Ash strode into Indigo Plateau. His face, hidden under his hat, was calm and his outward demeanour was one of complete calm, but inwardly he was seething. The elevator doors opened for him and he stepped in. As they shut he took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

The doors of the elevator opened and he strode down the corridor, sweeping into his office. He sat down in his chair and released Pikachu and Espeon to settle into their usual positions. And he waited.

Two minutes later the door opened. Cynthia and Lance walked in, accompanied by an Officer Jenny. They took the seats that Ash gestured to without a word.

"Officer Jenny." Ash started. "I need as much information as you can give me. What is happening?"

The policewoman took a deep breath. "We don't know where it started, but it is across the entire Kanto region. Every single major human settlement has been surrounded by wild Pokémon. Any attempt to leave results in attacks by overwhelming numbers. Kanto is completely shut down."

"Have the Pokémon tried to push into any of the cities?" Ash asked.

Jenny shook her head. "As far as we know, they are content to just surround for now."

"I suspect that won't last forever." Ash said. He turned to Cynthia. "Do we know where Tobias Takuto is?"

Cynthia hesitated for a moment. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" Ash asked sharply. "I instructed you to find him Cynthia. Tell me what you know."

"Yes Champion." Cynthia said, bowing her head. "The last place he was seen was Saffron City, but that was five days ago. He could be anywhere across Kanto if he took a train."

"I have officers looking through the security tapes from the train station in Saffron, going back to when he was last seen." Jenny interjected. "If he left, we'll find him."

"Are we sure that he is responsible for this?" Lance asked. "I mean, do we have any evidence?"

"Circumstantial." Ash said. "But I want him in custody until we know for certain." He turned back to Jenny. "How long until we know for certain about the trains?"

"There is a limit to the number of officers under my command, but we are working as fast as we can and spreading the load. We should have checked every minute within the next twelve hours."

Ash nodded. "Until then, I will be going to Saffron City. Cynthia, you know how to contact me if you find anything."

"Champion, I'm coming as well." Lance said forcefully, but Ash was already shaking his head.

"I need you to remain here Lance. This is your region, you need to take a holistic approach instead of diving in to a trouble spot."

"What do we tell the Gym Leaders?" Cynthia asked. "They have all called in asking for instructions."

"Tell them to prepare to defend their cities." Ash said. "The police will work with them to protect people, but I will not declare martial law yet. Doing so could spark a panic."

They all nodded, but Ash kept on speaking.

"Cynthia, release a statement saying that the Pokémon League is aware of the unusual behaviour and is investigating it as a matter of highest priority. Otherwise deflect any questions. Jenny, you will be orchestrating the police forces alongside Cynthia, they are to work with the Gym Leaders who are now charged with protecting their cities. All emergency services fall under their command. Lance, you have contacts across Kanto, start talking to them and see if there is anything that we are missing that people nearer the ground know."

Ash stood up, surprising those around him who had expected him to talk more. "Unless there is anything else, let's get to work. We have a region under siege."

A quick glance around his subordinates told him that there was nothing else. Ash dropped a Pokéball at his feet, causing his Alakazam to appear. A moment later, he vanished in a flash of light.

Ash appeared in a flash of light in the middle of the room. His gaze was immediately drawn to a figure sitting in a chair at the back of the room, hiding in shadow.

"Champion." A voice rang out from the figure. "What can I do for you?"

Ash took a step forwards. "Sabrina, come out."

The person rose and stepped forwards, revealing the figure of Sabrina, the Psychic Gym leader of Saffron City. A smile played across her lips. "You know, that would faze most people. But then I guess you aren't most people are you?"

"You should know that by now." Ash countered. "We have much to discuss Sabrina, and I will be needing your assistance."

"Mine?" Sabrina said, tilting her head slightly. "What possible assistance could I render the powerful Pokémon Master?"

"I am looking for somebody. Tobias Takuto, last seen in Saffron City."

"And you want me to help find him?"

"My Pokémon are already sweeping the city. They require freedom to move, and zero interference. I expect you to stay out of their way, and to ensure that your tutees do the same."

