Identifying Team Galactic

Route 204, wilderness between the busy city of Jubilife, and the florescent scents of Floraroma Town. That town has been very smart and careful to ensure that the bus that runs through is far enough away to keep the town smelling clean. The first time Chris passed through here, he didn't really have much time to stay, as he had been running from cops that were looking for him. He had lost them a while ago, but he knew they could find him if he didn't keep moving. He stayed in the cave on the route for the night, the Ravaged Path, then left for Jubilife in the morning. On the bus, Chris even looked at the cave as it drove by it.

While riding on the bus, Chris couldn't help but think about how he needed to buy a pair of headphones. All the time that he has spent looking out for himself has taught him to listen to every sound around him, conversations included. He couldn't ignore the people that spoke about the rumors of two mythical Pokémon spotted around Floraroma Town. He heard someone mentioning something about a balloon-like Pokémon around Valley Windworks. Another person says something about some sort of haunted house in Eterna City.

Chris wasn't really all that interested in the last two conversations, but he did remember the first one well. Professor Rowan had never really mentioned any "mythical Pokémon" But the title had Chris thinking of the time his parents died. He thought of the green dragon that destroyed the alien in the Arctic, and how the battle would eventually end up taking his parent's lives. The chances weren't high that that same dragon was flying around Floraroma Town, and also that the chances that he'd be able to capture it at this point in his career were non-existent. Still, it might be worth asking around town about it.

Thankfully, the bus ride was a short one. After Chris exits the bus, he immediately throws out the Poké Balls of his Marshtomp and Monferno. As they stretch out, the six-foot tall Chris kneels down between his two partners, so he can speak to them at an eye level. "Sorry you two." He says. "The bus wouldn't let me keep you both out because you're both too big now." Both his Pokémon voice that they don't mind, and Chris turns his attention over to Floraroma Town.

It was a regret of Chris's that he couldn't spend time in the town a few years ago, and he was happy that he could make up for it now. The scents that struck his nose as he walked into town was enough to ease whatever stress he had since leaving Veilstone City, and calm his mind completely. At this moment, he finally felt like he had a chance to make a good life for himself. It was such an emotional moment for him, and he felt a tear slide down his cheek. "Marsh?" Chris hears as Hawke notices his tear.

Chris chuckles as he has noticed the tear. He starts to nod. "I'm alright bud." He says to his most trusted friend. "Just have some things dawning on me." He wipes the tear from his eye, then looks over to a flower garden at his left. He suddenly notices something among the flowers, and spots something that he can't quite make out. "Hawke, Caesar, follow me."

As his Pokémon follow Chris, he makes his way over to the flower garden to get a better look at what he saw. A long, thin tailed tiny pink Pokémon was in the distance, floating among the flowers. This Pokémon was unlike anything Chris had ever seen before, and he knew he had to record its data. He pulled out his Pokédex, and got a recording. The image of the Pokémon flashed onto the screen, and the robotic voice began to speak. "Mew: The New Species Pokémon. Mew is said to possess the genetic composition of all Pokémon. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people."

Chris looks up from his Pokédex, just in time to see Mew look in his direction. "It didn't notice me." Suddenly, the Mew flies up to Chris, and uses its psychic powers to give him a rose as a gift. "Is this really happening right now?" Chris asks, as he takes the flower and looks Mew in the eyes.

"Mew." The Pokémon responds in a somewhat high pitched tone. Its presence has completely captured the fascination of Chris's two Pokémon, and their mouths hang open as they gaze at it. Even though the Pokédex indicated that Mew may just be ancient enough to be both of their ancestors, that wasn't something that either Hawke, or Caesar could understand. Yet despite that, it almost seemed that the two Pokémon were looking at Mew like it was their mother. Mew lets out another soft cry, and flies around both Chris and his Pokémon.

Chris looked at the flower that Mew had given him, but then he hears a voice behind him. "Hi Chris!" It is Dawn's voice. Chris took a second to look back and see her, and then looks back forward to look back to Mew. While Chris could see Mew flying away, it seemed it was using its powers to hide from Dawn, as she didn't notice it. Just as soon as Mew was gone, Chris turns his attention to Dawn in time. "Have you been doing okay?" She asks as she gives Chris a hug.

Chris refocuses himself quickly, returning the hug once Dawn is within his reach. Smiling as he holds her back, he speaks. "Yeah, I have." He starts. "Certainly a lot better than I was a couple weeks ago."

