YOU, Lord Helix said to Red, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO.



Red rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know how much you know about our ACTUAL situation here, but it's far too late to follow the script. That ship has sunk."



If the Helix Fossil had had eyes, they would have widened. YOU... KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER TIMELINE?



"I'm the Host of the Voices," Red said. "They're terrible at keeping secrets."



Helix grudgingly admitted this. THEN YOU REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT MUST BE, He said. WITHOUT THE POWERS OF THE PANTHEMON, HOW WILL WE EVER HOPE TO STAND AGAINST THE OLDEN WHEN HE INEVITABLY COMES FOR US?



"Oh, I know how to handle Olden," Red said with the slightest trace of a grin. "Why do you think I'm seeking out Missingno. with a Master Ball in my bag?"



There was a horrible silence.



TURN BACK, MY ACOLYTE, Helix said firmly. DOWN THAT ROAD LIES MADNESS AND DESTRUCTION.



"Oh, I'm well aware of that," Red said cooly. "Remember back in the past-future when I captured OLDEN itself and then nearly corrupted the entire bird trio, only to be stopped at Moltres because I had a cursed relic in my bag that wouldn't let me reach my Poke Balls?"



Helix remembered. AND YET YOU'LL DO IT AGAIN?



Red stopped, opened his bag, picked up the Helix Fossil, and stared intently into it. "I think there's more at stake here than you realize. Do you have any idea what the cause of this time disruption actually is?"



The fossil in his hand actually shuddered. WAIT... ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU DO?



"There's a group of... let's call them 'beings,'" Red said. "I'm not sure if they're actual people or merely... characters, let's put it that way. Have you ever heard of Fennel's cursed diary?"



YOU MEAN THAT ENCHANTED TOME THAT SUCKED UP VIRGINIA AND LILLIE AND SO MANY OTHERS BACK IN ALOLA?



Red nodded. "Exactly. You see, that group of 'characters' within that diary had made plans to take over the diary's world for their own purposes. Virginia managed to defeat them all, and one of her allies sent them out of the diary's world, ostensibly to prevent them from succeeding in their evil quest."



His face darkened. "But they weren't stopped, not truly. They've come back together, and they have set out once more to rule the world. Even if it means destroying the world we once knew and starting over from scratch."



There was an uncomfortable silence.



AND YOU ARE ONLY TELLING ME THIS NOW... BECAUSE?



"You didn't ask."



STILL, WHY SEEK OUT MISSINGNO? THE LAST TIME YOU DID SO, IT RESULTED IN TRAGEDY. YOU WERE OVERTAKEN BY OLDEN'S POWER, SEALED WITHIN VICTORY ROAD, TURNED INTO A PUPPET FOR AJ TO SLAY.



"Yeah, about that," Red said without batting an eye. "That wasn't me."



Helix was taken aback. ...WHAT?



"I'll explain later," Red said, although Helix doubted the sincerity of that statement. "For now, we have some glitches to catch."



---



And catch them they did.



Two Glitchduck. One Missingno. And, to Helix's surprise and horror, a Mewtwo. An oddly familiar Mewtwo, with a feminine appearance and a strange green infinity symbol on her forehead.



Red gave a small, sadistic smile as he saw her. Thanks to Missingno's power, he had successfully duplicated as many Master Balls as he would ever need. "So we meet again," he murmured. "MOM. I'm glad to see you've survived the time disruption as well."



The Mewtwo stared back at him with haunted eyes, reaching out with her mind to discern just who was standing before her, to talk to her like this.



Is that you... Larry?