Bronze woke up, showered, changed, and got ready to head out to the fourth Gym. What he did not expect was the very same woman in the large hat and purple boots he had seen earlier to rush up to meet him near the entrance to the Battle sector.
"Are you...Bronze?"
"Who's asking?" Bronze replied, placing a hand on Charmeleon's Poke Ball. Jake did the same, and Tess took a step back.
The woman then hurried them out of the street. "We have to go somewhere more private. It's too risky to be seen out here..."
Despite the three's protests, they followed the woman out into a small booth in a far corner of the Cottonee Café, where she sat down on one side and the trio sat down on the other. She didn't look like too much of a threat to Bronze, but you could never quite know.
"I need to confirm your identity. If you have a Pokedex, this would be the time to show me." The woman held out her own Pokedex, and Bronze and Jake reluctantly did the same. The two devices linked with the woman's, proving the verticity of the other Pokedex.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the woman introduced herself. "I am Yellow of Vermillion Forest. Bronze, you might have heard Cypress call me the Healer. There are some things which you, Bronze, need to know."
"Professor Samuel Oak sent me, along with other Pokedex Holders to Anthien City, since he believe that Team Eclipse is plotting an attack of some kind."
"Attack?" Bronze said. "And why are you suspecting Team Eclipse?"
"The Association is fighting, that much you need to know." Yellow replied. "It is the belief of the Chairman that the Team Rocket activity that we have been seeing is actually Team Eclipse. Sebastian's testimony has convinced him further, along with a lighthouse keeper in Rosecove City. You, Bronze, are also a witness. Never forget that, you may find yourself in the middle of a legal battle."
Bronze grinned. That, he could do any day. "Do you know anything about the nature of this attack-"
Jake suddenly yelled. Wincing, he held up a cut finger, which Bronze assumed to have grazed a metal sheet the wrong way, likely a leftover from the initial construction of the city.
"Here," Yellow said. "Let me help you with that."
Bronze thought that she would reach into her travel bag for a bandage, but she reached over and held her hand over Jakes wound. It stopped bleeding, became smaller, and eventually sealed, leaving a scar which soon disappeared as well.
Tess was dumbfounded. "Wha...how...what just happened?!"
Yellow calmly sat back into the booth. "I have been given the gift of Vermillion Forest, healing. I can also read Pokémon's minds and emotions, if I try hard enough. It does make me very tired after I use my abilities, however, and there are some limits to it. I also can sense...well, I only started sensing things in the spirit realm since a about a year ago, and I don't like what I see. As for the attack, I don't know, and Oak doesn't, either. It could be a rally, or a terrorist attack. Only time will tell, but we are doing everything that we can, within our legal power limits."
Bronze felt that Yellow had something on her mind that she hadn't said yet, or did not want to tell the trio.
Okay," Bronze began. "What else do you want to tell us? I think you want to say something, but it isn't what Oak told you to say. I know that authority figures always have ulterior motives, and although I do respect Oak, he is no exception."
Yellow looked surprised. "Well, yes. I have some personal doubts about what is going on here, and why you shouldn't get involved."
"First, I don't think it makes any sense that Team Eclipse would attack Anthien City. Why would they? There aren't any legendary Pokémon here, and no real tactical targets. All of Team Eclipse's behavior doesn't point to a terrorist assault. anyway. They aren't above stealing Pokémon, or using bombs or dirty tricks to get what they want, but why raid a capital city? It just doesn't make any sense to me. Public opinion would totally crush the group, preventing any further accumulation of power. It makes no tactical sense."
"Also, I think that you, Bronze, are more special then you know. Cypress told me he sensed something about you, and I can feel it now. Oak feels the same. Being a Pokedex Holder, you have already gone through much danger and peril to get here, and your share has likely not been expended. I am not saying that it is destiny, or anything but the Will of Arceus, but it feels like all Pokedex Holders are destined for such things. As your 'ancestor,' I would actually have you stay here, in case of any attack, so that you may mature further. You are a very strong trainer, that much I know. I hope you succeed on your journey, wherever it may lead you."
Bronze remembered something, something related to that horrible bottle. "There is a certain artifact in the Anthien City Museum that Team Eclipse attempted to buy, although it fell out of their hands. Perhaps this operation is the theft of this certain artifact?"
"I wouldn't know, as I said before." Yellow answered. "That could be it, but the Anthien Museum never closes. The chance of that artifact being stolen is just too low, no one can get in or out of this city without someone knowing. We will have to see. I need to be going, but remember my advice!"
Yellow left the Cottonee Cafe, the trio following her into the streets.
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"I can't believe we met another Pokedex Holder!" Tess exclaimed. "And she said that there were others in the city, as well. I think we should go check around to see if we can find anyone else. Jake, you aren't holding up well in the air, so you better come with me."
"Look, you guys can go look around," Bronze said. "But I have to get the Badge. Priorities, I suppose. We can split, and you can meet me at the Gym in midday. I will contact Jake if anything goes south."
The other two agreed, and the trio split again.
Bronze had been traveling through the city streets not for long, when he saw a very strange sight. Hundreds of Magnemite were clutching onto a electric reservoir tower, with several power maintenance workers trying the pull them off, to little avail. Bronze open the steelwave gate to the tower grounds, and walked up to a worker.
"Excuse me sir, but what is going on?" Bronze warily asked. "Why are there so many Pokémon attached to the tower, and how can they be taken off?"
