Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 170: Time Before Time: Part 12

-Present Day Prologue-

"You know, I've been holding back my powers too." 15 remarked.

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

"You haven't noticed it?" 15 questioned, "I've yet to use my virus power. As you've witnessed, I'm able to manipulate concentrations of darkness like Seth. However, I've never shown you what unique powers I possess."

15 was right. He did not use his virus power during their last fight either. When Seth and Froslass were dragged to the Realm Between Life and Death…that was all Dusknoir's powers as a Reaper.

The dark aura surrounding 15 began turning white. This white light quickly spread throughout the entire top floor of Circle N.

"What's going on?" Fear/Seth kept his guard up but was perplexed. The white aura surrounded everything…to the point where nothing was visible in Circle N. Not the equipment. Not the floor. Not the giant window. Not the view of the ruined city of Prypiat below. All that was visible to Fear/Seth was 15 himself.

"The power I possess will lock you within the confines of what Prypiat was 30 years ago. You and everyone you know will live in Prypiat. You will love. You will lose. You will lose what you love. It is up to you to build upon these connections to save Prypiat from the nuclear disaster that will occur. Do you have what it takes to save this town in 7 days?"

"!" The white light became blinding to the point where Fear/Seth and Yukiko had to cover their eyes.

'I hope you will learn to love Rose through this too…'15 didn't say this out loud. If Seth were to fight his way out of the Prypiat Disaster and defeat 15, this would be 15's parting gift to Rose…

What lied ahead for Seth? Only time would tell. Though time is something Seth will come to wish he had more of. Will Seth be able to overcome Prypiat's impending doom and defeat Commander 15?

-End Present Day Prologue-

Location: Saki's Apartment

Willow walked into a quiet room where an unconscious Saki was lying in bed. Like Seth, Summer, and Winter, Saki had been absent from school in the wake of yesterday's events.

'Saki of Shinku Secondary School…' Willow thought to himself. 'You're the reason why my family suspects me of wrongdoing. Mito is right to be suspicious. And Anju is right to be worried, but that was beside the point. Saki of Shinku Secondary School will no doubt be questioned by authorities somewhere down the road when he regains consciousness.'

Saki was a key player in this antiterrorism mess, and Willow wasn't about to let him play his part.

'Saki is going to stay asleep. Permanently.' From Willow's pocket, a Pokeball was revealed. 'This Pokemon is going to get the job done.'

…..

Location: Summer & Winter's House

"Good morning." Rose greeted Bastion.

"Good morning." Bastion returned her greeting.

Everything was silent. Seth. Flora. Rose. Anju. Bastion. Everybody here was aware of the events which unfolded last night but were unsure of how to address each other over it.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Seth asked.

"We're here on official business." Flora responded.

"We're looking for a man named Willow." Bastion added before looking to Flora, who nodded in understanding. She was allowing Bastion to question her son. With Flora's blessing, Bastion proceeded. "As I'm sure you're aware, Willow is the name of a man who's record Woshis attempted to take yesterday.

Bastion took out a picture, to which Anju could only frown.

"Have you seen this man?" Bastion asked Seth.

"That looks like the man we saw a few minutes ago."

Flora's eyes widened. "He was just here?!" She turned to Anju and asked, "Where did he go?"

Anju could only shake her head, "He didn't say."

"Will you go look for him?" Seth asked Bastion.

"No need." Bastion took a seat at one of the restaurant tables. "Our best course of action is to remain at the restaurant until Willow returns."

"Understood." Flora, understanding she and Bastion wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, took a seat as well.

Seth was about to speak up and say something. He wanted to stay at the restaurant with his mother and wait for Willow. However…

"Brother?" Rose called.

Seth glanced at his sister. She wasn't ignorant to the investigation regarding Willow and his alleged terrorism, but Seth couldn't help viewing her as innocent in the matter. Regardless of himself being dragged into this mess by Woshis, he did not want to involve Rose. To keep her safe, it was best to get her away from the restaurant.

"When will we go Christmas shopping?" Rose asked. "Maybe Mother can come with us upon finishing her business here!"

And how could he forget: He promised he'd get Rose a Christmas gift. With this in mind, Seth had risen from his seat and grabbed Rose by the hand. "Let's go get you your Christmas gift."

