"Beep... Beep."
Alied's Pokédex rang. He answered it as he walked towards the basement.
"Did you get the information we needed?" he asked.
Devon's voice came through the other end. "Nexus Sapphire. It's an artifact with the ability to manipulate information, probability, and data. Used in the creation of inventory boxes—or rather, Warp Boxes. The artifact can alter information or data of something across all possibilities."
Alied nodded to himself. "Good. That's enough. We're heading to the vault where it's being kept."
On their way to the basement, Alied and Xian encountered Eon, who was methodically circling the museum, checking windows, walls, and even the floor with intense focus.
"What exactly are you doing?" Xian asked, bewildered.
Eon didn't look up from his inspection. "Preparing for the worst-case scenario."
"So even you don't trust that director, huh?"
Eon ran a hand along a window frame, checking its seal. "You know, trusting someone you don't even know? That's basically gambling."
Alied cut in. "You're a Mage, aren't you? You should know how to secure an artifact like that. What are you actually doing?"
Eon finally paused and looked at them. "I'm preparing a ritual."
"A ritual?!" Xian's eyes went wide.
"Relax, it's not what you think. It's a specialized ritual to prevent the artifact from being stolen. Think of it more as... paralyzing any potential thief." As he spoke, he placed a Thunder Stone in a precise location, then moved to another spot.
Alied's expression shifted to one of surprise. "You're actually going through with a ritual? I didn't think you'd go as far as borrowing the power of a Legendary Pokémon."
Eon released his Magnezone, which floated beside him, its single eye gleaming. "You know the rules for subduing an artifact. You need something with authority or power that can match its user. If you don't have an artifact yourself, you've got options. You can perform a ritual, you can go deeper, you can transcend it, or you can confront it head-on." He placed another Thunder Stone. "Right now, a ritual makes the most sense. It affects everything simultaneously."
Xian leaned against a pillar, curious. "So whose power are you borrowing?"
Eon's answer was confident, almost smug. "Zapdos."
Alied started walking again, towards the basement stairs. "We're heading to the vault to verify everything. Hope your ritual's done before the exhibition."
"Don't worry," Eon called after them. "This ritual won't take as long as you think."
Alied paused at the top of the stairs, turning back. "One more thing—might be useful for you. That artifact? It manipulates information, probability, and data. Hope you're really prepared."
Eon just smiled. "You can count on me."
With that, Alied and Xian descended into the basement, leaving Eon to continue his meticulous preparations.
---
Meanwhile, Ren found Aron in the interrogation room.
"Interrogation finished?" Ren asked with a casual smile.
Aron nodded, closing his folder. "Yeah. Lucky for us, he didn't put up much of a fight."
" Oh? That's it? Here I thought I'd have to step in again."
Aron shrugged. "He's probably just a new recruit. Not deeply involved with the organization yet. That's probably why I couldn't extract much useful information."
Ren dropped into the chair in front of the computer, propping his head up with his hand. "Have you interrogated Borg yet?"
"Not yet. But I've got the information Xian sent over, plus some notes." Aron held up a folder.
"And? What'd you find?"
Aron flipped through the documents. "Borg's a mercenary for hire. Originally from the Carnia region. Currently contracted by an organization called Epitaph."
Ren froze mid-thought, then let out a long sigh. "Great. Another organization. This is really going to get messy." He rubbed his temples. "Epitaph... figures they'd try something like this again."
Aron looked up from the files. "Speaking of which, what else did you get from Fye Ling? Besides their objective?"
Ren's expression shifted to one of grim satisfaction. "I got the real name of the Genryumon organization."
Aron's eyes lit up. "Seriously? Tell me—I'll start researching immediately." Knowing the actual name would make information gathering exponentially easier.
"They use two main names. 'Black Lotus' as a pseudonym. But their primary name is Zang Geryou."
Aron immediately moved to his desk and began typing furiously, diving into databases and records.
Ren's Pokédex buzzed. A message from Xian.
*"Hey Ren, we need your help!"*
*"For what?"* Ren typed back.
*"You know about Warp Boxes, right?"*
*"Yeah, I know them."* Ren closed the message and stood. "Alright. Gallade, teleport us to the museum. Now."
Aron looked up from his research. "I've got the base covered. Go."
"Gallade!" The Pokémon's eyes glowed, and with a flash of psychic energy, they vanished.
They reappeared in front of the museum entrance.
Ren groaned. "Seriously? The teleport only got us to the front? I thought we'd make it inside." He scanned the building. "Must be the artifact's effect blocking teleportation. Wait... is this the Nexus Sapphire's doing, or the Warp Box itself? Ugh, whatever."
He sprinted towards the museum entrance.
