Chapter Nineteen: Compromise

It was the second day after the message when Aaron heard a light tapping sound. He disregarded it, though Krista perked up, and continued looking through his laptop. The internet was hardly functional. Video sharing platforms, social media, and news sites had all shut down. The university had released a single email stating that classes were postponed indefinitely.

The tapping sound returned, slightly louder. "Someone's at the door," Krista said. Aaron stood up.

"That has to be the quietest knock I've ever heard." He went to the door, quickly glancing out the peephole. That would explain that… Aaron opened the door and was greeted to a charizard.

"Hi Aaron." He wore that same beaming smile as always. In his hands were several paper bags. "I brought some stuff. I would've come yesterday, but… things were a little hectic."

"Yeah, I get it – and thanks. It means a lot that you guys have our back right now."

"Of course!" Aaron stepped aside, allowing for the dragon to shuffle into the house. He set the bags down on the counter. "Dad sent me with a lot of non-perishables, but also some meats and vegetables. Things might get a bit bland, too, since I doubt spices and seasonings are going to be on people's priority lists, so I brought a few – and some of the funny red stuff that Dad uses to cook rice." Nora curiously walked into the kitchen, peering into one of the paper bags with a smiley face on it.

"Uh… Aiden?"

"Hmm?"

"This is saffron…"

"It's really good," he said with a wide grin.

"That's… not my point. You just grabbed this on your way out?"

"Yep!" She pulled out a plastic sandwich bag that could barely seal shut.

"…This is probably several hundred dollars' worth." The smile disappeared.

"Oh…"

"You'd better take this bag with you." Nora almost seemed to crack a grin at his awkward predicament.

"Ugh… well, I'm sure Dad will be fine with it. It was in a big jar that a friend gave him, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. And he likes sharing, too, so I'm sure he won't be too mad."

"You sure?" Aaron asked. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble or anything." The idea of a human reprimanding a fully-grown charizard was amusing, though. Any humor was appreciated in light of what all was currently going on in the world.

"Yeah. Dad's never yelled or anything, even when I accidentally broke his favorite fishing rod – but to be fair, he did leave it right next to the door."

"Well, tell Nathan that we're really grateful for his help – and for the saffron that he unknowingly gave us. I haven't cooked with this in quite some time."

"Sure thing! Oh, and I'll be coming back every once in a while." Aiden turned his attention to the lucario. "Would you like to have a battle next time? I've gotta run today – Valerie came back home – but maybe after my next delivery we can have some fun."

"Had you asked a few days ago, my answer would've been yes," Marcus replied. "But as of right now, it looks like I'll need all my energy for dealing with Omega."

"Oh?" Aiden frowned. "Are you all planning on fighting them?"

"Yeah. We had a group meeting yesterday and decided that we'd take them up on their challenge," Aaron answered. "Probably going to end up with all of us locked up Arceus knows where…"

"I just want you guys to stay safe. The world's a bit scary right now, so I'd just stay back if I were y'all…"

"Not a chance," Nora stated.

"Well, in any case, just be careful. Okay?"

"No, I don't think we will," Krista replied in a snarky tone. Aiden playfully narrowed his eyes, then huffed.

"Fine – do what you want. In the meantime, I'll take the muffins that Adira made back with me." He got the desired reaction from the audino and laughed. The charizard headed towards the door. "Alright, I'm out of here. I'll see you guys around."

"Bye," Aster quipped.

"Bye!" Closing the door behind him, the heavy flaps of the fire-type's wings could be heard before fading out of hearing range. Nora had already gone about sorting the food and putting it away. The saffron bag was placed with utmost care in a cabinet over the stove opposite to a few decorative glass bottles that Aaron had purchased shortly after turning twenty-one. Honey-colored liquid was inside but he had yet to open any of them. Alcohol probably wasn't going to be available for the foreseeable future, so he intended to make it last.

Aaron felt as though he would need it considering what all was going on – both outside and inside of this very house.

It didn't take long to figure out how the battling system worked. A text had been sent to trainers who had received all of their region's major gym badges, and as such, Aaron found an unread message. A single link showed up, and upon clicking it, an app automatically began downloading onto his phone.

