PokéBall Z the Series: Vol. I: Green

Chapter III: Aftermath

Hanako opened her eyes, slowly, her vision blurred. Her surroundings were dimmed, with a sliver of light shining through the blinds beside her bed. Her head ached terribly as she tried to sit up, which only furthered the pounding in her skull. "Tatsu...Riviére..." she said as a bright light suddenly appeared, the lights popping in her head. She racked her aching brain as she tried to remember how she got here. The door to the room opened, spilling bright hallway light into the room. The sudden light hurt her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake," said an unknown voice. "You've been asleep for two full days."

As her eyes adjusting to the light, Hanako quickly recognized that she was in a hospital bed, wearing nothing but a hospital gown. "Why am I in the hospital?" she asked as she slid out of the bed, pulling out the iv drip from her hand.

"You were found passed out in the street near the explosion," said the doctor as he approached and tried to push her back to bed. "I insist that you stay in bed. You need to be examined for injuries."

"I'm fine. Can you tell me where Riviére Bleu and Tatsu Fuji are? They were with me when everything happened."

"They've been discharged already. I believe they went to the Pokémon Center," he said as he tried to push Hanako back into bed. "Now get back to bed."

"NO!" she yelled. "Discharge me, I'm leaving!"

Hanako shoved the doctor away and raced out of the hospital room. She ran out of the hospital, ignoring the shouts from the doctors and nurses that tried to stop her. She needed to see for herself that Tatsu and Riviére were alive. Hanako didn't look back as she ran down the street towards the Pokémon Center. As she reached the sliding doors, she stopped in the main lobby, looking around frantically.

"Tatsu! Riviére!" she called out as she walked further into the lobby of the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, we're right behind you!" said a familiar female voice from behind.

Turning around, Hanako saw them standing at the entrance, healthy. Tearing up, she lunged at them and hugged them tight. "I th-thought you two were hu-hurt or d-dead..." she sobbed as they returned the embrace, more tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Nah, we were just knocked out," said Tatsu as they broke away. "We were more worried about you. The doctor said that none of us suffered any major injuries. You wouldn't wake up though."

"Besides, you're the one that should be worried," said Riviére as she attempting to hide a snicker. "You're the one exposed."

"What?" she asked, confused. "What do you mean by exposed?"

"You do realize that you ran here with your ass on full display, right?" asked Tatsu, also concealing a laugh. "I always thought you had nice assets, but now I'm sure about it."

"Wha?" she paused and reached behind herself, her hands finding her bare rear exposed. Her face reddened like a cherry at the sudden realization crashing down on her. "You mean...I ran here with my...Oh no..." Tatsu and Riviére burst out laughing as Hanako tried to hide herself from the others, who were cackling and laughing along side them as she hurried to the women's sleeping quarters, where she hastily dressed. Walking out of the Pokémon Center fifteen minutes later, Hanako tried to hide her face from onlookers who recognized her from running out in public with her backside exposed. "I can't believe that I ran through Viridian with my butt in full view..." said Hanako as they walked down the sidewalk, a few people who recognized her cheering and whistling as she passed.

"Don't be ashamed," said Riviére happily, "Like I said last week; a woman's body is meant to be seen. You have a desirable body. Be proud of your beauty, don't hide it."

"Yeah, I bet a lot of guys have a crush on you, now" said Tatsu absentmindedly. "Then again, most guys were fantasizing about Riviére, opposed to most girls. Some guys prefer the petite girls, but a lot of men prefer the girls with the big melons," he said as he made a hand gesture of squeezing breasts. "I personally prefer girls with personality over looks, but I'd give you and your assets a ten out of ten," he said with a grin and gave her two thumbs up.

Hanako blushed furiously as Riviére wrapped her arm around Hanako's shoulder. "See? Now, let's go out and buy you some skimpy outfits to make the others jealous," she said before leaning closer. "but remember, I have first dibs."

"Huh?" said Tatsu as he looked back. "What are you girls talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing," said Riviére. She paused for a moment before saying, "Oh, Tatsu. I don't think I ever thanked you properly for taking Hanako and I to the hospital," said Riviére as she tapped Tatsu on the shoulder. When he turned around, Riviére kissed him once on each cheek.

