Meanwhile, at the port.
In the maze of stacked containers, a boy stood still among the shadows, the glow of Rotomdex softly illuminating his face. Crimson light from nearby cranes bathed the steel walls, casting warped reflections across his sharp emeraldgreen eyes. He adjusted his bag and clothes then without a word, he climbed up one of the red containers, his movements quick and practiced. At the top, he crouched, scanning the scene below.
The air was filled with chaos. Shouts, explosions, Pokémon cries. Battles broke out like wildfires across the docks.
"Rotom… it's them, right? Same people we saw at Mount Moon," the boy asked, not taking his emerald eyes off the action.
"Yeah, it's them. But are you sure this is safe? I mean, Miss Cherry could get really mad at both of us!" Rotom warned, floating nervously behind him.
The boy just smirked, raising a finger to his lips. "If you don't say anything, how would she ever find out?" He took a step back, crouched like a runner, his muscles tensing with anticipation. "Now let's find out what they're looking for in the first place."
"Sammy, what are you doing?" Rotom buzzed anxiously.
Sammy didn't answer. With a grin, he sprinted forward and leapt to the next container, then another, vaulting from one to the next like it was all a game.
"Why are you like this?" Rotom groaned, flying after him with a trail of sparks.
Finally, they reached the edge of the row, just above the main cargo lane. Sammy dropped to a crouch, holding up a hand to silence Rotom. "Why'd you stop—"
"Shh." Sammy pointed down with two fingers. Between the gaps in the containers, two figures moved carefully below. Men in black suits, their faces obscured by purple masks.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sammy asked, already reaching into his pocket.
"You're going to do what you want no matter what I say, aren't you?" Rotom sighed, its screen flickering with resignation as it charged a small spark.
"You know me so well!" Sammy beamed. With a flick of his wrist, he pressed the button on the Poké Ball. A flash of red light burst forth, taking shape midair and from it landed a steel armored Axew, its metallic scales glinting beneath the container lights.
"Rotom, Thunder Wave! Tusk, Scary Face now!"
The two masked men looked up just in time. Tusk's crimson eyes narrowed with a primal snarl, sending a wave of fear crashing through them. One of the men froze, his legs trembling before collapsing in place. The other turned to run but Rotom's electric wave surged down from above, locking his muscles mid sprint before dropping him like a puppet with its strings cut.
Tusk lunged, slamming the first man into the concrete with a thud. The second twitched on the ground, completely paralyzed.
Sammy grinned, his silhouette framed by the moonlight. "That's one way defeat them."
Rotom floated upward, keeping watch as Sammy knelt beside the two unconscious men sprawled across the ground. For a few seconds, he just stood there, hands on his hips, eyes scanning their uniforms.
Then he knelt down and began unbuttoning one of the black suits.
"Sammy, what are you doing?!" Rotom shouted, zipping down in a panic. Sparks flickered around its frame as it hovered eye level. "You can't just strip them! That's illegal or at the very least super weird!"
But Sammy paid no mind. With mechanical efficiency, he peeled off the uniforms piece by piece, leaving the two masked men lying in nothing but their boxers. "If we're going to keep moving through the port, we can't keep battling every single one of these guys," he said, slipping his own shirt off. "So it's better if we blend in."
He paused, holding up the first uniform to eye level.
"Disguises. Smart, right?"
Rotom stared, screen glitching for a second. "No, it's weird but fine. Atleast hurry."
"Cover me for a second," Sammy said, already stepping into the black pants.
Rotom turned around reluctantly. "I swear, if anyone sees us, I'm gonna leave him here."
Within moments, Sammy finished slipping into the snug black uniform and pulled on the gloves. "All done."
Rotom peeked back as Sammy crouched beside the taller of the two men, plucking the purple mask from his limp face. Sammy slipped it over his own, adjusting the straps behind his ears before reaching for the man's Pokéballs.
Click.
With the familiar sound of a release, a red flash burst from each ball. A Sandslash, a Raticate, a Magneton, and a Beedrill appeared, all of them shaking off confusion and mild fear. Their eyes darted between the unconscious men and Sammy.
"Whoa, hey," Sammy said gently, crouching lower. "It's okay. I'm not with them."
He reached out, slowly, and gave each Pokémon a soft pat just enough to let them know he wasn't a threat.
"You guys are free now," he said, standing up. "If you want to stay with these creeps, I won't stop you… but if you'd rather be free, just go."
The Pokémon hesitated, shared a glance, then darted off toward the edge of the port, their figures vanishing into the smoke filled night.
Sammy smiled faintly, then stuffed his own clothes into his bag.
"Rotom, keep an eye on this for me." He said throwing his bag to the side.
Rotom hovered there, stunned. "W-Wait WHAT?! Sammy, you said you were going to take me with you! If you're infiltrating I am coming with you!"
Sammy walked toward it and gently pressed both hands around Rotom's body, covering its speaker grille.
"Are you trying to get us caught?" he hissed. "Do you know how rare it is for a regular trainer to use a Rotomdex out in the field? There are two in all of Kanto. One is with Alex, and the other is with me. If they see you, we're screwed. They'll trace you right to us."
He let go and gave a sharp exhale.
"No tails on our asses tonight, got it?"
Rotom dimmed slightly. "Then… promise me you'll come back safe."
