[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Make a Wish [T] [IC]

Hoenn: Make a Wish [T] [OOC]

It was too nice a day to be cooped up in the Academy. With his mother's permission, Forrest took his students into Route 103 to teach a basic battling and catching method. It would also allow him more room for the students to practice these techniques at once, rather than a few at a time.

The grass was soft this time of year and some of the students sprawled throughout the comfortable greenery. The few that were more dazed by their new Gauntlets were asked to leave if they could not pay attention to the lesson. The other students nudged them when their eyes wandered, which Forrest saw but liked to see the older or more experienced trainers making those with less experience take the Academy more seriously.

The class was a wide range of ages, from 6-16, and this wasn't unusual for the instructor. He treated them all as equals, as they were all there to learn just as everyone else. Some of the older students were there for a refresher or just hoped to have a Battle with the instructor to test their skills. Regardless, training was never a waste, no matter the level of difficulty. Forrest's mother always stressed the perfection of basics to all their students.

"But capturing a Pokemon does not mean you own it."

Their faces twisted with some confusion.

"In fact, it's detrimental to believe you own a Pokemon. They are a partner and you are responsible for each other. When one doesn't hold respect for the other, you own that Pokemon, yes. But to consider it yours is impossible when you don't consider yourself theirs."

It was a little too philosophical for some of the students, but the youngest seemed to understand without question.

"But don't they respect that you caught them?" one of the older students asked while raising his hand.

"Not if they didn't want to be caught. Since we learn to speak to them through interaction, it's largely impossible to understand their wants and desires before you have even captured them."

"So what should you do if you don't like each other anymore?" a little girl asked.

"Release it," Forrest said simply while shrugging his shoulders.

A select few seemed surprised by this reaction. One of them raised their hand in protest. "But what about collectors and breeders? They don't necessarily care about their Pokemon or use them."

"And using them in battle is the only measure of respect?" Forrest asked rhetorically. "That collector spent time and energy researching the Pokemon and learning their habits, temperaments, migration patterns, and general behaviors. If anything, they have a deep respect for the Pokemon, and I would be surprised if that Pokemon wasn't impressed by that collector's dedication."

He turned sideways and began to pace slowly to his left. His black leather shin-high boots were camouflaged by the grass. He cupped his hands behind his back after opening his deep brown vest, allowing his bare torso to feel the oncoming breeze. "And breeders have some of the deepest respect for Pokemon. They care for them despite their size, look, or type. They are the least discriminatory of all trainers." His mind wandered to the time he was defeated by a Breeder on his way to Verdanturf Town one day.

"That's not what I meant," she spoke out in protest once more. "What if the Pokemon doesn't respect them?"

"Then they would release them-" he started plainly.

"No, about Collectors keeping the Pokemon for the sake of having it or a Breeder keeping a Pokemon that doesn't want to be kept. Even if they're dying, if they don't want your help or your company, shouldn't they be left alone?"

"And should your brother be found dying in the middle of nowhere and asked to be left alone, would you grant him that?"

The girl furrowed her brows in a bit of confusion. "That's not what-"

"It's entirely relevant," he interrupted her and faced her with his body. She threw a face of intimidation due to his size and physique, but his face remained patient and understand, almost playful. "Are your Pokemon not akin to family? Forcing anyone or anything to do what you want it to do is immoral and inconsiderate."

The younger students couldn't much follow anymore because the conversation had risen over their heads. But these conversations are why the older students continued to attend classes at the Academy. After the argument had been resolved, the demonstration proceeded.

Forrest tapped his left forearm until the hologram of a Zigzagoon appeared between himself and the students. He touched one of the Pokeballs on the leather belt which held up his tan shorts. Cacturne materialized out of the Pokeball with his eerie yellow eyes glaring at the students. His black and choppy mouth then stretched into a creepy smile and he laughed menacingly. Forrest couldn't help to chuckle while his silly Cacturne attempted to be frightening. "Pin Missle" he chuckled out.

Cacturne lazily turned his right arm outward and toward the hologram and merely dropped the spikes from his arm onto the hologram. Since he wasn't aware how Forrest had programmed the hologram, he was surprised by his trainer's response to this most unimpressive "attack."

"An attack so weak won't do enough to convince the wild Pokemon that you are skilled enough to capture it." Cacturne looked around confused before turning his head down and seeing the blue image of Zigzagoon Body Slamming him. He cried out with embarrassed pain before finding his footing again. "And you don't know of what the wild Pokemon is capable even after battling 100 of them."

The image blurred into nothing and was only seen swiping across Cacturne's body. He grunted with each strike but held his ground. Forrest nodded slightly, though the students hadn't noticed. This indicated that Cacturne was allowed to end the catching simulation. The vines he'd used to keep his ground while restoring his health whipped up and lashed at the hologram. The fake Zigzagoon seemed to have taken it well and disappeared to perform another Extremespeed, but Cacturne vanished as well. He reappeared with the hologram on the end of his left arm which was covered in a purplish-black fog. The Zigzagoon faded from existence while a caption of "Congratulations!" appeared in the air above it. The students cheered for Cacturne, which made him blush. Forrest tapped a Pokeball on his belt making Cacturne fade to red and return back to Forrest's waist.

"All those with a Pokemon already, help those without catch their first Pokemon. Each student gets 5 Pokeballs each. Return to the Academy when you have exhausted all of your Pokeballs or when you have caught a Pokemon. The next lesson begins back in the classroom."

Several of them rushed up and quickly made a line at his satchel on the ground while he walked toward Oldale Town. He wasn't concerned leaving them by themselves not only because of the age and experience of some of the students, but because his Masquerain had been hovering around the route's perimeter the entire time.

When he reached the entrance of Oldale Town, he waved "hello" to Mrs. Honnings as she worked in her gardens around the town. Some of the other adults acknowledged him as well to which he nodded with a smile. He noticed a man with a full tux fidgeting with the PokeStation, but decided to not make note of it until he called out to him.

"Hello young man," he said. His pale blue eyes seemed hollow with his light blond hair. "Might you help me out with something?"

