Click.
The moment the boys step outside the courtroom, a bombardment of camera clicks enter the eyesight. Camera flashes begin blinding the poor teens.
The five all try to block out the strong lights, but the continues pictures that get taken just increases.
The five try to walk after Marius, but they lose him in the flashes of white light.
''Where did you go Marius?'' Ash thinks to himself as he closes his eyes to shield them. He hears that there is little space behind him as two of the others collide into each other.
''Everyone stop!'' Marius's voice shouts.
The flashes calm down, allowing the boys to open their eyes, but pictures still get taken, then a woman with a microphone and a cameraman appears.
Woman: Ash Ketchum of The Pokeband, you five have just been in a court and won the case, what are you feeling now?
She points her microphone at the surprised and confused Ash, he himself doesn't know what to say.
Ash: uhm
A awkward feeling enters Ash's consciousness, he has never been caught unprepared for a question like this, and especially not when it's after something like a courtcase.
But, Nate steps forward and pushes Ash out of the picture.
Nate: For the moment we have no comment, go back home and wait four three hours, we'll have an online interview which you can release.
This causes the eyes of the reporter to light, she nods to him and disappears along with the cameraman, Nate turns to the three others. They all share the same confused look.
Hilbert: How in the blue heck did you manage that without issues?
Nate shrugs his shoulders.
Nate: Natural instincts?
However, they don't get to ponder more on the fact. Marius clears his throat in a clear way of saying that he has not the patience to wait for them. The five of them hurry inside the limo he brought and sit down. The driver is told to bolt to Kanto's capital city, Saffron(This is not official, it got this from a fan forum).
The car roles along the rodes in a comfortable pace, but all the people inside the limo has quite the issue with one thing.
Marius: So Nate, you wanted to have a online interview with that girl?
Nate: uh maybe. I didn't really consider doing it.
Marius crosses his arms, his look turns dead serious as his stare digs into Nate's soul.
Marius: follow this advice boy. Don't ever do interviews with her, she twists your every word, takes all your sentences out of context and writes made up lies. Don't ever let her hear a word from your mouth.
Marius is not kidding it seems, his voice just like his looks became dead serious, his stare could make Nate's soul disappear with just a harsh tone. But the guy still carries a aura of trust in the five.
Red: If i may ask, is she widely known?
Marius hits his nose lightly with his index finger before he answers.
Marius: She is widely known as a monster for everyone famous. Whenever she has a target, she is going to try everything to get info that she can twist, even a word will be used against her target.
The new information causes wide fear in four of the five teens, Ethan begins fearing now saying anything that will get taken out of context. Hilbert begins fearing that pictures of him will be taken and used as evidence of a wrongdoing. Red just hates the fact that eventually they will become her target.
Ash meanwhile knows now that their situation is far from easy, that woman has to be kept a long distance from them at all costs.
Only Nate seems to be brave enough to stand up to her.
Nate: But has she ever been sued?
The question makes Marius smirk, the four other teens look worried at Nate, what is his plan now?
Marius: And that's the good part, sue her and she crumbles. Sue her and she won't ever earn a dirty penny on writing sh*t on your name.
The ride comes to a sudden stop as they are at their destination, Marius exits the vehicle and drags the teens out. By doing that he makes sure that no paparazzi can snapp a picture. Then he leads them inside the large building of Saffron, the government building(Or in the games the building that looks like a hotel)
Nate: Where are we going?
Marius doesn't answer them as he gets the lift to come down a few floors. He remains silent the entire time.
Nate looks around the fancy building, but a sudden aura engulfs his mind. The courtcase, they won it of course, but what was it really?
''How does a system function based on that? Shouldn't it have taken much longer to get over with?'' he wonders as he looks back at the man in the cowboy hat. Marius is of course a celebrity in his own right, but how much power does he actually have?
Marius sees that Nate looks on him, but he focuses back on the lift again.
''I wonder, what kind of influence does this man actually have'' he thinks to himself.
He did contact the founders of facebook and got them to check their activity on the site, but how was he, Marius, able to get ahold of the founders? Isn't he just supposed to be a manager?
The lift finally comes into view, Marius turns and gestures for the five to get inside it. Reluctantly, Nate steps inside it, followed by his friends. Marius enters last and makes the lift go up to floor 4. The doors closes and the lift begins moving.
