Ahhhh! So sorry for that long delay. Life has been busy, and it needs to take a chill pill lol.
Anyways, here's the next chapter! I know y'all have been dying for an update ;p
Have fun!
After three hours of flying on his Charizard's back, and two hours of waiting for 'clearance' from the Chief of Police Dennis Souza, Cameron was about to snap. He was an Elite Four member, technically he didn't need any permission to do anything, but he maintained a good relationship with all law enforcement and abided by their rules when in their towns. Unless he had no other choice, and the Fuschia City P.D. we're about to give him none.
So he sat in the lobby of the Police Department, tapping his foot, and playing with the cuff seam on his dark brown leather jacket as he waited for the Chief to make his presence. A quick glance at his watch and Cameron decided that if another ten minutes passed, he was taking matters into his own hands. After all, he needed to get back home for the kids' Pokemon choosing, and be there in the morning to greet May and Abby. So ten minutes, otherwise he was marching down to the docks regardless of Fuschia regulations.
Casually he looked around the room for the hundredth time. Taking in the polished marble floor, and the granite colored walls. Various portraits of honored officers, and a long line of Jenny's, hung in decorative places. At nine minutes, he was about to stand, when the door behind the desk burst open and a large muscular man, with dark purple hair, and dark eyes waltzed out. He was wearing a normal Policeman's uniform, except he had a badge on the front right breast declaring him the Chief of Police.
"Ah Master Cameron," he said in a gruff voice, and flashed a forced smile. "I assume you're ready to go?"
"Only if I have your clearance Chief Souza" Cameron replied smoothly.
A massive crowd still surrounded the Fuschia City harbor. News reporters and journalists pushing against the yellow tape, craning their necks for a better view. Rapidly firing off questions to the nearest police officer.
Cameron was silently hoping he could slip through the crowd and be on the docks before anyone could recognize him. As he waded through the crowd, following the Chief of Police, a glimmer of hope sparked that he would actually make it. But the Chief loudly decided to say, "I still don't know why the League sent a member of the Elite Four. We have the situation under control."
And there went the spark of hope. Camera's were suddenly in his face, microphones nearly smashing into his lips, and he even noticed a few old fashioned tape recorders. Question after question was asked so fast he barely had time to hear any of them. Finally, when one microphone smacked into his lip, he threw up his hands to indicate he would speak.
"The situation is still under investigation, and the League has its concerns," Cameron told them calmly, even if he was fuming from his throbbing lip. "I will be handling the situation personally, and I promise only one statement once I have a better grasp of what's going on. With that said, let the police do their jobs, and please stay calm."
His eyes flicked to the Chief as he finished, and the man was wearing a smug expression. That clearly did not go as he wanted. Cameron pushed past the reporters and towards the docks with Souza in tow.
"That was impressive how you handled them," the Chief said, without the impressed tone. "I didn't know the third highest Elite was such a public speaker."
"Well normally I leave public speaking to Lance, but sometimes there's no avoiding it," he shot Souza a pointed look. The man simply curled his lip as if he were playing dumb. Cameron felt his blood begin to boil. He was typically a calm person, not letting things get the best of him. But there was no denying that Dennis Souza, was a dickbag.
They strolled across the harbor, walking swiftly next to the railing running beside the ocean. Cameron glanced over the old yellow bar, spotting a line of smooth rocks that would vanish as waves washed over them. A salty breeze whistled by with each one, taking away some of the tension Souza was causing him.
Ship after ship, boat after boat, pier after pier they walked past on their left. Passing the large storage warehouses on their right. Until finally they approached Cameron's reason for being in the city. A large cargo ship was crumpled against the concrete barrier, smashing what was once a large wooden dock between it and the flat, now cracked edges of the pier. A large hole was blown from the side of it, exposing the ships cargo bay to the sunlight. Pieces of metal warped and twisted away from the ship, edges burnt and blackened from the explosion.
"No one said it crashed into the pier," Cameron remarked as they grew closer.
"I kept a few details out of the press," Souza shrugged. "They didn't need to know everything."
Cameron scowled, "But the League does. You should've reported it."
"What's the point? It crashed, then a gas canister exploded. Simple as that."
The Elite stopped, letting Souza walk a few paces ahead before noticing. The Chief paused, turning back with a curious glance. Cameron clenched his fist, "We've gotten reports that this was a Crimson attack. And NOW you're saying it was just an accident?"
Souza shrugged with a nod, "It appears so."
What the Hell? Cameron blinked, then his eyes traveled over the crashed ship, studying the blackened edges of the hole. There was no way this was an accident, either this man was trying to hide something...or he was just an idiot. Cameron sighed, guess he'd find out sooner or later.
"Regardless, I still need to conduct my own investigations," the Elite said, much to Souza's apparent dislike. "The ship came from the Sevii Islands, correct?"
"Yes, but I fail to see how-"
"Then I will begin," Cameron cut him off, stepping past him and continuing to speak over his shoulder as he walked. "Radio your men and tell them to focus on the journalists up front until I'm done."
He could practically feel the glare radiating from the Chief of Police, and couldn't help the half smirk that formed on his lips. Sometimes being an Elite had its perks. People had to listen to you.
