Summary: The apocalypse through anonymous eyes... When Pokémon moves from a game to reality, the creatures loved by fans begin to attack civilization, forcing the government to take steps to defeat the creatures. When weapons fail to do harm, they begin to experiment with the classics: partnering their soldiers with newly hatched Pokémon. An AU take on the Call of Duty world and the classic Pokémon journey.

Disclaimer: I do not own Call of Duty or any of the Pokémon games, toys, television episodes, etc., a plasma screen, Diamondback, or Combos snacks. I do own my various OCs, however.

Author's Note: I could have made this better, but as a rule I don't use swears or similar slang. There's not much I can do here, sorry. This goes only as far as my picture, which was done by the amazing MeAndMyRobot on Deviant Art. I don't own that either.

Part I: The Invasion

June 5th, 1500 hours

168 Hours Left

"Lieutenant, get over there," the captain ordered.

"Sir." I scrambled to get to my team. I saw the private and corporal both give the captain backwards glance before turning their attention to their CO, which happened to be me.

"So," the private said. His dog tags said 'Pvt. Higgs.'

"So?" I answered. I started walking down to the shooting range, the two others following. I wanted to take out a full clip on my Smith & Wesson on one of the targets.

"So what happened? What'd they say was going on?"

"I can't tell you."

"Aw." Higgs looked over at the specialist. "Hey, Matt, get him to talk," he prodded.

Matt ignored him and instead asked "Well, can you at least tell us why you can't tell us?"

"It's classified."

"So, is the thing that's going on classified, or is the reason you can't tell us classified?" Higgs asked slowly.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "You confused me there. The thing I was called to; that stuff is classified, and I can't tell you because that stuff is classified."

Matt and Higgs were silent for a few moments. "You're still going to tell us, right?" Higgs asked.

I only grinned in reply.

June 5th, 1300 hours (2 hours earlier) *Exactly 7 days left*

170 Hours Left

"Lieutenant," the general said.

"Sir." I saluted him before moving to take a seat.

I gave him a grin as I sat down and he rolled his eyes, muttering something about smart-mouthed cadets. The table was one of those rectangular ones, with a gray hard top and black plastic around the sides. The chairs were swivel types, with a hard plastic back but with a velvety-soft lining. I leaned back and spun the chair. I could get used to this.

"Lieutenant!" the general barked.

I shot out of my seat, saying "Sir?"

"You've been called here for a reason. Get back in your seat and pay attention."

I sat back down in my seat and put my poker face on. I clasped my hands together and leaned forward slightly, giving the impression of a lawyer or an officer making a deal with a criminal. I knew my change in demeanor could startle some people, but the general was used to it. He ignored me and sat in his own seat, waiting for the other guests to arrive. Why I was here, I had no idea; I as just a lieutenant, and I could tell, even then, that they should have called a higher ranking soldier.

Several other people came in and sat do. Most of them appeared to be the high office types, with their suits and ties. None of them, I noticed, were wearing dog tags or any insignia to determine their work or history. They were like blank sheets of paper, as far as appearances went. None of them, with the exception of the general and one of the suits and ties, held themselves like soldiers. They were proud, or at the very least pompous, but not honorable, the special way a soldier was. The woman was wearing a suit jacket and skirt, both a wooly gray. Under the suit was a red vest that complimented her dark hair and eyes. She had a glasses case in the breast pocket of her suit. Most likely reading glasses, as she didn't have any on her face. Her hair was tied into a braid with what looked like a metal weight. I frowned at that but said nothing.

While I had been inspecting the visitors, the general stood and greeted the guests. They appeared to be Chief of Staff and such, working for the President. I frowned; those types should have been wearing insignia, not unless they wanted to keep this sort of thing low-key. They weren't doing a good job, with the fancy clothes. Then I thought 'Why was I needed? I was just another soldier in another regiment,' (17th Infantry, to be exact.)

The general must have seen the confusion on my face, and the anxiety it was creating. He shook his head and I relaxed. Whatever I as needed for would be addressed soon. Hopefully.

"We should get to the point," the woman said.

