This wasn't the most exciting chapter to write, but of course, all chapters are necessary in order to tell the story. I hope you all enjoy it regardless.

What is more exciting is that I now have a Discord server for fan fiction. This is reflected in the story's description, so feel free to join and say hi once you have read this chapter. I'll be happy to have you!

CODY HARVARD, 19

I quickly became aware of the speed at which the others were moving. The speed itself wasn't anything remarkable; what was more notable was that the villagers seemed to be marching in a specific formation that I had no choice but to fall in line with.

Even if I wanted to move more quickly or slowly, I couldn't; otherwise, I'd either step on someone else or be trampled myself. But once I got into the rhythm, everything was fine in that regard.

We walked through the village, our paws crunching against the packed snow. It was cold out, but it didn't feel that cold thanks to the body heat of the other villagers surrounding me. Eventually, we reached the edge of the forest.

Roughly two hundred Lycanroc and Rockruff had assembled at the entrance to the woods, looking into the field of sparse evergreen trees. I saw one of them, a rather buff male, passing out a basket with ribbons in it.

"There are an equal number of red and blue ribbons in this basket!" he boomed, not because he was angry, but because he needed to make himself heard over the audible speculation as to why we were here. "Take a ribbon, any ribbon!"

Are we going to compete in a game of some kind? I mean, yeah, games are fun and all, but something tells me there's more to it than that. That guy's taking it way too seriously.

The basket passed through the crowd, each Pokemon taking one ribbon. I saw Bella in the distance, but I couldn't tell what ribbon she had selected.

If I'd known what color she chose, then I should pick the other color. I don't want to be on a team with her. And I don't think she wants to be on a team with me either.

When the basket came around to me, I closed my eyes and picked a ribbon. When I opened them, I looked into my paw to see what color I'd gotten.

It was a bright red ribbon. Therefore, I hoped Bella had chosen a blue one, or else we'd be forced to play together.

"As soon as you have your ribbon," the "coach", for lack of a better word, announced, "tie it around a visible part of your body. The other players need to know whether you are friend or foe."

I tied the scarlet ribbon around my front left ankle. I did this tightly enough so that it would stay on, but also loosely enough so that it wouldn't reduce my mobility.

We will be playing a game. The question is, what game?

"Attention, everyone, listen up! You guys can call me 'Coach', although that's not my real name! And you will be practicing for the unthinkable, which isn't so unthinkable anymore!"

I turned to the guy next to me, who had also taken a red ribbon. He grimaced at the mention of something unthinkable, which is understandable. The word worried me quite a bit, since it was usually used to refer to something bad.

"As part of our war games, we will be playing an old childhood classic: Capture the Flag!"

I could vaguely remember playing Capture the Flag in gym class back in Skylock. It was generally enjoyable, since we got to run around outside on nice days, but I'd never been very good at it. I had a hard time being subtle while playing, and the other teams nearly always noticed me when I tried to run to their side.

There was a lot of whispering and murmuring around me as the other villagers discussed what they knew about the game and potential strategies. I myself was rather taken aback that we'd be playing a children's game, since it was clear that almost all of us were not children.

Jeremy, who was only a few feet away from me, had drawn a blue ribbon. I could only assume that meant we'd be playing on opposite teams, which meant that I'd have stiff competition. That kid could move fast.

"Here are the rules! Firstly, our Guardians have drawn a golden line about a kilometer into the forest from here. That line is the boundary, and there's another line another kilometer away; if you go beyond that line, you're out of bounds and will be eliminated from the game.

"Secondly, the flag must be hidden in a visible location. It cannot be in a tree; anyone who scours the whole ground of these four square kilometers of forest should have no trouble finding it.

"Thirdly, while you are allowed to attack members of the other team, only fight to knock your opponent out, not to kill them. Anybody who seriously maims another player, intentionally or not, will be banned from future war games, which isn't a decision any of us take lightly!