The first place he started was the bridge. His hope was to find a logbook of some kind, but as he ransacked the place, turning over chairs, pulling out drawers, and checking computer files, he found nothing of the sort. What was strangest part was any and all entries into the computer had been erased. The good news? There was a time of deletion, and it apparently happened only five minutes before the explosion. So someone certainly was up to something.
Unable to find any more clues, he proceeded down into the bowels of the ship, heading for the cargo bay. Apparently the detonation had shorted out the lights, because the farther he went, the darker it became. After bumping into the fourth wall and hitting his head on a low hanging pipe, he growled in his chest and reached back for a PokeBall.
"Alright, I could use your help," he clicked the front button, and the top flipped open with a burst of light. "Use flash."
There was a soft cry beside him, and in the next second he could see plenty of feet in front of him now. No more bruises on the head, thank you very much.
"You're a lifesaver Latias," he turned to face his Pokemon receiving a gleeful body slam from the red and white Psychic Dragon type. He barely kept his footing, but was unable to recover in time to be ready for the sudden nuzzling under his jawline.
"St-stop! Ha! Quit I-I-it! That tickles-s!" He placed his hands on the red wings, and gently pushed back. Latias cried out to him happily, pleased with itself. "We have to be serious right now. Somethings not right and we have to find out what, ok?"
Latias nodded, straightening its hover position and moving to lead the way. They reached the cargo bay door, and Latias was about to fly inside until Cameron's hand shot out, grabbing the Pokemon. It squeaked in alarm, but relaxed once it realized it was only its trainer. Upon seeing his face, it chattered worriedly.
Cameron's expression was locked, a slight frown on his face as he stared down at something on the floor. Scratch marks, deep ones at that. Running ragged in random locations, and some even trailing up the wall. What were those beside them? Bullet holes?! How many of these had he passed as he fumbled in the dark? Who had shot firearms down here? The Police? If they did, then why wasn't anything of the the sort reported at all? The crew? Come to think of it...where was the crew? He hadn't heard heads or tails about them since he'd arrived in Fuschia, or anything about them from Lance. Something definitely was not right.
"We need to be careful Latias," he half whispered. "Be on guard."
It purred at him to show it understood, and Cameron stepped up to the door. His hand traveled to his waist, not towards his PokeBalls, but towards a pistol clipped to his belt. Hidden under his leather jacket. A long time ago he wouldn't have had the gun, but after the Dominion War, Ash had made it so anyone involved with the League was trained and armed at all times. Just in case.
Slowly he pushed open the heavy metal door, wincing as it creaked loudly, and peered inside. One good thing about the giant gaping hole in the wall? It allowed plenty of sunlight in for him to see. The massive room was filled with hundreds of stacks of boxes, all with red labels stamped on their sides. A large ramp ran along the still intact wall, heading up to the closed overhead doors. Around the area of detonation, dozens of boxes were broken, with pieces of shattered wood splintered everywhere. Their contents were splattered everywhere as well. Berries, of all shapes, sizes, and kinds. Some were still intact and had rolled across the room, others were crushed or blasted to hundreds of pieces. Others, to Cameron's slight bewilderment, looked like they had been chewed on.
Seeing no immediate danger, he fully stepped into the cargo bay, Latias following close behind. The duo worked their way through the stacks of crates, and Cameron was able to read their labels this close up.
"Experimental, Handle with care?" He frowned. "Now that's odd...hey! Latias! Don't eat that."
Latias, who had been sniffing on an Oran berry, whimpered and looked up to him pleadingly.
"No," he told her. "You don't need to eat something that says Experimental."
The Pokemon grunted and hovered back up to normal height, zooming close to Cameron's backside. As they approached the explosion sight, shards of metal were scattered in with the berries and wood pieces. He scooted past a pair of close quarters crates, and stopped, spotting the backside of a small purple rat as it hunched over a Pecha Berry. The Rattata's ears perked up, and it spun around, fangs bared Cameron's direction. It hissed, throwing spittle from its lips.
"Whoa, easy there Rattata," he said soothingly. "We don't mean you any harm."
But the rat wasn't having it, it hissed again and growled a sound he'd never before heard from a Rattata. Something wasnt right, it was behaving erratic. Sure they were usually skittish, but this one seemed angry, and ready to attack for no reason. Suddenly there were the sounds of padded feet scurrying his way, and quickly he found himself surrounded on all sides by the purple rats. There were dozens of them, and each hissed and snarled, a hungry look deep in their eyes. Their eyes...something was off about them. They were hazed over, an almost milky layer painted over them.
Latias stiffened its muscles, eyes carefully watching the horde of rats. If any one of them tried to attack, they'd receive a face full of Dragon Pulse. The Rattata they first encountered leaped forward, sprinting straight for Cameron. He shouted in alarm, but Latias reacted first. The rat blasted back from the purple beam, crashing into the others.
Then it was chaos. The rest of them charged, snapping their jaws wildly as they did. Cameron pulled his pistol from its holster, but would've fired too slow. Luckily Latias was a quick thinker, she gripped under his armpits and hoisted him into the air. The Rattata's jumped and lunged, growling as they snapped at his feet.
