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
I’m not quite sure yet who to pair Ash up with. I’ll think about it. I’d rather not Misty/May/Brock/Gary/Giovanni. Maybe Sabrina or one of the Special girls
Red is NOT Ash.
Chapter 3
Preemptive strikes were always good. The Elite planned them exactly a month before the waves fell, to buy them some time. Red watched as Lance called fourth the dragons, watched as Dragonair and Aerodactyl and Dragonite filled the air. No Gyarados…
Clair stood by her cousin, watching and worrying.
“You don’t have to stay here, Clair. We don’t have to hurt the other islands. You could go to Orange and stay with Drake. You’d be safe there.”
Clair shook her head. “I will not abandon you again.”
“You never left me.”
“I know, but when we thought you had died at Cerise, it was horrible. The gym leaders remembered, though I wonder… how many of them still care? And others of them seemed to have changed, become younger, like clones or replacements…”
“That is something we have to investigate later.”
“I know. Is there any way I can help?”
Lance nodded. She took out a key with a teardrop of rain and handed it to Clair. “Do you remember what this is?”
“Yes, the key of stormy weather, rather weak in comparison to the Three, but…”
“Blackthorn is a sanctuary. The pokemon know it and the humans will find out soon enough. Use this to judge if those who wish to enter are worthy. If they are not…”
The rest of the sentence was unspoken, but Clair understood. She always did.
“I won’t fail you.”
“I know you won’t, my precious little cousin. Lorelei may come with her pokemon soon. If she does, take care of her.”
“I will, I promise…”
“Then good luck!” With that, Red and Lance waved goodbye to Clair and headed for Cerise on their Aerodactyls.
“I have to admit, that the environment has gotten slightly better since we dealt with the mass brainwashing, ne?”
“Yes, we’ll just see if the effects hold after our mirage ends. If it does, we won’t need to take over. If it doesn’t, well…” Lance’s grin was particularly feral. Red smirked.
“Nice, very nice…”
“Always have a backup plan.”
“I always do.” Lance said in response as she drew Red into a kiss. “You.”
Red laughed as his eyes returned to normal, the blinding light gone. “I know.”
“What do you think we should do now? Just watch?”
“I suppose so. You sent a dragon scout with each team, didn’t you?”
“Mm.”
“Well, we’ll see how things go…”
Time passed.
The last waves faded.
Instantly, the changes were audible. The Cerulean Cape went from pristine to irrefutably polluted in less than two days, as companies happily dumped their sewage into it. Bill and his pokemon were forced to move.
Between Cerulean and Celadon, the wasteland once again encroached as the lumber companies chopped down the last tree and than burned what was left. The rivers became choked with ashes.
Primeape and Mankey once again began attacking any and all travelers, and even higher leveled trainers had difficulty making it through.
The oceans burned and were covered with thick, slick oil. In the shallows, toxic jellyfish floated. Only the Tentacool lived in the water now, and they just barely… They decided to wait no longer.
The Elite watched it all from Cerise. In the volcano, Lugia slept, waiting to be called. Whirl Islands – they had been so heavily developed that monsoons had wrecked the inhabitants and strewn rubbish around for miles.
Disgusting. Legendary pokemon could no more endure this pollution than regular pokemon. The fish died and were replaced by scavenging jellyfish and algae.
It was time.
Red stood with the Elite as Blue and Silver took off to Johto to prepare the destruction there, taking Lorelei with them. Green saluted as he and Agatha headed off for Houen.
They left Kanto in the charge of Red and Lance.
The two nodded. Agatha had left a portion of her troops behind. They would be sufficient to take over.
“What in blazes is happening to my city?” Misty screamed. Cerulean was being overrun with Gastly and Haunter!
Her Starmie blasted out a Psychic while Staryu and Goldeen used Hydro Pump. Her three sisters and Dewgong cowered behind a bench. Useless!
“Wish I knew.” Erika said, hanging up her phone. She had called to ask to borrow some water pokemon but apparently all the cities were in danger and Misty couldn’t spare hers…!
She directed her Gloom to emit a stinky odor, watching as a few Shellder and Cloyster drew back, but the rest continued to advance. She fitted an arrow to her bow and watched as Vileplume burst free, Petal Dance!
Brock watched in horror as the Machops and Machokes destroyed the museum. He had a hard enough time trying to protect his gym and family, even as Onix wrapped the Machamp leader, only to fall heavily from three different Machoke using Karate Chop on its body… fighting beat rock…
Elsewhere, the residents watched in horror as dragon pokemon razed areas to the ground. Everything burned.
Lives would soon burn as well.
When the fires stopped, three days later, not one building remained standing, save the Pokemon Centers. Those were untouched in every town, but everything else had been eviscerated. Gone.
They watched in silence.
Ash ran through choking fog. His house was gone! His mom and Professor Oak were huddled together, Professor Oak having covered her with one of his spare lab coats. Next to them, the Professor’s few pokemon were protecting them with Light Screen. The preserve was gone; all the pokemon had fled elsewhere. Where?
Reports began coming in. the Safari Zone was empty, along with every zoo and pokemon breeding center. How had this happened?
They would have accused Team Rocket, but the few agents that were seen were also poke-less.
Something big was going on, and he had to find out what.
Ash frowned. Yes, something was going on, and he had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with Lance and … Red.
It was not just Kanto though. Even in Johto, they were shocked when the gym leaders turned on them, unleashing the fury of their pokemon. The remnants gathered at Indigo Plateau, but of a bustling metropolis, nothing but a smoking ruin was left…
Steven sighed. Houen was not in better shape. The strikes had all been from within, and that betrayal hurt the most. He would never have expected his own trainers to turn on him, but just the same… Liza and Tate had vanished, along with Winona.
This was not a good situation…
“And so it begins.” Red said quietly. “But it will be over soon. Don’t worry, my friends. Soon, you will be free.”
And the air was full of music.
End Chapter
Completed 12/22/05
The year is ending…