Dale Harrison's Story

People hustled, and busttled all around backstage, men and women running lighting, checking sound, arranging things at lightning pace. It was a zoo, and dead center in the middle of it a man named Dale Harrison paced back, and forth frantically. He was nervous, to say the least, more so even than the Latte intern, who kept messing up orders only to be barked at. He was downright horribly uneasy, really, and just about to vomit. This was all new territory for him, and he was in the process of realizing just what that meant.

Until this year Dale had never really been an important man, not even in his personal life, and now it seemed like the weight of the entire world rested on his shoulders. That was because it did, metaphorically speaking, and constantly remembering that fact added to the man's anxiety, speeding up his pacing. At one point his legs became a little weak, and he stumbled directly into one of the million rushing people in pantsuits.

An aid, some Asian girl, obviously belonging to some self important prick or another judging from how she winced, and avoided eye contact.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry, sir! So sorry!" She spoke with her head hung, and in that moment Dale was completely focused on her misery.

"It's alright," he spoke quietly, comfortingly to the woman. "Unlike you're employer, I'm a little more interested in people, than the politics."

She chuckled a bit, not failing to pick on how obviously bullshit that was, considering.

"You know Mr.Timburke." She spoke through a false smile, having lifted her gaze from the floor. "This whole thing is a travesty, " Dale thought. "She's obviously used to being treated like trash, hell she's trying to play light on the man's reputation for being a bit..Heavy handed with his staff.." Her false-pep cut his thoughts short, "Likes to yell a big game, but that's all." She punctuated her sentence with forced laughter, the kind that sent chills up a person's spine.

The man was about to ask her, quite gruffly, for the truth, but another aid wandered up, tapping him on the shoulder.

"You're on in three, Mr.Harrison, are we ready for a show?"

The Asian woman used that as her chance to run off without the obvious questioning.

"Damn, she's in deep.."

---

The second "President Elect Dale Harrison" stepped out onto the hastily made stage, the noise hit him like a truck. Hundreds of people had gathered, swarming around the little stage, cheering, shouting, some even fighting. A literal sea of humanity stretched before him, and it was wonderful. Terrifying, but wonderful.

The realization that it was now, or not at all, made his legs wobble again. He froze for a moment, half way to the podium, center stage. This was the absolute last chance at going back, and for a moment indecision gripped him. To do this, to grab this singular moment tightly, wield Destiny like a plowshare, and forge a new world, or to quit, to buckle, slip, and fade back into obscurity, into defeat. The choice was obvious, and Dale M. Harrison strode forward.

He smiled, he waved, he even blew a kiss to the audience. Lots of "Thank you, thank you!"s were mumbled into the microphone, before the large gathering was settled, and just quiet enough to speak over.

One sharp inhale, one smooth exhale. Show time.

"People need a leader," he opted to launch right into it, after all the people knew what they were here for, he didn't need to schmooze them. "they need someone they can look to in times of crisis, true crisis. Economic collapse on the back of hyperinflation, the nearly non-existant jobs market, absolutely zero workable foreign policy, the fundamental lack of education!"

The crowded picked up again, but the confident tenor of Dale Harrison boomed into the mic over them.

"The crisis's we, the Ruulan people face each day! The mismanagement, the corruption, and the just plain backwards system has been ignored until now, but no more! No more, am I right!?"

"No more, no more, no more.." It was good to hear the crowd chant.

"Our world has survived for centuries on bloodsport, slavery, and general apathy. It's madness! It's sickening! It has to end! Children are running about, pretending to lead us, protending to shape the world, but we all know the truth, don't we?"

"YES!"

"We do, we're not morons. They're just running around, forcing wildlife into little balls, so they can force them to maim each other for money. Just look at the UPL! Look at our "Grand Champion"! The system is built around the exploitation of Pokemon, and Ruulans alike. Just look at the recent AXIS-Fireknaught catastrophe."

The mere mention of the scandal evoked booing.

"We were deemed, intergalactic, unable to defend ourselves. This is just a plain fact, people, a plain statement. We're not considered an advanced world, an advanced people, and hell! Why should we be, with the way we act? Ruula can never progress with the system in place.."

