A Hero Emerges

Chapter 8 part II, ?Lost Into The Night? ? Initial D soundtrack

??take care, little children.?

Utter silence rung across the pokemon centre as the Zodiac commander disabled the televised transmission, causing the TV to display static. Every non-psychic trainer had their eyes on Louis, Cassandra and the other two teenagers, who were now in the invisible spotlight. Nurse Joy and her assistants began to furiously whisper under their breaths as they made gestures to the psychics and the TV, which Kevin had now turned off. Some of the younger trainers looked at the psychics with expectation. And caught in the middle was a confused 17 year old newbie trainer, Louis Estrada.

Kevin, shaking off his muteness as he stood near the main table of the pokemon centre, managed to gain the trainers? attention by making some obvious coughs. 49 pairs of eyes were now trained on him, but unlike Louis, he kept his cool as he said,

?Well?that was certainly unexpected.?

It was if Kevin had just set off a bomb because the pokemon centre burst into a flurry of noise. Here and there, people wanted to voice their opinions on the situation at hand. Louis was distinctly reminded of the weekend markets as the group in front of him became more vocal, more physical in their arguments,

?We can?t let them go! They?ll be in danger!? screamed a 12 year old girl sitting on a nearby sofa next to Louis.

?If we don?t, then we?re done for!? retorted an anxious looking 19 year old standing near the 12 year old.

?I will not let Louis be placed in danger! I will not allow you to use him like that!? screeched Lilith near her observation spot as she confronted another female trainer who thought otherwise.

?Oh yeah?! Well, I bet you will be singing a different tune once Team Zodiac capture, starve and torture you!? shouted Lilith?s verbal opponent.

?ENOUGH!!!?

Everyone stopped. Kaori was standing with Kevin as she surveyed the group with disappointment and dislike. He ragged breath told everyone that she was the voice of that imperious order. She punched a nearby pillar, signaling her frustration.

?Listen, you pack of imbeciles! Look at you! You?re arguing like three year olds! Right now, we are in the middle of the crisis, but all you can do pout and yell over who?s got to do the dirty work!!!? Kaori cried out in anger. Kevin simply nodded meekly and remained quiet. Kaori, after a few moments, managed to keep her temper under control. She then spoke in a forced, calm voice,

?If anyone has the right to decide what happens, it?s the psychics. Louis, Cassandra, Athena and Daniel, it?s your decision on how we should respond to the demands made by Zodiac.? The 15 year old girl named Athena looked somewhat hesitant; she then replied in a meek voice,

?But?but?even though I?m kind of scared, I-I want to help. If, if we don?t do anything, then we?re all in danger for sure. But at least if we give ourselves up, then there might be a chance that T-Team Zodiac may spare the rest of you.? The audience nodded in agreement; some of the younger trainers looked really happy with Athena?s answer. Louis, Cassandra and Daniel nodded, signifying that they were with Athena. Kevin, of all people, intervened,

?Athena, I appreciate what you are saying. My priority is everyone?s safety, but please, consider what you are about to do,? he said seriously, ?This is Team Zodiac. They will not feed you milk and cookies when they capture you. They are criminals. They will place you in cell, they might torture you, or they may even perform experiments on you. Are you willing to risk that, all of you?? he asked gently. Athena was no longer nodding; Daniel looked at his shoes and said nothing; Cassandra breathed heavily and Louis was clenching and unclenching his fist. It was clear to the group that the psychics were having second guesses now, but Kevin nodded.

?I know we are putting a great burden on you, and believe me, this is a hard decision.? said Kevin, while looking at his watch, ?Listen, it is 3:30. Dinner is at 6:30. Why don?t all of you take some time out separately and decide what you want to do? Before dinner, take the time to talk with one another. Then, give us your decision at dinner.? The psychics nodded solemnly as Kevin continued,

?No matter what happens, we will respect your decision. This is a difficult choice, and I?m sure none of us here would want to be in your shoes. So, think carefully.? With that, Kevin nodded. Louis and the other psychics nodded in return. They split off to find quiet spots to contemplate in the pokemon centre. Athena went to her dorm room and closed the door; Daniel sat at the bottom of the staircase connecting the two storey pokemon centre and hung his head; Cassandra sat by herself in one of the lounge sofas and leaned back on her spot, while Louis strode to the computer room and closed the door. Lilith was about to follow him, when she intercepted a look from Kevin, which clearly said no. Lilith bowed her head, causing her silky brown hair to cascade down her chest.

Oh Louis?just when we had solved our troubles, this happened. Please, I don?t want you in danger! The thought of losing you?is so painful, I?Louis, please make the right decision?


In the darkened computer room where Louis had spent the previous day trying to figure out the meteor cross, Louis was sitting cross-legged, thinking about what he should do. On one hand, he could forfeit his freedom and possibly his life to give a chance to the trainers here with him. On the other hand, he could avoid walking into an obvious trap by Team Zodiac and hold out in the pokemon centre. The CPSA should be here soon; Louis was sure that the pokemon centre, combined with the trainers within in, could last. Louis tried to grip the shiny floor of the computer room in his frustration, but with little success. No matter what plan he tried to adopt, the disadvantages associated with it. He was torn between martyrdom and condemnation.

What can I do? WHAT CAN I DO?!?! NO MATTER WHAT CHOICE I MAKE, THE POSSIBLE LOSS IS FAR MORE THAN THE GAIN! Can I throw away my life, banking on a promise made by a criminal organization?! Or do I stay, and watch the Zodiacs break through?! Argh! Lilith?she looked so distressed. No matter what choice I make, Lilith will be involved?I?ve been thinking about her lately; our first battle, when we made up, the short travels we had, our times patrolling the centre...I guess she?s going to be the deciding factor in my decision?

I care for her so much; on one hand, I may never see her again. On the other hand, I can?t stand the possibility of her being tortured. She?s?she?s so important to me, she?s been my friend for so long now, I can?t bear the thought of not seeing her again!

Do I love her? Do I?

No I don?t, I like Cassandra. Yeah, that?s it. It?s just that, she?s been my best friend for so long. She knows me for who I am and likes me for it. She completes me, in whatever part I lack, just as I complete her. She?s been my rock, and I would never trade a diamond in for her. I?m afraid of losing Lilith. I?m afraid of seeing her hurt. Even Cassandra can never take her place, not after all we?ve done together. My decision will influence Lilith, no doubt about it. She?s always liked looking after me; it?s time I show her that I care. So I have to make the right choice, so she remains safe. She?s my best friend! I will not let her fall into danger!


[BEGIN MENTAL SEQUENCE]

Good, Evil, I need your help

>I hear you, Louis. This is the most difficult decision we?ve ever faced< said Evil in a solemn voice

<Yes, it is. Don?t worry, Louis, we will help you get though this. But we will need some extra help> replied Good in an equally solemn voice. Louis was slightly confused

What do you mean by, ?extra help?

>You?ll see<

<Oh boys! Time to come out now!>

The void of nothingness that was Louis Estrada?s mind, where he had his conversations with his conscience, had faded away. In its place, was something totally different?

A room with dozens of seats greeted Louis. It looked a lot like the UN headquarters, which was a room with several rows of tables and seats, although there were some noticeable differences: firstly, the delegates that were there all looked identical. They all looked like Louis! Secondly, instead of signs that represented the country each delegate represented, in its place something all together. Once sign read ?Brain Louis.? Another one said, ?Lustful Louis.? Finally, in front of the tables and the speaking podium was a large screen, which currently showed the darkened computer room. Obviously, this must be what Louis seeing at the moment. All the Louis? were currently in loud conversation

What?what is this? asked Louis, whose mind had gone slack with shock

<This, my dear, is the your council> replied Good

My council?

>Yes. All these Louis? make up you. Although you they can?t see or hear you because you are like the Big Boss to them, you can see and hear them. They will help you decide< whispered Evil

Ok, then?

One Louis approached the podium. He wore the clothes of a professor and looked exceptionally smart. The table he left had the sign ?Brain Louis? on it. Brain Louis took the speaker, cleared his throat, and announced,

?Order! Order in the court!? cried Brain Louis. All the other Louis? shut up promptly, although Rebel Louis, dressed in punk clothes, sneered and made rude gestures at Brain Louis. Brain Louis continued,

?The issue for today is, ?Should Louis give himself up to Team Zodiac?? announce Brain. As soon as he did, all the Louis? broke into conversation. This infuriated Brain on end, and so he banged his fist on the podium and yelled out,

?I said order! Now, before we come to a resolution, we must take views on the situation. Any ideas?? asked Brain Louis. Stomach Louis, who looked quite chubby, stood up,

?I?m hungry!? Playful Louis and Joker Louis high fived each other and laughed, while everyone else groaned. Brain Louis yelled some obscenities to Stomach Louis, who shut up and sat back down. Unfortunately, this caused Sensitive Louis to start crying. Brain sighed, and continued,

?Anyone, with any REAL views?? A Louis, dressed in a black tuxedo and sported shiny gelled hair, stood up. His sign read, ?Charming Louis,?

?Well, it is quite obvious, is it not?? Charming said in a suave voice, ?Louis should surrender himself to Zodiac. His sacrifice would certainly impress the ladies, that I am sure of.? With that, he made an elegant bow and sat down. Loving Louis, dressed looking like Cupid, complete with robes, wings, halo and bow and arrows, sighed and looked lovingly at a picture of Lilith on his table. Lustful Louis, sitting next beside him, who was dressed in a Greek toga and had laurels in his hair, also sighed and stared at his picture of Cassandra. Many of the Louis? agreed with Charming, including Brave, Suicidal and Compassionate. However, Honourable Louis, dressed up as a samurai and War-like Louis, dressed up as an American GI, sprang to their feet and started shouting their disagreements,

?Where is your honour, soldier? Surrendering to Charlie just like that?! I oughta court martial your sorry asses!? growled War-Like, firing off a few rounds of his M-16 into the roof of the building.

