Chapter 51

For the last two weeks, Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu have been running almost nonstop to reach their destination. Every other hour or so, Coovers checks his Pokenav to make sure the Battle Pyramid hasn't left from where it was when they left the Battle Tower. The three of them have been spending more time running than anything else for days, giving themselves only short breaks for food and making sure they don't sleep at night longer than they have to. With the possibility of the last Frontier Brain finding the Gieldanstone and Team Rocket likely looking for it fills their minds, the two men and the Raichu haven't been focusing on anything else.

Unknown to either of them, Jessie, James, and Meowth are still following them in their hot air balloon. The three keep following them from a safe distance while their minds are filled with possible rewards they will receive once their boss gets his hands on the white jewel. But all the while, they still are unaware of the hooded figure who is closely following them as well.

It is early afternoon, and the two groups have already headed north past Lavender Town. Coovers takes out his PokeNav again, and his heart leaps with excitement.

"Yes!" He shouts. "We are only just a couple of minutes away, and the pyramid is still there. We made it, guys."

"Finally," Timothy says with a determined look. "We better contact Looker to let him know we're here."

But just as soon as he says that, Coovers feels something ringing in his pocket, and he takes out his communication device. He presses a button, and an image of Looker appears.

"Sir, you called just in time," Coovers says. "We are a short walk away from the Battle Pyramid."

"I know," Looker says plainly. "Look to your right."

Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu look at each other in confusion before they turn their heads to find Looker hiding behind the trees. He gestures the three of them to walk over to him, and Coovers doesn't hesitate to walk over to his superior, followed by Timothy and Electchu.

"Sir!" Coovers says firmly as he salutes.

"At ease, Mr. Woodward," Looker says before turning to Timothy. "Mr. Durbin. Once again, thank you for your help."

"With all due respect, sir, I think you should save your thanks until we have the stone," Timothy says. "Have you been here long?"

"About a few days," Looker answers. "I secretly put a tracker on the pyramid in case Brandon and his people leave, but it looks like they're not flying away any time soon. Brandon stays inside the ruins most of the day, and no one else comes in or out except when he goes back inside the pyramid at night, presumably to sleep before he starts it all over again."

"So, you've made no attempts to make contact with Brandon and his people?" Timothy asks.

"No, I decided to hold it off until you arrived," Looker says. "I figured they would welcome no one unless the trainer participating in the Battle Frontier and his companions are there."

"That makes sense," Coovers says. "So, how do we proceed?"

"At the moment, all of Brandon's crew are back inside the pyramid, leaving Brandon alone inside the ruins," Looker replies. "I suggest the four of us approach Brandon and help him find the stone if it hasn't been found yet."

"Sounds good. Let's do it," Timothy says.

With that, Looker, Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu emerge from the trees and cautiously walk into the ruins' entrance beside the Battle Pyramid. Inside the ruins, several wired lights are installed on the ceiling leading down the hallway where all sorts of ancient hieroglyphics and images of various Pokemon are carved into the walls. Electchu and Coovers look around the walls, intrigued as they follow Looker and Timothy down the hall.

The hall leads them deeper and deeper underground to the point that they wonder if there is a bottom. Finally, after taking another turn, they spot a tall man with grayish-brown hair wearing a green uniform in the distance. The man is holding on a notebook while carefully looking at some ancient illustrations on the wall and constantly glancing at the door closest to him. Looker, Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers look at each other and nod before they all walk towards the man who is so focused that he doesn't notice them coming until Looker clears his throat.

"Excuse me, Brandon?" He asks.

The man named Brandon turns to the three men and Electchu, and he instantly gives them a serious glare as he walks over to them.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. "You cannot be here. It is forbidden."

Looker and Coovers look at each other before they step up and show their badges.

"Sir, I'm Looker, and this is Coovers Woodward," Looker replies calmly. "We are part of the International Police."

Brandon frowns deeply and steps closer to Looker.

"I don't care who you are," he says. "You have no right to be here."

"All due respect, sir, I'm afraid what you think we have a right to is irrelevant when possible, matters of international affairs are concerned at this time," Looker replies unfazed.

"Possible matters of international affairs?" Brandon repeats baffled until he puts the pieces together. "Wait, you are after the Gieldanstone, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are," Coovers answers. "If you have it, you need to give it to us for safekeeping."

Brandon glares at Looker and Coovers angrily and says, "Even if I have found the jewel, I will never give it to you. It's a dangerous stone that needs to be kept far away from anyone's hands."

"We want the stone for that same reason, Brandon," Timothy says, stepping in.

Brandon turns to Timothy and stares at him with a hostile look.

"And who are you?" He demands.

"My name is Timothy Durbin from Pallet Town," Timothy answers.

Brandon's frown deepens more, and he glances at Electchu.

"Timothy Durbin," he says skeptically. "Judging by that Raichu standing next to you, I presume you are the same Timothy Durbin who recently battled and defeated the Johto Elite Four and the bi-regional champion, Lance, correct?"

