Pokemon: Resurgence: Chapter 73

Hi all, 

Here’s the next chapter. Sorry this is late. I will post the final two chapters over the weekend.

Chapter 73

Lysandre stepped through the hidden doorway into Team Aura's underground sanctuary. Torches cast dancing shadows across stone walls covered in ancient murals depicting the kingdom's first Aura Guardians.

Marcus, Team Aura's leader, greeted him with a firm clasp of the shoulder. "Welcome home, brother."

"Report," Lysandre said, shrugging off his travel-worn cloak.

"Walker's proven... complicated." Marcus ran a hand through his greying hair. "Our attempt on his life revealed unexpected abilities. The boy can create perfect copies of himself."

"Multiple aura abilities?" Lysandre's eyes narrowed. "That's rare."

"And troubling. We've suspended further attempts until we understand what we're dealing with."

They settled into worn leather chairs. A fire crackled in the hearth, doing little to ward off the chamber's perpetual chill.

"The Queen grows bolder," Marcus continued. "Offering him property, access to the Tree. If he establishes roots here—"

"He won't." Flames danced across Lysandre's palm. "Speaking of Walker, Malva's gone silent."

"Your Elite Four member? When?"

"Several weeks. No contact, no traces." The flames intensified. "She was investigating him in Viridian City."

Marcus leaned forward. "You think he—"

"Killed her? Yes." The fire in Lysandre's hand flared white-hot. "Malva never failed to report in. Something happened."

"First he meddled with Team Flare, now this." Marcus's voice hardened. "The boy's becoming a serious problem."

Lysandre extinguished the flames with a sharp gesture. "His meddling has set me back months of planning, if not years." 

“Did you discover anything with the tablet?”

"Decoded at last." Lysandre's lips curved into a cold smile. "Not about Zygarde as we thought, but something far more intriguing—a trail leading to Yveltal."

Marcus' eyes widened. "The Deathbringer? Then not all your efforts were in vain. Any of the three Aura Legendary Pokemon would suffice for our plans. Have you found its location yet?"

Lysandre shook his head. “The trail is too obscure. It may take some time to figure out.” 

"While we wait, we can deal with Walker," Marcus said, taking out a folder from his desk. "We've put together thorough notes on him—his habits, who he spends time with, and his vulnerabilities."

"No more failed attempts." Lysandre's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "When we strike, it must be decisive."

"Agreed. But we must be cautious. The Queen watches him closely."

"Let me worry about Ilene." Lysandre stood, his shadows stretching tall against the wall. "Focus on gathering more intelligence. I want to know everything."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dark clouds swirled overhead as Lucas watched Raijin circle through the air. The young Zapdos spread his wings wide, static crackling between his feathers. Despite being only a fraction of his parent's size, Raijin's presence commanded attention.

"That's it," Lucas called out. "Focus on drawing the energy upward."

The rest of his team sheltered beneath a massive oak tree. Max kept glancing at the gathering storm, clearly unimpressed by the display of electrical power. 

Thunder rumbled as the localised storm took shape. Lucas pulled out his notebook, jotting down observations. The storm covered roughly one hundred metres in diameter —impressive for a newly hatched legendary, but nowhere near what the adult Zapdos had produced at the Power Plant.

Each pass through the electrical field strengthened his movements, his wings cutting sharper arcs through the turbulent air. The initial drain of energy from spawning the storm had vanished—now Raijin drew power from the very tempest he'd summoned, each lightning strike feeding energy back into his body.

Lucas ran the rough calculations in his head. The energy exchange bordered on perpetual motion—an endless cycle of power generation and absorption. Even this small storm could light up a neighbourhood. At full strength? The legendary bird might power entire cities. 

No bloody wonder Giovanni had risked everything for that egg. The former crime boss must have envisioned his own private power plant—one that could hold whole regions hostage. 

