Chapter 8: Arcane Rebirth

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Flashback

Friday, September 1st

Twenty Minutes Into Attack

Professor Grant continued to jog across the campus, for the first time ever mentally cursing how big the school actually was. He breathed heavily, his brown afro already drenched as well as his black and white suit. The teacher had been doing the most cairo he had ever done in years, battling countless Mightyena and Golbats that ran rampant.

Stopping in his tracks, he adjusted his glasses as he stared down two Golbats and a Mightyena. Immediately, the intruding Pokemon turned around and gave the man their full attention.

"Jolteon, Thunderbolt on the Mightyena into Thunder Fang on one of the Golbats!"

The Professor's Jolteon fired a Thunderbolt which hit Mightyena directly without missing a beat. One of the Golbats approached Joleton quickly, its mouth wide as it prepared to grab the Electric type in its jaws. Joleton skillfully jumped over Golbat, bouncing off its head as it opened its own mouth. The other Golbat didn't have time to react as it cried out in pain due to being gripped painfully by the Thunder Fang.

Mightyena slowly got back up, with the Golbat that hopped over looking even more agitated. The Golbat that was the unfortunate victim of his Jolteon's Thunder Fang looked shaken up but did not hesitate in joining the fight once again.

'Damn, those collars must be impacting them somehow.' The man thought, keeping his eyes trained on the Pokemon while Jolteon stood low in a battle stance. Grant cursed, noticing one more Mightyena approach, now standing alongside the other three collared Pokemon.

Before he could order his next attack, Grant's attention was pulled aside as he noticed a tall girl casually stroll up behind him.

"Anias? What are you doing here?! You shouldn't be outside right now!" The teacher chastised her as he quickly recognized one of his students. Anias opted not to respond, casually walking past her teacher with her hands in her pockets, whistling to herself absentmindedly. She wore a simple black hoodie and sports shorts, showing off her long and toned legs.

Professor Grant kept his mouth open, confused and slightly shocked at how calm his student was as she walked past him as if there was no threat prevalent.

Anias didn't bother looking behind, shrugging as she calmly took out a Pokeball from her fanny pack.

"And miss out on all the fun? You're a funny guy, Professor." Anias smirked, tossing the pokeball as her Feraligatr emerged in front of her.

Both Golbats didn't waste any time, quickly flying towards Feraligatr. Anias watched calmly, her Pokemon following her lead as he waited for his orders.

"Thunderbolt!" Professor Grant ordered, seeing the need to take some heat off his student.

One of the Golbats was struck and pushed back while the other was a few seconds away from reaching Feraligatr.

"Catch it with Ice Fang." Anias told her water type confidently.

Golbat opened its mouth with the clear intention of clamping down on its opponent, only to experience that same fate as Ferligatr easily caught it in his jaws.

"Now throw it towards Mightyena with a Hydro Pump."

Feraligatr complied, releasing the Golbat before shooting a powerful stream of water from its mouth. As the Hydro Pump connected and approached a Mightyena, Professor Grant improvised.

"Use Thunder Wave on the water."

The electricity trickled through the water as the attack enveloped Mightyena. Mightyena roared in pain, falling to its side with electricity coursing through its body.

'Wow, I've never seen a Thunder Wave used like that.' Anias thought, gaining a slight admiration and respect for her Professor. It was subtle hints and events such as these that truly demonstrated that Champions Academy staff were no pushovers. All were qualified in their own right, whether it was their vast knowledge, talent, or even both.

"Agility and get Feraligatr out of there!"

Anias was snapped out of her thoughts at Professor Grant's words, watching helplessly as the unharmed Mightyena hit her Pokemon with a Takedown. Feraligatr was hit directly, as Joleton was not fast enough in reaching him.

"You alright, Feraligatr?" Anias asked, worry slightly trickling in her voice while staying composed. Feraligatr bared its teeth, nodding as it shook off the attack.

