"Mewtwo," Boss replied from the shadows. "Please, join me."

Mewtwo simply levitated himself upward toward the second floor, past the pathetic dark creatures that stood guard around his partner's office. Pathetic, he mentally sneered, as if these pitiful creatures would be able to stand in front of his wrath, should he direct it towards Team Rocket.

"Giovanni has called for you," Boss replied slowly, as the two walked ahead in the empty corridor, away from all interference.

Mewtwo smiled. The hierarchy within the tiers of Team Rocket amused him to no end. The entire organization, while over two decades old, had truly come to life some… three years ago, with its aim of making its presence known all over Kanto. Before that, it had mainly been a cluster of undercover research groups working for a man, a shrewd businessman, whose ambition and intelligence were unparalleled among men.

Lionel Giovanni.

Of course, back then Giovanni had funded a significant amount of capital on Project Alpha—a project that was supposed to create the most powerful pokémon in the world. Or rather, that was what it seemed it was.

A project that had ended with a blaze, with twisted metal on the ground, the entire island engulfed in ashes and smoke, and a lone survivor, one who would someday, become the Alpha of all.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ Lavender Tower - Graveyard ]

Buried Alive limped through the graveyard as made his way toward one of the oldest graves that existed in Lavender Tower.

Buried Alive's ghostly energy cleaned away the centuries of mold and decay on the tombstone revealing words that made Buried Alive's gain a melancholic look.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲

Buried Alive's hand phased through the grave as he pulled out a crystal orb with a ghostly aura radiating from it.

This was the forbidden life orb.

An item that was created from the remnant soul of that bastard.

( ~ Crack ~ )

( ~ Boom ~ )

Suddenly a loud bang caught the attention of Buried Alive as he threw the life orb toward the alpha shiny haunter.

𝗦...𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝘁!

Buried Alive just smirked at the alpha shiny haunter's pleas.

" Blame your trainer for abandoning you and dying, what was his name again... Ethan Ainsworth."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Cubone looked up to the ceiling from his nest as he held his mother's club tightly near his heart that beats faster and faster as he and his mother heard steps coming towards their nest.

Cubone looked at his mother who had a feral look in her eyes ready to defend her child even if it meant dying.

Suddenly the steps stopped in front of the wooden plank that acted as a slanted roof for the mother and son.

Marowak took her club from her son as she stood in front of Cubone with her club outstretched.

( ~ Creak ~ )

As if an otherworldly force was acting on the plank as it was suddenly lifted.

Marowak threw a boomerang attack at the same time the roof was lifted.

( ~ Thud ~ )

( ~ Oops ~ )

Austin almost barfed out all his breakfast as Marowak's boomerang hit his stomach thankfully Butterfree was able to stop it on time otherwise Austin's stomach would have gone.

" Free !"

Butterfree yelled at Marowak for almost killing his trainer.

Marowak bowed her head in shame as Cubone ran out from his mother's back he hugged Austin's leg holding his stomach in pain.

Putting on a smile, Austin managed to squeeze out while patting Cubone's head.

" D... Don't worry, I ... am .... alright."

" Maro "

Marowak stepped forward to apologize but Butterfree's death glare caused her to stop.

" Free ."

Hearing Butterfree's concerned voice, Austin held his up to reassure the butterfly pokemon that he was alright.

Fighting against the pain, Austin went on one knee as he said," Miss Marowak, Buried Alive is roaming the halls of this tower. Currently, it is too dangerous for you and your son to remain here. So for your safety please go into this Pokeball and I'll transfer you to safety."

Marowak understood Austin's words via Butterfree's translation.

Looking at the Pokeball in Austin's hand, Marowak's mind flashed to the time when she had first encountered team rocket.

Marowak looked on as Austin smiled when Cubone showed him his club. Marowak knew that she could trust this kind of human who was unlike those monsters.

Cubone curiously looked at the Pokeball in Austin's hand before tapping it.

Austin and Marowak couldn't react at all as the Pokeball in Austin's hands glowed with white light before teleporting to professor oak's lab.

Marowak touched Austin's hand in disbelief as tears began to flow down his eyes.

Where is my son?

Where is my son ?!.

Seeing a hysterical mother crying Austin fumbled to calm her down.

" Don't worry Miss Marowak, your son is fine. Cubon is....."

