Act I: Defense of the Pantheon

Giulia would be standing there for a moment or two while her voiced echoed around the giant building. After that, only the sounds of the wind outside and the flames flickering from various torches and braziers would make sound. Eventually, Aden stuck his head out from a back room.

"Ms. Rossi? I wasn't expecting you today" he told her, stepping out into the great domed room. He straightened the fur scarf around his neck and stepped toward her, somewhat perplexed. Crimes? That was... odd. If anything he helped uphold the law. "I've no idea what you mean by crimes."

He noticed that the champion was her usual stoic self, but still, something seemed off.

"Un Estribillo Nuevo"


The view from up here is quite nice. Roxy Salvador leans against the edge of the basket being carried by her Drifblim. The young woman let out a sigh. About a year ago her her parents disappeared without a trace. Shortly afterward, an elderly man approached her with a proposition - to find an artifact for him. The timing is suspicious, so Roxy decided to play along and come to Lialta to speak with a friend of a friend. 

Down below the woman and her Drifblim is the city of Terno and more notably, the Pantheon. This is her first stop, hoping the Gym Leader inside can put her in contact with Kurtis Ise. "Zeppelin, descend!" The Drifblim lowered closer to the Pantheon, preparing to enter it from the roof. 

A voice could faintly be heard from within. As the trainer and Pokemon got closer, Roxy could hear the last part of the shouting from someone. "...Your life depends on it!"

"Zeppelin, land us on the roof." The hot-air balloon Pokemon set the basket down on the roof of the Pantheon. Roxy hopped out and laid down, just of her face looking through the hole. 

Giulia sneered. "You have no idea what you're in for. I already beat you once, when I got your pathetic Incandescent Badge."

"That was simple contest," Aden made eye contact with the champion, "if my life is on the line there will be no holding back."

This gym leader was no fun. Giulia grabbed another Pokeball, and released her Chandelure. "Let's start this!"

Aden unleashed his beautiful Arcanine, Flare. He leapt forward with a mighty howl and glared at Giulia. Alongside Arcanine, Aden brought out Volcarona. 

"Togekiss, use Follow Me! Keep Chandelure safe! Chandy, Trick Room!"

The Togekiss rushed forward, intercepting Arcanine's attack as Volcarona focused itself with a Quiver Dance. The room glowed as squares of marble illuminated beneath the Pokemon and trainers. "Now the field is in my favor, Togekiss, Thunder Wave on the Volcarona! Chanelure, Calm Mind, let's prepare for this battle!" 

With the assistance of Trick Room, Giulia's Pokemon moved first. Togekiss paralyzed the Volcarona, while Chandelure calmed itself. That's when Flare, Aden's signature Arcanine hit with a Flare Blitz. Togekiss faltered, and Giulia returned the Pokemon. "Now it's time for your end! With my Trick Room, the slowest Pokemon are quickest. Go Slowbro!"

The Slowbro appreared, a fishing hook pierced its right ear, with a megastone attached. On her wrist, Giulia's keystone shined. The Slowbro mega evolved, as the shell on his tail enveloped the Pokemon. 

"You like the heat, eh?" Giulia smiled. "Slowbro, Scald! Chandelure, attack Volcarona!"

The Slowbro moved first, spitting a jet of searing water at the Arcanine. Under the effects of the Trick Room, it took the attack full force, and collapsed. Chandelure attacked as Aden's orders to Volcarona were hindered by its paralysis. It only hit with one attack before succumbing to its status ailment. Aden returned his Arcanine, and grabbed a ball, noticing the Trick Room was disappearing. 

Charizard roared forward. The keystone dangling beneath Aden's scarf glimmered, as the Charizard roared and grew. Through the hole in the Pantheon's massive dome, the sun burned down, illuminating the whole room. "Typhon," Aden ordered, "call down the sun's might!"

The Trick Room faded as the dragon roared and unleashed a Solarbeam. Giulia's heart dropped as her Slowbro fell over, fainted. She should have expected the gym leader to be prepared for Water-types even as powerful as Mega Slowbro. "Chandelure, Shadow Ball," Giulia reacted, not mentioning the Slowbro's demise as the Chandelure finished off Volcarona, still suffering from paralysis. 

Giulia was quick to release her Golem, as Aden threw out his Ninetales. 

Within a moment, the Charizrd was unleashing another Solar Beam on Golem. Ninetales jumped in on orders, burning the Rock-type Pokemon with a Will-O-Wisp. "Golem, hold out! You have the Defense! Just use Rock Slide! Chandelure, give him some support with Shadow Ball!"