He reached into his bag and retrieved an electric battery, complete with a small lightning rod attachment. The technology wasn't particularly advanced, but it would serve for initial testing.

"Raijin!" Lucas held up the battery. "Come down here for a moment."

The legendary Pokemon descended, landing with surprising grace for his size. 

"Think you can charge this?" Lucas handed over the battery. "Hold it up in the storm, see how long it takes."

Raijin tilted his head, examining the device. After a moment's consideration, he gripped the battery in his talons and shot back into the storm.

Lucas watched as lightning danced between clouds, occasionally striking the raised rod. Each bolt caused the battery's indicator lights to flash more intensely.

The storm clouds dissipated after ten minutes, fading into wisps of grey vapour. Lucas frowned, tapping his pen against his notebook. A critical limitation lurked behind Raijin's impressive display—the storms burnt themselves out too quickly. In theory, one storm's energy could fuel the creation of another, creating an endless cycle. But Raijin's Life Battery trait worked too slowly, trickling energy back rather than flooding it. The recovery period left a maddening gap between each storm.

Lucas scribbled his observations, wondering if the trait would strengthen as Raijin matured. The young legendary's powers held immense potential, but mastering them would take time.

He tucked the charged battery into his bag. Even with Raijin's current limitations, the legendary bird could easily power his properties and equipment. The challenge lay in keeping such a distinctive Pokemon hidden from prying eyes.

Max stepped forward suddenly, electricity crackling across his fur as he pounded his chest and let out a challenging growl towards Raijin. “I want to fight him.”

The young Zapdos responded with a piercing screech, spreading his wings wide as static danced between his feathers.

Lucas watched the display with interest. He'd noticed Max growing more agitated as he watched Raijin. Perhaps it was time to let them work things out. 

"Alright, you two can battle. But we're keeping this controlled."

The two Pokemon squared off in the clearing, sizing each other up. Max adopted a battle stance. Raijin maintained a steady hover, wings cutting precise arcs through the air as he assessed his opponent's defences.

Max initiated combat with explosive speed, his Quick Attack leaving afterimages as he closed the distance. Raijin anticipated the straight-line assault, twisting his body in a barrel roll, but Max had already adjusted his trajectory. The Electabuzz's fist clipped Raijin's left wing joint, disrupting the legendary bird's aerial stability.

Raijin recovered quickly, unleashing a Thunder Shock that split the air with a deafening crack. Max threw himself into a combat roll, the electrical attack scorching the ground where he'd stood moments before. Small flames flickered in the grass as both Pokemon reset their positions.

Their Light Screen barriers manifested simultaneously—Max's taking on a hexagonal pattern while Raijin's shimmered like aurora borealis. The Electabuzz used this defensive moment to trigger Bulk Up, his muscle fibres visibly densifying as bioelectric energy surged through his frame.

Raijin dove from above, his Peck attack aimed at Max's exposed shoulder. But the Electabuzz had anticipated the assault, releasing a precisely timed Thunder Wave that caught Raijin mid-dive. The paralysing energy disrupted the legendary bird's neural pathways, causing a momentary stutter in his flight. Max capitalised instantly, stepping inside Raijin's guard and landing a Fire Punch that connected with devastating force against the bird's flank.

The legendary Pokemon screeched. Raijin's eyes blazed as he activated Ancient Power, causing rocks to tear free from the earth. The barrage came from multiple angles, forcing Max to rely on both skill and instinct. His Hammer Arm shattered the larger projectiles, but a jagged stone slipped through his defence, impacting his shoulder with enough force to spin him halfway around.

The battle shifted into a more tactical exchange. Max's Protect manifested just in time to deflect another Thunder Shock, the shield absorbing the electrical assault completely. Raijin used this moment to activate Charge, his entire body beginning to glow with stored power. The air between them became heavy with opposing electrical fields, causing nearby leaves to stand on end as they exchanged Thunderbolt and Thunder Shock attacks that lit up the clearing like daylight.

