Rota Bage and Sweetie Belle, the latter back in her human form, emerged from Route 1 to be greeted by the sight of what could more fittingly be called a large village than a town. A set of residential buildings spread throughout a large field overlooked by a three story building beside a cliff overlooking the ocean is what the town ultimately amounted to.
“This is Pallet Town,” Rota confirmed with a smile. “Good to see it hasn’t changed much in the past few years. Anyway, the Lab is right over there, so let’s get going.” With that, she led the disguised filly through the small town to the Lab.
Looking into the windows, the pair saw Professor Oak along with Blue and a few other people, likely Professor Oak’s assistants, performing various duties inside, Blue helping Professor Oak with something involving the three red and white spheres, the Pokeballs, on a table.
“Alright, here we are,” Rota said as she and Sweetie came in through the entrance, attracting the attention of all the occupants, most of who returned to their tasks, save for Blue, Professor Oak, and a bearded man in with a green hoodie that had a stylized S for a logo embroidered onto it.
The last one stepped forward as he spoke up. “Ah, Rota, I'm glad to see you, and not for the usual reason this time I assure you.”
“So you’re not gonna ask me to join Team Sky, again?” Rota asked with a subtle glare at the man.
“O-of course not! Besides, I’m a little busy tracking down what seems to be a variant of Team Rocket who have been capturing Pokémon all over this world,” The man replied nervously.
“Hey, we just saved Mew from being captured by a group of thugs belonging to a group called Team Rainbow Rocket on our way here!” Sweetie Void said in realization.
“Oh you did? Wonderful! You must be quite powerful, little one. Unfortunately, I do not endorse child labor, so I cannot, in good conscience, try to recruit you.” The man said, almost regretfully.
“I doubt she’d be interested in joining your team of birdkeepers, Mikey,” Rota openly mocked him in reply.
“BIRDS ARE NOT THE ONLY CREATURES OF THE SKY THAT WE WELCOME! Or have you forgotten who wields the Dragon of Sky Pillar in this world?” The man, Mikey, replied with a sudden and near dramatic fury.
Rota, meanwhile, smirked as she replied, “I remember nearly bringing your team's base down on your head with it when you were still an evil team back in Hoenn. What was your goal back then? ‘Expand the sky?’ How does one even do that?”
Rota and Mikey stared each other down for a moment, before suddenly.
“Pff.’ they both suddenly started laughing as Mikey patted Rota on the back before they finally calmed down.
“Anyway, the kid said you two had just taken down what sounds like a group of the guys my team is working with Magma and Aqua to track down, preventing them from capturing Mew. Is that right?” Mikey asked his question with his face becoming serious.
“Yeah, and they seemed to have some tech that, honestly, shouldn’t have worked here in Kanto, now that I think about it.”
“What kind of technology would work elsewhere but not in Kanto?” Blue asked in confusion.
“The Ferrum Region has a unique phenomenon called Synergy. It’s basically the whole reason their battles are the way they are there, the way I understand it. However, they use special earpieces to make the Battles easier to coordinate and keep track of. This earpiece also holds a special stone that allows humans and Pokémon to experience the Synergy phenomenon, effectively allowing the trainer to command their Pokémon as if they were a part of each other,” Rota explained. “There are two reasons it shouldn’t have worked in that instance. First is the Synergy phenomenon requires a constant flow of the appropriate energy that can only be found IN the Ferrum region, where it practically saturates the land. Second, and this is important, it only works with certain Pokémon. None of the thugs were using Pokémon it works with, and yet I didn’t hear a single one of them give their Pokémon an order. Did you, Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie thought back to the fight. “No, I didn’t. But if that means they’re able to use that phenomenon with any Pokémon-”
“What’s stopping them from doing it with more powerful Pokémon?” Mikey said as he exited the Lab, his phone already in hand.
A moment of silence fell upon the lab as everyone left in it pondered that exchange.
