Chương 55: Interlude - On the Front Page

Techne Times Hometown Heroes: Personal Statements from Ferrum's New Guardians [Plastered on the paper's front page is a black-and-white photograph of half a dozen men and women lined up in front of an armored vehicle. They seem to be wearing a collection of combat fatigues and scattered pieces of body armor, and are accompanied by an equal number of Pokémon partners. Everyone is smiling and posing for the camera, while in the background, a gust blows a bunch of sand away from some nearby dunes].

Everyone knows that safety and security in Ferrum have been in decline for the past couple of years, hence the passing of the Emergency Recruitment Bill last month (for more information on said bill, please see our sister paper, the Techne Politico)! In the weeks since then, city-security has hired several big names in corporate and personal security, ensuring that the rampant criminality facing our fair city will be curbed in no time.

With reliable organizations like Velvet Touch, Shadowed Eyes, and Torchbrand protecting us, Techne's citizens can rest more safely than ever. We've reached out to several of these organizations to speak with their members, and we're excited to share some of their statements with you here today! My partner and I have been doing private security work for three decades now.

We've protected VIPs in Orre, Sinnoh, and even Ransei, so you better believe me when I tell you that a little bit of work on home soil should be a walk on the park. We'll get things under control so fast you'll think we're all using Quick Attack! –Sergeant Jeremy Muller, Torchbrand Private Security Solutions I grew up in Techne, so it pains me to see the state that the city is in right now.

People afraid to go out on the streets, hooligans running rampant with new-fangled technology, city-security holed up in their precincts, scared to act. I guess that's why they passed that new bill. I actually grew up in district eight, so I'm familiar with the rougher parts of the city. That's why I can confidently say that the criminal elements working in Techne are nothing we can't handle. My partner and I are excited to get started. –Specialist Erza Pilsney, Shadowed Eyes Detective Agency Horrible.

Really, it's just horrible the state our poor home region is in. I've seen calmer and more collected cities in Orre for the Golems' sakes. When I was young, city-security wasn't afraid to put its foot down, not like nowadays where they just fold under the slightest pressure. You don't need to worry about that with Velvet Touch. We've got the firm hands necessary to steer this region in the right direction.

–Gregory Cauche, CEO of Velvet Touch Security For more incredible testimonials, please turn to page C7 Battle Trainers Weekly New Championship Run Announced! [The front page of this glossy magazine has an image of a smiling man on it, accompanied by a large Arcanine. The man's pale blue hair and suave jacket frame an attractive face, and the Arcanine's coat is groomed to perfection. The pair are clearly posing for some sort of photo-shoot, facing the camera head-on with clear eyes].

Keasu Scion prepares to challenge Benyl for the Chroma League Championship Benyl Taksin has been the Chroma League Champion for just under a year now, and in that time he's yet to face a real challenge. In a statement yesterday, Jackson Keasu decried the current League Champion's restraint in these trying times, and announced his own run at the Champion's position. Jackson Keasu is the middle son of the current Keasu main family, notorious for their long and enduring partnership with the Lake Guardian.

Jackson, for his part, has never worked with Suicune, instead fielding only Blaze, his partnered Arcanine over the past ten years. Turning twenty-four this November, Jackson is a full sixteen years younger than Benyl, who many say is in the twilight of his career. The older competitor has been a long-standing pillar of the competitive scene, spending over two decades in the chroma league, before finally cementing his legacy by claiming the league championship last year.

Minsee, Benyl's partnered Leavanny, is actually the second Pokémon he's competed with, succeeding Jinsee, his first Leavanny, who retired from battling half a decade ago. It'll definitely be a bout of youthful vigor against age and experience, if Jackson and Blaze make it all the way to the Chroma League Tournament, that is. After all, they'll have to face off against some stiff competition on their way there.

