"JAKE!"

Tess sat on the spot she was pushed onto, reasonably distraught over what happened. However, Hoopa was the more pressing matter. Said Pokemon then roared again, pushing me and Zinx backwards.

"Nadia! It's up to you! Take this!" My dad threw something into my hands. When I inspected it, I saw that it was a Master Ball.

"You've only got one chance! Catch it before it goes rampant or makes another portal!" 

I look at the Master Ball, then at Hoopa. It stares back, like it's analyzing me.

"Uh...Zinx? Think you can distract Hoopa so I can go behind and catch it?" I asked. Zinx shrugged. 

"Sure, why not. My Pokemon can handle this."

"Great. Cinderace, help him too."

Cinderace nodded before I sped behind the large crate, the one next to what had pushed Jake in. Hoopa surprisingly didn't see me, before I realized that Cinderace had kicked a Pyro Ball at it and Zinx had Mega Metagross out.

I crept along the blue crate and ran to the front of the archway. 

"One shot." I whisper, getting the Master Ball ready before running like a track runner and jumping on a broken piece of the portal, successfully landing on Hoopa's back as planned.  

Hoopa notices this, and starts thrashing to try and get me off. Why doesn't it use its hoop portals, anyway?

I hold up the Master Ball and push the button on Hoopa's head. The Mythical's body then gets sucked into the Pokeball and I start freefalling.

"Welp. I didn't think of that one." I say to myself as I fall to my death.

Except not. Cinderace was there to catch me when I neared the ground. 

"Thanks," I say to her and pat her head. 

"Now we're even!" Zinx yelled from the other side of the tomb.

"Yeah right!" I yell back. The Master Ball dinged at that moment, signaling Hoopa had been caught.

"Nadia, you're alright, right?" Tess asked, worried as she hurries over to where I am, careful to not trip over the portal pieces. Everyone else follow her. I nod, and she relaxes a little. 

"You know, I still can't believe that happened," Tess sighed, still grieving over what happened to Jake. "That was really brave of Jake. He didn't deserve what happened to him, he's a hero, after all."

"We'll get him back somehow," I reassure her. 

There was a glow in my peripheral and I turn to see the bronze brick floating in the air. It had returned to its original size and the necklace string had been repaired. I reluctantly pluck it out of the air. 

"Looks like it chooses you to be its protector." My dad comments. 

"Is that so?" I mutter and place it around my neck. Yeah, that feels better.

"We're proud of you for becoming such an incredible Pokemon Trainer!" Dad continues, nodding. "You came quite a long way to save us and Jake. That could have gone differently had you not been where you were, when you were."

"Yes, that was quite the surprising outcome!" A new voice exclaims, surprising us all. We look at the entrance of the tomb and find a man in a brown trench coat and a suit underneath.

Wait, that's Looker. What the hell is he doing here?!

"Ah...whomst are you?" Zinx asked. Looker laughs a little. 

"Ah, apologies. Now, allow me to introduce myself. I am an officer of the Interdimensional Police. I am known as 'Looker'. I am from a universe that is similar to, yet quite different from your own. For example, our universes seem to share the same regions, except yours has an addition of this and many more. A number of methods have been discovered for traveling across the boundaries between universes. Combine this with Absol's danger-sensing abilities, and we can detect where we may be needed most in the multiverse." Looker explained. "Most recently, one of our Absol led us here."

Tess realizes something here. "Oh, I think we met your Absol!" She exclaimed. "It joined Nadia's side during one of our previous encounters with Cypress." She thinks this over. "So you came from a whole different universe just to stop Team Eclipse?" She then asks. Looker nods.

"Yes, although this was a particularly difficult mission." He admitted, scratching the back of his head. 

A beat of silence, before I asked, "Explain?"

"Team Eclipse threatened more than just their own dimension. We had to resort to some old tactics in order to keep up with them. Strangely, we're not foreign to working with young people to avert these crises."

Ah, there's the reference to the main series games.

"I arrived in Anthian City, hoping to have some extra time to tour it, but was rushed when I found that Team Eclipse's plans had accelerated beyond our estimations." Looker explains. "That is where I met your friend Jake."

"...What-"

"So you're the one that got Jake captured?" Tess asks. "Intentionally?"

"Heh, all part of my last-minute plan. I apologize greatly if he was hurt in any way." Looker looks at Zinx, who dismisses it with a wave of his hand.

