"What? Who?" she said rather panicked and looked around. She had flinched at the explosion and she was still hunched slightly from it. She swore he looked familiar but couldn't quite place him if only because of the sudden commotion.
She looked behind her and to each of her sides. He certainly didn't look like one of the deckhands or Jonton's lackeys. He looked far too respectable and put together. She could faintly hear shouts and shrieks closing in around them. Still, he was a stranger and she wasn't supposed to be seen. "That's what I'm trying to do," she added and started pacing down an alley in a direction she didn't know but didn't feel comfortable being followed, especially by someone who used the name 'Ms. Shade.'



A sonic boom sounded around Antligon before the Fearow and Scyther could reach him. They were knocked away and had to take a moment to correct themselves before they could attempt to engage him properly. They were quickly surrounded by a Sandstorm that enveloped only the sky in which they flew and it centered around Antligon. The Scyther was quick and Slashed across his back. But he grabbed the oversized bug with one of his small claws and pulled it up with him. The speed with which he flew added so much gravitational force onto the Scyther that it was momentarily paralyzed in his grip. He threw the Scyther away from him and tried to find the Fearow. A bright light flashed and Antligon took a direct Brave Bird up his entire body. He cried out but knew he had to correct himself as he felt another Slash down the length of one of his wings. He roared and terrible draconic energy burst from around him, much of which coalesced around his claws. He Outraged straight through both of them which entirely overwhelmed whatever maneuvers they had prepared. He turned around and Outraged through them again but felt the powerful pulse of a Bug Buzz and the slice across his body from an Air Slash. The Fearow and Scyther slowly fell to the ground as Antligon attempted to orient himself. The sand he had summoned fell like tiny hail when the damage he'd sustained seemed to hit him all at once. He lowered himself to the ground, exhausted but not knocked out by the pair of Pokemon he just took on. He was worried, though, that he wouldn't be of much help if he would have to fight anything else.
The Rhyhorn dug up the ground with its horn a few times as it stampeded toward Halcrow. The spikes on Halcrow's arm glowed a deep green as they impacted. The Rhyhorn tore up Halcrow from its roots and knocked it far. But the Rhyhorn cried out and crashed into the building behind them. Halcrow pushed himself to his feet and regained his posture as he took aim at the Rhyhorn. It shook its head and roared quietly twice as it felt the pain it was in. Halcrow noticed he'd cleaved off a few portions of its body plates and saw blood pour out of its side. He looked down at himself and saw the spikes on his legs had been broken and he had been impaled almost too deeply into his abdomen. When he pulled his head back up, he saw the Rhyhorn begin to charge toward him once again. He reacted quickly and let out a barrage of Pin Missiles. Most of them ricocheted pathetically off the Rhyhorn though a few did find purchase under a few of the plates. Slightly panicked, he crouched down and the rest of the spikes across his body extended multiple feet outward and his body flashed white. The Rhyhorn smashed into Halcrow but ricocheted hard off him like the Pin Missiles had against the Rhyhorn. It tumbled and rolled a few times but eventually righted itself. Halcrow was breathing hard and the pain in his abdomen was growing exponentially. But he knew exactly what to do. The Rhyhorn, once again, charged toward Halcrow. He braced himself and the needles on his arm extended outward and grew teeth. Halcrow pushed off the ground to run toward the Rhyhorn. Obviously more agile, he shifted to the side before they would collide and he sunk his needles into the Rhyhorn. Many of the needles snapped and shattered, but the several that sunk into its skin glowed a light green and the Rhyhorn collapsed. With the Drain Punch, the wound in his abdomen mostly healed, though it wasn't enough to restore any of the many needles that had broken across his body.
As the Tauros charged at Kangooroom, he had just enough time to prepare a powerful Sky Uppercut under the Tauros' head that sent it flying a couple feet into the air and over his head as he ducked out of the way. The Tauros whined and brayed but Kangooroom wouldn't stop there. He broke out of his Ingrain to step toward the Tauros that got back to its feet. Kangooroom disappeared and the Tauros was knocked straight sideways from a Mach Punch to the face. The Tauros didn't moan or bray as it hit the ground.

Forrest wasn't prepared for a huge hand to grasp onto his shoulder. The hand was nearly twice the size of his own and much stronger as it pulled him to the ground. His head bounced hard off the concrete. He was quickly dizzy and nauseous when he felt a large leather shoe push into his abdomen with an amazing amount of force. Forrest vomited through a whined grunt but curled around the foot and grabbed hard around Jonton's calf and shin. He rolled to pull Jonton with him so he would get off-balance. But he felt Jonton's thigh lock it in place.
Perfect. Forrest swung an arm around to hit a big pressure point he knew of in the middle of Jonton's hamstring with his knuckles. The man grunted and winced for the first time. Forrest took this opportunity to roll and bring his leg up so his foot would crash into Jonton's face. After the roll, Forrest slammed his shin upward into Jonton's crotch. This made the monster drop to the ground with a notably grittier whined grunt than Forrest's.
Forrest got to his feet and tried to get his breath back. A hand went to grab at his abdomen while his other forearm wiped away the vomit on his face. With Jonton still in the fetal position, Forrest stepped forward to stomp on Jonton's head, which he was convinced couldn't kill a monster like Jonton. When his foot reached its apex, his other leg was pulled out from under him and he fell straight onto his back. All of the air Forrest had fought to regain was taken out of his lungs again. Forrest couldn't even cough and just laid there with his eyes wide and his mouth gaping.
Instinctually, Forrest rose his food up high and crashed his heavy hell onto Jonton's temple. There was a sharp crack that echoed briefly off the walls around them. Jonton laid still on the ground.
It felt like too long before air rushed back into Forrest's lungs with an exaggerated gasp. He shot up to sit on the ground with his legs in front of him, his right foot still on top of Jonton's head. His eyes darted around and he saw how Antligon, Halcrow, and Kangooroom had finished their fights as well and were approaching him. He was glad to see Kangooroom entirely unharmed but felt sorry for how hurt Antligon looked and how many needles had broken off Halcrow.
He felt a markedly foreign though somehow familiar feeling course through his body. Deep warmth filled his muscles and spread under his skin as he felt the abrasions across his back heal. He soon felt the cool sea air pass over his bare skin through the tears in his shirt. He groaned as he felt his abdominal muscles go back to normal which was initially very painful but instantly relieving. He looked back to see a Gallade performing some kind of healing maneuver he was currently unable to name. A Starmie followed the Gallade and seemed to soon tend to Antligon and Halcrow.
Forrest nodded his head at the Gallade with his lips pulled in in appreciation. The waves of calming warm energy were welcome and he sighed in relief. He took the white hand that reached down for him and pulled himself up. He pat the Gallade on the shoulder and said "thanks," with another nod and the hint of a chuckle. A few more Heal Pulses were sent through him as Forrest rolled his shoulders and swung his arm to test that he was completely healed.
"Wow, that was quick," he said and looked back at the Gallade with raised brows and a wide smile. "Syressa and Damselraed could learn a thing or two from you," he said with another chuckle. A heavy hand landed on Gallade's shoulder and Forrest pat him again.
He nodded and then turned to see how Antligon and Halcrow were doing. Within the Starmie's Aqua Ring, they appeared to be doing much better already. The gem at its center glowed bright and he could see the faint walls of a kind of bubble quickly form around them. It flashed white and disappeared. When Forrest recovered his eyesight, both Antligon and Halcrow appeared entirely healed.
"Wow, thanks you guys," he said as he walked over to check on his two Pokemon himself. On his way, he patted Kangooroom's shoulder who loomed over Jonton's body prepared with a Mach Punch to knock him out if he so much as twitched.

