Little Lost Charmander [Exemplary]

[Enzo Matrix]

There was a flash of light, and the next thing Matrix knew, he was standing in the basement of his Cinnabar home. He’d finally gotten a breather after assisting his new friends with the bandits that plagued the Endless Dunes. They had left to further their goal, but he’d taken the first moments he’d had to rest and activated the recall beacon in his cybernetic eye. After a short wait in the middle of the destroyed bandit camp, he’d been whisked away.
 
He was pleased to see that such a contraption had actually worked. He stood on one of several pads, right next to the Dataverse uplink pod he’d left this place in. What a journey it had been. He stepped down from the recovery point of his recall station, and walked through the basement. He wasted no time ascending the stairs to the main level his home, and opened the door that led to the hallway. Just as soon as he exited the staircase, he hit the button on the wall that caused the hidden door behind him to close and blend right back in.
 
He walked to the doorway of the kitchen, where he saw AndrAIa standing with her back to him. She was gazing out at their view of the wooded descent that led to the river. Matrix smiled and crossed his arms as he looked at her. It only took a second for AndrAIa to spin around, having sensed the arrival of someone else. A look of joy and relief washed over her face when she saw her long lost boyfriend.
 
“Enzo!” AndrAIa screamed in bliss, rushing to him and embracing him in a tight hug, that he was happy to return. She brought her mouth to his, and they shared a quick, but powerful kiss as well. Afterwards, she resumed the hug, resting her head on his shoulder. “I was so worried.”
 
“Sorry about that,” Matrix tried to be calm, but his heart was racing, too. It was good to be back.
 
They separated, and decided to move to a place a bit more comfortable than the stuffy doorway. Matrix took a seat at a barstool by their kitchen’s island. AndrAIa took a standing position across from him, leaning onto the island as she did.
 
“What happened?” AndrAIa was quick to ask, as the last she’d seen him, he’d vanished from the Databanks right before her. “I got your email, but something else came up, I couldn’t even get off the island to come meet you.”
 
“Probably just as well,” Matrix said. “Some monster emerged in the Nexus, so it wasn’t a good idea to travel through it.”
 
“You got taken back to the Nexus?” AndrAIa asked, tilting her head.
 
“Not exactly,” Matrix tried to explain what had happened. “I guess what happened was the Omniverse’s version of a game. I got taken from the Databanks to some ‘verse that’s normally inaccessible, and alongside other primes from all over I had to help free some spirit. Afterwards, they sent me to the Nexus. I went to the Dunes to get away from the aftermath, then recalled here once I got a moment’s breath.”
 
“You left a potential fight?” AndrAIa found the amusement in that, especially now that she knew he was safe.
 
“This is a strange place,” Matrix reflected on his choice. “I couldn’t tell the good guys from the bad. I already didn’t want to take the wrong side, then this creature emerged from several primes fusing. Sort of like Gigabyte, when we were younger.”
 
AndrAIa nodded, understanding thanks to that analogy. “What a ride. I’m proud of you for not thinking with your weapon first. But what about that ‘verse? No one, not even in the Databanks, knew what happened.”
 
“I’m not sure I do, either,” Matrix shrugged. “I’ll have to ask Mewtwo next time I see him. He’s been here much longer, so he might know something about why that happened.”
 
AndrAIa continued to nod in agreement. For now, the events would just have to be part of the mystery of this world. They might have to be content with never finding out why such an odd thing had occurred.
 
“I know one thing, though, we’ve been going about this all wrong,” Matrix suddenly spoke up, and AndrAIa’s look shifted to one of confusion.
 
“What do you mean?” she asked, almost hesitantly.
 
“I met a man in the Endless Dunes. He was from a land sort of like that ‘verse, and he was fighting the bandits there, just like he did before arriving in the Omniverse,” Matrix explained. A warm smile began to creep onto AndrAIa’s face as she listened to him. “When we traveled through the games, we left every system we came to in better shape than when we arrived. We used our skills for the good of everyone. Ever since we arrived here, we’ve been ignoring problems and searching for our own way out.”
 
AndrAIa was smiling wide, by now. Matrix’s words were music to her ears.
 
Matrix continued, fiercely inspired, now. “We’re stuck here, just like everyone else. The difference is we have the ability to make this place better, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Starting now, we’re working to better this system, just like all the others.”
 
AndrAIa leaned across the counter and gave Matrix another quick kiss on the lips. He looked at her in surprise as she pulled back, still smiling.
 
“Welcome back. I was hoping you’d say something like that,” she said.
 
“Oh?” Matrix asked in response. There was clearly something on her mind that had given her a similar train of thought. “What’s wrong?”
 
“Coal’s missing,” AndrAIa responded, her grin disappearing as she said it.
 
Matrix remembered Coal, the overeager Charmander with a hero complex they’d rescued from Isla Nublar. Alongside his friends Zlick, the Jawa, and Kero, the Tonberry, he’d wanted to be some kind of superhero. Matrix had to admit, he saw a lot of his younger self in the young Pokemon, as hard as it was to swallow that fact. The boy just needed a bit of direction.
 
“What happened?” Matrix asked, sounding genuinely worried.
 
“No one knows, not even his friends,” AndrAIa said. “He wouldn’t go on another journey without Zlick and Kero, so Syril thinks there’s some sort of foul play involved.”
 
Matrix stood up, his determination never wavering. Time to put his money where his mouth was.
 
“Let’s go talk with them, then,” Matrix didn’t miss a beat. “Maybe they’ll know something that can lead us to him.”
 
AndrAIa nodded. “Syril and a few others are speaking with them in town, probably right now. It wouldn’t hurt to see how we can help, though.”
 
“Agreed,” Matrix said, then looked around. “Where’s Frisket, by the way?”
 
“No telling,” AndrAIa shrugged. “He wandered off after we got back from the Databanks.”
 
Matrix nodded. Frisket was prone to go out and get into his own adventures back in Mainframe. After all, he was technically feral. He had no worries, and knew they’d see the dog again later.
 
“Good enough,” Matrix said. “Come on, let’s head to town.”
 
AndrAIa paused and smiled for a moment as Matrix walked off. She watched him move with a confidence she hadn’t seen in some time, and it was great to see. She snapped out of it, and hurried along after him.

[Enzo Matrix]

Matrix and AndrAIa hurried down their dirt trail, and before long they were in the main town of Cinnabar Island. AndrAIa displayed much more familiarity with the civilization than Matrix did, and quickly made her way to the correct building. Matrix, however, was right on her tail. They entered one of the few large buildings, and Matrix immediately recognized it, based off the interior. This was the same building they’d spoken to the council in when they’d first arrived on the island. Instead of ascending to the second story, like before, they moved through a hallway on the first story, and found themselves with a massive, black skinned creature known as a Charizard between them and the door they were seeking.
 
The sight of the creature was enough to make a normal person go on the defensive, but Matrix knew that the inhabitants of Cinnabar took odd appearances, sometimes. AndrAIa, meanwhile, knew the Charizard personally, and immediately took a warm, and soothing tone upon seeing him.
 
“Vulcan!” AndrAIa called out to the Charizard.
 
Vulcan, the shiny Charizard, turned to look at the familiar face of AndrAIa. A small bit of relief washed across his face, but he was still very visibly upset. It was hard to fault him over it, however.
 
“AndrAIa,” Vulcan quietly greeted his friend. For such a mighty beast, his voice was shaking and the terror was obvious. He was torn up over the disappearance of his son.
 
“Vulcan, this is my boyfriend, Matrix,” AndrAIa introduced Matrix once they closed the gap.
 
Matrix quietly held his hand out, and Vulcan mimicked the gesture. The two shook hands, though for Vulcan it was mostly a polite formality he forced himself to adhere to. His mind was far too preoccupied to remotely care about meeting anyone new.
 
“Pleased,” Vulcan’s greeting sounded forced, as well. It was hard to blame him.
 
“We’ll find him, Vulcan,” AndrAIa tried to soothe her friend.
 
The Charizard struggled to hear the words of comfort. He politely nodded, but couldn’t shake the thoughts of what horrors might await his only son. He felt terror and uncertainty, but also an unyielding rage that, when coming from a Charizard, must be respected.
 
“Where are the other two?” Matrix asked, not wasting his time with formalities, either.
 
“They’re talking to Zlick in that room,” Vulcan said as he gestured to the nearest door. He started pacing; anything to prevent himself from storming back in.
 
Matrix didn’t say another word. He forced the door open with the palm of his left hand and walked right in. AndrAIa took Vulcan’s claws in her hand, in the meantime. She tried to offer him a comforting smile, but it wasn’t entirely soothing, given his panicked state of mind. Recognizing that, she let go, and entered the room behind Matrix.
 
The room was bland and barely decorated, like most on Cinnabar Island. The main highlight was the young Jawa that sat in a chair in the center of the room. Matrix and AndrAIa, both, would recognize Zlick anywhere, despite the Jawas’ ability to blend into any crowd of their species. The minute features that distinguished him were just things they’d both picked up, after braving an island of dinosaurs with the young creature. On one side of the Jawa was Syril, the blue skinned Yoshi with two pistols on his shoulder holsters, and on the other was the towering Pokemon known as Golem, who served as one of the councilors that helped lead the island. All three looked to Matrix and AndrAIa upon their entrance into the room.
 
“Matrix,” Syril was curt, but polite with his greeting.
 
“Syril,” Matrix responded just the same.
 
“We heard about Coal, we wanted to see how we could help,” AndrAIa said, getting right to business.
 
“Zlick says he doesn’t know much, and Kero wasn’t much help either,” Golem grunted in dissatisfaction. He was clearly livid at the entire situation, and holding back his fury. “There’s no telling what their little hero complex has gotten them into.”
 
“I…I promise I don’t know where he went. He didn’t say anything,” Zlick tried to chip in, with a quivering voice.
 
“Can I have a moment with Zlick?” AndrAIa asked, sensing the collective rage in the room. Maybe a more delicate touch was required to get something out of the scared Jawa child.
 
Golem looked to Syril, who gave a hesitant nod. Matrix, Syril, and Golem paced to the other end of the room, while AndrAIa took a kneel near the seated child. They were out of earshot, but at the same time they did not totally exit the room. Matrix decided to take this opportunity to get a little more of his own intel.
 
