[h3][b][center]One Week Later[/center][/b][/h3]
[h2][u][b][center]Johnson Residence - North of Route 102[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]Major White and Lieutenant Multis were reassigned due to the reinforcements Forrest had called. Jeanne showed the greatest appreciation for their work while the kids were more excited about their aunt and uncles being there and Forrest being more focused on training. But Forrest still took them aside to share his gratitude and offered the Lieutenant’s Indeedee to stay in contact with Shaq’ti and to call on him if they needed.
	Caleb escorted Herbert and Barbara back to Oldale Town and then told Mitchell. It was a surprise reunion for Mitchell, but Caleb informed him of why he and his cousin and brother were there. Mitchell eagerly agreed to take time off work and work with Caleb in protecting Barbara and Herbert as well as the Academy. Mitchell and Caleb still made trips to Forrest’s home, though usually separate unless Barbara and Herbert were both going to visit their son, his wife, and their children. But this was more frequent given the circumstances. And with Barbara having temporarily closed the Academy and Professor Fir having halted his work at the Pokemon Laboratory, it was that much more frequent.
	Robert, Jeanne’s father and the Gym Leader of Petalburg, took the den, if only due to the Rangers’ “insistence.” Valoria and Chesley stayed at Forrest’s home with the two of them “choosing” to camp outside until a more permanent solution was created. Valoria worked Forrest’s Pokemon harder than they ever had with Forrest. Chesley worked all day long to build a pasture large enough to hold all his Pokemon. Forrest still had difficulty to refrain from panicking whenever he saw Chesley’s Tauros. It didn’t help that the beast was only a bit smaller than Taurus’ Tauros. Forrest continued to work himself to the bone with Jerrek at least keeping him company the entire time. Jeanne soon took over her father’s Gym responsibilities so he didn’t have to risk being in a city - and risk its citizens.
	Shaq’ti meditated with Caleb’s Slowking despite being no less than 50 miles apart from each other. This notably strengthened her psychic endurance. Marionetta spent most of her time within the ether to absorb as much energy as she could before being called to unleash it all. Syressa spared and dueled Valoria’s Lanturn and Manectric to increase her physical endurance and to push her physically and mentally. Halcrow and Valoria’s Tsareena were always sparing, and never lightly. Antligon chased Valoria’s Hawlucha and Dodrio, which tested his agility and accuracy. Kangooroom fought Valoria’s Cinderace and Sawk to increase his endurance and to better hone his ability to keep up with a foe much faster than himself. Wickengu worked on his own to get a single Leaf Blade to fell a full matured tree whenever he wasn’t being harried by the only other Pokemon he knew that was faster than himself, Valoria’s Floatzel. Damselraed worked with Valoria personally, much to each other’s dismay. 

	“Very nice, Louis! Let’s see it one more time!” Jeanne shouted from across the battlefield to a young boy.
	“Taillow! Aerial Ace!” he called out.
	The Taillow dove toward the Treeko who rained down Bullet Seeds. The Taillow weaved through with a grace far greater than Jeanne had ever witnessed from such a young Trainer. Bullet Seeds shot back next to the Treeko and lodged themselves into the ground to form an accurate asterisk into the grass with the seeds.
	“Taillow, Whirlwind!” the boy called out.
	The Taillow fell out of her Aerial Ace and smoothly transitioned into a forceful and precise Whirlwind that lifted those seeds next to Treeko so they floated at the top.
	“Now!” he commanded.
	The Taillow beat her wings one last time and the Whirlwind seemed to burst to make the seeds fly straight outward.
	“That was excellent, Louis, Taillow! I’ve never seen such grace and precision before! Beautiful work, you too!” Jeanne said as she walked across the field.
	The Taillow jumped a few times with a seed in her mouth, reluctant to let it go after having caught it from the Whirlwind. Louis rushed to his Taillow and the two congratulated themselves enthusiastically. Jeanne allowed them the time to celebrate before she knelt down to the both of them.
	“This is for the both of you. You’ve done more than earned this, young man. Keep practicing that routine and you’re sure to score big points in next month’s Coordination Competition,” she said with a smile that forced her eyes closed.
	“Thanks, Mrs. Johnson!” he said with exuberance and he gingerly took the Chloryph badge from Jeanne as if it would shatter if he held it any tighter. He gazed at it a minute and then held it close to his Taillow. She released the seed to chirp loudly and jump a few more times.
	Jeanne pushed herself up and looked to the other trainers, an array of ages and skill levels, who looked equally impressed with the display. “I’m sorry, all of you. I have other business to attend to, today. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Lily,” she said with a smile. “Go ahead and work with Marcus today and we’ll get straight to work tomorrow, okay? The rest of you can see if Marcus is available later to get you started for your Challenges.”
	Some showed brief expressions of disappointment but soon chatted amongst themselves with some excitement and left while others approached Louis to congratulate him. Marcus, Jeanne’s Gym Trainer, took the young girl onto an unoccupied portion of the battlefield and started to work on a routine with her Numel. Jeanne shouted a thanks to him and waved as she left the Gym after her daughters reached her.
	The three met Barbara, Valoria, and Beth and Cheryl, Mitchell’s wife and daughter, respectively, just outside the Gym. The seven of them spent the rest of the day visiting some shops, eating lunch, finding an ice cream parlor, and then went swimming in a local pond. It was difficult for Jeanne to ever fully relax as she imagined the entire city could explode at any moment. But she tried to keep in mind the conversation they all had that included how unlikely it would be for that to occur since Team Zodiac would have done that already since they were more than capable of doing so.

	Forrest carried Jerrek on his shoulders to the river on their day off. The girls had gone into the city, so they decided the boys would spend the day at the river. Chesley carried Rowan on his shoulders and Mitchell carried his own son, Hubert, on his shoulders. The three tried to play a game of catch with a stick one of them found. Mitchell caught a missed pass and then started to pass it amongst those carrying the boys who tried to take it back via playful but frustrated laughs until Chesley intentionally passed it to Hubert.
	Caleb and Herbert reached the river first and started to set up a site with towels and baskets and coolers for everyone. Forrest, Mitchell, and Chesley lined up against the river by a deep section and the three of them counted before they launched the boys off their shoulders and into the water. The boys goaded them and wanted to see which one could make the largest splash. So they counted again and jumped in to create the biggest splash they thought they could. Despite being the smallest of the three, Chesley was declared the winner by the boys.
	Forrest watched Jerrek and Rowan play chicken against each other with Jerrek atop Chesley and Rowan atop Caleb, as that was deemed the “most fair.” Forrest was amused by the two pairs of brothers wrestling to knock the other over. Soon, Rowan’s attention was directed at a muddy bank of the river, so Chesley offered to teach him what could be found inside it. So the chicken pairs shifted to Hubert atop his father and Jerrek atop his own. Forrest hadn’t wrestled with Mitchell since they were in their mid-teens. The two boys knocked each other off their fathers who continued to wrestle in the water until Forrest had to surrender if only because he felt it was getting too serious. Still, the seasoned sailor’s strength had only seemed to increase from his years working ships. He wondered if Mitchell was taking it just as seriously.
	They had to convince the boys to eat lunch, which only led to a minute or so of whining. But they all sat or floated and ate, drank, and chatted for a while. Forrest saw Jerrek gazing at a particularly sparkly spot in the river due to the sunlight through the trees above them. Rowan absentmindedly played in the mud with one hand and ate with his other. Hubert sat atop Mitchell’s abdomen who floated while the two ate. They all chatted and shared stories, mostly ones that would be considered inappropriate with children around by almost anyone else. Language continued to loosen as the men drank their fill of alcohol, except Forrest who stuck to his strict diet.
	Herbert and Robert followed lunch by throwing the boys one at a time into the deep portion of the river, the same portion as before. This allowed Forrest, Caleb, Mitchell, and Chesley to speak more frankly with each other which eventually turned into schemes and plans on how to attack the national terrorism that threatened the existance of their country - of the world. It was decided they would at least increase their personal physical training and their Pokemon's training. Chesley’s “increase” was tailored to the work he wanted to do. The others thought helping him would fit well enough into their own plans. Forrest reminded them that Valoria and her Pokemon could probably run laps around them and their Pokemon with her training, so working with her would be beneficial for any of them.
