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It had been about a week and a half since he had left Unity. Kosindra had it's charm, being the Capitol of the Jinto region. The capitol building was known as Unrest. The building that had been the first battleground in the revolt against the Assembled that once controlled this entire island. The Malevolence project, once it had been uncovered was the last straw for the people of the current 'Parlal'. The Assembled cut their losses and retreated to the friendlier eastern half before it got to out of hand.

Unrest hadn't changed since Alex was here last. It was nothing more than controlled chaos. With the Assembled finally looking to reclaim lost ground and the emergence of a barely recognized third party, the Parlal was looking down the barrels of two guns. Many faces scrambling around the building looked as if they hadn't slept for the entire week. Alex was headed down to the main office to receive his briefing with the highest power in the land, General Allen Keisnam. Due to the lack of any elected officials since the Assembly moved out, everyone had accepted the most experienced military officer as the leader. Allen has been in power since the end of Assembly control, about 14 years ago.

Alex walked into the General's office and snapped a salute respectfully. The General stopped whatever he was doing and stood from his chair to return the favor.

"At ease, Commander." He said as he fell into his chair again.

"General." Alex said with a nod as he relaxed his posture. "I am here for my briefing."

"I know." The General replied. "Shouldn't take too long. I'm a little busy with our 'Leak' problem, Commander. Perhaps I could-"

"Oh now, really!" A voice from the corner said with a wounded inflection. Alex turned to see a short man, about middle aged with a well tailored suit hanging securely from his plump form and a polished black cane in his hand. The man's hair was a fine cut with slightly graying brown hair. "Am I such a security threat that I cannot even listen to this fine young officer's briefing?" He deviously asked.

"Yes!" Allen replied sternly. "If you were one of my own people I could have you executed."

The man laughed playfully at that. Alex sighed quietly to himself as he turned back to the General. "I'm sure the council would love to know of this." Alex suggested.

The man quickly stopped chuckling to himself and stood next to Alex. "You haven't told them yet, Mr. Keisnam? My my, how ever will you fix a leak if you don't tell the plumber?" The man began laughing again, leaving Alex and Allen confused. Once he regained control of himself, he began again. "Forgive me. I'm afraid I don't get out much." He apologized. "I've been stuck in my factory ever since I heard voices speaking of Malevolence. Quite a tale really!"

Alex was totally alienated by this man's presence. "Excuse me?" He asked confused.

The man quickly turned to Alex. "Oh, I am so very sorry sir! I do not believe we are acquaintances." He held out his hand greeting. "I am Barnaby Williams, CEO of Williams Enterprises and dare I say your greatest chance at surviving this infernal conflict."

Alex grabbed his hand and shook. "Commander Alexander Moss."

Allen waved him off. "There's no need for that. Mr. Williams was just about to leave, unless he wishes for a headstone."

Barnaby scoffed in offense. "I will do no such thing! It would be most unwise to eliminate your sole ally, Mr. Keisnam. I come bearing gifts!"

"Like what? The tech notes that you've been stealing?" The General asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Or is there more you've been stealing and decided it wasn't good enough for you?"

Barnaby slammed his cane on the floor in a huff. "I stole nothing!" He yelled. "And I refuse to be insulted as a petty thief! I paid you fully and fairly!"

"Jinto runs solely by taxes and generous donations from it's healthiest entrepreneurs! Meaning we don't take money from outside investors like yourself." Allen stated.

"Are you honestly that thick?" Barnaby said with a chuckle. "I have had no trouble paying anyone for anything I wanted, even here in 'your' half of reality!" He rifled through one of his jacket pockets and removed a small piece of paper. "Perhaps you will recognize some of the names on this list." He placed it on the desk.

Allen retrieved the paper and began to read it aloud. "Linda Moroe, Carl Gossinger, Anthony Montgomery, Janet Nolan..." He stopped reading them off, but read silently on. "These are all our largest contributors..."

"And every last one of them are my aliases, or accomplices if you prefer." Barnaby said. "You honestly think you have people in this country that make that kind of income?" He laughed. "You need to keep better tabs on your kinsmen, I wouldn't doubt that your good friends the Assembled have been sapping funds this whole time!"

"That's impossible! I've met half the people on this list!" Allen said, disbelieving.

Barnaby held up a finger. "I prefer the word 'Unlikely', impossibilities are simply, impossible! Let me just say that was another problem I had to throw money at and let me tell you they were the best actors I could find!" Alex watched as his face beamed with pride. "I didn't steal from you, I deceived you." He finished with a playful smile.

The Generals face was red with rage. He was practically sputtering. "A quarter of them are on the council still!"

"It certainly isn't cheap to keep them there either!" Barnaby pointed out. "But before you go throwing a tantrum," He suggested, noticing Allen was clenching his fists and crumpling the paper. "as I said before, I come bearing gifts! With my help, you will be the only ones left on this island after all this pans out. Perhaps even more!" He affirmed with a nod.

Allen began to calm down for a second. "What exactly do you think you could do? You can't just walk in and say 'I am your savior'." He stated sourly.

"Please, sir. You do me too little credit! I have been planning this for nearly 15 years." Barnaby explained. "The weapons you had been researching in Unity. You know, the 'Atmospheric Redistribution Cannon'? Let's just say I've been following it very closely with a contact of mine and I took it upon myself to make the weapons in a couple of my more... secure facilities. Long story short, I am now shipping them to your front line and they should be arriving within five hours." He said as he checked his pocket watch.

Allen and Alex were both taken aback. "What?" they asked in unison.

"Like I said, I am your greatest ally!"

