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Operation GEAR: The Firestorm Rebellion - Prologue
This story is rated PG-13 for violence, scenes of war and some disturbing content.
-:-
PROLOGUE
[A view of the entire Earth from outer space is seen.]
The planet Earth. A place unlike any other. A planet with incredible diversity in living things, from the smallest to the largest – and of course, it has humans and Pokémon alike! The wondrous creatures called Pokémon, numbering in the hundreds or possibly thousands, share every conceivable environment. They appear on the fields…
[Hordes of Tauros, Bouffalant, Dodrio, Mamoswine, Manectric and Sawsbuck run on a grassy plain. Suicune then follows them.]
…in the skies…
[Many Altaria, Mandibuzz, Swellow, Braviary, Staraptor, Togekiss, Unfezant and Swanna fly past, along with a single Salamence and then Ho-oh.]
…the sea, as well…
[A large group of Milotic, Mantine, Huntail, Gorebyss, Wailord, Sharpedo, Stunfisk, Lumineon, Alomomola and Luvdisc swims past, followed by the appearance of a Lugia.]
…not even the extremes of a volcano can deter them!
[Pansear, Darmanitan, Torkoal, Magmortar, Rhydon, Rhyperior, Magcargo and Emboar lounge in a volcanic area, lorded over by a Heatran.]
People interact with Pokémon in a variety of ways, but the primary fashion always has and always will be the Pokémon battle, a competition where trainers and Pokémon unite to find out who will reign supreme!
[In a packed stadium, two boys – one wearing a white hat with a headband and red clothes, the other in a blue jacket and wearing a beret – battle using Crawdaunt and Lickilicky. Their opponents are two men, one in a dark cape and the other in a black suit with blue stripes, who are using Dragonite and Metagross. The Crawdaunt and Lickilicky both attempt to use Ice Beam on the Dragonite, but the Metagross uses its arm to block the attacks.]
Most trainers care for and cherish their Pokémon, but unfortunately, not all do. There are countless criminal organizations that would exploit Pokémon for power and profit…
[Several ‘Wanted’ posters, listing the faces of Team Rocket boss Giovanni, Executive Proton and Executive Ariana are seen.]
Thankfully, for all that would do harm to the world, there are those that readily stand up against the evil.
Seven years ago, the terrorist organization Enigma Shadow returned for its third bid at world domination, this time in the region of Oceannia. They were once again opposed by a man named Rich Mistbloom, who, along with his wife Anabel, daughter Olivia and many other allies, defeated the group’s leader, Queen Shadow, after fighting her forces over a two-year struggle. However, another even more sinister conspiracy was unfolding in the background, and its mastermind, Judy, appeared in the final act to execute her plan to enslave the mythical Arceus and stop an event known as the Day of Reckoning. When Judy’s plans backfired, Rich was forced to sacrifice himself to stop the Day of Reckoning from being brought about. He entrusted the care of his daughter to his friend, archeologist and scientist Matt Chiaki, before perishing.
Five years have now passed since the Day of Reckoning was stopped. Rich Mistbloom’s deeds that day have become known all over the world, rendering him a hero to many. But, what inhabits the fates of those left in the shadow of a departed hero?
To understand, we must first take a trip back in time…
A beautifully illustrated storybook page sat before the girl’s eyes, depicting a city of stone buildings. A vibrant sunrise illuminated the sky above the town.
“This is the story of the lost city of Argyros,” said the man reading the book. “Long ago, there was a city in the center of the Tohjo Continent called Argyros. It was a peaceful and beautiful place that radiated serenity.”
“Why was it so peaceful there?!” asked the girl. “Isn’t such peace impossible?”
“The people of Argyros were Tenganists. Peace was their way of life for the most part.”
“Like Sheena?”
“Yeah… like Sheena. Anyway, Argyros was blessed because its inhabitants had learned from someone that once held the Jewel of Life in his very hands.”
To further his point, the man turned the page, revealing a depiction of a blonde man in a blue-and-purple toga holding a green orb in his hand.
“The Jewel of Life was an artifact that contained the life force of Arceus. As this man had held the Jewel, some of that power became his own. He became wise and was able to teach the people of Argyros many things.”
