Defying Fate - Chapter Four

Character Guide:
Zak
Celeste
Nurse Joy
Kyle
???
???

Chapter Four
Shades of Violet

"Here are your Pokemon. They were treated for a few scrapes, but nothing too extreme. Thank you for bringing them to the Pokemon Center. We hope to see again." The nurse handed over two Pokeballs to Zak and Celeste, smiling as she bid them farewell. "Thank you for taking care of them. See you around." "Yeah, thanks. We really appreciate it." The two trainers waved to the pink and white clad lady as they walked through the front doors of the building.

Back in their hotel room, the duo sat at a table, discussing the events that had occurred that day. "So, did they say anything after you battled them?" Zak took a sip of his drink and leaned back in his chair so it was balancing on it's back legs. Celeste shook her head and stared down at her drink sitting on the table. "Not really. returned my PokeGear, saying something along the lines of 'we shall meet again' before running away. I honestly don't think we were random targets. I have this nagging feeling that we're stumbling into something bad," the girl sighed before lifting her gaze to look at Zak. "Also, you're going to fall if you keep rocking in your chair like that."

Zak smirked and set his glass back on the table and put his hands behind his head. "Well, I didn't get much of a different response than you." This, of course, was a lie. He had been told a few things, but he didn't want to worry Celeste. He sighed and closed his eyes, recalling exactly what was told to him.

"Okay, since you won, I'll let you in on a bit of information. You and your friend are about to get involved in the biggest disaster this region has seen. There's nothing you can do to avoid it, and there's nothing you can do to stop yourselves from getting involved. You two are a part of this, and your involvement is going to help us complete our mission. You have five months to train up and get ready if you want any chance to save this region. You don't get a day more, and it won't happen a day less. As for a time, well, you'll know when it'll happen. Just be prepared."

"Zak? Zaaaak?" Celeste growls and stands up, slamming her hands on the table. "ZAK!" The day-dreaming trainer snaps out of it, his chair flipping backwards and spilling his onto the floor. "Oww, what was that for?!" Zak sits up, glaring at Cele as she snickers. "I told you that would happen. Anyway, why'd you zone out like that all of a sudden?" Zak sighs and shakes his head, slowly standing up. "Am I not allowed to day-dream? I mean, it's been a long day and I'm tired." He walks towards a door on the other side of the room and opens it, slipping into the doorway. "I'm going to bed. We'll talk some more in the morning. Good night!" He quickly shuts the door, not allowing Cele to reply. "Yeah...good night."

The next day, the two new trainers are wandering the streets of Violet City. "So, I heard there was this building around here called Sprout Tower. It sounds like it could be a cool place to train." "You mean the building we're approaching? A bit of a short notice, but training would be good. We could get ready to challenge the gym here." Zak nods and quickly darts off, heading towards the doors of the tower. "Let's go!"

"Halt." A strong, yet feminine voice yells out to the two. "You two cannot just run in this building. The monks are praying at this time. If you wish to enter, you would have to be quiet and not disturb them." The two stop and turn to face the lady who delayed them. She was dressed in a light pink, floral pattern kimono. "Do you understand?" Her wooden sandals clacked against the cement road as she approached them. "Yes, we understand. We'll be very, very quiet." "Good. You may enter, but if you disturb them, be prepared to suffer the consequences." The lady turns and walks away, leaving the two confused but not slowing them from entering the doors.

The building echoed with the screech of a swaying support beam and the chants of the monks. Near the front door was a series of plaques that described the beginning of the story regarding the four protectors of Johto.

"The Princess of the Forest: Celebi.
The Prince of Flames: Entei.
The Demon of Lightning; Raikou.
The Spirit of Water; Suicune."

"Many, many years ago,
Created by the mighty Ho-oh,
These four were put to work and defended
The many weak and untended."

"The four never complained of the labor,
Not once even asking for a favor.
They were there to help all who needed,
Little by little, Entei felt it wasn't heeded.

"They worked from sun rise to sun fall
Making sure it was safe for all.
Entei had eventually decided
That he should be repaid for all he provided."

