Kei Nuurumi's Story

Ruula's Orbit...



There was a sense of trepidation, and unease as Captain Nuurumi stared at the planet below through the view-port of the bridge. His crew was working diligently to plot the landing course, but there was unease as the landing course took the ship into the maelstrom over Castelia.

Nuurumi made a face, before he lowered himself into his chair, then he reached out, and buckled himself in, cinching the straps to secure him tightly into the seat, as his crew did the same.

The ship lurched slightly, as it began to touch the very uppermost atmosphere of the planet, it's glow bathing the interior of the Bridge in an intense light.

"Initial insertion confirmed, adjusting degree one point nine percent!" The bridge officer called out. "Hull temperature Negative Two Hundred degrees Centigrade! Integrity is holding, we're adjusting forward angle two degrees pitch."

As the ship began to move, it also began to shake slightly, atmospheric turbulence playing along the frame of the ship in the form of long contrails of ice crystals, and condensate that shimmered in the sunlight.

Nuurumi grimaced for a moment. "We could be walking into a fight... instruct all gunnery crews to be ready to engage the moment we hit the water! I don't want to leave anything to chance!" Grasping the control console to steady himself in his chair, he watched carefully, flames began to lick at the hull, whipping up and over the deck.

"Hull temperature increasing to nine hundred degrees!" The Bridge officer called out, they had begun their swing around the planet itself, and so far their trajectory was moving smoothly, the dark clouds of the storm over Unova could be seen on the horizon, with the anvil shaped cloud tops piercing high into the sky. The ominous storm before them brought a few tingled spines amid the bridge crew, but they committed to their trajectory. They would be landing soon.


"Here we go!

A few moments passed, and the ship breached the cloud layer, with flashes of dark energy arcing all around them, the thickness of the clouds rendered the ship totally blind with visuals, and sensors began to project an artificial horizon, and a crude wire-frame mapping of the terrain below them on a massive view-screen situated on the ceiling.

The bridge lights lowered, and the interior was illuminated by the white hot plasma that seared outside the hull of the ship, and the occasional flash of dark energy.

Nuurumi briefly looked down at his instrumentation, frowning. "Angle up, one degree Pitch!" He ordered. "Deploy air brake! Prepare for final descent!"

Massive flaps began to extend outwards along the hull, catching the air and glowing white hot as the ship's speed began to slow.

"I've got a large city up ahead, we'll need to correct our final trajectory so we don't hit any of the buildings!" The Navigation officer called out, and Nuurumi nodded. "Yaw, two degrees port, roll, one degree, then correct to four degrees yaw starboard, roll starboard two degrees, with preparation for contact!"

"Roger!"

Above Castelia City, through the dark clouds, brilliant spotlights pierced the thick layer of energy, and the dark sky, it's course took it just around the castle in the city, and a brilliant streak of white hot plasma, and flame followed the strange ship as it descended.

With airbrakes deployed, the ship initialized it's final approach, passing over a bridge, there was a lurch, and anyone that wasn't secured in their seats would be thrown forward, as plumes of steam, and water shot up all around them, since the superheated hull vaporized the seawater in an almost instant, but the reaction was two fold, and served to cool the hull back to operating temperature.

"We have touchdown!" The officer called out, while Nuurumi unclasped his restraints.

"Take us in!"

The Battleship's engines shifted to nautical mode, and it's massive thrusters extinguished, slowly it began to make it's way towards the city, churning, and bucking against the towering waves of the sea.

But as she pushed on, she would realize that such a hope would be dashed.

As Alenia rounded the next corner, she would see another strange creature standing in the middle of the street. A furry, gray creature was looking away from her, staring at the strange ship that was slowly making it's way towards the docks of Castelia City. From the back, she would be able to notice it's large ears sticking out above it's head and the white fluffs that twirled around his back. It's fur was matted and completely messy, almost like it hadn't been taken care of since even before she arrived here. Still, the more unnerving sight was the short sword it carried in it's right palm, letting the tip rest on the ground.

Unlike most of the creatures she had seen since Alenia had been here, including the bat-like creature from before, this one seemed completely unaffected by the weather. But the lingering question would burn in the air...

Friend...or foe?

Coming into port after being out at sea for some time, the Kamidake II began to approach Castelia City's prime pier, fighting against the current of the rough waters, while shimmering light slid off it's hull like rainwater.

Captain Nuurumi wasn't fazed in the slightest, as ocean spray and shadow energy rolled off the bridge viewport glass. He was standing near the command console, with his hands clasped behind his back. This was it, they were about to make landfall.

"Batteries one through five ready on my order!" Nuurumi ordered, grasping the console as the ship listed roughly towards one side, catching a large wave that crashed against it's hull.

The Taiyou Yamato class ship was in the harbor now, fighting against the water that was punishing it's hull, listing to one side it made the final push into the harbor itself, nudging a few of the moored ships out of it's way. Naval teams moved to both port airlocks, as the Taiyou ship eventually came to a stop.

They formed up, and checked their weapons, and their Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear gear, consisting of hermetically sealed gas masks, thick vinyl hoods, and a lead lined vinyl impregnated PVC fabric that aimed to keep even nuclear radiation out.

Roughly a dozen steel cables fired from the ship and into the pier, nano-steel barbs latching into concrete, tarmac, and wood to secure the vessel in place. Two ramps, one from the front, and one from the rear extended outwards into the pier, as two infantry teams assembled.

The airlocks cycled, and the armored outer doors opened up with a hiss, pressures equalizing between the atmosphere of the ship, and the atmosphere of Castelia.

"Neutralize any resistance, our top priority is to secure a foothold in this area, and await third recon!" One of the Marine sergeants called out, as he chambered a round into his Seburo C26a assault rifle.

"Tennoheika Banzai!" He called out, and the men moved forward in a hurried pace, down and along the armored ramp towards the pier, weapons ready, the men leapfrogging, covering each-other's advance.

---

Melaine's Castle : Outer Wall Outskirts

---

Very well. You are amusing enough that I shall let your impasse slide by. Let it be known, however, your own decree as it is, is binding. Now, begone from my sight!

It was clear Allen was being let off, luckily enough for him. However, one of the Trainers there stepped forward to tell Melaine something, something that caught her interest.

An interesting development, my loyal servant! Remain to guard the castle. Also, escort this young and foolish man off of my castle grounds. If he does not comply, his life is forfeit.

Melaine turned and had one of the Trainers go and assemble a group to travel with her to meet the newcomers. It seemed Tag would not see anything special right away about the Diancie as Allen was quickly surrounded by several Sigilyph and Starmie that arrived to escort him out of the area and back into the city.

...

