human culture.
The latter subject was the most fascinating to him. Almost all of his research brought him back to the cataclysmic era. The time period that had given birth to so many myths and legends that it was sometimes dubbed ‘the times of legend.’ The world was in turmoil. The training pact hadn’t even been settled yet; humans and Pokémon clashed everywhere they crossed paths. Wars raged without end. Legends were called upon to bring peace, but their power had only brought more destruction. Sure, some of the tales were no doubt embellished, but there were records for enough of them. The Great Kalosian War. The Unovan Civil Wars. Legendary power used and abused, time and time again until the legends finally stopped interfering altogether. They’d been secluded ever since. It was hard to imagine there ever was a time when humans and legends interacted freely.
There was one set of writings from back then that intrigued him more than the others. Namely because it spoke of the conflict between human and legend as if it would happen
again. And, well… it was hard not to see the parallels with today. Team Rocket was aiming to capture Legendaries. That was
exactly the kind of thing that would trigger a Legendary war. And it had been a long time coming too, ever since that mess that had to get covered up eighteen years ago. It was hard to find info on it, but he’d at least found a few sources since joining the project. They were all noticeably one-sided on the topic of who was responsible—he’d have to ask about that at some point. He was sure the answer would be nothing but propaganda, but it would be interesting all the same.
He closed one of his books and picked up another, flipping to a memorized page number and continuing to read. It was a nice day. The weather was starting to get cold how he liked it, but not yet cold enough that he couldn’t sit outside and enjoy the fresh air with his team. Kaida and Typhon were sparring. What had started as just a light warmup had gradually progressed into a violent all-out brawl. The two weren’t very good at holding back. And Tako cheering them on wasn’t helping things.
Typhon was winning. Kaida was getting flustered, her movements growing sloppier. Sebastian’s eye couldn’t help locking onto the flaws. Letting herself get off-balanced when she could have lowered her center of gravity further. Miscalculating how long it would take Typhon to charge up and rushing her moves as a result. But he didn’t say anything. He just made a mental note on feedback for later before returning to his book.
Occasionally he voiced some passages aloud. It helped him think. And part of him expected at least a little feedback from his starter, who was sprawled out on the grass next to him, her tail flame a beacon of warmth in the autumn chill. She didn’t appear to be paying any attention to him, though—she’d been watching Kaida, naturally.
“What did you think about that passage?” Sebastian asked.
The Charizard craned her neck back to look at him, eyes half-lidded. “*Hm? Wasn’t paying attention.*”
“Vesta. You should be more diligent, this is important,” he chided.
She rolled her eyes and nudged him with her wing. Settling the book in his lap, he repeated the passage for her.
Vesta tapped a claw to her scales, mulling it over. “*We already knew humans were gonna clash with the legends. Doesn’t change much.*”
Sebastian chuckled. “I suppose not.” She never did have the patience for abstraction. Still, to him, hearing about the Rockets’ imminent plans, and reading about the same events in 3000-year-old writings was a little bit different. It was no wonder most Legendary enthusiasts online talked about it like it was a prophecy.
He’d never really believed in prophecies. And yet…
At some point Kaida yielded to Typhon and stumbled away from the battle clearing, doing her best to look dignified and professional, like she hadn’t just lost. The Dragonite flopped to the ground with a slight huff and began licking her wounds. Sebastian knew better than to say anything to her when she’d just lost—he’d offer her a potion later. Besides, Vesta didn’t waste a moment before she abandoned his side and went to curl up against the larger dragon. Kaida huddled close to Vesta’s tail flame, closing her eyes in contentment.
A sudden thud hit the dirt, jolting him slightly. He turned to see Silvan, who had apparently just leapt down from a tree, crawling over to him on all fours.
“*Got ya,*” the Sceptile said, leering.
“Is that so?” Sebastian asked, mouth curling slightly.
“*Can’t fool me,*” Silvan replied with a toothy grin, flopping to the grass and closing his eyes contentedly in the sunlight.
Sebastian’s eye was drawn to the glint of red along the edge of Silvan’s wrist blades. “You’ve forgotten to clean up.”
“*Was gonna do it later,*” the Sceptile mumbled, waving a claw dismissively. He rolled over onto his back and crossed his arms behind his head, humming to himself. “*What’cha thinkin’ bout?*” he asked suddenly.
Sebastian looked up at the sky. “Just trying to think of where I want to go from here,” he said distantly.
For the past three years, his path had been clear. Just keep working his way up the ranks. What would he do once he reached the top? Now that it was actually within reach, he had to consider what the answer to that was. Where would he be when the team managed to catch a legend for real?
How strange that he was already thinking of it like it was an inevitability. The tech wasn’t quite there yet. All the past attempts had failed. And yet…
“We all decided we were aiming to be the strongest on the team. That won’t be possible once the combat unit have Legendaries at their disposal,” he went on, talking to no one in particular.