“How’s Vulcan?” Matrix asked, crossing his arms as he did.
 
“Bad,” Syril bluntly responded. “We had to restrain him from attacking the poor Jawa, and finally had to send him out of the room.”
 
“What are the chances Zlick and Kero actually know something, and we’re not wasting our time with them?” Matrix continued to ask. “From what I could tell, Coal was much more into their superhero plan than the rest of them. Would he run off on his own?”
 
“I doubt it,” Golem replied this time. “He loves attention more than anything. He wouldn’t leave his friends behind; he’d insist on them joining him. The fact that we have them but not him is what’s so troubling.”
 
They glanced over to see that AndrAIa was already approaching the group. Golem and Syril looked surprised, but Matrix wasn’t in the slightest. After all, AndrAIa had a way with words and was quite capable of using her charm. It was part of what made their little team so complete and effective.
 
“Zlick remembers they were approached by a Pokemon called a Hypno, with a large scar across his right eye and another on his lower lip and jaw,” AndrAIa said as she joined them. “He didn’t remember much else, so those must have been distinguishing. The Hypno offered the three of them a chance to join an elite, special group of Pokemon and other creatures that worked to better the word. Who on Cinnabar would be advertising that?”
 
Golem and Syril exchanged stern, worried looks.
 
“The Liberation Front,” Golem almost snarled.
 
“Who?” Matrix asked. He recognized the name, but didn’t quite know what it was they were talking about, yet.
 
“This isn’t the childrens’ fault, councilor,” Syril did not immediately answer Matrix. “They were tricked by a professional.”
 
“I know,” Golem replied, then looked to Matrix and AndrAIa. “The Pokemon Liberation Front is a terrorist organization that spawned out of Cinnabar, sadly. The murderous Wartortle took some of our more militant neighbors and they went on to do horrible, unproductive things to the other factions of the Omniverse. Murders, bombings, anything to create chaos and unrest. They’re not treated as seriously as they should be, so that makes them do even more terrible things.”
 
Matrix closed his eyes for just a moment as he processed that. Things did not look good for Coal if he had fallen in with a group like that.
 
“Why recruit here, though?” Syril asked. “Wartortle is a prime, and a powerful one. He can summon his own army of followers, customized however he likes. What good are our children?”
 
“Because Coal and the others have connections, and they’re established in the community,” Golem answered with no pause. “That makes it easy to use them to undermine us, after they’ve been properly brainwashed.”
 
“Well, supposedly they could have found this Hypno at a place called Bilgewater, but they went to Isla Nublar instead, and that’s when we came in,” AndrAIa explained. “Whether or not Coal went of his own accord, we have to get him back. He certainly doesn’t understand what he’s gotten into.”
 
“I agree,” Matrix confidently nodded. “I’ll gladly rip the limbs off all of them, if I have to.”
 
“We’ll have to use a bit more finesse to find their base in the area, I’m sure,” AndrAIa said, resting a hand on Matrix’s shoulder. She could tell he was already getting worked up. “Could we pretend to be interested recruits?”
 
“Not likely,” Golem shook his head. “You’re not exactly human looking, but both of you are close enough that they would want nothing to do with you. We can’t send more children, and Vulcan wouldn’t be able to do anything other than rip their limbs of, and we’d never find that island’s cell.”
 
Matrix, AndrAIa, and Golem all shifted their eye line to Syril, who already looked displeased with the concept.
 
“Fine,” Syril grumbled, incredibly displeased with his silently assigned role. “For the children.”
 
“We’ll take our boat, and head out just as soon as we get everything we need packed,” AndrAIa said, not giving the Yoshi time to change his mind. She looked to Matrix, and her boyfriend nodded.
 
“You deal with Vulcan,” Matrix said to the Golem. “We’ll find these terrorists.”
 
Golem nodded, and watched as the trio departed the room. He then gave a simple wave, and the jawa hopped down from the chair and followed him from the room as well, his head hung low. Golem sighed. He was almost more worried about his own task of explaining everything to the Charizard, than he was the mission to Bilgewater.

[Enzo Matrix]

Three days had passed since Matrix, AndrAIa, and Syril arrived in Bilgewater. They were impressed with the view of Blue Flame Island from their ship, coming into port, but had quickly put the sightseeing aside and gotten to work as soon as their feet hit dry land. Tracking down the Liberation Front had not been easy, even though they were looking for a recruiter. While Matrix and AndrAIa had stayed hidden, for the most part, their blue Yoshi companion had made as much noise as he could without drawing too much attention. Syril had done little things like mention off-hand that he was a resident of Cinnabar, but was displeased with their policies. He’d mentioned wanting a more hands on approach to politics. The theory had been that word would travel through the grapevine, and the Liberation Front recruiters would reach out to him.
 
It had worked.
 
One night, while returning to the inn he was utilizing, Syril had been approached by a Pokemon known as a Mewoth, and told to be at a certain bar at a certain time, and that a Hypno wanted to speak with him. The time had come, and Syril entered the bar, scanning the crowd as he did. No one stood out immediately, and he certainly didn’t see the heavily scarred Hypno they had been tracking. It was mostly the typical ruffians that were encountered in this end of town, made up of various species. Human was probably the most common, but there was no shortage of other anatomies.
 
He did his best to stay discreet, but also noticeable. The Yoshi ordered a drink and made his way towards a booth, so he could sit facing the door. It was all he knew to do, since there were little other instructions given to him. He could barely cross the room before he spotted the same Meowth that had stealthily contacted him prior, and watched it slip out a back door.
 
Now or never. Syril downed the drink in one gulp for just a bit of added liquid courage, and made his way out the back exit, too. He stepped into a dark alleyway, with just enough room to be surrounded. He didn’t like it.
 
Of course, that’s exactly what happened, next. Four Pokemon, half belonging to the species known as “Scyther” and the other two taking the label of “Pinsir” stepped from the shadows and had all the corners covered, suddenly. Syril resisted the urge to reach for his pistols, and instead watched as the Hypno they were seeking emerged from the shadows, and stood before him. There was no escaping and no fighting in this situation. He was trapped.
 
“Syril, the Yoshi,” the Hypno sounded amused as he spoke. “You’ve made a lot of noise around town the past few days.”
 
“I’ve been looking for the Liberation Front,” the Yoshi replied, bluntly, as he tried to maintain his cover. “My time on Cinnabar has come to an end. I want to make a difference in this world.”
 
“Please, Syril,” the Hypno merely scoffed in response. “Don’t take us for fools. We knew there would be some retaliation for abducting the Charmander. I know you’ve come looking for him. The only real amusement I find is that you’re the best that island of cowards could drum up.”
 
“You wouldn’t have liked the Charizard,” Syril narrowed his eyes. He didn’t go for his guns, only because he knew he’d be cut down in an instant by the blades that surrounded him. Still, the facade was over; he had been found out.
 
“I wish it had been him,” the Hypno said with a chuckle. “After all, as you can imagine, I could convince him to do a couple favors for us.”
 
“So, you do have Coal then?” Syril went ahead and asked for confirmation on the young Charmander’s location.
 
“Yes, of course,” Hypno nodded matter-of-factly. “Just like I have you, now. While the young one has some additional use, I’m afraid all you’re good for is sending a message back to your little community.” Hypno waved to one of the Scythers. “His head, please.”
 
Syril reacted by going for his own pistols, but the Scyther was already closing in as he was drawing them. The distance was far too short for him to remove his firearms from their holsters in time to act. Fortunately, his silent prayer had been answered.
 
Shots rang out, and the Scyther that threatened to decapitate the Yoshi collapsed to the ground, bleeding from its abdomen. Hypno looked around in a panic, while the remaining Scyther and two Pinsirs also scanned the area.
 
Matrix emerged from around a corner, with Gun leveled. He locked onto the next target, and quickly blasted a Pinsir in what was closest to him in its forehead. It dropped in an instant. The remaining enforcers were so distracted and panicked by the arrival of the green sprite that they didn’t notice Syril drawing his own weapons right before them. Just as quickly, and without remorse, the Yoshi gunned down the remaining two, leaving only Hypno.
 
Hypno, however, took off running. He passed Syril in the brief moment of chaos to run away from Matrix, but was clotheslined by a trident coming from around another corner. Hypno dropped to his back, slamming his head against the stone walkway. He looked up to see AndrAIa standing over him, with her trident hovering just above his neck. The recruiter could only groan in pain and anguish.
 
“He confirmed they have Coal,” Syril snarled as he holstered his guns, walking beside Matrix as they approached AndrAIa and their prisoner.
 
“I heard,” Matrix said, making no effort to hide his rising anger.
 
Matrix fired a shot into the last surviving Scyther as they walked past, finishing it off. He then released his gun and let it snap to his hip, where it typically rested. AndrAIa stepped back as they neared, and Matrix reached down and grabbed the yellow Pokemon by the white tufts of fur around its neck, and hoisted it to its feet. Just as soon as he did, Matrix slammed the Pokemon into the brick wall nearest to them, and held it there.
 
“I think you know how this part goes,” Matrix said as he narrowed his eyes, and his cybernetic one began to glow red.
 
“If you think I’m afraid of you, you’re very mistaken,” Hypno said as he met Matrix’s gaze with his own cold, dead, solid black eyes. “You have no idea who I am, what I represent, and what I can do to you.”
 
“Why don’t you explain it, then?” Matrix met intimidation with intimidation. “Because I’m not very afraid, yet.”
 
AndrAIa calmly watched. Syril shot her a look, then went back to looking at Matrix and the Hypno. AndrAIa knew this was a delicate walk. Matrix’s life had made him ruthless and borderline psychotic. It was only through her loving touch that she was able to reel him in and prevent him from doing horrible things. Sometimes, however, she had to tactically step back, enough that he could take advantage of his strengths, but not enough that he might lose himself entirely.
 
The Hypno, however, let out a low, ominous laugh. Not only did the three of them hear it with their ears, but it was also piercing their minds. Matrix watched as the Pokemon held up a pendulum made of just string and a small ball, and rocked it before his eyes.
 
“Relax, my green friend,” the Hypno said, continuing to gaze into Matrix’s eyes. “The Charmander is at an island not far from here. We will go there together. Syril will join us, after all. Your girlfriend will be the sacrifice and the message. You, you are the middle ground, so we’ll find a use for you.”
 