Austin's words were cut off by a mind-numbing presence that appeared behind him

" O̶̰̖̙͖͒̈̉r̶̙͓̱̂̄̀̀̂ ̷͙͗́̚ỉ̶̛̛̺̇̊s̷͕̦͒̿̆̿͑ ̷̦͎̮̬̫͂̈́̏̿̕ş̷̖̋͐͛̓h̴̫̐̿͛̏͊ě̶̻́̉ ̷̱͚̥̬͌̀̋̄̊?̶̧̟̭̦̼͑̿̐͝!̴͎̝̈́̐̀̀̐ " { Or is he ?! }

Austin immediately turned around pushing Marowak behind him as Butterfree's eyes glowed while looking at the reanimated rotting corpse of Butch.

There stood in the corner with a Pokeball rotating on his finger was Buried Alive but he looked kinda different.

The skin of Butch's body had turned blue as blood flowed out from his eyes.

" Ỳ̶̨͕͕̯̑̄̓o̵̧̬̜̒͛̓͜ṵ̷̼̗̀̓͛̊ ̸̧͕͔͊̌̊t̵̨̝̬́͘h̷͍̭̗̳́i̵̛̘̽͑̆͝n̷̗̲͖̾̈́̾͝ǩ̶̺̩͍̳͋̾ ̸̡͇̯͙͙̅̇̍͐̓ų̶̛̎̔̃̈́ ̴͍͖̔̋̓͌̕c̶̘̥̲͈̈͑̿̚͝ȃ̴̺̦̳̯͙n̵̨͉̣̬͚̎̔͋͗̚ ̴̨̣̘͙̀̃̕͝͠s̶̢̙̱̼̜̃͊͘ä̴͔͈́̈́̊̉ṿ̵̨̨̓e̷͓͕̩̹̥̍̋́͘ ̶̡̧͉̅̕t̴͇̟̐̀̾̑͜h̷̘̠͋̋͝e̴̖͛̾͋m̶͚̙͆̍̕.̷̘͑͛̏̆̄ ̷̘͓͈̪͉͋Y̶̨͓̭̘̔͆ő̷̻̬̦̹̌̓͐͒͜ü̷̪̲̙̖̍ ̸̨̉c̴̢̯̪͕͉͋̾͐̂͝o̵̹̹͇͙̒̊ṵ̷̞̅ͅļ̷̮͈͋͊͐̽̐ď̴̼̂̏̊ń̶̠̉̉'̴̢̩̝̳̞̓̋̆̉ț̶̨̱̈́̇͝͝ͅ ̶̭͐̎̇͜ë̴̹͎̱́͋̀̔v̶̜͑͝e̸̝̲̝̯͉̅ñ̴̤͓̑́̓ ̸͕̱̩͕̗̅̚͝͠ś̸̳͉̺͛͌̂̀ą̵͈̠̳̪̈́͊̽̿̃v̸͚̘̓͌ͅȩ̴̞̥̋ ̶͈̦̜͈̗̄̀̈ỷ̵̻̘̝͋͊ͅo̸̺̭̓͆̾̐ů̴͖̪̳̺͗r̵̬͎̙̙̋ ̷̱͔͓͙̈̊̍́͆R̴̢̪̮̓̃á̵̡̮̾̕t̷̫̯̥͂̍̉i̷̱̯̤͛͐c̵̬̠̰̉a̴̼̲͊̈́͝͝ṯ̸̪̳̟̍̋e̸̺̍̋̋̾͘.̴̹͍̻̭͈͐ ̷̨̫̺̺̪̽Ẃ̴͉͇̆͜h̸͍̟̫͊ȧ̴̠̈́͐̕ṭ̷͙̇̑̊̒͆ ̴̙̆̈́͋̕m̵̜̄̋ằ̸͎̘̗̾͘k̸̨̯͑̔̓ę̸͕̣͇̂̄̋͗͘s̴̤̪̺̏́̂ ̴̠̎̓ţ̸̇̽h̸̹͉͆̂́̌i̷̳̲͛̿̋s̴̡̳̣͐̆͘ ̴̹̺̭̣̆̈́a̷͔̾n̴̢͇̒͌y̵͈̳͂̇̓͘ ̷̣̦̒̏̌̓d̶̞̈́ḭ̸̤̥͈̄̿̂̈f̷̟̱̞̖͕̓f̵̨͕̥̑̆͘e̶͚͌͒̌̆͘r̶̯̬̜͕̈́̉͌e̷̲͒͌́̋͝n̷̢͉̦̼͝t̴̜̠͉̬̅͜ ̴̰̥̱̘̖̈͊̉?