Fallen Utopia

[Zenith Magus]

.... What can I say, save a mere request: Simply read and review.

Fallen Utopia
By:
Zenith Magus

Prologue: Shattered


To say that the regions of Johto and Kanto had become perfect examples of the dictionary definition of peace and serenity was an understatement- rather, they had become the very embodiment of those concepts. There was no bad feeling between the political governments of the two, no actions performed against one that would drive them to war against the other. People of the Johto and Kanto lands thrived peacefully together, generally treating each other as friends would. Neither government had ever given the order to launch offensives of any type against the other- no, they were allies, who would help and protect each other as if they were brothers. Even now, they had forged a utopian bond with another land- the land of Houen, which was already a new ally of theirs.

But something had to have helped forge that bond of trust, to shape this utopian way of life; that something was Pokemon. The name was the general term for a varied species of animals that came in all shapes and sizes- they could produce amazing results through harnessing their energy to exhale flame or water, or something else! It all depended on what species of Pokemon it was. These magnificent creatures took place in battles of sport between the people of Johto and Kanto, and even the new land of Houen. Captured and trained by the humans, they would take part in quests for personal greatness- among which was the title of Pokemon Champion, something every trainer hoped to become by defeating the Pokemon League of their land. These Pokemon even became a status symbol- trainers with rare, hard-to-capture ones were more well-known than those who didn't have them. Rarest of all was the Legendary Pokemon; they numbered 13, and there was only a single-digit amount of each that lived. No one had ever caught them, and he who did would become famous.

The three lands all thrived in happiness, which was only rarely marred- and then, it was only minor. The cause of these rare times was Team Rocket; a crime syndicate that thrived in Johto and Kanto, they aimed constantly to use Pokemon for their own evil schemes. They were the bane of trainers, as they attempted constantly to steal their Pokemon. Sometimes they had other plans, plans with bigger goals and aims... Yet the team was no threat. This owed to the fact that they had a reputation as screw-ups throughout the land; their schemes had constantly been crushed and thwarted, making them the targets of constant jibes more than anything. The Rockets, led by their leader Giovanni Rocket, plotted revenge against those who would dare to poke fun at them- but even they would not go so far as to destroy towns, kill and murder...

Some of them, however, would. There were a few members of the Rocket Gang- Elite Rockets, the cream of the Rocket crop- who happened to own some extremely powerful and destructive Pokemon. Angrily, they plotted their own revenge against those who had defied them, eliminated some of their best plans. They finally came up with a suitable idea, one that would fit the bill for the many hurts against them and the plans foiled; the destruction of a small town in the new Houen region, best known as Littleroot Town. And so, on one sunny morning in the early days of June, these Rockets made their way to their destination. Upon arriving, they calmly sent out some of their most destructive Pokemon- and, after stepping back to a safe area, ordered the creatures to unleash their full force on the town.

Conditioned to obey, the creatures launched their attack; killing mostly every man, woman, and child in that town. Among the notables slain was Professor Birch, a rising star in the area of Pokemon research, and Alfred Muran- father of Houen Gym Leader Norman. It was a horrible catastrophe, but one that would have much worse aftereffects- for you see, the Rockets, while dressed in odd uniforms, had proclaimed themselves members of the long-idle armies of Johto and Kanto. Before unleashing their deadly monsters, they had claimed that a war against Houen had began-so said a trainer who had claimed to bear witness to the attack, one of the few survivors. In shock and anger, Houen's government angrily turned to their allies, asking if such a thing was true. They accused them of this horrid catastrophe, and took it a step further- they even threatened to deploy their own long-idle armies to exact retribution for the disaster. Kanto and Johto, allies, were insulted by the proclamations and the fact that Houen refused to believe their pleas of innocence- they too began to mobilize their own armies, making it public knowledge that war was soon to inevitably come to rhe lands.

The Legendary Pokemon, creatures of extraordinary power and a sentience not present in their common relatives, were much alarmed when news of the possibility of a human war reached them. Fearing that the humans would try to sieze them in order to utilize their great power to kill their new enemies, they planned to flee the world- yet this plan was of much debate, as they knew that without them, impurity would soon be released into this pure fantasy land- part of it had already come. They did not want reality to further corrupt their fantasy, created from the mental capacity of a being what called itself " Mew ". And so, they reached a compromise that would help should the world be ready to readmit the concept of paradise as a reality. They chose two humans, Johann Nilton and a wanderer who called himself Thomas. Through telepathic messages, they told these two- both of which had proven themselves in the eyes of the Legendaries and sought them out- of their dilenma.