You're not a mechanic, he thought to himself, but decided to not say anything about it because who was he to argue others' professions? "Hello, sir," he said quietly in his deep voice as he walked toward the stranger.

Having lived in Oldale all his life, he would have recognized even the least frequent of visitors. This one was new, which wasn't entirely unusual. But his face was sharp and strong, something he would have definitely remembered of a stranger. This in combination with his hair and eyes put an air of awe around Forrest. His own dull brown hair with the right side shaved into the back of his head diagonally to the left along with the rest being unkempt and lengthy made Forrest look homeless compared to the slicked and styled hair of the man before him.

"What is it you need me to do?" Forrest asked with his unexpressive voice.

"I was hoping you'd use your Gauntlet so I can see if there are any malfunctions with this."

Without a word, Forrest approached the station and began to tap on his forearm which lit up and glowed. "Could you make the command to heal your Pokemon?"

He thought to protest since he didn't have his full team with him, but he realized that was unnecessary. The machine beeped and flickered with the command and his Pokeballs began to glow, as was standard for the healing process. But something was definitely wrong. There was heat coming from the Pokeballs and he soon could smell the burning leather of his belt. He looked down and could see it smoldering upon his waist. Before he could say anything, his Gauntlet began to spark and sent electric pulses through his arm, affecting his body. As that occurred, the Pokeballs exploded as well as the PokeStation. Forrest was hurled back and thrown across the ground.

It was quiet and warm when he awoke. Once he gained his vision back, he noted a Gorebyss performing Aqua Ring around his body with his Gauntlet being chewed by a Huntail. "Shhh," he heard a voice to his left.

Forrest could only groan in pain. His left arm was black and ached deeply. His chest throbbed and his abdomen was sore. The birds' chirping screamed in his ear and the Aqua Ring whirred through his head. He wanted to speak, but his body didn't allow it. The voice's hands took his head and gently faced it up in fear the boy would hurt himself further.

"I'm sorry that happened. But, I hope you understand why."

In his disoriented state, he didn't have the energy to comprehend the words and fell back to sleep.

He woke up in the middle of the night. Though still groggy, he saw Masquerain hovering over him performing her own Aqua Ring. She had a face of deep concern for her trainer. Forrest winced a smiled and groaned as he rose to a sitting position. Masquerain muttered a complaint for him not to move, but she knew he was far too stubborn to not get back home. The woods were quiet at night, but he could hear something going on nearby. He mustn't have been dragged far from town.

He moved his charred arm up to his chest. It looked worse than it felt but his entire body ached and refused to listen to him. "Go get mother," he whispered to Masquerain deeply. She shook her head in defiance, but a desperate look of gratitude from Forrest told her that this was the best action to take. She hovered away as quickly as she could while Forrest struggled to limp back to town.

"Oh, my baby!" Barbara cried out when she found him leaning against a tree. She knew not to touch him but couldn't help but bring her fingers to his face to make sure he wasn't fatally injured. "What the hell happened?" Herbert bellowed out behind her.

"The PokeStation," he mentioned. Barbara moaned with concern and kissed her child on the cheek.

His father lifted Forrest off his feet and cradled him in his large arms. It was clear where Forrest got his physique, but he got his looks from his mother. She continued to evaluate him as he was carried back to the Academy. "I'll call for the doctor," Barbara said as Herbert laid his boy down in his bed. "Just rest," he whispered loudly as that was the only way his voice allowed him to whisper.

Forrest looked around to see his Pokemon surrounding his bed. "Let him sleep," Herbert told them, but his companions couldn't help but look on in concern.

"Are you all alright?" Forrest asked in his broken and weak voice. They seemed unharmed themselves, but remembering what had occurred, he couldn't help but think they may have been injured during the incident, if that it could be called.

He awoke late the next morning to Masquerain continuing an Aqua Ring in her sleep. She was nothing if not persistent. He uncovered himself, which stirred Masquerain awake, to see that he was undressed the night before. He could walk more regularly but knew to take it slow as he put on some underwear and headed down the hall.

He could hear the television make mention of PokeStations being destroyed all across the region. His name was mentioned as the only injury to occur during the sabotage.

His mother met him when he entered the living room. "What are you doing up, honey?" she scolded him softly but hugged him as tightly as she deemed safe for her child. "I'm hungry," he answered plainly but in a hoarse voice.

"How do you feel today?" an unfamiliar voice asked him. He looked over to see Dr. Verrion getting up off the couch with a mug of coffee in his hands. "Stiff," he said as he struggled to sit at the island separating the kitchen from the living room.

"How's your arm?"

"I don't know," he answered and laid his arm onto the island. He breathed in sharply with a slight moan, giving the doctor a warning of his injury. Dr. Verrion gently placed his hand upon the charred forearm. Forrest had no physical response, but the skin felt warm. He then took Forrest's hand and rose his arm up off the island's top to parallel the floor. Forrest winced again as Barbara put a plate of breakfast in front of him.

"It's not broken, but there is clearly nerve and tissue damage. I will schedule you for an x-ray and physical today." Dr. Verrion gently put his hand onto his lap to silently encourage Forrest to not use the limb. He walked across the living room to his bag and retrieved a sling from it and continued to fasten it to Forrest as he ate.

"Shouldn't he stay home to rest?" Barbara contested.

"We need to find out if there is any severe damage to the arm before it's inoperable."

Barbara moaned again and reached for Herbert to console her. "Don't worry hon. He's too stubborn like his father to let this hurt him."

It was difficult for Forrest to get dressed with his arm in the condition it was. He managed to put on his shorts and boots, but he couldn't zip or button the shorts or tie his shoes. He asked his father to help him with his shorts and to put on his vest, not bothering to tie the boots since they were snug enough, anyway. He was just going to walk to Rustboro, which wasn't a difficult trek with which to begin. He ignored the offer from both his parents to take their flying Pokemon since he enjoyed walking through Hoenn whenever possible.

