Chapter Five

##

Kara the Blaziken walked through the marble halls of the presidential palace, heading for her office. It had been an awful day and she just wanted to get off her feet and relax. To her right walked Adrian the Lucario, her chief aide and closest friend. Adrian had come with her all the way from Sapphire Island, just off the northwest coast of the mainland. Kara was grateful for Adrian's presence. He helped her get through these difficult times.

Kara was the third president of the Andaran Federation since its formation 10 years ago, and the first female to hold the office. She was one of the first females to hold any form of public office since the fall of the Andaran Empire, an authoritarian regime under which females and many other groups of Pokémon had few rights. When the Federation was being formed, Kara joined the new Federation Council as Sapphire Island's representative, eager to make a positive difference in the new age. She ascended to the presidency promising some much-needed reforms and to weed out the last remnants of the Empire. However, her efforts had been swiftly and thoroughly derailed just months into her term.

Kara, like the first president, had seriously underestimated the amount of influence that imperial loyalists still wielded. They controlled much of the press in the Federation, and they had many sympathizers within the Federation Council. To make matters worse, the second president, a Typhlosion named Taven, went completely out of his way to tear down the Federation as much as he could, even speaking out in support of the Empire despite his pre-election anti-imperial rhetoric. With the Council as divided as it was, removing him from power wasn't possible, allowing him to do considerable damage during his five-year term.

To make matters worse, a recent string of terrorist attacks blamed on the independent eastern territories--including an attempt on her life--made her appear weak and ineffective, which only compounded her problems. Though her policies were still popular, it seemed like everyone had lost hope in her leadership and in Andara's future as a democratic nation.

"The loyalist press is going nuts over this," Kara said, referring to her decision not to retaliate against the eastern territories for the attacks. Despite evidence left at some of the scenes implicating the eastern territories, it made no sense to believe that they were actually responsible. What could they possibly hope to gain by antagonizing the Federation? They wouldn't stand a chance against the Federation's security forces if this escalated into an all-out military conflict.

"For what it's worth, you have the backing of Federation Security on this matter," Adrian said. "They agree there just isn't enough data to act on at this time."

"Meanwhile, imperial loyalists continue to stir the pot in both the press and the Council," Kara said as she and Adrian entered her office. "The Federation is on the verge of collapse."

"Indeed," Adrian said. "I've never seen it any worse."

"So much for making a difference," Kara said as she plopped down into her chair behind her desk. The past several months had taken their toll on her and she felt both physically and mentally drained.

"You did what you could," Adrian said, taking a seat across from her. "It's not your fault that you were sabotaged. You and the first president both were."

Kara sighed as she looked down dejectedly at the edge of her desk. Adrian was right, of course, but that didn't make her feel any better. After a moment, she leaned forward, hands crossed on her desk. "What's next on the agenda?"

"The ambassador from Urbe would like to speak with you regarding the incident involving one of their transport ships at the docks the other day."

"Go ahead and summon him after our meeting here," Kara said. "Anything else?"

"Well... there is one more thing." Adrian shuffled through the papers he was holding, pulling one out of the pile. "There's an unconfirmed report of a large group of Pokémon beyond the eastern border moving west, fairly close to Seneca Village. The report mentions that they were hauling some unspecified heavy equipment."

"Seneca Village..." Kara said quietly. "Cale and Jake are stationed there."

Adrian smiled faintly. "I've often wondered how our old friends from Sapphire Island were doing. I wish I'd kept in contact with them."

"Yeah, me too," Kara said. "It's been years since I last spoke to either of them. I miss them."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that," Adrian said. "You and Cale didn't exactly part under the best of terms."

"Things got... a little heated between us," Kara said, knowing that Adrian was going to call her out on it. He witnessed what had happened, after all.

"You punched him in the face," Adrian said.

Kara smiled briefly as she recalled the event. "Cale and I both made mistakes that day. But I really wish him the best."