The rest of the plaques were worn out, leaving the rest of the story incomplete. "Huh, interesting. I wonder how the rest of this goes. Oh well, it's not important, right Cele?" Zak turned his attention from the plaques to Cele, only to notice she was already working her way upstairs. "Sigh, always impatient..." He slowly makes his way across the room to the stairs, making sure not to interrupt the chanting monks.

Up the stairs was an empty room. Nothing in it except for the two trainers and the swaying support beam. "This place is creepy..." "Perfect for a battle, isn't it?" The voice echoed through the room, originating from across the room near the other staircase. Kyle stood there, leaning against the railing, a smirk on his face. "If you want to get up these stairs, you'll have to battle me."

Defying Fate - Chapter Three

Character Guide:
Zak
Celeste
Brendan
???
???

Chapter Three
Minor Delays

"You forgot to get directions to Violet City?!" Zak jumped backwards to avoid getting hit as Celeste raised her fist. "Uh, yeah. But I don't recall YOU asking for it either. If I remember correctly, you wanted to battle." Celeste growled and stepped towards Zak. "Don't you pin this on me! You're supposed to be the responsible one!!"

Zak sighed and held up his arm, revealing the gold and red PokeGear he'd had since they left their hometown. "Simple solution. I'll call him and have him send the directions to our map cards, okay?" Celeste blinked, looked from Zak's wrist to her own, and sighed, a look of confusion and sadness on her face. "I can't believe I forgot about that...You're supposed to be the airhead, not me." Zak walked away from Celeste, a smirk on his face. "Haha, okay. I'm calling now. Please be quiet while I do so."

The girl glared at the back of Zak's head, intent on burning a hole through it. After noticing that nothing was happening, she sighed again and sat down on a bench. The call rang through and after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Zak was directed to voicemail. "Hello. You have reached Professor Brendan's answering machine. I am currently out of the laboratory on work related business or I'm out doing something fun and non-work related. Please leave a message and I will TRY to get back to you. No promises." The recording ended with a beep and Zak sighed, shaking his head. "Hey, Brendan. Sorry to bother you, but when you get this message, could you please send the directions to Violet City to my PokeGear's Map App? It would be really helpful. Thanks. Talk to ya later." With that, Zak disconnected the call and hung his head in shame.

"So, what should we do while we wait? I don't really want to wander off and end up further away from our destination, but staying here is boring." Zak sat down next to Celeste and leaned against her. "There's really nothing we can do for now except wait it out. Though, we could always wander through this city and see what we can find to entertain us..." Celeste sighed and looked around. Sure, they were in a city, but it looked more like a major business area. Finding something interesting here would be a pain.

The two trainers stood up and stretched. "How about we split up and search? If we find anything, we can just call on our PokeGears." Celeste glanced back at Zak and tilted her head. "Two good ideas in less than an hour. I'm proud of you. Okay, let's go. Good luck." Without letting Zak reply or complain about what she had said, she took off. "Yeah...Okay." Zak put his hands in his pockets and started to slowly wander through the empty streets.

From on top of a roof, two trainers watched over the city with binoculars. It appeared they were watching Zak and Celeste. "They finally separated. Guess we should do the same." "Yeah. This is so exciting! I'll go after the girl. See you later~" And just like Celeste had done to Zak, the second person jumped from the roof before the first could reply.

An hour later, Zak receives a call from Cele. "Hey, guess what?" "You found something?" "Yep. An arcade. I'm sitting outside of it." "Lucky. I ended up in the corporate part of this city. Nothing but insurance offices and a few coffee shops." "Haha, sucks for you. I'll send the location to your PokeGear. See you in a few--Hey! Who are you? Go awa--..."

Zak stared at his PokeGear, unsure of what just happened. "Cele...Are you still there? Helloooo?" A few seconds after calling out to Cele, an unknown voice responds. "Oh hush up, will you? Your girlfriend's a little preoccupied." "Who are you and what have you done to Cele? Oh, and she's not my girlfriend!" "That's none of your business, kid. Just worry about your own neck. Bye." The call was disconnected, leaving Zak confused and angered about the current situation.

