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[One week before Snagem's trip to Paldea.]

Reno and Sub, who had both collected all eight badges of Kanto and respectively, had gotten together and decided as a sort of (mostly) friendly rivalry that they would journey to the Indigo Plateau, challenge the Elite Four, and see if one of them might become the next champion over both regions. Two Snagems will enter, but will one make it to the top? And what if they both do? It was time to find out.

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[Viridian City]

Sub would be found sitting on a bench outside of the Viridian City Pokemon Center, waiting for his Co-Leader to arrive. He thought it would be nice if they both took the last leg of their journey together, the walk from Viridian City and up to the Indigo Plateau. It wasn't a particularly difficult trek, most trainers could make it, the only thing that stopped anyone from making it to the top were the guards that checked to make sure you had the right badges but that wouldn't be a problem for Reno and Sub.

Sub turned his head around to see Reno approach, shaking his head slightly as he turned back around and waited for the man to make it up to the bench. Listening to him carry on Sub thought about his own team, giving it one last mental go over before deciding that it would be fine. "I was half tempted to go pick up a certain hunk of living metal from some far off ruins myself but I thought it might be tasteless bringing a weapon of mass destruction." Sub shrugged, then stood up and stretched a bit.

"Well then, if you're ready and I'm ready why don't we get to walking? Between the two of us there are four people who are waiting to meet us and I don't think we should keep them waiting any longer." Sub said, then proceeding to walk westward, down the paved road which would eventually lead them to the outskirts of Viridian City.

"So, what's the plan if one of us actually becomes champion? Have we ever really talked about that?" Sub asked Reno as they walked, at this point in their walk the houses were disappearing and tall grass was appearing on the horizon, soon they would be on Route 22.

Sub was taken back when Reno answered him in earnest, not expecting such a thoughtful response from the Psychic Channeler. Thinking about Reno's words in silence he continued to walk. "Snagem supremacy doesn't sound like a bad idea." The man said, smirking as he gave the response Reno probably expected but then pivoted to a more serious retort. "I got to say, a lot of that sounds good. Of course it requires a lot of cooperation, probably far more than what's currently possible, considering it took a global pandemic, a world war, and several weapons of mass destruction to even form the Indigo Alliance." Sub said, the small hint of disgust in what it took to get the world to cooperate.

"I seriously don't know what I would do. I really like the idea of getting the regions to come together, to share in the prosperity relegated to just a few, share the wealth. I don't know if it's feasible though, people are stubborn and greedy. I mean, have you seen the stuff with our new World Champion? All they do is park Green in front of a ribbon to cut or a camera to shake hands. I'm a little disappointed in how little she is doing with her new title but at the same time I never expected too much to come out of a ceremonial role, she's only doing what the world wants and expects of her." Sub went on.

They would eventually make it to the unofficial first gate of the Indigo Plateau, officially Route 23, a large building standing before them at the end of Route 22. Beyond this gate was the path to the plateau, the proper final stretch of travel before they make it to the end of the Pokemon League circuit. Stepping in they would find the place largely deserted, just a single guard standing at his post by the exit of this gate, the entrance to Route 23. Sub would look around at the inside of the empty building for just awhile, taking in how unused it felt, before finally approaching the guard.

"Beyond this door lies the path to the Indigo Plateau, only those who possess eight badges may summit the plateau. To pass through this door you must be in possession of a Boulder or Zephyr Badge. If you cannot present one of these badges you may not pass through." The guard instructed them, as if he had this little speech memorized by heart and didn't feel like saying anything but it.

Sub would let out a heavy sigh as he listened to Reno, just staying quiet for the time being as he opened up his vest and tapped the Zephyr Badge at the top. Normally he didn't wear his badges but for this he decided to put them on in the classic fashion, like a kid from Pallet Town might.

With their badges presented the guard would step to the side and pressed a button on the wall, the door unlocking with a click and slowly parting open to reveal Route 23 on the other side, the outside air wafting in.

Thanking the guard Sub would pass through the door and wait for Reno. As soon as both of them were on the other side the door would slowly begin to close behind them before finally locking shut. Unconcerned by being locked in on this walled route Sub turned to Reno.

"Do you ever get tired of antagonizing me?" He asked, they were going to be together for awhile so he figured now was as good as any time to confront Reno about how he has treated the Snagem leader for awhile now. "I don't even get to actually speak my mind anymore, you decide what I think, feel, and want for me. And Arceus forbid I say something negative about anyone or anything because you'll swoop in and tell me why I'm wrong about that too. Everything I do or think is wrong to you." Sub said as he began to walk, stepping off the pavement and onto the grass, he saw the next gate up ahead and didn't feel like approaching it yet.

