Hello my good friends, it's time for the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but let's begin!

Oh and from now on, my good friend Premasaur will by editing my work! Big hand to him guys, couldn't continue without him.

So for any errors, that you see, kindly blame my editor!

Kidding, kidding! Thanks dude!

000

Giovanni hummed a little tune as he tied his tie, before buttoning his jacket. Though his little room usually was neat and tidy, paper was now spread all over the floor, a desk was turned over on its side, and a lamp had shattered when it fell, glass surrounding the overturned desk.

Sabrina was sleeping in the bed, completely naked. Her hair was disheveled from the events of the night before.

Despite the state of his room and his lover, Giovanni looked prim and proper, his hair combed neatly. He had his ear to his phone and stepped out into the kitchen of his apartment.

"Malcolm, I want you in my office at 8:30 sharp. We have premonitions to discuss."

"Sir?" came Sabrina's purr of a voice, though it was mingled with confusion. She didn't bother to cover herself, though Giovanni made eye contact with her the entire time. He walked back to the bed, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"Go back to sleep, my sweet," Giovanni said. "I just have a few matters to take care of."

Sabrina pouted, before letting the blankets slip completely off. She rubbed against him seductively."Come now, Giovanni. Stay just a little longer. I promise I won't bite this time."

Giovanni chuckled a little. "Tonight, Sabi. I'll even buy that wine you adore. I have a few loose ends to tie up."

He turned and left without a word or glance behind him, leaving Sabrina angry and hurt.

000

Professor Samuel Oak slammed into the door of Alberta's house, swinging it open. Alberta let out a shocked cry, and Mr. Fuji jumped from where he was sitting.

"Where is everyone?" Oak asked frantically. He looked and sounded like a madman. His lab coat was burnt and coated with blood, his hair was a rats nest, and his eyes were wild.

"Samuel? What happened? We heard what happened in Fuschia, but nobody ever- "Alberta started, but Oak flopped down on the couch next to Fuji, looking completely out of it.

Oak had his face in his hands. "No….they can't….."

He straightened up suddenly. "What about Surge? Have you kept in contact with him?"

Mr. Fuji cleared his throat. "He…..he called yesterday, but he was cut off and we haven't heard from him sense.

Oak punched the wall next to him. "Damn it all!"

"Please, Samuel," Alberta said soothingly. "Calm down. Drink some tea."

"I-very well," the professor said, looking exhausted. "We were ambushed and…..I have no idea where everyone is. I'm beginning to….to fear that they are-"

"They're not dead if that's what you're thinking," came a new voice, a bit distant but not necessarily cold. He had jet black hair and cold clear blue eyes. He was wearing the traditional Lavender dress code; all black and very dreary. Despite this, he seemed to always have a ghost of a smile on his face. He was wearing one now, almost amused by Oak's actions.

"Gaius? How can you be sure?" Alberta asked in surprise.

"I am a medium, mother." Gaius closed his eyes, as if meditating. "But yes…there are definitely survivors, but I can't determine who. One of them is marked by the way, I thought you might want to know."

"Red…" Oak whispered. "Can you determine who may have died?"

Gaius shrugged. "It's very difficult to tell, mostly because of all of the death that happened there in the first place. Many innocent souls wiped away."

Oak sighed. "I tried to make a stand against them with a few others, but we were separated before we knew it. I had to escape, or my team and I would have been killed or captured for sure."

"There is still a risk of that, sir."

A ninja was leaning against the doorway, taking off her mask and revealing her exhausted face. "I am Kunochi of the Koga clan, and I am here to deliver a message."

Oak, Alberta, and Fuji looked stunned. Gaius took her appearance in stride, sitting in an armchair.

"Go on then," Fuji said awkwardly.

Kunoichi bowed. "Koga and a small band of ninjas managed to escape the carnage. Several of your order are with them. My master has decided to officially join forces with you once more."

"Well finally a bit of good news," Alberta sighed in relief. "Who made it out?"

"Alexander Ketchum; Green, I believe her name was; and the one who called himself the Fishing Guru. They believe Red and a band of survivors are making their way to Saffron."

"What?" Alberta gasped in surprise. "But that's directly towards danger! Why would they-"

"No it makes perfect sense," Oak grumbled. "They think it's a good time because Team Rocket will be spread thin, and if they came here we'd all be sitting ducks."

"You already are sitting ducks," Kunochi said slowly. "Many Ninjas noticed you flee, Oak. In fact they…"

A shock passed through her body, and soon blood was leaking out of her mouth. She grinned ruefully. "They're already here."

She collapsed on her stomach, revealing the knives tearing into her back.

"Damn it!" Fuji shouted. "They're here!"

A dozen ninja surrounded the house, each of them with several Poke balls in hand. Fuji and Gaius both threw Poke balls, revealing a Marowak and Haunter respectively.

"Funny. I only just arrived from Johto and I'm already given the chance to show others the sweet release of death?" Gaius asked to himself with a bloodthirsty smile. "It must be my birthday!"

His Haunter shared his similar creepy smile as Gaius pulled out a small twisted dagger. At the same time, Alberta managed to turn Kunochi on her back.

She was already dead.

Alberta closed the ninja's eyes with a small whisper of a prayer, before helping Professor Oak up. Fuji and Gaius were already fighting the Pokemon sent out by the hostile ninja.

"I didn't want either of them involved," she muttered painfully. "While Fuji has rehabilitated he…..this is too risky. And my son, I-he was only supposed to come here to communicate with the spirits-"

Oak slowly unclipped a Poke ball. His team was exhausted from the constant fighting, and he wasn't sure if they'd be able to continue battling. "Your son…. he's very err…. quirky."

"He's a medium, and a spirit channeler," Alberta said firmly. "He spends more time with the dead then the living, and I'm growing worried that he's beginning to struggle to tell the difference. This fighting and killing….it won't help him."

"Then we'll end it quickly," Oak said. "The fastest way to suppress our problems is to just end this war."

As he finally released his Tauros, he prayed to Arceus internally. Please, my grandchildren. Just let them be okay.

000

Ash was perched on Red's shoulder, as always. The mood wasn't exactly cheerful for the group, but it was definitely an improvement over the dusty underground tunnels. The tunnel had lead them to a dense forest that according to Flint led to Saffron's gates.

The Pikachu noticed Red and Yellow brushing shoulders a bit and immediately understood that he shouldn't be present. He hopped off Red's shoulder, running over where to Chuchu was walking by herself.

"Hey…." Chuchu said quietly. "Giving those two their privacy?"

"Yeah," Ash admitted. "They looked like they wanted some time alone."

Misty and Blue followed Flint, having a light and pleasant conversation about Blue's goals as a trainer.

"So you going to challenge the Elite four after all of this is wrapped up?" Misty asked with interest.

"Hell yeah," Blue said with good cheer. "I'm over halfway there in gyms. Maybe I can take Sabrina down and get a gym badge in the process. Two Pidgey with one stone, eh?"

Misty nodded. "I think you could do it to be perfectly honest. You've uh….matured a lot since we've been kids."

"I've been training hard too," Blue said, punching his open hand. "Old Surge taught me a lot about fighting, and my team's been pushing themselves to the limit. We'll beat Red yet."

Misty gave a lopsided grin. "I hope you do. It's been half a decade and your roles have somehow switched. He's somehow the insufferable one now."

Blue snickered a little. "He's gotten pretty abrasive."

Yellow let out a huff. "That's not very nice of them."

"I've heard worse from the Ninjas when I was still an apprentice. That arrow to the chest stung less than their taunts."

Yellow giggled a little, but then Red's face darkened.

"But it's not like Misty and Blue aren't right. I….I'm really not myself."

Yellow sucked in her breath. "Red, I told you-"

"No! You don't understand me! NOBODY understands me!" Red snarled, punching the nearest tree. Yellow winced at the noise and increase in volume.

Ash stopped, his ear twitching as Chuchu looked back in concern. Up ahead, Flint, Blue, and Misty had stopped walking. Blue and Misty turned around, giving Red a strange look.

"Do uh….should we stop for a bit?" Blue asked awkwardly.

Yellow shook her head. "Keep going you guys, this will just take a minute."

Flint immediately started walking ahead, followed by Misty and after a moment, Blue.

Yellow turned to Red, who already had his head in his hands. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm sorry. I just keep hearing this voice in my head, and these migraines…."

Brilliant, came his voice's snappy reply. Tell your girlfriend about how you've been losing your mind. That'll attract her.

She is not my girlfriend, Red snapped back. Also, shut up!

Yellow let out a half smile. "Okay, fair enough. I can't understand you. But I do know that you need to let your emotions out. Your Nidoking died hours ago, and you haven't even reacted!"

Red looked down. "I know but…. well that is….."

Yellow's eyes went wide. "You…don't think he's really dead, do you?"

Under Yellow's shocked glare, Red wilted. "I…. he's just always been infallible. No matter how little sense it makes, I can't imagine him dead."

Yellow grabbed Red's shoulders. "Red, according to you he was thrown into a lake after being impaled by a psychic blast! There is no chance he could have survived that!"

"But-" Red started, but Yellow shook her head.

"NONE!" She said harshly.

Red rubbed his face. "I…. know you are right but…I just….I can't accept it."

"You have to! I'm sorry, but numbing the pain will just make it worse when it finally hits!" Yellow exclaimed.

Before Red could respond, Flint's voice shouted to them. "The two of you, get over here now! We've arrived at our destination!"

Red let out a sigh of relief at the thought of getting out of the conversation, the two sprinting over to where Flint, Misty, and Blue were staring over a hill, giant walls surrounding a golden city.

"Bit intimidating isn't it?" Blue said with a rueful chuckle. "Who do they think they are anyway, the Aztecs?"

Red turned slightly at the sound of low snoring. A Snorlax was sleeping peacefully on its back, scratching its stomach.

"So," Misty said awkwardly. "What's the plan? Fly over?"

Red threw out a Poke ball, and OZZO burst out, whirring and beeping. OZZO spun around, facing Red with automaton eyes. "HOW MAY I BE IN YOUR SERVICE MASTER 'Red'!"

