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Pokemon Crusade

Yonowarru

Roaring Flames!
You came back, and with full ammunition too! This latest chapter was great!

Dang, the amount of sorrow in this chapter made me feel mopey... until the flying sceen came up. :)

You really do a good job with expressing emotions in characters and having the reader feel those emotions as well.

I hope to see more in the future. A really great chapter!
 

Pkmn Breeder Jack

Static owns you.
Thanks so much for your comments guys and girls! It really does warm my heart to see you all still care enough to come back, even after such an extended break. I'm already hard at work writing the revamp of chapter 3 as well as finalizing some stuff for the last two chapters. Can't give a time frame just yet, but here's to hoping there won't be such a long break this time.

I also encourage you to reread chapters 1 and 2. I assure you they are more than just grammatical edits; entire scenes have been added, new backstories were included, and some of the events were made clearer. If you haven't read them, you are really missing out.

Thanks again for reading!


Jack ;466;
 

Latias01

Altoshipping newbie
I read your story over the last two nights, and I was very impressed. I love the character development with Jack and Megan. How could you kill Megan like that! Just as she was getting to be a very good character (where as at the beginning, I didn't like her that much) you go and kill her. Although doing so, you created a very cool form of Jack in the process.

All in all, this has been a fantastic fic, and I know the next chapters will be fantastic.
 

Pkmn Breeder Jack

Static owns you.
Well, progress on the new chapter is pretty slow right now, but it is coming. Working out some plot issues and trying to figure out some scenes. I've also been working on the revamp for chapter 3 some more, and it'll probably be the biggest revamp yet. Don't want to give anything away, but I think it'll be great.

Just a reminder, the fanfic awards are happening again and it's nominating time. If you want to see Crusade win again, just drop by the thread and nominate it. And don't forget to nominate your other favorites as well. Thanks guys/girls!


Jack ;466;
 

maxelle

Shadow Stalker
Finally I finished reading. That was great. I loved the story and the way it progressed. The characters were believable and I'm just blown away. Can't wait for the next chapter.
 

shadow wolf

The one and only!
hey there new here

all i have to say is wow the story is very good i started reading last Sunday and finished earlier this mourning. it is very well thought out and easly one of the best. thanks you also inspired me to start working on my video game's story.

also can i be added to the pm-list,thanks shadow wolf :D
 

Pkmn Breeder Jack

Static owns you.
Well guys and gals, the fanfiction awards are over and I want to thank all of you who voted for Pokemon Crusade. In total, Crusade won first in Most Suspenseful Fic, three-way tied for first in Best Trainer Fic, and tied for fourth in Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic. Again, I am so grateful to all the support you reader give. I couldn't do this without you.

To update you one what I've been writing, I'm making slow progress on 19, and can't give a certain release date. Hopefully it won't be but a month, but knowing me it could be a couple. xP I'm sorry, but I've got other priorities that I need to focus on that are keeping me from writing. The final two chapters of part one are all mapped out though, and I'm sure they will be released before summer's end.

Thanks again for your support! Hoping to see you all soon with a new installment,


Jack ;466;
 

GaZsTiC

Alternating
Well guys and gals, the fanfiction awards are over and I want to thank all of you who voted for Pokemon Crusade. In total, Crusade won first in Most Suspenseful Fic, three-way tied for first in Best Trainer Fic, and tied for fourth in Best Pokemon Chaptered Fic. Again, I am so grateful to all the support you reader give. I couldn't do this without you.

To update you one what I've been writing, I'm making slow progress on 19, and can't give a certain release date. Hopefully it won't be but a month, but knowing me it could be a couple. xP I'm sorry, but I've got other priorities that I need to focus on that are keeping me from writing. The final two chapters of part one are all mapped out though, and I'm sure they will be released before summer's end.

Thanks again for your support! Hoping to see you all soon with a new installment,


Jack ;466;

Well done Jack!! I completely forgot about the Fanfic Awards so I didn't cast a vote to anybody, but the awards you got you definetely deserved. I can't wait until Part One is done! :D
 

Pkmn Breeder Jack

Static owns you.
Hey guys and girls. It’s been a long time. Over a year since the last chapter, in fact. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have forgotten about this story. I’m not going to make excuses for the long delay, but I am going to give you an explanation of what’s going to happen with this fic from here on out.