"I am," Timothy answers bluntly.

Brandon steps closer to Timothy and says, "So you are the trainer Scott invited to participate in the Battle Frontier shortly after you defeated the champion?"

"I am," Timothy repeats. "I've battled the other six Frontier Brains just so we can find you."

Brandon's glare grows as if he's attempting to intimidate Timothy with his eyes.

"Does Scott know that you only participated to get the Gieldanstone?" He questions.

"Scott has no idea," Coovers answers for his friend. "The true meaning of our journey was kept a complete secret since before we left Pallet Town. Even if we wanted to, it was not within my authority to tell Scott about the stone for the sake of keeping our mission a secret."

"And all of this is to take the stone away if I find it and keep it for yourselves?" Brandon growls. "I will not allow it."

"Mr. Brandon, please be reasonable," Looker says calmly. "How can you not understand that we want to retrieve the Gieldanstone with good intentions?"

Brandon's head snaps toward Looker, and the two men stare at each other for ten seconds before Brandon takes a step back and gestures to Looker, Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu to follow him with his head. The four of them look at each other before they silently agree and follow Brandon further down the hall. When they are just a couple yards away from the door, Brandon turns to his left and points at the illustrations painted on the wall.

"You see these ancient paintings?" He asks, earning a nod from Looker, Timothy, and Coovers. "These tell the story of a time before people and Pokemon began to live together. In those times, Pokemon were seen and used as no more than tools to aid humans in their way of life."

"We are aware of such times," Looker says. "Back then, Pokemon were only referred to as magical creatures. No one ever considered the possibility of being friends with Pokemon."

Timothy scoffs and turns to Electchu, saying, "Glad we aren't in that time period, huh, pal?"

"Raichu," Electchu answers with a smile and a nod.

Brandon nods before he continues.

"Indeed. In those days, it was considered ridiculous to view them as anything more than living, breathing instruments," he says. "Whether to grow food, mine for resources, keep buildings warm, fight their wars, or other means, Pokemon were used as nothing more than items to better humanity and humanity alone. And yet, despite all of that, the people of that age knew that there were Pokemon that were too powerful to be controlled. Many of these Pokemon are the ones we consider to be legendary or mythical today. Among these Pokemon, Arceus was commonly viewed to be the most powerful of all. The people of that age knew how destructive Arceus could be as the only Pokemon in the universe that could use the calamitous move known today as Judgement. Men greedy for power wanted nothing more than to gain control of Arceus, knowing its destructive power and ability to change into any Pokemon type, making it strategically more powerful than any Pokemon known to mankind."

"And I assume this part of the story is when someone finds the Gieldanstone, I presume," Timothy says.

"Correct," Brandon says. "How it was found and why it is connected to Arceus is ancient knowledge lost to us forever. All the illustrations and text in these ruins suggest is that a great and conniving kingdom from the Sinnoh region found it first and used it to summon Arceus from its dimension. The ruler of the kingdom wielded the jewel and quickly learned that as long as he held it in his hand, the powerful Arceus would help raise crops for his subjects and, if he desired, destroy his enemies or any other hint of resistance against him without question. The king grew power-hungry and, with the jewel, used Arceus to create unspeakable desolation against the other kingdoms around him. After realizing that he can make one of the most powerful creatures known to man yield to his every wish, the king gave it a name that established its power against Arceus: The Gieldanstone."

Looker, Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu listen intently to Brandon. They all stay silent for a moment after Brandon finishes talking until Coovers decides to speak.

"So how did it end up all the way here in the Kanto region?" He asks.

Brandon merely points at the illustrations on the wall on the other side and continues.

"According to the inscriptions I found there, and in these ruins I found in the Sinnoh region several months ago, the kingdom turned into an empire so great and mighty that kingdoms from other regions decided to build an alliance," he says. "They knew that with this empire covering nearly all of the Sinnoh region, it was only a matter of time before the king, who at this point in time became an emperor, would use Arceus against them to rule the world. Thus, legions of men and Pokemon forced to fight sailed to the Sinnoh region and invaded the empire. The people of the empire were unprepared for the attack, so it didn't take long before the alliance made it to the emperor's city."

Brandon walks over to another section of the wall that contains images of people and Pokemon fighting each other inside a stone city.

"The emperor's army and the Pokemon they enslaved fought back against the alliance, but their enemies were too great in number and more organized," Brandon continues before turning to another image of Arceus. "But the emperor paid back in destruction as he used the Gieldanstone to have Arceus use Judgement against his foes. But his enemies were so deep into the city that Arceus began to destroy the city and its residents."

Looker, Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu's faces turn grim as Brandon directs them to another painting of meteors crashing down on the city, and people and Pokemon, citizens, and soldiers alike are fleeing for their lives.