Alex shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts for a moment. "Wait... Just a moment." He said. "You are sending our troops hundreds of-"

"Thousands, do give me some credit. It should be plenty to hold the line if all things are accounted for!" Barnaby interrupted.

"Thousands then. You're sending our troops weapons they don't know how to use?" Alex asked.

Barnaby gave him a flat stare. "So it's not just my intelligence you insult then? I made the weapons as simple as possible, even the most unread soldier should be able to work it! However, if they are as daft as you claim I have several hundred people delivering them that can work them."

Allen shook his head. "I don't understand... Why are you toying with this country? Why us? If you are so eager and so powerful you can surely build your own army and take us over."

"You have grossly miscalculated my character, Mr. Keisnam. I am not a bloodthirsty tyrant, I'm a businessman!" He replied. "This is nothing more than me looking out for my own gain." He finished with a sly smile.

Barnaby turned to leave. "I will take my leave so you may go about your business." He said as he approached the door.

"What makes you think I'll let you leave these premises?" Allen asked. "After everything you just said!"

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "If you truly wish to place me under arrest, Mr. Keisnam. Then you are certainly free to try." He replied darkly. He opened the door and walked out, the door closed lazily behind him and all they could hear was the beating of his cane upon the floor slowly becoming non-existent.

The General looked after him for several moments with his hand hovering precariously over his phone. After several moments he placed his hand to the side and let out a defeated sigh. "Damn it." He whispered under his breath.

"What was that about?" Alex asked

Allen gave him a cold stare. "It is none of your concern and under no circumstances are you to relay what just transpired to anyone." he ordered.

"Sir!" Alex replied as he snapped a salute. He knew better than to pursue answers at that point. "Then shall we discuss my briefing?"

"Yes, we shall." Allen grabbed a manilla folder from a drawer and placed it on his desk. "I have some news pertaining to the current front line situation." He explained. "But first, I would like to discuss your displacement. The reason we replaced you with Commander Porsal is because he has prior combat experience. With that in mind you are to be placed where you are needed. Your new station is to be in Reftur."

Lines Unrecognized

"The defenses are all set, Commant!" A private reported.

Moss turned to the private and nodded. "What of the evacuations?"

"Everyone is prepped and stage one is complete. Should I give the order for the second?"

"No. I'll take care of that. See to it that Commander Norason knows I'll be at the Pokemon center if he needs me." Moss ordered.

The Private saluted and retreated from his office. Moss stood from his seat and shifted uncomfortably in his armor. The Kevlar was an annoyance at best, but with the situation being what it was they were on the verge of attack from the, as rumor had it they were called 'Ghouls'. Moss exited from the office and walked through the halls of the Parlal. It had been a week since he had arrived in Dinsont. Much had happened in that time.

The line at Iliuna may has well have not existed, they were overtaken within an hour. They had tried everything against the beasts but nothing as of yet had worked. However, word was they could be killed by simply removing a piece of them. That rumor was inconclusive. Explosives were effective to a point. Projectiles smaller than .50mm barely affected them. Things were looking grim.

He walked to a jeep and sat in the side seat. "The Pokemon Center." The driver nodded and pulled into the street. There were lines of soldiers marching about, M-16 rifles in their hands and chanting. He frowned at the display. Dinsont, a normal town just days ago was now a military base. The reserves had definitely boosted their numbers but they had very little experience if any. The building's windows had nearly all been boarded up and vacated save for the ones being made useful. There were no onlookers or children standing on the sides of the road, just soldiers. The hospital had been kept in operation but it was empty of civilians, most of the staff had volunteered to stay and were subsequently conscripted. Literally anyone willing to stay was conscripted, which bode ill for everyone.

The jeep pulled to a stop near the door. He hopped off and made his way inside. Ian was standing at the desk and attempted a salute. "So are we ready to go yet?" Moss asked.

"Uh... yeah, I think so." He replied, unsure of himself. "Honestly, the last time I've heard anything from Joy was before the operation. She said it wouldn't take longer than an hour."

"I'm going back to check then." Moss said. He rounded the desk and pushed open the doors. Ian ran to catch up with him.

"Well... She said it wouldn't be easy with her fever running so high and all. Maybe we should just wait a little longer." Ian suggested as they walked to the operation room.

"We're running out of time Ian." Moss stated flatly. "I need to get you all out of here before sunset."

"I understand but-"

Moss stopped walking and sighed. "I've got bigger problems to worry about. She may be my friend but I won't risk all your lives. So what I want you to do is take her with you."

Ian was shocked at the statement. "You can't be serious... She's not even registered to an owner."

Moss dug through his pocket for a moment and brought out a tiny blue Pokeball. "Here." He said as he tossed it to him. "This is called the Stasis Ball. It will register her to you, but due to it's 'Preservation' status she won't belong to you. It's capable of maintaining a wounded or sick Pokemon for several hours or days depending on how badly afflicted they are."

Ian handled the ball curiously. "Are you sure about this?"

"I can't keep her here..." Moss said before continuing to the operation room.

"I know but... What did you want me to do with her?" Ian asked.

"Things are going to happen soon. I have to plan as best I can for her. I'm going to give you a list of orders before you leave and I want your word that you will follow them, down to the last letter."

"I'll try... But you realize I'm not military right?" Ian said as he pocketed the Pokeball.

"I'll take that as a yes." Moss replied simply as he stopped at the Operation room door. Nurse Joy was washing her hands at a sink when he looked through the window. He knocked on the window lightly and she looked up with surprise. She quickly finished washing and rushed to the door with a frown. She pushed through the door and shut it quickly behind her before he could get in.