She kept herself in a slightly wary position, as though ready for fight or flight. She's been a soldier, has had a really horrible childhood, or has been a politician for too long, I thought. I decided it was the first or last, as she had no visible scarring. Not all scars were visible, I knew that all too well, but it seemed unlikely.

"And what is that point?" one of the staff said. He was rather average. Everything about him was simple, unrefined. His suit was a dark blue, almost black; the suit was buttoned just below his ribcage, showing a white shirt underneath. "Why have we been called here?"

"There have been strange occurrences: cities being destroyed, forests devastated, tsunamis and hurricanes, as well as large-scale blackouts," the general barked. The staff was cowed by his outburst, so the general continued. "The impossible has become possible these past few days. These 'attacks' have only occurred in Asia, but have been moving steadily westward. With the speed that the destruction has been moving at, it has been estimated that we have one week until the United States is hit." The general put up a finger and reiterated "One week."

"But…" the staff apparently hadn't been cowed, but was now after the glares sent to him by his peers. He seemed to shrink in his seat and mumbled an apology before quieting.

The woman nodded to herself before continuing with the general. "The source of these disasters appears to be these creatures."

She pulled out a TV remote and pressed a button on it. A TV, a 96" plasma screen, came sliding down from the ceiling. Another push of a button and it turned on, showing the first slide of a slideshow. I leaned forward for a better look at the picture. The bird was fairly reminiscent to a phoenix, with the feathers and all. The picture was taken from the ground, and dwarfed the building it had perched itself on. The bird itself wasn't large in terms of height, but appeared to be larger, with its impressive wing span, giving it the appearance of a larger creature. Its maw was open, letting out a shrill cry, wings outstretched. It looked like an act of war.

The picture changed to another bird, not nearly as large as the first, but still big enough to loom over most humans. The bird appeared to be attacking a food stand; there were cabbages scattered around its feet and in the stand. The bird's feathers stood out like spikes, giving it the appearance of being shocked by lightning. The bird's underside was all highlighter yellow, and what could be seen of its back was black. Its face was rather fierce; the eyes ringed by black, the beak long and sharp. Feathers encrusted its head like a lion's mane, standing out in all directions. The legs were the odd part; they looked like a turkey's legs, thin and gangly, the leg plumes gray rather than yellow. It had orange scales and three, no, four toes, each ending in a sharp nail. Three toes pointed outwards, while one pointed back, so they created something like a cross of an I and a Y.

The picture changed once more, to a yellow bird, more than a foot larger than the first. Several people tittered in disbelief; the bird had a plume of flame on its head and two more coming form the mantles of its wings, and a last one forming the tail. The fires, in fact, made up most of the bird's wings, and streaked behind it as it soared in the air. The picture was taken from below, giving a good shot of its underside. The beak was shorter and smaller than the yellow bird, the yellow feathers more subdued than the bird before it. The leg plumes were also yellow, and the leg scales were a dark tan, the legs and especially the feet were smaller than its bright companion. It resembled a plane in posture and bearing.

The scene switched once more and all tittering stopped. This bird was shorter than the fiery one, but taller than the shocking one. It was sitting on a light post, wings bared. The wings were somewhat rectangular in shape, except where the wing joints bent before connecting with the shoulders. The bird's plumage was a sky blue, the chest a powder blue. The tail, which was long and thin like a ribbon, was cyan, as was its head crest, which was made of three diamonds, extending from the middle of its forehead. The beak was smaller than its predecessors' and grey in color, the scales of its legs. All in all, it looked like a rather large blue jay. But the most amazing thing was that there was snow swirling around it, as though it had created it.

The TV clicked as the pictures changed. This time, a great beast was sleeping on a beach. The photo was taken from a distance, highlighting its great size. It was greater in size than the first phoenix that was shown. The body was a silvery-white, with navy-colored spikes protruding from its back, and two more from its tail. Eye crests, also navy in color, covered its eye and shot upwards. Its underbelly was a light blue, contrasting with its body. The feet were large, with three toes, but small compared to its wings. They were rather hand like, with five digits on the wing. Judging from the way they were curled, they could be used like fingers or a thumb, depending on the placement. The mouth was somewhat jagged, with teeth on the lower jaw, which stuck out past the bird's lips.

