Chapter Two

The sound of knocking on my door snapped me out of sleep and I sat up in my bed with a sigh. My new ten by nine foot room with white walls and simple wooden floors was illuminated by the ever-shining one-foot diameter dome light in the center of the ceiling. Since these rooms have no windows the lights were always on, but dimmed between ten in the evening and seven in the morning to allow us to sleep. Other than my twin bed and a blanket for Jolteon, which were both against the far wall, the room also boasted a dresser (3'x 2'x 3') filled with simple cotton clothes and uniforms given to Resistance members, and a shelving system (3'x 2'x 5.5') in which to hold our gear and weapons. It wasn't glamorous, but it was home now.

I quickly stretched and then, still wearing the cotton pajamas that I was given, I stood and answered the knock. I was met by a man a few months older than I, with black hair, worn in the short-to-medium style with his bangs stopping right before his eyes, that contrasted nicely with his fair skin and brown eyes so deep that they nearly mirrored his hair color. His six-foot, medium built frame stood over my 5'7, lightly built one. I knew him well.

"Seiyo." Shigure, or Agent Arc as he was known to the other members, greeted me plainly. The Resistance had different classes: Field Soldier, which Shigure and I were, are the agents that go out on missions, attack checkpoints, do some scouting, and rescue people and Pokémon alike from locked-down areas. Intel is a group of agents that work solitarily as spies, intercepting missives, forging documents, posing as the other sides' soldiers, and occasionally performing assassinations. The Guard class acts as constables stationed at the smaller bases on the other Sevii Islands. Lastly, Nerve is the class of higher-ups which includes medics, dispatch, training officers, interrogation, and our leader, the General. Agents in the Field Soldier class were always put into pairs to make missions go smoother, someone to watch your back and all that, and since we completed our basic training around the same time, Shigure and I were paired.

"Shigure." I greeted in return.

"Get dressed. The General is handing out assignments in fifteen minutes," he said bluntly before starting off down the hall, but stopped a few steps away, turned his head toward me and added in a forced polite tone, "Oh, and good morning."

He returned his attention forward and left before I could respond. We weren't exactly friendly with each other but it wasn't that we did not like each other, it was because we both had lost so much and we were afraid; afraid of getting too close to each other and then losing yet another person from our lives.

Jolteon was already awake and sitting at attention as I closed the door behind me.

"I guess this is it, our first real mission."

He gave a single bark in response and I smiled genuinely back. It has already been a month since we arrived on the Sevii Islands. Luckily, since there was very little activity from either side, we took that opportunity to be trained hard in Resistance-style techniques and equipment use, as well as preparing for real missions out in the field. New agents are also required to go through special training with their Pokémon, especially their chosen Partner Pokémon, to reinforce their bonds and to utilize their strengths and compensate for weaknesses while on assignments. After an agent completes their respective training for the class that best fits their skills, they are given their agent name which is usually the first syllable of their chosen Partner Pokémon's name. Since Jolteon was my partner, my title was Agent Jolt. We have a much stronger bond now and trust each other with our lives. After taking a deep breath, I stepped up to my shelving unit, picked up a solid, jet-black bandana, and tied it around Jolteon's neck; firm but not restrictive.

"Wait outside while I gear up?" I asked as I opened the door and with a single nod he walked out and sat in the hall next to the door.

Closing it behind me again, I replaced my cotton pajamas with the standard-issue uniform which was a plain, black T-shirt, long, forest-camo cargo pants, black combat boots, black fingerless gloves, black Pokéball belt, and on my left wrist, a black Xv4 (Xtranciever: Version 4). The Xv4 has a similar frame to the original and can still make and receive video calls, but it also has a built-in Pokédex, a Pokémon scanner (scans a Pokémon to determine its identity and brings up its Pokédex entry), a map for mission objectives if need be, and a heartbeat sensor that brings up a dot on the map for every human heartbeat within a quarter-mile radius. Once my uniform was on, I equipped myself with my weapons: a two-body bladed katana on the left hip, a crossbow strapped to my back, a covered bolt quiver strapped to the right hip (made in a way to muffle the sound of the bolts while in the field), with rudder gloves and electro-disks in my pockets.

