"I know we've been here before, but I still don't understand how we can get lost." Kat joked.

"Well, this is our second time being here, so..." Rina said.

Kat glanced and Rina and chuckled.

"Remembering how Ezra led us, I think we turn down this corner, and Zloria Studios will be right in front of us." I said.

When we turned down the upcoming corner, Zloria Studios was in front of us.

"Nice navigating skills, Era!" Elsu praised.

"Thanks," I said, "Come on, let's head inside!"

The others nodded and followed me inside. Once inside, a large crowd stood in front of us.

"Guess we're not the only ones who want to see Darius's show." Eric said.

"Well, he is a world-renowned comedian, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of these people were from other regions." Kat said.

I nodded and scanned the plethora of people in front of us.

I wish Ezra were here. He'd help us out.

Then, I felt something bump my side. Looking down, I saw a Pyroar that I knew all too well.

"You're Ezra's Pyroar, aren't you?" I asked, placing a hand on the Pokémon's mane.

The Pyroar purred before letting out a cry. It turned around and pushed its way through the crowd.

"I guess we're gonna have to follow her." Rina said.

Nodding in agreement, the six of us followed the lengthy Pokémon through the crowd. When we were free of the sea of people, the Pyroar let out a cry as it walked up to the elevator. Standing on its hind legs, it pressed the button, and the metal doors opened. We stepped into the elevator, and the Pyroar pressed a button with its nose, causing the doors to close.

Pyroar's very smart and articulate. It knows this place like the back of its hand, well, paw, I should say.

When the doors opened, a beautifully set studio and stage welcomed us. The Pyroar let out a cry and walked ahead. It then walked up to a familiar trainer and purred. When the trainer looked up, the six of us waved at the Normal-type Elite Four member.

"Hey, kids!" Ezra said, walking up to us, "Good to see you again!"

"You, too, Ezra!" Nina said happily.

"So, I'm assuming you came to watch Darius's comedy show, huh?"

"We are," Rina said, "Well, partially."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's complicated," I said, "If anything, we'll tell you if we don't get the chance to meet Darius after the show."

Ezra's face turned serious, and he nodded firmly.

"Well, Darius isn't here at the moment," Ezra said, "He's known for being fashionably late... But he'll be here before it's time."

"That's good to hear." Kat said.

I remember hearing from Grandma Eli that Darius is a very laid-back guy. He's cocky at times, especially during battles. Many, to this day, still don't know how he became champion. The world works in mysterious ways.

"Why don't you kids take a seat," Ezra said suddenly, "People will start coming in soon."

Nodding to the Elite Four member, the six of us took a seat in the front row in front of the stage. Libby hopped off my shoulder and onto my lap. I grinned and placed a hand on her fuzzy head. After a few minutes of waiting, more people started arriving.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Nina said excitedly, "I listen to Darius's comedy shows whenever I can, and he's hilarious. He really takes after his parents."

"I can't wait!" Elsu said.

The others and I agreed silently. Then, the lights began to dim, and the indistinct chattering fell on deaf ears. That's when Ezra appeared on stage, and a round of applause erupted.

"Welcome all!" Ezra said, "We have a spectacular show for you today! Following in his parents' footsteps, the champion of our beloved Ezonia region, please welcome Darius!"

Then, a young man with light skin and blonde hair appeared. The young man had dark magenta eyes and wore a navy blue tuxedo with a microphone.

So that's Darius. Hard to believe he's the champion; he looks like any ordinary trainer.

"Hello, Ezonia! Thank you for the warm welcome!" Darius said happily, "Hope the cameras got my good side, 'cause all those watching at home are in for a special treat."

Darius twirled the microphone in his hand as he walked across the stage.

"So, I remember a couple of years ago when I was traveling the world with my folks, there was one show that stuck with me to this day," Darius began, "But it's the story after that's funnier."

Darius stopped in the middle of the stage and looked at the audience with a confident smile.

"So, when my dad was younger, he would go out with his friends to have underground battles, where there are no limits to battling," Darius began, "My dad's a proud owner of a Heracross and a strong one at that. This battle that he told me is something that I will never forget."

Darius chuckled before continuing.

"So, at that time, my dad and his Heracross were battling a Swanna, and if you do the math right, Swanna has the advantage over Heracross. The battle begins, and the two are going at it," Darius said, "After a while, my dad's Heracross uses Rest, and it just astonishes the opponent. When their Swanna went in to deal the finishing blow, Heracross popped up like a zombie and used Rock Blast!"

The audience chuckled, and Darius continued his story.

"And I asked my dad, 'How could you use a move if Heracross was asleep?' Heracross knew Sleep Talk," Darius said bluntly, "And it won him the battle."

The audience, including my friends and I, couldn't help but laugh.

"My dad and his Heracross won the next few rounds until he became the reigning champion of the Underground, and he still proudly upholds that title today," Darius said, "He often goes back to defend his title."