"It's good to see you smile again, if only for a moment," Adrian said. "Anyway, Federation Security has sent word to Cale to be on alert."

"I guess that's all that can be done for now," Kara said. "Hopefully, it's just another rumor. This continent is a barrel of blast seeds right now. One more crisis and I fear that all of Andara will go up in flames."

---

Zira shielded her eyes as she stepped out of the library into the evening sun. She'd spent the past couple of hours there, as she often did during her off-time, taking in all the information she could about the Pokémon world. Zira walked along at a relaxed pace, having no particular destination in mind. The team was taking the day off and she just wanted to enjoy herself and all that Seneca Village had to offer.

Three months had passed since Zira arrived on the Pokémon world. During that time, she'd made great strides in adapting to life in Seneca Village and to her new role as a rescuer, despite the bumpy start. Learning to fight was still a pain, but she was seeing steady improvement thanks to the instruction of her teammates. She still had a long way to go before she was on their level, but she would get there eventually. Fortunately, she picked up the local culture and customs a lot quicker. The first couple of weeks were rife with confusion and more than a few embarrassing questions, the worst of which was Zira asking what Pokémon used for toilet paper in the outhouse. Poor Cyril's face had turned so red as he awkwardly explained how to use the cleanse orb, much to Lance's amusement. Zira had felt so awful that she just wanted to die right then and there.

But that was all in the past now. Zira no longer needed Cyril and Lance to be at her side at all times, allowing her to explore the village on her own. By now, there wasn't a street or alley that she hadn't explored. Seneca Village was such a lovely place. The residents were friendly, and the climate was pleasant. Zira walked up to a stall where the vendor, a Nidoqueen, was selling flowers, taking a moment to sniff a purple flower, filling her nose with its wonderful scent.

"Hello, Zira!" the Nidoqueen said with a smile. Zira returned the favor and continued on her way.

Not everything was perfect, however. She still couldn't remember much of her old life. Her amnesia was like a dark cloud in an otherwise perfectly blue sky. Zira was still having her mind probe sessions with Lance every day, but after three months, he'd made only minimal progress. She still couldn't remember anything of her family, her friends, or people she might have worked with. Lance would occasionally dig up images of peoples' faces and some kind of facility, but Zira had no context to attach to any of them. She was fairly certain now that Azalea Town was her place of residence before her arrival on the Pokémon world, but she could be certain of little else. It was truly aggravating to have her memories hidden away from her. Zira was beginning to wonder if her memories were just too badly damaged to recover. Or perhaps she needed the aid of a more powerful psychic. While she was grateful for Lance's help, his psychic abilities were limited, a fact that Lance himself admitted to.

Also troubling Zira was her experience in Kaiser's dungeon three months ago. After all this time, she still had no answers to her numerous questions, nor did she have any idea of the whereabouts of the strange helmet that they'd collected. She'd asked Cale about the helmet once, but all he would tell her was that it had been shipped out for research. Zira had tried to do some research of her own on Kaiser and his artifacts, but the local library was small and didn't have anything on either topic.

And then there was Athena, the strange Lugia who seemed to have taken an interest in her. Zira still didn't know what to think of the Lugia. The only thing that she was certain of was that Athena had some kind of connection to Kaiser's artifacts. Why else would she have been waiting for them outside of Kaiser's dungeon? It was obvious that Athena was keeping an eye on them, but Zira could only speculate as to the Lugia's motives.

I really need to speak to Athena, Zira thought. If anyone has answers, she does.

"Hey, Zira!" Cyril called out from behind.

Zira turned to face Cyril, who was jogging toward her alongside Lance.

"Hey, guys!" Zira called out, waving to her approaching friends. "What's up?"

"Hey, we were just headed to the Starlight Café," Cyril said. "You want to come?"

"Sure!" Zira replied. She'd had only an apple for lunch several hours ago, so she was rather hungry at this time. A warm meal with friends at her favorite local restaurant sounded like the perfect way to end the day.