The politician sighed, shaking his head as he did so.

"That's why we're all here though, at this horrific Battle Frontier, isn't it? To change our internal policies, to elect our leaders, our governance, not give away democratic power through blood sport!"

The crowded howled it's agreement.

"Not far from here people have enslaved Pokemon, and forced them to battle their friends, their neighbors, the only other of their kind they know, under the command of total strangers. This is the kind of cruel, and exploitative practices I want to see abolished. It's just so inhumane, and I encourage each, and every one of you to join me in the upcoming protest march later today.."

Silence settled in for a moment, Mr.Harrison's "rallying" statement trailing off into the uncomfortable background noise of a microphone. This of course drew attention from both his staff, and the gathering. Nervous rumbles were starting to reach the stage from both camps, all eyes were frozen on the nervous figure behind the pulpit.

He shuffled from one foot to another, re-arranged his cue cards, tugged at his collar, the choking trifecta. His inexperience was leaking through, his blood was running cold, and as he scanned the people he rounded up today for this "protest" it only amped up the anxiety. This was too much, too soon, panic descended, and he was mentally swearing out his staff when a voice cut through his inner rant.

"Hey, hey, pull it together Dale, pull it together!" Feminine, shrill, commanding, and barking orders. It cold only be his campaign manager, Cho Akira. "Stop trying to fuck me over," she practically hissed her statement, the venom making Dale wince. "and clear your throat, make a little joke to dispel this tension, and finish the goddamn speech we had written for you!"

As stark, and unpleasant as Cho was, it was exactly what he needed to hear, and she knew it. They both knew it.

Dale nodded, knowing she was watching every camera feed, and proceeded to cough a little. "I'm uh, I'm sorry for this awkward silence.." He shrugged, doing his best to sound casual. "You see, the thing is.." A quick glance down to the cards. "The thing is.." He sighed, his composure deflating for a moment. "The thing is..I'm not..The kind of person who gives speeches. I'm not the kind of man who talks big, and rouses crowds. I'm not..The kind of man who steps into the light, and leads a charge."

The supporters just stared, unsure of where this was going, and feeding off the low-key energy. A few people shuffled away.

"I'm the kind of man who simply sits behind a desk, does his work, and goes home early whenever the boss isn't paying attention." Cho was shrieking in his hear, prompting him to reach up, and flip the ear piece off. That alone brought some of his energy back.

"So when the wonderful people of the Echelon Company," He gestured to the massive, flapping flag bearing the corporation's insignia on it behind him.

"I of course said 'No'. I didn't even think about it, not at first. I kept my head down, did my work, designed the Echelon Mk.4 Skyball, tried to pretend the UPL didn't exist like everyone else.."

"I did what we all did, until the Fireknaught attack." Dale's body went rigid, the crowd picking up on his anger instantly, cheering picking back up in it's wake.

"I ignored it all, our broken political system," his voice rose a little. "the fact a child runs the UPL, our main body of government!" Louder still. "I looked away from the fact that our economy is suffering from hyperinflation," Dale was shouting now, to the crowd's delight. "to the very, shameful fact that our world is classified as primitive!"

His head shook, his hands slammed on the podium, he shook with anger as he barked.

"But the AXIS' mistreatment of us, the way the Fireknaught did as they pleased, the failure of our 'Grand Champion', it was too much! Too much for any reasonable person to tolerate, for you people to have to endure!"

The crowd was wild with support now. All you had to do was praise the masses, and they'd follow you anywhere.

"I broke, I had enough, I lost my complacency. Echelon offered me this position again, this chance to spearhead reform, and this time I jumped at it. I didn't think twice. If nobody else was going to stand up for us, the Ruulan people, I would!" He shook his fist at nothing in particular. This was going perfectly, he'd captured the audience.

"I decided to stand up to the strangling choke hold Traditionalism has had on us. I decided to face off against things like the UPL, Team Rocket, The Pokeball monopoly, the Professors Institute, organizations like the Reginald Family, the old-money elite who keep the system broken."

He paused again, head shaking, before locking eyes, individually with every person in the front row.