The creatures looked familiar, but I was having trouble placing where I had seen them before. From a show, or a game, perhaps. I frowned at my inability to remember. I licked my lips and coughed. Everyone looked at me, expecting an answer. My lip twitched at the attention.

"They look familiar," I admitted. "But I don't remember where I've seen them."

The woman nodded again and showed another picture. "This look familiar? Or this?"

The next picture showed a large dragon, primarily green. It was rather snake like, with two small arms and no wings. The head was also snake like, but with four fins coming from its head, behind the jaw. Two larger ones shot up from the top, two small ones from the bottom. Its lips were red, as well as its teeth, giving it the appearance of drinking blood. The dragon's irises were yellow rings in pools of black, as its sclera was black as its pupils. A yellow circle stood out on top of its head, which split into two lines that went down to the next segment of its body. A chest plate of sorts was visible, marked by a black Y, the arms connected to its shoulders. The lines continued around the joints, creating a half circle, moving up, back to the head before circling around the and connecting with the other line, and down, where it would complete a circle, marking the off the body segment. Two fins came out of the back, diagonal to each arm. The outer edge of the fin was red like the beast's lips. Two yellow lines continued the body on each side, forming two yellow ovals before coming to the next body segment. Rather than having more appendages, the segment was adorned with four fins, similar in appearance to the first two. Two of the fins were adjacent to each other, and were diagonal to another, creating an X shape if one looked through its body. The body continued like this twice more before tapering off to a tail, pointed and adorned with four smaller fins which tapered off with the tail.

The second creature was the first humanoid one in appearance, with gray-purple skin. Its head was rather human in shape, with the exception of two bony ridges that stuck out at the top like a cat's ears, and the mouth, which was somewhat muzzle shaped. Its mouth wand jaw were rather small, the nose two slits on the muzzle. The creature had what appeared to be two necks; one attached directly to the shoulders, while one looped backwards and connected to the back, presumably between the shoulder blades. It had a small chest plate and a rather feminine body, with long slender arms that ended in three-fingered hands. The fingers themselves were circular and short, giving the appearance of nodes. One of the fingers on each hand was opposable, so they were likely thumbs. The torso was also rather slim, but the legs were thick, due to the tail that came up from between the legs. The legs were also thin, especially near the feet, which had two small toes that ended in nodes. A third toe on each foot was opposable, but two short for any use. The tail was rather thick, a dark purple, looking somewhat whip-like. It thinned out then thickened at the end, looking rather dangerous, like the Chimera's tail.

The appearance of the last creature made the memories click. I knew where I had seen them from.

"Go back, back to the first one," I ordered. The screens flickered as it responded to the remote's command. "That's a Ho-Oh," I said. Some of the staff started muttering. "And that's Zapdos, and Moltres. And that one is Articuno," I told them, as each one came up on the screen. "The silver one is Lugia, the dragon Rayquaza and the human-like one is Mewtwo." I frowned. Pokémon didn't exist. "But they're all from a game. They don't actually exist."

The general, who had been quiet from his last outburst, leaned forward. "That's where you're wrong, soldier." The room quieted again. "They've existed for longer than humans, much longer. They've just been in hiding, from human civilization. Few knew of this; how exactly Nintendo found out about them, I don't know and they're not saying. But they're real, and now they're fighting for their homes." He gestured at the TV, which showed Mewtwo using Psychic on a large hunk of granite, making it float in the air. "And they aren't giving up."

The woman pursed her lips and nodded. "The politicians are here to help explain things to the public, ease them before the news comes out."

"And why am I here?" I asked. "I'm just a lieutenant; it sounds like you need a general." I emphasized this by looking at my CO; I was sure he would get the hint.

He laughed and told me "We need you because you're what we need; someone that has knowledge about what we're facing and is able to face it."

I grimaced before asking "Let me guess: Pokéballs don't exist? They aren't real?" The general shook his head. I sighed, saying "I knew it. Things are never easy, are they?"
"Nope. Not for us, at least. We do have some people working on the idea, but it's very advanced, so we're not expecting progress any time soon. Here are the reports on the threat. Read them. Memorize them. Report back to me at 1800 hours."

