31

War drums beat as the Kommo-o approached, Dragonite, Dragonair, and Noivern joining them in the skies above, while Lucario and Scizor ran with the pack. Each of their loping strides coincided with the thunderous clang of scales, an ominous beat that promised war and pain to any who stood against them. Leo swallowed his fear as he watched them approach, standing just outside of the camp proper and counting their numbers.

No less than four Kommo-o, the Totem among them, and just over half a dozen Hakamo-o formed the core of their forces; joining them were a few Lucario and Scizor, flitting around the dragons. Only two Dragonite had joined the cause, one average sized and the other truly massive – rivalling the size of the Totem Kommo-o – with twice as many Dragonair and an equal number of Noivern. For there to be this many pseudo legendaries running at him…he wondered how many dragons there were on this island. It didn't matter, he supposed. This was probably enough pokémon to worry even an Elite Four member. In fact, it was probably enough to warrant multiple Elite Four members…

Leo shook those thoughts from his head and squared his feet, setting his shoulders back and standing as still as he could. There was nothing he could do to stop the rampage of the dragons, if that's what they wished to do. Santiago stood behind him to his right, his partner ready for whatever happened next. Leo glanced down at the little Meinfoo standing behind his leg, peering curiously and unafraid at the incoming horde.

The Kommo-o roared and spread out, encircling the camp, while the flying types soared overhead, ensuring escape to the skies was impossible. The Totem Kommo-o remained in front of him, meeting his eyes with a fierce, battle ready gaze, while three others stood next to him. A Lucario, the massive Dragonite – it having landed upon arriving – and a Hakamo-o. Leo recognized that one as the one he fist fought in the trial, and he felt relief flood him. Hopefully she recognized him, and understood that he had nothing to do with the poachers.

"I am sorry," he said, bowing at the waist. "I didn't know. I wasn't quick enough," silence reigned for a few moments, and he heard someone approaching. A paw laid itself on his back, and Leo looked up to see a Lucario looking down at him. The canid pokémon smiled, knelt, and patted Meinfoo's head, before turning and gesturing into the camp. The Totem Kommo-o solemnly walked into the camp, passing Leo by with not even a glance, and Leo moved to follow as he straightened.

The Lucario, however, placed a paw on his chest and shook his head. Leo stilled his expression and glanced at Santiago. He stared silently at the camp as well, though Leo could see him clench his fists. Their teammates were in there, and though Leo felt an eerie sense of calm pressing itself upon him, Santiago was not so lucky. With a frown Leo observed his own state of mind, that pervasive calm of his, only vaguely aware of the Lucario shooting him a glance. There was nothing to fear here. Not for him, anyway. The wrath of the dragons wasn't that…it wasn't wrath, and it wasn't directed at him.

Leo frowned and dug deep, trying to figure out what he felt about the dragons who had arrived, and their mission. There was no wrath within them – well, there was a desire for destruction. But it wasn't overwhelming. He watched the Totem Kommo-o disappear behind the wall of cages, moving slowly but with purpose. His fists were clenched and fury in his eyes, but it looked to Leo like he was restraining it.

It wasn't vengeance.

There was a roar within the camp, a roar filled with sorrow and pain, as the Kommo-o undoubtedly found the body of the Hakamo-o. Leo had to wonder – did they have some sort of blood connection? Was the Hakamo-o the son of the Totem pokémon? The grandson?

It wasn't hatred.

Silence echoed from the camp. It was unlike anything Leo had ever heard, making the Staravia and Rufflet atop the cages shuffle nervously. It wasn't the silence of the forest, calm and comforting. It was the silence of judgement; the Totem Kommo-o was deciding one whether or not the poachers should live or die.

It was anger and fury, but those were just emotions.

A second roar ripped through the silence, though it was not pierced by screams of panic or anything like that. It was a roar of sorrow and grief, the pain evident in the Kommo-o's voice, but that is where it ended.

The dragons had come here for justice. To quell the crimes dealt upon themselves and others. They had not come to vent their wrath, but to seek justice for the fallen.

Leo stood all the straighter as the Totem Kommo-o exited the encampment, the deceased Hakamo-o cradled in his arms like a child. Leo could see no blood or viscera on the Kommo-o's arms, no evidence that he had killed Boone and company, but his eyes were drawn mostly to the sorrowful expression on the Totem Kommo-o's face. He paused at the very edge, just past the wall of cages, and looked up into the sky. For ten heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the Kommo-o began to stomp his feet.

His scales began to clang; a low, slow sound, that was slowly joined in on by all the other Kommo-o and Hakamo-o. The Dragonair and Dragonite began to hum, a crooning noise that ran through the air like a cool breeze, the Noivern adding to things with a slow beat that echoed from their ears. Leo closed his eyes and listened, feeling the beat of the drums and the taste of the song.

Beside him Santiago joined in, his deep voice adding a rich hum that sang deep within Leo's chest. It was…he didn't quite know. He did, but words were hard – there was no translation for that which he found in the song of the dragons. It was all at once a song of pride and strength, of days gone, of death, and of the pride of life. He could feel it in his bones, vibrating up his spine and echoing about in his chest, begging to burble forth.

Leo couldn't have stopped it even if he wanted to. He began to sing – a wordless melody, sounding more like a chant and hum that rose and flowed in time with the beat of the dragon's song. Leo opened his eyes. The beat rose and rose as the Totem Kommo-o began to walk forward, marching forth with the dead Hakamo-o still held in his arms. He was still at a slow walk when he passed by Leo, and graced him with a respectful nod before continuing on, gradually picking up speed until he was at a full sprint, and the dragons began to follow.

"The Funeral March of Dragons," Leo said to himself, once the Kommo-o and company were gone from sight, leaving only a dust cloud and the faintest echoes of their song. It still rumbled through him, sticking in his mind, but now it was just a whisper.

"Leo," Santiago said, poking him with a finger.

"Yeah? Yeah. We should probably check and see if Boone is still alive," Leo said, shaking off his distraction and turning. Something told him Boone was perfectly fine –

Leo paused, and stared at the collection that stood behind him. The Lucario was still there, as was the massive Dragonite and the Hakamo-o he had fought before. But behind all them, standing halfway between the shipwreck and camp, was a team of Aether folk, watching carefully with a team of pokémon at the ready, but very wisely not coming any closer. His eyes widened a little, but his attention was quickly snagged as the Dragonite hummed and knelt, pulling a scale off of its arm and handing it to Leo. The golden scale was the size of his palm, and weighed a good pound and a half.

The dragon cooed and looked at Santiago, who nodded.

"We are…to go to the dragon…rock-bury?" Santiago tried to translate, cocking his head to the side.

"Funeral?" Leo suggested, and Santiago nodded. The Dragonite spoke again and Santiago continued.

"Sundown, he will…return, take us there. Go now. Ensure the Slayer of Sons…justice," Santiago said. "Totem-Daughter and Cave Guard will stay, until time is right,"

Leo bowed his head.