"Get us outside!" He shouted, gripping his pistol deathly tight. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst. Why did the rats attack them like that?
Following her trainers order, Latias swerved past the stacks of crates, heading for the hole in the ship. Too late did she see the Rattata jumping from one stack higher up than they were. She cried out as it landed on her back, it's tiny claws sinking into her skin.
"Latias!" Cameron shouted, aiming his gun but was unable to see properly from his angle. The Rattata growled once more, and then snapped its large teeth into Latias' back. The Legendary cried out in pain, losing some of its grip on her trainer. Out of reaction Cameron looked down, and spotted the horde of Rattata's tumbling over each other as they chased from below. The one on Latias' back ripped a chunk of flesh away, swallowing it in a single bite. She screeched the most painful sound Cameron had ever heard, and started to sway back and forth to throw the Rattata off.
They shot out of the ship, into the glowing sunlight, zooming straight for the concrete pier. Cameron felt Latias' grip give, and he fell from the sky. It happened much to fast for him to make a sound, but he did grunt painfully as he smashed into the old yellow railing. Just barely his fingertips caught the bars, and he held himself from falling below to the ocean and rocks. He heard Latias cry out again, and he hauled himself up and over the rails. Ungracefully he slammed onto the concrete, but he didn't care, rising to his feet without even wincing.
Latias was by one of the storage sheds. Flopping on the ground as she tried to keep the Rattata from further biting her flesh. A few streaks of blood were painted across the concrete, and she appeared to have multiple bite wounds already. Cameron raced towards her, rearing back his foot as he reached them.
"HEY!" He roared, and the Rattata turned to the sudden sound. His boot made contact with the rat, and it was launched away from Latias and crunched against the shed wall. Crumbling to the ground and lying still.
"Latias!" He dropped to his knees beside his Pokemon, seeing the dozen bite wounds covering its body. It whimpered at him, nuzzling against his hand for comfort. "Just hang on, I'll get you to a Pokemon Center right away."
Quickly he pulled out her PokeBall and tapped it against her chest. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes before turning into the red energy and disappearing into the ball. Clipping it back to his belt, he rose to his feet and turned to run, but was halted by a low growl. He spun, his fingers gripping his pistol tight. The Rattata was limping towards him, its back leg sticking at an odd angle. It snarled as it drew closer, and he took a step back, raising his gun.
What the Hell?! No way could such a small creature survive hitting the wall like that. It's insides should've been mush. Bloody saliva trailed from its mouth, stringing to the ground as it advanced. Cameron took one more step back, and the thing charged.
BANG! The shot echoed through the air, rolling out to the ocean. The Rattata dropped to the ground, non moving as blood trickled from the bullet hole in its head. Cameron was already running, racing for the Pokemon Center.
As he rounded the corner of the pier, and prepared to race for the parking lot, but was halted by Souza. Standing at the entrance, hand on his own gun, he scowled as Cameron raced up. Behind him, the rest of the Fuschia Police force was watching warily, hands on their guns too as they blocked the reporters from view. Cameron could see them craning their necks to see over the officers.
"Stop!" Souza barked, gripping his gun tighter in its holster. "I said stop!" He pulled it out, aiming it at Cameron. The Elite stopped, raising his hands to show he was holding Latias' PokeBall and his pistol.
"Lower your weapon Chief," Cameron ordered. "I need to get to the Pokemon Center."
"What the Hell was that shot?!" Souza demanded, ignoring Cameron's words. "What-"
The Elite had had enough, Souza was just an arrogant fool, and Cameron had to get Latias help right now! So he shouted, cutting the Chief off, "I ORDERED YOU TO LOWER YOUR WEAPON SOUZA!"
Once in a blue moon did Cameron snap, and today was one of those days. Souza jumped, tightening his grip on the gun, turning his knuckles white. His police force shifted uneasily, and the journalists tried even harder to see the conflict.
Slowly, Souza lowered the gun, and Cameron began walking forward again, "You and your men need to secure the area immediately. Do not let anyone, and I mean ANYONE, on the docks. If you see a Rattata, shoot to kill. Understood?"
"W-W-What?" Souza stammered, frowning as Cameron started to pass him. "Why-"
For the second time, he was cut off by the Elite, "Somethings wrong with them. Get these journalists out of here and secure the area. That an Official League Command. I'll be calling the Rangers for backup. Keep the area secure until they arrive."
Souza began stammering again, but Cameron had already shoved his way through the police line and pushed past the journalists, who bombarded him with questions and accusations about his behavior and the gunshot. Not one did he answer, physically pushing one man out of his way as he tried to block him off.
Cameron threw his PokeGear across the room, smashing it against the wall. Nurse Joy jumped and frowned at him, but did not say anything as she returned to her task of bandaging Latias with Chansey's help. They occupied the surgical room at the moment, as the Legendary needed multiple stitches to shut the bites. Latias whimpered as Nurse Joy worked.