Each understood and accepted, for they always knew the legendaries were real. They were told that they would have to seek out a " Monolith of Dreams " and learn to harness its power to drive away the reality before they could bring paradise and happiness back to the world. This structure was somewhere, but no one knew where. They would have to find it themselves. With that, they transcended reality and left this world to the dwelling place of the being Mew- to simply wait for their machinations to work out, as the two would hopefully work together. But their own beliefs would drive them apart. Johann refused to do the job with Thomas- instead, he formed Team Comet, a group that would hunt down the monolith themselves as they purified the world of those who had war's intentions within.

Thomas simply accepted this, going forth to seek the structure on his own. And so it has been, as neither have found it yet- but Team Comet has gained power, and some members are corrupt with it. Only a few skirmishes of the war have occured yet- the Comet group's meteoric rise in power took three weeks. More factors are coming to introduce themselves into the world, and it will soon be determined whether or not humanity can conquer their sin...

END Prologue

Whaddya think?

[Doomykins]

It's okay, but it might have been better if you hadn't revealed so much in the beginig. Things like this are better told over time, like as the main charecter thinks about them. Especialy the part about the two not being able to work together. I'm saying that you have to do this, 'cause it's your fic. But I might do it something like this

Outline

Prolouge-legendaries arguing about what to do about humans, then deciding what to do and reaching out to two humans.

First chapter, some time later, maybe years Thomas on his own doing his job, then hears someone talking about the old fight that started the fighitng, signs of tension are all around him in the enviroment. Then he thinks about what he's doing and back to how he got started.

Second chapter, Johann with his group planning their next search, thinks back on his point of view and how he couldn't work with Thomas.

Like I said, this is just what I might do. It just adds drama and suspense. People would want to read to find out what happens and what's driving the charecters, what happened to them.

[Zenith Magus]

Doomykins: Thank you for your input... But it is going to go a lot different than your outline, no offense meant towards you.

[E_Eevee]

Well, I agree with doomykins that you packed a lot in to the prologue, but to each his own style. The prologue did it's job; to set the scene. I'm sure your first chapter will be just as methodical and well written. You may wish to edit it again, there are a few little typos.

[Zenith Magus]

E_Eevee: Thank you for the review and tips! New chapter on Sunday.

[Zenith Magus]

There's nothing I can say; just keep reading, eh? : )

Fallen Utopia
By:
Zenith Magus

Chapter One: The Lone Seeker's Thoughts


Society and the way of life for the people who dwelled on the lands of Johto, Kanto, and Houen changed following the declaration of war. Gone was the life of peace and serenity that most had lived before the declaration of war; in its place, there came a lifestyle of nervousness and paranoia. Some people began to build undergound shelters, in order to protect themselves should an enemy squad of trainers and Pokemon ever attack. Cities like Celadon and Saffron even built shelters that would house most of their population. Pokemon trainers were also much affected by this. Some of them were forced back to their home cities by concerned family members who feared them being caught up in an attack. Others made to enlist in their respective nation's armies, which were being recreated after their years of stagnation and disuse. Already there had been a few skirmishes, and casualties too...

Team Rocket, already considered little of a threat before, had now retreated from the world of crime for a while. Having punished the rogue members, their leader was now trying to devise a way to turn this war to their advantage. They simply watched and waited, knowing that an opportunity would present itself soon. Meanwhile, the Pokemon League championships for all three lands were still in full swing- or would be soon. This was an idea devised by all three nations, to keep up morale. Gyms were still open, as a result. However, the amount of challengers decreased substantially. Team Comet's machinations were another ingredient in this whole mess- Johann Nilton and his search for the Monolith of Dreams went unnoticed, but they were still an integral part of this entire mess. His attempts at purifying the regions, however, did not- those occasional killing strikes of his were blamed simply on the enemy.

This was because no one was ever able to discern that the Comet Team had done it; no evidence was ever left behind. And when it was, it usually pointed to the enemy of the region where the attack had taken place. So most people thought these strikes came from their enemies- excepting one man, who knew the truth. He was Thomas, the other who sought out the Monolith of Dreams- Johann's beliefs of purification had driven the two apart.
Thomas knew good and well that these attacks, killing only those who advocated the sin of war, were the brainchild of Nilton. He was powerless to stop them, however. And so, he turned a blind eye to them, simply searching for the Monolith.