First off, I’ve recently finished my first semester of college (to my non-American readers, the equivalent of university), and have had very little time to devote to this story. However, I’ve planned to set aside some time over the holidays to finish what I’ve started. I’m planning on releasing the final installment of part one around New Years. I will likely then spend the time during the spring semester editing and rewriting bits from previous chapters I find lacking. Then, finally, I will be able to complete this story over the summer of next year. An ambitious plan, I know, but I’ve said I won’t stop until this story has been told, and I’m ready to have it finished. To everyone who is still out there reading, you have my utmost gratitude for staying with me. I hope I can deliver a conclusion that will be worth your while.

So without further ado, I present the penultimate installment of the Rebirth of Terror. I hope you enjoy.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Nineteen – Revelations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“It has been a week since what can only be described as the greatest tragedy to occur in Johto, and for many, the grief is still too near. As you can see from these pictures, this is the single worst event to ever occur in the region.” Pictures appeared on the television screen, showing the city in ruins. Only a few buildings were left intact, and some had collapsed completely, spilling their pieces across the ground. Smoke and fire still rose from the rubble, and the streets were buried under broken cars and chunks of debris.

“The death toll is still uncertain, but authorities are estimating about 100,000 were lost in the explosions. If these numbers are accurate, then it means nearly 30% of the city’s population was lost. We ask that you keep the family and friends of the victims in your thoughts and prayers. From Johto Region News, this has been Kate Greene. Thank you for watching.”

The program cut to commercials and Mike turned it off. He glanced over at Jack, who was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV screen.

It had been a week. Seven days since that horrible night, when Jack had lost everything. Just the thought of it stabbed at Jack’s heart. Konpaku had overwhelmed him, and Jack found himself at the mercy of the Plate. The voices echoed through his head, reminding him of what he had lost and keeping the memories fresh and real. But Jack felt no pain. It had become so great that he only felt numbness inside of himself. Konpaku reigned and Jack was left to suffer the voices of the girl he had loved so much, but could not have.

Yet despite this, Jack found himself almost free of this curse when Mike was around. Something about his presence repulsed Konpaku, and the voices ceased to echo inside Jack’s head. Yet with this came the pain of reality; Jack could feel the grief clutching at his heart. It was in this state that Jack stared at the blank screen.

He was in the rec room of the Crusaders’ hideout in the Cianwood Mountains. Mike was there with him, sitting on the other couch. Kairi sat next to Mike, who had his arm around her shoulders. To the Jack that was a slave to Konpaku, the growing friendship between Mike and Kairi was excruciating; it was exactly what Jack wanted, what he did have, but had lost. But quite oppositely, the real Jack underneath was happy that Mike had someone to love. He remembered talking with Mike and learning that he never had a girlfriend before, despite his wild popularity in Hoenn. It seemed that Mike had finally found someone to relate to. Kairi was an exceptional battler. Jack had experienced it first-hand during his training, and that, along with her bubbly personality must have been exactly what Mike was looking for.

“I still can’t believe it,” Mike said quietly. Staring at the ground with a shocked expression. “After all we did, after everything we gave—” His voice cracked as the emotions started to well up inside of him. “—We still lost.” He whispered the last bit as if he couldn’t comprehend the reality of what had happened. Jack knew he was thinking of Lance. Jack seemed to understand the pain of everyone. It was more than just knowing them well. He could feel it, almost visualize what they were grieving over. Jack had begun to realize that his deep connection with Konpaku might be empowering him to see the ghosts of others, just as the Plate itself does.

Kairi was crying silently, her head resting on Mike’s chest. Konpaku’s powers divulged nothing about her past she was grieving over, and Jack deduced that she was, like everyone else, simply afraid of the future. Jack felt the same. When one’s enemy has the power, resources, and will to devastate an entire metropolis like Goldenrod, what chance did a ragtag group of Pokémon trainers stand?

Jack was woken from his thoughts as the door slid open and revealed a familiar face.

“Hello, Jack-san, Mike-san, Kairi-san.” Xavier inclined his head. He stood for a minute, focusing on Jack. Xavier’s eyes betrayed only the slightest bit of sadness for Jack before he spoke. “Eldes wants you to know that he is convening a meeting in the cafeteria for everyone.”

Jack remained expressionless, but Mike nodded. “Alright, we’re coming.” He stood up and helped Kairi to her feet. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

“Jack, you comin’?” Mike asked, looked down at his friend.

Jack was motionless for a few moments before finally nodding his head.

