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

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  "So, where are we headed?" Wes asked. They were making their way out of the canyon. A faint pool of water—barely a foot high—splashed with each step they took.

  William walked as though the water wasn't even there—unbothered by it—whereas Wes tiptoed, eager not to get his shoes wet.

  "Hey, answer me!"

  William remained silent, walking out of the canyon as the young boy reluctantly followed.

  "Also, I should let you know that you really fucked up back there. When you went all Great Whale on us and destroyed our base, you also destroyed all of our Snag Machines—you know, the ones that steal Pokemon? Our entire business model! It might have been helpful to grab them. I was planning on leaving myself with one before you showed up."

  William chuckled. "A useless invention for a useless team," he said, not even bothering to turn around.

  "What!?"

  "I mean, if you're already powerful enough, what's the point in using a machine to steal Pokemon when you can just take them by force? Isn't that what this team does—take Pokemon from weaker trainers, even though you've got the strength and numbers to just rip them straight out of their hands? You saw it yourself just now. I gave you Gonzap's Pokemon from his corpse. I didn't need a machine for that."

  "Well…when you put it like that…" Wes muttered, looking away in embarrassment. It looked like he wasn't used to dealing with people intellectually superior to him. Team Snagem were all brawn and no brain— which is exactly why they teamed up with Team Cipher.

  "Also, Great Whale?" William questioned. "What are you talking about?"

  Wes hummed, catching up to him, "Just a name I saw once at some old-looking shrine. Some forgotten God. Dunno why, but when I saw that massive tsunami of water coming towards our base, I was reminded of it."

  "Where did you see it?" William questioned.

  "I think it was in Phenac City."

  "Well, that's convenient."

  "How so?"

  "Because that's where we're going next." William smiled.

  Among Orre, Phenac City was a rather unique place. Wherever you went on this great hot pile of land, you would find pretty much the same thing everywhere—barren and dry lands sucked of all their moisture, criminals running rampant and causing lawlessness and chaos, and overall lack of any form of true order.

  If you were to take most of the bad things about the region and flip them on their head, it would perfectly describe Phenac City.

  It was a complete contrast to the rest of the region, which was barren, dry, and swarming with criminals. Whereas

  It was an oasis in the middle of nowhere with the lowest crime rate in the country,

  Apart from the few people spread across the region—it was this city that held the most compatible people for Williams' revolution.

  Due to the presence of the Gym and the Stadium, the town had no shortage of strong trainers. He couldn't take over the region with just himself and a few other people. He needed a group—he required a following, just like with Team Aqua.

  William strode into the town. This time, there were no criminals or miscreants to greet him. No bodies to bury. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the natural water flowing throughout the city. His ears tickled as the water trickled down the fountain.

  This was a place he could see himself getting used to. There was no shouting, no awful smells, no criminals. Now, in a place which was peaceful and friendly, he could finally relax, get away from all the crime and negative energy—

  "Hey! Stop struggling!"

  "Get her legs!"

  "I can't! This bitch is a slippery fucker!"

  "Language!"

  "Language!? We're fucking criminals, Jeff!"

  "I know, but still. I don't like swear words."

  "Have you gone to the doctor? You really need to get that checked out. The fact that you have such an adverse reaction to swearing words must mean something. Maybe it's something from your childhood."

  "Doctor? Where on earth would I find one here—"

  Both the criminals, who had been trying—and spectacularly failing—to carry a body, turned around, looking at William and Wes standing at the entrance.

  William sighed. He really couldn't catch a break.

  "Do you think they heard us?" one of them asked.

  …

  "Yeah…"

  "And what about the body in the bag?"

  The other one sighed, "Well, now they know, doofus."

  "Hey! Is anyone there? Help me—" The body bag with the girl inside dropped to the floor. Both of the kidnappers turned their attention to William and Wes.

  "Well, looks like we got caught." One of them said, cracking his knuckles while wearing a snarl on his face. It wasn't intimidating at all. "Looks like we'll need to take care of loose ends."

  "Yeah," the other one agreed.

  Wes tensed slightly, hand going towards a pokeball. "How are we doing this, Shade?"

  "Punch," was William's reply.