"And that is why I ask you all, each, and every one of you, to stand up with me, beside me. March against this Battle Frontier with me. Rail against our system with me! Let's show this blood sport profiteers, these crocked economists, and these foolish kids that we're through being complacent!"

He grabbed the mic, pacing over to the edge of the stage, shouting over the cheers.

"I mean it, and I mean it now, c'mon people! Let's send the UPL a message they can't ignore!" With that he jumped down into the crowd, now nearly an angry mob, and lead the procession towards Battle Factory.

Change was knockin'.

"What in the world is going on over here?" A tall woman clad in a black fur-trimmed coat, matching slacks, and luxurious blonde hair for DAYS that covered the left side of her face had trouble seeing through the fanatic throngs. Someone was surely making himself out to be quite important, and that was the person people were gathering to see and perhaps listen to him give a fiery speech. There were signs clamoring for this sort of "Harrison for President" thing. It made no sense to the mature Champion of Sinnoh, until she closed her eyes, focused her hearing and zeroed in on the speech.

Corrupt government...

Hyper-inflation...

Being babied by foreign powers...

This man wanted to change things. But there was one thing he got wrong. Any Trainer with a good heart knew that the relationship between people and Pokemon was not one of exploitation, but partnership. Those who made it to be anything else, be they human or Pokemon, were rightly labeled as villains, from Team Rocket to the Addzar Coven. And were they not merciful by allowing the Ranger Nation to continue existing after their crushing defeat? Was the UPL not magnanimous in allowing Terra to develop a league of their own after the portal was discovered?

No. This man may have had a few good points, but he was wrong on too many counts for his words to sit well in her heart. Her fists balled up, moved to righteous anger, but unable to penetrate such a large gathering on her own. And sure, the Frontier was laid out like a natural fortress. Five incredibly strong Frontier Brains to lead over a thousand capable militia-trainers in the defense of a fortification with only one entrance. If they wanted to take the place by force, they were going to have a bad time. But if they were allowed to infiltrate the central bazaar before making their move, things would be much more difficult for Palmer and the others. There was only one thing to do, and it wasn't exactly her first choice, but it was the likeliest to succeed.

"Let me through. I'm with Jubilife TV. I want to ask him a few questions," she brazenly lied, trying to wriggle through the crowd like an Onix. Given that she stood at a practically amazonian six foot two, Shirona surely struck an imposing visage. Adding that to a plausible cover story, she muscled her way up to the front row before flashing a symbol of authority that Dale would know well and that would hopefully freeze any grunts in their tracks.

"Mister Harrison. I apologize for our first meeting being on such poor terms, but I happened to be in the neighborhood when you were calling this little gathering. As some of your followers may know, my name is Shirona. As one of the United Pokemon League's highest ranking officials, second only to the Grand Champion herself, it deeply saddens and angers me that you have been moved to such rash action as this by your valid and troubling observations. However, what brings me here today is your unfortunate misunderstanding of the relationship between Pokemon and humans. You say that our economy and lifestyle is built on exploitation...which could not be further from the truth. While there are certainly those who seek to take advantage of their partner's trust for personal gain, those that do are hated by all who stay in the light. While we are considered an under-developed nation, there are some top secret projects that seek to level the international playing field, with help from our friends beyond the stars. Nor are we Ruulans any stranger to crisis. Each time, the Legendary Pokemon that watch over us have given us a hero to turn back the tide. I myself watched a young Trainer from Twinleaf Town battle Cyrus in the Torn World after my words failed to dissuade him from his quixotic dream of a world without spirit, and after defeating him went on to engage the forbidden one."

Some jeers from the crowd. "I'm not finished! What I'm trying to say, Mr. Harrison, is that I'm glad that these events have moved you to act, but I cannot stand by idly while you base your entire argument on a grave error. I speak for the entire Sinnohan regional government as its Champion when I say that we are willing if not entirely able to make life better for everyone, but that has never stopped us from trying. You talk of open revolt and bloody warfare, Mr. Harrison? I'm telling you right now...be very careful what you wish for. Anyone who thinks my message has no place here, well, I'm waiting for your challenge."

