Super Waha! Another chapter!

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

AU after about the first half of book2 of Pokemon Special/Adventures, assuming the ‘evil’ four gym leaders split up and returned to their gyms post-Saffron Siege.

Chapter 7

The expedition outside was quiet. Red left most of his pokemon at home, taking only Poliwrath, Venusaur, and Pikachu, his three favorites, plus Aeroy, in case they needed mid-air combat later on. Lance took all his pokemon as always, and together, they headed out into the wilds.

They found a near-dead Chansey then, and to Red’s surprise, Lance removed a poke ball and captured it easily.

“What did you do that for?”

“Red, think. There are no Pokemon Centers now, except maybe one in Saffron and another in Cinnabar. It’s pretty far either way. Chansey can heal other pokemon.”

“Oh, that’s right!” He blushed. He’d never really thought of that. He still had a good supply of potions and stuff, rewards from Silph Co. for saving their company, in his basement, but for people who didn’t have the resources…

He understood.

They were going back to the older ways for a time being, using berries and herbs and making poke balls out of apricorns. It was not so surprising, all things considered.

It was amazing that some still knew and followed them, but in any case, everything would be fine, eventually.

He and Red found a MysteryBerry bush and gathered a bucket full, because those would restore power points and a pokemon without power points was pretty useless in a fight. Then, they headed home. There had been no other edible plants seen, really, though Red had gotten a few bunches of dry lichen off a tree.

It seemed that their best bet was really to fish… and maybe acorns. Red remembered reading about Native peoples long ago, who would eat acorns and plants. He sighed. At least the knowledge would help him when – if pokemon training came back…

Even the pokemon breeding centers had died out. All of the baby pokemon had been eaten, or worse, turned savage and attacked the owners. Poor things.

They had to wait for order to return…

All the executives (Cowards) had fled the country. Now, it was almost like mob rule. The gym leaders in each city tried to keep order, but really, there was only so much they could do. Even Sabrina was being harried, wild dark and ghost pokemon had gathered outside her gym, salivating for the morsels inside. It was lucky her Mr. Mime still held up a protective barrier over it all. It was also lucky that there was a secret tunnel from her gym to Saffron Pokemon Center, which was miraculously still running…

But it was a far cry from its former ability to Light Screen the entire city, and the city suffered. Silph retreated to their underground labs, leaving the upper levels deserted… last he heard, Koga and Giovanni were hiding out in Viridian, but…

No guarantee.

Giovanni would have enjoyed the destruction, had not almost all of his Rockets been killed by their own pokemon. He himself had a narrow escape, and it was only because of his loyal Beedrill and Cloyster that he had managed to evade the fury of his ground-types…

Now, he and Koga kept watch in shifts in a small area of Rocket HQ that had not fallen, waiting for death…

Blaine had his volcano, and no pokemon would dare brave the lava to reach him. Many of Cinnabar’s other inhabitants also lived there, though a few had died in their attempts to flee. This could not last forever though. Food supplies were dwindling rapidly, and tempers were running high…

Who knew what had fallen, what fate had fallen upon the other trainers and gym leaders?

“This is dangerous.” Agatha warned Lorelei. “Even with your blood…”

Lorelei shook her head. “I just need to send a message.” She whistled and a Murkrow alighted upon her arm, cocking its head to the side curiously.

“Take this to Lance.” Two whispers and he flew off.

Agatha watched the bird fly away with a frown. “Do you think it is safe?”

“Of course not. But the Murkrow will make it. I’m sure.”

“You are more perceptive than you appear.”

“We all have talents we hide, don’t we?”

Agatha nodded. “Indeed we do.”

“Lance!”

“Hmm?”

“There’s a Murkrow at the window!”

“Really? Is it attacking?”

“No.”

“Then what are you worried about?” Lance said reasonably.

“Um… it seems to have noticed…” Red trailed off as Lance unlatched the window and allowed the Murkrow inside. “What are you doing? It might be dangerous!”

Lance ignored him. “Well?”

Murkrow croaked, and then nodded. Looking at Lance and Red, he croaked out two words.

“Father. Dead.”

“What?” Lance looked like he’d been hit with a thunderbolt. “That can’t be…”

“Your father’s dead?” Red stared in disbelief.

“Lorelei sent you, didn’t she?” The Murkrow nodded in response to Lance’s panicked question. The trainer sighed.

“Then there can be no doubt. He really is dead…”

“Lance?” Red finally managed to work up the courage to ask him directly, since the first query had been ignored.

“Yes. Oh, sorry Red.”

Red let out a breath he had been unaware he was holding. “Are… are you all right?”

“Just a little shocked.” Little was an understatement. If the pokemon were wild enough to kill Kappa, how much more of his family was dead?

He dreaded the answer. He also felt guilty. He and Lorelei were hiding in the human world, and safer behind barriers of concrete and glass and wood and stone…

Agatha knew how the dead worked.

She would know the truth…

The death toll would be high when the harbingers of doom retreated, minds wiped clean again, and normal life would resume. But until then, all suffered, in their own ways, for this war had no victor.

Only anger mounted, and fear, and pain, and death…

“I… I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Lance said, as he fed the Murkrow a handful of dried corn and winged it upon its way again. It was safer not to stay here.

“I know, but…”

Something in Lance’s eyes caught the light. Red froze as Lance looked at him, before he moved.

It was… nice.

End Chapter

Completed 2/25/06

I know a lot of people are… confused? Heh. That’s me.

Yay for obscure knowledge!