Infiltrating Team Galactic's HQ

The guard posted in the warehouse doesn't even want to try to stop me. I use my newly obtained key and open the metal doors. The doors open and then the key breaks. Oh come on. Oh well, I'm in. Team Galactic is doomed now. They just don't know it. The next person I see is dressed in a lab coat. One of their "energy" researchers? He doesn't try to stop me. But the next guy does. All he has is a Golbat, which damages Sekhmet and gets several attacks in due to confuse ray. Sekhmet eventually snaps out of it and demolishes the bat.

My next obstacle leads with Dustox. I switch from Anubis to Apsu. Dustox whirlwinds, bringing Anubis back out. I switch back to Apsu. Dustox whirlwinds, bringing Ryujin out. I switch back to Apsu. Dustox uses silver wind. Finally. I have Apsu use ice fang. Dustox uses light screen. Dustox uses psybeam. Apsu's strength finishes Dustox. Bronzor is next. I switch to Sekhmet. Two crunches devastate the Bronzor, but somehow it hangs on. I'm baffled that Bronzor managed to take that punishment, but of course the spark that follows puts it down.

The next one I run into doesn't try to stop me. They're learning that they cannot win. Progress, at last. Now I just need to find their leader. The next one only has one pokemon, but it's a Glameow that's higher in level than any of my current team other than Articuno (Hanuman and Inanna are in storage for now). Ninhursag trades attacks with Glameow and giga drain is too much for the feline. Now I have to go through some stupid puzzle with panels on the floor the teleport between the rooms of this headquarters. Why would anyone design something this stupid? Then again, these people are insane. So it probably has something to do with that.

The next idiot seems to think that a victory over me will mean that he will be promoted to commander. He leads with Wurmple, so I don't think it's going to happen. Dustox is next, and Sekhmet struggles a bit, but is victorious. His last pokemon is Cascoon. Ryujin closes the battle with dragon rage. On my right is a staircase and on my left is another teleporter. I try the teleporter first. This time I run into a scientist that is willing to try to stop me. His Kadabra goes down in one bite from Apsu. His second Kadabra does likewise. I am unstoppable.

The next drone doesn't try to fight me. Like I said, they're learning. The leader will show himself soon. Or maybe they'll do something sneaky and underhanded. Then I remember that I'm the one that broke into their base just now. Whatever. I find a key that lets me open some doors and doesn't break this time. Team Galactic's greatest weakness is apparently their tendency to leave keys lying around. Another one of their grunts doesn't make any move to stop me. But as I am turning a corner, another one spots me and does challenge me. His Stunky poisons Sekhmet, but her spark defeats it. I heal Sekhmet and continue.

Another one runs up to try to stop me. He has Bronzor and Stunky, both of which Apsu easily defeats. I run into a dead end and have to turn back. Stupid puzzles. Then I realize that I can use my new key to open the gates at the front entrance of the building. So I do that. No one tries to stop me and I access a new part of the building. Two more Galactic morons wait in a hallway and challenge me to a doubles battle. Apsu and Sekhmet each bring down a Golbat. Their other pokemon are a Silcoon and a third Golbat. Apsu ice fangs the Silcoon into frozen oblivion and Sekhmet's spark takes out the last Golbat.

Another scientist tries to stop me. I think I'm getting close. Apsu easily defeats his Kadabra. The scientist states that the boss of Team Galactic is a scientific genius. That's not really a clue as to his identity unless it's Rowan, and come on, Rowan is not secretly the leader of Team Galactic. That would be silly. No, it's someone else. But who? I should know this. I keep feeling stupid every time I think about the fact that I don't know. But I'm crushing everyone that gets in my way as I rampage through their headquarters. He'll show himself soon enough.

Two more of them challenge me to a doubles battle. They admit that I've gotten quite the reputation and that they want to defeat me because anyone that puts me down gets a big promotion. I use Apsu and Ninhursag against their Croagunk and Stunky. As always, my opponents don't stand a chance. They use another Croagunk and another Stunky. Such variety. Their last pokemon is Glameow. Apsu finishes their second Croagunk while Ninhursag giga drains Glameow. Master: 5, Galactic losers: 0.

I play with the teleporters some more and find another door. I open it, and then I see him. It should have been so obvious. Cyrus. Of course. He is annoyed that I came here to save the legendary pokemon because it is illogical. No really, that's what he says. That, and he intends to punish me for being illogical. Cyrus, you're insane.

He has three pokemon. He leads with Murkrow. It's level 40. Oh. This could be a problem. Articuno, I may need you to back me up on this one. Sekhmet brings down Murkrow with spark. She's hurt, but she manages to do the same against Golbat. Cyrus is down to his last pokemon: Sneasel. If only I had Hanuman with me. I switch to Apsu. This Sneasel is level 43, which is a bit disconcerting. But Apsu, at only level 36, beats the icy pokemon. Barely, but that's good enough.

Cyrus claims that the source of my strength is compassion, and that emotions are bad or something. He's insane, but whatever, he's beaten too. He wants to reward my courage, so he gives me the "Master Ball." It will, he says, unfailingly catch any pokemon in the wild. But he has no need of it, so he's giving it to me. Well, I suppose that's good.

Here's where it gets interesting: he has no interest in the three pokemon from the lakes. He tells me where I can go if I wish to free them. He apparently had some need for them before, but they are no longer useful to them. He got what he wanted. But he also tells me that he is going to the peak of Mt. Coronet, where we first met. He intends to end this universe and start a new one. That seems impossible, but I dismissed Team Galactic as incapable of anything before and they did all this. Even if he can't destroy the universe, he might do something catastrophic. I'll have to investigate this.

I follow the teleporters. The first scientist I come across says something about how the experiment went too far. The second scientist also seems shocked at whatever it was they did, but wonders aloud what the thing that they made will be used for. I enter the next room and see them. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are all sealed into strange chambers. Commander Saturn is in the room. He is annoyed that Cyrus would let me come and go freely. He insists that Team Galactic eliminates everything in its way. He'll put a stop to me, supposedly.

His first pokemon is a Kadabra. Apsu takes a huge hit from Kadabra's shock wave, but hits back even harder with bite, taking Kadabra out. Ninhursag beats his Bronzor. His Toxicroak is a bigger problem. Sekhmet goes down against Toxicroak. Apsu barely hangs on again, but wins. Saturn is dismayed that he lost, but steps out of the way so that I can free the legendary pokemon. As soon as I press the button to open the devices trapping them, all three float into the air and, hover for a moment, then fly away. Commander Saturn gives me some information...

"Our boss crafted a Red Chain from crystals he took from the three pokemon. That Red Chain is what he needed to shackle something on Mt. Coronet. But that's all I know. Who knows what he's planning to do up there?"

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think this is actually serious. I thought I would end this whole affair when I raided the Team Galactic headquarters, but Cyrus already got what he needed. He's already demonstrated that he is dangerous. And since no one else has been able to do anything about him so far, I'd better go to Mt. Coronet and stop him myself...