It was so, so difficult to keep a smile from bursting out when he saw the women. "A gargantuan, blonde, angry, bitch." was what Cho had used to describe Shirona, and quite frankly it was spot on. Not to mention Dale couldn't have been more thrilled at her barging in. Staff members with recording devices were scattered about the crowd, the real Jubilife TV was on stand-by, and the audacity of her actions paved a perfect street for him to annihilate her.

So of course he did the polite thing. When she had begun to speak, he hushed his supporters, and listened quiet patiently, hanging on to every juicy word. Once she was done he straightened his suit, cleared his throat, and was handed another microphone by a near by aid. It was time to introduce a "champion" to the world of politics.

"Well, Miss Shirona here has given us a fine speech, has she not?" His voice boomed, infused with a new, aggressive energy. He locked his gaze with his competitor's. "Unfortunately for her, all she's doing is parroting my point!" The crowd roared. The took the bait, it was battle time.

"First I'd like to address your challenge, Shirona. You see, that's the exact kind of mentality, the childish, brutish, bloodthirsty mentality that's somehow been accepted. It's the purest form of Might-makes-right, it's so fundamentally flawed, but uh, let me take you up on it." The supporters gasped, but he offered the crowd a smile, and motioned for them to wait. "Although, I'm not going to force a tiny creature to bludgeon another into submission. No. I'm going to challenge you within the realm of Politics." The crowd laughed eased, laughing at the insinuation. "But I'll be nice. I'll even teach you a little, because let me just say, real quick, let me give you the run down of everything you just did wrong."

The flock around him let out a collective "Oooohhhh.", before bursting into laughter again. Dale closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spun on his heel, purposefully addressing the crowd instead of Shirona.

"First thing that sticks out, this gathering, this protest, all of it, including the picket in front of the Battle Foundry, is completely legal. This has been on the UPL's docket for month, all the paperwork has been submitted, and any hostile outside interference is illegal. With that in mind, you've pushed your way in, and threatened me so far, after poorly attempting to lecture me. I have to say, that really kinda paints you as a very nasty woman in this scenario off the bat."

Cheers, and jeers all around him, bingo.

"Second thing, oh boy. Throwing around your UPL status, to a bunch of people who are gathered to protest the UPL, don't know where that was going. How're you going to win over anybody here by shouting about your credentials, which they resent, insulting me by calling me rash, whom they support, and then spouting the most Party Line like rhetoric imaginable!" He shrugged rather animatedly, sighing into the mic. "I mean I just don't see what the game plan here was."

This was golden, he knew it, and he intended to milk it as hard as he could.

"Third mistake...Third mista- right, right. I remember, telling me how misinformed I am about relationships with Pokemon. Well. Let me just say, first thing, first thing in politics is something called fact-checking. Let me tell you why it's important; I was a trainer for ten years, I've worked, and studied closely with top UPL Professors for the last five years, I've developed several highly advanced Pokeballs, and I've volunteered at a Pokecenter every weekend, for the last three years. I don't think it's me who doesn't understand it, I think it's you."

Being casual was so much easier, and oddly enough it registered with the Ruulan's better, or so the chanting his name told him.

"Forth mistake, top secret 'government' plans, and relying on your precious 'legendaries'? What are you, some kind of religious functionary? How about instead of making top voodoo-secret plans, and praying to a Ho-Ho," it was important to demonstrate his Poke-knowledge, seeming well informed would help win over some of those on the fence, when this went viral. "really seems like a childish cop-out to anyone with a brain. We the Ruulan people need to be in charge of our defense, of our crisis responses!"

All out admiration broke out now. Chanting, shouting, it was almost impossible to hear him over, but he continued.

"I'd love to continue you, Miss Shirona, but we have a protest march, and picket to get attend to, so please, excuse us."

Damn did Dale want to just drop the mic as he walked away, but restraint won out. Didn't want to seem too douche-y.

