In the morning, I woke up early. I packed my things, bought a nice breakfast, and also bought a camera. The recorder was ready too, just in case.

My plan was simple: I would check out the town, and see what I could find. Hopefully, something interesting.

After eating a simple breakfast, I went to the local station, and booked a ticket to Steelblock City.

When I got on the train, I set my camera aside, and pulled out my recorder instead. I took some deep breaths, trying to relax. Soon, we were in motion, and I looked out the window.

After a surprisingly relaxing journey, my eyes fell on the small town coming closer and closer. It was so unfair that the peaceful city in front of me would soon become a chaotic battlefield!

What a shame… Today, I would witness this ominous phenomenon, and maybe find some clues.

—

The train stopped, and I got off it. I exited the station, and took a stroll through the quiet town. Everything was peaceful and there were no signs of any major incident.

I stepped into the nearest shop, and purchased some food and water. I also bought several newspapers to check if there was any news. There weren't, which meant that nobody had died or been injured… yet.

I started walking, heading towards the center of the town. It seemed like a great place to find some interesting info. Specifically, I wanted to find the local Pokémon center, and the city's gym.

If Team Blaze were to strike, places where Pokémon battled would be the most likely targets.

I walked along the streets, never stopping to look at anything. I just kept moving forward, and eventually, I found the Pokémon center.

Before entering the building, I checked the outside to make sure there were no signs of a fight. Nobody had been killed. Good.

I entered, and took a seat inside. I started to take photos of the place, because, in the case I missed an attack, the disturbing media posted afterwards may show the surrounding area, making it possible to identify the location of the attack.

I sat there for a while, checking my phone. Nothing new. Finally, I left for the local gym. I hadn't seen it before, but I bet it was a steel-type gym.

I walked around the gym, trying to figure out its layout, and I spotted the entrance. Once inside, I approached the counter and asked for a talk with the gym leader. I wanted to know if he or she knew about Team Blaze and their plans.

I was lucky to have the conversation already started, as the man working there asked me a question.

"Excuse me, sir," he said. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I'm here to speak with the gym leader. I need to talk to them about what could be a dangerous situation."

"Oh," he said. "Well, I am the gym leader. What can I help you with?"

I introduced myself. "Thank you for your kindness. I would like to know if you heard about a team called Team Blaze. Do you know if they have attacked any gyms recently?"

"Yes, I've heard of them," he replied. "They're a violent team with very little morals. You shouldn't worry though, as they haven't attacked anywhere near here. For now."

"That's the problem. I have information that they will enter the city in a few hours. That's why I'd like to talk to you."

The man raised his eyebrows, and looked me up and down. He looked at my attire, and my backpack, and then at my face.

"Are you a reporter?" he asked.

"No, I'm just a concerned citizen. I'm not here to spread rumors. I just want to try to prevent a tragedy from happening."

The man considered for a few seconds, and then he smiled.

"Thank you for your concern. However, I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you at all. It seems that Team Blaze targets weaker trainers. They usually don't bother with strong teams. And besides, I'm pretty sure that a trainer like yourself wouldn't be able to stop them."

"How are you so sure?" I asked.

"Because, I've heard of these guys. They are really good fighters. And I can tell you right now that you aren't strong enough to stop them."

I remembered the horrorful photos I saw online.

"I see," I said. "I guess I'll just have to trust your words. Thank you for your help anyway."

With that, I turned around and left the gym. Why did he say that? Was he lying to me? Was he trying to protect himself? Maybe he didn't want to risk his life defending the town from those criminals?

Then, I started to think about the Pokémon they used. They must be powerful Pokémon, that's for sure, but... Why would such strong Pokémon choose to work for evil people? Why would they fight for a bunch of villains?

Something didn't add up. But it didn't matter, though.

I was going to get them reported to the authorities one by one. Logically, if I say something "Team blaze is killing Pokémon again!" Nobody will do nothing, as the team is well known all around the country, if not the whole world.

Anyway,some innocent deaths were inevitable, but, at least, I would minimize the future harm as much as possible.

I walked further, and finally arrived at the city center. I took a seat on a bench, and looked at the big clock tower. It was only 11 o'clock.

I sighed, wondering when the assault would start. Would it begin today, or would it happen tomorrow? And how many casualties would we suffer?

I still couldn't search for an inn. What if I missed an attack? I looked up, and noticed a small market nearby. It might be a good idea to stay there, and keep watch over the city.

