Canalave City

I decide to check out the library, figuring I’d get a kick out of the history section.

- Look here. It’s Archie!

Hm?

- In this book, Archie from the aqua crew. It says here that after the Hoenn Incident he gathered a fleet of ships and protected the oceans from wailmer poachers.

Heh!

- Oh… he vanished some decades after when he collided his ship with a smuggler ship run by the rocket gang. The aqua crew later formed a branch of the pokemon rangers who specialised in protecting the ocean’s ecosystem.

What about Team Magma?

- I think they were in this book here… ah! Maxie, with the magma cult, formed a construction company. He invented a technique of making building materials from molten rock and built the very first artificial island… It’s a holiday resort.

Are there any cool books here?

- Well… I got this in Sandgem Town.

- Look! There’s where Rayquaza quelled Kyogre and Groudon. Here, in the photo, that’s us!

Looks like a blurry cloud to me.

- Well… we were flying on Nimbus, and pretty high up…

Oh… the Altaria…

- It’s all here! Sightings of the legendary bird trio in Kanto when we battled them. Reports of the three legendary beasts spotted in Johto around the time we visited the burned tower!

Really…

- I’ve not seen this one before. Here, this white dragon… and… is that me?!

Close it!

- What, why?

It creeps me out, close it!

- Fine…

I put the almanac back into my jacket pocket.

Ah, Barry said you’d be here.

Yep! Told you, he’s right here, see!

Y– yes Barry, well done. Though I didn’t ask you to follow me here…

Professor! You left your briefcase in the pokemon center again…

Oh, yes. Thank you, Dawn.

I wanted to discuss some things with you, Caldar.

- Like what?

First of all; you’re a time traveller!

A what?

Cool!

Busted…

Oh this explains so much, old man!

- Uh…

I’m not sure exactly how you’ve managed it but I assume this Professor Oak you travel with is the one who made it possible.

- Well…

I don’t know why you’re here and frankly I don’t care. Your professor has already fled this time and I suggest you leave before something terrible happens.

- What?

Wherever you’ve been there has been trouble and you seem to be in the middle of most of it. Do you have any idea of the repercussions of simply being here?!

- But–

The very fact that we don’t know should be scary enough!

I don’t get it. Is Caldar from the future or..?

The windows of the building suddenly implode, scattering glass all around the room. The floor jumps, knocking us all off our feet and a loud boom almost deafens me.

Woah! What was that!

See! You see what can happen!… What happened?

Pokedex, access the newscasts please.

I’m already on it.

A whatnow?

Pipe down, old man. Let me show you what a real piece of technology can do!

When you hit the floor just now… is that a crack in your screen? At least my trainer has to land on me first before my case will crack!

… “Reports of large explosions at each of the great lakes are coming in. Plumes of smoke are rising from them and wild pokemon have been seen fleeing from the surrounding areas.”

- !! OH CRAP!

You forgot about the other bombs! You dumbass!

- You didn’t remind me!

You didn’t ask for a reminder!

You know something about this?

- I.. er… The boss of the galaxy group, he thinks he can create a new universe or something. And he believes the lake guardians can help him in his goal.

The guy’s crazy, but he seems to have a supply of large bombs. Not a combination you’d like to see…

Team Galactic have gone too far! We need to check the lakes. Whatever they’ve done, it can’t be good for the pokemon there! We’ll have a better chance of catching someone if we split up, Dawn and I will head to Lake Verity.

Oh! Oh! I’ll go to Lake Acuity, it’s far but I’m the fastest one here! Imma beat up some galactic grunts! Bye!

I guess that means you get Lake Valor, Caldar. I have a feeling you have something to do with all of this, you still shouldn’t be here. But the damage is done and you can at least help fix it.

- Right…

Lake Valor

I have Marcus fly me as close as he can get to the lake and I run the rest of the way. As I reach the lake I find it completely drained of water, magikarp are flopping all around.

Whew! What a boom!

- You did this?!

Commander Saturn! We’ve got trouble!

I should have expected you’d show up. I’ve been warned about you and I won’t let you interfere with our plans anymore!

Golbat, go!

- Go Lennier!

- Psycho cut!

Wing attack!

Lennier cuts the air in front of him, golbat winces in pain and flops to the ground.

Go Bronzor!

- Drain punch!

Iron defense!

Lennier punches bronzor square in the middle, bronzor bolsters it’s defenses.

- Lennier return! Go Bob!

Gyro ball!

Bronzor begins spinning and bumps into Bob as he leaves his pokeball.

- Flamethrower!

Iron defense!

Bob breathes a stream of flame at bronzor, overwhelming it with heat.

Go Toxicroak!

- Flamethrower!

Revenge!

Bob engulfs toxicroak in flames. Enraged, toxicroak leaps directly at Bob and punches him in the face, sending him flying across the lake bed.

- BOB!

- Marcus! Get him!

- Aerial ace!

Revenge!

Marcus jets at toxicroak and sends it flying over the tree line.

Bah! Well, no matter. We already got what we came for!

- You!

Back to HQ everyone!

A pain in my chest distracts me while Saturn and his goons escape.

Tough battle…

- Yeah…

You don’t think that–

- Dawn! Quick Marcus, take us to Sandgem Town!

Sandgem Town

In a quick stop off at the pokemon center I get Kosh out of the PC. Before I can clip the pokeball to my belt he pops out of the ball and darts to the staff kitchen.

Hey! Your pokemon aren’t permitted back there!

- Sorry, he just–

Kosh returns to his pokeball but he looks a little different.

Kosh Lv. 20

The microwave! Oh no… not again!

Lake Verity

The first thing I see when I arrive is the cave in the middle of the lake, collapsed and smoke rising from the rubble.

Caldar! I thought I sent you to Lake Valor!

- I’ve been there, the galaxy group have wrecked the place and have taken something.

Help! This one’s too strong!

Hahaha! You can never hope to stop us!

- I beg to differ!

You!

- Me!

Go Golbat!

- Go Grace!

- Ice beam!

Supersonic!

Golbat tries to squeal high pitched noises but can’t with a mouth full of ice beam.

Go Bronzor!

- Hydro pump!

Extrasensory!

Grace fires a high pressure blast of water, launching bronzor into the nearby forest. A faint crack can be heard in the distance as bronzor no-doubt hits a tree.

Go Purugly!

- Hydro pump!

Fake out!

Purugly swiftly slaps Grace across the face, making her flinch.

- Hydro pump!

Hypnosis!

Purugly tries to hypnotise Grace but it’s concentration is broken when it takes a hydro pump to the face. Purugly eats a sitrus berry it had stashed away.

- Surf!

Slash!

Purugly slashes at Grace and Grace summons a wave of water that sweeps purugly into the lake.

Fah! At least we got what the boss wanted.

- Dawn, are you OK?

Yes, I’m fine. She got away!

I look back to where Mars was standing, she’s not there anymore.

- Damn!

I feel movement in my bag, the egg is hatching!

- Oh! It’s.. Hadron’s child?

A magnemite? From an egg? Fascinating!

- Welcome to the team Cern, child of Hadron!

Cern Lv. 1

Wow, so mechanical pokemon come from eggs too!

We both had some trouble checking out the lakes, what about Barry?

- Oh no…

By Arceus… numbnuts is gonna get himself killed!