"Sorry, I'm afraid that we're not quite finished." She apologized. "My assistant is stitching her up at the moment."

"That's okay. Does that mean the operation was a success?" Moss asked.

The Nurse frowned a bit at the question. "Ian, would you tend the counter while I take him to my office?"

"Yes ma'am." Ian said as he began walking back down the hall.

Joy gestured for him to follow. It didn't take them long to get to her office. She sat across from him at her desk as he took his seat. She seemed to be bracing herself to give bad news. Moss sighed inwardly, I guess tragedy is the way of the world now. He thought to himself.

"This Charmeleon you brought with you is, in a word, puzzling." She began. "Her fever shouldn't exist. There's absolutely no medical reason for it that we know of. Her blood reveals no infection and scans show no broken bones save minor fractures from time to time, which is in of itself puzzling." She explained.

"Yes, I know. You've kept me posted on all this." Moss said. "What of the operation?"

"Wait a moment, I'll get to that." She said with a solemn tone. "Brain scans showed heavy activity in her entire brain, which is not good when her temperature is running as high as it already is. But, in lieu of everything that happened, Teya will live. Her temperature has been slowly dropping since we removed the egg. Nothing serious should have been caused by the fever but there's no telling what effects the brain activity will have. A side effect of the surgery is that she will no longer be capable of birthing children."

Moss furrowed his brow in worry. "And the egg?" He asked.

Joy paused for a long moment. "Honestly, Mr. Moss. I would be surprised if the fetus survived the fever. But if it does, the damage will be quite severe. Brain damage will be very likely and physical deformation is a guarantee." She stated grimly.

There was a heavy silence. Nothing else could be said.

"Look, Nurse Joy." Moss finally said. "Thank you for your hard work on her and your willingness to stay, but my orders are to get you and everyone else out of here today."

"Understood, Commant." She said, her head hanging low. He almost wished she would put up more of a fight than that.

"Ian is in charge of Teya while I'm working here. He'll take good care of her I think." Moss stated. Joy was silent for a moment as he dug through his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to her. "See that he gets that after you guys get to Reftur."

"Is that all?" Joy asked.

Moss stood from his chair and held out his hand to her. She grabbed it and shook. "I'm sure they'll be here soon, so make sure to pack everything you need." He said.

He walked by the operation room. He felt bad for Teya. She had nothing left with Qagan missing. She wouldn't likely see anyone she recognized again. She still doesn't even know that she has a child. For a moment he stopped in the hall and looked back to the door. "I'm sorry... I can't help you anymore." He whispered as he continued to walk. He coughed roughly for about ten steps before he was forced to stop. He continued to cough and retch for what seemed like hours. Finally the fit ceased and he looked into his hand. There were smudges of blood dotted with a few flakes of black. He closed his fist tightly and continued walking breathlessly.

Even as he rode back to the Parlal Center he felt a pulsing pain in his lungs. Like the beating of his heart was the culprit behind his suffering. The soldiers through the city practiced and readied themselves for the oncoming battle, still he swore there was an underlying silence. One that seemed nearly overwhelming. All things considered it was much like the silence that comes after the news of death, or perhaps, of men that stared death in the face.

He strode into the office of Commander Norason and stood before his desk with a salute. "The second wave of evacuations are prepared, sir."

The Commander picked up the phone and dialed a number. The speakers throughout town relayed a jingle. "Attention, all sub-essential personnel are ordered to evacuate immediately. Please proceed to your designated vehicles in an orderly fashion. By order of the Commander, all sub-essential personnel please evacuate immediately." He put the phone on the receiver and looked to Moss. "Then it's done." He finished with a sigh.

"Almost." Moss said with a grim smile.

Norason chuckled. "Go to the armory and get ready. I want you on the front line." Moss moved to leave. "Oh, one more thing." Moss stopped and looked back to him questioningly. "You sure your friend will make good on his promise?"

He thought for a moment. "Absolutely. As long as we make good on ours." Moss assured.

"Think we can make good on ours?" Norason queried. Moss turned back to the door and walked out, purposely avoiding an answer. Norason sat in his office and looked after him. "I believe we can." He whispered to himself.

The armory was loaded with an assortment of weapons and munition. All the people in this town had weapons in their houses. When the civilians were evacuated the military raided several houses for weapons they could use. There was a surprising variety of weapons, seeing as how there were no set laws on weapon control. There were handguns, a lot of them. There were some semi-automatic and automatic weapons, a few grenades and one RPG, even a few hunting rifles. All of them were stocked alongside the military standard equipment just in case there were too many people and not enough guns. Which had actually been the case after all was said and done. There were few weapons left to speak of, but Moss still had a decent selection. He shouldered an M-16 and strapped a couple clips of ammo to his belt. He holstered one 9mm handgun and strapped an extra clip on.

As he continued to look through the lockers for anything else he needed, he heard heavy footsteps behind him. He looked back, it was the woman again. She was in the same armor that she wore in the beginning. He continued his search without so much as humoring her.

"Finally getting the glory tonight?" She asked. He ignored the comment. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Such a simple mind is worthy of pity." Moss paused and looked back to her with a scowl. "Why protect Teya when you could be killing something?" She asked sarcastically. She crossed her arms as if she believed she knew everything.

"When you say stuff like that, I wonder if you know what's going on." He said as he slammed a locker shut and moved on to the next one.

"How could I not? It's all so plainly obvious."

He cringed. "Then if it's all so obvious why did you want me to protect her?"

She scoffed. "I believed you a man worthy of trust, but it's clear that you didn't care about her." She said derisively. "Your kindness, a facade. Nothing in you is kind. You move against this unbeatable enemy and you lay down your life for nothing. You are more a soulless husk than the creatures that come for you."