Rose remained hopeful that Flora would join her and Seth later. The five-year-old smiled as she and her brother exited the restaurant.

"You two have a nice day." Anju waived.

"And stay safe!" Flora smiled.

..

"Where are we going next?" Rose asked.

In a warm manner, Seth answered, "We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, would we?"

Seth and Rose had wandered the entire Ginza district. After exiting the Ginza District, they walked the streets of Prypiat until making their way to the center of the city, where echoes of holiday music could be heard... 'March of the Nutcracker' was the name of the song being played, and it fit the location. Nutcracker antiques lined up in uniform decorated the large expansive plaza, as well Schotch Pine trees. Rose was full of wonder as her gaze shifted between countless knickknacks which surrounded her. "Wow…" But it wasn't until Seth stopped when she learned where they were.

Location: Prypiat Holiday Carnival

Rose's eyes twinkled. "The carnival?! Oh wow!" The little girl jumped up and down with excitement. She'd been to the fair before but was always too small to do anything fun. But this year was different, as Rose was five years old! "You are the best Brother in the world!"

Seth never smiled. Regardless, he was content with Rose's happiness.

"Come one!" The siblings never stopped holding hands. This allowed Rose to drag Seth to wherever she pleased.

Wandering the carnival, Rose was having a hard time deciding where she wanted to go first. When all was said and done, she decided to go on the ride that was nearest to her: the Merry-Go-Round. It was decorated with mechanical Ponyta with varying colors of fire.

"I have always wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round." Rose remarked.

"I remember when you begged Mom to let you ride last year." Seth added. "Are you excited?"

"Mhm." Rose nodded. "You should ride the Merry-Go-Round as well."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

Rose was aware that riding a Ponyta wasn't Seth's style. He didn't express emotion so he couldn't feel embarrassment, but there was a first time for everything. But it didn't hurt to ask. "Mhm!" Rose stared at Seth with those deep blue eyes that glistened.

How could Seth say no to such an adorable face.

"Come on!" Rose decided to make Seth's decision for him, as she pulled him to the ride attendant. "Two tickets to ride the Merry-Go-Round, please!"

The ride attendant eyed Seth. Normally these attendants would remark how Seth was a little old to be riding a Merry-Go-Round at 14 years old. But the sight of him accompanying his dearly beloved baby sister on an adventure she's always wanted to try was cute. It made Seth come off as endearing. The attendant smiled as she allowed Rose and Seth onto the ride.

Rose picked a Ponyta with a red-flamed mane, while Seth picked one with a blue-flamed mane. The Merry-Go-Round started. By the time the ride was well underway, Rose was as blissful as a flower. Her eyes were closed as she expressed pure merriment-filled laughter, her long blonde hair flowing in the crisp winter wind.

Meanwhile, Seth's face expressed nothing. It was just his usual brand of indifference…Or was it? At first glance one would think he was indifferent, but upon closer inspection he looked more indignant than indifferent.

The Merry-Go-Round ride attracted the attention of a few passing spectators.

"Wow, look mom!" One kid yelped. "The ride is moving!"

The mother of the young child couldn't help glancing at Seth. "Cute." Like the ride-attendant, this mother found it endearing that Seth would accompany Rose on the ride.

"I wanna ride the Merry-Go-Round, Mom!" The kid added.

"You're not old enough, dear. Maybe next year."

"Aw, Mom!" The kid pouted, but didn't argue. At four years old, he was a fair bit younger than Rose. But rules are rules.

The Merry-Go-Round ride lasted quite some time, with Seth maintaining a glazed look in the eyes despite being satisfied with Rose enjoying herself. When the ride was done, the siblings proceeded back in the thick of the plaza, debating where to go next. Did they want a midday snack? No. They still weren't too far removed from enjoying a meal at Anju's restaurant earlier this morning. Instead, they walked slowly down the main aisle of the Holiday Carnival, where plenty of merchants solicited their respective games for Rose and Seth to try.

"Hm?" From the corner of her eye, Rose spotted something peculiar. It was a life-sized plush doll of a Pokemon! Its name was Spheal, and it was bigger than Rose herself! "Wow!" Rose approached the stand with glistening eyes, her gaze never leaving the Spheal plush. Of course, Rose had no idea who this Pokemon was.