"I'd imagine." Dawn says, as she pulls back to look Chris in the eyes. "Enjoying the flowers?" She asks with a tone of amusement.

Chris looks back at the flower patches. "Yeah. Actually there was... something out in the flowers, but..." Chris knows that since Mew was hiding from Dawn, she'd think he was crazy if he told her the truth. Then he looks down at the rose Mew gave him, and knew how to move on from here. He raises the rose up to Dawn. "Flowers aren't actually my thing. And since it is pretty, it suits you more."

Dawn barely manages to hide her blush when Chris says that. "Thank you, Chris." She says, as she takes a second to smell the rose. "I'm glad to see you're doing well, so far."

"Thanks Dawn." Chris says with a smile.

Dawn's stomach then starts to growl. "Oh jeez." She says with a laugh. "Do you want to have some lunch with me?"

Chris nods. "Yeah, you have a place in mind?"

"I do. I was just about to head into this breakfast and lunch diner by the Pokémon Center."

"Alright, lead the way."

Dawn smiles, then takes Chris's hand to lead him to the diner. "So this place opens at six in the morning, and closes at two P.M. It's exclusively a breakfast and lunch kind of place." Chris listened, but was in a bit of shock after Dawn suddenly took his callused hand into her smooth, warm hand. His thoughts were scrambled right away, as the names Dawn and Danielle started to sound similar to him in an instant, and he didn't know how to feel about that. But for now, he would see how things play out in what he can control.

At the Diner, Chris and Dawn take a seat outside so Hawke and Caesar can stay outside. As they await the waiter to take their orders, Dawn realizes that she doesn't really know much about Chris. "So... how does a six foot tall boy from the Kanto region, come to be all alone with just a Hoenn region Pokémon for company in Lake Verity?"

Chris chuckles. "Is that how you were thinking about asking me my life's story?"

"I wasn't really sure how to word it, but yes."

Chris tilts his head up, then looks down to the ground for a short moment. Before he can continue, the waiter arrives. "What can I get you two today?" He asks.

"I'd like to have your steak omlette, no onions. And could I have some coffee as well?" Dawn says.

The waiter nods to her question, writes down her order on his notepad, then looks to Chris. "And you, sir?"

"I'll take the brunch burger. Side of fries. And I'll take orange juice if you have it."

"Yes sir. We should have your food out in about fifteen minutes."

They nod to him, and hand him their menus. Dawn turns her attention right back to Chris. "Do you mind telling your story?" She asks.

Chris shakes his head. "Not at all." Despite his words, Chris pauses to sigh before he begins. "I was born in a city called Vermillion City, the port town for anyone coming into Kanto by boat. My parents and I lived more on the outskirts of the town, but a lot safer than that statement makes it sound. My parents were researchers, and they couldn't find a babysitter that would watch over me for a month during summer vacation. So they ended up having to take me with them when they went on an expedition in the arctic."

Chris hesitates a moment before he continues. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to mention the green dragon from that day eleven years ago, nor to who. Once he decided not to tell Dawn about it, he continued. "There was a... major mechanical and technological failure. Suddenly, my family, one or two other kids, and all the other researchers were waiting on an emergency rescue. But we ended up waiting so long that my parents had to make a choice. They chose to ensure that I'd survive, no matter the cost." He pauses, then looks down at the ground again. "The cost ended up being their lives. I was seven when they died."

Chris feels Dawn's hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Chris."

Chris looks up into her eyes, and holds her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you." Dawn smiles at him, then sits back down, leaning forward and listening intently as he continues. "After that, well..." He also didn't want to mention Danielle and her family. "There's no other way to say this. The system failed me. Three months after my parents died, I got put into the foster care system in Johto. Then I was adopted, that couple brought me here to Sinnoh. Then a year later, gave me back up for adoption. I ended up in Veilstone City for a time, and was physically and emotionally abused. I had a guitar. Some friends of mine at school got it for me. One of my 'caretakers' broke it one night. I left that night, and I've been on my own ever since."

"Jeez, Chris. I'm so sorry. I... I can't even imagine."

Chris closes his eyes, and nods. Their conversation is broken when the waiter brings the two their meals. They eat as Dawn tells Chris about her own life. Chris listens to every word that she says, but also can't help but notice something. Friends of the strange men in the weird uniforms were beginning to walk around Floraroma Town, and a part of Chris wonders if they've begun looking for him. He wonders if he may need to make an escape, when suddenly a little girl goes running up to one of the strange men. She couldn't have been more than six years old. She runs up to him and says. "Hey, let my papa out of Valley Windworks!"

