A Pokémon tale by Caldazar "Cal" Atreides

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, nor do I own the names of any of the places mentioned.

One and one-half years later...

Night.

The sea was calm around Pacifidlog Town, perfect for night fishing, especially when one was fishing for Staryu. Billy had always wanted one, and had come close to catching one a few nights before.

“Azzu Azuuu-ril!” Bounce, his friendly Azuril, said nervously.

“Yes, I know we’re not supposed to be out here,” Billy said. He was out on the south pier, the deepest pier of the three, jutting out from the Corsala colony under the water. For this reason it was restricted, but that is also the reason why he was here.

“Look, Bounce, Staryu are common here, it will be easier to find one.”

“Azu,” it said in resignation.

“Good.”

Bounce needed to be pressured sometimes, but he would always follow Billy.

After fishing for almost an hour, Billy began to get a little impatient. A patient sport, fishing, thought Billy. The full moon had been obscured by thick clouds. It did not feel like it was going to rain, though, or the wind would have carried the smell of it across the sea, in advance of the storm.

“Azzu! Azzu!” Bounce became excited.

“Shh! Quiet Bounce!” Billy tried to silence his companion.

“Azzu! Azzuuu-ril!” Bounce began bouncing up and down. Billy stood up and looked to where Bounce was facing: south.

“What is it Bounce?” Billy asked, a nervous tone beginning to rise through his throat. He can’t be caught here, or he would be grounded for Xatu knows how long.

“Azzu!” For the first time, Billy saw Bounces’ ears wiggle.

He can hear something, Billy thought. Curiosity overcame his nervousness. He peered out into the darkness, leaning forward slightly.

Nothing.

Maybe Bounce is just imagining things, he thought. He had better head home, the Staryu were not biting (if they could bite) and he was beginning to become a little tired. Then, just as Billy stood up, the clouds parted, and Billy could see what Bounce was excited about.

It was a massive ship, though not like the usual merchant ships that came through here between Johto and Hoenn. It was black, or maybe dark blue, with a large, silver symbol in the shape of an A. There were several constructions forward and aft, with long tubes protruding from them.

Guns, thought Billy.

It was a war ship.

“Come on Bounce,” Billy whispered to his Pokémon companion.

“Azzzu?”

“We have to go tell mom.”

Suddenly, a large arm reached out and had him in a headlock. It was soon followed by an enormous hand that clamped over Billy’s mouth, preventing him from crying out.”

“Oh no, we can’t have that.”

He watched helplessly as another stranger had placed an aluminum box around Bounce, imprisoning him. Billy tried to scream, but no sound came out.

“We wouldn’t want you to spoil the surprise.”

It looked like it was going to be another boring day. Of course, not very many people would consider being the chief sonar officer of Team Magma’s only operating defense submarine boring. But then again, there are not very many people in Team Magma these days.

Henry Fornaust was a relatively low officer, not even a Sub-Admin. Of course, with recent polls showing a decline in Team Magma members, it was considered an honor to be made a lieutenant. Many ships were decommissioned in the Magma Fleet because there were not enough men (or women) to sail them. The rest operated only on skeleton crews, barely able to keep them in working condition.

In short, it was a sad time for Team Magma.

The SS Whiscash was the last operational combat submarine in the Magma Fleet. She was silent under six knots and has a best speed of twenty-six submerged and thirty-two on the surface. She was also the spearhead for the Team Aqua Monitoring Network.

Her current position was now four klicks northeast of Pacifidlog town, and the sea was calm.

The sea. It was the obstacle keeping mankind from expanding. It was a constant threat to the land, to the world of humans and Pokémon. That was why Team Magma existed - to protect mankind from the sea. A noble cause, to be sure, one any person would devote their life to.

Then why has enlistment gone down? he wondered.

“Sir? I have a contact six klicks south-west. Registers as a twin six-bladed screw,” the sonar operator reported.

“Do we have any Johto craft scheduled for passing through this zone?” Fornaust asked. Every nation has a certain type of propeller equipped with their sea craft. Hoenn ships were usually twin five-screws, meaning they have five blades per propeller and two propellers per ship. Johto propellers usually had six blades.

“Negative, sir, no craft scheduled to enter this area for a few more days,” the operator responded. That was different. The Hoenn region was strict when it came to managing the shipping schedule. Something was amiss.

“Get conn, tell them to take us closer,” ordered Fornaust. “And somebody notify the captain.”

Now Captain Dwyer was an old man born near the sea. A long-time member of the Team Magma Navy, Dwyer's outstanding record landed him his dream commission as the captain of an SS attack submarine. The SS Whiscash, to be precise. He was a little grumpy when he was woken, but once he was on the bridge, he had turned serious.

“Who’s the DO?”

“I am, sir,” responded deck officer Fornaust.

“You’re relieved, Lieutenant,” he said before turning his attention to the rest of the crew. “Up periscope,” ordered Capt. Dwyer. “Sonar, what is contact’s current position?”

Lt. Fornaust walked over to the sonar station. He may no longer be in command, but he still had a job to do. “Conn, sonar, we now have multiple contacts. We register three twin six-screws, four twin five-screws, and two single five-screws. All are two klicks south of our current position and heading north-east at about eighteen knots.”

What?

Dwyer immediately swung his periscope south, hoping to gain a visual of the contact.

“Conn, sonar, we have identified one single five-screw SS leading the group.”

“Maintain contact with the target.” Nine unidentified surface ships were confusing and probably nothing to worry about, but a submarine, especially an attack submarine, was something else. Hoenn would never permit another nation’s SS into their waters, and this one registered as a single five-screw submarine. Meaning it had most likely had come from Kanto.

Dwyer did not need to see neither the gun turrets nor the ASW helicopters resting on the deck. He only saw the large white symbol resembling the letter A painted on the side.

“Contact Command Central. Inform Admiral Harland of the situation.”

Sunflora-seed coffee, not found in Hoenn, Kanto, or Taohu – only Johto; and Admiral Admin Jeffery Harland was happy to receive it. It was supposedly the best in the world, bought at the markets in Slateport.

Harland stood at regular height, around five-foot-eleven. His gray eyes and short brown hair were barely visible under his Team Magma hood. As one of only three full-admins in the service of Team Magma, Harland was the head of many projects, the most significant being the CO of TAMN (Team Aqua Monitoring Network) and the Magma Navy.

The day started as any other – wake up, read intelligence reports, examine the enlistment polls, attend another Aqua Problem war game, and try to develop new strategies against a supposed Aqua invasion. Nobody knew exactly when Team Aqua would strike, but everyone knew that it would be soon.

“Sir, I have a flash report from the SS Whiscash.”