Veritas, Vertigo, and Ether would stay out of sight while Tristan worked the girl. "She's lying." He'd tug at his black sport coat to straighten it out after all the running. His black leather shoes were similarly not made for such activity. Good thing they were already so worn in, so he wasn't yet under threat of getting blisters.

Still, his purple hair with the white streak was rather distinctive. However, he was most well-known for his mauve suit, so he hoped his more non-descript, though still well-made and expensive, black outfit would throw her off for a little bit.

"Yeah, no shit." he responded telepathically to Ether. Out loud he would move with the young lady. "I'm Zero." He started out loud, using an alias he had used before when working with the underground. Hopefully that would make her more comfortable, if she was familiar with the scene, and further distract her from his true identity. "I work with... her from time to time." He wasn't really worried if she responded. He was just trying to calm tensions while trying to help them find a way out. "Good timing to have a meeting with her..." He used his annoyance at Forrest's antics to carry through to this fake story.

He'd follow, but wouldn't say anything until they got to a sort of throughway. He was doing his best to come across as non-threatening all the while. "Hold on..." he suggested while he took a few moments to look and try to find a way to, at least, the edge of the Wharf. Looking to the sky, the Tower, anything he could use to try to get his bearings. "This way..." he guessed, using the sun to travel east.

He hoped she would follow.

Ether, Veritas, and Vertigo stayed nearby, keeping an eye out for anyone that might be following them, or maybe even someone who could be this "Ms. Shade". They would ensure to keep out of line-of-sight of the pair, though. Tristan didn't want her thinking he had any pokemon, and certainly that she wasn't under threat of being attacked by pokemon.

"She is so going to have to make this up to me..." He said in a sort of jest, referring to being put in the middle of all this chaos. He'd scoff at himself with the words to try and play up the ruse.

He would hope to lead the pair to the edge of the Wharf, to the eastern edge, and at least have the wall to follow until they might come to some sort of man-door, or other method of getting out of here.

All the while, Tristan communed with Ether telepathically, who then relayed this information to the rest of his team; even Aequitas and Arine.



Almost a full foot shorter than Forrest, Aequitas wasn't quite used to being so short; normally being the tallest other than his trainer by only a couple inches. That, and the somewhat patronizing nature of the whole thing rubbed Aequitas the wrong way. Even so, he wouldn't show it. Instead, he would bow his head in appreciation of the sentiment.

Gallade would not reveal what Tristan was up to, and instead await orders from Forrest. He and Arine would be of help while they were here. First, though, he would emit a weak Heal Pulse towards Jonton - only enough to stabilize him and ensure he wouldn't outright die. Arine would move its Aqua Ring to Jonton's fallen Pokemon to save the ones it could. Again, only just enough to prevent death, if they weren't already. Whether this was out of some sort of moral code or merely the pragmatic understanding that they had so much information that could prove useful to quite a few people was, at this point, unclear.

"Yeah, okay," she said to his introduction. She played it off as if she was more concerned with escaping than exchanging pleasantries. "'Zero' - that sounds familiar."
"Oh," she said with the inflection of a question as if to ask him if she cared. "No you don't." Images of memories flashed through her mind at an alarming rate, even a psychic Pokemon would have difficulty keeping up. "It's only ever been me and Samantha. And I only joined last year." At the mention of Samantha, the image of an orb appeared in her mind - the orb that was like a void that they saw through Oracle's visions.
"Hah, sure," she said. Her thoughts were interfering with her ability to respond properly. "This idiot thinks she would be here?" The image of Jonton's face appeared in her mind but it faded like smoke.
The young woman looked impatient as she waited for Tristan to point them in a direction to flee. She was thankful but entirely anxious - afraid. The image of that void appeared in her mind again and a disembodied voice reprimanded her with a smooth and deep feminine voice. Her heart pounded at the thought "I really hope she doesn't mind she lost this contract. I should probably learn how Jonton was found out."
The woman let out the huff of a laugh as they hastily made their way out of the Wharf. The collapsed wall was in sight and the woman sped toward it, desperate to leave. "She owes you shit. I don't even know who you are-"
Her hand shot up to cover her mouth and her eyes widened. She tried to turn and compose herself quickly so her realization wasn't so obvious. "Shit shit shit. Your Tristan Aeros of the Elite-"
Her mind shunted out anything that wasn't her own. This would have been disorienting to those who weren't used to being denied access to the mind. Furthermore, the strength and absolution of her ability to shield her mind was likely the strongest most would have ever felt. She knew exactly what she was doing and she had much practice doing it.

Once they reached an alley where Rangers and civilians weren't near, she leaned over with her hands on her knees and breathed deeply. Clearly not used to cardio or such high-stress situations, it took her a few moments to gather herself. Even in this state, her mind was a fortress that couldn't be penetrated.
She dusted herself off and looked around, still concerned someone would find them. She shifted to face Tristan and her demeanor changed entirely. Her breathing steadied and her gaze into his eyes was fierce. Her face was flat and she blinked slowly. "Mr. Aeros, thank you for getting me out of there, but we don't have time to play games. You need to tell me how you know about Ms. Shade and why you're looking for her."
She was serious and fearless. Calling him by name, she had to know very well how influential he was and how powerful his Pokemon were. It was clear by now that she had no Pokemon of her own. Still, she seemed to look at him as if he was the weaker one between them, the less threatening. Her face showed no fear like it had before. It showed nothing.