I took another deep breath to steel myself as I smoothed out my hair. Field soldiers, with the exception of one or two, kept their hair short so as to not go past the shoulders; my midnight blue hair just met mine. With all that is going on in the world, people aren't concerned with appearances much anymore, though it always helps to at least try to look presentable. These rooms did not have mirrors, but I was content so I left my room and walked with Jolteon to the Mission Prep. Room, or M.P.R. as we called it. The main Resistance base was built kind of like a plus and is made up of the North, South, East, and West Wings. The North and East Wings are twice as long as the South and West, have three stories, and are where the agents are housed; we just call them the barracks. Shigure and I lived on the first floor of the East Wing, a few rooms away from one another. The South and West Wings are each one floor with the South Wing being a common area, with a desk for renting specific Pokémon for missions, and the West Wing being the canteen. Lastly, the center of the building was the M.P.R. which is two levels with the third floor being Nerve Center and the General's private quarters.

The M.P.R. was a large, spacious room filled with spare uniforms, a plethora of weaponry, and special gear like grappling hooks, gas masks, zip lines, scuba gear, and so much more that made this room seem like something straight out of a spy movie. A small platform stood in the center of the room with several agents standing in front of it at attention, their partners and partner Pokémon at their sides as they waited for the General's arrival. I quickened my step and took my place next to Shigure, his partner Arcanine on his left and Jolteon on my right. Just mere moments later, the General, a man in his late fifties with a strong, 5'11 frame, tired eyes that have seen too much, and his hair a wildfire of silver that has nearly taken over his natural brown, entered the M.P.R. through his own private door. All the agents stiffened and saluted in respect (Pokémon without a humanoid shape bowed their heads) as he walked onto the platform and addressed us.

"Agents," he started with a powerful voice that seemed to fill every inch of space in the room, "Let me first begin by saying that Operation: Safehaven was a success." Excited murmurs rippled through some of the gathered agents, but it immediately died down once he started to speak again.

"For those of you who are new, Operation: Safehaven is a mission that I and a few of your superiors took part in, in which we forged Hoenn military reports saying that there was a secret mission to sink the Sevii Islands, the very place we stand now, that went off without a hitch. This tactic, along with our Psychic and psychic-power using Pokémon on each of our islands projecting a force field that makes the Sevii Islands appear invisible, will lead forces on both sides to believe those reports and stop coming our way, making these islands a true safe haven. Islands One, Three, and Five are civilian islands where we bring survivors so they can have as much of a normal life as possible, with small bases on each island for patrols and filling the role of constables. Four Island, which we're on, is the main base of the Resistance and we have an understanding with the local Pokémon in Icefall Cave. We use the front and parts of the middle of the cave for food storage while the wild Pokémon stay in the deeper regions, neither side disturbing the other, so be respectful if you are ever asked to go in there. Two Island is the Training Grounds where you can go for combat practice for your team and for new Pokémon. The Daycare Center was also relocated there and the island also has a small mountain for hiking and a lake with a waterfall for your leisure when off duty. Six Island is the garden island and Power Plant where we grow our own food and produce our own energy. Finally, Seven Island is the Pokémon island where we take rescued wild Pokémon, or near the volcano on One Island if they are best suited for that environment."

The newest agents in the middle of those assembled slowly nodded their heads.

"Now for your assignments." He announced as he turned his gaze to the end of the line opposite from me.

"Agents Per and Haunt, you will be in the field; I want you to scout out Vermillion City, see if there are any disturbances or troops from either side."

Agent Haunt was a spirited man, a few years older than me, with a lightly built frame that was a few inches taller than Shigure's. His partner, however, was a smaller, nimble girl with shoulder-length burgundy hair and dead eyes that held an overwhelming emptiness, as if the last glimmer of hope had been snuffed out long ago. Many of the agents shared the same eyes, myself and Shigure included.

"Agents Ty and Ari…" The General continued down the line with the agent pairs saluting and departing once they'd been given their assignments. Finally, my team was up.

"Agent Arc. Agent Jolt. This will be your first real mission. One of our spies just sent word that Hoenn soldiers are setting up a checkpoint roughly two miles east of Celadon City where she says they are carting Pokémon and civilian POWs. Once the soldiers are taken care of, bring the captives to the safe house in the forest outside Saffron where you will hand them over to the Transporters. Can you handle this?"

