TEEN: Pokémon: Shadows of an Era

[Maxite]

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to the world of Pokémon. I am Fir, but many people refer to me as a Pokémon Professor. Before I continue any further, I need to direct your attention to a few things.

First, this story may contain elements that some people might find objectionable. This includes but is not limited to: mild language, cartoon violence, and mild sexual content.

Now, are you a boy or a girl? ... Why are you looking at me like I'm crazy? ... Of course my eyes are working, don't mock me just for making sure. Now what is your name? ... Oh, of course! How could I have forgotten!

It appears that there are a few saves available. Which save would you like to load and play:
i - Prologue - [Continue Reading]
1 - Letters and Numbers - [Load Save]
2 - Friends and Rivals - [Load Save]
3 - Beneath the Shadow Skies - [Load Save]
4 - Prepare for Trouble - [Coming Soon]
5 - And Make it Double! - [Coming Soonish]
6 - TBA - [Coming Eventually]

Anyways, sorry to have gotten so sidetracked. This world is inhabited far and wide by creatures that are referred to as Pokémon. Each one is unique, and it seems like every few years more are being discovered.

We live alongside these Pokémon. Sometimes they serve as casual companions, and other times they are competitive rivals in battle. I prefer to study Pokémon, investigating their ability to use items and tools. Despite our closeness with Pokémon, there is much we have yet to learn about them.

Aha! I almost forgot, I have an item for you: a Town Map. This may prove useful in your adventure, which is just now beginning!

Spoiler

---

Ah yes, I forgot to tell you where your adventure will take place. Welcome to the Hoenn region. Our closest neighbors are the Johto, Kanto, and Sinnoh regions -- though close is a subjective term here. Hoenn has changed quite a bit from what you've read in the history books. We've transformed from a largely agricultural economy to one that heavily emphasizes science and technology. In fact, allow me to briefly cover all that has changed.

You are probably aware of the incident fifty years ago, where Team Aqua and Team Magma unleashed Kyogre and Groudon upon the Hoenn region, threatening cataclysmic consequences to the global climate. It was at that time that a gym leader's child managed to utilize the power of Rayquaza to becalm the feuding beasts, and restore peace to the region. This incident would serve as the highlight of our history for quite a period of time.

That is, until twenty-five years ago when Hoenn was devastated by the eruption of Mt. Chimney. Lavaridge Town and the old Routes 111, 112, and 113 were buried under ash and lava. Many people perished the day it erupted, even though there was plenty of advanced warning. Sadly one of those who went missing was Steven Stone, who was the President of Devon Corp at the time. This disaster served as the catalyst upon which Hoenn would change--politically, economically, and socially.

The ash from the volcano proved exceptionally fertile, and farming in the region exploded in the years following the eruption. Even so, agriculture was outpaced by growths in science and technology during the same period. While Devon Corp suffered greatly following the loss of their President, it persisted through the tragedy though its influence quickly dwindled. An upstart located in Fallarbor City named Allore Industries started rising in prominence at the same time, and quickly gained lucrative contracts to rebuild the region.

Over the next ten years, the Hoenn region was practically reinvented. Many new towns and cities popped up as the economy boomed, and routes and infrastructure were expanded to support these new areas. As they continued to grow, competition grew between towns to host Pokémon Gyms in order to bring in tourists and business. Many of the older gyms closed down during this period, to be quickly replaced by new facilities in other towns. Other towns competed in offering other unique services, some of which include: a Join Avenue opened in Mauville City, a World Tournament appeared in Verdanturf Town, and Paradisoft City built up around the Battle Frontier.

The region achieved a major political boon when the International Police set up their headquarters in Sootopolis City around ten years ago. The general peacefulness of the region combined with its ubiquitous access to all major modes of transportation made it an appealing choice. The presence of the International Police has helped provide confidence and a source of achievement for the people of Hoenn, who view that as the proof that the region has not only recovered from the disaster but thrived since it.

Though there are some who say that not everything is as perfect as it may seem. In the past few years, there have been an increasing number of reports of strange sightings. Reports exist of people claiming to have seen strange individuals who roam the darkened streets at night and collect stray Pokémon, or rumors of mysterious Pokémon who may have their hearts closed or otherwise behave differently. There is even some speculation that one of the former villainous teams that once plagued Hoenn is seeking to make a comeback. Regardless, nothing conclusive has been discovered. I tend to believe that it's just the psychology of man that lies behind this; a constant desire that there must be something lurking in the shadows; that there be a dark underbelly to the rich and successful surface.

