Here's chapter 21. Drama is back. I hope you guys like it! I'd be glad to read your reviews!

Warning: violence and language

Chapter 21: A fool to believe

Blue was quiet for the entirety of the flight back to Kanto. Something was bothering him, obviously, and the simple fact that the gym leader remained silent as to why was the only indicator Red needed to figure out it had something to do with his family. The brunette knew better than to ask him about it. Even though, after six years of being friends, they grew as close as brothers, Blue still refused to talk about his family problems. Red was starting to suspect that, considering how his friend did everything in his power to avoid going back to Pallet Town, he was trying to sever the ties with his relatives completely. Whatever was going on in the Oak family, Blue deemed that cutting it out of his life would be less painful than keeping it close. It was easier said than done, though.

Red was as surprised as he was worried to have Blue accompany him to Pallet Town. The former champion wanted to see his mother for the first time since Daisy's wedding and stay at his childhood home for a while and he fully expected Blue to head back to his gym a soon as they landed in Kanto. As the two trainers made their way through Viridian Forest and towards the peaceful village, the only explanation Red got was: "There's something I have to do." Something bad had happened... or was about to happen.

Red definetly saw the trouble coming when he and Blue spotted Daisy and her husband talking in the Oak's front yard. They were too far to hear what was being said but judging from the flailing arms and rigid postures, they were visibly arguing. The former champion saw his friend's eyes narrow and his fists clench.

The fiery argument came to an abrupt halt when the couple spotted Blue heading their way. The blonde trainer advanced towards them with the determination of a boxer stepping into the ring. Red kept his distance, considering it was none of his business what was going on, but he very intentionnally stayed nearby where he could keep an eye on the events, simply because he knew Blue's temper could explode in the blink of an eye, especially if his sister was involved and that neither she nor her husband could possibly keep him under control.

"B-Blue!" Daisy acknowledged his presence with clear worry.

Obviously knowing her brother well, she instinctively put herself between him and her husband which only served to irritate him some more. Blue did not even stop walking and just pushed her gently but firmly out of his way.

Daisy's husband's annoyed expression changed to one of unease when the gym leader walked up right to his face with a murderous glare and he had no choice but to back away until his shoulders hit the wall of the house. Blue kept advancing until they were nose to nose.

There was a moment of silence and the tension was palpable. Neither Red nor Daisy ever knew that scrawny Blue Oak knew how to make himself look this intimidating; like he took lessons from his Gyarados, removing any willingness to fight back from his target who was almost shaking in fear. Blue was neither very big nor particularly tall; there was nothing inherently scary about him but the way he was now, glaring fiercely at his brother-in-law, Red thought even Bruno would think twice before provoking him. The brunette noted how his friend didn't go straight for the beating as he surely would have a few years before but he figured that he was just waiting for the guy to give him a reason to hand him his own ass. The gym leader was visibly enraged but that was about as much as he knew for the moment being.

"You…" Blue spat, making the extent of his scorn clear. "You have ten seconds to beg for forgiveness and leave this town forever before I shove those stupid glasses up your ass!"

"Blue!" Daisy attempted to interject but was ignored by both men.

"Who the hell are you?" her husband asked, trying to hide his fear underneath his previous anger.

"I'm her brother," the gym leader answered, his fists itching for something to punch. "And the last guy in the world you wanted to piss off."

"Daisy, what the hell is he doing here?" the man asked.

He remembered seeing his angry brother-in-law on a few occasions, mostly in professor Oak's lab. They barely spoke more than a few words to eachother but he knew that his boss' grandson had a reputation for being a former League Champion, a particularly ruthless gym leader and a notoriously arrogant and short-tempered boy. He hadn't been seen in Pallet Town in more than seven years, not even for his sister's wedding.

"Hey!" Blue shouted, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall to redirect his attention towards him. "I know that you cheated on her, you fuckface, and unless you wish to require the services of a surgeon to remove my shoe from your ass, you're going to apologize to her and give her all the money she needs to raise your fucking kid!"

Blue's angry shouting had no trouble reaching Red and the former champion gasped upon hearing the revelation. It all became clear now, why his friend was so angry and frankly, Red agreed with him on this. The guy needed to pay. Daisy's husband seemed as surprised to hear the news as he was.

Blue immediately knew from his reaction that he hadn't been aware of Daisy's pregnancy up until now. Too busy laying with whores… Not that it changed anything for him.