The Elite clenched his fists, staring at the spot where his PokeGear shattered, his brain working furiously. There was currently no signal, and he had his suspicions as to why. Just as he arrived at the Pokemon Center, multiple gunshots began popping back near the docks. Again and again. He tried to call Souza, but only received the man's voicemail. Quickly he rushed inside and gave Latias to Nurse Joy with a hurried description of what had happened, then he tried to immediately call the League. Right then something exploded somewhere in the city, and he hadn't been able to receive a signal. He wasn't sure how, but for some reason it seemed the radio tower had been knocked out by the detonation.
More gunshots...
What the Hell was going on?
Nurse Joy snipped the last stitch, and gently patted Latias on the head, "Just lie as still as possible for now. Try to sleep if you can."
Latias purred, and glanced over to her trainer, he noticed and fully turned to face her, "It's ok Latias, try to sleep for now."
More gunshots.
"What on Earth is going on?" Joy asked worriedly, escorting Cameron out of the room so Latias could rest. Chansey stayed behind to assist the Legenday if need be. "You came rushing in here with an injured Latias, claiming it was bitten by a Rattata. Pokemon battles don't normally consist of this type of injuries."
"It wasn't a battle," he told her as they entered the lobby. It was filled with a handful of worried looking trainers, all gathered by the window to hopefully see what was going on. "A group of them just attacked, for no viewable reason that I could find."
More gunshots. Closer this time.
"And those?"
Cameron swallowed, turning to face the front doors, "Honestly I don't know. I told the Chief of Police to be on guard for those Rattata's, but that doesn't sound like-"
He was cut off by a terrifying woman's scream. A bloodcurdling howl of horror and pain that seared his ears. The trainers began to back away from the window, and Cameron was able to see outside. There was a young woman, fighting against a Bulbasaur with her bare fists. She was smacking and scratching as desperately as she could, protecting a bleeding Eevee behind her on the pavement. A chunk of flesh was missing from the Pokemon's leg, and Cameron could faintly make out a patch of brown fur in the Bulbasaur's mouth.
It caught her next swing in its jaws, growling and bit down hard. She screamed again as her skin broke and blood gushed. The trainers in the window gasped, a few even turning from the scene. Cameron's instincts kicked into action, and he raced out of the Center. Quickly he snatched the gun from beneath his coat, and sprinted across the street.
Outside, the random gunshots were much louder, or were they much closer? A car whizzed by with its horn blaring, nearly side swiping Cameron has he hopped onto the curb. The young woman smashed her fist repeatedly into the Bulbasaur's temple, but it would not let go. He maneuvered around her and in one swift motion, placed the tip of his gun at the grass types head and fired. Blood splattered against the sidewalk, and the Bulbasaur went limp. The lady shouted a hysterical thank you and turned to her Eevee. She scooped the little Pokemon up in her now bloody arms and ran for the Center. Another car nearly ran her over, braking with squelching tires just before hitting her. She didn't even react as she continued on and ran inside the building.
"Keep them back!" Came a voice down the street. "Shoot to kill!"
Cameron spun, squinting his eyes to see down past the various shopping buildings and cafe's. A handful of officers were backing up towards him, guns drawn and firing repeatedly. His stomach dropped as he spotted the horde of Rattata's as their target. One made it past the gunfire and ran up to an officers leg, jumping and clamping its large teeth down on his kneecap. He screamed and toppled to the road, landing on his knees. He reached to remove the rat, but another one lunged at his throat before he could grab it. Blood spewed from the fresh wound, and a gurgled croak escaped his lips.
"Fall back! Keep moving back!" Cameron knew that voice, it was Souza.
"This way!" He shouted, getting the officers attention and pointing to the Pokemon Center. "Get inside!"
"Go! Move it!" Souza bellowed. "Get inside quick!"
Seeing the officers spin and sprint his direction, he turned himself to go back inside. SLAM! Something crashed into him with a loud growl in his ear. His arm jerked as the thing pulled violently, and Cameron felt himself drag across the pavement. Moving his foot, he threw a kick that landed on the creatures side, dislodging its grip on him. Or rather, he noticed, it apparently was latched onto his gun because it pulled the pistol from his hand. Rising to one knee, he came face to face with a Drowzee. Its eyes the same color as the Rattata's.
It snarled and lunged once again, but he threw his arms out, wrapping his hands around its throat. This didn't seem to faze the Pokemon, as it pushed him on his back and continued to snap its jaws in his face. Its piglike nose flopped against his forehead. His arms shuddered beneath the creatures weight and the way it was jerking as it tried to bite him. Saliva, that stunk something fierce, dripped onto his cheek.
Footsteps approached him, and then ran on by, leaving Cameron to silently curse as he used the last ounce of his strength to keep the Pokemon back. This thing was much stronger than it should be. More footsteps ran beside him, but these ones stopped. A loud grunt, a jerking motion later, and the Drowzee was launched off his torso, followed by a gunshot. Gasping for a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he sat up, seeing an officer extending a hand.
"Thanks," he breathed, and took the help.
SMACK! Souza crashed into Nurse Joy's desk, with a massive bruise forming rapidly over his right eye. Cameron rubbed his knuckles where they had connected with the man's temple, and then shook his wrist as he turned to Joy. Who was unhappy with the Elite at the moment.
"What one Earth?!" She scolded him. "Shooting Pokemon, and assaulting the Chief of Police? What has gotten into you Master Cameron?"