At least not until a Sigilyph flew past Tag in evasive maneuvers as it dueled with an Unfezant being commanded by a man dressed in usual Ace Trainer gear. Tag would be able to witness the battle first hand, with blows being traded and dodged until the Sigilyph, in a display that granted it a purple shadowy aura, whipped up a vicious tornado with the shadowy energy, the tornado itself spawning atop the Unfezant, KOing it outright as what seemed to be sharp blades of wind swiped at it. Furthermore, the tornado continued past the Unfezant, being directed at the Trainer in full.

As the young man shielded himself, his body was whipped mercilessly by the blades of wind, leaving several gashes across his body as he grunted in pain with every further hit. At some point, after what seemed like several excruciating seconds, the man collapsed to the ground, unconscious, completely shredded and torn up. His Poke Balls fell from their belt, showing he only had two with him, one of which presumably belonged to the now KO'd Unfezant.

The Sigilyph had yet to notice Tag but didn't seem to show any remorse or feelings over what it just did. If anything, it seemed to use some form of communication to send out some sort of message, as if contacting someone or something over the Trainer it just badly wounded. It seemed so heartless and cold, in fact, that it casually prepared to resume its usual patrol route, assuming it wasn't approached in any interrupting fashion.

----

---

Castelia City : Prime Pier

---

As the Taiyou soldiers emerged onto the dock, they were met with a grim sight. A mostly empty dock area, abandoned with haste in the middle of business hours judging by remaining equipment and the now scuffed and rocking ships that were anchored there. Several Wingull flew around the area but kept their distance from the soldiers for now. However, it was not long before the soldiers would spot a sizable group approaching the dock.

The group was an impressive group, mostly comprising of what seemed to be the native creatures and some humanoids as well. The standouts were the several flying violet sea-stars with gold centerpieces that housed gemstones, the several spherical flying ornaments of abstract design, the guarded swirl-armored insects with sharp stingers for arms, and the single blue-green floating bell with "arms" at its sides hovering before the main attraction.

Said attraction was a standout figure, smaller in stature, but regal and royal in appearance. She was a dark-purple, sylph-like Pokemon that had a black chest and arms that resembled a dress. She also possessed a headdress, which consisted of purple crystals; the four short ones cresting along the top pointed upwards, and two longer ones on each side of her head, pointed downwards, with an additional heart-cut centerpiece framed by her slim dark-purple ears. A smaller purple crystal was also embedded in the back of her head, from it, two smaller gems grew at the bottom. A red nugget was embedded in her forehead, and she also had two ribbon-like structures that were growing from the two small gems on the back of her head, each tipped by two small floating rhomboid gems for each ribbon. Her eyes were black with pale-purple irises, and a red crescent circled her neck, with the ends of each being joined together by a rhomboid gem. A larger red crescent also circled her torso. Her lower body resembled a dress-like structure made of purple gems and a larger gem with red pieces supporting it.

A dark and beautiful creature whose aesthetic radiated an aura of nobility and stature. Accompanying her as well were several humans as well, similar in size and shape to the Taiyou, though they were all relatively similar dressed; effective and functional diamond based armor and possession of crystalline weapons that used similar crystals as were present on the regal sylph creature that approached them.

With nary a hesitation, the group stopped a distance away from the Taiyou soldiers. It was a safe and formal distance, suitable for an establishment of greetings without combat. The blue-green hovering bell creature floated forward before it let out a resounding gong, the gong itself precluding a temporary halt to the flashing lights in the immediate area, providing a safe arena for the encounter on the pier. It then floated aside as the sylph-like creature floated forward before her group, facing the soldiers.

She was floating in the air as well, hovering high enough for her 3'07" body to hold eye contact with any of them. Then, she waited. It seemed she was aware, somehow, that the soldiers before her were not the ones in charge of their own assembly. The invisible shadow aura she radiated around her exerted a strong Pressure that could be felt to a small degree by the soldiers closest to her.

Fortunately for Tag, the Diancie spoke in such a proper and pronounced tone that even he could hear her clearly from his vantage point/hiding spot. Unfortunately however, she didn't say anything telling other than her position of authority was absolute to her subordinates...including their newest one, who was acting nonchalant about the affair and trying to play off the threatening words with his own gusto.

He'll find his comeuppance somewhere...the Turtwig thought.

He didn't have much time to think about him as the sudden appearance of the Ace Trainer and the Sigilyph turned into a fight right before his very eyes. He watched the back and forth continue until the struggle ended swiftly and suddenly with the shadowy tornado that he wouldn't even register as any move he knew about, not to mention the shadowy aura it gave off, matching the color of the scenery around them. It told him that they were not only packing some new moves, but some serious power as well.

And then there was the fact that they were merciless. Tag could only stare in horror as the shadowy whirlwind knocked out the Unfezant and proceeded to severely injure the trainer himself. He had to fight all of his instincts not to run into the fray and stop the Sigilyph from winning this fight. He wanted to save the Trainer and his Pokemon so badly.

But he knew what would happen if he did. They were just outside of the queen's castle. If he jumped in, he would be alerting them to his presence and, by extension, exposing the guild members investigating the streets of Castelia City. He might win the battle for all he knew. But he'd be losing the war by giving away their positioning and their general existence to Queen Melaine.

He could even hear Crimson's voice in his head. Not yet. There's no need for a hero right now.

So he stayed put and watched. Even though the fight was over, he could still learn a thing or two by staying put and seeing what they did. Maybe they would take him somewhere.

---

Meanwhile, over at the pier, there was a hidden audience present to the preceding of an interaction between the Taiyou and the proclaimed Grand Champion of Ruula. Several of the Crimson Guild members had witnessed the massive ship rolling into the harbor, defying the battering ram that was the sea as it went. Curious and for the sake of the mission, they stuck around to see what this ship was going to do...and whether they would become allies or enemies.

Presently, they were gathered around the area, all well hidden. Some were outside the protective bubble the Diancie had conjured, but were in safe, covered spots to save themselves from the weather. A few lucky ones managed to find hiding spots in the bubble. A particularly clever Wingull named Lorraine was hiding amongst her own kind, having taken off her identifying equipment and flying among the main pack in order to blending in. All the while, she was keeping an ear down low to the happenings of this meeting of forces. All would not dare to interject or give away their positions, but would rather watch and wait to see what unfolded.

Outwardly, the Taiyou continued to move along the pier, taking up positions behind crates, outdoor furniture, and concrete barriers to quickly establish overlapping fields of fire, and cover. Each Taiyou soldier was dressed for the elements, their faces obscured by metallic hermetically sealed gas masks, with two glowing eyes and a dark green helmet. Their armor was black, worn over some kind of synthetic fabric jumpsuit that too was hermetically sealed.

"Unidentified native creatures approaching... advise." The Sergeant radioed through cybercomm "Engage only if attacked."