**********

Upon being called forth by the Legendary Pokemon to seek out the Monolith, Thomas had tried to find anything about the Monolith in mythology. He had come up with a few matches- the first involving the Clefairy of Mt.Moon in Kanto and a strange object located there. Getting there was hard, since no ship would take him there, it being their enemy. Somehow, he got there from Johto and headed to the mount. The lead, however, had proved to be a dud- a scientist named Seymour had quickly straightened him out on that, saying the object was a large Moonstone. Those were items that could evolve a Clefairy to Clefable, and hardly what he was looking for. Off he went to his second lead, the Seafoam Islands. It was rumored that something lay all the way at the bottom; maybe the Monolith was there. However, that had been an outright lie, as he'd found out the hard way.

After recuperating from the exceptionally cold temprature in the caves on Cinnabar Island, Thomas had decided to investigate his third lead. This one was in Pallet Town, the place where many Kanto trainers started out from. Pokemon Professor Samuel Oak would give them a first Pokemon from his many to begin their journey. Oak was part of Thomas's lead, actually- it stated that a Pokemon photographer named Todd, working for him, had come across a mysterious object and photographed it. The rumored photo rested in Oak's hands now, as Todd had given it to him to see if he could guess with the object was. Thomas hoped it was the Monolith Todd had taken a shot of. So, after bumming a ride across the river that seperated Pallet and Cinnabar, he finally arrived. Thanking the trainer who'd taken him there on his large Blastoise- a giant blue turtle with hydro cannons on its back- he got down.

He set himself down on dry land and surveyed the town quickly with his green eyes- it was but a few houses, seperated by roadways and lawns of grass. Absently running a hand through his shoulder length blue hair, the slender and ectomorphic teen walked into town. Clothed in a gray short-sleeved shirt and gray shorts, he fingered the four Pokeballs at his belt that contained his Pokemon. Thomas kept walking up the town streets, avoiding collisions with the townsfolk as he continued to search for Oak's lab. Pausing to exchange a few polite words with the townspeople of Pallet, he soon found the building that he was looking for- it was the size of two houses from Pallet put together, with a sign on the front that read " Oak's Lab ". Out back, there was a fence where the extra Pokemon of trainers- they could only carry six at a time, and so had the others sent to him- frolicked peacefully.

It was part of a place that preserved the lifestyle of three weeks ago- the carefree one before the war. Thomas cared not about that, however, as he made his way off the road and up the path to Oak's lab. Walking up the path, he was surprised when the door at the end opened up, giving him a brief glance of the lab's innards. A person stepped out, closing the door behind him. He was of average height, dressed in red shirts and shorts. A cap of yellow adorned his black-haired head, and black eyes poked out from his face. Six Pokeballs dangled from his belt, indicating that he had trained Pokemon for atleast a while. He walked down the path, his large cap obviously preventing him from seeing Thomas at first. He did catch sight of him eventually, however, and came to a stop. In a loud voice that seemed to not fit the serene atomsphere, he cried " Hey! " as he pointed to Thomas.

Thomas took notice of this, looking at the boy and simply answering with a voice that was a cross between high and normal. " Yes? "

" I'd like to challenge you to a Pokemon battle! " replied the trainer, confidence brimming in his voice.

" Eh... Well... " Thomas muttered. He was not here to battle other trainers, but just here to see the Professor. " I'll decline, if that's okay with you. " replied Thomas. The teen did not want to be delayed from this possible lead by a battle.

" Come on! Just a one-on-one battle! Please?! " begged the trainer, a desperate tone in his voice.

Thomas had a number of traits about him, most of them androgynous and some feminine. One such trait was his want to compromise in most situations. With a reluctant tone, he uttered a single word: " Yes. "

The trainer became eager at this answer, and walked onto the grass lawn that bordered the path- this would be their battleground. Smirking, he said " You don't know what you've just got yourself into! Now, prepare to face my best Pokemon! Graveler, go! "

The trainer unhooked a Pokeball from his belt and hurled it out onto the grass. It hit the field, exploding open in a blast of white light and revealing a large, sentient round ball of stone. It had a rough hide and four hands; two directly upon the chest and two on its rocky arms. Stubby feet jutted out of the body's bottom, with no legs for them. Large eyes and a mouth were on the front, constituting a face for Graveler.