Harland immediately looked up from his work. The person framed in the doorway in front of him was Harland’s personal secretary: Magma Sub-Admin Gwen Bardo. Gwen stood about a head shorter than him. Her dark hair hung down her back past her shoulders, completely visible because her hood was down. She moved as one without caution or concern, and had a spirit so free it was almost wild.

“What is it?” asked Harland, glancing up to look Gwen in the eye. He had assigned the Whiscash to patrol the South Hoenn Sea, where Team Aqua typically operated.

“Capt. Sub-Admin Dwyer reports ten unidentified craft spotted on a northern course from the Southern Isles, near Pacifidlog Town.”

Harland knew what that meant. Only one organization could mobilize such a large fleet in that remote area of ocean.

“Team Aqua,” he snarled, standing up out of his chair. He walked around his desk, grabbed some reports from Gwen’s arms, and was shortly out of the room.

The hallways of Team Magma’s underground hideout were painted Maroon-red, though some walls were replaced completely with the outside earth. The office of the Leader of Team Magma was behind one such wall, the door so well concealed that no Magma member who did not know where it was would easily miss it.

Harland stormed up and, checking to see if the coast was clear, knocked. There was no panel or doorbell to give away the door’s location. It was designed to protect the leader.

To hide the leader, more likely, Harland thought bitterly as the door swung inward on some incredibly crafted hinges. Inside was a rather spacious room, with many decorative paintings of Pokémon and landscapes. In the center of the room was an Ursaring rug, smuggled out of Johto and purchased on the black market. Across from Harland was a large mahogany desk, and seated on the other side of it was the Head of Team Magma: Moxie herself.

“They’re here,” Harland stated bluntly.

“Well, we knew they would come eventually,” she replied, not even bothering to look up from her work. “How many vessels?”

Harland paused a moment before giving his report on the situation and cross-examined her, though not for the first time. He was still a little intimidated by the head of Team Magma, even after nearly twelve years of service. She barely over five feet, but everything about her was commanding. She did not wear the attire proper of a Team Magma member, save that it was red and black. It was almost a business suit with a skirt, one short enough to reveal her legs while still maintaining a sense of dignity. She was attractive, in his own sort of way, though he would never mention it to her, or to anyone for that matter.

“At least ten of them. Our listening posts on some of the smaller islands have yet to report anything unusual, but all have checked in.”

Moxie sighed, frustrated with the lack of information. “Is it confirmed that this convoy is an Aqua fleet on the attack?” She had to be sure before continuing.

“Capt. Dwyer’s report states that several destroyers and missile cruisers accompanying a pair of merchant craft have entered the vicinity of Hoenn’s southern-most islands. The Aqua insignia has been clearly identified on the hull of the warships, although there has been no such confirmation about the merchant ships. But, seeing as they are traveling in an Aqua Navy convoy, we must assume that they are also controlled by Team Aqua.” Admin Harland’s response was immediate.

Again, Moxie sighed. “Very well then, you may begin deployment of our forces to retaliate against this threat immediately. I do not want a repeat of the Epoch Isle incident. Anything else you need to tell me?”

“The convoy is being led by an SS attack craft – a submarine. Capt. Dwyer and the SS Whiscash identified it shortly after sighting the Aqua fleet.”

For the third time, Moxie sighed. It’s begun.

“Fall back! Don’t let him get too close!”

Petalburg Gym Leader Noreen was having the worst luck possible for any trainer in her situation. With just a single Pokémon, her opponent had completely decimated her team in the first two rounds, forcing her into a difficult position.

The challenger had not been making very many mistakes and was using the speed and physical strength of his Breloom to make quick wins. All she had left was Snorlax, her most powerful and most faithful Pokémon companion, who was strong on defense and could strike a few strong blows, but the Breloom never gave them an opening.

“Breloom, Mach Punch – Sky Uppercut!” her opponent exclaimed.

“Bre!” replied the mushroom Pokémon as it dashed toward Snorlax with speed astonishing, even for a Mach Punch. It took almost no time for the Breloom to arrive at the feet of Snorlax, jump, and deliver a powerful uppercut that almost knocked Noreen’s Pokémon over. At just about head-height, the trainer gave out another command.

“Follow through with Iron Tail!”

“Loom!”

“Snorlax, roll over!”

“Snore,” her Pokémon responded lazily as it moved, barely avoiding the attack by rolling to the left and out of harm’s way as the Breloom completed his swing. A chunk of the concrete floor was torn loose by the attack. Had the attack connected it would probably have clinched the match for Breloom.

I will not lose to him like this - I will to win! Noreen thought. Her original plan was to tire out Breloom with her Zigzagoon using Dig, just to make the Breloom run from hole to hole trying to catch it until he slowed down to become an easy target. Unfortunately, Zigzagoon managed to dig three holes before Breloom almost decapitated it. It was just too fast.

Next, she tried to keep it guessing with a Double Team by her Spinda while having it lash out at Breloom with Psybeams. However, an Effect Spore from one attack paralyzed her Spinda, and the results were near the same.

Finally, she had Snorlax, who was not faring any better.

“Snorlax, get up and use Body Slam!” Noreen yelled.

“Snore!” came the deep-throated reply. Snorlax was getting mad, but that did not seem to intimidate Breloom. The challenger instantly realized that Breloom was too close to his enraged opponent. If he did not act fast, his Breloom would become a mushroom pancake.

“Back away Breloom, get out of the way!”

Well, I may have finally struck a nerve, thought Noreen.

With a loud “Snore!” followed by a small quake that shook the building, Snorlax’s Body Slam struck.

But Breloom was not there. He was standing in front of Snorlax, just inches from his head, waiting for the order to strike.

“Iron Tail,” the challenger ordered.

The attack collided with the heavy Pokémon’s face, instantly knocking him out. With that final attack the match was over; the match and all three rounds went to the challenger and his Breloom.

“That was quite a battle,” said the challenger, sounding surprisingly sincere. His black hair was cut short enough to reveal him dark-blue eyes. He was tall, just over six feet, and looked like he was in his late teens, maybe early twenties.

Yeah, I bet you enjoyed it, Noreen thought, but did not say out loud. Instead, she simply said, “Yeah, I guess.” The challenger frowned, sensing her lie, but it lessened a bit when she handed him the Illusion Badge.

Originally, the Petalburg Gym was a Normal-type Gym, until some understudies from Mt. Pyre took it over about twenty years ago. They completely subdued the leader at the time, and tried to create a Ghost-type themed Gym. After some hard-fought battles, the new Gym was recognized by the Hoenn League and became an official Pokémon Gym.

Recently, Noreen and a few of her followers retook the Gym and restored it to its original type theme. That was about two months ago. It was only until last week that the Hoenn League recognized them as an official Gym. The problem was, they could not decide on a new Gym Badge, so they took the Ghost-type Gym’s Badge, the Illusion Badge, until a proper one could be instated.