The three Pokémon made their way across the square, passing by a Braixen handing out newspapers to a crowd. There were others in the square reading newspapers as well. Zira happened to catch the word _unrest_on the front page, no doubt referring to the deteriorating political situation in the country. Zira didn't like thinking about it, and judging from everyone's faces, no one else did either. Seneca Village no longer felt as isolated from the rest of the Federation as it once did, and the nervousness permeating the small frontier village was palpable.

The moment Zira set foot in the café, her ears were immediately greeted with chatter and laughter and her nose by the scent of the café's signature comfort food. The establishment was quite busy at this time. It was, after all, the dinner hour, and the café was having a special on its sandwiches, which the patrons were eager to cash in on, Zira included. She and her teammates took a seat by an open window at the front of the restaurant, giving them a clear view of the town square. This particular table was well-suited for shorter Pokémon such as Zira and Cyril, the two of them taking a seat on one bench. Lance, taking a seat on the opposing bench, looked rather silly with his knees hitting the edge of the table. The taller Golduck stood head and shoulders above his shorter teammates.

"How may I take your order?" a Salazzle holding a notepad asked, apparently their server.

"I'll have the mushroom cheese sandwich and a beer," Cyril said.

"Same for me," Zira said.

"I'll just have a beer," Lance said.

"All right," the Salazzle said, jotting down their orders on her notepad. "I'll be back with your drinks shortly."

As the Salazzle walked away, Cyril looked at Lance.

"You sure?" Cyril asked. "I'm buying."

"I'll be fine," Lance replied. "I'm just waiting for someone."

"Well, if you change your mind, feel free to ask," Cyril said. "We've got plenty of money now."

"Yeah... funny thing," Lance said. "How our money problems are suddenly a thing of the past."

Zira tensed up. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation in the past month. The issue seemed to have driven a wedge between them.

"Gods, Lance, do we really need to talk about this now?" Cyril asked, his tone expressing his annoyance.

"Don't you find it strange how we're suddenly getting extra assignments from security and the guild?" Lance asked. "They've both been steering work our way that would normally go to silver and gold rank teams. And when there isn't anything available, Cale's been paying us extra for patrols. You don't find that strange?"

"Of course, I find it strange," Cyril said, "but I'm not about to complain about it. We were circling the drain before Cale and Anna threw us a lifeline. If they hadn't, we'd be on our way back home right now with nothing to show for it just like the other teams that recently folded. Besides, it's possible that they just see our value after our performance in Kaiser's dungeon."

"That's wishful thinking, Cyril," Lance said. "It's more likely that there's something going on behind the scenes that Cale and Anna aren't telling us about," Lance said. "They wouldn't risk being accused of favoritism or corruption unless there was something big in the works. Mark my words, they're not telling us everything."

A distressed Zira tried to think of a way to end the argument. Fortunately, she didn't have to think for long as she noticed their server walking toward their table with three drinks on a tray. "Ah, drinks!"

After the Salazzle unloaded the drinks, Cyril smiled at her and said, "Thanks!"

The Salazzle smiled back. "You're most welcome. And I'll be back with your meal soon."

As the Salazzle walked away, the smile fell from Cyril's face as he looked at Lance. "Look... we'll talk to Cale and Anna about it first thing in the morning. I promise."

"That's all I ask," Lance said, picking up his cup.

Lance quickly finished his beer while his teammates took only a few sips. They still had a meal to eat, after all. A few silent minutes passed by, then Lance suddenly got up from the table after something grabbed his attention.

"I have to go," Lance said. "You two will probably be asleep by the time I get back to the cabin."

Cyril nodded. "Take care."

Lance nodded in return before heading to the exit. Zira turned her head to watch. Before stepping outside, Lance stopped to talk to Shar, who must've just walked in. The two conversed briefly and then walked out of the café together.

Lance must've been waiting for Shar, Zira thought. Lance had been spending much of his off-time with someone, but Zira never knew who.