"Acknowledged, taking up defensive positions now!"

The group of Pokemon, and their accompanying trainers would come across roughly two dozen men, positioned behind all manner of cover, cold, emotionless, with their gear obscuring their faces, and their glowing red eyes fixated on the approaching party.

The only outward motion that could be gleaned from the pointed weapons were the fingers flicking along the bodies of their weapons, and the click of disengaging safeties.



A sniper perched on the deck of the battleship, behind metal plates near the aft airlock, his weapon, a Seburo C30 with attatched scope would provide effective intermediate range.

The men didn't seem to flinch at the sound of the gong, but their internal communications noted the change in the anomalous weather patterns, the waters seemed to calm in the immediate area, which meant the anchor lines didn't seem to protest against the weight of the battleship much more.

There was a mechanical clunk, followed by a hiss, the sniper briefly looked away from his scope to see the captain, give him a reassuring nod, and then move back to focusing his rifle on the lead sylph like creature before them.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Nuurumi surveyed the pier for a moment, he didn't exit the ship until it was safe, and even then, a pair of soldiers in similar gear to the ones on the pier, these two men wore attire that was similar, but different than the soldiers on the pier, simple round eye goggles, a round filter where the mouth was supposed to be, and an expressionless, featureless mask.

The Captain started first down the ramp to the pier, and the two men followed, it was clear this creatures intentions were to parlay in some way, first changing the weather, and then waiting for the captain.

Kei continued to walk, keeping his pace slow, while he weaved through the entrenched soldiers, stopping just behind the front lines, his great coat whipping in the wind, but his officer's cap was firmly in place.

"We come in peace." The Captain called out.

Melaine kept a wary eye on the soldiers. Here were foreign forces whose names she had heard before, uttered often by the scientists whom she watched from within her so-called 'cage' as they experimented on her to her supposed benefit. The Taiyou. They looked similar to Ruulans by their mere humanoid design, but in fact, they were entirely different. Nonetheless, the apparent leader of the group seemed to announce a peaceful intent, but that did not assure her that they were friendly. Their weapons were active, and she could tell that they were ready to fire.

Peace proclamations with weaponry on display. Is that really a noble avenue of greetings?

Following this remark, she spread her hands to the side as her own gems lit up vibrantly. Almost in unison, the several flying violet sea-stars took to charging orbs of dark purple water before their gems, while the several spherical flying ornaments of abstract design began glowing a dark purple as their singular eye did. The guarded swirl-armored insects with sharp stingers for arms readied the stingers as they began glowing dark purple before growing in size and hovering off the ground, and lastly, the single blue-green floating bell prepared to do something as its arms and body began glowing dark purple as well.

Melaine herself seemed confident as she floated forward a short distance more, almost as if daring the Taiyou soldiers to fire on her.

Oh, foreign commander. Step before your men and engage me in the civil speaking we both know you are interested in. Surely you are not so foolish as to demand conflict with she you stand before; Melaine, the new Grand Champion of the UPL, and the 1st Crown-Princess of the soon to be forged New Ruulan Empire. Your place now should be obvious as I assume leadership of this territory; your next actions will determine the directions our two sides take in this discourse.

Melaine never made a move to create a weapon of her own, but she didn't seem particularly fazed or concerned. Her gems still gave a faint glow, despite their brightness from earlier having dimmed a bit.

Kei looked up at the Diancie quietly, carefully watching the strange creature before them.

"Peace proclamations with weaponry on display. Is that really a noble avenue of greetings?"

The other creatures began to prepare themselves for attack, which only served to increase the tension among the assembled soldiers, and looking around, Kei could see the tension build through subtle gestures. One soldier squeezed the grip on his assault rifle, another made a subtle shift from one leg to the other, and moved to get a better aim on the strange gem encrusted creature. Kei's eyes cast to his left, a Taiyou soldier had ejected his magazine, checking the ammunition inside, tapping the magazine on the concrete bench he was covering behind, and then he slammed the magazine back into his rifle.

Quickly, the Captain extended his hand, reaching for the two-way radio fastened securely to his belt, clasping the device he pulled it free with an audible click, and then brought the radio to his mouth, clicking the button, which caused the radio to chirp.

"Kantai ni aizu shite kudasai, mondai ga aru kamo shiremasen." He called out in his native language. "Signal the fleet, we may have a problem."

Bringing the radio away from his mouth, it crackled it's apply in the affirmative. "Ryōkai!" The male sounding voice called out audibly, as the Captain slowly brought his radio towards his belt, fastening it securely.

Aboard the ship, the Commander Nishima, the Kamidake II's executive officer had just finished acknowledging the orders that Captain Nuurumi had issued, and was watching the events on the pier as they unfolded intently through the viewport of the ship's bridge.

Picking up the ship's intercom, he cleared his throat, and called out across the ship's internal PA System.

"General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations!"

Alarms began to sound, and lights began to dim as the ship's crew sprang into action. Bells sounded, and men worked quickly to find weapons, don their flak gear, and report to their assigned post.

The Infirmary was prepped and readied to accept wounded, damage control teams donned their fire control gear, armed themselves with axes, fire extinguishers, and scba gear before moving swiftly through the narrow cooridors of the battleship to man their posts, ready to put out any fires that could erupt.

The crews of each gun turret began their own preparations, as automated racks slid up from the ship's magazine system, mechanical actuators guided 40cm in diameter shells into special slots to be loaded manually into each of the ship's nine 40cm (15 inch) guns, while the ship's main guns were being prepped to fire, they neither took aim at the city, or made any other movement that could be observed by the greeting party.

The only outwardly observable action the ship was making at this point in time, was a series of small dishes mounted atop the masts directly above the bridge of the ship, energizing, and then moving up, adjusting their aim so that communications could be beamed out to the Taiyou fleet.

---

Back on the pier, the Captain kept his eyes fixated on Melaine, as he formulated his next response.

"We carry these weapons to defend ourselves from attack, until we ascertain the nature of this contact." He replied, his accent lilting his words slightly. "We have come here seeking peace, but we are prepared for war, if that is an action you wish to take here, understand that there will be bloodshed, and this world, and any notion of a New Ruulan Empire may not survive the kind of war you would invite by attacking us here. Order your creatures to stand down, and I will order my men to do the same. Otherwise, we have nothing to discuss here."

Captain Nuurumi wasn't about to let some alien creatures threaten him, and his men, and a decision would have to be made fairly quickly. So he turned to the nearest soldier next to him, a sergeant in charge of the forward platoon.