His four pokémon looked at the device as his trainer credentials came up. His entire history of wins and losses was displayed, his personal information and even the locations he'd caught each pokémon. It dawned on him that Omega had actually managed to hijack the trainer database, installing their system over that of the league-official app that everyone used.

"How long have these guys been preparing for this?" Marcus asked aloud.

"More than long enough." Aaron noticed a tab in the top right of the screen – one that hadn't been there prior. It simply displayed Omega's symbol. He clicked it. A map of the metropolitan area appeared on his phone. Two purple dots appeared to be to the northwest of Opelucid, more than a bit out of the way. Unless he felt like walking for a day, then there was no way he'd get to that mission site without a car.

A small timer was next to the location which read 'Tao Creek 1-6' and was counting down from about the four-hour mark. Looks like we'll be skipping this one, he thought, almost thankful for the fact. This mission was someone else's problem – as was the other mission even further north.

It was against Soliera's recommendation that he held this conference, but Alexander held little fear. Though the Unovan government had evacuated and gone into hiding, he knew that they still retained a nuclear arsenal; while most of the bases had been taken over which held warheads, it was certain that they maintained a few hidden about. And it only took one. But if Unova was foolish enough to send one here, then there wouldn't be much for them to save. Not if the entire metropolitan area was leveled or radioactive.

So it was with great confidence that he announced his presence in Castelia. Alex wasn't one to hide, and should he need to, there were two legendaries with him that could whisk him away to any corner of the planet in a moment's notice.

People crowded the outside of the stadium, eager and demanding to hear what their conqueror had to say. Centuries ago, this very spot had once belonged to the desert dwellers, and if one dug deep enough, they would find sand. One day, he planned to destroy this place and return it to its rightful owners.

Among the crowd, he could see many from Alpha and Delta, many of which looked the part. Only admins for each of the team, along with a few average people, were allowed in to ask questions. He had estimated the event would last fifteen or twenty minutes. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Zekrom nod towards him. The black dragon had approved of his intentions here. Several Hydreigon airships hovered overhead, ready to intervene should they need to, though it was the seven legendaries around him that made him feel safe.

The few designated individuals were let in, separated into their respective groups: a third aligned with Delta, a third with Alpha, and the middle third was composed of average people. He stood in front of several armored guards and trainers within his own team. Once the last people were let in, kept securely in their designated places, he signaled the individual behind the camera to start. His message, though brief, would be broadcasted across every screen, from every phone and radio.

"I will start with a warning: you all will conduct yourselves in an orderly manner. While most of you are used to yelling and screaming like a bunch of infants, destroying everything around you for some misguided sense of a greater good, you will not act like that here. Anyone who acts like a fool will be removed from the area. Is that understood?" Nobody replied, though a few heads nodded. They looked at him with fear. "Good. Now let's begin. If you wish to ask anything relating to our cause, then raise your hand." He walked towards them, skimming over the three separate crowds. He first chose an unaffiliated person towards the front – a young, brown-haired woman. A pair of pokéballs was at her side. "You. What is your name?"

"…Meredith."

"That is a nice name. What is your question?"

"Who are you, and why are you doing this?" She asked with a certain fear, and he rolled his eyes.

"Well, that was two, but I suppose I'll play along. Who I am is not of importance. Even though I may lead Omega, an individual is not our face – our cause is. But I am Alexander. It was I who found favor in the eyes of Reshiram and Zekrom years ago. As for why I am doing this, I believe I already answered that a few days ago. We aim to restore the world to its rightful state. To retain both the progress that we have made as well as the values we once held." He glanced towards his left, seeing an admin within Alpha. From the camera's perspective, though, they were placed in a relevant manner. Alexander walked towards him and nodded.

"So what are you, exactly? You more right or left?"