"Forgive me if I seem a little irrational," he remarked back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But Pokemon seem to be attacking people, and this son of Bitch left me to die. I think scolding an Elite is the last thing you should be doing."
Once again, a little over the top for the normally collected man, but shit was getting crazy real, fast. Joy pursed her lips, but did not say anything else.
They stood in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, with a horde of Rattata scratching and biting against the glass doors and windows. The few police officers who made it inside were standing at the ready in case any of the tiny rats made it through. The handful of trainers could only watch horrified as small blood stains smeared across the glass from the Pokemon injuring themselves ruthlessly to get inside. Over in the corner, behind Nurse Joy's desk, Chansey was helping the young lady's Eevee, seeing as the surgical room was taken by Latias.
"Wi-w-will my Eevee be ok?" She stammered, sobbing uncontrollably as she cradled her own bleeding arm. The little canine like Pokemon was lying on a stretcher as Chansey worked. Seeing she would be no help to Cameron, Nurse Joy rushed to the young woman's side to comfort her.
The glass door cracked slightly from a particularly hard impact.
"Close the shutters," Cameron ordered. "That glass won't hold forever."
One officer acknowledged him and rushed to do the task. Souza stood up, rubbing his temple and glaring violently at the Elite.
"You are not authorized to order my men. You are not in charge her-"
"I AM in charge here," Cameron rounded on the Chief, staring him down with the same angry look. "I was sent here by the League, by Ash. I have the authority to do what I see necessary, and you are getting on my last nerves Chief Souza. Do something useful and find a way to get a signal for the videophones over there." He pointed to the row of screens against the far wall, and raised a brow. "Or should I have you do something else?"
Grumbling under his breath, Souza slowly walked to the phones. Cameron watched him, clenching his fist, but letting out a breath and closing his eyes as he inhaled. As he reopened them, he glanced around the Center's lobby. The officers clicked the shutters in place, stepping back rapidly as a Rattata cracked its tooth against the glass. Nurse Joy spoke softly to the young lady as she clipped the bandages on Eevee. The trainers whispered to one another, a few of them sending wary glances the Elites way.
"I'm going to the roof," he suddenly told the Nurse, not looking her direction. "Keep an eye on things here."
And he whisked himself away before anyone could say another word. He stormed through the Center, making his way up and outside much faster than he anticipated. For a moment he stood in place as the setting sunlight heated his skin. His senses were overloaded with the sounds of outside. He hadn't noticed them with the chaos downstairs, but now, standing up here alone he could hear the city falling apart.
Multiple gunshots popped and cracked from various distances. Screams and cries pierced his ears. Car horns and tire screeches wailed up and down every street. Police and ambulance sirens blared chaotically. But none of those were in the same league as the other sounds. Growls, and roars, shortly followed by bloodcurdling howls of pain. What the Hell was going on?
"Charizard," Cameron said aloud, unclipping the fire types PokeBall. "Let's take a look."
The flight over Fuschia was worse than Cameron could've imagined. Pokemon of all kinds, assaulting humans. Wether they were trained or wild, he did not know, as it seemed the majority of them were acting this way. A few tried to defend the people from the crazed Pokemon, but were quickly taken down in a frenzy of physical attacks. That was one thing Cameron noticed, the insane Pokemon didn't use any special moves. Relying only on their claws and teeth, ripping away flesh and devouring it as if they had not eaten in weeks.
Groups of frenzied Pokemon slammed into doors of buildings and houses, smashed themselves against cars with people locked inside, and locked their jaws into any human being or normal Pokemon they could get their paws on. Blood streaked across the streets, pooling along the gutters and running through cracks. Gunshots popped here and there, people desperately trying to stave off the advancing Pokemon.
A woman, carrying an injured little girl, sprinted towards an officer who was shouting for her to hurry. He was holding open a door to the police station, shooting his shotgun at any Pokemon who tried to come closer. BANG! A Krabby exploded into bits, hard pieces of shell clattering to the pavement. The woman raced across the parking lot, clutching her child tight. A Houndour burst from behind a police cruiser, snapping its jaws around her ankle. She shrieked and toppled to the concrete, smacking her head with a sickening crack. The Houndour wasted no time, scratching and ripping flesh away with its sharp teeth until the woman's intestines were spilled across the ground. The little girl tried to crawl away, but an Ekans lunged out from under another cruiser, latching onto her neck, and pulling her under the car.
The officer, witnessing this, attempted to close the door and barricade himself in. However, what he failed to see was the Tauros that stampeded across the parking lot, until it was too late. It smashed headfirst into the glass doors, shattering them and barreling over the man. His screams echoed out from the station, and soon the entire building was riddled with random shots, screams, and hungry Pokemon.
Cameron saw all this and more from above, and he wasn't the only one. Dozens of people with flying Pokemon were fleeing the city by air. Zooming past him, and not looking back. Badly did he want to join them, to fly away and leave whatever was happening to Fushcia, but he couldn't do that. His job as an Elite was to protect Kanto with his life. To assist its citizens and defend them until he could no longer stand. That did not entail diving into the fray recklessly and getting himself killed, no he needed to get back to the Center and try to figure out exactly what was going on. Hopefully Souza would have the phones up and working with a signal, the League needed to hear about this.