"Softies," he scoffed with a wry smile as he watched the Gallade and Starmie heal Jonton and his Pokemon. He shook his head slightly then looked up and around as he searched for Syressa.
She eventually arrived with Shaq'ti and Damselraed underneath. Forrest nodded at Shaq'ti who nodded back while Syressa levitated Jonton and his Pokemon. She hovered much slower with only the five of them, but large people and Pokemon were, of course, more difficult to move around. Shaq'ti hovered quickly to lead the way for Syressa to bring their prisoners to the Rangers. Damselraed zipped toward and around Forrest to beg for attention, which he gave instinctually and with a smile on his face that might have looked very uncharacteristic for those who didn't know him well.
"Thanks, you two, for all your help," he said to the Gallade and Starmie. "You can go back to Mr. Aeros," he continued as he looked around to see that no one was rushing in toward them and the cries and screams were lessening. "I'm going to stay here with these guys to guard the tower until the Air and Gale Rangers get here."
He smiled and nodded at the pair. He turned and walked closer to the Tower while his Pokemon followed close behind.
It wasn't long until they heard the roar of a Salamance and the screech of a Pidgeot. Warden Lundin took a quick report from Forrest and then dismissed him. She and Sentinel Bailey then started their investigation of the Captain's Tower. Forrest walked casually out of the Wharf. Wickengu and Marionetta eventually joined by his sides. Once he reached the outside of the Wharf, he was approached by several Rangers. Forrest gave another quick report and commanded a few of them check certain locations where bodies would be found but also the places neither he nor his Pokemon went. They rushed into the Wharf and Forrest looked around to search for Mr. Aeros or any of his Pokemon. He shrugged when his lazy attempt at looking for them failed and started to casually walk back to the Rangers Headquarters. He returned all of his Pokemon to their Pokeballs except Damselraed, of course.
The commotion and rumors allowed him to hide in plain sight. Though those with a keener eye would spot someone clearly undisturbed by what happened at the Wharf, none seemed to exist along the path he took. The sun was hot and he felt the sweat that had soaked into his shirt and so decided to take it off. Damselraed showered him with cool bubbles, which made Forrest chuckle as he welcomed the comfort and appreciated the mild entertainment she provided as he started to try to pop her bubbles.
This continued even as they entered into the Headquarters, as if unaware they had even arrived. He walked straight toward the Master General's office and didn't knock before he opened the door. He popped a few more bubbles and then told Masquerain to stop through his chuckling. The wide smile on his face remained as he turned his attention toward the Master General who just sat in his chair with wide eyes and mouth slightly opened.
"That was easier than expected," he said and rose his arm to put his hands behind his head and recline in the chair that only came up to his mid back. "Though, I really have Mr. Aeros and his Pokemon to thank for that," he added with another chuckle and wiped his nose with his thumb.

"She's... gone..." Ether sounded uneasy in Tristan's mind.

"What?" Tristan was too busy running, something he hardly ever did, to put the mental energy in to understand what was going on.

Veritas and Vertigo were busy keeping an "eye" on everything around them. Ether was really the only one keeping tabs on this specific pair of humans.

"She has... disappeared." Veritas confirmed. Her voice was a soft, smooth mezzo-soprano with a natural echo. It was almost as though she only spoke in song.

"We can't feel her anymore." Vertigo elaborated. His voice was a somewhat rough tenor, very different from the smooth textures of Ether and Veritas.

He heard her running beside him, but still couldn't help but look over his shoulder to make sure she was actually there. It would be played off as though he were checking to make sure she was keeping up if she questioned the move. While Tristan wasn't sure what was going on, he focused on the task at hand and would just file this information away for later.

At least he had gotten some information. Though, he couldn't be sure to know how reliable it was.

Was Samantha this Ms. Shade?

Was Ms. Shade, or Samantha, trying to fulfill a contract with Jonton? Contract for what? And how was​ Jonton found out?

And she realized who he was. He was disappointed that she did it so quickly.

And once they were out of immediate danger her demeanor completely changed. No longer was he helping a scared girl. Now he was confronted by a fortress of a young lady who had full control over her mind and faculties and wouldn't be played for a fool.

Even still, he instructed his pokemon to stay back. They would not engage or otherwise show themselves. He still had three occupied pokeballs on him, so he was in no real danger anyway. At least, he thought so. Aequitas and Arine had been told to continue investigating the Wharf for anything that might be interesting, or anything that seemed out of place.

He was glad, though, that the fight had gone in Forrest's favor. Tristan berated himself a little, annoyed that he thought there might be any issue. But, still relieved to not had to have witnessed any of it. He bent over backwards to avoid the underground fights, despite his moonlighting.

Almost matching the girl, Tristan was similarly impassive about the revelation of his true identity. And, as such, in order to try to make up for his deception, chose to err on the side of truth.

"We share... an employer." he started, speaking and choosing his words carefully. "And this employer hasn't heard from her in quite some time. So I was sent to find out if she was alright." He considered stopping there. Indeed, that answer was more than sufficient, he thought. However, he chose to divulge more. Perhaps that would redeem him somewhat in the girl's eyes. "And if not, then to get the information our employer is expecting and bring it back."

It was all true, at least as far as he knew. So he wouldn't have to put in any extra work to make it more believable. The girl would believe him or she wouldn't. He would say more if he was pressed, but he wanted to see where this might get him first.

At the mention of a mutual employer, her brows twitched against her will - subconsciously. Tristan hit at something. And she would confirm. "Oh, so you're here for Lady Fairfax?" she asked rhetorically. She leaned a hand against her hip and quickly lowered her guard and became more comfortable. Her lids lowered as if she was already tired of the conversation. Still, her mind was closed to others.
She exhaled in relief and continued. "Well, there's nothing to report." She shifted her weight onto her other foot and crossed her arms petulantly, as if she was annoyed that he would bother her with something so trivial. "We were trying to find Jonton before the Rangers did so Lady Fairfax could 'take care of it,'" she said while her fingers made quotation marks in the air. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the idea. "Obviously I and my colleague failed, which Ms. Shade won't like," she said to herself.
She comfortably believed no one else was in her mind so her lips loosened. "So even though you probably don't even have to go report back to her, you can tell her we failed," she said with a shrug and gestured toward the Wharf that was utterly destroyed.
The entire city immediately knew that the Wharf had been attacked. Lady Fairfax, with her eyes everywhere, would know that the Rangers had raided it and that Jonton was now in their custody. She sighed heavily and pulled in a corner of her lip to show mild dissatisfaction about the situation.
"But really, 'Zero'?" she said and leaned her head toward him and stuck her rear out a bit to exaggerate the gesture. "You're an Elite Four member with very distinctive hair," she explained and gestured at the top of his head. "Surely you could do better to disguise yourself. Wigs exist, you know..." she added with a short giggle and a scoff. The smile on her face was decidedly playful.

So, she's here with someone else? The man from the vision that was thrown around? Or someone else? Where was this person now?

As always, answers so often only led to more questions.

"I thought I was going to help working on Mauville today. I certainly wasn't ready for a summons, and for sure didn't think all of this was going to happen today." He smirked lightly. "My pokemon are psychic, not me." He'd follow this up with a light chuckle.

It only lasted a moment before he became serious again. He'd assume that Lady Fairfax didn't know that Jonton was so close to being found and Ms. Shade had chosen to keep following the lead before reporting in.

However, he was going to do much the same.

Tristan needed to know how the Rangers knew where Jonton was and was able to organize a raid before Ms. Shade could conduct... whatever mission she was trying to do. Never mind before Lady Fairfax even knew Jonton was right here, right under her nose all the while.

He was going to find this out before returning to Lady Fairfax. The girl was right - there was no use in reporting back to Marilda at this point. He had no information to share that she wouldn't already know.

"Well, when you see Ms. Shade, please tell her that Lady Fairfax wishes to speak with her." Given how this Ms. Shade had been spoken of, he figured that this would be little incentive for her to do so. Still, he felt somewhat obligated to get the idea out, at least.

