5

[11:22 AM. Arbitrator Milo Cassius's Chamber, Indigo Plateau. After the encounter with Cain.]

"This is an outrage!"

Werner's voice rang out throughout the spacious chamber. The Arbitrator of Indigo Plateau, Milo Cassius, sat, hands knit, at his desk at the far end. A thin red line delineated the area where Werner and his troupe could stand, and where Rena and her Johto entourage were located. Rena stood meekly, like a child hauled into the schoolmaster's office. Her entourage was furiously typing, calling, and reading. On the Kanto side, no one said a word but Werner.

"My aides were viciously attacked without provocation!" Werner thundered. He leveled a meaty finger towards Rena. "Savagely by one of her lackeys! No doubt with the intent of leaving us vulnerable! Though, I shouldn't have expected any better from the region who wantonly destroys without remorse honest business peoples' livelihoods."

A fire kindled in Rena's eyes, and if not for the powerful gaze of Cassius, she might have thrown herself at Werner in rage. "Enough," boomed Cassius. "We will not discuss matters slated for the Tohjo Summit in this hearing. The matter at hand, as I understand it, is that you, Werner, wish to bring charges against Rena, for reckless assault and damages sustained by trainers in your care. Is this correct?"

"Absolutely."

Ian stepped forward. "Wait, Arbitrator. It wasn't. It was that brute, Cain."

The Johto side paused, then continued what they were doing. Rena dropped her defensive stance gradually. "Cain, you said?"

"Yes he ambushed Mo—Moira—and I as were having a friendly match."

Rena's face fell, and she turned toward the Arbitrator. "Cain is my brother, Arbitrator. I take full responsibility for his actions."

Cassius waved her aside. "That will not be necessary. The testimony provided by Santiago states that this Cain departed into Victory Road."

"That is true, Arbitrator."

"And where is this Moira now?"

Ian fidgeted. "Last I saw her, she left for the hospital here in the Plateau."

"I see. Werner: every effort will be made to find the aggressor. Rena: The Pokemon League cannot fault you or your entourage for the actions of one. However, in this volatile clime, I would do well to ensure none of your own cast your region in a negative light. I have been informed that the Tohjo Summit will convene in two hours time. Representatives from Johto: unfortunately, to appease the peace in Indigo Plateau, I must restrict you from leaving your designated area until the time of the Summit. An attendant will be sent for you at the appropriate time. This arbitration is adjourned."

Werner stormed out. Ian left with the crowd of mixed attendants. As the crowd dispersed, he found himself alone in the antechamber. His pokegear rang—a message from Grayson. All it said was the word. "Hospital."

Ian brushed open the doors to the waiting room. It was mostly empty, save for an old man in a brown coat and hat comforting a girl of about twenty. "Grayson, what are you doing here?"

Grayson gave the girl a last reassuring pat on the back. "I was on my way to say good luck from myself and your grandfather when I ran into this girl. I don't think her Nidoking is going to make it."

"Oh, no." Ian ran up to where Moira was seated. "Moira, what's going on?"

She was sobbing; the tears caught her makeup and smeared down her cheeks. "My Nidoking, Ian. They don't think it can pull through. Ian, that man killed my Nidoking. He killed it!"

Grayson stepped aside to give them space. "We don't know that for sure. I'm positive they're doing everything in their power to save him. Trust me."

She shook her head. "I'll kill him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What?"

"I said I'LL KILL HIM."

Ian stepped back. "Don't do anything rash, now, not in this place. Not now," Grayson advised.

She stared daggers at the aging man. "Who even are you, old man? Some creep? Huh? Do you get off on this, you sick freak?" Grayson was unfazed.

"Mo, calm down. It's okay. He's a friend. You can trust him."

"I can't trust anyone! If we hadn't battled, everything would be okay. If we hadn't battled, my pokemon would be fine! Because of you, my Nidoking is dead!"

"Not dead, dying," Grayson, pointed.

"GET OUT OF HERE."

Ian looked at Grayson who only nodded. "I will see you later, Grayson. Good luck." He picked up his brief case and walked out.

