Hi everyone!
I really hope you enjoy this next entry. I gave this next chapter my all, and I hope it shows as you read.
I'll see you at the bottom.
Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure
Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend
Chapter 5: A Revival
Ever so silently, the wind blew across the rippling waters that evening. It was a tranquil night, the wild Pokémon found at the rocky, mountainous island were minding their own business, tending to their own devices peacefully. The night sky was barely obscured by clouds, causing the moon to provide its reassuring lights across the waves.
It all seemed so peaceful…
This was a sight that was presented to a man, who was rubbing his chin all the while. The fluctuating glow of a screen snapped him out of his thoughts, however, reminding himself of where he was. No, he wasn't outside, like he wanted to be. He was inside a room. His face remained unchanged, though, as he still stroked his chin.
What he was really doing was staring at the view cameras provided him stationed across Iron Island. More specifically, Iron Island Prison. This gritty, somewhat barren, wasteland of an island was the home to many Steel Type Pokémon. Thankfully, they seemed to get an unspoken memo and stayed out of his hair, much to his surprise (and relief). Either way, he remained upright and focused, keeping a steely gaze at the camera front and center in the dark room.
"…Looks like things have calmed down since then," he muttered, brows narrowing slightly at the thought. Beside him, another man sat, typing away on his computer at a moderate pace. His glasses shined in the limelight, obscuring his eyes from those who would look at him from the face. His typing slowed considerably.
"Y-yes, Agent. It appears that things have settled since they've been taken care of. No other recent activity has been reported in or around the region at the moment," he stuttered out, moving to look a little closer at the screen in front of him, squinting.
The agent also squinted while his lips shrunk, this time out of confusion. "It's odd, though," he voiced.
"…Sir?" the man beside him asked after a moment of silence. He continued clacking away at the keys.
The man in question sighed. "It's been…some long months since the leader's whereabouts remained unknown. He hasn't turned up in any other region, and hasn't did anything here in Sinnoh, and yet…it all seems as if they'd all just disappeared entirely. Except, shortly after…Charon turned up, but got away. His whereabouts are also unknown," his voiced changed tone quickly, sounding rather annoyed with the fact.
The man seated at the computer slowed down a little more at his coworker's thoughts. "If I may, our units are deployed internationally, sir. Should something come up, we would have known firsthand and contacted the other federal forces. Besides what's going on with Team Rocket in Johto, I'm sure there should be nothing to worry about..." he suggested, straightening up his tie. The agent took this into consideration, still stroking his chin as the camera glowed bright up ahead.
"…Although," the other man continued, eyes never leaving the bright screen. "It reminds me. Apparently today was when the new kids got their Pokémon, am I mistaken?"
A brow raised in questioning, not knowing where he was going with this. The man coughed once and shrugged at his thought. "Not wrong, Agent, sir."
He paused. "…As I've thought. It surprises me with all these underground nuances, the League still continues its festivities…"
He exhaled, continuing. "The new kids are to be leaving tomorrow, most of them, anyway. They'll need eyes on them, and on the road. It'd be terrible if something happened to them without our knowing. Three of our workers has got a kid leaving, you know." This time, he finally looked away and shot him a quick glance. The man beside him stopped typing entirely and just peered at his small screen with heightened interest.
"Uh, a-as I've said, Agent. We've got units deployed all over. With all this quietness, yes, it is natural to feel some sort of trepidation- but I assure you, they'll be fine, and even then, they have their Pokémon," he mumbled, slightly distracted, a little too quickly for the other man's own good. Still, the agent didn't let his coworker's passiveness to get to him. He shrugged and began to pace around their little room. Various workers were seated at computers and the sort, much like the typing man before them. Their faces were firm, emulating the agent's face as he walked by down the steps.
As he walked, he remained vigilant, staring towards the big screen as he made his rounds. The smaller screens to the side reminded him that the prison he was in was a fairly large one, secluded deep into the confines of Iron Island. Many corridors and passageways littered the lot, all of which had a few guards manning them. Most times, the inmates were often quiet, as many as there were. It kept the guards and himself on edge constantly, bringing back the puzzled thoughts plaguing him.
Yes, many of them were gone, off the radar, as they called it, and he hated it. As successful as his mission was many months ago, it still bit him when he knew that there were crime syndicates still out there, especially the ones he's been after. He came to a stop in the front of the room, arms never leaving his chin, looking at the monitor above with lacking interest. It's been a long day…
He sighed, closed his eyes, and suddenly shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown trench coat. "Hmph… Alright, men. Time to wrap up for toda-!"
"Sir!" his co-worker quickly barked, "the screen! The screen!"
Not having much time to think, he raised an eye brow in confusion and looked at the screen with sharpened interest. A flash of black swept by. "Huh…? What is that?"
"Uh, sir, that looks to be a Poké…mon?" he replied slowly, as if asking a question. The agent peered at the screen with narrowed eyes at the fleeting object. It was moving rather swiftly through the fields of the island. The other workers instantly perked up and began typing at a rapid pace. "Wait, no…that's no Pokémon. Pokémon here don't move that fast…"
The agent furrowed his brow and began to move towards another screen when the object went out of range. His hands fidgeted, snapping with speed. "Gah…we need eyes, people! Can someone tell me what that is?!"
"Agent, sir!" a female worker replied, "they sped by my camera just now, it looked to be humanoid, but too far to tell properly."
"She's right, mine too!"
"And mine!"
"Same here…!"
They all began talking over one another, informing the agent of the object's passing. He quickly grew agitated, and stayed rooted to his spot, staring back at the big screen intensely. 'What the hell is going on…?'
"…and you're all simultaneously experiencing this?" he asked quickly after a moment of silence. They all simply nodded, furthering the agent's trepidation. He breathed heavily as his thoughts began to swirl.
"…Looker," the co-worker spoke, dropping all formalities in that moment. He shot him a glare, with his eyes sending a sharp message. "…Do you want me to sound the alarm?"
Heavy and still silence hung in the air, and various eyes flicked back and forth, seeing the figure come and go. It was like a whirlwind, their thoughts running on adrenaline in that moment. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and he clenched his fist in frustrated confusion. It only took a moment, but when the big screen front and center suddenly lost connection and went to the static channel, that's when he made his decision.
It had been a couple of months since the last report.
With narrowed eyes, and a clenched fist, he nodded sharply.
"Do it."
Darkness blanketed the cell, except for the moonlight shining through a very small slit in the wall. It casted a ray of light towards a metal object, small and heavy, but relatively shiny, in the hands of a young man. He held it between two fingers, appreciating its pearl like luster. He played with it a bit, moving it around in the light, carrying a melancholic smirk on his face.