"Like what you see?" The carny smiled.

Rose nodded. "May I have that doll?"

"Sure, but only if you achieve the high score." The carny smiled while motioning to his game. On the wall were targets shaped like even more Pokemon Rose didn't know: Orbeetle. "The goal of this game is to hit all ten Orbeetle targets with these Voltorb throwing balls." As the carny explained this, he placed ten Voltorb throwing balls on the counter in front of Rose. "Think you can hit all ten?"

"I can win it for you." Seth placed a hand on Rose's shoulder as he stepped up to the plate. He was confident in his ability to win Rose a Christmas gift.

Rose gave Seth a grateful curtsy.

Seth grabbed the first Voltorb throwing ball and threw it with conviction. Air ball! "…" Missing the very first throw? It was unlike Seth, but he was determined to salvage the remaining shots he had. He threw the second ball. It was a better effort, but still missed the Orbeetle targets.

The carny watched with a smile as Seth took his third and fourth shots with no success.

At this point, the Spheal plush was a prize that was out of reach for Seth. Nonetheless, Rose enjoyed watching her Brother. If anything, him declaring he would win the top prize and then proceed to miss his first six shots came across as silly!

Shot five. Miss!

Shot six. Miss!

Shot seven. Ding ding ding!

"You finally hit a target!" Rose chirped.

Rose's enthusiasm encouraged Seth to finish strong.

Shot eight. Ding ding ding!

Shot nine. Miss!

Shot ten. Ding ding ding!

When all was said and done, Seth managed to hit three of the ten Orbeetle targets needed to win the Spheal plush.

"Three targets isn't bad." The carny remarked before handing Seth a small 'Hello Skitty' collectible doll.

If he had a heart, he would be embarrassed right about now.

"Let me try." Rose gracefully stepped up to the plate, standing next to Seth as the carny placed ten Voltorb throwing balls in front of her.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Ding ding ding!

"Merp…" Seth couldn't believe what he was seeing: Rose hit all ten targets.

"Haha!" In her excitement, Rose performed a dancing twirl, her black dress flowing in the breeze.

"You're a natural at this game." The carny retrieved the Spheal plush and placed it in front of Rose. "Here you go!"

Rose marveled at the plush before glancing at Seth. "This is so much fun!"

Seeing Rose happy made Seth feel better about fumbling the Voltorb throwing balls. "I'm grateful you're happy."

Rose had no problem carrying the Spheal plush around with her as she and Seth wandered the carnival some more. Their next stop was an ice-skating rink.

"I have always wanted to try ice skating." At home, Rose saw people ice skating on television all the time. The way those ice skaters moved was nothing short of elegant. It was something Rose adored. She set her Spheal plush on the ground next to Seth and approached a stall located next to the rink. This stall had a variety of skates to choose from, and behind the counter stood a clerk.

"May I help you?" The clerk asked.

"One pair of skates, please." Rose performed a curtsy.

Rose took off her black boot-heels and put on her ice skates before proceeding to the ice-skating rink. But just before starting her venture, she glanced back at Seth. "Are you not skating with me?"

"I don't like ice skating." Unlike the Merry-Go-Round earlier, Seth wasn't going to budge when it came to ice skating.

Rose shrugged her shoulders before proceeding onto the ice-skating rink.

Seth watched as Rose started out slowly. Other skaters made sure to stay clear of Rose, as knocking down a five-year-old would've been a bad look for anyone. Rose lacked experience, but when it came to elegance, she was a natural. Seth couldn't believe it when Rose kept her balance for the first time.

"Ow!"

But perhaps he thought too soon that Rose was a natural, as she fell to the icy ground soon after. "Rose!"

Mere seconds ago, Seth was adamant about not ice-skating. But seeing Rose fall to the ground like that was enough for his 'older brother' instincts to kick in. He set the Spheal plush on the ground and asked the clerk for a pair of ice-skates before proceeding into the rink and…

"Ack!"

He immediately fell flat on his face! Seth immediately falling was nothing short of embarrassing.

"Are you okay?" One passerby skater asked.

"Slow and steady, buddy. Slow and steady." Another passerby added.