"He will answer for his crimes," Leo promised. Of that, he had no doubt.

Dragonite nodded and flared his relatively small wings, levitating off the ground and soaring into the sky without a single wingbeat. He was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Leo with quite the mess to clean up. The little Meinfoo at his side tugged on his pants leg once again, and he glanced down at it, following its pointing hand back to the Aether folk – specifically a particular blonde-haired woman in a blindingly white outfit marching towards him. Her Mismagius floated along behind her, along with her Clefable, while six pokeballs gleamed at her waist. Even from a distance Leo could tell that she was dressed for war.

"She came personally," Leo said, somewhat surprised.

"Leo, are you alright?!" Lusamine called, rushing forward.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he answered, walking forward a few paces and glancing into the camp, through the hole. He could still see Boone and the others tied up in the center of camp, watched over by the captured pokémon and the rest of his team, looking very much still alive, if not terrified. Rightly so.

"You're bleeding!" she cried, coming to a stop in front of him and grabbing the sides of his face, twisting it back and forth as she examined him. "Get over here!" she snapped, looking over her shoulder. An Aether Employee that had been lurking behind her moved forward and pulled a swab from his pack, Lusamine stepping aside as he dabbed at Leo's face. It came away tinged slightly red.

"Bleeding – what?" Leo asked, jerking away and touching his forehead, feeling mostly dried blood crusted there. He frowned. That…was one of the places he'd been punched by the Sawk. He hadn't even noticed he was bleeding at the time. "It's fine, just a flesh wound," he said, relaxing and letting the man continue his examination, cleaning the cut and placing a little white bandage on it before agreeing that it was, in fact, just a small cut. During this time the rest of the Aether Employees entered the camp with their pokémon at their heels.

"What happened? I told you to get out of there," Lusamine demanded.

"I didn't get the chance," Leo said, wincing and rolling his shoulder. With a grunt he pulled up his shirt and grimaced at the two bruises forming on his ribs – where the Sawk had jabbed him. "They had me surrounded pretty much by the time I hung up the phone – it all happened so fast that there was no time for me to escape. It forced me into a battle, which, as you can see, didn't end in the favor of the poachers," he explained. Lusamine gasped at the sight of his bruises, but remained silent for most of his story.

"Because that's when the Kommo-o arrived," the medical employee said, moving closer again and lifting Leo's shirt to examine the bruises.

"No, actually," he said, hissing as the man's hands pressed into Leo's side. There was the pain. It was like he'd forgotten to feel it in the middle of the fight. "My team managed to beat all their pokémon – with the help of a few of their captures. It probably helped that they just caught a Scizor, too, which weakened a few of their stronger 'mon," Leo reasoned, the doctor muttering something about just bruising, and no damage to bones.

"You beat them? And what's the bruises from?" Lusamine demanded.

"I think it'd be better if I started from the beginning. Remember that Magnemite I caught…?" Leo asked, but was interrupted by one of the Aether folk shouting a warning.

"Dragon!" she shouted, pointing skyward. Leo tensed and whirled, gaze flicking skyward and instantly picking out the pair of crimson red wings that hurtled towards them. The camp scrambled, Lusamine stepping in front of Leo with her Clefable beside her, while the others started letting out their own pokémon. The Hakamo-o and Lucario beside Leo, however, didn't react. They simply watched the dragon come in, completely at ease.

They needn't have worried though, as the Salamence wasn't there to attack. It landed with a thud, crimson wings flaring and fierce gaze daring anyone to meet them, as Sofu slid off the dragon's back. The short man grunted and stumbled when he landed, glaring around at the assorted people and pulling out a pokeball, recalling the dragon.

"Kahuna Sofu," the doctor man said, bowing his head in respect to the man. "We didn't know you were coming,"

"Seems everything's been taken care of," he said, locking eyes with Lusamine and glancing at Leo. "Please tell me the Kommo-o didn't kill anyone,"

"They didn't," Lusamine said firmly. "No thanks to you, though. Young Leo here had to do everything by himself. Isn't that what Kahuna's are here for; to help solve problems before they start?" she demanded.

"No, it's not," Sofu said, moving closer. "Now, tell me what exactly happened here," he said, looking straight at Leo. Lusamine looked over her shoulder at him, and he rubbed his face, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before launching into the story. After he was done he had Lusamine frowning at him, Sofu looking thoughtful, and the Aether doctor shaking his head. Lusamine had been silent through the whole story, her expression growing darker and darker the moment Leo started talking about the battle – which he didn't go too much detail into. Just enough to get the point across.

"That's it," Lusamine said firmly, after the story was done. "You're coming back to Aether right now. No more running around Poni, you need time to rest and recuperate," she said, her tone leaving no room for arguing as she grabbed Leo's arm. Leo took a deep breath, really not wanting to argue with Lusamine about this. Not because he disagreed with her, but because he agreed. He did want some time to go back, relax, and have a professional look at his team to make sure they were ok. But it couldn't be right now.

He'd made a promise to the Dragonite, he at least needed to see it through.

"No," Sofu interjected, saving Leo from having to say anything and stepping forward. "Leo was invited to the Funeral of Dragons. That is something he has to go see," Lusamine turned slowly, intimidatingly, and stared down the shorter man. "Don't give me that look. You heard the boy, the Kommo-o expect him to be there. They even left the Totem pokemon's grandchild and a Lucario here to help him out – that's about as clear a sign as can be," Sofu explained.

Lusamine crossed her arms.

"I don't want him doing anything more dangerous," she said firmly.

"It won't be dangerous," Sofu said. "Kommo-o are, among dragons, the most honorable. Had Leo not subdued the poachers, this camp would have been a bloodbath. I would have been too late to stop it. But arriving here, seeing that the poachers were already beaten? There's no honor in killing an already beaten opponent. Leo will be safe among them; they would never let harm befall one who aided them. Not in the heart of their territory,"

Lusamine stared at Sofu, then looked at Leo. She clearly didn't like the situation, not that Leo could blame her.

"As soon as it's over, I'll come right back to the Aether Paradise. I promise," he assured.

"How long will it take?" Lusamine asked.

"The whole night," Sofu said.

"Will you be going?" Lusamine asked.

"No. The next time I go there will be for my own funeral," he said matter-of-factly. Lusamine stared at him for a moment longer, clearly not liking that answer, but eventually relented.

"You get one night, and call me when you're done. If you're not back by morning I'm sending a team after you," she said bluntly.

"Deal," Leo said. "And, thanks, Lusamine," he said sincerely. Her expression softened just a tad, she nodded, then turned on her heel and marched off into the camp, Mismagius floating behind her, and Clefable waddling ahead. Already she was barking orders while the rest of the employees ensured Boone was properly secured, and organized the rest of the camp. The doctor bowed his head to Sofu and followed after.

"Kid, a word of advice," Sofu said, drawing Leo's attention. The older man's gaze flicked to Santiago, then the Meinfoo, then the Lucario and Hakamo-o still standing watch. "If I were you, I'd pick your dragon soon. You're going to start a fight if you don't," he said with a chuckle.

