All The Young Mon
By RH Coronado
Part 2


From the journal of Paul Matsu:

Pokemon battles had been outlawed since 1945.  The main reason, of course, was that so many were lost 
after the War.  Despite being popular for centuries, all the countries of the Free Zone had agreed to stop 
them.  In the Red Zone, however, it wasn't too clear if they had banned them as well.  Representatives from 
the Red Zone had always claimed they did.  But how could anyone really know?  Their borders were closed 
from the free world.  Sadly, even in the Free Zone, secret pokemon battles were being waged.  By the 
beginning of the 21st century, pokemon battles were seen by the youth at that time as being 'rebellious', an 
attack on modern society.  What a silly thing.  To be so concerned to make a statement while tragedy 
occurred on the moon.  How foolish we were.

The Past:

"This is nuts," Paul said as he and his two friends stood in disbelief at the sight in front of them.
"Yeah," Johne Tokiwa responded, looking over Paul's left shoulder.
The two pokemon battling were pikachu and bulbasaur.  The smoke had cleared and both pokemon were 
revealed.  Pikachu stood tall, electrical charges popping all around him.  The grass around it was burnt and 
white smoke rose from the ground.  Bulbasaur still stood as well but its body smoldered.  Its eyes were 
glossy and the tired pokemon gave out a strange odor similar to that of burning magnolia leaves.  The 
crowd around the scene cheered and there were high-fives everywhere.
"Say, Joe," Johne said to Joe Yanagiba as she stared into the crowd.  "Isn't that your friends Tony and 
Carter over there?"
"Yeah," Joe answered as he looked into the gathering.  "And I think I see your friends Laurie and Trisha, 
too."
"No way," Johne said, frowning.  "Can't believe it."
The two supposed trainers stood a good six or seven feet behind their respective pokemon.  After a few 
seconds, the bulbasaur's trainer shouted and the pokemon tensed up.  Very quickly, two green vine-like 
tentacles sprung from its body.  At that same moment, the pikachu's trainer shouted and pointed.  Right 
away, pikachu turned into a blur and seemed to disappear.  Bulbasaur's vines slammed into the ground 
where pikachu once stood.  Suddenly, pikachu reappeared right in front of bulbasaur and gave it a hard kick 
in the face.  Bulbasaur flipped over and landed on its back.  Its eyes spun like a top and its feet twitched in 
the air.  Pikachu's trainer shouted again and the pokemon stood up straight.  It closed its eyes and sparks 
slowly started to emerge from its cheeks.  There was a slight electrical hum as the hair on everyone present 
started to rise.  Pikachu started to radiate a bright light around itself and the grass around it began to burn 
again.  With a loud thunderclap, pikachu discharged its energy with a single bolt straight into the body of 
bulbasaur.  Bulbasaur's body jolted around violently and then stopped.  The pokemon smoldered and the 
ground around it was charred black.
The small crowd cheered.  The losing trainer walked up to the defeated pokemon.
"Pathetic," he said as he took his pokeball out of his coat pocket.  He pointed it toward the toasted 
bulbasaur.  There was a bright red flash and the pokemon was gone.
"Run!!  Karma police!!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"The cops!!" another voice screamed.  The sound of blaring sirens could be heard.
"Ah, heck," Joe said looking around.  The crowd scrambled in different directions.  Paul, Johne and Joe ran 
through the bushes and down the street toward their neighborhood.  In front of them, they could see their 
four classmates they saw during the battle standing on the sidewalk.  They were catching their breath.
"Hey, Laurie!" Johne shouted as caught up with the four.
"Oh my gosh!" Laurie squealed.  "Johne!  Don't tell me you saw that awesome battle, too!"
"Awesome?" Johne sighed.  She was trying to catch her breath.  So were Paul and Joe.
"For sure!" Laurie answered.  "It was great the way the pikachu was charging up.  Totally!"
"Dude," Tony said as he came up beside Laurie.  "How did you know about the fight?"
"We didn't," Paul answered.  He had recovered from the run.  "What about you?  You know those things 
are illegal."
"So?" Carter replied.  He was standing next to Tony.  "So what if they are?  They're exciting.  It gets the 
blood flowing."
"Those battles are cruel," Johne said.  She had straightened up.  "Forcing them to fight each other.  Bashing 
their heads in just to prove whose better.  Ugh."
"Johne, please," Trisha said.  She was standing next to Laurie.  "Where is your sense of daring?  We're 
teenagers.  We are meant to be involved in things not accepted by our elders.  That is our function."
"Oh, give me a break," Joe finally said.  He was quiet all this time.  "You guys.  You posers.  You know 
what you are?  A bunch of mallrats.  You hang around, lean on the walls, stare at the people.  You go in the 
stores and harass the clerks.  You chase aimlessly for the next big thing.  You probably spend the 
weekends, having little adventures that you write down in your diaries.  I never liked you guys.  You never 
take a side.  You always waiver."
Paul and Johne stood by, shocked and silent.  Their classmates did the same.
"HA!" Tony laughed.  "Later days, grandpa."  He gave a limp wave and he and his friends made their way 
down the street.  After they faded from view, the three friends started to laugh.
"You really told them, Joe," Paul said as he rubbed his eyes.  "That was classic."
"Johne inspired me," Joe responded.  "Those guys have no morals."
"Paul, they didn't answer your question," Johne said, looking at him.  "They didn't tell us how they knew 
about the battle."
"The Internet?" Joe said with a smile.  More laughter.
Suddenly a bright flash filled the late afternoon sky.  The air around the three friends changed somewhat as 
a glowing object hovered over them.  Within the object appeared to be human form.  But the form was 
distorted.  The hands, the feet, the shape of the head.  There was something not quite right.
"Hello," the form said.  "I need your help."

The Red Zone:

Serge saw the dark being standing underneath the black hole in the sky.  All around the being the 
government men's bodies were scattered.  Were they dead?  Serge didn't know.  He held his hunting rifle in 
his shivering hands.  He slowly walked towards the dark being.  He noticed the being had its back turned 
away from him.  Serge continued walking.
"Stop right there, human," the dark being said.  He spoke with a cold male voice.  Serge stopped, his whole 
body shaking.
"Human," the dark being said.  "I know what you are holding.  It cannot hurt me."
He crossed his arms, his back still turned.
"Humans," he continued.  "You are all the same.  Each time I encounter your kind, I get the same response.  
Violence.  Simplemindedness.  You can comprehend your reason for being, your potential.  You see only 
see the world one-sided.  Every coin has two sides.  When you look up, you only see one sky but always 
forget about the other you cannot see.  You are all the same.  But it does not matter.  The idea is coming.  
Your kind speaks of world domination.  The idea is world domination.  Your kind uses different kinds of 
weapons.  The idea is the weapon.  The idea is coming, human.  The idea cannot be stopped.  Many have 
tried.  All have failed."
Serge fell to his knees, his rifle lying on the ground.  He covered his face with his hands and started to cry.
"Prepare, human," the dark being said.  "Prepare."

To Be Continued