"My tutees would never dream of blocking your Pokémon." Sabrina said, emphasising words as she spoke, moving towards Ash. "But I'm sure I could be persuaded to remind them for…"

Ash cut straight across her. "Usually your attempted flirting with me is humorous Sabrina, but this is not one of those times. You will order those of your tutees who are psychic to stay out of our way."

Sabrina drew back, a look of surprise on her face. "Champion, I sent out the instruction as soon as you gave it to me. Given your arrival here, I can only assume that you are here to deal with whatever is happening outside Saffron. I do not play games with the lives of the citizens in my city."

Ash took a deep breath. "Thank you Sabrina." He turned towards the door then hesitated. He glanced back again. "And I apologize for snapping at you. This attack is unprecedented and we are struggling to find the cause."

Sabrina nodded and bowed slightly. "Then I wish you happy hunting. If you require any help, find one of my tutees and they will link you back to me." She looked up from her bow to find the door to her Gym swinging shut. Ash was gone.

"Something is wrong with Champion." Cynthia said, looking up from her computer screen. Across the room Lance looked around.

"You noticed as well?"

Cynthia nodded. "It seems to be something to do with control. He is always in control, but this is slowly pulling it away from him."

Lance grimaced. "Does it worry you?"

"Yes."

"Good. It scares the hell out of me. I've seen many go up against Champion and every single one has been blown away without him breaking sweat. This though… he doesn't seem to know where to strike back."

"We're just taking blow after blow." Cynthia said. "First Professor Oak, then whatever happened out in the Wilds. Now this. When does it end?"

"When whoever is attacking us makes a mistake." Lance said firmly. "They must make one eventually, and if I know Champion it will only take one."

"But it will need to happen soon. Champion would never have rushed off to Saffron if he was thinking straight. This is getting to him."

Lance nodded. "When this attack is over, I will talk to Sam. Perhaps he can get through to his mentor in a way we never will be able to."

"Here's hoping. What about Mellanie? She came to that meeting with him and has been training with him for longer. Can we talk to her?"

"We could. But getting to her without Champion knowing would be tricky, and I'm pretty sure she'd tell him if we were poking around."

Cynthia hesitated, then hit the desk next to her computer in frustration. "I can't believe we are doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Plotting against him."

"We're not…" Lance started before he met Cynthia's gaze from across the room. "Okay, fine. But what else can we do? We can only advise him, but at the moment I'd say he is a long way off doing what he needs to do."

Before Cynthia could answer, Officer Jenny knocked on the door before coming in.

"We're not sure, because we can only really get the back of his head, but we think Tobias might have left Saffron. Champion is looking in the wrong place."

"Do we know where the right place is?" Cynthia asked.

Jenny shook her head. We're trying to track him through the cameras to find the train he got on. I should have an answer for you soon though."

"Let me know as soon as you can."

Jenny nodded and strode back out of the room.

Lance threw his hands up in frustration as soon as the door shut behind her. "This is the problem."

"What is?" Cynthia asked.

"Champion not being in control. He's trying to regain it by rushing into decisions. He shouldn't be in Saffron, he should be here, waiting for a certainty."

"But if Tobias was in Saffron then being here would have wasted valuable time." Cynthia argued. "I know he's making rushed decisions but even so…"

"His Pokémon could have searched without him." Lance said brusquely. "Him being there means that now we have to pull him back, and we can't do that without knowing where he needs to go instead. It is his fault that we are behind now."

Cynthia sighed. Lance was being extremely critical of Ash, but she couldn't fault it. He was right. And she had been noticing his unusual behaviour for some time. When he took her, Lance and Steven out into the Wilds, she knew something had been off. To be assured of safety by Ash Ketchum was about as secure a guarantee you could get anywhere in the world. Yet she had been attacked and nearly overwhelmed. When they had gotten back, he had held a brief meeting then dismissed his subordinates. She had barely seen him for the following two weeks which while not unusual in normal times, was rarer in times of difficulties. As far as she was aware, he had barely even come to Indigo Plateau. It was only Sonia Rukan who had brought him back.