?I would never surrender to the foe! I would rather commit Seppuku then stain my honour with such a cowardly act!? cried out Honourable, who positioned his wakizashi short sword over his stomach. Peaceful Louis stood up and walked over to the two enraged Louis? trying to calm them down. However, on his way he was tripped by Joker Louis? outstretched foot. Compassionate Louis ran towards his fallen comrade and hauled him back to his spot. Brain sighed, and said in a voice that barely contained his rage,

?Ok. Anyone else?? he asked threateningly. A Louis, dressed in Jedi robes from Star Wars, stood up. His sign read, ?Wisdom Louis.? He spoke,

?Hmm. Difficult situation, we are in. Troubled, everyone is. Save everyone, we must. Protected, their lives must be. Necessary, self-sacrifice is.? Wisdom then sat down. Honourable immediately jumped at the word ?sacrifice?, and started to agree with Wisdom whole-heartedly. Logical Louis, who was holding some paper with complicated mathematic equations on it, also affirmed Wisdom?s point of view,

?It is logical, when you think about it. If Louis does not surrender himself, then the pokemon centre will be attacked anyway. It will not last forever. But if he does give what Zodiac wants, then there is a chance that Zodiac will hold true to their word. We have nothing to lose if Louis surrenders. It seems like the only logical choice.? Other Louis? nodded at that, including Gambler Louis who was dressed in a blue tuxedo and carried some dice. He said in a loud voice,

?See, if we keep our current hand, see, we will only have 3:1000 odds of surviving. But if Louis surrenders, we will have 2:3 odds of the pokemon centre surviving. I like those odds. It?s like discarding two cards from your hand in order to draw and get a Royal Flush!? Selfish Louis, who was about to make a quick comeback, was punched in the face by Compassionate Louis. Brain seemed to have come to a decision and asked the council,

?So, hands up to those who believe that Louis should surrender?? Almost everyone put their hands up. Eager Louis put both of his hands up. Brain counted the votes, then announced,

?Hands up to those who believe that Louis should not surrender?? About 10 Louis? raised their hands. War-Like raised his arm and started firing some shots into the air, while Rebel put his hand up just for the sake of doing it. Weak-minded Louis also put up his hand, but only because Mean Louis, who was dressed in black leather, forced him to do so. Brain counted, and shouted out,

?Ok, all those who abstain?? Only one Louis put up his hand, and that was Indifferent Louis, who shrugged. Brain nodded, and yelled out to the council,

?Our votes have decreed that Louis should surrender himself to Zodiac, in order to protect the others!? With that, most of the Louis? jumped to their feet and started congratulating one another. Party-Animal Louis wanted to celebrate, but was restrained by Serious Louis. Every Louis slowly filed their way out of the room; Gangster Louis was showing off his new ?bling bling? to Curious Louis, while Vengeful Louis was quietly collaborating with War-Like. In about 5 minutes, the room had emptied, and disappeared. The void of nothingness with Louis, Good and Evil had returned. The original Louis, to say the least, was speechless.

Was that?all me? he inquired somewhat shakily to Good and Evil. They both nodded.

>Yes, they all make up you. Well? Are you going to follow their advice?< asked Evil

Aren?t you going to give me any?

<In times like this, where there are grave situations, it is you who must come up with the decision. We cannot help make your choices forever> replied Good

Makes sense, I guess. Oh well, I better inform everyone else?

[END MENTAL SEQUENCE]
 
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Louis opened his eyes. Never, in a million years, did he imagine that his personality would be so?varied. But then again, he mused, humans are such dynamic creatures. Louis checked his watch; it was now 5:30. He had spent the last two hours contemplating his decision in the dark, desolate computer room. From his sitting position, the computers on the tables seemed to tower over him, as if they were passing judgment on the events that had transpired. But now he came to the conclusion that he should follow the decision he, as a multitude of personalities speaking as one, made. He would comply with Zodiac?s demands.

As a martial artist, Louis was quite put out when he realized what he was going to do, but he reasoned that safety of others came before honour. Indeed, if anyone asked, he would say that he was feeling slightly apprehensive, borderline scared. Sitting alone in the computer room, he thought of the ordeal which was to come.

All my life, I have been blinded to the dangers of our world. Until now, I have lived a peaceful existence, blissfully unaware of the downsides of life. I got my first taste when me, Lilith and Cassandra argued, but still, I remained carefree as ever. But now, I am no longer playing a game. My life is at stake, and so are the lives of others.

I never thought of it until now, but I could actually die! Kaput! My life is over. I will never see Lilith or Cassandra again. This is so new to me, yet I may be in my final hours. Kevin told us that the Zodiacs are infamous for their obsession of psychics. Will they torture us? I can withstand pain somewhat, but Cassandra, Daniel and Athena will be broken. Will they execute us? Slowly? Painfully?

I just don?t know anymore. From here on in, fate only knows what will happen to me. All I can be sure of is that, I will face whatever happens like a man?

With that, Louis stood up from his spot with a renewed vigor. If he was going to die tomorrow, then so be it. But he will not die as a coward! Louis packed away his pokeballs into his bag, as well as tuck in the sack that contained the meteor cross. He then left the computer room, only to find that the other three psychics were waiting outside. All of them had somber expressions on their faces, yet a passerby would also be able to pick up the determination that emanated from them as well. Athena and Daniel remained silent; Cassandra spoke,

?Louis? What have you decided?? she asked gently. Louis lowered his eyes and clenched his left hand,

?I?I?I?m going to surrender myself to Zodiac. I don?t know about you guys, but I?m not going to take the selfish and cowardly route out of this mess.? whispered Louis fiercely as his nails dug into his flesh. The other three psychics looked slightly startled with Louis? reply, but nodded,

?Good. Because I?m going to do it as well. My chance of becoming a hero, yeah?? replied Daniel with a slightly positive tone, as he scratched his shaggy red hair. Athena joined him,

?So will I. I will abide by my previous statement.? announced the shy girl. Cassandra also made her affirmation,

?And I will surrender myself as well,? she said seriously, absently rubbing her smooth neck, ?We?re doing the right thing, so let?s be happy with this!? With that, all four psychics put their hands together and grabbed each other, a sign of their mutual decision and sacrifice. Louis spoke,

?Hey, it?s only 5:45. Let?s wait till dinner like Kevin said, ok??


[Dinner, 6:30pm]

All the trainers had assembled in the lunch room of the pokemon centre, even those who were supposed to be on patrol at this time. Sitting in round tables of six, every trainer had their eyes focused on the table of six where the four psychics were sitting. Lilith and Kevin were also seated with them. Once everyone was seated, Nurse Joy and her two assistants began serving dinner, which consisted of spaghetti and fruit salad. Once everyone began eating, the three ladies sat down themselves and began to eat as well.

However, the atmosphere that night was somber. Despite the constant chewing and the occasional request for seconds, quiet reigned within the walls of the white and green lunch room. Louis felt incredibly uncomfortable as everyone?s eyes were trained on him and his fellow psychics. As he applied some more sauce onto his spaghetti, he couldn?t help notice the somewhat fearful looks of the girls, and the apprehensive glances of the boys. Louis then took a look at Lilith; apart from having her head slightly bowed, she looked nothing out of the ordinary. But her eyes told a different story. They spoke of fear, the very same fear that Cassandra felt when Louis viewed of her memory of her evolving Abra.

The fear of loss.

After 20 minutes of tense eating, Kevin took a look around at the status of everyone?s meal; the majority were either finished, or finishing up. Kevin took the opportunity to speak,

?Alright,? he said in a voice so serious one would?ve thought someone just died, ?We know why we are here. You know what the Zodiacs want. It?s up to the psychics, on what they feel is the best action. Whatever their decision, we will respect it. After all, it is their lives that they are putting on the line.? There was a general murmur of consent with this. Kevin swallowed, then looked directly at Louis,

?Louis? Have you and your companions decided on the course of action?? he asked tentatively. Louis nodded briefly, and stood up,

?We have. We have all decided, willing and of calm mind, that we will surrender ourselves to Team Zodiac.?

With this, the lunch hall broke into fierce conversation. There were two camps: one that wanted the psychics to surrender, and one that did not. Everyone turned to each other and began to voice their opinion, whether the listener was with or against. Kevin, who did mean well, was secretly happy that Louis and the others would surrender. At the same time, he was saddened, because for all he knew, he could be sending his newfound acquaintances to death. Lilith was strongly opposed to the surrender, but only for Louis? sake. At first, comments were being traded, but it wasn?t long until accusations and insults began to get mixed in. Louis and the psychics, taking no part of the action, could only watch as the lunch hall transformed into a verbal battlefield,

?WHAT? You can?t let them surrender? They?ll be killed!? yelled a boy sitting near Louis? table

??We have no choice! I don?t like this one bit, but what else can we do? Do you all want to lose out?? reasoned a girl desperately to her neighbour

?Oh yeah? I bet that if you were in Daniel?s shoes, you wouldn?t be so confident to get shipped off to Team Zodiac!? cried out a girl sitting next to Nurse Joy and another boy.

?You?re a coward, that?s what!? retorted the boy, glaring at her angrily.

This continued for a few minutes until the migraine in Louis? head reached its peak. He stood up, and banged his fist on the table so hard that everyone shut up. He glared at the trainers,

?Are you all deaf as well as stupid?? he roared, ?Did you not hear what I just said? Our decision is final. Now, I?d like to go to sleep, I?ve got to wake up early tomorrow!?

With that, everyone nodded mutely and began to shuffle their way out of the lunch room. Everyone make their way to the upper level of the pokemon centre, where the dorms were located. Everyone except Louis, that is. He decided not to sleep in the dorms, and rather camp out on the sofas for the night. After receiving a blanket from Nurse Joy and some supportive words from Kevin, he made his way to the lounge.

Louis inspected the sofas, until he found a comfortable looking three seat sofa. The plush-looking red cushions looked like the perfect place to take a lie down. After dropping his bag onto the floor, Louis sat on the sofa, and wrapped his blanket around him. After uttering a few choice prayers, he rested his head on the back on the sofa. He was about to sleep when somebody else sat next to him, disturbing his sleep.

It was Lilith.

The brown haired beauty had taken residence next to Louis, and laid her head on his shoulder. Although her eyes were closed, Louis could tell she wasn?t sleeping. Smiling wryly, he covered Lilith with some of his blanket as well. Lilith said nothing, but placed her right arm across Louis? chest. Understanding the situation at hand, Louis responded in kind by putting his arm over her. A sad smile appeared on Lilith?s face; she tightened her embrace, as if she never wanted to let go.

For the rest of the night, they stayed that way.


[The Fifth day, 4:30am]

With a start, Louis woke up. He had the most frightful nightmare; he dreamt that he was captured by Team Zodiac, who carried him off to some sort of underground prison. He was strapped to a wooden cross by a black robed person, who then released some powerful, evolved pokemon. Louis was tortured by the attacks of these pokemon, even though it was just a dream, he could?ve sworn the pain was real. But worst of all, the black robed person revealed their face when the torture was over. The black robed person was Lilith?

Louis shook his head; he didn?t need this now, he needed to be strong. He looked at his surroundings. Lilith had her head on his shoulder, with her arms wrapped around him. Louis had felt warm and comfortable in her presence, but found it ironic that Lilith?s presence inspired such terrible dreams. Gently disengaging himself from Lilith?s tender embrace, Louis discarded the blanket off himself and stood up. After rearranging the blanket so it covered Lilith, Louis quietly glided away from his makeshift bed.