Together, the three joined Xavier and left the room. They walked through the now familiar corridors to the cafeteria. The automatic doors slid open and revealed several other people already seated. Some were deep in conversation while others sat silently awaiting the start of the meeting.

Xavier led the group to the table where Volkner, Candice, Flint, and Aaron were already seated.

“Hey guys,” Flint said, his voice tired but still positive. The impact of Lance’s death was clear in Flint; his eyes were a bit less bright and his smile was the slightest bit forced.

“’Sup Flint,” Mike replied, giving him a slight grin. Even Mike, who was every bit as enthusiastic as Flint, was weakened in spirit.

The rest of the group greeted each other, but nothing much was left to say, and they fell into silence. A few moments later the door at the far end of the room opened and Eldes walked in, followed by a few more figures. Everyone turned to face the new arrivals, and Jack recognized a few.

At Eldes’ side was the man Jack recognized as Wes, tall and thin with sandy blond hair parted in the middle and sticking out in odd directions. He had fierce golden eyes, but his most definitive feature was the single white scar that appeared across the bridge of his nose and ending over his cheek bones. He was wearing black pants and a long blue coat.

Following Wes were six others. Jack immediately recognized Green and Silver. Both wore normal clothes and stony expressions. Jack also saw Bruno, the massive martial artist and member of the Indigo League’s Elite Four. He wore no shirt and a pair of old, weathered white pants held up by a plain black belt. His feet were bare as well. With him was a man Jack didn’t know the identity of, but had seen before. He was tall and strong, appearing to be in his late thirties. His hair was a yellow blond and was swept back in a wild fashion. Pieces stuck out in every direction, giving it a very windswept look. We wore plain brown pants and a heavy green trench coat.

The last two Jack new the faces of but struggled to remember their names. One was in his late twenties and had gray-blue hair parted to the side. He wore black slacks and a black jacket buttoned up over a red tie. The second man wore a white beret over his long wavy blue hair. He wore a white and blue shirt and purple slacks. Jack looked over at Mike to see if he recognized either of them. He noticed Mike had a smug grin on his face. Jack followed his eyes back to the man with the beret.

“Do you know them?” he asked quietly. Mike looked over and nodded.

“Of course. The gray haired guy is Steven Stone, one of the strongest trainers in Hoenn. The guy with the beret is Wallace, the dude I beat to become Champion.”

Jack nodded with understanding. He knew he recognized them.

Eldes stepped forward and held out his hands. “My brothers and sisters, we have all felt the devastating effects of what happened in Goldenrod. We have lost several close, close companions in this Crusade we are on to prevent a great evil from consuming this land. Always remember that there is no greater love, no greater glory than to die protecting someone you love. Always remember that our lost friends were heroes, both to us and to this world.

“With this loss, however, we must now restructure our group. I have behind me six leaders. You likely recognize their faces. All are great men and great Pokémon Trainers, willing to risk their lives in the name of good. They will be in pairs, each pair in charge of a division. The two in charge of Division 1 will be Palmer as leader and Bruno as co-leader.”

Jack looked at the blond man in the green trench coat who had taken a step forward. “Who is he?” Jack whispered to Flint and Volkner.

“His name is Palmer, and he’s Kairi’s uncle,” Flint replied, glancing at Kairi, who nodded. “He runs the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh. He’s scary powerful in battle. He’s the highest ranked trainer in the entire region.” Jack nodded. He had read about him somewhere before.

“In charge of Division 2 will be Green as leader and Silver as co-leader,” Eldes continued, looking back at the two whose names he had called. They both stepped forward, still wearing very grim expressions.

“Lastly, Steven and Wallace shall be heading up Division 3 as leader and co-leader respectively.” The last two men stepped forward. Steven gazed around the room, his face unreadable. Wallace, despite his flamboyant appearance, looked equally emotionless.

“And as you all know, Wes is my partner and co-leader of this entire organization. Now,” Eldes said, looking at everyone in front of him. “Each of you will be assigned to a squad of four, with two squads under each leader. In Division 1, the first squad will be, as it was before, Flint, Aaron, Volkner, and Candice, with Flint as captain.” Flint let out a small smile and Aaron gave him a little punch on the arm. “Next, as Squad 2 of Division 1, we have Xavier, Jack, Mike, and Kairi.” Jack looked at Mike, who gave a small grin, and at Xavier, who gave him a slight nod.

“In Division 2, Squad 1, we have Lucian, Riley, Buck, and Marley, with Lucian as captain.” Jack glanced at the table where the four were sitting. He recognized Buck as Flint’s younger brother, who was only fourteen. The rest were new to him.