Moss didn't reply for awhile but simply nodded as he dug through another locker. "Perhaps you're right." He said simply. She was taken off guard by his agreement. "After all, I'm just a foolish man who seeks violence. If enough people believe it, it must be true." He closed the locker weakly and walked over to her with solemn eyes. She was speechless. "Just a man... Who doesn't care about anything other than the suffering of others." He coughed into his hand roughly for a moment.

She stared him in the eyes. He couldn't see her eyes in her helmet but he knew that she could see his. The way he looked right now, he looked so vulnerable, so weak. His eyes revealed so much pain, yet there was a determination in them as well. "You're right, you know. I will hurt them and I will enjoy it. Not because I want to, you hear me? But because I have to. If people want to live they have to be able to count on me. Men aren't strong, but all of us have to be." He didn't waver in speech, but it took a lot of effort to do so. His lungs ached terribly as he struggled to breathe normally.

She stared him down for a long moment before relenting. "If you must pursue this course, then I will assist you." She pointed to his M-16 rifle. "That will do you no good."

Moss shrugged. "It's all we have. It will have to do."

She smiled weakly. "If that is true. Then I pity you more." She walked past him and dug through a pack that lay on a bench. It was a civilian bag that had a hunting rifle and a couple .40 caliber handguns. She dug through to the bottom and pulled out a sheathed sword, she held it out to him. "This will serve you better than your guns."

He grabbed it and pulled the sheath half off. It was sharp at least but it was definitely seasoned. The weight was good but the balance of it seemed a tad off. "A little old fashioned..." He noted as he slid it back in. "That's a new trick for a hallucination, by the way." He added, tying it around his waist. "I've never had one bring me weapons."

She smiled warmly at the comment. "I told you that I'm not a hallucination."

"Well then, what are you?" He asked simply. "An angel? A fairy? A god? I don't buy that."

She put her armored hand over his shoulder, he swore he could feel her weight. "It doesn't matter, you know that." He felt a sudden closeness to her. A warmth that emanated from her and comforted him.

He blinked and she was gone. As if nothing more than a memory. The warmth was gone and the weight of her hand was painfully absent. He sat down on a bench and rested his head in his hands. "What am I doing here?" He asked himself. The silence in the room bore no comforting answer. He looked to the sword that rested by him. He removed it from the scabbard and inspected it carefully. There was a reflection of a man in it, the man frowned back to him. There was a feeling of absolution in him as he stood and walked back through the door with the sword in hand. "What indeed." He grumbled.

Refugees

Moss moved to the road leading back to Iliuna and stood at the front of the defensive line. This was his requested position. The Commander had been doubtful that was what he really wanted at first, but after Moss brought it up a couple times he had conceded. The men up front were trained military, the very best available. The rest of the lines were mainly recruits and reserve. The front line comprised mostly of sandbags and makeshift barriers. There were mounted machine guns about every thirty meters or so. Some supplies had come in from the west, but they were merely trinkets. Soap and cloth mostly, even a little food. Nothing that would be useful in fighting the creatures, anyway. The men looked fresh yet seemed down, as if depressed. His presence didn't seem to affect them much. They all managed a sluggish salute as they stood watch around the border.

"Evening, Commant." a Sergeant said. The name stitched on his chest was J. Cullaw. A tall man with a clean face and shaved scalp. "We've been having some strange activity out there. Not exactly sure what to make of it myself." he gestured to the forest about a mile out. "There's nothing coming into view by all reports. Sensibilities aside, we are seeing something out there."

Moss nodded. "They won't make their move on us 'til nightfall. Even with the overcast today." The sergeant bit his lip cautiously and hardened his stare. He noticed his sudden aggressive demeanor. "Out with it Sergeant, what is it?"

"How do you know that, sir?" He asked.

"Reports from Iliuna confirmed it."

"Confirmed nothing, sir!" Cullaw replied. "One report is all we have."

Moss maintained himself. It would be no use to be angry for questions. "No. We have about a half dozen or so." He said assuredly. "Now isn't the time for guessing, Sergeant. Questions are fine with me, but keep them relative, understand?"

The Sergeant seemed calmed by his words. "So you're sure about this?"

"I wouldn't have said it otherwise." He said. "So what is it that has you curious?"

Sergeant Cullaw gathered himself for a moment. "Well, like I said. We haven't seen a goddamned thing, but some noises have me thinking." He explained. "Explosions farther out we think. Screams and such we were told is normal, but explosions? Someone is fighting them out there."

Moss cocked an eyebrow. "Interesting. Any thoughts?"

Cullaw seemed surprised at the question. "Well, we haven't heard anything from the Assembly since this all started. If I had to guess I would say they've pushed through the Ghouls, working their way here to finish us off."

"Unlikely," Moss noted. "the Assembly forces haven't been seen since Unity. You know that. If the Assembly could push through we would have definitely seen air activity. But honestly, I'm not sure who else it would be."

"That's what we've been thinking. That's not all though, the sounds seem to be getting closer. Just boom after boom sounding throughout the forest." the Sergeant rubbed the back of his head. "Is it possible that they fight each other?"

Moss smiled at the concept, wishing dearly it was true. "I hope so." But a part of him knew better. "Did you radio check?"

"Yeah, nothing unexpe-"

A flash of light shattered everyone's concentration and broke his sentence. It was bright and swift, gone before it had been grasped by eyesight. "From the forest! There's something going on!" Their radio's blurted.

Moss grabbed his radio and looked into the forest. "What? What's go-!"