Seth fell down several more times before finally rising to his feet, where he was greeted with the encouragement of several spectators. "Rose." When it came to slow and steady, Seth wasn't willing to oblige. He immediately rushed to Rose, who had risen to her feet several moments ago and watched Seth's struggle. Unfortunately, this time Seth had too much speed and had no idea how to slow himself down. "Ack!" He ended up colliding with Rose as the siblings fell to the ground. Seth immediately came to, his first concern being Rose. "Rose, are you alright?"

Rose picked herself from the ground, looked Seth in the eye, and laughed out loud. "Haha! No wonder why you did not want to ice-skate!" Rose wasn't laughing at Seth's expense. It was all in good nature, as she and Seth spent the next hour looking bad in ice skates together! Each time one sibling fell, the other sibling would offer and hand to help them up. The fact that they were bad at ice skating actually added to Rose's enjoyment of the whole thing. She truly enjoyed spending time with her brother.

When they finished ice-skating, the next stop was a knickknack shop with Christmas-themed memorabilia from various television shows, including Rose's favorite anime: Peacekeeper Salyuu.

"Oh, wow!" One such object was a Christmas themed Peacekeeper Salyuu figuring, with Salyuu dressed like Mrs. Claus. "I have never seen this toy before."

"Do you want it?" Seth asked.

Rose's eyes glistened upon hearing Seth's question. "You mean, I can keep it?!"

Seth nodded. "Think of it as another Christmas gift."

Many more moments like this filled Rose's day. One would think Seth was spoiling her rotten, but Rose wasn't that kind of child. Spending time with Seth was all she ever really wanted. She wanted this every day when he went to school, leaving her home alone. Knowing Seth would eventually have to return to school, Rose did not take this day for granted, and Seth was making it count.

Eventually, the siblings stood in front of their final stop at the carnival for the day: Joker's House of Mirrors.

"This place looks promising."

Rose and Seth proceeded into the House of Mirrors. When in the foyer, they dropped off the prizes they'd won with the storage clerk standing near the front. Following this, they proceeded into the chamber and were instantly mesmerized.

"Look at this place…" The chamber had Rose slowly spinning, taking in the many images of herself. Inside this wonderous tent, no traces of daylight could be seen. But the manmade moon located at the top of the chamber illuminated everything, allowing Rose to see her reflection in every mirror she passed by. Her five-year-old mind couldn't help getting imaginative with this. It reminded her of a Peacekeeper Salyuu episode where Sayluu was cloned by one of her arch enemies.

"Rose?" Seth called. "Rose, where are you?"

This snapped Rose out of her thoughts. She'd spent so much time marveling at the mirrors that she hadn't realized she'd wandered off. The House of Mirrors was like a maze, and Rose had a hard time retracing her steps. "I am right here."

"I can't find you." Seth remarked.

"I will retrace my steps back to the beginning." Rose started walking before being stopped by Seth.

"No." He objected. "Follow the sound of my voice. When our paths meet, we'll be reunited."

So, Seth was going to be Rose's guiding key…

"You still there?" Seth questioned.

"Yes." Rose gently touched each mirror she passed by.

"We should be near the center of the chamber."

Rose smiled. This reminded her of a game she heard about on television. 'Marco Polo' was the name of the game, and its objective was to find someone only relying on sound.

"We're almost there."

Rose couldn't help closing her eyes to try immersing herself in the game, but she'd already neared the center of the chamber. When she finally got there…

"You did a good job." Seth gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

Rose opened her eyes.

"Looks like we made it to the end." As he remarked this, the ceiling began flashing different colors. The lights glistened on the faces of Seth and Rose, who glanced up to see what was going on.

Patterns of star-shaped Pokemon…they were everywhere. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple…

"I have heard of these star-shaped Pokemon before." Rose explained. "They are called Minior, and they are very rare."

"All Pokemon are rare here." Seth quipped.

"But Minior is rare no matter where you go, even where Pokemon are common. The sight of these Pokemon are beautiful, like one big sky and an endless sea of twinkling stars to illuminate the way for travelers wandering in the night…"

Rose went on, explaining everything she liked about Minior. When it appeared she was done, a light blue Minior flashed, moving at great speed before disappearing again.

"A shooting star!" Seeing this, Rose immediately knew what to do. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Seth asked.