“For Division 2, Squad 2, we have Lucas, Dawn, Barry, and Taylor, with Lucas as captain.” Jack stared at the four young trainers. They were all around Mike’s age, maybe a year younger or so. “And for Division 3, Squad 1, Noland, Lucy, Brandon, and Tucker, with Noland as captain, just as before. Lastly, Division 3, Squad 2 shall comprise of Koga, Blaine, Morty, and Jasmine, who are not present due to a mission they are carrying out.”

Jack recognized the names and was impressed that the gym leaders were involved. Never had he thought he would be working with such prestigious trainers.

Among the groups small conversations had broken out, but Eldes held up his hands to quiet them. “Now, before we go off, there is one last thing I must discuss. As you all know, the nature of the enemy’s mission will ultimately bring us to Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh. Therefore, I have begun construction of a new base in Snowpoint, Sinnoh. I estimate the construction to take about a year to complete. It will be a good deal smaller than what we have now, because I must take into account the possibility that my brother may try to sabotage one or more of the banks that our funds come from, and we must be prepared to deal without much revenue.

“Now, would you all meet with your Division leaders for further details on our new restructuring? Thank you all for your time and service.” With that, Eldes turned and left, Wes following behind. The leaders walked toward the Crusaders, who began to stand up and talk amongst themselves.

As Jack and the rest of Division 1 stood to meet with Palmer and Bruno, Mike jogged off toward the group of trainers from Sinnoh, calling over his shoulder, “Just a sec.” Jack followed him with his eyes and saw Mike greet the trainer with medium length black hair. Mike shook his hand and seemed very pleased to see the kid. They talked for a moment before Mike turned back, giving the trainer a wave. As Mike approached his group, he saw Jack’s expression.

“That was Taylor, a trainer I met in Sinnoh. I had no idea he had joined the Crusaders.”

Jack nodded and turned his attention to Palmer, who was standing with Division 1. “Everyone, let us head out to the beach to discuss our responsibilities.” The eight trainers followed Palmer and Bruno down the corridors to the exit leading to the beach. As the door opened the sunlight streamed in, and Jack squinted and held his hand up to block the light.

Palmer led them up the rocks a bit farther until he found a suitable place to sit down. They formed a circle, sitting on large boulders or on the ground.

“Well everyone, my name is Palmer, and I’m going to be your commander for as long as you are part of our organization.” He set a metal case he had carried on a boulder and unclipped the locks. “Each division is responsible for a certain field. Our field is operations.” He opened the case, revealing three Beretta 9mm handguns, along with three sleek black suppressors and several extra magazines. One at a time, he handed a gun and silencer to Mike, Kairi, and Jack. He then gave them each three extra magazines. “These guns are unloaded right now. Tomorrow we’ll have a training session to show you three how to load, shoot, reload, and clean these. Every member will have one. As we are the operations division, it is likely you’ll have to use these, so regular practice is encouraged. Once you’re competent with these, we’ll move on to submachine guns, though you likely won’t need to use them. Any questions so far?”

Mike turned the gun over in his hands, staring intensely at the weapon. “We’ll be using this often?”

Palmer looked at the boy and nodded grimly. “Now, Mike, Jack, your squad is pretty new, so you won’t be engaging in any extremely dangerous missions for some time. Flint’s squad will cover most of those. After you’ve had adequate training, you’ll likely be engaging in simple saboteur or data recovery missions. Mostly raids. The guns are for your own protection, to ensure you and your squad gets in and out safely. We don’t have the resources to wage an all out war on Shadow Force, and though Kanto and Johto have armies, they likely won’t pose much of a threat to them. We’ve already discovered that Shadow Force has infiltrated the government, and they’re very skilled at leaving behind no trail to follow. The military will be fighting a ghost.

“Now, much of our work will be with Lucian’s team, who is responsible for all the information we receive. We’ll plan our missions with them, and they will be the ones we communicate with during operations. Jack, Mike, have you had a chance to meet anyone in Lucian’s squad?”

Jack remained silent, so Mike answered the question. “I’ve met Buck and Marley a couple days ago, but not the other two.”

“Great. I’m sure you’ll find some time to get to know them. Now, as your Pokémon will likely take part in some of these missions, why don’t you let them get to know each other?” Palmer picked up his case. He looked at Bruno, who had been as still as a statue. “Anything you want to add?” Bruno shook his head, so Palmer started back towards the entrance to the base. “I’ll see you three tomorrow out here at one for target practice,” he said, looking at the three youngest trainers.

