They ran into the darkness, aided only by the glow coming from Red's Pikachu. Barely a minute later, they could hear the faint noise of commotion outside, carried through the tunnel by echo. They plowed on regardless, not stopping until Red suddenly jerked to a halt and put out his arms to stop the others. He waved them behind a cluster of rocks, and there they gathered, panting softly in the dark.
"What? What is it?" breathed Bill.
"There's a light ahead," Red whispered. "Coming from the tail of an Ampharos. I think we've caught up to that Topaz girl who went before us. And . . . well, no need to draw more attention to ourselves."
Hibiki yelped suddenly as he felt something sharp prick him in the back. He turned to see the winged horse pokémon retreat backwards, head lowered apologetically.
"Galicorn, watch it with that horn," Ivy hissed in a reprimanding voice.
The light ahead of them faded slightly as Topaz and her Ampharos appeared to move on. Still they waited, and they could hear no further noises behind them.
"I guess the military police all went after your group," reasoned Bill. "Will they be okay?"
"Yeah. They're good at escaping," Ivy replied, though not in a completely certain voice. "We practiced getaways, and what we'd say and do if we got caught."
"And what was that?" asked Kenta.
"Four words only. 'Long live Free Japan.' It's a bit too simplistic, but none of us really wanted to think about actually being taken in."
"Oh? How long have you been thinking it over?"
"Since the moment our pokémon were stolen." Ivy's eyes glittered in the dark. "There are many rebel groups that have formed together since you went out and spoke to the public, Brendan," she said, "but we have been active since long before that."
Hibiki's curiosity peaked. "Ivy? You say there are other groups?"
"Of course. Off the top of my head, there's the Johto Ronin, the Release, the Neo Sekihotai, the Dragon Tamers Union . . . you get the point. They're all underground, of course, but civilian militia nevertheless. That's what happens when your police become imperial pawns- people take matters into their own hands."
As Ivy continued to talk, she began bringing up instances of brutality and violence, all of which had escalated tensions toward civil war. Outspoken critics of G.R.I.P. would suddenly find that their houses had been vandalized or burned down. A couple had been hurt, or outright killed in supposed hit-and-run "accidents." Some had simply vanished altogether. It had become a deadly game- not only to question the G.R.I.P. policy, but merely to ask what had become of its most outspoken detractors. Hibiki's eyes grew wider and wider as he continued to listen, hardly able to believe his ears. Much of this was news to him, having lived in the relative isolation of New Bark Town with nothing but a controlled media on television to listen to. Things were worse than he had thought, yet he had somehow missed it all.
"Ivy," said Red, joining the conversation, "you must have known what we were preparing to do at the Indigo League. How is that?"
Ivy smiled. "That's easy. We got word from friends who had gone to the Johto pokeball craftsman. It was short notice, but here we are."
"Word sure travels fast," said Bill, with a low whistle. "Considering how far away the Herron region is, few people here would recognize your pokémon. Galicorn, the first recorded pokémon of pure Light-type."
Ivy nodded toward her winged horse with the horn that had poked Hibiki. "He's not technically in the uber tier," she said, "but Galicorn's the next thing from it. I'm amazed that I've been allowed to keep him for this long."
"Nobody should have to think like that," said Kenta, clenching his fist. "And we're going to change it. Come on- let's get to the end of this road."
As they continued onward through Victory Road, the group occasionally came across the sight of Johto's strongest wild pokémon population. Or at least, they would have been, if not for those inhabiting Mount Silver. Most of the cave creatures kept to themselves, withdrawing from the light of Pikachu's glow. Golbat would flitter about the cave ceiling, and wild Graveler would press themselves into the wall. However, just before they reached the end, the party witnessed a clash between two wild pokémon.
They heard the roars before they saw the combatants. A massive bear pokémon lumbered about, swinging wildly at a spinning ball that seemed to constantly elude its claws. The ball suddenly uncurled, revealing a miniature elephant with a solid build and wicked-looking tusks. The elephant pokémon trumped and slammed its forelegs into the ground, creating a tremor that Hibiki felt even from where he was standing. It was nowhere near the power of Kenta's Salamence, but it was enough to rock the bear off its feet. The elephant curled itself up again, and spinning forward, plowed into the downed bear with the force of a cannonball. The bear flew through the air and smashed into a stalagmite, roaring in pain. It got up, clutching its arm, and stared at the elephant pokémon across the floor. The elephant snorted threateningly, and this cowed the bear into retreating through the darkness.
"A Donphan and an Ursaring," muttered Bill. "I wonder what they were fighting about."
Hibiki stared at the elephant- the Donphan- with a vigorous excitement he'd never felt before. He turned to Kenta, grinning from ear to ear. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!" he gushed. "Did you see that? That Donphan did a Sonic spindash and knocked that bear on his ass!"
