So it begins
Chapter 35: Grosgain
She heard loud noises.
"Dawn!" Edward's frantic voice rang close to her ears. "Wake up!"
"Ed?" Lazily wiping her eyelids, she struggled to reply. "What are you up to this early?"
"There's an evacuation alarm. We have to go."
"Alarm?" Dawn eyes shot open. She hastily tried to get up, but fumbled. "What happened?"
"I don't know, some kind of emergency." The boy handed over her clothes. "You'll get dressed later. Let's go."
"Hold on!" He departed in spite of her protest. Dawn stared dumbfounded after him, clothes in hand. Her mind jolted, and she peered across the room. "Cynthia?"
The ringing of the alarm became more prominent, filling the atmosphere with dread. She and the blonde woman were supposed to share a bed last night, but one of them never came to rest. A handwritten note lay half-folded on the bedside table, discarded while in the process of wrappings. The writer must have taken off post-haste, and Dawn figured it would be smart to do the same. Grabbing it, she ran to the living room. Eldritch was waiting for her.
"Come, Dawn, evacuation!" The usual calm, adventurous sailor was nowhere to be found. Fear and anxiety accented his face. "The city is under attack."
The other members of the family had already escaped. She decided not to ask question, and followed his lead. Upon exiting the house, waves of people were blocking their view, all running toward a single destination. The man grabbed Dawn's wrist, and pulled her into the horde. Lost in the sea of shoving, panicking humans, her only anchor was the piece of paper she held so dear between her fingers. No one cared who she was when they're all running for their lives, and soon she joined in.
Minutes later, they found themselves catching a breath at the destination.
"Are you alright?" Eldritch asked. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No." Dawn could feel her ribs aching, but decided it to be a minor inconvenience.
"Let's go find Carole and Eddy," he urged.
"I think I'll stay here, Eldritch," she declined. "I'll just slow you down. Go."
He hesitated, before disappearing into the deeper corridors.
Dawn stood alone in the corner, still inside the sea of a hundred. The cold, metallic steel of the bunker grazed against her back. The pyjamas she wore was basically in taters; its red spots ripping in pity. The flickering lights didn't stop her from prying open the now crumpled piece of note. It read.
"My dearest, Dawn
It is now two in the morning, and this is my fifth attempt, so please excuse my ramblings.
I've received very recent reports that there will be a full scale attack on Sinnoh within the upcoming few hours. Cyrus had somehow mobilised the entire Galactic corporation, and will make an attempt to take over the entire region in his final crusade to eliminate spirits. It is no doubt that Rowan will be involved in this operation somehow. It is believed that they rushed their plans due to your interference at Iron Island. They will have in their command some of the strongest mythical forces this world has to offer.
I hope that by the time you read this, you'll have been safe. I'll tell you this once more: you don't owe any of us anything. No one will blame you for not risking your life for us yet again. I will, however, participate in this battle. If Cyrus had his ways, he will rid of us all of our emotions.
I love you too much to let that happen,
Cynthia"
Tear drops gradually smudged the ink. The shouting only became louder, but she couldn't make out a single word. Dawn simply sat in utter defeat, unable to come to make sense of what was happening, or to come to a decision. In this desperate time of need, she felt truly alone.
…
The Galactic corporation was one of many trades. Ever since the disappearance of Cyrus, and its disassociation with Charon, the company had gone on to become a Sinnoh corporate superpower. Saturn led it every step of the way, and sat at the highest echelon of influence in the entire region. He was content, in fact quite happy. Not once did he believe in Cyrus' mad ramblings. Once the old men were out of the picture, a Team Galactic in disarray was at his feet. Rebuilding the world was too difficult, but economics was a game he could play. In under four years, his company had monopolised many avenues of trades and commerce, and basically had the region by the neck. He had the power to kick up quite a stir, but there was no need. He liked his decorated job, nice car, and stylish office.
Eight in the morning, one day, he had lost all of it.
Saturn hid himself inside the storage room of Galactic Headquarters. The Boss had returned. Thousands of loyal employees took up arms to rise against the C.E.O, to once again follow the destructive, yet maddeningly alluring Cyrus into battle. He knew all along that Mars and Jupiter never forgot about the old man, but their efforts to usurp power in such a swift and brutal fashion was alien to him. Cyrus didn't have to do so much as lift a finger, and four years of exponential expansion was handed to him on a platter. Saturn dialled a familiar number.
"Detective," he hushed. "It's me."
"Saturn?" Looker's voice shot through the earpiece. "How dare you do this? I trusted you."
"I have no hand in this, detective," He implored. "This situation is just as bad for me as it is for you."
"That so?" A pause. "How can I take your word for anything?"
"I'll give myself up if I have to." He had to keep his voice down in fear of being heard. "I'm in danger too, detective."
"What? Why?"
"I resisted the takeover, now they're after me." The whispers huffed like a pounding drum.
"Where are you?" The pace of the conversation took Looker with it.
"In the basement of the HQ." Saturn turned around for another peek. He saw nothing. "There's a secret path down here to the southern border of the city."
"I'll meet you there."
The call ended when the signal cut out. Numerous cities have reported attacks. The police chief had mobilised the entirety of the standing force to combat the sea of grayscale-uniformed terrorists. International law enforcements had been notified, and promised to send aid as soon as able. Despite the timing of the attack, the Team Galactic standing agents weren't in staggering numbers. They also arrived with seemingly rushed preparations and equipment, pokémons undertrained and weapons understaffed. Hours after the initial attack, and they were already contained. Casualties were minimal. Many predicted the conflict to last no longer than a few days.
Detective Looker stood, and stared at his phone. He found no reason to be worried, yet he could not stop. The distance from his Hearthome office to Veilstone city took less than a few hours to traverse, and soon enough Looker was stepping out of his car. The sun rays proved to be too bright to have a good look, but too dark to be cherished. Looker could see the Galactic Corp. Headquarter in the distance, which devilishly loomed over the city' cliff borders.
He walked toward the rocky overhang. A secret path within the boulders revealed itself. Saturn stepped forward, his once perky crescent-shaped hairdo lay flat. His black, designer business suit had all its pins ripped out. He had lost all the air of a high office executive. He was escorted by a dozen team Galactic members. Looker reached for his gun, only to find his hand immobile. A tangela's vines had him by the wrists. Its owner, the spiky bobbed-hair female commander of the old Team Galactic, walked up to him.
"Don't you try anything funny." Mars' voice expressed her detachment. "You're coming with us."
"Saturn!" Looker bellowed at the businessman cowering under force. "You set me up?"
"I'm sorry detective, I have no choice." Saturn's voice quaked under pressure. "You wouldn't believe what they would've done."
Looker stared in bemusement, before quieting down. He discarded his rage, for it was no use. He tried to think clearly. Team Galactic had very few reasons to capture him. This treachery wouldn't help them win their war, so what role had he to play?
Before he could make heads and tales of the situation, Mars shoved her hands down his pockets and pulled out his phone. Looker opened his mouth to protest, only to find it quickly wrapped under vines and leaves as well. He witnessed her sending text messages into his phone, identifiable by the tones, but unable to grasp just with whom she was communicating.
"Take him away."
The tangela's incredible strength dragged him along, as they all went back inside the Galactic Building. The grip around him tightened and soon it blocked out his consciousness.