… *Blinkies* Oh, stupid advertisement! *Kill*

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 5

Archie found them the next weekend, at Slateport beach. He smiled. All the trainers in Houen liked to hang out at the beach on the weekends. It was because Houen’s weather was somewhat tropical, except in the area where the Weather institute was located. But Dewford and Slateport were always mobbed by beach-goers every weekend.

He walked right up to their tent, where they were sunning with ice cream, and said Hi.

The older boy with the white hair grinned at him, but the younger one with black hair grabbed the other boy’s arm.

Archie almost choked. Surely he…

He shook his head. “We need to talk.”

“So talk.”

“Shh, Ash. You’re being rude.” The other chastised, and Ash sulked, taking another bite of his chocolate ice cream.

Archie ignored his temper tantrum. “I was wondering if you two would be interested in joining Team Aqua.”

“We’ve been waiting for you to ask that.” The older one said. “And we have no objection, as long as we can do all our missions together. After all, we have to help get rid of those Team Magma bastards.”

A bit too composed – was he a spy? But Archie nodded, and they shook on it, and then they packed up their beach gear, hopped on their flying pokemon – he noted a Skarmory and a Fearow, and took off.

Besides, it made sense. The black-haired one had been badly injured. Team Magma was at fault.

Revenge…

Red laughed as they flew in the air. “We did it.”

“You were brilliant. Are you sure your arm is all right?”

“I’m fine, Lance.” Red purred. “Besides, if you were so concerned about my injuries, what about the chains you had me in last night?”

The Dragon Master smirked. “You are so cute when you’re angry.”

“I know.” Red grinned. “And besides, when I’m angry, it’s so much more fun.”

They laughed, their voices echoing like thunder as Archie sighed.

He was starting to believe that his newest recruits were absolutely crazy. And he really hadn’t needed to know about their sex life!

Lance and Red settled into Team Aqua with a minimum of mishaps. The things Archie trusted them with were small, and they spent most days simply collecting water samples and pokémon from around Houen.

Red didn’t mind though, it gave them plenty of free time.

Right now, he watched as Lance picked up a Carvanha, and placed his fingers against its gills.

“Lance, it’s dead. You can’t raise the dead.”

“I know.” Lance grinned. ‘But who’s to know?”

“Hmm?”

The blue light growing under his fingers pooled, and the Carvanha began to glow white. Evolution, Red gaped. He was force-evolving it into Sharpedo…

And as Sharpedo, it would no longer be dead.

“You want?” Lance asked, as he held the now-healed shark.

Red smirked. “Yes.”

“Then I’ll expect payment tonight.”

“That will be fun~!”

Of course, Archie thought, as he watched them kiss hungrily after they left his office, they were so wrapped up in each other that they would probably walk to hell together… not that his Team was hell, but even so, to flaunt authority like this…

He shrugged.

It was a pity he did not swing that way. The younger one was quite delectable, and looked so young…

Archie idly wondered how old he was, but banished the thought and closed his eyes. There were more important things to dwell on.

His Team had come back with both orbs.

Mount Pyre lay deserted.

Kyogre’s revival was finally in sight.

Lance laughed as he and Red ran through the halls, laughed because they were insane and because they were allowed to be. Laughed because they knew Kyogre would rise and then, after Houen drowned, Kanto and Johto would be next.

Kyogre would not kill everyone, of course, but the humans would cluster in their walled up cities, and the pokemon would be taken to the outlying islands in secret, and oh, the land would flood and sink beneath the waves.

And the humans would die.

They would all die.

After it was over, they would release Groudon, and the land would bloom above the water again, and then Rayquaza would stop both destructive forces.

The pokémon would come back and repopulate the land.

It was perfect!

“Are you happy now?”

“Very happy.” Red nodded. “But that is because you are safe.”

Lance shook his head. “Why are you so concerned about me?”

“Because, Lance, love is something that is reciprocal, you know?” Red smirked. “Besides, it would be unfair not to love you as much as you loved me.’

Lance looked at Red, horrified. “Don’t tell me you’re going to turn yourself in.”

“Of course not!”

“Good.”

“I’ll only tell if they ask.” Red cut into Lance’s meditations. “I mean that it just works out that way.”

“I see…”

“Until then though, we wait and we hide.”

“Unless Green and the others decide to search here, they will not find us.”

“That’s lucky, isn’t it? When should I call the rest of the Elite?”

“When you feel the time is right.”

“I may remember, but I’m not used to playing Leader. You were always better at it.” At Lance’s disgruntled look, he patted the other trainer on the back. “Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t like it!”

“Well, that would be lying but doesn’t it fit our role? You are our Leader, but you lead from the shadows… my, that sounds picturesque, doesn’t it?”

Red snickered. “I suppose.”

“What now, Leader? We wait?”

“Yes.”

End Chapter

Completed 7/7/06

Yes, Red is the real Leader of the Elite Four, just in case all the hints I dropped did not make sense.