When he stepped outside the door of the Academy, he was immediately surrounded by his students from yesterday as well as reporters from Hoenn Broadcasting. "What can you tell us about yesterday?" the reporter asked in her professional voice as a camera pointed at them from behind her. Concerns for his health from the students and residents of Oldale could be heard from all around them.

Dr. Verrion came out from the Academy soon after, knowing he'd have to make the trip with Forrest in order to test Forrest himself at the Hospital. "There was a man tampering with the PokeStation when I returned from Route 103, yesterday. He was wearing a full suit and stood over six feet tall with an athletic build. He had blond hair and pale blue eyes and sharp facial features. I didn't recognize him but I didn't argue with him about being a mechanic. He asked me to make the command to heal my Pokemon which made my Pokeballs explode and my Gauntlet to malfunction and electrocute me." His voice was still tired and hoarse.

"Are you aware that this has happened all across Hoenn?"

"I heard it on the news, yes."

"What are you going to do now?"

"He's going to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. He has possible nerve damage and we mustn't wait for his treatment," Dr. Verrion interjected and pulled Forrest away gently and through the crowd.

The reporter continued to speak into the camera when Forrest was taken away. His parents arrived outside to continue talking to the reporters about the incident, and the fact they didn't believe it was an "incident" at all.

Route 102 was quiet. It seemed the Pokemon and trainers knew what had occurred and didn't bother them. A few wild Pokemon made note of him, as he did of them in return, but it seemed they understood his condition and didn't attempt to approach him. The Seedot and Surskit followed him a ways, as they knew him from when he started his journey. There were even some Masquerain and Nuzleaf who interacted with his own Masquerain who decided to follow them to Rustboro.

Forrest didn't want his entire party to follow him since that would be too large a crowd for a simple hospital visit. They were sad to be left behind, but he smiled weakly at them and hugged them before departing. It would have been unusual to see him hugging Pokemon since he wasn't the most affectionate person.

"I understand why you wanted to walk to Rustboro City," Dr. Verrion said as he looked around and up into the sky. The beautiful weather continued into that day. "I don't often get the chance to appreciate nature."

"I'm not surprised given your profession." He might have sounded insulting if he was talking to a stranger.

"I'm too busy, I know. Sometimes I envy trainers like you," he continued with his voice wandering off into the calm of the route.

When they entered Petalburg City, they both looked over to where the PokeStation usually was. It was completely decimated and there was nothing left except a charred piece of earth akin to his arm. Unlike the Oldale PokeStation, it was clearly destroyed by a powerful attack from a Fire or Electric-type Pokemon. They couldn't identify the species that made the attack, but they narrowed it down to typing. There were no witnesses to the attack so there was nothing to report and, thus, the streets were empty. The charred earth was surrounded by Devon Mechanics who were evaluating what would be needed to replace the PokeStation.

A few townspeople exited their home after seeing report he'd made only a half-hour ago. He stopped to speak briefly with some of them. Others offered to visit his parents in Oldale, and others just waved or nodded to him to see him off on his short journey to Rustboro. All of them knew better than to offer him anything personally, since they understood his need for independence.

The Gym Leader walked with them until they entered Route 104S. Robert was a nice man and both Forrest and Dr. Verrion knew him well. "My daughter almost cried when she saw you on the News," he said with a chuckle. It was well know his daughter, Katherine, had a crush on him since childhood. She was only 2 years younger than him, but he never had the mind to pursue a relationship with anyone and Katherine was too meek to understand how obvious her affections were. She was a sweet girl, but Forrest felt his own needs were those of the students at the Academy.

She ran out shouting "Forrest!" behind them. "Oh my! Are you okay?" she shrieked with concern looking him up and down. She blushed when she noticed his vest was undone, revealing his matured torso. She played it off as deep concern for her childhood friend. "I'm fine, Kate," he said deeply with a small smile. "How have you been?" he asked her as Dr. Verrion and Robert fell behind the unofficial couple.

"I've been fine," she said with agitated exacerbation. She showed her dislike for his deflecting attention from himself clearly on her face.

"Good," he said with a chuckle and a smile which forced his eyes closed. He made sure to interrupt her before she could continue chastising him.

Masquerain seemed to notice this and hovered up to Katherine and nuzzled her. Katherine blushed and greeted the Pokemon with a giggle. She "ah"ed with comfort before turning back to Forrest. "May I escort you to the Hospital with Dr. Verrion?"

Forrest couldn't help but laugh a little at this. She didn't want to "escort" him, she just wanted to spend time with him. "Sure," he said, having no objections to her company.

Robert waved the three "goodbye" as they entered Route 104S. They took the detour across the beach and passed the Briney Marina. Forrest waved modestly with his good arm at some of the sailors working on their boats. They jumped off masts and moved to the edge of their boats to wish the boy luck and health on his way to Rustboro.

With the skies so clear, Petalburg Woods was brighter than usual. The Gym Leader, Violet, walked with them through the woods, and took them through a detour only she knew so they might reach their destination faster. She invited them into her Gym for lunch since it was past noon at this point. They eagerly accepted but had to eat quickly. Violet took no offense to this and hurried them off to Rustboro.

Some herbalists from Aromatherapy saw them passing by and offered Forrest some herbs and teas to help with his recovery after hearing about his incident that morning. Katherine took them for him, since she knew he wouldn't accept them personally. Forrest still thanked them before returning his trek through Route 104N.

Dr. Verrion tried to rush them to Rustboro, but Katherine and Forrest wanted a pleasant stroll. It wasn't long until they were stopped by an inexperienced trainer who wanted to battle him, obviously not caring for that fact his arm was in a sling. Dr. Verrion insisted they keep moving and apologized to the trainer, but Forrest waved the doctor off and accepted the challenge. Katherine interjected and offered to battle the trainer in his place so they could continue to the city, but, again, Forrest wouldn't have it.

"What's your name?"

"Chad," he said with confidence.

"Forrest," he said casually and without being asked.

"How much you wanna put down for?" the boy asked.

"You got 50?"

"Yeah," the boy said, excited and confident that so little would be wagered.

