SKYLA'S P.O.V.
I pull my hair into a ponytail as we try to casually stroll out of Nimbasa City. It doesn't work, because we're surrounded in seconds.
"GIVE US POKEMON!" the people are screaming.
"Um, you guys!" I shout over the crowd. "Give them Pokemon!"
"We don't have any to spare, Skyla!" Touya yells back.
"So what are we supposed to do? Get ripped to shreds?" I snap. I reach into my purse and feel some Pokeballs Touko left me. I grin and pull them out, handing some to Touya and Shauntal, who are nearest.
"Excellent!" yells Iris, catching on immediately. "Let's pull a Touko!" We all count to three loudly and throw all our Pokeballs at the screaming crowd.
"Run for it," Brycen cries, and we all run, screaming, out of Nimbasa City and into the woods where we've set up our camp.
"I have to admit, that's actually kind of fun," says Touya as we immediately start packing up camp to head to the next city to spread news of the rebellion.
"Yeah, if you enjoy being attacked by people acting as though they've never been raised properly," says Shauntal snippily, dusting her clothes off as if there are 'people-germs' all over them.
"Lighten, up, Shauntal," I giggle. I reach out my hand to grab hers, but suddenly something falls out of the sky and I jerk it back. It hits the ground with a loud thud.
It stands up and screams at the sky like a lunatic. "CHEREN BLUE! WHEN YOU GET YOUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND, I'M GOING TO STRANGLE YOU!"
Of course. It's Touko's friend Bianca.
"Um, hi, Bianca," says Touya nervously, as though he knows not to interrupt her when she's in a mood like this one. "How's it going?"
She whirls around to glare at him. "Oh, I don't know, Touya," Bianca says in a fake-sweet voice, as it gets louder and louder. "Maybe because Cheren just SHOVED me off the Pidove and I fell hundreds of feet through the air until I hit the ground? PAINFULLY?"
Touya raises his hands above his head in surrender just as a voice from the sky yells, "Actually, Bianca, it was more like twenty feet, not a hundred!"
"DON'T YOU STATISTICALLY CORRECT ME!" Bianca screams. "I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE YOUR DEATH ALL THE MORE PAINFUL!"
"Are you hurt, Bianca?" asks Brycen calmly. It almost seems like he's dealt with crazy, pissed off girls his whole life.
"No, I'm fine," Bianca answers, still glowering up at the sky. "CHEREN BLUE, YOU GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Cheren lands, pretty gracefully for a first-time flier, on the Pidove Touko gave them. "Bianca, listen, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to shove you off, I just wanted to try out -" he rushes the words out quickly, but the blonde still screams in anger and charges at him.
Cheren screams as he sees her coming, turns on his heels and runs around the camp, his arms flailing. Bianca chases him. It's actually really entertaining.
"Sorry," Touya apologizes to me. "They're not usually like this, I swear. That's more of something me and Touko would do."
"Don't worry about it," I tell him, gesturing to Iris, who's literally rolling around on the floor, laughing. "We seem to really enjoy it."
Finally, Cheren cowers behind Shauntal, and Brycen grabs Bianca to hold her back. "Okay, Bianca, you need to calm down," he says soothingly. "It's okay, Cheren didn't mean to." He pats her hair, which actually does seem to help.
"Can you believe him?" Bianca snaps, still glaring at Cheren. "He risked my life – he caused me to fall off that Pidove – because he wanted it to flip in the air! And he didn't even tell me so I could hold on tighter!"
"I SAID I was sorry, Bells!" Cheren shouts at her.
"Don't call me Bells, I'm mad at you!" Bianca retorts.
"Um, okay, you guys, let's just chill a little," I say, trying to keep the peace here. The last thing we need are two people in the rebellion fighting each other instead of Team Plasma.
"Don't take this the wrong way," adds Shauntal, "but why are you two here, exactly? Aren't you supposed to stay in Nuvema Town to spy?"
"We are," pants Cheren, still tired from being chased by Bianca. "I mean, we were."