"Is there something going on between Lance and Shar?" Zira asked.

"I'm not sure," Cyril replied. "They could just be really good friends. On the other hand, I've always suspected that Lance was bi, so it's possible that he found a boyfriend in Shar. It's funny... even after being around each other all our lives, Lance is still something of a mystery to me."

Lance was very much a mystery to Zira as well, given how little he spoke about himself. Zira suspected that Lance was the kind of person who didn't like to be the subject of conversation, a trait that she could relate to.

"It's probably nothing," Cyril said. He took a sip of his beer. "Shar's an officer in Federation Security. I doubt he'd jeopardize his career like that."

"But that would explain the secrecy," Zira said. She's known for some time now that homosexuals weren't permitted to join Federation Security. Females were also excluded. While Zira never had any intention of joining Federation Security, it bothered her greatly that the option was unavailable to her because she was a female. President Kara had planned to remove those restrictions, but the political situation in the Federation had taken a serious turn for the worse before she had the chance to do so. Noticing her friend's silence, Zira looked at Cyril, who stared at his drink with a glum expression on his face.

"Are you all right?" Zira asked, wanting to cheer up her friend.

"I will be," Cyril replied. "The thing is... I know he's right about Cale and Anna, as much as I don't want to believe it."

"We'll get some answers tomorrow," Zira said. "For now, let's just try to enjoy the night." She placed a hand on Cyril's shoulder. "Come on. Where's the cheerful Cyril I know?"

That did the trick. Cyril's face lit up with a smile. He turned his head to face Zira, his eyes expressing his gratitude.

"Thanks, Zira," Cyril said.

"Any time," Zira replied, smiling in return.

As they continued to wait for their meal, Zira surveyed the restaurant, the guests, the decor, the delicious food. Her eyes eventually settled on two Absols sharing an intimate kiss. It occurred to Zira that she still didn't know how two Charmeleons might kiss. Or any two Pokémon with snouts for that matter. Cyril would know... if she could coax the answer out of him without embarrassing the poor Grovyle.

"Hey, umm... I have a question," Zira said, not really sure how to phrase her question.

Cyril nervously glanced at her. "This isn't about the outhouse again, is it?"

"No, you jerk!" Zira replied, giving Cyril a playful punch in the arm.

Cyril laughed as he recoiled from the attack. "So what's the question?"

"I was wondering..." Zira hesitated for a moment, realizing just how awkward she was going to sound. "How do two snouted Pokémon kiss? I mean... Pokémon like us."

"Oh..." Cyril hesitated. "Well... um..." He glanced around the restaurant for a moment before turning back toward Zira, his face beginning to turn red. "Well... we could give it a try. I mean... if you're all right with that."

Zira felt her face flush at the sudden awkward turn the conversation had taken. Cyril had misinterpreted her question as a desire for affection, and she wasn't sure how to respond to his advance. She had to admit that she liked Cyril, and he seemed to really like her as well, but they'd only known each other for a few months. Was it too soon for this?

"I'm sorry," Cyril said, apparently sensing her hesitation. "That was out of line. I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I just... oh gods." He turned back to his drink with an expression of embarrassment on his face. "Forget I said anything."

Me and my stupid questions, Zira thought. She felt awful for putting Cyril in this position, and she could only imagine just how horrible he must be feeling at the moment. Perhaps loneliness had gotten the better of him.

Cyril was alone in a way. He was a great distance from his family in Dakota City, and his friend Lance hasn't been around much between missions lately. Zira could certainly relate to that feeling of loneliness. She was a stranger in a strange land, and she felt very much like an outsider at times. Zira pondered how she could put her friend at ease. Cyril had always stood by her, risking his life, his livelihood, and occasionally sacrificing his dignity to help her along. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give him the kiss that he hoped for. Besides, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about kissing Cyril--even if she didn't know how. She slid closer to Cyril and gently placed a hand on his leg.