Silvan gave no sign that he’d been paying any attention. The Sceptile’s eyes were closed like he was dozing off. But then, rather unexpectedly, he said, “*Maybe you should do it. Then you can make them do anything you want.*”
A single person, capturing a legend for themselves. What an idea. Most people would call it blasphemy. Catching the Legendaries. It wasn’t supposed to be done. It wasn’t supposed to be
possible. There were even some of his fellow Rockets that found the idea horrifying. It was just that deeply ingrained.
“A lot of people might be upset,” he replied, in a casual tone.
“*You’d be the boss,*” Silvan said, grinning all the wider. “*Could just tell them not to be.*”
Sebastian chuckled. “You always have such interesting ideas.”
There was no denying the simplicity of it. As if the higher ups could really refuse the demands of anyone who’d gotten a legend by themselves. But it was ridiculous all the same. It was impossible, right?
These days, he was starting to wonder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sebastian was busier than ever. Same amount of jobs as usual, but with the added pressure of combat unit training. He didn’t mind the latter—both he and his team benefitted. They were getting stronger every day, pouring all their effort into surpassing their peers. Sometimes they even beat executives. They still couldn’t beat the commander though. He was on a whole other level. There hadn’t been many opportunities to fight him lately though—he’d seemed distracted.
Sebastian had been distracted too. His legend research hung over his mind. Especially that one legend in particular. It was starting to feel like it occupied almost all of his thoughts. Especially with most of the combat unit training revolving around the unspoken point that they’d be fighting
Legendaries soon.
He couldn’t get it out of his head, no matter how much he tried. Finally, enough was enough. He had to get some closure. And the best way he could think of to do that was to pay a visit to the place where it was written—Midnight Island. He’d take the first magnet train to Kanto in the morning, then fly to the island. He could be back before noon. No one would even notice he was gone.
The sun was still low in the sky when he and Vesta reached the eastern coastline of Kanto. A small island lay ahead, several miles offshore. As they approached, Sebastian’s eyes traced the forests on the island’s northern half. It was impossible to miss—a clearing stripped of trees, with a great stone structure at its center. He pointed it out and Vesta descended, touching down on the dry, dead grass at the clearing’s edge.
The ruins here were off-limits to the public. Apparently there’d been… conflicts in the past. The Legendaries obviously considered it sacred ground. Well, it wasn’t like he minded pushing his luck a bit. If a legend confronted him, all the better.
A heavy feeling hung over him as he approached, looking up at the stone structure looming over him. He’d seen the photos, but that didn’t compare to seeing it here in person. These ruins had been here for
3000 years. He was standing in the same structure that had first been built at the end of the cataclysm.
Sebastian wandered all over the ruins, searching for any new details or information. Something that would hopefully help him make sense of how he was supposed to be feeling about that legend. But the writings were exactly the same as they’d been in his books. Nothing new or unexpected here. Maybe it was a waste of time after all. Still, he did feel he’d gained a sense of appreciation. It all felt more…
real than just looking at a bunch of photos in books. These ancient ruins with their inscriptions in modern Tohjoan—more arguments in favor of it being a prophecy. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
A sudden cold wind rushed through the trees, and he pulled his coat tighter to himself. Nothing more to see here—maybe it was best for him to head back now. A bit disappointing, but maybe he’d at least be able to clear his mind from now on.
Sebastian turned around to walk back to where Vesta was napping. No sooner had he taken five steps away from the ruin when it hit him—the distinct feeling of being watched. His heart rate suddenly spiked. He spun around, hand flying to his Pokéball belt, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. But there was no one.
“Hello?” he called out.
No response. Sebastian took a few steps forward until he reached the stone steps once again. For several seconds he didn’t move. He just stood there, eyes scanning the clearing for the tiniest sign of movement. A flicker of purple caught his eye. Then a Gastly peeked around the corner of one of the stone pillars and flicked its tongue at him before vanishing into the woods.
He wasn’t satisfied. There was something else. If he stayed here longer… maybe one of them would confront him. It was a long shot, but…
No, what was he thinking? He wasn’t ready. He couldn’t risk it all now. What if it killed him? He’d have wasted all that time for nothing.
He turned and strode away from the ruins. Not yet. He had to be patient.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The night was a restless one, just like all the others. He found himself back at the ruins that he’d visited all those months ago. He’d misplaced something here, but he was having a hard time finding it. Searching every inch of the ruin had proved futile. It was
here, he was sure of it. He just had to look harder.
His legs were growing tired. Each step felt like it took more effort than the last, until he finally realized that it was because he was sinking. The stone floor had liquefied; his feet were disappearing into the sludge. He tried to pull himself free, but faceless ghosts clung to his jacket, their fingers digging into the fabric, merging with it. Panic started to overtake him. He reached out, trying to free himself, but everything he touched began smoldering, burning brighter and brighter until he couldn’t see anything, and then—
Sebastian’s eyes snapped open. He blinked in the darkness of his dormitory, feeling his pulse pounding in his ears. His mind scrambled to cling to the shreds of dream, but they’d already faded into nothingness.