“That’s number three,” replied the challenger, who took it and placed it in his Badge Box, a black container with yellow rim. Inside were the Palm Badge of Dewford and the Torrent Badge of Rusburo. Obviously, Noreen’s Gym was not the only Gym to undergo change. She began to become more interested in this unknown trainer.

“That was pretty impressive,” remarked Noreen. Ryan lifted his head and turned his attention away from the Badge Box. “The display your Breloom put on,” she continued.

“That’s what intensive training does to you,” he replied, his gaze returning to the badges in the box. “I spent almost a year in the wilderness of Taohu training with my Pokémon.”

“So you’re from Taohu?” Taohu was the oldest of the Pokémon Leagues, older than even Kanto. Its political system was based on a monarchal government the like of which most of the world saw destroyed a few centuries ago. Taohu was now the only place where such a government existed. It was also one of the four Great Leagues, which were the largest and most prosperous. They consisted of Kanto, Taohu, Hoenn, and Johto.

“No, I’m from Violet in Johto, but I have journeyed all across the Great Leagues as well as a few of the minor leagues. I made quite a name for myself over on the mainland.”

“Oh, I don’t believe I’ve heard of you – what did you say your name was again?” inquired Noreen.

The mysterious trainer snapped the Badge Box lid shut before meeting her eyes. His gaze pierced her soul, causing a shiver to run down her spine. And in his dark, blue eyes were reflected the burdens of a dozen lifetimes. But regardless of their apparent tiredness, his tone was calm.

“My name is Ryan Pilot.”

Silence: the sound of an alarm not being triggered.

Perfect: the only describable word for Team Aqua’s invasion of Sootopolis.

With painstaking quiet, the SS Mudkip surfaced in the center of the crater pool, just offshore of the small island the Sootopolis Gym was built upon. From the hatch above the conning tower emerged perhaps the greatest admiral Team Aqua had ever recruited.

Aqua Admiral Admin Seth Waters stood almost six feet tall, his unkempt black hair hung over the side of his face, covering his left eye. He wore loose blue pants and a black, high-necked jacket with a white Aqua Insignia on left side.

Following behind the Admiral were black-dressed Aqua Special Forces soldiers carrying heavy assault rifles and regular Aqua Grunts armed with an assortment of land-capable Water-type Pokémon. Each moved quietly toward the Gym, knowing that the strongest resistance would come from there.

It was Waters’ intent that the Gym never posed a threat.

Waters knew that the attack on the Gym had to be quiet, so as to not wake the inhabitants, who may start fighting back. The doors were the first problem because they were locked.

Who would lock a Gym door? Waters wondered as he pondered a way on how to knock them down. A single Dynamic Punch should do it. Grabbing a Pokéball out of his shoulder pocket, Waters enlarged and threw it. With a flash of red light, a muscular Poliwrath emerged, ready to fight.

“Dynamic Punch that door! Knock it down!” Waters commanded. Not a very silent way to enter, but certainly quieter than blowing a hole in the wall with explosives. Waters could only hope that the inhabitants would think it was just a bump in the night.

“Poliwrath!” cried the frog Pokémon and, with a single strike, busted the door open. Team Aqua was in.

“Tom, what was that?” Jessica said while trying to shake him awake.

“Whaduh?” mumbled her half-asleep companion.

“I heard something.”

Tom looked at the clock on the bed stand: 1:07am. Why does it matter? he wondered. It’s probably just someone getting a snack in the kitchen.

“Jess, go back to sleep.”

This apparently was not the answer she was looking for. A second later, the bedside lamp was on, spreading light throughout the room and causing Tom to recoil in surprise and squirm in discomfort. Quickly, Jessica got up and put a bathrobe on. “It sounded like a fridge falling over, or an air conditioner. The Ice-type zone may have been damaged. I’m going to go find out,” she said.

Oh great, no sleep tonight, thought Tom as he got up and put on some pants.

“Sir, we have taken the arena without any resistance,” reported a grunt with his partner Wingull. “We are about to storm the trainer quarters.”

Waters nodded, though he could not help but feel that something was wrong. There was a high-pitched ringing in his ears that was causing some mild discomfort, and he had yet to identify the source. “Excellent, but first, send a squad down to the vaults where most of the trainers’ Pokémon are kept in their Pokéballs and seal it off,” ordered Admin Waters. “Then, cut power to the artificial environments outside. We don’t want the Pokémon to spoil the surprise.”

“Yes sir,” responded the grunt, quickly ordering five others to follow him. Meanwhile, other grunts and their Pokémon were positioning themselves outside doors leading to living quarters.

The Sootopolis Gym was almost in their grasp. Once the trainers are taken, the Pokémon will follow, thought Waters, fighting off a headache. This was almost too easy.

From a distance, Waters heard a shot being fired. Then someone screamed.

Jessica and Tom had left their room to find an Aqua Grunt waiting outside their door. At first, no one knew who was more surprised, but it was the grunt that recovered first. The grunt, armed with a handgun, aimed and shot Tom in the chest. Jessica was so shocked at this that at first she could not speak. However, upon watching the grunt redirected his aim at her, she instantly found her voice.

Further screams caused Waters to become more alert. He had already guessed what the problem was, but it just made him angry. Fools! he thought. This was supposed to be done quietly! The Gym is not yet ours!

Headache aside, Waters ran toward the sound of the gunfire, where he saw several Aqua Grunts struggling to subdue a single woman in a bathrobe. The woman was screaming her head off, either because of the three men trying to grab her or the dead body of a man she was lying on, or perhaps both. Waters did not know. What he did know was that her cries were starting to wake the whole Gym!

“Kill her! Knock her out! Do something to shut her up!” he yelled. One of the grunts looked up at him as if Waters had just intruded on something important. Unfortunately for him, Waters saw it.

Pulling his treasured 9mm out of its holster, Waters fired one shot into the grunt and one into the screaming woman, killing both instantly. The remaining two grunts leapt away, hoping to escape Waters’ wrath.

“Stop!” the Admin ordered. The grunts topped visibly in their tracks and slowly turned around to face their leader.

“Now is not the time,” he explained in a tone that conveyed subdued irritation. “Now we secure the Gym, and we do it quietly. Is that so hard to understand?” asked Waters. The two grunts were visibly shaking now, wondering if the one who was shot was the lucky one.

Their punishment was quickly forced from Waters’ mind as a new problem arose. In the distance, a booming Roar sounded. This one was quickly followed by the sounds of automatic weapons, small arms, and explosions. The Gym Pokémon were awake and resisting.