“Where…?” Matrix asked, slowly, not breaking eye contact but loosening his grip considerably.
 
“It’s in your head, now. Like me,” The Hypno taunted him now. “We will go there now.”
 
Matrix released the Hypno entirely, still watching the pendulum swing. The Hypno let out a loud chuckle, content with its three newest slaves. Or at least, that’s what he thought was happening. He never got to know any different, however.
 
Matrix moved in an instant. He swung his right hand with the palm wide open, catching the Hypno’s face. He continued that momentum and smashed the Pokemon’s head into the brick wall. One powerful slam from the overpowered prime was all it took to reduce the fragile Pokemon’s head and brain to mere splatter within the dent wall, and all over his hand.
 
The pendulum fell to the floor, alongside the now headless corpse. Matrix shook his head to get his thoughts clear, while AndrAIa and Syril did the same. The psychic takeover had failed, but it had still been a mentally jarring experience. Fortunately, they had been prepared and expected such a maneuver. Like the Liberation Front, they were trying to stay one step ahead.
 
“We got what we need. Let’s go,” Matrix was short and to the point before exiting to the street.
 
Syril silently followed the prime, but AndrAIa lingered over the carnage for a moment. Violence was in her skill set as well, but she didn’t relish it. She understood its place and purpose, however. She was a realist, and knew that there was no eliminating it entirely. The most important thing to her was Matrix, so she always focused on keeping him centered, despite his own tendencies. As she looked over the corpse of the Hypno, she could only wonder if she’d let Matrix wander too far towards his own darkness.

[Enzo Matrix]

With their work in Bilgewater completed, the trio of Cinnabar residents had quickly departed to the sea once more. Not only did they have no further business on Blue Flame Island, but the Liberation Front would certainly begin looking for them for retaliation over the Hypno’s death. The three were in agreement that they needed to keep the battle to the hidden base, instead of in city streets.
 
The small live-aboard boat was crowded with just one person, and three was pushing the limits to new levels. Syril had taken to sleeping on a small couch built into the wall in the obscenely small living area, while Matrix and AndrAIa crowded onto their small bed. With no sails and no autopilot, however, they were forced to simply cut power and drift in the water at night, and the first one to wake up would have to start the motor back up and continue the voyage towards the remote island.
 
In the dead of one night, Matrix found himself sitting on the deck at the front of the boat, relaxed into a soft cushion seat. The front part of this boat was likely used for sunbathing by its previous owners, but the wide area was useful for him as the only place he could find a little bit of space. He was holding a gigantic circular sea shell, more specifically adjusting the grip on the backside of it that would allow him to use it as a shield. He held it in his right arm, and though he did not stand immediately to fully test it, he did swing it around from his seated position to get a feel for it.
 
“Are you still up?”
 
Matrix looked over his shoulder to see AndrAIa approaching him, her facial expression sleepy yet quizzical. He smiled as he saw her, and watched as she sat down next to him. It was then that he held up the shield, and AndrAIa couldn’t help but give a wide smile. Matrix handed her the giant sea shell, and she was eager to take it and inspect it.
 
“Wow. I never thought I’d see this again,” AndrAIa clearly blown away by the shield.
 
The shield had been hers, a long time ago. It had been lost during their travels in the games, and she had actually been quite saddened by that. After all, the breastplate was one of the few things that she truly owned, and it had reminded her of her original home, the underwater game that she’d met Enzo in.
 
“It’s a little bigger now,” AndrAIa observed Matrix’s use of Omnilium to enhance its size.
 
“Well, so are we,” Matrix shrugged. “I figure it might make a good shield.”
 
AndrAIa nodded, then handed it back to Matrix. “You keep it.”
 
“Are you sure?” Matrix was surprised. He’d known how much she missed that sea shell.
 
“Yea. I’d rather you have something of mine close by,” AndrAIa smiled as she spoke. “Besides, I’ll use it if I need it.”
 
Matrix laughed, and set it down between them. “Sounds like a deal.”
 
He looked to AndrAIa though, and saw her smile fade. Something was heavy on her mind, that much was obvious. He studied her in silence for a moment, waiting on her to notice him doing so. She didn’t, which meant she was really focused on something.
 
“So, why are you still up?” Matrix expressed his concern in the easiest way he knew to transition the topic.
 
AndrAIa reached down and picked up the shield, looking over the details and grooves in it. She studied it closely, noting all the imperfections that she knew well about the familiar object.
 
“Do you think this shield is still back in the system we lost it in, and this is a duplicate?” AndrAIa asked, looking from the shield to Matrix. “Or did we pull it from our world to this one, and its gone from there?”
 
“I don’t really know, to be honest,” Matrix admitted. “That’s why I didn’t want to bring you and Frisket here in the first place.”
 
“It’s just…” AndrAIa thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “You summoned me here the same way you summoned this shield. It’s like the old sea shell I used to use, but it’s bigger. That means it’s different. Modified.”
 
“What are you getting at?” Matrix started to understand her train of thought, but wanted her to keep explaining where she was going with this.
 
“If you summoned these creations of your imagination, and shaped Omnilium into them, then am I any different?” AndrAIa asked. “Am I actually AndrAIa?”
 
Matrix let out a heavy sigh. It was a good question that he didn’t know the answer to. But he knew what she needed to hear.
 
“Of course,” Matrix said with all the confidence he could. “The only difference is that I can use this Omnilium stuff. One day, though, we’ll be back in Mainframe and everything will be as it was.”
 
AndrAIa nodded absentmindedly, clearly not convinced. “It’s just... I don’t know.” She let out a heavy sigh. “It’s what the Librarian AI told you, too.”
 
“About the different worlds?” Matrix asked, cocking an eyebrow. Now he really had no idea where she was going with this.
 
“Yea, all that,” AndrAIa said. “About the games being representations of other realities. Places like Tatooine and Krypton actually existing, beyond what we’ve experienced in the games. But I'm from a game. Does that mean there’s a more complete version of me out there?”
 
“If there’s another version of you out there, it doesn’t matter,” Matrix adamantly shook his head. “You’re AndrAIa. You’re the one I fell in love with. No matter what, no other version of you can take that away from us. Alright?”
 
AndrAIa smiled. She wasn’t totally satisfied, but the words had been good to hear. She was still herself.
 
“I know what it’s like,” Matrix reminded her. “Remember when Little Enzo showed up after the reformat?”
 
“I do. I’ve actually thought a lot about that, during all this,” AndrAIa nodded. She looked over to see Matrix’s worried face, and ended up giving a genuine laugh. “I’ll be alright. Thanks for the concern.”
 
Matrix smiled, and stood up. AndrAIa handed the shield to him once he did, but didn’t move to get up herself.
 
“I’m just going to think a bit longer. I’ll come to bed soon. I promise,” AndrAIa said.
 
“Alright. Don’t take too long,” Matrix responded. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
 
AndrAIa nodded as Matrix disappeared below deck, and took a calming breath. She gazed out over the endless sea, finding some comfort in the familiar terrain. Her worries were still there, but they would have to be shelved for the time being. They had work to do, and it’s not like they were getting answers any time soon, regardless.

[Enzo Matrix]

The island that had been implanted in the three warriors’ heads was nothing impressive. It was several miles wide, but mostly flat, without even any trees or mountains to break up one’s line of sight. There were rows of flimsy shacks, and one single building that appeared to be military ready. Even that impression was only given off by its steel plating and the fact that it stood a single story above the pitiful wooden structures that stood before it. Still, the fact that the Liberation Front made no effort to hide this cell was at least a little bit comforting. It was even more troubling, though. Not like a shadowy group to have such an easy to spot fortress, even if this island would have been difficult to stumble upon had they not known how to get here.
 
AndrAIa watched the island through binoculars as they approached. She continued to gaze while Matrix and Syril pulled the boat onto shore and anchored it effectively. All that time, there was no sign of movement in the village. It appeared deserted, which was surely the worst case scenario. They had played a heavy hand by engaging and killing Liberation Front members, which could be dangerous to Coal’s life. It was a risk they’d been forced to take, but if they had been given the wrong location then it was all for nothing.
 
The only way to know for sure was to investigate. AndrAIa tossed the binoculars on the console, and crossed over the top of the boat. She dropped down next to Matrix, splashing just a bit of water as she landed in the shallow surf. The three silently looked at each other, not having much to say. AndrAIa’s weary smile seemed to speak the message they were all thinking: let’s get this over with.
 
They trudged up the small hill that had been worn into the island by erosion, courtesy of the ocean that pounded against it. From there to the apparent ghost town was flat and barren terrain. It was as if not even grass could be bothered to populate this utterly forgettable island. Matrix simply saw it from a more tactical aspect. The most important talking point to him was there was no cover to utilize for any defensive purposes. If they were dragged into a battle in this open terrain, they would be stuck in it. Silently, he went ahead and planned on having some sort of showdown here.
 
Matrix put that creeping worry aside for the moment, and instead kept his attention on the small village they were entering. Even up close there was no signs of life. The only sounds in the area were that of their feet walking across the dirt. As they reached the end of the rows of flimsy houses, they found themselves in a clearing between the village and the larger, steel fortress. The dirt abruptly turned to concrete, and they found themselves walking towards a large bay door. Above the bay was a railing and an upper walkway, and they could now see a viewing tower on top of the second story. What was this place?
 
As the hangar doors opened, they realized they would have their best chance of finding out. Two figures emerged from the building, and Matrix’s eye was already hard at work scanning them. They were Pokemon, too, so maybe they were in the right place after all. His cybernetic implant identified one as a Hitmonchan and the other as a Hitmonlee. The figures looked at the three trespassers with narrowed eyes and scowling faces, and their expressions were matched. Suddenly, there was movement from the previously quiet village, and Matrix half turned to see a small horde of purple and tan creatures were now flanking them. Raticates and Rattatas. Yea, this was the place.
 
“Welcome, Syril!” a voice boomed from above them.
 
Syril looked up to see a fearsome Blastoise towering over them. The monstrous turtle Pokemon had an electronic scouter over its right eye, no doubt for targeting assistance with its modified cannons. Instead of the typical water cannons on each shoulder, this immense Pokemon had a large rocket launcher over his left shoulder, and a minigun replacing the weapon on his right. Yet, despite all of these modifications, Syril recognized him.
 
“Tor,” Syril called back up to the Blastoise by his given name. “This is your doing?”
 
