Lysandre stood at the entryway of the lab, his eyes fixed on the dormant Xerneas. He was certain that-just a few hours ago-it had been as lifeless as ever without any visible signs of life. Why it had begun to look healthier was puzzling to say the least. According to what he'd researched, Xerneas wouldn't awaken for the next week or so which meant that it shouldn't show any signs of revival until that time. He could see that the tree was now emitting a faint glow, signifying that it was starting to regain its power. Knowing what it could mean if that were to happen, Lysandre had no choice. He had to speed up his plans.

Walking farther into the lab, Lysandre stopped to address a now exhausted Allie. Her eyes were as a sullen sunless sky, devoid of the light they once carried. Despair had crawled into her heart and latched onto her like a parasite, infecting her with cripling doubt and hopelessness. Her body ached due to the position she was locked into. The sound of footsteps caused her to raise her head. Anger flared in her rose-colored eyes as she looked upon the man responsible for her misery.

"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you princess... your idea to find the ideal candidate to be your husband wasn't such a bad idea after all. Finding the perfect person is a lot more trouble than it's worth and yet somehow, you managed to find a way to gather up men who are worth their weight in gold so you could vet them according to the standards you had set in place and based on their performance," Lysandre mused.

Allie pursed her lips at his remark and elected to remain silent.

"Truth be told, I really didn't see the point of it until I realized how much your plan and mine had in common. I desire the perfect world and you wish for the perfect husband. I sought out those who shared my ideals and you recruited those who longed for the same. We're both selfish-you and I-and we both were willing to do whatever it took to reach our goals regardless of the obstacles we might face, even if it meant destroying the dreams of others who didn't fit into our grand design..." Lysandre finished with a smirk.

As much as she wanted to tell him he was wrong, Allie couldn't completely refute what he was saying. In the beginning, she had proposed the contest and pursuaded her parents to go along with her idea. She had posted it in nearly every academy and university all over Kalos as well as anywhere else that allowed advertizing. To her delight, her plan spawned forty participants willing to battle it out for her selfish desires.

You heard me... you're a spoiled, self-centered, entitled brat...

Besides, he's made it perfectly clear that he's not after you at all...

...what does he have to pursue?

The words that both Seth and her own mother had said to her pierced her heart like a knife. To make matters worse, they were completely right. That fact alone made her feel as though someone had taken the figurative knife by the handle and twisted it. It hurt, possibly more than anything that she would face from here on out. Every mean-spirited remark she'd ever heard over the course of the past several months assaulted her mind relentlessly. Was she stupid for wanting this? Tears stung her eyes as they rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing that her spirit was nearly broken, he reached for his holocaster in order to give it one final push. As he opened up the digital screen, he made sure that Allie had a good view of exactly what he was doing. She could see that he was about to send out a message and from the looks of things, it would be sent out to every citizen in Kalos.

"Citizens of Kalos, it is with a heavy heart that I make this announcement. I'm certain that you all have heard the saying that tomorrow is promised to no one. It is a saying that many have taken to heart and in doing so have secured their tomorrow by joining me in my endeavor to bring about a more perfect world. Some of you may be wondering what I mean by this, so I will explain it to you as briefly as I can. You see, this world is imperfect and covered with the filth that is greed. Greed gives life to the selfish desires that dwell in us all, tainting us to our core," Lysandre said sternly.

"It is this imperfection that I seek to pull up by the roots and to do that I must wipe the slate clean. Unfortunately for most of you, this means that you will all be erased from existance. You were each given an opportunity to save your lives by joining Team Flare. Those of you who are not part of us will be destroyed along with this world. However I am willing to give you all a sporting chance..." Lysandre stated while fixing the screen so that it showed the laboratory behind him.

"I'm sure all of you can recognize the woman behind me. As most of you are aware, princess Allie has taken it upon herself to devise a contest in which the winner would obtain the honor of becoming her husband. From what I know, there are less than half of you left now which means that your dream ended the moment you were deemed unworthy. She is a prime example of the greed that must be purged from existance, however... I know that there are some of you who disagree with what I've just said. So I have a proposition to those of you who remain," Lysandre paused, pressing a switch on a remote that he carried with him.

After a few moments, the ground above began to shake violently and a loud crash could be heard followed by several tremors. Cameras outside of the base zeroed in on the scene that was unfolding. The three pillars of stone that were in the center of the town had retreated into the ground and in their place rose a massive structure that towered menacingly above Geosenge Town. The structure began to open like a flower coming into bloom and light began pouring from it as each petal-like extension unfolded. The device soon rotated and then slammed hard on the ground creating a shockwave the left half the town in shambles. Houses were either toppled or smashed by boulders that had risen from the ground. The stone gate that stood at the entrance to the city was sent crashing to the ground.