"I am making a Christmas wish." When Rose finished her prayer, she faced Seth with a smile. "I wish to stay with and love you forever."

Brother and sister…

Rose looking at Seth with those bright eyes while telling him she wished to love him forever…It hit Seth hard. He didn't expect to be hit with the weight of Rose's words like this, but for some reason he began thinking about the visions of Rose he had earlier; the fragments of memory.

Fragments from a dream.These fragments were of Rose. In those fragments, Rose loved Seth more than anyone else in the world. She wanted nothing more than to love happily ever after with her big brother...but the later fragments show Rose looking at Seth with fear, sadness, and loneliness.

Seth denounced these memories as nothing but hallucinations when they flooded his mind. But they felt too real to be hallucinations. He denounced these visions out of defiance but even that was becoming hard to do. There was even a vision of him striking Rose with some sort of dark power.

'Why? Why am I having these visions now?'

These visions made Seth lonely. Why would he ever strike his sister?

'No…No!'

Once again, Seth denied these memories. Regaining his composure, Seth clasped Rose's hands and told her. "I promise…I will make your wish come true." As Rose loved Seth, Seth promised to return her feelings in kind. This wasn't just for Rose. The words coming from Seth's mouth were meant to reassure himself as well. He promised to never lay a finger on Rose and give her the love she longed for.

Like Brother, like Sister…

Location: Summer & Winter's House

Back at the Ginza, Bastion and Flora were still waiting for Willow to turn up. They'd crossed paths with Seth and Rose in Anju's restaurant this morning and remained here ever since.

"Thank you for dining with us." Anju had just finished serving another customer.

"Thank you, and Merry Christmas!" The customer returned her generosity, waving goodbye as he exited the restaurant and continued with his day.

Countless customers entered and exited the restaurant, but not one of them was the man Bastion and Flora were looking for.

"…"

"…"

Any other person would've long since lost their patience. But Flora and Bastion weren't ones to wear their emotions on their sleeve. They were determined to find their lead man in this terrorist plot. Still, they would've appreciated something to pass the time.

"…"

Anju had given Bastion the remote to the television situated in the restaurant for customers to watch while they dine. He was aimlessly channel surfing for something to watch.

"This stuff is what passes for entertainment these days?" Perhaps the man was getting too old to enjoy the trivialities most television showed had. But by chance, he came across a peculiar program while channel surfing.

'Breaking news from KTPR Channel 5 News. We have a disturbing development of events.' A reporter was standing in front of a chaotic scene of a destroyed apartment complex and displaced individuals mourning the loss of what they once called home. 'In the last 30 minutes, it has been announced by police that a 14-year-old boy has died. The cause of death? An explosion, as evidenced by the burning apartment complex right behind me. This is in Prypiat's Central Residential District. People have lost their homes. Still, they mourn the loss of 14-year-old Shinku Secondary School student Saki, who was closest to the source of this explosion when it occurred.

When a picture of Saki appeared on screen, Bastion and Flora stood agape.

Police, Firefighters, and Paramedics were all at the scene. Firefighters were being dispatched into groups assigned to putting out the flame and rescuing people respectively. Police were setting up boundaries for where civilians were not authorized to proceed. And paramedics were delivering many innocent people who were affected by the explosion.

Was the explosion an accident? Was it premeditated?

"He was the boy who partnered with Seth in fighting Woshis." Flora remarked.

Bastion and Flora's eyes narrowed.

"Saki died just after uncovering the classified file of the terrorist plot's lead suspect. This was no coincidence." Bastion added.

Bastion and Flora gave Anju a dead-serious look. It pained Anju on an emotional level to nod in unspoken understanding: There was now probable cause to confront Willow.

Flora was uneasy, to which Bastion told her, "I have utmost confidence that Willow is our terrorist target now. But with Saki's murder, there's reason to believe your son will be Willow's next target."

Flora buried her face in her hands. This was why she didn't want Seth and Rose getting involved in this terrorist mess in the first place. She didn't want their lives to be in danger. Even though Seth was in too deep at this point, Flora was determined to distance him from the terrorist plot.

Bastion rose to his feet. "It's time we head over to the crime scene."

Flora interjected. "Willow could be going after Seth as we speak. Rose is with him too. I need to find my family, now."

Bastion nodded in understanding.

To Be Continued…