Uploading now for the sake of uploading. Thanks to Silver-ShadowSpark for keeping the faith. I suspect this will do much better over on A03.

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Chapter Seven: The Gathering Storm

They were broken. Lost. Disheartened. They had no leader, and no one to help them. Who would want to help a criminal who had pledged their services to a leader who had planned to destroy the world to remake it? Saturn dragged his feet across the dirt, his shoulders slumped, his head hung low. He brought the hood over his head so no one would recognize his face.

Galactic had fallen. The news was splashed across every headline on the television and the papers. People celebrated the news as if Christmas had come early. Perhaps they had reason to celebrate, but their joy came at the expense of others. His comrades. People who he had come to know as his brothers and sisters. Some had died during Cyrus's rule. Blown up into pieces. Discarded as if their lives had no value at all. Had Cyrus ever cared about them?

He didn't know and he wasn't sure he'd ever know the truth. He dropped down in front of the lake and looked at the reflection staring back at him. This was the same lake he had watched his friends die at. The same lake they had bombed to force the lake guardian out of its hiding spot to remove the gem. He didn't see his face in the water. He saw theirs. They were angry. Accusing.

"I'm sorry," Saturn said, gazing down with pleading eyes. "I didn't mean for you to die! If I had known I would've…" Would've what? Backed down? Cyrus wasn't a man to refuse. He bowed his head and shut his eyes, unable to look at the clear water no longer. For weeks now he had tormented by the nightmares of their deaths. Deaths caused by his hands and his cowardice. His bloody inability to refuse orders!

"You're a monster," the Galactic grunt said. "You're every bit the same monster as Cyrus."

Saturn brought his hands over his ears to block out their voice, but they still spoke to him. Their spirits did. The spirits of the dead. Accusing. Forever hating. "Stop it! Please, stop! I didn't mean to harm you! I didn't know you would die…"

"Yes, you did!" came the retort. "You knew exactly what was going to happen and you did nothing! You enjoyed being at his side and leading us like a group of slaves! You made us draw sticks promising us great reward and instead we were killed!"

Tears rolled down his dirtied cheeks. It was like this every day. Every time he closed his eyes, he'd see their faces and hear their accusations. It was all in his mind, but it felt so real, like they were standing before him now. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I swear, I never knew!" he pleaded, but his words fell upon deaf ears. "I was just doing my job!"

"And your job got us killed! Your hands are stained with blood!"

He continued to weep, his entire body trembling. Drawing in a deep shuddering breath, he tried to calm himself, but couldn't. The images were too real. The words were too honest. He was a monster. Perhaps he was worse than Cyrus. After all, he carried out Cyrus's plans eager to satisfy the man just for a bit of coin at the end of the day.

"What do you want me to do?" he exclaimed, reopening his eyes again, gazing down at the crystalline lake. "How can I make this right?" He couldn't resurrect the dead, but he could avenge them, yes? He could make Cyrus suffer for what he had put them through over the past few years? It wouldn't change the past, but at least there'd be justice for the dead.

"Make him pay."

Yes. That was it. Make Cyrus suffer too. But how? Galactic were no more. He didn't have any troops to command and who'd want to work with him now after what he had done? But there had to be something. What did Cyrus hold close to him if anything at all? He knew the man had grandparents living in Sunyshore, but there had to be others too. Jupiter and Mars would know more, but he wasn't sure where they were. No one had bothered to contact him after the bombing.

Perhaps… Perhaps Cyrus had planned for him to die there too? Maybe that's why no one had bothered to contact him after the lake incident. The man always did seem to favour the girls, giving them more chances to prove themselves. He was disposable. Trash. Just like the rest of them. If the world had been remade… Would Cyrus have brought them into it too or left them behind to perish?

"I just wanted to feel important…" he murmured, glancing down at his bloodied hands. He rubbed them, trying to remove the blood but it remained. His hands weren't covered in real blood, but it felt like they were. "I wanted to prove that I could be someone too…" If only his parents hadn't run out of money then he wouldn't be in this mess. He would've been a mild-mannered college graduate.