"When we heard the news, we came right away," adds Bianca. "After packing provisions and stuff, I mean." She pulls a packet of pecha berries out of her purse and waves them at Touya. "Bet you Touko was pissed when you forgot these."
"Shut up," mutters Touya, determinedly staring at the ground.
"Oh, she was," remembers Iris. "But what's the news?"
"The news?" repeats Bianca, looking confused. Then a look of recognition passes over her and she exclaims, "Oh, yes! The news!"
"Team Plasma has a plan," says Cheren.
"No shit," says Chili sarcastically, having just come out from making lunch to see this spectacle.
"You didn't let me finish," Cheren retorts, shooting Chili a glare. "As I was saying, Team Plasma has a plan … to take over everywhere."
"They've already done that," says Iris.
"No, that was just Unova," Bianca explains. "Now they want to control the other regions too – Hoenn, Kanto, Sinnoh, Johto. All of them."
"They can't do that!" I exclaim angrily.
"They can and they will," Bianca replies sadly. "Unless the rebellion can stop them." She looks at us with hope in her eyes.
"Hey, where's Touko?" Cheren asks, disrupting the mood.
"She went off to capture legendaries," I say dismissively. "Oh, we should probably message her later, Brycen."
"I'll go do it now," Brycen replies. "I'll tell Touko to meet up with us at the entrance to Victory Road, okay? That way we can meet up, travel through that dangerous place together, and we should come out near Team Plasma's Castle."
"Good plan," agrees Touya, and Brycen walks away from us.
Suddenly, Bianca and Cheren's X-transceivers ring at the same time. They both glance down and then look up at us urgently. "You guys. We have to go back into Nimbasa City," says Cheren.
"Um, why?" asks Iris. "'Cause if we go, we're gonna need to take more Pokeballs."
"Yes, for the vicious Nimbasa citizens," Shauntal adds with a shudder.
"No, seriously," Bianca says. "Look at the message we just got from Ghetsis." She holds out her X-transceiver screen for us to read.
Plasma Grunts and Workers -
Stop by your local city Plasma TV and take a look. Right now. You'll enjoy what they're showing. Long live Team Plasma!
Ghetsis
"Yeah, that doesn't sound good at all," says Chili, finishing up the reading.
"Let's go watch that TV," adds Iris.
"That sounded really strange, Iris," comments Touya and Iris punches him in the arm the way Touko does sometimes.
"You know what I mean," she says, rolling her eyes like Touko. Note to self, I think. Iris is spending WAAAAY too much time with Touko.
We head straight back for Nimbasa City, with me grabbing Brycen's arm and dragging him with us along the way.
BIANCA'S P.O.V.
We hurry along through Nimbasa City, straight for their Plasma TV. There's already a huge crowd of people, but Touya, Chili, Iris and Skyla – who are acting as though they've been raised by wolves – shove their way to the front and drag the rest of us with them.
I'm a little nervous about exactly what they're about to show on the screen. Usually when something is being broadcast, Ghetsis doesn't send out a little alert about it like he has now. This has to be something really important.
Oh, Arceus! What if they've caught Touko, wherever she's supposed to be right now? I know for sure that's something Ghetsis would want all of Unova to see, he really hates her with a passion, my best friend who leads the rebellion.
I really, really, really wish Touko was here right now, so we could laugh about Cheren pushing me off the Pidove (yes, I'd laugh about it with Touko, but I'll never forgive Cheren) and worry about this together. Plus, if she was here, I wouldn't have to worry about Team Plasma having caught Touko and broadcasting it live.
The Plasma TV flashes to life, the bright colors temporarily blinding my eyes. Once they adjust, I see Zinzolin, one of the Seven Sages along with Ghetsis, on the screen. He's smiling, which isn't a very good sign for the rebellion. It takes something really, really huge to make Zinzolin smile.
"Greetings, people of Unova," he says, and I'm shocked that his voice actually has emotion. Zinzolin usually talks in a monotone. "You may be wondered why we have gathered you here today to watch the Plasma TV."
"No, actually, I'm here because I want a croissant," mutters Chili sarcastically, on my left side. I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. "No, duh, freakshow. Get on with it."