"Up to this day, I still can't fathom how I surprise myself..."
He lounged on his bed, something he'd like to call a bed, anyway. It was more or less an erect slab on the wall, cool to the touch. He didn't mind, though, having grown used to its hard surface over the last few months.
"It was almost too easy of a catch," he sighed a bit. He then flicked the metal piece in the air, before catching it. He opened his hand, and the piece shined back at him. The weight of the metal felt satisfying to him, noticed. He tightened his fist and looked up. The dark ceiling looked back at him.
He frowned.
It had only been a few months since he wound up here, in this hell hole of a place. He didn't like it one bit, having to sit in darkness almost the whole day. He's grown used to the harsh treatments, interrogations and mean stares of his captors as the days rolled past. Day in, and day out, it was just him, this cell, and a small light that tried its hardest to be a reminder of his surroundings. His mind began to wander in that moment.
There was a time before this, however, where he was free. Where he aided in the efforts of creating something new. It was something he thought they'd all share together, not bounded by dark walls, but the free, limitless expanse of space.
All of this and more on the outside world, something that his boss was conflicted with. A sickening feeling crawled up his body, making him grimace at the mere thought of it.
To think after all his efforts, his time dedicated to this project…he was just being used? Did he really have no use for him? For them?For anyone? Why go through all the effort, wasting time? A part of him boiled with rage, as he finally understood that whatever they did was meaningless in the end. His hands shook, griping the item in his hands tighter. He didn't deserve any of this, he thought. To think that he must suffer and serve jail time because of a man with a selfish desire with no regards for his peers? To hell with it all!
"…Gah, just thinking about it makes me want to rip something to shreds! Was what he wanted right, I wonder? Humane, even? Just imagine waking up devoid of any and all feeling entirely. How can that be possible? How can someone live for that? And to think, that I wanted part of it once upon a time..."
He could only sigh with that realization while he stared at the dark ceiling. His eyes adjusted while he was lost in his thoughts, allowing him to see the faint marks he made. The scratched surface contained tick marks, all of them added up to this exact date. The metal piece in his hands made him question himself in the short time that remained.
What's in it for him? What if he'll get caught again? A second offense it always worse than the one preceding it, right? His thoughts stopped as the thin streak of light from the moon grew brighter, illuminating his tense, clenched hand. It was making its way up.
He didn't have to do this.
"I don't know what you're planning, grandpa, but as long as it means that I get out of here safely…" he sighed distastefully, tucking away the item in his hands. "I'm only doing this for me, and no one else."
A blaring sound broke him out of his musings, himself jumping in place at the sudden interruption. He blinked rapidly and sat up straight, feeling the heavy item in his pocket make itself known once again. He scrambled down to the floor and walked up to the thin window in the cell. A piercing cry ripped away the sound of the quiet waves. He saw a shadow cross over the moon, the light disappearing for all but a second, but for himself, it felt like the world itself came to a stop. The comforting light was gone, his cell was dark once again, his once illuminated hand, now darkened, only went back to his pocket and gripped the metal key. He gripped it tight in the darkness, finding solace with its cool material. With all caution out the window, his melancholic gaze hardened into one devoid of any reason. The moon once again made itself apparent, but he no longer regarded its light as guidance.
He was going to get out of here.
The alarm continued blaring, and he swiftly turned on the tips of his feet and crossed over to the metal door, back against it. His breathing quickened.
"Attention all units! We are under a lockdown," a female voice informed through the speakers he barely heard on the outside. "Patrol on the outer court, secure any and all exits, there is an intruder along the premises. All guards on sector five, move up and out. This is not a drill."
The blue haired man leaned back some more, with a small smirk growing on his face. "Sector five, huh? Are they trying to make my job easy?" he questioned aloud. Sounds of hurried footsteps and the jingling of keys emitted from behind the door. The smirk on his face only grew larger, while his eyes only grew sharper. He disregarded his previous feeling the moment when he felt adrenaline course through his body.
The commotion outside slowed to a crawl, as his chest rose and fell. He blinked once and stepped back, now turning to regard the metal door. It was a large door. A single knob from the outside. Two hinges. A thin horizontal slit for food.
Food…
He took one step, crouched, and looked through the slit to see a wall staring back at him. There was only one guard present, back against it, his cap covering his eyes. "Huh. What's this? A lone guard remaining…looking to be sleeping at a time like this," he mumbled. He stepped back once again and looked over the door a second time. If he remembered correctly, it was said that the door carried some sort of…
Bzzzt!
The door coursed with electricity for all but a second, before a soft click was emitted. He could only give a surprised look at the occurrence.
"Huh. I was right. She moves mighty fast…and now it's my turn," he readied his hands and gripped the thin slit on the door. He cringed momentarily as electricity coursed through him, but he disregarded that with a shake of his head and lifted the heavy door. He walked back, pulling the door towards him as a dim light poured through the crack, not even brightening up that small room at all. He groaned quietly when he let go. "They said breaking out comes at a cost. Whatever, I'm not dead. It's good she remembered to soften the blow."
He opened and closed his hand rapidly, shaking off the feeling of numbness. The man went back to back against the wall directly right of the door as his blue bangs covered his eyes, looking through the thin opening. It was only just the guard, the wall behind him, leading to a hallway, and the new (although dimmed) light source on top. No cameras present. Perfect.
He inched out of the room, squatted, and regarded the lookout directly in the eye. The guard's eyes were closed, tight, virtually unaware of the presence on the outside. He looked further down, studying him. He wore a navy uniform, a black belt that held all sort of items, and a radio. That was all he needed. The man's eyes narrowed as he threw a hand up, pressing up against the guard's throat. The guard barely opened his eyes, and that was his que to press down even harder, he began to choke him.
The guard's eyes flew open, as he gasped and struggled for breath. His eyes flitted around the corridor, before finally meeting his aggressor. "Wha-?! What're y-you…!"
"Turn it off," he demanded with a growl. The hallway light flickered.
"Wha…huh? How are you-, what are yo-!"
"Turn it off. Don't make me repeat myself. You know what I'm talking about," the blue haired man stared at him with snarl and pressed harder. The guard yelped quietly while his hands shakily went towards his radio. The blue haired man's eyes never left the guard's. "Send a distress signal, and, by Arceus above, you're dead."
"T-tch..." the guard had no other choice. The alarm continued blaring while he turned the knob of the device away from him. It was off. The blue haired man only sneered and pressed even harder, nearly cutting the other man's air supply. He gasped and struggled even more in response. Adrenaline rushed through his veins that very moment, the rise of power getting to his head.