He climbed to his feet, his eyes still fixed on the lake. He wasn't sure if the Lake Guardian had returned or if it was still even alive. Legendary or not, the extraction of a gem part of the body was a painful procedure for any mortal creature. He turned his back and looked towards the lake's entrance. Through the openings between the trees, he saw two officers. He knew that standing around here idly would just raise questions.

Keeping his head low, he retreated into the forest.

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Much to his relief, Hoenn hadn't change since his absence. Wallace was still the champion of the region, and the gym leader roster remained unchanged. He was also pleased to know there had been no reports of Aqua and Magma causing trouble. Team Rocket's continued efforts to obtain power made him cautious – could there be a resurgence of the two criminal gangs in a few years' time?

"Welcome to Rustboro City," Steven said, guiding Cynthia through the city's streets. The city had undergone an expansion over the past couple of years. The pokémon centre and pokémart had been redesigned and several more houses had been built as more people wanted to call the city their home. There was talk of building a block of apartments just south of Devon Corporation to bring in even more people. "I'm afraid it's not quite as beautiful and peaceful as your hometown, but there are some wonderful restaurants here."

Including the new Devon Restaurant, a five-star dining place, usually visited by businessmen. Cynthia gave him a wry smile in return. "The place has changed a lot since I last remember… I don't remember seeing that mansion there… Last I recall you lived in a small house just to the east of the headquarters."

Ah yes, the Devon Mansion. It was the second largest building in the city, second to that of Devon Corporation and housed not only their family, but the staff too. "The staff live on the bottom floor. My father and I live on the top half. It was supposed to be just for us originally, but the place is far too big for just two people."

Cynthia nodded. "It's rather impressive."

He fell silent and continued heading towards the headquarters. The building was five stories high with his father's office being right on the top. Another floor was to be added in the future allowing for a gym so the workers would have something to do during their breaks. Steven strode over to the entrance and pushed open the door. He stood back and allowed Cynthia to go inside first then followed her in.

"We also have new carpets," Steven said, gesturing down at the new red carpets.

"It's very nice," she said, looking around, examining the achievements displayed on the walls. There were photos of their products on display and awards given to the company for their contributions to the ever-changing world of pokémon.

"Hi Steven. Your father is upstairs in his office. He wants to talk to you," one of the cleaners said as Steven and Cynthia passed by. Steven nodded. What could his father want? He hoped it wasn't still about the ridiculous project to create machines to turn people into pokémon. What a waste of money that could be better spent on making lives easier for pokémon trainers, such as improving communications between trainers. He looked at Cynthia and gave her a grim smile.

"What's the matter, Steven?" she said.

"My father. He's a good man but I fear he's beginning to lose his touch with the youth of today. He's putting money into all the wrong projects – he believes bigger is better and is coming up with ridiculous ideas such as human into pokémon transformation." Cynthia raised a brow. "I've tried talking to him, but he won't listen. He insists that is the way of the future."

Not to mention there was increasing pressure on Steven to take over the reins of president of Devon. Now that he was no longer the Champion, he had more time to commit himself to the job. It wasn't a future he wanted just now, especially when there was so much more to focus on such as unearthing the mysteries of Carolina's research.

"He wants you to become president, doesn't he?"

Steven nodded. "Yes, he does."

"The look in your eyes tells me that you don't want it."

He nodded again. "Now that I'm no longer Champion, he believes I must start focusing on a 'real' job. He wants me to become president then settle down and have a family of my own." That's what all parents wanted – to see their children carry on their family's legacy for future generations to come.

"What do you want?"

He met her eyes. "I would like to take over and continue helping Devon grow, but now isn't the time. I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday five months ago – I feel like that's too early to take on such a huge responsibly when there's still so much to learn about the world we're in and its mysteries." Raking a hand through his hair, he added, "…But how I can tell him no? He's my father, Cynthia. If not for him and my late mother, I wouldn't even be here."

"You have to tell him what you genuinely want, Steven. He may not like what he hears, but he will understand. He loves you."