Alexander sighed. "It figures that you would so quickly jump to your usual labels. If you wish to know the policies that we will implement across the world, they are neither right nor left, but have elements of both. Though you have chosen red and blue, we have blended the best of both."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"…You people really do not know the meaning of 'one question,' do you?" Alexander asked. "What is best is a world that is socially conservative and economically liberal. One that cares both about the soul and wellbeing of all persons. I recognize that neither your team nor Delta wants this; to you, I am a communist, and to them a fascist – though we despise both of these extremes as well and have leveled both governmental styles throughout South America and Africa alike." Several people began murmuring at his statements. He decided to move on, lest he try to engage in a debate of some sort and approached those from Delta. He noticed one admin in particular. She was overweight, but unlike several of her comrades, did not have dyed hair. Upon choosing her, Alexander quickly regret it from her tone.

"Am I getting two questions too?"

"Counting that one?" She had no humor. "Fine."

She pointed an accusing finger towards him. "Why are you trying to take everyone's freedom away?"

"What do you mean by that?" Alex stated. "Freedom, that is. Answer me."

"People shouldn't have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck, or their bills, or their health. People should be free from worry – that's freedom."

"That is what you seem to think, is it not? And you?" he said, pointing to the Alpha member from before. "What do you think freedom is?"

"The government shouldn't be impendin' on our rights – like what you're doing."

"What rights?"

"Our right to do with the money we earn as we see fit. The right to practice our religion without these assholes interferin' and the right to protect ourselves and our families."

"And do you think that definition is compatible with hers?" Alexander asked.

"I really don't care what that fat bitch thinks." Noise quickly arose from both sides, and within seconds, arguments had broken out between the two with the average people caught in the middle. Rolling his eyes, Alexander pulled out his magnum and shot a hole in the ground. That shut everyone up.

"Were you not listening when I said to be civil?" he said, though he doubted anyone heard over their ringing ears. He gave them a moment. Everyone settled down. "If you cannot even define what freedom means, how then can you say I am revoking it?"

"Whatever you're offering is anything but freedom," the Delta member said.

"Maybe not by your definitions. And yet the world we offer you is free from the worry that the right's systems offer and from the tyranny of the left. But if you seek the freedom to financially exploit and oppress one another, then you will be disappointed. If by freedom, you mean your ability to murder your unborn or engage in every abominable act imaginable, then you will not like the new world. Unfortunately, that is what comes with each of your teams' 'freedoms.' It is for that reason that we are the final team; it is because of what you two stand for that Omega will destroy you both." On one hand, it was good that the world would see the irrationalities of these two despicable groups, but on the other, Alexander should have known better than to expect them to act rationally.

"It is said that if one is not liberal by the time they are twenty, then they have no heart, and if they are not conservative by the time they are thirty, then they lack a brain." Several members of Alpha laughed at this. "I don't know why you all find this humorous, because despite the stereotype, it is true for your movements as a whole. The left has no common sense and the right holds no compassion. Those within Delta abhor the idea of personal responsibility. Guess what? If you are unwilling to work despite being able to, then you should not eat. But the right… they loathe the idea of responsibility towards others. Maybe their communities are well looked after, but they despise the thought that their tax dollars may go towards someone in need." He looked at the neutral people in the center.

"I have come to show you all that there is another way. We do not need to pick between heartless or headless. There is a way without violence or hatred. One where we may better ourselves and those around us. We can dissolve these tribal divisions that have claimed ahold of the world and find a new unity. Instead of waging wars on one another, we can wage war on poverty, disease and hunger. Yes, many changes will have to be made, and many of you will be conflicted with this and your long-held beliefs, but you will find in time that ours is a far better way of living. You will see that the only wars worth waging are those against our own evilness, both public and private."

There was a pause. Most of their hands went down, apparently having had their questions answered. But then the Delta member from before stepped forth. "Do I get my second question?"

"Sure." He said the word with great restraint.

"This one's for you," she said, motioning towards Zekrom and Reshiram. "You two were supposed to be our protectors. You should be on our side. Why have you abandoned Unova?!" Zekrom stepped towards them, each footstep seeming to shake the ground as he walked. He lowered his head towards her, wiping that adamant look from her face. For the first time since Alexander had known the legendary, he sounded angry.

"We did not abandon you. You abandoned us."

