The entrance of the government building had turned into complete chaos. Medical teams had arrived quickly and were treating the wounded with urgent care.
Security personnel had surrounded the entire area and were taking statements from every witness they could find.
The bodies of the officials who had lost their lives were respectfully covered with white sheets. The scene was heartbreaking. People moved with heavy hearts while trying to restore some order after the sudden violence.
The attack had happened so suddenly that many people were still trying to process what had occurred.
Some officials stood in shock, staring at the damage. Others comforted their colleagues who had been hurt or were crying. The peaceful diplomatic day had turned into a nightmare in just a few moments.
Champion Rowan stood silently with his hands behind his back. His expression was grim as he looked at the fallen officials. Cynthia stood beside him. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides.
Gladion was staring at the bodies. His face was calm. Too calm. Those who knew him understood that this was never a good sign. He did not show anger openly, but the quiet intensity in his eyes revealed how deeply the attack had affected him.
Finally, he turned around. "Does anyone have idea about where is this General Alvarez?"
The sudden question made everyone look at him. One of the officials blinked in surprise. "What?"
Gladion repeated himself with a steady voice. "Where is this General Alvarez? Where does he operate from?"
The officials looked at one another with uneasy expressions. One minister seemed hesitant to speak.
Champion Rowan sighed deeply. "Gym Leader Gladion..."
"No." Gladion looked directly at him. "I asked a simple question."
The old Champion remained silent for a moment. The young man continued speaking in the same calm tone. "He just attacked government officials of your country and diplomats of another country outside your own headquarters. He murdered innocent people and attempted to kill us." His voice remained calm but carried clear determination. "I simply wish to know where he is."
The officials exchanged uneasy looks. Finally, one of them answered. "There is an old military outpost in the northern mountains."
Another official nodded. "It was abandoned years ago."
"Officially abandoned," another minister corrected quietly. Everyone looked at him.
The man swallowed before continuing. "There have been rumors for years that General Alvarez still uses it."
Champion Rowan frowned. "Why was I never informed of this?"
The officials looked embarrassed. The minister sighed. "There was never any proof. Every investigation found nothing." He looked toward the distant mountains. "But everyone knew the rumors existed."
Gladion listened quietly. "An old military outpost in the northern mountains."
The minister nodded. "Yes."
"How far?"
"A few hours by air." Silence followed. Then Gladion turned around. A Poké Ball appeared in his hand. It clicked and enlarged. Then it opened. A flash of light appeared. Latios emerged. Its blue body gleamed under the evening sky.
Several officials looked shocked. Even though they knew Gladion possessed legendary Pokemon, actually seeing Latios was an entirely different matter. The pressure emanating from the Pokemon was immense.
Gladion looked up at it. "We're going somewhere." Latios nodded without hesitation.
Then Gladion looked at the officials. "I'll go deal with him." Everyone froze.
Champion Rowan looked alarmed. "Deal with him?"
Gladion nodded. "Yes."
The old Champion immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Gladion raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"No." Rowan looked completely serious. "He just organized an assassination attempt. You do not know how many people are with him." The old Champion sighed. "He is dangerous and his men are equally dangerous."
Gladion looked at him. "I know."
"Then do not go." Champion Rowan said.
"Too late."
Everyone blinked. Gladion was already walking toward Latios. Sabrina rubbed his forehead. "Of course he is going."
Several Indigo officials looked nervous. Just then, another voice spoke. "I am coming with you."
Everyone turned. Cynthia stepped forward. Champion Rowan blinked. "Cynthia?" She folded her arms. "This concerns Sinnoh." She looked toward the mountains. "If there is a radical military organization operating within our borders, I need to see it for myself as the future champion. And it is Sinnoh's duty to look after its criminals not Indigo's."
Gladion looked at her. "You sure?"
She nodded. "Absolutely."
Seeing Cynthia go with Gladion, Sabrina also wanted to give a piece of her mind to Gladion but knew that it was not the right time.
A few moments later, both of them climbed onto Latios. Champion Rowan looked worried.