And even if they do make it to the tournament, they'll need to go through a gauntlet of competitors with similar aspirations. Bethanie Paulders has already announced her own intentions to compete for the championship position this season, as has Reese Knines. Both are strong veterans of the Chroma League, and if you want to see our analysis of their chances this year, please check out issues 1701 and 1723 respectively.

With the tournament just six weeks away, Jackson doesn't have a lot of time to climb through Chroma's ranks, but nothing's impossible, and we're hoping to see him at the tournament come September. First on his warpath is Linsey Mackson and her partner, Ceres the Monferno. It's sure to be a blazing hot brawl and continued on Page 19 PokéPeople Monthly Working 'Mon!

Bringing you the Voice of Techne's Poképeople [Adorning the paper's front page is the black and white image of a Lucario, posing heroically in front of a city-security precinct, holding up an officer's badge. The Fighting-type is dressed in an open trench coat, and wears a fitted Fedora in a way that screams noir]. In this Month's Working 'Mon Interview, we sit down with Sigurn (Lucario), one of City Security's most veteran Pokémon.

Sigurn has been with the force for over nineteen years, ever since he retired from a very successful career as a Battle Pokémon. A detective in rank and trade, Sigurn works tirelessly to solve Techne's most dastardly crimes and protect her fair citizens. He was interviewed this August 5th by PokéPals Monthly Reporters Franklin Turner (human) and Mister Chuckles (Mr. Mime). Here are some excerpts from their conversation. Q: So what inspired you to go into security work?

Well, not to be a stereotype Franklin, but I've sort of got a thing for justice. I know, I know, so typical, but even back when I lived with the clan, I was always mediating disputes and making sure the smaller kits didn't get bullied by the bigger ones. It just seemed like a no brainer after my partner's battle break finished. Q: What's been your most challenging case so far? That's a tough one. I think if I had to choose one, it'd be the Val Street Ransomer…

I won't go into details about his crimes, but suffice to say, he was a very bad man… He stumped City-Security for weeks, with his seeming ability to appear and disappear at will… Part of what made the case so challenging is the district where the perpetrator made his lair. District Nine is notoriously difficult to secure because it's been given over to Techne's wild Pokémon population. Any action there requires joint operations with Ferrum's ranger corps…

Eventually, we tracked him down, and discovered that he'd tricked several wild Ghost-types into being his accomplices. With them covering his traces, it took some real old-fashioned security work to trace him down. Fortunately, weeks of canvassing and interviews turned up a witness that gave us the information we needed to find his hideout. Just goes to show, hard work is always rewarded. Q: What are your thoughts on the current killer stalking Techne's streets?

I can't say a lot as this is an ongoing case, but your readers can rest assured that we here at city-security are doing everything in our power to apprehend the perpetrator of these heinous crimes. Q: So where does the name 'Sigurn' come from? My partner gave it to me after we'd trained together for a few years. It was his grandfather's name, and that ornery old man practically raised us. He was rude, abrupt, and more than a bit of a curmudgeon, but he never turned away anyone who needed a hand.

After he passed away, we wanted to live our lives in a way that would honor his legacy, and when my partner asked if I would take on his grandfather's name, I was honored to accept. Continued on Page B12 You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The Daily Ball Your daily dose of cold, hard TRUTH! [Displayed prominently on the front page is an image of a BattleFieldGo, with a large X drawn over the device and warning labels plastered all over the margins of the image].

The BattleFieldGo isn't what you think, and owning one could put you and your family in danger! Sure, having a device that you can wear on your back that lets you synergize with your partner anyhow, anywhere, sounds amazing. An incredible achievement! An advancement in battlefield technology the likes of which haven't been seen in decades! Why, it almost seems too good to be true… AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS! Don't trust all the talking heads on TV slobbering all over this clearly dangerous product.

Here at the Ball, our most daring investigative journalists have, at great personal risk, endeavored to bring you the truth behind this awful conspiracy, and now, we're ready to reveal our findings in this tell all exposé. First, this evil machine is powered by your very life force! That's right, the BattleFieldGo uses your precious syn to make its power work, leaving you weak and unprotected! It's right there in the patents, for anyone who cares to dig into things.

