(A/N: Okay, and now I have yet another song to start off this chapter. The name of this song is "Old Snake" from MGS4, which is more or less Chris' theme in this story. Oh yeah, and try to find the full version if at all possible, which it should be.)

Chapter 2: Taking Back Veilstone

The mission was simple. Aid the resisting soldiers in Veilstone, and push the rebels right out of the city. Of course, it would not be easy, since they managed to seize the eastern half of the city. In that case, it was now my job to take out a couple outposts and blow up their main HQ. Sounds easy enough, right?

Three days after Sunnyshore attack...

*Throughout most of the Sinnoh region, it was rather quiet, especially in the morning, which was right now. However, the sky became alive with the sound of helicopters as dozens upon dozens filled the air, heading for one single location. Upon reaching the outskirts of Veilstone City, the choppers then landed right outside the western borderline. Reinforcements had arrived, including the infamous Spectre (Special Tactics and Reconnaissance) squad. Then, out of one of the many choppers, came a soldier who's battle skills were much above par. His name was Sergeant Chris Johnson, obtaining the rank of Sergeant after the facility incident, and this was where his story continued.

He looked around, seeing that the area was clear as other soldiers rushed into the city. He, however, took a different path on his own. He had his own mission to take care of. Keeping his M4 Carbine secure in his hands, he then headed off into the city. He knew there would be no contacts in this area, but that didn't mean that they didn't have any surprises in store. He then saw that the path he was going started to fork, one going to the left and the other to the right. He then decided to take the left path, not sure what would be waiting for him.

It was an open alley, with the rank smell of garbage as it was all over the place. He then continued walking, using his enhanced senses to pick anything out. All of a sudden, he heard a "plunk" sound as something shot straight out of the ground. Chris then realized with horror what it was without looking back, and then started running as the object exploded. Land mines, a soldier's worst nightmare. These types were new and exclusive, since they now had pressure sensors, meaning they were impossible to see. Chris kept running as more and more kept shooting out and exploding behind him.

Finally, he made it to the end and quickly put his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. A normal soldier couldn't have possibly done what he just did. Unfortunately, his troubles weren't over. He then heard a low growling and turned to see a Houndour looking at him, snarling and baring his fangs. Then, without warning, the Houndour pounced on him, aiming for his neck. Holding it back with his arm, he then pulled out his knife and without hesitation, stabbed the Houndour right in the neck, causing the Pokemon to whine in pain and fell to the ground, blood leaking out of it's neck.

Chris then pulled out his USP .45 and shot the Pokemon right in the head to end it's suffering. Apparently the enemy forces had made it farther into the city, unless the Houndour was a scout. He then decided it was time to call Command. Finding a secure spot, he kneeled down and started a new frequency. "Command, this is Sergeant Johnson, do you read me?" he said.

"Well, well, well. I was starting to wonder when you were gonna call in," a familiar voice said.

"Pikette?" Chris asked. "Where's Command?"

"Um duh, this is Command," Pikette said, who was in the newly established HQ in Jubilife City. "After the whole Sunnyshore incident, I was offered a position here by Peterson and all them. And of course I accepted. This is one large step forward for Pokemon all over the world! Sorry that I didn't mention it before."

"That explains why you were being so secretive," Chris said. "So, I'm guessing you'll be aiding me in this mission then?"

"You know it," Pikette said. "Let's see... There appears to be an enemy outpost about two klicks northeast from your position. SIP infantry is attacking it head on but are being met with heavy resistance. Looks like you'll have to sneak on in, and I think you know what to do."

"Absolutely," Chris said. "Alright, I'm heading there now. Chris out." Making sure to take the safety off his gun, Chris then headed northeast, about to head straight into a firefight. The coordinates appeared to be correct as he soon started to hear gunshots up ahead. It became more evident once he felt the tremors of a nearby explosion.

Once he got to the corner of one the alleyways, he then pulled out a pair of military binoculars. Scouting the area, he saw that the outpost was one of the main buildings of the city, giving the enemy a clear advantage in position. He then saw the SIP soldiers trying to advance, but with no such luck. "Pikette, how many soldiers do you reckon are in that outpost right now?" he asked.

"Hmm..." he then heard the Pikachu say. "A good amount, probably somewhere between twenty to fifty. Think you can handle it?"

"It's all under control," Chris said. "I should be able to get inside through the side window." Breaking off the frequency, he then went back around and took out the clip in his gun while also taking out the bullet in the chamber. Sliding the clip back into his pocket, he then transformed into his Pokemon counterpart. It certainly had it's advantages, such as being too small to be seen in direct view. Using the nearby building for cover, Chris carefully headed towards the outpost.

Moving swiftly from corner to corner, he was about twenty yards from the outpost. He then saw an open window on the side of the building. Moving quickly while he had the chance, he sprinted right towards the window and jumped inside. To his luck, nobody appeared to be in the area at the moment but he kept going until he found a secure spot to change back. "Alright," Chris thought as he screwed a silencer onto his pistol. "Set C-4 charges on levels one, three, and five as instructed." He then quickly found a rather large crack in the wall where he was and decided it was a good spot to plant. He then took the block of C-4 out of his pocket, molded into a shape that could fit inside and then hooked up charges to the C-4.