“But what happened to the city, then?”
“It was destroyed.” Turning the page again, the image became one of a black, foxlike creature laying waste to the buildings from the earlier illustration. “The people of Argyros ended up in a terrible battle against an evil Pokémon known as Zoroark. Zoroark ravaged their city and could not be stopped. Finally, the man who brought wisdom to the land had to make a horrible decision and bargain with the monster. Zoroark left the survivors alone, but in order to keep that peace, one of the settlers’ own had to be given over to Zoroark annually.”
“They had to sacrifice their own people?” gasped the girl.
“Yeah, I’m disgusted by it too. I hope that what we find on this trip might tell us some secrets about what really went on there, though.”
-:-
In a museum somewhere, a large capsule was displayed as one of the exhibits. The container was about seven to eight feet tall, silver, and sealed with an airtight lock on top. It took up a lot of space in its exhibit, but that was nothing compared to the impossibly vast space it somehow contained within itself.
In that space – a dark void going on seemingly forever – floated the body of Zoroark, seemingly bound by invisible restraints.
Images of the past flashed through Zoroark’s mind. The battle with the settlers of Argyros was still vivid even countless years later; he still relished the smell of the fires he caused and what they did to stone and skin alike. But there was something else inside Zoroark’s thoughts: the man in the toga, holding a blue glass orb and addressing Zoroark amongst the burning ruins of the town.
“Kratos…”
More memories appeared to Zoroark. He recalled more of his negotiation with the man, but then, when the deal was done, the man used the orb in his hand to cast some kind of spell and take the upper hand. Just thinking of this event, no matter how long ago it was, made Zoroark become enraged. His sinister, glowing red eyes whipped open in the darkness, casting twin beacons of light through the murk.
“Kratos!! I still remember how you took advantage of me eons ago… now, your descendants will suffer my wrath! Somewhere across the continuum of time and space… the time of my revenge is now here!!"
[Silver and blue streaks of light cut through the darkness from the foreground into the background.]
The Great Butler presents
Pokémon:
Operation GEAR
[The lights fade into a red and gold tapestry that tracks upward. It is patterned with flowers and a ripple pattern.]
Troy Baker
Trina Nishimura
Bridget Hoffman
Caitlin Glass
[The tapestry cuts off, revealing a view of underground ruins.]
Kent Williams
Mike Sinterniklaas
Kate Higgins
Ted Lewis
Jason Griffith
featuring David Bowie as Zoroark
[The view flies into one of the temples, where the blue orb is found resting on a pedestal. The view then enters the orb and shatters the light within it.]
- The Firestorm Rebellion –
-:-
“Careful, everyone! Please watch your step!”
An employee in a light purple vest carefully guided passengers off the airplane that had just landed at his airport. There weren’t too many other aircrafts out on the field on that bright, sunny day, so there was a clear sight of the terminal building from where the plane was. A large sign on that building read “Indigo Plateau Airport – Welcome to the Tohjo Continent!”
Completely disregarding the airport employee’s instructions, a girl came bounding down the stairs from the plane in a major hurry. Her blue hair was arranged to spread out widely in the back, was styled to have large curls hanging at both sides of her head and had an exotic flavor added to it by an attached blue flower. She wore pink boots tied with ribbons along with a simple blue top and skirt, completed by a belt with a star-shaped buckle. Finally, the girl was also wearing a long blue cape pinned down with golden shoulderplates, the cape being accented with silver bars and gold feathers running up the sides.
“Come on, Matt,” she yelled, facing back at the plane. “Let’s go already!”
“I’m coming, Olivia, I’m coming!” Following the girl, a man whose blonde hair reached down to his shoulders stepped out of the plane. While standing at the top of the stairs, he adjusted his glasses, in turn adjusting the ornate golden eyepiece mask covering his left eye. A sudden gust of wind blew the wide-brimmed blue hat on his head, causing the yellow feather stuck in the hat’s silver center to flutter wildly. Once the wind died down, the man looked in the direction it had come from and took a deep breath. “Ah, that crisp Kanto air. It’s good to be back after so long!”