"Nah, he cooperated with them pretty quickly, so nothing really happened." He responds nonchalantly. 

"Well, in that case. I sent Jake in to gather information. He wanted to do even more to help, and he did. He gained their trust, moved up the ranks to admin, and assisted in putting a stop to Team Eclipse's destruction."

"That means he was even more heroic than we thought." I conclude. "He wasn't a coward after all. I gotta apologize to him if we get him back."

"That's right!" Tess exclaims. "Team Eclipse succeeded in half of their plan. They went to their desired world, meaning we don't even know where they are, and Jake's somewhere in there too. If you think about it, then it'd mean we're in a lose/lose situation."

"Not quite," Looker corrects. "We know exactly where we sent the Eclipse goons, because we reprogrammed the computer process with specific coordinates. We know that Jake may not be in the exact same universe as them, but he is close." 

"Close to us, or to Eclipse's universe?"

They continue the conversation without an answer to my question. Damn.

"Wait, so where did you send them?" Tess asks.

"After conducting research in labs buried in Anthian's sewer system, we discovered a collection of universes known as Rawblix."

...Rawblix?

Looker seems to catch this, and starts muttering to himself. "Er...that doesn't seem right. Road blocks? No. Rewbix. Not that either...it was like aerobics, but not. Hmmm. Ah! It was Roblox. Pardon me, it's called Roblox."

Roblox?! Wait, I recognize that! I've never really played it, but I've heard of it in passing. It's hard not to when you live in the 2020s. 

Looker looks at me. "Is something the matter?" He asks. I look back and shake my head. 

"Everything's fine. So, about this...'Roblox'?" I inquire. That is so weird to say.

"Well, you see, Roblox is fascinating because it's a collection of universes wherein you can make, do, and be anything you want. In fact, I theorize that it's the very reason Cypress and his gang were so drawn to such an idea." Looker explains. Tess lights up at this, though.

"So we can save Jake, right?" She's growing excited again.

"Yes. In fact, I have already dispatched a search party for him. Don't worry, he is in good hands."

A beat of silence. Looker then continues. "If there are no other questions, I recommend you all go home and get some rest. You've all been through some rather exciting and traumatic events. The cleanup crew is on its way, and will be here shortly."

"Home sounds great right now!" Mom exclaims. "Let's go home before you do any more adventuring."

"Sure. You guys can go first, I'll catch up with you later."

My parents nod and leave. Looker looks at me. "Nadia, yes?" 

"Yeah?"

"I have a feeling this won't be the last we run into each other. I look forward to the next time we meet."

He leaves as well.

Me, Tess, and Zinx look at each other. I speak up first. "Do you think we should leave this to the search party?" I ask.

"I think they're more efficient than the ones for my parents, but I still think we should try on our own," Tess suggested.

"I'm down for that. What bout you, Zinx?" I look at the boy in question, who was lost in thought until now. 

"You're thinking about going after Jake yourselves, aren't you?" Zinx asked, getting nods from both of us. He sighs.

"Well, I guess I'm in too." He says after pondering a minute. "Although, you might need to see Looker to talk about this, too."

"And, if you want, you can visit your world again, too." Tess says to me. 

"Maybe."

Zinx suddenly trails off. "Wait, what?" He asked. "Is there something I'm missing here? What's this about another world?"

We decide to ignore Zinx's confused noises and Tess explains that she'll go to Gerald to see if he knows anything about this and if we could help somehow. 

"Though...are you going to challenge the last gym and the Roria League after this?" Tess asked as we exited the tomb. 

I shake my head. "Nah, I think I'm done with battling for now. Maybe I'll do it after we get Jake back, but not at the moment." Tess nods. She orders a Corviknight taxi for her and Zinx. 

"By the way, Zinx, where are you gonna go?" She asked the boy, whose mind probably malfunctioned with a million questions. He snapped his head up at the question, looked at her confusedly for a second, before thinking about it.

"I guess I'll return to the Eclipse base," He started. "I need to pack all my stuff there and change out of this and back into one of my hoodies. That was way more comfortable than whatever material this is." He tugs at the Team Eclipse shirt. 

"Okay, got it. Shouldn't be far from here, then. Nadia, you're gonna fly back to Mitis Town, right?" I nod a yes. "Okay, let's meet up at Anthian City tomorrow, then. See ya!"

"Yeah, see you two tomorrow," I reply, and send out my Corvisquire to fly.