"I know. Who do you think signed off on the permits? There's more to being the Champion than just being the strongest Trainer in the region, as I'm sure you know," Shirona coolly responded with a wan smile, though her patience was quickly wearing thin. "Though had I known that you were fomenting rebellion, I might have reconsidered. In any case, it seems as if I have chosen a poor audience for my message." She now turned to the crowd. "When I saw you all gathered here around this demagogue with his words of divisiveness and resentment, I thought maybe I could do my part to give the other side of the story. What a fool I was in that moment to try to appeal to your better nature. How dare I try to approach this with facts and reason when you came to hear your hero's pathos. A fool I may have been to intrude upon you this day, but perhaps for a few of you my appearance here will inspire you to dig a little deeper. The Unovan Champion told me something once after Team Plasma had been defeated...there are two sides to every argument. If one side had all the answers, there would be no argument. Often, but not always, the best answer lies somewhere in the middle. Fight for your truth. Fight for your ideals. Just remember that the right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose. And as always, myself and the the other League representatives await capable challengers, so that we all might shine a little brighter and light the way to a better tomorrow."

Back to the other stage-goer. "As for you, Dale, the only reason you won't battle me is because that would go against everything you just told your loyal fans. But if you ever want to do a bit of verbal sparring in the future, let me know so I can clear my schedule. I have a region to run. Shirona, OUT."

And there was the mic drop.

It was like the sound of a million locusts overhead as choppers zoned in on the area around the Battle Frontier. With spotlights canvassing the vicinity, roadblocks quickly went up all around the stadium as a handful of foot soldiers representing the United Pokémon League manned the exits. It didn’t take long for the choppers to extend ropes with more boots hitting the ground. The soldiers quickly started taking control of the area, suppressing smaller crowds outside and forcing them into safe zones. Most of the men and women representing the United Pokémon League were legitimate, but if anyone had asked, they’d recruited some outside muscle to get the job done. Mercenaries with an ax to grind and absolutely no relevant histories that would tell you much outside of an unpaid parking ticket.

As for those who represented the United Pokémon League, the only thing they would be able to tell anyone is that they received their orders from the top brass, specifically, Cynthia herself. Whether that was true was irrelevant as all hell begun to break loose, but no such orders would be found since they weren’t officiated or filed. Nonetheless, they had strict orders and were not to break them under any circumstance. They would fight to the finish, or even death if required. Whether they were in their right mind was another question altogether, but they were completely aware of their reality and truths.

Storming the inside of the stadium, they begun surrounding the crowd with a swarm of Pokémon at their backs. The crowd tempted a reaction from them, and it only took one overly enthused supporter to throw the first punch. As a Wheezing unleashed a smokescreen on the crowd, a megaphone carried a women’s voice throughout the area. “In the name of the United Pokémon League, you are all to cease to desist immediately! Under our authority, and in the name of Cynthia, Dale Harrison, you are under arrest! The rest of you are in gross violation of statute-.” Conveniently, she didn’t get to finish, and whether any laws were being broken was completely irrelevant. The crowd had everything they needed to begin rioting. Meanwhile, a team of private security funded by a foundation out of Alola would surround Dale with the intentions of whisking him out the back into a black SUV that would take him directly to Olivine City. No one would dare stop the vehicle, or even try to apprehend Dale or his security. After all, they were under orders. But nobody would be quite sure of whose, because it was to be expected the United Pokémon League would deny everything. There would be no denying though that their paid employees executed the plan, and did so flawlessly.

It could be weeks before they got any shred of what really happened, and even if they did, there was no lasting evidence of who was behind it. The media would paint this as an act of carelessness, the lack of control the United Pokémon League really has as well as their abuse of power. And until then, the media would only be talking about the fact that the United Pokémon League was infringing on people’s rights. Neither Dale nor his supporters broke any laws, and that was the story that would be put out in the morning. Already, Jubilife TV was on the scene, following the pandemonium which was being streamed as breaking news all over the region (soon to be the world).

Dale Harrison had stood with an ear-to-ear grin the entire time his "opponent" had ranted. He was honestly amazed at how awful she was at this. Rule one of Politics: Don't insult anybody but your opponent, and here she was, talking down to an entire angry crowd. This couldn't have been going more his way if he had written Shirona's lines himself. He was about to inform her of her extreme naivete when his earpiece hissed.