---

Today though, Hoenn has a bright and vibrant future. Our league isn't like the one that you've read in your history books. Since I've heard that you are planning to take on the Pokémon League challenge, let me describe to you a bit of what you have to look forward to, and what has changed.

The first Gym is located in Slateport City, one of the major industrial and shipping hubs for the region. It functions as an iron foundry, and provides a lot of the steel used in the local shipyards. Originally Flannery was going to lead this Gym as it was built to replace the one lost in Lavaridge Town, but she declined. These days it is led by a steel tycoon who goes by the name of Smithers, and I hear he truly enjoys Steel-type Pokémon.

The next Gym is located in Rustboro City, the home of Devon Corp. It's still a bustling town, but it has long been overshadowed by other cities. Roxanne no longer leads a Gym here, and instead a mysterious woman named Isis runs a Gym out of a refrigeration plant. Expect some wicked battles from this Ice loving flame. There are rumors that she might have psychic powers, which does raise questions of why she isn't a Psychic-type specialist.

Our third Gym is located in the north of Hoenn in the nature loving Fortree City. The Gym remains practically unchanged, and its practitioners still engage in aerial battles. The current leader Wendy still follows the traditional ways started by Winona many years ago.

A bit south of Fortree City is the new town of Amarent City, which is a busy agricultural burgh. It also houses the fourth Gym in the region, which focuses on Bug-types. A local farmer named Buzz runs the Gym, and he just raves on and on about how insects are necessary for modern agriculture. Amusingly the Gym here replaced the one in nearby Mauville City, which closed down when Wattson retired.

It is in Mossdeep City that we find the fifth Gym, which also holds true to its roots. There are no twins here in this Psychic paradise, just a clairvoyant woman named Delphia. Many people often go to the Mossdeep City Gym just to get readings from Delphia. It's almost like she's an oracle of some kind.

Moving along, we travel to the volcanic island that houses Volcanyon City. The volcano on the island is currently extinct, but there does exist a new volcanic vent under the sea a bit off shore. Deep in the town though is a Poison-type gym, with a rather bitter woman named Seneca as the leader. Rumors do exist that she killed her former husbands by poisoning their morning coffee. Of note is the fact that this Gym came about after the closure of Petalburg Gym when Norman retired after forty years of service.

The seventh gym is located in Fallarbor City, and it's next door to Allore Industries. It is managed by a professional dance specialist name Frey, who is world famous for the waltzes and ballets her performs with his Fairy-type Pokémon. An interesting note is that this Gym was founded with the permission of Juan, since he was retiring as the Sootopolis City Gym Leader, and was a fan of dance. Frey has been with the Gym since its founding, and is currently the longest serving Gym Leader.

Alas, we come to the final gym which is located in Lilycove City. The current leader is a kind and matronly woman named Paulina who specializes in Normal-type Pokémon. This is the only Gym in the region that successfully challenged another Gym's franchise while it was still in operation, with Paulina managing to best the Dewford Town Gym so that she could open up hers. Unfortunately though, Paulina has been getting on in years -- she is the oldest Gym Leader at eighty-six years old -- so her Gym is frequently closed while she is recovering from frequent bouts of illness.

That concludes your tour of the Hoenn region as it stands. I do wish that you could stay a bit longer, but my dear assistant is telling me that I need to be letting you leave. There is a lot to experience out there. And please do drop by again! I do enjoy a bit of company every now and then. Well, until the next time.

-- Professor Douglas Fir

 

[Maxite]

Chapter 1 - Letters and Numbers

Cold. Very cold. And it's getting colder. What is this? The bed is supposed to be warm. Wait. There's another sensation. Wet. Cold and wet. Oh Arceus!

"Wake up m'boy! Ya mus'nt let this sunlight go 'ta waste." a stiff voice explodes from the corner of the room. Jeff opens his eyes and stares in a mixture of disbelief and horror at the pile of frozen Magikarp lying on top of his covers. The weight of the frozen fish pins Jeff's legs, making it difficult to get up. Jeff manages to free himself after a bit of struggling, slowly propping himself up against the edge of the bed.