"Use Pin Missile!" Jolteon fired several green projectiles, with each heading off in a different trajectory. While both Mighyenas dodged the attack by the skin of their teeth, the Golbats weren't so lucky. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Anias shouted "Rock Slide!"

The Mightyenas were helpless, watching above as several rocks formed above before falling swiftly. Soon, both of them were completely covered and no longer visible due to the powerful onslaught.

However, it seemed that no matter how many Pokemon the two incapacitated, another one replaced them. In just a few minutes, Feraligatr was panting heavily, feeling the grueling effects of the battle. Jolteon looked better, although it was clear the Professor's Pokemon couldn't keep this up forever.

Mightyenas and Golbats encircled the four of them, slowly cornering the group in a small circle. It was then that four Rangers appeared behind the aggressors. Anias watched on, completely in awe as they expertly trapped all eight collared Pokemon in just a few seconds. Seeing that the battle was over, Anias sighed in annoyance.

"Well, where to now, Professor?" Anias asked, wiping the sweat off her light brown skin. Countless Rangers now roamed the campus, with the majority of the collared Pokemon already being captured.

"Wh-What? No, Anias. I don't think you understand. This is still a volatile situation. I don't know if you saw, but there's a Salamence on the loose still."

"A Salamence, sir? Sorry if I'm having trouble believing that, considering how rare they are, even in their home region." Just as she finished, both panic and other chatter arose from students and teachers alike as they watched a Charizard being ridden by a small figure in the distance. Also proving her Professor right was a behemoth of a Salamence on Charizard's tail.

"Shit! Either stay close to the rangers or get inside somewhere safe. I have to go." Professor Grant cursed, darting off without explaining where he was going. Anias didn't pay the man any attention, watching the events in the sky with her eyebrow raised.

"Huh, what do ya know... Wonder who's the idiot getting chased." She muttered to herself.

Saturday, September 2nd

1:35 AM

A clean metal pitcher tilted down, the clang of ice filling the office as it poured into the expensive whiskey tumbler. A few seconds later, the familiar bright orange liquid poured its way into the glass.

The office room in no way, shape, or form appeared average. Despite being an average size for someone in a position such as himself, there were lavish commodities placed all around the room. Famous and recognizable paintings sat on the walls, no doubt having the potential to be sold for an absurd price in auction. The dark wooden floor and furniture was polished cleanly, as well as there being no trace of dust or uncleanliness.

Headmaster Reynolds picked up a second glass, holding it up slightly as an offering. Recognizing the offer, the man sitting opposite of his desk shook his head respectfully. The older man rubbed his gray hair, sighing as the events that had taken place today clearly left him way too stressed for his old age. Well, technically yesterday considering it was way past the man's bedtime. It was nothing to whine about, however, since Colt Reynolds held numerous responsibilities in not only his Academy but in the Pokemon world.

Finally sitting in his leather office chair, Headmaster Reynolds took a sip of his whiskey with his eyes closed, letting the taste sit on his tongue for a few seconds before swallowing.

'Marvelous…' Reynolds celebrated internally, the alcohol already calming his nerves and filling his chest with warmth. It's a good thing his wife wasn't here with him at such a late hour. Otherwise, he would be on the receiving end of her lectures, as he had promised her he would cut back his alcohol intake this year. By no means was Headmaster Reynolds an alcoholic, but it was not a surprise to those close to him to know that the powerful figure enjoyed a glass almost every night.

"Any progress with the collars?" The older man questioned, curious if there was an update. The man sitting opposite from Headmaster Reynolds nodded, fixing his tie. The man appeared to be in his thirties or early forties, with straight black hair and brown eyes.

"The Rangers managed to get the majority of the collars off, with the notable exception still being Salamence. The scientists have already begun coming up with possible explanations for its use." The younger man finished, waiting to see if Reynolds would reply. When the man simply picked up his glass to continue drinking, he took that as a sign to continue.

"Despite it only being a few hours since they started, the scientists are pretty confident that they have some sort of effect on the Pokémon's minds. Specifically, in regards to aggression and violence." The younger man stated, crossing his arms tightly against his light brown coat.

