Chapter 3
After resting a bit, Rogan and his Pokémon continued along the Route, training against wild Pokémon on the way. When they reach the next town, Accumula Town, he sees Cheren among a large audience of people listening to this cloaked man with green hair and a monocle, surrounded by men and women who were wearing clothing that looked like chain mail. On their uniforms and the flags around them was an emblem that looked like a black and white shield, with a blue P on it with a Z crossing behind it. Rogan joins his two friends in the crowd of people.
"Who the heck are these guys?" Rogan asked them.
"They call themselves Team Plasma." Cheren answered him. "Apparently there giving a speech about how we should release our Pokémon because we are apparently mistreating them."
"Sounds like a bunch of Tauros." Rogan voiced his opinion.
"I agree, but apparently at least some people seem interested since there is so many people in this crowd." "Still…" Cheren straightened his glasses. "There is something about these guys that I don't trust. Especially that cloaked man in the middle, who calls himself Ghestis."
Rogan looked around in the crowd, most of them with looks of disbelief or amusement, but he noticed a young man a young man who seemed to be absorbing every word Team Plasma were saying. This man looked about the same age as Rogan did. He even was wearing a cap like Rogan over his long green hair, which seemed remarkably similar to Ghestis's hair.
After Team Plasma finished their speech and left, the crowd dispersed, leaving Rogan and Cheren to ponder what just happened.
"Liberating Pokémon…" Rogan pondered as he pet Rennie and Rover. "Is really such a thing necessary?" "You two are happy to be my Pokémon, right?" Rogan asked, and his Pokémon cried as if they answered "Yes."
"Your Pokémon. They just talked didn't they." A mysterious voice quickly said. Rogan turned around and saw that the green haired youth that was at the rally was right next to his face.
"Gah! Ever heard of personal space?" Rogan rhetorically asked as he backed away from this man. "And what do you mean by 'talked'?"
"Oh I see. I guess you can't understand your Pokémon." The youth said disappointingly. "I want to be able to understand Pokémon. And even though I'm a Trainer, I feel that liberation is the only way Pokémon could be understood."
"Wait" Cheren interjected. "You actually believe in what Team Plasma were saying?"
"Of course, anyone who really cares about Pokémon could understand that the only thing holding Pokémon back are humans." He turned to Rogan. "Don't you agree?"
"No I don't, and I don't care what Team Plasma thinks. Pokémon are our friends." Rogan defended.
"Such a selfish way of thinking." The young man said as he raised a Pokéball in front of him. "Then let me hear how your Pokémon really think."
Cheren was about to grab one of his Pokeballs to battle the youth but Rogan stopped him. "No Cheren. I am the one he wants to battle. Come on Rover, let's take him on!" Rover yelped in excitement.
"Go, Purloin!" The young man said as he threw his Pokeball and a cat creature with purple and yellow fur came out of it and growled at Rover.
After a few exchanges of tackles and scratches the Purloin fainted and the young man called it back with a solemn look on his face. "I see, you Pokémon do work well as a team. But your Pokémon can become so much more, if it wasn't forced to be in a Pokeball." The youth then departed out of Accumula town.
"Well that was strange. What the heck was that guy trying to prove anyway?" Rogan asked.
"I don't know." Cheren answered. "But whatever the case, it is going to take a lot more than some cryptic speech to separate me from my Pokémon. Anyway, me and Bianca are going to head to Striation City. It is where the first Gym is. You should think about heading there yourself unless if you want to fall behind." Cheren walked away to the northwest exit of the town.