"Yes, sir." We responded in unison. Turning on our heel to leave, he called after us.

"Before you leave the island, can you sub out Clafable? She's been out there all night and we need to keep this force field strong at all times." He requested as he tossed a Pokéball my way.

"Of course, sir, it will be done." Shigure answered for me.

"I look forward to hearing of your success. Dismissed." Without another word, we went our separate ways. Once we entered the South Wing, Shigure spoke up.

"I'll rent our Pokémon while you take care of Clafable. Oh, and here, since you haven't eaten." He said, pulling a wrapped portion of red bean bread out of his pocket and handing it to me.

"Thank you so much." I replied, trying my best to smile genuinely.

"Yeah, whatever. Just do your job." He spat before leaving for the desk. His tone did hurt a little, I won't lie, but I could not blame him either, he was damaged. We all were. I munched on my bread as I walked around outside looking for Clafable, who I found a few minutes later by the shore. She was using a constant Psychic attack to help keep up the invisible force field, which from our side looked like a large, pale blue, transparent dome around the island.

"Okay, Clafable, your relief is here." I said as I threw the Pokéball I was given, releasing a Metang that started using Psychic as soon as it materialized.

"Return." A familiar voice said from behind me as Clafable was called back into her Pokéball, "Sorry, they forgot to give you hers, too."

I turned to meet the owner of the voice. About the same height as me, I could tell she gained a bit more muscle. Her argent hair flowed down her back with bangs that stopped right over her violet eyes, eyes that held a deep sadness behind them, even when her smile was beaming, and at her feet, a Pikachu.

"Hey, Leeda. How're you and Pikachu doing today?"

"We're great! We finished our training and I got accepted into the Guard class last night! We're being stationed at One Island tomorrow. Wait… why are you all geared up? Are you going on your first mission today?"

"Yes, we are. Shigure is renting our Pokémon and then we're off."

"You mean Agent Grouch-ass? I'm more worried about you surviving him than the actual mission." She said teasingly.

"Come on, he's not so bad. At least you don't need a partner in the Guard class, I don't know if they'd be able to handle you." I teased right back.

"Ha! Probably not. Just… just be careful. You, too, Jolteon." Jolteon barked in response and I pulled Leeda in for a quick hug.

"We'll be fine. I made a promise that I would always come home to you, didn't I? We may not be blood, but we're the only family we have left."

"You better keep that promise… I can't lose you, too."

"You won't."

"This isn't the time to play family; we have a job to do."

We both looked up to see Shigure standing there looking annoyed as he called Arcanine into his Pokéball.

"Agent Arc." Leeda greeted.

"Agent Pik." He replied in a dismissive tone, handing me two Pokéballs while avoiding eye contact with both of us. He released a Pidgeot and a Ralts and I released Pidgeot and Chimecho. Bringing a small Psychic type Pokémon with us was a strategy that helped us travel much more safely as they were able to project a small invisible force field around us. Since Jolteon no longer had a Pokéball, I had to hold onto him during flight, so the Chimecho wrapped itself around my arm for convenience. After a final goodbye, we took to the skies.

About twenty minutes later, we touched down in the forested area between Saffron and Celadon and called the rented Pokémon back.

"I'll bring up the objectives map and lead the way." Shigure whispered as he pulled it up on his Xv4, and then readied his twin sickles.

"I'll keep watch on the sensor then." I quietly replied as I brought up the heartbeat sensor, Jolteon and I following close behind.

The wing-beats of a flock of Pidgey in the distance quietly echoed through the forest as we travelled. The sun hung high in the midday sky with us staying in the shadowed parts. We normally work from dusk to dawn to remain hidden, but with lives at stake we decided to go right away, we just had to be extra careful. After several minutes of walking in silence, my Xv4 let out a barely-audible ping.

"Multiple heartbeats on the sensor, about a quarter mile northwest from our current location." I updated them under my breath.

"That must be the checkpoint," he replied, putting his twin sickles back at his hips and replacing them with two chakrams, one in each hand, once he pulls them off his left arm, "Let's do this."

We followed in his footsteps as we quickened our pace, the forest itself seemed to blur as we focused on every sight and sound during our pursuit. Without missing a beat I pulled my crossbow off my back and loaded it up, keeping it at the ready as my eyes continuously scanned every surface, every shadow, every sway of a leaf, looking for perceived threats. I checked the sensor and stopped in my tracks.

