Lars zeroed in on the dreamlike mist and wanted to know more about it, but one glance at the young PokéManiac's pensive face was enough to indicate that she was far from an expert on the subject. "That's all I know. Sorry..."

Meatloaf the great Salamence growled the more Laurence spoke of that mysterious group of assassins, getting bad vibes from their very description. Even Andrea could tell that people with such power as to toy with space at will were bad news. "That's awful! Why would they do that? There has to be a reason." The dragon-costumed woman remarked.

Then, the mature-aged lady from the Tiered Tea Room once again became a subject of discussion. The head ranger wasn't interested in the lady's beauty or her tremendous assets, but rather he wanted to know what he intent was as far as Andrea could gleam. "Well, she didn't try to kill us, if that's what you're asking." The bespectacled girl replied. "She was actually very nice to us, but she did give us a pretty scary warning. She said that seeking pacts with powers unknown ends in regret and darkness... What could she mean by that?"

Laurence Anderson

☉

"Lemme get into character first... Ahem! My my..." Andrea cleared her throat and did her best impression of an attractive woman at the prime of her age. Try to picture Andrea, only 20-25 years older. "I offer one warning to all of Hoenn... Halt your ambitions. Stop seeking pacts with powers unknown. It only ends in regret and darkness." She repeated the lady's ominous warning word for word.

"That's all she said. Although... There was also this weird symbol that flashed right before she disappeared." The dragon-costumed girl continued, grabbing another spare napkin as well as her trusty black marker. Her second doodle wasn't nearly as artistic as the first, but one didn't have to be an artist to draw a bunch of hexagons.

"Is this helping you in any way? I have no idea what that symbol means." The girl said, while nervously biting the back of her marker. No matter how many questions they had, the answers always seemed to breed even more questions. Theirs was a never-ending scavenger hunt for clues. But perhaps Lars might know more about that symbol, or have ties with people who had seen it before.

Laurence Anderson

☉

Wait, Lars actually knew about the strange symbol? What a twist! A very intrigued Andrea leaned over the table and keenly watched as the potty-mouthed ranger scribbled some notes on a napkin of his own. Her Salamence and Alolan Exeggutor mimicked their trainer's exact pose, casting gargantuan shadows over the table. All eyes, human and Pokémon alike, were glued on him. No pressure, though!

But the girl was getting anxious and couldn't wait for him to finish his sketch. "So? What does it mean? And who's that someone of your standing?" The young woman asked. Funnily enough it was now Lars that was communicating in riddles.

Laurence Anderson

☉

A strange symbol serving as the calling card of a shadowy syndicate. An ominous omen of obliteration. It was entirely too much to process in the middle of a casual dinner date. What terrible fate would befall their idyllic tropical region?

"We'd better be careful, huh?" Andrea pensively said, while calling Lola back into her tiny Pokéball. With its gigantic palm tree of a head no longer blotting out the sun, the small restaurant was illuminated by a ray of hope. Whether that would be enough to guide them through dark times remained to be seen.

"Thank you for the meal, Mr. Lars. Let's hope that when we meet again, that lady's prediction won't come true." The young cosplayer said, ever the optimist. She sincerely hoped that the world wouldn't end anytime soon, though. Ro and Chomper still needed to have their rematch, after all.

Laurence Anderson

☉