People could be seen fleeing the scene. Some were trying to pull family from the wreckage while others were screaming in agony over a loved one who had been crushed by debris. Many more were staring at the monstrosity that had risen from their town, uncertain as to what it was they were seeing. All they knew in that moment was that they had every right to fear for their life. With the Ultimate Weapon in bloom, Lysandre continued his speech.

"What you are seeing now is the Ultimate Weapon, something I am sure all of you know about due to its impact on the world three thousand years before we ever came to be. As we speak, I am harnessing its power in order to bring judgment upon this world and cleanse it of its impurities. However, the process has yet to be completed as the power that it needs hasn't been restored to it just yet. So here is my proposal to those brave enough to step forward. I am going to use the Ultimate Weapon to destroy this world within three hours. In one hour I am going to begin collecting energy from the three captives you see behind me in order to bring the Ultimate Weapon back to full strength. If any of you wish to save the princess as well as this pathetic excuse for a planet, you are to seek me out in Geosenge Town and defeat me before the time limit is up. Should you fail... well... tomorrow isn't promised to you anymore now is it?"

Lysandre smirked as he finished his speech. He was certain that his message had been received by those he'd intended it for which meant all he had to do now was wait. With a grin, reached for another button which started a countdown on ever holocaster in Kalos.

"Your time starts now."

Seth couldn't believe what he had just seen. Not only was Allie being held captive, but she was shackled to a device that was, according to Lysandre, designed to sap energy from her to empower the Ultimate Weapon. The Eternal Flower was something he could understand being used as a source for the weapon's power, but Allie? Allie was... human, and though she was an extraordinary woman she was normal. Despite her jealousy-provoking beauty, wealth and connections, Allie was-by all accounts-a normal human being. Why hadn't Lysandre taken him instead? Seth would have seen the logic in that considering he had the power output for it.

To say that Seth was furious would be a grave understatement. He was downright enraged, so much so that the ground began to vibrate as aura erupted around his body in a brilliant azure flame. Those present with him had lost their footing due to the sudden shaking that occurred. Serena looked up to see Seth's face devoid of expression save for the chilling look in his eyes that signaled just how incensed he actually was. Serena had known Seth long enough to know what that look meant. There was a saying that said that "one should never wake a sleeping Pyroar lest it bite off your head." Seth, in this case, was that sleeping Pyroar.

After a moment or two, the shaking stopped and Seth's aura retreated back into his body. As they stood up, Seth began to make his way toward the fallen gate of Geosenge Town, knowing full well that he would be seen the moment he stepped into town.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Jacqueline said sharply, moving in front of him quickly in an effort to block his path.

"Through you if you don't move out of my way," Seth threatened.

"You know, if the entire world wasn't at stake right now, I'd be more than delighted to go a round or two with you for shits and giggles... but right now, we don't have that luxury. In case you forgot, it's not just Allie's life on the line but all of our asses if we don't play it smart!" Jacqueline replied, crossing her arms defiantly.

"And since when did you care about the lives of anyone else? You're part of Team Flare and therefore untrustworthy by default. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you down right now," Seth hissed as he withdrew his blade in a flash and held it against Jacqueline's throat.

Jacqueline froze. She'd been pinned to the wall by Seth once before and at that time found it very amusing. She had gotten a rush out of it because it had been the first time where she felt as though she were taken seriously in a fight. This time, however, there was no amusement to be had. The look in Seth's eyes told her that he indeed would kill her on the spot if she didn't choose her words carefully. Try as she might, she couldn't find anything to combat what he'd said. She had indeed joined Team Flare and willingly carried out order after order for the soul purpose of getting closer to Charles. Seth was right in saying she didn't care about anyone else.

Even now she was only helping them to save her own skin, whether it be staying the wrath of Seth's teacher or stopping the destruction of the world. She swallowed hard, knowing she wouldn't be able to give him a good enough reason to stay his hand. Her eyes began to water as the realization hit her that everything she worked for was about to go up in flames. That was when she saw Serena, Jamie and Felicity reach out and place their hands on Seth, Serena being bold enough to grab onto Seth's wrist. Seth gave her a warning glance that was met with a fiercely determined stare from the honey blonde. His eyes shifted over to Jamie and Felicity on the other side of him.