Chaos exploded, noxious smoke rolling in from every side, trained soldiers shouting orders, supporters screaming. His security team was closing around him by the time the moron with the megaphone pipped up, again amazing Dale by how flawlessly this was all going. Politically, anyway. The President Elect was actually quite concerned, because planned or not this was a dangerous situation, a fact that was highlighted by one of the Merc's Charizard's.

It was just a gout of flame for show, but it must've gotten too close to one of the Wheezing's gasses, because with no warning something exploded. Violently.

For one second, the world stopped. The Megaphone had just fallen silent when the explosion sounded. Everything seemed so slow for that split second. It was so dangerously close to Dale, close enough that the force knocked him onto his back, hitting the ground with a sickening, wet crunch that signaled a bone snapping. Close enough the noise made his ears ring so loud they drowned out any other sound

And so close that the blood of men, and women who'd been near him rained down on him. He could taste it.

He hadn't even registered the screams, the hot blood, the white of his wrist bone sticking through the skin. It all went too quick. One second he was standing, appreciating the Megaphone speech, and then. And then..The horrific pain brought him back to reality, triggering a pretty anguished howl. Which ironically enough helped his security team pinpoint his position in the smoke, letting them rush in, and surround him.

"Sir! Sir! Fuck!" One of the fully armored, Pokeball-carrying, well trained mercs that served as his personal security team(SecT) pulled him off the ground.

"Mr.Harrison has been injured, I repeat, Mr.Harrison has been injured. Orders?" He practically ignored his charge, handing him off to another SecT, hand to his ear to keep the commlink open.

"Understood." He swiveled, grabbing Dale by the shoulder, and started dragging him, much to the politician's unhappiness.

"Hey, hey, what the hell!" Barked Dale, struggling against the plated grip. Panic racking him. "I know we need to get out of here, but do you have to drag me? Can't we do something for the peo-"

"Mr.Harrison, with all due respect, shut the fuck up."

For a moment Dale was shocked, his SecT had no business talking to him that way, nobody did! And so randomly.

"What the fuck, Gillian?", he barked.

The SecT kept pulling his charge along, the others circled around him. "My job is your safety," The man in charge, Gillian apparently, sighed his response in near monotone. "Not anybody else. You've been injured, and more explosions could happen. We're getting you back stage, grabbing Cho Akira, and getting the fuck out of here."

"But you can't just drag me arou-!"

"Yes I can, sir. In fact, Mr.S has authorized me to incapacitate you if need be."

Dale sighed, knowing the man wasn't lying. It was useless to fight, to be outraged, so he simply let himself be dragged.

"Alright, but can we like..Find a medic, too? I think uh..I think my wrist bone is you know.." He winced, looking down at it. "Outside of my wrist."

"Of course, Sir. After we get you to the safehouse."

Maybe it was the pain, or the stress, but Dale snapped a little, adopting a deadpan tone. "I really, really hate you Gillian."

"Me too Sir, me too."

---

SecT's retreat was brutal, pushing past people, letting out a few Pokemon to swat the "UPL" away, and more or less beelining for backstage.

Once they got past the Stage's curtain, they fanned out, Gillian shouting something about securing the place, and car. One man stayed behind with Dale, while two others emerged from a back room, Cho Akira in toe.

"Dale!" She meant it as a happy exclamation, but once she saw him, body drenched in drying blood, hair a matted mess, wrist bone sticking out, it become something more analogous to a shriek.

"The fuck is your probl-?" Dale watched as she pointed to his face, and with a good dose of trepidation he reached up, and ran his good hand over it.

It was so slick. He held his hand up, staring at in shock. Plenty of it was his blood, but the bulk of it wasn't. It just wasn't, he didn't know how he knew it, but he knew.

"What the fuck happened, Dale?"

"I don't..I don't know..I.." He was shaken, badly. He couldn't rip his eyes away from his hand, from what used to be the essence of someone else's life. He was covered in..People.



Tears burned in his eyes, the liquid feeling cool as it streamed down his cheek, washing away a small rivulet of crimson, and ash. His knees felt weak, his stomach churned. Without even realizing it he began to fall forward.

