Hello, readers! Welcome back to a (sorta late) chapter of Ascendance! I said to myself that I'd have a chapter done this summer, and by golly I got one done! During the last week of August! And during my first week back at college! (Hey, at least I finished it in less than six months)

To everyone who has left reviews, thank you for taking the time to read this fic, and provide comments! I thank you for your patience during these uneven update times.

Anyways, I'm going to start sticking the A/N's at the bottom, since I highly doubt anyone wants to read blocks of text at the top of a story. So, basic legal stuff applies (nintendo owns most of the characters within this work, yadda yadda ya), and enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter Three: Pikachu

Morning dawned without fanfare deep within the woods of a far-off planet, as the yellow sun crept over bushes and well-worn paths etched into the leaf-covered ground. The strength of its rays held no mercy for any person or plant, with the light stretching over a hollow log near the center of the woods, and casting away the sleeping shadows held by the log's occupant.

Pikachu was not amused by this.

He attempted to roll himself over to escape the greetings of the rising sun, but that only disrupted the comfortable position that he had slept in. With a tiny groan, he turned back to glare at the shining light ascending into the cloudless morning sky, and uttered the softest, angriest "Pika" he could muster. The sun, in its typical nature, did not respond, leading to Pikachu to rise up on all fours and let out a grumbling yawn, as he scratched at the tips of his ears with a lemon yellow paw.

Suddenly, Pikachu felt a tingling sensation within him, the kind he only got when something was wrong nearby. Casting his sleepiness aside, he peered out of his makeshift shelter, his brown eyes scanning the undergrowth for any signs of something, anything, that could banish his uneasiness. Nothing seemed amiss amid the rustling ferns and gentle swaying of tree limbs in a spring breeze- all was quiet and peaceful, as it should be.

Then the old man leapt from the bushes.

Before the Pokémon could deploy the electric charge within its cheeks, it felt the unmistakable tug of a powerful force upon it, which lifted it up into the air and sent it spinning. "Pikaa!" Pikachu screeched in dismay, as it was sucked away into the depths of the old man's Pokéball, and the round, red lid closed upon it with a click of success.

"Aha! Found you at last!" The old man triumphantly smirked at the Pokéball within his hand, as if he could see the prize held inside. "You little rascal! I've been searching for you for nearly a week, you know." He slipped the ball into the pocket of the white lab coat he wore as he continued, "There are too many people out there who would love to get their hands on you. It's best we head back to the lab."

The man looked uneasily about the forest, shading his eyes from the dawn and grunting after determining nothing was amiss. "You're getting paranoid, Oak," he grumbled to himself as he turned around and began to rustle through the undergrowth. The feeling that he was being watched, however, still lingered with every step further and further away from the wilds.

Sheik began the morning by kicking Wario in the face.

To be fair, it had been an accident on his part- he had woken up from a restless sleep to see a shadowy figure, and in a scream of panic instinctively defended himself with a swift sweep of his leg. Why Wario was in his room in the first place was a mystery to the Sheikah, but he couldn't help but think his actions justified.

"Jeez kid, I think you broke my nose," Wario moaned, as Kirby applied a cream of some variety to his face. The crew, minus the captain, were gathered together in the control room, watching in amusement at the slipping away of the engineer's dignity. Sheik stood in the corner near the door, unamused by the painful grunts of his accidental victim. If anything, his leg still stung- Wario was not a soft target by any means, despite his plump appearance.

"Serves you right for sneaking around the ship in the first place." Lucina smirked from her position against the control console. "The heck were you even doing in there?"

"Look, I went into the wrong room, alright? I was tired, I thought it was mine, and I end up getting kicked in the face for my mistake!"

"You're telling me that the man who's supposed to know the ship better than anyone else can't even find the way back to his own room?"

Wario twitched in annoyance, making Kirby frown as his delicate coating of healing cream was disrupted. "Ok, fine, I'm sorry I accidentally made a wrong turn. The kid should still apologize for messing up my face!"

Mac, who was fiddling with buttons on the control module, couldn't help but laugh. "I actually think your face looks better like this!"

"Oh, real funny, Mac. Ha ha. You're just the king of humor, aren't you?"

