The mid morning sun beat down hard on Driftveil City as the red head sat outside a coffee shop, her attention focused on her laptop in front of her. A Purugly softly snored by her feet. Her hair was a mess and a tattered black hoodie was tied around her waist. Her eyes told a story of someone with a difficult path.

Either that or being up too late glued screen.

She kept typing as she glanced over the computer, pushing the sunglasses back up her face after falling. Not even the man who sat down opposite of her distracted her as she kept at it.

"Miss?"

Nothing. He saw two small earbuds in her eyes as she kept going away, clicking and scrolling before typing a little into her computer. Her transformation was astounding to the man. If it wasnt for the Purugly, he would have just passed her by but now that he could see it with little doubt.

He smiled to himself as he started pushing the screen down, the sleeve of the duster exposing his watch as he did. Her response wasn't any he expected.

She pushed it back up without even blinking. He heard her mumble something to herself in a soft tone as she peered closer at the screen before clicking and scrolling.

"Miss."

She still ignored him and continued to type until the Purugly meowed loudly. She closed the laptop and loomed down at the Pokemon, "what? I fed you an hour ago, there is no way you are still hungry!"

"Miss?" Looker reiterated for the third time.

Her eyes snapped to his as she shot up from her chair, "ah, what seems to be the problem oficer?"

Looker smirked, "nothing, I'm just on patrol and I was wondering, have you seen any suspicious persons or activity lately?"

The young girl stiffened and shook her head, "no, why do you ask?"

"I am an officer. It is my job to round up criminals and put them where they belong."

The fear in her eyes was obvious but there was also something else, a desire not to go to jail but to see something to completion. He placed his hands on the table to reassure her, "don't worry Mars. I'm not here to arrest you. In fact we weren't even aware you left Sinnoh. If it wasn't for Purugly, I wouldn't have noticed you."

She lives glanced down at the last Pokemon who just meowed softly, she bent over and scratched its head, "yeah well, she is still my Pokemon. I ended up releasing Golbat and Bronzong. They were better off without me."

Her laptop had one sticker on it.

DRIFTVEIL CITY UNIVERSITY

GO MINERS!

He chuckled, "a college student? That's quite the change."

She blew out a breath, "I wanted to be normal. I found Cyrus, exchanged some not so nice words and decided to change the scenery."

"You found Cyrus? Where? We've been searching for him for years!" Looker tried to keep a quiet tone of voice as to not raise a panic about the missing leader of Team Galactic that had tried to wipe out the world and create a new one without spirit.

"The Distortion World. It's the realm of that shadowy Pokemon, Giritina. If you get lost in Turnback Cave, eventually you'll find a portal there that will take you to the place. But yeah, that's where he is," she waved a hand around like it was no longer a big deal for her, "he's a jerk."

He made a mental note. The chief may want to arrest her for past crimes but she seemed to have turned over a new leaf. She wasn't a concern for him, just a curiosity. She placed the laptop into a small arm sling bag and patted her leg for Purugly who just stayed on the floor, "fine, Purugly return!" the red beam recalled the fat cat into the pokeball as she placed it on her hip.

"Anyway, if you aren't going to arrest me, I need to get going. I have class soon."

He waited for her to leave. He could tell his presence had shaken her up easily. He pulled out his phone and started looking at the wanted profile before tapping it a few times. He sighed as it beeped in reply before he called one of his superiors, "Looker, what is it? Have you found the Shadow Triad?"

"No ma'am. Actually its something different entirely, I need permission to downgrade a threat level."

He could almost hear her confused expression, "down grade a threat, of who?"

"I just ran into Team Galactic Commander Mars."

"MARS? You ran into the fourth most wanted fugitive and you want to downgrade the threat level?"

He closed his eyes, "yes ma'am. I just had a short conversation with her. Im not saying take her off the list but down grade her to close observation. Im gonna look into it but it seems like shes become a model citizen."

"Need I remind you that its because of her assistance to Cyrus, creation itself was almost destroyed?"

"I know. But from the looks of it, she's been a normal college student the last few years here in Driftveil. I want to tale the warrant off her and just keep her monitored. I believe that if shes not being malicious, then we have no reason to worry anymore."