"Hurry up! The mailman has some sorta strange package 'ya need 'ta sign for." Jeff looks at his cranky old man standing in the doorway of his room, carrying an empty pail that shows signs of once containing icy cold Magikarp. Jeff contemplates throwing one of them back at the old man's head and seeing if it'll then land inside the bucket, but opts against doing so.

Life has been hard since his older sister left six years ago. The old man always focused on keeping the family farm going that he rarely had time to look after his kids. It had always been Lily who made sure that he took his baths, that he was fed, and that he went to school. Then one day, she disappeared with nary a word. The old man figured she had finally left to fulfill her dreams, which she had put off for so long so that she could take care of her younger brother.

"Tell the mailman to just leave it at the front door."

"No can do. It's from 'yer sister." The old man wears an unusually serious expression. He looks away from Jeff and closes the door behind him softly, before softly talking through the door, "And I'd hurry, too. Took ten minutes 'ta wake 'ya up."

A quick visit to his small wooden wardrobe, and Jeff takes quick glance at his room. A small, creaky wooden attic filled with antique wooden furniture. He never had anything too new, beyond the few scattered posters that he hung on the walls. Pretty much everything was a hand-me-down, and with one last sigh he affixed the last button on his shirt and headed down to meet the parcel carrier at the front door.

Normally, a postman wears khaki shorts, a tidy baby blue shirt with a patch on it, a logo emblazoned hat, and they carry a clip board with a pen attached. Emphasis on normally. Standing before Jeff was a pathetic excuse for a postman. Muddy slacks, a dark brown coat of some kind that once was white, and fractured glasses. The only thing that looks immaculate is the package she is carrying.

"Ah, Jeff? I have a package for you that we received over at the lab." The girl hands the package over to Jeff. It's not particularly big; maybe big enough to carry a few books, though it was too light to contain that. Truthfully Jeff was less focused on the package than at the dirty lab assistant that got assigned mail delivery duty for Professor Fir.

"So, uh... the Professor ships with brown?" The assistant gives a murderous glare at Jeff. If looks could speak a thousand words, half of them would be synonyms for dismemberment.

"No. Some maniac on a tractor nearly ran me over on my way here, so I had to jump into a water-filled ditch." She removes her glasses and tries wiping them clean with her labcoat, but the mud on the coat only makes it worse.

"So you met my father then..." Jeff trails off once he notices the assistant's expression go from homicidal to globicidal. Clearly this is a woman who enjoys order and perfection, and mud isn't known for being well ordered. Jeff turns around to head back inside, and decides the fan the flames one last time: "Oh yea, the water around here is probably tainted with manure." With a quick swat, the door closes behind him, which does nothing to muffle the angered screams of a wailing banshee.

Utilizing the sole table available to him downstairs, Jeff plops the package down. On closer examination, it was fairly nondescript. Standard brown cardboard box, with the only distinguishing feature being his sister's handwriting listing his address. No return address was available though. With the care of a five-year-old opening presents on Christmas morning, Jeff attacks the package to get at the contents inside. Five Poké Balls, two Premiere Balls, a few random items, and a letter.

Jeff,

Hey, it's been an awfully long time since we last spoke. I bet you have lots of questions you want to ask your dear ol' sis, but just know that I am doing fine. Better than fine, in fact. I've had lots of amazing adventures, and I just started a new job a few weeks ago.

Cutting to the chase: Leave Littleroot Town. I've provided some items to help you get started on your adventure, and I've even included two Pokémon for you to use. Don't worry too much about father, he's tougher than a sturdy Aron.

By the way, do you know how to catch a Pokémon? If you weaken a Pokémon first, or inflict a status on it, they become easier to catch. You can also ...​

Jeff crumpled up the letter and threw it away. The rest of the letter was tutorials on stuff that he already knew.

Grabbing his pokéPhone, Jeff scans the two Premiere Balls. Technology really is incredible. Phones are capable of doing so much these days. They can check on the condition of your Pokénon, check your PC remotely, and even allow you to communicate and trade with trainers far away. Jeff's pokéPhone is the one item that Lily left for him before she left. It's a bit old, but it still works just as well as the newer ones.

