Rosa's feet crossed the sandy wash with quick, purposeful steps, her eyes tight with resolve as she passed from weathered sand to crystal water. A welcome winter sun hung almost directly overhead, tossing streaks of golden light across her hair and shoulders that warmed her whole body. Her hand was gripped firmly in Anna's, who matched her step for step as they walked. Their posture traversing the open beachfront towards Lucanosa was casual, but only Rosa could feel the stiff strength of Lucario's fingers clutching her own.

Unwelcome aura, Anna had signaled. A lingering pair of eyes: silent, cautious, and hungry. There were no other trainers around for miles, but Rosa felt the weight of that stare on her shoulders; a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

She did not appreciate being followed.

Her phone call with Curtis the previous day had taken the edge off her anxiety – with luck he'd be talking to Hawthorn within the next hour or two – but her earlier frustration over Hugh remained. She was not in the mood to deal with some over pompous Plasma punk, but the presence had been following her for a good half a day now. If she hadn't wanted information on Hugh so badly, she'd have shaken them a long time ago. But if they had nothing to say, well . . .

If it was a grunt, she'd crush them. If it was the ninja, she'd kill him.

Rosa flinched and massaged her forehead, wondering where such an unforgiving thought had come from. Clearly she was carrying around too much stress. It was starting to affect her brain.

A warning growl hissed from Anna's clenched teeth, drawing Rosa's attention to the approaching cliff face. It rose from the beach like a monstrous pillar, a contorted pile of flattened rock that cut the beach to an abrupt halt. Man-made stone stairs offered a way to the route at the top, but trainer and Pokémon alike eyed it with wary suspicion.

If her predator wasn't at the top waiting to ambush them, she'd eat her hair ties.

"Well," Rosa murmured, "they've come all this way to meet with us. It would be rude not to return the greeting."

"That it would."

The gruff voice directly behind her sent Rosa's heart cart wheeling. She whirled on her heels and backed away, a cry of alarm in her throat. Her Lucario took a defensive stance beside her and summoned a glowing orb of aura to dance  in her palms, but the hooded man seemed undisturbed. For the most part, his wrinkled features were impassive.

"So," He said, the thin skin on his jaw line jiggling as he spoke, "this is the scary creature that everyone's been talking about. How strange it is, that such a little thing could be the cause of so much drama."

"Your team members have brought the drama to me, not the other way around."

"Ah, so you already know who I am. How delightful. You may call me Zinzolin, then. And I shall call you Rosa. It's better if we are friends, don't you think?"

"You're a Plasma admin, aren't you?" His cloak with golden threading reminded her exactly of Rood's. There was no kind twinkle in his eyes, though. "I don't consider criminals my friends, but thanks for the offer."

He laughed. "Fiery as well as strong. The Shadow Triad did not lie about your fighting spirit, though I suspect their failure to contain you had more to do with their weakness than your strength."

Rosa bristled, her nose wrinkling in disgust at the mention of the phrase she'd heard so many times while locked away. Her captor finally had a title. And apparently, there were two others helping him as well.

Fantastic.

"Where is Hugh?" She demanded, her jaw tight like the bones were wired shut.

Zinzolin shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Rosa. You and he took off together, did you not? Like thieves in the night, running from the law. It's tragic really, that Ghetsis must hunt you down a second time. You're the migraine that won't settle."

"I'm not in the mood for lies, Zinzolin. Where is he?"

"You must be very bad at keeping track of your friends, if you lose them so easily."

Rosa ground her teeth together, thoroughly annoyed. "If you won't tell me what I want to know, then I guess we're done here. Anna, aura sphere!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Anna sprung forward, the swirling ball of aura tripling in size as she raced through the sand towards the admin. He reacted just as quickly, snatching a pokeball from the sleeve of his robe and releasing the Pokémon inside before her Lucario had the chance to release.

"Weavile, ice shard."

