In The Shadow Of War - Chapter 3 - Savage
"...stay indoors! I repeat. All citizens lock your doors and stay inside!" Cackled over the radio, "We are under attack by unknown forces, do not leave your homes, the HDF has been mobil-"
Again. The dream.
"-ized. Reports of widespread fires have been reported in Rustboro and Slateport. The Hoenn Defense Force base at Dewford has been completely annihilated. All citizens-"
He turned off the PokeGear. He couldn't listen to anymore. If they were in Slateport, how long until they were in Lilycove? Isaac shuddered at the thought.
Danny, with a panic in his voice, said "We need to get out of here, take to the forest! It's not safe here!"
Isaac's mom protested. "We are NOT living in the Forest! The HDF will protect us here, in the city. It's our safest bet." She seemed disgusted by the thought of leaving her cozy little home and her splendid little kitchen. "We are staying." She assured the boys.
There was a rustling and faint whispers outside the tent. Isaac bolted awake. He could hear men getting closer and closer to where he and Poochyena lay. Poochyena heard them too, and began to growl.
The trainer tried to shush his pokemon, but the dog was stubborn and the voices drew nearer. Isaac tried to shove everything in his bag as quick as possible, hoping to make a dash out the back before being discovered.
But luck was not on his side. I knife soon pierced the tent, cutting a doorway in. When the flap was pulled back, Isaac froze. Looking at him was a large, grizzled man who smelled distinctly like sauerkraut. The man smiled a dirty smile at him.
"Where do you think you're going?" The man asked, brandishing a revolver. "Come on out, we're not going to hurt ya."
"Much," added one of his companions, a slim, greasy fellow with eyes like a rat.
The third member of this group of marauders was female. A stoic, blond woman armed with a bolt-action rifle and a telescopic sight. She stood ready, but seemed a bit uneasy about the men's actions.
"Poochy, Bite!" shouted Isaac. The pokemon leaped forward and clamped its jaws onto the first man's face. He screamed in pain, he stood and tried to shake of the small dog, only tearing his flesh worse. Rateyes tried to help remove Poochyena from the face of the brute.
The commotion allowed Isaac time to grab his rifle and level it at the men.
"Poochyena, come back!" he shouted. It released the mans face and ran back to its trainer as fast as its sick body could take it. It almost collapsed from exhaustion.
The men looked shocked. This boy was clever, they thought. But the boy was at a standoff with the woman, who's rifle was aimed at his head. The men recognized they had the upper hand, and Rateyes drew a meat cleaver from a handmade holster on his belt and started to approach him.
"Now let's put that little piece down," he said.
Isaac eased the rifle to the ground. Poochyena looked at his trainer fearfully, and seemed to recognize the gravity of the situation.
"That's it, now, come here." He ordered.
Shaking in the cold, Isaac trudged forward, wary of the rifle trained at him by the woman. Rateyes grabbed Isaac's wrists and tied them tight behind his back. He leaned in very close and whispered into his ear.
"This is going to be a lot more fun for us, than it will be for you" and he snickered.
The larger man pulled out a burlap sack, scooped up Poochyena, who fought back as hard as his weak body would allow (which wasn't much), and slung the bag over his shoulder.
"Now move!" Rateyes barked. And Isaac began to march. Little did he know, this was only the beginning.