Daisy once again attempted to interject herself between the two men, managing to get her little brother to let go of her husband's collar and to back off to a less threatening distance.

"Daisy, what in the world is he talking about?"

"Look, Henry, I can explain!" Daisy panicked.

"Explain what!?" Blue roared at his sister. "He's the one who has some explaining to do!"

Brother and sister exchanged a glance in the middle of the escalating confrontation. Blue couldn't believe what he was hearing. Daisy was actually trying to explain herself to her cheater husband! She wanted to stay with him! That was what he had been afraid would happen after their conversation on the phone on his last day in Alola. She was trying to work things out with him. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"I told you I didn't want kids before we got married!" Henry yelled angrily. "I told you. There's no way I'm going to take care of a kid and ruin the career I worked so hard to build!"

"Henry, please, would you just listen to-"

"Daisy, don't bother," Blue stopped her before she could continue. "The kid and you are much better off without this irresponsible douche."

"Hey, boy, stop trying to meddle with my wife and I's business!"

Red knew, the moment he saw Blue freeze in his tracks that the fuse had been lit. Time's up.

In the blink of an eye, Blue spun around and threw a devastating left hook in Henry's face, breaking the skin of his cheekbone and instantly shattering his glasses. One punch from the infuriated gym leader was all it took and Henry's knees bucked, his arms falling limply to his sides, which was a clear indication in any combat sport that he was knocked out and no longer able to defend himself.

Red thought to keep his distance, having no problem with letting his friend punch a cheater in the face, however, he started to worry when he saw that Blue didn't stop to savor his victory. The gym leader did not let his target crumble to the ground and instead, punched him again right in the gut, causing him to bend over, the wind knocked out of him. Blue finished his flawless combo by giving an uppercut to the vulnerable man's chin. Blood drops flew into the air.

"Blue, stop!" Daisy screamed but Red knew from personnal experience words would not stop his friend mid-rampage. He wasn't there to win. He was there to deliver punishment and the fact that his foe was completely helpess to defend himself just made it easier for him.

This was bad. The former champion was certain that Blue wouldn't want to make himself guilty of involuntary manslaughter if he had the ability to think straight at the moment but the possibility was very real that he might accidentally kill the guy if he happened to hit at the right place with enough force.

Completely deaf to his sister's protests, Blue didn't allow his brother-in-law to fall down. Instead, he grabbed him by the shirt with both hands, pulled him away from the wall and threw him on the ground where he crashed helplessly. Daisy grabbed one of Blue's arms to try and stop him but she was nowhere near strong enough. The gym leader proceeded to kick and stomp on Henry for a few seconds until, as if he decided it wasn't satisfying enough, reached for one of his pokéballs. That was when Red knew he had to intervene.

The former champion bolted forward and firmly grabbed Blue's torso from behind to pull him away from Daisy's husband.

"Let go of me, Red!" Blue yelled furiously, kicking and trying to pry his friend's arm off of him.

"You have to stop, now, Blue," Red said calmly, holding on while his friend hissed and kicked at the air. Daisy was kneeling next to her husband, tears staining her face.

Blue proved to be as difficult to calm down as ever but at least Red didn't have too much trouble containing him since he wasn't trying to hurt him. "Fucking let go of me! How can you defend this guy!?"

"I'm not trying to defend him. I'm trying to keep you from doing something stupid."

When none of his struggling seemed to work, the gym leader roared in frustration but stopped kicking his feet. Red let his grip relax ever so slightly but knew better than to let go. Blue was still pulling at his arms to free himself; the second he would let go, he'd throw himself at his brother-in-law like a rabid houndoom.

"What in the world is going on here!?" yelled a new voice.

Everyone froze. Even Blue stopped moving completely. Professor Samuel Oak stood on the front porch, teeth clenched and trembling with anger. Blue felt cold sweat running down his back. The elder Oak descended from the steps and planted himself firmly between his grandchildren. The aging professor glanced at each person present and it didn't take long for him to figure out what happened when he saw Henry lying motionless in the grass and the blood on his grandson's knuckles. Samuel's glare landed on his face and Blue stared back with a mixture of anger and fear. Red never saw so much fury on the old man's face in his lifetime.