Weavile materialized and drew its great claws into its chest, causing a flood of water to flow from the ocean tide into the Pokémon's palms. The particles didn't stay liquid, however. As they gathered together, they began to freeze, frosting over and lumping together like freeze dried ice cream. In an instant they were solid blocks of ice, and as Anna launched the aura at the Plasma admin, Weavile met her attack head on.

The explosion was deafening. Icy wind blasted sand from the shore, coating Rosa's hair and face in the stuff. It echoed off the cliff face, and a torrent of loose rocks spilled from the edges, shattering like glass when they hit the bottom. The shards of rock stung Rosa's bare arms when she lifted them to shield her face, but through the chaos she issued another command. "Earthquake!"

Anna's arms were in front of her face too, but she shook herself off and bounded forward, her crimson eyes glowing a frightening shade of orange. Using her powerful hind legs, she pushed off the ground and leapt up the cliff face, climbing the assorted rocks with ease.

"Weavile," Zinzolin cried, "knock it down with icy wind!"

Weavile's massive feathered fan spanned out across its head. Wind hummed through the rose-colored plumages, and with a stance like a sumo wrestler, the weasel blasted a hurricane of icy air up the cliff, towards the place Anna was climbing.

Unwilling to give Weavile the upper hand, Anna detached from the bluff. She free fell higher than Rosa was comfortable with, but the greater height allowed her time to twist into position. Unfortunately, her Lucario wasn't heavy enough to create a substantial earthquake by jumping alone. The move was powerful, which was why Rosa had used the TM in the first place, but it was only effective in environments with elevated heights Anna could jump from.

In this case, it worked, and Rosa allowed herself a grim smile. Anna's feet connected with the ground with an echoing boom, which shattered the sandy beach into individual plates. The land shifted and groaned, as did Weavile, who collapsed to the ground and was swallowed.

Game. Set. Match.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised." Zinzolin said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his robes. "You are a legend among Team Plasma, despite those horrible buns – do you ever change your hair?"

Rosa's face flushed, and she subconsciously ran her hand through a loose strand hanging by her ear. He wouldn't be so smug if his head was upside down in the ocean, with her hands around his fat neck!

The earth's trembling lessened, then completely stilled. Weavile popped from a mound of sand, coughing and spitting, but still very much awake.

That wouldn't be the case for long, though.

"Alright Anna," She said, "Close combat."

Shaking the tingles from her legs, Anna stalked forward. She stretched out her muscular arms, reaching for her opponent like she wanted a hug, and surprisingly, Weavile reached back. The dark type's claws gathered shadows, flushing the white ends to a pale midnight, and Rosa balked.

She saw what was coming, but didn't bother calling a warning to her Pokemon because Anna already knew.

The weasel's nightslash ripped through Anna's shoulder like knives. Shiny red liquid coated the claws poking through, leaving the Lucario to collapse into Weavile with an agonized howl. Her body suddenly burst into a full sweat at the shock of it, and Rosa had to bite her cheek to stop her horror betraying her. From across the beach, Zinzolin smiled maliciously.

Devils. You Plasma jerks are devils.

But so am I.

Weavile suddenly shrieked like a banshee. It jerked away from Anna, hissing and writhing in a desperate panic, shoving at her like touching her fur burned. Rosa flinched when it jerked its claws loose from Anna's shoulder with a sickening crunch, but Anna still managed to lift her head.

"Rrrrmmmm." One of her trembling hands was wrapped firmly around the weasel's feathered collar. She dragged the Weavile closer, and though it struggled and fought, Anna didn't let go. She threw back her elbow, and with the remainder of her strength, the Lucario slammed her closed fist into Weavile's jaw.

A knockout never felt more satisfying. The close combat left Weavile drooped like a wilted flower, and Anna dropped the thing with a satisfied grumble.

"I'm done with you." Rosa said, turning her gaze to the man across the beach. "Leave." Her body ached to run to Anna and gather in her in arms, to use the remaining potions in her bag to heal the gushing wounds on her partner's shoulder. But she wouldn't show weakness here. Not to this man.