As Palmer left, Kairi stood up and unclipped her Pokéballs from her belt. She released them outside of the circle; first her Flygon Dustie, followed by Juggernaut the Lickilicky and Zee the Porygon-Z. “Well,” she said with a smile, “who’s up for a meet and greet?


||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||


The next day, Jack had gone outside and climbed back up to the cliff overlooking the sea. It wasn’t quite noon yet and he hadn’t eaten; yet he felt no hunger. With each passing day, he felt himself succumb more and more to Konpaku. As Konpaku grew stronger, he felt himself lose his humanity bit by bit.

The breeze felt nice, even through the numbness. The sky was clear and deep blue, and the ocean rolled lazily, as if it felt the day was too nice to do much of anything other than to enjoy the sun. Jack liked being outside; Konpaku seemed stronger in the dark rooms and halls of the base. Out here the voices weren’t as loud and his headache lessened.

He was interrupted by Mike, who called his name from below. “Jack! Come inside, you need to see this!” Reluctantly, Jack climbed down the rocks and followed Mike back inside. As they entered, Jack felt Konpaku grow excited, but Mike’s presence seemed to hold him back still. Mike led him to the rec room, where several other members of the Crusaders were gathered around the television. A news broadcast was on, and Jack recognized several faces that were being displayed. Among them were all of Flint’s squad, Lance, Eldes, and a handful of other Crusaders. His attention caught, he listened closer to what was being said.

“According to officials, these suspects were seen in Goldenrod in the hours before the explosions. After more investigation, authorities are suggesting these are the people responsible for the terrorist attack that took place just days ago. They are all described as ‘armed and dangerous’ and should not be approached for any reason. Any sighting of these people is to be reported immediately.” The broadcast cut to the reporter in a news room, sitting at a desk. Her expression was one of utmost seriousness. “The selfish and unprovoked acts of these men and women have torn a deep hole right in the middle of our nation, and it cannot go unanswered. We promise to do everything in our power to bring these terrorists to justice as soon as possible. Reporting live from Cherrywood, this is Maria Gold.”

As the broadcast cut to other news, Jack stared with dismay at the screen. With a dry and hoarse voice, he muttered, “How could they?”

Flint, who hand been leaning against the wall, turned to Jack. “It’s obvious. A play by Ardos. He’s gained control of the media. Things are worse than expected. He’s turned all of the public against us and framed us as the bad guys.”

“How do you know they have control of the media?” Mike asked, still in shock from the news.

“Several reasons. First,” Flint said, pointing to the TV, “Nearly half of the population of Goldenrod was killed in the bombs Ardos had planted. Why would officials have us listed as suspects when we were clearly trying to help?” Flint shook his head. Almost everyone in the room was listening to him. “Which leads to the second reason. They made no mention of our battle. From her report, we waltzed into the city and detonated some bombs. Lastly,” Flint said, taking a deep breath, “she said we. Not ‘authorities’ or ‘officials.’ If she were just a news reporter, she wouldn’t include herself in the people promising to catch us. She likely didn’t even realize she said it, but it gives her away. She works for Ardos.”

Flint’s words hung in the air for a long while as people contemplated what this meant. After a time, Mike murmured, “It can’t work.”

Volkner spoke from the couch. “As a matter of fact it can. People are stupid; they’ll believe almost anything they’re told, especially if it comes from the media. And they want someone to blame. Ardos managed to accomplish this without revealing who he is or where he comes from. But now he’s given the public faces to hate, and they’ll hold on to that.”

Jack listened to his brother’s words, and he could feel his hatred for Ardos grow. Konpaku amplified it, and very soon he could hardly stand it. He turned and walked out quite suddenly, ignoring the stares of everyone else. Once he was out of the room, he dashed down the hallway towards the exit. He felt hot tears stream down his face and he tried to wipe them off with unsteady hands. At the exit, he pushed open the door and sprinted up the rock face. As he reached the edge of his cliff he dropped to his knees and screamed in agony, releasing wave after wave of energy. As his anger faded, the flow of energy slowed, and he slumped over, his head hanging limply. In a shaky voice, he mumbled, “How can I do this?”


||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||


Several weeks had passed since the incident at Goldenrod, and not much had changed in the headquarters. Jack, Mike, and Kairi had all attended their training sessions, and all three had become reasonably proficient with their M9s. There hadn’t been any missions to carry out, so most of their free time was spent practicing combat techniques with and without their Pokémon, training in the workout room, or relaxing in the rec room. Jack preferred to spend his days outside to help his headaches, and on this morning, he was doing exactly that.