"The emperor did not care if his own people were hurt in the process," Brandon says. "All that mattered to him was his enemies facing Arceus' wrath through his will with the Gieldanstone, even if it would destroy everything he had built. Even if it meant his own palace."

The archeologist leads them to another painting where a man dressed in fine clothes stands inside a large palace holding a white stone in his hands. A meteor is breaking through the roof above him, and he appears to be screaming in fear as it falls on top of him. Looker, Coovers, Timothy, and Electchu stay silent as Brandon turns to them.

"As soon as the emperor was struck down and the Gieldanstone fell out of his hands, Arceus was freed from his control and stopped attacking the city," he says. "Shortly after that, the people of the empire immediately surrendered, and negotiations for peace were made. After much discussion between the people and Arceus, the remains of the empire were divided into separate kingdoms, and it was decided that the Gieldanstone should be taken far away from the Sinnoh region and buried so deep in a tomb no man can pass through."

"And this place would be that said tomb," Coovers says.

"Correct," Brandon says. "Thus, it was decided that the Gieldanstone would be locked inside a steel chest and sent here to Kanto, where the people there built this place very deep underground and built traps that no human can pass through. Arceus kept a watchful eye during the whole process to make sure the humans stayed true to their word. When the deed was done, and the entrance was sealed, the humans swore on their lives to never speak of this place again so that no greedy person would try to come here and take the Gieldanstone and risk getting killed by the traps."

The hall stays silent for several seconds before Brandon speaks again.

"So, it doesn't matter if you wish to find the Gieldanstone under good intentions or not," he says. "It must never be found for the sake of the trust between people and Arceus, and it's too dangerous for any person to make it through. So there's no way anyone can reach the jewel, and that is that."

Looker and Coovers frown, feeling like they have come all this way for nothing. Brandon begins to walk past them, thinking he's won until Timothy speaks.

"I don't think it's that simple," he says.

Brandon snaps his head toward Timothy and demands, "What are you talking about?"

Timothy turns to the older man and says, "Think about it, Brandon. You specifically said that no person can make it through what lies beyond that door and make it to the Gieldanstone, right? Well, that might have made sense back then where Pokemon were viewed as just tools for the needs of humans, but that's not that common today. People and Pokemon live and work together in this day and age, and so humans are not inherently alone anymore because they have Pokemon as their partners and with them the abilities and powers that each and every Pokemon has. So we may not be able to reach the stone by ourselves, but with our Pokemon, we might be able to work our way to the Gieldanstone's location."

Brandon scowls and says, "Even what you say is true, you have no right to even step foot beyond this door and try to take it. I haven't been staying here for weeks to remove a dangerous item from its hiding place. I'm only here to discover everything that these ruins have to offer while respecting the wishes of Arceus and the people from long ago to keep it safe."

"That might be the case for you, but Team Rocket will not respect those wishes like you do," Looker counters.

"What are you babbling about?" Brandon demands. "Team Rocket has nothing to do with this matter."

"Yes, they do," Coovers says seriously. "That's why we've been looking for you and the Gieldanstone."

"What?" Brandon says, alarmed.

"It's true," Timothy says, stepping in. "We have good reason to believe that Team Rocket learned about your announcement that you might have found the Gieldanstone. It's for that reason that I accepted Scott's invitation to partake in the Battle Frontier just so that we can find you."

This information takes Brandon aback for a moment before he glares at the three men again.

"Even if what you say is true, that does not mean they will succeed," he claims.

"Are you sure about that?" Coovers challenges. "You may have been hard to find, but Team Rocket has a way of finding what cannot be found. And even if it takes years for them to find this place, do you really think they won't figure something out with making their way to the stone despite all of the traps you mentioned?"

"He's right," Looker says seriously. "Team Rocket has many Pokemon combined with the hundreds of members that we currently know are in their ranks. On top of that, they are known to have some of the best technology known to man. They may already have the technology to figure out what goes through doors without opening them. In short, with both their technology and their Pokemon, Team Rocket likely has the resources people from ancient times did not have to take the stone from this very place."

Brandon looks at Looker skeptically and thinks hard underneath his serious face before he sighs.

"Your logic is sound," he says. "But how do I know you won't use the Gieldanstone for your own greedy desires?"

"Looker and I are part of the International Police, remember?" Coovers says. "It is our sworn duty to protect the world from wrongdoing by any means."

Looker nods in agreement before Timothy speaks.

"And I could care less about Arceus' power," he says with a hint of venom in his voice. "All that matters to me is stopping Team Rocket from trying to use the stone and, through it, Arceus to probably take all the Pokemon in the world. I know what it's like from experience how it feels to have your beloved partners taken from you just for their cruel, greedy goals. I will do whatever it takes to keep people from experiencing the pain I felt, even if I have to tear down Team Rocket with my bare hands."

Brandon stays silent for a moment before he turns back to Looker and asks, "So if I help you retrieve the stone, what will you do with it?"

