A/N: As always, thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

To Duvarishka: Thanks a lot for your enthusiastic review! It's indeed really a drama. Communication, communication, it's so important… Thank you!

Days

The day of division

Iris

Monday, February 24th

"Thank you all for coming, and I hope enjoy this wonderful show of love and passion for our partners and our battling in this fiery competition," Alder spoke as he stood in front of the large crowd in the Vertress stadium.

Iris watched from her spot backstage, hidden from the audience but still able to watch the stage, albeit from a strange angle. For the opening of the Conference today, the arena of the stadium had been turned in something like a theater, with a large stage set in the center. The roof of the stadium was closed against the rainfall, though Iris had to admit that she was glad it wasn't snowing anymore.

At Alder's next words, a nervous but excited smile spread across her face. "Competitors, I wish you all the best of luck. I now declare the Vertress Conference officially started!"

At that, the Pokémon League torch was lit by the head officer Jenny of the city, and loud cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

Iris's smile widened. This was it, it was really happening, the very first Vertress Conference where she would be an Elite Four member. The winner of this year would be battling against her, she would be their first obstacle, and she was fully intent on being a very difficult obstacle indeed.

Freddy O'Martian took Alder's place on stage, looking much more natural than Alder had. His enthusiastic voice boomed through the stadium, "Now, to kick off this Conference, let's start with a great example of some Pokémon battling! Please welcome the Striaton Gym Leaders, Cress, Cilan and Chili!"

Iris cheered when the brothers walked out on the battlefield in front of the stage, though her voice was lost in the reaction of the crowd.

Cilan's three-way battle went well, with some spectacular combinations of the elemental attacks. It could hardly be called efficient battling, but as far as showy battles went, it looked great. Iris was quite certain that Cilan would make a talented Coordinator, if he set his mind to it.

Then again, if Cilan set his mind to anything, she was sure he could do anything. Iris smiled to herself.

The performance ended with the three brothers and their monkey Pokémon bowing, and Iris clapped loudly. As Cilan left the battle area, Iris caught his eye and they shared a quick smile.

Freddy appeared on stage again. "Magnificent! A true show of the power of things we can do together and how different elements can enhance and strengthen each other. Thank you, Cress, Cilan and Chili!"

Another round of applause followed and Iris clapped along, though she felt the grin fading from her face. She knew what was going to happen next. Her grip tightened on the bag in her hands; Alder had asked her two days ago for this part, and how could she refuse? After all, she was Shauntal's replacement.

Freddy waited until the applause had died down before continuing in a more serious voice. "Yes, in these difficult times we must stick together and not focus on our differences and how they divide us, but rather on the things that bind us together."

Iris swallowed and she fingered the Poké Balls in her bag. It almost felt as if she could feel the nervous energy radiating from the creatures within.

"I would like to take a moment to direct our thoughts to the sad and untimely loss of our dear Shauntal. She was not only a beloved member of the Elite Four, but also a wonderful friend and trainer," Freddy continued.

Iris pressed the buttons of the Poké Balls and Shauntal's Pokémon materialized, slowly drifting towards the stage.

"Therefore, to honor her memory, I would now like to ask for a minute of silence," the host concluded.

Iris smiled sadly as Shauntal's ghost Pokémon floated on to the stage, where Freddy welcomed them with a gesture of his hand as he stepped aside. Iris bowed her head-

"What are those things doing here?!"

A scream came from the audience, almost sounding hysterical in the silence of the rest of the crowd. "They are the ones who caused all this!"

Iris's head snapped back up and whispers rose in the crowd in reaction. Her eyes flew over the crowd, trying to pinpoint where the yelling had come from, but it was impossible to see from her position.

"Ghosts are dangerous! They are the ones who killed Shauntal, they are the ones who killed them all! Murderers!"

It sounded like a different voice this time and on stage, Shauntal's Pokémon recoiled, Gengar even turning invisible.

Without further thought, Iris ran on to the stage as if she could physically protect them from the hateful words from the audience.

Freddy O'Martian held out his hands in a calming manner to the audience. "Please, stay calm-"

"How dare you?!"

Another voice in the crowd rose above the others. "How dare you utter blasphemy like that?! Ghosts are not dangerous, they didn't kill anyone! They are the strongest, the best and the ones who will live through it all! We should revere them, not turn away from them! We-"

The rest of the words were lost in the ruckus of the crowd. Iris saw security guards move through the mass of people, but she couldn't see whether they managed to get to the people who had started this.

Next to her, Freddy O'Martian still tried to calm the crowd and with a shock Iris realized that she was standing on the stage. She quickly turned her attention to Shauntal's Pokémon.

"C'mon," Iris said quietly to the ghosts. "Let's get out of here."

A few looked at her fearfully, and Jellicent didn't wait for Iris to figure out the right Poké Ball, but dove right back into the 'Ball herself. Golurk and Chandelure were quick to make their way off the stage, but Cofragrigus and Froslass were watching the audience with anger. The expression of profound sadness on Banette's face broke Iris's heart.

"Please," Iris said. "Let's just go. Let security handle this, don't give them a reason to think that their words hold any truth in them."

As she spoke the words, she could see the anger and pain on the faces of these Pokémon, and Iris realized that they were dangerous. If they wanted to do something to the audience-

No. Iris forced her hand away from reaching for her own Poké Balls.

"C'mon," she said, lowering her voice and she gently gestured for them to go off stage. "They're terrible people. But ignore them, don't prove them right. Shauntal raised you better than this."

Cofragrigus seemed to deflate, and Froslass let out a short cry, before she flew off the stage. Banette gave Iris another of those heartbreaking looks and then willingly withdrew in her Poké Ball.

"Let's go," Iris said to Cofragrigus, extending her hand to guide her off the stage. The Pokémon's red eyes closed for a moment, and then she turned to float off the stage.

"Gengar?" Iris called, holding up the bag of Poké Balls. One 'Ball's light flashed red as the invisible Pokémon retreated.

Iris's gaze flew over the crowd, still full of unrest despite that security seemed to have gained control of the situation. Freddy O'Martian was still calling out for people to settle down. His eyes looked worried when he caught her gaze, and wriggling Wurmple set in her stomach as she left the stage.

This was only the beginning.

A/N: Thank you for reading! So, yeah, things are happening. I'm not completely happy with the chapter, I had some difficulty figuring out how to end it and it feels a bit chaotic, but then again, it's a bit of a chaos over there anyway haha. Anyway, please let me know what you thought about it!

Also, I suspect that this will be the last chapter for the coming weeks. That does not mean that I will not be working on this story, on the contrary, I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month with this story! That means that I will try to write 50 000 words for this story in the month November. So hopefully, after November, there will be quite some fast updates :)

Thank you!