The Golem grunted and endured, stamping the ground and slamming and onslaught of broken marble floor at Aden's Pokemon. Chandelure swooped in, slamming Charizard with a Shadow Ball to finish the Mega-Pokemon off. 

With the dust cleared, Golem succumbed to his burns, kneeling as Giulia returned him to his ball.

"Fine," Giulia smiled. He was a gym leader afterall. "You are skilled. But you will now see my cause is just. I have the support of legends. Go, MEW!"

The Psychic Pokemon burst forward, floating and snickering, before noticing the damage on the battlefield.

The gym leader was flabbergasted at the sight of the lengendary Pokemon, but quickly returned by releasing his Chandelure. "...I've no idea how you managed that feat, but I will not back down. Erebus, show her the fires of hell!" he ordered, as the Chandelure went for the legendary.

Ninetales slammed into the Mew as the Chandelure's Confuse Ray kept it from doing anything but flying into the floor. Giulia's Chandelure raced forward. "Chadelure, use Shadow Ball, take out that other Chandelure now!" she ordered.

Giulia's Pokemon obeyed, quickly dispatching its opponent. Aden released his final Pokemon, Talonflame.

"Mew, snap out of it, use Volt Switch on that bird!"

Ninetales leapt forward, spilling foul poison bile on the confused Mew, on orders to poison with Toxic.

The Mew shook its head and unleashed a ring of electricity on the bird before returning to its Pokeball. Talonflame flew through the returning Mew, and slammed into Chandelure, knocking the Ghost-type to the ground, fainted. "You did excellent, Chandelure," Giulia retrieved her Pokemon. She grabbed the last two Pokeballs she could. "Mew, Mamoswine, end this now!"

Giulia's Pokemon roared forward, the poison still infecting her Mew. Aden moved quickly, incapacitating the Mamoswine with deeps burns through its Thick Fat from Ninetales. "Mew, use Volt Switch on that Talonflame!" Mew floated around, using Volt Switch to attack Talonflame, but not before the bird slammed hard into Mamoswine. The Mamoswine roared in pain, but the Volt Switch hit its mark, knocking the Talonflame down. Mamoswine rushed forward in pain, slamming into Ninetales and knocking both Pokemon out. 

Giulia smiled. "Mew, finish off Aden! Kill this battling monster now!"

The Mew floated forward to strike Aden, but hesitated for just one moment...


Giulia Rossi wins Doubles Battle against Aden Hayes, 1-0.

From the hole in the ceiling, high above the encounter, falls a lone Pokeball. The two combatants, Aden and Guilia, stood with equal determination. A Typhlosion jumps between the two, seeking to protect Aden.

The ball hits the ground in the center of the conflict. In a flash of light released from the ball stood a mighty Blastoise. The Shellfish Pokemon fixed its cannons on Guilia. The sun shining in through the room was suddenly obstructed, casting a shadow over the battlefield.

A Drifblim floated down into the Pantheon, a woman in a basket hung beneath. "Murder is counter-productive." Roxy addressed the champion, literally looking down upon her. Another flash of light shown from behind her, a swirl of wind blew her hair. From behind the Drifblim fell a large Pokemon, which righted itself quickly. "Snuggle Wing."

With a command as simple as its name, the Noivern descended upon Aden. Its claws gripped his shoulders, carrying him up and dropping him in the basket. Roxy flashed him a look before returning to the confrontation. "Blastoise, fire the Flash Cannon."

The cannons let loose a stream of silvery light at Guilia, but Mew protected her. Zeppelin rose quickly, Snuggle Wing picked up Vulcan, and Blastoise continued the attack.

Exiting the top of the building, Roxy returned Blastoise, as well as Noivern after Typhlosion was dropped in the basket. "There is not a lot of room in here. Please do something with him." Roxy extended her hand to Aden, "The name's Roxy Salvador. I don't know what that was, I just hope I didn't save the villain. So, where too?"

"Pokemon Center" came the response quickly after the question was posed. Aden sighed and returned Vulcan to his pokeball, making it a bit nicer in the basket. "Thanks for the save, Roxy." The fire type leader sighed and put a hand to his head. "I'm not sure what that was either." He was quiet for a bit, but looked off toward the distance.

"Apparently the Champion wants to take down the remaining gym leaders. This isn't good, since she likely has accomplices." He reached into his pocket and withdrew his pokegear, dialing Kurtis. He grew worried and shook his head before closing it. "Kurtis didn't pick up, I don't like this."