"Hey," Zira said. "Let's give it a try."

Cyril slowly made eye contact with her, his face still very red. "Really?"

Zira smiled. "Yeah, really."

Cyril repositioned himself slightly on the bench so as to better face Zira. He slid his arms underneath Zira's, gently caressing her body. Zira did the same, mimicing Cyril's movements, and the two drew each other closer together. She was trembling a bit, but so was Cyril.

"I'm new to this," Cyril said.

"So am I," Zira said, seeking to reassure him.

Cyril gently rubbed his nose against Zira's. He continued this for several seconds as he stared into her eyes. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he began to rub his tongue against her mouth. Zira opened her mouth to do the same, but then something she didn't expect happened: Cyril slid his tongue into her mouth. It caught Zira completely by surprise, and she froze for a moment, but she didn't pull away. This must be how a Charmeleon and a Grovyle kiss, and as surprising as it was, she didn't find it unpleasant. Zira's heart thumped at a rapid pace as she slowly slid her tongue into Cyril's mouth, rubbing the length of his tongue all the way. The two were lost in the act as their kiss went on, their tongues intertwined. They were so caught up in the act that neither of them noticed the server approaching their table with their plates.

"Oh my!" the server said, her expression a mixture of surprise and amusement.

Zira and Cyril immediately pulled apart and faced the server, eyes wide and mouths agape. They watched in awkward silence as the server placed their plates on the table.

"Th-thanks," Cyril sheepishly said.

"You're welcome," the server said, smiling.

As the server walked away, Zira could just barely hear the Salazzle say, "Wow." Zira and Cyril stared at their plates for a moment before Zira finally spoke up.

"You realize that we're going to have to give her an extra large tip for putting up with us?" Zira asked.

"Yeah," Cyril replied. He turned his head to face her, a huge grin plastered on his face. "But it was worth it."

"It sure was," Zira said, smiling in return.

As the two friends sank their teeth into their sandwiches, Zira felt like she could live in the moment. A good friend at her side. The warm, gentle breeze coming in through the window. The setting sun casting an orange glow upon the square. For Zira, the day couldn't end on a much better note.

This was bliss.

---

Lance sat patiently at Shar's kitchen table as he waited for the Flygon to finish preparing their meal. Shar was an excellent cook as it turned out, and Lance enjoyed these dinners with him. He and Shar had become close over the past few months. They had originally met after Lance arrived in Seneca Village with Cyril five months prior, but it was only after Team Dakota's adventure in Kaiser's dungeon that their relationship blossomed into something more than friendship. Lance figured that Shar was afraid of losing him and didn't want to wait any longer to initiate a deeper relationship, a fear that wasn't unfounded considering that he was very nearly killed several times in Kaiser's dungeon. They'd started seeing each other in private, a necessity given Shar's occupation, and from there, they'd eventually chosen each other as mates. Shar was everything that Lance had ever wanted in a mate.

Happy as he should be at the moment, Lance was troubled by what has recently been happening with his team's sudden and unlikely string of good fortune. It made no sense for their team to receive so much attention from Cale and the Rescuers Guild, attention that had not gone unnoticed by the other rescue teams, some of which had failed and left the village. And what was the Lugia's connection to all of this? That was assuming, of course, that the Lugia at Kaiser's dungeon was the same one that Zira encountered upon her arrival on the Pokémon world.

To make matters worse, Cyril has thus far been unwilling to confront Cale and Anna on the matter of their special treatment of Team Dakota, though he may have finally gotten through to the Grovyle at the restaurant earlier. Lance had thought about asking Shar if he knew what was going on, but he didn't want to burden Shar with any of this. Still, his patience was wearing thin.

"All done," Shar said, setting their plates on the table. He had prepared pan-fried fish, mashed potatoes and gravy, and hushpuppies.

"It looks delicious," Lance said, trying to force his mind off of the team issue. "You really went through a lot of trouble."

