Thanks for all the support on my Patreo-n so far! 3 advanced chapters at /xlucqs.

  discord:

  /VtKZqnMzmA

  I took a month break, but now I am back. There will be an extra chapter on Wednesday, and then we are back to weekly updates. I am also working on other stories right now, so stay tuned.

  It's also kind of cool that Valkryie(Skarmory), Vortex(Starmie), and Raiden(Eelectross) all got mega evolutions. Now, most of Williams' Pokemon have at least one new form. You might see some of these megas in the future, who knows.

  Any of you got Legends ZA? How is it?

  William had taken some much-needed rest in Pyrite for a couple of hours before setting off early in the morning. He needed to be as alert and well-rested as he could for the forthcoming events. The sun had only just come up—yet the heat still weighed down as though he were carrying a boulder.

  His movements felt slower, his breathing sluggish through the mask, despite the carefully crafted ventilators on the side, which allowed for better airflow. His outfit was white, making it more suited for the hot, dry, and humid weather.

  Travelling was a nightmare. Valkyrie struggled in the overbearing heat, and her metallic body felt like the seat of a car when it had been left to bake in the sun for hours. He could have withdrawn her—test his other flying Pokemon out he had bought here, but this environment was the perfect type of training for her.

  Type disadvantages were weaknesses—not something that should cripple you.

  William took a break partway through. In the middle of the desert, amongst crates and pipes and wheels, was a broken down copper coloured train. The sun reflected off the surface of the train, giving it a golden bronze coating, while the train had somehow been reprogrammed to disperse excess heat in the form of steam using its chimneys to prevent the inside of the diner from getting too hot.

  William walked in. The sounds of country music playing from the jukebox mixed with quiet conversations that could be heard throughout the diner. Again, the smell of metal—but this time along with the scent of sizzling meat.

  He took a seat on one of the stools near the entrance.

  "What can I get for you?" The bartender asked.

  "Can you cook these up for me?" William asked, handing him over a couple of Blissey eggs. They were, of course, from his own Blissey—Kirby. With the temperature outside he probably could have cooked them himself, but he wanted to rest his legs in a nice, quiet place.

  "Blissey eggs," the bartender whistled. "Very nice quality as well. Big, well-rounded, smooth." He said, inspecting the eggs like a doctor would inspect their patient.

  "If you get me a coffee, I'll let you keep one of the eggs yourselves as payment," William said.

  "Done!" The man grinned, and he got to cooking.

  Ten minutes later, William's eggs were finished. He enjoyed it with a nice cup of cold iced coffee. His mask was lifted half up his face, focusing on a TV playing to the side. He listened closely.

  "A group of criminals today was arrested by the authorities near Phenac City. Details of the specifics have yet to come out as of this moment, but the authorities made a statement saying that they are committed to keeping the region safe from miscreants and criminals." A young woman holding a microphone was saying.

  "Bah! You probably arrested some people who shoplifted! They are just trying to meet their quota—to seem as though they are still in control. The government lost control of this region a long time ago. It's better they admit it rather than make it worse. As soon as those people they arrested get out of jail— which will be soon as it's overcrowded already—they will go ahead and join team Cipher or Snagem because the region has wronged them!" The bartender complained.

  "Why don't you arrest members of Team Cipher and Snagem!" He finished. He absentmindedly polished a glass before setting it aside.

  "Have they not been making any arrests on the villain teams?" William asked, picking at the yolk of his egg.

  "They have tried," the bartender grunted. "But they lack the resources and manpower. The villain teams are too strong. They are organised, have structure, people in there who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty—everything the government isn't. They have always been like this, even my grandfather would say the same. Cowardly politicians who would rather line their own pockets than put the money back into the region. Men of inaction in power. Afraid of losing what they have." He chuckled without emotion. "It's ironic. The more they cling to whatever remnants of wealth and power they already have, the more it slips from their grasp. These villain teams are exactly the consequence of these men. They recruit people who have lost faith in the region and want change."

  The bartender polished another cup, setting it down with a loud slam. "I need a drink," he muttered, grabbing a glass from the shelf and filling it up.

  William sipped his coffee, "And you think change will happen?"

