Chapter Four: Beginning of a New Threat
The next day, following a restless night for Ash due to the bandages, they all went to see Pikachu before heading out into the city. Ash and May stood there and watched Pikachu sleep longer then Brock or Dawn. Of course, by the time they left, Dawn and Brock were already gone. So they went to eat breakfast.
"So, Ash… What are you guys planning to do next?" May asked Ash from her side of the table as she forked a plate of eggs.
"Well… I'm certainly going to go see Dawn's Grand Festival début, then… I dunno. I haven't thought about that really. I guess I'll head home and then decide what to do from there!"
"Hmm… well, mind if I come? To Dawn's Grand Festival, I mean. I want to see how well she does!"
"Okay! That's great!" Ash pauses to think about what he just said, before realizing how suggestive it sounded. "Er… sure! You can come. I probably wouldn't be able to stop you anyways."
"Haha. Geez, Ash, you-"
The something I mentioned earlier wakes up again and viciously slams upwards into the ceiling, knocking it out again and causing an earthquake which reaches all the way to the city our main character people are in.
"What is this!?"
"I don't know! Hold on!"
"That's what I'm doing!"
Across the city, people were all doing this same thing, with the exception of the same cloaked man from the stadium. Soon, the tremors died down, leaving hundreds in a state of shock. Silence reigned throughout the city except for the various post-earthquake noises like gushing water from ruptured water mains and the crying of small children.
"Erg… You okay?" Ash asked his friend as he shoves the table and rubble off of them.
"Yeah, Ash. I'm fine. What do you that was?" May replied as she pushed herself to her knees while rubbing her head.
"Well, it was obviously an earthquake, but, other than that, I've no clue."
"Gee, what a help you are…"
"Hey!"
Later that night…
Everybody (generally speaking. Just Ash, May, Dawn, Brock, and Kenny Who Dawn ran into that morning) had gathered in the apartment, watching the news report, slowly growing more grim by the second.
Reports of large earthquakes have come in from all over the globe, from Jhoto to right here in Sinnoh. The largest of these quakes was situated at the site of this year's Grand Festival. The quake was strong enough to not only collapse the ground beneath the building and causing it to quite literally disappear, but also have repercussions in an area of 21 miles in diameter. These quakes also seem to have nothing in common. They have been minor Richter-1 quakes to a full-scale Richter-9 quake. They have been on the ocean floor and in the mountains. All we know is, is this. All of these quakes happened at the exact same moment across the globe. Upcoming is a list of all the--
At this, Brock flicked the TV off. "Well, guys. It seems something new is happening. We had better be ready."
"Right," started Ash. "First, we'd better check to see if any of those," Indicates the TV. "Places needs help. Right, Pikachu?" (Pikachu has mostly recovered, enough so that it can stay with Ash)
"We should probably check the one closest to us. It also seems to be the place we will be most needed," May added.
"That's-" Kenny was interrupted by a knock on the door, which turned out to be Zoey.
"Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed as she stood up to greet her friend. "What's going on? Why are you here?"
"Dawn! Ash! All of you! There is something you must see! And now!"