	“Hey, c’mon now,” Forrest bellowed over his shoulder when he caught the sight of Jerrek having launched himself high off his grandfather’s shoulders by actively jumping from them. “Be mindful of what you’re doing!”
	Jerrek made a sizable splash after he heard his father’s warning, but stayed under the water longer than he usually did. Forrest kept an eye to wait for his son to surface and then raise an expectant brow at him. Jerrek surfaced and caught his father’s look and blushed slightly. “Okay dad!” he said with some annoyance and rolled his eyes as he swam back toward his grandfather.
	Forrest just shook his head with a smirk and continued to chat with his cousins and friend. Once the boys seemed to have tired themselves out enough to not be so rowdy, all of them gently drifted in the river for a while longer and chatted about less-serious topics. More “anatomical” topics were passed over, ones that the boys hadn’t really considered before. Mitchell shared stories about his work on ships. Chesley explained what he was currently working on in Johto. Caleb and Forrest bonded over their own involvements with their respective Ranger Corps, which the others listened with interest.
	Sufficiently pruny, they all found the slowly-fading sunny spot left in a small clearing in the forest to dry off before returning for dinner. The boys chased each other around in a fluid game of tag-wrestle-leap frog-wheelbarrowing. The men chatted briefly about heavier topics while the boys were distracted.
	“I didn’t really take it seriously before, but it really does sound like we have to kill them, huh?” Caleb asked.
	“Fuckin’ rip their heads off - and their Pokemon,” Mitchell growled.
	“Don’t be getting cocky, boys. Remember what Forrest told you about his encounter,” Herbert warned.
	“Yeah, it all sounds really terrifying,” Chesley said genuinely as he picked at the grass beneath him.
	“Don’t be such a Caterpie,” Caleb said through a rough voice and flicked at his groin. “Stiffen up, bro,” he added and punched his shoulder which knocked Chesley sideways.
	“Ow, Fuck you,” Chesley whine as he swung a fist back but was too far to reach his brother.
	“No, you’re right, Mr. Johnson. We can’t [i]not[/i] take this seriously. For their sakes, at least,” Mitchell interjected and glanced at the boys who screeched and shouted at each other in glee.
	The men fell silent and watched as the three played their ever-transforming games. “And that means we can’t be going and killing ourselves, either,” Forrest added.
	“Oh, so you [i]were[/i] listening, son,” Herbert said through a chuckle and gripped the base of Forrest’s neck and shook him a little.
	Forrest took it stoically and lingered his gaze on the playing boys before returning his attention back to themselves. “I’m really glad you all came,” Forrest said low and quietly.
	“‘Course, coz,” Caleb said with some incredulity.
	“I don’t have much choice, anyway,” Mitchell said with a scoff.
	“I don’t know why I’m here,” Chesley said.
	“You’re doing it now,” Forrest said with a slight shake of his head. “We can’t rely on manufactured food products. Besides, I’ve wanted to get you here to help kickstart a farm for me, anyway,” he said with a wry smirk.
	“Oh, I see. So you’re just [i]using[/i] me,” Chesley said and rolled his eyes through a short chuckle.
	“I’m using [i]all[/i] of you,” Forrest said. “I can’t do this by myself.”
	“That’s right, son,” Herbert said quietly through a grunt as he wrapped an arm around Forrest and pulled him into a tight side hug and rubbed his knuckles on the top of Forrest’s head.
	Forrest winced at the pain but just chuckled quietly to himself. He then rose and pulled his father up to then give him a proper hug. Forrest hugged the rest of them to physically show his gratitude to them for the first time since his cousins had arrived.
	“Of course, bro. But we’re thankful you even told us since this doesn’t just affect Hoenn,” Caleb said.
	“We should be getting back now, I think,” Chesley said with his head tilted up at the sky that showed the slightest signs of dusk.
	“Alright boys! Let’s go!” Herbert bellowed louder than any of the four of them ever could, or ever thought they could.

	A sixteen-person dinner was difficult to coordinate in a smaller home. But they spread out between the dining room, living room, and porch and floated around freely. It was a rather lively evening as they then partook in some card games or dice games, or chatting and knitting or quilting, in the case of Jeanne and Barbara.
	Herbert and Barbara had to leave before the sun fully set if only to get home at a reasonable hour. So Caleb and Mitchell with Beth left to properly escort them back to Oldale Town, and without having to do so on foot. Mitchell and Beth’s children were allowed to stay for a sleepover. Forrest knew how grateful the two were since Mitchell confided in Forrest that it had been difficult for them to get a night alone for almost a year now. It was at this time Forrest took all the children to get cleaned up and into their beds. He’d never underestimated how difficult it could be to wrangle all the children, but with the excitement of the day, it was somehow more chaotic. He was impressed that it only took them an hour to get cleaned up and into bed. Elizabeth shared her bed with Cheryl while Rowan shared his with Hubert.
	Forrest didn’t realize he’d been shouting almost the whole time until he got back downstairs and heard how quiet it was. They could all hear the children talking and laughing through the walls and ceilings. Forrest only had to go upstairs about a dozen times to tell them to not jump on the bed or run around in the rooms and to put toys away. The last few times he stood at their opened doors for a while to watch them settle down.
	Once they fell sound asleep, Forrest took out his cigar box and they all went onto the porch to partake. He found it remarkably easy to not crave alcohol despite them all partaking, as he usually did with his cigars. There wasn’t much chatter amongst them this late and after such an eventful day. They mumbled back and forth about some topics but mostly enjoyed the peace of the chirping Nincada and hoots of Noctowl and the rustling from Zigzagoon or Linoone just at the edge of the forest surrounding them. The night air was light and cool and relaxing. Forrest found himself being awoken by Jeanne who told him it was time for them to go to bed. Robert, Valoria, and Chesley said their good-nights without making any indication that they would retire any time soon.
	Forrest slipped his shorts off, which he’d worn all day and truly reeked from the day’s events. Minutes after his head sank into his pillow did he fall asleep.[/quote]

[h2][u][b][center]Ranger Headquarters - Rustboro City[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]After a week since Forrest’s cousins had arrived, he decided to take Caleb and Jerrek with him to the Ranger Headquarters. Caleb was interested to see how it differed from Johto, which was inherently connected to Kanto’s. Jerrek had been begging to visit since he’d first learned of his father’s involvement with the Corp to. This would have been the best time as any considering there would have been very high security not just in Rustboro City, but in the Headquarters, especially.
	They teleported to Rustboro City by 7:00 AM, after Forrest and Jerrek finished their first routines of the day and ate breakfast. The three spent some time wandering the city since Jerrek had only been there once with his family. Though it was an overcast day, Jerrek was still amazed to see such a developed city, as his only reference was Petalburg City, which was much a residential city. The tall buildings and grid-like road structures and the amount of people walking around kept Jerrek’s eyes wandering all around. Forrest took him as close to the Wharf as he could get, since it was still roped off. They passed by the Fairfax Institute and Hospital on their way to the Rangers Headquarters.
	The three were stopped from even approaching the Headquarters’ entrance, which initially took Forrest by surprise.
	“Identification,” a Ranger said that blocked their path.
	“Oh, uh, Forrest Johnson. My son Jerrek and my Cousin Caleb Rowes of the Johto Corps,” Forrest said.
	Caleb took out his Johto Rangers identification, which the Ranger nodded and motioned for him to enter. But Caleb looked back and waited as it seemed Forrest and Jerrek weren’t allowed entry.
	“I need identification,” the Ranger said rather apathetically.
	“Please, just call Dick - the Master General. I never got identification.”
	“Then you cannot enter,” the Ranger said and crossed his arms and looked past them as he allowed other Rangers to enter as they showed their identification.
	“I’ll go get the Master General for you, bro,” Caleb said and waved from behind the iron fence. “I’ll be right back,” he said.
	“Dad, are they not going to let us in?”
	“I’m sure they will, bud,” Forrest said and wrapped an arm around Jerrek and walked him aside as to not impede the guard from inspecting the few other Rangers behind them from entering.
	A minute later, Caleb returned and passed Forrest a rigid plastic card through the iron fence. “The receptionist seemed to know you and said they were going to tell the Master General to allow you to bring your son,” Caleb said without any confidence.
