"Because you're strong."

The voice blares out, confident. It's an openly given compliment, yet it is not demeaning despite coming from a foe. As Xenon went to war against Kyogre, Howard looked on towards a more attainable prize: Kazimir Wynter. The archaeologist did not recruit new soldiers for Rocket. When he did, it was typically for smuggling purposes. Soldiers tended to fall into the Rocket Beasts' purview.

"An Elite Four member, working for Rocket? Think about the waves that would make? That's history in the making, my friend! Besides, I need someone else to bring out on missions other than her." Howard jerked his head towards Kyogre and Xenon, before rolling his eyes towards the heavens from behind his mask. "She's strong, but she's also nuts. When she gets like this, what am I left with? A nutcase."

This wasn't right. Recruiting people to be warriors in the machine that was Rocket wasn't right. Howard didn't do that. Yet Kyogre was a god. The information they could gleam from it. It blinded him, and got him lost in the moment.

"This is a new era, Kazimir!" Howard recognized the man, both from his time in the Elite Four and from his time wrestling. "With you within Team Rocket, we could..."

As Kazimir rebuffed him, Howard sighed.

"I see. That's disappointing. If you ever change your mind, let me know. We're sure to meet again."

Few people in Hoenn were strong enough to warrant using the Pokémon in Howard's palm against. It didn't seem fair. Yet Kazimir had been an Elite Four member. He deserved this honor. Howard dropped the Pokeball. It shook once as the layer of ice covering it cracked. Then it opened.

And a god emerged.

[break]

Immediately, a wall of cold descended on everyone present. It was a cruel, harsh freeze that did not discriminate between friend or foe. The water around the ship began to crystallize as the ocean reached its freezing point. Rain became snow, then hail, clattering against the deck.

The resurfaced treasure from the island north of Dewford belonged to Team Rocket.

"With a construct built by humanity, we shall fight a god." Howard extended his hands. "Fire."

The braille on Regice's face beeped in several patterns, before firing a Hyper Beam. Not towards Kazimir or his Pokemon, but towards the Kyogre.

"Help, please? I'm not good at fighting!" Howard shouted over the storm.

---

Xenon Antheil Kazimir Wynter

It fled. Kyogre fled. That was expected, though. Skyler's bonded legendary was as awe-inspiring as the legends said.

It was strange. This was a Pokémon he had written book reports about in high school. His classmates had laughed at him, calling him an idiot for believing that such a thing really existed. A Pokémon singlehandedly capable of expanding the seas? What was he, an idiot? This was a Pokemon that had once shaped Howard's identity growing up.

It was part of the reason he became an archaeologist. By extension, it was part of the reason that he was in Team Rocket.

Yet it sank beneath the waves, all the same.

Xenon Antheil was a fool, focused too far ahead to even consider looking back to learn from her mistakes. She was a strong fighter, yes, but she was reckless. She disobeyed the chain of command in favor of her own ego and hatred for a confined system. She only respected strength, and Howard was not strong. That made him worthless in her eyes. Perhaps she was right, and his inability to face the future made him was meaningless.

Yet there was a reason he held his current seat.

Kazimir Wynter was a warrior. A foolish warrior who fought. The more he fought, the more he warred, the more he raged. A seed had been planted, and one day it would bloom into a toxic rose that poisoned his current perception. Xenon had shown him power. Howard had shown him potential.

All Xenon and Howard had to do was wait for Caterpie to evolve into a Butterfree.

Kyogre would be chained one day. It had happened once, so it would happen again. History was a wheel, after all.

"She's right, I'm afraid we're pretty infuriating. She's also right on that front, as well." Howard sighed and wiped his visor. She was a storm, like Kyogre. As soon as the fight stopped, she went to sulk. "You're welcome to return with us to Sootopolis as one of us, but alas..."

The Galarian bowed his head and sighed theatrically. He looked back up at the former member of the Elite Four.

"Alas, you chose to forsake us. Get off of our ship, and think about what I said. If you don't, Regice will defeat you. I'm not strong, but it is."

With a shrug, Howard followed Xenon, cape flapping in the wind.

---

Xenon Antheil Kazimir Wynter