"Are you good to get out of here yourself?" He quarter turned, preparing to leave to go find out what he could.

After she was all set to part ways, he would go back into the Wharf, meeting up with Ether, Veritas, and Vertigo to head to the site of the battle. Aequitas and Arine would eventually return to their trainer as well to report what they might have found on their rounds. He'd ask one of the Rangers where Forrest went and where Tristan might find him. Being told Forrest headed back to HQ, Tristan rested his hand on Ether to be teleported just outside the doors to the building.

He'd walk at a casual pace, but it was still rather quick. He'd ask the person at the front desk where Forrest was, and would make his way towards the man to ask a few questions.

The woman laughed through her hand. She related to the sentiment very deeply, it seemed, and appreciated the jest. The man seemed lost in thought once she composed herself so she decided to attempt to lighten the mood once more.
"I'm Asuna, by the way," she said and reached out her hand to shake his. "I'm sure we'll run into each other again," she added with a wink. "Just - I'd appreciate privacy for my mind," she said with a raised brow and a slight smile.
"Yeah, okay," she said incredulously with a scoff. "I'll tell her right away." She couldn't help but add a chuckle.
"Yes, I'm staying at the Swell-Hotel downtown. But thank you," she said with a genuine smile.
"Asuna, who's this? What are you doing?"
The voice was unexpected. Terse and short and forced deep though she seemed to have a naturally high-pitched voice. A woman even younger than Asuna appeared about ten feet further into the alley. Next to her was an Espeon with a lighter-than-usual coat. Its gem glowed dimly in the shadows of the buildings on either side of her. She wore normal clothing. Her long-sleeve peplum shirt was, otherwise, fitted. She wore black pants and leather boots with fairly high heels. Her red-brown hair was thick with tight curls. It was tucked behind an ear and pulled back behind the same shoulder and rested over her other shoulder. Her pale green eyes almost glowed in the shadows of her eyes. She was notably short, but her hips and bust wouldn't allow the mistake to assume she was a child.
"Oh, Samantha!" Asuna nearly shrieked. She turned around with her hands over her mouth. "Uh, this is-"
"Someone poking around in other people's business."
Her eyes glared at Tristan. The Espeon's fur stood up and it lowered its head slightly. Its eyes glowed bright as it attempted to Psychic this man hard against the wall.

So, this one was Asuna. He'd make a mental note of that, filing it away for future recall.

Though, if we were being completely honest, it would be Ether's future recall. Tristan was notoriously bad with names.

Then he would nod in understanding and appreciation of her request. Veritas would have to be shooed away a few times before it stuck, but the others should fall in line fairly quickly.

And her response to his request confirmed that he would still need to work to find this Ms. Shade himself. A bother, surely. But he couldn't concern himself with it now.

A shiver ran up his spine when another woman seemed to appear out of nowhere. The silhouette of an Espeon was clear enough to Tristan. "Is this..." His thought was cut off by Asuna's confirmation that this was, indeed, Samantha. This was the one that was invisible in Oracle's vision. This was someone he had to be careful of.

And she soon proved this to be true. Tristan had been saved more than once by a Psychic. To be on the receiving end of the attack, though, was less-than pleasant. It was like his whole body was being crushed in all direction simultaneously. Good thing Ether, Veritas, and Vertigo were intimately in tune with their Trainer had quick reactions. While they couldn't protect him from being gripped and thrown, they could nullify the impact - the part that was really going to hurt. It was still quite a shock for his body, but he'd have no broken bones for it.

All three of them were now visible to the two women, having formed something of a triangle around where Tristan and Asuna had been chatting. On instinct, Ether erected a Light Screen that mixed with Veritas' Reflect in a dome around their Trainer while Vertigo thought of a Nasty Plot or two. Tristan would ask that they hold to see what would happen so he could retort, "I don't think Lady Fairfax would appreciate that characterization."

"I was just leaving, anyway." His gaze would settle on Asuna. He wondered, if only for a moment, if she was safe or if this Samantha abused her to keep her compliant. But that was far less important in this moment. He needed to get away. He wasn't in the mood to get in a fight right now. There was too much to do.

If that intimidated her to make her stand down, great. He wasn't banking on it, though. These two worked for Ms. Shade, not Marilda. And he was sure Lady Fairfax was working multiple angles, and the only rational way to do that was for those "angles" to not know about each other. Even better, to not know where their orders actually came from.

It only made it inconvenient for her agents, after all.

The hint of a wicked smile appeared on Samantha's face. Her eyes remained still and lifeless. She put a hand on her hip but kept where she was. "That bitch doesn't care about any of us. We're all less than ants in her eyes." Her raised brow that suggested contempt for the woman as much as her words spoke that contempt plainly.
"Samantha!" Asuna shouted but composed herself to be quiet. "That's Tristan Aeros. He was just trying check up on Ms. Shade for Lady Fairfax. We're on the same side."
Her voice was pleading and exasperated. Samantha's gaze didn't so much as twitch from Tristan's. She pressed her lips together and clenched her jaw. She blinked twice as she considered what to say.
"Fine," she said with a shallow sigh and a raised brow. "Whatever." Her hand came up in a dismissive motion. "You're dismissed," she added and waved the back of her hand toward Tristan.
Her wicked smile grew in an instant and this time it showed in her eyes. She reached down to touch the Espeon on its head, but there was a male Meowstic that had appeared on her other side. It's eyes flashed a deep purple and streaks of psychic energy shot toward Tristan's bubble from all around and simultaneously. At the same time, a loud gong rang deep above their heads. The underside of a Bronzong was lowering down upon them. At its center was a growing orb of flashing metallic energy.
The Psyshock and Gyro Ball would certainly test the Gardevoir's Reflect. They also knew exactly how to take advantage of hiding themselves psychically so as to catch even other psychic Pokemon off-guard.
A single laugh escaped from Samantha as her, Asuna, and her Pokemon disappeared as the attacks would land. Notably, they weren't touching the Espeon when they Teleported. In the briefest of moments, Samantha taunted her and her Pokemon's immense skill to an Elite Four member. And it amused them.

This was all as fascinating as it was aggravating.

Samantha, for her part, wasn't wrong. At least as far as Tristan was concerned. Indeed, Tristan didn't work for her out of the goodness of his heart. Not that any who worked for her had much in the way of "good" to go around. Sure, he did what he thought was right, and ensured he wasn't directly involved in anything unsavory. However, to presume that he wasn't equally using the opportunity and proximity towards his own ends was rather myopic.

Hearing Asuna stick up for him was... surprising. They had only just met and she was trying to protect him. Curious. Especially because she still seemed to defer to her, but worked up the courage in this moment to speak out against her actions.

After that, everything moved so quickly. Tristan was largely helpless as Ether's Light Screen managed to hold against the Meowstic's attack. However, Ether was much more well-practiced in his screens than Veritas. In fact, it could be argued that Ether's Reflect Screen was stronger than either of Veritas' individual screens.

