John spun around, searching for the source, but found no one visible. The voice seemed to materialize directly in his ears, yet he recognized it immediately.
"Scarlett?" John called out uncertainly.
"Get out of there first. Lose them," Scarlett's voice came again, urgent but strangely disembodied.
Without hesitation, John recalled both Greninja and Mega Garchomp to their Pokeballs. "Gardevoir, Teleport us out of here."
In a flash of psychic energy, they vanished from the Pokemon horde's sight.
Several minutes later, John found himself standing in a desolate clearing outside the town, face to face with someone he barely recognized.
"I haven't seen you in over a year," John said slowly, studying the figure before him. "You've changed so much I almost didn't recognize you."
Gone was the elegant, refined Professor Scarlett he remembered, the brilliant researcher who'd been the dream of countless students at Riverstone University. The woman before him now had tangled hair and wore the weathered look of someone who'd endured far more than academic pressures.
There was something else too... a sense of hard-won experience that aged her beyond her years.
From promising young professor to battle-hardened survivor. What exactly had Scarlett endured during her time in this place?
"You too," Scarlett replied, her gaze appraising. "The last time I saw you, you were still that eager freshman with more enthusiasm than sense."
John supposed she had a point. A year of gym challenges, elite battles, and now this rescue mission had stripped away whatever naivety he'd possessed. The casual way he'd prepared to demolish an entire horde of Pokemon probably proved that.
Scarlett's eyes lingered on the Pokeballs at his belt. "That Greninja you had... and a Garchomp capable of Mega Evolution. You've become quite the trainer, haven't you? Gym Leader level, I'd guess."
John shrugged, trying to appear modest despite the surge of pride. "I've had good teachers."
"So," he continued, "have you finished whatever brought you to this godforsaken place?"
Scarlett's expression softened slightly. "Yes. Finally."
"Good, because Principal Badman says we have about twelve hours before the spatial channel is ready. After that, we can go home." John pulled out the spatial locator, offering it to her.
But Scarlett didn't take it. Instead, she stared toward the distant town, her expression troubled. "Twelve hours? That might just be enough time."
"Enough time for what? What else do you need to do here?"
"I need to take back all the Pokemon in that town," Scarlett said firmly. "The ones that just tried to attack you."
John raised an eyebrow. "Is there something special about them?"
He'd been curious about the Pokemon situation since arriving. A thriving Pokemon population in a spatial rift was supposed to be impossible according to everything he'd studied.
"Nothing special about the Pokemon themselves," Scarlett said. "But their situation... that's another story entirely."
"Then why rescue them?"
"That's... complicated. Let me explain."
For the next hour, Scarlett laid out the truth about their current prison.
This world wasn't one of the miraculous "time-stopped" exceptions John had hoped for. It was exactly what the research materials described, an ordinary spatial rift, a lifeless wasteland cut off from sunlight and slowly dying.
The Pokemon here weren't original inhabitants either. They'd been transported here afterward, victims of an elaborate scheme.
"There's a Zapdos in this world," Scarlett explained, "one with spatial manipulation abilities. It's been systematically kidnapping steel-type Pokemon to construct that lighthouse, essentially turning them into living batteries. Then it captures electric-types to power the whole system."
"And Zapdos feeds off the energy," John concluded grimly.
"Exactly. It's using them as a personal power plant to grow stronger."
Only one word came to John's mind: "Slavemaster."
The legendary Pokemon was literally keeping hundreds of others in captivity, draining their life force for its own gain. It was beyond cruel, it was systematic exploitation.
"Those Pokemon seemed awfully cooperative for slaves," John observed, remembering their coordinated assault. "They looked angry, but they were definitely following orders."
"That's because they're not acting of their own will," Scarlett's voice turned bitter. "Zapdos has Metagross and Bronzong as lieutenants, both powerful psychic-types. They've hypnotized the entire population into compliance."
The pieces clicked into place. "That's why their eyes looked so strange. They were furious but... empty."
It reminded John of horror stories he'd heard about criminal organizations using psychic Pokemon for mind control. Hypnosis-based crimes were unfortunately common enough to make the news regularly.
"So you want to break the hypnosis and free them all?"
"Every single one," Scarlett confirmed with steel in her voice.
John could respect that, but practical concerns nagged at him. "If we start liberating Pokemon, Zapdos is going to notice pretty quickly, right?"
From Scarlett's explanation, the lighthouse's constant glow meant the legendary was actively drawing power. It was definitely still in this world, probably somewhere near its precious battery.
Fighting a legendary Pokemon was never simple. John had challenged a LV 70 Zapdos at a during a Dungeon once, and even with type advantages, it had been nearly impossible. Legendary Pokemon existed on a completely different tier from ordinary ones.
But that was before his recent growth. Now, with Mega Evolution and perfected techniques at his disposal...
"Actually," John mused, "this could be perfect timing."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been planning to challenge a legendary Pokemon eventually, this present the perfect opportunity." John's grin was equal parts confidence and recklessness. "If I can handle this Zapdos, the one back home should be manageable too."
Besides, they had over eleven hours. Plenty of time for a legendary Pokemon battle. a legendary Pokemon battle.