“Go to the Pokémon environmental zones and help subdue the Pokémon,” ordered Waters, “Do not let them reunite with their trainers. Understood?” The grunts let out sighs of relief. Admiral Waters would not kill them. They quickly ran down the corridor to carry out his orders. Waters then turned in the opposite direction and walked down the corridor. To him, there was nothing wrong with what they were doing, only that the spoils were for after the complete seizure of the Gym. Rubbing his temples, Waters’ began to wonder if he didn’t already know the cause of the pain.

Outside the Gym, Water-type Pokémon had organized themselves around a tough bull Walrein. He was commanding the Pokémon to fight against the intruders. The aquatic Pokémon lashed out from their small pool with blasts of Blizzard, Ice Beam, Water Pulse, Surf, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, Hydro Pump, and various other attacks. They were few, but they had power on their side. However, Team Aqua had numbers, weapons, strategy, and a few Pokémon of their own. It was not long before the Pokémon were overwhelmed and massacred.

The Captain Sub-Admin of the group had cut off any access corridors to the Sootopolis Crater and/or the Gym trainer quarters. Walrein may be a strong leader, but there was a reason that humans were the trainers. They knew tact – they knew strategy. Simply put, they were better leaders.

Meanwhile, Grunts had stormed the small rooms belonging to the Gym trainers. Most of them had been aroused awake by the noise, but a few were caught unawares. Of those that had been awakened by the racket, most were stopped at their doors by Aqua Grunts and their Pokémon partners.

Still, despite all attempts at controlling the trainers, some of them managed to escape the guards and ran off to retrieve their Pokémon. Those that tried to get to the Pokémon artificial environments were killed by Aqua members fighting the Gym Pokémon. Any that went to unlock the Pokéball vault were met by tough-looking Aqua Grunts who captured any trainers that revealed themselves. Less than ten minutes after Jessica’s screams alerted the Gym inhabitants to the intruders, silence was restored to the building.

Team Aqua was in control.

Dawn was just arriving to the capital island of Ever Grande. In this early morning, League Challengers started to awaken in order to begin their training for the treacherous final journey before coming face-to-face with the Hoenn League’s best – the Elite Four.

Ever Grande truly lived up to its namesake, especially during sunrise. It was Harriet Nacres’ first morning on the island, having arrived around yesterday afternoon, and she wanted to make the most of it. She was an early riser, ready to meet the day head on with courage and vigor! Too bad the same could not be said of her traveling companion.

Ben Strader was lying on the yet unmade bed, snoring loud enough to awaken Jirachi from its thousand-year slumber. She put up with it because he was her friend and single traveling companion.

Smiling, Harriet tried to shake her partner awake, as she usually did as a part of their morning ritual. Ben was not a morning person, and the ritual usually ended with her Marshtomp using Water Gun to bring him awake. This time, however, she did not have to resort to that.

“Uhhh, what time is it?” Ben asked in an unperturbed tone.

“It’s five am. You promised to help me train, remember?” replied Harriet.

Ben groaned. He remembered. “Yes.”

“Well, get up! Carpe diem! Seize the day! We have to get started if we want to get done early. I heard that sunrise here is even better than sunset,” Harriet chattered excitedly.

Ben groaned again. She was always like this, on every single morning of their journey. He got used to it, eventually. It was a miracle that he had not left her to begin with.

But life is full of miracles, Ben. People just never see them.

Ben remembered his father telling him that when he first left on this Pokémon Journey. Ever since then he looked for miracles around him, but the mystery behind the phrase kept eluding him.

I’ll figure it out eventually, he reflected.

“Come on, or we’ll be late!” cried Harriet.

“Late to what?” he grumbled “The day hasn’t even begun yet! What could we possibly be late for?”

“The day begins when the trainer wakes! Come on, get dressed. I’ve already packed the food for the day - now let’s go scope out Victory Road!”

“Alright, I’ll be right behind you,” answered Ben.

“No, you’ll be right in front of me – where you can’t nod off!” she said as she gave him an encouraging push. Ben groaned, but slowly sat up and went to get dressed.

Half an hour later, the two travelers arrived at the outskirts of southern Ever Grande City, ready to begin. They started with a simple jog through the morning mist, making their way up the trail and through the forest. Harriet was up front, her own persistent jokes forgotten once they stepped outside. Ben was jogging doggedly behind her, although showing signs of weariness. Finally, they arrived at a small clearing, where Harriet decided to be a decent spot for breakfast.

“I still do not understand why we couldn’t eat a nice, hot, buffet breakfast at the Pokémon Center. It’s certainly preferable to the bowl of grits we usually have,” complained Ben.

“Oh, stop your bitching,” Harriet replied bitterly. “I’ve brought something different for breakfast.”

Ben seemed to be heartened by this news, and eagerly sat down to open to bag she packed. What he saw lowered his spirits more than the sight of the dreaded mush.

“NutriGrain Bars! That’s it!? How can I survive off NutriGrain Bars? Now what’s this...” Ben picked up the jar Harriet had pulled out and examined the contents. What he saw did not please him. “...Raust Sauce! What kind of sicko eats Raust Sauce for breakfast?”

“Oh, come on, you were gaining too much weight from that cruise cuisine anyway,” replied Harriet with a smile.

“Maybe to you; you can live off the land! I, on the other hand, require a well balanced breakfast every day,” Ben moaned as he continued to dig through their supplies. “You didn’t even pack any Sitrus or Oran Juice! What will we drink?”

“Water, of course, there’s a stream leading down from the mountain that is supposed to pass by here. You better go look for it while I set up the cook fire.”

“Humph,” Ben pouted, defeated. He then turned around and walked down the trail.

“Ben!” yelled Harriet, causing Ben to turn around. He saw Harriet pointing at a rough trail protruding from the main path. Her head never moved from its position over the pot, watching to make sure that it wouldn’t boil over. Grudgingly, Ben turned to his left and walked off down the trail.

Just offshore, a battleship with the name BB Wartortle inscribed on its hull, supervised the launch of almost a dozen AALC (Amphibious Assault Landing Craft) loaded with Aqua Grunts. Onboard the battleship, the forty-two-year-old Aqua General Admin Jacob Chan watched as his invasion plan unfolded. After months of painstaking planning and exercises, Team Aqua was back in Hoenn. Only this time, they had the numbers to go head-to-head with its military.

The Pokémon League was the greatest threat of them all, being the governing body of the Pokémon trainers and containing many of the country’s Pokémon Masters, with the exception of a handful of Gym Leaders. Because of these factors, the League had become the number one priority in Team Aqua’s invasion plan.