"And finally, there are two hundred of you, and one hundred ribbons of each color. We will play five rounds, twenty on twenty, and everyone will participate in one game. As you've doubtlessly figured out by now, the color of your ribbon determines what team you're on. Each ribbon also has a number on it; that number indicates the order in which you will be playing. So please, if you haven't already, take a moment to locate that number."

I lifted up my front left paw and searched for the number on the ribbon. Finally, I found it; it was the number four.

"All of those with the number one on your ribbon, head out to your side of the forest. Blue is the near side, red is the far side."

I sighed as I realized that I'd have quite a bit of waiting to do. A game of Capture the Flag could go quickly, or it could take a long time to complete, but on balance, I'd still have plenty of time to stand around in the cold air.

In order to stay warm, I moved around a bit, trying to keep the blood circulating. Without realizing it, however, I came face to face with a familiar individual.

She may have looked the same as all the other Lycanroc, but I knew it was her. There just wasn't any other possibility, given that she stared at me with the same level of contempt that she had before.

"What number do you have, Cody?" she asked me. It would have been an innocuous, inoffensive question, except for the way in which she said it. She didn't seem eager to be on my team.

Sure enough, I saw that Bella had tied her scarlet ribbon around her neck, wearing it just like a necklace. The number four had been stitched onto it.

This is going to be awkward.

There was no lying my way out of this one. "I've got four as well. I guess we're on the same team today."

"Well, to be honest with you," Bella responded, "it's just as well, really; at least you don't have a blue four. You've got no reason to attack me when we're on the same team, and it's not allowed. Then again, something not being allowed hasn't stopped you before."

Don't remind me. Don't bring up that cursed night again.

I turned to see Jeremy scampering towards me, a grin on his face. "I've got four as well! We're playing together!"

"Uh, Jeremy, we're actually playing against each other. Bella and I both have red ribbons."

"Oh" the Rockruff kid said, a little crestfallen. "Well, you'll still get to see how fast I can run! But you promise not to hurt me, okay?"

"I promise" I told him, without any reservations. I might have found the kid annoying at times, but over the last two weeks, we'd become, more or less, family. No family got along all of the time.

"He's not to be trusted, kid" Bella told Jeremy. "You'd better stay away from him."

Jeremy frowned. "Is that a threat? Are you…are you going to bite me?"

"No, Jeremy. Neither of us are going to bite you. And, contrary to what Bella here said, I am a man of my word. Now go join your team, because this is getting a bit awkward."

Jeremy pouted a little, but he did as he was told. Now all there was left to do was wait. And wait we did.

Once the first game had begun, it was over quickly. The red team, the one that defended the flag further into the forest, managed to locate the blue team's flag and bring it over to their side within less than fifteen minutes.

As soon as this happened, Coach was somehow notified of the red team's victory; perhaps the flag was enchanted in some way by the Guardians. Whatever the case, sparks flew into the air on the red side, which looked rather like fireworks one would use to celebrate Independence Day.

"And there we have it! Game one has been won by Red Team 1! Oh boy, that's a tongue-twister indeed!"

For a war game exercise, Capture the Flag was definitely more pleasant than I would have expected. There were no drill sergeants shouting out orders, nor was there any artillery involved. Indeed, there were no weapons except for our fangs or other moves that Lycanroc used. And, to top it all off, it took place in a beautiful setting, so I had no complaints there.

Of course, I haven't actually played their version yet.

The blue team won both of the next two games, not that I was paying very much attention. I was rather excited for the fourth round of the game; I would get to use all of the pent-up energy that had been inside of me for the last several days. Even if I wasn't. exactly an adrenaline junkie, there was something about the exhilarating feeling of running around the woods that was always appealing.

Once it was time for the game I'd play with Bella and against Jeremy, the coach gave us specific instructions. The twenty players on each team would head to their side of the forest and hide the flag. We'd also have five minutes to strategize before we did this.

By this time the sun was beginning to set over the Coronet Range. Before long, visibility would be significantly reduced. It was a good thing that Lycanroc, and Pokemon more generally, had better night vision than humans, or else it would be very difficult to play the game.

