It started off as a wonderful day, the sun was shining and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. People went from their homes to work. Children went off to school. The city of Saffron went about its daily routines in a peaceful, almost idyllic manner. At about 4:30 PM when most people were packing up and getting ready to go back to their homes, people began to riot.

It was as if two thirds of the population had just snapped. They rampaged through town, crashing their vehicles, attacking and sometimes even killing each other. They set buildings on fire and the fire began to spread. They screamed and ranted about nonsensical things, some people broke down and began crying to themselves in a fetal position. A plane fell out of the sky and destroyed a swath of buildings and streets. Pokemon were also affected by this madness. People would call upon their Pokemon for aid and instead be attacked by their pets. The wild Pokemon ran through the streets attacking each other and anybody in sight.

Those that were spared from the abject terror that was springing up among the rioters were left confused and scared. Some banned together to try and stop the rioters. Most, however, took their Pokemon and hid. They waited for the riots to stop.

The riots did stop almost as suddenly as they had started. As people started to regain their senses they looked around at the destruction they had caused in confusion. They were bewildered by the damage they had caused in their madness, as if they had had nothing to do with it. But the lull in activity did not last long. All around, people began grabbing at their throats as if they were choking. They fell to the ground, one by one, and perished. Those that were in buildings were not spared. It seemed that the higher up people were, the more likely they would all be dead. The only place with the fewest casualties was in the subway system beneath the streets and in people's basements.

Most of the population of Saffron died that day and the city was left in ruins. Those who are left can still hear the cries of frightened people looking for loved ones. They can also hear wailing sirens and the various noises of confused and angered Pokemon. Some gangs of people have begun to take advantage of the carnage by looting and stealing and killing. Saffron is no longer a safe place to be.




Cassie had been saved from certain demise when she had started to take in people who weren't acting completely insane in her small shop. The people who had come into her little Mystics Emporium were mostly holed up in the basement but a few had elected to stay and watch the streets outside through her window. A mother with two wounded Pokemon and a child with a broken arm had gone up to her apartment so that she could use the bed up there with her first aid box.

Cassie had been tending to her guests, offering food, water, and some meager medical supplies when she heard the screams and several thuds from the room upstairs. She had someone else hand out the supplies and ordered one boy to see what was on the news.

Cassie exited the basement of her shop cautiously. She looked around, unable to comprehend her situation. A woman, probably the one who had screamed, was holding the head of a large man in her lap. She rocked over the man, tears falling down on him as she cried and screamed.

"Wake up. Wake up! Please, wakeupwakeupwakeup!" Two others, teenagers who had decided to watch the street to see the action, also lay upon the floor not moving. One little girl was hiding behind the counter holding her ears with her eyes closed tight.

Cassie, bewildered and scared, walked over to the little girl. She knelt down and put her hand on the child's head. She could feel the terror the child felt. She felt worry for 'mommy and big brother' but she knew that the woman over there was not mommy and that neither of the teenagers was big brother. She hushed the child and stroked her hair. It was enough to calm the poor girl down. The girl began sucking her thumb and grabbed Cassie's hand.

She stood and called down for some of the men in the basement. "We've got trouble!"

Suki looked back into her morning as she his under a large fallen truck.

Her Mother and Father had been rushing all morning with news that a new batch of Growlithe eggs had been found in Saffron Cities new daycare center. Of course it was their job to collect these eggs before they hatched so once the pups were born they could be suckled to her parents resident surrogate. An Arcanine names Missy.

Usually this was never an issue, her mother would usually ride once of their male dogs to the large city. It was ten minutes or so to Saffron from the families large breeding/ training facility. However, today was going to be different because Suki's Mother was expecting an egg hatching of her own.
This of course meant that Suki would be the one to collect the new eggs.

Her Mother pleaded with her to take one of the resident Arcanine but Suki was more than happy to take her little Growlithe Tai and her two other Pokemon Companions.
' Bye, Mom ' Was the last thing she said to her mother before setting off.

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Once the rioting began Suki headed for the nearest building she could find. Only to be knocked aside by a very tall women. The woman leered over her, holding what looked at be a broken bottle.
Suki kicked the legs of this older woman so that she fell over, giving Suki the opportunity to flee.
Why was everyone acting this way.

She scattered her though and headed towards an overturned pick up truck. She clambered under the truck. There was no one else under there.
Maybe the panic would die down.
She decided to stay hidden until she thought the panic was over.