He took off through the streets of the city, determined to find Celeste. He made it about four blocks before he was tackled by a small Pokemon. Zak collided with the ground in a glorious fall that could only be compared with the outcome of a bird smacking into a window. "Ugh, what the heck just hit me...?" He sat up and looked around, spotting a Sentret, the obvious projectile that had attacked him. "Good little Sentret." A staticy voice called out to the Pokemon who responded with a cry, perching itself up on it's tail.

Zak looked around, attempting to find the source of the voice. After a few moments, it revealed itself as a cloaked figure as they walked out of an alley way. It was impossible to tell if the person was male or female, the cloak covered up all features, and their voice was being filtered through a device to change it.

"What do you want?" Zak stood up, his hand reaching towards his belt, ready to grab his Cyndaquil's PokeBall. "What makes you think I want anything from you?" The person, despite having a digital voice, sounded quite cocky, letting out a slight chuckle. "The fact that you just had your Pokemon attack me doesn't make me think otherwise." Zak shot a glare at the figure, waiting to make his next move. "Oh, aren't you a clever one. If you must know, I'm here for a battle. Right now my partner should be dealing with your friend, so you shouldn't feel guilty about leaving her out of the fun."

"So that's who was on the other end of Cele's PokeGear? Why are you targeting us?" "We have our reasons, not that you'll be finding out any time soon. So come on, let out your Pokemon so we can get on with this. Unless you'd rather sit here and not know what's happening to your friend." Zak sighed quietly, he wasn't really wanting to battle, but he appeared to have no choice. He pulled his PokeBall off his belt and threw it into the air. "Let's go, Akai."

Defying Fate - Chapter Two

Character Guide:
Zak
Celeste
Brendan
Kyle
???


Chapter Two
Moving On

Early morning in the village. Only the sound of wind blowing can be heard and the occasional chirping of a flock of Pidgeys. At least that's what's heard from outside Zak's room. In his room, the cry of an alarm clock breaks the silence, waking Zak from his slumber. "For the love of...Stupid alarm." The annoying beeping is quickly put to a stop as Zak grabs the clock and throws it across the room, causing it to hit the wall and fall to the floor after it's short flight. A mix between a yawn and a groan. is heard, followed by the sounds of sheets rustling.

"At least I'm leaving today. No need to worry about a busted alarm." Zak stood up and walked towards his window. He pull the blinds open and looks outside. "...Still dark." He shook his head and headed for his door, opening it up and walking out after grabbing a towel off his dresser. He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind him. From that moment on, all that was heard in the house was a shower running.

Thirty minutes later, the sound of rushing water was silenced followed by the sound of a hairdryer starting up. Moments later the hairdryer was shut off and Zak walked out of the bathroom, panting from the heat and steam left in the room. "Too...hot." That was one thing he didn't like. Heat of any kind. Despite finding Fire-Type Pokemon intriguing, he preferred the nice feeling of cool, crisp air. His room was always the coldest in his house, which was just the way he liked it.

He headed back into his room, changing into his new clothes he bought specifically for the trip. He sighed and stood in front of a mirror, combing his hair so it didn't look like a mess before making his bed.

After making sure everything was tidy in his room, he headed downstairs to the kitchen where his backpack was sitting, ready to be packed with whatever materials, food, and other things he would need. When he finished packing, he carried his bag to the living room and dropped it on the couch so he could make breakfast.

After Zak finished his breakfast, he put his shoes on, tied them tightly, and picked up his backpack, swinging it onto his back. He looked around the house, making sure he didn't forget anything. Once he made one final sweep through all the rooms, he sighed softly. "So, this is it. Hopefully I'll be back. No. I will be back."

He stepped out the door and into the cool outside air. The sun was just rising, but what light there was was being captured in the dew on the grass. "I'm gonna miss waking up to this scenery everyday." Zak stretched and looked at his PokeGear. Noticing the time, his jaw dropped. He was late meeting Cele at the entrance to Goldenrod City. Without wasting another second, he took off in a sprint, hoping she wouldn't be there before him.

Five minutes and a half-mile jog later, Zak finally arrived at the gate. Of course, Cele was sitting on a rock, waiting for him. "Oh, now you show up, Mister We-Need-To-Leave-Early." A glare was shot towards Zak. "Anyway, let's go. I'll deal with you later. We still have places to be, so let's go!" She hopped off the rock and ran behind Zak. Placing both hands on his shoulders, she began to walk forward, thus pushing him. Zak stumbled a bit before regaining balance and shaking his head. "Okay, okay. I know. We still have a while."

