The morning after the incident, investigators were brought to the scene, along with Looker of the International Police. While investigators questioned security, Looker inspected the scene of the crime. He observed that no fingerprints were left on the glass case and that it hadn't been moved in any way shape or form. Glancing up from his work, he spotted the rookie who made a statement that he had been accosted from behind and put into a sleeper hold.

This kind of work is far too elaborate to be the work of some common thief. Judging by the footage, there were several points where the camera seemed to glitch for a few seconds, Looker thought, frowning as he examined the glass casing.

My first thought was that the system had been compromised, but when looking into it, there were no signs of the cameras being tampered with. How vexing!

Looker sighed and shook his head as he continued his investigation.

Getting to the bottom of this won't be easy. I'm going to need to enlist some help if I am to find the thieves who seem to keep slipping through my grasp. The only question is... where do I even start?

Gardenia...

Gabe lounged in the lobby of the Eterna City Pokémon Center, lost in thought.

Her team is going to be extremely troublesome. I have to plan how I'm going to go about this more delicately than usual...

Gabe sighed and looked up at the ceiling while chewing on the toothpick he'd been using after his meal. Strategizing was proving to be more difficult after what he had just witnessed in Floaroma Town. And then there was Jupiter...

How on earth did I not see it sooner? She was right in front of me and I...

Gabe shook his head vigorously and sighed.

Get a grip Gabe, now is not the time to be thinking about that!

Gabe took a deep breath and looked down at the time. He had planned to head over to the gym an hour prior, however, there was a pressing matter that Gardenia needed to attend. As Gabe mulled over strategy in his mind, the T.V. switched to a breaking news update.

"This just in! Eterna City's museum was robbed last night at around ten o'clock PM. Authorities are still working with investigators to figure out who was behind the robbery. According to the security guards that were stationed inside the museum, no alarms were triggered and surveillance video captured nothing, save for this bizarre scene where a strange haze surrounded one of the exhibits..."

Gabe sat up and paid close attention to the report as the reporter went on to explain more about what occurred, including the name of what had been taken.

They took the Adamant Orb huh? Okay, now I'm even more confused. First they have Mega Evolution... now this? Do they have the same goal or not?

Gabe rubbed his temples in confusion and let out an exasperated sigh.

Come to think of it... Jupiter was probably the one who took it. Why else would she have been hanging around here so late?

Gabe muttered something unintelligible under his breath and clenched his fists.

I was with her. And had I known she was going to do something... no, there was no way I could have known. If I didn't know about Mars having Mega Evolution, then there's absolutely no way that I would have been able to know what Jupiter was going to do... which means, I don't know as much as I thought about them.

The game has changed it seems...

Gabe cursed under his breath and stood up to exit the center and head towards the gym. Gardenia was bound to have returned, and earning her gym badge was top on his priority list at this point.

As of right now, I'm no match for Mars or Jupiter. And if I ever came across Saturn or Cyrus they'd most likely flatten me. That being said, I need to train harder and then get my hands on a Mega Stone as soon as possible...

Because if I don't... then there's no telling what will happen...

It wasn't long before Gabe was walking across the grassy field just outside of Eterna City to reach the gym. Moss grew up the sides of the gym as well as the top. Trees surrounded the exterior, giving the true look and feel of a Grass-type gym. Clearing his mind, Gabe walked through the automatic doors, and was greeted with the sight of a forest-like battlefield with a grassy clearing. It was exactly like the anime.

A smile broke out over his face as Gabe scanned his surroundings. He saw several Budew playing together with Cherubi. A Turtwig was asleep under a tree and a Roserade was busy tending to the bushes surrounding the arena. And in the center of it all, stood a woman with orange and black hair.

Upon hearing the doors opening, a smirk curved onto Gardenia's visage. Turning around, her orange depths met with the copper hues of the new arrival to her gym.

"Well this certainly is a surprise. It's good to see you, Barry," Gardenia beamed.

Wait... she knows-

"Your mother told me you had started your journey and to expect to see you sooner or later," Gardenia continued. "And if you're here this fast, you must have defeated Roark."

I guess her and Barry's err... my  mother are friends?

"Right... it wasn't easy though. Roark was tougher than I expected," Gabe replied with a sheepish grin.

"Easy or not, you were able to obtain the badge and bring yourself one step closer to the Pokémon League," Gardenia stated. "That is what you are aiming for, right?"