However, having a third pokemon to help defend him against the attacks of two allowed Tristan to remain rather safe. Vertigo interfered with the Bronzong's descent via his own Psychic power, severely weakening the power of the Gyro Ball. Still, the Reflect strained against the Psyshock, but managed to hold. Even before the dust settled, Tristan and his team were now alone.

He'd take a few moments, allowing his pokemon to ensure that the area was safe before letting their screens fade.

"They're strong..." Ether opined while they cleared the area.

"Can't underestimate her. Still... surprised I've never heard of her before. She would be a strong Trainer."

"They must keep to the underground."

"I... feel bad for her." He admitted in regards to Asuna.

"You want to save her, don't you?"

"I mean..."

"What if she doesn't want to be."

"... I don't know..."

"Exactly."

Ether was always the more rational and intellectual of the pair. It was he that largely contributed to Tristan's calm outward appearance in many cases.

Veritas and Vertigo were returned to their pokeballs and Ether teleported them to the center of the Wharf, where Forrest's brawl took place. Arine and Aequitas were recalled and debriefed by Ether before being returned to their pokeballs.

"Do you know where Forrest went off to?" Tristan asked a nearby Ranger.

"Last I saw, he went off towards HQ." she answered, pointing a thumb in the general direction.

"Thanks," he said with a curt nod. His hand brushed Ether and the pair teleported again to just outside of the Ranger Headquarters.

It was rather busy outside of the building. Several Rangers could be seen running this way and that. With all the chaos at the Wharf, that was only to be expected. Most that scurried about were Area Rangers, but eventually Ether pointed out someone of rank to him.

"Lieutenant?" Tristan called out with a raised voice, so he might be heard over the commotion.

"This area is restri... Oh! Mr. Aeros! Sorry, Sir. What can I do for you? Are... you alright, Sir?" The young man seemed concerned about Tristan's decidedly disheveled appearance.

"I'm fine, Lieutenant. Did you happen to see Forrest pass by? Do you know where he might be?"

"Oh, um. I think I heard that he's speaking with the Master General, Sir."

"Thanks." Tristan nodded and hurried off to find them. He couldn't be too far behind - the little spat didn't take that long, but he wasn't sure if Forrest had gotten into the habit of teleporting everywhere like he had.

"Sir," the Lieutenant said in kind and watched him stroll away.

Entering inside, he'd be addressed by the man behind the counter. "Uh, Sir?" It was clear that the man, similar to the Lieutenant, didn't immediately recognize the Elite Four member.

"I'm meeting with the Master General." Tristan was not asking. Not today. Not after this.

"I'll... let him know, Sir." The receptionist thought better than to question or deny him.

Tristan wouldn't offer a "thank you" or anything in return - he was in something of a rush.

While Tristan and Ether walked, both would keep their eyes and ears open to pick up what they could as they made their way. Maybe someone would slip up and say something about the raid ad how they knew Jonton was going to be there. Unlikely, of course. Still, whatever other gossip or information he could glean on his way would only help.

Once he made it to the Master General's office, he'd do a quick double knock and open the door before an answer.

Master General Hardy sat still as he attempted to comprehend how quickly Forrest was able to raid the Wharf by himself and able to take out nearly all of Jonton's lackeys and Jonton himself while appearing unharmed. The mention of an Elite Four member would have shocked him more if it wasn't Tristan, specifically. Still, he was confused that Tristan would even be there since he never called for the Elite Four's assistance in this matter.
"Master General, Mr. Aeros is here to see you," a voice said through a box on his desk.
The Master General's eyes widened even more and looked as if they'd pop out of his skull if he peeled back his lids any further. It took a moment but he leaned over and pushed a button on the box. His eyes never left Forrest who was lazily looking around and at the Masquerain who hadn't settled down entirely yet. "Thank you," he said quietly.
The knock on the door startled the Master General. He jumped in his seat with a gasp. It was all so hard to believe. "Yes, come in," he said, though strained to raise his voice with his throat tense and stiff.

Forrest was still reclined in the wooden chair with a hand behind his head and his other hand feigning to attempt to calm the Masquerain. A closer look would reveal he was really continuing to play with the Pokemon. His skin looked dewy and his white shirt was draped out of a back pocket in his pants. He didn't turn at the new guest, since he could accurately assume who it was and didn't feel the need to engage in formal introductions.
The Master General looked at Tristan for a few moments, his eyes still wide and his mouth slightly agape. He blinked hard and shook his head to compose himself from his bewilderment. "Hello, Mr. Aeros. I appreciate your visit so soon after this event. Please, take a seat," he said and gestured to the only other wooden chair in front of his desk and next to Forrest.
He simply waited for Tristan to speak first. He couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment. Tristan didn't appear at all disheveled himself. Another wonder that he was in no way expecting as an outcome from this mission.

Teleporting was convenient, sure. One of the few drawbacks to it, though, was that it didn't allow for time to think while on the way to the destination.

It wasn't until Tristan walked through the door and into the Master General's office that he realized he was arriving as a long-time Internal Affairs Investigator, not an Agent for Lady Fairfax. There were certain things he could say, and he had most certainly not prepared for this.

It was a good thing that Ether was there to help reign in his thoughts and make him take a breath to stop looking like a Deerling-in-the-headlights. "Master General." He said with a nod of the head. "Mr. Johnson." He continued with another nod.

He chose not to sit down. Not yet, at least. He'd move closer to the desk, standing so he would make a more equal triangle with the other two. He couldn't help but roll his eyes once he finally realized that Forrest was shirtless.

In the Master General's Office!

"Like... can we calm down? It's not like there isn't air conditioning in here."

"Why are you complaining?"

"Bitch, shut up."

Ether just chuckled as Tristan did his best to contain himself.

"Sir, I was hoping I might be read into what you have on Jonton." Tristan finally managed to request. "I met with Mr. Johnson at the Wharf just looking into a lead. I didn't actually believe him when he said he was here for Jonton himself. I mean, I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.

And, Sir, if I may... you should have seen it."

He'd pause for a moment before putting on something of a show. "Of course, if you'd rather me go through the proper chain of command..."