Two hours into the trip, Zak lets out a groan. "Ugh...Are we there yet?" Cele looked at her PokeGear's map and shook her head. "No. We still have a bit longer to go. Atleast another thirty minutes." The tone in her voice made it evident that she was quite annoyed with Zak's whining.

Thirty minutes had passed and Zak decided to break the silence. "Are we th--" "--YES! For the love of Arceus, we're there! Would you just shut up?!" Celeste spun around, throwing a punch at Zak. With what little coordination he had left, he managed to hop back and dodge, but this resulted in him falling backwards and landing on his back. He sighed and rolled over on all fours and stood up. "I'm already tired from the walk. Could you not punch me?" Celeste shook her head and sent a death-glare in his direction.

He looked around and blinked, noticing a large sign that said: 'New Bark Town Pokemon Laboratory. The Starting Line For All Trainers.' Upon reading that outloud twice, his eyes widened and he got a smirk on his face. "We--we're here! We're finally here!" With that, he took off running, forgetting how exhausted he was. "Hey! Wait for me, dang it!"

Zak stopped infront of the lab's front door and knocked repeatedly, the sound echoing through the little town. The door slowly opened, a pair of green eyes staring through the crack between the door and the frame. "I take it you're Professor Brendan?"

The door swung the rest of the way open. Standing in the opening was a tall man dressed in green camouflage and a white lab coat. "Ah, you must be Zak. About time you got here. Um...Where's Celeste? Didn't you say she would be accompanying you?" Zak blinked and looked around before seeing Celeste slowly catching up. "Here she comes. She's a little...slow today." By the time he had finished saying that, Celeste was behind him, clearly not amused by the comment. She quickly smacked the top of Zak's head and growled. "Thanks for waiting up for me, Zak."

She turns away from Zak to address the other man. "Oh. You must be the Professor. Nice to meet you." Brendan nods and backs out of the opening, allowing room for the two to enter. "Please, come in. The other trainer just arrived before you, so you guys aren't too late." Zak and Celeste glanced at each other before stepping into the building and following Brendan to the back room, where another trainer was waiting.

The trainer in the back had an icy look in his eyes. "So these two were the other trainers. I knew I was right, but I'm glad it was confirmed. They don't look like they'll be any trouble to me." The trainer was muttering to himself, quickly becoming quiet when the Professor, Zak, and Celeste got within earshot.

"Well, since all three of you are here, I don't have to say this more than once. First, I'll introduce you all. Zak, Celeste. This is Kyle, and vice versa. Now that you all know each other, let's get on with this, as I do have work to do." He moves to stand next to a table littered with objects. "You each are here to get your first Pokemon, A-K-A, your Starter." Brendan pointed to said table where three Pokeballs and three devices were sitting. Each Pokeball had a different color than normal Pokeballs, and the devices next to them had matching colors.

"The device sitting next to the PokeBalls is called a PokeDex." He turns and grabs one of them, holding it to show the soon-to-be Trainers. "It's used to record data on Pokemon species you've seen or acquired. They also store lots of other data, like attacks, item information, and other stuff." He sets the PokeDex back down on the table and turns to face away from it. "You'll each get a set of PokeBalls and Potions to start your journey. Now that that's out of the way, please, pick your Starter Pokemon."

Kyle was the first to step forward, reaching for the Purple Pokeball. "I'll pick Totodile. Not my favorite, but the PokeBall and PokeDex are Purple, so I'm set."

Next was Celeste. She reached for the Blue Pokeball and PokeDex. "Well, since you took the Water Starter, I'll take Chikorita. It's cute enough to make up for the fact that it's a Grass-Type."

Finally, Zak stepped forward, a smirk on his face. He grabbed the last Pokeball and PokeDex, both a golden color. "Glad neither of you picked Cyndaquil. I would have had to kill whoever did."

"Well, since you each have your Pokemon, here are your matching PokeBalls and the Potions I promised." Brendan quickly hands each trainer their corresponding PokeBalls and a few Potions. After each trainer had their set of items, the Professor points to the door as if in a rush to get the kids out of his lab. "Now, get out. I have work to do." With that, the three new trainers walked out of the lab, their eyes fixated on the Pokeball with their first Pokemon in it.