Red grinned a little, the Porygon never failing to put him in a good mood. "I need you to scan the city's defenses. You know, heat signatures and all that. And turn your volume down for Arceus sake."

OZZO nodded once, driving ahead. Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Are we sure we can trust him, Red? No offense, but he seems a little quirky." Red glanced at her.

"If I wasn't confident of his abilities then I wouldn't have deployed him," he said shortly, almost looking offended. OZZO's eyes turned green as an inferred glare cast itself onto the walls of the city. As the trainers admired his work, Ash let out a quiet squeak as he and Chuchu darted over.

Red kneeled down in front of the Pikachu as he made several exaggerated motions. Red nodded to himself.

"There are scouts around us. We can't stay here long."

"H-how far away?" Yellow asked nervously.

Ash's ear twitched once. "About a mile. They don't know we're here either, so we have some breathing room. But still, we can't stay long-"

"ANALYSIS COMPLETE!" OZZO boomed, and somehow his voice was even louder than before. "THE WALL IS CRAFTED AFTER THE BODY OF A STEELIX. THERE IS ALSO A PSYCHIC BARRIER ACTING AS A DOME, PREVENTING AERIAL ASSAULTS. THE WALLS ARE WITHOUT PSYCHIC ENERGY AND THEREFORE CAPABLE OF BEING BREACHED."

Red nodded, as if he expected this. "And who's guarding those walls?"

OZZO beeped. "TWELVE KARATE MASTERS AND EIGHT TEAM ROCKET GRUNTS. EACH WITH SEVERAL POKE BALLS ON THEIR BELTS. IDENTIFYING LEADER…."

A hologram shone out of OZZO's eyes, showing the face of a sullen man with black hair and cloth tied around his head. He seemed to be wearing a white gi.

"That's Kiyo!" Misty exclaimed. "He was one of the leaders of the resistance!"

"You know him?" Blue asked.

"Aye, he used to be the gym leader of Saffron city, before Sabrina mopped the floor with him," Flint rumbled. "He was never officially a member of the Light Stone, but he definitely supported us in the last war. In a manner similar to Koga, anyway."

"So then why is he evil?" Red asked bluntly, looking over Kiyo's profile.

"THERE IS A 74% PERCENT CHANCE OF POSSIBLE HYPNOSIS. A PSYCHIC AURA SURROUNDS HIM."

"He sounds formidable," Red admitted.

"He is," Misty exclaimed. "He's known as the Karate King, and-"

Blue burst out laughing. "Please don't tell me that's his actual title. That's hilarious!"

Red managed a grim smile, but it faded quickly. "We'd better make a plan then."

He drew a small map on the dirt with his Bo staff, labeling the wall and pulling out his sword, a small dagger, and a smoke grenade smaller than the palm of his hand.

Red tossed them on the map. "These will be our roles. But first one of us needs to report back to Lavender for reinforcements. I think that should be Yell-"

"Flint should do it!" Misty announced hurriedly. "He knows the area the best, and he can move quickly with his Onix."

Red shrugged. "It makes no difference to me." Flint looked surprised, but Misty put a hand on his shoulder.

"Find your family, make sure they're safe." Misty gave Flint a bright smile, and Flint's beard hid one as well.

"Very well then. I'll be on my way," Flint said with relief clear on his features. "But you lot better not die in the process."

"Godspeed," Red said shortly.

Flint folded his arms. "I'd like to have a word with you before we leave." He nodded towards Yellow. "There's some personal matters I need to discuss."

Yellow looked surprised, but nodded. "Um…sure?"

Flint lead her a little away from the others, and Yellow noticed with a start that his expression was now strained, a complete contrast to his look of relief from before. Yellow instantly felt uncomfortable.

"What…. what's wrong sir?" Yellow asked nervously.

Flint licked his lips, somehow looking even more anxious. "There's something I need you to take care of for me. Just in case."

Yellow's eyes widened when Flint slowly pulled out the revolver he had used to shoot the Ninja that Red had tortured. It's metallic body gleamed in the sunlight, and Yellow felt a wave of apprehension come over her.

Flint looked it over for a long moment, before passing it over to Yellow. She clutched it with trembling hands.

"Why are you giving it to me?" Yellow asked, her voice an octave higher than normal. Flint's teeth were clenched.

"There's only one bullet left in this. It's not for the enemy. It's for well…. someone on our side."

Yellow was confused. "Come again?"

Flint scowled at the thought of not being understood. "Look, I know you're close to him, but…."

Yellow's eyes went wide. "You want me to shoot Red!?"

"Can it!" Flint snarled. "And no, I don't WANT to per se, but he's beginning to concern me. If he becomes too much of a liability…"

"I don't follow you," Yellow said coldly. "And I am NOT going to shoot him in cold blood."

"That's exactly the mindset I need for the one I need to hold the gun," Flint said in agreement. "As I'm sure you've seen, Blue and Misty are wary of him. You are the only one who knows and loves him enough to know the proper time to pull the trigger."

"No I don't!" Yellow shouted back. "I've never shot anyone in my life, and I don't plan too!"

"But you may need to shoot Red. I don't know if it'll come to that, but-" Flint started, but Yellow was shouting again.

"Of course it won't come down to that! He's a hero! He's doing this to save all of you!" Yellow was angrier then she had ever been in her entire life. "All of you have been treating him like he's a monster!"

"He's not a monster," Flint grounded out. "But his actions….even you have to notice them. You SAW what he did to that Ninja."

"That wasn't him!" Yellow protested.

"That's what concerns me more than anything else," Flint argued. "In all honesty…. he's beginning to remind me of how his father acted. He's not far off from that point."

Yellow apparently didn't know how to respond. Flint took the chance to keep pressing. "I'm not telling you to shoot him. But….if he goes too far-"

"He won't!" Yellow interrupted.

"IF he goes too far, you need to take responsibility for what has to happen," Flint said, pointing a finger at her. "Especially if he can't take responsibility for what he does."

Yellow fell silent again, and Flint let out a sigh. "Just keep my words in mind. I don't want another Alexander."

By the time Yellow had thought of something to say, Flint was already gone. Yellow looked at the revolver for a long moment.

"YELLOW!" Blue shouted. "Are you done talking?"

Yellow quickly stuffed the gun into her pockets and ran over, leaving Ash and Chuchu behind. They exchanged an astonished glance, with Ash seething in rage.

"That asshole! I'm telling Red right away- "Ash snarled, but Chuchu shook her head quickly.

"That's Yellow's choice to make. We can't get involved. It would just hurt Red more."

"I'm not letting her murder my trainer!" Ash shot back, sparks ignited from his cheeks in indignation.

"Yellow's not planning on doing anything, but still…. Flint has a point."

Ash looked stunned. "No he doesn't! And that doesn't make killing him right!"

Chuchu glared back. "If he gets to a point where he goes too far, then Yellow might- "

Ash snarled. "It won't COME to that!"

"IT. COULD!" Chuchu growled.

000

Yellow jogged over, looking pale. Red gave her an odd look. "What was that shouting earlier?"

"Oh I'll talk about it later. We'd better start right?" Yellow said quickly, causing Red to raise an eyebrow. He simply shrugged and let it go.

"The four of us will represent these three weapons. Misty, you'll be the smoke bomb, or in other words our distraction. Cause some chaos but don't get too deep into the fighting. And don't take unnecessary risks."

"Got it, but what are the rest of you doing?" Misty asked. Red pulled out the knife and spun it in his hands.

"Blue and I will be the dagger. While you do your thing, we'll be infiltrating behind the lines to take out the 'Karate Master'."

They were interrupted by squeals as Ash and Chuchu were wrestling on the ground. Both were hissing and spitting, releasing electric shocks. Red and Yellow both moved to separate the two Pikachu, who usually got along very well.

"Ash what the hell is wrong with you?" Red groaned, prying the Pikachu free. At the feeling of Red's hands around him, Ash went limp immediately. He had a black eye, while a still struggling Chuchu was covered in scratches.

"What's going on?" Yellow asked in a whisper. Chuchu both gave her a strange look, and comprehension began to dawn on her face. Red didn't seem to notice, instead checking for injuries until he cleared his throat.

Red nodded. "Yellow will be the sword, the main driving force that breaks down the wall that sustains the psychic barrier. Once that's destroyed, the rest of the light stone can breach the city."

"Yeah, but what about us? Once we break through the wall we'll be trapped with hordes of Rocket grunts ready to capture or kill us. And how will Yellow bring down a wall anyway?" Misty asked.

Blue did some stretches to warm up. "Well wait a second. Didn't you have allies while you were undercover here? In fact, how did you get out in the first place?"

Misty shrugged. "I did have allies there, but that was when Kiyo still was on our side. The Copycat is good, but I don't even know if she's been able to avoid capture all this time. And I got out by wearing a Team Rocket uniform and smuggling myself out. It's a lot easier to get out then in, and even then it still took a few hours."

Red tipped his hat. "We'll leave it to luck then. Even if we can't get into Saffron, destroying the wall will still be a victory. And as for Yellow…."

He looked over to where the Snorlax was fast asleep. A cold grin spread on his lips. "I think I have an idea."

000

"This is a terrible idea," Misty grumbled as she slowly inched forward, using every bit of stealth she had to avoid being seen. She could barely see a flash of dark cloth, meaning that Team Rocket was indeed guarding it. She slowly leaned against the base, her hand wrapped tightly around one of her Poke balls.

She let out a deep breath. "Just wait for the signal…."

Blue and Red were both hidden behind a bunch of bushes, Red pulling out a Poke ball and attaching it to something. Blue glanced over his shoulder.

"What are you doing, pal?" Blue asked a bit awkwardly. Red held up a shuriken in his hands triumphantly, but the center was a Poke ball.

"This is a little trick Koga taught me. Using this will be necessary for the plan."

With a grunt, he threw it as hard as he could, embedding itself in the outer wall.

Luca the Venusaur burst out of the Poke ball, terrifying the trio of Rocket guards stationed in that particular area. One of them reached for a walkie talkie, but Luca let loose a sleep powder that dropped them like flies. He cast out a vine at one of the ones who tried to retreat. The vine wrapped around her leg, and Luca threw her off of the wall.