"Oh, it was no problem," said Tatsu, his cheeks burned from the kisses.

"Really? Tatsu took us to the hospital?" asked Hanako after a short pause. Seeing Riviére kiss Tatsu made her heart flutter. She felt strangely angry, though she wasn't sure why she did.

Riviére nodded. "Yeah. He came to first and took us to the hospital. When I woke up, he was carrying us over his shoulders," she said as Tatsu rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm honestly surprised that a geek like Tatsu was strong enough to carry us," she cooed.

"I'm not a geek," said Tatsu. "I took the classes I did because my family has always specialized in technology. It's tradition. It's expected of me to carry on the family line," he said as he withdrew his arm from his right jacket sleeve and flexed his muscles. "What I really like is battling like my father. Not just with Pokémon, but with people too. He didn't like studying much either but he took it because he was expected to. He didn't like my grandpa much for making him take it, though," he said as he slipped his arm back into his jacket sleeve and walked away.

"I've been meaning to ask...How many casualties were there?" asked Hanako quietly.

"According to the news this morning," said Riviére, "over a dozen people and Pokémon were killed, and nearly thirty people were injured. The Gym and several buildings were decimated by the attack. No one saw what happened first and only a few saw what did it."

"Whatever that Pokémon was, it was powerful. It tossed around a Rhydon like it was nothing. A Pokémon like that must be at least Rank A or higher," said Tatsu as he crossed his arms in thought.

"So the Gym was destroyed?" asked Hanako.

Tatsu nodded. "Yeah. According to multiple reports, it was the Viridian City Gym that the Pokémon attacked first."

"I see...Maybe we should stop by and pay our respects? We're only a block away," said Hanako as they passed a building that had suffered some damage to it's wall. The building next door had been completely destroyed. As they passed the ruined building and rounded the corner, the smoldering remains of the Gym laid in ruin. To their surprise, a tall man wearing a black suit and fedora stood where the front doors would be. A man and woman standing beside him like body guards stood where the stairs lead to the front door.

"Damn. This will take months to repair the Gym. At least this provides me with the chance to upgrade it." said the man aggressively as he turned from the smoldering remains. As he turned, he saw them walking towards him. "If you are here for a Gym Challenge, you will have to schedule an appointment for a later date. As you can see, my Gym has been destroyed and I will not be taking appointments until it has been reconstructed."

"Sorry, we're not here for a Gym Challenge," said Riviére.

"We came here to pay our respects," added Hanako. "We were here when the attacked happened."

"Really?" he said as he paused and sized them up. "Hmm. You must be Trainers. What are your surnames?"

"Um...Mori," she said, finding it odd he didn't ask for a first name.

"Bleu."

"Fuji."

"Bleu. Fuji. Those are some powerful family names," he said, completely ignoring Hanako. "I've done work with both families. Though I am confused to what the Bleu heiress is doing in Kanto rather than back home in Kalos."

Riviére bit her lip, her fists clenched tightly. "I...I'd rather take it here." she said after a pause.

"Is that so?" he said. "Why not take it in Kalos?"

"Because she's here with friends," said Hanako as she took Riviére's hand and squeezed it. Riviére's eyes began to tear up as Hanako took her hand. Tatsu also took her hand to show support.

The Gym Leader couldn't help to smile, though it came off sarcastically. "Well, you have some very good friends, Miss Bleu," he said before his body guards stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Giovanni, but we'll miss the plane back if we wait any longer."

"Can't you see I am talking?" he said angrily. "You will go to the airport and tell them to wait. Remind them who pays their salaries. Remind yourself while you're at it."

The guards bowed and walked away as instructed. As they left, Giovanni turned his attention back to them. "Please, join me for a quick lunch. My subordinates need a reminder who they work for," he said as walked to a nearby fast food restaurant.

The lunch was uncomfortable. Hanako got the feeling that Tatsu and Riviére greatly disliked the Gym Leader of Viridian. Giovanni paid very little attention to Hanako while they ate. He focused more on Riviére and Tatsu; speaking to them about their family and the work they did together. Tatsu was strangely quiet the entire time while Giovanni talked about the Fuji family. He only nodded when Giovanni asked or commented about the Fuji family. According to Giovanni, Tatsu's parents worked closely with him. On what work was a mystery, though it was alluded that Tatsu knew about it.