Louis took a look at his surroundings: the lounge room of the pokemon centre contained the main desk near the north part of the rectangular room, with the doors to the treatment centre just to the right of it. The floor comprised of titanium grey ceramic tiles that seemed to glow with an ethereal light due to the few lampshades that gently illuminated the lounge. Louis walked around one of the many square card tables, which were placed in a random yet neat fashion around the room, accompanied by a few chairs. He avoided another piece of furniture, this time one of the handful of red-cushioned sofas that he had just slept on, which were scattered around the pokemon centre. Despite the comfortable appeal of the lounge room, he could not help alleviate the fear that was slowly converging on his troubled soul. Louis made his way to the lunch room for [maybe a final] breakfast.

I?I?ve never felt such fear before. I feel that I only have an hour and half to live. Evil would?ve normally teased me for sleeping next to Lilith. But she?s not. Maybe, she?s trying to make my last hours good?

When Louis reached the lunch room, he began to make himself a fitting, final breakfast. Stationing himself to the kitchen right next to the lunch room, Louis opted for some bacon and eggs. Utilizing his cooking skills, Louis cracked some eggs open, scrambled them diligently, and fried them on a pan. At the same time, he raided one of the fridges of the pokemon centre for bacon; after finishing the eggs, Louis then fried some bacon. The sweet aroma of food emerged from the kitchen and into the adjoining lunch room and lounge. After finishing with the bacon, Louis placed both of his culinary creations onto a plate, to which he also added some rice. Louis then picked up a cup and filled it with milk. With his breakfast ready, Louis took his meal to the lunch room. After setting down his morsel, he seated himself and began to eat. He was one third of the way through his meal when somebody sat on the chair next to him.

Lo and behold, it was Lilith. Apparently, the smell of Louis? cooking endeavors had woken her up. Lilith said nothing as he placed her forearms on the table, resting her head with her hands. No words were exchanged for a few moments as Lilith watched Louis eat his breakfast. Finally, losing her composure, Lilith slammed her hands on the table, almost causing Louis to choke on the bit of egg he was eating. Despite the morbid fate Louis was about to face, he hadn?t had gained much in intelligence since he didn?t understand what Lilith had just done. He pushed his plate towards Lilith and asked,

?You hungry? Want some?? Lilith looked incredulous, whether it was at Louis? lack of fear or stupidity, she wasn?t sure. She pushed the plate back, looking down at the table while doing so,

?No, I don?t want any.? With that, Louis shrugged and continued on devouring his food. Lilith shook her head; apparently, she didn?t understand something. Again, she banged the table, but luckily, Louis wasn?t chewing anything at the time. This got his attention. He looked up, and was startled to see tears sliding down Lilith?s cheeks.

?How? How can you be so calm about this, Louis?? demanded Lilith as she desperately tried to halt her onslaught of sobs, ?How can you just surrender yourself to Team Zodiac?!? Louis, finishing the last portions of breakfast, slowly shook his head as he replied,

?Lilith, I said it before, I will say it again. We. Have. No. Choice. If we do not surrender, then all of us will be put in danger. If we do surrender, there is a chance they will leave the rest of you alone. If they don?t, then we?re screwed anyway.?

?Louis! Why?! Why are you always trying to play hero?! This isn?t a game!? screamed Lilith. Louis lowered his head, so that Lilith wouldn?t see the tears that threatened to fall

If you only knew Lilith?if you only knew how I really feel about this

?You think I don?t know that?? whispered Louis harshly. He raised his head; Lilith was shocked to see tears on her best friend?s face. Instead of Louis? usual calm, almost playful face, Lilith saw something else: Louis? cheeks were tightened, as if he was bracing himself for something. Crystalline tears slid down those cheeks, originating from Louis? bloodshot eyes. His body was shaking a little, and his mouth was twitching uncontrollably. Lilith understood what was happening, and she could not help but reflect on this?

Louis never cries?sure, he shows his emotions like any other person, but I?ve never seen him cry before. Is he like that because he tries to discard the troubles of the world and live a happy life? I do; don?t we all? Now this happens, something we may see on TV and dismiss as another Lunar City film production. Louis, he knows this isn?t a game. This it out of the ordinary; this has never happened to him, or any of us before. He?s?he?s afraid?

Lilith, saying nothing, placed her hand on Louis? quivering right hand, which had long dropped the spoon it once held. Now, it was her turn to comfort him?
 
[Fifth Day, 5:45am]

The time had come. In 15 minutes, the surrender would be made. Louis, having composed himself from his earlier fears, stood with Cassandra, Daniel and Athena by the front doors of the pokemon centre, whose barricades had just been removed. Louis saw that he wasn?t the only one who was being slowly, but surely, being consumed by fear. Cassandra looked like she had cried as well, because the bloodshot veins in her eyes matched her now-dull purple irises. Athena, the shy girl, was even shyer than before. She kept her eyes downcast as her entire body trembled. Daniel, the macho man-wannabe, was not displaying any sort of bravery. Rather, he was shaking slightly, his disheveled red hair shivering with him. Lilith, Kevin and his girlfriend Kaori stood near the psychics, offering them silent support. Lilith, in particular, was holding Louis? hand tightly and Louis wasn?t complaining.

At 10 minutes to the hour, Louis picked up his bag, which had sat by his feet, and gave it to Lilith. Lilith took it in surprise. Louis nodded and asked,

?Lilith? Would you take care of my stuff and my pokemon? And, would you speak to Professor Gannymede and my parents after this?? Lilith said nothing, but she put down the bag and gave Louis a full embrace. By this time, all the trainers in the pokemon centre had crowded around the lounge. All of them, even those who had supported the surrender, were either looking sad or depressed. In all of their minds, they knew that the psychics may very well be approaching their doom.

At 5 minutes to the hour, a marching sound reached the ears of the pokemon centre?s inhabitants. The sound of feet, marching in a military style parade, had been heard. This must be Team Zodiac, everyone thought. In the slightly darkened lounge room, the trainers? eyes began to dart around as they tried to find the source of the marching. It was no use; the marching sound was approaching in all directions, signaling the fact that Team Zodiac had surrounded the building. Louis and psychics prepared for the fate that awaited them. Then without warning, the clock struck six...each cuckoo from the Farfetch?d clock in the lounge room taunted Louis, as if it was telling him that the time had come. The marching had stopped; and the voice of the commander of the Team Zodiac troops was heard just outside the pokemon centre?s doors through a megaphone,

?Alright, little children. Your time is up. Have you decided?? he asked mockingly. Inside the centre, Kevin gritted his teeth as he shouted back,

?Yes! The psychics have decided to surrender themselves to you, in exchange for leaving us alone.? A small laugh could be heard from the Team Zodiac agents outside.

?Very well!? announced the commander, ?It shall be done as you say. Here is how it will go: Each psychic will be surrendered one at a time; we shall tell you when to send out the next one. Of course, they must be unarmed, with their hands in the air. So, I hope I don?t see any pokeballs. If this all done, and all four psychics are in our custody, we shall leave you babies alone.?

?Fine!? yelled out Kevin.

?Then, send out the first psychic!? sneered the commander.

Louis went out first. Trembling slightly, he approached the doors of the pokemon centre with arms in the air. With each step, the doors loomed closer, and closer. The eyes of every trainer were locked onto him and his every move. Sweat dribbled its way down Louis? head. Then, the doors opened. Louis, swallowing deeply, stepped outside and saw everything?

He was surrounded by imposing looking individuals, all wearing the Zodiac uniform. The commander, with his silver forehead protector, smiled evilly at Louis as he stepped out. The commander motioned to two of the agents, who ran up to Louis and handcuffed him. The commander grinned mercilessly in approval as Louis was roughly pushed into a van situated next to the multitude of Zodiac agents.

?Very good!? cried the commander as he smirked, ?Next!?

One at a time, the psychics were surrendered to Zodiac. After Louis, Daniel followed suit, then Cassandra, then Athena. Once all four psychics had been captured, handcuffed and sent to the van, the doors of the pokemon centre closed, and the trainers in the centre began to barricade it once more. The Zodiac commander, at seeing this, laughed cruelly as he shouted,

?I?m hurt. You doubt my words! There is no need to fear, children. As I said, we are only interested in the psychics, not unimportant individuals such as you! As promised, we shall leave you alone. Tell your family and friends about what happened, and tell them to fear Team Zodiac!? the commander paused, and directed his next message to the Zodiac agents, ?Come! Move out, ladies and gentlemen. Our objective here is finished. Let us move back to our temporary headquarters at the Constellation Industries building!?

With that, the trainers within the pokemon centre heard marching once again. This time, it wasn?t getting louder, but fainter instead. The squeal of tires signaled a moving vehicle. And within three minutes, Team Zodiac had abandoned the pokemon centre. Silence reigned at the pokemon centre. Well, only until Lilith fell onto her knees and began to sob hysterically. Kaori kneeled next to Lilith and tried to comfort her. Many of the other trainers, including Kevin?s Gym trainers, were also frantically rubbing their eyes. As for the Gym Leader himself, Kevin, he was not without tears himself,

?They?ve secured safety for us?but for what cost? I?I?ve failed again??


[Meanwhile]

The four psychics were being transported to the Constellation Industries building in Gravitation City, which was a fair but not long distance away from the pokemon centre. Inside the van, apart from the front row containing the driver and passenger seats, the rest of the van was empty save for the two benches along each side of the van. Louis and Cassandra sat on one side, while Athena and Daniel sat on the other. Guarding them were two Zodiac agents and another person, who wasn?t dressed in Zodiac attire. Rather, the third person was dressed in professor?s clothes, and would?ve looked a lot like Professor Gannymede had it not been for the fact that he was slightly taller, and had long platinum grey hair and a cunning look on his youthful face. Right now, that professor was fiddling with a device in his hands.

During the trip, Louis couldn?t help but take a look at Gravitation City through the windows. Contrary to the advertising he had heard on the TV, Gravitation did not look like the urban jungle, as it was nicknamed. The once vibrant city which should have been illuminated in lights and neon signs was now in a sickening shade of grey and red in the setting sun. No-one walked the streets, apart from the occasional Zodiac patrol; Louis reasoned that most of the citizens were probably hiding in their houses. Not that there were any houses, Gravitation was best known for its multitude of high rise buildings.

Louis continued to stare lifelessly at the scenery when the van came to a sudden stop. Coming back to his senses, he realized that they must be outside the Constellation Industries building. After opening the door, the Zodiac agents pushed Louis and his companions out of the van and onto the path leading towards the entrance of the building. Led by the scientist with the device in his hands, the psychics were directed into the building.