Raijin's Agility took him to new heights of speed, allowing him to evade Max's attempted Low Kick with graceful precision. However, the legendary bird's focus on dodging left him vulnerable to Max's follow-up attack. The Electabuzz's Fire Punch caught Raijin square in the chest, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. But Max's commitment to the attack left him open, and Raijin's retaliatory Ancient Power struck with devastating accuracy, launching the Electabuzz backward through the air.

The toll of combat became increasingly evident. Max's normally sleek fur was charred in patches, his movements losing their crisp precision as fatigue set in. Raijin's flight pattern showed similar deterioration, his wings beating irregularly as he struggled to maintain consistent altitude. Despite their obvious exhaustion, neither Pokemon showed any sign of backing down.

"That's enough," Lucas called out. Both Pokemon immediately backed off, though their eyes remained locked on each other. "Well fought, both of you."

It was remarkable how evenly matched they'd been. Despite the massive level difference between the level forty-eight Max and the level twenty Raijin, neither had gained a clear advantage.

Lucas didn't miss the frustrated look in Max's eyes as he turned away from Raijin. The Electabuzz had clearly hoped to prove something in this battle. Lucas made a mental note to speak with him later—he understood how challenging it must be to see a new team member, especially a legendary, showing such power from the start.

Max had made significant progress. The Electabuzz had completely mastered his Free-form Fighting trait after spending weeks in the Fighting Dojo. It added a lot to his battles as he could win some fights without using a single move. 

In addition, he had trained his psychic-type affinity so he could learn moves like Light Screen. Max also learned Bulk Up and Thunderbolt. Since his move pool was becoming bloated, he used a Move Delter to get rid of Thundershock, Rock Smash, and Charge. 

"Take a rest, both of you," Lucas said, reaching for their pokeballs.

The battle raised an uncomfortable question: could any of his regular Pokemon ever truly match a legendaries power? Even with his new ability to craft pills, he doubted it was possible. Legendary Pokemon existed in a class of their own for a reason.

But just the thought of it ignited an ambition within him.

He turned his attention to the rest of his team, pride swelling as he considered their growth over the past month.

Icarus had made significant progress since his confidence took a hit from his overwhelming defeat by the legendary Pokemon Azelf. The Pidgeot improved his aerial combat skills, moving beyond basic moves to more advanced techniques. 

He reached level forty-eight and learned three new moves: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, and Tailwind. Lucas used a Move Deleter to remove Tackle, Gust, Whirlwind, and Feathers Dance. They were moves he didn’t use often in battle anymore.  

Saphira was now level forty-nine. Her affinities had seen substantial improvements. She had almost reached the evolution requirement of having five affinities above eighty percent. He had removed Wrap from her move pool and added Agility and Dragon Dance. 

Ashe had levelled up to thirty-nine and added Inferno to her move pool. Her Ninetails trait was an unpredictable element in battle and couldn’t be relied on. But when it did trigger, it gave her powerful abilities that usually ended the battle quickly in her favour.

Nero was turning into a real powerhouse. He had increased his level to thirty-nine and had learned Foul play and Earthquake. The Pokemon had retained his aggressive nature in battle and usually left his opponents in horrible conditions.

Raphael had made some vast improvements after evolving into Wartortle. He was now level twenty-five. For his evolution requirements, he was training his steel-type affinity and had learned the Water Manipulation trait. To keep his move pool clean, Lucas had removed Bubble and learned Rain Dance in its place.

Max and Nero were the closest to achieving their next evolution, with Saphira a distant third. Lucas was eager to see how they would improve and change the team's dynamic.

His Pokemon team was getting stronger. While he wasn’t at the level where he could challenge the gym leaders or the Elite Four, he had sufficient strength to deal with many opponents. 

Between training sessions over the last month, he'd tracked down Zygarde's scattered pieces across Eastern Kanto. Only two remained—one hidden within Rota Kingdom's castle walls, the other lurking in the maze of tunnels connecting the five eastern cities. He would search for the latter in the near future.