Gabe nodded.

"Well then... why don't we get to the reason you walked through those doors?" Gardenia added, gesturing to the clearing between the trees.

This is it... I'm about to battle Gardenia. I just hope the strategy I made will work...

Gardenia beckoned Gabe to follow her to the grassy clearing and motioned for him to stand inside the trainer box. Gabe duly did so, turning to face the leader with a fierce look of determination. Though confident of his ability, a degree of uncertainty lingered within his copper depths. Taking her cue, the judge stepped into the arena, and gave the usual introductory speech every judge gave.

"Both sides ready?" she asked, getting a nod from both sides.

"Alright then, trainers, send out your first Pokémon!" shouted the judge.

"Cherrim, come on out!" Gardenia called out, drawing back to fire her teammate onto the field.

The Blossom Pokémon burst forth from her alchemic chamber and materialized onto the grassy arena in her Overcast Form.

So she's leading with Cherrim huh? This should be interesting. I'll need something that can keep up with her so...

"Jamie, time for battle!" Gabe bellowed, releasing his companion onto the battlefield.

Jamie erupted from her spherical abode with an enthusiastic roar before crouching into a predatory stance. Her startipped tail swayed to and fro to signal that she was indeed ready for a fight.

A Luxio huh? Interesting...

"Barry, you have the honor!" Gardenia informed him.

"We'll take it! Jamie start off with Ice Fang!" Gabe commanded.

"Use Rollout and combine it with Razor Leaf!" Gardenia called out.

As Jamie surged forward, teeth laced with icy aura, Cherrim hopped up and began to spin in mid-air before landing behind Jamie and rolling swiftly along the grassy arena. Swerving around, Cherrim began firing off a barrage of Razor Leaf attacks, forcing Jamie to go on the defensive. Jumping up as Cherrim rolled under her, Jamie snapped off a bolt of electricity, and zapped Cherrim as she raced along.

To Jamie's surprise, Cherrim kept rolling and barreled towards her, the power of the attack increasing as Cherrim kept it up. Jamie sidestepped the assault, only to be nailed by a fly by Seed Bomb that blew her into the air.

"Now use Solar Beam!" Gardenia commanded.

"Double Team, quick!" Gabe hastily countered.

Cherrim popped out of her roll, just as the sunlight burst through the roof, enabling her to fully open her petals to reveal her Sunshine Form. The petals lit up and a powerful golden beam erupted from her tiny frame, carving a path through the sky towards Jamie. Heeding her trainer's call, Jamie dispersed herself into multiple copies, three of which were blasted away by the powerful beam of solar energy.

Upon landing, Jamie closed the distance in a flash and lashed out with an Iron Tail, knocking Cherrim over with a slash of her tail. Cherrim panicked as she toppled over, and was soon set upon by Jamie. With ice laced fangs, Jamie snapped down on one of Cherrim's petals and sent chills through her frail form. After a brief struggle, Cherrim was out of commission.

The hand of the judge went up.

"Cherrim is unable to battle! Luxio wins the round!"

"Way to go Jamie!" Gabe cheered excitedly, kneeling down to stroke Jamie behind her ears.

Jamie purred affectionately and nudged her face into his hand.

"That was a fun little match wasn't it?" Gardenia smiled, reaching for her next ball. "Let's see how well you handle this. Grotle, let's do it!"

Wait, did she say Grotle!?

Sure enough, the Grove Pokémon emerged from his sphere in all his emerald, bushy glory. Grotle faced Jamie and Gabe with a challenging gaze. Gabe looked down at Jamie with a small degree of uncertainty. While she was able to topple the likes of Geodude and Cranidos, Grotle had more defensive capabilities than the aforementioned Pokémon.

Jamie took some hits from Cherrim. Maybe I should let her rest a bit...

Determining that to be his best course of action, Gabe returned Jamie and secured her ball before snapping off Tropius's ball.

"I know we haven't gotten much time to practice, but I need your fiery spirit right now," Gabe said as he enlarged the ball in his hand. "Tropius, battle station!"

Gabe thrust his partner into battle and watched as Tropius burst forth with a roar before landing with a heavy thud. The sauropod towered over Grotle by three feet exactly. Tropius craned his neck and looked upon his foe in a condescending manner.

"A Tropius huh? Interesting! This should be fun," Gardenia chirped excitedly.

"I'll say, your Grotle looks tough. This should be a good matchup," Gabe replied confidently.