The Constellation Industries building looked extremely high tech compared to the other buildings Louis had seen in his life. The carpet, coloured azure blue, seemed stretch on forever in the lobby of the building. The walls seemed to sparkle because the wall light illuminated with a shiny grey ceramic finish, which went hand in hand with the similarly coloured pillars that supported the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a service desk, which housed some of the most advanced looking computers Louis had ever seen in his life. Louis took a look at the elevators; not only were they coloured mercury silver, but the control panel next to the doors was flashing with a multitude of colours. A few secretaries and office workers were sitting on the sofas in the lobby, looking frightened. Had it not been for the grave situation, Louis would have admired the architect of this building for his work.

Alas, he had no time to do so, as he and his companions were directed into an elevator. The two guards and scientist seemed to make a silent agreement on where to go, because simultaneously nodded when the scientist pressed the button saying ?Underground Level 3 ? Chemical Lab?. The elevator doors closed, and Louis felt a lurching falling feeling as the elevator streaked downwards. The elevator soon stopped, but it do so suddenly that Athena squealed. This earned a nasty glare from on of the Zodiac guards. The psychics were pushed out of the elevator and entered what looked like a laboratory of sorts.

Louis squinted when he looked around the lab room: everything, the floor, ceiling and walls were coloured a dazzling white. Even the workbenches and other furniture were white as well. The only thing that wasn?t completely white was the equipment on the workbenches, and the Constellation staff who were working with them. Of course, like all the other hostages in the building, they were also stricken with fear. After weaving through the staff, Zodiac agents, benches and equipment, the Zodiac guards finally led the psychics into two doors built into the wall. Opening both doors, the Zodiac guards threw Athena and Daniel through one door and Louis and Cassandra through the other. The guards then slammed the door closed, and left in a huff.

Louis took a look at his surroundings; apart from the light that came through the slits and slide panel on the door, it was completely pitch black. He imagined that Athena and Daniel?s cell was identical. The room was quite confined, about four by four metres square. There was a stall in one corner which Louis figured was a toilet, a sink, and a bunk bed. Overall, it wasn?t bad, so Louis decided to make himself comfortable. That is, of course, until the scientist the brought him and the others in activated the device he was working on, which made a loud hum. He looked through the slits of both doors, to capture the attention of the psychics. He said, in a dominant tone,

?I know the limitations of psychic power ? you can?t use them when you?re not in the presence of your psychic pokemon. However, our research has revealed that long exposure to psychic pokemon can cause a residual effect in one?s psychic ability, allowing them to use psychic power, although to a much lesser degree, without having to be in the presence of their pokemon. To combat this, I have activated a psychic dampener outside your rooms, which prevents this residual psychic power from working. It also deflects any psychic power directed towards you. So don?t try anything. I also expect your full cooperation in our experiments, which will start in a few days. When our boss addresses you, treat him with utmost respect, or suffer the consequences. You will eat twice a day. That is all.? With that, the professor left.

Louis heard a feminine sounding sob. He was about to call out to Athena to give her support when he realized that it wasn?t Athena who was crying. Looking to his left in the darkened cell, he realized that Cassandra was the one who was upset. Standing up, Louis made his way to the bottom bunk, sat down and motioned the crying Cassandra to join him. The indigo haired psychic sniffled as she strode over to Louis and sat next to him. Wrapping her arms around Louis, she continued to cry. Louis, in a rare display of understanding of the female psyche, embraced Cassandra as well.

Wow?I always thought of Cassandra as being stronger than this. It goes to show she?s more human than I give her credit for. I guess she tried not to show her fear in front of the other trainers, so as not to startle them

?I?m sorry Louis. I?I try to be strong, but when push comes to shove, I fail. I am scared. I am weak. I am so sorry I cannot help you.? she whispered between sniffles. Louis shook his head,

?Hey?don?t think like that. I know you?re strong. I?d be lying if I said I wasn?t scared as well. We?ll get through this, I promise. The CPSA will be here soon, I know of it.? replied Louis with some confidence. Cassandra widened her eyes,

?You? But, Louis, you?re the strongest person I know. Without you as my pillar, where will I lean on when I?m weak?? asked Cassandra in a broken voice

Wow?I seriously did not know that Louis tightened his embrace

?You think of me like that?? asked Louis quietly. Cassandra, for the first time since she met Louis, blushed as she nodded, ?Well, I never knew.?

?Louis, although I tried to teach you whatever I could, you learnt more than I could teach.? It was Louis? turn to be surprised, ?Yes, Louis. In truth, I was learning off you. Before, I used to use my feminine charm to get my way. Don?t you remember? I used to tease you mercilessly when we first met. But I soon learned to be kind, like you, when dealing with people. I especially remembered how nice you were to Andrew, that trainer you beat. I must also confess I always followed the book when I trained my pokemon, but when I saw your unorthodox methods of battling, I myself learned techniques that I could apply whenever I would battle.? Louis gave a wry smile,

?You really mean that?? he asked softly. Cassandra, despite her current state, nodded happily,

?Yes, I mean all of what I said. However, I?m not finished. The most important lesson you taught me was when you forgave me when I got mad at you in Pulsar City. I?I have always been a little proud of myself. But when you forgave me, when you swallowed your own pride just to apologize for my mistake, I felt happy. I was happy because a person I cared for would do that for me, when I never did. I can never thank you enough, Louis.? With that, Cassandra rested her head on Louis? shoulder and closed her eyes.

Wow?whenever Lilith hugs me, she makes me feel warm and safe. However, when Cassandra hugs me, I get hot?comfortable?and in less control of my senses?


[Meanwhile, at the pokemon centre]

Lilith, who had long stopped crying over the ?loss? of Louis, had retreated to her dorm room and didn?t come down at lunch to eat. Concerned, Kevin and Kaori when to her room, in order to try and get Lilith to eat. They found the Japanese girl alone, sitting on the edge of one of the beds, staring at Louis? bag, as if she considered it to be the only traces of Louis left. Kaori spoke first,

?Oh, Lilith, come and eat.?

?No.? was the unhappy reply

?C?mon, Lilith, you need to eat. Louis did what he did in order to protect you. Don?t let his sacrifice be in vain.? supplied Kevin hopefully. Kaori glared at him; she knew she had hit a sensitive spot. But it seemed to work; Lilith got to her feet and followed the other two to the lunch room.

All the trainers, minus those on patrol, were currently eating grilled steak prepared by Nurse Joy and her assistants. The shock of the psychic?s surrender seemed to be subsiding, as some small talk was being held by one of the trainers. Everything seemed ok, when Lilith suddenly made a derisive growl.

?What?? asked Kevin

?Where are the CPSA?! Aren?t they supposed to help us? It?s been five days! Now look at what has happened!!!? shrieked Lilith. Some of the other trainers nodded in agreement. Kevin sighed,

?I know what you mean, Lilith. I know you are upset over Louis. I know the CPSA will be here soon. But remember, Team Zodiac have this place pretty secure. If the CPSA are going to mount an attack, they have to do it by flying in since the Zodiacs have sealed all entrances to Gravitation City, and the Zodiacs have established some excellent anti-flying type pokemon defences. I bet they are massing their forces, so they conduct a major strike by overwhelming Zodiac?s defences.? A trainer, about 17 years old, voiced in his own thoughts about this,

?That?s true. In fact, the CPSA have gathered around the mountain ranges surrounding the east side of Gravitation City. They?re just waiting for some anti-ice, electric and rock specialists to take out the anti-flying defences, so they can attack.? Kevin stared at the boy,

?What?s your name, and how do you know this?? he asked. The boy shrugged,

?My name is Richard, and I know this because my girlfriend?s older brother is a CPSA agent, and she?s relaying all the information she knows to me.? Kevin seemed shocked at this statement,

?But?but?this is impossible!? he stammered, ?Team Zodiac has disabled communication frequencies in the city. No-one can make any audio communications, even with mobile phones!? Richard shook his head,

?I figured that out. But I?ve been kept in touch with my girlfriend by SMS messaging.? he replied. Kevin seemed to freeze for a second, before a maniac look came to his eyes. He said to Richard excitedly,

?Richard, you are my hero! Everyone,? he announced to everyone else, ?I?m going to need some time alone for a while. I?ll be back in about 20 minutes, ok?? With that, Kevin left, leaving Kaori looking confused. Everyone else seemed to shrug it off, and continue their lunch.

True to his word, Kevin returned in 20 minutes, accompanied with the trainers who were supposed to be in patrol. They looked as confused with everyone else. Kevin, however, greeted everyone excitedly by waving his mobile phone around.

?Everyone, I?ve just made a major breakthrough!? he announced to the confused audience. Everyone exchanged looks, before focusing all their attention to Kevin. Kaori voiced everyone?s queries,

?What do you mean, Kevin?? Kevin pumped his fist in the air in triumph,

?I?ve been making some SMS messages to some people, thanks to Richard?s idea,? he grinned, pointing at the blushing 17 year old. Kevin then turned serious, ?I?ve planned some things out. We?re going to fight Team Zodiac. We?re going to take back Gravitation City!?
 
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NOTE: From now on, pokemon talk is represented as [talk]. The brackets represent the ?pika pika? or ?bulba bulba.? that I don?t want to repeatedly write. Pokemon speech will be set with the normal speaking quotation marks and adjectives (instead of ?growl?, ?chirp? and ?whistle? like I usually do).


Chapter 8 Part III, "Sparks in the Dark", Initial D soundtrack


??We?re going to take back Gravitation City!?

Kevin? sudden announcement was met with a deep silence. For a moment, that is. Because after the audience had realized what Kevin had just said, they broke into another mass conversation, not unlike the conversation held when the pokemon centre?s heard of Team Zodiac?s demand for psychics. And like that conversation, accusations and insults were being exchanged,

?What?! Are you insane?!?

?Oh yeah, time for some serious payback!!!?

?Aww, I don?t wanna fight Team Zodiac, they?re too strong??

?Yes! Now I can get Louis back!?

?Enough!? yelled a voice. Everyone stopped and looked at the source of the voice. It wasn?t Kaori like many expected; rather it was Kevin. The gi-clad gym leader had a fierce scowl on his face, as if someone had taken away his favourite toy. This shook everyone; while Kevin was commanding and serious at times, he had never looked so angry before. His expression commanded everyone?s attention in a flash.

?Listen, everyone. I?m not going to repeat myself,? he said harshly, although he wasn?t directing his anger towards the audience. The group, in turn, were hooked onto Kevin?s every word, ?Like I said, we are going to fight Team Zodiac. I figured out the way to do it.?