"Give it to me. Now."
"Sa-Satu- "
"NOW!" he shouted, punching the man in the stomach. The alarm covered his voice while the guard's saliva came out of his mouth in heaps. "Don't even think about resisting!"
"Argh…damn it," the guard groaned. He complied reluctantly and weakly handed him the radio. The blue haired man removed his hand from the guard's stomach and swiped the radio, inspecting it. It was indeed, off. He looked back up and pocketed the device before regarding the man once again. "How are…you even out?"
"Aren't you even listening? How can you sleep through this mess? I'm surprised you even have a job with your crappy work ethic," he jeered. He used his vacant hand and closed it around his mouth, while his other hand went above his hand. The guard breathed heavily through his nose, his chest rapidly rising and falling to restore oxygen in his lungs. But his eyes held a different story. The guard's eyes were wide with fear, knowing what'll come next. They pleaded to the young man to stop. "I won't allow myself to be a pawn once again. I won't conform to someone's will and be blindsided!"
"No, don't! I got a wife…and my kid is gonna-!" he spoke, muffled by the man's hand.
"No more..." he told himself. Power raged through his fingertips as he imagined his boss in that same position. "If he wasn't gone, I'd wipe that man off the face of the earth myself. This'll only take a second," he spoke quietly through the ringing sound. He looked back up and gave the man a hard gaze, but his eyes softened just a bit. "Thanks for the food, but I need to get out of this place. I can't advance further unless I play dress up," he tightened his grip and looked to the left. There was nobody approaching, all the other guards long gone, trying to see what the commotion was about on the outside. He looked back at the man and nodded once out of respect.
Before snapping his neck.
The light flickered more, flashing the area all around them. Without any further form of resistance, life left the man as he fell to the floor. The blue haired man caught him on his descent, while his head flopped to the side, turned in such a way it almost made him cringe. He shook his head once, and began to backpedal, dragging the lifeless guard into the room he was once in. He fell to a stop in the middle of the cold floor. "It's now or never…" he muttered to himself, crouching and unbuttoning his jumpsuit…
He stood back up, now garbed in the navy clothes of his watcher, and stared at the man who kept him company the past few months. His lips were turned into a frown, contemplating the situation. His mind began to wander, but he shook his head, ridding himself of such can't manage to get distracted in that moment.
He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to leave the man on the floor. "I need to get out of here…but that's not without gaining baggage," he sighed carefully, "she was located in the upper part of the facility. That's where I'll go first..."
Metal key tucked within his vest, and now with a radio in his possession, the blue haired man walked forward, picked up the door once again, and closed it shut behind him, finally away from the chamber. The hallway was quiet, himself by his lonesome, left with a rapidly flickering light for guidance. He considered his hands for a moment, stained from the life he just took.
"Yeah…my kid is going to journey in just a few weeks. I want to be there to see him off the next morning along with my wife. I hope I live long enough to see what he does on his travels..." he remembered the guard's words.
"…With no regards for his peers, huh? How does this make me any better than him? These hands were ordered around by him, used by him, but these hands are doing a selfish act." The door in front of him seemingly scowled at him, with himself looking back at it with no emotion. "I could've walked away from this life. Away from him, but here, now…all I did was emulate his actions." He breathed heavily and steeled his gaze down the hall. The alarm was white noise to him now. He pulled his cap downward and covered his eyes with its bill. He gave a dry chuckle.
"Tch, pathetic. Doing this for your own desire to leave this place, huh? Just how low can you get, Saturn of Neo Galactic?"
The light above him surged with electricity, before shutting off entirely, concealing him in darkness. He took a step, and walked forward, towards an even dimmer light, but he never looked back once.
Bzzzt…!
Click!
"Hmph. That shouldn't kill him," a female said, standing back from an electric grid panel on the left side of the prison. Her large Pokémon silently watched her as she put her tools away, the only thing that wasn't silent was the annoying alarm going off in the distance. The Pokémon rolled their eyes, instead finding solace in the ground. It took its large foot and began drawing on it, making a flower, though it looked more like a blob than something a Smeargle would make. Her Trainer (or was it caretaker?) just watched it doodle along. "I…didn't know you were an artist, Salamence." Salamence huffed in response, kicking away its creation. She rolled her eyes, deciding to call up someone in that moment.
"I believe you already know where I am, correct? Good. Everything has been set into place, whatever is left is up to them. In the meantime, keep your profile low. You are to stay with him until further orders."
Commotion brewed up from the outer court, as heavy footsteps flooded the area behind the wall. Her eyes narrowed. "It's time for me to move. Thirty minutes. We'll talk at headquarters." Hunter J ended the call and kept her back pressed on the perimeter of the wall. The way she was facing made her look at the darkened waters through the sparse trees of the island. Since it was dark out, she easily blended in and hadn't needed to make herself too apparent. She had her own route to run, anyway. Salamence next to her growled in response. "If you don't mind, divert their attention. Don't wait around for orders and attack if needed. Just keep going until I come back, but before that…
"I think we have a little gnat to take care of. Get out. You're not as slick as you think."
Shuffling was heard in the trees and Salamence tensed. Dropping down and dusting himself off, a man wrapped in black strode out from his hiding place, holding a Pokéball. It was a specialty guard. "My oh me, me oh my, what do we have here? A little spy?" he sneered. She was not amused in the slightest. Salamence prepared an attack but was stopped by J.
"Nice rhyme."
"What're you doing here? Didn't you die some months back, J?!"
"None of that is your concern," she held her own Pokéball up at the man. "You're like a thorn in my side, you know that? Appearing and reappearing as you are." His gaze hardened as he began to pace around their space, throwing his ball up and down. The waters lapped up against a rocky surface, faintly emitting a sound.
"I know. Any remnants of you is not welcome in this world! It's why I became a guard in the first place. Ending threats like you is why I live to serve," he growled.
"Especially if it means no more Pokémon being stolen from little girls who did nothing wrong!"
J simply closed her eyes and readied her Pokéball. "…Holding a grudge, huh? Salamence, if you would please. The opposite direction." Salamence, without a retort, readied his wings, and with a great flap, shot up to the air and made it to the other side of the court. The noise on the other side only grew louder. The ball in her hand opened to form a Pokémon with a large purple tail. It chuckled, almost evilly, as it snapped its pincers adorned on its tail. The guard stepped back once but readied his ball regardless. He wasn't going to back down in the face of his longtime enemy.