To her surprise, the Plasma admin burst into laughter. He tilted his head back and howled, the deep belly laugh echoing off the cliff.

"You . . . are so much . . . like Touko." He chortled, leaning forward to use his knees as support. "So fierce in your determination, but hopelessly misguided in your ideals. It's astonishing, and fascinating! I've never seen anything like-"

Rosa stormed forward and punched him in the jaw. She'd never been a violent person – stubborn and wild, sure – but not violent. But the smug look on his face could have probably made a Nurse Joy boil. His nose cracked under the blow, making a lovely crunch, and she drew back long enough to snatch him by his threaded collar and pull his face up to hers.

"Alright Zinzolin," She growled, tightening her grip on his robe, "I've about had it with you. I wanna know where Touko is, and I wanna know now. And if you lie to me, I swear I will throw you in the ocean, and you'll float back to your leader. Got it?"

"Are you threatening me, Rosa? How unlike you, someone so heroic and good-"

"Now."

Zinzolin's laughter continued, but it darkened, turning into something grim and haunting. "You haven't figured it out yet, child? You who escaped the Plasma frigate, chased us like prey, dispelled rallies, ruined plans. The mightiest threat to Team Plasma, and she hasn't figured it out . . ."

"One more word I don't want to hear, Zolin. That's all, just one."

"She's dead." He spat, an angry flush of red blossoming under his wrinkles. "Gone! Disposed of! Exterminated two years ago, like the rat she was! We lured her back to us with the promise of her lover's swift demise, and the moment Ghetsis got his hands on her, he got rid of her. She was a threat to us, to our future plans, and when Ghetsis found out what she was-"

Rosa dropped his collar, stunned. It couldn't be true. Champion Touko wasn't dead. Her Pokémon were impossibly strong. Undefeated. Her tactics were perfect, her resolve unwavering. She'd defeated Team Plasma, not the other way around. Ghetsis had been completely trashed by her, had been sent into the underground to recover, and was only now strong enough to come back. Touko was okay. She may be locked in a cell somewhere, but she wasn't dead. He was lying.

He was lying!

"You don't believe me, do you?" He asked, a stream of blood dripping from his nostrils as he peered up at her. "You really are ignorant to all this. This entire time, you've been in the dark to what's going on, and yet you've continued fighting? For a cause you know nothing about? Poor, precious girl."

Zinzolin snickered again, the laughter building in his chest and abdomen until he was howling once more. Rosa backed away, towards the cliff, her head shaking in disbelief even as her fingers started to tremble. Anna watched her trainer with concern, but Rosa hardly saw her. It wasn't true. Touko was alive.

Wasn't she?

"That's always been the question for you, hasn't it Rosa? Where is precious Touko? A girl you've never known, have never met, but care about immensely. Why do you care about her, Rosa? Why do you care that we slaughtered her? That we threw her body in the ocean, that she'll rot at the bottom of the sea until the end of time?"

"Shut up!" Rosa shouted, throwing her hands over her ears. A bead of sweat trailed down her forehead, and more soaked her neck and shoulders, making her shirt stick to her skin. She couldn't breathe. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! You're lying! Touko isn't dead, she isn't-"

"She is, and you know it. Why does it tear you apart, Rosa? Why have you fought so hard for her, when she has never been anything to you but a rumor? Tell me why!"

"Shut up!" She screeched, finally throwing her hands down. Waves of confusion and despair rolled through her, twisting her stomach like she'd swallowed knives. This wasn't happening. Touko was alive. She had to be. Rosa felt the pull of the breath leaving her chest, in and out, and she swore she could feel it for Touko, too. They hadn't killed her. She was alive.

She was alive.

Murdered. She's been murdered.