Thomas simply unhooked a Pokeball from his belt, crying out in a slightly louder voice than before " Hypno, come out! " Hurling it down, he watched as his Pokeball hit the grass, exploding open to reveal his Hypno. It was humanoid and yellow-skinned; of average height and build, it had a white ringed object about the neck and carried a string with a circular object on the end. That was used in its special attacks.

" Heh! Hypno's good, but he can't take Graveler's Rollout attack! Graveler, Rollout! " The Pokemon obeyed, falling forward and curling itself up into a ball. It soon pushed itself away from its trainer and began rolling towards Hypno, intending on smashing into it. Closer he came, closing the distance between him and Hypno. He almost struck him, when a voice came.

" Hypno, Confusion! " cried Thomas. The female Hypno obeyed its master, staring at Graveler and projecting a direct blast of mental energy from her mind at the enemy. Resembling purplish energy, the blast struck the rolling Graveler, invading his mind. The will of Hypno invaded the Rock Pokemon's simple mind, confusing him, making his body do things against his will. He was soon out of his roll, smashing rocky fists against the hide he sported. Graveler's trainer recalled him back to his empty Pokeball, turning him back to energy and compressing him within. Angrily, the trainer said
" You're just lucky Graveler was my weakest Pokemon! " contradicting his lie from earlier. He turned away, storming off as Thomas called Hypno back.

Calmly, he returned to the path, crossing it to the door at the end. He rapped on the wooden door three times, and it opened...

END Chapter One

What?

[pokemonrule13]

You write some good stuff. You are good with description and you could work a little bit more on length. One thing I seen that isn't that bad of a mistake but you said that Gravler was a round ball. It really isnt round it is more of a ridged ball shape. Other than that it was a pretty good chapter.

[Zenith Magus]

pokemonrule13: Thanks for correcting my mistake- as well as reviewing. New chapter up tomorrow!

[Zenith Magus]

I did not lie... Here's the new chapter.

Fallen Utopia
By:
Zenith Magus

Chapter Two: The Angel with Horns


The decleration of war between Johto, Kanto, and Houen had led most of society to constantly focus on it; they always waited breathlessly for more news about the situation. And the news networks delivered to them just what they wanted. Every night and every day, reporters and anchormen talked mostly about the war. As such, the public was so fixated on the war that they turned a blind eye to other happenings in their world. Thusly, they knew little of Team Comet and their activities. Nothing really newsworthy came from this group, whom few even knew about. Their occasional attempts at purification- killing those who were for the war- were the only newswothy acts they ever seemed to commit. Even still, Team Comet rarely were featured on the news; only their crimes were, and those were usually thought to have been commited by the enemy.

The small group was led by Johann Nilton. He was the one whose beliefs of purification caused him to strike out against those who advocated the war. Commanded to find the Monolith of Dreams by the Legendaries, he had seperated from Thomas upon learning that the latter opposed his ideas of purification. Instead, he had founded Team Comet to help him in the search. They were a group he had drawn together in secret, a group whose members came from all the regions. Some of them had once been Rockets and some were once normal townspeople. Now, however, they were one and the same. Their goal was simply to find the Monolith of Dreams and use it to restore the utopian life of the past. Some joined up because they believed in the Monolith and wanted to find it. Others, the non-believers, simply came to help achieve the hidden goals of Team Comet.

That goal was simply to stop the war by eliminating all who supported it. Once that had been completed, only those that were for peace would remain. Then, and only then, would the utopian way of life be restored. Either way, Team Comet had a substantial number of members. They were currently at work, investigating another lead on the Monolith's location.

*********

As Thomas was in Pallet Town, investigating the truth behind his third lead, Team Comet was doing the same kind of work. After discovering that their first two leads- a supposed item in the depths of Cinnabar Island's volcano and a fake rumor about an object in the hold of a sunken ship- the team was on their third lead. This one talked of another object in a ship, much like the second one did. However, this ship was still sailing- she was the S.S Azure. Rumor had it she was carrying a mysterious artifact in her cargo hold. This supposed secret cargo could possibly be the Monolith. Thusly, Johann and a few of his subordinates snuck on to the vessel disguised as sailors. Their plan was to take over the vessel and navigate it towards their base. From their Cianwood City home, they'd unload it and try to use it. And then, their goals would be accomplished.