"Though he doesn't have concrete evidence to support another theory, Dr. Billups believes that the collars also neutralized much of the Pokemon's pain receptors. It would explain why Salamence and other Pokemon rarely showed any signs of being hurt or fatigued." Headmaster Reynolds waited for the Detective to finish before replying.

"Dr. Billups? The lead scientist in Snowpoint City?"

"Correct, sir." The detective answered, wiping his brown suit and undershirt of any possible wrinkles or dust.

"Why haven't they been able to get the collar off Salamence? Shouldn't it be fairly easy, especially with the use of the Pokemon being put to sleep?" Headmaster asked calmly, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index in a useless effort to push the fatigue from his body. The younger detective shook his head once again, frowning noticeably.

"They've tried countless times, using Sleep Powder or Hypnosis. Every time they touch the collar, it somehow wakes right back up. It seems that the collar somehow alerts the Pokemon of its impending removal. Once awake, Salamence continues to struggle and make it impossible to remove the device. The same could be said for the other Pokemon, although the rangers efforts only proved to be successful due to the Pokemon not posing as large of a threat as the Dragon."

"I see… I'm curious to know what you think regarding this matter." Headmaster Reynolds questioned the detective, who raised his eyebrows in slight shock. The detective glanced to the floor for a second, clearly pondering the subject for a moment before continuing.

"Well, it's clear to me that these are the actions of a group of people or an organization. It's too expensive and wide scale of an operation to conclude otherwise." The younger man started, feeling slightly foolish to start with such an obvious fact.

He was talking to Colt Reynolds, for Arceus sake. The man wasn't just the Headmaster of Champions Academy. He held positions of power in the damn Pokemon League, seen working alongside Charles Goodshow, the President of the Pokemon League Committee.

Reynolds didn't get there without hard work and the intelligence to do so. Becoming a trainer as a child, Colt Reynolds didn't achieve much success in that profession. Though, every other endeavor the man took part in was a major contradiction to Reynold's parents believing him to be a failure.

After competing in his last Pokemon tournament at the age of seventeen, Reynolds had met Charles Goodshow by a stroke of luck outside the stadium. Goodshow complimented the teenagers resilience, having seen the boy get knocked down and continue to compete in League Tournaments year after year. There, Goodshow offered an apprenticeship under himself, with the boy quickly accepting.

Colt made quick advantages of this, proposing countless reforms and startups to Goodshow and the Pokemon League Board. These proposals consisted of housing projects for low income neighborhoods, safer infrastructure for routes trainers commonly traveled through, and even played an influential role in building up and improving law enforcement across several regions.

Goodshow's apprentice gained the respect of many, and by the age of 23, he was no longer know as simply the boy of Charles Goodshow. Colt made a name for himself, working behind the scenes and unknown the to general public. Yet, almost every influential figure and Pokemon League organization knew the man and his impressive reputation.

"I'm sure your familiar with the group known as Arcane Rebirth. I hold suspicions that this is their doing, as they've been slowly building their organization and popularity the past few years. It's only been recently that my people have noticed their efforts in scales such as this one. It was likely them who stalled the Rangers by attacking their HQ as well. it certainly fits the pattern with their unpredictable nature." The younger man argued.

It was clearly a calculated move. Sinnoh's Rangers Headquarters sat just a five minute drive from Champions Academy. Hell, it was probably the reason Champions Academy was located where it was. It didn't matter, though, as it took help to arrive on campus thirty minutes after an alarm was sent to their HQ, as well as additional law enforcement. Due to this, several buildings crumbled and the attack surely left its mark. More importantly, dozens of students and several teachers were hospitalized due to injuries. It was a miracle no one had died in the planned assault.

While not certain, the incident certainly held traces of Arcane Rebirth. Team Galactic had taken heavy hits, remaining underground the past year. It was plausible that this could mark their return. Though, it made much more sense considering the unpredictable and chaotic nature of the attack. Arcane Rebirth was an organization consisting of people feeling rejected and misunderstood from society. From the outside it was an insane action to align yourself with an organization solely focused on creating havoc and harm to the world. Yet this didn't seem to be the case for its members, as AR grew more popular day by day.