"Let's see what you've got then!" Gardenia grinned.

"Tropius use Dragon Pulse!" Gabe commanded.

"Counter with Energy Ball!" Gardenia called out.

Tropius opened his maw as violet light crackled within, sending sparks flying along the ground. With a roar, Tropius opened fire and loosed a cannon blast of draconic energy that shattered the air as it raged towards the adversary. Remaining calm, Grotle planted his feet and opened his mouth to unleash a ball of verdant energy at the incoming beam, cancelling it out upon impact, and creating an explosion that shook the arena.

"Don't let up! Use Aerial Ace!" Gabe shouted.

"Use Double Edge!" Gardenia countered quickly.

Tropius flapped his wings and propelled himself towards his opponent, his wings extended and his head lowered as he flew. Grotle gathered on power before exploding towards Tropius with a bright white aura surrounding his bulky frame. With a heavy crash, the two collided, pushing each other back due to the force they put into their attacks. While Grotle skidded back, Tropius was knocked to the ground and sent sliding before managing to pick himself up and stand.

Grotle and Tropius rounded on each other with an Energy Ball and an Air Slash, the two blasts dispelling upon contact before both combatants charged.

"Grotle, use Leaf Storm!" Gardenia hollered.

"Blow it away with Gust!" Gabe countered.

Grotle skidded to a halt and gathered energy into the leaves on his back before expelling it all into a barrage of swirling leaves that shot towards Tropius. The sauropod flapped his wings furiously and dispersed the powerful assault.

Tropius is really giving it his all out there. But that Grotle is really good. I'll have to up my strategy if I want to win this...

"Grotle, use Body Slam!" Gardenia called out.

At her command, Grotle stampeded towards Tropius as he reset himself, and launched himself upwards in an attempt to flatten the Fruit Pokémon with his weight.

Hang on... Grotle is just a land turtle with the same vulnerabilities as any other turtle. If I can get him on his back...

"Tropius, lower your neck and use Headbutt to knock him on his back!" Gabe hollered.

Tropius lowered his neck and then thrust it upwards at just the right moment, catapulting Grotle backwards, causing him to slam hard onto his back.

"Now use Dragon Pulse!"

"Leaf Storm!" Gardenia called out.

Before Gabe knew it, Grotle used Leaf Storm to propel himself into the air, causing the violet beam to miss its mark and scorch the ground. Grotle was now airborne and rocketing downward with a white aura surrounding him. Tropius blasted the sky with a hasty Dragon Pulse which was powered through by the strength of Grotle's attack. Crash! Grotle's body collided with Tropius and smashed him into the ground. The judges hand went up.

"Tropius is unable to battle! Grotle wins the round!"

Gabe cursed under his breath as he watched Grotle maneuver himself off Tropius. He had not been expecting that result at all. Though Grotle managed to claim victory, the recoil from two Double Edge attacks was starting to take its toll. He was looking worn down in spite of his win.

Gabe returned Tropius and took a deep breath.

"Good work out there Tropius. You did exactly what I needed you to do," Gabe paused, reaching down for Jamie's ball and grabbing it before priming the sphere. "You wore him out and now it's time to finish the job. Jamie, you're up!"

Jamie shot out of her sphere and landed gracefully on the battlefield. She glanced up at her new opponent with a determined gaze.

"I was wondering when I'd see your Luxio again. I wonder how she'll fare against my Grotle," Gardenia stated with a smirk.

Yeah... me too. Close quarters with Grotle isn't exactly my first choice in terms of strategy. But she's only got one move that's really effective against Grotle, so we have no other choice here...

"Jamie, use Iron Tail!" Gabe cried out.

"Energy Ball!" Gardenia countered.

Jamie pushed off her hind legs and bolted forward, keeping her eyes trained on her adversary. Grotle opened his mouth and fired off a succession of Energy Balls that forced Jamie to maneuver around them in a zigzag pattern. As another sphere of energy converged on her position, she whipped her tail around and coated it with steel before bouncing the energy right back in Grotle's face.

Grotle grunted as he was nailed in the face with his own attack. Jamie crouched low and planted her feet. Her tail began to glow with a multitude of vibrant colors. Gabe's eyes widened as he watched the light grow brighter before a multicolored beam erupted from Jamie's starpointed tail. The last thing Grotle saw when he had recovered from the blast to the face, was a Signal Beam closing the distance. A loud crash was heard as Grotle was nailed between the eyes by the shot fired from Jamie's tail.