Forrest looked to Dr. Verrion who rolled his eyes in agreement to pay the wager should he lose.

"Go, Lottie!" the boy shouted with excitement and released a Lotad from a Pokeball.

Forrest motioned his head for Masquerain to enter the area so the battle could begin. He still didn't determine if he wanted the battle to be lengthy. Forrest looked at her to indicate without words that it was up to her.

"Water Gun!" the boy commanded.

Without a command from Forrest, Masquerain decided to induce rain with a Rain Dance. She seemed to want to really measure her opponent's strength.

She felt the water surround her as the Water Gun connected. It was refreshing and both Chad and the Lotad looked surprised by this. The water was shaken off of her in a cloud of glitter from her vibrating wings. It helped mask her position as she let out a soft spray of Bubbles. They floated toward Lotad, however slightly. It seemed Chad and the Lotad both knew what was occurring and treated the battle as if they had encountered a wild Pokemon.

"Spray the Bubble with another Water Gun."

Masquerain wouldn't allow her attack to be sabotaged. She was a Contest Pokemon at heart and took it as an offense when others would interfere with her performance. Her four wings vibrated more vigorously in a way that would lift the Bubbles up into the air and out of range for the Lotad. She then shot out of her cloud of glitter and vibrated in such a way that could be held into the Bubbles she was moving. Another Gust was performed to shoot the Bubbles down toward Lotad at an impressive speed. When they crashed around it, the vibrations trapped in the Bubbles acted as explosions and completely overwhelmed the Lotad and instantly fainted it.

"I guess you offended her," he said plainly. "Katherine," he nodded his head to indicate that he wanted to use some of the herbs from the herbalist to help the fellow trainer heal his Pokemon. She just nodded back before treating the Lotad without Chad's permission. Chad just looked on with appreciation and awe for what had just occurred. The wager was ignored as well, which didn't bother Forrest any.

As the short battle commenced, a small crowd began to form around them. Most of them knew who Forrest was or just heard about him on the News while the others were friends of Chad. More noteable was the reporter who followed the commotion and the rumors about Forrest's travel to Rustboro. Both Dr. Verrion and Forrest, himself, had to wave them off since they had "wasted" enough time already, but Katherine agreed to provide a few statements for him. The crowd dispersed relatively quickly and she had to chase down the doctor and Forrest to make sure she wasn't left behind.

Katherine wasn't known for being the most competitive of trainers and more enjoyed the company of Pokemon. She knew the basics of breeding and healing, but never made a career out of either path. She enjoyed watching Contests, but never pursued them herself due to her utter lack of creativity and her overwhelming humility. She lived a simple life with her father in Petalburg and lived vicariously through him and Forrest. She never seemed dissatisfied with her own lack of adventure.

That was one thing Forrest had difficulty with in really becoming attached to Katherine. She was the sweetest and kindest girl he'd ever met, but she lacked ambition and drive. She held a reasonable amount of independence, but nowhere near the same level as his own. Still, he enjoyed her company and her person, overall. He just had trouble really connecting to her.

When they reached Devon Hospital, he followed Dr. Verrion straight to a room, rather than waiting in the holding area. He told a nurse as they walked by to schedule the tests for Forrest immediately, and the nurse quickly accepted the tasks.

"Stay in here while I fetch some things," he said, escorting both Forrest and Katherine into the room. "Here," he said, giving Forrest a patient's gown, implying that he change quickly.

Forrest didn't bother to wait for the door to close or Katherine to leave before quickly undressing. Katherine was stuck in shock, with her eyes wide like a Stantler. He didn't even bother to turn around or cover himself. To her, he took his time putting the gown on. Nudity had never been an issue with him and prudery was seen as "unnecessary."

Before he could tie the string at his waist, Dr. Verrion rushed through the door and gave out orders to Forrest, to which the boy obeyed. Both the doctor and Forrest worked quickly through all the procedures, ignoring that there was a female in the room. Both knew she'd known him for far too long to feel embarrassment for such trivialities, so they ignored the degree in which her face became red.

"Okay, follow me," Dr. Verrion said quickly.

"Should I-" Katherine began to ask, but was interrupted by a glance from Forrest which forced her to jump up from her chair and follow.

The gown didn't do well in covering up his back side, so Katherine had to force herself to keep looking away or focus on the tattoo which stretched across his back. It was simple and tribal, but she didn't understand what its significance was. She wondered if it was related to the tattoo on his left shoulder or around his right bicep. When her mind continued to wander tastelessly, she squealed inwardly, to which Forrest looked back, making sure the girl was okay.

It took two hours for all the tests to be executed, so the doctor told Forrest that he could leave the Hospital and return tomorrow or that he could stay in a room for the night. Knowing what his answer would be, he told Katherine to keep an eye on him to make sure he actually returned tomorrow. Forrest mentioned he wanted to go down Route 116 for the night when he removed the gown.

At this time, Dr. Verrion decided it was best to take a look at the forearm once more, even though Forrest stood there completely nude. Katherine let out a small giggling sigh, wishing it would cease to occur.

"How does it feel now?" he asked, wondering why Forrest hadn't mentioned any pain since they arrived in Rustboro.

"It feels fine," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Does it look any worse?"

"No," the doctor said with a slight pause in his voice.

"Then what's the problem?" It was clear Dr. Verrion was concerned about something.

"I'm not sure, but this kind of injury shouldn't be so superficial if you didn't get treatment right after the incident."

"I did," he said, now remembering the order of events after the incident.

"Who-?" he began to ask.

"I don't know," Forrest mentioned with wonder, himself. "But I can remember a Gorebyss using an Aqua Ring before my Masquerain," he said, pointing to the Pokemon in the room which had followed them silently through the hospital.

"It must have been quite the Aqua Ring, then. Usually Pokemon can't perform healing techniques on humans without having a real connection with them," he explained as his voice trailed off.

"It's no matter," he interrupted himself. "I want to see you here first thing tomorrow morning. Don't go doing anything stupid," he said with his paternal voice and looking at Katherine, placing the responsibility of the boy's irresponsibility on her.