Immediately, Luca shot a seed high in the air, where it exploded in a green flare, signaling Misty to make her move.

Misty grinned, releasing her Starmie and leaping on top of it. Using its psychic power, the Starmie shot up the wall with Misty riding it like a surfboard. Four Black belts stared at her in surprise and Misty gave them a wink, leaping off the starfish as it shot forward, spinning the tips of its points. One of them managed to roll out of the way, but the other three were run through, blood staining their outfits as the points dug through their flesh, spinning like a buzz saw.

Misty sprinted towards the one she had missed, but the Black belt was wearing one for a reason. He blocked Misty's initial kick, before swinging one of his own and knocking her dangerously close to the edge.

As Misty rolled away, wiping the blood from her lip, the warrior threw a Poke ball to reveal an intimidating looking Primeape.

Misty smirked, releasing her Staryu. The two Pokemon shot towards each other.

"Fall back and dodge, don't let him get any hits in!" Misty shoute. Staryu reacted immediately, leaping back in mid-air as the Primeape punched down hard enough to leave an impression. He lunged for the Staryu, but Misty was ready.

"Rapid spin, and follow up with psybeam!" Staryu spun around like a top, knocking the Primeape backwards. Before it could recover, a spinning psychic shot blasted it backwards into a far off Rocket grunt, knocking them both over the wall. The Blackbelt ran forward, releasing several Machop, but suddenly both Starmie and Staryu were surrounding all of them.

Misty cracked her knuckles. "Do you have any idea who I am? Both of you, use whirlpool!"

Starmie and Staryu spun around in a circle around the Blackbelt, Misty and the Machop. Water was formed into a vortex that spun the four of them around and around, struggling for breath.

The Blackbelt tried swim to Misty, but she had been swimming and training with water for years. She swam forward, spinning in a roundhouse kick that blew the Blackbelt out of the water (quite literally), tumbling down and off the wall.

Misty swam up to the top of the whirlpool, standing on top with an air of confidence. By now the entire group had seen her and were now staring in utter incomprehension.

"I am the tomboyish mermaid and gym leader of Cerulean City! I am Misty, the most powerful water trainer in Kanto!"

Her eyes glowed pink as she was briefly imbued with Starmie's psychic power. She raised a hand, and a tidal wave formed, washing over the wall.

"And none of you idiots will EVER FORGET IT!"

Blue grinned. "I think I'm in love." Red rolled his eyes.

"It's our turn. Luca!"

On cue, vines wrapped around the two of them, jerking them up and swinging them over to the wall. Red and Blue both landed far away from Misty, behind the ranks of the distracted enemy.

Blue grabbed the Rocket next to him on the shoulder, tossing him off the wall as Red's dagger slashed through a Blackbelt's neck. Three more turned towards them, but Ash and Chuchu leaped off Red's shoulders, flying in the air with their tails connecting. A lightning bolt tore through the three individuals.

"Damn it!" Red snarled, looking beyond the walls, which were far thicker than he imagined. From sentry towers came an alarm, reinforcements running along the walls from both sides, as Rocket grunts sprinted over on the city grounds, machine guns in hand. They opened fire, forcing Red and Blue to dive in opposite directions.

Red landed on his feet, but was immediately met with a kick that sent him spinning and nearly losing balance. A Blackbelt swung another kick that Red ducked under.

Blue on the other hand, tumbled off the wall, but managed to grab onto the top as he hung over the edge, fingers digging into the steel. Bullets bounced off the wall on the other side of him, ricocheting in random directions.

Red blocked a kick with his staff. "Ash and Chuchu, take the left side. Luca, you have the right side!"

The Venusaur nodded once, before sending leaves flying forward towards the Rocket grunts who were sprinting forward. They quickly released Pokemon of their own; Golbat that easily managed to slash through the leaves.

As Luca groaned, casting out vines, The Blackbelt Red was fighting managed to get under his guard, throwing him to the ground. The Bo staff rolled away, out of Red's reach.

Red managed to grin, quickly taking out his whistle and blowing into it as hard as he could. Of course, no noise was heard, and the Blackbelt leaned over him, grinning darkly. "The hell was that supposed to be?"

Red pushed himself up onto one shoulder. "Oh you'll see."

The Blackbelt looked confused, until the sound of heavy feet nearly threw him off balance.

Blue, recognizing the sound, immediately began struggling to climb the wall, looking frantic. Red payed him no attention, simply letting out a cold smirk as a Snorlax burst out of the trees, chasing a swift Dodrio.

Yellow was riding on top, her eyes wide as she led the Snorlax towards the wall. She arrived a moment before, the Dodrio using its legs to dig in and begin climbing at high speeds. The Snorlax threw himself forward as the Dodrio leaped in the air, landing with its claws latched into the wall. Yellow turned to Red, her expression terrified.

"MOVE-"

SMASH!

The Snorlax barreled through the wall, tearing through it like butter. The impact sent Rocket grunts and Black belts flying, and even Misty stumbled on top of her whirlpool. Red and Blue would have fallen, but the vines wrapped around their waists jerked, yanking them back next to Luca, Blue landing on his butt while Red fell onto all fours.

The center of the wall was completely destroyed, separating Red and Blue from Misty. Yellow's Dodrio sprinted on Misty's side, Yellow herself looking back as the Snorlax was met with gunfire, none of the bullets managing to even affect the behemoth.

Red swore, looking around frantically. "Where's Ash?"

But the Pikachu managed to dive to Yellow's hands, climbing on top of her shoulder. Red let out a sigh of relief, but Luca's warning growl alerted him to several grunts still coming forward, their Golbat flying in the air around them.

Red and Blue both spun around, Blue quickly releasing his Jolteon. Red glanced at the firing squad as they continued to shoot at the Snorlax, clearly to no avail. Red groaned at the sounds of sirens wailing, alerting more and more people of their presence.

"Well, if they didn't know if we were here before, they know now!" Blue said cheerfully, as his Jolteon blasted Golbat out of the air with a thunderbolt. Two of them managed to escape the blast, but Luca's vines wrapped around their legs, slamming their heads together and dropping them like stones.

On the other side, Yellow and Misty dodged several punches from the Snorlax, who had proven to be a double edged sword when he attacked indiscriminately.

Further off, a Black Belt that Red recognized as Kiyo leapt off one of the watch towers, flanked by a Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee.

Red sucked in his breath. "I'll take him. Blue you stay here. Luca I need you to bring down that Snorlax."

Luca let out a wail of disbelief, his expression clearly skeptic of his abilities.

"Look I'm not asking you to destroy him, just keep him busy for a while!" Red snarled. "And err…. don't die," he added.

Luca let out a snort but did as he was told, casting out his vines as the Snorlax roared in challenge…

Red sprinted along the wall, ignoring the Black Belts that shot past him, leaving them to Blue. The Karate King stood before Red with a scowl, already in fighting stance. Red copied his form, as the two Pokemon next to Kiyo narrowed their eyes.

"Judging by how you came to confront me, I trust that you know who I am?" Kiyo asked dryly.

Red nodded. "Mind if you answer a few questions before we start?"

"You don't have the time," the Karate King said shortly. "I've heard of your skills as a strategist, but you've lost."

"A tactician isn't allowed to make that judgement until it's all over," Red muttered back, almost in recitation. "We find a way to win, even if it comes down to the last man."

Kiyo nodded. "A fair philosophy. But it's wasted on me I'm afraid. I fight with my hands, not my mind."

Red leaned back, a small smile playing on his lips. "I've figured that out. Otherwise Sabrina wouldn't be able to control you so easily."

Kiyo grunted. "Shut up!"

"You're nothing but a puppet, just like everyone else in Team Rocket. You have no mind, and no choice over your actions. A weapon to be brandished until it wears down and is destroyed." Red had that sadistic look in his eyes as he spoke, enjoying the other man's pain.

Kiyo looked like he'd been hit, but then he shook his head. "You aren't wrong, Little Red, but you speak from experience. You too are nothing but a tool to be used. And you know that."

Red laughed ruefully. "Fair enough. I was forced into a war through the ramblings of an eighty-year-old woman and a bunch of random and unlucky coincidences. But at least I'm on the right side."

The Karate King folded his arms. "Then I suppose that is all there is to say. Let us begin."

Red threw two of his Poke balls, his grin no longer on his face. "Will! Lucina!"

The Wartortle sprinted forward, while Lucina simply teleported. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan both flipped ahead of Kiyo, Hitmonlee swinging a kick as Hitmonchan's fist glowed with an intense power.

Will's head jerked back as Hitmonchan socked him in the jaw, blood spitting out of his mouth. Lucina teleported in front of Hitmonlee, blasting it away with psychic power before teleporting again to pursue. Red and Kiyo ran at each other, Red's staff spinning up to meet the Karate King's kick….

Yellow clung to her Dodrio's neck for dear life as it dodged a punch from the Snorlax, who had once more decided to target her. She had been trying to plead with the behemoth to calm down, but apparently he was too cranky and tired to listen.

Slowly but surely, the numbers of Team Rocket were piling up on the wall, forcing Misty and her Pokemon back so that she was only a few feet away from where Yellow was trying to fight off the Snorlax.

One of the grunts tackled her on top of the whirlpool, pinning Misty down and bringing down a knife to her throat. Misty managed to catch it an inch away, kicking her in the solar plexus and throwing her over the wall.

"Yellow! Help out!" she called as Beedrill and Venomoth swarmed around her water. The Snorlax slapped Yellow's Dodrio out of the air, letting out a squawk as it tumbled along the edge of the wall. Yellow, Ash, and Chuchu rolled free. Ash and Chuchu both immediately began shooting electrical blasts at the Snorlax, as Yellow ran over to the side of the wall. She breathed a deep sigh of relief when she saw Dodrio latched lower down, its claws digging down and holding it in place.

Vines shot forward, wrapping themselves around Snorlax and holding him back from another punch. He gave a snarl of annoyance as Luca slipped and slid on his portion of the wall, struggling not to be pushed by the big eater.