Riviére was also uncomfortable whenever Giovanni mentioned her parents. According to Giovanni, Riviére's family was an old, powerful family in Kalos; a family of Lords that helped rule Kalos for over a thousand years. It was more uncomfortable when they learned that Riviére's parents died in Hoenn seven years ago after their ship mysteriously sank offshore. Hanako took Riviére's hand underneath the table and found that her hands were trembling while trying to keep a straight face.

"Such a terrible ordeal. It was a great loss to the world. You have my sympathies," said Giovanni after he finished his burger, his tone flat. Gathering his trash, Giovanni stood up and dumped it in the bin. "I must get going. I believe I let my subordinates wait long enough. I await for your challenges in the coming months," he said as he turned to leave

Hanako stood up, balling her fists in anger. "Where do you get off?" she said angrily. "You treat people like they are beneath you!"

Tatsu and Riviére stared at Hanako silently. Giovanni's lips curled into a small grin, the first since meeting him. "Mori, isn't it?"

"That's right," she said defiantly.

Giovanni studied her closely before smiling mischievously. "Perhaps I will remember you after all. I expect you three to send a request for a Gym battle in a few months. If you can collect seven badges, that is," he said as he turned and left the store.

Hanako sat down beside Riviére, her fists still balled. Riviére hugged her as Tatsu looked at them with a distant look in his eyes. As they prepared to leave, two men in suits approached the table. "Excuse me, are you Hanako Mori, Tatsu Fuji, and Riviére Bleu?"

"Yes. Who are you?" asked Tatsu.

"We are security for President Kanto," said the nearest suit. "We are instructed to escort you to the mayor's office to speak with the President."

"Really? Why does he want to speak with us?" asked Riviére.

The security guard didn't reply. Curious, they stood up and walked with the security guards. They were escorted to a black limousine. They sat in the back with one of the guards as the limousine drove to the Mayor's office. Once there, they were escorted inside and to the top floor. Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako entered the Mayor's office and saw two people. One man was short, bald, fat, and wearing a
black suit, standing by the side of the desk. The other sat behind the desk; He was short, very broad, and had a very long white beard that brushed his knees, and bushy white eyebrows. He wore long, magnificent indigo robes. As they entered, he looked up, his tiny eyes observing them carefully.

"Ah, yes. Come in, come in," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "Please, take a seat," Sitting in the three chairs already provided, they sat silently, waiting to be addressed. "Mmm, it's good to see that you children were taught manners," he said as he leaned back, the chair creaking in protest. "I am President Kanto. I came to Viridian City as soon as I heard about the recent attacks on this fair city," he said as though his speech was rehearsed. "The amount of casualties and collateral damage is extensive, and there weren't many eye witnesses that saw it happen. I've heard that you three saw who was responsible. I want to know everything that you saw."

"Well," started Hanako, "it all happened suddenly. Riviére and I were talking in the women's sleeping quarters in the Pokémon Center when the explosion happened. I looked out of the window, and I saw the fire and smoke coming from the Viridian Gym. The police and fire trucks were mobilizing towards the fire, but I saw them get destroyed as well."

"We all ran outside," interjected Tatsu. "and ran towards the Viridian City Gym. As we turned the corner, we saw a Pokémon none of us ever saw before."

"What did this Pokémon look like?" asked President Kanto, leaning forward.

"It was humanoid and looked a bit like a cat," said Riviére, trying to remember that night. "It was gray and had a purple tail. It's power suggested that it was a Psychic-type and a strong one too. I'd say, based on how it moved and fought, it'd be at least a Rank A Pokémon. It completely annihilated a Rhydon with ease."

"It was extremely fast, too. It was as if it teleported," said Hanako, looking down at her knees. Her body shivered as she recalled the conversation she had with it. "I can say with confidence that this Pokémon looked like no other Pokémon in any history or lore that I recall. After it attacked us, it flew away. I saw its face up close and I saw only nothingness in its eyes."