However, this goal would not be easily met. Ever Grande Island has cliffs over seventy feet high, and the shear winds make landings by helicopters and paratroopers near impossible. The only way in is a narrow beach on the western side of the southern-half of the island. From there, his forces would begin a steep climb up the cliff face, the forest their only cover. Upon reaching the top, the troops would proceed south down the island.

The Pokémon Center must be taken along with all of southern Ever Grande. From there, a base of operations would be set for the second phase of the attack: the assault and capture of the northern half. The second phase would be harder as resistance would be stronger and better organized. Worse, the element of surprise would be gone. But first Chan had to worry about getting on the island. Looking through his binoculars, he could see the beach.

It was about an eighth of a mile long at most, and the thick forest would prevent armored units from entering. Almost in the middle was a stream running from the top pf the cliffs. Next to it was a narrow trail, leading down from the plateau.

Chan stopped, and scanned the trail again. He swore, not believing his misfortune.

On the beach at the head of the trail was a man.

Ben was equally surprised. Here was a massive invasion force bearing down on the beach he was situated.

Then he saw the battleship, and the Aqua symbol painted bone white on its side. It eventually dawned to him that this was not a place to be.

Forgetting the water, Ben ran back up the trail, all signs of weariness and morning drowsiness gone. He knew the symbol painted on that ship, and he knew that he had to warn someone.

“Stop him! Don’t let him get away!” Chan ordered into his radio at the lead AALC. The sub-admin in charge of the squad had heard his general but did not see Ben. However, if he had told the general this, he would have been scrutinized and possibly court-marshaled.

“Aye-aye sir,” was all he said. With that his AALC landed on the beach and the Aqua Grunts poured out, armed to the teeth and more. Whoever or whatever it was, it won’t get far, reflected the sub-admin as his troops began their ascent up the steep trail.

Ben ran as if a pack of half-starved Mightyena were behind him, if not the Houndoom of Hell’s Gates. It was not long before he arrived back at their breakfast campsite.

“There you are!” exclaimed Harriet. “I’ve been waiting for you. Where’s the water? Don’t tell me you forgot it.” She leaned over their campfire, but quickly turned her attention back to her companion. “What happened? You look as if you got on the wrong side of a pack of Sneasel.”

“No time.... We must ... get out ... of here,” replied her out-of-breath partner.

“What happened?” Harriet was becoming a little more concerned. Ben may not be a morning person, but he was not easily scared. He usually provided the backbone of the two of them when they were ever in a tough situation. Right now he looked frightened, and that was cause for Harriet to become terrified. “Here, first, take a few breathes, then try and explain it.”

“No time.... Gather the Pokémon.... Leave the cooking stuff.”

Quickly, they gathered all the necessities of outdoor survival, minus the heavy equipment. Most of their bags were packed as they had just stopped for breakfast. All during this time, Ben filled Harriet in on what he saw. This doubled Harriet’s efforts.

Once packed, Ben started up the northern trail.

“Wait, Ben! The Pokémon Center's this way!” yelled Harriet, becoming increasingly frantic. Ben quickly ran up to her and clasped his hand over her mouth.

“Quiet, Harriet! We mustn’t let them know where we are. They are most likely in southern Ever Grande right now. We have to warn the Pokémon League!”

Harriet quietly reflected on this, then nodded, and silently followed him north.

Ben was correct. Not knowing which way the figure on the beach had went, the Aqua sub-admin continued with the invasion of southern Ever Grande as planned. Even if Ben and Harriet had left immediately to warn the citizens, they would most likely have arrived to a city under Aqua occupation.

Now they were fugitives with only one way to go: the Pokémon League in northern Ever Grande. But to get there, they would have to face the treacherous Victory Road, the greatest test of a trainer’s field skills and the second greatest challenge after the Elite Four.

Without the proper supplies, as they were planning on entering on a date closer to the tournament, Ben and Harriet would have to rely more on their skills, instincts, and, above all, their Pokémon.

The S.S. Cactus swayed back and forth with the waves. For Alexis Ardorn, who grew up on an island and enjoyed riding on ships, it was a restful trip. She had won two Hoenn Badges already – the Rain Badge and the Healing Badge, each from their respective islands in eastern Hoenn. She had failed to obtain the Mind Badge, but she could always try again later. Now, she was sailing for Lilycove City where she planned to visit Mt. Pyre before traveling to Fortree in order to win her Feather Badge.

Aside from being a registered Fire Master, awarded to her by the Kanto Pokémon League for her outstanding performance using only a single type during tournament, she was also a decent ship navigator. It kind of happens when one is raised on an island.

This meant she noticed the ship’s change in heading. Her PokéNav confirmed this.

Just a minute ago, this ship made an almost one-hundred-twenty-degree turn southeast, away from Lilycove. It was now on a course for Sootopolis. If there was a problem, Lilycove was closer, so it made no sense to steer the ship out of the way if there was a mechanical malfunction. Since no course adjustment was made, Lex, as she liked to be called, decided to investigate.

Gathering her Pokémon, Lex left her cabin and walked along the port walkway to the bridge. Her fire red hair sparked with sea spray suspended in the air. Confidently, she strode up to the doorway leading to the bridge, only to see it blocked by a rough-looking man in an overcoat.

“Sorry, no passengers allowed in the bridge,” the man said as Lex walked up.

Odd, she thought, that doesn’t sound like an order Capt. Doyle would give. I wonder what’s happening in there.

Gathering her composure, Lex lashed out, “Who ordered you to close off the bridge? Capt. Doyle never kept any section of his ship off limits to passengers. He said so himself before we left Mossdeep.”

The man seemed taken aback by this. No one ever challenged him before. Quickly, he turned on Lex in rage. “No one is allowed on the bridge! Now scram before I break your wrist!”

Lex responded by grabbing the man’s arm and twisting it behind his back. In seconds, she had him pinned against the wall. She was stronger than she looked.

“Break a wrist, not a bad idea,” she said, giving the man’s arm a quick twist. The man screamed while still held up against the wall. “Now, where is Capt. Doyle?” she asked. The man did not answer, so Lex grabbed the back of his head and rammed it against the wall. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“What’s going on out there, Jimmy?” came a voice from inside the bridge. Another man opened the door to see his companion held in an arm lock against the wall and bleeding at the nose. After staring for a few seconds, he took a few steps forward.

“What the hell are you doing, missy?”

Those few were all he got, because Lex launched a kick that sent him over the railing and into the sea. She would not have to deal with him again. However, the first guy took advantage of this to twist out of Lex’s grip and deliver a punch to her face that knocked her onto the deck.

Lex was dazed, unable to focus for a few seconds. When she finally regained her senses, she saw the guy standing over her, reaching down to grab her neck. Out of reflex, Lex nailed him right in the groin. The man’s eye’s rolled back and he stumbling backward, groaning. Lex used this opportunity to get up and reach inside her sleeveless sweatshirt pocket. A Pokéball appeared in her outstretched grip.