Of course, Cho wasn't about to let her runner take another hard knock to the head, so she rushed in, using her lithe body to brace him upright.

"Nuh-uh, Dale. No fucking way to you get to fall again, last thing I need is you to get a fucking conclusion, and blow this whole thing for me!" She was actually far more worried about him having a mental break down at the moment, but saying so wasn't her style, and suddenly being concerned would probably give the man a heart attack.

"Heh.." He tried to chuckle, but it was just a raspy rumble. "Yeah, you'd probably still charge me full, though." Banter made things feel almost..Normal, which worried him.

"You fucking know I'd charge extra. Don't pretend."

"Yeah, that's true.." The two of them just stood there for a minute, swaying back and forth as Dale, about a foot and three inches, and a good ninty-plus pounds heavier than Cho, had no balance. It was an awkward, almost peaceful moment, in contrast to the distant screams anyway. It was relaxing to Dale, being against someone right now. He felt lshe was the only thing about him that was real. The warmth, her soft breathing, heavy heartbeat, silken hair against his cheek.

That was real. That was reality. Not the cold gore enveloping him, not the screams, not the flashes of what he saw when he blinked.

"Hey, Dale?" Cho's voice brought him out of his stupor.

"Yeah?"

"Can you uh..You know..Get off me? You're kinda covering me in dead people."

And with that it was ruined, completely, and utterly ruined. He broke away, standing on his own, barely.

"You really know how to ruin a moment," He sighed, trying his best to shrug, trying his best to seem casual. He would've reprimanded her for the morgue humor, but instead he jumped, feeling a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"If she hadn't, I was about to, Sir." Dale turned around, eyeing Gillian with contempt.

"Nice to see you too, Sir, ride's ready, we're buggin' out."

---

The back lot was much more tame, SecT has it quarantined it off with some heavy hitter Pokemon. Humans, and creatures alike surrounded his SUV. The sight made him flinch, but even though he disliked training, he had to admit right now it was the only option.

Gillian left no time for him to be lost in worries of hypocrisy, practically stuffing both the President Elect, and his Campaign Manager into the back.

"Hey, watch the goods!"

"Sorry ma'm, we're in a bit of a rush."

"Yeah, yeah," You could tell Cho wasn't really pissed at Gillian, just trying to keep Dale's thought off the gore he was covered in. "Rushes don't give you permission to feel up my ass, though."

Gillian just groaned, slamming the driver's door behind him. "Yeah, sure. You know I'm gay, right?"

"That explains a lot."



The engine roared to life, the tires squealed, and off they went. Just like that. Just like nothing happened. Just like it was all okay.

Like the lost lives didn't matter.

Dale just leaned against the window, pressing his forehead against it, watching streetlights fly by. He wanted to say something, to Gillian, to Cho, to the media, hell even to Shirona. People were injured, probably dead judging by the torrent of blood that he had been hit with. That wasn't the plan, that wasn't the intent, he knew it was a risky plan, that things could go wrong, but he hadn't ever considered this. Not even once.

Becoming a murder never crossed his mind, especially on day one of the formal campaign.

Cho could see it, too. His shoulders were hunched, his back looked broken the way he sat, and the expression she caught from his reflection spelled an obvious picture of a man lost. In what, she didn't know, but that didn't matter. She had to keep him on track, had to keep his spirit up, or it was all worthless. All for nothing.

Those lives wouldn't matter if he snapped.

"Hey, Dale.." She reached out, gently brushing his shoulder, causing him to jolt back to the moment. "It's okay, Dale. Look, I know I'm not a...Compassionate..Person, but this. This isn't your fault..Honest.." She sighed.

"Yeah..Sure it isn't.." His tone was concentrated heartbreak.

"Dale..Dale, come on. Look at me. Look me right in the eye, and tell me you understand this. I need to know you're okay."

