Representatives

They have had some time to and grow and develop for the past few months.

They will soon be meeting once more; I can feel it.

I wonder how they will interact now, under different circumstances than before?

HEIST ON CPP FACILITY: TEAM DOMINION STRIKES AGAIN

December 10, 2019

Last night, around 12:45 AM, a CPP facility was raided by a group of criminals. It was said that the convicts teleported inside the building using a Pokemon before splitting up to make a run through each floor. After about half an hour, they jumped from the windows and teleported away. Police were not able to find them after that.

Police were able to capture two of the six members of the group. So far, they have only been able to gather that Team Dominion was behind the attack. Team Dominion is a criminal group that focuses on using Pokemon to accomplish what they want. They've risen in popularity among other criminal organizations in the past few months after raiding two other CPP facilities like this one. It remains unknown what the ultimate goal of the organization is, but the professors last night said that it can't be good at all.

So far, the CPP has neglected to reveal what, if anything, was taken from the building. Rumors are saying that the group stole research a professor had been developing, research that was supposed to be kept a secret from anybody outside of the CPP. It is unclear what the research might have been, though there are some speculations.

Guards and professors who were in the building at the time said that each member had a Pokemon to assist them in their crime, which leaves many people confused. Sure, Pokemon would have been to teleport inside of the building, but then you would need only one. After all, it's a well-known fact that Pokemon can't do any harm to humans with special attacks; physical attacks are the only things that really work. Even then, you might as well just bring along a trained dog.

This, along with the injuries that were seen on some guards and professors, is leading people to think that something is allowing Pokemon to actually be able to harm humans, the concept of which is terrifying. We've asked the CPP about these rumors, but they denied that such a thing was possible. However, people are growing suspicious. What if such a thing does exist, and the CPP is just hiding it? What if, even, this thing had the potential to kill a human?

Either way, authorities are still working on extracting more information from the two captured convicts. Soon, hopefully, they'll tell us their plan, as well as where their hideout may be so that they can be taken down.

"Oh, man."

Kyle sat in the chair next to his desk in his room. He had just finished reading the article posted about the heist on a CPP building that had occurred last night. He swiped his thumb down his phone screen to reread the article and make sure he didn't skip over anything. When he was done, he put his phone on his desk and leaned back in his chair.

Team Dominion, huh? Kyle thought. That's the third building they've raided since they started showing up on the internet.

It was unsettling. A Pokemon that could hurt a human with their abilities? Eevee using Tackle on a person was one thing, something that didn't do much harm except knock someone over. But what if it was Judgement instead? An attack like that could do a lot of harm if it was used against a human. In addition, what if Team Dominion wasn't the only group that had this capability? Anyone might be able to do something like this. This thought was what unsettled Kyle's mind.

He knew a Pokemon would be able to punch or bite him, but that was like any other dog, something that didn't concern Kyle too much. But, the fact that he could have his face burnt off by Fireball worried him.

Kyle explored these thoughts some more before his phone buzzed. He picked it up and read the message he had received. It was from Carol.

Hey, She had texted. My brother wants to go to the park to battle some trainers. Wanna come along?

Kyle smiled. He had needed something to do on his day off from school, and this was a perfect opportunity. He glanced at his bed where his sleeping Eevee laid. Kyle had taken a page from Mr. Robert's book and had started calling it Eve rather than giving it an actual name. He liked it better this way.

As soon as Eve woke up, it would be more than ready to battle. Yeah, sure, Kyle texted.

Ask Adrien if he wants to come, too, Carol texted back.

Kyle thought about what Adrien had said. Ever since he had revealed that he had a thing for Carol, Kyle had been wary about having those two around each other. But Adrien was a good guy to have around and a great friend. He'd also said that he wouldn't get in Kyle's way if he wanted to be with Carol and that just being her friend was enough for him. Kyle knew that couldn't have been an easy decision for him to make, but he was glad all the same.

K, he texted.

Adrien laid on the floor of his room, clutching his head. This headache was more painful than the ones from before. It felt like someone was screaming inside of his head, and the vibrations were shaking his brain. He pressed his lips against the pain as he tried to endure it, remaining still and curling up slightly.

They were getting worse. Why were they getting worse?

Adrien had severe anxiety and depression, which already gave him plenty of headaches, but lately, he'd been experiencing more pain from them, and the most recent ones had brought him to his knees.

Adrien's Pikachu, which he called Chu, crouched on the floor near his head. It looked at Adrien with a concerned expression, its black eyes watering. It hates to see Adrien like this, and it wanted to do something about it. But there was nothing it could do but simply watch as Adrien fought an internal battle in his eternal war.