Snorlax turned, yanking the vines as hard as he could. Luca lost the battle of muscle and flew through the air, Snorlax swinging the poor Venusaur like a yo-yo before throwing him away, soaring over Misty's head and crashing against the inside of the wall.

Luca whimpered in pain at the impact, but quickly casted enough vines to break his fall, swinging on his vines like a much lighter Pokemon. He hit the top of the wall in a roll, injured but capable of fighting. He focused his power, charging up a solar beam.

The Snorlax batted aside an electric shock, throwing a punch that exploded through a piece of the wall. The impact slammed Chuchu into Yellow, knocking them both next to Misty. Ash rolled out of the way, releasing another thunderbolt.

Snorlax didn't hesitate, charging an orange dome of power in its mouth, the mere aura of power the hyper beam created was strong enough to hold Ash in his place.

The hyper beam burst out of the Snorlax's mouth, pure energy beyond the comprehension of any mortal. Ash was frozen in place, the beam aimed right for him.

But suddenly a purple fist punched it, shooting through the hyper beam and punching the Snorlax hard in the face. Snorlax slid backwards several feet, before steadying himself and facing down his new opponent.

A Nidoking faced him, his powerful muscles rippling in the twilight. Though his purple skin was ripped and shredded everywhere, there was a fire in his eyes that couldn't be quenched by any amount of water that he may have been submerged in. Seaweed was wrapped around his torso to form a makeshift bandage, failing to hide some of the dried blood.

Tyrone the Nidoking gave the Snorlax a roar of challenge, The Snorlax threw himself forward, but Tyrone caught his fists, spinning and slamming his tail into Snorlax and throwing him back into one of the buildings of Saffron. By now the entire city was panicking, squads of psychics and members of Team Rocket doing their best to control the damage.

"Ty-Tyrone?" Ash asked in amazement. "You're alive!"

Tyrone threw the Pikachu a wicked grin. "Course I am. What, did you think I'd lose to another psychic? The kid is here too."

Ash noticed for the first time Carver the Magikarp, who was lying on his side on Tyrone's shoulder. The Magikarp gave Ash a wink, unable to speak out of the water.

Ash grinned. "You crazy bastard! We all thought you were dead! How did you even survive?"

"Luck mostly. Carver flushed himself down the toilet when our trainer blew up his house and managed to make it to the lake. The old Guru's friends rescued me from the river and treated my wounds. Once Carver found me he told us Red was doing the underground plan thing, and you know the rest. And when Luca set out that flare we knew where to go."

Ash let out an exasperated snicker. "Only you could find a way to survive that, Ty."

Luca let out a cry of warning as the broken tower began to stir. Ash and Tyrone quickly turned, readying to fight.

The Snorlax pulled itself out from the wreckage of the building, charging forward and crushing one of the bystanders under his feet.

Tyrone let out a pained grunt. "That being said, I uh….I'm not in the greatest shape. I'm not going to hold up against him much longer."

"Guys I can take him down!" Luca called. "Just keep him busy so I can finish charging this!"

"Easier said than done," Ash groaned.

000

"Holy shit! He's alive?" Blue asked in shocked ecstasy. His Jolteon grinned as well, relief apparent on her face.

Red's eyes went wide, and for a moment a touch of his old cheerful, innocent, and whimsical personality showed through his features. Until Kiyo punched Red in the face, sending himself spinning back with blood leaking out of his nose.

"Fuck, ow!" Red shouted, glaring at the Karate King as he slowly walked towards his retreating opponent.

"It matters not. You all will be dead by the end anyway."

Red let out a grunt of annoyance, swinging a kick, but his blows were easily deflected. Kiyo aimed another punch that Red managed to block, but it left him open and Kiyo roundhouse kicked him in the stomach.

Red hit the ground hard, managing to roll onto his feet, though he was unsteady and fell on one knee. He was breathing heavily.

We're getting our ass handed to us, have any plans? The voice filled his mind, and anger smoldered within him.

Shut up! He told it back. There's no way I'm not surrendering control to you again, so you can forget it!

Uh…dude? I've been in control for the past five minutes. Did you not even notice?

Shock cut through him like a knife. For a moment, he couldn't tell if the anger in his stomach was his or the voice's. Fear began to cut into his skin, and the voice in his head laughed coldly.

Don't you get it now? You can't escape me. You can't hide from me. YOU ARE ME!

"I….NO! AHH!" Red screamed, finally losing composure. He punched the ground, feeling his knuckles split. Kiyo's eyebrow raised, wondering if it was some sort of trap.

Red clutched his head, shaking uncontrollably. "Who am I? Who am I? W-who?"

Just stop fighting, Red. Give up your body and mind to me. Your power will be immeasurable. You'll never have to feel the pain of loss again.

"I-I don't-"

"I've had enough of this charade," Kiyo said scornfully. "I thought you might be a challenge, but all you are is a broken mess. I am insulted beyond measure!"

Red wasn't even listening. The draw of relinquishing control, of not making any more decisions, no longer feeling pain….

"Red!"

That voice…. Was it his mom? Yes, mom I'll be down in fifteen minutes.

No…. not his mother? Whose voice was that?

Ignore it. Submit.

"Red stay strong! Blue's handling it! We're okay. We're alive!"

Submit or you'll lose.

"I-I don't know what you're going through, but I know your strength more than anyone. You need to wake up."

Submit or they'll all die.

"I'm here. I'll always be here."

Submit or I'll kill everyone you care about.

"I-I love you."

NO, DON'T LISTEN! IGNORE IT DAMN YOU! R-

Red let out a gasp as his eyes shot open, the migraine still pounding at his head. Yellow's arms were wrapped around his waist and he could feel the familiar weight of Ash on his shoulder.

"What…. happened?" Red asked, rubbing his head, quickly noticing that his hat was gone.

Yellow let out a sob of relief, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Oh thank Arceus, you just fell and…. stopped breathing. It was like you lost control of your body. A-and then you started sh-shaking."

Red distractedly glanced around where his team was fighting. The Snorlax was battling Luca and Tyrone, but everyone else had been cornered. Misty was defending their position with her lone Starmie, her Staryu having apparently been defeated. Supporting her was Blue's entire team, and the combined effort was succeeding in holding Team Rocket back, though Red could tell almost instantly that they wouldn't last long.

Red swore, managing to rise to his feet, helping Yellow up with him, but she didn't seem exactly eager to let go. "I'm fine, Yellow. We can-"

"No!" Yellow cried out almost hysterically. "You were-I was afraid I was going to have to…"

"Do what?" Red asked. Yellow didn't respond. "Yellow, what were you going to have to do?"

But Yellow looked like she was hyperventilating, and there wasn't getting another word out of her. Red sighed, focusing his now clear mind to the entire battlefield.

Luca was charging up another solar beam, leading Red to believe that the first one had failed to make contact with the Snorlax. Currently Tyrone and Blue's Fearow were battling it, Fearow managing to fly at high speeds to land several hits on the powerful normal type.

Tyrone was faring much worse, his injuries slowing him down, and though he prevented the Snorlax from landing a critical blow, he was losing ground fast.

It took a while for Red to spot Lucina, who had easily taken care of the Hitmonlee she had been fighting, and was now teleporting in and out of the ranks of the Rockets, causing mayhem. Will was still battling the Hitmonchan, but he wasn't faring well. The poor Wartortle couldn't land a hit in, and was tucked inside his shell as Hitmonchan threw volley after volley of punches at him.

The Karate King himself was now facing Blue, who had taken Red's place, putting up a better fight then Red had. Red noted that he could leave them be for now; Blue wasn't in any immediate danger.

"All right! Ash, help fight that Snorlax. Protect Tyrone! Tyrone, you fall back and play defensively. Misty, have all the psychics create a barrier to protect us."

Misty looked stunned at Red's sudden recovery, but nodded, concentrating her mind with the power that her Starmie had briefly given her. Lucina, Starmie, and Blue's Kadabra all released a psychic barrier that formed a bubble around the group, holding strong as the Rocket's Pokemon rammed into it.

Though it looked like it took every bit of his will not to stay on the offensive, Tyrone leaped backwards, avoiding a mega kick from the Snorlax. A lightning bolt suddenly struck it, the Snorlax turning just in time to see Ash shooting into him, spinning around in a slam attack that struck Snorlax in the face, who let out a wail of pain and tried to swing a clumsy fist at him. Ash was too fast for him however, and sprinted up his enemy's giant arm, releasing electricity along the way.

Red threw a Poke ball to release OZZO, running over to shout at Will. "Break away, we have you!"

Will released a jet of water that blasted the Hitmonchan in the stomach and pushing him back. The recoil worked to Will's advantage, sending Will shooting over the edge of the wall.

Will shouted in surprise and fear as he hurtled towards the ground, but with a thump Blue's Fearow caught him. The Hitmonchan managed to stumble to his feet just OZZO's eyes glowed green, targeting the fighting type's location.

"Fire." Red said, snapping a finger.

OZZO shot a tri attack, but he wasn't the only attacker. Blue's Cloyster, Vulpix and Exceggutor blasted ice, fire, and egg bombs over to the disorientated Hitmonchan.

The poor boxer didn't stand a chance. The Egg bomb exploded around Hitmonchan's feet, sending him stumbling as the ice beam froze its arm and chest. The flamethrower and tri attack exploded on contact, blasting the Himonchan backwards, falling with a groan. It didn't get back up.

Blue and Kiyo were still fighting, Blue performing fantastically with a wicked grin on his face. When the Karate King swung a kick, Blue caught it, slowly squeezing it.

Kiyo let out a grunt of pain as he heard a cracking sound. "H-how? This strength is inhuman!"

Blue let out a bitter chuckle. "Tell that to my grandfather."

Kiyo tried to kick with his other leg, but Blue caught it, throwing him by the legs into a midair spin, before punching him in the stomach as he fell down. Kiyo hit the ground hard, struggling to roll to his feet. Blue walked forward, a dangerous look in his eye as he hauled the Karate King up and head-butted him hard.

Blue threw punch after punch, and Kiyo eventually stopped struggling, blood all over his face. Blue shoved him down, breathing heavily. For a moment his eyes were almost the color of his name…

Blue finally collapsed, letting out a deep sigh. The Karate King was no longer a threat, moaning a little in his pain.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Red asked, a brow arched. Blue wiped the sweat off his face.