"Listen up, everyone." Snake's gruff voice announced his arrival as he strode into the room, causing the crew to snap to attention. "We'll be docking in a few hours. As soon as we reach the surface, we're staying together- this isn't a tourist visit, I'm afraid. We've got a job to do, and I intend to do it as swiftly and smoothly as possible."

"Where are we docking, Captain?" Sheik asked quietly, feeling some discomfort as the eyes of the crew swept over him.

"One of the biggest ports on the planet- Lumiose City, in the Kalos Region." The captain shrugged as he continued, "It's not our employer's home city, but since he's there for a conference he figured it would be best if we met him there."

Scratching his head, Mac mumbled aloud, "I don't think I've been to Lumiose City before. Heard it's incredibly fancy though. The food is supposed to be phenomenal."

"Poyo?" Kirby gasped at the mere mention of food.

"Like I said, this isn't a sightseeing trip. We don't have time for fun." As quickly as he had come, Snake was once again out the door, with the command, "Get ready for docking, please. You guys know the drill."

Sheik turned to go, but suddenly froze as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Hey, kid, where are you heading off to?"

Mac, although Sheik had never realized it until now, barely looked older than he did. Yet there was a cold light in his eyes, that when met seemed to make him much older than his youthful visage would have one believe. Those eyes seemed to bore into Sheik as he spoke, as if trapping the words in his mouth and holding them prisoner on his tongue. "I-I-I was going to go back to my room. I don't know how to prepare for docking, and I'd hate to get in anyone's way."

The pilot simply smiled. "I'll show you the docking preps. Captain Snake wants you to be a part of this crew, after all- it's only right that someone shows you the ropes. Except Wario. If he offers to show you anything, just run."

"Hey! Ex you, Mac! I'll show you something you won't soon forget- my fist in your face!"

"Wario, can you even jump up to reach his face? Do I have to get a stool?"

"Lucina!"

Laughter rang through the space, but Sheik remained as impassive as ever, his mind drifting back to the night before. He hadn't slept much, while lying in the tiny room he could now call home, but the dream that had come to him in the early morning hours was one of darkness and the faintest of pleading whispers. Like a serpent, the darkness had curled around him, begging and crying in his ears the same phrase, over and over until it pounded in his head, offering no escape from the question presented to him.

Why did you abandon us?

How could he answer such a thing? Even with the truth, it still sounded selfish and cowardly...but did that mean he should have stayed behind? Ignored his orders? He would never do such a thing before, but with so much danger, his choice seemed almost like a death sentence now. "I'm going to come back."

"What was that, Sheik?"

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking out loud, I guess." Sheik kept his quiet promise to himself, as he straightened and followed after Mac, who was off to show him if their descent would be as smooth as their liftoff from the Hub. In the back of his mind, however, he repeated those simple words as a mantra, drilling it over and over so that the promise he had made would become the truth.

I'm going to come back.

Sheik had been in awe by the Hub, but for Lumiose City, there was no simple emotion he could find to describe this city.

Lumiose City seemed to stretch on forever, with wide roads and sidewalks populated by people and vehicles of every shape and size. Tall brick buildings loomed around him as he exited the terminal with the crew, bringing a sense of clashing claustrophobia to the never-ending streets. Off in the distance, a massive silver tower pierced the bright blue sky, seemingly in danger of puncturing the wary clouds that happened to drift by. So many sights and sounds and smells overloaded Sheik's senses, making him lift his mask to cover his nose and keep his eyes peeled for the first sign of danger. This city was big, and he had the sensation that if he wasn't careful, the buildings and the streets and the crowds of foreigners would swallow him up.

"Man, it feels so good to be back here!" Mac stretched his arms upward and cracked his tired joints with a sigh of pleasure, as he walked between Sheik and Lucina. "Feel that fresh air! It's been forever since I haven't had to breathe smog and dust. Reminds me of my home world, especially with all these tall buildings."

"Mac, you lived in a city," Lucina reminded him, looking around at the buildings with an apparent lack of enjoyment. "Cities are all the same- polluted, filthy, and too crowded."

"Hey, don't say that! New York was a great place! Although our skyscrapers were much larger than Prism Tower over there."

"What is the purpose of such a thing?" Sheik stared at the sloping sides of the tower, wondering if magic had played a part in making it so tall.