  "It's not a question of if— it's a question of when it will happen. It's only a matter of time before the villain teams make their move. They've been growing for years. No one in this region can stop them. Eventually, they will rule the region however they wish. It's a shame." The bartender sighed, the drink working to turn his anger into a wistful sadness.

  "What about a new government?"

  "New government?" The man laughed. "You mean some new politician coming around, saying he will fix everything and bring law and order to the region? Same as all the others. Want's the region all to himself while others do the work for him. He'll be dead within the day."

  "Not that." William shook his head, leaning forward, "I'm talking about an entirely new government, built from the ground up with people who care about the region and its inhabitants. A fair government, but also ruthless enough to tackle the villain teams of the region."

  "Tell you what—if someone like that comes around and fixes this region once and for all, I'll give them a free meal here, on me."

  "Looks like I'll hold you to it, then," William said, standing up. "I'm heading out. To Eclo Canyon."

  "Eclo Canyon, that's where—wait, who are you?" the bartender called.

  William smiled, "Call me Shade. Could I have a lunch menu before you leave? I'd like to see what's on."

  "Lunch isn't for another 3 hours. You coming back?" He questioned with a confused look.

  "Of course. Who could pass up on a free meal?"

  Eclo Canyon was the location of Team Snagem. Located somewhere east of the diner William was just at, it was hidden deep within a massive, unassuming chasm, with towering mountains of earth and rock shielding it from the outside world and the harsh desert sun.

  Even the authorities didn't know where it was. They had done a good job of covering their tracks, as well as sending the police down false leads—such as that their hideout was a mansion on top of a massive hill. Instead, it was concealed within one of the many canyons scattered across the vast desert, and it remained inconspicuous and nearly impossible to find.

  But William had paid large sums of money to numerous people for information about the region. That one of the benefits that came with money—information. Everyone had a price. One of these people he had found and paid had been a former Team Snagem member, who had since moved to Hoenn, trying to make an honest living after living a life of crime. With a little cash incentive, he had no problem ratting out his former teammates.

  William raised a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun. Just ahead lay the canyon. If you squinted hard enough, you could make out a tall structure of metal and pipes fused into a single massive hideout.

  Team Snagems Hideout.

  William glanced around. No one in sight. Nothing in sight. He sent out all of his Water-type Pokemon.

  Lochness. Britney. Juggernaut. Leviathan. Vortex. Bond.

  Those who could use Rain Dance began to use it. In an environment like this, it took twice the effort to produce even half the rainfall. The rain also felt…lukewarm.

  William looked up, feeling the rain hit his outfit. Once it fell to a reasonable degree, William began to brief his Pokemon.

  He knelt, "See that canyon up ahead? We're going to destroy it. With water," he said plainly.

  His Pokemon looked puzzled. There was no river, no lake, no natural source of water anywhere nearby. Producing so much water in a vast expanse like this was nearly impossible.

  "I know what you're thinking," William continued. "But you're strong enough. First, we will create a pathway leading up to the canyon to block the water off. Then we'll create the water ourselves. Then you'll manipulate it—ride it like a wave—straight into that canyon. Think you can do it?"

  All of his Pokemon gave confident nods, mirroring William's determination.

  "Create a path, Lochness," William ordered.

  Lochness nodded, placing its hands on the ground as it began manipulating the terrain— shifting and shaping structures of mud, dirt, and sand. Lochness was part ground type and had been training for years in not only its brute force but also its fine manipulation of it.

  The earth shifted to Lochness's will. Like an uncovered tomb, the ground rose upwards in a slow and controlled motion. The pathway rose higher and higher, cutting off William and his Pokemon from the outside world.

  The tunnel was narrow and focused, just like William's eyes—staring intently at the base he was going to destroy. Lochness had just created a red carpet towards the base, and they were going to surf on it.

  A pathway for the water. A pathway for destruction.

  "Alright, gentlemen," William said. Britney let out a cry. "And, lady. Set up your buffs! Take as much time as you need." William called as his hand shifted towards his pokebelt.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The Pokemon nodded, each using their various stat-changing moves.

  William would typically call out Valkyrie, but he didn't want any survivors to see him on his Skarmory. Lance surely would have noted Poseidon did the same. Instead, he sent out his other flying-type Pokemon he had brought along on this journey.