"Huh…? I told you-"

"I don't mean who trained you. I mean how were you able to beat him so easily?" Red asked, a competitive edge to his tone. "Not even I-?"

"Can we focus on the fight that we're losing right now!" Misty shouted over to them, looking desperate.

"Er….right," Red muttered, though he couldn't help but feel his spirits rising. For once, Red couldn't feel a trace of the voice in his head, and he felt as though a weight was lifted off him.

Tyrone was really struggling now, barely blocking Snorlax's vicious assaults. Ash and Fearow flew around it, shooting their attacks, but they hit like bee stings and served only to annoy it.

Tyrone crashed back, before leaning on his side, his vision cloudy. The Snorlax loomed over him, aiming a mega punch.

Luca let out a shout that he had finished charging his Solar Beam. Ash immediately changed tracks, once again attacking Snorlax head on, electricity crackling from his cheeks.

Unfortunately, the Pikachu was out of luck.

Snorlax's fists came down, forcing Ash to dodge. He succeeded in avoiding the first blow, but then Snorlax's other hand grabbed the Pikachu out of the air, beginning to squeeze the life out of him. Tyrone tried to lunge, but the Snorlax head-butted him hard, once again knocking him back. Carver the Magikarp was hanging onto his horn for dear life.

Ash let out a gasp as he felt his windpipe being crushed, realizing that he had also broken ribs. Luca readied the solar beam, but realized he couldn't risk hitting Ash.

"Use flash!" Red called, wincing a little at his Pikachu's pain.

Ash, his teeth grit, released a blast of pure light, Snorlax roaring pain and clutching his eyes, dropping the Pikachu.

Ash fell limply in the air, but Blue's Fearow pulled a spectacular dive, catching and dragging the Pikachu out of harm's way.

Snorlax bellowed in pain as Luca finally launched the Solar Beam, all of his power surging towards the bear. Snorlax turned, shooting off a hyper beam at the same time. If the two blasts hit, they'd cancel out in midair and make everyone's efforts meaningless.

But Tyrone moved with perfect timing, bringing up his fist in an uppercut, jerking the Snorlax's face upward along with the hyper beam, which shot high in the sky in an upwards spiral.

A split second later Luca's Solar Beam tore a hole through the Snorlax's stomach, shooting past and hitting a building hard enough to level it, adding to the destruction.

The Snorlax took two stumbling steps backwards, before collapsing on its side. Luca gave a huge sigh of relief, but Team Rocket grunts were everywhere, surrounding the ragtag group of survivors easily.

"Red…we might want to surrender," Misty said awkwardly. Red looked around. The situation wasn't good.

The barrier that surrounded them was still stable, but it was all that kept Team Rocket from washing over them. Lucina and Starmie both looked exhausted for the amount of psychic energy expended from them, and both didn't know how much longer they could continue putting power into the barrier.

Yellow still looked a little confused and disorientated, both of the Pokemon she had sent out had been defeated before Red had woken up. Ash, Will, and Tyrone were all in bad shape. Most of Blue's Pokemon and Luca looked dead on their feet.

"Nah c'mon we got this," Blue said, his confident grin still strong. "We've beaten worse odds, right Red? Red?"

But Red simply stared ahead at the overwhelming horde of soldiers, their Pokemon letting out shrill battle cries. "I-I don't know what to do."

A second later, the barrier winked out.

Red rubbed his hair anxiously as the first of the Raticate lunged for Blue's team, followed by the Tanglea and Pidgeotto, separating and overwhelming them in the swarm of Pokemon. Red unclipped Dillan's Poke ball, ready to throw it…...

"GET DOWN!"

The voice was high pitched and female, definitely not Yellow or Misty, or any voice Red had heard before. By pure instinct alone, he dove to the ground, making sure to push Yellow and Misty with him.

An Electrode fell from the sky, electricity blasting the middle of the mob of Team Rocket. It landed, glowing in a harsh light.

Blue's eyes widened. "Oh shit- "

A powerful explosion rippled through the entirety of the Rocket force, screams of pain echoing from every direction. In the midst of the chaos, figures seemed to fly through the sky, releasing Pokemon and zipping around as if they were attached to some sort of zip line. Red counted a Beedrill, colored green instead of the usual yellow, a Growlithe barking excitedly as it released jets of fire, and even a Vileplume doing a strange dance, petals flying everywhere.

Misty grinned widely. "They're here!"

With twangs, arrows shot into the necks and chests of Team Rocket grunts, someone apparently shooting a bow from one of the towers that the Black belts had conveniently abandoned.

Blue's team managed to recover, though Blue himself was sitting on his butt, apparently stunned from the explosion. Lead by Jolteon, Blue's team managed to make a stand against the now scattered enemy, quickly shooting off attacks that allowed them to gain some distance and breathing room.

Presently, Red turned towards the sounds of light stepping. A girl with raven black hair and cruel red eyes walked past him without even a sideways glance, psychic power radiating through her.

For a moment, Red was sure it was Sabrina.

Except well….it couldn't be.

In truth, the girl was tiny, even shorter than Yellow's 5 feet. She would have looked like a little girl, but her expression was much older and sadder. There was an intensity to her gaze, and even after Red got over his initial shock he felt unease at the young woman's presence. A small green chick like Pokemon was perched on her shoulder, clearly a psychic type.

Several grunts had apparently gotten over the confusion, snickering at the girl's small size and lack of intimidating features. "Oh this'll be good. What are you gonna do, cry on me little girl?" The other grunts let out ugly belly laughs, but the girl shook her head, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"My poor lost children."

Her eyes opened wide, psychic power radiating such a presence that knocked the men on their butts, before stretching out an open palm. The psychic blast tore through where they were standing, an explosion blasting them backwards as the girl floated in the air, levitating several of them in the air before throwing them backwards into their allies. A few Pokemon flew towards her, but the girl simply shook her head.

With a grunt she threw a Pokeball, revealing the form of a Jynx. "Ice beam," she said monotonously.

The Jynx let out a hum, outstretching a hand and winking seductively. She shot a blast of ice, covering a large section of the wall and freezing the Pokemon closest to her.

"The path is clear, Mimi," the girl said quietly.

A girl flipped down form a tower, landing on her feet easily. "Thanks Espy, you did wonderful as always."

"Mimi!" Misty called, running over to where the girl had landed and wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. The girl greeted Misty happily before turning to Red.

She grinned, holding out a hand. "You're Red, right? I'm Mimi Kerr….or uh the Copycat as everyone calls me."

"Yes, that's me…." Red said, a bit flabbergasted. "But how…."

"You've done wonderfully so far," the Copycat said with a bow. "But let us handle the escape plan. Espy can take you and your little friend over there back to HQ? I just need to borrow Misty and er….is that the one you call Blue?"

The girl who was called Espy nodded. "Grab my hand, swiftly."

Red shrugged, hoisting a still shell-shocked Yellow over his shoulder and scooping an injured Ash in his hands. He fumbled with his Poke balls, returning Tyrone and Will. Carver flopped up and down, until Blue picked him up by the tail awkwardly.

Red looked over to Luca and OZZO, who were remained mostly uninjured. "You help with the evacuation, okay?"

The two nodded, OZZO letting out a buzzed reply that Red ignored, instead tossing their Poke balls to Misty.

"I'm trusting you to keep them safe alright?" He asked softly. Misty looked stunned, but nodded. "Of course, Red."

Red gave her a half smile, before holding out his hand to the girl who looked like Sabrina. She took his hand, and the they vanished in a flash…

Red reappeared in an instant, apparently in some sort of kitchen. He stumbled, grabbing the nearest table to steady himself. Yellow slipped from his grip and fell down with a cry of pain. Ash let out a groan from inside Red's grip.

"The motion sickness will pass," the girl muttered. Unlike Red, she seemed perfectly normal after the teleportation.

Red laid Ash on the table and helped Yellow to her feet, apparently finally getting over her stupor. "So what the hell was that? I've teleported before and it didn't get this sick."

"It's because of all the conflicting psychic energy," the girl said in her passive tone. "Any teleportation will be tried to be intercepted or stopped. Thankfully, I'm no ordinary psychic, and my Natu here is a big help."

"Yeah I've been meaning to ask about that. You look just like-" Red started, but Yellow kicked him in the shin.

"What he means to say is that we're very grateful for your help," she said quietly. We would have been doomed it hadn't been for you."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "You are very welcome, but you don't need to hide your surprise. I know I look exactly like Sabrina. I am her cousin, but I have no ties to her."

Red nodded with a shrug. "I'm sensing this is something you don't want to talk about. Can I have your name at the very least?"

The girl nodded. "My name is Espeon, one of the members of the Saffron Resistance. We were hoping to become official Light Stones when we met up with you."

Red and Yellow exchanged a glance, before Red coughed awkwardly. "Espeon? Like the…. Pokemon?"

"No, like the Baseball Team-Of course my name is after the Pokemon!" Espeon hissed, showing the most emotion Red had seen so far.

Red threw up his hands. "Another touchy subject?"

Espeon looked down. "Er…. let's just say that I have no love for my family. But enough of me. There's quite a bit I'd like to know about you."

Red blinked. "Me?"

"Of course. You ARE Red right? The trainer who beat Team Rocket countless times? Who took stab wound after stab wound and refusing to give up fighting? Who trained for years to become a legendary hero, living in complete solitude?"

"I uh don't know about that last one," Red said with a chuckle.

"My name is Yellow by the way, in case anyone cared," Yellow said quietly.

"Do you see my point though? You've become an inspiration for us in the resistance. You've become a folk hero of sorts."

"So I've been told," Red groaned, rubbing his head. "I'm hardly as impressive as you make me out to me."

"That may be so," Espeon said evenly. "But still, I'm sure everyone in the SR would like to learn from you. Especially your skills as a tactician."

"I guess so, if that's what you want," Red said, still unsure. "Er Yellow, can you take care of healing the Pokemon?"