Of course, Zinzolin can't hear him so the broadcast goes on at the usual slow pace. "As some of you loyal, trusted Grunts may know, Team Plasma has some major plans for this entire planet. We have entered Sinnoh and established a database there." I feel a rush of pleasure at being called a loyal, trusted Grunt until I remember that I'm on the rebellion's side again.
He pauses as though giving people time to cheer at this news, but the crowd in Nimbasa City remains silent. It's nice to know that we have at least one whole city full of supporters.
"In Sinnoh, however, their champion defied our rules and laws," continues Zinzolin, "and refused to hand over her Pokemon. Of course, Team Plasma immediately took action for this threat and got rid of it quickly. We have captured Sinnoh's Pokemon champion, Cynthia, and are currently taking her to prison."
The screen flashes away from Zinzolin and shows a pretty, tall girl a few years older than me with crystal blue eyes and long, wavy blonde hair being held forcibly by two high-ranking Plasma Grunts on either side. To her credit, she is kicking, screaming and struggling with all her might against them.
"You can't do this!" Cynthia shouts angrily. "People and Pokemon have always been meant to be together! Just because you're all a bunch of close-minded idiots doesn't mean you have the right to make other people do this!"
Instantly, I'm reminded of Touko. I can't help but worry for my best friend's safety, all alone out there searching for legendary Pokemon, especially as one Plasma Grunt violently hits Cynthia in the head and throws her onto a Pidove.
The camera returns to Zinzolin. "That was live footage. As we speak, that Pidove is flying this Cynthia brat to our jail here in Unova. You may all go back to your business."
The crowd disperses, and we return to our camp in low spirits. "I can't believe that," Chili says, shaking his head.
"That could have been Touko, practically," Touya adds with so much raw emotion that I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something here. Is there something going on between Touya and Touko?
"Cynthia spoke just like her."
"You two were right," Shauntal sighs, talking about me and Cheren. "Team Plasma really is invading the other regions. And they were powerful enough to take out Sinnoh's own champion!"
"That Cynthia was really pretty," comments Cheren.
Everyone stops their packing to glare at him. "Seriously, Cheren?" asks Touya with an air of
annoyance.
"Sorry," Cheren replies, pushing his glasses up his nose and not making eye contact with any of us. I still hear him mutter, "But she was," under his breath, though, so I not-so-subtly whack him with my purse.
Skyla changes the subject, trying to keep everyone optimistic the way her personality always is. "Did you get a reply from Touko, Brycen?"
He checks his X-transceiver. "Yeah. She says she'll meet us at Victory Road. That's probably where we should head now."
"Well, I guess Cheren and I will head back on our Pidove now," I suggest, turning to give Cheren my best death glare. "And I'll drive, so hopefully you'll be the one who falls off this time."
"B-Bells ..." Cheren starts, but Chili interrupts him.
"Actually, I think you two should come along with us," he says. "If Team Plasma is starting to invade other regions, than they'll probably not react kindly to any spies. So it'd be best if you all stuck with the rebellion now."
"Sure," I say cheerfully, since that's what I wanted to do all along. "But we don't have any Pokemon, so we won't be of much help."
"Oh, sure you will!" Iris replies enthusiastically. "You two can always help set up and with Chili making meals. We don't do much with Pokemon except for training and the occasional battle with Plasma Grunts."
"Oh, well, good," I answer with a forced smile, since that's not exactly what I was going for. I was kind of hinting that maybe one of them could catch me a Pokemon, the way Touko promised to after we were done spying. After all, she gave Cheren – irresponsible, let's-do-a-flip-and-get-rid-of-Bianca-while-we're-still-in-the-air Cheren – the Pidove.
"C'mon," says Shauntal, since by now the camp's all packed up. "Let's head to Victory Road. It'd be better if we get there before Touko, since a group will be easier for her to spot."
And then we're flying through the air on a variety of bird Pokemon, and it occurs to me that this is probably the first real rebellion thing we're about to do. We're heading off to crush Team Plasma's hopes and dreams.