Red Team Number Four huddled together, and it was clear to see that the Lycanroc varied widely in age. Some of them were younger than myself and Bella, whereas a couple of them looked to be in their forties or even fifties. It was hard to believe that we'd all be playing a children's game together.

"Okay, so we have to hide it in a visible location," one of the male Lycanroc, perhaps in his early twenties, said. "But Coach never told us it had to be easy to reach; we should put it as close to the boundary as possible."

"So long as we don't exhaust ourselves going all the way there, that should be fine" one of the older Lycanroc, a female, responded. "We don't want to get all tuckered out before the game begins."

"Who says we will be?" Bella spat. "If you don't have the stamina, you're not meant to play Capture the Flag with such a large arena."

"Then I guess I won't play," the middle-aged Lycanroc lady told Bella, sounding as though she were trying too hard to appear sad.

"You can still play," I replied. "Just pace yourself; perhaps you can be one of the guards."

Bella frowned. "How many guards did he say we were allowed to have? Two?"

Come to think of it, Coach hadn't addressed this question. Part of me wanted to have something insane like ten guards, but I knew this most likely wouldn't be allowed. But then again, how are they going to know if we do that?

"Let's go with two," I said, trying not to look Bella in the eye. "The rest of us can be out hunting for the flag."

It seemed, much to my surprise, that the team was deferring to me. Bella was doing so with what seemed like great reluctance, but she was still agreeing with me. Perhaps she doesn't hate me as much as I thought.

Truth be told, it made no sense that they'd see me as the de facto leader. I was still pretty new here, and had never before played their version of Capture the Flag. But I wasn't going to question it so long as they respected me.

"Your five minutes have expired" Coach announced curtly. "It's time to make your way to your respective sides of the forest. Once both flags have been hidden, which I will be aware of, the game will start. Before that happens: Players, shake paws"

With that, the twenty of us each shook paws with a member of the other team. Even if it spread germs, the fact remained that it was a common custom for any sporting event, which Coach seemed determined not to neglect.

After that, the twenty of us marched in a straight line through the forest. It took some work to trudge through the snow, which was deeper here than it was in the village. Despite the cold air, I was sweating bullets, and I was starting to think that the older Lycanroc lady had a point.

Once we crossed over the golden line in the ground, which shone brightly in the setting sun, we looked for a place to put the flag. Since it couldn't be in a tree, we decided on the next best thing: Between two bushes. It was still clearly visible, but the attackers would need to push their way through, which would take up valuable time to get away from our guards.

We selected the middle-aged Lycanroc lady (whose name was Tori) and a younger Lycanroc male (whose name was Caleb.) After that, the flag, which was red with a golden star in the middle (as opposed to the blue flag with a bronze star) suddenly glowed.

"That must mean the signal's being transmitted or something" Caleb said. "The Guardians have some pretty impressive abilities."

I didn't say anything; I didn't know what to say. All we could really do was wait one more minute, because that's how long it took for what sounded like a gunshot to go off.

"Is someone hunting us?" I asked nobody in particular. I was only half joking; it really sounded like a pistol.

Bella shook her head. "I think it means the game's started. Run!"

I didn't need to be told twice, and not just because I was in an intense game of Capture the Flag. I was also eager to jump on any opportunity to put distance between myself and Bella.

In this corner of the forest, the snow was even deeper than it had been on the other side. This was both an advantage and a disadvantage; an advantage, because the blue team would tire themselves out more easily on our side; a disadvantage, because so would we.

The first thing I did was to hide in a clump of short spruce trees. I opened my mouth widely to show my teeth.

This isn't a dentist's chair, Cody. You don't want to have to use these teeth.

I shook my head. What the hell was I thinking? After all the pain it had caused me (and others) to bite Bella Fox and turn her into a were-Lycanroc, what on Nexus would induce me to do it again?

We're only playing to knock out our opponents, not to kill them. I don't want to incur Coach's wrath by violating his terms.

