TO: Josh Devlin (josh.devlin@hoennleague.gov)
CC: Hideo Kino (hideo.kino@hoennleague.gov)
MISSION: "Complex"
PROTOCOL: Sabotage
DANGER: ★★★★★

The League has become concerned about elevated security surrounding a makeshift weapons complex on the northeast side of the island. Deep intelligence suggests that a large cache of illegal Pokémon-based bioweapons are being kept there. The complex's layout makes it susceptible to a few carefully placed charges of good old C4. Concentrate on the generator rooms (D4, E3, F2, and G1). They will prime as soon as you enter the base - work quickly. We would also appreciate it if you retrieved the control boards for their manufacturing operation, as well as their staff list.

Your objectives are as follows:

A) Plant explosives in generator rooms
B) Retrieve circuit boards
C) Retrieve personnel roster
D) Photograph main video screen
E) Minimize scientist casualties

Good luck! We're all counting on you.

This may well have been the most dangerous operation Josh had been assigned to yet. Perhaps it was a sign that the Elite Four were at last beginning to trust him. Well, all of them except MATIAS SILPH . That man would never trust him. Not after the hateful language he spat at the Volatile after their last meeting. He had burned that bridge that day. Today, though, he would be working with another person he was, unbeknownst to him, trying to repair relations with: Hideo Kino . Hideo was very close to Eris and knew what Josh had done. While this would be a fantastic source of service hours for his requirement to become a Champion, he really wished he was getting paid for this mission. It would have raked in big bucks.

"We're blowing up that complex from the inside out," Josh pointed. "There's an access tunnel early on in one of the Terastal caves that supposedly is a good infiltration point. From there, it'll be chaos. Who knows how many Rockets we gotta mow down in there. Plus, we gotta do it fast. Once we reach the coordinates, we're on a timer, or we're going kaboom with the place, too." That prospect made even Josh gulp; if they were too slow, they wouldn't make it out alive. The danger and stakes of the mission were so great that only Gym Leaders and up could be trusted with it.

"Before we head in, make sure you've got the right Pokémon, too," the Master of Faster warned. "I'm gonna use the computer in the base real quick to make sure I can get the right Pokémon for the job - I asked my Gym staff to put all my Pokémon on the storage network so I could access them from any League base on the island. I get the feeling I might need them all." With that, he turned around to withdraw the best team he had left for the job.

Hideo might not have read the document before coming here. He just knew that he'd be helping run interference against Rocket, instead of just walking around and patrolling for them.

Josh giving him the details came as a bit of a shock, and Hideo couldn't help but wonder if the League didn't just give him this assignment by accident; it was a stark difference from the dull guard duty or escorts he was being given. He wouldn't object to it, though: it sounded a lot more interesting.

He would have to prepare a bit more, though. "Oh…got it. I'll get a team set up, then."

---------------------

Hideo had prepped his team up - and just as importantly, actually read through the document he'd been sent. And it'd been…ooh boy. He didn't know Rocket was up to that kind of stuff, even if it sounded completely in-character for them.

"Team's ready," Hideo said somberly. He still had his Meowscarada out; he'd promised to use her for this, and she would still prove invaluable for an infiltration, though he made sure to bring enough other Pokemon to do this job well.

Though he wasn't without his concerns. "Hey…we're not gonna be killing the Rockets in there, right?" A bomb meant to destroy a bunker didn't give much room for discretion, and Hideo didn't want to kill people, whatever side they were aligned with.

And he knew Josh had it in him to kill people - or at least attempt to. "'Mow down' was just an expression, right?"

Josh Devlin

Josh, likewise, had returned with his team. The timed nature of his mission meant that stealth was not an option. With some of his most powerful Pokémon on the mend, he had to choose ones fast enough he could ride through the complex's corridors, yet small enough that he wouldn't bonk his head on ceilings. Making his choices with that in mind, he addressed the Psychic-type Gym Leader's morbid concerns.