“You know this guy?” AndrAIa softly interjected, and at the same time drew her trident.
 
“You should have never come here, old friend” Tor responded, watching as Syril and Matrix drew their own firearms. The Blastoise simply waved its right hand as it issued its commands. “Dispose of them.”
 
“I’ll have to tell you later,” Syril snarled, turning to fully face smaller Pokemon that flanked the three Cinnabar residents.
 
“Just deal with the little ones,” Matrix was curt as he issued the order.
 
The horde of rat Pokemon began to rapidly approach, and the well-armed Yoshi opened fire on them. Matrix and AndrAIa did not immediately move, leaving Syril to deal with the crowd himself. The two fighting-type Pokemon were approaching, slowly, and they were the focus of the two wayward sprites.

[Enzo Matrix]

Gunshots rang out across the small, forgettable island as Syril defended himself and the others from the onslaught of multi-colored rat-like creatures. All of it went without notice, or at least acknowledgment from Matrix or AndrAIa. They trusted Syril’s abilities, and they could tell they were squaring off with large enough threats in the two fighting-type Pokemon. Matrix glanced upwards to see the Blastoise that Syril had known by name entering the compound from a door on its level. Clearly it wasn’t concerned with the three of them. His mistake.
 
One thing at a time, though. Matrix raised his firearm, aiming directly at the Hitmonlee. With any luck, he could take this thing out of the fight right away. A fireball slammed into his wrist the instant he got Gun up, though, hurling the weapon from his hands. Ignoring his singed skin, Matrix glanced to see that the attack had come from the Hitmonchan. There was no time to counter, as in the distraction the Hitmonlee had closed the gap between them, and swung at Matrix with a powerful kick. The green sprite sidestepped the attack just in time, feeling the wind from the missed blow beside him. He then threw an elbow into the Himtonlee’s body cavity, which also apparently doubled as its face. When the Pokemon leaped backwards from the impact, that was the opportunity Matrix took to summon the Sea Shield. It was time to give this new weapon a test run.
 
AndrAIa, meanwhile, refused to let the Hitmonchan get another shot off. She charged at the punching Pokemon, and stabbed right at its chest with her trident. The Hitmonchan dodged the blow with a simple maneuver, and then moved forward, stepping inside the range of the game sprite’s long spear. Once it was within its own range, the Hitmonchan delivered a powerful punch to the right side of AndrAIa’s face, hurling her backwards with velocity she was not expecting. She impacted the ground with her shoulder first, and from there was able to roll backwards and land on her feet.
 
The second she landed, AndrAIa swung her head upwards to cause the momentum to remove her blue hair from her vision. In doing so, she saw that the Hitmonchan was closing in for another punch. This time she was ready, and held her trident in both hands. She held up the weapon to block the blow, and while the Pokemon was reeling from that impact, she slammed the shaft of the weapon into its face. The Hitmonchan found itself stumbling backwards, so AndrAIa took the moment of opportunity to step in and deliver a powerful kick to its gut, knocking the Pokemon further backwards.
 
Matrix materialized the shield on his left forearm, and held it up just in time to block three powerful jump kicks from the airborne Hitmonlee. He shoved backwards at the end of the third kick, throwing the kicking Pokemon off balance and causing it to crash to the ground several feet away from him. While the Pokemon was still on its back Matrix threw the shield straight down at it, and ran forwards as he did. The Hitmonlee spun on its back as it recovered, and kicked the airborne projectile away as it did. Matrix paid no mind to his discarded weapon, and instead slammed his knee into Hitmonlee’s foot, as both attacks met each other. The Hitmonlee was faster on the recovery, and unleashed a flurry of kicks. Matrix stepped back to allow himself some more working space, and then began to quickly block each individual blow.
 
AndrAIa tried to close the gap, but the Hitmonchan recovered and swung another punch. The blue haired warrior deflected that with her spear, then swung the dull end around to catch the Hitmonchan in the side of the head. The punching Pokemon dove aside and rolled with the momentum from the blow. It then stood up and swung a fist at AndrAIa, even though it was nowhere near her. From that seemingly useless punch came a fireball, however, which approached AndrAIa at terrifying velocity. She was quick, however, and ran at it, slamming her trident to the ground at the last second. She vaulted over not only the attack, but the Hitmonchan as well. She landed right behind her attacker, and instantly drove the three prongs right through its heart from behind.
 
While on the defensive, Matrix calculated the attacker carefully, and waited for just the right moment. The opportunity came quickly, and Matrix ended up catching the Hitmonlee’s leg with both hands. Before the Pokemon could react, Matrix spun around and hurled the kicking Pokemon across the pavement. The Hitmonlee landed on its feet and spun around, looking for Matrix. The green sprite had already dived aside, though, and snatched up his gun with a simple combat roll. The Hitmonlee took the only option it had with no cover, and sprinted directly at Matrix. Matrix calmly stood up and raised Gun to eye level. His robotic eye twisted and turned red as it locked on to the approaching threat. Then, without a bit of emotion, he fired the weapon. The single blast connected with the Hitmonlee’s face and chest area, and blew the immediately deceased creature backwards.
 
Matrix looked over to see AndrAIa ripping her weapon from her defeated foe. He then looked to see Syril lowering his weapons, having defeated all of the little attackers. Matrix released his weapon, which snapped right to his hip like it always did.
 
“Search the lower level,” Syril ordered as he marched towards the stairs that led to the Blastoise. “I’ll deal with Tor.”
 
“Is that the best idea?” AndrAIa asked cautiously.
 
“Coal is your concern. Tor is mine,” Syril was clearly fuming with rage, and Matrix realized he wouldn’t be able to talk the Yoshi down.
 
“Come on, AndrAIa,” Matrix said, gesturing her towards the open hangar the two Pokemon had come from. He shot one glance back at Syril. “We’re coming back for you as soon as we get him.”
 
Syril didn’t respond, and instead stormed up the stairs. Matrix and AndrAIa decided to just focus on the reason they were here, and ran into the hangar. It was nearly empty inside, with the exception of a few pieces of machinery strewn about. What did immediately stand out, however, was the obvious lift style elevator that appeared to go down into the ground. There was obviously more to this complex than they had anticipated.
 
“This way,” AndrAIa softly but hurriedly said as she made her way to it.
 
Matrix stepped on beside her, watching as she worked the controls. AndrAIa was always far more tech savvy than he was. It only took a little bit of trial and error before she hit the right button, and the elevator descended into the ground with them. Steel turned to rock all around as they descended into the sublevel of this hidden base. Matrix and AndrAIa looked to each other briefly, sharing the same look of purpose and duty they always had during these crazy battles.
 
This fight was far from over.

[Enzo Matrix]

Tor felt like he’d barely entered the command room when the door to the balcony was abruptly forced back open. The modified Blastoise turned to see Syril entering the room, his pistols drawn and his own muzzle twisted into a furious scowl. Syril surveyed the area as briefly as he could, but did his best to keep his eyes on Tor.

The room was plain and nondescript. There were various computer terminals and large crates that filled it, but for the most part it was a wide open room with plenty of space. On all sides the walls were simply glass windows, allowing anyone in the building to see far in any direction. It made the Yoshi realize that they certainly had been unable to sneak up on this facility.

“Syril!” the Blastoise greeted his old compatriot with a mix of disdain and sarcastic pleasure. “I should have expected as much from you, at least.”

“Kidnapping Vulcan’s child?” Syril retorted. “I thought I knew you better than that. I thought you would bring a sense of sanity to this organization, not embrace the chaos.”

“Coal was more than pleased to join the Liberation Front. We only had to remove him from the island,” Tor snorted back.

“He agreed to the delusions painted by your hypnotic recruiter,” Syril barked back, snarling through his rage. “Why don’t you allow him to come up here and speak his own case?”

The Blastoise chuckled and shook his head. “There’s no getting through to you Syril. It’s just like I explained when I left Cinnabar. You refuse to see anything other than Mewtwo’s way, and Mewtwo barely acknowledges his position as a leader. Someone has to stand up for our kind!”

“Whatever your message is, you undermine it with murder and kidnapping!” Syril raised his voice back at his old friend.

“We are at the point where violence is necessary to enact change!” Tor clenched his paws into fists as he shouted. “They will continue to oppress us, if we don’t fight back! If you want any more evidence, look at the Imperial fleet that floats just off the shore of Cinnabar!”
 
“Cinnabar is a force to be reckoned with, now, Tor!” Syril was beginning to lose himself to his anger. “The fleet floats there because they don’t dare to approach the island. Mewtwo is one of the most feared primes in the Omniverse, and we continue to build bridges, even with our neutrality. Look at the two that risked everything to come help one of our children.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about your friends in the sublevel,” Tor once again chuckled. “But you won’t see it like we do. We don’t have to live on a forgotten island in the middle of the Vasty Deep. We could have Coruscant or Camelot. But you are content to co-exist with those that would kill us without a second thought. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Syril shook his head, seeing there was no getting through to his one-time friend. “About as much sense as a Blastoise working for a Wartortle.”

That seemed to hit a nerve, because Tor’s mounted minigun on his right shoulder immediately began spinning, and lowered to target Syril. The Yoshi responded by raising his pistols and opening fire first. Tor held his left arm up to his face to protect the weak spot of his eyes and mouth, and the rounds impacted his hard skin and shell, causing no apparent damage. Syril quickly understood the effectiveness of his weapons, and darted to the side. Less than a second after he broke out into a sprint, heavy rounds from Tor’s minigun shredded the area that the Yoshi had previously been occupying.

Syril dove behind a large computer console, laying as low to the ground as he could. The machine gave no cover from the powerful rounds, but as low as he was they just barely missed his body, instead going over him. The gunfire stopped, though he could hear the barrels of the the gun still spinning for a brief moment. Syril knew what was next, so he abruptly pushed up and backwards, forcing himself back to his feet. As soon as he was up and retreating, a rocket hit the ground near where he had hidden. The resulting explosion filled the room with smoke and fire, and threw Syril hard into a wall.

Tor waved his arms to disperse the smoke as his two weapons automatically reloaded, utilizing a system he’d built into his shell since the modifications to the cannons. While he did, he approached the site of impact, wanting to find any trace of the Yoshi. The smoky haze badly limited visibility, but he could already tell there was no trace. Even more, Tor recognized that the damage to the room, though it was made of steel, certainly was detrimental to the structural integrity of the building.