A rolling rumble poured from the forests edge, shaking the air around them. Then the air cracked loudly even through the muffling cover of the trees.

The radio was silent for several seconds after that. "It was lightning." someone over the radio replied. "Just some bloody lightning."

Moss lowered his radio and looked up to the clouds. Something about that statement was odd. Just lightning. Like it was the most common thing in the world for lightning to strike. Didn't look like storm clouds loomed overhead, it wasn't quite the right weather. Everyone was silent and watched the forest for any movement whatsoever. Seconds dragged on to minutes, minutes dragged on for what seemed hours. Slowly everyone drifted back into calm and resumed their duties. Moss continued to stare out to the forest, Sergeant Cullaw stood behind him nervously.

"Sir?" he finally asked.

Moss turned his head slightly but kept his eyes glued to the forest. "Odd weather. Don't you think?"

"I suppose sir, but lightning isn't exactly unheard of here." he explained. "Like I was saying before, there was no one on any of the frequencies. But we're still scanning as we speak."

"Good. How much longer before sundown?" Moss asked.

Cullaw checked his watch, "About an hour or so."

Moss nodded with a grim smile. "I wonder how punctual they are." he said with a chuckle. "Everything's ready?"

"Yes sir." he replied.

Another boom resounded through the forest. Significantly lesser than the first. "Are those the noises you described before?" Moss queried.

"Yes sir. The last couple hours or so. They've been getting louder." he pointed down the road. "If I had to guess I would say that whatever is making that sound is following the road."

Moss pondered quietly for a moment. "Sounds more like thunder, Sergeant."

"I've thought about that possibility sir and I know what you're thinking. The only rational explanation is that the weather is a little off."

"Rational or not, it's possible that it's not just the weather." he rebutted. The forest seemed so calm, but he could feel movement within it. It writhed in pain. "If there will be survivors, it would be best that we prepare for the possibility." He brought his radio to his mouth. "Attention, eastern blockade. Ease up on the triggers, there may be survivors on their way here."

Cullaw scowled at the order. "I don't think that's wise, Commant. These creatures are capable of anything."

"Noted." Moss replied. "All I ask is that you all double check your targets before laying down the wall."

He hesitated a moment. "Yes sir." he said with a salute.

There was rarely a moment when eyes weren't watching the edge of trees with discomfort. Guns pointed to the east as if the land itself would rise against them. Such a cold wind blew in from the west. Carrying the feel of winter with it. The clouds lazed along to the east along with their unseen master. Moss watched the sky, quietly appreciating the simplicity of the light gray sky tinted with the pink of a low sun. He looked to the men around him and could see that no such thoughts were blessing their minds.

Their eyes were dark with despair and their postures all expectant. Ready to leap into action should the alarm be raised. Another crack poured forth from the forest, harsh and sudden to the ears. Not a single man reacted to the noise with surprise. They all eyed the edge warily instead and readied their guns. Something was making it's way through the trees. They could all see a spot of yellow rushing out of the treeline and into the road before turning toward the town. Every eye was upon that one spot of color, straining to see exactly what it was.

"It's a Pikachu..." a soldier using his binoculars reported. "It's running like a bat outta hell."

Moss smiled as his hunch proved true. "Pokemon." he stated simply. "Hold fire."

Cullaw shrugged. "No use wasting bullets on it. But just one Pokemon?"

The soldiers all spoke to each other excitedly. If a lone Pikachu could break through the Ghoul line then they must be a joke. Moss knew better, there must be a reason for the creature's survival. A point of darkness shot from the treeline, giving chase to the Pikachu and clearly outpacing it.

"It's a Ghoul!" the soldier yelled. "A Ghoul's on it! Shit... Pikachu's not gonna make it."

"Any snipers got a mark?" Moss asked.

"No, that thing is moving way too fast!" Cullaw replied. "And it's nearly a 700 meter shot!"

A green figure shot from the forest after the Ghoul. It was moving faster than the Ghoul could chase the Pikachu.

"A Scyther!?" the soldier said, clearly confused by what was going on.

The Scyther chased after the Ghoul with determined speed. It's wings buzzed audibly, it sounded like a hive of Beedrill flew through the forest. The Scyther caught up to the Ghoul just as the creature leaped for the Pikachu. He cut through the beast swiftly and it exploded into ash, leaving him blinded. He swerved to the left and crashed into the dirt. He bounced and rolled several meters before coming to a stop. His exoskeleton was cracked on his chest, and his wings were broken and useless. He gasped in pain as he attempted to move. Small steps approached to his side.

"Come on! Get up! We're almost there!" the words were muffled and difficult to understand. He opened one of his eyes and an saw an exhausted Pikachu standing over him, trying to push him to his feet.

"Keep going... you stupid rat!" He managed to curse. "Keep running!"

The Pikachu ignored his insult and nodded his head fervently before running to the human town. The Scyther continued to lay helplessly. More Ghoul's emerged from the backs of trees and looked to him hungrily. The Scyther pulled himself to his feet slowly and ignored the stabbing pain in his abdomen. He lifted his arms and waited for them to approach. Another Scyther flew from the treeline and cut through two of them on the fly before landing and sliding to a stop next to his comrade.

"Can you still fight?" the newcomer asked plainly.

"I can, but I won't be making it any farther than this." he replied. "What of the others?"

The newcomer shook his head and watched the remaining Ghouls approach. "We're it, we die here."

The other spat blood to the ground. "Fine. Make it good." He said with a grim chuckle.