The Captain made no further movements, to either step forward from behind his line of soldiers, or to order an attack. Rather he would wait, and let Melaine invite the next move. All diplomacy had to be based on trust, and humility, if neither side could acquiesce to the other, trust wouldn't form and talks would surely break down. This was the path that Kei expected, it was the primitive mentality of worlds such as this, though he found this creature's arrogance somewhat amusing, he didn't let it show.

Melaine observed Kei go to his radio. So they intended to play that way? She could oblige.

My orders to stand down only arrive after your soldiers away put their own weapons! You dare approach an unarmed royal party with prepared attacks, and then chastise said royal party for responding in kind? Only foolish peasants reason with such logic and standards!

Melaine extended her arms before her.

Foreign commander... You are not fit to bear that title; your own actions betray the authority you claim to possess, and you do ill to each soldier who looks up to you. To think that I may have had civility with your kind, mayhaps even consider a proposal you presented. Your own loss, foreign commander, unless you become reasonable in the next few moments.

Melaine was quite adamant now it seemed, her far more Serious nature starting to show itself.

The Taiyou Commander was prepared to commit to his next set of actions, to hold his position with his weapons drawn, to turn around, and return to the ship without so much as giving these creatures a moment's dialogue. He grit his teeth at the insults, the Taiyou Captain was certain he should remind them of their place.

He stared at Melaine, and her assembled entourage as his radio chirped, and a voice crackled from the radio fastened at his belt.

"Teikoku tōkatsu honbu kara no henji." "We've received a response from the Imperial General Headquarters..."

The radio chirped twice, and another response came through.

"Watashitachiha tachidomaru yō ni shiji sa re, watashitachi wa anata no shimei o ayauku shinai kagiri neitibu no yōkyū ni shitagau yō ni shiji sa remashita, soshite watashitachiha neitibu no daihyō-sha to heiwana taiwa o hiraku yō ni shiji sa remashita"

"We've been instructed to stand down, we have been instructed to comply with native demands so long as they do not jeopardize your mission, and we have been instructed to open peaceful dialogue with native representatives."

Kei grit his teeth a bit harder, before he turned to the Soldiers next to him. "Yameru!" He called aloud, the men slowly one by one began to relax, moving to point their weapons elsewhere, taking them off from the tops of crates, or letting them point slightly to the ground.

The sniper looked up from his zeroed in scope, letting the rifle point slightly upwards.

The soldiers didn't surrender their weapons, or outright lower them, but there was a visible relaxation to a sort of half-readiness, where they could spring back into action should violence erupt.

Kei turned back to the commanding sergeant. "Sore wa kōgeki shita baai, hadō-hō o hassha." He ordered quietly, and the sergeant offered an affirmative nod, before stepping aside, and back.

Kei took a few steps forward, around several upturned shipping crates, where Taiyou soldiers were resting behind.

"My... sincere apologies." The captain replied in Common this time; emphasizing the word 'sincere'. "Perhaps I was quick to anticipate hostilities, given the nature of your rise to power... and all this." He said, gesturing around them.

"I am Captain Kei Nuurumi, commander of the Kamidake II, the vessel you see before you. I come from a star empire spanning this galaxy, the Taiyou Empire of Greater Niihama."

Melaine stood her ground as she thought for a moment.

Foreign indeed. He is as a Deoxys, coming from another place beyond our world...

Very well, foreign Captain. I'll accept your apologies for now. Circumstances do not invite hostility when I specially request they be cleared for your own benefits per meeting. Despite this, it is quite a trouble to meet you. Your own paranoia has hurt your chances of peaceful camaraderie; a state of decreased readiness does not equal standing down, after all. Try again! We will not have discussions until you are ready to comply to the most basic standards of decency in interacting with foreign leadership, especially leadership that is making a rare exception to entertain the notion of interacting with one ranked low as you.

Melaine withdrew her arms back to her sides as she glanced over at the ship, observing it intently.

Is this type of thing what Dr. Nendal had among his small models? It looks like them, only bigger and able to freely travel beyond the sky. I'll investigate this later if it survives this encounter...

The Pokemon with her slowly began to stop their attack charging, though energy was still swirling before them in some cases, and some of their glowing forms remained. Their own imitation of what they witnessed the soldiers doing. It seemed they wouldn't fully back down until the shore party did so in full.

This Empire of yours. I have heard of it. Though I understand the scope is large, you do realize that under current actions signed by prior rulership of this planet, and including other Empires as well as your own, your group is in direct violation of its own Empire's establishments? If you stand down fully, we can have a civil discourse and arrange something to our benefits. If you do not wish to stand down in full and meet my demands, you will be requested to leave; choosing not to leave then in that happenstance may result in the loss of your impressive flying vessel. Though, I doubt a lower-ranking leader as yourself would have the fortitude and will to risk such a thing. Surely you'll meet the demands of one who far exceeds whatever standings you may possess on whatever ranking system your Empire believes in.

Melaine somehow seemed a bit more calm at the moment, but nonetheless did not seem fully satisfied with Kei's stance so far.

The Captain briefly looked around at his men, their weapons were slung across their bodies, held loosely and across their torsos. Though the men still had their hands grasping the stocks of their weapons. their index fingers rested on the receiver, parallel to the trigger rather than on it. The muzzles of their weapons were pointed at the ground as opposed to the creatures in front of them.

In the captain's mind, the men were at ease, standing down but observing intently, but it didn't matter, as the creature's insults had begun to upset the captain, and the look of annoyance was somewhat clear albeit fleeting across his face.

"We're aborting the mission." He spoke in Taiyou to the sergeant besides him, deliberately so that the Diancie could not comprehend his words. "I'll report this new regime as hostile, and let the Imperial General Headquarters handle that however they may." Kei added, crossing his arms in front of his chest, while not outwardly hostile of a gesture, it further clarified his annoyance.

"I have stood down as far as we possibly can, I will not have my men disarm, and I will not tolerate your threats, and your insults." The Captain retorted plainly. "The attitude behind this meeting has been made abundantly clear, therefore I will leave this world in peace, and report this exchange, as well as your new nation as hostile to my government. The Consequences of whatever actions they choose to take based upon that information will be yours and your people's to bear." Kei explained.

"I will not be insulted by some creature, warm up the engines, we're leaving." Kei called into his radio, which chirped in the affirmative.

"Your arrogance has caused you to squander an opportunity for your world to prosper beyond your wildest dreams." Kei remarked, before he turned his back to the Diancie, taking the first steps to return to his ship, which began to audibly shudder, it's rear engines starting to hum to life.

"This session shall come to order..." The voice of 'Taanz echoed through the chamber of the forum hall where the hearing was supposed to take place.

Gavel bangs echoed through as the two other members of the tribunal took their seats.