More nightmares. It had been nothing but nightmares ever since that day. It hadn’t been like that before… right?
He paused, blinking slowly. Before. What had it been like before? Something about the question didn’t make sense. That was ridiculous. Obviously there was a before. But at the same time, it didn’t feel like he’d just
forgotten. Trying to think about it was like trudging through fog, though. He was sure he knew the answer, but.
Well, either way, he wasn’t going to be getting any more sleep. Best to use the time as much as he could. Sebastian slid out of bed, grabbed his books from the shelf, and made his way to the lounge.
It was empty. As usual for 2am. He liked being able to read undisturbed anyway. Sebastian settled himself into his favorite armchair (he’d gotten too tall to curl up in it like he used to), and his fingers flipped to right page as if on autopilot. And then he sank into the writings that he’d read at least a dozen times before.
The hours ticked by. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. He’d been drawn to researching this subject for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t even really explain why. He just was. His mind kept drifting back to that one legend in particular. He’d read up on it extensively ever since his visit to Midnight Island. It was considered a bit of an anomaly in the mythology community. No other writings referenced the same things it did. There was no overlap with any other stories. It stood alone. It was
important. He could feel it.
The time, in the ruins. That odd feeling that had come over him. The feeling of being watched…
Even as the fires of war subside, the balance that they fought so hard to preserve is already on the inevitable path to being torn apart once again.
Legendaries
had been spotted on Midnight Island occasionally. That made the ruins an area of Legendary significance, which automatically gave him reason to suspect that the author wasn’t human. So if they did have an agenda, then he could assume it was one that would benefit the legends.
But then… the part about Legendaries making an alliance with humanity. If they’d been doing something like that, wouldn’t word have gotten out? He hadn’t heard of any activity that matched that pattern. On the contrary, the Legendaries were more elusive than ever. And any humans foolish enough to approach them were met with their demise a lot more frequently these days. There had been a lot of debates about it in the online legend-spotting circles. Many people had retired from the hobby as a result.
Seven among the Order—the ones who dedicated both mind, body, and spirit toward ending the war—shall be empowered to forge an alliance with humankind so that both might endure.
Most Legendary enthusiasts regarded the shrine’s writings as a prophecy. Unsurprising—there were a lot of prophecies from the cataclysmic era. Except… the writer had made no intent to state that any of it
would happen. Only that it
should. A pedantic distinction maybe, but one that stood out to him.
…What if it wasn’t a prophecy at all? What if it was
instructions?
He sat there blinking as he processed the thought. If that was true, it changed
everything. Instructions. Saying that the alliance needed to happen. Why would the Legendaries need to be told in such a roundabout way? Wouldn’t they already know? Unless it wasn’t aimed at them. But then who…
The seven are bound by their duty to seek out the interlopers to protect the balance of power in the coming era.
Was it… aimed at the reader? Anyone who’d read the legend and had the power to make it happen? That only made sense if the author this didn’t think the alliance would be completed on its own. Someone had to make it happen?
…What if that person could be him?
It was a ridiculous thought. But some part of him wanted to indulge it.
Sebastian stood up and paced back and forth across the lounge, mulling things over. The clock ticked by on the wall. He had no idea how long he’d been here, and didn’t care to check.
Crafting an alliance between human and legend. What would that entail? The Legendaries would need to feel threatened enough that they’d be motivated to do it. They’d need to be put into a situation where they’d have the opportunity to encounter humans who’d make good partners. Humans who had the strength and drive to protect the Legendaries.
No, that wasn’t quite right. How would the Legendaries be able to identify that, anyway?
‘Interlopers’… Those who had interfered in the conflict. People who had protected the legends? Did such people exist?
…If they didn’t, could he
make them? He’d already been toying with the idea of finding more allies after what happened with the revolt. If he couldn’t find people who’d protected the legends… why not create them? Recruit trainers to his cause, use his inside knowledge to give them all the tools they’d need to save the Legendaries from his own team. Wouldn’t that make them the perfect candidates?
He was close. He could feel it. Conflicts between human and legendary. An imminent war. An alliance between the two sides. But there was something else that he was missing. What was the purpose of the alliance? Why was it
necessary?
For though none may prevail, what is set into motion shall be much greater indeed.
Sebastian stood frozen in the middle of the room, repeating it to himself, over and over. It seemed impossible. But it all fit. The attacks nineteen years ago. Everything that had followed. He had it all
backwards. It wasn’t
just that he had to keep the legends’ power out of the Kanto force’s hands. That wasn’t it at all.
It was—
The realization lifted him up. He felt lighter than air. It wasn’t just that someone had to make sure the alliance happened. Someone also had to be ready for when it
failed. If the alliance couldn’t prevent the Revolution, then… someone else needed to have access to the power of the legends. Why not him?