"I know I'm not perfect but come on Reno, all the time? You never let an opportunity to knock me down pass you by. I was actually looking forward to this little trip with you, thought maybe we could enjoy ourselves and grow closer again but we haven't even made it to the Indigo Plateau yet and already I'm being lectured on why I'm wrong. And I honestly don't think I said anything that bad yet." He said, frustrated and just a bit hurt. "So is it going to be like this the whole way? If so I'll just go home. I know you're still mad at me about...a lot...and these days we disagree more than we agree but for just today can we at least try to get along?"

Sub would face Reno and pay close attention to what he had to say, normally Sub was the type to zone in and out of conversations, to only get the geist of what someone was saying and move on, but this was a rare moment where he wanted to take in every word his conversation partner uttered, every syllable. Once Reno was finished Sub would remain silent as he considered his question and while he had been a bit annoyed with Reno's treatment of him, offended, he couldn't be too angry now that Reno had explained himself. The man had gone through a lot in his life as well, some of the most traumatic of those events with Sub involved in some way.

"I say..." He said, his words trailing off as he looked around, spotting a trio of Spearow pecking at the ground near some tall grass, taking a few seconds more to just watch them. "...I understand." Sub said as he turned his attention back to Reno. "I know it must be scary, to go through what you did and then look at me and not only be reminded of it all but to feel like I am in someway connected to it all, as well as what happened at Snowpoint." Sub went on.

"My channeling, the Ziton and Robin, just all of this. I don't even know what it is all about, the role I play. But..." He said, looking back at the Spearow, an Ekans starting to slither out of the tall grass, ready to strike one of them however one of the trio had spotted it and alerted its flock to the threat, the birds flying away an denying the Ekans a meal.

"...we're still a team, right?" He asked Reno. "I've been there for you, to help you, even if when what I think is helping isn't, which I admit I've done. So all I'm asking is if you can be there for me. Help me figure out my connection to the Ziton, that cult and the strangeness with my channeling. I know from you that whatever it is it could possibly hurt others, you guys, and that's the last thing I want but if I can't figure out what it how can I prevent it from harming?" The Snagem leader asked of Reno.

"You don't have to tell me any more of what you know, which I have a funny feeling there is more but I respect that you may have your reasons for withholding information. Arceus knows I've done that to you before. But I would like it if you could help me at the very least not be a threat to you, however that is. I promise Reno, I'm really trying to be a better person, just...give me a hand?" He said, then looking at Reno's mechanical arm and smirking. "Actually I think you need one more than me."

"Nah, keep it, I don't know where that thing has been." Sub shot back with a chuckle, then turning to the gate ahead and the guard stationed in front of it. "Well then, shall we?" He said, bowing and extending his arms towards the gate. When Reno stepped forward Sub would raise up and follow after him, both of them approaching the gate.

"Only those holding the Cascade or Hive Badge may pass!" The gate said, with all the sternness and pageantry of what one might expect. Without wasting time Sub would reveal the badges on the other side of vest and once Reno showed his Hive Badge the guard would stomp on the ground, salute them, and step to the side. "You may pass!" He almost shouted, the gates creaking and slowly opening.

"Thanks big guy!" Sub said with a wave as he passed through the gate. The other side was not noteworthy, just more of the pathway they found themselves on, grass, some bushes and flowers. It was all nicely kept though. A male and female pair of Nidoran would freeze when they showed up, staring at them for a bit before fleeing into a bush. Sub just chuckled.

"Speaking of Ultra Space, what was it like? That is going into Ultra Space and traveling through, what did it feel like?" Sub asked Reno as they walked. "I wonder what the other...mes...are like." He pondered.

"So the Hunter wasn't just spewing Tauros dung..." Sub said, musing over this fact about Blizzard. He had a feeling the Hunter wasn't fooling them, that Blizzard really did have that much potential power, heck that was one of the main reasons he was so drawn to Blizzard, but never did he imagine it would be world ending potential. "I do wonder if there will be any long term dangers to all that multiversal travel."

When they approached the next gate Sub would show off his Plain Badge, particularly proud of that one considering the b*****d of a bovine he had to take down to earn it. Thanking the guard he would pass through the gate, finding himself now on the other side which looks the same as the other. Sub would note he could sense the presence of a body of water, that distinct smell of humidity in the air, there must be something up ahead.

"Hisui, that's what they called it, just their name for Sinnoh back during early colonial times." Sub began to answer Reno. "It was shortly after you guys left for Ultra Space, if I'm getting my timing right, not that anymore told me you were leaving..." He said with an exaggerate 'throat clearing'. "...but GRAY had detected another space-time distortion in the labyrinth, which we found concerning how we had just taken care of one Ultra Beast down there, something Crystal called a Stakataka. We thought we'd be prepared this time, ready before it got the jump on us. We expected something much bigger but instead we were attacked by the tiniest Ultra Beast yet, couldn't be no bigger than a Caterpie and looked like an origami doll, was even mostly white like paper." He described the beast for Reno.

