Humans and Pokémon are colonising Mars, but good people aren't the only ones with their eyes on this new world.
The first spaceflight of the Ares program launched 49 years ago. So far, the red planet hasn't been kind. Without spacesuits, few Pokémon...
About 50 miles from Ironville, at the peak of a dead volcano, was Ironville Interplanetary Spaceport. It was run by the people who built most of the ships: Team Magma. They had many labs dotted about the planet, but their underground HQ was there inside the volcano. Like people were creeped out by Abram's calmness, some Team Magma employees were disturbed by the vacant gaze of their leader Kazuki Massey, but it reassured others. If he ever panicked, he didn't show it.
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They needed that reassurance when Ares 24 finally entered the planet's orbit in the middle of a raging dust storm.
'Captain Zhun to Magma. Landing aborted due to dust storm. Parked in orbit.'
'Understood.'
Kazuki sounded as deadpan as he looked.
'Robo Rayquaza deployed about 2 hours ago. We'll keep you updated.'
The Robo Pokémon were originally created by Dr. Kaminko of Orre. They were powerful machines, but Kaminko's greatest ambition was to troll people and they weren't much use for that, so he threw them out. His assistant, Chobin, asked if he could keep them. Chobin developed them further and created new ones in partnership with Team Magma. The Mega Wailord was one of those, as was the Robo Rayquaza that Kazuki deployed to attempt to stop the dust storm. On Earth, they successfully replicated the most basic powers of legendary Pokémon, but on Mars, it was over 40 hours until the Robo Rayquaza even halted the dust storm, let alone stopped it. It was clear enough. Saiph was back in the pilot's seat by then.
'All crew prepare for landing.'
People were restless. They had been in their spacesuits in their seats, only allowed to stand to go to the bathroom, since the ship entered Mars' orbit 38 hours and 53 minutes ago.
'Captain Fayed to Magma. Beginning descent.'
Less people were afraid of landing. They knew it wouldn't be as rough for them, but it was the most nerve-wracking moment so far for the pilots. Mars' atmosphere was thin. They relied on their parachutes, Team Magma's technology and the pilot's skill to land such a huge ship safely. If they descended even slightly too quickly, the ship would be destroyed on impact.
Saiph didn't expect to be the one landing. His colleague, Aurora Zhun, had landed on Mars before, but the Ares program required pilots to take long breaks between their shifts and thanks to the dust storm, Aurora wasn't allowed to return to the seat yet. Saiph only ever landed spacecraft on the Moon. Even Aurora never landed that particular ship before. Of course, they all simulated landing the Mega Wailord on Mars countless times, but the reality was far more daunting.
On Earth, there was also less interest in the landing than there was in the launch, but many people still gathered around TVs and screens on Mars, Venus, Earth and the Moon to watch. Saiph's parents and sister cheered in their living room in Hammerlocke. Others knelt on the floors of places of worship for the first times in their lives to desperately pray for the safety of their loved ones.