Team Rocket was going to capture the legends. He could rise up the ranks, use all their resources,
get to them first. If he had that kind of power… would he be able to handle things when the alliance fell apart? If he was creating the ideal candidates for being chosen, he could also ensure that they were on
his side. That way, when the alliance fell apart, he’d have a fallback.
But then… if it was going to fail anyway, then what was the point of it happening? That was a glaring hole. He was still missing some pieces there. Still, this was huge.
Of course, the Legendaries wouldn’t want to be captured—there was no doubt about that. Not at first, anyway. But if he could somehow contain them, explain the situation to them, get them to see things his way. It could be done.
“I’m going to do it,” he whispered to himself, tapping a fist to his palm. “I’m going to capture the Legendaries.” How many, he wasn’t quite sure. But enough of them that he’d have the leverage he needed. It would be difficult. There was a reason no one had ever managed it. He’d have to use all of Team Rocket’s resources to pull it off.
The other issue was the seven. The seven would have to remain uncaptured, no matter what. Or if they
did get captured, it would need to be by his side. He would need to figure out who the seven were, first of all. That would be difficult, considering no other writings made any mention of them. He’d have to analyze the patterns of Legendary sightings, try to find a pattern. Something to go off. He’d start with the Tohjo guardians, the obvious candidates since the writings themselves were in Tohjo.
It would be a monumental task.
He couldn’t wait to get started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lexx walked into the office to find papers completely covering every inch of furniture. Sebastian paced back and forth behind his desk, muttering to himself, occasionally flipping through one of the many books that sat propped open on the shelves, which he hadn’t put away in case he needed them again. There was no visible organization to any of it, though he seemed to have no trouble finding what he needed at a moment’s notice.
“Take it I should come back later?” Lexx said, moving to shut the door.
“No,” Sebastian immediately replied without looking up.
Lexx watched as he flipped through a stack of papers until seemingly coming to what he was looking for, scanned it for all of two seconds, and then spun around to look at something entirely different.
“Just taking a stab in the dark, but… when was the last time you slept?”
“Three days ago,” Sebastian replied promptly.
“Mhm,” Lexx replied, letting his eyes trace the pages that had spilled onto the floor. “Wouldn’t it be easier to do all this on the computer?”
“It’s easier for me to visualize like this,” Sebastian answered simply. He’d long since stopped trying to explain.
Lexx shrugged and leaned back against the doorframe while Sebastian refocused his attention on his work. He’d been cross-referencing all the reported Legendary sightings in Tohjo—comparing the frequency, location, time within the past nineteen years versus the years before that. There was a definite shift. He had a few suspects. He just had to rule out a few more factors, and then he’d know for sure who to target, and then—
“So, not that I don’t love being kept in suspense like this, but you said you needed me for something.”
Sebastian started slightly and jerked his head up like he’d just been pulled from a trance. “Right. I need all the info you can get me on the Legendary Project.”
Lexx blinked. “Why?”
“Because,” he went on, “the Kanto force will be moving ahead with their mission plan soon, and I don’t have any way to stop them. There aren’t enough double agents left, and I can’t risk giving myself away yet.”
Lexx clicked his tongue. “I figured that was what the rebel team was for—stopping them before they can get off the ground.”
“It wouldn’t be ready before then,” Sebastian replied, shaking his head. “The training high season hasn’t even started yet. I was planning on starting in May.”
Lexx folded his arms. “Uh huh, so… if you can’t stop them, then what good’s this intel gonna do?”
“I’ll beat them to it,” he answered simply. “
I’m going to be the first one to catch a legend.”
Lexx gaped at him incredulously. Words seemed to have failed him.
“If this works, we’ll have the edge on them,” Sebastian explained.
Lexx blinked a bit, finally regaining himself. “I mean… yeah?” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “But we kind of already
have the edge on them after that stunt you pulled with Leo.”
Sebastian shook his head. “We could lose that edge just as easily if they capture a legend before us.” He wasn’t willing to take that risk. Not with Legendaries on the line now. The revolt had bought them some time, but it hadn’t taken him any closer to his goals—especially not regarding the legend. Out of the revolt, there was really only one person who had a reasonable shot at becoming chosen. It wasn’t a sure thing at all.
And besides… she’d never side with him. He’d botched that chance. Maybe it was a mistake to tell her the truth, but he wasn’t going to let himself regret being honest. Lying to others only made it easier to lie to yourself. He couldn’t afford to lose sight of who he was and what he was doing.
Lexx was still reeling. He paced back and forth across the office with a hand to his temple. “You’re basically asking me to break into their highest-security systems and steal god-knows how much data without anyone noticing.”
“As soon as possible, yes,” Sebastian replied, completely deadpan. “Unless you don’t think you can,” he added, the edges of his mouth curling slightly.