"Pick my dragon?" Leo asked with a frown.

"Yes. The Kommo-o like you. The Dragonite like you; you got a scale from their Patriarch, right? The Dragonite have fought over the position of Totem with the Kommo-o since time immemorial – ah, I'm rambling. But just listen, they could pick a fight over who has the right to claim you if you don't choose one,"

Leo frowned at him.

"Why would they want to fight over me in the first place?" he asked, not quite understanding things. Sure, he'd helped out the dragons, but that didn't really mean they should be leaping over each other to join his team…right?

"Why wouldn't they?" he asked, and just by his tone of voice Leo knew that was a loaded question. Deciding it best not to question Sofu, mostly because he didn't want to deal with that right now, Leo continued on.

"Ok, but then, how do I choose one? And what about that whole 'no two pseudo-legendaries on the same team' thing?" Leo asked.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. You said you're Oak's student, right? The Professor, I mean, not Victoria," Sofu asked. Leo nodded. "That is good advice for an…average trainer. Dragons can be temperamental and territorial, and if you don't know how to handle them they can cause a lot of damage to team dynamics. However you are not average, simply because of understanding. The right trainer, with the right understanding, can make anything work. Just look at the dragon clan from Johto – they routinely pump out dragon masters with multiple dragons and pseudo-legendaries on their teams. Why? Because they have made understanding and training dragons their life, they've turned it into an art form.

"And you, boy, can do that too. You can sense pokemon here, and here," Sofu continued, pointing to Leo's heart and head, respectively. "And I have faith that you can make any pokémon that you want to have on your team, or wants to join your team, fit. Strong bonds, Leo, strong bonds," he said.

"Oh," Leo said, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks. What should I do now though, while waiting? I mean, I want to make sure Boone -"

"I'll take care of the poachers, as will miss Lusamine, so don't worry about them. You do what you want, I can't tell you what to do. I would suggest talking to some of those pokémon you rescued, though," he said, starting off towards the camp. Leo was silent for a few moments, then glanced at Santiago, who nodded.

Well, ok then.

Leo stared down Zuko, who was giving him puppy-dog eyes and whining pitifully. Behind him the five Rockruff pups lay piled up together, mostly asleep but occasionally kicking and making little noises. According to the Aether folk and his own pokedex, they were relatively young. Still too young to go out on their own, at least – the Lycanroc pelts they'd found in the "butcher tent" were likely their parents. Which was pretty morbid, all things considered, but now Zuko had adopted them. Or wanted to, at least.

"No," Leo said, though his argument was a failing one. "We are not adopting them. We don't even know if that's allowed," a lie, and a bad lie at that. Poaching was illegal, as was overhunting certain populations of pokémon, but there was nothing to say that catching pokémon solely for trading was. It was a respectable profession. And, in the event of someone stopping an illegal hunting or poaching operation, the pokémon therein are technically, by some statutes, fair game. Especially if they want to go with the trainer who rescued them.

And especially if they're invasive species.

Plus, Lusamine had already given him a bit of a green light when it came to adopting certain pokémon. She wouldn't mind.

"Quillll," Zuko whined, puffing smoke at Leo. The Lucario smacked Leo on the back of the head, and he turned to glare at it.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"Cario," it said simply, crossing its arms, then turning back to the chattering Meinfoo, nodding along appropriately.

"You want me to tell the truth?" Leo asked, trying his best to interpret what was said. The Lucario nodded again, still not looking at him, and Leo sighed heavily. Before he could turn back to Zuko, however, he spotted Link showing off his sword-skills to a few Scyther and the one Scizor that the Aether folk had released from Boone's supply of pokémon – they were island natives, after all, but had stuck around for whatever reason.

The Bellossom spotted Leo and waved, gesturing happily to the bug-types. Leo got the meaning. He wasn't sure he liked it.

"Santiago would you…" Leo turned to his starter and trailed off, finding him deep in a psychic conversation with one of the Aether folk's Kadabra, the fox-like pokémon teleporting randomly before resuming the conversation. Diana, likewise, was no help, as she seemed to be talking to the Hakamo-o that was still following him, wiggling happily and talking through her air vents. He sighed, and turned back to Zuko, who was sniffing the Rockruff pile. The pups whined, one of the awake ones batting Zuko's snout with a paw and receiving a lick on the nose from Zuko in return. The Rockruff sneezed.

Damn. Leo thought, his heart melting. That's adorable. No, no. No! Don't give in! You don't need to be adopting five bloody Rockruff! Then a treacherous part of his mind added: well, you won't need to keep them necessarily. Just let them grow a little. And, you know, Gary and Ash could use a pokémon. They're old enough to start at least taking care of them, right? The more they know and all that…

"The Professor would never approve," Leo reasoned to himself, but at the same time knowing that Victoria would probably help him convince the old Professor, if for no other reason than to spite his stubbornness. Besides, maybe a companion like Rockruff would keep Gary from becoming a colossal jerk like in the anime…though honestly I doubt he'd become like that to begin with.

"Bad thoughts, Leo, stop thinking, we'll deal with it later," he muttered, rubbing his face and scanning the rest of the camp. For the most part things had been cleaned up nicely. A few employees had pitched one of the tents again and were booting up the electronics, downloading data and analyzing what they could – the initial outlook wasn't very promising, from what he'd heard. The number of pokémon lost was well into the hundreds, not all of them caught by Boone, with a large number of cages missing from the shipwreck as well. That meant potentially invasive species on the island.

Boone was still here as well, as were the other poachers. Lusamine had taken command over them, having released a Salazzle that glared at them and occasionally dripped poison from her jaws, just to intimidate them. Boone was being sort-of helpful, actually, answering a few of Lusamine's questions but remaining completely quiet on the others – and he kept shooting Leo glances.

He didn't say where he was going, but the documents in the camp's computers indicated towards Kanto, which immediately made Leo suspect Team Rocket. Not that he was a member of the Team, but ordering pokémon from a black-market dealer couldn't be that far-fetched…could it? Maybe they were the black-market dealers, and Boone was the supplier.

Other Aether Employees milled about, taking stock of the pokeball stash found buried in a few duffle bags, cleaning the camp, healing injured pokémon, and various other support stuff. All of them seemed to be steering clear of Leo, though, giving him odd looks and whispering among themselves. Whatever that was about, he didn't like it.

"Rio," a sudden voice said, the Lucario laying a paw on Leo's shoulder. He jumped slightly and turned to face him, raising an eyebrow.

"Foo!" the Meinfoo cried happily, performing a few punches in the air and looking at Leo expectantly.

"What?" Leo asked.

"Lucario," it replied, taking a few steps back and taking a stance. Leo glanced at the Meinfoo, who was staring at him with great expectation, then looked back at the Lucario, who was smiling serenely.