Suddenly, Syril emerged from the smoke and hit Tor in the gut with a powerful jump kick. Tor stumbled back with a grunt, and swung a fist at the Yoshi. Syril ducked underneath it, then leaped straight upwards. As he ascended, the Yoshi delivered multiple high power kicks, essentially walking right up the massive turtle Pokemon. After delivering the last kick, he backflipped off his former friend, and landed at a kneel. Tor swung one of his beefy legs upwards in response, effectively punting Syril into a wall.

The Yoshi slumped to the ground and regained his senses, but as soon as the gunfire began again, he took off into the smoke. Fleeing the powerful rounds from Tor’s minigun, Syril wisely took advantage of natural cover. Tor wandered into the smoke, ceasing the gunfire and tapping the scouter on his eye. He may not have been able to see with his own eyes, but that wouldn’t prevent him from locating the elusive Yoshi through other means.

Before the scouter could indicate anything, however, Syril’s long and powerful tongue wrapped around Tor’s neck from behind. While the Blastoise gasped for air and pawed at the tongue to try and break loose, the Yoshi dropped to a kneel and leaned sideways to maximize the constriction on Tor’s airflow. Pangs of regret floored him as he strangled his former friend and neighbor, but he had long since accepted that some things must simply be done. Coal did not deserve a fate in the Liberation Front, so Tor had simply chosen his own fate.

The moral quandary of it became irrelevant when Tor suddenly lunged forward, snapping his head in the direction of a window. Syril was pulled from the ground and over the Blastoise’s head, losing his grip with his tongue as well. The Yoshi slammed straight through the glass, bounced off the balcony’s railing, and fell all the ground below.

Syril hit the asphalt hard, but knew he couldn’t take the time to assess if he’d injured something. He was in the open now, and was an easy target for Tor. The Yoshi stumbled to his feet and drew his pistols once more, looking at the empty hangar that Matrix and AndrAIa had departed into. He knew they weren’t in there now, as Tor had told him there was a sublevel they were likely deep into at this point. He fired a few shots up at Tor as he sprinted into open bay.

Tor shielded himself once more, and cursed Syril’s incredible ability to survive. With Syril in the hangar below, it was the one place he couldn’t shoot at from the balcony. That was just as well for the water-type Pokemon. He marched towards the staircase and descended towards the main level. If the Yoshi wanted to draw him into a battle in the open, that was exactly what he would get.

[Enzo Matrix]

Deep in the bowels of the Liberation Front’s hidden island base, an Arbok, Geodude, and Machoke stood near a thick, sealed door, just around the corner from a long hallway. They glanced around uneasily. Alarms had blared, sounds of combat had echoed through the steel halls, and many others had left to fight with no word since. They were on edge, but committed. Behind the sealed door was the lone prisoner this island contained, the Charmander from Cinnabar. He was awaiting transport to a new destination, which would now be much sooner, once they dealt with these interlopers.
 
“This is odd,” the Machoke broke the silence. “Cinnabar had never retaliated like this! They’re sickeningly neutral!”
 
“Intel has it they have another prime living on the island,” the Arkbok countered. “Moved in not long ago. That has to be the one who’s here.”
 
“But attacking in the name of Cinnabar!?” the Machoke shook his head. “Mewtwo would expel him from the island, from what we’ve seen. Look at Wartortle, and how we ended up in this situation in the first place!”
 
“I don’t know,” the Geodude pitched in. “But what’s for certain is that something is changing. I’m just worried this is Tor’s fault, by going after the Charmander. Striking at children will always bring the harshest retaliation.”
 
“Keep that to yourself,” the Machoke advised, looking around as he did. “You assign blame and they’ll make an example out of you.”
 
The Geodude’s face contorted into a frown. “I wasn’t, I was just-“
 
He never finished that sentence. Matrix suddenly emerged from behind the corner, grabbing the hovering rock Pokemon by one of its arms. He swung the small, but heavy creature over his head, and bashed it directly into the Machoke’s face. The fighting-type Pokemon roared in pain, but the prime had already turned and struck the Arbok over the head with his living, improvised weapon. The snake Pokemon collapsed flat to the ground, and Matrix bashed it over the head three more times with the struggling Geodude. Blood splattered everywhere, and Matrix then turned to deliver another strike to the Machoke’s neck with its own ally. There was a sickening snap as its neck broke.
 
Matrix delivered one more overhead swing, this time driving the Geodude directly into the floor. The rock Pokemon was stunned and dizzy from its brief stint as a bludgeoning object, so it had no grasp of its situation. By the time it realized it was free from Matrix’s grip, it looked directly upwards, into the barrel of Gun.
 
With a single trigger pull, Matrix sent rocks and pebbles flying in every direction. He surveyed the area, making sure there were no more enemies for a brief second, then returned the firearm to his side. AndrAIa had already walked past him, fully confident in his ability to take on these three guards. She was already at work on the door controls, trying to get into Coal’s cell.
 
The mechanical doors slid open after just a little bit of coaxing from AndrAIa, and Matrix stood before the door as it opened. A shrill war cry emitted from the room and into the hallway, and just as the door opened a young Charmander came flying through the air, his right leg aimed at Matrix’s face for what he anticipated to be a powerful jump kick. Matrix, however, simply held his hand out and lightly struck the young Pokemon with his palm, sending the fire-type sprawling back to the floor.
 
“Coal?” AndrAIa said as she peeked around the corner, smiling when she saw the Charmander. “Thank the user; you’re okay.”
 
“Ouch…” Coal mumbled as he sat up and rubbed his head.
 
“How did you end up here?” Matrix jumped right to the point. “Everyone is worried about you.”
 
“Well, I tried to infiltrate this organization and tear it apart!” Coal confidently shouted, leaping to his feet. “Except, they figured me out and locked me up. But now that you two are here, we can finish this organization up!”
 
Matrix grimaced, trying to contain his boiling rage. Fortunately, AndrAIa put a hand on the sprite’s shoulder, immediately calming him.
 
“Coal, we need to leave,” AndrAIa said. “Like, now. Syril is covering for us up top.”
 
“But what about saving the Omniverse?” Coal sadly asked, all of the excitement dropping from his face.
 
“That’s such a good idea, sweetie,” AndrAIa tried to give a soothing smile. “But there’s so many evil and angry Pokemon headed this way to kill us if we don’t leave like, right now.”
 
“Then can we come back and defeat the bad guys later?” Coal quietly asked.
 
“You have got to be kidding me,” Matrix threw his hands up as he looked down a hallway, making sure they weren’t being flanked.
 
“We…we’ll see, how about that?” AndrAIa replied.
 
Coal grumbled something under his breath that seemed to indicate he was unimpressed, but the sound of heavy footsteps around several corners caught their attention. Matrix snarled. They weren’t out of this yet.
 
“That might be trouble,” Matrix announced, looking back at AndrAIa, then down the opposite direction. “Let’s move!”
 
AndrAIa silently agreed, and reached down to give Coal a quick tug on the arm. The three of them quickly fled down the hallway, thankfully gaining distance from the sounds of the heavy footsteps. Matrix and AndrAIa hit a corridor they recognized, and began to backtrack towards the large room that the elevator had occupied.
 
They entered the room, and quickly charged towards the lift that would bring them to the surface. They barely made any distance when they had to slide to a stop, as three sentient swords stabbed into the ground, blocking their path. The living blades then levitated into the air, and menacingly pointed at all three of them.
 
“Honedge,” Matrix announced, when his eye analyzed the swords. “Get to the top. I’ll deal with them.”
 
“Be careful,” AndrAIa whispered, but decided not to argue. This was a wise division of responsibility. “Come on, Coal.”
 
Coal looked disappointed, but let AndrAIa pull him aside. Matrix just stretched his arms and then reached for his firearm. The three swords lunged at him, and the battle was on.

[Enzo Matrix]

Matrix snatched his gun from his side, and drew down on the center Honedge. He fired a round off as quickly as he could, but was surprised to see the living sword deflect the shot directly into the ground. Unphased, he fired twice more, but the swords continued to close in, slicing each blast his gun produced from the air. Before Matrix could even begin to formulate a new plan, they closed in and struck.

The first Honedge slashed at his wrist, causing him to drop his gun. The second one took a swing at his neck, which he barely ducked under in time, and the third managed to slice a chunk off of his arm, eliciting a roar of pain from the green sprite. Out of options, Matrix simply punched one of the swords as hard as he could, sending it careening through the air and away from him. And it only hurt his knuckles a little bit.

Before the other two swords could resume hacking away at him, Matrix grabbed one of them by the hilt, ripping it from the air and wielding it as his personal weapon. He deflected three strikes from the remaining swords, then slashed forward with enough force to hurl the hovering Honedge away. Suddenly, though, a cloth that was draped from the bottom of the sword he held wrapped around his forearm, and he immediately felt a powerful drain on his energy.

Matrix dropped to a knee with a roar of pain, desperately clawing at the cloth with his free hand. He managed to tear away at it enough that the grip was loosened, and he threw the sword across the room. There was no aim to it, he just knew he needed to get rid of it. He groaned, figuring he should have anticipated that there would be some sort of natural defensive measure preventing those Pokemon from being utilized in such a way.

AndrAIa, meanwhile, grabbed Coal and ran towards the elevator, just as soon as the action started. The young Charmander stumbled along after her, shooting wistful glances at the battle right before them. They stepped on the freight elevator, and AndrAIa quickly worked the controls to raise it back to the main level, where hopefully Syril had everything under control.

“Hey, hey!” Coal suddenly shouted, catching AndrAIa’s attention.

She looked over to see one of the Honedges closing in on the two of them. With no option but to engage it directly, she knocked Coal to the ground and drew her trident, quickly extending it to its combat length. She caught the sword in between the prongs of her weapon, then forced it back. Just as quickly, the sword swung at her again, and she deflected the blow. When the levitating sword pulled back to ready for another strike, she stabbed forward and stunned the sentient blade with the harsh impact.

At this point, Coal decided he couldn’t bear sitting on the sidelines any longer. He opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful stream of fire breath at the sword, but the blade cut straight through the attack with seemingly no concerns about the immense heat. Coal relented from his attack and dove to the side as the sword impaled itself into the elevator.