It sounded easy enough when spoken of, but Johann knew that there was a hard part of it. That, of course, would be overpowering the real crew and any resisting passengers. Nonetheless, he knew that his crew of experienced trainers would be able to handle whatever was thrown at them. The bright afternoon sun hung high over them. Sunny skies observed the vessel, with its three smokestacks and sharp oval outer structure. Just a few miles away from port in Vermillion City, the ship would never know what hit it. They would strike, turning their Pokemon against the opponent. Those who resisted would be dealt with. From there, everyone would be lowered into the sea from the ship's lifeboats on the side. Then, the bay would be ransacked; should the stone not be found, the group would simply retreat with the ship.

The whole plan would be enacted in three minutes. It was 11:57, three minutes to shipwide lunchtime. Lunch would be taken in the dining room at the vessel's upper center; there they would strike.
Johann, in the mean time, walked about the deck of the vessel. Sporting a sailor's outfit and cap as disguise, he had gray eyes and trim white hair. His face was serious and youthful as he looked for fellow members of the group, trying to round them up. It was hard to do, however, as he had to pick his way through the crowds making for the lunchroom. Within minutes, however, he spotted one of the five he'd brought with him; Miya Radinger, a blue-haired female with blue eyes. From there, he signaled her that the operation was on with a one-finger salute- their signal to begin. Traversing the crowd, he soon found three more traveling in a pack- two males and a female.

He gave the sign, and the three ran to wait outside the lunchroom door. Johann had not even to move to look for the fifth; he came right up to him. Letan Mouliat was his name; a rough-faced person with black hair and eyes. He was the silent type, and so just saluted before running off to the lunchroom. Johann was last, following him back to the doors of the area they'd start from. By now, all had entered and the door was clear save for the four around it.

" You all know what to do, correct? " asked Johann in a youngish voice.

" Yes, we know. " said Miya, slight annoyance running through her high tone as she answered for everyone.

" Good. Let's move. " This from Johann, one with a slight streak of impatience. " Now, we've got to make an attention-grabbing entrance. Miya, handle that. "

" Right. " she replied. " Blaziken, go! " said Miya, pulling a Pokeball from her pocket and hurling it down. Out came a Pokemon of humanoid shape; the legs were orange and red-skinned. The rest of the body was red-skinned, save the long yellow hair that ran down the back of its head.

" Double Kick, Blaziken! " ordered Miya; the Pokemon complied. It pulled its powerful foot up sideways, like a side kick. Then, it unleashed two powerful kicks- one bent the doorway inwards awkwardly, the second knocked it in. After that amazing display of Pokemon strength, Miya recalled the creature. The team walked in, gazing about at the posh dining room. People gazed at them in shock, forgetting their meals on the silk-draped tables. Lush purple carpet filled the room, with Pokemon paintings abounding on the walls. It looked like something out of a mansion or a museum, or a fusion of the two. The many people gaped in shock, seemingly unable to find their voices. One man was able to, however, and arose to his feet in anger. He was tall, sporting a top hat and tuxedo. He was rich, as evidenced by his ruby-tipped cane he carried.

Glasses covered his gray eyes, and the hat covered his black hair. Angrily he shouted " Who are you and what do you want? Furthermore, how dare you interrupt my lunch? "

Johann was just finishing up ordering Letan to subdue the crew on the ship's "bridge"; the man's Vileplume could well do it. He heard the rich man speak and turned to respond, saying " We are Team Comet, and we only wish to end this war. We only dare because the key to that lies in the ship's bay. We will leave you all alone and unmolested- all we want is the cargo. " Johann could be verbose when he wished.

" Pirates, then? Noble pirates? Heh... I don't believe you! You are probably from Houen, out to kill staunch supporters of Kanto! Well, I will not let you! Go, Persian! " He threw down his own Pokeball, revealing a four-legged cat Pokemon with a tail and yellowed fur. A bright red jewel mirroring the man's ruby resided in the center of the head, with two large ears atop it. Eyes and a fanged mouth protruded from the face. " Persian, Fury Swipes! " The Pokemon nodded, launching towards the quartet with claws bared to strike and slash at them. One of the three-person pack saved them, however- he sent forth his Golduck, a humanoid duck with webbed feet, claws, and forehead jewel to do battle. It blocked the attack, then unleashed a Confusion attack from the jewel that fainted the pampered Pokemon. Shocked, the rich man called back his Pokemon, now subdued.