Aaron watched as the screen faded to black. Following the black dragon's words, few questions were asked. The idea that this Alexander had managed to put together such an army and was here within Unova – not even a few miles away – was unnerving at the very least.

It was half an hour later that there was another knock on the door, this one louder than the previous yet hesitant all the same. Marcus was closest to it this time. Too short to look out the peephole, he simply opened it. Aaron glanced over, and his shoulders slumped.

It was Sofia.

"…Is it alright if I speak to you?" she said, avoiding everyone's gaze. She had good reason to considering how she had treated Nora.

"What do you want?" he said without any trace of goodwill.

"Look, I know I can't even begin to make up for everything with Nora… But right now, I need your help – all of you." Aaron rose from the couch, crossing his arms as he approached the female trainer.

"And what makes you think we would want to help you?" Sofia glared at him, thrusting her hand towards the television.

"This could very well be the end of the world. I was hoping that you could look past whatever spite you hold. Like I said, I know I fucked up – but this is way bigger than any of us right now." His expression dropped. She had a point.

"…Fine. You're right. What is it that you have in mind?"

"You and I are going to protect Unova." The words flowed from her mouth with a mixture of enthusiasm and fear.

"…Yeah, we all kinda decided that last night. But I'm a bit limited at the moment."

"Which is why I'm offering you a deal," she stated. "You help me take these assholes down. I'm not sure if you've looked a great deal at the battling system that Omega has setup—"

"I haven't."

"Then listen up. That Alexander guy said that people weren't going to hide behind their votes, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, as it turns out, that isn't fully true."

"How can it be a lie?" Marcus asked. "Reshiram is with him…"

"Let me back that up – people can vote. Only they have to earn it. You can transfer the points you've earned in battling Omega to other people." Aaron shook his head, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"What?" Sofia leaned against the doorway.

"Yep – so any points that, say, I earn, I could transfer to you. Points are awarded depending on the difficulty of the trainer beaten since their really good trainers are probably more likely to win." She frowned. "But this also brings with it a problem."

"I'm… not sure I follow."

"Who are the most famous trainers in the world right now?" she asked. He groaned.

"Clay and Elesa…"

"And what do you think their members will do?"

"Yeah, I got it. So when he said that the top three trainers will be chosen to compete against their three best…"

"In reality, there's only one slot open," she said, finishing his sentence.

"Shit. Well, I hope either of them can beat whatever he throws towards them," Aaron stated. He noticed that Nora had retreated to the back of the house. Despite the somewhat easing tensions at this moment, he couldn't blame the typhlosion. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Obviously you don't have a vehicle, so I'm willing to let you borrow one of my two. It's electric, so we should be fine. I doubt gasoline will be available for some time to come…"

"A-alright." That definitely fixed his mobility issue. "But if I lose…"

"I'll have my brother pick it up. We have the spare key and all."

"Oh… okay. And then what?" She checked her phone quickly, then looked back up at him. He could make out the trainer app on her screen.

"Well, someone has to cut that son of a bitch down a peg in a year. I think my team and I are ready for that." It dawned on him what exactly she was proposing.

"So you want me to transfer my points to you at the end so that you can be the third trainer?" She said nothing, but a quick nod confirmed his suspicions. "Alright, works for me. I just hope you know what you're doing. These guys seem to have a lot of legendaries. You better pray he doesn't use them in that fight…"

"Even if I lose – which I don't plan on – everyone will know that I went down trying."

"Let's just hope for the world's sake that doesn't happen."

"I know," she said, betraying a sense of dread in her voice. A week ago, Sofia was the last person he would have expected in his apartment, much less as a partner in fighting for the world's independence. "Are you ready to start?" she asked.

"You mean right now?" She nodded.

"You realize what Tao Creek is, right?"

"Can't say I do…" He glanced over at Marcus who also shook his head.

"It's the nuclear power plant that provides most of the electricity for the metropolitan area."

"Oh shit…"

"If he controls that, then Alexander decides who gets electricity and who doesn't. That gives him massive bargaining power. We can't let him have that. And since the drive will take about forty minutes, we have to leave now."