"Hm..." The President studied their faces carefully. Finding them trustworthy, President Kanto's face relaxed. "I just have one final question for you," he shifted uncomfortable, his face becoming worrisome once more. "From what you saw, did you see anything that would indicate Johto's involvement?"

The questioned stunned them. Hanako answered first aggressively. "No, there's no way Johto could be involved. It was a Pokémon that attacked Viridian. I can confidently say that the Pokémon would have attacked any human or Pokémon without prejudice. Man, woman, or child, it would not care which region they were from. Johto would have no possible way of obtaining a Pokémon like this."

President Kanto studied Hanako's face before becoming far more relaxed. "Good...Good, thank you. I had to be sure. The Tojoh Alliance is weak as it is," he explained as he smoothed his mustache. "I've been hoping that I was correct in removing blame on Johto from this terrible attack. Though I am still greatly disturbed that such a Pokémon could exist; I've talked to the families of the deceased, and the Rhydon was confirmed to be a Rank A Pokémon. Very powerful indeed. It fought in the Tojoh War on our behalf. A Pokémon of that strength must be extremely powerful to kill a wartime Pokémon. It gladdens me to think that Johto had nothing to do with this monstrosity, but it worries me that we do not know its origins. A powerful Pokémon like this don't appear out of thin air. No, this could prove disastrous for both regions if a Pokémon like this was left to roam the world free. I've heard rumors that an organization was mobilizing against the Kanto and Johto regions, but there's no proof of such an organization existing. In any case, I want you to spend a moment of your time with a sketch artist so we can get an ideal description of the Pokémon responsible," he said as he shifted in the seat. "And for your cooperation, I took the liberty to compensate the three of you. I've given each of you $5,000,000 and paid for your hospital expenses in exchange for your services...and your silence. Good day to you."

After President Kanto left the Mayor's office, a sketch artist and a Smeargle sketched a rough design of the Pokémon. The day stretched long, as the sketch artist and Smeargle took the majority of the day to get every detail right. Afterward, they left to the market to get food for the weeks ahead. True to their word, they didn't discuss anything dealing with the unknown Pokémon. The mood of Viridian City was grim; many of the civilians put the blame on Johto, despite the President denying that Johto had anything to do with the assault in his speech that morning. Without any answered questions to who or what caused the attack, confusion and rumors ran rampant. A common rumor was that an evil organization called Team Rocket was behind the assault, while others suggest that Johto was behind the attack in some way and actions against them should be taken at once.

Hanako, Tatsu, and Riviére were glad to leave Viridian City behind as they entered Route 2. As night fell, they found a clearing behind a large pond. "Mr. Silph also sent us a new Housing PokéCaps," said Tatsu as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule case. "He contacted me as soon as he heard about the attack on Viridian. He also told me to tell you that he's glad you're okay and that you enjoy the PokéCaps."

"The next time you talk to Mr. Silph, tell him thanks for me," Hanako said after the house materialized and they walked inside. This PokéCaps contained a much larger version of the previous, fitted with three bedrooms instead of one. The interior was much like the previous as well, but half of the house was used for the bedrooms. Two bedrooms on one side, and the other had a bathroom and another bedroom. The other half had a kitchen and living room.

Riviére made Tauros Burgers that night, though Hanako ate a few berries as usual, while their Pokémon ate the Pokémon food while Charmander preferred to eat a Caterpie he found and killed outside. They ate their meal while watching a movie about an elderly man and his Pokémon starting a journey after his wife died, as their Pokémon slept on their laps. As the movie ended, Hanako placed her plate of barely eaten Sitrus Berries on the coffee table and leaned back into the backrest of the couch.

"What, not hungry?" asked Riviére.

"No, just a lot on my mind," replied Hanako as she leaned forward and searched through her purse.

"Like what?" asked Tatsu.