"Scanning ... Ralts ... Psychic/Fairy typing ... Male ... Level 5 ... Telepathy ability ... Timid nature ... IV spread is perfect ... EV spread is ideal for special sweeper ... Checking Bulbapedia™ database ..." The one downside of having an old pokéPhone is that it is slower. It does have quick access to the Bulbapedia™ database, which replaced the Pokédex system many years prior. It democratized the ability to research Pokémon, and no longer required that each individual user had seen them previously in order to have information about them.

"Rattata... Normal typing... Male... Level 5 ... Run Away ability... Adamant nature ... F.E.A.R. enabled ... Focus Band equipped ... Checking Bulbapedia™ database ..."

Jeff looks curiously at the two Premier Balls. Lily sent him two Pokémon: A fairly respectable special attacker, and a gimmicky rat. To top it off, the rat doesn't even have its ideal item but one that requires an element of luck. Jeff takes a deep breath, and puts the items in his bag. He glances around the house once more, and walks to the doorway and grabs his cap from the coatrack near the door.

"All boys leave home someday..." Jeff quietly mouths as he leaves, being careful to close the door behind him.

 

[Maxite]

Chapter 2 - Friends and Rivals

The first day of an adventure is meant to symbolize so much: new beginnings, new memories, new friends. They're normally peaceful; bright and sunny skies, a gentle wind. and lots of friendly smiles. Jeff looks up at the skies: a graying carnival of boils and turmoil, stirred into an angry torment. Maybe this won't be a typical adventure, he ponders to himself.

Littleroot Town hasn't strayed far from its heritage. While the rest of Hoenn blossomed over the past fifty years, Littleroot Town stayed close to its root: a small village focused more on farming than on anything else. The only notable landmark was the Pokémon Laboratory, where Professor Fir and his assistant Libby conduct their research.

The roads which divided the various plots were simple dirt roads. Only due to the recent rains, there were the equivalent of a muddy slip-and-slide. It also wasn't a help that the farmers who drove down these roads were maniacs who had no concept of safe driving. It was about once a week that the whole community would get together and winch a vehicle out of the ditch, then get together and have a barbeque while the adults got drunk. Amusingly enough rumors had started going around that Libby was no longer to be served alcohol at these parties, after alleged reports that she lifted Professor Fir over her head and tossed him into a creek after a drunken feud.

Straight through the center of town, and which the dirt roads thusly branched from, was a single gravel road. It was frequently a highlight of the town when new gravel would be laid down each spring , with special celebrations carried out. The celebrations had to be made dry a few years ago after Libby got drunk and somehow ended up tipping the gravel truck. It took a month to scoop the gravel out of the ditch and get it onto the road. Unfortunately the gravel formed a natural dam, and when the spring rains came Professor Fir's house was partially flooded. Libby continued to aggravate the problem by digging into the gravel dam, which burst a few days later. The rush of water down the remaining length of the ditch managed to catch Professor Fir, who was swept by the rank waters and battered with debris before he managed to climb out of the ditch.

Thinking more about it, it actually does seem that Libby is a bit antagonistic to Professor Fir. She has become rather notorious for a single line of hers that tends to spout out of her mouth when she gets frustrated: "Don't tick off the graduate student!" It doesn't help that Professor Fir is an admitted chronic procrastinator, and tends to enlist Libby's 'aid' in getting his work done in the final hour. There have also been rumors that Professor Fir may have stolen some of Libby's work and claimed it as his own, which started spreading around the same time as Libby developed a bit more of a bitter and vengeful personality.

"Skipping out of town, Jeff?" a familiar voice distracts Jeff from pondering more about the friendly rivalry between the Professor and his assistant. Jeff looks up and sees it's his own friend and rival: Blake. A boy who had already gone on his adventure six years ago, then returned to Littleroot Town to continue living his life as if he had never left not too long after. "Don't you know it's dangerous to go alone? There are wild Pokémon in the tall grasses ahead." Jeff looks more closely at his surroundings, and realizes he's at the mouth of Route 101.

"I have some Pokémon now." Jeff brandishes one of his premier balls. Blake stares deeply at it, his black hair and grim visage reflected on its surface. A simple smile creeps across his face.