Lexx snorted. “Ha ha. Look, these things take time, finesse. If I just blunder in, everyone’s gonna know I did it, and…” He paused, shaking his head. “I kinda enjoy my freedom, y’know? Not exactly keen on being under the same level of watch as my sis.”
Sebastian was silent for some time. “This is too important. And they’ll already suspect us once I show up with a legend anyway.”
Lexx chuckled. “So sure you’ll succeed, then?”
“I can’t afford not to be sure. I have to get one first, so I will.”
“Oh my god, always with the drama,” Lexx said, sighing exaggeratedly. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do,” he said, adding in a dismissive wave for good measure.
Sebastian relaxed slightly. “I appreciate your efforts.”
Lexx rolled his eyes. “Ah, don’t go acting all formal on me now. So, let’s hear it—what’s the plan?”
Sebastian paused. He wasn’t entirely prepared to be vetted this early, but… “I’ve been narrowing down potential targets. There’s still more work to be done there, but I have a few leads, so I’ve been making trips to Hoenn in my downtime.”
“Hoenn?” Lexx cut in, blinking in confusion. “What the heck, how? With your schedule? They’ve been working you to death.”
“I’ve been able to make it there and back in the same day,” Sebastian replied casually. “It only gives me a few hours to search, but I’ve made progress.”
Lexx gave a low whistle. “God, you weren’t kidding with the no sleep.”
“In any case,” he went on, locating the relevant stack of papers and handing them to Lexx, “here are the locations I’ve searched. Lots of dead ends, but a few look promising. I need the Kanto force’s research to be sure though, and…” He sighed. “Well, we all know they won’t be sharing it with us after the revolt.”
Having some way to track the legends would make things so much easier. They all had distinct energy signatures. He was sure the Kanto force had been planning to exploit that somehow, but he needed to know for sure.
Lexx shuffled through the notes, skimming them quickly. “You’ve really thought this through, huh.”
Sebastian’s mouth curled slightly. “You won’t find any holes this time.”
“Ah, that’s no fun,” Lexx said with a mischievous glint. “Just means I gotta try harder.”
“I look forward to it,” Sebastian said calmly, collecting some of his books and stacking them, clearing some space on his desk. “I have no intention of making you deal with the fallout if you’re found out,” he added. “I’ll take the brunt of it. We’ll have a much easier time dealing with it once I’ve succeeded.”
“There’s some bold talk,” Lexx said, folding his arms behind his head. “You’re acting like you’ve already gone and done it.”
Sebastian gave a wry grin. “You’re the one who said you wanted to see me turn things upside down.”
Lexx smirked. “Did I say that? You’ll have to refresh my memory. Anyway, I’m not letting you charge ahead without running the final plan by me first. I’m sure I can find some holes if I really try.”
Sebastian chuckled. “That’s what I was banking on.”
Lexx gave a mock salute, then spun on his heels and exited the office. No more than five seconds later, he poked his head back in through the doorway and added, “Can’t promise any all-nighters, though. Some of us actually need sleep.” Then he vanished before Sebastian could say anything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sebastian was keenly aware of all the eyes on him. Whispers and rumors surrounded him as he walked down the halls of Mahogany base. He’d known that the news would spread fast. He hadn’t expected it to be this fast, though.
“You can’t be serious.”
“What kinda favors is that kid doing?”
“They’re screwing with us. Gotta be.”
He reached the training center and walked off to the side, perfectly aware of the way that everyone else in the room was staring at him. He ignored them all and prepared for another day of training. Perfectly normal. If they wanted to make a big deal out of it, that was on them.
“This is some kind of joke, right?” a voice called out behind him.
He knew that tone. He knew better than to give it the satisfaction of engagement.
“I mean really, what were the higher-ups thinking?” the voice went on, drawling, amused. “Expecting us to take orders from some teenage brat?”
He’d learned a long time ago not to get defensive. There were some things he’d be judged for, and that was that. Words were meaningless with no power to back them up.
“Don’t you know who you’re talking to?” another voice asked in mock reverence. “That’s
the great Sebastian Shepard. You know…”—she paused for maximum effect—“our new
commander.”
The man scoffed. “‘Commander.’ Yeah, give that a week.”
Sebastian turned to face him. “Would you like me to show you why?” he asked, and he meant it as a genuine question. No force, no anger in his voice. Those things were unnecessary.
The combat officer hesitated, taking a step back. The snide grin had vanished from his face, and Sebastian couldn’t help feeling a twinge of satisfaction. “That’s not… they said you got one of the guardians.”
“That’s right.”
The man scowled. “Yeah, real tough guy, hiding behind that monster. How about you take me on without it?”
“Why?”
He blinked. “…What?”
Sebastian stared back, unyielding. “Why should I lower myself to your level?” Again, perfectly neutral—no anger, no defensiveness. They’d be easier to set off if he
didn’t show any of those things.
