Chapter 8: A Message They Will Not Forget
9:31:46 AM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos
Collin and Serena decided that it was time to leave, so they put on their backpacks and checked out of the hotel.
''So, Serena, where do we go from here?'' Collin asked. He didn't have any leads or locations, so he had no idea what they were supposed to do. He worried about what the enemy he was supposed to be fighting was going to do next.
''I dunno, Collin,'' Serena said while trying to think of something fun to do. Just as she was about to suggest finding a person to battle, her Holo Caster rang. She pulled the device out of her bag and answered it.
''Oh hi, Calem!''
Serena was surprised to be getting a call from Calem, she hadn't talked with him since he left home a few months back.
''Hey Serena, I'm back at home and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out,'' Calem said.
''Sure Calem! I would love to!'' Serena exclaimed, ecstatic about the opportunity to see her neighbor. She looked over to see a slightly irritated Collin staring at her.
Serena ended the call, then looked over and asked Collin what his issue was.
''You just set up a meeting with your friend, back in your hometown, when we have a set mission that may or may not have human lives resting on it!'' Collin said, angry about the lack of seriousness Serena had about their quest.
''Calm down Collin, we don't even know where they are yet. Let's enjoy our lives a little until we figure out what exactly we are supposed to do.'' Serena said.
''Man, she's fun to be with, but kind of ignorant at the same time,'' Collin thought to himself.
Serena and Collin walked back to Route 1, and continued down the path until they reached Vaniville Town.
''Mom, I'm home!'' Serena said at a volume that could be heard throughout the entire house. Serena's mother came down the stairs and gave Serena a loving hug.
Collin was saddened by this. He didn't get hugs much back at his home...
''Who's this?'' Serena's mother asked.
''This is my friend Collin,'' Serena replied, 'We decided to go on a journey together!''
''Is that so?'' Serena's mother said, feeling a little suspicious of the teenager beside her daughter.
''Um…hi, ma'am, '' Collin said with a hint of nervousness to his voice.
''This woman's eyes are burning into me,'' Collin thought.
''Please, call me Grace,'' Serena's mother said, trying to get Collin to warm up a bit.
''Okay, nice to meet you, Grace,'' Collin replied, feeling slightly better about his relationship with this lady.
Just as Grace was about to continue speaking with Collin, the front door opened, and Serena's face immediately lightened up.
''Calem!'' Serena exclaimed before hugging the black-haired trainer around the neck.
Collin immediately felt a hint of jealousy, a feeling which he quickly suppressed. Calem was just Serena's friend, right?
''Hey, Mrs. Grace!'' Calem said before getting another hug from Grace.
Calem looked over at Collin with what appeared to be a glare. Collin disliked this guy already.
''So, Serena, who's this guy?'' Calem asked, pointing at Collin.
''That's Collin! He and I are going on a journey together!'' Serena said with a smile, which quickly disappeared when she saw Calem's visible look of slight anger towards Collin.
After a little bit of catching up between the friends, Calem asked if Serena wanted to go out into the forest to find Pokémon with him.
''Sure! Collin, come along with us!''
'This is gonna be interesting….'' Collin thought.
12:07:34 PM, IRF Air Base 01, 250M under Route 14, Kalos
''It's time.''
The once-silent hangar was filled with the sound of jet engines. 14 fully-armed F-35 Joint Strike Fighters lifted off in VTOL mode and flew out of the hidden hangar door.
''Anvil Leader to all aircraft: Once in range, engage all designated targets. Let's send these fools a message they won't soon forget.''
The squadron switched to conventional flight mode, turned, and accelerated toward their target.
12:26:34 PM, Forest around Vaniville Town, Kalos
The three left the house and walked into the thick trees, where there were surely tons of Pokémon to find and catch. After walking deeper into the woods, the three teens sat down in a clearing.
''Hey guys, I'm going to go pick some berries. You two stay here, OK?'' Serena said. She wanted to show her friends, especially Calem, that she didn't need to be escorted everywhere.
After Serena left, Calem started talking to Collin.