"It fits their description. An aimless attack to garner the attention of Sinnoh. Nothing of value was stolen from your Academy Headmaster Reynolds. If this was Team Galactic, they failed miserably considering nothing was accomplished besides some buildings being damaged and students and teachers alike being harmed." The young man finished, grabbing his suitcase and adjusting his tie as he stood up from his chair. Headmaster Reynolds nodded in response, standing up before shaking the detective's hand.

"I see… I'll cooperate and provide any information necessary for the completion of your investigation. However, it is vital that I meet with the League Commission to discuss this matter with them."

"Thank you, Headmaster Reynolds."

The detective straightened his hair as he begun walking out of the older man's office. Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, Headmaster Reynold's voice sounded firmly once again.

"And Detective Looker…. How is the boy with the Charizard?" Looker turned his head slightly, recalling visiting the boy a few hours ago in the Academy's infirmary. The boy suffered minimal injuries, leading him to be placed in the infirmary rather than a major hospital, where others were transported there having not been so lucky.

"Basically scrapes and bruises, the kid will be alright. A concussion is his biggest worry. So all things considering, he got off lucky. Brave kid. My team has also emailed you a list of other students who courageously intervened in the attack. I'll keep in touch, Headmaster Reynolds." Looker stated, finally leaving Colt Reynolds to his lonesome in his lavish office.

He sat in clear thought, before looking down and rolling his eyes at the empty whiskey glass before him. Resisting the urge to pour another glass, Reynolds put away the glass in a cabinet, before sitting back down as it looked to be a long night for the man.

Saturday, September 2nd

3:30 PM

Anias Delgado mindlessly shoved her door key into the lock, entering her room for the first time in over twenty four hours. PT removed her head from the book she was reading, her eyes revealing her concern at her roommates arrival.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you since yesterday morning." PT stated, with Anias simply grunting in response as she fell onto her bed face first.

"You do know that there was an orchestrated attack yesterday, right?" The usually calm brunette lifted her face at this as she gritted her teeth, revealing her frustration. PT unintentionally leaned backwards, no doubt seeing the clear shift in demeanor.

"Oh, I'm well aware! These assholes interrogated me for damn near twelve hours!" Anias exclaimed, her bloodshot eyes and heavy eyelids more visible as she finally looked at her blonde roommate. Anias went into a large rant to voice her frustration as PT listened intently.

After the events of yesterday unfolded in the afternoon, Anias was about ready to call it a day and lounge in her room. She doubted there was going to be much to do, considering how there was an actual freaking attack on the campus she attended. The International Police had other plans, however, telling the student that she was required to cooperate with them. They took her off campus into a station, skipping any formalities before isolating her.

It wasn't until a couple hours later that two detectives entered the room and proceeded to bombard her about her whereabouts during the morning. Apparently, there was an individual that was spotted near the Ranger's HQ by a CCTV camera. Anias didn't believe there were many people that looked like her, taking into account her larger than average height but clearly the International Police seemed to agree.

Even with her telling them that she actually played a role in stopping the attack, the police paid her no mind. It wasn't until a school staff member stepped into the room ten hours later, providing footage from the school revealing Anias having never left campus and battling alongside Professor Grant.

Anias death stared the two detectives who lowered their heads in shame, muttering apologies which she begrudgingly accepted. It then took another two hours for paperwork and other documents pertaining to her release to finally be approved. Once she got the go ahead, the man who was sent by Champions Academy offered her a ride to campus.

"Wait, so where did you sleep?" PT asked once Anias finished recounting her story.

"In the interrogation room. At least they gave me a pillow."

"You're joking."

"Serious as a heart attack."

"Were you able to sleep at all?" PT questioned in a concerned manner.

"Does the Pope shit in his hat?"

"Wh-What? Um, no?"