"Just get it working," he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. Him and Souza stood in Nurse Joy's office, with the Chief crouched behind the video phone, panel flipped open and tinkering with the wires inside. The purple haired man had just informed the Elite that he had ran all the wires from the lobby phones into the office wiring. Also he was using his own radio to hopefully wire into the phone, and broadcast a signal. The lobby phones being a way to help power one strong signal from Nurse Joy's phone.
All of it sounded way to complicated for the Elite, so he decided to trust Souza-how iffy that was-and stepped from the room. He emerged into the lobby from a door behind the desk, silently closing it. The door and window glass was almost fully cracked now, spider webbing from all corners. Splats of blood covered random parts of the outside layer, from where many of the Rattata had beaten themselves apparently to death, as their bodies lay motionless. Being trampled on by the still alive, and hungry looking, Pokemon.
In the far corner, the young woman was cuddling her Eevee close to her chest. The little Pokemon fully bandaged, and breathing in small wheezes. The poor thing didn't look like it was going to make it. Nurse Joy sat at the receptionist desk, tapping her fingers together nervously as she watched the glass crack a little more.
"The shutters will hold," Cameron told her softly, eyeing the metal bars himself.
"That's not what I'm worried about," she said , swiveling in her chair to face him. "It's the Pokemon. What's going on with them?"
He wished he had an answer, "I don't know."
She bit her lip, running one hand through her bright pink hair nervously. Her eyes flicked away to the floor, then to the Chansey standing loyally beside her, then back to Cameron. "What did you see out there?"
"Death," there was no point in lying. "Lots of it. Whatever is going on, it's bad. Real bad."
"Can the League do anything to stop it?"
"We'll go down trying," he nodded, meeting her eyes for the first time.
Joy opened her mouth to ask another question, but a panicked shriek from the corner cut her off, "Eevee?! EEVEE?!"
It immediately captured the attention of everyone in the lobby, all rising to their feet and looking as if the Rattata had made it inside. Nurse Joy flew from her chair, rushing to the young woman's side with Chansey right behind her.
"What's wrong?" She asked quickly, crouching to better see the tiny brown Pokemon.
"She stopped breathing!" The young woman exclaimed hysterically, tears flowing from her eyes. "My Eevee's DEAD!"
She wailed loudly, clutching the tiny doglike creature to her chest. Nurse Joy gently tried to pry her arms open, saying softly, "We don't know for sure. Please let me take a look."
But the young lady wasn't having it, she screeched louder, inhaling and exhaling in sharp bursts. And then...it all made sense to Cameron. Something he never dreamed could've been possible. If only his brain would've made the connection sooner...
The Eevee's ears twitched, tickling its trainers cheek. Immediately she stopped crying, straightening her posture as she looked down hopefully at her Pokemon, "E-E-Eevee?"
Its eyes flickered open, showing they were now covered in the same milky white layer as the rats outside. It blinked up at its trainer once, then lunged. Fangs bared, they sank into the woman's neck, breaking the skin and spurting blood in all directions. She screamed in shock, her eyes bulging at the sudden pain. Nurse Joy, fell back onto her rear, eyes wide and hand drawn to her mouth like she was about to hurl.
Chaos broke. The trainers shouted and yelled in terror, and the officers raced to help the young woman, only to be cut off by the trainers running to and fro. Eevee ripped a large chunk of flesh away from its trainers throat, chewing it and swallowing quickly so as to bite into her neck once again. The woman passed out, falling limp against the chair she sat in.
CRASH! Glass shattered and flew into the lobby, raining across the people inside. Cameron ripped his eyes away from the Eevee eating its once former trainer, and focused on the new piece of bad news. A Magmar had approached the Pokemon Center, slamming its strong fists to break the fragile barrier of a door. The Rattata swarmed over the exposed shutters, gnawing and chewing teeth marks into the metal. The Magmar gripped the steel, growling into the lobby and reaching for the nearest trainer. He yelled and jumped away, falling to the floor and disappearing amongst the rushing of other trainers.
"NO!" Came Nurse Joy's voice, bringing Cameron's gaze back to the corner of the room. The Eevee had apparently given up on devouring its dead trainer, and was now latched onto the stomach of Chansey. It pulled with its teeth, scratching with its claws, until a chunk of flesh broke free and poured blood over the tiny dog.
The screeching of tearing metal pierced over the commotion as the Magmar began to rip open a hole in the shutters. His heart raced, sweat formed from every pore, his fingers gripped the handle of his holstered pistol deathly tight. Everything was happening way to fast, and Cameron's instincts finally kicked in.
"THIS WAY EVERYONE!" He roared over the shouts and screams. "INTO THE OFFICE! LET'S GO!"
Hearing his order, the officers reiterated it, aiming their guns at the Rattata diving through the hole in the shutter. The lobby was filled with screams, gunshots, and growling rats. Magmar pulled an opening large enough for it to fit through, charging in with a roar. Two steps in it took a bullet to the brain, collapsing back outside.