It worked. The man’s face contorted into a snarl. “Oh,
screw you,” he spat, grabbing a Pokéball. “I’ve had it up to here with you waltzing around like you own the place.” He threw the ball forward, and a Gyarados appeared. Better than Sebastian had been expecting, honestly. He decided to give them a chance.
“Alright. We’ll battle on your terms, then.” He retrieved a Pokéball and let out Vesta.
The two lunged, locked in combat almost instantly, steam filling the air from the clashing of fire and water. Vesta circled her opponent gracefully, always keeping just out of reach. By comparison, the sea serpent’s movements were rough, unpolished, made of poorly timed lunges and waterspouts that lacked focus. Disappointing. Sebastian held back from giving orders. He’d let Vesta decide how to handle it.
She was more direct that he would have been. Barely a minute of intermittent fireballs and she’d already grown bored. Her fist crackled with sparks as she swooped in to end the fight. And then three more bursts of light came from nowhere. Sebastian stared coldly as a Gliscor, Magneton, and Golem materialized behind Vesta. The Charizard spun around on a dime, lashing out with her tail, then when that missed, drawing back a still-sparking fist. An impact, strings of lightning—Gliscor had intercepted her. She followed up with a vicious Heat Wave; Gliscor and Magneton fell back. The latter managed to fire off a Thunderbolt, but Vesta looped around it effortlessly. Then rocks. Then more water. Dodging, weaving, flawless, until a sudden swerve to avoid a second bolt took her too close to the rocks. A Stone Edge clipped her wing, her flight path faltered for just a moment, and another torrent crashed down on her from above. Water streamed over the battlefield. In the end, the Charizard lay on the ground, defeated.
Sebastian sighed disappointedly. “You cheated,” he said as he recalled her.
The man chuckled uneasily. The glint of victory in his eyes was decidedly halfhearted, like he already knew it meant nothing.
Sebastian reached into his pocket and retrieved the Master Ball. “I’ll cheat as well, then.”
His opponent’s face contorted with horror, and it would have been a lie to say that he didn’t enjoy it. The ball opened, a burst of light appeared, and before it had even taken shape, an azure blur was shooting across the battlefield.
He took in each moment. The flicker of alarm on each Pokémon as they just barely had the chance to register something coming before the ball of radiant light struck them down. Four hits, four Pokémon hitting the floor, then his opponent tripped backward as the light came for him. He lay there trembling, staring up at the cobalt dragon floating right above him. Latios’s piercing crimson eyes stared back.
No one moved. No one breathed. Just perfect, unbroken silence. Sebastian let the moment sit. All eyes on him.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say to me?” he asked calmly.
The man was frozen, not taking his eyes off Latios. It took several seconds for him to respond. Finally, he swallowed and shook his head gently.
Sebastian waved his hand, and Latios pulled back. Satisfied, he then turned his back to the others and strode out of the battlefield, Latios following lightly behind him.
He’d never expected anyone to follow him without proving himself. Words were meaningless with no power to back them up.
He strode down the hallway, which was noticeably empty compared to earlier. A flash caught his attention from out of the corner of one eye. He turned and it was Mewtwo. It took him several seconds to process the sight. Mewtwo, standing there alone, in an empty hallway. Sebastian had already begun walking towards the clone when something nagged at the back of his head. This didn’t make sense, did it? But he wasn’t sure why.
He tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Mewtwo was staring right at him, but it was more like he was staring
through him, not even noticing him. Sebastian turned around. The hallway he’d come down was gone. The base was gone. Behind him stretched a path winding its way through a landscape straight out of a dream. Chunks of terrain lay suspended in midair around him. The sky twisted and distorted in colors he didn’t have names for. Ethereal light shone down through clouds torn with violet lightning.
A chill runs through him. He has to get out of here. Something terrible is going to happen. He reaches for his belt and—his Pokéballs, where are they? Latios and Latias, they can—
He stops, blinking. Latias? He doesn’t
have Latias, just Latios. Why did he think that…?
But then, with a glimmer of red and blue light, the duo appears before him anyway. A wave of relief rushes through him as he starts toward them, each step taking far too long, like he’s walking on clouds. The dragons stare back, their eyes twinkling red and gold in the void. Almost there. He reaches out to them.
And then their faces split open, eyes burning like hot coals, fangs protruding through the sides of their mouths, bodies unraveling into fabric and merging with the walls. Their hearts, still beating in the void that was their chests, crystalize into gleaming gemstones, red and blue. He pulls away in revulsion, every inch of him screaming to get away. But then he’s overtaken by a sudden, powerful,
burning need to grab them. He reaches forward, plunging both arms straight through their chests, like the two are made of liquid. He can’t see his hands. He can only grope blindly in the darkness until his fingers clench around his prize.