"Yes sir," she said, nodding her head quickly. Forrest didn't respond and, instead, put on his shorts with his belt and then his boots. He grabbed his vest and stuffed it in his military-style backpack which sat on his upper back, no lower than his shoulder blades. Katherine couldn't help but notice what it did to his chest and quickly looked away.

"Let's go. We need to get dinner ready before the sun sets," he commanded, more of himself. He was too proud and stubborn to spend money on inns and hotels and couldn't allow others to cover the costs. It was free to camp in the woods and gather food there.

He walked quickly out of the room and descended the stairs across the hall.

"Why don't we just stay at the Rustboro Hotel? I'll pay," she insisted meekly.

"You know I can't allow you to do that for me," he said after turning his head and giving her a thankful look.

"But-" she began to protest but knew he wouldn't listen to her. She just huffed in frustration. She disliked camping, but Forrest's thought was that she never camped with him.

In the lobby of the hospital was the familiar outline of a tall man with blond hair. He was speaking with a woman with large, deep red hair. It's like he could sense Forrest's eyes upon him and turned around, his pale blue eyes, once again, piercing through Forrest.

"Ah, if it isn't Forrest," he said, opening his arms as if to hug.

Forrest kept a distance away. "Thank you for saving my arm," he said with a hint of anger but a level tone.

"Sorry again-" the man began.

"So, this is the Forrest you were talking about," the woman interrupted. She stuck her hand out to the young man, insisting he shake it.

Forrest complied and gripped the hand firmly despite the fact he was greeting a woman. He was surprised to find out the strength of her own grip. "You can call me Aries," she said with confidence.

"I'm Sebastian," the man said. Sebastian now realized the two were the same height.

"What the hell?" Aries yelled in a hushed tone to the man and jabbed him in the arm with her elbow.

He didn't bother looking over to acknowledge her protest. "You can call me Pisces."

"This is Katherine, and we're headed off, now." He tried to walk around them with his head down so they couldn't catch him with a gaze or possibly an item he couldn't refuse, whatever that might be.

They allowed him to leave, but Forrest could hear the woman still chastising the man. "I'm sorry about that, Kate," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly to portray some kind of security.

She couldn't help but look back with her ever-wandering eyes. She turned back around before they could notice her stares.

Forrest quickly worked to prepare a small campsite. He found Oran and Pecha berries nearby and a Nincada to roast. They were surprisingly sweet to Katherine's squeamish mouth. She was also hesitant about sharing a single-sized tent with Forrest, but he insisted. They were both adults and should be able to handle sleeping with each other platonically. He made sure he always had two sleeping bags for occasions such as these since he couldn't sleep with clothes on and he knew most people would protest sleeping in the same bag with a naked person.

When the moon was high and full and the fire had burnt itself out, both Forrest and Katherine awoke to a large boom coming in the direction of Verdanturf Town. They looked at each other in the dark before Forrest rushed up to throw on his shorts and shove his feet in his boots without tying them. "Come on," he rushed Katherine out of the tent.

She throught they were going to return to Rustboro City, but she realized she should have known better when he headed in the direction of Rusturf Tunnel. "What are you planning to do?" Katherine actually criticized of Forrest.

"What do you think? What if people are hurt?" he said with a tone of condescension. She didn't realize it at the time, but she knew he couldn't let what happened to him happen to others. He always took the role of hero for everything, however foolish.

"But you know we need to return to the hospital tomorrow," she continued to protest. "Just leave this to the authorities." Her voice grew louder.

"Yeah, like how they reacted to my incident," he argued.

"You don't think all the coverage put everyone on high alert?" she asked rhetorically. She grabbed his large arm firmly to turn him around and look at him with disappointment. "You're in no condition to go saving other people." Her voice grew into a slight shout, something that she wasn't known for doing.

"I feel fine, Kate," he countered illegitimately.

"That doesn't mean you're fine, Forrest," she said and leaned in to show her deep concern for him. She touched his burnt hand and raised it with her own. "I can't let you go put yourself in danger when there are plenty of others capable." She paused, wondering if he'd have a retort. "And this isn't coming from Dr. Verrion," she said with watering eyes.

Her arms rose so her hands could reach his scruffy face. "Please," she begged.

"Fine," he said calmly with concerned brows.

They learned that morning the large boom was an explosion at the Verdanturf Stadium at the end of their Beginner's Tournament. There were no casualties or injuries, and there were no suspects to the crime. But the fact it was occupied by mostly children, it got the public riled quickly enough. Not to mention it would be unable to hold any more tournaments or challenges for the rest of the season, which interrupted a full schedule of competitions.

Dr. Verrion had only a quick meeting with Forrest due to the rush of new patients from Verdanturf with lame complaints. He told Forrest that there was no internal injury and that his arm would work just fine given a few more days of rest so it could recover properly. Both knew the "rest" would be minimal, but being a healthcare profession, Dr. Verrion was obligated to state the risks. "But the skin is permanently damaged. It might lighten in a few months, but the cells have been damaged beyond repair. I guess whoever treated you knew it was either your arm working or your skin looking normal."

The doctor was still intrigued by such a treatment from an unknown source.

Forrest thanked him and nodded "good-bye" before turning to exit the hospital. "Can we go to Verdanturf now?" he asked Katherine as if he needed her permission.

"Yes," she said with a slight giggle and a big smile.

She took his left arm in both of hers to dissuade him from using it, but she also enjoyed feeling his skin and strength. As with any relationship, both wished for the other to say the same thing.

They both took their time to reach Verdanturf Town. Though the day was partly cloudy, the warmth was still comfortable to stroll through. Katherine and Forrest made it to Verdanturf Town before noon and chose to stop by a small diner before inquiring the townsfolk what exactly occurred the night before.

"Hoenn Regional News,

"Good morning, Hoenn. Today we're covering the recent events across the region. Some have claimed these incidents as terrorist activities against the whole of Hoenn, but we have a visiting researcher from the Kalos region that has a different opinion. Thank you, Dr. Heart, for joining us today."