	“Mr. Johnson,” the guard called from beside them.
	Forrest looked up and he appeared expectant to be shown the identification, which Forrest showed.
	“Are you this man’s son, boy?” the guard asked rather firmly.
	“Uh, yeah,” Jerrek said, unable to hide the fear he felt for feeling like they were going to be in trouble.
	“Next time, you must bring their birth certificates or equivalent form of identification for immediate family only,” the guard said and shifted to indicate that they could enter.
	“Thank you, sir,” Forrest said with a quick nod and guided Jerrek in front of him and through the gate.
	“Why didn’t you bring your ID?” Caleb asked with a scoff.
	“I don’t have one,” he said and looked down at the identification.
	The picture in the corner was the one he took after he’d won the Hoenn Championship Tournament. It didn’t look much like himself and thought he should work on getting it updated while they were here.
	“Release all your Pokemon, please,” another guard at the entrance of the physical headquarters demanded. She appeared just as apathetic as the gate guard.
	Caleb looked back at Forrest and Jerrek then back at the guard and nodded and passed by her. The guard and her Gothitelle prepared to scan them for something.
	She looked up expectantly at both Forrest and Jerrek. Forrest guided Jerrek in front of him so he could go first. Jerrek looked back with a growing fear in his eyes. 
        “You’re okay, bud. We’re not in trouble. They just gotta make sure we don't have anything dangerous,” Forrest said in the most assuring voice he could manage.
	“Release all your Pokemon, please,” the guard said.
	“Uh, I don’t have any,” Jerrek said and looked back at his father. Forrest nodded approvingly and mouthed “you’re okay.”
	The Gothitelle and the guard scanned and patted down the boy as if he was no different than an adult.
	“Stay to the left past the entrance,” she said coldly and pointed, then shifted for Jerrek to go into the building.
	“Release all your Pokemon, please,” the guard said as her attention immediately shifted to Forrest.
	He compiled and was calm during the scan and pat down.
	“Identification,” she said expectantly.
	Forrest struggled to fish out the ID he’d just gotten from his pants. She appeared impatient but didn’t say anything as she glanced at the card.
	“Next time, you must provide valid identification for immediate family members. Extended family require their own forms of identification. Please see the reception desk for more information. Both of you need to follow the signs for ‘Admissions,’” she said as if from a script and shifted to allow Forrest and his Pokemon to enter.
	He returned his Pokemon before entering himself. Caleb was sitting next to Jerrek, which relieved some of Forrest’s concern for leaving his son alone for even a short period of time.
	“Good job, bud,” Forrest said as Jerrek rose from his seat. He took the boy in his arms and hugged him briefly as he said “we have to go through Admissions,” to Caleb.
	“Me too,” Caleb admitted and pulled a corner of his lips to the side.
	The two looked around together while Forrest kept a hand against the side of Jerrek’s face so he could make sure Jerrek didn’t stray too far or get lost.
	“Oh, right, I’m going to stop at reception real quick,” Forrest said and brought Jerrek with him to the desk with Caleb just behind them.
	Forrest got pamphlets and small packets of information. The receptionist also verified where they needed to go. It was explained that Admissions were divided into different kinds and were conducted in different rooms. Forrest was concerned he'd have to be away from Jerrek for too long. 
	“Security’s pretty tight, huh?” Caleb said as they followed the signs they were told to follow. “Is this all in response to Team Zodiac or do you usually get summoned here and don’t visit on your own?” Caleb asked.
	“Yeah, this is all really new. I usually just walk right in,” Forrest said as he focused on navigating himself and Jerrek through the Rangers rushing past them from every direction.
	“Probably for the best. Seems like they’ve got pretty good measures,” Caleb said casually as his own nerves had settled.
	Forrest didn’t say anything until they reached the Admissions Wing. It was crowded but seemed like there were Rangers acting as traffic control.
	“Where are you going?” a Ranger asked flatly who sat in a folding chair at a folding desk at the entrance to the wing.
	“International Ranger,” Caleb said with confidence.
	“IR156,” she said and ripped off some kind of ticket and handed it to Caleb. “Don’t lose that and keep your ID out,” she said and looked up at Forrest and glanced at Jerrek.
	"Are you two related?” she asked firmly.
	Forrest moved Jerrek in front of himself to solidify his answer of "yes." She twisted around in her seat and waved someone over. 
	“What’s your full name, son?” the Ranger said. His voice was much gentler, friendly even, than all the other Rangers they had interacted with up to this point.
        “Jerrek Warden Johnson,” Jerrek said after he got a nod from his father.
        “And you are, indeed, this man’s son?”
        “Yes, sir,” Jerrek said. His voice still sounded shy, but the demeanor of this Ranger seemed to put him at some ease.
        “Very good,” the Ranger said. “Just wait on the right side of the door just inside while I ask a few questions to your dad,” the Ranger said and pointed to where Jerrek was supposed to stand.
        The Ranger, Lieutenant Fletcher, from what Forrest could tell, took Forrest’s ID and examined it briefly. “You’re that boy’s father?” he asked.
        “Yes,” Forrest said with calm confidence.
        “How tall is he?” Lieutenant Fletcher asked.
        “Oh, uh, 4’9” or 4’10” I think now,” Forrest said.
        “What color eyes does he have?”
        “They’re blue, but they could look blue-green,” Forrest said with more confidence than the previous question.
        “What color is his hair?”
“Brown.”
        “About how much does he weigh?”
        “Probably 75 to 80 pounds.”
        “Place of birth?”
        “Petalburg City.”
        “Mother’s full maiden name?”
        “Jeanne Maye Beasley.”
        “Maternal Grandfather?”
        “Robert Beasley, Gym Leader of Petalburg City.”
        “Paternal Grandmother’s maiden name?”
        “Barbara Elizabeth Cooley.”
        “Thank you,” the Ranger said with a polite smile and nodded at the seated Ranger.
        "Where are you going?" she asked.
        "Oh, uh," Forrest started and tried to remember what Caleb said and answer relative to himself. "I'm a bounty hunter."
	“V043,” she said and ripped off a ticket and gave it to Jerrek. “Keep your ID out,” she added.
	Forrest stepped quickly to reach Jerrek who was, again, standing with Caleb. He looked at his ticket and then down the hall to find any signs to indicate where he was supposed to go. 
	“Looks like I’m down on the right,” Caleb said and pointed to a distant sign above a door that said “International Ranger Men” with a bold “IR” underneath with a long line of people at it.
	“That must be you,” Caleb said and pointed to the second door closest to them on the left that said “Visitor Civilian Men” with a bold “V” underneath.
	We’ll wait for you just outside the wing,” Forrest said as he assumed he and Jerrek would be finished before Caleb.
	Caleb nodded at Forrest then looked down at Jerrek with a smile. “You’re doing great, bud. Remember, they’re doing this for your and the country’s safety. There’s no need to be afraid of getting in trouble.”
	Caleb knelt onto a knee and hugged Jerrek. Caleb patted the boy’s shoulders and then stood. “Alright, I’ll see you boys soon,” he said as he clasped Forrest’s neck, which Forrest returned in kind.
	“Okay, let’s get in line, bud,” Forrest said and guided Jerrek in front of him in the line they were supposed to wait in.
	It moved rather quickly - steadily, too. When Jerrek was in front of a Ranger at the door, Forrest held out his own ID and said “he’s with me. This is my son, Jerrek.”
	It was the same Lieutenant Fletcher from before. He looked down at Jerrek with a warm smile and glanced at Forrest's ID. "Your son is not required to be subjected to the full-body check and subsequent cleaning. We'll have him wait for you just outside that door where you will exit, sir. I'll have a Ranger stationed to look after him," he said with a calm smile and pointed behind Forrest and then hollered "Major!" over the din.
        A Major Harris approached and was informed of the situation to which he quickly adapted as per their protocol. Forrest tried his best to reassure Jerrek but couldn't hide his concern for his son's well-being despite having always trusted Rangers. 
        But he took a deep breath and entered the room and took a seat where other men were sitting against the wall next to the door of the entrance. A small screen showed a letter and number in the same format as their tickets. Men were lined up, undressed with their clothes in a square bucket on a kind of conveyor belt. Rangers with blue medical gloves and masks closely inspected each man from top to bottom. They then followed the conveyor belt that passed through the wall into an adjacent room. The buckets of clothes passed through a scanner and a few different psychic-type Pokemon along the way.