With a groan of pain he swiveled his head, his eyes locking on her. She was some sight, too. The sun wasn't setting, yet, but the light was dimming, causing the streetlights to flicker on. They darted by behind Cho, the faint, strobbing light they provided seemed to frame her. He could notice every detail about her right now. Every freckle, every tiny blemish, her worry lines. He never noticed just how...Resplendent she looked.

Despite this disaster, despite being covered in second hand gore, she was radiant. Her jaw was set in determination, her lips creased in anger, her brow furrowed in concentration, her mass of dark hair was a wild mess, and yet it looked so manicured. Not usually things ascribed to radiant, but Dale was marveled by her ability to keep her composure. Her rather tight black pants-suit didn't hurt either, but right now her figure wasn't his focus.

Just her strength.

He was about to say something, to agree, or assuage her concern, when he saw it. It was just a flash, a stream of light, so quick, so bright. He found his voice just in time to shout out her name, but it wasn't quick enough.

Out of nowhere a something had appeared, barreling full steam at them. It collided with the side of the SUV, metal twisting, scraping, the sound like screaming. It struck so fast, so hard, Dale barely heard his manager gasp, right before impact.

---

Adrenaline kicked in, time felt like it was so slow, but Dale couldn't move. He tried, in a desperate panic as he watched whatever it was hit their ride, glass exploding inwards, the door ripping off as it crumbled, Cho's hair flying forward. The look her face. Her set jaw was lose, her usually scowling lips wide apart in a gasp, he brows arched in shock, the light of whatever struck them made it seem like she was glowing. She beautiful.

That moment seemed to last forever, then red. Everything was red, and then black.

Helpless, he jammed his eyes shut, and was consumed by a feeling like flying. Except it hurt a hell of a lot more.

He'd been sent sailing from the vehicle, straight through the window. He hit the asphalt hard, skidding far enough the friction ripped through his dress slacks, and grated his skin. When he came to a stop he collapsed in a heap, sobbing. His wrist had broken further, glass shards were embedded in his head, his legs were bleeding messes, and the street all around him was hell.

The impact was beyond harsh, glass, and blood littered the street, the little black lumps that denoted seemingly dead SecT's dotted the lane. The SUV burst into flames, causing Dale to shudder. He almost couldn't process it, hysteria was setting in. He forced himself upright, an extremely painful, and garish process, but the extreme adrenaline allowing him to ignore the pain.

His head snapped around, taking in all the horror as he bellowed out for Gillian, for Cho, for help, for anyone, anyone at all. Madness was creeping into his voice, he was honestly on the brink of losing it.

Lest anyone think that the Champion of Sinnoh was getting out of this without a scratch, the tall woman was fated not to escape unscathed, pinned under a pile of rubble. "Come on...just...a little...more..." she grunted, reaching for one of her trusty partners. Ah! Got it! "Garchomp! Help me out, literally!" The pyro accident had the Frontier Brains scrambling to assist, but with Dale's car getting T-boned, well, that added more insult to injury. Surely the crowd would rally around this easily recognizable pillar of strength that was a woman and her signature Pokemon, arguably the strongest of everything native to Sinnoh.

"Survivors...we need to find survivors. Lucario, you too! Aura sense. Garchomp, dig them out. This is going to be just like Mount Silver, buddy. Togekiss, eyes to the sky." One of her hairpieces started ringing. "Yes, this is Cynthia...yes, the Tower Tycoon is leading on this. This is not a drill. Mobilize every Trainer in the Frontier. People are dead. If this is a terror attack, they're not getting far. Not while I'm still the Champion. ... Yes, I know about Nimbasa and Castelia, you briefed me before I set out. Those places are Medley's problem, this is mine. I'm declaring a state of emergency for the Battle Zone. Shut down the icebreaker ferries. I want a no fly zone. They are not getting off this island."

Shirona pulled a pager out of one of her coat's pockets in response to an incessant buzzing. "Champ here...what? An ultra wormhole over Mount Coronet?? This...this is unreal...thank you. I don't know if this is part of her plan or a separate incident, but I have to go immediately to find out! Togekiss, fly to Olivine and get me the first boat to Vermilion, that's the first step. I can't just fly all the way to Sinnoh from here. I have to go by boat so Melaine won't cut me off with her shadow weather."