Poor Red!

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 4

Red spent a sleepless night pondering Lance’s words. What did Lance mean? Did Lance want him to attack other people? Could he do that?

Well, he did have to deal with a lot of people who had teased and bullied him in school and on his journey, because of his cute looks. He hated being so short! And then there were the trainers who were also here…

If this were a fight to the death, he would not lose! He wasn’t weak! He wasn’t!

< You have been treated very badly, Master Red. > Espeon said. < Remember the man who would not give you the League certification because you were ‘too young’? >

What about your neighbor, Yellow? Poochyena added. He tried to frame you for a murder he committed!

There are lots of terrible trainers out there that do not deserve to live. Suicune echoed.

Think about the scientists who tried to steal me away, convinced I was a legendary pokemon! Arcanine barked.

Remember how you rescued me from a polluted river when I was but a baby Dratini? Dragonite put in. How can you still like humans?

And even the ones here! Look at what they did to you! If Lance hadn’t saved you and healed you, you might have died! Poochyena barked.

Red blushed. “Lance saved me?”

He healed you with the power of the Mother forest, Viridian’s Power. Pidgeot cawed, her eyes bright. You were in such dire condition that a mere Antidote was no use.

“What?” Red asked, astonished.

You would have died, Master! Poochyena hopped onto Red’s lap.

Red’s eyes glinted silver, as the feelings washed through him. Astonishment was swiftly replaced by anger.

He was in danger of dying, just for a Moon Stone?

Was Emerald that desperate?

Maybe… maybe the pokemon were right, and all people were evil.

< We would be lost without you, Master. > Espeon told him.

Dragonite rumbled in agreement, and Red flushed. If nothing else, he had to get stronger for the sake of his pokemon…

But what did Lance mean, training? Red wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Then again, he didn’t want to be called a weak pretty boy again. He was sick of that.

He would show the Elite that he was strong! He would!

Red finally fell asleep around 3 A.M., after Venusaur sprayed him with Sleep Powder. He slept until the bells rang at 9 A.M., announcing breakfast.

Groaning, he got out of bed and pulled on his jeans and sneakers, and dug around in his backpack for a clean t-shirt, coming up with a black one with a red Charizard on the front. He brushed his teeth in a hurry and then ran downstairs.

Breakfast was still going on, and Red was shocked to see only three other trainers there. He recognized Emerald, and felt a flash of anger run through his body.

Why was he here?

“So I guess you made it after all, pretty boy.” Emerald taunted.

“Shut up.” Red snapped, reaching for the toast. He put two pieces on his plate and slathered them with butter, eating quickly.

He wondered what tasks were in store now…

He had just finished when Lance stood. Red tried not to stare at him, but he couldn’t help feeling as though there was something between them.

Ridiculous!
But Lance had healed him yesterday…

Lance did look good, now that he had time to appreciate the view. He had long, spiked hair, red-orange like flames, falling to mid-back, and his eyes were some kind of gold? He was wearing a skintight black bodysuit and white boots with black decorations on them, and a red jacket, short, and open. Red blushed as he looked down onto his plate, but then Lance was speaking…

“You will be sent on single missions. Each of you will take one of the caves.” Lance said. “You will evict any remaining trainers or people you find there. Then, you will dispose of them.”

He let them absorb the information for a moment, before a slow smile curved his lips.

“I have confidence in your abilities. Do not disappoint me.”

With that, he turned and left the hall, cloak swishing behind him. Charlotte and Steven followed him out, but the rest of the Elite stayed.

Lorelei, Karen, Will, and Agatha stood. Each one walked to a trainer. Red gulped as Will stood in front of him.

< Follow me. > The psychic said.

Red gulped, and nodded, as he followed Will towards a different cave entrance than the one he had seen yesterday. The island was truly huge. In fact, now that he thought of it, it was pretty tropical. He hadn’t paid much attention to the palm trees last night though.

He was too busy trying to stay alive!

“How long will this take?” Red asked.

< As long as necessary, though we would prefer if you kept it within twenty-four hours. > Will sent coldly.

“Oh, okay.” Red replied.

Will teleported away, and Red headed into the cave. This time, it did not take long for him to navigate, as Espeon was a wonderful map, but when he saw the people, he gasped.

There were two men and a woman and two kids that looked four years old, all dressed in gray.

What were they doing here?

Were they trainers?

“P-Please don’t hurt us…” The woman begged.

“Who are you?” Red asked. “Why are you here?”

“We-We used to work at the Viridian Electric, Oil and Gas Company…”

He had heard about Viridian Electric. It had burned to the ground several months ago. The government had never found the culprits.

“Well, you have to get out of here.” Red said matter-of-factly.

“No! We can’t leave!” The kids began to cry as the woman lunged at Red, who jumped back, but she just fell to her knees in front of him. “Please help us…”

“They’ll kill us if they see us. All the Elite are crazy.” One of the men said.

Red gasped. The Elite… would…

But they were just kids? How could they?

What was he going to do?

< Master… you shouldn’t do this… > Espeon warned.

“I can’t just kill them.” Red murmured. “Lance just said they had to be evicted. Blastoise and Pidgeot can carry all of them away…”

< But Master… >

Red released Blastoise, and then helped them on. Blastoise quickly surfed away from the island with the woman and two kids. The two men were carried off on Pidgeot’s back.

It had been quick, only taken two hours, but Red did not notice a pair of steel-gray eyes watching from the spyglass in the mansion…

End Chapter

Completed 7/28/07

No, Red’s not getting away with it!