?How? There are far more of them than us, and they are, for the most part, superior trainers. We don?t stand a chance.? A boy sitting at the back of the group replied. Kevin nodded,

?I know that. There are about 170 of them, not including non-combatants. And only 50 of us. But because Richard tipped me off to the availability of SMS messaging, I was able to contact pokemon trainers around Gravitation City, who in turn contacted their friends.? Lilith, for the first time in the day, smiled joyfully,

?And they?re going to fight?? she asked breathlessly, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Kevin nodded,

?Yeah, I knew you?d be excited about this, Lilith,? Kevin replied ruefully. Lilith nodded fiercely as Kevin continued, ?There are about 200 trainers here in Gravitation that have pokemon, and are willing to fight with us!? The audience gasped as one with this news,

?200? Whoa!?

?Team Zodiac, you?re going down!?

?Louis, we?ll rescue you, please wait a little longer.? Kevin motioned the audience to be quiet. He continued,

?I sent a SMS message to one of the CPSA agents who I asked to come here because of the Zodiac rumours. He told me that he and his 11 other squad mates who were stationed here managed to avoid being captured by Team Zodiac, and are waiting for the rest of the CPSA to arrive. Richard, you were right. About 300 agents are waiting on the other side of the mountains. Like you said, they are waiting for anti-electric, ice and rock specialists to arrive.? Kevin announced. Richard smiled at this, and said,

?Great. Once they get here, Team Zodiac won?t stand a chance. A CPSA agent could easily take on a Zodiac agent in a 4 on 6 pokemon match and win.? At this, the group murmured in surprise.

?Really? Are they that good?? asked Lilith curiously. She was obviously worried about the effectiveness of the agents, since she was anxious to get Louis back. Many other trainers, especially who haven?t had heard of the CPSA, also nodded at Lilith?s question. Kevin wrinkled his eyebrows knowingly,

?You want me to explain what the CPSA are?? he asked the group. Most of them nodded. Kevin motioned everyone to sit down; while some trainers got lucky and managed to score seats in the lounge room they were currently located in, most sat on the floor. After getting settled, Kevin began,

?The CPSA is short for the Cosmo Pokemon Security Agency. They?re the sister group to the police force and military. Basically, they?re the security, intelligence and covert ops force for the Cosmo Region, for pokemon related matters,? he said in a knowing tone. He shook his head, ?You do realize that pokemon can be used for evil ways, right? The toxins found in a Koffing and the chemicals found in a Gloom can be made into deadly biological weaponry, right? Or that an Exploud can generate sound waves with high enough frequencies to shatter eardrums of humans, creating a powerful audio weapon? Or that trained Sharpedo teams can take down ships, making sea travel a hazard?? he asked. Many of the trainers looked at each other with wonder; obviously they, like Louis, had lived a peaceful and sheltered life. Kevin continued,

?The CPSA is the force that prevents illegal use of pokemon or their abilities. Naturally, most people abide by the Dual Pokemon Constitution, but where there?s good there is bad as well. Criminals who use pokemon illegally are apprehended by the CPSA, and trust me; there are quite a few cases every week from what I hear. You don?t hear it on the news because the CPSA usually prevent them from happening with their intelligence network, but you get the occasional crime stopped by the CPSA on the news.? A young woman cut in at this point,

?Like how Team Zodiac, and how they were caught trying to infiltrate Nova City Pokemon Lab and the Constellation Industries HQ?? she asked inquisitively. Kevin nodded,

?Yes, this leads me to my next point. The CPSA were formed about the same time the criminal gangs of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn originated, around about 50 years ago, to have a security force against a criminal organization if one ever arises here in Cosmo. Well, Team Zodiac formed 10 years ago, and they?ve become the CPSA?s worst enemies. Unlike most criminals, Team Zodiac is comprised of skilled trainers, and they execute their missions with military precision. That?s why they?ve become major threats to the Cosmo region, and why the CPSA works so hard to combat them. Well, is that a sufficient explanation?? Kevin inquired to the audience. Everyone nodded, and so Kevin continued with his own mission plan for fighting Team Zodiac. Firstly, however, he made some hand gestures to Nurse Joy, who was sitting with her assistants at the main desk in the lounge. She turned off most of the lights, and pressed a few buttons at her console. Immediately after the room was plunged into low light, a wall display came down from where Kevin was sitting, and showed what looked like a map for Gravitation City. Kevin stood up and took his place next to the display as he explained the situation.

?Ok now that you know who Team Zodiac and the CPSA are, I can continue. Like I said earlier when we first came here, Team Zodiac has sealed off both major entrances. The first entrance is the one from the Milky Way Mountains, here,? Kevin pointed to the north side of the map, ?by creating several avalanches with ice pokemon by Route 5, which leads to this city. You can?t get through route on foot because of the avalanches, it would take too long to travel on the mountains themselves, and flying types wouldn?t last long in the snowy air. The second entrance is the harbor on the Sea of Tranquility,? Kevin pointed to the south end of the map, ?Team Zodiac has created icebergs in a tight circle around Gravitation harbor, making it impossible for any ship to get though.?

?Now, the only way to get to Gravitation is by flying, either over the ice bergs or over the rocky mountains to the east of Gravitation,? Kevin pointed to the east end of the map, ?But Team Zodiac have trainers with rock, ice and electric pokemon around these points. As you know, flying types are weak against these pokemon, so it?s impossible to get into the city now.? Lilith interrupted,

?Hey, can?t psychics teleport here? I mean, I?ve heard that the power of teleportation in quite common among psychics. So why don?t the CPSA send their psychics in?? Kevin shook his head sadly,

?You?ve got a point, Lilith, but consider this: There are few psychics in the world; Even fewer are in the CPSA, since they only take best trainers in. At most, I?d say the CPSA have around 50 psychics in their force. Supposing they all know how to teleport, they would be quickly apprehended by Team Zodiac. Also consider that Team Zodiac have probably developed machinery that cancels psychic power anyway.? Lilith hung her head sadly. Kevin looked at her sympathetically,

?I know what you?re feeling, Lilith. But we?re going to be the ones making the difference here.? he said fiercely. Everyone perked up on this, ?As I said, we?re going to fight Team Zodiac. There are about 90 Zodiac agents patrolling the city, another 50 as anti-flying sentinels and another 30 stationed at the Constellation Industries building. Here?s what we?re going to do,? Kevin drew two squares on the display he was standing next to; one next to the harbor, and the other near the rocky mountains. He labeled each square with the number ?100?, ?Like I said, 200 trainers around the city are willing to fight Team Zodiac. Half of them will head towards the harbour to take out the anti-flying defences there, while the other half will deal with the agents near the mountains. Remember how I said there were 12 CPSA agents here? 5 will lead the Harbour group, while the other 5 will lead the mountain group.? A nerdy looking 13 year old kid sitting near the back interrupted,

?Uhh, Kevin? Where are these trainers coming from? I mean, if they make their way to wherever they?re going to, they?re likely to be captured by the Zodiac patrols.? Kevin considered the question, and nodded,

?You raise a good point. But don?t worry, the people who sent SMS messages to me say that the trainers who are going to fight are located in the same apartments, and all the CPSA agents are in those apartments as well. They?re going to leave the apartment in groups, so they will easily overcome any patrol that comes across them. And they have cars, so most will travel to their destination quite easily.? The audience seemed reassured with the response, so Kevin continued,

?Once the anti-flying defences are down, the CPSA agents will SMS the rest of the CPSA force waiting on the other side of the mountains, to make their move. They?ll also contact me. After they?ve secured these two points, their job is to hold out until the CPSA arrives and finishes Zodiac off. As for us?we have a different job.? Everyone strained to hear with what Kevin had to say, Lilith was eager in particular. Kevin broke the suspense by crying out,

?We?re going to rescue the psychics!? Whispers broke among the group, but they all sounded assertive. Lilith, in particular, looked excited,

Oh Louis?I am going to rescue you?please, hold on a little longer. It must be about 6 hours since they captured you?we?ll be there soon?

Kevin continued, ?Outside this building is an underground tunnel that leads to several places around the city. One such tunnel exit is located near our city?s Gym, which itself is located near the Constellation Industries Building. We?re going to take a side entrance in, and look for the psychics in the building. After we find them, we?ll try to secure the building, or if we?re in no position to do so, to escape. But I?d rather we didn?t escape, the Constellation building is probably where high ranking Zodiac members are located in. If we capture them, and we have the means to do so if we act as a team, we?ll deliver a serious blow to the Zodiac members here and throughout Cosmo itself..? Lilith raised her hand,

?I think I understand everything. But one question, though: When is this attack going to take place?? Kevin smirked in anticipation.

?Tomorrow night. But,? he said suddenly, ?If you don?t want to fight alongside us, I will completely understand. What we are doing is dangerous, especially for the younger trainers. So if you feel scared or you think you can?t do it, Nurse Joy and her assistants will look after you-? Kevin stopped. He saw the determined looks on all the trainers? faces, from the 12 year old starters, to the 17 year olds, from the experienced trainers to his Gym trainers. He smiled,

?Thank you. I can only pray that the psychics can hold out until tomorrow night.?


[6th Day, Level 3 ? Chemical Lab, 2:30am]

Louis woke with a start. The last thing he remembered was talking to Cassandra and then holding her while she cried. He couldn?t blame her, since this was a stressing situation for anyone. He realised that he was in the bottom bunk of his cell, lying against the wall.

Huh? Where?s Cassandra?

Something brushed against Louis? right arm; that something was a left arm belonging to beautiful psychic named Cassandra. The purple haired young woman was sleeping peacefully, unlike Louis, she wasn?t lying against the wall, but rather was lying normally in the bunk. Louis, needing a moment to process this information, suddenly blushed furiously

Man, I am the luckiest mofo alive! Yesterday night it was Lilith, now it?s Cassandra! Someone up there must love me!...Eh, what I am thinking? I can?t let my hormones cloud my judgement now! But?she?s so beautiful. Even after she?s cried herself to sleep, she would put any goddess to shame. Any guy would kill to be in my position right now. She?she cried yesterday. She?s afraid, like me. But she told me that she relied on me, not the other way around! I?have to be strong. She depends on me, so I?ll do my best to get us out of this mess

Carefully leaving the bunk so as not to disturb Cassandra, Louis got to his feet and approached the door to his cell. There was a plate of what looked like plain biscuits and two small cups of water in front of the sliding gap on the door.

This must be the food. This isn?t a lot?so I?ll just drink one cup of water and leave the rest to Cassandra. I can last without food, but I don?t know about her?

Louis carefully picked up one of the cups and inspected it carefully, as if he half expected it to blow up in his face. Confident that there weren?t any explosives on the cup, Louis took a small sip?

Hey?this isn?t bad. I guess they go the water from the dispensers around the building?

After finishing the water and throwing the cup into the nearby rubbish bin, Louis inspected the door. There were no peep holes to look through, and the slide looked like it opened on the other side. The only way to look out was through the air vents. Getting to his knees, Louis twisted his head and looked out of the vents. He was surprised at the sight that met his eyes.

