[[A request for Albedolover185 regarding Evil!Layton and Luke. Also, if you've ever wanted to read a PL/Pokemon crossover, please check out this author's work!

Disclaimer: Nah. Don't own it.

Set: Probably AU, set in Future London, ten years after Luke and Layton say goodbye. Presumably, the events of Lost Future never happened.

Spoilers: For Lost Future, Azran Legacy and maybe Miracle Mask.]]

A New Age

There was a time when Professor Layton spoke as an ambassador on behalf of humanity. He was by no means perfect— who is?— but he was a good person, one of the best mankind had to offer. He claimed people didn't need power or knowledge to be content. It would take hundreds, thousands of years before they created technology that even the Azran would fear.

It took ten, actually.

Robots were nothing new. There were several recorded cases of 'extraordinary' machines built for both malicious and benign purposes. Villains aiming to destroy; villagers sworn to protect…

This technological breakthrough truly began with the prospect of time travel. While the first public demonstration caused the loss of Britain's prime minister, it sparked pandemonium amongst the scientific community. As inventors emerged, eager to distribute their ideas, so did figures from the criminal underworld.

The world's cities were transformed into industrial marvels, none more so than London. Indeed, it was a glorious age for England's capital.

Who ushered the nation into this bright new era? Professor Layton, of course. After the prime minister's disappearance, he was the one to take control of Parliament and the miscreants. It was only right that he should lead them from then on. Nobody doubted the good professor.

His closest friends, the Tritons did. Enough to sail to the other side of the Atlantic. Layton's obsession with altering the past wasn't what drove them away. (Clark and Brenda would give anything, anything to see Claire alive again…) He wanted someone to continue his work should he fail. He wanted his apprentice back.

Why not Flora? Layton claimed she had been kidnapped by his enemies. Emmy confirmed she was safe with the Resistance.

But now Emmy was the one in need of assistance.

Arriving at the London Docks, or the Foley Docklands as it was called these days, Luke clutched Emmy's last letter. Her writing was scrawled and clipped as if it had been produced under duress. Confirming this was a message at the bottom of the letter, from Professor Hershel Layton.

Luke's jaw had dropped when he recognised the perfect penmanship of his old mentor. Professor Layton began the correspondence much as he would have done in the past, inquiring how Luke was doing, how his were studies going, if he was still close to his parents… Then, he went on about the brilliant work he had accomplished in London, despite the anarchists who threatened the peace of his city. Leading these anarchists was none other than Emmy Altava. "I was willing to forgive her previous betrayal," Layton wrote, "but given her latest offences, I was forced to put a stop to her."

Emmy was apparently imprisoned at the professor's office— headquarters in Chinatown. Layton expected Luke to come and talk her back to her senses. If Luke didn't make an appearance… Layton would have no choice but to eliminate Emmy.

Luke wasn't naïve. He wasn't a child anymore. Though it broke his heart ten years ago, he now understood why his parents has gone to such lengths to tear him away from the professor— from Layton. He wasn't the gentleman they remembered. He was cold, calculated and corrupted. Bronev would have been proud, if Layton hadn't threatened Emmy.

She might not have even been captured, but Luke couldn't take that chance. Layton would listen to him and he would let Emmy go.

Right?

A group of thugs was waiting at the docks to 'escort' Luke to Layton. As they took him through the city, Luke worried about his other old friends. For secrecy's sake, Emmy rarely mentioned her fellow Resistance members or their activities. Only the dead were immune. Inspector Grosky, Dean Delmona, Rosa… That didn't even cover the number who were missing. Like Luke's family, the Ledore-Ascots had probably eloped to some foreign country. Emmy suspected Janice was being sheltered by a singer in the Far East. Arianna and Tony were visiting the Galapagos Islands last time Luke heard from them. As for everyone else, who knew?

The Towering Pagoda seemed taller than Targent's headquarters. Luke held his breath as he was led to the very top of the building. Behind two huge doors, his former teacher stood overlooking the view of London. He turned and smiled. "Luke, my boy. How wonderful it is to see you again."

Luke wanted to demand to see Emmy, but his mouth had dried up. Not much had changed in the professor's appearance, save for some lines in his face and the slight shadows under his eyes. He was even still wearing that top hat. There were no signs of the monster he had supposedly become. Maybe the Resistance was mistaken. Maybe they were going off rumours…

One's of Luke's escorts shoved him into the room, and he shook himself. Don't be deceived. The doors closed and Layton gestured for him to take a seat in front of his desk. "Please, sit. My, haven't you grown. Though you don't look too much like you father, thankfully—"

"Where's Emmy?" Luke managed to ask.

"A gentleman never interrupts, especially to his teacher," Layton reminded him. "I see you still have much to learn."

While Luke would have listened in the past, now he just felt patronised. He snapped, "Where is she?"

Layton's tone remained coldly composed. "Sit. We may discuss her whereabouts, along with Flora's."

Grudgingly, Luke obliged, though he refused Layton's offer for tea. (It would probably be drugged, or worse.) "Well?" Luke grunted.

Layton sipped his own tea and said, "I take it you read my letter. Do you understand the threat Altava and her associates pose to our society? Flora is lost to me, because of them."

"She's alive," Luke admitted. "They're keeping her safe." From you.

"I won't believe that until I see her."

"Will you let me see Emmy?"

Layton put his teacup down and folded his arms. "As soon as you and I have reached an agreement."

Luke was afraid he would say that. "What would that be?"

"For you to resume your studies as my apprentice, of course. Then when the times comes, to carry on with my work."

This was too much. "I'm no longer your apprentice," Luke stood up, backing away from the desk. "And I will never follow in your footsteps."

"When did I ever indicate you had a choice, Luke?" With a snap of Layton's fingers, the 'escorts' burst back into the room to grab Luke. Luke yelled and thrashed, fighting even more when a man in a lab coat forced a device onto his head.

"NO—!" Luke felt lightheaded. His vision of the scientist and Professor Layton slipped out of focus...

There was an almighty crash. Startled cries from the escorts restraining Luke. Moans as he was released. Then, someone was supporting him, pulling the device off his head.

He heard Layton seething, "Altava?"

Luke gasped, "E-Emmy?" She was alive and free; here to rescue him.

Emmy grinned. "It's good to see you, Second Assistant. Now let's get out of here." She flung his arm over her shoulder and they escaped from the pagoda.

…

"E-Emmy…?" A weak sob escaped Luke's mouth. His eyes were painfully shut, as if he was experiencing a nightmare. Simply an effect of Dimitri's modified memory-scanner. Layton didn't care. This was necessary. Luke's memories had to be altered until he mistrusted Altava and the Resistance. Until he had no choice but to join his mentor.

Layton's henchmen returned Luke to his chair. The young man fidgeted and mumbled something about Emmy still being a crazy driver.

"How long will the process take?" Layton hummed.

Dimitri inspected the memory-scanner. "The fabricated memories go on for approximately five hours. Altava will take him to Resistance headquarters, where he will discover your daughter has been killed before rushing back to the pagoda."

"That's enough time for the Resistance to launch a real attack here." Layton moved to the window, frowning. "No doubt Altava will attempt to take Luke, as she did with Flora."

"Then why are we taking the risk?" Dimitri huffed. "I would be perfectly capable of saving Claire in your absence. We don't need the boy—"

"And perhaps I'll no longer have need of you," Layton cut him off. "Get out."

Dimitri knew not to argue. There was no arguing with Layton.