"Thank you for having me," the man said with a slight accent.

"Now, you've shared an opinion that these attacks are not the workings of terrorists. Can you elaborate on this?"

"Certainly," he began. "After studying the accidents and eye-witness reports, these individuals causing disruptions across Hoenn don't seem to be targeting people but, rather, the technologies of Hoenn. There was only one report of injury, coming from a Mr. Forrest Johnson, but he didn't seem like a victim of a terrorist act. I was also able to retrieve medical reports of his visit at the Rustboro Hospital gifted to me by Dr. Verrion who treated him.

"Dr. Verrion also noted how Mr. Johnson recounted the incident in which the man who performed the destruction of the PokeStation in Dewford as having helped him heal immediately following the incident."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Heart," the reporter interrupted. She held her fingers up to her ear so she could hear what her producers were telling her. "We seem to have Mr. Johnson in Verdanturf Town who was there to inspect the attack on Verdanturf Stadium.

"Mr. Johnson, thank you for taking the time to join us for this discussion. What is your opinion on the matter?"

"Yes, thank you for having me." Forrest's background was that of a seriously damaged Verdanturf Stadium. "After speaking with some of the residents of Verdanturf, I have to agree with Dr. Heart."

The screen showed the reporter between Forrest and the doctor. The doctor nodded, seemingly glad someone agreed with him.

"There were no reports of any injuries from any of the Tournament-goers last night. Also, the man who injured me genuinely apologized to me, both in Dewford and at the Rustboro Hospital where we spoke briefly. He apologized 'again,' but I can't figure out why."

"Yes, that brings me to my point that we are working with Revolutionaries, not terrorists," Dr. Heart picked up immediately after. "Terrorists don't apologize for injuring innocents. These people are clearly going out of their way to perform calculated attacks on technologies and steering clear from injuring people and Pokemon when they can.

"I hope you are doing all right, Mr. Johnson," he said, looking into the screen in front of him with the image of the young man.

"Yes, I'm doing fine now. I just have a permanent scar on my arm," he said, raising his blackened forearm for the whole region to see.

"And you don't believe you were targeted by these people because of your work in the Johnson Academy and your standing as a top Pokemon Trainer of Hoenn?"

"Strangely enough, I don't feel I like I was a target judging from the hazy memory of the incident and the brief conversation with him at the Hospital."

"Did you happen to get their names or any other identifiers of their appearance?" the reporter added.

"Yes," he began, trying to recreate the moments in his mind. "He is as tall as me but built a little larger. He said his name was Sebastian but went by the title 'Pisces.' He wore a light beard as well. And he was also with a woman, only slightly shorter than he, with large red wavy hair. Her face seemed to have pointed features which complimented his sharp features. She went by the title 'Aries.'"

"Hm," the doctor started. "I see they're organized in some fashion. We have to assume there are at least twelve of them. But that begs the question: how organized are they? They must understand technology well enough to know how to destroy it completely."

"Yes," the reporter started. "Devon Corporation claims they cannot replace the PokeStations for a month. Here to further elaborate on these events is the President of Devon Corporation, Mr. Fredrick Fairgrieve.

"President Fairgrieve, thank you for taking the time."

"Yes, of course."

"You say your daughter had attended the Tournament that night?"

"Yes, I received a call from her late that night saying she was travelling with a young man back home when they made a detour to the Verdanturf Stadium as she is a fan of Pokemon Training. She claims they were presented with tickets for free from a tall woman wearing a long coat with a Gallade and Gardevoir. She claims to have been a target, but after listening to this discussion, I believe she might not be the actual target," he alluded.

"How do you mean?" Dr. Heart asked.

"I believe they might use her to get to me. Since Devon Corporation is the major contributor to the technologies of Hoenn, I might be their main target. However, I don't believe they seek to harm me or my daughter, I believe they wish me to shut down all my factories and cease operations."

"That seems like a serious accusation," the reporter commented.

"But it's legitimate. President Fairgrieve is correct with his assumption. I recommend some protection and added surveillance."

"It seems a Talonflame was used to erupt the Pokemon Stadium into flames but some crime investigators believe Ground-type or Rock-type Pokemon were used to raise the southern portion of the Stadium. But after your claims, President, perhaps it could have been Gallade and Gardevoir."

"Thank you for joining us, President Fairgrieve," the reporter bid farewell, knowing well enough he would like to begin protective measures to protect his corporation.

"Thank you," he said before his screen was cut off.

"Do you have anything else to add, Dr. Heart?"

"Yes, as I said, we seem to be dealing with revolutionaries, however forceful. Judging by the names provided by Mr. Johnson and the history of regions having Teams of which attempt to disrupt the current world of Pokemon and humans, I believe these people should be called Team Zodiac."

"Does giving them a name really help the situation?" Forrest interrupted with an argument.

"Yes, if they wish to keep anonymous and mysterious, it might be best to begin labelling them so we can more easily identify them."

"You don't think it will cause undue panic and suspicion throughout Hoenn?" he continued.

"Well, some suspicion is better than none," the doctor confessed his opinion.

"For what should we be looking?" the reporter asked.

"Anyone not of the Devon Corporation without legitimate identification. Anything that seems threatening to technological centers across Hoenn. I believe all these institutions should increase their surveillance and be on-guard," he suggested.

"Well, thank you both for joining us," she said, cuing the end of their interview.

They both said "thank you" before both were cut out. As the reporter began to cover another story, the TV cut out and the screen turned to static. Everyone would learn by the end of the day that all television satellites and stations had been disconnected. Team Zodiac acted quickly, and seemingly deliberately.

Forrest and Katherine traveled through the thick forest south of Verdanturf directly toward Oldale Town. Forrest decided he needed all his Pokemon in the case of another attack. Katherine was visibly frightened by all the speculation and potential threats and went to sleep early. Forrest stayed awake, urging Masquerain to sleep, but she refused. He couldn't sleep knowing how the events were escalating in scale and frequency. He also wondered why they didn't cut the television connections during that interview. Did it take that long to cut the wires or were they deliberately allowing all of Hoenn to witness the report?