June 5th, 1800 hours

163 Hours Left

"I thought you said Pokéballs didn't exist!" I shouted.

The general glared at me and I stood at attention, expecting to be punished. "I did say they didn't exist, at least not yet soldier," he growled. "That doesn't mean you can't have a partner." Before me was an egg, a Pokémon egg, to be specific. "If you read the dossier, you would know that man-made weapons don't hurt the Pokémon. Stagger them, yes. Hurt them, no. So we need to take a different approach to this problem. A classic approach, if you will."

"What about feeding it?" I asked, incredulous at the situation I was in.

"We have that covered." The general led me over to a table with boxes and cans on top. "After talking with some of the CEOs at Nintendo, and studying the Pokémon, we figured out their basic diets. It varies, but we should have it down for that little bugger over there."

"What will it hatch into?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Now get your stuff together, get the egg and go home."

"Home? Not the barracks?"

"No. You'll still be on duty, but you're going home."

June 6th, 1000 hours

148 Hours Left

I picked up the Pokémon egg and looked closely at it. It was a light tan, the color of sand. Some green spots of varying size were scattered on its surface. I sighed and put it back down. There was no way to tell what was inside of it, and two hours of searching through several Pokémon websites hadn't helped. As far as I could tell, the egg was a replica of those that appeared on the game. In other words, unless you got the egg from the Day-Care Center, if someone told you what the parents were, or if you bred the Pokémon yourself, you wouldn't know what was inside.

I did know that, on the games, walking or biking would make the egg hatch. I doubted that driving would have the same result, so I got out my Diamondback Insight 24. Yeah, it was awesome. I had bought it just a few days ago, for reasons like this. I found an old backpack, put the egg in the largest section as well as some boxes of food (for the Pokémon) and got on the Insight. The ride was smooth, but I avoided other people. I mean, if the egg hatched and other people saw it, there would be a freak out, especially if it was a Charmander or a Cyndaquil. I shuddered at the thought.

I cycled around a park, feeling the air whoosh past me. It was much nicer than being in a Jeep in the middle of a desert. When my watch clicked over to twelve (it had been two hours already?) I started going back to my house. Halfway there, I felt the egg start moving in the bag. I panicked and pumped the pedals even harder. I was glad the bike was made for speed. Otherwise I might not have made it. As it was, I managed to get my bike inside the garage and in my house as the egg started cracking.

I tore the bag off my bag and fished the egg out, nearly dropping it as a large crack ran on the surface, startling me with the noise. It sounded like glass shattering, and I put the egg on the floor, wary of what might come out. With another crack and more imitations of glass shattering, the egg exploded. Pieces of shell went everywhere, hitting the walls, the furniture, and the window. I ducked, barely missing a jagged piece as big as my head, which broke up into smaller pieces before hitting the ceiling and falling.

I looked up, wondering what could have caused such a violent reaction. And I groaned; I knew I would have this sort of luck. I stood and faced my new Pokémon. A little Charmander was curled up in the middle of my floor, everlasting fire burning at the tip of its tail. The little lizard stood up in all of its two-foot tall glory. It blinked its teal colored eyes and looked around in confusion.

"Char?" it said. It spotted me and smiled. I could see its fangs and large, pink tongue. "Charmander!" it cried before tackling me to the ground. I found myself laughing as the little lizard crawled over me. "Char, Charmander!"

I heard a loud growling and stopped laughing. The Charmander had a sheepish look on its face and was holding its stomach, embarrassed by the noise it made. I smiled at it and found the backpack. I took out the Pokémon food and a dog dish. I ripped off the top of the box before pouring the food in. Except for their color, which was a mud brown, the looked like Combos. I put the food down and Charmander ran over, curious. He picked up one of the food pellets in his claws, sniffing it. Deciding the food was safe, he popped it in his mouth and ate it.

"Char!"

The Pokémon sat down on the floor and started eating enthusiastically, swishing his tail as he ate. I sat on my sofa and jumped up. Charmander looked at me before turning back to his food. I saw a piece of eggshell on the cushion, where I just tried to sit. I sighed and started gathering up the eggshell pieces while Charmander watched me, happily eating its food. When I was sure I had found every last piece, I pulled out a shoebox and dumped the shards inside. I wasn't sure if I should save them or throw them out, so I left the box on the coffee table, next to the sofa. By then, Charmander had eaten all the food and was settling down for a nap. It curled up just as I had first seen it, snuffling and snorting before falling asleep.

