A/N: This is a spiritual sequel to Blaec Iustice though it can be read on its own. Spoiler alerts through, the first paragraph is the last chapter of my previous Pokemon Fanfic.


Memory of Death

The execution platform loomed, a scaffolding of black pipes, gold bits of marble and a polished wooden stage. It leapt larger than life and as Red surveyed it, tendrils of fear rose from the pit of his stomach and clawed in his throat. Muffling all the other sounds reverberating in the oak paneled room. He broke his gaze away, his throat burned. Parched. Blood red irises gave the spacious room a listless sweep, people jostled, their frantic cries intermingling with the desperate pleas of his heartbeat. Alas, it was too late. Too late for regrets; and too late to cling to the blooming desire of life which ignited somewhere deep within his being. His skin prickled, goose-bumps rose along his arms, betraying fear. He quashed that fear. The fighter shall bare his weakness to those who wronged him. He swallowed and calmed himself. Blue wailed and the bisharp silenced her with a sharp gaze. His friends marched up and the world around him broke apart and rejoined to a different scene. Standing on top of the gleaming circlet of wood, he beheld fuzzy faces staring at him. Somewhere in the vast sea of people, stood Yellow, Diamond...Gold, Misty...Sapphire. And all those he cared about. Shutting his eyes, he steered them towards Green. The strategy leader held himself together with frayed threads of composure. Opposite him stood, Blue. Beautiful, sassy Blue, who broke down altogether and sobbed. Far below, Red spied Lack-2, his face pale and ghostly.

A plume of blood obscured his vision.

The feeble desire of life roared. It turned into an inferno. Fire and passion swirled in a destructive vortex.

Unfortunately...He was too late.

True to their word, they released Blue. A tiny part of him wanted to smile at her, but his facial muscles refused to co-operate. She went down, a whirlwind of tangled hair, tears and curses; and fell over her adopted brother. A sharp throb of pain stabbed Red. He had no true family. No one to call his own. Marveling at his greed and selfishness, he struggled against the bonds tying him. A clamor rose. Voices swelled. He reveled in the panic streaming from both the police and nobles. A retinue of guards scrambled up the short flight of stairs and the stage thundered. They swarmed with new restraints. Resisting the urge to growl, Red made their task difficult. Dragged across the platform, he caught a silver of snow white silk, smeared with a bright red stain of blood. The fight ebbed from his body and the retainers forced him into a kneel. From his elevated position he stared at Misty. Her eyes brimmed with tears, mouth curled into a grim slash and a mixture of pain, worry and disbelief screwed her face. And perhaps he imagined it, but deep within her cerulean irises, he glimpsed a longing for him.

Perhaps he imagined it.

Red did not want to see her cry; he did not want to see anyone cry. Gratitude welled in his chest, fighting for space amongst pride and the desire to live. Angling his face upwards, he gazed at the gold gilded ceiling and his face reflected, a distorted smudge he mistook for a monster. The teasing blade hand of a bisharp rested on the back of his neck and in response, the fine hairs stood, playing with the razor sharp edge. Behind him a gavel sounded. Nobunaga nodded. And an indescribable pain initiated. Bisharp, uncaring and unfeeling, cut into his nape, the sword hand bit into flesh, cold silver drawing forth warm, crimson blood. Red swallowed a scream of agony. The audience gasped and twittered. Good, a twinge of satisfaction briefly dimmed the pain.. His mind numbed, a white hot pain flared from the base of his skull. Screeching. The world swung between brief spells of white and black. Agony and the bliss of weightlessness. Undeterred by bone, bisharp dutifully sawed, its face and blade hands shining with flecks of blood. It did not stop, not when it tasted misery wafting from the human in perceptible waves, nor when the human's thread of life dwindled into nothingness. Pressing on his lips, Red's eyes stung with tears, his vision swam. He tried to snatch a last glimpse of the people dear to him. Of the Dex Criminals, his best friends and of the ginger haired woman who watched him, however, his vision blurred.

And he stopped seeing altogether.

His last breath was a shaky exhale. Blood coated Red's thick hair as the head rolled across a puddle and came to a stop. The cleaner hastily covered it with a large sheet of cloth and noticed a single tear cascade down the dead man's cheek.

The convict smiled in death.


Unknown time

Unknown place

Waves lapped on the beach, hunger in the rhythmic tides as it licked against powdered pokemon shells and sand before the powerful ocean swept them back to where they belonged. Overhead, a patrol of wingull and pelipper skimmed atop cream foamed waves. Their screeching echoed far and wide and they circled an inert individual lying on sand. Another creature eyed them warily and when the birds swooped to take a better look, a palm sized rock sailed out of the air and scattered them. Hurling curses, they flew away, to the wicked, sable plains beyond the picturesque beach. The sky painted a kaleidoscope of colors and when Red woke, he stared wondrously at the layered artwork of burnt orange, electric blue and vivid pinks clamoring for attention. His eyes swiveled downwards, locking on to the half-submerged sun casting a fiery glow on the oily surface of the ocean.

The moment lasted for an eternity.