There is an uneasy silence in the lift, Nate steals a glance at his bandmates, none seems to know what Marius is wanting to do. Marius's eyes dig themselves into the metal doors as the lift carry them upwards.
Hilbert's eyes meet Nate's. And the look is enough for the two step-brothers to know what the other thinks. Hilbert is looking around the room, almost like one would be paranoid of a sudden bomb. Nate for his own part is focusing on Marius.
Ding.
The doors go up and reveals a completely white room, a desk where a woman is sitting and writing something. A number of accolades, these make the boys grow their eyes in a bit of shock.
The accolades are from Destiny, Serena got a award for best female voice for their first hit single, Everytime We Touch.
The band was also given Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to make social issues more widely known in Kanto.
Lastly, Hilda won a nomination for best female singer of the year with One Woman Army.
''Wow''
Nate and Hilbert both study each accolade with deep interest, Red looks out on Saffron City with a thoughtful look, Ash and Ethan meanwhile just admire the room.
Marius: Feast your eyes boys.
Marius's voice rings throughout the room, he stands close to the woman writing something down on a screen.
Marius: You are some of the few people who got to see what Destiny has accomplished in their short careers.
Red: Short?
Red turns to Marius with a bit of confusement in his face. Marius looks at the teen with no difference.
Marius: Their careers have only lasted two years, but they have accomplished much in those two years.
Ethan: True, they got some amazing voices too.
The sudden comment from Ethan causes his bandmates to look at him in disbelief.
''Did i say that out loud?'' he thinks to himself as he tries to shrink into pieces.
Marius: Whatever their talent are, you got a bigger talent. But that's not why i brought you in here.
The boys all turn to him, wanting to know what he is going to say.
Marius: I bet you saw that the courtcase went our way,
The boys nod, but Nate gets a bit of a backthought. Is this guy corrupt?
Marius: However, that wasn't an actual courtcase.
Ash: It wasn't? Then what was it?
Marius: It was only a courtcase in name, if it had been a real case it would have taken about a week to finish with both sides explaining their side of the story. But you see, in this goddamn country we live in there is not a single shred of actual truth. The police barely functions unless given directions by people, the politicians are not even caring about what is happening in the country they're supposed to be taking care of.
Heavy words to swallow, the boys all feel a bit of shock to hear this. But none says anything, Marius is far from done.
Marius: The only reason that you weren't forced to pay cash for emotional distress is because of great men like Rowan who knows how to do things straight.
Hilbert: But wasn't he educated in Unova?
Marius's serious lips now go up a bit, it seems that either Hilbert said something good, or just acted stupid.
Marius: Point to you for being educated Hilbert, and yes. He did get his court education in Unova, but he knows that Kanto's legal system is highly unchanged from before. This makes him highly sought out since he knows what to do. He never allows personal opinion cloud his judgement, neither does he allow people to bribe their way to freedom. He is the real deal.
Ash: So, what you are saying is that our legal system doesn't work?
Marius: No Ash, what i'm saying is that Kanto's legal system is not what it should be, common sense should prevail over lies and bribery, but much of this hasn't been implemented by the politicians, all they care about is how much cash they can dry the people off when taxes are gonna be collected. Instead of developing the roads and infrastructure of this damn nation they fill their own pockets to buy so much they don't need.
Red: so, we shouldn't be here if we want to shine?
Marius turns to Red with a bit of disgust in his eyes.
Marius: Where did you think i said that Red?
He again looks at all the boys there.
Marius: What i'm hinting at here since you are all so dense, is use your influence. The politicians will only listen when people begin demanding reforms, but they have no voice to channel what they need.
Hilbert: Are you suggesting that we should be their voice?
Marius nods to him.
Marius: People seem to love your music, so i don't see why it wouldn't work. Destiny has already tried, but they have too little influence over the people who suffer. I think that They Don't Care About Us would make for a nice protest song against the corrupt politicians.
Ash: But, what should we do?
Marius: Only do what you have to, make people demand for more rights, make people think better off themselves, be their voice. Offer them a way to tell their pain, and give them a way to channel their needs to.
Wrapping up yet another chapter of The Pokeband.
Apoligies for the delay, but things got in the way and the weeked went really badly.
If you liked this chapter, votes and comments are always appreciated.
Besides that, i hope you will have a great day next and stay tuned for more to come.
That's all great people
Peace