---
Inside the basement vault, Alied and Xian stood before the artifact.
"So this is it," Xian murmured, staring at the sapphire crystal encased within the Warp Box. It pulsed with a faint, inner light. "I never imagined something this small could possess such immense power."
Alied circled the containment unit slowly. "They have it stored in a Warp Box. That means this artifact is definitely always active." He examined the box's surface, tracing the faint psychic patterns etched into it. "Warp Boxes... we really have to rely on Espers for things like this."
The door slid open and Ren burst in, slightly out of breath. "Finally! Made it! So, do you need me to open the Warp Box?"
Alied held up a hand. "No need. Opening it is dangerous. We just need you to verify that this box is stable enough to contain an artifact of this caliber."
Ren approached the box cautiously. He extended his hand, channeling his psychic energy, and touched its surface. His eyes unfocused slightly as he read the ethereal signatures. "Yeah... it's stable. For now." He withdrew his hand.
Xian had been pondering something for years, and now seemed like the perfect time to ask. "I've always wondered—why do artifacts like this need to be carried in special containers? Why can't they just be... stored normally?"
Ren turned to face him. "Artifacts like this? They're incredibly dangerous if they have a trigger. So they have to be kept in a Warp Box to neutralize that trigger. But even then, the artifact itself is always active. You can't turn them off."
"So what exactly *is* Warp? And how do Espers make these boxes?" Xian pointed at the container.
Ren leaned against a nearby table. "Warp is a psychic and supernatural current. Espers and supernatural beings have access to Warp as their primary power source. It's something that doesn't exist in this world—it transcends the models and rules of this reality. And we Espers create Warp Boxes by crystallizing psychic energy. So it's not entirely from Warp itself—it's a derivative."
"That explains why the artifact is still active inside," Alied mused, still studying the box. "I used to think it was total isolation."
Xian processed this information. "So basically, Warp is like... an energy source for Espers and supernatural beings?"
Alied nodded. "Using Warp to nullify the effects of an active artifact... I never thought it could work like that."
Xian felt pieces clicking into place in his mind. "So fragments of the mystery each have their own aspects..."
"Exactly." Ren's expression soured slightly. "And *that's* why I couldn't teleport directly here earlier." He then remembered something important. "Oh, by the way—Aron just finished interrogating Darian. Turns out he's from the New World Association. And from Borg's data, he was hired by Epitaph."
Alied pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, a headache already forming. Xian's back hit the wall as he slid down slightly, shock evident on his face.
"I did *not* sign up for this to get this complicated," Alied muttered, his voice a mix of exhaustion and disbelief.
Xian stared at the ceiling. "If this is where we're at... tonight is going to be an absolute disaster."
Silence fell over the three of them as they each wrestled with the implications.
"So... anyone got any ideas?" Alied finally asked.
Xian perked up. "How about we set up dynamite?"
Alied gave him a flat look. "You think dynamite is going to be enough?"
Xian deflated and went back to thinking.
Ren raised a hand. "What about setting up barriers?"
Alied didn't even bother hiding his skepticism. "Dynamite isn't enough, and you think barriers will be?"
Ren slumped, also defeated.
Alied straightened, a wild gleam in his eye. "I've got it. How about we order a missile? Or a nuke?"
Both Ren and Xian stared at him in disbelief.
"You *do* realize there are plenty of ways to avoid that in this world, right?" Ren said flatly.
Xian nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's insane even by our standards."
More silence. More thinking.
Then Xian's face lit up. "How about we call Ariel?"
Alied blinked. "You mean Azure? The Gym Leader? Isn't she on some expedition right now?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, Senior Azure mentioned she was looking for strong Pokémon and some relics."
Xian waved his hand dismissively. "So? We just ask her to come back. There are tons of ways to travel fast in this world—teleportation, Shadow Realm, Warp, you name it. Why *can't* we call her?"
Alied raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you propose we send her a message? You think there's cell service in the middle of the ocean?"
Xian's face fell. "Oh. Right. Even radio wouldn't reach that far."
Ren suddenly snapped his fingers. "Hey, Senior. You're a cultivator, right?"
Xian blinked. "Yeah... so?"
A slow, mischievous smile spread across Alied's face. "Ohhh. Ren, that's brilliant." He turned to Xian. "As a cultivator, you can fly, can't you?"
Realization dawned on Xian's face. Then horror. "You want me to *fly* to her ship and deliver a message personally?!"
Ren and Alied nodded in unison, still smiling.
Xian stared at them like they'd grown second heads. "Are you both completely insane?! Do you have any idea how vast this world is? The oceans alone are practically infinite! I could search for *years* and never find her!"