"Well, I'm leaving. No use sticking around with you noobs. Don't bother chasing me down. I don't need you two slowing me down." Kyle looked up at Zak and Celeste with the same icy glare as before and darted off, not looking back.

"Well that was...interesting." Zak shook his head and turned to Cele. "It certainly was." She nods, turning to face Zak and snaps her fingers. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we have a battle? It'd be good practice." Zak shrugs and sighs quietly. "Sure. Nothing to lose, right?" The two separate, walking until they were about twenty feet apart. They held out their PokeBalls and tossed them into the air. With a flash, two Pokemon stood before their new masters.

"Cyndaquil, use Tackle!" The Fire Pokemon made a dash towards the green, Grass-Type. "Dodge it and use Tackle as well!" Chikorita jumped out of the way and lunged at the blue and cream colored Pokemon. The two trainers kept commanding their Pokemon, not giving up until one was victorious.

Meanwhile in the laboratory the sound of static over a communication device is heard faintly before clearing up. "Are you still there? What happened?" "Yes, I'm still here. There was a bit of interference, but it's gone now. You were saying?" "I was asking if you had received contact from the subjects." "Oh, yes. I've sent them out." "Excellent." "I hope they know what they're getting into." "They'll find out soon enough, just don't let it be from you. Got it?" "Yes sir." "Are you sure you understand? I don't want you to mess up another plan" "Yes, I understand. Everything shall go according to plan." "You better hope it does. I have a meeting with someone in a few minutes, so I'm ending this conversation now." "Okay. Talk to you later." The sound of a call being disconnected and a quiet chuckle are the only things heard from inside the dim-lit building. "Heh, this is going to be interesting."

Defying Fate - Chapter One

Character Guide:
Zak
Celeste
???

Chapter One
Home

A small town on the outskirts of the bustling and loud Goldenrod City. This town could almost be compared to a village, it was so small. But what it was lacking in population, it made up for in beauty.

The trees were always green, the grass always neatly cut. It was one of Johto's landmarks. Not many people traveled to the area, but those who did were amazed by how fresh and clean the air was and how clear the water in the nearby lake was.

The day was unlike any other. Two of the local teenagers had passed their Trainer Exam, which meant they would be embarking on their first journey across the region. Since everyone knew everyone and because the area was so small, the people of the town held a congratulatory festival to celebrate.

These two kids were known as Zak and Cele (short for Celeste). The two of them hung out all the time, usually because they were the only two people in the village who were the same age.

"--You do know what limbo is, right?" The two in question were walking through a field, wasting time until the festival. The girl had long brown hair, a blue bandanna wrapped tightly around her forehead. She was dressed in a dark blue shirt, raggedy denim pants, and black and blue shoes. Zak, on the other hand, had short brown hair with blond highlights, a red bandanna around his head. He was dressed in a black top and denim shorts, gray and red shoes on his feet.

"Yeah, it's a dance." After saying that, Zak began to dance, pretending he was actually limbo-ing while chanting 'How low can ya go?' a few times. As he continued dancing, he was met with a smack on the head. Celeste was apparently not too pleased with his actions.

"Besides that! Sheesh. Remind me, why do I hang out with you?" "Because you love me and you really don't have much of a choice, because there isn't much of a selection of people our age in the area. Then again, there isn't anyone our age in the area." Zak smirked and shrugged, not really knowing the real answer to her question. "Tough luck." He didn't even remember how they met or when. It was almost like she just appeared randomly, yet didn't cause any disturbance or raise any attention, like she had been there forever.

Once again, Zak received a hit to the head. "Would you mind stopping that?" A groan is heard as he rubs the spot where he was hit. "ANYWAY! Back to the question, that I expected you'd know the correct answer, too. Limbo is where sinners who weren't assigned to Hell resign. In other words, people who sinned enough to not go to Heaven, yet didn't sin bad enough to reside in Hell, that's where they end up. Or so I've heard from a random beggar in the city." Zak sighed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not THAT stupid. But anyway, why are you bringing this up?" Cele shrugged and jumped onto a small boulder that was sitting in the field.