As quoted from the fell creation's specifications, "Any device that utilizes the holder's syn to… power and maintain… device." Absolutely diabolical. Do not let these horrible companies siphon your personal syn. That's yours to do with what you please, not the corporations. But that's not all. Oh no, not even close. There's a blatant disregard for the safety of the user and their partnered Pokémon all over this thing. Just look at the manual!

Quoted, directly: "RealTech assumes no liability for injuries sustained through the… operation and use of a BattleFieldGo." RealTech knows that their machine is a danger to everyone around it, and they're already trying to avoid any liability for it like the cowards they are. Not that this sort of legal chicanery will hold up in court when the truth about their abuses comes out. Just you wait, RealTech will definitely get theirs for this, you can count on it.

After all, they make these awful things by DESTROYING FERRUM'S NATURAL WEALTH! Have you ever cracked one of these fell spawn open and looked inside, because we did, and what we found was shocking!!! Turn to page 5 to find out more! The Under-Gazette August Issue [This small, printed pamphlet is barely six pages. It bears little sign of professional printing, and is obviously the product of a very small-scale operation]. Hey everyone, sorry that the paper is so anemic this month.

We had to rush to get out August's issue to bring everyone up to speed on some pressing news. Until further notice, all underleague activities are on hold while the underleaders consider next steps in light of the attack on the L12 underpass. For anyone unfamiliar with what happened, at 5: 13 PM last Saturday, a group of men and women in black body armor parked six armored vehicles on either side of the L12 underpass, cutting off vehicle traffic and stopping anyone from going in or out.

They announced that they were city-security and that they would be conducting a search for any ongoing illegal activity. Underleader Marin attempted to negotiate with the officers, operating with the understanding that these individuals were actually part of city-security, but the spokesperson for the group refused any attempt at parley.

Someone in the crowd of battlers identified that these men and women weren't actually from city-security at all, and were instead one of the so-called sub-contractors, now operating on our region's soil. The armored individuals then identified themselves as Sharpedo's Jaw, and informed the underleader that they had the authority and backing of city-security. Our investigation has revealed that Sharpedo's Jaw is actually a corporation, primarily owned by Ironsides Shipping, one of Ferrum's largest iron exporters.

Ostensibly, they handle ocean-bound security, protecting Ironside's vessels from pirates and Pokémon. However, it should be noted that several of their number have been apprehended by Sinnohan authorities for illegally operating in their sovereign waters. These individuals were later released after several rounds of private negotiations between Ironsides and the Sinnohan government. We'll let you draw your own conclusion from that information.

As far as we have been able to determine, their actions were taken independently, and were unsanctioned by city-security, but in spite of that, the city has been processing the arrests of the twelve individuals actually apprehended in the contractor's raid.

As far as we have been able to determine, all twelve individuals were arrested on grounds of 'resisting arrest,' which we all know is so circular it would make a Voltorb jealous, but until we get more visibility on how the court cases proceed, we're going to need to be careful. All twelve arrestees are currently out on bail, mostly paid from a generous, anonymous donation. No Pokémon have been charged at this time, only trainers, which is something, and luckily there were no fatalities during the raid.

However, several injuries were reported to our correspondents, both amongst those who escaped and those who were arrested, and testimonies from those who were there make it clear that excessive force was employed in this raid.

[The article continues on unbroken to the next page] Ferrum et All Bringing you Ferrum's Politics for over sixty years [This newspaper has a color image front and center on the front page, showing a smiling woman in a suit standing at a podium, raising her hand to wave at a crowd of reporters]. Reynalds reaffirms commitment to regulation in wake of rising crime Chairwoman Ambergine Reynalds held a press-conference this Wednesday to address concerns from her constituents about Ferrum's rising crime-rate.