The rest were too; no one else wanted to be beaten, as their Pokemon were of little strength. Golduck was called back by its master as everyone waited for Letan's news. Finally, after he had subdued the crew and peeked at the cargo under deck, Letan arrived as the evening sun began to set. Poking his head in the door, he called to Johann, who eagerly stepped out to see if the Monolith had been discovered.

They stepped out onto the deck, and Letan spoke as he did rarely. In a rough tone, he said " Boss, I know whether or not we found it. And we.... "

END Chapter Two

Eh? Whaddya think?

[Zenith Magus]

Here's the next chapter...

Fallen Utopia
By:
Zenith Magus

Chapter Three: Wins and Draws, Part 1


Once war had been declared between Johto, Kanto, and Houen, the social atmosphere of the regions changed. No longer was everybody so happy and content with the world. Instead, they were scared of this foreign concept of war. These people were petrified of how many lives it could needlessly take. Whole families had nightmares of siblings losing their lives to the battles of war. The thought of being struck down by the Pokemon of enemy trainers brought terror to them. As the effects of fear began to spread, families started spending as little time as possible out in the open. With a few exceptions, most everybody had now adopted a lifestyle of caution and fear. Social lives were sacrificed as people began to stop visiting friends. Vacations became very rare, as some feared being blown away in midair. On the whole, happiness and the concept of a simple life had vanished from most of society.

Not so with Kanto's little town of Pallet, however. Seperated by a long river from Cinnabar Isle, this place was a monument to the time before the declaration of war. Cheer was still existing here, and life seemed simple and peaceful. People were nice and kind to each other, and the wild Pokemon thrived in these parts. It was not so in the other cities, where Pokemon had stopped frequenting their borders. The thriving wild Pokemon had even led Professor Samuel Oak to set up lab here. He felt that the little country town was a place where he could live out his years. It was a place where he could perform his life's work. That work involved studying Pokemon in their natural habitats. His findings had already led him to have a fair reputation as a scientist. That reputation could be further increased today. This owed to the fact that he was currently investigating findings from a Pokemon archaeological dig he'd returned from recently. If he was able to find something new about them from the excavated fossils, he would have more important discoveries to be credited to himself.

Samuel would soon be drawn from his work, however. A young man named Thomas had come to see him. He was one of the two drafted secretly to find the Monolith of Dreams. According to some rumors he had discovered while looking for info, Oak was supposed to have a photograph of a strange object with him. Thomas fervently hoped the photo was of the Monolith. Little info had been given about the picture, and so all this was a gamble. It was the teen's third one, the last two being duds and losses.
He sincerely hoped that Oak's photograph was what he wished it was. And so, with a little bit of hope and slight fear, Thomas knocked on the wooden doors of Oak's lab. The sound resonated through his lab; empty today, as the Professor's assistants were out for the day. The lab itself was walls on walls of machinery and books; tables with computers and other machinery were commonplace.

Pokeballs of all types lay about the tables of the large front room. The floors were blue tile. The lab was only one room. Its back door led a person out to the backyard, where Pokemon of all types grazed or meandered happily. Near a small pond storing several Magikarp, orange fish-like Pokemon with a hard body, there sat Oak. He was old; crew cut hair of gray testified to that. Nonetheless, he still looked slightly spry and young. The skin was drawn, red shirt and light-brown jeans covering it. A white lab coat hung over that- black eyes twinkled with a hint of youth. Currently, he was eating his lunch, away from his work. This consisted of a sandwich and some juice. Chewing a large bite from his half-eaten meal, he heard the knocking of Thomas. After all, he was sitting near the open back door. Sound carried through the spacious and empty lab.

Sighing, he put down the sandwich. Knowing the sound for what it was, Oak got up and walked to the back door. He passed through, closing it on his way in. He then navigated the racks containing some trainer's extra Pokemon, passed through the spacious area. Within a few minutes, he was there to open the door and greet Thomas. Broadly grinning to mask his slight annoyance, Samuel said " Hello. " in a normal voice, dropping the grin.

Thomas replied, saying " Hello. Are you Professor Oak? " He asked the question in a tone of formality, almost.