A patchwork of dancing colors hypnotized him and quite rudely, he tamed his thoughts to pressing matters. His limbs weighed like lead and a phantom pain tickled the back of his neck. It reached a crescendo and he screamed. The sound slapped against the large boulders dotted on the beach and the air smacked his guttural tones back to him. His animalistic screech echoed and re-echoed. Unbeknownst to him, the other individual on the beach flinched. Exhaling, he focused on his churning mind. Questions floated, whipping around in the confines of his throbbing head before disappearing under the whirlpool of more thoughts. Suppressing them violently, he opted to stare at the mesmerizing form of the ocean and soon the soothing lullaby of the waves calmed him. It vacuumed his mind. The back of his neck throbbed dully but the physical discomfort meant little when the ocean commanded his thoughts. In and out. In and out the waves lapped, the gulls screeched and Red sat, listless, hypnotized and lifeless.

Lifeless.

How am I alive? He wondered and remembered very clearly that he was supposed to be dead. Dead…the word sounded foreign. It stuck in his throat and fluttered around in the shady catacombs of his mind. Unable to accept, he said it out aloud:

"I'm dead…" his voice emerged as a breathy, shaking whisper. Inhaling deeply, he tried again.

"I am…dead."

Dead.

Screwing his eyes shut. He recalled the final moments of his life.

His memory of death.

Eyes flying open, he recalled something else. His best friend, Green. Come to think of it, where was the jade eyed adolescent and how was he, Red, alive? A wave of nausea washed over him, he did not want this miracle. Did Arceus spare him and send Green to join the ranks of the dead? Anger, red hot and fiery, erupted in his chest and he allowed the negative sensation to course through his veins. The roaring emotion promptly subdued when he peeked at the ocean. Once again, the sea demanded his attention, soothing him and returning his mind to a blank slate. He felt exhausted and the ruminations running rampant in his head, sickened him. Red did not want to be alive, the spark of life burning brightly in his chest curled up, shielding itself from anything fueling it. For a minute, he closed his eyes and visions sprung to existence; painful reminiscences of his carefree life. His skin itched awfully, the sand and microscopic pieces of long extinct pokemon shells, pressed into the surface of his body. Somehow, the pain enlivened him. He could feel pain, he savored fear and loneliness and the realization brought on a twisted sense of satisfaction which whisked into unfathomable despair. As far as he saw, not another soul remained in sight. Red was alone. But then again, he only stared in one direction and it showed him the endless sea. Soft murmurs, carried by a balmy breeze, whispered of warm nothingness. His eyes drifted shut and he listened intently. Red delved into a state where everything was black, blank and free.

A shadow landed on him.

Cracking his eyes, Red gawked at the fire type leaning dangerously close. The creature studied him with an inquisitive, human like gaze. Automatically, Red's eyes swiveled back to the sea, his mind violently quashing the similarities between Green's charmander and the flame pokemon currently peering at him. With gargantuan effort, he surveyed the landscape around him. It seemed familiar and alien at the same time. From the scenery around him, he deduced that he lied on one of Kanto's beaches. His home region? Perhaps he landed at the shores of Cinnabar Island? He allowed himself the luxury of wistful thinking. Patiently, the fire lizard stared at him, maintaining a respectful distance. Crimson irises swung and subjected the charmander to a second glance. A pair of perfect, jade irises sat on the creature's face. It was so...Green. Sighing, Red decided to befriend the charmander. The ponderation elicited a small smile on his face. Grinning at the beast who tentatively stepped forward, Red balked at the size of the creature. Surely a base state pokemon should not be this huge? Wisps of heat emanated from the fire type and Red flinched. It hurt. A faint flame burned on the tip of a scraggly, twitching tail and a thin stream of smoke escaped its nostrils. Nonetheless, Red wanted to adopt the creature and inwardly his mind snorted at the idea of name the charmander.

The original Green might not appreciate it his name bestowed on a fire breathing lizard.

"So...Green." Red uttered and the monster tilted his head calculatingly, "from this day on, let's be best friends alright?" The beast shifted a few paces backwards and Red gulped, wincing at his parched throat. "My name is..."

"Red." The charmander finished. "...Glad you woke up, I began to have my doubts about whether you were him or not."

The waves of the sea lapped in a timeless manner.

High above in the pink streaked sky, an annoying wingull squawked.

Red blinked.

A krabby scuttled past the duo, muttering about trials and clicking its scarlet pincers.

It spoke...Red's mind offered unhelpfully.

"It SPOKE!" The crimson eyed individual exclaimed and struggled to sit up; he pushed himself off the sand, wobbled and ungracefully crashed on all fours. Blinking rapidly and feeling the familiar stirrings of panic gripping his chest and throat, he peered downwards to see his body covered in some type of greenish tinge. No! His mind corrected, he did not have human arms and legs. Instead, and to his utmost horror and confusion, he morphed into a quadrupled monster with pockmarked, reptilian skin and an unbearably heavy object rooted on his back. Balance offset, Red spent the next few, paranoia filled moments trying to right himself, however, each attempt ended up failure. Bits of quartz embedded on the bumpy surface of his skin and grit irritated his large, crystalline eyes.

Charmander watched his best friend flail about uselessly and rolled his eyes. The tip of his tail twitched, the orange flame blended into a blur and more smoke seeped through his nostrils, dusting the creases in his leather skin. "Well, yes." He continued, the epitome of calm. "I can speak and so can you. Did you take a good look at yourself? You are a bulbasaur."

"I...what?" Recoiling at the fire type towering over him, Red teetered dangerously on his stubby feet and tried not to cower in the presence of a first stage pokemon. Was this charmander mutated or something? How could it be this huge? He'd understand if it was a charizard looming over him... "Wait...What did you say? I'm a bulbasaur?" Red gawped at himself, specifically the parts of his body he could look at. A green, scaly skin replaced his pale, human one. Instead of two arms and legs, he had four. He ran a tongue across his lips and tasted salt and lemongrass and the sweetish-sour tang befuddled him. "Okay...I am a bulbasaur...I think." He screwed his face and scrutinized himself again.