Snake, who walked in the center of the group, spoke up. "On this planet, the locals have learned to coexist with the native wildlife, called Pokémon. While some people study Pokémon, others have taken up a tradition of catching the wild ones and training them, then competing against other trainers in battles, or in Gyms with the master trainer of a city." Pointing at the tower, he continued, "That tower is home to this city's Gym leader. People go up to the very top and try to beat him, although few manage to actually defeat him and his Pokémon."

"Bah, it's all a load of ex if you ask me," Wario scoffed. "I never understood the importance of Pokémon anyway. Who'd want to waste all their time and money running around and throwing balls at animals?"

"That reminds me- Wario, what exactly is our job again?"

"Oh, some old guy has a problem with some Pokémon of his. Apparently he wants us to be its...bodyguards."

"Poyo!"

"I wish I was joking."

"Well," Snake cut in as Kirby shook his pink head in disbelief, "The important thing is that the job pays, and that as soon as we complete it, we'll have enough to last us a little while. Now, where the heck is this guy?"

Sheik pointed across the street. "I think he's the one frantically waving in our direction."

Sheik was right: a gray-haired man was, indeed, rapidly waving at them. He began to make his way across the street to their location, and as he approached, his features became more noticeable. The hair on his forehead looked like frost, as the light breeze did nothing to move the stiff and brittle strands that reached upward. His face was peppered with wrinkles, countered by a youthful gleam in his dark eyes and a gentle curve of a smile. While the white lab coat he wore gave him the demeanor of a scientist, the plastic animal crate he carried in his arms would definitely not be found inside a scientific establishment. "Hello there!" His voice was louder than most men his age, echoing off the buildings and causing some passersby to turn their heads- Sheik cringed inwardly at the thought of more eyes watching their exchange. Yet, the man continued to talk in his boisterous tone. "You must be the crew of the Rosetta, yes? I'm so thankful you're here! There isn't much time to lose, after all!"

Snake didn't seem annoyed by the older man, and instead stuck out his hand. "Yes, I'm Snake, the captain of-"

The animal crate's handle was stuffed into his open hand, as the older man cut him off. "The conference will be over in about eight hours, so I'll contact you when I'm able to pick up Pikachu. He's a bit of a picky eater since he only likes red berries-under NO circumstances are you to give him green berries- and he might try to shock you so wear rubber gloves during feeding time. Do not let him out of his crate for any reason, since he's quick and will slip away if you're not careful. He's quite valuable after all, and if something were to happen to him I'd be incredibly upset, understand? Yes? Good, in that case I'm off." Before the rest of the crew could react, the old man was already walking away, shouting out "Best of luck to you!" as he vanished into the crowds of Lumiose.

The crew of the Rosetta seemed dumbfounded by what had occurred, until Mac glanced to a seething Wario. "Who the ex was that?"

"That," Wario growled, "was the prime Pokémon researcher in the galaxy, Professor Oak. And from the sounds of it, he just put us on babysitting duty."

Pikachu was not impressed with his new confinements.

The cage that Oak had stuffed him into was difficult to maneuver in, leaving his front half squished at the front of the cage and his back half squashed at an uncomfortable angle. His paws hurt from crouching on the hard plastic floor, and with his nose pressed against the cold silver bars of the cage, his misery only increased.

Yet that wasn't the worst part of his ordeal thus far. No, the worst part was the fact that he was surrounded by a strange group of beings, all staring him down from outside his pathetic prison. He had no idea who any of these individuals were, and from their conversations he could tell that they were equally clueless about him. Having carried him back to their ship, the only thing they had accomplished so far was finding a spot to set his cage. Now they simply gathered together in what Pikachu assumed was their cargo area, and stood about like idiots.

"So," one of the beings- a rotund man with a large mustache- spoke aloud, "what exactly is this thing we're supposed to be watching?"

A woman with blue hair looked at a tablet in her hand. "According to the local guide, it's a type of Pokémon called a Pikachu. Rather common in the Kalosian region, from what I can tell."

Pikachu rolled its eyes. Common? How demeaning.

"It says in this guide that they store thousands of volts of energy in their cheeks. Good thing it's in that plastic crate."

"That's great," said another being- a young human male- as he poked the bars with his fingers, "but why are we watching it in the first place?"