"Grotle is unable to battle! Luxio wins the round!" declared the judge.

Huh... I nearly forgot she could use that move. Good thing she did or that Grotle would have torn through the rest of my team...

"That was a fun little matchup wasn't it? It's been a while since I've been backed into a corner like this. Roserade, you have the honor!" Gardenia chimed, releasing the sphere with a practiced hand.

Soon, the Boquet Pokémon materialized onto the battlefield, ready to hold her ground for her trainer. Sparks flew from Jamie's body as she turned to face her new, more powerful foe. Jamie took a deep breath and exhaled, her breath manifesting itself before her, even though the sun was out. Roserade shifted her stance and stared down her adversary.

"Jamie, use Ice Fang!" Gabe commanded.

"Grass Knot," Gardenia said calmly.

Roserade's eyes lit up, and a row of Grass Knots suddenly formed, creating somewhat of a barricade before her. As Jamie neared, she tripped over a knot and tumbled forward. Her ears twitched as she heard movement and just managed to duplicate herself to avoid an oncoming Energy Ball that blasted the ground apart where she would have been.

"Signal Beam!" Gabe shouted fiercely.

"Solar Beam!" Gardenia countered.

Jamie crouched low and pointed her tail at Roserade, the starpointed tail lighting up before firing off a rainbow colored beam of light at her adversary. In response, Roserade gathered in the exposed sunlight and blasted the air with a highly concentrated beam of solar energy which powered through Jamie's Signal Beam and drove her into the ground. Jamie was out of commission.

"Luxio is unable to battle! Roserade wins the round!" boomed the judge.

Gabe winced as he saw the shape that Jamie was in. He knew that Roserade was a great deal stronger, but he wasn't expecting it to be this bad. With a sigh, Gabe withdrew Jamie and thanked her for her hard work.

I have only one shot at winning this. Psyduck's a no go here for obvious reasons. I was hoping to save Tropius for her but that Grotle... I did not anticipate that...

Gabe grabbed Aron's ball and gave it a long look.

It's all up to you now...

"Aron, time for battle!" Gabe bellowed, launching Aron into battle.

The ironclad Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield and dug his four stubs in. Gabe fixed Gardenia with a determined stare. He knew that in terms of power, Roserade held the clear advantage. However, that didn't mean he wasn't prepared for it.

"It's all come down to this. I sure hope you're ready!" Gardenia grinned.

"You and me both," Gabe replied with a small degree of uncertainty in his voice.

Aron may be sturdy, but against the firepower she's packing... I hope this plan works...

"Aron, Rock Tomb!" Gabe commanded.

"Use Leaf Storm to blow them away!" Gardenia countered.

Aron stomped the ground with his right forestub and channeled the energy of the earth through his ironclad frame, causing massive rocks to materialize above his head. With a loud cry, Aron heaved them at Roserade who remained calm. As the rocks drew near, Roserade gathered in power and blasted the chunks of earth away with a single spiraling vortex of razor sharp leaves.

As the dust spread over the battlefield, Aron used the chance to conceal himself and charge forward, bursting through the thick dust cloud to ram home a power driven Head Smash which sent Roserade flying backward. The Boquet Pokémon landed on her back and rolled away to avoid a Metal Claw aimed at her shoulder.

Roserade scrambled to her feet and jinked to the right to avoid an oncoming Head Smash.

"Keep up the pressure! Iron Head!" Gabe urged his companion.

"Grab him with Power Whip!" Gardenia countered.

In a single, swift motion, Roserade snatched up Aron with a set of thick vines and slammed him to the ground before aiming her other Boquet at Aron.

"Looks like it ends here Barry. It was a good battle, but you'll have to try again. Wrap it up with Solar Beam!" Gardenia commanded.

Gotcha! Gabe smirked, springing his trap.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on losing today. Aron, use Metal Burst!" Gabe cried out.

Roserade's boquet powered up and launched an impressive beam of light towards the bound Aron who took the blast head on with his small mouth open, absorbing the beam into a concentrated ball of metallic energy that plowed through the remainder of the Solar Beam and hammered Roserade with all of the absorbed damage and then some, driving her into the ground, skidding to a halt before her trainer.

"Roserade is unable to battle! Aron wins the round, which means... the victory goes to Barry the challenger!"