Despite my exhaustion from my near-death experience, feeding the Charmander and picking up after it, I had things to do. First, I washed out the bowl that had the food in it. Next, I had to inform the general that the egg had hatched.

June 6th, 1256 hours

133.44 Hours Left

"Sir?" I asked, somewhat unsure of myself.

"Yes Lieutenant?"
"The egg hatched."

"Alright, so what came out?"
I blinked before saying "Sir, I thought you knew-"

"Yes, I know what I said. I just want to know if I was correct. What was the Pokémon?"

"A Charmander sir."

There was a pause as the general did something on the other line. I shuffled nervously as I waited.

"Yes, it seems they were correct. Did you name it?"

"What? Sir?"

"Did you name the Charmander? Do you even know if it is a boy or girl?"

"Uh, no sir, I didn't. Not yet, at least. And there aren't any physical differences between a male and female Charmander, sir. I checked online."

"All right then. Tomorrow, you're going to begin training. You will be instated into a special division, for training Pokémon. Bring your Charmander with you."

"Sir, what about the public? Won't something seem off?"

"Turn on your television at six o' clock, at the news channel. Record it; you'll be watching history."

June 6th, 1750 hours

128.50 Hours Left

I poured more food into the dish. Charmander eagerly dove into the meal, eager to eat. I couldn't help but smile at the lizard; it took so much joy from a simple meal.

"You know, I should name you," I said out loud. Charmander looked at me questioningly. "I mean, an actual name, not just Charmander."

"Char?" it asked.

"Yeah." It had only been a few hours since the lizard had hatched, but I was understanding it rather quickly. "Are you a boy or a girl? I can't really tell," I admitted.

"Charmander Charmander."

"I see. I think. You're a girl?" Charmander nodded eagerly before stuffing several pellets in its mouth. "What about Mary?" The Pokémon almost choked on its food. "Yeah, I don't like that name either. Jill?" She shook her head. "Carmelita?" Charmander frowned at me. "Um…" I had the TV turned on and a commercial came on for a site that specialized in names. A list came up and I saw one that felt right. It was under the boy's section, but the name just fit. "What about Zian?"

The Charmander looked up at me and I felt something click. I guess it was something like when Ash, in the television series, and Pikachu first got along, when the little mouse had shocked all the Spearow. The feeling was just right, like all was at peace in the world, and you were content with it. The Charmander smiled at me, and her happiness was infectious. She cried her agreement and celebrated with more food.

I smiled at her and turned my attention to the TV. It had started up a beeping noise, similar to the tornado alert that sometimes came up. I found a remote and clicked record, and a red light on the DVR lit up, letting me know that the program was being recorded. The screen showed 'Breaking News' in big, bold letters on a blue background before breaking off to the anchorwoman.

"Hello, I'm Camilla Ramhreis and this is Breaking News. Senator Joseph Mahogany has offered to give information on the disasters in Asia. We're going live with Leif Ericson. Leif?"

"Hi Camilla, I'm here live at the press conference. Quiet, Senator Mahogany's on now."

The camera focused on Mahogany. I narrowed my eyes; he was the same stuck up staff member that had asked his stupid questions and doubted the general. Zian picked up on this and let out a soft cry. She left her food and climbed up onto my couch, careful not to ignite the furniture. She snuggled up against me, her tail carefully raised. I petted her head and she made a purring noise. I smiled and looked back at the TV.

"To sum up the situation," Mahogany began, "we have a crisis." Several gasps came through the speakers, along with some muttering. "Creatures, commonly known as Pokémon, have appeared in China and Japan. They have begun wreaking havoc, moving westwards. Pictures taken by survivors and witnesses have been recovered; here are some of the few that could be retrieved."

Mahogany stepped aside as a large white sheet was lowered. A projection was brought up onto the screen, showing Ho-Oh on a building. The senator said something else, but I missed it. Zian had wagged her tail, letting out a soft cry as she saw the phoenix. I pet her head again before focusing on the TV.

