Y’know, I wish I could just write a lot of pokemon one-shots…

Disclaimer: No, Phantomness does NOT own pokémon! Have you been living under a rock for the last ten years? Or were you just too lazy to read the disclaimers in the last ten chapters? In any case, I’ll state it again! Pokémon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, n’ Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction is mine under international copyright laws. Don’t steal and don’t sue!

Chapter 11

Two years passed. Bit by bit, the League began to wonder. Ever since the disastrous incident in Silph, Team Rocket had been growing bolder in their exploits. League personnel had reported that when trainers came across Team Rocket agents, they would simply flee. Sometimes, they would even ask to join Team Rocket.

Team Rocket was evil! So why were these things happening?

The League attempted to conduct a survey, but less than one third of the trainers who were mailed a questionnaire replied, and of those who did reply, scathing comments in blood-red ink were the norm.

What was going on?

“How cute. They’re protesting your arrest.” Lorelei said, as she closed her compact. Red grinned.

“It’s odd that I became so important only after I vanished.”

“You’re not thinking of going back, are you?”

“Of course not! There’s still that warrant on my head, and even if most trainers probably wouldn’t turn me in, I can’t take the chance.”

“I see.”

“They didn’t all die, you know. The ones Lance killed for me. One of them made it out alive.”

“Well, that is a pity.”

“Eh, turns out he had the Viridian Power and it saved his life. I can’t believe it!”

“That is certainly distressing….” Lorelei mused. “Viridian’s Power is not to be used so carelessly.”

Red nodded and went to find Lance for an explanation.

“Lance… is it true that only another who holds Viridian can defeat you?”

Legend states that only one who has the Viridian Power and a pokemon from the Viridian Forest can defeat another with the same.

“Your Dratini… then…”

Yes, my Dratini and I are powerful together.

“I wonder who else has the Viridian Power.”

Lance’s smile was wry. Giovanni does.

“Eh? How did you know?”

Lance gave him a look. How do you think I knew, Red?

“Well, it’s not like you would register for something like this.”

It is better if the League knows not of our secret.

“Is the Pokemon League bad then?”

I would say not completely. The gym leaders and the Nurse Joys are quite good, but as for the bureaucrats…

“They’re horrible!”

Mm. And they are the ones in power, are they not, Red?

“Yes, most unfortunately…” Red ran a hand through his now-long hair, smiling. Even though he had colored it with gold for disguise purposes, it was still pretty, and he was vain enough to take comfort in it.

Lance poured tea for them, and they waited for the wind to bring more news.

Misty looked white and drawn as the guards dragged the boy in. He was barely fourteen or fifteen, his eyes darting from side to side. He was deathly frightened, and for good reason too. He twisted his league cap nervously in his hands.

“Red Ashtree, we have finally found you.” The man at the head table spoke.

“But I tell you, I’m not him! My name is Ash Ketchum!” The boy protested.

The jury of twelve high-ranking council members shifted uneasily in their seats.

“Nevertheless, we know it to be true. For your crimes committed against the league, your sentence is death.”

Misty heard Erika suck in a breath from next to her. Brock clutched the edges of the table so hard that his fingers cut into the wood. She must have said something herself but all she felt was a black pit deep inside her heart.

Sabrina frowned from her position two seats down. After Silph had fallen, Giovanni had ordered the three of them to return to their gyms and so they had… and though Red and the other trainers from Pallet had ruined their plans at Silph, for them to die under such a false cause was abhorrent!

Koga shifted uneasily. He and Green had made up, so to speak, and as Green could not come, he had charged the ninja to speak in his place. Yet what sway could a few gym leaders hold over the council?

Blaine looked ready to explode. “Have you not listened to a word we’ve said?” He demanded. “Red is not the type of trainer to mercilessly kill league personnel!”

“Yet we have no evidence to prove his innocence.”

Sabrina’s voice cut across the table. < Was it not said ‘innocent until proven guilty? > She asked with an ironic smile.

Blaine could not help smiling at her. It was good to be on the same side, even if it was temporary.

“I agree! No weapons were found, and no fingerprints of his on those men!” Brock shouted, banging his fist on the table.

“Enough!” League President Bruce Goodman rapped his gavel on his bench. “You gym leaders were called here to give your insight, and nothing else! If you do not persist in acting dignified, I shall have you all thrown out.”

Pompous old fool, Professor Oak thought bitterly. Green was still too young to participate, but Oak had been Third Pokemon League Champion, so long ago… and he was a respected researcher at that, though he had fallen much in the eyes of several of his stuffier colleagues.

Bill gave him a reassuring smile, and Oak relaxed. He did not know how the other researcher had managed to pull it off, but all of Red’s pokémon and many of Green’s had mysteriously vanished from the league database. Only Professor Oak knew of this, as he was the one who kept track of their pokemon.

He had assumed they were released, though a second solution presented itself now that he thought about it.

What if Red had run away with his pokémon? That seemed much more likely than his murder of league personnel.

He crossed his arms and continued listening to the debate.

End Chapter

Completed 6/7/06

Red didn’t kill them, and they shot him first…

Anyways, Koga and Green are kind of together (smirk)