"I know, it's just…"

"It's hard. My grandmother wanted what was best for me. She wanted to keep me safe, so she hid her secrets from me." She looked down at the floor briefly then looked up again. "My one big regret is that I never had the chance to tell her how much I loved her and appreciated her advice. Don't make the same mistake I did, Steven. You never know if this is your last day on earth together."

Good advice. He expected nothing less from Cynthia. She was wise beyond her years. It was just one of the many admirable traits he liked in her. If only more trainers had the knowledge and wisdom Cynthia had. "You're right. I will talk to my father. I'm sorry this came up – I wasn't expecting a meeting with him so soon after arrival."

She smiled. "It's all right, Steven. I'll just wait downstairs in the lobby. You look at fossils here too, don't you?"

"Yeah, we do. I promise, I won't be long." He walked over to her then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before pulling back. He saw the faint tinge of red on her cheeks and smiled. She hadn't quite become accustomed to these moments yet. "I'll see you soon." He turned his back and made his way up the stairs towards his father, unable to shake off the feeling of uncertainty. What could his father want that couldn't wait until later?

.

It was so hard to concentrate on the game at hand with so much activity happening around them. Volkner was standing at one of the fighting rings of Maylene's renovated gym, watching the girl vent out her frustration on one of her students, Colby. She still hadn't recovered from the loss of her beloved pokémon during the fight against Giratina, and he didn't think she ever would. He imagined the loss of her Lucario was comparable to that of losing a loved one.

"…I don't think she'll ever recover from losing Lucario…" Darren said, moving into stand besides Volkner.

Volkner shifted uncomfortably. The man was slightly shorter than him but built like a tank. In other words, he wasn't someone to anger. It didn't help the guy was oddly protective of Maylene – more so than the other trainers were. "She's strong. She'll overcome it."

Darren raised a brow then snorted. "…You ever lost anyone that mattered to you?"

"My father," he replied tonelessly. This wasn't exactly the conversation he wanted to be having with Maylene's students. He hadn't forgotten the icy cold reception he had received from them the last time he had been here. "You don't need to lecture me on feelings, Darren. I know sadness."

"Really? That's not what I've been hearing," the boy whispered back without sparing a glance at him. His dark eyes were focused solely on Maylene. "How can you feel anything if you have a bottle of alcohol in your hand?"

Now Volkner looked at him and glared. Just how many people were aware of his problems with alcohol in the past? "That's no longer an issue. I haven't touched a bottle since the exhibition match against Flint. Maylene helped me. It's because of her I haven't done a thing," he replied tersely.

Darren edged closer. "Do you really love her? Because I'm not convinced you're right for her."

He was so tempted to swing a fist and deck the guy, but that would only end up poorly for him. Instead, he drew in a deep breath and willed himself to not do something he'd later regret. Besides, he was a guest here in Maylene's gym – the last thing she needed was for her gym to undergo another renovation.

"Don't you think it's a little wrong for a student to have feelings for his teacher?" Volkner retorted, unable to refrain from getting in a snarky comment.

"That's what they say about relationships between gym leaders."

Volkner drew in a deep breath again to calm himself down then turned around and walked closer to the ring to create more distance between him and Darren. He could feel the fighter's eyes boring into his back. Were fighters always like this? With a sigh, he pushed Darren out of his thoughts and focused on the battle.

Maylene and Colby were engaged in a sparring session, and poor Colby was taking a beating. He had to give the boy credit – he was handling and blocking Maylene's attacks reasonably well. Such a sport never made sense to Volkner – why use your fists when your pokémon fought? But he supposed it had its merits. Keeping in peak physical condition was one of those things.

"Keep your guard up, Colby! Your feet are moving too slow!" Maylene kicked a leg out and caught him behind the knee, tripping the poor boy over. He quickly recovered and climbed to his feet. "Again! Look sharp!" She attacked once more at lightning speed. Colby, having only just recovered, had little time to prepare himself and was knocked over again. Maylene threw him an irritated look. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry," the boy replied climbing to his feet once again.