"As little as possible," Josh replied. "With this being a matter of regional security, the League considers Rocket military personnel expendable. Rocket scientists, though, they want as many as possible brought in alive. Securing an entrance to funnel the survivors through should be a priority." He let out a deep sigh, starting to understand the concerns someone as emotionally in-tune with his Pokémon as Hideo was. "There's only so much that we can do, though; those blindly loyal to Rocket are going down with the ship. I will attempt to evacuate as many of them as I can."

With that, Josh rode toward and through the Terastal caves, guiding Hideo to an underground entrance to the complex heavily guarded from the outside. "Make sure you're accurate with the plastiques - once they stick to the generators, there's no getting them off. And try to keep track of where we've been. When you're mentally prepared, let's go."

Once they were both ready and stepped into the complex proper, an electronic voice would sound in their comms:

COMPLEX INFILTRATED - EXPLOSIVE CHARGES AUTOMATICALLY PRIMED!

"As little as possible" wasn't a definitive "no". Someone really must have gotten orders mixed up to get Hideo involved with this, but it was too late for him to turn back on it now; if he wanted to prove he could handle more than guard duty, he'd have to do more than guard duty.

"We have plenty of ways to knock out instead of kill," Hideo interjected; those too loyal to run couldn't battle if they weren't awake. "I actually thought up some ways to get people out without killing them. Or even hurting them too bad. We wouldn't even have to stop to get them out; my Pokemon can handle that for us."

Though that plan would have to be put to the test soon, the two making their way to the bunker. Seemed their timer had already started, so no time left to dither around.

Hideo already had a pair of Pokemon out: his Meowscarada, who he'd already planned on bringing along, and an Elgyem, who sat upon his shoulder. The entrance they used was certainly less-guarded than the main one, but it wasn't defenseless; his Elgyem alerted him (and Josh) of the presence of a guard and a Spidops accompanying them. There wasn't much option to get around them either.

"Let me handle this," Hideo said. He knelt down, tapping his shadow - and it looked as if part of his shadow broke away from him, advancing towards the lone guard; Hideo actually had three Pokemon out already, and right as the shadow got behind the Spidops, a Banette emerged, grabbing the lone Pokemon and dragging it into the shadow.

Obviously, the guard saw this, and reached for his radio. Yet right before he could turn it on, he'd notice it'd been switched out with a bouquet of flowers - the radio now sitting in Hideo's Meowscarada's hand. An easy Trick to play.

A quick Psychic from the Elgyem was enough to knock the man out, and the Banette would be back soon to bring the unconscious guard out of the tunnel.

Josh Devlin

Josh's experience on the front lines of Hoenn's bloodiest battles had tainted him; between the battle on 99943 Meteno and the First Battle of Dewford, he was no stranger to getting his hands dirty. It showed not only the contrast between himself and Hideo Kino , but some of the influence MATIAS SILPH 's military background that had rubbed off on him when the used to work together. Unlike the Volatile, whom he understood showed no remorse toward enemy combatants, perhaps even getting joy out of taking their lives, Josh put emphasis only on killing when necessary.

His definition of necessary was clearly a lot wider than Hideo's, concern that the Littleroot Gym Leader would prioritize saving the lives of their enemies over the mission. It was too late to argue now, though; he would simply go along with the psychic specialist. Time was ticking.

After Hideo had incapacitated the first wave of enemy combatants, there was a fork between the D-wing and E-wing. "Hideo, you secure an additional exit if you can," Josh ordered. "I'll take care of this sector." With that, he and his Boltund disappeared around a corner and toward their destination. Three rank-and-file Rockets and their Croagunk hid behind metal crates, spewing their poison spit toward the Gym Leader. One of the barrages hit Crash head on, and another grazed Josh's right arm, eating through part of his blue uniform.

With a hiss of pain, Josh bravely advanced, Crash NUZZLING the metal boxes and leaving the three guards immobile with paralysis, one by one. Sliding off his mount and entering the room, he was surprised to see League scientists there. Without hesitation, one handed Josh a key card, and another pointed out the location of two circuit boards on a table on the opposite side of the room. He snagged them before funneling the captured staff in Hideo's direction, giving them a series of turns to guide them to the Terastal Cavern and out of danger.

