"Three weeks, Petrel." Ariana sighed, her arms crossed as she leaned against a crumbling rooftop. Below them, the streets of Fuchsia bustled with movement. "Three weeks of tailing the Oaks, and for what? To watch them catch Pokémon in the Safari Zone?"
Petrel smirked, adjusting his disguise. "Boss was being cautious. Maybe too cautious. But hey, at least we got to enjoy the sights."
Ariana rolled her eyes. "Nothing has happened. No Johto assassins, no ambushes. Just a bunch of kids adding Pokémon to their arsenal for the war effort. We could've been handling real threats, but instead—"
A sudden explosion rocked the city, cutting her off. Smoke rose from the northern walls, and distant screams filled the air.
Petrel's grin vanished. "Well. That's new."
Across the city, Pryce stood atop a hill overlooking Fuchsia, his breath visible in the cool morning air. His spies had confirmed the presence of Samuel Oak's children. The old Champion of Johto had wasted no time.
"The moment is now," he muttered, his cane pressing into the frozen earth. "We wipe them out here. The city is of no importance, but if we can eliminate the Oaks, Kanto will be crippled."
He raised his hand, and his forces surged forward. Beartic, Weavile, and Mamoswine led the charge, their sheer strength freezing entire sections of the city in moments. Johto's soldiers stormed the streets, ruthless and efficient. The people of Fuchsia had no warning, no chance to flee.
Ariana gritted her teeth, gripping her radio. "Enough hiding," she muttered. "Petrel, it's time. We move now."
Petrel exhaled sharply. "About time." He adjusted the collar of his altered uniform—one resembling that of the Kanto Liberation Army. Their grunts followed suit, disguising themselves as resistance fighters rather than Team Rocket operatives. A calculated deception.
Koga's Battle for Survival
Meanwhile, deeper in the city, a young Koga fought desperately alongside his father. The Fuchsia Gym Leader was a seasoned warrior, his swift blade and expertly trained Pokémon cutting through enemy ranks. Koga, however, was still learning, his movements swift but unrefined. His Golbat screeched above, darting through the icy battlefield to strike down Pryce's soldiers with blinding speed.
"Koga! Stay close!" his father barked as he deflected an attack, his katana slicing through an approaching foe. "This isn't training—this is war!"
Koga barely had time to acknowledge the warning before he found himself surrounded. His father moved to assist, but a blast of ice caught him in the chest, sending him crashing against a broken wall.
"Father!" Koga's voice cracked with desperation, but his father gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
"Go! Protect the city!" the elder ninja ordered. "You are the future of Fuchsia!"
It was in that moment that Koga knew his father would not leave this battlefield alive.
With a guttural roar, he brandished his own short blade, his form vanishing into the night as he struck with ruthless precision. He moved like a shadow, cutting down those who dared to stand in his way. His Golbat swooped down, shielding him from an incoming attack—taking the blow meant for him. The sheer will of his Pokémon burned through the pain, and before Koga's eyes, Golbat's body shifted and morphed. The blinding glow of evolution bathed the battlefield in light as Crobat emerged, faster, deadlier...
Koga wasted no time. His Crobat became a blur, tearing through the enemy ranks. But even with his newfound power, he was too late to save his father. The elder Fuchsia Gym Leader fell to his knees, a deep wound staining his uniform. He reached for his son one last time, pressing his family's emblem into Koga's palm.
"Lead them well… my son…"
Koga clenched his fists, rising with renewed purpose. His father's sacrifice would not be in vain.
Pryce's Wrath
At the city's center, Nathan Oak stood firm, his Venusaur battling against an opponent it was never meant to defeat—Pryce's Mamoswine. The sheer size of the Ice- and Ground-type monster dwarfed Venusaur, and each Ice Fang strike left chilling wounds. Nathan gritted his teeth, calling for a desperate Solar Beam, but the freezing winds slowed its charge time. Mamoswine was closing in for the final blow.
A surge of intense heat washed over the battlefield as a massive Overheat attack slammed into Mamoswine's side, sending it skidding backward. Petrel emerged from the smoke, his Magcargo oozing molten rock as it prepared another attack.
"Not a fair fight, don't you think?" Petrel quipped, standing beside Nathan.
Ariana arrived as well, releasing her Arbok alongside Petrel's Toxicroak. "We're not done yet."
Nathan's sister joined them, calling upon her Wigglytuff and Pidgeot. The four trainers faced Pryce as the old Champion merely narrowed his eyes.
"You think numbers will change the outcome?" Pryce said coldly, tossing another Poké Ball. A Froslass materialized, its ethereal form drifting ominously as it prepared a Blizzard attack.
All at once, their Pokémon lunged.
The battle was relentless. Arbok coiled and struck at Froslass with Poison Jab, but the ghostly Pokémon phased out of reach. Toxicroak landed a Gunk Shot on Mamoswine, yet the beast retaliated with Earthquake, shaking the battlefield.
Wigglytuff's Hyper Beam, Pidgeot's Air Slash, and Venusaur's Frenzy Plant all converged in a desperate attempt to overwhelm Pryce. The ground trembled from the force of their combined attack.
Yet Pryce remained unmoved.
With a mere flick of his cane, he commanded, "Hailstorm."
Blizzard winds roared, and one by one, their Pokémon collapsed.
Then the sky darkened.
A deafening roar split the air as a massive Charizard descended in flames. Fire erupted across the battlefield, forcing Pryce's Pokémon back. The sheer force of its Flamethrower knocked out both Weavile and Froslass in an instant.
Samuel Oak stepped forward, his Dragonite looming beside him. "That's enough."
Pryce's eyes narrowed. He knew when a battle was lost. With a reluctant sigh, he called back his Pokémon. "Another time, Oak."
Samuel turned to Ariana and Petrel. "Who are you? And why did you save my children?"
Ariana met his gaze, her voice unwavering. "We follow Giovanni. We work for the betterment of Kanto."
A heavy silence followed.