"Your Drapion doesn't scare me. Nothing you do, will ever scare me. My daughter didn't deserve what happened to her. I will not, ever, stand to make people like you make a quick buck by ruining someone else's life!" the specialty guard roared, throwing his ball in the air. A Sceptile materialized and growled at its opponent. The specialty guard's eyes widened. "You're going down! Your days of capturing Pokémon end today!"
Hunter J opened her eyes. A snarl ripped across her face while she flashed a hand forward. "Hmph. If you want to end me, do it. Otherwise…
"You won't walk out of here alive."
Looker's fingers tapped against the back rest of a chair, hunched over his colleague, peering into a small computer monitor that displayed the messages his coworker sent addressed to the rest of the command center. Replays of the occurrence on the outer court was shown in a window adjacent to the message. His stare narrowed heavily as his brain tried to discern what was going on.
"I don't get it," Looker spat, "what I'm seeing here is just blurs, it's like I can't make out what's happening at all. What's worse is that our culprit disabled all the cameras on the outer field. Can't we sharpen what we have?" Looker asked, turning to regard his friend. The man's eyebrows wrinkled as his typing slowed once again, throwing his right hand to the mouse.
"What Janine sent me has the image already tampered with. This is the best quality one we have, Sir. Unfortunately, it can't get any clearer than this," he replied, sighing as his hands fidgeted. "I don't think Pokémon can break cameras on the fly, and on that note, what we also don't know is who'd do such concise work of the hidden ones in the amount of time they did. They've had to have studied the building to know where it is, sir."
"That's what irks me." Looker leaned up and sighed in the air, hands going to his hips in that moment. Now what, he thought. "Any intel on the outer court?"
"Negative," a female dressed in a suit replied. "I've not received a call about if the target has been located…"
Looker sighed out frustration, holding his hands to his head. The alarm continued ringing, only furthering his trepidation. There was only so much he could do in that moment. The clicking of a keyboard split his attention, his coworker now typing code into the database. Suddenly, the radio Looker had came to life, relaying a distress signal. In that moment, he fingered for the device hurriedly. "Special Agent Looker of the tactics team, come in. Any idea what's goin' on outside?"
"S-sir...there really was a Pokémon that was observed through the camera. It appears to be a Salamence. It's causing a ruckus on the outer field!" a soldier informed. His speech wasn't as discernible as Looker would like, but he would take all he could at the moment.
"A Salamence…any idea where it came from?"
"None, sir. We're having trouble handling the offender, a few guards have been struck by its attacks. We need some more back up!" he called out. Looker's coworker continued to type away, even faster now that he heard what was going on. Looker's eyes narrowed. A Salamence?
"I'll just have to check this out myself in the meantime. Until then, your directions are hold off the enemy as best you can, backup'll be sent momentarily. Await further orders."
"Yes sir!" the soldier responded, before terminating the connection. Looker sent his gaze back to the female worker, sending her a message through his eyes. She nodded once and began to call for another sector of the facility. He then turned back to his coworker as he worked diligently.
"And…it's done! We should be back online."
His eyes snapped up, and finally at long last, the monitor in front showed signs of life. Images from all over the facility popped up…except… "The ones from the inside are disabled, and locked, sir. I can't mess with that code to get the others up and running."
"No, you've done enough already. Thanks," Looker said as he observed the quarrel on the outer courtyard. Sure enough, there was, indeed a Salamence rampaging around, using Dragon Claws to wreck everything in sight. He saw some International Police guards fight back with their own Pokémon, but each falling to the quadruped. He suspected that not every member he tallied against fell properly, at least, the way they should have. 'Can it be…?'
"Hmph," he continued, "I think it's about time I get my hands dirty a little. I feel as if I have a lead. I trust the thirteen of you will be fine in my stead?" Without question, the rest of the associates and workers like himself nodded. "Good. Croagunk, pal? We're heading out," he said, using a hand to grip a long time Pokéball he had since he was young. He nodded once, and walked out of the room, going down a dark corridor before turning left, and out a padlocked door.
'Of course, this can't just be any old Salamence. I have a feeling as if this is hers. And if it is, she'll have a lot of questions to answer to should she get captured. A guess is a guess in the end, but I can never be sure.' He walked forward some more, making his way past a set of doors and to the outside. He walked by a few officers headed to a different, more crowded direction at the lower levels of the ground. As he walked a top a raised platform on the perimeter of the building, he saw the Salamence on the far side, being true to his comrade's word and causing much destruction. He put a spring to his step and began running towards the problem at hand.
"Agent Looker! Come in! Guard from sector five reporting!" his radio sounded. He picked it up and slowed to a stop.
"Looker here, speak."
"Sir, in the commotion, sector five has been all but eliminated with guards, but a few remained. Some has just received reports of some prisoners escaping!"
His eyes widened as his face hardened in an instant. What did he just hear? "What. D-did you say escape? Details!" His heart began to beat a mile a minute at the news. His free hand balled itself into a fist and shook. Of all times to escape, why now? "Do you know who?"
"Affirmative…they say that a guard has been seen unlocking a prisoner's door and stepping in. Moments later, they both fleeted. When one of us checked, one cell was left unlocked but shut. A guard of ours, Mitchell, is dressed as a prisoner and was announced as deceased following the prisoner's exit."
"…" Looker couldn't breathe at that news. His legs seemed to give, buckling underneath him, but he held on. He weakly released his fist and ran it through his hair. "Mitchell…his family will…" Looker shook his head, he'd allow himself to have a moment later. "Tch…any idea who it may be…?"
"Sir, reports say, Commander Saturn, and Commander Mars, of Team Galactic."
The world that Looker lived in seemed to freeze in that very moment.
Team Galactic.
He offered no immediate reaction, instead, he simply closed his eyes. Everything these past few months, be it peace for Sinnoh, has came to a complete stop. They were on the move again?
"…Sir?" the guard asked after a long moment of silence. He breathed very heavily.
"…I want," Looker began. His hand shakily turned the knob of the radio to an all channel connection. "No, I need every door! Every hallway, every cell, every damn sector in this vicinity locked down this instant. We cannot allow those two, no, four to escape! Today is the first, and last day this'll ever happen again. Everyone, this is a coordinated break out by Team Galactic! All men on the inner and outer perimeter and every guard available in this facility, locate, and stop them, am I clear!?" Looker barked, seething with rage.
All of this flew under his nose. Of course! Salamence on the outer court is nothing but a distraction while the others worm their way out, it's why the cameras weren't working in the first place. Why didn't he realize this sooner?
"Yes sir!" every guard, coworker, tactician and solder alike reaffirmed. They all quickly went to work while the connection was terminated. The moon rose up dead in the middle of the sky, and Looker didn't bother to look at it in that moment. He stepped forward and walked off towards the Salamence causing destruction.
