Veilstone City.


    <hr>


    “Hello and good morning from Jubilife City. As always, I am Ada Larix, and you are watching CCB Sinnoh.


    "Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia makes preparations for the World Coronation Series in November by challenging both the Elite Four’s Psychic-type specialist, Lucian, and Hoenn League Champion Steven Stone to high-octane exhibition matches. The games are scheduled to be held next week Saturday at the Battle Resort Fight Area, and the Pokémon League Association President and President of the Macro Cosmos conglomerate, Myers Rose, will be present to oversee the games…”


    “Did you get that?”


    “Loud and clear, sir.” A sly guy with a sharp and crooked voice said, his eyes staring up at the TV screen, observing the beautiful blonde woman being interviewed.


    “...No reason other than to stir things up, warm up the competition. I grew up watching legends like Lady Agatha, Lady Bertha, and Sir Drayden go toe to toe in the most intense battles, but we’ve still never had anything like the World Coronation Series. It’s going to change everything, and I’d love to give everyone a taste of just how wild things are about to get all around the world.”


    “That was the Queen of Legends when asked why she issued such a daunting challenge. President Rose also hinted at some additional matches being held on the day.”


    The screen cut to a pristine man wearing a sleek grey suit, cameras flickering and flashing his face in floods of light; several mics were held up to his tan, neatly bearded face.


    “She’s right. I feel we can all see Cynthia’s perspective. In fact, I had been thinking of organising a few matches in preparation for the debut in November. I also feel we can do much, much more. I think many of us will agree that there is definitely room for more. I think we can throw in a few more Elite Four members, a champion or two. But that’s just from the top of my head. You, at the back.”


    “Thank you, Mr President, Marcus Nantes from CCB Galar—”


    “Oh, one of our own!” The president grew a delighted smirk, even his rich jade eyes smiling with pride.


    “Yes, sir. My question to you is: You said you feel there’s room for more. Did you have anyone specific in mind? Who would you like to see in the stadium?”


    Rose placed a hand on his chin and made a thoughtful expression, as though he wasn’t expecting this question.


    “Personally? I’d love to see Kalos’s First Lady step into the field. I don’t know, I just love her battle style. So gracious, so elegant, so powerful; there’s just something about young, beautiful talent—I was watching her last week, and I’m loving the additions of Sylveon and Goodra over Aurorus and…”


    “Do you have any idea what this means for us… Saturn?” the boss asked him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The sly young man slicked his hair, a horned smirk on his face. Oh, he had a few ideas what it meant. None of which were the type you’d want to be caught up in as collateral damage. The type of ideas that ended with a bunch of nameless faces being thrown onto the front page of a newspaper as an exponentially tragic number sparked by an event that may or may not involve gunpowder.


    “I understand, sir. We cannot miss such a marvellous opportunity. I’ll get to work.” Unable to pull off his crafty smile, Saturn left the room to get to work.


    Now, he was all alone. The Boss was all alone. Just like when he was born into this world and just like how he would depart from it.


    He was alone, save for the smooth humming of an air conditioner pouring cool air into the room. It was pitch black in there. Green specs of flickering light twinkled in the room; lights from the servers. In front of him was the big TV screen, his almost skeletal face flooded by blue light as he watched Friday morning news. But it didn’t bother his eyes. Nothing did. His grim, sunken eyes were full of nothing.


    He just stood there in the dark, his hands behind his back.


    Listening.


    Scheming.


    “Who else? I’ve always wanted to see Drake and Lance clash. It has to happen—the strongest Dragon trainer of today up against the strongest Dragon trainer in history. That’d be wonderful. You know, this is exactly why we’re doing this. So many fantasy matches are about to become reality, so many dreams. More importantly, average trainers have a chance to steal the spotlight—to show the world who they are and step into the arena with the very best. Last question. You, young lady in the front…”


    “Thank you for your time, Mr President. Alana Beet with UBC...”


    “I see, All the way from Unova? Good morning to you, Miss."


    “Good morning to you too, sir. This is concerning the rampant rise in crime all across the regions. We''re still getting reports of Team Rocket distributing illegal Pokémon and enhancement drugs across Kanto, but now we''re hearing rumours of two new gangs in Hoenn, Team Aqua and Magma—”


    “I understand your concern, and I''m here to tell you all right now: we''ve got it under control…”


    All lies.


    He could never fool him. No. It took a very special type of person to go in front of a large conglomerate of people and confidently lie without a drop of remorse or care. Only a handful of people born on this twisted, irreparable world had that voice. The type of voice capable of throwing vigour into people’s hearts just by selling them…


    Dreams.


    It was just like Rose said. Fantasy. Dreams. The hearts of humans revolved around those two. People love to hear the best possible thing, being fed the best possible outcome. If he could sell these people these fantasies and sound like he believed they’d come true as much as people wanted them to be true: He’d won.


    No, no. He could never fool him. Rose was a manipulator.


    How could he tell?


    Because it takes one to know one.


    When it came to Cyrus, well… let’s just say he knew a thing or two about using charisma to get people drunk on their fantasies enough to make them do whatever you say. Whatever you want. Even the smartest of people, like Saturn, were not immune to this sort of… mental conditioning.


    All it took was a promise. You can get whatever you want.


    Freedom. Money. Acceptance. Family.


    Power and control.


    Unfortunately… for them, not him, the youth was always the most suitable candidate. The insecure, the hopeless, the… powerless. All he had to do was find them and give them what they thought they needed. What they really wanted. In their darkest hour, he''d show. He''d be the light. Their guide.


    Their god. Kind of.


    “This Coronation Series…” he spoke, stretching an arm out. “It presents the perfect opportunity. Imagine: they''ll all be too busy on the launch day to pay attention to their own cataclysm. By then… I would''ve made sure the damage would be irreversible. No do-overs.


    “Now, 8B…” Out of the darkness, a bird flapped its murderous midnight wings and perched on his arm. “Let''s hear what Hoenn''s Champion has to say to us. Time to head out.”


    The Honchkrow nodded her head. Make no mistake, Cyrus may have been alone, but he wasn''t alone. Something you''d come to understand soon enough. There was always something else, someone else.


    Willing to do the worst…