<div align="center"><strong>[Ecruteak City]<br/>[Mark &amp; Mantine]</strong><br/>(http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/thumb/a/a4/Ecruteak_City_Landscape.png/245px-Ecruteak_City_Landscape.png)</div><br/>Visible in the distance, the reconstructed Brass Tower was given new life about 6 years ago and renovated into a museum dedicated to Pokemon of legend. Prior to that, it was known as the Burned Tower, a decrepit and forlorn place in which angry spirits of legendary Pokemon resided. Visitors of Ecruteak City could enter the Brass Tower, learn a few facts about Ecruteak and the tower and be on their way. Trainers often stopped to worship at the Pokemon Shrines located in Ecruteak's two towers for good fortune on their journeys and a better probability in catching rare Pokemon. In times long past, it was customary to pray at both the Brass Tower in the West and the Tin Tower in the Northeast. However, to maintain a presence Team Rocket occupies the Tin Tower in Ecruteak.<br/><br/><em>“Remind me to stop there on our way when we take care of this little snafu in Goldenrod, Manty. We should probably pay our respects to the arcane Pokemon and see if we can’t get us a souvenir,”</em>Mark was ecstatic at the prospect of a new stop on his quest to recover his father’s Delibird. So much so, that he forgot the Brass Tower’s more modern use as a headquarters for a criminal enterprise of Pokepoachers known as the<strong>Pokemon Liberation League.</strong>These fanatical fanatics take the<strong>Pokemon Rights Act</strong>(a joint initiative between Kanto and Johto governments to establish clear legal guidelines as to how Pokemon can be treated) and completely skewed it. Their motto,<strong><em> “Capture Freedom, Not Pokemon”</em></strong>attempts to end human “enslavement” (as they call it) of Pokemon.<br/><br/><em>“Oh wait…maybe we shouldn’t stop there, Mantine. A bunch of crazies live in that building and they’d snatch you sooner than you could say Pidgey!”<br/>“Mantine…”<br/>“I suppose we’ll just have to pray at the Pokemon Shrine some other time. I wonder how much you’d sell for on the black market, Mantine.”</em>Mark was prone to random thoughts that had little relevance to the situation at hand.<br/><em>“Mantine!”</em>the manta yelped.<br/><em>“Haha, don’t worry. I wouldn’t actually let that happen to you. You know we don’t really need the money, bud.”</em>reassured Mark.<br/><br/>Operating out of the Brass Tower, the Pokemon Liberation League is notorious for kidnapping the Pokemon of Ecruteak citizens and releasing them into the wild, forcing their trainers to seek them out in the often dangerous Routes of the Pokeworld. Many of these trainers meet their fates at the hand of other wild Pokemon, but tame Pokemon have also been known to turn on their own trainers after the grand stress induced by such a traumatic experience. The PLL is currently in a turf war and vying for control of Ecruteak against Team Rocket in the East part of town.<br/><br/>Passing by the guard station of Route 38, Mark met the guard’s gaze. The Ecruteak constable saw the inherent flame burning in Mark’s eyes and he beckoned to the trainer.<em>“You there…what’s that in your backpack? You’re a trainer, aren’t you? Well then, surely you remember the rules; you stared me down and must therefore be willing to Battle. Draw your sword, infidel!”</em>the station guard challenged.<br/><br/><em>“I don’t have time for this. I need to get to Ecruteak. This dude is crazy!”</em>Mark dropped his bike and jumped backwards as the guard hopped over the station counter, cast his Pokeball out towards Mark’s groin.<br/><em>“You break it, you buy it!”</em>the near-hit angered Mark and he was immediately thrust into “the zone.”<br/><br/><em>“You’re not getting through to Ecruteak unless you go through me!”</em>It appeared that the long hours sitting at a counter and greeting every passerby who was traveling to and from Ecruteak, had finally gotten to the Trainer guard. With the recent fear surrounding traveling around the Pokeworld, the man was most likely seeing less and less people daily. His pathetic existence consisted primarily of greeting trainers who entered the station and wishing them on their way. With that gone, what did the man have left? Not much. The loneliness had finally caused him to snap.<br/><br/><em>“Mantine, out! Let’s show this stooge why he was made for a desk job.”</em><br/><br/><em>“Wobbuffet! Come out!”</em>The trainer commanded.