Katherine awoke early to see Forrest still tending to a dying fire. "Good morning," she said solemnly, knowing it wasn't actually "good."

Forrest only grunted in response before sticking his hand out to the side which had roasted Rawst berries. "Did you sleep well?" he asked with a deep and husky voice caused by his lack of sleep.

"I guess," she replied, having been restless the entire night due to worry growing to a panic. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. They're ridding the region of technology and I don't know how to prevent it. I don't even understand the end to all this. And, honestly, I don't much mind."

She knew he was very much a wilderness man and enjoyed nature. He was never much one for technology to begin with, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate its usefulness. Why did they believe so deeply that technology was bad? Were they extreme environmentalists?

Katherine slapped her arm from a mosquito. "Ugh, I just want a hot shower," she confessed.

"Hopefully you have a Fire-type Pokemon," he added almost as a jest.

She just looked at him with unimpressed eyes before sighing deeply. Masquerain hovered over and started to slowly release a Bubble so she could attempt to clean herself superficially. "I hope everyone is okay," she said to break the silence.

Forrest responded by poking at the fire. "We should get going soon," he said as he got up. He then began to take down the small tent after rolling up the sleeping bags.

"Why don't we just stay here and keep out of it?" she asked rhetorically and as a bad joke.

"You don't like camping," he retorted back in irony.

"Well, I'm going to have to get used to it, now."

"You'll be fine when we get you home," he said.

They reached Dewford before noon and was rushed by Forrest's parents full of concern. There were many traveling Trainers taking refuge in the Academy, not risking to go home just yet. They bathed and changed into clean clothes before sharing lunch.


"I don't understand why we can't just get everything now. We're more than prepared."

"That's why you're not the leader, Aries," a tall woman said with a low, chastising voice.

"Shut up, Libra," she spat back, which was ignored. "Why don't we go to Lilycove before Rustboro? It seems a bit out-of-order. Not to mention Sagittarius is already there."

"He might need backup. And you know Pisces' plans."

"Yeah, but I don't understand them," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"It doesn't matter. You haven't spent years analyzing the situation." Libra's face was masked in darkness caused by the hood over her head and the lack of light in the Rusturf Tunnel. "And I want to run into that Fairgrieve child again."

"Why?" Aries said with distaste as if there was no reason to encounter the child again.

"I want to get to her when Sagittarius gets to the father," she confessed with an even tone.

"But that's not part of Pisces' plans," she mocked while sticking out her tongue in distaste.

"Ah, there you are, child. I hope you are unharmed," Libra said to an image of a girl and boy traveling through the cave. Her face was still covered in black and contrasted to Aries' glowing hair and skin which was pale.

Forrest hadn't even noticed the power was out until after their picnicked lunch. Katherine didn't care to verbalize the situation as if it would prevent its reality. "When did you lose power?" he asked.

"Late afternoon, yesterday. Everyone's out of power south of Mauville City," his father answered in a flat tone. "The New Mauville Plant was destroyed."

Forrest began to clear the table when his mother decided to voice her concerns. "I don't want you going and getting yourself into trouble. The police can handle this. And it would great if we had you here to help with the Academy and the town." She knew this was a suggestion more than anything else but needed to say it for her own peace of mind.

"This is bigger than the police," Forrest responded dryly akin to his father.

"Mrs. Johnson, is my dad okay? Have you heard from him?"

"Yes, he visited last night, dear," Barbara said as she walked around the picnic table to touch the girl in order to comfort her. "And we heard back from the Littleroot Lab. It seems they're holding together well enough."

"Goodness," Katherine exhaled. "Forrest, please listen to your mother," she pleaded since everyone knew what his intentions were.

"I'll be fine," he said plainly.

"Well then, I'm just going to have to go with you. You wouldn't put me in unnecessary danger," she threatened.

"We'll see what your father says," he argued back as if she wasn't an adult herself.

Katherine just huffed and walked away from the table a few steps to remove herself from the situation rather than saying something she didn't mean. Forrest diffused the situation by asking for her help with clearing the table and cleaning the dishes. They had to use some Water-type Pokemon to help with the cleaning. It was clear how much closer they had become since the events had occurred.

"So what are you going to do?" Katherine asked as they walked through Route 102 and toward Petalburg City. His entire team followed behind him. Flygon rode high in the sky with Medicham on his back. Cacturne urged Breloom to ride on his back to prove his strength to the unaware Flygon.

"I want to go back to Rustboro to check on Dr. Verrion and the Hospital. I also wanted to visit the Ranger Headquarters to see if anyone would care to join us in seeking out this 'Team Zodiac.'"

It was a sound plan, and Katherine just hummed in contemplation. Forrest put his hand in front of her chest so she would stop walking. She put her hands up to shield her breasts in response to the unintentional violation of her body.

"Forrest. It's good to see you again. I thought I'd find you here." Sebastian, or, rather, Pisces, looked as kind as ever. But Forrest wouldn't be fooled to not prepare for what could happen.

"So you purposefully maimed me and took out the power to a third of Hoenn. What makes you think I want to talk to someone who's part of Team Zodiac?"

"I know you don't wish to talk with me, Forrest," the man said in a calm, almost hushed, voice. "But I want you to know that you can find me on Southern Island if you wish to speak further about our plans."

Forrest couldn't shake the eerie honesty his voice portrayed. Masquerain let out a Signal Beam from behind her team and trainer. The man was immediately encased in a pink bubble which absorbed the attack and neutralized it. It made the bubble ripple in rainbows. A Gorebyss hovered into the orb and snaked herself around her partner.

"Now, Forrest. Why would you allow your Pokemon to attack me?" He sounded disappointed and even hurt.

"Masquerain has her own mind. She knows what you are and what you did. She saved me," he lied, showing his arm as "proof" of her heroism.