The Ghoul's rushed in from every angle, their featureless faces showed no mercy. The two Scyther remained calm and simply held their position. Their blades cut through the beasts as if they weren't even there. Ashes sprayed through the air and floated carelessly to the ground. The Ghouls couldn't break through their defensive style. Their teeth gnashed and bit through the air, wanting to sink into the flesh of their prey but instead receiving nothing. More of the creatures seemed to appear before their very eyes. They fought viciously and refused to submit to the tide of blackness. The ash piled around them and floated through the air. Suddenly a bolt of orange lightning plowed through half the creatures. The Scyther were stunned but kept themselves focused on the enemy. A Raichu tackled into another creature near them and shot a bolt through it, effectively eliminating it. The Raichu stood beside them and and it's cheeks sparked aggressively.

"Can we make it or not?" he asked the Scyther.

The broken one spoke first. "I cannot."

The other looked to the Raichu. "I will not leave a brother to his death. I will stay with him." his tone making it clear his mind wouldn't be changed.

The Raichu nodded and closed his eyes. He lifted his paws and they glowed a cool blue color. A strange cover extended around them and sealed over them. It was a translucent power. The Scyther gawked at the display.

"What is this?" One of them asked.

The Raichu didn't respond and appeared extremely concentrated.

Moss watched as the Pikachu ran toward the line. The soldiers didn't even seem to know there was a Pikachu there. They all kept their eyes locked on the Scyther's battle. Moss knelt and gestured to the Pikachu. It ran toward him and stopped in front of him gasping for air. "Please!" the Pikachu managed. "We need your help!"

Moss nodded. "What-"

"Holy shit..." A soldier standing behind him said.

Moss looked back to the man and followed his gaze back to the battle, where a bright blue point was now shining. He recognized it and brought the radio to his mouth. "I need a jeep on the eastern road, immediately! Nearest available!"

"Yes sir!" a man replied instantly.

Moss looked back to the Sergeant. "Cullaw! Grab a couple M-60's and have 'em loaded! Tell the Snipers to open up!"

Cullaw's attention snapped from the battle and he saluted. "Sir!"

The Ghouls inspected the shield carefully. The power was aura, they all pressed in and placed their claws on it. The Raichu gasped at an unexpected sensation through his body. He could feel their dark hands pushing against his power, they were cold. He could feel his strength being sapped from him far more quickly than it should have been. Somehow they were draining him. The Scyther stepped closer to the Raichu and stood with their backs to him. They didn't understand how he was doing it, but they figured he couldn't do it forever. The Creatures stood patiently just a meter away. They seemed to sense that this power was temporary.

One of the creatures exploded into ash and a loud bang followed shortly after. Then one after another continued to fall into ash followed by the sound of the shot.

The damaged Scyther looked confused. "What is that?"

"The Humans." The other said. "Their weapons are powerful!"

The Ghouls ignored the shots and their fallen comrades. Instead they kept replacing the gaps that were being created by the shots. The bullets ripped through the beasts easily, but there seemed no end in the flow of darkness.

"This isn't working." the damaged Scyther stated. "They just keep coming."

"I can't hold much longer..." the Raichu managed. "We have to keep moving..."

"We can't make it... We have no energy left."

"Then we fight to the death." the healthy Scyther grumbled.

"Enough!" the Raichu yelled. "We are going to make it! Even if we have to kill five thousand of these bastards we're gonna make it!"

The injured Scyther smiled. "Yeah, I won't give this Dust the pleasure of killing me!" He readied his blades.

The other laughed. "I would love to see them try to kill me!" he nudged the Raichu. "It's alright, let them through and we'll break for it. No one left behind, got it?"

The Raichu nodded. "On three. One... Two... Three!" The shield dissipated instantly. The Ghouls wasted no time and lunged in for the kill.

Each of them held their own and covered each others backs. The beasts attacked wildly at them, trying anything to land a hit on them. The Raichu used a mix of electric and aura based attacks. The attacks were complicated and required a lot of concentration, if one thing was overlooked or unaccounted for he would be overtaken. He narrowly dodged several attacks. He was a skilled fighter but one of the claws caught his cheek and slashed through his face. He cried out and fell to the ground, holding his face. The Scyther both reacted immediately and moved to defend him.

He cursed himself for falling so quickly, forcing the Scyther to hold position. Both of them kept the Ghouls back a considerable distance. The occasional one would leap in for an attack and get very close to cutting them open. He regained his composure and stood back up. Blood poured from him as he unleashed a thunderbolt through the creatures. He blocked the pain from his mind and fought with adrenaline induced vigor. "Keep moving back!" he yelled to them. The pace was painfully slow and incredibly difficult to maintain.

His muscles ached and screamed but were pinned by his focus. He spun and slammed his tail through a Ghoul's neck. It fell to ash as if it had been ash the whole time. This wasn't a new or rare occurrence to him but it seemed odd that such a thing could even exist to trouble them at all. Their whole bodies were as black as pitch, humanoid in stature with nothing but a mouth and teeth to define them. All of them were cruel and relentless. Unfeeling creatures that ate everything alive. He spared no mercy to them. The Scyther clearly had no qualms about the killing and were in fact enjoying it. The fear of being overrun however, gripped all of their hearts. It was clear in their eyes as they slew countless numbers of them. Their faith began to wane.

A strange roaring sound came from the town behind them.

The Raichu's ears perked. "Get down!" He fell to the ground. The Scyther responded quickly and fell down next to him, he was surprised they were so fast on his order.

The beasts swung over their heads and were confused by the quirk in strategy. They repositioned for the kill. Sounds like thunder striking several times a second struck into them. Their bodies ripped to shreds and fell to ash over their prone opponents and the roaring noise passed right by them and into a line of the Ghouls. One of the Human vehicles had broken the line to assist. Two guns were mounted in the rear windows and fired erratically into the remaining creatures as the jeep came around. Dirt sprayed from the tires as it swung back onto the road.