"No. I have had quite enough fighting for one day, thank you very much," Leo denied, shaking his head. The Lucario just stared at him. "No. Not in front of all these people," The Meinfoo tugged on his pantleg and whined piteously. "No, I said!" he protested.

"No whining," Santiago ordered, glaring at Leo then turning back to his conversation with the Kadabra. "Get it over with,"

"Traitor," Leo scowled, sliding into a stance despite his protests and meeting the Lucario's eyes. What followed wasn't a one-sided beatdown, or anything that could even be considered a fight, really. It was a slow dance, the Lucario moving at a slow, steady pace and miming strikes, and Leo doing the same – their 'hits' only ever being light taps and shoves as they followed through with the motion. And it lasted all of thirty seconds before, satisfied, the Lucario stepped back, placed his paws together, and bowed. Leo returned the gesture, rubbing his aching side.

It still hurt, where the Sawk punched him.

"Cario," the Lucario said, gesturing over Leo's shoulder. He turned around and met the eyes of Hakamo-o, as she slid into a stance as well. With a defeated slump of his shoulders he matched her stance, stepping firmly and letting out a breath, preparing himself for a bit more intense of a mock fight than before.

She, however, did something entirely different. She went through a series of motions, then prompted him to mimic her. When he did, she joined him in the motions, the two sliding across the ground, stomping their feet, and making odd motions with their hands. It quickly became apparent to him that they were dancing, much like how he and Link danced, with each of her movements causing her scales to clang together in a beat not unlike a war drum. Leo quickly lost himself in the dance, slowly taking the lead and leading her through a mix of the dragon dance and the Bellossom dance, merging the two into a whole.

It didn't last long, and Leo soon stopped because he was getting tired and was suffering from an adrenaline crash, but that was apparently all the Hakamo-o wanted. She nodded to him and wandered off, leaving Leo to meet the curious eyes of the Aether folk, who were all watching him.

"What?" he asked, and they all went back to their business. Leo flushed with embarrassment, but stomped that feeling down.

"You're one of them," Boone said, a massive grin stretching across his face. "It all makes sense now! Ha! He's one of them! No wonder I lost!" he crowed triumphantly, tossing his head back in laughter.

"Be quiet before I let Suzie here melt your bones," Lusamine said, so calm and deadpan that Leo honestly believed that she would let her Salazzle do it. Considering Salazzle were the most corrosive poison type pokémon in the world, there was little doubt she'd even need her fire to do it, either. "Now get back to work, or I'll go ahead and send you to prison," Boone wasn't cowed, however, grinning manically at Leo and reaching up to snag his hat from his head, despite still being handcuffed.

"You know what? Here, catch, kid," he said happily, and frisbee threw it to Leo. It froze midair, caught in Santiago's psychic hold.

"What are you doing?" Lusamine demanded, stepping forward and snapping her fingers, her Salazzle rising up to her full height and hissing, the purple lines along her back glowing. Boone raised his hands defensively as Santiago floated the hat over to Leo, who snagged it by the brim.

"Look, I've got a habit of taking trophies of things that nearly got me killed or beat me. The kid not only beat us soundly – even though we were still recovering from the shipwreck, so keep that in mind before it gets to your head, kid – he also saved the lives of me and my men by talking to those Kommo-o. I figure that warrants a trophy from me," Boone explained quickly, taking a few steps away from the angry Salazzle. P

Lusamine narrowed her eyes and looked at Leo, who examined the hat with a complicated expression. It was…heavy, for a hat, and the teeth lining the brim would probably need to go. But it seemed to be high quality and…well, Leo wasn't sure what to think of this.

"I mean, ok, I guess," he said, glancing at Santiago, who looked back at Leo and shrugged.

"Not ill," he said, then turned back to his conversation with the Kadabra.

"You heard him. He's got no ill intent," Leo said, meeting Lusamine's eyes. She scowled and looked like she was going to protest, but a quiet word from Sofu, who had emerged from the other side of the camp, calmed her. Boone grinned as he was forcibly turned back to the task at hand with a shouted "take care of it!" Aether folk stepping forward and guiding him away from Lusamine and back towards his companions. They'd be teleported away soon, presumably to the police or something. Sofu would take care of it, especially considering the way people jumped to do whatever he asked.

Especially the Alolan natives. They were especially respectful to the old man.

Leo shook his head and tossed the hat onto his open pack, pausing because he hadn't remembered opening it. He frowned and watched as Zuko bounded over to the pack, stuck his head inside, retrieved a pokeball, and ran back over to the Rockruff pile, placing it in the already-growing pile of pokeballs placed in front of the sleeping rock-types. It would have been cute, were it not kind of annoying. As it was, Leo could only shake his head and laugh to himself, all while trying to figure out what to do about it. If Zuko wanted to catch the Rockruff that badly…

A sharp tug on his pants leg drew his attention away from that scene to the Meinfoo at his feet. She looked up at him expectantly.

"What, you want to come with me?" he asked in a half-joke, getting a rapid nod in answer. "Santiago, thoughts?" he asked, turning to his starter, who wholly ignored him. "Link?" but Link was likewise preoccupied, waving off the Scyther and Scizor as they flew deeper into the island, returning home. Zuko sat patiently next to the Rockruff, five pokeballs laid out on the ground before them, panting and staring at Leo expectantly. Diana was also no help, as she had moved over to investigate Boone, who shied away from the massive rock-type staring at him curiously.

Leo could only imagine how intimidating that was from his end, because Diana just wasn't scary to him. Not as well as he knew her. Shaking his head because his team was no help whatsoever, he turned back to Meinfoo.

"You saved my butt with that Sawk, so I'm ok with it. Just go capture yourself in one of the pokeballs Zuko laid out and we'll get acquainted after the Funeral of Dragons. Ok?" he said.

Meinfoo cheered and darted forward, slapping the capture button on one of the pokeballs and letting herself get sucked up. It closed without a fight and clicked in acknowledgement of a successful capture, and Leo moved over to pick it up, getting no small amount of amusement from Zuko's scandalized look. It didn't change his answer though.

"Don't give me that, she earned her capture," Leo said, setting his hands on his hips. "And for the last time, no, we're not catching the Rockruff,"

INSERT LINE BREAK HERE

Leo caught the Rockruff. Lusamine had been the one to actually convince him, saying that she could keep them at her mansion on Melemele Island until they were old enough to start training, but Leo didn't intend to keep them there for too long. The issue was finding new homes for them – if he kept them he was bound to bond with them, and that would make giving them to other trainers, like Gary or Ash, all the harder. Zuko, of course, was ecstatic that Leo would be helping to raise the pups. It had taken quite a while to get him to calm down, but Leo had made sure he knew that they wouldn't be truly keeping them. There was wanting to take care of the pups, and then there was wanting to adopt them for real.

Ironic how he was just talking about adding a whole bunch of teammates, and now was finding himself backpedaling when they were practically dropped in his lap.