"Please be careful." Gladion nodded.
"We will." Latios spread its wings.
Then it shot into the sky. A powerful gust of wind spread everywhere as the legendary Pokemon accelerated.
Within moments, it became a blue streak in the sky. Silence fell over the government building.
---
Far above the clouds, Latios flew through the evening sky. The wind rushed past them. Cynthia looked down at the region below. Her expression remained serious.
After several minutes, she spoke. "You know, most foreign ambassadors do not directly assault enemy bases." Gladion looked at her. "Really?" She gave him a deadpan look. "Really."
He thought for a moment. "Huh." Cynthia almost laughed.
The man genuinely sounded surprised. She shook her head. "You are something else."
The mountains slowly appeared in the distance. They were large and rugged. Dense forests covered most of the area.
Finally, Cynthia pointed. "There." An old structure stood halfway up one of the mountains. It looked abandoned. Its walls were weathered and cracked. A large steel gate stood at its entrance. It looked empty.
Latios slowed. Then its eyes glowed. It spread its psychic senses throughout the area. Several seconds passed. Then another few seconds. Nothing. Latios looked confused.
It turned toward Gladion. "No one?" Gladion asked. Latios shook its head. Cynthia frowned. "Perhaps they have hidden themselves underground?" Latios searched again. Nothing. Not a single human. Not a single Pokemon.
Silence. Gladion narrowed his eyes. "He probably expected us."
Cynthia nodded slowly. "That seems likely." The legendary Pokemon descended. Soon, they stood outside the old military outpost.
Everything was quiet. The large steel gates remained shut. Gladion looked at Latios. "Open it." Latios's eyes glowed. Then it paused. Again, it sensed nothing.
Finally, it simply raised one claw. A sphere of energy appeared. The attack struck the gates. Metal exploded everywhere. A massive hole appeared. Dust filled the air. The two entered.
The base was empty. Completely empty. There were old desks. Abandoned supplies. Broken furniture. Everything looked as if it had been hastily evacuated.
Cynthia looked around. "He definitely knew we were coming." Gladion nodded. There was simply no other explanation.
Then he stopped. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. Latios suddenly turned. Its eyes widened. An overwhelming sense of danger erupted in its mind.
Instantly, it moved. A blue barrier surrounded both Gladion and Cynthia. "What is wrong?" Cynthia asked. Latios roared. Then the world exploded.
A massive explosion rocked the entire area. The entire military base erupted. Walls disappeared. The ground shook violently.
Fire engulfed everything. Another explosion followed. Then another. The entire mountain seemed to tremble. Pieces of concrete and steel flew everywhere. Flames swallowed the old outpost. The explosion was so large that trees nearby were uprooted. Smoke filled the sky. Inside the blue barrier, Gladion and Cynthia stared in shock.
The protective shield shook violently. The force of the explosion was enormous. Finally, everything became quiet. Flames burned everywhere. The military outpost no longer existed. Only ruins remained.
Latios slowly lowered its barrier after using its psychic powers to send smoke, dust and flames away. Neither Gladion nor Cynthia spoke at first.
Both stared at the destruction. Finally, Cynthia spoke. "He..." She looked at the burning remains. "He bombed his own base." Gladion continued staring.
The realization slowly sank in. The entire place had been rigged with explosives. The moment they entered, it had been detonated.
They had not walked into an abandoned base. They had walked into a trap. Cynthia looked horrified. "He intended to kill us."
Gladion nodded slowly. "He also did not care what happened to this mountain." The flames continued burning. Smoke rose into the sky. Bird Pokemon flew away in fear. This explosion could have easily caused landslides. Nearby settlements could have been endangered. The man had not cared. Not even slightly.
Cynthia's expression became ugly. "He is insane." Gladion looked at the destruction. Then he slowly exhaled. "And here I thought the world only had 'Team' enemies like Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua."
He looked around. "This guy is somehow crazier."
-----Author Notes------
Y'all can read 22 extra chapters on my pat*reon.
https://pat reon.com/mrmime24
[No Space in pat*reon]
Thankyou for your support!