	Forrest watched a man escorted out of the room with a Ranger on each side of him before he could even put any clothes back on. He saw “V043” on the screen and walked to the back of the line to undress. Forrest held his bucket under his arm and showed his ticket to the first Ranger who pointed to the Ranger he would be inspected by. Forrest placed his bucket at the start of the conveyor belt and went to stand where he was told. 
	The Ranger checked and inspected every inch of Forrest’s body to find any signs of implanted devices or microchips or smuggled goods. It took at least 10 minutes for such a thorough inspection. He was then directed into the next room to shower with specific soap and instructed to clean himself in a specific manner. The Rangers often corrected some of the men. One man threw a kind of tantrum and was immediately escorted out of the shower room by a Ranger on each side of the man.
	“Scrub your legs, sir,” Forrest heard close to him and felt a slap against his thigh.
	A warm wave of embarrassment washed over him as he realized he was distracted by the commotion.
	“Bottom of your feet, sir,” a Ranger said when Forrest looked to one to verify if he was finished.
        When his washing was approved, Forrest went to dry himself off. He found his bucket of clothes but was interrupted just as he put a foot through his undercloth. They provided him with Land fatigues and took his civilian clothes to be sent to the locker rooms to be put into his own locker. He was then directed to have his picture taken to update his Ranger ID which was created for him to replace his apparently temptation ID.
        When Forrest finally got to where his son was supposed to be, his heart fluttered at finding his son missing. "Sergeant Rowes took your son just outside the wing, Deputy Johnson," a militaristic voice announced behind him. 
        "Oh, thank you, Major," Forrest said through a sigh. He then realized and was taken aback by the use of a title. If he remembered correctly, a Deputy was an unofficial position between Major and General. "And there's no need to call me 'Deputy.'"
        "Master General's orders, sir," Major Harris explained as he released his salute.
        "Aw, fucking cunt," Forrest groaned to himself at the Master General and headed over to find Jerrek and Caleb. 
	“I was getting worried you got kicked out!” he heard beside them.
	Caleb approached with his hands on Jerrek's shoulders in front of him. Caleb was similarly changed into Marine fatigue with no sign of his civilian clothes.
	“Should have brought my uniform, huh?” Caleb said with a chuckle. “So, you get through okay?”
	“Yeah, it was fine. They had me take a picture for an official ID,” Forrest said and flashed his new card for Caleb to verify Forrest was telling the truth. 
	“I heard the 'inspection' was just as invasive as mine.” Caleb said quietly and jabbed Forrest's abdomen a couple times. Forrest just chuckled and threw a few jabs back. 
	“Alright, well, I’m starving. Let’s get to the cafe. I’m interested to see what Hoenn slop is like,” Caleb said with a bellowing laugh. “They said it’s this way,” he added and led them down a hall that was already unknown to them even if they had already walked down it. 
	The three made their way through the complex. They were stopped at a couple unexpected check points where they learned Forrest and Jerrek were only allowed into the eastern branch of the Headquarters, which Forrest shared was the gymnasium, locker and shower rooms, and the cafeteria. Jerrek expressed some disappointment for not being allowed a tour.
	“I don’t think you’d get much out of a tour if it’s like this everywhere,” Caleb said over his shoulder and winked at Jerrek.
	Jerrek resigned to that unfortunate truth, but was still disappointed. Forrest’s tried to physically comfort his son in vain as they navigated their way through the busy halls and corridors. He took off his jacket and draped it over Jerrek’s shoulders, mostly because it was too warm for the jacket, but also to not leave him out from dressing like a Ranger with them. 
	It felt like a half hour before they reached the cafeteria that was somehow quieter than the halls. Rangers shouted playful commands at each other. A small group hollered at some kind of competition between two Rangers. There was a low din of casual conversation amidst the tinking and clanging of usual dining sounds. The cafeteria was huge with high ceilings which swallowed much of the excess noise. Long benched tables were lined up to cover nearly the entire floor that was painted with basketball court lines - four of them. Baskets were raised up to the ceiling as they weren’t going to be in use. Forrest caught sight of a few people playing a card game at an, otherwise, empty table. The line at the kitchen wasn’t long, so they made sure to get in line before it could.
	The food was fairly good. Nothing like a home-cooked meal, of course, but it was still tasty. They overheard some Rangers and learned it was likely due to the number of civilians taking refuge in the Headquarters that made the kitchen improve the food they produced. Forrest couldn’t help but think that was a little counterintuitive, as it’d certainly consume more of the better resources sooner. But the Rangers’ kitchen wasn’t his to consider. So they ate quickly to get to the gymnasium so at least Forrest and Jerrek could get their second routine in for the day.
	Forrest found silkies and tanks for them to wear since fatigues weren't known to be breathable. Within the first hour, Caleb had been sucked in to a kind of competition. Hoots and hollers, synchronized counting, cheers and shouts of encouragement filled the space. It seemed Caleb was at the center of it as Forrest was able to hear sentiments of trying to “outdo Johto.” From the shouts and from what Forrest could tell from a distance, it seemed none were able to best him. Though Forrest, himself, wasn’t a Ranger (or was he?), he was glad they were getting along well enough. It never crossed his mind that there would be rivalry or any bias between Ranger Corps.
	Caleb was surrounded by new friends, so Forrest and Jerrek went to shower and put their clothes on. Jerrek convinced his father to continue to wear the fatigues so he could keep wearing the preposterously oversized jacket. They’d been told that they were given permission to roam the training grounds and gardens of the Headquarters - apparently directly from the Master General. But when they reached the doors to the training grounds, they saw it was raining. It was a warm rain, so there was no real chance of catching a cold, but Forrest convinced Jerrek that they should stay inside so as to not be soaking when they got home. Jerrek was understandably dejected for a bit, but they returned to the cafeteria for a snack and found themselves playing cards with some other Rangers. The Rangers took well to Jerrek and were eager to teach him the game they were playing. Forrest was familiar with the game and caught up fast enough. In the middle of their second game, Forrest spotted Caleb enter with a posse of probably ten other Rangers. He made sure to catch Caleb’s attention with a wave who waved back and indicated for them to join him.
	Jerrek garnered even more attention when they learned his uncle was “the strongest Johto Ranger” and his father was “Hoenn’s best bounty hunter and Deputy Land Ranger.” The Rangers took them on unapproved tours of some of the less-regulated areas where they could get away with such things. Some Rangers mocked higher-ranking officers during their explanation of a meeting room. These particular Rangers’ dorm wing was where they spent a few hours just hanging out, which Jerrek made sure to share a comment on how smelly it was. Forrest found the time and excused himself and Jerrek so they could do their next routine before dinner.
	Jerrek quickly grew comfortable navigating his way through the few large spaces they were originally given clearance into. He chatted with some other Rangers about their particular duties and responsibilities within their corp, which was a whole new topic Jerrek was eager to learn about. Forrest chatted with some Rangers he’d helped train once a few years ago and learned that most Rangers were now acting as local police and travel guides, which Forrest found understandable.
	The cafeteria was packed at dinner time. Forrest overheard how civilians had breakfast and dinner brought to them but that they’d have to get dinner for themselves. It was much quieter than it was at lunch time, interestingly enough. Forrest thought that it must have been a long day for most of the Rangers with the other portion likely just starting their workday. Forrest let Jerrek indulge on more than one dessert before they would do their last routine of the day. He was just glad the kitchen was serving food that met his own diet requirements. Though, of course they would, he thought.
	The lights flickered briefly, which set a hush over the entire cafeteria, though it didn’t reach silence and most figured it must have been because of the storm outside. Forrest overheard someone say that it wasn’t even windy, which made Forrest a bit uneasy. He reassured Jerrek but caught Caleb’s eye to silently indicate that he should be ready for action at any moment.
	“Greetings citizens of Hoenn,” a voice echoed loud throughout the cafeteria.
	The several television screens that showed local news or bad reality TV now showed the same image. What Forrest found particularly disturbing was that all the TV’s had been muted the entire day.
