The Fall of Indigo Plateau

Each step remained a heartbeat to disaster as the Kanto Region mourned in pain behind them all. The army of true darkness now to take on their last test with the strongest trainers in the Region to be taken out in one simple swipe to confirm the new leadership of Kanto. Giovanni led a dozen Team Rocket agents towards the remaining towers of Indigo Plateau as they glistened in the weak sunlight from above, reflecting a dark shadow upon them all. The towers were built many years ago and famously hosted the Pokemon Regional and World Champions each year, but not a single battle command had been uttered for over five years. What lay inside was now old, withered and easily obtainable. The Elite Three.

Lorelei, Bruno and Agatha remained with their overly tested Pokemon, but they couldn't hide inside their steel walls forever and now they would either give in to the Team Rocket influence or get jailed for the rest of their lives. Giovanni adjusted his heavy black coat, revealing a sinister logo design over his heart as he wanted forwards feeling power exercising in his hand. Even his own powers had wanted this place to be destroyed, however he was still injured from the battle with Red. Surprisingly strong, the former Kanto Champion had truly mastered his unnaturally bred powers over the course of his life. His location now returned to the unknown, but Giovanni had already been a step ahead. Red wanted Blue, and Giovanni wanted Blue. Simple psychology and now he had inadvertently gotten the world's most strongest trainer to track down number two. Turning to his side, Giovanni spat on the ground and muttered, "Daniel, send the troops inside to retrieve the Elite members. If they resist, use force."

Daniel nodded, understanding his commands and knowing not to respond but to just do. Giovanni had successfully disabled any individuals or groups within Kanto that would be a threat and that included young Pokemon Trainers to veterans. Compared to the last time he attempted such a chaotic scheme, he had reinvented himself and now no mercy would be shown. Daniel was from Kanto, and his darkened heart still shone some light towards the world he had once known. Team Rocket had hired him at a young age, twisting his mind and Pokemon into pure power, but he had no idea how large their schemes would get. From a simple grunt washing dishes, he had now become a Commander over thousands of employees and men. Giovanni trusted him, and that was all he ever wanted. Trust and infinite gain.

Daniel turned to the darkened soldiers behind him and barked his orders, "Six of you surround the building, and the rest of you are on me. Attack with force and capture them. No deaths, we leave that to Giovanni."

They all saluted with the first six dashing ahead, their hi-tech gear allowing them to easily scale the rocky terrain around them with significant ease. Darting forward, a low frequency beating was suddenly heard as Daniel turned around, preventing the other six from moving forward. The ground opened up into a large crevice as the Team Rocket soldiers all disappeared into the darkness, their screaming voices disappearing into pure terror and nothingness. Giovanni stood there, arms folded as sand and dirt exploded from the ground in front of them as he smirked slightly. Taking a Pokeball out of its holster and seeing it flash red with the power flowing through his body, he spun it high into the air as it exploded into life. The Fang Pokemon, Gliscor, appeared as it screeched loudly in the sky above awaiting for commands as it floated in the wind.

Giovanni raised both hands and called towards the building, the crevice still gaping in front of them, "This is why Kanto is weak and so easy to conquer. You all have no imagination and brutality here compared to other Regions and worlds out there. Gliscor, use Dark Pulse and destroy the towers!"

Flashing into darkness it unleashed a jet of circular black discs that headed directly for the towers. Giovanni though, already knew what was coming as the Dark Pulse was deflected downwards into the crevice once again. A powerful Protect attack had encompassed the entire building as the front doors slid open in front of them. Daniel exclaimed, pointing, "Those are the Elite Members, Giovanni. What should we do?"

"Stay still, and let me deal with them."

Smirking again, Giovanni re-crossed his arms as his entire body randomly flashed red once again in anger with Gliscor reappearing by his side breathing heavily. Bruno's heavily muscular body appeared first, silhouetted against the sun as his greying hair was tied behind his back in a neat ponytail. The other two remembers remained behind him, both shaking in what seemed fear and uncertainty. Their leader, Lance, was now not here to save them as his efforts were directed over in the Johto and Hoenn Regions, and as a three they were not strong enough to even take on Giovanni. Bruno though seemed to have confidence as he whipped out a Pokeball, shining the sunlight as it spiralled high above and exploded into life on the other side of the crevice. Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokemon, appeared and screeched loudly as Gliscor did the same back with the Team Rocket soldiers backing up scared.