The worker sighed, his feet crunching on the gravel lot. "Gee, kid, the Magnemite are siphoning off this reserve's energy. If we can't get them off, they'll eat this sector's power reserves!" He paused, in order to take a breath through a oxygen mask. "If your Pokémon can't blast them of or anything, I don't see what use you could be to use. Even then, it would probably damage the tower. Everyone here is still waiting for the Pokémon Resources DEpartment to reach here and take care of the situation, but they have their own problems...
Bronze rummaged around in his bag. "Don't worry, sir. I've got a few tricks for these kinds of Pokémon."
The worker yelled for everyone else to step back, and Bronze pulled out a small vial of dust, ferrous and composed of many flakes. Bronze sent out Electabuzz to begin his plan, hoping that he would succeed.
The Pokémon sent a spark at the vial, which caused the powder to burst through the plastiglass coating, and hover in the air. Seeing the looks of confusion on the worker's faces, Bronze decided to tell them what he was doing.
"When Pokémon swarm like this, they do it under the guidance of a leader. It is simple hierarchical mechanics, really, you should all know this. Usually, they are a Pokémon that is a higher evolution of the evolutionary tree of the Pokémon that are swarming. the Pokémon. If I knock that one out, then the swarm should disperse. But...how can I find the leader in this mess?"
"This specialized powder, which I may use before battles to increase my Electabuzz's innate charge, should float to the Pokémon with the most electrical energy, which would be the leader. If I guide it, now that it's been energized, we'll see who is doing this."
Bronze blew the staticky powder at the swarm, and it seeped in between the Magnemite's bodies, to finally find a highly charged, and very angry Magneton.
Satisfied, Bronze sent out Charmeleon, and with a few decisive fire blasts, the Magneton fell smoking to the ground. Sure enough, the others began to fly off the tower, and into the distance, where they would either leave the city, or continue to plague the power reserves.
The foreman slapped Bronze on the back, and after giving him some money, left to attend his other duties.
Bronze was smiling, but he couldn't help but notice one Magnemite that was still latched onto the tower, although it wasn't siphoning any energy. Peering at it, Bronze saw it start to shake, and with a flash of light, it evolved into another Magneton.
The whirring Pokémon floated down to Bronze, and affectionately nudged him, causing Bronze to pull out a Poke Ball. Since he had defeated the leader, the one with the most power after the toppled Magneton must have evolved to outrank the competitors. It seemed to want to stay with him, as he had helped it evolve. Interesting, as this Pokémon had to recognize the complex logic behind Bronze helping it evolve...
"So, you want to join my team, huh?" Bronze said, suspecting that the behavior was a sign of friendship.
Magneton beeped in approval, whirring it's magnets.
"Okay! Charmeleon, Electabuzz, meet our newest partner."
The two Pokémon greeted the new arrival, and responded with sounds of affection. "Looks like our little squad just got a bit bigger...okay, Magneton, I'm going to put you in a Poke Ball. Are you comfortable with that? Regardless, you will have to travel in one."
Magneton whirred, although it didn't seem to excited about the experience. Bronze captured it, and called back his Pokémon. Yes, he still had to get to Anthien Gym.
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High in the northern Rorian mountains, trouble is brewing.
The Hood walked through the orange and black colored halls of his base of operations, making his way to a podium that overlooked the entire loading bay. Emrett was with him, along with the other admins and commanders of Team Eclipse.
In the loading bay, a army was amassed. Thousands of soldiers stood in perfect precision, chanting the slogans of Team Eclipse over and over again. The gunship was complete, and it's bay doors were open, only needing to be occupied.
Emrett was weeping, and Henry, Eric, and Tyler were about to. The Hood felt a great swelling of emotion in his heart, realizing that the fulfillment of one of his greatest plans was about to be undertaken.
The Hood outstretched a trembling hand to silence the thousands upon thousands.
"My good and loyal servants...it is time."
"Viva la Eclipse!"
"It is time...to ride to Anthien City with all our power! It is time...to forsake our old title! No longer are we Team Eclipse. We are the Eclipse Alliance, the sovereign state of the new universe, the rightful earldom of the Great Djinn! Glory to the Giver of Freedom!"
"Viva la Eclipse!"
"It is time...to start our zealous jihad to free the Pokémon of the world from the oppression of the authorities, the Pokémon Association, the International Police, and all who oppose us, be they man or Pokémon, foul or clean, mortal or god! All who so keep us from our aims shall be slain! We fear neither love, nor hate, nor strength of arms! The Eclipse Jihad has begun!"
"Viva la Eclipse!"
"Glory to the Great Djinn! Death to the Association! Death to the Pokedex Holders! Death to the filthy Powers in Deep Heaven! Death to the False One Arceus!"
"Death!"
"Death!"
"Death!"
"March, my servants! March to war, and ruin! March for a blood day, a red day, a day of white wolves and shattered dwellings! Forth!"
The legions of the Eclipse Alliance marched as a single organism, entering the gunship, full of wrath and fervour. The Hood and his commanders entered the command bridge, and readied for the battle.
Ah! How beautiful the ship was. Alloys and metals made the hull, the shield impenetrable. The standards of the Eclipse Alliance covered the surface, while dozens of turbolaser bristling with armament dotted the bridge and and under side. The ship was military-grade, built for one thing, and one thing only: to destroy all that stood in its path.
The ship fired it's colossal aft engines, the cavern opened, and the ship left, ascending into the misty mountain sky. It brought death and ruin with it, and it would leave death and ruin behind. The War for Earth had begun.