Love in the Time of Turbulence

Chapter 18: A Resolution

Here we are at the end. The only thing to say up here is to listen to the song "Overcoming the Grief" from the new Fairy Tail soundtrack during a certain part...or any sad instrumental song. Also, sorry for the long chapter...but it had to be. Couldn't split it. That said, Chapter 18! See you at the bottom.

Chapter 18

A Resolution

News about what had happened in Nova Town spread like wildfire.

In less than twenty-four hours, media outlets had ballooned the situation up. A lot of it seemed like conjecture, fueled by the surfacing of just a few pictures on the air that had apparently been sent in. Those pictures seemed to send everyone into a frenzy across the regions, but nowhere near as much as in Kalos itself. Once the story hit the news, it never stopped, except to confirm and remind everyone that the Kalos League's Lumiose Conference would be starting soon.

In a little over forty-eight hours, it had come to be known as "The Nova Incident". Rumors were flying everywhere and some people already began to talk about visiting Nova Town just to see what had happened. Others were more interested by the names within the article such as Diantha, or some coverage on the Snowbelle Gym Leader Wulfric, but what captured Sawyer's attention the most, even seventy-two hours later were the other names and the pictures that seemed to occupy every news station and take the front page of every paper.

When he had first seen the pictures and heard the news, it surprised him, but after picking up the paper, he was almost obsessively following the coverage when he wasn't training for the League. It almost came to the point that he was considering pasting it into his notebook like a scrapbook if that didn't seem a little strange. What he did do, those three days later, was sit down in a café in Lumiose City and read the latest article, which proved to just be an amalgamation of all the coverage that had come before.

THE NOVA INCIDENT

The Real Story

Following the attack on the League Summit, a criminal syndicate known as Team Neo, led by a man named Dalton, led numerous raids on various towns. These towns included Snowbelle City and Shalour City in an attempt to pilfer keystones from their resident Gym Leaders. Also involved was the eponymous Nova Town (see bio in side column). Details are still scarce thanks to a gag order by the League, but certain details have begun to surface.

The evening after the League Summit, Team Neo led a full-scale assault on Nova Town. Sources on the ground reported the presence of what they termed "a tear in the sky". Whether this was a result of Team Neo's actions or not remains unconfirmed. However, the same source confirmed the presence of a battle in Nova Town's marketplace between Team Neo's Alpha Squad and a handful of trainers led by Master Class runner-up Serena of Vaniville Town. Also included in the battle were various, unknown members of Team Neo known as part of a group called the Beta Squad. Other confirmed trainers were Champion Diantha, Shalour Gym Leader Korrina, Lumiose Gym Leader Clemont and various local trainers.

Of most particular note was the trainer who has been dubbed the "Hero of the Ancien Debacle", Ash Ketchum (see pictures below). Our source speculates that Ash Ketchum led the assault against Team Neo's Dalton, clashing with him atop an airship known as the Mark Omega. Details are sketchy regarding the events there, but it is clear that Ketchum defeated Dalton with incredible strength and technique. Though his method of doing so is questionable at best.

Following the Nova Incident, President Goodshow made a statement that leading members of Team Neo, the Alpha Squad and Delta Squad, had been arrested for their crimes. League officials looked into what happened in the town and seem to have arrested a number of members of the Beta Squad as well. Champion Diantha has also been confirmed to making a press (continued on pg. 3)