"I won't let anything like this slip by me again. As an International Police Agent, I'll be sure of it. Galactic is moving once again…and just after you think they're gone, they turn back up. A revival indeed."
"All men on the inner and outer perimeter and every guard available in this facility, locate, and stop them, am I clear!?" Saturn's radio blared out, clearly translating Looker's immense disdain for the situation at hand. Saturn, and now, Mars, the red-haired beauty, were now running on the upper floor of the building, going from zero to one hundred the instant the message came through.
"Well, shit, they're onto us," Saturn growled as he made his way past a few cells, the prisoners yelling and cheering them on, somewhat. Mars offered no immediate reply, instead, looking around for any other exits or doors. It has only been fifteen minutes since Saturn has came to her rescue, herself recalling him unlocking her magnetic door with a key card and supplying her with a lookout garb. She had zero idea where he had obtained those clothes, but she never brought it up, finding it non-important in that moment. She kept up with Saturn's quickened pace, her own radio bouncing against her curved hip. Since then, they decided to make it to the other side of the facility, where their destination lied. "I don't think they'd find us out sooner, but we ran past a few guards. These clothes seem to be working."
"It's good that our current destination is near the outer court- but I don't even know where we're going. Can't you fill me in?" she asked, casting a sideways glance at her partner in crime. Saturn just looked her and smirked a little.
"You weren't filled in when we discussed our plan with Charon before all this happened? If whatever plan he had with Heatran failed, we were to do this regardless. It's risky, at first I didn't want to go through with it, but here I am," he replied, seeing a door ahead of him. There were no other guards present in that area, making their escape all the more easier. Mars sighed as she ran a bit faster.
"I think I was already in custody when it happened. But answer my question, what's next?"
"We have to retrieve our Pokémon on the other side of the building. Jupiter should already be in that area, I haven't received any reports on her yet, so she's doing a hell of a good job with evasive maneuvers," he said as they burst through the door. Now on the outside, the brisk night air felt very welcome the her as she ran atop the perimeter. Directly in front, she could see Hunter J's Salamence causing problems for the other guards. They made eye contact and she nodded, signaling it just a few minutes. "Just a little more and we're gone."
Mars kept running, her lungs told her to stop, but she disobeyed. She looked to her left and saw an explosion sound out. A Pokémon she recognized as Sceptile flew back into a tree, groaning in pain. She shook her head and kept on, seeing the doors grow closer with every step. "How is she still alive?"
"Beats me."
A short answer she didn't want to hear, but she shook her head regardless. If anything, she played a part in her escape, and to that extent, she was thankful. They ran past a few guards, with them being unaware of their presence. Saturn is right, she thought. Those clothes really are working. As the doors approached however, a lone guard stationed in that area steeled his body and blocked the door, Mars and Saturn growled at the abrupt stoppage.
"You two, why are you headed in this direction? You were to receive orders to stop the Pokémon at the courtyard," he voiced, holding up a baton. Mars gulped once and looked to Saturn for guidance. He chuckled under his breath, before changing his face to display no emotion.
"We…can't exactly do that, with no Pokémon. Ours are located in this part of the facility, with the rest of the guard's Pokémon, didn't you know that?"
"The only Pokémon located in this facility are those Pokémon detained from prisoners, soldiers use them as backup. Your garb suggests you're a night watcher, like I am," the guard voiced with an edge to his tone. Saturn didn't care, instead nodding once and putting his hand to his side.
"We've changed our position a month prior, didn't you know?"
"Alright. State the error code and I'll let you pass."
"…Bye bye a go go." Mars' lips curled into a smile, trying to stifle laughter at the idiotic sounding code while Saturn smirked. The night guard's eyes widened, brow raised in confusion. His hands fidgeted, before slacking in defeat. He moved to the side and allowed them to pass through, unlocking the door with a muted sigh.
"Pass."
"Many thanks," Saturn voiced. They both walked into the doorway and continued down the hall. "Come, we have to stop that Pokémon while those idiots get detained. It'd suck if they found their Pokémon, yeah?"
"It definitely would," Mars replied, herself finding it hard to giggle. The guard shut the door following their remarks, going back to man the entrance as if nothing happened. The new part of the building was unfamiliar to Mars, barely any guards in this area as well. Were they all outside, she wondered? She broke into laughter as their destination was in sight. "Seriously, how dumb can they get? And, bye bye a go go? Really?"
"They speak of a legendary Team Rocket agent from Kanto that usually said that. After he served jail time, I heard many of our grunts saying that, and a few guards too. I didn't think it'd actually work," his smirk chuckled out. Mars shook her head as the door they spent all their time looking for appeared. Saturn fished for his metal key, using it to unlock the door. As he hoped, it slipped in, and came right out. He then slid his key card into the slot and type in the code that followed: "1996".
"Access granted," a female voice chimed out. The door unlocked, and he opened with haste, Mars followed directly after. She breathed out in awe as she saw the wide assortments of Pokéballs stacked on shelfs. Ultra-Balls, Luxury Balls, Love Balls, Heavy Balls, Great Balls, they were all here. Each one containing a different Pokémon than the last. Saturn used this time to heavily scan the immediate area, finding no guards present. He then made a beeline towards the back, finding a tray of six, combined with his, and Mars' Pokémon.
"It's been many months, friend. I hope you didn't get hurt or anything," she heard Saturn say to the first ball there. It waggled in response, which brought a huge grin to his face. He took his three and clipped it onto his belt, and she did hers.
"Purugly, dear. I've missed you. We're going to get out of here, and then I'll meet you proper. Just a few more moments," she spoke to her own ball. The ball also wiggled, signaling her Pokémon's acceptance. They both looked at each other, finding Jupiter's Pokémon and attaching them to their own belts afterwards. They nodded once. "Alright, we're set. Time to get out of here."
Saturn moved out of the door and returned to the door the hallway lead to, seeing a Hyper Beam get shot into the air. "At long last."
Their radio came to life, Looker's voice getting through. "Guards! Have you seen them?"
"Negative, sir!" a female guard replied. Saturn and Mars crouched low behind the door, lowering their volume. "So far, no one has reported since your call. Is everything alright on the other field?"
It took Looker a moment to respond. "…The Salamence has fired a Hyper Beam in the air, but other than that, and a few men down, nothing has changed. I'm more concerned about three Commanders than I am a distraction. We need to get our hands on them quick, or else Sinnoh may be in danger once again." The voice he used ended that sentence with a sigh, causing Mars and Saturn to look at one another. Their escape was behind them, all they had to do was open the door and fight through just a bit.