"I don't know what you three are doing but if you don't move-"

"You'll make us... right?" Jamie said flatly. "What the hell has gotten into you man? I get that you're mad but this isn't you."

"And this is none of your business. It's not like you care about her or anything!" Seth snapped angrily.

"Maybe not as much, but you care about her you daft idiot, which makes it just as much our job to get her out of there as it is yours! But you don't see that right now do you?" Jamie growled.

While he was distracted, Serena moved around in front of Seth and spread her arms out while staring him down.

"Seth, look at yourself. Where's the guy who was disgusted when anyone put Allie on a pedistal? You were so sick of everyone worshipping the ground that she walked on and yet here you are pulling this crap. I know you care about her, we all do to an extent, but you have to come back to your senses. Threatening to hurt your friends isn't going to save anyone. Allie may be in danger but so are the rest of us if we don't pull this off in time. So please... put that sword away, or at least point it in a useful direction... like at the throats of the bastards that took her and threatened to blow us all to kingdom come," Serena finished, her eyes dawning a pleading look at the end of her speech.

Seth hesitated as he looked into the eyes of his friend. She was right... they all were. As much as he hated to admit it, he was no better than the ones who put Allie above everything else. He knew he must have looked ridiculous with his sword pointed at his friend who was standing between him and someone he considered an enemy. Not only that, if his teacher or-Arceus forbid-his sister ever saw this, she would never look at him the same ever again. That thought alone horrified him. Disgusted with himself, he slowly sheathed his sword and dropped to his hands and knees. It was probably the first time any of them had seen Seth cry. Knowing that he clearly wasn't alright, Serena knelt down in front of him and gently reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey... I get it. I'm right there with you on how you feel. At first, I really didn't like Allie because I thought she was self-absorbed and uncaring. But then, thanks to you, I was able to see a different side to her and now we're good friends. I hate seeing my friends get hurt, especially if there's nothing I could do about it. When Shauna got shot I didn't know how to handle it. Then you came along and took care of it. You made us all feel safe, like there was nothing to fear even while we were faced with certain death. You were confident, calm and acted with a cool head instead of impulsively like you almost did a minute ago. That's the Seth I've come to appreciate and that's the Seth we need right now," Serena said, her eyes meeting his as he finally raised his head to look at her.

"For what it's worth... we've all got someone we're worried about. My grandparents can't run their business on their own for much longer you know? I know nothing I say means anything to you, but right now... it's not about me. It's about everyone, so trust me or not, I'm your ticket into that place because I know where everything is. So what do you say to a truce, and then afterwards if you still have beef with me you and I can settle it?" Jacqueline asked with a smirk.

Seth looked at Serena and then at the others who all nodded in approval of what she had just said. While they didn't trust her as far as they could throw her, she was right about one thing. She was the only one who could navigate the base and get them to Lysandre in time. Drying his eyes, Seth rose to a stand and sighed.

"You have yourself a deal. If my teacher trusted you then I have no reason to go against it. I'll decide what to do after this is over so for now," Seth paused, extending his hand to Jacqueline to shake, "we're partners, sound good?"

Without hesitation, Jacqueline took his hand and grinned. "This is gonna be fun," she added, shaking his hand firmly before letting it go.

"Alright, so as I was saying earlier, the entrance is most likely going to be swarmed the moment we get within range of the base. We can't afford to waste time battling them so we're going to have to take them all down at once if we want to get to the lower levels. Since I've decided to help you all out they will already have gotten wind of it once I'm seen leading you all to the base. Since I most likely won't be able to get in, we're going to have to force the door down," Jacqueline explained, looking pointedly at Seth. "This will be a good chance to blow off a little steam."

After a few minutes of planning, the group was finally ready to confront Team Flare for what they hoped to be the last time. Knowing they couldn't avoid being seen, they all began to make their way confidently into Geosenge Town, following Jacqueline's lead directly toward the back of town where the entrance to the base was located.

Xerosic grinned as he watched the time tick away. Within a mere three hours all of his hard work would finally pay off. Delighted as he was, he still had duties to attend to which included outfitting Lysandre with the latest and best Expansion Suit he'd created. It was an armor made entirely of reinforced Steelix plating painted red and black to match Lysandre's preferred business attire. The Team Flare emblem was engraved in the center of the chest plate. His visor had been fully upgraded to detect any assault that might threaten him and his suit enhanced his reflexes-several times more than the recent expansion suits-so he could react accordingly.