Seconds passed, "if this backfires, its your badge. I want an address and background of her activities by the end of the week. Got it?"

"Understood."

Mars threw her arms around one of her classmates as she laughed warm heartedly with a diploma in hand.

"Margret, where are you going to go now? Are you going back to Sinnoh?"

She paled, "I don't think so. I think I might go to Johto or Alola."

"Why those regions? Why not go back home. You like studying myths and legends right? Isn't Sinnoh the big center of it all?"

Mars swallowed a little, "it is but I have some bad memories in Sinnoh. But with Johto, the discovery of the Sinjoh Ruins is kinda interesting. But Alola is just now opening to the outside world. Who knows what there could be?"

Purugly meowed as it rubbed heads against the Leipard belonging to Mars' classmate. The two trainers giggled and parted ways a few moments later as Mars returned to her dorm to pack her things. Her ticket to Alola was already purchased. While the Sinjoh Ruins sounded intriguing, she doubted that she could get near them because of her past involvement with Team Galactic.

Alola however was an opportunity to make a positive difference in the world. Documenting their legends and tales. Not to mention a journey of her own. She took her C-Gear and turned it to a radio station as she placed her final few belongings in a suitcase.

"For those of you joining us, the International Police has just released its newest wanted list ranking and big surprise to anyone in Sinnoh, the Team Galactic Commander known as Mars isnt on it anymore! We know she hasnt been captured because we actually asked about it and we did get a reply from the International Police stating that she has been found, not arrested based on reports of her becoming a model citizen, do you think that is a fair assessment Todd?"

"Absolutley not Chris, what that woman did was unforgivable, helping Team Galactic try and erase the world, there is no second chance from that. If anything, I say lock her up, maybe even the death sentence. But then again, this is the same police that let another former commander take over the company and he has run it in a very good track record but to hear that Mars is getting that same treatment raises some questions."

"Well Todd, we will have to see if Mars ever does come forward. But in the meantime, the list has shifted quite radically with Cyrus at number one, Ghetsis Harmonia at number two, Giovanni at number three, commander Jupiter of Team Galactic at number four after her escape last week, the three members of what the International Police call the Shadow Triad at five through seven, Archer of Team Rocket at number eight followed by Adrianna at nine with long time standing wanted man rounding it out at number ten, Miror B of the Orre Region. Now we are gonna take a quick break and go to traffic with Layla, how is it looking out there?"

Mars switched it to a different station. She felt her heart sink a little. People didnt believe much I. Second chances now, did they?

A knock sounded on her door. Odd. Most people were out celebrating by now. She opened the door to see a squad of agents looking at her. There was no getting out of this now. A woman stepped forth, "Margret Smith? Known as Team Galactic Commander Mars?"

"You're here to arrest me, aren't you?"

She shook her head, purple hair moving slightly, "not at all. However as you seem to be aware judging at the volume you were playing the radio at, you know about your downgrade of threat level. And after looking at your purchase history, we know you are bound for the Alola Region."

She entered the dorm room, "my name is Annabelle, I'm going to be your parole officer of sorts along with Agent Looker. As you know, someone with a criminal record such as yours cannot be allowed to go roam unsupervised but at the same time you seem to have a knack for privacy. Congragulations on the Bachelor's by the way, but with your feild of study, we did deem it a little worrying to let you go without a way to track you."

"Track me?"

She nodded, "yes, its a simple tracker. An ankle bracelet. You can take it off but if its off for two hours we will dispatch agents to track you down and if you are caught doing any malicious activity, you will be incarcerated facing charges for what you were doing and charges from your time in Team Galactic. Do we have an understanding?"

Mars nodded regrettably. It was the best offer she was going to get. One of the agents came forward with a brief case and opened it. There it was, her label. And also her chance to prove she could be a different person. It took a few moments to set up as Anabelle studied her.

"And Mars, if you do ever need anything, I do ask that you call us. With what your major is, I can only assume what you are goi g to be doing is going to help further research. I've actually contacted Professor Kukui to alert him that you are going. He seems rather excited to meet you."

"So, I'm free to have a journey?"

"You are. Now, 'Margret', go forth, and start your own adventure."

TO BE CONTINUED?