"That's not going to happen on my watch," Saturn whispered to his partner. She regarded him a wary nod, and they both got up, being sure to stay out of sight from the thin window on the door. Further down the hall, footsteps approached in a specific pattern, something that they both easily recognized. "Nice of you to join us."
"Whatever, Pokémon, please," the voice of Jupiter, the third Commander of Galactic responded. "I had to knock out a few guards to get over here."
"You and him both," Mars replied quietly, "good to see you again." She and Saturn both handed her the Pokémon she owned. Jupiter greeted them quietly and put them away afterwards. A repetition of beeps caught their attention, fleeted back to the radios. A distress signal.
"Sir, sir…Specialty Guard…Chase…speaking!"
"You're connected. Agent Looker. Go ahead."
"It's Hunter J! I've fought her, but, agh…she's getting away!" The three's heads snapped up, now realizing the Hyper Beam was a signal. Without any more hesitation, they opened the door and swiftly knocked out the guard from before, throwing a palm to his neck. Search lights began to turn on, scouring the area for her whereabouts. They ran down the perimeter and attempted to make their way over to the waiting Salamence. "We…need to capture her, she's headed to the outer court! Gah…"
"A rendezvous point. I'm on it."
The specialty guard growled as his Pokémon was knocked back by Drapion's attacks. They've been battling well over ten minutes now, her Drapion dominating his Sceptile for every move he called. Something about her set him off. She supposedly died months prior to today, and yet, here she is in the flesh. What's with her?
"Gah, Sceptile…you alright?" he asked. His eyes never left the Hunter's for a second, calculating her emotionless stare. Sceptile growled in response, slowly getting up from his position on the floor. The specialty guard's badge shone in the moonlight when he took out his Pokéball. "What's with you, J? How the hell are you still breathing? Jail can't stop you, a life sentence can't stop you, and not even death can. What more do you want?!"
She offered no answer, her only response was a hand flashed forward. Drapion took that as a command and used Poison Sting on the struggling Sceptile. Drapion's tail whipped around, pinching the green Pokémon as it screamed. From its arms, it jabbed forward, nailing Sceptile in the stomach with a purple glow of its pincers.
"S-scept!"
"Argh, Sceptile…answer me, J! What's your goal in li-!"
"None of your concern," she barked sharply. "What I do, what I did, and how I survived has nothing to do with you."
"Like hell it doesn't! Ever since you injured my girl, I stopped at nothing to make sure you were behind bars. But every time I look back, you're gone!" he snarled, "every attempt always ends up in failure. Sceptile! Help me out here, use Leaf Storm! Once you're dead, stay dead!"
"Drapion," she sighed.
The large purple scorpion chuckled evilly as it pinched Sceptile even more. The Forest Pokémon cried out, powering up a Leaf Storm from its tail before firing it at Drapion. It didn't even flinch as leaves pelted it on all sides. Hunter J, likewise, merely stood there as wind blew, blowing around her silver hair. Her blue eyes pierced a deadly gaze at her opponent, her goggles long since vanished months ago. He disregarded her look and stared back just as hard, burning with fury. Sceptile grimaced, and his attack stopped. Drapion let go of the Forest Pokémon and it dropped to the ground, clutching its midsection tightly.
"Any last words before I end your Pokémon's life?"
The commotion from the outside stopped when a large Hyper Beam fired in the air, the night becoming silent for all but a second.
"…Burn in hell!" he screamed, running at J with speed.
Her gaze hardened, and she reared back, dodging the man's punch before giving a right hook of her own. Her fist slammed against his face. He didn't care to shake it off, instead used his left leg to kick at her midsection. She jumped back while he used the momentum to right himself. They both looked at each other as their Pokémon watched. Sceptile growled, its eyes clutched tight as poison seeped into it.
"Gah, damn it!" he yelled. J stood there and merely watched him ball his fist. Tears pricked at his eyes, his body shook, he tried to hold it in, but he couldn't. He broke down that moment, blinded by anger and revenge. "Just die! Die! Die!"
Drapion's tail flew and grabbed the man, suspending him in midair while her Pokémon turned to face it. She closed her eyes and gave a joint command. "Cross Poison into Brutal Swing. End his life." Her Pokémon did as told without question. Its claws grew a deep purple, elongated, and swiped directly at his chest, ripping away at his clothes and cutting his badge in half. His pincers squeezed his midsection while his arms dug into his skin. Blood splattered on the ground while the poor guard screamed in pain. Deep poison injected itself into the man's body while he squirmed, head held back and crying out.
"GAH!"
The Ogre Scorpion Pokémon then swung his tail around wildly, throwing the man every which way. He felt bile leave his throat and splash on the ground in heaps. Drapion then slammed him into the ground, over and over, cracking the mans ribs while his midsection bled. Sceptile screamed and fired off a Solar Beam, although weak. Drapion used the man as a shield as the attack burned through his back. He cried out even more before Drapion threw him up in the air.
"Pin missile."
Streaks of light shot out of Drapion's appendages and mercilessly slammed into him repeatedly. He cried out even more as some even went through him. Finally, attacks stopped, causing him to meet with the ground in pain. He groaned, blood flying out of his mouth while he tried to breathe. He weakly regarded her. "Uh…ah…"
"I hope you understand what you're dealing with. Drapion, return." A Pokéball came out and Drapion glowed red, before being sucked inside the ball.
"Stay out of my way."
She walked off, while his vision began to fade. Sceptile weakly crawled over to him. "Scept…tile…"
"My…radio, plea...please…AHHH!" he moaned, weakly pointing towards the black object on the ground. The Forest Pokémon reached towards it and brought to his Trainer. He coughed and slowly pressed a button, sending a distress signal. "Sir, sir…Specialty Guard…Chase…speaking!"
"You're connected," came the voice of Looker. "Agent Looker, go ahead."
He moaned in pain while Sceptile held him close, wrapping an arm around his body. "It's Hunter J! I've fought her, but, agh…she's getting away! We…need to capture her, she's headed to the outer court! Gah…" he weakly groaned. Looker replied with something, but he barely heard what was said. His eyes closed, and he breathed slower. "S-sceptile…thank you, for everything…we couldn't protect Ab…ah…my chest…
"Just…go! Get out of here! Seek help, and…find my daughter. Please! I'm…counting…on you…"
All consciousness faded from the man, he barely heard his Pokémon scream, before all was lost.
Search lights, everywhere. Every light in the facility was up and running while Looker stormed over towards the waiting Drapion. He was furious. Hunter J was alive? She was picking the Galactic members, wasn't she? That was the only conclusion he could make as Salamence hovered there, seemingly waiting. He looked around, seeing downed guards and wounded soldiers littered across the lot. He fingered for his Pokéball and threw it forward. Out popped Croagunk, a small frog like Pokémon, but very fast and dependable.