With that, Matt made his way down the stairs. His blue, silver-lined longcoat that had the same feathers as Olivia’s cape on its lapels shook as he abruptly descended. At the bottom of the stairs he rejoined Olivia, then searched inside of the dark blue messenger bag slung over his shoulder for something.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to make your way to the terminal,” said the employee. However, he stopped himself when he noticed the silver insignia printed on Matt’s bag, which depicted the wing of a Ho-oh on its right half and the wing of a Lugia on its left half, merging into a single downward-pointing claw in the middle. “Mister Chiaki, please excuse me. I did receive the arrangements from Commissioner Mistbloom regarding your accommodations. Your transport can be found in the main terminal of the airport once you present your information.”
“Excellent. Thanks for your help.”
After expressing his gratitude to the employee, Matt started walking toward the terminal with Olivia nipping at his heels.
Something else was on Olivia’s mind, though, and her face turned slightly dour. “Matt, is my mom going to be at the tournament?”
Immediately picking up on what Olivia was getting at, Matt scratched the back of his head and replied nervously, “Yes, yes she is. If you have things you need to talk to her about, I’ll be there to help set that up for you.”
“Thanks, Matt. And thanks for everything you’ve done for me, too.”
“Don’t worry about it. I would have done it even if I didn’t owe your father so much.”
“Will my dad be at this tournament?”
This question, on the other hand, caught Matt off guard. The dire desperation that drove him to lie to Olivia about her father’s fate five years prior resurfaced again, and there was only one thing that he could manage to say. “I don’t know if he will be there in person, but I promise you he’s watching.”
“I wonder where he is… I really hope he isn’t so disappointed with me that he won’t even watch us there.”
“Stop talking like that.” It turned Matt’s stomach to hear Olivia, who he had once known as a flawlessly upbeat person, be so dark. One thing he knew he couldn’t allow was for her to bear such thoughts about her father, who unbeknownst to her had sacrificed his life for her. “If we don’t enjoy ourselves, then he’ll be disappointed. Shape up, let’s have a good time.”
After a beat, Olivia showed a slight smile. “You’re right, Matt. I shouldn’t worry too much.”
END of PROLOGUE
-:-
PROLOGUE
[A view of the entire Earth from outer space is seen.]
The planet Earth. A place unlike any other. A planet with incredible diversity in living things, from the smallest to the largest – and of course, it has humans and Pokémon alike! The wondrous creatures called Pokémon, numbering in the hundreds or possibly thousands, share every conceivable environment. They appear on the fields…
[Hordes of Tauros, Bouffalant, Dodrio, Mamoswine, Manectric and Sawsbuck run on a grassy plain. Suicune then follows them.]
…in the skies…
[Many Altaria, Mandibuzz, Swellow, Braviary, Staraptor, Togekiss, Unfezant and Swanna fly past, along with a single Salamence and then Ho-oh.]
…the sea, as well…
[A large group of Milotic, Mantine, Huntail, Gorebyss, Wailord, Sharpedo, Stunfisk, Lumineon, Alomomola and Luvdisc swims past, followed by the appearance of a Lugia.]
…not even the extremes of a volcano can deter them!
[Pansear, Darmanitan, Torkoal, Magmortar, Rhydon, Rhyperior, Magcargo and Emboar lounge in a volcanic area, lorded over by a Heatran.]
People interact with Pokémon in a variety of ways, but the primary fashion always has and always will be the Pokémon battle, a competition where trainers and Pokémon unite to find out who will reign supreme!
[In a packed stadium, two boys – one wearing a white hat with a headband and red clothes, the other in a blue jacket and wearing a beret – battle using Crawdaunt and Lickilicky. Their opponents are two men, one in a dark cape and the other in a black suit with blue stripes, who are using Dragonite and Metagross. The Crawdaunt and Lickilicky both attempt to use Ice Beam on the Dragonite, but the Metagross uses its arm to block the attacks.]
Most trainers care for and cherish their Pokémon, but unfortunately, not all do. There are countless criminal organizations that would exploit Pokémon for power and profit…
[Several ‘Wanted’ posters, listing the faces of Team Rocket boss Giovanni, Executive Proton and Executive Ariana are seen.]