[2:00 PM. Indigo Plateau. Hall of the Champion. The same day.]

"By the power vested in me by the Pokemon League, I hereby declare this, the Fourth Tohjo Summit, to officially come to order," Octavius said from his raised chair. His was higher than all the others. In total there were ten chairs arranged in a circle. Ian stood towards the back along with all the other attendants. He recognized the League members: Octavius, the grand historian and master of the Rock type, dressed in fine academic clothes, combed white hair giving him an air of wisdom and authority; Porter, the everyman, the user of Normal types, dressed plainly, yet efficiently; Claudia, the cryptic Dark mistress, dressed in a midnight evening gown; Gaap, the flamboyant, pop-sensation, yet devilishly strong Fighting wielder; and the wizened psychic, Sabrina, formerly of Saffron City. The man in white robes was seated prominently next to Octavius. Werner and Rena were placed next to the Elite Four, not looking at each other, and the final two seats were taken by the two Professors: Oak and Elm, of Kanto and Johto respectively. No reporters crowded the room. No attendant wrote anything or made any calls. All simply watched and waited. Octavius spoke again:

"Representative Werner of Kanto, I understand that your provincial government has petitioned for reparations pertaining to the tragic loss of Deep Sea Research Facility 02, which was destroyed in an explosion yesterday at around 11:00 PM. Is this accurate?"

Werner had dressed for the occasion. "Yes, Champion Octavius, that is correct."

"In addition," the champion continued, "you say you have evidence implicating certain 'radical Johto independents' in the incident. Is this also, correct, Representative Werner?"

"Yes, that is also correct."

"Please present this evidence so we may examine it ourselves, Representative," Sabrina said.

"Of course, Mistress Sabrina." An attendant made her way towards Werner with a plain manila envelope. Ian noticed that Moira still wasn't back. "It is in here, distinguished council." He flashed the envelope triumphantly in over his head like a trophy. Rena turned nervously back to her retinue looking for any sort of reassurance. She received nothing but blank stares and shrugs. An attendant for the League stepped forward to take the envelope from Werner's outstretched hand. Before she could take it, a trainer burst through the door wearing League vestments.

"Honorable council! I bear a message of grave contents."

Octavius ruffled his brow. "You may speak, messenger."

"We've just received word that Celadon City is under attack!"

Porter jumped from his chair. "Attacked? By whom? Speak!"

"Unconfirmed, Master Porter. Reports claim several explosions placed in major buildings across the city detonated simultaneously."

Werner was the next to leave his chair. "It was those damn Johtans. This proves it! We must go. I beseech the League!"

A menacing laugh echoed throughout the chamber. Cain stepped into the light of the chamber and all gasped. He had Moira, covered in gashes and bruises, in his titanic arms, knife pushed against her throat. "I'd sit back down if I were you, Representative."

[2:45 PM. Outside Celadon City. One hour twenty-seven minutes after the initial explosion.]

Hayley had never been outside Celadon City. She had never known anything besides the lumbering skyscrapers that kissed the clouds. She had never breathed anything but the bitter air of Celadon's smog choked atmosphere. She was seven years old. Her mother told her they were going on an adventure as they walked faceless in a dirty crowd of terrified people.

She and her mother were in Vermillion when they saw the mushroom cloud and felt the energy wash over the building they were staying in. Someone in uniform had given them blankets and a bowl of hot soup to share. Her mother didn't talk much. Her hands shook when she held the soup bowl. They were in a warehouse of some sort and there were cots hastily placed in rows to accommodate the people.

Hayley had a Clefairy that her father had caught for her in a place called Mt. Moon. She played with it quietly outside the warehouse while there was still light out. Everywhere in Vermillion were people in uniform directing the flow of the human river that spilled out through the gates. The people were dirty and terrified and burned, sometimes horribly so. Hayley tried not to stare, she really did. She saw a little boy she thought might be her age. He kept looking for his father, screaming to the workers who simply pushed him aside. He had a Kakuna in his arms that was cut and leaking a strange fluid all over the boy. Hayley went back to playing with her Clefairy.