Who knows, maybe I would get lucky and spot someone suspicious. It would be hard, as they don't seem to make themselves visible before the attack.

I decided to head there, and once I arrived, I would look through the store, and see if there were any suspicious people. However, I didn't notice anything suspicious. Then, I had a brilliant idea!

I had brought binoculars. If I got to the highest point in the city, I would be able to see everything! I followed the directions carefully, and soon, I reached the top of the hill overlooking the city.

"Ahh, this is perfect," I told myself. "Now, I will be able to see everything." I checked if there were any people around, and sure enough, there wasn't anyone. Still.

Noticing it was already evening, I decided to book the inn for the next few days. I had to do it already. I would sleep for a little now, to be active at night, where, maybe, there are more chances to catch something suspicious.

Before leaving, I went back to the Pokémon center, and talked to the guy working there. I asked him to let me know if a battle happened in the city, and if something suspicious happened. He agreed. So, I left again, and I headed to the inn.

Once I arrived, I booked a room for a week. Afterwards, I took a shower, and changed into clean clothes. Before going out, I would make sure to change my appearance too. The last thing I wanted was for people to recognise me.

Back in the hotel, I went to bed, and set the alarm clock just three hours ahead.

—

My eyes were open instantly as the alarm rang. "It's time," I whispered. "Time to wake up."

I rolled away from my bed, and got up. I put on my clothes, and checked my bag. All the things I needed were in there. Then, I opened the door, and went downstairs.

This is the first time I was doing this. I didn't know what to expect.

I opened the door, and walked out onto the street. The cold night air hit my face, and made my nose freeze a bit. I walked fast around the city, looking into every corner, hoping to spot someone suspicious.

I searched everywhere, from the main street to the back alleys. Nothing.

I continued searching, and soon, I arrived at the central square of the city. I started to walk around, looking for some sign of Team Blaze. But, nothing. There wasn't even a smirk on anyone's face.

What? Were they planning a big surprise attack tonight? Then, I headed to the other side of the city, and saw the harbor. A boat was heading towards it.

"Maybe they're coming from the sea?" I wondered.

I ran towards the dock, and waited for the boat to reach the shore. When it got close, I started to see dozens of people abroad.

"This doesn't look good," I thought. "There are way too many of them."

I kept watching closely. Everyone wore regular clothes, but, seemingly, everyone wore black and white clothes.

In every other aspect, the crew looked normal, but the rare coincidence of wearing black/white clothes together made it obvious that they were not ordinary citizens.

Looking closely, I realized that most of them were humans, but not everyone. I saw some Pokémon, as well, without any distinct marking.

I quickly hid behind a wall, and waited for them to disembark. Sure enough, they started to step off the boat. As soon as they were on land, they began to move forward.

I kept watching the scene unfold as the people stepped out one by one. After a while, I saw what I hoped I didn't see…

Typhlosion was among the group. I felt a sheer anger rush through my body.

"You bastard!" I murmured. He was going to kill innocent Pokémon, for Arceus' sake!

As everyone stepped out, they seemed to head somewhere in the city. I followed them from a short distance, and kept watching.

Finally, they came to a large building, which was something like a school. The people entered inside, but the poor surveillance they had allowed me to follow them inside with ease.

Then, Max, the same man than before, spoke again. "Commarades! We have important news!" Everyone stopped, then they turned, and looked at Max.

"Tomorrow, the big event will take place. It's time to show everyone what REAL Pokémon battling is! Hail Team Blaze!"

"Hail Team Blaze!" the crowd replied.

They cheered, and then they got out of the building. I was shocked.

"Why are they doing this?" I mumbled to myself in rage.

At least, I knew that the attack would take place tomorrow, no doubt. However, before retiring, I decided to follow Typhlosion, in order to see where he would go.

I listened intently, and heard him ask to another of the guys who were walking beside him:

"Do you think that the people of the city will try to stop us?"

The other guy laughed.

"Of course not! They will never oppose us. You should know that by now."

The two of them walked away. I followed them, and soon, I noticed everyone dispersing in little groups. They seem to be organized. In order to cause more mayhem, they divided the city into smaller sections, so each group could have their own battle.

Soon, I found where Typhlosion, a Charizard and four men would stay for the night. It seemed that they would wait for the next morning, when people were around in the city.

I didn't want to risk staying close, so I decided to leave. Before I did, however, I took a photo that showed Typhlosion entering the inn with one of the boys.