The meeting finally came to an end. The representatives from Indigo and Sinnoh slowly began leaving the large conference room.
Important decisions had been made today. The possibility of peace no longer seemed like a distant dream. People talked quietly among themselves as they gathered their papers and notes. Some even shared small smiles, feeling that real progress had been achieved after many hours of careful discussion.
Champion Rowan walked alongside Gladion, Blaine, Sabrina, and the other Indigo diplomats. Several Sinnoh officials also accompanied them. The group moved through the long marble corridors of the government building.
One of the Sinnoh ministers smiled. "I honestly did not expect today's discussions to go so smoothly."
Another official nodded in agreement. "I thought we would spend the entire day arguing."
Another chuckled softly. "Believe me, I have attended meetings that lasted three days and achieved absolutely nothing."
Sabrina looked at Gladion. "You handled yourself remarkably well today." Gladion shrugged modestly.
"I simply said what I thought."
Sabrina added with a playful tone, "You also somehow managed to secure business rights for yourself."
Gladion looked innocent. "What can I say? Opportunities should never be wasted."
Sabrina looked at him and shook her head. "You negotiated for business rights while discussing possible military radicals." Gladion replied with a small laugh, "I prefer to think of it as being efficient." Even Sabrina let out a small sigh, but there was a fond smile on her face.
The group eventually reached the front entrance of the government building. The large doors opened.
Several official vehicles were already waiting outside. Security personnel stood nearby.
Gladion suddenly stopped walking. Sabrina also stopped at almost the same moment. Both of their expressions changed. Blaine immediately noticed. He frowned. "What is it?" Neither of them answered right away.
Gladion's eyes slowly moved toward the distant rooftops. Sabrina's psychic senses spread throughout the surrounding area.
Then both of their eyes widened at the same time. "Everyone get down!" Gladion shouted.
At the exact same moment, Sabrina yelled as well. "Take cover now!" Confusion appeared on everyone's faces. Then it happened.
Sharp whistling sounds suddenly filled the air. Several dark figures appeared in the distant sky.
Crobats. There were many of them. Each Crobat was moving incredibly fast. On their backs sat dark figures dressed completely in black. The moment they appeared, flashes of light erupted. Projectiles shot toward the delegation from an incredible distance.
Blaine's eyes widened. "Ninetales!" His Poké Ball suddenly opened by itself. A beautiful golden Ninetales appeared in front of him. It did not even wait for instructions.
Years of experience had made the Pokemon understand danger instantly. A bright barrier of flames erupted around Blaine. Several projectiles struck the flames and were melted away instantly.
At the same time, Sabrina's Alakazam suddenly appeared beside her. "Protect everyone!" she shouted.
A blue barrier formed immediately around the group. Unfortunately, the attack had come too suddenly. Several Sinnoh and Indigo officials were still standing. Some had frozen from shock. Others had not understood what was happening.
The projectiles reached them first. Cries of pain echoed through the entrance area. One official collapsed. Another fell beside him. Documents scattered everywhere. Panic erupted instantly.
"Attack!" "Get down!" "Protect the Champion!" Security personnel began shouting.
Several guards released their Pokemon. Poké Balls opened everywhere. Arcanine. Machamp. Steelix. Luxray.
Yet the attackers remained far away. The Crobats moved with incredible speed through the sky. They attacked from such a great distance that immediate retaliation was almost impossible. One Crobat dove lower before suddenly changing direction. Another disappeared behind a building.
Champion Rowan's expression became ugly. "They planned this." Another volley came. Alakazam's barrier blocked several attacks. Ninetales released a wave of fire that intercepted others. But the sudden ambush had already achieved its purpose.
Fear. Confusion. Chaos. One of the Sinnoh ministers was kneeling beside a fallen official. "No... no..." His hands were shaking. The official lying before him did not respond. The minister looked completely stunned. Only minutes ago, they had all been discussing peace and cooperation. Now people were dead.
Gladion's face darkened. He looked toward the distant rooftops. 'I just agreed to help with the radicals.' Then his expression became colder. 'And they attack immediately.'