Lucas glanced up at the sky, seeing the light beginning to fade.

"It's time to go. I've done enough experimenting for today."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lucas leaned back in his office chair, eyes burning from hours of staring at his computer screen. He'd been searching through Hoenn news sites, trying to find any information about the Slateport City Psychiatric Facility and its patients. The case of Jason Gable—the other person who had transmigrated to this world with him—had consumed his thoughts lately.

A familiar face caught his attention in one of the news feeds, derailing his search. He sat up straight, cursor hovering over the link. The headline read: "Massive Entertainment Complex Opens on Hoenn's Artificial Island."

Maxie stood before a sprawling structure built atop a man-made island. The man who'd fled Moltres's wrath now addressed a crowd of eager reporters, speaking about his latest business venture.

"It seems you’ve landed on your feet after your adventure on Cinnabar Island," Lucas muttered. 

He clicked the video play button.

Maxie gestured at the complex behind him, his voice carrying that same intensity Lucas recalled from his conversation with Blaine. "Welcome to Ocean Paradise—where entertainment meets innovation. From Pokemon battles to luxury dining, we've created an experience like no other, right here on the waves."

Lucas's hands clenched into fists. He needed to focus on finding information about Jason. Yet here was Maxie, parading around as some business tycoon while he suffered no consequences for his actions with the Moltres incident.

The news clip ended with aerial shots of the artificial island, its pristine beaches and gleaming buildings drawing crowds by the boatload. Lucas minimised the browser window and pulled out his mobile. 

"Butch? Got a minute?"

"For you? Always." His manager's enthusiasm crackled through the speaker. "What's up?"

"Need a favour. You've got contacts in Hoenn, right?"

"I know a few people. Why?"

Lucas chose his words carefully. "Do you know Maxie Armstrong from the Hoenn region? The one in the news, showing off his island?”

“Sure. hard to miss.”

“I want him investigated,” Lucas said. “Whoever you pick has to be discrete. I suspect Maxie has ties to Team Magma.”

There was a brief silence on the line. “Are you really sure you want to get involved in this?”

“I just want some information on him. I intend to share what I find with the international police.”

"Ah." Butch's tone shifted to business-like efficiency. "I might know someone. Won't come cheap though."

"Money's not an issue."

"Of course it's not. I wish I had your problem."

“I pay you well enough.” Lucas paused. “There’s someone else I want investigated.”

“Shoot.”

“There's a patient in the Slateport City Psychiatric Facility I need information about. His name is Jason Gable.”

“What kind of information do you need?”

"Patient's medical records, visitor logs, daily routine. Anything about his condition and treatment." 

"Sounds personal."

"It is."

"Right. I'll make some calls.”

Lucas ended the call and slumped back in his chair. The pilot had lurked in the back of his mind for weeks now. Unlike Lucas, who'd adapted and even thrived in this world, the pilot had fractured under the strain.

Questions gnawed at him. Why had they reacted so differently to their circumstances? Had Arceus granted the pilot abilities too, or abandoned him? 

A trip to Hoenn was long overdue. Between managing his breeding operation, developing potions, and training his Pokemon, he'd kept pushing it off. But the pilot's presence nagged at him like a loose thread begging to be pulled.

His phone buzzed. A text from Butch: "Contact made. Investigator wants 50k up front, same again after. Interest you?"

Lucas typed back: "Done. When can they start?"

The reply came instantly: "Tomorrow. You're not going to tell me what this is about, are you?"

"Not yet. Thanks Butch."

Lucas pocketed his phone and stood, stretching muscles cramped from hours of searching news feeds. 

He needed to plan this carefully as Hoenn wasn’t a short trip. Hoenn's isolation posed significant challenges for visitors. The region's strict border policies, a lasting consequence of the war, banned all teleportation travel from foreign regions. Even flying Pokemon were prohibited from crossing their airspace. All visitors were required to arrive by sea, passing through security checkpoints that dotted Hoenn's coastline. Naval patrols and advanced detection systems ensured no one slipped through unnoticed.