"Still not the brightest bulb are you, Red?" Oak snickered and moved back when his comrade whirled on the spot. The bulbasaur trailed a sickly sweet aroma from its partially open bulb and Green spied a flock of birds veering close to them.

The seed pokemon tilted its head in a manner similar to Saur and a pair of gleaming fangs poked from beneath his top lip. Red, toppling into the sand due to the weight of the bulb, paused and slowly, enlightenment dawned on his face, papery lips curled in a grin, further exposing teeth. "Green..." he indolently added, "is that you?"

"...Yes genius!" Oak replied and sneezed, a spark flew and Red yelped in fear. "Arceus," Charmander growled and wiped soot off his nose, "I can't believe I willingly followed someone as dumb as you." He joked lightheartedly but instantaneously, the smile on Red's face melted. Green's words struck a deep chord in the grass type and a sensation of profound sorrow nestled in the pit of bulbasaur's stomach. Static memories rushed in like a wild wave and his heart emptied. Your fault, a voice in his head cruelly resonated with the beating of his heart. It was his fault Green was dead; and single handedly, he ruined the futures of many people with glittering careers ahead of them. Gold, a raven haired, mischief eyed prospective champion. Diamond, slow, contemplative, simmering, could revolutionize the battling system with his theories of defense. Blue, a woman who could either pass for a supermodel or as a specialist in the fields of evolution and Green, a man who might have surpassed his grandfather as a famous researcher, or, be a mentor to the next Kanto Champion. Alas, Red killed his best friend because of a stupid, selfish wish. A burning, consuming desire to see his long deceased parents. If any of his friends found out...Bulbasaur's conscious shied away and shriveled for a period of self-loathing.

You are a murderer. It spat.

Pawing the sand, Red plopped in a little hollow he created and solemnly faced Green who struggled with wiping off the ash raining from his nose. Flickers of flame danced around his closed jaws and Oak too, warily sat opposite his best friend. "Green...I apologize for killing you." Red lowered his eyes, "I am sorry for murdering you. You had a wonderful career ahead of you. Professor Oak and Daisy...I left them without a grandson and a brother." Bulbasaur paused; his bud opened and leaked noxious spores. "You were a famous researcher and I roped you into joining me and my brainless shenanigans. Maybe if things were different, if I wasn't so dumb...If I broke free from my self-induced prison and did something else, we would not be here. You wouldn't be here." Red whispered and shook his head sadly. "Perhaps..." the scarlet eyed creature choked back a hiccup, "if you were alive, you could've gotten married and I'd be the proud uncle of your children." He managed a shaky laugh, "guess I'd be training the future champion huh? But no...they…are just pipe dreams I conjured to comfort myself. Green..." Red eyed the sandy floor, he tried desperately to raise his eyes and meet his best friend's gaze, but his head did not rise up. "Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I am so sorry."

Green watched the bulb on Red's back open and close. His friend stopped spewing toxic and although the mauve grains of powdered poison irritated Oak's nose, his comrade seemed unaffected by the purple dust. Charmander opened his mouth to say something, unfortunately, he hacked up a fireball and it alighted on the tip of bulbasaur's bulb. It took several moments for his anguished friend to feel the burn and after articulating a mighty scream, Red scampered as fast as his squatty legs could carry him, and tripped over the smooth apex of a boulder buried in sand. The smoking tip of the fragrant bulb rooted in wet sand and the fire puffed out. Charmander watched incredulously as his friend waved its extremities about in the air. Thankfully, no permanent damage occurred and Red simply warbled for help. The vermillion lizard sighed and cringed when embers escaped open jaws. He froze, morbidly fascinated by the orange cinders as it floated away in the wind.

Transitioning from a human to a pokemon was a nasty experience. When Green first woke up, he, like Red, spent a good few minutes hypnotized by the soothing lullaby of the sea. Absentmindedly, he reverted to a human habit of his and ran a tiny set of steel tipped claws over his bald head. Drops of blood decorated his appendages and the top of his head stung. Quickly, he vaulted to the ocean in order to stem the bleeding and whilst he washed himself and cursed at the stinging salt water, his fire tipped tail drooped into the ocean and emitted steam. Green straightened, feeling energy drain from his limbs. The gears in his head turned and he wondered if death chased after him for a second time. This death will be my final, he mused and half turned to see a wisp of smoke rising from behind him. Peering suspiciously at the thin trail, he remembered charmanders generally die when the fire on their tail is snuffed out. Shrieking, he gathered his limp appendage close to his chest and hightailed from the water. A weak flame burned and he gently coaxed it alive. Breathing in relief when the fire briefly blazed, he waved his tail about, basking in a small moment of triumph. Moments later, a bulbasaur materialized on the beach and he simply studied the creature as it snoozed peacefully. Only when the grass type opened his eyes, revealing a pair of blood tinted irises, did Green jolt out of his petrified state.

Groaning, Charmander gazed at his best friend. The bulbasaur waved its short legs comically in the salt tinged air.