"Just a way to start conversation, I guess." Celeste sighs as she gets comfortable. "I'm so excited about tomorrow. We're finally getting our first Pokemon so we can travel the region." Zak nodded and sat down in front of the rock. "Yeah. It should be interesting. Oh, before I forget." Zak tilts his head up to look at Cele, hoping she's paying attention. "Did you hear there was a third trainer showing up at the lab tomorrow? I got a memo from the professor telling me that it's first come, first serve. We might want to leave a bit earlier than we planned so we can be sure we get what we want."

Celeste, curled up on the rock, lets out a whimper and a whine. "But...But...I was hoping to sleep in a little. I figured since we didn't have our exams to worry about, I could relax. Now you're making me leave early just because some twerp is stepping in? You're crazy...yet right at the same time." She pauses to look down at Zak with a look that practically asks 'Did I say that?' before shaking her head and continuing with what she was saying. "I do want to get Chikorita, and I know you want to get Cyndaquil."

"Glad you agree. We're leaving twenty minutes early. Make sure you have everything packed." Zak stands up and stretches, taking a deep breath while doing so. "We should head back and get ready for the party." A swift breeze blows through the field, causing the grass to bend and sway to create a calming and beautiful sight. Cele stands up and hops off of the rock, pushing her hair out of her eyes as the wind forced it into her face. "Okay. Let's go. But can we race? I'm tired of going slow all the time." "Fine. Ready? Go!"

The two kids took off running, however Zak slowed down to let Celeste run ahead. She didn't notice he was walking behind her and continued to sprint back to the village. He sighed and shook his head, muttering to himself. "But if you always rush through things how can you enjoy the things surrounding you?" He took another deep breath and looked up at the clouds in the sky, his hands resting behind his head. "I'm gonna miss this place. It's so nice and quiet, but maybe I'll find more places like this during our travels."

As he continued walking, a figure loomed in one of the surrounding trees. The figure appeared to be a male kid, around the same age as Zak and Cele. He seemed to be watching Zak as he walked along the trail back to the town. "So...These are the two, eh? Glad I'll be meeting them tomorrow. I'm sure it will be fun." The figure let out a small chuckle before disappearing without a trace. Thinking he heard something, Zak stopped to turn around. Seeing nothing out of place, he shrugged and continued on his way, enjoying the breeze and the sounds of nature.

Defying Fate - Prologue

Hello. Lodos here. Figured I'd give an explanation about this story. I started it...two years ago on a complete whim. I was in a mood to write something and made this. This was originally just a one-shot kind of thing, but then I got the idea to continue the story and make it a bit confusing.

About this part; it's a bit....disturbing. It won't be like this all the time. Up to where I stopped writing, it's pretty much your normal Pokemon Fan Fiction. So don't expect something like this all the time.

Also, another thing. There's a character guide for a reason. It shows the characters that have a part in the chapter. The '???' is there to pretty much say "Hey, this is a new character. You'll find out their name later." The colors are also to help everyone (mostly me) keep track of who's saying what. I could have made it more traditional writing, but I'm lazy and don't want to spend so much time writing out things that I can make even more obvious.

Now that this intro is out of the way...Please enjoy this prologue and leave any and all comments at the bottom.

Character Guide:
???
???

Prologue

A large room, occupied by a couple dozen people. Trainers, more or less. Each one dressed in black robes, their faces concealed by the shadow from the hoods. There was one, however, who wasn’t dressed like this. The group was circled around this one different trainer, their icy stares burning holes all over him. Most people probably would’ve fallen to their knees or started panicking, but not this trainer. No, this trainer was matching the glares, not budging an inch or shaking. He was determined to get out of here safely by any means.

The trainer reached into his pockets with both hands, swiftly retrieving two small, spherical balls. *Click* He pressed a button on the front of each, causing them to grow in size. These balls, or PokeBalls rather, were black on the top half, red on the bottom, and decorated in small, gold stones. *Click* He pressed the buttons again and what followed was a flash of light. Now, where there was emptiness atop the reflective, black tiled floor, there were two creatures. These creatures, Pokemon, stood in front of their master, the same determined gaze on their faces matched their trainer’s. The Pokemon were the boy’s closest friends, his partners, and the only family he had left.