"Sorry isn't good enough! If you're in danger, you have to be quick or you could lose someone especially important to you!"

Volkner frowned. This was unlike Maylene. Yes, she had a fierce personality, but she never displayed such aggression towards other people. He lifted a foot up onto the ring then climbed over the ropes into the pit. Never did he ever think he'd ever find himself in a fighting ring, but here he was. "Maylene. Have a break. You've been at this for the past hour now. He can barely stand." Colby glared. Whoops. Probably mistook that for being an insult.

"We have to be strong, Volkner."

He moved in closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. Colby understood the hint and left the ring, motioning for his fellow companions to follow. Privacy at last. "Hey – seriously. Have a break. You need it. I know you want to be strong but you're not going to win a battle by going all out. I know from experience."

She brushed his hands off and glared. "I lost Lucario, Volkner! I lost my partner, my best friend, and it was because I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't quick enough and Lucario paid for my mistake!" There it was. The grief and love for her fallen companion.

"You can't blame yourself. That's a path to self-destruction."

She snorted. "Of course you would know. You're the expert."

He ignored her snark. She was angry and understandably so. If he had lost any of his pokémon, he'd be upset as well. "Beating yourself up over it isn't going to do you any favours. Believe me, I know from first-hand experience. The people you love and care about pull away from you because you push them away. I don't want to lose you, Maylene."

"I'm not like you, Volkner. I know how to cope."

One thing he disliked about fighters was their strong willpower and bull-headed stubbornness that was so hard to crack. "You helped me find myself again… Let me help you." Her expression didn't falter; it was as hard as stone. "Come on, Maylene… Don't be like this."

"Do you lack the ability to feel, Volkner? Can't you understand that I'm grieving now, and I want to feel upset?" She pulled back from him, tears rolling down her eyes. "I need to feel this for Lucario's sake. Not feeling anything makes me cold and distant."

"I know you're upset. Believe me, I do, but you can't keep going on like this. You haven't allowed a trainer to come and fight you since Dawn challenged you." He tried to reason with her, but his words seemed to only add to her anger.

"Didn't you do the same? When your father passed away, didn't you shut down your gym for awhile?"

He shrugged. "That was different."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. You lost your father. I lost my oldest and dearest companion. We both lost someone we cared about deeply." She then raised a hand and poked him in the chest. Hard. "I know you just want to help, but I don't need it. Please, Volkner, just go home."

That hurt. She didn't want him around. He didn't try to argue with her – he had learned never to pick a fight with a girl that could beat you. Perhaps this was how Flint felt when he was trying to help Volkner overcome his own issues. Frustrated. "Fine. I'll go." He turned to leave the room, her earlier comment about the inability to feel replaying in his mind. Was it true? Had he been down for so long he had forgotten how to grieve?

.

As expected, the city of Hearthome had erupted into panic. Residents had left their houses and apartments to carry out some exploration of their own. Others were running away in fear. There were screams up ahead. Someone crying too. He quickened his space and pushed up through crowd, his curiosity urging him onwards.

Up ahead he spotted a large crowd of people gathered around in a circle. There were police trying to push people back, but the locals were adamant to stay put. Local journalists were already on the scene filming every second. Their first headline worthy news since Dawn and Cynthia's battle three months ago.

"…You need to stay back, madam. This is a crime scene."

"My son was there! I need to see him!"

Cyrus pushed through the crowd ignoring the complaints fired at him. When they recognized who he was, they fell silent and resorted to giving him dirty looks instead. He suspected many still blamed him for the problems with Galactic last year thanks to the media. Some even linked him to the activities of Hunter J. No matter what, he was still seen as public enemy number one.

He finally pushed through and looked ahead. There was police tape blocking off the entrance to the Lost Tower. Cyrus turned to a blonde woman standing next to him. "What happened here?" he said.

She looked up. "There was a scream from within this tower. We don't know the full details yet, but they're saying someone died."

Interesting. A death within a tower dedicated to the dead. He was about to speak further when he caught glimpse of Fantina heading towards the entrance of the Lost Tower. As soon as she appeared, the crowd stirred to life, yelling out questions and demanding answers. The woman's expression was blank.