"Oh right!" Yellow said in surprise, going over to Ash, who was simply lying on the table. "You only have a few broken ribs, so it won't take long."

Red rubbed his hair, before blinking in realization. "Ah shit! I forgot my bloody hat!"

000

Lavender Town, which was usually quiet and unassuming, was in chaos. Twelve Ninja leaped from the tops of buildings, throwing knives at the defending trainers in an attempt to end them quickly.

Oak and Alberta were both ducking behind cover, Alberta's Rapidash releasing jets of fire to cover them. Fuji was shouting orders to his Marowack, who spun his bone to easily knock out Ninja and Pokemon alike.

Gaius and a lone Ninja danced, the medium's twisted dagger meeting the Ninja's katana, leaping out of range of the superior weapon. Above them, Gaius' Haunter threw shadow balls that knocked the Golbat and Venomoth out of the air.

Oak's Tauros was the main attacking force, charging headlong into the enemy and throwing them over his head. The Ninja quickly found themselves overextended and overwhelmed. They began to flee as Gaius dodged a swing from the the Ninja he was fighting, before plunging his dagger into the man's throat. As the man collapsed, Gaius helped him down and muttered a prayer.

"Be at peace," Gaius said as the man died in a puddle of blood.

"We can't let them escape!" Oak shouted. "They'll regroup and overwhelm us!"

The four remaining ninja darted away, but suddenly an Onix was in between them, slapping two of them away with his tail. Opening its mouth, the Onix unleashed a volley of rocks that splattered the two remaining Ninja's blood.

Flint leaped off the Onix's back, looking suspicious. "Who's there?"

"Flint! You're alive!" Alberta let out a half sob as she threw her arms around him. Oak gave a relieved smile.

"It's good to see you well. How did you escape?"

Flint nodded, rubbing his beard. "Likewise, Oak. It seems we veterans just can't be put down. And as for the escape, that was a plan Red and I came up with. We used the underground tunnels to get to Saffron."

"Red's alive?" Oak asked sharply. "Who else was there? Are my grandchildren safe-?"

"Blue was with us," Flint said. "Along with Misty and er….Yellow I believe her name was."

"But what about Daisy? She was with them!"

Flint flinched. "I uh….she and Green stayed behind to hold off our escape."

Oak's eyes narrowed. "You LET them do that!"

Gaius and Fuji walked over, looking a bit curious as Alberta desperately tried to calm Oak down.

"Please, Samuel. They may have had no choice-"

"Of course they had a choice!" Oak grounded out furiously. "You left my granddaughter to die. And where is your group now?"

"At Saffron. They were attempting to breach the city wall when they sent me back to find you."

Oak looked like he was going to hit the younger man, but Alberta stepped in between them.

"Please! You can't-"

"This coward murdered my family!" Oak roared, but Fuji let out a cough.

"Professor, please," he said slowly. "Flint merely did his job as he was supposed to. It probably took a lot of bravery and pain to even deliver this message. And pointing fingers will not solve matters, especially when our children's lives may be in danger."

Oak let out a heavy sigh. "You're right, Mr. Fuji. I apologize for my outburst. In any case, Koga and his men are heading to Saffron as well, so we'd better meet with them."

Both Flint and Fuji nodded in agreement, but Alberta put a hand on Gaius' shoulder. "You can stay behind son. I-I don't want you involved in this war anymore."

She had just watched her son kill a man, and though he had no choice, she couldn't bear to watch it again. Gaius however, shook his head.

"Sorry Mother, but right now staying at Lavender Town would be more dangerous than going to Saffron. They could easily box us in again. Besides, I'm an adequate trainer and we need as many bodies as we can get."

"I don't like how you used the word 'bodies' but just be safe. Please!" Alberta said anxiously. Gaius simply nodded.

Oak quickly released his Dragonite. "Then we'd best get going."

000

"Ugh, why are our jobs so frivolous these days?" James asked to Jessie, the blue haired man looking irritated as he stood at his patrol. His partner Jessie was polishing her nails.

"It's not like we have to engage in backbreaking work," she said fairly. "All we do is sit around and report when anyone comes by. It's a life of relaxation."

"Maybe, but I'd rather be seen as a dashing rogue!" James exclaimed. "A dangerous yet very handsome man that commits the most devious of crimes. James Levesque, the smooth criminal."

"How about James Levesque, the corpse."

James turned around just in time to see Alexander slam the pommel of his rapier into his head, knocking him out immediately. Jessie's eyes went wide as she grabbed a walkie talkie. "Sir, Code Re-"

"I would not finish that sentence if I were you," a shrewd cold voice said. Jessie felt the weight of a katana pressed to her neck. Koga whispered into her ear. "Tell them it was a false alarm.

"M-my apologies sir!" Jessie said, not missing a beat. "False alarm sir, no intruders on our territory."

"Tell him it was a stray Growlithe," Koga said.

"Er…just a Growlithe, sir!"

The voice on the other end gave an irritated bark. Jessie gulped and dropped it on the ground. Alex walked forward, crushing it.

"Where are the others?" Koga asked, not releasing his grip.

"There's only two of us left," Jessie said simply. They're at the top of the tower."

"Fine. Green, be a dear and take care of them?" Alexander said, speaking as though she were there.

"Roger," her voice said through a loud amount of static. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a man screamed as he fell off the top, hitting the ground with a horrible cracking noise.

Green hopped down, flanked by two ninjas. "Taken care of!"

Alexander gave her a weary smile. "You know; I'm surprised you aren't one of the Ninja. You move stealthily enough."

"That's just how I am," Green said with a grin. "Though that isn't a bad career option."

"We'd be lucky to have someone like you, especially considering how low our numbers are," Koga muttered. He snapped his fingers, signaling the other Ninja that the area was secure.

"Now, what to do with the two of you," Alexander said to Jessie and a feebly stirring James, both looking terrified.

"Please don't kill them Alex," The Fishing Guru said with a sigh. "They could still be of some use to us."

"Fine then. You two. Tell us everything you know about Team Rocket's plans and I'll let you live, simple as that," Alexander said brusquely, folding his arms.

"I…well we know he's going to be attacking Silph Co." Jessie said helplessly. "There's something he wanted from Mr. Silph."

"And that's all you know?" Koga asked, an eyebrow.

"Of course, we are but lowly border guards," James said pleadingly. "We don't know about our boss's true plans!"

"Fine," Alexander said shortly. "But you're coming with us, make no mistake."

"Is there a river near here by any chance?" Guru asked suddenly. One of Koga's Ninjas pointed over to the left. Guru gave a quick thanks and jogged over to where a quiet stream was flowing.

He crouched down, before letting out a taxicab whistle. Almost immediately, a Magikarp burst out of the water.

Guru handed the Karp a small bit of paper that it closed its mouth around, diving back into the water.

Alexander walked over, a bit curious. "What was that about?"

Guru gave his easy smile. "Just sending a message downstream. Hopefully it'll give some of our friends word of where we are."

Alexander nodded. "We're only a day off from Saffron. Should we camp out for the night?"

"Let's get a little further, I want to get as far away from this Carvhanna nest before the mother comes," Guru said with a light chuckle.

000

"So, are you sure they'll be alright?" Yellow asked distractedly as she healed Tyrone, growing fatigued from all of the energy she expended. Red was watching her work with interest as he used a knife to peel an apple. Espeon was looking out the window, but she nodded.

"I am absolutely certain. We've been running drills for weeks, and in all honesty we've spent over a year avoiding them. We seem to have a good trick for avoiding them."

"Still….." Red said uneasily. "There's nothing we can do to support them?"

"You of all people should know that you even being seen through a window is more dangerous than one of the others on their own surrounded by a group of psychics. You are the famous Red after all."

She said the last part with a slight blush. Red didn't notice it, instead pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.. "Still, I don't like waiting around in here, even if it's the safest option. I feel trapped."

Espeon snickered. "Don't we all? Once they arrive we'll make our plans. And you CAN move around you know. This IS a hotel."

"It is?" Red asked, surprised. "How is this safe then?"

"I mean this USED to be a hotel. It's been abandoned for over a year now, so we've been using it for our base of operations. We're running a generator, so it's a pretty comfortable place."

Red nodded. "Yellow, why don't you take a look around. I'm going to take over with the healing. Besides, you look exhausted."

Yellow tried to make a few weak protests, but Red succeeded in dragging her away, picking up a potion from his bag. Tyrone stared at Red impassively.

Red sprayed the Nidoking over his wounds, and he winced a little. As he worked, Red patted his head.

"I'm glad you're safe, by the way. I just wanted you to know that."

Ash nodded, giving Tyrone a thumb's up. The ornery Nidoking let out a gruff chuckle.

"I'm sorry for berating you for thinking he was dead," Yellow said quietly. "That was out of line."

"No, you were right," Red argued. "Most Pokemon would be dead by now, and I was being delusional. Ty just has a penchant for performing miracles."

Tyrone grinned at this, cracking his knuckles, as Yellow giggled. Espeon's eyes went wide.

"How are you able to control him like that? His power it is…. immeasurable!"

Red shrugged. "I don't really. He sort of just…. jumps ahead."

Espeon shook her head. "I don't think you understand how much will and power it takes to train a Nidoking with this level of power. Honestly this is amazing! You must teach me your tactical brilliance!"

Her expression was so eager and hopeful that Red felt an odd urge to coo at her adorable display. He had to remind himself that despite her sullenness and maturity she couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

"Like as an apprentice?" Red said, half joking, but Espeon blushed again and turned away. A jolt of surprise struck Red when he realized that was exactly what she wanted.

"Urgh…listen I-" Red started, but suddenly Espeon perked up. "They're here!"

On cue, Red heard laughing coming from outside, and the door slamming open.

A small group of people, (Misty and Blue among them) stepped into the cramped room. Red recognized the girl who called herself the Copycat, but there were three others he didn't recognize. One of them had dark skin and curly hair, and a wicked grin on his face with a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to his back.

The other two were a girl and a boy that looked almost identical, with very elfin features. They looked incredibly limber, and it was obvious from their features that the two were closely related.

All of them were flushed, like they were having the time of their lives, making Red feel slightly jealous. Blue clasped Red's shoulder.