Anias remained quiet, flopping her palms towards PT as if saying "there you go".

"So, what's been going on over here? Outside is a shit show." When the brunette finally arrived on campus once again, the destruction from yesterday was evident. Several buildings were partially damaged, with others such as Crest most likely needing a complete rebuild. There were small craters across campus, as well as patches of burnt grass which didn't seem like much when taking the whole attack into consideration.

It wasn't the damage but rather the police and detectives that garnered her attention. They were everywhere, with only a few students roaming the campus. Much of Champion's Academy was closed off with yellow tape due to the ongoing investigation.

"Well, all students were notified yesterday that we were to stay in our dorms for the entirety of today until the detectives were finished analyzing the scene. As for next week, all classes are canceled to give the Academy enough time to regroup due to the destruction and student injuries." PT quickly explained.

"How many people were injured?"

"Honestly, not as much as you would think. I'm sure you've heard already that nobody died." PT stated, disbelief prevalent in her voice. "I'd say less than ten suffered pretty serious injuries like broken bones, leading them to be transported to a hospital off campus. A lot more than ten suffered less threatening injuries, though many of them are perfectly fine now and resting in the school's infirmary."

"Well, that's good. Anybody we know?" Anias asked, opening up a water bottle and beginning to chug it.

"Yeah, Miles was pretty concussed from Charizard's tail hitting him and had to stay there overnight just in case." PT responded, picking up her book before Anias spit out water, coughing violently. PT jumped slightly, putting down her book once again as Anias attempted to recompose herself."

"The guy from the store? That was the idiot riding the Charizard?!" Anias connected the dots and PT nodding once.

"Yep, it was only because of the Rangers that he was still alive. I'm just astonished by how he didn't die. I talked to him a bit this morning when I visited."

Anias sighed, pulling her sheets to her chin in an effort to relax. Without realizing it, she drifted off to sleep. PT was about to continue reading, before receiving a call from Jace.

Immediately fearing the worst, PT picked up the call. What greeted her was instead the sounds of crunching food, making the brunnette wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Mmph, hey Peet, E ant to talk ahowt yest hay."

"What?" PT whispered in an effort to not wake up Anias. It was clear that the boy finished chewing in his next words, as he became much more audible.

"Me and some people are in the pool room, with all the billiards if you want to join."

"Chase… You know we're supposed to only be in our dorms, right?"

"C'mon, PT! Besides, I heard you were with Miles yesterday. I haven't heard anything from him. I think he told the nurses to not allow me to visit." Jace responded casually, with the sounds of eating food returning. PT didn't doubt the last part of his statement, as it was a logical decision to not risk Jace doing something stupid while the Kanto native needed to recover.

"Ok, fine! I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yay, I'll see-" Jace's voice cut off as PT hung up and collected her belongings. While never being one to break the rules, the brunette didn't think she could deal with being cooped up in her room any longer.

"Ha, she hung up on you!" Hunter laughed, sticking a finger right in front of Jace's face. His enjoyment only lasted a few seconds before his laughs turned into screams, with Jace currently biting onto his finger.

"AGHHHHH!" Hunter screamed, his mouth quickly becoming covered by Felix's hands so they wouldn't be heard from any faculty members.

"Shut up Hunter!" Felix practically shouted in a whisper before turning his attention to the older blonde. "Jace, let go of his finger dude!"

Felix's pleas went unheard as Jace somehow was now biting on three of the boy's fingers, his hand slowly disappearing from sight. It was akin to a snake slowly swallowing its prey.

It was then that Selina returned to the room, having risked being caught wandering for a trip to the vending machine.

"Alright, I'm back- What the hell is wrong with you all!" Selina shouted in exasperation, seeing what was occurring between the three boys. Everyone seemed to go quiet, no one making a sound until Hunter's screams rang, with Jace apparently biting down once again.

Hope you all enjoyed! After next chapter, the story will definitely start progressing along as I'm about 30k words in and have only covered a week of school haha. Review and let me know what you think! See you all soon, take care.