''So, she decided to go with you on her first journey, huh?'' Calem said, feeling a little offended by the fact that Serena chose this lanky fool with no Pokémon over him.
''Uh, yeah, is there a problem with that?'' Collin said. He felt a little threatened by Calem's words.
Calem followed his previous statement with an even bolder one:
''Collin, if you do anything to hurt her, you'll be in for a world of pain.''
Collin had encountered some jerks before, and he thought that Calem fit the bill perfectly. Just as it seemed that an engagement was inevitable, Serena returned with a huge basket full of berries.
''Wow, that's a lot of berries! Thanks, Serena!'' Collin said, trying to gain a leg up against Calem in Serena's mind.
Serena sent out Fennekin and fed her a few berries. Collin was quite impressed with this fox for some reason.
''Wow, Pokémon are a lot more imposing in person,'' Collin thought to himself.
After seeing Serena's Pokémon, Calem suggested that the two trainers have a friendly battle.
Serena sent out her Fennekin, and Calem sent out his Quilladin.
''Gee, he sure has trained hard,'' Serena thought, worried that she would suffer a humiliating loss.
''Fennekin, use Ember!''
Quilladin was hit with the flames and suffered a burn, but was still in the battle. Calem's Pokémon countered with a Mud Shot, which was not only super-effective on Fennekin, but extremely disheartening as well. Fennekin was now filthy, and pretty low on health from what Collin was seeing.
Just as Serena was going to command Fennekin to counter, the two heard a sound that they had never heard before. It started out soft, but it intensified as time went on.
''C'mon guys, let's go find out what that sound is coming from!'' Serena said, feeling abnormally curious about this mystery noise.
The group moved towards a hill, which offered a good view of the town in the distance.
Calem and Serena were trying to find the source, when Collin noticed something. A group of small specks was moving in the sky.
He looked at the group again, but this time the specks were larger and moving very fast.
Collin couldn't identify what they were until one turned.
It was a fighter jet.
One of the fighters opened its weapon bay and released an AGM, which promptly collided with a house.
Calem and Serena didn't grasp the situation until 13 other planes flew in and started firing missiles at every building in sight.
Serena saw something that no person should ever have to see.
She saw her neighbors, her friends, running away from the inferno that engulfed almost the entire town.
The planes finished their pass, and just when Serena thought the slaughter was over, a stray missile hit a house. Her house.
Serena thought about her mom, then started to weep bitterly.
Collin felt Serena's pain. He couldn't bear to see her like this. He started to walk over to her to try and provide some comfort, but before he reached her, a fist collided with the side of his face.
Collin turned and, realizing that there was no avoiding this fight, rammed his knee into Calem's abdomen. Calem countered and rammed his fist into Collin' chin.
''This never would have happened if you didn't come here!'' Calem screamed, clearly overcome with rage. Collin considered trying to explain things, but something inside of him drove him to continue the fistfight.
Calem wound back for a punch, but Collin threw his own punch and hit him in the eye. Calem reared back from the hit, but ran back towards his foe and wrapped his arm around his neck. Collin then rammed his elbow into Calem's gut, which caused him to cringe in pain. Collin tackled Calem and started punching him repeatedly in his facial region.
''Stop! Please Collin, just stop!'' Serena screamed while trying to pull Collin off Calem.
Collin was too angry to stop. He threw Serena off of him and continued to beat Calem repeatedly.
Serena continued to plead with Collin until he finally let up. Collin stared at his blood-covered hands, immediately regretting his actions.
'' I should have been trying to save people, to comfort Serena, to do anything helpful, not pulverizing one of Serena's best friends…''Collin thought to himself, barely holding back tears himself.
''I have to make this right,'' He ran towards the town.
This chapter is a bit of a change for the story. This chapter is way longer than any of the other ones, and the villains have finally made their move.
I really enjoyed writing this, because this chapter is the one that sets the stage for the rest of the plot.
Leave a review if you like, I could really use the feedback; I'm not going to be able to improve much if I don't get any. Anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll see you fine people next chapter!