	A man stood outside in a steady rain. He wore a dark blue suit vest and white button-up shirt with rolled sleeves. His dark hair was slicked back and water dripped down his rather chiseled face with a handsome and even light beard. A street lamp lit the top of his features, which would have made most appear sinister or distorted. It did nothing to detract the handsomeness of this man, though. Forrest’s heart pounded and his eyes widened, but he watched on in horror.
	“I’m happy to finally speak with you all directly. I am Pisces of an organization called Team Zodiac. My colleagues and I have been working toward preparing Hoenn to see the bright future that is ahead for this beautiful country.
	“But there are many things that keep us from realizing the true potential of Hoenn and its citizens. One such thing is what you are seeing me on now. I learned long ago that technology, however well-intentioned, is always detrimental to not only humans, but Pokemon as well,” he said with sad eyes that looked a bit too exaggerated.
	“Worst of all, it negatively impacts nature. For example, where Mauville City now stands used to be a wondrous natural reserve where dozens of Pokemon used to live but are now extinct. We cannot pretend the conveniences we create for ourselves do not harm our planet and, thus, the Pokemon and people who call it home.
	“That is why I am here, in Rustboro City, at the Fairfax Institute of Technology,” he continued and the camera panned backward to show that he was standing before that very building with a Gorebyss and Huntail floating on either side of him. He wore pants that matched his vest. All his clothes were solid in color which suggested he’d been standing in the rain at least long enough to become thoroughly drenched.
	“Technology can not and will not be able to do anything that nature does naturally. We have to see this evil for what it is - the slow death of our country - of our world. We have to surrender our dependence on silly contraptions such as Pokeballs. Pokemon are meant to freely go wherever they wish and whenever they wish to do so. Humans have become soft and complacent as their needs are passively met and have lost their appreciation for how these things come to be and how they are maintained.
	“And so, people and Pokemon of Hoenn, I will take the first step in freeing our country - freeing the world from the oppression and destruction that comes with technology. I ask that you all follow my example and free yourselves of your shackles.”
	He turned around and nodded to the Gorebyss. It glowed marbled blue and purple as it swam in the air. The camera began to rumble. Pisces stood still with his hands behind his back. Glass shattered and flew in the air. Pillars crumpled floor-by-floor. The Institute was efficiently and quickly demolished by a singular Gorebyss, from what they portrayed on the TV. A light rumble was felt throughout the Headquarters. It wasn’t faked.
	The TV’s projected distant shouts as Pisces turned back and the camera zoomed back in. “Now, my fellow citizens of Hoenn, it is your turn,” he said.
	The smile that curled on his face wasn’t quite right - it was sinister. A chill ran up Forrest’s spine and he snapped out of the daze the TV’s seemed to have gripped him in. Buckles clanged against metal and tables. Boots thundered across the floors. A single shout became a roar of Rangers moving to action.
	Forrest looked to Caleb who stood and looked ready to follow his fellow Rangers.
	“Caleb!” Forrest bellowed through the din. “Take Jerrek out of here!”
	Caleb looked at Forrest, his eyes harsh and determined, then softened as if disappointed. But once Caleb’s gaze reached Jerrek, a new fire lit in his eyes. “No, you take him! Keep him safe with you!”
	“You don’t know what you’re getting into!”
	“Bullshit!” Caleb spat back with a rage. “We’ve been training all week!”
	“Fucking listen to me Caleb!” Forrest shouted and rose from the bench. “You’ll die! Take him home now and be ready to flee when I get there!”
	Caleb let out a loud growl that was mostly masked by the din of shouts and roars all around them. Forrest knelt next to Jerrek when he made sure he had everything with him. “Go keep Mom and your siblings safe. I’ll be home soon. I promise you. I love you,” Forrest said as a tear fell from his eye when he kissed Jerrek’s forehead and hugged him quickly and tightly.
	Slowking's paw gently landed on Jerrek’s shoulder. Caleb’s hand rested on his Slowking’s crown and he nodded to Forrest. “Don’t be fucking stupid,” he said with all the seriousness he could convey as they disappeared.

	Screams. Some piercing and some blood-curdling. They were growing closer. Loud cries and roars of Pokemon faded away weakly. Rain produced a constant percussion of bass that did nothing to drown out the chilling reality of what was happening.
	Forrest sprinted faster than he ever had. The rain soon soaked through every layer of his clothes. He drew his long hunting knife expecting to need to use it.
	“Deputy Johnson!” Forrest heard shouted to his right down an alleyway. “Deputy Johnson!”
	Forrest saw three Rangers with their partners - one psychic type seemed to be meditating on something.
	“They’re dropping like flies,” the Ranger said as Forrest barreled toward him. The face the Ranger made - Lieutenant Fraiser - was of pure horror. 
	Forrest motioned for them to wait where they were as he stalked to the other end of the alley where the screams and roars were louder. He peered around the corner and saw several bodies of both Rangers and Pokemon lying on the ground with a dark pool below them. An explosion burst further down the main road. An entire corner of a building erupted from a jet of water. The aftershock was physically painful to witness.
	Forrest spotted a live Ranger across the main road who looked to be hiding - cowering.
	“Retreat! Don’t engage!” Forrest roared.
	The Ranger looked over to him with a face of terror. “Go!” Forrest screamed as loud as his throat would allow.
	“Fuck,” he said under his gasping breath as he returned to the three Rangers toward the middle of the alley. “Go! Leave! Don’t engage! Evacuate!” Forrest shouted at them, unsure as to what kind of order to provide.
	He understood what it meant to be called “Deputy” by other Rangers. He hadn’t expected to be charged with leading a band of Rangers so immediately. Still, there was no point for them to risk their lives to accomplish nothing.
	“Sir, where are you going?” another asked - his voice high and piercing - young.
	“I’m going to get others out of here!”
	“Sir, please, don’t!”
	“Don’t tell him what to do, fucking idiot,” another said and slapped him across his head.
	“Are you sure you don’t want assistance?” the first Ranger asked.
	Forrest looked and pointed up. The distant roar of Antligon sounded. Then Shaq’ti hovered down to Forrest’s side. She showed him what images she’d seen so far. Utter carnage.
	“Get the fuck out of here!” Forrest roared.
	The three immediately moved into action down to the other end of the alley while Forrest went back to the main road where bodies littered the ground. “[i]Don’t fucking engage. Get as many away as you can,[/i]” he thought to Shaq’ti who relayed the message to his other Pokemon.
	Forrest tried to sneak closer to where he knew Pisces likely was. He looked everywhere he could and told the few more Rangers he saw to leave and evacuate. He eventually crossed the main road into an alley on the other side. He peered around the corner and saw Pisces and his Gorebyss still glowing and shooting jets of water from its mouth.
	Forrest’s heart raced. He thought how his heart's outline could show through his chest. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Shaq’ti relayed how his Pokemon notified many of the Rangers who were then notifying others and the area was being evacuated quickly. He had to buy the Rangers and the civilians time.
	“Pisces!” Forrest screamed in the hopes it would reach him through the rain. “Why are you doing this?”
	He didn’t have the courage to look around the corner. He kept a hand on Shaq’ti.
	“[i]He’s coming,[/i]” Shaq’ti thought.
	His heart beat harder than before, but slowly now. He could feel blood rush into his eyeballs and past his temples and up his neck. “[i]Get out of here,[/i]” he thought as he felt complete terror for the first time in his life.
	“[i]I won’t leave you,[/i]” she thought and gripped his hand more firmly to focus teleporting them all away.
	“[i]No, just you.[/i]”
	Shaq’ti was silent for a moment. She thought nothing but obeyed his command and teleported a distance away where she could still sense what was happening.
	Forrest pulled his eyes to the side to look down the alley across the main road. He didn’t dare move his head. Wickengu leapt toward him from windowsill to windowsill far down the alleyway on the other side of the street. Once their eyes met, Forrest nodded and Wickengu nodded back and leapt out of the alleyway and straight toward Forrest.
	Wickengu streaked through the air faster than Forrest had ever seen before. He suddenly stopped - frozen in mid air. Wickengu didn’t make a sound as he was torn apart in silence and fell to pieces onto the ground.
	Forrest’s eyes widened. He couldn’t feel his heart anymore. The rain was silent. His eyes started to burn. Confusion. Sorrow. Fear. Rage.