That was another thing, the meetings with Sonia and Gary Oak. Ash was not averse to getting involved when the occasion demanded it, but to have him get so actively involved was rare. And now his behaviour during this crisis was worrying. He had come very close to openly criticising Cynthia, another thing that was rare. She appreciated the fact that he rarely criticised, instead motivating and questioning to help her improve. The censure that came from her failing to find Tobias was surprising. If it had been that high a priority, she had expected Ash to use his own Pokémon. Although they might have been chasing up another lead as they tried to play catch-up on whomever was behind the problems. And now he was rushing his decisions, something that was unlikely to end well. Ash thrived off total control, but he was losing it. And that scared Cynthia.

She was dragged away from her thoughts by the sound of a phone ringing. She reached across to pick it up. As the voice at the other end started talking, the Cynthia paled and started scribbling furiously on a pad of paper. As she put the phone down Officer Jenny came back in.

"If we are right, we think that Tobias is…"

"In Cerulean City." Cynthia finished.

"Yes." Jenny said nervously. "How did you know?"

Cynthia gestured at the phone. "That was Daisy Waterflower, the Cerulean Gym Leader. The Pokémon surrounding the city have just started to attack."

Ash stood on the roof of the headquarters of Silph Company, the tallest building in Saffron. On the corner of the roof was Pikachu, barely moving as he strained his ears for anything. Next to Ash was Espeon, orchestrating the search of the scouts through the city while trying not to let her nervousness show. Her tail flicked back and forth as she concentrated.

"This is taking too long." Espeon said to Ash.

"I know." Ash murmured. "But the scouts are doing their best. This is the largest city in Kanto and they have to be thorough."

Pikachu leapt from his position on the corner of the roof, landing on Ash's shoulder in a display of accuracy.

"If he is even here" the small electric-type said.

"You have certainly become more cynical." Ash commented. "If he is hear, they will find him. And if he isn't, we have to trust that the police can tell us where he is soon."

Silence fell among the three of them as they waited and concentrated on their search. After a few minutes, Pikachu started talking again.

"He's not here is he."

It wasn't a question, but Ash nodded slightly regardless. "I don't think so."

"Then why are we still here?" Pikachu asked. "Shouldn't we be back at Indigo Plateau?"

"No." Ash said simply. His Pokémon waited for him to elaborate but he kept silent.

"Why not?" Espeon asked eventually.

Ash sighed. "Because we can't do anything there."

"We can't do anything here either." Espeon pointed out.

"We can at least try." Ash said. "Whatever is coming after us wants something. And this feels like they are close to their endgame. I cannot sit around while they accomplish whatever they want unopposed."

Silence reigned amongst the group once more, with neither Pikachu nor Espeon really knowing what to say. Although they had all been thinking it for some time, for Ash to admit how outclassed they were was surprising. They had expected him to be confident, even if he didn't feel it. For the first time, Espeon started to doubt her trainer. She genuinely didn't know if he could face this challenge. Whether he could or not though was irrelevant to her. Whatever happened she would not abandon her trainer. He was everything to her.

Suddenly their attention as drawn to Ash as his pocket vibrated slightly. Ash reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a small phone. There was one message on it, from Cynthia.

"Tobias in Cerulean. Pokémon there attacking the city."

Ash turned to Espeon. "Call Alakazam. Get us to Cerulean City. Now."

Tracey Sketchit looked out of the window, a pad of paper in his hand. He was sketching furiously as he looked down on the Pokémon that were moving up the street. He was drawing them as accurately as possible. He knew that once they were driven back, it would be important to establish why they were attacking like this and if he could get pictures of them, it could only help. Suddenly a Pokémon looked up at him, causing him to drop, hoping that he hadn't been seen. He glanced down at his pad and decided that he had enough pictures. Tracey crawled away from the window further into Cerulean Gym. It wasn't that he was a coward. Tracey would fight if he had to. He just knew that he wasn't anywhere near strong enough a trainer to deal with the horde of Pokémon who were moving through Cerulean City.