He'd wait for the investigator's report before making any concrete plans. Sabrina would love a trip to the Hoenn region. She'd been pushing herself relentlessly with her psychic training lately, and a change of scenery might do her good. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lucas closed his eyes, reaching out with his awareness to the sacred flame burning in the pot. The ethereal fire responded instantly, its temperature dropping until the mixture barely simmered. 

Sweat beaded on his forehead. After three weeks of failures—explosions that had scorched his workbench, mixtures that had crystallized into useless lumps, catastrophic reactions that had melted through metal containers—he'd finally understood. Standard catalysts couldn't handle the potion's energy requirements. He needed something stronger.

Such as the electricity from his bond with Raijin thrummed with legendary power. 

"Here goes nothing," he muttered.

He separated a strand of electricity from his aura, feeling it crackle between his palms. The sacred flame flickered in response, sensing the foreign energy.

"Steady," he murmured, slowly increasing the flame's heat.

The mixture began to spin as the fire's energy intertwined with the electric current. Blue light erupted where the energies met. The liquid transformed before his eyes—deep blue shifting to purple, then brightening to metallic gold as the sacred flame wove the electricity through every drop.

His control over the flame never wavered. One wrong fluctuation in temperature, one moment of lost concentration, and the whole batch would be ruined. The mixture thickened into a syrup, tiny arcs of lightning dancing across its surface before being drawn back in by the flame's careful manipulations.

Seconds stretched into minutes. Lucas hardly dared breathe. One wrong move, one slight imbalance in the mixture's composition, and the whole thing would destabilise. His hands remained steady despite his racing heart.

The crackling sounds gradually faded. The mixture settled into a gently swirling golden syrup that seemed to pulse with its own inner light. After a full minute of stability, Lucas finally allowed himself to exhale.

Mixing the sacred flame from one legendary with the electricity from another had the potential to be very volatile. His aura barrier had been up the entire process. His control over his aura had reached a point where he could use his aura to do two different tasks at once.

"I believe this may have done it."

He turned to his guidebook, finding a new entry had appeared:

==========

Voltaic Amplifier Potion

Description: An altered version of the Electirizer potion that increases electrical efficiency by 600%. When applied to electrical systems, it allows them to channel and store electrical energy with unprecedented efficiency. The duration and the effectiveness of the potion depend on the application. For large scale operations, several potions may be needed to sustain the maximum efficiency.

==========

He'd done it. Though not as efficient as he'd hoped, it met Clemont's requirements. 

Lucas headed upstairs and retrieved the Holo-lens Clemont had given him. He slipped it on and placed the call.

Clemont's image materialised. "Lucas, it's been ages! What do you need?"

"Hello, Clemont. I've finished the potion you requested."

Clemont's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Really? That's brilliant! I never thought anyone could achieve it!"

"It's a breakthrough, but don't get too excited yet. The potion's difficult to make. Mass production isn't feasible anytime soon."

"That's fine. It's already incredible you've managed this much. What's the efficacy? Have you tested it?"

"Why don't you check for yourself? Meet me at the Lumiose Alchemy Guild in a few hours so I can submit the potion."

"I'll be waiting," Clemont nodded enthusiastically. "This potion will change the world."

Lucas set the Hololens on his desk. He agreed with Clemont. The implications of the Voltaic Amplifier Potion stretched far beyond powering Clemont's robot.

Trains had already begun running between major cities in Kalos. Factories hummed back to life, retooled to run on electrical power instead of fossil fuels. Even the ocean vessels relied on massive batteries rather than coal or oil.

But power consumption remained the limiting factor. The potion could change that. With six times more efficient electricity usage, cities could expand their power grids exponentially. Those massive industrial projects currently deemed too energy-intensive might suddenly become feasible.