"What is that thing?" One of the Scyther asked.

The Raichu smiled. "Our salvation."

The jeep screeched to a stop on the road next to them and the door flew open. A soldier stepped out and waved them in. "C'mon, let's go!" she ordered.

The Raichu stood and ran to the vehicle, the Scyther followed closely. They all piled in and the door was shut. The jeep sped back to the line and pulled to a sudden stop inside the barricade. The Raichu sighed in relief. "That was a little close."

The Scyther nodded in agreement.

The door swung open and the soldiers stepped out, looking equally relieved as the Pokemon to be away from the Ghouls. The Raichu stepped from the vehicle and was greeted by several grim looking strangers. And one very familiar one.

"Shokan?" Moss asked, a smile slowly growing over his face.

Shokan smiled as the two Scyther stepped out from behind him. "Moss!"

Moss knelt and hugged him tightly. He had never been so happy to see anyone in his entire life. Shokan returned his embrace but cut it short. "Ah, sorry. We have to hurry!"

"What? Hurry?" Moss said with a cocked brow.

"Yeah, there's still more Pokemon out there waiting for us!" Shokan explained. "Our Scouting party was a group of twelve. Only three of us made it here so far but I would doubt any others are alive! We got cut off from the rest of the group!"

"What!? We can't get them! There's hundreds of those things out there, if not thousands."

"Yes, we know! But there's about three hundred Pokemon in our group, most are nothing more than children!"

Moss shook his head and shrugged before standing. "Shokan," he started.

The Pikachu moved next to Shokan. "That's what I said, but he won't help them."

Shokan seemed stunned. The Scyther eyed Moss carefully. The Soldiers moved a little closer to Moss and lifted their weapons slightly. "So you know what we're here for."

He smiled weakly before responding. "That little friend of yours wouldn't shut up about it." Shokan's face remained hard. Moss straightened his face. "It's against orders, Shokan. And honestly, I think it's a terrible idea to abandon our defenses. We need to hold this line as long as possible." he gestured to the city around him.

"Oh please!" Shokan spat. "With everything you guys have lost so far, I sincerely doubt you'll hold this city."

"It's not just me!" Moss yelled, frustrated by his position in this argument. "We need all the people here we can get! The Ghoul's are strong and they've been tearing through our lines like nothing! It's a god damned suicide mission you're talking about!"

Shokan looked, in a word, pissed. "We walked right through their line, and here we stand."

Moss looked at the bloodied Raichu with indifference. He did actually make it through their line. He was scratched deeply but it was hardly life threatening. One of the Scyther had torn wings and a crack through his chest, he was clearly done fighting. But the other wasn't hurt at all except for a couple scratches along his exoskeleton. The Pikachu was fine, save for exhaustion. He was apparently the messenger in case the others couldn't make it. They had a plan and executed it well.

Moss lifted his radio to his mouth. "Norason, this is Moss. I have a request."

"Norason here. What is it Commant?" he asked tiredly.

"We've received a report of possible survivors down the road about five miles. I would like to request a recovery effort."

"An hour before sundown?" Norason questioned. He wasn't a fool, he wouldn't abandon defensive capability for a whim.

"I am aware, sir. Word is up to three hundred survivors, maybe more."

There was a long pause. Norason was weighing his options and odds carefully on a knife's edge. "Are they priority?"

That question struck him hard. He knew what the commander was really asking; are they human? Moss looked at the soldiers surrounding him, trying to see if they would call him on his bluff. They revealed no feelings about the question. Except for the woman that stood by the jeep, she nodded to him slightly and gave him a small smile. "Yes sir." he answered, surprised by his bold lie.

"Permission granted, I want a convoy ready in ten, for three hundred. Along with twenty armed guards. Commant Moss is in command of the mission, by my order!" The Commander stated.

"Sir!" came the reply over the radio.

Shokan nodded in approval. "You're not going alone, patch us up."

Moss nodded and gestured to the medic. The medic shrugged. "My field isn't normally in Pokemon, but what ze hell?" he began to clean the wounds on Shokan carefully.

Moss looked to the soldier leaning on the jeep. She smiled. "Pretty ballsy call, Commant." She said with a chuckle and mock salute. Her clothes didn't have a name stitched in them, meaning she must be a recruit.

"Good work out there. Glad you saved their asses, if you would like I could order you to help us with this next one." Moss suggested

"Shit sir, I volunteer for this one." she said with a dismissive wave.

"Recruits shouldn't make a habit of volunteering for suicide missions." He jested. "What's your name?"

"Talia," She replied simply, managing an honest salute. "and I only volunteer for successful missions."

Moss laughed and looked back to Shokan. "I hope that'll be enough for you."

"Thanks, everything I could've hoped for! Looks like I owe you one." He replied with a genuine smile. "Have you seen Qagan around since all this started? He was headed out to the crater last I saw."

Moss froze. "What? You mean he isn't with you?"

"No. He was dealing with some things by himself." Shokan said, unfazed by Moss' panic.

Shokan hadn't seen Qagan since before the crater incident? If Qagan wasn't with him, where was he? There was nowhere else to go. "Last I saw him he was in Unity. Shit happened in the crater and he was forced to stay with me for a couple days. Just before this little problem escalated."

Shokan cocked an eyebrow in wonder. "Hmmm, then I wonder where he is." he said with a dismissive shrug.

Moss felt his heart drain at the news. His brother was missing.