Sluggishly, Green ambled towards the flailing bulbasaur, his stomach clenching at the thought of hurting his best friend. He was a fire type, the bane of grass pokemon. Red warbled and sticky sap oozed from his open mouth and seeped into the sand; the bulbasaur wriggled vigorously, in order to free himself. Opening his palm, Oak pushed on the grass type's side and the beast fell back on all fours. Red shook himself and showered his friend in a fine cloud of dust. Giving Green a slightly wary look, he scooted further into the wet sand and allowed the waves to wash over his feet. Sea spray soothed his stinging bulb. A good distance and a ponderous silence separated the two pokemon and charmander shattered it:

"So..." the once jade eyed human absentmindedly raked his scored head and winced when a fresh wave of pain hit him. Quickly, he brought down his limb and inwardly groaned at the scarlet drops tipping his shiny claws. Scraping them over the sand, he added, "Red...You seem to be at a disadvantage here." Red tilted his head in a confused manner and Oak reined his anger, he did not want to spout a flamethrower anytime soon. "You are a grass type Red and I am fire-"

"Yeah?" The seed pokemon challenged and the bulb atop his back opened, "so what? With enough practice, I'll be vine whipping you into oblivion!" He crooned, obviously pleased with himself.

Charmander simply snorted. "I'll burn your bulb into a crisp." He leered and Red recoiled in fear. The fighter's face held a trace of defiance but the way he cowered, prompted Green to chuckle. "Stop looking like I tore your favorite pair of fingerless gloves, I'm just joking." The grass type shook itself pompously and Oak cautiously edged closer. "I'm still not used to this...Being a pokemon that is. Moving is tedious, when I cough, I accidentally shoot out a fire ball. My nose is running with ash and soot and sometimes I scorch myself." As he spoke, he moved closer to Red, without warning, bulbasaur spewed a cloud of stinging yellow pollen in the air and Green merely watched it settle on him. Instantaneously, his skin pricked and body spasmed. His muscles locked into paralysis and hung like dead weights on either side of him.

Opposite the paralyzed charmander, Red petrified. "Yikes, I didn't wanna do that. Eh...I was trying to get my vines out, you know, bulbasaur have vines and such. Like you said, I'm not used to this at all." Green's face froze at his classic glare; Red swallowed the whimper threatening to escape his maw and shuffled closer. He willed for a plume of healing spores to come forth and douse his friend. Despite his frozen state, Green's facial expression schooled into one of horror when a spray of noxious dust fell into his eyes, nose and mouth. Gagging at the acrid taste of venomous spores, he tried its best to move, however, he remained firmly locked and endured the assaults his companion dished out to him. For Mew's sake, if that stupid Red wanted to help, he'd best stop experimenting and spouting random moves. A solar beam, tiny but devastatingly powerful, blasted charmander and he soared through the air, somersaulted and landed back-first into the ocean. Frantically, Green motioned to his tail. It must stay above the water, he telepathically conveyed. Unfortunately, Red was no psychic and instead of aiding him, the crimson eyed creature wrapped a sinewy tendrils around Charmander's throat and happily dragged him across the ocean and onto wet sand. When contact proved to be damning for the grass type, he spat leech seeds and with growing trepidation, Green beheld a leafy safety net covering and tangling with his limp, barely burning tail. The irate charmander growled, let loose a smoke screen by accident and tore the brambles apart. By the time he emerged from the black fog, dragging himself out like a creature from hell, Red stood stout faced behind a boulder.

His body quivered violently, but he put on his best, brave face.

Glaring at his comrade, Green brushed soot off his creamy belly and his stringent mien softened on spying Red's face. The effects of paralyze wore off and his muscles loosened. Movement became easier and his leathery skin rippled, shaking off excess dust and ash. Bulbasaur struggled, eyes screwed shut and mouth curled into a grim slash. A small snap reverberated, his bulb popped open and ejected three withered seeds, Red nudged the brown kernels to his friend and quietly intoned it might patch Green right up.

Oak picked up a seed and imagined choking to death on a potentially deadly alkaloid. Who knew what bulbasaur could manufacture inside their blood? Plant pokemon's anatomy made it possible for them to synthesize both toxic elements and healing compounds. "I'm not taking any chances." He flatly replied and burnt it on his palm. The heat oddly comforted him and he let the grey cinders fall through claws and dust caramel sands. His mind wandered back to the apology his friend worded before the whole fiasco started.

Honestly, Green did not know how to respond to such raw emotions. When Red acted sentimental, it spelt awkwardness for him. Although the confrontation could be put off, Oak did not want to. It would be rude to do so and the creature opposite him, harbored emotional scars. If Green refused the apology, guilt might consume what was left of Red. Putting all of this into thought, he faced the bulbasaur and spoke: "Red...I know you feel guilty about all of this..." He vaguely gestured to himself, "But remember, it was my choice to enter the organization." Bulbasaur opened his mouth and charmander held up a paw to silence him, "You didn't force me; yes I did it because you are my friend...But that's what friends are for right? I'm not angry or sad that I'm dead. Regretful maybe...Yeah, I'm regretful, however staying with the Dex Holders forced me to learn a lot of things. I am not sorry for the time I spent with everyone. Grandpa, Daisy will miss me...Sure...I'm just saying...You don't have to apologize Red. Don't apologize to me."

Green broke off. Tears slid down his leathery skin, steaming all the way. And they evaporated before decorating the beach with wet splats.

Oak wondered if the speech he made were all a bunch of lies.

No...He could not lie to Red.