"Blue…" Samuel pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Can you tell me what went through your head when you decided to assault your brother-in-law?" Blue opened his mouth to protest but his grandfather did not even give him the chance. "I can't believe my own grandson…" Samuel ran a frustrated hand through his white hair. "This is the worst thing you've ever done! The nerve you've got! Are you out of your mind!? You do realize you could be arrested for this, do you?"

Blue was unphased despite the very real possibility that he could be charged for felony assault.

"The worst thing I've done!?" the outraged trainer yelled back. "The worst thing I've done!? This piece of shit cheated on your granddaughter! He got her pregnant and now, he wants to abandon her and the kid! Are you reallly going to defend him after he dragged Daisy's honor in the mud!?"

The expression on the pokémon professor's face instantly changed to one of utter shock. Samuel slowly looked over to Daisy, who was still kneeling next to Henry's unconscious body, asking her silently if it was true. Daisy's silence was the only answer he got and needed.

The patriarch kept silent for a long moment and Red felt he could let go of his friend, now. Blue glared at his grandfather as if daring him to side against him again. When Henry began to stir, the elder Oak glanced sadly over at both of his grandchildren, seemingly predicting how awful things would become in the coming minutes.

"Daisy, help me get Henry inside the house," he commanded in a grim, serious tone. "You can explain to me exactly what is going on while we patch him up."

The young woman shakily got up and pulled her husband in a sitting position as he was slowly waking up. "As for you…" Samuel stepped in close to the youngest Oak, giving him a cold, furious and eerily calm stare. Blue refused to back down, pointing his chin defiantly at his elder, glaring back. "You may not realize yet how badly you screwed up but you will soon enough. How many times have I told you… If you didn't learn to control your temper, you would end up hurting people you really care about?" Blue frowned, trying not to show his confusion regarding the somewhat indirect warning. "You are going to wait here until I've talked things through with your sister. I'll deal with you later."

"So, you're pregnant?"

Daisy and her husband were sitting in the kitchen of the family home. Henry was pressing a bag of ice to his face, half of it grossly swollen. Samuel was standing in front of them, arms crossed.

"Yes," the heartbroken woman confirmed, tears once again threatening to spill on her cheeks.

Samuel nodded thoughtfully, then turned towards her husband. "Henry, did you know about this?" His tone was stern and let him know that no lying would be tolerated. "I learned at the same time as you."

Samuel's thick eyebrows furrowed disapprovingly.

"And despite the fact that I took you as my assistant and welcomed you into the family, you cheated on my granddaughter and wish to abandon her now that she is expecting?"

Henry averted his eyes from the elder Oak, unwilling to face the consequenes of his actions. Samuel quickly lost his patience with him.

"Did you or did you not dishonor my granddaughter, Henry?" Still no answer was given but the truth was clear as day. "And to think I held you in such high regard. Some man you are! Cheating on your pregnant wife and you don't even have the guts to admit it."

"I told you I didn't want any kids before we got married!" Henry shot at Daisy.

"I hadn't planned on it! Please, Henry, let's talk about this!"

"Talk about this? It seems like you said all that needed to be said to that crazy brother of yours!"

"Enough!" the elder Oak interjected. The old man stepped in closer to Henry and looked him dead in the eyes to let him know he meant business. "I will not let you disrespect my family anymore! You realize that I could fire you, prevent you from ever finding work in another research center and that your reputation could be ruined if this got public, do you?"

Again, Henry said nothing but worry was clearly written on his face. "I would have done this without discussion or hesitation if it weren't for the events that have just transpired… Which is why I am offering you to make a deal."

The two young adults looked over to him curiously. "I will not fire you and none of this will be made public. I will have you transfered to another lab far away from Pallet Town. In exchange, you will agree not to get the law involved regarding my grandson's actions. You deserved a punishment for what you did. I suggest you take it like a man. A fair trade, don't you think?"

"B-but, grandpa!"

"Daisy, the decision is ultimately up to you but I would strongly adivse you let him go. You deserve better than an unfaithful man-child like him. I will give you all the financial help you need should you wish to keep the baby." The elder Oak gave her an apologetic look and turned to Henry. "I think you better leave for now, and take some time to recover from your injuries."

Humiliated and furious, Henry got up and darted for the door. Daisy got up too and tried to stop him. "Henry, wait! Don't leave me! I love you! Why don't we forget all that's happened and start over?"