The Medic finished wrapping Shokan's head and took a step back before admiring his work. "Now you won't be able to see, but it should heal up nicely." He cracked a sinister grin and looked to the injured Scyther. "Now here's somezing very exotic!" he grabbed the Scyther by the shoulder and began to lead him to a med center. "This one needs more time. No one bother me while I'm busy!"

Shokan frowned deeply. "Was it really necessary to wrap my whole head?" he huffed.

Moss looked him over. "I'm not gonna bring you like that, buddy." The only part of his head that wasn't wrapped was his mouth. There wasn't any blood though, the Doc did good work."

"Ah, it's fine. Qags taught me a trick. I'm good to go whenever you are." Shokan insisted.

"Well, let's get to it then. Good luck Cullaw!" Moss said to him with a salute.

"Good luck to you too, although I think you'll need it more than I will." The Sergeant returned the salute.

The Run Around

Alex walked from the building with a heavy sigh. The sky was filled with the pink of a dying day and still the traffic flowed. Hundreds of people walking to and fro, the day didn't die with the sun in this city.

"I would get tired of being in the military, I think."

Alex recognized the voice and turned to see Mr. Williams standing to the side of the door. "I would guess it's hard to stand straight without a spine." He replied.

"Zing." Barnaby said sarcastically.

"Did you need something?" Alex asked.

"I need a lot of things."

"Did you want something?"

"I want even more." He chuckled helplessly.

Alex began to walk down the stairs.

"Oh, don't be a poor sport." Barnaby called out. "I was waiting for you to finally get out here so we could talk." He walked swiftly to catch up to him. "I don't suppose I made a great first impression."

"Think so?" Alex stated flatly.

"Well, it was a delicate situation. I can't tiptoe on big feet, you see? I've got to stomp on them." He explained.

"That's how you handle delicate situations?"

"It is now. I don't like being talked in circles, Mr. Moss. I find it unpleasant, a total waste and disrespectful of my time. Mr. Keisnam insisted on feigning ignorance the whole time and tried to get me to play by his rules. But what he doesn't know is that this is my game, my rules. So many things to do that I don't have a moment to spare."

Alex cocked his brow. "Yet you're here talking to me."

"Well, a talk with you is on the list." he declared. "I owe someone a favor. One that barely dents the debt I've accumulated to him." Barnaby dug through one of his pockets and handed Alex an envelope. "That's the unedited version of my accomplices. I had to give Mr. Keisnam an edited version, to protect some uninvolved operations currently being executed. I didn't intend to share it with you but my contact assured me you could be trusted."

Alex broke the seal and read through the names and operations. There were several pages at least. "I don't get you. Why all this cloak and dagger shit?" He asked. "All of this could have been avoided I'm sure."

"It isn't deathly important that it all be done this way. It's just that this way wastes far less of my time and provides better opportunities." he explained. "Which way are you headed?"

Alex paused and checked his surroundings. There was an elderly man standing near a limousine with the door opened for Barnaby. He stood expectantly and respectful. He was dressed in what Alex would call '16th century butler' attire. "I'm on my way to Reftur. Got repositioned. Gotta take a Copter tomorrow morning."

"What a coincidence! I'm on my way there myself! Would you care to accompany me?"

Alex dreaded the thought. "Ah, no. That's quite alright. I have some things I should get ready-"

"Oh perish the thought, I'll have my men bring your things. We'll be in Reftur by 9:30 if we hurry!"

"Oh no, I'd hate to-" Alex hit something very solid as he backed up. He looked and it was the Butler standing with his feet firmly planted and arms tucked neatly behind his back. How did he get there? The man was nearly an entire foot taller than him.

"Please." his tone was flat and absolute. "The Master insists." He led Alex to the door and gently forced him in. Barnaby walked in after and took his seat. The doors were shut and locked, apparently only the Butler had access to the locks up in the drivers seat. The car pulled into the road and began it's trek to the airfield.

Alex shifted uncomfortably in the large car. It was largely empty with nothing but seats along the sides and a mini-fridge near the front. "Don't look so down." Barnaby said. "There's a lot of work to be done in Reftur and I need you there to help me."

"I don't work by your order." Alex protested. "I have things I needed to prepare for myself."

"Yes, yes I know." He replied wearily. "But I find time fleeting lately. The sooner we get there the better. I can provide whatever it is you'll be needing."

Alex rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the pages of sensitive information. So many names and projects were listed. How could one man orchestrate so many things at once? He read over them for some time before something jumped out at him.

Ryan Moss, Salvage Project.

"What? You had my brother working for you?!" he asked, yet he was hardly surprised by the information.

"Yes, he is one of my more reliable contacts. He took my warnings very seriously." Barnaby explained. "I owe him a great deal that I can never repay."

Alex thought for a moment before answering. "That's how you got all of those notes, isn't it?"

"Indeed. He was the only man I had in Unity. The others I tried to pull were difficult to say the least."

"The Salvage project?" Alex queried.

"What, think I won't tell you?" Barnaby said. "These projects are all well and secured. Even if I told everyone the truth there isn't a damn thing they could do about it. The Salvage project is what it says it is. Mr. Moss would pull scrapped notes for me and send them to my offices. I would test my own devices based on the failed components and make my own version. Simple as that."

Alex smiled. "I doubt that. How did you get him to work with you?"

"It was easier than you think, I was introduced to him by a third party. His name was Qagan I believe. One of the Pokemon in the reserve that thought my men were poaching in the area. We had a nice long chat with each other."

He shook his head in disbelief. There was so much going on here that it seemed impossible that it hadn't all fell apart.

"We discussed many topics of interest, but the most prevalent was the Malevolence Project."