"It's no problem, really," Shar said, sitting down. He gazed at Lance with a concerned expression on his face. "Are you all right? You seem down."

Lance let out a sigh of resignation. He really needed to get this off his chest. "Shar... do you know why Cale and the Rescuers Guild are propping up my team?"

"So that's what's been bothering you lately," Shar said. "All I know is that Cale and Anna have been talking to a Lugia on and off lately."

"A Lugia?" Lance said, sitting up straight in his chair. "A female, green-eyed Lugia named Athena?"

Shar nodded. "That would be the one."

Lance leaned back in his chair. "So Zira was right. That was the same Lugia at Kaiser's dungeon." He sighed as he pondered the Lugia's role in all of this. "She's obviously manipulating us, but to what end? Where's all of this going?"

"I wish I knew," Shar said, shrugging his shoulders. "Cale's been keeping Jake and I in the dark about most of this so we don't get caught up in any possible blowback. Still, I'm sorry for not telling you about what I do know."

"There's no need to apologize," Lance said. "I really didn't want to put you in this position in the first place. I just..." He looked down at the table. "I feel lost."

Shar stood up and walked around the table to Lance. He placed a hand on Lance's shoulder, and the two locked eyes with each other.

"I'll help you find your way." Shar leaned forward and gently rubbed his nose against Lance's beak.

Lance's heart fluttered as he returned the affection, rubbing his beak against Shar's nose for a moment before engaging in a long kiss. It wasn't their first kiss, but this one had special meaning for Lance, for it was an act of one lover trying to comfort another. As they drew apart, Lance gazed lovingly into Shar's eyes, placing a hand on the Flygon's cheek.

"Thanks, Shar," Lance said.

"Any time," Shar said, placing a hand over Lance's. "Now, shall we dine?"

---

Commander Cale sat at his desk, pouring over the paperwork strewn across it's wooden surface. He should've been finished with it hours ago, but he'd been rather busy. It's been two days since he received the message from headquarters informing him to be on the lookout for a suspicious group of Pokémon travelling through the area. The news had turned his outpost completely upside down, requiring him to alter nearly all of the personnel assignments. Most of his troops were now on scouting duty well outside of the village boundaries, leaving just a skeleton crew within the village itself.

It was insane! He wasn't staffed for this, not by a longshot. His request for reinforcements had been turned down, leaving him to rely more heavily than ever on the Rescuers Guild to supplement his staff. He was now in the unpleasant position of having to make patrols mandatory for the local rescue teams, which would mean shutting down the local Rescuers Guild until the current crisis has passed. Cale really didn't want to do that. The Rescuers Guild served a vital function, and now calls for their assistance were going to go unanswered. Lives were at stake now. If this whole episode turned out to be a hoax, someone was going to pay dearly for it.

Cale rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted, having not slept much over the past couple of days, but Shar would arrive in about an hour to relieve him. Then he could finally get some sleep. Until then, he was trying to get through the last of this paperwork. He was currently browsing through the rescue team transfer requests. Normally, Anna dealt with these requests, but given his personnel shortage, he'd taken it upon himself to sort through them. One such request caught his eye--and not in a good way--for Team ASS. Cale shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the team name.

Team Ass? You've got to be kidding me. Cale crumpled the request and tossed it into the garbage bin beside his desk. The last thing he needed right now was a bunch of clowns wreaking havoc in the village. He had enough problems right now already. Cale picked up the next transfer request, but before he could start reading it, the door burst open and Jake ran into the room.

"Cale! Incoming strike force approaching from the east!" Jake shouted. "They've got catapults!"

Cale blood turned to ice as he jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair. "We're just learning about this now!? Where the fuck are the scouts!?"

"They haven't reported in," Jake replied, the fear evident in his voice. "What do we do?"