"What's going on, Fantina?"

"We want answers!"

"I want to see my son!"

"There's a cult here at work!"

"It was those Galactic scum!"

The questions and statements all came at once. Some people tried to duck beneath the tape, but they were pushed back by police. One of the offenders was even handcuffed and taken away. "I ask for silence," Fantina said, standing before the crowd to address them. She raised her hands and the crowd fell silent. Despite the fear in the people's minds, they had enough sense to give their gym leader respect when she demanded it. "As you are aware, a tragic event has occurred in the Lost Tower."

Her eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Cyrus, her eyebrows raising a split second. Fortunately, she didn't hold his gaze for long and continued to scan the crowd. "We want to know what happened!" a journalist called out. "Can you explain it to us?"

The woman nodded, lowering her hands. "I understand that you have many questions and you seek answers, but we can't provide them at this moment. This event is only recent, and we have little information to provide you. In a few days we will release a press statement regarding the events that have taken place here today."

"Is it true? Was he murdered?"

"By who… or what?"

Fantina called for silence again. "I repeat. I do not have the answers to the questions you seek. Please wait a couple of days for the official report. Until then, return to your homes and carry on with your daily lives as usual. The police, the league and I will be working closely together to investigate this." She turned around and left, ignoring the protests of the crowd. A few people tried to follow her, but the police restrained them.

Cyrus didn't waste another second. He pushed through the crowd and headed towards Fantina's gym. That's where she'd be heading, and the members of the league would be there too. Fortunately, the path to the gym was short and empty. Most of the residents were inside their homes still, most likely glued to their television screens awaiting the news.

"Cyrus. You shouldn't be here."

He turned around. Fantina. She was alone. "If this attack is connected to Galactic, I deserve to know."

She looked left and right then nodded, after ensuring the streets were clear. "You will be a suspect in this – do you understand that?" she said as she entered the gym. She locked the door once he entered. He assumed it was simply to stop nosy locals from trying to come inside. "Dawn and Lucian are in the meeting room."

He wasn't surprised to hear Dawn was present, but Lucian too? What of Cynthia? Rather than raise questions, he followed Fantina towards the meeting room by passing portraits of fallen town heroes of the past. The gym itself was dimly lit. Oddly comforting. The other students weren't present. He figured Fantina had sent them away for the day or they were elsewhere training.

After a few minutes of walking they reached their destination. It was a small room with a single stained-glass window and a fireplace. There was a circular glass table in the centre of the room with enough seats for four people. Two were already occupied by Dawn and Lucian. In front of the fireplace was the corpse laid out on the red carpet. Right now it was covered by a blanket.

Fantina locked the door then took her seat. Cyrus took the last. Dawn acknowledged him with a nod and a smile, but it was a brief one. There was no time to trade words and warm greetings. "You didn't tell us we were expecting guests," Lucian said, looking at Cyrus. He caught the hint of distrust in the man's eyes.

"I wasn't. I saw Cyrus in the crowd, and he came to the gym." Fantina looked at Dawn. "I thought Dawn would like to see her father again. Besides Lucian, I think Cyrus can help us. This boy," she added, glancing sideways at the body bag on the floor, "was a former Galactic member. We could tell by the hair colour and identification in his pocket. He had a card with a number on it and the symbol of Galactic."

Cyrus leaned back in his chair. "What did you find?"

"That's why I brought you here – see for yourself." Fantina stood up and walked over to the body bag then kneeled besides it. She pulled the covers back. Dawn gasped and Lucian winced. Cyrus didn't flinch. "He was trying to rob a grave in the tower."

Cyrus joined Fantina's side and looked down. The boy was missing an arm and there were several cuts and bruises up and down his body. His eyeballs were missing, but the strangest part was three claw marks running vertically in the centre of his face. "Oh Arceus… That's terrible," Dawn said, looking away. "Who could do such a thing?"