Maybe Lillie and Gladion will bond with them. Leo thought to himself. Speaking of, I still don't know how old they are yet. Nor have I met them. That'll probably be soon though, considering how Lusamine kept mentioning her house on Melemele. Bet she intends to take me there for some R and R.

A sudden sense of vertigo gripped Leo as the Dragonite he was being carried by banked, hurtling towards the jungle-covered plateau at great speeds. No wind whipped Leo despite their speed, however, the dragon-type using its immense power to curve the wind around them and keep Leo safe from the high-speed winds.

"Woah, hold on there!" Leo cried, squirming in the massive Dragonite's grasp as he hurtled towards the side of the plateau. Nervousness transformed into outright worry and minor terror as they crashed through the jungle canopy and through a thick wall of greenery, bursting through unscathed to reveal the insides of a relatively large tunnel, leading further into the earth. Leo didn't relax as the Dragonite wove through the tunnel at speed, the darkness within making sight impossible, and juking around invisible obstacles and corners. Finally though, after what felt like hours but was only a few dozen seconds, they arrived at a massive, dimly-lit cavern. The Dragonite flared its wings, coming to a halt, and let Leo go.

Leo stumbled as his feet hit the ground, legs shaking, while the Dragonite made a sound not unlike a chuckle.

"I can't decide whether that was awesome or terrifying," he muttered, shaking his head and looking around. The cavern itself was less of a cavern and more of a hidden valley – the rock walls curving up and around, but leaving a large hole where the evening sky could be seen. Long vines hung down from the hole, reaching towards the cavern floor, while large glowing crystals provided what little light there was.

Half of the cavern was taken up by the Kommo-o and Dragonite lines. Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o, Dratini, Dragonair, and the odd Kommo-o and Dragonite all stood silently in a half circle, facing two white-stone-carved life-sized statues of Dragonite and Kommo-o, lying as if asleep on a flat stone pedestal.

Silence filled the air. Leo watched as the Hakamo-o that had been sent to watch him arrived through a different tunnel, the dragon having left the poacher camp once Sofu assured her that things would be taken care of, and let out his own team to watch the proceedings. Zuko immediately found a nice spot to curl up and close his eyes – exhausted from the day's events – while Link and Santiago stood right beside Leo. Diana was quiet for once, looking around the cavern with large, curious eyes before settling her attention on Meinfoo, who was silent as she looked out over the large collection of dragons before them.

From there, they didn't have to wait long. The Kommo-o line began stomping their feet, the Dragonite line filling the still air of the cavern with a solemn hum, the sounds echoing around the cavern. It was a sad tune, yet somehow triumphant, as the Totem Kommo-o emerged from a tunnel opposite the statues, still carrying the deceased Hakamo-o. The song reached a crescendo as Kommo-o crossed the cavern floor, yet Leo remained quiet this time. This, unlike the previous one, was not a song he was welcome to join. That was the feeling he got.

The Totem Kommo-o laid Hakamo-o at the foot of the statues' pedestal, and took a step back as Jangmo-o and Dratini moved forward, carrying stones in their mouth to begin building a tomb for the deceased dragon. Each rock was purposefully placed, the clash of stone-on-stone blending in with the still-ongoing song, until finally the Hakamo-o was covered and the song came to an abrupt end. Silence filled the cavern – like a held breath, in anticipation of some great event.

And the Kommo-o statue moved. Leo's eyebrows rose as the stark-white Kommo-o, scales bleached from what Leo assumed to be age, raised its head and blinked its milky white eyes at the Totem pokémon, then looked down at the tomb before it. The Totem Kommo-o bowed his head to the much smaller pokémon in askance, waiting silently for an answer. The elder Kommo-o shook itself, scales rattling against each other hollowly, and snapped its jaws at the white Dragonite beside it. It did not respond, and the stillness of the cavern changed. That is, until the Kommo-o nipped the Dragonite's hide, and the dragon raised its head.

A sigh of relief escaped the large Dragonite still beside Leo, and he suddenly realized that the dragons had assumed the white Dragonite dead. Considering how old the two must be to have turned completely white, he supposed that wasn't an invalid concern.

"Draaaa," the white Dragonite yawned, showing off toothless gums. It turned its eyes to the Totem Kommo-o and sniffed the air, then glanced down at the tomb before them. With a yawn, blue fire welled up in the back of its throat, dragonfire racing out and scorching the stone tomb. Leo's eyes widened as the show continued, stone fusing together and binding until it was a single, cherry red boulder. The Dragonite coughed as its dragon breath ceased, smoke billowing from its nostrils. With another yawn it laid its head back down and closed its eyes, falling into slumber as the elder Kommo-o shook its head, scales clanging together hollowly once more, and sending out waves of blue light that washed over the molten stone, sinking into the material.

That finished, the elderly Kommo-o stretched its neck out a bit and laid back down as well, though it kept one eye open to watch the proceedings. The Totem Kommo-o silently stood there, watching the still cherry-red stone and waiting for it to cool. A sudden tap on Leo's shoulder made him jump in surprise, turning to look at the Lucario that now stood behind him, holding a paw over her mouth as if to say "hush."

"The interesting bit is over now. Come, there is something I wish to show you. Leave your team here – except for Meinfoo. The ghost can come too, I suppose," she said in a low whisper, the words echoing in Leo's head almost like telepathy. A little bit of excitement jolted through him and he nodded, tapping Santiago's arm and briefly explaining the situation. He nodded and waved Leo off, turning his attention back to the funeral, as Leo moved to follow Lucario. Meinfoo was already walking beside the blue canid pokémon, practically bouncing with excitement. With one last look at the dragons assembled below, Leo turned and followed Lucario into the darkness of the tunnels.

A blue light appeared over one of her palms, lighting the way, and she once more began to speak.

"You've made quite the impression on the little one here," she said, glancing over her shoulder at Leo.

"Well, thanks. She saved my butt against a Sawk," Leo said. Meinfoo chattered animatedly now that they were away from the silence of the funeral, gesturing grandly to Leo.

"She says she hardly did anything besides distract it. It was your team who wound up knocking it out," Lucario said. "…thank you, for rescuing her. She had been caught this morning, by her account. She'd been out on a journey to find a suitable trainer for herself, and had challenged the poachers in hopes one of them would be worthy. They were not,"

"Searching for a trainer, huh?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow and carefully stepping over a hole in the ground. Droplets of water dripped down onto his head from above and he flinched, looking up to see stalagmites hanging down.

"Yes," she said, pausing at a flat portion of stone. "We could not give her what she sought, and so she went searching for one who could," and with that, stepped through the stone. Light curved around the edges of the hidden entryway, prompting Leo to carefully walk forward and admire the relatively hidden passage. It would be nigh impossible to spot even if he had a flashlight, such was its positioning in the rock and amongst the shadows.

"What do you mean by that?" Leo asked, catching up to Lucario as she led him deeper into the caves.