"The military has begun training soldiers to deal with this new threat. That is all for now," Mahogany finished before walking offstage, ignoring the reporters.

I shook my head at the television before turning it off. I rubbed Zian's head and she purred again. I sat up, careful not to disturb her. I washed the bowl again and pulled out a bottle of water from my fridge. Zian saw me walk into the living room with it and sat up, reaching for the bottle. I let her have it and she scratched at the cap. Then she started gnawing at it, biting it, pulling at it. She tried everything but twisting it off. I held out a hand and she gave the bottle to me without hesitation. I twisted the cap off and gave the bottle back to her. Zian took the bottle, saying 'thank you' in her language, and drank the entire bottle. She licked her lips and burped.

"Charmander," she excused herself.

I smiled; I had the feeling we would get along well with each other.

June 7th, 0900 hours

123 Hours Left

Pop-Tarts are a wonder of nature. I learned that after Zian woke me up this morning at seven and, impatient with me, tore her way through two boxes of Pop-Tarts. After eating them she was satisfied and let me eat my own breakfast, which ended up being a bowl of Frosted Flakes because she ate my Pop-Tarts. That reminds me; I've got to buy more Pop-Tarts when I go shopping again.

"Come on Zian, we're going to go for a ride."

The little Charmander looked up at me, obviously excited. I led her into the garage and showed her my Insight. She became enraptured by it, delighted by the bike. I could have driven my car, but where's the fun in that?

Zian loved the ride. She climbed up on my back and held tight as I cycled to the barracks. I was actually lucky that I didn't live very far away; otherwise I would have been forced to drive the car. We went by fast enough for passerby to be unsure if they saw an orange lizard clinging to my back. And by the time they would look back, we'd be gone. I was almost sad to get off and lock up the bike. Zian was begging me to go for a ride with her later. I promised to, and I'm sure she'd hold me to it.

The general was waiting for me at the shooting range. Someone had set up a battle-field up a short distance away, and I was told to wait with Zian by the edge. The general then had a short talk with me.

"What's its name?"

"Her name, sir, is Zian," I answered.

He furrowed his brow after hearing this. "Isn't that a boy's name?"

"She liked it," I argued. "It was just… right, I suppose. It just felt right."

The general shook his head in response. It seemed he was doing that with me a lot lately. I let Zian explore a little bit, but not get too far away or out of my sight.

"Sir," I called out. "Are you going to have Zian and I battle someone?"

He looked at me; he had been watching the little lizard walk around. "Yes, I was," he admitted. "The others aren't here yet."

"I don't know what Zian's moves are."

"Then ask her. Maybe she can tell you," the general replied cryptically.

I shrugged and jogged over to Zian. She had found an apple tree and was picking up some apples that had fallen. I smiled at her as she ate one of the apples.

"Zian, can you tell me what moves you know?" I asked.

She swallowed a bite of apple before answering. "Charmander Char. Char Char Charmander."

I nodded; I was pretty sure I got the gist of what she was saying. I led her back to the edge of the field as another soldier came forward to speak with the general. He had a Pikachu following him, sparks leaping from its cheeks. Zian ran forward to talk with the new Pokémon, the first one she ever met.

The general introduced me to the other soldier. He was originally stationed at Fort Irwin, as part of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Sergeant Lewis Jackson; he was well built, with short cut brown hair and brown eyes. He was rather average in features; other than his obvious training and that he had a Pikachu, there was nothing rather notable about him in appearance.

The general wandered off to find the other soldiers, leaving me with Lewis. Rather than look at each other, or stare off in the distance, we watched our Pokémon talk with each other. Every so often, one of them would make a gesture, at one of us or indicating an action. At one point, Zian leaned forward with her arms out, like she was riding my Insight. I smirked at this and knew Lewis caught this.

"What's your Charmander's name?" he asked. His voice was somewhat deep, and had traces of an accent.

"Zian; what's your Pikachu's?"

"Militus."

Interesting, as militus was Latin for 'soldier'. Creative, I guess. Zian and Militus looked away for a moment, interested in something else. I followed their gaze and found the last of the soldiers. A woman, about as tall as I am, had a Totodile following her, jumping and skipping as it went. She had shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. Her badge showed her to be a captain.