A heavy quietude separated them. Red shuffled, creating another hollow in the loose sand. "I understand..." Bulbasaur murmured and the words induced a fresh gush of tears. Lumbering, Green aimlessly stared at the ocean and sniffed. He scorched his throat and sat next to Red. The waves lapped carelessly at their feet, and despite time passing since their materialization on the beach, the sun hung midway on the horizon. It never dipped in the slightest. A perpetual sunset, splaying colors over the mirror like surface of the distant sea.

"...Where are we and how are we alive anyway?" The grass type blurted, all the stillness made him fidgety.

"Purgatory." charmander answered.

"..."

Gently, the fire type puffed..."Hell, Red...we are in hell."

I guess after everything I did, I deserve to be here. Red pondered. However, the current scene in front of him did not match his traditional views of hell. Anyone in their right minds would think a picturesque beach was more akin to paradise than purgatory. So what made Green think they landed in hell? The grass type got up, lifted a foot and pointed it towards the scenic horizon, in a surprising feat, he managed to grow two thin vines and point them in the same direction. "You are telling me this is hell?" Red queried disbelievingly, "then I suppose it's not so bad." Wordlessly, his companion carelessly jerked his head back and Red turned around. His mouth fell open in shock.

How did I miss that earlier? The seed pokemon wondered.

They landed in one of the weird paintings Blue and Silver loved to hoard so much. Half of the image painted a serenely beautiful and calming picture whilst the other half defined the word ugly. A thick, rusty red line separated the hellish domain from the beach. Behind them, the soft brown sands of the beach ended abruptly and gave way to several paths. The grey cobblestone streets snaked to a gigantic gate set in the middle. The arch rose above everything else, dwarfing the surroundings and managing to suck in the weak sunlight. Pillars, wreathed in thorns and vines, depicted gothic architecture and a pair of huge, double doors portrayed Giratina and his offshoot, disgustingly altered to show the worst of them. Red's eyes strayed to the side of the entranceway and he noted the pillars frothing. The columns dripped a murky, viscous liquid and spellbound, he watched, as the surface bubbled and faces leaped from the ebony muck. Recoiling, he gazed with morbid fascination when human faces formed out of the fluid and reared outwards, their mouths opened in silent wails of terror. The bud on bulbasaur's back tightened; he heard a faint lament carried by the warm breeze. A plea of help. A begging for forgiveness. To his growing horror, he recognized two of those faces...His and Green's. Their twisted expressions jumped out. Stamped with misery and untold suffering, their visages tried in vain to separate themselves from the rest of the liquid wall. Morosely, the two pokemon bore witness as the ominous pillars sucked their last, human remnant and the faces dissolved. A part of Red faded. Lost forever. Stomach heaving anxiously, he screwed his eyes shut and quivered.

Charmander got up and bulbasaur whipped his head around to ogle. His best friend resolutely strode towards the desolate land. Beyond the freakish gate, the terrain fell in shades of ash grey and sable; wicked plains and spindly towers dotted the horizon. Scrambling after Oak, bulbasaur retched at the stench wafting from the gate.

"Wait!" he gasped, "Green...What are you doing?"

"I'm going in there...You have to come as well. We might find clues as to how this place works."

"You wanna know how hell works?" the bulbasaur quivered at the thought, "let me tell you, it's all pain and blazing fire...Which...might not be so bad for you. Heck! This is unfair!"

"If we stay here, we will forget ourselves. You noticed it didn't you? When you first woke up, the sea commanded all your thoughts, if you stare at it...You will lose all of your memories. Do you want that?" Green questioned somberly.

"I don't have a choice do I?" Bulbasaur recoiled when a gale of hot air gushed past him, his pores shrunk. His bulb withered.

"Nope" the fire lizard quipped, "let's get going."

The two beasts marched up the beach; a sense of untold despair claimed them. Standing at the threshold, bulbasaur shifted when another scorching blast of dry air threatened to shrivel him; charmander shivered uncontrollably as a glacial wind ghosted across the surface of his parched skin. Shoving second thoughts at the back of their minds, the duo cautiously pushed on the doors and the gates groaned open. The environment behind the gate leered at them, teasing them to step forward. Sucking in another breath, the monsters traversed the threshold and Red jumped when the door shut with a final, echoing bang. Green's lip curled and bulbasaur spat a single razor leaf from its bulb. On the beach, a gothitelle materialized amongst the boulders, its face twisted into a contemplative frown. It closed its eyes and spoke, each syllable chiming like melodious bells. "Fresh meat," it confirmed and the space behind it distorted, images flashed: white fur smeared with blood. Vines constricting a vermillion lizard, an amnesiac fire type. A playful fox trying its best to survive. A nine tailed demon with an unquenchable wrath. "Yes, I trust you shall meet them after they confessed their sins...You did remember to fix the sign leading to town right?" A hint of mistrust crept in the psychic's voice as its superior laughed. "This is not funny, if they get lost; you will have to send a party to search for them. Giratina forbid they wander into the forest and stumble into Sloth. They will perish!" Grumbling some more, the beast sighed and winked out of existence.


Unknown time

Deep within the forest

"We are lost aren't we?" Red queried and stared at a familiar marking on the ground. A broken branch mocked him. Green, close to breathing fire, gazed around the area, thick undergrowth sneered from all sides and he longed to hawk up a fireball and dance in the light of his glorious, orange flames. Alas, the two of them were lost and they had no direction to rely on. Red sprouted vines and the creepers crawled around his tightly shut bulb. "Why don't we just go straight and trust our instincts?" The bulbasaur queried mildly and plucked a suspicious looking fruit from a nearby shrub. Growling, Oak snatched the fruit and tossed it back into the bushes. He looked upwards and sighed, a canopy of leaves blotted the sky.