Medical equipment, advanced manufacturing, even those experimental teleportation networks some regions had proposed—all of it hinged on having enough reliable power. His potion could unlock all of that potential.

If he could ever mass produce it. Maybe there was a way to produce the potion with normal electricity? A thought for another day. After countless hours spent on the project, he needed a break from it.  

Lucas left the alchemy hut to find Sabrina. He needed to tell her he'd be away from the city for the rest of the day.

==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Whispers rippled through the Lumiose City Alchemist Guild as Lucas placed the vial of Voltaic Amplifier potion on the testing bench. Senior alchemists abandoned their work, drifting closer to watch.

Clembot stood motionless in the corner. The robot's exposed power core hummed softly, blue light pulsing behind reinforced glass.

"Ready when you are," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

The guild's master alchemist—a sharp-eyed woman with silver streaks in her dark hair —beckoned them toward the testing chamber. Banks of monitoring equipment lined the white-tiled room. 

Lucas uncorked the vial. The potion flowed like liquid metal as he carefully applied three drops to Clembot's power core.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Clembot's eyes flickered, dimming to darkness before blazing back to life with twice their usual intensity. Energy readings spiked across the monitors, needles jumping so violently they nearly broke.

"Six hundred percent increase in efficiency." The master alchemist's voice cracked with disbelief as she recalibrated her instruments. "That's... that's impossible."

Clemont circled his creation, checking readouts with growing excitement. Each diagnostic screen showed the same results—massive power output with minimal heat generation. The core that usually ran hot enough to cook an egg now felt cool to the touch.

"The thermal readings alone..." Clemont shook his head in wonder. "Do you understand what this means? What we could achieve?"

They spent the next hour pushing Clembot's enhanced systems to their limits. The robot lifted weights that would have drained its old power core in minutes. It processed calculations that should have overheated its processors. Every test confirmed what the first readings had shown—the Voltaic Amplifier potion had transformed Clembot's fundamental operating capacity.

The guild kept Lucas far longer than he'd expected after his success. First came the official acknowledgement of his completed request. The reward was substantial: 1,000 guild points that instantly elevated his rank from Novice to Journeyman, plus a considerable sum of pokedollars. His new rank granted access to additional guild services and improved discounts.

The guild offered to purchase the recipe outright, with payment in either guild points or pokedollars. Lucas declined immediately. While he agreed the potion's potential impact on the world meant it should be shared, he wasn't about to sell it cheaply.

He would release the potion on his own terms, for his own benefit. Moreover, he couldn't share it until he'd developed a sustainable recipe that didn't require his direct involvement in the brewing process.

The news of his achievement would spread quickly, bringing him a lot of trouble. Maybe he should have worked with Clemont directly instead of going through the Alchemist Guild. It amused him that he would be known in the alchemy community for both his Enigma persona and his real self. He couldn’t help but wonder which one would attract more attention. He had a sinking feeling that it would be the latter.

Outside the guild building, Clemont shook his hand firmly. "Thanks, Lucas. This potion will make an enormous difference. When can I expect another batch?"

"I'll brew more tonight and send them over," Lucas said.

"Brilliant. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"You could eliminate all the witnesses."

"What?"

"Nothing."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The passenger ship SS Tidal cut through calm waters as Slateport City's skyline emerged from the morning mist. 

Lucas stood at the railing, the investigator's report weighing heavily on his mind. The documents showed some troubling information that made him decide to sail to the Hoenn region right away.

Meowth jumped up onto the railing. “An entire new region to explore, filled with untold riches just waiting for someone of my particular talents."

“You still haven’t finished exploring the Kanto region.”

Meowth ignored him. “Plenty more loot, plenty more people to—” 

"Don't," Lucas cut in, "even think about finishing that sentence. The last thing we need is to get arrested in a foreign region."

Sabrina joined him at the rail. "That's quite the defence system."