"Finally, a rival I can compete with! I battled and battled out there year ago, and I couldn't find anyone who could truly match me." Blake starts laughing a little. "Promise me, Jeff. Promise me you'll make this a challenge. Let's see who can race to the top. Who will reach that dream first? I'll wager it's me." In a simple fluid motion, Blake grabs a single Poké Ball and unleashes its contents: a level forty Pawniard.

"Is that all you got? Very well, I'm calling this game, set, and match." Jeff playfully sneers back, and puts his Rattata onto the field. Blake had always been highly motivated, highly driven. He took it as a competition when others challenged him. Five years ago, he came back to Littleroot Town apparently dejected after his travels. As Jeff enters the cusp of his first battle, he realizes that Blake came back to wait for this very moment: to challenge the one person who always challenged him back.

A flurry of commands erupted from the trainer's mouths, matched and synchronized with the actions of the two Pokémon on the field. In just two words though, a victor emerged: "Endeavour. Quick Attack."

Blake falls onto his knees in a bit of disbelief, and a little bit of shock that his level forty Pawniard lost to a level five Rattata. "That! That was cheap!"

Jeff feeds his Rattata an Oran Berry before putting it back in its ball. "What? Do you fear strategy? Raw power won't win every battle. Sometimes your own power can come and bite you." Jeff gives a sigh of a relief, happy in the fact that the Focus Band worked this time around.

"Well then... you will make an excellent rival. I'll be seeing you around. Don't count on simple strategies to win you the match next time!" As Blake starts to walk away, a heavy rain starts pouring from the clouds above. His figure soon fades away in the dark and terrifying mists created by the rains.

Picking himself up, Jeff looks ahead of him. One more step and he'll be out of Littleroot Town, and taking the first real steps of his adventure!

"Stop!" a voice calls out from behind, a strange urgency contained within. Jeff turns around to see a figure completely covered in cloth approaching him. Behind the figure is a black sedan.

"Are... are you him?" the cloaked figure asks. Their perilously large and bright eyes peer through the inky blackness created by their thick robes.

"We need to hurry, Blight." the driver yells out the window. No details can be made of him, beyond a distinctively masculine voice. "It's him... Jeff, I think the name is? Get him in the back and let's go! I don't want to be around when that typhoon makes it ashore."

"Ah, Jeff is it? That's a nice name. Sorry about thi..." Jeff doesn't hear much as a result of blacking out from a sucker punch unleashed by the cloaked figure. The cloaked figure captures him mid-drop and shuffles him into the black, unmarked car.

Jeff makes the first part of his adventure unconscious and in the back of an unknown car. It truly won't be a typical adventure.

 

[Maxite]

Chapter 3 - Beneath the Shadow Skies

Weather reports are that the typhoon has made landfall twelve kilometers south-west of Littleroot Town, and is moving at sixty-five kilometers per hour to the north-north-east. The Pokémon Laboratory is reporting sustained wind speeds of one hundred thirty kilometers per hour. People in low lying areas are being encouraged to seek higher ground, and residents are advised to stay indoors.

Jeff awakens in the backseat of a car. Keeping his eyes closed so as to not give away that he has regained consciousness, Jeff carefully checks his surroundings. He hears the rapid pit-pat of rain hitting the car, and the furious workings of windshield wipers. Jeff slowly flexes his muscles, and quickly recognizes the only restraint on him is a fastened seatbelt. Based on the seatbelt's orientation, he's in the rear driver-side seat. Excellent.

"How much longer until we get to the safe house?" the voice of the cloaked figure whines. The voice is a bit different; a bit less strained. Before it was borderline, now it is definitively female.

"It'll be a while. The winds are making it difficult to drive straight, much less drive fast." the driver responds. "How's the passenger doing?"

"Let me check." A distinct clack of another seatbelt being popped rings out through the car. Jeff relaxes his muscles, ready to pounce at this opportunity. He hears sliding as the feminine figure moves across the back of the car towards his position. Listening even more closely, breathing. A shallow, nervous breathing. He feels a cool hand touch his forehead. Jeff quickly opens his eyes, and finds himself staring deeply into the rich emerald eyes of his abductor. In a single fluid motion, he grabs the abductor by the throat, and twists her around so that her back is to his front. Then he wraps his other arm around his neck, applying enough pressure to stop blood flow to her brain. The female gives a surprised gurgle, and tries clawing at Jeff's arms.