The lab was completely empty. Although the machines and chemicals were still there, there seemed to be no sign of life anywhere. Louis thought that Zodiac would?ve at least placed some guards in front of their cells, but he supposed that there was no need since they can?t use their psychic powers because of the dampener in front of their cells. Sighing, he was about to get back to the bunk when a young, boyish voice caught his attention,

?Louis? You there?? Louis blinked in surprise,

?Hey, is that you, Daniel?? There was a small chuckle made by the other voice,

?Yeah, it?s me, in the flesh. How are you and Cassandra holding up?? There was a genuine tone of concern in Daniel?s voice,

?I?m fine, but Cassandra?s taking it hard. I tried to comfort her; I guess she?s scared. How about you and Athena??

?I?m ok too, but I don?t know about Athena. As soon as we got thrown in here she didn?t say anything. She just moved off to the top bunk and slept. She only came down to use the toilet; hell, she didn?t even eat!? There was a hint of frustration in Daniel?s voice. Louis narrowed his eyes at this

Hmm?could it be??

?Hey, she must be taking it hard like Cassandra. Just try talking to her in the morning, I bet she?ll be ok.?

?Yeah, I?ll give that a shot.? There was a momentary silence,

?Louis? You still there??

?Yeah.? Daniel?s reply seemed somewhat apprehensive,

?I?I overheard the guards talking before they left tonight. They said that?the experiments will begin tomorrow evening, starting with the youngest ones. That means me and Athena?? Louis swore under his breath

?What the hell?!?

?You heard me. Hey, Louis, if you got any ideas, I?d sure like to know them?? Daniel?s voice trailed off. Louis shook his head,

?I don?t. But believe me; I?m trying to think of some way to get out of this mess. Try to get some sleep; if we?re lucky, I?ll try and speak to you if I can??

?Ok?you?re the boss. G?night, Louis.? There was the sound of someone walking, and then the sound of a body lying on a bunk. Louis stood up from his spot and made his way back to the bottom bunk of his cell, where Cassandra was sleeping. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took a look at Cassandra?s form. The 20 year old was still in her white blouse and tight purple bike pants. Her silky purple hair framed her pale, oval shaped face like a purple crown. A slight perversion hit Louis, and his eyes travelled towards the psychic?s ample bosoms, which were rising and falling with each breath.

Wow?that?s gotta be a D-cup, at least. Huh?! What am I doing?!?

Ashamed, Louis closed his eyes and mentally berated himself for the deed. As honourable as he thought he was, sometimes his male instincts would kick in. Sighing tiredly, he moved across the bunk, over Cassandra?s legs, and took a spot lying against the wall. After settling in and covering him and Cassandra with the blanket, he once again took at look at Cassandra?s sleeping form, and smiled

I hope you are having good dreams?because after what happened, you?ll really need them?

Cassandra was indeed dreaming, but it was one of her life and how a newbie trainer from Alpha town came into her life?
 
Cassandra, although she by no means had a traumatised childhood, was still plagued by memories of her early life. She remembered that she had a loving mother and father, and when she was 5, her father left to go on a pokemon journey, which was his dream. She and her mother supported him all the way, and when it seemed that Cassandra?s father was about to enter the Pokemon League, something happened.

Her father disappeared off the face the earth.

Her mother tried desperately to locate her missing husband, but no success. He was either dead, amnesic, or had left the family permanently. Cassandra?s mother was not broken by this; she raised her daughter a single mother, and thanks to her job as a doctor, the two lived a comfortable lifestyle. However, that didn?t mean that Cassandra and her mother didn?t miss her father; the two were always hoping beyond hope that he would return.

When Cassandra was 7, she realised that she was no ordinary child. On a cloudy summer day, she and her school friends were playing in the school sand box when some upper class girls began to bully Cassandra?s friends. One of them started to cry, and yet the bullies laughed at her. Cassandra was angered by this, and at that moment, wanted nothing more than for the bullies to go away. In her desperation, she unconsciously wished for the bullies to go away. She was surprised, to say the least, when the bully in front of her went flying backwards, yet Cassandra didn?t touch her. She later found out that she was a psychic. That itself was rare, but Cassandra was a true psychic, a psychic that didn?t need the presence of pokemon to use psychic powers.

Had Cassandra been an adept psychic, things would?ve been ok. She would?ve at least been interesting to people, if not admired. However, things started to change. While her friends never left her, and her mother supported her as always, other people began to treat Cassandra differently. Her other classmates always treated Cassandra as someone different, someone never to anger or else she would strike without warning. A psychic adept would need their pokemon to use their powers, so one could always be prepared. But since Cassandra was a true psychic, many thought she was a ticking time bomb, ready to blow up in a second. She, in their eyes, was not normal. She couldn?t understand why they would accept psychic adepts, but reject true psychics. No matter what her friends and mother said, Cassandra always felt demoralised at school.

The psychic community of Cosmo was more supportive; they were proud to have a true psychic in their midst. The leader of Omega City Gym, Elena, took Cassandra under her personal wing and taught her many psychic abilities. It wasn?t long until Cassandra surpassed Elena herself in terms of ability and power. While true psychics were usually more powerful than an adept, Cassandra seemed to boast incredible potential. While she was admired at first, as soon as word of Cassandra?s incredible powers went around, some of the psychics began to resent her ability. They didn?t outright fear or avoid her like her classmates, but they displayed their resentment by their negative auras that Cassandra felt when she was around them. Now her own brethren were turning against her. Thus, Cassandra?s bitter feelings began to awaken.

When she entered high school at 12, Cassandra realised she was maturing. She knew herself, along with what her mother and friends said, that she was beautiful. She didn?t flaunt her beauty; she just accepted it as a part of herself. However, she always noticed the hungry stares of boys when they looked at her, that is, the boys that didn?t consider her as an outsider because of her true psychic status in the first place. She then swore off boys until the day she found the right guy for her. Despite her friends? pleas to date, Cassandra was adamant in her decision. At 17, she finished high school and left on her pokemon journey. Her life of being different to status quo had changed her. She was still kind and friendly, but occasionally her pride would kick in when she felt threatened by others. She would use her charm to get her way, and her status as a true psychic to intimidate her foes. In other words, her pride was slowly shifting into arrogance; she had made emotional walls around herself. Her goal was to become a psychic pokemon master, just like Sabrina of Saffron and Will of the Elite 4. She had the pokemon; she had the badges, and competed in the Cosmo tournament twice, coming in the top 16 in each one. This was her third year as a trainer, and probably her last, as she wanted to enter university and attend to her new job. However, this time around was different.

She had met Louis.

At first, she thought Louis was your typical chauvinistic pig: after all, he rode around in a sports car when they first met, and she noticed that he would occasionally look below her neck during their conversations. And thus, she treated Louis as your typical guy lusting after her: she would lure him with her charm, then blow him off. And so, when the two met on the way to Ceres Village, she decided to make her move.

But she didn?t.

She didn?t know why she hesitated during the trip. She knew she had him around her little finger; the way he blushed was way too obvious. But why didn?t she do anything? Maybe it was Louis? playful, almost innocent smile whenever he dealt with his pokemon. Maybe it was his focus and tactical mind whenever he battled. She wasn?t sure, in Ceres she took some time off to think about her opinion of Louis. During her little self-retrospection, her Alakazam had informed her of the ?events? of when they first met. Then she heard the mental cry of a Kirlia, joining a trainer ? Louis. But this cry was one of understanding, as if the Kirlia was happy that her new trainer could understand her. Realising that Louis had no psychic pokemon before that moment, Cassandra put two and two together.

Louis?he was a true psychic!

It was if the arrogant walls that Cassandra had made for herself had begun to break. Louis already filled out the criteria of her perfect guy: one that was kind, friendly and had similar interests to her. The fact that he was pretty good looking also did wonders for Cassandra?s evaluation. But discovering that Louis was a true psychic was what made Cassandra joyful. The type of guy she?s always wanted?was also a kindred spirit, one that would understand what she went through as being a minority within a minority. And so, the slightly cold Cassandra began to warm up to the unknowing Louis. She began by teaching him empathy, a psychic ability, but this ended in disaster. He had forced her to re-live one of her worst memories of her life, the evolution of her starter Abra. This particular memory was probably one notch below the disappearance of Cassandra?s father in terms of anguish. But what really got Cassandra upset was the apparent mastery Louis was displaying, not just as a psychic, but also as trainer. She was afraid that Louis would no longer need her, and rather than get hurt, she re-built her walls and pushed Louis away. For a moment, she though she had done the right thing, but she quickly realised she did not. It seemed too late to get Louis back, and she felt like falling apart. Her dream guy who also shared her gift, she had pushed him away. Her walls began to grown and strengthen once more until something broke through it.

Louis broke it again.

He did it when he apologised. Unlike other people in the past, he had not apologised out of courtesy, or to get into Cassandra?s good books, or because he was afraid of Cassandra?s powers. No, he apologised because he truly felt sorry for what he did, although technically it was her own fault for not teaching him right. She became joyous once more when Louis said they were friends again. The only thing was that the not-so-innocent part of her mind wanted to be more than ?friends.? It didn?t matter that he was 3 years younger; she wanted to win him over. She knew he was the ?one?. Unfortunately, something made a massive dent in her plans.

That something was Lilith Arashi.

She and Louis joined up with her in the Milky Way Mountains. Cassandra immediately saw the love the girl had for Louis in her eyes, when they met. What was even worse was that during the stay in the pokemon centre in Route 5, she had discovered that they were long-time friends. Instinctively acting like a lioness defending her mate, Cassandra made plans. So did Lilith, by the looks of it. They had revealed to each other the feelings they had for the clueless idiot, and came to an uneasy truce: they didn?t want to upset Louis by arguing, and so they decided that Louis was free game until he chose one of them. So far, Lilith had made a strong opening attack on Louis during their stay in Gravitation, but Cassandra knew that it was her time to make a counter-attack and stake her claims on Louis?

Louis was feeling slightly drowsy; he wanted to sleep, soon. He looked at Cassandra, and was sure that he saw a cunning smile on her luscious lips. Yawning, Louis wished that he could practice his telekinesis, but with the psychic dampener outside his cell, he knew that this was impossible. Looking at the rubbish bin in the cell, he imagined that he was pushing it around, like the pot plant in the pokemon centre in Gravitation City.

If he was looking more carefully, he would?ve seen the cup he threw in the bin move around?Louis kept thinking for a few more minutes, before sleep overtook him.


[6th Day, Level ? Chemical Lab, 8:30am]

Louis woke with a start. He looked around, confused. He should have been sleeping against the wall on the bottom bunk, but he found himself lying down on the bunk as normal. A quick thought sprang to Louis? head,

Huh? But where?where is Cassandra?