After affixing a plastic charge to the generator, Josh swung back aboard Crash and radioed Hideo. "Got three stunned enemy combatants in the D-Wing hall. They're all yours. I'll try to tase as many less willing ones as I can with weak electric attacks like Nuzzle. It looks like there are captured League personnel here, too; make sure they find a way out. I'm heading to the E-Wing, over."

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE PLACED - 15 MINUTES TO DETONATION!

To Hideo, killing was an option he never wanted to consider. Friend or foe, every person was human just like he was, with a life of family, friends, and experiences unique to them. Any League member could've been his eldest brother, any Rocket member could've been his eldest sister, and any civilian could have been his parents, or his other brother or his other sister.

And even if they weren't, Hideo wouldn't be the one to take somebody's family away. The same applied to Pokemon as well; each one mattered to their trainer, and he wouldn't take a life away like that if he had any other option.

At Josh's order, Hideo nodded; he could at least ensure people could safely evacuate. "Got it," he answered, the two breaking off to complete their respective duties. "Meowzer, keep this way out clear. I'll go see if we can find another exit route."

His Meowscarada nodded, patting him on the head as confirmation. With that, Hideo carefully made his way through the bunker. His Banette scouted ahead, hiding within its shadow and relaying anything it spotted to the Elgyem on the boy's shoulder.

A prospective ambush for the boy was thwarted, the Banette striking at the awaiting Rocket and their Froslass, the boy passing by them slow enough to make sure they were alright (just knocked out) and to confirm his Banette took them out of the bunker.

Before he could advance further, he could hear a voice in his head - a clear one, unlike the usual vagueness he'd get from Telepathy.

ENTER

Only one Pokemon could speak to him mentally with such clarity. "Please don't tell me Uxie's been here the whole time," Hideo muttered, entering the nearest doorway.

Unfortunately for him, his Elgyem confirmed it for him: Uxie was indeed in this room, surrounded by a few knocked-out Rockets and their knocked-out Pokemon. "Tell me this isn't where you've been the whole time," Hideo groaned, earning a small chuckle from the pixie.

Before he could protest further, he felt a packet of paper float into his hands. "What's this?" he asked, momentarily brushing his hand against it - no braille for him to read.

NAMES

Hideo took a moment to think what Uxie meant by that - and recalled one of his objectives. "This is the personnel list we had to find?" And small pat on the head by the pixie confirmed it.

A brief moment of joy ran through Hideo - he'd already accomplished one of their objectives. Yet before he could bask in his glory, his Elgyem informed him Uxie was floating away. "Wait! Uxie, don't-"

His Elgyem told him Uxie disappeared before he could finish his protest. The crackle on the comms came right after, Hideo unable to bask in his frustration either.

"Got it. Still looking for new exit, but old one is secure." As he answered the call, his Banette went to work carrying out the people (and Pokemon) in the room. "I'll get my Pokemon to help escort them out."

He turned the radio off for a moment. "Elgyem, go notify Gary. He can Teleport the people Josh found." It wouldn't take long to get the message out, a Gallade Teleporting in to bring out the paralyzed Rockets - and back again to help escort the League personnel.

Hideo turned his radio back on. "Found the list of names we're looking for too."

Josh Devlin

"You found the personnel roster?" Josh asked. "Roger. That's one less thing to take care of. I've found two circuit boards so far; League personnel here have told me there are four in total. They'll look like computer parts with green plastic on their edges. No sign of their big monitor yet. I'm going--"

OBJECTIVE C: COMPLETED

Josh's communication would be cut off by a repeated banging noise that sounded like a BULLET SEED firearm discharge. "Just outside echo three right now and encountering resistance. May need backup, over." Ducking around a corner to avoid being perforated by Grass-type pellets that were almost certainly harvested using illicit means, he peered around it, only to be met with more rounds of pointy seeds. While they didn't have the raw power of a true high-caliber firearm, direct hits would still cause debilitating pain.