	The silence was finally broken by the clicking of a tongue. “What a foolish thing for you to do, Mr. Johnson,” said a lilting and smooth tenor voice from around the corner. “But there’s no need for any more of this violence. I would like to speak to you, man to man.”
	Forrest’s feet were frozen to the ground. He was shivering violently - cold. The blood stopped pulsing through his body. His eyes remained on the pieces of Wickengu that now littered the ground with the bodies of other Pokemon and Rangers. It couldn’t have been more than a few moments before he heard the voice again.
	“Don’t make me wait, Mr. Johnson. My patience isn’t endless. It would be sad for Jerrek to learn his father died because he was a coward,” he said conversationally.
	Forrest’s eyelids stretched even further. Fire burned throughout his body.
	“You leave my son’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Forrest said which started as a mumble but ended in a coarse roar.
	Forrest found himself standing 20 or so feet from Pisces and his Gorebyss. Pisces’ arms were crossed but the face he wore was expressionless. Forrest gripped his knife so that his hand clicked around the handle. He felt himself gasping, panting, breathing heavily. But he couldn’t move any closer as if his subconscious controlled his body enough to not physically threaten the man.
	“You asked me a question, Mr. Johnson. It’s only polite that I answer you face-to-face,” Pisces said in his persistently casual tone. “Why am I doing this, you ask? Was my little broadcast not clear enough? I wish to cleanse this world of its dependency on technology. Though I suspect you mean ‘why did Gorebyss demolish the Fairfax Institute of Technology and why she and her brother have been killing Rangers who try to engage with us?’ The first was a symbolic ritual to have the citizens begin to consider what is truly best for them. The second is simple self-preservation.”
	Was that a smirk on his face? Was he smiling? Was he happy to have killed so many Rangers and their partners? Would he be equally amused to follow through with his threat to kill Forrest? Was he delighted in having Wickengu, who should have been immune to such psychic powers, be torn apart by it?
	Halcrow entered Forrest’s diminishing field of vision. Just as Wickengu had been, Halcrow, too, was ripped apart before Forrest could even comprehend what was happening.
	Pisces clicked his tongue again and shook his head slightly. “I’m disappointed, Mr. Johnson. I would expect the Pokemon of a former Hoenn League Champion would be more well-behaved. Pity.”
	Forrest felt as if his chest concaved from a forceful blast. His heart skipped but the fire in his veins burned hotter. The tears of fire contrasted with the ice of rain falling down his face. His feet kept planted on the ground.
	“I was glad my prediction came true in that I have the opportunity to speak with you,” Pisces continued as if nothing happened. “I hoped I’d be able to clear some paranoia from you in the hopes that it would reach Mr. Aeros. I was actually surprised that I had forgotten all about Conserve Kline. Poor woman - one of her first,” he said and stroked Gorebyss down the length of her body.
	“Tonight I will be summoning Jirachi, who shares my vision of the future. Leo will be obtaining Victini right at this very moment at the Elite Four Headquarters so as to ensure our ultimate victory in achieving our dream. Unfortunately, that will be all we can do until five years from now. At that time, should the citizens of Hoenn not come to their senses, we will bring Hoenn to obey. It will start with the energy plants across Hoenn followed by Mauville City. We will then dismantle the major cultural hubs of Hoenn so as to recreate them in our vision of a pure world. Of course, the latter includes your mother’s Academy and the laboratory with which your father is employed. Please know that we do not seek to kill anyone else after tonight. This was merely a show of our power which proves how strong our convictions are. Still, we will not hesitate to push forward through any obstacle to achieve our dream.”
	Pisces turned his head but kept his eyes on Forrest. “Come,” he said into the rain. “I think it is time.”
	A faint roar sounded above them as a Huntail slithered from the left and to Pisces side. “Expect Virgo at your mother’s Academy, Mr. Johnson. You know what he looks like, if Mr. Aeros showed you what that Special Agent saw. I will be at the Mossdeep Space Center, if you must know.”
	Forrest’s skin reddened. “[i]Fucking kill them all,[/i]” he thought without getting a response back. 
	Pisces and his Pokemon turned around to walk away from Forrest who still couldn’t bring himself to move. The bright flash of light-blue energy hurt his eyes. Debris caused scratches across his skin as it flew past him. Dazzling light flashed while the earth erupted below Pisces.
	Syressa and Antligon were pierced simultaneously by a single jet of water. They fell to the ground motionless. Kangooroom was half-eaten since the Huntail was interrupted by Marionetta who was then Crunched out of existence.
	Damselraed finally neared and buzzed around Forrest. He caught her eyes that looked heartbroken as she scanned the scene. She put together that the man and the two Pokemon that stood a distance from them were responsible. 
	Damselraed created a storm of a Bubblebeam that quickly filled the space. They gently floated toward Pisces and his Pokemon and began to pop with each one containing a Bug Buzz.
	A jet of water no thicker than a pencil shot through Forrest's palm he held up as if to block the attack. His eyes shifted to see that it went cleanly through his hand Damselraed’s body. She turned with sad eyes to her trainer.
	Forrest’s body went cold as ice. Damselraed hovered gently to the ground where her wings soon stopped vibrating. Forrest had never seen what her wings actually looked like - shaped like diamonds and semi-transparent. Her face was peaceful.
	Forrest fell hard to his knees. He then fell forward onto his hands over Damselraed’s body. Tears flowed from his eyes and onto her head.
	“I guess it [i]did[/i] take all but one to have learned your lesson,” Pisces said conversationally as if he’d known he was going to kill all but one of Forrest’s Pokemon.
	Forrest didn't see how damaged and tired the Huntail and Gorebyss were. Forrest didn’t see the bright light shine high above Pisces as Forrest scooped Damselraed into his arms. A small white and gold figure slowly descended from the source of light and straight down toward Pisces who seemed to wait expectantly. Forrest didn't feel a hint of pain in his hand. Forrest had closed his eyes and hugged Damselraed and gently pushed his cheek into her soft fuzz while he sobbed.
	“Thank you, Mr. Johnson,” Pisces said as his hand reached to Jirachi for them all to then disappear.

	“Fuck! What the fuck happened, Forrest?” Caleb said airily. “Is he gone? The Elite Four Headquarters was attacked, too. Wait. Are those - ?”[/quote]

[h2][u][b][center]Elite Four Headquarters - Ever Grande City[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]When Fredrick and Lois returned to the Elite Four Headquarters, they both eventually noticed how strangely Bingham was acting. He was no longer self-confident and aloof. He suddenly started to apologize for getting in the others’ ways. He would ask where they were going and when and why and for how long. Fredrick believed it wasn’t only because of having learned about Team Zodiac, since Tristan was directly involved with investigating them. But it was too suspicious that whenever Tristan spent any time at the headquarters, Bingham was even more on edge.
    Bingham managed to time a brief chat with Fredrick via his Gengar. Bingham revealed that he was being extorted by one of the members of Team Zodiac - Leo - and that she threatened to kill all of them if he didn’t play along and give her access to their headquarters. Fredrick learned over time that Bingham had made a deal with Team Zodiac some years back. Pisces was to grant Bingham a wish when he obtained Jirachi in exchange for his prolonged cooperation. Fredrick also learned that Team Zodiac very much knew about the secret group of anti-terrorists Tristan was currently working with - that Bingham, himself, facilitated.
    Fredrick told Lois as he learned this information but struggled to police her from making it slip that they knew about Leo. Fredrick struggled to call Tristan to the headquarters to relay this information without getting caught. But between Tristan’s busy schedule and Fredrick struggling to organize a time he wouldn’t be discovered was virtually impossible. It wasn’t until a week after his secret meeting with Bingham that he managed to get Tristan alone and in secret.
    As Fredrick relayed this information to Tristan, the television turned on by itself beside them.
              “Greetings citizens of Hoenn,” a man said.
    The man stood outside in a steady rain. He wore a dark blue suit vest and white button-up shirt with rolled sleeves. His dark hair was slicked back and water dripped down his rather chiseled face with a handsome and even light beard. A street lamp lit the top of his features, which would have made most appear sinister or distorted. It did nothing to detract the handsomeness of this man, though.
    “I’m happy to finally speak with you all directly. I am Pisces of an organization called Team Zodiac. My colleagues and I have been working toward preparing Hoenn to see the bright future that is to come for this beautiful country.