"Get away from me, before your guard dog comes back!" he shrugged her hand away and slammed the front door. Daisy just stayed frozen on the spot, eyes filling with tears while her grandfather looked on sadly at the scene.

Red and Blue sat in silence in the Papenbrook's living room. The sky outside was dark. For what felt like hours, they'd been sitting there anxiously. His arms crossed over his chest, Red pondered the events that had just transpired before his very eyes.

He knew things weren't all sunshine and rainbows in the Oak family but this was the first time he ever witnessed a full-blown argument.

Blue sat, his elbows resting on his knees, facing the front door, nervously massaging his bruised knuckles. His eyes were dark and his mouth was set in a tense line. He was silent in his apprehension and impatience was clear in his stance. He was waiting. For what? Neither of them knew but the outlook didn't seem so good. He tried not to let it show but there was worry and perhaps even a little bit of guilt in him. Now that he had the chance to calm down, the full extent of his actions washed over him and he was slowly coming to grips with the possibility that he might have made a huge mistake.

Knowing just how bad things were now and having seen the whole thing unfold, Red could only feel bad for Blue. It wasn't every day that the gym leader took a stand for someone other than himself. His sister was pregnant, had been cheated on by the father of her child who intended to leave her after hearing about it. The former champion was never one to use violence for morally unjustified reasons but he really couldn't blame his friend for beating the crap out of the bastard in such a spectacular way. Red had been abandonned by his own father after all, and would probably have reacted the same way Blue did if he ever saw him again. And his mom would most certainly not have complained about it. Unfortunately for Blue, though, his situation was a lot more complicated and his violent punishment may have done more harm than good for Daisy, no matter how justified it had been.

Blue couldn't possibly have found out about this situation by himself, especially so far away on a trip to Alola. Daisy had to have made him aware of it, but for what? She should have known his reaction would not be a favorable one yet the former champion had seen her actually defend her husband against her brother; defended the man who cheated on her against the one who wished to avenge her. Blue only did what he thought was right. Daisy shouldn't have gotten him involved if she wished to stay with Henry. Did she have a sudden change of heart? Was there something he was missing? Things were such a colossal mess, he wished he could help his friend sort it out but there was very little he could do.

Both trainers' heads snapped in the direction of the front door when they heard it being openned. Blue stood up, holding his breath when Daisy walked in, eyes filled with tears. Brother and sister stood in front of eachother, Blue's gaze filled with worry.

Daisy looked up at his taller figure with absolute contempt and resentment. She looked like she was trying her hardest to hold back the full extent of her wrath and Blue could only look on in sadness and confusion. The intense staredown went on for a full minute until Daisy shook her head and turned around to walk out.

"Daisy, wait!"

The young woman spun around unexpectedly and her hand flew into his face with such force that he reeled from the impact. Red jumped in surprise. Blue stayed there, frozen, his completely shocked eyes remaining glued to the spot the harsh slap had sent his head snapping.

"You... You ruined my life!" Daisy began yelling mercilessly. "Because of you Henry's gonna leave and I'm gonna have to raise this baby all by myself!"

The fact that Blue didn't even move an inch and wasn't even trying to defend himself was especially worrying to Red but it did nothing to appease the furious woman. Tears freely ran down her cheeks, now.

"I was happy... I finally had a life of my own. I could be happy after spending my whole adolescence taking care of you!"

Blue's eyes widened in shock and he finally looked at her, the only person who could get away with hitting him. His expression had changed from one of shock and hurt to one of disbelief and heartbreak.

"Never show your face to me again! Ever!"

Daisy stomped back out of the house, leaving her brother and his friend alone in the kitchen. Red gulped uneasily and glanced over at Blue who hadn't moved from his spot.

The gym leader stood still for several minutes, staring at the door behind which his sister had disappeared. A deafening silence invaded the room and it took a while before Red found it in him to speak up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned by the gym leader's uncharacteristic mutism.

He got no answer; no reaction. His friend was seemingly stuck in his own world for a moment, not acknowledging his presence, trapped in a whirlpool of pain, guilt and betrayal. How did it come to this?

Red took a step closer, hesitating about whether it was a good idea to try and snap him out of his current state. "You can crash on the couch for tonight if you want," he offered, unable to think of a better way to be helpful.

"No," Blue finally said. His voice was dead and devoid of emotion. "I'm going home."

The gym leader didn't even look at him before simply walking out of the house into the darkness of the night all by himself.