He didn't like the method he had to use to get past the firing squad hiding behind metal crates, but it was the best he could think of with the Pokémon he had. He doubted Hideo Kino would approve of it, either. Popping open a Poké Ball, a quite-large Flareon wearing a raised saddle appeared. the light prompting several of the guerrilla combatants to each empty a clip in anticipation of whatever Pokémon Josh sent out to try to break through the line. "Clyde, use SMOG."

Venomous fluid inside a specialized organ mixed with heat from the Flareon's flame sac, creating a thick, hot gas that spread down the hallway and obscured their vision. Scampering into the saddle, Josh held his breath and barreled through the corridor. His foes opened fire, but were unable to see him clearly through the smog until their faces were full of Flareon paw. Making his way to the E3 generator room, Josh closed the door behind him to keep the smog from spreading deeper. While it wasn't life-threatening, its density was more than sufficient to cause irritation and weaken them in the event Hideo made his way there.

After affixing a second charge to the generator in the E-wing, Josh procured a keycard for the F-wing and another circuit board from the captured League personnel. Switching his radio back on, he communicated with his partner. "Leader Kino, it's Leader Devlin. Echo wing is secure, but be prepared for Pokémon smog. I've got two more non-combatants headed your way. I'm securing Foxtrot wing. Still have plenty of time, over."

The sound of an attack interrupting Josh's call wasn't very reassuring. Neither was the call for backup. "I'll get my Gallade to help," Hideo answered, leaving the actual ordering to his Elgyem. Though said Gallade was held back by the Smog released shortly after - though it assumed it was just from the Rockets trying to keep Hideo's reinforcements at bay.

And such was what Hideo's Elgyem relayed to him, just as Josh informed him of the smog. "Roger. I'll get one of my Pokemon in to help clear the smog and get through." It'd only take a moment for his Gallade to Teleport out and back in, this time accompanied by a Galarian Weezing, one who could neutralize the Smog long enough for the non-combatants to get through.

Hideo lowered his radio, exiting the room. They still needed another circuit board, finish up with the explosives, and get a picture of the main screen. Josh was the one dealing with explosives (League didn't give explosives to an actual child - shocker there), so Hideo's mind went to completing their other objectives. His Pokemon could handle the escorts.

Though he didn't know where to go to find anything, and finding stuff wasn't his strong suit.

And yet, Hideo had a hunch of where to go. One that he had no explanation for - which in itself, meant he knew exactly where that guidance was coming from. Bothersome as it could be, he followed Uxie's guidance, continuing along his way. Resistance was minimal - in part because it was clear Uxie already reduced most of it, plenty of Rockets and Pokemon knocked out on the way there. Hideo's Banette was busy getting them out as Hideo moved forward.

"Hideo here," he said, radio on, "Making my way to Gamma. Can meet up soon."

Josh might hear some radio chatter from Rockets on his way to his objective, about some "little monster" making its way through Rocket lines - not actually about Hideo, strictly speaking. And those voices would quickly get cut off.

Josh Devlin

The F-wing was lightly guarded, what with many of its sentries having been rerouted from the E-wing to repel Josh. There was little that could stop the electric personality's Flareon, roasting the BULLET SEED rounds headed his way to cinders. Many grunts backed down, looking for a way out when they found the place was going to blow soon. Clicking another Poké Ball on his belt, Josh's Absol emerged, keeping a PSYCHO CUT blade pointed at their necks as she led them to the exit Hideo Kino had cleared out.

The F-wing generator room was already empty, a large video screen with what appeared to be a map of the island with some strategic illustrations overlaid atop it. They looked like war plans of some sort. He pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the screen per the League's request. It was clear from the blood smeared all over the walls that there was some kind of battle between the researchers and Rockets.