"Buddy, we have a nuisance that reappeared," he said, crouching to one knee. He looked at his Pokémon in the eye as Croagunk's cheeks expanded and contracted. "We need to capture and the others so Sinnoh will no longer be in danger. You remember what happened at Spear Pillar, yeah?"
It nodded.
"We can't have that happen again, alright? So, let's go after them! Men! Form three teams and approach the offending Pokémon with haste! Let's do this!"
"Yes sir!" they yelled, scrambling to get up and make their way over once again. Sensing movement, the Salamence roared and powered up a Hyper Beam. Looker dashed and called for a Sludge Bomb to block it. Complying, the Pokémon jumped in the air and fired off purple gunk, successfully containing most of the beam. The gunk exploded outward, raining poisonous goops of sludge on the grass. The men behind Looker also ran, calling their own wounded Pokémon to attack. Salamence flew in the air, dodging Flamethrowers, Thunderbolts, Acid Sprays and Ice Beams. The attacks flew off into the night air, leaving the air and the temperature fluctuating in their wake.
Croagunk fell, and Looker caught movement near the upper part of the facility. "Special Agent Looker speaking, I caught sight of the three Commanders. They're mine! Guards and soldiers, after the Salamence!" he yelled through the radio. Immediately following his order, the men behind him continued forward while he and Croagunk took a different route. Looker made his was up a ladder stationed on the side of the wall, successfully grounding himself on the upper ledge of the rectangular court. He ran, seeing the culprits make their way over to Salamence's side of the building. "After them! Speed up!"
Croagunk nodded and sped off, quickly catching up and throwing a Poison Jab at once of them. The three stopped, and, from what Looker saw, a Toxicroak appeared, blocking his attack. "What?! They got their Pokémon back? Damn them…"
Finally, in his Pokémon's stead, Looker caught up and put his hands to his hips, looking at Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. "I've got you…finally."
"…"
"…"
"…Hm. Can I help you?" Saturn asked monotone. The family line of Croagunk had their arms tensed against each other, Croagunk looking to overpower Toxicroak, while the bigger Pokémon just blocked his advances. The sounds of airships began to whir in the distance.
"Help me?" Looker spat, "yes, actually. What are you doing out of your damn cells? What're you planning?"
"As. If. I'd. Tell," he replied, throwing a hand forward. Toxicroak jabbed Croagunk in the stomach and flew back to Saturn's side. Looker's Pokémon skidded back towards him, a smirk adorned its lips. Looker's lips turned into a frown at the answer.
"Unfortunate. I guess I'll just have to beat it out of you, then. Croagunk-!"
"You'd have to get through me, first," the voice of Hunter J interrupted. She appeared behind the Galactic members, moving forward to give Looker a hard stare. Looker saw that her signature visors were not present, allowing her eyes to show themselves. He shook.
"You," he spat venomously. "You're alive. Why? How?"
"None of your concer-"
"Don't give me that!" Looker yelled, Croagunk readying his body. "You know it is my concern, considering that you've been pronounced dead by the public. I need answers and not bullshit. Arceus," he barked. He didn't want himself to get so worked up, but he couldn't help himself in that moment. All these months of peace and they were just hiding. It pained him to see that all his efforts amounted to nothing in the end. Hunter J sighed and closed her eyes, preferring to wipe her face. "Answer me!"
"…"
"Grr…Croagunk! Pursuit!" Looker ordered loudly. Croagunk proceeded to disappear and then reappear behind his future evolutionary form, chopping him in the back. Toxicroak didn't even budge from his hit, but he then kicked Croagunk in the head. The three escapees proceeded to run down the rest of the ramp, going to where airships (he didn't even recall them landing there) were present. Looker steeled himself and proceeded to give chase. Hunter J ran ahead of him, throwing out Drapion's Pokéball once again. "Croagunk, come back for now. Arcanine can handle this. Go!" he yelled, recalling his loyal Pokémon in favor for more fire power.
Arcanine, classified as the Legendary Pokémon, popped out without an order and used Extreme Speed to catch up to his offender. Drapion also ran, but much slower. "Catch it," she swiftly commanded.
"Flamethrower!" he quickly fired back. Burning fire belched from his Pokémon mouth and raced towards Drapion, who had no chance of dodging. Returning Toxicroak, the three jumped off the edge and landed on the ground where all the soldiers were busy fighting Salamence. It roared, throwing a Dragon Claw to cut off the solders attacks. Hunter J jumped on her loyal Pokémon when in appeared at her side, allowing her to catch up to the rest. Her Drapion shrugged off the super effective attack and grabbed Arcanine by the body.
"Use Cross Poison!" Hunter J called from her Salamence, the wind whipped her hair around. Drapion's arms glowed deep purple once again and prepared to strike.
"Arcanine! Flamethrower!" Looker yelled, running towards the airships ahead of his Pokémon. "You gotta make him burn as much as you can! Quick!" Arcanine quickly complied and breathed fire as he was struck with the poisonous attack. Drapion howled and let go of Arcanine as Arcanine growled as he was swiped with poison. They both tried to shake it off, but Arcanine panted, finding himself poisoned. "You're not getting away, J!"
"Shut up! Brutal Swing!"
"Drap!" From its tail, Drapion grabbed the poisoned Arcanine and used the same move that crushed the Specialty Guard relentlessly. Arcanine howled as he was slammed into the ground and then thrown off the platform!
"Arcanine!" he yelled desperately, seeing his Pokémon fly to the other side of the outer court. It crashed into a few guards, causing them to moan in pain. Looker ripped his eyes away and gave Hunter J a murderous glare. Hunter J smirked and flew back towards the airships, she jumped off Salamence and settled herself inside with the other three. From her position, she commanded a Flamethrower.
"Attack him directly, then use Dragon Claw!"
From Salamence's mouth, fire exploded and angrily sped towards the man. He guarded his face as the flames met him, burning up his attire. "Argh!"
It just kept going and going, never stopping. His hands, scorching in the flames, curled to allow his palms protection, his side swept hair signed while it was blown back by the wind force. Suddenly, a Dragon Claw was thrown at his unprotected stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Finally, the fire stopped. He fell to the ground while the guards and soldiers screamed out in worry. He clutched his midsection as he stared up at the fleeting form of an airship.