"Just a few minor adjustments and then... there! All finished," Xerosic declared, stepping back to admire his work.

Lysandre activated the visor to see the status of the suit he had just put on. After a quick skim of the specs, he turned it off and turned to Xerosic with a smirk.

"Excellent work as always Xerosic. I do believe that this will be more than enough to deal with our soon-to-be guests," Lysandre said confidently.

"Thank you Lysandre, though I must ask... after exposing the princess to all of Kalos, how certain are you that anyone will come for her?" Xerosic asked curiously.

Before Lysandre could answer, an alarm began to go off, notifiying the entire base that something was happening near the hidden entrance. Xerosic didn't hesitate to turn on the screen so he and Lysandre could see what was happening outside the base. Several members who were appointed to head to the outskirts of the town were now lying on the ground unconscious after running into Seth and Jacqueline who were at the front of the group.

"So he came after all," Lysandre chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he saw Jacqueline dusting off her hands after knocking out a grunt. "And it appears as though we have a defector to deal with as well. Will wonders never cease?" Lysandre mused as he watched Seth carve through solid steel with two swift strokes of his sword.

Allie, who had been staring blankly at the ground for the longest time, looked up to witness Seth enter the base with his crew. Had he actually heard her silent plea for him to come? She was almost inclined to think she was dreaming had it not been for the fact that she'd just seen it with her own eyes. He was actually coming to her rescue!

"I suppose that answers that question," Xerosic said as the screen was turned off. "They're foolish if they think they will be able to make it very far..."

"Have you learned nothing Xerosic? Time and time again it is that very group that has disrupted my plans at every turn. At first it was amusing but they quickly became a thorn in my side, so much so that I had to give direct orders to eliminate them should anyone cross paths with them. They are not to be taken lightly, especially not Seth. In mere minutes, he will have disposed of the upper level and will have made his way down here to where we are with little difficulty."

"If that's true, why do you seem so calm about it? If he's that dangerous, shouldn't we send for our admin?" Xerosic inquired.

"If you think any of them stand a chance against Seth you're out of your mind," Allie spoke up confidently.

"I'm well aware of the disadvantage they have when it comes to Seth and his companions. As we all just witnessed, there isn't much the average member of Team Flare can do to stop him. Which is why I've enlisted the help of a few more... capable individuals. I'm sure you're already acquainted with them considering you've all but dashed their hopes of marrying you against the rocks," Lysandre said with a grin.

"You don't mean-"

"Oh but I do. You see Enzo has suffered not only at the hands of Seth but at yours as well. After a crushing defeat as well as multiple injuries, and after hearing the news that you had cut him from the competition, he became resentful and full of bitterness toward you both. As for Charles, well, he was your first choice wasn't he? Imagine how he must feel after you led him on like you did," Lysandre added, fixing her with a stern look. "Each of them has a score to settle and both involve seeing Seth and his friends fall by their hand. This begs the question... who will they meet first?"

The base had erupted into chaos as the group battled their way through scores of Team Flare agents. Pokémon fell left and right as Seth and his companions fought to reach the elevator to access the next floor. Following Jacqueline's directions, they rounded another corner only to be met with a team of admins with Houndoom and Mightyena at the ready. As Lysandre had predicted, this was but a small roadblock and was easily handled with without much resistance. The admin's Pokémon were promptly dealt with by the combined efforts of Serena's Greninja and Seth's Vespisol. With their Pokémon defeated, the admin had no choice but to make a break for it, something Seth and Jacqueline weren't going to allow as they too were quickly put out of commission.

"They just keep coming don't they?" Serena observed as she looked back at the trail of unconcious bodies behind her. "Not that I'm surprised..."

"There's going to be more if we don't keep moving. If you think this was a lot you should see the other floors. There are agents with those suits you saw from the palace roaming around and they will not hesitate to snuff you out the moment they see any of you," Jacqueline warned.

"That may be true, but we've got Seth to take care of them right? You and I saw how he handled them at the ball, they couldn't keep up with him even with those high-tech suits," Serena promptly reminded her. "So they can bring whoever or whatever they want against us, we'll still win," Serena finished confidently.

Serena smiled proudly after the statement she'd just made. Allie was her friend, and she was willing to do whatever it took to see to her safe return home. She was determined to help Seth save not just her but the world as they knew it as well. As she watched them continue forward, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. It was almost as if she were being watched, something she was never comfortable with.