Sammy looked up from adjusting his mask, a wry smile spreading across his lips. "Rotom. I think you're forgetting who are the people trained me."
With that, he reached for Tusk's Pokéball and returned the Steel armored Axew with a flash. Then he pulled another Pokéball from his belt. The fourth one and tossed it into the air.
A soft pop echoed through the port as a new Pokémon emerged from the light. A brown furred creature with a cream colored ruff and a bushy tail gently landed atop Sammy's head. Its wide, watchful brown eyes blinked as it took in its surroundings. An Eevee.
The small fox like Pokémon sniffed the unfamiliar scent of the disguise and gave a soft sneeze.
"Yeah, I know," Sammy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "It smells like shit."
He gave the Eevee a playful scratch under the chin, then turned his gaze toward the rising smoke in the distance.
"Let's go and figure out what they're up to."
As Sammy moved deeper into the port, weaving between towering stacks of cargo containers, a jeep rumbled into the chaos behind him. Its headlights cut through the smoke as more and more civilians pushed against the flow, fleeing the growing danger. The vehicle screeched to a halt, and three figures jumped out.
"You two, be careful!" Rhea barked, tossing her fiery red hair over her shoulder as she slammed the door shut and locked the jeep with a sharp beep. Her eyes scanned the port with trained focus. "I'm going to help evacuate the crowd from this area."
Then her voice softened just a little. "And if things even start to go a little bit of south... You two will get out of here, okay? I've already called the officers. They should be on their way."
Amaris adjusted her jacket and gave a calm nod. "Don't worry, Rhea. We're here to help not to fight."
But of course, Khan had something to add. "Yeah... but if we do run into someone, we'll beat their ass!" he declared proudly, puffing out his chest.
Amaris didn't even look at him she just reached over and yanked his ear.
"OW ow ow ow! Okay, okay, I got it, let go!" Khan whined as Amaris tugged him along.
"You don't have to worry about us," she told Rhea with a smirk. "Like you said, if things get bad, we'll pull out. Now come on you dumbass."
She dragged Khan forward, pushing through the sea of fleeing people. The noise was disorienting shouts, cries, and the blaring of alarms blending with the distant roar of fire. The two of them had to push against the tide just to keep moving.
Finally, they broke through the last line of panicked civilians and reached a clearing near the docks.
The sight ahead made them both pause.
Burning ships. Thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Trainers and dock workers scrambling to extinguish the fires using water types. The crackling of flame echoed over the crashing waves.
"...That looks bad," Khan muttered under his breath.
Amaris reached into her pocket and pulled out a Pokéball, her expression calm but focused. She hurled it forward toward the ships, and in a flash of red light, a green Politoed appeared on the edge of the dock.
Almost instantly, the atmosphere shifted. Dark clouds began to gather above them, shrouding the moon and casting a heavy silence across the port.
A single raindrop hit the ground.
Then another.
And then it started pouring.
"Politoed! Use Bounce, then Hydro Pump on those flames!" Amaris shouted, cutting through the noise.
Politoed crouched low before leaping high into the air, its form vanishing into the storm clouds. As it arced overhead, its cheeks swelled with water. With perfect timing, it launched a massive Hydro Pump downward, a concentrated blast of water striking the heart of the blaze and dousing the flames in seconds.
The people nearby let out cheers. Amaris ran up, brushing rain from her eyes.
"Good job, girl!" she said, and Politoed let out a proud croak.
But then—
BOOM.
An explosion ripped through another ship, then another, and another after that. Flames erupted anew, painting the water orange. Amaris didn't hesitate. She turned to the others nearby. "All of you come with me! We need every Water we've got!"
She sprinted ahead, Politoed hopping after her. More trainers followed, Pokéballs already in hand.
Meanwhile, Khan remained where he stood, staring at the distant smoke with narrowed eyes.
"Khan!" Amaris shouted from ahead, snapping him out of his trance. "What are you doing?"
He didn't answer right away, rain soaking his hair and jacket. He slowly reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a Pokéball.
"You go ahead," he said, pressing the button. "Something doesn't feel right."
The ball clicked open, releasing Gligar into the rain. The pink, batlike scorpion blinked once, flapped its wings, and hovered between the two trainers.
"Gligar get airborne and see if you spot anything suspicious!" Khan ordered.
Gligar chirped in understanding and zipped into the stormy sky.
Amaris jogged back a few steps, concern on her face. "What are you thinking?"
Khan's eyes stayed locked on the horizon. "We know this is an attack, yeah. But… have you actually seen anyone attacking? Doesn't it feel off? Why set the ships on fire if there's nothing to gain from it?"
Gligar returned moments later, wings flapping hard against the wind. It chirped loudly, then grabbed the front of Khan's jacket with its tail and tugged urgently.
Khan didn't budge.
"I think the fires are a distraction," he said. "Something else is happening."
He turned to Gligar. "Lead the way."
Amaris stood still in the rain, caught between duty and instinct. She looked from the burning ships to Khan, then let out a sharp sigh.
"Alright," she said, brushing soaked hair from her face. "I'll stay here and help until the fires are under control. Then I'll come find you."
She hesitated, then called out again.
"Be careful, okay?"
Khan looked back over his shoulder and gave a confident smile. "Will do."
Then, with a serious expression, he dashed into the shadows behind Gligar straight toward the heart of the port.