" Yes, that's me. " replied Oak in a casual tone. " Now, why are you here? Would you like to come in? " said he, being polite.

" No thanks; this won't be but a minute. Professor, you just got back from an expedition, right? " asked Thomas.

" It was more of a dig, but yes, I did just get back from one. "
said Oak.

Thomas fought to keep his hope from building up. He did not wish to sound too eager or hopeful. Calmly, he asked " Did you find any strange objects on the dig? Something that was not a Pokemon fossil? "

Oak was momentarily taken aback. How did this teen know about the object they'd found on the dig? It had been a secret; the dig got a passing mention in the news, the results given the same treatment. The Professor finally deduced that the person had just been an astute viewer and had caught the detail. But he still wondered why he was interested in it. That wonder went through him as he confirmed that they had found an object.

Thomas almost smiled in relief- his luck was holding out so far. Now if he could just see what the object looked like. Still in a calm tone, the teen asked " Where is this object, Professor? I'd like to look at it. "

Still more confused, Oak replied " I'm sorry.. You can't. The item's being taken to Vermillion City on the S.S Azure to be studied. Some people from Pewter City's museum came down to look at it. " said the Professor, divulging a lot of info to this stranger he barely knew.

Thomas sighed... This would take a lot of work to see the truth. He simply uttered his thanks to the Professor and walked off, depressed and groaning at the work he'd need to do. Behind him stood a bewildered Oak.

END Chapter Three

Short, yes? But you get a chapter every other day...

[Wizzy]

great storey!
I really liek your style^_^

[Zenith Magus]

Wizzy: Thanks for the review!

[Zenith Magus]

Oops... Next chapter tomorrow. I'd do it today, but I have tennis practice.

[Zenith Magus]

Here's the next chapter for you, it being Part 2 of the last one. Eh...

Fallen Utopia
By:
Zenith Magus

Chapter Four: Wins and Draws, Part 2


After war had been declared between Johto, Kanto, and Houen, many things were affected and changed. The amount of Pokemon trainers roaming the land began to decrease on the insistence of their relatives. Citizens of most towns and cities gave up their social lives because of their own paranoia and fear of being caught up in any enemy attacks on their homes. A few things remained mostly the same after the war, however. Vacation cruises still sailed from Johto to Kanto and back. Trips to Houen were not a possibility, however, because of the war. An archaeological expedition planned by the Kanto government to Johto was still carried out. To prevent Houen forces from attacking the vulnerable ship carrying the archaeologists to Johto, the ship was given a small escort. That consisted of a small boat following behind, loaded with trainers carrying powerful Water and Flying Pokemon.

The unarmed vessel, a civilian cruiser called the S.S Azure, was easily able to do its job. It did the job of ferrying the expedition personnel there perfectly. Dropping them off in Olivine City, the captain and his ship were left in the dock for two weeks. During that time, they picked up a few rich passengers for the return trip. At the end of the two weeks, the men and women of the expedition returned. They carried many artifacts and fossils with them. The crew of the escort boat also returned with them. They'd been sent to protect the crew at every turn, and they would carry out their job to the last. After the items were stowed in the bay, it was then that a problem was discovered. The ship had taken on so many new passengers that there was no rooms left for the expedition's crew. The problem was quickly solved, however. The escort boat would simply have to carry the extra burden of the extra people.

So the expedition's personnel moved themselves over to the boat. The ordeal proved to have some good effects. Now the escorts could keep a better eye on their charges. With all of that settled, the S.S Azure and the escort boat set out for Kanto. The greed of the captain, however, would prevent them from having a safe trip. Since he had brought the extra passengers along, he was forced to keep the important passengers out of his sight. The small boat was not as powerful as the Azure- she lagged behind, almost out of sight. As a result, the captain was unable to keep an eye on her. Thusly, she fell into the grips of Team Comet. The team, hunting for the Monolith of Dreams, had heard rumors that it was one of the items now in the Azure's bay. As such, they'd made plans in advance to take control of the vessel. Some of their team had already infiltrated the Azure's crew. More of the group were closing from behind in a small vessel. Within moments, they'd boarded the escort ship and neutralized the people on board, putting them to sleep.