Rosa thundered back to him, hardly knowing what she was doing as she snatched the old man's collar and yanked him back up to eyelevel. She breathed noisily, probably on the edge of some sort of panic attack, but she didn't care. He was a murderer. Ghetsis was a murderer. And they were going to pay.

"You're going to regret this. You, Ghetsis, and your entire filthy organization. I can't say why I care so much about Touko. But what I do know is that I'm going to be the one you wished was dead."

"Ah, that's where your wrong, Rosa. Your fate is much better planned, I assure you-"

"Shut up, Zolin. Just shut up. I don't know why you came here in the first place, but I've got a new mission for you, so you'd best pay attention." He inhaled sharply as her grip tightened and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Go back to your boss, Zolin. Go back to Ghetsis, and tell him I'm coming for him. And when I do, he dang well better be ready for me."

She threw him to the ground, seething even as he scurried back in the sand to stumble to his feet. Her anger tasted bitter, like strong coffee that demanded she sip more, and for just a moment, she imagined planting her foot in Zinzolin's ribcage.

Calm down. You're frightening Anna.

Rosa exhaled, noticing for the first time the furred hand on her upper arm. She twisted to look at her Lucario, who was staring at her with pained, anxious eyes. Shakily, she took Anna's hand.

"I came to deliver a message for you first, Rosa."

Her gaze shot back to the admin. He was watching her through narrowed eyes, apparently over whatever fear she'd instilled in him a few seconds ago.

"And what would that be?"

His expression turned solemn. "You cannot trust him. He is not as he says, and you mustn't listen. If you do, he'll chain you up, and carefully lead you to your death. That is all."

"Excuse me?"

Zinzolin turned and strode away, his nose still dripping red ink as he trailed across the sand back towards Undella town. Rosa watched him go, another emotion replacing the anger she'd been hauling around for three long days.

"What was that about, Anna?" She asked, suddenly feeling very small.

The Lucario shook her head and wrapped her arms around Rosa's waist, as emotionally spent as her trainer. Blood was still flowing freely from her shoulders, and the realization snapped Rosa partially back to herself.

Her friend had fought hard for her. She needed to take care of her.

"I'm sorry, Hun. Let's get you cleaned up." Anna should have been her priority anyway, but her conversation with Zinzolin had clouded her thoughts.

Buzzing from her wrist, loud and insistent. Rosa sighed and emptied another bottle of hyper potion into Anna's wounds, wishing the elixir would seal the injuries but knowing they would not. They were long and deep, two of them appearing to have cut directly under her shoulder blade. Anna needed a Pokémon center to treat these.

More buzzing. Her xtransceiver shuttered, growing louder with every vibration, and Rosa finally growled in frustration and threw down the empty bottle to answer the stupid thing.

Only she was too late. The device glowed then darkened, the call attempt over. She considered ignoring it again, but then her finger fluttered over the home button.

Recent: Curtis (9 missed calls)

Nine calls in the last hour? Her heart skipped painfully, and she hit the redial button. Surely his meeting with Hawthorn couldn't have gone that badly.

He picked up on the first ring. "Thank Arceus, I've been trying to reach you for ages!"

She sniffed. "I've been a bit busy."

"It's fine, but . . . listen. It's a long story, but I need you to go to the Story Teller's house in Lacunosa town. I'm on my way back to Unova right now, and I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

"Curtis?" Rosa frowned at the panicked expression on his face. He wasn't supposed to return to Unova for another week. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I met with Professor Hawthorn, and his notes . . . Rosa, you have to see these. You're not going to believe . . . I'll explain everything when I get back. Just go to the Story Teller's house, and stay there until I arrive, okay? I'll see you tonight."

He hung up, leaving Rosa to stare at the blank image on her X transceiver. Her thoughts were nowhere and everywhere, a canvas of colors that didn't mix.

But despite her whirling emotions, she had a path.

"Lacunosa, Anna. We have to go now."

*Beautiful cover art by @RedPandaWorld. Go look at her stuff. Seriously. Go look at it. She's super talented.