Once he was out of sight of the window, Tracey stood up and moved into the house attached to the gym. He had moved in so he could live with his long term girlfriend, Daisy. He sat on a sofa in the living room and pulled a phone out of his pocket. There was only one person he wanted to talk to now.

"Hello?" came the voice of his girlfriend sounding stressed and rushed. "Tracey? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" he assured her. "I just wanted to make sure you are."

"I'm fine for now. I spoke to Cynthia and she told us to avoid fighting so we are just retreating."

"Where are you?"

"Near the town hall. You?"

"At the gym. Pokémon are her as well."

Daisy swore down the phone before there was a distant noise. There were a few moments of static, like the phone was being held in the hand of somebody who was waving their arm. Her muted voice came down the line, ordering people to move. A moment later her voice came again, much clearer.

"I've got to go Tracey. Just like stay safe in the gym and I'll see you later."

Before Tracey could say anything else the line went dead. He gazed at the phone, before starting to pass it from one hand to the other to try to work out his nervousness. It wasn't often that Daisy dropped her affected accent, and it was only at times of intense stress. He had been hoping that she might be able to give him some kind of reassurance, but that clearly wasn't going to happen. All he could do was sit and hope.

Daisy put the phone away and turned to the students around her, surrounded by their own Pokémon.

"Like get moving! Get back from here!"

They all burst into movement moving down the street. One of the students came up to Daisy.

"We can't keep running" he said quietly. "Sooner or later we run out of city."

"I know." Daisy said. "But like, I've got no other options. We've got people to like stay in their houses. Otherwise, we're just like following the instructions from the Pokémon League."

There was a shriek of fear and Daisy spun around. Nobody was being attacked yet, but coming down the street was a veritable horde of Pokémon. She groaned. The street leading to the town hall was one of the biggest in the city and so many roads linked to it. Now they were on it, almost all the Pokémon in this half city could reach her. She looked at the town hall and came to a decision.

"Onto the steps" she barked. The trainers around her looked on in surprise. They knew they were supposed to keep running but now it sounded like they were going to be standing and fighting. Daisy shouted at them to move again and they started to head for the steps. The invading Pokémon stopped and watched as the trainers formed a wall on the steps facing them. As the stand-off drew on, the phone in Daisy's pocket rang again.

"Daisy, we are like running out of space to run into" came the voice of Lily. The second youngest Waterflower sounded stressed.

"I know." Daisy said. "You need to…" Daisy broke off as a figure appeared in front of her in a flash of light. A figure that she recognized very well, dressed in black with a hat firmly placed on its head. The figure turned to regard the trainers on the steps of the town hall before focusing on Daisy.

"My Pokémon are protecting your sisters" the Pokémon Master said. "They should keep retreating, but the Pokémon chasing them will no longer follow."

"Did you hear that Lily?" Daisy said into the phone.

"Yeah, like where did they come from?" Lily asked. "Pokémon like just appeared. We're heading towards you now."

Daisy put the phone away as Lily hung up on her. She looked at the Pokémon Master who was now focusing on the horde of wild Pokémon filling the street ahead of him. Behind him, a few of his Pokémon had appeared, most notably his Charizard and his Espeon. He stepped forwards, one man against the attack.

"I would speak with one who holds the strength." Ash said, speaking slowly and clearly, his arms down by his side, adopting a non-threatening posture. There was a slight noise, almost a rustle through the crowd of Pokémon watching him, but no other response. Ash tried again.

"Who is the one who holds the strength?" Ash asked. After a few more moments of no response, he changed his body posture. His arms came up, his back straightened and he took a step forwards. This time his voice rang out clearly across the entire street.

"I demand to see the strength. I seek challenge."

There was a moments silence before the Pokémon in front of him parted. A ferocious looking Rhydon stepped forwards, flanked by a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen. Ash watched the Pokémon approach until they stopped ten yards away from him.

"Why have you attacked this human settlement?" Ash asked. Rhydon simply roared in response and gestured forwards. The Nidoking and Nidoqueen charged at the human stood in front of them.