"You know I did that," the man said, still disappointed, as he pointed to the forearm. "But, yes, your Masquerain did well in continuing the treatment. She must have stayed up all night," he predicted correctly.

"Sebastian, I don't know why, but you need to find a better way to go about this," Forrest seemed to beg as if he could get through to him now instead of later and save a lot of time and energy.

"I've tried," Pisces said in defeat. "You are all too attached to your technology," he said as if he was not part of the Hoenn population.

"I've never seen anything from you other than destruction and causing undue panic." Forrest's voice began to louden, which frightened Katherine a bit from its intensity.

"Again, I'll be on Southern Island. I must go," he said with his head tilted as if he felt guilt for having to leave. The bubble began to vibrate into nothingness and they were Teleported away.

Forrest took a deep breath to calm down before turning his head toward Katherine. "Are you all right?" he asked though he never saw anything occur to her.

Katherine just nodded slightly as she was putting the pieces together in her head. She remembered meeting him and a woman at the Hospital and thinking nothing of it at the time. She felt anger that this was the man who hurt Forrest and fear from the knowledge of what the man was capable. Her face remained still but her eyes screamed her emotions. "Let's just go see your father," he said in tired frustration as he raised his arm to meet her elbow in order to portray some kind of comfort or security.

In silence, they traveled the rest of the way to Petalburg City. Her father didn't seem fazed by his daughter traveling with Forrest. It seemed Robert put much faith in Forrest. This could have also been due to the fact he was planning on recruiting some Rangers to help them reach their destination. Robert also confessed how the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members were to remain in their respective areas and oversee the citizens' safety. Katherine secretly hoped her father would join them, but didn't allow her fear and sorrow to show on her face.

When they passed the Briney Marina on Route 104S, Forrest was glad the boats seemed to have been left alone. He would need someone to bring them to the Southern Island since he had no Water-type Pokemon and Flygon wasn't large enough to carry them all. It was then he was glad Katherine still had her Pokeballs intact since it would only require more space and resources to transport her Pokemon as well. Hopefully some of the Rangers had Pokemon for transport.

They didn't see Violet on their way through Petalburg Woods. He assumed she was setting up some surveillance of some sort and working to secure the area. Even so, the woods were quiet and hardly any life was seen other than the flora. Katherine walked closer to Forrest, eventually hugging his bare arm for a more reliable sense of security regardless of the fact that six Pokemon surrounded them.

Aromatherapy was surrounded by citizens of Rustboro City in the case they might fall ill or injured while the hospital was out of power. The three women made continuous rounds and neglected rest for the sake of health. He was glad to see the sense of community strengthen in such a time. No one bothered to discuss how the generators failed since it was a reality that was less pressing than safety.

Forrest looked up to see Flygon soaring through the air. He seemed fixed on something so Forrest decided to try and contact Medicham through her Telepathy. She was usually connected to him and each of her teammates. He'd be surprised if she wasn't connected even now.

"What's wrong, Medicham?"

"I'm not sure," she said with a pause. Her voice was regal since that was what she wished to portray to her trainer. "There's a Talonflame that is circling what I think is Fallarbor Town. From what I can remember, a Talonflame was what attacked the Verdanturf Stadium. Not only that, Talonflame aren't native to Hoenn."

"Does it look like something we need to be concerned about?"

"What's wrong, Forrest?" Katherine asked. Forrest had focused his gaze onto the ground and was hardly looking where they were going.

"I suppose. But I don't know if it's better to go to Southern Island first or prevent another attack." She telepathized a sigh. She understood well how fast everything was moving.

"Nothing," he lied to Katherine. His focus rose up to the road before them. "Keep me updated."

"Yes, Forrest," she replied through a gasp as if the stress made it difficult for her to breathe.

Katherine knew he was lying but didn't bother to press the issue. She'd know soon enough. But he knew that's how he communicated with Medicham in particular. Instead she pet Masquerain who decided to hover to the front and attempt to comfort her.

Forrest's pace hastened when they entered Rustboro. Medicham told him that there was a large explosion near Fallarbor Town and she could sense the Talonflame soaring toward Lilycove City. "Shit," Forrest said under his breath. It caught Katherine's attention, but she didn't bother him by asking a question. She knew how he got when he was overwhelmed, which wasn't often.

The Devon Hospital wasn't closed, but there were nurses turning people away and escorting the more the stable patients out of the building. They had to use all their resources and time just to sustain the more critical patients. He asked for Dr. Verrion specifically, but was told the doctor was very busy, which he expected. Katherine told the nurses to send her praises and luck to him, which they agreed with a smile to do right away.

Forrest didn't waste any more time to reach the Ranger Headquarters. Hopefully they'd recognize him and allow him to make his request.

The people of Rustboro didn't seem too concerned about one of the top trainers of the region travelling through the city since they were more worried about barricades and defense. The Devon Corporation was barred shut with a crowd of people protesting by the front doors after learning that he shut off the power himself due to the kidnapping of his daughter. The police did all they could to keep the crowd from becoming aggressive. Forrest just hoped it would be enough.

"Hello Nesbitt," Forrest said as he greeted the receptionist.

"Been a long time, Johnson," the man said with a quick nod of his head. "What brings you here?" he asked, thinking Forrest would be in Oldale and protecting the Academy.

"I have a lead to Team Zodiac's base. I want to know if anyone wants to join me and help me reach Southern Island. And I also believe they are moving to Lilycove City. I know there are no communications, but I would suggest someone go there now and quickly."

"Hold on," Nesbitt said when he held up a finger to stress his command. He didn't want to waste any more time listening to Forrest explain his knowledge to him alone. He turned to a fellow Ranger and requested he get everyone to the main floor for this information.

Forrest reiterated what he speculated and asked for volunteers to help him travel to Southern Island. He also mentioned someone rush to Lilycove after describing what his Medicham and Flygon saw in Fallarbor Town. Three Rangers with particularly fast Flying-type Pokemon rushed out of the building and immediately set to the skies. Forrest could only breathe slightly easier by their eagerness. But he still waited for any who wished to join him to Southern Island.