"I think there's a better question than that." The group turned to what Pikachu assumed was their leader, an older man with a ragged beard and a cigarette smoldering in his mouth. "What I want to know is why Professor Oak wanted us to be this...Pikachu's...bodyguards. Something doesn't add up."

The quietest member of the group, a slim figure dressed in an elaborate blue and white outfit, seemed to think on this for a moment before speaking. "Maybe this Pikachu is part of the Professor's research? He mentioned he was going to a conference when we met up with him. Perhaps he was worried someone would attempt to steal his breakthroughs or methods."

"Could be. It's easy money though, so long as we just watch this...Pikachu."

"Poyo." Suddenly, a pink stub of a hand reached toward Pikachu, who watched and waited as it drew closer and closer to him. As the cage door swung open, he tensed in excitement...and then...

"Kirby, I really wouldn't do that if I were-"

BZAAAAP!

There was a loud roar of pain from Pikachu's unexpected liberator, but this was trivial compared to the leap from cage to floor that Pikachu accomplished. His paws scrambled for a momentary grip against the metallic floor, but he was off and running without a second thought. The beings that had surrounded him moments before now cried out and dove for him, but like the electricity that coursed through his body, he was too quick for their grasp. The fools left the cargo door wide open, he noted with humor as he aimed for the ramp, skidding down the metal walkway and tumbling out into what he guessed was the docking station. Perfect. He could lose his captors in the crowds that milled about.

Or, he would have, had he not been grabbed roughly and lifted into the air.

Pikachu cried out as he was carried away from the ship by two strong hands, whose iron grip and rubbery gloves made it impossible to slip away or let out a jolt of electricity. The Pokémon struggled briefly, as his new captor walked through the throng of crews and passengers without pause. After a moment, they turned out into the streets of Lumiose City, and made a beeline for one of the many alleyways that crisscrossed the major streets. Alleyways never hold anything good for Pokémon, Pikachu thought to himself, with a sinking feeling deep in his stomach.

A figure in a trench coat and fedora waited there, leaning against the wall and watching with interest as Pikachu drew nearer. The brim of his hat cast a shadow on his features, but his white smile managed to stand out in the darkness. "So," he spoke, as the alley walls echoed with his smooth tone, "you managed to find him. Were you spotted?"

"No, sir," came another, deeper voice- Pikachu's captor, from the sound of it. "I found it outside the ship- it had escaped on its own somehow. I managed to capture it before the bodyguards Oak hired could find it again."

"Excellent, very excellent." The figure reached forward with gloved hands, and took Pikachu up to stare into his face. Pikachu shuddered at the dark, cold eyes that met his. "It's impossible to believe that such a cute little Pokémon could be so valuable...or that Oak would keep you under so much lock and key. Luckily for us, he can't protect you now."

"Should we worry about the bodyguards, Giovanni?"

"Have someone keep an eye on them. Those fools had no idea what they stepped into when they began their jobs." Giovanni's smile went from one of pleasure to one of calculation, as he murmured to the Pokémon, "I think it's time we show them how special you truly are..."

The crew of the Rosetta had wasted no time since Pikachu's escape, as they split into two groups to scour the city in score of the yellow electric Pokémon. Sheik, Lucina, and Wario were to explore the west side of the city, and then meet up at Prism Tower with Snake, Mac, and Kirby in the hopes that one of the groups would spot their target. This simple goal, however, was proving harder than it seemed.

"You'd think it be easy to spot something so brightly colored," Wario grumbled to Sheik, as the two stood back from where Lucina was questioning a passerby. From the sound of it, her Kalosian was not helping to clarify the situation.

"Pikachu was small, so it may have been easy for him to slip away," Sheik responded. "No one here would notice a stray Pokémon running about."

"Meh. We still need to find him, or else the captain will have an ex of a time with Oak once he learns what happened to his Pokémon." Flicking what appeared to be a booger off his finger (much to the silent disgust of Sheik), Wario continued his grumbling. "If only that giant puffball had kept his paws to himself. We'd be rolling in cash by now!"

Lucina, having apparently no luck with her questions, rejoined the group and offered a halfhearted shrug. "Well, that was a waste of time- he hasn't seen any Pikachu around lately. Apparently they're rarer in the Kalosian region than I though."