"Lock it up," Looker answers without hesitating. "We keep it in our most secure place at our headquarters, and we won't even tell the people guarding it what lies inside. Our vault is designed to keep both people and Pokemon away. There is no way that Team Rocket will be able to take it from us if we bring it there."

Brandon looks at Looker skeptically again as if to make sure there is no hint of lying in the man's eyes. Coovers and Timothy look at each other, unsure of whether or not Brandon is going to comply. Finally, Brandon sighs in defeat, and his face softens slightly.

"Very well," he says. "If what you say is true, I will help you in retrieving it so that Team Rocket doesn't. But if it turns out that you cannot pass through the traps safely even with your Pokemon in mind, then as far as I'm concerned, the stone is perfectly safe. If that is the case, then you must leave this place. Understood?"

Looker, Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers look at Brandon skeptically before looking at each other.

"What do you think, Coovers, Mr. Durbin? Do you think we can do it?" Looker asks.

Coovers hesitates and stutters in front of his superior before he answers, "We will do our best, sir."

Timothy shakes his head and says, "I'll play along, but I don't plan to leave without getting what we came all this way for. We may be willing to honor such a deal, but Team Rocket won't. One way or another, we will get that stone before he gets a chance to try."

Brandon glowers at Timothy and snaps, saying, "Young man, I will not allow you to speak with such arrogance! This is my deal! Take it or leave it!"

Timothy appears to be unfazed at the way Brandon snapped at him. The two stare at each other with Looker, Coovers, and Electchu feeling uneasy tension between them. Eventually, Timothy decides to smirk at Brandon as if he thinks he has the upper hand.

"Fine," he says bluntly. "You have a deal."

Brandon keeps his glare at the younger man before he closes his eyes and nods with a soft, "humph."

"Very well," he says. "Let us see what you can do."

Timothy nods as Brandon turns around and walks to the door with everyone else following him. As they walk, Coovers walks closer to Timothy with a disapproving look.

"That was a very pompous thing to say, Timothy," he hisses.

Timothy shrugs and says, "It may be pompous, but I was serious about the danger. If he thinks making this deal matters when Team Rocket is out there, then he's fooling himself."

Coovers rolls his eyes as Brandon approaches the door and looks carefully at the carved images of Arceus all over the wall. Each one has a cross-like wheel attached to its body in a different color.

"These various images of Arceus show all 18 forms it has for each Pokemon type it changes into," Brandon explains. "Except 19 Arceus appear on this wall. So, two of them have the same-colored wheel, and that's the two with the black wheels for dark type."

Looker, Coovers, and Timothy nod in understanding as Brandon presses on the two Arceus images with black wheels, and the door slowly lifts up from the ground with a rumble. But as soon as the door opens, a giant, round boulder starts to roll toward them from the other side. Brandon, Looker, Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu start to back away and turn around to run, only to find one of the walls opening to reveal another giant boulder coming out and heading toward them.

"The boulders are going to crush us!" Looker shouts in a panic.

"I don't think so," Timothy says, taking out two Pokeballs. "Poliwrath, Dynamic Punch, and Shockwave use Moonblast!"

The two balls open, and Poliwrath appears on one side while Shockwave appears on the other. Poliwrath runs toward the boulder, blocking the exit, and with its fist glowing white, it punches at the boulder, smashing it into pieces. At the same time, Shockwave quickly fires Moonblast and blasts the other boulder into tinier pieces. When everyone looks around to make sure that they're safe, Brandon nods and turns to Timothy.

"You were smart to use your Poliwrath and Garvdevoir like that," he says. "You have trained them well for it to destroy the boulders using Dynamic Punch and Moonblast so easily."

"I should think so," Timothy boasts. "We've handled obstacles and opponents far bigger than that boulder. Right, guys?"

"Poliwrath," Poliwrath says with a nod.

"Gardevoir," Shockwave replies with a smirk.

Brandon frowns and says, "Watch yourself with your gloating, boy. This is only the first trap."

But Timothy, Poliwrath, and Shockwave silently scoff at the same time, unconvinced by Brandon's warning. Looker, Coovers, and Electchu look at each other, feeling uneasy with their companion's demeanor. Brandon continues to glare at Timothy disapprovingly before he closes his eyes, shakes his head, and turns around to walk through the door.

"Let's keep going," he says bluntly.

Without another word, Looker, Coovers, Timothy, Electchu, Poliwrath, and Shockwave follow Brandon further down the hall. As the hallway grows darker, Brandon and Looker take out flashlights and shine their way to another door. They stop walking just in front of the door before Brandon turns to the others.

"I'm warning all of you; do not go into the room once it's opened," he says before turning to Timothy. "Understand?"

"Don't worry about me," Timothy replies. "I already figured there would be traps after dealing with those boulders. I'm not dumb."

"I wonder," Brandon mutters under his breath before turning to the door and opening it.