Lucian knelt besides the body and brought his face close to the victim's. Frowning, he ran a hand over the marks. "This wasn't the work of a human. Not a knife. Not a weapon of any sort that was made by mankind. A pokémon was responsible for this, but I can't say which." He readjusted his glasses and looked up, troubled.

"Why would a pokémon attack a person? It's never happened," Dawn said.

"It's possible," Cyrus said. Three pairs of eyes locked on him. "I recognize him. His name was Peter Smith. He joined Galactic in his late teenage years after having dropped out of school. He was never… the brightest of people, always finding ways to get himself into trouble. You said he robbed a grave. Is it possible the spirits of the dead were angered?" He glanced at Fantina.

She frowned, rubbing a chin. "I've never seen it firsthand myself, but I've read books where a similar thing has happened… However… Not to this extent." She looked down at the marks again and winced. "No ghost-type pokémon could ever do this to a human being. Nothing in our research suggests it's even a possibility."

"Well, it happened," Cyrus said, folding his arms. "Perhaps the research notes aren't as informed as we originally believed. Kalos researchers discovered fairy-type pokémon – It could be very well what we're looking at here is a new pokémon altogether."

"But if so, why wait so long to make a move?" Lucian said, rising to his feet. "Why hasn't anyone noticed it before?"

Fair point. Cyrus looked down at the corpse again then back up. "Perhaps it was awakened by something we humans did."

"The Lake Guardians were disturbed," Lucian pointed out.

Cyrus chose to ignore him and faced Dawn. "Giratina."

"But Giratina never left the Distortion World…" she murmured then her eyes widened. "…Maybe this is connected to Regigigas?" Cyrus hadn't been there for that event, but Dawn had explained parts of it.

"You think Giratina and Regigigas are connected to this incident?" Lucian said, bringing a hand to his chin. Stroking his chin, he furrowed his brows then spoke up again. "… A peculiar thought, but possible. A chain of events which started with the destruction of the ancient druid pillars atop Mt Coronet."

Again, Cyrus didn't flinch. He knew there were many residents in Sinnoh that held him accountable for the destruction that had taken place and he wasn't going to try and justify himself. The less said about the past, the better. What mattered now was moving forward and looking for solutions to the current problem. Dwelling on the past wasn't going to help. "What happened in the past has happened… We can't change that, but we can work together and prevent something possibly catastrophic from occurring in the future."

Fantina pulled the covers over the boy's body and nodded. "Cyrus is right, Lucian. Referring to old events will not help us now – We need to work out what this… creature was and why it attacked recently. Why wait so long? I will station a camp here tonight within the tower to study. I'll contact Professor Rowan to assist in these matters."

"And Sabrina and Morty. Their backgrounds and experience can help us as well," Lucian said. He then looked at Dawn. "It is all right if I stay here with them to help observe? The pokémon League won't reopen to trainers for another month and I'd like to help as much as possible to find a solution."

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, that's fine, but I'm staying too."

Cyrus frowned. "I don't think that's advisable. You'll be needed at the league, Dawn."

"But-"

"You might be the Champion, but Fantina and the other leaders have it covered."

"I can handle myself."

He didn't falter. Yes, she had proven to be a powerful trainer, but even so, she still had a lot to learn about the world. Power didn't give you knowledge – it was the opposite. "The public will be expecting a lot from you, Dawn," Cyrus started. "You're the face of this region now – if there's panic from the people who do you think they'll turn to? You. You're a leader."

Leadership at such a young age too. Dawn was sixteen now, and already she had done things only few people could even imagine achieving. Maybe Johanna was right to worry – would the burden of being Champion and responsible for so many lives become overwhelming? "Then help me," she said, looking up at him. "You know what it's like to be at the top."

"Being in charge of a company is a little different from being the face of a region, Dawn," he replied. "My…. workers were like sheep. You had to tell them what to do and how it was to be done. We had rules for everything to guide them along the right path."

"How is that any different from what I'm doing? People look up to me now. They have expectations."