Quite frankly, the fact that I was so tempted to use my fangs scared the hell out of me. I didn't want to think about what I had done, what I was still capable of.

Just run, I told myself. Do your best to catch the people who are looking for the flag, or else just go for it yourself. Do you want to win this game or not?

ROYAL REDMOND, 25

Once again I was trapped inside a small living complex, except that I actually owned this one. While this was something of a positive, since I had more privacy, I couldn't deny that I missed Coronet City.

I'd arrived back home two weeks ago, and since then, I hadn't left my apartment very often. Whenever I would exit the building, I always had some essential purpose, such as getting groceries or what have you. I didn't want to leave Dakal alone.

The poor Spoink kid had been terrified of airplanes. Even though I'd kept him in a carry-on bag, still well enough ventilated so that he wouldn't suffocate, the fear had been evident in his eyes.

I'd asked Dakal why he was so scared to fly in a plane; after all, hadn't he done it when he'd come to Sinnoh from Fula City? That was a much longer flight than from Coronet City to Jubilife City.

"I didn't fly," Dakal had told me. "I teleported. And it wasn't by choice."

After that, I knew not to pry any further. He would tell me the truth when he was ready to, and not a moment before. I was still free to speculate, of course, but I wouldn't do it out loud, at least not in front of the Spoink.

One day, I was relaxing in my apartment in the middle of a storm. Per the weather reports, it was snowing up in the Coronet Range, but here, since we were significantly further south, the precipitation had manifested as rain. I didn't mind this too much; it gave me an excuse not to leave the apartment.

I don't know what I was afraid of. The hate groups, as far as I knew, didn't operate in Jubilife City as much as they did in other parts of the region and world. Still, old habits die hard, especially after being a hermit for days on end.

It was early in the afternoon, and I was in the middle of baking a cake. Cranberry apple coffee cake, to be more specific, which, when combined with a bit of orange juice, was absolute heaven.

We used to make this around Christmastime. I know it's a month until Christmas, but I need something to celebrate right now.

In between checking the oven's timer, I went over to the TV room to check on Dakal. He remained in the same position he'd been all day, watching Tentacruel Game on Pokeflix.

"Dakal, are you watching Tentacruel Game?" I asked, in a manner that was somewhat accusatory. "That show's pretty violent."

"Yes," the Spoink admitted. There was no reason to lie, for that show had basically taken the world by storm the last couple of months. Ultimately everyone would be exposed to it, much like an extremely contagious virus.

"Kid, you really shouldn't be watching it. I don't want you to have nightmares."

I'll never forget the look Dakal gave me. It was a pleading one, and I instantly felt bad for him. Indeed, I'd felt bad for him for quite some time, but I knew what I needed to do.

"There are other things for you to watch. You can watch me bake a cake, which I'm almost done with."

"Cake, you say?"

I nodded. "Cake. Defined as…".

"I know what cake is. Of course I'll watch you make it!"

We went back into the kitchen where, as it turned out, the coffee cake had just finished baking. After I took it out of the oven, we had to wait a few minutes for it to cool down before we bit into it.

"Wait five minutes," I told Dakal. "It's good at any temperature, but you don't want to burn your mouth."

The Spoink nodded to show that he understood, and I walked away from the kitchen. Debating for a moment on what to do, I decided to check my emails, something every URI diplomat had to do from time to time. It was imperative to stay on top of things.

I haven't checked my email in three days. If this were the army, I'd be guilty of neglect of duty.

The first item in my inbox was from Felipe Matamoros. He'd actually sent it two days ago, which made me feel even more guilty. Nonetheless, better late than never.

I read and reread the email. The text was as follows:

I hope this email finds you well. I hope you are enjoying your time back home more than I am. I hope the Spoink isn't a big burden on you; taking on a Pokemon pet can be stressful. I know this all too well.

There are two reasons why I'm writing to you. The first is to thank you for being so understanding of why I was uneasy during the meetings regarding lycanthropy. I can only hope that you've kept my brother's secret, but I'm quite confident that my trust in you was not misplaced. We are friends, after all.