"Its size and apparent paper-like construction was deceiving, this thing packed a mean blade, it was even able to give Monstressor a nasty gash with a Cut! I've never seen a Normal move do that to a Rock type before, it cut through rock like it was nothing! Any who, we managed to burn the thing but it was a short lived victory when as soon as we defeated it some sort of giant rock came crashing through the wormhole with enough explosive force to send us all flying into the wormhole. We then all woke up in Hisui, evidently traveling through Ultra Space together during our unconscious state. It's a miracle we all ended up together and mostly safe. When we came back I went back down to check out that rock and it was definitely not of this world and in fact it had a smooth flat side like something cut it. Was weird..." Sub said, unaware of how that asteroid ended up there.

"Any who, Hisui was...different. The people in that time didn't trust Pokemon, at all, saw them as vicious creatures. For that matter the humans didn't trust hybrids for that matter, saw them as monsters as well. Very paranoid people, didn't trust us either until we proved our worth. In the end we had to seek out the Lake Trio and with their help Darts was able to help us escape into this giant space-time distortion above Mt. Coronet, travel into the Distortion World, and find out way back home. Again, all this multiversal travel has me concerned, can't be good for the body." Sub shook his head.

Approaching the forth gate Sub could definitely sense water now, it was very humid here and he could hear splashing if they were really quiet. The silence would be broken by the guard of the gate. "Only those holding the Rainbow or Fog Badge may pass!" Like prior Sub would open his vest to show the badge and once Reno showed his the guard would do as the ones before and the gate would open.

This time they were greeted to a different scene, the paved path and grass disappearing and sand materializing for a short length before becoming water. They were still in this enclosed route, walls all around them but there was a large body of water before them, signifying they would need to Surf on something to advance. "I know they expect us to swim but I don't feel like getting wet so..." Sub said as he took out a Dusk Ball and tapped the button on the front, releasing Valdemar the Hydreigon. Wasting no time Sub would mount the Pokemon and look to Reno. "Want to ride or do you got your own?" He said, offering a ride.

"Oh boy, Shades." Sub said, not surprised by the question and while it was a subject he hadn't spoke much on it wasn't one he was particularly protective over, at least not anymore. "That was a dumb name in retrospect." He chuckled as he looked down at the water below, visualizing himself as Shades in the water's surface. "As you may or may not remember it starts with my time with Team Rocket. I had been on Giovanni's payroll for awhile when Aqua and Magma hit the scene and their fighting was becoming more and more open in Hoenn. Giovanni, ever the entrepreneur, saw an opportunity and started supporting both sides in this conflict with money, technology, you name it. How do you think a ragtag group of wannabe pirates managed to construct a sophisticated base of operations inside of a giant rock island?" He grinned.

"As it went on Rocket's aid leaned heavily towards Aqua with Magma becoming suspicious of Giovanni's intentions and scaling back the relationship. As such Giovanni focused on Aqua. Why aid them at all? Why not? To him it was free money and another venue for Pokemon research and new technological developments, didn't matter to him what their end goals were." Sub explained, Valdemar looking back at him and growling softly, the trainer immediately realizing his dragon wanted some scratches. Even dragons like a cuddle affection.

"As part of all this Giovanni inserted one of his own into the ranks of Aqua, me. If he was going to provide that much aid he wanted to make sure it was being used 'properly', that is for his own ends. My job was simple enough, I kept a close eye on Aqua from the inside, gathered information of value, and stole anything worth nicking for the boss." He continued as he scratched his Hydreigon. "Ever the Kecleon I donned my disguise, shaved my head and put on some glasses and joined Aqua. But while a part of Aqua I quickly rose in the ranks as I put my skills as a trainer and a thief to their use. My most prestigious heist was the theft of Devon tech, don't let them know it was me."

As he finished up his story the next gate was coming into view, this one in the middle of the water, the guard on a small island next to the gate, topless and sunbathing. As he saw them approach he quickly scrambled to his feet and went to dress. "So yeah, I helped Rocket and I helped Aqua. The last time Aqua saw Shades he was stealing the prototype of their fancy submarine. I still don't know what Giovanni wanted with that but he got it." Sub said with a shrug, now paying attention to the silly guard.

"Oh uh...sorry..." The guard apologized as Reno and Sub were now floating and hovering in front of him. "Ahem...only those holding the Soul or Mineral Badge may pass!" The guard boomed, his jacket still not buttoned up. The Snagem leader would just shake his head and chuckle as he showed off his Mineral Badge and once Reno did the same the guard would stomp on the sandy ground and the gate would slowly open, allowing them through.

Once they were on the other side of the gate Sub would speak again. "So, what about you? Do you remember your life before I found you? And I know I'm asking two questions but what ever happened to that other...voice? Person? Whatever you call it, Rome? That is in your head. It still whispering in there?"