Giovanni called, his voice enraged with laughter, "Bruno and his famous Steelix, no surprise there. But unlike your leader, I stand here strong in front of opposition. Lance isn't going to pick up your crap any more!"

Bruno had aged a lot over the past years, and his voice was nothing but a mere groan as the wind pushed his black hair aside, "Lance has bigger things to worry about than your pathetic organisation, Giovanni. You will not touch Indigo Plateau, it stands for too much good."

Shaking his head, Giovanni barked, "Gliscor, use Fire Fang! Take out Steelix!"

Gliscor used its tail to spring high into the air, its mouth and fangs immediately bursting into flames as it dived forwards towards the Iron Snake who screeched loudly. It was Lorelei and Agatha who decided to respond this time as two more Pokeballs flashed into the air, revealing a Cloyster and Crobat below and firing their attacks back. Gliscor rebounded off them directly, its Fire Fang losing strength as it returned to Giovanni's side. He had begun to enjoy this, and to see strong trainers get completely stripped of their power was what he wanted, they would have to beg for mercy now. Lorelei and Agatha did not speak, but Bruno did once again as his anger began to twitch, "Leave Giovanni, you cannot defeat us all."

"Watch me." The Team Rocket Leader turned to Daniel and spoke with confidence in his voice as his body flashed red once again, "Lead the squad back to HQ, this is going to be explosive."

"Understood." Daniel ordered them back, only half a dozen now remained as they returned to formation and jogged quickly back towards Victory Road behind them. Bruno and the Elite Trainers took a step back in shock as Giovanni's entire body turned into a red inferno of power and energy with the glass windows of Indigo Plateau instantly shattering. Glass rained down from above as Giovanni raised a hand towards his Glisco who screeched in the infinite power being absorbed.

Bruno shook his head, "I-I haven't seen anything like this before! Steelix, Flash Cannon!"

A jet of silver, flash of an Ice Beam and a dark Shadow Ball lit up the sky, but Gliscor fended them off with a simple Night Slash attack as the residue of the moves shattered the glass into dust. The Fang Scorpion Pokemon continued its flight as it landed a powerful Night Slash once again as all three Pokemon and trainers were halted and powered backwards into the ground. Agatha was instantly knocked out with Lorelei screaming in agony, Gliscor whipping up a powerful Sandstorm with its newly found power. Giovanni continued to flash red as he snarled, "Gliscor, show no mercy! Destroy Indigo Plateau, GIGA IMPACT!"

Many lives had already been lost in the demise of the Kanto Region, notably Steven Stone to the hands of Giovanni, but now he would consume three more who would never breathe or be able to fight in the world ever again. As the Elite Three disappeared from reality, the sky turned into a bloodshot red as energy waves were sent throughout the Region with Pokemon immediately fleeing from the area in true shock and despair. Indigo Plateau's two powerful towers diminished and shattered into a heap of rubble after years of taking care of the Region. Nobody was left to protect them as a cloud of dust and fear was left floating in the atmosphere to create a deep haze. Giovanni restored his usual strength as Gliscor was returned, its job truly complete, but another dark figure was still standing high above on the rocky cliffs.

Laughing again, breathing heavily in exhaustion, Giovanni cried, "Kanto is going to be destroyed, Red! Still you stand there and watch, you are pathetic."

Red looked back, a single tear appearing from his right eye that trickled and dripped to the ground below him that seemed tainted and unreal. Giovanni's words meant nothing to him, and Red turned his back once again with true fear inside of him. There was nothing he could do now.

Nothing.

…

The towers of Indigo Plateau had fallen, and news had spread like wildfire around the world as The Light began to gather pace. Kalos and Unova were first to hear the information about Team Rocket's merciless and powerful aims. Destruction and pure catastrophy, and now the public around the world had understood what had happened to the Kanto Region. Anyone who was not able to leave the Region was now stuck within the Team Rocket walls of soldiers, elite soldiers and former Gym Leaders. There was no government, no resistance, just Giovanni himself as he remained in the former Silph. Co building, legs on his desk with money flowing all around him. His army was complete, and so the Light had to begin planning their next attack.

