I like the Elite Four. I like Red. I also like Green and Blue, but not Yellow or Crystal or Gold. Anyways…

Disclaimer: Though I would dearly like to own the rights to the Pokemon Special manga so I could make championshipping canon, I have to admit that Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, and a host of other companies. Curses! Well, at least this fanfic is mine. Don’t steal and don’t sue!

Chapter 2

“Articuno first?” Red asked. Lance nodded shortly, before he looked at Red. “You have the Master Balls, do you not?”

“I do, but it just seems so cruel…”

“Red, if we don’t do this, we will die.”

“… I know…”

“Unless you have a better plan?” Lorelei sighed. Bruno grunted as they disembarked from the Gyarados and Dragonair.

“I wish there was some way for us to be free of this, but… Agatha? Do you have something to say?”

“I believe so.” Agatha sighed. “I was not going to make this suggestion, as none of the Elite are cowards, but they have backed us into a desperate situation…”

“Tell us.” Red said. Bruno seconded him immediately. Lance and Lorelei looked slightly unsure, and the woman sighed.

“I have a plan, you see. When one attempts to control a legendary bird – or any legendary, all that is truly being bent is power.”

“Power…” Lance said thoughtfully. “You are saying that we could bend that power, instead of using it to control said legendary, we could bend it to other things?”

“Precisely. We can even bend time and space, for a short while… do you understand my meaning?”

“Perfectly.” Lorelei and Red chorused in tandem.

Bruno looked slightly uncomfortable. “So we would be messing with time? Is that it?”

“Not time.” Agatha corrected. “Space. There are many words, many spaces… what is to prevent us from slipping into another?”

“… But won’t there be other copies of us?” Red asked, sounding frightened. “That might be bad.”

Lance shook his head, his eyes oddly unfocused and glinting blue – blue? Weren’t Lance’s eyes golden? “Chosen only live one life at a time.”

“So you’re saying that no one would miss us here.”

“No, I’m saying we would not have to worry about duplicates there.” Agatha sounded slightly exasperated. “Though I am quite certain a few people might miss you.”

Red shook his head. “Erika and Misty, maybe, but… everyone else is dead or doesn’t know me. The real me, I mean.”

“Ahh…” Lance’s eyes faded back to normal. “I wish I did not have to leave Clair alone though, she would miss us greatly.”

Lorelei flushed. “It would be unfair…”

“I think Clair would be quite glad to leave.” Lance said wistfully. “The Dragon Clan will fall, but what of it?”

“You mean we can bring her?” Lorelei looked like Lance had just handed her the key to the universe.

“Yes.” Lance smirked, and then fell over as Lorelei hugged him. Red snickered, and even Bruno looked amused.

“No overt displays of affection please, I’m jealous.” Red teased.

Lorelei laughed, and then took off.

Needless to say, Clair was not wholly surprised when Lorelei arrived at her door. She packed quickly and efficiently, and released her Dragonair to take them away.

“So, what harebrained scheme is my brother planning this time?”

“Actually, it’s Agatha’s idea, but he’s accepting her advice.”

“Figures…”

“Does that displease you?”

Clair shook her head. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t stop him, and he’s trying to do what he thinks is best for us, even if he never acknowledges it.”

“So you might as well play support?”

“Exactly.” Clair grinned, and then kissed her.

Lorelei laughed and the two of them flew off to Seafoam quickly.

They found Red trembling, even though Agatha was the one holding Articuno’s ball. The group nodded, and then there was the Power Plant, and finally Victory Road…

“You see?” President Goodman asked. “It is working.”

“They are certainly fast.”

“Now, we just wait.”

The Elite Four entered; though Goodman was a bit surprised that Clair was with them. He shrugged it off, there was no point in wasting extra help, and Clair was a bit of a loose cannon either way, what with her being Lance’s sister – or was it cousin? He had never gotten it straight.

“Where would you like us to deploy the Legendary Birds, sir?” Red asked.

Goodman stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Which of our cities are the weakest.”

“I would assume Vermillion, Saffron, and Fuchsia, because of the empty gyms.” Agatha nodded.

“Very well. Send Articuno to Fuchsia, Zapdos to Vermillion, and Moltres to Saffron.” He commanded.

“But what about Viridian, sir?” Lorelei cut in. “Their gym leader…”

Goodman cursed. He had forgotten about Green’s suicide. “An interesting point. Then leave Moltres in Viridian, and Zapdos shall have to guard both Saffron and Vermilion.”

He watched with glee as the three birds were released.

Articuno met Red’s eye, as he mouthed his orders. Moltres and Zapdos shifted for a moment, when suddenly, a blinding white light filled the room. When it cleared, the Elite Four, Champion, President and Blackthorn City Gym Leader were elsewhere.

Goodman blinked sparks from his eyes, only to find that Lance had pressed something against his throat. He swallowed audibly.

“Now that we are elsewhere, President,” The Dragon Master purred, “We can argue why you wanted to kill us.”

Red nodded. “And I would not try to lie. Agatha can still read minds, you know!”

Agatha’s eyes were closed as she scanned, before she broke off in disgust. “He wanted to rule the league. With the Champion and the Elite out of the way… he wanted to use the legendary birds to destroy Team Rocket and become a dictator.”

Bruno choked. Clair helpfully whacked him on the back.

“Of all the…” Her whip lashed out, and Goodman screamed as he was dragged upwards, throat in contact with silversteel.

Lance slit his throat almost offhandedly, before he looked around. “Well, now that we have disposed of that worthless human… where are we?”

“You do realize we cannot go back.” Agatha warned. “We left the birds on the other side of the gate.

“No matter.” Red whispered. “We are free.”

“Yes, we are free….”

“And our pokémon?” Bruno asked. “What if there are no Centers here?”

Lance coughed. Bruno blinked. “Oh. You still have Viridian’s power?”

“Of course…”

They looked around, and began to walk towards civilization.

End Chapter

Completed 8/8/06

Because I have a chemistry midterm tomorrow and I need to be relaxed. So I write!