Okay. So much for that plan – stupid plotbunnies! Why must they be so random?

Title: Ikenie

Author: Shadow/Phantomness

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

WARNINGS: Rape, angst, suicide, abuse of the Viridian Power. AU Pokemon Special after book 7, implied Championshipping (Lance/Red) but not really explicit

Chapter 1

He had to die.

There was no excuse, of course. After all, the devastation had been wrought, and he had been defeated, and after the color trainers had fled Cerise Island, the Elite Four that were too injured to escape had been left behind.

And of course, as Leader, he had to take responsibility.

So now, he watched the water drip from the leaky stone above his head, and ignored the blood running down his wrists from the too-tight manacles they had shoved him in. In any case, he was going to die.

A biter smile twisted his lips as he heard the footsteps of a guard. So, man could prove himself more callous than any beast.

He made no sound as he was roughly thrown onto the floor, heard the excited breathing of the man above him while brutish hands grasped and mauled.

He closed his eyes and locked himself away until he was certain it was over. When he returned, the pain crashed over his body like a breaking wave and he bit his lip to stifle the screams.

The guard snored nearby, no longer on watch, careless. He hissed in pain as he tried to move his legs.

That would not do.

With a sigh, he reached inside his body for the power that lurked there, Viridian’s gift to her misbegotten child, and visualized what was no longer a healing light, but something harsh and unyielding…

Slowly, the bluish light took on a darker tinge, until it was sharp-edged and radiating from his body in blinding waves of pain.

He narrowed his eyes, and pushed.

When the guard woke up, only the slow dripping of blood gave any indication that the man had once been alive.

Red was horrified.

He felt like punching the man who had delivered the news. It was very hush-hush, League secrets, but Red was the Ninth Kanto League Champion and so sometimes, he was privy to secrets like these.

Still….

He would rather not have known! His nails dug into the palms of his hands, only the thick cloth of his electric-proof gloves preventing more bloodshed.

“He is dead then?”

“Oh, quite dead. He was dead for hours before they found him. Don’t know how he did it, chained and all. I suppose he bit off his tongue. Well, at least it saves us from having to publicize a trial.”

“Get. Out.” Red hissed.

The courier sighed as the Champion slammed the door shut. He heard running footsteps and assumed the boy was bolting for the bathroom.

Really, he was so soft hearted, but surely, he must be glad that the murderer was dead.

Red vomited until he could no longer do so, ignoring the tears running down his face or the rage in his heart.

Lance was dead.

Dead! He was deader than a doornail or some high-flying Dragonair. There was no way to fake death, and besides, even if he’d been clinging to life, the heartless brutes at the prison would have killed him anyway.

Red shuddered.

He should have done something, but… he’d been busy fighting Bruno – wasting time, his mind hissed – and Yellow had won. She had defeated Lance.

She had won with his Pikachu.

And now, the only person that truly mattered to him was dead.

But then again, Lance would not have resorted to such measures… unless…

This time, he was sure his nails had cut through the fabric of his gloves because there was blood on his palms. He did not care.

He was glad Pikachu was gone, or else he would have murdered the traitorous rat himself. Yellow too.

Slowly, he got up shakily, took off his gloves, flushed the toilet with a grimace, and opened the mirror to get the antiseptic and bandages.

He still felt ill, but now he burned with the madness of fever.

“You don’t look well.” Blue remarked flippantly, two days later, when she saw him at Oak’s lab. He was getting his pokédex upgraded, and so was she. Green said not a word as he flipped through the pages of a Pokemon Pal magazine.

“I do not believe I have fully recovered.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed some residual weakness in your wrists.” Green cut in. “Are you sure you are all right, Red?”

“They are probably just weak from all the time I spent frozen in ice.”

“I see.”

“I can’t believe Lorelei got away.” Blue sighed. “I mean that I’m glad she did…”

Green gave her a look. Blue shrugged. Lorelei had not been evil, simply misguided, like she herself had been in her younger days.

The Elite Four needed to learn that war was not the way to bring peace. Friendship and compassion were.

Red clenched his teeth and tied to hide it, but Green’s eyes were sharp.

“What’s wrong, Red?”

“Nothing.” He growled.

“You’re in a bad temper today.” Blue chided.

“Yes.” Red said simply. There was no point in denying the truth.

Blue’s eyes crossed, as though she were trying to figure something out. “Red… were you and Lorelei…”

“No!” He said quickly. That was the last thing he needed. The scandal would be outrageous. He might even lose his position as Champion, or worse yet, his pokemon!

Blue laughed. “I was just teasing you!”

“Women.” Green muttered, burying his face back in the magazine. They all laughed, even Professor Oak.

Oak detached the last two wires and grinned. “Here you go, Red. It’s all done.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Where are you heading off to now?”

“I think I shall head over to the new region – Johto, is it? I would like to catch some new pokemon, and maybe challenge the gyms there.”

“I see.” Oak laughed. “Ah, to be young again… certainly, any work you do will be greatly appreciated!”

“All right. I will see you around.”

At the door, Red released his Aerodactyl and flew away.

Green frowned. * What’s eating him? Perhaps he’s just irritated because Yellow still has his Pikachu? *

Blue frowned. * Something’s definitely wrong. He’s not fooling me. I bet he is in love! Now I just have to figure out who the lucky girl is! *

Oak’s thoughts ran something like this. * Well, he’s off adventuring again. Hmm, is my coffee done yet? I wonder how May is doing with her apprenticeship at Bill’s? *

End Chapter

Completed 6/20/06

The title is taken from Japanese, where it means ‘sacrifice’ or ‘scapegoat’. I couldn’t paste the kanji and the hiragana, gomen nasai… it may be of interest to note that this is the verb they use in Yu-Gi-OH! When sacrificing monsters to summon higher level ones. ^_^()

And yes, Lance is quite dead.

Lance: Then how are you going to write championshipping?

Red: *Shudder* I’m not about to become necrophilic, am I?

Phantomness: Eew! No!

Shoyko: You work your darkfic muse so hard! *Cries*

And while it is technically championshipping, it’s in the past and the fic is more general under the ‘Dark’ theme. *Cough*