He rips the gems out of what had previously been the dragons’ chests and holds them close, staring as they pulse with an otherworldly light. Then the gems begin to dissolve. He jumps back, tries to throw them away, but they’re stuck to his hands, molten glass burning through his skin, seeping into his bloodstream. A piercing light shines through his veins, the glow burning brighter and brighter until it’s searing through his flesh. It hurts. He tries to scream, but his voi̬ce is tattered, distor̡ted, like a ̬badly edited aud̘io recording. ̽More ̹voice̻s join in, pressing in from all aroun̈́d. Smothering. Threatening to crush him with their᷉ sheer weight. He feels the words more than he͟ sees̭ ͯth̏em, ̗feels ͆them wea͊ving thems͇elves̪ thro̘ugh his being, dro̹wn᷿i̳ng him, u̾nͤt̹iͮl͠ a͟ s̫iͦn͜g̶l̓e̥ͯ᷃,͉ ̠̙o͖v͓eͦr᷃w͑h͚ėl̑m͋ȋ̶̘n̞g̹ p̮r͟e̯s̛e͞n̆c᷂e̸ a̍p̦p̕e̥ảr᷾s̥,̑ tͫủr̽n͔i͠n̜ḡ i̲t̞s͖ h͞a̜t̿ͬ̆e̪f͈u̽͢͝l̎ ̺̣̳͈͗ͅg̰a͈z᷄e̹ ṭ᷁ͧo͞ h͡i̖m̭ a͍n̳̘᷇͡ͅd̰͍̹̦́ ͎̮r͉͍͎o͇̱͉̕a̡Ĕ̪̰̺͈͍̕ʭ̲̦̣̫͖ͅ£̹̖͙͇̬̲̯̀᷄ʨ̶̯͈̗̹̞Ķ̟͍̙͉̌͝Å̴̷͔͘ă͖̝̭͢m̴̧̛̜̪̫̹͚̜ȅ̴̷̻̣̼̗̖̗̫̟ͅĢ̟̜̱͚͍͉̘̭͈́᷾̕|̸̭̺̣̜̝̜̩̱̪̺̦̕͟͜͞ͅͅĭ̴̠̻̣̦̳͓̜̭͉̣̰̼̣̪̺̳͔̩̗̙̣᷅́͘͢͝ú̵̷͈̗̘͈̮̯̲͓̥́̕ƈ̵̡̧͉͚͍̱͔m̵͎̲̫͇̹̫̯͔͕̫̲͔͇͕͖̪̕͢͝ͅŞ̪͉̠̝̼̯̺͓͉̘̬̕͟ą̧̡̡͏̬̼̱̥̩̜̱͙m̵̶̷̨͉͉̲̮̬͉̼̜̠̹̲᷿̝͕̩̥̪̰͖̜͔̪̙̱̪͓
Sebastian’s eyes jolted open. He sat frozen for a few seconds, breathing heavily while his heart pounded in his chest. Gradually, the room stopped spinning, and his fingers unclenched from the arms of his chair.
Just… just the usual nightmares. Nothing to concern himself with.
Then a voice broke the silence. “*Did you hear me?*”
Oh. It was Latias who’d woken him up. Sebastian rubbed his eyes, turning his gaze to the clock on the wall. 2am. That hadn’t taken long. He stretched before standing up and walking over to the glass pane overlooking the holding cell. Latias stared back at him, her gaze defiant.
“*I said I’ll talk to you. What do you want to talk about?*” Her voice was cold, tinged with blades of anger.
Sebastian closed his eyes, taking a moment to center himself. “I want the chance to explain myself.”
Latias glowered at him. “*What is there to explain? You are no different than the others who seek to enslave us.*”
Was that her argument? This was too easy. “It’s true that I need to borrow the power of the Legendaries, but I don’t want to enslave them.”
She tilted her head incredulously. “*Why would you tell such an obvious lie? You’ve captured and controlled my brother and—*”
“Latios isn’t under mind control,” Sebastian immediately said.
The dragon blinked up at him in shock. “*He has his mind?*”
Sebastian nodded. “Yes. I can prove it to you after this.”
Latias stared downward, struggling to process the revelation. “*But… that can’t be… why didn’t he say anything to me?*”
“He wanted to. But he knew the mission was more important.” Perhaps he shouldn’t have said that. He couldn’t position himself as the thing holding Latios back.
“*What mission?*” She hadn’t noticed. Good.
“Stopping the Kanto Rockets from getting more Legendaries,” he said matter-of-factly. “Nothing is more important than that right now.”
“*Then why not work together with the patrons? You could have helped them! You could have
been chosen.*” The same questions Jade had asked. Tedious.
“I didn’t
want to be chosen,” Sebastian said firmly. “I’ve known for a long time that wasn’t the best way for me to accomplish my goals.”
Latias stared up at him, utterly perplexed.
“Someone had to take over Team Rocket from within,” he went on, running his fingers gently across the glass. “Someone had to use their own methods against them. And most importantly… someone separate from the chosen had to have control over the Legendaries’ power.”