To the left of the Mt'kee was Livia Caesarius, the Legate serving under the reigning Emperor of Argos, and to the Mt'Kee's right was the honorable shogun; Shinzo Nagama, whom held territories on the far eastern fringes of the Taiyou Empire. Both Shifted in their seats slightly as they prepared to hear the case set before them.

The hearing was simple, and would be decided by majority vote based on the evidence, and testimonies presented before them.

The Matokey called out once more.

"Generalissimo Shojo Akuji, supreme commander of the Imperial General Headquarters of the Imperial Taiyou combined military force. This assembly has been brought together to address your claims regarding the protected planet preserve of the planet Ruula, and it's surrounding star system. We will begin with an opening statement, Generalissimo."

Clearing his throat, Generalissimo Akuji stood up, and briefly glanced down at the papers before him. "Thank you, Your eminences."

Shuffling the papers again, he spoke up.

"Under it's current leadership, Ruula presents a threat to the holdings of the Taiyou Empire, including the Minami shogunate, and the Haruhara shogunate which border Ruula's star system. We are concerned with piracy along the great stellar hyper-lanes that intersect these shogunates, and we're gravely concerned about the current leadership's attitudes, stances, and possible designs against nearby territories belonging to the Taiyou Empire."

"The Pokemon-Entity calling itself Melaine met our peaceful expedition with hostility, and our embedded observation teams have reported atrocities across the planet."

"The rules are clear, we shouldn't alter the development of a primitive culture." Livia interjected.

Akuji cleared his throat. "As we shouldn't, but Ruula doesn't exactly fit the definition of underdeveloped society. Not only are they aware of our existence, we have actionable intelligence they intend to strike."

Livia quietly made a face, and turned to Nagama, then she turned back to face Akuji.

'Taanz slammed the gavel, his voice booming once more through the chamber.

"We should call our first testimony; Captain Kei Nuurumi, commander of the contact party dispatched to the planet."

Listening quietly, the representative sent by Melaine, Antique, observed the proceedings from his chair, completely stoic and emotionless. He took a moment to fix his monocle and close his eyes. Of course, the Taiyou representative would make up extra fluff to spin a narrative. An old trick like that fit them perfectly, and he knew it. Then the witness call occurred.

Already? This just got interesting. Well, no matter. I already informed the Crown-Princess of the day's events. She should be arriving any moment now.

Taking this moment to stand, Antique bowed slightly.

Your eminences. If we are to move to the stage of testimonies, I request we await the arrival of the involved parties, so all sides may listen to the testimony given.

His expression never changed, and he was incredibly strong in his stance. This was simply how it had to be. An affront to his mistress was something he could not abide by in many ways; even if amending the affront meant playing nice with those weaker than he.

--

Outside, in the middle of one of the landing pads, a small spark of purple energy erupted with brilliant lights and sounds. Soon after, in its place stood a bipedal, fox-like creature that was about three feet tall. While the majority of the creature's fur was purple, it had black legs, white arms and a white face, and a dark orange tail tip. The fur on its cheeks seemed longer than the rest, and a small mane of white fur covered its shoulders and chest. Long, wavy tufts of dark orange fur grew out of its large ears, and its eyes and nose matched the fur in color. When its mouth then opened, two pointed teeth could be seen in its upper jaw. Above its legs, the fur swept out to either side, resembling a skirt. Each of its paws had three small digits, and it kept a stick in its tail, which was then set alight using friction from its bushy tail fur. The flame that had been created seemed to be used to almost paint specific shapes into the air, creating several purple patterns resembling magic circles.

With a powerful and shrill tone, two large purple crystals spawned into existence in front of the magic circles, and between the two large crystals, a shadowy portal seemingly tore itself into existence. The portal was as large as any ship would be, if not larger, and it radiated harsh and burning energy motes. Soon after it appeared, people and creatures began to emerge.

First, there were humanoids who emerged, lightly armored. The males wore a crystalline cuirass over a sleeved undershirt, along with pants, gloves, a barbute helmet, and slightly-heeled boots. The females wore a cuirass over a sleeved blouse, along with a skirt, gloves, a conquistador helmet, and thigh-high heeled boots. The crystalline cuirasses seemed to be made of dark crystals that bore the same heat and malice that the portal emitted, and each one seemed to carry what could only be described as passive magical effects. These humanoids moved to stand to the sides of the portal, split into smaller units of exactly ten soldiers each. Furthermore, each unit bore different weapons: four of the units had paired swords and two small spheres at their side; two more units bore a wicked spear and two small spheres; two more units with imposing axes and two small spheres with them; and two other units carried spiked bows along with two small spheres at their side; ten total units, making one-hundred men. Interestingly, most of the humanoids were around five feet tall. All the weapons were made of the same crystals that the cuirasses and helmets were.

Following the light infantry units, the standard-bearers emerged. They were armored very similarly, and also possessed two small spheres, however, each forwent a weapon to instead brandish long crystal-encrusted sticks bearing a standard. They lined up as well, delineating a walkway fit to herald someone, or something, incredibly important. Each standard bore the flag of a nation that would be unknown to most in witness. A total of twenty standard-bearers were present.

Next to emerge were several units of fully armored knights, numbering ten to a unit. Each one bore a full set of crystalline plate armor that afforded complete coverage and looked well-fortified. The armor sets were also made entirely of the same crystals as the cuirasses were, and to anyone not entirely confident in themselves, a glance at the knights alone was enough to make them feel quite nervous. The armor of each was sculpted differently, but specifically, to suit its wearer, whether they were male or female, and each knight carried a weapon made of the same crystals that formed the armor: two units of swords, four of spears, and two of axes to total eighty men. Alongside the weapons, each of the knights also had multiple other items on their belts, much like the lighter infantry, with the most noticeable being the seemingly standard count of two small spheres.

The knights created a wall in front of the next group to emerge, which was several more creatures. The first of these to emerge were three-foot large violet starfish creatures that seemed to comprise of two starfish attached at the center, back-to-back, with five appendages each. The front starfish had a golden formation in the center, within which a jewel core resided. Cut to resemble a precious stone, it seemed to be able to change colors. The second starfish was semi-attached to the back of the first and was able to freely spin a full 360 degrees. They were flying through the portal, a total of forty. With them, flying through the portal as well, were no less than eighty one-foot large spherical creatures with a rocky outer coating, making them resemble a modestly sized rock.

Their rocky exterior was formed by four large plates separated by two large cracks, with the cracks encircling their body both horizontally and vertically. Five white spikes extended just above the rocky surface, giving the creatures a star-shape. Two large, black spots on the front of each resembled eyes, with a similar third spot located in the center of their backs. Rings of dark brown triangles surrounded the holes their spikes protruded from, as well as the spot on their backs. One of the triangles surrounding the spot on their backs was replaced with a small, brown dot. In all, these triangles resembled eyelashes. Even while apparently at rest in the line, they seemed to spin slowly in place. In their formation, two of the rocky creatures flanked a single of the starfish creatures.