Without saying a word, Cale rushed out of his office, running down the hallway toward the lobby with Jake in tow. What few remaining security personnel in the city were gathered in the lobby along with Anna and her subordinates from the Rescuers Guild. The fearful expressions on their faces told Cale that they were already aware of what was going on and they were waiting for his orders.

"Listen up everyone!" Cale said, but that was as far as he got before a series of explosions could be heard throughout the village, the building shaking with each one. Then the building itself was hit, caving in the rear section of the outpost containing the offices and knocking everyone off their feet.

"Listen!" Cale yelled, scrambling back to his feet. "Evacuate! Direct anyone you encounter to head west! Move!" He turned to Jake, spinning the Ampharos around to face him. "Inform headquarters!"

As Jake bolted for the communications orb, Cale headed back toward the collapsed hallway. The first room on the right was the supply room, which was unblocked, though it was now missing its door. Much of the room was smashed and engulfed in smoke and flames. Cale took in a deep breath before entering. Fortunately, what he needed was still intact. Cale grabbed two long-distance patrol bags off the wall which were filled with a comm-badge, telescope, maps, food, a compass, and an assortment of seeds and berries. Everything a security officer would need for a patrol far from the village lasting days. Another series of explosive projectiles pummelled the village, shaking the already unstable structure. Cale ran out of the room before what remained of the ceiling caved in.

"It's sent," Jake said as Cale joined him in the lobby.

"Good. You're with me," Cale said, handing him one of the travel bags.

"Where in the world are we going?" Jake asked.

"We're going to find out who's responsible for this," Cale replied, heading for the exit. There was nothing that he could do to stop the carnage, a fact that tore his heart to pieces. A lot of innocent people were going to lose their lives tonight and many more left homeless. And it all happened on his watch. Seneca Village was his responsibility and Cale felt that he'd failed in his duty to protect it.

As Cale and Jake made their way south through the burning village, Cale vowed that he was going to make someone pay for this atrocity. One way or another, he would bring justice to the butchers of Seneca Village.

---

Zira awoke with a start in her hammock to the sound of a loud bang. Was it thunder? Zira wasn't certain. It was unusual for thunder to wake her. Zira sat up and glanced at her teammates' hammocks. Lance still wasn't back yet, but Cyril was sitting up in his hammock, looking at her. He appeared to be just as confused as she was.

"What was that?" Cyril asked.

"I don't know," Zira replied. She could hear an awful lot of commotion outside. "Is that screaming?

Several more loud bangs could be heard, and then something blew up near the cabin, shattering the windows and shaking the structure. Zira's heart leaped into her throat as she scrambled to get out of her hammock.

"Let's get out of here!" Cyril shouted, hopping out of his hammock.

Zira and Cyril grabbed their travel bags off of the wall and filled them with as many supplies as they could. Another series of blasts could be heard, accompanied with a lot of screaming. There was no doubt in Zira's mind what was happening. The village was under attack. Zira couldn't fathom why someone would do such a thing, but that hardly mattered at the moment. She was more concerned with getting out alive. With their bags full, Zira and Cyril ran over to the door. Unfortunately, the nearby explosion had shifted the structure, jamming the door tightly closed. Even with their combined strength, they couldn't force it open.

"Shit!" Cyril said, pounding the door in frustration. "Get back!" He said, taking a few steps back. Once Zira was safely out of the way, Cyril used his quick attack to blast through the door, taking much of the wall out in the process. Zira quickly followed before what was left of the cabin had a chance to collapse on her.

It was all-out pandemonium in the village. Pokémon were screaming and running every direction but east, some of them carrying their valuables, others carrying the wounded. The air was filled with thick smoke and fires raged all around them. Zira looked up at the sky as several more flaming projectiles headed for the village. One of the projectiles landed nearby, taking out two cabins. Zira shielded her head as she was pelted with debris.

"We have to find Lance!" Cyril said, grabbing her hand. "Follow me!"