After all that had happened on her journey with her friends, and after the ball she'd attended with Seth, she had never felt so paranoid. Ever since her first run-in with Team Flare she had done nothing but look over her shoulder, half expecting someone to shoot her. She was tired of feeling that way as it was no way to live. She was going to see this through to the end no matter what the cost.

Deciding to ignore the unsettling feeling she was getting, she pulled herself together and pressed on, quickening her pace in an effort to catch up to the others who were continuing down the hall. As she started forward, an enraged shout split the air and fire roared down the hall. With nowhere to run, the flames seared her from behind sending her crashing to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony. Seth whipped around at the sound and watched in horror as Serena collapsed in a heap while flames licked her body.

"SERENA!" Shauna shrieked after witnessing her friend's body being torched from behind.

Before she could hurry to her friend's aid, a growling sound stopped her dead in her tracks. Prowling toward Serena's convulsing body was a snarling angry Houndoom.

"Oh dear, it seems as though his attack was a little off target. Though I can't say the results are unsatisfactory," Enzo said wickedly. "Stupid girl should have been more careful. It's a shame she isn't dead as that would be preferable to what she's experiencing now. Serves her right for laying a hand on me before," Enzo spat.

"You monster! You hurt our friend!" Shauna shrieked angrily, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at Serena who had fallen unconscious.

Her clothing was in shreds and barely clung to her scorched body. While the embers had died down she would never cease to feel the stabbing pain of the fire that consumed her should she ever wake up. Enzo laughed wickedly at Shauna as she started crying.

"Yes, I did and it felt exhilerating! Honestly I don't know why I hadn't done it sooner seeing as she was such a wretched woman with respect for those who are above her. Her death will be slow and painful as will all of yours! Houndoom, torch them all! Fire Blast!"

Houndoom reared his head back in preparation for his assault while Enzo lost himself in his laughter. Having charged enough power for his assault, Houndoom loosed a cannon blast of flames down the corridoor toward the group. As the flames drew near, Seth began to walk toward them, his sword at the ready. A bright aura engulfed the sword in a brilliant light as he raised it above his head. In a swift, downward motion, Seth swung the blade toward the ground and launched a powerful crescent blade of azure energy toward the flames, parting them with relative ease.

As the attack broke through the fire, it struck Houndoom with devastating force, knocking him out and sending him crashing along the ground end over end before landing in a heap about ten yards away from Enzo. Looking back at Houndoom, fear began to set in as he recalled what he'd just witnessed. He turned around quickly to see that Seth was now walking toward him.

"I'm starting to see why Lysandre wants to do away with this world so bad," Seth began as he kept a slow and deliberate pace while walking toward Enzo. "Some people in this world truly are scum. You grant them mercy and how do they repay you? By stabbing you in the back..."

Enzo stepped back and reached for the pistol at his waist. As he went to draw it from its holster, he was met with a solid blow to his face which broke his jaw and knocked several teeth out. Enzo stumbled back, blood dripping from his nose and mouth as he angrily swung at Seth who avoided each jab thrown his way.

"The only one who's truly scum is you! You took everything from me and now you're going to die!" Enzo snarled as he reached for his pistol again.

"That's where you're wrong. You hurt my sister... and you made Serena suffer! For that, there's no redemption for you..." Seth snarled, whirling around to face Enzo, energy roaring around his body as he gripped the hilt of his blade.

Before Enzo even had the chance to pull the trigger, Seth lunged forward and shoved the tip of his sword all the way through the chest plate and out the back of Enzo's body. With a swift tug, Seth pulled the blade from Enzo's chest and watched as he dropped the gun and crumpled to the ground, blood pooling on the ground beneath him. It was a moment that left everyone present frozen. Without so much as a word, Seth sheathed his sword and walked over toward Serena and knelt down.

Nobody dared speak a word after seeing what Seth had just done. Hoping against hope, Seth reached out his hands and placed them on Serena's burned body and began to flood it with aura just as Mathilde had done to him after the damage he'd suffered. There were no broken bones to mend and with the knowledge of what Mathilde had taught him, he was able to slowly but surely, heal the damage that had been done to Serena's body. As the treatment ended, Seth stood up and addressed the others.

He informed Shauna, Trevor and Tierno that they needed to get Serena out of there as fast as they could. Jamie and Felicity volunteered to go with them to ensure their safe exit while they carried their friend out of the base. With the others gone, Seth and Jacqueline turned to continue on. Seth knew that the others would most likely have to fight their way out, but since the worst was ahead of him, he was confident that they could handle the lesser members and get Serena to safety.