"They're about thirty yards away, now."

"Alright, looking at your sensor, it looks like one of them is a sentry. Get to higher ground and take him out. Once you do, Arcanine and I will move in with you guys watching our backs." As soon as Jolteon and I nodded in agreement, Shigure pulled a Pokéball off his belt and disappeared into the forest. Taking in my surroundings, I noticed a small hill a few yards away behind some trees and, using a small hand signal that Jolteon understood without the use of words, we swiftly and silently made a break for it. I dropped down behind a tree before reaching the top to remain out of view and, following my lead, Jolteon immediately laid down and awaited further instruction. Slowly peeking around the corner of the tree, I was able to confirm that the checkpoint we were looking for was just below us on the road, about nineteen to twenty yards ahead of me. Six Hoenn soldiers, not counting the sentry, stood watch in front of crates of supplies and caged people and Pokémon in an open cargo truck with three medium-sized tents and a makeshift table with some kind of parchment upon it. With Jolteon listening for any danger, I fished the rubber gloves and electro-disks out of my pockets, securing the tiny metal devices to three crossbow bolts before commanding him to fill it the disks with powerful electricity. Using this method, the electricity stored in such a small container becomes extremely potent; I would not even have to land a deadly blow as the built-up electricity released on contact is so strong that it fries the enemy from the inside out. Still wearing the gloves for safety, I replaced the equipped bolt I had with a live one and after finding the sentry a little off to the side on his own hill, I fired. The bolt sliced right through the air and hit its mark right in the torso, and after a small burst of light that was gone in less than an eye blink, his body slumped to the ground. I quickly loaded another bolt and as I returned my attention to the checkpoint, I saw Shigure and Arcanine emerge from the shadows. Shigure threw his readied chakram, one severing a man's neck clean through before finding its resting place in the tree right behind him and the second cutting right into the chest of another. As Arcanine used Fire Fang to rip apart a third man, I used two more bolts as the last soldier fell to Shigure's twin sickles. Quickly packing up my gear, I made my way back down the hill to the site with Jolteon at my heels.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked once we were together.

"Oh, yeah," Shigure replied cheerily as he stretched, "never better!"

"Come on, we'd better free those poor people."

"Oh, right." Shigure really liked to fight; he got high on the adrenaline and savored every moment in the field or in training. We searched the bodies of the Hoenn men until we found a key.

"I'll help the people and Pokémon out of their bonds, you check out whatever is on that table." I said, making my way to the truck. I climbed into the back of the truck and was met by five cages. An elderly man and a middle-aged woman in one, a younger woman with a child, a little girl no older than four, in another, two Ponyta, each in their own cage, and in the last a Raticate, a Charmeleon, a Squirtle, a Persian, and an oddly colored Vulpix with a shimmering coat. All looked at me with eyes full of fear and uncertainty.

"My name is Seiyo Hikari, I'm an agent of the Resistance. We're here to free you and take you to safety." I introduced myself in a reassuring tone and most of them relaxed a little bit, though they were all still on edge. Shigure hopped into the truck as well and helped get everyone out of the cages.

"So what happens now?" asked the mother warily, clutching her young child. I opened my mouth to respond, but Shigure vocalized over me.
"You either trust us enough to get you to safety, or you stay here and wait for more Hoenn bastards to come along, re-capture you, and sell you like merchandise." The people quietly looked at each other with hesitant eyes but then the other woman spoke up.

"Where is it you're going to be taking us?" She asked calmly. Shigure glared at her for a moment before plucking a Pokéball off his belt and calling out the Pokémon within.

"Magneton, check them for weapons and wires." He commanded and using its magnetic pull, Magneton floated up to each of the people and Pokémon gathered until all were checked and cleared.

"All clear. Alright, we're taking you to a safe house a few short miles southeast of here where you will be transported to your new home on the Sevii Islands. Don't worry, there are other rescued citizens there, and each family will have their own place to stay." He added.

"Ponyta, please allow these good people to ride on your back until we get to the safe house. I know it's not the easiest way, but we need to travel as quickly and quietly as we possibly can." I said in the softest voice I could manage. "You will surely be rewarded for your brave effort once we get back home, okay?"