Now on her third term, Reynalds has been chairwoman of the Ferrum League of Cities for just under five years, and in that time she has demonstrated a continued willingness and desire to reign in the region's growing criminal element and rampant environmental exploitation. This Wednesday, she reassured everyone that these commitments haven't changed, and have in fact been resharpened in the face of our region's continued adversity.

According to Reynalds, the rise of organizations like Rocket in Kanto/Johto, and Cipher in Orre, prove that a strong hand is more necessary than ever to ensure peace in this new, warless age. She pointed to the increased gang activity in Neos, and the series of killings in Techne, as signs that Ferrum might soon be facing similar domestic instability, and she emphasized that the Emergency Recruitment Bill will bring "our best and brightest back home" to help keep the peace.

The Emergency Recruitment Bill is only active while the FLC has declared an official 'state of emergency,' which was quietly instituted just ahead of the bill's passing. Of when this state of emergency will be lifted, Reyanlds had little to say, other than to emphasize that until things are under control, Ferrum is facing an emergency of existential proportions, even if most of the populace doesn't feel it.

When asked for comment on Reynalds' stances after the conference, most of her contemporaries had little to say, other than a representative of the Locke Organization. Mary Keasu, sister to the current head of the Keys family, told our reporters that the Locke Organization, and several other prominent Ferran political bodies, will be crafting a statement to go out near the end of the month about their stances on the region's current state of emergency. For more on this topic, please turn to page 16A.

Truth Talks Tribune Making sure you know the Truth! [The rough paper has a grainy black and white photo printed on it, taking up most of the front page. The image is dark and hard to read, but it seems to show a short figure wearing a metal helmet ripping pieces of webbing away from their body. In the background, a black-armored soldier is clasping their hands over their helmet, while a Galvantula writhes next to them. A small, white Pokémon stands near the pair, head upraised to the sky and jaw wide open in what looks like a yell or scream]. Corporate Takeover Continues! Stay calm, stay informed, and stay aware. These are the tenants that will help you understand the truth. In this week's front-page article, our paper's editor-in-chief will give some context for the seemingly nonsensical political actions taken by Ferrum's government over the past couple of months.

As our readers surely know, earlier this month, Chairwoman Ambergine Reynalds led a coalition vote to declare a 'state of emergency' in our region. Let's dig into that a little bit. Declaring a 'state of emergency' requires a two-thirds majority vote from the region's sitting representatives, and greatly enhances the powers and capabilities of the government.

Highlights include: New bills only requiring a simple majority Charter edits can be conducted with only 55% of the vote Restrictions on minting new currency are relaxed, giving the state the right to print as much Poké Gold as they feel is necessary Declaring martial law becomes a possibility The Chairperson can now unilaterally pass a budget plan without a vote There are other powers and capabilities that this 'state of emergency' grants, but they're not relevant to today's article.

I would highly recommend that everyone look them up when they get a chance, however. Now, this isn't the first time a 'state of emergency' has been declared, but thus far in Ferrum's history, outside of active war-time, the provision has never been active for more than a week. So far, we are twenty days into this SoE, with no signs of it letting up after Reynald's most recent statements. What has our government been doing with this awesome power?

Why, using it to put a bunch of money in the pockets of some very important corporations, of course. The 'reasons' the state of emergency were declared are complete bogus. Anyone who digs into the numbers will find that violent crime is up a mere 2% this year compared to last year, and only up 1. 5% in total over the last ten years, well within the expected peaks and valleys for that sort of graph. And what of environmental exploitation?

Sure, that sounds like an emergency situation, but what has our government been doing to curb this supposed problem? No, the only things the state of emergency has been used for so far is to fast-track the 'Emergency Recruitment Bill' so that the corporations can start using their private soldiers and spies on domestic soil. Case in point, the unprovoked attack on a crowd of civilian hobbyists last weekend in Techne City.

A correspondent who happened to be on the scene at the time shared this striking photo, taken of the event, and further investigations have Continued on Page 7