Cameron threw open the office door, letting the first few trainers race inside, "Nurse Joy!"
He motioned for her to hurry, but she was froze to her place on the floor. Eyes filled with horror as she watched Eevee bore its way into the now dead Chansey's gut.
"NURSE JOY!" He shouted, letting the emotion in his voice rip, getting her to look at him. Seeing him holding open her office door, she finally started to rise. The Officers were now backed to the desk, not only shooting at the advancing rats, but kicking the ones who came too close. Some unlucky trainers were screaming in agony from the lobby's center. Unable to outrun the advancing horde, they fell beneath the Pokemon, crying out as teeth ripped into their muscle tissue.
Joy started forward, taking a step to run for safety. Something caught her other foot, and she toppled back to the floor. Her chin hit the tile hard, cracking it open. A low growl from behind her made her look back.
Chansey was gripping her ankle, growling at her as Eevee ate at its intestines. With unusual strength, the pink Pokemon pulled Joy back to it. Sliding her across the tile until her leg was within biting distance. As its teeth sank into her calf, she howled in pain. Cameron drew his pistol, aiming it at the Chansey. A Rattata flew at the Nurse, latching onto her neck. Then another onto her arm. And so forth until she was covered in the frenzied rats.
Cameron shouted and fired his gun repeatedly, taking out many of the tiny Pokemon, but there was just too many.
An officer screamed and fell behind the desk out of view, his throat emitting a gurgling sound as his Adam's apple was ripped out.
The others hopped up onto the wood, throwing themselves behind the desk.
The lobby was filled with blood and death.
A Rattata jumped up onto the desk, throwing itself at the nearest officer. He shrieked as the rat latched onto his neck, squeezing it with his hands and ripping it away. Blood spewed from the fresh wound, and he threw the Rattata back across the lobby. The other officers rushed inside the office, leaving Cameron to attempt helping the man on his own. He collapsed into the Elites arms as Cameron barely caught him, the officers blood squirting all over him.
More Rattata clawed their way up the desk, hissing as they lunged at them. Cameron shot them out of the air, dragging the officer closer to the door. As the gun clicked from firing the last round, a primal instinct took over, and Cameron realized he would not be able to help the officer and live. Hating himself, he let go of the man, dropped his pistol, and slipped inside the office, slamming the door behind him.
They could hear those still alive being ripped apart, and the officers screams just on the other side. Rattata thumped against the wood, again and again. More and more of them. Growling and hissing with each impact.
Cameron pressed himself against the door, feeling the thuds on his back. The few remaining trainers and officers looked at him, bodies shaking with fear and adrenaline.
"Don't just stand there," the Elite barked. "Push the desk up against the door. Filing cabinets. Anything!"
The others scrambled around the office, doing as he said. Sliding the heavy wood desk across the maroon carpet. Pulling cheap metal cabinets away from the white walls. Soon Cameron was able to back away from the door, letting the others barricade it. It was then that he realized Latias had been left in the surgical room, and his heart nearly stopped. She'd be ok...right? Those...those...those monsters out there would be more focused on getting into the office than searching the Center. As long as Latias stayed where she was, she'd be fine.
Across the room, behind where the desk formerly had been, Souza pulled away from the video phone, "I've got a signal! It's weak, but there."
Not wasting any time, Cameron sprinted the short distance, immediately pressing the keys to contact the League. The symbol of a phone lit up in the middle of the screen, quickly followed by a ringing sound. It only rang once however, then was disconnected with a glitchy screen, dropping the call.
Something roared outside in the lobby, something much larger than Rattata. Then the door banged so hard a few filing cabinets toppled over, and the frame around the threshold cracked. Souza bolted to the barricade, throwing his body against the pile of cabinets and desk. Pushing with all he had, mimicking the other officers and trainers. As Cameron furiously retyped in the League number, the door wavered under another loud crash.
The call dropped once again, and Cameron slammed his fist against the top of the monitor with a shout. That was an emergency channel, it shouldn't be dropping calls. It was designed to accept any call from anywhere in the world! Something was wrong...
BANG!
He looked back to the doorway, seeing the few survivors desperately pressing themselves against the ragtag barricade. The door was cracked from top to bottom, and the hinges looked to be about ripped from their places.
They were going to die...
If that was the case...he had to try one more number. Quickly he typed numbers he had dialed only earlier that morning. Listening to the ringing tone, and praying beyond all hope that the call would go through, and his son would answer.
The screen lit up, revealing a concerned looking man with dark hair, glasses, green eyes, and sharp features.
"Simon..." Cameron breathed out shakily. "Thank God you answered."
Simon opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly another face appeared onscreen. It was May! And his heart skipped a beat at the sight of his wife. His jaw fell open, and words could not quite leave his mouth.
"What the Hell happened?!" May practically shouted, her eyes glancing over his dishelved, bloody appearance. He found a small ray of peace at the sight of those blue orbs, even if they were filled with fear. She wasn't supposed to return home until tomorrow, but hearing the door creak under another loud bang, he decided he wouldn't have the time for a long conversation.
"Fuschia City is overrun," he said with a pained breath. BANG! That crash was so hard, the flooring beneath his very feet shuddered from the impact. He glanced away from the monitor, seeing that only one more good hit would rip the door apart. The people against the door began to panic.