As soon as the door lifts up, Brandon and Looker use their flashlights to look inside to see nothing but an empty room. The walls and floor look plain, and another door stands on the other side of the room.

"Looks a little too plain not to have a trap," Coovers says.

"I agree," Looker says. "But how do we figure out what it is without getting ourselves caught?"

Brandon nods in agreement and turns to Timothy, asking, "Care to answer that, Mr. Durbin?"

Timothy frowns and scratches his chin in thought. After a few seconds, he snaps his fingers, takes a Pokeball, and tosses it into the air. The ball opens to reveal Odyssey waiting for a command.

"Odyssey, create a Bone Rush and toss it onto the floor," he instructs.

The Lucario nods and creates a green bone of energy with its paws. Odyssey gestures Brandon, Looker, and Coovers to get out of the way, and the three men step back before it throws its bone into the middle of the ground. As soon as the bone touches the floor, small holes emerge from the floor, and giant streams of fire shoot out so high that they nearly cover the ceiling. Everyone backs away as the flames keep coming out for ten seconds before they stop, and the holes in the ground close up, leaving the floor empty again and the Bone Rush completely destroyed.

"I'll give people from ancient times this," Coovers comments. "They were nothing if not creative in trying to protect a dangerous jewel."

"Agreed," Brandon says bluntly.

Looker nods and turns to Timothy.

"What do you make of it?" He asks.

Timothy scratches his chin again and says, "Well, it is a dangerous trap, to say the least, but it seems to have a flaw."

"How do you figure?" Brandon asks.

"The floor is very sensitive, making it the perfect trigger, but the holes in the ground are big enough that with the right attack, the mechanisms that shoot out flames can be destroyed," Timothy explains. "We just need the right kind of Pokemon with the right move to do it."

With that, he turns to Poliwrath and Odyssey and says, "Odyssey, you throw another Bone Rush at the ground and Poliwrath, as soon as the holes open up, you cover the entire floor with water using Surf."

Both Pokemon nod in understanding and take positions at the edge of the door. Odyssey creates another Bone Rush and prepares to throw it.

"Get ready, Poliwrath," Timothy says.

"Wrath," Poliwrath growls.

Everyone waits until Odyssey throws the bone into the ground. The holes in the floor appear again, and fire starts to emerge again.

"Now!" Timothy shouts.

Poliwrath raises its hands in the air, and a giant wave of water emerges from the ground. The wave crashes onto the floor, and a large cloud of steam appears covering the entire room. When the steam clears, the holes are still there, and the sounds of broken mechanisms can be heard from underneath the floor. Timothy waits a moment before carefully taking a step onto the floor, and nothing happens. Everyone watches him cautiously as he slowly and steadily walks to the other side of the room unharmed.

"I think it's safe to say that it's safe to cross," Coovers says.

"I concur," Looker says.

Brandon nods in agreement before the three of them cross to the other side of the room with Electchu, Poliwrath, Shockwave, and Odyssey. Timothy takes a step back from the door and gestures Brandon to go ahead. The older man merely hums with his mouth closed before he opens the door to reveal another dark room. Inside, the walls and floor are decorated in a pattern of dots, circles, and triangles meshed together. Everyone looks at the room skeptically and turns to each other with the same idea.

"Odyssey, let's throw another Bone Rush in there," Timothy says plainly.

The Lucario nods, creates another bone of energy, and tosses it to the floor inside the room. Within the blink of an eye, countless needles emerge from the wall and floor in all different directions and impale right through the bone, causing the bone to explode. Everyone stays silent as they stare at where the Bone Rush used to be before Brandon turns to Timothy.

"Well? Any bright ideas this time?" He questions.

Timothy frowns and silently takes Coovers' flashlight to get a better look. He shines the flashlight all over the area from top to bottom several times until he gives it back to his friend, sighing in defeat.

"Actually, I'm at a loss with this one," he confesses. If I had one of my really study rock Pokemon with me, they'd be able to break through, but even then, they wouldn't be able to protect us from one side of the room to the other and back. Wherever the needles are coming from, they're so tiny that I can't see them. In short, I'm not equipped with the right Pokemon to handle this place.

Brandon keeps a stone face and crosses his arms.

"You admit defeat, then," he says. "If that is so, then as far as I'm concerned, the Gieldanstone is safe even with Pokemon, and so I must ask that you -"

"Hold on a second," Coovers interrupts. "We actually do have the right Pokemon."

Everyone looks at the Unovian man, confused, and Coovers gestures for Timothy to lean in closer. Timothy hesitates before he leans his head, and Coovers whispers in his ear. Brandon, Looker, Electchu, Poliwrath, Shockwave, and Odyssey look at the two men curiously until Timothy moves back and stares at his friend, dumbfounded.

"Coovers, that's a terrible idea," he says.

"A terrible idea that works perfectly for ghost Pokemon," Coovers says. "If you want to prove Brandon wrong, this is how we're going to do it."

