"Report, sir, someone... someone is intruding," said the surveillance officer.
When describing the intrusion, his expression looked somewhat strange.
Judging by the intruder's attire, they appeared to be an invader, yet the way they moved through the facility suggested they had higher clearance than even a high-ranking officer. Every door opened for them without resistance.
Was this truly an intruder?
On the monitor, the figure strode through the halls effortlessly. Doors slid open automatically as they approached, and a Gengar floated beside them, its eerie grin widening as it unleashed Hypnosis on anyone who drew near. The guards collapsed before they could react.
Not just one Gengar accompanied the intruder—a Mismagius drifted alongside them, its ghostly form swaying as it observed the surroundings with curiosity, as if exploring a new city.
Lysandre observed Aoki's casual demeanor and frowned. "Understood. I'll handle this myself."
He strode out of the command room.
All of Team Flare's elite operatives had already been deployed on missions.
He hadn't expected an intruder.
Now, he had no choice but to deal with it personally.
With several grunts following, Lysandre marched toward the entrance without hesitation.
Aoki hadn't caused excessive damage. After bypassing security and drawing attention, he simply stood waiting, surrounded by Team Flare members in their orange-red uniforms.
None dared approach.
Gengar's presence was too intimidating—any Pokémon that lunged forward was swiftly blasted away by Shadow Ball.
Since Aoki made no aggressive moves, the grunts hesitated.
Before long, Lysandre pushed through the crowd and stood before Aoki.
His frown deepened at Aoki's obscured face. "Who are you? What is your purpose for breaking into our base?"
Lysandre's voice was sharp.
Aoki's features were concealed beneath a veil of psychic energy, rendering his identity unreadable.
"Sir Lysandre," a voice murmured through his earpiece, "the intruder's face is obscured by psychic interference. There's an 80% probability he's a psychic-type Trainer."
Psychics.
Lysandre's scowl darkened.
He had encountered psychics before, but few could mask their appearance so thoroughly.
Still, even the most powerful psychics were no match for him.
Psychic Trainers were notoriously reclusive, however. Provoking one often meant inviting retaliation from an entire network of allies.
But this intruder had forced his way inside. Letting him leave unpunished was unacceptable.
"Lysandre…" Aoki's voice rasped, distorted by psychic resonance.
Hearing his name didn't surprise Lysandre. If the intruder had gone this far, he clearly knew who he was dealing with.
"I'm here to propose an alliance," Aoki continued.
Lysandre's eyebrows lifted slightly before his expression hardened again. "Is this how you propose an alliance? You don't seem interested in diplomacy."
Aoki chuckled. "Necessary measures. If I hadn't demonstrated my capabilities, I doubt I'd have gained an audience with you at all."
Without strength, arranging a meeting with Lysandre would have been impossible. After all, Lance had been searching for him for months without success.
But Lance had been looking in the wrong place—he assumed Lysandre would still be at the Lysandre Labs in Lumiose City. He didn't realize Lysandre had long since relocated his operations to this hidden mountain base.
Lysandre's jaw tightened.
"Very well. Then let's see if you're truly worthy of an alliance." His patience had worn thin. He snatched a Poké Ball from his belt and hurled it forward.
A battle would settle this.
ROAR!
Flames erupted, followed by a thunderous growl. As the fire dissipated, the Pokémon within was revealed.
Pyroar.
A male Pyroar, his mane blazing.
Pokémon: Pyroar (Dark Cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 64
Type: Fire / Normal
Ability: Rivalry
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Yawn, Entrainment, Fire Spin, Flame Charge
Basic Moves: Hyper Beam, Tackle, Leer, Ember, Work Up, Take Down, Noble Roar, Flame Charge, Fire Fang, Endeavor, Echoed Voice, Flamethrower, Crunch, Hyper Voice, Overheat, Incinerate
Learnt Moves: Heat Wave, Hyper Voice, Iron Tail, Snore
TM Moves: Rest, Double Team, Overheat, Flame Burst, Payback, Giga Impact, Wild Charge, Sleep Talk
The system scanned Pyroar's data.
Honestly, Aoki was slightly surprised by its dark cyan potential.
Not because it was too high—but because it seemed lower than expected.
For a Trainer of Lysandre's caliber—comparable to champion level like Karen—this felt underwhelming.
But this Pyroar wasn't Lysandre's strongest Pokémon. Team Flare was still in its early stages, and Lysandre likely hadn't yet dedicated full resources to training his personal team.
A Level 64 Pyroar, a Champion-tier Pokémon, was still formidable.
"Pyroar, Flamethrower!" Lysandre commanded without hesitation.
The moment Pyroar appeared, battle had begun.
Team Flare grunts scrambled back, clearing space.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball," Aoki responded calmly.
Gengar cackled, forming two swirling orbs of ghostly energy and hurling them into the oncoming flames.
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosion rocked the base.
Debris flew, and several grunts were knocked off their feet.
Lysandre stood firm, his gaze locked onto Aoki, who hadn't so much as flinched.
After the clash, Lysandre didn't immediately order another attack.
This Gengar was Champion-tier.
The Mismagius beside Aoki hadn't even reacted to the blast—likely another high-level Pokémon.
"Shall we discuss terms now?" Aoki asked.
Lysandre's eyes narrowed, calculating.
If he was to achieve his grand vision, allies of this caliber could prove useful.
"Your strength is… acceptable," Lysandre conceded. "But you still owe me an explanation for invading my base."
Aoki smirked beneath the psychic veil.
"Explanation? The best one I can offer is that I chose not to slaughter your men."