The End of the PML

Please! Just let us see the young master! It sounds like he's really struggling right now.

Yeah! We'd have him cheered up in no time if you'd just let us taaalk to him! Come on!

Is that...Rachel and Sawyer?

The answer is no! Master Lear is taking a rest at the moment.

And besides, you two are far too soft on him.

Right now, Master Lear is at a critical juncture in his preparation to assume the throne. I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

But...

Please be on your way!

Tch...

Rachel... Sawyer...

Come, Master Lear! To become a great king, you must put in a great amount of effort. It's time to resume your training!

Right...

*pant pant*

Don't tell me you're exhausted already?!

As king, you'll carry the fate of the entire kingdom on your shoulders! You must be prepared!

I...I know, but...

I don't want to hear your excuses, Master Lear. Maybe if you stopped playing hooky all the time, you wouldn't be so far behind!

I know you've been sneaking out of your room every night to skip out on your studies! Did you think I wouldn't notice?

I...

Starting tomorrow, I'm moving your training to another facility where you'll be able to focus your attention on your studies!

But this is where Hoopa...

Do I make myself clear?

... ... ...

Yes, ma'am...

I'm glad you understand. This is for your own good, Master Lear.

Now, then. We'll be taking our leave. I expect you to make your way back on your own, Master Lear.

I'll see you when you return.

... ... ...

I won't be able to see Hoopa anymore... I'll be all alone... Again...

Why does it have to be so hard? Why won't anybody help me?

No one understands. Not Rachel... Not Sawyer...

Who am I supposed to depend on?

... ... ...

No one's ever been there for me. I'm alone.

Maybe...maybe I don't need anyone's help!

There's only one person in this world I can truly depend on...

Me! And only me!

Ugh... I've been stuck stewing here so long, I'm starting to dredge up the past.

This is all your fault, you know! You just had to go and get yourself kidnapped by those fools, didn't you!

Tch. Nothing to say for yourself, huh?

Those buffoons must have worked you hard to have stamped out that eternal cheekiness of yours.

I won't feel sorry for you! It's your own fault for letting them capture you!

Tsk...

S-seriously! You won't get any sympathy from me! If you hadn't disobeyed me and run off unprotected, this never would have happened.

But no, you never listen to a word I say!

You never have!

I think this is it...the beach where we first met.

After all these years, I hope it still lives around here...

Ow!

What was that?!

Hoopa! You're actually here! You...

Wait, did you just drop that on my head?! I'm a prince, you know!

You can't just go around hitting me with things! That sort of behavior could be considered a crime! Inexcusable!

As punishment for your rude conduct, you will cooperate with me on a new project I'm starting.

I'm calling it the Pokémon Masters League!

Remember that day in the forest?

Is that a Hoopa, one of the Mythical Pokémon?! How?!

Whoooa! Not gonna lie, that's pretty amazing, Master Lear. Where'd you manage to find one?!

Hmph. Where I found it is irrelevant.

Starting today, this little trickster is going to help us ramp up the excitement for the PML!

Hoopa, show these two a taste of your power!

I know just who to summon first, that pesky upstart with the stupid hat! I'm going to crush that kid on the battlefield this time!

Huh? Where am I?

Uhhh...

I think you may have summoned the wrong kid, young master...

Hnnnn...

I'm not 'posed to talk to strangers... Mommy? Daddy? Where are you?

Wahhhhhh!

Aww, shh! Don't cry, sweetie! We'll get you back home to your parents right now...

HOOPAAAA!

Every. Single. Time! You've caused nothing but trouble for me with your cheeky little tricks!

After all we've been through, you haven't changed a single bit! If you'd just obeyed my orders for once, none of this would have...

... ... ...

No... That's not why any of this happened. The problem isn't that you haven't changed...

It's that...I have.

I wanted to grow stronger, I wanted to protect myself.

More than anything else, I wanted to become king.

Instead, I got crushed battle after battle, I distanced myself from my retainers, and I wound up getting captured by Team Break.

I probably don't deserve to be king anymore.

Hmm... Is that a hint of regret I hear in your voice, Lear?

You again...

Hehe. It sounds like captivity is starting to humble you a bit.

But this doesn't even begin to compare to what you put us through!

The public humiliation we endured after you defeated us.

The resentment we felt after you denied us becoming PML Leaders.

That's what brought all of us together in the first place. The hatred we share for you and the tournament is what formed Team Break!

Grudges like ours don't just go away when you snap your fingers, Lear.

... ... ...

I'm not interested in hearing your sob story. Why don't you just get to the point?

You're not here to chitchat, are you?

You got some nerve talking to us like that.

Enough. If the prince wants to know why we're here, why don't we tell him?

All right. As you may have guessed, we've got a big plot under way, Lear, a way for us to use all of the Pokémon we've stolen.

We're going to storm the arena once more, and this time, we're going to utterly sabotage the PML once and for all!

... ... ...

There's just one problem. The audience members and Pokémon are innocent in all of this. My heart aches at the thought of them suffering.

How about you make a personal announcement to them saying that the PML is officially canceled?

...What?

As long we get to destroy your precious PML, we'll be happy. It's enough for us to see it fall.

Once we have confirmation that the tournament's collapsed, we'll let you go. Fair enough, don't you think?

... ... ...

So, what do you say, Lear?

... ... ...

It sounds like this is the end of the PML no matter what I choose.

I couldn't even participate in my quarterfinal matches yesterday, so my chance to win the tournament is gone.

I called myself the strongest Trainer of all and then got completely crushed by you lowlifes.

And on top of all that, I ruined things with my retainers. My father will probably never hand down the crown to me now.

I have nothing left. Nothing.

... ... ...

All right.

I'll do what you asked. Let's hurry up and get this over w...

Wha, ?! What's it doing?! It shouldn't be able to move right now!

This is bad, it must be up to something! Capture it now!

Wha, ?! It's trying to use its powers on Lear!

Hoopa?

Wait! Hoo...