Adrien smiled weakly as he placed a hand on Chu, trying to comfort it.

"I'm alright, buddy," he said encouragingly, wincing. "I'll be alright."

Adrien heard his phone buzz on his nightstand. He struggled to stand; the pain often made his body feel weaker. Chu poised itself as if it was going to try and catch Adrien if he fell. Adrien smiled at the spectacle and winced as he took his hand off of his head to grab his phone and examine it. Kyle had sent a message to him.

Hey, it read. Carol and I are heading to the park with her little brother. You want to come along?

Adrien felt a little strain in his stomach. That was right. He had friends now. He should be getting better.

But he wasn't. Why?

Adrien sent his reply, saying that he'll be there. He opened a drawer in his nightstand and took out a bottle of painkillers. He swallowed two pills before putting Chu in its Poke ball and heading out the door to meet with his friends. His headache faded to a dull throbbing.

But it didn't leave. It always seemed that it never did.

Jordan was walking down the sidewalk, the fluffy snow crunching beneath his boots. He shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his winter jacket as he tried to withstand the cold; he hadn't worn gloves. This winter was a chilly one, much more freezing than it had been last year. It might be more bearable if Fireball was outside its ball, but Jordan didn't want to take it out yet. He was just about the only person who had received a Chimchar in his neighborhood, so it would be easy for others to recognize him, something he was now afraid of.

After his battle with Kyle, everyone in the area became aware of Jordan's motives, which they did not know were false. They were simply the motives of the persona he had created, a persona he still was having trouble getting rid of. Jordan wanted to be better than he had been for the past few years, but he knew the path to redemption would be tough.

People had posted online not only the fight, but also videos of Jordan shouting at Kyle to give him the Eevee. It was an instance Jordan cringed at daily. He had become everyone's enemy. Nobody wanted to hang out with him. Nobody wanted to even talk to him; almost everyone he had known had blocked him on social media. The only one who was still there was Adrien, but even he had chosen to hang out with Kyle and his other friend more than him. Not only that, but he'd also gone against the deal he had made for them.

Who could blame him, though? Jordan had, after all, left him completely alone. Now it was his turn to be lonely. But though he knew he deserved it, it was still incredibly frustrating.

The only way he knew he could burn off steam was by battling. Unfortunately, his Pokemon revealed who he was when he battled someone. Most people battled him anyway, but Jordan still felt uncomfortable when someone called him out, saying, "Hey! You're that guy who wanted to steal that guy's Pokemon!"

Jordan didn't hate Kyle for what had happened. Part of himself didn't, anyway. His persona, however, detested Kyle with every fiber of its being. It hated that Kyle hadn't lived up to the agreement, and that he'd kept the Eevee.

Jordan's heart disagreed. Kyle and Eevee had fought remarkably well as a team and had almost gained the upper hand, even while being a few levels lower than Fireball. His heart didn't care anymore. It was content with what it had and was glad that Kyle was able to get what he wanted.

His persona disagreed, saying Fireball was too weak. Jordan's heart argued with his persona, saying that the Chimchar was able to defeat Eevee in their battle, making it stronger. The persona countered by pointing out that Jordan was a better trainer, which is why they had won. Had the Pokemon been reversed, it said, the outcome still would have been the same.

These types of battles between his two selves only succeeded in giving him a headache. He didn't even know which one was him anymore, or which one he wanted to listen to. All he knew was that he needed to get rid of one of them, and soon. It was driving him insane.

Adrien said that he should try to listen to his heart more and get rid of his false persona. Jordan liked this option, but his persona had no intention of leaving anytime soon. It was still very apparent in Jordan's attitude and actions. He wanted to be nicer and more understanding to people, but his persona wouldn't have it.

Adrien had greatly encouraged Jordan to start hanging out with him and Kyle. Jordan's heart got excited at the thought. Jordan had wanted to be friends with Kyle since they had met; he felt they were pretty similar. They were both determined to succeed, willing to work hard and surpass any obstacle to achieve their goals. The persona saw Kyle as a threat and tried to convince Jordan that he was worthless and weak.

Jordan would be trying to make friends with Kyle again soon. He just wasn't ready yet. He needed some more time.

He turned at a street corner and the park came into view. It was mostly an open field, with a playground in one corner and some trees speckled here and there. There were a few places where picnic tables were set up. People sat eating their lunches for the day. There were a lot of Pokemon battles going on; this was something that had become extremely popular in the park since Pokemon had been distributed.

There were a lot of people there of all ages. Jordan recognized some of them from school. He grimaced at the thought of having to face them but kept walking anyway. Maybe he could avoid them.

