Celadon Gym.
Erika stood inside a room with a grave expression, questioning the pale, panicked young woman beside her.
"Erika… more dragons—there are even more dragons this time. They're rampaging through Celadon City. The Pokémon Center has already fallen; its entire power supply has been cut. Trainers who were restoring their Pokémon there have gathered to resist the wild dragons, but most of their Pokémon haven't finished treatment. The situation is extremely critical."
The girl named Hanako spoke rapidly, barely able to keep her voice steady.
"…The Celadon Condominiums and Celadon University have both been breached. Your family's perfume research facility has descended into chaos. The airport in the outskirts is currently under siege by a massive number of wild Pokémon. All aircraft have been grounded—we've temporarily lost all external transportation routes."
"Have the Gym's backup Pokémon healing machines been activated?" Erika asked calmly, even though anxiety churned violently in her chest.
"They're all running," Hanako replied quickly, "but there are far too few machines—it's nothing more than a drop in the bucket. The Pokémon Center managed to power up some emergency equipment, but there are simply too many injured people and Pokémon. Medical staff are overwhelmed. Even the Pokémon transfer system has been destroyed—there's no way for Trainers to call in Pokémon from other regions."
Inside the hall, dozens of people worked frantically at computers. A man wearing a headset wiped sweat from his brow as he delivered a rapid report.
"In other words… Celadon City is completely isolated?" Erika asked, biting her lip and clenching her fists.
"Yes, Erika. Unfortunately, that's the case. We've also received confirmation that Pewter City, Cerulean City, and Cinnabar Island are under large-scale attacks by wild Pokémon. Cities that haven't yet been attacked are afraid to send reinforcements—they can't guarantee they won't be next."
"The Gym Leaders of Pewter and Cerulean have already issued distress calls," another staff member said with a pale face. "But at this point… no one can help them."
"The entire Kanto region is under attack?" Erika took a deep breath.
"That's the situation," someone replied immediately. Erika, Kanto has descended into total chaos. While the intensity in each city doesn't match the Team Rocket crisis in Saffron city a year and a half ago, the scale is far larger. The number of people involved is far greater."
"If this was premeditated…" Erika murmured, her steps faltering as she braced herself against a table, "…then whoever is behind it must have been preparing for years. No matter how well we respond now, we can only minimize the damage. Someone who spent that long planning wouldn't leave us any exploitable openings."
No matter how brilliant her strategy, no matter how sharp her intellect, Erika was helpless now.
This wasn't a battle—it was a war.
More than two hundred thousand Pokémon had already been drawn into the conflict. There was no precedent for this scale of destruction.
"At first, Celadon only suffered minor wild Pokémon attacks," Erika said softly. "I didn't think much of it. Incidents like that aren't uncommon. But the numbers kept growing… like a frog slowly boiling in warm water. By the time I realized the truth, it was already too late."
"A mastermind? That's impossible…" someone whispered in fear.
"According to frontline reports, these are genuinely wild Pokémon. Who could possibly command over two hundred thousand Pokémon at once to attack human cities?"
"If such a person exists…" another voice trembled, "…it would be terrifying."
"We can't draw conclusions too quickly," Erika said quietly, even though she knew her words would crush morale.
"It may simply be that we've never encountered someone like this before."
"Still… it's horrifying," a subordinate said. "So many dragon-type Pokémon are attacking Celadon. In the past, seeing even one wild Dragon-type was rare. Who knows how long it took to gather so many."
"Dragons?"
Erika froze.
"…Check the elemental types of the Pokémon attacking Pewter, Cerulean, and Cinnabar. Immediately."
The order was carried out at once. Fingers flew across keyboards, and less than a minute later came the response.
"Data analysis complete. Pewter City is primarily under attack by Ice-type Pokémon. Cerulean City—Fighting-types. Cinnabar Island—Ghost-types."
"The Elite Four…"
Erika's voice turned hoarse.
She rushed to a computer and pulled up old files.
"These were investigation reports Logan once gave me. At the time, they seemed unrelated… but now it's obvious. This was all part of a chain of conspiracies."
"Team Rocket once investigated the disappearance of Fighting-type Pokémon—especially Machop—in Mt. Moon. Logan investigated the mass disappearance of Ghost-types from Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower. Other Trainers reported sharp declines in Water- and Ice-type Pokémon along the coast…"
"…We assumed they'd simply migrated to new habitats. But now it's clear—these Pokémon were captured and controlled by the Kanto Elite Four!"
Her expression darkened as she turned sharply to Hanako.
"…Hanako. Where are Celadon's local Trainers?"
Erika, they were all dispatched for emergency rescue operations as soon as the attacks began."
"…Which means Celadon Gym has virtually no defensive force left?"
Erika's heart clenched.
"Yes. Other than you, Erika, everyone here is technical staff. We have no combat personnel."
"Then get out—now! All of you, evacuate immediately!"
The technicians stood frozen in confusion.
Then—
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion rocked the Gym.
It felt as if an artillery shell had struck directly. The ceiling collapsed in chunks, tables and computers were hurled aside, and terrified screams filled the room as people dropped to the floor, clutching their heads.
"What was that?!"
"Someone's attacking the Gym?!"
Erika ignored the panic. She shoved the door open and ran outside.
What greeted her was a massive Aerodactyl, wings spread wide across the sky—and standing atop its back, its Trainer.
"Dragon Master… Lance."
She forced the name through clenched teeth, crimson eyes fixed on the man whose attack had just struck the Gym.
"It is I—Lance, Commander of the Kanto Elite Four," he declared proudly.
"Gym Leader of Celadon, you know exactly what I want. Hand it over. Otherwise, Celadon City will share the same fate as Saffron city did a year and a half ago—reduced to rubble."
A triumphant smile spread across Lance's face.
Erika refused to surrender.
She reached for a Poké Ball—
But before she could release her Pokémon, a colossal shadow of a black dragon blotted out the sky.
And in that moment—
Erika finally understood despair.
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