Scanning the surrounding crowds, Sheik felt more lost than he had been since leaving Hyrule. So far, he had been to two far-off planets, and yet both times he felt as though he had failed the most simplest of tasks, tasks that he seemed ill-prepared for. How could-

Before Sheik could speak up, something caught his attention: a darkly-dressed man in an alleyway, who seemed to be staring right at him. Fear washed over him for no more than a second, and then the stranger met his eyes.

He ran, and without thinking Sheik tore after him.

"Kid! Hey, where the ex-"

"Sheik! Come back!"

Sheik weaved through the crowds, his eyes locked on the stranger as he pushed pedestrians out of his way, sending shouts of surprise rocketing into the air. The stranger was fast, that much was true, but within a minute Sheik was gaining on him, and smirking as the man stole a quick look back and gasped at his close proximity. Skidding into a narrow, empty alley, the two raced at breakneck speed, until suddenly Sheik leapt forward, tackling the man to the ground and sending both rolling to a stop.

His captive struggled to roll away, but Sheik kept him pinned to the cobblestone ground, although it was a struggle to keep the larger man still. Getting a better look at him up close, he was relieved to see that the stranger was human- only Hylians were allowed to be part of the Guard. However, that only opened up more questions into his identity. "Who are you?" Sheik hissed, breath coming in short gasps. "Why were you watching us?"

The stranger coughed out a reply in a heavy Kalosian accent, smirking as his words fell from his lips. "Ah, mon petit garçon, you really think I will tell you-"

Wham!

Sheik's fist collided with the Kalosian's mouth, causing him to wince and turn his head to the side to spit out a glob of blood. "Allow me to ask you again," Sheik murmured in his ear. "Who are you?"

"Kid, if you're sitting on his windpipe like that, he won't tell you anything."

Lucina and Wario loomed over the pair, apparently having finally caught up to Sheik on his wild chase. Lucina made a gesture for Sheik to get up, which he reluctantly did after a moment's hesitation, and then lifted the man to pin him against the wall. Drawing her sword, she held it at his throat. "You heard my friend- who are you?"

"Alright, I'll say, I'll say!" Apparently not a fan of swords, the Kalosian winced as he spoke, with blood running from the split in his lip given to him by Sheik. "My boss, he wanted you watched in case you caused trouble."

"So you stole the Pikachu?"

"Oui, I followed you after Oak gave you the cage. The plan was to snatch it when you were all occupied, but you letting it escape simplified things for us."

"Yes, except for the part where you happened to get caught by the same people you were supposed to watch. So, where's the Pikachu now?"

"Ha, like I'd tell you that-"

Lucina pressed her sword closer to the man's throat. "I'll ask you nicely once more: where's the Pikachu?"

"Mon Arceus...he's at Prism Tower. Giovanni has already put his plan in motion by now though- it's too late for you, or that pathetic Pokém-"

Wario leaned forward and socked the man, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap. "There, now I got in on the interrogation too. We're all equal at last!"

"I wasn't done asking him questions!"

"We got the information," Sheik said. "We have to get to Prism Tower, and fast, before the Giovanni guy does something to that Pokémon."

"I'll contact the captain and tell him to meet us there. Wario, you know how to get there, right?"

"Eh, more or less. Unless you want to take a break for a little while, check out some cafes-"

"Wario!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll lead the way. Let's go, Fun Brigade."

As they hurried through the alleyways, Sheik found himself staring at his knuckles, which were bleeding slightly from his earlier punch to the Kalosian. It was the first time in his life he had ever punched another living being, and the feeling that accompanied it was nauseating. Numbness overtook him, and his hands shook as he curled them into fists and picked up his pace. Why did you abandon us? The dream-voices in his head cried out for an answer.

Because I've become someone else now, was his response.

Gray clouds had begun to roll in by the time Sheik and the others had made it to Prism Tower, accented by the silvers and bronzes of spaceships overhead that caught the disappearing light. People were everywhere upon the road that wrapped around the base of the tower, but the Sheikah spotted Snake gently pushing his way towards them, with Mac and Kirby at his side. "You said some guy has the Pikachu?" he yelled as he finally made it over.

"Yea, some guy named Giovanni."