Thankfully, for all that would do harm to the world, there are those that readily stand up against the evil.
Seven years ago, the terrorist organization Enigma Shadow returned for its third bid at world domination, this time in the region of Oceannia. They were once again opposed by a man named Rich Mistbloom, who, along with his wife Anabel, daughter Olivia and many other allies, defeated the group’s leader, Queen Shadow, after fighting her forces over a two-year struggle. However, another even more sinister conspiracy was unfolding in the background, and its mastermind, Judy, appeared in the final act to execute her plan to enslave the mythical Arceus and stop an event known as the Day of Reckoning. When Judy’s plans backfired, Rich was forced to sacrifice himself to stop the Day of Reckoning from being brought about. He entrusted the care of his daughter to his friend, archeologist and scientist Matt Chiaki, before perishing.
Five years have now passed since the Day of Reckoning was stopped. Rich Mistbloom’s deeds that day have become known all over the world, rendering him a hero to many. But, what inhabits the fates of those left in the shadow of a departed hero?
To understand, we must first take a trip back in time…
A beautifully illustrated storybook page sat before the girl’s eyes, depicting a city of stone buildings. A vibrant sunrise illuminated the sky above the town.
“This is the story of the lost city of Argyros,” said the man reading the book. “Long ago, there was a city in the center of the Tohjo Continent called Argyros. It was a peaceful and beautiful place that radiated serenity.”
“Why was it so peaceful there?!” asked the girl. “Isn’t such peace impossible?”
“The people of Argyros were Tenganists. Peace was their way of life for the most part.”
“Like Sheena?”
“Yeah… like Sheena. Anyway, Argyros was blessed because its inhabitants had learned from someone that once held the Jewel of Life in his very hands.”
To further his point, the man turned the page, revealing a depiction of a blonde man in a blue-and-purple toga holding a green orb in his hand.
“The Jewel of Life was an artifact that contained the life force of Arceus. As this man had held the Jewel, some of that power became his own. He became wise and was able to teach the people of Argyros many things.”
“But what happened to the city, then?”
“It was destroyed.” Turning the page again, the image became one of a black, foxlike creature laying waste to the buildings from the earlier illustration. “The people of Argyros ended up in a terrible battle against an evil Pokémon known as Zoroark. Zoroark ravaged their city and could not be stopped. Finally, the man who brought wisdom to the land had to make a horrible decision and bargain with the monster. Zoroark left the survivors alone, but in order to keep that peace, one of the settlers’ own had to be given over to Zoroark annually.”
“They had to sacrifice their own people?” gasped the girl.
“Yeah, I’m disgusted by it too. I hope that what we find on this trip might tell us some secrets about what really went on there, though.”
-:-
In a museum somewhere, a large capsule was displayed as one of the exhibits. The container was about seven to eight feet tall, silver, and sealed with an airtight lock on top. It took up a lot of space in its exhibit, but that was nothing compared to the impossibly vast space it somehow contained within itself.
In that space – a dark void going on seemingly forever – floated the body of Zoroark, seemingly bound by invisible restraints.
Images of the past flashed through Zoroark’s mind. The battle with the settlers of Argyros was still vivid even countless years later; he still relished the smell of the fires he caused and what they did to stone and skin alike. But there was something else inside Zoroark’s thoughts: the man in the toga, holding a blue glass orb and addressing Zoroark amongst the burning ruins of the town.
“Kratos…”
More memories appeared to Zoroark. He recalled more of his negotiation with the man, but then, when the deal was done, the man used the orb in his hand to cast some kind of spell and take the upper hand. Just thinking of this event, no matter how long ago it was, made Zoroark become enraged. His sinister, glowing red eyes whipped open in the darkness, casting twin beacons of light through the murk.
“Kratos!! I still remember how you took advantage of me eons ago… now, your descendants will suffer my wrath! Somewhere across the continuum of time and space… the time of my revenge is now here!!"
[Silver and blue streaks of light cut through the darkness from the foreground into the background.]
The Great Butler presents
Pokémon:
Operation GEAR
[The lights fade into a red and gold tapestry that tracks upward. It is patterned with flowers and a ripple pattern.]