"Whoa! Hey! International Police!" the driver instantly recognizes the situation and quickly flips a badge and lifts it over his shoulder for Jeff to see. A momentary glance reveals the badge as authentic, and he releases the female agent from the choke hold. She makes a loud, pained gasp for a air, and slowly crawls back to her side of the car to recuperate. "I'm sorry if we gave you a scare, but we were under orders from headquarters to take you into protective custody." The driver quickly glances at his partner in the mirror, and breathes a shallow sigh of relief.

"So my mother sent for me?" His mother wasn't a topic that Jeff liked to talk about, but she was a high ranking member of the International Police until she went missing when he was just a child. Many in the International Police presumed she was dead, though there was constant speculation that she was on deep assignment.

"Your mother? Oh, you mean Rose? No, she's still missing as far as I know." the driver takes a quick pause after recognizing he must've hit a rough topic. "My partner and I, we work with Lily." Another quick pause, and the driver briefly changes topic, "You okay back there, Blight?" Blight waves her hand to indicate that she'll make it.

"My sister? You guys must work fast, as I just received a package from her today. I didn't hear anything in her letter about you guys though."

"You only received the package today? Interesting, since she sent it out a month ago..." the driver trails off a bit. "Anyways, you weren't supposed to meet us until you reached Oldale Town. Unfortunately, my partner got her cover blown wide open while investigating a criminal syndicate in the area." Blight gives a vulgar finger gesture to the driver.

This is ... I've received reports that the Pokémon Laboratory in ... Town has been hit by a ... I repeat, there are reports that ... has been hit by a ...
The radio fizzles into constant static. Looking at the driver's expression through the rearview mirror, a muted panicked expression crosses it. The car slowly accelerates down the empty roads. The driver won't be talking for a while.

Outside, the clouds in the sky ripple and roll in a circular, undulating pattern. Frequent bursts of lightning illuminate the sky, revealing momentary details in the clouds. Strong winds continuously slam the car, shaking it as it continues moving at high speed towards some destination that Jeff can only fathom. Based on the time on his watch -- 6:07 P.M. -- he concludes that they passed Oldale Town a while ago.

"Who gave you the package earlier today?" Blight coughs. Jeff turns around to look at her. Her tiny frame is being racked by a fit of coughs. Through the flashes of odd lightning, Jeff is able to see that her hair is a light tawny color. Half of her face is obscured by laughably oversized glasses, which only serve to exaggerate her small size.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She holds her tiny hand up to her mouth, as if trying to catch her coughs. "But who gave you the package earlier today?"

"Uh... Libby. She said it was sent to the Pokémon Laboratory."

"Does the Pokémon Lab frequently get your mail?"

"Yes. It gets everyone's mail frequently. Our mail carrier is less reliable than the ones in New Leaf."

"Mm..." a troubled expression crosses Blight's face.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name? I don't think I've gotten it yet."

"Hm? Oh, yes. Sorry. I am ... " she hesitates for a bit. A nod by the driver gives her a slight reassurance. "I am Phoebe, but my call sign is Blight. My partner here is known by the call sign of Driver. He's a long time veteran of the International Police, I'm just a rookie."

"Uh huh... and why exactly do I need protective custody? Is my sister in trouble with the mafia or something?"

"Your sister is most assuredly safe. She requested you have protective custody due to your family's well-known links with the International Police."

"Lots of families have connections to the International Police. Why is mine special? And furthermore, is my father in protective custody?"

"It's a bit of a complicated case, and I can't tell you fully what is going on since even I'm not fully sure of what all the details are. I do know that your father turned down protective custody, when we approached him earlier today. That's how we ended up catching up with you." A flustered look briefly forms on Phoebe's face, as if to reveal that she is coming to terms with the limits of her own knowledge on the subject.

A bright light fills the car, followed almost instantaneously by an ear-popping clap of thunder. Jeff looks at Phoebe as a bitter and solemn expression is quickly whitewashed on her face. Soon all Jeff can see is the two emeralds of her irises; everything else is completely erased by the light. In a seemingly slow-motion, the bright light fades. Driver quickly steps on the brakes, but the car doesn't respond well. The tires have been blown out by a direct lightning strike.