  Or rather— Archie's Pokemon. Well, before he died at least. Now it was temporarily his.

  He threw out the Ultra Ball. A Crobat emerged. Archie had named him Nightwing.

  "Crobat!" The Pokemon let out a cry as it stretched its wings. William hopped on.

  Now he had a full bird's eye view atop Nightwing. He would be the attack's observer and conductor.

  "Now—produce as much water as you can!" William shouted from above.

  Hydro Pumps, Hydro Cannons, Jet Punches, Water Pulses— everything was used.

  At first, it was small, like water filling a bath. Then it grew, swelling into a pool, then a lake. The water moved without purpose. Well, now it was time to give it one

  "Now start riding on it—use Surf!"

  All the Pokemon leapt onto the wave, using Surf to ride atop the rushing waters and control its flow. They pushed it forward in a singular direction.

  "Make it faster!" William bellowed from above. Crobat vigilantly kept up. "More water!"

  Another dozen moves were released, adding to the size of the wave his Pokemon collectively controlled. The energy of the attack was infectious, each move, each push, each command from William seemed to feed into one another and collectively multiply it's strength.

  The canyon was fast approaching. By now, what had once been a small ripple, a modest wave, had grown into a towering surge of water—a tsunami, rushing straight toward Team Snagem's base.

  The wave had reached a terrifying speed, Crobat could scarcely keep up, flapping its purple wings as much as it could.

  "One last push!"

  There was a final, powerful surge. William flew slightly downwards, legs interlocked around Crobat as his hands held out pokeballs. William quickly withdrew Vortex, Juggernaut, and Britney—Pokemon he couldn't risk being seen with.

  For a moment, there was silence—it was deathly silence that came right before something important. And then, impact.

  CRASH

  The sound was a sharp contrast to what it was a moment ago. Silence was replaced with the sharp destruction of metal, twisted and crushed inwards of itself from the violent force of water. It destroyed everything in its path with zero discrimination.

  Once the initial impact had hit, the water began to fill the cracks and crevices of the destroyed metal. The metal would crush them—the water would drown them beneath it.

  From above, William watched as destruction unfolded. It needed to be done.

  Most of those inside had probably died from the attack. The rest would find itself buried beneath as the water removed any doubts of breathing. Through the roar of the waves, he could make out the screams and shouts of struggling people. Shards of broken metal, nails, and wheels bobbed violently on the thrashing surface.

  William hovered on Crobat, scanning carefully for movement. Lochness and Leviathan remained vigilant below.

  Did that guy survive?

  If he truly had the protagonist's luck…then he would have.

  And then—movement.

  William squinted, eyes narrowing.

  It was a man. A massive figure with bulging muscles, his scarred chest on full display. He had no hair on his body, save for a few twisted strands that drooped downward, soaked with water like a sponge. There were various cuts and bruises across his body.

  "You bastard!" Gonzap roared from below, looking up with defiant eyes. He stood on a floating sheet of metal from the base. The leader of Team Snagem glared up at William. Even in his fury, he took the time to wring out the water from his red hair, slicking the strands back into place in a lightning bolt-like shape.

  He was ready for battle.

  "Go Crab! Ninja!" Gonzap roared. Crawdaunt and Shiftry.

  William raised an eyebrow. Could the names of your Pokemon be any simpler?

  Lochness and Leviathan came forward. Leviathan roared as intimidate took effect. Crawdaunt seemed to be immune.

  Probably his ability. His Pokemon didn't seem to be stronger than Leviathan.

  That was how Intimidate worked in the real world. If a Pokemon were much stronger, it wouldn't be affected by Intimidate. In a real-world context, a lion wouldn't be intimidated by a sheep.

  Well, the fight should be over quickly anyway.

  He knew there was the possibility of fighting any survivors, so he had his Pokemon buff up as much as they could—even beyond just attack and special attack. The two Pokemon that he hadn't withdrawn kept those buffs.

  Leviathan had used Dragon Dance as much as he could, while Lochness used Amnesia and Bulk Up until it no longer worked. In a real fight, your opponent wouldn't just stand around while it happened—but that was the beauty of a surprise attack. You attacked them, but you also came in with their Pokemon at your max capabilities.