    “But there are many things that keep us from realizing the true potential of Hoenn and its citizens. One such thing is what you are seeing me on now. I learned long ago that technology, however well-intentioned, is always detrimental to not only humans, but Pokemon as well,” he said with sad eyes that looked a bit too exaggerated.
    “Worst of all, it negatively impacts nature. For example, where Mauville City now stands used to be a wondrous natural reserve where dozens of Pokemon used to live that are now extinct. We cannot pretend the conveniences we create for ourselves do not harm our planet and Pokemon and people who call it home.
    “That is why I am here, in Rustboro City, at the Fairfax Institute of Technology,” he continued and the camera panned backward to show that he was standing before that very building with a Gorebyss and Huntail floating on either side of him. He wore pants that matched his vest. All his clothes were solid in color which suggested he’d been standing in the rain at least long enough to become thoroughly drenched.
    “Technology can not and will not be able to do anything that nature does naturally. We have to see this evil for what it is - the slow death of our country - of our planet. We have to surrender our dependence on silly contraptions such as Pokeballs. Pokemon are meant to freely go wherever they wish and whenever they wish to do so. Humans have become soft and complacent as their needs are passively met. Humans have lost their appreciation for how these things come to be and how they are maintained.
    “And so, people and Pokemon of Hoenn, I will take the first step in freeing our country - freeing the world from the oppression and destruction that comes with technology. I ask that you all follow my example and free yourselves of your shackles.”
    He turned around and nodded to the Gorebyss. It glowed marbled blue and purple as it swam in the air. The camera began to rumble. Pisces stood still with his hands behind his back. Glass shattered and flew through the air. Pillars crumpled floor-by-floor. The Institute was efficiently and quickly demolished by a singular Gorebyss, from what was portrayed on the TV.
    The TV projected distant shouts as Pisces turned back and the camera zoomed back in. “Now, my fellow citizens of Hoenn, it is your turn,” he said.
    The smile that curled on his face wasn’t quite right - it was sinister. The TV turned off on its own.
    Fredrick rushed to find Lois and Bingham. He found them at Bingham’s battlefield with most of their Pokemon out and facing off against a woman with a Solrock and Pyroar. Fredrick immediately joined in, too.
    Within a few moments, all of Lois’ Pokemon were melted - killed - by the Pyroar, save her Aggron. It appeared as if it was still breathing, though just barely. Throughout the next few minutes, Fredrick’s Bisharp, Shiftry, and Hydreigon sacrificed themselves to save their trainer as the Solrock’s expansive psychic abilities bypassed their natural immunity and imploded their bodies. The Solrock did well to defend against most anything Tristan and his team could do against it. Bingham’s Decidueye was caught in a Flamethrower that seemed to instantly cook the Pokemon. Bingham was then shot with a Power Gem that punched clean through his torso and he dropped dead. At one point, Oracle’s vision of Forrest over a dead Damselraed in the rain appeared in her mind and played out with greater clarity than it had before as she watched her vision come true in real time.
    A possibly-impervious Reflect Screen Barrier stopped the contradictingly lopsided battle soon after. The cavern began to rumble and stone began to fall from the ceiling. A giant hole shattered open to reveal a Victini against the rainy night’s sky and surrounded by brilliant yellow energy. It descended slowly until it reached Leo. She thanked them and as she barely touched the Victini, she and her Pokemon and the Victini disappeared.

    Tristan’s Gauntlet rang with a call from Master General Hardy partway through their battle with Leo. He relayed that the Fairfax Institute of Technology was destroyed and that Pisces was present. A follow up call revealed that many Rangers had been killed and all but one of Forrest's Pokemon had died.[/quote]

[h2][u][b][center]Mt. Pyre[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]The mountain was the same dull gray color as it had always been, perhaps since the beginning of time. The air was impossibly still for being near the peak of the mountain. The sky mocked them with its brilliant blue hue with elegant clouds spattered artistically around. The sun was a light yellow circle that caused warmth to radiate at their feet. The small patches of grass were a healthy green that contradicted the dead coolness of the earth and stone it grew through. The only other colors that could be seen in the area were from the brightly-colored wildflowers they held as they stood in silent mourning.
    It never crossed Forrest’s mind that he’d be back at Mt. Pyre if anything went wrong. The last time he was here was to get the Banshee Badge from Mr. Gutermuth around 12 years ago, now. He remembered how it had crossed his mind at the time that he’d be back here to bury Damselraed and possibly the rest of his Pokemon if they didn’t outlive him. But that was such a distant thought to him that it simply ceased to exist until now. At least, that’s what he told Jeanne on their way to Mt. Pyre, which distracted him enough to not completely break down until he found himself in front of their headstones.
    Jeanne’s eyes wouldn’t stop burning. She let the tears fall freely from her eyes as it'd become simply too tedious to continue to wipe them away. She wiped her nose a few times between the sniffs to keep her nose from dripping. She saw her husband’s shoulders quiver as he attempted to restrain his sobs that could be heard clearly from where they stood. She watched her husband struggle to push himself up off his knees to then move to the next headstone to properly mourn the next of his Pokemon. She felt her own knees grow weak and soon knelt down to better wrap her arms around her children.
    “Mommy, why are you crying?” Shelynn asked in her tiniest of voices and gracelessly wiped the wetness across Jeanne’s cheek.
    “Shh, we’ll talk when we get home,” Jeanne struggled to say and then kissed Shelynn on the head.
    Jeanne glanced at the rest of her children to see how they were doing. Rowan’s head was sagged downward, but it seemed the dress clothes he wore made him more uncomfortable than the sadness he felt for his father’s Pokemon. Elizabeth clutched onto her mother’s sleeve as she silently cried. Her Surskit wiped tears from her cheeks, though struggled to keep up. Jerrek looked - angry. Tears flowed freely from his own eyes, but his face showed a vengeful anger that was far too mature for a boy so young. She made a point to have individual conversations with them soon after they got home.
    “Stop fucking fidgeting,” Jerrek spat and elbowed Rowan hard.
    “Ow!” Rowan whined loudly.
    “Don’t you speak that way to your brother,” Jeanne said deeply through a whisper. She kept a harshly stern expression on her face toward Jerrek as she switched Rowan and Shelynn’s positions next to her.
    Jerrek glared back in a way he must have thought looked serious, but would have been hilariously ineffective at any other time. At this moment, she was afraid Jerrek would be unable to grieve healthily and that it would negatively affect them all. Jerrek broke their eye contact and looked straight ahead again to watch his father mourn at each headstone. Jeanne turned to kiss Rowan on his head and rubbed where Jerrek had elbowed him. 
“Please just stay still for a moment, baby. Do it for Daddy,” she said and managed to keep her quivering lip from affecting her speech. “Hold your hands together like this and think of all the fun times you’ve had with Daddy’s Pokemon,” she added.
    It felt like hours before Forrest was knelt in front of Damselraed’s headstone. Quiet steps were made as attendees lined up at Marionetta’s headstone and moved to the right down the row of headstones. Most placed a flower at each headstone until each had overflowing bouquets of wildflowers. Forrest was kissed on the forehead by his parents who were first in line and stood by him for a while as others finished their mourning. His cousins hugged him tight and long as they reached the end. Aunts and Uncles patted his back and stood with him for a few moments since Forrest had bowed his head to the ground while kneeling to sob more freely without it being so loud. Jeanne simply continued to look forward as the line passed her to then descend the mountain.
    Jerrek stepped in front of her and held his hand out for Rowan to take. Jerrek’s face had softened, it seemed, and made the effort to make up for his treatment of Rowan. Jeanne nodded to Elizabeth who did similarly for Shelynn.
    “Just think about the last time you played with them,” Elizabeth said quietly to Shelynn who nodded back silently.
    She didn’t realize how stiff her knees had become from kneeling on the ground for so long. She dusted off her skirt as MacKenzie Gutermuth approached her. His smart black suit fit well with the common traditions of mourning. The sides of his hair had grayed to white while the top of his head remained black - as if to match his suit. His face was sharp, but in a gentle way. His eyes looked somewhat tired, but held a hint of happiness.
    “Please, take all the time you need. You’ll have this space to yourself and you can call me if you need anything,” he said and gestured to a barely visible Duskull floating near Forrest.