Kenta looked at him with bemusement. "You like Donphans, huh?" he said. "Maybe someday, when things have cooled down, you'll own one."
"Yes! My life would be complete."
"Uh, excuse me . . ." Bill spoke up. "I believe this is about as far as I can go without attracting attention. The cave exit's just up ahead, right?"
They all looked onward. There was indeed a faint glow of sunlight just around the far bend, and no doubt, Silhouette police guards stationed at the sides to double-check the Masters that came through. Hibiki suddenly realized the folly of his situation. Things had not worked as they had planned: Bill would stay in the cave, but he himself should have been in the seats of the stadium crowd by now.
"I need to set up here," Bill continued, withdrawing the Signal Disruptor from his cloak. "This dark clothing should help me blend into the cave, but I've got my Exeggcutor and Red's Pikachu if I do get attacked." He looked at Hibiki and Ivy. "What will you two do?"
Hibiki shook his head. "I've got to get to my stadium seat somehow. But if security's half as tight as I expect, I'm certain they'll have cameras or something on the cave's exit."
Ivy smiled and patted her horse pokémon's neck. "Where are you supposed to sit?"
***
A small battalion of guards stood at alert on the outgoing end of Victory Road, pokeballs in hand, grimly set upon catching any unauthorized person who emerged from the darkness. As they watched the mouth of the cave, a sudden dragon roar issued from within, followed by a large cloud of smoke that erupted forth. Two human forms charged out through the Smokescreen, pumping their arms to escape from the whirling ball of death just behind. A Charizard swooped through the smoke and slammed its foot down upon the spinning pokémon, squashing it to the ground and forcing a halt. As the Smokescreen cleared, the guards gathered around the newcomers, fully intent on identifying them. At first, the two young men kept their backs turned, looking upon the Charizard that had saved them, and the Donphan under its feet. Then they turned, and the guards recognized the description of the trainer clad in red.
"I wouldn't get too close," he said calmly. "This Donphan is crazy. Give him space, and he'll probably wander back into the tunnel when he wakes up."
"Mr. Red!" stuttered one of the guards, standing stiffly at attention. "I-it's an honor to see you in action before the tournament, sir!"
"Mr. Red will need his pokémon restored back to full fitness before his first morning match," Kenta said in the irate voice of an impatient officer. "The sooner, the better. If you would, gentlemen, please direct your energies towards the detainment of the intruders. They cannot be far behind us."
Kenta's uniform still bore the rank of Sergeant, making him the most senior officer among the staff. The men regarded him without question. "Roger that. We'll get them if the pokémon don't." They exchanged brief salutes, and the parties separated.
"What? What is it?" breathed Bill.
"There's a light ahead," Red whispered. "Coming from the tail of an Ampharos. I think we've caught up to that Topaz girl who went before us. And . . . well, no need to draw more attention to ourselves."
Hibiki yelped suddenly as he felt something sharp prick him in the back. He turned to see the winged horse pokémon retreat backwards, head lowered apologetically.
"Galicorn, watch it with that horn," Ivy hissed in a reprimanding voice.
The light ahead of them faded slightly as Topaz and her Ampharos appeared to move on. Still they waited, and they could hear no further noises behind them.
"I guess the military police all went after your group," reasoned Bill. "Will they be okay?"
"Yeah. They're good at escaping," Ivy replied, though not in a completely certain voice. "We practiced getaways, and what we'd say and do if we got caught."
"And what was that?" asked Kenta.
"Four words only. 'Long live Free Japan.' It's a bit too simplistic, but none of us really wanted to think about actually being taken in."
"Oh? How long have you been thinking it over?"
"Since the moment our pokémon were stolen." Ivy's eyes glittered in the dark. "There are many rebel groups that have formed together since you went out and spoke to the public, Brendan," she said, "but we have been active since long before that."
Hibiki's curiosity peaked. "Ivy? You say there are other groups?"
"Of course. Off the top of my head, there's the Johto Ronin, the Release, the Neo Sekihotai, the Dragon Tamers Union . . . you get the point. They're all underground, of course, but civilian militia nevertheless. That's what happens when your police become imperial pawns- people take matters into their own hands."
As Ivy continued to talk, she began bringing up instances of brutality and violence, all of which had escalated tensions toward civil war. Outspoken critics of G.R.I.P. would suddenly find that their houses had been vandalized or burned down. A couple had been hurt, or outright killed in supposed hit-and-run "accidents." Some had simply vanished altogether. It had become a deadly game- not only to question the G.R.I.P. policy, but merely to ask what had become of its most outspoken detractors. Hibiki's eyes grew wider and wider as he continued to listen, hardly able to believe his ears. Much of this was news to him, having lived in the relative isolation of New Bark Town with nothing but a controlled media on television to listen to. Things were worse than he had thought, yet he had somehow missed it all.