OBJECTIVE D: COMPLETED

Josh headed to the bloodstained chamber's opposite side to set the next explosive device. He wondered how much trouble the escapees would be for Hideo to get to safety. Not too much, it seemed, as Uxie's keeper radioed in again. "Golf, but absolutely," he corrected in responding to his partner's radio message, having been conscripted to enough League military operations to have the phonetic alphabet memorized. "Foxtrot's secure. I found the monitor they wanted us to snap, and it looks like plans for a Rocket invasion. No wonder this was so critical. See you in Golf wing, over."

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE PLACED - 9 MINUTES TO DETONATION!

"Golf. Right." Hideo was completely unfamiliar with the phonetic alphabet, resorting to what terminology he'd learned from various media he'd consumed. He could gather context clues from what Josh was saying (Echo = E-wing, Foxtrot = F-wing), at least. "Good job with the screen!"

He couldn't help but wonder what was on the screen, but a detail like that would be distracting, and he still was on his way to…wherever he was going. He didn't actually know what he was heading towards, only that he was being guided to go there and that Uxie had been through this path first.

The answer came to him soon: the generator room. He got there before Josh could, which meant the Rockets here hadn't already been taken out.

Whoops.

Hideo felt his Banette pull him into cover just in time to hear the Bullet Seeds whiz by his head. He'd had the fortune of out-ambushing most of the other encounters here, but that was no longer an option. It was time to take out the big guns.

He took out another Pokeball, letting out the Pokemon within: his Zeraora. "Get in there!" Hideo ordered - and it very quickly ran in, going to town on the Rockets' Pokemon. "And don't kill!"

That order was more to unsettle the Rockets within; his Zeraora had enough restraint to avoid killing, courtesy of its training.

Josh Devlin

Hideo Kino 's Zeraora was intimidating. Several sentries surrendered, though others aimed for the electric cat with their weapons. The electric-type's speed afforded it the ability to easily evade the projectiles headed its way, if Hideo desired. Josh, on the other hand, was still fighting his way through the corridors linking the F- and G-wings, being held back by BARRAGE after BARRAGE as Rocket attempted to empty entire clips into the Gym Leader. One nicked Josh in the shoulder, causing him to slump in Clyde's saddle some.

This was gonna hurt. Both of them. But it was the only way. A LAVA PLUME would melt the Rockets in front of him, but it would also completely block the passage, and Hideo might need it to evacuate through. The clock was still ticking, too; they needed to make sure they had enough time to escape themselves before the complex went boom.

"FLARE BLITZ, Clyde!"

Leaning in, the blazing hot Flareon flew down the corridor, ramming and trampling foes that desperately tried to gun the two down. They were just too fast, leaving a blazing trail of destruction in their wake. While Josh's Ranger garb kept him mostly safe, Clyde was not so lucky, a shotgun-like ROCK BLAST discharge penetrating the Eeveelution's skin and causing the duo to tumble. Breathing heavily, Josh withdrew the fire-type and continued to the G-wing on foot.

It seemed Hideo had things under control, both League and Rocket personnel ready to be evacuated. With a search that took longer than Josh would have liked thanks to the room having been trashed by the time he got there, he crouched to pick up the last circuit board and plant the third charge.

OBJECTIVE B: COMPLETE

"That's all the circuit boards, Hideo!" Josh smiled, clearly impressed with the Zeraora but understanding there was no time to gawk over it. "Just gotta head to Hotel, plant the last charge, and get outta here." Sending out a fresh Pokémon, the Leader called on Twilight, his Absol, to carry him to the final generator room. Rocket was waiting for him, though, along with general GRIGORI RYLIXAV. The bearded foreigner, armed with an AURA SPHERE launcher, gave his order while standing behind his small platoon of men.

"Kill them!"

Speed and Strength were two of the Zeraora's strong points; it was hard for the Rockets and their Pokemon to draw a bead on it, and before they knew it, the Zeraora's fists were upon them. The only Pokemon that'd been its match had been Andrea Vaneau 's Buzzwole, and none of the Rockets here were packing any Ultra Beasts.