    “Thank you so much for all this, Mr. Gutermuth. You are too kind,” she said and felt how the tear streaks pulled at her skin as they had begun to dry down her cheeks.
    “For someone who was able to save so many others, I didn’t do nearly enough, Mrs. Johnson. I’m going to try to make up for it with a vigil next Saturday that we’d love for you all to attend.”
    His hands cupped hers gently. Another tear fell off her chin and onto his hand. Mr. Gutermuth nodded solemnly and stepped away silently until the space was left to only Forrest and his immediate family.
    Shelynn giggled as she told Elizabeth the last time she played with each of Forrest’s Pokemon. Rowan took the time to arrange the flowers in a way he thought was the most aesthetically pleasing. He certainly proved that his aestheticism was as appropriate as any other 6-year-old. Elizabeth tried her best to humor Shelynn through her own sadness. Jerrek stoically helped Rowan in arranging the flowers.
    Jeanne always enjoyed Marionetta’s presence, as mischievous as she was. Jeanne also appreciated how she was the one to update her about Forrest wherever he was. She’d miss seeing her eyes and mouth glow yellow in the air in front of her.
    Syressa always exuded a calming energy. Jeanne suspected Syressa did this to calm the children when they were being especially rowdy. And such a beautiful Pokemon. Jeanne always thought it a waste Forrest didn’t enter her into Coordination events.
    Halcrow was hard to find love for. But now it was impossible for her to ever stop loving him. Jeanne remembered how angsty Halcrow was when she met Forrest. Jeanne believed his heart softened each time a child of theirs was born.
    Antligon was such a strong force - overwhelming at times. But Jeanne never felt safer than when he was around. And he loved the children and was always the first to play with them whenever he could.
    Kangooroom - so funny. He loved pulling pranks on Jerrek, which usually made him mad until Jerrek would get him back. He had such a lively spirit that would be sorely missed.
    Wickengu was so fiercely loyal and protective. She remembered how he’d always be so concerned about Forrest’s well-being and try to convince Forrest to not do something stupid that he’d, of course, do anyway. She loved how that sentiment extended to the rest of their family.
    Damselraed. Beautiful inside and out. Jeanne never much cared for Bug-type Pokemon. But something about Damselraed’s exuberance and glee made Jeanne never consider her inherent distaste for Bug-types whenever she was around. She felt so guilty for not taking her to more Coordinator events that Damselraed was always so eager to attend. Forrest likely felt similarly in not keeping up with the Coordination Calendar that was publicly available.
    Forrest took a position amongst his children similar to Jeanne’s from earlier. Jeanne tapped Jerrek and Elizabeth on their shoulders. They scooched aside to allow Jeanne to enter their little circle atop Damselraed’s resting spot.
    Forrest had certainly been ugly-crying. His face was patchy red and his cheeks shined brightly and his beard sparkled as the sun hit the dried tears within it. But there was the slightest smile on his face, now. Jeanne couldn’t help but reciprocate.
    “Alright, guys. Go find Grammie and Grampie. Uncle Caleb will be taking you all back home,” she said and kissed each one on the cheek.
    They individually hugged their father who also kissed each of them with a slowly-growing happiness. They both watched as the four of them walked away, holding each other’s hands. Jeanne’s hand automatically found her husband’s and she squeezed it gently. He squeezed back in response as their children left their view. They turned to face each other. Jeanne managed a quick but overcompensating smile and then fell into Forrest so that she could freely sob while comforted, in contrast to Forrest needing to be alone to do so.
    “Hey, where’s Shaq’ti?” Forrest said as Jeanne’s sobbing lessened.
    Jeanne fought to stop her sobbing and pulled back to turn where she’d seen Shaq’ti last - meditating on a small ledge on the cliff just behind the headstones. But she was gone. “She was just there,” Jeanne said as she looked around.
    She pushed off Forrest and frantically searched until she shouted “Shaq’ti” with so much fear in her voice, Forrest thought she was being hurt for a passing moment.
    “[i]Yes, ma’am?[/i]” Shaq’ti thought as she appeared before Jeanne.
    Jeanne hugged her tight and let out a couple relieved sobs before she released Shaq’ti. “Where did you go?”
    “[i]I was leaving,[/i]” Shaq’ti thought.
    “Leaving? Where? Why?” Jeanne asked and shook her head in increasing confusion.
    “[i]You don’t want me anymore. It’s my fault they’re all dead,[/i]”
    Jeanne stared at her incredulously and slowly turned to Forrest. He shared a lessened version of her expression.
    “What are you talking about? It’s my fault they’re dead,” Forrest said sternly. “I was going to release you because you hate me and because I’m so weak.”
    “[i]I would never leave you, Forrest. But I now see what your thoughts were - preparing for [/i]my[i] assumed reaction. I’m so sorry for being so reserved since after - it happened.[/i]”
    “You have nothing to be sorry for Shaq’ti. The only apology here should be from me - and you should never accept it.”
    “[i]Why should I never accept it? To continually fuel your shame and regret for something that was my fault?[/i]”
    “Stop, the both of you,” Jeanne said and stepped between them. “I can’t even imagine how disappointed they would be to see the two of you like this,” she said and gestured toward the headstones. “I’m sure they would think ‘how dare either of you take responsibility for our deaths? How self-important and conceited,’” Jeanne said with a sad chuckle. “No,” she started again slowly. “You’re supposed to be determined with everything you are to avenge them, to not let Pisces defeat you without having to lay a hand on either of you.”
    They all stood still for several long moments. They considered what Jeanne said on their own. “[i]She’s right, I think,[/i]” Shaq’ti thought.
    “Yeah. Me too,” Forrest said low and looked at his wife with a smile that grew a little more since the last time. “You need to go give them a proper mourning, though. They deserve that,” Forrest said and placed a hand on Shaq’ti’s shoulder. 
    Shaq’ti nodded and slowly walked over. They both thought it slightly strange to see her actually walk on the ground rather than floating in the air. Shaq’ti placed her hands together, palm to palm, in front of her chest and lowered her head. A faint pink aura glowed around her while she mourned her party members. It transitioned into a purple color that reminded Forrest of Marionetta, though Shaq’ti was praying over Damselraed.
    Forrest had never seen her glow such a color before. He also never saw her entire body glow white and so brightly that he had to squint. She grew more than a foot and her arms lengthened almost to the ground. Her fingers grew long and wide and her head shifted into a more cylindrical shape. The head extensions lengthened slightly and also became cylindrical. As the white light faded, her coloration had changed to a purple covering most of her body while her legs became a light gray color.
    “I was wondering if that would happen,” a man said behind them.
    Jeanne and Forrest turned to find Mr. Gutermuth behind them and gazing upon Shaq’ti.
    “Medionshi,” he said. “Medicham that meditate at the peak of Mt. Pyre for 10 years straight will evolve into Medionshi. But they can also evolve after experiencing such great loss while also possessing powerful psychic bonds. The connection between her party members was so strong that her mental link with them has now become a spiritual link that she will live with for the rest of her life. She also becomes a Ghost-type.”
    An idea hit Jeanne hard in the stomach enough to knock the wind out of her. “Please, train her in everything you know about Ghost-types,” Jeanne panted and looked at Mr. Gutermuth with wide eyes.
    Mr. Gutermuth cocked his head and his brows furrowed. Forrest turned to look at him. “Please, I would be honored if you trained her. I never really could train Marionetta. She kind of just did her own thing,” Forrest said with a shrug and chuckle.
    “Mr. Johnson, I-”
    “[i]I need to be the strongest I can be. I need to push every one of my physical, mental, and now spiritual limits. I will get to my physical peak with Forrest. Mr. Percival Gutermuth and Mr. Tristan Aeros will have me reach my mental peak. I need [/i]you[i] to get to my spiritual peak,[/i]” Shaq’ti thought.
    Her voice lingered longer than Forrest had ever experienced from a Pokemon that could speak telepathically. And Shaq’ti’s voice never lingered or faded slowly. It sounded as if she was speaking directly into his ears. More notably, her voice had lowered into a smooth contralto that left an eerie air throughout the space.
    She turned to face them. A spell tag had been attached to her forehead - or did it grow there naturally? They all gazed at her in silence as they digested her new appearance.[/quote]