AndrAIa took that opportunity to hit the last few buttons, and the open air elevator began to ascend. The Honedge pulled itself free, but she kicked it by the hilt just as it managed to get loose from the metallic surface of the elevator. The sword was sent spiraling back down to the fight below, and she could only hope that it wouldn’t be too much for Matrix to handle on his own.

“Did you see me burn it!?” Coal shouted excitedly, oblivious to the lack of progress he’d made. AndrAIa could only roll her eyes.

Back at the battle below, Matrix managed to stand up and shake off the pain and energy drain. Just as he finished recovering the other two swords hovered before him, and the third dropped down from its brief stint on the elevator. Matrix gave a heavy sigh as he materialized the Sea Shield on his left forearm. He braced himself, and once more the live swords approached him at an alarming speed.

He swatted one away with a backhand strike from his shield, then dove past the other two. The sprite hit the ground and rolled towards his discarded firearm. He snatched Gun from the ground and quickly stood while turning. As soon as he was on his feet he threw the Sea Shield at the opponents, and it bounced between all three. The Honedge herd was stunned by the blunt impact, and Matrix used that opportunity to open fire on one of them. The blast hit it directly that time, and the sword exploded into nothing.

Before he could aim at the next one, it had already closed in and stabbed at him. Matrix leaped back and dodged several more times as the Honedge wildly tried to force the tip of its blade into his gut. As soon as he saw the opportunity, Matrix swung directly downwards with his shield, knocking the flying blade from the air.

Knowing it was only a matter of seconds before the next attack, Matrix turned around and immediately blocked another slash from the last sword. The force of the impact stunned him and backed him against a wall, and the Honedge kept up the offensive by lunging in with a stabbing motion, as well. Matrix sidestepped and watched as the sword lodged itself deep into the wall. It shook wildly as it tried to pull itself free, but Matrix showed no mercy, instantly kicking the hilt and snapping the blade in two.

Just as he did that, Matrix turned and fired three shots from Gun into the sword that still lay on the ground, causing the last Honedge to burst into tiny metal shards. With his gun and shield still at the ready, Matrix scanned the room. There were no more apparent threats that he had missed. Satisfied, Matrix allowed the Sea Shell to dissolve into Omnilium, and then released Gun. Like always, the firearm freely dropped for a second before abruptly snapping to his right hip, where it was effectively holstered.

Matrix wasted no time in making his way to the elevator, which had fortunately just arrived once more, devoid of the two that had departed on it. He stepped aboard and mashed several buttons, causing it to rise towards the surface as well. As long as Syril had the situation up top under control, they could get out of here in no time. If things had spiraled badly, at least they could work together to fight their way back to the boat.

He took a deep breath, frustrated by the elevator ride already. The end was in sight, but they weren’t out of the woods, yet.

[Enzo Matrix]

Tor’s heavy feet shook the metal staircase as he descended. The nearly cybernetic Blastoise’s guns had finished reloading, and he was ready to end this skirmish. The blue Yoshi had once been his friend and ally, but the heat of the battle had removed the last of his feelings for his former brother-in-arms. All that mattered now was ending Syril’s life so he could join the effort to track down the other two that were likely wreaking havoc within his base.

The Blastoise set its feet on the pavement, and strode past the deceased bodies of the other Liberation Front enforcers. He rounded the corner to the wide open hangar, but frowned when he didn’t see his adversary anywhere around. Tor quickly reached up and pressed the main button on his scouter, understanding that he couldn’t let Syril lurk in the shadows for too long. The device rapidly began to seek any sort of life signature in the hangar.

Once again, Syril had planned ahead. Tor was caught off guard when the Yoshi landed on his shoulders, and again wrapped his powerful tongue tightly over Tor’s neck. Syril grabbed both sides of the flailing Blastoise’s skull to steady himself. Tor’s arms were actually too short to even reach his neck, which completely prevented him from thwarting Syril’s attack directly. Instead, he was forced to stumble around and look for an alternative means to free himself.

As he gasped for air, the Blastoise lowered his head and charged headfirst into a wall with the last burst of energy he could muster. Syril collided with the harsh steel first, losing his grip in the process. He fell to the floor in a daze, but Tor collapsed alongside him. The Blastoise had taken a beating against the solid structure, as well. As the two of them lay dazed and frantically struggled to recover their senses, the elevator arrived with AndrAIa and Coal.

“Syril!” AndrAIa called out as they quickly stepped off the lift, and it began its descent once more.

Tor stumbled to his feet, glancing to the small Charmander as he did. They had freed the young one. He forced himself to regain his senses, fully understanding the depths of this situation. He was outnumbered two to one. Three, if one were to count the Charmander that held potential, but was useless as it was. Still, Syril was no pushover, and neither was this blue haired woman that travelled with the Prime.

Tor’s shoulder mounted chain gun began spinning as it targeted the two newest arrivals. Turning the Charmander to their side would have been nice, but survival had become the priority. AndrAIa was quick to recognize the threat of the minigun, and grabbed Coal. The struggling Charmander was yanked from his feet as they charged to the side, and fifty caliber rounds marked the trail of their retreat very quickly.

AndrAIa fled out the open hangar door, and quickly rounded the corner. Tor was infuriated as his rounds futilely impacted the solid wall that now protected the two of them. His spinning minigun slowed and began to reload, meanwhile he looked to his flank to see that Syril had recovered and retreated. Tor’s loud growl sufficiently spelled out his feelings. He was quickly losing control of this situation. It didn’t matter if it was the blue haired woman or the blue Yoshi, he needed to kill one of them quickly to make a statement and establish his dominance. He hardly considered Coal a threat.

Tor stepped out of the open bay door, looking to each side carefully, as well as the balcony above. Syril had already tried to strangle him twice, and he refused to be attacked in such a way a third time.

“Come out, cowards!” Tor bellowed in borderline desperation. He was in no way equipped to handle these two at the same time, and he was praying he could get a handle on this situation before the Prime arrived. Reinforcements were likely on the way, from deep within the ground, but he couldn’t last that long.

Answering his statements and thoughts, Syril looked to his left side to see AndrAIa closing in rapidly, with her trident fully extended. Unable to fire in time, he instead stepped forward and quickly spun around. AndrAIa’s trident struck his hard shell, bouncing off of it futilely. Tor was fortunate that he’d turned, because Syril was simultaneously approaching from the other direction. He thrust his foot out and kicked the Yoshi as hard as he could, sending the blue beast rolling backwards across the pavement.

AndrAIa was quick to recover, and thrust her trident at Tor once again. The Blastoise was able to give her his full attention, now, so he quickly turned and swatted the approaching prongs aside, then delivered a powerful kick to the sprite’s midsection. AndrAIa’s trident was hurled from her hands as she took the blow, and it flew through the air as she hit the ground and rolled backwards.

Tor seized this opportunity, stepping forward and aiming his rocket launcher at the defenseless woman. AndrAIa gasped for breath, completely unable to recover in time to stop her approaching end. As she clutched her stomach in pain, she gazed in horror down the barrel of the rocket launcher. Tor allowed himself a brief moment to cherish this victory over the interlopers, unaware of the sounds of the elevator behind him.

Matrix grabbed the barrel of Tor’s rocket launcher from behind and gave it a hard yank. The Blastoise was spun in its tracks, and its rocket escaped the launcher, only to fly harmlessly into the sky, as its new trajectory dictated. Tor shouted in a rage as Matrix released him, but he faced the prime only to receive a powerful sucker punch.

Tor flew several feet through the air, impacting the ground with a hard thud. Matrix approached the heavily armed Pokemon with a lethal glare in his eyes, and his firearm snapped to his right hand as he walked. Tor struggled to stand and face his newest adversary, but Matrix delivered a powerful kick to his face, and the turtle Pokemon was hurled backwards.

Matrix was back on the turtle Pokemon in an instant, with his gun in its face and his cybernetic eye glowing a bright red. Tor’s eyes widened in horror as the Blastoise realized that this was truly it. He stared down the barrel of Gun as he lamented on the irony that he would be erased by a Prime, a being that had no reason to fear death.

“Enzo, wait!” AndrAIa suddenly called out, prolonging the death of this cell’s leader.

Matrix gritted his teeth and firmly locked eyes with the massive turtle that had nearly ended his friends’s lives. AndrAIa didn’t care. This was where she drew the line. She had let him wander too far into his own darkness. This was the moment when she would save him from himself.

“Don’t do it. Don’t be another virus,” AndrAIa pleaded with him, slowly approaching her boyfriend. “You’re better than this, and you proved it before.”

Matrix’s hand quivered, his jaw trembled. He couldn’t do it, but only because it was AndrAIa’s will. Were she not here, he would have sprayed the Blastoise’s brains all over the asphalt. He knew it so well, yet he couldn’t muster up the strength to end the fight in her powerful presence. Instead, he could only let out a yell of rage and place a blast from his gun next to Tor’s head.

“If I ever see you around Cinnabar again, it really will be the end for you,” Matrix’s tone was firm and commanding. “Consider all of this a warning.”

The green sprite released his gun mid draw, and it snapped to his waist like always. Tor opened his mouth to speak, but Matrix brought his fist into the turtle’s skull once more, knocking the Pokemon out cold. He stood and looked to AndrAIa, to see her warm and approving smile. He then nodded to Syril, who was carefully observing the whole situation.

“We need to go, before backup arrives,” Syril announced, forcing himself not to look at Tor’s prone body.

The words had barely left his mouth when the whole island began to violently shake. Coal fell over from the tremors, but the other three were smart enough to steady their footing. The vibrations didn’t stop, and only continued to increase.

“What is that!?” Coal shouted in a panic.

Matrix could only sigh.

“Backup.”

[Enzo Matrix]

“Let’s move!” AndrAIa’s voice shouted above the increasingly loud tremors.

Matrix looked towards their boat. The only thing between them and it was a deserted village and a large, empty field. Whatever was coming was enormous, and there would be no shelter from it. The way it was rocking the ground, he didn’t feel comfortable standing his ground against it. The might of the Liberation Front was about to catch up with them if they didn’t get the hell off this island right away.

So, he took point and charged into the unknown. AndrAIa was just a bit behind him to the right, and Coal ran in the same formation, except to the left. Syril, with his pistols drawn, but muzzles facing downwards, completed their diamond formation by running at the back of the pack.