"My instincts tell me to burn the undergrowth to the ground and roll in its ashes." Charmander hissed and his friend jumped when sparks flew. "Should I go ahead and do that?" Oak ranted for a few more minutes, lost in the passionate articulation of his miseries. His body refused to obey him and hunger clawed his stomach.

Red ignored his comrade and ambled off in search of another edible berry. His belly growled and he fully understood Green's pain. Off the beaten track, he stopped, a group of shadows dashed purposefully through the forest. Screaming did not attract the band's attention and without thinking, Red's bulb cracked open and released the sickest smelling sweet scent his nose ever had the displeasure of sensing. The capering umbra halted, their leader, an umbreon, sniffed the air suspiciously and with measured slowness, turned around. Bulbasaur balked, in the dimness of the forest floor, the moonlight pokemon's body rings glowed cyan. It barked sharp commands to the pack of assorted monsters and they scattered. The creature melted in a pool of shadows and reappeared next to Red. Bulbasaur screeched an ear curling sound and in the next second, Charmander sprang from the bushes, tail fire blazing and nostrils flaring. The dark pokemon gave the two of them an impassive once over and spoke, its low voice penetrating through the bushy forest sounds.

"You two must be new." Its ears flickered dismissively and Green's stared at the umbreon's paws. Silver cuffs encased all four of them. "If you are looking for Treasure Town, it's that way. That darn Wigglytuff refused to fix the sign again. When I get my paws on those trouble makers..." Umbreon broke off, muttering wicked threats under his breath. Fixing an authoritative gaze on them, he jerked his chin in the right direction. "I have to catch up with my patrol group. If you can't find your way through here, then you're better off dead." With this encouraging comment, the moonlight beast melted into the shadows and Red waved a thin vine as it left.

The darkness in the forest became all consuming.

Facing the direction the umbreon graciously pointed them to, the duo failed to see anything either than more gnarled tree trunks, leaves, flowers and the occasional fruit. Mist seeped through the foliage, painting the surroundings a ghostly white. Swallowing their fears, the fire and grass pokemon pushed through, Green raked his claws along the tree trunks, leaving a trail of slashes behind. It felt oddly good to sharpen his steel tipped claws. After trudging through the plantation, they came across a crude wooden sign, the mist surrounding them morphed into a thick fog and they tasted dew drops in the air. Charmander, not appreciative of the damp cold, shivered and waved his tail in an effort to keep the chill at bay. In contrast, Red perked and hungrily absorbed the moisture from the atmosphere.

"It says Tophet's block." Green examined the broken sign critically. A large crack threatened to split the sheet of rotting wood into two.

Bulbasaur circled the post; it smelt of aged wood and moss. "No, it says Treasure Town." He pointed at the words scrawled hastily at the bottom of the decomposing sign. "See, they scratched out Tophet's Block."

Still suspicious, Oak insisted, "Red, that Umbreon said something about a misleading sign. We can't just waltz in there without knowing anything."

"Well, what do you wanna do?" Red snapped, "And umbreon did not mention a misleading sign, it said that someone did not fix the sign." The grass type circled the wooden post again and picked up far away cries of pokemon issuing from the depths of the menacing forest. "Look, it's getting darker by the minute; we'll follow this place to Treasure Town and find a place to sleep."

Green sniffed, "we are pokemon and we are supposed to sleep in the outdoors."

Red moved away from him. "Then stay there." He called over his shoulder. Charmander scrutinized his environment. A hoothoot hooted in the thicket and reluctantly, he slogged after his best friend.

They were not prepared for what they saw.

After much stumbling, cursing, a ghost scare or two; in which Green took the liberty of following his instincts and starting a forest fire much to Red's chagrin, the weary pokemon, skin damp and glistening with dew drops, came to a drunken stop before a shielded hamlet. Bathed in sliver moonlight, the two stood at the narrow entrance of Treasure Town and drank in the sight of a settlement nestled in a valley. Pale light glittered off rooftops and a huge building dominated the center of the village. A network of dirt paved roads trailed away from the circular village square and sprawled in to the intricate interior of the community. Wooden bridges, shops, stone poles and tiles lay glimmering before them. Rivetedly, Red and Green entered, half expecting the sleeping town to awake and chase them off. They traversed a cobblestoned street strewn with banners fluttering lazily in a breeze; and found themselves staring at a giant, stained window. All complaints vanished as the two solemnly regarded the tinted pane. It showed Arceus, towering above its three offspring, below them, the other pokemon divinities stared back at them, their static gazes accusing. Darkrai's single blue eye leapt from the stained glass and bulbasaur's crimson irises veered from the artwork to the entrance next to it. Moonlight bounced off a great white dome, underneath it, numerous cusped arches sheltered a pair of heavy oak doors. Silently, Red shuffled to the entrance and used a vine to knock on the door. A second later, an audino appeared, smiled pleasantly and ushered them inside.