"That unknown Pokémon that attacked Viridian City," said Hanako as she removed a book called "The Ancient Pokémon of Tojoh". The small book's cover was made from deteriorating leather, and the binding so horribly degraded, the book seemed likely to fall apart. Very carefully, Hanako opened the book and slowly turned the brittle brown pages. "In the entire history of the Tojoh Empire, there was never a Pokémon documented that looks anything like what we saw. It's power far outstretched any normal Pokémon, so it must be related to a deity. There's only one Pokémon that could be related to but at the same time it's nearly impossible," she said as she stopped at a page.

The illustration was a small, pink cat-like Pokémon hovering in the air. "Mew, the New Species Pokémon. Mew is said to possess the genetic composition of all Pokémon, so it can use all kinds of techniques. Because it can use all kinds of moves, many scientists believe Mew to be the ancestor of Pokémon. It appears only to those people who are pure of heart and have a strong desire to see it. So rare that it is still said to be a mirage by many experts. Only a few people have seen it worldwide. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people. Evidence of Mew's existence goes back to be prehistoric days. The last known documented appearance by Mew was in year 1493, on Birth Island. In 1209, a Blue Mew was spotted in Ecruteak City and is the only documented case of a Mew of this color."

"So, you think the Pokémon is somehow related to Mew?" asked Riviére.

"Well, it's not entirely impossible," said Tatsu as he traced his jawline. "There's a large amount of human-made Pokémon. Porygon and its evolutions are the first Pokémon to ever be created. Magnemite, Voltorb, and their evolutions were created by humans and a few Pokémon's evolutions were even altered like Magmar to Magmortar. Cloning is an option as well."

"So you think that this Pokémon is a clone of Mew?" asked Riviére. "Wouldn't they have to find some genetic material from Mew in order to clone it?"

"They could have gotten it anywhere," said Tatsu. "They could have even isolated the Mew Gene from any Pokémon. If Mew is the ancestor of all Pokémon, then it would share any Pokémon's DNA."

"It's possible, but what are the chances that someone managed to clone a version of Mew? I mean, there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of Mew in centuries," asked Riviére as she looked up at the ceiling, stroking the shell of her Squirtle. "Why would they want to?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Tatsu with concern. "Think about what President Kanto asked us about Johto being involved. A region in war with another would kill for an edge against it's enemies. The Pokémon we saw was powerful; maybe as strong as a deity. I can easily see either region trying to create an artificial Pokémon to give them that edge. Not just the regions either; Team Rocket would also have uses for such a Pokémon."

"So what question remains is why it attacked," Riviére asked as she looked at Tatsu and Hanako. "What gain could there have been?"

"I can see two possibilities," replied Tatsu. "The first is that this was a test. The Pokémon was released onto the public; someone wanted to gauge just how powerful their creation is by unleashing it against the city. This option is the most troubling, because if a region is responsible for the attack, this would ignite another war if the other found out. If this was the work of an organization, then it shows how little they regard over human life. The second option is that the Pokémon escaped. However, even if it did escape, then it still had to be created by somebody. A project like that would require many people and resources. Either way you cut that theory, someone was responsible for the attack, not just the Pokémon."

Hanako and Riviére agreed. Deciding to call it a night, they put away their dishes and picked their bedrooms. They bid each other good night and entered their new separate bedrooms with their Pokémon. Hanako looked around her room, which had a full sized bed, night stand, and walk in closet. Bulbasaur jumped onto the end of her bed and yawned. Hanako began to undress as there was a knock on the door. "Yes?"

Riviére entered her room and closed the door behind her. "Hey, Hanako, I just wanted to say sorry for how I acted earlier in Viridian City," she said with a slight frown.

"Sorry for what?" asked Hanako. After a moment, she blushed and looked down. "Oh, you mean at the Pokémon Center?"

Riviére nodded. "Yeah. I might have been a little forward, and I didn't even ask what your preference was. I have a bad habit of doing what I want, and not taking others thoughts and feelings into account. "

"O-oh, well, I never really thought about it..." she confessed. "I didn't know you liked girls."

Riviére shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. "To be honest, I don't have a preference. A boy or girl is fine with me, so long as they are interesting." she said coyly as she closed the door.

"Oh...I see..." said Hanako with a slight laugh as she finished undressing and put on her pajamas. Picking up her Bulbasaur, she got into bed and cuddled with him, falling asleep with him clenched in her arms.