The next had a Mudkip on top of their head, and the small Pokémon chirruped every few seconds, telling its owner something who nodded carefully in response. She was rather small, with dark skin and light gray eyes. Her hair was red-orange, which struck me as rather odd. I couldn't see a badge or pin that signified her ranking.

The next was a Specialist with brown hair and blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He was thin but muscular, and reminded me of the Californian stereotype. He wore military fatigues and an empty gun holster on his left hip. Perhaps he forgot the gun or left it in the barracks. A Turtwig patiently followed him, looking up every few seconds to make sure it didn't get lost.

Lastly was a girl. Her Snivy looked somewhat pompous, and I understood how it earned the common nickname 'Smugleaf.' The girl by contrast, looked rather happy and excited. She had a first lieutenants badge pined to her color. Her hair, somewhere between brown and blond, was longer than any of her companions and was held in a ponytail. Her green eyes flashed when she saw Zian and Militus and before I knew it, she picked up Zian.

"Charmander!" she happily said. "Aw, you're so cute," she squealed, hugging the lizard close.

Snivy looked somewhat upset at this, because she used an attack on Zian. She created several leaves that flashed several colors before striking Zian. The lizard cried out before growling at the offending Pokémon. The leaf snake shied away, and I realized Zian had used Growl.

"Seems like they're fighting already," the general remarked. The four newcomers saluted him.

"General Malone, sir," the black-haired woman said. "We were called here."

"Yes you were. You six are our first line of defense from the oncoming threat that the Legendary Pokémon present. So, we will begin by training your Pokémon." He motioned towards us. "Pair up and start training."

June 7th, 1400 hours

122 Hours Left

Another bowl of food for Zian, and she ate it before I finished making my sandwich. I looked at her and she grinned, swishing her tail at me. She had done really well against the others, even beating Rick and Zoey, which were the Mudkip and Totodile, respectively. I had to say I was surprised; I didn't expect her to be that strong, even against two Water types.

In her third battle, she learned Ember, employing it against Zoey, burning her. The burn turned out to be just what they needed; it damaged the Totodile enough that the next attack, Scratch, could knock her out. Then while facing Militus, she learned Smokescreen, which was effectively employed and allowed for a sneak attack on the lightning mouse.

General Malone let all of us go home, to let the Pokémon rest from their battles. Using the Internet, I found that Zian was about level ten, since she learned Smokescreen. I wasn't sure if levels still applied, considering that was a game and this reality, but who knows? Until a few days ago, I thought that Pokémon didn't exist. I was wrong; I can see that. So levels may still apply here, that's rather clear.

Zian gave me a pleading look before asking "Char?"

I opened the back door, letting the lizard run around in what backyard I had. She raced around, scaring what animals there were. I watched with a smirk on my face that switched to one of horror. She was using Ember on a blue jay that hadn't flown quickly enough.

"No! Zian! Don't do that!"

She backed off, turning her head so the fiery sparks didn't hit the bird. It flew off in a hurry, relieved to get away from the predator. She looked at me, head cocked to the side. There was a sad look in her eyes, knowing she disappointed me. I knelt in front of her and looked in her eyes. She was intelligent, and knew, or at least could learn, what was right from wrong.

"Don't eat the birds, all right? They'll give you indigestion or something." A rumbling noise came from her throat. She was laughing at me, that Charmander. Zian let me lead her back inside the house and I held up a food pellet. "You can eat these, and fruits." I gave her an apple. "Those are good for you, all right."

Zian nodded before munching on the fruit, juice dribbling down her face before she licked it.

June 10th, 1300 hours

47 Hours Left

Zian glowed with a white light, signaling her evolution. The battle stopped, as both Pokémon and trainer watched the lizard evolve into its next stage. The glow faded, leaving a darker and taller lizard in its place. The scales were brick red, the mouth elongated into a snout. A horn protruded from the back of Zian's head. The shoulders, arms and claws became more defined, the claws in particular. The tail was longer, the fire more intense.

"Charmeleon!" she cried before using Dragon Rage. A blue and black orb of energy shot out her mouth, taking on the form of a dragon before hitting Militus. "Char Char!" Zian cheered as the Pikachu was knocked out.