He had let out his Pokémon for some fresh air, which Static insisted on getting every day. Presently, Static was stretched out on a flat piece of rock, enjoying the sun. His bright yellow and black fur shined in the light, and a stupid grin was plastered on his rather wide face. Guardia, on the other hand, was exploring the mountainside a bit, looking for nothing in particular. Jack had come to learn that Guardia was very much a loner, and while he still was fiercely loyal to Jack and his fellow teammates, he preferred to spend his time by himself.

Sceadon was somewhere in the sky. With his evolution into a Charizard, a new passion was born within him; a passion for flight. Every day while Jack sat out staring at the ocean, Sceadon would take off into the air and spend a long time exploring. Often times he would take Jack with him, especially when Jack was feeling particularly gloomy. Today, Jack remained on solid ground and was content to watch Sceadon grow more and more accustomed to flight.

He was truly a majestic sight. In the sunlight, Sceadon’s leathery black hide glimmered brightly, and his graceful rolls and swoops gave Jack a warm feeling inside, one that Konpaku hated and from which he retreated. Jack was just watching as Sceadon burst through a cloud in a speedy dive, shooting to the ground like a bullet, when someone came up from behind him. Mike sat next to him, watching Sceadon with a smile.

“He’s an amazing Pokémon,” he said earnestly. Jack’s blank expression didn’t change, but he nodded slightly. Mike turned and looked at him with his emerald green eyes. “Can you come inside for something? It’s nothing bad. I just want to show you something.”

Jack glanced at his friend and nodded. Mike smiled and stood up, offering his hand. “You can keep your Pokémon out; they’ll want to see this.”

Static was woken up and Guardia and Sceadon were called over. They followed Jack and Mike back inside. Sceadon had to fold his wings in tight and stoop down in the close hallway, but they made it to the rec room, where all of Division One was waiting. Jack noticed they were all smiling, and there was a cake sitting on a table. Jack frowned, glancing from the cake to his friends and back again. Mike saw his expression and laughed.

“Dude, do you know what day it is?” Jack didn’t respond, and Static’s eyes widened with understanding. “It’s your birthday!” Mike slapped him on the shoulder. “Happy Seventeenth!”

Jack finally understood. He felt awkward, and he frowned, trying to understand what was happening. His legs were shaky and he felt an odd feeling all through his body. He looked at his hands with a puzzled expression before it hit him. The numbness was gone. The voices had ceased, and he felt warm inside. For the first time in over a month, he smiled, just ever so slightly. His cheeks felt sore, but he enjoyed the smile.

Volkner, who was nearest, walked up and threw his arms around his brother. “Happy birthday, bro.” Volkner released his embrace and held out a box, about large enough to fit an expanded Pokéball inside. “I got you a present, and I think Static will be especially interested.” The Electabuzz looked at the box curiously.

<What is it?>

Volkner grinned. “Open it up, Jack.”

Jack removed the cover of the box and pulled out a mechanical yellow box. It was vibrating slightly and seemed to have a core that glowed yellow. Confused, he looked at Volkner with a questioning expression.

“It’s an Electrizer. So Static can evolve,” Volkner explained.

Jack stared at the box for a moment longer and then smiled again. He looked up at Volkner and hugged him. “Thanks.”

Volkner grinned back. “Not a problem at all.” Jack let go and put the Electrizer back in the box. He turned to Static and offered the box.

“Hold on to this for now. We’ll use it when we’re outside.” Static received the box and stared at it, seemingly incapable of believing what it was.

Flint and Aaron stood up next and grabbed a larger box from the coffee table. “This one’s from us,” Flint explained, handing the box to Jack.

The box was a little on the heavier side, so Jack set it on the ping-pong table and opened it. Inside were six objects that looked like training equipment. There were a couple arm and leg bands, a belt, and a head piece with eye lenses. Confused, Jack looked up at them for an explanation.

Flint grinned at Jack’s expression. “They’re a set of the Power items. They help perfect certain traits of your Pokémon, like their defense or speed. They’re really pricy, but the Pokémon League is partnered with the manufacturer of the equipment, so we get a bunch of free sets. This one is yours now.”