"The Lucario of Resolution Cave are peaceful by nature. There are some who follow the warrior's path, but many of us, and many of the pokémon who join us, are pacifists," she explained. "Alola is a peaceful region, and the Tapus and Totems ever-vigilant. During times of war we have taken up arms to defend our homes, but…it is not a necessity here. We pursue strength and skill to master our own inner selves. Not like the warrior tribes of Rota, who are fighters and champions by necessity,"

"Pacifists?" Leo echoed, raising an eyebrow. Lucario stopped and turned back to look at him, expression blank. "I can respect that," he finally decided. There were many martial artists who were pacifists by choice. Bruce Lee's teacher, famously known as IP Man, was supposedly a pacifist. The movies about him said otherwise, but if he was remembering some of the man's history right, then he was.

Not everyone learned martial arts to be able to beat up people, or defend themselves.

"Can you now?" she asked.

"Sure. It's not that hard to believe, is it?" he questioned.

"No, perhaps not," she continued, turning back around and continuing down the path. The way was much smoother now, craggly rocks replaced by a well-worn path, and glowing stones now lighting the way in place of Lucario's aura. "In any case, the little one has decided that the adventure she wants, the training she desires, is not that of the Alolan Lucario. She desires to travel, to adventure, and to overcome the human trials of combat like the warriors of old. With a human companion," Lucario explained, Meinfoo nodding eagerly.

"I see," Leo said. Well, that was his current goal…

"You are taking the fact that I can communicate with you so clearly quite well. I was expecting a bit more shock and awe, the mystical and theatrical displays we put on are half the fun," Lucario joked, changing the subject a little. Leo thought about that for a moment, then shrugged.

"The way I see it, aura is about understanding. Feeling and understanding the world around you. It would make sense that a Lucario skilled in aura would be able to communicate," Leo reasoned.

"That is a fair assumption. Who is to even say I am speaking your language? Perhaps I am only sending intent towards you so strong that your own aura and mind interprets it as language," Lucario said with a chuckle.

That was…actually, that was pretty strange to think about.

"But nevermind that, we're here," she said, ducking beneath a low-hanging boulder and prompting Leo to do the same. The other side was a wide, plain-looking cave lit by those same glowing rocks. Small alcoves covered one side of the smooth cavern walls, while water dripped from long stalagmites into a pool of water in the center of the room. The room continued to rise at the far end, leading up to a flat area where another Lucario and Meinshao stood.

Meinfoo let out a happy cry and darted up to the two of them, leaping into the Meinshao's embrace.

"The parents. I thought they might like to meet their child one more time," Lucario whispered. Leo nodded, though that statement did twist his gut a little. "Do not feel guilty. She is a restless soul, having already left the nest despite her youth. For her to have found a soul such as yours to help her along her journey is a blessing,"

"Even though I'm dark?" Leo asked almost instinctively, watching as Meinfoo jumped into the other Lucario's arms next. Almost immediately he regretted that statement because, despite him being dark, psychic types seemed to love him. Why would fighting types be any different?

"Partly because you are Dark. That only means you understand the value of silence – and what do you believe this place is? Many humans and pokémon alike have come to this cave to uncover the secrets of the Dark and Silence. It is only in the silence of the mind and stillness of the heart that truth can be found," Lucario said sagely. Leo frowned, not quite understanding.

Humans and pokémon…?

"Wait, so humans came here to train?" he asked.

"More in search of enlightenment of the self than in the arts of combat. Solitude can be a great teacher, and, once upon a time, many peoples from across the world came to the Island of Poni to train. That was back in the days of the aura guardians, however. Times have changed since," Lucario said wistfully, and Leo reeled for a moment. Aura guardians came here to train? As if reading his mind, Lucario smiled sadly. "It is a pity, what happened to them. After Sir Aaron's sacrifice at the Tree of Life, the role of aura guardians changed in the world. Nations sought to turn them into soldiers, powerful warriors to change the tides of battle in their petty struggles – and so they disappeared from the world. There are still as many who are capable of using aura as there were before, but…perhaps not so openly. Those who would once be called aura guardians are far more subtle now," she explained.

"That's a lot to take in," Leo admitted.

"Is it? It is quite simple really. All places have history. When you look at this place, what do you see? When you first arrived you read the aura within, and you were unimpressed beyond the physical beauty of the place. I could see it in you. It is just a cave, not the temple of training others have found. Not the place where others have come to find resolve in their hearts and minds. The Dragon Kahuna himself, Sofu, saw this place as a temple. He learned about the nature of silence here. But you? Where do you find your temple to be?" she asked.

Leo didn't respond to the question, because he knew the answer. His 'temple' was in the wild, amongst the mountains and trees. But Lucario wasn't looking for an answer. She was simply getting him to think. Or, better yet, understand himself. He looked up at Meinfoo, who was showing off her moves to her parents, who watched fondly. They were coarse and unrefined, not the flowing grace of a well-trained fighting type, but she no less enthusiastic for it.

"Why did you come to Alola? Were you running from something, or seeking answers?" Lucario continued, and Leo's thoughts immediately went to Lunala, who had originally left him in the Silver Mountains. He had come here for answers, hadn't he? To escape the politics of Kanto, right? Some part of him disagreed. It was true, but…not the whole truth."I think you know the answer of why you are here. You know what choice you made in life, instinctively, as we all do. There is a path you chose to follow, from the moment you stepped into the world. The question then is not what choice you made, but why you made it. You may not understand yet, you may not be able to put it into words, but it is there. The greatest teacher is time, and aura. It can guide you,"

"Thank you," Leo said, after a long moment. Then, he worked up the courage to ask a question. "Would…you, or one of the Lucario be willing to teach me about aura?"

"Have you truly not realized it yet? You already know how to use aura. I was present when you fought the Kommo-o in the trial – you began to use a Z-move with the Little Knight without the use of a crystal. All z-moves are simply manifestations of aura, and the crystals help you shape it. You had half the jungle listening in to your songs at night whether they wanted to or not, blasting your intent and aura into the world as you were. It is refreshing, in a way, to see someone so open and honest about who and what they are. Another example would be the poachers. You cannot convince me that you did not know the danger they posed. Some part of you sensed it, and still you walked right into their den," she said, barking out a laugh. Hearing her physical voice layered over her aura voice was a bit weird – she sounded very gruff physically, but very calm aurally. Leo smiled a little at that, not quite sure about it, and considered what she said as he turned his attention back to Meinfoo.

That was a lot to take in.

When he returned to the dragon cavern, the funeral was essentially over. The stone coffin was being moved into one of the side-tunnels, and now the Kommo-o and Dragonite were having a discussion. Diana immediately noticed his return and moved over to him, pressing her face into his side and wiggling. She was bored and tired, and Leo chuckled at her.

"We're almost done, I promise," he whispered. She either didn't listen or didn't care, and continued to push against him, rocking side-to-side and letting her air vents hum a little. He paused and smiled, recognizing the tune she was trying to play, and quietly began to hum it back to her. That seemed to mollify her as she stopped moving, even as she continued to try and match his hum with her own low droning sound.