Timothy tries to think of something to counter what Coovers is saying until he sighs in defeat.

"Fine," he says. "But this better not come back to bite me later."

Coovers nods, and the two of them each take out a Pokeball and press the buttons in the middle of them. With a flash, Gengar and Coovers' Chandelure come out awaiting orders.

"Alright, you two, here's the plan," Coovers begins. "Inside the floor and walls of that room are some mechanisms that shoots deadly needles if we step inside. We need you to phase through the walls and destroy them.

Chandelure nods in understanding while Gengar's eyes widen in disbelief. The shadow Pokemon turns to Timothy with a look of hope, and its trainer bites his lips before he answers.

"Yes, Gengar, that means you too," he says begrudgingly. "Have as much fun as you want and leave no machine untouched."

Gengar gives its trainer a large, mischievous grin like a delinquent child with a desire to destroy every breakable thing in sight. Without another word, Gengar phases through a wall, and Chandelure passes through the wall on the other side. Brandon, Looker, Coovers, Timothy, Electchu, Poliwrath, Shockwave, and Odyssey wait patiently as they hear the sound of things being destroyed from the other side of the walls. Timothy's face turns grim as he hears the sound of Gengar's voice through the room while it joyously destroys everything from the other side.

"What have I done?" He mutters with a hint of horror in his voice.

Coovers, Poliwrath, Shockwave, and Odyssey, pat their friend on the back, and Electchu nudges him on the side, knowing exactly what's on his mind. Looker and Brandon stare at the display in confusion until one of the walls inside the room suddenly collapses, and Gengar emerges holding a large handful of tiny needles. The mischievous shadow Pokemon dances and sings an off-key tune as it carries the needles with glee as if it's a pile of gold. Chandelure, meanwhile, appears from the floor and turns to Coovers.

"Did you make sure you two got all of them?" Coovers asks.

Chandelure nods.

"Alright, great job, Chandelure," Coovers says with a smile.

"Chandelure," Chandelure says happily.

"Yeah, good job too, Gengar," Timothy sighs.

"Gengar!" Gengar cheers.

"Hmmm. I must admit that it is a clever idea to destroy the contraptions with ghost Pokemon, Mr. Woodward," Brandon admits.

"Indeed. Well done," Looker says. "But what is up with Gengar?"

"Oh, I've been ridiculing it for years over it being a prankster," Timothy explains. "So, I had to unleash the beast just so it would destroy the machines with Chandelure. I hope it doesn't expect me to give it permission to do something like this ever again."

"Ah, I see," Looker says. "Gengar do tend to be tricksters, so I imagine fighting its temptation isn't always easy."

"It isn't," Timothy says plainly. "Come on. Let's get to the next door."

The three adults and Electchu, Poliwrath, Shockwave, Odyssey, and Chandelure, head to the other side of the room, leaving Gengar behind to enjoy its time playing with the needles. Brandon leads in front of everyone again, and when they reach the next door, he turns around and gives everyone another serious look.

"According to the ruins that lead me to this place, this is the last room," he says.

"Then this is the one that has the Gieldanstone," Looker says eagerly.

"Indeed," Brandon says. "But before we move in, I just have to ask; are you sure you need to remove it from its secret hiding place?"

Looker, Coovers, and Timothy look at each other before Looker says, "You've seen how capable people and Pokemon can get through the traps in this place together. Even if all of Team Rocket does not have the cunning mind that people like Timothy and Coovers do, Giovanni does. I have dealt with people like Team Rocket and other crime organizations long enough when I say we must not underestimate our enemies that could threaten our very way of life."

Brandon sighs with his mouth closed and says, "Very well."

With that, Brandon presses the button on the door, and it lifts off from the ground. Brandon and Looker take out their flashlights again to see a dark cavern filled with spikes. At the center of the cavern, a thin platform stands tall with a small black chest on top of it. The platform is too far for anyone to reach, and the way down is so deep that Brandon and Looker's flashlights can't shine on the bottom.

"Well, Timothy, you and your companions made it all the way over here, so how are you going to retrieve the chest?" Brandon asks.

Timothy smirks and says, "That's easy. "Shockwave, use Psychic if you please."

The Gardevoir sneers, and its eyes turn blue as it looks at the chest. The box becomes surrounded in a blue outline and is lifted from the platform before it gently floats down right into Shockwave's hands. The embrace Pokemon hands the chest to Timothy and fist bumps with Odyssey while their trainer examines the chest.

"Hmmm. There's a lock on it, but it looks old enough to be broken," Timothy says before turning to Electchu. "Electchu, use Iron Tail."

The mouse Pokemon doesn't hesitate to turn its tail into iron and smashes the lock into pieces. With the chest free from its lock, Brandon, Looker, Coovers, Electchu, Poliwrath, Shockwave, and Odyssey circle around Timothy as he gets down on one knee, puts the chest on the ground, and opens it.