"Ivy," said Red, joining the conversation, "you must have known what we were preparing to do at the Indigo League. How is that?"
Ivy smiled. "That's easy. We got word from friends who had gone to the Johto pokeball craftsman. It was short notice, but here we are."
"Word sure travels fast," said Bill, with a low whistle. "Considering how far away the Herron region is, few people here would recognize your pokémon. Galicorn, the first recorded pokémon of pure Light-type."
Ivy nodded toward her winged horse with the horn that had poked Hibiki. "He's not technically in the uber tier," she said, "but Galicorn's the next thing from it. I'm amazed that I've been allowed to keep him for this long."
"Nobody should have to think like that," said Kenta, clenching his fist. "And we're going to change it. Come on- let's get to the end of this road."
As they continued onward through Victory Road, the group occasionally came across the sight of Johto's strongest wild pokémon population. Or at least, they would have been, if not for those inhabiting Mount Silver. Most of the cave creatures kept to themselves, withdrawing from the light of Pikachu's glow. Golbat would flitter about the cave ceiling, and wild Graveler would press themselves into the wall. However, just before they reached the end, the party witnessed a clash between two wild pokémon.
They heard the roars before they saw the combatants. A massive bear pokémon lumbered about, swinging wildly at a spinning ball that seemed to constantly elude its claws. The ball suddenly uncurled, revealing a miniature elephant with a solid build and wicked-looking tusks. The elephant pokémon trumped and slammed its forelegs into the ground, creating a tremor that Hibiki felt even from where he was standing. It was nowhere near the power of Kenta's Salamence, but it was enough to rock the bear off its feet. The elephant curled itself up again, and spinning forward, plowed into the downed bear with the force of a cannonball. The bear flew through the air and smashed into a stalagmite, roaring in pain. It got up, clutching its arm, and stared at the elephant pokémon across the floor. The elephant snorted threateningly, and this cowed the bear into retreating through the darkness.
"A Donphan and an Ursaring," muttered Bill. "I wonder what they were fighting about."
Hibiki stared at the elephant- the Donphan- with a vigorous excitement he'd never felt before. He turned to Kenta, grinning from ear to ear. "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!" he gushed. "Did you see that? That Donphan did a Sonic spindash and knocked that bear on his ass!"
Kenta looked at him with bemusement. "You like Donphans, huh?" he said. "Maybe someday, when things have cooled down, you'll own one."
"Yes! My life would be complete."
"Uh, excuse me . . ." Bill spoke up. "I believe this is about as far as I can go without attracting attention. The cave exit's just up ahead, right?"
They all looked onward. There was indeed a faint glow of sunlight just around the far bend, and no doubt, Silhouette police guards stationed at the sides to double-check the Masters that came through. Hibiki suddenly realized the folly of his situation. Things had not worked as they had planned: Bill would stay in the cave, but he himself should have been in the seats of the stadium crowd by now.
"I need to set up here," Bill continued, withdrawing the Signal Disruptor from his cloak. "This dark clothing should help me blend into the cave, but I've got my Exeggcutor and Red's Pikachu if I do get attacked." He looked at Hibiki and Ivy. "What will you two do?"
Hibiki shook his head. "I've got to get to my stadium seat somehow. But if security's half as tight as I expect, I'm certain they'll have cameras or something on the cave's exit."
Ivy smiled and patted her horse pokémon's neck. "Where are you supposed to sit?"
***
A small battalion of guards stood at alert on the outgoing end of Victory Road, pokeballs in hand, grimly set upon catching any unauthorized person who emerged from the darkness. As they watched the mouth of the cave, a sudden dragon roar issued from within, followed by a large cloud of smoke that erupted forth. Two human forms charged out through the Smokescreen, pumping their arms to escape from the whirling ball of death just behind. A Charizard swooped through the smoke and slammed its foot down upon the spinning pokémon, squashing it to the ground and forcing a halt. As the Smokescreen cleared, the guards gathered around the newcomers, fully intent on identifying them. At first, the two young men kept their backs turned, looking upon the Charizard that had saved them, and the Donphan under its feet. Then they turned, and the guards recognized the description of the trainer clad in red.
"I wouldn't get too close," he said calmly. "This Donphan is crazy. Give him space, and he'll probably wander back into the tunnel when he wakes up."
"Mr. Red!" stuttered one of the guards, standing stiffly at attention. "I-it's an honor to see you in action before the tournament, sir!"
"Mr. Red will need his pokémon restored back to full fitness before his first morning match," Kenta said in the irate voice of an impatient officer. "The sooner, the better. If you would, gentlemen, please direct your energies towards the detainment of the intruders. They cannot be far behind us."
Kenta's uniform still bore the rank of Sergeant, making him the most senior officer among the staff. The men regarded him without question. "Roger that. We'll get them if the pokémon don't." They exchanged brief salutes, and the parties separated.