Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

After listening to the testimonies of the Team Flare members and the four thieves, Champion Alder felt a chill run down his spine.

This person impersonating Rio not only looked similar to him but also had remarkably similar Pokémon—a Shiny Charizard, a Shiny Gengar, and critically, a Mewtwo. The first two were rare but not impossible to find. But Mewtwo was an artificial Pokémon—most people’s initial assumption was that only Rio had one. That made it all too easy to pin the blame on him.

He, Steven, and Diantha had all initially suspected Rio. If they hadn’t happened to be with Rio when these incidents occurred, they might have confronted him, demanded answers from the Kanto League, and even sparked war. Thankfully, that misunderstanding never happened—each League had caught on in time.

"Indeed. It’s a good thing we chose to trust Rio—otherwise, we’d have been deceived by these villains." Steven agreed with Alder’s sentiment.

"The pressing question now is: who—or which organization—is behind this manipulation of regional legendaries?"

"I suspect it’s the former underground king of Kanto—Team Rocket. What do you two think?"

"Team Rocket? Why do you say that, Steven? I recall you mentioned before that Mewtwo was their creation." Alder had only a passing familiarity with Team Rocket.

"Team Rocket?" Diantha frowned. She also didn’t know much about the organization, only that it once controlled Kanto’s underworld and had infiltrated even its highest ranks—but since Rio took over as Champion, Team Rocket had suffered blow after blow and grown quieter.

"Yes, Team Rocket. As Alder mentioned, they created Mewtwo, a powerful Psychic-type." Seeing the other two Champions’ limited knowledge, Steven elaborated. "If they could create one Mewtwo, they could likely create a second. And no underground organization in the world hates Rio more than them. You both know why—Rio destroyed their bases, and their boss Giovanni was even his prisoner a few years ago."

"Well... I think Sinnoh’s Pokémon Hunter Organization probably hates Rio just as much." A Sinnoh official who had accompanied the group interjected.

Though annoyed by the interruption, Steven responded calmly: "But Team Rocket would know Rio the best, wouldn’t they? I’ve heard that ever since Rio left Lavender Town, he’s been clashing with Team Rocket. After fighting him for so long, they must know him inside and out."

The Sinnoh official fell silent after Diantha and Alder shot him a disapproving look.

"After hearing Steven’s reasoning, I agree—Team Rocket is the most likely culprit. Their hatred for Rio would drive them to impersonate him, and they have access to a Mewtwo." Diantha nodded, then added: "But I’m not convinced Team Rocket alone could pull this off. Their boss was captured only a few years ago. How could they have regained the ability to command regional legendaries so quickly? Could there be other forces involved?"

"Other forces?" Steven frowned, considering Diantha’s point. If Team Rocket alone were responsible, it would indeed be a stretch. There had to be collaborators.

He glanced at the Sinnoh official, and Alder and Diantha did the same—making the official nervous.

"Don’t get any ideas! The Sinnoh League would never conspire with Team Rocket! We stand firmly against evil organizations!" He protested.

"We’re not accusing the Sinnoh League. But you did mention earlier that the Pokémon Hunter Organization also has a grudge against Rio." Diantha said calmly. "They’d have both the motive and the means to cooperate with Team Rocket."

"And the first legendary gang-beating happened in Sinnoh—your region’s officials should know that better than anyone. The impersonator, with a Shiny Charizard, Shiny Gengar, and Mewtwo, beat up Dialga, then Palkia, then Giratina. That level of knowledge about Sinnoh’s legendaries suggests long-term research. Aside from the Sinnoh League and official institutions, the Hunter Organization would have that knowledge—they’re a global operation that takes commissions from across the world..."

Diantha trailed off, realizing she was treading on sensitive ground. The Hunter Organization’s clients included high-ranking officials and nobles from every region—her own included. Their commissions often involved rare Pokémon, even legendaries. Though the Hunters might not always succeed, they would have conducted extensive research on regional histories and legends—sometimes with inside help from corrupt officials.

That uncomfortable truth was better left unsaid. "In short, they’d have studied every region’s history thoroughly. It’s entirely plausible they’ve teamed up with Team Rocket." Diantha concluded.

"I agree with Diantha. The Hunter Organization and Team Rocket are likely in league." Alder nodded, a hint of embarrassment on his face—Rio’s earlier exposé had revealed that Unova’s own officials had been among the Hunter Organization’s clients.

"I agree with Diantha as well—especially since the Hoenn legends were attacked shortly after Sinnoh’s. The orchestration was clearly planned." Steven said confidently—he had avoided embarrassment by not joining the initial accusations against Rio.

"And after Hoenn, Unova was next—confirming that the enemy has deep knowledge of every region. The Hunter Organization definitely fits the bill."

"So we need to intensify our investigation into both Team Rocket and the Hunter Organization." Diantha’s eyes gleamed. "For world peace, I propose forming a joint task force to track them down."

"Agreed." Steven nodded.

"Agreed." Alder echoed.

"We’ll need to consult with our other officials." The Sinnoh official said awkwardly. No one laughed—they all knew they’d need to do the same, though as Champions, their word carried enough weight to push things through.

"But that’s not the most urgent matter right now." Steven added. "The priority is figuring out where the impersonator will strike next. He just attacked Xerneas and Yveltal—will he go after other Kalos legendaries?"

Diantha’s eyes widened. She knew Kalos’s third legendary well—Zygarde, the guardian of order, and the region’s strongest deity. Unlike Xerneas and Yveltal, Zygarde rarely appeared in its complete form, instead existing as cells scattered across Kalos.

"Steven’s right—the priority is predicting the impersonator’s next move. If he’s after Kalos’s legendaries, Zygarde would be the target. But since it mostly exists as cells, capturing it would be difficult."

"Weren’t these Team Flare members after Zygarde’s power too? What if the impersonator has the same goal?" Steven pointed at the captured Flare operatives.

Diantha frowned. "That’s possible, but I still find it hard to believe Team Flare would try to eliminate half of humanity."

Alder noticed her hesitation. "Is this organization connected to you, Diantha?"

Diantha explained Team Flare’s status in Kalos—how its parent company had brought technology that permeated the entire region, and how its extensive charity work had earned the public’s trust. The thought that such an organization would commit mass murder was terrifying. She was reluctant to confront them directly.

"But if you don’t act swiftly, the consequences could be far worse." Alder advised. "This is the perfect opportunity to detain their leadership. They’re the only ones who can tell us how they planned to harness Zygarde’s power—and perhaps reveal the impersonator’s next move. Steven and I can help if you can’t do it alone."

"Exactly. We came here to help, and we’ll do whatever it takes." Steven added.

After a long pause, Diantha agreed. Following Alder’s advice, she didn’t inform the Kalos League of the operation—Alder, nearly fifty, knew that a conglomerate of this size would have moles inside the League. Informing officials could tip off the enemy.

Meanwhile, Lysandre had no idea he was about to be ruined—all because of Rio. He was still fuming over the destruction of his Ultimate Weapon and the loss of contact with his operatives in Orus Forest. His only option was to capture Zygarde’s core cell Z2 and use its power to turn things around.

But just as he was about to lead the operation himself, Diantha, Steven, and Alder—three regional Champions with their forces—stormed Team Flare headquarters. They overwhelmed the building, detaining all executives and researchers in one swift strike, Lysandre included. Though he was strong enough to rival a regional Champion, he couldn’t hold out against three.

Meanwhile, Rio and Diancie were still traveling through Kalos, enjoying the sights and deepening their bond.