After these flying creatures, twenty red, cephalopod-like creatures with large, round eyes and turret-like mouths emerged, sliding along the ground in undulating motions. There were yellow bumps on their heads matching the yellow suction cups on each of their eight tentacles. They almost gave off the feeling of being three-foot large artillery tanks. They lined up in the back, confirming such a function.

Following the cephalopod-like creatures emerging, the light infantry joined the line in several places to form a sort of escort setup. At this time, all turned to face the portal and fell onto a single knee, bowing. From the portal emerged Melaine herself.

The three-and-a-half foot tall ruler was a dark-purple, sylph-like creature that had a black chest and arms that resembled a dress. She also possessed a headdress, which consisted of several purple crystals; the four short ones cresting along the top, pointing upwards, and two longer ones on each side of her head, pointing downwards, with an additional heart-cut centerpiece framed by her slim dark-purple ears. A smaller purple crystal was also embedded in the back of her head and from it, two smaller gems grew at the bottom. A red nugget was embedded in her forehead, and she also had two ribbon-like structures that were growing from the two small gems on the back of her head, each tipped by two small floating rhomboid gems for each ribbon. Her eyes were black with pale-purple irises, and a red crescent circled her neck, with the ends of the crescent being joined together by a rhomboid gem. A larger red crescent also circled her torso. Her lower body resembled a dress-like structure made of purple gems and a larger gem with red pieces supporting it. She was a beauty to behold, noble in design, but dark and with malicious intent.

As she emerged, she paused to lift her hands above her, with the sky quickly losing its luster as purple clouds began gathering unnaturally fast. The ominous purple clouds then gave way to stormy weather as an oppressive torrent of shadowy flashing lights began raining down intensely. Not a single member of the gathering assembled from the portal seemed to be affected by the lights, despite their harsh, burning, stinging sensations when they did strike any unfortunate souls outside during the storm.

Having done what she wanted, she began a slow advance forward, flying with careful poise. Behind her, emerging from the portal, a four-foot large creature resembling a blue-green bell with two arms coming out of its sides advanced. It seemed to have a hollow body with a yoke attached at the top. Its face was best described as being a "Totem Pole"; two round, red eyes with blue-green irises and a rectangular mouth complimented one visible row of squared teeth. It also had several darker, rectangular markings on its body. It was hovering silently behind Melaine, however, this creature seemed special compared to the others that were far more numerous.

Behind the blue-green bell creature, still more emerged. Following was a creature that resembled a sentient chandelier. It had a striped, round head, and round, pupil-less magenta eyes. There was a ring of small, black spikes on top of its head with a tall, orange flame in the middle. From a black spike below its head, black arms curled upward. These arms were tipped with orange flames as well. It too seemed capable of flying.

Then came more humanoids, each walking in their own fashion; each dressed in a unique uniform.

A young girl came first, following Melaine with a confident and smug smile on her face. It was cute, but her entire being was unsettling to be around. She was truly dangerous on a whole other level. Then after her, there was a man with a lanky, shifty walk. He was almost snake-like, and his gaunt face and thin frame left a walking-dead impression. He had the official military uniform, epaulets and all, as well as three small spheres at his waist. Somehow, he seemed terrifying, as if messing with him meant death. Behind him, a girl emerged. Her attire was revealing, but she looked deadly, and her mask concealed her mouth, leaving it difficult to tell her expression. She seemed even more dangerous than the man before she did, and had two small spheres of her own.

Behind her, a man formally dressed emerged, checking a pocket watch. As with the others, he seemed dangerous, even though he only bore a single sphere at his belt. His careful steps in the line paved the path for the next to emerge, a girl with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Her bodysuit looked somewhat technologically capable, and she had three small spheres on her belt. Lastly, a man of dark skin and even darker feeling emerged. His belt had two small spheres.

Behind the dark-skinned man, sixty more creatures emerged. Ten of them were thirteen-foot tall floating behemoths that appeared to be made up of an anchor and a ship's wheel, all held together by a mass of green foliage, not unlike seaweed. The anchor was a rusty brown color and was mottled with blackish spots. The seaweed partially enveloped the thick, curved bottom of the anchor in a zigzag fashion, leaving empty spaces that looked like sharp teeth. The seaweed continued upward to cover the anchor's thin shank and the spindle of the wheel. Five individual strands of seaweed trailed off the small wheel hub in a star shape. The ship's wheel was lavender on the outside with a yellow inner rim and was affixed to the back of the spindle by its center, leaving it able to rotate freely. The noticeably damaged wheel also features six spokes and four handles, all of which were yellow. There were two lavender stubs where the other handles should be. A simple compass, resembling an eye, was set into a yellow ring-shaped component on one side of the wheel; mirroring an identical ring on the opposite side that was empty.

The other fifty creatures gathered around the ten anchors; insectoid and a foot-long each with a steel body that had three distinct sections, not unlike those of an ant. Their ovoid abdomens were dark gray with a light gray band wrapping around the middle and two circles resembling rivets near a jagged seam. Their thoraxes were slightly smaller, but identical in design to the abdomen, the only differences being one circle present instead of two. Their heads were spherical, containing the same light gray wrap design as its body. However, the design wraps from front to back on their heads. On each side of their heads were large red eyes with hollow black pupils. They each had two round mandibles that seemed to be used to grab things and feed themselves. The mandibles were attached below their eyes and were situated in front of their horizontally opening mouth. Atop their heads were two long antennae, each tipped with small spheres. They had six black legs sprouting from their thoraxes, and each leg had one claw at its tip, excluding the front legs that each had two. Five of the small metal insects grouped around each individual anchor as they advanced.

Following their arrival, the fox-like creature clapped its paws together, causing the portal to dissolve as the crystals keeping it aloft disintegrated into shadowy motes of energy that quickly dissipated, then it rejoined the line with the bell and the chandelier. The entire procession traveled with Melaine at her pace, keeping a line and formation as the entire group made their way toward the forum hall, going down the avenue.

--

Back in the forum hall, Antique turned to look out the window at the advancing procession.

Your eminences. The Crown-Princess named Melaine has arrived.

Antique's steely gaze complimented his comment that was clearly a sort of push back at the Generalissimo's use of "Pokemon-Entity".

The three presiding over the proceeding all offered a nod in unison. Indeed they agreed that the testimonies should wait until all parties were present, so the decision was made to hold the proceedings until Melaine arrived.

“So it shall be.” ‘Taanz replied, banging his gavel to hold the testimonies for a moment. “We shall wait for all parties to arrive before we begin.” He called out, his voice booming in the chamber.