Snake ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I've heard of that guy- he runs a criminal organization known as Team Rocket, out of the Kanto region, although lately they haven't been as active as some other region's organizations. What the heck is he doing here?"

"I think the better question," Mac said, "is where the ex is he?"

Kirby pointed. "Poyo."

He was right: upon a small stage in front of the tower's entrance, a dark-haired man stood in front of a large covered box that came up to his waist. He had begun to talk to a small crowd that gathered in front of him, and second by second more people were coming over to listen,

"That's him. Come on, let's get closer."

As the group made their way forward, Giovanni's words became clearer and easier to hear amid the noise of the city. "...I know how our people suffered in the Wars, my dear Kalosians. We are not a people of war, and neither are our Pokémon, and yet, others in the galaxy demanded that we fight. We showed them there are more ways to win a war than through violence! Our people and our Pokémon became nurses, and mechanics, and sent supplies to the troops who fought for our freedom across the stars!"

The crowd had begun to gather now, hanging onto his words as he continued to speak. "Yes, and when that last battle took place, and the Oracle defeated Tabuu, we were there to cheer and celebrate the banishing of darkness! But what did we get in return from our fellow planets? Contempt! Derision! They looked down upon us all, people and Pokémon alike, and claimed we did nothing in the war, that we did not fight with honor or power! They, who sacrificed countless lives, looked down on us, who lost not a single soul in all the years of the Wars! Us, who lent our support when all those across the galaxy needed it! Can it be true? Can we really have done nothing?"

"No!" The crowd yelled in anger, and, Sheik noted, the crew of the Rosetta stiffened.

"Those fools refused to trade with us after that, and we struggled after the Wars. My people, long have we had to be sufficient, to look after one another and provide for ourselves above all else. Long have our Pokémon been there at our sides, working to make a better place for both of our species. Today, I give to you a power born from this planet, one that the professors have kept from us for fear it would we be used the wrong way. A power that means we will never have to struggle again, a power that promises respect and awe from other galaxies, a power that will catapult us into a new age of strength! Never again will others mock us! Never again will we be known as weak! Instead, today will be the day in which show the universe just how much power we will fight with!"

Amidst the roar of the crowd, amidst the raised fists and eyes filled with anger, Giovanni swept the cover off the box behind him, throwing it across the stage with a flourish as he yelled to the people, "Look! Let us witness the birth of our true power!"

What was inside the box was simply horrifying.

The box was made of a clear material, allowing one to see the nest of wires that snaked around the still yellow form of Pikachu, and which glowed with a blinding white light. Various buttons flashed at seemingly random intervals along the sides of the box, and at the very top was a large, smooth, ivory-colored orb. "What in Hylia's name is that?" Sheik questioned in shock, never once taking his eyes off the motionless Pokémon.

"He's taken that Pokémon," Snake growled, "and used it to create a weapon."

Those in the crowd seemed to not notice that something was amiss, as they only increased their volume upon the unveiling of the weapon. "The energy inside this cube," Giovanni explained, "can make those naysayers cower beneath us! Think of the power! Think of the greatness we can achieve!"

"Captain, he's whipping the crowd into a frenzy," noted Lucina, flinching slightly as one of the crowd members screeched nearby. "If we don't do something-"

"Then let's do something. Let's get up there and take him down."

The crew looked to Sheik in surprise at his sudden outburst. "It's a good idea, but we still have to deal with the crowd," Mac said. "If we rush him now, then it'll only add fuel to the fire, and we'll have to deal with people and Pokémon trying to take us on."

"So expose the fact that the weapon is powered by Pikachu! If people here are as passionate about Pokémon as you say they are, then learning the truth should cause them to turn on Giovanni."

Snake's eyes met Sheik's, and after a second, he nodded in agreement. "He's right- if we show the truth, we can get the crowd on our side."

Mutters of "It's worth a shot" could be heard from the crew, as Kirby answered with a determined "Poyo!"

"Alright then. Sheik, you're the fastest of us, so while we distract Giovanni and whatever goons he has up there, you focus on getting on that stage and freeing Pikachu. Got it?"

"Yes...captain."

"Good. Let's get this started then."