Just because I'm used to Marcelo's regular transformations doesn't mean they get any easier. It's absolute torture to watch your own younger brother go through such a painful process; his bone structure changes shape, and he can be heard howling in agony from his room. The wolfsbane makes him harmless to us, but not to himself.

The other reason I'm writing is actually the more disturbing one. I've heard through the grapevine that on SC-SPAN, Sinnoh's nonprofit broadcast service, a meeting of the Sinnoh Regional Senate is being conducted regarding a "shadow government", if you will. I will not write any more details here; I recommend you check it out yourself on SC-SPAN.

I am sorry to burden you with all of these things. Hopefully you can forgive me for this and understand that I'm really trying to help you.

Sincerely,
Felipe Matamoros

"Wow" I mouthed, hardly believing my eyes. "That's some worrisome shit right there." The fact that I used a curse word highlighted just how worried I was.

I quickly wrote Felipe back, apologizing for not having responded for two days. I even noted that my lack of response was particularly egregious due to the fact that I'd had a surplus of time to do just that. And yet, it had all slipped away from me.

After I sent the email to my friend, I made a mental note to look on SC-SPAN for the footage of the meeting. I realized that it would be an archived video, since it had been two days since Felipe had told me about this.

There were also messages from both of my parents asking how I was doing, which I quickly responded to. Neither of my replies were very in-depth, but they were probably happy enough to see something after three days that they wouldn't be too angry. Probably.

Once those had been squared away, I took my laptop off of the desk and returned to the kitchen, where Dakal was waiting expectantly for a slice of cake. He'd even grabbed a plate out of its drawer, but he wouldn't be able to cut the cake without my help.

"There we go," I told him as I cut both of us a slice of coffee cake. "Now, I think you should go back to watching your cartoons. But no Tentacruel Game, okay?"

Dakal looked more than a little disappointed; he was probably attached to the characters. Nonetheless, I think he understood well why I didn't want him to watch it.

I reached into my backpack (which I still had from my college years) and retrieved a pair of headphones. After plugging them into my computer and placing them over my ears, I searched for the SC-SPAN website.

It was a lot harder than I had expected to find the right video. I realized that I could ask Felipe for a link to it, but I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that it had taken me so long to respond. I didn't think I'd ever stop feeling bad about that.

The Sinnoh Regional Senate conducted all sorts of votes, some of which were simply "motions to proceed" and all that jazz. Really, compared to the URI, it seemed unnecessarily bureaucratic and slow-paced. After all, when debating a proposal, the URI only voted on it once.

The point I'm trying to make, of course, is that there were a lot of videos to parse through before I found the one Felipe had alluded to. I ended up typing into the search bar, looking for "Sinnoh Regional Senate - Shadow Government", but even this turned up no fewer than thirteen results.

I clicked the most recent video, thanking Arceus that the videos could be sorted by how long ago they'd been taken. Otherwise, I'd have had nothing else to go by.

On my computer screen, there was an inner chamber of a legislative body. The flag of Sinnoh was displayed on the wall in all its glory, and standing at one of the many oaken desks was a man who appeared middle-aged with white hair. He was giving a speech that I couldn't hear.

SC-SPAN also provided a graphic stating the man's name and hometown. This particular Senator was named Dominic Snowhead, and he represented the province including Coronet City. Next to him, there stood an easel with a poster on it.

This poster showed an image of a human supremacist rally. There was no other way to interpret it; what else could it be when the marchers were carrying a sign that shouted in all caps: POKEMON WILL NOT REPLACE US!

Can't they come up with a more original slogan? Also, can't Senator Snowhead make it so that we can hear him?

Seconds later, I realized why I couldn't hear the Senator speak; the volume on the video was off. Once I rectified this issue, my viewing experience was far more pleasant.