"You should have been there, dude. We EMBARRASSED Team Rocket."

"Yes, speaking of which, sorry for taking so long," Copycat said, rubbing her head. "We um…wanted to show off a little."

"Please spare me the details," Espeon said, rolling her eyes. "I have no idea where you find the fun in that."

"You kidding? We looked badass out there!" The archer said as Misty handed Red the Poke balls that belonged to the rest of his team. "Although I wish Red stayed."

"Hmmm?" Red asked in confusion.

"You're Red Ketchum!" The other boy said. "You're like an inspiration to us! Like when you fought off an entire base of Team Rocket guards and beat the boss in a one on one!"

"Well that was just a decoy-" Red started, but the boy's look alike had gotten wound up too.

"Or when you got stabbed in the chest more times than you've beaten Blue, and got up and asked for more!"

Blue coughed loudly, as Red winced a little, putting a hand on his chest. Blue smirked to show he was joking and the two of them laughed.

"Don't even bring up the stories of your Butterfree," the archer said with mirth. "The one who has more psychic power then Sabrina and all her Pokemon combined?"

Red coughed. "Okay I can see these exaggerations are getting out of hand. I'm sure in a week you'll realize how much of a disappointment I am. But in the meantime, who are you guys?"

"Leo is my name," the archer said with an easy smile. "Best bowman in all of Kanto."

"My name's Benny, and this is my sister Lacy," the elfin boy said. "We used to be part of the Kanto trapeze before joining the Saffron Resistance."

"And I assume that's how you were zipping all over the place?" Red asked.

"Yeah!" Lacy said excitedly. "We have Tanglea strapped to our backs and use their vines to zip through the air. It's pretty fun!"

"Huh…that kinda reminds me of Erika," Red said slowly.

"Yeah we read your report, that's how we got the idea!" Lacy said excitedly, like a hyperactive puppy. "You should try it!"

"And I HAVE heard of you," Red said, pointing to Copycat. "You do disguises, right?"

"Yup! I make the best costumes around!" Copycat said proudly. "In fact, my Team Rocket disguise was so good I ended up being becoming the 'best man' at one of my 'associates' wedding. We ended up trashing the party, of course."

"Very delicious cake that day," Leo said wistfully.

"Of course it was a great disguise until SOMEONE spilled juice all over it!" Copycat growled at Lacy, who winced.

"I already apologized for that!"

Espeon sighed. "Why don't we all get something to eat. I'm sure everyone is very hungry."

Misty blushed as her stomach growled at the thought of eating. Blue and Copycat both snickered.

000

For people who had never met before, dinner was a surprisingly loud and boisterous occasion. Red, Yellow, Blue, and Misty hadn't eaten properly for days, so they were ravenously devouring everything in sight as the members of the Saffron Resistance watched. Because there were many rooms in the hotel, everyone had released their Pokemon to let them relax. The good mood had even Red grinning, his already improved move boosting further with the high spirits.

"So you guys had it rough, right?" Leo asked casually eyeing the way Blue was wolfing down a hamburger.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Misty said with a dry chuckle. "You guys heard about Fuchsia on the news, right?"

Benny snickered. "Hotel Wifi, remember?" Before Lacy punched him in the arm.

"Yeah we've heard some of it," Lacy said seriously. "But as usual Team Rocket won't let the newscaster give out the full story."

"All we really know is that there was some sort of Ninja civil war," Copycat said through a mouthful of pasta.

"It still had Team Rocket written all over it though," Espeon said, apparently able to multitask as she read a novel.

Red nodded darkly. "They joined forces in the attack. And we haven't been able to regroup with the rest of the Light stone, so for all we know we may be all that's left of the rebellion against Team Rocket."

A long silence washed over them like a tight black wave. No matter how happy they could be, Team Rocket's presence always seemed to always overwhelm them with negative emotion.

Finally, Copycat got up. "Alright enough of this misery, let's get some drinks. I think we all could use them."

When she came back with several bottles of alcohol, Blue's eyes went wide, and even Misty couldn't help but let out a whimper.

Yellow gulped. "Aren't we um…. a little too young for this?"

"Oh don't be such a prude!" Copycat laughed, slapping Yellow on the back and causing her to wince. "We deserve to be happy, don't we?"

"Old enough to drink, old enough to fight!" Blue said cheerfully, already grabbing for a bottle.

"Hey Espy? Do you want a ginger ale or something? I hate to leave you out of this," Copycat said, raising an eyebrow.

"Bite me," Espeon grumbled, looking back at her book. Apparently even someone like Copycat has a line that she wouldn't cross.

Red himself looked at the bottle longingly, but shook his head when he saw Yellow's incredibly uncomfortable look. "Yellow, I need to talk with you later, and I'd prefer not to do it as a surly drunk."

Yellow gave him a look of such gratitude that completely made up for losing his chance at drinking away his problems. "Oh yeah. Um I won't drink either then."

Misty rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Let the party begin."

000

Barely an hour later, nearly everyone was drunk.

Misty and Blue were anyway, laughing and slurring and just generally making complete fools of themselves. Both Lacy and Benny seemed to be intoxicated as well, and Copycat looked like she was having a fun time watching them. Despite letting them drink, Red noticed that she still made sure that they wouldn't go TOO overboard.

Leo was in better shape, apparently having a better tolerance than his comrades and holding pleasant conversation with an awkward looking Yellow. Red couldn't help but feel his stomach tighten as Yellow laughed at something Leo said….

"Hey Red….. can you show me some of your strategies?" Lacy laughed, sliding next to Red. Red blinked as she threw an arm around him, and he could practically taste the alcohol on her breath.

"Don't embarrass yourself," Red said quietly. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Old enough to want you," Lacy said seductively, grinding against him as Red tried to shoot Leo warning glances. But the archer merely looked like he was trying not to laugh.

Yellow suddenly caught sight of him, turning pink. "HEY LET'S PLAY A GAME! A GROUP GAME!" She shouted out loud enough to distract Lacy and allowing Red to slowly slip away from her grip.

Copycat grinned, throwing her a knowing look. "You know, we do have showers and hot water. No offense to you guys, but you smell worse than Skunktank."

Both Red and Yellow's eyes went wide. Actual water that would clean them?

"Um…where is this shower you speak of?" Red asked, trying to stay casual. Leo let out a snort of laughter.

"Every room should have one. Just pick one."

Red and Yellow both walked out of the room and down the hall immediately, looking desperate. Copycat laughed, sitting next to Leo as Lacy's head slammed against the table, already exhausted.

"I wonder if they'll take the hint and share that shower together," Copycat said with a little smile. "If anyone needs a little relief, it's those two."

Leo chuckled. "We're still kids, Mimi. Could you be a little more appropriate?"

Copycat shook her head sadly. "After what we've all been through? We can't call ourselves kids anymore."

Blue and Misty were trying to hold a conversation without slurring, and they both seemed to realize what the other was doing, and that was beginning to make them laugh.

Blue wiped a tear from his eye. "You know, we aren't too different from each other, aren't we?"

Misty grinned a little. "How so.?

Blue shook his head. "Uh…different from Red anyway. We have a way of articulat-er atricu-speaking, talking, you know what I mean?"

Misty laughed again. "Yeah I can see that. And you've-well you've definitely improved in my book. You aren't crying about your dead parents and trying to kill us anymore anyway."

Blue frowned. "I'm going to tack that up to being inxotictated. Er inotixated? Drunk I mean."

Misty chuckled. "Please do. I don't really trust myself to act rationally right now. So don't think I mean anything by this."

She leaned over and kissed him.

A heavy blush went over Blue's face, but his mind vaguely told him to kiss back. For a few seconds there was bliss, but the smell of alcohol was eventually too strong and they found themselves forcing to break away.

"I…d-damn Misty, I didn't know that was how you-" Blue started, but Misty shushed him by putting a finger to his lips.

"This has been coming on for a while now. Since you danced with me. I-I know you were trying to help me get Red, but he isn't the person I remember. But at the same time…neither are you."

Blue grinned. "I've liked you forever Misty. Since we were kids. But you hated me so I didn't know how to act."

Misty wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well…look, the past is in the past right? If I remember correctly, we were interrupted during our last dance. Why don't we make up for lost time?"

Blue grinned. "I'd like that, Mermaid."

The two danced, but unlike last time where there was a sense of quick moves and a competitiveness that could only come from a platonic friendship, this dance was slow, drunken, and sloppy, and anything but platonic.

000

The Pokemon of all the trainers were for the most part relaxing, though Blue's Pokemon seemed to have inherited his rowdy nature and were running across the halls, finally having time to run around and be free. Jolteon once again acted like the mother of the team, running around and making sure that nothing was permanently damaged.

Yellow's Pokemon were holding up a pleasant conversation with the SR Pokemon, the Tanglea showing off how they were able to be used as grappling hooks.

In a quieter room, Luca was lying on the bed, sagging the entire thing close to the ground as he wrapped a vine around a bag of potato chips.

Will was taking some tools and tending OZZO's battered body, Dillan trying to somehow hide the fact that he was destroying the floor as he spoke evenly to Ash, who was sitting on top of Luca's head.

Lucina was sitting by the window, looking outside at the beautiful golden buildings of Saffron during the night, watching several Team Rocket grunts make their rounds with flash lights. She sighed a little.

"Ugh, I hate how Yellow can't heal robots….I'm tired of always having to repair OZZO after every fight," Will groaned as worked on one of the wires sticking out of an orifice where his ear would normally be.

"You are quite the technician, aren't you?" Ash said, a hint of awe in his tone. "Where did you even learn to do that?"

"My dad was a Magnemite," Will said simply.

Lucina looked over. "Will, that doesn't even make sense. Magnemite don't have genders. It would be like you being OZZO'S father."

Will coughed, mock offended. "I am OZZO's father. How dare you!"

Luca giggled at this, but the shuddering of his body caused a spring to break. "Uh…. whoops?"

Ash's eyebrow rose. "Luca. Dude, I love you, but you weigh a lot. You realize how much collateral you are going to make us pay?"

Will nodded. "He already devoured all the snacks in here."