Sheik pushed his way through the crowd, avoiding their heated exchanges as he kept his eyes fixed on the stage. There was a disturbance in the crowd out of the corner of his eye- it seemed as if Giovanni had brought members of Team Rocket to his demonstration after all, and they had spotted Snake and the crew. Giovanni was watching the scuffle with interest, giving Sheik the perfect opportunity to climb up onto the far side of the stage, just feet away from where Pikachu was kept.

"I wouldn't move any further if I were you."

The head of Team Rocket's voice was soft enough to be heard by Sheik, causing him to immediately freeze in alarm. Giovanni never moved his eyes away from the crowd, although he continued to speak in a soft, cold tone. "I heard about you- you managed to track down one of my members earlier today. An impressive feat. If things were different, I might have offered you a position within my organization. I can't pass up those who have potential, after all."

"You can't use that Pokémon as a weapon," Sheik replied. "What you're doing is wrong. You have to let it go."

"Pokémon have always been used as weapons, a fact that outsiders never seem to comprehend. Of course, people never call them weapons, but with their battles, their training, their desire to capture and conquer...well, what else would Pokémon be to us?" Giovanni turned his head slightly toward Sheik, fixing him in his gaze. "You seem too young to remember the Tabuu Wars, and you aren't from this planet. How could you understand?"

"Please, let him go."

"I'm going to give you an opportunity here. You have this moment, right here, right now, to simply walk away. I will let you and your companions go, and pay you for your troubles." He smirked, and gently shook his head. "This isn't your fight, young man. Walk away now, and be grateful I gave you a choice in the matter."

Sheik hesitated, looking out to the crowd where the Rosetta's crew were smacking Team Rocket members left and right, as the crowd jeered at the outsiders. He looked to the glowing box with Pikachu inside, and then back to the waiting form of Giovanni. "I-"

Why did you abandon us?

"Come on young man, you know what to do."

Why did you abandon us?

"I-"

Why did you abandon us?

...Because I have to protect you, Sheik thought.

"No! I can't leave Pikachu behind! You have to let him go!" Sheik's voice rose in a crescendo, carrying over the crowd and through the plaza of Lumiose City. "You're killing Pikachu!"

Silence. The crowd was stunned for a moment, until, somewhere amid the mass of people, a voice cried out. "Is that a Pokémon in there?"

"That's a Pikachu!"

"Oh my goodness, those wires..."

"It's hurting it!"

The murmurs of shock and horror grew, until a cry of "Free him!" was shouted. More people repeated the cry.

"Free him!"

"Please, free that Pikachu!"

Before Giovanni could react, Sheik swooped over to the box, pulling off the top and casting it aside, as he quickly untangled Pikachu from the mass of wires. He lifted the Pokémon out gently, cradling it in his arms as it opened its eyes. For a moment, it appeared as though Pikachu smiled. "He's ok!"

The Kalosians roared, without the bloodlust that had dominated those moments before, as Giovanni winced at the sound. He let out an audible sigh moments later, as the police began to make their way towards him. "You've got guts, kid," he muttered to Sheik. "But you can't save everyone, you know."

Sheik looked down at Pikachu, then shrugged. "Well, at least I can try."

Professor Oak, in the end, was not entirely pleased with the protection offered by the crew of the Rosetta.

"So you mean to tell me that Pikachu wasn't kidnapped by Team Rocket, but that he actually escaped from your own supervision?!" Oak had apparently rushed over to Prism Tower upon hearing of the day's events, and found the Rosetta's crew with his precious Pikachu amid the questions of the police. Soon after that he had begun his own form of questioning- and, in Sheik's opinion, it was worse than that of the Kalosian police.

Snake was having a difficult time with the professor, who was holding the now-sleeping Pikachu tightly in his arms. "Yes sir, we had a slight...mishap on board. However, your Pikachu remains safe and sound, just as we promised."

"Yes, except for the part where he was kidnapped and forced to become a living battery." Oak rubbed at his temples, then continued, "I knew this would happen, even before I left Kanto. Yet no matter what precautions I took, it just wasn't enough."

"Excuse me, sir," Sheik asked, "but why would Giovanni want your Pikachu? If they're so common, why not get a wild one?"