Chris and Dawn are the only two people sitting outside, after the other two tables paid for their meals and left. The strange man that the little girl runs up to and yells at snickers at her, before saying, "Get lost, kid!" And pushing the little one to the ground. Chris and Dawn have both seen enough at this point, and rise out of their chairs. "Hey!" Chris yells out, getting the strange man's attention. "What the hell are you doing? You can't just push a little girl like that!"

At this point, the little girl has started crying, and Dawn has knelt down to comfort her. She's pulled her face into her chest to let her cry. The strange man scoffs at Chris as he speaks. "Or what? Who's gonna stop me?"

"Me!" Chris declares, before shoving the man hard in his face. Off balance, the strange man tries to punch Chris in the face. Chris blocks, and then takes the air right out of the man with a swift knee to his gut. He falls down in a heap to his knees, and Chris goes down to grab him by his chin, and forces him back up to his feet. "Get out of here!" Chris says as he pushes the man's face again, and this time the man takes off. Chris turns back around, and kneels down by Dawn. The little girl turns her face to look at him. "Sweetheart, where's your papa?"

Through her tears, the little girl speaks. "He's over at Valley Windworks," She starts before pausing to sniffle. "Over outside of town by Route 205."

Dawn looks at Chris. "That's where the wind turbines that power Floraroma Town are controlled from."

"More of those weirdos are over there. They won't let me see my papa." She says, before crying more.

Chris has heard enough at this point. "Dawn, look after her." He says, before rising back to his feet.

"Where are you going?" She asks, as he walks past her.

"To put an end to this." He responds, as he starts to run towards Valley Windworks with his two Pokémon following up behind him. Chris makes the short trek over to Valley Windworks, spotting a couple of grunts blocking off the way to Eterna Forest as he runs. He decides to ignore them for now, and keeps moving. Once he's in the front yard, so to speak, of the facility, he looks up to see a purple balloon-looking object floating away. Then he sees a grunt standing in front of the entrance as he approaches. "Don't you dare come any closer." The man says as Chris notices the same light-blue bowl-cut, same ridiculous uniform. Chris keeps on approaching the man, a scowl on his face that has intimidated the man. He reaches shakily at his belt, as he continues. "I s-said get out of here."

Right as the man pulls out a gun, Chris has grabbed both his wrist, and his throat. His next move is to put him on the ground hard. "Caesar, take his gun." The fire monkey does as he's told, taking the gun from the grunts hand and throwing it some ten feet away from them. Chris looks intensely into the man's eyes. "That door locked?" The grunt nods his head to confirm, and Chris responds by choking him harder. "Keys." He says. The grunt pulls them from his pocket, with Hawke watching his movements for any treachery. The grunt pulls out the keys, and Hawke quickly snatches them out of his hand. Chris doesn't say another word, simply knocks the strange man out cold with a hard elbow strike. Chris gets back up to his feet, and as quietly as he can, unlocks the door to sneak inside the building. As he comes in, places a finger over his mouth to tell his partners to keep quiet.

Chris and his partners walk down to the end of the building's first hallway, moving quietly on his way to stay undetected. He spots another one of the strange men standing at the corridor leading to the rest of the rooms. "Hawke," he whispers. "Splash some mud on the floor in front of me." Chris remembered this trick from a friend he once hung out with, and watched play his video game at one point in time. If it didn't work, Chris would've had to think of a different plan quickly. But thankfully, it did work.

After Hawke produced some mud, and splashed it in front of Chris, the sound caught the light-blue haired grunt's attention. With Chris hidden out of his view, he waits behind the wall as the grunt approaches the new puddle of mud. He gives one more hand gesture to keep his partners quiet, then awaits the grunt to get closer. Once he does, Chris swiftly pops out from cover, and puts the grunt in a choke hold until he loses consciousness. He lowers the grunt to the ground carefully without a sound. From there, he and his Pokémon continue moving silently through the building.

Chris moves where the grunt was standing, and takes a look at what the rest of these people are doing. He sees another of the strange grunts looking through some files on the desks, and past him he sees what has to be the leader of this group. A woman who looks like she wasn't much older than Chris. Red hair curled in a very strange manner. The skirt of her outfit made her somehow look more outlandish than the rest of them.