Ash waited for them to reach him, seeing the fists swinging at him. As Nidoking swung, he leaned backwards, letting the arm of the Pokémon pass where he had been a moment before. As Nidoking stumbled past, off balance Ash moved. Almost too fast for the eye to follow, his arm connected with the arm of Nidoqueen pushing it away from him as the attack swung past. Ash then spun, kicking out and sending Nidoking sprawling into the ground away from him. He then struck a series of blows to Nidoqueen, forcing her back with each strike. A final blow to her head sent her reeling backwards and crashing to the floor, knocked out.

There was a howl from behind him and Ash turned to see Nidoking roaring in fury. The Pokémon charged at him once more, swinging both arms in a fury as it tried to crush the human that had injured his mate. Ash gave ground, blocking or dodging each attack but struggling to find a chance to get a return strike in. Ash began to get backed into a corner, and Nidoking howled in victory as both arms swung down on his opponent that had nowhere to run. Ash gave a feral grin as he caught the two arms as they swung down. Nidoking's howl of victory turned into a roar of frustration as he felt his arms trapped in a vice like grip. Ash grunted as he stepped forwards, driving Nidoking back. Even with his strength, it was a feat to push back a raging Nidoking. Ash gritted his teeth and pushed, forcing Nidoking away from him and causing the Pokémon to stumble backwards. Before Nidoking could recover Ash leapt forwards, striking out hard enough to send Nidoking reeling. He followed it up with another series of strikes, too fast for Nidoking to block, until one final blow sent the Pokémon to the floor the way of his mate.

Ash turned back to the Rhydon facing him that had watched the battles before stepping forwards, the power in his poise now evident.

"I will face you down myself if I have to. Leave this place and never return."

Rhydon didn't react, merely watching Ash with beady eyes, analysing his foe. Ash took another step, closing the gap between himself and the Pokémon.

"I do not enjoy fighting you, but I will do so if I have to. Leave now."

Rhydon carried on staring at Ash as he drew ever closer. When Ash was just a few metres away, there was a flash of emotion across Rhydon's face. Ash saw it for what it was. Triumph. He glanced around and realised how far ahead of his Pokémon he was as Rhydon roared. And behind him attacks started to fly out, all targeting Ash.

Ash's Pokémon leapt forwards, but they knew they were too late. Before the attacks could hit however, another figure crashed into Ash knocking him clean off his feet. The attacks passed through where he had been a moment earlier. As he hit the ground he rolled to his feet in a smooth movement to see what had hit him.

Sonia stood up from where she had landed, and brushed herself down. She glanced at Ash, before turning her attention to the Rhydon in front of them.

"You are better than this" she said, her voice low. "You are better than a Pokémon that attacks humans for no reason."

Rhydon took a step back, confusion crossing his face. Sonia waited a moment before taking a step forwards herself.

"They won't fight against me." Sonia said, indicating the Pokémon behind Rhydon. Her voice dropped to a hiss, too low to be heard by any except Rhydon. "And you owe me. Now go."

Rhydon seemed to make up his mind and spun on his heel, moving away. The Pokémon around him followed his path and they trooped away towards the edge of the city.

"Alakazam says that they are retreating across the city." Espeon said into Ash's head. "It would appear that whatever she said did the trick."

Ash didn't answer, simply gazing at the Sonia as she stood, watching the Pokémon leave. She didn't move for long minutes, stood watching out across the city as it emptied of wild Pokémon.

"The last Pokémon have left Cerulean." Espeon said. Ash nodded, still silent. He felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out the phone, turning away from Sonia. It was a call from Cynthia.

"We've got reports of the Pokémon surrounding the cities moving away" she said excitedly. "Whatever it was, the focus seemed to be in Cerulean. And whatever you did seems to have done the trick."

"Good." Ash said. "Release a statement saying that we believe the danger has abated, but are continuing to investigate the underlying causes of the problem."

"Of course." Cynthia said. "What did you do?"

Ash didn't answer at first, but he felt eyes on him. He looked over his shoulder to see the eyes of Sonia on him, a slight smile playing across her face.

"Champion?" Cynthia asked again. "What did you do?"

Ash sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Nothing" he said. "I didn't do anything."