"Ah, yes...well, as you know, our planet has suffered an ill reputation after the Tabuu Wars, and many planets refuse to trade with or even acknowledge us. This led to us struggling to come up with alternatives for many things we once received through interplanetary trade, namely an energy source. I had been conducting research on possible types of sources, when I realized something: we already had a plentiful form of electricity in Electric-type Pokémon. So I began to see if it were possible to have Pikachu create energy that could be easily used by homes, businesses, and the people of all the regions." Oak absentmindedly scratched Pikachu behind the ears as he added, "It seems that some people heard of my plans and figured that we should use this unlimited energy supply for revenge, instead of for ourselves."

"It's a good thing we were able to stop things before it got worse," said Mac. "Although I think the feelings Giovanni stirred up will be hard to hide once again."

"The people of the regions are very proud of their partnership with Pokémon- no matter what they feel towards other planets, they will always make sure their Pokémon are alright." Oak turned and stuck out a hand to Sheik. "You have my utmost thanks, young man. If you ever are in need of anything, please come to the Kanto region and see me. I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you, sir."

Reaching into his lab coat pockets, Oak pulled out and handed Snake a small bag. "Here you are. Despite your mishaps, you did manage to get Pikachu back to me in what appears to be one piece. Now, I have a train to catch back home. Take care!" As quickly as Professor Oak had appeared, he and Pikachu were gone, walking back towards the edges of Lumiose City and out of sight of the crew.

Sunset had begun to fall in Kalos, as homes began turning on golden lights that shone through windows and onto the plaza. Few remained there, among them being the crew. "Well," Snake said aloud, "That's a job I never want to do again."

"I think it's best we leave body guarding to the professionals," muttered Lucina. "Come on, let's go back to the ship and get out of here. I'm tired of this city."

"Hang on a second." Sheik, who had been watching the retreating form of Professor Oak, looked up to see the crew staring at him. "Sheik," Snake said, "You did good today. I don't know what happened up there on that stage, but I sure as ex didn't see the same scared kid I met yesterday. You're one of our crew, and you acted like it."

Sheik felt his cheeks redden slightly at the captain's praise, and quietly muttered a thank you. "Captain," Wario laughed, "I think you embarrassed him."

"Wario, you've never been embarrassed in your entire life."

"If you spoke that sweetly to me, I'd be embarrassed!"

They began to move towards the terminal, laughing and joking along the way. Sheik joined in, a real smile on his face for the first time in what felt like a long time. His thoughts were no longer haunted by the nightmare that had stuck with him all day- instead, they were filled with hope, and a joyful realization.

He was one of the crew now.

On a far-off planet, a messenger knocked at a wooden door.

"Come in."

The messenger entered, swallowing his nerves at the sight of the office's occupant, who had their back turned to them as they gazed out the window, and sputtered out, "Your Majesty...there's information coming in from the PokePlanet."

"What possible information could make me interested in such a place?"

"There was some kind of incident today, Your Majesty. Reports aren't confirmed yet, but there are rumors that one of those involved wore...the uniform of a Sheikah."

The only sound to be heard in the office was the splashes of rain hitting the windowpanes. "I see. Is that all?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then you are dismissed. Keep me informed should more information be found."

Bowing, the messenger slipped out of the room, and shut the door behind him with a dull thud. The other individual continued to stare out at the falling rain in silence, until finally, a sigh filled the tiny room.

"Ah, Sheik, your days of running are coming to an end."

And that concludes Chapter Three! Who is that mysterious figure looking for Sheik? You'll have to keep reading to find out!

Anyways, a few notes for this chapter: this was the most difficult chapters I've ever written. A few times I actually came close to just giving up and taking the whole fic down, seeing that it's barely begun. Pikachu was supposed to be the main character for this chapter, but I had to cut a lot of his POV pieces down, so ultimately we ended up with another Sheik chapter! Whoops!

I'm tempted to create some sort of companion website to go with this series (narrowed it down to either a Tumblr or a Wikia), because this fic is literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the universe I've created within Ascendance. If I make a site, it will have character info, stuff on every planet, and even some cool facts and info that will be incorporated into later chapters. Might even get some artwork on there! If you like the idea, sound off in the comments! I'd love to hear your opinion!

Lastly, I've been thinking about possibly taking this story and making it original (i.e. publishing it). Of course it's far from done, so it really depends on the popularity of the whole thing from here on out. For now, though, I'll continue to update when possible.

And that's it for me, folks! I'll see you all next update, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. Write on!