  Before either of the kidnappers could send out their Pokemon, William closed the distance between them, moving forward like a car on an F1 track. Caught off guard, the closest one could do nothing as William delivered a swift punch to the side of the jaw.

  He crumpled to the ground like paper.

  "What the—"

  To his credit, the second grunt—the one allergic to swearing—didn't freeze; instead, he desperately scrambled towards his pokebelt. But William had already closed the distance. He fell to the floor.

  William looked over the two bodies.

  "Y'know, I've never understood why trainers just assume others will let you send out their Pokemon without doing anything," William said. "It's so stupid."

  "Hah!" Wes let out a gasp of surprise, disguised as a chuckle. He was no longer dealing with a brute for a boss, where his tightly braided strands of hair reduced the function of his brain to a monkey; no, he was dealing with Shade.

  "Help me with this bag," William said. They worked together and began to untie the bag tightly closed with a knot made of rope. Like a whack-a-mole, a girl's head popped out of the entrance, gasping for air.

  She crawled out of the bag, face flushed red. "Thank you so much!" she bowed her head.

  William remained motionless.

  Wes took the lead. "No problem, cutie," he said with a grin, What's your name?"

  "Rui," she responded, running a hand through her hair, sorting out the mess. "I thought I was a goner there. Seriously, thank you!" she bowed again.

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  "Why did they try to kidnap you?" William asked.

  Rui locked eyes with William, a slight look of fear on her face. "Uhm. They were kidnapping me because I have a, uhm, I have a special ability to see certain things."

  "What things?" William pressed.

  "I can see a sort of aura on a Pokemon. A dark aura. A Pokemon affected by a lack of emotions and incredible violence. It's…horrible," she shuddered.

  "You can see shadow Pokemon?" Wes questioned.

  "You know what they are?" Rui said.

  "Yeah, back when I was a part of…" Wes looked at the girl apprehensively. "A group of individuals, we were taught to recognise the distinguishing characteristics between Shadow and normal Pokemon. Most notably in the moves, its emotions, and its strength. If you pay attention—it's easy to recognize them." He looked towards William. "You are aware of what shadow Pokemon are, right?"

  William nodded. "Though I've never heard of someone being able to see them outright."

  "Me either,"

  "Ah…well, I guess it's something I was born with." Rui rubbed her head, looking down.

  "So, what should we do now?" Wes said.

  "Rui, how about you come with us?" William asked the girl. "Your ability is dangerous to the villains of the region. If word has gotten out, then they most likely won't stop until they've got you. You need someone who can protect you."

  "Protect me?" Rui tested the words on her lips. She looked uncertain—worried.

  "Yeah, trust me, this guy can protect you," Wes said, pointing towards William. "He took out the entirety of Team Snagem, barely breaking a sweat."

  "Really!?"

  "Yeah," Wes nodded with satisfaction—like the achievement was his. "News should be breaking soon. It will be everywhere,"

  Rui turned to look at William—at Shade, dressed in his all white outfit. This time, it was no longer a look of fear or apprehension, but a look you gave someone when you looked up to them.

  "Abused Pokemon have no part in my region. Humans and Pokemon must co-exist naturally to have a successful region and government. Shadow Pokemon are among my top list of priorities to get rid of. Your ability…would certainly make things easier."

  "Region? Government?" Rui questioned.

  William looked towards Wes. He would be the one explaining his goals from now on. He was getting sick of it.

  Wes nodded, "We have made a new group. Its goal is to bring law and order back to Orre. We will become its government."

  Well, that was a simple way to put it.

  "We are…" Wes paused, looking towards William. "Come to think of it, we don't have a name. I think every good team needs a name. You got any ideas, boss?"

  …

  "We are not a team. Snagem and Cipher—those are teams." William explained. "We are a collective group of people sharing the same idea. A movement. A revolution. We fight for the safety of the region and its inhabitants. We will be…"

  Wes and Rui leaned in.

  "The Orrean Revolution Party."

  They groaned, posture sagging.

  "What?" William asked.

  "Well, I just thought it would be something…" Wes said.

  "Cooler," Rui said plainly.