Troy Baker
Trina Nishimura
Bridget Hoffman
Caitlin Glass
[The tapestry cuts off, revealing a view of underground ruins.]
Kent Williams
Mike Sinterniklaas
Kate Higgins
Ted Lewis
Jason Griffith
featuring David Bowie as Zoroark
[The view flies into one of the temples, where the blue orb is found resting on a pedestal. The view then enters the orb and shatters the light within it.]
- The Firestorm Rebellion –
-:-
“Careful, everyone! Please watch your step!”
An employee in a light purple vest carefully guided passengers off the airplane that had just landed at his airport. There weren’t too many other aircrafts out on the field on that bright, sunny day, so there was a clear sight of the terminal building from where the plane was. A large sign on that building read “Indigo Plateau Airport – Welcome to the Tohjo Continent!”
Completely disregarding the airport employee’s instructions, a girl came bounding down the stairs from the plane in a major hurry. Her blue hair was arranged to spread out widely in the back, was styled to have large curls hanging at both sides of her head and had an exotic flavor added to it by an attached blue flower. She wore pink boots tied with ribbons along with a simple blue top and skirt, completed by a belt with a star-shaped buckle. Finally, the girl was also wearing a long blue cape pinned down with golden shoulderplates, the cape being accented with silver bars and gold feathers running up the sides.
“Come on, Matt,” she yelled, facing back at the plane. “Let’s go already!”
“I’m coming, Olivia, I’m coming!” Following the girl, a man whose blonde hair reached down to his shoulders stepped out of the plane. While standing at the top of the stairs, he adjusted his glasses, in turn adjusting the ornate golden eyepiece mask covering his left eye. A sudden gust of wind blew the wide-brimmed blue hat on his head, causing the yellow feather stuck in the hat’s silver center to flutter wildly. Once the wind died down, the man looked in the direction it had come from and took a deep breath. “Ah, that crisp Kanto air. It’s good to be back after so long!”
With that, Matt made his way down the stairs. His blue, silver-lined longcoat that had the same feathers as Olivia’s cape on its lapels shook as he abruptly descended. At the bottom of the stairs he rejoined Olivia, then searched inside of the dark blue messenger bag slung over his shoulder for something.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to make your way to the terminal,” said the employee. However, he stopped himself when he noticed the silver insignia printed on Matt’s bag, which depicted the wing of a Ho-oh on its right half and the wing of a Lugia on its left half, merging into a single downward-pointing claw in the middle. “Mister Chiaki, please excuse me. I did receive the arrangements from Commissioner Mistbloom regarding your accommodations. Your transport can be found in the main terminal of the airport once you present your information.”
“Excellent. Thanks for your help.”
After expressing his gratitude to the employee, Matt started walking toward the terminal with Olivia nipping at his heels.
Something else was on Olivia’s mind, though, and her face turned slightly dour. “Matt, is my mom going to be at the tournament?”
Immediately picking up on what Olivia was getting at, Matt scratched the back of his head and replied nervously, “Yes, yes she is. If you have things you need to talk to her about, I’ll be there to help set that up for you.”
“Thanks, Matt. And thanks for everything you’ve done for me, too.”
“Don’t worry about it. I would have done it even if I didn’t owe your father so much.”
“Will my dad be at this tournament?”
This question, on the other hand, caught Matt off guard. The dire desperation that drove him to lie to Olivia about her father’s fate five years prior resurfaced again, and there was only one thing that he could manage to say. “I don’t know if he will be there in person, but I promise you he’s watching.”
“I wonder where he is… I really hope he isn’t so disappointed with me that he won’t even watch us there.”
“Stop talking like that.” It turned Matt’s stomach to hear Olivia, who he had once known as a flawlessly upbeat person, be so dark. One thing he knew he couldn’t allow was for her to bear such thoughts about her father, who unbeknownst to her had sacrificed his life for her. “If we don’t enjoy ourselves, then he’ll be disappointed. Shape up, let’s have a good time.”
After a beat, Olivia showed a slight smile. “You’re right, Matt. I shouldn’t worry too much.”
END of PROLOGUE