She was right. A network of steel pylons rose from the waves at regular intervals, each topped with scanning equipment. Boundary buoys stretched between them, creating a clear channel that all vessels had to follow. Armed patrol boats flanked their ship, their crews watching through binoculars.

"Welcome to paranoid Hoenn," Lucas muttered.

The SS Tidal slowed as it entered the harbour proper. Slateport's port facilities stretched for over a kilometre along the coast—a maze of warehouses and shipping containers. 

They passed a massive dry dock where workers swarmed over the skeletal frame of what looked like a cruise ship. The scale was impressive—the vessel under construction would dwarf their own ship when completed.

"Building their own luxury liners now," Sabrina noted. "They're determined to be self-sufficient."

The passenger terminal came into view, a swooping structure of glass and steel. Their ship eased into its berth with barely a bump, the dock crews moving with practiced precision to secure the mooring lines.

Lucas gathered their bags as the announcement came for passengers to disembark. The customs process was exactly as tedious as he'd expected—multiple checkpoints, document verification, and stern-faced officers examining their travel permits with suspicious eyes.

"Purpose of visit?" the final customs agent asked.

"Tourism. Hoenn is a stunning region that makes us eager to explore it," Lucas said.

“Hoenn has that effect on people. Have a nice stay.”

They emerged from the terminal into Slateport proper. The city spread out before them, a study in contrasts. Historic buildings of weathered stone stood alongside modern towers of steel and smart glass. The streets were broad and tree-lined, with dedicated lanes for bicycles. The air carried the tang of salt and the sweet scent of tropical flowers.

"It's cleaner than I expected," Sabrina said as they walked. 

Market stalls lined the waterfront, selling everything from fresh fish to handcrafted jewellery. 

They brought a map of the city and headed, towards the residential districts where the psychiatric facility was located. 

The psychiatric facility occupied its own grounds at the city's edge, set back from the road behind high walls. The building itself was older than its surroundings, built from the same weathered stone as the historic quarter. A sign by the gate listed visiting hours and security protocols.

Lucas and Sabrina approached the reception desk. Before Lucas could speak, a tall man in a dark jacket stepped up to the counter beside them.

"Morning, Sarah," he said to the receptionist. His short black hair was neatly styled, and despite his casual clothes, he carried himself with unmistakable authority.

Lucas noticed the man's posture change when he overheard them asking about Jason Gable. The man turned, fixing them with a stern gaze.

"You're here to see Jason?" His voice was sharp. "I'm Norman, the Petalburg gym leader."

"Lucas Walker." He kept his tone neutral. "This is Sabrina."

"What's your interest in Jason?"

"You know him?" Sabrina asked.

"I found him several months ago on Route 103. Delirious, injured, talking nonsense about another world." Norman's eyes narrowed. "I brought him here because I knew the director. Now, why are you interested in him?"

Lucas weighed his options carefully. "We heard some interesting rumours."

"You're not the first one to be interested in Jason," Norman said. "But they weren’t as polite as you. The facility was forced to upgrade security after they kept pestering Jason."

That confirmed the information in the investigator's report. 

"If you're so concerned," Lucas said, "why not join us? See for yourself why we're here."

Norman studied them both for a long moment. "Fine. But understand this—if you're connected to those other visitors, you'll regret it."

They followed Norman through the facility. Several nurses nodded to Norman as they passed, suggesting he was a regular visitor.

"Jason's been more agitated lately," Norman said as they approached a heavy security door. “If you upset him, I will kick you out.”

The door buzzed open. At the end of the corridor, through reinforced glass, Lucas caught his first glimpse of the pilot who had crossed over with him.

Jason sat in a corner, rocking slightly. He turned as they approached, and his eyes widened with recognition.

"You," he whispered. "You're like me. You can see it too, can't you? The glitches in the system?"

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas learns more about Jason and starts exploring the region.

Thanks for reading.