As soon as they exited the village, a massive stone serpent known as an Onix ripped from the ground, sending rocks and dirt in all directions. The beastly rock snake towered above them for only a brief second, before turning and diving back down at the four. They responded by scattering in various directions, but also never slowed their retreat back towards the boat.

As the Onix tunneled back into the ground, three more emerged from various directions and dove headfirst at the quartet of Cinnabarians. As the rock snakes soared violently through the air, Matrix and Syril fired wildly at them with their firearms, attempting to slow the creatures down in any way they could. AndrAIa and even Coal recognized the immediate danger, and they began to maneuver side to side so they would not be caught in the path of the rampaging Pokemon.

One of the Onix tore through the center of the group, causing a haze of dust that served to only further impede their retreat. Syril realized his guns were futile, so he holstered them and instead grabbed Coal by the wrist. With one swift motion he swung the young child over his shoulder and onto his back, and Coal was more than happy to tightly hold onto the sprinting Yoshi.

Matrix slid to a stop for a brief second and raised his firearm at an Onix that was slithering directly at the group from in front of them. He clenched his teeth and fired a careful shot that struck it in the eye. The Pokemon roared in agony as it lurched to its side and began sliding towards him, no longer in control of its motion. The inertia was enough for it to continue forward and strike Matrix, which hurled the green prime backwards.

AndrAIa used her spear to vault over the fallen rock monster, landing in the open terrain. The boat was in sight, and she only had a bit further to go. It was imperative that somebody get to the vessel and at least get it started. Thankfully it hadn’t been assaulted, itself, as the rock monsters were too busy trying to kill the four of them. She continued her charge.

Matrix climbed to his feet and fired a shot at the nearest Onix. It was thrown off from the impact and also collapsed to the ground, though it quickly tried to get back to its feet. Matrix didn’t wait for it to recover, and instead charged after AndrAIa. He dodged and weaved as the rock serpents targeted him, and he was forced to use every bit of his abilities to prevent himself from becoming lunch.

AndrAIa leaped onto the boat, and immediately turned the ignition. The motor roared to life just and Syril and Coal landed on the deck, too. Coal bounced right off his Yoshi stead and landed near AndrAIa’s feet, but the woman didn’t even notice. She was looking for Matrix.

“These guys are crazy!” Coal shouted in surprise, clearly not grasping the true depths of this situation.

“Where’s Matrix?” Syril demanded, ignoring the young lad they’d faced all of this danger for.

“He’ll be here!” AndrAIa yelled with confidence, despite the fact that she was already backing the boat away from their docking point.

Matrix was glad to see the boat moving backwards, even without him on it. He only had a few more yards to go, and the horde of rock Pokemon was now immediately behind. Their roars of fury were deafening, but only served to fuel his adrenaline. He continued to place one foot before the other as fast as he could, until he ran out of group. He leaped from the ledge and landed on the deck of the boat with a heavy thud, and rolled across it.

Rocks began pelting the water, courtesy of the pack of Onix that could no longer pursue but refused to let them get away so easily. AndrAIa violently jerked the controls to prevent the ship from being sunk, and while Syril and Coal grabbed more firm structures, Matrix was forced to sprawl out and use his displaced center of gravity to prevent himself from flying overboard.

Eventually, they were out of range. AndrAIa slammed the throttle forward and the boat took off, leaving the Liberation Front’s outpost behind. As the boat moved, Matrix joined the other three near the controls.

“Are you alright, Coal?” Syril was quick to ask.

“Of course!” Coal responded. “I’m glad you showed up when you did, though! Those guys are crazy!”

Syril shook his head, but then looked to AndrAIa. “The Liberation Front is becoming terrifyingly bold. We must be on guard.”

Matrix collapsed into one of the seats mounted to the deck, and AndrAIa merely rested her hand on his shoulder with a smile. It was just another adventure to these well-traveled warriors, but the taste of victory was always sweet.

“You’re right. We need to let the council and Mewtwo know about all this,” AndrAIa agreed. “And you knew their leader?”

“Tor was once a resident of Cinnabar, and a close friend,” Syril nodded. “He knows the ins and outs of our society. They have recruited more like him. We are not as safe as our council would have you believe.”

Matrix just took a deep, calming breath. They were out of one crisis and already into another. He could only hope that things were under control back at Cinnabar.

[Enzo Matrix]

The group made it back to Cinnabar in short time, with no further incident. Everyone was thankful for that, including Coal. The adrenaline had worn out and the four had given into exhaustion. Coal had slept below deck the entire time, while Syril sat near the back, gazing out at the ocean in silent meditation. AndrAIa sat absentmindedly in the seat that allowed her to operate the boat, while Matrix sat in the matching passenger seat near her the whole way. AndrAIa sensed that what happened with Syril and his once friend needed to be addressed, but it could certainly wait.

Eventually, the journey ended and they docked their boat. A crowd had gathered upon seeing them on the horizon. The first thing they did was reunite Vulcan with Coal, who was relieved beyond words. Matrix couldn’t help but smile as he saw Coal’s friends Kero and Zlick celebrate alongside him as well. He looked to AndrAIa and saw a matching smile, but looking past her, he could only see Syril’s scowl.

“You alright?” Matrix questioned with genuine concern as he looked to the Yoshi.

“There’s a lot more to worry about,” Syril commented, never taking his eyes off Vulcan and Coal. “The Liberation Front will continue to be aggressive towards us. It’s just another threat to our lives.”

“Why wouldn’t we strike back?” AndrAIa asked. "Take the initiative."

“I don’t know,” Syril admitted. He then shook his head. “I’m going to speak with some of our leaders, then I’m going home to rest. Thank you for your help.”

“And you for yours,” Matrix replied. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I feel it is only a matter of time before we have to do such a thing again,” Syril solemnly lamented. “Farewell.”

AndrAIa looked away from Syril as he departed, and back to Matrix. Syril was right. This was a victory, but anyone looking at the bigger picture would see the real issue. They both turned away from the impromptu celebration, simply too tired from everything to partake in the revelry. Matrix was especially feeling the burn, as he had been moving nonstop since before he was whisked out of the Dataverse by the Spirit.

“You said ‘we’,” Matrix suddenly said as they walked through the town.

“What’s that?” AndrAIa asked as she furrowed an eyebrow.

“Why don’t ‘we’ strike the Liberation Front,” Matrix clarified. “We’ve traveled a lot, and seen plenty of systems, but we’ve never counted ourselves as one of them before.”

“It feels different this time, though, doesn’t it?” AndrAIa said, beyond ready for this discussion. “We can’t just leave the Omniverse like we left systems before. I think it’s time to start thinking about the possibility of us never getting out of here.”

“I think so, too,” Matrix agreed. “I didn’t mean anything bad by it. It sounded kind of nice, to be honest.”

“We won’t give up, but in the meantime, it’s nice to have another place to call home,” AndrAIa said.

"Yea, it is," Matrix softly commented. "So, let's just go home and worry about the rest tomorrow."

Matrix smiled as they exited the city limits and began their short trek down the dirt trail that led to their house. He found himself increasingly eager to get back there, with just the same feeling that he’d felt when they were searching for Mainframe. This really was their home, and the reality was that it might always be. He realized that was the reason he took the Liberation Front so seriously, and the Empire, as well. They were a threat to his new society, and he would defend them just the same way he’d fought viruses back in Mainframe.

AndrAIa held his arm as they walked, and he continued to smile. Admittedly, he’d been doing a lot more of that lately, as well. Even with this resolve, surely they would need to night to rest and relax.

[Enzo Matrix]

With the onset of night, Cinnabar Island had become very peaceful and relaxing. The trail to Matrix and AndrAIa’s home had been eclipsed with darkness before they reached the house. Crickets were chirping while stars glowed in the night sky, along with plenty of other ambient stimuli that were new to the two of them. They only now understood it was because the computer they’d come from wasn’t capable of processing all of these factors within itself, nor did it need to.

They laughed and joked as they leisurely walked down the trail, both reminiscing about old adventures and planning for their new ones. There was a lot of adventuring, ahead, after all. AndrAIa giggled as she wrapped her arms around Matrix’s left arm. It was a perfect, peaceful moment, and it was well earned after all they’d experienced.

Matrix sensed something amiss first, and stopped in place. AndrAIa, though she didn’t know what was wrong, also stopped, and looked to Matrix curiously. She could see his robotic eye glowing as it scanned the area before them.

“What’s wrong?” AndrAIa asked as she released her boyfriend, and grasped her collapsed trident in one hand.

“Something’s ahead of us,” Matrix announced. “Two lifeforms, around our house.”

“Friendly?” AndrAIa queried, though she went ahead and extended her trident to its battle length.

Matrix watched the blurs in his enhanced vision. It was easy to tell from their placement and their heartrate that this wasn’t a welcoming party. He shook his head as he drew Gun from its hip holster. “No.”

They cautiously stepped forward, with Matrix raising his firearm. The two heat signatures that his eye detected weren’t moving, as they didn’t realize they had been made. The task at hand would simply be that much easier.

A vine shot from the shadowy bushes beside them, and wrapped about Matrix’s wrist. Both he and AndrAIa gasped in surprise, but the Bayleef that emerged jerked Matrix harshly forward, throwing him completely off balance.

Matrix hit the dirt with a thud, and looked up to see that the other two were rapidly approaching. How had he missed the third one? That was just one of many questions that he didn’t have time to ask. He stood up as the Quilava and Croconaw revealed themselves and closed in. His weapon had left his hands in the ambush, and he didn’t have time to retrieve it. Instead, he threw a powerful punch into the blue alligator Pokemon, and wasted no time kicking the fire Pokemon after a quick half turn.

AndrAIa stabbed at the yellow and green Pokemon with her trident, looking to quickly end this battle. The Bayleef was fast and agile with its vines, and grabbed the trident with one and AndrAIa’s left ankle in the other. Much the same as it had attacked Matrix, the grass Pokemon abruptly yanked the game sprite forward, and AndrAIa was flung through the air. She landed harshly on the trail, kicking up a cloud of dirt. She lost her grip on the trident, and the Bayleef grabbed her right wrist in the other vine, pinning her down by the limbs it controlled.