"I love you," he said hurriedly, turning back to face his wife and son on the monitor. Just wanted to tell you before I-"
CRASH! The door exploded into a thousand pieces, throwing the file cabinets, desk, and people back into the room. May and Simon's faces vanished, the phone losing signal and dropping the call. Cameron spun in time to quickly dive out of the way from a flying piece of wood, hitting the floor and sliding across the carpet.
The room was flooded with frenzied Rattata, and to everyone's horror, a Snorlax. The few closest to the door were swarmed under the rat Pokemon. The Snorlax reached out, snagging an officer by her leg and hoisting her up, bringing the woman to its mouth and biting down on her torso with a sickening crunch. While the big Pokemon chewed flesh and bones, Souza was able to sprint behind it and out the doorway, kicking away Rattata as he went.
Cameron leapt to his feet, jumping sideways to avoid a rat. He kicked down hard, smashing its head to the floor with a squish. Then he was running for the door, hurtling himself past screaming trainers as they were eaten alive, ducking under Snorlax as it tried to grab him, and kicking Rattata in his way. He somehow made it past the beasts, barreling into the lobby. Ignoring the Rattata eating the carcasses of the dead, he threw himself over the desk and ran for the doors to the Center's operating rooms.
As an Elite, he was sworn to protect those of Kanto with his life. To put their lives above his own, but his emotions were tearing him in half as he ran. Part of him screamed that he needed to go back, to help those people being devoured. But the other part was telling him they were done, noting would save them now. Nothing would save him now if he didn't get out of there. Staying and helping was no longer an option. At least not by himself. He needed to retreat, gather reinforcements, get Ash and Lance involved, and then figure out exactly what in the Hell was going on. These things couldn't really be...no, there was now way. Was there?
He reached his destination, sliding to a stop outside the glass window to the surgical room. Latias was still in there, lying on her side, facing away from him. He watched for a moment, his brain undergoing a struggle. If these things truly were what he was thinking...then Latias had been bitten. By all rules, wouldn't that mean she'd turn into one?
One way to find out...
He opened the door and stepped inside. She twitched, slowly raising her head at the sound. He paused mid step, ready to turn and slam the door behind him as he fled. He would have to constantly tell himself he wouldn't be abandoning her, it would no longer be Latias.
The Legendary turned her head, eyes connecting with his. They were there normal color, and she blinked at him curiously. With a gentle purr, she flew into the air and hovered up to him, nuzzling her head against his cheek.
"Thank God," he exhaled with relief. "Have you been asleep this whole time?"
Latias nodded, cocking her head to the side curiously.
"I don't have time to explain, we just gotta go." He unclipped her PokeBall, and went to return her, when something smacked into his back. He stumbled forward, feeling something gnawing and pulling at his belt. He assumed it was a Rattata, but it was in a position he couldn't see, and he immediately tried to knock it loose. It growled and tugged harder at his belt, claws digging into his pants. Latias cried out at seeing her master be attacked.
Thinking quickly, Cameron threw himself backwards, smashing into the wall. The tiny body behind him squished up against his torso, but he felt nothing snap. He jerked away, feeling the creature fall loose, and his belt tugged once more. Swiftly he recalled Latias and ran back into the hallway, just in time to feel something snap at his boots.
The lobby was a no go. There would certainly be more Rattata back there, and not to mention that Snorlax, maybe even some other Pokemon that may have wandered in by now. That left the roof, he could fly away on Charizard from up there easily. And that's where he sprinted, flying through the halls at top speed. Hurtling upstairs. Gasping for breath as his side developed a stitch. He was getting too old for this kind of thing.
With a bang, he threw open the door to the rooftop, racing outside into the night air. Fushcia city was quieter now. There were still sounds of fighting and death, but far fewer than earlier, and the sounds of car horns had ceased. Hopefully those still alive could hold on until he returned with the League. Hopefully...
He reached back for his PokeBelt-WHERE WAS HIS POKEBELT?! His head began to spin, and nausea erupted in his stomach. It was gone, how could that be? He had unclipped Latias' ball only moments ago, and it was still in his hand, having not replaced it. Being too preoccupied with running upstairs...Then it hit him. The Rattata must've chewed through his belt, cutting it in half and then it fell to the floor. His Pokemon were currently three stories below him, surrounded by ravenous Pokemon. Thankfully they would be safe in their PokeBalls.
But now what? He couldn't fly out of there on Latias. She was injured way to badly, and if those Pokemon turned out to be what he was thinking...then Latias could possibly turn on him mid flight and-he shook his head. Don't think about that, for now just focus on getting away from the Pokemon Center.
He stuffed Latias' PokeBall into his jacket pocket and ran to the side of the building, looking for a fire escape ladder, or something of the sort. He might not make it out of the city alive, he might never get to see his family again...but dammit, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.
If the chapter seemed a little rushed and chaotic, it was supposed too. Shit hit the fan super fast, I don't think Cameron would've had much time for proper thinking.
Hope y'all enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next update! Here's to hoping it won't take as long this next time.
As always, let me know what ya think!