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In the region of Hoenn, high above the clouds, a massive floating island drifted through the sky. Scattered across the island were small huts encircling a single large structure at the center, which housed the leadership of Team Nightsky.
A woman sighed softly as she soared on the back of her Altaria, its cloud-like wings gliding effortlessly through the air. She wore a long, gray dress that flowed down to her ankles, with subtle yellow highlights woven into the fabric. Her lavender hair was tied in a neat bun, keeping it out of her intense violet eyes.
As Winona touched down on the island, she dismounted her Altaria, allowing it to return to its Pokéball with a flash of light. Her steps were hesitant as she approached the main building, nerves tight in her chest.
The interior of the building was sleek and futuristic. Doors slid open with a quiet hiss as she walked past, revealing gray steel walls illuminated by blue and green lights that pulsed rhythmically. Team Nightsky members, all clad in matching green shirts with black accents and black pants—or skirts for the women—moved about the hallways. Some conversed in low voices, while others attended to their duties at computers and control panels.
Winona barely acknowledged them as she made her way down a long hallway, her eyes fixed on the doorway at the far end.
The room she entered was vast and dominated by a large portal. Its frame was an inverted metal triangle, lined with pulsing lights and symbols etched along its edges. At the center of the triangle was a swirling, ominous void, crackling with blue lightning. Thick cables snaked from the portal's base, humming with energy as they connected to various machines.
Grunts worked diligently at their stations, fingers clattering on keyboards as streams of data flashed across their screens. She raised her brow, as she watched a grunt play some sort of farming game. Winona had heard of the game, Stardew Chasm or something like that.
Her gaze shifted, locking onto the man standing in front of the portal. He wore a green shirt beneath a black jacket, along with worn blue jeans. His short brown hair and neatly trimmed beard framed a rugged face, though his most striking feature was the black eyepatch over his right eye. Mike, the leader of Team Nightsky—and Winona’s husband.
“Winona?” Mike’s voice was laced with confusion as he stepped toward her. “What are you doing here?”
Winona’s expression hardened, her resolve steeling. “I’m here to stop you, Mike,” she declared, her voice firm. “You’ve gone too far.”
Mike sighed, his tone softening. “Wynnie…” He reached out to gently hold her hands, but she pulled away sharply.
“Don’t ‘Wynnie’ me,” she snapped, pushing him back. “You’ve created a blanket of smog across Hoenn! People are fleeing, grass Pokémon are withering and dying—how can you not see what you’ve done?”
Mike flinched at her words, his jaw tightening.
“People are afraid of you!” Winona continued, her voice trembling with emotion. “You’re not the man I married. The man I loved wouldn’t have turned our home into a wasteland, wouldn’t have become this… this monster.”
Silence fell over the room. The other grunts, sensing the tension, quietly filed out, leaving the couple alone.
Mike’s face softened, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry, Wynnie…”
Winona shook her head, bitter tears brimming in her eyes. “Sorry isn’t enough, Mike. This—this destruction, this chaos—it can’t be undone with an apology. You’ve destroyed everything we cared about.”
“I did this for us,” Mike pleaded. “For you. If you’d just stop fighting me and disband that stupid resistance of yours, and join me—”
His words were cut off by a sharp slap across his face. Mike winced, rubbing his cheek in stunned silence.
“Join you?!” Winona’s voice cracked, raw with fury. “You think I would ever stand by your side in this? How can you ask me to live in fear, to watch Hoenn crumble, just so you can play the part of some twisted king?!”
Mike’s expression darkened, a shadow crossing his face. “Winona… enough,” he said sternly, his hand hovering over the Masterball at his side—the one that housed Skydios, the Rayquaza. “This will all be easier if you just cooperate. Let me explain—”
Winona shook her head. "No, Michael, this can't continue any longer. Let go of this stupid dream of yours. This isn't who you are. Please, take your dreams and leave this place." She takes a shaky breath. "Please, for my sake." She says, placing a hand on his chest, her eyes pleading.
Mike looked conflicted and unsure. After a few long excruciating seconds he nods solemnly. "Alright, Winona. I'll disband Team Nightsky, and stop the smog."
Winona smiles gratefully, hugging him. "Thank you, Mikey." She whispers happily.
"Of course Wynnie." He replies softly, returning the embrace.