People gathered around the portal as it formed, there were whispers among the onlookers, eyes watching as strange, and fantastical creatures began to emerge through the portal. The Argosians were accustomed to people coming, and going from the AXIS headquarters, billions of different, and fantastical alien races. But this was a sight to behold.

Stone-faced Argosian legionaries watched the spectacle without so much as a change of expression. They watched as Pokemon, and trainers alike emerged from the portal and proceeded towards the meeting hall.

————

As the storm gathered from the arrival of the Sylph like pokemon, people quickly began to clear the streets, agitated by the stinging lights. The Guards were informed of these strange weather patterns beforehand, so they wouldn’t draw their weapons. Rather they moved back to shelter, in the form of small stations that resembled small, slope-roof houses.

They all kept their eyes affixed on the procession as they moved towards the main hall.

Once everything was settled, and the Procession seated, the Argosian representative called out.

“The representatives of the New Ruulan Empire have arrived, are we to expect representatives of the United Pokemon League so their voices can be heard?” Livia asked aloud.

“We should wait for them, so that we can begin.” Nagama added,

With the strange weather called forth by Melaine, there was an unexpected delay in the arrival of the shuttle with the UPL representative. Once she was inside, there was finally clearance to land, and out emerged an elderly man who walked with the aid of a cane. On it could be found intricate engravings of a buffalo-like creature being driven over the edge of a cliff, to deliver them a humane death so that they might be harvested.

His name was Heywood Raincaller, one of the so-called Ruulan Voyagers. He walked with a slow, deliberate pace, accompanied by an honor guard of full kitted Battle Frontier troops, complete with assault rifles in a rest position and Poké Balls where there would be grenades. On each shoulder was stitched the insignia of the Battle Frontier, home to the UPL's standing military and the nerve center of their defensive efforts.



"Yes...I have seen many a strange thing in my years...but never did I think I would get to step foot on another world. But enough chatter...there is important work to be done, and I am one of the few qualified and capable of carrying it out."

Mumbling to himself as he rehearsed his speech, Heywood and the guards made their way inside the building proper. Of course, there would be a provided area for the guards to wait until their representative was dismissed, to make sure nothing untoward happened to their charge on this vital diplomatic mission. Some of them chafed at having to stand next to the New Ruulan Empire delegation, but for the most part stood firm.

Antique genuflected as he faced the entrance to the Forum Hall.

--

Outside, Melaine's procession accordingly arranged themselves to herald her entry. Standing with UPL officials did not seem to faze them in the slightest. With her, she brought two of the Trainers; the young girl with a confident and smug smile accompanied her, as did the man of dark skin. The trio entered and made their way to their designated spot.

Antique stood up and took position beside the Sylph that was Melaine. Opposite him was the man of dark skin. Both seemed to be a bit more confident with their liege hovering before them. Standing right beside the ruler was the young girl. She seemed to be the most important of the Trainers standing there with their liege, despite her apparent age placed around the 14-17 marker. If anything, she seemed to be the most dangerous, even with her relatively innocent and cute, if bold, smile.

Melaine gave minimal recognition to Shojo Akuji. The Generalissimo was not anyone of her earned ire yet; she saved that ire for the man who was called for testimony. While they awaited the UPL delegation to enter and prepare, she gave an acknowledging smile toward Kei Nuurumi. It was a smile that was intended to hold contempt, arrogance, and complete assertiveness over him.

Heywood nervously shuffled in as the Frontier honor guard moved to block the entrance behind him. Naturally, all guards were to have checked their weapons in with AXIS officials, and this extended to their Poké Balls as well, but that didn't mean they weren't capable in bare-handed combat.

He took out some papers from a satchel and put them in a neat stack on his podium. There was something deeply unsettling about the sylph hovering before him. This didn't match the description of Diancie in lore...something was very wrong, but he wasn't sure what. The look he gave the NRE delegation was more one of puzzlement than anything, but regarding their gracious hosts he was deferential. After all, he was the one that had to petition them for a ride.

With everyone assembled in the great hall, the proceedings could finally begin. Shojo Akuji prepared his paperwork, and Captain Nuurumi prepared his testimony. The sound of paperwork shuffling about filled the great marble halls of the forum.

“The Tribunal recognizes Captain Kei Nuurumi, of the Imperial Taiyou Navy!” Livia called out.

“Captain Nuurumi.” Livia continued. “Explain to the forum, your post.” Livia inquired.

Kei took a breath, and offered a nod as he shifted his legs into a more comfortable position, seating himself at the stand that was located just adjacent to the raised dais.

“I am the Captain of the Kamidake II, a Yamato Class Battleship with the Imperial Taiyou Navy’s one thousand three hundredth armada.” Kei replied.

Livia nodded, and continued her line of questioning. “What are your responsibilities.”

Kei nodded, and answered the question plainly. “I was assigned to the underdeveloped planet Ruula, to enforce the Underdeveloped Planets Preservation Pact.”

Livia nodded, and slowly began to jot down some notes with her feather quill.

“Why did you make contact with the locals, in violation of this pact?” Livia asked.

“I ordered my crew to land on the planet.” Kei replied. “Because the current events led me to believe that there was potential outside interference, I acted under my due responsibilities under the pact, where i discovered a storm had overtaken what we designated a large population center. I believe the population center was designated “Castelia City.”” Nuurumi replied.

“Upon landing in the waters, and reaching the shore. I ordered a small security contingent off the ship, to conduct forward reconnaisance, and assess the situation to determine if further involvement was required. We had discovered, through intercepting local broadcasts that the local government was subject to a coup.” Nuurumi explained.

“We were met with hostility by the entity that claimed jurisdiction over the planet.”

Livia nodded as she considered Kei’s testimony. “Is that entity here now?” She inquired, and Kei nodded, pointing at Melaine.

“She threatened us, and prepared her other entities to attack. I determined the situation was untenable, and instructed that we leave, and retreat.”

Livia nodded. “Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed.”

She then turned her attention to Generalissimo Akuji. “Explain to me, why we should rescind the pact based on these facts?” She asked.

“This rogue state presents a clear, and present danger to the stability of the Taiyou Empire.” Akuji answered simply. Slowly, Livia turned her attention to Melaine.

“The Tribunal recognizes Crown Princess Melaine, do you wish to enter your response?”

A voice would ring out in understood language telepathically, so no one present could not understand and comprehend her words.

I do wish such to bestow my response to egregious claims of threatening behavior. Is that not a natural and proper response to a foreign force who showed themselves unannounced with weapons drawn and prepared to fire on an unarmed greeting party? A foreign force that refused to disarm when proposed to do so by the unarmed host who was not informed prior to the foreign force's arrival and show?

For a 3' large sylph creature, she held an unusually commanding presence.

