The next morning, Bianca was still knocked out when White awoke. She collected her things and left a note for her snoring blonde friend to call her on her xtransciever when she woke up. White pulled on some fresh clothes, the same coordination she wore yesterday. White's mother had purchased multiples of everything because the clothes were light and perfect for travel. Her outfit just wasn't the same without her hat, though. White sighed in disappointment as she ran her fingers through her wavy chocolate brown hair. Perhaps there was somewhere in town that sold hats so that she could replace her stolen one. She decided to leave her hair down while exploring the city further.

White collected Snivy from the front desk. When she got outside, she stood on the sidewalk in front of the pokemon center and released him from his little ball.

Snivy still looked a little peeved so White asked what was bugging him.

"Sni. Vy." Snivy said with a huff. White bit her lip.

"That was pretty scary yesterday, huh? What's got you so upset?" White asked him.

The pokemon didn't respond as he studied the ground. Cheren walked up to the two and yawned.

"Good morning White. What time did you end up getting into town last night?"

"Not until 1. What about you?"

"I got in around 11 or so. Tepig and I didn't have any problems finding wild pokemon to fight, so we got to train for a long time."

"I had a crazy night, myself," White sighed, completely exasperated by Snivy's cold attitude towards her this morning. Cheren raised an eyebrow as he looked her up and down. White had a few bandaids on her legs and had a somewhat shallow look on her tired face.

"I'd like to hear more about it. I could hardly sleep because I was so worried about you," Cheren said timidly. White tried to play it off as friendship but Cheren always said awkward things like that when they didn't have Bianca with them. White chose to ignore his comment and pretended to check her emails on her xtransciever.

"So, uh, what happened to your hat?" Cheren tried to ask White casually but something on the far side of town had caught her eye. A lot of people had gathered, and it seemed as if a cloaked man on the top of a grassy knoll was about to give a speech.

"Let's go check this out, Cheren. Come on Snivy," White said. The three made their way towards the crowd.

White stood on the outside of the group. She eyed the man about to speak curiously. Some of his attendants wore grey hoods, and black bands that covered their eyes. Two of them on each end held large banners that had the letter "P" printed on them in a decorative font. The man himself was wearing a purple cape that had rich embroidery scrawled along it, and a large bronze mantle along the bottom of his shoulders with startling blue stones socketed into it. He had long wispy light green hair like a fairy, but he was as tall and broad as a warrior. He also had an eerie eye patch over one of his eyes. His free eye met hers and White felt a shot of electricity running down her spine. She found herself unable to stop glaring back at the leader of the drones.

And then he smiled down at her.

White held her breath as another warning jolt traveled down her spine. His smile was hollow and empty. Everything in her being began to warn her that this man was trouble. When he blinked and looked away from her, White released her breath. She had goosebumps running up and down her arms and legs.

"Are you all right?" Cheren asked her seriously.

"There is something off about that…man," White said quietly between clenched teeth. Her stomach squirmed from simply watching him pace around the hill, calmly surveying the group that gathered for him.

"White?" Cheren asked again. White felt someone stand near her to watch the speech as well. Somehow it made her snap out of her inward worries. She shook her head.

" 'm fine," she mumbled out as the man began his speech.

"Travelers, trainers, and citizens. I am here this morning to give voice to those that we simple humans cannot understand. Our so-called friends. Our so-called partners. Yes, I am talking about pokemon."

White looked down at Snivy, who scampered up her leg to stand on her shoulder. He clung to her tightly, his eyes also glaring at the man. He let out a small growl of disapproval. Clearly her little lizard felt the same way she did about the speaker.

"I know Snivy," White muttered, "Let's just watch for now, ok?"

"Pokemon are innocent creatures that we use day by day. They work beside us, and toil endlessly. What do they gain from our partnership? Nothing!" The man exclaimed. White jumped from his condemning bark. People in the crowd began to whisper curiously about the speech.

White began to feel uncomfortable. What did pokemon gain from the partnership, anyway? She listened while trying not to get freaked out by the man towering above her.

"Just what is this garbage?" Cheren said quietly. He straightened his glasses and crossed his arms.

"And how can we call ourselves friends of pokemon when we contain them in pokeballs effectively chaining them down to live a helpless life? A life that you choose for them!" his eyes met White's again, "How pathetic. How selfish."

White looked to the side quickly. His light eyes were as piercing as an ice shard.

"Pokemon liberation is the only answer. Only then can we live side by side with pokemon...as equals! I implore you, my friends, consider my words of wisdom. Consider them not for your sake, but for your poor oppressed pokemon. I thank you for your time."

The man turned on one heel and marched away with his assistants following him. White ran her hand through her hair nervously and began to twirl some loose strands between her fingers. As people began to disperse, still buzzing from the intensity of the speech, White still found herself rooted to the spot. She couldn't stop thinking about what the man said about the partnership between people and pokemon. Some of what he said made sense to her, but other parts were wrong in some way. She didn't have an answer as to why or how, but she just knew that it was wrong. Snivy hopped off White's shoulders and walked over to something behind her.

White turned to Cheren, biting her bottom lip nervously. She had been a little disturbed by his speech and needed some insight.

"So what do you think?" She asked him.

"Well," Cheren said bitterly, "I've never heard so much nonsense come out of someone's mouth before."

"I don't know. Some of it was…a little radical, but some of it was also understandable. It's just, that guy just seemed really creepy. I felt a little frightened by him."

"I agree with you," a calm voice said from behind her.

White and Cheren turned to look at the man who was petting Snivy. Snivy ran back over and happily tapped White's leg, and pointed to him excitedly.

"I know that voice..." White said, stunned.

/end chapter 4/

I know this one is short, but the next one will be ridiculously adorable. Ridiculously. Thanks to my reviewers for sending me kind words and good vibes! It really helps push my imagination into gear to get everything down for yall. I appreciate it!