“Dude…this is awesome,” Jack mumbled. He still couldn’t believe what was happening.

Xavier rose from the leather recliner and offered his own box. This box was larger and heavier than either of the previous ones. Jack tore it open and removed a long and heavy black trench coat. It had several pockets and compartments and seemed to have hard material built into the fabric.

“It is a combat coat for future operations,” Xavier explained. He brushed aside a loose strand of black hair. “It has Kevlar tri-weave plates over the torso section, and the material is fire resistant. On the inside there is a holster for your pistol and has several clips for your Pokéballs. It is a bit heavy, but you will soon grow used to it.”

Jack slowly pulled the coat on and examined it. It weighed a bit more than he was used to, but all the features more than made up for the extra couple pounds. Realizing the seriousness of this gift, Jack didn’t smile, but solemnly expressed his thanks to Xavier.

After he had thoroughly examined the coat, Jack took it off and laid it next to the Power items. He turned to his friends. “Thank you all so much. I didn’t expect this at all. Thank you.”

Mike chuckled and reached into his pocket. “We aren’t finished.” He tossed a Pokéball to Jack, who caught it and gazed back at Mike with disbelief. “He’s yours,” Mike said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Jack turned the ball over in his hands. He pushed the button and watched as a small floating form materialized from the red light. The Pokémon was unfamiliar to Jack. It was small, only a foot or so tall. It was red, with a sharp point on the top and a round protrusion on the bottom. The Pokémon had blue eyes and was surrounded by glowing blue plasma that extended on either side in the shape of a lightning bolt. It buzzed, making an electronic sound. It grinned.

<I’m Rotom!>

Jack slowly reached out and touched the Rotom’s plasma. As soon as he made contact, he was hit with a jolt of electricity and quickly retracted his hand. The Rotom made a high pitched buzzing noise that sounded a lot like laughter and spun around in a circle.

<Gotcha!>

Mike laughed at Jack’s expression. “Rotom’s a really rare Pokémon from Sinnoh. He’s an Electric/Ghost type. His species is known to possess electrical appliances from time to time and wreak havoc. I figured, due to the nature of our employment, he might be of some help.”

Jack stared in shock at Rotom for a few more moments, and then began to laugh. His rare mood was infectious, and everyone, including Xavier, was laughing. Jack threw his arms around Mike and hugged him tight. “Thanks bro,” he said quietly. Mike slapped him on the back and held him out at arm’s length.

“Anything for you, brother.” Mike let go and crossed his arms. “Now, I’ve been thinking.”

Everyone’s eyes were on him. Mike nodded to Static, Sceadon, and Guardia. “Those guys haven’t had a proper battle in some time, and nor have you.” Mike grinned at Jack. “So I think it’s about time. I challenge you to a match. One week, and we go 4v4 out on the beach. Think you can take me?”

The room was silent as Jack considered the challenge. He looked at Volkner, Flint and Aaron, who nodded slowly. He turned to Static, who had a fierce look in his eye. With a grin, he said quite clearly, <We can take ‘em.>

Jack looked back at Mike. He took a deep breath before he spoke his answer. “You’re on.”

Mike offers his hand, and Jack clasps it in his own. Mike looked over at Static. “Now, don’t you have something to do?”

Static glanced at the box he was holding. <Yeah! Jack, let’s go!> He took off out of the room and down the hall.

“Wait, Static!” Jack called after him, chasing him out the door. The rest of the room’s occupants followed closely behind. They exited the base and stopped as Static stood above them on a small outcrop of rock. Jack stood below him.

“Do it, Static.”

Carefully, Static removed the Electrizer from the box. He closed his narrow black eyes and concentrated hard. He pressed in on both sides and the energy from inside coursed into his body. Suddenly, he began to glow a bright white. He grew taller and his tail split in two. His egg-shaped torso morphed into a more solid shape, suggesting massive upper body strength. His forearms grew thick and strong, and his head became more round. As the light faded, the different black patterns were revealed on his coarse yellow fur. The fur hung in a shaggy manner around his head and shoulders. A black stripe wound around his head and stopped before meeting between his eyes, which were now a striking red.

Static flexed his fingers, which were now thick and black. He grinned ever so slightly and threw his bulky arms back, letting loose a roar and millions of watts of electricity. The blue lightning crackled around the Pokémon as he expelled the newfound energy from his body. After several seconds of this, the electricity faded and Static leaped off the outcrop, landing with a thud a couple yards below. He stood up straight and walked over to Mike, who looked as shocked as everyone at the sheer power Static just displayed. In a quiet voice that exuded perfect confidence, Static spoke.