She was learning fast. No wonder she had climbed through the ranks so quickly, but it wasn't too surprising considering she had come from his bloodline. He placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her away from Fantina and Lucian until they were outside the room and out of hearing range. Withdrawing his hand, he added, "Yes, that's true, but you won't be able to satisfy everyone no matter what you do. I know you want to help because you think that's what's expected of you, but there are other paths to take to achieve the same goal."

She turned her head away and sighed. "Everything was so much easier before."

"Perhaps, but would you really want to go back to that lifestyle?"

"…No, of course not. If I hadn't become a trainer… I never would've known who you really were." She glanced up and smiled. "Maybe everything we've gone through happened for a reason. Maybe… whatever is happening now must happen. I heard rumours Ho-Oh returned in Johto. Giratina and Regigigas returned too in the same time period. It's almost as if the legendary pokémon are awakening from their slumber and returning too… I don't know what."

"Restore order in a world that we have ruined out of our greed and desire," Cyrus finished. "The druids of ancient times were simplistic people, but they honoured the world and respected its inhabitants. When respect was lost, and people began to crave more that's when the seals were placed." He then frowned, reflecting on his words. Was this a form of punishment from Arceus himself? Or perhaps it was a test for humanity? He didn't consider himself to be a man of faith, but what if his theory was true?

"Do you think something else is coming?"

"This is just the beginning. I believe that a far greater threat awaits us all."

"What should we do then?"

He fell silent thinking hard. Good question. Where to go from here? Right now it was important to start collecting information to give them an advantage. "Go back to the league and carry on as per normal. Find out what you can – you have power over all the gym leaders in this region… and you can summon the aid of fellow leaders from other places if this situation calls for it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Find my grandparents first then bring them back home." Surely, they can't have gotten too far?

Dawn nodded then bit down her lower lip. "How's mother?"

"She's fine."

"And Julia?"

"Noisy," he answered.

Dawn chuckled. "Well, it seems you're busy then. I'm glad you're doing all right considering what has happened and all. I wish we could spend more time together as a family…" she said, casting her eyes downwards at her feet. "That's what I miss. Being away from the people that matter most. My family. My friends. It's just not the same."

"There'll be a time for reunions afterwards, but we must focus on the task that lies ahead." Perhaps that was a little harsh – it had been months since he had last seen Dawn – but the death of a trainer wasn't something to be overlooked. Dawn recoiled, as if she had been slapped in the face. "I don't mean to say family isn't important, but if we don't find out who the offender is, there won't be a family to save."

"I know… You're right." Her eyes then brightened as a smile spread across her face. "Maybe you and mother can visit. We do have spare rooms."

"I'd rather not set foot in the league building. I wouldn't want to cause… alarm." Judging by the way Lucian had looked at him earlier, he highly doubted he'd receive such a warm reception. "It would be better if you visited us. Your mother and I have purchased a house on the beachfront of Stark Island. We moved there because it's closer to you and away from the chaos of the suburban cities. When you're available, you can visit and sleep over. Your mother would appreciate it."

Before Dawn could respond, Lucian poked his head around the corner, his skin ashen pale. "Dawn. Cyrus. Come quickly. Something's wrong."

.

Crasher Wake walked to the entrance of the swamp, leading his fellow students inside. The reopening event was drawing closer and he wanted to make sure the swamp and its inhabitants had recovered from the debacle of the Galactic bomb episode. It was early in the morning – the prime time to check.

"Those Galactic scum… I swear, if any of the local pokémon have been hurt, I will personally hunt them all down and give them a beating they deserve," Samson said, his right hand resting on his pokebelt. His dark eyes darted left and right, checking every corner and open space in the swamp. A couple of Wooper and Quagsmire were spotted up ahead near a buzzing swarm of Yanma. He spotted a lone Tropius in between a couple of trees, feasting on the upper leaves.

"They've scattered across the region," Eric added, his hands too resting on his pokéballs. His eyes were wide and alert. He stood to the right of Crasher wake. "Even if we find damage here, it'll be too hard to track them all down."