Before Chris can decide on his next move, he hears someone getting his attention. "Psst!" The noise Dawn makes as quietly as she can catches Chris's attention. It looks as though the little girl isn't with her, so Chris makes a motion with his finger for Dawn to come to him quietly. He also puts his finger to his lips to tell her to keep it down. "Chris," Dawn starts while whispering. "How'd you learn how to do all this?" She asks while looking back at the unconscious grunt behind her.

"I'll tell you later." Chris looks over to the grunt who was looking through the files, and has now moved to examine some machines. "Can you keep him distracted?"

Dawn looks at the man by the machines, then pulls a Poké Ball off her belt. "No problem."

As she pops out of cover, Chris looks to Caesar. "Get ready for battle." The fire monkey nods, proceeding to follow up behind Dawn. Dawn sends out her Grotle, who's arrival causes the grunt to fall to the floor in panic, before responding by readying his own Poké Ball. The apparent leader of the group goes to help her grunt, and that's when Chris and Caesar make their presence known. "Uh uh uh." Chris says, as the woman stares incredulously at him. "I'm the one your gonna have to deal with."

"You'd dare stand against a commander of Team Galactic?" The woman says, cluing Chris into who he may be up against for the foreseeable future.

"That's what you call yourselves?" Chris asks as he raises an eyebrow. "Interesting."

The woman shakes off Chris's response. "My name is Mars, and I highly suggest you reconsider your decisions."

"Considering that you're outnumbered," Chris starts, as he motions to his Monferno and Marshtomp. "I'd suggest you tell me what exactly you want with a wind mill control center."

"Our goals are far beyond your comprehension, boy. And they're well beyond what you could hinder. We've been trying to create a new world that's better than this one. And its people like you that show little understanding about what we do. It's a little saddening."

"And somehow, this goal gives you the right to keep a man hostage, while actively threatening his livelihood?"

Mars takes a second to look Chris up and down, whilst also glancing at his two Pokémon. "You seem like you have some skill as a Trainer. Then let's have ourselves a battle. Just be warned of the consequences if you should lose."

Chris tilts his head up. "I won't. I suggest you leave just as soon as you go down, because you won't make it very far if you linger."

Mars smirks, whilst activating a Poké Ball from her belt. "Outside then."

Chris and Mars walk outside, while the grunt that Dawn has defeated at this point is being held at bay by her Grotle. Once outside, Chris has his Marshtomp take the place of his Monferno to start the battle. "Show me what you got." He dares Mars.

"You'll be sorry! Go, Zubat!" Mars throws her Poké Ball, and her Zubat takes to the air as it emerges.

"Hawke, use Tackle!" Hawke rushes forward at Chris's command, but Mars's Zubat manages to avoid the attack while in the air.

Her Zubat turns itself around right in time for Mars's command. "Zubat, Supersonic!" Visible sound waves come out of Zubat's mouth and engulf Hawke. The sound causes Hawke to become dazed, as it looks from place to place in confusion.

"Hawke!" Chris's voice doesn't register with Hawke, who proceeds to slam its head into the ground.

Mars cracks an arrogant smile, "Zubat, Wing Attack!" Her Zubat swoops down, and smacks Hawke upside the head with its wings. This however, backfires on her.

Hawke registers the pain, and snaps out of his confusion. And Chris knows it immediately. "Hawke, use Water Gun!" Hawke fires off a bullet of water that hits Zubat directly, taking it right out of the sky.

Mars gets angered by the sudden shot, and snaps her next command. "Get up, and use Leech Life!" She yells.

"Bide." Chris calmly commands. Hawke crosses his arms by his head, as his body starts to emit a faint white light. Although some of his energy is drained and given to Zubat, Hawke begins to store power.

This causes Mars to panic. "Zubat, keep hitting it with Wing Attack!" She frantically commands. Her Zubat continuously strikes at Hawke with its wings, as Hawke keeps his face tucked into his arms. Finally, Zubat is too late. Hawke looks up out of his arms, and releases his energy. The white light glowing much brighter than it did at first explodes onto Zubat, and takes it out of the battle.

"Dammit!" Mars yells, before calling her fainted Zubat back into its ball. "Alright, you do have some skill. But you won't beat this one." She says, as she pulls her other Poké Ball off her belt, kissing the ball before throwing it out. "Let's go Purugly!" Her fat feline Pokémon emerges from its ball with a nasty sounding meow, staring down a tired Hawke. Chris then prepares to issue a command, before Mars beats him to it. "Fake Out!" Despite how fat it is, Purugly swiftly slams into Hawke, the sheer speed causing it to flinch. "Now, Scratch!" Whilst still in Hawke's face, it scratches him sharply, sending him reeling back."