Collin

Collin groggily woke up at around 3:00 in the afternoon on the terrifying day that any survivor would remember for the rest of their life. He had spent the night before studying and reviewing some books he had purchased earlier on evolutionary stones. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing today, until it finally occurred to him that he had scheduled to visit his parents in Saffron City. In a rash daze he bolted up, getting dressed as quickly as possible. He had opted to not even bother to brush his hair, opting to put on a hat instead, before making his way to Saffron post haste.

When he got there it was around 4:25, he believed he had scheduled to meet his family at approximately 4:40 so he had time to spare. So, he thought that he might as well enjoy the pleasant atmosphere the day had given him, the sky was clear, and a nice cool breeze gracefully swirled around him. But it didn't take long for things to change. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, the town was in a craze of riot, panic, and terror. He had no idea how to comprehend what was going on, many people were crying and looking for loved ones, others were attacking and mauling each other...the scene was horrific...almost as if it were out of a movie. But this was no movie, and Collin needed to survive.

He bolted as fast as he could to get to his parents lab, but the streets were far too crowded for him to make any progress. He called out his Kadabra in order to put any threatening people to sleep as he continued, calling Kadabra back almost immediately in fear that his Pokemon would get afflicted by whatever was happening to these people. Collin wanted to find out what was causing them all to get this crazed...he wanted to find answers.

But now wasn't the time, he had to take action before his conscious got altered like the others of the city. He stumbled through into someones house, close friends of the family, and was horrified at what he saw. An adult male body was sprawled across the floor, and Collin heard the muffled cries of a young child coming from down stairs in the basement. He steadily but hastily moved down to the underground floor and saw a teary eyed mother holding her child in her arms. He could tell they weren't effected by the craze...just mourning the loss of a loved one, "I...I'm sorry for your loss..." He said, his throat hoarse. "I'm sorry for intruding...there weren't many other options really..." He looked down to the ground to further express his condolences, allowing them to mourn in peace.

The truck Suki was hiding under shook wildly for a few minutes as a plane crashed down nearby. One jet engine screamed in its final death throes and exploded into a giant ball of fire. It rained down red hot metal in chunks, some of it clattered off of the truck, dangerously close to the gas tank. The roar of the engine slowly ground to a halt until there was nothing but silence. The pandemonium around Suki had just...stopped. All the chaos ended as quickly as it had come. Then some people could be heard wondering aloud about where they were and what they were doing, some even calling out the names of others or running to help the plane.

Then the horrible choking sound came as many began to die.


The world around Naku began to tremble, as if one of the subway trains was headed her way. But as the trembling got louder and more powerful, it was obvious that there was no train in sight and definitely not one in earshot. Instead the trembling came from above her in the form of what must have been hundreds if not thousands of Pokemon stampeding through the streets.

Rattatas and Radicates streamed from the subways and up into the streets as if afraid to death of some unholy demon headed her way. None of them stopped to look at her. After awhile there were only a few slower Pokemon, all still trying to get away from something. The Pokemon that were at the top of the steps died first, then the ones lower down, choking to death in waves. It seemed death was making its path straight for Naku!


The woman and child said nothing to Collin, too afraid or sad to respond. The basement was oddly quiet, there in the corner of the room was a letter. It was addressed to Collin's Dad. Or at least it seemed to be. The letter had been post-marked several dozen times and the orderly handwriting of the man seemed to become random scribbles towards the end of his father's name. The world outside had become strangely silent as well. The only light in the dank basement was the green tinge of the computer, listing down numerals rapidly. Seconds passed quickly.

They stopped at 0.00.

The truck began to shake violently. Suki held her head between her legs, covered her ears and gently rocked herself.
There was no indication that this would stop anytime soon and she began to panic.

All around the world had come crashing down, would she have stood a better chance if she had taken an Arcanine this morning? Was her Mother right to try and make her take one?
Oh God....
Mom and Dad!

Suki rattled her brain in fear. Was this happening at home too! Were all the Pokemon turning on each other, were her parents killing each other.

It was at that point she heard the blood curdling screams around her. She could see people dropping next her truck, they were dying. All the light that was once in their eyes had vanished. A sudden rush of adrenaline or terror gripped her and forced her body to move. She noticed a manhole cover was ideally placed under the truck with her. Maybe the sewers were safer. Clearly whatever was going on above ground was contagious.

Suki rolled her sleeves and fitted her fingers gently into the grips of the man hole. She pulled hard and the large metal disc lifted from the ground. Rather easily.

She had heard stories of Mothers lifting cars from their children from pure adrenaline and she gathered this was the same.
She dangled her feet into the dank hole. The smell was wretched, it smelt of all the things that one would never want to smell.
However, she plunged herself into the darkness. Maybe she could find her way to the subway from here. She pulled out her Pokedex and lit her way.