Crasher Wake paid little attention to their conversation. As far as he was concerned, Galactic was finished. The authorities hadn't been able to locate a single grunt in the past two months. Besides, even if they were still present, they were without a leader. Criminal thugs were too stupid to be a threat. Conservation of the swamp was the top priority now.

He walked over to the boardwalk. The structure was built directly over the centre of the swamp and allowed visitors to experience first-hand what it was like to be in the middle. There were information signposts every couple of metres to provide guests additional information on the local inhabitants. At the end of the path was a donation box to raise funds to keep the swamp in peak condition.

"Boss?" Eric said.

Crasher Wake stopped. Turning around he said, "What's the problem, Eric? Did you see something?"

The trainer raised his hand and pointed at the path ahead where a couple of Skorupi sat. It wasn't unusual to see pokémon on the platform, but no incidents ever happened. It was almost as if the pokémon were just as curious to see humans entering their territory, but they'd quickly retreat into the safety of the swamp when a human came too close.

Crasher Wake moved closer. Now he was within three metres of their personal space, but unlike previous encounters, these ones stayed put. Their tails were raised above their heads, and their claws gnashed at the air as a warning to predators to stay away. He came to an abrupt stop and frowned. "…That's… unusual," he said, glancing down at the creatures. Something had triggered their aggression.

"Do you think the Galactic bombing unsettled the pokémon?"

He shook his head. "No… They would've recovered quickly. Breeding season has passed so this unfamiliar display of aggression isn't normal." He took another step closer testing the creatures. One of them hissed. Slowly, they scurried towards the trio. Crasher Wake moved several steps back understanding their warnings. Although there had been no recent incidents of a person receiving a sting in the past decade, he knew their tails were filled with powerful venom that would leave a person in bed for a couple of days.

"They're not backing down…" Eric murmured.

"We should leave," Crasher Wake ordered, continuing to retreat.

"Uh, boss? Not a good idea."

He glanced over his shoulder. A swarm of Yanma flew in close, flying in circles around their heads, close enough to be a nuisance but not be a threat. The Wooper and Quagsmire entered the swamp and waded through the reeds until they reach the boardwalk. They climbed aboard and formed a line to block the escape route.

Samson started to sweat. Crasher Wake could see the beads appearing on his forehead. A combination of nerves and the humidity he suspected. He turned around again to face the Skorupi. They were advancing, their tails raised and ready to strike. It was clear what their intentions were – they wanted to fight.

"Boss, what do we do?" Eric said.

Good question. What to do next? Fighting the wild pokémon was their best option, but that would only make things worse in the long run. Besides, this was supposed to be a conservation zone, not a harass nature area. "Don't make a move. Perhaps they'll realize we're not a threat and forget about us." One thing was clear – the swamp wasn't ready to be opened to the public.

"We'll have to close the swamp. There's no way we can allow members of the public to walk around in here. Who knows what bad things could happen as a result?" Samson quipped. He turned to Eric for support. The man nodded.

"We'll put up a sign and bar the entrance. We'll need police to patrol the boundaries twenty-four seven," Crasher Wake confirmed. A loss of revenue for the city that was already struggling. A turbulent future for the local people who heavily relied on tourists coming through. He remained still as the pokémon came closer. One of the Skorupi moved to his right foot as the others stayed back. "We need to inform Dawn of this… Something isn't right here. The swamp pokémon have never behaved like this before… I don't understand but-"

A pained cry tore through his throat. Stabbing pain imploded in his right foot. Glancing down, he noticed the Skorupi's tail had broken through his shoe. The creature hissed then withdrew its tail and prepared to strike again. That was enough to prompt Samson and Eric to call out their pokémon. "Boss, we have to get you out of here before the poison spreads!"

He couldn't make out who was talking. All he felt was a fiery pain consuming him. Searing agonizing pain. Overwhelming. Knees buckling, he dropped to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut. Tightening his jaw, he scrunched up his face and tried to stop himself from screaming out loud. He heard feet scampering away but didn't bother to look.

"Boss, stay with us!"

"Crasher Wake!"

"Alert the nurses!"

His vision blackened.

.