It went wild as Hideo's Elgyem notified him that Josh had arrived - and looked a bit injured. Must've been caught up in a lot of battling, with how deep he'd had to go in to plant those bombs. His Zeraora at least ensured this room didn't give Josh much trouble, and the two trainers were finally reunited.

Just one generator room left. But like any good adventure, this room carried the toughest-looking enemy - and Hideo had no idea who he was.

But he did have a big gun, which was not a good sign of things to come.

Hideo's Elgyem directed him into cover, and his Banette pulled him into it, but a stray Aura Sphere found his Elgyem, knocking the small Pokemon off his shoulder. The immediate cutoff of information was enough to tell Hideo the Elgyem had been knocked out - at the worst possible time too.

"Shit," Hideo muttered, recalling his Elgyem into its ball. That was his main communication with his Pokemon throughout the base; no doubt his Pokemon would've already noticed it as well.

But he had to turn his attention to the current battle at hand. "Zeraora, get in there! Same as before!" The Zeraora jumped in halfway through that order, intending to send the Rocket platoon into disarray.

"Marion, can you make sure none of those Aura Spheres get too close? Pretty sure those won't hurt you." The Banette gave a thumbs up from the shadow it hid in, patting Hideo on the shoulder before moving ahead, aiming to intercept any Aura Spheres the general fired.

Josh Devlin

A shriek-like noise accompanied the discharge of the AURA SPHERE launcher, the sound terrifying as it shot toward Josh and his Absol with unerring accuracy. It was only Hideo Kino 's Banette diving in front of them that saved them from an impact that would have forced Josh to abort the mission. Instead, he and his Absol remained conscious for now, exposing the last explosive's adhesive before sticking it to the generator.

OBJECTIVE A: COMPLETE

With their mission's objectives complete, they only had one more task left: survive. Though the mighty fast Zeraora left the grunts bewildered, it didn't phase their general one bit. He continued to launch the highly accurate Fighting-type explosive projectiles toward Josh, Hideo, and their Pokémon. Just as he had made a break for the complex's north exit, one of them nailed Twilight from behind, forcing the young man's hand. Pinching his right hand's index and middle fingers over his MEGA GLOVE, the Absol glowed a bright purple-pink, blinding everyone in the passageway with the light of MEGA EVOLUTION.



"Hideo, this place is gonna blow any minute!" Josh called out to his partner through the confusion. "Forget the others! We gotta go - now!" While Hideo was, of course, free to try to save them, Josh's intent was to make the psychic expert feel like he didn't have a choice in the matter. He sped toward the north exit on his Mega Absol, a quick use of PSYCHO CUT breaking the cable holding the retracting door in its closed position. Josh couldn't be more relieved to see natural light.

Minutes after their escape, the charges detonated, and the generators with them. Even seated on his Mega Absol from the distance he was, the shockwaves shook him hard. With the magnitude of the chain reaction of explosions, there was little hope anyone left inside the complex survived. "We... did it, Hideo," Josh gasped, slumping in Twilight's saddle.

It wasn't over yet, though.

Scanning the remnants of the H-wing, Josh noticed there were no disembodied remains of GRIGORI RYLIXAV, nor pieces of the weapon they used. Taking as close of a look as the burning wreckage would allow, the Gym Leader noticed a gaping chasm beneath where the complex was located. "...Hideo, this is bad. Really, really bad. The Terastal Cavern we've been looking for has been under Rocket control the entire time. Vanilla Kingsley and I scouted it earlier today, and they've got a gigantic mining operation going on down there. If they can secure transport of all that Dynite Ore and Terastal Crystal, it's over for us."

Twilight let out a worried cry, the rarity of her emotions making every reaction she gave the center of her trainer's attention. "I know, Twilight. None of us are in good enough shape to pursue General Rylixav here. Hideo, let's regroup at HQ. I'll find someone to relieve you for this critical operation." At that, the two Gym Leaders would return to the League's base on the south side of the island, presumably to lick their wounds and form a battle plan.