“I’m guessing that we’ll get involved with that at some point, but for now, let’s refocus on why you two came here originally. The starters are here on the table, Sweetie Belle. Your choices are between the Fire type Starter, Charmander, the Water type Starter, Squirtle, and the Grass type Starter, Bulbasaur,” Professor Oak said, gesturing to the table with the Pokeballs.
“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said as she approached the table.
“Hey, Sweetie, I gotta go take care of something,” Rota said. “Think you can handle yourself for a bit?”
“Hm? Oh yeah, I should be fine, take your time.”
As Rota left Professor Oak’s Lab, she pulled out her own cell phone, quickly looking for and calling a specific number. She made sure her points were straight in her head before the person she was calling picked up.
“This is Looker with the International Police. May I ask who’s calling and why?” The voice on the other side was professional and slightly gruff.
“Looker, it’s Rota. I heard that the Hoenn Teams are working together in regards to an investigation. Do you know anything about that?”
“Yes, I’m the one helping coordinate their efforts with Interpol, actually. I just got off the phone with Mikey a bit ago, so the only thing I’ll be needing clarification about is the report of a Visitor by the name of Sweetie Belle. Namely whether or not she’s stable with her power.”
Rota looked back into the Lab through the window, seeing the assistants forming a circle as Sweetie Belle used the Squirtle to battle Blue using the Bulbasaur. Curiously, Blue seemed to be the only one actually giving orders. “That’s what I intend to find out over the next day or two. But if she is stable, this may end up being my only real chance at being able to leave this dimension until Dawn’s back from her vacation to Alola, so…”
“Volunteers don’t need to give notice for vacation time. Besides, you’re overdue, as far as anyone here cares,” Looker said with a friendly tone. “Like I said, just make sure she’s stable and not a threat before you go.”
Rota began bouncing on her toes in excitement. “Thanks, Looker. I’ll send you a message before we leave, if all goes well.”
As she hung up her phone, Sweetie Belle came out of the Lab holding a pamphlet, essentially the local map.
“Here, let me give you a little something to help you read that,” Rota said as she put a hand on the disguised filly’s head.
The next instant Sweetie Void groaned as she seemed to make a realization.
“Why didn’t I think of the fact I don’t know the local language?”
**Meanwhile, in Ultra Space**
Giovanni sat at his desk, taking in the report he was just given. Across from him sat the one who gave him the report, Neo, his arms crossed as he slouched forward in his seat.
Behind the high ranking grunt sat Ghetsis along with versions of other evil team leaders.
Archie, leader of Team Aqua, who, in their world, had succeeded in their goal to expand the seas, using the Legendary Pokemon Kyogre.
Maxie, Leader of Team Magma, who had done the same with the lands in his own world with Groudon.
A version of the Team Sky leader, Mikey who had rebranded his team as Team Nightsky and wore an eyepatch and darkened the skies of his world wielding a Shiny Rayquaza.
Lysandre, the leader of Team Flare, who used the Legendary Pokemon Xernias to grant immortality to himself and a select few others and wiped all other life from his world.
Cyrus, the emotionless leader of Team Galactic, who managed to capture avatars of the Legendary Pokemon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, and bring about his ‘perfect world.’
Finally, Giovanni spoke. “While it is unfortunate that we have been discovered far sooner than expected, there is still one good thing we can take from this. The Synergy devices worked flawlessly, you said?”
Neo glanced up to meet Giovanni’s eyes as he answered. “Yes, they did. Pretty sure it’s why we lasted that long against that Visitor.”
The leader of Team Rainbow Rocket smiled malevolently. “Excellent. You’ve done well, Neo. Keep up the positive results. You’re dismissed.”
Neo gave a huff as he walked out of Giovanni’s office, heading down to his quarters.
On his way there, he pondered the potential consequences of double crossing Team Rainbow Rocket for the betterment of his world compared to the few attachments he had amongst them. Namely, his squad.
Too soon to act, either way. Just gotta wait until an opportunity shows up.