He noticed his real problem a moment later. He froze for an instant before quickly darting behind the nearest tree. A girl his age was standing at the edge of the park with a small boy. She wore a white beanie with a dark blue winter coat and jeans. A Dratini was wrapped around her neck like a scarf.

What is she doing here? Jordan thought.

"When can we start battling?" Carol's little brother, Noah, asked, his voice muffled by his scarf.

Carol looked down at her little brother, who was a little over nine. He was growing impatient, that she could tell. He was practically hopping up and down with anticipation. His beanie was too big for his head; it almost covered his eyes. His scarf was a red-colored plaid that obscured his neck, chin, and most of his mouth. Their mother had been very worried about the effect of the cold on Noah. Carol had told her not to worry in vain.

I don't even know if he could get cold with all of that energy, Carol thought.

Carol smiled. "Soon, okay? We're just waiting for a few friends."

"Your boyfriend?" Noah asked innocently.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," Carol insisted. Though that would certainly be nice.

"But it's him, right? Kyle?"

"Yeah, that's right. Along with one other guy."

"Wow, I didn't know you had two boyfriends!"

Carol sighed and Scarf shook slightly in amusement. Sometimes, she just had to deal with what Noah said. She loved her brother, but sometimes some things slipped out of his mouth that should stay in his head. Carol would let that one slide.

She caught sight of Adrien heading their way. She smiled when she saw him and waved. He gave a slight smile in return. He wasn't wearing a hat or scarf. In fact, he was only wearing what he always wore, besides the gloves: a simple black jacket and jeans.

"Aren't you cold?" Carol asked.

Adrien shook his head. "Not really. I don't usually get cold easily."

"Iceman?" Carol asked.

Adrien chuckled. "Not exactly."

"Are you my sister's boyfriend?" Noah asked suddenly.

Carol placed her hand on her face to hide her embarrassment. Adrien raised his eyebrows at Noah, then at Carol. He started to place his hands on his wrists and rub them a little. Maybe he was cold, after all.

"Uh, no, I'm not," Adrien said. "I'm just a friend."

"Oh," Noah said, clearly disappointed. "I'm Noah! I'm her brother."

"Yeah, um, I'm Adrien. I'm her, uh, regular friend."

"Do you know where Kyle is, Adrien?" Carol asked, changing the subject. "I did text him first, so I thought he would show up before you."

"Oh," Adrien said. He stopped rubbing his wrists. "I live pretty close by," he said. "I'd be surprised if he got here before me, even with a little head start."

Just then, a car pulled up right in front of them. Carol recognized it as Chelsey's, Kyle's sister. The passenger door opened and Kyle stepped out. Except for the black beanie on his head, Kyle also wasn't any additional clothing to the traditional outfit he wore.

"Thanks!" Kyle said to the driver. "I'll see you later!"

"Have fun, guys!" Carol heard Chelsey say from the car.

"We will!" Carol said, waving as the car started moving away from them.

Kyle hurried up to the trio. Scarf extended a bit from Carol's neck towards Kyle. It had taken a liking to him, almost as much as it had toward Carol.

"Damn," Carol said, looking once more at Kyle and Adrien's out-of-season outfits, "how are neither of you freezing?!"

Kyle and Adrien both shrugged. "Sorry, by the way," Kyle said. "I hope you weren't waiting on me."

Carol was about to say that it was fine and that she was glad he could join them when Noah spoke up.

"You'd better be!" Noah huffed. "Just think about the XP I could have gotten in the time it took you to get here!"

Kyle laughed, and Adrien chuckled. Carol sighed again.

"Shall we?" she said.

"Yeah," Kyle said. Then he looked and pointed a gloved finger at Adrien. "You. We're fighting again."

Adrien smiled. "Oh, really?" he asked. "You after redemption?"

Kyle scowled playfully. "It's not going to be like last time. Eve's gotten stronger."

"Yeah, well, so has Chu," Adrien said. "Besides . . ."

Adrien took a Poke ball from his jacket pocket and enlarged it, then released the Pokemon inside. A Pikachu straightened on the ground and let off a few sparks of electricity. Its eyes squinted a little as it smiled at everyone.

"You haven't fought us since Chu evolved," Adrien said. "Still confident?"

"Wow!" Noah exclaimed. "So that's what a Pikachu looks like!" He dropped to his knees to pet the electric mouse, which was very compliant to let him.

Kyle scratched his head. "I mean, I could go home and evolve Eve real quick if I wanted to," he muttered. "But whatever," he said, smiling again. "I still think I have a shot."

Adrien shrugged, grinning. "If you say so."