̶͇̯̣͍̂́ B̶̟̫̥̫̏́̌̉̚u̸̢̩͆͋̃t̴̜̝̹̬̦̔̂͝͝ ̴̟̩̊I̷̳͈̩̹͑̄͆̌͠ ̷̗͊̚͝͝ḣ̶̨͈̦a̶̤̝͕̫̩͋͒̈v̴̖̹͖̯͊̓́͒̚e̶̦̹͙̦̝̐̈́̑ ̵͓̯͘ţ̴̢̘̪͊̂̾o̵̢̮̣͛̚ ̶̨͕̎͐̾ͅͅs̷̪̻͇͍͗̉͒͂ͅa̸͉͖͗̀̾̅̈́y̷͚̮̰͛̍,̸̥͛ ̴̘̄͆͌̔̚g̴̤͉̟͙̥̈́̄̄͝è̶̡̮̀̿̒t̵̠̮̗̋t̸̗̩͔̭̅̂̆̓i̸̦̮͉͒͑͝n̷̻̣̥̉̍g̵̗̍̈́̆ ̴̼́̿͌ý̶̙̭̦͔̄̍o̸̳͓̣̟̐̄̐̓̈́u̶̧̦̟͉͗͂̋͌͜ȓ̷͙̠̮̓͂ ̷̺̫͙̼͆p̸͙̐o̷̘̫̿́k̶̨͎̖͊̓́é̶̯̤͍͝ḿ̶̱̹̘̅̋͂o̸̼̐͛n̶̮̻̞͍̏̑͝ ̵̨͓̏͗ṫ̴̝̊o̵̪̹̮͗͌ ̸̛̞̃̀̽̎ç̶̟̔͛͐͒a̶͉̝͔̱͊͝ü̷͍͍̭̦̠s̵͚̻̰̑̂͗̑̒ė̴̳́͋ ̸̢̫̾͂͘ả̴̝̋ ̵̳̯̮͐̈́͌͛ḑ̸͔̳͑̅̃̋̋ĭ̴̡̺̲̬̥̈̿͆̕ş̸̺̲̬͈͘t̸̡̡͙͕̓r̷͈̠͂͛̂ȧ̴̢̱̣̊ͅc̷̻̘̋͆̃́͜t̶̖̳̅̃̽̈́̚͜ͅi̴̡͚̰͘ó̷̡̲̪͚͚̂͋n̴̜̰̲̰͙̋́̊ ̴̻͉̤̜̌͝w̴̩̭͂̊͘h̸̡̩͉͖͐̑̄͠ȋ̵̥̯̦̜͝l̷̢͚̲͎͒͝ȩ̸͔̦̀̊ͅ ̸̠̖̬͓̝̆̐͆̈́y̷̧̻̮̤̒̄̎͊͜õ̴̮̃͂̒́u̵̩͙̐́̈͘ ̶̺͛s̶͍̤͍͛͋̓ȁ̷̹̩̩͉̤v̷̫͙̞̝̒͘ë̴̼̳ ̴̨̳͍̏̀͌́t̴̟̤͕̟̑̿h̵̝̩̃̒͐e̷̤̍͗͆ ̵̰̝̥͕͌̃m̴͈̗̿̂̂̏̿o̴̢̤͔̻̔t̸̹͐̅͐͘͘ḥ̵̛̭͙̎͘ë̸̮̘̱͈̬̐́̚r̸̦͙̬̲̱͗ ̶̧̬̪͑̎͜a̷͕̐̄̾̚n̴̠̠̋͛̑͠d̷̛͇̰͕̻̎̓͜ ̵͙̤̟͚͊̀͐͌͜͠c̷̥͐͛͝͠h̷̥̻̜̾i̴͚̙̮͉̥̅l̷͎̥̲̔̔̇̈́d̸͙͔̤̲̋̑̅͒͜ ̶͕̥̘̞̿w̸̟̅ą̵̦͕̃s̵͕̥̤̺̿́͝ ̸̢̳͈̤̻̓͊̎a̵̛̹̰̻̍d̷̡̰̾͊̚͝͝m̶̙̯̥̈́̔í̵̤̮͕͚̒̓̓ṟ̴͙͈͚̇̂͌à̶͒̀ͅb̴̯̮̤́̈́ḽ̶͔́͒̈́̓e̶̟̲͙͆̂͘ͅ.̸̢̟͙̋͗̏͠ ̸̩̼̦̥̑̐̋F̵̛̰͕̳̺̹̈́͐̚͝ṏ̸̹͇̘̤́͜ȍ̴̹͚l̶̡͕̯̗͐i̴̛̳̅͛̅͝ș̷̛͊h̵̽͋͘͠ͅ ̴͖̤̖̹̋͜ọ̶̡̝̿̆̏̌f̶̛̫̙̔̽̒ ̸̬̹̉̏̈ŷ̷̳̅̂ò̴̡͍̲ǘ̸̥͑̚ ̵̭̺͉͈̖̍t̵͙͗o̸͇̜̎͝͝ ̶̧̧̺̺̟͊̕ā̶͈͌̓̎ș̵̤͇̑̌̾̓̆ŝ̷͈͚̝̊u̶̠͍̫̎̓̔͒m̷̛͉̫̩̍̏̐͒ͅë̷̼̥͖ ̵̪̠̒t̵̫̫͙̺̣̓ẖ̷̢̰̜̖̃a̶̖͋̽̀̎́t̴̩̟̳̺͑͒̔ͅ ̶̫͛́I̷͇̾̆͊̉ ̵̼͚̞̋c̶̛̝̮͙̘͑̓̅o̷̢̡͔̬̍͂̓̊ŭ̶̲̘̮̣͇l̸͓͔̙͚̽͑̒̏͘d̸̢͈̲̫͋͠ń̸̲͇̝̠͍̌̐͠'̶͍̀͑͆̈t̸͙̞͔̅ ̶̟̦̂̂s̵̖̰̯͖̈́̓̓̍è̴̹͈̞̦ȩ̷̹͚̫͆͑͛ ̸͓̳͛̕t̸̠̙́̉h̶̞͓̜̓͘r̵̢̤͈̥͗̉͛̽̕ö̵̧͇̐ṷ̷̼̙͚͊̒͠g̶͓͍͔̑̓͒h̸̞̣̍ ̴̰̀̿͌͛͝ÿ̸̖͎̘̹͚́͂o̸̘̱̠̝͊u̴̢̘̥̭̺̐̓r̶̫͍̂ ̸̳̹̐͊̓̋͌p̶̧͕͘̕͝l̸͉͔̹͓̟̊̈ả̵̪̙͇̹͒̀͠͝n̴͙̍̈́,̴̖̭͗ ̶̤͙̔̈́͌̕B̷̭̙̗̭͆́͘͝ò̴̰͔͋̀y̷̭̲̑ ̶͕̙̓̀̎͝!̷̞̮̭̪͔́̀͒͐̕"