Ash gasped. "Luca, do you know how much this stuff COSTS?"

Luca looked down, ashamed, but Will rose a hand. "Well to be fair, I DID take all the water bottles."

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, similar to how Red did whenever he was exasperated. "Why?"

Will shrugged. "I needed water to put Carver in to be able to swim. He can't flop around all the time you know."

"It's true!" Carver glugged from the bathroom in a much bigger water tank then before.

Ash giggled. "Fair enough."

Lucina suddenly flew away from the window. "I'm going to go find Tyrone. He's being surly again."

"I'm just glad he's okay," Luca said softly. "I'd hug the guy if I didn't know that he'd punch me in the face."

"INDEED! THE PROBABILITY OF TYRONE PUNCHING YOU IS 100% IF YOU SHOW AFFECTION!" OZZO suddenly shouted in his tinny voice.

Will lowered his glasses. "I thought I put you in sleep mode."

"NET NANNY DENIES ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE!"

Ash's ear suddenly perked up. "My trainer sense is tingling. Red's in trouble."

Luca looked down. "You think? All I heard is that he was going to take a shower. Yellow too."

Ash's eyes bugged out. "Oh no."

"What the hell is your problem?" Will asked with a laugh. "You think he's going to slip on the soap and break his neck?"

But Ash was already running out of the room. "I HAVE TO PROTECT MY TRAINER'S INNOCENCE! NOOOOO!"

Luca gave him a strange look as Will chuckled. "We really are a strange bunch, aren't we?"

Lucina found Tyrone, sitting by himself as usual. She coughed. "Um….hi Tyrone."

The Nidoking huffed. "Wow. Haven't heard that voice in a while. You usually use that telepathy of yours."

Lucina nodded. "I've been resting my powers. I've been using up quite a bit of it over these last few days."

The awkward silence was interrupted by Tyrone's gruff laugh. "I'm getting a feeling of déjà vu here."

"Agreed," Lucina said cautiously. "How are you feeling right now? What happened to you must have been traumatizing."

"Since when did you care?" Tyrone asked with a low grumble. "You've always hated me."

"I didn't-well, I did hate you a little at first. But I wasn't being fair. When you well…..when we thought you died we were all hit hard by it."

"Even you?" Tyrone asked pointedly.

"Especially me!" The Butterfree said forcefully. "It haunted me that we hadn't ended on good terms. It was awful! And we're a team Tyrone. We all care about each other. Can you honestly say you don't miss Hawkeye and Sydney?"

Tyrone closed his eyes. "I hated that bird bastard. He was obnoxious and thought he was way tougher than he actually was. He was a smug asshole."

Lucina gave him a deadpanned look.

Tyrone sighed. "Yeah I miss him. And Sydney…. well heh okay I can see where you're coming from."

Lucina nodded. "And when you did come back, you looked different. The way you acted was far more mature."

"How so?" Tyrone asked dryly.

"You knew when to withdraw when fighting that Snorlax," Lucina said simply. "You never would have stopped charging before."

Tyrone shook his head. "Touché. You want to know the truth? When Alakazam threw me into the river, I got scared. For a moment I felt nothing, and that terrified me. I realized I wanted to live."

Lucina slowly smiled. "Well I'll be."

The Nidoking snorted. "And while I'm spilling out my guts, I want you to know that I never hated you the way you hated me. In fact I actually admired you, which made your insults hurt more."

Lucina immediately looked guilty. "Tyrone, I-"

"Save it!" Tyrone growled. "You were right about me and all that. I'm done talking about it."

Lucina's smile was a little crooked. "I suppose some things just never change."

000

Yellow was brushing the tangles out of her wet hair while Red finished up in the shower. She was wearing an oversized shirt of Red's, and had a towel wrapped around her waist.

She had hidden the revolver away, but she could still feel the weight of it in her pocket. For a terrifying moment, when Red was undergoing practically seizures, she had thought she had to use it. And the scariest part was that she was going to do it too. Her pale hands were tightly squeezing the brush handle, shaking a little.

Red opened the door of the shower, wearing a light ninja outfit that had apparently been comfortable, rubbing his hair. "I miss my hat."

Yellow suddenly froze. "Red did you even clean yourself up? You smell terrible!"

Red looked confused. "What do you mean? I spent literally a half hour trying to get the dirt out of my hair-"

But Yellow had already grabbed Red by the back of his shirt, giggling as she pushed the door to the bathroom open.

"Bwuh? Ow, hey why do all you girls have to drag me around? Help? I do not concede! Someone save me!" Red said jokingly as Yellow pushed him back inside, giggling all the while.

000

Espeon was walking down the hall, trying to ignore the banging and partying from all around her, simply deciding to turn in before she had to witness any more destruction. As she passed through the hall, she took a double take when she arrived at Misty's door.

A sock was on the doorknob, and Espeon could hear a quiet moan and some hushed laughter from inside the room.

Espeon, blushing slightly, strode as far away from the room as possible. "I don't even want to know."

She walked over to another room, only to hear a crashing noise and both Red and Yellow stumbling out of the bathroom. They're clothes were drenched and they were laughing hysterically. Ash stumbled out between them, his fur soaked. Apparently he had swallowed soap, for he was coughing out bubbles.

Espeon's eyebrow rose. "I DEFINITELY don't want to know what happened to you two."

Red and Yellow glanced at each other, before breaking out into more laughter. Even Espeon managed a grim smile as she folded her arms and leaned against a wall.

"You seem to be in surprisingly good spirits, especially from what I've heard from your normal disposition," Espeon said with interest.

"Eh, let's just say I'm in a good mood," Red muttered. "Don't get too used to this."

Espeon nodded. "I understand the need to let our hair down. Tomorrow we need to-"

"Discuss our plans, I know," Red said seriously. "We can't stay here long."

"Then I look forward to seeing your battle strategies tomorrow then sir," Espeon said with a bow, before walking off. Red grinned a little.

"I like the ring to that," causing Yellow to giggle again.

Red let out a sigh. "Look this has been fun, but there's still a lot we need to talk about, alright?"

Yellow's face fell a little. "Yeah, I know."

A few minutes after drying off, the two were sitting on Red's bed, both looking a little awkward and uncomfortable.

"Listen Red, if this is something that's too hard to talk about I understand," Yellow said empathetically. "I don't want to force you to-"

"No," Red muttered. "I just well….honestly Yellow I've been feeling much better since I got over that attack. But before that, I felt like my mind was tearing me apart. This voice-it felt like I was being possessed. And you saw how crazy I got."

Yellow nodded, once again showing off that she was the perfect listener. Red looked down.

"I feel much more free but what scares me the most is… I wasn't sure if what that voice told me, was really just my subconscious. What if it was my own head trying to make me fulfill my desires?"

Yellow nodded, her expression looking incredibly sad. Red couldn't meet her eyes. "And some of what it told me, were things that I knew to be true to myself. One thing is clear, I hate this prophecy. It dragged me into something I wasn't ready for, and it led to death in my team. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I haven't wondered what I could have done differently. What I-"

Yellow moved over to him, pulling Red into a soft and gentle hug. "Just shut up Red. I know it's hard for someone as smart as you, but try not to think for a little while. Just enjoy this."

Red held her in his arms in a way that definitely wasn't normal for platonic friends. When Yellow had forced him in the shower, they had dumped different brands of shampoo on each other, and they both still smelled like strawberry. It was a comfortable feeling.

Red cracked a small grin that he reserved only for her and Ash. "You look cute in my clothes by the way."

Yellow laughed. "Sorry for taking them without asking."

Her expression grew wistful. "I missed this Red. We haven't been able to play around like that in a long time. I miss it."

Red sighed. "I tell myself that about a lot of my memories of the past. Somehow without fail, everything seems to somehow get worse."

000

Giovanni was not having a good day. He had stepped on something strange on his way to work and his meeting had been delayed by an attack on Saffron's wall that had destroyed it, along with virtually his entire border guard. He had no doubt in his mind that Red was behind the attack, for several of his Pokemon had been seen.

It was now very late, and he was in a testy mood. When Malcolm finally entered his office, Giovanni had to bite his tongue to stop himself from throwing a cruel taunt.

Malcolm quite frankly looked like a mess.

He had apparently had let himself go over the past few years after being demoted, his eyes were sunken and his face was pale. He had grown a long, untamed beard that didn't manage to cover his broken expression. He had taken up odd jobs after his fall from grace, and his colleagues treated him worse than a lowly grunt.

"S-sir?" He croaked out, looking utterly lost.

Giovanni leaned back in his chair, his ears still ringing from the numerous phone calls he had to make. "Malcolm, I'll be curt with you. We have reason to believe Red Ketchum is in the city."

Malcolm suddenly looked wide awake. "Where?" he whispered softly, a sense of triumph in his eyes.

"I just told you," Giovanni said with distaste. "And despite your many failures, you have by far had the most experience with him, making you our Red 'Expert'. That's why I'm promoting you."

Malcolm's eyes were shining, gratitude etched on his face. "Th-thank you sir!"

"You will lead the investigation on Red's whereabouts," Giovanni said coldly. "Consider this your last chance. You do not want to disappoint me again, or more than your job will be lost."

"Of course sir! I will not fail!" Malcolm said with a salute, looking as though Christmas had come early.

"And shave that hideous thing on your face," Giovanni snapped. "You look like a savage!"

But Malcolm had already run out of the room, apparently beside himself.

Giovanni rubbed his chin. "The irony of his situation once amused me. But years have passed and he's beginning to grow wearing."

He walked over to one of the wide windows of his office, staring off at the Silph Building.

"I admit, Red. You made a bold move. But it is far from checkmate."

000

Holy shit! LONGEST CHAPTER OF MY ENTIRE LIFE! WOOOOOOW!

Yes, Tyrone IS alive. He survived a battle with a Kadabra with like 2 HP. Thought I'd somehow incorporate that.

Hehe new OCS! 'OCS' named after Fire Emblem characters' trend continues! How do you guys feel about these guys? Fun? Bland? Obnoxious?

I actually liked how this chapter came out. I think my skills as a writer really improved to this. Am I wrong? Feel free to criticize my awful work.