While it may have been smarter to take the stairs, there was a much larger chance the enemy soldiers would be using them for quicker access downstairs, so he then took the elevator nearby to the third floor. Once the doors opened, he moved quickly to a safe spot, looking for a good spot. It appeared that the soldiers were focused on the battle outside, as the floor appeared empty, but he had to keep his guard up. He was about to reach the next corridor, but he then saw there were two men guarding the pathway. Why they were exactly, Chris did not know, but he was taking a big chance with what he was about to do.

He aimed his pistol at the first guard and pulled the trigger. Before the second guard could react, Chris slammed a bullet into his head as well and both went to the ground, dead. Taking their ammo and weapons, which just happened to be a fine conditioned G36, he then took the bodies and laid them in the stairwell. Soon after that, he found himself another spot to lay C-4, and applied the charges. He then headed back to the elevator and went up to the fifth floor.

It then came to Chris that even though it was for the best intentions, that he was blowing up major buildings in Veilstone, and who knew how long or how much money it would take to rebuild anything. But it had to be done. Finding the last place to insert C-4, Chris then headed back down to the first floor. Now he decided to go through the back, careful not to be seen.

Once he was at a safe distance from the building, he then took out the prime detonator. "Get ready for the fireworks..." he then said, pushing the button. Then, there a huge BOOM as explosions erupted in the building, causing it to collapse. All those in and around the building would be caught in the explosion. He then heard the cheers of SIP soldiers as they finally moved forward to claim the area. "Nice job, Chris," Pikette then said. "I have some good news by the way. Apparently someone else took care of objective #2, which means you're in the clear to head towards the main HQ."

Chris then chuckled. "And I think I might know who that was. Alright, I'm heading there right now." He then headed towards the main HQ, about three klicks north of his position. He then found himself at another open alleyway, but Chris wouldn't be fooled twice. He then found a loose brick and chucked it forward. Once hitting the ground, multiple mines shot into the air, exploding. Just as he figured.

He then took the alternative path, officially crossing over into enemy territory. With a sudden BANG!, he looked past the corner and saw the real battle before him. Here, SIP had brought in the big guns as about six to eight tanks lined up in a straight line, firing at will against the main HQ, which was actually the former Galactic Veilstone Building. However, they were facing heavy resistance in the form of about ten Spyder Tanks. While they were slower than regular tanks, they could still match up rather well. Chris would know, having encountered one before.

"Great, now how am I gonna get past this?" he then asked himself.

"Chris, I was looking at the schematics of that building," Pikette said. "Apparently there's a large oil tank in the furnace in the basement. I think if you plant some C-4 there, that place will go sky high."

"Okay, but the question is how am I gonna get inside?" Chris asked. "I'm in the middle of a full-scale skirmish."

"I don't know, I'm sure you'll find a way in without being spotted," Pikette said.

Chris sighed. It was never easy, doing what he did. Crouching low, he started moving forward. He then noticed something to his right. There was an old metal barrel with a couple of bullet holes in them. "You have got to be kidding," Chris then said, realizing what he would have to do now. Tilting the barrel down gently, he slowly crept into it, placing it over him to disguise himself.

Using the bullet holes to see, he quietly crept to where the enemy was stationed. Whenever any of the soldiers would look his way, he would sit the barrel down, looking just like a normal barrel. When eyes were turned away from him, he continued moving. Finally, he made it to the side of the building and then jumped straight through the closest window. The area was clear, for the moment. He knew he had to hurry and get down to the basement before anymore enemy reinforcements showed up. Checking the ammo in his gun, he then headed towards the stairwell, leading downwards.

For the first time, he ended up engaging enemy troops but quickly disposed of them. Soon, he got down to the basement, which was pitch black. Chris then switched to night vision, and scouted the area. The area was clear, and he quickly found the oil tank. Applying as much C-4 as he had onto the tank, he then set the charges and quickly moved out of the basement. Once he got back up, he instantly felt a bullet graze his shoulder, inflicting pain as he found out other soldiers were waiting for him. Even being outnumbered, he still had the advantage as he managed to take them out with minor bullet wounds. It paid to have the abilities he had.

Going through the same window he came in through, he quickly found himself a safe area a good distant and quickly pushed the button once again. He pitied those who were inside and near the building because oil and explosives do not go well together, and the entire building was obliterated from the ground up. He then once again heard the cheers of the SIP soldiers as they quickly moved forward and secured the area.

"Sergeant Johnson," one of them said, coming up to him. "I assume this was part of your work, sir?"

"Indeed it was," Chris said.

"Very nice sir," the soldier said with a grin. "So what do we do next? Are we to head to Sunnyshore then?"

"Not sure, but I'm sure we will eventually once we all group up," Chris said. All of a sudden, he was getting a call, but it was a different frequency. "Dex?" he asked.

"Good, nice to see you're still in one piece," Dex said. "We're at the rendezvous point, so feel free to join us whenever fits possible."

Chris ignored his sarcasm. "Alright, I'll be there ASAP." And with that, he headed towards the far northeast part of the city.

(A/N: You know, if I haven't been sick, I could've had this done probably yesterday. Oh well, sickness just sucks. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember... wherever there's hand sanitizer, TAKE SOME!)

FoxMcCloud7921