{ You think u can save them? You couldn't even save your Raticate. What makes this any different? But I have to say, getting your pokemon to cause a distraction while you save the mother and child was admirable. Foolish of you to assume that I couldn't see through your plan, Boy! }

Buried Alive's words sent chills down Austin's spine as he recognized the Pokeball spinning on his finger.

It was Cubone's Pokeball.

But how ? Krabby's PokeBall was easily able to go through.

Did Buried Alive intercept the Pokeball mid-teleport?

" Hey, Hey, Hey, let's calm down. You said you wanted a vessel right."

Buried Alive had an insane look in his eyes as he clenched Cubone Pokeball.

" No!"

Austin stepped forward with sweat dripping down his face.

" You need a vessel, right? Just let go of that Pokeball and I will become your vessel."

" T̶̡̑̍̔͂ò̴̦͈̠̘̺͛̓̅o̸̙̞̜̾̃́̈́ ̶̛͙̓͗l̶͚̓̓͑͌ą̶̜̗̯̼͑͑̏t̴̩̬̑̔͌̽e̶̲͛ ̶̤̫̩̬̿ͅb̶̬͈̮̟̐̈́̿͝o̶̢͎̜͐y̴̖̔̿̚͠ " { Too late boy }

Buried Alive's hands clenched harder under the shocked eyes of Marowak, Butterfree, and Austin.

The Pokeball exploded.