The Master General shook his head as he comprehended all of what Tristan said. "Oh, yes, of course that's why you're here." He opened a drawer in his desk and picked a file from it. "It's not up to date for what's happened today, but this is all the information we have right now regarding his affiliations and movements for the past 2 years.
"Special Agent Hawly learned he'd be in the Wharf today, which is why you were called so urgently, Johnson." He walked around the desk and handed the folder to Tristan. "If you'd like to make a copy, please do. Otherwise we'll have a copy sent to you within the week," he added.
For information on a single person for two whole years, the folder was relatively small. There were only about two dozen suspects that were thought to lead right to Jonton or that had information regarding his whereabouts at the time. There were 12 individuals with a red stamp on the corner of their file of the word "DEAD" or "MISSING." They were all undercover agents of the Rangers that tried to get close to Jonton. The 13th spy didn't have such a stamp, but the last item recorded for the man was "in Fairfax Hospital with fatal wounds." It appears this man, Bordon Hawly, though that was likely his cover, was the one that was able to determine that he would be in the Wharf on this particular day and only today. There were scrawlings that suggested different plans and strategies as to how to get in there and raid the Wharf. There was a single sheet of paper with a few groups of names with three officers that were all crossed out. A note of "Mauville Attack" or "DENIED" or "REFUSED" were written next to some of them with all of the names crossed out. Forrest's name was at the bottom and it was circled several times. Several leads that were found to be red herrings remained under these initial files.
"You're welcome to stay for the interrogation," the Master General said after he let Tristan scan through the file for a minute. He was sat back in his chair and his demeanor was markedly more relaxed now. "Although, you're of course welcome to lead the interrogation, Mr. Aeros," he said and perked up as the revelation washed over him that this would be the perfect opportunity.
Both he and Tristan knew well how quick and painless interrogations could be. Minds were typically supple and easily pried open. They both were also intimately aware of those that were capable of sealing their minds closed even when unconscious. The Master General suspected Jonton would land in the latter category despite his brutish appearance. But he knew Tristan had a way with the minds of others and if anyone could find a way, it would be him. After all, Tristan was the one to set the standard of interrogations for the Rangers. He effectively trained all of the Rangers at one point or another.
"Hey, if you do, would you mind showing Shaq'ti a few pointers or techniques? I think she'd like that," Forrest said.
Damselraed had alit onto Forrest's shoulder and was no longer blowing bubbles or chirping for attention. She still rubbed against Forrest's head and face, but it seemed the man was refocused on the task at hand and knew it wasn't entirely over yet. At least, he knew it'd be foolish to let his guard completely down.
"Oh, right. Here," the Master General said and got up and walked toward a cabinet in the corner of the office.
He quickly found a beige shirt and tossed it to Forrest who caught it and gave a nod of approval. Forrest put it on as Tristan answered.

"I'll make a copy before I leave..." he insisted absent-mindedly while he half-listened. He was focusing more on diving into this disappointingly thin file. Indeed, there was more information on people other than Jonton than on the man himself. Not that this should have surprised anyone, but it was still someone bothersome.

He'd certainly run through the list of the couple dozen of potential contacts or leads to Jonton, but was much more interested in the undercover agents who were reported as dead or missing. He'd think back to post-attack and the time he spent in the hospital - whether or not he heard of an Agent Hawly and what his condition was now.

The groups of names with the three officers was also an interesting report. He was curious what the notes meant and how they were involved. And what was Forrest's name doing in here? What did that all mean?

He was a little disappointed that there was nothing inferring or having to do with the destruction of the physical archives department of the Mauville Energy company. The Draco Meteors, he thought, looked awfully similar. Sure, the same move typically looked rather similar, but he wanted to be able to determine what Forrest's role in all this was, if any. He couldn't quite shake the doubt in his mind, even though he might have wanted to. This whole thing was too simple, but only led him to believe it was all the more convoluted, and that they weren't even yet scratching the surface. To think that Jonton wasn't the mastermind, or the end goal, was troublesome.

The offer to say mostly wasn't heard by Tristan. Ether brought his attention back to the room so he could properly hear the offer to lead the interrogation. That certainly piqued his interest. "I would be honored. I hope I wouldn't be stepping on any toes, though, Sir." He wanted to make sure Rich was sure about this.

"Oh. Yeah, of course." Mentally Tristan was elsewhere when he answered Forrest's request. He was busy thinking about how he'd go about the questioning of this infamous criminal.

His attention shifted back to Rich. "I'll go and make a copy of this," he started, lifting the file up a bit to indicate what he was talking about. "Then I'll figure out where Jonton is and take over from here." This was a statement. A pretty self-assured statement, actually. There was still a pause for Richard to offer his thoughts or opinion on this, but Tristan wasn't really asking if this was ok more than letting the Master General know what was going to happen.

"I'm know they would all be more than pleased to have you lead the interrogation," the Master General said as he waved off Tristan's modesty.
Shaq'ti popped out of its Pokeball. It seemed like Forrest didn't even physically do anything to prompt it, but maybe he had a subtle way of calling out his Pokemon. "Go ahead and follow Tristan around for a while. Learn everything you can from him. They're going to interrogate Jonton," he said with a wry smile as he raised a brow up and down.
The Medicham bowed silently and turned to Tristan at attention. "Tristan Aeros, yes? It is a pleasure to meet you," she thought. Her words were slow and methodical. Her voice was a deep and smooth alto. It was calming and could easily lull anyone to sleep if they allowed it.
"That's great, Mr. Aeros. I and the other interrogators really appreciate it," the Master General said with a nod. He leaned back in his cushioned and high-back chair to get comfortable to chat more casually with Forrest.
"So, how'd you get in there, anyway?" the Master General asked.
"Oh," Forrest started with a short chuckle. "Antligon's Draco Meteor."
"I should have figured," he said with a smile and a scoff. He shook his head as he continued, "you still gotta make up for that building you demolished in Mauville."
"Ah, shit," Forrest said in realization. He rose up to sit up straight and thought. "That's right," he added with a finger on his chin and his eyes looking upward. "Wait. How do you even know about that? It was fucking chaos there," he said with a smile on his face from being impressed with it being found out rather than a sense of pleasure of demolishing a building.
"Johnson, please. There were Rangers everywhere. Dozens of people saw it. They were glad it took out a bunch of Jonton's lackeys and their Pokemon, at least," he said with a shrug and chuckled.
"Well, that was the point," he said with a self-gratified smirk and then chuckled a bit with the Master General.

That would have been more of a relief if Tristan believed Rich. It had been a long time since he'd transferred to Internal Affairs; plenty of time to stir up ill will among the ranks. Tristan still nodded in approval, if not agreement, with the assurance.

His mind was still a-buzz with possibilities. Trying to figure out questions and tactics he might use against the beast, it took a moment before he realized the Medicham was there with them and speaking to him in his mind. "Ah. Shaq'ti. Yes, well met. I hope you're well." He, again, thought all of this while his mind was working on other things. Ether would catch her up, though.

"Appreciate it?" he thought. "Why would they appreciate it?" He was still rather skeptical of the whole thing, but wouldn't outwardly question any of it. He would see how things went and deal with whatever happened when it happened.

While Rich and Forrest bantered back and forth, it was Ether, again, that brought his attention back to the room. "That was probably the one that almost caught Vertigo and Aequitas..."

"That was you?!" Tristan almost yelled at the realization. "I was literally right there. If Oracle wasn't around, Vertigo and Aequitas would have been caught in that!" His hands found his hips as he expressed his indignation towards the flippant attitude surrounding the whole thing.

"Just like you to blow up evidence and suspects first, though..." He shook his head and sighed heavily. He'd put on an aire of jest, but he was rather serious. Still, he didn't want to get into an argument, so he didn't press the issue.

"Anyway, I should be off. Jonton will probably be ready soon." He'd turn to leave, but then stop at the door and half-turn. "What will the two of you be doing in the meantime?"