Separately from those two, the massive Dragonite that flew him into the cave grunted, the sound echoing out over the cavern, adding his two cents into whatever conversation was being had between the dragons.

"Bell!" Link suddenly shouted, anger coloring his tone. "Bellossom!" Leo's head whipped up to the little grass-type, standing on Santiago's crown as he was, to get a better view, as he waved his arms angrily.

"Oh dear, it appears the Kommo-o have angered the Little Knight," Lucario said, stepping up beside him while holding Meinfoo. The smaller fighting-type squirmed out of her grip, landing lightly on the cavern floor and dusting herself off. The farewell with her parents had gone smoothly – they let her run free, and made a nonverbal threat to him before leaving the Cave of Resolution entirely. He would take care of her, or they would hunt him down.

"How so?" Leo asked, pausing his humming but continuing to rub Diana's carapace between her eyes. She vibrated happily, continuing to hum.

"Bell, Bellossom!" Link continued, and Lucario blinked.

"It seems they were considering whether or not you were worthy of taking one of the Jangmo-o or Dratini with you on your journey. They can be prideful creatures, the dragons, and that annoyed the little knight. Hold on," Lucario said, listening as Link continued to rant. Santiago bobbed his head in agreement, nearly dislodging Link. "He says, 'If anything, you should not be debating whether or not he is worthy of you, but if you are worthy of him! It is he who I, Guardian of the Ilex Forest and decedent of Rose, guard of the Plateau, pledged my sword to, it is he who raised a Slowpoke into a King, and carries with him the blessings of Moon and Time. It is he who bears the legacy of the Unholy Flame that burned the temple of the sea and teaches it to be whole again, he who crossed the Silver Mountains, aided in the rise of yet another King, received the blessing of the previous, stood before the Living Winter, and earned the right to raise the child of Tyrus, Tyrant of the Mountains and Valleys!'

'So if you think yourself worthy, step forth! We will judge you, because he will not,'" Lucario paused, making sure Link was done, then shook her head. "Courageous little one, isn't he?"

Leo didn't respond, as silence had fallen over the cavern. The others must have been telling stories about their adventures to Link, because he wasn't there for most of that. Still, it warmed his heart to know that Link thought so highly of him. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to challenge the dragons like that, though. Especially since they were still technically recovering from the fight against Boone.

"Well?" Santiago boomed, standing straight and tall. Leo could only see his back, but he could imagine the challenging look he was giving the dragons. "What say you?" After a few more beats a single pokémon stepped forward – the same Hakamo-o Leo had danced with. And she began to speak.

"I have seen the strength of your team, Young Chief," Lucario translated, though Hakamo-o was looking directly at Leo, not any of the others. "And seen the courage you hold. But that is not why I would wish to join you in your journey. This is not a reward for defeating one who needed to be beaten. We are the Guardians, preparing for when darkness tries to take over the world; any strength and valor of arms you need, we will bring. No, I have seen your dance, and heard your song. It resonates with me, and I would join you to protect that, and bring it out into the world. And that is why I would wish to join,"

Leo nodded his head in acceptance, finding it strange to have someone translate for him. Usually he just made his best guesses. Though, honestly, he wanted the Hakamo-o to join his team ever since they fought each other in the canyon. He'd just thought his hopes were dashed when she didn't ask to afterwards.

"She'll want to fight one of your teammates in one-on-one combat. Such is tradition, before you catch her. Now is the time to choose, Legacy Bearer," Lucario continued, as Hakamo-o took a stance. Leo nodded and looked around the cavern, meeting the eyes of the dragons. The elder dragons still slept, but the rest all watched the proceedings closely. It was Diana who finally sealed the deal though, even if there was little doubt Leo was going to add the dragon to the team. She turned to face Hakamo-o and wiggled happily, bobbing up and down in excitement at the idea of making a new friend.

A new female friend, no less.

"Who wants to take this one?" Leo asked, glancing at his team. Spiritomb hissed in affirmation, Link nodded his head, Diana didn't seem to care, Zuko was sleeping off to the side, and Santiago just shrugged. "Alright…Link then. Spiritomb, you were poisoned earlier today. I want to make sure that's all out of your system…whatever counts as a system in a ghost, anyway, before you get into a fight again," Leo said, patting his pocket and mollifying his resident ghost. Link bowed to Leo and leapt off Santiago's crown, approaching Hakamo-o with a leaf-blade ready.

Hakamo-o took a stance and bared her fangs, the two staring each other down before some unseen signal started the fight.

It immediately became apparent that both were tired, Link from fighting earlier and Hakamo-o from running across the island all day, but Link had the edge. Hakamo-o charged in headfirst, claws bared, and he simply darted between her legs, slashing at them with his leaf blade. He whirled and tossed out a series of magical leaves, the glowing leaves scratching the outside of her scales, then casually waited for her to whirl and charge again. This time he parried her first blow with his leaf blade, sidestepping when she tried to stomp on him and slashing her chest with his blade.

Then he punched her in the leg, green light flowing from her to him as he sapped her strength. Hakamo-o roared, but was cut off when Link spun once, pink petals rising from his skirt and driving into her, sending her stumbling back. She roared and sucked in a deep breath, unleashing a torrent of dragon fire at Link, who leapt into the flames with a slash of his leaf blade. The short burst of purple fire was split in two, leaving Link singed but not burned. He darted forward and met Hakamo-o's next dragon claw, only for her to spin and slam her tail into him, sending him flying.

Link flipped midair, summoning another petal dance to protect against Hakamo-o's follow up dragon breath, and threw a few leech seeds at her. The tiny seed sprouted vines that wrapped around Hakamo-o's body the moment they touched her, prompting a snarl and for her to start stomping her feet and roaring to the skies. Link shot another barrage of magical leaves, then looked at Leo pointedly, making a motion like he was dancing.

Leo took a deep breath and stepped forward, peeling himself away from the overly-clingy Diana, understanding what Link was wanting. They'd been practicing the z-move dance a bit since they first got it started in the trial, but had never had much success in it. He felt like this would be the time. He and Link moved at the same time, taking a few dancing steps.

Hakamo-o's eyes widened as she glanced between Link and Leo, charging forward in a desperate attempt to stop the z-move, but it was too late. Leo planted his feet and thrust his hands skyward, as if miming a sprouting tree, while Link thrust his leaf blade skyward. Something within Leo stirred, flowing forward until it connected with Link, the green light of his leaf blade intensifying tenfold, burning like the sun in this cavern. Link let the blade fall, the tip hitting Hakamo-o in the head and exploding in flash of brilliant light.

Diana slammed her face into Leo from behind, determined to not be ignored, and he stumbled forward, keeping his eyes on the battle while gently pushing her away. When the light faded, plants grew. The vines from the hole in the ceiling had sprouted flowers, the thick green plants reaching down and touching the ground, where they spread across the cavern floor. Grass surrounded Link, and Hakamo-o tore her shaking legs out of a cage of thick grass that had grown over her. She was breathing heavy, but so was Link. That move took a lot out of him.