"Keep this in mind, International Police," she spoke to all of them. "Don't look for me, you'll just be wasting your time. Get in my way, and I won't hesitate to kill you. Team Neo Galactic will bring destruction upon this world. Life as you know it, will come to an end." A spotlight tried to catch her, but the door closed just in the nick of time. The ship hovered in the air for a moment, before blasting off towards the night sky.
Looker struggled, looking up weakly at the moving form of the ship. The spotlight managed to catch the ship, revealing a symbol Looker began to resent. A 'G' made itself known, black, outlined in silver, stars dotted on the lower part of the emblem, reminiscent of a galaxy. This was all Looker saw before the ship literally faded from sight, disappearing into nothing.
Ever so silently, the wind blew across the rippling waters that evening. It was some night, the wild Pokémon found at the rocky, mountainous island were minding their own business, tending to their devices quietly. The night sky was barely obscured by clouds, causing the moon to provide its non-reassuring lights across the waves.
It all looked so peaceful…but for Looker, it was anything but. Yes, many of them were gone, off the radar, as they called it, and he hated it. He finally regarded to moon while his consciousness faded, finding no energy to continue. Battered and smoking, he felt his head hit the ground.
"Damn you…Team…Galac...tic…"
The sun greeted Maverick, Rika, and Alex as they stood on their porch that morning, backpacks full of supplies and food for the road ahead, their new clothes for the adventure dawned them. They were there along with their parents, and Winona, all of which were standing there in a swirl of emotions. The three teens looked at them just as sad, but, they also held faces with smiles, happy to be doing this. Wind blown across the landscape, swaying their hair as they all silently stared at each other.
Kimberly shook, her face breaking her stare, as she slightly doubled over and weakly went over to her husband, who held her slowly, himself trying to hold in his feelings.
"I may never see you again," she sniffed, burying her face in her husband's chest. He laid a hand atop her head and stroked her hair. It was at that instant that the three broke, their smiles disappearing and their faces quickly twisting into one of immense sadness and discomfort. Maverick, who was sweater-less, looked down at the ground as his vision got blurry with tears.
"I know," he spoke quietly for the three of them. Kimberly continued to hug her husband, weeping softly while he looked at the ceiling of the porch. Alex and Rika looked away, towards Route 201 Gateway, hiding their own sadness. Winona looked at all of them before sighing softly.
It was quiet again.
"Now, now, Kimberly, Jonathan, Maverick, Alexander, Rika. This is a joyous occasion, alright? We're supposed to be happy. Leaving home is just part of growing up, experiencing new things in life is how you grow as a person. You know that, you've done it yourselves," Winona explained quietly. Her own voice was breaking, but she began to smile. She continued.
"You've left your parent's home, went on a journey, and came back different from when you started. You've never lost sight of your aspirations as you traveled. Sure, you lost sometimes, got injured, and all those ill feelings, but you held on – and they will, too. We need to be happy for them."
The parents sniffed and broke apart, recollecting themselves. She was right, they thought. They both looked at their children again, but with sad smiles on their faces. Kimberly excused herself and walked back inside for a moment.
Winona and Jonathan looked at the three, who silently had their gazes somewhere else. They both knew that they were trying to get over the fact they're leaving, evident by their shaking bodies. Regardless, he walked forward and took the three in a hug. "It's okay," he whispered.
"The beginning of your lives is just a hop and a skip away. Keep your head up, and run for it."
They nodded, and sniffed as Kimberly walked back out, holding Maverick's sweater, along with three Pokéballs. Rika's father proceeded to take her ball, and held it up to her. Winona took Alex's ball, and presented it to him, while Maverick's mother took his ball, along with his sweater, and gave it to the young man. "Your Pokémon."
With melancholic faces, the three took their Pokémon and called them out wordlessly. The starters regarded their Trainers in wonder before rubbing themselves on their legs, trying to cheer them up. Turtwig crawled up Maverick, making himself at home on top of his head, while he put his sweater on slowly. He didn't notice, but a green Pokémon League logo, a newly redesigned version of the previous one, was emblazoned on the left chest area.
Rika picked up Chimchar and she looked at him softly, holding him tight to her chest. His flame warmed up her body, comforting her in its own way. Alex placed Piplup on his shoulder, his Pokémon using her beak to peck him softly. He smiled for the first time, albeit softly as she did so.
"What, not saying anything? Look at you all, you're all set," Jonathan pointed out.
"Oh…? S-sorry, I just…" Rika tried to begin, scrambling to recompose herself.
"…didn't think that," Alex continued, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
"I'd leave you behind," Maverick finished, regarding his parents with a sad face. "But…we'll try to call every now and then and…um…" he tried to translate. Turtwig nudged him, which Maverick appreciated.
"It's okay, we know," his mom nodded. She walked up and hugged them tightly. "Safe travels."
"Good bye, Mom, Dad, Mrs. McKnight," Rika listed off, hugging her back. "I'll write to you."
"Grandma, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I'll come visit every now and then," Alex spoke, also hugging her back. Piplup and Chimchar joined in, hugging them as well. Mrs. McKnight and Jonathan joined in, finally finishing their group hug.
Maverick remembered this moment.
They all walked towards Route 201, all of them. Every new Trainer of Twinleaf Town stood on top of a hill that overlooked their quaint town. Maverick, Rika, and Alex, along with the rest of the Trainers all threw a hand up, waving back and shouting goodbyes to their parents, who waved back. Finally, the three, filled with jubilation waved and shouted, along with their Pokémon.
"Goodbye Mom and Dad! We'll call!"
"See you later!"
"Bye Grandma!"
"AND GOODBYE TWINLEAF TOWN!" every next generation Trainer yelled at the top of their lungs. They all turned, and ran down Route 201, ready to begin the rest of their lives, with smiles on their faces.
.
.
.
To be Continued.
Author's Note: Whew. A LOT happened this chapter! A great way to celebrate all 5 years poured into this story. I planned this whole chapter out for eight months, and I'm finally glad that I got this finished in time for the story's anniversary!
Team Galactic is on the move! They've broken out of prison, and have successfully evaded capture from the International Police agent, Looker. That's not all, Hunter J makes a proper entrance into this story, but there's one prominent question surrounding her- Just how did she survive? The specialty guard seemed to have a ton of beef with her…and what is Team Neo Galactic's goal? The only way you'd find out is if the story ahead will tell you.
Those who will know, however, are these people. A huge thanks to Epicocity, AdvancedAlto, and potat lasaro for reviewing every chapter up until now. Your constructive reviews have helped me a lot.
Also, a big thanks to CityLover96 and Killfith for favoriting and following, respectively. The story is just getting started, I hope you'll join me the rest of the way as the journey continues.
Live long and Shine on, until next chapter!
~XDiamondX90