Cyril and Zira ran down the street, holding hands so as not to become separated, a wise precaution given Cyril's greater speed and the surrounding chaos. It was difficult not to collide with fleeing residents. Zira wasn't sure where Cyril was headed, but she assumed that he was looking for Shar's house. Bombs continued to hammer the village relentlessly. At one point, Zira nearly tripped over a dead Eevee, a sight that broke her heart. She knew some of these Pokémon. Now someone was killing them, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Cyril finally came to a stop at an intersection. He frantically looked from side to side. Turning to Zira, he said, "Shar's house is somewhere around here, but I'm not sure where exactly."

Zira wasn't sure either, but before she could say anything, she heard what sounded like Lance's voice call out, "Cyril! Zira!"

Zira and Cyril both turned to the direction of the voice. Lance and Shar were a distance away running toward them. Zira and Cyril ran to meet them, but as they closed the distance, Lance and Shar suddenly looked up and stopped dead in their tracks. Zira and Cyril stopped as well to have a look at what had gotten their attention, glancing up just in time to see a bomb heading toward them. There was no time to react.

The bomb hit the street between the two groups, the blast wave sending everyone flying. Zira tumbled on the stone street several times before coming to a stop on her side, leaving her momentarily dazed. Zira lifted her head off the stone street and gave her body a cursory inspection. She was covered in minor cuts and scrapes, but nothing too serious. Cyril was a few meters away and in a similar state. The sound of someone screaming brought Zira's attention to Shar. The Flygon had apparently landed on his right wing, fracturing it so badly that it appeared to be held together only by flesh.

But where was Lance? Zira scanned her surroundings, quickly finding Lance on the other side of a dead Aggron. Lance was on his hand and knees, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open as he clutched his abdomen with his free hand. When Lance fell over onto his side, the terrible nature of his injury was revealed. His abdomen had a gaping wound in it, no doubt from when the explosion sent him tumbling over the Aggron's head. Zira was filled with dread as she scrambled to her feet.

"Lance!" Zira screamed as she ran toward the wounded Golduck. She was quickly joined by Cyril and Shar, the three of them kneeling beside their fallen friend.

"Oh gods! Lance!" Shar said.

"Oh gods!" Cyril said.

Zira took a close look at the wound. She was no doctor, but it was deep, and there was no doubt in her mind that there was severe internal damage. It was a mortal wound. They had to get him to a healer, or he was going to die.

"Sit him up!" Zira ordered as she dug through her travel bag looking for the oran berries. She knew she had two of them. Oran berries couldn't repair this kind of damage, but they would at least buy Lance some time. Zira just hoped that they weren't smashed.

Lance cried out in pain as Cyril and Shar moved him into a sitting position. By that time, Zira retrieved both berries, fortunately still intact, and placed them inside Lance's mouth. She made sure that Lance chewed and swallowed the berries.

Turning to Shar, Zira asked, "Can you carry him?"

"Yeah," Shar replied. After Zira and Cyril were out of the way, Shar lifted Lance off the ground, groaning as he did so. He was clearly still in a lot of pain from the broken wing. "You're going to be okay, Lance. We're going to find you a healer."

Zira and her companions bolted down the road, heading west along with most of the other fleeing residents. The unending barrage continued, taking out more and more of the village. Another bomb landed close to the group, causing Zira to stumble and fall to the ground. Cyril stopped to help her, but Zira had already scrambled back to her feet. Holding hands to avoid becoming separated, Zira and Cyril rushed to catch up to Shar, who had stopped to wait for them. Together, they made their final push to get out of the village, passing the western perimeter of the village and fleeing across the open field toward the relative safety of the nearby woods.

Upon entering the woods, Zira stopped and looked back at the only home she'd known for the past three months. The flames spread throughout the village like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. Zira couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She sobbed as she watched the village she loved burn. Zira wasn't alone in her grief, for she could hear the sobs of her fellow villagers all around her. Cyril placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her away from the scene.

"Come on," Cyril said softly, his own eyes filled with tears. "We have to go."