"Where's daddy?" She asked over the evening meal of soup back in the warehouse. It was dark now outside and she could see the boy trying to take care of his Kakuna over in a corner by himself. The whole room smelt of ash.

Her mother stared at her over the soup. "What?"

"Where's daddy?" she repeated.

"I don't know," her mother replied. She offered the rest of the soup to Hayley.

"Is he safe?" she asked.

Her mother thought hard about this, cracked her knuckles. "Of course he is," she finally said, rubbing little Hayley's hair affectionately. "You're dad's just fine. He'll be here in no time." She forced a smile onto her face as she looked at Hayley who bought the act and left with the soup. She met up with the boy who didn't have any food and who was still fretting over his Kakuna. The boy had put up the cocoon Pokemon in his cot. It was leaking clear fluid onto the sheets.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. The boy froze and turned to face Hayley, eyeing her suspiciously. He looked her over and then at the soup. Hayley heard his stomach growl.

"You can have some of this if you want," she said. Hayley held out the half eaten bowl of soup to the boy. The boy was cautious at first but he snatched the bowl out of Hayley's hand and began to voraciously scarf up the soup. He muttered no thanks.

"My name's Hayley," the little girl said meekly. The boy was bigger than her and looked a little mean. He stared at Hayley, summing her up, evaluating her.

"Lexie. I'm Lexie," he said after a pause.

"Hello, Lexie!" Hayley said spritely. Her demeanor took a complete change. "Where are your Mommy and Daddy?"

Lexie was quiet and his face fell. He placed the soup, unfinished onto the floor. "I don't know."

"Oh, well you can come stay with my mom and me, you know, if you wanted to," Hayley said with a mix of enthusiasm and nascent pity. She wanted to get to know Lexie more but she also felt sorry for him somewhere in her young heart.

"Thanks, but I've got to stay with my Kakuna for now," he said. Lexie went to check on his precious bug Pokemon. He tried to clean some of the liquid from the wound with his sheet but to no avail; it kept up like an ooze. He leaned in to check the Kakuna's pulse. He held his hands on the carapace and his face lost all color. The eyelids of the Kakuna fell shut.

"No, NO!" cried out Lexie. He grabbed the Kakuna from the bed, knocking over the soup in the process. He rushed into the center of the warehouse with Hayley in tow. He found a nurse and tugged desperately on her shirt. She took one look at the Kakuna in the small boy's arms and let out a cry. She rushed Lexie back to a makeshift hospital where people and Pokemon alike were sleeping and being treated. The nurse began administering revives to the poor bug Pokemon but to no avail. She got her hands on a max revive and the Kakuna's eyes slowly fluttered open. She called for assistance, and Hayley could have sworn she saw a tear in Lexie's eye.

The Kakuna began to glow, which took the nurses by surprise. "It's trying to evolve!" one of them said. "If it evolves now..." the first nurse said. The glowing intensified until out of the broken and sticky shell emerged a large Beedrill. Hayley got one look at it and recoiled. The insect's wings were horribly deformed and the left drill was warped and the Beedrill's body was covered in innumerable lesions. Lexie cried out as the Beedrill tried in vain to fly away. The humming intensified until Hayley had to cover her ears. Stick liquid was flying from the wings as they vibrated at hypersonic speeds. She was sure the Beedrill was crying out in pain. The heart rate monitor the nurses hooked up to the Kakuna previously was erupting in sound as the EKG went wild and then fell silent. Flatline.

A nurse stood petrified at the event. She dropped down to Lexie's level and put a consoling hand on his shoulder. He was shaking. "I'm sorry..." she couldn't finish. Lexie began to cry and ran away from the nurses and through the doors into the night. Hayley's mother ran up to the nurses looking for her daughter, and when she caught sight of Hayley she dropped to her knees and opened her arms for Hayley to run into. They embraced and held each other.

Back at their cots later that night, Hayley woke up her mother in the bunk next to hers. The groggy mother rubbed sleep from her eyes. "What is it, Hayley?"

"Daddy's dead, isn't he?" she asked. Her mother looked at her and began to cry.