Alied shrugged. "But if you die, you'll just come back to life, right? Cultivator things?"
Xian opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. No words came out. He just stood there, utterly speechless, his eye twitching.
Alied checked his Pokédex. "It's 15:20 already. We don't have much time before nightfall. And you still have to *find* her. So... you'd better get going."
Xian continued staring, his soul seemingly leaving his body.
---
**English Translation (Revised with Expressions):**
"Beep... Beep."
Alied's Pokédex rang. Without breaking stride toward the basement, he answered.
"Did you get the intel we needed?"
Devon's voice was crisp on the other end. "Nexus Sapphire. An artifact capable of manipulating information, probability, and data. It was used in the creation of inventory boxes—specifically Warp Boxes. This thing can alter the information or data of anything across every conceivable possibility."
Alied absorbed this. "Good. That's enough. We're heading to the vault now."
As they descended into the basement, Alied and Xian came across Eon, who was meticulously inspecting the museum—windows, walls, even the floor—with an almost obsessive focus.
Xian frowned. "Uh... what exactly are you doing?"
Without looking up from his inspection, Eon replied, "Preparing for the worst."
Xian's eyebrows shot up. "So even *you* don't trust that director guy?"
Eon ran his fingers along a window seal. "Trusting someone you've just met? That's basically gambling with lives."
Alied cut in, arms crossed. "You're a Mage. You should know how to secure an artifact. What's with all this?"
Eon finally paused and met their gaze. "I'm setting up a ritual."
"A *ritual*?!" Xian's voice echoed slightly in the corridor.
Eon waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. It's not some dark summoning. It's a defensive ritual—specifically designed to paralyze anyone trying to steal the artifact." As he spoke, he carefully placed a Thunder Stone in a precise spot, then moved to another.
Alied's expression shifted to genuine surprise. "You're actually going through with a ritual? I didn't think you'd go as far as borrowing power from a Legendary."
Eon released his Magnezone, which hummed softly as it floated beside him. "You know the rules when dealing with artifacts. To counter one, you need something with equal authority or power. If you don't have an artifact yourself, you've got options." He placed another Thunder Stone. "A ritual affects everything simultaneously—it's the most logical choice right now."
Xian leaned against a pillar. "So whose power are you borrowing?"
Eon's smile was confident. "Zapdos."
Alied headed toward the basement stairs. "We're going to the vault to verify everything. Hope your ritual's done before the exhibition starts."
"Don't worry," Eon called after them. "This won't take as long as you think."
Alied paused at the top of the stairs. "One more thing—might help you prepare. That artifact manipulates information, probability, and data. Hope you're *really* ready."
Eon's smile didn't waver. "You can count on me."
---
Meanwhile, Ren found Aron in the interrogation room.
"Interrogation finished?" Ren asked casually, leaning against the doorframe.
Aon nodded, closing a folder. "Yeah. Surprisingly cooperative. Didn't put up much resistance."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Here I thought I'd actually have to step in."
Aron shrugged. "Probably just a low-level recruit. Not deeply embedded in the organization yet. That's probably why the intel's pretty sparse."
Ren dropped into the chair in front of the computer, resting his chin on his hand. "Have you interrogated Borg yet?"
"Not yet. But I've got Xian's intel and some notes." Aron held up a folder.
"And?"
Aron flipped through the pages. "Borg's a mercenary. Originally from the Carnia region. Currently contracted by an organization called Epitaph."
Ren froze mid-thought, then exhaled slowly. "Great. Another organization. This just keeps getting messier." He rubbed his temples. "Epitaph... figures they'd try something like this again."
Aron looked up. "Speaking of which, what did you get from Fye Ling? Besides their objective?"
Ren's expression shifted to grim satisfaction. "I got the real name of the Genryumon organization."
Aron's eyes lit up. "Seriously? Tell me—I'll start digging immediately." Knowing the actual name would make research infinitely easier.
"They use two main names. 'Black Lotus' as a front. But their real name is Zang Geryou."
Aron immediately moved to his desk and started typing furiously.
Ren's Pokédex buzzed. A message from Xian.
*"Hey Ren, we need your help!"*
*"For what?"*
*"You know about Warp Boxes, right?"*
*"Yeah, I know them."* Ren pocketed his Pokédex. "Alright. Gallade, teleport us to the museum. Now."
Aron glanced up. "I've got the base covered. Go."
"Gallade!" The Pokémon's eyes glowed, and with a flash of psychic energy, they vanished.
They reappeared in front of the museum entrance.
Ren groaned. "Seriously? We only made it to the front? I thought we'd be inside." He scanned the building. "Must be the artifact blocking teleportation. Wait... is that the Nexus Sapphire or the Warp Box? Ugh, whatever."