"Dammit, I didn't know you'd be putting me on the spot like this."

"I'm sorry – I would've called, but as you know, we ended up getting an announcement," Sofia stated. He wondered if he should give his parents a call. There was a chance that this would result in his team getting locked up. But then he could imagine Robert demanding that he have nothing to do with this – to step aside and remain safe. To hide. That wasn't going to happen. Aaron refused to force his pokémon against their will again.

"I just want to ask one other thing," he said.

"Go for it."

"Why pick me? I'm sure you know plenty of other good trainers. Probably some who even have all the badges."

"Well, to tell you the truth, you're the best trainer I know of aside from myself. And not many people can somewhat hold their own against Nathan's team, especially on their first time experiencing mega evolution."

"How did you know about that?"

"There were at least ten different videos circulating around campus of your match," Sofia replied. "And Nathan's team was known for being a menace a few years ago. I never even got close to beating him."

"He was taking it easy on me…" The female trainer shrugged.

"Not just you. He was taking it easy on all of us," she stated. Aaron perked up.

"Nathan can help us! Oh man, he'd be terrifying to Omega!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Do you know him?"

"He's my best friend! Hell, Aiden – his charizard – dropped off some groceries for us this morning!"

"This just got so much better!" His excitement had become contagious to her. "Quick! Call him! We'll see if he can meet us at the power plant!"

"Even better – he works there! Or at least, I think that's the one he works at…"

"There are a few others here and there," she stated. "But still – call him! If we have Nathan working with us, I'm pretty sure we win."

Aaron ran and grabbed his phone from the living room and scrolled through his contact list. This time, it didn't take several rings.

"Hello?" Nathan said.

"Nathan! Sofia and I are going to the power plant to fight Omega, and if we had the help of you and your team, it would be a done deal. Can you help us?"

"Slow down a bit," the older trainer said.

"Sorry."

"From what I was able to gather, you want me to help you fight Omega?"

"Yeah! With you on our side, we'd be unstoppable."

"I appreciate the compliment," Nathan replied. "But I'm afraid I can't help you."

"What?" Aaron asked. "Why?"

"Alexander mentioned that only the trainers who have obtained all gym badges within their league circuit can compete. I don't have any badges."

"You've gotta be kidding me right now…"

"Sorry to disappoint, but there's no way gym battles will be held for some time. I cannot compete against Omega without having those badges."

"This is bullshit." Aaron noticed Sofia was similarly let down.

"Again, sorry to disappoint. I'll help you wherever I can – and I'm more than willing to help you fight Alpha and Delta if I can get to you in time – but I don't have the requirements to take on Omega. Besides, I don't work at Tao Creek."

"Damn. Well, I figured it was worth a shot," Aaron said. "Talk to you later."

"Same. Be careful out there." The call ended, and with it, their hopes of receiving his help in the way they needed it most. He sighed, shoving the device into his pocket.

"Well, there goes that idea…"

"It's whatever," Sofia said. "As far as I see it, you and I still have a job to do."

"You're right," he said, grabbing the belt that held the four pokéballs. The three pokémon that were immediately visible were returned. "Give me a minute." Aaron made his way to the bedroom where he found the door ajar. Nora sat on the edge of the bed.

"Of course she wanted something out of it," she murmured. "She couldn't just do the right thing because it was right – oh no. There had to be some sort of goal that benefited Sofia…"

"Hey, if she wants to risk it and take on Alexander, then I say let her. This way we still get to fight off Omega but don't have to worry about the fate of the world or anything."

"I guess..." She stood up, ready to come with him. But her eyes almost refused to look towards him. That awkwardness from before was still in the air.

"Hey… I don't want you to think that I've forgotten about our conversation by the pool. I still need some time to process everything, but right now, there are far bigger things at hand."

"Yeah, I know." Aaron pulled her into a hug, taking the typhlosion by surprise. Maybe he was encouraging it, but at the moment, he felt the need to comfort her. Nora flinched, but soon relaxed in his grip.

"No matter what happens, your place is always here, alright?" He felt her nod against his chest. "Good. Now let's go free a power plant."

A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.