“Quilava, I need you!” she cried, releasing the Pokéball. With a bright flash of light, a strong-looking Quilava materialized.

“Quill-lava!” it cried, ready to battle.

The man rose to his feet, his eyes radiating pure fury.

“You’re going to pay for that. Crawdaunt! Crush her!”

From a Pokéball he had withdrawn from his overcoat, a massive Crawdaunt emerged, also ready to battle.

“Crawdaunt, Bubblebeam!” the man ordered his crustacean Pokémon.

“Craw!” the Crawdaunt yelled as it launched its Bubblebeam at Quilava.

Lex has had plenty of experience with Water-type Pokémon and knew how to combat them, but the present environment was much more different than usual. The boardwalk was narrow, bordered by the ship’s cabin walls on the right and by the side railing on the left. It left little room for Quilava to maneuver, plus the added disadvantage of having the sea on one side. Quilava is a pretty good swimmer compared to other Fire-types, but with the boat in motion, a single slip and Quilava will be swept away into the middle of the ocean.

“Dodge right Quilava, run along the wall for a Quick Attack!”

“Lavaaa!” Quilava cried as it nimbly avoided the Bubblebeam, racing beside, then on, the wall. Completing the arc, Quilava slammed into Crawdaunt with powerful Quick Attack, pushing it just in front of its trainer. However, the Crawdaunt quickly recovered.

“Crawdaunt, use Crab Hammer! Smash that thing flat!”

Despite its impressive bulk, the Crawdaunt managed to jump off the ground, coming down on Quilava claw raised.

“Quilava, dodge right again!”

“Quil!” cried Quilava as it barely avoided the Water Pokémon’s attack. However, the wave of compressed air from the claw striking the deck caused it to fly too far. With a resounding crack, Quilava’s head smashed into the cabin wall. It then fell to the floor, motionless. Crawdaunt scuttled up to it and lifted the poor Fire Pokémon by the scruff of its neck. Quilava, apparently out cold, was trapped.

“Throw that worthless thing it the sea!” ordered the man.

“No!”

Lex reached into her pocket for Quilava’s Pokéball, but a swell rocked the ship and the ball flew out of her hands. It rolled toward the foredeck, where the man trapped it beneath his shoe. He roared with laughter.

“No!” screamed Lex as she dived at the man, but the Crawdaunt swung with its other claw, sending Lex flying. But as soon as she landed, Lex was back on her feet. “I won’t let you kill him!” This time, instead of rushing her opponent, Lex jumped on the Crawdaunt’s back and tried to claw her way to Quilava, but the huge crustacean teetered, causing Lex to lose her balance and fall. Now she could only watch helplessly as her beloved Pokémon was about to be thrown over the side. Her consciousness retreated as Lex steeled herself for what was about to happen. Off in the distance, Lex heard a voice cry out. It was not her own.

“Meditite, High Jump Kick!”

A streak of blue flashed over her head – a Meditite had just struck the Crawdaunt a powerful blow to the side, almost cracking its exoskeleton. Quilava landed unconscious on the deck, and Lex was quickly at his side. Turning around, she saw a blonde girl in a pink miniskirt, not more than ten feet away. She dressed like a fashion model, attire Lex would not have expected a person to wear when training a Fight-type Pokémon.

The Meditite and the Crawdaunt were squaring off now, but the Crawdaunt looked injured. Only one of its three legs on its left side was working, the rest hung limp.

“Meditite, quick! Use a Focus Punch!” the girl yelled.

“Crawdaunt, Harden!”

The Crawdaunt tried to muster a Harden, but it flinched. Its left legs buckled and it collapsed – an easy target for Meditite’s Focus Punch.

“Mediii!” the little blue fighter let loose its battle cry as it delivered a punch that sent Crawdaunt crashing through the bridge door and sailing on through the front windows on the other side of the bridge.

The man was dumbstruck, his rage gone in the wake of Meditite’s Focus Punch.

“Good job Meditite.” said the girl.

“Medi,” it replied, just before it started to glow. Every person on the boardwalk, which was really just Lex, the man, and the girl, watched on in amazement.

It was no longer a Meditite.

“Medicham!” the girl exclaimed, wasting no time in running up to hug her new Pokémon. But Medicham was distracted. Its eyes locked on the man, who trembled under the cold stare.

Without a sound, the man backed away, leaving the boardwalk and entering the bridge. His eyes never left Medicham’s, and neither did its.

John was given this assignment because it was easy. Team Aqua needed ships, so why not just steal them? It would increase the number of transport ships while reducing the number of craft available to the Hoenn League. The S.S. Cactus would be a nice addition to the fleet. He might even be made captain of it!

The plan was simple: wait until the ship was underway and everyone was calmed down and bored by the ride. Then, seize the bridge and alter course toward Aqua controlled waters. He and his teammates, Jimmy and James, had done it so easily and without error.

Until now.

James had gone out to check on Jimmy after hearing some mysterious sounds, leaving him to guard the prisoners. There was no need to steer the ship, auto-navigation took care of that. It would have to be turned off once they reached Sootopolis, but James would be back before then.

His first sign that there was a problem was when their Crawdaunt was blasted through the door, rocketing across the bridge. Jimmy entered the bridge soon after, shaking to his boots.

“What happened out there?” he asked while still keeping his gun pointed at the captured crew. Jimmy just ignored him, all his attention devoted to locking the damaged door as best he could behind him. “Where’s James?”

When Jimmy turned around, John knew that there was a problem. Fear shone in Jimmy’s eyes brighter than an Ampharos’ Flash attack.

“What’s wrong Jim? Where’s James?” John asked again – still no response.

Then things got ugly.

“Charizard, Dragon Rage!”

The roof of the bridge was immediately destroyed in a blaze of green flame. Above the newly created opening, an angry Charizard hovered in the air, its form back-lighted by the sun.

A similar happening occurred to the bridge door. One moment there was one, the next it caved in, the form of a Medicham framed in the doorway. Its gaze was locked on Jimmy.

Icy fear spread from Jimmy to his partner, John, as he finally understood why Jimmy was so afraid. The gun dropped harmlessly from his hands. After a few seconds, he realized that they were shaking.

Behind the Medicham were two girls, each about nineteen years old. Both had a look of extreme bitterness on their faces, but neither more so than the redhead. Her eyes were as bright red as her hair, and her knuckles were white from the fierce grip on a Pokéball.

Slowly, John raised his hands above his head and sank down to his knees, not about to argue with an angry Charizard on the leash of a vengeful trainer. From his dry mouth, two words formed: “I... uh... surrender...”