As soon as the chest is opened, everyone looks inside in awe. For in the center of the box lies a white, round jewel big enough to fit a person's hand. The stone shines so brightly that multiple colors shine through the outer edges of its round surface.

"Amazing," Looker says, astonished.

"Indeed," Brandon says. "Legend says the stone shines 18 colors in all representing every Pokemon type there is."

"Wow. So that just further proves how connected it is to Arceus," Coovers says.

"Makes sense," Timothy says. "All the same, it seems funny to look at it thinking of how so much destruction can be caused through someone carrying such a small thing like this."

"Raichu," Electchu says with a nod.

Everyone continues to stare at the stone in amazement until Brandon clears his throat and says, "Alright, now is not the time for gawking. Let's bring this inside my pyramid and discuss the matter of bringing it to your headquarters."

Everyone else nods, and Timothy closes the chest before picking it up and carrying it down the hall in the opposite direction. As they are walking back up to the surface, Brandon contacts his people to meet them outside with his walkie talkie. Timothy returns Gengar to its Pokeball as they pass by the third trap room, much to the despair of the Shadow Pokemon, who is still enjoying its time playing with the needles. After a long while, Brandon, Looker, Coovers, Timothy, Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Chandelure exit the ruins just in time to see Brandon's people waiting for them.

"Sir," one of Brandon's crewmen says. "Is that the Gieldanstone inside?"

"Yes, Jordan, it is," Brandon answers.

Brandon's crewmen look at each other surprised.

"But sir, I thought we weren't going to take the stone from its place," another one says.

"That was before we found out that Team Rocket might be after it, Samuel," Brandon says. "As much as I hate to admit it, the Gieldanstone is not as well protected as it once was with people and Pokemon living together. If Giovanni found this place, he would likely have found a way to get past the traps and take the stone."

"I certainly would have."

Everyone wonders where the voice came from until they see a floating platform flying above the field. Standing on the platform are Giovanni and his Persian, looking down on them with cruel, condescending smiles. Suddenly, dozens of Team Rocket members, including Matori, Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James, Wobbufett, and Meowth, come out of hiding from the trees and behind the pyramid. They all throw Pokeballs into the air and various Pokemon from Arbok, to Sandslash, to Electrode, and so on appear and surround the area. Timothy, Coovers, and Brandon are quick to take out the Pokeballs of all the Pokemon they don't have, and so Blitzwing, Gengar, Coovers' Samurott, Zoroark, Krookodile, Klinklang, Braviary, and Brandon's Dusclops, Solrock and Ninjask all come out ready for battle. Giovanni grins, amused by their determination to fight.

"You are quick to draw out your Pokemon, but it is futile to fight," he says. "We outnumber you a hundred to one. You cannot beat us no matter how strong your Pokemon are."

"Numbers do not make you superior, Giovanni!" Looker shouts.

"He's right!" Timothy shouts. "We will take you on with everyone we have, no matter what."

"That's just what I want you to do, Durbin," says another voice.

Timothy and his Pokemon look around in confusion until they spot a Team Rocket member in a large coat with a mechanical arm and a glowing red, robotic eye. The man has severe burn scars on half of his face, and he gives Timothy an evil, confident grin as he takes out a Pokeball and a large Charizard comes out with a bloodthirsty look in its eyes. Timothy's heart begins to sink as he stares at the man with a look of horror all over his face.

"It...it can't be…" he says, terrified. "Trent? You're alive?"

Coovers' eyes widen, and he turns to his friend, shocked. Electchu and Poliwrath's battle stances weaken, and they take a couple steps back, horrified at the sight of the man that caused them so much pain. The man with the mechanical eye and arm, however, is livid at the sound of his old name.

"My name is not Trent!" He barks. "I am Agent Basker, and I am here to finally have my revenge on you and take all of your Pokemon."

Timothy's look of horror turns into one of rage as he makes another battle stance.

"You are not going anywhere with my Pokemon!" He shouts. "And you are not going to take the Gieldanstone!"

All the members of Team Rocket laugh out loud, with Giovanni laughing the loudest.

"I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation," Jessie says.

"Indeed. There is no way you can fight all of us, and even if you could, we'll bring reinforcements until you and your Pokemon are too weak to keep us at bay," James says.

"This is one jam you ain't gonna get out of," Meowth says.

"Wobbuffet," Wobbuffet says.

Timothy and Coovers' fighting stances soften slightly as they look at Meowth in confusion.

"Uh, am I going crazy, or did that Meowth just talk?" Coovers asks.

"I...think it just di -" Timothy begins before Giovanni interrupts.

"Enough!" he shouts impatiently. "Give me my Gieldanstone right now or suffer the consequences!"

Brandon steps in and says, "The Gieldanstone does not belong to the likes of you! It is to stay hidden where arrogant, greedy people like you will never get their hands on it!"