Cynthia, Gary Oak and Lance awaited in the lively Lilycove City where its art museum and department store always brought in tourists and trainers from around the world. A lighthouse and a beach finished off with a beautiful port ended the amazing beauty that Lilycove was known for, but there was business to be done and some new additions to the organisation. Glancing at a painting of Mt. Chimney, created by a random artists that Cynthia did not know, she smirked at her two guests and pushed the sleek blond hair to one side. Looking at them with a slight frown, she muttered, "Alder has arrived."

Gary Oak shook his head unimpressed, "Don't see why we don't just go over to Kanto right now and take out Giovanni. Why recruit, we are strong enough alone!"

Lance remained quiet, his red hair curling around his neck as jet lag was still setting in from his flight from the Johto Region. Even he knew Giovanni wouldn't be that easy to simply 'take out' with an array of experienced and powerful Gym Leaders and Trainers who he had not even beaten before. So many familiar faces had fallen into the Team Rocket trap, and he didn't want any more to disappear or even die such as the remaining Elite Members of Kanto. Him and Bruno had once been close, but time swayed them, and now there would be no way to ever amend that. Alder's appearance was the usual, scruffy and very minimal in clothing with holes appearing all over his brown shirt and running shorts down below. His Pokeballs were hung around his neck as normal, but a single one remained cracked and burnt black, a story he had told no one yet.

Shaking hands with them all, Alder coughed, his stench filling the entire art museum as Gary commented, "Do you ever shower, Alder? Seriously, you are the Unova Champion."

"Why don't you get your hands dirty for a change, Gary? Instead of standing out arrogantly because your grandfather is a science genius whilst your father remains a wandering paedophile."

Gary smirked, looking away as the slur completely shut him up instantly with Cynthia brushing him aside and smiling, "Alder, we need your help. You know the situation, and we need you in Johto to begin the resistance."

Lance now stepped forward, his black cape flowing past Gary who shook his head at it, "Giovanni will attack Johto once he is bored of Kanto, and we don't have any Elite Trainers there at all. We need your experience to create an army, you have trained so many."

Alder smiled, his blackened teeth revealed to them all as he nodded and agreed, "I will help you all, and Johto has a lot of potential, Lance, and I will bring it out."

Gary interjected, his voice purposefully louder to gain attention once again, "I'll be heading to Johto as well to assist you both. Cynthia will remain in Hoenn to keep an eye on Rod and the Thieves Guild with one our agents also involved."

"How about Blue, hear you had a rough one with him, Gary?"

"Blue is in Hoenn, but he won't be for long. Something has happened in Kalos apparently, and he has been summoned there to check it out."

Shaking her head, Cynthia responded, "He won't go to Kalos, Gary. He wants to see his son, and he will look around Hoenn until he finds him. If they do meet...Team Rocket will have a field day, and so our agent is making sure that does not happen."

Gary nodded, and looked away as he scratched his right arm in the darkening lights of the art museum, "Kalos is another story, but from what my grandfather has told me, there are signs of a certain...disaster."

"I am heading to Johto tomorrow morning, I expect both of you to Fly with me," Lance flicked his cape over again, Gary forcing it away from him in disgust, as he turned towards the glass doors, "Don't let me down, I will not let Johto fall."

Alder followed him soon after, his greying hair still releasing a disgusting stench with other public individuals fleeing from the area immediately. Gary turned to Cynthia once again as he muttered, anger and fear mixed into his emotions, "I've been telling you the same thing over and over again. Team Rocket is one thing, Cynthia, but there is something larger out there."

"That may be, but for now we have to make sure we can defeat this enemy before the next appears."

Lilycove City swayed in the moonlight as its marketplace and nightlife continued to buzz with many of the Regions inhabitants travelling there for the weekend. However, an eerie cold swept across the Hoenn Seas where a young trainer shivered, his skin bitten and bruised from the conditions, and lay on the cool sand of Dewford Island...