The chuckling stopped quickly at Tristan's outburst. They both turned to face him directly and they both had similarly sympathetic faces. A moment of silence lingered as he finished his complaint followed by a snarky comment.
"Oh, shit," Forrest said low and quiet. "I'm so sorry. If I had any idea-"
He couldn't finish his thought but, thankfully, Tristan moved on. Forrest let out a scoff of a chuckle and turned back to the Master General. "We're just going to chat here for a bit while you have Shaq'ti," he started. "I might find my way down there and see what it's like. As many criminals as I've brought in for the Rangers, I've never bothered to sit in on an investigation," he added, though mostly seemed to say it to himself.
Forrest shifted back to the position he was in, his hands behind his head and leaning back against the chair. As Tristan left, the Master General took out a box of cigars that the two would enjoy to quietly celebrate their "victory."

A somewhat stern look and a nod would indicate his understanding before turning to leave the office and head to Box Row. While he was originally uncomfortable being in this building, by this point he had fully transitioned to his public role. While it had been a while since he had been called to participate in an investigation for Internal Affairs, Tristan was still intimately familiar with this building. Indeed, he could probably walk these halls with his eyes closed, even without the help of Ether.

Ether and Shaq'ti seemed to get along well enough. She was a bit more straight-laced than he was, but he knew how to turn it down and act professional. Make a good impression and all that. Ether couldn't help asking if Shaq'ti had been around the night of the Mauville attack. The both of them were eager to get another perspective on the whole thing. Perhaps even learn more about Forrest's actions during, if only to get additional information.

Tristan would nod to the Rangers and Officers he'd pass along the way. Mostly Land Rangers, but given this was the headquarters there would be a smattering of the other branches passing through on their way to this or that mission. At this point, Tristan had removed his sport coat and had it simply resting on his shoulders in a sort of cape. Even with the air conditioning, it was still a hot day, and being in long sleeves and pants of only black certainly didn't help. He figured he should get something more appropriate for the weather and climate, but even after all these years he'd never gotten around to it.

After swapping Mauville-Attack stories, Ether would start prepping Shaq'ti on basic methods and tactics that they would use to get what they needed out of suspects. The more pliable ones could simply be questioned by Tristan and, regardless of what they said, Ether would be able to discern what they really thought. Other required more... intimate (read: invasive) methods. There was your typical Good Cop or Bad Cop; playing the sympathy card, or trying to intimidate them into talking. Bribery worked at times, trickery, outright lies. Anything was fair game, really. Other than torture, of course.

At least not in Box Row...

Not that Tristan would know anything about that...

...

With such a high-value captive, Tristan was going to pull out all of the stops. Passing by a stray Ranger, he'd order, "I'm going to need a Hyper Potion. I'll be in Box Row." He hoped that this, somehow, might make Oracle more comfortable. She would be instrumental, he thought, in piercing the man's mind. Or, at least finding out more about him.

And then a thought passed through his mind.

"What if she has him?" Speaking of Lady Fairfax, of course, but this would be kept from Shaq'ti for the time being. As much as he might want to, he didn't trust Forrest with this information.

Not yet.

But, no; that was just Ether.

"Then she has some balls." He'd pause before adding. "And we'll just have to stop by for a visit. Twice in one day..."

Yes, today had been rather busy.

Once the trio made it down to Box Row, Tristan asked of the guard there, "Bring us lunch, please." Tristan fully expected the man to know what he liked, or to find out. And quickly.

"For all of us," he clarified as he started to release a number of his pokemon from their pokeballs. Veritas, Pandora, Oracle, Vertigo, and Aequitas all made their appearances. Ether, as usually, got them caught up to speed. Each of them would set up in empty rooms, keeping out of sight for the time being, and preparing for what would be assumed was going to be a difficult questioning.

"Can you tell if he's almost here yet?" Tristan asked of really any of his pokemon, but most of Ether and Shaq'ti.

"Ah, yes. The Mauville Attack. Forrest commanded Syressa and I to remain outside of Ground Zero so that we could help those trying to flee the area. We managed to repel some of the people that tried to attack the civilians. I teleported a few groups of people further away from Ground Zero."
Shaq'ti thought the images she remembered from the attack. The darkness of the night popped with flashes of bright light. It was difficult to not become disoriented. Shaq'ti's visions faded to faint outlines of living forms in a sea of darkness. She had closed her eyes at some point so she could focus on who to save and who to protect against. A few faces that did show through were clear. A little girl and a teenage boy - brother and sister. A terrified couple - two women. An elderly man and his granddaughter. A pod of Azurill. Their faces were heartbreaking to the faint of heart. Their injuries made Shaq'ti's heart pound.
"- Shaq'ti..."
"Yes?"
"Come get us out of here. Rangers are coming and I need to get healed up."
The image of a young man appeared, definitively not a Ranger nor Forrest. He had a long slash down his back, but he was still up and fighting with his Charmeleon. Damselraed had formed an Aqua Ring around the young man as he fought, which appeared understandably difficult.
"Who's that? He needs attention, too. Damselraed's trying to heal him."
"Dunno."
"He's down."
His body was on the ground and blood seeped out of his skin on his back while surges of electricity sparked off his skin for a moment. Damselraed grew more frantic in trying to stabilize him.
"All right. Get him, too."
"Sturm okay?"
She quickly reached her mind out toward the giant generator where Mr. Sturm and his Plusle and Minun were. The two Pokemon were exerting all of their ability to control the exposed electricity back into the generator and to prevent the pathway from being severed. His Manectric mauled and shocked people and Pokemon all around him. He and his Pokemon appeared generally unharmed.
"Yes."
"Get us out of this bitch."
The image flashed a marbled light purple and white. It then faded to the calm scenery of a clear starry night above a log cabin surrounded by gardens and grass then surrounded by large and tall trees. Forrest and the young man were on the ground while their Pokemon stood above them. The front door opened the the silhouette of a woman appeared in the doorway. "Jeanne" echoed softly in a quiet feminine voice that was not Shaq'ti's.
The vision took no more than a few seconds to complete. Shaq'ti remained silent until they arrived at Box Row.



"Yes, sir. Of course," the Ranger said and bowed slightly.
"Of course, sir. Right away," the Ranger said and saluted.
The Rangers may have seemed oddly obsequious. But murmurs and wandering thoughts would reveal that all the Rangers learned of Mr. Aeros presence at the Headquarters and were almost afraid to displease him or make his time there more difficult that it needed to be. There was a level of respect, and a hint of fear, that surrounded their knowledge of this. The rumors that the Elite Four member was present during the Wharf Raid spread and intuitively knew he had involved himself intimately enough to arrive at the Headquarters immediately after.
Several Boxes were occupied with other lackeys being questioned. Any kind of probing would have revealed that they regretted being caught more than anything else. Swirling emotions of fear and regret filled the air. Many of them appeared to have been coerced or blackmailed into working under Jonton.
Before Tristan finished his thought, a gurney rolled into the room with an unconscious Jonton with his clothes removed and covered only in a white sheet. He was heavily bruised, but any of the blood had been cleaned off. He somehow looked uglier lying down.
"Mr. Aeros, sir. Major White," the man said after he placed the gurney in the center of the room. He stood erect and saluted with respect as he introduced himself. "I received word that you ordered food. It will arrive soon. What is it that you need, sir?"
He acted very familiar with Tristan though both knew they had never interacted before. The Elite Four's reputation always preceded them. For Tristan, more than that single reputation preceded him here.