"Eldergreen!" Gladion shouted. A Poké Ball opened. His Tropius emerged with a roar. "Fly after them!" Tropius immediately shot into the sky with Gladion on its back.
At the same moment, several Sinnoh guards released their flying Pokemon. Staraptor. Honchkrow. Togekiss. Cynthia released her Alpha Garchomp. They all moved to pursue the attackers.
"Psychic Pokemon!" In the distance, several glowing circles of psychic energy appeared. The dark figures riding the Crobats suddenly vanished. One after another. They simply disappeared. Tropius reached the area moments later. There was nobody there. Nothing. The attackers were gone.
Gladion clenched his fists. "They teleported away." Sabrina nodded. "Multiple powerful Psychic types. They were prepared."
One of the security officers looked shocked. "They had an escape route planned from the beginning."
One of the Sinnoh officials suddenly began trembling. His face had become pale. He was staring at the sky where the attackers had disappeared. His eyes looked filled with fear.
"That..." Everyone looked at him. The man swallowed. His voice shook. "That is the famed Crobat Assassination Squad."
Silence. The official looked terrified. "Under General Alvarez." The name itself seemed to make him uneasy. Several other Sinnoh officials immediately became pale. Even Champion Rowan frowned deeply.
Blaine looked at them. "You know these people?" The official slowly nodded.
"Everyone in Sinnoh knows them." He looked toward the bodies of the fallen officials. "They are considered legends within parts of the army." His voice became quieter. "They fought during the final years of the Infinite Pokemon War."
Another official spoke. "They specialize in fast attacks and assassinations. They strike before anyone realizes they are there and disappear before anyone can respond." He looked shaken. "I thought they had been disbanded years ago."
Champion Rowan slowly closed his eyes. "They were." The official looked at him. "Then..." Rowan sighed. "Apparently, not all of them accepted peace."
Gladion folded his arms. "Who is General Alvarez?" The officials exchanged glances. Finally, one elderly minister answered. "General Hector Alvarez is a Sinnoh war hero."
His expression became complicated. "He lost his wife, both his brothers, and his daughter during the Infinite Pokemon War."
"He never forgave the other regions." Another official continued. "He became famous for his military strategies and his use of flying Pokemon, especially Crobats." The first official nodded. "He believes Sinnoh's isolation is the only reason we remained safe."
Gladion looked at the bodies again. "And because we discussed peace today, he sent assassins." No one answered. Because everyone already knew the answer.
Sabrina looked toward the government building. "This changes everything." Champion Rowan nodded slowly. "Yes." Cynthia's expression had also become serious. "This was not only an attack." She looked at everyone. "It was a message." Another official swallowed. "A warning."
One of the Sinnoh ministers looked at Gladion. His expression was apologetic. "I am sorry." Gladion looked at him. The man lowered his head. "You agreed to help us only minutes ago, and now you have been attacked because of us."
This was supposed to be a historic day. Instead, blood had been spilled outside the government building itself.
But Gladion simply looked toward the sky. Then he smiled. It was not his usual cheerful smile. It was cold. Very cold. "Actually..."
Everyone looked at him. Gladion looked at them. "I was wondering how long it would take." The officials blinked. Gladion looked at the fallen officials. "Radicals who truly hate peace do not sit quietly."
He looked back at the group. "They act."
Rowan sighed. "I suppose that is true."
Sabrina crossed her arms. "They have already declared their position." Champion Rowan looked tired. "Then our problems have begun sooner than expected."
Gladion looked at him. "No." The old Champion blinked.
Gladion's eyes became firm. "They made their first mistake."
"What mistake?" Rowan asked.
The young man looked toward the sky again. "They attacked me."
Gladion said,"They wanted to scare Indigo." His smile widened. "Instead, they just gave me a reason to hunt them down."
Even the evening wind seemed to stop at that. Several Sinnoh officials stared at him. For some reason, they suddenly felt sorry for General Alvarez. Because the radicals had just done something incredibly foolish. They had attacked one of the strongest trainers in the world. And judging by the expression on Gladion's face, he had taken it personally.
-----Author Notes------
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