They entered, humbled by the cavernous space inside the cathedral. Wooden pews lined each side and the floor gleamed dully under the muted glare of lanterns and candles. High above, a fresco of Reshiram and Zekrom trained their enquiring looks at the new comers and both Red and his companion shrunk. "I take it you are new." Audino chimed pleasantly and several other blissey swept the immaculate floor with brooms. "Don't worry, all the newcomers are drawn to this place of worship in order to confess their sins. We are simply here to guide and listen to your worries." She indicated a raised platform at the front and Oak inhaled sharply on seeing a lifelike sculpture of Giratina bearing over the dais. "Don't be alarmed, we have a few refreshments if you like." Bulbasaur absentmindedly shook his head and marched through the center aisle. "Then, I will leave you alone. If you need assistance, you may refer to any one of the attendants inside the cathedral." She dipped her head respectfully and the silver chain around her neck shone. Nodding, Red tucked his legs underneath him and bowed. Feeling familiar guilt clawing at his desert dry throat, Green knelt next to him and spent a few hours in meditation.

Red ruminated on his actions. His deeds gnawed on his mind like acid.

He quashed his excuses.

He prayed for forgiveness.

The vast interior became deafeningly silent.

When he opened his eyes, they swam with regret, a blissey brought a tray and he picked up a single Oran berry amongst the pile of other treats. Turning around, he narrowed his eyes on witnessing Green gorging on a plateful of fruits and berries. Stupid prick, bulbasaur thought and his spiritual elation flew out of a window when an audino hurried off to get the charmander another salver of food. If Red ate like that, he'd sure get an earful from his companion later on. The crimson eyed beast's hunger vanished and along with his confession, a deep bitterness settled in his chest. "So...Are you sad you could not confess to the girl you loved?" The previously mentioned audino mildly queried and a few paces away, Oak choked on his food and spewed a rush of flames. Red turned beet red and tried to deny it. His bud tingled and the hearing pokemon smiled gently. "No use lying to me Bulbasaur, I sense what you did and to an extent, what you regret the most. Not to worry though, a lot of sinners have the same regret as you two. They regret not telling anyone their true feelings and they regret not trusting enough." She smiled, her expression soft like a mother. "Welcome to Treasure Town you two." Red and charmander dipped their heads and chorused a greeting in return. "Although…I regret to inform that you have to stay at the guild tonight. It is getting rather late, if you hurry, you can quickly register yourself and stay for free." Hearing this, the two scrambled for the door. "The guild is the biggest building in Treasure Town," Audino raised her voice, "its right next to the village square!"

But the two were already gone, their gratitude bouncing in the confines of the domicile. A cold breeze gusted through open doors and the candle flames flickered.

Midnight

Treasure Town

Guild

Red and Green hurtled over a dirt path, crossed a rickety wooden bridge and the charmander shuddered on spying silver water churn beneath the slats. Ahead of them, surrounded by eerie columns of stone, lay the village square and as they ran through it, a stray flier dislodged from one of the information boards and smacked into Oak's face. He sneezed; the parchment caught fire and crumbled into dust. Red winced and fled alongside his best friend, a precious Oran berry held tightly between two wriggling vines. They arrived in front of a double height door and Charmander seized a moment to marvel at the beautiful carvings etched into the smooth wood. Less impressed; Bulbasaur warily eyed the fire torches, mounted on low pedestals on either side of the door. Leaving Green to gape at the gate, he pushed the door and it swung open on oiled hinges. A foyer unfurled in front of him. Stone tiles felt cold underfoot and a wooden notice board disappeared underneath a group of tough pokemon as they jostled closer to ogle at the newcomers. A prickle of pressure washed over Red and even Green, cowered slightly whilst a ragtag group of skuntank, lopunny and a lucario bore on them. Squaring himself, Oak growled, spat an ember but it only served to draw the attention of more pokemon.

The monsters' combined presence suffocated them and as first stage, un-evolved pokemon, the duo felt humbled and insignificant.

"Clear off, they are new comers and obviously searching for lodgings." A disembodied voice issued from the back of the room but no one paid attention. Skuntank veered closer and Green retched at the poison and stench. Red merely clutched his berry closer when sparks danced in the foyer; it arced across the stone tiles adding a fresh scar to the ones littering the ground. "I said, CLEAR OFF!" A thundercloud brewed under the vaulted ceiling. A thunderclap echoed. Bolts rained and the formation scattered hurriedly. At the far end of the vestibule, Red finally glimpsed his savior. Behind a thick screen of glass, a manectric hastily groomed its shaggy, yellow fur and placed a pair of spectacles over lamp like eyes. It waved a tail in greeting and Green, who regained his composure, strutted forward in order to get the registration over and done with. "Welcome to Treasure Town's Guild," Manectric greeted fluidly and smiled; his tail an artwork of tribal tattoos. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but each newcomer is subjected to that ritual." He informed and retrieved pieces of paper and an inkwell. "I suppose you are confused and hungry, please finish these forms and I will ask someone to guide you to the eating hall." His well-modulated voice washed over Green and relieved, the charmander scanned the papers. "If you have any questions, ask… and is that your friend over there? He seems to be in trouble." A hint of concern laced the receptionist's voice and Oak whirled to see Red struggling to maneuver the Oran berry into his mouth. The situation would warrant a chuckle from Green if it weren't for the skuntank leering at his companion.

Plop, the berry fell on Red's face for the second time. A roar of raucous laughter swept through the foyer and Oak grinded his saw teeth as he listened. His third pen broke and Manectric patiently handed him another one.

"Thanks..."

More laughter.

Snap.

That's it! Charmander thought and tossed the remains of his fifth pen aside. He sent the receptionist an apologetic look and was alarmed to see the fur on the electric type's head puff up and grow longer. Manectric stared straight ahead, the friendliness in his crimson eyes replaced by irritation.