"Headquarters, this is Driver!" Driver immediately grabs the radio and starts trying to talk, while gripping the wheel with the other hand, trying to maintain any semblance of control of the vehicle. The car starts spinning out of control down the roadway, bright sparks flying from the exposes rims of the wheels. "We've taken a direct hit!" Driver quickly glances at the two passengers in his mirror. "The cargo is still safe, but we need immediate assistance. We are located on Route 117, about twenty kilometers from Mauville City."

This is Panko. Sit tight, we're sending someone from the Mauville station to rendezvous with you. I repeat, sit tight. We are sending someone from the Mauville station to rendezvous with you.

"Headquarters, we cannot stay. We took a direct hit! We are making a run to it." Driver yells back into the radio. The car gently glides into a dirt embankment and comes to a stop. Jeff looks out the window and sees strange silhouettes floating the skies. There is no time to contemplate what they are, as he is immediately dragged out of the car by Phoebe. The heavy rain stings his face, and he can barely see anything in the darkness. All he can do is move, and feel. Driver's hands apply a steady pressure to Jeff's back, while Jeff's right arm is firmly grasped by Phoebe as the directs from the front.

Another bolt of lightning strikes the abandoned car, and knocks it loose of the embankment. The sound of metal grinding against wet pavement permeates the air. Jeff again looks up, and sees the shadows are closer, just over the tree tops.

"Hey Phoebe, did you attach the harness to Jeff while he was out?"

"Yes Driver!"

"Good... then on the count of three! One..." Jeff feels one of Driver's hands let go of his back. Driver's other hand rubs his back until it holds onto something beneath his jacket.

"Two..." Phoebe relaxes a bit on holding Jeff's arm.

"Three!" Jeff feels a sudden weighlessness. He continues running, but realizes that his feet aren't touching the ground. Looking up, he realizes he is suspended from one of the heads of a Hydreigon that is now flying through the woods at fast speed. Looking around, he sees that Phoebe and Driver are similarly suspended from the Hydreigon.

"Are we going to lose our guest, or are we going to lead him to our safe house?" Phoebe yells, the wind forming a fairly effective gag.

"You still have your ace?" Driver yells back.

"Yes!"

Another lightning bolt tears through the forest, topping lots of trees. Through the deafening thunder, Jeff hears an unmistakable roar. And just like the thunder that shakes his body, the gravity of the situation he is in smacks him. He's flying through a forest on a Hydreigon, in the middle of a typhoon, whilst being pursued by an enemy Zekrom. Suddenly Jeff felt very cold. The wind and rains made his body feel heavy.

"Are you okay, Jeff?" Phoebe calls out.

"It looks like he's a bit injured from the crash. Just hang in there, we'll be in a safe area in ten minutes."

Jeff just gives a faint smile and nods. He doesn't have much energy left. Though he is sure he hasn't blacked out, Jeff doesn't remember much until he feels a jolt at his feet. Jeff blinks and looks at the ground that his feet are touching. He's standing. He's standing! And now he's falling. Phoebe catches Jeff, places him over her shoulders, and rushes him inside a brick building. Jeff is only able to get a glance at the sign on the front: 'Mauville City Police Station.' Phoebe places Jeff down on a bench, and as Jeff slowly returns to unconsciousness, he catches a quick glimpse of Phoebe's form through her wet clothing.

A stout and angry police captain walks over to Driver. Through her demeanor, it is clear that she isn't around just to have small chat. "What is going on out there. We're having enough trouble handling emergencies because of the typhoons, and you two chuckleheads go and call a may-day and pull half of my forces to keep your sorry skins safe."

"It's Team Verse, ma'am. They're mobilizing, and moving fast." The captain's strict appearance immediately disappears, and is replaced equally fast by one of fear and dread. "We just had a run-in with one of their admins, but he seemed to have pulled back before he hit the city."

"Very well. I'll call over our doctor to check up on you guys. I'm sending my people back to keeping the people of this town safe."

"Thank you, ma'am."

 

[Legacy]

Loved the prologue! The tribute to the beginning of the games was a very clever touch as was the "load save" bit for your table of contents.

Your literal descriptions of what is happening is very nice. Really paints a nice picture as it goes. Could stand for a little more description of character thoughts and feelings a long with the plot, but I still enjoy reading this. I like Jeff's characters so far.

overall, nice start!