  Kids…

  "Cool doesn't matter when you're trying to send a message," William argued. "And the message is that we are for the people. That's why we are named after the names of Citizens here—Orrean. Revolution also adds a nice touch, which says that we aren't afraid to fight, and we're fighting for justice. We are the good guys."

  "As a member of the Orrean whatever party, I'm requesting a vote to change the name," Wes said.

  "Denied," William replied.

  Rui chimed in: "I vote in favour of the name change!"

  "Still the same answer."

  "It's 2 to 1!"

  "I count as 5—no, 10 votes," William said.

  Rui slumped downwards. Wes sighed.

  "So does that mean you're joining us?" William asked, changing the subject. "If you voted on the name change, then that means you must be a member. Are you?"

  "Mhm!" Rui nodded enthusiastically, "If I don't join, they will kill me. So sure! Also…" She said, her voice taking on a more somber tone. "I'd like to help solve the issue with shadow Pokemon. If I have a gift to see these Pokemon in pain—then I should do everything I can to try and stop it."

  "Good answer," William smiled. "Let's go,"

  "What about these two?" Rui said, pointing towards the two grunts who tried to kidnap her.

  "Just leave them be. Killing them would cause more harm than good. Executing common criminals in the middle of the streets isn't a good look for our group."

  Wes chuckled, "But doing it in private is fine?"

  "Exactly," William said. "You're catching on. Now, lead the way, prodigy."

  "Lead the way where?"

  "Before any more business, I want to see that place you were talking about: the Great Whale. You remember where it was?"

  "Barely," Wes replied. "Follow me. Follow the leader."

  "Admin," William corrected.

  "And how many votes do admins get?"

  "Just one vote."

  "Any way to change that?" Wes asked.

  "Yeah, a vote," William said.

  Wes laughed, "What kind of fucked up team is this?"

  "It's a party," William corrected again. "This is just the government's standard rules."

  "Well, now I see why Orre doesn't have a proper one," Wes said, leading William towards a part of the town. Rui trailed behind.

  "Why do you want to see this god anyway?" Wes asked. They passed by a group of citizens, leisurely enjoying lunch by a water fountain.

  "I'm curious," he vaguely responded.

  Wes led them to a small area just east of the main fountain of the city. On the way, they passed by expertly crafted stone houses, built with proper ventilation to circulate the heat out of the houses. Washing lines were hung up, drying clothes, while a few residents sat on their porch, chewing sunflower seeds.

  And then they arrived at the shrine. It was small—almost shriveled looking from the heat, covered in dust and dirt and any other elements the wind had blown its way. It sat on a small platform—embedded into the ground.

  William could scarcely make out any discernible features of the shrine. He wiped the shrine with his gloved hands, and it slowly revealed…

  "Kyogre…"

  The shape was clear now. On the elevated platform was a large creature, once shrouded in dust, that now revealed itself to be a legendary Pokemon he was used to seeing on game covers.

  A shrine of Kyogre in this place?

  The shock of the situation slowly wore off, replaced with a bitter anger. A Pokemon, so dangerous and legendary, so connected with the seas. No—it was more than connected. It was born in it; it could summon storms, turning harmless rain into bullets of sharp water. It could control the seas as though it were an extension of its own body, as though it were a manifestation of the sea itself. As though it were the sea itself. Or even more—as though it created them.

  That's what William believed. Kyogre was the Pokemon that brought the ocean into this world. Before Kyogre existed, the concept of water didn't exist. When it came along, so did the seas.

  That was why William was angry. For someone with such a special water connection, for a shrine dedicated towards the one who quite literally created it—and hence Williams' special connection—, being so secluded and so abandoned, forgotten on the outskirts of the city, a quiet anger slowly built up in his chest.

  "Saw it here when I was visiting the city a couple of years back," Wes broke the silence. "I found it strange that despite how well-kept the city looked, this shrine was seemingly forgotten in time. Eroded by its environment. Now it just sits here, at the corner of the city, no one to worship it. Y'know, in some places of the world, they say the power of Gods and deities is determined by how many people pray to them. If that was the case—then I would say this god no longer exists," he said with a wistful look.

  "No, it's not that. It's just been sleeping for a long time. All it needs is the right person to awaken it," William said with certainty.