<We will win.>




END




Jack ;466;
 

Son_of_Shadows

Well-Known Member
I seriously rubbed my eyes when I saw the PM. Then I read the chapter, and thought I was dreaming. I like the developments in this chapter, and I'm already envisioning the sheer chaos that Rotom will cause for Shadow Force... Hilarity will ensue. And now that Jack finally has a Ghost type, I'm interested to see how it interacts with Konpaku.

Glad to have you back, Jack. Sincerely.
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
Welcome Home!

Yay! Jack's back! With a whole new rap! :D

(OK, so the last bit didn't rhyme, but hey... :) )

OK, let the depiecing begin! :D

An interesting chapter. Plenty of plot and character development. One person got left out, however... what on earth happened to Blitz?! I'm a tad surprised you left him out.

And Ardos pulled quite the [BLEEP!] move on the Crusaders. Things will not be easy from here on out, hunh?

Aside the errors pointed out, I got one more bump in the road to Perfect Chapter:


The last two Jack new the faces of but struggled to remember their names.

This was a bit of a slip up. I'm hazarding a guess at "Jack knew"?

That should about wrap this review up. Good going, pal. And welcome back. :)

L@er!
 

benknightprime

Master Trainer
Dude, this is a great fan fic, one of the few I've read without scimming. Very good writing, charecters, and a pretty original story. So far I give a 5/5, you deserved does SPPf Fanfic awards.
 

shadow wolf

The one and only!
You have just performed the greatest suspense in all of history. Well on to the chapter, it was really good as always, the character development was very good with expressing how they have all felt about the recent events and overall a relaxed chapter. Leaving us with a cliffhanger how cruel :p. On to the typos.

The voices echoed through his head, reminding him of what he had lost and keeping the memories fresh and real. But Jack felt no pain.
Can you start a sentence with but, if not replace the period with a comma.

To the Jack that was a slave to Konpaku,
Just is a little difficult to understand took me couple of reads to understand, so is it suppose to show him losing his humanity.

The last two Jack new the faces of but struggled to remember their names.
Change new to knew.

“Now, before we go off, there is one last thing I must discuss. As you all know, the nature of the enemy’s mission will ultimately bring us to Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh. Therefore, I have begun construction of a new base in Snowpoint, Sinnoh. I estimate the construction to take about a year to complete. It will be a good deal smaller than what we have now, because I must take into account the possibility that my brother may try to sabotage one or more of the banks that our funds come from, and we must be prepared to deal without much revenue.
Add a quotation after revenue.

After you’ve had adequate training, you’ll likely be engaging in simple saboteur or data recovery missions.
Change sabotuer to sabotage or alter the sentence so it makes sense.

The corrections are in bold. Didn't find too many so that is good. Anywho really did enjoy this chapter and can't wait for the next one.
 
It's back, and with a new, somewhat upbeat attitude! Typo I noticed:

Following Wes were six others. Jack immediately recognized Green and Silver. Both wore normal clothes and stony expressions. Jack also saw Bruno, the massive martial artist and member of the Indigo League’s Elite Four. He wore no shirt and a pair of old, weathered white pants held up by a plain black belt. His feet were bare as well. With him was a man Jack didn’t know the identity of, but had seen before. He was tall and strong, appearing to be in his late thirties. His hair was a yellow blond and was swept back in a wild fashion. Pieces stuck out in every direction, giving it a very windswept look. We wore plain brown pants and a heavy green trench coat.

Should be changed to 'He'.

But anyway, this fic is back from the dead! This was such a nice surprise! I simply can't express how happy I am about this! This chapter, however, as far as this fanfic goes, seemed quite filler. Two notable things happened, an evolution and a short birthday. That's it. Four out of five, I still enjoyed the chapter very much due to the horrifically long wait, but as I said, to me it seemed filler.
 

Pkmn Breeder Jack

Static owns you.
Thanks for all the reviews so far, I'm surprised you responded so quickly.

Air Dragon, I'm a bit confused. You said this;

An interesting chapter. Plenty of plot and character development. One person got left out, however... what on earth happened to Blitz?! I'm a tad surprised you left him out.

The only character I've used thus far named Blitz was Flint's Infernape from Chapter 2, who was cut in the revamped version currently posted. I think you may be thinking of someone else's character. xP
 
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