My heart was broken…ripped into two shocked pieces. I felt Apollyon’s agony as though the blast was directed at me. Such a defeat was impossible… the seraph had essentially shrugged off a Thunder attack from my Gengar, Matariel in the frozen cavern. Even with the added S.T.A.B. damage from the electric-type match up, it shouldn’t have finished Apollyon! What in the hell is going on?! I thought.
“Sweet Christ!” I shouted as I frantically punched at the keypad, trying to recall my Articuno. Jack dashed the few paces to the steps of the podium. I looked six feet down at him.
“Neil, something’s wrong, man! Jolteon’s registered stats are nowhere near strong enough to do that!” I shot a menacing glare across the immense stadium at my foe, Nagoya. He stood with his hands resting on the metal console, rain and wind flapping the sleeves of his exotic robes. His form was dark through the haze. I glanced at the display screen to see him politely smiling. He seemed to bow softly to me.
“Black Fox, come in,” the voice sizzled through Agent Morton’s earpiece.
“I copy,” he replied.
“The ball is secure, Fox. Do I have permission to execute?” Morton slowly stood and glanced around him. Children were delighted by the turn of events but their parents were distraught by the defeat of a legendary Pokemon. The humanity overwhelmed him. Moments passed in radio silence. “Fox, I tire of your games!” Wolf snapped. “Do I have clearance?! The time is now!” Morton looked at a little girl standing on her seat near him. She wore a Pikachu T-shirt, and was elated by the battle. He saw the light in her eyes as she stared at the fierce, crackling Jolteon and thought of his own daughter. “FOX!” his radio screamed. As vehemently as Wolf abhorred most of the world, he always thought of his little angel…he hadn’t seen her in nearly two years. Such a sweet, innocent child, clutching her Clefairy doll, cheering for Jolteon. So much like his pretty Jessica…John Morton closed his eyes and slipped opaque black sunglasses over them. He took a deep, pensive breath as he scratched his stubble one last time.
“Green light.”
Blue Wolf stared into the distance at Stryker, who was talking with another former agent, “Tech.” Traitors, he thought. Wolf threw his head back, staring into the ashy clouds. A cold wind swept around past him, chilling the rainwater imbued in his clothes. Scowling with displeasure, he adjusted his silky, yet soaking sleeves. He drew his indigo, elaborate robe closer around his waist. Blue Wolf, Shensuke Nagoya, narrowed his eyes and prepared for combat.
“Commendable work!” I heard Nagoya call from across the field. “J-R4, excellent!”
“I know I didn’t just hear that,” Jack sniped. “What kind of dullard would name his Pokemon J-R4?”
My jaw and shoulders went slack. That was the answer.
“Oh my God,” I stuttered. “No…NO!” I flicked my eyes back to Nagoya’s platform. He remained unmoved. My eyes drifted down, back to the flag fluttering in the light rain. The ragged blue circles loomed insidiously over their black background. I stared in disbelief…the flag was the same design as that of the dossier in ‘Operation Ryujin.’ It was a cell. Nagoya was using genetically modified Pokemon.
I swiftly punched a button below the video feed of my opponent and opened an audio channel with him. “Nagoya!” I demanded. “Just who are you? What do you want with me?!” He remained motionless and didn’t respond. He smiled again, but this time it was different. His grin was insidious…almost inhuman. After a moment, he broke the silence.
“What’s the matter, Hawk? Don’t you remember me?”
My eyes went wide as the color drained from my face, and I jumped back in disbelief.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked, worried.
“Hawk…” I mumbled. “How did you…” I gasped with a sudden revelation. “…Wolf, is that you?” The screen displayed Nagoya reaching for a button on his console, then went black. The audio feed was cut. Blue Wolf… I thought.
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