CHAPTER 1

"Actually, you've doomed us all."-Bart Simpson.

Cynthia's eyes widened as she looked at the news on T.V. She was amazed, and couldn't believe her eyes or her ears as she listened attentively to what the reporter had to say.

"This is a breaking news story…a body has been found in Route #207…has a twisted neck and a rope around it…believed to have been suicide of hanging himself…identified as Roark, Leader of the Oreburgh Gym."

Her face paled as she stared at the screen, even when it went back to the cooking show she had been watching earlier. Suddenly she got up and started to pace. Why would Roark be so damn stupid to hang himself?

Anger? Depression? Stress? Different thoughts raced through her mind as she tore through her blond hair. She knew, in her mind, that this was not suicide.

"First Aaron, then Maylene, now Roark…what more can happen in three years?" she whispered, panicking. She pulled off one of her black gloves and examined the ugly scars stretched all over her left hand. A Tem Galactic grunt had poured acid on it while she was trying to protect Maylene.

Oh, no…she could only imagine what Byron would say upon hearing of his only son's death. Volkner and Candice wouldn't be too happy either. Gardenia…oh, poor, poor Gardenia was Roark's new fiancé. She'd be heartbroken.

Cynthia worried the most about Dawn. She knew Cyrus, and he was not the type of man who went down and stayed down.

Wow…her mind meditated on all the deaths that had been taking place. Why so many? Was Team Galactic back and plotting revenge?

Well, if that was the case, Dawn had better watch her back.

"Man, I can't wait to battle Macey!!" Ash hollered in a hyper Pikachu's ear.

Dawn watched in amusement as her friend Ash jumped up and down the battle field. It was finally here, what he had been waiting so long for: The Sinnoh League. Now it was the second-to-last round, and he had a tough battle with his old Hoenn friend, Morrison. All he needed to do was defeat Macey, a rival from Johto, and it was on to the finals for Ash.

But they were waiting forever for her to turn up!

"What a pathetic loser…" Paul muttered from next to her. Darkrai knows how anyone can put up with him and not go nuts. Apparently he thought the same of her, too.

"Ha," she teased, "you're just grumpy because Kohei beat you."

He faced her with fury clear in his eyes. He didn't like Kohei; not one bit.

"Look," he seethed, while she giggled, "you mention that demon one more time and I…"

"Who wants popcorn?" Zoey interrupted. Misty, a born popcorn lover, pushed and shoved everyone out of their seats to get a handful.

"Fo, ary firj o mufee ref?" Misty asked, popcorn spilling out of her mouth.

"What?"

Misty swallowed her popcorn. "I said,: any sign of Macey yet?"

Dawn shook her head. "Not yet."

Casey pointed over to the stands. "But hey, look! Someone's coming!!"

Casey was right. Macey was coming out at last.

Only it wasn't Macey.

It was Morrison.

Dawn suddenly felt Paul tense.

"This doesn't look good…" he whispered.

Morrison patted the crying Vulpix on his shoulder. He then drew in a shaky breath and began to speak.

"Macey cannot attend this battle, or this tournament. Not any tournament for that matter…not now, not ever…"

Ash stood rigid and pale. All of a sudden, Officer Jenny spoke up. "Why not? What happened?" she demanded.

"Because…because…" Morrison stammered.

"Speak up!" someone from the crowd shouted angrily.

"Because…" Morrison took a deep breath and shouted:

"Macey is dead!"