They then used a few Psychic Pokemon of their own to teleport the sleepy men and women back to Olivine. With that accomplished, Team Comet's plans went smoothly. The crew who'd infiltrated the vessel recieved private confirmation of the other group's success via cell phone. Upon this call, the leader Johann Nilton ordered his team into action. Four minutes after most of the passengers had entered the lunch room for lunch, Nilton struck. He and four others entered the dining room. With little effort, they subdued the people in there. Following that, they waited in the bay for one of their members to return from his duty. That was taking out the bridge's crew and checking the cargo bay to see if the Monolith was right there. The man returned, and Nilton stepped out into the sunny sky to learn if the item was there or not...

*********

Letan Mouliat's face broke into a grin as he delivered the news to his boss. The sun shone down from the sky, mirroring the man's mood. Finally, he thought, they had found the object that would end the war. This was the same object that he hoped and dreamed could aid in atoning for his sins... With a smile on his face, Mouliat uttered " Boss, I know whether or not we found it. And we.... have found it. "

Johann almost laughed in happiness at this remark- finally, he had found what he wanted. Now, at long last, he would be able to forever banish the evil from this once-happy world. But he contained those feelings, however- Letan could be mistaken. Johann only had a brief description of the object. The legendaries had given him a mental image, one of a rectangular slab of stone with writings and pictures upon it. That was supposed to be the Monolith of Dreams. Johann had provided his team with a description of the object, so that they would know what it looked like if they found it. That was the case now, as Letan had found it-
however, the man could be wrong. After all, there could be several artifacts in the world that would match the Monolith's description. Only Johann would know the true one- the legendaries had told him that should he or Thomas come in contact with the Monolith, a reaction would take place.

The Team Comet leader knew not what this reaction was, but he knew that his very being would be the one human to know the true Monolith. Keeping a neutral expression on his face, Johann asked " You sure? I mean, you have checked the bay, right? "

Letan nodded in conformation, a small smirk crossing his lips as he spoke. " Yeah, I looked. That's why I took so long; my Vileplume had to fend off a crew member's Machop on the way out. " Even now Letan smirked, thinking of that battle. It was the Grass-type with a large red flower upon its small blue, non-armed body versus a small grey and humanoid Pokemon. Sleep Powder, the Oddish evolution's attack that had stunned the crew, failed there. Only several uses of Absorb, sapping the Fighting-type's energy to increase Vileplume's own, had won the day. The Machop had fallen exhausted in a heap on the deck floor, leaving his trainer vulnerable to a Sleep Powder that'd worked this time. Absorb was a weak attack, and so it had taken quite a few used to win the battle. That explained the Team's several hours of waiting.

Johann smirked. " And you are sure? " After all, only he would be able to make sure. Only he, Johann Nilton, would know the truth. Only he would drive the hellish sin from their world. Letan would not be able to know the truth- he could only see what his eyes saw, while Johann could have bona fide truth.

" Of course... Do you want to see for yourself? " said Mouliat, face returning to its expressionless state. He knew the answer, but asked the question anyway.

" Yes, Mouliat. Let us go. " said Johann, his voice becoming slightly colder and informal. " You lead the way, of course. " He paused to allow the other man to step in front of him, walking back to the cargo bay. He soon followed, his dark tone a vivid contrast to the sunny day.

The two made their way to the metal door that would lead to the ship's innards and the cargo bay. Mouliat opened the door, and the two entered. They navigated an intricate network of bridges and metal chairs, hidden in the darkness. Lights blinked on and off as they passed the unconcious sailor Letan had defeated. Doors were opened as the two walked in silence. Finally, the last door was opened as they entered a wide chamber. It was somewhat dark, a situation resolved with a flick of the light switch. That revealed a room filled with various objects, one of which was a large rectangular object shackled to the ground. Letan pointed to that one, indicating that was it. The two had barely taken a step toward it, however, when light glowed from under the tarpulin covering it. A beam of purple light suddenly burst through the tarp, curving as it reached the sealing.

It grew smaller as it headed towards the two, finally striking Johann. Something went off in his mind at this; this was the Monolith, the true one.

END Chapter Four

Eh... I got it in early after all! Next chapter is tomorrow!

[Zenith Magus]

New chapter tomorrow... I couldn't get on until now. Note: This fic will be put on temporary hiatus, as I rework my writing style through my second fic, titled " The Meaning and The Way. " It will shortly be up, and then I shall revise this fic, reposting the results when it is complete. The Meaning and the Way will be up tomorrow, after I finish writing and start revising.