Giovanni grins and says, "Very well. If you fools want to fight, we will battle until we have defeated and taken every last one of your Pokemon and take my stone from your -"

But as he is talking, a blue aura appears all over him, Persian, and the floating platform they are standing on. Everyone looks at the display in confusion until the blue aura begins to surround Matori, Agent Basker, Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James, Meowth, Wobbuffet, and the other Team Rocket members and their Pokemon. Timothy, Coovers, Brandon, Looker, and their Pokemon look in confusion as their enemies are suddenly lifted into the air.

"What's happening?" Cassidy asks in a state of panic.

"I can't move!" Butch shouts.

"What in the world is causing this!" Giovanni shouts angrily.

"Not what. Who." says a voice.

Everyone looks around to find the source of the voice only to see a cloaked, shadowy figure emerge from the trees with a ball of blue aura surrounding it. The figure flies over to Giovanni, who grinds his teeth at it.

"Who are you?!" he barks.

"Who I am is not your concern," the figure says. "You won't even remember seeing me again any more than you will remember what you tried to achieve."

"See you again? What are you babbling about? I demand that you tell me!" Giovanni screams.

"It does not matter what I say," the figure says unfazed. "What matters is that you are stopped from attempting to take over the world once more."

The figure waves its hands, and with a flash, Giovanni, Persian, and the platform disappear. Everyone stares in shock until one by one, other Team Rocket members and their Pokemon begin to disappear with a flash. The members of Team Rocket panic as more of them disappear by the second. Agent Basker stares in horror as he turns back to Timothy and tries to reach out to him despite being several yards in the air away from him.

"No!" he shrieks. "I didn't come all this way to be stopped! I want my revenge! I want your Pokemon! I want -"

But before he could continue, the cyborg and his Charizard disappear out of thin air, leaving Timothy and his Pokemon confused yet still shocked to have just seen his enemy right there in front of him. Everyone who isn't a member of Team Rocket stays still in shock as they watch their enemies slowly disappear until they are completely gone. With its deed accomplished, the cloaked figure turns around and floats over to Timothy, Coovers, Looker, Brandon, and their Pokemon.

"What do you want with us?" Looker asks.

The figure stays floating in the air and merely points at the entrance to the ruins.

"Come," it says. "Take the chest and your Pokemon. We will discuss matters inside."

"Inside the ruins?" Coovers asks. "I don't think there will be enough room for us and Brandon's crewman."

"They are not joining us," the figure says, shaking its head. "They are to wait outside. This is a private matter between the four of you humans and me."

Everyone looks at each other concerned until they silently decide to comply.

"Very well," Brandon says before turning to his crewman. "Wait outside."

"Yes, sir," the crewman says at the same time as Brandon, Looker, Coovers, Timothy, Electchu, and all the other Pokemon go back inside the ruins with the mysterious figure leading them.

*****************************************************************************

Dr. Zager groans as he silently opens his eyes. He lifts his head and checks his surroundings only to discover that he's standing outside Team Rocket headquarters. His science team are also lying on the ground next to what appears to be a giant smoking crater. Dr. Zager slowly stands up and stares at the crater in confusion until suddenly, a large flash appears behind him, and with a loud pop, he is suddenly surrounded by other Team Rocket members. The doctor stares in shock as he sees dozens of grunts and their Pokemon looking around in confusion. In the middle of the crowd is Giovanni and his Persian on his floating platform. The leader of Team Rocket looks around with a frustrated look on his face as Dr. Zager pushes through the confused grunts to get to Giovanni.

"Matori, what are we doing here?" Giovanni asks impatiently.

"I...I don't know, sir," Matori answers, dumbfounded.

"Strange, I haven't a clue of what we're doing here either," Jessie says.

"Neither do I," James says.

"I don't even know what's the last thing I remember doing up till this point," Cassidy says.

"I don't either," Agent Basker says. "My eye is in recording mode, but I have no idea why. And yet it feels like I've been utterly robbed of something I want."

Agent Baskar's Charizard growls in agreement.

Giovanni grinds his teeth and growls, "I have the same feeling, Agent Basker."

"Giovanni, sir!" Dr. Zager calls out as he reaches his leader.

"Dr. Zager, what's going on here?" Giovanni demands. "Why is my entire combat unit standing around outside headquarters like mindless Psyduck? Why is your science team lying around in the ground, and what on earth is that crater doing in the middle of my property?"

Dr. Zager hesitates and says, "Frankly, sir, I was hoping you could tell me. I just woke up from the ground to find you all appearing out of thin air."

The leader of Team Rocket grows furious and shouts, "Well, don't just stand there! Take your team and go back to your laboratory! In fact, everyone return to their quarters until I give the word! Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" All the Team Rocket members reply simultaneously.

With that, the grunts return their Pokemon and go inside the headquarters building while Dr. Zager tries to wake up his unconscious scientists. But as everyone goes back inside their headquarters, a large flock of Butterfree flies by over them, releasing some powder on top of the evil organization.