Jonton was constantly on the move. Several memories surfaced of his discovering several of the eliminated undercover agents Tristan had seen in the file. He could now verify three of the agents that had been labeled as "missing" could be updated as "dead" and find their bodies for proper closure. He had bases all over Hoenn. He spent most of his time at the Wharf, the Slateport Junkyard, Fallarbor Town, Route 123, the Central Desert, and a small island on Route 130. There was a constant reference to Southern Island, but none of his memories ever had him there.
Probing deeper would result in the appearance of a silhouette of a man - entirely black. Jonton's visions were often hazy, but they were full of color and individual's faces were clear. This was certainly strange. Never had Tristan's Pokemon seen a memory be hidden in such a way. It suggested the memory had been tampered with as they probed deeper.
All color faded - everything became black. A dome surrounded them of a crystalline structure. There was no sound or smell or feel to the place. It took all of them, as well as Shaq'ti, to push on the weak points of this kind of mental prison they found themselves in. They had to exert almost all of their consciousness at an equal pressure and simultaneously at many different points. Jonton's mind had most definitely been manipulated to hide the identity of this man. It had to be significant.
The dome shattered. They were deafened by the high-pitched sound of glass breaking all around them. They were blinded by the impossibly bright flash of white that resulted in this prison being broken. When they could recover, the image of a giant floating Gorebyss appeared in front of them. They were still in the void of black.
Oracle reacted violently to this image. She was overwhelmed with the vision she had about the future. It played in her mind dozens of times within a second. It focused on the image of the man flanked by a Gorebyss and Huntail. The vision progressively focused on the Gorebyss.
The man was clear, though. He appeared early-mid 30's. He wore a plain navy vest and dress pants. His white button-up shirt looked clean-pressed and the sleeves were rolled to below his elbows. He wore shiny black leather laced shoes. His face was vacant of any emotion. His skin was pale and without blemishes. His hair was brown and undercut and combed straight back which suggested it was rather long. His eyes seemed to glow aquamarine. His brows were thick yet sharp. His nose was fine and long and proportional to his face. His chin and jaw were defined, though not too wide. Elegant stubbled grew across his face. His ears were a little smaller than one might expect. He looked respectably athletic in build. He would look beautiful if the air of terror didn't surround the image.
Pisces.
All of the Pokemon were shunted out of the memory as Oracle was, once again, locked in this vision. Though it would have been much shorter, the physical and mental toll it took on her was exponentially greater this time. She struggled to not go insane.



"I demand you release him to me. He should be home recuperating from this barbarism," she said and gestured to the whole of Box Row to imply that what they were doing was barbarous.
Lady Fairfax was kept out of the box and refused entry into it while Tristan and his team "worked" on him. She appeared indignant and impatient, but not terribly emotional or concerned with the man's well-being. Still, everyone knew of her connections, her influence, and her money. She kept asking how much it would cost to take him home.
"I'm sorry, my Lady. You can't be down here. This area is restricted," Major White said with a hint of worry in his voice.
"I go where I please, thank you," she said with all of the patience in the world. "I will be leaving with him, now."
Her level of calm was unnerving. She was commanding them without having the proper authority to do so, and all parties were very much aware of this. She stood still with her arms crossed.
"This isn't legal. You can't keep him without representation."
"This is well within the legal limits of what we are allowed to do considering the circumstances." Major White struggled to regain a level of confidence in himself and his station and his authority.
"We'll see about that. You have no proof. And anything you gain from all of this can't be proven without physical evidence."
"Ma'am," he said with more authority now. His patience was fading and his confidence was recuperating from his initial surprise of her visit. "We are gathering all of the evidence we need to keep him here for as long as we please. You are not allowed down here," he added and looked down the hall.
"Lieutenants, please escort Mrs. Fairfax off the premises."
Referring to her as "Mrs." instead of "Lady" made her visibly fume with anger as she found the title wholly insulting. The article she had submitted to The Daily Rust outlined her reasons why in great detail.
Because Major White had regained his confidence and authority, the Lieutenants felt confident to physically escort Lady Fairfax off the Headquarter's campus entirely.
Any wandering telepathy would hear her repeat "this is bad" over and over again.

Ether would, likewise, share his experience of the event in much the same way. After learning of everything Shaq'ti and Forrest endured, he couldn't help but feel glad about not having seen the worst of it. There was a part of him that felt guilty at that, but he didn't really have time to dwell on it.

The interrogation wing was rather busy today, to the surprise of no one. It seems the Rangers were rather efficient; so many already being questioned and all. Colloquially referred to as a "Box", each interrogation room, while plain, were specially designed to hold and effectively question people and Pokemon. Some would be a bit larger than others for this purpose. But each were to be barren with a secondary room to move through first where observers could watch behind a one-way mirror.

"Just a chair," he'd reply to Major White. "And probably some pokeblocks. This could take a while."

Once the "questioning" was under way, Tristan made notes on his copy of Jonton's file as information was revealed.

It was terrifying and invigorating all at the same time. So much was revealed, but Oracle's suffering was heart-breaking. Tristan's connection with his Pokemon resulted in him full-crying as he cradled a writhing Oracle, struggling to not lose her consciousness to the void. The rest of his team, and even Shaq'ti, did what they could to try and ease the pain and horror. It could have been much worse, but it was still several long minutes before Oracle was able to compose herself enough to return to her pokeball with some semblance of assurance that she would be find on her own.

Because of this, Tristan completely missed Lady Fairfax's "visit", though that was probably for the best. Veritas had picked up on her, though, and let Tristan know about it when all returned to calm.

He expected to again be summoned to Lady Fairfax any time now. Probably expected to use his connections to get Jonton out of there and into her "care". He was conflicted about that. Would he do this above board and risk not learning everything, and perhaps worse, getting on the bad side of Lady Fairfax? Or did he risk his career and livelihood to chance learning more than he could hope to otherwise?

While he might have wanted to worry about Lady Fairfax - that was a situation more tangible and comprehendible - he forced himself to consider this Pisces. This was clearly the same one from Oracle vision earlier today, and it seemed to suggest that this person was the one controlling Jonton. A fleeting thought passed through his mind that he desperately hoped there was no one else behind this "Pisces" pulling the strings.

He and his Pokemon, along with Shaq'ti of course, would be fed and have a chance to rest. The rest of Tristan's team were returned to their pokeballs before he, Ether and Shaq'ti would head to the Archives to dig up what they could about this Pisces. Tristan would suggest to Shaq'ti to report to Forrest and perhaps have him go and meet them there.

Tristan, for his part, would search for anything having to do with the name "Pisces", and any interesting reports about Gorebyss and Huntail. He'd see if there were any overlaps or possible connections, and would even ask for any reports on Jirachi, working under the assumption this was the same person.