Seeing this, Jimmy quickly followed suite, and getting down onto his knees, but not raising his hands above his head. He shared the gaze with the Medicham, but now he was angry, and with anger comes bravery. He was kneeling down to get John’s dropped handgun. But he never got to it.

The Charizard saw this move and quickly incinerated him with a blast of Flamethrower. Neither trainer made a move to stop it.

They’ve killed with their Pokémon before. The realization flashed across John’s mind, further ensnaring him in the jaws of fear. He was now alone, his failing courage gone with his departed partner. The blonde went to untie the crew while the redhead approached him. Finally, she came to a stop in front of him, standing over him like a statue of a Noctowl at dusk.

After what seemed an eternity, she asked, “Who are you?”

John, still in the grip of fear, was only too eager to answer any questions she asked him. In several minutes time had told her everything he knew – their mission, the Aqua invasion, et cetera. As soon as he started, the redhead was not the only listener. The blonde and the newly liberated crew listened as John spilled his guts. When he was done, they tied him with the rope used to restrain the crew, gagged him with a spare piece of cloth, and shoved him into a locker.

“Thank you, young ladies,” said Capt. Conan Doyle of the S.S. Cactus. “You two have saved the ship and its passengers from the clutches of Team Aqua. However, based upon what that grunt said just now, I doubt it will be the last.”

The blonde girl, who had introduced herself as Emma Nordstrom, looked shocked by this news. Any trace of the determined fighter back on the boardwalk was gone. It was almost as if she had become a different person. “What’ll we do?” she asked.

Capt. Doyle was already ready with an answer. “I’ll tell you what we are going to do; we are going to resume the course for Lilycove City where we will inform the proper authorities. Officer Jenny will know what to do from there.”

“A wise move captain,” replied Lex, strangely calm after the day’s fight with the Aqua Agents. “We need all the speed we can get to reach Lilycove before Team Aqua strikes.”

“Right. Helmsman, reset the heading back to north by west. We want to reach Lilycove by sunrise tomorrow.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

Capt. Doyle gave out several more orders to his crew before turning his attention to his guests. “Now, ladies, you better get back to your cabins. We can handle this bustard is he ever gets back enough courage to break loose.”

“Of course, Captain,” said Emma. Lex just nodded, and then the both of them left together.

Out on the boardwalk were they had met, Lex and Emma walked silently next to each other. On the third door to the left, Emma stopped, waiting for Lex to stop as well. When she did not, Emma called out, “This is my cabin, where I heard the sounds of your battle earlier.”

That caused Lex to stop.

“I thought that it was pretty peculiar that there was a Pokémon battle happening out on the boardwalk, so I came to check it out.”

Lex was silent.

Emma must have realized that Lex did not want to talk about it, so, after a hasty “goodbye,” she entered her cabin and closed it shut. Undisturbed now, Lex resumed walking.

She entered through the ninth cabin door, immediately closing and locking it behind her. Stumbling over to the far side of the room, she sat down on her bed.

Reaching inside her sweatshirt, Lex pulled out a Pokéball and cradled it in her hands. Leaning forward, a single tear christened the red and white sphere.

Aqua Admiral Admin Seth Waters was impressed. Less than an hour after the Sootopolis Gym fell, the city was completely under his control. All forms of resistance were stamped out or were put down before they could be completely formed.

Gym Leader Cassidy, who was caught outside her room, put up quite a fight – not a Pokémon battle because all her Pokémon, except for her Walrein, were locked in the Pokéball Vault. It took four grunts and a sub-admin to restrain her and relieve her of the folding chair she was using as a weapon. She was now tied down to her bed. The sub-admin and the Aqua Grunts that captured her were honored by being the first to have her. After they were done she would be taken to his quarters.

Waters himself was assessing the damage taken and given by the Gym Pokémon in the artificial environment. Several grunts were dead, a few others injured. In the far corner, across the pool, a sub-admin was covered completely in an ice crystal, most likely dead from the shock of the blast. There were no more Pokémon left, which angered Waters a little because Team Aqua was having problems gaining Pokémon recruits. Fortunately, Dr. Enoch had a plan that could solve it.

“Admiral, sir There is a man here requesting to speak to you, says he has the part you wanted.” Turning around, Waters saw a man with a large briefcase accompanied by an Aqua grunt cradling an automatic rifle. Stepping over the carcass of a giant Walrein, Waters walked toward them.

“Identify yourself,” Waters ordered as the two men came to a halt before him.

“Sir, I am a sleeper agent for Team Aqua, codename Sean Daye,” the man with the briefcase answered while presenting Waters with his prize. “I was ordered to wait for the invasion to reach Sootopolis and then present you with this device.” He then opened it in front of the Admiral, who had a smile crawling across his face.

“Excellent. I was informed of you, Agent Sean Daye. This men will escort you to your quarters. Private,” Waters said, waving Sean and the grunt off while still smiling. The guard was only too happy to comply. The sleeper agent, however, stood his ground, waiting expectantly. Waters was too preoccupied with the contents of the case to notice at first, but when he looked up, surprise crossed his face, and his smile twisted almost to a sneer. “Is there something else, Agent Daye?”

The agent stood defiantly. “Sir, upon completion of my assignment I was told I would receive some ... compensation, for my time used in infiltrating the laboratory staff.”

The look of disgust was quickly replaced by a smile, and a plastic one at that. Agent Daye could all but not help shuddering. Waters placed one hand, none to gently, on the agent’s shoulder. “Of course, of course, I was told of that too. You will receive your reward, rest assured. But first, there is a little matter which we must discuss.”

Waters’ grip tightened as he brought his other hand about, slamming his fist into Sean’s windpipe, crushing it. The agent’s hands immediately went to his throat, eyes wide and mouth stretched in a scream, but no sound came forth.

“Did you seriously think that I would not notice the ultra-high frequency wave, the obvious handiwork of an Aqua Special Agent? You aroused the Gym Pokémon, not that half-naked bitch ” He kicked Sean in the diaphragm, further limiting his ability to breathe. Waters’ eyes glowed with malice.

“That was for giving me a headache.”

The sleeper crumpled the rest of the way to the floor, his eyes, staring up at the admiral, wide in disbelief.

The plastic smile returned. “And here is your reward: a quicker death than I would have granted you had you not brought the device. Enjoy it ... while you can.”

The fake smile was gone, replaced by a deceivingly placid look which conveyed barely suppressed rage. Before the grunt could get through the door, Waters grabbed him by the arm. The grunt’s first response was to struggle, but he soon stopped, remembering what he had been told about the admiral’s brutal nature.

“What is your name?” Waters demanded in a low tone.

