ONE YEAR AFTER THE RESSURECTIONS OF KYOGRE AND GROUDON

Cheyanne fell off of the helicopter, scraping her knees on the thick layer of twigs coating the forest's floor. She held her baby, bundled tightly, close to her chest. While the men on the helicopter conversed, she took off running.

She could hear the men screaming behind her. Heavy footsteps crushed twigs and leaves faster than she could run. Panicking, she made a bend around a large tree, trying to lose her follower.

In a rotting log, a group of orange apelike Pokemon huddled together, disturbed by the commotion. She heard her pursuer drawing near.

"I love you, baby," she whispered, pecking the infant's cheek and setting the bundle in the log amongst the unfamiliar Pokemon. They nodded at her and covered up the child. She kept running.

Yards away from the log, the man with long, pale-green hair caught her. She struggled against him, clawing at his face. She found an eye and gouged at it. He screamed, releasing her to cover his wound.

"Get back here!" he demanded, half-blind but determined. He caught her by the arm and twisted her back around.

"Where's the baby?" he asked.

"I won't tell!" she said.

"So be it!"

The man unsheathed a long knife and held it to her throat.

"You'll never find him!" Cheyanne said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I will find him. Nothing will stop me from fulfilling the prophecy!"

The blade slid deep through her throat. Her blood spilled over the man's hand. He dropped her slumping body on the ground.

Another man caught up to him, holding out a cane.

"Mind your arm, sir. You wouldn't want to cause any further damage," the new arrival said.

"The damage is inevitable," the first man replied. He crunched through a pile of leaves and looked around.

"Get more people here, quickly. She's hidden the child. We must find it alive," he said.

"Right away, sir."

The second man rushed back to the helicopter while the first covered his eye again, feeling the pain now that the adrenaline had worn off.

Be sure to read the sequel, Victory Road. For details, see my profile.