  "Lochness, Earthquake!" William shouted. Lochness knelt downwards, slamming both of his hands through the water and into the ground. Lochness was a terrifying creature in its own right, but with both of its defenses and its physical attack pushed to the limit—well, it made him something else entirely.

  In that very moment, the very foundations of the world seemed to shake.

  The great canyon of space they were in shook with a terrifying tremor. Two surges carrying massive amounts of ground-type energy cracked through the floor—traveling straight towards the opposing Pokemon. It hit them before they could react.

  Gonzap struggled to stay on his makeshift raft. His arms moved desperately in circles, trying to regain balance. "Crab, use Sludge Bomb!" he called, steadying himself. "Ninja, Shadow Ball!"

  "Don't let the poison in the water! Lochness!"

  Lochness jumped forward, intercepting the ball of poison before it could hit the water. His massive body covered it, cradling it like a child would a toy. The attack barely did anything. Then another ball—of a darker shade of purple—followed up and hit him again.

  Lochness stayed standing, as if the attacks were only a minor inconvenience.

  "How is your Pokemon so strong?" Gonzap asked, voice laced with disbelief.

  "Bulk." William smiled.

  The momentary distraction was all William needed—all Leviathan needed.

  Leviathan had submerged underwater during the attack, its speed turning it into a slippery snake that could move freely and without restriction.

  And then it emerged with an explosion out of the water, its gaping jaws wrapping around its target.

  "Protect!" Gonzap screamed. But it didn't matter. The Dragon Dances had turned Leviathan's jaws into weapons of mass destruction. The muscles around its jaw were thick and compact, while its teeth were indestructible.

  It went through the Protect like butter. Crawdaunt struggled and flailed against the bite.

  "Ninja, help Crab!"

  "Lochness!"

  Swampert appeared as an obstacle in Shiftry's way. Its towering, muscular frame cast a very large shadow over the Pokemon.

  "Use Leaf Blade!"

  "Ice Punch!"

  With Lochness's buffs, even he wasn't worried about x4 super effective moves. However, there was also another reason. Ever since the fight with Lance, William had often been reminded of the Dragonite, so big and powerful, but also extremely adept in its use of the move Protect. That what's what made it so strong—what made it different from all his other Pokemon.

  It was able to interweave the move into its fighting style, constantly providing it with armor when needed. Despite how easy it sounded, it was an extremely difficult thing to do. It was a style that required extreme concentration as well as lots of experience with the move and with fighting in general.

  So, William had the idea to try and teach it into Lochness' own version of fighting. A fighter, up close and personal, able to call on that armour when needed. They had just begun the process of integrating it. William didn't even need to call out the move—it had already been ingrained into him through weeks of muscle memory.

  The Leaf Blade cut through the air, but just before it could hit, a small white barrier shimmered into existence and blocked the attack.

  It disappeared just as quickly as it came—and so did Lochness' Ice Punch.

  It was simultaneous across the battlefield. Both of Gonzap's Pokemon, gone.

  Crawdaunt had succumbed to the terrifying strength of Leviathan's jaws, while the Shiftry had fallen from the Ice Punch. It had happened in an instant—in the flick of a finger.

  Gonzap withdrew both of his Pokemon.

  "Tch, this isn't over!" he screamed with desperation, though it seemed he knew he was severely outclassed. It may have been a closer fight without the buffs William had set on his Pokemon—but William wasn't here to give his opponents advantages and make fights closer.

  He was here to kill.

  "No—you're exactly wrong. It is."

  William was done with his warmup.

  Gonzap snarled, "You think you can kill me, the leader of Team Snagem?"

  "Yeah," William replied simply.

  A sharp noise whistled through the air from above. Gonzap didn't even know what hit him. His body dropped from the sheet of metal it stood on and fell into the water, floating aimlessly on water scarcely a few feet deep.

  William surveyed the area with a blank expression. Following the attack and then the fight, the water had calmed, slowly draining out of the canyon after the devastation. The calm after the storm, after all the death. The place that had once been full of people and so alive had now turned into a wasteland of water.

  Thinking on what he had done—all the death he had caused. He shook his head. It was necessary.

  Don't look back on your goal. Keep moving forward. William thought. The moment you look back on all that you've done is the moment you lose.

  The cold calm returned with the flick of a switch. He went over to Gonzap's body, searching for any valuables, though he knew most were likely gone. The water would have ruined them.

