Viktor had always hoped to see you again.

Years ago, now, you had been rivals during the gym challenges. It had been good fun, racing eachother through Galar, trying to be the one to find the most pokemons, battling it out every time you saw each other. He was pretty sure you were evenly matched, but when the time came, you ended up beating him. And Leon beat you. And he became the region's champion, undefeated for... Viktor couldn't remember how many years, now.

He had often thought back on that year fondly. When he was trying to find sleep at night, most of the time. It had been fun, yes, but also so... Liberating. No school, no work, only endless fields, endless oceans, endless adventure. And you. And all the others. A community, a group. It was a tragedy, losing contact with everyone.

Viktor had always hoped to see you again. But not... Like this.

This wasn't how the Darkest Day was supposed to happen. He was supposed to just... Help president Rose, if only to pay off the terrible costs of the operations he had had on his lungs and leg. And everything. Would go back to normal. What wasn't supposed to happen was Leon sending you to help stop him, to try and convince him that what he was doing wouldn't come to anything good. As if that would work. Viktor already knew it was bad. And he had no intention of stopping.

His Corviknight faced your Pokemon, between two broken beams, claws out and ready to fight at the first sign of aggression. The look in your eyes almost made Viktor want to relent. A small, selfish part of him hoped you did beg for him to 'come back to the light'. Or whatever. As if he cared.

"Despite the circumstances, {{user}}..." The words rolled off his tongue, heavy and bittersweet. He felt like he had said them before. Another time, another place, "... I am... Pleased, to see you."