Matrix directed his attention back to the Croconaw just in time to see it leaping towards him, and it landed a headbutt right on his head. He screamed in pain as the Quilava jumped behind the stumbling sprite. He backed right into it and tripped, crashing to the ground. He was stunned, but he still had a plan. He held his right hand out, and his Gun instantly began to fly towards his open palm.

No sooner that he summoned the weapon to his hand, though, the Croconaw bit down on his wrist. Matrix once more roared in agony, while his weapon bounced off the water Pokemon. He twisted and punched at the Croconaw with his free arm, but it didn’t seem to faze the thick skinned monster. It began dragging him backwards while he struggled against the fangs that had him.

AndrAIa rose to her feet, struggling against the pull of the vines. The Bayleef gave another powerful tug to drag her back to the ground, but she instead jumped into the air and spun several times. The vines were immediately wrapped up in themselves, causing the Bayleef to lose its grip. She landed by her trident and snatched it into her hands quickly. The Bayleef, still struggling with its vines, unleashed a barrage of razor sharp leaves in her direction. She deflected as many as she could while she charged forward, flinching with each one that slashed her bare arms. It wasn’t enough to slow her down, and as the grass Pokemon began stumbling back, she drove her trident into its eye sockets.

Matrix pulled against the strength of the Croconaw with all the strength he had, and managed to lift it off the ground. He swung the Pokemon over himself and down onto the Quilava that approached. The impact caused the Croconaw to lose its grip and fall to the ground, while the much more fragile fire-type Pokemon was drilled partially into the dirt.

Quilava stood and let out a stream of pure fire from its mouth, which Matrix barely sidestepped in time. He approached the recovering Croconaw and kicked it in the back, causing it to faceplant once more with decisive force. He then turned to see the Quilava had jumped at him, and punched it right out of the air. The fire breather landed with a groan of pain.

AndrAIa rushed to Matrix’s side and impaled the Croconaw with her trident in a smooth, fluid motion. It gasped and gurgled on its own blood while she ripped the weapon right back out of the corpse. Matrix held his hand out and finally returned his firearm to it. He leveled it at the Quilava, which froze with wide eyes as it looked at the two marks that had survived the assassination attempt.

“Who sent you!?” Matrix demanded with a loud roar.

The Quilava didn’t respond, and instead took off towards the treeline. Matrix cursed as he fired the weapon, blasting the fire-type Pokemon with one well-placed shot. He released the weapon and let it naturally return to his hip as he and AndrAIa walked towards the final corpse.

“You need to get better about holding onto that thing,” AndrAIa teased as they walked. Matrix didn’t smile, this time. He didn’t find humor in dire situations like she could.

“They know where we live,” Matrix reminded her sternly. “The Liberation Front found us.”

“They always knew,” AndrAIa retorted as they stopped over the dead fire-type. “We knew this would happen. Just not this fast.”

Matrix nodded, slowly. He didn’t like any fight coming to his front door. This was supposed to be their place of sanctuary and safety. He’d promised Mewtwo that his fights wouldn’t end up here, but this wasn’t his fight. It was Cinnabar’s, and he had been caught up in it.

“I need to have a word with Mewtwo tomorrow,” Matrix decided. It was time to get the record straight on all of this.

“Probably a good idea,” AndrAIa remarked. “Come on. Let’s get inside.”

Matrix nodded, silently wondering if they needed to sleep in the subbasement tonight, just in case there were more assassins lurking in the woods. He hated that the Liberation Front could make him feel that way within his own home. He’d see to fixing that.

For the moment, he raised his hand and began to extract the Omnilium from the fallen. He’d get the other two just as soon as he finished with this one. It seemed cruel, almost vampiric, but it was a valuable resource, and they would do the same to him. He simply accepted the way of the world.

Dust to dust.

[Enzo Matrix]

In one swift motion, Matrix shoved the front door of his home open. The sunrise was calm and peaceful, but he felt anything but relaxed. He had thought about the raid of the Liberation Front’s hidden base all night, and especially just how quickly and accurately they had retaliated. He was all for team spirit, but he expected it to go both ways. It was time to find Mewtwo and set the record straight.

He didn’t have to look very hard. Before him, there was the physic-type leader of Cinnabar standing in the dirt clearing before his house. He could admit that the first two times Mewtwo had managed to sneak up and project a mysterious air about him, Matrix had been thoroughly impressed. Time had passed, and he knew a little bit more about Cinnabar, and the Omniverse as a whole. Now, the whole act just made him angry.

“Good,” Matrix said as he descended the three steps and joined Mewtwo in the clearing. “We need to talk.”

“You’re right,” Mewtwo’s voice telepathically boomed into Matrix’s head. Again, originally intimidating. Now, not so much.

“You told me not to bring my fights here,” Matrix started. He wasn’t much for playing conversational ‘chicken.’ “You told me Cinnabar protected its neutrality, and that if anything followed me here, I was on my own.”

“And I meant every word of it,” Mewtwo snapped.

“And yet last night, after I nearly died projecting a Cinnabar citizen, Liberation Front assassins nearly killed me right here!” Matrix shouted in his deep, heavy voice as he pointed to the dirt between the two. “So it’s a one-way street, then? If your issues end up on my front door, that’s just fine?”

“While you were gone, we were dealing with other foreigners,” Mewtwo retorted, his own anger slipping through his usually calm telepathic demeanor. “Cinnabar has been a nearly forgotten island in the Vasty Deep for some time, with a token Imperial presence. Now we have diplomats ashore and all manner of individuals running around. The only one of us that has spent extensive time away from the island is you!”

“Foreigners?” Matrix scoffed. “What are you talking about?”

“As I said. The Empire has men on the island as we speak. A woman pretended to be interested in helping us, but betrayed us and ran off with them,” Mewtwo answered. “It happened almost immediately after you left.”

“And I had nothing to do with any of that,” Matrix responded. His hand twitched as he resisted the urge and instinct to go for his gun. He couldn’t believe he was being blamed for other peoples’ malicious actions just after his own heroic ones. It was why he never let himself get close. People – whatever form they took – only disappointed.

“I know of your travels to the Dataverse,” Mewtwo pressed his accusations on strong. “And I know of your journeys to the Graveyardverse. You have interacted with a great number people not from this land.”

“And I shared the name ‘Cinnabar’ with none of them!” Matrix shouted back. Surely, it looked odd, with him being the only one capable of vocalizing his words aloud, but he really didn’t care. He couldn’t believe he was being accused of whatever the hell Mewtwo had on his mind when he’d been the one nearly killed the previous night. “Maybe it’s time for you to accept that this island is a little more well-known than you’d like.”

Mewtwo didn’t answer. He didn’t move at all. He just stared directly into Matrix’s eyes with a powerful and piercing gaze. That was a little bit intimidating, still.

“Who is Wartortle?” Matrix demanded. Regardless of what he was up against, he wasn’t one to back down.

“You met him?” Mewtwo took a slightly less aggressive tone inside of Matrix’s mind.

“No,” Matrix firmly answered. “But I met the ones that believed in what he said. Believed enough to leave this island.”

“Wartortle created something of a schism between our people,” Mewtwo remarked. “Even those that didn’t leave talk about his words, from time to time.”

“Tell me about the Liberation Front,” Matrix requested in a low, deliberate tone. It was all he could do to keep from demanding it out loud.

“Cinnabar and the Liberation Front is a close, personal matter,” Mewtwo replied very quickly.

This just caused the anger to boil within Matrix again. “A matter that came to my front door last night.”

Mewtwo paused. The green prime had a good point, at that. “Wartortle was once a resident of Cinnabar, like many of the members of the Liberation Front.”

“Tor, the Blastoise, for instance,” Matrix ventured to guess. “I did meet that one.”

“Yes,” Mewtwo confirmed. “They all believed that this small, forgotten island in the Vasty Deep was not good enough for us. They believed that we should strike out and use our powers to claim a far more impressive land. Perhaps even an entire verse or more.”

Matrix nodded, crossing his arms as he listened.

“Thoughts on what we deserve aside, I argued that we did not need to subject our citizens to a fruitless war when we exist just fine here,” Mewtwo continued. “Perhaps even better. There is nothing advantageous about where we are. The Empire’s blockade isn’t concerned with the island itself, just our people. That much we can never avoid.”

“So Wartortle left,” Matrix concluded.

“Quite abruptly, and quite violently,” Mewtwo answered. “In the end, he and his followers went underground, and we continued like always, though we have dealt with his people on Cinnabar ever since. The Hypno that abducted Vulcan’s son being just one example.”

“So the three that ambushed me and AndrAIa last night could have been regular citizens?” Matrix asked.

“It’s possible,” Mewtwo admitted. “We would have to see. Where are they now?”

Matrix’s only answer was to allow an orb of Omnilium to emerge from his palm. With Mewtwo’s nod of understanding, he re-absorbed the rainbow glob.

“Who was the girl? The one that betrayed you?” Matrix asked, changing the subject. He’d heard enough to understand the situation with the Liberation Front.

“You don’t know her?” Mewtwo responded with a question of his own.

“Why would I?” Matrix countered with yet another question.

“She looked to prove herself to gain refuge here,” Mewtwo explained, breaking the chain of questions. “Much like you did. I had something more elaborate in mind, to make use of her powers. But she had other plans. She left with the Imperials.”

Matrix silently processed that information.

“Sabrina,” Mewtwo continued. “She knew me from the realm before this one.”

Matrix nodded, not really knowing what to make of that bit of information. The world before the Omniverse was irrelevant to him, unless it was Mainframe.

“I had nothing to do with her showing up,” Matrix responded. “Neither did AndrAIa.”

Mewtwo crossed its own arms. “Trust is hard to come by. You can forgive me for being suspicious of an ill-timed arrival like yourself.”

Matrix glared at the Pokemon hard. “I just expect some level of support when it comes to-“

The distinct sound of an explosion caught the attention of both primes. Mewtwo and Matrix both looked in the direction of the sound, realizing that they were looking in the direction of the main town of Cinnabar. Mewtwo closed his eyes, while Matrix took a few more steps to end up beside the purple and white Pokemon. Mewtwo then opened his eyes and dismissed his frustration, and turned to stand beside Matrix. Neither quite processed that it was the first time that had happened, metaphorically or not.

“What was that?” Matrix asked.

Mewtwo’s sigh was another telepathic feat that Matrix heard within his brain.

“More trouble.”

At least some things never changed.