He sprinted toward the entrance.
---
Inside the basement vault, Alied and Xian stood before the artifact.
"So this is it," Xian murmured, staring at the sapphire crystal encased in the Warp Box. It pulsed faintly, as if alive. "I never imagined something this small could hold so much power."
Alied circled the containment unit slowly. "Stored in a Warp Box. That means this artifact is definitely always active—can't be turned off." He examined the psychic patterns etched into the box. "Warp Boxes... we really have to rely on Espers for things like this."
The door slid open and Ren burst in, slightly breathless. "Finally! Made it! So, do you need me to open it?"
Alied held up a hand. "No. Opening it is too dangerous. We just need you to verify that this box is stable enough to contain something like this."
Ren approached cautiously. He extended his hand, channeling psychic energy, and touched the surface. His eyes unfocused slightly as he read the ethereal signatures. "Yeah... it's stable. For now." He withdrew his hand.
Xian seized the opportunity. "I've always wondered—why do artifacts like this need special containers? Why can't they just be stored normally?"
Ren turned to face him. "Artifacts like this? They're incredibly dangerous if they have a trigger. The Warp Box neutralizes that trigger. But even inside, the artifact itself is always active. You can't turn them off."
"So what exactly *is* Warp? And how do Espers make these boxes?" Xian pointed at the container.
Ren leaned against a table. "Warp is a psychic and supernatural current. Espers and supernatural beings access it as their primary power source. It's something that doesn't exist in this world—it transcends this reality's rules and models. And we Espers create Warp Boxes by crystallizing psychic energy. So it's not pure Warp—it's a derivative."
"That explains why the artifact's still active inside," Alied mused. "I used to think it was total isolation."
Xian processed this. "So basically, Warp is like an energy source for Espers and supernatural beings?"
Alied nodded. "Using Warp to nullify an active artifact's effects... I never thought it could work like that."
Xian felt pieces clicking into place. "So fragments of the mystery each have their own aspects..."
"Exactly." Ren's expression soured. "And *that's* why I couldn't teleport directly here." He remembered something. "Oh—Aron just finished interrogating Darian. He's from the New World Association. And from Borg's data, he was hired by Epitaph."
Alied pinched the bridge of his nose. Xian's back hit the wall as realization dawned.
"I did *not* sign up for this level of complexity," Alied muttered, exhaustion in his voice.
Xian stared at the ceiling. "If this is where we're at... tonight is going to be an absolute disaster."
Silence fell as each wrestled with the implications.
"So... anyone got ideas?" Alied finally asked.
Xian perked up. "How about dynamite?"
Alied gave him a flat look. "You think dynamite's enough?"
Xian deflated.
Ren raised a hand. "What about barriers?"
Alied didn't bother hiding his skepticism. "Dynamite isn't enough, and you think barriers will be?"
Ren slumped.
Alied's eyes gleamed with wild inspiration. "I've got it. How about a missile? Or a nuke?"
Both Ren and Xian stared at him in disbelief.
"You *do* realize there are plenty of ways to avoid that in this world, right?" Ren said flatly.
Xian nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's insane even by our standards."
More silence. More thinking.
Then Xian's face lit up. "How about we call Ariel?"
Alied blinked. "You mean Azure? The Gym Leader? Isn't she on some expedition?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, Senior Azure mentioned she was looking for strong Pokémon and relics."
Xian waved dismissively. "So? We just ask her to come back. There are tons of fast travel methods—teleportation, Shadow Realm, Warp. Why *can't* we call her?"
Alied raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you propose we send a message? You think there's cell service in the middle of the ocean?"
Xian's face fell. "Oh. Right. Even radio wouldn't reach."
Ren suddenly snapped his fingers. "Hey, Senior. You're a cultivator, right?"
Xian blinked. "Yeah... so?"
A slow, mischievous smile spread across Alied's face. "Ohhh. Ren, that's brilliant." He turned to Xian. "As a cultivator, you can fly, can't you?"
Realization dawned on Xian's face. Then horror. "You want me to fly to her ship and deliver a message personally?!"
Ren and Alied nodded in unison, still smiling.
Xian stared at them like they'd grown second heads. "Are you both completely insane?! Do you have any idea how vast this world is? The oceans alone are practically infinite! I could search for years and never find her!"
Alied shrugged. "But if you die, you'll just come back to life, right? Cultivator perks?"
Xian opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. No words came out. He just stood there, utterly speechless, his eye twitching.
Alied checked his Pokédex. "It's 15:20 already. We don't have much time before nightfall. And you still have to find her. So... you'd better get going."
Xian continued staring, his soul seemingly leaving his body.