"So little weed." Skuntank rasped, he and his crew loomed over Red who ignored them in favor of trying to stuff the berry in his mouth. "You must be some hardened criminal to earn a spot in Gehenna right?" Bulbasaur nodded thoughtlessly. "Heh, we are all felons here so congrats on making it into the club." Green listened, his ears pricked for any sign of danger. "Little weed, mind telling us why Lord Giratina sent you here? What did you do? Rob candy off a grandma?" The skunk monster guffawed at his joke and Lopunny rolled her eyes. The atmosphere in the spacious room tensed and each occupant paused in their tasks to stare at Red and Green, holding their breaths for an answer.

Red accidentally crushed his Oran berry and lamented the fact; he tried to get some crushed fruit into his mouth...

Alas.

The bulbasaur turned towards the foul smelling pokemon. "You wanna know what I did?" He asked, his tone weighted by regret, the others nodded, hanging on his every word. They judged him. "I was the lynchpin of a criminal organization which toppled Team Rocket and other regional crime syndicates." Some monster inhaled sharply, "I kidnapped brilliant children, Pokedex Holders, and molded them to view the world with my ideals. I used my organization to manufacture master balls, capture the legendary creatures, steal priceless artifacts and conduct illegal experiments. Eventually, we summoned the space and time titans and managed to drag Giratina out of the distorted world. We tampered with the distortion world and our actions led to a series of micro destructions which plague the real world till today. Thereafter, I decided to sacrifice myself and ultimately murdered by best friend before I was beheaded." Red jerked his head at Green, "that's him over there." He finished his speech amongst captivated silence and his scarlet eyes picked out another berry bush decorating the foyer. Grinning happily, he ambled off as the other pokemon watched him. Skuntank rotated, disbelief marring his features.

"That true Charmander?" He gruffly demanded, "You expect me that lil weed, who struggles to put an Oran berry in his mouth committed so many felonies?"

Charmander grinned, revealing a row of zigzagged teeth, "Yeah, it's true...Except for the part where he murdered his best friend." Green's tail drooped, "but the gist of it is correct."

"Damn...Some life you two lived." The poison type shook his head one last time and meandered away. Red gleefully guzzled on berries till Green barked at him to come over. Manectric handed him a filled out form and asked him to press his paw on the ink pad and stamp it on the papers. The duo did just that, pressing their paws into the cold, blue ink and imprinting a mark on the stark white sheets.

Gathering the forms, the electric type coolly adjusted his glasses and nodded to them. "Thank you for your time, should I ask someone to guide you through the guild or?" The duo shook their heads and intoned that they will explore later. "I understand, you two must be tired. We offer lodgings for a few weeks but since new sinners always stream inside Gehenna, you will have to acquire your own accommodations before the week ends. I am sorry, but these are the rules the guild master drew up." He neatly filed the papers away in a large binder. "The dormitories are on the third floor. Make your way there, you will find tailored lofts for you to sleep in. The eating hall is on the second floor if you want to have dinner, but I suspect our cook retired for the night. Tomorrow, I shall ask the guild master to meet you. Till then, have a good night." The discharge pokemon grinned at them amiably and exhausted, Red dragged himself after Green. The wood and slate steps creaked and whined under their weight. Up and up they went, glimpsing rooms and hearing shouts in what must be the dining hall. On the third floor, fire shimmered in glass orbs and illuminated a welcoming space; specialized beds peppered a spacious chamber. Rafters and nests were situated near the ceiling for bird types and against a far wall, an artificial pond overflowed with water and aquatic plants. Fire types reclined on beds of rock, dry straw and withered grass. Spying smoking logs, charmander crooned happily and lurched towards his sleeping place. As for Red, bushes, low growing trees and a stretch of grass boarded by a murky swamp. Lemongrass and the pungent odor of overripe fruit, beckoned him. Not sparing Green a glance, he too, hobbled to his bed, snatched a leaf to chew on and buckled down for the night.

The fires automatically dimmed and died.

Pale moonlight filtered through the windows, throwing splatters of bone white light on the series of multi, micro environments.

Lava bubbled.

A bird flapped.

In the doorway, a plump monster regarded the merge sleeping pokemon. Its watery eyes sought for a new prey.

The predatory bird nesting out of sight? Or the charmander with its tail curled up against a burning log?

No...

How about the water monkey snoozing peacefully on a large Lilly pad? Or piplup who preferred to snuggle amongst the glaciers?

No.

The creature prowled closer, it crossed marshy swamps and skipped over a sheet of transparent ice. A shadow fell over Red. A beefy paw tugged the sweet leaf out of the grass type's mouth and the beast fed the bulbasaur a seed instead. The grass type snored peacefully, unaware of the danger currently bundling and stealing him out of the dormitory. Like a shadow, the beast flew up the stairs, carrying Red in a large, leafy sack.

Poor thing, it thought. Hopefully the seed pokemon will not wake up.


Disclaimer: No, I own nothing except my crafted characters, out of them, my favorite is *gets smashed*

A/N: And I'm back with another story. As usual, I like to experiment in my stories and this one borrows heavy elements from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon spin-off games. I tried to minimize the references to BI but they creep in. This fic also has a fair share of original characters.

Reviews and constructive criticism is much appreciated, so tell me your thoughts.

Thank you for reading and most importantly, please enjoy.