  "What's that?" Wes asked, not hearing William.

  "Nothing,"

  William continued to wipe the dust away from the statue steadily and delicately until the entire form of Kyogre was visible. Its eyes, its lines, the strange runes in the shape of Team Aquas' symbol, with each swipe of the dust, it all slowly became visible.

  His hand grazed the revealed form of the Legendary Pokemon.

  "It's been a while since anyone has touched that shrine," a voice in the distance said. "I'm afraid it's been largely forgotten."

  William turned down the street to see the mayor of Phenac City, Es Cade.

  "If you would like, I can have it properly maintained for you. The residents of this town told me you stopped a kidnapping. Let this be a favor in return," the mayor said, walking closer.

  He wore a jolly smile on his face and walked like a penguin, each step shaking his fat stomach. His wide smile caused the fat creases on his face to lift upwards.

  "Sure," William responded. "Tell me more about this shrine," he said, hand gently placed over the statue.

  "Very well," the mayor brought a hand up to his chin. "Orre has always been a…dry and hot region. Water is scarce, crops can't grow, and the sweltering heat bears down on the citizens like an invisible weight. The history of this region has always been synonymous with hardship. And as you know—with hardship—some people turn inward to rely on themselves, while others turn to gods." He paused.

  "Long ago, a traveler from a distant land brought with him his god: a great sea whale, over three hundred feet in length and one hundred feet wide, able to conjure water as though it were water itself. It could summon rainstorms with the blink of an eye, bring waves engulfing the skies in a single moment."

  "The people needed water, so they turned to this god of water, and they built this shrine. It was small—but made with delicate care and precision in the heat. They endured the heat in hopes that rain would follow. Once the shrine was built, it was placed in the middle of the city. They prayed and prayed, prayed until their lips were cracked from the sun and their bodies screamed for water. But through all those years…no god came." Es Cade said somberly.

  "They realised this god would not—or could not—answer them. And if a god could not provide, then what was the point of prayer? Yet, in fear of angering it, the statue was never destroyed. Instead, it was placed on the outskirts of town, left to wither in silence, alone…with no one left to pray to it."

  He finished the story, and a sad silence of sorts filled the air. William glanced back at the shrine. The prayer he had made—the one to the sea goddess—which Team Aqua adopted was merely a precursor to praying to Kyogre.

  The sea goddess was a made-up name—a placeholder—he just thought it would be easier for a team of grown rough men to begin to worship an attractive woman of the sea than a blue orca. But once he had converted them, he could slowly show the rest of the members the truth—like in the original games, where they held Kyogre with a reverence of sorts.

  He imagined his team going into battle, with the great blue orca blocking out the skies, the seas on their side, flying from above. It would make them feel unstoppable. There was nothing stronger than a religious belief in a god. It was made even stronger when that God was on your side in battle.

  "And is this the girl you saved?" Es Cade asked, looking at Rui. William snapped out of his daze."I could offer my protection if you'd like, girl. You'd be safe—under the mayor's protection."

  Rui opened her mouth to speak, but William cut her off. "I'm afraid she's already under our protection."

  "Our?" The mayor raised a brow. "Do you have a group of sorts?"

  "We do. We're a relatively new group looking to bring change to Orre. To take care of its villains."

  "Yes," the mayor sighed. "Team Cipher and Snagem have been thorns in this region's side for far too long. It's about time someone took action against them."

  "Well, actually…just Team Cipher now. We already took care of Team Snagem," William said casually.

  "I'm sorry?" the mayor asked, confused.

  "I destroyed them all at their base. As of right now, all that remains of Team Snagem is crumpled bodies and scrap in the canyon."

  "Is that so?" the mayor chuckled nervously. His eye twitched.

  "Yep," William nodded, walking closer to the mayor. He towered over the little fat man. "That means Team Cipher is my number one priority. And among Team Cipher, the leaders must be eliminated first."

  "I…agree," Es Cade said. He fumbled with the collar around his neck, trying to steady his breathing.

  William leaned in an inch closer. "And as far as leaders go—there's one right in front of me."

  "!"

  And before anyone could react, William plunged a knife into the mayor's chest.