The audience applauded and cheered.

"So, cut to a week after he won, his mom, my grandmother, had asked him where he's been for the past few hours 'cause she didn't know my dad was doing this. She doesn't like battling others; it makes her uncomfortable, for whatever reason," Darius explained, "My dad told her that he was at the Pokémon Center having a battle with some friends."

Darius stifled a laugh before continuing.

"She grabbed him by the ear and yelled, 'Listen, I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night!'" Darius said, impersonating a woman's voice, "I swear, that is the funniest thing my grandmother ever said!"

The audience erupted in laughter.

I'm so using that phrase from now on!

"In truth, he wasn't lying," Darius said, "The underground battles were by the Pokémon Center, but you had to know an operator or be a participant, and it's not easy getting in either; well, what my dad says, at least."

Darius sighed and grinned at the crowd.

"So when my grandmother let him go, my dad said, 'I'm not lying. What I'm doing could make us rich one day!' While my grandmother didn't like battling, she stared at him before saying, 'Okay, carry on.'" Darius said.

He and the audience couldn't help but laugh.

"She just let him go!" he said, "She was like, well, if it makes us money, who am I to stop you?"

Grandma Eli would never let me get away with something like that.

Darius laughed before running a hand through his hair.

"So, about another week or so after, my dad finally came clean to my grandmother about what he's been doing," Darius explained, "She was shocked at first, but seeing how strong he's gotten, she let him continue, and would even go to watch some of his battles."

The young champion sighed before continuing.

"I never get tired of hearing or telling that story," Darius said, "Not only was he sneaking out to go battle behind his mother's back, but she also continued to let him do it 'cause she believed it would bring in more money, and surprisingly, it did."

The audience laughed before fixing their attention on the champion.

"Kids, don't do this, please," Darius chuckled, "The Underground aren't people you want to entangle with, especially their lead operator. Also, don't go behind your parents' backs. It's not a good look for you."

The audience once again erupted into laughter.

"That's all I have for you all today," Darius said, "Thank you all for coming out!"

The audience cheered and applauded.

That was a great show! Nina was right; Darius is hilarious.

When the crowd was gone, the others and I walked to the stage to talk to Darius. When we arrived, Darius looked down at us and smiled.

"Hey, kids," he said, "Like my show?"

"Liked it? We loved it!" Nina said, "I still can't believe I was able to watch one of your shows in person! Such an honor..."

Darius chuckled and smiled.

"That means a lot, thank you," he said.

"Darius!" a familiar voice cried.

We all turned to the side to see Ezra walk up to us.

"Hey, Ez," Darius said, "What's up?"

"These were the kids I was telling you about," Ezra said, "This one is Elise's granddaughter."

Ezra grinned as he gestured his hand toward me. Darius's eyes widened before they softened. The champion chuckled before sitting down on the stage's edge.

"I've heard great things about you kids," Darius said, "Name's Darius. Nice to formally meet you,"

"You, too, Darius," Eric said, "Your show was amazing."

"Thanks. So, what is it you wanted from me?"

The others and I looked at one another and nodded.

"Well, it's a hard pill to swallow..." I said.

"Lay it on me." Darius said.

I breathed out a heavy sigh, and the six of us explained what happened at Silverstone Town to Darius and Ezra. When we finished, the two were unfazed.

"Thanks for telling us, but we kinda already knew..." Ezra said sheepishly.

Our eyes went wide.

"Really? When? Who? How?" Nina asked.

"Professor Cherry called. She told us what Team Xenon did," Darius said, "I had already informed the authorities and the Elite Four to be on high alert for any Team Xenon activity."

I placed a hand on my chest and breathed out a heavy sigh.

"Well, I'm glad you know," I said, "My friends and I will aid you and the authorities however we can, right, guys?"

"Right!" my friends said.

Darius and Ezra smiled and nodded.

"Well, we better get going," Kat said, "Grandisle City awaits."

"Yeah," I said, "It was nice to meet you, Darius."

"You, too. Until we meet again!" Darius said with a bow.

The six of us waved goodbye before walking to the elevator.

"I'm glad Darius and the Elite Four know about what's going on," Rina said, clutching her Snubbull, "Things would've gotten out of hand if they didn't."

"I agree," Elsu said, "Well, let's not dwell on it now. Let's focus on getting to Grandisle City so I can beat you four in a battle."

Eric, Kat, Nina, and I turned to our native friend and grinned.

"We'll see about that, Elsu," Kat said, "Don't underestimate us."

"Believe me; I don't," Elsu said, "I can't wait for this battle."

I chuckled and shook my head fondly.

Having more people on our side who stand against Team Xenon's transgressions will give us a better fighting chance to bring them down. I don't know what the future holds, but I can say that Team Xenon's reign of terror will end very, very soon.