  Cash and machines—particularly the Snag Machine, which allowed Pokemon to be stolen. Though in truth, that hardly mattered when you could simply take pokeballs after defeating an opponent. It was a useless device when you were levels above your opponent.

  No matter—he could make more. The scientists who made the machines were definitely around somewhere.

  "!"

  William focused his hearing. A noise. A rustle through the mountain of scrap metal, shifting among the wreckage. William leaned forward, lifting his mask slightly, straining his hearing. Another faint sound followed.

  "You can come out now. I know you're there," William called loudly.

  The sound stopped. All movement ceased.

  "Come out, or I'll have my Pokemon destroy your hiding spot." Two loud and triumphant cries of his Pokemon followed, backing up the threat.

  It seemed to work.

  There was an explosion of metal at the top of the scrap. Out stepped a man, shielded in a thick psychic bubble that had kept him unharmed. An Espeon and an Umbreon clung to his shoulders, eyes glowing with protective energy.

  He looked nothing like the bald grunts of Team Snagem. He was a young man with whitish-blonde hair and piercing amber eyes. His attire stood out just as sharply: a flowing blue cloak, black studded boots, and a pair of visors perched atop his head.

  William instantly recognized him.

  Despite William's obvious advantage in power, the boy wore a cocky grin on his face.

  "Looks like you got me." His voice was higher-pitched than expected. It was then that he was reminded that he was just a child, young and stupid. He raised his hands in surrender.

  "Are you a member of Team Snagem?" William asked, glancing upwards.

  The boy looked around with mock confusion. "What Team Snagem? I don't see any team. Looks like they've been dealt with."

  William chuckled. "That's awfully convenient."

  "To tell you the truth, yes. I was planning to leave anyway. Our interests no longer aligned. Looks like you sped up that process, though."

  "I can also speed up the process to your death. I came here to take care of the team in its entirety, and you are—or were—a member of it. Don't think you can get away by acting smart and cocky."

  For the first time since meeting him, the boy visibly tensed. His Pokemon tensed as well, and the weight of it filled the entire canyon.

  "Or…you could join me," William said at last.

  "And what makes you think I'd join you?" The boy questioned, the playfulness in his voice gone, replaced with a deliberate thought that went into every one of his words.

  "Well, if you value your life, you would," William replied flatly. "If you don't join me, I'll kill you. Simple as that," the ultimatum hung in the air.

  The boy chuckled. "You're not really giving me many options here."

  "You're lucky I'm giving you options at all. I see potential in you. It would be a shame for a child like you to die here, buried with the rest of these scum. So—what do you say?"

  The boy paused for a moment, looking around at the wreckage William had caused. He moved his face left, then right— looking at both of his Pokemon. They seemed to share a silent conversation with that one look.

  "Ok. I'll join you." He said. The tension died down.

  "Good," William smiled beneath his mask.

  "What even are you anyway?"

  "I'm Shade, and I'm here to change this region once and for all. What about you, what's your name kid?"

  "Name's Wes. And I'm not a kid," he grumbled. "I may look young, but I'm far more dangerous than I look. I wouldnt have survived otherwise. That attack was…scary. If I didn't send out my Pokemon in time, I would have been crushed."

  "Consider it your interview. You passed the practical, then you passed the questions."

  "Interview? For an interview like that, you'd better be paying me the big bucks." Wes said, but William had already turned around, leaving the canyon.

  "Hey! Wait! What have I even joined?" He asked. "Can you give me a job description?"

  William turned around. "You've joined…let's call it the revolution. And as for your job description: to overthrow the entire region."

  Wes paled. His face turned completely white, expression dumbfounded.

  "I need paid leave already," Wes grumbled, moving to follow William.

  And in an inconspicuous canyon, the Revolution truly began.

  So that was the end of Team Snagem. I feel like it would be weird if William didn't buff his Pokemon beforehand. Launching a surprise attack and then having a hard fought battle just wouldn't make sense. William planned to destroy the team in one fell swoop, and he practically did that.

  I'm only going to do full fights for battles that are important to the story, and trust me, there will be a lot of them, so that's why I'm cutting down on fights like this, so the story isn't filled with fights every chapter.