One of these Pokemon was short, black, stood upon 4 paws, and was dog-like in appearance. Or maybe cat-like. Name? Zeon. Species? Umbreon. The other one, however, was a lot taller. It was maybe double the size of it’s trainer. Cream fur shined in the light. Flames jutting from it’s back where black (or maybe it was blue?) fur was. This one was named Akai and it was a Typhlosion.

Before the trainer could utter a command, let alone blink, there was a flash of light that temporarily blinded the trainer. Then the building began to shake. An explosion had occurred. This explosion caused not just the building to shake, but the entire block where the building stood.

As soon as he could see, the boy began to wander around, avoiding any obstacles that threatened to crush him. It was then that he noticed something was off. There were 20, maybe 30 people in the room before, but there were no bodies, no trace of anyone even being there prior to the explosion. Then he remembered. When he first entered the room, as he was ambushed, he could have sworn he saw one of the people flicker. It now made sense. They were holograms used to trap him so he couldn’t escape.

As he continued making he way through the chaos, he heard a faint cry. He then noticed that his partners weren’t with him. How could he not know that he was walking without them? He quickly turned back and made his way through where he had already been.

"Zeon?! Akai?! Where are you?" As he ventured further, the cries picked up and got louder. He had to be close. He began to walk faster until he stepped in something…wet. He looked down, he noticed a sickly red liquid flowing from under a pile of debris.

A look of despair crossed his face when he realized what it was. It was blood. The blood from one, maybe both of his Pokemon. He dug through a bit and found them both under the rubble. "Th-this can’t be happening…" He stared down at his Pokemon, slightly relieved he had found his Pokemon, but the worry and fright of something even worse happening had drown out the bit of relief he was feeling.

There was only one thing he could do. He grabbed the PokeBalls and held them out. Once again, he pressed the buttons. This time there was a red beam emitting from the balls, headed straight for the Pokemon. In seconds, they would be returned to their PokeBalls. In seconds, they could teleport out. In seconds, they could be in the safety of a nearby Pokemon Center, healing their wounds.

But 'seconds' was too long. Another explosion occurred, once again shaking the structure. The trainer stumbled around, tripping over a large pipe. As he fell, the Pokeballs fell from his hands and landed in the path of a falling support beam. All he could hear was the sound of the spheres getting crushed. A horrible crunching sound which rang through his ears. His heart sinking, he now realized he could do nothing. He was doomed, as were his Pokemon.

"Wh-why? Why did this have to happen?" As he closed his eyes, tears streamed down his face. While he cried, he heard the cries of his Pokemon. Opening his eyes, he turned his head to look. The last thing he would see would be his Pokemon and vice-versa. Their cries echoed into his head as he lost consciousness. The Pokemon continued to let out whines and whimpers. That is, until another bright flash filled the ruined area, this light a lot calming then the ones from the explosions.

The trainer opened his eyes, looking around. There was a white light. And…that was it. There was nothing but light. He sighed and shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. ‘Are you okay?’ A voice resonated from somewhere, but there was nowhere. "No...I’m not okay." The trainer looked around, trying to figure out the source of the voice. ‘I understand. You’ve gone through a lot.’ "No, I don't think you do understand. What happened….It shouldn’t have happened. Because of me, my partners were dragged into that mess. They didn’t deserve it." ‘I know what happened, dear, but there’s nothing I can do. I am truly sorry.’ "Save it." He groaned and shook his head. "Anyway. Where is this? Who are you? I’m dead, aren’t I?"

He spun around, still not noticing the voice was in his head. The being was speaking to him telepathically. Eventually he realized this and mentally kicked himself. ‘All of your questions will be answered in time…But for now, just close you eyes and relax.’ The trainer wanted to protest. Relax? After the events he just participated in? Was the voice crazy?

He didn’t have much of a choice but to listen, so he did. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Again, there was another flash of light. He didn’t feel the presence of another being, even if it was using psychic powers to speak to him. He opened his eyes and looked around again. As he looked around, he began to fade from the light. Within seconds he was gone, and once again…there was nothing.