Hundred of years ago, the Guardian Forces of the Cadrícean Widefields Sovereignty roamed the realm, every once in a while taking the opportunity to help Pokémon and humans against a number of events and threats. Cobalion hears news of a new human invention, pioneered by a “Man of The War” - a machine that promises to catch any Pokémon even the Guardians.

After an incident while assisting a town where it appeared to Cobalion that the humans were attempting to assemble such mysterious machine to attack one of the Trio, the oryx Pokémon decides to convene with Virizion about what to do, although his mind was already set. Against Virizion's advice, Cobalion heads to a nearby human settlement and infiltrates, managing to reach the home of an elderly, retired Trainer, Morubi Sangadra. Morubi was once the Champion and Cobalion trusts him to provide information about the machine.

The story was written as a celebratory two-shot (originally one-shot) for the International Day of Photography celebrated in Aug 19, the day the invention was bought by the French Government to be released free as a “gift to the world” (aka: Public Domain. Several references to the history of early photography, the photographic process and the release of the patent are made in passing during the story.

Proofreading was provided by, among others: SpitefulMurkrow @ Serebii and ToddNeuschatz @ PMD Writers United.

For those interested, general information on the process of Daguerreotype photography and its release to the world can be found in briefs such as Wire’s, dedicated publications such as this publicatio by R. Derek Wood, this general descriptio of the process as well as many other sources.

The story takes place in a range between 200 and 300 years before the “Present Time” of the Suocéverse other stories featuring the Guardians, in particular As They Were, take place. The exact time frame is left ambiguous because the Pokéverse loves Zeerust like that, and keeping the timeframe open near the 200 years window helps the story feel closer to the 180-years anniversary period of the events it reflects in Real Life.

Cobalion and Virizion refer a couple of times to the Protectors' Lament, another name for the Day of Departure (the day either Ho-Oh or Lugia flew across the southern continents after forsaking Johto, heading to a new nest).

Cobalion shows a better understanding of human technology and society than his peers and is also more forthcoming in entering human society to engage them and examine potential threats. This has also been discussed in OOU story plans with fellow writer Fobbie, discussing the potential that of the three Guardians, Cobalion would be the only one likely to both know how a telephone operates and have at any point in the past have used or even owned one.

Virizion gets at the end the idea of recruiting a retinue comprising Pokémon specifically dedicated to their service. This idea is what eventually lands Caolené a spot as Virizion's head guard as shown in As They Were, and might also be further examined in a (as of 2019) yet unnamed story plan.