?Good morning, sleepyhead??

Louis turned his head and saw Cassandra, standing over him. Unlike yesterday, when she was crying, now she looked normal. One could even say she was looking happy, which was quite a feat considering the fact that Cassandra and Louis were in a cell. Cassandra, although her clothes looked dishevelled and her hair messy, smiled at Louis with true happiness,

?I?m glad to see you awake, Louis.? Louis yawned slightly,

?What am I doing, lying like this? I was supposed to be watching over you?? Cassandra waved her hand dismissively,

?You did all I need yesterday night, Louis. You made me happy when I was comfortable. You deserve to rest easy,? Cassandra wrinkled her nose, ?I notice that the food there hasn?t been touched. You aren?t hungry, Louis?? she asked. Louis shook his head

?I can go without food. I need only water. You can have the rest, since I don?t know how long you?ll last without it.? he replied. Cassandra looked surprised; she was about to protest when Louis raised his hand, effectively shutting Cassandra up. Louis sat on the edge of the bunk, while at the same time Cassandra took the plate of biscuits and extra cup of water and took a seat next to Louis. No words were exchanged as she munched on the snacks. The food wasn?t exactly delicious, but it filled Cassandra up. When she had finished and swallowed the water, she turned to look at Louis,

?What were you doing yesterday evening? Although I was asleep, I could?ve sworn I felt something moving around my legs.? she asked curiously. Louis? heart took a sudden leap; what the hell was she implying?!

?Cassandra, wha-wha what are you talking about?! I swear, I did nothing! I was only trying to watch over you! I swear, I never did what I think you think I did!!!? Louis cried in shock. Cassandra?s indigo coloured eyes showed confusion at first, but when she understood what happened, she began to laugh. This calmed Louis somewhat, because it signalled to him that Cassandra not only found Louis? claims funny, but also that she did not lose all of vibrant personality. Cassandra tilted her head to the side as she replied cheerfully,

?Hmm, you have such a dirty mind, Lou-?

?But you started it!? stuttered Louis. Cassandra smiled,

?But I never implied anything. All I asked was what you did. That is all. But I am glad, at least, you understood some of my sentence,? she said in good humour. Louis smiled in stupidity, but Cassandra returned a warm smile of her own, ?You looked after me, even when I thought that most men would?ve, how do you say, taken advantage of me?? Louis looked horrified,

?But I would never?!? he cried, aghast,

?I never said you did. Louis, sometimes I think you assume too much. But all the same, I thank you.?

Louis and Cassandra spent the rest of the day talking, not just about their situation, but also psychic powers. Cassandra told Louis that, if they should get out of this situation alive, she would relay to him all the secrets of psychics.

[6th Day, Pokemon Centre, 3:00pm]

The trainers, especially Lilith, were getting restless in the pokemon centre. The ?plan? as it was referred to, was to take effect in 4 hours, at around 7:30. Kevin told the trainers that the cover of night would be beneficial for them, fighting and moving around in daylight was too obvious. The trainers spent the day in fierce anticipation; if they weren?t talking about battling strategies, they were checking their pokemon. Kevin had taken care of Athena and Daniel?s pokemon; Kaori had taken care of Cassandra? pokemon and of course, Lilith took care of Louis? pokemon. Right now, the beautiful Japanese girl was giving an important talk to Louis? pokemon. She had released them, and although she couldn?t understand pokemon talk, she knew that the pokemon could understand her. Torchic, Pidgeotto, Kirlia, Pikachu and Bulbasaur were shocked, to say the least. They took the loss of their trainer extremely hard; especially Torchic, who was Louis? first pokemon. Bulbasaur, Louis? new pokemon, also look quite upset since he never got a chance to know his new trainer very well. Lilith stroked Bulbasaur?s elastic skin with her cr?me coloured hand as she reassured them that they would rescue him soon. After making sure they were all fully healed, Lilith went off for some of her own private time,

No matter what happens, I will rescue you, Louis. Then I will tell you how I feel about you. I already wasted time by letting Cassandra get the best of me, but not anymore. I?I can feel that your emotions are conflicting when you are close to me. Does that mean?you might feel the same??


[7:30pm]

The stage was set. Kevin had communicated extensively with the CPSA agents and trainers within the city. They were all ready to fight, for their home city. The apartments containing these trainers had cars full of trainers, ready to move out as soon as Kevin gave the word. The trainers within the pokemon centre, on the other hand, were fighting to defeat those who terrorised them, and to save the psychics who had given their freedom to protect them. Among Kevin, Kaori and his gym trainers, Lilith stood also, ready to fight. Kevin gave one last briefing,

?Ok, this it. Here?s what will happen. 100 of the trainers will set off to the harbour and take out the 25 Zodiac sentinels there. They will be led by 5 of the CPSA agents. The other group of 100 will fight the other 25 sentinels at the eastern mountain range, led by another 5 CPSA agents. We will leave the pokemon centre, and enter the underground passage just around Vermillion street,? Kevin pointed to the street visible outside the pokemon centre?s doors, which was now clear of the barricades, ?We?ll make our way through the tunnels, and leave the exit by my gym. It will then be a 5 minute walk to the Constellation Industries building.

Once we?re inside, we?ll need to take control of the ground floor. There are 50 of us here, so there will be no problems, hopefully. Me, my gym trainers, Kaori, Lilith and Richard will look for Louis, Cassandra, Athena and Daniel while the rest of you hold the ground floor. With your combined numbers, even the superior pokemon and training of the Zodiacs will be defeated. Once we have freed the psychics, Me, Kaori and 8 of my gym trainers will go up the left stairwell while Lilith, Richard, my other two gym trainers and the 6 trainers I named will move up the right stairwell,? he said in a tight voice as he looked at the said trainers, ?in an attempt to get to the top level, where the high ranking Zodiac commanders are. If we are lucky, we will capture them with our numbers.? There was a general murmur of approval and even some whispers of glory that awaited them. Kevin shook his head as heard these whispers,

?Remember, we aren?t here to drive out Team Zodiac. Our only goal is to hold off the Zodiacs until the CPSA come in and finish them off.? With this, Kevin took out his mobile phone, rapidly pressed a few buttons, and finally pressed the ?send? button.?

Meanwhile, in the ?Pinkerton?, ?Highland?, ?Grey Court? and ?Smith? apartments, the trainers of Gravitation city, alongside the CPSA agents stationed there, were anxiously waiting for the SMS message to begin. The trainers exchanged apprehensive glances, as the thought of battle loomed over their head. Even though some looked shaken, every one of them wanted to protect their city. Everyone, from regular League trainers, to hairdressers, businessmen, students, scientists and plumbers were anxiously awaiting for the signal.
 
The signal came when one of the CPSA agent?s mobile phone went off.

With this, the CPSA agents and trainer began to move into the underground garages of their respective buildings. Here, the trainers began loading into the cars of those who owned one. Within minutes, all 212 trainers had a place in a car. After some quick SMS messaging between the agents and Kevin, the cars began to move out of the garages and into the streets, with order and haste?

It was a partially cloudy night in Gravitation City. The moon was full, and due to the steel structure of the buildings Gravitation was famous for, the moonlight gave them a strangely silver, ethereal shine. The streets were empty, as they have been for almost a week, save for the occasional three man Zodiac patrol that walked the streets, pokeballs at the ready. Never, in their wildest dreams, did the patrols think that the citizens of Gravitation would stage an uprising; they had thought that they, ?Team Zodiac? had frightened them into submission. So they did not expect anything would happen that night. The trainers, on the other hand, tried to avoid picking any premature fights. So once the majority of the cars had reached the road, several of the trainers released some flying pokemon to scout for them. The flying types stealthily told their respective trainers which direction Zodiac patrols would be coming, and with some quick SMS messaging, the cars managed to avoid the patrols by taking alternate routes. Soon, the two fleets of cars had managed to weave around the city and station themselves a few blocks away from where their target group of sentinels were. Quickly, and quietly, the trainers left the cars and sneaked up on the unknowing sentinels, but they did not attack.

Quickly, the CPSA agents SMSed Kevin and told him that everything was set, and that two of their agents were making their way to the Constellation Industries building to await them. As soon as Kevin had received the messages, he quickly wrote back a quick message to the agents, for them to wait. After sending the message, Kevin beckoned the other trainers within the pokemon centre to follow him. Making sure the coast was clear, Kevin and the other 49 trainers left the pokemon centre and quickly made their way to the underground passage Kevin had mentioned. He ushered the trainers inside, before entering himself. After closing the entrance, he led the trainers through the tunnel, guided by the flashlight he brought along. Some of the younger trainers looked somewhat frightened by the otherwise dark tunnel, but the older female trainers, including Lilith, gave them words of encouragement, although it remains to be seen if they were really comforting the young ones, or themselves. After what seemed to be a half hour journey, Kevin pointed to the ladder that led to the exit. He got a few of his own trainers to climb the ladder and open the exit, to see if the coast was clear first. After the trainers had given the ?all clear? signal, Kevin then begun the task of moving the trainers out of the tunnel, and back onto the streets. This took about 10 minutes.

Back on the streets, Kevin reassembled the trainers into a tight group, and led them into the shadow of the massive pokemon gym beside the tunnel exit. Lilith spent a moment to took at it. In terms of design, it was identical to Pulsar Gym, but she could easily see, despite the darkness and low light, the metallic barricades covering the gym, as well as the reinforced windows. She couldn?t help but think that the gym would?ve been a safer place to stay with all that armour. She snapped out of her funk when a trainer tapped her on the shoulder and told her that they were moving out. As they moved towards the Constellation building which loomed ahead, Lilith sworn that she caught a longing look in Kevin?s eyes as he looked at his gym. This was soon forgotten, however, when the group had finally reached the Constellation skyscraper. Luckily for them, there weren?t any patrols in the area at the moment, so the group split into two and took up positions near the side entrances of the building. On one side, Kevin released his Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop, in order to break down the doors on his side. On the other, Kaori had her Polywrath and Hariyama positioned to do the same thing. The trainers behind the two had their pokeballs in their hands, ready to release them in a moment. Kevin quickly SMSed Kaori and told her to hold. He then SMSed the Gravitation trainers waiting at the harbour and mountains.

The trainers stationed at the harbour, while waiting for Kevin?s message to attack, took a look at their opponents. The Zodiac agents clearly had pokeballs on them, but most importantly, they already had some of their pokemon out and about. Dewgong, Walrein and a single Gyrados swam around the harbour, while some Manectric and Raichu patrolled the wharf. The trainers stationed near the mountains, on the other hand, had some slightly different opponents that were under the Zodiac sentinel?s command. While the base of the mountains were patrolled by electric types like Jolteon and Magneton, rock types were present, not ice types. Some of the trainer noted the various Golem, Armaldo and a single Tyrannitar.