She stared downward, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. “*But… that doesn’t… why not help them now? You already declared your betrayal.*”
Sebastian was quiet for several seconds. “…I can’t. I still need the Johto Force, and I still need the resources that come with it. Especially if I’m right about what is going to happen next.”
“*What’s going to happen next?*” she asked in a small voice.
The tiniest trace of a grin appeared on his face. She was curious, was she? That would be his way in.
“Right now, I can only tell the ones closest to me—the ones I trust the most. It’s too dangerous to reveal too much.”
She tilted her head. “*Does Latios know?*”
“Yes.” He paused, then added, “He is my most trusted ally.”
Something flickered in her eyes, like he’d been hoping. Her brow was furrowed, like she couldn’t believe that was possible. Then her expression hardened. “*I’ve talked with you like you wanted. Can I see him now?*”
His first instinct was to say no. There was still more he wanted to say. But fulfilling her request would build trust. She’d be more likely to take him at his word later. It was worth it, to sow the seeds of loyalty.
Sebastian nodded. He couldn’t trust her not to kill him if he let her out, so he opened the release hatch again and let Latios out through it. The cobalt dragon had barely taken shape before the smaller red dragon tackled him, throwing her arms around his neck. Latios blinked for a few moments, clearly a bit disoriented. Then his eyes went wide when he realized what was happening, and he embraced Latias back, both dragons chirping happily.
“*I’ve missed you so much,*” Latias said, tearing up.
“*I know,*” Latios replied, screwing his eyes shut. “*I’m so sorry.*”
Latias blinked. “*Don’t apologize!*” she cried, hugging him tighter.
Latios opened his mouth to speak, but it took him several tries to find the right words. “*I’m just so glad that you’re here,*” he said softly. “*Even if it meant you had to be captured.*”
Latias frowned. “*I didn’t… I didn’t realize I’d get to see you again. Otherwise…*” She flattened her ears, looking conflicted. On the one hand, capture. On the other hand, reunion.
Sebastian watched silently. Against his better judgment, he felt conflicted as well. Obtaining Rayquaza still would have been the preferred outcome. But… bringing some comfort to his friend was a benefit as well.
When the two finally pulled away, Latias glanced around like she had just remembered that they were still in a cell. She looked up at Sebastian, her expression noticeably less hostile than it had been before, but still suspicious.
“*What are you going to do with us now?*” she asked coldly.
He decided to turn the question back on her. “Latios is helping me with my plans. He will be remaining by my side. What do you want to do now?”
Keep the question vague. Don’t ask her to join outright.
Latias tilted her head, skeptical. She glanced back at Latios imploringly, and he avoided her gaze. “*It’s true,*” he managed.
The red dragon sank lower. “*You’re really going to stay here? Why?*” she asked quietly.
Latios kept his eyes on the floor. “*It’s important,*” he just said.
Sebastian exhaled slowly. Good. He could work with this.
“It’s like I said. We have to be very careful about who knows what we’re doing,” he said, pacing slowly in front of the glass. “That’s why we couldn’t say anything during the Hoenn mission.”
Latias glanced back and forth between him and Latios, utterly perplexed.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to recover from Rayquaza being taken by the Kanto force,” Sebastian went on. “That was a heavy blow.” He gave her a soft yet meaningful look.
Latias’s wings fell. “*I… I had to,*” she said, but she appeared to have some doubts.
“What’s done is done,” Sebastian said simply. “We can’t change our past mistakes, we can only try to move forward and put things right.”
Latias looked down, obviously troubled by his words, and looking like she wanted to say
something in protest, but couldn’t figure out what. What argument could she give? If she believed it was her fault, then she had no choice.
But maybe she was feeling too troubled. He would need to give her some encouragement.
“Will you stay here with me and Latios? Will you help us fight? I know the two of you together will be able to make a difference.” Yes. They’d be stronger together.
“*I…*” She glanced at Latios. He tapped his claws together, saying nothing. Obviously, he wanted her to stay, but he didn’t want to tell her that she should.
Latias took a deep breath. “*I still don’t know about this. And I
don’t trust you,*” she added, throwing a glare at Sebastian. “*But…*”—she turned back to Latios—“*this is important to you, so… I’ll believe in you.*”
She’d said yes. Of course she had. Was there ever any doubt that she would, in the end? He had her brother. That was all the leverage he needed. It was a small consolation for losing Rayquaza. But at least it was something.
“I have to go. Will you rest for the night in your Pokéball, or in here?” It wasn’t much of a choice. But offering it was good all the same.
“*In here,*” Latios replied.
Sebastian nodded. “Good night.” He turned and strode out of the room, pausing to shut the lights off before he did.
Five months of planning may have gone to waste, but it wasn’t a total loss. There was no changing the past. Only moving forward.
~End Chapter 47~
Next Chapter: Choices and consequences