We fist bumped as the sergeant took care of his Pokémon. The general had long left us to our own devices, trusting that we could care for ourselves and not destroy each other. He only asked for progress reports before we left. While Militus was recovering, we, Zian, Militus, Lewis and I, watched Zoey and Rick battle.

Both Pokémon had grown, becoming faster and stronger from training. Zoey, at a command from Arianna, her trainer, used Water Gun, aiming for the ground beneath her opponent. The Mudkip looked confused before charging at the Totodile. It slipped in the mud created by the Water Gun, falling over. Zoey used Rage, going berserk on its opponent. After the dust cleared, Rick, the Mudkip, had fainted.

Zoey started dancing. Arianna moved to get her Pokémon off the field, but Zoey, in her excitement, bit the top of the captain's head. Arianna freaked out and ran off before I could yell 'Stop'. Frankly, I didn't blame her.

"Come on Zian," I said before running off. The Charmeleon kept pace with me and was much faster than her previous form. "There she is," I said, spotting her entering the barracks.

We ran inside, Zian earning some odd looks from the visitors and off-duty soldiers. The two were gone, but Zian perked her head and ran ahead, with me following behind. After running into a few dead ends, Zian gave up and used Dragon Rage on a wall, running into the next room.

"Zian! You're not supposed to do that!" I yelled.

"Charmeleon," she answered sheepishly. She swished her tail before saying "Char."

I looked over like she said and saw Arianna and Totodile. She had gone to a nurse who was now removing the Pokémon from the woman's head. I felt my lip twitch and I started laughing. Zian and the captain looked startled, as did the Totodile, who let go of her trainer's head to watch me. Zian approached me, but I put a hand up, stopping her. The nurse ignored me entirely, now checking Arianna's head for wounds. After a few minutes I stopped laughing enough to speak.

"Sorry, I just had to laugh. We thought you were hurt, so we came here after you. Zian blew down a wall and you were completely fine." I held my head in my hand and shook my head, a few chuckles escaping my throat. "I guess it was just all too funny."

Zian grumbled something and Arianna gave me a look that screamed 'Are you crazy?' I looked back at the wall and groaned. How was I going to explain that?

June 11th, 2300 hours

13 Hours Left

"Careful Zian," I said. A quick look in the rear-view mirror showed her looking out the window, claws on the glass. She looked like a little kid. "What are you doing back there?"

"Char," she answered.

I turned in my seat and saw a kid, maybe ten years old, string back at Zian. He glanced back at the DS he was holding before staring at Zian again. He held the screen up against the glass and I saw a Charmeleon Pokédex entry. Zian looked at it oddly before I drove away, the little kid looking on. Another glance in the mirror showed her looking through the back, trying to see the little kid. She swished her tail and knocked over my AK-103, which had been lying on the seats. Thankfully it hadn't been loaded and the safety was on

"New friend?" I commented.

"Charmeleon," she said.

"We're almost there, don't worry."

The Legendary Pokémon were almost here, and with them, more Pokémon. It would be chaos, trying to settle everything down. I was being sent out to try and intercept them, at the very least slow them down. For some reason, I had a very bad feeling about this…

June 12th, 1200 hours

NO TIME LEFT

I stood next to an oak tree. In my hands was my AK, to my right Zian. We were too late; we were out of time. In the distance was the city we were to protect, but either the threat moved faster than anticipated, or we were too slow. It didn't matter now; what did matter was what we were going to do about it.

Ho-Oh flew overhead, crying out indignantly. It soared over the city, crying out again. A Flamethrower gushed from its mouth, hitting the buildings below. The fire stream stopped for a moment before starting up again, this time hitting another section of the city. A bright blast appeared in the burned buildings before a missile shot out and hit the bird. It appeared to be a Javelin rocket, leaving a smoke trail in the air. The Ho-Oh shook off the attack like it was nothing, dropping a feather or two. I checked the AK's magazine before turning to my partner.

"You ready to fight?" Zian looked at me, a bright glint in her eye.

"Charmeleon!" she cried, clenching her claws into fists.

With that, we set off, ready to fight.