Suddenly, the mobile phones of the CPSA agents went off, in silent mode of course. All of them received the same message from Kevin,

NOW!

The 5 CPSA agents of the harbour group grinned to each other as they turned to face the Gravitation trainers, who were waiting anxiously for the command. They nodded together as everyone drew out their pokeballs. They quietly approached their targets, so that they were within eyesight. Already, some of the Manectric running around the wharves began to sniff the air suspiciously, although their trainers didn?t notice. The highest ranking CPSA agent there, a sergeant, raised his hand which was clutching a pokeball, and bellowed out a single command,

?ATTACK!!!?

The loud cry caught the attention of the Zodiac agents in the harbour, and they turned to find the source of the voice. What greeted them, shocked them.

Scores of pokemon trainers were standing in the distance, all holding their pokeballs at the ready. When the sergeant pointed his hand at the Zodiac agents, they threw pokeballs as one group. The masses of pokeballs, great balls and ultra balls whistled through the air like a storm of arrows approaching an enemy army, before legions of pokemon burst out with flashes of light. Every type of pokemon conceivable, from Caterpie to Ledian, from Umbreon to Pelipper ran/crawled/galloped/flew towards the stunned Zodiac agents Their respective trainers followed them, making sure they don?t lose sight of their pokemon. Within a moment, the Zodiac agents had recovered their wits. Releasing their own pokemon as well as directing the anti-air types towards the approaching mass of pokemon, the Zodiacs advanced into the battle as well. It seemed like an eternity, as the two pokemon armies approached each other, with their trainers right behind them. But battle was inevitable. A Zodiac Aggron and a trainer?s Sceptile ran to each other and began to exchange Steel Tails and Leaf Blades, and their trainers began to issue commands. Everyone knew there was no turning back.

The battle for Gravitation City had begun.

A similar situation had arose with the mountain sentinels. They too, were locked into battle with the Gravitation trainers that had ambushed them. Although the east Gravitation mountains didn?t snow, powerful gusts of wind chilled the bodies of the combatants, both human and pokemon. However, the Zodiac sentinels at the mountains (and the harbour) knew they were outnumbered. There were far too many trainers for them to handle. At one side, a Zodiac Golem fainted after a Totodile fired a massive Water Gun burst at it, which was followed up by a Pikachu?s Thunder. Back in the harbour, a Raichu was tackled to the ground by a Machoke while a Walrein succumbed to the punishing Razor Leaf of its opponent Ivysaur. The Zodiac sergeants of both groups of sentinels were rapidly exchanging messages on their communicators,

?What the hell is going on??

?You tell me! We?re under attack by trainers!?

?Hey, so are we! What are they doing??

?I don?t know, but the only reason why we?re holding out is because not all of the trainer?s pokemon can strike ours at once, because the wharves here are narrow!?

?Hey, we?re getting overwhelmed here! One of my men just lost his Tyrannitar, and it was one of our strongest pokemon!?

?How many are attacking you?!?

?About 100 or so trainers are here! WAIT! Some are in CPSA uniform!?

?****! What are they doing here??

?I don?t, and I don?t care! Me and my force can?t stay here. Our pokemon are going down fast! We have to retreat!?

?We have no choice either! We?ll send a message to the commander as soon as we get out of here!?

?We need to round up every patrol to assist us! That?s the only way we?ll stand a chance!?

?Alright. Get your men and pokemon, and spread out into the city!?

?Affirmative! I?ll send the message to the commander as soon as the retreat gets underway.?

With that, the sergeant of the sentinels at the East Gravitation mountains punched in a few buttons in his communicator, which activated the communicator of every agent under his command,

?Retreat! Fall back into the city and join up with any patrol you find!? With that, every agent stopped battling, returned their pokemon (both active and faint) back to their pokeballs, and began to run. The trainers, not expecting this, could only watch in bewilderment as the Zodiac agents fled into the city. Realising what was going on, the Gravitation trainers cheered. The CPSA agents leading them then commanded the trainers to give pursuit.

At the harbour, the situation was almost identical. Every Zodiac packed up and ran. The Gravitation trainers also gave chase to them, although some returned their fainted pokemon first. The Zodiac sergeant of the harbour sentinels, running alongside his men, cried out,

?Split up! Divide their numbers!? With this, the agents took random directions as they escaped into the city. The sergeant himself managed to run into an alleyway, escaping his pursuers. After catching his breath, he activated his communicator and established a connection with the Zodiac commander,

?What is it, Sergeant Walker?? the commander?s voice asked impatiently

?Sir, there?s been a problem. My sentinels have been attacked by Gravitation trainers!? was the sergeant?s frantic reply

?What did you say?!?

?My for-?

?I heard what you said. Why is this happening?!?

?I think the citizens are mounting a resistance! The sentinels under Sergeant Hawkins were also attacked! We?ve had to fall back into the city!?

?Why did you do that, you fool?!?

?Sir, we are vastly outnumbered 4 to 1, and they have CPSA among their ranks! Hawkins tells me his situation is similar. There is no way we could stay and do anything of use. Our only hope is to disperse their numbers and to pick them off with the help of the patrols.?

?Humph! Very well, do so. If it is possible, drive them towards our building, you know where it is. I will deal with these upstarts myself.? With that, the commander closed the communication. Sergeant Walker de-activated his communicator, and left the alleyway. He managed to join up with a Zodiac patrol, which seemed to be already informed of the situation. Apparently, Sergent Hawkins had sent the message to every patrol in the city to fight, and word got around fast. Walker and the patrols got their taste of combat soon enough, when a group of 6 trainers approached them. Soon enough, pokeballs flew; pokemon were unleashed; and attacks were being exchanged. The city had burst into utter mayhem; fights were being conducted all around the city. There were no longer any battle lines; rather, the fighting had been shifted into smaller duels between the 200 trainers and the combined force of 140 Zodiac patrol agents and sentinels.

One of the CPSA agents, currently not in a battle, took this time to send a SMS message to Kevin, informing him of the events that had transpired. Kevin SMSed the agent back, telling him to get the main CPSA force waiting on the other side of the East Gravitation Mountains to move out. The agent did as he was told. Quickly, he typed up a message and pressed the ?send? button?

On the other side of the East Gravitation Mountains, lay what looked like a makeshift army base. A sea of tents, erected in an orderly manner, covered the rocky grounds. Pokemon, especially ice, rock and ground types, wandered around the base aimlessly. Some transport helicopters were situated near the edges of the base. But most importantly of all, CPSA agents were walking around the base, talking in groups, tending to their pokemon or thinking. Like the Zodiacs, the CPSA agents were dressed similarly: dark blue pants, dark blue jumpsuits and a forehead protector. Their symbol was a pokeball, with two swords crossed behind it. Under this sign were the words in a fancy banner: To Protect Pokemon And Mankind. Currently, in the main tent, the upper echelons of the CPSA were currently in discussion about the state of Gravitation City, when the Major in charge?s mobile phone went off. Bewildered, he opened it up and read the message the agent in the city sent him:

SENTINELS DOWN. MOVE IN!

Taking a moment to register this, the Major leaped to his feet and called the attention of the officers. In a voice that barely masked his glee, he announced,

?Ok ladies and gentlemen, our counterparts in the city have managed to take down the anti-flying pokemon defences.? There were gasps of surprise at this, ?Load our agents onto the ?choppers and move them into the city. Those with flying pokemon, ride into the city and provide assistance to our forces there, as well as the town people. Let?s move out!? With this, the formerly sleepy base burst into action as the CPSA agents prepared to move out.

Meanwhile, Kevin and the pokemon centre trainers waiting at the Constellation Industries Building had just received the news that the anti-flying sentinels had fallen. Now the main body of CPSA could move in! Kevin then SMSed Kaori, who waited on the side of the building, to begin their own plan. After giving the signal, the two gym trainers began the assault on the Constellation Industries Building,

?Hitmonchan! Mega Punch! Hitmonlee! High Jump Kick! Hitmontop! Mega Kick! Aim for the door!? roared Kevin. His three pokemon rushed in to fulfil their trainer?s commands. Hitmonchan reared his left fist and delivered a punishing left hook towards the door. As soon as the punching pokemon finished the attack, a crack formed in the metal door, which was a fire exit. Hitmonlee leaped towards the door, right after Hitmonchan gave way, right foot first in a flying kick. The long leg of the kicking fiend struck the door hard and the force of the blow caused the cracks to spread and disintegrate, forming a hole in the door. Finally, Hitmontop advanced towards the broken door, upside down, with its three legs spinning with the force of a hurricane. When the deadly feet struck the door, it was blown away with the force of the impact. Hitmontop got back onto its feet and rejoined its trainer. Kevin pointed towards the gaping hole and yelled,

?It?s open! Let?s go!? With that, he rushed into the building, with his three pokemon in close pursuit. The other trainers followed suit, pokeballs in their hands. After rushing through the darkened passageway of the fire exit, the trainers found themselves in the vast lobby of the Constellation Industries Building. There were workers there, looking frightened, but this turned into shock when their eyes fell upon Kevin and his crew. About 12 Zodiac agents were stationed at the lobby, and they too were shocked. They were reaching for their pokeballs when the fire exits opposite to the one Kevin use burst open. Emerging from it was Kaori, her Polywrath, her Hariyama, Lilith, Richard and the rest of the trainers. They too, had their pokeballs at the ready. Seeing the surprise they had sprung on the agents, the trainers released their pokemon. The lobby was illuminated with white light as pokemon emerged from their pokeballs. Fighting types, mainly from Kevin?s posse of gym trainers took their place in front of their trainers. Starter pokemon like Charmander, Totodile and Treeko looked ready to rumble as they growled menacingly at the Zodiac agents. Lilith herself released her Mudkip and Flaafy together, intending to battle with two pokemon. Thus, the trainers with their pokemon advanced towards the Zodiac force, which had huddled together at the centre of the lobby. The Zodiac agents, finally shaking off their surprise, released their pokemon. An assortment of high levelled and evolved pokemon greeted the trainer?s pokemon. Unlike Team Rocket, who used poison, ground and fighting pokemon and Teams Magma and Aqua, who specialised in fire and water pokemon respectively, Team Zodiac used pokemon of all types. One agent was looking at his Hypno in anticipation. Another agent?s Houndoom growled fiercely. Another agent was whispering orders to his volatile looking Kingdra. This sight would?ve shaken even the toughest trainers, but the pokemon Kevin and his friends faced in particular sent chills up their spine.

They were all shiny?

Please feel free to review, if you wish
 
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