"It's no secret, Mr. President, that my community in Central Sinnoh has experienced a sizable amount of anti-Pokemon activity. In the last month, there have been no fewer than six demonstrations of human supremacists in Coronet City. One may dismiss this group as simply a 'basket of deplorables', and with regards to their morality, I tend to agree.

"However, ignoring the moral implications of Team Skyward's rise, the fact remains that they hold more power than we'd like to admit. Jeff Monopoli, human supremacist leader and hotel magnate, is planning something. And if we're not diligent about meeting his threat, we risk catastrophe."

There was some laughter in the Senate chamber, which I found extraordinarily distasteful. You might not agree with Senator Snowhead's politics, but if he truly believed in this threat, one would have to be an asshole of the highest order to jeer him like that.

Ignoring the laughter of his fellow legislators, Snowhead continued speaking.

"As another piece of evidence confirming hate group activity in Central Sinnoh, there have been reports of jungle green vehicles idling in public spaces. For instance, in Coronet City itself, no fewer than three police reports have been filed relating to these vehicles."

My heart skipped several beats when I realized Snowhead was talking about me; or rather, the hotel I'd stayed at. I had known from the police that the vehicles belonged to Team Falcon, but to hear an elected official confirm the dispatcher's words made it feel a lot more concrete somehow.

"Based on all of the information we have been able to glean from eyewitness testimony, as well as the meticulous reporting of the Coronet City Police Department, it has been determined that the Fula City license plates on these vehicles are not a coincidence. Rather, they are a sign that these vehicles are the property of a hate group known as Team Falcon."

There was more laughter from around the room, which I understood, even if I didn't like it. After all, the other legislators must have found Snowhead's story utterly ridiculous, even if it was true in reality.

He's not presenting his case as well as he could be. He's laying all of the facts out there, yes, but he should be connecting the dots. HOW do you know that those Fula City cars belong to Team Falcon?

Snowhead took the sheet of paper off his easel, which was replaced by an image of an angry-looking Geodude.

"I am going to expose a plot that will rock your world, to put it one way" the Senator told his colleagues. This was met with a lot of guffawing, since what Snowhead was showing them essentially amounted to little more than an Internet meme.

Undeterred, Snowhead continued to present his case. Since I already knew the truth about the hate groups, I didn't see any reason to doubt his arguments, but from an objective standpoint, this case was pretty flimsy.

"As I have demonstrated during this speech, Jeff Monopoli is amassing power at a rate even I was shocked by. Hell, it's a rate I am still shocked by. The man is obscenely wealthy, and whether we like it or not, money is power."

The Senator cleared his throat again. Although SC-SPAN didn't add any extra music or sound effects to their coverage, this was clearly a spot where putting in some intense classical music might have a positive effect. It was obvious that Snowhead was building up to this moment, when he would lay it all on the line. It would be the make-or-break moment for his argument.

"I am well aware that many members of this body seem only to care about their own wealth and power, as well as their political careers more broadly. However, I am not afraid to speak the truth, and the truth is this: There is a plot underway that may severely damage the authority of this body. If you care first and foremost about power, this is a plot you should care about and, alongside me, fight to stop."

What could Snowhead be talking about? He'd been talking about Team Skyward, Jeff Monopoli, and Team Falcon, and this had all culminated in…a plot to overthrow the government? Could that be what he meant by "damaging the authority of this body"?

If you want to convince the other Senators, you do realize that you could, and should, simply make your case. You don't have to make up something like this, nor do you need to use fancy language. Just say, "They're trying to overthrow the government."

I took my headphones off my ears and stood up from the table. I no longer knew what to think.

Another thing I didn't know was what Felipe Matamoros, hundreds and hundreds of miles to the south, was planning. Had I been aware of his scheme, I would have done everything I could to see him committed to an insane asylum.

I'll end on that cliffhanger by saying that the views glitch has finally been fixed. Of course, it didn't record the views, but I'll take what I can get. Let's make up for lost time, shall we?

Reviews, favorites, follows, and joining my new Discord server are all greatly appreciated. I'll see you all there.