The grunt looked ahead, hoping to gain support from a fellow comrade, but no one appeared to take notice. “P-private K-khan, sir.... W-why do you ask?” The man was shaking, and he had good reason to. Everyone in Team Aqua had heard of his reputation.

“Private Khan, I want you to forget that you were listening to our private little conversation.” The look of contempt reappeared on his face. “Understood?”

There was no way to misunderstand the admiral, so the grunt just nodded before running off.

Picking up the case, Waters turned around to face the pool. This time, his smile was even bigger.

Ben and Harriet had been stumbling silently around in the darkness of Victory Road for hours, neither having had enough foresight to bring a Pokémon who knew Flash. Of course, no one would have suspected that Team Aqua would invade Ever Grande.

Constantly bothered by Golbats, the duo worked their way through the complex maze to where they believed the exit was. Neither knew where they were going, but they had a hunch. Since the Pokémon League was in the North, they should just take as many northern passages they could find. However, that soon got them nowhere slowly, so they changed tactics when Harriet heard water in the distance. Praying to Ho-oh, they followed the sound of running water resounding off the walls of the cave, hoping that when they found it, it would eventually lead them to the outside. From there, they could seek help.

Their prayers were rewarded when Harriet was startled by a Golbat that flew down from the ceiling, disturbed by the wanderers from its sleep. Screaming, she tripped over a rock and fell into a pool. Ben was so amused by this that he started laughing out loud.

“It’s not funny,” Harriet grumbled, but Ben kept on laughing. Seeing he would not stop while she was in the water, she extended an arm towards him. “Help me up.”

Ben took her hand and pulled her up, but something shifted uncomfortably under his foot, causing him to fall into the pool right next to his traveling companion. A Geodude stood up (if a Geodude could stand), shook off the water Ben’s splash had dripped on it, and moved away. Ben, soaked to the bone, burst into new fits of laughter, and this time Harriet joined in.

After they were sufficiently dry, they moved off again.

“Ben, it must be nighttime by now,” moaned Harriet, her enthusiasm for adventure gone after the first half-hour of wandering the Road. “We have to stop and rest.”

Ben was reluctant. For starters, they had no fuel to create a fire (their clothes were still a little damp). And there was the obvious: Team Aqua was behind them. If they stopped, Team Aqua could catch up and no one would be able to warn the Pokémon League.

But in the end, Ben gave in. He too was tired from the forced hike. They decided to lay their sleeping bags away from the waterfall so they would not get wet but close enough that they could easily reach it in the dark. Without saying a word, they climbed into their respective sleeping bags. It was not long before Ben’s eyelids began to droop. Several minutes later, the two of them were sound asleep.

From the darkness near the edge of the pool, a gleaming pair of eyes watched the whole process.

A noise sounding like footstep startled Harriet awake. She twisted her head around, trying to locate the source of the disturbance. In the pitch-blackness of the cave, Harriet saw two shining orbs floating near the ground.

“Ben, wake up!” she whispered, trying to rock her friend awake. But Ben was a heavy sleeper and ignored Harriet’s pleas. Quietly, she stood up, reaching inside her sweatshirt for her Pokéballs.

They were not there.

Harriet had forgotten that she had taken her sweatshirt off when she went to sleep. Fighting down her panic, she crouched down to retrieve it.

“There is no need for that,” came a heavy voice from beyond the two shining orbs.

Harriet’s panic almost bubbled over. Team Aqua! she thought. They’ve found us! While reaching down as if to pick up her shirt, Harriet grabbed a handful of dirt. Throwing it at the two spheres, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Ben, wake up! They’ve found us!”

While searching frantically on the ground in the dark, a light weight descended upon her. “Sableye!” it said, almost causing her to shit her pants. All the while, Ben, being the valiant hero that he was, simply rolled over like a log and continued to dream.

A strong hand firmly grasped her arm and pulled her toward a tall, muscular form. With the Sableye still on her back, Harriet screamed louder.

“Calm down, miss. My name is David. David Umbrum. I’m a League trainer,” the man said.

Now Harriet was speechless. The man was over seven feet tall and looked strong enough to break an Onix’s neck with his bare hands. The Sableye leapt off her back and landed on his shoulder.

Harriet could not believe their luck; a Pokémon League trainer would most likely know how to get out of this accursed Road! She would have to wake Ben so they could get a move on.

“You said, ‘They’ve found us.’ To whom were you referring to?” David asked.

Harriet was shaking from the rush of adrenaline. “It’s Team Aqua - they're after us. We, my friend here and I, escaped into Victory Road to find and warn the League. Now that you’ve found us, will you take us there?”

David was close enough for Harriet to distinguish his facial expressions. When she told him about Team Aqua, he looked grave, but when she asked to be taken to the Pokémon League, he turned away with a smile.

“You do not need to go any further,” he said. “I am the Pokémon League.”

Ryan was having dinner in the Petalburg Diner. His Tauros Steak Burger was delicious, cooked well done and with plenty of spices to make it sweet and savory. Meanwhile, his Breloom was being treated to the Vegetarian’s Special. After that fight it displayed, it definitely deserved it.

Looking around, he saw a news anchorman on a wall-mounted television giving the daily report.

“In other news, contact with the islands in Eastern Hoenn was mysteriously cut off. Officials say that the signals are getting through but the operators on the other side are simply not answering. Reports from local fishermen say that the legendary Pokémon Kyogre has risen again to wreak havoc to the land as it did almost sixty years ago,” the anchorman said, grabbing Ryan’s attention. “Others say that the Johto fleet has been spotted near the islands and has launched an invasion of the region. The Johtonian government denies these claims. Of course, no reports can be confirmed as of yet. We will keep you updated as the story progresses...”

Stopping from its meal, Breloom noticed its trainer’s change in behavior. He seemed more attentive, more focused.

“Come on Breloom,” Ryan said, signaling his Pokémon to get off the chair. After it did so, Ryan picked up all the extra food and stuffed it into a bag, leaving a few Hoenn Marks for the waitress.

After quickly paying for the dinner, Ryan and his Breloom left the diner and walked across the street into the PokéMart, where he bought extra supplies for the road. Breloom all the while was confused. It was almost dusk, a time to find a camp for the night. Its trainer sensed this, and spoke.

“We need to go to Slateport, immediately. I want to confirm that these rumors about the Great Sea Pokémon are real.” Breloom seemed to understand this, and nodded. Ryan did this sometimes. Whenever he did, there was no stopping him.

Ryan gave Breloom the rest of its dinner to eat on the go, something his Pokémon was thankful for.

Behind them, the sun was setting on the land of Hoenn. When it rises again, some will welcome it and the new day it brings. Others will scorn it for the ill times brought upon them. And still some will be indifferent, watching it in the glazed stare of death.