The Ponyta nodded.

"You," I continued, pointing at the mother, "Take your daughter, the Squirtle, and the Charmeleon on the first Ponyta. Sir, you take the Raticate, and you take the Persian and both of you get on the other Ponyta. I'll take the Vulpix and my partner and I will lead the way on Arcanine. I know this won't be comfortable, but it's only for a little while. Remember that this is for the sake of your survival. Can you afford to be noncompliant?"

"We understand perfectly, miss. And… thank you for our lives." The elderly man said, gratitude clear as a bell in his voice. After listening to my instructions, everyone picked up the Pokémon they were assigned to hold and mounted their Ponyta. Picking up the Vulpix, I joined Shigure on Arcanine with Jolteon lying still across my lap. I held the shimmering Vulpix firmly with my left arm and my crossbow in my right while using my core muscles to stay balanced as we rode, my eyes ever vigilant. The minutes seemed to blur as I remained in a state of hyperawareness, and before I knew it, we were starting to slow back down. Through a small break in the trees was a clearing where the shape of a shack stood proudly in comparison to its rather bleak surroundings. Arcanine slowed to a halt in front of the doors and as we dismounted, Agents Char, Tro, and Sal came out to greet us.

"Agents Jolt and Arc." Agent Char greeted us, his tone stern and business-like.

"Transport Team." Shigure greeted in return, his tone equally as serious.

"I am Agent Tro," he addressed the refugees and rescued Pokémon, "I know you've all had a long and stressful day, but I promise that this is the last leg of your journey. There are warm meals and beds waiting for you at the base we are going to."

All three agents took a Pokéball off their belt and released the same Pokémon, one that has only recently been made known to me, before Agent Tro continued.

"This Pokémon is called Tropius. I know none of you have probably seen one before, but they are reliable and they'll be getting us to our destination."

Agent Sal stepped forward and released an Alakazam before speaking up.

"This is Alakazam. He will be riding with me, but he will be projecting a special force field that will make all of us invisible, so that we can all get home safely. Ponyta, we will need to capture you to make transportation easier, but don't worry, you will be released but into the wild once we get you there."

Agent Char began telling them who will be on which Tropius and as everyone was boarding the Pokémon and preparing for flight, the Vulpix I carried and one of the two Ponyta stayed behind, both nudging at me.

"What is it? Afraid of flights?" I asked, a bit of amusement in my voice. They shook their heads and continued to nudge while trying to talk to me.

"You want to go with me?" They let out a cheery cry when I guessed right.

"Look… We here at the Resistance live a hard life… you will need to train very hard and often until you are combat-ready. However, if you are willing to put in the work and help save both people and Pokémon who are victims in this war, then I will gladly take you both on as my partners. Are you still wanting to join?" I asked and without hesitation, they both nodded happily. I looked down at Jolteon who looked gleeful to have two new partners and I felt a smile creep over my lips as I pulled two empty Pokéballs off my belt.

"Very well, you still have to go with these nice men for now, but I'll see you back at home soon. Welcome to the Resistance." I said as I called them into their new Pokéballs, then I gently hugged them to my chest before handing them over to Agent Tro.

"Thank you. I'll make sure your and Agent Arc's new Pokémon start their new training upon arrival," he assured as he put them in a small bag with an additional ball in it. Slightly puzzled, I turned to Shigure.

"Charmeleon decided to come with me, too," he said calmly, already knowing the question on my mind.

"So we both got new partners, that's great!" I beamed.

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down, you're gonna give me a headache." He grumbled, but my smile persisted and we both watched as they took off, immediately turning invisible in the vast sky.

"So I think we should report our success back to HQ before doing—" His thought was cut short by an alert that chimed on both of our Xv4s.

"I-It's a Code Red!" I quavered.

Shigure opened the message and we both listened to the voice that came through on the message.

"Attention all available agents! Vermillion City is going into lockdown! I repeat, Vermillion City is going into lockdown! All available agents in the field are ordered to respond to the site immediately!" He voice buzzed out as the message ended. Shigure and I exchanged worried glances before his voice broke the newfound silence.

"I guess we'd better get going, we have no time to lose." His words held a tinge of nervousness that he tried to keep under control. Shigure got back on his Arcanine and held his hand out for me. I reached back.