"Come Hawke! Use Mud Shot!" Hawke sends a heavy blob of mud hurdling to Purugly, hitting it hard.

"Hey!" Yells Mars. "What do you think you're doing to my Pokémon?" She ridiculously asks, like the very concept of her team taking damage is foreign to her.

"What am I doing to them?" Chris asks, with a sarcastic tone. "I'm kicking their asses, what do you think I'm doing?"

Mars becomes even more enraged at that. "USE FEINT ATTACK!" She screams. Her Purugly seems to vanish for a split second, before nailing Hawke with a hard tackle. The shock of the sudden contact makes the attack do more damage than a standard Tackle attack, and Hawke goes down for the count.

"Hawke!" Chris yells out, kneeling down to check on his fainted partner. He hears Mars chuckling like a villain as she watches this, and Chris glares at her. Without looking at Caesar, he issues a command to him. "Mach Punch." He says. Chris launches at mach speed right at Purugly, and punches it right in the face. Just as soon as Mars started to chuckle, she went dead silent as Caesar took her Purugly out with one shot after a critical hit.

Mars looks down in shock at her fainted Purugly, then looks into Chris's eyes. "This can't be!" She says in complete bewilderment. "I lost?! You... you uppity son of a bitch!" She curses at Chris, having completely lost her composure.

Suddenly, a late 50s man of small stature comes out from the shadows, and speaks to Mars. "My, my." He starts, speaking to Mars with clear condescension in his voice. "Lose to a rookie Pokémon Trainer, will you?" He shakes his head. "But, no matter. We've collected plenty of electricity. With the power we obtained, we can do something quite spectacular. It seems obvious to me, Charon, the genius even the boss recognizes. Now, Mars, we should be going." Chris can't help but shake his head as he listens to this man. He thinks to himself how he must love the sound of his own voice.

It would seem that he's the only one who does, however. "Will you shut it!" Mars snaps at him. "The boss is the only person in the world who's allowed to order me around!"

Chris at this point has heard enough of their bickering. "That will only be true if you're both out of here before the cops come." After Chris says that, Mars goes to say something to him, but then just growls. Dawn and the conscious Team Galactic grunt then step outside of the building, along with the man who works at Valley Windworks. The grunt, Mars, and Charon then make their escape, leaving the two unconscious grunts behind.

"Chris, you're just gonna let them get away?" Dawn asks.

"I can't hold all three of them alone, and Pokémon on human contact is illegal. And..." Chris kneels back down beside his defeated Hawke. "I need to take care of Hawke."

"Hang on." Dawn says, as she kneels down by Chris's Marshtomp. "I've got some extra potions."

Whilst Chris and Dawn work to heal up Hawke, the man who runs Valley Windworks speaks with them both. "Thank you both." He starts. "That Team Galactic... They were saying that they had to gather Pokémon and energy, no matter what. It was for creating a new universe, or so they claimed. Nothing they said made any sort of sense to me, but they made off with quite a lot of research, as well as stolen electricity."

"If they stole electricity," Dawn starts. "I wonder how Floraroma Town managed to avoid any electrical issues."

Before anyone else can say another word, the man's daughter runs up to him. "Papa!" She yells out, and hugs him tightly. Then she pauses to take a whiff of him. "Yuck! Papa, you're stinky! Go shower now, stinky!" Her words get a laugh out of Chris, and Dawn also seems to realize that she didn't notice the smell until now, and she quickly plugs her nose.

"Oh, sorry." The girl's father says before he laughs. "They had me working nonstop."

The little girl then thanks Chris and Dawn for helping to save her father, saying that they "Made those bad people go away." She then comments on how the balloon Pokémon that Chris saw when he first arrived at Valley Windworks will come visit again.

Not long afterwards, the police arrive and make a report on the situation. They take statements from Chris, Dawn, and the little girl's father about what happened. Chris is nearly taken into custody, the cops wanting to charge him for assault, before Looker ended up on the scene. Once he asked Chris what happened, he commended Chris for his actions, and overruled any calls for his arrest. Once the police had left, Chris and Dawn determined that they would set up camp in Eterna Forest if need be, and they started making their way to Eterna City.