If a question I may pose, I pose such to the Generalissimo. On a cursory observation, I must hear the reasoning for the assumption of clear and present danger to the stability of your empire. A most basic reasoning ability that simpletons of your status should be more than capable of would tell you unfailingly that the New Ruulan Empire, of which holds the archipelagos of the Darknight Isles as its sole territory, could never pose the type of threat you are claiming it to pose to your empire. On a comparison of size alone, one collection of islands belonging to an empire that has not yet cleared its surroundings of neutral and enemy holdings will never a candle of threat pose to an empire capable of traversing the stars and beyond in human-made metallic flying ships as casually as they do so, whose surroundings consist of far more than a singular collection of islands.

Melaine sounded quite pompous as she delivered her words. The laugh was equally as demonstrative.

O~hoho-hoho~! Surely, Generalissimo, you and the Captain are both beyond the basic reasoning ability of simpletons, especially so given your sure many merits and their rank within the forces foreign to me, and can thus understand this basic point; even the military power I command are nary as numerous as those of an empire with the size and resources to field enough forces that not even the planet we call Ruula could resist if you felt it a viable target of conquest. With the lacking size of dominion, territorial control and military power possessed by the New Ruulan Empire compared to even a token of your empire's own, please do clarify and justify wholly your statements on the threat I supposedly pose to you and your empire.

She finished off with closing lines.

To the Tribunal, on this testimony alone, the facts are clear: The pact should remain active by your own accords, to stay in line with your own decrees and to avoid dishonoring yourselves and the empires represented. I will furthermore request you consider this; a small modification of the pact that upgrades it to a complete pact of non-intercourse and non-aggression; carried out as the New Ruulan Empire and its lowly, pathetic neighbors finish their business in determining the control and fate of their own world, a world of which foreign forces have no right to interfere with in any fashion beyond friendly diplomacy and tourism from individuals who decide to travel to the world such with permissions from those powers present on Ruula itself.

Melaine needed very little paperwork; the Lass beside her handling what little there was. Antique and the man of dark skin both stood firm, almost as if keeping their own tabs on the proceedings with intense scrutiny. It was almost telling given the paperwork difference from Melaine's group compared to the others.

The Generalissimo sat there in comparative silence, visibly agitated at the subtle insults, but he didn’t say anything, or respond.

The man simply shifted in his seat.

“The Chair recognizes Generalissimo Akuji, you may tender your response, and then we will recognize the United Pokemon League.” Livia called out.

The Generalissimo nodded. “It’s not what Ruula is now, surely a creature of your claimed intelligence would understand the very basic concept of foresight.” The Generalissimo said aloud. “You secure your holdings on Ruula, but they inevitably aren’t enough. Then you set your sights upon the resource rich worlds of the neighboring Taiyou Shogunates, perhaps then, you are capable of mustering the forces to attack them before we could ever mount a sufficient response to repel an invasion.”

“I have nothing further to add.” The Generalissimo finished.

“While the tribunal has no objection to your amendments.” Livia said aloud. “The New Ruulan Empire is currently not the recognized governing power on the Planet Ruula.” Livia turned her attention to the UPL Representatives.

“The United Pokemon League is currently the governing power, unless you have cause to justify changes in our stance as far as international recognition is concerned. But it is a double edged sword. Interaction on this level has already violated the strictures of the Underdeveloped Planets Preservation Pact, thus, we should negotiate a new treaty, specifically tailored to the needs of your singular world.”

“Representatives of the United Pokemon League, do you have anything to add?”

Heywood conferred with his aides for a minutes before standing up to reply.

"Ladies, gentlemen, representatives of the AXIS Cooperative. The United Pokémon League has reason to believe that Melaine's coup is ipso facto illegitimate. Because she is not the mastermind behind it...she was the weapon engineered for this purpose." Here Heywood paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

"According to documents seized in a raid on Superior Automated Machines by Unova Champion Emiko Touko, Melaine is the product of illegal research previously carried out in the Orre region to artificially strengthen Pokémon to unnatural levels, with predictably calamitous results. Her attempt to conquer our planet is the legacy of the late Dr. Nendal Lacroix, in association with a scientist who calls herself Lovrina, who was involved in the Orre case."

Deep breaths. It was hard for the old man to continue speaking with the gravitas needed to sway the crowd. "But admittedly, as warped as her viewpoint is, I agree with her on one thing. AXIS forces must stand down and let this play out. It is not that your offer of help goes without gratitude, but doing so without asking for permission is an insult to our people, carrying the implication that we cannot stand on our own two feet. In fact, we had to call off our first manned spaceflight because of rumors that Taiyou spooks were in attendance in Mossdeep City, and Champion Iris refused to show up to christen the vessel on those grounds. The same spooks that allegedly used some sort of poison gas grenade to put the Eterna City Gym Leader in a hospital." Another few deep breaths. Perhaps the old peace pipe was starting to get to him. He tapped his papers on the lectern, raised himself to his full height, and finished strong.

"If this is the Taiyou Empire's idea of helping the United Pokémon League's march towards being recognized as a full member of AXIS, then your help is neither wanted nor needed. And now, with the chair's permission, I would like to address Crown Princess Melaine."

He turned directly to the Diancie, waiting for the chair to honor his request.

Nagama cast a sidelong look to Akuji, and then turned his attention to Heywood. “Do you have evidence to back up this claim, that agents of the Taiyou Empire are covertly acting on your world?” The Shogun asked, focusing his attention on the UPL Representative.

Generalissimo Akuji was visibly offended, before he called out. “Such accusations are absurd! We would never act in a way to violate the treaty! I would have been aware of any units sent to Ruula.”

“Enough!” Livia called out.

“Please submit evidence of both your claims against the New Ruula Empire, and the Taiyou Empire to the tribunal.” The Legata called out.

“You may further address your opponent.”

Heywood motioned for one of his aides to present the prepared folder of evidence to the chair as he took another deep breath to lay into Melaine.

"I do not fault you for what you are, for that is what you were made to be. Were you to live your life uninterrupted, it most likely would have been as an ordinary Carbink. And for that, I pity you, for it is not by your will that you act in this way, but by the will of a madman. I hope and pray that the spirits help you realize the error of your ways, but until that happens, your declarations of war against Unova force us to respond in kind. You will be defeated, and history will remember you as the villain you are for taking such drastic and destructive measures to remake the world in your image. We stand ready, willing, and able to undo your grand designs."

Livia took the file, and went over it briefly.

“Have someone forward this to the Galaxy Police for further review.” She said quietly, as an aide took the folder, and disappeared through one of the many doors in the forum hall.

Livia then turned her attention to Melaine.

“Does the New Ruulan Empire have a response?”