"Finish this, Link," Leo said. The little grass type nodded and closed his eyes, levelling his leaf blade and closing his eyes. Wisps of pink-silver light surrounded the glowing green blade, and Hakamo-o roared as she charged. Link raised his sword one last time, ducked under her swinging claws, and drove the sword into her stomach. She whuffed out a breath and fell face-first onto the ground, breathing heavy. Leo had been working Link on learning moonblast, but it was slow going. He already had some practice in it before, thanks to his training with Layla, but as far as they'd gotten was just those small wisps of light. Still, it was a start, and effective in its simplicity.

Link bowed to the fallen Hakamo-o as Leo tossed a pokeball, which sucked up the unconscious dragon, wiggling a few times before falling still.

Leo walked down to the pokeball and picked it up, staring at it quietly before turning to the Kommo-o and bowing.

"Thank you for the opportunity, and for the honor of watching the funeral," he said. The Totem Kommo-o approached with great, thundering steps, standing before Leo once more and eyeing him. He didn't need a translator to understand what he was trying to say. "I will take care of her," he promised, and the Totem pokémon nodded, then roared, a roar that was joined in by all the dragons present save the elders. It echoed around the cavern to the point where Leo thought his ears might burst, but he resisted the urge to cover them.

That done, the Totem pokémon turned and walked away, the Kommo-o line of pokémon exited the chamber via the tunnels, and the Dragonite line flying out of the hole above, chased by the still-echoing roar.

And thus ended the Funeral of Dragons.

Giovanni sat in his office in Viridian, sipping a fine wine and reading the newest reports his people had of Lance's movements. The new champion was poking around the Silver Mountains for some reason, and he had yet to figure out why. There were plenty of theories, but no concrete answers. And Giovanni hated guessing. They'd probably need to investigate.

"Sir, some bad news," his subordinate, Archer, said, entering the room with a clipboard in hand. Giovanni raised his head and raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue. "Our latest batch of pokémon will not be arriving. The ship wrecked, and the captain and crew caught,"

"Who was it?" Giovanni asked with a frown.

"Boone Enterprises, sir," Archer replied. "He was sailing through the Alola region when the local Tapu caught wind of him and destroyed his ship. Most of the stock is gone, and now Aether is moving into clean up the mess,"

Giovanni sighed and shook his head, taking another sip of his wine and petting the head of his Persian. The great cat purred as it sat beneath his desk, letting the man's fingers caress his ears. This was why he kept his people's activities outside of Alola. In fact, any acquisitions expert, like Boone, worth their salt would steer clear of the islands save for brief tours. The pokémon there were tight nit, and if you angered the wrong pokémon they were liable to all come crashing down on you.

Not to mention the trainers. They didn't produce as strong or as many strong trainers as Indigo – few Regions could claim they did – but a strong trainer could be anyone in Alola. He remembered his mother taking him to the islands on a vacation for a few months when he was a boy, and when he went to get his hair cut, the hair dresser turned out to be an Elite level trainer who got tired of the life and opened up their own salon. No, Alola was dangerous, and for different reasons than other regions.

"We knew about this before, didn't we? He radioed for help if I recall," Giovanni said.

"Yes. Petrel sent out a recovery team, though I just told him to bring them back," Archer replied. Giovanni nodded. Good.

"Then why are you here," he demanded. There were plenty of other things to occupy his time than this. Namely, in this case, relaxation. Things had been…stressful, lately, with the Oaks snooping about his business and the new Champion being the royal pain he was. Stupid Wataru's and their superiority complexes. Already Lance was rerouting funds from the Kanto Gym Circuit to put into funding for a planned Safari Zone in Johto, not caring that the Safari Zone in Kanto was one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region. It would take away valuable revenue from Kanto, which was already struggling with a poor economy. Giovanni couldn't help the scowl that threatened to take over his face. Fool. Kanto prided itself on its strength of arms, it was one of the few things it could. Taking that away would only incense the region.

"Because I thought you might like to see this," Archer said, procuring a small, pad-like screen, not unlike the pokedex Oak had released. "It's a video about the incident. Apparently a single kid put down the entire team of poachers, not that hard to believe because they weren't the best battlers, not like Hunter J, but what happened next is interesting,"

Archer put the pad down in front of Giovanni, revealing a video pulled up on the pad. With a single tap of the screen the video started to play, showing a young boy talking to the Kommo-o of Alola, then singing alongside them. Giovanni's eyebrows rose as he recognized the child, the grainy video zooming in on him. That was Leo Angelico, the Oak's pet project.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded. Their contacts in Alola focused mainly on Aether, and the genetic research going on within. He had little to no knowledge of the region's inner workings, especially without the World League being present there.

"It's from a video service that's based in Unova called YouTube. Popped up a year or two ago, and has been spreading like wildfire. Johto's been rebuffing their efforts to extend their services over to Indigo, but we can still get some access, with the right channels. Apparently an Aether agent on scene recorded this and uploaded it to there, which is completely unprofessional, but good for us – there's even a second video where the kid is dancing with a Lucario and a Hakamo-o," Archer explained with a grin. Giovanni frowned and considered the situation. "What do you think, want to go after him? Try and pull him into the fold again? Or do we take him out for messing with Team Rocket? Make an example?"

"You are not to touch him," Giovanni decided firmly. It was important to know what enemies to make, and what enemies to make friends of. Leo was, potentially, part of the latter group. Just like that psychic in Saffron. "It appears I was correct in my assumption of him. He is a Child of Viridian – one who can understand and speak to pokémon on a primal level,"

"You mean like Lance," Archer said, and Giovanni nodded.

"If any of our men go after him or his pokémon, I will personally take care of them. And, if he happens to dig deep enough to find that contact in Aether – Faba, was it? – then we will cut ties with him," Giovanni said decisively. Archer's eyebrows rose.

"That bad, huh?" he asked. Giovanni nodded.

"Yes. If his blood runs deeper than just being a Child of Viridian, he is not an enemy to make," he said. "Lance alone is bad enough as it is, let alone the whole of the Wataru clan. As we are now, we cannot win in a direct confrontation with the new league, we don't need to swell their numbers. Not when the Origin Project is so far from completion," Archer nodded and picked up his pad, turning and walking away with the promise of letting the men know. Giovanni ignored him for the most part, allowing his mind to drift back into nothingness, emptying it of the troubles that had been ailing him.

His mother had built Team Rocket, and she had designed a hammer thinking it a scalpel. A scalpel she had intended to use to cut Kanto free of Indigo, and Johto's economic influence. When Giovanni inherited it, he'd mostly kept the team quiet. Hammers were not always the answer, and that left him to become the scalpel. He had to know when and where to make cuts. But the time of the hammer was coming, unfortunately. Lance was leaving him no choice.

Still, it was a shame about Boone. There were some fine pokémon arriving in that shipment, if he recalled. And if his team was to be a hammer, they deserved more than Rattatta and Zubat.